Posting...check one two, posting...

A New Year, A New Dawn...

Okay, so to your right, you see me, as the year began. I 27 year old apartment renter, hourly wage earner, still punk rocking J. Bo. I started 2006 with a very nice, if I do say so myself, piece of bling on my girl of 10 years finger, living in the most beautiful apartment in Freddy Beach. I was working at what had been my most tolerable (and sometimes even enjoyable) job in years as a media monitor at Bowdens. I carried a couple more pounds than I had wanted, but I had also resolved that I could really make a place for myself in Fredericton, N. B., and I didn't have to run anymore. Just make here - better.

Then the image on the left began to emerge. M. was quite happy with me, we really started to enjoy and understand each other, listen, be compassionate. Yeah, I still acted like a 19 year old on occassion, but the instances became fewer and farther between. We continued to plan our wedding. One day in the spring, Margo took me out to this spot off of the lincoln road just beside the experimental farm. It was a quasi-thoroughfare, felled trees covered a hidden ground. She pointed to a spot and said to me 'what do you think of this place?'. We had been looking at houses and new developments around town. She wanted a house. I said, 'wow, what a nice spot. Close to town, close to Oromocto. I could live here,'. She said 'good, because I bought it.'

And so, on top of planning a wedding, we began plans to build a house. My aunt who is an architect for a company in town met with us once a week and helped us design not a starter house, but pretty near a dream home.

My grandfather, the only one I had known passed away at 91 or 92 years of age. He was a strong, short, stocky man. Only a matter of 5 years ago, he could squeeze my hand until it hurt. He was a Christmas tree farmer, and a water witch. His health had failed him, and it was getting exceedingly harder to care for him. When he did pass, the doctors said that he had the blood pressure of a strong teenager. Charlie Williams was if anything, strong, caring and resiliant.

M. and I were married on August 18th at St. Dunstan's church, downtown. We had the full Catholic mass that I had wanted. It was a little hot, but went off without a hitch. The reception was at Kingswood Lodge and it was pretty close to perfect. Highlights include my father, brother and I serenading M., having 98% of the most important people in our lives there, dancing our first dance to Sarah Harmer, and of course, the Prime Rib.

A month before the wedding, I was offered a job, in a library, for the provincial gov. I had applied and interviewed twice for this job over the past two years. This time, I wasn't second place. It was the job I had pined for: because it was the career path I was most sure of, because it offered security for my wife, and damnit, I could now afford this house we were building!

The year was littered with playing Canada Day on the river all by myself, singing a song for my favourite Canadian songwriter while he played guitar (it was his song!), rum with my brother, a nice seaside honeymoon in Ogunquit Maine, drama, and resolution.

2006 was the best year on record.

Falling behind on the picture posting, how about supper last night

My digital camera is loaded with pictures from my staff party last Thursday as well as the Mulder's Meat staff party this past Saturday. I will make a point of loading up the best tonight when I get home. Gems include various people wearing a Moose Light case box on their head.

So last night, with no food in the house, M. and I decided we needed to get some food to cook for supper. We went to Brewbakers on Saturday for the Mulder's Christmas party and I noticed the menu was missing one of my favourite dishes, the lemon chicken capellini, so I decided we should go for it.

Now, I'm no cook, by any means. I like cooking but I get all frustrated trying to manage two or more dishes cooking at the same time. My timing is bad. Anyway, we pulled this off, this is what we did:

fried up two boneless/skinless chicken breasts in olive oil and juice from 1/2 a lemon.

Sauce:

Fried up one diced shallot and 3 cloves of garlic, diced, in a bit of olive oil, enough to cover your pan, a cup of dry white wine (chardonnay), and the juice of the other 1/2 lemon squeezed. Added salt, pepper, and parmesan to taste.

As the alcohol starts to burn off, we added some blanched sun dried tomatoes, chopped. After about ten minutes, we threw the chicken in, diced, as well as some cherry tomatoes halved.

Serve capellini on a plate, sprinkle some parmesan, then the chicken/sauce. Crumble some feta on top. I am the Iron Chef.

Christmas Party

Will post once the room stops spinning. Just kidding, my dad reads this. Good times, made it to work at a reasonable hour. Defiantly, I'm in good shape. Had an great time last night, I really work with great people. I don't think I am going to eat again all weekend. Will post pictures after work.

I was joking before, now it's a streak

Just in brief, our team won 4-1 last night, our third in a row! Just to provide some context, our team lost our first seven games, coming out only with a tie. The same team we tied later beat us 3-1. A couple of new players, and all of a sudden we have won the last three games in a row. I did take a shot in the shoulder last night though that has left me in a little pain. Suck it up J-Bo.

Tonight is our staff Christmas party, and I will be hosting it at my house. I'm thinking it's going to look something like above...oh wait, maybe that's the Dirtyhot Christmas part-eh. Only time will tell. Just a little imbibement, some munchies, should be excellent. Not sure if I will go out afterwards, we'll see who all is up for it.

Check out the Dirtyhot bloggers as they have posted a Coke and Mentos experiment. It's basically three girls spraying diet coke all over themselves with a little dog running around...hmmmm...does sound dirtyhot, doesn't it?

50 Worst Songs...this is awesome

Blender Magazine's List of Top 50 Songs of All Time

I found this posted on a giraffecycle forum post and it is hilarious. Here is an excerpt:

28 JOHN MAYER“Your Body is a Wonderland” 2001Get this man a cold shower

“Ohhh,” the women of the world sigh, “why can’t I just find a nice guy — you know, someone who’ll compare my breasts to a theme park?” Yearn no more, ladies! Drool never sounded as sweet as it does on this slow-stirred ode to daytime sex — but even from the otherwise charming Mayer, it’s still drool. What’s more, sunny acoustic guitars belie some creepy undertones: When Mayer rasps “Discover me discovering you” and “I’ll use my hands,” it sounds as though he’s sitting in a dark room, playing pocket pool to a camera he planted in the women’s lavatory.

Worst Moment Mayer describes the “deep sea of blankets” on his bed. Ewww!

BAHAHAHA. There are definitely a ton of bad songs on there, some not so much. But come on, it's a top whatever song list published in a music magazine, so go in with your humour turned on. That leads me to an interesting idea: What are some of the worst songs by some of your favourite musicians? Think about it. I'm sure most music fans can admit to a song, or even an album by our favourite artist or group that proved them infalable, and yet we still love them!

For example, I loved Liz Phair's 'Exile in Guyville'. Well written, empowering, riot-grrrl-esque and yet, you still want her to be your girlfriend. But come on Liz, how 'bout that self-titled from 2003? Straight off a Dawson's Creek soundtrack. Just because you had kids, that's no excuse o lovely one. I mean, for God's sake I saw you perform on Regis and Kelly!!! 'Why can't I breathe, whenever I think about you?' Are you talking to me, or Pacey Whitter, seriously? A little bit of my libido died that day.

Any suggestions kids?

(p.s. My undying love for you remains Liz!!! Let's jam on a baby, whaddya think?)

The Streak Continues (DANCE DANCE!!)

So, coming off our first win of the season, we had our follow-up game last night. Final score:

Us - 5, them - 0!!!

That's right, yours truly registered his first shutout of the season. Now, granted, I didn't have many shots and was not fiercely tested. But I didn't screw up, and held on. Wicked.

They weren't a great team, but I am finding my focus getting better, and our team is scoring goals. So it's all good.


The annual Christmas Cover show is coming up and I will be performing with my bro, Jonnie P. of Scarecrow Blues and Age of Dayz fame, Zach from the Crapital who plays with On Vinyl and my good buddy Shithead. We will be covering the guys in the upper right hand side.

Gotta go work the desk, more details soon...

And so begins the streak....

Our Capital City Gents team finally won our first game of the season 4-3! WOOOOO, I JUST WANNA DANCE!!! Haha. Iwas by no means inc-ROY-able, but stopped enough to hold on for the win. After getting pummeled all season, including a 7-0 loss to the best league team last game, our team decided to start scoring goals. Let's hope it continues...

Christmas party season is upon us. I will be hosting my co-workers at my new house this year. Should be a good time. None of my co-workers have been to my house or witnessed the J. and M. parté before, so I hope I can put on a good fête.

But what to do for entertainment. I know they just want to eat drink and be merry, but I would like to have some kind of activity to keep the party going. I'm thinking about some Northstar girls, maybe a roulette table? So far it's my only Christmas party so I would like to make it memorable. Regardless, I have a bunch of wine, so I'm hoping that fact alone will inspire some holiday entertainment.

Having an ugly day today. You know when you look at yourself in the mirror and say 'God, I shouldn't be out in public. Kids will run away screaming,' ? Maybe not. Some people are just always gorgeous. Be confident Bowie! Maybe tomorrow I'll brink sexy back

Currently Listening - NoFX, the War on Errorism

Website for the day - DOSE.CA