Laughing while i Vomit

I haven't thrown up in quite some time but last night was an experience that i don't want to go through again.

Being the jolly good chap that I am I told Chris and Erika that I would take the dog out to the back garden to pee as Erika was tired and Chris didn't feel well. I grab the lead and attach it to Boston's collar and out we go. (lead is needed as you spend 15 mins trying to get him out from below the shed in the dark - not so much fun) Boston runs down the steps and starts to inhale the rest of Kody's dinner (Kody is the other dog - don't worry they only have 2)

He finally finishes and he goes over to the grass to do his number one's, number two's would come later as I would find out.

I was coming out of the Bathroom after brushing my teeth I turned the corner to walk into my room and i was about to step down I noticed Boston in mid motion of taking a crap on the floor. I stopped my forward motion because I could see that were I was headed was right on top of his first little present of the night. I shouted at Boston to follow me as I took him downstairs where there was no carpet. Oh, but by the time he got downstairs he had finished his buisness. Convenient.....

Armed with some spray and a load of cloth I headed up to my room to attack the objects that he had so kindly left for me. I hate doing things like this because when it comes to items that come out of either end I really struggle to keep my stomach together. I had no longer started to clean up than the dry heaving started. Then the dry heaving turned a little more serious and found myself over the loo and I was no longer dry heaving, this was the real deal.

(i realise that this is probably gross, thank you for being patient)

After a few minutes I went back and finished the process with loo roll stuck up both my nostreals and my t-shirt covering my mouth.

Downstairs I headed to turn the lights out only to find Boston barfing in the middle of the living room. Oh crap the 'not dry heaving' started. Back up stair for another few minutes knowing that I still had to clean it up.

This was a pretty gross night. I left Erika a note to tread carefully around the house and let her know about the incidents that happened. But of course Boston was finshed. What joy what animals are.

I went to bed and put a baracade so that the dog wouldn't be able to come up. Ha ha. I am smarter than animals.

What A View !

Niagara Falls

It was Friday afternoon when we decided that we should head to see Niagara Falls. Matt was heading back to New Zealand and we decided to let him see the famous falls. The weather was crap and the traffic was horrific but we arrived eventually.

We saw the falls, took some pictures and then we went to a Karaoke bar and listened to some people try and sing. If you closed your eyes you could be convinced that someone was being strangled on stage. It was bad.

You will notice from the picture that we are having a beer. Jono went to the toilet so we thought it would be funny to order him one of the small bottles. Oh we are funny. You will see that I am having a Canadian. This would not usually be my choice but I will tell you the selection that I had to choose from. Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Coors Light, Miller, Miller Light, The Small Bottle (still funny) and Canadian.

I make no apologies.

Jono & Matt

Usually they hold hands. They didn't want to for this picture

More Jack Handy

When you're riding in a time machine way far into the future,
don't stick your elbow out the window, or it'll turn into a fossil.

* * * * *

Most people don't realize that large pieces of coral,
which have been painted brown and attached to the skull

by common wood screws,

can make a child look like a deer.

Edge Playing

I went up to the front of the stage to get some shots of the Edge

Bono beside us

Bono in the Light

Adam Clayton

Meeting Bono !

Bono in the Yukon

U2 - Armbands

U2 Green = Main Floor: Blue = Ellipse

U2 - Part 1

It has taken me a while to put this blog up because it was an experience that I won’t forget and I wanted to just ponder on it for a while.

Monday night was a night that Chris and myself have been waiting on for many months. We had 2 tickets for the floor at the first of the U2 concerts in Toronto. Part of being on the floor was the possibility of getting into the ellipse. The ellipse is the area in front of the stage that only 300 people get into. It has a catwalk around it. The end of the catwalk is where the main crowd stand for the show.

Doors wouldn’t open until 6.30 but I was there to line up at 12.00. Chris came from work and joined me just after one; I introduced him to the folks that I had been chatting to over the last hour.

We sat down and started to play cards. As we were sitting there someone noticed a car pull up beside where we were sitting. A Yukon with tinted windows. The front window rolled down and we couldn’t believe it but Bono was sitting in the front seat. I think everyone was stunned because no one really moved. Chris and I jumped up and ran over where we were able to get a picture. Chris got to the car and shook hands with him and said ‘thank you’ bono replied ‘don’t lose your spot in line’. He turned to me and I shook his hand he then asked me my name. I said PK. I was about to say more but I was swamped by the crowd and I was pushed out of the way. I didn’t care. I met Bono!

U2 - Part 2

At 6.30 the doors were opened as planned. We made our way down into the entrance hall where the first security guy checked our tickets. From where we were standing we could hear random screams. Later we found out that the screams were the people winning the draw to get into the ellipse. After we get our tickets scanned we head to a table where you are given a green armband and there is a computer set up.

Everyone goes to the computer to get their ticket scanned a second time. Once scanned the computer either read - Enter main floor or it flashes and says you have made it into the ellipse. They scanned both our tickets and neither of us won. Just past the table the barriers led you to the main floor but I noticed to the right there was a group of people standing looking happier than the rest of us. That was the group of people who had managed to win entry to the ellipse.

I grabbed Chris’s arm and told him to follow me. We went and stood in that very group laughing and cheering. We got up to the table and they didn’t recheck the tickets. They stamped our ticket with a cool 3 leaf clover stamp. Gave us our blue armbands and said congratulations for winning.

I couldn't believe it. Sneaky Sneaky

We made our way down to the arena where we were sectioned off and told to walk down a different path. At the end of the path we entered the ellipse. We had succeeded. We were in.

Inside the ellipse we had so much room. I said to Chris that we should stand at the back area because the catwalk came right behind us and we would literally be 2 feet from the band and that is where we stood.

The whole night was incredible. The set that they played was more than expected. They definitely exceeded my expectations. Pictures and more thoughts will follow in the coming days.

2 things

1.

I bought myself a camera today. I like it.

I should have more pictures to put on my blog soon.

2.

I don't think that I will be able to sleep tonight. I am going to see U2 tomorrow evening. Chris and Myslef have backstage tickets, well...... not really backstage tickets but we are going to try and get backstage. We are considering all the options. We are feeling lucky!

Peeing On Ice

My favourite loo's are the ones where they put ice cubes in the urinals. What great satisfaction it is to see how many ice cubes you can melt before you are done. So relaxing. Bring on the ICE.

Bear Hunting

The day went like this:
10:00 am - Guests Leave
12:30 pm - Lunch
1:30 pm - Work Projects Begin
4:00 pm - Final meeting of the summer
4:30 pm - Goodbye hugs
5:30 pm - Mark, Eva and Eli Wallace; Jono; Jamie and Myself head to Windemere
8:00 pm - Drive back
8:30 pm - Bear hunting (not to kill - just to watch)

This is where I will cut in as the details are necessary.

I decided that I would go bear hunting. Across the highway from camp is where our large bins are. That is where we throw all the trash from camp. There are certain times that are key times to see bears and around this time was one of them. I drove over and parked in the perfect place so that I the whole area covered. There was one of the biggest bears that I had seen this summer and it was making quite the noise with its grunting and sorting through all the garbage.

I don't exactly remember what happened next but what I do know is that I woke up at 12:00 am. Yes I had fallen asleep in the truck. I was cold and busting to go to the loo so I decided that it was time to head back to camp. I turned the key and..... Nothing. I tried again.... Nothing. Oh crap. So there is one little Irish guy, stuck across the highway, busting to go to the toilet with a truck that will not start.

I grabbed my flashlight (torch) as this would give me a sense of security and safety. But of course that didn't work. Great! In the dark I searched around the seats looking for my phone that I knew was in there and finally I found it, but who do I call? I tried Jono but of course his phone was off, I tried Chris Evans oh yea his phone was off as well and I knew there would be no one in the office.

For some reason I tried the lights in the truck and they worked. So there was enough battery to have the lights on but not to start it - smart. Wish I had tried that before I started looking for my phone.

I decided that I had 2 options.

1. There is a large stick in the back of the truck. I could grab it and run back to camp beating the crap out of whatever gets in my way.
2. Sleep in the truck overnight. It was pretty cold but I think that after reading all my SAS books I could stick one night.

Not a lot of options. I sure wasn't getting out of the truck after the noise that the bear was making earlier. He could still be there. Hungry. As I was putting on my extra clothes to sleep overnight I remembered secret option number 3.

Phone Mark Wallace. Successful call, he was awake and keen to come and rescue me. Over he came and drove me back to camp. I was safe, alive, hungry and still needing to pee.

What a night.

What a week

Classic has finished and right now i am sitting at home recovering from such a crazy week. Lack of sleep, extra stress and missing meals meant that i started to get sick. It started off with a cold and then moved towards my chest. So now i am trying to catch up on the sleep that i lost. I am still coughing but things are looking good.