What a strange year it's been........
"It's the end of a fucked up year...there's another one coming!" (Embrace)
I can't help but sing that lyric at the end of every year. Some years i've sang it thruout the year, almost like a mantra. This year i sing it in gest, for this hasn't been a fucked up year. For the most part it's been pretty damn sweet.
I started the new year at table in a bar I didn't want to be at. I had some good friends around me, so that was ok. That night i fell asleep on my old futon bed which had taken up residency at Mean Jeff's place. I was cold and confused that night. In the morning i went to Philadelphia, and then a week later i toured the east coast with Modern Life is War. That tour was incredible, touring alongside Spanish Bombs and playing shows with the Banner, Backstabbers Inc, Shipwreck, Draw Blood and others. Then touring with the Explosion and Panic for the second half. That tour was also good because it gave me time to think, about what the hell i'm doing with my life. The last day of tour was in a Boston suburb, an afternoon show. After loading up the van one last time i said goodbye to the MLIW guys, and i stood there talking to Jeff in the freezing cold he asked me what i was going to do now that my year of touring was done, i looked at him and said "I don't really know". The guys got in their van, and i got in Brooke's van. They turned left, we turned right. Tour was over and I had decisions to make.
A few days later i found myself back in Montreal. I was happy to see some people, and happy to be eating at Wok Cafe again. But i also found myself sleeping on Maya's couch, with a looming deadline from her to leave. After some thinking i made a decision, one that had been on my mind for many months; move to Vancouver. I took the metro downtown, bought a plane ticket, one way to Vancouver, leaving Feb 14th. The last few weeks in Montreal were fucked up; packing up, hiring a moving company, saying goodbye, feeling sad & miserable every single day. My last weekend in town was a strange one; I had to leave Maya's place so i stayed on my old futon at Mean Jeff's again. I celebrated my 32nd birthday that weekend, it was sad & funny to wake up alone, cold, and snuggling with cats in a house that wasn't mine.
Anyhow, that weekend was filled with dinners at Wok, A Death For Every Sin reunion show, bowling, some slight panic attacks and some tearful goodbyes. The person who made me tear up the most might've been Lindsay. With Mean Jeff and Dan (for example) I felt teary but held it together. But with Lindsay....we said goodbye on the corner of Guy and Saint Catherines and she gave me this look that told me she truly was going to miss me, and it fucked me up.
My last day in Montreal I woke up at Mean Jeff's again, he was at work, the place was empty. Just me, the cats and all my baggage. I didn't have to be at the airport until 4 or 5 that afternoon. But i didn't know what to do with myself, so I went out there early and spent my final hours as a Montreal citizen hanging out at the airport reading the newspaper and sending text messages.
Enough sadness....because after that day shit has just gotten better. The rest of this blog won't be that long, because the remaining days after were filled with happier times. I'm not saying it's been all rainbows and puppies, but there wasn't much sadness or anger for me after arriving in Vancouver. I came here broke (pretty much), no home (except for Steve & Keating's couch) and no job. Within 20 days i turned all that around.
I was lucky ennough to get a job at Scratch Records. Not only was it nice to have some money coming in, but I get to work with some great people and for an independent company. Oh, and the discount on records is pretty awesome too! My first apartment out here, a basement suite was ok, not great. But it served it's purpose. I'm happier in the apartment i share with Steve now.
One of my favorite things about Vancouver, and anyone who has talked to me for more than a minute might already know this, is the beaches and mountains. I don't even have to visit them daily, just knowing they are near by gives me inner peace (sorry to get all hippy-dippy on you). But the time's spent at the beach, in the water, or climbing Grousse Mountain, have been special times. There's something beautiful and calming about the mountains and ocean out here.
This blog has gone on pretty long already....maybe i should continue this another day. At this point i'm not sure what else there is too say about the year. I'm happy, and i'm not getting sad/angry/lonely like i do most winters. That's a good thing. I guess i could talk about the shows/bands i've seen, but that can wait. I would like to thank the people who have made me happy this year, and by no means is this a complete list....but thanx to Elizabeth, Tish, Emily, Aram, Steve F., Steveston Mike, Mean Jeff, Lindsay, Brooke, MLIW boys,....there's others, and hopefully you all know how important you are to me. And to all the bands, like Lucero and the Bouncing Souls, who releaesed good records in 2006....thanx for providing me with such a kick ass soundtrack.
I can't help but sing that lyric at the end of every year. Some years i've sang it thruout the year, almost like a mantra. This year i sing it in gest, for this hasn't been a fucked up year. For the most part it's been pretty damn sweet.
I started the new year at table in a bar I didn't want to be at. I had some good friends around me, so that was ok. That night i fell asleep on my old futon bed which had taken up residency at Mean Jeff's place. I was cold and confused that night. In the morning i went to Philadelphia, and then a week later i toured the east coast with Modern Life is War. That tour was incredible, touring alongside Spanish Bombs and playing shows with the Banner, Backstabbers Inc, Shipwreck, Draw Blood and others. Then touring with the Explosion and Panic for the second half. That tour was also good because it gave me time to think, about what the hell i'm doing with my life. The last day of tour was in a Boston suburb, an afternoon show. After loading up the van one last time i said goodbye to the MLIW guys, and i stood there talking to Jeff in the freezing cold he asked me what i was going to do now that my year of touring was done, i looked at him and said "I don't really know". The guys got in their van, and i got in Brooke's van. They turned left, we turned right. Tour was over and I had decisions to make.
A few days later i found myself back in Montreal. I was happy to see some people, and happy to be eating at Wok Cafe again. But i also found myself sleeping on Maya's couch, with a looming deadline from her to leave. After some thinking i made a decision, one that had been on my mind for many months; move to Vancouver. I took the metro downtown, bought a plane ticket, one way to Vancouver, leaving Feb 14th. The last few weeks in Montreal were fucked up; packing up, hiring a moving company, saying goodbye, feeling sad & miserable every single day. My last weekend in town was a strange one; I had to leave Maya's place so i stayed on my old futon at Mean Jeff's again. I celebrated my 32nd birthday that weekend, it was sad & funny to wake up alone, cold, and snuggling with cats in a house that wasn't mine.
Anyhow, that weekend was filled with dinners at Wok, A Death For Every Sin reunion show, bowling, some slight panic attacks and some tearful goodbyes. The person who made me tear up the most might've been Lindsay. With Mean Jeff and Dan (for example) I felt teary but held it together. But with Lindsay....we said goodbye on the corner of Guy and Saint Catherines and she gave me this look that told me she truly was going to miss me, and it fucked me up.
My last day in Montreal I woke up at Mean Jeff's again, he was at work, the place was empty. Just me, the cats and all my baggage. I didn't have to be at the airport until 4 or 5 that afternoon. But i didn't know what to do with myself, so I went out there early and spent my final hours as a Montreal citizen hanging out at the airport reading the newspaper and sending text messages.
Enough sadness....because after that day shit has just gotten better. The rest of this blog won't be that long, because the remaining days after were filled with happier times. I'm not saying it's been all rainbows and puppies, but there wasn't much sadness or anger for me after arriving in Vancouver. I came here broke (pretty much), no home (except for Steve & Keating's couch) and no job. Within 20 days i turned all that around.
I was lucky ennough to get a job at Scratch Records. Not only was it nice to have some money coming in, but I get to work with some great people and for an independent company. Oh, and the discount on records is pretty awesome too! My first apartment out here, a basement suite was ok, not great. But it served it's purpose. I'm happier in the apartment i share with Steve now.
One of my favorite things about Vancouver, and anyone who has talked to me for more than a minute might already know this, is the beaches and mountains. I don't even have to visit them daily, just knowing they are near by gives me inner peace (sorry to get all hippy-dippy on you). But the time's spent at the beach, in the water, or climbing Grousse Mountain, have been special times. There's something beautiful and calming about the mountains and ocean out here.
This blog has gone on pretty long already....maybe i should continue this another day. At this point i'm not sure what else there is too say about the year. I'm happy, and i'm not getting sad/angry/lonely like i do most winters. That's a good thing. I guess i could talk about the shows/bands i've seen, but that can wait. I would like to thank the people who have made me happy this year, and by no means is this a complete list....but thanx to Elizabeth, Tish, Emily, Aram, Steve F., Steveston Mike, Mean Jeff, Lindsay, Brooke, MLIW boys,....there's others, and hopefully you all know how important you are to me. And to all the bands, like Lucero and the Bouncing Souls, who releaesed good records in 2006....thanx for providing me with such a kick ass soundtrack.
posted by shaun citrus at 12:11 PM
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