New York, New York

About a year or so after my return from my LDS mission to New York, I took a buddy of mine and we went back to New York City to spend some time in the Big City.

I made a few phone calls and I was able to find some accommodations in Queens with Pat and Christa. There was only two catches. We had to hit some clubs at night with Shirley and Christa and Joel and I unfortunately had to share a couch bed. But the less said about that, the better!

So Joel and I planned what we wanted to do and saved some money so we could go in the summer. My mom took Joel and I down to the airport (stopping first to grab some Stewart's sodas for the ride) and Kristy was to pick us up from the airport when we returned. Kristy and I were not married at the time, we were still dating and much to my surprise she met Joel and I at the airport before we took off. Right before I hopped the plane to New York, I stopped and turned back to Kristy and dropped to one knee and proposed.

Yes, this is how I proposed. Well, at least this is the official story we tell people. Kristy said "Yes" and I grabbed my bag and headed back down the terminal to catch my plane. I was excited to get back to the city and do some stuff that I couldn't as a missionary. I was also looking forward to seeing people I have not seen and spoken to for a long time. The plane lifted in the air and we were off.

We had a brief funny stopover in Dallas. Now I am not an avid flyer. I don't know how things go, I am not familiar with transferring and stuff like that. All I know is that we only had a brief window to get off our first plane and to grab our second flight. As Joel and I were speed walking to our second flight we came to the realization that we do not have our bags! So we ran back to the terminal baggage claim and waited and waited. But our bags did not show up! So we panicked and contacted the airport lost and found. And they were of absolute NO help. Little did we know that our bags are automatically sent to the new plane. Quit giggling folks. We had no clue how things went! So we ran back to our second flight and headed to New York.

We flew into LaGuardia airport in Queens and waited for Christa to come and pick us up. It was so good to see her. Christa and I really bonded when I served in the Jamaica area of Queens on my mission. We became fast friends and we always kept in touch when I served in other areas, in fact she probably knows more about my mission than anyone else. She was the first one to call me when I arrived home from my mission. So it was good to be around her again. We had a nice dinner with them that first night and it was a lot of fun to share my mission with my friend and to catch up.

The next few days were super busy. I do not remember how they all flowed together so here are some highlights of the trip.

• Most of the nights/early mornings were spent going to dance clubs. Now I am not a big dancer but I did want to experience some of the nightlife that New York has to offer. We stayed up way late, most nights mornings coming in around 4 or so. Usually we would grab some breakfast before going home to catch some sleep. We went to this four story dance house called Webster Hall and it was pretty amazing. Each floor had different music to it and it was packed. One of the floors which played a lot of metal had this one old grey-bearded gentleman wearing all leather on stilts dancing away. I had a good time but I think the club life is just not for me. One night is one thing, three nights in a row is another! The last night we were there I did have a girl come on to me which made everyone in our party laugh. I thought for sure that what I had felt was just incidental bumping. But when it happened again and again and I turned around to see the girl looking right at me, I knew there was more to this story!

Joel and I didn't have cool enough clothes to go so we had to borrow these very tight shirts to go. That is Shirley, Christa and me and Joel.

• Wednesdays are a great day to see a Broadway play. They have cheaper matinees on Wednesday and I wanted to see Rent. I ordered my ticket before I got to New York. Joel wanted to see something else so he went and saw Beauty and the Beast. I have to admit that it was fun to sit with a bunch of strangers and see a musical. The musical was fantastic, almost all of the original players were still there. So all of the voices I knew from the CD recording were live to see. It was great, there is nothing like seeing a Broadway play live and in person. It was well worth the money. 

• Joel got addicted to eating the nuts that vendors sell right on the street. He must have bought 3-4 of them on one Manhattan trip alone!
• Since we were poor we didn't eat out a lot at expensive places. We did eat at the restaurant right next to David Letterman's. We decided that we should eat out at a fancy known place at least once so we chose this spot. But boy was it expensive. We only ate (and could afford) the appetizers and they were not happy about it. As soon as we were done they asked us to leave. We thought about ordering one dish and sharing it but I am sure they would have physically thrown us out if we did.
• Since Joel and I are comic book geeks, we had to go see the offices of Marvel and DC. Marvel was a big disappointment aside from seeing Stan Lee's office. But DC really treated us well. They took us on an impromptu tour and let us take pictures. And of course we picked up some applications. And then we went to a few of the large comic shops and picked up some loot. 

Joel and Batman. And this was one of the actual costumes worn in the movie. DC had the coolest things to see.

• We also went to the top of the World Trade Centers. This is the second time I have been there and it still took my breath away. You really felt like you were at the top of the world there. You could see forever being up so high. And I warned Joel that the elevator took you up at an unbelievable pace. Seriously, in seconds you were up like fifty floors. 

You can see the tall shadows the WTC's leave.

• One evening Joel and I went out at about midnight or so it take Christa's dog out for a walk. As we were walking around the block we passed this guy in this dark hoodie. The dog about took his head off barking and growling at him. I yanked the dog back and walked past thinking about it. But then I got this funny feeling in my gut. I turned around and saw this guy coming back towards us. I grabbed Joel and we got back in the building and the dog went nuts again. I honestly think that this guy was coming back to mug us.
• I also had to stop at a sports shop to look for some Jets gear. I found an old shirt and a Keyshawn Johnson jersey so I snagged them both. 

• Christa allowed me to take her car and go visit people. So Joel and I spent Sunday going to see people. We first went to Rego Park and go to church there in my old branch. I recognized a few of the people and I was surprised when someone came in and sat beside me. The member had fallen away from the church and he had a bit of a falling out with me and my companion too. I didn't think I would see him again and in church no less. But it was great to see Auggie and catch up with him. After church we walked down to see John Libretto. I pressed the buzzer and told him that the missionaries were here and he told us to come up. He about died when he saw that it was me coming up. We had a great visit (and lunch of course) and then he gave us a ride down to Jamaica so I could see my old Richmond Hills branch. The Branch President recognized me in the audience and had me stand up. He said that I was a a missionary that would not give up on me and that is true. Kevin was very interested in joining the church but we could never get together although I called him at least every week or so. Now he is the Branch President of that branch. Afterwards we went into Brooklyn and saw Rose and then went to Jackson Heights and saw Ingrid, people I spent a lot of time with while on my mission. And it was great catching up with them. That evening Joel and I took the car and went to Staten Island and saw the Bowman's. They are a wonderful family that I absolutely loved. They treated us to one of Staten Island's famous pizza pies and we spent the evening with them. It made me miss my mission quite a bit. What I won't miss is the driving. It sure gets crazy there. 

Me, Linda and Steve with Tina and Jonathon Bowman

• I was going to show Joel some of the areas that I used to serve in. We stopped at a subway stop and we almost got out. But I have to admit that I didn't feel quite right, I didn't feel totally safe just walking in that area. So we stayed on the subway and headed into Manhattan. Funny how things can change when you are not protected as a missionary anymore. 
• Speaking of riding the subway, one of the funnest things that I like to do while in New York was taking the subway. I could spend hours just people watching. There are so many colorful characters that you will never get to see again anywhere that ride the trains. Joel had an experience that I don't think he will forget anytime soon. He was standing in the subway car when suddenly the car jerked a bit (which it does often) and Joel accidentally stepped on this guy's foot. The guy yelled at him and Joel said he was sorry but then it happened again and the Middle Eastern guy really let Joel have it. He was yelling at him to not stand so close to him and stuff like that. The look on Joel's face was priceless. Oh the joys of riding the subway. 
• Christa gave us a ride to the airport and it was sad to go. We only spent a few days in New York and barely was able to do what we wanted. There was just not enough time to do it all. But we had a fantastic time there. The plane ride home was something to remember as well. LaGuardia Airport has the shortest runway in the whole United States. During takeoff you would look down and see runway and then you would liftoff and suddenly you would see ocean! It was that quick and a bit nerve racking. But it was neat to see the city as you lift off from Queens. During the plane ride home we chatted and did some doodling. A stewardess noticed our artwork and asked if she could take them to the pilot so he could see them. She talked with us for quite a while on the plane ride home. It was on this plane trip that I first formed my ideas for my first novel, The Vessel.

Joel's cartoons

Mine

New York will always be a special place for me. It was a good experience while on my mission and it was a good experience going back with Joel. I wish I could go back again.

Spelunking in Logan

Day 319

When Kristy and I went 4-wheeling with my sister we passed Logan Cave and it brought back a ton of memories. This well-known cave extends about 4,000 feet into the mountain, and is as high as 70 feet in some places. It was carved by water seeping along faults and joints in the limestone, which slowly dissolved the rock. The cave is 4,290 feet long and relatively narrow with no large rooms or caverns. Much of the floor of the cave is also a stream bed as water collects and makes its way to the mouth of the cave and then into the Logan River.

Now, Logan Cave is gated to protect Townsend’s big-eared bats that live there. The bats are being protected as a sensitive species because of their susceptibility to disturbance. Simply walking past a colony can cause them to permanently abandon their roost.

Which is interesting considering I have been in the cave personally twice and the bats are still there.

The first time I went through Logan Cave was right before my friend Joel left to serve his LDS mission to Taiwan. Joel, Lared and I went through during the dead of winter. Which is good because that means the water in the cave is low enough to wade through. But the water is extremely cold so you had to make sure you wore a lot of layers of clothing. I was a bit nervous going through but it was a lot of fun. That is until Joel dropped his large flashlight down a crevasse, about twenty feet down. I had my little Maglite which I held with my teeth most of the time and Lared had a small flashlight as well. But we made it out safe.

The trip takes about about 1-2 hours and if you are a little claustrophobic this is not the cave for you. It is really enclosed and only a few of the "rooms" were large enough that you could stand without hitting your head. And of course, being in a cave it is dark. I never imagined it could get that dark!

There are some hairy places that caused me to pause and rethink (and pray) what I was doing.

The first one was called The Wall. You get to a stage in the cave where there is a large gaping hole which goes down at least twenty feet (this is where Joel dropped his flashlight). On the two sides are these walls which are only 3-4 feet apart. To get further into the cave you have to prop your feet on one side of the cave walls and put your back (like in the sitting position) up against the other wall. You would push against each other and edge your way for about 10-15 feet.

Another hairy place is called The Razor's Edge. You get to a stretch to where the only thing in your path is a long pointy rock (hence the name) and the cave walls are not in reach and there is a 10-15 foot drop off on each side. So you straddle the rock and ease your way down the path.

And I saved the best for last, The Toilet Bowl. And I don't think it is called that because it could cause you to drop bricks (even though that is entirely possible). Basically you have to squeeze through a hole (going up) through a hole that is the size of a toilet bowl. It is a little bigger than a toilet seat (and no I haven't actually tested that) but it is really small. The trick it to out your arms all the way up through and grab the sides and push up with your face right in the rocks.

If you wanted to go through Logan Cave you would need to know your toilet's dimensions.

I have been though Logan Cave twice. The second time I took Kristy through on a date. It was right before Joel and I went to New York. We had to be careful going in because they were going to close the cave down and they were not allowing people in so we had to go late at night. Joel had a date and we went through the cave only this time it was in the summer and the water was pretty high. There were parts where you could swim under the rocks but we wouldn't let Joel do that. Kristy was pretty brave about the whole thing. What made me laugh through the whole adventure was Kristy's reaction to everything. We would get to a point in the cave (like at the Razor's Edge) and Kristy would claim that she couldn't do it and suddenly she would disappear. Where did she disappear to? She was already on the other side of any given task. She did this for every single hard part. It was like her mind told her not to but her body said go right on ahead!

I know the picture is fuzzy but I wanted you to see the large amount of water that comes from the cave.

I think it is a shame that Logan Cave is gated and closed down. I understand that we want to protect species of animals but if they found the bats after I have been through, I don't think they were disturbed enough to leave the cave.

The Coldest Night of My Life

Day 284

When I was in college I had a great set of friends, many of them which I have blogged about before. One of my fondest memories with these guys was when we went up to Tony Grove (a rugged place up the mountains) and did some winter camping. That had to be the coldest night of my life. I have never been that cold even when our furnace went out a few years ago. I mean it was just unbelievable cold during the night.

There was a ton of snow that we had to hike up on snowshoes. We had a large sled (one that dogs pull in the Iditarod) which had all of our gear and wood. We tied ourselves to the sled and hiked up. What a minute... that makes US dogs!

I am the second one from the right looking at the camera. I am not sure how far we hiked but I am sure it was at least a couple of miles.

My artist friend Joel chronicled all the fun moments in his cartoon strip. Most of these cartoon are actual moments from the trip.

This is Joel and Maren. The funny thing about this was that Joel and I were really ill-prepared for the trip. I don't think I packed any food at all. At least I cannot remember packing any.

True story. There was hardly any snow in the canyon until we finally got up to Tony Grove. And it was deep. I remember that after we got to camp we took off our snowshoes and sunk right into the snow past our knees.

Some people had difficulty in wearing and walking in snowshoes. Luckily my Canadian training came in handy. And I am being serious. Our Elementary School and a full classroom set in case it snows really bad. We took them out and practiced on them once or twice a winter.

We worked like dogs to get our camping gear up the mountain! Get it? Dogs? It was quite the haul. We found a place to camp and I remember just sucking it up and driving with everything I had to get up the mountain. The rope that was tied around my waist left welts. It was hard work!

 

Most of the cartoons were of Joel and I. We slept in the same tent and it was night out and setting up a tent in snowshoes is quite an adventure. That is me being the sarcastic one in the first panel. And that was all true, even the last part. But we flipped it back when we went to sleep.

Lared was the one that was uber-prepared. If is wasn't for Lared, Joel and I would have frozen or starved to death. Whichever horrible death that came first. Lared cooked a mean steak. This was a true conversation. Again, that is me with the sarcastic remark at the end of the strip.

 

The temperature plunged when the sun went down. I was amazed that my glove was frozen solid. Seriously, you couldn't bend the fingers on my glove. The same glove that I was wearing just an hour before. Then it hit Joel and I. What about our sleeping bags?

This was one of the strips that was made up. But those snowshoes were not easy to get on and off. It might have been easier to sleep with them on. And the sleeping bags were solid.

 

One of my biggest pet peeves is stepping in melted ice. So I demanded that Eric and Joel leave their boots outside. I didn't want to take the chance. I must have mentioned it a few times since Joel made a strip out of it. The funny thing is that it got real hot in that small tent. So we all took off our coats and just a few short hours later we were awake and freezing looking for our coats. When we woke up that morning both Eric and I were on top of Joel. And our breathing froze and formed ice/snow all over the inside of our tent like a horrible nightmare.

Even though we are freezing to death we didn't want to get out of sleeping bags and tents. We owe Jim our lives that he started a fire. Lared (as always) slept in for hours. So Joel and I ate the S'mores leftovers. That chocolate was soooo hard!

 

This is my favorite strip. Joel captured Lared perfectly. He woke up hours later. The one thing both Joel, Eric and I could have used was some sort of cushion. We slept right on the snow which turned to ice. When we packed up the tent you could see Joel's body outline in the snow. He melted it down about six inches and Eric and I used Joel as a mattress. Then Lared offered for us to use his EXTRA mattress. We could have used that bit of info YESTERDAY!

Joel's jeans were totally frozen stiff and it was funny to watch him try to warm them up by the fire. I honestly did have a good time even with all the snarky comments I made during this trip. Yeah, that is me again in the last panel.

 

We went sledding down the mountain side in the back country and it was a blast. We went down and we were going to fast and we hit this large snow-covered rock and went flying. When we finally hit the Earth, Joel was buried up to his chest (he was in front) and Lared and I were up to our waists in snow. It took a few minutes to dig ourselves out and then we did it again. That was me again with the sarcastic comment!

We totally watched Jim do this as he snowboarded down the mountain. He flipped over and dragged his head into this snowbank and miraculously flipped back in his feet and continued down the slope.

 

The trip home was quiet and sad. We were all extremely tired and sad that the trip was so short.

I am so glad that Joel made these cartoons and gave me a copy. Even though I froze, I had a great time and wouldn't trade it for anything. But I would bring a mattress of some kind next time.

List-Mania: Writing Comic Books

Day 265!

That means I only have one hundred days to go! So I am going to celebrate by being all geeky!

I was trying to think of a subject for today's List-Mania, something other than my usual favorite something. I didn't want to do something cliche for List-Mania like favorite fruits or my top favorite colors. I also get bored writing them. I can make the list but explaining why I like them bores the crap out of me and I usually leave the column half done.

The topic for this column will probably only interest me but it will help flex my writing abilities. For this column I am choosing my Top 5 comic books that I would want to write and why I would want to write them. These are my dream projects.

5) Cloak and Dagger

The Concept: Cloak and Dagger met in New York City as runaways. The two teens were soon forcibly delivered to a criminal chemist who was developing a new synthetic heroin. Cloak and Dagger were injected with the drugs as a test for the new drug and they gained superpowers.

Why Would I Write It: Cloak and Dagger first appeared as vigilantes but eventually they were turned more into superheroes and later was involved as mutants in the X-Men. I would remove them from this and return them to the street where they belong. Dagger's abilities would be the thing I would focus on. Dagger can generate and throw "light daggers" which stun targets by forcing them to confront the darkness in their own souls. Her light can also cure drug addictions in some people, as a side affect of that painfully enlightening experience. Additionally, her light can alleviate Cloak's thirst for light and warmth. What if she could cure more than just addictions? What if she could cure disease? Everyone would be after her and that is what I would tackle. I would also play up the supernatural feel to the book and they would venture into the dark corners of the Marvel Universe.

4) Cyberforce

The Concept: Cyberforce is a team of mutants who had all at one point been captured by Cyberdata, an enormous corporation with ambitions of world-takeover. Cyberdata used their elaborate technology to enhance the mutant powers with cybernetic implants. Eventually the members of Cyberforce escaped Cyberdata and Cyberdata is no more.

Why Would I Write It: What attracts me to this team is the fusion of mutant abilities with hardcore cybernetics and technology. Instead of making them typical superheroes I would really concentrate on the science fiction behind this concept. My first storyline would involve one of the characters, Ballistic, searching for her missing sister Velocity and the rest of the Cyberforce squad. It seems like they have vanished from the face of the Earth. There is no record of them even existing, it was like a computer hard drive that was wiped clean. For some reason I also think it is cool that the females outnumber the males on this team.

3) Spider-Man

I don't think I should draw the comic though. This drawing of mine comes from 1984-85.

The Concept: Everyone knows the story of nerdy Peter Parker being bitten by a radioactive spider and gaining super abilities. What comic book writer wouldn't want a chance to write the best superhero in the world?

Why Would I Write It: Who wouldn't want to write Spidey? While I would mix my stories with classic villains, I would also create some new baddies for Spidey. What I really admire about Spider-Man is his sense of responsibility and core beliefs. Peter tries his hardest to be a good person even when things are going bad. And I would throw everything at him including the kitchen sink. After I had plotted a storyline I would read it again and wonder what would be the worst thing to happen to Peter and then I would write it in.

2) Alpha Flight

This has to be one of the best and simpliest costume designs.

The Concept: Alpha Flight is Canada's premier superhero team.

Why Would I Write It: How could I turn away the job of writing Canada's own superteam? Alpha Flight has been treated like a joke at Marvel and I would want to change that. In fact, I already have. For my first ScriptFrenzy project I wrote Alpha Flight: Dark Reign. I have lots and lots of ideas for the various members of Alpha Flight. Did you know that Wolverine was supposed to lead this team instead he bolted and joined the X-Men? Personally, I see a lot of potential for this team and more than likely I would try to get them tied into the Avengers franchise. After writing my script I did find it difficult in writing a large cast of characters and it made me appreciate those writers that do.

1) The Powergate Project

The Herald makes his first appearance.

The Concept: In the search for an alternative energy source, a terrible accident binds three strangers together and leads them to even stranger discoveries.

Why Would I Write It: I would love the chance to write about the adventures of Dr. Mercury, Professor Taylis, Brock, Alecia, Nick and all those guys from Legacy and the Guild.

Wait... ...you never heard of these guys?

My friend Joel did all the conceptual art for our comic.

That's good because this has been my special comic project for the last ten years or so. My friend and artist Joel and I developed this cast of characters while we were in college. It was more of a Fantastic Four homage but definitely metamorphosed into something completely different. The first time I participated in NaNoWrMo I decided to write my comic book in novel form from the beginning. I will eventually go back to this and complete it and may revisit next November. I have hundreds of pages of plots and scripts. One day I will complete this massive story.

Posting this has really put me in the mood to do some writing.

Movie Night!

Day 117

Watching movies with my family and friends must be some of my favorite memories because I certainly remember them crystal clear. So here are a collection of some of my favorite memories while watching movies.

My first movie experience was in 1977 with Star Wars. My dad took my sister to it first and came home and took me when they went a second time. I don't remember much about it but from what my dad said, I couldn't take my eyes off it.

Now when the sequel The Empire Strikes Back came out that was another story. I was so excited to see it. I sat in my chair taking it all in until the Wampa hit. And suddenly I was on my dad's lap.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was the next one I saw in the theatres and I am glad that my parents took me. I think parents nowadays try to hard to shield their kids too much from enjoying things. In order for you to enjoy the good, you have to experience the bad. Raiders was a dark film but even though I was young, I enjoyed it and it didn't make me into a serial killer or anything. The one thing that I remember about going to see Raiders of the Lost Ark was my dad. My sister and I were sitting together apart from my parents. Suddenly during the film my dad bolts up and leaves the theatre. About ten minutes later he came back but sat by me and my sister. At first I thought he was mad at mom for something but it turned out that he thought he had peed his pants. He was holding his Coke between his legs and the moisture collected from all the ice melting and he thought he had an accident. He didn't obviously but was so embarrassed that he sat by us instead of mom.


That was not the end to embarrassing moments in the movie theatre. My dad and I decided to see Arachnophobia (even though we both HATE spiders). We saw it at a dollar theatre and there was only a few of us in there. During the movie, I thought it would be funny to reach around and flick my dad's ear. It was a great idea, I flicked his ear and popcorn went a flying! I thought my dad was going to kill me.

Back in the day, you could rent a VCR and some movies from the local Mac's store (which is like a 7/11) and my dad and I decided to get Aliens. That has got to be one of my all-time favorite movies and it left me breathless. At the end of the movie my dad was turning off the TV and he put his hand up his shirt. He turned to me and said, "That was a pretty intense movie eh?" And then suddenly he thrusted his hand out from his shirt like a chestburster! I about hit the roof. And my dad wonders why I like to scare him all the time! I got it from him.

You wanna know what awkward is? Try watching Predator 2 with your mom. She loved the first one but that second one had some scenes that no kid (no matter how old they are) should watch with his parents.

That was a cool thing about my mom, she liked action movies. You know what one of her favorites is? She called me one day and said she wanted to go see Face Off that weekend. My mom was way into it, partly because of John Travolta. Luckily for me, there wasn't any Predator 2-type scenes.

My sister on the other hand is very "hands on" when you watch movies with her. My arm was bruised for days after watching Con Air with her. Every explosion and gunshot, my arm was swatted by my sister. She shouldn't watch intense movies like that. Con Air was not even that good!

I took Kristy to go see Jurassic Park II. During the scene where all the raptors were chasing the people, one popped out from under the fence. I knew it was coming and everyone screamed when it happened. Well, their scream scared the snot out of me. So right after the audience screamed, I screamed. The girls in front of me turned there heads back to look at me and I pointed to Kristy sheepishly.

Kristy's brother-in-law Aaron and I went and saw The Blair Witch Project together. We must have been hyped to see it because we got scared even before the movie started. We were in the theatre just chatting when suddenly this girl pops her head in between us and asks us for the time. Aaron jumped back and that made me jump back even further! The girl laughed at us, I am positive that she did it to us on purpose.

But I think my all-time favorite movie experience was with my friend Lared. Joel and I took him to see The Phantom Menace. Now Lared has always been one of my most expressive friends and he was a Star Wars fan and he was really hyped up. Toward the end, when Darth Maul killed Qui-Gon it really hit the fan. Out of nowhere we heard this hair-raising "NOOOOOOOOO!" followed up with this heart-wrenching "ARRRGHHHH!" It was Lared. Joel and I sat back in our seats trying to contain our laughter.

I cannot wait for Logan and I to watch more movies together. From past experiences I should be in for a good time.