So I went to see Great Big Sea on Thursday night. It was a fun concert - there were some opening-night glitches, and the Edmonton crowd was not necessarily as excited as I thought they should have been. All in all great music. But then, I love their style of music, with its Celtic roots and modern flair. They did a great version of The Rover that turned the usual metrics on their head and until they actually started singing I wasn't sure it was the same song I'd learned in Ireland. It's music that actually means something to me - harkening back to the Scottish roots and all that...

But this isn't really a concert review. It's more a reflection on why I don't go to concerts very often.

They're so... ephemeral. You're there for an hour or so (maybe a few hours if the openers are good), listening to great music, having fun with your friends. But then they're over and you're back to day-to-day life and it all just goes away. It's kind of depressing, really.

And for me, there's all the what-ifs... what if I'd actually gotten around to learning those instruments I always wanted to learn to play? What if I'd actually dedicated myself to the arts I chose to practice and gotten good enough to actually perform at something more than weddings? What if I'd been born in a different time or a different place? Would I have had the opportunity to do something more with music? It's all these dreams that I haven't been able to fulfill and probably won't because I'm either too scared/too lazy/too busy/any other excuse I could come up with. It's a supremely bittersweet experience - music sweeps me away - but it also reminds me of all the things that could have been...

I'm pissed off. Quite. Below is a letter I emailed to a few of the editors at the Edmonton Journal this morning...

Good morning, Journal staff

I love getting the Journal on weekends. There is always quite a lot to read, and there’s no better way to spend a quiet morning than reading the paper and sipping coffee. This morning, however, my paper has greatly disappointed me.

As it so often is, my paper was delivered outside my apartment door, upside down. I began to skim stories as I was picking it up, and almost immediately had to throw it down again. While I won’t be melodramatic and claim that you have RUINED the final Harry Potter book for me, I was certainly less than impressed with your decision to print a spoiler on the front page of your newspaper.

I, like, many other people, value my sleep and decided to have the book delivered to my apartment. I pre-ordered from an online website for home delivery (and it’s a good thing I did – I’ve ended up being sick the last few days, and a trip to a bookstore would not be high on my priority list at the moment). It’s now 8:58 a.m. Harry Potter has been out for nearly 9 hours. I still do not have it in my hands. And while I’m a fan of the series, knowing that I will get it within the next few hours is enough – I did not need to have it in my paws at midnight.

I was, therefore, unfortunately shocked and disappointed with my door-opening, paper-fetching experience this morning. What about those individuals like me who DON’T have the book yet? How many of those casually picked up their upside-down newspapers this morning and were blasted in the face with the plot outline of a book they hadn’t read and didn’t yet want to know? Could you not have kept the spoiler even on the second page? On the first page of the second section? Anything other than glaring in my face when I perfectly innocently picked up my paper this morning. Sure, there was a little warning at the top of the article – not much good when you pick up your paper upside down, as the warning is on the top half.

So to you, staff of the Edmonton Journal, I say thank-you for taking a little joy out of the event that I’ve been anticipating with a ferocity that is probably only second to Christmas. Or at least Hallowe’en. Again, while I cannot say that you have RUINED the final instalment of the series for me, you have certainly diminished the excitement, mystery and anticipation that I’ve been holding for the last little while.

Bah. Humbug.

And I still don't have the book - I imagine it will arrive sometime this afternoon.

42.













Ok, just kidding.

I just don't have much to say right now, but feel guilty for neglecting the blog. In fact, there's really nothing for me to say. Still in limbo on a couple of other jobs that I've applied for... still working at the uni and at The Body Shop.

First cemetery tour tonight, should be fun...

And that is all.

Ok, if bad things happen in threes, then I'm wondering what the kicker will be...

1) Dad, skin cancer, see previous post.

2) I applied for a couple of nice, permanent, full-time-with-benefits positions in my department of the university. The first position I probably wouldn't have applied for if I hadn't been encouraged by the person who would be supervising that position. The second position I was waffling about, and probably wouldn't have gotten my hopes up about applying if it hadn't been for encouragement from the same individual. I found out about a week ago that I didn't get the first job, and found out today that I didn't get the second. It was down to two candidates for both positions - myself and another individual - and I didn't get either. I'm trying not to take it personally, but when you've been encouraged to apply for the jobs, it feels like a slap in the face when you don't get either. To make matters worse, I have to work with members of the hiring committee on a very close basis for the duration of my contract with the uni. I am NOT looking forward to going to work for the next couple of weeks, and watching the candidates that got 'my' jobs come in and do things precisely the way I wouldn't have.

So what'll #3 be? Anyone want to take bets? So not impressed with the world right now.

Having said that, though, this isn't really anything that bawling my eyes out for a bit and scarfing down a ton of ice cream won't fix (unlike #1, where I get to have a nagging worry sitting in the back of my head for however long it takes).

I've also applied for a job with the City of Edmonton that was recently vacated by a certain MA History grad that I know... although if I can't get myself hired by people who know me, like me, and know what an excellent worker I am, then what hope in hell do I have of getting hired by strangers?

And the cemetery tour gig is going to be a ton of fun - M McD is going to lend me some backup for the first couple of tours (and as far as I'm concerned, he can talk about his own family in that cemetery - I'm not going to pretend to be an expert!).

And my score for some of the music from Spamalot arrived today, so I will be sitting at the piano and playing with that. Perhaps with some ice cream.