Where you will find my (documented) thoughts, worries, concerns, and issues
2004th
Entries
I had hoped to go some place warm for the Christmas holidays this year. I wanted to put Christmas lights on a palm tree. I wanted to make sandmen. I wanted nothing more to worry about than getting a sunburn on Boxing …
I think Alex and I need to stop packing so much into a single weekend. It’s gonna kill us. Friday night was Light Night. Being fairly warm (thanks to a chinook), we went out in search of Christmas lights around town, …
It’s been a while, hasn’t it? No, I’m not dead. I wasn’t abducted by aliens. I wasn’t held hostage. I took a bit of a break. I had to. In mid-September, I suffered a bit of a breakdown. Too much stress that I’d allowed …
Someone had the brilliant idea to go hiking in Kananaskis. Apparently this person didn’t realize that it’s almost winter. (And around here, that means it is winter.) We all started off at Phil’s on 16th Ave. Alex and I …
Yeesh. Antics is putting it lightly. Here’s the short version (‘cuz I really don’t feel like typing it all out): had to work saturday to finish performance management reviews; god I hate writing them went to jim’s …
The Shrub is back for another four years. Oh. Joy. Did no-one realize what kind of moron is at the head of the US Government? I can only guess not, as the United States again voted in one of the most dangerous men on the …
Another busy weekend at hand. Where oh where to start? I guess first off, I’ve finally had to give up my old Nokia brick cell phone. My faithful and antique companion has served me well since arriving in Calgary so many …
We had 2005 planning meetings this week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. They can be quite painful, if for no reason other than for going over projects all day. It really wears on the brain, and the body. Well, my …
I think I’m having a mental breakdown. And I think I know why. A few days ago was Pam’s wedding. I wrote a few things that I seriously regret having written. Made sense at the time, but it’s only after I really pissed …
I slept horribly. I’m not sure if it was from the hiking we’d done yesterday, or the troubling thoughts running through my mind as a result of last night. I’d felt like Alex and I had been abandoned for breakfast, as …
The schedule had been for breakfast at 9:00. Cathy and Craig weren’t terribly happy about that (it is early, after all, especially after being out drinking most of the night), but were up and running before Alex and I. …
A couple of weeks ago, we received a note in our inboxes that Thelton McMillan, the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) had left Critical Mass. Needless to say, this had come as a bit of a shock to the staff, who …
Tonight, my family arrived in Calgary. It’s time for another family wedding (no, not mine), which means the relatives from far-flung reaches of the universe come together. Pam’s getting married on Saturday. She and Sean …
If I had a list of top ten bands that would never play Calgary, KMFDM would have been on list. But more on that in a minute or two. Today began fairly normally for a Sunday: Alex and I rose, ate, showered, and prepared …
So I went for a walk at lunch today. I do this every so often, sometimes to get some fresh air, sometimes to avoid the sheer insanity of the office, or sometimes to get lunch outside of the Bistro. Today’s little jaunt …
WARNING! The following entry contains language that might not be appropriate to some. If you are offended easily by some words, I recommend skipping this entry. If you continue to read it, and are offended, your damn …
I haven’t been to too many weddings this year. After last year’s complete lack of nuptuals, I’m up to my second. Thankfully, I didn’t have to go any further than a couple of kilometres. After my jaunt to Japan, having to …
There’s something about driving like a maniac that makes for an interesting afternoon. I’ve been working on the Mercedes-Benz USA account for over four years now. In all that time, the closest I’ve ever come to a Benz …
A busy weekend this most certainly was. But it was a fun, productive one. The first major thing was on Saturday. Mom’s in town to help out with Nana’s recovery from surgery (she had her knee replaced at the beginning of …
No rooster, just the sounds of patrons leaving their rooms. I think I prefered the rooster. The Chateau’s name is a little misleading. One is brought to think of the Canadian Pacific (now Fairmont) hotels, with the old …
We awoke about an hour earlier than we have in mornings past, but for no real reason. We didn’t even hear the rooster! The porridge was followed, almost as soon as we could get ready, by a cat hunt. Allen has plans for …
That stupid rooster woke us up again. We’ve taken to mocking it. If it crowed normally, we probably wouldn’t mind so much. I fell back asleep, though, and Alex went into the house. She came back to wake me up for …
There’s a rooster not far from Allen’s farm. (Well, “farm” is using the term a bit loosely. It was a farm before he bought it, and it will be one again. But it’s going to take a bit of work.) This rooster …
Cory had called me yesterday. I didn’t know until this morning because I hadn’t checked my cell phone. I’d had a dream that things had gone horribly awry at the office, and for some reason, that had made me want to check …
No-one told me that we were doing any surprises this weekend. ‘Course, then it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it? Allen (Alex’s father) took Jean (Alex’s stepmom) down to Cranbrook so she could catch a flight out to …
There’s nothing quite like waking up to the sound of lawnmowers. Rousing, yet entirely annoying. We started the day off with a mom saver. This is generally a breakfast meal, though I suppose you could just as easily use …
I so wanted to get my butt out of the office, almost from the moment that I was alerted to the problem on MBUSA.com’s live server. There’s nothing like trying to diagnose the cause of a homepage failure when you’re not …
It’s been a while since our last surprise weekend (see [[Surprise Visit to Drumheller]]), but not for a lack of wanting. We’ve been that busy. Either Alex has had to work (the joys of working in the medical community) or …
Today, My Favourite Giant left Critical Mass. And we are lessened by his departure. Luke Puxley started at Critical Mass not quite two years ago. He was a daunting figure, mostly due to his sheer size. Luke is not a …
This weekend, we went for a little paddle. Five hundred metres in about two minutes and five seconds, to be precise. This weekend was the 13th annual Calgary Dragon Boat Festival, or the Alberta Dragon Boat Racing …
Today, I did something I haven’t done for about four and a half years. I went on a job interview. Relax, I didn’t get fired (and hopefully, this little escapade of mine doesn’t precipitate that — though I can’t imagine …
Travelling is never easy. Especially when my best friend Murphy is along for the ride. I rose late (catching up with sleep lost the night before), and met up with Craig, Jill, and her daughter Jamie in the concierge …
Search Engine Strategies 2004, San Jose, California, Day 4 I should have woken with another hangover. Especially since I had slept only about three hours. It was the last of the seminar, and I didn’t want to miss …
Search Engine Strategies 2004, San Jose, California, Day 3 I wasn’t hungover. Since I had only two beers at the Google party (and they ran out!), I wasn’t really reeling from any overdoses. I skipped the swim in favour …
Search Engine Strategies 2004, San Jose, California, Day 2 The alarm started at 6:30. I hit snooze several times before I finally had the realization that I needed to get out of bed. Almost instantly, I knew that I was …
Search Engine Strategies 2004, San Jose, California, Day 1 After an exceptionally sound sleep, I awoke to get my day started. I had planned to start all my days with a workout (I’ve been slacking for the last little …
The trip to San Jose wasn’t the most enjoyable I’ve had, but it was far from a bad experience. Craig and I breezed through security. It goes to figure that it you arrive with plenty of time at the airport, there won’t be …
This has been another crazy week. Lots that I’ve done, general mayhem in and out of the office, and this morning, I’m boarding a plane for San Jose. Recap: We’re gearing up for the Calgary Dragon Boat Festival, which …
There’s nothing quite like realizing that your garden sucks. When I bought the house, I couldn’t really see the backyard gardens — there was quite a lot of snow. That obscured pretty much everything worth seeing and …
This weekend, Alex and I went camping. It was the first time I’d gone camping since about 1997, before I’d moved to Vancouver. Seven years is far too long a dry period. We weren’t camping alone, though. My aunt and uncle …
The Calgary Stampede is up and running again. The kick-off was on Friday, with the much-anticipated Stampede parade. Naturally following the parade is another much-anticipated event in Calgary… The Stampede …
I’m being headhunted. Not the cannibalistic type, of course. This is the “executive recruiter” type. This is a result of having my website, and having my resume available through my website. The recruiter is …
Saturday started with the hope of going out to Elbow Falls to try and do some hiking. Notice that I used the word “hope”. Hope turned to not, with the realization that the weather wasn’t likely to cooperate …
Our fair country has been around for 137 years, now, and it doesn’t look a day over 100 — we’ve still got all the problems we did back in ’67. Alex and I had a fairly action-packed day. We started off with a jaunt over …
This weekend was a bit of a surprise. Not that it suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, but that until something happened, I had no idea what was yet to come. The weekend started with the one thing I did have control …
It’s 23:00 Sunday night, and this is the first time in four days that I’ve had a chance to be alone with my computer. Not that I’m necessarily complaining, I might add. The last four days have been a mad combination of …
Alex and I have been seeing each other for a couple of months now, and we felt it secure enough to try something a little adventurous: a weekend away from the city. Exactly how we found out about it, I’m not sure (I …
There’s just something inherently wrong with watching Stanley Cup hockey while sweating because it’s so warm. The season needs to be shorter. Or there need to be fewer teams, especially in places where you can’t …
Last night, Alex and I headed down to the Glenmore Reservoir. Reasons were two-fold: One was to have a picnic, a little meal on the edge of the largest body of water in the immediate area. The other was for Alex’s dragon …
When spring is in full-swing in Calgary, there are always fun things to do. The only problem, though, is having to choose which ones — once the warm weather hits, there can sometimes be a few too many things to do all at …
15 years ago tonight, the Calgary Flames won the Stanley Cup. Tonight, they have only three games until they win it again. It is, admittedly, a nice way to start the week off after a long weekend. The first long weekend …
Flames Fever is running at a pitch I could have never have imagined before. Tonight, it broke a new high. Tonight was game six in the NHL Western Conference final, pitting the Calgary Flames against the San Jose Sharks. …
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain, Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders. For well you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool By making his world a little colder. — “Hey Jude”, The …
There are some rumours I understand. And there are others that I do not. There are some that I begin. But this is one I want to end. For years — literally, years — there is a rumour that’s been floating around Calgary …
There’s a new disease running through Calgary. It’s highly contagious, spreads like wildfire, and while it has yet to prove fatal, it certainly causes some debilitating effects. Symptoms include sore throats, aches, …
Surprise parties are one of those great little joys in life. While I’ve never had one thrown for me, I’ve thrown a couple myself. They’re not the easiest things to do, to be certain, but they are definitely some of the …
Sometimes, I think I’m part dog. They chase cars. Me? I chase trains. I don’t know why. Canadian Pacific is sending 2816 across Canada from Vancouver to Montreal in May this year, bringing along a load of very …
As the weather turns more spring-like in Calgary, you start hearing unmistakable calls in the air: the robins, the magpies, the geese, the curlers… “Sweep! SWEEP! Harder! HARDER!” One of my …
It’s been a very long time since I’ve been on a roadtrip. And although it was only one-way, I didn’t mind it at all. I flew into Kelowna, but I drove back with Andrea, Tamara, and Dan. Andrea had driven the three of them …
We all woke at about the same time. I was awake, though eyes closed, when I heard Tamara and Andrea whispering. I joined into the conversation, joined shortly thereafter by Dan. At that point, there wasn’t much reason to …
I can’t even call this a “last day”. Yesterday, really, was our last day. Today is the packing/travelling day. And the day to say goodbye to dear friends. I hate leaving friends behind. Chris is one of my …
Why had I gone to Shinagawa to kill time? Simply put, it was far enough away from Tsukiji that walking alone would eat up some time, but not so far that I would be exhausted by the time I got to my destination. I had …
We got up a bit later than I’d hoped for, mostly because I’d accidentally turned off the alarm instead of snoozing it. We took the first train we could get to into Tokyo. I stood, wedged in a space between the door and …
We were up a little earlier than the previous few days, so we could catch a good train out to Kamakura, our excursion for the day. Kamakura is a small town south of Tokyo, about an hour and three-quarters away from …
The alarm went off early. Earlier than usual, anyway. Jen was still sleeping, so I thought I’d let her sleep a bit longer. But at 9:00, I got her going. Unforunately, Jen started off with a killer headache, so she didn’t …
The household woke up slowly. The events of last night had done us all in. Kaz and Chris were tired from all the attention they’d been getting. Jen and I were tired from all the things we’d done and drinks we’d had. As …
We woke up several times this morning. Once when the phone rang (Mike and Brenda checking in on us), when Kaz and Chris’ new refrigerator showed up, when the phone rang a second time, and when the earthquake hit. And …
More tofu for breakfast. Blech. Well, not so much blech as bland and really not what I’d like to eat first thing in the morning. Jen didn’t eat much. Today we’re back to Tokyo (and Yotsukaido). But first, we wanted to do …
We attempted to move a bit quicker this morning. The key word being “attempted”. The idea was to go to Osaka and do the touring thing. That meant we had to leave at a reasonable time so we could catch the …
Today, we experienced what can only be the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced. The earthquake hit around 7:30, and shook the entire room. Jen and I leapt from bed, and I dragged her into one of the doorways — …
I was up long before I’d planned to be up. I’d wanted to try and sleep a bit more to get rest for the long day of walking ahead, but my body said it was time to rise, and so it did. Besides, the racket of Kyoto on the …
We woke before 8:00 this morning, expecting breakfast. At least, that was the time they put on the reservation notice I got from the guest house reservation service. We didn’t eat until about 8:30, though, which was …
No hangovers. This was a good way to start the day, even if it was a lot earlier than Jen really would have liked. (Mind you, Jen likes noon as a wake-up time.) It was warm in the room. The Japanese seem to like it warm. …
I woke just before sunrise. I probably should have gotten up to look around, but decided that I’d rather sleep a bit more. I had a sneaky suspicion that it was going to be a long day. I woke again around 7:00, when my …
I slept a little oddly, considering we’d been up for over 24 hours straight. Woke up once around 3:00 (mostly to go to the bathroom), again at about 5:00, and finally at about 7:50. At that point, it was enough to say …
I slept like crap. And it wasn’t because I slept on the couch at Aunt Brenda and Uncle Mike’s last night. I’m certain it’s because of stress. Kind of ironic to have this crop up the night before I leave on vacation, eh? …
Fourteen days, and counting. Two weeks from today, I’m off to Japan. Again. Relax, this isn’t going to turn into a yearly thing. If I’d had a choice, I’d probably be going to Australia this year, maybe New Zealand. But …
I don’t watch awards shows, as a whole. They’re mostly dull and boring. They feature people whom I don’t care about, and subjects that I couldn’t care less about. But then there’s the Academy Awards. I haven’t missed the …
I woke earlier than usual — about 8:45 or so. Craig was still up, but not nearly as tired as when he’d scared the bejezesus out of me. Turning down his offer of a beer (for Craig, this was still the end of the day), I …
Pretty much keep with the trend, I woke late again. When I walked out of the bedroom, though, I found the door to Craig and Cathy’s bedroom open. Given the time of the morning, I assumed Craig would be asleep. I peered …
I woke late again. I could get used to this. Mom came to pick me up after getting myself all cleaned up. We went down to her place, where I took the time to try and bring her computer up to snuff again. It seems that …
Morning came early. (When your hosts have to get up early to go to work, you get up early, too.) The plan was simple: on their way to work, Therese and Stuart would drop me off at Central Station where, like when I …
I slept not as long as the previous night, but enough to feel suitably rested. I wanted to make sure that I didn’t sleep too long — this was my last full day with Therese and Stuart, and I didn’t want to waste it. We had …
I slept nearly 12 hours. I woke up sporadically, hearing the odd noise of running water and cats playing. Simply put, though, I was too damn tired to care. I hadn’t slept that well in ages. I woke up in time for lunch, …
I honestly couldn’t wait for 5:00 to come this morning. Today is the start of my first break longer than a long weekend in almost a year. I’ve been working away on my job, barely taking time off, slaving through one of …
It’s been another six months, and that can only mean one thing — another visit to the dentist. Normally, I wouldn’t mind so much. It’s just another trip to the dentist, right? It should be nothing more complicated than a …
There are time when I really wonder who the hell is steering the Good Ship Critical Mass. ‘Cuz right now, we’re headed for a really big iceberg. All of last year, we went through a long process of Performance Management. …
Psst! Hey, wanna hear something shocking? I’m taking yoga. Relax, I haven’t grown my hair out and gone hippy (well, the hair has grown out, but only because I haven’t had it cut in a month and a half), nor have I become …
It seems that Critical Mass is losing too many good people within a very short period of time. First, it was a round of layoffs nearly three weeks ago. Now it’s a series of resignations. Among them is Arthur. Arthur came …
A year and a day ago, I made the decision to move from my slovenly-like appearance to something a little more healthy. I signed up at the Eau Claire YMCA, and started my exercise regimen. And for about six months, the …
I hereby lodge as much a formal complaint to the final outcome of last night’s team building event as one can without a process by which to handle it. So I’m throwing it out on the Internet for all to see. But more on …
Tonight, David Bowie reminded us all how a concert should be done. Well, technically last night, but since it’s just after midnight as I write this, it’s still the same night. Anyway, you get the point. Tamara and I had …
It’s tough to say good-bye to friends who leave from your company. It’s even harder when they get laid off. Yesterday, Critical Mass experienced an adjustment. I don’t know what was the root cause of this adjustment, but …
Every year, Critical Mass holds its annual holiday party. For the first two years of my employ, they were Christmas parties; the two since then have both been New Year parties. I assume this is because scheduling things …
First off, Happy New Year everyone! 2003 was quite a year — quite a few good things, and a number of bad ones. In fact, not a lot of good ones, worldly-speaking, that is. Although not all the “Year in Review” …