"They're not smores; they're samosas!"

Hey there, ho there, hi there

2007-06-01T22:44:00.000-06:00

I don't think I've logged into the 'ol blog since I discovered Crackbook (credit: Colin). Blogging doesn't appeal to me as much as it used to, and I really don't have much to say these days. All I do is apply for jobs, miss work because of a nagging foot injury and listen to music. Maybe I'll blog again when something interesting happens. For now, Facebook is more than adequate.

I notice Dana B has tagged me in some questionnaire type dealy. I will respond before I take my leave.

What's the topic? 7 things you might not know about me?? $^#$^! OK, I'll give it a shot.

1. I'm the proud owner of a Tickle Me Elmo. Why should I be bound by the recommended age? Elmo's laughter is hysterical, and this particular version rolls around on the floor. It AMUSES me.

2. I will not eat restaurant salad. I don't like lettuce and I don't care for most salad dressings; I eat the bagged spring mix only, and with Kraft Greek with Feta and Oregano dressing only. I hate vegetables, so if there's a combination that works for me, I stick with it.

3. Some people know this, and some don't...because some don't, this counts on the list. I've always wanted to ride in a bobsled. I intend to make this happen at some point.

4. I don't care for hot weather. I'd much rather go to a dreary, windy, rainy golf course in England than play in the sand in Mexico.

5. I haven't seen ANY of the Lord of the Rings movies. Did I miss anything?

6. I have no arches in my feet. They're as flat as a pancake...and 6 years at Extra Foods is doing them no favours.

7. I want to get into the Guiness Book of World Records...preferably for a category that doesn't exist yet...maybe something sideburn related...

Close enough to say FIN

2007-04-24T14:17:00.000-06:00

I wasn't really nervous about my thesis defense. I probably should have been based on past nervousness in front of smaller crowds about easier discussion topics, but a simple analogy I drew from TV kept the stress low.

I viewed my defense as an episode of Jeopardy. In Jeopardy, contestants already know the answers...they simply need to come up with the questions. The same can be said, in part, for me. Very few of the people in the room knew about my topic other than me and my supervisor. After writing this paper for the better part of a year, I already KNEW the answers. As for coming up with the questions, well, I didn't have to figure them out. My committee was more than happy to spell them out for me as clearly as possible. It felt like Celebrity Jeopardy, to be honest...

A few awkward pauses, a few clarifications required...but all in all, it was not as bad an experience as I initially feared. People were nodding (not off, but affirmatively), and my answers stimulated discussion across the table. Still, the rapid-fire nature of the session left me with a nasty headache that only a positive committee recommendation could ease.

I was then banished to Prof. Michelmann's office to look out the window and not touch anything until I was summoned back to the room to receive the verdict, which was a written and oral pass, with only grammatical revisions required to my written work. Those revisions should take no more than a day...not today, but probably tomorrow.

I then celebrated by collapsing into the recliner for 6 hours.

I'm done. I promise you all...no more school ever, EVVVVEEERRR again.

Hmmmmmm

2007-04-20T14:52:00.000-06:00

I was just driving by the University, staring up at the Arts Tower where I'll be defending my thesis on Monday afternoon. As I'm glancing upward and thinking about Monday...what song kicks in on my CD player? I KID YOU NOT...."Torture Me" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kind of funny...I think.

I'll be back next week to let you all know how it went.

House Arrest?

2007-04-11T15:43:00.000-06:00

This blog comes to you directly from Colin's room. He took off for BC just as another round of massive, noisy house renovations are taking place here, sending me fleeing to the basement for some semblance of sanctuary. Today's renovation agenda includes removing the existing floors from both the foyer and the kitchen...which means I can't prepare for my thesis defense because all my material is in my room, and I have to go through the foyer-in-repair to get there. I guess I'm stuck watching TV and surfing the internet downstairs for the rest of the day (aw, shucks!).

Gosh, all my blogging friends have been very, very quiet lately. If blogging has become uncool, please let me know so I can stop doing it too!! It seems like everyone's on MySpace...which is something I've long resisted to join. But if that's what's cool these days, tell me and I'll join! ;)

I was going to celebrate the passing of my thesis defence by going to see Incubus on May 18 in Regina, but now that's postponed until the fall due to a wrist injury suffered by one of the guitarists. I think I'll take the day off anyway and hit the golf course...

Off I go...there's an Ebay auction I have an eye on...

NEVER put down your weapon...

2007-04-01T22:26:00.000-06:00

Obligatory thesis update...I'm defending my thesis in front of a committee of 4 on April 23. Hopefully this happens in the afternoon so I can get SOME sleep. I think I've gotten better at public speaking in recent years, but this will be the ultimate test of where I stand with that particular skill. The prospect of a thesis defense in front of multiple intellectuals was almost enough to persuade me not to apply for grad school in the first place...but so far I feel pretty good.

My heart breaks for children who play very difficult songs on the piano for church offertories. The poor kid today is essentially playing 2 songs at once which inevitably leads to confusion, awkward pauses and frustration, in front of a packed crowd no less. She ran back to her pew, head down and red-faced. I enjoyed her performance as did the rest of the congregation, but I really wish kids (or perhaps their parents) would pick simpler songs...just because they're not way up there on the degree-of-difficulty scale doesn't mean the sound isn't pleasing to God. On a side note, preschool choirs are fun(ny)...every kid up there does something distinctive, be it flailing away, belting lyrics, waving to parents or looking extremely bored.

I hurt my left heel trying to stop a pallet from falling over at work. In the course of running over to said pallet to stop said event, I asked myself why I would risk injury trying to save falling food. Naturally I came to my senses and stopped and let salsa, etc fall to the floor, and in typical Evan fashion, I slipped on some water and wrenched my foot. My feet have been cursed since birth, what with the whole not having arches thing. I still don't know which side of the family to blame for that...

So apparently there was an award show of some sort in Saskatoon this weekend. This weekend has sadly confirmed to me that way too many people are addicted to anything that has to do with celebrities. Very few of them stop by these parts in the first place, and I don't blame them given our sickeningly star-struck local media. Spend some money, contribute to the local economy and leave....please!

I'm craving a bowl of cereal. I find that odd because I'll be having that first thing in the morning anyway. Why the cereal? Why not steak or nachos? Hmmmmm, indeed.

Off to bed I go. I very much anticipate loud renovations waking me up egregiously early tomorrow morning, so I may as well get a good start on slumber. G'night one and all...

....

2007-03-23T17:57:00.000-06:00

Today I arrived at work to find out that a co-worker of mine had passed away during her vacation in Indonesia. I didn't want to be at work in the first place, but this definitely was not the way I expected to start my day.

I didn't know her all that well outside of work...but she was a friendly, familiar face in an environment where people quickly come and quickly go all the time. She's been at Extra Foods as long as I have, and I've been there a LONG time. We could always start up a conversation...at a lane, in the back room, in the parking lot, at a staff function.

I'll miss the exchange of "how are you?"s and "see ya later!"s. It'll be weird looking at customer service and not seeing her there.

Rest in peace, Karla.

Fighting the Irish

2007-03-17T20:16:00.000-06:00

St. Patrick's Day is finally here. Shamrock Shakes (a delicacy now extinct), Lucky Charms (don't buy them from Extra Foods this week...OVER-PRICED), Leprechauns (who knew angst could be so funny), the Fighting Irish (correctly picked them to lose in my NCAA pool). Oh, the memories...I guess I have them because I don't drink!

2 wasted tuition payments later and I finally get an indication of when I'll be defending my thesis. My long-awaited feedback from my thesis committee was no feedback at all, so we're good to go once we find a prof from another department who's willing to read my paper and sit in on my committee meeting. Sounds like my defense will happen in mid to late April, which is good and bad. Good because I can finally start preparing for what is likely to be the longest hour of my life, bad because the deadline to apply for graduation is the end of March. In essence, I will be done with my thesis before graduation, but not before the deadline to apply for graduation. I paid tuition for no advice, no feedback and to not graduate this Spring. I'm also pretty sure none of the profs on my committee read my paper until I stopped in this week to ask them what the holdup was.

I think I had more to say, but I'm pretty tired from working today and from the length of the previous paragraph. I think I'll recline and watch the Canucks game instead...or maybe some Walker, Texas Ranger...

Whatever happened to "Where's the Beef?"

2007-03-09T22:07:00.000-06:00

The title is but one of many thoughts swirling in my mind as I prepare for slumber.

Ahhh...Weezer. The perfect "tweener" music for an evening where you're not sure if you want to get pumped up or power down. I think I'll pump one fist in the air and rest my head on my other hand whilst I listen. Best of both worlds solution.

I have an inordinate amount of toonies on my desk right now. 7 of them, in fact. Normally, I'd use them and treat myself to a car wash, but that just doesn't make sense in March in Saskatoon. I probably won't save them until then, so now I wonder how I will spend $14 in change. Maybe I'll flick them down one of those swirling mall wishing wells that always captures my attention. Maybe I'll save them for an inevitable wheel alignment that comes with driving in March in Saskatoon. I'm keeping all options open.

I've been teaching myself how to use PowerPoint this week with my obscene amount of free daytime. I don't understand why I haven't used it yet...it's been on my computer since I moved here and I should've been forced to use it at some point in university. Anyhoo, I figured the time to learn is now...especially since I lied and said on my resume that I can use it. With my luck, I'd have to make a PowerPoint presentation of the very job interview I'd be attending as a prerequisite for further consideration.

I think I discovered this week that I might be a bit of a control freak. As much as I thought it would be a relief over the last while to let other people handle my affairs for a change, that is not the case. I'm more hands-on than I thought I was...I don't like being left out of the loop. I guess that's a good thing?

Going to go see Incubus in Regina in mid-May. I found a presale password floating around on the internet a few days ago, and now I have tickets ahead of most of the general public. Now will I be driving from Saskatoon to get there, or will I be driving from a place in Regina to get there? Hmmmm...

Britney Spears has been making Kevin Federline look real good lately. Who could possibly have envisioned that mere months ago? You know who else is glad Britney's gone bonkers? That crazy diaper-wearing astronaut. It's a shame really...that was a joke with staying power until Britney came along.

So Chris Simon clubs a hockey stick in the face of another player on the 3 year anniversary of Todd Bertuzzi sucker punching Steve Moore. I wasn't aware anybody actually celebrated that anniversary, but I guess Chris does! If he had whacked him in the throat, he might have killed him. It seems as though you would actually have to kill a man in order for the NHL to rightly discipline thugs like Chris.

This blog brings me closer to bedtime...I'm up at 7am. Normally I'd complain about waking up that early, but since I've slept in all week I have no solid foundation upon which to form a complaint that make you all feel sympathy for me. I'm off to get a cold glass of milk.

Bonne nuit.

(please insert title)

2007-02-26T18:12:00.000-06:00

I'm drinking a Berries and Cream Diet Dr. Pepper. I must report that I find it surprisingly average...dare I say, underwhelming.

I attended a Switchfoot concert on Friday night...I've never felt so tall and old at a concert before. Other than approaching the merch table only to find that the hoody I had stood in line for for a grand total of 5 minutes had just sold out, I had a blast. Jon Foreman is quite the entertainer, leaping and bounding everywhere. Switchfoot didn't play my favorite song (Lonely Nation), but I've conditioned myself to believe this will happen at every concert I attend. My favorite songs are usually the ones that get no radio play at all...so it's my fault this happens all the time! Obviously, I need to conform to mainstream radio quality standards so as to prevent any more future disappointment.

Still nothing regarding my thesis, which I suppose is good news? I don't work until Friday either...I guess I can clean out my closet, and...uhhh...

I just applied for an communications internship at SaskEnergy in Regina. As opposed to almost all of the jobs I apply for, I actually think I'm qualified for this one. If I get it, the transition would be rapid. Stay tuned...

So the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan is showing up to the Department of Political Studies to talk to the grad students. I don't think my attendance is required since I have attained all my course credits, but I have attended such an event before and the protocol for such a meeting is dizzying. Just in case you run into the Lt. Governor in Denny's, here's how to handle the situation smoothly! Actually, I wouldn't blame you if you snuck out the back door to go to Humpty's instead...anyway...

ADDRESSING THEIR HONOURS: At no time is it appropriate to address the Lieutenant Governor or their spouse by their given name. Out of respect for the office, the Lieutenant Governor is addressed personally in the second person as “Your Honour”, “Sir”, or “Dr. Barnhart” (in decreasing order of formality). In the third person, he is referred to as “His Honour”, “the Lieutenant Governor”, or “Dr. Barnhart”. The Lieutenant Governor’s spouse is addressed as “Your Honour”, “Madam”, or “Mrs. Barnhart”.

INTRODUCTIONS FOR MEETINGS: The Vice Regal Couple (VRC) is escorted to a reception room (or area) where head table and special guests may be presented. This can be accomplished using a receiving line format or by the VRC moving down the line of guests. In the former case, the host or Aide-de-Camp should announce the names of guests who will then move by the VRC and any other officials. In the latter case, which is preferred, guests should line up with their spouses. The host should then move down the line making presentations to the VRC, followed by any others. If after presentations, refreshments are served, and especially if there is an interval of fifteen or twenty minutes before the meeting commences, the VRC can circulate among the guests with the host.

DEPARTURE PROTOCOL: At the completion of the meeting (or the participation by His/Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor), guests should remain standing until the VRC has left the room.

Before I leave to go and find my T4 slip at work and eventually settle in for a Jack Bauer Power Hour...have you ever wondered how you could make a 100 Grand? The steps involved may pleasently surprise you.

Picking up my jaw from the floor

2007-02-15T21:30:00.000-06:00

I was having a nice day. I had a great sleep, work was easy, I cashed a cheque of a significant amount that I had long forgot about, had some delicious pickerel for supper, watched a brilliant episode of The Office...and then I read this.

This is worse than Valentine's Day.

Humbug!

2007-02-14T14:35:00.000-06:00

I hate Valentine's Day. I can't recall ever being in a good mood on this day, even though it's just another "day". Heck, I think I like Halloween better than Valentine's Day...and those close to me know the breadth of contempt I hold for Halloween.

I was going to post a huge rant about this wretched overrated "day", but why bother? I'm lazy and I don't think I can top last year's post!

Don't mistake me; I am not against (normal) people celebrating this "day". It's just that everywhere a single guy turns, looks and listens on the 14th, he's reminded of just how single he is. Meh...I think a steady dose of loud music, Xbox and British comedy will get me through the rest of the day just fine.

I leave you with The Rock singing to a Sacramento, California. Man, Sacramento sounds like a HORRIBLE place to live ;)

Oh, the memories...

2007-02-05T19:12:00.000-06:00

I unearthed a treasure trove of long-forgotten goodies whilst cleaning out my closet today. I found a ton of old creative writing assignments and mandatory journal entries from elementary school. I thought I was a normal child until I read some of these things. Apparently, I "loved" science and math back in the day. Oh young Evan, there is so much I need to warn you about...but unfortunately, I cannot.

I also know I was not destined to be an artist...somebody should have told me at a very early age to stop drawing. All of my drawings...utter and complete nonsensical garbage. It's not even cute-good. Additionally, it appears as though I was fascinated by raccoons. Perhaps this was a result of my fascination with the CBC cartoon "The Raccoons". Bert Raccoon and company taught me many valuable life lessons...chief among them being not to attempt to fly a bike, and if you're going to swing on a rope from a tree with a sword, stay focused.

Most of the stuff I found I threw out, but I kept some for nostalgia's sake. I have all my old report cards (good at spelling, bad at tying shoes); all my old trophies/medals/badges; some programs from Oilers games; Whalers and Nordiques fountain pop glasses (potential Ebay material?); the flashcards my parents used to teach me words; hilarious Mother's Day/Father's Day cards ("I help my Dad out by letting him sleep"), etc. I also found a bunch of coupons I made for mom and dad (like finishing my vegetables, picking up toys), but they're well past the expiry date I assigned to it. I will pick up after myself, but I'm still not going to finish my peas.

Symptoms of Withdrawl

2007-02-01T21:19:00.000-06:00

I've got the shakes, man. I've got it, like, REAL BAD, man. I don't know what to do with myself now that my thesis is in the hands of my supervisor...man.

So Colin's finally gone. The bathrooms are cleaner, the phone rings less, and there's more food left in the fridge. Hmmm...do I REALLY miss him?

I need to kill time these days...a LOT of time. Today I packed up some books, shredded more than a few documents, and cleaned off my desk....and I found a $100 bill and a savings bond established for me by my grandparents dating back to 1995 that matures this year while doing so! Sweet deal! That was my MORNING.

This afternoon, I used up my remaining DVD coupons from Christmas. I ended up getting Napoleon Dynamite, The Ringer, Fargo and the complete set of Fawlty Towers. I noticed that Office Space was cheap as well...might go back tomorrow and pick that up too.

This evening, I watched some hockey and The Office. Right now, I'm grooving to some Chris Cornell and firing off some resumes to some government departments that I'd like to work for.

In the meantime, I'll be working a little bit more as I could use a cash infusion, and I'll be packing/throwing away crap from my room so as to facilitate a future move. I'm probably jinxing myself for doing this...oh well.

I leave you with a great moment in Simpsons history. Lord knows I've had the opportunity to do this a number of times myself, but never took advantage of the situation. Some profs really deserved it.

Noise Pollution

2007-01-25T19:57:00.000-06:00

It was impossible to do anything at home today. Firstly, Colin's trying to get everything in order for his cross-Canada tour, of which he leaves tomorrow to pursue. Secondly, we have begun some home renovations. For those who have visited our place in the past, the gap looking down on the TV room downstairs is no more. In order for that to occur, a window had to be popped out, that area covered, and a temporary floor installed...all of it done LOUDLY. This in the midst of having a variety of home renovation experts filter in and out all day scoping our house for a future round of renovations added to the noise level and clogged up the driveway by extension. Balderdash! I'm glad I'm not handy whatsoever...when I'm ready to buy a house, it's going to be all ready to go from the start. Using your hands is for suckers. Why build up the sweat and grime when you could instead watch a close hockey game that makes you sweat and acquire grime (via chip crumbs) equally as much?

Needless to say, today was a bad day for concentrating on and writing my paper. However, that process is becoming more needless by the day, as I am almost done. Yes loyal readers, I have passed the 75 page plateau and intend to wrap up my conclusion and tie up loose ends by Monday at the latest. I sent my draft chapters to my supervisor, who much to my surprise thought they were thesis-worthy even as drafts! It turns out that I could be defending this thing in the next month or so. I've been looking forward to getting this thing out of my hands and to let somebody else worry about it for a change, as it will likely take a month for my committee to read the paper and find a defense date that works for all parties. In the meantime, I suppose I'll try and make some additional money at work and start sending out resumes in hopes of finding, at long last, a career.

I bought all 3 seasons of Arrested Development and the 1st season of Prison Break on Ebay, and I bought season 1 of the X-Files at the new Walmart today. I'm hoping the early episodes of the X-Files don't make me cringe as much as some of the later years did...but for $15, I thought it was worth the gamble. I'm looking to add Fawlty Towers, Mr. Bean, The Thin Blue Line and Curb Your Enthusiasm to my fledgling (and from the looks of it, highly British) box-set collection.

I had a "LOL" moment when I saw this last week. Good night and good luck.

The sea was angry that day, my friends...

2007-01-12T13:55:00.000-06:00

The following account is how I survived the Great Blizzard of 2007. (CAUTION: parts of this tale may be too harrowing for some; discretion is advised)

SCENE: March 23, 2027 (Sunday?)
TIME: 5:45 PM (Supper not ready yet)
PLACE: Mansion overlooking Victoria B.C., where old people go to retire.
CAST: Patrick Stewart as Grandpa Evan, Evan's grandchildren (4), Evan's family (circa 2007), Kevin Federline as Colin, Vince Vaughn as Evan of 2007, Extra Foods management, Scott's Parables management, Bus Driver, Bus Children, Brendan Mierau, Jessica Alba as Mother Nature.

(Grandchildren gather around Evan, their grandfather, by the fireplace. Evan, remarkably sharp for his age, strokes his distinguished beard, reaches for his Sherlock Holmes-like pipe, and waxes philosophically on all things weather...which is what people his age do)

I awoke mid-morning (yes, mid) to a howl akin to that of a vacuum. However, I thought it sounded more obnoxious than usual. I was correct; it was instead the wailing wind of a blizzard. The last time I encountered a blizzard was back in the days of adolescence, back in Dalmeny. I remember that Brendan Mierau was my billet, and had to stay the night dans ie maison Richet because the buses were wusses and because his parents couldn't get into town. I remember having one heck of a pillow fight that night. Since then, I cannot recall a blizzard of that magnitude occurring. In fact, my more recent memories of blizzards are nothing but positive: delicious ice cream, a variety of toppings and at reasonable prices. That is, until January 10, 2007.

My car was in for maintenance on this day, as was my mother's. Dad took Colin to work that morning, as he had sold his car the week previous. Little did they know at the time that they would both be home early on a weekday for supper.

As the day progressed, so did the ferocity of the weather. My grandma, in her 70s, defied Mother Nature by going to work, insisting she's seen worse weather in her lifetime. Her workplace closed early, the employees going home at around noon. She made it home in decent time, thank goodness.

Mom and I were stranded at home, vehicularly challenged. I was supposed to work my last night shift that evening from 5-11, but thought I'd call my employer to see if I was really, really needed. Keep in mind that I work for a company that's open on Easter and Thanksgiving, so I was not optimistic. Sure enough when I called at 1:30, no decision had been made as to whether or not to close early. It appears as though upper management was in Calgary, oblivious to employee concerns and apparently devoid of any sort of media. "Typical", I exclaimed to nobody in particular. The manager that was was there offered to stay as late as it took to save me the drive across the city. The store closed around 7 after repeatedly badgering management to close up shop on the account of public safety and the glaring lack of customers, well after most businesses large and small did, and he didn't get out until after 9. What a wonderful, caring company I work for.

Dad left work before 2, but it took him forever to get down 8th street. He was wearing dress shoes, rendering him unable to push automobiles that were motionless in front of him. As he arrived in Briarwood, he called the house, asking me to bring out a pair of boots for him and a shovel so he could free up cars that were stuck a block or two from our house. I "volunteered" for this mission. I took the tags off of my newly minted winter jacket and took off into a scene eerily reminiscent of the Moors of Scotland. My mom saw my disappear into the blizzard as I left the driveway. I wandered aimlessly down the right hand side of the road, the sidewalk non-existent at the time. I saw some faint lights in the distance and struggled towards them. The first stuck vehicle had been freed as I approached, with my dad next in line. My dad's car has good winter tires, and he attempted to gain momentum toward the house. Of course, his car moves with ease just as I appear.

I am now charged with the task of trying to find my way back home. It's only a block or two away, but I have no idea where I am. The lights of the traffic disappear, the street names on the poles whited out. I head back to where I think home is, quite possibly down the middle of the road. All of a sudden, a yellow school bus emerges behind me and opens its door. All the children have been herded to the back of the bus. She says that bus policy dictates that she not take on regular passengers, but today she makes exceptions. We drive slowly for a good minute or two until I make out a "Brae" on a street pole, and I get let out. Thankfully, it was the correct "Brae" and I find the house.

Colin's employer closes up shop around 2, but remember he has no car. Normally Parables' wouldn't be a bad place to stay for the night, what with their cafe and music and all. Colin's boss offers him a ride home, seeing as though they live on the same side of the city. Better to have two heads than one on a day like this. Every path they attempt to take home is blocked off by traffic and by cops who are closing off bridges. They recount a scene similar to that of the after-effects of a nuclear bomb; cars abandoned in every direction. He returns home safely around 6pm, his boss achieving the same result about an hour later.

We later ate a delicious roast.

(Evan marshals the grandchildren to the dinner table, where he hopes that we would be having pot roast. To his chagrin, we are having fish)

FIN

George C. Scott in "Man being hit by football"

2007-01-09T20:25:00.000-06:00

I have a headache...mind you, it's not near as painful as getting hit by in the face by a soccer ball or having a porch swing collapse whilst swinging, as compiled in humorous and efficient fashion as always by America's Funniest Home Videos.

I signed in with the intent of mentioning something in specific...I don't think this was the reason, but since I cannot remember the original point I wanted to make, I hope you enjoyed other people slightly injuring themselves!

Post for my Peeps

2006-12-29T23:10:00.000-06:00

I had a relaxing Christmas...well-fed, and well-rested. Christmas Eve service started at 6pm and wasn't more than an hour in length, which allowed us plenty of time to throw a bunch of appetizers in the oven and watch RV (better flick than anticipated) with the family. I got to thinking that this time was more special than usual, what with Colin leaving for four months to tour with stereotrap across Canada and with me hopefully settled somewhere into a career by the time he gets back.

We didn't open presents much before 11am on Christmas Day because we all slept in! I was spoiled rotten...got a few Xbox 360 games, a few books (looking forward to the Secret Mulroney Tapes as soon as I stop writing my "book"), season 5 of 24, a talking Elmo (I have a fascination with these talking robots) some clothes and some odds and ends for my future place. I also ended up getting Switchfoot's new CD a day before the rest of the world, thanks to Colin (I snapped up tickets for Switchfoot before Christmas...I just couldn't risk waiting). I made sure Colin was well stocked entertainment-wise for his tour by getting him a computer game for his laptop and a book written by Anderson Cooper, who he seems to admire, in case he gets bored with his game (not likely). Got the parents tickets to go see Colin James, hoping all the while that my dad didn't buy them first for Mom...

Col and I used up our CD Plus scratch and win tickets on Boxing Day. He ended up with about 10 DVDs for his trip, and I got Seasons 1 & 2 of the Office (UK edition), Little Miss Sunshine and Thank You For Smoking for dirt cheap. Spent the rest of the night with the extended family, feasting on ham, perogies and jello fingers, getting career tips and relaxing. I ended up with yet another singing robot in the gift exchange, this time of the Dean Martin variety.

Oddly enough, I've done a lot of work on my thesis over the holidays. I'll be editing Chapter 3 tomorrow after work, which will put me at approximately 64 pages out of a minimum of 75. 11 pages to play with for a conclusion...I can do that. I was worried I'd have 20 left! I'm hoping I can edit and defend this bloody paper in February (fingers crossed).

Spending New Year's Eve out in Dalmeny at Dana and Zach's place with good friends, chips and dip. Speaking of New Years, I've already made a few resolutions (usually I think they're STUPID), but since this very well could be a year with a lot of change for yours truly, there's a few things I want to accomplish: graduate, settle into a new job, and I'm keeping the other 2 to myself...I'll let you know if I achieve the secret ones!

Hope you had a great Christmas, and all the best in 2007! I leave 2006 wanting to laugh heartily...and I immediately thought of Paul Timberman.

Danger isn't my middle name...it's party

2006-12-22T13:13:00.000-06:00

I'm trying my darndest to get Chapter 3 done before Christmas...it actually could happen, so I'll keep this blog quick and to the point.

I'm getting some good laughs from this Donald Trump-Rosie O'Donnell feud. I don't find either of them particularly likeable, so I can sit back and enjoy this! I will say this though...I'm glad Trump called out O'Donnell in public for being so friggin' annoying...it actually needed to be said YEARS ago. Although delivered rather harshly, it's nice to see Rosie get a taste of her own medicine for a change.

So many Christmas parties this week...it was good connecting with people I don't see as much as I used to. The late nights associated with these parties are starting to catch up with me though...I can't believe people can party like this week in, week out! I'm a 44 year old man in a 24 year old body.

I'm feeling pretty burnt out, so it'll be nice to have 2-3 days to eat, sleep and be merry.

Enjoy the holiday season, and remember to reflect upon the REAL reason why we celebrate this time of year.

I close with Youtube, Christmas-style.

Untitled

2006-12-11T23:25:00.000-06:00

I need something to do before bed, so I figured a blog update was in order whilst listening to a plethora of music...P.O.D., Rise Against, Our Lady Peace, Mobile, Alien Ant Farm, Switchfoot...I'm all over the musical map this evening. Not sure if I want to rock out or power down...

I pretty much finished my Christmas shopping today. I prefer to do it all at once on Christmas Eve purely for the adrenaline rush and because I really don't know what to buy people. Alas, the 24th is on a Sunday this year, rendering my participation in the mall madness meaningless this season. All I have left to do is buy a $10 gift exchange dealy and compile an Extra Foods gift basket for the family.

Speaking of Extra Foods, I've been thinking of quitting relatively soon. It's been a gong show over there for the last month or so and I've been dreading most of the days I'm there lately. After 5 years of stupid shirts, stupid ties and stupid customers, I've almost had it. So do I quit now so I can wrap up my thesis and start looking for a career, or do I hold on to a flexible, well-paying job until the very last minute? I'll think about that over the holidays...

I don't have much left to do for my thesis. I'm working on my last major argument for Chapter 3, which is basically a tedious regurgitation of notes. Then I have my overall conclusion (Chapter 4), a few interviews with yet-to-be-determineds and whatever editing needs to be done. I've found it really hard to work on this lately...inexcusably, I'm lacking in motivation to finish this.

I'm going to try and insert a Youtube link at the end of every post, now that I think I know how to do so. Let's find out if they work....TOGETHER!

I feel a rant coming on....

2006-11-29T12:33:00.000-06:00

I will precede the "main event" rant with one small, totally unrelated one.

Dear Hinder, your song "Lips on an Angel" SUCKS. The video SUCKS. Hearing it all the time on the radio SUCKS. I %$&^%#^# despise that song. That song is so schmaltzy it makes Moon River sound like a farting orangutan! (credit: Homer Simpson).

OK, the main event...

You know you live in Saskatoon when you complain about the rate of snow removal. Don't give me this baloney about the city not being prepared for such an early snowfall. It's SASKATCHEWAN!; I'm surprised it didn't snow on Labour Day! Briarwood hasn't been plowed once this year, and the only way the streets are remotely passable here is because cars need go to work and, eventually, the sun chooses to shine. Hire the people who plow mall parking lots for cripes sakes if you need to...I'd like to be able to back out of my driveway someday soon.

This rant would have been even more venomous had today been Valentine's Day as well!

Suckiest bunch of sucks who ever sucked

2006-11-14T20:13:00.000-06:00

I really don't feel like typing anything from an academic standpoint this evening. I was going to go to the University to plan out my last section of Chapter 3, but I ALWAYS get my car stuck on campus and I hear there's a nasty flu on campus. Parents have a Bible study downstairs, so I'm stuck in my room, listening to music and far too distracted to write. You know what that means...MEANINGLESS SURVEY TIME!!

1. FIRST NAME?
I won't even dignify this question with an answer, since I know already what my first name is. Most people already know it and it's easy to find on here if one cared to find that out. Wouldn't it be cool if I had a Spanish first name to go along with my French last name? Oh, the possibilities...

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I can't even think of a famous or historical Evan. Evan Solomon from CBC is the only one I can think of, but he doesn't count since he's on the CBC.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
I don't think I have tear ducts on the account of me being such a manly man, so I offer this dialogue from Seinfeld to amuse you.
Jerry: "What is this salty discharge?
Elaine: "Oh my goodness, you're crying"
Jerry: "Oh no......I care!"

4. DO YOU KNOW YOUR OWN HANDWRITING?
I've sworn off handwriting ever since I wrote a law school entry exam that REQUIRED me to handwrite my essay answers instead of printing it. I figured since I paid 100 bucks for the privilege of writing the bloody thing, on a Saturday morning no less, I'd write it however I saw fit. Enter Political Studies...lol

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
I think I'll answer this one seriously. Pastrami, buffalo chicken, turkey, honey ham...(drooling)

6. KIDS?
Say the darndest things. On the Block.

7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Another Seinfeld reference, Jerry's mom to Jerry: "How could anyone not like you?"

8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
Does this count?

9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Me? Nooooooooooooooooo. What a stupid question.

10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
And how.

11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Not until I get a certificate that claims I've indeed gone off my rocker.

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE POSITION IN BED?
Sleeping, duh.

13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
I don't. I'm really lazy.

14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
At the rate I'm pushing cars this winter, I will continue to amass strength.

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Any Blizzard with cheesecake bits in it.

I6. SHOE SIZE?
11? I haven't gone bowling in awhile, so I forget.

17. RED OR PINK?
Calgary Flames red.

18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I don't take enough risks...and my handwriting (LOL)

19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Rhi and Ashley. I'll never forgive them for finishing their thesis and finding jobs!

20. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO INCLUDE THIS IN THEIR BLOG TOO?
Pffft.

21. WHAT COLOUR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue jeans and slippers...I thought I'd spice it up a bit today.

22. LAST THING YOU ATE?
Sweet&Sour Pork, ginger beef and chow mein noodles...from Extra Foods, surprisingly enough.

23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
U2 & Green Day-The Saints Are Coming; Chris Cornell; Incubus

24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
That's deep, man. Like, far out. Emerald green.

25. FAVORITE SMELLS?
We used to have candles at work that smelled like cookies. Too bad I don't buy candles...it's a policy I have.

26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
A girl who booked my haircut...I'll get her digits tomorrow (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
Sense of humour and signs of intelligence...followed by blonde hair (LOL)

28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
I've seen this everywhere. If Bill O'Reilly had this on his blog, I can't say I like him.

29. FAVORITE DRINK?
Diet Coke. Regular Coke sucks. Perhaps aspartame has warped my sense of taste?

30. FAVORITE SPORT?
Football, followed by everything else known to man, then figure skating and equestrian.

31. HAIR COLOR?
Brown, with a special, limited appearance by blonde.

32. EYE COLOR?
Green? I don't look at my eyes that often.

33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
I can't even come close to touching my eyeball. Add that to the things I don't like about myself.

34. FAVORITE FOOD?
Monte Cristo sandwich at Broadway Cafe, followed by numerous varieties of pizza.

35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING?
Anything that makes me hoot and holler "Married with Children"-style when all is said and done. I've never cared for scary movies. I'd bungy jump before you'd get me to watch a Saw movie.

36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED IN THEATER?
Hmmm....I don't watch a lot of movies. I think it was Little Miss Sunshine, which I highly recommend. I kinda want to see Borat though...

37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue Jays jersey. Do you want to know what color my socks are while you're at it?

38. SUMMER OR WINTER?
I hate hot weather. I enjoy winter when I'm not pushing cars and driving carefully. Fall is my favorite, but that wasn't an option for some reason.

39. HUGS OR KISSES?
Chocolate is all good.

40. FAVORITE DESSERT?
I'm a sucker for brownies and cheesecake. My least favourite? Apple pie...highly overrated.

41. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Pffffft.

42. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Pffffft.

43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
Citizenship in Transformation in Canada and Educating Citizens for a Pluralistic Society...both them are as exciting as they sound. I think that's all I need to paw through for my thesis. I probably should have done that tonight...oh well. I'm over it.

44. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Green...just green.

45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
Deal or No Deal, Monday Night Football, Monday Night RAW.

46. FAVORITE SOUNDS?
Drums.

47. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles, since Foo Fighters wasn't an option.

48. THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Florida...that was way too long ago. I need a vacation that isn't Regina.

Green Machine

2006-11-07T13:41:00.000-06:00

Wow, it's been 2 years since I started this blog. (cue Flintstones song) Happy anniversary, happy anniversary, happy anniversary, HAAAAAAAAPY anniversarrrrry! (end Flintstones song) Oh, the memories...are there any? Not off the top of my head, no :)

Now that everyone's finally back from vacation, I've got the week off of work so that I can make some progress on my thesis. So far, so good...I handed in a section of Chapter 3 to my supervisor, which leaves me with one more heavy section, a chapter 3 conclusion, and an overall conclusion that will be my Chapter 4. Off the top of my head, I believe I'm around the 55 page mark...which leaves me with 20-25 more. I'm not planning on this paper being really long and rambling...I want it precise and to the point. It will also diminish the number of questions I'll face at my defense! So yeah, not much writing left, but I need to schedule some interviews soon I suppose...that's the only thing I haven't prepared for yet.

The goal is to be done writing this thing by Christmas, and have profs read it over the holidays! I also want it done because I promised myself I would buy an Xbox 360 for when I have very little left to write!

I'm still buzzing from the Rider win on Sunday. They actually might win this Sunday too...which means I need to decide soon if I'm going to venture out to Winnipeg for the Grey Cup later this month. I don't want to have to go to Winnipeg for no reason ;)

Back to typing, then to watch some classic Battlestar Galactica. then some more typing, then supper, then to watch American election results...then maybe some more typing.

AHA!

2006-10-27T15:26:00.000-06:00

Something has been bugging me and weighing heavily on my mind recently, and I really needed to find out the truth.

Is Paul Pfeiffer from "The Wonder Years" REALLY Marilyn Manson??

Colin mentioned that to me a few weeks ago and my jaw dropped. One, because I was a Wonder Years fan (especially Winnie Cooper) back in the day; and two, I've never, EVER heard this. I consider myself somewhat of an oddball news buff, and I couldn't believe this passed by my radar.

I just checked wikipedia to satisfy my thirst for knowledge, and here is what I found about Josh "Pfeiffer" Saviano: "A rumor circulated in the 1990s that he grew up to be the leader of the shock rock band Marilyn Manson; however, that rumor was untrue. Currently, Saviano is working as an attorney at Morrison Cohen LLP, in NYC. He is an avid fantasy sports player." A lawyer? I don't know, that's kind of far-fetched, don't you think? ;)

MP=Mainly Pathetic?

2006-10-23T19:00:00.000-06:00

I am sometimes amazed (or is it appalled?) by the conduct of those elected to represent us in Parliament. Frankly, I can understand why some people don't bother to vote...probably because they support none of the options on the ballot! Witness this scene from what appears to be a school playground...I can't believe the Speaker even has to deal with with this stuff when they should be debating the nation's business, which is apparently what they give themselves pay raises to do. The people that made the comments seen below AND those who insist on eating up valuable time reacting to said comments disgust me equally.
******************************************

Hon. Denis Coderre (Bourassa, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, during oral question period, there was heckling going on while my hon. colleague from Honoré-Mercier was putting a question to the Minister of the Environment.

I do not know why, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs took comments about environmental impacts on humans and animals as a personal attack.

Someone on our side shouted, “What about Peter's dog?”, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs shouted back, “You already have her”. What an appalling thing to say.

It is disgusting. It is shameful. I demand to know why the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that. I want to know at whom he was aiming. I want him to apologize to everyone. It is disgusting.

Mr. Mark Holland (Ajax—Pickering, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order, there were some comments on this side of the House that the lack of action on the environment by the government might have an impact on the foreign affairs minister's dog, to which the foreign affairs minister responded, “You already have her”, and he gestured toward the seat in front of me, which is the seat of the member for Newmarket—Aurora.

This is clearly shameful. The minister owes an apology to the House. It was a shameful display, for which he absolutely must apologize.

Hon. Rona Ambrose (Minister of the Environment, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what happened over here but I would like to point out that the member for Bourassa, who raised this question, at one point called me a name, a sexist comment saying that I was merely a pretty picture vase sitting at the front of the entrance to a home.

It has been a number of months, but I am glad he raised this issue because it has always bothered me, so I would like an apology from him today for that.

Hon. Denis Coderre (Bourassa, Lib.):
I would like her, Mr. Speaker, to tell me what this is about exactly, given that I never address her or speak to her.

Obviously, this is a diversion tactic on the part of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is once again making a show of his private life in this House.

He should apologize.

I do not know what the member is talking about. She can call me and talk to me, but I do not know what she is talking about.

The Speaker:
We will leave this matter for the moment.

"A Man of Few Words" update

2006-10-22T00:20:00.000-06:00

Saturday night. Bored. Blog. Yup.

Won a poker game last week!

Riders win on the road? Whaaaaa?

New Incubus single "Anna Molly"...good stuff.

Fooled around on a drum set today...I enjoyed it very, very much.

Might splurge on an Xbox 360 and a cellphone--->(welcome to 1999?)

I need to hit myself repeatedly with my thesis to wake me up.

Party at Simon's tomorrow! Woooo!

I sleep now.

So....how's....stuff?

2006-10-06T00:26:00.000-06:00

Colin and his girlfriend are here...which means Single Man has to leave the comfort associated with the big screen TV and retreat back to his room. Need to find something to do that will facilitate the act of sleeping...blogging should do the trick.

I won't update you on my thesis, because there's nothing to update. The start of the NHL and the baseball playoffs aren't helping matters around here, as sports distracts me quite easily and for prolonged amounts of time. Nice to hear some of my classmates are due to wrap (or have wrapped?) up their degree very soon...maybe that's the kick in the posterior that I need.

I bought FIVE CDs this week in a much needed replenishment of my collection: Jet, Evanescence and Pillar (not as good as their previous efforts, but a couple of gems to be found in each, and the price was, pardon the pun, right); Papa Roach (better than anticipated); and the X-2007 Christian Rock Hits compilation (awesome). What's stealing the show for me at the moment is the two songs featured on Switchfoot's website. Both are incredible. I can't believe their new album is being released on Boxing Day (groan...length-wise and date-wise), but I'm sure I can find an advance somewhere on the 'net to do me until then.

I got really blonde highlights the other day. I think I like it, even thought the conversation with my...uhhh...hair professional(??)...sucked. I hate it when that happens, especially when I'm there for more than just a trim. It's not like I can ask her what she does for a living, and I can only talk about myself for so long before I get sick of hearing about me too! And I'm too young to start talking about the weather to total strangers...

I had a Pumpkin Pie Blizzard at Dairy Queen tonight. I think I'm in love. Would I marry a Pumpkin Pie Blizzard? Yes, I think I would.

Okay, my sugar rush has subsided. Until next time...

Quack

2006-09-29T14:02:00.000-06:00

September has been a month long battle against writer's block. I suppose this was due to happen at some point, seeing as though I got halfway through my paper without any major problems. It's not a lack of information I'm suffering from...it's a lot of information and how to sort through it in a way that makes sense. I think I've deleted more pages than I've typed this month. If I can get through this blog entry without deleting anything, I'll be on a much-needed hot streak!

Had a fun time on Saturday night at Dana's birthday party. Good food, good friends. Hung out with a bunch of people I never really get to see anymore, which was awesome. I also did some "networking" in a sense with some of my friends, which I didn't expect to do on a Saturday night...but I came away with some things to think about for my paper, which is always welcome. I'm also 2 for 2 in holding a baby without it crying.

Had a great time on Sunday at the Rider game with Shaun and Vince. I found another great parking spot. The game was a defensive thriller (if I can use those 2 words in a sentence) for the first 3 quarters, but business picked up in the 4th and in OT, with the good guys benefitting from what might possibly have been the worst coaching decision known to man (BC punting through the endzone for a single point to win the game on FIRST DOWN...which failed). Usually it's us with the boneheaded coaching, so I'll gladly take it.

I love the internet. I think I just found the theme for the new James Bond movie coming out later this year. It's awesomo.

I watched the show House for the first time last week. The lead actor is fantastic...too bad he's trapped in the confines of yet another medical drama show. I should keep a running total of how many medical dramas and lawyer shows there actually are on TV. I bet it's staggering. I'm surprised I'm not studying to become a doctor or a lawyer, to tell you the truth...because they're EVERYWHERE. I don't know how I avoided the temptation.

One thing I've noticed while watching Deal or No Deal: America is riddled with annoying families.

Let's give this chapter another shot before I take the weekend off! ;)

Soooooooo.....

2006-09-14T19:47:00.000-06:00

Sipping on Strawberries and Cream Diet Pepsi (it's not horrible), staring at my computer screen, stalling on Chapter 3, listening to the new Jars of Clay album Col got me for some reason...I think he's buttering me up just in time for his birthday next month. I'm on to him.

So yes, I have vanquished the foe that was Chapter 2 of my thesis. And no, I haven't made any significant progress on Chapter 3. I have a lot of information for that chapter that requires sifting, sorting and prioritizing, which is quite frustrating. And here I thought this would be the easiest chapter to write. I'm sure it will be once I get it all in order. At least I've passed the halfway barrier (chapter and length wise), which is already twice as much as I've ever written for one single paper. I can't believe I've gotten this far, because I've slacked off a LOT this summer!

I'm not happy with my tuition bill from the U of S. The only class I have to sign up for is POLST 994, which isn't even a class. It just enables me with the privilege of researching my paper. I know I should have to pay something, but I did not expect to pay $1,000 for this privilege! What a RIP. Well, I suppose that's a good way of breaking in my new VISA, and it should motivate me to get the he-double-hockey-sticks out of the U of S. (Insert roar of a lion here)

I rewarded myself for passing the halfway barrier by buying myself something that will probably chew into my typing time. I bought seasons 1 and 2 of The Office. Shows that can make you laugh out loud and then cringe a minute later are awesome. Awkward comedy RULES.

Well, back to typing...about...The Office...

Par for the Course

2006-08-31T14:35:00.000-06:00

Taking a break from typing...to type something else...

I love days like today. Give me rain and a breezy day over 30 degree weather anytime.

I figured that since my thesis was progressing, why not stall that progress and take some time off? That's what I've done for the past few days. I golfed with more success than usual over that span of time, and I've already worked my shifts at Extra Foods for the week. So does this mean I should be typing during the Labour Day weekend? I'd like to be half-done EVERYTHING by then, so I suppose I should...but football takes precedent ;)

Despite the title, I took in a great movie with Ashley and Rhiannon Tuesday night called Little Miss Sunshine. It had Steve Carell in it, so I had to see it. Beautifully done satire about children's beauty paegeants and the imperfections of one such family that has a kid entered in it. I highly recommend this flick. I was fully prepared to see Snakes on a Plane before I heard about this one.

Paid a visit to Dana and Zach yesterday before work, with a gift in tow for their newborn Oliver. I thought to myself: if I was a baby today, what would I want to wear? A track suit with a football on it, most definitely. I also got to experience a first: holding a baby. I was in awe of what I was holding; his head was no bigger than my hand, his hand no bigger than my pinkie. And he didn't throw up on my new jersey, which was an added plus!

I purchased a kicking tee the other day. I want to see if I have adequate game left in me to see whether or not I should sign myself up for this Kick for a Million CFL contest. If chosen, I don't want to make an ass-clown out of myself on national TV, so I should probably practice ;)

OK, time to put the boots to Chapter 2 once and for all.

So, how about those (insert name here)'s?

2006-08-17T22:18:00.000-06:00

Hmmm...I've been using a keyboard non-stop for the last 2 weeks or so, yet haven't found the time to update th' ol' bl'g. Since I've written all I can about the 1947 Citizenship Act for one day, I will now use my keyboard for good instead of evil...relatively speaking. The Citizenship Act are swell folks, really they are. I just need some personal time with the keyboard, mmkay?

So now I'm 1/3 done my thesis page-wise (if we abide by the minimum, which I most certainly am doing)...and will be 1/2 done chapter-wise in a week or so. Notice the fractions becoming ever more favourable as the posts progress! Apparently my paper is "taking shape", according to sources very much familiar with the project (LOL)

I just noticed that my "My Life Savings Jar" in my room is filling over the lid. Normally one would be overjoyed at that prospect and actively seek early retirement options, but really it's a bad thing because I have no place for my crappy loose change. I hereby request another "My Life Savings Jar" for Christmas. I'm that short on ideas for Christmas, people.

I can't believe that the new Audioslave album hasn't been leaked onto the internet yet. I'm going to buy it anyway, but dammit I want to hear it ASAP!

So I tripped last week...through a table with ceramic tiles and drove my shin right through one of said tiles, resulting in quite the gash...no stitches required though. It may in fact be the coolest scar I've ever had, but it lacks a story with a memorable "hook". I can tell such a story though from Grade 5. I was rounding third base, attempting to score...when I was blindsided by a swinging ALUMINUM baseball bat from the on-deck circle in the FACE. Apparently I had ventured well out of the baseline, possibly because I was watching the incoming throw from the outfield, and pssibly because the basepath was being blocked by the catcher. I remember tumbling to the ground, in disbelief of what had just happened. My glasses were driven right into my eyebrow, creating a semi-circle gash around my eye. Those glasses were of the flexible variety, so they were (gasp) fine. I remember the first question I asked: "Was I safe at home plate" I was not. It was then that I burst into tears...not because of the pain, but because it was all in vain ;)

I'm going to take it upon myself in the coming weeks to prove or disprove the theory that "chicks dig scars". This particular party trick could be with me for awhile ;)

My day in Dalmeny, and other things too

2006-08-06T23:02:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I went to Dalmeny to attend the wedding of Heidi Zacharias and Carlos Estrada. They're good people, although I told Carlos that he should've scheduled the wedding on a day when the Riders WEREN'T playing. Colin and I both thought a few of the men (emotional Latinos especially) in the wedding party would cry, but they didn't. Had a good time meeting up with people I haven't seen in a long time, and took a bit of a drive around the town to see what's going on. I didn't make it back to our old house despite it being a block away, but apparently it looks quite different from accounts I've heard. The wood fence repalced with chain-link, and the big bushes in the back have been cut down. I guess privacy is ovverated?

We did, however, go to the Dalmeny Family Restaurant before the reception...I'm guessing Friends sued to gain back control over the Central Perk name. I must say, I've never heard of a Meattine before, supposedly a meatier version of a poutine. I passed and went with mozza sticks. I have no regrets.

Obligatory thesis update: 1/4 done, 1/2 done in 2 weeks or so.

Been thinking of trying something that is defintiely out of my comfort zone over the last few days...but I'll keep the specifics to myself ;)

The long weekend has allowed me to catch up on books I've been meaning to read for some time now. Bill Maher's "New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer" is taylor-made for readers with short attentions spans; it's funny and has a lot of pictures. For each letter of the alphabet, Maher comes up with new rules he'd like to see implemeted in society, or has witty comebacks for current trends. This one is my favourite thus far:
INKY DINKY DON'T
"Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it, it doesn't make you spiritual. It's right above the crack of your ass and it translates to "Beef with Broccoli". The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren't pregnant."

So apparently the Rolling Stones are playing in Regina? Since this is the first I've heard of this (rolling eyes), I wonder if I should pick up a pair of tickets and sell them on Ebay for Riders season tickets and a Playstation 3.

I work tomorrow morning. It must be an error because I thought I was too expensive to work on holidays, but I'll go in anyway.

Looking forward to the 1st day of the Ex on Tuesday: Trews, Theory of a Deadman, spudnuts, some light walking, and outta there. And I'm outta here now.

Hamburger Earmuffs

2006-07-30T18:10:00.000-06:00

Thought I'd take a break from typing to blog a 'lil bit. It also coincides with my academic writing block, so maybe this will stir some creative juices...or send me to go watch TV. It could go either way at the moment...

The thesis is progressing, I must say. I got a Certificate of Approval with Minor Modifications (is that really a certificate?) from the Ethics Office, so now I can finally conduct some interviews (I think?) It only took me 3-4 times and a few months of bureaucratic wrangling to get to this point. Remind me NOT to apply for a job there. Got approval from my supervisor for how I want to write my chapters, so I'm slowly but surely wallowing my way through those at the moment. I have more reading to do, but it can wait for awhile. I'm sick of reading. Reading sucks. Typing is much more mildly interesting. I'm hoping (every body part crossed) to be half done by this time next month.

I hate radio commericals. They're all TERRIBLE. I can detect a hint of disgust in the majorty of the voice-overs.

Unfortunately, I watched a little bit of that reality dating show with Flavor Flav (some washed-up rapper dude) the other day. A few thoughts persist. First, I thought Flav was dating that gross chick from Denmark. Good on him if he got out of that. Second, I had no idea he was rich...he definitely doesn't let on that he is (LOL). Third, he has 14 (a number I arrived at arbitrarily) women fighting over him. 2 things all these women have in common: they're all gold-diggers after his "bling", and I bet they'll all attest that Flav tastes like a peanut.

I just discovered an interesting way that I start my morning. I brush my teeth with Crest Vanilla Mint toothpaste, use Vanilla Mint Listerine to give me delicious breath, and chew Vanilla Mint gum when I head off to work. All I'm missing is Vanilla Mint cereal, which I'm personally working on creating, but is in the early developmental stages.

Last week was like the 7 days of Christmas, mailbox-wise. All of my ebay stuff finally arrived...I've restocked my selection of sports jerseys, all of them utterly cool, all of them much better than anything you'll find in the malls of this province. I've got a few more coming in a few weeks too. Good thing about being single is that you can spend a lot more on yourself!

I tried a Big Turk chocolate bar at work. Jam + Chocolate= good times.

Going out to Dalmeny for the first time in a looooonnnng time this Saturday to attend a wedding. If any Dalmatian out there still reads this thing and is around town in the afternoon, you wanna meet for a mid-afternoon lunch at whatever Central Perk is called now?

By and by, there is a new Stereotrap song up at www.myspace.com/stereotrap called Lifegiver. I make fun of the guys a lot because someone has to keep them grounded (lol), but that song deserves mucho props. Me likey.

I think I'm gonna watch Simpsons. Bye-diddly-bye.

Robin's Go-Nuts

2006-07-21T15:36:00.000-06:00

So we have this family of robins going on in the backyard...they have like 4 or 5 attempted nests built underneath our deck. it's actually a clever spot...they're protected from rain and wind, and predators can't find them. Eggs hatched a few weeks ago and it looks like the kids are learning how to fly. However, Father robin has seen fit to determine our family to be "predators" in the past few days. Everytime we attempt to BBQ or relax on the deck, he dive-bombs towards us squawking at the top of his lungs, forcing us to retreat indoors. I can't believe we've become hostages in our own home because of a stinkin' bird! Robins make for rotten house-guests...rude and not at all grateful for the hospitality...kind of like European borders!

How much would it cost to rent out an eagle or owl for an hour or two? Just wondering ;)

Ok youse guys...

2006-07-13T17:58:00.000-06:00

A few things on my mind recently...brace yourselves...

So the MVP of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game won a new Chevy something-or-other. Uhhh...he makes millions of dollars playing a kids game. I think he can afford a new truck himself, and doesn't need the help of corporate sponsors to do it. I wonder if these MVPs actually keep these gifts...they probably use it as a container for their money.

Boy, I swear CNN has turned into the all-Israel, all-the-time network in the last few days. It's really sad to see what's going on there with Hamas and now Lebanon. Just when you think there's going to be a breakthrough, one side has to go and "f" things up. One thing I've learned this year in class is that both sides to this conflict are extremely stubborn, and personally I find it hard to be sympathetic to either one of them. The one silver lining about this whole thing? It keeps Lou Dobbs from talking about illegal aliens for the entire hour of his program!

I was sure I had other things to type...but I'm playing some headbanging music and I quite possibly shook those thoughts out of my physical being. I'm going to go to school and try and salvage something constructive out of this day...then pop over to O'Sheas to get re-acquainted with the grad students. Mmmm...Coca-Cola...I can't wait!

I leave you with this image from the World Cup. Good night citizens.

Etcetera

2006-07-07T22:42:00.000-06:00

Headed out to Regina tomorrow to see the Stampeders get sent to the glue factory by the Riders. I had planned on driving, but I still think there's something wrong with my steering. Rather than risk an accident at break-neck speeds, my friend Rhiannon will drive. She just had her car fixed, so we'll be more comfortable with driving at said speeds.

Dumbass stadium names strike again! So Taylor Field got renamed to Mosaic Stadium. No doubt it's a welcome cash infusion for the club, but I'll never call it that. Tell a cab-driver in Regina that you want to go to Mosaic Stadium and they'll say there's no such thing. He'll get on the radio with all his other cab buddies and have a laugh at your expense...while you still wait to get past the same construction zones that you swear were still there in Regina a few years ago.

I almost got blown off of the deck today by a freak wind. I was trying in vain to keep a tarp from flying away, but I almost flew away with it, ala Mary Poppins. In hindsight, I ask myself the following question: what has the tarp ever done for me that warranted me rushing to its rescue? I mean, it's easily replaceable...

So it's Italy vs. France in the World Cup Final. Funny, I find soccer interesting once every 4 years, and this year is no exception. As a Frenchman myself, I'm loving it...I even ordered a Thierry Henry jersey off Ebay. By the time it gets here, I probably won't even wear it until 2010! My thesis supervisor is a full-blooded Italian, which makes this game even more interesting as far as I'm concerned ;)

Speaking of soccer, Jon Stewart had a great idea on the Daily Show the other day. We should use referees' yellow and red cards for societal infractions. If you see someone spitting on the sidewalk, pull a yellow card out of your pocket and issue them a warning. I'm seriously considering doing this...I might test it at work with customers. If they're still shopping at 10:05 when I've locked the doors and when we've announced twice that the store is closed, I'm gonna pull out a red...

I just found out that a friend of mine from work and I share a crush on the same girl. Since I just cut my hours in half (at least), I readily concede defeat! LOL

I got a new watch. It's got the time for Kabul, Afghanistan on it. Ask me for it sometime. I can even get you the time for Pago Pago...wherever the hell that is...

BEHOLD!

2006-07-02T15:19:00.000-06:00

The ultimate eating experience!

The ultimate appliance!

Once facing extinction, it appears as though the mad scientist has rebounded into mainstream society with renewed vigour. I, for one, am positively elated. Carry on, you most noble inventors!

Timbits...I mean...Tidbits

2006-06-25T14:27:00.000-06:00

Sipping on Coke, chewing on some Vanilla Milkshake Whoppers, waiting for the Rider game to commence. An ideal time to blog about random thoughts and such.

From my short stint behind a customer service counter this past week, I've come to realize that smokers are a very confidant bunch. They say the name of the product they so desperately crave with authority, even when they know that us non-smokers have no freakin' clue what they're talking about. The following exchange is an accurate example: "I'll have a pack of Players Unlimited Light Cool Du Maurier Classic Camel please" "Uhhhhhh.....what color is it?"

Sweet. Theory of a Deadman and the Trews are playing at the Ex this year. I missed both of their individual concerts earlier this year, so this is definitely a sign for me to drop all my commitments and take advantage of this second chance opportunity. I don't like rides, rigged games and people endlessly asking me to step right up, but I'll go for the one day, buy a bagful of delectable spudnuts and be on my merry way...and maybe take in a freak show and a monster truck rally if time permits.

Audioslave, new album early September. Awwwwwww yeaaaaahhhhh. There's nothing on the horizon that I would consider buying until that album comes out, so I guess my free CD from CD Plus will have to wait to be hole-punched until then.

I went to the Capitol Theatre on Tuesday night and saw my first movie there since Jurassic Park. I saw Nacho Libre, and enjoyed it because it's a Mexican version of Napoloeon Dynamite, and because it delves into the mysterious underworld of the luchador. Halfway through, I realized I broke one of my most sacred rules...never pay to see a comedy in an "expensive" theatre. What was I thinking??

The newest wave of talent shows has started airing on TV, now that all the good shows worth watching are on hiatus or repeat endlessly for the summer. One thing is abundantly clear...AMERICA HAS RUN OUT OF TALENT. You guys have sucked that well bone dry! Let's find out who America's best door-to-door Encyclopedia Britannica salesman is...a fresh concept, any concept please!!!

If there's a show I'll try to watch this summer, it'll be Last Comic Standing. I can appreciate how difficult that profession(?) is because you continuously have to keep coming up with new material for unpredictable audiences. The material that is "worldly" and not vulgar is what connects with me, because I think the routines about sex, etc are too easy...and too many people go down that route anyway. Watch the guy with cerebral palsy...he's hilarious! Oh, and Hell's Kitchen is a must-watch because the chef insults the customers just as much as he does the contestants!!

What, these Whoppers are a limited edition?? If I had known that, I wouldn't have eaten them so fast! Awwww mannnnn....

Ay, there's the rub!

2006-06-19T16:20:00.000-06:00

I've had some "motivation" problems with my thesis since lecture "season" ended. I'm not used to doing academic work at this time of the year and I find myself very distracted...I'd much rather go golfing, for instance. Ah...but this weekend, I finally had an epiphany.

A number of people at work thought it would be funny to make me learn how to cash at work. I'd rather not do it, but it's probably not a bad idea in theory, seeing as though I have to close up shop a few nights a week and should know something about it if a problem were to arise on my watch. OK fine, let me learn it at my pace and in a controlled environment...after all, I've got a number of more important things on my plate that require my attention these days...

Saturday morning was the most furious I've been at work in years. Once again, the front end is ridiculously under-staffed before the inevitable lunch rush, and I'm asked to cash BY MYSELF in a freakin' zoo. How exactly am I going to make this situation any better, given my 30 minute tutorial a month ago and a 6 page handout on cashing that I have yet to read because I'm busy writing half of a book? I didn't even know how to open the effing register. If something goes wrong, it's my responsibility even though I wanted nothing to do with it in the first place. Sometimes it really bothers me when I have to help so many people at work, but nobody helps me when I need it.

As I was "cashing" on till #2 and apologizing to customers in advance for the problems I was going to have, I had my epiphany. Why exactly am I subjecting myself to this torture? "You know Ev, you wouldn't have to worry about this if you dedicated more time to your thesis" Hey, Ev's right...and don't forget suave. And hey, once I finish up this thesis, cashing will be eating my dust as far as career choices go. Once I got upstairs for my break, I immediately crafted a new schedule that reflected this new priority. It will hurt my bank account for the near future, but it will help everything else.

This new priority will be implemented soon...after the Oilers game ;)

I might have another post tonight...I have some thoughts of a humourous nature, but alas, I have to tend to the BBQ. Who knows, I may have a humourous thought or two to share from that alone ;)

Great Farters Throughout History

2006-06-07T10:47:00.000-06:00

King Toot. Julius Cheezer. Fartacus. Napoleon Blownapharte. Abe Stinkin'. General Pooten. I LOVE getting birthday cards from Uncle Kurtis and Aunt Charlene...they're always able to top their cards from the previous year!

Went to Louis' Friday night to take in a concert on my birthday...went with some pals from school and from work. Poor Rhiannon had a drink spilled on her by our waitress early in the evening, but the waitress took care of the rest of her bill (I think). 5 minutes later, I get a tap on my shoulder...and there's a piece of cheesecake for me. I wonder if Rhi staged the whole thing ;)

The rest of the evening was fine. The opening act (name escapes me) was arguably the best of the night...they even got an encore chant! I enjoyed People in Planes, but the crowd wasn't into them for some reason. It could be because of their thick British accents, or because they made fun of how Saskatoon sounds before they even played their first song, or because there were few people in attendance anyway. They also didn't play my favourite song. Pilate was good...not a CD I'd buy though. The potential for the rest of the night was limited as I had to work at 9 the next morning. I got another funny card from the grad school gals as well. I guess that means I really need to be ultra-aware of when their birthdays are!

Played tennis after work on Saturday. I had to defend my half court against both Ashley and Rhi, so I got quite the workout...running across several courts to chase down their errant shots! Ashley took a rather nasty, but funny spill on a puddle at the end after pretending she was going to slip on it in the first place. I worry for my personal safety, as I'm due to have something funny happen to me in front of a bunch of people...I don't think bowling a bad game last night counts ;)

After listening to what appeared to be the Glow Bowling Radio Network last night, I'm amazed by how much staying power Green Day's last album has. In fact, I swear they won a major music award last year for an album that came out the year previous. Radio and TV have absolutely turned me off of this album...I can't stand it anymore. I was so bothered that I couldn't focus on bowling well at all.

I finished a draft of Chapter One of my thesis yesterday. It felt soooo good to see something typed. Granted, it's only an 8 page introduction, but it organizes my thoughts and sets the tone for the paper to come. Hopefully I can get another chapter started before the end of the month, after my supervisor's revisions have been entertained.

Trying to gauge interest in a Riders road trip. I kinda want to see Ricky Williams and the Argos when they come here in late July...

I'm also looking for cheap Oilers tickets on ebay. Now that Roloson is out for the series, I assume I can find some reasonably priced tickets from those emptying the bandwagon who think it's all over. I think it's all over too, but I think the atmosphere itself would be one in a million to experience.

Quite.

The thesis-less update

2006-05-31T00:28:00.000-06:00

My zest for coconut has been renewed. I'm just finishing a delicious slice of coconut cream pie. I think it's passed key lime pie on my pie list, which I try to update on a semi-annual basis.

You know it's almost summer in Saskatoon when it takes you an hour to get home from Scott's Parables. The timing of traffic lights in the city is mind-boggling. There are so many large sections of pylons saying roadwork is being conducted, but I see very little roadwork being done. Saskatoon makes Toronto look like Daytona Speedway at this time of year.

Discovered a great restaurant the other day called Schnitzels, a breaded pork joint. Gotta love places that give you a discount with a church bulletin on Sunday.

I went crazy on Ebay the other day, and pretty much blew a whole paycheck. I picked up the complete boxset of 24 for almost half-price...the box has Asian writing on it, but the contents are English...no biggie. Also picked up a Chicago Bears jersey and a stunning New Orleans Saints jersey. Yes, stunning and football can be used in the same sentence.

So I turn 24 on Friday. Almost halfway to 50, and what have I done? All around me, I see people finding their significant others, settling down, getting married, buying houses, having kids. People settling into careers. People experiencing adventures in different countries, different provinces. People taking risks. People taking life by the horns and not caring what other people think. I'm not doing any of this, and I can't help but feel jealous watching everyone around me experience these things. It feels like I'm lagging way behind everyone. When everyone asks me "what's new?", it's always nothing. I'm not disappointed with what I've accomplished this far...I have a B.A. and am closing in on a Masters degree. I should be able to find a career and settle into a place of my own in the next year, God willing. It just feels like I should have accomplished more by now.

I don't think I need to "change" in order to attain these things in life. I have great family and friends who believe in me, and for that I am very thankful. I'm more confidant in my abilities than I have ever been before...Lord knows I've struggled with that for years. I've always been a patient man...they say good things come to those who wait. I guess I'm waiting to see if that statement rings true as far as I'm concerned.

Bah, birthdays make me think too much...but I've needed to get that off my chest for some time now, and I'm glad I did.

If y'all stop by Extra Foods between 10am-2pm or at Louis at the People in Planes and Pilate concert (tickets $15, 8pm) this Friday June 2, you can buy me a coke. I promise I'll smile extra-wide, just for you ;)

Not your average bear...I mean...list

2006-05-28T16:36:00.000-06:00

I thought this was a cooler-than-usual forward. Plug and play!

Directions:Put your music player on shuffle.
Press forward for each question.
Use the song title as the answer to the question.
No cheating!

How am I feeling today?
Sweet Euphoria (Chris Cornell)...sure, why not?

Will I get far in life?
Tension Head (Queens of the Stone Age)...I need a stress ball first.

How do my friends see me?
Army Reserve (Pearl Jam)...OUCH! YOU GUYS!

When will I get Married?
Let Me Go (Three Days Grace)...I'm guessing it might be awhile with that attitude!

What's my best friend's theme song?
My Name is Jonas (Weezer)...actually, I think a few of you are Weezer fans.

What is the story of my life?
Forfeit (Chevelle)...yeah, I am pretty lazy.

What is/was highschool like?
Eyes Wired Shut (Edgewater)...HAHAHA!

How can I get ahead in life?
Still (Foo Fighters)...do nothing, eh? I'm willing to give that a shot!

What is the best thing about me?
Too Pretty (Big Dismal)...oh gosh...tee hee...

How is today going to be?
Torture Me (Red Hot Chili Peppers)...I'll save this one for tomorrow!

What is in store for this weekend?
Wide Eyed (Wide Mouth Mason)...wait a minute, weren't my eyes wired shut a few answers ago?

What song describes my parents?
Complicated Questions (Finger Eleven)...ain't that the truth!

What song descirbes my grandparents?
Intro (Sum 41)...well, they can't ALL be winners, folks.

How is my life going?
Simple Man (Shinedown)...ok, this is getting both freaky and precise!

What song will they play at my funeral?
Yearning (The Trews)...hey, that wouldn't be too shabby!

How does the world see me?
Exhausted (Foo Fighters)...nah, that's how I see myself!

Will I have a happy life?
Army Reserve (Pearl Jam)...wow, twice in one survey. Consider the message sent! lol

What song describes my relationships with my friends?
Running Out of Days (Three Doors Down)...how disturbingly ominous. Moving on...

What song describes my romantic status?
Whatsername (Green Day) Couldn't have been more funny and on the mark!

Be still my beating heart!

2006-05-23T22:37:00.000-06:00

I've been conflicted about oil recently. For one, the price of oil has risen to ridiculous levels in recent months. However, Ducks from Anaheim are covered with it and trail Edmonton 3-0! That third period tonight was craaaazy. It was just like watching a Riders game...you get cocky and arrogant once they build up a lead, then you fear for your life once that lead quickly disappears, then you ask God to help them hang on/come back. God seems to like the Oilers better than the Riders though ;)

Still reading thesis stuff...probably start some typing relatively soon. I think I said that last update too ;) It helps that there won't be any new episodes of 24 to distract me until Janaury!

Saw Sam Roberts with friends from school last week. I like his older stuff waaaay better. Fun show though. Also went to the driving range with said friends on Sunday, and actually didn't suck. I might drop some of you loyal readers a line in the next few weeks to see if anyone's interested in going to the range and honing some skills...

I was reading a story about a horse that recently won the Kentucky Derby, but then broke his ankle in the next major race. They called it a "life-threatening injury", with odds of survival at 50-50. OK, I'm no animal person, but I'm pretty sure that a horse need not go to the glue factory because of a broken ankle. Shouldn't this be re-phrased to say "life-threatening injury" for its owners? ;)

Yikes, I turn 24 next week. I should probably start acting my age ;)

So true, so funny

2006-05-18T13:21:00.000-06:00

How you doin'?

2006-05-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

Killing time before bed, and I realized this would be as good a time as any to update the blog.

Despite being addicted to procrastination (the Oilers, 24, and the list goes on), I think I'll be able to start typing Chapter 1 of my thesis by week's end. I'm reading a thesis written by a student a few years ago who was supervised by my current supervisor for my paper, and I think our papers will be similar in style. I think I've read enough to type a relatively decent 8-10 page introduction. Basically, I'll be able to identify the problem, lay out my central arguments, describe the important contributions made to the field by various authors, and show how I'll be making a unique contribution to existing literature. I think I can do that...and it'll be nice to get away from books and feel as though I'm making some progress on the written front. Once I get writing, I think I'll be more driven to work on this more. Reading bores me to tears...that is, if I was capable of producing tears ;)

I'm loving the Oilers playoff run...it's just a shame that I have to miss Game 6 for work! Can I make it through the whole night not hearing the score, then watching the game on tape when I'm done? Probably not. So here's my plan: I believe the photolab supervisor works on Wednesday night, and she decides what the store televisions play for the customers. It's usually the flavour of the week, like Monsters Inc. I will suggest playing the Oilers games on the TVs, as it will generate more interest from the male demographic, who are more likely to buy whatever the heck brand of TV it is that we sell. There are cross-promotion opportunities abound here, and most importantly, I get what I want!

Speaking of hockey, I couldn't help but hear Sharks fans boo the Canadian anthem before Game 5. I'm not one to complain, seeing as though Canadian fans have been less than hospitable to the American anthem. It makes me wonder though: why do we even bother playing the anthem before the game anyway? Most of the players don't even represent the country in which their team is located in the first place. Save the anthem for the Olympics, and we cut down on controversies such as this one...and you know Oiler fans will boo the American anthem with tremendous energy in Game 6.

Am I petty for not wanting to see Mission Impossible 3 because it has Tom Cruise in it? I have not been able to stand the man over the last few months, and don't really want to reward him for his behaviour...

Stoked for the 2 hour 24 season finale next week. So many plot twists, so little time, especially with Bierko back in the mix and Logan flirting with impeachment. You know there's going to be another giant plot twist, but I'm racking my brain trying to think of what it might be. That's why I love this show. Don't even bother calling me or MSNing me between 7-9pm on Monday lol.

Going to see Sam Roberts tomorrow night at Louis' with Ashley and Rhiannon. I don't get to see them as much now that our attendance is no longer required on campus...should be a hoot, if previous experiences with the two are any indication!

It's time for me to make like a bee, and buzz off.

Raine Storm

2006-05-04T11:23:00.000-06:00

So me and my buddy Shaun went to go see the OLP concert at TCU Place last night...

The opening bands actually didn't suck! And their knew their place...they didn't play longer then 20-25 minutes.

Neveredning White Lights was up next. I wasn't sure how their set was going to work, seeing as though their album is sung by a lot of guest artists. The "regular singer" sang most of the songs off the album and did a nice job, but he teased that there were some surprises in store for the crowd. As soon as he says that, Raine Maida from OLP comes out and does his song. Technically that can be billed as a bit of a surprise, but not really since he's already booked to be there. Then the band starts playing the hit song "The Grace", and we're all expecting Dallas Green to come out...he didn't. The normal guy sang it well, and then they were done. I guess since he said "surpriseS", I expected something else to happen. Oh well, they were cool.

OLP was awesome. I've heard stories of Maida singing brutally live, but he was on his game last night. The lights were so bright (almost Neverending), I had to bury my head a few times. They played a lot of their classics, with some new stuff here and there. A jolly good time.

The cool part happened halfway through the concert. Maida takes the mic midway through his song and asks how all of us are doing up on the 3rd balcony, presumably having pity for us being that high up. Actually, the seats were great, and they were cheap to boot! Then he disappears off stage...for a while. Then the door to the 3rd balcony opens, and it's Raine Maida. He motions for us to follow him down the staircase, and he tells us WE'RE GOING ON STAGE! I scramble out of my seat and crawl out of the row so that I ensure I'm one of the lucky few who gets to go. Shaun and I are laughing all the day down the stairs, running as fast we can after Maida, and because a cop was telling us to move faster. We all got to stand behind the drum set, and the band members came right up to all of us and partied. My throat and hands are sore from all the approval I gave the band. NOW I know the rush Colin gets while he's on stage. What a junkie ;)

And that's the story of my third time on stage at Centennial Auditorium LOL

Musicpalooza

2006-05-03T15:53:00.000-06:00

I knew I shouldn't have gone into Future Shop today.

I ended up buying new albums by the Goo Goo Dolls, Tool, Sam Roberts and Pearl Jam. Not one of them was over 14 bucks, much to my surprise. Ate a nice hole in my wallet though, especially since it was money that should have been directed towards my car registration (didn't I just pay that??). Oh well, at least I have some new music I can crank the volume with to drown out my profanity when I leave SGI ;)

I'm listening to a copy of the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album that has been leaked onto the internet. 2 CDs, 28 songs, 1 very pleased customer who will purchase it next week. WE WANT CHILI WILLI!

I'm off to Our Lady Peace in 2 hours...I'm thinking of sneaking in a radio so I can get updates from the Flames game LOL

List-o-mania

2006-04-28T23:09:00.000-06:00

Spent a relaxing day on the deck with Shaun and Chalsea, complete with BBQ burgers, steak, mashed potatoes, chips, pop and raspberry cheesecake. This cooking for yourself thing is pretty fun, I must say. I need to find a novelty apron to complete my look.

Going to see Our Lady Peace on Wednesday, and then Sam Roberts a week or so later. I guess this means I need to work harder on my thesis than I did this week so I can justify having fun at these events ;)

Need to kill time before bed, so here's another list! LOL

A - Available?: For what?
A - Age?: 23...will be 24 in a month or so. Shudder.
A - Annoyance?: I have a new one. People who turn left when leaving a parking lot, but leave you no room if you want to exit right.

B - Best Friends?: Everyone who reads my blog.
B - Bar?: Chocolate.
B - Birthday?: June 2. Anyone want to go see the opening of Nacho Libre with me?

C - Crush?: Orange.
C - Car?: Red Cavalier.
C - Cat?: ALF thinks they taste good.

D - Dead Pets Name?: Never had a pet...so I'm spared from those painful memories.
D - Dads Name?: Bruce
D - Dogs Name?: Benji. That sounds like a dog's name.

E - Easiest person to talk to?: Simon. You never run out of things to talk about with Simon.
E - Eggs?: Scrambled..and they taste better if you do that in a pan where you just fried up some bacon.
E - Email?: Ask me nicely.

F - Favorite color?: Green
F - Food?: Pizza.
F - Foreign Slang?: Aie! (In a French shriek)

G - Gummy Bears or Worms?: Bears. Only freaks eat worms.
G - God?: Most definitely.
G - Good Time?: Watching sports and/or laughing.

H - Hair Color?: Light brown with blonde highlights. I might have a surprise for y'all the next time I go for a haircut though...
H - Height?: 5'10?
H - Happy?: Well I don't feel terrible, so sure.

I - Ice Cream?: Ben and Jerry's was on sale (finally!) this week, and I love the Half-Baked product (brownie batter and cookie dough)
I - Instrument?: Used to be piano and trombone, then nothing for the longest time, but want to get a drum kit after I graduate.
I - Idol?: Don't have any.

J - Jewelry?: Expensive, and not looking forward to buying it in the future lol
J - Job?: Stock boy, but now with power to boss people around lol
J - Joke?: The price of gas. Oh, that's not what the question meant...

K - Kids?: Some day...but not now lol
K - Karate?: I pretend I can.
K - Kite?: Tom Kite...underrated golfer. Cool hat.

L - Longest Car Ride: Weyburn to Minneapolis was 15 hours. I'll never forgive Colin for getting me Skittles instead of a much needed drink at the last rest stop before Minneapolis.
L - Longest Relationship: NEXT!
L - Last Person you spoke to on the phone: Shaun, asking me if I had Montreal steak spice for tyhe steak he wanted to grill. I had none.

M - Milk Flavor: Ummmm....milk?
M - Mothers Name: Linda
M - Movie Last Watched: 16 Blocks

N - Number of Siblings: One. Will accept trade LOL
N - Northern or Southern: Let's go Nor-rth! (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!!)
N - Name: Evan...AKA The Franchise, AKA The Big Easy

O - ONE Wish?: Drive a bobsled, meet the girl of my dreams. Whatever's cheapest ;)
O - One Phobia?: Heights. I get queasy looking over the railing at West Edmonton Mall.
O - Only goal: Get this freakin' thesis out of the way so I can settle into a career.

P - Parents, are they married or divorced: 25+ years married. They're bucking the trend!
P - Part of your appearance you like best: People tell me that they wish they had my eyelashes. Odd, but i'll say eyelashes.
P - Part of your personality you like best: I like to think I'm easy to get along with.

Q - Quote: "If the Flintstones has taught us anything, it's that pelicans can be used to mix cement"--Homer Simpson
Q - Question for the next person: Hey, who's the next person?
Q - Quick or Slow?: Who said that?

R - Reason to smile: The Riders have a QB!
R - Reality TV Show: BOO! HISS!
R - Right or Left: Right handed, right wing.

S - Song Last Heard: "Baby Hates me"--Danko Jones
S - Season: Fallllllllllll.
S - Sex: I'm a dude.

T - Time you woke up: 10:30 A.M. lol
T - Time Now: 11:41 P.M.
T - Time for bed: As soon as I finish, you silly list.

U - Unknown Facts about me: I like calamari.
U - Unicorns?: Would have had one on the BBQ today, but the grocery clerk I asked told me they were sold out.
U - U are......?: Getting tired.

V - Vegetable you hate: Just one? Tomatoes.
V - Vegetable you love: Spinach.
V - View on Politics: It's my major. It's all good.

W- Worst Habits: Biting my fingernails and procrastination.
W- What do you wanna be when you grow up: A guy in government who's able to be creative, with air-conditioning, weekends off and to be well-compensated.
W- Where are you traveling to next?: Hopefully it's Montreal. Realistically? Regina.

X - X-Rays: I think the last one was when I sprained my foot badly playing basketball a few years ago.
X - X-Rated Porn: Not a career choice I'm envisioning, even if there is air-conditioning, weekends off and fair compensation.
X - X-Files: Liked the conspiracy/alien episodes, but couldn't watch the supernatural stuff.

Y - Year you were born: 1982
Y - Year it is now: 2006
Y - Yellow?: Are you calling me yella? I challenge you to a duel!!

Z - Zoo Animal: Monkeys make me chortle.
Z - Zodiac: Zzzzzzzzzzz......
Z - Zest: Zest for life...and more of it. (end on a high note)

Ho Hum

2006-04-20T13:09:00.000-06:00

I should be researching, but I have to work at 6...I just don't feel like doing anything useful until then. So I present you with the following time-killing list I ripped off of someone else's blog!

Full Name: Evan "Danger" Richet
Single or Taken: I'm taken with being single
Sex: Not until I'm married ;)
Birthday: June 2/82
Siblings: No siblings, just Colin ;)
Eye color: I think green...I haven't really looked since I was last asked this in elementary school.
Shoe size: 11 fits me for bowling
Height: 5'10, give or take an inch
Innie or Outie: Innie, if we're talking about what I think we're talking about.
What are you wearing right now: Black hoodie, jeans and slippers
Where do you live: Saskamatoon
Righty or lefty: Righty...but I golf lefty. Maybe that's why I'm so bad at golf.
Can you make a dollar in change right now: I can make 7 dollars in change, guaranteed
Who is your closest friend: I don't like ranking friends.
Do you have a BF or GF: NEXT!

Favorite:
Animal: The penguin or the albatross...don't make me choose
Sport: FOOTBALLLLLLL
Month: Fall is my favourite season...not too hot, not too cold...I'll go with September.
Movie: Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan. KHHHAAAAAAANNNNNN!
Breakfast: French Toast...a nod to my ancestors
Favorite cartoon character: Yosemite Sam

Have you ever

Given anyone a bath: Wow, I can honestly say I didn't see this one coming.
Smoked: No, and never will. Filthy, disgusting habit.
Bungee jump: I'll take a pass for as long as I live.
Made yourself throw-up: From endlessly coughing due to a tickle in my throat? Yes.
Gone skinny dipping: Nooooo...
Put your tongue on a frozen pole: Yes, but it was more of a shovel than a pole.
Loved someone so much it made you cry?: Nay.
Broken a bone: No. I thank drinking milk for that.
Played truth or dare: I've never been at a all-girl sleepover before, so no.
Been in a physical fight: I once threw Jordan Buzinsky into a locker and ran away. Quickest fight in elementary school history. And I won.
Been in a police car: No. I've seen one driving down the road though.
Been on a plane: Not as often as other people. Good peanuts, I must say.
Come close to dying?: I would have been bitten by a black widow spider in the soup package I was planning to unpack at work had I not gone for my break. Thankfully the guy who did open it was an insect expert and recognized what it was right away.
Been in a sauna: A long time ago when I was taking swimming lessons...and when I thought girls had cooties. Oh, how I wish I could change the past lol
Been in a hot tub: If it's with people, I put my feet in. I prefer to lounge in my hot tub by myself.
Swam in the ocean: I chased after the waves in Florida. The waves chased me back.
Fallen asleep in school: You mean have I fallen asleep in Sociology 110? Yes.
Broken someone's heart: Not to my knowledge lol
Cried when someone died: I've been truly blessed by the fact that no one really close to me has passed away. My great-grandmother passed away a few years ago, but she was in her 90s, and it was more of a celebration of her life and that she's in a better place. A lot of people don't get the chance to interact with their great-grandparents...I've been fortunate.
Cried in school: From laughing. A prof tried to argue how the freedom to listen to music (preferably opera over Britney Spears) is equally important to a person's right to live. I'm dead serious. And this was in a graduate seminar THIS YEAR.
Fell off your chair: Only when I laugh uncontrollably. So...twice a week.
Sat by the phone all night waiting for someone to call: Yikes...no.
Saved AIM conversations: I might have one or two special ones somewhere...
Saved e-mails: I keep all of them for no reason. I'm a bit of a technological packrat
Fallen for one of your best friends?: Ummmm...a year or so ago, but I'm really glad I didn't do anything about it.
Made out with JUST a friend?: LOL
Used someone: I sure hope not.
Best song you ever heard: I find myself partial to Chris Benoit's "Whatever" by Our Lady Peace.
What's your room like: Green, lots of papers, too many books and CDs.
What is beside you: Lots of papers, too many books and CDs, and the Great Gazoo.
Last thing u ate: Just Right cereal...I'm gonna go get a Quizno's sub right away.
What kind of shampoo do you use? I dunno...something European? lol

QUESTIONS...
Questions? The things you provide answers to. I'll take Potpourri for $100, Alex...
Do you like picnics: What an odd question.
Who was the last person that called you: I believe it was Dacia wanting me to play poker...but I was typing a paper on Saturday night. I was also watching the Habs game on the French network because I hate watching the Leafs every Saturday night.
Who was the last person you slow danced with: I hate dancing with a passion, but I think it was with Angela at the after-grad party. I remember Mrs. Schatz telling me to look at my partner when I was dancing, but I couldn't because I was so shy! I don't think I've changed much since! LOL
Who makes you laugh the most?: You wouldn't be my friend unless you were funny! Shaun is hysterical.
Who makes you smile? : Everybody. I'm just so doggone happy-go-lucky.
What are you listening to right now?: BOOM! by P.O.D. Here comes the BOOM!
What did you do yesterday?: Scrambled around campus trying to submit my ethics application for my paper, typed up a working bibliography for my supervisor, and had a rather easy night at work.
Good Singer: I hear Stereotrap is looking for a new, less high-maintenance singer ;)
Have a lava lamp: We had a retro one back in Dalmeny...not sure if it moved with us to the city.
Last time you showered: Yesterday morning...will have one before work though.
Scary or happy movies: Scary movies ain't my thang, but I don't want movies to be too gushy happy either. They either have to be outright stupid or weave a clever web of deception.
Summer or winter: Fall.
Diamond or pearl: Buh?
Sunset or Sunrise: Sunrise...sunset! SunriseSunsetSunriseSunset! (sun shatters)
Sprite or 7up: 7UP by a furlong.
Orange juice or apple juice: Apple Juice by 2 furlongs.
Coffee or tea: I despise both by 3 furlongs.
Phone or in person: I absolutely hate using the phone. That's why a lot of you never hear from me! LOL
Indoor or outdoor?: Now is nice enough for me to be outdoors. Anything over 25 and I'd prefer to stay inside. Heat does not agree with me.

The Great One

2006-04-18T16:32:00.000-06:00

Blog post #99. Everyone celebrates 25ths, 50ths, 100ths...just thought I'd be different ;)

I handed in my last term paper ever yesterday. I must say, it's tough doing a paper on Easter weekend (LOL). Turned out I had a lot of research that I really couldn't fit into the paper, but it's stuff I can use for my thesis...thank goodness. Still have a mountain of information to sort through too...and it doesn't help that I'm a methodical reader either. Goody.

Back to work tomorrow night after 2 weeks off. It was nice to have a break from the hustle and bustle (and the occasional idiot customers) of Extra Foods despite not doing anything fun while I was off! However, I am saddened by the fact that I will have to shave off my 2-week old "lumberjack-ish" goatee...I never get this long to craft facial hair and I was getting attached to it. I....will....not....cry....

Went for breakfast with Colin this morning (I had a French Toast Sandwich...yes, thst's right), then went to the driving range so he could break in his new set of golf clubs. I think it might be awhile before I deem myself ready for golf action...yeesh...

Stoked for the NHL playoffs. So happy to see the Leafs not make it ;)

Colin brought back a bounty of pre-release music from his trip to Nashville scouting new Christian music for the year. I'm hearing stuff that nobody will get to buy until June. The new Day of Fire rocks...but I guess none of you would know that! ;)

My friend Ashley wanted to go catch a flick on Saturday night, and we debated the merits of watching a Bruce Willis movie vs. a Harrison Ford movie. I voted for Ford...unforgettable as Han Solo and Indiana Jones (and I think he was the Fugitive if memory serves me right). I was the first to cave, so we went to see Willis' 16 Blocks. Willis was pretty good portraying a pissed-off cop who didn't want to work overtime and just wanted to go home. In the end, we learn that people do indeed change. Hollywood needs your money, so I'm not going to tell you how he reached that conclusion ;)

Jack Bauer: more like MacGyver or Chuck Norris? Or better?

I'm going to go pick at the remnants of our Easter turkey. I'll post again when I have stuff to talk about ;)

Zzztudying

2006-04-11T18:27:00.000-06:00

I think the title of my post is especially clever.

At 11:30am this morning, I finished my LAST (I promise!) university exam. It was all right...not as good as yesterday's, but solid nonetheless. I have one week left to finish my term paper/interim thesis report, and then I have all summer to chop away at my research project. I don't feel as "free" as I did at this time 2 years ago, but I'll take not coming back to class anymore as a positive!

Thursday was an interesting day. My professor/supervisor cancelled class in the hopes that a few of the grad students would take some free tickets to Regina to watch the provincial budget be delivered in the Legislature. I wasn't planning on going because I could have used the day to study, but I couldn't let three young women go to Regina unescorted! Plus, they'd hit me if I didn't go.

They, and almost everybody in attendance, dressed up for the occasion. I wore my Roughrider hoody (support the province, baby), jeans and dress shoes. We had primo seats in the Speaker's Gallery...all that was missing was a hot-dog vendor. Man, I really wanted a hot dog! Anyhoo, the budget address was informative, but kinda boring since we weren't allowed to boo or clap. The students that applauded the tuition freeze announcement were "rebuked" on live TV by the Speaker, as only elected officials are allowed to participate (LOL). Question Period was entertaining...I can't believe how many adults act like children, shouting over each other. It's even better live than it is on TV! My friend Rhiannon, who served as an intern in the Legistaure last year, gave us a good "unofficial tour" of the Building. Afterwards, we hobnobbed with political elites at a couple of parties afterwards. Well, maybe not hobnobbed...more like saw. I have a picture of me with a rolled up copy of the budget prepared to smack the portrait of Grant Devine...if I can get the picture, I'll post it.

Kinda sad to see the Ottawa Renegades suspend operations for the year, as it brings a halt to the unprecedented level of momemtum the CFL was enjoying. Those fans deserved way better from the league and their goofball ownership. It looks like the Riders will get a much-needed QB in the dispersal draft tomorrow...but just watch, they'll screw that up.

Anyway, I'm taking it easy tonight and am playing some cards. I plan on a nice, long sleep, and then back to hitting the books tomorrow. So many books.

Customers suck!

2006-04-04T17:58:00.000-06:00

Hadn't blogged in a while, so I thought I'd stop in and post something before it gets insanely busy in these parts...

I always shudder and dread in advance the first Monday and Tuesday of every month...because it's Customer Appreciation Day at work. Now I think most customers are rude and obnoxious even when it's a good day, so imagine my frustrations when these vultures want to capitalize on every deal known (and sometimes unknown) to man. My tongue is sore from biting it so much! I'm tired, my feet ache and my back is sore...quite possibly from carrying the staff ;)

Exams are coming up real quick (Monday and Tuesday)...they shouldn't be that difficult this time around, but it sucks that they're on back-to-back days at 9am. I suppose it's good that I'm getting them out of the way quick though. I also have a term paper due a week or so later, which is essentially an "interim report" of my thesis research. It appears as though my supervisor and I are on the right page, and we're both happy with the results I'm uncovering. Still lots of work ahead, but I finally have some momentum and it feels good. I'll probably work on that some more tonight and then leave it alone for a week or so.

Here was a pleasent surprise: I won $20 bucks playing poker last week. I made it to the final two, went all in on my 2nd hand with a pair of jacks, and still lost. Still, I'm happy I won something!

Bought the Neverending White Lights CD last week, because I heard a a cool song called "The Grace" featuring Dallas Green on the radio...and because they're opening for Our Lady Peace next month. Unfortunately, it's the only song I liked on the CD. I did buy "As Far as the Eye Can See" by People in Planes, and it's awesome. It's like Queens of the Stone Age and jazz music at the same time. Oddly cool.

Question: Do any of you have products in your home that one would normally use, but aren't allowed to use? Example: My mom bought new bathroom towels...they look just like our other bathroom towels, but we're not allowed to use them because they're "decorative". Same goes for pillows, candles, plates, etc. Is this a accepted trend? I don't get it...why buy it if you're going to do jack squat with it? I thought my dad would agree with me, but apparently he's been brainwashed ;)

Live long and prosper.

Uh oh, spaghettios!

2006-03-24T09:56:00.000-06:00

My, how a week flys by when you're...doing stuff.

The thesis is finally gaining some momentum. It helps when you've pretty much finished your coursework and need something to do until exams start in mid-April. Actually, I'm finidng some pretty interesting information. Did you know that in some Chinese Yellow Pages, they have the answers to the Canadian citizenship test hidden in ads?

Even though I'm cool as a cucumber at the moment, I swear everyone around me at school is freaking out because of deadlines, stress, etc. I think we need to rent a bus and go to DisneyWorld for a week.

I played poker on Wednesday night with some co-workers and WASN'T THE FIRST ONE ELIMINATED! Had a couple of good hands and apparently my poker face has come a long way since the last time I played. I won 4-5 hands and lasted for over 2 hours until I was finally buried by the two guys who had tons of chips. Unfortunately, I finished 4th and did not get my money back ;)

Why am I up this early on a non-school day/day I work at 530pm? I may as well wash my car.

Wherefore art thou, Shamrock Shake?

2006-03-16T12:28:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is St.Pattys Day. Going with some friends to the Blades game/stereotrap concert. Somewhere in between waking up and the hockey game, I will attempt to hunt down the rather elusive McDonalds' Shamrock Shake.

I've gotten nothing but blank looks from greasy, zit-faced cashiers for the last few years when I've asked for one around March 17th...

I'm "it"

2006-03-13T18:31:00.000-06:00

The best thing about being a grad student is that you get a key to the department library. If you want to get your work done in relative peace and quiet, it's there for you 24-7. I brought a load of work with me to do tonight, but there's unfamilar people in there for some reason. I took my key out, backed out, closed the door and found a spare computer with which to kill time until they leave.

In the meantime, it appears as though Sharee has "tagged" me. This will give me something to do before I go force those strangers out of the room.

7 Things I would like to do before I die:
1. Date, marry, yada, yada, yada (it's all inter-related)
2. Ride in a bobsled (could easily have been number 1)
3. Go somewhere outside of the Prairies for an extended amount of time (something with mountains or lots of water...I'm not fussy)
4. Speak fluent French (not now...waaay too busy)
5. Learn to play an instrument (I'm not doing piano again...too 1980s)
6. Make it to all of the old ballparks (Boston, Chicago) before they're turned into parking lots (or new ballparks).
7. Become...THE APPRENTICE! (Yeah...I've got nothing)

7 Things I can’t do (yet) :
1. Fix something.
2. Ski.
3. Waterski.
4. Snowboard.
5. Skate.
6. Watch horror movies.
7. Get a good hand in poker...and not smiling when I actually get one.

7 things that attract me to blogging:
1. It
2. Sure
3. Beats
4. Doing
5. Stuff.
6. Everyone else does it.
7. It keeps me in touch with people I don't see as much anymore.

7 things I say most often:
1. That's asinine!
2. Heeeeeyyyy (like Fonzie)
3. Ziploc bags are down aisle 4.
4. Scrumptrellecent.
5. Ignor-what?
6. Colin, get up for church.
7. Yeeeeeesssssssss?

7 books I love:
1. I've read 7 books this year for school. Can't say I've enjoyed any of them.
2. I got a book of editorial cartoons for Christmas. Does that count?
3. Magazine.
4. Democracy Inaction by the Daily Show crew. Haven't finished it yet, despite buying it over a year ago.
5. Newspaper.
6. Anything on citizenship education programming! WOOOOOO!
7. Might read the Secret Mulroney Tapes...when i dispatch of my thesis.

7 movies I watch over and over:
1. Happy Gilmore
2. Tommy Boy
3. Office Space
4. Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan
5. Envy
6. Meet the Parents
7. The Truman Show

7 people I want to join in too (you been tagged! haha....no getting out of this!)

Go nuts, people.

Join SNTTP: Say No To Television Psychics

2006-03-12T01:15:00.000-06:00

In the midst of my channel surfing today, I came across a TV psychic convincing George Lopez that his dead friends were surrounding him, wanting to pass along messages to him. I find this stuff to be pure garbage, but I can't help but laugh at how a typical conversation goes. Allow me to illustrate.

Psychic: Do you have a deceased friend whose name starts with A? A or P? L?

Average Joe: No.

Psychic: B? C? D? E? F? G? H? I? J?

Average Joe: Yes! It starts with J! You're amazing!

Psychic: Jason? Jerry? Jude? Jericho? Jamie?

Average Joe: Jamie is close. It's actually James.

Psychic: I said James.

Average Joe: WOW! Tell me more! (throws money at his feet)

Psychic: He says "Remember that time we skipped school?"

Average Joe: Yes.

Psychic: He says "Yeah. That was fun."

Average Joe: Wow, it really IS him!

Stupid is as stupid does.

The following post takes place between 10:55 and 10:56 PM

2006-03-06T22:55:00.000-06:00

"24" rules. It's been a long time since a TV show has given me cause to keep up with it every week.

Yes, of course I didn't do any homework tonight.

Lousy Smarch Weather

2006-03-01T20:35:00.000-06:00

I had to dig my way out of Briarwood to go to school, and dig my way in to my parking spot. If I didn't have to make a presentation today, I so would have skipped class.

Then upon my arrival back home, I shovelled with my dad...then shovelled some more. It reminded me instantly of this...

Weekend Update: with your host...me

2006-02-26T22:08:00.000-06:00

I'm stating this now: I plan to be in Vancouver... someway, somehow...to take in the 2010 Olympics. I figure I know what I'll permanently be doing career-wise and where I'll be living by 2008...which then gives me two years to book time off in advance and plan my trip. Who's coming with me?!?!

These Olympics have also further fueled my childhood dream: to ride in a bobsled. I'm dead serious...I really want to do this! Actually, we may have connections that could arrange this sooner rather than later...(can barely contain giddy excitement!)

I'm trying to get as much typing out of the way as I can for my 2 presentations this week now so I can justify getting tickets to go see Theory of a Deadman tomorrow night at Louis'...a concert I just heard about despite campus being my second home. Go figure.

Bonne nuit.

It's closing time...

2006-02-17T23:38:00.000-06:00

Tonight was my first night closing up Exrra Foods all by myself. This entails the following: bossing people around; ordering all the food for 2 days from now, which hurts my head as I have to guess what will and will not sell over the next 2 days; making sure the cash and other goodies are safely secured at the end of the night; and setting the alarm and all that jazz...and deal with shoplifters whenever necessary.

All of this for no extra pay! WOOOOOO!

Yet, it's easier on my back and knees, and I bascially get to pick when I close...so far, it's Tuesday and Fridays only. I've paid my dues long enough to not work Saturday night or Sunday ;)

I'm afraid I may not have set the alarm correctly tonight, because I think the parking lot lights are supposed to go off, but they didn't. However, I will sleep easy knowing that no one would dare think about robbing a grocery store when it's freaking' minus 50 outside...I think...

Valentine's Schmalentines

2006-02-13T22:46:00.000-06:00

I do not wish to offend you married people or those in great relationships...so maybe you should stop reading now or accept my apology in advance ;)

(Rant Mode On)

Some may see this upcoming rant as being a typical single man's rant given this time of year...au contraire, I retort. I would be ranting and raving even if I was dating.

So tomorrow is Valentine's Day...or perhaps more appropriately, Singles Awareness Day. Bah humbug, phooey, etcetera and so on and so forth.

Today at work I had to sign for 15 boxes full of roses and other stuff that smells like dirt and water to me. We have a crapload of useless Valentine's candy. People, it's just regular candy in a different, more expensive box. I can't believe how many people fall for that. The companies that are able to exploit these poor saps deserve every penny they get.

Still, it's a shame that a lot of people use February 14th as the only day of the year where they treat their significant other with proper respect and attention. If this happened a lot more often, we wouldn't need this stupid day.

This single man will be spending the day doing something constructive: I'll work on my thesis and earn some money at work. Hell, I might even spoil myself and treat myself to something nice. And I'll feel that much more smarter for not buying some monkeyass product that you can buy at any time of the year, but is infinitely more expensive now.

I'll probably be in a crappy, grumpy mood tomorrow because I find the 14th to be a day of people constantly flaunting and bragging. But hey, at least the store will be quiet tomorrow night ;)

Oh yeah, I nearly forgot...

Screw you Hallmark.

(Rant Mode Off)

I will now assume the duck-and-cover position.

My birthday present?

2006-02-08T21:37:00.000-06:00

Just came across this while surfing the 'net and taking yet another break from studying.

From the producers of Napoleon Dynamite...NACHO LIBRE!!!

The basic premise of the movie is this: in order to save an orphanage from closure, a priest (Jack Black) dons a mask and moonlights as a luchador. One can only assume that hilarity will ensue!

And to top it all off, it debuts on June 2...my 24th birthday! Hmmm...that's a Friday. Neato.

This blog is brought to you today by: Mucus

2006-02-08T18:46:00.001-06:00

My first cold of the year struck at the perfect time. I wasn't sick enough to miss work yesterday, but once I got there, I felt as though my brain had walked out on my body and left me dangling there...for 5 hours.

Had to miss class today because my constant coughing, sneezing and nose blowing would have distracted the class. I have an exam tomorrow, and I need to be there no matter what...but I'm finding it hard to concentrate on this bloody stuff.

Wanted to go see the Trews concert next week, but that's the first night I get to close the grocery store all by myself. I'm so not ready to do this, but they figure that since I've been there a long time, training shouldn't take as long...okey dokey...

No school next week. I'll either work way ahead, or do nothing. I'm betting on the latter.

Is it normal to think one is turning their car's steering wheel too much? I'm not automotivelly-inclined, but might there be something wrong with that? It feels like I've been steering my car like a pirate ship lately.

Stay tuned for a Valentine's Day rant in the coming days...I'd give you all a line to tease you with to make sure you come back for the rest later, but I'm gonna make you all wait ;)

Achoo!

A pre-Simpsons blog

2006-02-02T22:41:00.000-06:00

I have about 20 minutes until the Simpsons comes on, so I thought I'd update this thing.

I was just looking at my course load for the month of February. I have absolutely nothing due, save for a midterm exam next week that I pretty much know what the questions will be. February will be a nice blend of casually working ahead to make March as easy as possible and watching the Olympics. Heavy emphasis on the latter. Winter sports rule...now that football is over...

Nothing interesting has happened lately...no outstanding poker prizes, no dates, and I haven't discovered any new species, I'm afraid. I've been given the master key at work and I should be closing 1 or 2 nights a week relatively soon. Some of you might find that interesting, but I don't...not when I've been there for almost 5 years! Oh yeah, we all got nifty long-sleeve blue shirts for the next month (sarcasm heavily on).

Stereotrap is playing in some capacity at Credit Union Centre during a Blades game on St. Patricks Day...which I believe is on a Friday this year. The Blades have an interesting promotion that night: St. Patrick's Day PLUS Family Faith Night. Huh. Anyhoo, I've heard some of the band's newer stuff, and me likey. And hey, the Blades are actually decent this year. Anybody interested accompanying me to this musically-based evening? Drop me a line on the blog or email me. Spread the word...ya heard...

Yeah, I'll stop now.

I don't want my nickel back

2006-01-27T16:51:00.000-06:00

Shaun and I went to go see Nickelback last night. Traffic was horrible on the way there, and we got there just as the opening band started. It actually started on time, to my surprise! Our seats weren't too shabby for being on the upper level either...

Danko Jones was the first band. Pretty cocky for a guy that opens for an opening band. I get the feeling that he feels disrespected in Canada for some reason...as if we should just blindly cheer him just because he's Canadian. Maybe I'm the only one who got that vibe. I had no complaints with his set though.

The lights went out a few minutes later, signalling that Live was up next...and wow, their stuff was set up fast. Way faster than my experiences at the Odeon! Everyone was telling me how big this band was a few years ago, but for the life of me I couldn't name one of their songs. NOW I remember them. They were cool...not something I'd buy though. My friend Landon thought they outright sucked.

Live's stuff was taken down, but nothing was being built on stage for Nickelback. Odd. Then, 20-30 minutes later, there was a huge explosion up by the stage. Then the lights went off. Guitars were playing, simulating the collective heartbeat of a crowd who were frightened by that explosion! Then, another explosion. A huge black curtain fell down, and then fire shot out of the stage!

Then, Nickelback proceeded to rock the house for the next 2 hours. Good songs, good times.

Two things to add: it bothers me when people leave their seats all night long during the songs; what a waste of money if you're not going to enjoy the show. Also, does Credit Union Centre assume that everyone who attends is of legal drinking age? The girls in the row in front of us went to the beer lines about 7 times and couldn't have been more than 15 years old. I'm glad they weren't in our row! LOL

Actually, I have one more thing to add. I've been thinking about buying a "beginner" drum set for a little while now...last night has made me want to get one even more. I've always wanted to learn, and lately I've had the urge to do something creative. Hmmm....stay tuned...

I never thought I would say this, but...

2006-01-25T18:26:00.000-06:00

I wish the Bloc Quebecois had done better in the election.

I predicted they would get 60-62 seats in the department's election pool...instead they get 50-52. Those seats went elsewhere (to my pleasent surprise-->the Conservatives) and thus I finished second overall in the pool and didn't win the $70 prize.

But on the flip side, apparently I know more about Canadian politics and election trends than 95% of the faculty ;)

I think I passed the test...

2006-01-16T15:50:00.000-06:00

Today was my "much-anticipated" meeting with my Advisory Committee about my thesis. My project is essentially attached to a larger project that my supervisor is working on, so I get footnoted (and paid!) when he uses my research. It appears as though my topic is too broad and that it needs to be narrowed down into something more manageable...as if Evan's head didn't hurt enough already. Still, it sounds as if my topic is virtually a go. Just needs a 'lil tweaking, s'all. Good thing I haven't worked ahead ;)

Oh, and a reminder. On Monday, January 23rd...VOTE! After all, it is the duty of all political studies students everywhere to rise up and tell the masses to exercise their duty as a Canadian citizen!

Ahhh...Bulls on Parade...as good a song as any to pump me up for research.

Something Different

2006-01-14T20:02:00.000-06:00

I debated with myself all day long as to whether or not I should make this post. It's a bit out of my comfort zone, and not one of my typically hilarious posts. For that, I apologize in advance! ;)

I don't normally post about religion. I believe in God, I believe that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins, I've been baptized upon confession of my faith, I contribute to the offering, and I go to Church regularly (heck, I've turned down blind dates because they're not Christian...me turning down dates!!), but I've never been comfortable sharing my thoughts on the subject. I don't feel "qualified" to talk about it, and whenever I do say something, it's often awkward and confusing. Maybe this will be too...let's find out!

A fellow co-worker has been a good friend of mine for a year or so... we've hung out with other co-workers, gone to a few concerts, swapped music, and together we constitute almost half of the number of Christians at work. Lately, she's made some unusually bad choices in life...stuff that I've seen first hand on a few occasions. Today, she approached me and apologized to me for not being a "good Christian" recently.

I didn't know what to say. She hasn't wronged me in any way. I don't know the details that made her do what she did or what made her re-evaluate her life, or whether it'll stick. Did she approach me specifically because she thinks I'm a "good Christian"? I told her she didn't need to apologize to me, but she really seemed to want me to accept it anyway...so I did, just to make her feel better.

Maybe I should be apologizing as well. I don't think I'm a "good Christian" either. I've gotten busier in my daily life, and thus lazier in my spiritual life. I don't read the Bible nearly as much as I did a few years ago. There are huge gaps in between prayers. Sermons about the "end times" tend to excite those around me; personally, they make me uncomfortable and nervous...I don't know why. Maybe it's the over-production of Hollywood? ;)

She realized that she needs to work harder at this. In turn, I realized that I need to work harder at this. We all need to work harder at this.

(I think that actually made sense! Yay me!)

I'll be quirky? Albuquerque!

2006-01-10T18:11:00.000-06:00

I'm in front of the computer, plotting out what I intend to achieve tonight, drinking the most wonderful drink I've had in years. Do yourselves a favour and pick up a bottle...nay, a case or six...of Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. I've seen it advertised on American TV for like the past year, but it's never been sold in Canada. Me and my friend Ashley were even going to bid on a case of the stuff on Ebay, but now we don't have to. Wooooo!

This new school term doesn't seem so bad. I'm glad I got the bulk of my courseload out of the way early. There's full books that I'll have to read, but overall there's a lot less of it to do. The assignments aren't that difficult either. It'll still be a challenge to find time for the thesis though, what with me still working and all. Speaking of the thesis, after numerous date and time changes that didn't involve me at all, I'm finally meeting with my committee (knock on wood) on Monday morning. That should point me in the right direction...

Extra Foods wants to give me the master key to lock up the place a night or two a week. Apparently I'm "training" next week, much to my "excitement". As if I don't have anything else to do. Oh well, it could be an easy gig. I'll follow the guy around and see if it's worth my time. I haven't said yes yet ;) But in order to get the key, they need a police check of my background. I don't know why I'm nervous about that! LOL

I just saw an old friend of mine on TV in a Liberal Party campaign ad. Yes, apparently there ARE Liberals in Saskatchewan...and apparently, she still hasn't seen the light ;)

My hair feels like it's caught in a spider web. Time for a cut. Thinking about colouring it bronze too, just for a changeup.

All that football over the holidays really distracted me from doing work. It'll be all done in February, but I just realized that that's when the Olympics start. Why dost thou tempt me!

I love being the guy who subs for a prof and tells the class that they're going home early. For 30 seconds, I was the most loved person on campus! LOL

I think I'll cash in my HMV gift card before I buckle down and get to work. I've had my eye on the "Audioslave in Cuba" DVD for some time, so I think I'll go with that.

Take it easy, my peeps.

Blogging: It Kills Time

2005-12-30T22:53:00.000-06:00

Compared to almost everybody I know, I approach Fridays differently. Typically, Fridays are a day to frolic and venture out into this mosaic we call society. Not me, though. I typically have my fun in the mid-week...and when Friday hits, I'm too tired and tend to stay at home and power down. Hence, this blog.

Spent last night with Shaun, Chalsea and Mallory, and got a sneak peek at what Chalsea's done with Shaun's basement suite since she moved in. I've never seen so many apple boxes in one place, but she's done a great job thus far. We all went upstairs to Shaun's to watch "Meet the Parents" (a movie I've long wanted to see) because he by far has the better TV. It's not even close. Then we played Phase 10 until about midnight...yeah...

Just listening to a Tooth and Nail soundtrack Col got me for Christmas. I don't like the "ScrEmo" music, but there's a number of quality songs on there: "All of Me" by Project 86 (a CD that I ultimately picked up tonight), "Someone Else's Arms" by Mae, and ironically enough, "Studying Politics" by Emery. I haven't the foggiest idea as to why that one stands out for me ;)

Is it too early to go to bed? I'm gonna mull this one over for a bit.

The Feats of Strength

2005-12-28T12:13:00.000-06:00

I just watched the Festivus episode of Seinfeld...I wish we could all incorporate some of those "traditions" into the typical holiday season. I wouldn't mind the aluminum pole instead of a Christmas tree, because I'm allergic to pine trees and the fake trees just don't do it for me. The "Airing of Grievances" is a year-long thing, so no need to make that a centerpiece of the season. However, I would very much like to incorporate the "Feats of Strength", where the head of the household has to be wrestled to the floor and pinned by a designated family member before the holiday ends. The old man stopped giving his sons easy victories a long time ago, but I think I could take him...

Spent the last few days stuffing myself with a wide array of food and getting together with family, especially with my mom's side of the family, whom we don't see nearly as much as we should. It's cool to see how much my cousins have grown and the different paths they're taking in life. We're an eclectic bunch (eclectic is the word of the day).

Christmas was fun and a good time to reflect on the past year and on the meaning of the season. I got an automatic car starter (something I've always meant to buy for myself but never have), 2 grooming kits (hidden message here??), a lot of Roughrider merch (hoodie, mug, clock, mouse..yes, mouse), more books to add to the pile of books I haven't finished from last Christmas, and a few bags of beef jerky and gum. I also have a grill and an automatic pepper mill that is designated purely for the day I move out...next year perhaps...

It's December 28...and I just realized I'm back to school in a week...and I just realized I should probably work on my thesis...and I just realized I need to have a progress report ready for it in 2 weeks...I'm gonna go work on that.

Just in case I'm not back on here before 2006, I wish you all a Happy New Year and safe travels. Hope to see many of y'all soon.

P.S. I am in need of new CD's, because I'm getting bored of the ones I currently have and don't see many new releases that intrigue me at all...and I have a CDPlus coupon that I need to use by the end of the week! Any suggestions?

I think I'm allergic to customers

2005-12-23T22:28:00.000-06:00

I just thought I would update this thing before the holidays...and before I fall asleep.

I forgot how nuts a grocery store gets around Christmas. I spent my entire shift today re-filling milk, eggnog, eggs, etc. Every 10 minutes, my work would be undone by these bloody vultures I call customers. I just hope this was the mad rush we had all feared, because I work 930-630 tomorrow and really don't feel like answering stupid questions all day long.

It sucks working Christmas Eve because I don't get holiday pay, and normally I would be scrambling to get to church...but this year, Forest Grove has their Christmas Eve service at 10:30 PM!?! Whaaaa? It's either that, or wake up early on Christmas Day for the same service, drive out to Dalmeny for service for the first time in a looooong time, or go to a different church just for that night. None of these options are particularly appealing at the moment, but I suppose we'll go to Elim for a night.

Oh well, at least I have Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day off. Speaking of New Year's, are there any plans out there? I'm already invited to a party where I know I will be the only sober person there..so if there's any other sober options out there, I'm all ears...

Finished my Christmas shopping after my shift. I normally save it all for Christmas Eve just for the adrenaline rush, but knowing in advance that I'd be working forced my hand.

Still waiting for marks...I bet I wont get any until I get back to class...which is coming soon, so maybe I should get some thesis work done...next week...

I would say Happy Holidays to you all, but since there are so many people (politicians) annoyingly insisting on this politically correct greeting...I will instead wish you all the traditional Merry Christmas!

I'll be on here before the New Year to wish you a happy one of those.

IT'S OVERRRR!

2005-12-15T01:23:00.000-06:00

It's past 1:30 in the morning. I just finished proofreading and editing a massive paper. My printer has just spewed out its 22nd, and last, page about federalism and the recent history of Quebec-Canada relations, and my course assignments/exams are over with until January. I'll drop that baby off on campus before I go to work.

I just realized that the 20+ pages I wrote over the past few days is barely 1/4 of the paper I'll be asked to produce before I'm done with this degree (SHUDDER)

Got an 83 on my terrorism exam, and ended up with an 80 overall. Not too shabby for someone who doesn't normally take a class like this, I must say.

Went out with my fellow grad students for a Christmas party at Earl's the other night (when I should have been working on my paper! Doh!). I haven't been to Earl's in years...but from what I can tell, the parking still sucks. As a group, we get along real well...it's awesome. They all have great stories about travelling, etc. I really have nothing to contribute other than nodding and mmm-hmming, because pretty much my entire extended family lives in Saskatoon! I never get to go anywhere! LOL

I'm not lifting a finger for the rest of the week unless I'm paid to. I've earned a vacation.

Need to learn more about poker so that I'm not the first one eliminated in a 30-person tournament a co-worker is hosting next week...and by learn more, I mean what hand is better than what! LOL

I sleep now.

Procrastination Tip #1: Fill Out A Survey

2005-12-11T21:54:00.000-06:00

I should be starting my paper, but I have a headache and it's late. I need to do something fun and time consuming. I know! Let's waste some time by doing a survey from a random blog. Hailey Friesen had a good one on hers...

A- Age of your first kiss: I'm told it was in kindergarden. I don't want to say who it was, because she's engaged now and it might get her in trouble! LOL
B- Band you are listening to right now: Queens of the Stone Age. Weird, yet effective.
C- Crush: The one I had just did something incredibly stupid the other night...so I guess I'm starting over from scratch!
D- Drink you drank last: Coca Cola Zero. Weird, yet effective.
E- Easiest person to talk to: Everyone who reads this blog (single tear)
F- Favorite ice cream: Blueberry Cheesecake
G- Gummy worms or gummy bears: Anything gummy gets my seal of approval.
H- Height: On the cusp of 5'11...hope there's one more spurt left in me so I can fulfill my hoop dreams.
I- Instruments: Burping?
J- Jelly Flavor: I have toast once every 3 months or so...but it's grape or lemon when I get the urge.
K- Kids: Babies seem to like my glasses.
L- Longest car/bus ride: I think Dalmeny to Minneapolis was 16 hours.
M- Major issue: Gay marriage. I think the people deserve the right to vote on this themselves.
N- Nicknames: Ev, Seventh Evan, E-dawg (groan), Captain Charisma!
O- One wish: To meet Miss Right or a Roughrider home playoff game. I honestly can't choose between the two! LOL
P- Phobia: Heights. Leaning over the edge at West Edmonton Mall makes me naseous.
Q- Quote: "A proof is a proof. What kind of a proof? It's a proof. A proof is a proof. And when you have a good proof, it's because it's proven." (Jean Chretien)
R- Reasons to smile: Halfway to a Master's degree...
S- Shoe size: I think I asked for an 11 when I went bowling, and I didn't take them back. 11 it is then.
T- Time you woke up today: 11am...I missed church :(
U- Unknown fact about me: I can name all 50 states in one second. Next time you see me, ask me to do it.
V- vegtables: Popeye was on to something with his spinach addiction.
W- Worst Habit: Watching wrestling. It's so stupid, but it's a wonderful departure from my typical day. Something about seeing a dude getting thrown through a flaming table takes your mind off of your problems for those 2 hours.
X- Xmas gift you really want: A laptop...the must-have accessory for this year's graduate student. I could also use an infusion of beef jerky in my stocking.
...wheres Y? Good question. Somebody better get on that, posthaste.
Z-Zodiac sign: I don't waste my time with that crap.

I haven't learned my lesson

2005-12-10T17:00:00.000-06:00

I'm blogging when I should be studying again. I'm still wiped from yesterday's exam...the first I've written since April of last year. I forgot how much work exams are! All I need is a 58 on the exam in order to get a 70, and I feel I accomplished at least that. Therefore, I feel quite justified in throwing this day away! I have until Thursday to finish my paper anyway...

Spent a fun evening with Shaun and Chalsea...we treated her to a birthday present of a Mano's platter for 2 that was more than sufficient for the 3 of us. We also watched the Princess Bride, which despite the chick-flickish name, I found entertaining.

Got home at around 1:30am, which wasn't good because I had to get up early to line up for Nickelback tickets...which I was lucky to get seeing as though tickets were selling like crazy all over the city and on the internet. I'm going with co-workers, but some of us got split up and are on the opposite side of the arena.

I came on here quickly to post something that I had on my mind...but it appears as though it has left my mind just as quickly. If I ever get it back, you'll be the first to read about it.

Mmmm...cranberry ginger ale.

A commentary on Japanese Animation

2005-12-04T16:21:00.000-06:00

Whenever I channel surf past YTV or Nickelodeon on my TV, I almost always catch a brief 3-5 second clip of some sort of Japanese animation/Pokemon/Sailor Moon type of thing. It must be the words not catching up to their mouths or the weird animation or the bad plot, but even the briefest exposure to it hurts my eyes and makes me feel physically ill...until I get to the next channel. Not even Roseanne or The View makes me feel this way!

Manda, I don't know how you can watch that stuff. Even your MSN screen picture made me naseous!

End communication.

Create your own title!

2005-11-29T19:19:00.000-06:00

Bonjourno!

Added some new links to the right side of the page. I can already anticipate the main question I'll be getting, so I may as well answer it now: Yes, I do know Lance.

So what's new, you ask? Very little, I respond. Tomorrow is the last day I physically have to be present in a classroom until the beginning of January, so I'm pumped about that. I have a very necessary haircut scheduled in between classes tomorrow (these sideburns are outta control!), and then my thesis supervisor is taking us grad students out for drinks on his tab (gotta love those Italians) at the Faculty Club on campus after last class. I'm gonna drink that Club out of Diet Pepsi by the time I'm done with his money (lol).

I only have one midterm to study for, but it's in my weakest subject area: international relations. It's mainly about terrorism, so it should be relatively interesting to cram for. I also have a 20 page paper about Canada's relationship with Quebec due less than a week after the previously mentioned final exam. I don't want to get too far ahead in these assignments until I get some further direction and feedback, so I'm pretty much taking it easy for now (hence tonight's post). I'm saving the bulk of my thesis research for the holidays. My thesis proposal made it past the grad student table, and now I await the judgment of a panel of academics in mid-January...so I'll have something to work on during the holidays, don't you fret! I'm even taking 10 days off of work in December to get this stuff done.

Staff Christmas party is this Sunday. I'm kinda jealous...Colin works at Scott's Parable's and has his Christmas party at the Willows. I work at a grocery store that rakes in a ton of money a day, and our party is at Eastview Bowl. I love bowling, but it should be a precursor to a larger soiree. I'm kinda disappointed by the rumours I'm hearing of a ton of people getting drunk before the party then going bowling though...and I'll likely have to drive these people over, because my conscience won't allow me to let them drive themselves. Sigh. On the other hand, I should be able to post one of the better scores of the day!

I also have given great thought to what my baking contribution will be for the staff room for the holiday season. Last year, the great ladies at work baked so many things that I partook in and in some cases specially requested. I felt as though I should give back. Buying stuff from Tim Hortons felt like a cop-out. My cooking skills are in great need of honing, but I baked pumpkin cookies with colored chocolate chips just to get a laugh, but this plan backfired: everyone who tried them loved them, and the resulting blindness was minimal. I'm now getting asked what I will be bringing this year, since I've gobbled my fair share of the upstairs goodies to date. Since I've been to busy to further pursue the evolution of my cooking skills, I've settled on a coconut roll, where the instructions take up less than a 1/4 of the cookbook page, and only require 4 things: flour, coconut, peanut butter and a fridge. I should be able to pull that off, and once again, hopefully with minimal blindness.

Alas, I must take my leave of you all. My presence is required in the kitchen...I must not shirk the responsibilities required of me as this household's official peppernut tester.

I have a beef...

2005-11-22T17:58:00.000-06:00

I rarely eat at Burger King, but everytime I drive by it I can smell their charred burgers. Not a pleasent smell, and I find it lingers on my car for a few hours too.

They already draw my ire because they say they serve breakfast until 10:30am...but they always shut it down 10 minutes early. If I come to Burger King at 10:20 in the morning, I'm sure as heck not coming for a Whopper and a Coke. I'm there because I'm too lazy to make my own breakfast, thank you very much.

I wish I was writing my thesis proposal about how much I hate Burger King, but alas I am not...I suppose I should get back to finishing whatever it is I'm writing about.

Wasted Weekend

2005-11-13T23:29:00.000-06:00

I have 4 assignments due between this Wednesday and next Wednesday, so I had plenty of stuff to work on this weekend. What did I accomplish? Freakin' nothing. I'm very angry at myself right now.

Friday I worked and played my first game of poker with some current and past co-workers until about midnight. Lost 20 bucks, but had a good time. I won a few hands and wasn't the first one eliminated, despite knowing very little about the rules. My table gave me the instruction card from the deck that tells you how good hands are ranked, but took it away when I won 2 or 3 rounds...

Saturday I worked, then watched both games of the Hockey Night in Canada doubleheader. Did some light photocopying for a book chapter I have to read, but never got around to actually reading it.

I was surfing the internet before I was going to start my homework today, but then I stumbled across a news item where a popular wrestler named Eddie Guerrero had passed away. I've watched wrestling since we got cable when we moved to the city...he was a funny, high-flying entertainer. He had overcome drug addictions and alcoholism to reach the very top of his profession, and died today at the age of 38 from causes unknown. I was bummed to hear that, but it was good to hear that he recently celebrated 4 years of sobriety and was a born-again Christian. I spent a good hour reading tributes and watching videos that celebrated his accomplishments. RIP Latino Heat.

Then the Rider game came on, and surprise surprise, we lost. If we had done anything of substance in the first half, we would have put up a better fight. Our offense was just that...offensive. The adage "defense wins championships" rings true, but shouldn't it be assumed that said defense is aided by an offense that can generate more than 5-6 yards at a time? That was a waste of 3 hours.

Then it was my grandmother's 71st birthday. Just to clarify, this was NOT a waste of time...I just wish it wasn't today (lol). My cousin Derek has this cool hand-held machine called 20Q...you have to think of an certain item, and this machine asks you 20 questions about it, with you answering yes, no, sometimes or uncertain. But the time the 20 questions have been answered, it tells you what that item is. We tested it 5 times, and it got the item right 4 times. Unreal. Had some delicious cake and good conversation...left at around 9pm.

Since I've been home, I've been listening to music and absolutely cannot will myself to do any scholarly reading or writing. My thesis supervisor emailed me twice tonight about how my thesis proposal is going. It's going alright...nowhere. I have work that needs doing, so why can't I do it? To quote Drew Carey when he was stomping through a water fountain in Las Vegas with Jerry van Dyke of "Coach" fame: "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Then I typed up this blog when I should have been reading. Only your comments will wipe away my guilt ;)

Montreal makes good sandwiches

2005-11-09T23:52:00.000-06:00

I first started this blog thingy out of sheer boredom, but I love how it keeps me in touch with all my Dalmeny High pals! It sure saves me from having to remember and update email addresses. It's also awesome seeing these very same people with their own blogs...it's just like reading dossiers 8) I hope to see some of you at the Bella concert in a week, or if I can't make it, then hopefully sometime before the Christmas holidays!

And to update my previous post, I thought long and hard about what entrance music I'd have when I was eating a delicious Montreal smoked meat sandwich at Louis' this afternoon. I believe I would select "Doesn't Remind Me" by Audioslave. What would you select for yourselves?

They're not booing...they're saying BOO-YEAH!

2005-11-08T17:37:00.000-06:00

No reason for this update, really...I'm just tired of reading about citizenship programming.

Listening to some Chris Cornell, post-Soundgarden and pre-Audioslave. Also listening to Alter Bridge (the former Creed), who have a song that I believe is a wrestler's theme music. Wrestlers have very cool music. Wouldn't it be cool if we all had certain music for whenever we enter a building or go in front of an audience?? What would my music be? Something to ponder for tomorrow's lunch break, I suppose...

I went as a Flames goaltender for my Halloween work costume because my Donald Trump wig fell apart when I tried it on. I also realized that Trump doesn't wear glasses. How did I not figure that out when I bought it?? Oh well, my goalie gear was a big hit. I even wore goalie pads, which was really easy on my knees for a change. A co-worker called my costume "cute", which was not at all what I was aiming for. I was aiming to be both scary and funny! I thought I had the best costume prize locked up until Shaun comes dressed as Hugh Hefner. I don't think management should be able to win the prize ;)

We also got our Christmas holiday work shirt...it's booger green. I can understand a darker, Christmas tree-like green, but this isn't even close. This company just doesn't get it. Oafs, all of them!

School is going well. I'm meeting my deadlines and keeping up with future assignments, and I'm in the 75-85 range like I always am. Need to do more work on my thesis just to convince my supervisor that I'm actually progressing in my study, but I find it hard to justify doing this year-long work now when I have day-to-day assignments/readings that need doing. I've spent all day reading up on my topic so I can submit a two-paragraph abstract of where I think my 80+ page project will be headed. I'm also supposed to submit a formal proposal before we break for Christmas to my thesis committee, but the department head, who sits on my committee, recently had a heart-attack, and although he's apparently fine, we're not sure when he'll return to work. I'm kinda in limbo as far as that goes, but I'm not going to worry about it.

I usually hate hot drinks (namely coffee), but I find myself addicted to Tim Horton's hot smoothies. I'm gonna go grab one now, as I'm headed off to the university to have myself a little photocopying party. I bid you all a fond adieu.

Newsbreak: sponsored by Coca-Cola Zero

2005-10-27T12:33:00.000-06:00

I'm not starting my wheelbarrow full of homework until I see zero's on the clock, so I may as well update this thing!

I had a ton of fun supervising a midterm exam last week...in fact, I volunteered to do it for any prof who doesn't want to do it. I felt so empowered. I gave out precise instructions to the class and told them when they were allowed to start the exam. I wrote the time left on the board every 15 minutes. I looked up everytime I heard a cough or distinct rustle. I was the one who determined whether or not people went to the bathroom. Oh, the power...and the 15 dollars an hour I get paid to sit there in a quiet environment and do much needed reading!

I hate it when profs ambush me. I had a presentation on a book about Al Qaeda the previous week and we had talked about it at length in the class, so I figured I was done with it...and I was wrong. I'm not the best question-and-answer guy even when I'm prepared, so imagine my surprise yesteday when he peppers me with more questions when I had walked away from this whole thing. This isn't my area of specialty, but I made it out of there with minimal cuts and bruises. At least I got a 78 out of the whole deal.

It's just hitting me about how much work my thesis involves...and that the department really wants me to think about it now even though I really should'nt have to worry about it until well into the new year. I have to have a proposal ready in 2 weeks, and I just started researching the bloody thing. At least I know what I'll be doing, to some degree: a study of citizenship programming in Canada, especially in regards to education, from after World War II until the present. Approximately 200,000 people apply to become citizens of Canada each year...so how have immigrants learned (or not learned) about the roles and responsibilties that come with being a Canadian citizen? I might get to travel down to Ottawa to look at the National Archives to get more information, but that depends on whose dime would be paying for this trip! LOL

Didn't get to go to the Rider game on Sunday because we couldn't get a hold of the girl who had our free tickets. She lived in Moose Jaw, and since we couldn't get a hold of her, we decided not to risk missing the game entirely on a whim. I knew it was too good to be true. But after watching the game on TV, I'm glad we didn't go down there! Even if we make the playoffs, we'll be out right away. I'd rather we miss the playoffs and that Ottawa gets in; this way, it'll force the Riders to make some much-needed changes in the offseason and to hopefully get that QB we so desperately neeed. If we get in, we'll stay with the status quo like we always do...

I get to dress up for Halloween at work on Monday. I hate Halloween, but it's for charity, and normally I'll do anything not to wear a tie and dress pants...but oddly enough, the tie and dress pants are a part of my costume this year. I found a Donald Trump wig at Value Village, so all I need to do is slap on a suit jacket and I'm all set. I was going to wear my Flames jersey and a hockey helmet while wearing a sign that said "Will play for 2 million dollars", but now that the lockout is over I can't do that. My friend Rhiannon suggested a costume where I dress up all in black and tape socks to myself, claiming that I would be the monster that steals your socks from the dryer. I personally love the idea, but it may require much more work then I would like...

I also ordered a T-shirt off of Ebay that has a cool logo with the words "Captain Charisma". It reeks of awesomeness. I've always wanted to be a captain.

Now I get to read a chapter about writing a research project whilst listening to some Rage Against the Machine. Good times.

Random Ramble

2005-10-19T23:58:00.000-06:00

Last Friday was Colin's 22nd birthday :0 I got him a gift that only I could get him: Season One of ALF on DVD. 25 episodes on 4 CDs...wow. ALF was a fantastic series, but I must say that Willie has to be the worst actor on the planet...how he won that audition is beyond me...good for a pity chuckle or five though.

Had a nice time last night at a farewell party for our assistant manager, "the other" Evan. I meant to stay there for a half hour or so because I have oodles of homework on my desk, but I ended up staying for an hour and half. What can I say? It's fun listening to stories that slag management and dumb customers. It was real nice assuming that pages on the intercom for Evan weren't necessarily for me...especially when it was for carrying stuff like water softener soft. Those things are freakin heavy, and I still don't understand why people need 20 of them at a time.

I was offered the assistant manager gig last week. They asked me why I hadn't applied yet...I was tempted to say "because I wouldn't wish the job on my worst enemy" or "because I don't like you", but I said I was in school and I didn't want to relocate and get shipped off to someplace boring like Meadow Lake or Yorkton after my training was complete. I was promised that I wouldn't relocate, but I call BS on that one. The managers I know said they've never been offered that, so why would I get that special treatment? They tried to talk me out of going to school (lol), but I told them I might ask for the master key and close up shop for a night or 2 a week when my course load lightens significantly before Christmas.

Going on another roadtrip to Regina this weekend...the other Evan was able to find us some free tickets to the Stamps-Riders game, which is Burris's return to Saskatchewan. I haven't seen any proof that these tickets exist though, which makes me nervous. I really should spend the day reading and typing because my foot pain over the past week or so has made me fall behind in my assignments, but how can I turn down free tickets? Supposedly we're using my car, but I need to do some reading on the way down (hence I can somewhat justify making this trip, and if there's no tickets, at least I did some work), so I'll get somebody else to drive. I also hope I can walk to the stadium...my right ankle flared up again today, so hopefully that gets fixed before Sunday.

I'm going to play the role of a professor tomorrow. My thesis supervisor is out of town and needs a graduate student to administer a mid-term exam for him. I got the call...so I'm the guy who gets to write the time left on the board, who allows people to go to the bathroom and who makes sure people aren't cheating. Could be fun, could be a disaster...we'll see if I'm cut out for teaching. At least I get paid for this!

Have a merry today everybody. Cheers!

Drive-Thru Banking Procedures

2005-10-11T18:37:00.000-06:00

I feel it is my duty to share things that make me cry and howl with laughter. Enjoy!

A sign in the bank lobby reads: "Please note that this Bank is installing new drive-thru teller machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles. Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts. After months of careful research, MALE and FEMALE procedures have been developed. Please follow the appropriate steps for your gender."

MALE PROCEDURE
1. Drive up to the cash machine
2. Put down your car window
3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN
4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw
5. Retrieve cash, card and reciept
6. Put window up.
7. Drive off.

FEMALE PROCEDURE
1. Drive up to the cash machine
2. Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine
3. Set parking brake, put the window down
4. Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card
5. Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up
6. Attempt to insert card into machine
7. Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to excessive distance from car
8. Insert card
9. Re-insert card the right way
10. Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page
11. Enter PIN
12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN
13. Enter amount of cash required
14. Check make-up in rear view mirror
15. Retrieve cash and reciept
16. Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside
17. Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of checkbook
18. Re-check make-up
19. Drive forward 2 feet
20. Reverse back to cash machine
21. Retrieve card
22. Re-empty handbag, locate card holder, and place card into slot
23. Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you
24. Restart stalled engine and pull off and hit big yellow pole
25. Redial person on cell phone and tell them you hit a big yellow pole
26. Drive for 2 to 3 miles
27. Release parking brake

Worst. Weekend. Ever.

2005-10-11T18:04:00.000-06:00

I spent all weekend either lying on my bed with my feet up, lying on the couch with my feet up, or hobbling around on two badly swollen feet. The only thing that felt good this weekend was soaking my sore feet in a tub of ice cold water 5 times a day. I hate being cooped up and being in so much pain that it keeps you from focusing on doing anything that would be constructive.

I had a slight ankle sprain earlier in the week (I'm not sure how that happened, to be honest), but since it didn't hurt a whole lot, I decided to go to work for 9 hours on Friday. Not a smart decision. Within an hour or 2, my right foot was throbbing with pain. However, I was able to hop around and do my job until my lunch break. I put my foot up in the car for an hour hoping that would do the trick...but it didn't. I really needed to finish one certain task before I left, and I was able to...but at the expense of both my feet! I hurt my left foot trying to keep weight off my right foot. I begged off the rest of my shift and left 2 hours early at 830...first time in 4 years that I couldn't finish a shift. I told them not to expect me Saturday morning either...when I got home, my feet were red and pounding with pain.

I tried elevating my feet, putting freezing gel on them, plunking them in ice cold water several times a day, drinking tons of water and eating cherries (all the websites I looked at recommeded that for some reason), taking ibuprofen twice every 4 hours...nothing worked.

My feet grew exponentially worse for no reason after the Rider game (caused by a loss, perhaps?), so I dropped my stubbornness and went to go see a doctor on Monday. Of course, seeing as though it was Thanksgiving, they were open later in the day, not regular hours. I couldn't even walk in the door, so they had to wheelchair me in. I don't know why, but I had fun in the wheelchair. I circled around the room a few times just to figure the contraption out. I have a newfound respect for wheelchair athletes who race these things at high speeds...it should definitely be a medal sport at the Olympics.

After waiting for 40 minutes, the Doc saw me for like a minute or 2 and gave me some high-strength pills to deal with the swelling. They're working slowly but surely because I can actually find where my ankles are on my feet, but I'm going to miss class tonight and most likely all of tomorrow because I can barely walk around the house (my grandmother lent me her walker), let alone campus, at this time. I'm feeling better now though, and I'll probably be fine and dandy just in time for my next shift on Thursday though...weeee.

I think this is a signal to me that I need some lifestyle changes. I was losing weight until the end of the summer and then I got lazy...not good because I tend to save my laziness for after the first snowfall. All this weight is not good for my feet, short term and long term. Might have to dig out the exercise bike because I hate running. Less chips and chocolate would help too, but working in a grocery store makes this a difficult task. I already drink a ton of water and I gave up caffienated Coke for non-caffienated some time ago, so I guess I'm off to a head start in some ways...

I DARE YOU to top this crummy weekend. First prize is a leftover can of cherries and my Grandma's walker.

The Cold War

2005-10-02T23:54:00.000-06:00

I finally got what I deserve. Why do I insist on leaving the window open on even the coldest fall evenings? Mainly because it knocks me out quick when I'm in bed, but now I've got my first cold of the school year.

The runny nose isn't that bad. The headaches are bearable. I love my new deeper, crooner-like voice. What I can't stand is the constant tickle in the back of my throat that causes me to cough endlessly. Stock market tip for all my loyal readers: Buy into the company that makes Halls, because I'm single handedly propping that stock up. Everytime I think I have this tickle figured out by drinking 7 glasses of water and sucking back a lozenge or 8, it comes back for more. At school, at church, at work, at a restaurant...it knows no bounds. Yaaaaarrrgh.

The good news is that I was able to let out a few yelps of enjoyment as the Riders blocked ANOTHER field goal to win a game, this time on the road against BC. We didn't play well on offense and we probably shouldn't have won, but we've blown so many games this year...the way I see it, the universe is just balancing itself out 8)

Not too much worth reporting. I spent all day reading about constitutional negotiations instead of watching football. Just typing that made me throw up a little bit in my mouth.

I have an eye appointment tomorrow, so just as soon as I print off my cheat sheet of the alphabet, I'm going to bed to rest my eyes. They have a big day tomorrow :)

Public Service Announcement

2005-09-22T13:53:00.000-06:00

Whenever I buy a CD, I play it a few times and get tired of it rather quickly and stow it away for a lengthy period of time...perhaps never to be picked up again.

That's not the case with the new Switchfoot CD. I've played it non-stop for the last week and a half and I'm still not tired of it.

Buy it. Buy it now.

Go!

I had fun...in REGINA!?!?

2005-09-19T21:43:00.000-06:00

Went on a road trip to Regina to see a Rider game yesterday with a few co-workers of mine: Melody and Chalsea (girls who are willing to use their day off to go watch football get high praise in my books) and my buddy Shaun (who also doubles as one of my bosses).

The drive to and from Regina was great. Typically I don't allow country music in my car, but I kept getting punched from the backseat, so I relented. Mad-libs are a great way to break the ice on a road trip. Nouns are quite hilarious. Adverbs are overrated. Shaun made the mistake of bringing his high-school yearbook along as well...big blunder!

The girls couldn't wait an extra hour to eat, so we had to pull over in Chamberlain for snacks. Does anyone LIVE in Chamberlain? All I saw was gas stations and restaurants. Maybe the people that work there sleep in their stores there too? I should have asked one of the locals.

We arrived an hour and a half early hoping to get a free parking spot that didn't require parallel parking. Mission accomplished. We then killed time at Humpty's. I bet the girls that they couldn't finish their poutine. I've never seen anyone finish their plate of poutine, no matter the size. Of course, none of them finished. Blame Chamberlain. I knew I should have put money on the table!

This was my first Rider game of the year, and Melody's first game EVER. How can you live in Saskatchewan this long and not go to a Rider game? She picked up on the rules of the game quite nicely. She's hooked. It took Chalsea a little while to get into the flow of the game, but I assumed she was building up to the 4th quarter. She's like Popeye...but instead of spinach, substitute licorice. That did the trick nicely.

Twas a good game...perhaps the most fun I've had at Taylor Field in years. Plenty of offense on both sides (especially from us, which surprised me), and there were some big defensive plays. Edmonton's special teams were an absolute gong show...one dropped punt, one blocked punt, 2 missed field goals, and of course the huge blocked field goal on the final play of the game. It was the most unexpected ending I've ever witnessed live, because I had resigned myself to the fact that we had blown yet another game. It was also the largest shriek I have ever emitted in my life when Morgan blocked the kick. Taylor Field went absolutely bananas! LOVED IT.

The worst part about Taylor Field is the mad rush down the ramps to get out after the game. Melody and Shaun got way ahead of Chalsea and I, and then Chalsea fell way behind me out of nowhere. I found the other 2 when I stumbled outside, but Chalsea was nowhere to be found. We waited several minutes until I went back in to look for her...couldn't find her. Shaun and I then circled the whole stadium until we found her on her cell-phone, just behind the corner from where we started our search, of course...

Melody and Shaun wanted to get some drinks, and I wanted the free Cokes that come with being a designated driver, so we found a hotel lounge to hang out at after the game. I let Chalsea borrow my car (what was I thinking? lol) to go pick up her cousin who lived a minute or two away, and he joined us for supper. Then we went to his house for a little bit and hung out...his 2 dogs like to fight. Good times.

Had a little trouble staying alert on the road on the way back, but the girls constantly nagging me to pull over and let them drive motivated me to finish the job! Thank goodness Shaun came, as he served many roles on the way back. He was my "is that roadkill?" advisor, kept me awake with some rockin' tunes, and we constantly try to one-up the other with big fancy words. I used lexicon and verbose within minutes, while he could only come up with androgenous...I win.

That's the only fun I'm allowed to have for the rest of the year...unless I develop an enjoyment of reading books (stifling both laughter and tears)

NHL: The Next Generation

2005-09-15T21:19:00.000-06:00

Wow, the NHL I grew up with is starting to disappear. I grew up watching guys like Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Scott Stevens, Al MacInnis, Vincent Damphousse...all of these guys have retired in the last week or so.

Mark Messier: one of the best leaders not only in hockey history, but in sports history.
Ron Francis: very quietly leaves as the NHL's 4th all-time leading scorer.
Scott Stevens: one of the hardest, yet cleanest, hitters to ever play the game.
Al MacInnis: why on earth would a goalie want to get in the way of one of his slapshots from the point?
Vincent Damphousse: love the name.

The Hall of Fame class for 2008 is pretty much set in stone, I'd say.

Mmmmmph...

2005-09-15T20:29:00.000-06:00

Tonight was the grad student-faculty reception at MacGuire's. First drink was free...I was the only one who had Pepsi :)

Funniest moment of the night was when one prof came over to our table...there were about 6 of us grad students and another prof at the table. She introduces herself and asks us for our names and what topic area we were studying...even to the professor...to which he responds: "Uhhh...I work in your department, remember?"

Awkward silence.

LMAO

My 2nd Family

2005-09-15T12:43:00.000-06:00

Here's the people I'll get to know too well over the next year. I didn't think I was that tall until I got this picture!

I still wish I had a beard.

Old School

2005-09-09T23:23:00.000-06:00

I started my Master's program on Wednesday, a year and a half removed from my Honours degree. I definitely felt the rust in many respects. I forgot how much parking costs. I forgot how crowded the Arts tunnel is during welcome week. I forgot how long the bookstore line is. I forgot how much reading is required of me. I forgot how hard it is to wash ink off the side of my hand after writing furiously for a few hours.

Wednesday was a looonnng day. My head could barely hold in all the information that was being bombarded at me...there's so much stuff that I didn't need to know right now! I also turned down Pearl Jam tickets in the process. Sigh.

I only have class on 2 days: Monday night and most of Wednesday. Don't be fooled: they give me enough work to keep myself busy. I've never been a motivated reader or much of a public speaker...that will have to change. The small numbers in class force you to be more prepared to contribute (which means you have to read, read, read...and here I haven't even finished my Jon Stewart book yet!), and there are numerous assignments that require me to speak for long periods of time.

I'm taking "Readings in Contemporary Political Studies"...my thesis supervisor is teaching this class. Very relaxed atmosphere where he delegates teaching responsibilities to the students. He made me a very interesting offer regarding my thesis topic...I'll fill you in if I accept his offer.

I'm taking "Theories in International Relations" simply because I find that theories of terrorism sounds more interesting that the other class option: learning about Albert Camus...whoever that is...

Then I spend Mondays with Roy...as in former Premier Roy Romanow. I've only had one class with the man, but I'm already impressed. He's very intelligent, humble and willing to share his experiences. I can't believe only 5 out of 12 students are taking this Federalism class...unbelieveable.

The perks of being a graduate student are pretty good too. I have my own mail slot. I have my own Xerox account. I can take library books out for the entire year and no one else can borrow them. I may have to grade papers. I have my own key to the 9th floor library and 8th floor computer lab, mine to access whenever I feel like. We also have a party in our honour on Thursday...me and a guest are invited. If there are any women out there that read this thing and are interested in free food and conversation with strangers, leave a message 8)

Oh yeah, and I'm still working 3 days a week at Extra Foods...probably the only social activity I forsee having during the week for the next year or so! LOL

Stay tuned...this year is gonna be a doozy one way or the other. It'll make for good reading, I promise.

That was strange...Part Deux

2005-09-04T13:44:00.000-06:00

Today we encountered a black widow (potentially lethal?) spider at work. We've been told that they may appear in banana boxes, etc from time to time because of where they're packaged and sent from. This one, however, was found in a case of Campbell's freakin' Soup...the absolute last place where we'd ever thought one would be. Lucky for us that the guy who found and trapped the spider happens to be our resident insect expert. It's trapped in some tupperware, either to be showed off as a trophy or as evidence in a trial...or both ;)

That was strange...

2005-09-02T21:58:00.000-06:00

When I was on my break yesterday at work, a security guy came into the staff room with a can of clam chowder. He unpeeled the lid, dug in with his spoon and commenced eating.

Then I noticed that he never even bothered to heat the soup at all. Very interesting indeed.

It immediately reminded me of the episode of Seinfeld where one was spotted eating a chocolate bar with a knife and fork.

A blog for the heck of it

2005-08-28T22:33:00.000-06:00

Wow, I haven't posted much this month. But don't worry, nothing newsworthy or funny happened, so you didn't miss anything!

Just getting ready for school after Labour Day and trying to make as much money as I can before then. Interesting note on my potential class schedule: former Premier Roy Romanow is slated to be my professor for my federalism class. I hear he has some experience in this area ;) I hope he's good, because I have this class Monday AND Tuesday night for 3 hours each :(

I need a haircut in the worst way, but I'm trying to get myself to stop going out to Dalmeny to get it done. I've been seeing the same stylist since I was a wee lad, and she does a great job...I don't even have to tell her how to cut it...she just knows. Problem is, these gas prices make the trip out there more and more unattractive. Surely I can find a place that is a stone's throw away from our house. Problem is: how do I explain to them how I want my hair cut? I've never really paid any attention!

This is what I deserve for trying new things

2005-08-02T18:36:00.000-06:00

When I was grocery shopping the other day and browsing through the produce section, I said to myself: "Evan, you've been on Earth 23 years and haven't tried a coconut yet. What's the matter with you? Are you chicken? bwak bwak bwak!" Hey, I'm not going to take that from me! I've got to shut me up once and for all!

I bought one, and I must say it did not come close to meeting my lofty expectations. I drilled a small hole to try and get the milk out first. I thought the coconut milk would be somewhat thick and sweet. Instead, it was really runny and tasted salty. It looked like bath water. After much fuss and muss with a hammer and chisel, the coconut was finally open for me to try. Here I thought it would be relatively juicy and sweet. Instead, it was hard as a brick and tasted like a toothpick.

How do people stranded on an island eat these things? That was the most disgusting thing I've eaten since 1993...and I remember the summer of 1993 well. If you ever go to a Ponderosa restaurant in Florida and get what appears to be a chicken ball, I strongly advise you to put it back and keep walking. It looks like chicken, it smells like chicken, but brother...it ain't chicken.

Yuck

2005-07-23T23:55:00.000-06:00

Simon, I think it's a good thing that I couldn't make it out to Calgary. It would've been great to see you again...but that beating the Riders took tonight would have left me in a rather foul mood ;)

I can't recall the last time I turned a Rider game off that early. That was disgraceful. Of all the games to be ill-prepared, sloppy, and ineffective, why did it have to be against Henry Burris and the Stampeders?? Wow.

Update

2005-07-23T23:41:00.000-06:00

After much tossing and turning and internal deabte, I've decided where I'm going to school. I'm going back to the U of S.

I felt as though the U of R had no sense of urgency whatsoever in helping me shape my program...trying to get this done long-distance absolutely sucked. I haven't had too many problems dealing with the U of S. I'm also familiar with the majority of profs, which makes me more comfortable about defending my thesis when the time comes. Plus I know someone who'll be in the same program as me! I can also keep my job and good wage, but not be there all the time like I am already!

This whole experience has taught me something. I've learned that I'm willing and ready to move, but that I don't necessarily have to. I wasn't willing 6 months ago. Plus paying tuition on top of rent, etc gave me the willies. I figure I'll be more then ready once I get my Master's. Pardon the proverb, but the world will be my oyster.

Rhi...if you're reading this...what classes are you taking? ;)

Beam him up

2005-07-20T22:15:00.000-06:00

RIP Scotty.

He had a very fascinating life...and his comments on William Shatner are very interesting.

Regina vs Saskatoon

2005-07-20T21:23:00.000-06:00

The official slogans of both these cities should be changed to "Currently Under Construction". The number of detours and traffic holdups in both cities is ridiculous. In Regina, they're still doing construction in an area where my aunt and uncle live...a project that was started a good 2 years ago!

I went on my first scouting trip to Regina last week to check out the campus and to look for some apartments. The U of R isn't as stunning as the U of S campus, and they're not as helpful either. I've heard absolutely nothing from them since they told me I was accepted into the Master's program. I even had to hassle them to get an quick answer to this simple question: did you get my confirmation to your acceptance letter? My advisor works 2 jobs and just went on a business trip for 2 weeks, so I rarely converse with him. I don't know what classes are being offered or even how to register for them. I'm basically on my own, which is totally unfair...unless all this independant work is a test for me, and it's for credit! LOL

The apartments we circled all looked pretty shady and in suspect areas, until our very last stop of the day. It's a one-bedroom apartment with a decent sized kitchen, lots of storage space and even a fireplace...and it's 5 minutes away from my aunt and uncle. There's so much stuff in that area...pizza places, video stores, a ton of restaurants, a hair salon, a doctor's office, numerous gas stations, and ironically enough, an Extra Foods. The only reason I'd have to go downtown would be to go see a Rider game. Needless to say, they have my name and number. This was exactly the kind of area I was envisioning a move to.

So just when I'm trying to figure out my program and a potential move, I get a email from the University of Saskatchewan. Lo and behold, they have a vacancy in their grad program and I was at the top of the reserve list. And they need an answer soon. I told them to wait.

I ask myself this question: do I want to be comfortable, or do I want to expand my horizons?

I'm familiar with the professors at the U of S and even know someone who's been accepted into their program for this year. I could also keep my job, where I make good money and where I'm the most content I've ever been there in 4 years.

I'm not familiar with the professors at the U of R and know almost nobody there. It's not even a sure thing that I can get a transfer from work. But this is the place where I'm most likely to find a job when all is said and done. And even though I'm comfortable in Saskatoon, a part of me craves the challenge of a change of scenery.

I thought I knew what I was doing, until today. I hope something will make my decision crystal-clear in the coming days. If not, can I borrow a magic 8-ball from someone? ;)

A huh? and a ha!

2005-07-14T22:45:00.000-06:00

We had an armed guard at work today protecting the new shipment of Harry Potter books.

I howled with laughter.