Early June

Started June off with a holiday! Or a mini one in Calgary. See I have been gone a ton the last few weeks, so it was a nice plan by the wife to get a couple days alone. We left bright and early-ish on Monday morning. I played Red Dead for a bit if I am honest. Starbucks and we were on the go. The fact is highway 2 is a nice drive. Dual lanes, flat and straight so we were in Cowtown in a few hours. I don't know how people did it without GPS. I mean I love looking at maps but as for using them to drive in a big city... I would go nuts. But we got to the zoo with no mishaps.... Anyway I have to say this place kicks ass over Edmonton Zoo. I loved it! Everything is well done. Its clean and has sooooo many good exhibits. I mean yes I think we were there for only 3 hours but one could do a lot more! I gotta say I loved the pandas, bears and wolves. Monkeys not my thing for some reason and the lions never move! It was cool, one tiger was roaming. After that we headed to the hotel. Again love GPS even though it tried to put us on a road that doesn't exist. We got to the Grey Eagle early, like 4 ish I think. So we did what any senior citizen would do and went down to the bar for dinner and drinks. I say that only half joking. The only people there were OLD. Except us. Feel free to read my yelp but I liked the place. Food and service were great. Then I lost 20 bucks in the casino. We spent the night in the room. The next day was Heritage Park. This is another cool place. I love Fort Ed. This is like a better version. EXCEPT it has no real fort.... The car museum is awesome and I am not even a car guy! I wish the boat had been running. Again while it was cool it was only a few hours and we were headed home. It was an awesome little get away, sadly just 2 days. As for Calgary I hate to admit I like it. Seems cleaner, well laid out. The driving is hectic but I am sure I could get used to that.....

So St. Louis and Toronto won titles! Honestly I don't care. I mean sure it is great Canada finally won an NBA title, but that's really not my thing. Also the Blues, I almost called that bang on! Don't believe me see my older blog! I am honestly a bad hockey fan, after the first round I only caught roughly 2 games. 1 all the way through and bits of 2 more. All because that was what customers wanted to do. I just didn't care once my teams were gone, call me a sore loser I guess. I really hope the Oil can do better next year. I think yet again a bad year is coming. First off I don't trust the goaltending and second I think the D needs a LOT of work. Sorry Nurse my faith is waning. As for my wings, I put some stock in a better season. I am betting, (Sorry Oil fans) they will "rebuild" quicker and better... Maybe not better, the Oil have so much raw talent but quicker and for longer. As for the Caps another strong season coming and the Kings, welp I have no idea in L.A. I never thought they would implode.

Confidence is a fucky thing. As in where it can come from. See I used to be one who didn't put much stock in to how I looked. I can remember years of my grandfather telling me to cut my hair, wear better clothes and on and on. Then a few years ago I actually got nice dress clothes, not just Sears specials. I started to like shaving and dressing up for occasions. It started to feel good about how I looked. So last year I got my own skis, new ski gear and my wife said I skiied way better. I hate to admit when I am wrong BUT I think I am this time. She said looking good and having my own shit made me more confident which made me better. I blew it off, then I started hockey and a new job. That proved she was right.... See I like looking good for my job.  It makes me more confident to talk to people. And I really want a new compo stick for hockey. The fact is I know I play better when I don't feel like my shot is shit. Like I am terrible and I know a good stick helps that. I know that this of course is all in my head BUT the simple fact is while looks do not make a man they really can help a man. Anyways I guess I have to say to both grandpa and wife, sorry you were right.... Mostly. I mean confidence comes for more that looking good BUT I guess it really does help

So Fear the Walking Dead is back on. I am stuck on it. Like I like it and it started off this season so good. I hope it can keep it up. It has struggled, let's be honest. Last season they almost lost me, killing Nick still mad about that BUT so far they are making up for it. I think it will become the better Walking dead show, POSSIBLY! They have no script to follow and can go in any direction. Started Suits, so far its good. BUT it is hitting a rut already. Every single time they find a last minute fix..... While I might want to be Harvey Spector even I can get bored of the same old day saving ending..... Also it is funny to think that's the new Duchess. Side bar did something happen with the balding someday king?? A few weeks ago on all my social media said he screwed around. Then I saw it on tabloids to. BUT real media hasn't said anything, so I dunno. But honestly would they report stuff like that? Anyways back to TV. Chernobyl was a great miniseries. I would tell anyone with HBO watch it! The death and destruction it cause is crazy. Russia saying only 30 died from it, also insane. Biggest thing I learned, how much worse it could have been..... I think expedition unknown is showing new episodes. Josh Gates has the best job ever. His show is awesome. If you haven't watched it think Indiana Jones, but who never finds stuff. Sounds like a let down but really it isn't. Some amazing shit in it. Also I hate to admit it BUT I sneak watch some trash TV my wife is into. While I believe 90 day fiance and teen mom is making the world a dumber place, it makes me feel better about not being  that insane. It is summer now, hope I cut down some on TV. Maybe enjoy our  backyard or something. Have had two fires already, which is awesome. Just need to get some fishing and camping in!

I was out walking a few days ago, first off a week off and my fit bit is finally happy. 5 out of 5 days active. But that's not the point, point is I walked by a garage that was open and an older man was working on his car. His garage was all done up like a hobby shop. It made me sad. I started thinking about the world in general, it is rigged against the new generation. (This could probably be a whole blog by itself, so Ill keep it short) My grandpa had stuff like that. My dad had a beer fridge in the garage and liked to tinker to, that's not the point. It was in THEIR garages. People now don't have that luxury. I mean some do, don't get me wrong BUT lots don't. See the people I know who do, either were lucky, got help OR yes a few, had very good jobs and made it work. I kinda hate hearing from the older generation that we are lazy or don't save or want everything handed to us. I haven't been unemployed since 1996. Well once for a couple weeks when I moved to a new city. Just some facts for you in 1980 the average income was $11,321 and the average house was $86,159. In 2016 the average income has gone up to $50,000 BUT the average house was $496,500. MOST people have to start out renting. Now a decent rental is easily $1200 plus your utilities on that another $300 not including cellphone, TV, car payments, insurance.... Your getting into $1800 easily. So how are people supposed to save $49,650 that banks want down for a home?? It is possible, after MANY, many years. What if you want to start a family? What if you have student loans? THEN we get a stress test. That most people couldn't pass. Banks have changed over time too. Remember when a person mattered? When they looked you and maybe had some leeway. Like "Well Joe is pretty close to making it for the loan and we know he is a good guy so we will risk a bit" That doesn't happen anymore. It is to the letter, being a good person doesn't matter anymore. Just numbers do. So I am sad a bit, I still value people and the world is going away from that. It is getting harder and harder for young people to get ahead. I predict an implosion at some point. So ya that's the rant that came from walking by a guy working in his garage....... Is that disappearing for my generation?

So last week I was on the ole FB and noticed FG (First girlfriend look at old blogs...) was at her first kids graduation. This blew my mind. The long and short of it is she had the kid with the man she was with after me. I won't get into it but had we stayed together that could have been my kid! Graduating! Yes that is some stretching BUT the reality of it is, I could have a child old enough to graduate, My parents could be grandparents. Hell they could almost be great grandparents. My grandpa could have a 5 generation picture. That would be super cool. BUT that is a fake world. Just crazy in my mind that it could be a real one. Maybe one day I will write some alternate timelines. Who knows, had that happened I am sure I would still be in GP. I assume I would work for my parents BUT who knows.... Anyways enough with that Multiverse thoughts...... Oh the whole actual point was I have a big birthday party coming up. 38, 2 years from 40. We are going to a high end club that my wife found. I am pretty stoked, dressing up, drinking, dancing. Might finally smoke my cigars! Point being I realize more and more (Like I will at hockey tonight. I remember when I could run and score. Hell drink and stay up afterwards!) I am almost mid life now. I am not 20s. So much of my life has started to come together. After MANY MANY years. I am seeing younger employees start. My friends have kids. I get wicked bad hangovers, sometimes. I go to bed early. Like it is funny to me so much has started to come the way I wanted it but so much has / is changing. If anyone understands that ramble. I might not be the best at explaining how I feel......

That's all for now. I could do more but I have the chance to do some real writing and I need to get back on that. I have 1 more blog almost ready that I am sure will offend some. I have now been thinking about my multiverse and it being a blog. PLUS an idea for an interview for my blog. 3 real writing projects, so my hands should be full. I might not blog for a bit..... I know I say that often but I am supposed to be learning actual time management....