After my University Experience?

Alas, dear chum, I am nowhere near this "after" you refer to. Sure, I graduated with a B.A. a while ago, but as it turns out attaining that particular level of post secondary education is equivalent to what graduating high school would have been 15 years ago. As such, I am doing several courses right now in order to go back and get a B. Ed. which at least is a professional degree and has a particular career path associated with it. Whether I'll actually be able to get a job afterward amongst extensive teacher layoffs is another question. I guess what I'm saying is that being a cog in the machine doesn't sound too bad from some perspectives; at least it's a reliable income. May I also say that, while it is reassuring to hear that you are having many of the same misgivings I (and I assume many of our generation) do, I'm a little unnerved by the fact that you have a couple more years to get where your going before you hit 30, while I have about 13 months. I don't know why that particular age seems like a finish line of sorts, but that's the way it feels. Anyway, glad to hear you're liking school, I've always suspected an education in something practical would be more rewarding in a lot of ways. Going to be in Alberta for X-mas?

Always start at zero

Dear Jong,

It has been way to long since either of our last posts. I think that the standard of quality may be to high for us to consistently make entries, Or that could be my problem. Potentially we have to lower that standard to ease the burden of potential disappointment to our readers in order to get some entires made.

I am in school right now. I feel pretty committed in a way I never was UofC, to bad it cost so much more. The classes I take are not any more challenging but the end product seems more tangible as a goal and as a tool to walk away with. The graduates of the program are well introduced to the industry by the time they graduate and seem to find placement in a variety of different applications.

I see this perspective where my diploma though grants me access to a new layer of the economy still limits me to a certain sector of it, but this is really only a limitation to someone who isn't willing to ply their learnings outside of the box so easily set up for them by the institution. Similarly, I see many friends, holders of bachelor degrees, who are given their rather broad degree and told the world is their oyster. The institution fails to narrow their career path for them and instead they are left to their own devices to carve something with their new tools. This place forces some to make a decision: more school or work for the man?

Does this kind of describe how you felt after your university experience? Some peoples ultimate goal from their education is essentially becoming a cog in the machine and getting paid well to do it but otherwise where do you go? I probably need to know a greater spectrum of graduates and the twenties are also a very transient decade.

Just came to mind recently.

You know what else came to mind, errors in counting. Let's say you and I have a timed trial, except we have no stop watches and are going to rely on the other counting the seconds. So you line up and I start counting as soon as you take off. 1....2....3....4.... and so on. I reach 28 by the time you finish a lap and we get ready to switch, what do I tell you when you ask "Blair, how long did it take me complete that lap?" I would likely say 28, but I didn't start counting from zero, I started counting from one, so what I should really tell you is that it took you 27 seconds to finish that lap.

Dillon is coming out here soon, I told him I'd start collecting bottles and cans to start a fund to fly you out here for a Bare/Bear Hands show. Plane tickets are expensive though, you may have to start collecting on your end.

Hey Buddy

Oh hi Blair. I see you are posting three times to my once lately, which causes me much chagrin, and I apologize. Things out west are going well, and I'm feeling good. I'm still kind of coming down from the big C scare last month, and it;s kind of hard to refocus on the stuff I was worrying about before it happened. Health-wise things are good, and other than a weeklong recovery from surgery I haven't really noticed any differences, which is kind of unbelievable. So now that that's done I have to start thinking about school and work and volunteer and career and shit again, which kind of sucks but is better than thinking about never having those things.

Raccoon was pretty great, it's true. That was definitely the most fun I've had playing any kind of instrument. I flew back to Calgary last month to play a show with Dave and Sandy, or wait it was two months ago, and it was awesome. We played a messy set at the Marquis and I don't think I'll ever play with anyone who howls with even close to the conviction Dave does; I wrote a song on the guitar and he lyric't and sang it and it was tight.

Going even farther back, our bike trip across Alberta was really fun, and we raised 180,000 for AIDS work in Africa, all for taking a two week holiday doing what I like to do anyways. Pretty sweet. Jumping ahead, Liza and I went to Saltspring on our bikes and camped two weekends ago, and I was also great, and I definitely want to continue to do some touring around here, also the summer is almost at a close. Speaking of which, school starts in a week and I'm not really looking forward to the constant feeling that I should be doing homework again. Guess that's the way she goes.

Sorry again it's been so long.

Dear

john,

I've been drininking an thinking. Spelling mistaktaked are more endearding than they are problematic so let's embrace them as much as we can an write on this "wall" as much as we can.

I miss band practice with Raccooon. F.Montreal is gearing up for a full winter of shows and a hot new release. If and when it comes out I will sound it West.

Well, whats going in on out west everything I ask interesting questions and get adequate awnsers. I don't feel involved as I could be,

HLIFx. Sorry.

Dear Danger Cat,

Where to next John B? Any interesting plans for the coming months or years? Still working in a bike shop? If so do you guys make hats? If so send me one. My company makes hats, but they are ugly and I wouldn't send you one. Although I am clearing out some of my wardrobe and am seeing how much of it I don't wear, so if you need a shirt lemme know.

Mike Loz came out a couple weeks ago. It was brief but me managed to polish off a good portion of my home brew as well as hit they beach, TWICE. Surfing is pretty awesome, I hope that come fall I'll be able to head out a lot more.

I don't really feel like I have any train of though right now, what have you got?

July, The Beach Month

Dear John,

It's great to hear everything went as planned and all that's left is a radioactive pill. The whole notion is quite scary and I can imagine the feeling of having the concern, having it checked out, and getting the "more testing" response would be rather sobering. Especially considering your impeccable shape, condition and wit. I suppose you can chalk another mark on your tally against Armstrong.

I am working out paying my tuition now, which is a bummer, but I will be taking the Architectural Engineering Technician's program at NSCC. Two years and then I am equipped to use Auto Cad and get paid for it. I am stoked, long term I hope in translates into more school, but for now I just need to start moving forward again. Working in construction is likely really good for the program except I kind of loath my boss, which combined with some other area's of my life has led me to question my respect of authority. It's tough finding leader's who inspire good work rather than demand it.

Ceej is home (in our old Apt.) sitting in bed reading. She seems well, a little snarky cause I keep telling her to get dressed but overall in pretty good spirits. The summer out here is beautiful as I imagine it is every where, but Nova Scotia seems so small that everything seems so tangible in a day.

Miko comes out to see me next weekend and I'm pretty stoked, surfing and home brew are the only things on the agenda really. Got a batch bottled for and ready for consumption this friday.

You should get a bike and then we can meet half way and start a bike gang, in Manitoba I suppose.

*This entry actually has nothing to do with the beach.*

Sans Cancer, Sans Thyroid, Sans Voice Modulation

But only for a while (the voice modulation). 3 days post op and feeling good, things went well according to the surgeon, and now I take a thyroid replacement every morning, swallow a radioactive iodine pill in a couple of weeks, and that's game. All in all a pretty small production for how terrifying everything seemed for a while. What are you taking in school? Hows Ceej and the new Apt? Bitchin' ride by the way, I've been considering one for quite some time.

A New Old Bike

Dear John,

Since our bike trip is on hiatus riding has totally taken the back seat, even though I got a new bike:

I suppose I am still riding, but the pedals don't move and the thing weigh's 400 pounds. Though I have been scouting out trails I plan to cycle through later, so maybe it's like a reconnaissance ride. I've been using it to scout out local beaches. Today I tried to make it to Lawrence Town, but got a little bit lost taking back roads so I settled for Rainbow Haven. Apparently Lawrence Town is the closest surf spot and they rent gear so I am pretty stoked to get out there when I get the chance.

Crystal Crescent is also a nice beach:

Ever seen the film Barfly? I recommend it, written by Bukowski.

Dear John

In memory of.

New York New York

Dear John,

It has been a time since I last posted. I've traveled many kilometres, drank many bottles of wine and homemade beer, and crossed a few borders. I have switched employers and then back again, almost walked out on the lease we never signed and started a bit of gardening. To say I was to busy to write is not true but one needs to be in the mood to sit down and journalize.

Last month Cj finished her semester and we decided to drive down and visit my sister in New York, New York. 1400km or so? Figuring that though the day would be long it could still be a day's ride, but once you hit Massachusetts things get very congested. And so we bailed off the I-95 and spent the night in West Haven. For the best cause driving through Brooklyn at 2 am would have been a disaster. I can't read street signs at night.

We pulled into to park in front of my sisters apartment, which is just off the Brooklyn Bridge - Brooklyn side, around noon on a saturday. Got some burritos and mojitos with my Bro-in-Law and sat down with the baby's.

The week was nice, saw MoMA, some Picasso, Kandinsky, Munch and a really interesting exhibit with Marina Abramovic. Essentially she comes to the gallery from open to close everyday for 6 months! and sits at a table motionless staring forward and opposite her there is another chair in which patrons of the gallery can sit for as long as they'd like and return the stare. We also hit the Guggenheim and saw some balling paintings from the impressionist era.

It is a pretty impressive structure.

Our feet ached from standing and our eyes were strained from viewing, so we decided to go shopping in SoHo.The next couple were a little ridiculous with new these and new those, while we also had a few late nights with my sister and her husband and her cousin.

Chris Taylor is my sister's cousin, but not my cousin for she is my half sister. He is/was the guitarist for AidsWolf and also works as an Artist of many virtues, video being one. He made a couple videos for Susnset Rubdown, Black Swan and Dragon's Lair. The latter of which was shot on some family property near Wainwright.

Anyway, New York is/was awesome and my sister lives a successful yuppie life in Brooklyn.

Aiya, it's late and I need to pose for some photos for cj's homework.

There's more, just wait.