I'm going to Japan, and I can't sleep.

A few hours ago, I bought a ticket to Japan. From October 21 to November 4 I'll be touring around the country with my good friend and proficient in Japanese traveling partner Charles. He taught English in Japan for a couple of years, and wants to go back and visit friends, and see things he never got the chance to see before. I'm going because it's Japan, and I've always wanted to go there. Don't need many more reasons then that. But this will be my last big trip for a while. Because when I get back, I have some serious work to get done.

Over the last couple of weeks I've done 2 smaller projects for my friends at Vicious Ambitious. They have a couple of books coming out in the next month, anthology based projects, and I was fortunate (and honored) enough to get to do some sequential work for these books. Both the story were written by Gord Cummings, who has a very different way of thinking then I do, and therefor gave me an interesting and awesome challenge when drawing his stories. As both a writer and an artist, I look forward to working on scripts that I haven't written, because it gives me a chance to step out of my comfort zone and open my brain to being and thinking in a different and creative way. I had a blast working on these stories, and it's given me the drive I needed to get to work on some of the stuff that I've put off for the last little while. My current goal right now is to finish issue 2 of The Sorrow, my hottie-teen werewolf story, by the end of September, with the hopes that a new printer I'm looking at using can get it back to me in time for Pure Speculation 3, a show I'm fortunate enough to be exibiting at in October. After that I'll be finishing up the long-anticipated issue 1 of Dead Last, which I'm hoping to have finished for the beginning of December. After that, well, that's still to be decided, but I have a couple of things brewing right now, and when I've figured out which way to go, I let you know. But I have a couple of big (graphic novel big) things in the creative pot, as well as continuing to put out issues of The Sorrow and Dead Last set for the foreseeable future, so I have plenty to keep me busy.

That's it for now. Take care all.

I finished The Deathly Hollows tonight!

Although this doesn't seem like much of a feat, or really even that big of a deal, I still need to blog about it! Tonight, I finished Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows. For those of you who know me well, this is a tremendous accomplishment. I've read through a fair share of books in my time, but nothing in comparison to this. I'm a slow reader, and besides comics I don't read a lot of "printed" material. But with this, I read every page, absorbed every word, and experienced the most emotionally gratifying story I've ever read. More times then not my heart raced; plenty of times I had to wipe tears out of my eyes. I became very emotionally invested as I delved deeper and deeper into the story. I can't remember a time in recent memory where I've felt like this.

It's truly over. The story has come to a close. And by finishing this book I've been able to put a bit of closure on a very trying chapter in my life. Every time someone fell to Voldermort in this book, I felt for those around them. I could feel their pain. Because that's what I've been feeling for 4 months now. For 4, long months. I've done my best to avoid it, done everything I can to stay busy enough to not have to deal with it. But thanks to this story, this silly little book (not to be taken in a demeaning way) I was shown a way to confront it. J.K.'s words allowed me the insight I needed to look at everything I've gone through, to process everything I feel and need to feel, because I had this wonderful cast of characters to follow. They suffered, they struggled, and in the end, they endured. Now I'm not saying I've dealt with anything the likes of what Harry and the gang were put through, but metaphorically speaking I can certainly relate. I have lost someone truly great from my life, and I've had triumphs and tragedies to deal with. But so far I've tried really hard to persevere. And I think I'm doing okay. In fact, thanks to this "accomplishment", I know I am. I'm getting by, and will continue to do so for a long, long time.

So I leave you with this tonight: If you need an escape, if you need some way of forgetting about everything for awhile, read a book. Hell, go read Harry Potter. It's helped me in more ways then I can truly express and I think it could help anyone if they're willing to let it.

Take care all.

Okay, here it is.....

I haven't posted in awhile. I guess that goes without saying, since the last post was from June. "No duh!". So what have I been up to? Well, a lot. Besides the day to day handling of my families personal finances and issues, I've done some traveling. I drove to Las Vegas and San Diego with my friends from the studio Kevin and Brian. We met up with another friend of mine named Steve down in Vegas, and then proceeded to drink and gamble like rockstars for a couple of day. It was a blast. Then in San Diego, it was convention time! We all took in the panels and activities that we were interested in and I had the most fun at SDCC I've had since the first time there 5 years ago. It was a no pressure trip down this year, as I have enough comic book work to keep me busy for the next year or so. And that's what I'm going to concentrate on as soon as the rest of the family business I need to take care of is done. With any luck, that will be very soon.

I also just got back from a spur of the moment trip to Cancun! It's such a beautiful place, with clear blue water, white sandy beaches, and a constant temperature above 80F. A true paradise on earth. The trip was made even better by the fact that a good friend of mine Amanda accompanied me for this quick vacation. We didn't always see eye to eye, and we argued a bit, but it was good to have someone I care about there with me. We did some cool activities together, such a scuba and snorkeling, and we even got to experience a bit of hurricane weather! Although that might not sound cool to most people, I've never seen first hand what happens during a storm like that so it was a cool experience for me at least. We also did some shopping, took a boat cruise to Isla Mujures, and did a jungle tour complete with an alligator sighting!! I'm looking forward to going back there someday, because I really enjoyed my time there.

Now that I'm home from my travels, it's time to settle in and start taking care of the loose ends I have in my personal life. I've spent the last few months since the passing of my stepfather doing whatever was needed for my family, but I've let things in my life slip. I've put a lot of things on hold. And now I'd like to get those things rolling and start living my life again. The last few months I feel like I've been living in a dream state. It feels like nothing thats happened is real. Time hasn't seemed to have any meaning or purpose, and days just seem to bleed into one another. Some days I feel like I'm loosing my mind, because I've never had to be in control of this much responsibility before. And I've never had to not worry about money before. It's hard to get focused on me right now because everything up to now has been about everyone else. And every time I get to do just for me I feel guilty. I shouldn't feel guilty, but I do.

Every good thing that happened for me and my family is the result of my stepfather's death. Thanks to his preparations for an untimely death my Mom has been well taken care of financially. And she's doing what she can to help out everybody else, including me. I've fought with her about giving money away, especially to me, because I can take care of myself and I don't want to see her go without. But the truth is, without her financial help, I'd be in trouble. I haven't worked since Warner died because I stepped up to handle everything. I feel guilty about that too because in a way it was really selfish of me to do so. I didn't trust anyone else in the family to take care of anything, and the Leo in me wanted to control it all. It was a very chaotic couple of weeks following the accident, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could handle it all. I did. Now however, I'm dealing with the fallout of it all. I feel really emotional when I think of Warner. And little things make me sad. It's hard to deal with these emotions right now when there's still so much left to do for Mom. Really hard.

I'm just hoping I can keep it all together a little longer, just long enough to make sure everything works out. Then I can let go of it all, and with any luck I'll regain some sense of sanity again. Because this has been the craziest time of my life and I could really use a break.

I'll post again soon, when I can make sense of what I just wrote.

I passed my test!

I'm now a 4th Kyu in Kyokushin Karate after receiving my new belt tonight! For those of you who don't know, that's a green belt in my style. Next up is brown, followed by black, but I'm still another year away from one and 3 from the other. Slowly but surely though I'll make it. I'm very happy right now. I think I tested the best I've ever tested for a belt this time around. The only thing I've been told needs work is my weight, which I've been working on for quite awhile and I'm not far off now where I want to be. And it's not that I'm fat or anything, it's just that I'm carrying around a few more pounds then I need to and it does slow me down a bit. But by the end of summer I'm sure I'll be where I want to be. I'm focused and determined to shed the extra pounds and to make Sensei happy in the process. A small group of us will be training throughout the summer, working on cardio, self-defense, and flexibility. I'm also looking at fighting at a couple of tournaments in the fall, one in Cranbrook in November and the other in Vancouver in December. So I want to be in good fighting shape and the summer training will help me achieve that. I'm looking forward to the hard training and all the results that will come from it. And in the fall, I'm going to do my best to help out with the earlier classes and get some teaching under my belt. It will be an exciting time for me in the fall!

And on a side note, I got my passport! And the best part is it only took 11 days to get to me. That's amazing considering some of the horror stories I've heard about wait times. My Mom's only took 9 days to get to her. That's even faster then the pamphlet in the passport package says it will take as a minimum (they say at least 10 days)! So I'm quite happy about that. Now I can travel freely any where my wallet and ambition will take me. First stop: San Diego! After that: Japan in the fall! And from there, well, we see when that time arrives. But I've heard rumors of a family trip to Europe.

Man will that ever be cool. Take care one and all!

Oddly enough, I might have a girlfriend.

I've never been hit on more in my life then I have been over the past month. I don't know if it's the sad, puppy dog look in my eyes, the unshaven "brooding" look I'm sporting, or my new cologne. But whatever it is, it's working. Thanks to my friend Amanda, I've met someone. Her name is Brenna. She seems very nice, she's definitely strong (she's a farm girl), and she really pretty. But I'm taking my time with her. She was pretty jaded by her last relationship, and I'm not in a hurry to rush into anything right now. But we both like movies and have been spending a great deal of time together watching all the shows I've missed over the past few years. And she's athletic, playing both volleyball and baseball on a weekly basis. So we'll she where this goes. I'm off to Karaoke with her and a group of friends tonight, and those who know me know I love Karaoke! We'll see if she likes my singing.

It's been one hell of a month.

Well, it's been a month since I lost my stepfather Warner. And in this time I've endured a lot. I found out that when someone dies, those left behind not only have to worry about moving on and getting past their loss but that there is a literal mountain of paperwork that follows. But I've managed to get through it, and my family is healing. I miss Warner everyday and can't help but wonder what happened to him that made him make such a fatal mistake. I have trouble sleeping at night, but I've been told that this will pass in time. I keep playing the days events over and over in my head. There's nothing I could have done differently, nothing that would have changed things. I know that. But I wish there was. On the plus side, Warner was well covered. And now my Mom will be well taken care of. But no amount of money will bring her husband back, and I've forever lost a close friend and father. I miss you Warner, but thanks to the strength you gave me, and gave all of us, I'll make it. Thank you Dad, I'll see you again.

I've suffered a terrible loss.

On Sunday night at 6:30 PM my stepfather Warner was killed in an automobile accident. The last 3 days have been the most difficult days of my life. He was a very important part of my life and I've always considered him to be not only my stepdad but truly one of my best friends. He supported me in every part of my life, from attending my sporting events to encouraging my pursuit of the comic book dream. Whenever I needed him Warner was there. And right now I'm having a difficult time coming to terms with the fact that I'll never get to see him again. I love and miss him so much, and I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life. My tear ducts are sore and swollen. But I've done my best to be strong for the family, especially my Mom, and I've handled all the most difficult things myself (going to the medical examiner's office, setting up the funeral) so no one else would have to. I've had to identify him, I've been to the scene of the accident (although not intentionally) and now I need to talk about it. But it's hard so I'll just type what I can.

Dad was a truly great person. And that's not me just saying that. He has so many friends and relatives and even people who hardly knew him who are all in a state of shock and morning. He touched so many people's lives, and due to this I've had to make sure that the funeral home can accommodate at least 200 people. He was liked and loved by most everyone who ever met him, and the outpour of support has been overwhelming. He will truly be missed by everyone and anyone who ever had a chance to know him. I have so much more to say but will have to say it later.

All I ask of anyone who reads this is this; say a prayer for my mother. She's the most affected by this tragic event and needs all the support and help she can get. She has nothing but her friends and family now so any sort of support you can get her would be definitely appreciated.

I must now go and cry some more. I really miss my dad :(

Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.

Wow, just WOW!!! What an incredible day Sunday April 29th was. I was fortunate enough to be an exhibitor with my friends Kevin and Charles with an Out of Mind Studios booth, situated right across from the talented and friendly Gail Simone, the uber cool Josh Ortega, superstar artist Francis Manapul and the very lovely Rivkah. It was a great location, with tons of foot traffic and a lot of folks popping by to check out of stuff. I did 3 pin-ups for this show, all of which sold a few copies, and the very generous Bryan Hodgson of Happy Harbor comics V. 2 came by to purchase a piece of original art and a convention sketch from me. I can't say enough about how good the folks from Happy Harbor are to me. Thank you so much Bryan!

And thanks to Bryan I was fortunate enough to receive some very nice praise from the incredible Gail Simone and her husband on the piece of art he bought from me. So again, THANK YOU! As for the rest of the show I was able to touch base and say hi to all the creators and professionals I've been lucky enough to get to know over the years, and made a few new contacts and new friends. The great Bruce Timm signed an art book of his I have and even did a quick sketch for me. Coloring powerhouse Bobby Chiu set me up with one of his very informative coloring books and Ryan Woodward stopped by to say hi. Josh Ortega, who was cool enough to come out a have a few drinks with all us local guys at the James Joyce Pub Friday night stopped by to chat, give us some words of encouragement and check out our stuff. He's a fantastic guy and I wish him all the best with his soon-to-be new found superstar status thanks to his work on Image's Death Dealer series. He certainly deserves it. And I can't forget to mention getting to see and talk to one of my all time favorite artist Humberto Ramos. He's always very nice to me and I appreciate the fact that he takes time out to say hi whenever he sees me.

Thanks to everyone who came by our booth to say hi and an extra special thanks to everyone who picked something up from us. Everything we make from shows like this goes back into the studio to help create new books and merchandise so we truly appreciate every sale made.

Last but not least, thanks to all the volunteers and helpers, and definitely the organizers of the CCEE for putting on a fantastic show once again. This year was amazing and next year will be even bigger and better! See you all again April 27th and 28th, 2008. Two days of awesomeness next year!

Time for some catching up Blogger style!

Hello all (you know who you are),

Well, I figure it's been long enough so it's time for some updates on this remarkably busy life I lead. First off, a couple weeks ago I was in Edmonton for a comic book show. The show was good, not from a money standpoint but certainly from a social one. While I was driving out of town I got a phone call from a good friend of mine named James. I hadn't seen or talked to James in a long time (at least a decade!) but a couple of month ago, by using stealthy Batman-like tactics, James found me! I received an email from him, which totally took me by surprise. But it was a great surprise and I was elated to hear from one of my best childhood friends. I found out he was married and living in Edmonton and is getting heavily involved in music! We communicated back and fourth over emails, and I figured if I was ever in Edmonton long enough for a visit that we should do what we could to hook up. So I emailed James the night before I had to leave for the show hoping he would get it in time to meet up with me somewhere. Thankfully he did and luckily he caught me before I left town!

It was fantastic to see him again. I thought about the saying "the more things change the more they stay the same" and I think that may very well apply here in a certain context. Both James and I have changed in many ways, but what hasn't was that great feeling of friendship that I remember we had as kids so long ago. There was nothing awkward about seeing him again, and our conversation flowed so nicely. We talked so much that night that even though James and I met at a coffee shop, the poor guy never got the chance to get a drink! It was truly fantastic to catch up with him and I'm looking forward to the next time we meet up, and hopefully the opportunity to meet his wife and children. Knowing James, I know he has a wonderful family and it will be awesome to finally meet them.

Second update is as follows: I did very, VERY well at the Alberta Open Karate Championships in Edmonton on March 31st. I had a total of 4 fights on the day in 2 divisions, which saw me winning the Mens 18 and over Color Belt Heavyweight Division as well as a 1 fight Mens Open Division. I was able to use my experience and strengths to overcome all 3 of my color belt opponents and won all 3 fight by Ippon (full point). And in the Mens Open I utilized my strong gedan mawashi-geri (Low roundhouse kick) to disable my opponent and also won the fight by Ippon. It was a great tournament to gain back some confidence after taking a beating in the Calgary Cup, and it was great to finally win a tournament in Edmonton seing as the last 2 time up there I didn't fair so well. The rest of our club also did great that day, with all of our fighters placing and doing our dojo proud. Our women's Color Belt fighter Kristen fought in what I considered to be the fight of the day against the much more experienced Jen Smith from Edmonton. Kristen showed great spirit and fought with all she had, unfortunately losing to Jen (who won the division) but giving her one hell of a fight in the process. I had the pleasure of traveling to and from Edmonton with Kristen and I see a lot of bright things for her in the future.

And almost lastly, but not leastly (I just made that up), I've been working too f'n much lately. It's just ridiculous really. Last week, in a 4 day work week, I put in nearly 60 hours! And this week so far hasn't let up all that much, with both Monday and yesterday being long grueling days. At least today wasn't bad and ended at a decent time (instead of close to midnight). But the one thing I can't complain about is that all this work is making me money. And I've been able to save a bunch. I want to be able to travel this year, to both San Diego and possibly Japan in the fall so all this extra work is helping. Plus it gives me more money for the comic hobby I have, allowing me (hopefully) more time in the coming weeks to get some stuff rolling and pay for printing. Which bring me to my last topic.........

I'm going to have to decide what it is I'm going to focus on with my comic work. I have had a tendency in the past to start going on something and not see it through to it's end. I've been a lot better with The Sorrow, even though there's only one issue out so far, I've at least wrote the next 2 issues and know how the series will end with issue 4. I just need some time to get the pencils going and the books will be done in no time. I guess my problem right now is I feel very much on my own with Out of Mind Studios. It started as a dream project by Kevin and I to have our own place to publish our own stuff, and with the inclusion of our friend Brian was only suppose to get bigger and better. But nothings happening. I've been working on my own stuff, Brian on his, and I'm not sure what Kev's been up to because he isn't really talking to me anymore. I don't know why, and I don't really thinks it's because there's "problems" between us, I think it has more to do with the fact that we don't live with each other anymore. And since I'm not around him, I'm kinda "out of sight, out of mind". No pun intended!!!

I want to really give things a go as a group, and create some crazy good stuff together as a studio, but I'm afraid that might not happen again. We'll see what transpires at the upcoming Calgary Expo since I've got a booth for OOMS as well as a couple other friends who wanted some space for their projects. I'll have some new pin-up work, and possibly a surprise book at the show, and I know the other guys will have something new as well. Hopefully we can figure out what direction this ship is taking and whose on board and whose not. Worst case scenario would be that we continue doing nothing and I start to look at doing stuff on my own. That would suck, but what can you do when everyone else's life is going in a different direction from yours?

I guess that's it, thanks for reading and letting me clear my head for at least a day or 7.

Take care all.

Tournament in the "Chuck" this weekend!

I'm off to Edmonton for the 3rd times in 2 weeks for a Kyokushin tournament this weekend. I'll be fighting in the color belt division of the Alberta Open, my first fight in Edmonton in a couple of years. I'm looking forward to bringing the hurt and fighting the most intense I've fought in a long time. I'm very confident I'll do well and have good faith I'll be bringing home some hardware by the end of the day. I'll be bringing a new fighter named Kristen with me to fight in the women's CB division, and if she can get her high kicks and strong combos working for her I'm sure she'll do well. All in all it will be a good day for fighting and I'll post an update when I get back on the days activities.

On a slightly different topic I wanted to say I had a great time in Edmonton last weekend at the Edmonton Collectible Toy & Comic Show. I want to thank everyone who stopped by to say hi, all the organizers of the event, the Star Wars 501st for being on hand and just being cool, and to Jay from Happy Harbor for having me up their. It was great to hang out in a very "zen" like environment with my fellow creators and all the fans of the medium who came by to check things out. I sold quite a few of my prints and did my first Superman sketch for fellow Canadian Geek member and had a blast doing it. Although I didn't get to meet Larry Hama personally, I heard he was a class act and really approachable and had quite a few encouraging things to tell the guys who stopped by for a critique. I did however get to meet Daniel Logan, the young man who starred as a young Boba Fett in the new Star Wars trilogy and he was an incredibly nice guy. I gave him a print I had made of Boba Fett for the show and he seemed to genuinely like it, so much so that he gave me a signed picture in return. Just a super nice kid and a pleasure to meet.

So there you have it. An update, although somewhat brief, but an update none the less. I'll post the results of Saturdays tournament over the weekend, and might even post a picture or 2.

Take care all.

I'm finally a cover artist! But.....

They gave the credit to someone else. Do you believe the luck?!?

The issue I did a cover for is Ezra: Evoked Emotions #3 which shipped and is in stores today. I've never seen the finished version as Sean from Arcana had someone else color it. But it looks really good, and the colorist did it justice. To damn bad someone named Pedro Delgado got the credit for it. But I'm happy none the less. It obviously too late to do anything about it so I'll just have to post an image of the cover and let the world know who the true artist is. And when Sean come to the Calgary Expo at the end of April I'll give him shit and make him feel bad. Until then, here's the cover.

Enjoy.

Happy Valentine's Day one and all.

Well, the commercially charged holiday known to the world as Valentine's Day is here! And I'm at home alone and loving every minute of it. I've never had a great time (that I can remember) on Valentine's Day and up until recent years considered it one of the 2 worst days of the year for me.

I've had nothing but back luck on Valentine's Day. From car accidents to bad break-ups and even a run-in with the law (long story for another time) this day has been a dreaded one for me, and in more recent years I've done everything in my power to stay home, stay away from anything potentially harmful and wait it out until February 15th arrived. But over the past 2 years or so (maybe 3, Guinness makes me forget) it seems my luck has changed and I don't worry too much anymore about it. It is what it is, and for those of you out there who have a significant other to spend it with, Valentine's Day can be a really good excuse to spend quality time with the one you love and lavish them with all you can. So this post it for those of you out there with the ability to enjoy Valentine's Day for what it is, and it's a shout out to you folks to take this day and do something for the person in your life that means the most to you. Take said person out to dinner and a movie, or stay at home and make it a nice romantic evening complete with a beautiful meal and a passionate dessert! You have the excuse, now make it count for something.

For the rest of us, don't be down. Think of the money and time you are all saving! Well okay, maybe that's not much of a consolation but you should feel some comfort in knowing you're not alone. There are a lot of single people spending tonight at home alone and for some of us it's not for a lack of trying. We just haven't met that special someone (or couldn't afford to rent that special someone for now ;) and until we do Valentine's Day is just another day.

A lonely day but, hey it's Wednesday. At least the new episode of LOST is on tonight.

Take care everyone.

The move is over!

I'm finished. Everything is moved. The old place is pretty much clean. And I'm exhausted.

The new place is awesome. Lots of space. Maybe a little too much. But I still have a lot to do around here so this will be brief. I'll update again in a couple of days. It's sleepy time now.

Cheers.

Looking in on the New Year.

Well it's New Year's Eve. It's almost 6:00 am here and I should have been asleep hours ago. But a heavy dose of "My Name is Earl" on DVD as well as 5 hours of Zelda will keep a guy up. It's all good though, as it's almost 2007 and I have a big year planned and I'm utilizing my waking hours working on the details. 2006 was a good year with plenty of ups and downs as well as a lot of changes, and I'm hoping to make 2007 a great year. There's always room for improvements and this coming year I'd like to make some. Better health, more comic work produced, a girlfriend, and continued success at Karate are all on the agenda. I have some great project ideas in my head that I would like to make a reality, and I'd like to improve my physique in time for summer. There's opportunity to fight in the upcoming tournaments and I would like to do well if I compete. And my love life could use, well....a life! Once I get organized and settled into the new place I'm going to make an effort to get a relationship going. One step at a time :)

So here's to 2006 being a good year for change, and to 2007 continuing improvement!!

Happy New Year everyone. See you next year. Take care.

Rest in Peace Uncle Steve.

Today is one of those days that can put a real damper on the holidays. After having a busy but great last couple of days spending time with my family and celebrating Christmas, I received a phone call from my father around 8:30 that brought everything to a crashing halt. My uncle Steve died today. He was found dead on a C-Train downtown around 5 o'clock. Although nothing has been formally told to anybody, the initial cause of death seems to lead to one conclusion: He died of a broken heart.

Unfortunately though that's not the first thing asked when told of his passing. You see, my uncle had a problem. He couldn't say no to a drink. For the last 20 years at a progressive rate he lived out of a bottle. It ruined his career, his home life, and even took a toll on our relationship. Growing up I idolized him. He was the coolest uncle a boy could ever have. He took me to all kinds of cool places, let me have sleepovers when I came to Calgary for visits, and he always had a cool girlfriend who was nice to look at and nice to me. He was the absolute bachelor, living life care-free. He worked as a carpenter for as long as I can remember and was really good at what he did. But he drank all the time. A lot. And in the end it may have killed him.

In the last 10 - 15 years he really punished his body. He had a falling out with his common-law wife, left the house he helped build, and spent more time drunk than he did sober. He hit rock bottom, and ended up living on the streets. People tried to help him, from friends to family. And at one point he seemed to be turning around. But he slipped, and this time he never got back up.

I've spent the better part of a decade angry at him. We had a falling out what seems like a lifetime ago over money. I used to rent a basement suite from him and Kathy, his common-law wife. Things were good at first; I lived downstairs from the coolest guys in the world. But unfortunately I got to see a side of him I never knew before. After awhile things started to fall apart downstairs. I had an insect problem that was never addressed. His and Kathy's children would terrorize around the house and wake me at all hours of the day and night. And when they drank, Kathy and Steve did nothing but fight. So I gave my notice and moved. With the help of my mom we cleaned the place and left it spotless. And that's when Steve nailed the coffin shut in our relationship. He owed me $350 for damage deposit. And he stiffed me on it. He came up with every excuse he could as to why he wasn't going to give it to me. And at the time I needed it for my new place, so it left me in quite a bind. But more than that it left me with anger and resentment towards a man I used to look up to.

Ten plus years I stayed mad at him. Didn't bother to talk to him. And then one day I had to.

My father gave me some money that he needed me to deliver to my uncle because he was in a bind. Dad couldn't get away from work and I had time so he asked me if for one day, the five minutes it took to drive to where Steve was, if I could just put aside my anger for the man and help him out. Reluctantly I agreed to do it. The whole way over all I could think about is how pissed off I still felt about everything and how good it was going to feel to look down at Steve when I gave him his "handout". But when I arrived and he came out to the car all those thoughts went away.

I didn't recognize the man who came to the car. He sat down beside me, and when I looked at him he looked like he had aged 50 years. He looked so tired and old. And instead of looking down on him, I felt like crying inside. I put away my anger and talked to him. He wasn't the same. His life in the bottle had destroyed him and all that was left was a shell of the man he used to be. I felt so sad for him and gave him the money dad sent. As he was getting out of the car I wished him well. I didn't know what else to say. That was 2 years ago. It was the last time I would ever talk to him.

I'm crying as I write this for two reasons. First, I remember all the good times we had when I was young and how much the time we spent together meant to me. He was the coolest guy in the world to me and I looked up to him. And secondly, and most importantly, because a month and a half ago I seen Steve downtown when I was working. He looked a lot better than the last time I saw him. I was going to approach him and say hi, but he was talking to a lady and I didn't want to interupt him. I also didn't know what to say, so rather than take the time to at least say hi, I didn't say anything at all.

I'll never get that chance again.

Rest in Peace Uncle Steve. I'm sorry I never got over the shit between us. More sorry then you'll ever know.

I survived!

Hello all. Well, as I said in my last post, this weekend was very busy. But I made it, and had a great time!

On Saturday I left the house around 7:30 to go to Mackenzie Lake and help set up the tournament. We had everything set up and ready to go in a little over an hour and the team selections and fighting began shortly there after. I was put onto Team 2, and being that I was fighting in the knockdown rounds I had quite the wait until I fought. Each person had roughly 2 fights (some more, some less) and we started the day off with the non-contact fighting for children and beginners. Everyone went out and did there best and to my knowledge made it through relatively unscathed.

I had to wait until 2 minutes before my first fight to find out who it was I was going to fight. First up was big Rudy, one of the kids/adult class members who trains with his daughter mostly in the intermediate class. He's tall and strong and doesn't fight much but he sure gives it his all when he is fighting. So I figured I would have my work cut out for me. Before we fought however, we (all the contact fighters) were advised to not go out and try and "kill" each other as no one wants to spends the holidays in pain. Sensei specifically told me that if it seems like I'm dominating the fight to back off a bit and don't hurt anybody. Good advice all around. Like I had mentioned before this tournament is geared to be fun and a good learning tournament; nobody needs to take it for any more than that. So in the ring I went. We were given 1 1/2 minutes to fight (most other tournament are 2 minute rounds, 3 for open division) and it took me that long to get into it. I didn't go near as hard as I could in this fight to start, and Sensei yelled at me to go harder so I stepped it up a bit. Like I said, Rudy is big and strong, but he seemed somewhat intimidated and I used that to move him around the mat and set up for my uchi mawashi keage (outside hooking axe kick) that I use in color belt fighting. It's a great kick to throw as it's easy to control for light contact to the head (which is a rule in color belt fights) and most opponents don't see it coming. It worked really well for me in each of my 3 fights in this tournament. I scored a wasari (1/2 point) against Rudy mid-way through the fight and then utilized my punches and low kicks to keep him on the move for the remainder, thus scoring 2 points for my team with the win.

Next up I fought my friend Gary, who fights and trains regularly with us fighters and fights in the 35 and over division in most of our tournaments. Gary is good at sneaking in jodan mawashi geri (high round house kick) when you least expect it so I knew I had to keep my guard up. This fight was a bit of a comedy of errors as Gary appeared to have scored a wasari by sneaking in his jodan mawashi geri but my guard was up so it appeared that I blocked it. To make matters worse for Gary I caught him unintentionally in the bridge of the nose with a finger (it scratched him and he started to bleed) while blocking one of his tecniques and he followed up the kick by immediately punching me in the face! That's a foul in our style and is usually rewarded with a chui (warning). The judges had to converse for a moment to decide what just happened. It was decided that the scoring kick was unconfirmed by the judges but that the punch was a foul and Gary was given a chui. I immediately went to work on his lower body throwing kicks to his inner and other thigh, one of which caught him a bit high as he was trying to move. This would normally be considered a foul on my part, but because I threw it towards his inner thigh and he moved into it he was considered at fault and no call was made. The fight stopped to give Gary a moment to recover and he came at me with more intensity once the fight started again. But I used this against him and then set him up when his hands dropped and caught him with a uchi mawashi keage. This not only earned me a 1/2 point, but also victory and another 2 points for my team as the time ran out on our fight. It's too bad we weren't given more time as it felt like both of us were just starting to get into a rhythm when the fight ended.

I wasn't sure if I was going to get to fight again but luckily for me Sensei Brad had one last fight set up. I was going to get to fight my good friend Stein in what would be my best fight of the day. Stein is a young strong fighter who continues to impress me with his constant growth as a fighter. We train with each other a lot and he always gives me a good workout. The fight started off as I would have expected, with both of us working low to set up for a high kick to score. I knew that Stein wasn't going to try and stand toe to toe and risk taking any damage from my punches and low kicks, so I used this to push him back and set him up for uchi mawashi keage which I scored with about 30 seconds into the fight. Now I know how I used to get whenever I was down a 1/2 point early in the fight and I knew Stein would do the same thing: go to the head as much as possible to get the point back. The problem with this is you stop fighting a smart fight and give your opponent too many clues as to what your game plan is and it becomes quite easy to defend against this type of attack. I spent the rest of the fight pushing Stein back and doing my best to block the flurry of high kicks that he threw my way. The fight remained back and for on offense/defense with Stein trying desperately to score the point back and force and extention, but he ran out of time and I scored 2 more points for my team. I liked this fight a lot as it was more physical then my previous 2 fights, but not to the degree that anyone was going to walk away hurt. It was more technical then my other fights and proved to me that Stein is a strong fighter who will only get better. Overall it was great to fight all three guys as I've never fought any of them in a tournament setting before and it was great to know that we could all go out there and put on a good show for the folks in attendance. And no one was hurt, which always makes me happy as fights in our style can be very physically demanding and there is always a chance of injury.

In the end, everyone had a good time and those who had never fought in a tournament before got their first taste of what it's like. Everyone did their best and everyone went home with a metal for their accomplishments. Team 1 was awarded Bronze, Team 3 Silver, and Team 2 (my team) was awarded Gold. Good job everybody! I'm looking forward to my next tournament, which I believe is the Calgary Cup in March, and stepping back into the ring, amping things up and continuing my growth as a fighter. The Team Tournament was nice for me in the sense that it showed me I can still go in and fight a good fight. I didn't fight to the extent that I would have like to, but it wasn't the sort of tournament for that. It was for fun and I had a lot! I'll post more in the next day or 2 about the rest of my busy Saturday, that includes getting a kick ass gift from my parents and some up close and personal time with some Burlesque Beauties. Take care.

A busy weekend ahead!

It's been awhile since I posted, but with work and the holiday season both taking their toll on me I guess it's to be expected! Tomorrow, I get to fight in our clubs annual Team Tournament which is geared towards introducing new students to tournament fighting from non-contact to adult knockdown and even kata. It's a great tournament for learning to rules of fighting and is geared more towards fun than competition. I'm looking forward to my 2 team fights and hope everyone involved has a good time.

Once the tournament is done then I'm off to Cochrane for my mom and stepfather's family Christmas party. Every year we try to get together at my stepsister Amber's house for a family party to open gifts and stuff our faces with turkey, followed by our families traditional "Christmas Phase 10" game. It's always good to be with my family during the holidays and I'm looking quite forward to seeing everyone. But I'm not done yet!

After dinner and visiting I have to rush back to Calgary to get ready for a Christmas Burlesque show at the Warehouse that my other stepsister Chantel got us tickets for. Whenever Demonika of Demonka's Clothing puts on a show, Chantel gets us tickets for it. They're always a lot of fun and just my type of crowd: sexy, half naked Suicide Girls everywhere! This will definately be a great way to cap off the day.

On Sunday I have to try and hook up with some friends from Karate to practice a song that we're doing as a surprise for our Sensei at the Karate Christmas Party Talent Show on Monday. It's a song I've never sang much before by a band I don't sing very much like, but I'll do my best and we'll have a blast doing it! This will be my first time singing with a band playing behind me, as I'm usually just a karaoke singer. Should be interesting.

Other than that, I've finished all my Christmas shopping, have one more week of work left, and I'm still having a blast playing Final Fantasy XII! I'll do my best to update next week and let everyone know how the weekend went. And if anyone out there knows where I could get my hands on a copy of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for Gamecube please let me know. The thing's like the holy grail to find. Take care.

Damn I'm sore!

Over the past couple of weekends I've been working on tearing up all the flooring in the upper level of my new place. For those who don't know, the building that Kev, Dwight and I live in has been sold to a bunch of money-hungry bastards who think it's cool to come in and raise everyone's rent drastically. So we're all moving on and getting the fack out of here.

Good friends of Dwight and I own both sides of a duplex and have offered what used to be the Daycare side to us. It needs some reno work, but nothing that we can't handle. So even though we're not moving in until February, all of us involved felt that it would be beneficial to get everything done now. Which is a good thing, since we found out last week that the hardwood floor guys could only make it on the 23rd of this month. If not, we would have to wait until the end of February. So it's been a mad rush to pull up all the old flooring so that these guys can refinish the existing hardwood under everything. That's meant alot of pounding away with hammers and crowbars to pull up 2 layers of tile on top of 1/4 inch substrate, which is in turn on top of another layer of tile, which is covering the hardwood we are trying to get to. Did I loose you yet? And once we finished gettting all of the top layer stuff of, we then had to pull 10's of thousands of staples that were sticking out of the floor everywhere, just so we could begin to scrape off that last layer of tile.

And now my body is officially broken :P

Actually, it's not feeling as bad this weekend as it did last weekend. I spent some time in Karate yesterday morning helping train the people going to Vancouver for the Vancouver Cup in fighting, so I was a little more limber for doing yesterday's work. But I'm still sore. My legs, knees, shoulders, forearms and back are all feeling it today. Flooring is a fantastic workout for those looking to shed a few pounds. I'm telling you, it's a total body workout!

But in the end it's all well worth it because we get a new floor in our new place! I'm excited about how everything will look when it's done. Our friends Pete and Lorna are also going to paint the place and have a new tub, sink and counter going into the bathroom. It will be very nice!

So the next thing we have to concentrate on is the move, followed by the house warming party of the century!!!! Stay tuned for more.

So they're going to hang him......

Just thought I'd post a quick thought. Turns out that the good folks overlooking Saddam Hussein's trial have reach a verdict in his case and have come to an agreement: Death by hanging.

I'm not an overly political person and try not to voice my opinions on such topics too loudly (you never know who's listening), but today I have to. And it's simple really. He's getting what he has earned. Pure acid could not wash away the blood that is on Saddam's hands. And now he's going to die. The afterlife should be the most punishing of all for this man.

Because now he has to face what he's done. His victims will be waiting. And whoever he meets after he takes his last breath is truly going to hold him accountable for his crimes in this life. That's a hell I wouldn't wish on anybody.

Except him.

"When things were simple"

"Hey there voters, how do you feel? Tired of same old voter appeal!"

I can't get this damn song out my head that Kev played the other day. It's by a band called the Pinker Tones and I think it's called Karma Hunters. The video is totally cool but unfortunately the song is extremely catchy and will keep you awake at night because you can't stop singing it in your head. So search for it at your own risk.

Now onto my actual topic. Yesterday, by the grace of the gods and by using up what karma power I had left in reserves, I completed my latest project. It's a story called "When things were simple" and it will be published in the first volume of an antholgy series called "Tales from the Harbor". I'm not sure when it will be out but I'll definately update on here when I know. I think it's especially awesome that our good friend Jay Bardyla of Happy Harbor Comics has put together this anthology for all us up and coming creators to showcase our work. I can't applaud him enough for all he does for the local community, as he truly gives us all a lot of support.

From what I understand the anthology is going to be a regular publication, possibly quarterly. But don't quote me on that as I'm not entirely sure of all the details. I was offered a piece of the pie and didn't ask many questions. I'm much happier that way!

When I get the okay to show off some of the pages I will. I had a great time working on this project and continue to see great advancement in my work. That's truly what I strive for. I'll be working on the second issue of The Sorrow very soon, as well as issue's 3 and 4. I'd like to have the series finished for spring of next year, so hopefully I'll pull it off. There is also the ultra-cool new story that both Kevin and myself are developing now, and when we have more of a finalized idea of what we're doing I'll be posting it!

I've also had a great idea brewing for some time that I think I'm going to turn into my regular contribution for Tales from the Harbor. But I'm not willing to share it just yet!

And on a final note, I picked up the lastest installment to the greatest RPG franchise ever:

Final Fantasy XII

It totally ROCKS! It's simply beautiful, and a refreshing update to the series. The new system of battle and character build-up will take a bit to get familar with, but so far it's a truly amazing game. I'm going to play some of it now. Take care everybody!