wanted to update but just didn't find the time
In the past week, there have been several times where I've said "I'll blog about that" but not once have I actually done anything about it. Now it's tough to remember everything that has happened of late.
I think the most notable thing is conquering my stupid fear. The day was December 28, 2004. The scene was Blue Mountain for Snowboarding. The time was about 2:30 pm in the afternoon. As we were going up one of the chairlifts just joking around as usual, Etch, Tom, Rachel, JLo and I were having a good day. Then, at the top of the hill, I promptly took a huge spill after getting off the chair lift. Stupid Blue Mountain doesn't clean the area under their chairlifts and that particular chair exit is so steep AND icy. Anyway, I fell. I twisted my knee and it turns out that I actually tore my MCL in my left knee. I was rolling around in pain and couldn't put wait on it. Etch thought I was crying wolf and kept telling me to get my ass up but I couldn't. In the end I had to go down in the snow stretcher, strapped in and pulled by some ski patroller on skis... It was quite the site I'm told. Thank god no cameras were present.
So, this time around, it was the same day. December 28, 2005. Same chair lift and actually worse conditions cause it was rainy and gross. Well, I got off the chair lift fine and had a day of snowboarding without any issues.
So, I am over it. And I guess I'll see how the next time goes. Stupid Blue Mountain! Take that.
What else can I tell you about? Well, my friend Sam (originally from Sydney, OZ and now living in London, UK came to visit for about 4 days. She was here from Monday the 26th until Friday the 30th. It was a lot of fun hanging out and totally a last minute kinda trip that actually worked out perfectly. My friends took such good care of her and made her trip that much more fun and gave her that much more of a "localized" experience as opposed to a touristy time. While she was here, we partied for Kristian's bday on Monday night, had Dim Sum and did some shopping on Tuesday. Saw the Toronto Marlies play some AHL hockey on Tuesday night. Went snowboarding on Wednesday. Then, she went to Niagara Falls all day on Thursday and at night, she met up with my friends Cris, Cam and Hedia (and their posse) and they had a girls night in Toronto. Friday she got a great tour of the city (thanks Cam) and then we met up for a late lunch on Baldwin before going to the airport. All in all, Sam said she had a GREAT time so I'm glad we were able to show her nice the city is. Although we didn't see the sun or any blue skies at all (until her last day).
This week, I've done a little shopping and going around the city (kinda touristy things). A couple major things stood out. FIRST and FOREMOST - WHY DON'T THEY PUT LIGHTS ON THE CN TOWER DURING THE HOLIDAYS??? I really don't get it. The structure is totally unique and could totally be set out among the skyline (even if it was just for a week or two). Did they used to do that? I am totally sure that they did when I was a kid. Also, my parents and I went driving around downtown on Christmas Day (in the evening). It was so dead and there weren't many lights or anything anywhere. Also, it didn't seem like there were too many people out. I was surprised cause if you go to cities like New York or Chicago - so many people are out and about at Time Square or Navy Pier or something.
And I'd be remiss if I didn't speak to the latest shooting in Toronto that occured on Boxing Day. It's just the latest in a string of violence that has continued all year long. I think the reason this is getting so much more attention because it was an innocent bystandard and I'm sorry to say - but she was an attractive blond white girl. More people definitely take notice once it's someone outside of the gangs that are killing each other. One thing that I just don't get is - WHY ARE JAIL SENTENCES SO LIGHT? WHY CAN SOMEONE ON A GUN RELATED CRIME GET OFF ON BAIL WITHIN A WEEK? What is the motivation for Politicians to allow criminals/gang members, etc who use guns to get off so easy? I just don't understand why there aren't tougher rules and laws. Over the next few days/weeks (and definitely tonight for NYE) we'll see a bulked up police presence. Let's see how long that continues. I'm sure it won't be long enough.
So, 2006 is only 9 hours away. Pretty crazy how quickly the years go by. 2K6 is gonna be a great and exciting year for me. I can't wait to see how it goes! I'll keep you all posted about my plans...
Cheers to everyone for a safe and happy new year.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Good Times
Last night, the top floor of the Philip St. Townhouse posse had a bit of a reunion. Cdawg was in town from Vancouver and we chilled at Etch's place. It was a blast. Cris joined the boys for a little while and overall, we had a fantastic time. Just great to reminisce about old times and joke around. The infamous Sept 11 story was shared yet again and numerous other ones. We had a little "fresh air" on the balcony and man was that ever good. Just relaxed and chilled out for the night. Oh yeah, Cdawg and Etch made some killer natchos. Just like back in the day. All we were missing was some tuna melts (the other Philip Street favourite).
Looking forward to more times like this during the holidays...
Etch just sent a hilarious forward. Watch this Jay Leno video (all the way to the end).
Last night, the top floor of the Philip St. Townhouse posse had a bit of a reunion. Cdawg was in town from Vancouver and we chilled at Etch's place. It was a blast. Cris joined the boys for a little while and overall, we had a fantastic time. Just great to reminisce about old times and joke around. The infamous Sept 11 story was shared yet again and numerous other ones. We had a little "fresh air" on the balcony and man was that ever good. Just relaxed and chilled out for the night. Oh yeah, Cdawg and Etch made some killer natchos. Just like back in the day. All we were missing was some tuna melts (the other Philip Street favourite).
Looking forward to more times like this during the holidays...
Etch just sent a hilarious forward. Watch this Jay Leno video (all the way to the end).
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
BUSY BUSY BUSY
Wow, the holidays are here and unfortunately, they are still far away. Man, this last week has been nuts and the next few days (until year end) will be just as bad. This is definitely the busiest time of year for us (at work) because of fiscal year end and I think I thought I was done all my stuff so I kind of underestimated it this time around. Anyway, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's dim but hopefully it will brighten up shortly.
In other news, I went to the Symphony last night. I saw Handel's Messiah performed by the TSO at Roy Thompson Hall. I think I went there back in the day but I don't know for sure. Anyway, it's quite a beautiful building and definitely very impressive on the inside. The performace was okay in my books. I mean I liked the instrumental part for sure (and the trumpet solo was definitely the highlight for me). But the vocals (the 4 soloists anyway) weren't doing it for me. Too much religious singing I think (but I guess that's what Handals' Messiah is about right?) The Toronto Mendholson Choir was also there and that was pretty impressive (there were about 120 of them in total I think).
I would definitely go back and see another symphony show BUT I think I would prefer a show that had much more instrumental music (and less vocals). Oh yeah, and I definitely wanted more percussion.
I saw a couple movies last week.
Syriana was quite good. Definitely a flick I've gotta see again. So much going on and so much information. It was quite interesting to see how involved everything is with oil in the middle east and I guess oil in general. There is such big money and everyone gets so greedy to have any piece of it. Also, they showed one storyline that followed some youth who had no other options to earn money or feel important. It showed how easy it was for them to be manipulated into thinking that certain malicious ideas (like bombing or taking out innocent people) are actually acceptable. That these things will promote and create positive changes. It's a thinking movie for sure and quite jumpy with multiple scenes similar to Traffic.
Walk the Line was a really good movie. I didn't know anything about this film before watching nor did I know anything about Johnny Cash. But man, that was a solid film. Joachim Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon acted very well and they did all of their own singing in this movie (found that out after). The rise and fall and rise again of Johnny Cash was quite the story. Reminded me a lot of the movie Ray actually... The scene in "Ontario, Canada" was interesting - I wanna know if that actually happened.
Unfortunately, it looks like volleyball is done for the year. Tuesday night, Thursday night and Saturday afternoon are all done for the holidays so now, I've gotta wait for next year. I can't wait to get back on the court. In the mean time, I've found a squash buddy in the condos across the street so I'm definitely gonna try and get some squash in over the next little while.
Wow, the holidays are here and unfortunately, they are still far away. Man, this last week has been nuts and the next few days (until year end) will be just as bad. This is definitely the busiest time of year for us (at work) because of fiscal year end and I think I thought I was done all my stuff so I kind of underestimated it this time around. Anyway, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's dim but hopefully it will brighten up shortly.
In other news, I went to the Symphony last night. I saw Handel's Messiah performed by the TSO at Roy Thompson Hall. I think I went there back in the day but I don't know for sure. Anyway, it's quite a beautiful building and definitely very impressive on the inside. The performace was okay in my books. I mean I liked the instrumental part for sure (and the trumpet solo was definitely the highlight for me). But the vocals (the 4 soloists anyway) weren't doing it for me. Too much religious singing I think (but I guess that's what Handals' Messiah is about right?) The Toronto Mendholson Choir was also there and that was pretty impressive (there were about 120 of them in total I think).
I would definitely go back and see another symphony show BUT I think I would prefer a show that had much more instrumental music (and less vocals). Oh yeah, and I definitely wanted more percussion.
I saw a couple movies last week.
Syriana was quite good. Definitely a flick I've gotta see again. So much going on and so much information. It was quite interesting to see how involved everything is with oil in the middle east and I guess oil in general. There is such big money and everyone gets so greedy to have any piece of it. Also, they showed one storyline that followed some youth who had no other options to earn money or feel important. It showed how easy it was for them to be manipulated into thinking that certain malicious ideas (like bombing or taking out innocent people) are actually acceptable. That these things will promote and create positive changes. It's a thinking movie for sure and quite jumpy with multiple scenes similar to Traffic.
Walk the Line was a really good movie. I didn't know anything about this film before watching nor did I know anything about Johnny Cash. But man, that was a solid film. Joachim Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon acted very well and they did all of their own singing in this movie (found that out after). The rise and fall and rise again of Johnny Cash was quite the story. Reminded me a lot of the movie Ray actually... The scene in "Ontario, Canada" was interesting - I wanna know if that actually happened.
Unfortunately, it looks like volleyball is done for the year. Tuesday night, Thursday night and Saturday afternoon are all done for the holidays so now, I've gotta wait for next year. I can't wait to get back on the court. In the mean time, I've found a squash buddy in the condos across the street so I'm definitely gonna try and get some squash in over the next little while.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Holiday Season in Full Gear
And what does that mean? A whole lot of eating and entertaining. Man, I feel like that's all I do every weekend now - go to someone's house for a dinner or potluck and then just get stuffed. Man, I've been eating well but I really gotta do it more in moderation. It's just TOO MUCH at times but it's so hard cause most of the time, the food is SO good.
Last weekend (after returning from Chi-town), we had our annual holiday dinner with the Marathi crew at K&R's house. It was a mexican themed potluck and I tried making something new. Some corn pancakes and a peach salsa. Surprisingly - they were actually quite good. Bapat made empanadas (three different varieties too so they were awesome!) G made some kick ass fajitas and Samp made enchilladas and guac. The feast was crazy. We all had food the itis in full effect after that! Played some fun games and then a few of us crashed there. We also met K&R's cat "Puppy" for the first time. And for the record, Puppy is not a fat cat! He is just quite furry. Oh yeah, he pees standing up (like a person would). I didn't see this with my own eyes but this is what Kdot tells me. I'll believe it when I see it though.
Sunday was a regular lazy day just doing laundry, expenses, etc. Lord of the Rings was on and of course, I was mesmorized by that and had to watch it.
Last week - I played volleyball THREE TIMES. It was wicked!!! Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I had some good games overall and my hitting is improving each time I play. The other part of my game that is getting better is blocks. That is huge and I'm no longer intimdated to jump up and try. I'm also keeping my eyes open more and more now ;o) This Tuesday - my team (the Rednecks is our name I think) are in the finals so that should be fun. And I'm also planning on going again this Thursday and Saturday so that will be great again.
Yesterday, the UW crew got together for our annual Holiday Party. This time, Flo and Art hosted it. I had a great time playing cranium, eating takeout chinese, watching 40 year-old virgin, playing XBox NHL 2K6, watching Byron's home videos and generally just chilling. We also did a gift exchange which was quite hilarious. Byron's nurse outfit for Mae definitely was the topper. While playing cranium yesterday, I got one of the "acting cards" and I had to act out a "Swimsuit Calender". That was priceless. I wanna see some photos of that - actually maybe I don't. The key is that our team got it and we didn't end up in last place or anything so I'm happy about that.
Tonight was another holiday party with some other friends. We had a mexican theme again (different crew) and the legendary Guacamole was a success once again. I had retired for a bit but brought it back in full force tonight and it turned out great. We also had chili, tacos and quesadillas - all of which were very yummy. The host is pregnant and she's actually gonna pop any day now. Her due date is this Friday so any day this week could be the one. The couple don't know if they are having a boy or girl (they chose not to know after the Ultrasounds). I think that's cool. I wish more and more people did that. They are also giving birth at home with a midwife. I don't know much about that so I can't really make an opinion one way or the other with respect to that one.
This week, other than vball. I have tickets to the Raptors/Bulls on Wednesday night. Then next weekend - it's more food and sitting around having fun at holiday parties. I also gotta do some shopping which I'm gonna try to do during the week and preferably during the day (malls on weekends are just silly this time of year).
Happy Holidays all...
And what does that mean? A whole lot of eating and entertaining. Man, I feel like that's all I do every weekend now - go to someone's house for a dinner or potluck and then just get stuffed. Man, I've been eating well but I really gotta do it more in moderation. It's just TOO MUCH at times but it's so hard cause most of the time, the food is SO good.
Last weekend (after returning from Chi-town), we had our annual holiday dinner with the Marathi crew at K&R's house. It was a mexican themed potluck and I tried making something new. Some corn pancakes and a peach salsa. Surprisingly - they were actually quite good. Bapat made empanadas (three different varieties too so they were awesome!) G made some kick ass fajitas and Samp made enchilladas and guac. The feast was crazy. We all had food the itis in full effect after that! Played some fun games and then a few of us crashed there. We also met K&R's cat "Puppy" for the first time. And for the record, Puppy is not a fat cat! He is just quite furry. Oh yeah, he pees standing up (like a person would). I didn't see this with my own eyes but this is what Kdot tells me. I'll believe it when I see it though.
Sunday was a regular lazy day just doing laundry, expenses, etc. Lord of the Rings was on and of course, I was mesmorized by that and had to watch it.
Last week - I played volleyball THREE TIMES. It was wicked!!! Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I had some good games overall and my hitting is improving each time I play. The other part of my game that is getting better is blocks. That is huge and I'm no longer intimdated to jump up and try. I'm also keeping my eyes open more and more now ;o) This Tuesday - my team (the Rednecks is our name I think) are in the finals so that should be fun. And I'm also planning on going again this Thursday and Saturday so that will be great again.
Yesterday, the UW crew got together for our annual Holiday Party. This time, Flo and Art hosted it. I had a great time playing cranium, eating takeout chinese, watching 40 year-old virgin, playing XBox NHL 2K6, watching Byron's home videos and generally just chilling. We also did a gift exchange which was quite hilarious. Byron's nurse outfit for Mae definitely was the topper. While playing cranium yesterday, I got one of the "acting cards" and I had to act out a "Swimsuit Calender". That was priceless. I wanna see some photos of that - actually maybe I don't. The key is that our team got it and we didn't end up in last place or anything so I'm happy about that.
Tonight was another holiday party with some other friends. We had a mexican theme again (different crew) and the legendary Guacamole was a success once again. I had retired for a bit but brought it back in full force tonight and it turned out great. We also had chili, tacos and quesadillas - all of which were very yummy. The host is pregnant and she's actually gonna pop any day now. Her due date is this Friday so any day this week could be the one. The couple don't know if they are having a boy or girl (they chose not to know after the Ultrasounds). I think that's cool. I wish more and more people did that. They are also giving birth at home with a midwife. I don't know much about that so I can't really make an opinion one way or the other with respect to that one.
This week, other than vball. I have tickets to the Raptors/Bulls on Wednesday night. Then next weekend - it's more food and sitting around having fun at holiday parties. I also gotta do some shopping which I'm gonna try to do during the week and preferably during the day (malls on weekends are just silly this time of year).
Happy Holidays all...
Friday, December 02, 2005
sickie
So I had a decent week in Chicago. Man, it was a LLOONNNGG one though. Spending close to 7 hours each day at our booth at the trade-show was pretty grueling. Standing on my feet all day, shaking hands, being polite - all that fun stuff. And to top it all off, I got sick. I was there from Saturday to Thursday and by about Tuesday night, I was starting to feel it. It hit rock bottom on Wednesday and the the pinnacle was definitely flying home yesterday evening. My flight was delayed by an hour. I didn't get home (to bed) until past 2:00 am this morning (Friday morning). Flying when you are all congested and sick has gotta be one of THE worst feelings too. Man, that was just way too much.
The bright side is that Cris and I did get some good shopping done. And some good walking around Chi-town on the Magnificent Mile, etc. It was definitely a good time. Monday night of last week, I had a good time hanging with some of my old "classmates" from the training program I went through a couple years ago. It was especially good to catch up with Michael who got married about 15 months ago. He (and his wife Heather) are great people so I will definitely look them up if I go to NYC in the future. I also got to spend some quality time with Yollanda and Cristine - talking about work, life and the pursuit of happiness.
Speaking of happiness, I think the Raptors are probably relieved. They won their first road game of the season. Who was it against you ask? Well of course, the lowly Atlanta Hawks. Quite possibly the only team that is worse than Toronto in the entire NBA. Tonight's stellar matchup was definitely one of the worst matchups in the history of modern professional sports. That said, it was actually a decent game - probably because both teams felt like they had something to prove. The tandom of Bosh and Villenueva is looking good and with Calderon tossing dimes around, it should be a bright future. Let's see what pieces of that pie actually stick around for the long term though.
I guess I should try to sleep this cold off so goodnight y'all.
So I had a decent week in Chicago. Man, it was a LLOONNNGG one though. Spending close to 7 hours each day at our booth at the trade-show was pretty grueling. Standing on my feet all day, shaking hands, being polite - all that fun stuff. And to top it all off, I got sick. I was there from Saturday to Thursday and by about Tuesday night, I was starting to feel it. It hit rock bottom on Wednesday and the the pinnacle was definitely flying home yesterday evening. My flight was delayed by an hour. I didn't get home (to bed) until past 2:00 am this morning (Friday morning). Flying when you are all congested and sick has gotta be one of THE worst feelings too. Man, that was just way too much.
The bright side is that Cris and I did get some good shopping done. And some good walking around Chi-town on the Magnificent Mile, etc. It was definitely a good time. Monday night of last week, I had a good time hanging with some of my old "classmates" from the training program I went through a couple years ago. It was especially good to catch up with Michael who got married about 15 months ago. He (and his wife Heather) are great people so I will definitely look them up if I go to NYC in the future. I also got to spend some quality time with Yollanda and Cristine - talking about work, life and the pursuit of happiness.
Speaking of happiness, I think the Raptors are probably relieved. They won their first road game of the season. Who was it against you ask? Well of course, the lowly Atlanta Hawks. Quite possibly the only team that is worse than Toronto in the entire NBA. Tonight's stellar matchup was definitely one of the worst matchups in the history of modern professional sports. That said, it was actually a decent game - probably because both teams felt like they had something to prove. The tandom of Bosh and Villenueva is looking good and with Calderon tossing dimes around, it should be a bright future. Let's see what pieces of that pie actually stick around for the long term though.
I guess I should try to sleep this cold off so goodnight y'all.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
in the windy city
i've been in chicago for work since saturday early morning. it's been quite nice so far (well, the non-work stuff). chicago is a great city. especially the downtown. the architecture, the restaurants, the life around here is so nice. it's a great city to walk around too. i did some shopping on saturday and i think i might be going to the art institute on thursday before my flight so that should be great.
i am down here for a trade show/conference (actually, the biggest one in our industry). it's nuts - i think there are like 70,000 people at this show and it is just so busy. we stand on our feet ALL DAY long and man, it's tiring. you have to be "on" all the time talking to customers about product X and product Y. after a while though, it's the same thing over and over agin and a bit much...
so yeah, i was just watching tv in my hotel room and i saw an ad for the Oral B Triumph. it's a toothbrush with a computer in it. totally random. not sure it's that necessary but what do i know? a few of my friends and coworkers have electric toothbrushes and they swear by them so i am thinking about making the switch. perhaps not this computerized toothbrush, maybe something a little less techie. we'll see what happens.
man, i'm yawning like crazy.
i think it's time for bed now.
p.s. my bed here at the Renaissance is so comfy. i could just melt in it.
i've been in chicago for work since saturday early morning. it's been quite nice so far (well, the non-work stuff). chicago is a great city. especially the downtown. the architecture, the restaurants, the life around here is so nice. it's a great city to walk around too. i did some shopping on saturday and i think i might be going to the art institute on thursday before my flight so that should be great.
i am down here for a trade show/conference (actually, the biggest one in our industry). it's nuts - i think there are like 70,000 people at this show and it is just so busy. we stand on our feet ALL DAY long and man, it's tiring. you have to be "on" all the time talking to customers about product X and product Y. after a while though, it's the same thing over and over agin and a bit much...
so yeah, i was just watching tv in my hotel room and i saw an ad for the Oral B Triumph. it's a toothbrush with a computer in it. totally random. not sure it's that necessary but what do i know? a few of my friends and coworkers have electric toothbrushes and they swear by them so i am thinking about making the switch. perhaps not this computerized toothbrush, maybe something a little less techie. we'll see what happens.
man, i'm yawning like crazy.
i think it's time for bed now.
p.s. my bed here at the Renaissance is so comfy. i could just melt in it.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Thursday at Home
Wow, I haven't been "working from home" in a while. I have been on the road in Western Canada and Southwestern Ontario for the past 2 weeks. It's nice to finally be home.
Yesterday, I rediscovered one of my biggest pet peeves (and probably the same for most peeps) - Toronto Traffic. It took me nearly 3 hours to get from Simcoe (south of Brantford) back to Toronto yesterday evening. There was no snow. No accidents. Just stupid drivers being stupid and so many of them so the volume was too much. I was getting so impatient in the car - I just wanted to get home. The QEW was rammed. So was the 403. And the 401 and the 427. It was just too much.
On Tuesday night, I played vball and it was great. I was a serving machine and had some good spikes in too. The team played great and we were 5 and 1 after the night so that was sweet. Tonight, I am playing again for a bit before meeting up with Ashwat, Kdot and G. Should be a good game. I leave for Chicago early AM on Saturday and then I'm gone for a week so I am gonna miss vball all of next week unfortunately. Vball is such a great game. I am so glad I started playing it again 2 years ago and it's amazing to see the improvements. I couldn't hit at all but now, I can spike (still slightly unorthodox but it works).
Back to working I guess...
Wow, I haven't been "working from home" in a while. I have been on the road in Western Canada and Southwestern Ontario for the past 2 weeks. It's nice to finally be home.
Yesterday, I rediscovered one of my biggest pet peeves (and probably the same for most peeps) - Toronto Traffic. It took me nearly 3 hours to get from Simcoe (south of Brantford) back to Toronto yesterday evening. There was no snow. No accidents. Just stupid drivers being stupid and so many of them so the volume was too much. I was getting so impatient in the car - I just wanted to get home. The QEW was rammed. So was the 403. And the 401 and the 427. It was just too much.
On Tuesday night, I played vball and it was great. I was a serving machine and had some good spikes in too. The team played great and we were 5 and 1 after the night so that was sweet. Tonight, I am playing again for a bit before meeting up with Ashwat, Kdot and G. Should be a good game. I leave for Chicago early AM on Saturday and then I'm gone for a week so I am gonna miss vball all of next week unfortunately. Vball is such a great game. I am so glad I started playing it again 2 years ago and it's amazing to see the improvements. I couldn't hit at all but now, I can spike (still slightly unorthodox but it works).
Back to working I guess...
Sunday, November 20, 2005
busy satuday, chill sunday
Well, this weekend definitely went by FAST. It was great. But man, where did the time go? I think the main reason it was so quick is cause I didn't get home till close to 1:30 AM on Saturday morning cause of all the stupid escapades I had with planes on Friday night.
Anyway, I woke up on Saturday morning and was supposed to meet up with some friends at St. Lawrence Market for brunch. That didn't work out cause I was way too tired so I just chilled with my parents, had some lunch and caught up on stuff. I wanted to go play some vball but it wasn't in the cards that day (cause I didn't get a second phone call...) ;o)
That afternoon, it was the Third Annual Hung Long Master of the Universe Curling Tournament organized by Mr. Tchao. Once again, a fantastic fun-filled afternoon and even better was that the participants list grew to close to 40 this year. We had 5 sheets of ice for our games and it was a blast. I think I played much better last year but alas, we still had a great time and almost finished undefeated. Nicole was a natural and definitely our ringer. Yollanda actually had some skills but Collin definitely had the shot of the day when his rock landed right on the button.
After curling, a bunch of us went to the OSC to check out BodyWorlds. It was quite an interesting exhibit. Definitely worth checking out. I think my expectations were too high only cause of all the hype I had heard from others. Definitely don't go on a Saturday if you can avoid it cause it's unnecessarily slow and crowded. Also, the layout they have (starting in the ramp) is silly cause it creates such a bottle neck at the beginning. There are definitely some really cool features. My highlight was seeing the bodies in some actual positions like skiing, skating, soccer, etc. I wonder if those people were actually those types of athletes when they were alive - that would be even cooler.
After Bodyworlds, I had some Vietnamese food at Pho Saigon (thanks for the suggestion Flo!) I had Pho for the first time in a while and I actually liked it this time. Not sure why I wasn't a big fan the last few times I ate it but I'd have it again... Or maybe it was just this place cause it did taste good.
The night ended with a trip to Ketan's place to chill with Ashwat and G. We played some pool, saw K&R's new phat cat named Puppy and had some laughes. We have our holiday party planned for December 3rd. That will mosdef be a very chill night!
This morning, I got up and my friend Natalie came over. We had a great time catching up with each other's lives - all the juicy gossip. It was great to see her and just sit around and talk. Later, I helped mom with lunch and then went out and raked leaves...all in all for a total of about 3 hours. Raked in the front, side and back of the house and filled up 3.5 bags (those huge brown ones). But the job is done now so that is good. Watched the end of the Argos game. Man, they really shot themselves in the foot with all those turnovers. Oh yeah, and the Raptors finally won one today. Albeit, it was against the Heat without Shaq. But, at this stage (prior to a 4 game Western Road Trip), they needed something. Anything really. After this trip, are they gonna be 1 and 13? We'll see. ;o)
Well, this weekend definitely went by FAST. It was great. But man, where did the time go? I think the main reason it was so quick is cause I didn't get home till close to 1:30 AM on Saturday morning cause of all the stupid escapades I had with planes on Friday night.
Anyway, I woke up on Saturday morning and was supposed to meet up with some friends at St. Lawrence Market for brunch. That didn't work out cause I was way too tired so I just chilled with my parents, had some lunch and caught up on stuff. I wanted to go play some vball but it wasn't in the cards that day (cause I didn't get a second phone call...) ;o)
That afternoon, it was the Third Annual Hung Long Master of the Universe Curling Tournament organized by Mr. Tchao. Once again, a fantastic fun-filled afternoon and even better was that the participants list grew to close to 40 this year. We had 5 sheets of ice for our games and it was a blast. I think I played much better last year but alas, we still had a great time and almost finished undefeated. Nicole was a natural and definitely our ringer. Yollanda actually had some skills but Collin definitely had the shot of the day when his rock landed right on the button.
After curling, a bunch of us went to the OSC to check out BodyWorlds. It was quite an interesting exhibit. Definitely worth checking out. I think my expectations were too high only cause of all the hype I had heard from others. Definitely don't go on a Saturday if you can avoid it cause it's unnecessarily slow and crowded. Also, the layout they have (starting in the ramp) is silly cause it creates such a bottle neck at the beginning. There are definitely some really cool features. My highlight was seeing the bodies in some actual positions like skiing, skating, soccer, etc. I wonder if those people were actually those types of athletes when they were alive - that would be even cooler.
After Bodyworlds, I had some Vietnamese food at Pho Saigon (thanks for the suggestion Flo!) I had Pho for the first time in a while and I actually liked it this time. Not sure why I wasn't a big fan the last few times I ate it but I'd have it again... Or maybe it was just this place cause it did taste good.
The night ended with a trip to Ketan's place to chill with Ashwat and G. We played some pool, saw K&R's new phat cat named Puppy and had some laughes. We have our holiday party planned for December 3rd. That will mosdef be a very chill night!
This morning, I got up and my friend Natalie came over. We had a great time catching up with each other's lives - all the juicy gossip. It was great to see her and just sit around and talk. Later, I helped mom with lunch and then went out and raked leaves...all in all for a total of about 3 hours. Raked in the front, side and back of the house and filled up 3.5 bags (those huge brown ones). But the job is done now so that is good. Watched the end of the Argos game. Man, they really shot themselves in the foot with all those turnovers. Oh yeah, and the Raptors finally won one today. Albeit, it was against the Heat without Shaq. But, at this stage (prior to a 4 game Western Road Trip), they needed something. Anything really. After this trip, are they gonna be 1 and 13? We'll see. ;o)
Winter Travel
this post was actually written on Friday night...
I sit here at Pearson Airport just waiting. Why you ask? Cause the stupid luggage area of the plane is frozen shut! Yeah, you heard me. I just landed in Toronto after my flight from Winnipeg. We were sitting on the tarmac for about 20 minutes cause there was no staff to welcome us at the gate. Then, once we got off the plane and came to baggage – we were waiting for about 10 minutes before an announcement said “Sorry for the delay for passengers who just arrived on Flight 266 from Winnipeg, but the luggage compartment is frozen shut and we are doing what we can to open it. We cannot give you an estimate on how long this will take.”
So, what have I learned this week? That air travel in the winter SUCKS! Man, I have been inside too many airports this week for too long a period of time.
Oh, an update at 12:02 AM (just 15 minutes after we’ve been waiting already). The guy came on the loudspeaker and said “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have an update. At present, we are sending two of our finest agents to the gate to find out what the problem is and they will report back with a better time estimate as soon as possible”. So now I must continue to wait for the “fine agents” to get back to me and tell me how much longer I will be waiting. My money is on 35 minutes at least. This blows.
Well, I was waiting for about 30 more minutes. Finally the bags came and I got in the cab. The fun didn't end cause the cabbie missed my exit off the highway so we had to go past and come back. Man, that was a crazy week! Glad it's done. Let the fun begin again next Saturday when I leave for Chicago...
this post was actually written on Friday night...
I sit here at Pearson Airport just waiting. Why you ask? Cause the stupid luggage area of the plane is frozen shut! Yeah, you heard me. I just landed in Toronto after my flight from Winnipeg. We were sitting on the tarmac for about 20 minutes cause there was no staff to welcome us at the gate. Then, once we got off the plane and came to baggage – we were waiting for about 10 minutes before an announcement said “Sorry for the delay for passengers who just arrived on Flight 266 from Winnipeg, but the luggage compartment is frozen shut and we are doing what we can to open it. We cannot give you an estimate on how long this will take.”
So, what have I learned this week? That air travel in the winter SUCKS! Man, I have been inside too many airports this week for too long a period of time.
Oh, an update at 12:02 AM (just 15 minutes after we’ve been waiting already). The guy came on the loudspeaker and said “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have an update. At present, we are sending two of our finest agents to the gate to find out what the problem is and they will report back with a better time estimate as soon as possible”. So now I must continue to wait for the “fine agents” to get back to me and tell me how much longer I will be waiting. My money is on 35 minutes at least. This blows.
Well, I was waiting for about 30 more minutes. Finally the bags came and I got in the cab. The fun didn't end cause the cabbie missed my exit off the highway so we had to go past and come back. Man, that was a crazy week! Glad it's done. Let the fun begin again next Saturday when I leave for Chicago...
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
So, I'm in Regina right now. Got here yesterday morning at around 10:45 am. Was supposed to be here just for the day for some business meetings. I was having lunch yesterday afternoon when my cellphone rang. It was "Kevin" from Air Canada. I thought it was a joke at first but he proceeded to tell me that due to the horrible weather in the Maritimes, the Winnipeg Airport was closed.
I was supposed to fly to Winnipeg yesterday afernoon at 5:00 pm but now, that wasn't going to happen. So, they booked me on a flight this morning at 5:45 am and I was to find accomodations for the night. I stayed at the Delta hotel last night. Once I checked in, I was thinking about it and realized that I didn't want to take such an early flight so I called our office travel centre and they switched me to a 7:20 am Westjet flight. I had some room service, worked out and caught up on some work. I was in bed late (by 12:30) and up early (5:00 am).
This morning, I got up at 5:15 am. Left the hotel by 6:00 am and was at the airport by about 6:15 am. I checked into my flight and they warned us that the weather in Winnipeg hadn't improved and if we were diverted while in air, we might end up in Saskatoon which really wouldn't be any improvement over my current situation. So, I checked into the flight. Got on and we were sitting there listening to the Westjet humour that goes on when they do their safety announcement, etc. Then, the captain comes over the loudspeaker and says "Sorry to inform you that the Winnipeg Airport is closed again". So we had to get off the plane and wait around for an hour until they gave us an update. 20 minutes later, we were told that the flight was cancelled and now, we were being put on a 10:57 am flight to Calgary and then re-routed to Winnipeg to arrive at 4:00 pm.
I decided I didn't like that plan and instead switched back to Air Canada so I could get on the 9:45 am flight direct to Winnipeg. It was fully booked so I only got a Standby ticket. Since I am not an Elite member or anything special, I was low on the standby list so there wasn't going to be much of a chance of getting on the flight. Instead, I got confirmed on the 5:00 pm flight this afternoon. So, I went to the gate, waited and around 9:15 am, it was announced that the 9:45 am flight was now cancelled. So, everyone was rushing to try and get on the 5:00 pm flight but luckily, I already had a ticket saved.
So, I've been sitting in the caf (still am), eating some food from time to time and really just doing work. They have wireless internet access here which is great so I can get work done and connect to VPN.
What a day it's been overall. By the end of it all, I'll have been here in the Regina airport for close to 11 hours. Man, that's just crazyness. All my coworkers that I'm talking to that are already in Winnipeg are telling me that it's pretty bad over there. I am really kinda dreading heading over there tonight. We'll see how it goes. Could be a scary flight/landing...
So, I'm in Regina right now. Got here yesterday morning at around 10:45 am. Was supposed to be here just for the day for some business meetings. I was having lunch yesterday afternoon when my cellphone rang. It was "Kevin" from Air Canada. I thought it was a joke at first but he proceeded to tell me that due to the horrible weather in the Maritimes, the Winnipeg Airport was closed.
I was supposed to fly to Winnipeg yesterday afernoon at 5:00 pm but now, that wasn't going to happen. So, they booked me on a flight this morning at 5:45 am and I was to find accomodations for the night. I stayed at the Delta hotel last night. Once I checked in, I was thinking about it and realized that I didn't want to take such an early flight so I called our office travel centre and they switched me to a 7:20 am Westjet flight. I had some room service, worked out and caught up on some work. I was in bed late (by 12:30) and up early (5:00 am).
This morning, I got up at 5:15 am. Left the hotel by 6:00 am and was at the airport by about 6:15 am. I checked into my flight and they warned us that the weather in Winnipeg hadn't improved and if we were diverted while in air, we might end up in Saskatoon which really wouldn't be any improvement over my current situation. So, I checked into the flight. Got on and we were sitting there listening to the Westjet humour that goes on when they do their safety announcement, etc. Then, the captain comes over the loudspeaker and says "Sorry to inform you that the Winnipeg Airport is closed again". So we had to get off the plane and wait around for an hour until they gave us an update. 20 minutes later, we were told that the flight was cancelled and now, we were being put on a 10:57 am flight to Calgary and then re-routed to Winnipeg to arrive at 4:00 pm.
I decided I didn't like that plan and instead switched back to Air Canada so I could get on the 9:45 am flight direct to Winnipeg. It was fully booked so I only got a Standby ticket. Since I am not an Elite member or anything special, I was low on the standby list so there wasn't going to be much of a chance of getting on the flight. Instead, I got confirmed on the 5:00 pm flight this afternoon. So, I went to the gate, waited and around 9:15 am, it was announced that the 9:45 am flight was now cancelled. So, everyone was rushing to try and get on the 5:00 pm flight but luckily, I already had a ticket saved.
So, I've been sitting in the caf (still am), eating some food from time to time and really just doing work. They have wireless internet access here which is great so I can get work done and connect to VPN.
What a day it's been overall. By the end of it all, I'll have been here in the Regina airport for close to 11 hours. Man, that's just crazyness. All my coworkers that I'm talking to that are already in Winnipeg are telling me that it's pretty bad over there. I am really kinda dreading heading over there tonight. We'll see how it goes. Could be a scary flight/landing...
Friday, November 11, 2005
a little shocked
I was watching The Fifth Estate last night. It's a news documentary show on CBC that airs once a week. When I remember, I try to watch it cause it is quite informative. Last night's episode was called "Fasten Your Seatbelts" and it was all about airport security across Canada. Or perhaps, lack there of. A guy (former Airport Security head in the US) was a special guest and he was going around to Canadian airports trying to "break" through with illegal objects. He was also able to get into assorted restricted areas. He definitely knows what to do and who to exploit but I guess very determined terrorists are going to plan their attacks accordingly and could do a lot of what he was doing and showing us. It was quite scary to find out how easy it is to make a bomb as well. The kicker for sure had to be the assorted interviews with the CATSA spokesperson. CATSA is the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority and they are responsible for keeping us "safe". The reporter was asking this spokesman several very direct, pointed questions about breeches that they exposed, information that she as an average person was able to locate, etc. The guy just continued to spew the company line and looked like a complete idiot anytime he said "so, I don't think that is a security breech" when it most clearly was. They said that Ottawa has collected close to $2,000,000 for "security" improvements across airports nationally. A lot of experts are saying that all that money is just more of an asthetic fix and doesn't really amount to much at all.
I was on an all liquid diet yesterday (well, actually from dinner on Tuesday night until Lunch today so that was close to 36 hours. I had to get some tests done today and as a result had to be on this diet. Man, that was difficult. Moreso cause I was just sick and tired of drinking. I had some consomme for dinner (smelled and looked NASTY). And I had jello for dessert (now I know why I don't eat that stuff anymore). Overall, yesterday sucked for food. I hope that the coming days are better. Actually, tomorrow night should be cause a group of us are going to the Sultan's Tent for some eats.
I was watching The Fifth Estate last night. It's a news documentary show on CBC that airs once a week. When I remember, I try to watch it cause it is quite informative. Last night's episode was called "Fasten Your Seatbelts" and it was all about airport security across Canada. Or perhaps, lack there of. A guy (former Airport Security head in the US) was a special guest and he was going around to Canadian airports trying to "break" through with illegal objects. He was also able to get into assorted restricted areas. He definitely knows what to do and who to exploit but I guess very determined terrorists are going to plan their attacks accordingly and could do a lot of what he was doing and showing us. It was quite scary to find out how easy it is to make a bomb as well. The kicker for sure had to be the assorted interviews with the CATSA spokesperson. CATSA is the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority and they are responsible for keeping us "safe". The reporter was asking this spokesman several very direct, pointed questions about breeches that they exposed, information that she as an average person was able to locate, etc. The guy just continued to spew the company line and looked like a complete idiot anytime he said "so, I don't think that is a security breech" when it most clearly was. They said that Ottawa has collected close to $2,000,000 for "security" improvements across airports nationally. A lot of experts are saying that all that money is just more of an asthetic fix and doesn't really amount to much at all.
I was on an all liquid diet yesterday (well, actually from dinner on Tuesday night until Lunch today so that was close to 36 hours. I had to get some tests done today and as a result had to be on this diet. Man, that was difficult. Moreso cause I was just sick and tired of drinking. I had some consomme for dinner (smelled and looked NASTY). And I had jello for dessert (now I know why I don't eat that stuff anymore). Overall, yesterday sucked for food. I hope that the coming days are better. Actually, tomorrow night should be cause a group of us are going to the Sultan's Tent for some eats.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
ouch
I had a follow up appointment this morning after my wisdom tooth surgery of last week. I went in and everything is fine apparently. On the weekend my friends told me that after their surgery, they had a syringe that was used to irrigate the hole created after the surgery. Well, they gave me my syringe today and the nurse showed me how to use it and where to put it. MAN THAT HURT!!! I was in pain when she did it and I have to do it after every meal for the next 4 weeks (not months). WHAT??? Can you believe that? Man, I don't know if i can do this. It hurts more than the surgery did cause I still have swelling inside my mouth.
Oh yeah, in unrelated good news - when I did my cleaning on Sunday night, I found my Fugees CD (the Score). I had been looking for it for years and didn't know where it was. Finally found it in my old Discman that I don't use anymore. So that was a pleasant surprise.
Off to the bustling metropolis of Windsor now...
Enjoy your day.
I had a follow up appointment this morning after my wisdom tooth surgery of last week. I went in and everything is fine apparently. On the weekend my friends told me that after their surgery, they had a syringe that was used to irrigate the hole created after the surgery. Well, they gave me my syringe today and the nurse showed me how to use it and where to put it. MAN THAT HURT!!! I was in pain when she did it and I have to do it after every meal for the next 4 weeks (not months). WHAT??? Can you believe that? Man, I don't know if i can do this. It hurts more than the surgery did cause I still have swelling inside my mouth.
Oh yeah, in unrelated good news - when I did my cleaning on Sunday night, I found my Fugees CD (the Score). I had been looking for it for years and didn't know where it was. Finally found it in my old Discman that I don't use anymore. So that was a pleasant surprise.
Off to the bustling metropolis of Windsor now...
Enjoy your day.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Weekend Update
Haven't written since my post operation blog. Since then, my teeth/mouth/jaw area has started to improve so I guess that's a good thing. Overall, I guess I am quite happy with how the surgery went. Being put out was definitely the highlight - the way the room was spinning was the coolest thing and the awareness I thought I had was quite amusing in retrospect.
This weekend was a weekend of get togethers and parties so it was a lot of fun.
Friday night started with Ashwat. The two of us went to the Raptors-Nets game. I got to see (and Boo) Vince Carter in person. It was the Raptors second game of the year. It looked horrible. They played very poorly. There was no life in their game save only for Calderon (the rookie) and MoPete. Even Bosh was just looking ordinary. Araujo was definitely horrible. The 2 first round picks (Villenueva and Graham) both had flashes of brilliance and they looked pretty good. Overall though, it's gonna be a lllooonnnnggg season and there is no doubt about that. I didn't take my Tylenol 3 to the game and regretted it part way through cause I was starting to feel the pain more and more... (the perfomance on the court definitely wasn't helping).
Saturday morning, I watched the end of a Hindi movie called Swades. A very good movie with a great concept. Definitely not your typical Hindi Bollywood movie and I think that's why I liked it even more. The idea is that this guy (Mohan) goes back to India to find his nanny. In the process, he finds a childhood girl and they fall in love. But the real essence is how he teaches the villagers to produce for themselves and believe in themselves. It starts with education and climaxes with electricity. It's quite a powerful concept and I hope that projects like that are actually going on in India because there are several communities all around that could use them.
In the PM, I went to a "party" with Cris and Yollanda. It was for our friend Jess. A lot of girls from the office were there and I won one of the games so I got the "gender neutral" prize of chocolates. It was my first such party and definitely a unique experience. Fun overall so it's all good. Definitely a story and I'm sure I'll get made fun of for years for that one. After that, Cris and I went to Sarah's house for a potluck. Our friend Sarah is going to Kabul, Afganistan for the next 2 years to work with different organizations trying to help them with Rural Economic Development as a Grant Officer. I am definitely quite impressed with what she's going to be doing. I think it's very inspirational to see what she's gonna do and to hear about Ruth's adventures. It's great to hear when people our age are actually doing stuff out there that is helping others in such positive ways. Definitely powerful to think about!
Sunday afternoon was a blast! I organized a reunion with my OSC friends. For those that don't know, the OSC is the Ontario Science Centre and I went to a the OSC Science School back in Grade 12/OAC. It's a special program where you can take OAC Scienece Courses for a semester where I met some of the coolest people I've ever known. It was a lot of fun back then and now, 10 years later - it was totally a blast to catch up with one another and reminisce. Some brought spouses, some significant others and there was even a little munchkin named Madeline that made an appearance. Cathie (our program manager at the time) hosted the party - THANKS SO MUCH for all the cooking! It was so good to see everyone and it was even better hearing what you are all up to. It's a gang of such good people and although only handfuls of us are still very close, it's still nice to know that we each have such good people in our lives for pretty much any advice or suggestions. Between all of us, we've had such varied experiences as well so that makes for excellent discussions. Here are some pics from our great afternoon.
Sunday night marked the end of the weekend and it all about cleaning up. I threw a bunch of stuff out that I don't need anymore, went over my finances, organized some clothes. I even found some money and rolled up a bunch of coins. I found ~$20 in coins (pennies, nickels, dimes) that I didn't know I had so that was definitely a very pleasant surprise. It's always quite a healthy exercise to go through all of your "stuff" and do a pseudo "spring cleaning" from time to time (however, this one was in November so it was more like "fall cleaning" but same result, so that's all that matters. During my cleaning, I also found a few things to sell online. I've kinda been addicted to selling online of late by the way. In September/October - I sold a jacket, snowboard boots, monitor and a printer. Now, I've got a couple things for sale:
Panasonic SL-S361C Portable CD Player
JVC HA-W250RF Rechargeable Cordless Stereo Headphones (900 MHz)
Hopefully I find some homes for these gadgets...
Dinner time (hope I can start eating proper food soon).
Haven't written since my post operation blog. Since then, my teeth/mouth/jaw area has started to improve so I guess that's a good thing. Overall, I guess I am quite happy with how the surgery went. Being put out was definitely the highlight - the way the room was spinning was the coolest thing and the awareness I thought I had was quite amusing in retrospect.
This weekend was a weekend of get togethers and parties so it was a lot of fun.
Friday night started with Ashwat. The two of us went to the Raptors-Nets game. I got to see (and Boo) Vince Carter in person. It was the Raptors second game of the year. It looked horrible. They played very poorly. There was no life in their game save only for Calderon (the rookie) and MoPete. Even Bosh was just looking ordinary. Araujo was definitely horrible. The 2 first round picks (Villenueva and Graham) both had flashes of brilliance and they looked pretty good. Overall though, it's gonna be a lllooonnnnggg season and there is no doubt about that. I didn't take my Tylenol 3 to the game and regretted it part way through cause I was starting to feel the pain more and more... (the perfomance on the court definitely wasn't helping).
Saturday morning, I watched the end of a Hindi movie called Swades. A very good movie with a great concept. Definitely not your typical Hindi Bollywood movie and I think that's why I liked it even more. The idea is that this guy (Mohan) goes back to India to find his nanny. In the process, he finds a childhood girl and they fall in love. But the real essence is how he teaches the villagers to produce for themselves and believe in themselves. It starts with education and climaxes with electricity. It's quite a powerful concept and I hope that projects like that are actually going on in India because there are several communities all around that could use them.
In the PM, I went to a "party" with Cris and Yollanda. It was for our friend Jess. A lot of girls from the office were there and I won one of the games so I got the "gender neutral" prize of chocolates. It was my first such party and definitely a unique experience. Fun overall so it's all good. Definitely a story and I'm sure I'll get made fun of for years for that one. After that, Cris and I went to Sarah's house for a potluck. Our friend Sarah is going to Kabul, Afganistan for the next 2 years to work with different organizations trying to help them with Rural Economic Development as a Grant Officer. I am definitely quite impressed with what she's going to be doing. I think it's very inspirational to see what she's gonna do and to hear about Ruth's adventures. It's great to hear when people our age are actually doing stuff out there that is helping others in such positive ways. Definitely powerful to think about!
Sunday afternoon was a blast! I organized a reunion with my OSC friends. For those that don't know, the OSC is the Ontario Science Centre and I went to a the OSC Science School back in Grade 12/OAC. It's a special program where you can take OAC Scienece Courses for a semester where I met some of the coolest people I've ever known. It was a lot of fun back then and now, 10 years later - it was totally a blast to catch up with one another and reminisce. Some brought spouses, some significant others and there was even a little munchkin named Madeline that made an appearance. Cathie (our program manager at the time) hosted the party - THANKS SO MUCH for all the cooking! It was so good to see everyone and it was even better hearing what you are all up to. It's a gang of such good people and although only handfuls of us are still very close, it's still nice to know that we each have such good people in our lives for pretty much any advice or suggestions. Between all of us, we've had such varied experiences as well so that makes for excellent discussions. Here are some pics from our great afternoon.
Sunday night marked the end of the weekend and it all about cleaning up. I threw a bunch of stuff out that I don't need anymore, went over my finances, organized some clothes. I even found some money and rolled up a bunch of coins. I found ~$20 in coins (pennies, nickels, dimes) that I didn't know I had so that was definitely a very pleasant surprise. It's always quite a healthy exercise to go through all of your "stuff" and do a pseudo "spring cleaning" from time to time (however, this one was in November so it was more like "fall cleaning" but same result, so that's all that matters. During my cleaning, I also found a few things to sell online. I've kinda been addicted to selling online of late by the way. In September/October - I sold a jacket, snowboard boots, monitor and a printer. Now, I've got a couple things for sale:
Panasonic SL-S361C Portable CD Player
JVC HA-W250RF Rechargeable Cordless Stereo Headphones (900 MHz)
Hopefully I find some homes for these gadgets...
Dinner time (hope I can start eating proper food soon).
Thursday, November 03, 2005
evolutionary marvel?
According to my buddy Tai, I am an evolutionary marvel cause I only have (sorry, had) 1 wisdom tooth. I just had it extracted this afternoon. That was the first time I've ever been put out with an anesthetic. They used gas and something through IV. That was the coolest feeling as I was falling out. I could feel the room spinning, didn't wanna open my eyes cause it was such a cool feeling. I could hear the doctor and nurses talking and at one point the doc said "Oh he likes it!" and I had this huge smile on my face. The rest, as they say, is history. I think the whole procedure took only about 15 minutes cause I was outta there so quickly. I have minimal swelling but at times it does hurt. I have some Tylenol 3's and some other antibiotics that I am taking. We'll see how the weekend goes... As I was falling asleep, I couldn't stop thinking of that Seinfeld episode where Jerry's dentist has porn in the waiting room and when he wakes up from some procedure, he is groggy but his belt buckle is undone and the voluptuous nurses have their labcoats revealingly low. it was quite hilarious. Oh and by the way - none of that happened to me. Beatrice and Betsy were doing their own thing ;o) please note - all previous names were changed to save the identity of individuals discussed.
Tchao has organized another fun filled curling activity for November 19th (thanks for changing the date bro) so I can't wait for that. It's gonna be a blast. Check out some pics from the event last year.
Time for a drug induced sleep.
Night all.
According to my buddy Tai, I am an evolutionary marvel cause I only have (sorry, had) 1 wisdom tooth. I just had it extracted this afternoon. That was the first time I've ever been put out with an anesthetic. They used gas and something through IV. That was the coolest feeling as I was falling out. I could feel the room spinning, didn't wanna open my eyes cause it was such a cool feeling. I could hear the doctor and nurses talking and at one point the doc said "Oh he likes it!" and I had this huge smile on my face. The rest, as they say, is history. I think the whole procedure took only about 15 minutes cause I was outta there so quickly. I have minimal swelling but at times it does hurt. I have some Tylenol 3's and some other antibiotics that I am taking. We'll see how the weekend goes... As I was falling asleep, I couldn't stop thinking of that Seinfeld episode where Jerry's dentist has porn in the waiting room and when he wakes up from some procedure, he is groggy but his belt buckle is undone and the voluptuous nurses have their labcoats revealingly low. it was quite hilarious. Oh and by the way - none of that happened to me. Beatrice and Betsy were doing their own thing ;o) please note - all previous names were changed to save the identity of individuals discussed.
Tchao has organized another fun filled curling activity for November 19th (thanks for changing the date bro) so I can't wait for that. It's gonna be a blast. Check out some pics from the event last year.
Time for a drug induced sleep.
Night all.
Monday, October 31, 2005
All Hallow's Eve
If history serves me correct, that is what this day used to be called. I actually don't remember any of the other history behind this date. What I do know is the present. And well - it goes a little something like this. On Halloween night, my house is all DARK. We leave virtually NO lights on. My dad even puts up a piece of cardboard to block any light that might escape through the window over our front door. I think my mom is preparing dinner in the kitchen in the dark right now. It's pure jokes. Yep - we are one of those families that just doesn't bother giving candies out to those little boys and girls in the neighbourhood. Oh, and speaking of those kids - there are hardly anymore these days. In the past few years (when we actually gave candy), we probably saw about 10 - 15 kids in the night. Then, we saw our fair share of older kids wearing No costume or some Ghetto mask saying TRICK OR TREAT. I ain't gonna give you sorry souls any candy! Get off my porch. And then, the tires get slashed! (well, it's never happened to us, knock on wood). Actually, we did get egged once. And another fun Halloween story was the time I got rolled for my candy back in like grade 6 or 7 or something. Oh good times for sure.
Weekend came and went and so did my brother. Man, that went quick. He was here for 8 days in total but it flew by for sure. One of the highlights of his trip had to have been when the two of us were drinking Johnny Walker Blue on Saturday night with our dad. We got it for him for father's day this year and he busted it out on Saturday night. I am not a scotch guy but dang, that stuff is smooth! It just rolls off your tongue and down your throat AND makes you feel all nice and warm inside. I don't think I'm converted or anything but it definitely was enjoyable. While my bro was around, we looked at a bunch of wedding venues for the reception next year. Man, that is proving to be more and more difficult a task. You end up liking X at one place, Y at another. Saying "I could live with ABC at this venue but can't live without 123 at that venue. In the end, $$$ will play heavily into the hall. Whatever is picked, the day will be beautiful and that's the most important thing. As a belated birthday gift, I got my bro a massage (and I figured I might as well treat myself to one as well). We went to the spa in the hotel at Warden and Hwy 7. I was not impressed at all. First off, it was the most expensive massage I've ever had. $95 for 50 minutes. What's up with that??? And second of all, the masseuse sucked. She was useless and didn't do much for me. I did fall asleep a couple times so I must have been relaxed but man, I was still stiff after. So, to make up for things I went all ghetto on them and took some extra cookies and bottled water as I was leaving. Also, when asked if I wanted to include any gratuities on my bill, I promptly said "No".
Here's a link to an ofoto site I created with various pictures from all the fun we had last week. Special thanks go out to everyone who hosted us and came out for various dinners. It was a blast!
Fantasy NBA has started. I think my roster is okay. I need to make some small tweaks here and there but I should have a decent team, anchored my Nowitzki. I didn't attend our draft last night so I got computer picks which for the most part, were fine. My Fantasy NHL teams are doing pretty well. I'm in first in one league and battling for 4th/5th in another. I was doing fine wrt injuries but then, got jacked in the last week. Hopefully, that'll turn around soon. I don't have any Leafs on my roster (probably a good thing - did anyone see the 8-0 pasting they took at the hands of Ottawa on Saturday night?) I'm a diehard Leaf fan but since day 1 of this season, I said that it would be a stretch to make the playoffs. They are just proving that these days. I'll be happy as long as the young guys play and they don't deal anymore away for the next Owen Nolan or Brian Leetch.
Today, I was sitting in a doctors office waiting room. As part of my job, that happens from time to time while I'm waiting around for customers, etc. Today, was hilarious because it was a complete array of all that society has to offer. Where do I begin? I heard at least 10 different languages and saw at least 5 different skin colours. I saw this uptight guy that was so pissed off that some lady "barged in" after him and got number 34 whereas he was sitting with 39 so she got served first. When he finally went up when it was his turn, he went on and on about being pissed off cause he couldn't eat and couldn't have his morning coffee because he had to fast for some bloodtest. Just cool it you idiot! Then, there was the crying baby. Man, that kid wouldn't stop. Anything and everything his mother tried just didn't work. Finally, the girl behind the desk went and asked what they were in for and promptly pushed her to the front of the line so that they could get treated and streeted (to use a term from ER). I'm sure no one minded the "two-tiered" nature of our healthcare in action in that instance. I also saw the 16 year old pimply, awkward couple who I overheard talking about sex and private parts and stuff. Were they there to discuss birth control? The list can go on and on. It was quite amusing to just sit and observe. Kinda like a zoo actually. Who knows what peeps were saying about me too cause there I am sitting in a chair in my suit looking all cool (or maybe that's "trying to look all cool").
If history serves me correct, that is what this day used to be called. I actually don't remember any of the other history behind this date. What I do know is the present. And well - it goes a little something like this. On Halloween night, my house is all DARK. We leave virtually NO lights on. My dad even puts up a piece of cardboard to block any light that might escape through the window over our front door. I think my mom is preparing dinner in the kitchen in the dark right now. It's pure jokes. Yep - we are one of those families that just doesn't bother giving candies out to those little boys and girls in the neighbourhood. Oh, and speaking of those kids - there are hardly anymore these days. In the past few years (when we actually gave candy), we probably saw about 10 - 15 kids in the night. Then, we saw our fair share of older kids wearing No costume or some Ghetto mask saying TRICK OR TREAT. I ain't gonna give you sorry souls any candy! Get off my porch. And then, the tires get slashed! (well, it's never happened to us, knock on wood). Actually, we did get egged once. And another fun Halloween story was the time I got rolled for my candy back in like grade 6 or 7 or something. Oh good times for sure.
Weekend came and went and so did my brother. Man, that went quick. He was here for 8 days in total but it flew by for sure. One of the highlights of his trip had to have been when the two of us were drinking Johnny Walker Blue on Saturday night with our dad. We got it for him for father's day this year and he busted it out on Saturday night. I am not a scotch guy but dang, that stuff is smooth! It just rolls off your tongue and down your throat AND makes you feel all nice and warm inside. I don't think I'm converted or anything but it definitely was enjoyable. While my bro was around, we looked at a bunch of wedding venues for the reception next year. Man, that is proving to be more and more difficult a task. You end up liking X at one place, Y at another. Saying "I could live with ABC at this venue but can't live without 123 at that venue. In the end, $$$ will play heavily into the hall. Whatever is picked, the day will be beautiful and that's the most important thing. As a belated birthday gift, I got my bro a massage (and I figured I might as well treat myself to one as well). We went to the spa in the hotel at Warden and Hwy 7. I was not impressed at all. First off, it was the most expensive massage I've ever had. $95 for 50 minutes. What's up with that??? And second of all, the masseuse sucked. She was useless and didn't do much for me. I did fall asleep a couple times so I must have been relaxed but man, I was still stiff after. So, to make up for things I went all ghetto on them and took some extra cookies and bottled water as I was leaving. Also, when asked if I wanted to include any gratuities on my bill, I promptly said "No".
Here's a link to an ofoto site I created with various pictures from all the fun we had last week. Special thanks go out to everyone who hosted us and came out for various dinners. It was a blast!
Fantasy NBA has started. I think my roster is okay. I need to make some small tweaks here and there but I should have a decent team, anchored my Nowitzki. I didn't attend our draft last night so I got computer picks which for the most part, were fine. My Fantasy NHL teams are doing pretty well. I'm in first in one league and battling for 4th/5th in another. I was doing fine wrt injuries but then, got jacked in the last week. Hopefully, that'll turn around soon. I don't have any Leafs on my roster (probably a good thing - did anyone see the 8-0 pasting they took at the hands of Ottawa on Saturday night?) I'm a diehard Leaf fan but since day 1 of this season, I said that it would be a stretch to make the playoffs. They are just proving that these days. I'll be happy as long as the young guys play and they don't deal anymore away for the next Owen Nolan or Brian Leetch.
Today, I was sitting in a doctors office waiting room. As part of my job, that happens from time to time while I'm waiting around for customers, etc. Today, was hilarious because it was a complete array of all that society has to offer. Where do I begin? I heard at least 10 different languages and saw at least 5 different skin colours. I saw this uptight guy that was so pissed off that some lady "barged in" after him and got number 34 whereas he was sitting with 39 so she got served first. When he finally went up when it was his turn, he went on and on about being pissed off cause he couldn't eat and couldn't have his morning coffee because he had to fast for some bloodtest. Just cool it you idiot! Then, there was the crying baby. Man, that kid wouldn't stop. Anything and everything his mother tried just didn't work. Finally, the girl behind the desk went and asked what they were in for and promptly pushed her to the front of the line so that they could get treated and streeted (to use a term from ER). I'm sure no one minded the "two-tiered" nature of our healthcare in action in that instance. I also saw the 16 year old pimply, awkward couple who I overheard talking about sex and private parts and stuff. Were they there to discuss birth control? The list can go on and on. It was quite amusing to just sit and observe. Kinda like a zoo actually. Who knows what peeps were saying about me too cause there I am sitting in a chair in my suit looking all cool (or maybe that's "trying to look all cool").
Friday, October 28, 2005
no laser vision for me
Well, I had my consultation this morning at Lasik MD in hopes of finding out if I'm a candidate for laser eye surgery. Well, it turns out that I'm not like the average population. You see most people have corneas that are about 540 microns thick. But mine are only 462 and 470 microns thick respectively. They even tested the size twice (once with the machine and then, the other manuallly using a little Ultrasound probe that they put right on my eye after giving me some numbing drops).
The optometrist (girl I knew who is a friend of a friend) was very honest with me. She basically said that if they were her eyes, she wouldn't do it.
This isn't to say that I can't do the procedure at all. I could get it done and use the newer PRK method which hurts a bit more, involves more follow up but has the same excellent results in the end. It just seems like it might be a bit too much to go through at this stage.
She was also saying that the technology is continually improving so it's not 100% that I'll never be able to have this procedure done. There might be a time in the future when the technology improves that I'll be able to get the surgery done. Perhaps in the future they won't cut the cornea as much?
So, back to glasses and contacts. I did find out that my perscription has actually improved since my last one so I will be getting some new glasses and contacts I think. We'll see how that goes...
On to the weekend!!!
Well, I had my consultation this morning at Lasik MD in hopes of finding out if I'm a candidate for laser eye surgery. Well, it turns out that I'm not like the average population. You see most people have corneas that are about 540 microns thick. But mine are only 462 and 470 microns thick respectively. They even tested the size twice (once with the machine and then, the other manuallly using a little Ultrasound probe that they put right on my eye after giving me some numbing drops).
The optometrist (girl I knew who is a friend of a friend) was very honest with me. She basically said that if they were her eyes, she wouldn't do it.
This isn't to say that I can't do the procedure at all. I could get it done and use the newer PRK method which hurts a bit more, involves more follow up but has the same excellent results in the end. It just seems like it might be a bit too much to go through at this stage.
She was also saying that the technology is continually improving so it's not 100% that I'll never be able to have this procedure done. There might be a time in the future when the technology improves that I'll be able to get the surgery done. Perhaps in the future they won't cut the cornea as much?
So, back to glasses and contacts. I did find out that my perscription has actually improved since my last one so I will be getting some new glasses and contacts I think. We'll see how that goes...
On to the weekend!!!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
new name, new look, some changes
So, I was tired of my old blog and decided to change it up a little. I still have a few questions though...
1. Why aren't all of my archives showing up? I only have archives from December 2003 until now available but what about all that great literature from February 2002 - December 2003??? - Don't worry, I republished all - problem solved.
2. How do I truncate my archive lists so they say "2005", "2004", etc and then, within those - you can choose which month you want?
3. How do I put my archive list in reverse order? So 2005 is at the top...
Stay tuned for some photos! You know I love to take photos.
Drop me a line if you can answer my questions.
You can e-mail me here
So, I was tired of my old blog and decided to change it up a little. I still have a few questions though...
1. Why aren't all of my archives showing up? I only have archives from December 2003 until now available but what about all that great literature from February 2002 - December 2003??? - Don't worry, I republished all - problem solved.
2. How do I truncate my archive lists so they say "2005", "2004", etc and then, within those - you can choose which month you want?
3. How do I put my archive list in reverse order? So 2005 is at the top...
Stay tuned for some photos! You know I love to take photos.
Drop me a line if you can answer my questions.
You can e-mail me here
Exactly a Month has passed...
Wow, Septemeber 27 - October 27 just came and went. I never would have thought that it would go so quickly. Where to begin? Where to end?
Well, the easy thing will be to give a few shoutouts right off the bat.
First, I think I told you that my friend Ruth is working in Uganda right now. Well, she has started a blog to keep us up to date on her experiences. So you should definitely check it out.
Also, Mr Tchao is back on the blogging tip. The internet community welcomes your humour back with open arms my friend. Make sure you watch the movie that he (and his sister) put together. It's pretty cool.
And the last greeting goes to our friend Clara who is in the UK for school for the next year. She has a cool blog telling us about her adventures across the pond.
Oh yes, and how could I forget the best one of them all - the Franklin Foursome is back. Read, be inspired and laugh a little (or a lot if my rhymes are that bad)
Okay, so the shoutouts are done. It's definitely cool to see how a bunch of my friends are all spread out around the world doing amazing things. I hope that I can visit many of them sometime soon and share stories.
My bro is in town this week. Visiting from London. His fiance has gone home to Australia this week so it just him flying solo. It's been a fun week and it's been good to just chill as a family. Haven't had that much time to spend together just talking and catching up but we are looking at Wedding halls all afternoon so I'm sure that'll give us plenty of opportunities. Last night, Rajs' company took us out to Susur for a fancy dining experience. We had the tasting menu and man, it was quite a treat. It was supposed to be a 7 course meal but by my counts, I had 10 so I'm not complaining. Man, everything is so small but dang - it is rich and cause it takes so long in between courses, you fill up fast. We sat at 7:31 and we were the last to leave the restaurant at 11:34. Can you believe that? Have you ever sat in a restaurant for 4 hours? It was fun at first but after a while, it just got a bit boring and you just needed a change of scenery. I am having a hard time remembering all of the courses that we had but let me give it a try:
1. Amuse Bouche - just to we the pallette - Squab pate, lobster in pear sauce, and can't remember the other one (3 in total)
2. Main - Seared Ostrich Meat in a coffee marinade with spring onions, shallots, carrots, apricots - DAMN, that meat was so tender and melted in your mouth!
3. Fois Gras in an exciting presentation
4. Another presentation of Fois Gras
5. Fatty Pork with Pear and an Asian inspired sauce - Not that great, definitely an acquired taste
6. Pineapple and citrus gelatin garnished with fresh marigolds so refreshing!
7. Halibut Sashimi with a coconut wheel and garnished with shallots
8. Lobster Shrimp grilled to perfection on a skewer
9. Warm Chinese Wintergarden soup with Chicken
10. Dessert - 4 small cakes - one banana, one chocolate, one strawberry and one more (which was the best by far but I don't know what it was).
We had 2 wines during dinner - an Austrian bottle and a French wine.
Overall, a very neat experience. The service was great when it was there. At times, it was a little slow. That place is all about style. All about presentation. Definitely a good memory. And man, I need to go for a jog today!
More in a jiffy (hopefully).
I guess I should do some work now.
Wow, Septemeber 27 - October 27 just came and went. I never would have thought that it would go so quickly. Where to begin? Where to end?
Well, the easy thing will be to give a few shoutouts right off the bat.
First, I think I told you that my friend Ruth is working in Uganda right now. Well, she has started a blog to keep us up to date on her experiences. So you should definitely check it out.
Also, Mr Tchao is back on the blogging tip. The internet community welcomes your humour back with open arms my friend. Make sure you watch the movie that he (and his sister) put together. It's pretty cool.
And the last greeting goes to our friend Clara who is in the UK for school for the next year. She has a cool blog telling us about her adventures across the pond.
Oh yes, and how could I forget the best one of them all - the Franklin Foursome is back. Read, be inspired and laugh a little (or a lot if my rhymes are that bad)
Okay, so the shoutouts are done. It's definitely cool to see how a bunch of my friends are all spread out around the world doing amazing things. I hope that I can visit many of them sometime soon and share stories.
My bro is in town this week. Visiting from London. His fiance has gone home to Australia this week so it just him flying solo. It's been a fun week and it's been good to just chill as a family. Haven't had that much time to spend together just talking and catching up but we are looking at Wedding halls all afternoon so I'm sure that'll give us plenty of opportunities. Last night, Rajs' company took us out to Susur for a fancy dining experience. We had the tasting menu and man, it was quite a treat. It was supposed to be a 7 course meal but by my counts, I had 10 so I'm not complaining. Man, everything is so small but dang - it is rich and cause it takes so long in between courses, you fill up fast. We sat at 7:31 and we were the last to leave the restaurant at 11:34. Can you believe that? Have you ever sat in a restaurant for 4 hours? It was fun at first but after a while, it just got a bit boring and you just needed a change of scenery. I am having a hard time remembering all of the courses that we had but let me give it a try:
1. Amuse Bouche - just to we the pallette - Squab pate, lobster in pear sauce, and can't remember the other one (3 in total)
2. Main - Seared Ostrich Meat in a coffee marinade with spring onions, shallots, carrots, apricots - DAMN, that meat was so tender and melted in your mouth!
3. Fois Gras in an exciting presentation
4. Another presentation of Fois Gras
5. Fatty Pork with Pear and an Asian inspired sauce - Not that great, definitely an acquired taste
6. Pineapple and citrus gelatin garnished with fresh marigolds so refreshing!
7. Halibut Sashimi with a coconut wheel and garnished with shallots
8. Lobster Shrimp grilled to perfection on a skewer
9. Warm Chinese Wintergarden soup with Chicken
10. Dessert - 4 small cakes - one banana, one chocolate, one strawberry and one more (which was the best by far but I don't know what it was).
We had 2 wines during dinner - an Austrian bottle and a French wine.
Overall, a very neat experience. The service was great when it was there. At times, it was a little slow. That place is all about style. All about presentation. Definitely a good memory. And man, I need to go for a jog today!
More in a jiffy (hopefully).
I guess I should do some work now.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
jealous
Monday night and what did i do? I hung out with Kev and Tai in their apartment and then we all went over to Etch's place to see his new condo. Man, it's so cool to live downtown and definitely awesome to be around everything and all your buddies. My time will come and my plans for the future are going in a certain direction so I have to steer clear to that path but dang, seeing their places totally makes me wanna be down there too. Etch, you condo is awesome dude! Definitely gonna look awesome when you're done. I'm totally stoked to see how you set it up. I think it's gonna be great. The bed frame looks slick too man.
Oh to live downtown. Wouldn't that be nice? Some day I will have that chance. Everything happens when it needs to and my plans will come together nicely when they are destined.
Speaks of plans coming together, shoutouts go out to Ruth who is embarking on a life changing journey in Uganda. She left Toronto last Friday and is currently in training in BC. She'll be headed to Uganda soon and is working on a number of projects. The quick and dirty explanation is as follows. She'll be "assessing villagers habits and routines with respect to providing them with daily sustenance and developing existing projects or creating new projects that deal with increasing their nutritional intake." Definitely something I'll learn more about as the days, weeks, months go by. Ruth - I'm really proud of you doing this and think it's an awesome endeavour. Best of luck for a fun and safe journey!
Good night all...
Monday night and what did i do? I hung out with Kev and Tai in their apartment and then we all went over to Etch's place to see his new condo. Man, it's so cool to live downtown and definitely awesome to be around everything and all your buddies. My time will come and my plans for the future are going in a certain direction so I have to steer clear to that path but dang, seeing their places totally makes me wanna be down there too. Etch, you condo is awesome dude! Definitely gonna look awesome when you're done. I'm totally stoked to see how you set it up. I think it's gonna be great. The bed frame looks slick too man.
Oh to live downtown. Wouldn't that be nice? Some day I will have that chance. Everything happens when it needs to and my plans will come together nicely when they are destined.
Speaks of plans coming together, shoutouts go out to Ruth who is embarking on a life changing journey in Uganda. She left Toronto last Friday and is currently in training in BC. She'll be headed to Uganda soon and is working on a number of projects. The quick and dirty explanation is as follows. She'll be "assessing villagers habits and routines with respect to providing them with daily sustenance and developing existing projects or creating new projects that deal with increasing their nutritional intake." Definitely something I'll learn more about as the days, weeks, months go by. Ruth - I'm really proud of you doing this and think it's an awesome endeavour. Best of luck for a fun and safe journey!
Good night all...
Monday, September 26, 2005
Athletic Prowess
I used to be a guy that could play just about any sport and do relatively well. Lately, I'm finding that my athletic prowess just isn't the same as it used to be. I played squash with Sach yesterday and got my ass kicked. Mind you, I haven't played squash in close to 2 years and Sach plays monthly but damn, I really sucked. Then, over the past few weeks I've played tennis from time to time with Kdot or Ashwat and both times they beat me. Not handily but my serving was sucking and there was just no consistency. I'm sure that the next time I play basketball, I will suck too. And hockey as well. This past summer, I played LOTS of vball and know that my game is improving there but man, I still can't spike well. And I'm pretty sure my dragonboat stroke regressed as the season went on. I ran twice last week. Monday was awesome - I felt like I could go for hours. Friday however was a different story - I ran the same route but I was dead so much quicker. Not sure what happened.
So, what's the reason for all this? Probably the fact that I'm out of shape. I have my days but most of the time - man, I need some work. Time to change up the routine and start to actually do something cause I can't keep going like this. Just not satisfying at all.
In other news regarding bettering myself - Etch, Kris and I went to the David Bach personal finance seminar last week. It was pretty good to listen to and definitely interesting to hear what he had to say. At times though, it was a little over the top - as if the guy is some musical superstar or something. The big takeaway though was that all of the stuff he said is so basic. It's stuff we should be doing without any question. I am part way there. Just gotta work on my RRSP some more and actually invest it properly.
In other news, Etch officially lives downtown now. Last night was his first sleep in the new condo. Congrats Bro!!! That is wicked.
So, I've been growing a beard for the past week. It looks ok. I like it at times but not so much at other times. I try to trim it with my razor but man, that is difficult - I think I gots to get a trimmer if I wanna keep it longer. It's probably going soon though cause I can't really go and see any customers with this wonderful accesory. On Saturday, my mom did say "you know, it actually looks okay". That's after she's been seeing it for about 6 days so maybe she was just getting used to it.
Ravo is in India right now and I was just catching up on his blog. Man, I am jealous of his experiences working there. It sounds so great and it would be awesome to be so close to family and have the opportunity to learn so much about our culture. Some day maybe that'll be me...
I used to be a guy that could play just about any sport and do relatively well. Lately, I'm finding that my athletic prowess just isn't the same as it used to be. I played squash with Sach yesterday and got my ass kicked. Mind you, I haven't played squash in close to 2 years and Sach plays monthly but damn, I really sucked. Then, over the past few weeks I've played tennis from time to time with Kdot or Ashwat and both times they beat me. Not handily but my serving was sucking and there was just no consistency. I'm sure that the next time I play basketball, I will suck too. And hockey as well. This past summer, I played LOTS of vball and know that my game is improving there but man, I still can't spike well. And I'm pretty sure my dragonboat stroke regressed as the season went on. I ran twice last week. Monday was awesome - I felt like I could go for hours. Friday however was a different story - I ran the same route but I was dead so much quicker. Not sure what happened.
So, what's the reason for all this? Probably the fact that I'm out of shape. I have my days but most of the time - man, I need some work. Time to change up the routine and start to actually do something cause I can't keep going like this. Just not satisfying at all.
In other news regarding bettering myself - Etch, Kris and I went to the David Bach personal finance seminar last week. It was pretty good to listen to and definitely interesting to hear what he had to say. At times though, it was a little over the top - as if the guy is some musical superstar or something. The big takeaway though was that all of the stuff he said is so basic. It's stuff we should be doing without any question. I am part way there. Just gotta work on my RRSP some more and actually invest it properly.
In other news, Etch officially lives downtown now. Last night was his first sleep in the new condo. Congrats Bro!!! That is wicked.
So, I've been growing a beard for the past week. It looks ok. I like it at times but not so much at other times. I try to trim it with my razor but man, that is difficult - I think I gots to get a trimmer if I wanna keep it longer. It's probably going soon though cause I can't really go and see any customers with this wonderful accesory. On Saturday, my mom did say "you know, it actually looks okay". That's after she's been seeing it for about 6 days so maybe she was just getting used to it.
Ravo is in India right now and I was just catching up on his blog. Man, I am jealous of his experiences working there. It sounds so great and it would be awesome to be so close to family and have the opportunity to learn so much about our culture. Some day maybe that'll be me...
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Long Overdue
I keep putting this off and now finally, without further adiou (spelling?) I will write about the last 10 days. Where do I begin? First of - last weekend was the LAST dragonboat race of the year. My team, the Komodo Dragons finished 4th in the C Final - so we were something like 23rd overall out of about 150 teams. I guess that was good overall. Dang rules of the stupid race though. We were the second fastest team in the C division (by 100ths of a second) but we ended up seeded 4th in the C final race cause we finished 2nd in our qualifying race. As a result, we were in one of the slowest lanes (lanes 4) and got screwed and finished 4th. So, the season is done for another year. Wow - it was quite a long series but overall, I'd say that we were pretty happy with our results. Definitely improved and got more competitive this year.
Last weekend was also Sachin and Medini's wedding reception which was loads of fun. Good times for sure and it was great to hear Backbone during the dance - definitely a staple at Marathi weddings. Great job MC-ing Reva and Sonu. Good time for sure. Defintiely hurting the following morning when I had to get up early and head back to my races.
The week went by - my first 5 day work week in almost 2 monthes. Totally weird. I just took many Fridays or Mondays so I had tonnes of long weekends this summer. It was definitely a blast. But wow, last week felt like it went on for SSSOOOO long, man oh man.
Friday night was a potluck for Tai's birthday which was a lot of fun. Tonnes of peeps came out and we had so much food - actually I still have lots of leftovers from my 2 dishes in the fridge. It was probably the first time that Goks Guacamole was leftover. I think cause there was dualing guac this time around. And the Blind Taste test says...? Tai, hope you like the ice cream maker. Definitely a fun gift. We'll have to come by when you perfect the method and recipes. I'm looking forward to it.
Today, played tennis with Ketan. He beat me. I sucked today. Couldn't serve worth $hit. Man, I gotta work on my game. I think I need a new racquet. Or I at least gotta get rid of my ratty hot pink grip tape that is no longer grippy. Not at all.
This evening, I went to the Leafs - Senators Preseason Hockey game. I got tickets from work and we were sitting in the Platinums. 7 rows from the Ottawa bench. It was pretty awesome. Totally cool to be so close and hear everything going on and see just how big and fast those guys really are. We were sitting two rows behind the newest Canadian Idol and the runner up. I had no idea who they were but then, they were put on the big screen with their names written. Actually, come to think of it - before the game started, when we were just sitting around waiting and watching the pregame. They were playing Roxanne and other songs on the stereo system in the ACC. Both of the "idolists" were singing along really loud and I remember thinking " wow, those guys are off key - who do they think they are?" Now, I'm not any Andrea Bocelli or anything but I thought that was quite amusing.
There you go, now your caught up.
Talk soon...
I keep putting this off and now finally, without further adiou (spelling?) I will write about the last 10 days. Where do I begin? First of - last weekend was the LAST dragonboat race of the year. My team, the Komodo Dragons finished 4th in the C Final - so we were something like 23rd overall out of about 150 teams. I guess that was good overall. Dang rules of the stupid race though. We were the second fastest team in the C division (by 100ths of a second) but we ended up seeded 4th in the C final race cause we finished 2nd in our qualifying race. As a result, we were in one of the slowest lanes (lanes 4) and got screwed and finished 4th. So, the season is done for another year. Wow - it was quite a long series but overall, I'd say that we were pretty happy with our results. Definitely improved and got more competitive this year.
Last weekend was also Sachin and Medini's wedding reception which was loads of fun. Good times for sure and it was great to hear Backbone during the dance - definitely a staple at Marathi weddings. Great job MC-ing Reva and Sonu. Good time for sure. Defintiely hurting the following morning when I had to get up early and head back to my races.
The week went by - my first 5 day work week in almost 2 monthes. Totally weird. I just took many Fridays or Mondays so I had tonnes of long weekends this summer. It was definitely a blast. But wow, last week felt like it went on for SSSOOOO long, man oh man.
Friday night was a potluck for Tai's birthday which was a lot of fun. Tonnes of peeps came out and we had so much food - actually I still have lots of leftovers from my 2 dishes in the fridge. It was probably the first time that Goks Guacamole was leftover. I think cause there was dualing guac this time around. And the Blind Taste test says...? Tai, hope you like the ice cream maker. Definitely a fun gift. We'll have to come by when you perfect the method and recipes. I'm looking forward to it.
Today, played tennis with Ketan. He beat me. I sucked today. Couldn't serve worth $hit. Man, I gotta work on my game. I think I need a new racquet. Or I at least gotta get rid of my ratty hot pink grip tape that is no longer grippy. Not at all.
This evening, I went to the Leafs - Senators Preseason Hockey game. I got tickets from work and we were sitting in the Platinums. 7 rows from the Ottawa bench. It was pretty awesome. Totally cool to be so close and hear everything going on and see just how big and fast those guys really are. We were sitting two rows behind the newest Canadian Idol and the runner up. I had no idea who they were but then, they were put on the big screen with their names written. Actually, come to think of it - before the game started, when we were just sitting around waiting and watching the pregame. They were playing Roxanne and other songs on the stereo system in the ACC. Both of the "idolists" were singing along really loud and I remember thinking " wow, those guys are off key - who do they think they are?" Now, I'm not any Andrea Bocelli or anything but I thought that was quite amusing.
There you go, now your caught up.
Talk soon...
Thursday, September 08, 2005
WOW
I just watched the Andre Agassi vs. James Blake quarterfinal US Open match. WOW - that was an AWESOME match. Blake won the first 2 sets 6-3, 6-3 and then Agassi stormed back and one the next 2 sets 6-3, 6-3. The fifth and final set went to a tie brake and Agassi finally won it 8 - 6 so he won the match 3 sets to 2. It was so incredible to watch. Point after point were just grueling. It ended at 1:15 am in the morning and over 3/4 of the crowd were still in the stadium in New York. It was totally unbelievable. Both Agassi and Blake were so tired and gracious in the post game interviews too. Totally poised. It was incredible to see.
Incidentally, James Blake has been a truly remarkable story throughout this US Open. He beat highly ranked Rafael Nadal in the Quarterfinals. However, in the past year and a bit, he suffered an almost career ending injury where he broke his neck after ramming into the net pole while diving for a ball. Then, while he was recovering, his father passed away and finally, he had this debilitating virus that was taking away all of his energy.
Tennis is truly an awesome sport. I totally wanna play more and get better. Let's see if that happens. First off, I think I gotta re-grip my racquet and get rid of that pink ish that I've got on it right now.
I just watched the Andre Agassi vs. James Blake quarterfinal US Open match. WOW - that was an AWESOME match. Blake won the first 2 sets 6-3, 6-3 and then Agassi stormed back and one the next 2 sets 6-3, 6-3. The fifth and final set went to a tie brake and Agassi finally won it 8 - 6 so he won the match 3 sets to 2. It was so incredible to watch. Point after point were just grueling. It ended at 1:15 am in the morning and over 3/4 of the crowd were still in the stadium in New York. It was totally unbelievable. Both Agassi and Blake were so tired and gracious in the post game interviews too. Totally poised. It was incredible to see.
Incidentally, James Blake has been a truly remarkable story throughout this US Open. He beat highly ranked Rafael Nadal in the Quarterfinals. However, in the past year and a bit, he suffered an almost career ending injury where he broke his neck after ramming into the net pole while diving for a ball. Then, while he was recovering, his father passed away and finally, he had this debilitating virus that was taking away all of his energy.
Tennis is truly an awesome sport. I totally wanna play more and get better. Let's see if that happens. First off, I think I gotta re-grip my racquet and get rid of that pink ish that I've got on it right now.
Monday, September 05, 2005
The end is here
And just like that, summer is over. Tomorrow the traffic starts again in full force. Everyone will be back to school and back to work. No more lazy summer. This past weekend, I took Thursday afternoon and all day Friday off so I had a wonderful 4.5 day vacation. I went to Darien Lake with some friends (just outside of Buffalo) for the Coldplay concert on Thursday night. It was a GREAT show. I'm not a huge fan of the band and don't know all of their music but damn, it was awesome and everything sounded so close to CD quality - that was definitely a treat. The only downside was this one ANNOYING couple. Every few minutes, they would let out this scream that was utterly disgusting. I'm sure I lost some hearing capabilities in my righ ear. The chick especially was terrible - such a shrilly yell - it was so annoying.
I watched a bunch of movies this weekend and they were all quite different.
1. Napolean Dynamite - actually, I didn't watch the whole thing but from what I did see - all I kept thinking was "what is the deal with this movie? why does everyone love it?" I just don't think that i get it.
2. Mad Hot Ballroom - AWESOME and so CUTE. watching little 11 and 12 year olds from NYC learning how to ballroom dance was really a treat and totally entertaining. The kids were so funny especiallly when talking off the cuff for the camera.
3. The Ring 2 - first of all, I HATE HORROR MOVIES. I am the BIGGEST WIMP IN THE WORLD. I was somehow convinced to watch this movie with some of my closest friends Ashwat, Kdot and Raquel). Needless to say, I watched it and I wasn't actually that scared. My buddies told me though that the first one was totally crazy and spooky. I was especting that about this one but it just didn't live up to the hype. Probably a good thing for me though.
4. The Original Kings of Comedy - Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer and the gang do standup routines in Charlotte, NC. Totally going for the black vs. white humour which was absolutely hilarious.
Today, I played nearly 4 hours of beach vball at Ashbridges and now, I am quite tired and sore. Tomorrow, I've got DB practice and our final race of the year is next weekend (Sept 10-11) at Ontario Place so I'm sure it'll be a tough practice.
Guess it's time for bed.
Gotta actually get up early tomorrow.
:o(
And just like that, summer is over. Tomorrow the traffic starts again in full force. Everyone will be back to school and back to work. No more lazy summer. This past weekend, I took Thursday afternoon and all day Friday off so I had a wonderful 4.5 day vacation. I went to Darien Lake with some friends (just outside of Buffalo) for the Coldplay concert on Thursday night. It was a GREAT show. I'm not a huge fan of the band and don't know all of their music but damn, it was awesome and everything sounded so close to CD quality - that was definitely a treat. The only downside was this one ANNOYING couple. Every few minutes, they would let out this scream that was utterly disgusting. I'm sure I lost some hearing capabilities in my righ ear. The chick especially was terrible - such a shrilly yell - it was so annoying.
I watched a bunch of movies this weekend and they were all quite different.
1. Napolean Dynamite - actually, I didn't watch the whole thing but from what I did see - all I kept thinking was "what is the deal with this movie? why does everyone love it?" I just don't think that i get it.
2. Mad Hot Ballroom - AWESOME and so CUTE. watching little 11 and 12 year olds from NYC learning how to ballroom dance was really a treat and totally entertaining. The kids were so funny especiallly when talking off the cuff for the camera.
3. The Ring 2 - first of all, I HATE HORROR MOVIES. I am the BIGGEST WIMP IN THE WORLD. I was somehow convinced to watch this movie with some of my closest friends Ashwat, Kdot and Raquel). Needless to say, I watched it and I wasn't actually that scared. My buddies told me though that the first one was totally crazy and spooky. I was especting that about this one but it just didn't live up to the hype. Probably a good thing for me though.
4. The Original Kings of Comedy - Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer and the gang do standup routines in Charlotte, NC. Totally going for the black vs. white humour which was absolutely hilarious.
Today, I played nearly 4 hours of beach vball at Ashbridges and now, I am quite tired and sore. Tomorrow, I've got DB practice and our final race of the year is next weekend (Sept 10-11) at Ontario Place so I'm sure it'll be a tough practice.
Guess it's time for bed.
Gotta actually get up early tomorrow.
:o(
Thursday, September 01, 2005
The lowest of the low
This morning on the news, I heard that conditions in New Orleans are definitely not getting better at all. In fact, they will only get worse. No water. No food. No shelter. No sewage treatment. No hope. But there is something going around...
#$%$@#$))%##$$ ASSHOLES!!!
That's right. Organized gangs of looters are now going around and robbing people at gunpoint. They are actually going into people's homes and stealing from them. Also, they are stopping delivery trucks with supplies for the needy and stealing from them too. This is absolutely ludacris! Apparently several of these "gangs" are using guns they already had and ones they've looted from stores. Walmart in fact has been ransacked and all the guns that they sell have been taken. Maybe the US will start thinking twice about their gun control laws.
Anyway, I really hope that authorities and emergency personnel can do their job. It's really scary to think that they are up against this idiocy in addition to the natural disaster they are trying to cope with. Apparently it'll take at least a month to get the water out of New Orleans and a month at minimum to let people back into their homes (or whatever is left of them).
Donating money is pretty much the only thing I can do from this vantage point so that will be my contribution. I hope that as many as possible are saved...
This morning on the news, I heard that conditions in New Orleans are definitely not getting better at all. In fact, they will only get worse. No water. No food. No shelter. No sewage treatment. No hope. But there is something going around...
#$%$@#$))%##$$ ASSHOLES!!!
That's right. Organized gangs of looters are now going around and robbing people at gunpoint. They are actually going into people's homes and stealing from them. Also, they are stopping delivery trucks with supplies for the needy and stealing from them too. This is absolutely ludacris! Apparently several of these "gangs" are using guns they already had and ones they've looted from stores. Walmart in fact has been ransacked and all the guns that they sell have been taken. Maybe the US will start thinking twice about their gun control laws.
Anyway, I really hope that authorities and emergency personnel can do their job. It's really scary to think that they are up against this idiocy in addition to the natural disaster they are trying to cope with. Apparently it'll take at least a month to get the water out of New Orleans and a month at minimum to let people back into their homes (or whatever is left of them).
Donating money is pretty much the only thing I can do from this vantage point so that will be my contribution. I hope that as many as possible are saved...
Old Skool Reunion
So, I just saw a guy tonight that I havne't seen since (we think) Grade 3. That is about 19 years by my calculations. Crazyness for sure. His name is Jigar and he used to live close to me. We were in JK, SK and Grade 1 together. I don't remember Grade 2 and then he left the school in Grade 3. We reconnected through Friendster last year. And have been messaging since cause he lives in Scottsdale, Arizona and was doing a lot of travel for work (but not to all the glamourous places that I get to go to). Actually, I think it's kinda the opposite...
In any case, he know works for the same company as me in a Healthcare Consulting role and we now know many of the same people which is hilarious. It was totally good to reconnect with him tonight. Completely out of the blue.
I think I may try to head out to Arizona at some point this Fall or Winter - it seems like it is quite beautiful out that way and there will definitely be tonnes of outdoors stuff to do.
I'm out. Gotta rest up for a busy weekend.
And I can't wait cause it's an EXTRA long one for me this time around...
p.s. One last thing - all the looters in New Orleans and the surrounding area should be hung. They are absolutely scum of the earth preying on people when they are down. Actually, i'll qualify this. People who are stealing water and food for survival - i can sympathize with for sure. But those @#@$#@!@##%$@!#$#@!$! that are taking TV's, jewllery, clothes, furniture, etc - WHAT THE HECK FOR??? Also, if you are able bodied enough to carry around all that, why don't you actually go and try and save/help people who are stranded or who have experienced some trauma.
So, I just saw a guy tonight that I havne't seen since (we think) Grade 3. That is about 19 years by my calculations. Crazyness for sure. His name is Jigar and he used to live close to me. We were in JK, SK and Grade 1 together. I don't remember Grade 2 and then he left the school in Grade 3. We reconnected through Friendster last year. And have been messaging since cause he lives in Scottsdale, Arizona and was doing a lot of travel for work (but not to all the glamourous places that I get to go to). Actually, I think it's kinda the opposite...
In any case, he know works for the same company as me in a Healthcare Consulting role and we now know many of the same people which is hilarious. It was totally good to reconnect with him tonight. Completely out of the blue.
I think I may try to head out to Arizona at some point this Fall or Winter - it seems like it is quite beautiful out that way and there will definitely be tonnes of outdoors stuff to do.
I'm out. Gotta rest up for a busy weekend.
And I can't wait cause it's an EXTRA long one for me this time around...
p.s. One last thing - all the looters in New Orleans and the surrounding area should be hung. They are absolutely scum of the earth preying on people when they are down. Actually, i'll qualify this. People who are stealing water and food for survival - i can sympathize with for sure. But those @#@$#@!@##%$@!#$#@!$! that are taking TV's, jewllery, clothes, furniture, etc - WHAT THE HECK FOR??? Also, if you are able bodied enough to carry around all that, why don't you actually go and try and save/help people who are stranded or who have experienced some trauma.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Can't beat Van City
I just had an awesome weekend in Vancouver. I didn't blog about it last week cause I didn't wanna take any chances and potentially give away my secret. About 10 days ago, I decided to fly out to Vancouver for the weekend to surprise Sach and Medini for their wedding. It was definitely a great surprise for them and also the rest of the guests that I've known for a long time. All in all, a great time and so much fun to catch up with the old Vancouver Marathi posse - you guys are a load of fun! And I'm definitely looking forward to chilling with you when some of you come to town for the Toronto reception.
As always, I fell in love with Vancouver yet again. It was perfect weather - blue skies, sun. Days like that in Vancouver just make it a city that is VERY hard to beat. It's got everything and of course, just looking up and seeing the mountains is definitely the kicker. It was also awesome to hang out with Vas who has totally become a west coast boy who I doubt will ever be back in Scarborough (and really, I don't blame him at all).
Wow - many people in the Marathi posse are pregnant or have young kids. It was so much fun seeing all the kids run around and enjoy themselves. Totally fun to play with them as well. I got some great photos.
Got back to town LATE last night so I am quite tired and gonna hit the sack soon. I did have a vball game tonight though. It was Sun of a Beach's last game for the summer. We started out well and ended well but the middle was a little annoying. In the end, it was a great FREE season so you can't go wrong with that. Great job Etch, Danielle, Mike and Piyali! It was fun to share the court with you guys this summer.
Good night all.
And of course - Happy Birthday Raj!!! Talk to you soon bro.
I just had an awesome weekend in Vancouver. I didn't blog about it last week cause I didn't wanna take any chances and potentially give away my secret. About 10 days ago, I decided to fly out to Vancouver for the weekend to surprise Sach and Medini for their wedding. It was definitely a great surprise for them and also the rest of the guests that I've known for a long time. All in all, a great time and so much fun to catch up with the old Vancouver Marathi posse - you guys are a load of fun! And I'm definitely looking forward to chilling with you when some of you come to town for the Toronto reception.
As always, I fell in love with Vancouver yet again. It was perfect weather - blue skies, sun. Days like that in Vancouver just make it a city that is VERY hard to beat. It's got everything and of course, just looking up and seeing the mountains is definitely the kicker. It was also awesome to hang out with Vas who has totally become a west coast boy who I doubt will ever be back in Scarborough (and really, I don't blame him at all).
Wow - many people in the Marathi posse are pregnant or have young kids. It was so much fun seeing all the kids run around and enjoy themselves. Totally fun to play with them as well. I got some great photos.
Got back to town LATE last night so I am quite tired and gonna hit the sack soon. I did have a vball game tonight though. It was Sun of a Beach's last game for the summer. We started out well and ended well but the middle was a little annoying. In the end, it was a great FREE season so you can't go wrong with that. Great job Etch, Danielle, Mike and Piyali! It was fun to share the court with you guys this summer.
Good night all.
And of course - Happy Birthday Raj!!! Talk to you soon bro.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Prairie Goks
Sitting at the airport in Saskatoon about to board my flight... Surfing on wireless internet. Pretty cool I'd say. Why the heck can't Pearson in Toronto do something in conjunction with Bell Sympatico and provide a similar service. Instead, there is nothing. But here - you can surf wireless using SaskTel service. It's something like $5.00/hour but totallyg ood and a great way to kill the time.
This week, I've been in Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw. All happening metropolis' in Saskatchewan. Good times indeed! In Moose Jaw on Tuesday night, I stayed at the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa and my room had a jacuzzi in it! It was huge!!! Totally random but pretty cool. I definitely took advantage of that. too bad i was the lonely salesman on the road. Last night in Saskatoon, I stayed at the Sheraton and had the luxury of sleeping in one of those Heavenly Beds. MAN - THOSE BEDS ROCK. They are so damn comfortable.
Okay, time for boarding for my flight.
Until we meet again.
p.s. Mad shoutouts to John and Sandra for taking some tie to stop to chill with me during their drive home from Toronto to Peace River (yeah, that's about 45 hours or something...). It was great to see you guys here in Saskatoon!
Sitting at the airport in Saskatoon about to board my flight... Surfing on wireless internet. Pretty cool I'd say. Why the heck can't Pearson in Toronto do something in conjunction with Bell Sympatico and provide a similar service. Instead, there is nothing. But here - you can surf wireless using SaskTel service. It's something like $5.00/hour but totallyg ood and a great way to kill the time.
This week, I've been in Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw. All happening metropolis' in Saskatchewan. Good times indeed! In Moose Jaw on Tuesday night, I stayed at the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa and my room had a jacuzzi in it! It was huge!!! Totally random but pretty cool. I definitely took advantage of that. too bad i was the lonely salesman on the road. Last night in Saskatoon, I stayed at the Sheraton and had the luxury of sleeping in one of those Heavenly Beds. MAN - THOSE BEDS ROCK. They are so damn comfortable.
Okay, time for boarding for my flight.
Until we meet again.
p.s. Mad shoutouts to John and Sandra for taking some tie to stop to chill with me during their drive home from Toronto to Peace River (yeah, that's about 45 hours or something...). It was great to see you guys here in Saskatoon!
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Wow - that was some rain!!!
I have never seen rain like I did yesterday. And then in such absurd conditions, I had to drive in it as well. That was equally nuts. Cars were literally stopping on the 407 cause we couldn't see what was in front of us or behind us. We were all going at like 20 km/h with our 4 way flashers on. It was pretty freaky. And of course, there were idiots on the road who didn't turn on their headlights so you couldn't see them at all. All that said, I was surprised to see that there were no accidents (where I went anyway).
On the home front there was a little accident... Our basement slightly flooded. In the basement TV room, we have a door to the outside. The screen on the screen door was slightly open and as a result, water seeped in. It wasn't just a little though. A good 40% of the carpet in that room is wet and we had to move the TV and a bunch of other stuff. I think my old Nintendo was ruined in the water. I haven't fully dried it yet to try it but I think it's a goner (as are the games so that is equally sad).
The reason I was driving in that horrid weather last night was to go to my buddy John Roppa's wedding. It was a great evening (I was just super tired). John and Sandra make a great couple and the day was awesome. I haven't seen John that much in the last few years but it was great to be invited and to see his parents after such a long time. Like any good Italian wedding, there was definitely a FEAST. A huge antipasto bar, followed by a great dinner (pasta, fillet mignon, seafood, salad, veggies). Next was a splendid dessert spread (cake, fresh fruit, Italian pastries and a chocolate fondue fountain). And at midnight, they carted out this "porscetta?" Basically, it was this marinated pork and they were making these amazing sandwiches. Man, it was pretty awesome.
On to another wedding this evening (that'll be Number 12 for the year)...
I'll let you know how that one goes.
I have never seen rain like I did yesterday. And then in such absurd conditions, I had to drive in it as well. That was equally nuts. Cars were literally stopping on the 407 cause we couldn't see what was in front of us or behind us. We were all going at like 20 km/h with our 4 way flashers on. It was pretty freaky. And of course, there were idiots on the road who didn't turn on their headlights so you couldn't see them at all. All that said, I was surprised to see that there were no accidents (where I went anyway).
On the home front there was a little accident... Our basement slightly flooded. In the basement TV room, we have a door to the outside. The screen on the screen door was slightly open and as a result, water seeped in. It wasn't just a little though. A good 40% of the carpet in that room is wet and we had to move the TV and a bunch of other stuff. I think my old Nintendo was ruined in the water. I haven't fully dried it yet to try it but I think it's a goner (as are the games so that is equally sad).
The reason I was driving in that horrid weather last night was to go to my buddy John Roppa's wedding. It was a great evening (I was just super tired). John and Sandra make a great couple and the day was awesome. I haven't seen John that much in the last few years but it was great to be invited and to see his parents after such a long time. Like any good Italian wedding, there was definitely a FEAST. A huge antipasto bar, followed by a great dinner (pasta, fillet mignon, seafood, salad, veggies). Next was a splendid dessert spread (cake, fresh fruit, Italian pastries and a chocolate fondue fountain). And at midnight, they carted out this "porscetta?" Basically, it was this marinated pork and they were making these amazing sandwiches. Man, it was pretty awesome.
On to another wedding this evening (that'll be Number 12 for the year)...
I'll let you know how that one goes.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
What a great weekend!
Thanks primarily to all of my wonderful friends! I had a great time on Friday, Saturday and Sunday just hanging out with peeps, chilling, eating, drinking (a lot of that) and overall, a great time!
Friday, I arrived at Pearson Airport around 6:30. Got through customs and all that jazz, picked up my luggage and I was out the door. Kris picked me up (thanks bro!) and then we proceeded to head to my house where I dropped off my gear and then we took off to get Tchao. The three of us met up with Rahim and went to Yang's all you can eat Sushi on Highway 7. The food and service was GREAT. Definitely the best all you can eat sushi place we've been so far (out of the 6 we've sampled). Prior to dinner, we caught a little fresh air, a requisite now prior to eating copious amounts of sushi. After stuffing ourselves, we went back home where my parents and cousin Suhas had a birthday cake waiting for me so we cut that and hung out for a bit. Perfect day!
Saturday I woke up relatively late, chilled all day with my cousin Suhas. It was great to catch up with him. He is just visiting right now from the UK. He lives in London and just finished his MBA and LBS (London Business School). He completed the 2 year full time program (and also held a full time job at Zurich Bank during his entire second year. He graduated with distinction and got a standing ovation at his convocation. Why you ask? He is blind. But it don't matter cause he's still the man. So, in a nutshell, it was awesome to spend time with him and bounce ideas off him related to future career stuff.
Saturday night, I saw a play called The Decide Show. It was pretty good. A little too preachy from time to time but overall, not bad at all. The concept is that all of our lives are "Choose your own Adventure books". It's up to us to write the pags and not dwell on decisions from the past. Anyway - gives you some good insight into life and gets you thinking. In the end, there aint nothing wrong with that.
After the show, we went to Gypsy Co-op where we met up with several other friends from varied posses. It was a blast to chill and have a few beverages. Well, more than a few but what can you do when people are handing drinks to you all night long, right? By the way, Liquid Cocaine is NOT GOOD at all. Tastes like @$$ if you ask me.
Today, I was supposed to go to the Rogers Tennis Masters Series at York but didn't exactly wake up early so after talking to Kevin, we decided to just forget it. Plus, most of the matches today were pretty crappy since many good players backed out of the tournament. It ended up being quite a chill day just doing much of nothing and catching up on laundry, bills, etc.
Thanks for a lot of fun this weekend everyone.
See you all again soon (I hope).
Thanks primarily to all of my wonderful friends! I had a great time on Friday, Saturday and Sunday just hanging out with peeps, chilling, eating, drinking (a lot of that) and overall, a great time!
Friday, I arrived at Pearson Airport around 6:30. Got through customs and all that jazz, picked up my luggage and I was out the door. Kris picked me up (thanks bro!) and then we proceeded to head to my house where I dropped off my gear and then we took off to get Tchao. The three of us met up with Rahim and went to Yang's all you can eat Sushi on Highway 7. The food and service was GREAT. Definitely the best all you can eat sushi place we've been so far (out of the 6 we've sampled). Prior to dinner, we caught a little fresh air, a requisite now prior to eating copious amounts of sushi. After stuffing ourselves, we went back home where my parents and cousin Suhas had a birthday cake waiting for me so we cut that and hung out for a bit. Perfect day!
Saturday I woke up relatively late, chilled all day with my cousin Suhas. It was great to catch up with him. He is just visiting right now from the UK. He lives in London and just finished his MBA and LBS (London Business School). He completed the 2 year full time program (and also held a full time job at Zurich Bank during his entire second year. He graduated with distinction and got a standing ovation at his convocation. Why you ask? He is blind. But it don't matter cause he's still the man. So, in a nutshell, it was awesome to spend time with him and bounce ideas off him related to future career stuff.
Saturday night, I saw a play called The Decide Show. It was pretty good. A little too preachy from time to time but overall, not bad at all. The concept is that all of our lives are "Choose your own Adventure books". It's up to us to write the pags and not dwell on decisions from the past. Anyway - gives you some good insight into life and gets you thinking. In the end, there aint nothing wrong with that.
After the show, we went to Gypsy Co-op where we met up with several other friends from varied posses. It was a blast to chill and have a few beverages. Well, more than a few but what can you do when people are handing drinks to you all night long, right? By the way, Liquid Cocaine is NOT GOOD at all. Tastes like @$$ if you ask me.
Today, I was supposed to go to the Rogers Tennis Masters Series at York but didn't exactly wake up early so after talking to Kevin, we decided to just forget it. Plus, most of the matches today were pretty crappy since many good players backed out of the tournament. It ended up being quite a chill day just doing much of nothing and catching up on laundry, bills, etc.
Thanks for a lot of fun this weekend everyone.
See you all again soon (I hope).
Friday, August 12, 2005
Happy Birthday to me
Hey everyone. Guess who's back? Well, it's about time I guess. I have had an idea of blogging again over the past 8 months but to be honest, just got lazy with it and never really followed through. It's August 12, 2005. Today is my 27th birthday. Crazy. I am 27 now. I am sitting in my hotel in Chicago right now. Was here all week for some new product training for work. We've been stuck at a hotel out by the airport so that's been sucky cause I haven't been able to head into the city at all. Tonight, we had some team building mini olympics thing and then after, some coworkers got be some drinks. I had a gin and vermouth martinin - BLAH!!! and then i had Bailey's on the rocks - much much better. Got up to my room, was about to pack but then, I turned on the TV. What did I find?
Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle was on. What a hilarious movie! This was my third time watching it but I totally had to watch the whole thing. It started at 11:30 CST and just ended at 1:00 am. So, it turned out to be the perfect way to start my birthday today. I fly home in about 15 hours (but who's counting right?). Then, when I land at 6:30, my boys Kris and Eric are gonna pick me up and we are going to lime and chill. I'm definitely looking forward to that. Then, I'll see my family and hang with my cousin Suhas who is visiting this weekend.
Time for bed. There is still plenty more of this day to come though...
Can't wait to see what's in store!
Hey everyone. Guess who's back? Well, it's about time I guess. I have had an idea of blogging again over the past 8 months but to be honest, just got lazy with it and never really followed through. It's August 12, 2005. Today is my 27th birthday. Crazy. I am 27 now. I am sitting in my hotel in Chicago right now. Was here all week for some new product training for work. We've been stuck at a hotel out by the airport so that's been sucky cause I haven't been able to head into the city at all. Tonight, we had some team building mini olympics thing and then after, some coworkers got be some drinks. I had a gin and vermouth martinin - BLAH!!! and then i had Bailey's on the rocks - much much better. Got up to my room, was about to pack but then, I turned on the TV. What did I find?
Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle was on. What a hilarious movie! This was my third time watching it but I totally had to watch the whole thing. It started at 11:30 CST and just ended at 1:00 am. So, it turned out to be the perfect way to start my birthday today. I fly home in about 15 hours (but who's counting right?). Then, when I land at 6:30, my boys Kris and Eric are gonna pick me up and we are going to lime and chill. I'm definitely looking forward to that. Then, I'll see my family and hang with my cousin Suhas who is visiting this weekend.
Time for bed. There is still plenty more of this day to come though...
Can't wait to see what's in store!