Moving tomorrow

I am moving tomorrow, and went by my new place to pick up keys and get mailbox instructions.

The house has a good feel too it, and I feel confident moving in.

One potential problem could be the TV though; when I arrived today it was on, but nobody was really watching it. There were also two TV dinner tables set up side-by-side on the couch, letting me know where meals are usually eaten.

TV can really suck you in, and I hope I can fight off the temptation to sit in front of it and waste my time.

I haven't watched TV in about six months, and I haven't missed it. Hopefully I can keep it going.

U2's set list from the other night.

Here's a list of the songs the band played on the 28th. I'm posting this for myself as well, so I can remember what was played. That's a lot of songs.

I enjoyed the second half of the show better, as there were more songs from my early days as a fan, and fewer songs from the last three albums, which were released in 2000 and after I think.

Here's the set list.

Breathe
Get on Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Beautiful Day
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Stuck In A Moment
No Line on the Horizon
Elevation
In A Little While
Unknown Caller
Until The End of the World
Unforgettable Fire
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy - Remix
Sunday Bloody Sunday
MLK
Walk On
One
Where The Streets Have No Name

Ultraviolet
With or Without You
Moment of Surrender

For me, the highlights were Sunday Bloody Sunday followed by MLK, With or Without You (the crowd sang the whole first verse) and Unforgettable Fire, from the album of the same name. It was recorded in 1984, and is one of my favourites. The last song, Moment of Surrender, was also excellent.

I've been reading a bit about the Edge's guitars, and I wish I was a guitar geek so I could have really appreciated all that was going on during the concert. The Edge played 18 different guitars during the show, and used lots of effects. I did notice him switching guitars all the time, but didn't know it was almost one for every song.

The Edge brings about 43 guitars on tour, which includes spares. His guitar tech, Dallas Schoo, strings them all with new strings for each show, and it takes most of the day.

Dallas Schoo has fan clubs too, and people cheer him on at the concerts. While I had forgotten about that, after reading

this piece, I was reminded that during the last tour in 2005, a fan beside me knew all about Dallas Schoo and Edge's various guitars.

It was a good show, and I liked finding this set list because it reminds me of what happened. It's hard to remember the ins and outs of a 2.5 hour rock show!

U2 Pics

Carmella and I saw U2 yesterday, and the dominant feeling I have today is one of tiredness and soreness! We had to stand and sit awkwardly all day, so by the end of the night, we were both itching to get home.

Here are some pictures from the day. Remember, click on them to make them bigger.



We arrived at the venue @ 9:15am, and got in line. Civilians start the line patrol, writing a number on your wrist and getting you to write you name on a pad of paper. Our goal was to get into the Inner Circle, and since it fits 2500 people, we were feeling good about our place in line and our chances of seeing the show from where we want.



The people we lined up with were socially able and fun to be around. On girl beside us likes to see at least 10 U2 shows per tour, so she's doing well as this is her 12th. She's an airline server and coordinates her schedule with tour dates. This tour, she's seen shows in Cardiff, Dublin, Las Vagas, Los Angeles, and more. While I find that excessive, I guess she doesn't get tired of standing in lines and seeing the same band over and over and over!



The line begins to move! We're instructed to move calmly into the venue two-by-two. It's about 5:30, so it's been a long day outside in the damp cold, and some light rain. It'll be nice to finally be warm and sheltered!

This is the stage set-up, and Carmella and I are down there somewhere. While we could have been very close to the stage, we chose to be close to the runway that you see encircling the stage. That way we wouldn't have to crane our necks to see.

We're in The Pit!

The Black Eyed Peas opened the show, and I was impressed because I found myself being entertained by them. I know some of their songs from the radio.



U2 came on at about 8:30, and their stage show is huge! There is a big retractable LCD screen, which in this picture is extended down.



Here's Larry Mullen walking on the runway with a bongo.



The Edge and Bono are each on their own bridge, and these bridges moved around. They moved over us, and met in the middle at one point.

Here's The Edge playing very close to where we were. My camera was crapping the bed majorly, so most of my pictures are blurry. The flash wasn't working correctly, so I had to try and shoot with no flash sometimes.



Bono sings for the adoring crowd.

For the song Walk On, volunteers walked onto the stage with masks of Burmese political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi.



The masks were given out at the beginning of the show, and we were encouraged to wear them during this particular song.



Walk On is a song about keeping going when it doesn't look like there's hope. Aung San Suu Kyi would win any election in Burma, but the ruling military junta has kept her under house arrest for almost 14 years. This mask-wearing goes a long way in bringing awareness to the situation. I hadn't heard of her before the tour started.

All in all, it was a great show, but it took a lot of energy! I was happy to be so close to the band, but it sure was a long day, and both Carmella and I were both very sore by the end. Here's a short video with bad sound I took with my camera. This is one-minute worth of the song Magnificent. While the quality is what you'd expect from an old, well-used camera, it gives an idea of the stage's layout.

On the way out, the streets were packed with people. You wouldn't have been able to fit a car in there! While you can't see them, it's like when a baseball team wins a big game, and the fans stream out. Nobody won anything though, we were all just going home. Carmella has never seen so many people in downtown Vancouver!


Today, there is snow in Whistler. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that, as I'm not ready for winter to set in. It could be April before things get green again! I would like to get a few more runs and bike rides in.

Black Eyed Peas

I was surprised, I actually enjoyed the BEP. They brought good energy, and they entertained us. It was good.

Now we're waiting for U2 to come on!

Woooooo!

U2-we're in the building!

We're in the stadium, and in the Inner Circle / Pit! All our effort we put in, leaving Whistler by 7am, waiting in line all day, has been worth it!

We've met many interesting people, and it's been good.

We're waiting for the Black Eyed Peas, the (questionable choice) opening band, to come on.

We're in a great spot, and are next to people who lined up at 5am, and close to some who spent the night in line.

Ok, they're coming on! The show will begin soon!

U2 Line-Up #1

Carmella and I are in line for the U2 show!

We left Whistler at about 7am, It's probably around 9:30 now, and the doors open at 5pm. The show is at BC Place, where football is played, and where the opening and closing ceremonies will be come Olympic time. So it's a large venue.

We are numbers 493 an 494. Our aim is to get into The Pit, which we should be able to do. The Pit is the area inside the circular stage. 2500 people fit in there, so we're doing well.

Now time for guest blogger: Carmella

My hands are cold as I type into Jono's blackberry machine. He keeps offering me his bike gloves but I prefer my long jacket sleeves. Plus you can't type with gloves on. The girl behind us in line is a true fan. She has been to twelve shows this tour, 48 in total, starting in '87 when she was a child. She knows where the best places to stand are in the pit. She is telling us about all the different crowds. For example: Paris was a crazy show, everyone was rude there. She is a flight attendant full time, and a U2 line waiter part time casual; hotels not included.

It is now 11 am, so time is flying here at BC Place. I feel a sense of Vancouver pride as I see people walking by on the sea wall with coffee cups and black shiny jackets. Everyone in Vancouver has a shiny black jacket for some reason. Its kinda the Van thing.

More updates later!

Snow!

It snowed today, and I had to brush off my car (The Pickle!) before I could leave work at 11pm.

There are different theories about what counts as the season's first snow; the snow has to stick around until noon, you can't be able to see grass, there has to be an arbitrary depth after a full 24 hours.

Whatever the case, today's snow was significant for me since it was the first of many times I'll have to brush snow off my own vehicle. I think it counts!

We'll see if the snow sticks around until noon. My friend Victor runs a Snow Pool every year. You pay five dollars and reserve a day on the calendar, and if that is the first day it snows, you collect the pot. You can enter as many times as you wish, but only one person can lay claim to a single day.

I bet nobody chose today! Victor has specific rules on what constitutes the official first snow, so I'll ask him what they are.

Costume idea for Olympic events

Carmella has had a good idea for a costume I could wear at the Olympic events we're going to.

Waldo!

I can scare up a Waldo costume and some round glasses, and be in the background of tonnes of shots.

There will be a big crowd scene in the newspaper, and suddenly some 6-year old will point out Waldo (me) in the crowd!

I can walk around the village, be at the medal ceremonies, and lurk at the events.

It could be a grand hit!

Here's a blog of some Vancouverites who have built a giant Waldo and put him on a roof. The aim is that the Google Earth satellites will pick him up for all to see!

Where's Waldo?

Olympic Tickets

Olympic tickets went on sale this morning, for pre-registered members who live in the Sea to Sky Corridor. They are on sale for Whistler events.

They started going on sale at 10am this morning, and I was logged in and ready to go.

I tried to buy my XC skiing tickets for 40 minutes, but the website couldn't handle the traffic I guess. I stopped trying.

I just tried again, and the event I wanted, the Team Pursuit, was all sold out.

I bought some biathalon tickets, and some other xc ski tickets. They were pretty cheap, at $25 for non-grandstand general admission tickets.

I have four biathalon tickets for the Women's 10K Pursuit, and the Men's 12.5K Pursuit, both happening on the same day. I also have four xc skiing tickets for the ladies 10K Free and men's 15K free, also on the same day.

So while I do have some affordable olympic tickets, I'm disappointed that the website failed me, and I lost out on the event I wanted because of it! That's OK though.

I have four tickets for each event. I plan to dress up in either Danish or Dutch garb, since there will be some many Canadians there. I want to find a Viking helmet with horns to wear.

Housing!

I have secured housing for the coming winter, through the Olympics. Excellent!

Things were looking a bit rough for me, as lots of places I had lines on fell through. Looking through the Pique, Whistler's weekly paper, brought dispair. Here are some sample ads. You can find them here, just be sure to scroll down a bit.

White Gold/Spruce Grove

1 Bedroom mainfloor suite, n/s, n/p, max 2ppl, no car permitted, $2000/mo.

Blueberry Hill

1 bdrm to share in 3 bdrm furn suite, cls to bus and valley trail, w/d, n/parties, n/pets,avail long term, $700mo incl utils.

Whistler Cay

2 Bdrm Suite, easy walk to village and trails, n/s, n/p, in-suite laundry, furn, $2300 incl heat, hydro, parking.

Rm in executive home, share with 2 other ppl, n/p, n/s, n/cpls, no shrd rms,very private and quiet, suits professional person, ref's req'd, $1200/mo.

Creekside

Semi shrd 1bdrm w/curtain privacy, I'm away 1wk/mo, peaceful place w plants, avail 1Nov, $650/mo.

Alpine Meadows

1 Bedroom in 2 bdrm town house, beautifully reno'd, 1.5 bath, 2 decks, stone fire place, d/w, w/d, parking, near bus sports centre, n/s, n/p, $1600/mo cpl, incl cable.

Shared room, fully furnished, internet, cable, avail immed, $700mo incl utilities.

Granted, those are some of the most unfortunate ones. There are a few that are OK. A quick count reavealed only three ads for all of Whistler that had a private room for $700 or less. I had called and tried to get in touch with them, but never received a call or email back. Since there are lots of people looking, they're probably drowning under a deluge of phone calls.

I decided to put an ad in the Seeking Accomodations section. I think I ended up paying just under $25 for two weeks. Here's my ad. It used to be longer, but I realized I could save money by chopping it down a bit.

28yr old Canadian, looking for room between BlackTusk and Pemberton, been living & working here for 3yrs, quiet, mature, like books and board games.

It doesn't read so well, but it has worked! I got a call on Thursday from a guy in Pemberton, a village 30mins north of here. He had a room available for 550/mo +, and I made plans to see it on Sunday, the only time our schedules matched up.

Today I got a call from someone in Alpine, a neighbourhood about five minutes driving from the village. He had a room for 600/mo +, and was wondering if I was interested. I was, so I went and saw it right away. It has a single bed in it, and a washer and dryer. It's a 2-bedroom place, and he and his wife share one room. I'll be in the other one.

He was looking for a quiet person, and I fit the bill. I toured the place, and said I was interested. I asked if I could go to the bank and give him a deposit, and he said OK. So I drove to the bank, got out a damage deposit, and gave it to him to secure my spot before someone else heard about it!

He called me at about 12:45pm, and I had seen the room, spoken with him about details, and given him a deposit by 2pm. I knew I had to act quickly because the market is tight! Now, if his friend says suddenly wants in, he'll have to say that I already gave him money.

So now I've got a place to stay, and a job to work. I'm very thankful that it has all worked out. I'll continue to look for more challenging and stimulating work, but until I find it, I'll keep gathering nuts and saving them up in my newly-found shelter.

Gathering nuts and finding shelter. That's what one of my co-workers says it all comes down to, when we talk about what to do for work. So, I'll continue to gather my nuts, and will continue to search out more engaging employment. I'm happy I can do that all with a house to live in now.

Session Reports

Carmella and I have been enjoying Carcassone, and since the game isn't ours, we are looking to get a copy of it. In my research, I came across a site called Board Game Geek.

I checked out the site, and it's pretty informative. There are game ratings, reviews, and a message board where people discuss various aspects of the games they like.

There is one part of the site that is embarrassing though. It's in the Forum section, called Session Reports.

What you do in this section is report on the games you played. A sample post, which people will respond to, might go something like this:

"The game started as any other. Blue occupied the first cloister, and expanded by building roads. Yellow opted to focus on cities, and was successful in that regard. Yellow was dominating, and seemed untouchable. Green was not a factor in the game.

Blue began to turn the tide with an unorthadox tile placement, placing the river very close to the road. Blue then shattered all conventions by farming the area nearby, ensuring victory with only a few tiles left!"

People will then respond to this Session Report, saying things like

"Yellow should have been wary of the inevitable river tile."

"Excellent work blue! I was victorious in a similar situation a few weeks ago. You can read my Session Report about it."

From my limited experience reading the BoardGameGeek site, I like the information it offers. But reading the Session Reports is rough. I like gaming as much as the next person, but I will rue the day when I excuse myself from the table to write up a Session Report on the game I just played!

You can find BoardGameGeek here,

and the Session Report section of the forum, with a link to a Trains report, here.

edit: Is writing a Session Report about a game pretty much the same thing as writing this blog about my day? Probably.

Pot, meet Kettle!

Did you mean...

Carol alerted me to this, so I took a screen shot!



You'll need to click on the picture to make it bigger. When you do, you'll see what happens when one searches for Carol's blog!

Dirt Jumping

Today is my Sunday, even though it's Tuesday. I spent most of the day doing resume things and sending out emails.

I am trying to get some exercise every day, and today I was too tired to go running, so I went biking instead. I took Celeste and put her in the Shifty (that's my car, plate ends in SHF) and drove to the dirt jumps in the Village.

I haven't been to the dirt jumps yet this year, and it was rough at the beginning! I eventually got cleanly through the first three sets.

When I left, I heard a scraping and a thunk coming from the top of my car. Turns out I had forgotten my helmet and my gloves on the roof, and it had fallen off onto the parking lot blacktop. A friendly skateboarder picked it up, and brought it to me. She must have seen me driving through the lot with my helmet on top! In Thunder Bay a friendly Finn stopped me before I left the Kanga Sauna parking lot because my wallet was on the roof. It reminds me of the time in Macau that I forgot my passport in a hotel room, and the woman at the desk ran to the bus stop to give it back to me. I'm so forgetful it's frustrating sometimes!

Yesterday I ran up Rainbow Mountain. There's a lake up at the top, which is about 8K away from the parking lot. But since it's all up-hill, it's ambitious to get to the lake. I ran up for about 40 minutes, and covered about 4K. I turned around and ran back down for about 30 minutes.

If I want to gain the lake, I'll need to run pretty much straight up-hill for at least 80 minutes! If we get some nice days before it snows, I might be able to do it. I'll take a backpack with some food and water in it next time I attempt the summit.

If I do make it to the top, then to the lake, I'll try and make sure not to leave anything up there, since it will be quite the trip back to get it!

Vancouver's economy must be booming...

So I think that Vancouver's economy must be booming. I know this because so far at least 700 people have decided that $70 isn't too much to spend on a Half Marathon entry, and have registered for the Fall Classic races at UBC.

It's $50 for the 5K, and $70 for the Half. They give you a technical top too, but I'd rather buy that myself for 45 dollars, and pay $25 to race.

I was almost sucked in too (and still might be...) but then realized that $70 is a lot of money, and it's not like they're giving out free rent or jobs at the finish line. First come, first served! The best jobs and places to rent to go the fastest runners. Now that would make it worth the entry fee!

I think they can charge this and still get hundreds of racers because it's the last race of the season on the Lower Mainland. Everyone is probably pretty fit, and believes they still have a Personal Best left in them this season.

The race entry doesn't just guarantee you a number plate and a spot at the starting line, but it also gives you hope. And who wouldn't pay $70 for hope? Hope for a PB, hope to end the running season on a good note, hope that you won't feel guilty not running in the rainy winter if you only turn in a good performance at this last $70 race.

So, $70. That's too much. I hope I don't cave. It's in a month. I can complain all I want about the price, but it's not like I have to pay it. I can choose not to race, and save myself the price of a pair of winter boots!

Or, I can tell the organizers that $70 is a reasonable rate to pay for a race if I sign up and find myself at the starting line.

I might go for a run in the woods for free instead that day.

New plates!

After a number of weeks of trying, I've got "my" car sorted out!

I had to do a number of things to get it transferred over to me, from Grandma. I was diligent while in Ontario, getting all the required paperwork from Grandma, and was able to do this reletively pain-free.

It took some time to get all my ducks in a row once I got here. I had to get a provincial inspection, as well as have my driving record transferred from Ontario to here. But it's all done, and I'm sorted out insurance-wise!

The way insurance is done in BC is different from Ontario. Here, the government runs auto insurance with an outfit called the Insurance Corporation of BC, or ICBC. They base your rate primarily on your driving record. There is a base-rate, and you get discounts off that rate for however many years of safe driving you have.

For example, pretend the Base Rate for Vehicle X is $1000/year. If a new driver were to buy that vehicle and insure it, they would pay $1000/year. If a driver with three years of faultless driving insures the same vehicle, that driver would pay the Base Rate, minus 5% for each year he or she has been faultless. This driver would receive a 15% discount for the yearly rate. The highest discount you can earn is 43%.

ICBC has a rate grid they use to calculate their rate. For each at-fault accident you are in, you move up three steps. The higher you go on the grid, the more you pay. The safer you are, the less you pay. Some people are below the base-rate, and others are much above it.

I have had many years of faultless driving, and am eligible for a 40% discount, the most offered to an out-of-province driver. If I am a safe driver for another year, I will get the extra 3% and be at the cheapest rate possible for my vehicle, a 42% discount.

I'm quite happy with my rate, as I'll pay less than $100/month for my insurance.

Thanks again for the car Grandma! Everything went smoothly and I am now in sole possession of the vehicle. I really appreciate you giving it to me. It's been raining a lot lately, so convenience aside, it's saved me from getting really wet!

I'm getting about 800km to a tank of gas, which is excellent. I bet I could squeeze 1000 out of it if I was driving through Manitoba and Saskatchewan again, and keeping the speedometer at a lower speed.

I think my car's name is going to be Shiffy, since my new plates end in SHF. Or, I may call it The Schiff. Or Shiffster. Shiffty Shifterton. The options are many!

Denmark secures spot in 2010 World Cup!

Hurray!

The Danes have secured a spot in the 2010 World Cup finals, which will be held in South Africa next summer. Holland have also secured a spot. Both squads are atop their respective European-zone qualifying groups. I'll get to wear both my Denmark and my Netherlands jerseys next year as I watch the games! Maybe I'll quit my job for a month and watch two matches a day. What a glorious time that would be!

Here's the article.

While most of BC is discussing the Olympics and the way the Hudson's Bay Company has appropriated the Cowichan sweater, and how the government suddenly loves native culture (the medals showcase NW Coast aboriginal art), I'm thinking about the World Cup! And finding a place to live!

Sod the Olympics!

Go Denmark!

Push-ups and sit-ups

Last night I got home home pretty late, and was sleeping by about 2am. It was important that I play some Carcassonne after I got off work at 11. I remember how it used to be with Settlers at Christmas; we'd get a lot of games in, and each game was an opportunity to improve on the last, and a chance at victory.

I feel the same way about Carcassonne. I want to play a better game each time, and I think about how I can improve on my last one. I think I need to claim more roads, and have a few projects on the go at once. We'll see how that pans out. I'm still winless unfortunately.

I woke up late this morning, after silencing my alarm a few times. I have only a bit of time before I have to go to work again, so I have tried to be at least a bit productive. I've cleaned my room a bit, I've done laundry, and I've had a bit of exercise. I didn't have time to go for a run, so I just did some core-strength workouts in my yard.

I met my friend Ben at the gym the other day, as he was leaving and Carmella and I were finishing up a game of squash. He just completed the Victoria Marathon, and was talking about other races he'd like to do. He inspired me to get back on the running wagon. He's been running well all summer, and has had some impressive results. He's faster than I am, but if the workout is short enough, I can keep up. I'm hoping to get fit enough to run a half-marathon with him in the next month and a half, in Vancouver. We'll see how I do.

I have just enough time to make some food before work, and get myself ready for the day. I wish I didn't sleep as long as I did, but that's OK. I just couldn't get myself up.

Glasses

I lost my glasses somewhere between my house and Vancouver. They aren't lost yet though, I just can't seem to find them at my house. I figure they are where I stayed in The City over the weekend.

So as I was thinking of my glasses being lost, I wondered if it was time to buy a new pair. I bought my current pair in 2001, just before I started Second Year at UVic. So it's been awhile!

The dollar is very strong right now, so I'm looking into online options. I've found some great glasses, but am a bit hesitant to order them online. However, I just came across 39dollarglasses.com, and the website title isn't just a hook.

They have glasses with lenses for 39 dollars complete. That's a stellar deal. For a price like that, I could afford to buy a pair and hope they work, since I mainly wear them before I go to bed and just after I wake up.

I don't have full confidence shopping at my local optometrist, because I spent way more than I thought I should have when I bought my contacts. I'm looking into other options now.

There are some really nice styles out there from established brands, but these 39 dollar genaric frames seem good enough. They're not as flashy, but they might do the job anyway.

The problem is that I can't try them on first.

What I may do is go to my optometrist and try on the styles I like, find which one works, and then buy it online. I feel no connection to them since I feel like they bamboozled me a few months ago. I'll use them for a fit, and then take my business elsewhere!

Thanksgiving wrap, and gaming.

My Thanksgiving weekend ended well, with a great dinner in Vancouver. There were about 15 people there, and I knew a few of them. I was happy to meet many of the people Carmella talks about. The people we ate with were all very interesting people to talk to, and it was a good evening. It was a brisk outside, so being inside with warm apple cider and great food was an excellent way to spend the evening.

We got back to Whistler at about 2am, and I got a solid 8 hours of sleep. However, I was groggy for most of the day anyway and never really seemed to wake up.

In the evening, Carmella made some kaiser sandwiches that were very similar to one I ate at the Komfort Kitchen in Brandon, MB. Then, we sent squashing at the sports centre. It was our second time, and Carmella is getting pretty good. We had good rallies, and it was good exercise for both of us.

Then, we played a new game. We're both enjoying gaming at the moment, so we borrowed Carcassonne from Cindy in Vancouver. We played one game where we familiarized ourselves with the game, and then played a second game that was a bit more serious.

Carmella wins all the games we play, including this one. I think I will have to prepare and stay focussed if I want to be victorious!



Here's the shelf at Carmella's where we keep the games. We've got a good selection! Ingenious, Blokus, Trains, and Carcassonne. I haven't added my Settlers game to the mix because Carmella doesn't particularly enjoy it (obviously because it's the only game I consistently win at).

I hope that even though I loose at Ingenious all the time, I'm still exercising my intellect!













And, I spelled "lose" wrong for some intentional irony to spice up the post!

Busy Thanksgiving Weekend

So I've been having a busy Thanksgiving weekend, and will have my third turkey dinner in three days.

The first was at my friend Dave's wedding in Whistler. We were served a turkey dinner at the reception, and it was excellent.

The second was at Carmella's mom's house in Maple Ridge, with her brother. We were four, and had another excellent turkey dinner. A highlight was looking at their family photo albums from the early 90s.

Now I'm in Vancouver, at Carmella's friends house for yet another dinner! I've met some of the people before, and will meet some more tonight. There will be about 15 people, and I think it's an annual event that the attendees look forward to.

Here's a picture from the wedding on Saturday. I like it because Carmella is smiling with her teeth, something she prefers not to do! I like the mountains in the background too. There may be more wedding pictures to come, but I'm not sure.




Happy Thanksgiving Monday! I have Tuesday off, so I think I'll relax and ride my bike a bit, and putz around the house. I hope to read more in my book to, The Angel's Game, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's OK, but I'm enjoying it. I bought it with a gift card Carol gave me for my birthday.

The Turkery Dump

So, with Thanksgiving upon us, many university students will be going to their hometowns to visit with their friends, families, and occasionaly, significant others.

A term that some of these returning students will be familiar with by the end of the weekend is Turkey Dump.

Because I strive to keep my readership informed, I'll explain what a Turkey Dump is. It's not toilet humour!

A Turkey Dump happens when Joe University returns home and visits with his girlfriend, Jane Highschool. Joe has been having great times living on-campus. He decides that either it's too hard to maintain his long distance relationship, or that he wants to pursue other options at his new school.

He will explain this to Jane Highschool, and they will break up.

Jane Highschool has now been the victim of a Turkey Dump.

Since there's a term for it, it must happen all the time! And, it just popped up on CBC radio, so you know it's a legitimate term.

Quick ride before work

Today I had wanted to get one last day in the Bike Park, but when I went to get my big downhill bike from where I keep it at work, I noticed it had a flat tire. I had everything I needed to fix it except one tool. I decided to ride Celeste on another trail instead of putting the time into fixing my flat and riding in the Park.

I went back home, grabbed Celeste, and drove out past Emerald (about a 10-12 minute drive past the village) to a trail called Thrill Me Kill Me. I didn't have a lot of time, so I had to hurry!

I have to be at work in 38 minutes, so this post will be a bit hurried as well.

Here a couple pics from the trail.



The entrance is just off the highway. The last time I rode this trail would have been in 2005, and a lot of work has been done on it since, including this signage. The trail is rated double black, but it didn't seem hairy to me. I think that's meant for the tourists.



This was a steep-ish rock face that I thought would make a good shot. I set my camera timer and got this one. It doesn't showcase the steepness, but that's OK. Since I was I was in a rush to get the trail behind me and get to work, I didn't take more than a few.

I was happy to get on Celeste today, and ride a trail that was pretty far away. I haven't been able to ride that trail on my own because it's quite a ways past the village, but now with my car (still nameless!) I can ride lots more places! It was also nice to ride a trail that required my own effort to get to the top of the climbs.

I am happy I got out there, because part of me just wanted to stay at home and read, but I am trying to get out and do physical activity every day, so I accomplished that today.

Swine Flu

I've been listening to a lot of CBC Radio 1 lately, where one of the hot topics has been Swine Flu, which they prefer to call the H1N1 virus. The medical community is clearly on the side of the populace on this one, as I hear that you can now be diagnosed over the phone by a real doctor for a paltry sum of $16, or you can visit him or her in real life and be diagnosed for about $40.

So, if I call the Swine Flu/H1N1 Hotline and I don't have the virus, is the call free? If I visit my doctor and it turns out my symptoms aren't Swine Flu, do I save $40? It would be bad enough to have the virus and be violently ill, but worse to relinquish your credit card number once the doctor decides out you have it!

There was an interesting article on the front page of last weekend's Province. (If newspapers were people, The Star might hang out with the Vancouver Sun, and The Province would have play dates with the Toronto Sun. The Globe and Mail would be the chaperone.) It stated that Swine Flu is hitting BC early, and that certain groups are being encouraged to limit the amount of physical contact shared between members. The headline and leader went something like this:

Swine Flu hits BC Early: Sports teams and Churchgoers are being asked to limit physical contact.

I've always wondered why people seem to hug each other in church a lot. Not being a touchy person, it makes me a tad uncomfortable when people I rarely see go in for the hug. It seems that as soon as you walk through the doors of a church, hugging becomes a socially acceptable activity between two strangers. Happily, for the next few months, I can politely stick out my hand when they lean in, and say "Don't worry, it's not personal. You just may have Swine Flu."

The theme that I get from all the H1N1 coverage is that the whole country can be immunized if needed, and there's nothing to be worried about. But isn't it when they tell you not to worry that we should be really scared?

I think I'll roll the dice and skip the immunizations this time around, and simply shy away from indiscriminate hugging instead.

Do YOU look back?

Awhile ago, there was a car commercial that talked about looking back at your parked car as you walked away from it. This ad probably inferred that if you bought their car, you'd be looking back every time you park, admiring your purchase.

Well, if the spot was for Chevrolet Cavaliers, then we can all rejoice because there actually is truth in advertising!

Every time I park my car, I look at it as I walk away. I park it away from other cars if I can, so that nobody gives me little dents with their doors.

Here's my car at work, parked in the back corner of the lot.



I'm really enjoying my vehicle, and am really proud of it! And I love when people say "That's a 98? There's no rust on there at all!" or "50 000Km? Amazing!"



Thanks for the car Grandma!

I'm trying to come up with a name for it. So far, The Pickle is leading. But I'll wait until I get my BC plates. Maybe the letters will make a name, or give me an idea.

Any thoughts on what to name this marvel of engineering and convenience? Unfortunately Celeste is already taken by my little red bike!

A regular day

Today was a pretty regular work day for me, even though it was Sunday. Working on Sunday always feels a bit out of sync with the rest of the world, even though working on Sunday is a pretty regular thing around here.

Sundays seem to have an inherent feeling of relaxed composure. People do things more slowly on Sundays. If there was a day when John Q Public would take notice of small flower growing in a sidewalk crack, or a leaf caught in an eddy in the midst of a rushing river, it would happen on a Sunday.

Today was a typical fall Sunday, the kind that you think of if you tell people autumn was your favourite season. Images of brisk air, cool sunshine, and whirling, blowing coloured leaves come to mind when you picture an ideal autumn day, and that day was today.

I felt a bit disconnected from all of these images and feelings though, especially when I sat in church this afternoon. I felt like most other people were in their Sunday routines, and late-afternoon church was an extension of that. They probably ate leisurely breakfasts, did some moderate exercise, and socialized. Church would fit right in.

For me, I went to church almost directly after getting done work. I was tired and lethargic, hoping that the temperature in the building wouldn't be too high, as it would promote an untimely nap. I was not in a restful frame.

When church was over, it seemed like most people continued on with their leisurely Sunday schedule, by visiting with each other and sharing dinners and having a nice evening. I wasn't on this program though, and the idea of socializing was a bit too much for me. It was made worse by my tiredness.

Instead of socializing with my friends, all I wanted to do was go home and be alone. I had things to do; laundry to get at, dishes to soak, garbage to take out. And, a nap to take. I was feeling a tad reclusive, and was happy to go home and be alone.

Before I went home though, I drove to the edge of Green Lake and took the picture of the setting sun you see at the top of the post. It would have been better if I was there a few minutes before, but it was still nice.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Cornish Hen!

Yesterday Carmella and I made quite a nice Friday Night dinner.

I had bought two cornish hens at the grocery store in Squamish, and decided that we should eat one of them yesterday. A cornish hen is like a small chicken, but somehow it's not a chicken but a game hen instead. I figure that they're small and maybe more wild? Possibly they're free-range chickens. I actually have no idea.

I purchased two of these game hens, and put one out to thaw. By the time Friday night came around, it was ready to go. I purchased all the necessary extra ingredients as well. It was cooking time!





It came all wrapped in thick, tight plastic, much like milk bags that you get in Ontario. I had to open it with a stout knife. As soon as I did, a bunch of blood and fluid rushed out and onto the counter. It wasn't pleasant. I prefer to have my meat prepared where I don't have to be reminded that it was alive at some point!





Since I was making the game hen for two, I was instructed by my recipe to cut it in half along the breast bone. I'd never done that before, but I got a large knife and had a go. It took a lot of sawing and hacking, but eventually I divided the game hen into two equal parts.

My recipe was called Herb Glazed Cornish Hens with Pasta. Carmella helped me create a concoction of

melted butter
salt
pepper
garlic
thyme
oregano
basil
sun-dried tomatoes
parmesan cheese (not the canned stuff!) <- The recipe said that!

We loaded it all into a blender, and blended it until it was paste-like and smelling terrific.

While we made that, the cornish hens were baking in the oven. We'd spread browning agent (it's actually full of healthy ingredients) and a mix of olive oil and lemon juice onto the hens. We took the hens out after thirty minutes, smeared our blended paste onto the hens, and then baked them for about 8 minutes more.

When they came out, they looked like this! (edit: Carmella is correct when she says the Hen wasn't done - just look at that raw-looking leg! I probably took this picture halfway through the baking process, when we took it out to baste it with our herb paste, so you can be confident we weren't feeding ourselves with forks full of salmonella!)



This is the final product. Carmella brought over some organic wine, and it tasted great. We added some of the herb puree to some pasta, and laid the hen halves on top. It looked excellent, but tasted better. The skin was very tasty as well, and the meat was moist and good.

I was happy to make this with Carmella, because it's nice to make something semi-complicated that turns out well. With Carmella's help, I was a success in the kitchen!

Trip wrap up-wrap up

Guest Blogger-Carmella

So the dino experience was one to be noted. Not only did the dinosaurs come to life while we were there, but they tried to take a bite out of Jonathan's arm. Argh!! I told them to stop. But it's okay because they didn't take too much off. He just has a little scar.

This town called Drumheller was swarming with Dinos. There were dinos at the restaurants, dinos at the hotels, and dinos at the museum. No wonder they have made a spectacle of it. Then we got our picture taken over the badlands and it was one of the best! Next we jumped in the car, grabbed a few dino-shaped flapjacks and headed to Banff. C drove this part while lil' Jon bagged a few Z's. Banff was more touristy than the average ski town, with every chain store you can think of and all the houses painted with chalet strips shaped into diamonds. We busted a lizzy (left turn) and went straight to Lake Louise where we would set up camp for the night.

Well we did make the one hour drive to Lake Louise where we set up camp even though it was negatory 6. Yikes, that is cold! We decided to eat at the hostel because it was cheap and comfy. We had some beer and some nice food and skalked the locals. Then we retired to our tent and practiced some Puritan bundling. There was an electric fence that went around the whole camp site, so don't worry, no grizzlies could get in. I was Cold! The end!

Goal

So here's a blogging goal I could aspire to.

If it feels like something I want to do, I'll make it a goal to blog something everyday. It could be anything; minor, major, groundbreaking, inconsequential. It might be fun. It could also keep my mind churning in a good way, and keep some amount of creativity flowing.

So, I'm going to think about committing to a daily blogging regimen.

Flux!

I'm in a state of constant change over here, and it's quite the mental effort to stay on top of things.

Two weeks ago, I was concerned because while I had a place to live in Whistler, I didn't have a job. Now, the tables have turned and I now have a job, but am looking for a new place to live for November.

I thought I might have to find a new place, but hoped that I wouldn't. Turns out that now I do have to hit the housing market, at probably the worst time in Whistler's history.

Shared rooms are going for $750/mo in Whistler. Personal rooms can be had for 500ish outside of Whistler, in places like Pemberton and Squamish.

I've emailed a few places, and one place seems pretty interested in me living with them. It'd be a huge house though, with something like six Aussies and three from Quebec. I imagine it'll be a busy place, and maybe a lot of carousing. I'm not into that atmosphere!

My friend Derek may have something for me to think about as well, which would be significantly cheaper and better, but who knows how that will go. He's talking to his friend on my behalf, so I have to wait to hear back.

It's tough trying to sort out all the different options. If I get into House A, will House B be an opportunity I should have taken? Will House C become available sooner than planned? It's very difficult because sometimes you have to jump at opportunities when they present themselves, but what if it's not the best one?

I've got a few irons in the fire for places to live, so that's positive. But everything is so expensive! Is it really worth it to live here for the Olympic year, when I can't even afford a pass? These are things I have to figure out.

I've been trying to get into the Vancouver job market for some time now, and haven't been successful. I think I'll try the legal angle next, and see what happens.

So I'm keeping a lot of balls in the air at the moment, and worried that if I drop the wrong one, it could be a bad move. Things could get all sorted out, or they may not. We'll see how it all pans out I guess.

In other news, the Canucks are playing their opening game tonight. I'm going to go over to Victor's to watch it. That'll be a nice diversion!

Some pics

I've grown tired of blogging about the trip, so I'll post some pictures.

The last few days of the trip had us visiting Drumheller, AB and Banff/Lake Louise.

We camped in Lake Louise, and it was -6C. It was very cold, and it was one of those nights where you just want it to be morning so you won't be cold anymore.

Here are some pics that I took with my camera. Since Carmella had hers, I didn't break mine out too much.

Here's Lake Louise. Carmella and I hiked about 1.6K up from lake level to this lookout point.

It was pretty early in the morning, and we were both tired and cold. We knew we had to get to Whistler on this day, so we felt a bit rushed too. In this picture, Carmella is frustrated because she couldn't get the flash to work on her camera. I took this one to see if mine would work.

Here are some dinosaurs in the Museum in Drumheller.

This is a poor shot of the moon-like atmosphere in Drumheller. It's part of the Red Deer River valley, which has yielded many dinosaur bones.

The Dinosaur Museum had many full skeletons, so that was fun. We didn't know which ones were casts and which were real bones, so it wasn't as fun as it could have been.



This was fun, getting to Saskatchewan. The province had big tourism centres at their borders, showing what the prairies have to offer. Manitoba didn't have anything like that, and neither did Alberta or BC.

So, those are some pics I had. When I get Carmella's pictures, I'll post some more.