I guess I should update since I actually have news.

I've been working for the last two and a half weeks. I got a job interview out of the blue and I'm working as a department head for a lighting equipment rental company. I spend my days listening to my music, testing equipment and packing it up to ship out for shows. It's a pretty decent job and I like my coworkers. There's still some heavy lifting and a bit of dirt involved but it certainly beats recycling.

Apart from that, nothing much has been going on. My personal life is a bit of a clownshoes rollercoaster. I'm not sleeping enough but I am getting some reading done.

Another successful show under my belt. Even though I've been working with these people for five years now, it's still weird getting all of the thanks and praise. It's just my job and there are dozens, if not hundreds, of people here who could do it just as well, if not better. Work on the next show starts very soon. Still unemployed. I should probably get on that soon but today I'm resting from a very long weekend.

I'm on medication for depression now. It's only been a few weeks but it seems to be helping a bit. Still taking some getting used to. We'll see how it goes, I guess.

I've been spending most of my free time reading, listening to music and napping. I'm taking a lot of naps these days.

So... three months went by.

I turned 29. I'm quitting my shitty, soul (and knee) crushing job at the end of the month. I have no backup plan yet but I'm sure I can work something out. My off and on roommate is back up in Edmonton for a few weeks so I'm alone with the cats again. It's always strange switching between having someone here and being by myself.

I still spend most of my time watching TV, reading and drinking.

I miss hockey.

You'd think I would have more to say after this long.

I've really just been working, reading and drinking too much for the last month. The march towards full on grumpy old man status progresses.

So, I've been back from vacation for a few weeks. I guess I could talk about it.

Vancouver was lovely. More importantly, vacation was lovely. I haven't had a real vacation since 2009 and my sweet, fuzzy Lord was it nice to not think about work for a few days.

Aquarium

I didn't go to the aquarium on my visit in 2006 so that was the first thing I did this time around. I went by myself and just walked around for a few hours with my headphones in. It was one of the most relaxing things I've done in years.

Cell phone pictures!

After the aquarium I walked around Stanley Park.

I also, finally, met atomicant who was delightful. Big thanks to him for tagging along while I got this done:

It hurt like hell but I handled it like an adult. I have a witness.

He is also a terrible human being as proven by two games of Cards Against Humanity.

Since coming back to Calgary, life has been full of work and uncomfortable heat. Stampede is on which means I am extra busy and I'm now exhausted to the point of physical discomfort. It is not helped by the fact that I haven't had a decent night's sleep in a week and a half. Between the yelling drunks, the heat, and the couple fucking at high volume somewhere nearby, it's been difficult to sleep properly.

I'm in Vancouver now. God damn, vacation feels good.

Off to the aquarium today.

Two weeks from now, I'll be sitting in Vancouver. It's my first vacation in three years and I could not be more excited. There are going to be museums, good food, drinking, karaoke and, most likely, my first tattoo since I was 19.

Work has been slowly driving me into the ground but the promise of time off has helped me get through the last couple weeks.

I've been having trouble with my shitty washer/dryer combo for the last six weeks. After having four repair guys visit, having the wrong parts sent twice and spending a couple hundred dollars, the thing still wasn't working properly. The dryer didn't dry and the spin cycle make the most ungodly clanking noise. I thought for sure the machine was done. Today, after work, I opened it up to clean out all of the built up lint in the hopes that at least I could dry laundry until the machine shook itself apart. It turns out that the last repair guy forgot to reattach the fan unit. It was just sitting on top of the drum completely unsecured. So I cleaned out the lint, screwed everything back together and put a load of laundry in. The thing is silent. I'm officially a better repairman than anyone who came to look at the fucking thing in the first place.

ETA: It's silent and the dryer works perfectly. I win at repair.

It's time for my monthly check-in so that you know I haven't died.

There's really nothing exciting going down here. I spend most of my time watching TV or reading. If you're looking for good books, I would highly recommend anything by Christopher Brookmyre. The audiobooks are incredibly good.

I've also spent a decent amount of time having pointless internet fights with friends of friends on Facebook. I don't know why. I know better. I swear I do. I'm just a cranky, opinionated man sometimes.

It's the NHL playoffs so fuck the Canucks and fuck the Red Wings.

Work is exhausting and my desire to do it is incredibly low but I've got bills to pay. This year has continued to be disappointing. At least there is always more beer.

EDIT: I could watch this all day.

Two months and I don't have a lot to report. The theatre company I work with put on an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland that went very well. It was a shitload of work and a lot of stress but I'm pretty happy with how things turned out.

Work has been busy as hell lately. We had a ton of truck problems which meant a lot of extra work. We're still behind and my boss is in Hawaii which puts a lot of the burden on me.It's stressful and exhausting.

At least I have the internet and hockey.

After two weeks, this year isn't doing much better than last year. So here are some pictures.

And, to totally kill the mood...