I am in England

Been here since Thursday and things have been absolutely splendid! So many adventures already, can't wait to fill you in when I have more time and photos. Right now I'm in some random house of super hyper children about to celebrate New Years. The highlight of my trip so far, you ask? I've searched for years and years around the world and I've finally found people that appreciate my magic tricks!!! I'm never leaving...at least not until they come to appreciate my british accent.

My Connections to Fame Increase

So the other day I'm watching Making The Video and it's on the new single by K-OS called Sunday Morning (click to the video library to watch it).

I kinda like the song so my interest was piqued. As I'm watching they go to the director to get his inside knowledge. I look at his name, "Drew Lightfoot"...huh, that's interesting, I went to high school with a Drew Lightfoot. And then it dawns on me, "Hey! That IS the guy!!!" I figured this guy would be going on to greater things in Hollywood, but I wasn't expecting him to be directing a music video. Turns out he's also worked on some other music videos and did some animation for The Corpse Bride.

I was in a couple plays with Drew. Here we are in The Show Must Go On. He's the one with the moustache. That was a fun play! He also did the lighting and/or sound (can't quite remember) when I was in The Miracle Worker.

So that's one more connection I have to fame. Here's the other:

I also went to high school with Evangeline Lilly from Lost! Wow, I'm so lame...I really need to get a life.

"You're so weird!" Jackie said.

Jackie has reminded me time and time again that I am weird. Sometimes I forget why, but then I come across pictures like this one and it all comes back to me.


For my 22nd birthday my Mom took me and Jackie to Victoria. While there, our cousin Jon joined us for two awesome experiences: The Royal BC Museum and of course, THE WAX MUSEUM!!!!"


They actually had live animals roaming around the building!


Everytime I show this picture to people they always comment, "Who are you giving money to? You can see the closed sign!"


Thanks for ruining my pose Jon...


Those two ladies were surprised when Jackie took the picture just as they turned around.


For the record, that was one of my favorite shirts of all time!


I couldn't quite tell what Columbus was writing.


We stood under the dwarf that best suited our personalities.


I didn't know Walt was so short.


This pic is actually real. I didn't know they still used guillotines in Victoria.


Remarkably, I met Diana and had this picture taken 3 years after she died.

What an incredible time we shared!!! I can't wait to see Robyn's smiling face as we hit the greatest wax museum of all time next week...

Taking Back Sunday-MakeDamnSure

In my old age I am mellowing out more, but I still like good yelling songs.

My Chemical Romance - I'm Not Okay

hmm, interesting content...

Matt Costa - Cold December (Music Video)

Thought I'd post a few songs I've been listening to...

Snow Patrol - It's beginning to get to me

this is from the concert i went to with tyson

Broken Social Scene - Anthems For A 17-Year Old Girl

I am slowly going crazy...

I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted last. I was going to post some pics and talk about some of my previous adventures in life, but I don't have a scanner. So, you'll have to wait until Monday, cause that's when I'm going to visit my Mother, who has a scanner.

In the meantime, I'll just let you all know I think I'm crazy. And here a number of proofs.


Did you know I once hovered in air for approximately 3 seconds?


I also have the ability to control animals with my mind.


I once wrote secret love notes to a girl and signed them "The Dark Avenger" and I actually thought I was being romantic.


Did you know I am addicted to popping my own zits? (click on this picture!)


I am convinced I can beat anyone up in a fight.


If it was socially acceptable I would have pictures of myself all over my house and office like Reggie Mantle.


I still have boxes in the middle of my living room I haven't unpacked (and it's been 7 months since I moved in).

I didn't even mention how absolutely retarded I am when it comes to girls.

On a Side Note...

As I was going through pictures to put on my previous post I came across these two.



Now the funny thing about these pictures is this: They were taken at a Japanese Restaurant in Surrey. You will notice that I am not in these pictures. Not only was I also in that same Japanese Restaurant sitting with those exact same people, but I am also the exact same guy who called that exact same Japanese Restaurant and reserved those exact same seats you see pictured!!! I was also at the Zoo with these folks earlier in the day, but remarkably there is not one picture out there evidencing that fact! And everytime I bring it up no one can even remember I was there. I have come to the conclusion that I do not exist...

I'm going to England!

There are 3 destinations I have wanted to visit for some time: England, New York, and Italy. And I get to fulfill one of those dreams by travelling to the United Kingdom for 2 weeks right after Christmas.


I hope it still looks like this...

I am super excited about this trip...but it won't really hit me until I am on that plane. My good friend Robyn is living there right now and I am excited to have her as my guide. My tendency when travelling is to plan lots in advance, whereas Robyn likes to be more random and spontaneous. Ironically though, this trip I am the laid back one and Robyn has been crazy planning our itinerary and places to go. Click here to read Robyn's take on this...


For many years I have been a huge fan of English culture. I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. From TV I love Red Dwarf, the Office, Scrapheap Challenge, Mr. Bean and Who's Line is it Anyways? And how could you ever top the humour of Monty Python, especially Monty Python and the Holy Grail!!! Some of my favorite actors are from the UK: Jude Law, Clive Owen, Ewan McGregor, Kate Beckinsale, Anthony Hopkins, etc, etc. Oh, and don't get me started on Harry Potter, Alfred Hitchcock, C.S. Lewis, Scrooge, Snow Patrol, J.R.R. Tolkien, and of course the Spice Girls!!!


I'm not really sure what I want to do there though. I really want to just experience the culture and see the countryside...but if I have any high expectations, these are the 3 things I really want to see!

#1 - The British Museum

The British Museum in London is one of the world's largest and most important museums of human history and culture. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects from all continents, illustrate and document the story of human culture from its beginning to the present. (Thanks Wikipedia!)

#2 - Castles

How could I miss out on being inside a real live castle?!? From Lego Castle to Sword in the Stone to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure to Monty Python I have had this dream for some time. Did you ever play with the Fisher-Price Castle? That thing was sweet! It had a trap door, a drawbridge over a moat, and a hidden room behind a swinging staircase...AWESOME!!!


#3 - MADAME TUSSAUD'S WAX MUSEUM!!!

One of my favorite places is the wax museum in Victoria. I remember going there as a kid and my mom took me there for my 22nd birthday. What a great place to be! My cousins live in Victoria and everytime I see them I ask if they've been to the wax museum. They hate that. I don't care. I love it! My favorite thing, of course, is to get my picture taken with the wax figures. Now I get to go to the ultimate wax museum, the greatest wax museum ever created!!! Oh boy, Robyn is going to be so sick of me...

I Finally Gave In....

It's all Jordie's fault. He is the one who planted this little seed inside my heart. A few years ago I went over to his house over the Christmas break and we had a Dance Dance Revolution...and I left that night with one thought, "I must get this for myself one day!!!" And here we are, after all this time, I have finally purchased DDR for myself...

I wish I could dance. I look so ridiculous. I know this won't make me a superstar, but I'm hoping it will help a little with my coordination. What am I talking about??!? This game will only make me look even more retarded on the dance floor. I can't wait!

I welcome any and all competitors...

Hallowe'en is Fun

I'm so tired...whenever I have a Junior High night all I do is yell the whole time! My throat is sore and I'm slightly exhausted. But I must say I had a really fun time tonight. Even though Hallowe'en was yesterday, we had a party tonight anyway. Here are some pictures for y'all...


This is last year's party. Can you guess what I dressed up as? I'm a Walmart Sales Associate named Amanda. I totally stole Tinkerbell's vest 3 yrs ago and haven't returned it yet!!!


This is me and my snazzy decorations for this year. The camera makes it look creepier than it was. Notice the pumpkins...


I carved them myself...and here is my best rendition of the great Reverend D. Henry Peters. One of the youth kept saying it looked like an old guy.


This is some of my youth. Those 4 girls didn't dress up, that's how they normally look.


It wasn't until I put the pictures on my computer that I noticed how freaky Richard's eyes were! I have no idea how he did that!!?!?


This guy wins in my books for sweetest costume...He's a tube of my favorite toothpaste!!! And it's even got French on it!!!!!!!


I know this picture didn't turn out so good, but I had to point out my favorite part of the party...now that it's over I can take these orange lights home and put them up in my living room!

So now I'm looking forward to next year, when maybe I will actually try to make a decent costume...

Dahn the Baptist

Today I got to experience something incredible. 5 of the youth in my church got baptized and I was so lucky to be the one to baptize them. As a pastor I have done a number of cool things, I've preached a number of times, officiated a wedding, assisted with my Grandpa's funeral, led worship, gone to disneyland...but of all those things, this was the most nervewracking for me. Last week I started having dreams about it, and they were never good. Everyone would be waiting for me to change, and I'd end up taking an hour to put my shorts on. I would forget what I was supposed to say and drop the person in the water.

Well, the day finally arrived, and I hardly got any sleep last night (It didn't help that I was also preaching). I think the reason I am so anxious about baptizing people is because it really is a huge moment. I don't know if anything special happens when we're baptized, but there was an unknown weight on my shoulders leading up to this day. I really think that something spiritual does happen. I don't really know how to describe it. All I can say is, when I dunked them in the water there was a split second when I would look at their face underwater, and it actually looks like they're dead. And such joy would overcome me when I'd pull them out of the water. You don't get that view from the seats in the congregation. You don't see their face underwater, but I got too! It's amazing how powerful the metaphor of dying with Christ and being raised to life with him is experienced in baptism.

But it wasn't without its funny moments!!! All the youth did an amazing job sharing their stories.


Shane, of course, brought the house down with his honesty and humor. He mentioned my involvement in his life and made some comment about how I'm incredible when it comes to girls...haha, I wish I could remember exactly what he said.


And so Tessa was the first person I got to baptize (and thus will go down in history as the first person I baptized) and I had no clue where to stand or anything, haha, what a gong show! And I thought I had told her to give me her hand so I could pull her back up, but I must not have been clear (as always, learn to communicate clearly Dan!) so when I dunked her I just had my hand on her back and it was a bit of a struggle getting her out of the water, bah!


And Jessica was really fun, we had a good moment.


And Shane, I wanted his baptism to be a little special...So I said the line, "I baptize you, yada, yada..." and when I went to baptize him I put my hand on his chest and really pushed him into the water, creating a massive wave that splashed down the back steps! And then when I pulled him up I totally flung him forward with an attempt at getting the front row wet, but I don't think the water went that far. We had a good laugh at that!

After the baptism the church sang some songs while we changed, and it was a little crowded in this little bathroom. So finally I get my tie back on and such and I can hear that we're supposed to come up front to be prayed for, so I quickly throw my belt on and rush up. Well, as you might have noticed from the picture, I managed to go up front with my pant leg tucked into my sock...ROOKIE MOVE!!!


So that was my adventure today...I had a nice long nap afterwards. And the best part is I get to baptize 4 more people next Sunday! And I'm leading worship (less stressful than preaching!).