How Did You Get Here and What Went Wrong?

Hmmm, I Think I'm Still Around

2007-07-21T22:05:00.000-04:00

Well, I hate to ruin Garnigal's chances of winning, but I am posting before January 2008.

One would expect that after such a long time between posts, I'd have something exciting, important or new to post.

Well, I do.

First off, Zelia and I are engaged. The date is at the end of August, 2008. And that's all I'm going to say about that for now.

My work has decreed that I'm no longer allowed to bring my laptop. This is a long, complicated story (at least in my mind) so I won't go into detail. Basically it's a new property manager flexing his muscles. This has given my lots of time to catch up on my reading. On Zelia's advice, I have read the first several books in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. Excellent reading! Now I have to wait until Zelia is finished with the book she's reading before I can continue with mine. I'm now reading a John Ringo series - military sci-fi. Almost finished the first book in a series and I'm really enjoying this one too! So yeah, the books make my 12 hour shifts at work kinda nice.

I Am Still Here

2007-02-09T17:40:00.000-05:00

For those who read this blog, I'm still here.

I don't appologize for a lack of posts simply because I never promised regular posts. Ha, in your face, wrench! (ague Red Vs. Blue reference there for ya)

So, this is just to let people know I'm still here and might, just might, post soon.

RAM For All!

2006-11-04T14:28:00.000-05:00

Zelia has, for the past week, been looking for the RAM that fits her laptop. Finally, after much searching, she found some through Canada Computers (a most awesome store). However, they only had 3 sticks in stock and it was in North York (an hour and a half away from us). So I called them, found they wouldn't be able to ship it to a store closer, so I had them put a stick on hold for Saturday.

So today we left first thing in the morning so that we could be there right when they opened at 10 am. We get there about 10 minutes early, so we waited around. As soon as they opened, we went in, tracked down a sales person and told them we had a stick of laptop RAM on hold for us. The guy went to the drawer and couldn't find it. At all. No where to be found.

Zelia and I became concerned. Driving an hour and a half to get there and they can't find it? The guy runs around, asking other people and searching and finally, after about 10 minutes, he finds it. We pay for it and head out. Zelia wants to perform emergency surgery to install the RAM, but we don't have any screwdrivers. So, off to Canadian Tire where we pick up a nice compact screwdriver. On the way home, Zelia installs the RAM and everything works fine.

And when Zelia is happy, I'm safe. ;)

NaNo and Sentry Guns

2006-11-03T11:38:00.000-05:00

Zelia and I had a little get-together with two other NaNoites in the area for some group writing. It went very well. I got almost 1500 words down and Zelia got her story all planned out. I felt so yuppyish - working on a laptop in a coffeehouse. I'm so...cosmopolitan?

Found this kick-ass item that I must have! It's from South Korea, so I don't know what it says, and some of the music made me thing it was a joke, but still damn cool. I would need, like, 10 of these.

I've Been Scared by These

2006-10-28T15:31:00.000-04:00

I have actually played some of these scary games. Yes, I was scared.

Very, very scared.

Time's Getting Short

2006-10-26T09:15:00.000-04:00

Well, for those of you who have either read my blog last year about this time you may remember that NaNoWriMo is almost apon us *shudder*.

I will be attempting this amazing feat again, but not by myself. I have gotten Zelia involved (or at least interested). This should be a boon, as now we can challenge each other to get writing. For those who know not of what I speak, I invite you to visit www.nanowrimo.org and check it out. If you are feeling very adventurous, I invite you join the multitudes of others for a month of fun and chaos.

Zelia has a story idea for this, which is very, very good. It's hard to write a novel without one. I'm sure she'll do amazing. I, on the other hand, don't have one. I have several partial ideas in my head, but I'm having trouble picking one. If I don't pick one, my novel is going to be very...interesting.

Speaking of novels, came across this today. I agree with the blogger. Read the blog and I'm sure you'll agree too.

And the Rest of Space Goes To...

2006-10-19T11:06:00.000-04:00

Found this little article. Not sure if it's real or not, but if it is, it doesn't surprise me in the least.

Is there anything they don't want?

The Circle of Life

2006-10-18T21:07:00.000-04:00

A few weekends ago, my trusty Compaq Evo N180 laptop processed its last command.

Yes, after like 5 years of faithful service, my beloved laptop died. Even after installing a new heat sink/fan assembly it only feebly clung to life. Only after a very stupid decision (hey, let's try reinstalling the operating system even though the laptop turns off at the most inopportune moments) did if finally give up the ghost.

So what am I posting this blog with, you ask. Well, I'll tell you.

I know have a brand new Acer 5040 laptop and damn, is it ever sweet. AMD Turion processor (1.8 gigs), a 15.4 inch screen (it's so big!), DVD burner, a gig of DDR ram, wireless LAN (of course), 120 gig hard drive, 4 USB 2.0 ports.

Well, it's almost bedtime for me. 5 am comes early (no pun intended, if there is one. I always think there is). I'll post more a bit later, you know, when I have more stuff to post.

Remember Me?

2006-10-05T09:53:00.000-04:00

Wow, it has finally happened. I'm back.

Long story short: laptop crapped out from overheating. Can't get the heatsink/fan assembly from the manufacturer anymore. Finally found one on eBay (thanks Zelia!). Finally got it two days ago. Installed it and now it's working most of the time. Still has a slight overheating issue, but I'm working on that.

I will go into more details later. Right now, I'm just letting all of you know (if you're still even there) that I am indeed alive and well. Or at the very least, alive.

Glassess Goodness

2006-06-23T10:52:00.000-04:00

Ok, so, apparently, Blogger only supports mobile blogging (including pics) in the US. So after e-mailing the pics to myself, I am ready to post pics of da new glasses (you may now exhale).

Aren't they pretty???

Good Looking and Looking Good

2006-06-22T15:49:00.000-04:00

Wow. It has been a long, long time since I've posted. And guess what! I don't really have anything new to say.

Until now.

This past Monday, I updated my look and improved my eyesight slightly. Yes, I got new glasses.

Perhaps I'll attempt to post a pic of my new eye-wear just as soon as I figure out how, since these pics are on my cell. Hmmmm, perhaps it can be a project of sorts.

They are a big change from what I used to wear (for like the last decade). The cool thing is that my prescription really didn't change, so I can keep my old pair as a back up/wear when I'm doing a crappy, dirty job.

So, in summary, my new glasses kick ass!

Transmissions Garbled

2006-05-31T08:13:00.000-04:00

Well, it's just been a week and a half with my new guard and things are going ok.

There was a little snag with the scheduling. When I hired him, he told me that he wouldn't be able to work Wednesday and Thursday morning. Fine, not a problem. Then I found out when I made up this weeks schedule that he may need other mornings off or even days, depending on his school schedule. That's not so fine. Instead of having a couple of weeks scheduled in advance I know have to wait until Friday to find out what the next week's schedule is.

This could cause problems because if I schedule something in advance and then I find out he can't work that day, I could be screwed. And I know he'll take school over work, since he is a full time student. I don't blame him for that, but I don't want to put my things on hold.

I have a feeling he won't be sticking around simply because his schedule is too varied from week to week.

All This Free Time...

2006-05-23T12:53:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day my new guard starts, so I'm back to 8 hour shifts. Yay for me. I said yay for me, dammit!

That's better.

Zelia and I spent the long weekend at my parents. It was lots of fun. We both needed a break and this was perfect. Also, hadn't seen them since Christmas, so it was time for a visit. Because of the wet and cold weather, I didn't have to help as much on the farm as I expected, which was nice.

On Monday I helped cut and collect wood for a few hours. No biggie. Besides, what the wood is for is totally cool.

This coming weekend Toronot is holding a "Doors Open" event. One of the buildings involved is the Steam Whistle Brewery which is in an old roundhouse. Because of it's steam history, my cousin asked the brewery if they would be interested in having a small steam engine there as an attraction one day and to steam some corn. They said yes and mentioned the Doors Open event.

So now my Dad, cousin and a few other people well be there steaming 500 cobs of corn using a stationary engine we own. And the wood I helped with is for that.

Sorry about the abbreavated and somewhat out of order story. If anyone really wants a more detailed story, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Operation: 8 Hour Shifts

2006-05-19T08:36:00.000-04:00

Got the call yesterday afternoon: my guard's license is in.

At long last, constant 12 hour shifts will be but a memory to me. I have him starting next Tuesday.

Granted, I have no idea what I'll be doing with all this extra free time I'll have from working 8 hour shifts. The possibilities are endless! It's like, oh, I don't know, waking up from a coma...or something. Ok, I have no idea. But still, it's all cool.

Will be spending the long weekend at my parents with Zelia. Haven't seen them since Christmas, so a visit is long overdue. Of course, I'm sure there'll be work on the farm I can help with. But that's ok. It's only for the weekend.

Everyone have a great long weekend!

The Light, at the End of the Tunnel

2006-05-16T09:29:00.000-04:00

Still doing 12 hour shift, but only for a day or two more, I hope. Stupid Ministry and it's stupid not sending the new license for my guard. *shakes fist in air*

On the upside, more overtime for me. Hmmm, that's about it.

Not much else to say. Felt like I should post something, even if it is basically nothing.

Asking a Ninja Can Be Deadly

2006-05-12T17:13:00.000-04:00

Found this amazing podcast site and they are all awesome. I laughed and laughed. All of you should, at this very moment, finish reading my blog entry, then go to that site then watch all of them. Several times. In a row. I'm watching you, so I'll know if you did or not.

On another topic, next week my new part time guard should be on the schedule and then I'll be back to 8 hour shifts! Oh joy! Oh bliss!

Also, not much else.

Eyes So Sore

2006-05-08T21:18:00.000-04:00

Don't know why, but I decided to update this even though my eyes are burning with, well, burning. I guess I'm a sucker for punishment.

Thawing out some chicken so I can make this lemon chicken grilled dish for lunch tomorrow. With basmati rice. Should be tasty. If not, I can throw it at people who annoy me.

Well, I completed my first day of training my new part time guard. Yes, I know. Hard to believe, but it's true. After all these months of working long hours and having disappointment after disappointment with potential guards, it's over.

I think he'll work out well. He's older, so I don't have to worry about any irresponsible escapades. He seems very work-oriented. Again, another bonus. A few more days will tell if he's suitable or not.

I hope is his. After a 3 month hiatus from my Monday night gaming session I'm really looking forward to kicking some mythical evil butt. Or something like that.

Ok, off to check the chicken. See ya!

Bookmarked Goodies

2006-04-27T12:32:00.000-04:00

Ok, no real post but I have a few links that I'd like to share with you all.

First off, gadgets! Gadgets for all! We have the Top 10 Strangest Home Gadgets, Top 10 iPod Accessories, Top 10 Strangest MP3 Players and a secret one.

Second, Lego. Now that I have your attention, check out the Top 10 Strangest Lego Creations.

This last one is good, but if you've seen V for Vendetta (and if you haven't, flog yourself in shame!) you will laugh. I did. Outloud. At work. I'm sure people wonder about me now. Watch it here.

EDIT: I just found this one and HOLY CRAP!

EDIT 2: This 30 min video is crazy! Fire and corrosive chemicals are fun.

Oh, Cruel Fate?

2006-04-24T07:05:00.002-04:00

When Bus Talker gets on the bus today, he says he has something to tell me. Starting today, he'll be starting work an hour later on Tuesdays and Fridays. Couple that with his day off on Wednesday and I'll have to deal with on on just two days.

But since he won't have talked to me for a couple of days, he'll probably talk even more when he gets the chance.

So, is Fate being cruel? I'll find out in a few days, but I'm sure Fate is screwing with me.

Warning: Update in Progress - Please Do Not Disconnect

2006-04-21T07:47:00.000-04:00

Well, the week is almost over and still no word on the job. At first, the waiting wasn't so bad. Now it's getting to be unbearable. I wish they would tell me something - anything. Even if it's "Sorry, but you're last on the list of people we are considering". Then I would know where I stand and I could plan accordingly. But nooooooo. Maybe next week (rolls eyes).

Yesterday at work was so much fun. And by fun, I mean it hit the fan hard.

In my building, most of the doors have maglocks (big old magnets used to lock the doors) and they can only be opened with an access card which you swipe in front of a card reader. Pretty easy. Now, there had been some work done on the hardware for the security systems and it seemed to go well. About half an hour later, one of the employees couldn't open the front doors with her card. So, I went out to see what was going on, assuming that she was doing it incorrectly. (Sidebar: it's amazing to see people who have worked here for years still using their cards wrong). I watched her try to open the door and noticed the card wasn't working.

Now, these access cards sometimes, for no reason, just stop working and that's what I figured the problem was then someone else tried to use the other set and had the same problem. Two dead cards, hmmmmm. Then I saw that the card reader wasn't working right. So I let these two people in and swiped my card to get into my office. Same problem. Then I had people coming up saying their cards wouldn't work. I quickly understood what had happened. All the card readers - all of them - stopped working. People couldn't get into the building, get into their work areas and I couldn't get back into my office. Soon my phone was ringing and I stared helplessly at it from the hallway.

Now, the techs who did the work had gone for lunch and they finally came back (after I was able to contact building operations and tell them what was going on) and when I told them what had happened, he got to work right away. After about 10 minutes, everything was back to normal. Apparently, the new stuff they installed screwed up the system. What I find weird is that happened 30 minutes after it was installed. Oh well, it made the day....interesting, to say the least.

Also, I had an interview scheduled yesterday for a new guard. I had set this interview up last week because he said yesterday (Thursday) would be perfect for him at 2 pm. Perfect - his choice. So, 2 pm shows up but he doesn't. No problem, this place can be a bit tricky to find. My supervisor shows up to give me some time off and we chat. 2:30 pm and no interviewee. So I call the only number I have for him. No answer and I leave a message. Finally, 3 pm and no show. I tell my supervisor the few things I want to know about him and I head home, since my supervisor has hired many a new guard, he knows exactly what to do. After I get home (an hour bus ride) I call him up. No show at all. Well, fantastic. Yet another disappointment. Unless he has a really good excuse, I won't even consider hiring him. Damn, what does it take to find a part timer! Ah well, more overtime for me.

So, I picked up a new personal cell phone (I may have mentioned this in an earlier post, but I'm too lazy to read back and check) and I love it. The Motorola Razr V3c. It's my new baby. But like all babies, sometimes they can screw you.

Last week, a friend of mine tried to send me pics of his new baby to my phone. He tried four times and each time the photo didn't show. The fifth try worked perfectly. Later that day, I tried to delete those 4 messages that didn't work. My phone told me I can't delete locked messages. Strange, as I didn't remember locking them. So, I go looking at the options and lo and behold: there is no "unlock" option. I then try to read them and I was rudely told that "Operation Failed".

Great, now I have 4 messages that I can never, ever delete. That's just really annoying. Not urgent, just really, really annoying. So I try to fix the problem myself with no luck (surprise, surprise). 2 days ago I spent an hour on the phone with my carrier and the problem is still unsolved. Yesterday I call up Motorola and my worst fear is confirmed. I'll have to do a master clear to remove those messages. Unfortunately, I'll lose all my photos and contacts and ring tones and everything else I had on that phone.

But I bit the bullet and did it. My contact list was fairly short, so copying it out and then re-entering it was relatively fast. However, I'll have to slowly retake all the pics that I had on it. Oh well, c'est la vie, as the French say.

Blurry Vision

2006-04-12T08:28:00.000-04:00

Ug, I'm so tired. I almost missed my stop this morning. Fate or luck was on my side and I woke up just as the bus stopped. Yeah, it would be horrible if I missed work. I hope I get a good chunk of sleep tonight. I really need it. I'm sure my eyes look more like horizontal arrow slits than actual eyes. Coffee will be my bestest friend in the whole world today. Gut rot will be the annoying person who tags along and won't go away. Ug.

I almost had my new guard. I got the application and he was looking for part-time work! That almost never happens now. I called him up and yes, he was looking for permanent part-time work - nights and weekends. I have no need for a nights and weekends part-time employee. So, more 12 hours shifts for me. Good thing it's easy work and I get overtime.

It's an even better thing that this is a short work week. Huzza for religious holidays.

Got bored with my Japan Black theme for Firefox so I downloaded a bunch of new themes. And the winner is....(drum roll) HaikuFox! I had this theme months ago and really like it. Turns out I still do. I guess I needed some brightness in my browsing life and HaikuFox does the trick. Plus, the tabs work a bit better with my Tab Mix Plus extension.

Yay for the little things.

Information Gained: Minimal

2006-04-07T10:06:00.000-04:00

Well, the interview went well. Very short, since I knew most of what the job was about.

Did find out that this time there is pressure to find someone already trained for this job. The last two people hired weren't trained but this time it seems to be different. I still have my advantages, but I'm not trained in the areas they want. However, if they don't get any more applicants, that will be good for me.

I'll keep you all posted.

On a side note, I'm having lots of fun with my new cell phone. Such a pretty toy. Now, if someone would just call/text me...

Mousetrap to the Extreme!

2006-04-06T12:40:00.000-04:00

Found this little gem. If you have 15 minutes to waste, watch this. It's utterly incredible.

Except for the song and dance routine. I have nothing to do with that.

Zero Day

2006-04-06T10:17:00.000-04:00

Today, at 6 pm, I'll be having my interview for the new job. Needless to say, I'm nervous.

But I'm like this all the time - as the day goes by, I'll get more and more worried and then it'll be over and I'll wonder why I got so worried. I guess I always start thinking about worst case scenarios. Maybe I should stop doing that.

I know I still have a really good chance to get this job. I have a lot going for me, but I won't expect anything. Probably better that way. I did find out that the building manager is "resisiting" me as a choice. I don't know why, but my guess is he doesn't want me to leave my security position because I'm so very good at it. Well, maybe I'll know more about that after my interview.

On an upside, I went out with Zelia and picked up a new cell phone: the Motorola Razr V3c. My God, it's such a good looking phone. Bell was having a sale on them too, so I got a really good deal. I was able to drain the batter this morning and now I'm giving it the "first charge", which is so very important. That means I can't play with my new toy until I get home. I'll live, somehow.

That's about it. So, wish me luck and I'll let you all know what's going on tomorrow.

Opportunity Knocks

2006-03-31T16:37:00.000-05:00

I'm a little nervous right now, as I will be inquiring/applying for a new job in about 30 minutes.

At my work, the building is looking for a new night operator (fancy phrase for a guy who works nights) and I've been told by a couple that I should apply.

This is a big step, as I'll be completely free of the security business and into a slightly mechanical job. I'm not very mechanically inclined, but I've been told that, should I get the job, I'll have very little mechanical work to do. I would be an "observe and report" person, which is what I've been doing for the last several years. So at least I can do that...

As I have been discussing this with Zelia, I have some other pros: I live locally, I already am familiar with the building, the employees, and a lot of the proceedures. It seems that this would be an excellent opportunity for me. Also, I'll be getting paid just under double what I'm being paid now.

So, that's it. In a few weeks, I may be the newest employee at my work. That sounds odd, but it's totally true.

Wish me luck!

Ever Have One of Those Days?

2006-03-29T12:09:00.000-05:00

I was able to find a copy of an old game that has always been dear to my heart. I found Star Wars: Rebellion.

It's a real-time strategy that is just so awesome. It's an older game, but damn, I still love it. I installed it on the weekend and played it on Monday. Worked great. Played it on Tuesday. It kept crashing for no apparent reason. Tried today, same thing. After about 30 minutes or so, it just shuts down. And that was just the first.

About 30 or so minutes ago, I suddenly realized that when my laptop crashed a couple of weeks ago, I lost all my work-related documents. Documents that I'm going to have to retype; a few from memory. Ug.

Then I got the "Low Battery" warning for my mouse. No way will it last the rest of the day, so now I have to use the touch pad, which I hate. My fingers all feel funny from using it.

It's also freaking hot in my office, but very little can be done. Apparently, my airflow is connected to the airflow for the front part of the building and if they turn it down for me, they turn it down for everyone. And because everyone who will be affected isn't stuffed into an aquarium, they'll get too cold and they'll complain. Then the heat will go back up and I'll over heat. I'm actually sweating a bit. Oh yeah, my uniform doesn't help the heat issue either.

The only upside (so far) is that I'll be eating Swiss Chalet for lunch. One of the building employees is retiring at the end of March and today is the "party", so to speak, and I was nicely remembered when the food order was made. I do love the Swiss Chalet...yummy!

Oh, Zelia and I went and saw V for Vendetta a second time in theatres. Yes, it's that good. If you haven't seen it, go see it now!

I for Indescribably Good!

2006-03-20T13:27:00.000-05:00

Zelia and I saw V for Vendetta this past Saturday. I must say, it was by far one of the best movies I have seen this year and will likely be one of the best I see this year.

It was just amazing - all of it. I can't describe how good it was because I won't do it justice. Amazing acting, fantastic scrip, awesome characters, delicious action sequences...the list goes on and on.

Go see it in theatre - believe me, you won't regret it. It is a masterpiece of Hollywood (which is so rare nowadays).

I'm not a big awards fan - but I hope V for Vendetta does get some awards. It most certainly deserves it.

I'll do a "real" post later. I just don't know when.

I'm Rich, I'm So Very Rich!

2006-03-17T07:47:00.000-05:00

Well, this is my lucky day. For, you see, I'm about to become a multi-millionaire.

Through my Yahoo 360 site (maybe I should link that) I was contacted by a barrister (I believe) regarding a crapload of money that is unclaimed. Seems a family was all killed in an auto crash (tradgic) and the lawyer can't find any next of kin to claim the family fortune.

So he contacted me. I must have a very respectable presence on the Internet otherwise he would have passed on me. All I have to do is send him an e-mail with my contact information and I'll be on my way to become so very rich.

Now, I'm sure none of you will believe my incredible luck, so I'm going to post the e-mail here. Here it is:

please let me know your decision

Goodday!

My name is Barr. Olisa Agbakoba. I am the personal attorney to Mr. Roland Dwyne. An international oil magnet and contract staff with LNG Nigeria. He has handled so many contracts here in Nigeria before his death on the 14th of August 2000 with his whole family in an auto crash.

After these several unsuccessful attempts to locate the family members, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet, to locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence I contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and property left behind before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Finance house here where my client lodge these huge deposits of U.S$19million U.S dollars.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over some years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased so that the proceeds of the account valued at U.S $19 million can be paid to you for both of us to share the funds. I have all legal documents that can be used to backup the claim.

Get back to me with your telephone number if you are interested so that details could be discussed immediately.

Thanks for your kind co-operation and reply through this confidential email; a.olisa@merseymail.com please.

Regards,

Barr. Olisa Agbakoba.

Finally, the Universe is on my side. It's about time, too!

Electronic Crashes and Flushin

2006-03-15T11:10:00.000-05:00

Well, this past Monday gave me quite a surprise. That was the day my laptop decided to totally and completely crash.

Of course, I never back up, so I lost everything I had collected over the last year or so. *sigh* I know I lost stuff I won't be able to get back. Ever.

On the up side, this unfortunate event gave me the opportunity to do a clean sweep of the hard drive. See, there is always a silver lining, no matter how small and insignificant. All you have to do is look for it. Often, with a magnifying glass.

Ok, onto the gross stuff. Today, about an hour or so ago, I had to use the bathroom. Now, I like my privacy, so I use the disabled washroom. Of course, I'm not the only one who uses it, and there is someone at work who just doesn't flush.

Yes, this person is gross.

I'm sure this person doesn't do this at home. If it is who I think it is, his wife wouldn't let him get away with this. Here, away from those pesky household rules, flushing is an option. Apparently.

I don't know about you, but the act of flushing has been ingrained in me. It's automatic. It's involuntary. I thought this process had been ingrained with the rest of the population. I am, it seems, wrong.

So, please, all five of you who read this - always, always flush. I thank you in advance.

Now, if anyone has any cool suggestions for neat little programs for my newly cleaned laptop, let me know.

No Vowels

2006-03-07T09:02:00.000-05:00

Last night I spent the evening playing Talisman, a fantastic game that no longer is in print. I went over to a friend's and a few of us played. Zelia showed up to take me home and she got to play too, which is good because trying to describe this game doesn't do it justice. A simple game that is easy to learn and understand but tons o' fun!

We've been looking for it on eBay, but it's a tad expensive. Of course, it's no longer in print, so one must expect a bit of a price increase. To be honest, it'll be worth it. Tons o' fun.

We stayed probably too late, but we were having fun. So I ended up getting about 5 hours of sleep. I'll be napping this afternoon and that will totally impress the boss.

Now, on to today's blog title. Today, I came across a name - a proper noun - that had no vowels. It was a last name. When I first saw it, I thought it was a spelling mistake. When the individual arrive to be signed in, I asked for photo ID, as is the procedure. He handed me his driver's license and there it was, on an official government license, a last name with no vowels. Now, I've seen my share of strange and interesting last names (from my perspective) but never a vowel-less one. And here it is, as I'm sure this won't get me in trouble: Strk.

And now you all know too.

Weekends are Too Short

2006-03-06T07:32:00.000-05:00

Had a good weekend, but as always, it was way to short.

On Saturday I was able to get a free 14-day trial account for Eve, that online game I had posted about earlier. I was so excited! I finally get to check it out.

Looks like my laptop doesn't have quite enough juice to run it. If it's not lagging horribly, it's crashing good and hard. As much as I would love to play this, the down time just isn't worth it.

Last night saw Date Movie with some friends. It's a spoof on all the latest date movies, plus a few others. It was good - there were some very funny parts - but I think it would have been better to have rented it. Ah well, it was a night out.

Ran across this link and thought it was cool enough to post. Some of the entries I knew about, some I didn't. I learned something new at work. I'm so awesome.

I get to do another week of 12 hour shifts. Jeeze, finding another guard for my site is really, really hard! At least I don't have a physically-demanding job, or I'd be going nutty. Moreso than usual.

Even Though I'm Not a Car Person...

2006-03-03T10:35:00.000-05:00

...I just had to post these two little gems.

First is this little contraption. At first I thought it was fake, but Zelia's dad works for the company that helped sponsor it, so I check with him. Sure enough, it's real. However, only one will likely be made, so I guess I'm out of luck.

Second is this space-aged vehicle. Even though I'd never have a reason ever to own this and I'd have to sell both my kidneys on the black market to afford it, I really, really want it. I mean, one look at the cool everything of this vehicle and you'll fall in love. If you're a Trekie, that is.

So Tired I Just Remembered Now

2006-03-03T10:17:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, Zelia went to take her driving test to get her full license. When she got there, the driver side brake light wasn't working (of course) so she couldn't take the test that day and had reschedule (at an added expense, I might add - money-grubbing government).

Now, it's very important to understand just how tired I was that day. I was so very tired. The kind of tired that makes your eyes itch, you body ache and the day last forever. Got it? Yes? Good.

Now, when I'm at work and Zelia's at work, we IM each other (awwww). When she got back from her non-driving test, she messaged me about the light and the fact that she'd have to rebook the appointment. Then she tells me she'll have to use the credit card to pay for the rebooking.

Now, as I have already stated above, I was tired. So when she messaged me this information, I responded with "Don't they take debit?"

There was a bit of a pause and she typed back "Not over the internet." It was then I realized just how tired I was. I thought she was at the test site, rebooking her test and was using the "magic" internet to chat with me.

I typed back something to the effect of "My God, I'm so tired I thought you were still there" and sent it. Her response (well, she was typing this as I sent mine, so it wasn't a real response) was something like "Don't tell me you think I'm still here". Then she sent a message expressing how extremely funny it was to hear that I thought she was still at the test site.

I think I may need more sleep.

Reliving the Younger Years

2006-03-02T20:16:00.000-05:00

I came across this little gem and spent quite a bit of time reliving the movies and tv shows I grew up with.

Granted, for movies it was the original trailers and it was the opening titles for the tv shows, but man. I watched Transformers, Smurfs and Jacye and the Wheeled Warriors (just to name a few) and I felt like I was 10 or so years old.

If there is an old tv show or movie trailer that you desperately need to see, go there. It'll all be good.

Mushy Minds Make for Bad Posting

2006-02-28T13:05:00.000-05:00

All of last week I was doing 12 hour shift (due to the fact that I'm the only one here for now) and that amount of mental draining left me very little in the way of brain power. The pretty colours and patterns on the screen intrigued me and kept coherent thoughts away.

Today, my brain kicked in, so to speak, and I'm posting. Better do this now as I'm doing 12 hour shifts all this week too.

First off, there are so many movies I want to see. V for Vendetta, Silent Hill, Dark Watch, X-3, Spiderman 3, The Hills Have Eyes, just to name a few. I also found out that A Scanner Darkly has been pushed back to July, so I'm very glad I haven't missed it yet. If there are any movies I should see, please, post them in the comments and I'll do my best to continue my character class of Movie Whore.

Second, that's it. Doing 12 hour shifts leaves very little time to do anything non-work related, especially if I want to sleep. So my life has been pretty boring.

Just to keep this post going, I'm going to now share a sandwich recipe that Zelia and I love. Since I'm the cook, I know how to make it. I now share this sandwich with you:

The Cuban (this will be for just one sandwich - I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to make more than one)

One Portuguese bun (or similar kind), sliced in half
Slices of ham
Slices of roast pork
Sandwich-sliced dill pickles
Slice of Swiss cheese
Mustard

-Layer ham and roast pork and pickles on the bun. (I usually layer this way: ham, pork, pickles, ham, pork)
-Top with cheese and mustard.
-Grill sandwich until cheese is melted and the sandwich is heated through. If you don't have an electric grill, you can "grill" in a frying pan and press the sandwich down with another pan. Just as long as you press the sandwich together. If grilling in a frying pan, you'll likely have to flip the sandwich over to heat the top.
-Slice in half and serve immediately.

Usually, I'll go the local deli (or grocery deli) and get the cuts of meat and cheese there, but pre-packaged meat and cheese would work just as well.

Ok, I'm done now.

Them's is Good Eats

2006-02-14T08:18:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, Zelia and I went out for dinner and a movie. It was lots of fun. We saw Firewall, the new Harrison Ford flick. It was very enjoyable. I'm not going to go into details mostly because I'm too tired to do that.

However, I will tell you a little about the place we ate at. I decided to try to find a new place to go, and after doing some looking on the internet I made my choice.

The Babel Fish Bistro.

For those Douglas Adams fans, you may recognize the name. For those who don't, I'll just say you should be reading A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. You'll understand. And yes, the yellow fish is there.

It was a bit pricey, but was well worth it when we got our food. It was incredible! I had the Mahi Mahi with Mango Papaya Salsa on a bed of rice with grilled veggies. Unbelievable! Amazing! One of the tastiest things I have every had.

Zelia had Chicken with a....arg! I can't remember. I had a taste and it was amazing too. She was very impressed with both the food and atmosphere. It was a cozy little place - candles, soft music..you know. A bistro.

We both want to go back there again. If I could, I'd eat there every day.

I wonder if they have delivery.

Blogging for the Hell of It

2006-02-08T14:31:00.000-05:00

Right now, I'm at work, drinking green tea and wanting to write stuff in my blog. I don't have anything meaningful to say, so I'll be writing about whatever.

First off, saw the first trailer for X-Men 3. Um, wow. Does it ever look good. Actually, it looks great! You can check it out at www.apple.com. Probably other places too, but I go to Apple. They have lots of great trailers.

Second, I'm still in the funk, but not as bad. I think the green tea has something to do with that. Yummy green tea.

Third, I'm seriously thinking about wiping my laptop clean and reinstalling what I need. But I have so much stuff I want to keep, which means I have so much stuff to back up. Perhaps soon I shall do that. Yes, I shall be doing that soon.

I keep getting the occasional comment, so that means that people actually read this. That means I have a semi-responsibility of keeping this somewhat updated. I think that's why I feel like I should write something here. Aren't you all just so lucky?

This green tea is really tasty.

Because you're all just dying to hear about how my new mouse is working, I'll tell you. It's working great. I really do like it. I would love it, but I've been told loving electronic items is weird. And in some places, illegal.

Indifference...

2006-02-07T12:27:00.000-05:00

Today, I am totally in a funk.

Don't know why. Everything is blah. Wish I knew what was causing it, because then I'd have it shot.

Nothing new to say.

Meh.

MMOG Goodness

2006-02-03T10:57:00.000-05:00

I came across this in my travels.

I want to play so badly! So very badly.

That is all.

Drinking Coffee in Style

2006-01-30T08:57:00.000-05:00

A friend showed me this, and I want it. I want it so badly, you just don't know how badly I want it. I would so drink my coffee out of this. No question about it.

Well, my weekend was good. The candle party that Zelia had at our place went well. We got lots of neat things. Haven't seen them all yet, but I will.

While that was going on, Zelia's dad and I went out to a pub, had pub fare (wings and nachos) and beer, of course. Then, we saw Chronicles of Narnia.

Narnia was awesome! It was really well done. I thoroughly enjoyed my time. If you haven't see it, drop whatever you're doing and get your buttocks down to the theatre to see it. Do it...

However, after the movie, I didn't feel so good. Got home and threw up. Twice. I have a feeling something was not quite right with the food (likely the nachos). Yet, Zelia's dad was fine. But I think I ate more of the nachos. I would say the beer, but after the first time I threw up, I felt fine. Perfect, even. It was only after I had something to drink and some flat bread that I threw up again.

I'm feeling better today. Didn't have any breakfast and now I'm getting a bit hungry. But after last night, I think I'll wait until I get home before I have anything to eat. The coffee I had seems to be fine. But there I was stuck - if I don't get my morning coffee, caffeine withdrawal. Bad. Actually gives me a splitting headache. However, the coffee is staying down. Huzzah!

Oh, saw my first trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean 2. It looks amazing! I can't wait to check it out. And they have three of the original cast, so that's good news.

It's Party Time

2006-01-28T21:57:00.000-05:00

Zelia and I spent a good chunk of today cleaning and getting ready for the Partylite candle party being held in our humble abode.

I, however, won't be around to enjoy the candles. I'll be out watching a movie with Zelia's father. Huzza for movies! Without them, life wouldn't be as fun.

Not much else to tell. Work has been going well and right now we are watching Tomorrow Never Dies. I love James Bond. Almost as much as I love Indiana Jones.

Video Games and Stupid People

2006-01-26T13:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, a cabbie was killed in Toronto because of two males who were street racing. One of the street racers smashed into the cabbie and killed him instantly. During the course of the investigation, police found a copy of Need for Speed in the front seat of one of the cars.

I'm sure you all know what happened next.

Yes, video games are the reason these two boys (they are 18 and are in university, but they are boys by my standards) were street racing. Granted, police say there are other factors, but the video game is the main reason why.

It pisses me off to no end when the media does this. Teen does something and someone else is killed because of it, video games must be involved somehow. It's not the parents fault. It's not the teen's fault. Evil video games drove the teen to do it. Poor teen.

Bullshit. I have played some pretty violent games and I have never, ever even considered enacting what was in the video game. Why? My parents instilled values and morals and ethics in me. Oh, I can also see the difference between real life and video games.

If these two 18-year-old boys blurred the line between reality and fantasy, then they were having problems long before this tradegy happened. My guess is that no one (parents, friends, teachers, etc) didn't see or didn't care. I actually remember a time when I was but a boy reading a fantasy novel and my Mom made sure I knew that it was fantasy. I responded that I did know that and look- I'm a well-adjusted member of society.

Don't get me wrong - this is a horrible tradegy. The fact that someone died is even worse. All I'm saying is that this is not entirely the fault of video games. A lot of factors come into play and each factor had a hand in this accident. I just think video games is near the end of that list.

Election Is Over

2006-01-24T09:03:00.000-05:00

Well, we know have a Conservative minority government.

I'm not the most up-to-date person when it comes to politics, so I can't really comment. But everyone I've talked to seems to think this is good because the Conservatives can't pass any old bill they want. I guess that means the policial process will be tempered a bit.

I won't make any predictions on how this new government will do. But I'm sure they will be like all the rest.

Just a Little Firefox Test

2006-01-21T22:29:00.000-05:00

Just testing a new extension I installed for Firefox. This one allows me to post to my blog with just a click of my mouse.

Except, everything is being underlined as I write this.

Oh well....

Well, Looky Here - An Update!

2006-01-20T07:48:00.000-05:00

Ok, where to start.

First, Christmas was fantastic. Lots of family (my side and Zelia's) and lots of food. But that's what the holidays are about - family and eating. Yes, I got presents, but that's not the main thing. Although, I got some very cool stuff.

The big gift I got was from Zelia and it was the V500 Logitech Wireless Notebook Mouse. I was not expecting this one, as I had asked for the V400 (I may have mentioned it in previous posts). Zelia had an interesting story and I'll try to sum up: Even though Staples and Future Shop and other stores had a space all ready for the V400 (I know, I checked) at the beginning of November (well, second week), it was las year's model and so Logitech decided not to ship it out. WTF? I mean, why go to all the trouble and effort of telling all your retailers that yes, this mouse is coming out, so make sure there is a spot on your display shelfs for it and then decided not to do it. Granted, once can still order it directly from Logitech, but still, all that teasing. Bastards, all of them. So that is why I got the V500 and I love it. Absolutly love it.

The second big gift I got was from my parents: a notebook backpack. I love it too. I had a nice notebook case with a shoulder strap, but waiting for the bus caused my one shoulder to get a little painful. Plus it was a bit big for taking on the bus all the time. I found this great one from CaseLogic. Room for my notebook, my cooler, all the extras plus books, papers, etc. It's awesome.

The big gift Zelia got was the automatic car starter. I never mentioned it here because she reads this blog. One day just before the holidays, I took the day off and said I was going to spend the day shopping. So I rode in with Zelia to work, and then took the car to do the shopping. Of course, I had already set up an appointment to drop the car off and Zelia's dad picked me up and the two of us went shopping.

Things almost went awry when on the way in, Zelia said that since I was in town we should go out for lunch, since I'll have the car. My mind raced: what excuses could I use not to go out for lunch, as I wouldn't have the car. I said that I was going to be shopping for her, and she said that's fine, she wouldn't look at the gifts. I then said I'll see what I could do. I was able to formulate a plan - I would tell her that I called her parents with a question, found out her dad was shopping too, and that we decided to shop together and that he was driving. Whew.

I was called when the car was done, Zelia's dad dropped me off and everything was fine. The only thing was that for the automatic locks (an extra I added) the installers had to add a motor to the driver's side door so that they would work. This made unlocking the car manually a little stiff, as you had to move the motor as well. I just told Zelia that the lock was sticking and that if necessary, we would have it looked at after the holidays. She was none the wiser.

When she opened the little box and took the control out, she looked at me and with a subtly confused look, asked me if I had something done to the car. She had no idea how I could have possible had anything done, as she has the car all the time. I took her to the door and told her to push the yellow button twice. When she saw the car start up, she was so very happy. I think she liked it.

Ok, that's it for the holidays. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

Worked New Year's Eve (as usual). This year was great: no fights and only a few people were kicked out for being way too drunk. Two things different this year that helped: a new crowd/promoter and it was a cash bar! That was great, especially since the bar was charging a lot for a drink. Even a lot for water. And I got to go home early - 3:30 in the morning instead of like 6. Yay! That was my first time checking ID and it was crazy. The promoters had a really crappy system, but since this was their first year, it was decided that they would make the final decisions. Next year, we'll tell them how we can make them better. I hope.

Spent several days over the last two weeks working at a mall site. Yippy. Walking around for 6 hours a day. In winter weather. Wonderful. But it's over now. It's nothing but a memory.

There, no wasn't the wait worth it?

I'm Still Around

2006-01-11T21:52:00.000-05:00

Contrary to popular belief, I'm still here. Working out of the city, so I don't have much time to do much updating or anything. But maybe in a couple of days. I'll be working my regular spot and I may have time then.

Besides, you all love the anticipation, don't you?

Wireless Bliss

2006-01-04T23:03:00.000-05:00

I am sitting on my couch, kinda watching tv while I type this.

Zelia and I have set up a wireless network and it's awesome. I can be anywhere I want and surf the Net. Even the bathroom. But I won't be doing that. Ever.

I know I still have to write about my holidays and other things. I will do that soon. But not for the next few days, at the least. Work has become busy. I'm get to print out new access cards with photos and they have to be done by Monday. Lucky me. That's about 200 cards, total.

Anyway, that's all I have to say right now. Just excited about the wireless network.

I Failed My Hide Check

2005-12-16T08:01:00.000-05:00

Well, I attempted to hide from Bus Talker this morning, but he made a bee-line straight for me. I must have failed my Hide check miserably. To make matters worse, I believe I have run out of hiding spots on the bus, unless I start riding on the roof or underneath. Who am I kidding? He'd still find me. At least this time he didn't talk the entire way. Maybe he's beginning to see that I just don't care about what he has to say. But I don't have to worry about that for two days now. Yay weekend!

Yesterday was my work's Christmas party. It was lots of fun and much beer was drank. Drunk? Curses, sometimes I just can't remember the word to use. Oh well, much beer found it's way into mah belly. That'll work. And I'm not worse for wear now. But I drank lots of water before I went to bed. That always helps.

We were supposed to get dumped on with a massive snow storm. And that really didn't happen. I hate it when the news makes a big deal about "the huge snow storm that will dump a crap load of snow" because then everyone overreacts and panics and stuff like that. Then the accidents happen because everyone is driving all scared. The majority of us in Canada have grown up and gotten used to weather like that. We should know what to expect. The only people who have any excuse at all to get nervous are those who have never driven in snow before. But then that's only good for one winter. After that, tough luck.

Stealthy Covert Bus Action

2005-12-15T08:06:00.000-05:00

Due to my incrediable ninja-like skills, I was able to hide from the Talker this morning on the bus. I, get this, kinda hid behind someone near the back of the bus. Totally random, but when I got there, I realized that no one from the front could see me. So I stayed there and sure enough, I saw Talker get on, but he didn't see me. It was a great ride. I think I smiled all the way to work. But then Talker got off the bus, he saw me. So I don't think I can do the same thing tomorrow. But I'm going to try.

Now for something completely different:

I was browsing Fark for interesting news tidbit when I came across this one. I have no idea what to think. Read it and you'll see what I mean.

It's Movie Time and Other Things

2005-12-12T10:28:00.000-05:00

Well, since I last posted I have watched four, yes four movies. Three DVDs and one in theatre.

The DVD movies were Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Unleashed and The Fantastic Four.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith was entertaining, but I felt let down. But just a bit. I guess the trailers made me expect more. But still entertaining. Unleased was excellent. I loved it. And a Jet Li/Morgan Freeman combination worked really well. Go watch it. Now! The Fantastic Four was better than I thought. It was quite enjoyable. I'll admit, I'm not as familiar with those characters as I am with other Marvel superheros, but I still enjoyed the movie a lot.

The move I saw in theatre was Aeon Flux. Damn, that was a good movie! Very similar to the anime, so I was happy to see that. The effects were amazing and the story was very good too. Cool plot. And, um, Charlize Theron was a nice addition too. Heh, heh, heh.

Today and for the next week or two for sure, I won't be as alone as I usually am at work. Nope, not with all the upgrading and new equipment that will be installed. But I can live with that. I hope. I won't bore you with all the details, but one cool (so far) thing is that our IDs will now have mugshots. And guess who looks after that? If you guessed me, you are right. If you didn't guess me, what is wrong with you?

Changes...

2005-12-09T08:19:00.000-05:00

As some of you may have noticed, I have changed the name of my blog. Why? I felt like a change. Why that phrase? Because I love it. A friend of mine once used that phrase. I just love the sound of it and the images it conjures in the mind's eye. If you don't like it, let me know. Maybe I'll change it...*snicker*

It snowed last night and made everything pretty to look at. Not to walk in, as I did heading for the bus. I neglected to look out the window before I left and I wore my work shoes and didn't bother to lace them up. I get out side and crap, snow everywhere. I had to walk on the road because the sidewalk hadn't been done yet. Didn't get any snow in my shoes and that made my bus ride more pleasant.

Speaking of the bus, Talker didn't talk to me but only because I was feeling shitty, which made me feel better. Screwed up my neck last night and wasn't feeling good at all when I got up. So I took this ill-health and turned it into an excuse not to talk to Talker. When he got on and asked how I was, I told him I screwed up my neck and I didn't know if I wanted to sleep or throw up (exact words). He didn't say a thing to me the entire trip. I kept my eyes closed too, for effect. It was wonderful. I much prefer a music-filled bus ride to a talk-filled bus ride.

Still waiting for my most awesome mouse. I was told it would be available first week of November. Those lying bastards. I may have to wait until the new year to get it. You know, I don't buy many new things for my laptop and the one thing I find and really want I can't have. It's like the Universe is having a laugh at my expense.

But that doesn't surprise me at all.

Edit: Forgot to mention that I'm using the JapanBlack theme for my Firefox and I love it. It's so unusual and different. It's awesome.

It's been a while and I have nothing new to say

2005-12-08T12:44:00.000-05:00

Hmmm. Been gone a long time. Where to start? That should be easy, as not much has happened. But I'm sure as I blog, I'll think of more things to say.

First off, my NaNo attempt died at about 20,000 words. I started off real strong, then work got in the way. Lost 2 guards during the month, so that didn't help at all. I also ended up working some weekends. Maybe next year.

Installed Firefox 1.5 today - it's pretty sweet. Some of the extensions I had weren't compatable. Most were, so that makes me happy. I'm taking a break from going through all the extensions available to me. And, my God, there are tons of them. Firefox is running quite well. I've only noticed a few things that are new, but I'm sure there are lots of fixes and the like. Regardless, it works and I like it.

Newest movie I saw in theaters was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. A damn fine and fun movie. But the theater was packed. But we got there in good time, so we gots the seats we wanted. Lucky us.

The only crappy thing that has happened has to do with my morning bus ride. I now have a "bus buddy" that I don't want. When I'm riding the bus in the morning, I just want to either listen to my music or sleep. Occasionally, I do both. Well, now I can't do either because my bus buddy talks and talks and talks. About stuff I don't care about. And the tangents he goes off on. I get so confused when he opens his mouth. But I'm such a nice guy, I won't tell him to shut the hell up and leave me alone. Maybe I can get him fired from his job. Then he wouldn't be on the bus with me. That option could be more fun.

Perhaps my Legions of Doom would be useful here...

Bus Weirdos

2005-11-04T08:07:00.000-05:00

As much as I am glad that I have access to public transit, I have begun dreading riding the bus in the morning.

When I first started taking the bus so many months ago, I was left alone. I think it was because of my security uniform, but it doesn't really matter. When I get on the bus in the morning, I'm not much for idle chit-chat. So the fact that I always had the double seat to myself was great.

Then a few months ago, a new building was being built on a lot next to my work. Eventually, it was completed and a few new faces appeared on the morning bus ride. Still, I was left alone. Yay.

Then, one of the new faces decided to sit with me, since we were work neighbours, I'm sure. Fortunatley, he didn't really talk, so I was fine.

Then a new guy appeared, a semi-retired gentleman, and he is a talker. And a mumbler. And talks about stuff I don't care about. Usually, the first guy sits with me so Talker doesn't.

This morning, Talker sat next to me and jabbered constantly. However, I'm just too polite to tell him to leave me the hell alone. No, I just sit there and occasionally talk back. I hope this isn't the begining of an unwanted bus relationship.

The moral of the story: If you're going to talk to me on the bus, don't. I just don't care enough at that time in the morning.

The Words, They Flow

2005-11-02T07:10:00.000-05:00

It's been one day since the 2005 Nanowrimo kick-off and I'm doing well.

Yesterday, I wrote almost 4000 words for my novel. And I tell ya, it was hard not to go back and edit. But I'm being strong and just writing. Zelia read some of it and she said it's pretty good. Maybe that's true. She's also going to keep me writing and not editing.

I must admit, I feel pretty confident. This story seems to be writing itself, at least for now. I'll be continuing on it soon, but it's just a bit too early to be thinking about that. Besides, today I got up about 20 minutes before bus arrived. Damn, I've never gotten ready for work that fast before. I'm sure I must broken some kind of record. And I even fed the cats, too.

Countdown...

2005-10-31T13:39:00.000-05:00

Ok, I have less than 24 hours before my frantic and furious writing a 50,000 word novel starts.

I've been able to kinda narrow down the plot. But basically it's going to be by ear (fingers?).

Hope that works.

UPDATE: Added a new webcomic to my list - Alien Loves Predator. I howled with emotion.

Doom and Writing

2005-10-27T07:51:00.000-04:00

Last week Zelia and I went to see Doom when it opened. We were both a little skeptical about how the movie would be like. Both of us are Doom players from way back and there were certain things that we hoping the movie would have. The big one was the door sound. For any of you who have played Doom, you know exactly what I'm talking about. For those of you who have no idea, I'll try to explain.

I won't try to explain the actual noise. That's too hard, but it was a very distinctive sound. Even now, as I type this, the sound echos through my mind. When playing the first Doom at night with all the lights out and I was deeply immersed in the game, nothing scared me more that wandering a hallway and hearing that sound in the distance. Something was coming to get me...

We also hoped that some of the weapons would be included and a couple of other small details. From the trailers, we saw the Chainsaw and the BFG 9000 so that was a step in the right direction.

After we saw the movie, Zelia and I did actually have a good time. Certainly a "leave-your-brain-at-the-door" movie. It was, in my opinion, a fun movie. No door sounds, but still enjoyable. Friends of mine said it was crap, so if you plan on seeing it, be forwarned.

Well, once again I'll be participating in the National Novel Writing Month contest again. Last year I didn't complete it. This year, who knows? I haven't even thought of a plot yet. I hope inspiration strikes soon. I could use it. I have some half-assed ideas in my head, but they won't form into full ideas. Curse them! Once it kicks off on the first of November, I'll like to my section so you can see how many words I've written and even read some of it. The idea is that by the end of November I'll have written 50,000 words. The emphasis is quantity, not quality. Last year I think I got too caught up with trying to write a "good" novel. This year I have to remember that the important thing is to write. Just get those words down. Somehow. I may be in trouble already.

Zelia had her first Mary Kay class last night. I went along for support and because another guy was there and he said basically that if he had to be there , I had to be there. Plus it was being held at a friend's place, so I figured I'd have a good time. The class went very well. Zelia was very good, answering questions and being very professional. She did an excellent job, in my opinion, but I'm biased a bit. But the women who attended also said she did a great job. So it wasn't just me. Of course, with practice, she'll get even better.

Paintball and Mice

2005-10-12T19:08:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was a little bacholar party for a friend of mine. However, he stayed away from the strippers and the falling-down-drunk aspect and went a much more fun way - paintball!

He's a big paintballer, so I guess that had a lot to do with it. About 20 of us showed up for the fun and mayhem. It was great! I did much better than I thought I would, getting quite a few bad men. I, of course, got hit several times too. A good time was had by all!

On a sadder note, I just found out that the Logitech mouse I want won't be available in Canada until November. Curse you, Fate! What did I do to deserve this? Oh, wait. I remember. And I shall not speak of it.

Yet More Google Goodness

2005-10-04T18:35:00.000-04:00

Felt like blogging about Google stuff. If you don't like it, tough!

A few months ago I installed Google Talk - Google's chat program. It's not as fancy as MSN Messenger or Yahoo! Messenger and I think that's why I like it. It's simple. Clean. Easy to use. Zelia and I like it. Got my Mom to use it. Just need more people I know to use it and I'll be happy. Yes, I still use other programs, but I do like Google. Apparently, you can use other programs that use the same programming or whatever. So maybe it's not as "new", but I still like it.

As I am blogging here, Google Desktop is indexing my computer. Google Desktop allows you to, well, Google your computer. It does other things as well, such as Gmail notification, Google Talk, weather, etc.....it would be easier for you to just check out Google and see for yourself. I'm hoping this will make things easier. If not, I'll just uninstall it.

Ah, the beauty of computers.

I'm Back!

2005-09-30T17:51:00.000-04:00

Just an update: my laptop is now functioning again.

I got the AC adapter today and lo and behold, it works!

So, I'm very, very, very happy! It's about freakin' time.

A Mystery No Longer?

2005-09-30T10:42:00.000-04:00

Ever since I was a little kid and saw the giant squid attack in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I have been intrigued and slightly frightened of these mysterious creatures.

One of the main reasons I find giant squids so intriguing is the fact that so little is know about them. I have done quite a bit of "research" on the Internet and according to all the information I've found not one living specimin has been found. Absolutly all theories and research is based on dead specimines that have washed up on shore or dying ones that have been accidently caught in fishing nets and the like. Apparently, sperm whales hunt giant squids as remains have been found in their stomachs. However, there isn't much left to do research on.

There are dozens of stories from recent history about people who have seen them from a distance or up beside ships, but none of these stories tell us much except how huge they can be. Truly, the giant squid is one of most interesting mystries of a known sea creature.

A few days ago, Japenese researchers caught a live giant squid on tape! You can check out the article from the New York Times.

This is just the biggest step we've had since we knew they existed. I hope that this is not the last.

iBooks and Pampered Chef

2005-09-17T17:05:00.000-04:00

Not much to say right now. I'm at a friends' place and just completed a Pampered Chef party. Zelia was with me, of course. It was a nice sized group - about 12 total. It was a fun time for sure.

However, my friend recently purchased an iBook G4 and I was playing around with it. I'm generally a Windows man, but I have used Macs before and they are a very nice to use. This laptop is just awesome. It's wireless too - I'm typing this sitting in a comfy armchair. Sweetness.

Also, I'm getting my dose of laptop use - still waiting for my AC adapter. Next week, I hope.

Withdrawal Isn't Always Good

2005-09-15T12:28:00.000-04:00

It has been several days since the AC adapter for my laptop died. My body shakes because of the withdrawal.

I had no idea I was so dependent on computers. But only having limited access to the work computer that is connected to the internet has shown me just how much I rely on my laptop being accessible all the time.

I miss having speakers. So much music, so much sound gone.....only a whisper of a memory. The computer here has no sound card, much less speakers.

I miss having a keyboard that works all the time. The one here at work will, for no reason, stop working. Mouse still works. Monitor still works. PC still works. So I have to reboot. The keyboard works after that. But for how long, who knows? Also, the buffer or something is screwy because I can type faster than the characters on the screen.

But hope still shines. The new adapter should be here in a couple of days, mid-next week at the latest.

On a happier note, bought The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy yesterday. I love that movie. So much. Douglas Adams (RIP) is a master.

Laptop Woes

2005-09-08T11:27:00.000-04:00

This morning I arrived at work and set up my laptop as per normal. I'm happily working away when I notice that my battery icon is showing instead of the plug icon that means I'm running off AC power. I glance at my AC adapter and the light is on, meaning that there is power getting to it. Thinking that it's the cord that runs from the AC adapter to my laptop (over the past few weeks the cord has shown signs of being pulled) I nudge it with my foot. The sparks that flew from the exposed wires quickly convinced me that was a bad idea. I unplugged everything and took a closer look. My AC adapter has died.

Of course, I had a LAN party to go to this weekend. So I spend a few hours looking for suitable replacements. I can get the actual AC adapter from HP, but it'll be 7 to 10 business days before it's delivered. I find that Future Shop has a universal AC adapter that will work with my laptop, but it's almost $100 more than the one from HP.

Someone from my work found an IBM adapter that will fit my laptop, but the power ratings aren't the same and if I use it my laptop could be damaged.

Oh, in case you're wondering how I'm posting this blog, I'm using a computer at work (which is slow and crappy - I hate this computer).

So, that's it. Depending what I decide to do it could be almost 2 weeks before I can post (indeed, use my laptop). Or I spend a lot more and get it tonight.

Decisions, decisions.

Rings, Anyone?

2005-09-06T19:49:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I worked a trade show. It was a long, tiring affair, but it's a trade show I love to do. Why? Well, apart from seeing other guards I never see during the rest of the year, I get to buy stuff. What kind of stuff? I'm glad you asked.

This year, I bought something that I have never bought before. I bought a ring.

Now, this may not seem like a big deal to most of you (probably all of you), but I don't wear jewelry. Ever. So this is a big step. I've gone and defined myself a bit.

I would describe it, but it's a bit difficult. Instead, let me show you the seller's website - Besmithian.

They are located in Toronto and I think all their stuff is just awesome! I hope to get more stuff soon.

Yes, I'm Back

2005-09-06T09:06:00.000-04:00

Wow. I was gone a long time. But don't worry, I'm fine. Just busy/lazy. I'm extreme!

I spent this past weekend at my parents with Zelia. It was lots of fun. I haven't seen my parents since March. My Dad and I spent two days at Steam Era, a huge steam show. My Dad has a couple of steam engines and we had them in the show. So I helped out and got a wicked sunburn/tan. Just in time for winter. I'm going to look so good.

Saw the trailer for Doom: The Movie finally. The trailer looked good. Who am I kidding, I'll go see it. It's a movie based on a FPS. Zelia and I hope that the doors in the movie have the same sound as in the game. That would be awesome cool.

Found the site for the up-coming Transformers movie. Yes, you did read that right. And it's going to be live action. Could be cool, could be a big pile of steaming poo. We won't know until 2007. Be still, my beating heart...

Also found the Aeon Flux movie site. It also is live action, starring the lovely Charlize Theron. Again, that trailer looked cool. I should watch the anime again to refresh my memory. I did see it, but long ago. From what I remembered, the anime was awesome.

Our newest addition to the household, Oscar the kitten, is both cute and evil at the same time. Which is typical for a kitten. I have so many scratches on my arms, it looks like I've been in a knife fight. Granted, a mini-knife fight, but still. I look tough.

I'm better now, but a few weeks ago, I went through a period where everything was setting me off. Especially people at work. I have no idea why I was like that. Good-natured comments irritated me and made me want to break stuff. Then it went away for no reason. Maybe my brain is unbalanced. Most people I know would support that theory.

After waiting a whole summer, Red vs. Blue has posted the new season. I'm so happy! I must watch the rest of the episodes with Zelia. If you haven't been watching Red vs. Blue, I highly suggest it. It makes my tummy sore with laughter.

I'm going to update my sidebar once I post this. Make sure everything is up to date. I would hate it if I was giving you old news. Well, old news related to me.

The Air Conditioning Woes

2005-07-24T21:14:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday, I took the day off work because Zelia and I were expecting a new member to the family. Our new air conditioner.

When our old one died, we looked around at lots of different models. We had only a few left to go through before we decided which one would be the lucky winner. Then, Zelia's dad found us a great deal, and even though it was a little more than we wanted to spend, it was so worth it.

So we placed the order over the Internet and the order form actually had dates that we could have the air conditioner delivered. So we picked a day that I would be able to stay home from work. No problem. The big day arrives, and I'm waiting at the apartment. Granted, I was able to do some things that needed to be done, but I couldn't stop thinking about the cool air that soon to be ours.

In the early afternoon, the phone rang. The name on the Caller ID was some kind of warehouse. This was it. I answered and the voice on the other end said that our air conditioner will be delivered the next day between 12 and 5. I then told her that won't work, as no one will be here to receive it. I also told her that I had taken today off because this was when it was supposed to be delivered. She then told me that the air conditioner arrived from some other place in the morning, but after their trucks left. So there was nothing they could do. She told me that it could be delivered on Saturday. I told her that I would call her back and let her know what day would be good.

I called Zelia at her work and told her what happened. Just as I was, she was a bit upset. After some discussion, we decided to see if they could deliver to an alternative address the next day, as we weren't willing to wait another two days for it. I called back and was informed that another address would be fine. So we had it shipped to Zelia's parents. Zelia picked it up on her way home and we had it Friday afternoon.

We opened it up and found that it was an air conditioner designed for a double hang window and not our "apartment-style" side sliding window. Of course, nothing on the website or even on the box specifically said what type of window the air conditioner was meant for. So we called a few people for some ideas on how to adapt the installation for our windows. We decided to wait until Saturday before we tried to install it.

Next morning we tackled the problem of fitting the air conditioner in a window it wasn't really designed for. However, we lucked out because the support bracket we installed for our previous air conditioner was in the perfect spot to support the new one. We measured the space above the air conditioner for some plywood to fit and bought some weather-stripping foam and got started. A few hours later, due to some unexpected problems, it was finally installed. And it works beautifully.

It has a remote control (not necessary, but cool) and even has a timer so that you can have it turn on at a specific time. The best thing about it is that it pumps out 10,000 BTUs of cool (and sometimes cold) air. It has done wonders for the apartment. You can feel a big difference when you come in from just the hall.

The only part of the apartment we don't cool off is the bedroom and that's because it's being used as a quarantine area for Oscar (check out Zelia's blog for more information about Oscar) before he mingles with our other cats. Once that happens, we'll be putting up a barrier so that cats can't get into the bedroom but still allow the cool air in. That will be absolute bliss.

Long Time No Type

2005-07-20T15:27:00.000-04:00

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, and trust me, it’s not my fault. It’s the weather’s fault.

A couple of weeks ago, the apartment’s air conditioner died. This unfortunate situation coupled with the hot, very humid weather we’ve had makes for a very uncomfortable apartment. So uncomfortable that sitting at my computer even for a short time is difficult.

However, I don’t want to disappoint all my loyal readers, so I’ve sucked it up and typed this out. Not much has happened, but I’ll bring you all up to speed.

Zelia and I got a kitten a few days ago. Oscar is a male orange tabby, full of piss and vinegar. But he’s so cute, no matter how many little bite marks and scratches I have on my feet and hands. Interestingly, Zelia told me that there are only male orange tabbies. There are no, and never will be, female orange tabbies. Cool, huh? That reminds me, I’m going to look on the Internet to see just why that is. Zelia and I have our theory, and yes, it’s genetic, but I’m going to see if any experts have written anything on the subject. I’m sure it will be quite interesting.

My supervisor is on vacation (that evil, evil man) and I’m filling in for him. Fortunately, not many problems have crept up. Just the occasional surprise shift here, the odd after-hours call there. But carrying two phones around sucks. It just plain sucks.

Zelia has been busy this past while putting together her new computer. Stronger, faster, better than her old one. This means that my laptop won’t be the pinnacle of technology anymore. I’m not sure how I’ll cope, but I always do.

For any of you out there (I’m talking to the men) looking for a new cologne, aftershave or shower gel that’s unique, may I suggest the Nomad line from Crabtree & Evelyn. Yes, Crabtree & Evelyn. When Zelia and I were in Ottawa on our vacation, we did some shopping and checked out the Crabtree & Evelyn store because she always finds something in there that she wants. Well, they were having a big push for Father’s Day and all of their men’s products were on sale. Needless to say, I was shocked. I had no idea C&T catered to the male segment of the population. So, while Zelia was perusing her stuff, I was checking out the men’s products. They actually have quite a bit and in different scents. However, the Nomad scent caught my nose and I called Zelia over to see what she thought of it. She took a whiff and said she really like it. So, that sealed the deal. I picked up some aftershave balm. And I have not regretted that decision. When we got back from vacation, I actually looked forward to shaving in the morning because that meant I got to use my Nomad aftershave balm. I’m such a geek? Nerd? Anyway, one day last week, Zelia brought me a surprise – she picked up the Nomad shower gel. Well, now I look forward to having a shower. In a few weeks, I’ll be spending five days in Toronto doing a trade show, and I’m thinking I may have to pick some more Nomad stuff up so that I smell fine at the show. Besides, they have this deal where you can buy a travel bag with Nomad stuff in it. I’m pretty sure it’s a deal or you get the travel bag for free or something like that. And I’m in desperate need of a new travel bag for my toiletries. Think I’ll have to do that soon. Very, very soon. If any of you are interested, check out the C&T website. You’ll be amazed how much stuff they have for guys.

Rented Hostage a few days ago and it was pretty good. I recommend that you watch it. NOW!

Hmmmmm, since I’m in a typing mood (I just love the way my laptop keys click as I type) I’ll have to keep typing. Question is what to type about? Oh, I know!

A while ago, I found a little fun test on the Internet – Dante’s Inferno Test. It’s a fun test that tells you what level of Dante’s Hell you’ll be going to. When I first took the test, I was going to The Fifth Level of Hell. That level was for blasphemers, I think. Well, I took the test again just to see what I would get. Surprise, surprise, I got the same answer. But I’m going to the Sixth Level of Hell – The City of Dis. When I was reading the description I remembered a few lines from the last time, so there you go. I’m going where the heretics go, not the blasphemers. Yippy! So, give it a try. It’s fun. I promise.

Soon, oh so very soon, Zelia and I will have a new air conditioner. Then, maybe I’ll blog more regularly, as the computer room will be nice and cool – a pleasure to be in. I can feel the cool air now…

Justice For All?

2005-06-30T20:05:00.000-04:00

As some of you may know, Karla Homolka will be released from prison very soon. She has attempted to place a media ban on her release, as she doesn't want anyone to know where she is going. Also, she's likely (my own supposition) afraid that someone may attempt some fashion of revenge. This is what I'm going to touch on briefly because I haven't been keeping up the news.

Some co-workers of mine think it is completely insane for her to want protection when she gets out. They believe we still need protection from her.

When I heard this, the first thing that came to my mind is that she has, technically, paid her debt to society.

Now, I'm sure that some of you have some choice words with my above sentence. And that is certainly your right. But these are the laws of Canada. Canadian law says that she has paid the price, so to speak. Now she is free to live her life.

I don't want to get rambling here. When I do, everything becomes confusing as I try to say too much with too little words.

Ok, here goes. The way the media is covering this, one would think Karla is a threat to every person in Canada. Obviously, this is not the case, but many people do feel this way. Yet, if a drunk driver who killed several people in a car accident was being released from prison, only a handful of people would care. Personally, I'm more afraid of the drunk driver than Karla. I think he has a better chance of doing it again. Even if he has no licence or no car, I would still be more scared of him than of Karla.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sick of the double-standard with this whole case. Canadian law is good for most criminals. But for those few, it is not. Justice doesn't work like that.

Bah. Now I'm getting all confused. Maybe later I'll figure out what I really want to say. For now, I'm leaving this post.

Do with it what you will.

This Is Just a Test

2005-06-29T16:13:00.000-04:00

This is just a test to see if I posted this picture right.

Please, don't adjust your computer. Had this been a really posting emergency, you would have heard a high pitched girl-like scream.

Me.

Also funny, Zelia doesn't like this picture at all. Maybe I'll tell the story. Someday.

Since I'm testing stuff, think I'll test the "link" function.

I Should Probably Keep My Mouth Shut

2005-06-29T15:50:00.000-04:00

Well, not much going on. Work and non-work stuff. However, I must tell you of a little thing that happened yesterday.

I went with Zelia to her Book Club. It's a bunch of people (women) who get together every month and discuss a book they all read. Yes, sounds simple. I'm just making sure we are all on the same page.

Sometimes I've already read the book in question, so I go over and join in. Oh, I also go for the food. All kinds of snack food. Book Club's nickname is Snack Club. Yesterday, I hadn't read the book, but went over anyway.

There were six of us (including Zelia and myself) there. One of the women, R, had brought her three month (I think) old. I mention this only because it's very important to the story. There was also one other guy there. I mention this only because it means I wasn't the only guy there.

Surprise, surprise, the women start talking about childbirth and kids because of the baby there and because a friend of Zelia and me had a baby last week. The conversation turns to the pain of child birth and the drugs one can take. R starts to talk about this new drug and she's trying to remember the name. People are calling out names and none of them are right. So I decide to join in the fun and call out "thalidomide". Wow, the reaction I got! Everyone was laughing out loud, mostly because of my tasteless joke (meh, I go with what I'm good at). R was just looking at me and asked the hostess if the big candle beside her was heavy and if it would be missed. Fortunately, no candle was thrown.

I'm so funny.

Deathstroke's Excellent Vacation

2005-06-18T21:44:00.000-04:00

I know it's been awhile, but hey, I've been busy. On vacation!

Zelia and I spent four wonderful days in our nation's capital. That's Ottawa for those who don't know.

We booked it through Ottawa Tourism and it was awesome! We stayed at a hotel in downtown Ottawa which was very nice. Comfy room and breakfast. Also within minutes of almost all the points of interest.

I'll just do a summary of most of what we did. Don't want to bore any of you. We visited the Nature Musuem, the Currency Musuem and the Musuem of Civillization. All were lots of fun and informative, but the Nature Musuem was under renovations, so we only got to see half of it. We'll have to go back in 2009 when everything will be done. We did shopping at the Rideau Centre and got some neat stuff. We took a Haunted Tour of the Ottawa Jail which was very neat. Got to hear some cool ghost stories too.

The last part of our vacation I will go into some detail because it was, in my opinion, the most "fun". We went gambling! In our vacation package, we received a voucher for a free buffet meal at the casino over in Quebec in Hull. We also received vouchers for $10 each for one day. So, we had a great meal. Really, really good. Then it was off to gamble. Zelia likes the slots and she spent a few hours doing that. I did a bit on the slots, but then it was time for my vice - the tables. I started off at the Baccarat table and over the course of about an hour I made $80 from $20. I then took a break and watched Zelia play the slots. Then I went back to the Baccarat table and lost it all. But that was not as bad as a guy who was playing beside me. He sat down beside me and threw on the table a thick wad of 100 dollar bills. To my credit, I didn't even flinch when I saw that most enticing pile of bills. The dealer counted it and was given $2600 in chips. The man then proceeded to lose all of it in four hands. After that he got up and about 10 minutes later he came back with another 600 or so dollars. He started winning then, but still, crazy! When we decided to leave I had lost my $30 I started with and Zelia walked away with $70 from the slots. The slots loved her that night.

The next day we went back because we had another free $10 each. So we did the same thing, except I lost my money except $5 at the Baccarat table right away. I went back to Zelia at the slots and she wasn't doing very well either. She lost her money shortly after I arrived. I told her that I needed $10 to play at the Blackjack table. She took my $5 and said she would turn it into $10 for me. She did even better than that and after about 20 minutes handed me $20. We then went to the Blackjack table and I won a bunch and then lost all but $5. Zelia took the remaining money and attempted to turn it into $20, but her luck had run out too. But we had lots of fun. We're going to plan another excursion to a casino near us soon. I hope.

To sum up: We had a great time in Ottawa and we will likely go back again. It was lots of fun.

On a side note, we saw Batman Begins today and it was excellent! Totally happy with it. My faith in the Batman movies has been restored. You should all go see it. Now!

Life, Sometimes, is Just Blah

2005-06-03T16:42:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday Zelia, her parents and I went out for dinner to celebrate Zelia's and her father's birthdays. We went to an awesome Japanese restaurant and had tappanyaki (I think that is how it's spelled). My God! Amazing, delicious and just plain fantastic. Basically, it's a whole meal (soup, salada, main course, veggies, rice dish and dessert) but the cook cooks it all infront of you. Man, it was just amazing! Yes, I'm using the word "amazing" twice to describe the meal. If you ever have a chance to try it, do it! I command you.

However, the past few days I've been a blah mood and I don't know why. Maybe I'm just plain tired. I have no idea. Nothing keeps my interest for long - games, movies, books, it doesn't matter. Hope I get out of this rut soon. I hate feeling like this.

Not much else going on. Working this Sunday, so that'll be fun. And I guess that's about it. Not much else to say.

Stop and Chat for a Bit

2005-05-28T08:18:00.000-04:00

Well, once again, it's been awhile since I posted anything. Get used to it because that isn't likely going to change any time soon. Just think of the time between blogs as "anticipation time" and now each of my blogs will seem better because you had to wait for it. Or you will be utterly disappointed and will hunt me down with an axe. The choice is yours.

I saw Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith and I was not let down in any way! It was a freaking fantastic movie that I could watch again and again. The lightsabe duels, the Clone Wars, the manipulating Emperor, the Wookiees - it was a visual delight that made my brain gooey with happiness. I don't think I can say enough of this movie. So I'll stop here.

Saw Team America: World Police (the unrated and uncensored version) and I really enjoyed it too. I laughed and my sides hurt. Zelia wasn't as impressed with it. But that's ok, because if we all liked the same stuff, it would be a very boring world.

Zelia and I have increased our Pirates fleet quite nicely. We have around 40 ships which gives us the ability to create any game fleet we want. However, we are sadly lacking in the special crew department, especially with Captains. We need Captains and we need them now! We may have to start trading with some others for the crew we want. Ah, the joys of the CCG. Now all we have to do is find some way of storing all the ships without taking them apart. Right now they're being stored in computer game boxes. Works for now, but it's a pain to find a specific ship since you have to empty all the boxes. We need some kind of compartmentalized case that is large enough to accomodate the large ships. I hope it won't be too difficult to find one.

Last Christmas Zelia's brother gave us Final Fantasy XI (the online one) and we have yet to install it, much less play it. Perhaps that has been burning in my subconscious because last night I had a very vivid dream that I was playing it. So, I think I should install it soon. Very, very soon. Even though it's a montly fee (around $20 I think) it should be worth it. Zelia's brother has been playing it for quite some time and he and his friends are going to help us out with special equipment, advice, etc. I'm looking forward to it. Or at least my subconscious is. Zelia's computer won't run it, but she's going to be getting a new one very soon, so all will be well.

The Da Vinci Code - A Blog

2005-05-18T18:54:00.000-04:00

Well, look at that. I guess I found something else to blog about.

Just saw the teaser for The Da Vinci Code - scheduled for next May - and they have a pretty powerful cast. And here is the list:

Tom Hanks (if you need to look him up, get out from under that rock and look at the movie industry), Audrey Tautou (ok, I don't know her, but I know who she's playing), Ian McKellen (Magneto from X-Men, among other things - a great actor), Alfred Molina (Doc Oc from Spiderman 2, among other things) and Jean Reno (he was in that assassin movie, you know! Crap, I can't remember, but it was good). It is directed by Ron Howard (Apollo Eleven, Tremors, and a crapload of other stuff) - amazing director.

And all I could think about is how this movie is going to suck. And that's a big thing from me, as I usually like all movies. Well, the movies that I watch.

Check out the teaser at Apple.com and see for yourself. They allude to a couple of things from the book, so yeah, if you've read the book, the movie will likely bore you.

But that's just my take on it.

So Much to Catch Up On....

2005-05-18T18:35:00.000-04:00

Ok, so it's been a few days since I last posted. But, to be honest, I blame the weekend and it's enticing ways....Oh, Weekend, how you tempt me so. And I'm busy on Monday nights.

Got Zelia hooked on the Pirates game. Bought 8 packs on Sunday. Hee hee - gots a huge fleet now. It's all good. We won't have to buy any more for awhile....but I want to. I so want to. But I think I can keep my desires under control.

Discovered today that The Chronicles of Narnia is coming to film - and that freaking rocks! Check out the Apple site for teasers and behind-the-scenes stuff. No actual trailer yet. But it is slated to be released in December. Should be awesome.

Well, this is the first week of my Internet college course. And this week's lesson - How to navigate the site where all the stuff is. Yippy. I suppose that there are some people out there who need to learn how to use the Internet (I can't imagine who). And we are actually getting graded on it. Should be an easy test. Especially if we get three attempts at it. Thought I was going to do it when I got home today, but I didn't. Maybe after this blog. I'm sure it's easy.

Famous last words.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith opens tomorrow. That rocks so large, I just can't describe it. However, I probably won't see it in theatres for awhile. But that's ok, I can wait. I hope. This is the only Star Wars movie with a PG-13 rating, due to the dark nature. Just a small tidbit of Star Wars lore for you there. Enjoy.

Right now, I'm reading The Da Vinici Code. It started off really good - caught my attention right away. I'm almost done now and, to be honest, I'm a little disappointed with it. I guess because it wasn't what I expected. The big hype was the secret was and it just didn't surprise me. I won't say anything else about it, in case any of you (you know, all three of you) want to read it. Well, two of you - Zelia has already read it. And speaking of this book - I guess it's becoming a movie. Saw the link/poster on Apple.com. Haven't watched it yet. Might do that after this. I won't watch it, seeing as I'll know what happens before the movie comes out. And this story loses it's edge once you know what happens. Not much re-read value. Oh well.

I don't know why, but I want to keep bloggin, but I have run out of things to blog about. So, I guess I'll end it here before I start to ramble.

Too late.

Video Games Rasied Me

2005-05-13T09:21:00.000-04:00

Added a new link - VG Cats. I can't believe I had forgotten to include it, so I did it today. Well, I mainly remembered because of this week's comic. It's hilarious - I laughed and laughed. I also recognize all the games that were in the comic. If you're a game whore, perhaps you'll recognize them too.

Nothing else to say. I'll be leaving to go to work in about an hour. Yippy.

Can You Hold the Elevator?

2005-05-12T15:48:00.000-04:00

I get home from work and I'm walking down the hall to the elevator. A women comes out of the laundry room and goes to the elevator. I didn't catch her face, but I recognized her as someone who lives on the same floor. I see her lean out briefly to see who's coming down the hall. I'm in my uniform, so I'm sure she recognizes me. I hear the elevator doors open and she steps on. Now, she knows I'm literally seconds away from the elevator, but she proceeds to go up by herself.

I don't know why, but that really annoyed me.

I guess it's because I'll hold the elevator if I hear someone hurring towards it. Doesn't matter who it is - most of the time I just hear them coming down so I hold the door open. It's only a few seconds out of my day and it's just a nice, polite thing to do. Even if I have to really go to the bathroom, I'll wait. I mean, if a few seconds makes the difference to making it to the bathroom, I should learn to listen to my body better.

Maybe in this world of "hurry, hurry, hurry" holding the elevator is just my way of making it that less hurried. But, hey, who am I to try to making things a little easier for my fellow human? Maybe I should adopt that "me" attitude. I did live through the 80s - I'm sure I picked up some selfish habits then.

Just writing about this makes me even more annoyed. But do not fear. I will still hold the elevator for people.

But if I see her, maybe my finger will slip. From what I've seen, revenge is often a great cure for what annoys you.

I'm a Master HTML Programmer

2005-05-10T17:31:00.000-04:00

If you notice, there is a new section to my sidebar. That's right, I actually used HTML code and put in "Current Reading" section.

And this post is just to celebrate me doing it. With no formal training at all.

I rock.

Avast, And Walk the Plank

2005-05-10T10:52:00.000-04:00

The weekend went well, considering I was working night shifts at a hotel. The first shift went very well, inspite of all the teams staying. Not a single noise complaint. It was awesome. The second shift, well, it wasn't as good. A few noise complaints, but always the same group. Didn't kick any of them out, but I wanted to. Oh, did I want to. The only cool thing that happened was a bunch of drunk 20-something women wanted to have their picture taken with me. So we did. Then I told them to go to their rooms because of they were really noisy. Drunk people can be really annoying. And sometimes fun.

Then on Sunday I worked (Mother's Day plans didn't pan out) and that was cool. It was a nice quiet shift. The best thing was I picked up more Pirates of the Spanish Main packs. Three packs got me six pirate ships - one rare (it's a beauty - it'll be awesome to use), two uncommons (also very nice ships) and three commons (which aren't bad). Actually, I have enough pirate ships to make some impressive fleets for games. All I need is to get more pirate crew. Then the Spanish Main will be mine! I just have to find stores that sell them where I live. I don't want to have to drive an hour just for cards. But I'll do it. Oh, I'll do it.

Just watch me.

Mantinees Rock

2005-05-07T12:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Zelia and I decided to go and catch a matinee at the local movie house (Galaxy Cinemas - we are so spoiled). Decided to go see Sahara. Caught the 3:30 pm showing.

We were the only ones in the theatre.

It was like our own personal big screen showing. No noisy people to contend with. No annoying people hitting the back of our seats. It was wonderful. And the movie was lots of fun too. A good flick - a humours action flick with a bit of romance. Good for what ails ya, I suppose.

Last night's shift went surprisingly well. The teams behaved themselves quite nicely. Hope it's like that tonight.

Darth's Blog and Other Things

2005-05-06T11:30:00.000-04:00

Well, I've been up for about an hour and a half. So much for staying up late and sleeping in late. Stupid body. Get used to a sleep cycle, will you! Well, I just may have to punish you with copious amounts of alcohol or something. I haven't decided yet.

Ok, on to more amusing things, like Darth Vader's Blog. Yes, you read that correctly.

I have stumbled upon his personal blog and I must admit, I love it. I'm surprised someone actually thought this up. Well, I'm surprised that I didn't think this up. I've read a few of his posts and they are fantastic. But, with so many blogs, often times the comments are just as good if not better. I just read a comment that was a parody of the "Nigerian bank scam" and I almost spilt my coffee all over my keyboard, I was laughing that much. Say what you will, us geeks can be very, very funny.

Naturally, I have included this blog on my list of links. When you have a bit of time, check it out. Of course if you don't like Star Wars, then it may not be as funny. But then again, who knows? You can be sure that I'll be telling all my friends about it. Oh, I will indeed.

Well, I'm done here and I'm going to discover the inner Darth. Should be a fantastic trip!

It's 4 A.M., Uh huh uh huh

2005-05-06T04:03:00.000-04:00

Well, I don't have much to say. I updated my profile - basically just added some more interests. Check it out if you are so inclined. Maybe I'll work on the whole picture thing soon. Meh, we'll see.

Well, I had to stay up very late so I can get in night shift mode for the weekend. I'll be working at a hotel filled with sports teams. That means I'm going to be busy. Very busy. Stupid teams. Oh well, at least it's at a hotel that I know very well as well as the staff. They are a great bunch of people. So it's not all bad. Plus, I haven't seen them for quite a while. Should be fun. Well, should be interesting.

So, I bid you all a good day. Perhaps I will blog later today, should the mood strike me.

I'm a Master of Disguise

2005-05-05T14:35:00.000-04:00

True story:

I drove out to my work to drop off the paycheques for the other guards. Well, I got there when the coffee truck arrived, so lots of the employees were coming out. I was in the vestibule or whatever you want to call it, talking with the guard when two managers were heading out and they were looking at me with that "I know you" face. I said hello and they were both taken aback that it was me. Apparently, I look completely different in my uniform. On their way out, still laughing, one said that I looked cute. I guess I look "official" in my uniform and "cute" in my civvies.

And here I thought women liked a man in uniform.

It's Official...

2005-05-04T11:12:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday I received my confirmation for the Technical Writing course. Now all I have to do is wait to see if enough people sign up to make it worth while. I really hope it does go through. I'm excited to see what it'll be like.

I think this system will work quite well. Everything is done over the internet and email. This means I'll be able to do all my homework at work. This means that it'll leave my home-time for fun stuff, like games and computers and the like. Hurray for computers (and laptops). I'll be letting you all know how this course goes. I'm sure you are all just dying to know what it's like. Well, you can count on me.

Yesterday I finally was able to grab the latest episode of Red vs. Blue. I now have all 55 episodes plus some specials. Now all I have to do is burn them to CD. I'll be happy then - frees up space for me to download other episodes. For those who don't know, Red vs. Blue is a Halo spoof that is really, really funny. Watch the first few episodes and you'll be hooked. I promise. If not, I'll feel really bad. Anyway, you can check it out by clicking the link under "Links". Easy, no?

This Is Funny

2005-05-03T17:20:00.000-04:00

Your Penis Name is: Darth Vader

Get your own Penis Name

Ok, I didn't cheat, lie or in any other way alter how that worked. I swear, I put in my name and it came out with that.

And I am a huge Star Wars fan......

Hitchhiker's and Other Things

2005-05-03T16:13:00.000-04:00

Well, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of my favourite movies. Period.

I loved it. I loved every little British bit. It brought joy to my soul and has left it's essence in my being. It and I will forever be one.

Of course, I could be a little biased, as I loved all the books. Actually, I love Douglas Adams writing. I do enjoy his style of British humour.

The movie is basically the first book, but it has added scenes and characters that aren't in the book. And that's ok, because it's usually very difficult to turn a book into a movie exactly. But, I think that this might be one of those "I hate it/I love it" movies. Either or. No middle ground.

Ok, now, onto the "Other Things".

I can't wait until I get more of the "Pirates of the Spanish Main" cards. They are soooooooo cool. I really want to play a fleet game. It'll be way cool. And fun. Fun and cool. However, I haven't been able to find them anywhere except in the Rogers store where I work on occasion. Well, I'm sure they must be somewhere. It's just a matter of finding them.

Well, the next big move will be Star Wars 3: Revenge of the Sith. Man, it looks so good. I may have to bring an extra pair of pants.

Arrrrrr, Matey! How 'Bout a Fishstick?

2005-04-30T20:41:00.000-04:00

Even though this title seems seaworthy, and it is, I'm going to start off by saying I am mere minutes away from heading out to see The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Just waiting for the ride to whisk me away to the furthest corners of the galaxy. Oh, goosebumps!

Ok, onto seaworthness. At work today the manager at EB (EB is definately my favourite store at that mall) showed me Pirates of the Spanish Main and HOLY CRAP! It's kinda like a CCG (collectable card game for those uninitiated) except you - get this - make little ships to play with! The cards are a type of plastic and you punch out the pieces to make little ships (either Spanish, English or Pirates). Each ship has it's own stats (speed, cargo space, cannons) and they may have special abilities (I have an English ship that has a +1 bonus to boarding rolls). You can also crew your ships with specalized crews (Orsman, Shipwights, etc.) to improve the ship's performance. Then it's off sailing for the "Wild Island" for the treasure. Of course, your opponet is doing the same. It looks like sooooooo much fun.

Ok, got to go - movie time!

So Tired...

2005-04-30T06:37:00.000-04:00

Ug. I hate these late nights/early mornings, especially when it is because of work. Worked real late last night and then up early this morning so I can be at work on time. Wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have a 45 minute drive to get to work. But this is the last one for awhile. Training a new guard next week which means I get to go back to my old site. My fun site. My close site. Joy.

However, there is a silver lining to this tiring day. I'm going to see The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy tonight. Joy! I can hardly wait. I'm all aquiver with excitement. It's the only thing I'm going to think about while I'm work. It'll be the late show, but I don't care! It's Hitchhiker's!

A Big Step

2005-04-28T11:56:00.000-04:00

Well, I just registered for an on-line college course for technical writing.

I love doing the security thing, but it just won't be enough money-wise. So hopefully this will pan out. The good thing about the on-line thing is that I'm not spending a crap load of money for a program I may never use. I'm just spending a small crap load of money for a course. If I don't like it, I just wasted a few months and a little money compared to the couple of years and a lot of money.

Otherwise, nothing else is new. Just killing time till I have to go to work. And the Internet is great at killing time.

Movies I Want to See

2005-04-27T22:18:00.000-04:00

Since I'm in a writting mode, I'd thought I'd list a few of the upcoming movies I want to see. And here they are:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (I love the books and the trailers look awesome!)
Star Wars: Episode 3 (I'm a Star Wars whore. I don't care what anyone says, I liked 1 and 2)
Kingdom of Heaven (The way the Crusades should be, you know, if you couldn't be there in person)
Serenity (I'm so excited about this one - the movie version of Firefly, an excellent TV show)
War of the Worlds (I watched the TV show religiously and the movie. Looking forward to this one)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka? Gene Wilder my have some competition)
The Island (Looks very much like The Prisoner. If you don't know what that is, do a search!)
Batman Begins (Holy Crap! This looks so good. That's all I have to say)

There are bound to be more as I find out about them, but this list is pretty complete.

Things are quieting down

2005-04-27T21:50:00.000-04:00

Well, not that many people who may read this would know, but the last month as been unbelievable busy with work. New sites, new schedules and a crap-load of driving.

As of next week, it's all over. I'll be back to my regular site with regular hours and little driving. Which is fantastic as my significant other will actually be able to see me. Joy!

The only thing I'll miss about all the extra hours is the overtime pay. Oh well, I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too.

My First Post

2005-04-26T18:22:00.000-04:00

Well, this is it. My very first blog entry. I'm giddy like schoolgirl.

Not much to say right now. This is basically a test to see how this all works.

Actually, I do have something to say. Sleeman's Limited Fine Porter is fantastic. It's a beer that was brewed by a local brewery for Christmas 2004. But they brewed more than they thought so there is still some left. Picked up a case and I just can't get enough. I'll have to pick up more before it is too late. It has a coffee/chocolate taste, though more coffee than chocolate, and it goes down smooth. Me likey a lot.

There, that's it for now. Perhaps I'll have more to say later. Probably.