(Me, bogarting the last smokin' candle. No, I don't smoke.)

Age - my own, that is - never really matters to me. I'm just as old as I am, and don't really notice any change from one day to the next. That's why, agewise, I don't get worked up over birthdays. I'm only a day older than the day before, so what's the big deal, you know?

Yesterday's birthday was more of a milestone than most, though. 30. The big three-o. Gone are the youthful 20s forever. Now I'm just 10 years from 40! The first time I thought that, I was a little taken aback. I mean... it's only 15 years, and then it's the Kids In The Hall skit, "He's Hip, He's Cool, He's 45". Still, I didn't think this one would phase me a whole lot. However, when I was opening my presents yesterday morning, I felt it a bit.

C did all my presents (from her and her side of the fam) in an ottoman box, wrapped in a blanket, covered with 30 bows. While opening this, to get to open the prezzies inside, I, for some reason, decided to count the ribbons as I went. Like a counting-up countdown. One, two, three... no problem. Ah, youth. Then, stuff like thirteen - Grade 8. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Was it really so far back? Sixteen - when I got my license... was it that long ago? Nineteen, twenty... there's so many ribbons left! How many can there be?! Twenty-four, twenty-five... sweet baby Jesus, there are still more! I've been around forever! What am I, Methuselah? Twenty-nine, thirty. (Nervous internal laughter) Thirty. O... K, let's... get to those presents (more nervous internal laughter and shock).

I'm OK with it now. I'm no different than I was on Friday. I just see it as another excuse for my gray hairs (the ones I have left).

So... what did I rake in? Here's the tally!

A bunch of b-day wishes on Facebook - thanks, peeps!

Kanye West's new CD, Graduation

The lastest from Bedouin Soundclash, Street Gospels

Fillin' a hole in my physical collection, Queen's Greatest Hits

Stax 50th Anniversary Collection (heh, they're way older than me) double CD.

Walt Disney on the Front Lines DVD. Cartoon propaganda from the war years. Neat, once-rare stuff.

Autographed copy of Daniel Lanois' Acadie.

Maple Music-exclusive Joel Plaskett "Snowed In" T-shirt. Above is the front, below is the back.


The Best of Sam & Dave CD.

A collection of foreign beers to sample. Plus a dozen Heineken.

A cool C'MON T-shirt. It's not the one on the site / the one I thought I may get, but I like it all the same.

The new C'MON CD, Bottled Lightning (of an All-time High). It goes by quickly, but this not-available-in-most-stores CD kicks ass.

Cool note that came with the above two orders. I love getting stuff from DIY musicians.

Northey Valenzuela, by Craig Northey and Jesse Valenzuela. Me like Craig Northey. Did I mention he emailed me twice on Friday? I saw him in concert with Colin James on Thursday. More on that in another post later.


My first concert souvenir / music T from my first real concert, way back in the day. Parts of the shirt were starting to yellow and fray, so C framed it up nice for me, since I can't wear it anymore (the silkscreen was always crooked).

Mom-cooked supper on Sunday, and on Saturday, a wee birthday cake for two!

Me blowing out the tea light on the wee b-day cake. I've thought I could just do it before, but now, I think I'm actually starting to naturally resemble Morn from Star Trek: The Next Generation. As a side note, that show turned 20 this past week. Now that may even make you feel old, too.

Also, a little choco-p.b. treat, some choco-mocha dessert sauce, and indie-type music mag, some cards, $25 for F. Shop, and some extra cash!

And, of course, the best one of all: a picture my niece did for me.

There you have it! My haul-y 3-0! Lots of musical things. C'est bon. They like me! They really like me!

What happens when you Google yourself? Well, depending on how you read that, it may mean sudden blindness, or kitten death by the hand of God. It may also mean something like this:

1. Type "[your name] needs" into Google and search. What's the first three websites you see?
Stephen needs to dump kristen because she reallydoesn't like him. ... Stephen needs an advocate at school to work with him on at least two occasions. ...
Starting with the big picture: Stephen needs a working plan that will be ...
Stephen Needs a Reality Check Every now and then I (yes, even I), come up with something at work that's just plain lame.

2. Type "[your name] is"....
Stephen is perhaps best known for his daily research newsletter, ...
They both proved that wrong, and Stephen is a wonderful success story. ... Stephen is difficult to understand at first. The film provides subtitles when he ...
Stephen is appearing at Third Monday thanks to an invitation from Brendan Hodgson. ... As co-founder of the Blogging Tories, Stephen is arguably one of the ...

3. Type "[your name] likes"....
Stephen likes Clock Suckers: Game Over July 26, 2007. Stephen likes Ferrell Strength Coach July 09, 2007. Stephen likes Dramatic Chipmunk July 07, 2007 ...
Reason: "Stephen likes the tug of the philosophical, and he seemed amused by the notion that universes are simply one of those things that happen from time ...
Stephen: likes Kristin, Gabriella, Gretchen and LC and is BFFE with Trey and Dieter.

4. Type "[your name] wants"....
Stephen wants you to solve this equation: ?. 5. k=1. 1. k. =. x. 5! for x.
Stephen Wants You to Want Him.
Stephen wants to be Appy Hammer.

5. Type "[your name] gets"....
Stephen Gets Punk’d.
Mike makes the cut, if this happens, Mike gets named to PC team, Stephen gets nothing (unless he wins PGA)
New Testament > Acts of the Apostles > Stephen Gets Stoned. Acts 6:8 Now Stephen was performing many signs and wonders among the people.

6. Type "[your name] says"...
Stephen says it all.
Stephen says: please Bryn says: no Stephen says: I don't NO WHAT IT IS ... Stephen says: omfg its soo cheesy Stephen says: k so what does /b/ measn ...
Stephen says: A buck a download, baby!

7. Type "[your name] does"....
Stephen does not prevent, diagnose, treat or cure disease.
See how Stephen does it...
Deceivin' Stephen Does it Again.

8. Type "[your name] eats"....
Harper And Colbert -- Which Stephen Eats Babies?
Is it wrong that when I saw this topic title I immediately wanted to reply "Stephen eats pieces of shit like you for breakfast?" ...
MySpace Profile - Stephen[eats yttrium for breakfast w/ no milk], 17 years old, Male, Lanark, , UK, dick wheel and a spiraling cow shooter.

Sorry I haven't been able to post in a long time. I want to. It's not like there isn't any stuff to say. I just can't ever find the time anymore. Rest assured, I'm not quittin' the bloggerino! I'm just saying I'm ridonculously busy and rather morose from time to time.

It's been a bit over a week, so I guess I should make a post and keep y'all posted. I don't feel like fleshing out a whole, full post, though, so I'll point-form/bullet it Chunks-style.

• I have a rotten cold. Just in time for school. Any other time of the year, I would have stayed home. But, I got through the first two days. Sneezinsnottincoughinpaininfeverin stuff. Blah.
• It seems like the workload just ever increases. It's not enough that I'm already teaching all things out of my main area (science), but I have several kids at different levels. It's like I have to (in my already two-grade classroom) make up and follow and assess parts of totally diff. programs for about... 3-5 kids. It sounds terrible, perhaps, but I just wish they were all at the same level. On the plus side, they all seem like really nice kids, albeit chatty in a few cases.
• The skunks are back around. We thought they'd left during building work in the summer, but I saw momma emerge from beneath our outdoor structure with... 8 babies? I wouldn't be surprised if it was 12. They were awfully cute romping around and wrestling with each other, but I don't want skunks under our building. Or anywhere. Hmm.
• My birthday approaches, and I always seem to pick things that either take too long to get here, or require some uber-complicated site sign-up process or something. In another country/currency, I suppose, too. Sorry, C.
• My brother in BC's going to have (well, his wife is) his first kid soon. Christmas Day is the due date for their girl (it's weird knowing). I will call her Jesusina.
  
• Blech. I keep on coughing. At least there's a little something coming up today. Some meat to it, you know? ;) Yesterday was just long cough-wheezes and loss of voice.
• On a SUPER plus side, I get to see a favourite artist on the 27th. Well, two, actually! The last time COLIN JAMES was on PEI was about 14 years ago, when I was too young to go. Now, he's coming to Summerside with Craig Northey (of Odds fame!). How awesome is that?! I'm stoked. There's other good shows, too, like Sexsmith & Barber, Classic Albums Live doing The Wall. Stuff like that. But I could not miss this one.
• I must check the songlist and news on Guitar Hero 3 a few times daily. I'm obsessed, and I don't even have a system to play it on yet. The tracks keep getting better and better, though. Word is that Tenacious D are picking the songs.
  
• Regular trivia season starts next week. I have a bonfire to go to that night, too... a tradition-type one, and the last ever, as well. I hate to juggle 'em, but I really should go to the fire one way or the other.
• It's good to have Paige back on the East Coast!

I guess that's enough for now. I should go have some breakfast and maybe some drugs.


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Now playing: QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - Sick, Sick, Sick
via FoxyTunes