State of the Owen Address

As the new year starts out, I've been trying to put the past year into perspective. I've just finished a very busy holiday season with the usual friends and family stuff. Barely have had a chance to rest since I've been back from Africa in September.

Guess we should start off with that (well, my travel adventures that is, as there is no mention of Africa at all in this paragraph). For once, I didn't travel to Vegas at all in 2006 (Guess that makes up for going three times the year before though). Did go spend weekends in Canmore, Canal Flats and Fernie (where I gave snowboarding another futile attempt and discovered that I will never reach the same greatness as I can in SSX Tricky).

But of course, the big trip this year was the high-altitude hike up to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Being that I've never really hiked before, my friends were quite surprised that I was interested in joining them on this adventure (would it be like someone that only drives automatic trying to race in the Indy 500?). So I was totally the fish out of water, but after spending the summer hiking numerous trails and multiple trips to MEC to get the appropriate gear, I thought I was ready (thought being the key word).

I definitely pushed myself as I had my ups and downs on the Machame route. The first day was very long (~18 KMs), so I started cramping up near end (and got me thinking about what I had gotten myself into!). I had a good second day though, but then I hurt my knee in the middle of the third day. With plenty of help from my group and our guides (and painkillers too) enabled me to finish off the afternoon and scale the Barranco Wall the next day on one good leg.

We departed Barafu base camp at midnight for Uhuru peak, where the unexpected windchill definitely made things tough. I thought I had given it my all just to reach Stella's Point, but was able to somehow summon some extra strength (and inspiration) to reach the summit at 5895 meters successfully. Totally exhausted (and dehydrated), coming down was almost just as tough as we put in about 30 KMs of hiking in the 24-hour period.

I was also able to spend time on an amazing three day safari (where I had a bout of food poisoning) beforehand, four relaxing (and sunburnt) days in Zanzibar afterwards, all sandwiched around a week's-worth of sightseeing in and around London (where I got to spend my birthday).

On the TV side of things, another Winter Olympics passed (with surprises like Klassen and disappointments like Men's hockey), the cancellation of TV's Arrested Development, but I did discover HBO's Entourage (where Piven steals every scene) to make up for things. Plenty of movie franchises (Superman, Xmen, Mission Impossible, James Bond) over the year too.

With hockey back in town, I thought I'd scale back my concerts after an amazing year for shows in 2005, but I still managed to go see the following live: Sarah Harmer, INXS, OLP, The Strokes, Bright Eyes, Pilate, Black Eye Peas, Tragically Hip (@ Mac Hall), Metric, James Blunt, Mobile/Theory of a Deadman, and Matt Mays/The Trews during Stampede. I did miss out on RHCP (again), Franz/Death Cab double-bill, Dashboard Confessional and the Subways though.

I just like to be thankful for all my friends, co-workers, and family for what I've been able to accomplish in the different areas of my life. This balance has been very fufilling and kept things very interesting. So I hope to keep this up for 2007. It's been a lot of fun being able to express myself here since my very first posting.

PS. No Wii purchase yet, but once they announce the first Star Wars game, I'll be there with my Best Buy gift card!

When Fighting Was Still Allowed in the NHL

I managed to go to a Calgary Flames & Anaheim (Mighty still back then) Ducks game through a buddy of mine back on December 8th, 2001. I was looking forward to seeing Paul Kariya play and was instead treated to a late game brawl that went multiple rounds. The best was when Dave Lowry flipped the puck out to free up Craig Berube from the penalty box who then chased Jeff Friesen (who ironically is now a Flame). Youtube.com still has links to revisit that great experience:

• Long Version (22:47) with HOF Peter Maher Commentary
• Medium Version (6:51) edited
• Short Version (3:15: with music)

PS. Here's a bonus Flames Red Hot music video circa 1987.

2006 Top Singles of the Year

I think I'm ahead of my music listening this year or was it due to me being more selective in the albums that I download? Either way, I should be able to come out with my Top 10 Albums in a timely fashion this year as I always try to have it out the same time as the Grammys. But for now, here's my fav tunes from the year (in no particular order):

• Skinny Boy - Amy Milan (Best lyric: You got lips I could spend a day with)
• Make Damn Sure - Taking Back Sunday (Best Emo... Could be DQ'ed cause it came out in 2005 tho)
• When You Were Young - The Killers (Why didn't the rest of the album sound this good?)
• When the President Talks to God - Bright Eyes (Best protest song that I've heard in awhile)
• So Sick - Ne-Yo (Turns the ladies into butter)
• In The Deep - Bird York (From a REAL double-threat... remember her from The West Wing?)
• Hey There Delilah - Plain White Ts (Must listen while away from home/travelling)
• Peace and Hate - The Submarines (Fav indie tune... another one is from The Museum Pieces called It Keeps Me Up)
• Rock & Roll Queen - The Subways (Best Guitar Rock)
• For You I Will (Confidence) - Teddy Geiger (Cheesy/Sappy but still good)
• Here It Goes Again - OK Go (Best Pop & Video)
• Oh Gravity - Switchfoot (Catchy Pop Rock)
  

No Orson or Snow Patrol here but their albums will definitely make my Top 10. Make sure to submit your Top 10 CDs here over the next few weeks.