This was a tiring week, but the blog was busy: we passed 2000 hits on June 8th! Updated the blog Monday - nice to have that as a day off.
June 8 - Wokking Work
Some good news today while I was at work: my dad called to say that he had been instantly hired by an airport shuttle service when they interviewed him today, full time! Wonderful, especially in light of the fact that the current company he's been working for has been light on work, as well as common sense - this will be a welcome change for him in terms of stability and I hope, less stress.
To celebrate after work, we went to the Wok Box which was only a few doors down from where I work in the Millstream Plaza. We had the Chinese Feast, whose portions were very generous - so much so that we ended up taking home more than we had eaten! I especially enjoyed the almond chicken, which was just the right level of spicy. I really enjoyed the meal, as did my parents, and I will definitely be back - especially as it is so conveniently only steps away from my workplace!
The future may have more Chinese in it too: news has arrived that Blade Runner is getting a new web series, called Purefold. While original director Ridley Scott won't be taking a personal hand in it, he IS allowing the series to come out under the Creative Commons license, which I believe is a first for any A-list Hollywood director - a good sign that there may be more good things to come.
I hope that in the future, they still have Bacon In A Can. I just can't see myself eating Instant Bacon... unless it's from a Trek-style replicator, then I might just.
June 9 - Heat Kills
We had a nasty example of how deadly the heat can be outside today on the deck. While I was outside, sitting in the shade, a calliope hummingbird flew under the overhead skylights and became trapped, unable to find its way out. In the time it took for me to race to grab a nearby stepstool and reach up to rescue it( less than 30 seconds )the poor thing expired from the heat under the glass. It was heartbreaking, and the only consolation was that I was able to have a close look at the jewel-like feathers of the tiny bird, scintillating emerald-green and shimmering browns. Strangely, we've also had a Great Blue Heron take a nap on the dock today - so that's Canada's largest bird AND its smallest bird, both in our backyard on the same day... good thing the heron didn't want to hop onto the deck.
Also hot: For a while now, I've been following the news about Microsoft's Surface technology - basically, a touch-sensitive screen the size of a coffee table that has been touted as the Next Big Thing in personal computing. Well, some people don't or won't believe the hype... to the point where they've taken one of Microsoft's Surface promo videos and done their own version of it - hilarious, and it has some good points about putting the cart before the horse. I myself derided laptops for years as expensive alternatives to the much more configurable home PC... but now that laptops are mainstream, netbooks are the cutting edge and home PC's can be had for less than $400.00 if you assemble your own, I have to give a nod to market pressure and the march of mass production. My wallet thanks you.
Relaxation was the key today: I just don't have the energy to do much activity-wise. My right leg( thigh, point of fact )has been intermittently numb for the last week. I'm going to make sure to ask the doc about it at my upcoming appointment, to ensure it's not related in any way to the operation. It's a weird sensation - like it's asleep, but I still have full functionality yet when I poke it with a pen, it's not 'fully' sensitive. *sigh* Just one more thing to add to my daily List of Oddities.
June 10 - Bender Rides Again!
Great news today - Comedy Central announced that it has approved production of 26 new episodes of Futurama, after amazing sales of the DVD series that was canceled in 2003. The new episodes will air in 2010 - I can hardly wait!
It was Oven Time at work today; the guy from the restoration services company was here in the morning( before my shift )and discovered the walls were not close to being dry... thanks to his forgetting to turn OFF the A/C. So not only did he do that, he cranked up the heat - to the point where I worked the entire shift with the branch interior at over 90 degrees. Can you say: sauna? Thankfully, like a sauna it was a dry heat... but man, that really sapped my energy and concentration. I was glad that it was a slow day( as many have been of late, unfortunately )so that I didn't have to move too quickly.
I ended up walking home today for the first time, due to various reasons - one of which is that neither the BC Transit buses nor Langford Trolley run in-town after around 6pm. Which means that I'll likely just be biking to and from work, like I had figured on doing anyway for the summer - which is free, as well as far more convenient than waiting around for transit. Though I like the idea of the trolley, it only seems practical for travel on my days off - since it's usually empty when I see it drive by, most people must think it's easier to get around by car.
June 11 - Lifestyle Thoughts
Car washes: I loved those as a kid! I remember going through them, listening to the tumbling roar of the water pounding against the glass and seeing the rotary brushes shimmy along the windows as the car inched through the car wash. It was cheap entertainment to be sure, but I just loved it - like being in the bowels of a monster only to emerge into sunshine and drying trails of water on the other side. Nowadays, car washes are touchless, so the brushes are almost all gone. Some people just don't get it though.
One thing that's changed in my lifestyle is a lack of pub-time. Since moving out to B.C. I've spent less and less time in pubs, mainly I believe due to the fact that I simply don't know as many people here. I consulted Foodpages.ca and came up with a list of local eateries, which was topped by the Country Rose Pub - a straight run a few km away.
Moving out to Langford has again illustrated the point most succinctly: while I DO know a fair number of people here, I don't spend much time with them on a regular basis. In point of fact, I talk to some of my online friends far more often than I do those here on Vancouver Island. Still, we do keep in contact, though again it's not like I'm used to - usually an email, text or call is just a prelude to meeting at Steebs or The Kilt.
June 8 - Wokking Work
Some good news today while I was at work: my dad called to say that he had been instantly hired by an airport shuttle service when they interviewed him today, full time! Wonderful, especially in light of the fact that the current company he's been working for has been light on work, as well as common sense - this will be a welcome change for him in terms of stability and I hope, less stress.
To celebrate after work, we went to the Wok Box which was only a few doors down from where I work in the Millstream Plaza. We had the Chinese Feast, whose portions were very generous - so much so that we ended up taking home more than we had eaten! I especially enjoyed the almond chicken, which was just the right level of spicy. I really enjoyed the meal, as did my parents, and I will definitely be back - especially as it is so conveniently only steps away from my workplace!
The future may have more Chinese in it too: news has arrived that Blade Runner is getting a new web series, called Purefold. While original director Ridley Scott won't be taking a personal hand in it, he IS allowing the series to come out under the Creative Commons license, which I believe is a first for any A-list Hollywood director - a good sign that there may be more good things to come.
I hope that in the future, they still have Bacon In A Can. I just can't see myself eating Instant Bacon... unless it's from a Trek-style replicator, then I might just.
June 9 - Heat Kills
We had a nasty example of how deadly the heat can be outside today on the deck. While I was outside, sitting in the shade, a calliope hummingbird flew under the overhead skylights and became trapped, unable to find its way out. In the time it took for me to race to grab a nearby stepstool and reach up to rescue it( less than 30 seconds )the poor thing expired from the heat under the glass. It was heartbreaking, and the only consolation was that I was able to have a close look at the jewel-like feathers of the tiny bird, scintillating emerald-green and shimmering browns. Strangely, we've also had a Great Blue Heron take a nap on the dock today - so that's Canada's largest bird AND its smallest bird, both in our backyard on the same day... good thing the heron didn't want to hop onto the deck.
Also hot: For a while now, I've been following the news about Microsoft's Surface technology - basically, a touch-sensitive screen the size of a coffee table that has been touted as the Next Big Thing in personal computing. Well, some people don't or won't believe the hype... to the point where they've taken one of Microsoft's Surface promo videos and done their own version of it - hilarious, and it has some good points about putting the cart before the horse. I myself derided laptops for years as expensive alternatives to the much more configurable home PC... but now that laptops are mainstream, netbooks are the cutting edge and home PC's can be had for less than $400.00 if you assemble your own, I have to give a nod to market pressure and the march of mass production. My wallet thanks you.
Relaxation was the key today: I just don't have the energy to do much activity-wise. My right leg( thigh, point of fact )has been intermittently numb for the last week. I'm going to make sure to ask the doc about it at my upcoming appointment, to ensure it's not related in any way to the operation. It's a weird sensation - like it's asleep, but I still have full functionality yet when I poke it with a pen, it's not 'fully' sensitive. *sigh* Just one more thing to add to my daily List of Oddities.
June 10 - Bender Rides Again!
Great news today - Comedy Central announced that it has approved production of 26 new episodes of Futurama, after amazing sales of the DVD series that was canceled in 2003. The new episodes will air in 2010 - I can hardly wait!
It was Oven Time at work today; the guy from the restoration services company was here in the morning( before my shift )and discovered the walls were not close to being dry... thanks to his forgetting to turn OFF the A/C. So not only did he do that, he cranked up the heat - to the point where I worked the entire shift with the branch interior at over 90 degrees. Can you say: sauna? Thankfully, like a sauna it was a dry heat... but man, that really sapped my energy and concentration. I was glad that it was a slow day( as many have been of late, unfortunately )so that I didn't have to move too quickly.
I ended up walking home today for the first time, due to various reasons - one of which is that neither the BC Transit buses nor Langford Trolley run in-town after around 6pm. Which means that I'll likely just be biking to and from work, like I had figured on doing anyway for the summer - which is free, as well as far more convenient than waiting around for transit. Though I like the idea of the trolley, it only seems practical for travel on my days off - since it's usually empty when I see it drive by, most people must think it's easier to get around by car.
June 11 - Lifestyle Thoughts
Car washes: I loved those as a kid! I remember going through them, listening to the tumbling roar of the water pounding against the glass and seeing the rotary brushes shimmy along the windows as the car inched through the car wash. It was cheap entertainment to be sure, but I just loved it - like being in the bowels of a monster only to emerge into sunshine and drying trails of water on the other side. Nowadays, car washes are touchless, so the brushes are almost all gone. Some people just don't get it though.
One thing that's changed in my lifestyle is a lack of pub-time. Since moving out to B.C. I've spent less and less time in pubs, mainly I believe due to the fact that I simply don't know as many people here. I consulted Foodpages.ca and came up with a list of local eateries, which was topped by the Country Rose Pub - a straight run a few km away.
Moving out to Langford has again illustrated the point most succinctly: while I DO know a fair number of people here, I don't spend much time with them on a regular basis. In point of fact, I talk to some of my online friends far more often than I do those here on Vancouver Island. Still, we do keep in contact, though again it's not like I'm used to - usually an email, text or call is just a prelude to meeting at Steebs or The Kilt.
I miss that.
June 12 - Uphill Accents
I watched an episode of BSG this morning "The Hand of God" which had some terrific CGI battle sequences in it. Afterwards, on a whim, I searched for some technical specs on things Galactica, and came up with a few surprising sites - Wolf's Shipyard also has B5 images, as does Starship Schematics. Again, I really like cut-away designs of SF ships, like this one of the Enterprise-D, though that particular one is signed by the artists - a little pricer than what I paid for mine. I wonder what it would cost to have Patrick Stewart autograph mine...?
Which reminds me: I love English accents, and apparently the rest of the world does too - anything sounds cool if it's said in an English Accent. I'll even take a Kiwi accent in an English one isn't available - you can even train yourself online to speak with an English Accent. How's that for making use of the internet?
Riding home from work was manageable; I walked the bike uphill for about 1/2 a km, past FutureShop, Staples and Costco, until I reach the crest and can coast down again into a nice backwoods community area away from all the traffic. It's really amazing to go from super-urban shopping zone to windy-road deep-forest semi-suburb in the space of just a few minutes, by bike no less. A quick trip across the highway( imagine traffic lights on the QEW, no overpasses! )and then it's a level jaunt for five minutes to get home through a quiet neighbourhood. Very relaxing, and eventually I'll be a able to cycle up those hills again.
June 13 - Transforming Business
Off in the morning to do some meet-and-greet in Victoria - talking to local businesses to let them know what services my work offers. I handed out a fair number of my own business cards, and chatted up a few folks; all in all, I think it was a successful day, if somewhat tiring to trek around in casual business attire. No way I was going to overdo it in a suit on a sunny Saturday!
When I got home, I tuned into the Transformers Marathon on Teletoon Retro, broadcasting 24 hours of G1-goodness - 48 episodes total. I had it on all day as I worked on various things, napped, and generally tried to relax in between doing minor things around the house. No yardwork yet though - I just don't feel up to it, and I don't have any mulch left to spread over the front areas anyway.
The second Transformers movie arrives on June 24th( inspiringly entitled Transformers2: Revenge of the Fallen )which I am looking forward to, especially as it again stars Megan Fox. Though from this collection of her quotes, she may be best known as just a pretty face, considering what she manages to get quoted for. Then again, most of the fanboys probably don't care if she has the power of speech anyway...
From old to new: I've had my Xbox360 for 1.5 years now, and I'm fairly pleased with it, especially as I only now just picked up a Chatpad for it( on sale this week at F.Schlock )which will make typing msgs SO much easier. Yet despite the Xbox360 having built-in voice chat, people seem to prefer text - weird. Which got me to thinking about upcoming video game consoles... and led me to stumble across this 'promo' video for the PS9 - 7 generations in the future; very cool concept.
June 14 - Sunday Sorting
Most of today was spent digging through cupboards and storage boxes to find, rearrange and toss things as necessary. Lots of little bits, pieces of tech and forgotten toy parts were spread all over as I sorted through things while watching episodes of Robotech Remastered: The Macross Saga - which held up fairly well to my memories of it. The updated DVD release has cleaned-up video and remastered( hence the name )5.1 audio, which sounds great. There are still a few hiccups with it, and the animation looks dated compared to today's Flash-based masterpieces( Stoked, people - go watch it June 25th on Teletoon! )but it's all about nostalgia, really.
And what the hell? io9.com also posted this nugget of flaming fecal fluff: a writer for Torchwood complaining that Babylon 5 has ruined SF by introducing continuous story arcs? How the heck can you say that going from the idea of completely unlinked one-shot episodes to a story arc that rewards viewers who tune in every week is a bad thing??? I wonder if JMS knows about this...
I attended a meeting near my workplace tonight, with about a dozen of the tenants of the complex who all want to share ideas on how to improve business at the plaza. We tossed ideas around for a few hours, all in a positive light - I came away from the meeting quite heartened that others in the plaza are committed to bringing in business through co-operation with their neighbours. Time well spent, with a very friendly and intelligent bunch of workplace neighbours.
Today, June 15th, also marks the beginning of the 10 Days of Deals at Dell.ca, something they do only a few times a year. For those of you with some spare cash and a hankering for tech at a discount, you may want to keep an eye on their site. As for me, I'm going to wait until next year... my stuff's too new, though that 42" Sanyo plasma TV for $649.00 really makes me itch.
June 12 - Uphill Accents
I watched an episode of BSG this morning "The Hand of God" which had some terrific CGI battle sequences in it. Afterwards, on a whim, I searched for some technical specs on things Galactica, and came up with a few surprising sites - Wolf's Shipyard also has B5 images, as does Starship Schematics. Again, I really like cut-away designs of SF ships, like this one of the Enterprise-D, though that particular one is signed by the artists - a little pricer than what I paid for mine. I wonder what it would cost to have Patrick Stewart autograph mine...?
Which reminds me: I love English accents, and apparently the rest of the world does too - anything sounds cool if it's said in an English Accent. I'll even take a Kiwi accent in an English one isn't available - you can even train yourself online to speak with an English Accent. How's that for making use of the internet?
Riding home from work was manageable; I walked the bike uphill for about 1/2 a km, past FutureShop, Staples and Costco, until I reach the crest and can coast down again into a nice backwoods community area away from all the traffic. It's really amazing to go from super-urban shopping zone to windy-road deep-forest semi-suburb in the space of just a few minutes, by bike no less. A quick trip across the highway( imagine traffic lights on the QEW, no overpasses! )and then it's a level jaunt for five minutes to get home through a quiet neighbourhood. Very relaxing, and eventually I'll be a able to cycle up those hills again.
June 13 - Transforming Business
Off in the morning to do some meet-and-greet in Victoria - talking to local businesses to let them know what services my work offers. I handed out a fair number of my own business cards, and chatted up a few folks; all in all, I think it was a successful day, if somewhat tiring to trek around in casual business attire. No way I was going to overdo it in a suit on a sunny Saturday!
When I got home, I tuned into the Transformers Marathon on Teletoon Retro, broadcasting 24 hours of G1-goodness - 48 episodes total. I had it on all day as I worked on various things, napped, and generally tried to relax in between doing minor things around the house. No yardwork yet though - I just don't feel up to it, and I don't have any mulch left to spread over the front areas anyway.
The second Transformers movie arrives on June 24th( inspiringly entitled Transformers2: Revenge of the Fallen )which I am looking forward to, especially as it again stars Megan Fox. Though from this collection of her quotes, she may be best known as just a pretty face, considering what she manages to get quoted for. Then again, most of the fanboys probably don't care if she has the power of speech anyway...
From old to new: I've had my Xbox360 for 1.5 years now, and I'm fairly pleased with it, especially as I only now just picked up a Chatpad for it( on sale this week at F.Schlock )which will make typing msgs SO much easier. Yet despite the Xbox360 having built-in voice chat, people seem to prefer text - weird. Which got me to thinking about upcoming video game consoles... and led me to stumble across this 'promo' video for the PS9 - 7 generations in the future; very cool concept.
June 14 - Sunday Sorting
Most of today was spent digging through cupboards and storage boxes to find, rearrange and toss things as necessary. Lots of little bits, pieces of tech and forgotten toy parts were spread all over as I sorted through things while watching episodes of Robotech Remastered: The Macross Saga - which held up fairly well to my memories of it. The updated DVD release has cleaned-up video and remastered( hence the name )5.1 audio, which sounds great. There are still a few hiccups with it, and the animation looks dated compared to today's Flash-based masterpieces( Stoked, people - go watch it June 25th on Teletoon! )but it's all about nostalgia, really.
And what the hell? io9.com also posted this nugget of flaming fecal fluff: a writer for Torchwood complaining that Babylon 5 has ruined SF by introducing continuous story arcs? How the heck can you say that going from the idea of completely unlinked one-shot episodes to a story arc that rewards viewers who tune in every week is a bad thing??? I wonder if JMS knows about this...
I attended a meeting near my workplace tonight, with about a dozen of the tenants of the complex who all want to share ideas on how to improve business at the plaza. We tossed ideas around for a few hours, all in a positive light - I came away from the meeting quite heartened that others in the plaza are committed to bringing in business through co-operation with their neighbours. Time well spent, with a very friendly and intelligent bunch of workplace neighbours.
Today, June 15th, also marks the beginning of the 10 Days of Deals at Dell.ca, something they do only a few times a year. For those of you with some spare cash and a hankering for tech at a discount, you may want to keep an eye on their site. As for me, I'm going to wait until next year... my stuff's too new, though that 42" Sanyo plasma TV for $649.00 really makes me itch.
