It’s a baby pygmy hippo named Monifa.

The Johnson’s were in town this weekend and that meant there was a significantly large attack of the babies. And even worse than babies, or even attacking babies, are babies who are attacking me. Chloe (on my shoulders) snuck up from behind, while Kaytlyn flanked me.

P.S. However, Chloe may have been distracted from the initial attack as she decided it would be best to eat her slightly younger cousin.

P.P.S. You can read a better account on Tanya’s (my sister-in-law) blog.

1. I shaved my head. I wasn’t actually planning on shaving my head. However someone (Leah) thought she could handle trimming my hair. After that went terribly wrong, we shaved it all off.
2. Changing my blog design. I never found a rhythm for blogging with my previous employer. And the previous theme by Ian Stewart (which was really interesting) always felt a bit oppressive to me. Many thanks to Will Wilkins for creating this great theme. I was looking for this exact layout for a long time and then I finally found it. I love it when that happens. There are a lot of aspects to this theme and I will be tweaking some of the styling. But sit down and get comfortable. Thing design is going to be around for a while.

Feel free to leave any feedback.

2004 was the last summer I worked as a camp counselor. That last summer I worked at Kinasao, in northern Saskatchewan. I started that summer in the spring, re-painting all the cabins and buildings and various other maintenance work. During the spring, there were various things going on before the children arrived. One of those events was a Mental Health camp and one night there was a bingo and guess what I won? The most beautiful of hats—the Harvest Hopper hat. From that day on, the Harvest Hopper was my work hat.

I am happy to report that I received a job offer this week and I am done temping, so I am taking the rest of the week to vacation. Which really means I am going to be doing yard work. Bagging leaves. Pruning trees. And Dad is going to help me (or rather I am going to help dad) put in a proper vent for our upstairs bathroom. So I am in my work cloths, with the Harvest Hopper on and I am ready to roll.

There are reasons cats should not be on leashes/tethers. This is one of them.

I have been sitting a lot of renovation video for a little while now. I should really get a video featuring what our house actually looks like up, but for now, enjoy this epic battle.

I think my favourite part in this video is when I start to whine to Leah. Or perhaps when I tried removing the front while the electrical box was still attached. All-in-all it was a huge and annoying project, but the house looks much, much better for it.

This is from a long time ago, but Leif put this ad in FFWD in the… I don’t know… Wanted section? Leif is all kinds of crazy and creepy, which is why I love him. But still this was one of his crazier moments. He was of course referencing my camel leather bag and my kangaroo scrotum change purse. The rest simply his own brand of nonsense and ingenuity.

Something Borrowed

Yesterday, I looked down at my desk and a single penny was sitting on my desk. This is that same penny. From this penny flowed a beautiful conversation with my “friend” Brendan.

me: im listenin to wiretap / its crazy / i have an american penny on my desk from 1934
Brendan: That is a non sequitur.
me: i dono what that means
Brendan: It’s Latin for “doesn’t follow”.
me: its amazing
Brendan: Because it’s a random observation that has nothing to do with anything we’ve been discussing.
me: this penny was around for the last depression and now its around for the new one
Brendan: If you’re testing blog material on me, I expect compensation.
me: initially I wasn’t but I’m changing that opinion because you’re an ass
Brendan: 4:20 bra!
me: dont say bra
Brendan: You’re not the boss of me.
me: i could be

This is why Brendan and I are going into the radio business together—we have chemistry.

Something New

Or relatively new. Every time I go to the grocery store or Shoppers, I have to test my pulse. This is proof that I am an elite man that is basically super-human. I am naturally, without effort, in the best shape of my life… or something.

Something Blue

Could I be anymore clever? I think not. Well there is an election coming. Apparently the federal government knows that I live here because I am registered to vote. Or maybe it’s because I have the grand luck of being in Stephen Harper’s riding. Canada, take note, if you want your vote to mean something do not move to the leader of a party’s riding that you—on basically every level—oppose.

I had thought, prior to realizing what riding I was in, that I might vote Liberal. I had thought about voting for the Liberal candidate, because I suspect that Dion has more to offer than he is able to communicate. Frankly, Magnum Jack (Layton) just isn’t doing it for me anymore. I do enjoy the fact that he is a bald pitbull, but I don’t find he represents me. But being the riding I am in, I will vote—most likely—for the Greens because I agree with their ideals and when I want my vote to count I will vote for the party who will benefit from the proportional funds.

You know the strange thing? I have been at home, for the most part, over the last three weeks and not one candidate has knocked on my door. Though, as you can see, Stephen Harper called, but to continue an already lengthy list of disappointments, it wasn’t actually him.

And a silver sixpence in my shoe.

I had an interview today that went well and I am really keen on the company and position. I like that word: keen.

Just read a re-cap of our conversation the other night. We were downstairs, watching TV. Leah—with the remote in hand (because I am never allowed to pick the channel)—chooses to watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Quark (on the left in the picture above) is on the screen.

Leah: Hey, those guys are from Next Gen.
Rhett: Who? Quark?
Leah: Yes, the guy with the funny ears.
Rhett: Quark was never on Next Generation.
Leah: Yes he was. There was that one episode.
Rhett: Well, there were Ferengi, but Quark wasn’t.
Leah: You can tell the difference between them?
Rhett: …

Well, I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t heard it. I am sorry to tell you, my Ferengi brethren, that Leah thinks that you all look the same. Her vision for earthly equality and respect doesn’t extend to your galactic selves or your funny ears that double as a disturbing erogenous zone.

First, I apologize for the silence. Second, that is a picture Leah took from our backyard. Those crabapple trees might be annoying, but they sure are pretty. I am not sure what that bush/tree is on the right side, but it is all kinds of beautiful colours.

The last few weeks have been some of the strangest in my life. I can tell you that I have felt a gauntlet of emotions. Deconstructing and reconstructing. I suppose, at the very least, I can be happy that I am growing, changing and hopefully getting better. The job search seems to be moving forward. It’s hard to tell. Some days are better than others and most of the time I am trying to take it one day at a time.

All that being said, if you know anyone in Calgary that I should know or that could help me make further connections, now is not the time to hold back.