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!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Sunday, May 28, 2006
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!!
GO OILERS GO!!
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Finally a real update
Okay, dishes are done and guitar has been played so it's about time I sit down and update anyone who actually reads this on what's new...
Well I'm enjoying life in my now fully furnished apartment (even though I haven't often been home much in the last week). I'm also enjoying the Oilers' run in this years playoffs (as I'm sure you all could guess). I can't believe how well they're all playing as a team...and that's what makes hockey the greatest sport, a total team effort can drive a team with the desire to win through some of the more skilled teams. Not that I underestimate the skill on the Oilers (where did Pisani come from all of a sudden?) but when you compare them to the Sharks and Red Wings you can't really say the Oilers have the edge in the pure skill department (though maybe they do in depth).
Other new stuff...I've been to two big concerts in the last few weeks. First was INXS the night before my housewarming. Good show with lots of energy and I'm actually quite surprised at how many of their songs I actually knew. Next was the last show on Our Lady Peace's latest tour. A couple of pretty good opening bands kicked it off including the Neverending White Lights. Good show. Then OLP came on and played for 2 hours (including a huge encore with all 4 bands on the tour on stage singing Starseed together, my favorite OLP song).
And on the topic of music, I just picked up 3 new albums lately. The new Red Hot Chili Peppers is pretty awesome with some wicked bass lines and some really kicking funk beats that get your toes tapping. Then yesterday I picked up the new Angels & Airwaves album (the new band of Tom Delong, formerly of Blink-182). It's definitely different but very good. Check it out. And last but not least was yesterday's release of the newest Less Than Jake album, "In With The Out Crowd". I've been waiting for some new stuff from my favorite band and it's satisfied that itch. Not their best album but definitely good and it's growing on me the more I listen to it.
Okay, this is getting pretty long already so I won't go into too much more detail on stuff. Work is going pretty well. I got screened into my CS-01 competition (for a permanent job at StatsCan) and so I get to write a test on June 15th to see if I get an interview for the competition. Right now I'm on an expensive 3 day Oracle database tuning course downtown so I'm learning a bunch of interesting new stuff.
Outside of work life's going very well too. My volleyball net is here now so I can't wait to get out to the beach this weekend. I'm playing guitar a lot and occasionally messing around on my trumpet. I've also been spending quite a bit of time with Johanna (who is gone for a couple of weeks so I have to find something else to fill my time). Speaking of Johanna, we went to the DaVinci Code last Sunday and without going into too much detail because this post is long enough already, don't believe all the critics. I thought it was pretty good. If you liked the book then go see the movie for sure. Most of the trashy reviews are bashing the ideas from the book and not the actual movie. Paul Bettany puts on a pretty haunting performance as Silas the albino monk.
Well I think that's a pretty good update for now. If anyone really wants to know more you should know my e-mail and since I never hear from most of you anymore anyway, drop me a line. Now I think I'm going to listen to a little more Less Than Jake and head to bed early.
Well I'm enjoying life in my now fully furnished apartment (even though I haven't often been home much in the last week). I'm also enjoying the Oilers' run in this years playoffs (as I'm sure you all could guess). I can't believe how well they're all playing as a team...and that's what makes hockey the greatest sport, a total team effort can drive a team with the desire to win through some of the more skilled teams. Not that I underestimate the skill on the Oilers (where did Pisani come from all of a sudden?) but when you compare them to the Sharks and Red Wings you can't really say the Oilers have the edge in the pure skill department (though maybe they do in depth).
Other new stuff...I've been to two big concerts in the last few weeks. First was INXS the night before my housewarming. Good show with lots of energy and I'm actually quite surprised at how many of their songs I actually knew. Next was the last show on Our Lady Peace's latest tour. A couple of pretty good opening bands kicked it off including the Neverending White Lights. Good show. Then OLP came on and played for 2 hours (including a huge encore with all 4 bands on the tour on stage singing Starseed together, my favorite OLP song).
And on the topic of music, I just picked up 3 new albums lately. The new Red Hot Chili Peppers is pretty awesome with some wicked bass lines and some really kicking funk beats that get your toes tapping. Then yesterday I picked up the new Angels & Airwaves album (the new band of Tom Delong, formerly of Blink-182). It's definitely different but very good. Check it out. And last but not least was yesterday's release of the newest Less Than Jake album, "In With The Out Crowd". I've been waiting for some new stuff from my favorite band and it's satisfied that itch. Not their best album but definitely good and it's growing on me the more I listen to it.
Okay, this is getting pretty long already so I won't go into too much more detail on stuff. Work is going pretty well. I got screened into my CS-01 competition (for a permanent job at StatsCan) and so I get to write a test on June 15th to see if I get an interview for the competition. Right now I'm on an expensive 3 day Oracle database tuning course downtown so I'm learning a bunch of interesting new stuff.
Outside of work life's going very well too. My volleyball net is here now so I can't wait to get out to the beach this weekend. I'm playing guitar a lot and occasionally messing around on my trumpet. I've also been spending quite a bit of time with Johanna (who is gone for a couple of weeks so I have to find something else to fill my time). Speaking of Johanna, we went to the DaVinci Code last Sunday and without going into too much detail because this post is long enough already, don't believe all the critics. I thought it was pretty good. If you liked the book then go see the movie for sure. Most of the trashy reviews are bashing the ideas from the book and not the actual movie. Paul Bettany puts on a pretty haunting performance as Silas the albino monk.
Well I think that's a pretty good update for now. If anyone really wants to know more you should know my e-mail and since I never hear from most of you anymore anyway, drop me a line. Now I think I'm going to listen to a little more Less Than Jake and head to bed early.
More pictures from the warming of my apartment
You can go to JP's site for even more...http://web.mac.com/x_philie2000/
...or you can look at a few of the pics that France sent me from her camera...
Wei and Ali:
Marc and Sophie:
Other Marc and Ive:
Robyn supervises the poker game:
Aww...Anne-Marie missed Jay:
I honestly didn't think the futon would hold four:
A pretty good summary picture:
And that update is coming, I swear...I've just got to finish doing the dishes first...
...or you can look at a few of the pics that France sent me from her camera...
Wei and Ali:
Marc and Sophie:
Other Marc and Ive:
Robyn supervises the poker game:
Aww...Anne-Marie missed Jay:
I honestly didn't think the futon would hold four:
A pretty good summary picture:
And that update is coming, I swear...I've just got to finish doing the dishes first...
Proud to be Canadian!
How about the fans in Rexall Place last night in Edmonton taking over for Paul Loreau in the singing of O Canada!! Now if that isn't pride in one's country and one's home team, I don't know what is. Kind of brings a tear to my eye and a shiver up the spine.
Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meLpuF9UMvk
GO OILERS GO!!
P.S. More updates to come since I have been slacking on the posts recently.
Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meLpuF9UMvk
GO OILERS GO!!
P.S. More updates to come since I have been slacking on the posts recently.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
OILERS WIN!!
WE'RE GOING TO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL!! WOO HOO!!
If Edmonton can play against Anaheim like they did in this series against San Jose they'll win it. Just stick to the good hard nosed hockey and they'll pull through.
GO OILERS GO!!
P.S. My sister's picture is on the Edmonton Oilers website under the fan pics section. She's with her friends in front of the Fanzoni with the Stanley Cup hat that she made. And she's been on TV a bunch with her Oilers gear on. Go Julz!
If Edmonton can play against Anaheim like they did in this series against San Jose they'll win it. Just stick to the good hard nosed hockey and they'll pull through.
GO OILERS GO!!
P.S. My sister's picture is on the Edmonton Oilers website under the fan pics section. She's with her friends in front of the Fanzoni with the Stanley Cup hat that she made. And she's been on TV a bunch with her Oilers gear on. Go Julz!
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Housewarming
As promised earlier today, here are some pictures from my housewarming last night. There was a much bigger turnout than I expected but that was good because I got to see everyone and we all had a good time. Thanks to everyone that came and to those that couldn't make it, don't worry, you can see the place another time soon (or look at the pictures that I posted this morning).
Welcome to my humble abode where the conversation was lively all night:
Ive and France (with Jay in the back):
Tracy checking on the baby with Andrew watching the Sens game (Marc and Sophie in the background with Tony bouncing the Yoga ball):
Not only was it my housewarming, but France's birthday is today so we had a cake for that too (Happy Birthday France!):
Ive's little brother Antonio (life of the party and expert photographer):
It isn't a party until the Donkey Konga game is broken out (look how intense the bongo action is):
Jay's classic pose while Kevin, Johanna, and Robyn relax on the new Futon:
And of course a poker game breaks out (with Wei presiding and Cora keeping an eye on him):
Well that pretty much sums it up. I know JP will be putting up his photos sometime so I'll try to link to that when I can since I didn't really get pictures with everyone.
Welcome to my humble abode where the conversation was lively all night:
Ive and France (with Jay in the back):
Tracy checking on the baby with Andrew watching the Sens game (Marc and Sophie in the background with Tony bouncing the Yoga ball):
Not only was it my housewarming, but France's birthday is today so we had a cake for that too (Happy Birthday France!):
Ive's little brother Antonio (life of the party and expert photographer):
It isn't a party until the Donkey Konga game is broken out (look how intense the bongo action is):
Jay's classic pose while Kevin, Johanna, and Robyn relax on the new Futon:
And of course a poker game breaks out (with Wei presiding and Cora keeping an eye on him):
Well that pretty much sums it up. I know JP will be putting up his photos sometime so I'll try to link to that when I can since I didn't really get pictures with everyone.
Some Assembly Required
Welcome to the house (apartment) that Ikea built...or rather, the house that Ikea delivered (or sold me) in pieces for me to assemble. Since I have been living here for 3 months now, I figured it was about time I finished furnishing the place. There is a story behind the troubles in getting all the furniture but I'll save that for later for those few people that haven't heard me whine about it yet (let me know if anyone actually wants the full story). Without further ado, here's my little virtual tour...enjoy!
The View (on today's cloudy day):
The kitchen and front hall (still a little messy from last night's housewarming):
Several views of the living room:
And the bedroom:
Hopefully this gives everyone a little better idea of my place. Pictures are better than words. I know the walls are really white and I need to get something to put up there (namely a huge Oilers flag and to put up my Sens flag) but I figured something to sit on should be my first priority. Anyway, those are my digs...I'm pretty happy with the way it's all come together. I'll post some pictures of my housewarming from last night next, as soon as I do those dishes in the kitchen and finish cleaning up.
The View (on today's cloudy day):
The kitchen and front hall (still a little messy from last night's housewarming):
Several views of the living room:
And the bedroom:
Hopefully this gives everyone a little better idea of my place. Pictures are better than words. I know the walls are really white and I need to get something to put up there (namely a huge Oilers flag and to put up my Sens flag) but I figured something to sit on should be my first priority. Anyway, those are my digs...I'm pretty happy with the way it's all come together. I'll post some pictures of my housewarming from last night next, as soon as I do those dishes in the kitchen and finish cleaning up.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
New TV!!
So Jay's back for a week from Sweeden starting Friday night. So obviously we had to go make our regular electronics shopping trip and I just happened to be in the market for a new TV. So after some careful deliberation at Future Shop I finally bought it. Just a 27" flat tube Toshiba but I like it. I also bought a new 250 Gb hard drive on an impulse at PC Cyber. At least now I have space to download a bunch of movies, TV shows, and put more of my CDs on my computer. Time to shut down the computer and get that sucker installed so I put Bit Torrent to work.
I am Iron Man
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Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...
You are Iron Man
| Inventor. Businessman. Genius. |
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Wednesday, May 03, 2006
No Battle of Alberta this post season
So the Flames are out. I'm actually kind of indifferent about this. Part of me is happy when Calgary loses. The other part is sad that another Canadian team has been eliminated and that we won't have a phenomenal Battle of Alberta like you know it would have been. I guess defense may win championships but when you get no good shots on net and play defense the whole game like Calgary did tonight, you don't score and you lose.
Oh well, the Oilers are just going to have to beat the Sharks instead. Slightly less exciting but just as much of a challenge. GO OILERS GO!
Oh well, the Oilers are just going to have to beat the Sharks instead. Slightly less exciting but just as much of a challenge. GO OILERS GO!
Beautiful Evening and a Beautiful Sunset
It was such a beautiful night that I decided to take a rollerblade down by the river and head down to the beach to see if I could catch the sunset. Now I'm not in the best of shape but I figured I had quite a bit of time to get down to the beach and still catch the sunset with my camera so I took a bit more of a round about route. I had to hussle and boy did it take it right out of me...but I caught the sunset just in time. Here's a few shots I managed to get from a couple different places. It sure was a beautiful sight, the pictures don't quite convey the view. And the best news, the beach looks like a great place to play volleyball :D
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Too much of a good thing
As I have repeated several times...I love this time of year! That being said, there are two problems I have with all this hockey. The first is obvious...I don't get any sleep. Especially now that I'm in the Eastern time zone. Those 10:00pm EST games are a killer, especially when they go into double OT. So as you might guess, I didn't get much sleep this week and post work naps just didn't work out as planned (I take about 30 min to fully recover from what should just be a short power nap).
The second problem is that the powers that be at CBC suck. Why could they not split the network better when they have two games to broadcast. I'm really not happy I didn't get to watch the last Oilers game because not one of the 8 CBC channels I get (I recounted after the last post) is carrying the game. If they weren't going to be able to broadcast both the Calgary and Edmonton games to a broad audience, why not shop it out to another network. It seemed kind of a waste for them to have a whole crew doing the game and everything while only broadcasting to Edmonton and Windsor (two stations I don't get on timeshifting). Anyway, this just proves again why I need the NHL Centre Ice package next season.
Hopefully this just won't happen again, especially if in the next round the Oilers are playing Calgary (assuming Colorado finishes of Dallas and both Calgary and Edmonton win their remaining best of 3's). Well, I should clean some more stuff up before hockey starts up again this afternoon. Triple header today...woo hoo!
GO OILERS GO!
The second problem is that the powers that be at CBC suck. Why could they not split the network better when they have two games to broadcast. I'm really not happy I didn't get to watch the last Oilers game because not one of the 8 CBC channels I get (I recounted after the last post) is carrying the game. If they weren't going to be able to broadcast both the Calgary and Edmonton games to a broad audience, why not shop it out to another network. It seemed kind of a waste for them to have a whole crew doing the game and everything while only broadcasting to Edmonton and Windsor (two stations I don't get on timeshifting). Anyway, this just proves again why I need the NHL Centre Ice package next season.
Hopefully this just won't happen again, especially if in the next round the Oilers are playing Calgary (assuming Colorado finishes of Dallas and both Calgary and Edmonton win their remaining best of 3's). Well, I should clean some more stuff up before hockey starts up again this afternoon. Triple header today...woo hoo!
GO OILERS GO!
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Tis the season...for beach volleyball
After work today I did something I didn't think I'd be doing for a few weeks yet...played beach volleyball. We went to Mooney's Bay after work and played some 3 on 3 for a couple of hours. Granted it was only about 12 degrees out but it was clear, sunny, and generally beautiful despite the cold sand. It was good to get back into it, I can't wait until it becomes a regular occurance at least once a week. Maybe I'll even get back into shape (a shape other than round anyway).
In other news, many of you know I bought a couch from IKEA but much to my frustration, when they came to deliver it we couldn't quite get it through the door from the hallway into my apartment. I'm none too pleased but I guess that's the way it goes. Now I'm stuck looking for a couch...again. Hopefully I can find one this weekend.
Well, I'm going to get cleaning. I'd be watching the Oilers' game but none of the 7 CBC's I get (including all my timeshifted channels) get the game. I'm not too impressed. Guess I'll have to listen to it on the internet radio (which I'm doing right now and they just scored...yay). If they can pull it off tonight they have a great chance at completing the upset. GO OILERS GO!
In other news, many of you know I bought a couch from IKEA but much to my frustration, when they came to deliver it we couldn't quite get it through the door from the hallway into my apartment. I'm none too pleased but I guess that's the way it goes. Now I'm stuck looking for a couch...again. Hopefully I can find one this weekend.
Well, I'm going to get cleaning. I'd be watching the Oilers' game but none of the 7 CBC's I get (including all my timeshifted channels) get the game. I'm not too impressed. Guess I'll have to listen to it on the internet radio (which I'm doing right now and they just scored...yay). If they can pull it off tonight they have a great chance at completing the upset. GO OILERS GO!
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
OILERS WIN!!
HUGE DOUBLE OT WIN!! And for the second night in a row I'm going to bed after 2am and I'll be getting up before 7...I love playoff time.
GO OILERS GO!!
GO OILERS GO!!
Friday, April 21, 2006
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Happy Long Weekend
Well, Thursday's volleyball didn't go quite as planned and we ended up losing (again). Oh well, it was fun playing with that team and in the competitive division. I think we're all going to play again together next year and I might play beach volleyball with some of them as well. The couch and TV shopping yesterday didn't go so well either. Everything in Ontario was closed so Anne-Marie and I went to shop on the French side. I did manage to purchase a webcam though so if anyone (especially those already on my messenger list) have a webcam (or even a mic) and we can chat a little easier. Anyway, today is kind of crummy weather outside (as opposed to yesterday when it was beautiful) so I think it will be a cleaning day. Oh, and time to finish my French homework. Enjoy the long weekend everyone!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Updates Galore
Okay, so I've been lax the last couple of weeks so this is a long update and I'm going to roll several posts into one. Go get a glass of water or something to drink, you might want something to drink while you read. Go ahead, I'll wait... ... ...back already, okay, here it goes...
B-Tier Champions!!
So in the Statcan league we play in the B Division and tonight we won the division championship! Yay us! It was a hard fought battle but we played probably our best match of the year at just the right time. Tomorrow night it's off to play with half of the team that we just beat in the Statcan league when I play in the competitive division of the OSSC league (Ottawa Sport and Social Club). It should be a lot of fun and since it's the last game of the year and it's a long weekend coming up, it should be a fun evening. I'm still trying to decide if I should play beach volleyball in an organized league or only take my net down to the beach and play with friends. We'll see.
Movies
In the last couple of weeks I saw a few new movies. I still haven't seen Ice Age despite a few attempts to get to that one (don't laugh, I like some kiddie movies). However I have managed to see V for Vendetta and Inside Man. Both were pretty good flicks and I would recommend them. The one catch is that you have to ignore a small part of V near the end because it cornballs the whole movie. Inside Man is awesome though. If you like cop movies, or especially if you liked a movie like Oceans Eleven, you're going to like Inside Man. Go see it.
Music & TV
So I've been watching Grey's Anatomy quite a bit lately (I even bought the first season on DVD). That show has some really awesome music. One of the episodes is where I first heard Anna Nalick. If you like stuff like Missy Higgins (Australian artist) or some accoustic and piano stuff, you'll like Anna Nalick. She actually opened for Rob Thomas on his recent tour. I picked up her CD a little while ago. You should definitely check her stuff out (if you like that kind of music). Also check out Grey's Anatomy since it's such a good funny drama.
Apartment Update
Well, I've been living here for a while now and I'm pretty much settled in. I spend most of my time at home either on the computer, reading a book, or playing guitar. As much as the TV is often on (to provide some background noise/music), I don't find that I'm watching it that much. Despite that, I really should get a new TV. But really what I need is a couch...at least sometime before my housewarming at the start of May. So I'll post some pictures soon, honest. I even have a few on my drive of sunsets from my balcony but I'll get some of the inside once I finish getting furniture.
Work and the rest of my life
Well, work pretty much is most of the rest of my life. Besides pool and what I've mentioned so far, there isn't much going on that isn't work. A couple weeks ago I took a course on a piece of software a lot of Statcan uses for a few days. I've also been pretty busy doing normal work. On top of that I just started my French language training. Laugh it up...soon I'll be able to...introduce myself and ask you what your profession is (actually I can already do that but it's only the beginning).
Anyway, that pretty much wraps it up for now. Obviously I can't really leave updates this long. I realize now that I even managed to leave out any talk of hockey (which is pretty hard to do at this point in the season but that can wait for later). Well I'm tired after all that typing so I'm going to strum the old guitar a bit and go to bed.
B-Tier Champions!!
So in the Statcan league we play in the B Division and tonight we won the division championship! Yay us! It was a hard fought battle but we played probably our best match of the year at just the right time. Tomorrow night it's off to play with half of the team that we just beat in the Statcan league when I play in the competitive division of the OSSC league (Ottawa Sport and Social Club). It should be a lot of fun and since it's the last game of the year and it's a long weekend coming up, it should be a fun evening. I'm still trying to decide if I should play beach volleyball in an organized league or only take my net down to the beach and play with friends. We'll see.
Movies
In the last couple of weeks I saw a few new movies. I still haven't seen Ice Age despite a few attempts to get to that one (don't laugh, I like some kiddie movies). However I have managed to see V for Vendetta and Inside Man. Both were pretty good flicks and I would recommend them. The one catch is that you have to ignore a small part of V near the end because it cornballs the whole movie. Inside Man is awesome though. If you like cop movies, or especially if you liked a movie like Oceans Eleven, you're going to like Inside Man. Go see it.
Music & TV
So I've been watching Grey's Anatomy quite a bit lately (I even bought the first season on DVD). That show has some really awesome music. One of the episodes is where I first heard Anna Nalick. If you like stuff like Missy Higgins (Australian artist) or some accoustic and piano stuff, you'll like Anna Nalick. She actually opened for Rob Thomas on his recent tour. I picked up her CD a little while ago. You should definitely check her stuff out (if you like that kind of music). Also check out Grey's Anatomy since it's such a good funny drama.
Apartment Update
Well, I've been living here for a while now and I'm pretty much settled in. I spend most of my time at home either on the computer, reading a book, or playing guitar. As much as the TV is often on (to provide some background noise/music), I don't find that I'm watching it that much. Despite that, I really should get a new TV. But really what I need is a couch...at least sometime before my housewarming at the start of May. So I'll post some pictures soon, honest. I even have a few on my drive of sunsets from my balcony but I'll get some of the inside once I finish getting furniture.
Work and the rest of my life
Well, work pretty much is most of the rest of my life. Besides pool and what I've mentioned so far, there isn't much going on that isn't work. A couple weeks ago I took a course on a piece of software a lot of Statcan uses for a few days. I've also been pretty busy doing normal work. On top of that I just started my French language training. Laugh it up...soon I'll be able to...introduce myself and ask you what your profession is (actually I can already do that but it's only the beginning).
Anyway, that pretty much wraps it up for now. Obviously I can't really leave updates this long. I realize now that I even managed to leave out any talk of hockey (which is pretty hard to do at this point in the season but that can wait for later). Well I'm tired after all that typing so I'm going to strum the old guitar a bit and go to bed.
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