Back Home and Back To Work!

After 5500 kilometers and temps as high as 40c we are back home in Calgary, and none the worse for wear. The legend of the Jeep Cherokee continues to grow; this time as a mighty puller of heavy U-Haul trailers and one who chuckles at stiff headwinds. As for me, I've had just about enough of these cross-continent labours of love.

Don't get me wrong. I love a good road trip, the operative word being good. Like, for instance, going somewhere fun. With nice scenery, perhaps. Or even pleasant weather. And definitely NOT involving excessive manual labour. Score on this trip: ZERO!

OK, there is maybe an element of satisfaction to factor into the equation. A job well done and all that. Turning a page, finishing a chapter, closing a book. (I think that's the requisite number of literary metaphors for this entry.) Maybe I need to see the bigger picture and look at what's beginning, in the afterglow (and the searing heat) of what's ending.

Tomorrow we will submit our passports to the Canadian government for their issuance of our Landed Immigrant status. All three of us will then be free to work and do most anything here in this great country, save voting or serving in the Canadian Forces. Those privileges are reserved for citizens, and we have a couple years to wait yet. Having Priscilla with us again is a big plus, too. I know we will enjoy having her close by again.

Oh, and one other small detail: I'm going back to work tomorrow. Yes, the nice folks down at Suncor Energy Centre have seen fit to let me resume my previous employment. Fancy that. It will be odd getting up and actually dressing for work again. I'm sure the routine will return quickly, but in some respects I feel like a kid on the first day of school. Hope my new Keds and Toughskin jeans wow the ladies as much as they did back in the day.

So I end today as I started nearly six months ago - embarking on a journey. At present, colour me both contented and determined to face whatever comes next with vigour and a none-too-small dollop of reality. Work is work; important, certainly but not everything. I've picked up a few loose bits of my life that I'd dropped somewhere along the way, and I have no intention of letting them slip away again...

Packing Things Up On The Scene

Thanks to the band Radio 4 for the title of this blog entry.

The last time I drove to this part of the world during the hottest part of the year, I said it was the last time. Well, here we are again. Oklahoma in August. 38C/101F. Ugh...

Sadly, this is not the actual trailer...

But I can at least draw some solace in the fact that this is definitely the last road trip to this part of the world. We've packed our remaining personal effects into a U-Haul trailer and will head north to cooler temperatures and our new life in Canada. Our old life in the States is behind us now, with an air of finality we've only started to comprehend.

For you see, while we were on the road this time, we received word that our permanent residency status in Canada has been approved. All we have to do is send in our passports for the requisite stamps and within a couple of weeks we'll all have new ID cards which will allow us to live and work in Canada without restriction. Priscilla is included in our application, and she'll be joining us later in September.

There are some things we'll miss from this neck of the woods, though. Real barbecue, Shiner Bock and Blue Bell Ice Cream come to mind. But I won't be sad to leave behind the bugs, the heat or the likelihood of death by tornado. Good riddance to those, I must say.

So at the end of it all, things are looking pretty effin' positive as we head back to work in the next week or two. But we still have one last, hot drive to remind us what we leave behind. Oy.

New Blog Launch - UP ALL NIGHT!

Hey there friends and fans. As I spend more time preparing for and reporting on my radio show on CJSW, I've decided to launch a new blog dedicated exclusively to Up All Night. If you're interested in following my adventures in radio, here's the link: http://upallnightcjsw.blogspot.com/

As part of the new blog, I'll be posting news, notes and playlists for my shows, as well as opportunities for music fans to weigh in our favourite artists and submit feedback on show ideas.

So check it out and let me know what you think!

DJ Mark is UP ALL NIGHT on CJSW!

Okay hipsters.  Time to get serious about your late-night radio.

This past Tuesday saw the official "launch" of my new show, Up All Night, on CJSW 90.9 FM here in Calgary. And while some might opine the time slot (2am-6am) is, shall we say, less-than-savoury, I beg to differ.

Sweet logo - special thanks to Haley Em!

For one, it takes a devoted listener (or someone in a friendlier - say European - timezone) to tune in during the wee small hours. No mollycoddling for my fans, no sir. Only the most hardy and hardcore devotees need apply.

Plus, I feel no constraints on my show content. I can play pretty much whatever I damn well please. Old school alternative? Check. New Canadian artists? Check. Jazz, reggae, lounge???  Check, check, and CHECKMATE!  Four hours of nothing but feet-scootin', butt-rockin', sleep-chasin' beats!!!

So, if you've got the chops, check out the show. And if the middle of the night is no good for you during the week (sissy!) I've a limited time only offer for you: This Friday (August 13) from 7am-10am, my pal Kat Lord (host of CJSW's The Jazz Baby) and I will be holding court on the morning airwaves. This is a limited-time offer, so you know we can't do this every day. Not unlike the Slap-Chop. So for the love of all that's good and wholesome, tune in and check us out!!!