Is That an Amusement Park Ticket in Your Jammies or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

There's something I find very peculiar about this picture.  Not one of these people is wearing pyjamas.  I've had a few people tonight (and previously) ask me what circumstances led me to ride a rollercoaster in my bathrobe. So rather than going to bed right now as I had planned, I'll quickly share this story with all of you.  Including a certain person on 'formspring' who's evading my question.  Even though I've shared some of the Most Personal Things, Like, Ever.  But I'm not bitter, honest.  Just tremendously curious. 

Anyway here's how it all went down. For those of you reading at home go make some popcorn, I'll wait. 

M'kay.

When I was in my late teens a brand-new amusement park (Canada's Wonderland) opened many miles from where I lived. They were offering free admission to anyone who entered the park wearing their pyjamas.
This opportunity was way too cool to pass up.

So...I stayed over at my friend's place.  We didn't bother to change in the morning and just headed out to the bus stop. In our jammies and bathrobes.  We got on the bus, and everyone stared at us like we didn't realize we'd forgotten to get dressed.  We caught a second bus and made our way to the park.

We arrived and passed through the gates au gratin. (Oh wait, that means "with cheese").  I mean, au gratis.  Most people had their civilian clothes on under their PJ's and changed when they got into the park. 
Not us.  There were other people, mostly our age, who stayed in their nightwear as well.  Now for a young horny guy, hitting amusement rides for free all day while being surrounded by girls in pink jammies is like winning the effing lottery. We stayed dressed like this most of the day, as I recall we had to eventually change in the afternoon when the sun got too hot.  But there you go.

Then there was the time I climbed 1776 steps up the CN Tower in a Halloween costume...

Tag and an Award

I was recently tagged by Neisy and asked to reveal seven random things about myself, then pass this challenge on to seven other bloggers.  So here goes:

-I rode a rollercoaster in my bathrobe.
-I love vintage Bugs Bunny cartoons.
-I once got drunk, sang with a bar band and wouldn't give back the microphone. Not a defining moment perhaps, but damn it was fun!
-Over the past year I've taken great interest in the study of psychology and human sexuality (in particular sexual psychophysiology). 
-I buy high-end electronic equipment but rarely have patience to read the manual.
-Eyes turn me on.
-If I don't do something creative at least once a day I get very irritable.

I hereby pass this on to the following people:

Jennifer
Vivi
Lacey
Agata
Louis
Sarah
Stef

A few days ago my very dear friend Jennifer Fabulous  presented me with this:

Thanks Jen, this is one more example of how you brighten my days!  I'm passing this award along to:

Sandy (you've always been the best part of my life, for countless reasons)
Melanie (for knowing what you deserve and refusing to settle, it's inspiring)
Shannon (for your warmth and selflessness)
Jenni (for being the kind of person I'd like to hang out with)
Sophia (for your incredible strength and self-sacrifice to others)
Sophia (for all your encouragement and kind words)
Diane (for the amazing things you've said over the past months)
Aquiles (for the support and enthusiasm you've shown for my recent project)
Neisy (thanks for our great conversations)
Jill (for making me smile every time I read you)

Secret Friday

                                                   here

Happy Friday everyone! I know some of you have already begun your weekend so I hope it's off to a good start.

I had an awesome birthday (thanks everybody!!) and now it's back to business.  Time for the twelfth installment of Secret Friday, a chance to anonymously share some secrets and/or fantasies you've kept to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

If you get something from this I hope you'll consider hosting one on your blog as well. Feel free to copy and paste the guidelines below if you choose. All I ask is that you keep a regular eye on your feedback; contributions can be intense sometimes and people writing in need to be respected. It's very important. If you decide to do this on your blog please, please let me know. If we link to each other I think we could start something great.

Okay, here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wishes to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) Post a secret or fantasy anonymously, no names please. It can be anything from mild to wild, anything goes. All I ask is that it's true. You can post as many as you're comfortable with.

3) I don't plan to censor content or language. However I do reserve the right to remove anything which appears to be posted with the sole intent of offending. I also reserve the right not to remove content that may be considered controversial. It's a fine line sometimes.

4) If you're someone who is easily offended by swearing or sexual content you may not want to read through the comments. I have no idea where this will go and won't be reviewing comments until after they are posted.

5) I've been participating but I'm going to sit at least this one out.  I'll have to come up with more secrets or get into some delicious naughtiness to keep my submissions interesting.

6) Feedback directed towards me is welcome, anonymously or otherwise.

7) As always I'd like everyone to please refrain from commenting on what someone else has written; what may seem trivial to you can be very personal to someone else. Everyone has feelings and I want to see them respected, therefore inappropriate remarks will be removed.

And now to it...

♫ ♫ Happy Birthday to me ♫ ♫

Hi guys,

  Okay it's officially my birthday this time.  (Last week I prepared a draft and thought I had saved it, but it posted instead). DOH!

  Apparently I suffered a case of premature postulation.  Happens to men sometimes as they get older.

So my apologies to those of you whom I messed up. The good thing though is that this means in some cases I get double birthday wishes. And as someone who looooves attention I consider this to be a very good thing indeed.

  Anyway.  Today is my big day, the twentieth anniversary of my twenty-fifth birthday.  Yup, I'm forty-five and I can't frikkin' believe it!  But no worries, in my heart and mind I'm mid/late twenties and could hang with any one of you.  Try me, I double-dog dare ya.

M'kay, on to my post.

I should write a book about my life." 

Sooner or later you're going to hear an older person say this. The term 'older' is relative of course, but I've usually heard this from seniors. I always roll my eyes whenever I hear it, to me it's always seemed rather presumptuous to believe anyone would find your life interesting enough to buy a book about it. But in reality I think many people are just surprised they've made it this far when they look back at all the close calls and stupid things they've done.

Why do I say this? Because some days I reflect on my life and wonder how I managed to make it this far. Like most of us I spent my teens and twenties feeling somewhat invincible and I've had my share of stupid.  There are numerous reasons I may not have made it as far as I have...

Close calls. I fondly remember the day I blew a tire at 70mph and almost lost my car while rounding the bend of a two-lane highway on-ramp, the same one I had been taking every night for years. Just a few weeks before that I had attended a performance driving weekend.  I'm sure that's what helped save me, plus someone was just plain looking out for me.

Bad decisions. Several summers ago a bird decided it wanted to nest on the security light in our carport (garage). She was persistent, so I put a towel above it to keep her away during the day and removed it in the evenings. It worked well for a while until the night I forgot to take it down, creating an electrical short which incinerated the towel. If it wasn't made of synthetic material this would have caused a house fire. To make matters worse it was my in-laws' home.  Not a great way to make an impression.

Pushing it. There were things I did to intentionally push the envelope. Like having sex on the edge of a cliff, or while driving. (I don't remember seeing them listed but I'm pretty sure they'd fall under the category of unsafe practices). Would I do it again?  Oh hell yeah.

The wrath of mom. My mother nearly murdered me a few times when I was younger. Like the time I decided I was going to chop down our birch tree on the front lawn when I was about seven. (The back of a hammer makes a great axe, or so I thought). Then there was the day my brother and I took home snakes that we had captured. My mom found out about them when one popped its head out of a sock as she was doing laundry. Apparently we didn't secure them well enough.
I'm not sure how I made it to my next birthday.
There were also things she never found out about, like the day my brother and I rode our bikes on the shoulder of a major highway in Toronto. I was about ten and she still doesn't know. Unless she's reading this post.  Fortunately I weigh too much now for her to put me over her knee.

Hmm. After looking back on this stuff, "I think I should write a book about my life." lol
                                          _______________

 For anyone who's willing, please let me know when your birthday is so I can mark it down!


 
 

 
 

 
      

Friends

                                                         here

"When you dig another out of their troubles,
you find a place to bury your own."
-Anonymous

If I Were...

I shamelessly ripped off this idea from Apartment 513, (after  running it by her of course). It's kinda scary how many of our answers matched.  If you want an instant feel-good, I definitely recommend you check out Lacey's blog.  Passionate, spicy attitude, eats up life. Yeah I'm a sucker for this stuff.

If I were a month, I’d be July.

If I were a day of the week, I’d be Saturday.

If I were a time of day, I’d be 2am.

If I were a planet, I’d be Jupiter.

If I were a sea animal, I’d be a sea otter.

If I were a direction, I’d be South.

If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be an overstuffed sleigh bed.

If I were a liquid, I’d be nectar.

If I were a gemstone, I’d be a diamond.

If I were a tree, I’d be a majestic Redwood.

If I were a tool, I’d be a chisel.

If I were a flower, I’d be an orchid.

If I were a kind of weather, I’d be sunshine.

If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a Steinway grand piano.

If I were a color, I’d be red.

If I were an emotion, I’d be passion.

If I were a fruit, I’d be a mango.  

If I were a sound, I’d be laughter.

If I were an element, I’d be water.

If I were a car, I’d be a Ferrari.

If I were a food, I’d be liquid honey.

If I were a place, I’d be Paris.

If I were a material, I’d be leather.

If I were a taste, I’d be spicy.

If I were a scent, I’d be musk.  

If I were an object, I’d be a mountain.

If I were a body part, I’d be your smile.

If I were a facial expression, I’d be a wink.

If I were a song, I’d be "I'll Be" (Edwin McCain)

If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be Doc Martens.

What would you be?

Secret Friday

                                                        here


Happy Friday everyone! I know some of you have already begun your weekend so I hope it's off to a good start.

Time now for the eleventh installment of Secret Friday, a chance to anonymously share some secrets and/or fantasies you've kept to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

If you get something from this I hope you'll consider hosting one on your blog as well. Feel free to copy and paste the guidelines below if you choose. All I ask is that you keep a regular eye on your feedback; contributions can be intense sometimes and people writing in need to be respected. It's very important. If you decide to do this on your blog please, please let me know. If we link to each other I think we could start something great.

Okay, here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wishes to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) Post a secret or fantasy anonymously, no names please. It can be anything from mild to wild, anything goes. All I ask is that it's true. You can post as many as you're comfortable with.

3) I don't plan to censor content or language. However I do reserve the right to remove anything which appears to be posted with the sole intent of offending. I also reserve the right not to remove content that may be considered controversial. It's a fine line sometimes.

4) If you're someone who is easily offended by swearing or sexual content you may not want to read through the comments. I have no idea where this will go and won't be reviewing comments until after they are posted.

5) I'll be participating as well. (After ten of these I have to dig deeper!)

6) Feedback directed towards me is welcome, anonymously or otherwise.

7) As always I'd like everyone to please refrain from commenting on what someone else has written; what may seem trivial to you can be very personal to someone else. Everyone has feelings and I want to see them respected, therefore inappropriate remarks will be removed.

And now to it...

Bloggers over Borders- giveaway winners

                                                    here


Hi everyone,

   Sandy has randomly drawn five winners for my giveaway.  The following will each be receiving a copy of "Toronto: A Photographic Portrait", by Mike Filey.  They are:

In Joy and Sorrow
A Poet's Circus
I Know, Right?
Leah
Past and Future Tense

Congratulations, your books will be mailed this week.

In addition I'll be sending out a commemorative letter to all of you who have participated, as my way of saying thanks for your support.  Currently I'm in the midst of matching all of you with another blogger; over the course of the next two or three days I'll be e-mailing everyone with further information.

I've decided to make this an annual event, hopefully growing more each year. Thanks everyone for doing your part to make this a success.  It's been a lot of work but also a lot of fun.

I look forward to hearing any stories you have as this is set in motion.

Bloggers over Borders participants- please read

Hi everyone,

  Entry for this project is now closed and things are in motion.  Here's a list of those who are participating (all sites I've listed here can be linked).  I'm leaving this up for 48 hours; if you have any input or concerns within this time please e-mail me.  I'm sure I have everyone, but if for some reason I've missed you let me know and I'll add you.

Participants are:

Melanie’s Randomness
I Know, Right?
I Am the Walrus
Minute by Minute
Little Loves
Language is Wine Upon the Lips
Leah
Nina’s Ballerina Closet Obsession
Absent Minded
LauReality
Jennifhsieh
Life in Quotations
Getting Fit and Loving It
Nut in a Lifeshell
Thoughts and Prose of a Synchronistic Catalyst
The Style Crusader
Social Climbers
Past and Future Tense
The Happy Cactus
A Poet’s Circus
Post Apocalyptic Bohemian
In Joy and Sorrow
One Long Road
Sunlit Catastrophe
^~ طرطشة افكار ~^ (Mohamed in Giza, Egypt)
Or So I Feel
When Chocolate Melts and Coffee Burns (sorry for missing you Neisy)

My thanks to all of you who have signed up.  On Monday I'll be drawing names and e-mailing all of you with information on whom I've matched you up with.  I'll also be announcing the five winners of my book giveaway , "Toronto: A Photographic Portrait" by Mike Filey.  Stay tuned!

Photo credit here.

Secret Friday

                                                   here


TGIF!  We're heading into a long weekend in Canada as Monday is a holiday (Family Day).   I know some of you have already begun your weekend so I hope it's off to a good start.

Time now for the tenth installment of Secret Friday, a chance to anonymously share some secrets and/or fantasies you've kept to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

If you get something from this I hope you'll consider hosting one on your blog as well. Feel free to copy and paste the guidelines below if you choose. All I ask is that you keep a regular eye on your feedback; contributions can be intense sometimes and people writing in need to be respected. It's very important. If you decide to do this on your blog please, please let me know. If we link to each other I think we could start something great.

Okay, here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wishes to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) Post a secret or fantasy anonymously, no names please. It can be anything from mild to wild, anything goes. All I ask is that it's true. You can post as many as you're comfortable with.

3) I don't plan to censor content or language. However I do reserve the right to remove anything which appears to be posted with the sole intent of offending. I also reserve the right not to remove content that may be considered controversial. It's a fine line sometimes.

4) If you're someone who is easily offended by swearing or sexual content you may not want to read through the comments. I have no idea where this will go and won't be reviewing comments until after they are posted.

5) I'll be participating as well. (After nine of these I have to dig deeper!)

6) Feedback directed towards me is welcome, anonymously or otherwise.

7) As always I'd like everyone to please refrain from commenting on what someone else has written; what may seem trivial to you can be very personal to someone else. Everyone has feelings and I want to see them respected, therefore inappropriate remarks will be removed.

And now to it...

Bloggers over Borders- last call

                                                     here


Hi everyone,

  I'm happy to report I've had some very enthusiastic feedback for this project so far.  For those of you who have considered participating and haven't signed up yet, you have until this coming Saturday the 13th to let me know.  Just click on the picture of the 'world hands' at the top of my blog for further details.

  I'm anxious to get this started, it should be fun!

Life's Sweet Heartache

                                               here


"You never give your heart to a stranger
Or tell your secrets to a friend
You’ll put your heart in mortal danger,
They all desert you in the end.
The more you live the more you love."

-Flock of Seagulls


Recently I was sorting through some of my older writing for a few pieces to post, and came across a poem that was darker and more bitter than most. It occurred to me that I've spoken much of the upside of love and passion lately, but little of its heartbreak. I think it's time.

Over the past few days I've had several memorable conversations, some with you who may be reading now, about the difficulty and occasional pain of relationships. In the fifteen years before I met Sandy I'm not sure how many girls/women I took interest in, how many relationships of varying degrees I celebrated and hurt over, but I had my share. During that time it seems there were more lows than highs. Maybe that's not the case and it's just my mind's way of retaining the lessons. Memories have a way of being discoloured by time's mist sometimes.

Along the way I did some embarassing and stupid things, as most of us do when young and where matters of the heart or physical desire are concerned. Some things I learned from immediately, some I had to repeat two or three times before they sunk in. But most did eventually. 

At twenty-one I had a serious relationship with a girl, after a short while she broke it off and I was devastated. I did a fair amount of writing during that time; an example of which follows:


Some Hearts

Some nights are better spent alone
Some lives best lived apart
Some hearts are better left untouched;
Their flames burn brightest at the start.

 Some questions are better left unanswered
Some feelings never chanced
Some tears are better left unshed,
Some dances never danced.

Some walls are better left unbroken
Some love best left ungiven,
Because when all that we think
And feel has been spoken
Some hearts aren't always forgiven.


Some say there are seven stages of grief (disbelief, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, acceptance and hope). At the time I wrote this poem it was very much out of anger and bitterness. Those wounds have long-since healed and I've learned from the experience. Do I believe it's always better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Not necessarily. But I no longer believe what I wrote in my poem; we shouldn't pass up a chance at something great for fear of heartbreak. In my eyes you should say what you need to say and not keep these things to yourself. Life's too short to shelter your heart.
(Recently I had a conversation with a friend who took a chance on someone, and although he didn't feel the same I'm so unbelievably proud of her for putting herself out there. I can't say she loved and lost, I believe she loved and won because she didn't hide behind her uncertainties).

After my relationship ended I dated more casually, just had fun and didn't look for anything too serious. In some ways I feel I did things backwards. I was usually striving for a serious relationship even before the age of twenty. I had girlfriends, but at times when I was single I often ended up being 'that guy', the one who was a shoulder but not a shared heart. Looking back perhaps this experience was part of my life's design. Now that I'm married it's something I'm able to provide Sandy (and have it returned) within a fulfilling marriage, and can more comfortably provide others as any hopes of romance within that role have lifted.

If I could go back and do it all over knowing what I know now, I have no doubt my dating years would have been more 'successful'. But I believe as painful as they are, 'mis-steps' are necessary to help us grow into the person we need to be. We can't go back, all we can do is take what we learn and move forward each day. Experience is what we call our mistakes, and they're only mistakes if we don't learn something from them along the way.

Message for Ericka Kayne

Ericka please check your comment section, there seems to be an issue with your word verification and it won't provide a drop-down box to post a comment.  

Please drop me a line when you get a chance.  Thanks.

Guest Post

This guest post comes from Jennifer at I Know, Right?  Since meeting her last Fall Jen's become a very close friend of mine, she's one of the kindest people I've ever met and I'm very proud to have her in my life. 

 Jennifer was recently laid off from her job as a reporter and has been struggling to come to terms with this new chapter in her life. She's written a guest post, which I'm happy to feature here...


I packed my things today.


Dozens of shriveled notepads with yellowed pages shredded at the edges. Colorful postcards sent over the years from a friend in China. A bright blue corporate mug showcasing that I am a reporter. Well, was a reporter.


When my desk was nearly empty, I glanced down at my box. One little grocery store cardboard box filled with three years of my career. Was that really all I had to show for three whole years of hard work? What a shame.


Just a week before, I had been laid off. Let go. Terminated.


I shouldn’t have been shocked last week when the News Editor and HR representative guided me into the conference room—the same place where I had been hired right out of college in May of 2006. After all, I had witnessed six lay offs at my newspaper in the past three years. Hundreds of people left without a trace. I even went through three editors, watching them all pack their things year after year. The recession was very real to me.


It was always a chilling feeling, watching those people pack their things. There they were one day, trying to figure out what stories they would work on later that week; the next day they were terminated without a warning. One week to pack up. For most, it only took half an hour. They never looked us in the eyes. When they left, we never saw them again.


I always felt uneasy seeing someone—who sat at that desk for 20 years—leave. So many years given to a career that wouldn’t even see them to retirement. And in the news industry, your life revolves around your job. The result of your hard work is in the newspaper every day. Everyone in town knows you. Now what?


Some of the lucky ones go on to find decent jobs within a few months. Most are not as fortunate. A once-glorified editor I know now serves hot dogs at the local baseball stadium. A once hot-shot reporter I know is still collecting unemployment after being let go six months ago.


It’s my turn now, I realized, as I stood by my old desk with a stuffed box, avoiding the sympathetic stares from former coworkers.


But where do I go? I apply for jobs every day, online. Every time I click enter I can feel the application drift off into cyber space, never to be seen or heard from again. It doesn’t exist.


Is there room in this recession for a young unemployed journalist?


As I left the newsroom, juggling my box and mumbling goodbyes to people, it occurred to me that it doesn’t matter.


Its 2010, the economy is still shit, and I’m out of a job.


All I have left is myself.
_______________________

Thanks for this Jen. Hang in there sweetie, I know it'll get better.  You're an amazing friend. ♥


Barry

Birthday Wishes

It's Sandy's special day today.  I don't think she'd want me to disclose her age, so I'll just say it's the twentieth anniversary of her twenty-fifth birthday.

Happy Birthday honey. I love you with all my heart. ♥

Barry

xoxo

Secret Friday

Happy Friday everyone!  I have to admit it's been a short week for me as I took a couple vacation days.  But now I'm back to it.  I know it's Saturday for some of you, so I hope you're enjoying a good start to your weekend.

Time now for the ninth installment of Secret Friday, a chance to anonymously share some secrets and/or fantasies you've kept to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

If you get something from this I hope you'll consider hosting one on your blog as well. Feel free to copy and paste the guidelines below if you choose. All I ask is that you keep a regular eye on your feedback; contributions can be intense sometimes and people writing in need to be respected. It's very important. If you decide to do this on your blog please, please let me know. If we link to each other I think we could start something great.

Okay, here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wishes to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) Post a secret or fantasy anonymously, no names please. It can be anything from mild to wild, anything goes. All I ask is that it's true. You can post as many as you're comfortable with.

3) I don't plan to censor content or language. However I do reserve the right to remove anything which appears to be posted with the sole intent of offending. I also reserve the right not to remove content that may be considered controversial. It's a fine line sometimes.

4) If you're someone who is easily offended by swearing or sexual content you may not want to read through the comments. I have no idea where this will go and won't be reviewing comments until after they are posted.

5) I'll be participating as well. (After eight of these I have to dig deeper!)

6) Feedback directed towards me is welcome, anonymously or otherwise.

7) As always I'd like everyone to please refrain from commenting on what someone else has written; what may seem trivial to you can be very personal to someone else. Everyone has feelings and I want to see them respected, therefore inappropriate remarks will be removed.


And now to it...

Bloggers over Borders update

Hi everyone, just a quick update to let all of you know where we currently are with this project. To date there are twenty-three bloggers involved in five countries (Canada, USA, Egypt, UK and the Philippines).  USA is represented by eleven different States.

I want to thank all of you who have signed up so far and who have promoted this on your blogs. I'm still short of target so I'm extending the deadline to sign up by one week, to February 13th. 

Please consider joining and/or spreading the word about this to those you know. The further this reaches the better. I'm looking forward to setting this in motion.

Love you guys,

Barry
 
 
Photo credit here.

Siren Song

For you who have been affected by words of those you've never met.


Siren Song

You came one night
On moonlight’s breath
A gem that shone your name.
Captured me,
With brushstroked words
And set my soul’s canvas aflame.

A painter of pictures
Through eloquent prose
Recount passions burning so strong.
To these words I surrendered
As for me you sang
A beckoning Siren Song.

How ironic this beast
Which exhales cyber glow,
My resolve it tramps and defies,
Would send one as you
To set comfort’s stage
So to discover myself
Through your eyes.

I'll slip off this fabric
That veils me from the rest
My heart before you I'll bare
Our eyes not to meet
In defiance I ask
To reveal your Self as you dare.

Sketch your mind's portrait
With wind-weathered chalk
Wonder if this will last, for how long.
Still my soul answers freely
And forever it seems
To your beckoning Siren Song.




Intellectual property copyright Barry O'Shea.  All rights reserved.
Do not reproduce without permission.  Photo credit here.