Well now. There you go. I suppose I need to dust off the cobwebs on this sucker. So if this reaches you in fine shape, wow man. Kudos to you for checking your junk mail, your old email, or clicking on the blogdrive link by chance. I just wanted to see if this old blog klunker was still tickin.

First I hope this finds you well. Things with me have been on full throttle for quite some time....again. LoL. Well in the Fall, about five thousand viruses ate me alive making me sick for more than six weeks.  The whole convalesence thing was prolonged because of all the things I was involved in. Then the holidays came. I made myself chill from all activity. The month of January came and went very quietly. There was talk of getting involved in some things but I kept to myself knowing that I'd eventually get back into stuff. Then Kaboom came February and a bunch of musical and artistic projects started to flood through. So I bit the Acting bug. We just finished up Dancer in the Dark, where I played a small role as a prison guard that walked the lead charcter to her death. If you're thinking, hey that title seems familiar. The play is an adaptation of the art film of the same title staring Bjork. Very dark movie. I still haven't seen it. The cool thing with this play is that the guys had a 10 piece orchestra involved to perform the score for this project. I'm not so much a theatre kind of person, so the acting thing was like trying to put on a pink dress or something. But when my friends Mike and Dan approached me on this particular role they were smart. I was drunk. LoL. And like most ideas seem when you're drunk, I agreed thinking no biggie. Then the sobriety came. I woke up with the memory then started to do the familliar klp overthinking situation. Finally a friend said, did you ever consider the fact that it might be....Fun?

WTF.  Fun. Really. I had to think about that one. So on came the rehearsals, and the media drama to promote, the offstage dramas that ensued. I wanted to challenge myself in a way that normally would make me fell all uncomfortable and pissy like. Acting. Baby steps to world domination. It was a bit role, but it was a role that was enough for me to handle with work, the radio show and this writing project I've been working on. Always got to keep things at least tenfold and stressful. This is the link to see who was in the play:

Dancer in the Dark

So what now? Well what isn't going on...I'm planning for two major shows in the late spring early summer. There is this really amazing and open minded culture developer from the City of Kitchener that is willing to hear me out on this crazy ideas that I've got going on in my head. I'm working on a writing piece to enter into this writing project to win a spot in this Canadian Anthology of new writers. And in April...Dudes! We're going to NYC and Boston! Woo Woo! I'm jumping in the Languid Lotus Project Mobile to head down there with them as they go on the road for a five day adventure of performing grooves and poetry. There's even talk of putting me on the stage to perform a piece or two. Life Checklist item #13532515...perform poetry in NYC. The writing bug has really bit me as of late too. I have a friend here who is starting a zine for her independent record label and Stacer is returning back from Scotland where we're talking about her zine as well.

The radio show is going strong and crazy. I've been inviting more and more guests to come in to perform live. More friends are dropping in for interviews that keep me at the station until the wee hours of the morning. So the want to find things to do is never enough, but the time to do it...I'm still searching for that 25th hour.

Patches and I are getting along these days. Although, I came home from the play the other night and she had ripped the sheer drapes from the living room down. She pushed over some potted plants and she's been giving me these looks.

The..." You bitch" kind of looks. I deserve it. This apartment is in serious need of some lovin'.

Speaking of which....

I should get going onto the next mission. I know I've said this before, but come visit me here...

KLP Sideshow on Myspace

That's where I spend most of th Dougie Howser time. Eventually this blog will close down and I will just be checking into Myspace.

I hope y'all are good. GIRLS WHORE weekend is coming up next weekend. I can't wait to bust it.

Love,

klp

The quiet days are here. A lot of the shows, gigs, projects are done for the year. Some things are coming up in the Spring, but I probably won't get moving on those planning stages until the new year. Thank you so much to everyone that came out to the Boathouse on Friday. Pictures are coming soon. It was the best of all my worlds. Many of the work gang came out, including Boots who was more drunk that I can fondly be proud of. Wow...whew. What a whirlwind of events as of late.

There were the multiple Boathouse Languid Lotus shows, poetry nights, live to airs, studio B sessions, the Faustus play, the Boom awards and then the birthday show with Languid and Rabble Rouzzer.  Rabble Rabble. And most of these events occurred during my Plague-Strep Throat, Bronchitis, Laryngitis, Crazynitis. Mamadrivingmenutsitus.

 Gidge said last night, I'll believe you're taking a break when I see it. Ok. So there's ONE more thing I gotta do before the New Year. A few new friends have formed a Musical Theatre Collective called Apollo Ink. The grand opening of this beautiful madness is on Dec 29 in downtown Kitchener. I'm not sure what I was asked to do as I was asked while inebriated. I know I committed to something. LoL. But that's IT.

Princess week was amazing. Lots of reading, snoozing, going out for tea, sitting on couches and having amazing conversations, more snoozing, bubble baths, being home long enough to light candles and still be home when they spout out. I can totally get used to this. But alas, back to work tomorrow. I've been eating fresh pineapple and watching horror movies all day. I thought about going out, then I thought...that would require pants.

So thank you thank you thank you everyone. Oh, and to the "Whores." I haven't forgotten about girls weekend. You mom already called. Guess what she said....LOL.

Rock and Roll.

Hey hey. My apologies.

Would y'all believe I've been sick for more that five weeks now? At first it was rock on because I was able to take a few sicks days here and there. It went from bronchitis to strep throat to right now being the problem of breathing through my nose. Don't get me wrong, I had a few days on occassion over the month of October where I was cool. But then the evil creepies would sneak up and throw down. I blame myself partially, it's been an exceptional month. Right after the Pink Fatales show at the end of September, I think my body was saying Whoa. The month of October went onward and gone as we engaged in various live to airs, doing commercials at the station, linking up with other campus stations such as the Condor and CFRU, my dad's retirement/birthday party, the monster production of Faustus, to this very moment-waking up to review script in a few hours for the Sonic Boom Awards next Friday. In addition of course to work, life and battles with Captain Grayskull.

I wonder why they never called She-Ra: Princess of Power.... She-Man: We're afraid of people assuming She-Man would be associated with ambiguous but possible lesbian butch like man but in a dress to show distinction. And instead of a white horse with wings She Man could have dawned a megaphone and doc boots. Fists in the air. Sigh.

As you can see y'all, I'm feeling....better. I've got control of my right nostril again and  the left is looking promising. November is again a write off as this month proves to be rockin, but I'm totally chilling over the winter season from planning/helping in anymore gigs or having packed radio shows. Riggghhhht, you say. Well, it's at least a goal. Well look at that I'm already misleading. Over the winter months I'll be planning a show for March 2007. I'm calling it. Move to Define: Beautiful Queendom. A concert dedicated to awareness of Womens' Rights. Pussy Power strikes again. My goal is to make this one fuckin rock the city. I've been quietly assembling a team of amazing and inspiring women from this city to battle with me.

November has begun...Nov 10.CKMS' First Sonic Boom Awards-celebrating radio hosts and local artists at Fed Hall. Nov.16-18 Sister Coral has her production: The Kindness of Strangers. Nov 25 Kw Hab's Christmas Party!!! I'll start drinking water now. Dec 1-Boathouse show with Languid Lotus and Rabble Rouzer. Details and the like can be found at myspace where I've been spending more time at:

KLP Sideshow on Myspace

The radio show itself has been going strong guys. Still bringing me sanity despite all the drama that can go down. It does seem like things are crazy busy, they are for sure, but any chance I get I'm actually in my pjs sleeping. Sigh.

Meghan, Bubs, Janine, Heidi and I all went on our traditional haunted hayride down in Welland again. The BARN OF BAD DREAMS. As always, KICK ASS. Darkness, screaming, groping, moaning, blood, chainsaws, monsters...sounds like a typical night for you? Lol. It was awesome.

Well, come visit me at myspace, that's where I am in the late nights, early mornings these days. I hope things are well with all of you.

See you sooner than later. I'm on the mend.

KLP

I was talking on the phone with a friend and playing with the setting on my lighter. And I almost took out my eyebrows. Flame thrower is alive! Wow. Anyhow. Once again in the late evening wrapped up in a blanket still sick and eating Casaba cake with some raspberry tea. Beautiful leftoevers from a flip weekend. I cannot stress enough how much I love night time in autumn. Smells like fireplaces, leaves, pumpkins and great conversations. Back in Niagara I was in the front of the house with a million little ones raking leaves. Imagine a bunch of little ones all throwing leaves at me and finally tackling me to the ground. As I'm sitting there defeated and being wrestled I hear my name being yelled out from the street. I look up to see a my childhood best friend jumping out of the car. Just recently we were reunited after years and years of losing contact. He was also another person who "googled" and found me with the station. I tell you of good things or bad, more awesome things have happened since the show has taken off. Anyway I visited him up in Toronto where he is now a while back but haven't seen him for a while. But it has been years since we both stood in our old neighbourhood together. We decided it was probably since grade eight. And the next generation of kids all around us. Throwing leaves at me. I've taught them well. Pick up the leaves and throw them on the neighbour's lawn. Also nothing has changed when it comes to Thanksgiving at my house. The driveway packed with cars, even more lining the streets. The fucking karoke machine on high, multiple rounds at the buffet table, people drinking inside and out and me...with all the kids. Someone else could be in charge of all the little devils and they still follow me. Sigh. More or less hanging off my legs. I could be telling them they were all adopted, it doesn't matter. So my lovely friend and I  were out there taking our heads back to when our hair was different, when bikes were our "cars" and raising hell meant breaking curfew. When I think about it, it had been more than thirteen years since we were standing infront of my parents house talking shit. Where would we be in the next thirteen years?

Crazy mind trip. He left to continue on to his family dinner as I returned back to the mess of leaves all over the lawn. There's no official dinner time at our house. It's dinner...all day. With siestas and going to the casino as a break. So I'm sitting there as about four or five children of the corn were playing with the dreads and inserting flowers in them. Sounds cool? Yea...it's awesome to put near dead flowers in medusa's mane. I knew it was getting late when the karoke machine started the beginning of Stairway to Heaven. Puta Madre. This is my family. Then the teenagers of our family come over and its time to put the little ones to bed. I'm the only existing family member in their twenties still coming home to the family. And I always will. Being in the generation limbo is nuts.

There is one tradition in the family and culture that still puts me in my place as not an adult. The Blessings. When you enter or when you are in the presence of elders you ask for Blessings. We do this by bowing our heads and taking the dominant hand of the elder and bringing it to your forehead. You simply say "Bless" and wait for their nod. What you are really saying is, " Give me the wisdom."  Pure humbling of where you are in life. Again sounds cool. Imagine a room of about forty elders. Sore neck man. Sore. The younger ones got it down. They don't even raise their heads anymore, they just reach for hands. Until the little ones get to me is hilarious. They're not sure whether to ask for Blessings or bite my kneecaps. Thanksgiving- throw leaves at her. Christmas. Throw snowballs. Easter-Where the hell are the chocolate bunnies A'te Kristylee?

At some point in the evening, mama starts bragging about how her baby girl leads two lives. One in Human Services, the other as a " Rad-jo hostess."  A million questions and all I can say is, " It's jus fun." I usually bow out and grab some wine and head to the garage. Turn on the CBC and read. This time I pulled out a beautiful book I've been reading called "Babyan" an anthology of Filipina authors. Babyan translates from the Bisayan dialect meaning " Poet-Priestess". I'm in a relaxed bliss, realizing that my family is actually awesome despite the regular dramas that unfold like in any other family. As I'm reading this book I started to think about how I come from a long generation of Babayan women in our family. They are all survivors of amazing lives. Someday I will write about all of them. It's an odd relationship. Often I am limitted to just watching in awe instead of conversing, asking questions. I was raised in the generation of "only speak when you are spoken to". It doesn't occur like this anymore, obviously since the boldness of the little ones have them feeling confidence to take me down. The oldest in the house at that time is my A'te Lucing. She is the only link I have to my mother's elders. I watched my mother ask for Blessings from this woman. I've never been able to witness such a spiritual affirmation before. Imagine the women who has kicked your ass all these years ask for humbling from her elder. Serious guys.

Well, the karoke and drinking continued. Except the teenagers took it over. So from my darlings all I would hear is " Dude what is that 'the used" song again?" or " They got Blink 182!"  I think I lost my gut laughing as my baby girls started doing their own rendition of  :" Hey Ya!" by Outkast.  No, as much as I wanted to, I didn't take part too much. Again, just soaking it all in. Mama and my dad have been so sick these days. Most of the older family took off to the casino for the night, the younger ones all now tucked away on any availble bed, couch or floor. As it being only midnight, the teenagers continued their evenings elsewhere. I helped to tidy up and prepare the house for Round two. Filipino parties don't end, they just take some reprieve. Eventually near dawn most would come back from the casino and pass out whereever.  Then do it all over again on Sunday.

Well now its Monday evening. I'm back in KW chilling, still aiding to my cold, talking on the phone, sending emails, confirming link ups for the week and getting back to reality. I just wanted to share with y'all what I am thankful for. I hope you all had a good weekend. Back on track for preparing for the Sonic Booms and even more frivolity.

Peace and :"Blessings"

Mahal.

KLP

It has been interesting around the city lately. Living in a town dominated by two universities and a major college has plagued every traffic oriface with u-hauls and budget trucks. It wasn't too long ago when I joined in on the craze. Even driving out of niagara I followed a long line of suvs'  with luggage on top heading into brock university. Part of me is jealous, missing the excitement of a new phase in life. Though much is occurring and I've been busier now then other times in my life...I'm wanting a new phase. What comes after university? A job, no doubt. Marriage? Families? Enlightement? Where the hell do I belong? I fail to accept any major responsibilities-especially of other lives. I can't do it. But I miss the feeling of going into something brand spankin' new.

I remember driving into the cul de sac at St. Jeromes. Completely fucking mortified. Then doused with super and irratating enthusiasm from frosh leaders. I didn't know a damn soul. When my mom was leaving the parking lot I felt like screaming..." Wait!!! Just joking, get me the hell out of here!"

Instead I found myself sitting in a circle with others like me, sheep herded and squised together for an "ice breaker" activity of making bracelets to identify us as "Frosh". The girl next to me could not stop looking at me, and then finally asked if I came from a gang.

Lol. I miss those times. When I looked bad ass. Now I kind of feel like a flabby ass.

Then came the point for those next few years when all I wanted was to get the hell out.

You know it's kind of like when you have curly hair, you want straight. When you have straight hair you want to have a buck wild afro. Or maybe that's just me.

Now I'm out, and want elsewhere. Clarity never lasts long. Like my apartment. It was so super clean here a few days ago. Truly representing my head. Then it slowly came in parts. The sink is filled with dishes but I haven't eaten a meal here for days. The bed stopped being made every day. The empty laundry bin now has a trail that leads from persia to rome. Has anyone seen the cat?

Today I went on a lovely trip to the Elora village. I like little shops with the funky stuff. I especially love little shops with funky stuff when I have absolutely no agenda and a little bit of spending cash. Lately, I've been throwing out stuff from the apartment and getting back to feeling a little more simple. So I kept focusing on these curly tall twigs. They were in all the stores. You see them in tall vases in corners. I particularly became fond of some that were spray painted a bright green. I kept ignoring them because I refused to pay twenty dollars for twigs. And then I saw this purple vase. For ten bucks. Then I saw some bigger cooler twirly twigs for thirteen dollars. Yes that's right. I walked around the Elora village with bright green twigs and that purple vase.

Infact when I returned home I rearranged my living room so that my purple vase and green twings would look awesomeness. I put little lights around it, put some bamboo sticks in that were hiding in a corner. And now I'm listening to Harvest Moon. Smile. I also bought sunflowers and have them sitting in the front window. My head feels just fine. I kept walking in and out of cool stores until my feet said...damn. I was quite content with myself.

At one point I sat by a bed of tall sunflowers and a shopkeeper came out of his shop to say hello. I smiled and he told me to follow him to this particular sunflower. " Look at this, a flower within a flower. Everything is crazy in Elora." I looked at what he was talking about. I saw this crazy huge sunflower and right in the center, another sunflower was growing. The charm of this little village was killing me. I saw this "For Rent" sign in a window above a shop called "Pariscope"...everything from Paris. I went so far as to inquire and learned that in order to rent the apartment you had to rent the apartment you had to rent a shop too. I sighed and continued on my way. There goes that.My feet were  really killing me. Flip Flops are not the way to go at all for long walks.

I liked Elora muchly. No doubt, I'll probably head back there soon. For now I've got to jet and get back to more chillin'.

See y'all soon.

KLP

This morning Monkey says to me.....

" Don't you blog anymore??"

I felt the whine, the big eyes, the en francais stare. I've been meaning to get back here and chill. A million excuses and none that are reasonable. So here I am, a thousand and one apologies plus a spanking.

What has been going on the last few months....hmmm. Man, I can't even think back to last week. I'll be Frank, you be Joe Cool. My head kind of exploded for a while. Kaboom. Pieces went everywhere, and I left them where they were. After the smoke cleared I was still standing but only had enough in me to function without really living. It's not a fun place to be, but as a creative soul told me..." People who think big eventually explode, then need time to gather more ammunition to be such a think tank again." Wowee, that sounds right. Dave Chapelle left to Africa, I locked myself up in my apartment and rented his dvds.

Work up to a few days ago was extremely unstable, family problems were leaving me with headscreams, the wonder of what my role was in Street Hop Session kind of left me in a daze. So I made myself Time out. I trust myself completely to know when to stand up.

After a while, I started to come back. And it started in my apartment. Drop the pants. Exhale. Pull out the garbage bags. Piece by piece I started throwing crap out. Went into every closet and started throwing things out that I had kept in for so many years. The bags kept piling up. Dusting the shelves, washing the windows, scrubbing the floor. Relighting the candles. Let the light in girl. Fixed the kitchen faucet, scrub the toilet. Patches was elated.

Wash the goddamn dishes.

Next was going after the music collection. CDs were piling up everywhere, Patch successfully knocked all of them down. Hundreds of cds were in every oriface of this place. Some I hadn't even taken out of the package. That took a couple of days. Now everything is neatly organized in binders and baskets. I finally bought a stand for my beloved dusty guitar.

After a few days I became horribly obsessed with cleaning. Each night I would come home and scrub the kitchen and bathroom down, search high and low for cat fur tumbleweeds.

During this time, a little miracle happened. I got an email from someone I hadn't seen or spoken to in almost eight years. He had fallen into a dark spot and then slowly disappeared. Over the years, I thought of him often but had no idea where to begin to find him. Little did I know that he was thinking the same of me. One day he googles me online and found me through the station. Next thing I know, I'm in Little Italy in Toronto and I'm embracing my childhood best friend. We're eating vodka rigatoni and drinking stella beers. We're telling each other of mutual head explosions over the years. All of a sudden, I'm not as bad as it seems. He tells me that I'm one of the few people in his life that truly mattered. I stayed in Toronto a few more days with Shazzer and Drew. Walking down Yonge and taking the subways, eating at ridiculousy swanky dives, laughing again. I started to forgive myself more and more. Feeling safe.

I hadn't realized up to that point, how much I truly needed to feel grounded. Fierce independence can make you so isolated...you don't realize you're fighting so hard, knocking walls down only to remember you still need something around you.

I found myself constantly on the road, driving out on all the highways. I'm always going and leaving. I told a friend last night, it's still hard to leave. The moon was awesome last night though. It was huge. The stars were amazing. I suppose this too is another phase in my life, the highway. Next time you're out driving on one, try to be conscious of where it is that you are going...you'll find yourself in a mindtrip of memories. It's an amazing space of thinking that we should do more of. I found myself again out there.

Talk to y'all soon.

KLP

It's that standstill. After an explosion of occurrence. Blink, breathe, move in anticipation. Then reality. I'm typing away then turning to look around the apartment. Jesus. Weeks of chaos show itself all around me. Though, I'm still laughing and functioning. I will be aiiet.

When you tell yourself not to think about something, it's redundant. So I keep thinking, no Street Hop right now you. Regroup, chill and just ride the wave. The emails are coming, ideas are being  put out there, people want to jump on board. And I be like....pfffffffffffftttttt. Sizzle. Zap. Kaploey. I love that word.

There is lots to think about as we put ourselves out there and we're getting a definite response. I'm hopeful. The question is balance right? As SH grows, my realities are raising their hands. Attention to work, friends and family has been minimized to what was functional so that I could focus my energy to all that has been going on. I see now that things have no sign of slowing down at this pace and I can feel my health saying....

" Bitch, ain't no way y'all gonna do all of that and expect me to treat you right."

That's right the elements within me have their own voices. Welcome to the group. So the last few days I've been weighing the pros and cons of it all. Back when this was all just a contemplation, I anticipated this happening, knowing myself. So now we're dealing.

Other than that, everything else is well. I did a gig hosting the KW's multicultural festival and that went damn awesomeness too. I got to eat baklava and jerk chicken all in one place man. I think with all the things going on, I've noticed my comfort level with the mic and stage. Before I had to take a breather and then go. Now, it just is. So much that a friend just asked me to do a walk on part for a tennessee williams play. But that is another story.

I just wanted to check in with y'all.

Talk soon,

KLP