theBruce 0

Farewell, Jersey...

The danger I'll face every day

End of half an era

I'm alive!

Sorry LJverse!

On lots of stuff

This is not a vacation mystery volleyball weekend!

Signtific Lab, Experiment #1: Free Space

BPOD 2009!

Attention to Reality... thoughts and updates n stuff...

two memers...

ARGH

The video that was missed that should never be missed...

Some updates from the past week or two

holiday review...

HNY quickie

I think I'm ready for my winter now!

R is for...

It's a little foggy down here...

CN Tower is cancelled

30-by-30-on-30, been and gone

quick weekend/birthday update

Is this your Milwaukee?

Moar weekend updates

Oh noes!

theBruce *0*

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:20:11 GMT

Last night I had to say goodbye to one of the special twins. Jersey and Durga were born June 23, 2007, and after a short while I adopted them from a friend.

From day 1, Jersey was a strange kitteh. She'd swat at the air, run frantically in circles, (ok, not from day 1, but you know) and generally be an unusual handful. Jersey, ironically, was supposed to be a boy. I'd decided on the names Jersey and Durga in honor of two of the best characters ever, from the Halo 2 ARG I Love Bees. Durga being an AI, and Jersey being the angsty techy geek boy who had to put up with her. :)

Jersey, for all intents and purposes, was given to me being told that it's a boy. A very short while later, on a whim, I noticed that, uh... Jersey... is a girl.

Thankfully the name Jersey was unisex, so I could just pretend I always knew :P. From then on, I had two girl kitties, who'd run around and play with each other, yet apart from that were complete opposites.

Durga would come and rub against you for affection. Jersey would butt her head.
Durga would come and lick my hand when I bent down. Jersey would approach then run away.
Durga would lick anything in front of her nose. You'd be lucky if you ever saw Jersey's tongue.
Durga's weapons are her claws. Jersey's is her pee.
Durga's fur is all slick and black. Jersey's is soft and fluffy black and white.
Durga's the small, feminine, sculpted-face kitty. Jersey's the bigger, tougher, butch kitty.
Both would lick each other's rear at the same time.
Durga, by general interaction, is my kitty. Jersey was my roommate's.
Durga's a friendly, come-to-you house kitty. Jersey's an I-do-what-I-want, you gotta catch me kitty.
Durga sits and nestles on you when you're laying down. Jersey will be sitting on your back when you wake up.

Both are cute, tiny little devils.

Two cats, however, was just too much at this time to take care of. Durga is generally much better behaved and a better house cat (at this house at least). Jersey - I don't know, maybe she was just never really as happy and content as Durga was here. But coupled with a number of reasons, and the fact that the humane society is filled over capacity with homeless cats and kittens, starbursidereus managed to find someone who looks like the perfect match for Jersey. Seriously.

We dropped her off last night, and after a little bit of poking around, it looked like Jersey was right at home, and affectionately rubbing up to her new owner right away.

It was a bittersweet farewell, but it was the best for everyone.
It didn't hurt so much that I was getting rid of Jersey, as it did that I was breaking up this dynamic duo who've never been apart from each other. :(
Durga will now be getting all my love. I hope she doesn't feel too lonely now.

Jersey, you'll be missed. A bit. Mostly from Durga though. Be a good kitteh in your new home!
I'm dedicating some upcoming local geocaches to you... ;)

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:41:32 GMT

It starts...

Earlier this week, a "flash forward" vision of my life 6 months from now which I shared at a booth at Comic Con was published. I don't know if this bodes well. The Mosaic Collective is collecting these visions which everyone experienced simultaneously, worldwide, for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Mine was... troubling. =/

I really hope that the Mosaic Collective are trustworthy, and perhaps they'll help protect me if this vision starts to really play itself. Otherwise, I really hope that having this vision published means my future has changed, and I'll remain safe.

Anyway, I've written about the experience in more detail over at Wikibruce: Connecting The World one Experience At A Time.

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:39:40 GMT

Well, here's my first mobile iPhone lj post!

In other news, this week will see the end of half-an-era. I've decided that it's time I took one of the dynamic duo away for adoption. Ironically, of Jersey and Durga, the Indian goddess of chaos is far less of a disturbance than the boy-who-was-actually-girl (wow that poses some interesting plot points for ilb!).

At this point, I just don't have the money for two spays, and there no guarantee that would help stop the peeing (which, seriously, is more territorial than bladder/litterbox it seems). Durga, who has a relative angel in that area is far more of a behaved indoor housecat than Jersey.

It pain me to split the sisters up, but it's the best for her, and my and the rest of my house's occupants' sanity. Going to the humane society to verify procedure, and head over tomorrow. *sigh*

For those cat lovers out there - please don't tell me I don't care about my cats because I haven't spayed them. There is time for everything, and I've weighed every choice with many opinions and much experience. This is a choice made now because I care, and it is the best choice right now. I can handle 1 cat, and with a roommate who's said they are MY responsibility, there's only enough love, time, and space for one of them. :(

Farewell Jersey! it's been a blast, but it's also been a few pees too many. Hope your little sister can live withoutcha.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:51:12 GMT

Really I am, I'm alive... I'm just floating around, the side effect being a lack of interaction with Livejournal :(
I do plan to update more, it's just been crazy hectic the last couple weeks...months... etc.
Should I start doing the daily Twitter->Livejournal feed? :P
*sigh*

Nutshell:
Portland & SanDiego - ARGfest and ComicCon were awesome!
Geocaching is going great, still have to log all my finds over the last couple of weeks

Check out this video and following photos from our excursion to the 5/5 (top rating) desert cache "Tomb Raider" just outside San Diego!

And the photo collection!

That's all for now... more coming later :)

Fri, 08 May 2009 17:47:55 GMT

I have vastly underused this blog. I've been extremely active using twitter and, and blogging at wikibruce.com, while avoiding using twitter-review tools to post summaries here.
Should I start? :)

So once again, my active updates can be found at twitter.com/thebruce0 and Wikibruce.com. Heck, even my Flickr account has been getting more activity than LJ (and thus thebruce.net) :)

Sorry y'all!
I have a lot of catching up to do... and I will do it... soon... sometime... *sigh*

As a quick status update:
* I'm going to see Star Trek tonight in IMAX. heeeeeeeeeeee!
* I've been keeping quite busy lately...
* I'm a little behind in updating my BPOD (pic-a-day) project for '09. gotta get on that!
* ARGFest Portland and Comic-Con San Diego plans are fully booked for July, heeeeeeeeeeee!
* I has a iPhone!
* Cats are annoying and lovable. I hate that dichotomy.
* I finished Halo Wars. Just need to complete it on legendary now, and finish the multiplayer achievements.
* I want to visit the moon.
* Micropups.

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:43:03 GMT

Shutterfly
Srsly, sign up for Shutterfly. They have occasional promotions where you can either redeem or earn free prints. 20-40 prints a couple times a year, imo, is a great deal :D Got my next batch of free Shutterfly prints to put up in my little office cubicle.

Cake
Does PC-Cola (basically no-name coke) and microwavable chocolate cake mix sound like a regular (or trendy?) cake recipe?

Volleyball
Yep. Forfeiting so many games put us in last place in the round-robin. First game of the tourney, we played the 1st place team, and the highest score we got was 15 (games to 25). Three up, three down. Lots of fun though, and the best game was the for-fun game we played after. Good times. Until next year. Hopefully we'll get a more full, committed team :)

Subway Eat Fresh
Customer appreciation day at Subway - brilliant! BOGO day, no coupon needed. Suffice to say, the places, around the city, were packed. Got two footlongs at lunch, and headed to another one on my way home after work for two more. Deal was done at 7, but the place went to was out of bread at 6:30. Anyone willing to wait still got their free sub. Others stopped in saying the other stores they visited were out of bread too. Well I hope they got more customers, in the long run maybe, to outweigh the cost :). But all the stores seemed to be in on it, and not bothered by it, so franchise HQ must have really pushed for it, or offered great reimbursements.
mmm subway...

Viewer discretion advised.
Watchmen. First, TSCC (Terminator, for those not in the know). What..on earth..was with showing a guy get his eye stabbed with a needle? Why could that not just have been implied? Rhetorical question.

Which leads to Watchmen. I haven't finished the novel yet - got through the first 25 or so pages before seeing the movie. Probably should have read more.
I did not expect the movie I saw.
I have opinions from multiple perspectives on this one. (minimal spoilers below? discussion of themes, but no detailed plot points)

* Philosophically - wow; deep, questioning, challenging, difficult to swallow, well written.
* Visually/artistically - loved the cinematography, creativity; you can see the comicbook influence in the visuals, though not nearly as blatant as in 300, for instance. I was watching for scenes that looked like comic book illustrations.
* Visually/content - w. t. f. seriously? How much stuff in there was gratuitous? In a nutshell: lots made sense given the theme of 'human nature', the dark human condition.. but there was stuff in there that simply did not need to be in there. I'm of the opinion that they had to match the shock value the comics introduced in the 80's for content, but relative for today. Stuff you see off-frame is on-frmae, in your face, extremity times 10. An R movie it certainly was.
* Christianally(?) - can't recommend it. Not unless the person is really strong and capable of taking in things that one should not be forced to watch, and doesn't feel that seeing it is condoning it. HOWEVER - it poses amazing discussion points, great subject matter that can give rise to deep, thought-provoking explorations of faith and the supernatural. Bring on a censored version and I'll be more willing to recommend it. While I personally truly enjoyed the philosophical content of the movie, the characters and events- I saw parallels, allegories, analogies, and unanswered questions. The movie was very dark and hopeless, really. But with a theme of 'human nature', how else could it be portrayed?
Inevitability. Humanity is all there is, thus we, in a sense, must overcome ourselves. The lone glimmer of hope is the 'good' humanity can bring amidst this darkness. It's an endless, depressing cycle. ...When it's left as that.

Anyway, point being - depending on who asks me, or from what perspective I'm asked, I'll have different answers about how good the movie is and whether to see it. It's not for the faint of heart, nor the weak of stomach. I think it'll skyrocket, from the die-hard fans seeing it the first week or two, but it'll certainly die off. After hearing reports of people leaving the theatre just after seeing the full (computer generated) body of Dr. Manhattan, and seeing newspaper reviews that can't get past the extreme graphic, violent content in the movie, I think it ultimately shot itself in the foot. And we got to see that foot get shot in slow motion, close up, and in excrutiating detail.
(it's a love/hate thing for me :P)

Now, to finish reading the (tame, by comparison) graphic novel.

ETA:
Trailers
Transformers - niiiiice
Terminator Salvation - Oooooooh
Star Trek - IMAX, most definitely.

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:19:55 GMT

Ugh. Too many things have come and gone, and I've been letting LJ gather dust.
Ok, point form, then details...

This Is Not A Game
My order for Dave Szulborski's book "This Is Not A Game" arrived last week! Now, I need to find the time to read through it. It's praised as a wonderful, detailed book about Alternate Reality Games and the genre. I don't think I've heard or seen any critical reviews :).

Dave just got out hospital again, and has been the subject of quite a segment of the community's good thoughts and well-wishes. A campaign was even set up for him called Folding The Wish, when he was first admitted a while back. So I made sure to give my own little tribute in my pic-of-the-day :). I was also fortunate enough two Christmases ago to be randomly chosen as Dave's Secret Santa at Unfiction. That was nerve-racking! I set up a little puzzle for him in the book... I still don't know if he solved it ;) Dave was the brains behind the arg for the movie "The Host" called "Monster Hunter's Club", from whom I received a collectible monster toy of the Bionic Bigfoot.

It's been a privilege to meet him in person at ARGfest, and to have so many indirect communications with him :) hehe. It's great to know he's doing ok again, and I wish him the best for a speedy recovery...

ARGFest/ComicCon
Dates are announced! yay! And the dates are perfect... ARGFest July 17-19, followed by ComicCon July 22-26. Now, it's just a matter of organizing transportation for a week and a half, and accomodations...

ARGFest is in Portland, Oregon, and ComicCon is in San Diego. Which means leaving Buffalo or Toronto, to Portland, joining a big group of people for the exodus to ComicCon in San Diego folloing, then returning from San Diego to Buffalo or Toronto. I have vacation enough for the 8 or 9 days I'll need, but money is the other factor... gotta find out what's available, what's possible, and what's required.

Thankfully, writing for ARGN and Wikibruce, I should quality for a press pass entry to ComicCon (and there's plenty of relevant subject matter there!) which means free ComicCon. Getting to both ARGFest and ComicCon should satisfy my geekdom for the year, I'm sure. There were a couple of other events I was interested in, but I think this year it'll just be ComicCon. I would love to get into E3 one year, but that requires a heavier duty press certification. I don't work for a video gaming magazine or media resource. :)

reminder-to-self: take plenty of business cards to both events!

PS Home Mystery
I just picked up a tip from this 'arginsider' twitter, that something was up in Playstation Home - mysterious text messages and video snippets containing the greek letter Xi... I've had a PS3 for months, but had only begun setting up PSHome. I'd never actually booted it up. This gave me the nudge... Home is pretty nifty, and I believe it's got a lot of potential for...interesting content :). It's still in beta stage, but I believe it's getting to the point of Alpha or full release very shortly...

Anyway, I've reviewed the details at wikibruce: http://wikibruce.com/2009/02/home-is-where-the-mystery-is

Volleyball
Stupid. There are two churches with similar names. Nowhere near each other. I keep getting them mixed up. Thursday, I went to the wrong one... the one nearby, downtown. The other one's outside the city. starbursidereus was kind enough to drop me off, then come back and pick me up. But sheesh... I missed our last round-robin match, and my absence meant we had to forfeit for lack of players. That put our team at the bottom of the roster. Man. So this week, we get to play the 1st place team - and this team is practically olympic caliber.
Wonderful! Well, it'll be a fun, short-lived match... volleyball this season was fun while it lasted! bah.

Retreat weekend @ Miller Lake
The college & careers group at Central had its now-annual winter retreat over the long (for some) family weekend. It almost didn't happen, but we had 9 people in total, and it ended up great! This was the first time we occupied the new winterized building up at camp, rather than the rustic old main building with no heating, iffy plumbing, and icky water. The new building is nice, but it doesn't have that 'cozy' warm feeling the other one does (whites/open concept vs browns/carpets/sofas/etc). Fireplaces are nice though. Always nice in winter.

Anyway, I've uploaded pics to flickr... some of the best moments were our little excursion to the beaver dam, walking on the lake and cracking off ice fragments from the shelf... the snow didn't have as much presence this year as previous years, and it was sunny all weekend long, so tobogganning and random snow hijinks were hard to come by. So we mostly socialized, played games, ate, did a lot of walking and enjoying the outdoors... good times :)

We're working to revive the group this year, and there are a number of new people waiting for a group to move in to, so hopefully things get flying this year. I'm really happy with the direction the church has been going this year. Very encouraging!

I think that about covers it. I'm sure I missed something. But I always do. Stupid brain.

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:50:30 GMT

Surprisingly fun and addictive! A collaborative thought and forecasting experiment from IFTF (a Jane McGonigal project :)
lab.signtific.org

Go check it out! (the profile embed code doesn't work with Livejournal, so here's the link :)

It works like this: there's a situation (#1 is based on the premise that space becomes free and essential to business, much like the internet today), and you respond. Then others respond. Then others respond. You gain points for responding, and for accomplishing achievements (like how much you've contributed, how popular/controversial/active your contributions are, etc).

This turned out (frankly) better - more engaging - than I thought it would be. hehe.
Also, I earned a MacArthur Genius achievement :) - "Micro-forecast most worthy of five-year funding"

By far my favourite "positive imagination" is:

Artificial Intelligence is birthed, utilizing the entire cubesat network. Too powerful to manage, this literal "Skynet" becomes self aware.

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:06:33 GMT

I decided once again to undertake a Pic-a-day project again for a year, but actually beginning January 1 this time.
My previous project (which went through a couple of hiccups in its life) is on flickr here or on thebruce.net. I'm calling this one BPOD though (like APOD. Only Bruce.)
At the end of each month I'll post a summary like last time. Let's see how this one turns out :P
Also, I'm attempting to take all photos in Wide mode... I like the format (though it makes it hard to get nice prints, as 4x6 is pretty much standard)

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:32:41 GMT

It's been a while since I've just typed and shared thoughts and whatnot... it's easy just to go linking to 'cool stuff' on the web, but that gets too impersonal. I've left LJ in the dust for the past while, due to the twitter effect.

Just a recap - I'm not just on LJ, I'm spread out for various purposes on Flickr (photos), Twitter (general updates, networking, social), Wikibruce (ARGish blogging), and Facebook (find me if you know me)... and yeah that pretty much covers my active sites.

Anyway, so I've been thinking much more on ARGs lately, in the general sense (that means, inclusive of all the possible various names people are using now to describe the genre as a whole, if it can even be 'described' per se)... if you take a gander at recent articles I've posted at wikibruce, there's so much variation in the 'games' being produced now, it's nuts. And the moment anyone tries to create a name they feel best describes..whatever it is they're describing... someone else comes along asking "well what about this game, or that ad, or...?"

So I guess the question is - what am I currently personally interested in, or intrigued by?

1) First, I'm not 'playing' these things (games, for lack of a better term) as much as I used to, but I am watching and observing a lot, and moreso learning from those who are heading up these challenges. No small tasks, they are, whatever the medium or their purpose.

2) I'm greatly impressed and encouraged to see the genre taking on positive goals, 'games for good', considering social/societal needs or beneficial outcomes that essentially focus more on helping others than just pure entertainment value.

3) I think given my full time desk job, I'm more inclined though to watch games closely that do have entertainment value... it's better, I think, if they also have some constructive content (see #1), but usually games that are more 'social' centered require more input and time and dedication. But I think with so much going on, I feel sometimes spread thin, so it's hard to focus on one or two campaigns, let alone games that require active or constant input to be engaging. It's great seeing Jane McGonigal going crazy with the social games though :) like the TSDO (top secret dance-off) competition... More intriguing though is her work with IFTF (Institute for the Future); the motivations they have about 'forecast' games, where a situation is presented, and during a short period of time people are asked to respond to the evolving environment taking place over years to decades, effectively predicting and attempting to 'solve' these questions. World Without Oil is a past project that got a lot of attention. Their most recent project is called Signtific - exploring the future of science and technology. The latest game endeavor launching around Feb 18th is Free Space - the idea that in the (near?) future, occupation of space will be as common, cheap and important as owning a website is today for business. I'm very tempted to get involved with this one :)

4) Occasionally some great discussion threads are posted at Unfiction in which some good debates may ensue at times :). Topics such as politics and ARGs, dead-drops and privacy, controversial commentaries about "ARG"s, and more...

5) I was at an event in toronto recently discussing 'Game Theory' - "Game On! Can Game Theory predict reality in politics, economics and dating strategies?" - I recorded the entire enlightening discussion, an event hosted by the Science Center's Cafe Scientifique. I intend to get the contents of that panel discussion with Tony Walsh, Tom Mitchell, and Star Spider online soon... again, time is the problem :P

More recently though I've been contemplating a story for an ARG that would take a closer look at exploration of the arts, appreciation of the creative aspect of our humanity, and how it can help us in a strive for happiness and belonging... I feel out of my league though seeing some of the depth and immense quality of writing that's coming out of some independent minds in the community, let alone what dedicated organizations and teams are producing :)

Now of course the other problem is ... with a growing desire to explore "alternate realities" as it were, one can't lose focus on "reality" :) whether it's from playing games, or creating them, if it's not your primary focus in life (aka: full time job) then it can't be your primary focus in life. Priorities! :)

Anyway, this turned into an ARG/game centric post, so I'll leave it at that for now...

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:49:05 GMT

A couple list memes I've been sitting on for a while...

Did you... in 2008? (I have a ridiculously awful memory, so if I forgot anything, that doesn't mean it wasn't important or significant :P)

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? set up a non-personal, topical, newsreporting website (wikibruce.com); adopt -two- kittens, when I'm slightly allergic to cats
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? last year's resolution to get to bed by midnight was broken on the first day (though it was an all-nighter). made the same resolution this year. that lasted a little longer.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? my landlords had a baby!
4. Did anyone close to you die? not that I can recall
5. What countries did you visit? united states
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? more respectability, more positive reputation, more opportunities to just 'be a friend'
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? spilling a cup of water someone left on guillermo del toro's autograph table in front of GDT and crowds. why, for obvious reasons
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? that comes to mind, not necessarily my -biggest-, completing my first pic-a-day project; or adopting and being able to take care of two cats
9. What was your biggest failure? see #7
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? twisted ankle!
11. What was the best thing you bought? 52" 1080p plasma HDTV :D
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration? Heath Ledger
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? Heath Ledger
14. Where did most of your money go? I'd say the tv, but there were a few trips which added up, so 'travel' takes the cake
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Dark Knight
16. What song will always remind you of 2008? 'the candy cave' (?)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you...
17a. Happier or Sadder? Happier; busier
17b. Thinner or Fatter? Heavier?
17c. Richer or Poorer? define 'richer'... less debt?
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? paid attention to and spent time with friends; also, sleep
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? letting time pass away
20. How did you spend Christmas? Invited once again to two family's homes over the holidays; friends are invaluable
21. Did you fall in love in 2008? if I did, I must have fallen straight through and not even noticed
22. How many one-night stands? I'ver never stood all night
23. What was your favourite TV program? The Office, by far
24. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn't dislike this time last year? no, actually like more people, and making an effort to find things to like about people that may not be obvious
25. What was the best book you read? Black
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Charlie the Unicorn :)
27. What did you want and get? big screen TV
28. What did you not want and get? more than I deserve
29. What movies have you seen at the theatre this year, and which was your favourite? far too many to list... and The Dark Knight
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? ON my birthday, nothing. FOR my birthday, spent time with friends and went to laserquest! I was, and still am, in my 30th year.
31. Was the summer a good one? on a scale of bad to good, it was good.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? meeting that special someone
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? what personal fashion concept? ok, comfort
34. What kept you sane? blogging. well, not all the time, but mostly.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? "fancy" in the british sense, Kristin Bell, always :D
36. What political issue stirred you the most? US elections
37. Who did you miss? oldest best buddy Greg
38. Did you meet anyone amazing? Guillermo Del Toro
39. Did you make any big decisions in 2008? a dedication to blogging/reporting in the ARG/marketing genre for wikibruce
40. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. clearer distinction between necessity and desire... and delayed gratification

100 Things I've done in life - bold anything you've accomplished or experience so far in life.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (Compassion?)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (but will never know for sure)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:15:12 GMT

Ok. Well, here's one not-so-positive entry for today...

Not. a good. day.
1) I've clearly broken my resolution to get to work by 8:30am and/or to bed by midnight every day - it's been twisted, shattered, hammered, sliced, diced, minced and grilled to a crisp.
2) Jersey in heat makes me want to claw my eyes out. She's louder than Durga, higher pitched than Durga, more constant than Durga, less appeasable than Durga, and fully more annoying than Durga. She would not shut up all night.
3) Every morning, there's something to pick up and clean up. Why do they insist on nudging and pushing things high on shelves? I should glue or nail everything in the house to its place.
4) I want to save for a vacation in July, but the vet would take a chunk of $.
5) A random woman angrily yelled "WHAT?!" at me this morning while she rode by on her bike on my way to work. Randomly. ......yeah, what?
6) My bus was late. Late + late = later + worse.
7) My bus was slow because of snow. later + worse + snow slow = fury!
8) Deep snow. Cold feet. Snow shoes. Snow IN shoes.

Now to look for some positives... *sigh*

(this entry is littered with exagerration; the writer acknowledges he has much to be happy for; sometimes the bad stuff just has to get blurted out)

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:03:05 GMT

My last entry for some reason borked the embed code... lemme try this again:

You must watch this video - and keep an eye on the middle seated guy. It'll lighten up your Monday ;) heehee
Enjoy! (oh and turn up the volume, use headphones, whatever - you have to listen! the entertainium truly kicks in around 1:20)

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:27:07 GMT

Secret Santa!

It was late, but it rocked! Unfiction held another secret santa exchange for 2008, and a little faery brought me my gift:
* A truck full of chocolates and candies
* a lifesavers storybook package
* the I.Q. Challenge set of trivia cards (seriously, this is going to be a year of trivia, what with Ringorang throughout the week too!)
* a Shock ball (never heard of it until now - I'm afraid to try it ;)
* and last but not least, a pack of Halo trading cards! (hee, I had these on my wishlist for some time; not overly impressive, but I'm a Halo geek - I love it!)
Oh, can't forget, my cats were not forgetten - they got a box with wild paper packing material to ruffle around and nest in. ;)

I haven't told my recipient who I am yet... perhaps I should; it's good form, yes? :)

IIHF World Juniors hockey

2008-09 brought another year of intense hockey with the IIHF hockey tourney. This year, hosted in Ottawa, Canada managed to beat out the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Germany, USA, Russia, and Sweden, to take home the gold medal for the 5th straight year. Next year the tournament will be held in Saskatchewan.

Had parties in a few places - my place in full HD glory, starbusidereus' home of the hockey fanatic, and out with other crazy fanatics at McGinnis Front Row for the gold medal game against Sweden.

That's great hockey. NHL? pssh!

Mmmmovies

Over the holidays, managed to catch Yes Man (hilarious!), Marley & Me (tear-jerker!), and Seven Pounds (powerful). Those are my one word reviews; all three are great movies.

I still haven't done that LOTR marathon I'd planned on my 30-by-30 list, but I sat down and watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail again on the tv... so... enjoyable... :D

Closing

And, well, there's no way I can leave you without demanding you watch this video - and keep an eye on the middle seated guy. It'll lighten up your Monday ;) heehee
Enjoy! (oh and turn up the volume, use headphones, whatever - you have to listen! the entertainium truly kicks in around 1:20)

edit: argh! see next entry

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:08:22 GMT

Dec 23... oldest email

Prompted by starbursidereus' tweet, I checked in my email program for my oldest known email. I've been using Eudora since at least June 9, 1996 (that's pre-highschool graduation). It's crazy looking back that far... even just maintaining an email archive that far back...
I know some people have older archives - how old is yours?

Dec 24... wishes, cleaning, dinner

ARG vets 42 Entertainment released a nifty little stupid game as their Christmas wish - how many moves does it take you to turn on all the lights?
Earlier, AKQA also sent out a very cute Christmas wish... more non-power-saving themes, Happy Christmas from AKQA.

This was the day I set to prepare my living room for the newcomer. Two days from now I'd bring home a new baby. A big baby. A very delicate, bright, crisp, large, high definition baby. So the day was spent making room and reorganizing, to leave this setup behind.

For the evening, I was invited to a family (not mine) Christmas dinner following our Christmas Eve service at church. Dinner was great, took home some leftovers too for another great meal :). I never expect anything, but the families who go always get something for the non-family invitees; almost always candy or whatnot. But the best gift of that night - gift certificate to Subway :) hehe. But srsly, another great Christmas evening spent with friends and their family. No crabcakes this year though :( but breaded shrimp! :)

Dec 25... potluck, boxing day wait

Christmas Day. Early rise for a Christmas Day service in Guelph at melody2piano's church, where I was invited to their potluck lunch. More great times, seeing friends again, hanging out, listening to music, playing Buzzword, playing tennis, watching her siblings and friends play their new Wii (that's always fun!). Lots more chatting and socializing and meeting of people :).

Came home to find that starbursidereus had decided to wait in line with me at Future Shop overnight in an effort to lay hands on a new Canon 40D which FS would have in stock (as opposed to Best Buy who had been out of stock or sold out for some time, her order still waiting). Tried to get some naptime in edgewise in the evening to be a bit rested up for the wait. So we headed on over to the store.

Dec 26... big baby, chaos, big game

We arrived at the store just after midnight, unsure if there'd even be a line.
Yeah, there was. There were 9 people in line at midnight. A few had come a couple hours earlier.
So we got in line with our chairs and blankets. Of course, this was the night after a very warm one, which meant it had to be very cold and windy. Not only that, but the store alarm had a predisposition to remain blaring incessantly for an unknown, and undeterminable reason. Thus it was quite hard to wrap up warm in line and try to get some shut-eye. Every time it stopped blaring, people cheered. Then something happened and it would blare again. It took a while, but the cops did show up, slightly entertained by our predicament.

In similar fashion, other vehicles drove through the parking lot, looking at the boxing day mob line, and chuckling at us. Yeah? Well at least we're getting great deals! :P

Anyway... longest. night. ever. Closer to opening at 6am, staff had been coming out to streamline the purchase/order/pickup process. They gave us order sheets to mark down what we were planning to buy so they could get the products prepped and minimize in-store chaos. 6am comes and we're let in. Everyone heads to their departments to get in line and pick up what they're buying. I'm in the far back corner in the TV line, about 5 from the front.

Of course, the first guy in take literally takes half an hour to get his order complete. It was 6:34, with a very frustrated and impatient line, when his purchase completed. Wow. A couple others finish up, starbursidereus is also waiting for me to finish, wondering why it's taking so long. My turn. The sheet I was given has my information, but no product information. The guy who gave it to me said he'd been getting my order set, but he had given me no ticket #. I had no order prepped. Great. Thankfully, I knew the skew, but the rep had to go find the starter kit box for the tv to get its skew.

Purchase. Approved. Huge sigh. The box is now out back waiting to be picked up and taken home. The line is long, and this is just for TVs. We walk through the store a bit, and it's chaos. Big surprise.

I make the call for a friend to come and help me take the TV home. He's already on his way :). And he wants to buy an 8GB USB key on sale. Of course those are sold out already.

Carefully, Steve and I manage to get the 52" Toshiba Regza 1080p hdtv into the house. I hear angels sing when I open the box. Its time has come. Over the course of the next couple of days, I repopulate the entertainment unit, having removed a few things and made more room. The result. Wall-E was the most played movie, on Bluray, for its sheer HD awesomeness.

Coming back to earth though, Boxing Day night, I was heading over to starbursidereus and SO's place for the Canada/Czeck world juniors hockey game. Spend some more time with friends and food. Good times. And an 8-1 win :)

Also, it was another warm night. The day after we waited overnight in the freezing cold, just like the night before. *shakes fist*

Dec 27... guess

Docket:
Sleep in to afternoon.
Play with new toy.
Watch pure HD movie goodness.

Dec 28 - big game, TDK

Windy day. Very windy day. Had people over in the afternoon for the Canada/Khazekstan game, in which we won 15 - 0, tying the Canadian shutout record. Lots of snack and drink left over. Great! More for the New Year's Eve Canada/USA game! :D

On their way out after to go see Yes Man, I stuck in the TDK Bluray for the first time. starbursidereus hated me. heehee.

Dec 29... hungry, work

Began to realize quickly that I hadn't planned for eating between the TV purchase and payday a week later. I was mainly eating leftover snacks, and whatever food I'd been given from Christmas dinners. No money! :(

Three days of work before '09. Made sure to get back into Ringorang for this week.

Dec 30... hungry, work

Still no food.
Got distracted from Ringorang by a crazy awesome red sky at night and missed out on a giveaway question (a clue earlier had everyone know what answer to expect).
It was worth it.

Dec 31... hungry, pay day, big game, partay, mad durga

Last day of the year. Last work day of the year.
Lots of snow overnight, ready to break in 2009.
Another early quitting day at work. Tradition is to gather everyone for a glass of wine and a toast the last day before Christmas and New Year. For tonight, starbursidereus suggested finding the wine we used at work for later tonight, after the game, to toast in the new year. Apparently we have Henkell Trocken non-vintage sparkling white. She found it at the LCBO.
All ready for the big Canada vs USA hockey game! :D

Had a bunch of peeps over again - starbursidereus' family and a few other friends, with a few more stopping in over the course of the night.

Tight game - US led Canada 3-0 in the first, but after two goals, it was back and forth until the end with Canada leading 5-4 and the US pulling their goalie in the last minute - giving Canada 2 more goals to end it at 7 - 4. w00t! and Snap!

Hung out, watched the countdown on various stations, popped the wine, rung in 2009 on a great note :D.
Durga got mad. She didn't like all the people taking up her nappy time and sleep places. She was ang-gry! No one could get near her without getting swatted and clawed at. She even chased feet as they walked away. Poor girl. But she's back to happy now :)

Jan 1... celebration, food, tears :(

Ringing in the new year with Adam Padfield's wedding to Paige. Great way to ring it in :)
Afterwards, re-connected with some old friends who were going to the reception. Reminiscing over some of their stag parties, showing on snacks, good times. Discussed Adam never having his stag or a stag and doe. hmm...

Headed to East Side Mario's for dinner with some other friends who weren't at the reception. Last minute decided to meet up with starbursidereus and family (I've said that name a lot here!) to go see Marley & Me. ESM was around the corner from the theatre. I literally ate and ran. Wolfed the wrap and martini, paid with 10 minutes to the movie, and jogged through the cold to the theatre. All the ticket kiosks were down, so there was a line out the door to buy tickets at the counter. The others were already inside, saving me a seat. The movie for that time was marked 'sold out' on the board. boo. Looked for another movie - decided on Sandler's. At the counter, asked on a whim if she could sell me a single seat for M&M. Bingo! Got into the busy, packed theatre 5 minutes after the movie started.

Great movie. Tear jerker. Also fun for jerks with no tears. :P but srsly, I liked it. It could even be considered a guy's movie. A man and his dog. :)
Made me want to hug Team Jersey when I got home.

Closing thoughts

Loved this holiday. No time with my own family, but that's pretty much how we do it now anyway, living so far apart. We have our family time earlier in the year when the weather's better and it's less busy. So I now traditionally spend it with other close families and friends. I couldn't ask for anything more. :) srsly. I'm happy about the tv, but that's just a bonus. I think this year was one of the best, where I legitimately felt all-around happy, content. I spent time with people I love, no stress, no worries, just joy and fun.

A great way to end 2008. :)

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:00:18 GMT

It's been too long... yes, I'll be posting a bit in the next day or two :)

Also, Happy New Year!
(...for those who celebrate the Gregorian calendar new year ;)

Welcome to the now, 2009!

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:06:52 GMT

...the rest of the weekend happened...
Decided to go for a sub, return movies, and do some banking
Freezing, wind chill has got to be -30-35 celcius
Waitin, and the bus is 10 minutes late
Got banking done first - the only thing that went without a hitch
Walked, face first to the wind, taking twice as long as usual, to the movie store (numb legs, face falling off)
Decided to look around and warm up for a bit; picked up another movie (free w/earned points) but had to pay a $4 late fee
Walked back to Subway for warm fresh food... to find it closed at 8:30pm (no signs or indications, just closed, WAY early)
Went to Sobeys to grab some stir fry for later, had 15 minutes to the next bus
Quickly stopped in at Twice the Deal for some pizza to go
They were slow. Missed the bus by 30 seconds.
Ate 4 slices and 2 pop while waiting 40 minutes for the next bus (not gonna walk in that again!)
Just stepping out the door to the bus stop and it passes - 5 minutes early.
Enfuriated, I decide to walk home anyway; thankfully, not facing the wind.

2 1/2 hours for a typically 30-40 minute trip. I am now going to curl up on the couch covered in warm blankets and watch a movie.

I can has summer now plz?

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:50:46 GMT

Well, the effects of the economy are reaching all the way up here to the great white mostly-north-of-the-northernmost-us-cities...

Amidst an influx of reports from American friends of layoffs and cut backs over the past few weeks, I'll add that my company just had a big 'state of the union' to address the effects on us, working in the trucking finances industry (can we say, effect of the 'big three'?). With automotive places shutting down for three weeks completely, many of our clients are obviously feeling the effect. While we're still doing well, we have to be prepared for the upcoming year, so a few changes are being implemented. Nothing drastic, no layoffs, just primarily staff regulations and whatnot, in an attempt to be more 'efficient'. Consider it a 'brace for impact' session.

We're on the outskirts of your hurricane. Sorry for all those who are in the middle, and wish you the best of luck in dealing with the situation.
Now if only there was a payphone to answer...

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:38:21 GMT

So I guess I should probably update the state of things, eh...

Well, to put it shortly, the big 3-0 wasn't what I expected. Ups and downs. Generally, personally it was all fine; you know, you have fun by making a big deal about age and all that. No, I don't actually feel OLDer, and I know I'm still a youngin' from upper perspectives, but you have fun with it anyway, right?...

The downs came generally with dealing with friends, considering friends, what friends do, stand for, effort and energy put forth in being friends - and how that also applies to me in my relations with friends... but moreso, a conflicting back and forth between 'faults' and 'blames', and really, who's problem certain things are. To what degree does one say "is there something different I could have done?" rather than taking the guilt off your own shoulders for things not going how you'd have liked? Sometimes being 'humble' can be damaging to your self-respect, self-image, or esteem. So how does one balance humility and looking out for oneself?

Anyway, point being, I found myself blaming other people for the events I'd planned falling through, and seemingly wasted efforts. Then I felt guilty, and didn't want to rant for fear of making things worse. So then I started questioning my own actions, who I was, and why I didn't have friends paying attention to me like some of those friends do for each other, and what I could do differently. Then I realized at some point there's 'only so much you can do' and not to let the rest down (the friends who did meet hopes and expectations) and whatnot. So it was a fairly turmoilish last half of November, mentally and emotionally.

To recap events, I'd planned to go to the CN Tower for a special dinner (expensive, and distant, in the winter, near Christmas - I didn't expect a high turnout), and go with some friends to play a couple of games of Laserquest (much cheaper, expected a decent turnout, especially of the friends I'd initially considered and asked who might be interested). My hope was that, you know, being a birthday thing, and being for a friend, people might choose to come regardless, even just for the fun of it. These were planned, invites went out, over a month beforehand, in attempt to narrow down details to accomodate 1) as many people as possible and 2) friends I'd most hoped would come out. Plenty of time to schedule and plan.

CN Tower was cancelled. That wouldn't have been as bad if no one had initially said they'd like to go. But when you get a number of people saying they're interested, but not 'locking in', then as the day draws closer, and they slowly drop out one by one, that starts to hurt... and it messes things up. It's harder to narrow down specific details because you simply don't know what's certain and not. And you can't force them to commit (or at least I didn't). In the end, my roommate and a coworker remained, from about 7 or 8 interested. I decided to postpone it to next year. That was the big downer.

Laserquest - well, suffice to say, the crowd that ended up coming was composed of a number of friends I hadn't initially invited. Which is great in itself. Partially my own fault - I hadn't pre-registered (actually that wouldn't have been necessary anyway), however I hadn't even called to find out if my planned time of 8pm was possible. They close at 7pm. So the day before, I had to move an event up 3 hours from 8pm to 5pm, on a Sunday evening. That's a big leap in planning, and last minute. I was prepared for less to come out, even to postpone this too, but that wasn't necessary in the end. All but one or two were still 'locked in'. That was very encouraging for the friendships I had with these people. But frustrating otherwise. In the end, that event, those games, that time with them, made up for much of the stress of the past couple of weeks. I took it out in the laser. ANd got the top score in the 2nd game :P

I'm not outgoing, I don't like being the center of attention, put on the spot, etc; I'm shy, quiet, in many contexts. But it was 30 years. Three decades. A birthday celebration. I'd hoped for a bit more fun, larger gatherings, a bit more fellowship with friends... something, you know? Not extravagance, not hooplah, but something unique and special in that sense. What I got was something quite different, and it challenged me to evaluate my own attitude. What I got was, also, special and great, just on a lower key than expected. Absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Here's the stuff that just bugged me...
* People who, in "sticking it Facebook" because they don't like it, will cut out possible time with friends because they insist you talk to them 'face to face'. (Do you ignore mailed wedding invites too?)
* People who after repeated reminders and requests for info only ever said (or clicked) "Maybe", and nothing else (even to date)
* To a smaller degree - relationship priorities; people only committing to time with friends if what you're doing is 'fun' to them. Worse, saying 'ok' then changing plans when something 'better' comes along. (especially when I do my best not to do those same things to them)
* Feeling guilty (or being made to) for not hammering details down, when people won't give you details to help plan scheduling
* Feeling unimportant and invisible to people you consider your closest friends, when they pay attention to each other more than you
* Feeling guilty for feeling the above things about other people.
* Feeling dejected because all these things ultimately point inward, swirling internal questions and self-doubt, and playing havoc with your emotions.

But, on a positive note...
* Laserquest was Awesome
* The conference busy-ness which overlapped my birthday was not for naught; it was an amazing and encouraging weekend.
* Spending limited random time with a few people including starbursidereus and melody2piano on my actual birthday, sitting and chatting and eating in a relatively new friend's living room, was awesome
* I got an enormous (by my standards) amount of birthday wishes via my facebook wall.
* Accepting that sometimes, things just don't work out
* The few very close personal friends I do have mean very much to me, and even though I'm not perfect, they'll still value our friendship, as I do theirs (but I certainly won't reduce the value of the other friendships I have in spite - they're all valuable)
* I have an absolutely amazing community of friends online who I adore, and always look forward to meeting and spending time with whenever the opportunity arises!
Also:
* I saw Bolt this weekend. It..was..awesome! (and I don't mind seeing movies alone, it's great!)
* Yesterday was TDK day, and we had a mini-TDK party at my place with the new ~~PS3~~ Blu-Ray player. So. Win.
* My plans for a new TV on boxing day are still in motion. That day taunts me so.
* This Is My Milwaukee is mind-numbing.
* Ringorang is evil!

But just to close, finally - I'm good. I'm happy. There are people, even friends, in far worse states than I - I have much to be thankful for. I can't stress that enough.
(and I think I just knocked an item or two off my 30-by-30 list)

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:00:48 GMT

until further notice.

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:42:47 GMT

And now an update on my 30-by-30 list... which I didn't expect to complete, obviously, based on some of the items ;)

(just do it!) Update my LJ template to my site template (inconsistency bad!)
(just do it!) Get in touch with Geoff May (the bike racer; and this isn't me either)
(just finish it!) Play through Max Payne ~~again before the movie~~ (forget the movie thing, just finish the game!)
(set a date!) Pull another LOTR marathon (all 3, extended)
(1/2 done) Review my comic collection from the 90's and check values (goldmine?)
(1/2 done) Read my iron man comics again (said I'd do it before the movie; didn't)
(decide when) Learn Mediashout 3 to train people at church (about time we upgraded)
(decide when) Clean up the basement (boxes, boxes, kittehs, boxes, mess, boxes..)
(progressive) Continue documenting my old art series, Pier's Edge (a few more items to go)
(start over) Do 100 consecutive pushups (forget 6 weeks, just get it done!)
(start over) Do 100 consecutive crunches (burn away that kegger!)
(meditative) Make a list of "40 things to do before turning 40" :P (well, maybe just start it)
(meditative) Make a list of things I'm happy to have accomplished before turning 30 (need to reflect)
...Count my blessings (dono't stop!)
...~~Play another good game of laserquest with friends~~
...POSTPONED: Eat at the 360 Restaurant (the CN Tower revolving restaurant)
...FAIL: Start a jogging plan (been on my mind for a loooong time - wait until spring :P)
...FAIL: Start a family (hahahahaha! well, other than my kittehs!)
...Re-string my guitar (yay for last-minute stringing!)
...FAIL: Complete NaNoWriMo (November!) successfully (failed last year, again this year)
...Fix my kitchen cabinets (no excuse)
...Call about my current outstanding loan amount (gotta do this occasionally)
...~~Finish Pic-A-Day updates on blog/site~~
...~~Buy a blacklight to read invisible text on shirts for an ARG~~
...~~Play completely through Halo 1, 2 and 3 watching all cinematics~~
...Buy Iron Man (on Blu-ray, to encourage #21)
...Budget for a Blu-ray player and new TV (BR is it for HD movies now, and my TV is dying)
...~~Spend quality time with Greg while he's in town for a week~~
...~~Stay overnight in Hamilton for ATF this year~~
...Watch the Canadian election debates this week (there's more than just US politics!)

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:38:24 GMT

A quickie because I told myself I'd start December being far more productive at work ;)

- Generations conference was swell :P it was great, and really everything started to hit and sink in after it was complete. All the speakers, what they said, the inspirations, etc. Didn't plan on doing much more than playing with the band, but ended up being there the entire time. Lots of stuff to digest. Inspiration began kicking in afterwards, during some last minute chatting with melody2piano.

- Away from the computer for most of the weekend (save a couple of quick checks for non-spam important email), so the LJ is backed up again, as is Twitter. Came hom last night to find the most wall comments on Facebook for the birthday that I've ever had :). Very encouraging, even if it is just a quick "happy birthday" on the wall. Still takes time and care for someone to do that. So just sent out a quick thanks to everyone who did.

- yesterday afternoon between rallies, hung out with a few friends (a couple of relatively new ones through melody2piano), and invited starbursidereus to join us. great time! just hung out, chilled, chatted, had wings and caesar as a birthday meal, played simple living room games that ended up being ridiculous and hilarious for no reason. very good times :)

- gotta re-visit my 30-by-30 list, evaluate how far I got... possibly shift some things to the new year :) (would be nice if there'd be 9 left - "9-by-09" ;)

- must attempt to get sleep this week. falling behind on tv shows, but that's ok. I can download'em later :)

- new icon for this entry isn't really relevent, but it's cool, and I nabbed it last night in the car playing with snow and light. teehee

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:48:31 GMT

go now! / unfiction / article

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:49:08 GMT

After some shuffling around, I managed to go and enjoy Madagascar 2 with melody2piano (who's also now, btw, joined twitter... teehee).
In short: not as good as the first movie, IMO. It had its moments.

So on the way home after, we hit a roadblock.
Literally.
Almost.
More like, a road-be-gone.
Construction workers had conveniently left a large 6-8inch square portion of the right lane lifted out and haphazardly filled with dirt and gravel. Being just where cars' wheels pass, the hole slowly eroded to leave a corner completely exposed, with a sharp 1/2 foot wall for tires to slam into as they drove over. Being in a section of road where cars were traveling at full legal speed, there'd be maybe 1 second, at night, of warning (seeing it visually) before hitting it.

We hit it.
Hard.
And while that's not what she said, I saw it, but didn't have to say anything other than clinching for a hit.

And yup. What a hit.
For the next block, we heard a whistle about in time with the front right tire's rotation. Pulilng in, we found the hub cap dented, the tire seemingly a little flatter (though it hadn't popped, its support was damaged), and a lugnut missing.

A few minutes later, another car pulled into the same parking lot, with a flat tire.
Then we heard of at least 5 or 6 others who had pulled over in the area with similar problems.

So while all this frustrated confusion took place, I walked up to photograph the cause. A guy was standing there now waving oncoming traffic around their impending doom. Others had already taken pics of it. Shortly, a city van came and parked in front of the hole.

Best part was there were traffic pylons just on the other side of the fence by the hole where the apartment complex was being constructed. One pylon would have made the difference.

some people...

In the end, a friend came to help. Tire was changed. Photos were taken (of cars, not of people, as bonding an experience as it was). And we went to Williams for a drink and chat before going our ways.
melody2piano is now driving her family van for a while :P

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:50:35 GMT

BPOD January 2009