Wednesday is the new Monday

I feel like crap. I could hardly get out of bed today. The best I could do was roll over to one side for another hour and only then could I force myself to get up. I'm not sure why it was so hard. I had yesterday off and I think I went to bed at a reasonable hour. Then it hit me.

I had Tuesday off so isn't Wednesday like most people's Mondays? Once I realized that my mood and lack of energy make perfect sense. Most people have their weekend off and come back to work a little grumpy, tired and weary from their frolicks on the weekend. So I come back to work tired, weary and a little grumpy and start wondering what is wrong with me.

Wednesday is the new Monday. If you see me on a Wednesday and I am looking stressed out you know why. I need another weekend!

Here is a memory of last year. The show was at the Tongue and Groove club in Lethbridge, Alberta. The band was Dave Popwitch on Bass (and if you ever need a good family lawyer he's your guy) and on Drums is Raz. I never did get Raz's last name but he is a mighty fine drummer. If I remember correctly it was Raz's birthday and that was why we were playing. I'm playing my beloved Maybell and we were winding through some wonderful blues and roots tunes. That night held such mysterys as two women kissing and dreadlocked young boys dancing in a trance like motion next to glassy eyed waifs in summer dresses throwing their arms around themselves wildly. The trany was there with his flute and the local blues guy was there to watch me play. We were drinking plenty and eating the glorious food that the club serves. Yup I'd definately recommend the Tongue and Groove to anyone who wants to play in Lethbridge.

Baking in the heat

For the past few days it has hovered around 32 degrees here in Winnipeg. For you American folks that is in Celcius and it equates to 89.6 degrees fahrenheit. Can you say hot? I bet you can. Anyway so last night I decided that I could either sit in a puddle of sweat on my couch watching TV or I could do some yard work and sweat in my labour. So I chose the labour.

Many of you have been following the backyard renos that I have been doing and last night I dug in the walkway stones. This puts me one step closer to the completion of the first phase of renos. I still have to stain/paint the fence. I have decided on a red teracotta colour for the fence. I think it will look great next to the greens and the eventual butter yellow I'm going to paint my house.

Anyway it took me far longer than it should have to dig the eight stones in because after each one I drank a gallon of water and then had to pee all the time. I'm exagerating of course but not by much I must say. By around 10pm I put the last stone in the ground and tamped it down and then went for a Slurpee!

It is a good thing to have the yard coming together. I will have my first "Guitar-B-Que" on July 1st evening. I think it will be a fine party with friends bringing their favorite meat and guitar and we'll sit and jam and enjoy the great outdoors ending with the fireworks display that happens over the skies of Winnipeg. Oooooooooo Aaaaaaaaaaaaa Wowwwwwwwwwwwww

Here is the 'tiki-yarden' in the first incarnation. Tonight I had a friend over and I BBQ'd some meat marinated in a Mango Curry Chutney sauce and served it up with sauteed mushrooms and green onions with some red pepper. My friend brought over some pasta salad and potatoe salad and we had a 'yarden party'! It sure was nice to sit back there and spend time in the yard enjoying the privacy. Yup I'm still jazzed about the fence.

Taste of Summer

Finally after weeks of rain we're having some sunny weather here in Winnipeg. The average temp that past couple days has been 24 or 25. The weather prognosticators are forecasting more of the same for the next few days. So a good weekend for father's day leading into the first day of summer. I can't wait.

Lately I have been dreaming of having my first BBQ of the season and of camping on the shores of Lake Superior and Huron. The smell of fresh water and the steady hum of cicadas in the wind. There is nothing quite so beautiful as this Canadian landscape in the summer. Pre-cambrian shield, pine trees as far as the eye can see and black flies to remind us that we are just another beast on this great land and not the lord God after all.

I feel like pitching a tent in my backyard and sleeping outside tonight. mmmm that's a thought.

Hal

Bank Freedom Day

Today a long standing loan with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada will be completed. By long standing, I mean over 10 years. Many of you know that this has been on my mind alot lately. Anyway the good word today is FREE AT LAST! Haleluiah I'm FREE AT LAST!

In other news, the rain seems to have stopped for a few days here. At least that is what the weather guys (and gals) are saying. If it stays nice today I may get my grass mowed and the gate hardware on tonight.

Last night I hung the gate on my new fence. Here is a shot of my backyard taken at 10:30pm last night. Not a bad job even if I do say so myself. Now I just have to finish the new walk and the gate hardware.

After 3 days of work and quite possibly weeks of planning, I finally have a fence. My back yard is starting to take shape and I am mighty pleased. Today I spent more time in my backyard than I have in the five years I've owned my house. I gotta tell ya it feels good. Now I just have to finish the gate and hang it. Plus dig in the walkway stones. Know anyone who carves TIKI statues?

Yes Virginia, I am a proud endorser of Ultrasound Amps! The fine folks at Ultrasound showed excellent taste and good judgement when they made me an endorsed artist of their product line. I'll be playing my model AG-30 amp at festivals throughout Ontario this summer so when you hear that great sounding ukulele or natural slide tone you'll know that Manitoba Hal and Ultrasound are in the house.

Some days are hard

Some days are more difficult than others. Some days I just want to sit on a deck in a Muskoka chair and read a book while sipping tea. Maybe play some music just for fun. Some days I want to turn off the phone and disappear from the rest of the world.

Today is one of those days. You know those days? When your toast burns on the lightest setting in your toaster. Those days when you start out early for work and end up getting there late. Those days when you spend the first hour of your morning cleaning up your desk so that you can just do the work you have to do. So after all the clean up you start the day one hour behind and with a chip on your shoulder.

I hate those days!