Where you will find my (documented) thoughts, worries, concerns, and issues
2002nd
Entries
Assuming you’re not avoiding the media or living under a rather large rock, you’ve probably heard that the second chapter of the Lord of the Rings trilogy opened today. Yes, you’ve guessed right: I’ve already seen it. A …
A few weeks ago, I came to the conclusion that I could no longer stall. I had put it off for years, and it wasn’t really helping me. In fact, my apathy about the entire situation was appalling. To move ahead in such a …
On Tuesday (12 November 2002), the extended version of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was released on DVD. The standard theatrical release came out a few months ago, but this was the one I was waiting for …
It doesn’t take long for me to get back into the swing of (some) things. I’m already working on trains again. This time, it’s the locomotive from which I caught the train chasing bug. I got a call from Don on Saturday, …
You’ll have to excuse me, I’m not at my best. I’ve been gone for a month, I’ve been drunk since I left. These so-called vacations will soon be my death. I’m so sick from the drink, I need home for a rest. — Home For A …
I’ve been on the road far too long. Last night was Thanksgiving dinner up at the cottage. Good food, family, friend (there was only one), and good times. Even better sleep, in my old bed (since co-opted for use in the …
I hate alarms. Especially when they go off while you’ve still got an hour of darkness left of the night. I had an early flight to Toronto, though, and wasn’t keen on missing it. I had packed the night before, so all I …
One of these days, I’m going to remember to stop booking things at the last minute. I wanted to go to Lunenburg. I wasn’t about to take a taxi – it’s a little far for that. A car was the only real solution I could think …
Sleeping in is good. Too bad I didn’t sleep in. Instead, I woke around 8:30 and began to get on with the day. The first order of business was typing out some of the journal entries I was behind on. The second was making …
It was still dark when the alarm clock (bolted to the night table) tuned in the local classic rock station. Great thing about radio – there’s always a classic rock station available. Showered and bags packed, I hiked my …
Waking early after a few days of sleeping in (even if just a little) was difficult. But given the day’s activity, I couldn’t wait. I was taking a train. Yes, a train. A month on the CBC special hadn’t dampened my spirit …
Sleeping in is one of those little pleasures of life that I’ve been ignoring for far too long. The fact that I was still exhausted from yesterday made passing through my alarm even easier. I skipped breakfast. I was in …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
T-Minus 2 days I think it’s safe to say no-one left today’s event pain-free. This was the VIP Event day. This was when we had to be near perfect, as the executives from both CBC and VIA would be on hand, along with many …
T-minus 3 days I awoke with my alarm ready for a day of discovery. That was important because I had only met three people in the crew of 30-odd. When I arrived in the restaurant for breakfast, I stared at a seemingly …
T-Minus 4 days First order of the day was to move out of Joel and Michelle’s piano room. Although I greatly appreciate their hospitality, I do need to be with the rest of the CBC. The show starts tomorrow morning. I …
T-Minus 5 days Today was supposed to be tourist day. It was supposed to be sunny and warm, with nice little chirping birds and happy people out enjoying the “last day of summer”. (School starts tomorrow.) So …
T-Minus 6 days Today was much quieter than the previous two days … if you don’t count two kids, that is. After waking and spending a morning with Joel and Michelle’s family, Joel showed me his new pet project. …
T-Minus 7 days Five-thirty is an unfair time of the morning. Especially if your alarm clock wakes you in the middle of a really good dream. This morning, I took a taxi to the BC Rail station and boarded the Cariboo …
T-Minus 8 days There’s nothing like trying to plan one and a half months of a chaotic life in excruciating detail. It’s a little easier when someone else does all the dirty work, but ultimately, it’s you that will make …
There are times that I’m almost envious of myself. Well, okay, one time that I’m envious of myself. Hey, it’s better than being jealous of others… I’m going on a train trip. But not any train trip. In fact, this …
Somewhere, in a long-forgotten book in some dusty corner of a decrepit building in a burned out city, there is a sentence that says vacations are supposed to be restful. And someone is going to a lot of trouble to make …
This is my second day here at the CBC head office in Toronto. This is a weird place. You’re probably asking: What is Geoff doing at the CBC head office in Toronto? That’s a question I can’t answer just yet — you’ll have …
It’s been about nine months since I last saw 6060, when I left Jasper for Calgary. That’s about eight months too long, I figure. Mind you, many haven’t seen 6060 since early November, since we’ve all been off living our …
96 hamburgers 48 hotdogs 4 jumbo-size bags of chips 104 cans of pop 240 bottles of beer 13 bottles of wine 14 hours of music 1 house equals A good time All new homeowners have one responsibility to fulfill. It’s not …
It’s always good when people drop by. It’s even better when it’s family. And they bring gifts. Most of the Tisdale clan descended on Calgary this weekend. Partly because we hadn’t seen everyone in a while, partly because …
One of these days, I’m gonna learn to stop cheating death (or at least severe injury) and cease doing really foolish things. Like whitewater rafting. As you no doubt have already guessed, we were downriver again this …
There are parties. Then there’s a Critical Mass party. Five years ago yesterday (4 July 1997), Critical Mass launched its first ever website, MBUSA.com. That first launch wasn’t perfect, but it started a business …
It was a hot night in Ottawa, following Stuart and Therese’s wedding. It was only going to get hotter. A lot hotter. The next day was 1 July, otherwise known as Canada Day. Otherwise known as the single biggest excuse to …
There comes a time in your life when things start getting a lot more adult than you’re normally used to. For me, it was when my friends started getting married. But I didn’t really start getting self-conscious about it …
I remember when I used to have time to kick back, relax, and spend an afternoon watching TV. I think I was five. This weekend past was yet another in a string of busy, hectic times. As June rolls towards a close, many …
This was, to say the least, one of the busier weekends I’ve had in a long time. It was a very good weekend in many respects, not the least of which was actually (finally) getting my house. But it all kinda started this …
Warm weather has come late to Calgary, but it is quite a relief that it finally has. Shorts, sandals, t-shirts, and (almost) no fear of waking up to a White Christmas every morning. I haven’t seen my breath in well over …
Long weekends are rarely long enough. I’d like one to last about a year, personally, but without all the seasonal changes. But I suppose that’s what Hawaii is for… My weekend (sort of) started on Thursday night, …
Maybe this is forever, Forever fades away, Like a rocket ascending into space, Could you not be sad, Could you not break down, After all I won’t let go, Until you’re safe and sound. — “Safe and Sound”, …
Ever tried to catch a thrown brick? It ain’t easy. First, you prepare for the heavy weight, which often has sharp edges, and then you try to position your body so that you can buffer the shock and try to prevent bodily …
Although it’s very tempting to say that it’s the beginning of the end — it wouldn’t really be appropriate. It’s no longer a guess, it’s not a possibility, it’s not even a plan anymore. It’s fact. Chris is going to Japan. …
It’s official, Mother Nature is bipolar. North America has been receiving some very erratic weather as of late. Out here, it’s been a little more consistent than erratic … consistently bad, that is. So far this …
There are times when I hate owning a car. My car’s been having problems this winter. We had a really cold one — from late December through to just a week or so ago, we were having some really nasty cold snaps. Seeing -20 …
Third year running: Lots of family, lots of activity, and way too much food. This year’s events started Thursday evening, when my mother arrived from Ontario, as did Chris’ parents for their first (and possibly only) …
The following was the eulogy read out at my father’s funeral. It was written by one of our closest family friends, Mrs. Claudette Robinson, who also did the reading. David was a multi-talented man. What was his calling? …
If you had told me that I would one day dread hearing the tune to Auld Lang Syne at five o’clock in the morning, I’d have thought you crazy. But like many things that I thought not possible, this is precisely what …
I hate being sick. When I arrived here, I had a sore throat. I had thought i was because of a lack of water or fluids while in transit. It was, however, the beginnings of my first cold in a year. It’s more annoying than …
Today we a good day. Despite the slew of visitors, we finally saw some major improvement in Dad. For starters, he had a shave — almost all by himself. And not with an electric — he used a safety razor. The shave was …
And so ends another day at home. There’s a strange air of optimism that seems to permeate almost everything. We know what’s coming, but we’re always happy and upbeat. Well, Cathy is anyway — I’m a little too quiet around …
I awoke at 4:30 this morning, not originally knowing why I was tired. I had tried (unsuccessfully) to get myself drunk the night before. I wanted to numb the pain. I didn’t want that dull ache in my gut that told of bad …
Tomorrow I’m going home, to spend what could be my last few days with my father. It’s not something I’m really looking forward to. Last Thursday, dad suffered a stroke, probably a result of his brain cancer. It left him …
It is said that when under pressure (e.g. deadlines), the average geek will let other seemingly less important things (such as personal hygiene) fall by the wayside. Although I can safely say that I still keep myself …
There’s nothing like the feeling of soul crushing debt. Actually, it’s not that bad. Especially when there’s a darn good reason for it. In my case, it’s because the last formality of the conditions has been cleared, and …
The more things change, the more they get strange. Yesterday, I left the office at noon. This was partly because I’d been here all night (we were working on a pitch for a client who would be worth a LOT to us) and was …
Fewer things are harder than losing a loved one. I suppose it’s even worse when you lose them slowly. And it’s only worse when there’s nothing you can do about it. My father is dying. As you might recall, late last year, …
Early this year (and this month), I finally decided it’s high time I get myself a permanent address. Not another apartment, but an actual home. Something I can call mine. Something where I have my own walls, my own roof, …
There is nothing so responsible, so adult, as trying to buy a house. Okay, there’s that kid thing, but we’ll just ignore that for the moment. I’ve decided I need a permanent address. For the last 10 years or so, I’ve …
It’s been quite a year — but aren’t they always? I suspect when I stop having years like these, I’m gonna get bored real quick. It’s had more than its fair share of ups and downs, but it’s not what I would call a …
Yeah, I know, the holidays are over, why the heck am I writing about it now? Simple: I got away from computers for two weeks, and haven’t had the time to write until now. Unlike last year, I spent roughly half my time …