Day Sixteen

Work work work (that is where I work).

Working kinda sucks a lot.

Granted, I've had a couple jobs that weren't too bad, the one I have now for instance, but I've also had jobs that I have absolutely abhorred. For example, in the summer of 2004 I got hired at Bulkbarn as a store clerk. I was in charge of refilling the bins, cleaning the god forsaken all natural peanut butter tubs, and mopping the stupid floor. It should be illegal to only pay someone minimum wage to do that type of job. The worst part about it was that Wednesday was the only day I would get a discount. Lucky for me Wednesday was already senior and student discount day. Grrr. I don't think I could ever work there again, even if they offered me $15 an hour, and if they allowed me to eat as much candy as I wanted. It was simply the most unfulfilling way to spend a summer ever.

I'm so glad that I have my job, even it only pays $8.51 an hour. The amount of things I've about photography and the hands on experience that I've gained are immeasurable. Sometimes after I've worked for eight hours, I will stay for an extra five or six, just so that I can play with cameras and photoshop till my fingers bleed. If I could take pictures and photoshop for the rest of my life I probably would.

In other news, there are only 34 days until we leave for Europe!

Cheers,

Patio

Day Fifteen

Today was a weird day. I don't feel like typing, so it will be short and in point form.

-Slept in until 12:00pm.
-Went to work for 2:00.
-UPEI closed at 3:00.
-Hung out in the SU offices and made up funny/dumb awards to give out to council members at the banquet.
-Bought a lot of stuff off of cheapamericanapparel with Sam Younis.
-Watched Carver and Justin play drums/DJ. Kinda cooool.
-Drove around a cooler om wheels :S.
-Ate sweet eats at East Side Mario's with Carver, Sarah, Justin, Jesse, Shawn, Sam, and a bunch of people I've never met.
-Came home.

UPEI shouldn't open tomorrow; I'd like that.

Cheerio,

Pat

Day Fourteen

*Sigh of relief*

Just finished off all of my assignments for the year. All I have left is a philosophy paper due the 8th, an accounting exam on the 9th, and a stats exam on the 14th. Then I am home freee.

The last few days have been so incredibly warm and sunny, but apparently we are supposed to get some pretty shitty weather in the next couple of days. I'm hoping that it'll force me to get some of my paper done, but I know I will just use it as an excuse to sleep. Whatever though, I deserve it.

The last student council meeting of the year was tonight. It lasted way too long, over 3 hours, but it wasn't all bad. I got some Shinerama business out of the way, and I kinda got excited at the idea of going back to UPEI next year. Kate got the Job as Cadre Editor, Jillian got the job as Chair of council, and there is a fun job open as an events and promotions coordinator that I might apply for.

As shitty as this weekend was, it was pretty great.

Arrivederci,

Patrick

Day Thirteen

To quote the movie Dennis the Menace, "This is my buddddddy, this is my pallll."

In other news; today ruled.

I awoke around 11:00 to a text from Darrah and Salmy wondering if I was going to the market. They kindly picked me up and we went and met up with Jeff'm, Katie, and Little Buddy. We got delicious food (I was a fatty and got a beansprout and havarti sandwich, 2 veggi-samosas, ginger beer, and a chocolate croissant), we talked, and we laughed at Darrah getting hit in the head with a champagne cork the night previous, hah.

Afterward, I went home to hangout with a pile of homework, only to get bored with it after finishing two assignments. I then spent most of the rest of the day outside in the newly discovered sun. Where did it come from?! While out there I decided to ghetto rig my camera, Lomography style, by hooking up a wideangle adapter to a 17-55mm lens. bahaha. It turned out great; it will be perfect for bringing to Europe in may.

Throughout my life I have been a night owl, it is rare that I ever get to be before 2-3am, even on school nights (I'm a badass, I know). And I seem to get more done between the hours of 11pm-2am than I can when the sun is up. This is when I do most of my paper writing, photoshopping, blogging, etc. So I came up with a fool proof plan to capture my peak productive hours, while remaining awake and refreshed. I would nap from 7:30-11:30 and then wake up and finish my assignment. Boo ya. Great nap too, I had a dream that I was a photographer for the whitehouse, and I got all my friends to come down and have a sweet party with Barack. If only dreams came true :'( haha

Cheers,

Patio

Day Twelve

This is Annie, she's been a loyal friend of mine since we brought her home in 2001. She is part Boxer, and to my mothers dismay, part Pitbull. She looks exactly like Backup from veronica mars whenever she has her mouth open! She sounds tough as nails, but she is a big baby. She was found abandoned in a dumpster as a puppy, luckily, somebody brought her to the AVC, and they fixed her right up. My Aunt works their and called dibs, and we took her home a couple days later.

She was our first family pet, and I honestly don't know what we would have done without her. I mean, I love my family and all, but we aren't the closest family to ever exist. Around the time that we got her I remember our family being kind of distant from each other. It was probably just because I was 13 and was trying to be my bad-ass self (H), but whatever it was, our family seemed to be missing something. I had my lame poppunk music, Dad had his golf, Mom had her cooking, and will had his new cool friends. We didn't have anything in common that could bring us together. Annie fixed this. When she came along she was the center of attention, and she has been ever since. I'm not sure what would have become of our family had she not come along. Frankly, I don't really want to know, because I know we've never been closer, we've never been healthier, and we've never been happier.

Adios,

Patrick

Day Eleven

A shimmer of hope on a gloomy day.

I don't have a lot of time for an update tonight, as I am chest deep in business plan, but I think I will be up all night, so a little break couldn't hurt right? Right.

Today was pretty psfsadfg, but it had its moments. Lunch was fun; I especially liked when we were plotting ways to turn Schurman Square in MacDougal Hall into a place to host sweet dance parties. Honestly though, if the Dean can host sweet parties (ours would be better) there why can't we? She/he doesn't pay to go there. Pfft, it'll happen, just you wait. We even scoped out a spot for the DJ booth.

In other more exciting news...I finally got my passport. Boo ya. Our trip to Europe is actually becoming a reality. Hard to believe that in a month and a half I'll probably be somewhere in the UK trying not to get beat up for imitating their sweet accents. Mmm, can't wait.

Also, I suggest everyone look closely at the hologram on their passports. It shows what appears to be a Mountie jousting with a Canadian flag. Patriotic? Badass? Both? Yeahhh, I'd say so.

Cheers friends,

Patio.

Day Ten

Sad morning. Long Day. Good Evening.

This morning we all went to Maid Marian's for breakfast; it was nice. It was our last real chance to hang out with Andie before she left for her Korean adventure, so we had a good time eating and reminiscing. We then brought her to the bus station, and wished her fairwell. Like I said before, I'm going to miss Andie. What a pal.

After Maid's I went home; and then shortly after I caught the bus to UPEI. I spent my day photoshopping at work 'till my heart was content. Then, stressin' about school work, I decided to finish up my presentation. At 4:30 I moseyed over to the business building to give it. Honestly, I think it went well, but really I am just glad to get some of my work out of the way. I can't wait until April 14th. Then begins my favourite part of the year. No school, very little work, and the weather is just right. All I will have to worry about is what we are going to do once we get to Europe. It's gonna be sweeeeet. The 14th may be less than 20 days away, but it feels like a yeaarrrr. bah.

Oi!

Now I'm at Laura's, watching Lost, and being hungry. I haven't eaten since breakfast, so i think I will raid Laura's fridge.


Cheers,

PPaattiioo.

Day Nine

Laura = cupcake.

I am a terrible student. It is 12:00am and I am just starting work on my presentation for tomorrow's (today's :S) class. Actually, that is a lie. I am updating my blog. Zut alors. I spend all of my time taking pictures, working, and updating this blog. I really don't have time for school. I am taking this as another sign that I shouldn't be going to university right now.

In other news, I got offered three photography jobs today. Two of them are for one couple. They want engagement pictures, and wedding photos done this summer. They sound like fun! The only reason I am contemplating doing the wedding pictures is because they already told me they aren't too worried about how they turn out. They don't have much money to spend, so they don't want a professional, so they aren't expecting top notch super quality. Just some casual wedding photos. I like this because, I am getting all the experience, but without the stress of doing actual wedding photos. The other job is for graduation photos; I think I will be able to pull them off pretty easily.

Anyway, it's about time I get to work. I'm meeting Andie and co. at Maid Marian's in five hours for Andie's goodbye breakfast. It will be both delicious and sad.

Cheers,

Patio.

Day Eight

Christabelle, K-ranks, and D-Babes hanging with their apples in the Modern Languages lounge. Darrah was the only one smart enough to eat hers though.

Today was a pretty boring day. I didn't really have the energy to do anything after driving all last night, so I called into work this morning to tell them I wouldn't be there and then curled up in bed to sleep the morning away. I ended up going to school around 1:00 to catch my philosophy class and do a bit of homework. This worked out well because right after my class I ended up running into Chris, Darrah, Katie and Tristan in the Modern Languages lounge. Its such a nice little cozy room, and it always provides for some relaxing and entertaining hangouts. The few times that I've hung out up there have been great. They usually involve embarrassing stories, sweet music(Joel P, Born Ruffians, nsync, etc), and good friends.

These are the sort of things that I should try not to take for granted. Sure, it seems like an ordinary afternoon, but these are the sort of moments that make my day. They are carefree, take no effort to appreciate, and they are definitely the sort of thing you miss when they're gone.

I think things would be better for everyone if people would stop to smell the roses more often and realize just how lucky we are to have what we do.

Ciao,

Patrique.

Day Seven

This afternoon I was asked by Jeff and Connor to take pictures of their Organizational Behaviour group; for some sort of presentation they were working on. It was actually a lot more fun than it sounds. The one above is a picture of Jeff climbing the corporate ladder of success. There were also pictures of him being fired, finding out his wife was pregnant, and one of him ballin' like Kanye with loads of Monopoly Money.

After taking pictures we spent the afternoon trying to round up enough people to drive to Sackville to see The Weakerthans, again. Luckily, we found just enough people, with about 15 minutes to spare. Once the van was gassed up and snacks were bought, Jeff'm, Mallory, Jen, Connor, Mikey, Steve Brown and I left town at about 6:15. We spent the drive eating food and laughing at how ridiculous the Confederation Bridge radio station is. Seriously, next time you drive over the bridge, change the radio to 93.9FM. Jeff'm said it best: "It's like a radio station with ADD." Once we got out of range of Confederation Bridge Radio we set our sights on Sackville, and wondered if we would be able to get tickets or not. We called ahead earlier and they told us that there were roughly 20 tickets available at the door and that doors would be opening at 8:30.

We arrived at around 8:15 to see a line of people standing at the door to George's. Fearing the worst, we ran to the line just in time to fill the last 20 or so spots. We bought our tickets, and then headed to Mel's Tea House. We ate some delicious greasy food and Mikey performed some sweet magic tricks. While we were there we ran into Jess Palmer and Willie McQuaid, that was pretty great as well. Feeling content, we headed back to the show around 10:00, just in time to see Rebekha Higgs play. She was great, her music was awesome and she was a babe too. The Constantines played next, and they put on another good show, but I was more entertained by Jeff, Jen and Mallory trying to build a damn to protect themselves from the drink the lead singer carelessly spilt on the stage. Nothing could prepare me for the next set. Even though it was our second time seeing The Weakerthans in two days, I couldn't help but be blown away. The venue was so much more intimate than the night before. We were right up front, the stage was much lower than the wave, and we could pretty much reach out and touch John K Samson. We got him to sing a song from Anne of Green Gables (he is a big fan apparently), coerced him into playing My Favourite Power Chords, and Steve Brown actually got to go on stage and play a solo with his guitar. It was incredible.

After having our minds blown for the second night in a row we decided it was about time we called it a night and hit the snow covered, windy, sketchy road back to Charlottetown. Arriving just after 4:30am.

It was a great night/early morning.

Cheers,

Patio.

Day Six

I first heard The Weakerthans in the fall of 2003 when my friend Caitlin sent me a song off of their then new album Reconstruction Site. I fell in love with that CD, and I have long since fallen for the rest of their albums, especially Left & Leaving. I can safely say, without a doubt, that they are my favourite band. There are a few bands that nearly beat them out, but The Weakerthans have earned their spot at the top. There is something special about them that I can't quite put my finger on. I think it is mainly the lyrics that get me, every song seems to tell a story and the way John sings them is amazing. Over the past five years I have missed out on several opportunities to see them live, coming soooo close, but my plans always fell through. So, you could understand my excitement when I found out they were going to be playing in Charlottetown 5 days after my birthday. I had never been more excited to see a band play in my life. Going into the show I knew that no matter how awful they were I wouldn't be disappointed, but I must say, without being biased, that it was one of the best shows I have ever witnessed. The set list was incredible, the band played incredibly well, and the crowd was fantastic. Except for the one guy that punched me in the eye, but he was a douche, and I didn't let that bother me. Nothing could have ruined that set. Hopefully, if all goes well, I may get to see them tomorrow night in Sackville. That would rule.

As for the guy that punched me, I'm not really sure what happened there. One minute I was singing along to Plea from a Cat Named Virtue, and the next there was a guy being a drunken dolt to Mallory, Jeremy, and Jen. He kept running into them and singing in their faces. I told him to cool his jets, but instead he just got right up in my face and pinched my neck really hard, and then went on about how he wanted to taste my tinny blood :S. To be fair, it was a lyric from the song, but he kept repeating it to the point where it was creepy as fuckkkkk. I then told him to eff off, and to leave us alone, because we wanted to watch the show. Instead of being a nice guy, he decided to put his hand in front of the lens of my camera in order to further prove how much of an idiot he was. At this point I was furious, and being the rebel rouser I am, I told him to fuck off once more. Then out of nowhere he punched me in the eye; nearly breaking my glasses. As quick as he was being dragged out by security, I was back to watching my favourite band playing one of my favourite songs. I would also like to point out how much I appreciate all of my friends jumping in to defend my honour, haha, it was pretty swell. Especially Woodsie, who punched an 'iceberg' (snowbank) in my defence. Heroes, the lot of you.

All in all it was a great and very memorable night. I will never forget the first time I saw the Weakerthans or the first time I got punched in the face.

Goodnight,

Patrick

Day Five

Tonight at Ceder's we had a little going away dinner for a friend. She made a blog entry about me, so I thought it would only be fair to make one for her too. Above is a picture of a picture (favourite one I could find on Facebook) of my friend Andie Bulman. She is heading off to Korea to teach English and I am going to miss her a lot.

I met Andie through Katie and Darrah, I think sometime around the start of the fall semester. We both seemed to be really good friends with them, but I remember thinking that it may be weird when we all hang out, because we didn't know eachother. I was very wrong. In the short time that I've known her, she has grown to be a really good friend. She has been a confidant, provided a lot of exposure to my photos (Check it out!), and she has never failed to make me laugh. She is witty, dorky, and has lost so many debit cards that you can't help but chuckle. She has also tried to set me up with a few girls. Partly to be a good friend, but also to live vicariously through me while she missed her boyfriend at sea, haha. Even if her attempts were unsuccessful, the effort was still appreciated. In closing, Andie rules, and things definitely won't be the same without her!

Cheers Andie! Have a safe trip.


Patrick

Day Four

These pictures were a lot of fun to take, even if I swore a lot, and nearly froze to death. Thanks again Danielle, Jeff'm, and Andie.

I love photography; I don't think I have ever been so enthralled by anything else. It is the only real art that I have been able to really sink my teeth into. Throughout my life I have been interested in the arts and I have tried my hand at a lot of different forms, though I was never very skilled at any of them. I never really learned how to draw, I got bored with the clarinet, and I was never that great of a writer. I don't have the greatest attention span either, so it never took me long to move on after I failed at one of these things. Photography is different though, it came to me quickly, and it has been able to keep my attention more than anything else, ever. I think that is what makes the distinction between a hobby and a passion. Something that you truly enjoy doing, and can never possibly grow tired of.

I find myself contemplating my existence at UPEI a lot lately. As much fun as I've had meeting people and being a university student, I feel as though my passions lie elsewhere, and that maybe university just isn't for me. I think it is about time that I start working towards something I truly enjoy doing.

Adios,

Patrick

Day Three

In general, bars kinda suck: they smell, they are expensive, and stupid drunk people tend to flock to them. That being said, when I'm one of those stupid drunk people, bars can rule. A lot. Last night was no exception.

Lost, wine, Laura's house, artsy short-films, sweet friends, and fun dairyqueen adventures made for a fun start to the evening. The first two made for a semi confusing evening, but that's ok, I'll forgive them. This was followed by a trip Hunter's to see Mardeen with Katie, Andie, Little Buddy, and James. There weren't too many people there, but the stranger/awesome-person ratio was incredible. This provided for a lot of laughs, fun dancing/singing, and sufficient enough embarrassment. As for the music, Mardeen (seen above via my sweeet cameraphone), were pretty great. It wasn't the greatest set I've ever seen them play, but nothing was going to stop me from enjoying it (even the news that I lost the UPEISU election). The show was followed by an extremely hilarious trip to China Garden with Jcam, Brenton, and Behn. This was filled with nerd talk, hilarious alchemy quotes, and hj's under the table from ~Bwenton~. Kidding?

One thing that I love about bars, is there ability to connect people. Its great how you can see a person you haven't talked to in years and hangout/talk like it was a regular thing. Whether its a friend from elementary school or an old coworker, there are no weird boundries that prevent you from hanging out and having a good time. I guess this could be said about any situation where there are alcohol and people, but I find it happens at bars all the time.

Cheers,

Patio.

Day Two

My name is Patrick and I am Irish, but I find it hard to dig the 17th of March. Don't get me wrong, St. Patrick seemed like a cool enough guy, even though the legend about snakes is so much cooler than what he actually did, but there is just something about the day that stops me from wanting to celebrate. I really don't know what caused me to dislike it. It might have been the overabundance of green streamers/balloons present at my birthdays, or because some kid called me a leprechaun back in elementary school. I'm not sure what happened, but it did the trick. I only remember going to a St. Patrick's Day party once, and it stunk. The thing is, I shouldddd like it! Me not liking St. Patrick's Day just doesn't make sense. I love being Irish, I love green, and I love things that share my name. I even like beer and being rambunctious every once in a while. Maybe next year I will reconsider and get crunk off of some green beer. But until then.

Also, I may not have gone out drinking tonight, but I did peel 30lbs of potatoes, that was pretty fuckin' Irish.

Ciao,

Patrick

Day One

Hello,

My name is Patrick Callbeck. Today I turned 21.

Life thus far has been pretty great. Besides breaking both of my arms in grade two, losing some loved ones, and a little heartache, I have no reason to complain. What I will do with the rest of my life is still a mystery, but what I do know is that I have a knack for photography, and a penchant for staying up late. So, I am going to put them to good use.

I figure this year will be life changing, so I have decided to document it.

One picture, one post, everyday.

Boring, or exciting.

Happy, or sad.


Cheers,

Patio.