Christmas Parties

Of course I forgot to post about the other happenings of last weekend earlier so I'll put in a quick summary here. Friday was a Fondue party at Anne-Marie's place celebrating Christmas and her birthday (Happy Birthday AM!). A good time was had by all. Check out JP's site for pictures of the event (I linked his page on the right side of the page now). Saturday night, after skiing, was a Secret Santa gift exchange and dinner at Renata's new house in Barrhaven. Even though I was feeling incredibly sick and tired, I managed to have a good time. Almost all of the pre-planned parties are done now, just the division party from work to go (this Friday at lunch). After that if I'm not in the holiday spirit then I guess I'm just a grinch.

Pool Champion

As most of you know, I co-run an 8-ball pool league on Monday nights. It started out for interns and co-op students and their friends but it's turned into more a core group of people with some newcomers every term. We have fun and socialize, it's not a really serious league but there are some good players. As time has gone on, I've developed into one of them. Every 4 months our term or "season" is done and we have a party and a tournament for those that have shown up for half of the weeks. Back when I was an intern here I somehow managed to win one of these tournaments (mostly on luck but a little skill was involved). Last Monday was our Fall '06 tournament.

I got off to a rocky start and wasn't playing very well but then I played Kevin (sorry KAK, I have to write about this). The first game I didn't play overly well and lost but managed to get almost all my balls down. Then I broke for our second game and proceeded to sink 2-balls off the break (1 solid, 1 stripe) and then the rest of the stripes in one turn, followed of course by the 8-ball. I had my first ever ERO!! For those that don't know, an ERO, or Eight-ball Run Out, is not an easy thing and mine was no exception. I had to make a couple of difficult shots and move the cue ball around the table just right. For me to accomplish this relatively rare feat (well, rare for someone of my ability anyway) was special to me and got me going for the rest of the night. I did manage to lose another game but it was still part of the round robin and I managed to play solid in the finals and come away the winner. Kudos to Mike who I defeated in the finals but played much better than I in the round robin.

Anyway, despite being sick and relatively miserable for most of Monday, pool turned my week around early and has been the highlight of the month for me so far (of course Christmas is still coming). Just thought I'd share my joy and for anyone in the Ottawa area, if you're interested in playing pool, we start up our next term in January so let me know if you want to come play.

Let the ski season begin

Well, yesterday was technically the first day on the hill for me this year, but today was better. Yesterday was our ski test and the recruit draft at Camp Fortune so we got to ski a little bit but it was pretty lame since only the bunny hill was open (and then one other run later in the day but I didn't really stick around and only got a couple more real runs in after lunch). After the testing was done, the patrol leaders from the zone drafted all of the recruits to each hill. I ended up at Mont Cascades with Ali and France. So today was my first day there. Even though there is only one run open there as well and we spent most of the day doing more orientation/on hill training type stuff, it was a lot better because the run is a lot better than Fortune and it was a lot more fun. The people at my hill are all pretty good so far and it should be a good season. Too bad my legs are like jelly right now...and I wasn't even on skis all day, just for a little while. It's also too bad that I am sick right now and really tired and burnt out. So much in fact that I think I'll save the rest of this weekend's events for an update tomorrow instead of finishing it now. I think I'm going to bed...g'nite.

Winter Arrives in the Capital

Kind of fitting that our first real snowfall of the year comes on December 1st. Yep, it's finally winter in the capital. We had some wicked freezing rain in the afternoon and evening yesterday after it had snowed in the morning. As usual, people forget how to drive on ice and snow and most of us taking the bus were stuck trudging through the slush to get home from the bus stop. At least today it's a beautiful day (albeit still a little messy with all the slush). The snow looks like it's here to stay though so maybe we'll even be able to do our ski test and begin patrolling (and skiing) next weekend.

Speaking of ski patrol, I passed my written test (93%) with flying colors and now only have the diagnostic left (well, and the ski test but it barely counts).

Tonight's the recruit Christmas party from work but it's not really just recruits since it stretches back basically to anyone who has joined StatCan in the last 6 or 7 years. Should be fun. Too bad I can't really drink because I have to be up early for reffing tomorrow. At least I got to drink and have a really good time at the charity party last night for the women's shelter. A friend's girlfriend and her friends put it on. Good times and many martinis all around.

Well, time for some laundry and possibly some guitar playing. Enjoy the winter!

Lying in bed...awake...

Ever have your brain running at full tilt when all you want it to do is shut off? That's been happening a lot lately when I go to bed. I'm tired, or know I need to get up early, so I go to bed at a decent hour (11 or 11:30 is pretty decent for me). Then, my brain starts running through everything going on in my life (and if you've been keeping track, I'm not exactly Mr. Free Time right now). Sometimes it's nice to stop and think about stuff you haven't stopped to think about it a while but the problem is that the brain just won't stop. It's firing on all cylinders at exactly the wrong time. And I'm not getting enough sleep because of it. A couple nights ago, I was up until almost 3:00, wide awake and thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. I tried all my normal tricks (I even tried counting sheep in French but that only got me thinking about French stuff) but nothing worked. If anyone else has this problem or has any ideas on how I can avoid it, please let me know.

On a totally different note, I passed my Bloc II French class at work so I should be starting Bloc III in January. At least now I could communicate major ideas across, albeit in simple sentences and at a ridiculously slow pace most of the time. Now I have to worry about my ski patrol testing which starts with the written tomorrow night. Study time...wish me luck (and hope that I can sleep better).

New Design and New Links!

Well, I finally got around to altering my template some. Of course I only picked a pre-made template again but hey, it's different right. And as Arby's tells us, "different is good" (I watch too many commercials).

So let me know what you think and what I should be adding/changing (even if I should change everything because the design is an eyesore or something). And check out the links on the right side. I just typed in most of them by memory so if some of them don't work, let me know.

Anyway, I'm going to get some sleep now. All these changes are making my head spin.

Jay's site lives again

So as any of you who tried my links section know, the links are not really kept up to date (or ever changed). Good news for me, if I wait long enough (and bug the "webmaster" enough) some of the links fix themselves. Jay has finally rebuilt his website so go check it out. He actually has some good pictures up there, plus he's a funny guy so you know there will be good stuff appearing in the future (as long as he keeps it up).

I'll be changing the structure and look of my blog sometime soon so keep checking back but for now, that's it for me. I'm off to bed.

Busy, busy, busy

I meant to talk about some of the exciting events happening in the video game world (which of course I am usually fully immersed in) but alas, I don't think I have time for a full review/summary of what I think about the PS3 and the new Nintendo Wii. Most of you probably already know generally what I think anyway. Maybe I'll get to it later (possibly when I have a new console to actually review).

On the topic of not having any time though, I hope for that to change slightly soon. With first aid training only a couple weeks away from being done and French classes almost over until January (when I hopefully start the next block), I may actually have some time to get things that need to be done, done. Then again, it will be December and besides reffing taking up a lot of my time, there will be Christmas parties, holiday activities, and shopping to keep me busy. Guess there's no rest for the weary.

For those that I haven't had time to talk to much recently (or correspond with in any way shape or form), I apologize. Maybe at some point in time when I'm sick of dealing with all the many tasks at work, I'll spend some time actually getting something productive done like catching up with some of you before the holidays really kick in.

For now though, I'll just let all of you know that I'm back in Alberta for Christmas from the 22nd to January 1st. Hope to see all of you that I can when I'm home.

Off to bed with me so I can maybe get a good 7 or even 7.5 hours of sleep for once.

"What do you mean the lift could break?"

So as you all are no doubt aware, I'm doing my training to become a member of the Canadian Ski Patrol. One of the parts of the qualification (and requalification) is to do a lift evacuation. This basically means getting people down from the chair lift if it ever breaks down (rare, but it can, and does, happen). So in the interest of getting everyone properly qualified, you take turns being evacuated and doing the evacuating (those with dirty minds can stop now). Well, I'm not especially great with heights normally (though a chair lift doesn't usually bother me anyway), but getting me off of a chair lift anywhere but at the top would have been next to impossible...before today that is. It's actually kind of fun. Now the only problem was I did some uncontrolled spinning on the way down and add that to my queasy sick stomach and lightheadedness from being sick this week and it's a little less fun. Anyway, it all ended up okay and we did have a pretty good time. Already looking forward to requalifying in two years time...or doing it for real in the dead of winter (because everyone knows the lift would never break down when it's nice and sunny and warm out).

Dave The Public Servant

So as most people know I've been working for the government for the last 9 months (at Statistics Canada where I did my internship) on a one year contract. Many of you also know that I was in a "competition" (aka recruitment program) to make that a permanent position with my classification changing to the CS (computer system) stream. Well, I finally got word about the results and I passed!! So as of whenever HR actually gets the contracts done up to be signed, I'll be a permanent public servant. While this actually doesn't mean a change in my job since I'm already doing the work of a CS-02 and I'm only starting at the CS-01 classification, it does mean a raise and most importantly, permanency. I'll probably talk more about it when I know some more details but suffice to say, right now, I'm a very happy camper. And soon I'll be a better paid happy camper with a permanent position for as long as I want (until retirement or until I get fed up with the red tape). Yay!!

Maybe I'll actually finish this post

So here I am sitting hear listening to the Oilers game on a webcast because I haven't ordered the NHL Centre Ice package yet and Sportsnet is stupid and has regional restrictions on the game even though I get Sportsnet West...anyway I digress, like I was saying, I'm sitting here listening to the game I decide to check on some blogs and forums that I haven't looked at for a while. Lo and behold, I check my own blog and realize that I haven't actually posted since the end of August. WHAT? I'm sure I wrote something. So I went and checked and I have 4 half done posts that are saved as drafts and haven't been actually posted because I was too lazy to finish them. Since these are so out dated it seems kind of silly to post them now so I'll just sum them up.

1. PEI was fun. It's a long drive but it was well worth it. Even with 5 of us crammed in the Camry it wasn't bad and we had some good times in the car too but the real fun was had at the cottage. Very relaxing and since we all had a good time, it looks like we'll be back in the spring to open the cottage back up.

2. All of a sudden my schedule has been filled. I figued I'd get busy again in the fall after having a relaxing September but I never thought it'd be this crazy. I'm playing in the Statcan Volleyball league but unfortunately that's all the volleyball I have time for. I'm also reffing but I only really have 3 nights a week and one day on the weekend right now that I can even accept games. This is because I'm playing Ultimate on Sundays and taking first-aid classes for the Canadian Ski Patrol twice a week (more below).

3. Ultimate is an interesting sport. For those that don't know, Ultimate is kind of like football/rugby with a frisbee. It's actually a whole lot different but at least that gives you a rough idea of what it is. Our team is almost only beginners but we're starting to get it together and I'm getting decent at it. We're actually 3-2 in the fall season so far with 2 games left.

4. Ski Patrol. So I've taken the plunge and joined the Ski Patrol. I have a few friends that patrol and it seems like fun (ie. you get to ski for free every week) and a good way to meet people (it's a very social group). I figure it's also a good thing to know first-aid and this is one of the cheapest and most comprehensive courses you can get. It's not just about on hill aid but can be applied anywhere. I'm a little nervous about it but I think it's going to be fun. Unfortunately this takes up two nights of my week plus reading time (and there's lots to read). The classroom training continues until the end of November but then the on hill training and actual patrolling begins so I don't see it slowing down too much.

5. Work. I'm still working at StatsCan in the Tax Data Division. I'm also back in French class so that takes up a bit of time too. In terms of my position becoming permanent, I'm still waiting for final word but my competition is pretty much finished and it looks like I should probably have a spot. This means I'll be getting a promotion basically (and a raise :D) along with a permanent position in the public service. Hopefully HR doesn't take too long with contracts and we find out for sure about everything soon.

Well, that's a quick summary of some of the posts and what I'm up to now. I'll start posting more again when I have time (but as you might be able to tell, time is at a premium right now). There's still a bit of the half done posts left to cover but I think I'm going to crash and fall asleep listening to the end of the hockey game. Go Oilers!

Eastward Bound

Tomorrow evening we set out for the Island of Prince Edward. Five of us are going to cram into my Camry and head off to the cottage (14 hours away) for 4 days (not including driving days). Should be a grand old time and a good way to spend the last long weekend of the summer. Hope everyone else is doing something to send off the summer in style.

Enjoy the long weekend!!

Summer update

Okay, so despite being back from my vacation for a month now, I haven't really posted. There are some good and not so good reasons for that (I'll let you decide which ones are the good ones). First, in case you haven't heard (but it's relatively old news now), Johanna and I broke up. That actually coincided with the same day as my last post, so I was pretty disappointed and depressed for a bit and didn't feel like posting anything for fear of sounding whiny and pitiful. And then I started to get busy and didn't spend much time on the computer at home so I wasn't even reading other blogs let alone updating my own. And then Dan came to visit (he just left a couple days ago now). So finally, here's an update about my summer since I got back from vacation...

First sports: I've been playing a lot of beach volleyball...as in twice a week regularly. It's been a blast. I think I like it even better than indoor. We've played everything from my normal league 4v4 to Saturday morning 2v2 to Saturday afternoon 6v6. It's been good times all around and a different challenge every week. Aside from that I've been practicing occasionally with an Ultimate (frisbee) team that some of my friends have put together. I'll be playing with them in the new season in the fall. That too has been a new sporting experience that I am really getting into. Unfortunately, this all has left less room for golf. So besides on PEI I haven't played. It's too bad but next summer we'll try to change that. I've also been keeping up in my pool league...tournament this coming Monday so we'll see how I do.

Now if sports are taking up my time on the weekends and some evenings, work is keeping me busy the rest of the time. I've finally finished part of my testing on the new database so I've started moving back to the project I'm supposed to be doing more work on. It's been a long and drawn out process but at least it's almost done and I can work on something new. The competition that I am in the middle of, for a permanent position, is still ongoing but they finished marking the tests at least and I passed. Next is the interviews but they're not starting until after the long weekend in September. Hopefully the whole thing will be done by October and I'll have a full-time permanent spot as a CS but I'm not banking on it being done quite that soon (it is the government after all).

I also had a visitor last week. My best friend Dan that I grew up with finally came out to visit. We had a good time. Played some volleyball, Ultimate, and pool and hung out a lot. The War Museum was pretty cool and just going out and hanging out at some pubs and restaurants around town was fun too. He also brought me a guitar book that we used for campfires when we're camping so now I have some more stuff to play (thanks to Dupe too). That book got well used in the short time Dan was here as we took turns playing my guitar late into the night a few times. One of the highlights of his time here though was our trip to Montreal for Warped Tour. We rented a car and drove down last Sunday. It was the last stop on the tour so the merchandise wasn't that great but the shows were awesome, albeit very dusty from all the sand in the mosh pits. Good times. I'm glad he came out to visit and hopefully he comes again soon (soon being at the latest, next summer).

Anyway, that's a hefty enough update (there you go Adam, now I demand an update too). I'll make time for more soon.

I'm back

So as some of you know I was gone to PEI for a short vacation for the last 10 days. It was great and I'm sorry that I have to get back to work (especially with the problems I had at work today). But that's life. I'll post some more about the vacation along with some pictures later but here's a (very) brief synopsis...

-went golfing, sailing, canoeing, swimming
-went to a couple of plays
-went to my cousin's wedding (congratulations Rachel!)
-spent some time around our cottage (a lot of cleaning and other work but some relaxing)
-visited with the family

Anyway, that pretty much sums it up for now. I'm looking forward to playing more volleyball now that summer is in full swing but I'm also looking to get back into tennis and squash and get some rounds of golf in for that. If that's your cup of tea, let me know and we'll get together sometime to play.

Superman and other tidbits

It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's Superman. And he's back in theaters. Go see it! Not only is it one of the best comic book based movies I've ever seen (right up there with Batman Begins) but it's one of the best movies I've seen in recent months. None of the corny lines we've all come to expect from that style of movie and not really the same category. Sure it has some action but that's not what drives the movie like many other films.

What else is new...normal things like work, pool, and volleyball continue (I guess that means they're not really new). I've been playing volleyball at the beach at least once a week for about 7 weeks now. It's been really good, especially last Saturday when we had 14 people show up to play on two nets and had some really competitive games. Too bad I'll miss a couple weekends when I'm in PEI next week.

So my parents left Devon this morning to begin the cross Canada trek (with a pit stop in the capital to pick me up of course). I'm hoping they'll be here by the 6th (or the 7th at the latest) so we can get to PEI in time for the World Cup final. The whole purpose of the trip (besides a vacation with the family and to see our new cottage) is for my cousin Rachel's wedding. So we'll have a week to prepare and get some golf and visiting in before the wedding two weeks from yesterday. It should be a good time all around. It'll be nice to have my whole family back together under one roof again (even though it's a new roof for my sister and I). I'm really looking forward to it.

Well, time for a little guitar and then it's off to bed. I wasn't feeling great earlier today, a little dizzy and feeling like passing out, but hopefully that's passed now. Enjoy your Canada Day bonus day tomorrow.

Happy 139th Birthday Canada!

Happy Canada Day everyone!!

Today was actually a relatively quiet Canada Day for me in the nation's capital. I just watched some World Cup at home in the morning and then spent the afternoon and evening at France and Ali's house for a BBQ/pool party. Good times with some good friends.

I've got some updates to write tomorrow...topics to come: Superman, GST, NHL free agency, PEI, volleyball, and more...

I cried myself to sleep

So last night the playoffs came to an end. And of course it was a very unfortunate end for those of us in or from Oil country. Despite the outcome, I know everyone in Edmonton and all the Oiler fans everywhere are very proud of our team. It was an amazing run and one many of us are not likely to forget. Hopefully this is a sign of a new dynasty just beginning. Remember, in 1983 the Oilers lost in the cup final and look what happened after that. Kudos (sp?) to the Edmonton Oilers and their dream-like Stanley Cup run. It was a blast and hopefully we'll do it all again next year with a slightly better outcome.

Sorry I've been not posting recently. Between watching hockey and playing volleyball, pool, and pokerI've been on the go most nights and when I settle down I just don't really feel like typing more (after being on the computer all day at work). I'll get back to it. Right now though I'm going to flick on the tube and catch some soccer highlights (World Cup is filling up what sports time volleyball and hockey didn't).

Cup finals start tonight

This is it...the moment we've been waiting for all season. The Stanley Cup finals. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict the Oilers winning the series 4-2. And while I'm at it, I'll predict a 4-2 win tonight for the boys from the North-West. Either way, it should be exciting...I can't wait!

GO OILERS GO!!

Post #200

Wow...I've actually posted 200 entries on this thing in just over a year. Hard to believe since I don't actually post as often as I'd like to. Thanks to those people who actually read this. The main reason I do this is to try and keep in touch with people and for the most part it has helped. But me telling you what's happening in my life isn't the only goal, I want to know what you people are doing. My next goal is to update my links so I have links to all my friend's blogs/sites so if you have a site and don't mind me linking to it, let me know.

Well, I have to get ready for the beach and some volleyball. Have a good day!

WE'RE PLAYING FOR THE CUP!!

WOO BABY!! What a game and what a series! The Oilers are going to play for the Stanley Cup! I'm just bouncing off the walls I'm so pumped. I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep tonight. I only wish I was in Edmonton right now to join in the amazing party that must be going on. I can't wait until the finals start.

GO OILERS GO!!