Category: Uncategorized

  • See paragraph four of Greatest American Dog

    Unbelievable tennis.
    A theory of Federer and robots, coming soon.
  • Greatest American Dog

    Oh the summer blog lull. The sun is warm, the grass is luscious, the booty shorts are out. Why bother sitting inside and updating your friends and family as to how your life is? Why bother taking time to read, think, plan and increase knowledge when you can go outside and play with so many different kinds of balls that it could be considered fondling? 

    Work update: I’m into my second week of work. I got a job. I am a co-manager of a clothing store. Mostly I just work at a clothing store, the co-manager is what I will put on my resume in ten years when I try to get this same job again. I listen to music, hang clothes, sell things, count shoes and laugh at the things girls say while shopping. I love it. Best job I’ve ever had. So come down to Southland Mall in Regina to experience the World of Trout Outlet Store (I sometimes like to call it the World of TrOut-let store).. Now don’t go and make the classic old person/out of towner mistake and think that we are Trout World. Rookie mistake.
    Physical Update: I still have a mustache and still rep the biceps of fury. I weigh less than 180 pounds, if you can believe it. How embarrassing.
    Sports Update: I play on two soccer teams. I played in a tennis tournament last weekend, I’d rather not talk about it, although it was great fun. I have Rider’s season tickets. If Montreal sign’s Sundin I’ll be less than happy. Everyone in the NHL is a sellout. Safin will beat Federer in the Wimbledon semis. If somehow Federer can muster up a win versus Safin, then it will be Nadal in four sets in the final. I still like Federer, I’m just calling it now.
    Psychological Update: We would need a different medium besides free internet thought posting to update you on this. Maybe a brain wave graph, or a movie. 
    Until next time, keep fit and keep it sleazy. Or keep fit by keeping it sleazy. However you want to work that.

  • June 21:

    Congratulations Tim and Melissa

    Happy Birthday Dad
  • Pilot Butte

    I just puked like seven times. Each time, the puke was projected at least ten feet, and in a trail at least twenty feet long. So that is 140 feet of puke shot a total of 70 feet away. I went to the fair.

    I’ve been to a lot of fairs/carnivals before, but I have never puked. It has been a month of firsts for me. 
    It seems that people often pay for the chance to puke. Whether it is a series of rides that you spin around very fast, a large amount of an alcoholic beverage, or traveling to a different country, it seems that quite often when some large amount of money is being spent, and some amount of fun is being had, it ends the same way.  Your eyes crying, your mouth watering, your esophagus shortening and an uncomfortable groan/yelp/growl/Oprah-like noise. Followed by Laura’s famous cookies, Wilf’s fresh BBQ’d burgers, and Chapman’s ice cream sandwiches ground into one smoothy-like stomach-fluidy liquid.
    I am not going to say that I enjoy when my food resurfaces prematurely, (I don’t not enjoy it however. It makes me feel so cool.) but I must say that it is about the funniest thing, other than people getting a solid object in the genitals. Now imagine the laughs that would come from someone throwing up because they got hit in their pride and two joys. Based on my studying of physics and humour and their relationship with each other, this would be the funniest thing that could happen to a man. Unless it causes a reproduction defect. Then, a tragedy. (Was Romeo and Juliet a tragedy? I laughed. At how it is considered a legitimate piece of decent literature. Or maybe I laughed because I constantly imagined Romeo getting bagged and not being able to have children.)
    Some people even puke on purpose, because they enjoy the waste that comes out of their mouth because they feel it makes them look better. Scientists call these people politicians. 
  • Sir John A MacDonald rolls in his grave.

    India is over. Back to nonsense sports blogs and dreams for the empty future. Get stoked.

    I have never really believed in jetlag. I came home from church last night and slept until 4am this morning. I have had a headache the size of Austria the past two days, and it has lately just slightly subsided into the size of Switzerland. I still don’t believe in jetlag. Or in parasites. Just good times and a lack of vitamin C.
    Speaking of Austria, Switzerland and vitamin C, sounds like it is time for ‘UEFA Euro 2008’ Or: ‘How I learned to dive and cry like a European.’ I’m picking Croatia. Anyone remember Davor Suker of ’98? Luca Modric is the new Suker, and gold is the new bronze.
    Half of my family has decided to attend the US Open Tennis Championships this upcoming August. I have been trying to decide whether to join. Why not right? Well, I could think of a few reasons. But still…. 
    And finally, I’ve kept silent about this for long enough, when something needs to be said.  As you’ve probably heard from Tim, HNIC has lost its anthem. And to the downfall of hockey, it has been purchased by CTV. Maybe because I’m a son of an Olson and CBC is the only worthwhile television channel, but the invasion of the NHL by CTV and TSN has been slowly deteriorating the game. As TSN gets more and more games, hockey is watched less and less by the regular three channelled fan. Soon, to watch hockey you will have to subscribe to a local cable dealer and in turn give more money to ‘the man’. (unless you are paying SaskTel. then it is fine.)
    Not only does CBC have superior commentators, analysts and production crew, TSN has no heart. CTV can go ahead and buy Brian Williams, buy Chris Cuthbert, buy The Hockey Song, but they will not succeed in buying my heart. When they own HNIC in a few years, I will remember back to when there were better days. When the government paid for my HNIC good times, and they weren’t privately, money grabbingly owned. TSN does have Jay Onrait, however. So they are now at -3764 instead of -3765 in their ‘points against Canada’ scale. 
    I hate Pierre McGuire.
  • To Nic, in response to yourself five weeks ago,

    You pretty much read perfectly into the future with that one. Maybe you should pursue witchcraft for a living. I’m sure there are still people that’d love to burn you at the stake.
    You are home now and everyone is awaiting your next move. People are literally sitting at home waiting for you to decide your next hair-brained plan so they can laugh and be mildly disappointed at all that wasted potential. Lots of people are also awaiting your next movie, seeing how your last one Batman Begins, was so good. No, that wasn’t Christian Bale. The new Batman movie is him, but it is because it was just getting too commercial, I couldn’t handle it.
    So here is my plan for you for the next two weeks. Take it easy. Don’t get a job. Write some things. Change some lives. Go to a wedding. And basically come up with a life plan. All in the comfort of the home I don’t have, in the cold Canadian summer. 
    India, how I miss thee.
    Thanks for the trip, it was a beauty. You really know how to party.
    With love, maybe a little too much,
    Nic/yourself
    To my friends,
    If you want to have tea straight from India, let me know, I’ll bring some over to your place, and we’ll have a tea party. I’d invite you to my home, but I no longer have one. 
    If you want to read more of these letters I wrote over the past five weeks, let me know, and I’ll let you read my personal moleskine journal. I’m like Picasso.
    The Picasso of words. The Pick-ass-o, with these new underwear I’ve got on.
    Thanks. I’m out. Of it.
  • Dear the Architect of the Taj Mahal,
    I’m no architecturist, they are usually hippies and people who constantly fantasize about triangles and their incredible architectual ability, but I do know that if I was one, I’d want one building I built to be something that people could look at for a few minutes and say something like, ‘Hmmm’ or ‘Shiiiat’. Something like that. Maybe a bit more eloquent, whatever though.
    They call yours the 7th wonder of the world, but I say it is better than the other six. I don’t know what the other six are, but they must suck if I’ve never heard what they are. But people from everywhere for 400 plus years have come to your building to take those classic awful but ever-so necessary photos, so I’d say you did well. Very expert.
    There was a while where I really wished that I had one talent. I didn’t care if I’d be very expert at it, but at least semi-decent. I have searched and found nothing, and have passed the age of eighteen years that is a young man’s talent peak, so I’m over it. I’ve accepted the fact that not everyone is good at something, but some people just are, which is likely where meditation came from, people who couldn’t do much else decided to just ‘be’. Genius.
    So instead of inspiring me with your incredible work of white marble beauty, you have inspired me to accept mediocrity. Better I do it now than ten years down the road, saves me some money and ten years of beauty. I kinda just decided to find something I deem important and somehow, anyhow, do that. Somehow I came upon encouragement, because it seemed like a good idea at the time. So I continue to write with the slight hope that maybe one of the eight people that read it may be encouraged by maybe one word of it. Crude and often pointless things usually encourage me, so there must be someone else out there who instead of getting offended, can be encouraged by my endless swears and awfully repetitive writing. But I guess chances are slim, like those of the Asian tourists not getting pickpocketed, or slim like the Hindu god city cow whose diet consists solely on moustache trimmings and good intentions.
    At the same time, just as encouragement’s arch enemy is negativity, so is my greatest ally. No one said it would be easy. It should be hard like coming up with a sufficient simile in the right spot, one that will knock you out like a plenty ripe underarm under the midday sun.
    So congrats on your world acheivement. You are a real prick sometimes. I’ll design something just as epic with less ‘creative’ amateur photography and more hot Indian girls, if that is even possible.

    Your biggest fan and architectural competition,
    The Regina Architecture Club of Regina

  • Dear God,

    What’s going on? Yeah, me too. Agra is pretty sweet hey? Not a whole lotof famous beauty made by you, no offense, but there is tons of man made wonders which I’m sure you appreciate. You kinda dropped the ball on that one. As you know we were in Darjeeling very recently, another hot india tourist destination, but a bit more of your natural scenery.
    We haven’t talked in a while, even though I’m sure you brought me here. India that is, not the Maya Hotel in Agra. Round two of India has been great, but different inobvious ways. I’ve spent more time in actual India, as opposed to the semi India of Mizoram. I have also spent a little less time with Indians and a little more time with three Canadians. It has been a month and we don’t hate each other yet, so it has been alright. However in the future i’d probably redo the solo journey. I do like myself, which we need to work on too.
    At supper tonight a magician came to the table and amazed the foreigners and I with some small tricks that you couild buy and amaze your friends with. It wasn’t real witchcraft magic, don’t worry, no one is in need of an exorcism. For that reason anyways (although I’m a little worried about Bonnie). But it seems that Agra especially is a town of tricks. Hotels with full staff of fluent English and French members just wanting to know where your from and if you can come to their shop for hours on end and look at their crap that you’d never buy. Rickshaw drivers who get commission for taking naive foreigners to souvenier shops and spending copious amounts of rupee on foreign goods that you could probably get at Pier 1 or le chateau. I have always had trust issues, and this place doesn’t help. Please don’t let this place damage my relationships in the trust department. And make me easy to trust, and for good reasons.
    Less than one week left in India, then a week in Oman. Then Canada and after that it iswide open. I’m wide open like the Taj’s back door. Wide open like Andy Fantuz in the endzone. Wide open like my book of emotions, which you are reading right now. I’m available, use me.
    Anyway, thanks for taking careof uson this trip. .Thanks for those three days of constant bum-pee and mouth-crap, killerprank. You got me good, but i’ll get you back somehow. .Talk to you soon, hopefully. Say hey to everyone in Regina. I owe you a beer or two.
    In your son’s name/rock and roll ’til death,
    Amen/later dude

  • Dear Mom,
    I haven’t talked to you since I left so I figured I’d at least write something to you so that if malaria does indeed get me, you’ll at least know I made it to Kolkata.
    The second roundabout Kol is much nicer than the first, so I recommend you return for a repeat tour, except with less actual ‘touring’ and more actual ‘being’…
    I know that you are probably sitting at home worrying and baking cookies for a household that doesn’t appreciate baked goods, so I thought I would come up with a few reasons of why you need not worry any longer.

    My Iron Stomach. Somehow yours and dads genes came together to give me less than desirable social skills and a head the size of a small beach ball, but a stomach that can handle the worst of curries. Today I had this drink off the street, all I saw was ice, lemon, water and a package or two of some green stuff. The end flavour was similar to what I think cow blood mixed with raw egg would taste like, but it wasn’t that bad. We have also enjoyed many other street foods and the worst thing that has come of it is a mild case of extreme heartburn. All about the good times.

    Another reason you can put your worries to rest is because here in Kol we have had numerous legit Indians show us around. Hassle free shopping and commuting. Today we rode in at least eight different rickshows and bought tons of crap in the market. Tell Melissa that I bought her those black bangles she wanted, although a few of them broke. Tell Jerms and Kris that their VIP frenchies were purchased, and because of their incredible cut and lowerlevel support more will likely be had by the end of this trip. Our Indian friends took us to Mother Teresas place today, the tomb was open as usual, but the exhibit was closed so we only stayed a short while.

    I read somewhere, or maybe I heard it in a news bulliten, that after 126 total days in a country you are almost nearly pretty much a fulltime guest resident, which is another reason you can go worry free. After Mother Teresas place today, we hit up a Bollywood cinema and saw the box office hit ‘Tashan’, and epic dancing action love-story thriller. Some was English but I even caught some of the Hindi dialogue. I didn’t know exactly what was going on, like when they had sexy dancing times in the middle of a rainstorm but the dancing was on a nice warm beach in their heads…, but that didn’t ‘stop it from being the best movie I’ve ever seen. After the movie and some shopping we headed back to Muan’s. We played cricket with some kids for a while and headed to bed. Muan woke us up at 11pm for supper, and there was no way he’d let us go back to sleep without taking our rice. He also made FrenchFries, except they were probably called IndianDeepFriedSaltedPotatoSnacksServedWithRiceAndDal or something. After the meal we went and sat ourside because it might have been .01 degree cooler outisde than inside. A drunk motorcyclist stopped by for a chat. I spoke Hindi with him and then he asked if I was Indian. He then told me I should become a movie star because I’m smart and handsome. Not so bad.

    And the final and only reason you have not to worry is that tomorrow we go to Guwahati and meet Ray and Ellen. Maybe we’ll do less stupid stuff with them around, but I doubt it. It didn’t really work last time. Anyways, talk to you soon. Tell dad that I watched pingpong on TV today. Later,

    love Nic

  • The Importance of Goat’s Milk in Daily Diet

    Things are coming together.

    I pulled into Regina at 5am this morning, a short drive from Golden, BC where I watched the Montreal Canadiens stomp the Boston Bruins 5-0. People say that Montreal almost blew it, but I’d call it good marketing. The more playoff games they can get, the more money they will make. Genius. Plus the riots looked like fun.
    The weekend I went to Boise, Seattle/Tacoma, Vancouver to home. It was a good trip you can be sure, where I got to jam to some new Means (good like a salty bag of David’s sunflower seeds mixed with caffeine in a spray bottle) and some Life In Your Way, which ended up being probably the best live show I’ve seen. If you like old hymnals, listen to LIYW’s first song HERE, but be sure to listen to the end. Epic.
    I very recently decided that I’m not going to cut my hair. Not yet anyways. I was about to drive home and cut it myself, scissors, shavers, machete, jig saw, whatever else I needed, but after talking with Brianne & Arlen, my mind is changed. The hair stays until India, and taken care of there. It is what was meant to happen. Sorry that you had to find out this way mom.
    I haven’t decided yet whether this blog will continue through the next five weeks, or whether I will try a new medium in the short amount of time I am there. Murray ‘The Man’ Sanders told me that I should write a chapter a day, and that would amount to a book, short and crappy albeit, but a book nonetheless. He did have a short stint as my first highschool’s superintendent of something and then my other highschool’s principal, so maybe he knows a thing or two about books. But I doubt it.
    Go Riders.
    Reminder: tell me anything about the playoffs when I’m gone, and I won’t talk to you ever again. Try me.