Apartment living sucks!

My wife and I have lived in no less than 5 apartments during our three-and-a-half year marriage. It's certainly a reasonable step while I finish the last remnants of my post-secondary education, but its the neighbors I've often had to deal with the make the experience so much more rewarding.

I could write several entries on pleasant encounters I've had as a building manager. Rent dodgers, lobby migrants, neurotic tenants who insist on recognition of their B.Sc., and so forth. Our most recent dealings involve, why, our very own private garage band! Can you believe it?! How I was so fortunate as to secure a continual source of freshman-laced musical expression is beyond me. It's the perfect ingredient to our noisy neighborhood stew: the Whyte Ave Special with a hint of bass, and a lingering aftertaste of booze. And they're on YouTube!! (I won't bother posting the link... they get no advertising from me)

I suppose its all part and parcel of the life I live. But I can tell you that I will be one happy man when I can finally kiss this hole of a neighborhood goodbye.

Slow news day...

It's always nice to know that even when things get a tad slow, we can almost always count on stories like these to fill the void.

Speaking of good ideas...

There seems to be much hullabaloo over the recent mini-budget/economic update from the Conservatives today. Personally, I don't care if they're Tory or Liberal cuts. If this means a little more money for me and my family, I'm all for that. I know what's best for me and my family, not some former Liberal environment minister, just as an example.

And about the GST cut, I can guarantee to anyone who refers to the savings as merely pennies: I've seen a difference. Yes, it isn't much, but it is a difference I can see. Deciding down the road that these kinds of tax savings are worth rescinding just might be seen as kind of a step back and certainly not a way to get anymore popular with the people.

Sinking to a new low

I've never been the type to hop onto the whole climate-change train and this article here gives great insight into why this whole debate can't be taken seriously. Perhaps more amusing to me is the fact that there are people who are actually this intent to show just how much trouble we're in.

Why I love cynicism

There's a mailbox not far from my apartment. It could be argued that it makes a provocative point about democracy. Truth be told, though, it's just another reason why I hate living in Old Strathcona: there are no shortages of noisy opinion with which to drown yourself in rhetoric and negative commentary.

The sign reads thus:

"Your lifetime supply of democracy: X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X"

It's a rather bleak view of democracy, admittedly, but I feel that than pointing blame at the system itself, it highlights the general misunderstandings about what it really means to be an active citizen in this country. Generally speaking, I think that far too many people are just too lazy than do anything more than cast their vote every few years. If they don't like what they see, they have to realize that they actually do have the ability to make a difference. If they can't take the time to find out how, it's no one's fault but their own.

Bachin' it!

Katey has taken the boys down to Kananaskis for a few days while I toil away here in Edmonton. Truth be told, I am glad that they will be able to get a bit of a break. There will be a few more helping hands around to help with the kids and they get to bask in the splendor of the gorgeous Alberta mountain scenery.

It's times like these where I struggle to come up with things to do in the little spare time that I have. Sure, I have plenty of things to do at home but with everyone gone, things just seem a little more empty. I hope they have fun but I'll be glad to see them at the end of the week.

Dad's Super Awesome Boys!!

This has got to be one of my favorite pictures. These are my two boys, Ben (almost 2) and new addition, Brigham. I love being a dad!