Autobus a Toronto

Im on the megabus back home. My traveling days are done for a while. If I was to lay out my plans for the year it would be San's Seatle Trip in May, my sister Chloe's English Wedding in July, and if I get a ticket then Burning Man in august.
The power suply on this so called "megabus" isn't enough to charge my phone, so as much as i would love to keep blogging i feel i must retire with the latest smodcast 199.

Cafe avec mon Perre

I'm wastching a band play a morning set in a cafe with my dad. The band is lead by John Speed a jazzy trio, my dads girlfriend Dorianne sings backup for the on weekends. This place is quaint (Le Depaneur Cafe) and the tunes are solid. These guys are great musicians. Dad just told me to imagine the sound with three ladies singing backup, which i was just thinking of.
I'm going back to Toronto on the bus tonight. Its so nice to spend this time with my dad. Coffee & music. Yesterday was coffee and a movie. Just good times.

Tool Rocks Over London

TOOL totally rocked my ass off. They opened with Hooker With A Penis. We had great seats right on the floor(a most excellent birthday gift from Jagger). It was the closeest either of us have been to the band (Jagz has seen them six times and I a mere five). The John Labbat Centre seemed pretty full, but it looked like even the cheap seats got a nice look at the action.

After the show we hung out at Jaggr's friends place for a few Crown Royals mixed with Schweps (the spumonte bambino of ginger ales).

We laid our heads to rest at the executive suites(jagger rented a room because of my rediculously early train).

Slow train to TOOL

Union Station was used as the dystopic Henry Rollins hobo-hospital in Johnny Nemonic.

I'm leaving my laptop at home and blogging through my phone. Its just to heavy to lug around. I'm getting a new mac soon, but even then do i want to carry a brand new baby all around? An android tablet rocking 4.0 would be perfection, this screen size just isn't enough for my near blindness.

I'm off  to London, Ontario, to  see TOOL, one of the best live rock acts to ever tour. They hit Toronto last night and i would have been at that show too in my younger days. But instead I rested. I'm more mature now and am less likely to folliw a band from city to city. I might eat my words if the Smashing Pumpkins decide to rock nearby. I'm taking the train. I bought my ticket on the internet when I was in Japan, I guess it was a boxing day sale cause it was about 50% off.

I jam back to Toronto in the morning and go straight from the train to the bus for my annual Igloofest trip to Montreal.

I have to say that Via Rail sucks once you have been on the Shinkansen. The service is fine and I got a great price on the ticket. Its a just a real shame we don't have bullet trains in North America. I would be there already. I bitch but I snooze on the train and we are there in figurative "no-time" instead of literally no time.

Downtown London is a depressant. Lots of nerdowells. I check out the Starbucks, they only have a Canada mug, nothing for London.
I explore the sad mall and decide to wait for Ashlie to finish work while drinking a beer at the Fox & Fiddle.
I will add the bar playlist when i get to my laptop for some cut & paste from Shazam.

I use different phone apps to give my photos a little spice. Blog posts without photos are lame. I hope to get some good shots of Maynard tonight.

falling behind

I'm using my laptop tethered through my phone while I wait for the rogers guy to show up and fix my internet. Pretty cool.

I have a lot of blog maintenance to get to.

My burning Man blog is going to get a kick in the pants.

My postcard blog is kind of a mess. I have to sort through all my cards and figure out whats been posted and what still needs to go up.

My Japan blog needs to be polished, posts completed with pictures added and such.

No time for any of that now, I have to go to the Lightbox since I took a volunteer shift this afternoon.

Big Week

My internet service provider, Teksavvy has let me down for the first time. I pay the big bucks for high speed but it went down on Sunday and it could take a Rogers guy 3 days to get out and fix it. So I'm back at the Ol' Second Cup across the street from my place. It's frustrating cause I have a lot of blogging to do and it's cheaper to do at home(I don't have to buy coffee).

I went to the medical clinic down the street since the dysentery I developed a few days ago has so far refused to abate. 

I'm excited for this week, even more than last week. Sure a 30th birthday and a trip to New York is a big deal, but this week I'm going to London Ontario to see TOOL (along with Jagger and Ashlie) and then Montreal for my annual Igloofest trip(w/Matt Ian and Brooke).

Before that I have a few volunteer shifts at tiff Bell Lightbox, which is one of the highlights of my life. I love the festival and the people I meet there. I'm stockpiling movie vouchers so I can see all the Studio Ghibli movies when tiff has a retrospective in March.

Nature calls, hope this imodium kicks in soon (says the guy drinking coffee). 

I have a subwoofer too, assholes

The assholes downstairs have never lived away from their mommies. Now that they are big grown-ups they can play their music as loud and as late as they want with no repercussions. Except for me.
They party like kids do (I'm so old, calling them kids), whooping when the music gets extra awesome.

I have asked them to turn it down in the past, the effect lasts only as long as their tiny minds can retain the thought.

I have no problem with them having a good time, but past 2 am it starts to wear on me. It kept going till 5:30 am, at which point they decided to watch a stand-up special at the same volume till about six.

I waited a little bit.

At 7:30 am I put on some tunes of my own.

I inherited this insane asshole gene from my father, it can be ugly, but it can also be incredibly useful.
Hip hop fans hate Death Cab for Cutie, and Radiohead, it baffles them. So  those tunes became the foundation for my "Fuck you douches" playlist. Oops! The subwoofer seems to have tipped over and is now facing the floor and the bass is up to 11.

It had the desired effect of pissing them off enough bang on the locked outer door and then to call my brother (who isn't even home).

I enjoy a cup of coffee sweetened with vengeance.

I'm Older

So this is me at 30.

The live taping of the Colbert Report was even more funny than when I saw it back in May. Most of the funny came from Stephen's Super Pac, or rather, The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC. Before the show begins Stephen comes out as himself (you do know its a character, right?) and answers a few questions. He said that the SuperPac only started because he registered a domain he thought was funny and Comedy Central lawyers became concerned he was starting a PAC, so he decided to start a PAC. He said nothing has been planned in regards to the PAC and that every new move is in response to what the actual candidates are doing with their PACs.

It's brilliant political satire, at the same time it shines light on the ridiculousness of Political Action Committees and the stupidity that has arisen from the Citizens United ruling.

A woman in the audience was a week overdue and said her water had broken the day before. Off the top of the show Stephen thanked "those joining us in studio and in utero" which got a good laugh.

After the show I got a message from a friend who lives in New York, but not close enough to get a beer with. So I picked up a medium pie at Abitino's (In New York, you can say "Pie" instead of Pizza). The pizzeria is just around the block from the Pod Hotel, and they really classed it up from the last time I was here. They changed the lighting and took the clutter out of the decor, looks like somebody had a restaurant makeover. I picked up a 6 pack of Brooklyn Pilsner to wash down my pizza. My room has a TV, I watched some South Park and then Daily Show and the Colbert Report that I just saw taped. It was interesting to see how it's cut together. Sometimes Steven flubs a line and they take the bit back a little. When you watch the show it's seamless. Not a bad way to spend my 30th birthday, better to be alone in New York than alone in Toronto. I got a lot of well-wishers on Facebook(I use the birthday barometer, if somone writes a personal message then they care, if they write "Happy Birthday" then they are doing it cause they think they have to, or are uncreative).

Checkout time is noon so I'm just chilling, eating a bagel from the fantastic Ess-a-Bagel. I'm not 100% sure what to do with my day (my bus leaves in 12 hours). I haven't been feeling well so I won't be making any long treks. Seriously, I need some Pepto-bismol. Maybe that greasy pizza wasn't the best idea but what else are you going to eat in New York City?

SOPA SUCKS (Bagels are good)

I'm blacking out my posts today. It's an internet thing. This SOPA thing would hurt us bloggers pretty bad. Sometimes I use copyrighted material under what I deem "fair-use", but SOPA could mean anyone with a bug up their ass could take down my blog along with half the fucking internet. I don't think me blacking this stuff out will make anyone more aware of the situation than what Wiki is doing.


I finally got my bagel, it was great. The place around the corner has a ton of different types of cream cheese. I tried the "everything" bagel with chive schmear. Delish.


I picked up some postcards it Times Square and an Artie Lange cupcake from Crumbs. I zipped back to my hotel since I don't feel so hot and want to remain close to a clean washroom. Maybe a little nap before I head to the Colbert Report taping.

Checked into my Pod

Still no bagel. I was able to check in early, which was nice cause I really needed a shave. The rooms here are tiny but they have all you need. I looked into staying in a Hostel last time I was in New York but settled on the Pod Hotel, it wasn't much more expensive. I enjoyed my stay and since I had such a great experience here last time I decided to give them another whirl.

A movement in two parts

The smell of the port authority bus terminal had a hobo fanning the air for relief. No matter, I had business to attend to, and I did quickly, sparing you any details.




I have time to kill before the Colbert Report tonight. I figure I can drop my heavy laptop off at my hotel before checking in and walk around for a bit. Maybe get a bagel and a schmear. Half way there I realize I'm going to need another bathroom quick. So this is what it's like to be an old man? Constantly living in fear of crapping ones pants.

No doubt this is my punishment fot the Macdonalds I ate last night before the bus departed Toronto.

I make it to the Pod Hotel, the washroom here is like the Four Seasons in comparison to the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

The lobby has a comfortable lounge with wifi. I bought 10$ worth of roaming data so I can use my phone around town. 

Now feel empty, I really need that bagel!

Greyhound Birthday

I just turned 30 and Im on a bus. I brought my laptop to new york so i wouldnt have to blog on my phone like im doing now. The greyhound has wifi and a power suply but its just flighty enough to kick you off before you've had a chance to save. My laptop is about 5 years old and still works great but its heavy and now i have to lug it around Manhattan.
The bus made good time this far, now we inch along trying to get into the lincon tunnel. We better get there soon cause i got a #2 on deck.

Clone Trip

I have done this trip before, it's a clone. I thought it would be fun with another person, and it might be, but I'm doing it alone once again. It's still going to be tons of fun.

I'm packing for New York, in this case "Packing" consists of making sure I don't have any small bags of weed in one of the small zipped pouches of my kick-ass Zelda backpack (I picked it up last time I was in NY at the Nintendo World Store, I can't wait to go again tomorrow). I'm glad I checked, because I did have a small sack of stems and shake that no doubt would have put me in an american goulag for the rest of my life.

I'm bringing three pairs of socks this time (and wearing a fresh pair). I got so soaked last time I went it sucked. I had to dry my only pair with the hotel hairdryer. I don't want to take any chances this time.

All of my documents are printed, I like to have everything together and know where it is at all times.I'm really good at that. Almost too good, I think it borders on obsessive compulsive.
There is always a panic. This time it was my keys. I'm looking for them in my bag when I stop myself, the are on something or under something. I look to the empty steamwhistles and see my opener keychain. the wheels click and I have found my keys.

It's 8pm, I've got to head to the Bay Street Bus Terminal.

Time to bake the Metropasses

Sunny J (me) is turning 30, not 2. (photo:@ondre)

I'm up real early on a Monday, still unemployed but keeping busy. I'm heading over to the CNIB to help distribute TTC metropasses to blind Torontonians. It's not a magnanimous gesture, I benefit greatly from the pass myself. I also believe that it is my civic responsibility to put back in what I've taken out.

el Venom esta loco
(photo: Shawna)

Last night my mom had a fantastic Birthday dinner for me. I turn 30 on Wednesday. She made a meaty lasagna and a vegetarian option for our herbivore guests. As requested she also picked up a black forrest cake. My friend Shawna came all the way to Missisauga, along with my cousin Treya, her husband @Ondre and their little monkey Lula. My Granny Mo & Andy were there and so was my brother Paul. We even phoned my brother Marc who is over in France snowboarding. I got some great gifts, my auntie Chrissy gave me a bad-assed Venom luchador mask and the Kick-Ass graphic novel. Paul gave me a wii controller and a gift card with enough credit for a copy of the new Zelda game (everywhere he checked for it was sold out). I'm going to spend some serious time playing that game. It was such a great night.

short n sweet

Just a quick one cause I'm busy.

I'm finally on the right track. I usually make my new year's resolution in late January and start working on it mid March.

Volunteering at the CNIB, and Tiff.

I'm cleaning up my room, finally.
Doing laundry.

I have a lot of big moves this year, making a lot of plays.
January is big and I'm gonna be blogging big.

Upcoming stuff this month include:
-Stephen Colbert in New York City (And my 30th freaking birthday!)
-TOOL in London Ontario
-Igloofest in Montreal