Weblog and Playground of Gord Fynes

James McNally, he of Consolation Champs and Toronto Screen Shots fame, has tagged me for the 8 Things Meme. Here goes:

*The Deal:*

bq. 1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged write their own blog post about their eight things and include these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and that they should read your blog.

*My Facts:*

1. I was born in Toronto, grew up in Mississauga, moved back to Toronto, was married in NYC (Central Park) and currently live in Etobicoke.

2. I recently returned from my second trip ever to California (first time to San Francisco). Both times (the first in 1980), I was in bed when an earthquake happened. I slept through the first one and was awakened by the second.

3. After becoming a parent for the second time, I’ve now had a vasectomy…_ladies_. Two and I’m through.

4. The first gig I ever played was in a hardcore/punk band in the mid-’80s in Toronto’s Annex. I was sixteen. The club has long since been converted into a pool hall.

5. My sneezes sometimes smell like honey.

6. Aside from the U.S., I’ve also visited England, Ireland, Sweden, Singapore and Malaysia. I’ve had layovers in Germany and Hong Kong, but they don’t count since I only ever saw the city’s skylines from the airport.

7. While visiting friends in NYC years ago, I met Jeff Buckley at a rehearsal studio and asked him for an audition for his band. He politely said “thanks, no.”

8. I can’t speak any other languages, unless you count the language of love.

*Apologies go to:*

* Grant Hutchinson
* Keri Maijala
* John Martz
* David McCreath
* Nadia Halim
* Steve Castellano
* Mathew Hoy
* Tom Coates

As mentioned previously, I finally made my way to San Francisco last week to check out the city, visit some shops and offices, and, the best part, meet a bunch of my really cool, funny, hospitable and charming online friends (gotta find a better term) face-to-face for the first time. For a city said to be the capital of weird (which I’m constantly accused of being), I felt totally at home, thanks to the great people I got to meet and hang out with.

Highlights of my trip include visiting and spending the day with RE/Search publisher, V. Vale, which included a visit to Costco (yes, you read that right) and getting to travel about the city with him, visiting strange and interesting places; Sonic Youth in Berkeley with the wonderful folks from Mule Design, including their pal (and another ‘online friend’ of mine), artist Timothy Buckwalter; roused from my sleep at 4:43am by a 4.2 quake; dropping by the offices of Cycling 74, home of the awesome Max/MSP software; *finally* meeting the lovely and talented Clamhead face-to-face to hang out for some talk, eats and drinks (and more drinks); Mike’s 40th birthday party and meeting more folks face-to-face; Sixteen Candles in Delores Park with the gang; hanging with Sir Henry and his dad at Al’s Comics; City Lights books; SF MoMA; a lovely Golden Gate Bridge walk with Paul ‘n’ Keri; a proper Mission burrito at El Farolito (recommended by the lovely and talented Mr. Lance Arthur); huffing back a pint of Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream ice-cream; soaking up the overallness that is the city.

As much as I missed my family during my time away, I couldn’t help but imagine where we’d live in the city (the Mission – duh – with North Beach a close second), where we’d shop, send the kids to school, etc., and who they’d *have* to meet and hang out with. Now, all I have to do is win me a huge-ass lottery so as to make it happen.

I’m back earlier this week from my first-ever visit to San Francisco. Yes, some call it the spiritual homeland, and I’m now one of ’em. I’ll be posting more about it later.

I’ve been memed by the estimable Mr. James McNally; I’ll be posting my response when a) I’m done co-teaching Miksang for the weekend b) I’ve thought about what to write and c) I can think of eight friends I have (a challenge unto itself) that haven’t already been memed.

Oh yeah, and if you haven’t already, check out the wonderful So This Is Goodbye from Toronto/Hamilton’s Junior Boys. Congrats to them on this year’s Polaris Music Prize nomination.