2... When you're so important you can refer to yourself twice... II

Let me start off by saying two things, followed by about 5 others. Thank you to everyone who came to my 2nd Birthday Party, or sent greetings and gifts from afar - I can honestly say it was one of my top two birthdays of all time. I mean that.

Secondly, I'm sure this posting will be a little disappointing in terms of photographic content for some of you (although, I figure I've got a lifetime to impress you). I will share some of the wonderful pictures soon, that will prove it was a well attended affair.

Celebrating this birthday led me to revisit a similar festival about half a lifetime ago. Boy, I could tell that little guy a thing or two now...

I'd start by telling him to always buy balloons that are four times bigger than his head. I'd advise him to eat the icing off of as many cupcakes he can find in rapid succession. And that no matter how fast he runs, Daddy's probably still going to catch him...

Dublin Eve & Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day everyone! In the words of one of my favourites... say hello to your Mother for me. I'm not sure if you've met my mum, but I'd be pretty confident putting her in a local Mother contest or arm wrestle. I'd put my Amma and Nanna in respective contests as well now that I think about it.

In case you haven't been reading the internet, it's my official birthday tomorrow. My party is later, but tomorrow is the day when I like to review my year. My guess is it will be quite the review.

My Dad called yesterday from Lima, we talked for a while and agreed he should probably be home for the big day, so he arrives at YVR at noon. I'm pretty excited. He said he was excited too. I may go to the airport early...

Approaching 2 Years Old... Social Calendar Heats Up!

Man oh man, what a busy weekend. I was on the go the whole time! (That's me on the right.)

By now, you'll most certainly be aware that I made a surprise appearance in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. That was something. I was contender number 17 and finished a respectable 7th place - if you watch the replay, you'll note that I was as close as 5th near the end.

Let me explain to you why I was probably too tired to be competing at such an occasion:

• On Thursday I hosted my buddy Max for the afternoon and dinner - ended in horseplay
• On Friday I hosted Egga for pizza and a few games of Hysterics™
• On Saturday I had an intense lunch with Newman
• Later that day, I had a delightful dinner for two with Isabella - a lady friend

This will all climax with my insane birthday party that I'm hoping will bring the house down - now, how to get the parents out of the house...

Got Yer Nose & Record Store Day

I was enjoying the sun and having some tea with the lads at Arbutus Market Cafe on Sunday afternoon when I spotted a four legged friend at the next table. I felt the most appropriate form of introduction would be by way of a little game I like to call Got Yer Nose.

It seemed to go quite well, although he wasn't fooled. I discovered through further conversation that his name was in fact George.

While I've got you, I want to remind/inform you of Annual Record Store Day this coming Saturday, April 17th. Most of your nearby independent record stores will have promotions & a lively atmosphere, and will be delighted to see your smiling face. I'll be showing mine at Zulu... I might even see if George wants to come.

One Fish, Two Fish, Black and Blue Fish...

A couple of weeks ago, I went to my buddy Jasper's 3rd Birthday Party (although this was only the 2nd of his parties I'd been to). Once again, it didn't disappoint - we all ate wonderful foods, mingled, shared our frustrations & jubilations, and threw, kicked & ran.

Interestingly enough, it later turned into a bit of a fish bashing - something I was not previously familiar with. Eventually I took a couple of good natured swings (first time I've been able to swing a stick without any stern guidance to desist), and we learned that this particular fish had recently eaten loads of toys and candy. So let this be a warning to any fish out there looking to steal children's toys and sweets - you will suffer the wrath of the Toddler Army (and that kid in the red jacket is crazy).

In other news... Congratulations to my good friends at Pyrrha for opening their beautiful store in Los Angeles. I can't wait to see it in person.

Intelligent Juicing

I hope everyone had a good Earth Hour last night. I certainly did my part. Although I was mostly asleep, I left strict instructions to have my night lights, dehumidifier and tanning bed unplugged - those things suck the juice even if they're turned off.

As I was drawing up my Earth Hour plan over lunch on Saturday, it occurred to me that doing this sort of thing once a year is a little ridiculous. I was flipping through a recent issue of NatG (National Geographic's publication for 1 - 3s), and after digesting a piece on obesity in 6 month old domesticated dachshunds, I stumbled on a delicious article suggesting that until the grocery store shelves are bare, and water doesn't come out of the tap, the West will never really be proactive on Earth matters.

So maybe next Earth Hour, governments around the globe can make it mandatory, and flick the big switch for an hour... except for hospitals... and ice cream parlours.

Kiss me I'm here...

I hope everyone is having a good day, filled with festivities and fellowship. Today is a pretty big day for all things with Irish references... certain soaps, certain cereals etc. One can be sure there will be late nights tonight for Dublin, Ireland, Dublin, Ohio, and Dublin, Bailey.

I did my part by having a huge glass of green milk. It made me wonder why the milk I usually drink is always white... seems a bit boring now.

Or wait! Maybe it's originally green but people colour it white. Cows eat grass not snow, so... that's probably right.

Either way, don't lose sleep on that one, it tastes the same.

Thoughts of a 22 month old...

While I sat on this old yellow train as it slowly rumbled through the Arizona desert, I thought about all the things this old iron horse has seen. She's probably seen her fill of change, not to mention the first hand witness of events some of us can only read about: The Salt River floods of 1980, the height of Obey Giant that decorated her in the mid '90s or the Phoenix Lights of '97.

On the eve of my 22nd month birthday, it got me thinking about the things I've seen. Call it a kaleidoscope of excitement, blessings and friendship. So much so, it's sometimes a struggle to take it all in.

Anyway, I hope your last 22 months have been as fun and exciting as mine have, and that the next 22 are even more so.

Dublin does Arizona... from A to Zoo.

My mum and I had the pleasure of spending a week with a pair of my grandparents in Phoenix and the surrounding areas this week (we'll fly home tomorrow). My Dad even joined us for a few days after making a surprise appearance one morning. Let me walk you through some of the highlights...

The zoo was amazing - giraffes, baboons, rhinos... surely I've now seen all the animals on the planet.

We then went to see The Suns play The Pacers. This was my first NBA game since learning the game. It was tremendously exciting and loud. So many people sitting so close to each other, I wondered if they were all my relatives.

Later on, we spent a wonderful day in the sun where I met and enjoyed some cousins. Chuck and Barb have more cow pets than anyone I've ever met in my life, and more cool vehicles.

(I'm not saying don't mess with me, I'm just suggesting you really give it some thought first.)

As Chuck and I were talking business, he filled me in on something I had long suspected: When driving, honking is the most important responsibility of the driver, or the assistant driver.

Throughout the trip we visited many excellent restaurants and coffee houses which was great fun.

When dining, I did my best to finish everything on my plate at each sitting, and when in coffee establishments, I did my best to think about architecture, time travel and man's search for meaning.

But no matter where you are, when you see a chocolate cupcake, I've found it's always important to let someone know.

GOlympics!

It's no mystery that we're hosting the biggest party Vancouver has ever seen. Me and my little family have been going downtown on weekends and wow has it been busy, noisy and exciting. Above is a shot of me entertaining a group of foreigners with a move I like to call Hands in Pockets Tableau. Below was when we watched the torch go by our house - big crowds, and even more exciting... big trucks!

As an update, development seems to be on schedule - my training is a little inconsistent but we're getting there, I have full command of my thumbs for signalling up or down, and my Dad got World Cup England tickets. Wait... I mean my vocabulary is growing by the hour (latest additions include hockey, taxi, Rooney and hypothalamus).

I'll leave it there for now as we've all been a touch under the weather (nautical) and I should get my rest.
Go Canada!

New Word... Vada Allez Vaya пойдите

I've heard that sometimes in desperate situations, creatures are capable of incredible things. There was that woman who lifted a combine harvester off her own foot, and of course the classic story of the old fish who managed to swim to the beach and walk to safety from the threat of predators.

Last weekend, I went for a long walk with my Dad. It was chilly and he took his time to ensure I was well tucked etc - he can be a sweet guy sometimes (but is often slow). We'd barely gotten underway when he leaned over the stroller and checked again that I was alright... can you see alright? are you cold? hot? do you need gloves? comfy?

I was at a loss as I had no prepared words to explain that I was entirely fine... so I mustered up all my concentration, removed my travel soother, and tuned my pronunciation as best I could. I looked straight ahead so as not to get distracted and commanded... Go!

He looked impressed, if not slightly wounded, but I think he understood.

Airplanes and PeenaCoolAhDaz...

Wow, it has been ages since my last update. I must remember how important it is for me to be frequent - since my last post, 5% of my life has happened. (Not to be a downer, but on average, only about .19% of my reader's lives have gone by based on demographic averages.)

It's fair to say that it was 5% well spent. Christmas was rad as I made sure to take my time to savour every unwrapping. I was in Victoria, and partook in family, presents, especially late nights and great food. A couple of days later we did one of my favourite things and hopped on an Airplane!!

We went to a place called KooWhy? (I don't know.) This place was awesome! In the backyard was the biggest bathtub I've ever seen. You can get loads of people in at once, although the water's significantly chillier. The island had waves, floating turtles, canyons, birds, Ice Cream, sand and PeenaCoolAhDaz!

In terms of vocabulary updates, please welcome spaghetti, scissors, xylophone, go, thank-you and party to the list. I'm a hair away from 3 feet tall and probably in the top 5 for running (both in terms of speed and accuracy). I'm serious, my progress is pro... don't blink.

Quick and Dirty - An Average Week December '09

I've been criticized quite a bit recently for the lack of current photographs on my page. So, as one does when faced with a challenge, I've tried to rise above it. While this perhaps isn't as clean cut as some of my competitor's productions, it is raw. That's something you can always count on with a Dub Jam. (I know some of you will wonder how I played all those instruments - the trick is, I recorded the tracks in the studio earlier, and then took the footage.)

Just a little housekeeping (which I'm awesome at btw): remember to use speakers or headphones, and if this Jam doesn't work for you here, you can always go to the source: DubJam

A Week in the Life - A Dub Jam from Stephen Bailey on Vimeo.

Travel Preparations

(Not a great picture, and for that I apologize... but is it mandatory for all Doctor's offices to look the same? Is there a regulated Doctor Design Board that insists on this consistency, and if so, I'd be curious to see if they subject themselves to the same colour palette.)

Earlier this week I went to get a routine check-up. I had already got the 'Hini' (street talk) shot a couple of weeks ago, but this one was specifically for travel preparedness. My parents leave very early on Saturday morning (before the first soccer game starts) and are headed for a Palm Springs getaway while I travel to Victoria to hang out with my Island Grandparents. I'm excited to get a little space from the parentals, and I hope they have a great jaunt away - they deserve it.

It was my Mum's Birthday last Wednesday, and it's one of those times that I'm reminded of how great she is. She's patient and happy and patient, and she helps me with all sorts of things. But probably the best thing is, I can really tell how much she loves me.

Officially One and a Half...

So it's official... I'm a year and a half. Given that it's a bit of a milestone, I thought I'd just catch you up on a couple of things.

I'm quite tall and big. I either insist on entertainment of the highest quality, or provide entertainment of the highest quality. And, I have mastered the perfect pronunciation of a select vocabulary including a handful of names & nicknames, noodle, ball, dog, more (very useful), turtle, stairs, plane and the consistent crowd pleaser... watermelon (people just can't believe that one). I'm currently working with an independent production company to get these onto film, and then out to you.

Like most celebrities & online daters, today I used a picture (taken by my good friend Jonathan) that was actually taken about 2 months ago... thus shaving off 11% of my signs of aging.

Monkey Business or an Animal Farm?

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Halloween. I spent the evening at Eric and Faye's place - it was a lovely gathering of familiar faces. I had been up very early that morning putting the finishing touches on my costume (that's right - that's me with my mum and dad).

As I was demonstrating to my dad the many different moves monkeys are known for, we got to talking about how good I've gotten with animals both real and fictitious. Then I was thinking about how a few Dublog Followers have been quite vocal with me about the reduced photo collection on the site. While I'm working on that, here are a few recent wildlife shots (animals may be larger than they appear).

Some tough love with my trusty mouse.

Hand delivered traditional Elephant riding dress straight from the Orient via my big uncle Pete.

No doubt we all have the occasional tough battle in our day to day - this particular day, my battle was with a huge man eating jungle cat. But sometimes all you need is love... (Seriously though, you need to mean it and commit, otherwise those things will smell your fear, and they can rip your head clean off.)

Choose Love.

The Pumpkin Hunters

Last weekend I went on a Pumpkin Hunt for the first time. At first I was a little nervous about the idea of hunting, but like a trooper I gathered up my hunting gear picked up my hunting partner Isabella and off we went. (By the day's end, the guide said we were naturals.)

If you've not been before, I'll break it down for you. At first, they can be very elusive so you have to sit tight, keep your eyes peeled and work on your pumpkin calls - tricky at first, but gets easier.

When you find a herd (as we did), you really have to zero in on the keepers. I found it hard to decide at first, so we corralled a few winners to choose from. Some of the other hunters seemed to think this was unfair, but Isabella and I were having none of it. Seriously... ain't no rules in Pumpkin Hunting.

At the end of a long day, we settled on the pick of the bunch - one for each of us. I have to say, it was exhausting, but it felt good. A day well lived I'd say.

(Turns out we weren't allowed to keep these ones... after much civilized negotiations we settled on smaller ones in the end... probably the best smaller ones mind you.)

Tick Tock

I've noticed recently that I do a fair amount of waiting.

I don't quite have enough experience to know if this is unique to my parents, but I find that I'm often hurried to get ready and then I sit... or stand by the door... waiting for just one second or do we have the other thing? or I'm not sure about these shoes. Are these behaviours consistent in all big people or specific to my parents? Wait, don't answer that.

It's in these pensive moments that I faithlessly question whether I truly am the center of the universe.

(What I'm practicing here, is to appreciate and enjoy every moment...)

Falling Behind

(I must apologize for my infrequency - there's no excuse. Although if there was one, it would be that my writing space seems to be the only place in our new home that has not been set up.)

Fall officially arrived today according to the weather - it celebrated by dropping an ocean of water from the heavens. That didn't stop my Mum and me though. We were all over town today, taking care of business mostly. But as per usual we said good day to the day, and good evening to the evening with a good read.

My Mum and I actually spend quite a bit of time together. Sometimes with my Dad unless he's busy working, sleeping or not shaving. Like most people, I also enjoy my alone time. I clear my head by running in predictably random directions, working on one of my friend's bikes or with a good yell.

Speaking of all things motor, we almost collided with the Dalai Lama's motorcade this morning. Now, I don't want to make any assumptions, but in the brief moment of chaos when our eyes met, I kind of think he might have been letting me know that a certain someone might be a frontrunner as a certain someone's successor. I'll say no more (which is a total Dalai Lama thing to say).

Off to another productive sleep for me. As his Holiness says Sleep is the best Meditation.