Winnipeg, Manitoba

Winnipeg KICKS ASS!!!

Ok favourite city so far!! it could just be because it was a beautiful day today tho...or the fact that i ate in a revolving restaurant that gave me the panoramic view of the entire city,

or the fact that there is a highway all the way around the perimitre of the city.

Or it might be the burning boniface cathedral such a beautiful sight for sure

But either way I absolutely love the energy here its great...very flat and you can see for miles...and not a single mountain in sight but definitely a beautiful view.

I'm here till tiesday staying with a really amazing guy named steve who has been a great tour guide in this city...and then I am flying the rest of the way....I caved and bought a plane ticket....I'm ready to start working again....2 1/2 weeks of nomad-ness is enough.

I'm going to visit Bob's brother and wife tomorrow should be quite exciting....Bob, Jason's first comment to me was a lecture on the dangers of hitch-hiking...haha.....nice! I look forward to meeting them tomorrow tho.....talk to ya about it soon!

-L- Phil

Brandon, Manitoba

So Brandon was a small town of like 60,000 and not a whole lot to do, satyed with Duane we chilled for 2 days and ate lots of Egg-in-the-hole (my fave) and we watched silent hill and finding nemo then got drunk and danced to pussycat dolls it was a blast....

Now its 6 and I'm waiting for his friend Jaimie who is going to winnipeg and I am getting a ride with him, he's renting a hotel room and going out to a bar there so I think I'm going with him.

anyways yeah Duane is the only reason I'd ever come to Brandon again...haha

talk to y'all soon
Love Phil

Ok,

so Regina was ok and I was planning to stay there and work, but things changed as per Chuck and his dramatic boyfriend.(Fags!) But I did apply for a Banquet Captain/Supervisor job at the Hotel Saskatchewan and got an interview the following day that not only would have paid well, but the hotel is the 'Goto' hotel for all the stars and the queen, that would have been a sweet deal! Nonetheless, I was out of a place to stay and not enuf money to rent a hostel till i got my first paycheck....sigh!

So after staying in a hostel for a night I went back out on the road for about 3 hrs at 8am and then decided Regina is impossible to get a ride out of, and this guy was hitchiking in front of me .....screwin up my chances....so I walked over to the Husky (where all the truckers go) determined to talk to a trucker to get a ride...yeah not so brave.
I just spent money there eating so I could stay indoors, I couldn't get the nerve up to ask one of them for a ride, me, Phil, not able to aproach a stranger....yeah hell has frozen over! But its intimidating, they look so mean and miserable.

So back out on the road I went and I avaoided my lil ride vulture that was circling and hiked pretty far up the highway...one guy did stop....really old guy with a hearing aid that had SO MUCH candy all over the seats and floor of his car and I swear was listening to the mooby cow theme music from 'Dogma'....i opted to not take the ride. Then a really cool native guy named Preston, wearing a cowboy hat and boots picked me up he was part of a stand up comedy routine called 'Bionic Bannock' that was storming Saskatchewan, they just got sponsored by CBC television which I gotta admit is quite impressive. Heres the website...

Anyways he wasn't going very far but could at least get me out of the city limits, but he stopped for gas after about 10 minutes and when he got out he yelled at a trucker "you heading east? I got a hitchiker here....want him?" I know, like a piece of meat, how dare he... "yeah I'll take him as far as Brandon"....pork or beef? haha btw...thats like a 5 hr drive i just got and right into a city where I know a guy I can stay with wooot!

So now I am staying at Duanes place for 2 nights and he might even be able to set me up with a ride into Winnipeg...YESSS!

I had the greatest conversation with Eric the other night when I stayed in the Hostel in Regina....wow....I'm so in love...i can't wait to see him....which if I'm calculating right should be sunday at the latest!!

Anika I am getting worried about you...I miss you, please email me

Julie I miss you too and love you so much

Bob...well you are loved ;o)

Ange I am always so pumped to get ur comments keep them coming and let me know whats going on with you.
everyone else....

I'll be in touch soon, as I am almost there!!

Sick, but getting better...

So I got really sick when I was in Medicine hat, or maybe it even started before that. Throwing up, hot/cold flashes, constant chills. I tried to ignore it and keep on until I got to regina and realized it wasn't getting any better, so I decided to sit still for a bit. I think I might have gotten a parasite from water I drank along the way...but who knows.

I am finally, after about a week of feeling like death, starting to feel back to normal. I went for a run around the lake here in the city yesterday and only felt like barfing twice...haha...but lastnight brought me back. It was Mikes birthday party and he rented a huge SUV Limo and 23 of us drove thru the park and went to a local club that was tonnes of fun. Then a couple of us went to the local gay bar (b-cuz theres only one here) and it blew!

The Plan:

Its starting to get too cold to continue to hitchike adn my friends here say they can get me working tomorrow so I may stay here a few weeks and take a flight the rest of the way. but i'll be posting blogs as things unfold.

Julie: you made my day today when I read you're comment...I miss you so much and I'll see you sooner than later
I love you babe!

Anika: I hope your training is going well and you're enjoying it, say hi to Jason and Jake and Jane and everyone for me, LOve you guys!

Bob: Missin you like crazy hope you are doing well Love you!

Stevan: If you're reading....I REALLY miss you....a lot.....I'm sorry we don't talk much anymore.

Eric: My heart misses you...and I'm sorry....email me please

Anyone I forgot to write to cuz I have to run.....LEAZVE MORE MESSAGES AND I"LL REMEMBER NEXT TIME!!

Regina, Saskatchewan

Made it this far in 6 days....not too bad. Met some cool people, stayed in a few motels...here's the latest rides:

Strathmore - Medicine Hat: A really cool family guy who lives on 160 acres of prairie land that he rents to hunnerites, they farm the land and live in colonies, sorta like Ahmish but not as strict. He had a great time explaining the landscapes to me cuz I'd never seen anything so flat in all my life. He has a 19 y/o daughter who lives in Lethbridge I think or her bf does and she works with him when she's in town and she's going to school taking education, majoring in music. He also has a 16 y/o son who is playing baseball in seattle and will be graduating this year at 17....quite cool. all together a really great friendly guy.

Medicine Hat - Maple Creek: Middle age guy...nice chatty guy kinda stoner, but cool enuf....it wasn't a very far ride but it was impossible to get outta there so I took the ride....then....I left my Ipod in his truck! Figures.

Maple Creek - Swift Current: So this guy pulls over to write some stuff down while he's talking on his cell phone and I assume he's picking me up....when I get to his vehicle he waves once at me as he writes...I figure he just wants me to wait till he's done....which ends up being like 15 minutes later. He tells me he didn't plan on picking me up but said he'd take me to Swift Current, so off we went. He was a nice guy tho, we had some good laughs and he dropped me at the local library in Swift so I could use internet and resources.

So I ended up on the highway for about 5 hrs with no luck of a ride, so I opted to rent a motel room (this trip is makin me broke-ass) the water smells like rust there and a shower made me nautious...so I went to bed.
Got up this morning and was on the road by 10am, around 12 a police car pulled over in front of me (i'm thinking 'great its illegal to hitch') until he tells me that I fit the description of a wanted man from Medicine hat...so he ran my name etc and then wished me luck. Phew!

Then I got picked up by Colin, older guy from Estavan he was going to moose jaw then after that to regina...so he dropped me in moose jaw and said if I was there when he came back thru he'd drive me right thru to regina....which he did...then he played chaffeur to me making sure I got to all the resources I needed to get to, awesome guy! Now I'm at a cafe waiting for my buddy chuck to come pick me up so I can recover for a few days at his place and maybe find some work (as I am pretty much broke) to continue to winnepeg....wow.....what a friggin adventure!

Hope you're all doin really well
Love ya
Phil

Strathmore, AB

Ok so now I'm in a crap hole lil town called strathmore, I ate some raw bacon and now have Botulism AGAIN!!! hahah....damnit I want to curl up in a ball and die...therefore I am going to rent a motel and recover and head out to medicine hat tomorrow.

Eric is having dinner with his folks tonite after sending them his 'Letter' I can't wait to hear all aboot it tonite. And he's getting an Elyptico machine so he can be healthy....aww i loves it!

anyway, I miss all of you and hope you're all doing excelllent I had a great time visiting Calgary...what a spread out city...but I got the hang of transit while I was there so if I ever go back I am set. I think I could live in Calgary its a beautiful city.

ok I'm gonna run...bye

Love Phil

Calgary

Ok so I got a place to stay in Calgary at a cool guy I mets named Alan he graciously offered his couch, so I wouldn't have to hostel it and so I could go out to the club here. While out I met up with an old roomate of mine....how random in calgary, anyways he lives right by Alans place and says I can stay for as long as I want to...woot!

Thanks Alan!

Calgary!!

ok so now I'm in Calgary, but wait till you ehar about my tyrip from Salmon arm.....
heres the rides I got
1)Middle age french guy and 11 y/o boy-guy is a janitor in a school in sicamous kid I dunno, the listened to crazy hip hop the whole way and stop[ped at rest area's to pick up empty cans and bottles.

2)Jessica from fernie 23 y/o boarder chick...totally hot and we talked the whole 3 hrs to Golden she was cool shit...I like her lot hope to hear from her....she's also the first and only chick I told about Eric and that I was 'gay' if I must.....Kinda hate that I didn't tell Tim....but if ur reading this now...sorry man didn't want it to be an akward ride for either of us...now I know it wouldn't have been but then I wasn't sure. Anyways back to Jessica, hope you get everything with your soon to be ex going smoothly, and as soon as I find out about the Train u'll be the first person I tell!

Intermission-I stayed at ther Kicking Horse Hostel $25 a nite it was really cold no heat at all and i woke up at 7am to get back out on the road.

3)Chris...now this was a sketchy situation...this guy pulls over and asks if I got gas money...I lied an said I was pretty broke and he insisted so I gave him $20 the truck he was driving was brand new and in the ignotion was a housekey...I should jumped out but he was an alright guy....he dropped me in Lake loiuse cuz he needed to hit some other ppl up for money to make it the rest of the way to Calgary...I took the chance to ditcha dn went back on the #1

4)Earl was a truck driver...he'd let his dog (k-os) out for a pee and he saw me and asked if I was going to calgary so off we went.
He told me the craziest stories, from a guy he picked up twitching on his floor to a crackwhore trying to tell him if he didn't give her money she'd scream that he assaulted her and he had to literally kick her out of the truck and in his words "she flew like a bullet out onto the road" but altogether a very cool guy

...and now I'm in Calgary looking at hostels and gonna maybe call Jen Anika's friend and see what she's up to

Having a FAWKING blast....love Y'all!! leave me some good comments (aka philnomilies) I love reading them.

SALMON ARM!!

ok so had a cool run so far got stuck in hope lastnight and stayed at a motel totally haggled with the guy to get my room cheaper...(heck yea!)...Eric I did call you but you musta been sleeping...it was cool tho...got back on the road today it was pouring rain and I was headed in the wrong direction as I was soon informed so I went to the right part of the highway and got picked up by this wicked cool guy 'Tim' he's 25 and from Denver, Colorado check out his site www.projectcanada.org, right now I'm at his friends place in salmon arm we're gonna eat some food i think and then I dunno the plan...but I'll keep you posted.

oh yeah....and I lost my camera at a gas station....FUCK!!

But I'm over it!

Love Y'all

Final final most finalist post from vancouver BC...

This is for Eric...you dork...I don't know what to say...anyways I'm off and umm...yeah thast exactly what I said in yesterdays 'last' post...haha

I love and miss you all and See y'all in july!



Today I leave
Bereaved
but relieved
I can't wait to experience
what I'm about to endure
I'm sure
its exactly
what I won't be expecting
resurrecting the traveller
who's been dormant inside
he tried hiding for so long
but now is the time
to walk over and climb
the landscape across
the country I haven't yet met
no regrets
just a chance to make up
for lost time
to design the being I have been evolving into
begin to, anyways

I look forward not back...

P.S. Bob now that I know ur reading my blog....you have been more than an amazing friend to me...I love you and will see you soon.

Who's scareder???

Ok,
so I was totally nervous and crazy scared about this lil adventure i'm taking till Eric got all up in arms about making sure I call him as often as I can. It totally made me relax and see 'him' for the freak...LOL...jk baby I love you!

I leave at 1pm for Calgary tomorrow, Chris and I are taking his truck all the way to banff then staying a night there...should be fun...but I wouldn't know...I've never been anywhere in BC 'cept Vancouver and Vernon. I am so bloody excited!!

So I have all my shit packed into my HUGE backpack, (probably way too much clothes...but I'm a style junkie man...what of it!? Is it weird I packed my hairstraightener?...Ya I'm gay!)
I have my camera to take lots of pics and my ipod full of ani that will keep me company for the long hauls.

I want to say goodbye to y'all and let you know to check out once in a while and see where I'm at....I'll be watchin all y'all too, making sure you're staying in trouble and such! Anika and Jason...well I have something special for you guys,
Julie, I went by SFU today where we used to work together and remmebered how we met...wow....we've come a long way, our business will be evolving out east for sure I have already made lots of contacts out there.
Janie...I'll miss you're cute ass tell steve I says bye,
Kaila....where the fuck have you been??? I love you and bye
B-Low...is there mini travel size houkka? nice to finally meet you
Luella...I know it was a bit of a surprise to you but I wish we coulda hung out once more....but I'll be seeing you at Anika and Jason's wedding for sure! Eric and I will be attending.

Eric...baby....you are so fucking high maintanence...but I love maintaining you...always, and don't worry I'll be SUPER safe! And I'll call every chance I get! I can't believe that I'll be a 6hr commute away from you....you know I'm going to be in new york every fricken weekend I'm gonna get to know the border crosser ladies and men so we don't have issues like we did when we went to Ani's concert (refer to song playing in the background) and eventually they'll just give me citizenship!

To everyone else, take it easy see you soon and wish me luck!
I wanted to put a cool picture of me walking down the highway by myself thumbing maybe, but, this is the best I can do...at least its the expression I've had on my face lately when I thought about hitching across canada



Fin

Friends are good...baseboards...not so much!

ok, so the baseboards on that gosh darn condo took 3 coats!! 3 COATS...man thats a lot of paint, like wow, lots and lots and lots of paint and work, oh the work, lots of that too, so tired, so so tired, but...

I got to talk to ERIC today for a whole like 35 minutes...wow what that does to me...what a fuckin GREAT day!!

hell lets throw in a pic of the hottie...how about one of him from the independance day fireworks......yes, that will be perfect


DamNNN that boy's a looker!!

Anyways so yeah that made my fricken day!!

but yesterday was pretty damn awesome too!! check dis out:

Anika and Jason took me out to a field by the airport where we watched planes fly over our heads, I've never done anything like that...I had boculism but it was still fun.


I find more and more that Anika and Jason will definitely be that happiest people in the world, they totally belong together....IF THEY DON'T FUCK IT UP!! hahahahhahah Thats for you Jason...and remember Herbal Essences!!

Oh also I met the infamous 'Britton' haha what a small fry...smokin his 'HOOKA' whatev.

Nah it was actually pretty good shit...
what was it ...peach...ya think it was, nice smooth gentle tickle in the back of your throat as it creeps into your lung like an invasion of SWEET HAPPINESS!!!

Thanks again for that B-LOW! You is Aight, guy!

dun....dun....dun!

Well I now have a ride from vancouver to Calgary with a friend so thats a nice start...

WISH ME LUCK!!!

Why?

we judge each other
disgusting to me
take away the chance to see
what is there for us to find
remind, yourself how it felt
to melt
down in the heat
and be beat up
or beat down
into the ground by judgement
I am sick to death of this callous
if I could change the ways
of the days
and the effects
of the suns rays
on us all I'd still pray
That we come to terms with ourselves
before we open our mouths
to saywhat we're thinking
and stop drinking
to alter perception,
false courage
liquid confidence,
demanding attention
pretentiousness abounds
a few more rounds
and fall down
not beat up
or down
just pushed around a little
by judgement

Are you ready to jump?

Another day of painting...I'll be finished tomorrow for sure (i hope)

SO my business partner, Julie and I had lunch today, was great to see her...she totally got me pumped for my trip, I mean I am excited, but we actually sat down and looked at the map and well I haven't actually done that with anyone but myself, so I guess I haven't been in the right frame of mind. But leave it to good 'ol Julie to turn it around. Love ya hun if ur reading this. I'll send those pictures as soon as I get them downloaded. And...you left your new $12 Aldo wedge sandals there..haha I'm gonna sell them for $30...SCORE!...hahaha jk.

Anyways Back to painting and training tomorrow then on the road! I can't fricken wait!


ok so a blog is no fun without pictures...so heres one of Eric and i in NYC across the street from his apt where i puked blue and it stained the cement...sidenot: i don't EVER puke but that night i really needed to, so eric offered 2 digits down the back of my throat...oh yeah 'together 4 eva 4 shore' when a guy offers to tickle ur uvula its definitely L-O-V-E! (thanks again)

Are you ready to jump

Almost there....

Ok,
so yesterday, Eric tells me he reads my blog everyday, sometime twice a day just to see if anything exciting is posted, I know! Adorable eh?
So this post if for him:

Today I spent my whole day (almost 13hrs) painting Pally's apt. Its a gorgeous 19th floor 1 bedroom & den on Pacific and Seymour. Its my first sort of 'Self Contracted' work....I like it tho, crunching #'s and setting a due date. Not like Training where I set up a routine and my client ignores it and then complains cuz it don't work...sheesh! So I painted about half of it..... meaning the 1st coat and its gonna turn out really nice I'll try and take a few pics tomorrow.
But its also the last job I'll have in BC for at least a few years. This dawned on me while I was rolling the dining room walls and I had to sorta take a step back...then...just like in a movie I backed into the dining room light fixture that so eloquently hung at exactly 6'4 (me being 6'5) so it knocked the back of my head kinda hard, and I turned around really fast to express my anger, in a non threatening and mostly verbal way, when, gravity, like it would a pendulum hung by a string, brought the 1" thick glass fixture swinging in a collision course with my forhead...not only did it knock me FLAT on my ass and into paint....but it also shattered into a thousand little pieces (no cuts tho...phil-1 light fixture-1). Now picture this; a 1" thick flying saucer looking thing....and my head....which looks something like this:

....how the heck did it shatter? Maybe my mom was telling the truth when she used to tell me I had rocks for brains....what a weird way to learn that sad truth.

This is how we communicate!

Ok so Luella and I have a unique relationship....haha
we don't communicate so well, but its funny
for example check this beaut out!

Phil says:
Feet?
Luella says:
feet make my friend jeff happy
Phil says:
haha
Phil says:
ok
Phil says:
so you've heard anika and jason are engaged right?
Luella says:
do they make you happy too?
Phil says:
feet or anika and jason?
Luella says:
anika and jason sure make me HAPPY!!!
Luella says:
i think that is so right on

Actually Engaged!!

OK so it wasn't for real until yesterday and I suck speeches but I am somewhat good at poetry so this is for my soulmate and her new Fiance Jason.


In line at a Hick bar eager to dance,
A brave blond haired boy and his blue eyes glanced
At a pretty young girl as he waited for his chance,
To say something witty.

its a pity

I cannot remember, the first words that he spoke
but I'm pretty sure we weren't too impressed or stoked
He was a cocky little bloke though,
that I remmeber.

Later inside cowboy hats were rampid
Cowboy boots were all a-clickin' and stampin'
Drinks were being poured and Anika was happenin
to be the most popular girl,
in this lil hick world.

'Harass' is a word used to describe
when someone annoys you and sticks at your side
asking repeatedly for you to confide
about the colour of your friends beautiful eyes

I was harassed!

He was persistant like noone I'd ever amused
And he asked me to dance because she refused
"in a hick bar? I'll surely get battered and bruised"
I warned, and then Anika came to my rescue.

I'll never forget the day I met Jason Sawatzky
And the good ol' times with Anika watching hockey
I'm out of rhyming words so lets all drink some sake
in a toast...
I'm so unbelieveable happy for you both and not even 'shockied'
that you found each other.

I love you both will all my love

and I FAWKING LOVE this picture of you two...you really are a beautiful match!!

Reminders...

So I am packing up all my shit to go on this amazing adventure and I came across an old book of poetry I had written all when I was 21. I had my first 'Gay' experience at 21 and I definitely had a lot to write about...heres a taste...

Because we can
----------------

Why when we're young are we taught
To be independant and strong
Not to enjoy what we've got
But to achieve and move on...
...to the next goal ahead?

Why teach us this?
Why not explain love?
Why fill us with false hopes,
and fears from above?
From what I gather or seem to understand,
We do this because we can.

How can a mother fulfill her dreams,
By having a child all alone?
Trying to live vicariously,
Through her daughter as she has been shown
By her mother before.

Why mold this child?
Why not let her grow?
Why choose her path for her?
Rather than give her one of her own?
The reasons seem clear
For her disasterous plan,
She does this because she can.

Where can we turn for comfort,
When we face 'so-called' rejection?
How do we get over hurt,
And somehow still feel protection,
For when we try again?

Why do we care for another?
Why do we care at all?
Why do we do it repeatedly,
If every time, we fall?

From the point of view,
Of a once in love man,
we do it because we can.

Who can be a strong, firm, voice,
To a boy who has lost all hope?
Make him understand hes got a choice,
He can choose life and give up dope...
...if he wants to.

Why does it make him happy?
Why is he otherwise sad?
Why does he do these drugs?
If he knows that they're so bad?
He is confused and lost
Forgotten who's in command,
And he does them because he can.

What causes a person to act out,
To harm or hurt another?
To raise voices, curse and shout,
Or love overly and smother...
....someone they care for?

Why are we so jealous?
Why do we feel insecure?
Why do we bottle it inside,
Until we are utterly disturbed?
We let anger and frustration take over,
We just don't give a damn.
And we do it because we can.

So, please, don't dwell on hate.
Don't waste what you get.
Don't pass up fate.
And try not to forget,
You're sharing a planet, yes,
but at some point we all need a hand,
So don't expect reciprocity,
Just do it because you can.