Big Ass On Skis

Exploring the wilderness on skis., originally uploaded by BigAssSuperBlog.

We took advantage of the nice weather on Saturday by taking a trip to Ski Martock, about 45 minutes away from Halifax outside of Windsor, Nova Scotia.

I haven't been cross-country skiing in ... well ... 25 years? I feel really old to be able to say I haven't done something in 25 years. That just feels so wrong.

I skied (that doesn't look like it's spelled correctly) about as well as someone who hasn't skied in 25 years would, especially if he wasn't a good or even adequate or even passable skier 25 years ago.

As you can see from the "Scott The Explorer" shot above, I had wet spots on my pants from several falls. As you might not be able to see from the shot above, I landed on my poles. I (mostly) straightened them out.

All in all, a good day out.

More pics in the Big Ass Photo Gallery.

Anticipating many Google hits now for "big soggy ass" and "big ass poles" etc. Silly Google.

Additional notes ... yes, my glasses are fogged up there ... skiing is hard work! ... The photos were taken with a Motorla Razr2 phone on loan from Rogers Wireless to be reviewed on an upcoming episode of Maritime Morning. If anyone has any cool tips for using this phone, lemme know, 'cuz for all I know, it's just a really skinny phone with a good camera on it ... And, I lost my mittens. I think I lost them when I was returning the skis or boots ... I almost lost my beloved Boognish (Ween) hat early on the ski trail, but another (athletic, skilled, polite) skier picked it up and returned it. That would've been the second Boognish hat I lost, having had one fall out of a car at the Avalon Mall in St. John's, Newfoundland early in the decade.

Cygnals: Ween: All about the high shit

From the pages of Cygnals Zine, Issue #9, Spring 1997

Remastered MP3 audio to replace the old MP3. (I found the cassette this weekend, w00t.)

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"It's all about the high shit." The first words out of Gene Ween's mouth upon answering the telephone.

I can only assume he was talking to sidekick Dean Ween (Mickey Melchiondo), sharing a downtown Detroit hotel room after spending the night on the tour bus. Gene, known as Aaron Freeman to the police and anyone who needs his real name, is groggy, but fresh from a good healthy shit.

Based on previous interviews with Gener I'd read in other zines, I figured I might be in for a tough time. But little did I know that Gene Ween would be a more challenging interview than any politician or scientist I've ever talked to.

I introduce myself. "Did you just talk to this guy?" asks Gene to Dean. "Yeah, you were in the toilet," he answers. Woo-woo. Gene/Aaron puts down the phone, grabs a cigarette and comes back for the interview.

Warner was kind enough to send me a copy of Ween's current release, 12 Golden Country Greats, an enjoyable mix of Ween wackiness with country hurtin'. A country record from drug-punk-funk-alterna-whatever boys Ween? What must the record company have thought? "They didn't really know until it was finished, until we handed it in." Once finished, they were good about promoting it, I'm told, but I still haven't seen a video from it.

Ween's drug use is legendary, but Gene says that's over. "Not after the big bust in '92, there's no big drug lifestyle anymore. I can't talk about it. Pretty ugly." Yeah. Right.

I made the mistake of bringing up one of my other favorite bands, They Might Be Giants. I'd read Ween doesn't like them. "No, not really. Can't say as I do. A little too smart college boy for me. I was never into smart college boy music."

Aside from an anticipated tour with Marilyn Manson (is he kidding?) And last year's tour with Foo Fighters, Gene poo-poos opening for anyone. "It's something that we've never really done, and it's something that we're not going to start doing. I think we're a little different than that, our whole trip. Forty minutes in front of Beck isn't really where it's at. There's nobody out there that I like enough to do that with. Ninety-nine per cent of opening bands stink. Cuz of these stupid fucking club people who try to find a They Might Be Giants type band. So not only aren't they like They Might Be Giants, they're worse than They Might Be Giants. Which is hard to imagine."

Stupidly, I mention I saw TMBG opening for Hootie (ack!) And the Blowfish at Skydome a week earlier. "That sounds like a nightmare. Goddamn. Why am I even talking to you?" I lose his attention even more. "I got athlete's foot, I think...uhh, yeah?"

Pushing my luck after talking to Ween about Frente, I ask if he's heard of Cub. "Cup?" Cub. "I think 99% of that cute girl shit sucks. Alternative girl-rock. Very popular right now and they all sound the same."

After nearly twenty minutes of trying to pull more than "yeah" or "it's cool" answers from Gene, I wrap up the interview.

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Follow up 2008:

- The October 23, 1996 show that I interviewed Ween for was later released as Ween's first live album, and a must-have for Ween fans. The release of "Ween: Live in Toronto" marked the launch of Chocodog Records.
- I have some rare photos from the show on the old Cygnals site
- Full audio of this interview has been resourced and remastered in MP3
- Reference file for the interview: 1996-10%20-%20Interview%20with%20Gene%20Ween.mp3