Tuesday, August 26, 2003

Confessions Of A Rum-Addled Mind (Vol. 10)

THIS ISSUE:
- The search for local swimming holes
- Jon's 10K Day overview
- Wicked links to enjoy

NOTE: I will post photos from the boiler room party, swimming holes and Jon's 10K day later this week. PLUS an MP3 recorded live of Ava's brother's band performing "Family Tree".

(1) The search for local swimming holes

Yeah, yeah, yeah...we live in BC and have access to mountains, lakes, creeks, oceans...blah, blah, blah. Ok where smartass?

a) Belcarra Park (port moody, bc) *closed due to dryness/fires*

Buntzen lake proved to be a bit of a disappointment, limited parking and a small, murky swimming area make this rocky beach more of a kayak launch. Paths that go over the dam and hydro plant are fun for cyclists.

Sasamat Lake has a floating bridge, a dock and two beaches but the water is murky and the beaches crowded. Useless for snorkeling but not a totally unpleasant swim.

White Pines beach has many areas for picnics, BBQ's, boat launches and a bit of swimming. Parking is impossible.

b) Golden Ears Park (maple ridge, bc)

Lower Falls has a moderate current with many big rocks to climb amongst, cold as a glacier but clean and fresh. Swim with fish!

North Beach has many little outcroppings of rocks along the creek and opens into a lake where people can boat, swim and cliff dive from the south shore. Swim with fish!

Alouette Lake is a huge body of water with an enormous swimming area, south dam and mostly rocky bottom so it's clear and great for snorkeling. Large picnic/BBQ area off beach and good parking.

c) Lynn Valley Canyon (North Vancouver, bc)

Haven't been here yet, but it's the FREE suspension bridge on the north shore (the sucker tourists go to capilano). Forest trails, cliff diving and rushing rapids and falls are pretty cool. I have yet to go here this year.

NOTE: Undercurrents and rock traps make cliff diving here DEADLY.

d) Qualicum Beach (Qualicum bc)

Incredible ocean swimming, crabs, sand dollars and starfish. Clean and warm when the tide comes in on a hot day...pure sand. One of the best places I've ever been for snorkeling. PLUS flavored soft serve ice cream!

(2) Jon's 10K Day Overview

I headed for Jon's 10K Day party at his parent's place in Port Kells (industrial area with 2 houses out in the middle of nowhere) after picking Sean up from Braid. Quite a lineup of cars on the dirt road (Harvie) which a Cop came by to comment on. How he found the place I'll never know...damn bored police.

Party took place in the majority of the backyard, with a food table, fire pit, DJ table, sound system, band gear and an area outlined with survivor torches that constituted a stage. Many glowing raver rods to be seen around collars, hips, even the dog. Jon made curtains out of a bunch of them to hang from the clothes line.

Plus, a sunshine Pinata! I missed Jon breaking it open in the rush to my car for the camera. Talked to many old friends: Jason (insane civic mods and many good weed tales), Scott (if I am a media assassin, this is my sensei), Sean (our own globetrotting journalist, see Sobaka), Mike (crazy mennonite from Abbotsford), Josh (Josh won best scum at the
knights of nee 2001 initiations and is in visual effects for TV), Ava (her brother's band, childhood nightmares and party details).

I drank this Margarita Ice beverage that had only tequila in it...wasn't terribly impressed but wanted to try something new from the cold beer + wine store, Jimmy Mac's. I didn't see how much Jon had but once he was on the MIC, it didn't matter..."REVENGE!"

Ava's brother's band came on and played 7 or 8 songs, I was quite flattered that they asked me to record them (that's what I do, I sneak a DAT deck into a concert and tape it with binaural mics). The guitars were not mixed on the board, so I hauled out my mics and stood 20 feet in front, equidistant from each amp. The recording turned out great, I'll post an MP3 here.

I felt bad for his parents, who opened only the washroom downstairs to the public, but were obviously woken up by people banging on the washroom door and a slight commotion from a group converged around a guy who was so high, the only sign of life was minimal breathing.

Had many an interesting conversation with Sean about the state of the province, the sociological implications of people's attitudes in the single scene and cultural differences abroad including liberal attitudes to drugs and casual sex (can't decide which is more popular in B.C.). True gonzo style journalism I see in this young master's future...the way of the gonzo is the only path.

Unfortunately, that path involves many stops along the way to evacuate the contents of your stomach.

(3) Wicked Links to enjoy

WESLEY WILLIS SONG GENERATOR
What are we going to do now that Wesley Willis has passed on? Use this automatic song generator to continue making songs that follow his visionary approach. I also like the pictures and concert review, especially his response to fan requests for "Play Jesus is the answer!", "Come up on stage and play with my balls!"

PROGRESS QUEST
Anyone here ever wasted time roleplaying? If only there was a way to eliminate all the hard work of rolling dice and making decisions. Now you can...Progress Quest is the greatest RPG ever made! Try it for yourself and see how effortlessly you can build a character and vanquish your enemies while doing something more productive.

PIZZA MATRIX
Imagine if "The Matrix" was not really about a virtual simulation enslaving humanity, but about PIZZA! Everybody loves pizza and this re-written script complete with doctored images will explain what's really going on with Neo (complete with mustache, chef's hat and anti-dominoes pizza company).

FIN

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