Well, I finally had a chance to visit with my Cardiologist. I posted back in November about how I haven't feeling very good these last couple months and how I figured it was time to catch up on that missed appointment from August. I had booked an appointment to see Dr Boyne for Dec 20 and that day has finally happened.
Unfortunately the news wasn't all pleasant. It turns out that in the last six months, new research has been published regarding drug eluding stents. I happen to have a drug eluding stent. So you can imagine I was on the edge of my seat listening intently to what the Dr had to say. The short of it is that although initially it was believed that drug eluding stents were thought to be better than bare metal stents, there is a small percentage of the candidates that receive them that have complications. It is a small percentage, less than 1% (actually 0.6%), that can suffer these bad complications.
So let me back up a bit and give you a bit of background first. If you have a blockage in one (or more) artery of your heart and it is not completely blocked, then you might be a candidate for Angioplasty like I was. Angioplasty is basically a procedure that uses a balloon to inflate the artery at the blockage. A catheter is inserted, and the balloon is directed to the site of the blockage and is inflated, re-opening this artery. However, in a fair percentage of heart attack patients, this previously blocked area can collapse again after surgery. The artery wall can be weakened by the procedure and oops.... there it goes. Of course the artery not only risks collapsing, but it also has a good chance of re-blocking, whether from scar tissue, as the artery heals itself, or from other means. The re-blocking of the artery is called restenosis.
To help combat restenosis, doctors found a way to wrap the balloon in a metal stent (looks like small chicken wire). This tube of metal wrapped around the balloon, is inserted into the artery and when the balloon is inflated, the stent expands to prop up the artery wall. This stent is sometimes referred to as scaffolding. The balloon deflates and the stent is left behind. This stent was found to reduce the occurrence of restenosis quit considerably, but many patients still had a 1 in 4 chance of having the artery reblock itslelf. The down side to this bare metal stent, was that the body didn't adapt very well to it and often times blood platelets would collect around it forming a clot (I think its called Thrombosis). If you get a clot in your heart you have a 1 in 3 chance of dying as a result. Very fatal. So, to help prevent clotting, a drug is used to make your blood slippery. Quite often Plavix is prescribed as it was in my case. Very often Plavix and Aspirin are prescribed together. Works like a hot damn. So, patients with a blockage these days can expect to get Angioplasty and a bare metal stent inserted to improve their survival rates. The medication that is prescribed usually only has to be taken for about 3 months. Then the risk of clotting goes away but there is still a decent chance that the artery will reblock.
To improve your chances even more, doctors developed a stent that is drug eluding. It is basically the same bare metal stent, but it is coated in drugs that help prevent scaring around the stent and the formerly blocked area of your artery. The scaring is probably what causes restenosis to happen the most often. The way the drugs work, is to slow down the healing process so that scar tissue doesn't form, but instead you get smooth skin cells. You still need the Plavix after surgery to keep clots from forming, but because the healing process is slowed down so dramatically to prevent scarring, you have to take the Plavix for a much longer period of time after the surgery is complete. Instead of being healed in 3 months, you now have a period of up to a year before the body has adapted to the stent without scarring. Now your chances of restenosis go from 1 in 4 to about 1 in 100. Yaaaay for drug eluding stents.
Initial studies showed that if you had a bare metal stent or the drug eluding stent, then your chances for scarring or getting a new blockage were about the same. If you didn't get it within the first three months then you weren't likely to get it at all. Now the studies are seeing that there are actually 2 periods post surgery where you can be at risk for restenosis - right after surgery, and about 9 months to a year after. So just when you think you clear the first hurdle, the 9 month mark catches up to you, and then suddenly you are at risk again.
Well... I am at the 9 month mark. Oddly enough I am suffering some chest discomfort too. Hopefully it is just coincidence. I really hope it is just side effects from the medication I am taking. When my doctor saw me yesterday and heard about my recent discomfort, he immediately booked me in for a Thallium Stress Test. Basically, this is a test that pumps radioactive die into your blood so that they can take pictures of your blood flow to see if you have any new blockages. It's possible that I may have suffered from restenosis or that I have a new blockage in another place in the artery or even in a different artery altogether. The worst case scenario is that I have a blood clot. Yikes! That thought makes my bladder want to release. A clot is a hard thing to fix. You don't want to mess with a clot... if it moves you're dead. I think the only way they can treat a clot is with medication to try to reduce and shrink it. I think the risk of it moving during surgery is just too great so they don't try to operate on clots. If it is a blockage, well then that is serious enough all on its own. You still have the risk of another heart attack (potentially fatal too), but they might be able to stent the blocked artery (possibly with just a bare metal stent this time) or they can always try bypass surgery. A blockage has options, and a clot doesn't (usually with only one outcome).
None of those options is very appealing to me. Quite frankly they all scare the shit out of me. The last time I was in this situation I was faced with 2 evils for my condition. They didn't know what I had when I first went to the hospital and they were trying to figure it out. It was either a heart attack or paricarditis. I was hoping for paricarditis which is a serious condition but much easier to treat. Pericarditis doesn't usually require any surgery and can be helped with medication. All signs pointed to paricarditis but when the final ballots were cast, it turned out I had the heart attack and 90% blockage in one of my arteries. Thus I am sitting here with a drug eluding stent in my heart pondering my luck and the chances that I am just being paranoid. I wasn't that lucky the first time (lucky enough to still be alive though), so although I am hoping for the best, I am already fearing that I might have another blockage. Shit.
I don't want to face the prospects of another blockage (or worse - a clot). My life is just getting back on track. These options just suck. I hope it's just the medication. On the plus side, the ECG that the doctor did on me yesterday didn't show any irregularities (a good sign), and my blood pressure was even better than my last visit with him. He said my heart sounded good too - no irregularities in my beat. I hope there is more good news like this when I have my Thallium Test done... I want to live - I choose life!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
The Book Corner
I’m not a prolific reader, but I do like to sit back with a good book once in a while. Since I’m not particularly driven to finish a book right away, I usually have 1 or 2 on the go all the time. When I was a kid, I could be found reading all the time, but usually it was science fiction or fantasy. I would devour about 10 – 15 of those types of books in a year. Unfortunately those books get a little expensive (now over $10.00 per copy) so it was a fairly costly hobby to be in.
The problem with science fiction/fantasy is that it really doesn’t do a whole lot to enrich your life. It is escapism literature and it definitely helped to feed my imagination. I could get lost in a story and put aside my day to day worries and stress with one of these novels. Sometimes you just wanted to be somewhere else and these sorts of novels helped to take you there. It was nice to escape into the fantasy world for a while and not have to deal with life. The problem is that life keeps going and at some point you have to come out of your reverie to sort things out and stay on top of the challenges you were avoiding in the first place. I’ve since learned to put those sort of books aside, and although I read them occasionally now, I don’t burn through them like I did when I was in my teens.
Despite the fact that these books didn’t offer a lot of nutrition for the mind, they did stimulate the imagination and they also helped to increase my vocabulary somewhat. A few years ago I read an interesting statistic that has helped motivate me to change my reading habits. It indicated that those people that were in the elite part of our society (multi-millionaires) did more reading than the average North American. They read, on average, 5 non-fiction books a year whereas their less successful peers read less than 1 non-fiction book a year. The idea is that non-fiction provides a learning opportunity and the implication is that the motivated and successful types are continually learning and this somehow contributes to their overall success in life. Of course you cannot draw a direct line between reading more (specifically non-fiction) and earning more money.
However, I have always felt that any time you want to be good at something; you emulate the activities of those that are already good at what you are striving for. Pick any sport and any athlete. If you want to be as good as the best player, you do what he/she is doing. The same holds true for business and the successful entrepreneurial types. Do what they do, act like them, and you’ll eventually achieve the same things. So I figure that I would pick up one of these habits… and heck… if nothing else, I’ll be a little smarter for having read a few more books. I now choose to read biographies and profiles of people and businesses.
The biographies are not always on successful people, but since I am reading for entertainment too, I pick people with interesting stories to tell. I look for books with Canadian content first, then I tend to swing to successful people, and the last criteria is generally some famous celebrity. Sometimes I get lucky and the book satisfies all three of those aspects. Some of the books I have read are on people like Michael J Fox, Don Norris, Sean Connery, Neil Young and companies like Bombardier, Google, or the Disney Corporation.
Recently I picked up 2 books along that vein. The first one was by Ron Joyce and it is titled – “Always Fresh: The Untold Story Of Tim Hortons By The Man Who Created A Canadian Empire”. The second was called – “Traci Lords – Underneath it All” and written by Traci Lords herself. Both were great books and I finished them within a week of buying them. They were definitely compelling stories that make you want to read more.
Always Fresh is a book about the man behind Tim Hortons. This is the quintessential Canadian Success story. What is more Canadian than Tim Hortons? It is almost a part of the Canadian identity. When other people think of Canada, they immediately think of maple syrup. When Canadians think about Canada, Tim Hortons immediately comes to mind. Many people know that Tim Hortons was started by famous Canadian hockey legend – Tim Horton. What they don’t know is that although Tim lent his name to this franchise, it was really Ron Joyce that made this coffee and donuts chain a Canadian Empire.
Ron Joyce grew up poor and struggled for every dime he made. He spent some time in the Navy and later was working as a Hamilton Police Officer before he bought into the Tim Hortons franchise. Ron reveals his struggles to make this operation work, and the challenges he had at the beginning. He also reveals the nasty side of the legal battles he had with Tim’s wife – Lori - in 80’s after the death of Tim Horton. Ron is also not shy when it comes to revealing inner workings of the Wendy’s Empire whom Ron had sold the Tim Horton’s line to in the late 90’s.
You would think this book would be a soft touch but not all of it is roses and candy. There is a seedy underbelly that Ron shows us. Of course Ron and the Tim Hortons Empire have left behind a great legacy too. The Tim Hortons Children’s Foundation will be around for many years to come, helping out underprivileged kids from coast to coast and even in some parts of the States too. This book is a great read – especially if you are Canadian.
Traci Lords – Underneath it All, is the second book I finished this past weekend. Another great read. Traci Lords takes us through her life and all the trauma she has suffered on her way to success and happiness. For those not familiar with Traci Lords, she born as Nora Kuzman, raped at 10 years old, an abortion at 14, a runaway at 15 and a career as a porn star for 3 years while she was on the run. She entered a world of drugs, physical abuse, and sex in an effort to escape her life of tragedy at home. When news of her story broke in the mid 80’s she became the poster child of abused children and child pornography.
While she was a runaway, she changed her name and lived life as Traci Lords and the media dubbed her the 15 year old Porn Queen. The media took every opportunity to sensationalize her plight and sell copies of the Traci Lords saga. Her past still haunts her today and this book takes the reader through the good and the bad.
The most interesting part of the book takes place after her period as a porn actress and her determination and persistence with turning her life around. She plays many roles in mainstream theatre, movies and television spots. She launches a successful music career. She has also started a new phase in her life as a director in the movie industry. She now lives with her second husband in California.
I’m sure it would have been very easy for someone in her position to fall through the cracks and remain at the bottom of society’s lowest rung on the ladder but she manages to turn it all around. In fact I’m sure many women living through her tragedy, would have given up and perhaps died, through a perpetuating cycle of drug abuse and exploitation. The way in which she turns her life around to find happiness and success is truly inspiring, especially when you consider the stigma she will have to live with for the rest of her life. This book is definitely a must read if you are interested in the stories behind popular culture and especially of Traci Lords – accomplished actress, musical performer, and budding director.
The problem with science fiction/fantasy is that it really doesn’t do a whole lot to enrich your life. It is escapism literature and it definitely helped to feed my imagination. I could get lost in a story and put aside my day to day worries and stress with one of these novels. Sometimes you just wanted to be somewhere else and these sorts of novels helped to take you there. It was nice to escape into the fantasy world for a while and not have to deal with life. The problem is that life keeps going and at some point you have to come out of your reverie to sort things out and stay on top of the challenges you were avoiding in the first place. I’ve since learned to put those sort of books aside, and although I read them occasionally now, I don’t burn through them like I did when I was in my teens.
Despite the fact that these books didn’t offer a lot of nutrition for the mind, they did stimulate the imagination and they also helped to increase my vocabulary somewhat. A few years ago I read an interesting statistic that has helped motivate me to change my reading habits. It indicated that those people that were in the elite part of our society (multi-millionaires) did more reading than the average North American. They read, on average, 5 non-fiction books a year whereas their less successful peers read less than 1 non-fiction book a year. The idea is that non-fiction provides a learning opportunity and the implication is that the motivated and successful types are continually learning and this somehow contributes to their overall success in life. Of course you cannot draw a direct line between reading more (specifically non-fiction) and earning more money.
However, I have always felt that any time you want to be good at something; you emulate the activities of those that are already good at what you are striving for. Pick any sport and any athlete. If you want to be as good as the best player, you do what he/she is doing. The same holds true for business and the successful entrepreneurial types. Do what they do, act like them, and you’ll eventually achieve the same things. So I figure that I would pick up one of these habits… and heck… if nothing else, I’ll be a little smarter for having read a few more books. I now choose to read biographies and profiles of people and businesses.
The biographies are not always on successful people, but since I am reading for entertainment too, I pick people with interesting stories to tell. I look for books with Canadian content first, then I tend to swing to successful people, and the last criteria is generally some famous celebrity. Sometimes I get lucky and the book satisfies all three of those aspects. Some of the books I have read are on people like Michael J Fox, Don Norris, Sean Connery, Neil Young and companies like Bombardier, Google, or the Disney Corporation.
Recently I picked up 2 books along that vein. The first one was by Ron Joyce and it is titled – “Always Fresh: The Untold Story Of Tim Hortons By The Man Who Created A Canadian Empire”. The second was called – “Traci Lords – Underneath it All” and written by Traci Lords herself. Both were great books and I finished them within a week of buying them. They were definitely compelling stories that make you want to read more.
Always Fresh is a book about the man behind Tim Hortons. This is the quintessential Canadian Success story. What is more Canadian than Tim Hortons? It is almost a part of the Canadian identity. When other people think of Canada, they immediately think of maple syrup. When Canadians think about Canada, Tim Hortons immediately comes to mind. Many people know that Tim Hortons was started by famous Canadian hockey legend – Tim Horton. What they don’t know is that although Tim lent his name to this franchise, it was really Ron Joyce that made this coffee and donuts chain a Canadian Empire.
Ron Joyce grew up poor and struggled for every dime he made. He spent some time in the Navy and later was working as a Hamilton Police Officer before he bought into the Tim Hortons franchise. Ron reveals his struggles to make this operation work, and the challenges he had at the beginning. He also reveals the nasty side of the legal battles he had with Tim’s wife – Lori - in 80’s after the death of Tim Horton. Ron is also not shy when it comes to revealing inner workings of the Wendy’s Empire whom Ron had sold the Tim Horton’s line to in the late 90’s.You would think this book would be a soft touch but not all of it is roses and candy. There is a seedy underbelly that Ron shows us. Of course Ron and the Tim Hortons Empire have left behind a great legacy too. The Tim Hortons Children’s Foundation will be around for many years to come, helping out underprivileged kids from coast to coast and even in some parts of the States too. This book is a great read – especially if you are Canadian.
Traci Lords – Underneath it All, is the second book I finished this past weekend. Another great read. Traci Lords takes us through her life and all the trauma she has suffered on her way to success and happiness. For those not familiar with Traci Lords, she born as Nora Kuzman, raped at 10 years old, an abortion at 14, a runaway at 15 and a career as a porn star for 3 years while she was on the run. She entered a world of drugs, physical abuse, and sex in an effort to escape her life of tragedy at home. When news of her story broke in the mid 80’s she became the poster child of abused children and child pornography.
While she was a runaway, she changed her name and lived life as Traci Lords and the media dubbed her the 15 year old Porn Queen. The media took every opportunity to sensationalize her plight and sell copies of the Traci Lords saga. Her past still haunts her today and this book takes the reader through the good and the bad.
The most interesting part of the book takes place after her period as a porn actress and her determination and persistence with turning her life around. She plays many roles in mainstream theatre, movies and television spots. She launches a successful music career. She has also started a new phase in her life as a director in the movie industry. She now lives with her second husband in California.
I’m sure it would have been very easy for someone in her position to fall through the cracks and remain at the bottom of society’s lowest rung on the ladder but she manages to turn it all around. In fact I’m sure many women living through her tragedy, would have given up and perhaps died, through a perpetuating cycle of drug abuse and exploitation. The way in which she turns her life around to find happiness and success is truly inspiring, especially when you consider the stigma she will have to live with for the rest of her life. This book is definitely a must read if you are interested in the stories behind popular culture and especially of Traci Lords – accomplished actress, musical performer, and budding director.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Pictures From the Suncor Christmas Party
Our company christmas party was held last friday and what a great time! It was the "Suncor Holiday Den - the purrrfect party" with a weird cat theme. Essentially they made a lounge atmostphere with serve yourself eating stations. They offered Turkey, Roast Beef, Sushi, veggies, and other types of finger foods. You could use a free photo coupon to have a picture taken of you and your guest. There were some interesting Ice Sculpture liquor dispensers. The idea being, that you picked your cocktail, and the bartender poured the contents through an ice sculpture down into your glass - cooling the mix on the way down. You could watch it serpentine it's way through, producing a pretty cool effect. 
There was plenty of music and 9 groups were booked for entertainment, free cab rides home, and discounted rooms at the Hyatt. You also had the chance to trade your free drink tickets in for a gift ornament as well. It was a pretty good shin dig with a reported million dollar budget. wow. Anyway... I had a ton of fun and have posted a few pictures up on my Gallery website (link is on the side bar). Not great pictures I'll admit but they are what they are. :) Enjoy!
There was plenty of music and 9 groups were booked for entertainment, free cab rides home, and discounted rooms at the Hyatt. You also had the chance to trade your free drink tickets in for a gift ornament as well. It was a pretty good shin dig with a reported million dollar budget. wow. Anyway... I had a ton of fun and have posted a few pictures up on my Gallery website (link is on the side bar). Not great pictures I'll admit but they are what they are. :) Enjoy!
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Excerpt from Jason’s Book of Knowledge
I was amazed at how I ugly I look when I frown or when I’m in a bad mood. I was riding the c-train this morning and caught my reflection in the glass of the window in front of me. I had the ugliest mug. It’s not one you would really want to meet up with in a back alley (or any other place for that matter). My eyes were droopy, my mouth was down turned, and my brow was furrowed into something resembling a scowl. Woof. I was not a pleasant site to look at. I couldn’t help but think that I didn’t look very friendly at all. I’m sure I was given a little more breathing room if only for the fact that no one wanted to poke the angry bear so to speak.
When I saw this face staring back at me, I realized that I didn’t want to go through life being the guy that everyone avoided because he looked so damn ugly and just plain mean. There is a saying, – you know the one… it takes more muscles to frown than to smile – well I don’t think it has any correlation to effort. Maybe it takes more muscles to frown but I think it is easier to do – so I was actually comfortable in my scowl. I don’t think it took any energy at all to be grumpy. It just sort of fed itself. It took a lot of effort to force myself to smile. It was a state of being that I didn’t feel inside and I felt really goofy there standing in front of a bunch of strangers, looking at my reflection in the window, forcing my lips to turn up instead of down. I don’t know if you watch friends at all, but there is an episode where Chandler and Monica go to get a portrait done, and when Chandler smiles, it looks like it is forced. Well when I looked at my smile in the window it appeared to me like Chandler was smiling back.
I was tempted to quit right there, but when I did, I saw the angry bear staring back at me. The smile might look forced, but it looked a helluva lot better than my grumpy face. So I continued to smile back at myself, refining the edges and smoothing out the crooked parts. Before you know it, I was looking 10 times better.
Then something truly amazing happened. The doors to the train opened, a couple folks got off, and some more folks got in. Wait, that’s not the amazing part. I’m getting to that. After the doors closed again, I found myself in a new spot. I no longer had my window reflection to look at anymore. I was still forcing the smile but I now presented it to someone other than myself. I looked up and there was this really good looking brunette facing me. And guess what? Yup, she was smiling back at me. As soon as I caught her eye, she turned her head – still smiling. Ok… that was the amazing part in case you needed a hint. I don’t know if my smile was so goofy that she was holding back a laugh, but to me it looked like she was smiling at me and was a little shy.
Funny, only moments before it took a whole lot of energy to force myself to smile, but now it seemed effortless. I was smiling because it felt good. I was smiling because I didn’t want her to stop smiling at me. I was smiling and it was feeding itself. Now it was tough to get myself to stop smiling (which I had no desire to do). Amazing how the smile of a pretty girl can change your insides and make you feel so incredible. For the record, she was very pretty.
With a great deal of confidence I can say that if I had been showing her my grumpy face, there would have been no way she would have been smiling at me with any kind of interest. I was definitely much better looking when I was smiling. I think it isn’t too much of a stretch to say that people are generally attracted to those that are in a good mood. If you are interested in meeting someone, a smile makes them feel comfortable and makes you seem approachable. Just like a moth is attracted to the light, people are attracted to those that smile. I believe that people that smile are just like that light and others are drawn to them because of this. I think I’m going to try to make a definite effort to keep smiling. If nothing else, it makes me feel good to do it. I want to be that guy that everyone says is the one that is fun to be with because he’s always smiling.
So what happened with the girl? Well she might have been listening to a comedy clip on her mp3 player, or smiling at the guy behind me. I didn’t really care to tell you the truth. I was enjoying her gaze without trying to analyze it too much. We both got off at the center street platform, turned and went in different directions and I’ll probably never see her again. Still, it gave me something to write about in my blog this morning and who knows - maybe I will bump into her again – after all we ride the same train to work at the same time in the morning. :-)
When I saw this face staring back at me, I realized that I didn’t want to go through life being the guy that everyone avoided because he looked so damn ugly and just plain mean. There is a saying, – you know the one… it takes more muscles to frown than to smile – well I don’t think it has any correlation to effort. Maybe it takes more muscles to frown but I think it is easier to do – so I was actually comfortable in my scowl. I don’t think it took any energy at all to be grumpy. It just sort of fed itself. It took a lot of effort to force myself to smile. It was a state of being that I didn’t feel inside and I felt really goofy there standing in front of a bunch of strangers, looking at my reflection in the window, forcing my lips to turn up instead of down. I don’t know if you watch friends at all, but there is an episode where Chandler and Monica go to get a portrait done, and when Chandler smiles, it looks like it is forced. Well when I looked at my smile in the window it appeared to me like Chandler was smiling back.
I was tempted to quit right there, but when I did, I saw the angry bear staring back at me. The smile might look forced, but it looked a helluva lot better than my grumpy face. So I continued to smile back at myself, refining the edges and smoothing out the crooked parts. Before you know it, I was looking 10 times better.
Then something truly amazing happened. The doors to the train opened, a couple folks got off, and some more folks got in. Wait, that’s not the amazing part. I’m getting to that. After the doors closed again, I found myself in a new spot. I no longer had my window reflection to look at anymore. I was still forcing the smile but I now presented it to someone other than myself. I looked up and there was this really good looking brunette facing me. And guess what? Yup, she was smiling back at me. As soon as I caught her eye, she turned her head – still smiling. Ok… that was the amazing part in case you needed a hint. I don’t know if my smile was so goofy that she was holding back a laugh, but to me it looked like she was smiling at me and was a little shy.
Funny, only moments before it took a whole lot of energy to force myself to smile, but now it seemed effortless. I was smiling because it felt good. I was smiling because I didn’t want her to stop smiling at me. I was smiling and it was feeding itself. Now it was tough to get myself to stop smiling (which I had no desire to do). Amazing how the smile of a pretty girl can change your insides and make you feel so incredible. For the record, she was very pretty.
With a great deal of confidence I can say that if I had been showing her my grumpy face, there would have been no way she would have been smiling at me with any kind of interest. I was definitely much better looking when I was smiling. I think it isn’t too much of a stretch to say that people are generally attracted to those that are in a good mood. If you are interested in meeting someone, a smile makes them feel comfortable and makes you seem approachable. Just like a moth is attracted to the light, people are attracted to those that smile. I believe that people that smile are just like that light and others are drawn to them because of this. I think I’m going to try to make a definite effort to keep smiling. If nothing else, it makes me feel good to do it. I want to be that guy that everyone says is the one that is fun to be with because he’s always smiling.
So what happened with the girl? Well she might have been listening to a comedy clip on her mp3 player, or smiling at the guy behind me. I didn’t really care to tell you the truth. I was enjoying her gaze without trying to analyze it too much. We both got off at the center street platform, turned and went in different directions and I’ll probably never see her again. Still, it gave me something to write about in my blog this morning and who knows - maybe I will bump into her again – after all we ride the same train to work at the same time in the morning. :-)
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Paranoia and Stress...
The last month or so hasn't exactly been filled with candy, sunshine, and puppy dogs for me. I've gone through a bit of trauma over the last bunch of weeks and as a result I think I've shouldered some stress that I don't think I'd normally face. Loosing my car, my girlfriend, and a job opportunity doesn’t exactly make a picnic. Not to mention, the added financial stress of getting a new ride, doing some repairs to it and the fun of holiday shopping all add up to a few extra miles of wrinkles on the 'ol forehead. Don't get me wrong some of this stuff has actually been good for me too, and has brought me some new opportunities to consider so it hasn't been all bad either.
The reason I mention it though, is because of my heart condition. I've been experiencing some discomfort via muscle pain in my chest and lungs. Some of it has been heartburn like pain, while other times I feel isolated places of pain much like the feeling of a small marble underneath the skin right on the rib cage. Of course any time I feel pain or discomfort in my chest area, I need to examine and evaluate type of pain so I can try to rule out angina as the source for the discomfort. If I'm suffering angina, that means I'll likely be admitted to the hospital again, put through a battery of tests and then subjugated to more time off from work for additional rehabilitation. This in itself generates its own stress, making me wonder if my worrying is actually causing the "alleged" condition to worsen.
The other part of my worry is centered on the fact that I haven't had the time to do enough exercise recently, and combined with less than spectacular eating habits, I am panicking that I am hastening my approach to an early demise. Of course when I look at everything with a more constructive approach it is not as bad as all that. The fact that I am suffering from abnormal chest pains makes me a little paranoid and I can't help but wonder if I could be doing more to keep this from happening. I should increase the physical activity and add more greens to the diet and take away a little more red meat. I need to use less salt, reduce coffee intake and stop immersing myself in a smoky bar environment to play darts in.
My weight hasn't gone up so that at least is a comfort, but I do worry about keeling over if I go to hard on the exercise. I’d rather not push my heart with activity until I know what’s going on. The fear just seems to build on itself doesn't it? So after putting myself through some mental gymnastics over what I'm doing right and what I can do better, I've decided that it is time for me to see my cardiologist again. You would think that wouldn't be such a hard thing to do.
Let me tell you, they are not easy folks to make an appointment with. I was supposed to have one back in August after I finished my initial round of rehabilitation. I didn't make it, missed my appointment, and didn't get around to rebooking it till the end of September. Well, it was bloody difficult trying to get a hold of the nurse that is assisting Dr Boyne. When I called she told me that Dr Boyne hadn't made up his fall schedule for clinic appoints yet and that I would be at the top of the list when he did. Well, I didn't hear anything over the course of the next month and a half. She said she would call me to let me know what appointment she had reserved for me. In that time I also had my car accident and was without wheels for about a month too. So I wasn't actually rushing to get it booked again, especially knowing that just getting there would be a pain. Well, the middle of November rolls around, and now I'm having these irregular chest pains. I'm thinking that now is a good time to follow up on that booking.
I placed a call to Dr Boyne’s office and I didn't hear back from the nurse for almost a week. This week I finally talk to her, and she has "graciously" squeezed me in for an appointment in December. She makes it sound like she was doing me a huge favor too. This appointment didn't exist until she went to bat for me. Ummmm.... wasn't I supposed to be at the top of the list back in September? Weren’t you supposed to give me a call to let me know what you had slotted me in for? Did you forget and now I’m stuck holding the shitty end of the stick? What the hell? She didn't have anything earlier than the 20th of December either. So I tell her that I'm not feeling that good either and would like to get in sooner. Her response: "Go see your family doctor if you're not feeling good". If I had been clutching my chest on the floor, she just would have said to go to the hospital. What the heck do I need a cardiologist for if I can just go see my family doctor? Is this chick for real? Admittedly I wouldn't be in this situation if I had just stayed on top of my appointment back in August and made sure to re-book right away when I originally missed it to begin with. So yes, some of the blame is my fault. Still, I figured that the cardiologist would really like to see me if I'm over due by 3 months for an appointment. I mean it's not exactly like I'm over due for an appointment to get a wart looked at or anything... it is my frickin' heart after all. sheesh!
Anyway... I think my worry is probably over nothing. When I first started taking this heart medication, I was told that there would be some side effects. I might experience some muscle pain, and discomfort as well as a gaseous feeling as well. I have noticed that when I burp my "marbles of pain" disappear and I feel better immediately. So I'm sure that this is only a temporary condition. Still, it would make me feel a whole lot better to see my doctor about this. I guess I will be making that appointment to see my family doctor after all.
I think as I get older I think I am turning into a hypochondriac. I remember being a kid and never really paying attention to the things my body was telling me. I couldn't tell what was normal or what wasn't. I couldn't tell that my body was running in over drive if I went out drinking for the weekend and only managed 4 or 5 hours sleep each night. I wouldn't have realized that a daily bowel movement is a healthy thing. I picked up on the obvious stuff of course. If you broke your arm or leg, you knew that wasn't normal. When you sneezed you figured you were getting a cold and were probably right. Muscle pain was something that happened when you worked out too hard or went to crazy with the extreme sports. It also went away. Now I seem to freak out over stuff that would never have bothered me before. Mortality seems to be a bigger concern these days. I do know that these “marbles of pain” in my chest are not normal - that worries me. I might be paranoid but I somehow suspect that is a better choice than ignoring the warning signs until it is too late to do something about it.
The reason I mention it though, is because of my heart condition. I've been experiencing some discomfort via muscle pain in my chest and lungs. Some of it has been heartburn like pain, while other times I feel isolated places of pain much like the feeling of a small marble underneath the skin right on the rib cage. Of course any time I feel pain or discomfort in my chest area, I need to examine and evaluate type of pain so I can try to rule out angina as the source for the discomfort. If I'm suffering angina, that means I'll likely be admitted to the hospital again, put through a battery of tests and then subjugated to more time off from work for additional rehabilitation. This in itself generates its own stress, making me wonder if my worrying is actually causing the "alleged" condition to worsen.
The other part of my worry is centered on the fact that I haven't had the time to do enough exercise recently, and combined with less than spectacular eating habits, I am panicking that I am hastening my approach to an early demise. Of course when I look at everything with a more constructive approach it is not as bad as all that. The fact that I am suffering from abnormal chest pains makes me a little paranoid and I can't help but wonder if I could be doing more to keep this from happening. I should increase the physical activity and add more greens to the diet and take away a little more red meat. I need to use less salt, reduce coffee intake and stop immersing myself in a smoky bar environment to play darts in.
My weight hasn't gone up so that at least is a comfort, but I do worry about keeling over if I go to hard on the exercise. I’d rather not push my heart with activity until I know what’s going on. The fear just seems to build on itself doesn't it? So after putting myself through some mental gymnastics over what I'm doing right and what I can do better, I've decided that it is time for me to see my cardiologist again. You would think that wouldn't be such a hard thing to do.
Let me tell you, they are not easy folks to make an appointment with. I was supposed to have one back in August after I finished my initial round of rehabilitation. I didn't make it, missed my appointment, and didn't get around to rebooking it till the end of September. Well, it was bloody difficult trying to get a hold of the nurse that is assisting Dr Boyne. When I called she told me that Dr Boyne hadn't made up his fall schedule for clinic appoints yet and that I would be at the top of the list when he did. Well, I didn't hear anything over the course of the next month and a half. She said she would call me to let me know what appointment she had reserved for me. In that time I also had my car accident and was without wheels for about a month too. So I wasn't actually rushing to get it booked again, especially knowing that just getting there would be a pain. Well, the middle of November rolls around, and now I'm having these irregular chest pains. I'm thinking that now is a good time to follow up on that booking.
I placed a call to Dr Boyne’s office and I didn't hear back from the nurse for almost a week. This week I finally talk to her, and she has "graciously" squeezed me in for an appointment in December. She makes it sound like she was doing me a huge favor too. This appointment didn't exist until she went to bat for me. Ummmm.... wasn't I supposed to be at the top of the list back in September? Weren’t you supposed to give me a call to let me know what you had slotted me in for? Did you forget and now I’m stuck holding the shitty end of the stick? What the hell? She didn't have anything earlier than the 20th of December either. So I tell her that I'm not feeling that good either and would like to get in sooner. Her response: "Go see your family doctor if you're not feeling good". If I had been clutching my chest on the floor, she just would have said to go to the hospital. What the heck do I need a cardiologist for if I can just go see my family doctor? Is this chick for real? Admittedly I wouldn't be in this situation if I had just stayed on top of my appointment back in August and made sure to re-book right away when I originally missed it to begin with. So yes, some of the blame is my fault. Still, I figured that the cardiologist would really like to see me if I'm over due by 3 months for an appointment. I mean it's not exactly like I'm over due for an appointment to get a wart looked at or anything... it is my frickin' heart after all. sheesh!
Anyway... I think my worry is probably over nothing. When I first started taking this heart medication, I was told that there would be some side effects. I might experience some muscle pain, and discomfort as well as a gaseous feeling as well. I have noticed that when I burp my "marbles of pain" disappear and I feel better immediately. So I'm sure that this is only a temporary condition. Still, it would make me feel a whole lot better to see my doctor about this. I guess I will be making that appointment to see my family doctor after all.
I think as I get older I think I am turning into a hypochondriac. I remember being a kid and never really paying attention to the things my body was telling me. I couldn't tell what was normal or what wasn't. I couldn't tell that my body was running in over drive if I went out drinking for the weekend and only managed 4 or 5 hours sleep each night. I wouldn't have realized that a daily bowel movement is a healthy thing. I picked up on the obvious stuff of course. If you broke your arm or leg, you knew that wasn't normal. When you sneezed you figured you were getting a cold and were probably right. Muscle pain was something that happened when you worked out too hard or went to crazy with the extreme sports. It also went away. Now I seem to freak out over stuff that would never have bothered me before. Mortality seems to be a bigger concern these days. I do know that these “marbles of pain” in my chest are not normal - that worries me. I might be paranoid but I somehow suspect that is a better choice than ignoring the warning signs until it is too late to do something about it.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
UFC 65 - George St Pierre wins!
I am a huge Mixed Martial Arts (mma) fan. I particularly enjoy the Ultimate Fighter combat (UFC) matches. I've been following a Canadian fighter quite closely and on this past Saturday he (George St Pierre) beat the reigning welterweight (170 lbs) champion - Matt Hughes. 
Of course it was all the sweeter for George to win because he is such a nice guy. Humble, a great ambassador for the sport and genuinely excited to be there. His opponent Matt Hughes is just an arrogant dildo or as Matt Sera would say... "He's just a penis". So when George beat him in the octagon I was stoked. Not only did he take the belt from Matt Hughes, but he also did it with authority. Matt was manhandled and George just dominated the fight. In one fell swoop, GSP (George St Pierre) redeemed his loss against Matt Hughes and established without a doubt that he was the better fighter by kicking Matt's ass only a minute and change into the second round of a 5 round fight. Awesome. I think GSP will dominate his weight class for some time to come. I look forward to watching him defend his new title sometime early in 2007. More great fights to come.
Of course it was all the sweeter for George to win because he is such a nice guy. Humble, a great ambassador for the sport and genuinely excited to be there. His opponent Matt Hughes is just an arrogant dildo or as Matt Sera would say... "He's just a penis". So when George beat him in the octagon I was stoked. Not only did he take the belt from Matt Hughes, but he also did it with authority. Matt was manhandled and George just dominated the fight. In one fell swoop, GSP (George St Pierre) redeemed his loss against Matt Hughes and established without a doubt that he was the better fighter by kicking Matt's ass only a minute and change into the second round of a 5 round fight. Awesome. I think GSP will dominate his weight class for some time to come. I look forward to watching him defend his new title sometime early in 2007. More great fights to come.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Riding with Attitude - Don Norris
Well I finally finished "Riding with Attitude" by Don Norris. 
It was a pretty entertaining book by a Canadian author about his life and experiences with motorcycles, motorcycle gangs, and riding associations. Definitely worth the read if you're into riding a motorcycle or have thought about getting one. The author articulates his experiences very well despite getting up on his soapbox to preach about the Police and their alleged abuse of power. He is careful not to paint all officers of the law with the same brush but tries to make a case that they lack morals when dealing with bikers and riding groups. Since I personally haven't felt this type of persecution I have a hard time sympathizing with Don on this point. He does paint a vivid picture of some of his adventures and adds a comic element to some of the mishaps that are bound to happen to you when you own a motorcycle. It was definitely a pleasure to read.
I recieved this book from my ex-girlfriend for my birthday back in September and I'm glad I finally had a chance to read it through. If you're still reading my blog, thank you for the great gift! :)
It was a pretty entertaining book by a Canadian author about his life and experiences with motorcycles, motorcycle gangs, and riding associations. Definitely worth the read if you're into riding a motorcycle or have thought about getting one. The author articulates his experiences very well despite getting up on his soapbox to preach about the Police and their alleged abuse of power. He is careful not to paint all officers of the law with the same brush but tries to make a case that they lack morals when dealing with bikers and riding groups. Since I personally haven't felt this type of persecution I have a hard time sympathizing with Don on this point. He does paint a vivid picture of some of his adventures and adds a comic element to some of the mishaps that are bound to happen to you when you own a motorcycle. It was definitely a pleasure to read.I recieved this book from my ex-girlfriend for my birthday back in September and I'm glad I finally had a chance to read it through. If you're still reading my blog, thank you for the great gift! :)
Sunday, November 19, 2006
The Grape Escape
Mmmmmmmmm liquor.
Not a bad way to start the weekend. A good friend of mine thought I could use a distraction from life and picked up a couple tickets for us to attend "The Grape Escape". So we headed down to the corral (a convention/conference center area on the stampede grounds here in Calgary) and took in a wine tasting event hosted by the local Calgary Co-Op liquor stores. Everything the co-op carried was there for us to sample. Crackers, deli meats, cheeses, and a bunch of other delectable snack items were available for munching on while sipping some really great wines. What I didn't realize was that there would be other alcohol there besides wine. Of course the co-op liquor stores carry other spirits too, and we had a chance to sample some great beers and some tasty liqueurs too. Oh man, you have to try Bailey's Caramel. Nice.
The trick to these things is to get there early and make your way to the last vendor and start there. You skip the lines and get to sample a few more things. You might also want to bring something to carry stuff in too. The snack tray that holds your wine glass and the appetizers is a little cumbersome to manipulate at times. Plus you pick up a few freebies along the way and it gets to be a pain in the ass trying to carry everything with you. Lots of fun.
It was interesting to see such a mix of crowd too. There were the folks that I expected to see at a wine tasting. The older types, dressed conservatively, holding their wine glasses appropriately for the type of wine they are sipping. They don't drink it, but pour it out after each sample. They make sure their pallet is fresh for each sample and their wine glass is rinsed after each tasting. They are the type of person you would look at and say... "there goes a wine snob".
Yet for every "wine snob" there were 2 or 3 other types of tasters too. Younger types, that look like they had a free ticket and were looking for something different to do on a Friday night. "Wine Snob" wannabe's. There were middle aged types that were intent on sampling as much free liquor as possible and then there patrons that appeared to be like Christian and I. They were curious about the samples, and enjoyed the event for what it was, but they were also there to enjoy some of the eye candy. It was a social opportunity to meet other folks without the perceived pressures of a bar scene. It was quite comical once you recognized them as like minded guests. The women of this variety sure dressed very provocatively for a simple wine tasting event. Their candy looked good enough to eat if you know what I mean. Plunging neck lines, form hugging dresses, and lots of make up. Some of them had breasts that seemed to defy gravity. wow.
It was definitely a great way to distract myself from the daily grind. I didn't take home any phone numbers, although I wasn't really trying to either. If I had been thinking, I would have at least found a date for my upcoming xmas party. I did enjoy some great wine, frothy beer, and some great cream liqueurs. Still I managed to catch the occasional smile carelessly sent in my direction. Good for the ego. Of course I realize that it is an alcohol induced grin, possibly at a funny joke a vendor just told, but I'm ok with that. I'll stick to my version of reality and remember the event however I like. ;) I think the hot brunette with the great décolletage and the cute dimples was smiling at me.
Not a bad way to start the weekend. A good friend of mine thought I could use a distraction from life and picked up a couple tickets for us to attend "The Grape Escape". So we headed down to the corral (a convention/conference center area on the stampede grounds here in Calgary) and took in a wine tasting event hosted by the local Calgary Co-Op liquor stores. Everything the co-op carried was there for us to sample. Crackers, deli meats, cheeses, and a bunch of other delectable snack items were available for munching on while sipping some really great wines. What I didn't realize was that there would be other alcohol there besides wine. Of course the co-op liquor stores carry other spirits too, and we had a chance to sample some great beers and some tasty liqueurs too. Oh man, you have to try Bailey's Caramel. Nice.
The trick to these things is to get there early and make your way to the last vendor and start there. You skip the lines and get to sample a few more things. You might also want to bring something to carry stuff in too. The snack tray that holds your wine glass and the appetizers is a little cumbersome to manipulate at times. Plus you pick up a few freebies along the way and it gets to be a pain in the ass trying to carry everything with you. Lots of fun.
It was interesting to see such a mix of crowd too. There were the folks that I expected to see at a wine tasting. The older types, dressed conservatively, holding their wine glasses appropriately for the type of wine they are sipping. They don't drink it, but pour it out after each sample. They make sure their pallet is fresh for each sample and their wine glass is rinsed after each tasting. They are the type of person you would look at and say... "there goes a wine snob".
Yet for every "wine snob" there were 2 or 3 other types of tasters too. Younger types, that look like they had a free ticket and were looking for something different to do on a Friday night. "Wine Snob" wannabe's. There were middle aged types that were intent on sampling as much free liquor as possible and then there patrons that appeared to be like Christian and I. They were curious about the samples, and enjoyed the event for what it was, but they were also there to enjoy some of the eye candy. It was a social opportunity to meet other folks without the perceived pressures of a bar scene. It was quite comical once you recognized them as like minded guests. The women of this variety sure dressed very provocatively for a simple wine tasting event. Their candy looked good enough to eat if you know what I mean. Plunging neck lines, form hugging dresses, and lots of make up. Some of them had breasts that seemed to defy gravity. wow.
It was definitely a great way to distract myself from the daily grind. I didn't take home any phone numbers, although I wasn't really trying to either. If I had been thinking, I would have at least found a date for my upcoming xmas party. I did enjoy some great wine, frothy beer, and some great cream liqueurs. Still I managed to catch the occasional smile carelessly sent in my direction. Good for the ego. Of course I realize that it is an alcohol induced grin, possibly at a funny joke a vendor just told, but I'm ok with that. I'll stick to my version of reality and remember the event however I like. ;) I think the hot brunette with the great décolletage and the cute dimples was smiling at me.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
What happened to good service?
Is it just me or does good service just not exist anymore in Alberta? It seems like everywhere you go poor service crops up. Good service is non-existent, average service would be nice to have, but poor to bad service really reigns supreme right now. Why is that?
I have a couple of theories. I think the economic climate in Alberta has had an influence on service standards. Jobs are plentiful. It seems like there are shortages of staff everywhere you turn. Gas stations are closing because they can’t find people to work the shifts they need. Restaurants can’t find cooks and so they are closing earlier and earlier at night. Stores are practically devoid of anyone you might want to ask a question of. God forbid you walk down any aisle in Home Depot trying to find someone to ask about the type of fitting you need for your bathroom shower fixtures. When you do find someone, you get a very curt reply or you are told that he doesn’t know. Normally the person would make a best guess… or if you are really lucky, they would take you to someone actually knows what you want.
The reason I think the number of jobs has an effect, is because employees know that if they don’t like their job they can always go find another one. There is no incentive to do a good job if another one is waiting around the corner. Many times employees just walk off the job if they are not happy and don’t even bother to give notice. If the employer asks their staff to smile, be courteous or go out of their way to help someone, it is often too much to ask of the staff member who is just there till the next best thing comes along. Employers have a hard enough time finding staff, that a lot of stuff slides that would normally incur a reprimand.
Of course that’s not to say that all the burden of poor service rests solely on the employee. Many employers are so short staffed that the employees that they do have are asked to do way more than is reasonable. Staff are asked to pull an evening shift one night, then the morning shift on the back of it. Barely 8 hours between shifts. A place that requires 10 people to run smoothly is getting by on 6 and a ½. Duties are piled on top of one another and so it makes it difficult for an employee to go above and beyond and do anything extra at all. The dedicated staff can barely keep up to the bare minimum requirements and still manage a smile. So of course when a better paying job comes along, they jump on it. Especially if the duties and shifts are more to their liking. The customer is the one that suffers though.
With these two factors weighing heavily on the quality of service, it is no wonder that employers feel gouged trying to keep up to the demands of higher and higher wages just to keep staff. Of course it’s harder to instill good values and work ethic into new workers that know they can move from one job to the next with no consequences either. When does this finally reach a peak and begin to equalize? That is a good question. A downturn in the economy will most likely help to balance this out. Less money, more businesses close, and less need for staff will start to correct this problem. Of course the economy can continue to grow, but we still need the people to staff the positions. With enough staff the balance can be maintained as well. People are willing to move to Calgary for a job, but if it doesn’t pay enough, how will they find affordable housing? Or affordable transportation? Or affordable living expenses. It’s a vicious circle.
What I do know is this: If businesses continue to provide poor service it will hurt them in the long run. Loyal customers will abandon them and when things start to normalize these businesses will regret not taking better care of the public. In the end, the customer always wins.
I have a couple of theories. I think the economic climate in Alberta has had an influence on service standards. Jobs are plentiful. It seems like there are shortages of staff everywhere you turn. Gas stations are closing because they can’t find people to work the shifts they need. Restaurants can’t find cooks and so they are closing earlier and earlier at night. Stores are practically devoid of anyone you might want to ask a question of. God forbid you walk down any aisle in Home Depot trying to find someone to ask about the type of fitting you need for your bathroom shower fixtures. When you do find someone, you get a very curt reply or you are told that he doesn’t know. Normally the person would make a best guess… or if you are really lucky, they would take you to someone actually knows what you want.
The reason I think the number of jobs has an effect, is because employees know that if they don’t like their job they can always go find another one. There is no incentive to do a good job if another one is waiting around the corner. Many times employees just walk off the job if they are not happy and don’t even bother to give notice. If the employer asks their staff to smile, be courteous or go out of their way to help someone, it is often too much to ask of the staff member who is just there till the next best thing comes along. Employers have a hard enough time finding staff, that a lot of stuff slides that would normally incur a reprimand.
Of course that’s not to say that all the burden of poor service rests solely on the employee. Many employers are so short staffed that the employees that they do have are asked to do way more than is reasonable. Staff are asked to pull an evening shift one night, then the morning shift on the back of it. Barely 8 hours between shifts. A place that requires 10 people to run smoothly is getting by on 6 and a ½. Duties are piled on top of one another and so it makes it difficult for an employee to go above and beyond and do anything extra at all. The dedicated staff can barely keep up to the bare minimum requirements and still manage a smile. So of course when a better paying job comes along, they jump on it. Especially if the duties and shifts are more to their liking. The customer is the one that suffers though.
With these two factors weighing heavily on the quality of service, it is no wonder that employers feel gouged trying to keep up to the demands of higher and higher wages just to keep staff. Of course it’s harder to instill good values and work ethic into new workers that know they can move from one job to the next with no consequences either. When does this finally reach a peak and begin to equalize? That is a good question. A downturn in the economy will most likely help to balance this out. Less money, more businesses close, and less need for staff will start to correct this problem. Of course the economy can continue to grow, but we still need the people to staff the positions. With enough staff the balance can be maintained as well. People are willing to move to Calgary for a job, but if it doesn’t pay enough, how will they find affordable housing? Or affordable transportation? Or affordable living expenses. It’s a vicious circle.
What I do know is this: If businesses continue to provide poor service it will hurt them in the long run. Loyal customers will abandon them and when things start to normalize these businesses will regret not taking better care of the public. In the end, the customer always wins.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
How can they get away with it?
You think you have problems until you hear someone else’s story. I just found out that my sister has been a victim of fraud. She is getting married in May to a pretty nice guy and she is now in the middle of wedding preparations. She has to worry about all sorts of stuff I wouldn’t even think is important. Basically she is planning an event that is pivotal to her ongoing happiness in life.
Her fiancé bought her a really nice ring that has an estimated value of over 2 thousand dollars.
Unfortunately it didn’t fit just right. Naturally she decided to go get it resized. She took it to a reputable jewelry store to take care of this and they sent it away to get altered to fit Michelle’s finger. Imagine her shock when she got it back and a number of the diamonds look like they had been altered. Cloudy, scratched and even just dull looking in comparison to their lustrous brethren.
She took it back to the jewelers’ where she had the work done and brought it to their attention. Expecting a quick response and an understanding ear, she was met with indignation and a “so what” attitude. Nasty. I couldn’t believe it when I heard about this. She was of course – livid. I mean she was pissed! My sister is not a dumb cookie and can be pretty assertive when she wants to be so she didn’t take it sitting down. Of course when Mr. Fiancé found out about the behavior of the jewelry store, he went down there to give em hell.
I think Michelle picked a good one in the guy she is taking up to the alter. He managed to speak with the manager and has finally sorted out the problems. I believe Michelle’s ring is now getting restored to the way it should have been. I don’t imagine the jeweler want’s that kind of blemish to get out to the public. It would be very difficult getting business if many people found out that you were ripping people off and substituting sub par diamonds for the originals on your sparkly stuff.
I was flabbergasted to think a place would try to be so underhanded and then be so indignant about it after. Amazing how they can get away with crap like this. I think if it had been me talking to a clerk in a jewelry store about my fiancé’s ring, someone would have had their lights punched out.
Her fiancé bought her a really nice ring that has an estimated value of over 2 thousand dollars.
Unfortunately it didn’t fit just right. Naturally she decided to go get it resized. She took it to a reputable jewelry store to take care of this and they sent it away to get altered to fit Michelle’s finger. Imagine her shock when she got it back and a number of the diamonds look like they had been altered. Cloudy, scratched and even just dull looking in comparison to their lustrous brethren.She took it back to the jewelers’ where she had the work done and brought it to their attention. Expecting a quick response and an understanding ear, she was met with indignation and a “so what” attitude. Nasty. I couldn’t believe it when I heard about this. She was of course – livid. I mean she was pissed! My sister is not a dumb cookie and can be pretty assertive when she wants to be so she didn’t take it sitting down. Of course when Mr. Fiancé found out about the behavior of the jewelry store, he went down there to give em hell.
I think Michelle picked a good one in the guy she is taking up to the alter. He managed to speak with the manager and has finally sorted out the problems. I believe Michelle’s ring is now getting restored to the way it should have been. I don’t imagine the jeweler want’s that kind of blemish to get out to the public. It would be very difficult getting business if many people found out that you were ripping people off and substituting sub par diamonds for the originals on your sparkly stuff.
I was flabbergasted to think a place would try to be so underhanded and then be so indignant about it after. Amazing how they can get away with crap like this. I think if it had been me talking to a clerk in a jewelry store about my fiancé’s ring, someone would have had their lights punched out.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
My New Jeep
Do you remember last week some time around Wednesday? I mentioned that I finally had something positive to look forward to? Well, it came true. I managed to swap pieces of paper with the former owner and I took possesion of my new Jeep Liberty Sport (2002) . Yaaaay and there was much rejoicing. I'm totally stoked to have a new ride and not have to walk everywhere anymore. It has plenty of power and only has a couple of minor things that I need to take care of on it to make it solid. 
I think I managed to get a pretty good deal on it too. I bought it for probably 2 - 3 thousand less than most other Jeep's of this year and mileage. It does, however, go through a bit more fuel than my civic, so I'm going to have to keep an eye on that. It's really a good thing that I only put on about 17000 kms a year to the vehicles that I drive. Less driving of course means less fuel consumption. Still, I like my new grocery wagon. :)
I think I managed to get a pretty good deal on it too. I bought it for probably 2 - 3 thousand less than most other Jeep's of this year and mileage. It does, however, go through a bit more fuel than my civic, so I'm going to have to keep an eye on that. It's really a good thing that I only put on about 17000 kms a year to the vehicles that I drive. Less driving of course means less fuel consumption. Still, I like my new grocery wagon. :)
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Cinescape Capers
Many of my friends know how much I enjoy playing darts. I play in league 2wice a week, sometimes I'll play in a jitney or tournament on the weekends and on Thursdays at lunch I play cricket over at Cinescape with a bunch of folks. The Thursday lunch escape is really a lot of fun. No one goes there to be really competitive or gets pissed off if they don't do well. We play cricket and play till we run out of time.
So one of the guys from Shell (a regular on Thursdays) has organized a little cricket jitney twice a year. Once in the fall and once in the spring. Ray usually has 15 - 20 spots open and it fills up every time. Cinescape hosts it and provides us with some snack food, some consolation prizes and the grand prize for the winner. They really go out of their way to make us feel at home. Service is always good there too, and you never have to wait long to find a cold frosty one in your hand.
The last couple of times I went to this tourney I didn't do that well but this time I did better than fair. Darren Gunderson took 1st place (he is also ranked in the top 5 in Alberta as far competitive dart players go). My very good friend Christian took 2nd place. Christian is what many consider a dart prodigy.
If he puts in the time and wants to go places, I'm sure he could rank in the top 5 in Canada in the next couple of years. We are very competitive with each other and our best games are usually against one another. I really enjoy playing against both Darren and Christian. Well, after placing in the middle of the pack in the last go 'round, I managed to finish 3rd in this event. I am pleased to finish in such good company.
It was a great little Jitney and I think everyone there had a great time. I'm sure that it will fill up again in the spring. I guess I'll have to make sure I keep that Friday afternoon open so I can try to improve my position once again! :)
So one of the guys from Shell (a regular on Thursdays) has organized a little cricket jitney twice a year. Once in the fall and once in the spring. Ray usually has 15 - 20 spots open and it fills up every time. Cinescape hosts it and provides us with some snack food, some consolation prizes and the grand prize for the winner. They really go out of their way to make us feel at home. Service is always good there too, and you never have to wait long to find a cold frosty one in your hand.
The last couple of times I went to this tourney I didn't do that well but this time I did better than fair. Darren Gunderson took 1st place (he is also ranked in the top 5 in Alberta as far competitive dart players go). My very good friend Christian took 2nd place. Christian is what many consider a dart prodigy.
If he puts in the time and wants to go places, I'm sure he could rank in the top 5 in Canada in the next couple of years. We are very competitive with each other and our best games are usually against one another. I really enjoy playing against both Darren and Christian. Well, after placing in the middle of the pack in the last go 'round, I managed to finish 3rd in this event. I am pleased to finish in such good company.It was a great little Jitney and I think everyone there had a great time. I'm sure that it will fill up again in the spring. I guess I'll have to make sure I keep that Friday afternoon open so I can try to improve my position once again! :)
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Something Positive.
Ok... so enough negatives for the moment. How about something positive? Well, I have just the thing. This cheers me up a whole bunch! I think I may have found a replacment vehicle. It meets all of my requirements despite falling short on some of the luxury things I was looking for. It will have 4x4, cruise, air, and power gadgets. It will also be able to tow about 5000 lbs as well. I still haven't traded money for the ownership papers yet, so it's not completely in the bag. Also, it just snowed a bunch here in Calgary too - what do you suppose the odds are that the current owner has gotten into a fender bender before I get to pick it up? Ok ok, I know I need to think positive, I'm sure the current owner hasn't done anything disasterous to it, but I don't want to get too excited just yet. Once I have the keys and the plate is on it, then I will allow myself to do the dance of joy. Whoo hoo! What it is it? I'll give you a hint...
I was mistaken...
Well,
It turns out I was mistaken. I posted "Goodbye My Friend" as sort of a farewell to my relationship with my ex girlfriend. I had a lot of warm feelings for her and thought I would express them here. It turns out that she didn't see it that way at all. She sent me a very trite email expressing her anger towards me and my blog. It was at that point I realized that I have been really blind, or that I have been choosing to ignore what is in front of my face. We didn't break up on friendly terms. Agree to disagree as it were. I thought that's what was happening. I thought just because we didn't see eye to eye on an important issue that we could still be nice to each other even though we were no longer together. I really thought that at least a friendship could be salvaged but I was mistaken. I don't believe I have said an unkind word to her since things rolled to a stop. Yet her correspondance with me has been nothing short of cold, if not aggressive.
Well, I think I've come to the conclusion that despite my desire to be friends with her, she wants none of it. So with that truth smacking me in the face it really is done. No more friendship, no pleasantries, no kind words... nothing. I don't like burning a bridge but I guess that is what I have done. Time to close this door and open a new one as they say.
It turns out I was mistaken. I posted "Goodbye My Friend" as sort of a farewell to my relationship with my ex girlfriend. I had a lot of warm feelings for her and thought I would express them here. It turns out that she didn't see it that way at all. She sent me a very trite email expressing her anger towards me and my blog. It was at that point I realized that I have been really blind, or that I have been choosing to ignore what is in front of my face. We didn't break up on friendly terms. Agree to disagree as it were. I thought that's what was happening. I thought just because we didn't see eye to eye on an important issue that we could still be nice to each other even though we were no longer together. I really thought that at least a friendship could be salvaged but I was mistaken. I don't believe I have said an unkind word to her since things rolled to a stop. Yet her correspondance with me has been nothing short of cold, if not aggressive.
Well, I think I've come to the conclusion that despite my desire to be friends with her, she wants none of it. So with that truth smacking me in the face it really is done. No more friendship, no pleasantries, no kind words... nothing. I don't like burning a bridge but I guess that is what I have done. Time to close this door and open a new one as they say.
Monday, November 06, 2006
A fond Farewell
It seems I’m only destined for heartache. It’s been a tough year I tell ya. Sometimes you can have some wonderful things happen to you, but the sorrows in life seem to take up all your focus. It becomes quite easy to forget all the good stuff in your life. So take it from me, spend a few minutes every day appreciating the good things you have going for you.
You must be wondering what the hell I am talking about. Well, this last month has seen a couple downers that force me to moan about it online. First – I have parted ways with my trusty ride – Honda Civic
(you can find more pictures on my gallery site). It was a great little car, not very flashy, but reliable and good on gas. I didn’t treat it too badly and in return I got exactly what I needed from it. It wasn’t particularly flashy or full of comfort rich features. It took me from a – b without complaint though. I was planning on upgrading that little soap box car, but hadn’t thought I would need to for another year or so. I was just getting used to having a car paid for and having a few extra bucks in my pocket each month. Then, *POW*, right in the kisser, I get into an accident. Not just any accident, mind you, only a 60 car pile up on a major commuter route here in Calgary (calf robe bridge for those who are familiar with this city). I was lucky enough to walk away from it with nothing more than a little bit of whiplash. Otherwise I am doing pretty good. The direct result of course is that I now have to walk everywhere or rely on publish transportation. Errands have come to a halt and I torture my friends with requests for rides to various parts of the city. Now I am looking at the wonderful world of used cars again. *sigh* I really don’t like talking to slimy car salesmen and trying to haggle down to a price that sorta represents what the actual value of the car should be. What can you do though? It is, however, an opportunity to upgrade my ride and get something with a few more of those comfort features I missed out on with the civic. It was a great 8 years with that little civic.
You must be wondering what the hell I am talking about. Well, this last month has seen a couple downers that force me to moan about it online. First – I have parted ways with my trusty ride – Honda Civic
(you can find more pictures on my gallery site). It was a great little car, not very flashy, but reliable and good on gas. I didn’t treat it too badly and in return I got exactly what I needed from it. It wasn’t particularly flashy or full of comfort rich features. It took me from a – b without complaint though. I was planning on upgrading that little soap box car, but hadn’t thought I would need to for another year or so. I was just getting used to having a car paid for and having a few extra bucks in my pocket each month. Then, *POW*, right in the kisser, I get into an accident. Not just any accident, mind you, only a 60 car pile up on a major commuter route here in Calgary (calf robe bridge for those who are familiar with this city). I was lucky enough to walk away from it with nothing more than a little bit of whiplash. Otherwise I am doing pretty good. The direct result of course is that I now have to walk everywhere or rely on publish transportation. Errands have come to a halt and I torture my friends with requests for rides to various parts of the city. Now I am looking at the wonderful world of used cars again. *sigh* I really don’t like talking to slimy car salesmen and trying to haggle down to a price that sorta represents what the actual value of the car should be. What can you do though? It is, however, an opportunity to upgrade my ride and get something with a few more of those comfort features I missed out on with the civic. It was a great 8 years with that little civic.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Another Year Older… but another year wiser?
*sigh* I didn’t think I’d start feeling down about getting older so soon in my life. I usually don’t mind when my birthday arrives. I usually book a day off around this time of the year and then go and treat myself to something nice. I spend the day doing things that I like to do and spend time looking back on where I’ve been and where I’m still going. I think a little time to be introspective – especially on your birthday – is a good thing. I believe it gives you perspective on life.
My birthdays have never really been a highlight to anyone but myself. A birthday in September can be a tricky thing for a kid. Most kids get excited about their birthdays when they’re young. It usually means that you’ll get some nice gifts from the family and a few dorky things from your friends. You have a special day dedicated to you. The meal that is picked, is your favorite. The cake is your favorite type and everyone around you is happy that you’re alive on this anniversary of your birth. You are the star of the show! All your friends treat you more special than normal on this day and they all look up to you, ‘cause now you’re a year older. When you’re a kid, getting older is a big deal – especially when people keep telling you that you are not allowed to do most of the things you think are fun… “until you’re older” they always tell you.
Well, when I was a kid growing up, I didn’t get that special star treatment very often. Many times it was just me and the family celebrating and perhaps one good friend that lived close by. It helped that he liked eating cake otherwise I’m not sure what the incentive to drop by would be. Lol Being a September baby, my special day was often overlooked by my friends. Typically you’d be 2 weeks into the school year and the kids around me were still hyped up on “who’s home room” they were in. Everyone was showing off their coolest back to school gadgets and the latest additions to their marble collections. No one was thinking about anyone’s birthday let alone celebrate it. Once we hit October or November and all the hoopla of the new year had worn off, then kids started looking for reasons to have fun. The quest for the next kid’s party was on, and they got all the attention they so richly deserved.
The other thing that kinda bummed me out about my birthday happening in September was that all of my cousin’s, had birthdays in the summer time (my sister included). We would typically spend a month or two at my Grandparent’s acreage where all the kids would spend their summer. Smack dab in the middle of all this were 3 birthdays. Naturally it was a lot easier to celebrate them when you didn’t have the back to school priorities to worry about. Each summer would come and go and I would have to wait till September to celebrate my birthday, meanwhile my cousins were eating cake in July and getting cool toys to play with that they could take out on the lake. I got to look forward to new pencil cases, a spiffy pair of corduroys and if I was really lucky a new back pack.
Naturally this post is chance for me to say “poor me” and “please feel sorry for me”. Ok, you’re right. I’m being a baby about all this. I did get some kewl toys and there were a few birthdays that my parents invited over a bunch of the neighborhood kids to help me celebrate it with. I have some good memories going to the go-karts and playing mini golf too. It wasn’t all bad. I did have some fun. Yet really I only bring this up to illustrate why birthdays have never really been a big deal for me.
As I got older and went on to high school, college and university, I matured a bit and realized that birthdays were a thing to be happy about, but not something to dwell on and get all sucky about. I figured the only person who could really enjoy my birthday was me, so I did the things that I liked, and I didn’t mourn over why none of my friends remembered my birthday. Into adulthood, the only birthdays that my friends celebrated with me, were the ones where I told them my birthday was coming up.
So this year, I decided to leak the news that it was my birthday this past week. A friend of mine at work arranged to go for lunch with me and asked me to invite along whomever I wanted. So I sent out the email to a bunch of people and was really surprised to find out that about dozen people were interested in celebrating with me. Wow! I was starting to feel special for some weird reason. It didn’t matter that I ended up organizing the lunch out and rounding up the folks that wanted to go. The important thing was that there were colleagues of mine that wanted to go!
So why do I sit here lamenting my birthday? That is a very good question. I guess I’m at a point in my life where I’m seeing that some of my best years have happened already. Mid year life crisis as it were. Now you’d think that with people living longer, I wouldn’t be having these thoughts until I’m 40. Yikes. Well what can I say, I’m bummed out. I’m not as spry on the squash court anymore. It takes longer for me learn new stuff and I seem to more resistant to change than I have been before. I feel more creaks in my bones and more aches and pains in the ol muscles. Weight doesn’t drop off as fast but twice as quick to put on.
Yet I still have a lot to be happy about too. I survived a heart attack. I am loosing weight despite the enormous effort it seems to require. I have a motorcycle that I absolutely love. Speaking of things that I love, I am dating the most incredible woman too. It’s good to have someone in your life that you care about and luckily she feels the same way too. I have a great job and work for a good company. I have a few really good friends and I get to live really close to the mountains. It always makes me smile when I think about how much sunshine we enjoy here in Calgary too.
Where am I going from here? Not sure. I’ve landed in some pretty interesting places in my life. A lot of these situations I would never have predicted for myself. Where I end up is anyone’s guess. I do know that now is a good time for me to put together a game plan for the future though. I need stop living my life by accident and start living it on purpose. I need to create a mission statement for myself. It’s time I used some of my accumulated wisdom for good use and enhance my life for the better. A year older? Yes. A year wiser? Perhaps, but I’ll let you know for sure next year.
My birthdays have never really been a highlight to anyone but myself. A birthday in September can be a tricky thing for a kid. Most kids get excited about their birthdays when they’re young. It usually means that you’ll get some nice gifts from the family and a few dorky things from your friends. You have a special day dedicated to you. The meal that is picked, is your favorite. The cake is your favorite type and everyone around you is happy that you’re alive on this anniversary of your birth. You are the star of the show! All your friends treat you more special than normal on this day and they all look up to you, ‘cause now you’re a year older. When you’re a kid, getting older is a big deal – especially when people keep telling you that you are not allowed to do most of the things you think are fun… “until you’re older” they always tell you.
Well, when I was a kid growing up, I didn’t get that special star treatment very often. Many times it was just me and the family celebrating and perhaps one good friend that lived close by. It helped that he liked eating cake otherwise I’m not sure what the incentive to drop by would be. Lol Being a September baby, my special day was often overlooked by my friends. Typically you’d be 2 weeks into the school year and the kids around me were still hyped up on “who’s home room” they were in. Everyone was showing off their coolest back to school gadgets and the latest additions to their marble collections. No one was thinking about anyone’s birthday let alone celebrate it. Once we hit October or November and all the hoopla of the new year had worn off, then kids started looking for reasons to have fun. The quest for the next kid’s party was on, and they got all the attention they so richly deserved.
The other thing that kinda bummed me out about my birthday happening in September was that all of my cousin’s, had birthdays in the summer time (my sister included). We would typically spend a month or two at my Grandparent’s acreage where all the kids would spend their summer. Smack dab in the middle of all this were 3 birthdays. Naturally it was a lot easier to celebrate them when you didn’t have the back to school priorities to worry about. Each summer would come and go and I would have to wait till September to celebrate my birthday, meanwhile my cousins were eating cake in July and getting cool toys to play with that they could take out on the lake. I got to look forward to new pencil cases, a spiffy pair of corduroys and if I was really lucky a new back pack.
Naturally this post is chance for me to say “poor me” and “please feel sorry for me”. Ok, you’re right. I’m being a baby about all this. I did get some kewl toys and there were a few birthdays that my parents invited over a bunch of the neighborhood kids to help me celebrate it with. I have some good memories going to the go-karts and playing mini golf too. It wasn’t all bad. I did have some fun. Yet really I only bring this up to illustrate why birthdays have never really been a big deal for me.
As I got older and went on to high school, college and university, I matured a bit and realized that birthdays were a thing to be happy about, but not something to dwell on and get all sucky about. I figured the only person who could really enjoy my birthday was me, so I did the things that I liked, and I didn’t mourn over why none of my friends remembered my birthday. Into adulthood, the only birthdays that my friends celebrated with me, were the ones where I told them my birthday was coming up.
So this year, I decided to leak the news that it was my birthday this past week. A friend of mine at work arranged to go for lunch with me and asked me to invite along whomever I wanted. So I sent out the email to a bunch of people and was really surprised to find out that about dozen people were interested in celebrating with me. Wow! I was starting to feel special for some weird reason. It didn’t matter that I ended up organizing the lunch out and rounding up the folks that wanted to go. The important thing was that there were colleagues of mine that wanted to go!
So why do I sit here lamenting my birthday? That is a very good question. I guess I’m at a point in my life where I’m seeing that some of my best years have happened already. Mid year life crisis as it were. Now you’d think that with people living longer, I wouldn’t be having these thoughts until I’m 40. Yikes. Well what can I say, I’m bummed out. I’m not as spry on the squash court anymore. It takes longer for me learn new stuff and I seem to more resistant to change than I have been before. I feel more creaks in my bones and more aches and pains in the ol muscles. Weight doesn’t drop off as fast but twice as quick to put on.
Yet I still have a lot to be happy about too. I survived a heart attack. I am loosing weight despite the enormous effort it seems to require. I have a motorcycle that I absolutely love. Speaking of things that I love, I am dating the most incredible woman too. It’s good to have someone in your life that you care about and luckily she feels the same way too. I have a great job and work for a good company. I have a few really good friends and I get to live really close to the mountains. It always makes me smile when I think about how much sunshine we enjoy here in Calgary too.
Where am I going from here? Not sure. I’ve landed in some pretty interesting places in my life. A lot of these situations I would never have predicted for myself. Where I end up is anyone’s guess. I do know that now is a good time for me to put together a game plan for the future though. I need stop living my life by accident and start living it on purpose. I need to create a mission statement for myself. It’s time I used some of my accumulated wisdom for good use and enhance my life for the better. A year older? Yes. A year wiser? Perhaps, but I’ll let you know for sure next year.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Summer's Twilight
I think I am really blessed to have such good friends in my life. I had planned to go camping on the Sept Long weekend at a lake in central Alberta this past weekend. I knew that we would end up at a cabin and that some folks would be bringing their RV’s and trailers and of course I fully expected to be sleeping in a tent. Well I was pleasantly surprised to be invited to stay in the camper with some friends of mine that I’ve known for a bunch of years. “No problem Jay, you’re staying in the camper with us”. Kewl beans… I was so happy that I wouldn’t have to pack a bunch of extra stuff, when they also said I could get a lift with them too - bonus!! Now I didn’t have to worry about chasing them out there in my car, and I didn’t have to worry about setting up a tent too.
I was fully expecting to sleep on lumpy ground, find creative ways of keeping warm at night, and punching into my bank account for a bunch of money to fuel my little civic as well. Then the last kindness was delivered too… I was chipping in for food and didn’t have to worry about shopping, extra coolers, or kitchen utensils etc. Awesome!!!
Basically I just had to bring myself, some clothes, a few wobbly pops and some bucks to chip in for food and fuel. Niiiice. :) There really is something to be said for not having to worry about all that extra junk. It makes the weekend even more enjoyable and stress free.
So to say the least, I had a GREAT weekend! I wish my girlfriend could have made it out too because I was feeling pretty guilty for having so much fun without her. It would have been the icing on the cake had she been there to share all that with me. There were some quiet moments when I was missing her, and ended up sneaking a peak at my blackberry for an email or two from her. Despite what you may think, technology really helps the lonely hearted. lol
So many activities to do and so little time. I had a chance to get out on the lake for a ride in a boat, played on a jet ski, and even did a little tubing. When I wasn’t in or on the water, I was on the beach soaking up the rays just like a good ‘ol sun dog. We had some kewl fires back at the cabin, played some cards and some dice, and ate a beautifully cooked roast. We enjoyed more barbeque and some entertaining and lively conversation. A neighbor out there brought over some fireworks on Sunday night and we had a little mini-pyrotechnic show too!
Then to our delight, at about 1:30 am in the morning we were treated to a fantastic display of the Northern Lights – aka the Aurora Borealis. We saw curtains of light and color, gently moving across the sky for well over an hour. There of course was a fire pit in the back yard and we stoked it up to a roaring bonfire as well.
By the end I smelled of smoke, bronzed a little darker (with some deep raccoon eyes), and feeling a lot more relaxed. Being out on the lake reminded me a lot of my youth and the time I spent as a teenager at my grandparent’s farm during the summers. We were always on the lake back then, and this weekend just brought all those memories to the surface. Of course I’ve never really been much of a water baby, so I was - to say the least - a little intimidated by the fun had in skipping across the lake on a tube, or by grabbing some air on the sea-doo over the wakes left by other boats. Me and water are not what you would call close companions. Our relationship is tenuous at best. There was plenty of chop to get dunked into and plenty of opportunity to gulp in some unexpected water. Despite my fear of the water, I still managed to have a great time, even after being spilled off the sea-doo once. :)
My only regret is that this weekend came at the end of the summer. Now I have to wait till next year to enjoy this kind of fun again. *sigh* The summer is truly winding down.
I was fully expecting to sleep on lumpy ground, find creative ways of keeping warm at night, and punching into my bank account for a bunch of money to fuel my little civic as well. Then the last kindness was delivered too… I was chipping in for food and didn’t have to worry about shopping, extra coolers, or kitchen utensils etc. Awesome!!!
Basically I just had to bring myself, some clothes, a few wobbly pops and some bucks to chip in for food and fuel. Niiiice. :) There really is something to be said for not having to worry about all that extra junk. It makes the weekend even more enjoyable and stress free.So to say the least, I had a GREAT weekend! I wish my girlfriend could have made it out too because I was feeling pretty guilty for having so much fun without her. It would have been the icing on the cake had she been there to share all that with me. There were some quiet moments when I was missing her, and ended up sneaking a peak at my blackberry for an email or two from her. Despite what you may think, technology really helps the lonely hearted. lol
So many activities to do and so little time. I had a chance to get out on the lake for a ride in a boat, played on a jet ski, and even did a little tubing. When I wasn’t in or on the water, I was on the beach soaking up the rays just like a good ‘ol sun dog. We had some kewl fires back at the cabin, played some cards and some dice, and ate a beautifully cooked roast. We enjoyed more barbeque and some entertaining and lively conversation. A neighbor out there brought over some fireworks on Sunday night and we had a little mini-pyrotechnic show too!
Then to our delight, at about 1:30 am in the morning we were treated to a fantastic display of the Northern Lights – aka the Aurora Borealis. We saw curtains of light and color, gently moving across the sky for well over an hour. There of course was a fire pit in the back yard and we stoked it up to a roaring bonfire as well.By the end I smelled of smoke, bronzed a little darker (with some deep raccoon eyes), and feeling a lot more relaxed. Being out on the lake reminded me a lot of my youth and the time I spent as a teenager at my grandparent’s farm during the summers. We were always on the lake back then, and this weekend just brought all those memories to the surface. Of course I’ve never really been much of a water baby, so I was - to say the least - a little intimidated by the fun had in skipping across the lake on a tube, or by grabbing some air on the sea-doo over the wakes left by other boats. Me and water are not what you would call close companions. Our relationship is tenuous at best. There was plenty of chop to get dunked into and plenty of opportunity to gulp in some unexpected water. Despite my fear of the water, I still managed to have a great time, even after being spilled off the sea-doo once. :)
My only regret is that this weekend came at the end of the summer. Now I have to wait till next year to enjoy this kind of fun again. *sigh* The summer is truly winding down.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Camping in September
Well, the labor day weekend is almost upon us. I’m off to do some camping with some friends out a cabin somewhere on a lake just 2 and ½ hours north of here. It should be a fun weekend and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll probably try my hand at golf again and see how that goes. I think there will be a boat there too, so I’ll have to remember to bring some swim trunks with me – just in case. I’ve never taken the time to properly learn how to swim though, so I’ve always kinda shied away from water activities. Hopefully it’s blistering hot – that usually encourages me to get in the water. Lol
The one thing I am worried about for this time around is how cool it will get at night. Even the last time I went camping (at the beginning of Aug) it dipped below 10 C overnight. Now, a month later, I’m expecting about the same or colder temperatures. Only this time, I won’t have a beautiful girl to snuggle up with. *sigh* Alas, my girlfriend will be spending this weekend here in Calgary, stuck on-call. It’s not a bad thing entirely for her mind you… - no snoring to put up with, or for that matter, a stinky camping guy. Plus she’ll get to make a few extra bucks if there are any calls. Extra cash is never a bad thing.
So with no body heat to share (or steal as the case may be), I have to figure out a way to stay warm. I also no longer have an air mattress to lift me off the hard, obstacle strewn ground. I think I have a way to improve the lack of heat situation though. I thought I might try bringing out a hot water bottle (or 2) with me. I’ll boil some water just before going to bed and then fill the hot water bottle and stuff it in my sleeping bag. Hopefully it generates enough heat for me to be able to fall asleep before it dissipates. I’ll let you know how the hot water bottle works out though.
I might have to dig up some sort of foamy for the ground though. Looks like I might have to make a quick trip over to Newfie Speed and Sport tonight (that’s Canadian Tire for those who are a little confused). I think they still have a few items like that kicking around… something that is self inflating perhaps or even just a thick piece of foam. I fear however, that since we are at the end of the summer season, these sort of options will be fairly thin and I’ll have slim pickings. Wish me luck!
The one thing I am worried about for this time around is how cool it will get at night. Even the last time I went camping (at the beginning of Aug) it dipped below 10 C overnight. Now, a month later, I’m expecting about the same or colder temperatures. Only this time, I won’t have a beautiful girl to snuggle up with. *sigh* Alas, my girlfriend will be spending this weekend here in Calgary, stuck on-call. It’s not a bad thing entirely for her mind you… - no snoring to put up with, or for that matter, a stinky camping guy. Plus she’ll get to make a few extra bucks if there are any calls. Extra cash is never a bad thing.
So with no body heat to share (or steal as the case may be), I have to figure out a way to stay warm. I also no longer have an air mattress to lift me off the hard, obstacle strewn ground. I think I have a way to improve the lack of heat situation though. I thought I might try bringing out a hot water bottle (or 2) with me. I’ll boil some water just before going to bed and then fill the hot water bottle and stuff it in my sleeping bag. Hopefully it generates enough heat for me to be able to fall asleep before it dissipates. I’ll let you know how the hot water bottle works out though.
I might have to dig up some sort of foamy for the ground though. Looks like I might have to make a quick trip over to Newfie Speed and Sport tonight (that’s Canadian Tire for those who are a little confused). I think they still have a few items like that kicking around… something that is self inflating perhaps or even just a thick piece of foam. I fear however, that since we are at the end of the summer season, these sort of options will be fairly thin and I’ll have slim pickings. Wish me luck!
Monday, August 28, 2006
Survival Kits - geeky but handy.
I just wanted to make a quick post about this. I was keeping up on my geeky technology posts when I happened accross a link to this website. It was from Field & Stream detailing how to make a survival kit from an altoids container. Wow... just like a page out of my Cub Scout days. We had to make one of these things to earn a badge if I recall. Still... even if you don't care about earning badges these little things are handy if you spend any time in the woods. I myself, like to camp a lot and so this should be something I carry with me. Mind you, I don't do any back woods camping where you hike in with all your stuff. I prefer car camping where I pull up... tip the car on end and dump everthing out onto my campsite. I can't imagine needing a survival kit. Yet... those who end up lost and in the middle of nowhere are probably just as easily from the car camping group as they are the back woods variety. I think carrying one of these things around is a pretty good idea. Not too mention the geek factor is really high, so it resonates really well with me. lol. :)
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Holy Cow it's a small world!
So what many people don't realize is that I'm a sentimental kinda guy. I was recently looking at photo's of my first motorbike wondering what it's been up to these days. I really hope it's treating it's new owner well. I kinda miss my first bike - a 1984 Honda Shadow 500. Not that I would trade back for it, but it does hold a lot of emotional value for me. I have lots of good memories on that bike and of course when I think about it, I'm taken back to when I first bought it.
This is where I have to divert a bit.
I was recently at a bbq with my girlfriend and I was introduced to a ton of new people. I was feeling a bit out of place, when she introduced to some folks I had met previously. Immediately I was relieved to see Darryl and his wife again, since now I'd have someone familiar to talk to.
Rhonda and I had arrived at the party on the back of my new Vstar 1100 and naturally the conversation wandered around to bikes. It turns out that a few people that were there, actually ride bikes too, so the topic was quite lively. In any case, Darryl was lamenting how he had wanted to purchase a late 80's 1100 Virago but ended up picking up a shadow instead. When he described this bike, my jaw practically dropped (which I'm sure it did in fact). His little 1984 Honda Shadow 500 was the very same bike that I had bought from him back in 1998/99. I was talking to the previous owner of my first bike without even realizing it! It was awesome! I didn't realize that a new friend introduced to me by my girlfriend Rhonda, was in fact the guy I bought my first bike from. He bought his bike for 2500, I bought it from him for 2500 and I sold it for 2500. What a great little bike! Talk about coming full circle.
All those memories of buying my first bike just came flooding back. I remember my friend Barry coming with me to take a look at it. I remember Darryl (the previous owner) talking about the 1 or 2 imperfections on it. I also remember seeing that it was in showroom condition and I remember how badly I wanted this bike. Barry took it for a ride, gave it the thumbs up, I paid the 2500 bucks cash and then Barry and I took it back to his place. We then proceeded to take it apart - tune it up - and put it all back together again. We spent the day going over that bike and I really learned a lot by doing that. It was a really good first time buying experience for me. I will always remember that day fondly.
Anyway, that is my "Holy Cow It's a Small World" story. If you don't believe in Karma, then what the heck was that!!?? :) More on Karma another day. I hope your experiences with Karma are as good as mine have been.
This is where I have to divert a bit.
I was recently at a bbq with my girlfriend and I was introduced to a ton of new people. I was feeling a bit out of place, when she introduced to some folks I had met previously. Immediately I was relieved to see Darryl and his wife again, since now I'd have someone familiar to talk to.
Rhonda and I had arrived at the party on the back of my new Vstar 1100 and naturally the conversation wandered around to bikes. It turns out that a few people that were there, actually ride bikes too, so the topic was quite lively. In any case, Darryl was lamenting how he had wanted to purchase a late 80's 1100 Virago but ended up picking up a shadow instead. When he described this bike, my jaw practically dropped (which I'm sure it did in fact). His little 1984 Honda Shadow 500 was the very same bike that I had bought from him back in 1998/99. I was talking to the previous owner of my first bike without even realizing it! It was awesome! I didn't realize that a new friend introduced to me by my girlfriend Rhonda, was in fact the guy I bought my first bike from. He bought his bike for 2500, I bought it from him for 2500 and I sold it for 2500. What a great little bike! Talk about coming full circle.All those memories of buying my first bike just came flooding back. I remember my friend Barry coming with me to take a look at it. I remember Darryl (the previous owner) talking about the 1 or 2 imperfections on it. I also remember seeing that it was in showroom condition and I remember how badly I wanted this bike. Barry took it for a ride, gave it the thumbs up, I paid the 2500 bucks cash and then Barry and I took it back to his place. We then proceeded to take it apart - tune it up - and put it all back together again. We spent the day going over that bike and I really learned a lot by doing that. It was a really good first time buying experience for me. I will always remember that day fondly.
Anyway, that is my "Holy Cow It's a Small World" story. If you don't believe in Karma, then what the heck was that!!?? :) More on Karma another day. I hope your experiences with Karma are as good as mine have been.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
The "Works" Please - and make them FIRE too!
So, on Tuesday night we went to the fireworks at Elliston Park. What an awesome show!! Those guys sure lit up the night sky. So before I get ahead of myself... a little background here. They are having an event here in Calgary called Global Fest and as part of the event Calgary hosts an International Fireworks competition . On alternate evenings different countries from around the world compete and put on a fireworks show. 
Only one country displays their stuff on their designated evening. At the end of the week after everyone has competed, they have a closing ceremony and announce the winner. Competing countries include, South Africa, Germany, Canada, and Hong Kong (returning champions). They are all given the same budget to work with and are tasked with putting on the best damn fireworks show you can squeeze into a 1/2 hour. 2 countries had competed earlier in the week and left us with Canada to watch on Tuesday night.
Let me tell you they kicked ass! It was a really good show. Of course the evening starts much earlier with a bus trip from a local mall to the park where the fireworks are being held. As nice as the park is, there is very little parking around the area.
Try to cram 25000 people or more into the park and you realize that there are few spaces for a vehicle to be safely stashed.
So they have come up with a solution to the transportation woes. Buses leave from a nearby mall for a nominal 4 dollar charge (3 bucks last 2 years and - free the first year!) and shuttle you to the park. Then at the end of the night you have to fight with 15000 to 20000 other patrons to find an empty seat on the returning shuttles. The first couple of years they offered this service it was a real nightmare getting onto a bus and making it back to the mall. This year however, it seemed to go really smooth and we hardly waited at all for a bus and didn't have to compete with other traffic to get leave the area. I was impressed to say the least, despite my skepticism.
Once you make it into Elliston Park, there are a number of things to see and do while you wait for the show to start. We were at the park at about 7pm when the gates opened and the fireworks didn't light up till about 930-10pm. There was a beer gardens if you felt the need to imbibe, a burger and hotdog venue, and numerous other little snack and treat places. There were also a few special interest groups looking for support, handing out balloons, painting faces and selling tickets on raffles or draws they were having. I think the scouts had a little booth set up too.
If you are planning on attending the fireworks Tonight (Thurs) or on Saturday for the finale, then make your way to the south seating bowl. It is basically the southern most part of the park with a big hill facing the mainstage where all the music and entertainers perform. From there you have a perfect view of the fireworks and the small lake that they shoot them over. It is totally wicked to see these magical streams of light reflected in the water as well as the night sky. The south seating bowl is probably the best place in the park to watch from so don't share this tidbit with just anyone. We'd like to get a seat there again next year!! :)
Only one country displays their stuff on their designated evening. At the end of the week after everyone has competed, they have a closing ceremony and announce the winner. Competing countries include, South Africa, Germany, Canada, and Hong Kong (returning champions). They are all given the same budget to work with and are tasked with putting on the best damn fireworks show you can squeeze into a 1/2 hour. 2 countries had competed earlier in the week and left us with Canada to watch on Tuesday night.Let me tell you they kicked ass! It was a really good show. Of course the evening starts much earlier with a bus trip from a local mall to the park where the fireworks are being held. As nice as the park is, there is very little parking around the area.
Try to cram 25000 people or more into the park and you realize that there are few spaces for a vehicle to be safely stashed.
So they have come up with a solution to the transportation woes. Buses leave from a nearby mall for a nominal 4 dollar charge (3 bucks last 2 years and - free the first year!) and shuttle you to the park. Then at the end of the night you have to fight with 15000 to 20000 other patrons to find an empty seat on the returning shuttles. The first couple of years they offered this service it was a real nightmare getting onto a bus and making it back to the mall. This year however, it seemed to go really smooth and we hardly waited at all for a bus and didn't have to compete with other traffic to get leave the area. I was impressed to say the least, despite my skepticism.Once you make it into Elliston Park, there are a number of things to see and do while you wait for the show to start. We were at the park at about 7pm when the gates opened and the fireworks didn't light up till about 930-10pm. There was a beer gardens if you felt the need to imbibe, a burger and hotdog venue, and numerous other little snack and treat places. There were also a few special interest groups looking for support, handing out balloons, painting faces and selling tickets on raffles or draws they were having. I think the scouts had a little booth set up too.
If you are planning on attending the fireworks Tonight (Thurs) or on Saturday for the finale, then make your way to the south seating bowl. It is basically the southern most part of the park with a big hill facing the mainstage where all the music and entertainers perform. From there you have a perfect view of the fireworks and the small lake that they shoot them over. It is totally wicked to see these magical streams of light reflected in the water as well as the night sky. The south seating bowl is probably the best place in the park to watch from so don't share this tidbit with just anyone. We'd like to get a seat there again next year!! :)
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Weekend Wonders
The long weekend in August has come and gone. I was able to chill out with some friends, enjoy some very beautiful mountain views, eat some great food, do a little trail walking and become even closer with my girlfriend. It was a great weekend despite the fact that we didn't play a single game of bocce ball. :) We did however manage to get in a great game of 10,000 and a good game of Wizard. I also understand that some crib, war, and taboo took place too. lol
The weather was really great too. We had about an hour and a half of rain and wind at the beginning of the weekend, but the rest of the weekend was great. Warm temperatures into the mid to high 20's (celsius). We managed to do a bunch of walking and went on a short hike around a small lake. Unfortunately there were a gaggle of trains running through the park nearby.
Day and Night we could hear them zipping along on the other side of the river, blowing their horns as they cruised over the bridge. Not so annoying during the day, but when you are trying to catch some z's at night, it is definitely a piss off.
The highlight of my weekend was definitely the time I spent with my girlfriend. I've never felt closer to her and I think she is really starting to fall for me too. We are starting to really connect and feel at ease with each other. I look forward to each time we get together and spend time with each other. Plus she is a really good kisser too! She is really special to me and I hope we can enjoy more weekends like these together!
Unfortunately there are not many weekends left in the year to do more camping. I'm looking forward to the September long weekend but I'm hoping there is a weekend here and there in between that I might be able to sneak away for a day or two. There are some really nice places fairly close to Calgary that should be easy to find a campsite in. A few friends from work are talking about picking a weekend and heading out for a couple of days. So I'm going to have to hang on to a vacation day to use for one of these camping trips.
The weather was really great too. We had about an hour and a half of rain and wind at the beginning of the weekend, but the rest of the weekend was great. Warm temperatures into the mid to high 20's (celsius). We managed to do a bunch of walking and went on a short hike around a small lake. Unfortunately there were a gaggle of trains running through the park nearby.
Day and Night we could hear them zipping along on the other side of the river, blowing their horns as they cruised over the bridge. Not so annoying during the day, but when you are trying to catch some z's at night, it is definitely a piss off.
The highlight of my weekend was definitely the time I spent with my girlfriend. I've never felt closer to her and I think she is really starting to fall for me too. We are starting to really connect and feel at ease with each other. I look forward to each time we get together and spend time with each other. Plus she is a really good kisser too! She is really special to me and I hope we can enjoy more weekends like these together!
Unfortunately there are not many weekends left in the year to do more camping. I'm looking forward to the September long weekend but I'm hoping there is a weekend here and there in between that I might be able to sneak away for a day or two. There are some really nice places fairly close to Calgary that should be easy to find a campsite in. A few friends from work are talking about picking a weekend and heading out for a couple of days. So I'm going to have to hang on to a vacation day to use for one of these camping trips.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Camping Toys
Tell me if this isn't the coolest little camping toy you've seen in a while. 
It's really amazing what they are doing with led lights these days. This camping light is designed to be used as a campsite latern/flood light which can wrap around a tree with the retractable wire tucked inside. The head adjusts up and down to provide light at different angles. It also has a magnetic back with a metal plate on it. This makes it handy to use inside your tent too so that you can have light shining down from your tent ceiling. I'm not sure how bright this little guy is, but it might just do as a replacement for a standard propane lantern. Plus the led's make it very battery friendly, so it won't use as much power to throw a lot of light. I'm sure there are better lights out there but this guy is so portable and compact that it looks like a winner in my book!
It's really amazing what they are doing with led lights these days. This camping light is designed to be used as a campsite latern/flood light which can wrap around a tree with the retractable wire tucked inside. The head adjusts up and down to provide light at different angles. It also has a magnetic back with a metal plate on it. This makes it handy to use inside your tent too so that you can have light shining down from your tent ceiling. I'm not sure how bright this little guy is, but it might just do as a replacement for a standard propane lantern. Plus the led's make it very battery friendly, so it won't use as much power to throw a lot of light. I'm sure there are better lights out there but this guy is so portable and compact that it looks like a winner in my book!
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Brain Bucket
I have thrown away comon sense and replaced it with a desire for comfort. Not the best reason to go this direction I have to admit, but it has been +30 C for last few days and this choice will definitely favor comfort. What, you ask... did I do?
Well I have gone and purched a new motorcycle helmet
that only covers half my noggin'. For obvious reasons they are called "half lids", beanies, or brain buckets. They provide enough protection to satisfy motorcycle helmet laws and that's about it. Boy are they comfortable though. It is soooo nice to ride with the wind blowing against your face. Your temperature doesn't rise as much and the motorcycle experience is that much more fun to enjoy. Unfortunately when I crash now, I have to make sure that I land exactly on top of my head. It's a good thing that I have lost a few pounds, so now the gymnastics required to do this will be slightly easier to accomplish.
There are a few drawbacks to wearing one of these puppies though (besides the obvious saftey concerns)... I now have to put up with bugs hitting me in the face with all the force of a bb gun pellet. Ouch... who would have thought that a mosquito hitting you in the face at 100+ km/hr would sting so much. Oh and now that I enjoy the wind rushing by my face, I also get to enjoy more road noise too (a slight ringing in the ears on occasion). Last but not least I need to keep a pair of glasses with clear lenses handy, so that I might be able to see where I am going when I ride at night. Still, at least I look more like a biker now.
So I figured if I was going to get a half-lid, I might as well pick one with a bit of style. The graphics on this helmet are pretty kewl looking if I do say so myself - which I do. Some may beg to differ but unless they want to foot the bill and supply me with something else, then this little number will be the one I wear for the next while. If you have a kewl looking lid that you'd like to share, send me a link to the photo's, I'd love to take a look at what's out there.
Well I have gone and purched a new motorcycle helmet
that only covers half my noggin'. For obvious reasons they are called "half lids", beanies, or brain buckets. They provide enough protection to satisfy motorcycle helmet laws and that's about it. Boy are they comfortable though. It is soooo nice to ride with the wind blowing against your face. Your temperature doesn't rise as much and the motorcycle experience is that much more fun to enjoy. Unfortunately when I crash now, I have to make sure that I land exactly on top of my head. It's a good thing that I have lost a few pounds, so now the gymnastics required to do this will be slightly easier to accomplish. There are a few drawbacks to wearing one of these puppies though (besides the obvious saftey concerns)... I now have to put up with bugs hitting me in the face with all the force of a bb gun pellet. Ouch... who would have thought that a mosquito hitting you in the face at 100+ km/hr would sting so much. Oh and now that I enjoy the wind rushing by my face, I also get to enjoy more road noise too (a slight ringing in the ears on occasion). Last but not least I need to keep a pair of glasses with clear lenses handy, so that I might be able to see where I am going when I ride at night. Still, at least I look more like a biker now.
So I figured if I was going to get a half-lid, I might as well pick one with a bit of style. The graphics on this helmet are pretty kewl looking if I do say so myself - which I do. Some may beg to differ but unless they want to foot the bill and supply me with something else, then this little number will be the one I wear for the next while. If you have a kewl looking lid that you'd like to share, send me a link to the photo's, I'd love to take a look at what's out there.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
The Matador
Well, I had to put this down somewhere and this might as well be the place. I had a chance to watch "The Matador" on the weekend. I ended up seeing a movie that was pretty much what I expected - except... for the ending.
It was a great role for Pierce Brosnan. He displays more depth to a character than he's done in any other movie so far. Brosnan is an aging hitman (Julian) who's been in the business for more than 20 years and happens to have a chance drink with a straight laced "Average Joe" - Danny - played by Greg Kinnear. Little does Danny realize how much this drink will change his life. Comedy ensues as the quirks and foibles of Julian's character are revealed. He is a hard living, alcohol consuming, sex obsessed facilitator of death. While Danny is your hard luck, hard working joe just trying to make a life worth living for him and his wife. Once these two meet, their lives are changed forever.
I really enjoyed this movie and found myself laughing through most of it. Unfortunately, I thought the ending fell a little flat. They build you up for a twist, and just when you think you have it figured out, it hits the screen without much pizzaz. Definitely a weak moment after a good deal of emotional up's and down's. It was a safe way to end this movie and it left me feeling rather dissapointed. I'd say the rest of the movie makes up for this hum drum finish, so I'd give 7 stars out of 10.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Puma Bandit Dart Board
Here is probably one of the best Dartboards you'll ever have the pleasure of throwing darts on. It actually comes with a gaurantee that you'll have less bounce outs with this board than any other board, or your money back if you can believe it! With features like, blade wire technology - embeded right in the board, and no staples anywhere, I can see why they find there are less bounce outs with this board. The Puma Bandit also features a white powder coated number ring. The section dividing ring is also painted white. You have more room to play in the doubles and triples if only because there are no staples and the wire is so thin. The color is vibrant and really looks sharp when up on the wall. Definitely a good value as far as quality dart boards go.
One thing to note, in the U.S. these boards are sold under the DMI brand and not PUMA, although they are identical boards with different branding. Go with a Bandit, it's the only board you'll want to shoot darts on!
Friday, June 16, 2006
Poker
Just like many other things I pick up as a hobby and then put away, Poker seems to be my new fascination. I think one of the next things I want to get, is a poker table.
There are a ton of people that have built their own tables and have done a great job of it too. I, however, am too lazy to do this for myself and will most likely end up buying something that fits the bill rather than make my own. If you're interested in seeing what other people have accomplished in their spare time, check out this link... http://www.homepokertourney.com/ there is a section there for poker tables and how to build your own. If you happen to be from Calgary and you know someone who builds custom tables in this area, then please drop me a note with their contact information. I'd love to chat with them about pricing and how long it takes to build one.
In the meantime, if you have any links to websites with some good poker tips, strategies, or information on how to bluff, please send them my way. I'd like to read up and become a better player. ;)
There are a ton of people that have built their own tables and have done a great job of it too. I, however, am too lazy to do this for myself and will most likely end up buying something that fits the bill rather than make my own. If you're interested in seeing what other people have accomplished in their spare time, check out this link... http://www.homepokertourney.com/ there is a section there for poker tables and how to build your own. If you happen to be from Calgary and you know someone who builds custom tables in this area, then please drop me a note with their contact information. I'd love to chat with them about pricing and how long it takes to build one.
In the meantime, if you have any links to websites with some good poker tips, strategies, or information on how to bluff, please send them my way. I'd like to read up and become a better player. ;)
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Kites - Foil or Traditional?
So I had the chance recently, to "go fly a kite".... literally. I hadn't gone kite flying in about 20 years. It was such a rush. In fact I enjoyed it so much I'm thinking of getting my own kite instead of relying on my friend to use his.
I have to admit though, I am impressed with the way kite technology has changed over the years. The kite that I was flying was a 2 string kite, which of course allows it to be infinitely more acrobatic than the traditional, single line, diamond shaped kite. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to learn how to make it do a few simple stunts too.
So now I'm thinking of getting my own kite. I can pick one up for about $180.00 CAD. A kite of this calibre should be easy enough for an intermediate or expert flyer. After looking into the selection, I think I've narrowed it down to 2 choices. A Prism Fanatic,
or a Prism Stylus 1.8. 
The first is a design more reminiscent of a traditional winged kite and the Stylus is what is called a foil kite (looks a lot like a parachute). Really the only deciding factor is whether or not the kite can be launched without assistance, and I'm not sure I can do that with a foil kite. The nice thing about a foil kite is that it will require less repairs if it crashes to the ground as compared to the Fanatic. So if I can self launch the foil, I'll probably go with that one.
If you're into kite flying and can reccomend a good starter kite for someone that has flown a 2 string kite a few times, then drop me a note. I'd like to read your opinions and check out a couple more options before I buy.
I have to admit though, I am impressed with the way kite technology has changed over the years. The kite that I was flying was a 2 string kite, which of course allows it to be infinitely more acrobatic than the traditional, single line, diamond shaped kite. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to learn how to make it do a few simple stunts too.
So now I'm thinking of getting my own kite. I can pick one up for about $180.00 CAD. A kite of this calibre should be easy enough for an intermediate or expert flyer. After looking into the selection, I think I've narrowed it down to 2 choices. A Prism Fanatic,
or a Prism Stylus 1.8. 
The first is a design more reminiscent of a traditional winged kite and the Stylus is what is called a foil kite (looks a lot like a parachute). Really the only deciding factor is whether or not the kite can be launched without assistance, and I'm not sure I can do that with a foil kite. The nice thing about a foil kite is that it will require less repairs if it crashes to the ground as compared to the Fanatic. So if I can self launch the foil, I'll probably go with that one.If you're into kite flying and can reccomend a good starter kite for someone that has flown a 2 string kite a few times, then drop me a note. I'd like to read your opinions and check out a couple more options before I buy.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
The Big May Long Weekend Camping Trip
Well, I'm a day away from Camping out in the mountains for May Long Weekend. I really look forward to this weekend every year. A bunch of us get together, book a group site, and then have a blast for the weekend. The only dilema I have is what to bring for food? I need to think up some new ideas for stuff to cook and snack on when I'm out there. I plan on bringing a couple of steaks for supper. Perhaps do up some onion soup mix potatoes and maybe even some pizza pops to grill on the fire. I also need to bring some pre-mixed salad, some crusty rolls, and maybe some chips and salsa. For breakfast I was thinking about making Ham n Egg with Cheese buns. I try not to bring out hamburgers anymore, mainly because I'm too lazy to make my own, and the frozen patty's turn into mush when they unthaw, making them very messy. I guess that leaves hotdogs as a good backup or "just in case" type of food. Anything that you need to keep cold is gonna be somewhat tricky.
So I guess I'm really looking for some food ideas. If you have any suggestions for food to take camping, just post a note here and I'll compile a list. I'm sure I'll see s'mores on the list somewhere, but I'm trying to keep a handle on my blood sugars, so I would prefer to stay away from the really high glycemic foods. I don't plan on bringing out any chips or dip this time round either. So hopefully I the feedback includes some healthier choices. :) lol
Beer, definitely have to include that on the list.
So I guess I'm really looking for some food ideas. If you have any suggestions for food to take camping, just post a note here and I'll compile a list. I'm sure I'll see s'mores on the list somewhere, but I'm trying to keep a handle on my blood sugars, so I would prefer to stay away from the really high glycemic foods. I don't plan on bringing out any chips or dip this time round either. So hopefully I the feedback includes some healthier choices. :) lol
Beer, definitely have to include that on the list.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
2005 Yamaha Vstar 1100 Classic
Ahhhh... it finally arrived. Here is my brand new 2005 Yamaha Vstar 1100. I've already racked up almost 700 km's on it. It won't be long before I get a few accessories for it, like a backrest and windscreen. Many fun km's have already been racked up on it. Click on the picture to the right if you'd like to see more photo's of this bike.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
2001 Honda Shadow 750 ACE
I upgraded to this bike for a short while this year. This is a very nice version of the 2001 Honda Shadow 750 "ACE" (American Classic Edition). The bike ran great and had less than 12,000 km's on it. It came with a backrest, windscreen, and saddle bags. All of which I sold with the bike. You see it here pictured with only the back rest. Click on the photo to see more pictures of this beautiful bike.
Friday, April 14, 2006
1984 Honda Shadow VTR500
This is a bike that I owned for a little over 8 years. What you see here is a 1984 Honda Shadow 500 (VT500). Click on the photo if you wish to see more pictures of this bike.
Some consider this to be a vintage bike as it is over 20 years old. It only had 18000 Km's on it when I sold it and runs great. Lots of good memories riding this bike, and I think someone else will still be able to make many more.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
My first “Black Hat”
Well, I finally did it… I hit my first Black Hat while practicing darts the other night. For those not familiar with dart terminology, a Black Hat is with reference to getting 3 bullseyes. However, it is not just any bullseye (which is a hat trick in darts), but specifically 3 double bulls. Some call it a dead-eye as well. Not an easy thing to do mind you, so when I hit it, I had to actually go to the board to see for sure that I made it. I did my little dance of joy, and savored the moment. I just wish someone had been there to see it.
Friday, January 13, 2006
M109R
Here's a photo of a bike that was at the Calgary Motorcycle Show in January. One of the coolest bikes at the show in my humble opinion.
Darts - An elusive sport
Why is it that I can go from being "hot" to "cold" so quickly when playing darts. I know I'm fairly new to the sport having only played a year, but I would have figured that I would be able to enjoy some consistency by now.
There are some days when I can throw 3 darts at the board, and be totally surprised where each of them lands. Other days, I'll look at my target and all three will land within a centimetre of my choosen destination. Sometimes this happens to me over the course of a week and other times it will flip flop back and forth within the same game. What the heck is going on with my throw.
I have identified certain areas of my technique that I need to focus on when my shooting goes south but it doesn't always help me to get back on track. I notice quite often that the main contributor is my release. I find that I either let go too soon, or too late. I cannot seem to find my way back to something that is comfortable. I wish there was a practice activity that would help me fine-tune that particular aspect of my throw.
Anyway, this weekend is the start of Zones here in Calgary. It will be my first entry into zones, so we'll see how I do. I'll let you know how I've done, when they're over.
Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever heard of a game called killer (specifically for Darts of course)? I think I have most of the rules down, but since it was only explained to me once, I think I'm forgetting the finer details.
There are some days when I can throw 3 darts at the board, and be totally surprised where each of them lands. Other days, I'll look at my target and all three will land within a centimetre of my choosen destination. Sometimes this happens to me over the course of a week and other times it will flip flop back and forth within the same game. What the heck is going on with my throw.
I have identified certain areas of my technique that I need to focus on when my shooting goes south but it doesn't always help me to get back on track. I notice quite often that the main contributor is my release. I find that I either let go too soon, or too late. I cannot seem to find my way back to something that is comfortable. I wish there was a practice activity that would help me fine-tune that particular aspect of my throw.
Anyway, this weekend is the start of Zones here in Calgary. It will be my first entry into zones, so we'll see how I do. I'll let you know how I've done, when they're over.
Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever heard of a game called killer (specifically for Darts of course)? I think I have most of the rules down, but since it was only explained to me once, I think I'm forgetting the finer details.
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