The Edges of Myself

Shameless fanboyism!

2009-05-31T00:19:00.004-04:00

OK, so I admit it, I'm a Trekkie. Tonight, I finally went to see the new Star Trek. The verdict: WOW. Allow me to elaborate:

The casting was terrific. A mix of unknowns and b-listers, the cast selection was excellent. The actors played their parts well, and the absence of Shatner-esque overacting was refreshing (no offense Bill, I still love your work!). I liked that it was easy to tell who was who, and the mannerisms and personalities of the characters all fit.

The plot was great. I was a bit worried when things were getting farther and farther from the "established" Star Trek backstories, but throw in an alternant timeline or two and everything makes sense. And that's all I'm saying.

The effects were mind-blowing! The Star Trek franchise has always been known for its visual effects, and this movie raises the bar considerably. There's some really, really cool stuff here, especially when one considers the legacy of the Original Series of Star Trek, which this film is set just before. The Enterprise is lavishly detailed and intricate, and the Starfleet Academy and Shipyard are both terrific. I was particularly impressed by the shots of the Enterprise under construction at the shipyard drydock on Earth, and the sequence of the ship rising out of a dust cloud like a ninja stalking his next victim.

I'm intrigued by the vista of possibilities opened up by this movie. The writers have re-written the rulebook, just as Kirk did with the infamous Kobayashi Maru scenario. There had better be more movies, or possibly a new TV series, on the way, because this storyline is too good to just leave there. Go and see this movie, even if you're not a Star Trek fan. By the end of the movie, I can guarantee you will be!

2008-11-16T22:39:00.002-05:00

Umm, yeah. I haven't exactly been posting lately. Honestly, blogging hasn't been high on the priority list for me lately. I'm going to try to blog more, since I know that there are actually people who read this (or used to, anyway) and who are frustrated. I'll write a nice long post soon, I promise... and try to post weekly, as a minimum.

Later

Life with cats, in a nutshell:

2008-11-16T22:32:00.001-05:00

more animals

So true...

2008-10-24T23:51:00.002-04:00

more animals

Sigh of relief...

2008-09-05T23:28:00.002-04:00

Ahhhh, the government un-fucked themselves, and now we can probably afford to get married. Next step: we negotiate prices with the caterer...

OK, so it's a day late, but it's funny!

2008-07-05T10:07:00.002-04:00

OK, this is one of the funniest Muppet videos EVER. This one is for you, mom.

The first days of the rest of my life.

2008-06-23T20:57:00.004-04:00

So, for those EXTREMELY few friends of mine who don't know yet, I proposed to Jessie on Saturday, in front of our entire combined family and many friends. I'm engaged. So, I will, someday soon, be a married man. And I couldn't possibly be happier.

I love you, Jess. And I always will.

Uncluttering my life: Phase I

2008-06-06T23:18:00.004-04:00

When I was helping Jessie clean out our spare room tonight, it struck me just how much crap I have. The really depressing part is that I have a helluva lot of it here and that's just a start. The shitpile still living (and probably creating sentient lifeforms somewhere in its depths) in my parents' basement is easily three times what would fit into this house. Yikes.

So, I have gleaned a few choice tips from one of the top personal organization sites on the web, 43folders.com. I have made up my resolve to get this house shipshape by the date of Jessie's graduation party. And, a huge help, I've been promoted to a job at head office, where I only work 40 hours a week and have a regular schedule, as opposed to the airport shift-work of the past 5 months, which has taken its toll in the form of crabbiness, irritability and constant fatigue.

Now, gentle readers, I invite you to bear witness to the transformation of this chronically disorganized pack-rat into a reformed, organized neat-freak. I will do my best to journal my activities regularly here, and I invite anyone with advice to comment!

Next tasks:
1. Finish cleaning spare room (clothes to goodwill, books to secondhand store/Scouts' book sale, sweep floors, store office supplies in some logical manner yet to be determined). (Edit 9-6-08: DONE!)
2. Fold/put away ALL clothing in the bedroom, and get the bedroom back to normal (that table down to the basement for laundry folding at the source...)
3. Sweep/wash ALL floors in the house. This is my major housecleaning chore... which I too often put off. (Edit 9-6-08: Jessie did this yesterday, bless her!)
4. Photograph all unused furniture currently stored in the basement and post on craigslist and/or freecycle, with toss deadline
5. Clean up the basement as soon as unused furniture is out, to make room for proper use (storage shelves/hooks/bins, proper laundry area, proper repair/craft area)

I'll update as each is finished.

Geekdom has its advantages...

2008-03-25T18:19:00.004-04:00

I just got finished putting my laptop back together with some replacement parts ordered from Parts-People.com, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for replacement parts for a Dell computer, by the way. I needed to change my screen's plastic casing and bezel, which is now done. My total cost for the parts and tools required was about $75.00, which is about $175.00 less than sending it to Dell for repair would have cost, and $150.00 less than taking it to a local laptop repair facility. Having the ability to do it myself is goooooooood.

2008-02-26T16:16:00.001-05:00

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

Hockey high.

2008-02-25T22:08:00.006-05:00

Jessie and I were having a discussion in the car this evening, on our way home from seeing a sneak preview of The Other Boleyn Girl, and our discussion led to NHL hockey, and the usefulness of professional sport. While we agree to disagree on whether professional sports in general (and the NHL in particular)are useful to society, I got to thinking. My inquiring mind suddenly asked, "Why do we watch pro sports anyway?" I use hockey as an example mostly because it's my favourite sport to watch, and the one I follow most closely.

So what draws us to watch a bunch of millionaires play a game? Why do we spend billions of dollars each year on tickets, merchandise, and the like for our favourite teams? Why do we celebrate our team's victories as if they were our personal triumphs, why do their defeats cause as much anguish as the death of a family member? After all, it's just a bunch of guys skating around after a little bit of frozen rubber. What's all the fuss about anyway? More ruminations to follow...

I need all the help I can get!

2008-01-13T22:26:00.000-05:00

Jess and I are joining a gym and eating healthier in the new year, in an effort to get into shape...and we've enlisted some help...

moar funny pictures

I has conundrum.

2008-01-13T22:00:00.000-05:00

moar funny pictures

Genie in a bottle...

2008-01-13T21:54:00.000-05:00

moar funny pictures

Dec. 9, 2007

2007-12-09T21:44:00.001-05:00

One year ago, we went for coffee and cheesecake. One year ago, we stayed up until 3am talking. One year ago, something special began, something I never want to end. I love you as much as life itself, and I want you to be mine forever. I may not be perfect, but I'm all yours, forever and ever.

"I need a license to rent a car?"

2007-11-12T21:16:00.000-05:00

The answer, dumbass, is yes. What kind of degenerate thinks they can rent a car without a licence? And I thought I'd heard it all. For those who are wondering, yes, I did actually hear this at work last week.
Speaking of work, it's going spectacularly well. I wrote my skills test recently (an exam you write after three months, give or take, to prove to Enterprise that you're not a waste of their time), and finally got my score back... 94%. Not bad... seems they'll keep me around after all. The next big test, in about four more months, is called the MQI, Management Qualification Interview. Informally, known as the Grill. It's when you prove that you've learned enough to get promoted to a management position. From everything I've heard, it's much more involved than the Skills. so, it seems that I'm not done studying after all.
Jessie's been a tad stressed bout her job environment lately, and I'm being as supportive as I know how to be. I can understand quite well what she's going through, having had similar experiences at L'Equipeur with The Bitch. It's hard going through that kind of stress on the job, when you come to dread going to work in the morning, but Jessie has one advantage: the support (and sympathy) of management. In my case, the problem person was management, and succeeded for a long time in short-circuiting every effort I made to deal with the problem. It sounds as though Jessie is dealing well with the problem, and I am sure things will work out for the best in the long term.
The house is so wonderful, I feel as though it's home now. The cats love it, and so do we. I'm adding a picture of Freddie being naughty at Samhain, stealing candy (from the box, no less!). Now, it's getting to bedtime, so off I go. Goodnight!

Oh. My. Gods.

2007-10-03T20:13:00.000-04:00

I never thought I'd ever be this busy!!! It's been more than two months since I've actually had enough time to sit down and write. Wow. Well, let's catch up then. In July, I quit a job I'd had for 4 years to pursue a new career (EEK!). I'm now proud to say that I've survived the first month-and-a-half as a Management Trainee (MT) at Enterprise and I'm still standing, and doing respectably well, if I do say so myself. It's been a big adjustment to get used to working 50-55 hour EVERY week, but the paycheques make it all worth it! I'm currently making as much in ONE biweekly paycheque as I ever did per MONTH working at L'Equipeur... that's right, folks, I've doubled my income, and I'm just getting started. I'm glad I did, too, because Jessie and I have a new townhouse in Kirkland to pay for! Yes, indeed, I actually moved out of Dorval, something I once swore never to do. Two things changed my mind: virtually none of my close friends lives there anymore (*sniff*... I remember the good old days...) and the rents are just too damn high. I'm saving $300 a month on this place over an equivalent place, in a far worse location, in Dorval. I'll always be part of the Dorval community, but I just can't afford to live there. Oh, well, life goes on, eh?

So, here's some pics of the new place, the first is of the living room. #2 is of the "library" behind the sofa in the living room, since we have so many books, we needed a place to put them all! Next are a couple of the kitchen... HUGE, and with tons of counter space, then lastly, a shot of one of my favourite parts of the house... the patio out back! It rocks. The whole place rocks. I love it. Can't wait to show you!

Blessings!

Change is Goooood!

2007-07-15T23:36:00.000-04:00

So... it's finally happened. I've found myself a new job. As of this coming Friday (July 2oth), I'll no longer be working at L'Equipeur. I'm going to be a management trainee with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, starting August 6th. In between, I'll attend the Canadian Scout Jamboree at Tamaracouta, and have a great time doing it. Then I'll come back and be ready for the next step in my life... and I couldn't be happier. This position at Enterprise is a dream... an almost guaranteed track to a management career in two years or less. I still haven't found a downside! It's bedtime now... I'll write more about it when I have the chance later this week.

'Night!

Click. Play. Enjoy!

2007-07-12T22:08:00.003-04:00

Trust me... you want to click this link. You really, really want to. Play it. Enjoy it. It's fun. It's different. It's... well, just try it and see, eh?

Happy Canada Day all!

2007-07-01T15:42:00.001-04:00

O Canada, our home and native land,
True patriot love, in all thy sons command!
With glowing hearts, we see thee rise, the True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
God, keep our land,
Glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!

O Canada, terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Ton bras sait porter l'épée, il sait porter la croix,
Ton histoire est une épopée des plus brillants exploits!
Et ta valeur,
De foi trempée,
Protègera nos foyers et nos droits!
Protègera nos foyers et nos droits!

The New Toy!!!

2007-06-20T20:50:00.000-04:00

I bought myself a new toy last weekend... this bad boy!

I love it... it's super-easy to use (not to mention that it comes with a VERY thorough tutorial cd) and takes amazing pictures, like this one:

I'll be posting many more pics over time, maybe gradually turning this into a photoblog... but for now, here's a pic of my favourite subject!

What does your name mean

2007-05-08T17:29:00.000-04:00

J : People Adore you.
E : Damn good kisser.
F : You are dead sexy.
F : You are dead sexy.
R : You like people.
E : Damn good kisser.
Y : Best g/f b/f anyone could ever ask for.

Hmm, interesting... thoughts anyone? I know Jessie will probably have some kind of comment on this!

Repost this and try it with your name!

A : You like to drink.
B : You like people.
C : You are really silly.
D : You like to drink.
E : Damn good kisser.
F : You are dead sexy.
G : You never let people tell you what to do.
H : You have a very good personality and looks.
I : You Are Great in bed.
J : People Adore you.
K : You're wild and crazy.
L : Everyone loves you.
M : best kisser ever.
N: You like to drink.
O: awesome kisser.
P : You are popular with all types of people.
Q : You are a hypocrite.
R : You like people.
S : Easy to fall in love with.
T: You're loyal to those who love you.
U : You really like to chill.
V : You are not judgemental.
W : You are very broad minded.
X : You never let people tell you what to do.
Y : Best g/f b/f anyone could ever ask for.
Z : Always ready

My Daemon

2007-04-30T22:03:00.000-04:00

What kind of God are you?

2007-04-28T23:31:00.000-04:00

Stolen from Jessie's blog (see hers here), together we shall rule the universe... mwahahahahaha!

Baron Frederick Von Whiskerlicker

2007-04-15T21:22:00.000-04:00

We officially have a cat. The Baron Frederick Von Whiskerlicker, A.K.A. Freddie to his friends and partners in crime, is now part of the family. He's six weeks old tomorrow, a little uncoordinated, very tiny, and unbelievably cute. Without further ado, here's the pictures...

PS go here to see Jessie's blog post about the Baron!

What kind of God are you?
Name
DOB
Favourite Color
You earthly time was spent	Raining torrents of blood while sailing over the prostrate masses in an iron chariot
Your throne is	A great mountain wreathed in silver cloud, attended by angelic beings of light, arced with lightning and bathed in glory
You wear	A humble tunic and robes, belying your inestimable supernatural powers just waiting to shatter the woes of Creation
Your Godly superpower is	Complete dominance and sovereignty over time and space and the infallible right to do with both as you please

This Quiz by pelagicboreas - Taken 743 Times.