Smile

I like music. Right now, I have a favourite song. Would you like to hear about it? OK, I'll tell you. It's by an indy band from Charlottetown called Out from Under. This band is made up of:

- Jeff Stewart, a friend of mine with whom I went to cooking school, and who is the head chef at Charlottetown's Mavor's Lounge, in the Confederation Centre.
- A bunch of other guys I don't know.

Their MySpace page lists the following description of their sound:

Alt-Country goes skinny dipping in the Norththumberland Strait and comes back wet and cold with some crabs and a rubber boot, only to warm itself with a fire lit from drum sticks and setlists.

I have two of their CDs. One is called Live at Leo's and the other is called Unindustrious. It is on the latter that my current favourite song can be found. Track 9. The best song ever. Called Ecstasy Smile. I hope the guys in the band don't mind if I post the lyrics here, because I love them so (the lyrics, not the guys in the band. I just like them as friends)

Ecstacsy Smile, by J. Stewart:

When I first saw you I had had a few
I was sad and I was down
Then you rubbed my arm
And you brought me your charm

I was a little misplaced
Then you came to me with your grace
But I can't tell if you're for real
Or is that your ecstasy smile?

Ecstasy smile
Ecstasy smile
Is that you looking at me like that
Or is that your ecstasy smile?

I hiccup like a drunk
All my shit won't fit in my leaving trunk
So I'll park myself right here for awhile
And I'll gaze at your smile.

You're looking good to me now
And I'm hoping somehow
You've got enough smiles to get you through
The possibility of me and you

Ecstasy smile
Ecstasy smile
Is that you looking at me like that
Or is that your ecstasy smile?

When we hit last call
I'm like a horse in need of a stall
Won't you pick me up
Because I know you've still got a little bit of energy to burn

Won't you get me home
Get me alone
I'll take that little smile from your face
And turn it into permanent grace

Ecstasy smile
Ecstasy smile
Is that you looking at me like that
Or is that your ecstasy smile?

Sweet Ecstasy smile
Ecstasy smile
Is that you looking at me like that
Or is that your ecstasy smile?

Copyright ;© 2006, Out From Under

Awesome, huh? I can actualy picture Jeff checking a girl out in a bar and asking "do you think she likes me, or is she high?"

Check out the band's MySpace page here, and listen to more of their songs. Cut and Dried is another favourite of mine. And go here to purchase their CD. Do it!

By the way, you have my permission to make this your favourite song too. Don't say I never give you anything.

Shut that kid up!

My son, who turned 3 last month, has only recently gotten into watching TV. We didn't really turn it on for him very often, so he never really cared. But, as he's gotten older, he's become more and more interested in cartoons. He loves Little Bear, Franklin, The Backyardigans and, Diego.

Having watched all of these shows with him on several occasions, I have noticed one thing. I think someone who works on the Diego show needs to take that kid in to get his ears tested. I once knew a kid who shouted all the time, and her parents took her in to get little tube thingies in her ears and now her hearing is better and the shouting is gone. I assume Diego's shouting issue comes from a similar problem.

If someone doesn't take that kid in to get his ears checked soon, I'm calling child services. I mean it!

Honour and Obay

Did you see the ad campaign that caused such a stir on the Toronto Transit Commission? The ads were for a medicine called "Obay". The slogans said things like "My daughter used to have a mind of her own. Not any more, thanks to Obay." and they included the tag "From the makers of WhyBecauseISaidSo". It was obviously a fake campaign and everyone was wondering what it was really about. The advertising company said that the real campaign would answer everyone's questions, but wouldn't give any hints.

I came up with some ideas. I was hoping the real thing would be an ad for Cadbury's and would say "There really isn't a drug that will make your kids obay you. So, buy their obedience with chocolate!"

Alternatively, the same idea would have worked for toys, ice cream, ipods, a trip to Disneyland or a car.

In the end, it was just an ad about letting kids make their own decisions about their futures, for OntarioColleges.ca. Very disappointing. My ideas were better. Disney, are you listening?

Lloyd Mad, Lloyd Smash

I like to do my bit for the environment when I can. I'm no major heavy-duty tree hugger, but I do pitch in, in my own way. I drive a car that's this big |----------| to reduce emmissions. I recycle. I am replacing all of the bulbs in my house with compact flourescents. And I buy local produce whenever possible. Local organic produce, if possible.

But what is the point in buying organic apples if I have to use heavy-duty earth-killing detergent to get the "ORGANIC" stickers off? What do they use to stick these things on with? Whatever it is, I guarantee it isn't organic. Nothing natural sticks that well. Not even (insert something from nature that sticks really well here).

So, I say, boycott the organic fruit farmers until they find a better way to mark their produce as organic. Maybe wrapped in plastic that has the word organic on it?

Maybe I'm not as good at this green stuff as I thought.

Breaking News

Do you ever read Metro News? You know it - the one that you can get for free at every bus stop in Toronto. Do you read it? Me either. But sometimes I see the headlines while I am waiting for the bus. (did I mention that now that I'm back at work, I take the bus every day?)

Yesterday (Thursday, February 28, 2008), the front page headline was "Teens not all tech wizards". Really? Wow. That's intense.

In related news:

* 50-sometings didn't all attend Woodstock.
* Senior citizens don't all smell like cabbage.
* Fat people not all jolly.
* Tall people not all basketball players.
* Redheads not all fiesty.
* Newspaper editors not all brilliant.

What a way to make a living

So I'm back in the workforce finally. No more stay-at-home daddy life for me. I started on February 1, back at the company where I was working before I did the whole full-time parenting thing. Happy to be back, but I miss my days with my boy.

After two weeks back in the ofice, I have a few observations:

1. In two weeks, nobody has cried when it was time to change activities.
2. I have not been peed on once while in the office.
3. It is nice to have a reason to shave five days in a row for the first time in a year and a half.
4. I forgot what it was like to have multi-sylabic conversations all day long.

However,

5. Nobody has given me a random hug at any point in the day.
6. Nobody seems thrilled beyond belief when I walk into the room. (not that they aren't happy, but just not as happy as Eric often is when I walk into the room)
7. In the past two weeks, I have not once had an afternoon nap with a little boy asleep on top of me.


The office world would be a lot better if we could have afternoon naps with our kids. I think I would be much more productive.

Think of the children!

I had a membership at the local YMCA for a while, so I could get some much-needed exercise. Remember? I gave up the membership when I had bronchitis for a few weeks, and wasn't going. I haven't renewed it yet.

Anyhow, when I was going there, they had a big sign in the lobby that told people what their donations to the Scarborough YMCA would do in the community. According to the sign, donating to the YMCA helps local children get much-needed stills. I was outraged! Kids shouldn't be brewing moonshine in their backyard! Not in the city, anyhow. I can't believe that a so-called "community organization" supports youth alcoholism! I'll never go back.

Jodi tried to convince me that it was just a typo and that I should re-join and start exercising again, but no sir. I refuse to support such an organization by joining their gym, so I guess I'll just have to never work out again. Pass the moonshine, I'm staying in tonight.