Saturday, July 23, 2005
Game On
The NHL Lockout is officially over!! YAY!! And the draft lottery is finished. Too bad the Canadian teams didn't fare very well. Well, Montreal, Vancouver, and Ottawa are in okay position but the team that matters most, my Edmonton Oilers, are stuck down with the 25th pick. And it looks like Sydney Crosby will be going to Pittsburg to join Mario Lemieux. I guess that can be considered a good thing though it's too bad the fans in the west will only see him once every three years. I just hope now with the better distribution of wealth and the salary cap that the rest of the league will be as restricted as the Oilers have had to be. Hopefully the Oilers can not only put together a team like in the past but actually keep it together. I'm all psyched for hockey now and I can't wait until the draft and then August 1st (free agent signing begins) let alone October 5th when we actually get to see NHL hockey again. Hooray for the best sport on Earth!!
Friday, July 22, 2005
Our cottage is almost done
What an exciting day! For those that don't know, my family is (finally) building a cottage on our river front lot on Prince Edward Island. It's a storey and a half cottage that was built in two parts in a factory and then moved to the lot. Early this morning they moved it onto the lot. Below are a couple of pictures my aunt took for us.
There is still some interior (and a bit of exterior) work to be done but it's getting very close to being done. My parents leave for PEI next Tuesday but my sister and I are unfortunately going to be stuck at home. Guess we'll have to wait until next summer probably to see it. Well I'd better get to bed, I've got a long day of watching NHL HOCKEY coverage of press conferences and the draft lottery. I've held off on posting about the end of the lockout because I figured I should do it all in one big go so that's probably going to happen tomorrow night.
There is still some interior (and a bit of exterior) work to be done but it's getting very close to being done. My parents leave for PEI next Tuesday but my sister and I are unfortunately going to be stuck at home. Guess we'll have to wait until next summer probably to see it. Well I'd better get to bed, I've got a long day of watching NHL HOCKEY coverage of press conferences and the draft lottery. I've held off on posting about the end of the lockout because I figured I should do it all in one big go so that's probably going to happen tomorrow night.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Back in Jasper
Well, the 2+ weeks of camping are over. It was an overall great time. Lots of relaxing on the beach and lying around reading...and playing games...and drinking. Oh, did Dan and I ever drink. I also got out for the watersports a bunch though not as much as usual. I had some trouble skiing this year so I decided I'd wakeboard more. Now I'm feeling a lot more comfortable on the board and I think I'll soon be able to jump the wake.
The big news in my family right now: Julie (my sister) is back in Canada. She was in Australia for 5 months on a university exchange but now she's back. My mom left Kelowna early to meet my sister at the airport in Edmonton and then they drove out to meet my Dad and I in Jasper coming back from camping. My whole family is here together in the mountains for the first time in over two years. It's good to be sitting around relaxing and visiting but there's a lot of catching up to do so I'd better go.
The big news in my family right now: Julie (my sister) is back in Canada. She was in Australia for 5 months on a university exchange but now she's back. My mom left Kelowna early to meet my sister at the airport in Edmonton and then they drove out to meet my Dad and I in Jasper coming back from camping. My whole family is here together in the mountains for the first time in over two years. It's good to be sitting around relaxing and visiting but there's a lot of catching up to do so I'd better go.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Camping!
Tomorrow morning at the unknown hour of 5:00, Dan and I will be leaving to drive to Kelowna to camp with our families for a couple of weeks. Today's interview went pretty well so hopefully I get onto the short list for the last round of interviews. That should happen sometime in my second week at Wiigs (the campground we stay at in Kelowna) so I may have to fly back to come to the interview. Hopefully it'll turn out to be worth it. Well, I'd better get what little sleep I can tonight, we have a long day of driving ahead of us.
Happy Birthday Mom
Today was my mom's birthday so Happy Birthday and many happy returns to the day. I attempted a cake but had a little problem stacking it so it's a little crooked. That also made icing it real fun. The other problem I had was that the icing just kept getting soaked into the top of the cake (it's one of those fluffy pudding cake mixes) and so for a while it looked like a moldy sponge. I had to make extra icing to cover the top after it was done soaking in a bunch. So, not the best looking cake but it sure tastes good and that's what matters right?
On a totally different note, I have an interview at a place called Deloitte this afternoon in Edmonton. I'm not going to hold my breath on getting the job (though I sure would like it) but the experience will be good and it's nice to finally know that at least one company thinks I can write a cover letter and resume and fit into some job description. Well, wish me luck.
On a totally different note, I have an interview at a place called Deloitte this afternoon in Edmonton. I'm not going to hold my breath on getting the job (though I sure would like it) but the experience will be good and it's nice to finally know that at least one company thinks I can write a cover letter and resume and fit into some job description. Well, wish me luck.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
What a beautiful day
Wow today was (is still) hot out. I went golfing this morning and what a beautiful day to be out on the course. A little hot at the end of the round but I can handle the sun anytime in place of rain. I think it must have been the weather, but I shot a lot better too today than on Father's Day. I think I'll have to hit the range again sometime before this Saturday's golf and BBQ afternoon that I'm putting together. Let me know if you want in. Well, off to read a book in the hammock in the sun.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Two Great Movies
Ok, so I'm going to bed right after I post this. In the last week I've seen two of the best movies in theatres that I've seen all year so far: Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Batman Begins.
First off, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a great action movie that is actually quite subtle (if an action movie can be that) in a lot of ways. I thoroughly enjoyed it and suggest that anyone who likes any kind of action type movie at all goes out and sees it. It doesn't hurt that Angelina Jolie is in it (so hot)...and Brad Pitt for the ladies.
Next I went to see Batman Begins. Now I know that a lot of people have been pretty hard on the Batman movies so far...and rightfully so in a lot of ways. I personally don't mind any of the Batman movies so far but this one blows the rest out of the water. It does such a great job of introducing and explaining the Batman character in an interesting and exciting way. And as far as I know, is more true to the original comics and graphic novels than any of the other movies.
So go see Batman Begins and Mr. and Mrs. Smith...you'll probably like them. And if you don't, then you just wouldn't know a good movie if it slapped you in the face :)
First off, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a great action movie that is actually quite subtle (if an action movie can be that) in a lot of ways. I thoroughly enjoyed it and suggest that anyone who likes any kind of action type movie at all goes out and sees it. It doesn't hurt that Angelina Jolie is in it (so hot)...and Brad Pitt for the ladies.
Next I went to see Batman Begins. Now I know that a lot of people have been pretty hard on the Batman movies so far...and rightfully so in a lot of ways. I personally don't mind any of the Batman movies so far but this one blows the rest out of the water. It does such a great job of introducing and explaining the Batman character in an interesting and exciting way. And as far as I know, is more true to the original comics and graphic novels than any of the other movies.
So go see Batman Begins and Mr. and Mrs. Smith...you'll probably like them. And if you don't, then you just wouldn't know a good movie if it slapped you in the face :)
Happy Father's Day
Happy Father's Day to all the dad's, grandpa's, and every other kind of father out there. I spent the afternoon golfing with my dad...too bad we both played pretty horrible. At least it was a nice day. A little bit of a odd thing happened during the round though. When we were on hole 5 the course marshal came up and said that if the horn blew we were supposed to stop play immediately and get off the course. Usually this is for thunderstorms but since there was no cloud in the sky we couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be for. We were told it was because the river was overflowing and the campground was being evacuated. If the river rose much more, the golf course would also have to be evacuated. Fortunately that didn't happen and the amount that the river rose, while quite a bit (over 2 feet in 1 hour apparently), it didn't end up doing any serious damage...in Devon anyway. A little bit of excitement and confusion added to the normal round of golf. Well, I'm off to bed pretty quick here because I have to get up early to go to the gym. Have to get in shape for waterskiing and the like.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Grad Pictures
Here's a few pictures from Wednesday's grad posted below...
And just as another tidbit, I'm going to try and start posting a few more pictures now that I seem to have that figured out.
And just as another tidbit, I'm going to try and start posting a few more pictures now that I seem to have that figured out.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
And Congratulations!
I'm sorry, in my rush to post the day's events so I could get some stuff done before going to bed, I neglected to really say anything about/to my fellow classmates.
So to all the class of 2005, not just in Science, not just at the U of A but everywhere...CONGRATULATIONS!!
All of that hard work and the years of learning and growing have finally culminated into one very expensive (and incredibly valuable) piece of paper. Just remember that learning comes with the journey and not as a result of the destination...and this isn't the destination, it is only the beginning of another journey (or a new branch of the same one). Life has only begun and the real world awaits.
So to all the class of 2005, not just in Science, not just at the U of A but everywhere...CONGRATULATIONS!!
All of that hard work and the years of learning and growing have finally culminated into one very expensive (and incredibly valuable) piece of paper. Just remember that learning comes with the journey and not as a result of the destination...and this isn't the destination, it is only the beginning of another journey (or a new branch of the same one). Life has only begun and the real world awaits.
David Beck: BSc, Specialization in Computing Science...
...with a Business Minor and Industrial Internship. Or at least that's what my diploma reads!! I got my degree today!
The day started out with a Faculty of Science Convocation Breakfast at the Shaw Conference centre where we had some speeches, breakfast (obviously), and a few awards were handed out. My friend Adam (who also was valedictorian of my high school grad class) got the Dean's Gold Medal for Specialization in Science. Congrats Adam! I also got to see and talk to Jim Hoover, the professor I was a TA for in the last semester so that was good as well.
After some pictures at the Shaw after breakfast, we headed to the mall to get me some new dress shoes. We then drove back to the university to pick up my "graduate apparel" and get ready for the afternoon's festivities. I also picked up a frame for my diploma and ordered a grad ring (thanks Mom and Dad!). The ceremony was pretty long and at times a little bit boring but there were some good people around me to talk to and it was good to see some people that I haven't seen for a while.
When all the pomp and circumstance was finished, we went outside for some more pictures and eventually made our way to Joey Tomatoe's Mediterranean Grill. It was delicious. After a long and tiring day we finally got back home just before 10:00, 14 hours after we left home in the morning.
I just want to thank everyone who helped me through my university studies, and helped me get to university in the first place. All the support and help I received means a lot to me. Thank you all!
The day started out with a Faculty of Science Convocation Breakfast at the Shaw Conference centre where we had some speeches, breakfast (obviously), and a few awards were handed out. My friend Adam (who also was valedictorian of my high school grad class) got the Dean's Gold Medal for Specialization in Science. Congrats Adam! I also got to see and talk to Jim Hoover, the professor I was a TA for in the last semester so that was good as well.
After some pictures at the Shaw after breakfast, we headed to the mall to get me some new dress shoes. We then drove back to the university to pick up my "graduate apparel" and get ready for the afternoon's festivities. I also picked up a frame for my diploma and ordered a grad ring (thanks Mom and Dad!). The ceremony was pretty long and at times a little bit boring but there were some good people around me to talk to and it was good to see some people that I haven't seen for a while.
When all the pomp and circumstance was finished, we went outside for some more pictures and eventually made our way to Joey Tomatoe's Mediterranean Grill. It was delicious. After a long and tiring day we finally got back home just before 10:00, 14 hours after we left home in the morning.
I just want to thank everyone who helped me through my university studies, and helped me get to university in the first place. All the support and help I received means a lot to me. Thank you all!
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
It's been a while
Wow, has it really been almost a full month since I posted. I guess the unemployed life just didn't really inspire me to write anything. And then I got busy (but not with a job unfortunately)...so here's my quick update of what happened in May and what's going on now.
Well let's start with the present. Dan and I moved out of our apartment and moved home to save some money over the summer and until we get real jobs. So I'm back living with the folks. I think I'll probably be moving back out as soon as I get a job but for now I can make due. It's not so bad and I'll get to eat well while saving some money.
On the athletics side of things...I finally got back to the gym. I bought a 3 month membership in Devon for the summer (while I'm home) and I plan on going with my dad in the mornings...at least for now. It's really hard to get up and go exercise before 6:00 in the morning but I'll get used to it, I hope. On the golfing front, I'm just coming off the best round I've ever shot. I played Eagle Rock outside of Beaumont with Adam and a couple other guys and lit it up. I went +6 on the front and +6 on the back for an 83! That's a new low for me (which is good in golf remember). The next round I played was in Devon and despite taking 5 penalty strokes (unusually high for me), I still managed to shoot a 91. Hopefully I can keep this up. If anyone wants to go golfing, let me know.
As for what kept me busy last week (besides packing). My Grandpa's 90th birthday is this Thursday so we had a party in Jasper last weekend. Lots of people came and it was quite the open house. Good food and good company but of course it also required quite a bit of work. To help celebrate the occasion, 5 of my relatives from the Czech Republic and Poland came to visit. Last week I spent most of my free time visiting with them or driving them and my grandparents around Edmonton to show them the sites. It was a very busy week and weekend.
Other than all that, I'm doing ok despite remaining jobless. Hopefully something will turn up soon but until then I think I'll enjoy the time off. Well, time to go set up my computer so I don't have to always use my parents'. I'll try to make my posts a little closer than this one and the last one were.
Well let's start with the present. Dan and I moved out of our apartment and moved home to save some money over the summer and until we get real jobs. So I'm back living with the folks. I think I'll probably be moving back out as soon as I get a job but for now I can make due. It's not so bad and I'll get to eat well while saving some money.
On the athletics side of things...I finally got back to the gym. I bought a 3 month membership in Devon for the summer (while I'm home) and I plan on going with my dad in the mornings...at least for now. It's really hard to get up and go exercise before 6:00 in the morning but I'll get used to it, I hope. On the golfing front, I'm just coming off the best round I've ever shot. I played Eagle Rock outside of Beaumont with Adam and a couple other guys and lit it up. I went +6 on the front and +6 on the back for an 83! That's a new low for me (which is good in golf remember). The next round I played was in Devon and despite taking 5 penalty strokes (unusually high for me), I still managed to shoot a 91. Hopefully I can keep this up. If anyone wants to go golfing, let me know.
As for what kept me busy last week (besides packing). My Grandpa's 90th birthday is this Thursday so we had a party in Jasper last weekend. Lots of people came and it was quite the open house. Good food and good company but of course it also required quite a bit of work. To help celebrate the occasion, 5 of my relatives from the Czech Republic and Poland came to visit. Last week I spent most of my free time visiting with them or driving them and my grandparents around Edmonton to show them the sites. It was a very busy week and weekend.
Other than all that, I'm doing ok despite remaining jobless. Hopefully something will turn up soon but until then I think I'll enjoy the time off. Well, time to go set up my computer so I don't have to always use my parents'. I'll try to make my posts a little closer than this one and the last one were.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
How could I forget hockey?
When I originally sat down to write the last post it was going to be about the World Hockey Championships going on in Austria right now but I totally forgot. Anyway, I'm happy that I get to see some more high quality hockey broadcast on TV again. That is one of the benefits of staying home all day right now, I get to catch the games while everyone else is at work. Canada is off to a 2-0 start but the competition doesn't really pick up until Thursday when we (they) play the USA. And I'll be sitting on the couch for every minute of it (so long as I'm not on the golf course). It may not be the NHL but it's as close to professional hockey as we'll see for at least 5 months and it is Canada playing so I'm still a diehard fan.
GO CANADA GO!
GO CANADA GO!
The Unemployed Life
I'm sure there's a job for me out there somewhere but since I'm not going stir crazy yet (though it's only been a few days) I'm not in the biggest hurry to find it yet. I even had the energy to clean some tonight with Dan and our apartment is looking cleaner than it has in...well, maybe ever (well since we moved in anyway). We're out at the end of the month so we'll see if it can stay that way or normal laziness kicks in and the mess returns.
Now since I have been sitting inside the last two days I have some recommendations that people should check out (some of these I found before this week but still).
www.pointlesswasteoftime.com - this is a twisted humor site that many people may not find funny so don't say I didn't warn you but there are some very funny articles. I suggest some of the lists and movie articles.
The Daily Show - Jon Stewart is a very very funny smart guy, or a smart funny guy, either way, watch the Daily Show if you haven't yet (check your local listenings). Very intelligent (most of the time) comedy.
Missy Higgins - this is an Australian musician that has become one of my sister's favorite artists. You can listen to a bunch of her songs on her website. Some very cool and mellow piano and accoustic guitar melodies.
Star Wars Revelations - just search on google and you'll find a site where you can download this. It's a fan made Star Wars video that is about 45 min long...but WOW, it's amazing. It takes place between Episode III and Episode IV but doesn't involve any of the main characters. It's free to download so just go waste some bandwidth and check it out if you're at all a Star Wars fan.
That's it for now but I'll probably find some more random junk soon. If anyone feels like going for some food or killing some time with me just drop me a line. I am after all, not too busy right now :)
Now since I have been sitting inside the last two days I have some recommendations that people should check out (some of these I found before this week but still).
www.pointlesswasteoftime.com - this is a twisted humor site that many people may not find funny so don't say I didn't warn you but there are some very funny articles. I suggest some of the lists and movie articles.
The Daily Show - Jon Stewart is a very very funny smart guy, or a smart funny guy, either way, watch the Daily Show if you haven't yet (check your local listenings). Very intelligent (most of the time) comedy.
Missy Higgins - this is an Australian musician that has become one of my sister's favorite artists. You can listen to a bunch of her songs on her website. Some very cool and mellow piano and accoustic guitar melodies.
Star Wars Revelations - just search on google and you'll find a site where you can download this. It's a fan made Star Wars video that is about 45 min long...but WOW, it's amazing. It takes place between Episode III and Episode IV but doesn't involve any of the main characters. It's free to download so just go waste some bandwidth and check it out if you're at all a Star Wars fan.
That's it for now but I'll probably find some more random junk soon. If anyone feels like going for some food or killing some time with me just drop me a line. I am after all, not too busy right now :)
"'Cos finger by finger we're losing grasp and
I'm questioning the reason why nothing beautiful does last"
- Missy Higgins from Any Day Now
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)