Seriously Angry Action Figures

I know you've all been saying to yourselves: "All these nature photos are great, but when the hell is Andy gonna get back to talking about action figures?"

Ok, so not all of you are saying that... maybe a couple of you are... maybe no one is... Good thing I don't really listen to what people say about me, because life is just more fun that way.  I have a whole bunch of figures that I've picked up in the last few months, and I want to present them here to you. You may have seen a couple of them pop up in my web comic, Everyday Heroes, but I feel that they need a proper formal introduction. There are of course more Marvel than DC heroes here, and there's even one non-super type in there... Keep in mind that I rarely buy figures in the stores or at full retail price, so none of these are exactly new. You won't find "the latest, greatest action figure reviews" on this blog. What you will find are a few random and ridiculous comments about toys owned by a man who is far too old to be playing with them. If you've read my blog or seen any of my Flickr photos before, you'll know that I treat them in a most unorthodox manner... mine may be the only blog out there where you'll find the Silver Surfer sharing a jug of moonshine with Cletus the Slack-jawed Yokel...

None (or at least very little) of that craziness here today, however. No-siree. This here's serious business. Let's get to it then, shall we?

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D.C. Universe Classics -

Superman

You can't have a superhero collection without owning at least one Superman. He's the original; the oldest, the most easily recognizable, most iconic hero out there. Thing is, I really only want one Superman, so I searched high and low on Ebay to get the one version that I think looked the best. He is pretty cool-looking... pretty stern and serious, just like you'd expect from a guy who saves the world on an hourly basis. With a schedule as hectic as Supes must have, you ain't got time to f**k around. That's the beauty of owning a Superman figure, at least for me... his generally serious nature makes him the perfect straight man to balance out the more goofy characters like Sokka from Avatar:The Last Airbender, Howard the Duck, or Spider-man.

(Check out the last installment of Everyday Heroes to see what I mean...)

Anyway, this Superman figure is fully articulated and extremely well-sculpted... blah blah blah... I just think he'll look pretty funny wrestling farm animals and drinking margaritas with the Hulk...

...speaking of whom...

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Marvel Legends Series 1 -

The Incredible Hulk

Just like Superman and Spider-man, you just can't have a superhero collection without this guy. Also, just like the aforementioned comic book icons, there are quite a few versions of the Hulk to choose from. The one I ended up with isn't necessarily the best in my opinion, but I got him for a song. He looks pretty stereotypically 'Hulk-ish' - ripped purple pants, gigantic bulging green muscles and a permanent angry look on his face. Looking at him, you can almost hear the words "HULK SMASH!!" coming out of his mouth. The only thing I don't like about this particular version is the fact that his fingers can't make a fist... a Hulk with no fists? That's like a Spidey with no webs! Or the Punisher with no guns!!

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Marvel Legends -

Punisher

Okay, so I am not a big fan of this character... in fact, I think he's about the dumbest addition to the Marvel Universe ever. I mean, c'mon... a guy with a skull on his shirt that has absolutely no super powers and just shoots the bad guys with a bunch of military-grade rifles and machine guns? Not for me, thanks. Yeah, yeah, I know there's a huge Punisher fan base out there... he's got a tragic and complicated backstory and his comics are full of gritty realism.... but Marvel makes comic books people! It just doesn't work for me to have the Punisher interacting with the likes of the Mighty Thor or the Fantastic Four. What I personally enjoy is the goofy, non-realistic side of comic books. If I want to see a Vietnam Vet running around shooting people, I'll watch Rambo... actually I wouldn't, because those films are even stupider than any Punisher comic book out there.

So why do I own this figure, you ask? Well, I certainly got him cheap enough... I think I paid $5 for him at a trade show, and he came with everything you see in the above photo except for the handgun (glock?). Again, he's another one of those 'angry' action figures that might look funny sitting in Barbie's Dream Mansion. (You may remember that I have two young daughters who have a ton of girly toys... I swear that I don't personally own any Barbies or Barbie-related accessories.) Best part about the Punisher is the M-16 that he came with... I'm not any kind of a gun nut mind you, but there are a lot of comedic possibilities with weapons of any sort.

(*insert psychotic laughter here*)

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Marvel Legends Series 6 -

Wolverine

There are a billion versions of this guy too. This one is by far the coolest one - the legendary 'Brown Suit' Wolverine. He was originally packaged with a sort of 'dojo' backdrop, complete with Sensei. Of course, like most of my Marvel Legends collection, he was purchased loose (ie; unpackaged) and I didn't get any accessories with him. My Brown Wolverine has some wonky bends in his claws too - I guess that's why I got him so cheap... from Hong Kong no less. I guess he was a 'factory second' or something like that.

In any case, he's badass, and he sports a sneer nasty enough to rival the great Billy Idol. As a sidenote, I don't know what the odds are on this, but it seems that every single one of the figures in this particular batch are sculpted to look seriously pissed off. Come to think of it, I think the only figures that I own that are actually smiling are the Green Goblin (more of a maniacal grin, really) and Ghost Rider (who can't help looking that way... he has no lips, eyes, eyebrows or any other facial features whatsoever... he's all skull and teeth!)

Back to Wolverine... Of course, I'm going to have to pose him with the Hulk to re-create the endlessly re-created first meeting of these two... seems they just can't leave each other alone. True to form, Wolvie (Logan to his friends) is scaled a good bit shorter than many other ML figs. Put him next to the Hulkster and he looks absolutely tiny... but still nasty of course...

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Marvel Legends -

The Savage She-Hulk

If you thought all those dudes looked angry, get a load of She-Hulk. Although she's not nearly as gigantic as the better known He-Hulk, she's taller than most other superhero figs of the same 6" scale, male or female. She's got a crazy greenish-black rat's nest of hair and a face seething with unchecked rage. Her left hand is sculpted as though she's about ready to claw your eyes out with her long green fingernails... more like ready claw your entire face off...

There are of course multiple versions of everyone's favorite gamma glamour queen, but the the Savage She-Hulk is definitely more desirable. Here's why:

*Removeable dress - Hello!!!*

Well, that good enough reason for ya, Fanboy? With a bod like that, she's going to cause quite a stir in the world of Everyday Heroes.

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D.C. Universe Classics -

Aquaman

I have a special place in my heart for Aquaman... I mean, I've always found him a little bit lame, but I kind of feel sorry for him. I think it's the orange shirt, really. That and the fact that, although he's always been a Justice League alumni, he's not really in the same 'league' as the other DC heroes. Batman has the whole detective/gadget shtick down pat, Green Lantern can create physical manifestations of anything he can imagine, the Flash can run around the world in like 5 seconds, and Superman... well, Superman can do just about anything. Aquaman, on the other hand, can swim really fast and speak with fish. Given the fact that most Justice League adventures take place on dry land, well... he's just a little bit useless.

This photo isn't a great indication, but his figure sports a very stoic look on his face... almost as if he's about to snap... Maybe he's been overhearing all the trash-talk that the other heroes have been doing behind his back.

Oh, and I didn't get his awesome trident when I bought him. Personally, I think he looks better sporting the Punisher's M-16:

(Spidey had this comin'...)

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NECA Toys -

Classic Predator

Not a superhero, nor a supervillain; just a kickass huge scary-looking alien. You've got to love the Predators. These guys have taken on Ridley Scott's Aliens, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse 'The Body' Ventura, Carl Weathers, Danny Glover and even Adrian Brody. (For some reason, that last one doesn't sound all that impressive...) They've got infrared heat-vision, a personal cloaking device, poison darts, spears, guns, claws and just about any other doo-dad you can imagine. Each one of them is kind of like a seven foot tall Batman on acid.

Although I only have a passing interest in the Predator film franchise, you have to admit that the figure is a pretty cool one to have. I don't know if he came with any accessories or not. I only received what you see in the photo for my $6 (shipping included!). It's amazing what kind of deals you can get when you don't mind ordering from Asia and waiting two months for shipment...

I guess that this guy doesn't really qualify as an 'angry' action figure, but it is pretty hard to imagine that there's a big happy smile under that facemask.

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That about does it for now. I have been promising another episode of my web comic for at least two months now, and I'm just now finally getting around to doing it.  Uh, hello? If you've been keeping up, you'd know that I just recently relocated my entire family to another province... kinda keeps ya busy, y'know?

I'll try to keep a little more up-to-date with this blog in the coming months, but please don't get on my case.

In the immortal words of Bill Bixby:

"Don't make me angry - you wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

Until we meet again,

May the Force be with you...

Ahhhh.... Nature...

One thing, or rather three things that I find myself more willing and able to do since relocating to Vancouver Island is(are): hiking, biking and photographing. I think I've found myself in one of the best places in Canada to do any and all of those things. The scenery is breathtaking, and the trail networks are extensive and offer great hikes for everyone, from newcomers to the most experienced back country campers...

Sounds like a brochure, doesn't it? Well, the truth is that I feel like I'm living in one... and I've still only been reading the cover... There are so many recreational opportunities out here that I couldn't possibly find myself without a new place to explore. And there's so much damn nature everywhere!!

So... here's another glimpse of it...

 Puntledge River, Courtenay BC

Funky Undergrowth, Morrison Creek Park, Courtenay BC

Beaufort Mtn. Range, seen from Courtenay Airpark

 Morrison Creek

Bleeding Heart Tree...

 The Forest Moon of Endor!

 Endor meets Dagobah...

 Comox Lake

The Comox Glacier

I'm hoping that you're enjoying these little glimpses of the most beautiful place on earth... I know that I'll never get tired of shooting these photos, and anytime I can't think of anything to blog about... I'll have a million photos as backup filler material...

Once again,

May the Force be with you...

THOR - movie review

Normally I like to do more than one movie review at a time, but having been a fan of  Marvel Comics, and specifically The Mighty Thor since I was a child, I thought this might deserve its own entry... plus its probably going to be pretty long, and I don't want y'all falling asleep on me...

THOR



I'll admit I was worried about how the movie studios would pull this off. Marvel Comics has built up such an incredibly rich backstory for this character that it seemed literally impossible to cover everything in one film. With comic books, they had the luxury of splitting the story into countless issues and adding and changing stuff wherever they saw fit; here they had to throw it all at us in one shot and hope for the best, as well as try to keep us entertained with action, humour and a hint of romance (as we expect in all Hollywood films). With THOR, they have succeeded - in spades.

Of course we all know by now that Thor (God of Thunder), Loki (God of Mischief), Odin (the All-Father), etc. are all figures from Norse (Viking) Mythology. Many of us know this simply because we've read the comic books, and are familiar with things like Mjolnir (Thor's Hammer), Bifrost (the Rainbow Bridge), Asgard (home of the Gods) and Jotunheim (home of the Frost Giants). Who says ya can't learn nuthin' from comic books? I think the movie did a fine job of covering these somewhat fantastical concepts without dumbing it down for the layman (ie; non-comic book fan). Going into this film as a self-professed comic book scholar, I was pleasantly surprised by their coverage of the extensive source material while still delivering a top-notch fantasy/action movie.

Marvel studios have built a rich screen mythology of its own with its big screen adaptation of comic book heroes and concepts. We all know about The Avengers, which they've been alluding to for years now. A few years back when I first heard about this, I was skeptical, but after witnessing the increasingly good quality of other Marvel films, I'm sure its going to be great. I love the fact that we get little cameos from iconic comic characters in every film so far - Nick Fury, Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye), Sam Stearns (the Leader, from the Incredible Hulk film and comics), the Black Widow (in Iron Man 2), etc. etc. etc.... One of the coolest things about watching comic book-based movies is these little references that only us 'real fans' would recognize. THOR is full of those as well.

Getting back to the actual film at hand, I think that the writers did a great job of working (or rather, re-working) all of the characters and concepts from the comic into the film without making it too cheesy. There's a few changes, like the absence of Donald Blake (more commonly known as the mortal identity of Thor), the fact that Jane Foster is a physicist instead of a nurse, and how the Asgardians were portrayed as a little more 'extraterrestrial' and a little less 'divine'... these are all just petty details... garnish if you will. The real entree here is the action, and we get lots of it, starting about 10 minutes into the film with a hammer-slinging, dimension-spanning, giant-smashing expedition to Jotunheim, and then of course much later as Thor and his fellow Asgardians find themselves battling the Destroyer (the indestructible construct of Odin, manipulated by the treacherous Loki). There's also a good helping of humor in the movie as well - mostly in the form of Thor getting whacked in the head as he walks among mortals and tries to cope with the loss of his powers... a little more slapstick than I was expecting, but it worked rather well for me...

One difference that was notable for me was the fact that the Thunder God only wore his trademark winged helmet for about 5 seconds in the film. Not a big deal, because it actually is pretty dorky-looking. Thor himself also spouted off a lot less of the "thees" and "thous" and other examples of the somewhat florid speech patterns that one sees in the comic books. I guess its enough of a stretch to get your average (non-comic geek) moviegoers to accept the Norse God of Thunder walking amongst us mere mortals - we don't want to scare them all away with a bunch of ridiculous sayings, like "I say thee, Nay!" and "by Odin's beard!" and whatnot. I'm happy that they got away with as much as they did...

Overall, this is a great film. To me, this ranks up there with the best of the Marvel Comics movies, like Spider-man and even enters into the greatness of Lord of the Rings and (dare I say) Star Wars territory... This film makes me really wish I hadn't sold off 80% of my collection of The Mighty Thor comics. I did so just before the movie came out, just in case it sucked and no one wanted them after it came out. Turns out I made a huge mistake! With the apparent success of the film, I'm sure I could have doubled my money at this point! Damn! Curse thee, Marvel Studios!!  I'll hold no grudges, however... it really is a great film.

As impressed as I was with it, I can do no less than give THOR a resounding  A+

Choke on that, non-believers!!

...but anyway,

May the Force be with you...

Vancouver Island Newbie

To anyone that actually keeps up with my blog, I'd like to say two things:
1) Thank you - it still amazes me that anyone reads this!
2) I am truly sorry for the delay in posts, and the somewhat random nature of the posts - you may be looking for web comics, or movie reviews, or photography, or comics, or whatever... I seem to jump around a lot in my subject material. Sorry it has been so long since my last post - again. Not like you care...

Anyway, in case I haven't bragged enough about moving, I may as well tell you one more time - my life has taken a major left turn. I accepted a job within my company that has taken me from my hometown of Winnipeg to the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island.

Vancouver Island!! The coolest island in Canada!! And I'm livin' there!! (Sorry Newfoundland... I'm sure it's cool there too, but I've never been there.) The scenery here is AMAZING (mountains, ocean, yadda, yadda) and the people are awesome!! I couldn't be happier!!

That doesn't mean that I was unhappy in Winnipeg. Far from it! I've only been here for a few weeks, and I find myself missing home just about every day. Part of me really misses the traffic... the cold... the attitude - c'mon Winnipeggers, you know what I mean, right?

Anyway, I wanted to post some photos from my new home. The following were taken in and around Victoria, Courtenay, Comox and Vancouver  Island in general. More will follow these, in time of course - give me a break, willya!?! I just got here!!

The Harbour (but not the Inner Harbour), Victoria

I know these grow all over Canada, but I just like this picture... and I thought my wife might like it too...

Buckley Bay

Tallest tree for miles around - Buckley Bay

Union Bay B.C. (I think - this was snapped out the window of a moving vehicle)

Puntledge Park, Courtenay B.C.

Courtenay B.C.



I told you it was beautiful here!! My sparse selection of photos taken at this point are not really representitive of the true beauty of Vancouver Island. Like I said, there are many more to follow. One thing that is definitely different about my life here is the amount of exercise that I get on a daily basis. There are so many hills!! Or at least way more than a prairie boy like me is used to...

Overall, I'd say I'm adjusting pretty well. I haven't fallen off a mountain, been attacked by a bear or been in an earthquake, so I'm good. I'm thinking of changing the name of this blog to "Prairie Boy in Mountain Town" or something like that..... but then what the hell would action figures and comics have to do with that?

Oh well. See you next time,

May the Force be with you...

Parting Shots - Part 1

So.... we're doing it. The Bailer Bunch are moving to B.C. No longer will we be able to call ourselves 'Winnipeggers' (I'm not sure if there's a double G in that).

"I'm leaving - on a jet plane. / Don't know when I'll be back again..."

Kind of a sad song, isn't it? Well, that's the song that's been running through my head in the last little while. Man, that John Denver really knows how to capture the mood. It's all true. I am leaving, and I really don't know when I'll be back again...but I guess it's not going to be all that long. I'm sure that we'll make many trips back this way in the future. I just don't know exactly when.

I'd prefer to come back on summer holidays, when my ears won't fall off from exposure if I forget my toque. No thanks.  I don't want to come back in mosquito season, either. That sucks. And let's not forget that spring melting period when all the snowbanks on the side of the road turn to grey and brown from all the sand they put on the roads in the winter, and that muddy/sandy slush-like matter seems to be everywhere... If you're from, or have ever been to Winnipeg you probably know what I mean. (I imagine it gets like that in other prairie cities too.)

I never would have imagined this in million years, but I guess someday I'll find myself saying:

"Hop in the car, kids! This summer - we're goin' to WINNIPEG!!   WHOO-HOO!!!"

Again, if you're from Winnipeg, you'd get the sarcasm. Sometimes it seems like this is the biggest city in Canada where nothing ever happens.

But I'm not posting this to rag on my hometown. The cold, the bugs, the lack of landscape - I'm actually going to miss all that stuff someday. I'm sure that if I ever get attacked by a mountain lion while hiking in BC, right in the middle of it, I'll be thinking that Manitoba mosquitoes weren't so bad after all. 

Anyway, the whole point of this article was to post some images that I've shot around Winnipeg in the last few years. I have a trillion more, but I just want to put them out there to show you all that I actually do appreciate this city. There's an amazing amount of beauty here. Sure, I've got a few complaints (as anyone would about the city they live in), but there's a uniqueness about Winnipeg that I have not encountered anywhere else that I've been. It's hard to put a finger on it. I think it has something to do with being right in the middle of Canada; the 'Crossroads of the Nation' effect; a state of Limbo, if you will. Literally and/or figuratively, we'll all be passing through there someday.

Just make sure you bring a pair of mitts and some bug spray..



Until next time:

May the Force be with you...



Top 10 Things I'll Miss About Winnipeg

 This time around, I have a really good reason for the long gap between posts. You may have heard from this blog or perhaps Facebook that I was hoping to move to British Columbia. Well, that is now the case. I have accepted a job in Courtenay, BC on Vancouver Island. I will be on a plane to get there on April 23rd. My wife and kids will follow in mid-June, once our house is sold and we have a new place in Courtenay. Obviously, lots of details have to be taken care of, and my time is limited; thus the delay in blogs.

I would love to list all the reasons we have for wanting to move there, but we'll have to do that later. I think first I'd like to say a few things about where we come from, and why it'll be so hard to leave. I'm sure I've left a thousand things off of this list, but here goes:

Top 10 things I'll miss about Winnipeg

1 - Friends, Family and Co-Workers
I think this goes without saying, but it needs to be said. Less contact with those back home is obviously going to be the worst part about moving. I have a bzillion memories of growing up and living in Winnipeg (specifically Transcona), but the best things about those memories are the people in them, not the places or things involved. Winnipeggers are the most genuinely friendly people in the world (even if a little cynical at times). I sincerely will miss you all! I expect each and every one of you to come out and visit!!

2 - The Hi Neighbour Festival

Perhaps not a particularly unique event to the eyes of an outsider, Transcona's summer street festival is a great place to take the kids - full of rides, games, music, mini donuts and all. Of course, the reason I'll miss this so much is because I remember being a kid there, and I've taken my own kids to the Hi Neighbour too. Hopefully they had as much fun as I did when I was little. The festival has its own mascot, Hi Neighbour Sam, who has recently been liberated from his enslavement at the hands of the sinister Canadian Tire corporation. Oh, and you usually do see your neighbours at the festival... and say hi...

3 - The Manitoba Museum
A few years back, Winnipeg's premier museum underwent a name change, dropping its former, diabolically sexist moniker, 'The Museum of Man and Nature'. (Try to imagine the talk radio broadcasts around this time.) It has always been a top quality museum, but since the name change we began to see a great deal of new exhibits, upgrades and improvements. The relatively recent Parklands Gallery is pretty slick and really caters to the 'family outing' crowd, but I'd still have to say that my favorite part is still the Nonsuch Gallery. Pretty neat to walk onto a full-size ship in the middle of Downtown Winnipeg.... which leads us to:

4 - Downtown Winnipeg
When I was a kid, it was considered safe for two 9 year-olds to take the bus by themselves all the way from the extreme east end of the city all the way downtown (about a 40 minute ride). If you live in Winnipeg, or have checked the statistics on criminal activity here lately, this would seem like a really bad idea nowadays. Downtown used to be full of awesome comic stores, movie theatres, book stores, music dealers, a library, a museum, enclosed skywalks, toy stores, food courts, and everything else a pre-teen kid would be interested in. I guess most of that stuff is still around, but ever since they closed the legendary Metropolitan Theatre and Eaton's, things have changed a lot - for the worst, in my opinion. There are way less theatres (I believe it's down to two now, as opposed to nine or ten when I was a kid), less comic stores (understandable with the comic book market crash of the 90's) and food courts are now full of drug dealers and street gangs. (Let's hope that's something that fewer pre-teen kids are interested in). With all this, there's no way in hell I'd let my kids go downtown without parents until they're at least 15, and even then, I'll need to know explicitly who they're with and where they're going. In a way, I guess I already miss downtown Winnipeg...

 

5 - Manitoba Beaches
Although it's pretty much a given that you have to drive at least an hour from Winnipeg to get to see any type of landscape at all, living at the low spot of the Canadian Prairies does have the advantage of having lots of of sandy beaches. Grand Beach is usually considered the best one in Manitoba, but it's also the most crowded. Summers here can be blistering hot sometimes, and a drive to the beach is always a great day trip. There's usually good camping around the lakes too, so an overnight stay is also fun. Just don't get busted with open liquor, eh?

 

6 - The Music Scene
I have played onstage in a few bands in my day, most notably Homesick, Mikado, and Force of Habit. You may not have heard of any of these, but the beauty of the Winnipeg music scene is the sheer number and variety of bands that can be seen at any of the clubs on any given night of the week. From my experience, some of the best places for a band to play are the Pyramid, the West End Cultural Centre, the Royal Albert (watch out for weirdos!), Ozzie's, the Zoo and the Central (in Transcona). There's also a really great network of extremely talented players in this town, and I've had the pleasure of meeting a great number of them; having either shared the playbill with or photographed them in the past. It's been a really cool experience to rub shoulders with the likes of Propagandhi, The Hummers and The Watchmen. I may or may not continue my music career in British Columbia, but I'll never forget all the great times and great concerts I've seen or played in here. BTW, some great current Winnipeg bands to keep an eye on are In Circles, Psychotic Gardening, and ASADO. I think that's enough name-dropping for now.

7 - SOCIALS!!
This is something that is pretty unique to Manitoba. I suppose there could be similar events held elsewhere under a different name, but this is basically a pre-wedding cash grab or sports team fundraising event disguised as a kick-ass party. I haven't attended one in a long time, but here are a few things that you'll always see or hear at a Manitoba Social:
  -Underagers sneaking drink tickets
  -Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger
  -FREE rye bread, kolbassa, pickles and Old Dutch brand rippled potato chips
  -Grandpa getting loaded and Grandma leaving early
  -Mony Mony by Billy Idol ("Hey mother****er, get laid, get ****ed!")
  -Cheap liquor
  -Silent auctions/prize draws for the "extra large bottle of perfume"
  -You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC
  -Drunken fist fights in the parking lot
Ahhh...the memories....

 

8 - Festival Du Voyageur
Winnipeg has a very large and prominent Francophone community, and for a week or so every February, all of Winnipeg gets to go walk around outside in the freezing cold and look at ice sculptures, eat pea soup and maple sugar, explore a fort and take a toboggan ride or two, all while learning about the history of the Voyageurs and indeed the history of Winnipeg itself. Although I have recently been put off by the large crowds, high prices and less than ideal weather, this is an experience you definitely wouldn't want to miss if you find yourself in Winnipeg in the middle of one of it's coldest months. Winter carnivals are a great way to stave off cabin fever and the subsequent cannibalism which can sometimes follow...

 

9 - Everything is cheaper in Winnipeg
I don't know what it is, but people from Winnipeg love a deal. Instead of bragging about how much something we own is worth, we brag about how much we saved. Moving to BC probably seems like a really stupid move to my fellow Manitobans, and I can't count on both hands how many people in the last week alone have repeated the same joke to me about how the letters BC stand for "bring cash". That being said, prices have been steadily going up and up here anyway, and I've never been one to count my pennies in the checkout line. (That's right Grandmas! I'm talkin' to you!!) Still, I agree it would be nice to continue to pay less for everything - from beer, gasoline, taxes, food, clothing, insurance, utilities, you name it. I don't consider myself cheap (I know a lot of people who are way worse), but I suppose I'll probably complain a lot about the prices after the move, and curse all the 'rich bastards' who can actually afford whatever they want...

10 - It's my home
I grew up here. I have family and tons of great friends here. Many of my relatives are buried here. Since I learned that our move was a certainty, I'm filled with a certain sadness every time I pass by a place that I remember from growing up. Over here is my old elementary school; over there is where I drank my first sip of Jack Daniels; that's the house where my best friend used to live; that's where I lost my virginity (finally); etc., etc... you get what I'm saying. On my first visit back to Winnipeg, I'm going to go to all these places again, and I'm going to call up all the people I used to hang out with - well, at least all the ones who'll still hang out with me... I wouldn't be who I am if it weren't for Winnipeg (and again, specifically Transcona), and I'll never forget my roots.

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That's it for the list, but there's obviously going to be things I forgot to mention. In keeping with the traditional format of the 'Top 10', some things had to be sacrificed. No one ever makes 'Top 14' lists...

As a quick side note, I am currently in the process of liquidating many of my non-essential belongings, including camera gear, comics, action figures, books, movies, Cd's, furniture and more. Keep an eye out for my Ebay store and Kijiji listings to get a great deal, Winnipeggers!

Though this is not the end of my blog, it is sadly the end of an era. If  you know me personally and want to know more about the move and want to catch up before I go, please feel free to drop me a line at andonator2000@yahoo.ca . I can't promise that I'll have a lot of time, but I will do my absolute best to get in touch with everyone I can. As I said, I'm going to miss you all when I'm gone.

May the Force be with you...