How 'Bout Them Nimbostratuses?

Wednesday was one of the hottest days of summer yet here in Winnipeg. No clouds in the sky and the sun was laughing in my face as I painted profusely. I was not looking forward to my soccer [football] game that night...

I strolled up once again to the blumberg fields just outside Winnipeg to see a massive cloud formation evolving from the west. Could it be that I would be playing in severe storm weather conditions for a second game in a row? Unbelievable. I was discouraged. The referee called captains and during this moment the wind began to pick up. In the distance a wall of dust was making its way to our field. It hit us hard; I would say it was almost at tornado caliber. Our whole team took cover behind one of our player's Jimmy (jeepish GMC vehicle). Will our random weather never end?! We ended up playing the game in the extreme winds and rain. Thankfully it cleared up in the last 5 mins. Fortunately the newly established rainbow dominated the sky as we scored the game winner in the last 3 mins and beat those Central Americans (the team we lost to in the CBC Soccer Day in Canada Cup)(Not a racial slur! They all were Central Americans)!

Over the past week and a bit I have become fascinated with cloud patterns. I've never looked at the sky so much but I guess that is because I'm painting outside all day. I'm tellin' you, our clouds have looked messed up lately (I'd say apocalyptic almost, if I knew what that looked like). My co-worker (Ryan Malech) and I have recently taken sudden breaks to look up and admire the gorgeous patterns of Stratocumulus, Nimbostratus, and Cumulonimbus clouds (I'm legit [legitimate], I looked 'em up)! Though we have been noticing a strange type of cloud pattern. Look up Jane Wiggins' strange cloud picture on Google. Anyways, I'm no expert but I like to think I am. Therefore I love to give predictions on the weather these days, I love acting smart (Well in a professional degree kind of way). Hmm Manny the Meteorologist?

p.s. Got a another soccer [football] game tonight. Looks like it'll rain again! Ridic [ridiculous].

Canker City

I was unaware and unprepared for the battle I was to encounter at work today. We arrived with high hopes of finishing this humongous home and it felt good to be done with that damned lattice fence! I was painting the side boards of their pathway when I was startled to find something dangling in front of my face (okay, I know someone just said "that's what she said"). I freaked out (in a quiet way of course) and tried to keep working. Now I was paranoid. I looked up and saw thousands upon thousands of cankerworms perched on every leaf of the looming tree beside me. The cankerworm's only purposes in life seem to include: 1. To rappel at impressive and unbelievable speeds, 2. To destroy every tree they land on, and 3. To dangle and sway with the intention of scaring the living bejesus out of people. I cannot believe I'm saying this but I think I hate cankerworms more than mosquitoes; I live in Winnipeg (Mosquito Headquarters)! The brown twig lookin' ones are the worst (this is not a racial slur) because they blend in with the trees and don't look as friendly as the green ones. I nicknamed them all Mortimer (mor-tuh-mer) because I thought it would help me get over my fear of them, so the rest of the day my co-worker (Ryan Malech) and I called them that (I thought it was funny...). After our morning break we headed up to a bedroom balcony to paint the railing and found the place swarming with Mortimers [cankerworms]. With a scraper as my sword in my left hand and my paint brush in my right, I was ready for battle.

Life Lesson: Never have sympathy towards a Paleacrata vernata [cankerworm]. It will back stab you when you least expect it. I was actually bitten on the neck a few days ago and I returned no mercy to the wee beast.

I believe I ended up flicking over 100 Mortimers off the balcony (PETA, please don't come after me). It's funny because once you touch them they jolt upright and stay stiff (oh wow, I set myself up again). So, as Ryan and I imitated their actions, the woman and her baby/toddler in the pool below looked at that exact moment. All we could do was laugh and wave. After this I was lucky to be able to paint and not worry about the little buggers getting on me because they were preoccupied playing king of the hill with my paint bucket. I actually saw one wrap itself around another and try to fling it off the balcony. Survival of the fittest is all around us my friends.
We made it to lunch alive and were surprised to see a messed up cloud formation above us (it was really messed, one cloud looked like the eye of a hurricane). I cannot believe how unpredictable Winnipeg's weather is! Last week them meteorologists called for thunderstorms all week when it turned out beautiful and, of course, this week was suppose to be beautiful but now we're getting the thunderstorms! Anyways, we were forced to retreat early from today's battle due to rain, but I have a feeling we will wage war on more Mortimers in the days to come...

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Check this song: In Our Bedroom After The War by Stars (I can play it on piano!!).

Booster Shot

Today, being father's day, I was sure to listen to my father's one and only album: Booster Shot. For those of you who have not experienced the soft soothing melodious musical talent of Randolph Goossen, be sure to contact me so that I may give you a compact disc. Your life will be changed the instant you press play. I am indeed his only marketer and publicist, and I'll do anything I can to get these songs out into the world! Enjoy a couple songs by following this link:

http://www.myspace.com/2boostershot

Love you, Dad.

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Wow, I'm so burnt right now. As I write this blog my shoulders feel like pure magma and my chest is steaming. Why did I not put on sunscreen at the beach????????!