Mike, on caffeine

The time has come

2007-06-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

I'm moving out. For almost a year, I've worked in North Van and lived at home in Coquitlam. The reason I work there is because all the guys in my band are in that area, and I wanted to be closer, to make band-related things more convenient, with the intention of eventually moving there. As of late, it's been more and more on my mind to actually move, and now I can finally (but barely) afford to.

It's tough when nearly your whole life happens in one place, and you sleep in another. You get tired, and lonely. I mean, I live with my family, so I'm never REALLY super lonely, but it's a different kind of lonely. That's why I wanted to go. And now I've signed a one-year lease on this little basement suite in North Vancouver near my friends and my workplace.

But now, I'm afraid. Afraid of what? I'm not sure. Perhaps ACTUALLY being alone for the first time. My brother won't be there to talk to every day. My folks won't be just upstairs watching the news. It'll be just me. By myself. And I don't know why this is so terrifying, but for some reason it is. Nearby friends aren't the same as live-in family. Yes, they love and care about me, but the built-in security that I've always knows will be absent, though it will be still a phone-call away.

I've wanted to move to make time for our music and the band, and I hope and pray that this truly is a step that so far I have believed is needed. I don't know a lot of people in North Van, but perhaps I will soon?

to join a craze...again

2007-05-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

Yup. Random facts about myself...

1. I was in a bowling league when I was 14...10 pin. My average was 120 and it was the highest one! Yay me. I even won awards.

2. My favourite smell is when rain falls on dry pavement. For some reason, it smells sweet!

3. I can wiggle my ears.

4. I am only 3 degrees of separation from that kid who shot up a school on the east coast last month...why I know this I do not know.

5. If I read a book, it is always one of several that I'm reading. I can read one at a time, but I usually don't.

6. I actually wear less than half the clothes I own.

7. I have owned 8 different guitars in my lifetime, 5 of which I still do. Wait a second, I own 5 guitars!?

Thanks folks.

Yes, it's true.

2007-04-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

I've returned from Mexico, and have been home a month now. Needless to say, I easily forget about my blog, since it seems to be just another thing to distract me from living my life (i.e. being with people, reading books, writing music etc.). If there is in fact a serious demand for all things Mike LaRoy, please by all means let me know, so that I might be more diligent in blogging for all you friends out there that care to know, yet aren't nearby enough to warrant a coffee conversation. Otherwise, odds are this thing here might just slip into oblivion...

Mexico, anyone?

2007-03-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

In T-minus a couple days, I'm heading to Mexico for a week-long missions trip, on which I have been given the responsibility of being the worship leader, and all that such a responsibility entails. I'm only just starting to get excited, but the excitement grows with each passing hour. To all my friends, please pray that Christ will be proclaimed in all things, for safe travels etc., and that I will be used in ways beyond what I can imagine, despite my shortcomings, particularly as a leader!

Tips for the road

2007-02-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

Never drive your car when you don't have brake fluid, you will not be able to stop. What is more, make sure that you check that you have brake fluid in your car every now and then. If you choose to drive in such conditions, make sure you do it at 1 in the morning when you won't smash someone else as you roll through the red light...

God only knows what I'd be....

2007-02-18T22:58:00.000-08:00

It has been brought to my attention that I should blog more. To tell you the truth, my daily perusal of friends' blogs and friends' adjacent blogs has become my bi-weekly-or-so perusal of some blogs where people actually do post quite frequently. Or at least those who had such a track record before I made the transition to an infrequent blog-frequenter.

ANYways, all that is to say is that the subject of this particularly entry has unintentionally transformed into the subject of blogs. BORING! Why would anyone want me to blog more when this is all I can come up with?

Moving on... I'll do my best.

You know that time in your life where you meet someone special, in whom you have genuine interest, though not because they're gorgeous or something superficial as such, but because there's something about that person that is just so dang attractive? And even though that person may happen to be beautiful, but there's way more to it than that. Except that you don't have her number, but even if you did you can't call her because she's not really your friend yet, simply an acquaintance, but barely so? Ergo, you are completely and utterly dependant on your friends organizing events where you can get to know her a little more without the pressure of being on a date and with out any of the expectations that come with that, because there are other people there too. Which means, then, that you have little or no control over the situation, except to hope that some time soon you'll get to hang out with this person, and then hang out again, until you are well enough acquainted with her that it won't be a stretch to do it on your own without having to depend on friends bringing the two of you together. Meanwhile, there's no guarantee (not that there ever is when it comes to this sort of thing) that any of that will ever come to be, because that person might have forgotten about you even though you haven't forgotten about her, and so all the what-ifs and situation analysis is all in your head because you're helpless until those friend-planned-things happen, if they ever do?

I'm currently at that time in my life. Some people tell me to relish it, because you may never get it back. While that is the ultimate hope, it's easy for them to say!

Thoughts? Suggestions?

And for your viewing pleasure, may I present this:

Don't know why this video exists, I'm just so dang happy it does!

New look mike

2007-02-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

I am turning over a new leaf. As of this year, and not because of the new year, I have a new approach to my life. I cut my hair, shaved my face (most of it), and have started to use cleaning supplies on my face that are actually designed for the face, not just soap.

Not only that, my spirituality is different. How, you ask? Well, perhaps I'm starting to take it a little more seriously. Not that I didn't before, but it seems more real now, in the post-school lifestyle. Everyday you have to choose Christ, rather than having him thrust onto you because you're at Bible school (no offence, fellow Bible students, but I'm sure you'd agree this is often the case).

Oh, and I took down the posters of bands I don't even listen to in my bedroom that I got when I was 15. Art has now been purchased. As have been picture frames. Photographs are next.

This is me, growing up. A little, anyway.

New show!

2007-01-10T20:37:00.000-08:00

Hello my dear friends! My band is playing at the Roxy on Monday, January 22nd. We're on between 8 and 8:30, and tickets are free if you get them from any one of us! It comes with a free drink too. I hope to see some of you there!

Happy new year, Mike

2007-01-01T12:01:00.000-08:00

And how.

meh.

2006-12-30T22:28:00.001-08:00

that is all. take it or leave it.

Christmas cheer

2006-12-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

Another year, and Christmas has come and gone, once again. I've had the bright idea of doing a self-portrait, along with my brother, first thing on Christmas morning for the last couple of years. It's been interesting to see the progression of how much we've grown up over the last few years. Here we are this year:

As for any profound insight or new Christmas revelation that many of my blogging friends have to share, I have none. While I have gained a new appreciation for our traditional Christmas carols and have enjoyed the odd rum & eggnog, my Christmas has been a fairly uneventful one; nothing groudbreaking or momentus has occurred in my life. I just got to spend some time with my family, which is always a blessed occasion, be they fellow faithful believers or not.

Most of my close friends are out of the province, or out of the country entirely for the holidays, some even beyond. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for being the great friends that you are, and let you know that I miss you. I'm not a loner while you're all away, but there is a noticable gap in my life without all of you here. I love you! Safe travels.

This is for you, Alan

2006-12-20T16:47:00.000-08:00

These days, my life is fairly simple. I often rise in the wee hours of the morning, in order to be at work (JJ Bean, House of Coffee) at an ungodly hour most days. I would have never called myself a morning person before this fall, when it was required of me, but now I must admit that it is a special thing to be up before dawn and be privileged to witness the radiant colours of the sunrise. I also feel that my days are fuller because of it; not because I find more things to do, but it is something else that I can't quite put my finger on. I think it's the little things that I find most satisfying about it... The quiet of the morning, the calm traffic when nobody is awake enough to have road rage, even though it's busy. I get to interact with ordinary people on their way to their ordinary jobs every day, and many of them I get to see every day. Life is beautiful.

I think the workplace itself helps this to be manifest in my life. At the espresso bar, it's our job to understand and appreciate these little pleasures. For most people it's just coffee, but we get the privilege to treat them with the best stuff. But it doesn't stop there, it transfers to other parts of my life. A fine bottle of wine, a waft of pipe tobacco, a selection of Walt Whitman poems - all these small things, when put together, enrich our lives in an incredible way. Take the time people, relax. Enjoy your life. Slow down a little bit. Serve someone. Be inspired to live .

This simplicity inspires me to write my music. A favourite topic as of late has been that of love. I'm not in love, nor am I in any significant relationship with a member of the fairer sex, but love is none-the-less something that I write about. And I can't explain why. Which is beautiful. That's what makes us human, I think. To venture a guess, perhaps it has something to do with Advent. As we anticipate the coming of our Saviour, I wonder if I am anticipating a coming of someone to myself? Am I silly to draw this parallel? Am I right in presupposing such an idea? Either way, this romantic, intimate love is something that I do not have, yet it is a desire of mine. I am learning to wait for her, and long, as I do for Christ my King. I guess that's why marriage is a biblical metaphor for the love that Christ has for his bride, the Church. It's special, intimate, personal, and we must wait for it.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

A Whole Month!?

2006-12-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

Friends, it was a month ago this night that our battle of the bands victory occurred. I haven't blogged since, nor has our band played anywhere. At all. But last night, we rectified things and are gearing up for a new year full of Laureate.

That being said, it helps to know people. Are there any readers out there (people actually read this, right?) who know club managers or show promoters into whose hands we ought to thrust our demo (our CD might be coming out soon) so as to get us shows at places where the right people will see and hear us play? Do you know friends who are in bands who have experience with this? We admit that we are somewhat inept in that department, so any help and suggestions is appreciated.

In other news, this is what I do at work. This particular sample was today...

Champs!

2006-11-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

Well friends, my band won. We freaking won the battle of the bands, our first show with a new drummer, and first full band set since March. I think it's a sign! Check us out...

Tickets, please!

2006-10-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting LAUREATE, my band, live at the Tom Lee Music Hall on Granville St. downtown for our debut Vancouver performance, Saturday November 4th. Tickets are $10 in advance (from me or bandmates), and the more we sell the longer set we get to play. If we sell the most of all the bands - it's a battle of the bands - we can choose when we play! This is better for you, the fans, as well as for us! Please help us out and support our musical endeavours by coming to the show. We won't know when we play until the morning-of, but I'll post here and on our band's site when we know our time slot. We are so very excited to finally get back to playing again, and getting our EP out there for all to hear. There are bright things ahead for us!

Things you might not have known about coffee...Part 4

2006-10-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

There are two main species of the coffee plant, Coffea arabica being the older one. Coffee is thought to be indigenous to south-western Ethiopia, specifically from Kefa, from which it may have gotten its name.[9] While more susceptible to disease, it is considered by most to taste better than the second species, Coffea canephora (robusta). Robusta, which contains about 40-50% more caffeine, can be cultivated in environments where arabica will not thrive and probably originated in Uganda.[9] This has led to its use as an inexpensive substitute for arabica in many commercial coffee blends. Compared to arabica, robusta tends to be bitter and has little flavor, with a telltale "burnt rubber" or "wet cardboard" aroma and flavor. Good quality robustas are used in some espresso blends to provide a better "crema" (foamy head), and to lower the ingredient cost. In Italy, many espresso blends are based on dark-roasted robusta. The large industrial roasters use a steam treatment process to remove undesirable flavors from robusta beans for use in mass-marketed coffee blends.[10] Other species include Coffea liberica and Coffea esliaca, believed to be indigenous to Liberia and southern Sudan respectively.

You know that feeling?

2006-10-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

the one where you're in a weird mood, overtired and want to talk about something but nobody's around because it's eleven o'clock at night and you're sitting at home in the basement in front of your computer and run-on sentences seem to be the only thing keeping you from either a) falling asleep or b) screaming just because it would be fun to wake up the neighbors and hope they don't call the cops because they thought someone was being murdered next door, so all that's left to do is blog about nothing whatsoever and if you're brave enough to get to this part of the sentence you have my total and utter respect because I know you care enough about me to read the whole thing despite how incredibly retarted this particular entry is? That's me right now, in case you couldn't guess. I'm betting you did, though, you sly dog!

Things you might not have known about coffee...Part 3

2006-10-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

Espresso is the most popular type of coffee in Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, France and southern Europe, notably Italy, Portugal and Spain, and is also popular throughout Europe, and North America. In Australia and New Zealand, espresso accounts for nearly 100% of the commercial cafe, coffeehouse and restaurant coffee business.

The popularity of different levels of roast in espresso vary greatly. Espresso is typically a blend of beans roasted anywhere from very light to very dark. In Southern Italy, a darker roast is preferred but in Northern Italy, a more medium roast is the most popular type. Companies such as Starbucks and Peets have popularized darker roasts in North America and around the world, but the current trend in espresso coffee is matching the roast level to the bean type; this means that the most popular roast style is moving away from being associated with roast color, and more associated with what each region and type of bean used produces the best flavor extraction in the cup.

With the rise of coffee chains such as Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, and others, espresso-based drinks rose in popularity in the 1990s in the United States. The influence of Starbucks has caused a wide divergence from the Italian style of coffee, by adding syrups, whipped cream, flavour extracts, soy milk and different spices to their drinks. Long and complicated drink orders became the punchline of many jokes aimed at making fun of how finicky and obsessive coffee drinkers can be.

(wikipedia)

to join a craze...

2006-10-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

thanks Jeremy Penner, you reminded me of this video.

Warning!

2006-10-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Due to the unfortunate decision to include both my given name as well as my surname in the url for my blog, I will be changing it in the near future. The unfortunate part is how easy it is to find my blog through a simple search engine effort, and I desire to have a little less accessibility should the event come to pass that I decide to reveal telling information on my blog. While the fact that it is on the internet remains, thus maintaining that anyone has access any time, this decision none-the-less eases my conscience, as silly as it may seem.

For those of you with links to my blog on your page, or those with the genuine desire to keep an eye on my life, please comment so I will know to pass on the url to you once I have changed it. While this may appear to defeat the purpose of the changing-of-the-url, the fact remains that creeps who find my blog through the link on your page can do that already, and can just as easily do it in the future. This is all about the search engines, people.

Thank you to all those who faithfully (or even occasionally) visit my page, and especially those who venture to leave their comments (or commentaries, or opinions for that matter). It touches me somewhere in that funny place in my heart, right next to the place that is touched when I get a comment on myspace, and right behind that place that is warmed when I receive short emails of encouragement, all of which remind me that I still have friends, despite the infrequency of actual human interaction.

End warning.

Things you might not have known about coffee...Part 2

2006-09-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

Barista is a term originating in Italy; it literally translates to "bar man" or "bar person". In Italy, it is the person who professionally prepares espresso based drinks, as well as other non-coffee based beverages including those with alcohol, in cafes or "bars".

In North America and other parts of the world, the title Barista has been in long use, especially in Italian-style cafes and coffeehouses, but the use of the term gained mainstream popularly when Starbucks started to call their counter staff by this title, prior to and around the time they began their expansion outside of Seattle. In the late 1990s and beyond, the term barista became synonymous with the person in a cafe who specialized in preparing espresso-based beverages for customers. Along with this came the term "home barista" to distinguish the home espresso enthusiast who took care to practice this craft to level that sometimes matched, and sometimes surpassed the levels exhibited in many cafes.

In Italy and other parts of Europe, the barista is frequently considered a career position, often with skills and training passed down generation to generation. In other parts of the world, the job of the barista has been frequently seen as an employment choice for young people, one to get them started in employment, but frequently, it was not seen as a career choice.

Things you might not have known about coffee...Part 1

2006-09-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

Espresso (Italian) is a coffee beverage brewed by forcing very hot, but not boiling, water under high pressure through coffee that has been ground to a consistency between extremely fine and powder. It was invented and has undergone development in Italy since the beginning of the 20th century, but up until the mid 1940s it was a beverage produced solely with steam pressure. The invention of the spring piston lever machine and its subsequent commercial success changed espresso into the beverage we know of today, produced with between 9 and 10 atmospheres, or bars, of pressure.

The qualitative definition of espresso includes a thicker consistency than drip coffee, a higher amount of dissolved solids than drip coffee per relative volume, and a serving size that is usually measured in shots. Espresso is chemically complex and volatile, with many of its chemical components degrading from oxidation or loss of temperature. Properly brewed espresso has three major parts: the heart, body and, the most distinguishing factor, the presence of crema, which is a reddish-brown foam which floats on the surface of the espresso. It is composed of vegetable oils, proteins and sugars. Crema has elements of both emulsion and foam colloid.

As a result of the high-pressure brewing process, all of the flavors and chemicals in a typical cup of coffee are concentrated. Some people prefer a single or double shot instead of one or two cups of coffee to get a quick shot of caffeine. Also, because of its intense and highly concentrated ingredients (including caffeine) espresso lends itself to mixing into other coffee based drinks, such as lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and mochas, without the need to overly dilute the resulting drink.

(thanks, wikipedia!)

Bittersweet?

2006-09-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

It is slowly occuring to me that life does, in fact, go on. Last night, I had the privilege of passing the CBC Vespers torch to Heather in a great worship service (way to go, heather!), around which I experienced a lot of things. I saw many friends whom I have not seen in a long time, and SO many new faces that I will probably never see ever again. While I had some brief interactions with my acquaintances, when the whole thing was done there wasn't a soul around, which is probably a good thing because I needed to get home to bed anyways. Even with so many people I know there, I was merely an afterthought, it seemed. CBC has moved on without me, it can continue on, and it will. It already has.

It is kind of a sad realization, but also a good one. I've realized that my contributions there haven't gone unnoticed, or unappreciated, but they are now complete. It's time for new people to move on up and take the reigns, so to speak. Besides, I have other things to keep me busy now, new tasks and challenges that lie ahead of me.

Today was also my last day working as a driver, which I've been doing all summer, and have done for a number of summers between school years. Tomorrow, I start my new job at JJ Bean, and in the near future I'll be moving over to North Vancouver, the setting for the next chapter in the book of my life. I'll be moving in with a friend and fellow Laureateer (like "musketeer" but with Laureate instead of guns; and for the record, I am the one who coined this term, just now as I write this blog), and be near another bandmate so we can get moving on our music career together.

Things change, and I think it's about time for this one. I've dwelt too long in the "what next?" phase and am ready to embrace this next step. No more CBC, no more Abbotsford, no more driving; welcome Laureate, JJ Bean, and North Vancouver. Goodbye old life, hello unknown!

I wonder if he knows everyone is laughing at him?

2006-09-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentleman, presenting Vancouver's newest...

2006-09-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

JJ Bean employee! That's right, I will be the newest Mr. Coffee as of Sept. 14. Woot!

Another story from the road

2006-08-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

My summer job is great. Basically, I'm a private courier, with a regular route, consisting of 3 "runs" to my clients each day. Just the other day, I made my usual stop at this new Starbucks in Langley (it's been open for just over a month) to get my morning coffee on my first run. Just like every other day, I order my coffee, and hand over my Visa (if you want to know the logic of paying $1.96 on a credit card, I'd be happy to explain some time), the girl behind the till takes it, and promptly hands it back to me. "Don't worry about it today," she tell me with a smile.

I was blown away! Why on earth would I NOT have to pay for my coffee? Did she recognize that I'm there EVERY day, and wanted to do something special for a regular, or was it somthing ELSE? Too shocked to think to ask her name or flirt or anything of the sort, I thanked her profusely and went on my way. Don't you worry now, I've since been back. She was in the back the next day, so I couldn't talk to her. Today, she wasn't there at all. And alas, tomorrow I have a new route. What to do?

Meh, Langley's kind of far anyway.

Can anyone help me find a job!?

2006-08-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

Well, my summer work is coming to an end in the all-to-near future. For some would-be employers, my first available start date is too late. For others, it's too early. I recently applied for a job at a music store (read: perfect job for moi), only to be informed by the manager himself that he had JUST filled the advertised postition. Nevertheless, he would call me for an interview this week or next, as he was impressed with my resume, experience and availability. He said he hires for the Christmas season in October, but that's still over a month away. And who knows how long into the month it would be! Alas. Woe is me. I will be unemployed very, very soon. Rent is overdue, to top it all off. Not to mention student debt. The future is blindingly bright it seems!

I fought the law, and the law won

2006-08-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

It was dark when I got outside, real dark. Amidst the bumps and bangs of the guitar cases and car doors, a faint noise was heard in the distance. I looked up, and at the end of the alley were some shadowy figures, creeping and scurrying across the opening. More followed, carrying flashlights, searching the dark in earnest, in desparation. Red and blue lights could be seen bouncing off the buildings across the street as the sources of the light remained out of sight. More shadowy figures criss-crossed back and forth some more. More shouting.

I beckon Greg to join me outside to observe the action going on a mere 30 yards ahead. Upon his arrival, the flashlights move closer, though across the fence separating our alley from the house next door.

"Police! Put your hands where I can see them!" they shout. "Get up against the wall!" they continue. "Get on your f@%#ing stomach, now!"

Eventually the turmoil calms a bit, as more officers with canine assistance approach, learning the scent of their prey before leading their masters on the chase. More flaslighted figures pass across the opening of the alley. Half a dozen or so enter the alley, investigating each nook and cranny, carefully shining their light in each dark crevace, revealing the hidden things of the night. Greg and I stand immobile next to our vehicles, watching. Within a few minutes, the men make their way to our end of the alley where we remain, waiting. Lights shine in our faces.

"Hands in the air where I can see them!" one of them shouts. We proceed to raise our hands. "You in the white, over to the fence," he says. I point to myself in question, unsure of the colour Greg was adorned in that evening. "Yeah you, over there."

I begin to move towards the fence, but before I arrive I am instructed to stop. "Are you guys in trouble with the police?" He asks. The officer enquires about our business here, so I explain we had just finished band practice. He asks for ID, so I hand over my drivers licence. "Who's he?" he asks, looking in Greg's direction. I explain. "Wait here," he directs, leaving with my licence. He then proceeds to Greg, and, out of earshot, presumably asks him the same questions. He then inspects our identification, comparing our information to something in another officer's notepad, flipping the pages almost violently. He returns over to me, and asks me more questions - where I live, work, which car is mine. He returns my licence to me, satisfied we are not the shadowy figures that must have alluded them before. Dogs continue to sniff our vehicles while another officer looks inside to see what might be hidden in the front and rear seats.

"See any guys come through here?" they ask. No, we answer. The officers carry on their search, content that we were indeed not suspects on the loose. Greg and I come back together. "I guess were supposed to leave now," Greg suggests, wondering what to do next. "I guess so," I answer. "See you Sunday."

Unsuccessful

2006-08-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

I had some fun the other night and even designed a cover for my current book project - but when I tried to upload it to blogger, my web browser decided to quit. I tired three times, and each time had the same result. Oh well, no cover for you.

It has begun

2006-08-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

So I've actually taken it upon myself to start writing the book I mentioned below. I'm working on finishing up chapter 2 already (mind you it's the first draft). It's brutally honest and quite frank with things. I think it will turn out quite well. The only thing is that it will probably take years to finish, because it's all about figuring out how to live again, and I'm smack in the middle of said process, so I can't really look BACK on anything with much insight yet - I'm just telling it as I see it today.

More working titles:
Different: once a bible student, always a bible student
Different: coping with life after heaven
Finding Community you never thought could exist

Any more suggestions?

Aspiring author?

2006-08-09T23:05:00.000-07:00

As I struggle to learn how to be a real person in the real world that exists beyond the walls of the Bible college fortress, I've got a few ideas for a book. Even some potential titles. Tell me what you think: should I go for it?

Post-Bible-College Depression: surviving the transition to real life.

Confessions of a Bible College Graduate

How I survived real life: adjusting to life after Bible College

Learning to Speak: *insert clever one-liner about being able to talk about things that don't involve theology or related subjects using bible college jargon*

Feel free to play around with the titles and sub-titles that I've devised, some of them even as I sit and write this particular blog entry. I think I have some interesting musings and conversation experiences that I can draw from to create an interesting and engaging, even thoughtful or inspiring read, for people who are dealing with what I am currently dealing with.

And I'm done. For now.

The irony of it all...

2006-08-06T17:06:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of visiting some friends from the Sunshine Coast this weekend, as I was asked to come and lead worship at their little church in Gibsons. I was quite impressed at the ease of rehearsal - you just never know when you get a bunch of people you've never met before. But, I was blessed with some familiar musicians who knew my style, and thus were able to follow my lead.

It's definitely a very beautiful place; it's been a few years since I've visited, and I realized how much I missed the place! I think me leading worship was well received, as I cannot count the number of times people asked when I'm coming to visit next, or when I'm moving up to the coast. We'll see, I guess.

I had the luxury of spending my time in the ferry lineup (homeward bound) next to a bunch of teenagers (am I that old!?) cranking their awful music from their little honda civic. Boy did they think they we're cool. I'm pretty sure they weren't quite smart enough to figure out the irony of one of the first songs I heard coming from their car-for-a-stereo crap hole..."hasn't anyone ever heard of closing the god damn door?..." The song was about overhearing something they didn't want to, or shouldn't have. All I could do was laugh. Come on kids, give your heads a shake!

The saga of would-be work.

2006-08-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

So that job I wrote of last time around...the real story. So on Friday I finally decide to call the guy my friend Dave told me about. It's Friday afternoon, nearly evening, so the guy isn't at work and tells me to call him Monday before I get started. I'm sure he was already in weekend mode, as he didn't particularly seem interested in talking to me, but talk to me he did none-the-less. I call him back on Monday, and this time around he was pleased that someone was interested in the job he needed to get filled; so, lacking the contact number of the person to whom I was supposed to call next, he took my number and informed me that I would be contacted shorty.

About an hour and a half later, my phone rings - they want my resume and wish to set up an interview. I get the email address and send it off promptly upon arriving home Monday evening. Tuesday comes, and finally as I'm leaving the office of my current summer employ, the phone rings again. It's the same woman, telling me they never got my resume, and thus were wondering if I had buggered off. Nope, I tell her, I sent it the day before. I asked for the email address again, and it is exactly the same as the address to which I had sent said resume the previous day. They asked me to come in the next day, being wednesday, for an interview.

Seeing as how I'm the summer relief guy, some people are out of the office this week. One more than usual is away as she is spending some time in the hospital, unexpectedly - ergo, we are short-staffed this week. I consent, and proceed to call the office I had just left to inform them of the inconvenience to be expected the next day due to my absence for the purpose of a job interview.

Interview comes and goes, and all went smoothly. The training for the job was slated to start Tuesday, so I was to be informed very shortly of the situation. Being merely a weekend away, I would hope the sooner the better! Thursday comes and goes....Friday comes and draws near to a close, when, fed up with waiting, I call my interviewer (at a company contracted to hire people for the job I'm hoping to fill). It turns out that training got pushed back another two days, and now I don't even find out until Tuesday (hopefully) whether or not I even get the job.

It might have been nice to have been informed of the change of the timeline, so as to ease any anxiety potential employees might have when not being informed of the status of their would-be employment because of said change of the timeline. This is real life, people! We need to have notice!

Opportunities from unxpected places

2006-07-23T22:04:00.001-07:00

i walked upstairs to grab a pair of socks, so I could wear shoes to mow the lawn in this 35+ degree weather, when I heard a strangely familiar voice through the kitchen door. I peeked outside for a quick glimpse of this unexpected guest when my dad walked in from the deck, so I asked who it was. My guess was correct - a family friend from years passed, whom I haven't seen in probably nearly a decade was having a beer on our porch. So, rather than continuing my quest to cut the grass I find my brother to inform him of the presence of our long-lost friend (well, parents' friend, but we were friends with their kids who were our ages, before they moved away).

It was a neat reunion; he barely recognized me, but he was the same old Dave. After a bit of conversation and catch-up, I tell him what I'm doing these days, and he basically offers me a job, making significantly more money than I do at present. Well, almost - he could make some good recommendations on my behalf; he's got some pull from the sounds of it. I take his card, and later in the evening sent him an email so he could reply with a job application. So in the not too distant future, I might be working for a huge international corporation! It's a cool thought, but I admit I would have been more excited if he were a record company executive looking for new acts to sign to his major label, propelling my band into success. No rest for the weary, I suppose.

So that was my night.

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

2006-07-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

Stuping #%*@-ing computer programs posting spam comments are filling up my email inbox, dammit. Stop it already!

Wined and dined

2006-07-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

I wish. Anyways, I got to spend Sunday night at my friends' Pete & Lisa's house. I did so because it's WAY closer to church than is my house. I live in Coquitlam, and church is in White Rock/South Surrey or smack in Surrey (distance = 30-40 km). We have 2 locations, just to be clear. This particular week, I was leading worship at the White Rock/South Surrey location (aka Gracepoint Ministry Centre = GMC), and Lisa (who's on my worship team. So it Pete.) offered me a place to stay rather than making the long trek home Saturday night only to come back again early Sunday morning. I'm slowly realizing how poorly written this particular blog entry is... Saturday we also have evening service, which I was also leading worship at, which I why I would have had to go back home from there. Ok, I think it's clear now.

Now, this has happened before, being that I typically stay with Pete and Lisa when our band is doing the GMC services. It is also the case that we often share a bottle of wine, being the wine lovers that we are. So, not far from the church, and right near the Starbucks is a brand new wine store, selling Mission Hill products - the coffee was my excuse for going there. 8:45 pm, 15 minutes till close. Perfect. I go in, and there's a lovely young woman behind the register, looking a little bored. This is my story:

"Hi there," I say as I enter.
"Hello!" she replies, looking excited to at last see another human being, let alone an attractive member of the opposite sex (read: ME). We chat a bit about how slow it's been lately and how exciting it is that it's nearly closing time. Having been there before, the week it opened as a matter of fact, I know where the shelf containing the variety I purchased last time is located; so I proceed in that direction. Low and behold, I find a Cabernet Merlot next to the plain old Merlot, and so I had a look and decided that it was most definitely worth trying.
I bring it to the counter, and the lovely young woman says "ooh, good call. That's my favourite!"
"Really," I ask. "What do you like about it," I pose as I enter the PIN code into the Interac customer interface.
"Well, it's a little lighter than the Merlot this year," she replies as I lift my eyes to meet her own.
"Sounds great," I smile. "I hope you have a more exciting night!" I offer as I turn to leave to get my coffee fix from across the parking lot.
"Thanks, it's almost time to close!" she replies, seeming satisfied to have had someone to talk to after many an hour of little to do, or few people to see.
"And then you can go home!" I smiled again, then exited the store, looking back one last time. A little disappointed with my lack of conversational creativity (read: flirting skills) in the heat of the moment, I get my coffee, though I remained somewhat satisfied that I at least made the effort, feeble as it was. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. This time I couldn't tell.

Later that evening, Lisa opened her own bottle of Cabernet Merlot, a Yellow Tail, before I had the chance to bring out my Mission Hill. It was very nice! Long story short, I now have a whole bottle of wine perched atop my dresser in my bedroom, waiting patiently for me to appreciate its every drop of wonderful flavour. Well, hopefully not just me.

So I'm wondering if I should return to that store (which I most certainly will, eventually) and hope to find this lovely young woman only to tell her, with a little smile on my lips and a gleam in my eye, "So I have this bottle of Cabernet Merlot at home, and nobody to drink it with..." Then I would turn away, and then look again to meet her glance, hoping she will take the cue and accept. Anyone?

P.S. IF you say no because you'd rather I shared it with YOU, now would be the time to let me know ;)

Oh well, maybe next time

2006-07-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure whether it's my less-than-extravagant mid-summer post-college pre-career life, or I've grown tired of it, but I seem to have nothing to blog about. Is this a bad thing? I think not, until the barrage of "mike, you need to post again" comments come a-ragin' out of cyberspace. Don't get me wrong, I visit all my friends' blogs faithfully, try to leave as witty or thoughtful a comment as possible (usually failing miserably in my feeble attempts). And friends, I enjoy your blogs very much, particulary those of you who are out and about, or abroad, and those of you whom I rarely chance to see, if ever. So keep posting, if you please!

The only thing I REALLY want to mention is how great a time I've been having writing new songs with my good pal Ryan over the summer so far. Well, we have done little writing TOGETHER, but have each been writing on our own and showing each other our new material, and we're both super excited about each other's work. The way we're going, there's sure to be a Grammy winner or 3 in the not-too-distant future. Playing shows on the other hand hasn't really happened so much though. Which blows, because they're incredibly fun to do I might add. If you've never heard any of our stuff before, then I highly suggest you visit my band's myspace page, just follow the link to the right of your screen. The songs we have uploaded are early mixes of songs from our as-of-yet unnamed EP, to be released sometime. Keep checking our page for updates!

Truly,
Laureate. I mean Mike.

And life goes on

2006-07-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know, and some may not, that I was being interviewed for a job as the worship pastor at a church, here in the greater Vancouver area. After several weeks of communications and a few meetings, having them come and see me lead worship at my church, I learned today that they have chosen another candidate. I think that's great.

For a couple of reasons, actually. First, my baptism was an issue, and my guess is that is was a deciding issue for them. I was in fact baptized as an infant, and I hold to that baptism strongly. I understand and fully believe in "believer's baptism," but I cannot ignore the one I have received. While the theology is different, I think that both have merit, in different ways. However, I won't get into that, because I think they made the right choice in not choosing me - they need to stick to the theology they believe in, and for which many Anabaptists tragically lost their lives in years past. I, also, have now begun a new journey of coming to understand the concept of baptism from as many perspectives as possible. While holding to my belief and experience, I now have the opportunity to discover the richness of this tradition, ritual, sacrament, whatever it is that people call it, and discover more, so that I might have a better, more rich and meaningful experience of believer's baptism, should I come to that. Or perhaps I may not! Whatever the case, I think that would be much better than doing it for a job.

Second, I was leaning towards saying no had they called me to the position anyway. I made a commitment to myself and to my friends in our band, Laureate, to see it to its end, whenever, wherever that will be. And I want to hold to that commitment - I felt the job and all that comes with it might hinder that in ways forseeable, and unforseeable. But I want more than to see this thing to its end, I want it to succeed and prosper. That takes a lot of work and dedication, and I want to give myself 100% to that goal.

Having said that, and now the decision about the job having been made for me it seems, it's time to rock and roll, my friends. The ball has begun to roll, and great things are on the horizon for our band. It's all I can think about. It's all I want to do. It's what I believe that I am called to do right now. And so I will. The life of the starving artist is ahead of me for the forseeable future, and I am excited about that! It's daunting, a little scary, unpredictable, and it's exactly what I am going to do, face first. This is the beginning of a new, lifelong adventure.

Dos cervesas, por favor

2006-07-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

It’s true, I went on an adventure. With my family. To an all-inclusive resort in Manzanillo (Man-zah-nee-yoh), Colima, Mexico. And it was awesome.

We began on Sunday morning, getting up early in the AM to get to the airport by 7:30, which isn’t all that early in the world of air travel. We found breakfast at the airport:

The man you see here is my brother, who decided (along with the passport photo that makes him look like a terrorist) to have even more fun with his appearance by being creative with his facial hair, just to creep out anyone who has to look at passports for customs or immigration purposes.

The flight itself was uneventful, but once we landed, it was a non-stop party. The drive out from the airport in Manzanillo was beautiful, with palm trees as far as the eye could see, arranged in perfect rows, for harvesting purposes. It was quite misty that evening.

Once we arrived at the resort, the adventure never stopped. We spent hours on the beach soaking up the sun (in the end, somehow I managed to soak up too much. I won’t make you squirm with a picture of my blistering shoulder), reading books and swimming. We ate lots of great food, consumed copious amounts of alcohol, enough to make us all a little tipsy at dinner on the night we arrived. There’s nothing like being slightly inebriated with your immediate (and extended, my auntie Shirley came along) family! The meals themselves were awesome, and here’s an example. Some of us ordered “queso frito,” simply translated, “deep fried cheese.” It was delicious local cheese, deep-fried and flambéed, as you can see here. That’s tequila here’s pouring in there and ignited for my photographic pleasure. Ohhhh, tequila.

We went scuba diving, too. Our dive masters were Mariano:

and Jeronimo (the J is like an H: Heronimo)

One afternoon my dad (a certified diver), my brother and I (both completely green divers) took an introductory course, and then a few days later went out for a dive in the beautiful waters of the Pacific Ocean, a few miles away from our resort, from where we set out. The first dive was just to get used to it, and lasted for maybe 20 minutes. I got out first and managed to capture the other divers surfacing from my perch on the boat:

The second dive went longer, and deeper. We saw some cool underwater landscapes, swam through holes in the reef and generally had a blast. I never thought I could do it, but it turns out that I can indeed, and I want to do it again!

Finally, while we were there, an election took place. And for that whole day, and the day before, no alcohol is allowed to be purchased or served in the country, presumably so nobody can buy votes with drinks, which has been a problem in many countries in the past, including Canada. Bars aren’t open on voting days here, I learned. At the resort, all the bars at the resort didn’t put out the liquor bottles as was the routine, and if they made any alcoholic beverages, they were served in Styrofoam cups rather than glasses or plastic cups, so that it wasn’t discernible from a distance what was being served/consumed. The lobby bar made no drinks, in case the “federales” came, and had time warn the other bars/restaurants to cut it out and hide the evidence. They were a little more strict on the voting day though. The law is the law I guess. Here, you can see my beverage, in cognito. Observe the salt around the lip of the Styrofoam cup…

All in all, it was a great vacation. I mentioned my blistering sun burn, which I still won’t picture, but have a look at my foot, also burnt, and quite swollen. Yay Mexico!

All in good time, my friends

2006-07-03T01:32:00.000-07:00

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your faithful readership. I have been greatly encouraged by your encouragement, and may you all be encouraged that you will find something encouraging in the near future. Many of you of late have been calling for another post, something new and probably something a little more uplifting. So, to satisfy you, I have been on an adventure for a little over a week, and thus I haven't posted in a while; I apologize. I just got back, and it's 1:30 in the morning, and I will make a nice long post for you all TOMORROW. For those of you concerned with semantics, it will be in fact later today, after I have slept a good night's sleep. With that, I bid you all bonsoir, or most likely good morning/afternoon.

Yours,
MIke

I guess it's about time

2006-06-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

About time to blog again. I've realized something sad...how often I (and probably many others) frequent people's blog sites, silently hoping for a new post, so that I can leave a thought provoking comment. And I do THAT so people will look at my own page, and hope THEY will leave equally thought provoking comments too, all so that I can feel like people care about me. Regardless of whether or not people read my blog, let alone leave a comment, the truth is that people do care about me, as I care about others. It's just that sometimes (read: always) we as human beings need to know that other people care about us. I find the same goes for myspace. We log in, wishing that out of the 127 friends that are linked to us through the intra-web, at least one will have looked at our page, left a comment wishing to see us or something like that. A status thing, perhaps? Or just longing for company, for somewhere to belong?

Which furthur begs the question: am I writing THIS blog simply for the buzz factor, for being 'thought provoking' so that people will read it, hear about it, leading to more people reading it, and the end result being that 8 or 9 people end up leaving comments, so that I feel important? Or, am I writing this simply because I feel it is the truth? If I am honest with myself, I would have to answer yes to both of those situations.

Sometimes (read: often) I wonder about all this e-business. What's the bloody point? Why do I sit here typing, while wishing I was hanging out with friends, having a good time? Why not just do it? Are we so afraid of each other that we isolate ourselves, until our relationships, no, our EXISTENCE becomes purely electronic, and we compete for the attention of our e-peers with flashy blogs and witty comments so that people will think and believe that we are cool, while in reality we sit by ourselves in front of our computer screens, no different from the other people reading said blogs and leaving said comments, thus nullifying any sort of 'status' we may have 'attained,' because it makes no real impact in real life in the end?

All this is to say that I am a part of this ever-depressing false reality. All of my friends live in different cities, thus making any real contact with them rare; my church is on the other side of the river; my future is limbo; I don't know what to do with myself in this post- post-secondary education world where isolation is a reality unless you don't let it be. But how is that really accomplished? The bar scene? No thanks. And there really aren't any good places like Ethical Addictions here in Coquitlam where in just going often enough leads to new friendships, let alone having a gathering place for local bible college students, who end up only ever meeting there because the school environment is often a plastic and artificial one.

And all THAT is to say that yes, I feel lonely. Maybe this blog is for my own self-pity, so that others will understand how I feel and will feel bad for me, and maybe (if they're in the same boat) they will acknowledge their feelings too.

Living at home isn't the greatest. In a sense, it's luxury, because I have free food and a place to sleep, although I expect I'll be charged room and board some time in the not-too-distant future. But I want out - I want to come and go as I please, without having to answer to someone else. I want to do something that I feel is valuable, and important. I want to be with my friends. I want someone to come home to, not just to come home to a light left on (while it's a sign someone cares, it's not the same). I want to live my own life, not to wait around until it comes to me. Where do I start?

what a couple of days...

2006-05-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got the chance to spend some time back at the 'ole school, helping out at the first ever Worship Arts conference. It was a lot of fun, and it got the cranks turning again in my head, which is good, because tonight I had a job interview in a related field...which I'll get to later.

These ladies were the keynote speakers...

And I got to hang out with clowns like these:

Saturday was quite a full day. We then capped it off with a great show at Ethical in Langley. Three fifths of my band Laureate played an acoustic set, with Craig Harris opening for us. It was a fun evening, and we even gained new fans! Check us out...

Tonight, being Monday, I had a job interview with a great church in Ladner, to be the half-time worship pastor. It was pretty sweet. I mean, what better place to have a job interview than here:

Finally, the drive home from White Rock, where Milestones was, was glorious. I got to take in the sunset:

And sip on a latte:

This is me

2006-05-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

This is actually me as I appear in the mirror, so it's me backwards.

Killing time

2006-05-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

I also got to stay with my wonderful friends Pete and Lisa on Saturday night, and when the time came, we all dispersed to out rooms for the night. I wasn't quite ready for bed, so I amused myself with my new camera (for those of you who don't care, why are you reading this anyway? This is MY freaking blog, so let me be self-indulgent for once). This was not the most interesting shot, but definitely the best shot of the mini photo session.

Damaged goods

2006-05-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a full weekend. I had the opportunity to lead worship at church, which doesn't happen too often because I play on the worship pastor's team (there are 5 teams in total), so he usually leads when our team is up. While there, I met Terry Clark's (country artist) guitar player, who had just come back from a year and a half on the road. He was quite impressed with us! I guess that's a good thing.

Anyway, my brother returned home from a 5-ish month stay in Burkina Faso, Africa. He brought back a pile of gifts, and as you can see, the one he brought for me didn't totally survive the flight home. This djembe is gorgeous, hand carved out of a chunk of wood that is quite heavy, carved and painted designs on the outside, but the skin broke in transit. So, alas, I have to go somewhere to figure out how to get a new skin put on this beautiful instrument.

Aside from that, it was great to see him again, as I missed him dearly.

thai food

2006-05-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

So I was sitting at home, craving Chinese food (which I had been craving for a day or 2 already) and my dad pipes up and said, "my taste buds just woke up and said 'thai.'" Well, close enough, I thought. So I jumped to it, and convinced the fam to order out some thai food instead of making pork chops. Boring! So we busted out the menu and decided what we wanted, and we got a bit of everything, from deep friend noodles (yum!) to curry beef to sweet 'n sour pork. Man was it a good meal, and wine ALWAYS makes it better.

Photo Phun...

2006-05-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

I've decided to put a picture on here, because it's something to do. This is the view from my living room at home in Coquitlam, photo taken with my brand new camera!

weddings

2006-05-07T19:40:00.001-07:00

Well, 'tis the season, it seems. I spent yesterday in Abbotsford for the wedding of two great friends. The bride I have known since we were wee, and the groom for only 4 years, but he has been my roommate for the last six months, and has become one of my best friends. Maybe because we became like brothers (which is an entirely different matter altogether - ask me about it sometime) after the wedding party was decided upon I figure, I was asked to participate by being a driver for the bridesmaids to and from the photo sessions immediately following the ceremony. While I felt oddly out of place, being the only one besides the photographer without a tux (or dress!), it was nice to be there with my friends regardless, to be included in this small way.

Afterwards, I and some groomsmen went for a drink at Earl's, and, all being close friends of the groom, agreed that it's very strange to have one of our best friends married after all! They were engaged for a little over 2 years, so we all knew it was coming, but I guess once it's done, it's done. It's like a part of him (at least to us) is now gone forever. But that's what happens when you get married - that other person now becomes your biggest priority. And that's a good thing.

Consequently, all of us guys (except for one) were as single as they come (so were 3 of the bridesmaids!). It's funny - the wedding sort of capped off the four years of school in an interesting way. It's like the real world has started, and an altar has now been built; marking the start of a new life, in essence, but especially for the happy couple, but also for all of us to verying degrees and ways. Starting a new life sounds pretty good right about now. I like the idea of starting fresh, having a blank slate in front of me, a whole world of experiences just waiting for me to join up. Friends getting married always stirs a lot of emotions (yes girls, it happens in guys too), and in a way, it sucks to have friends getting married and being left in the singles bin, seemingly hopeless for a life of relational bliss. Wow that sounds desperate. But seriously, now that school is done, things are starting to line up in terms of the future (some things, not everything), perhaps the time has come to find that special someone? It's been a while since I've felt that way, or at least thought I did, but maybe now it's true. We'll see, I guess!

I thought I was done with that, but here's a typical occurance in the world of Mike LaRoy, particularly when it comes to women. For instance, this weekend following the wedding, and the drinks at Earl's, we went to someone's house where I met a girl that I was definitely attracted to, in many ways. She loved wine, as I do, loved the French language, as I do, and was generally a blast to be around. However, I soon discovered she would be going to Victoria for university soon, and not sticking around here. She was also thinking about some term on the east coast. Gah! I meet this awesome chick who's not going to be around for much longer? What's the deal? I'm committed to sticking around Vancouver area for the band (it's called Laureate - look for us in the winner's circles sometime soon), and the girls I meet are leaving town. If you know me, you might know that I'm pretty shy when I meet new people, so I barely said a word to her anyway. Some first impression! At least I brought a great bottle of wine that she liked!

In conclusion, I'll let you draw your own conclusions. If you choose not to, and really want to hear my conclusions, you probably know how to get a hold of me. So feel free!

to all the blog-savvy types....

2006-05-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid I've been a failure so far. I haven't yet had the time to figure out all the html business to customize my page, add links, etc. I haven't yet bought a camera so I can rip off Steve's 24:25 deal - go check his out if you haven't yet. Someone's gotta have a link to it. And myspace is way easier. But, I will stop comparing this with it - apples and oranges; both are fruit, but from different trees. When I finish unpacking my life here at home with the folks (for now) I will endeavour to be more creative and artistic with my blog "spot." For now, have patience my paduwans. The future is bright!

Mike, the soon-to-be-talked-about-at-the-watercooler-blogger-of-much-repute-and-envy-of-the-cyber-world, LaRoy

finally

2006-04-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

Well folks, it seems I have given in. Blogspot is apparantly the cool thing to have if you're going do have any sort of "status" as a cool person. Online, anyway. Forget myspace, blogspot is the new myspace. And since I want to be cool, I have to have a place here to "blog" on top of the one I already sometimes do at myspace, which is clearly no longer cool. It's last week. It's passe. Old news. Gotta keep up with the times.

For those of you who are still part of the "little people" who use myspace, my page is www.myspace.com/mikelaroy

Maybe I'll write here again, we'll see. Depends on how cool I'm feeling.