Where you will find my (documented) thoughts, worries, concerns, and issues
2003rd
Entries
I slept fitfully. I don’t really know why. But when I awoke Christmas morning, there was a slight sense of excitement. Perhaps I’d been depressed the day before and not taken notice. (The reason why, of course, still …
‘Tis the night before Christmas, and all through the house, the cat is sound sleeping, as I sit here with my mouse. No stockings are hung by a chimney with care, just thrown in the laundry bin ‘cuz I have more to wear No …
There is an Old Klingon proverb that says: “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” It is very cold in December. (Well, when we’re not chinooking, anyway.) Several months ago, I fell victim to an attack. Not a …
One trilogy to rule them all. One trilogy to find them. One trilogy to bring them all, and in the darkness, bind them. Despite my repeated objections with the stupid things the movie industry does to we patrons of the …
Some weeks ago, my friend and co-worker Luke threw around an email looking for volunteers. They had to be passionate about movies, movie theatres, and be willing to be interviewed for CBC Radio. Hopefully, I don’t need …
Tonight, the Greedy Bastard hit Cowtown. The Bastard in question, in case you’re wondering, is Eric Idle. For those of you buried under rocks since the day of your birth, Eric was one of Britain’s Monty Python comedy …
Friday night was not fun. Erin and I got together after work, headed down to her place to eat pizza and watch Indiana Jones movies. Or at least that was the plan. We watched the second half of “Last Crusade” …
It’s not every day that you turn 30. Unfortunately, it’s long since been my turn. This time, it was for my friend Teak. You may remember Teak from a previous birthday of his, when Chris and I felt the need for a little …
A question: Who commits the greater act of piracy? Those who download movies off the Internet, or those who plunder the pocketbooks of the innocent who want to see the next blockbuster? I’ve been finding myself asking …
You’d think I’d have learned from my jaunt out on Thursday night. I guess I did to a point, but I made one key error: I went out to celebrate Jim’s birthday. For the record, Jim’s a great guy. He’s a lot of fun — he has …
There were green alligators, and long necked geese, Some humpty-back camels and some chimpanzees, Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as your born, The loveliest of all was the Unicorn. — “The …
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And it’s not even Hallowe’en yet. Starting early this week, the weather folk started telling us to prepare for Calgary’s first snowstorm of the season. This is something we’ve …
I love seeing old friends. I just hate seeing them leave. Therese was in town this weekend. Not really to visit with people so much (though that was one thing she did), but to defend her dissertation — the last step in …
This weekend, I visited southern Ontario. Even though I’ve only just left, it almost feels like I was never even there. A few weeks back, Critical Mass announced (to the employees) that it was in the process of pitching …
Critical Mass is growing. We’re preparing for a (hoped) massive expansion, but also have organic growth to contend with. This is what led Critical Mass to have to hire a new Project Analyst. And luckily for me, it’s my …
Just when you think it’s safe not to worry about having to put out any additional funds for home improvement, the proverbial crap hits the fan. Or in this case, the sewer line. For the record, it wasn’t my sewer line. …
Once in a while, someone notices you. Sometimes it’s just a pretty woman walking down the street. Sometimes it’s a friend you haven’t seen in a long time. And once in a while, it’s your entire company. This year, …
Way back in early August, I learned the awful truth that Therese and Stuart were moving to Montreal, ne’er to return. (Okay, that’s an assumption. They might, but I ain’t holding my breath.) Needless to say, I suddenly …
There is nothing harder in life than saying goodbye to a loved one. This evening, I had to make the hardest choice of my life. This evening, I had to put my beloved Siamese cat to sleep. A year and a half and one day …
It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a year since the day the CBC Television 50th Anniversary VIA Rail Train departed Vancouver on its epic 33-day trip across Canada. It seems like it’s been a lot longer. I suppose …
I hate saying goodbye to close friends. Early this morning, Therese and Stuart boarded their WestJet flight with a trunkful of luggage and two cats. They’re moving to Montreal. By about this time, they’re over Ontario, …
Last weekend was the first weekend in a while where a) I wasn’t busy with work or family, and b) wasn’t trying to paint the house. (No, I’m not done painting. I’m just sick of it.) So I opted to relax a little bit. It …
Despite the plethora of forest fires plaguing the B.C. interior, my family decided it was a good weekend to dive into the (mostly) green forests of Banff National Park. Now you’re probably wondering why on Earth I noted …
The weekend past was the August long weekend. Well, it was the long weekend for most people. For me, it was one of three things: painting the house, spending time with family, or being at work. Four things, if you count …
I need a weekend from my weekend. ‘Course, it’s my fault for trying to do so much at once. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been preparing to paint my house. (The outside, that is.) I should have painted it last year, …
I get a lot of hits to my site from people looking for information on Rug Doctors. I’m not sure if they’re looking for where to find them or how to use them. So I’m going to cover both topics, just in case. Where to find …
I’ve often heard it said that there’s nothing like the sound of pitter-pattering around your home. This weekend, I found that sometimes this sound isn’t so nice. Like when your hot water heater is leaking. I noticed it …
On Canada Day, most people take the time to go do something special, like visit events in their local community or town, possibly visit one of Canada’s majestic national parks (which are free today), or visit the local …
Heat arrived in Calgary this weekend. It’s been warm here for a few weeks now (off and on, anyway), but this was the first really hot time in the ol’ town. Which, of course, is a perfect excuse to flee the city for a …
Today, I got a rather interesting surprise: an email from an old friend, still living in Vancouver. It appears that a couple of weekends ago, my ex-girlfriend (and ex-fiancee) got married. When I read this rather …
There are certainly worse ways to spend Friday the 13th. There are certainly more healthy ones. But when Critical Mass decides to throw a party for its employees, you can be sure of two things: There will be a lot of …
Okay, before you all say “oh, there’s Geoff and his trains again!”, I would like to emphasize — for the record — that I only did this because the Society was desperate for people. The Society, of course, is …
While this weekend was absolutely amazing, too many of these and I’ll die from exhaustion. I started early Saturday morning. Those of you who are chiming in with “must be train stuff” can smile smugly — ‘cuz …
When I finally arrived home from my stint with the CBC so many months ago, I was happy to be back. It will be nice to be home after my trip to Japan, even though it’s sad to leave it so soon. When I arrived almost two …
Today was my last full day in Japan. There was so much I still wanted to see and do. I couldn’t do everything … but I darn well tried! Chris had to work, so would stay behind in Yotsukaido. Kaz, her friend, …
Another day, another adventure. Today, though, we would throw in a different nationality. We all rose at basically the same time and quickly prepared for our departure. We needed to be in Yokohama by about 10:30, which …
Today was a good day. Not that other days have been bad by any means, but when you can sit back and reflect and feel really good — that’s a particularly good day. Chris was up early to meet Kaz at Tokyo station. We had …
I think a good rule of thumb for how long you should stay in one place while on vacation is your comfort level. When you become too comfortable, you’ve stayed too long. I’ve become very comfortable with Tokyo. That’s not …
After a few days of non-stop touring, a slow day is much appreciated, even though it wasn’t planned that way. Chris was up before me, starting to clean up the apartment. It wasn’t messy by any means, but today we’re …
The Japanese have borrowed many concepts of rail management from North America. For instance, you will generally see words like “rapid” or “limited express” when you see train listings. And you’ll …
We woke up relatively early this morning. For anyone on vacation, that’s before noon. For us, it was around 09:00. The goal today was Mount Fuji, about an hour south of Tokyo. An hour by bullet, that is. Following the …
Today was a bit of a late start for us. Not for any particular reason, we just slept in a little bit. Today was Tokyo day. Sure, we’d been to Tokyo before for clubbing, but I didn’t really see much of Tokyo. It’s hard to …
I’ve gone clubbing in Tokyo, and lived to tell about it. It’s an odd statement, I know, but allow me to explain. Chris and I didn’t have any real set plans. In fact, I didn’t really know what we were going to do until …
By comparison with yesterday’s activities, it would appear that I slept the entire day away. For starters, I awoke after 10:00, the long day previous having sapped pretty much all my energy. Kaz was still here, but …
It hasn’t been that long since my last outing, but it’s time again for my next great adventure. This time, I’m leaving the continent for the first time in almost 14 years — I’m going to Japan. Chris is staying there …
Well, it’s Easter time again, and that means a lot of family events out here in the great Canadian plains. The major difference this year is what sort of family events we do. In previous years, it’s been a massive dinner …
It seems that good things do happen to those who wait. Surprisingly enough, that also applies to me. You may recall some weeks ago, I lamented Critical Mass’ ability to see the need to promote from within. It wasn’t so …
I have officially become mobile. Today, I picked up the keyboard for my PDA, and am able to create my log entries wherever I am on the planet. And have an electrical socket to recharge the batteries. (Minor detail.) Wait …
Normally, around this time of year, I rant about the really dumb decisions the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science makes when awarding their own. Normally, it’s because they give Oscars to those who …
It’s been a long time, but I’ve gone back to school. The last time I took a class, it was for work. I wasn’t learning anything I didn’t already know, and I wasn’t really all that happy about it. This time, I’m taking …
Last October, I bade farewell to my newly-made friends from the CBC Television 50th Anniversary Train. Since then, I have only talked to them over email and phone. It’s not the same as being there in person. And I’ve …
One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one. Agatha Christie What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the …
I found out today that I’ve become middle management. I’ve become my own arch-nemesis. Critical Mass has (almost) finished its massive organizational effort. It’s not really a reorganization, per se, but it is a process …
Today is the first anniversary of my father’s death. The last time I saw my father was over a year ago. Since then, all I’ve had are pictures and the memory of the sound of his voice. I have no home movies, no audio …
Not that I’m complaining. This week had been a stressful and depressing one. First off was the Technology department meeting for Critical Mass. The company’s been going through a structural overhaul. It’s not the first …
With Cathy at work, and Craig sleeping for the day (he’s currently working nights), there was little that would cause me to rise early. Well, almost nothing. I had a lunch date to keep. Rising at a reasonable hour, I …
I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but I seem to have a penchant for buying expensive things. Last year, I bought a house. This year, I bought my first new car. For those of you now saying: “He bought …
A little exercise never killed anyone … but there’s always a first time. This morning, I made my first visit to a gym in about seven years. I know what you’re thinking, and no, it’s not some lame New Year’s …
The year 4700 on the Chinese calendar got off to a very sombre start. Today is Chinese New Year’s day. Today, I had many things I wanted to do. Most of them were summarily forgotten when, barely a few minutes out of bed, …
Like most people who work the ol’ 9-5 grind, my weekend started just as the whistle blew Friday afternoon. It was time to get my nose off the grindstone and into something far more pleasant. A beer. Not that I want to …
It’s the beginning of the year. It’s quiet. I’m (somewhat) relaxed. That’s probably why I’ve got a cold. At least, I think it’s a cold. It doesn’t behave like most rhinovirii I’ve had in the past — no fever, no stuffy …
This has simultaneously been the quietest and the busiest Christmas season I think I’ve ever experienced. I had been looking forward to two weeks of quiet rest, working on personal projects, sleeping, watching movies, …
“Another year, come and gone” it wasn’t. This has perhaps been the single most turbulent year of my life. I had the deep low of my father’s death, coupled with the meteoric high of participating with the CBC …