Month: January 2022

Keeping Ahead Of The Youth

Posted on by Josef Havelka

My children are often surprised that I am well engaged in what is going on in the world. I don’t mean current events per se. But rather the latest social media trends.

Since my knowledge of the internet started long before our children were born, I have learned, watched and participated in growing and learning with the information super highway. Even before the internet we had “shareware”. A floppy disk with pirated software shared amongst friends. Now I can find almost anything I want at all online. As well, anyone can have a moment of fame. And there is no rhyme or reason for how that works.

It’s all about ME in Social MEdia

As for social media and sharing trends, I have created accounts in almost everything that has come along. Some last only a brief second- Google+ for example. While other apps just don’t excite or interest me, such as Snapchat or Reddit. That’s just personal taste.

🟩⬛⬛⬛⬛
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🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 This game. Ugh.

I have found that since I am ahead of my teenagers in the trends, they will often share with me a love of the goofiness that we find on the various applications. We get to bond over random humors. I’ll continue to stay engaged in what goes on in the world and any trends that pique my interest. Currently looking at you WORDLE. For a game that takes a couple of minutes, I’m definitely competitive in trying to solve it in as few turns as possible.

For me, social media is a part of life and community. I’m glad that it all still makes sense to my mid-forties brain.

Comic Strip Orange Cats

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Back in the 80’s and early 90’s, I had a book collection of comic strips. It started with the original fat cat- Garfield. This was a good way to get me into reading at a young age.

All through elementary school I obsessed about Garfield. I had all the books that had come out at the time. I also had a dozen or so bookmarks and numerous t-shirts with the cat and some sort of catchphrase on them. Before Garfield had a regular tv show, there was a Halloween special that I had recorded off the tv and watched numerous times, memorizing every word.

Then came a new obsession- Calvin and Hobbes. Some of the greatest adventures and imaginative storytelling ever. Again I bought the books which were filled with a collection of comic strips and Saturday funnies. The relatability of the characters and their escapades were unrivaled to any other comics at the time. At one point in my life, I could relate to the father!

As I grew up, my humor changed and I started to see more of the real world portrayed in the daily newspaper comics. Bloom County had some great satire with slapstick tossed in. Bill the Cat was ridiculous and fun. My binders in high school were filled with doodles of Bill and his infamous THBBFT.

Eventually, my comic strip books were given away. But when I married my wife, her collection of the same Calvin and Hobbes books brought me a renewed joy. I knew I met the right woman for me. I re-read the books at a time when our kids were little and their imaginations were running wild. It helped in my parenting by remembering that fun is an important learning tool.

Thank you to the artists out there who made these comic strip cats a big part of my life.

I Forget Birthdays

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I am the worst. As much as I support friends and family, I forget important aspects. The biggest selfish thing I do? I forget birthdays. Recently I forgot my mother’s and my niece’s.

I’m almost always late in wishing people a Happy Birthday. That’s the reason that my Facebook status on January 1st is the same every year.

So yeah, I feel kinda bad for not addressing people’s birthdays on their day. Unless you remind me or invite me out for a party- I generally only remember my wife’s and our kid’s birthdays. And one friend. Only because his birthday is ten days after mine.

So don’t feel bad that I don’t wish you a Happy Birthday until it’s after the fact. But if you’re out there making a difference in your life- be sure I’ll remember that and keep cheering you on!

X-rays And Relaxing

Posted on by Josef Havelka

As I have mentioned I have had some severe back pain as of late. It has been building up for a while now. I finally had a doctor’s appointment and his recommendation was to get X-rays done.

I chose to go to the lab as soon as it opened today. I was the first person there, and was in and out within half an hour. The technician took images of my hip, lower back and upper back. It was extremely uncomfortable to contort on the flat slab for the X-rays to take place. Once it was done I headed to my car and sat there for a bit with my seat warmer on to help the lower back pain. Now I await results.

When I got home, I took the afternoon to myself. I put on my noise canceling headphones and listened to my music while farting around on the computer. The family headed out for the regular Friday night speed skating practice, I chose to run a bath. Listening to some Enya, reading a book, and drinking some wine will help to relax me a bit more.

Welcome to your mid-forties Josef.

Charlie Don’t Surf

Posted on by Josef Havelka

This afternoon my wife and I took our kids out for lunch in White Rock. We hit up a restaurant that my wife and I had been to over twenty years ago on one of our first dates. Charlie Don’t Surf. The last time my wife and I went there, we went for a walk hand in hand along the pier. When suddenly a lightning storm began. We enjoyed the strikes out in the ocean moments before the rain forced us to run to our car and head home. At home, we cuddled on a beanbag chair with my wife’s dog and continued to watch the storm as it passed.

It was a romantic memory to share.

This time was more family oriented, interest of romantic. We enjoyed a meal of fish and chips followed by my daughter and I having a New York Style Cheesecake. It was a nice mid-week afternoon treat for the four of us.

After lunch, we wandered up and down the pier enjoying the fog and watching a couple of BNSF trains going by. It was a nice peaceful walk before we headed back home for a relaxing afternoon.

Sharing an old memory and creating a new one is circled around a fun and tacky decorated restaurant. A good day all around.

Reflecting An Image

Posted on by Josef Havelka

The other day the sun was shining. And as usual I was enjoying the views and the feel of the vitamin D. But I noticed something unusual in our bedroom on the bookcase.

A magnifying glass was reflecting an image of the view from our window onto the back wall of the bookcase. It was neat to see it flipped and in full colour. It was like seeing the science of how old cameras worked with mirrors.

I stared for a bit just marveling at it. My brain knew how it all worked, yet not seeing this sort of thing in person kept me curious. Sometimes the simple magic of how the world works is worth stopping to view for a moment. I also realize that I better move the magnifying glass so as not to accidentally start a fire if it magnifies the sun. That would be dumb of me.

Do you ever have moments where you just stop and ponder what you see or experience?

Is It Funny or Is It Mean?

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Humor can be tricky to produce. Getting a laugh at someone’s expense isn’t always the nicest thing to do. My personal opinion is that if you can dish it, you best be able to take it. But always read the room first.

I am notorious for the quick witted burn or jab. Usually only done to close friends who equally get me back. You tease the ones you love the most. As adults, many of us have grown thick skin and know when one another are joking around.

Teaching my kids about humor on the other hand has had it’s fair share of turns for the worse. There are some days when one joke can be funny, but tell a similar insult the next day and it can turn into death stares and “Dad, You Suck.” Plus there are times when what they say just isn’t funny. It’s just mean for the sake of being mean.

For the most part when that happens, we talk about why it isn’t funny. That fine line of humor and cruelty gets explored. I also try and get them to tell me if what I say is too much. Boundaries in humor are definitely needed. Otherwise a person could sound like a bigot, sexist, bully or even an asshole.

All of that aside, humor makes the world a better place. Being able to laugh at oneself is also good. But be nice-ish…

Pork For Days

Posted on by Josef Havelka

The other day I picked up a piece of pork that we had never tried before. It was a leg of pork with the bone in. The cost was reasonable for the amount of food we were getting. Pretty much like the size of a turkey, so I cooked it in the roasting pan.

I scored the fat and put some spices and rock salt on top. I threw it in the oven on a high heat for 30 minutes, then dropped it down to 350° for a few more hours to cook. Our home smelled lovely as it cooked.

When it was done, I pulled the pork out and let it rest for another 30 minutes. Dinner that night was great! We also had leftovers for days. We did some pork tacos the next night. Tonight, my wife is using the bone to create a bone broth for a ramen dinner and then a pulled pork soup in a day or two.

After this first piece of pork and the tastiness of our meals, I am planning to buy it more often in the future. Making it similar to having a turkey dinner with leftovers. Inexpensive and great for leftovers and future meals.

Dealing With Back Pain

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I have mentioned experiencing back pain a few times over the years. Getting older is rough on the body- you can’t do what you once did. Recently, my back hit a new level of pain.

Over the years, dealing with the pain has been a challenge. Besides stretching and Advil, I have a few other tricks I use.

A5-35 is always soothing. The smell is unforgettable and is ingrained in my memory from childhood. I have tried many different types, but original extra strength is my favorite.

The next favorite is Acuhealth. This is an electronic acupuncture that I bought 20 years ago on eBay from Australia. It was my parents that introduced me to this device. They had one back in the late 80’s/early 90’s. It works amazingly and helps relax tense muscles.

Recently we picked up a roller and my wife also bought an item called Bang. That machine bumps the muscles rhythmically to remove tension. Great for calf muscles.

Living with pain sucks. But I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have back pain. I remember my mother saying it was just “growing pains” when I was a kid but they never seemed to stop. In fact they have definitely gotten worse over the years. Most people don’t notice that I suffer since I usually just keep going through the pain. Sometimes the pain is too debilitating and I have to call it a day by laying on the floor attempting to stretch my back.

How do you deal with back pain?

Winter Walk By The Water

Posted on by Josef Havelka

The other day my wife and I went for an afternoon walk by the beach. On our walk we talked about our first year together and how we went down that way only a few times. We now live only about a 20 minute drive away from White Rock, so heading there may be happening more often this summer.

When we first arrived, we took some happy selfies with the ocean and clouds as a backdrop. We were probably the least bundled up people as many who we passed had scarves, toques and gloves on. But at 8°C it wasn’t that cold.

Even though it was grey and a bit cool, my wife and I were wearing our rose colored glasses we had bought for her Birthday Trip to Mexico. The warmth of the view from the sunglasses made it easier to enjoy our date. We walked along the shore, up the pier and enjoyed the promenade. We headed back along Marine Drive and talked about coming back to enjoy a restaurant or two in the future.

It was a good few hours of casual strolling just holding hands and talking. As we get older, we both just want to enjoy one another’s company more. Keeping the emotional connection between us going and creating memories along the way.

Meatloaf

Posted on by Josef Havelka

It is another sad day when an icon passes away. Today we lost singer/actor Meatloaf.

First time I remember seeing or hearing of Meatloaf was from “Rocky Horror Picture Show”. That movie changed my adolescence and I became more aware of sexuality. Shortly after me seeing that film, Meatloaf released the song, “Anything For Love”. I enjoyed the single immensely and continue to have it in rotation in my playlists. His ability to make epic rock opera/ rock ballads was exceptional.

Meatloaf also appeared in one of the greatest mind fuck movies of all time- “Fight Club”. I was working at the cinema and saw the film about five or six times. His name is Robert Paulson. Somehow he was able to be made fun of with the monologue; yet be able to portray a lost man needing something to grasp onto that the audience could connect with. I was a young adult at the time struggling with questions about life and depression. Seeing that struggles come in all shapes gave me hope.

As I looked through my photo memories today, I came across a series of pictures from 2012. It was the Epic Meatloaf dinner that I had made for friends. I filled a turkey roaster with nearly 40lbs of meat and cheese that day. Tonight I shall be making another meatloaf, albeit a regular one, as an homage to the late singer.

Adding Storage Options

Posted on by Josef Havelka

With Christmas behind us, we realized that we like the house to be less cluttered. Because we had moved in at the start of summer, most of our time was spent enjoying the outdoors. Now that our mild winter is upon us, it was time to re-evaluate our home. That meant figuring out storage solutions.

First I started in the garage. We had a few boxes that we hadn’t opened yet, and an empty wall. An old bookcase becomes a place to store shoes while some shelves went up on the wall to store lightbulbs, candles, sunscreen, etc… We had some clear bins and fabric ones which worked well to organize and add some uniformity.

Next was the laundry room. Originally there was just a single shelf and a lot of wasted space above. I had taken out some wire shelves from my closet (in order to fit a dresser) so I reused them in this space. Again, we used fabric bins and put old towels and rags in them. The very top shelf will have overstock of cleaning supplies in clear shoebox size containers.

The last thing I did this week was add a more decorative cabinet in our kitchen. It fit nicely under our coffee bar. It also matched the red coffee maker and kettle. Now our teas and coffee have a better place to stay. Originally we had put a temporary wire rack underneath with all those cloth bins I mentioned.

I do prefer the clear plastic storage containers and the cloth bins over the cardboard boxes we had from moving. Even though those boxes were labeled, truly knowing what was inside was difficult. After going through some of them, we were able to gather up more donations and even discovered some items that we had no idea where they had gone.

With so much more stuff to go through, we are slowly decluttering our home. Some stuff that we brought along in the move just isn’t “us” anymore. My wife and I are trying to pass along items that we either don’t use, doesn’t bring us joy, or we simply had no idea why we still have it.

How are your storage solutions? Do you purge items regularly or do you wait for spring cleaning?

Goodbye 2003 Elly

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday we said farewell to a strong memory from 2003. That was the year my wife and I went into debt and bought our very first brand new car together.

I had seen the Honda Element in a magazine (probably Maxim magazine because that’s what I was reading all the time) and I wanted to see it in person. My wife was reluctant at first, but then she saw it and immediately wanted to own one. It would make getting kids in and out of the car so much easier!

Biggest selling feature at the time? It came in 5 speed manual transmission. The next best part was that the interior was all rubber. Very easy to clean with small children and pets! Within a week of purchase, we found out our second child was on the way.

We adorned our box on wheels with the best sticker ever- LEGO. Playful, yet fitting for the unique suv.

The vehicle was perfect for a family of four and a dog. But then the inevitable happened. My wife got pregnant again. The Element was only a four passenger vehicle. So we went out and bought a minivan. Not our greatest moment. A new sticker was eventually added to the back window.

After years and years of usage, we sadly had to say farewell to our Honda Element. None of us were driving it anymore and she just sat in the corner of our driveway. The same thing was happening in our last home, however our oldest was enjoying some of the freedom of a vehicle for a bit, but the stipulations were that she had to drive their younger siblings around.

We will miss Elly. She was a great vehicle, but didn’t owe us anything. 360,000+ kilometers of road trips, drop offs, camping, donuts, and numerous dents and scratches showed how driven she was over the years. A fantastic vehicle built only the way a Honda could be built.

Six Years of Daily Blogs

Posted on by Josef Havelka

January 18, 2016

That was the day my first blog was posted on WordPress. Since then, I have written daily blog posts about whatever comes to mind. That’s a lot of writing. About a whole lot of nonsense.

2192 days of writing to be precise.

During that time I have had nearly 16,000 views with 8700 visitors. I have enjoyed interacting with those who send messages or comment on my stories.

I also look back on what I wrote and relive those memories with a personal fondness. I hope that what I have written has helped to guide my friends, family and readers to explore and experience new facets of life.

Most of all, today is about saying Thank You to everyone. I write mostly for myself, but I love that I have reached so many people with my thoughts, feelings and follies.

Please continue to follow along with my daily adventures.

Love, Josef

Still Having Date Nights

Posted on by Josef Havelka

My wife and I have been together for nearly 22 years. I still love her dearly. One of our biggest strengths is that we communicate with one another. It’s not always easy to talk about concerns or tough days, but we do our best. My favorite thing is that we can still have fun together.

We still attend our favorite sushi place regularly- Nikko Sushi. They treat us like family and we always have a great meal there. I enjoy being silly with my wife and we continue to make each other smile and laugh.

She drags me out for walks around the neighborhood still. I have realized that even though I may not want to go, it is good for the mental health. As well, I know it makes her happy to go out and talk with me while we wander. I have been considering our walks as “dates” these days. It gets me out more often to spend quality time with her.

We also have “dates” where the two of us play video games together. Somehow after two decades, we still act young and silly… And I love it. We will continue to have dates for years to come. Perhaps one day we will be an elderly couple talking smack talk at one another while playing some VR with teenage looking avatars.

3D Printing, Crafting, Art

Posted on by Josef Havelka

On Thursday I decided to clean up the garage and my work space. I threw out a bunch of items and got other stuff ready for donations. I felt really proud of myself.

I also recalibrated my 3D printer. It’s been almost a year since I last used it. I was worried that during the move something may have broken or jarred. But that was not the case. Thirty minutes later and I was working on my first test print. Which came out perfectly.

Now it’s time to get back into the hobby. And with a larger work bench, I’m looking at adding in a resin printer and possibly a larger 3D printer. I love making stuff, and learning from my errors and growing with my knowledge keeps my going. Hopefully I can get a few big projects hammered out before the weather gets nice and the I’ll be outside more often.

Perhaps at that point I can work on some paintings again while enjoying the warm sun. I know my wife is looking forward to gardening and she already has some big plans.

Do you have hobbies that were put on hold? Now that the holiday season is over, do you plan on getting back to them? Let me know in the comments.

Life’s Bittersweet Memories

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Sometimes a memory pops up on Facebook and it’s kind of heartbreaking. Today hit me unexpectedly, again…

Some of you may be thinking, It’s just a job, why does it matter? To me it wasn’t “just a job” that I was leaving. I left a job that I truly enjoyed and was proud to do. I also left behind numerous friendships- however I have still kept in contact with many of them. Colossus was the first place to employ me after almost a year of unemployment. I worked there for five years- as I felt I owed it to them for getting me out of a bad place. Yet it was time to move on. The main reason I left was money.

The job didn’t pay as well as I needed anymore. It was great when I was single and scraped by. However, I never saw a future for me and my family. I was married and we had our first kid. My wife was pregnant with our second child that would be born three months later. I needed to do more than just enjoy my job. I needed to be able to support my family.

Besides working at Colossus Cinema, I was also working two other part time jobs. I was putting in 70-80 hours a week in order to buy our first home. If I hadn’t sacrificed my time back then, we wouldn’t be where we are now.

Over the years I have shared with my family my love of cinema. In return, our oldest is going to school in order to work behind the scenes. Our middle has friends who work at that same theater and has been going to movies with friends. Our youngest is always talking to me about the latest trailers and wanting to be the first to see the big blockbusters as they come out.

Since 1999, Colossus has been a part of my journey in this life. I am fortunate that working there happened. I also can’t believe where I’ve gotten to since then. It was a good move, maybe when I retire I’ll go back to being a projectionist part time, assuming they need someone of my age.

Boosted

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today I received my third immunization shot against Covid. I have been lucky enough to not got Covid in the three years it has been around. I say lucky, but I have been extremely cautious to sanitize, use a mask, and keep my distance from others. Even on our trip to Mexico, I was careful to keep up with those precautions.

In less than a year I have gotten my three doses to fight Covid off. I also had my regular flu shot back in November. Even though I have been getting a flu shot for most of my life. years ago I contracted H1N1 and it knocked me on my ass.

Because I had an upper lobectomy on my left lung, I have been a bit more paranoid about Covid. With numerous respiratory tests done throughout my life, the last thing I want is to struggle to breathe. I’m not telling people to go get immunized, I just don’t understand why they wouldn’t.

Solipsism?

Posted on by Josef Havelka

“We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness.” — Albert Einstein

Can you prove to me that you are conscious or that you have independent thought? My perception of you is what I deem as real. I create an idea/story of who you are. I will like or dislike you because I project certain qualities of mine at you.

Or maybe we are all one. Every consciousness at once. Past, present and future. A spiritual sharing that ends and doesn’t end at the same time. All designed to enlighten- ever lasting thoughts.

Philosophically speaking, no one truly knows or can prove anything. Theories and thoughts that keep me up at night. I’ve avoided all detection and calculated guessing. Only to share random thoughts for me to enjoy.

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

I have no idea. Or maybe I do. Perhaps it’s both. Existential crisis of the day.

Manifesting Memories

Posted on by Josef Havelka

It dawned on me today that I manifested a perfect life for myself based on my favorite memories.

Our current home takes my earliest memories of living in Edmonton. Back in the early 80’s, that house backed onto farmer’s fields. Where the views went on forever. Even this last winter snowfall reminded me of the streets and fun I had from ages 5-8.

The next house my family moved to in 1985 had an in ground swimming pool. I recall always having friends over playing and lounging around listening to cassettes on my portable ghetto blaster. Last summer, I continued that tradition in our new home. Every time I was in the pool, I had music playing on a large Bluetooth speaker.

Growing up, I loved movies. The idea that a short story could take you away to an entire new world always filled me with joy. As a teenager I always wanted to be a projectionist. That became a reality in my early 20’s. I loved doing that job for almost five years. We even had our own theater room in our last home.

Besides our my dream job and current home, I remember always wanting to be a good father. In 2000, I met a partner who became my best friend. Her and I both had similar family goals. So we married quickly and got to work making a family even quicker. As the kids grew up, I stayed young. Constantly playing with them and creating new memories for us.

One day, I suspect our kids will manifest their own dreams and goals from the positive experiences they have had.

I didn’t even touch on these facts of what I always wanted: that have also come to fruition:

  • Traveling to Hawaii
  • Traveling to Tokyo
  • Driving the Extraterrestrial Highway
  • Owning a lightsaber
  • Experiencing VR
  • Owning a car
  • Owning an arcade machine
  • Having close friends that last a lifetime

There are so many more things in my life that have come in to reality. All of it is possible through the power of positive thinking. It’s not always going to be easy. Some things are a long arduous journey. But looking back, I know this is exactly where I need to be.

Looking forward, I know exactly where I need to get to. And I hope you are having the same successes in your lives also.

Forgetting Food

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Planning when to eat during a night shift is tough. I know some people who choose to fast the entire night. Others eating junk food all night. Usually I like to have leftover dinners before midnight and later on a breakfast type of snack to get me through the last few hours before I go to bed. Sometimes it’s a granola bar, other times it’s oatmeal, and on a rare occasion it’s a Pop Tart.

Towards the end of my night shift today, I ate a sandwich that I had brought with me. Everyday for the last two weeks at work I have brought a peanut butter sandwich. I took a bite of my sandwich this morning and immediately my brain went haywire.

What the hell is wrong with this sandwich? It doesn’t taste like peanut butter at all. Yeah, that’s because I made myself a salami and cheese sandwich with mayo and mustard instead. I had completely forgotten that I had changed it up.

Not sure if I’m getting forgetful as I get older or I just exhausted at the end of a night shift. But man, did I ever feel stupid. Good thing no one knows what goes on in my head. But let me tell you- my tastebuds were expecting one thing and got totally Rick Rolled with another. A complete mental shock. A bit unsettling as well.

Anyhow, I vow to make myself a peanut butter sandwich for tonight.

Cheap Fashion

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I’m the kind of fellow who wears jeans and a t-shirt most days. I have a tough time buying shirts that cost more than $20. Last year I bought 4 shirts the entire year. I also find it difficult to spend $80 on shoes. I did not buy a single pair of shoes in 2021. I wear my shoes right down to nothingness, and then I continue to use them as “garden shoes”. You know what I mean- the kind of shoes you put on to quickly step outside. The heal is destroyed from walking on it and the laces are so loose you just slip into them.

But accessories? That’s just superficial for the most part. I have a pair of diamond earrings my wife gave me for my birthday one year. I wear them daily and only take them out periodically to clean them. That’s my most expensive flashy accessory. I also have a 40th Anniversary PAC-Man watch I got as a birthday gift and I love it.

Before we went to Mexico, I bought a pair of $20 sunglasses. This is the first pair I have bought in almost 20 years. Every pair prior was free from conventions, or tinted safety glasses from work. If it protects my eyes, it’s good enough. No need for name brand eyewear that I’ll break or lose.

I only wear the PAC-Man watch when I wanted to feel dressy. Normally I am wearing my wife’s old Fitbit on a daily basis. But I didn’t like the look or feel of it. So I bought a $20 watch off Amazon last week. It tells the time and date if I push a button. Basic led numerals. Nothing fancy or high tech.

I’m cheap when it comes to accessories for my appearance. Honestly all jewelry is costume jewelry, why not be cheap if you have to accessorize?

The Sky’s The Limit

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I have shared so many photos of the sky that we can see from our home over the past few months. Many of you can see the sky from your own homes. You probably also have some amazing views. I’ve been sharing because I’m excited to see the sky for the first time in years on a regular basis.

The transitions and changes over the last few seasons leave me awestruck. Every night and day showcases something new to admire. We have also been lucky enough to see tons of fireworks off in the distance as folks celebrate various events. From out the windows and off the decks- we just love our home for what it has to offer.

Occasionally I do miss the trees and the greenery from our last home. Unfortunately all of those trees kept us shaded from the wonders of the sky. We never saw the clouds, the moon or the sun. We would get sneak peeks of them periodically, but never enough to truly enjoy.

I do like that we did not compromise on privacy when we moved. The neighbors may be closer, but it’s still peaceful and tranquil like our last home was.

As I have mentioned before- I don’t think I will ever tire of the views our home has to offer us.

Canadian Music Scene

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today I went about starting a new Spotify Playlist. This time I decided to put only Canadian Bands into it. Majority is from the grunge scene in the 90’s. I forgot how amazing some of those artists were.

Listening to band like The Odds, Age of Electric, Great Big Sea, Our Lady Peace, Moist, Barenaked Ladies, Econoline Crush, Moxy Fruvous, 54-40, Big Wreck, Sloan, Bran Van 3000, Prozak, Rush, Tragically Hip, Loverboy, Celine Dion… the list goes on. Okay some aren’t 90’s grunge, but the music that was created over the years is iconic. Maybe it’s the fact that in Canada radio broadcasts need to be 40% Canadian artists.

However, I was reminiscent of hitting the clubs for concerts in small venues as well as outdoor festivals. I’m also discovering some “One Hit Wonders” that I had forgotten about over the years. I’m also adding more artists as they get recommended to me.

Feel free to take a listen to my playlist and let me know if there are any bands I should add. Or feel free to add some songs for me. No country music please- or I will turn off the collaboration option. Rock, pop, grunge are the preferred music talents. I’ll be accepting of some rap music if it gets in there.

I Don’t Remember This…

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Every day or so I like to look at my Facebook Memories. That’s because I haven’t posted on there very often in the last few years. Mostly my Instagram shares go on Facebook as well. I don’t tend to add Status updates anymore. Which leads me to something very odd. A memory that I don’t remember happening or why it happened.

The first memory from seven years ago isn’t a big deal. At the start of January- BC property assessments are released. I’m always interested in seeing what our home value is as well as the neighboring properties. This year ours is the highest on the street. which is good and bad. We will have to pay full taxes with no discount this July.

But it was the next two statuses that I have no recollection of. SURGERY ON MY GUMS? What was that about? I had my wisdom teeth pulled out prior to Facebook even being created. So it wasn’t that. I still have all my teeth and have never had a root canal. My wife and kids don’t have any idea either.

Seriously though? What did I get done to my jaw? Why is it I was able to complain on social media, yet I have no idea what it was that happened? The comments are from my friends just poking fun at me. I am at a complete loss.

The on way to resolve my confusion is to ask my dentist on my next visit about the work I had done. But if I do that, my embarrassment level will be too high and I’ll need to find a new dentist. I don’t want to do that, I like our dentist.

So perhaps this “memory” shall remain a mystery to me.