To Close To Call...

Nerve-racking,
sleep-depriving,
hyper-alerted,
silent panic --

"... She's going to need an appendectomy, right away... "

Head in hands,
slow breaths,
waiting, pacing,
more waiting --

"... We're taking her into surgery now... "

Staring into space,
thinking about what
she means to me,
to my existence --

"... It's been removed, and she's heading to recovery... "

Exhaling slowly,
holding her hand
at her bedside,
I can smile, again...

Carbo-licious...(senryu)

Ironic junk food,
Slim Jims can cause fat Larrys --
who saw that coming?

This One's A Keeper...

Though many gifts I did receive -
a sweater, a shirt with shortened sleeves,
a blender that can pummel seeds,
the box-set of some DVDs...

... Your gift, I valued most of all -
a simple card with your writ sprawled,
"I'm yours, always, from Spring to Fall" -
of now I have the wherewithal...

... to know, what life means to me.

Season's Eat'ns... (senryu)

Turkey, beef, gravy,
stuffing, and warm apple pie -
love, is stomachs full...

***May this Eve be awesome for all, and now, I'm gonna go run a 10k or think about it at least, but most likely, passing out by the fireplace... ;)***

Viscum album...

May the spirit of winter and or
inebriation find you lucky to be
sucked into a most worthwhile trap, a
trap each year that snares its victim
lustfully with little abandon for
ettiquette and prudence - a
trap made for seizing the moment
outright without fear, causing one to
engage a kiss that leads, somewhere...

Holiday Party Facades...

Forced smiles and aimless conversation
permeate the atmosphere - most are
performing self-hypnosis, tricking their
stalwart brains to accept the situation
without "fight or flight" kicking in while
making them seem "docile"

And here I am, in the eye of this
Category 5 disaster, drowning amidst
crab cakes and crabbier spouses,
who check their watches obsessively
for signs that they may indeed, have
the power to move space-time forward

So booze becomes my cure for
flattly-falling one-liners sounding
half-way funny, miniscule small talk
amplifying into grand lectures on the
human condition - but all the while, I stare
at the door, longing for, sweet departure...

Adjourned...

Melancholic reveries
instigate felled emotions that
seem not to care for my
state of mind nor affairs,

yet, it is by a single
once of whispered-words from you that
unfolds my furrowed brow,

All my despair subsides, neuron-driven
plowshares guide paths for joyful
rosebuds to bloom, my soul garden
in full view of everyone, though
longing mostly for your view, as always...

Happy Holidays, From, Uh...

While on the topic of holidays cards from yesterday...

Getting holiday cards at work is always nice, and just last week one came in for my father. It's one of those cards with the family picture on the front, and it read:

From our home to yours,
Happy Holidays!
Peace, Joy, Good Health and God's Blessing

As my father puts down the card, I'll never forget the next thing he said:

"So... Who the f--k are these people?"

Oh, 'tis the season for cheerful greetings via random corporate mailing lists... ;)

The Joyful Monotony of Being a Team-Player...

While at work a couple weeks ago, someone asked if anyone wanted to help with stuffing the annual cards we send out to various clients for the holidays in December.

Most people usually balk at the task, but not me. Why? 'Cause they put you at a table with no phone, no paperwork to file, and best of all - very little to concentrate on i.e. let your mind wander. Yes, this was my time to exploit a "team effort".

Enthusiastically, I volunteer and take up the task, marching into it with all the gusto and flair of a man possessed by St. Nick himself. Okay, there were risks: papercuts (got two of them), tearing and or scrunching the cards by accident, or just plain getting carpal tunnel from all the repetition of opening, stuffing, and sealing a mass amount of envelopes. But they were risks I was willing to take.

It's usually slow going at first - finding the right rhythm of the folding and stuffing, and then managing the pile. But after about 5 minutes, I was treating it like an assembly line, where I was "Card Master" - open, fold, tuck, seal. And, repeat.

The world went by, as time slowed to a peaceful crawl in my sanctuary of greeting card forts, and most of all, silence. It took me about 2 hours to finish them all, and I think I might have purposely slowed down by the last 50 so that I could savor this tiny little "work vacation" I was having - er, I mean, enduring.

Alas, no fun thing lasts forever, and after dropping off the HUGE box of cards, I sludged back to my desk to go about more air freight and drone around my piles of paperwork.

But for the rest of that afternoon I was like, "Man, those papercuts were totally worth it"...

Piece for PictureSpeak XX: These Rails...

These rails ain't been used much,
since them automobiles and their
soo-per-highways have taken over
the bulk of get'n from place to place,

Then came those dang air-o-planes,
flying folks to where they needed
to be before they even had time to think
about "chicken or fish",

But you give me a locomotive any day,
'cause it ain't all rails 'n crossings,
no sir - there's a story in every CLANG
of those tracks, and I, wanna hear'em...

Before the Door Slam...

There was this fraction
of a fraction in the second
before the door slam where
I saw our treasured moments --

First kiss on 3rd St.,
Running in the rain in NY,
Dining on salty fish in Fiji,
Catching a Kilimanjaro sunset,
Hopping the train to Paris,
Dodging scooters in Amsterdam,
Swimming in the Caspian Sea --

SLAM!

Then...

... nothing.

6 Word Short Story: Queue

You mind? Only got two items...

Ecdysis...

Languid hips paired with
ample curves move in
perfect symmetry to
downbeats laid at full volume -
apropos siren-eyes
never waiver off mine,
connected we are in this
exchange of pretenseful phero-mania...

Silly Romantic Comedy... (senryu)

Mushy-love chick flick,

not a dry eye in the room --

with mine included!


***If you need a chick-flick fix, "The Holiday" will hit the spot, believe me... ;)***

Ms. Construde...

When I said you were a
fine piece of ass, what I meant
was you have a gorgeous bottom -
I mean, as a whole you're quite
well formed - you know, you're
definitely NOT ugly -- not to imply
that you're perfect either,
not in the least -- not that you have
a lot of flaws or anything, you know,
like that thing on your lip, uh, I mean,
wait --

Can I start over?

Solace, de jure...

Comfort
is seldom found
at the bottom of a
wine glass, where the emptiness lends
no sympathy nor hugs,
simply, somber
stillness...

Random Haiku #68

Man's cellphone ringtone
was a car bomb going off -
shock value, tasteless...

Random Haiku #67

Woman walks her dog,
dog meets identical dog -
mirrored tails, wagging...

Random Haiku #66

Split-second actions,

Frantic calls, putting out fires --

Being Big-Boss SUCKS!

*** I had to be "The Man" this week, so that's why I've been gone. One more day of this and I would have to kick my own ass... ***

Dining Dystopia...(senryu)

"Where's my tip, ASSHOLE!"

"I left it on the counter."

"Oh. Sorry. My bad..."

Piece for PictureSpeak XIX: Fuzzy Picture...

Flip through channels on
my TV, finding fuzzy
noise on all I see, so grab
the ladder to the roof
I go, to see what trouble
there may be

And low and behold, what do
I find? But two large birds
with one perched on hind -
on top my dish, try to shoo
away, but those darned birds
were a fearless kind

"Honey, it's fixed!", I hear
my wife yell, as loud and clear
as a dinner bell - the birds
must've moved the dish
just right, and give me one
helluva story to tell...

Thanksgiving Cooked by an Asian Slacker...

So, how does one turn all this...

... Into something that resembles an edible, holiday feast?
Well, let me show ya!

Took this bad-boy out of the wrapper and
chucked it into the oven at 350 degrees for 3 1/2 hours.
Yeah, as long as my reading comprehension didn't fail me,
I was on the right track!

This is my Patent-Pending Green Beans with Le Creme' sauce -
a.k.a. Frozen Green beans with Cream of Mushroom Soup,
cream and chopped mushrooms, baked with cheese on top.

Southwestern-style Corn a.k.a. grilled corn with Olive Oil,
keep warm at 250 degrees. By the way, it's not that there's
two different versions - I just ran out of other corning-ware
so I just served it in that one. But it did trip my guests out.

I was building up quite the collection as the hours wore on...

Taking a moment to get a vanity shot before I moved onto...

... The SCALLOPED POTATOES IN A BOX! Woo-Hoo!
I had to do a little bit of multiplication math, and it was touch
and go there for a minute, but I hung in there and got it done.

Mmmm! Yellow! Hoo-rah for freeze-dried processing! The
only other real ingredient I added was shredded mozzarella,
which helps to sell the "Old-Style Cooking" effect.

Turkey, potatoes, and green beans slow-cooking away!
Only a few more items left.

I had a free minute between stirring and baking, so I thought
I'd set up the arena most ricky-tick!

Alas, I even cheated on the stuffing! But it's hard to go wrong with
Stove-Top Stuffing...

... See what I mean! If you add a bit of chicken stock to
the water mixture, it tastes like you've been slaving at it
all day!

The Cheese-over-cheese is what also helps sell the
potatoes-in-a-box. Notice the golden crust?
Just like on the package! Score!

Here's me taking regular canned cranberry sauce and
kicking it up a notch! I added diced pears, some water
and strawberry preserve to the mixture, heated back up
to a boil and voila! Le Cranberry with Pear Chutney Glaze!

Let sit for about 5 minutes and it's good to go!

All right! The bird is done!

Some vanity shots of my side dishes. And no, I didn't
bake the Pumpkin Pie - it was kindly store bought by
my friend.

I'm giddy making the "first incision" - on the bag!

See the little popper? That's how you can tell it's done!
Ain't science great?

The ceremonial transfer of the turkey from the tin to the
serving plate, you know, just to make this feast a little
less slackerized.

Ah, all the elements are in place...

Making the 2nd "first incision" on the actual bird. Verdict
was in - cooked all the way through, and still juicy!

Now to serve it to my wonderful guests.

Feast is served! And I got the timer on the camera to work on the
first try!

Happy Thanksgiving To All!

Now, let's go shopping!... ;)

Recipe to start a Monday...(senryu)

Bagel with cream cheese,
2 cups of hot coffee, black -
slowly, open eyes...

Craig is Bond, Let's Move On...

I'm not gonna give anything away here ('cause there have already been people writing full synopsis already and if you really want to know, you should read one of those), and though there are plenty of reviews out and most opinions have been sprawled onto the blogosphere, I thought that I'd just weigh in with my 6 pence and just shoot straight from the hip.

I find it fitting that this film, which has a gambling theme in it, was also taking many gambles of its own - namely in choosing a new Bond that was not at the top of anyone's list for successor to fill such big shoes.

From the very start, Daniel Craig was an underdog. It seemed like he was picked completely out of left-field, God knows where, and directly from "What the F--k?" land. Craig did not fit the archetypes left by Connery, Moore, or even Brosnan, which made his selection even more confounding. I'd say my first reaction was also of puzzlement, but it was a feeling that I didn't linger much on.

However, many didn't feel that way i.e. CraigNotBond.com, whom felt that every day that Craig was on set was another day the death rattle would get louder on our favorite British spy. Rumors and news from the set didn't help matters either - from his injuries on set to his inability to drive stick shift, made for that much more fodder to the gossip mill that Craig couldn't really "bond" with being Bond.

I guess it was probably easier for Brosnan when he took over the role. High expectations were cast on him as well, and fortunately enough, he did not disappoint. His transition was fairly smooth, almost like he was annoited to the role without objection nor hesitation; whereas Craig seemed to have to do a helluva lot more convincing than those before him. And let me just say this - give Craig a chance, and he just might surprise you.

For the record, I saw this film twice - mostly for objectivity in my study of Craig, but in the great fanboy tradition, I really, really, really wanted to watch a ton of action and LOTS of explosions all over again (hey, I'm a guy, what can I say?). The first time I saw it, I'll admit that it was hard to stimmey my brain from thinking about Craig the actor and Craig as Bond, but by the second time around, I forgot about Craig playing a part, and saw only the character of Bond trying his best to become the man he'll eventually be.

Okay, one could argue that Craig failing to convince right out of the gate would be considered a fault against him in the role. But with so much rumor and bad press, I had to block it all out and judge this actor for myself, and I will honestly say that I was not disappointed (hence, the need for a second viewing). My mother also saw the film, and found Craig lacking the "pinache and style" that has been accustomed to all the portrayls of Bond. But isn't that the point? Isn't this Bond supposed to be the brash and bold heroine that still has much to learn before he's the suave superspy that we've grown to love?

In that respect, I think Craig has achieved just that - a diamond for sure, but a diamond still in the rough. Craig gives us a Bond that is flawed and imperfect, with a brutality that has yet to be kept at bay. He has an emotional vulnerability that like him, is erratic and prone to flights of fancy, to which he'll learn not to leave so well unguarded. Bond is ever the patriot, a man that holds Queen and Country in high esteem, yet he doesn't quite see the big picture. He wants to stop evil threats one at a time, but has not seen the potential for going after the bigger fish that swim in more menacing waters. This Bond has much to learn, and school for Craig, is in session.

On the story itself, it remains as faithful to the book as possible. The update to the material hasn't hurt the central plot at all, with plenty of action and explosions to keep the adrenaline going. Some might feel that things seemed scaled back a little in this film. I think it works to its advantage - it's supposed to be Bond's first time out, so before he goes off and blows up a volcano to stop an evil genius, he's going to have to settle for shootouts with henchman for now (you'll know what I'm talking about after you see it).

So, is this film worth catching? I'd say yes, if you feel up for an action-adventure flick that will provide mayhem and explosions for the guys, and definite eye-candy to satisfy the ladies. Though there are many changes happening to this Bond, let's not forget that sometimes change, can be a good thing. And I for one could use a new perspective well shaken, not stirred... ;)

He's Back...

A License to Kill...

Saves the world before cocktails...

Life shaken, not stirred.


***I'm gonna catch it today, and will let ya'll know if it's worth it...;)***

In Their Own Way...(aintu)

Mother
wakes me up by
a gentle nudge to my
shoulder - but Father prefers to
scream me to attention,
scare me straight out
of bed...

Fortune Smiles, If But Briefly...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying going to college is a bad thing, but I've found that the worst thing after college is paying off all my student loans, which blows the proverbial chunks.

Though I've gotten to a point where my payments are managable and I'm not having to live off Ramen 20 days out of each month, I still cringe a little every time I see my student loan envelopes arrive in the mail. But hey, I guess I'm just paying the price of higher education - literally.

Anyway, about a month ago I received another inocuous-looking letter from my old university. Due in part to a whole round of fund-raising-donation-rousing-calling-me-6-days-in-a-row a.k.a. continuing to bleed me dry, (and because I'd just made another student loan payment), the sight of the envelope made me expound a burst of expletives that would make even Kevin Smith stand back a bit.

I've gotten so used to bad news coming at me from my old alma mater that I was shockingly surprised to find that the envelope did not contain another bill, but a note that said they owed ME money.

Yeah, crazy, right?

So I start examining this thing, looking over the paper carefully, treating it as if it's CSI evidence from an anthrax scare. Satisfied that it wasn't a hoax or my imagination gone haywire, I read through the letter. Apparently, they owed me money from 3 years ago when I was working as a TA that I never collected. And I was counting most pennies that were coming in back then. How could I have missed that? All they were asking me was whether I wanted to pick up a check or just have them send it by mail. Since I REALLY didn't want to drive that far back, I go for the mail option (Actually, I'm not really sure why they had an option at all, it just seems pointless).

About a week after that, I received my check for $275 dollars in backpay. I think I might've done a little dance. This was a sweet victory.

For a split second.

Because I've been trying to be more financially responsible, I ended up using it with my latest loan payment.

I guess it's just fate... but not the fate I thought it'd be!... ;)

6 Word Short Story: Double-Down...

Leaving Las Vegas.

Lost... a hand.

Piece for PictureSpeak XVIII: Merrily Maroon...

"Merrily Maroon"

Hazy, titian sky
reflects my lust, as I lose
myself in your touch...

Ode to Birthday (27th)...

As another year goes by,
old school heartaches
now seem frivolous, while
backaches grow more prevalent -
still, blessed I am for another
season in the sun

My knees are a bit wobbly
but steadfast, my vision grows
poorer but nonetheless insightful,
while my inner child celebrates
perpetual youth with ice-cream cake
and caramel-flavored dreams

Though this year I did not
truly find "Neverland," I'm glad
to still give chase to such
pipe dreams, where time stands
still like sand, with journeys left
to explore for another day...

Random Haiku #65

Water bottle dropped,
liquid drenches my right thigh -
left thigh, felt reprieved...

Uh-Oh, Did Someway Say "Glitches"?

Looks like Democracy is at work today - and so is the Window's "Blue Screen of Death". Yeah, we've now officially entered the "Ctrl + Alt + Delete" Age in American politics.

Somewhere, someone is getting ready - putting on their glasses, primed to look for that digital "hanging chad"...;)

It's Almost...

Daddy, what time is it?
It's early.
Are we gonna have breakfast?
In a little bit.
What are you looking at?
You'll see.
It's so dark. I don't see anything.
Hold on champ, just wait...
Wait for what?
Just keep your eyes on those hills.
Daddy, I don't know --
It's almost...

Whoa! That's so cool!
Yeah, it sure is.
Good morning, Daddy.
Good morning, Sun...

Out of Reach... (senryu)

The Bluetooth earpiece
was to help you miss less calls -
then, you LOST your phone!

6 Word Short Story challenge: Meal...

You should know... that's not chicken.

Last Dance...

This waltz
of "It's not you,
it's me," is starting to
wear me down. Time to move off the
dance floor, grab our jackets,
and swing on out
for good...

On Any Other Day...

On this Hallow's Eve,

monsters, misfits and the like
appear...
... quite normal.

**Hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween, and if you partake in the bounty that is candy, please remember to floss and brush!***

Not For Carnivores... (senryu)

Succulent egg plant,
slow roasted in olive oil -
sweet flesh, surrendered...

Frosty...

He was made from ice
with tender love and crazy
care, a man not meant to
last for long, and though
his time on Earth is short,
his importance bears
a familiar song --

He'll witness snowball fights,
toboggan rides, and snow angels
being made on the ground,
and never once utter
a single sound --

But we will hear him,
in our thoughts,
cheering us on long after
the winter melts, and later
we may wonder, if Frosty
had as good a time as
we did with him there...

Not For Vegans...(senryu)

A nice juicy steak,
pan-seared, pink in the middle -
soul, consuming soul...

Hey You, In My Rearview...(senryu)

Late night tailgater,
drive around! No need for high-
beams to blind my eyes!

Random Aintu #1

a car
broke down and parked
in my driveway. They asked
for help - I, too stunned to answer.
But soon fixed without me,
and off they went,
cruising...

Edgewise (senryu)

"Why are you so mad?"

"You are constantly interr --

"That is SO not true!".

Up In The Sky...

The adult in me saw
a sky dotted by cirrus
and low cumulus clouds that
hung not far from stratosphere,

But it was the kid in me
that saw reality: a giant,
happy face smiling down
from above, gleefully...

Conversations in Air Freight: I'm sorry, you're calling about what?

Believe it or not, this is a real phone conversation I had. Only some of the names and parties have been changed to protect their stupidity.

RING!!!!!

Hello?

Good morning, this is "Allison" over at "X Cargo", how are you?

I'm fine.

I'm calling in regards to a package you've sent to "La-Toona". It seems that --

Excuse me, what did you say?

The shipment to "La-Toona"? Yes, there is a temporary embargo, so the shipment cannot be
Collect --

I'm sorry, I don't think I've ever sent anything to a country with that name.

Sir, all we need you to do is change the paperwork to reflect Pre-Paid instead of Collect so we can finish processing the delivery of the package.

Could you tell me the name of the country again? Or at least give me the tracking number?

The number is XXXXXXXXXX, with a country code VNO, in La-Toona.

(set the phone done for a moment, realizing what the heck she's talking about)

Do you mean LITHUANIA!

Uh, yes... so if you can fax over the revised paperwork, that'd be great.

Sure.

CLICK.

Random Haiku # 64

Shivers in the cold,
time for machismo has passed --
pass me my sweater...

Random Haiku #63

"Careful! Plate is hot!"
Heed the warning I did not.
Finger-tips singed - ouch!...

Venery...

Sly fox stands on grass,
survey prey to tempt "fowl" play --
will strike, when ready...

Oh, Canada! - The Vacation 2006 **Bonus Pics**

Here's some pics that didn't really fit anywhere, but I thought I'd share them anyway!

I don't wanna go!!!!... ;)

Oh, Canada! - The Vacation 2006, Part 4: So Long, For Now...

Orig. August 8, 2006 - The Return Home...

5:30 AM - Wake up, wondering where I am, and then I remember I'm still not in Kansas. God, I need to pack.

6:45 AM - Check out of hotel. Finished packing my stuff and it feels lighter - how does that happen?

6:47 AM - One the road to the airport. It's still sunrise, the scorching ball of light only burning small holes in our retinas - but we'll live.

7:04 AM - Got lost again and missed the interchange. Exited at this giant mall, where I barely saw the sign to point us back to the right freeway. Sun still shining in our faces, increasing the level of difficulty. Dad says "Don't panic." I keep mine from showing.

7:41 AM - Dropped off the rental car, now using "Canadian R2-D2" to do check-in. Lines are long and insane this morning.

7:53 AM - Start lining up for customs. It too is long. Still haven't checked in bags yet, which sucks. A lady from the airline starts yelling at us like we're cattle, which, we are sort of herding like.

8:34 AM - Clear customs - Customs Agent was friendly and glad to see my father and I. Oh joy! Also pass through security screening without hassle. The Screening inspector thought my PSP was "bitch'n". ***SIDE NOTE FOR JJ4: I cleared customs through window "4"***

8:46 AM - Find breakfast joint to enjoy "American breakfast". The irony isn't lost on my father either.

9:19 AM - Waiting at the gate. There's an older brother tossing his little brother up and down in the air. HIs mother tells them to stop, but the brothers continue. Mother takes out camcorder and films them. What you gonna do, huh?

9:22 AM - An old lady in a wheelchair is being wheeled to her plane. She is crying and looks disoriented - aren't we all?

9:40 AM - Boarded the plane, sitting in the aisle again. But I sacrifice elbow hits for less claustrophobia.

9:41 AM - My seatmates arrive. It's a complete sausage fest - the Window Guy is an I.T. Tech, and the Middle Guy is a real estate agent. They bond like white on rice.

9:43 AM - Asian underage hotties sit across from me. They exude the energy of a Jessica Simpson/Lindsay Lohan music video. I can feel my I.Q. dropping. Requisite cockblocking/boyfriend accompanies said party - he seems "N-Synch"-ish as well, but not so much Lance Bass.

9:49 AM - Sitting by the galley, the smell of hot maple syrup is drowning my senses. I breathe syrup now. I'm now surrounded by families with babies and toddlers, evoking total deja-vu'...

9:54 AM - Still haven't left the gate. Seatmates are gonna start making out soon. The Asian hotties are excited about watching the in-flight movie "Over the Hedge". Their "bubblyness" is irritating. My air knob is a little screwy, so cold air blows on me whether I like it or not.

9:59 AM - I make "baby faces" with a baby across from me. She is really cute. I hope she doesn't cry.

10:07 AM - As usual, no one is paying attention to the safety video. I at least read the safety card, but hey, whatever... the baby's making faces again. She calms me.

10:10 AM - Captain tells us that our bags were delivered to the plane late, which has caused our late take-off. As if there was someone we can yell at now.

10:11 AM - Flight attendant mistakes my earbuds for iPod, yet I'm not plugged into anything. I take off my buds reluctantly so I "don't make a scene" - I think I've had enough rebel rousing in Canada.

10:50 AM - Fell asleep before take-off. Baby didn't cry a bit. That's good. I'm sure take-off was lovely...

10:55 AM - I keep drifting in and out of wakefullness, asses and elbows pressed near my face, some good, most not. I'm starting to rethink my sitting in the aisle philosophy.

11:51 AM - I'm so bored that I'm watching a "Winnie the Pooh" movie playing on a personal DVD player two rows in front of me. The kid watching is glued. So am I.

11:57 AM - Kid changed the DVD to "Sesame Street" just as I was getting into the Pooh. Oh, Pooh!

12:00 PM - Inflight movie starts - "The Sentinel", not "Over the Hedge" - Asian girls are disappointed. My Window Guy refuses to pull down his shade. A fellow rebel...

BACK IN LA...

3:05/12:05 PM - Wake up, flight attendant screamed again about our descent (yeah, I think "The Sentinel" helped me to pass out). I wish they would stop doing that. Of course, I was in the middle of dreaming about Eva Longoria, but alas, that is another story.

12:32 PM - Arrive in LA. Landing, again, was as smooth as sandpaper. Yeah, like I could do better...

1:08 PM - Out of the terminal! Got our luggage after finding out it went to the wrong claim carousel! Stepping out into the airport, the air is dirty and dry, the noise is loud and obnoxious.

It's good to be home.

Oh, Canada! - The Vacation 2006, Part 3A: So, CN Tower, Anyone?

So, who still wants to see some more of Toronto, huh? I know, I know, it's been awhile (again).

When we last left off, I was returning back to the city after a crazy morning visiting Niagara Falls:

Ah, the CN Tower - but first, a few more stops before we make our way there...

Here's the Old City Hall. The giant clocktower reminds me of Big Ben.

This is the new City Hall. Man, it was a bitch to get all those people to
look like they were doing something!

This is the Historic Campbell House - The Last Brick Home
From The Town Of York. At least, that's what the sign at the
front read. Oh yeah, it's open Tuesday thru Friday, 9:30-4:30.

The Speakers Corner - on the left side of the picture, is this really cool booth
where you can leave a video message and stuff for all the people of Canada to
see(if they choose your message). Barenaked Ladies was discovered from this
thing, so it's got some pretty cool roots. But mostly women flash
their boobs in there for a chance at 15 seconds of fame.

Yeah, just a pic of me chill'n. That's about it.

Ah, the Friar & Firkin, my favorite watering hole in all of Toronto.
I spent many a Canadian dollar in there. It's definitely a don't-miss
for anyone visiting from out of town. The place is decked out in red velvet,
old wood, and, well, alcohol - hello!!! What more can you ask for!
Let's go inside...

...This is a Creemore. There are many like it, but this one was mine.

Yes, it was a special day, so I chased my lager with an old stand-by!

A tough part about being Asian is that everyone can tell when you're getting
a buzz. Yeah, I've only had two drinks and I look like I'm ready for my
close-up on COPS.

After pulling myself away - kick and screaming, mind you - from the F&F, we took off to see...

Tadaaaaaaa!!! The Canadian Space Needle!

I rode up on the lift with a bunch of nice old ladies. I tried to get a shot so I could
show you all the view from the elevator, but alas, we were packed in like
sardines. I'm not sure, but I think one of the old ladies grabbed my ass. Is it possible
to be spooked, flabbergasted and flattered all at the same time?

This is one of the see-through floors on the Observation deck. There's a video down
in the lobby showing these kids jumping up and down on it, to illustrate that it's
perfectly safe. I walked on it, but I didn't stomp. However, two minutes after
I walk away a 300 plus man had no qualms about it and decided to see if he could
crack it. Luckily, he didn't, but I think I heard a "creak".

Pretty self explanatory.

The view from the top was great. This was from the Restaurant deck.
And apparently, one of the few shots I could take without getting a
WHOLE REFLECTION of me in it!

I don't know if they put the decal there on purpose, but I thought it was
kinda neat.

Just so you know I was there!

Thanks for coming along, and stay tuned for the exciting conclusion --
of how I got outta Dodge!

Super Winks!... ;)