protect your health

Well I am going o natural from now on.

I just got my sega games in the mail (I played them all and was sort of disappointed) so now my focus has shifted 100% to finding and buying more health-friendly cosmetic products and drinks and foods - primarily soft drinks and gum.

I can obtain these products from the health food aisles at Loblaws and Wal-Marts as well as natural health food stores if need be. The cost in obtaining these products will not be insignificant but I believe it to be well worth it for the sanctity of the body and for guarding against future cancerous diseases. After some extensive research, I discovered a host of unsavoury benzoates, sulfates and other ingredients in my toothpaste, mouthwash, face scrub, shampoos, skin scream, shaving cream. I am attempting to convert to such brands as Tom's of Maine, Jason Natural Cosmetics, Aubrey Organics and if I really open up the wallet, Anthony Logistics For Men. A good source to identify what sort of products you are using is cosmeticdatabase.com. Many products have been rated. I am quite suspect of the Body Shop as they do not list out all their ingredients on the website.

The other arena I will be making a big change in is soft drinks/gum/breath mints. All commercial brand (regular) soft drinks contain High Fructis Corn Syrup, known here in Canada in the ingredient list as Sugar/Glucose-Fructose or Sugar and/or Glucose-Fructose. This is the sweetener used in the place of sugar. In the early 1980's, soft drink manufacturers switched from sugar to this liquid form of refined sugar, HFCS. Of course all sucrose that we know in our households is refined but the difference apparently happens in the metabolization process. The composition of Sugar vs. HFCS is quite similar but there is an inherent difference. Sugar from sources such as cane or beet is known to be absorbed by the pancreas and as such, it liberates insulin which accompanies the glucose to the body's cells.
In contrast, HFCS is known to be fully absorbed by the liver, and thus the body is tricked because it skips the natural insulin process. (It is said that the use of HFCS as a sweetener in virtually many products has contributed to a drastic increase in Type II diabetes; this should be more pronounced in the U.S. since a greater number of their products are sweetened with HFCS or as known here Sugar/Glucose-Fructose). However, Canada is not immune to the use of HFCS and it is most apparent in beverages (soft drinks), low priced snack cakes, certain cereals etc. Why did the use of HFCS become so prevalent starting in the 80's? Economics my dear Watson. The U.S. imposed high sugar tariffs resulting in an inflated price for sugar. As a result, producers who relied on sugar as a main component in their food products substituted towards the relatively cheaper - much cheaper actually given that corn was subsidized in addition to the inflated sugar price - sweetening ingredient. So what does this have to do with Type II diabetes? Well Type II is closely linked to obesity, and people are getting bigger by drinking HFCS. Two reasons for this: first, the body is storing all the fat content from the HFCS rather than it being delivered as energy to the rest of the body by being burned; second, HFCS also plays a trick with the mind whereby the signal is not being sent from the body that fat is being stored. Thus, people are said to over-indulge when drinking HFCS sweetened beverages.

And why do Canadians have to worry about U.S. sugar prices and the use of HFCS in products? Because many of our imported food products come from the U.S. Even if soft drinks are bottled here, the mixing syrup certainly comes from down South.
Anyway, I will have more updates on this as I learn more. I can say though that I will be buying Blue Sky Natural Soda (w/ cane sugar). Be careful because Blue Sky also makes a version with HFCS. These are at Loblaws but cost $1 each so I am trying to find a cheaper source.

As far as the gum, that is a separate nightmare altogether. The problem here is that most all gum is sweetened with Aspartame, aka, rat poision to humans. This is a pure chemical compound that was discovered by complete fluke. It never should have been passed by the FDA in the 1980's and there is a complete controversy surrounding this. Monsanto ended up acquiring G.D. Searle (who held the patent to Aspartame) but the man who was appointed to Searle in order to get the job done of getting aspartame approval was Donald Rumsfeld, the neo-con asshole among all assholes. He lobbied the FDA hard and was even able to overturn the board of independent FDA scientists who had voted 3-2 in favour of rejecting the sweetening agent. Aspartame has a host of problems associated with its regular use, including headaches, vision blurring, diabetes, symptoms of Parkinsons and multiple sclerosis etc. Others don't immediately feel these effects but may experience serious consequences down the road. You will find aspartame in all diet soft drinks and many yogourts and most gum. I have already noted my suggestion for the soft drinks and will let you know on the gum. I have some prospects such as Glee and Dr. Ken, and now it is a matter of tracking them down. I am almost finished with my horrible supply of Dental Care gum (which I thought was ok) that contains Acesulfame Pottasium, an awful sweetener. I ordered it from ebay more than a year ago and am down to only 4 packs left. As some of you know, I traded the last carton for two Dirienzio sandwiches.
For yogourt I eat a hearty balkan yogourt every day. Beatrice Fruit Bottom (175 g). Astro also makes a similar yogourt at 113 g. I have reviewed all the ingredients for Beatrice lately and approve.

Miscellaneous -

-Things really hit the fan with the ebay seller. I now opened a dispute with Paypal. I think the fact that this is all online has made me more tense. I don't like the direction this new fangled world is taking us. Regardless, I have a beat on another seller of sega games in Missouri and it is an actual store and not just an ebay seller. They will ship here. I am quite excited to order some games. I think at the 5week mark, it is safe to say that the item will definitely not come.

As for my money? Well I may get it back through Paypal. I just will never use ebay again for anything. A lot of horror stories abound the forum discussions and the whole thing is incredibly stupid. Craiglist and Kijjii is where its at bc you can pick up your item yourself in your city.

-What happened to the old proud logo of the Ottawa Senators. When did they adopt that weird 3rd jersey logo of the annorexic long-faced Senator. Blasphemy! How boring that they only wear that logo in different colours. In general as I've stated to Mark many times, I hate most of what the NHL does with its merchandising and this is no exception. To force NHL teams to start wearing their away jerseys at home for permanently really bugged me. It shows how desperate franchises are for cash that they are relying on fans to now buy the road jersey (now the home jersey in effect) to attend home games.

-I don't know how much longer I can go with these old glasses. I can barely see anymore since the lenses are all scratched up.

-The extension of warm weather in November has literally given me a new lease on life. With my ratty old brown shoes (cracks in the sole with water seeping in), my light windbreaker, and my torn Dockers pants, I faithfully trudge through dog s*%# every day to get to the Lincoln Fields transit station so I can crowd onto a bus with a bunch of other sardines and hope the bus doesn't crash.

-On that note, we have the city of Ottawa trying to finalize its budget for 2009. So far this is what we know: even with a hike of 4.9%, there will need to be 35 million cut out of the budget. Of course it is the usual suspects for cutting money: OC transpo fares going up (again…), OC transpo service going down (again…), recreational user fees for hockey time and other activities going up. The stark irony that OC transpo is engaging in a huge new marketing campaign to attract new riders with benefits such as low price, "convenience" is lost in all this. I guess convenience is never getting a seat and molesting accidentally all those around you.

-I am slowly weaning down my supply to dental gum and have traded the last carton to my supervisor for 2 Dirienzo sandwiches, one of which I already received.

-I delivered some donuts to the Willy's boys yesterday and their faces lit right up. Then the garlic sauce I paid for was forgotten…Oh well. I really like delivering donuts to people. I wonder if Jesus felt the same way..

-Love that Kylie Minogue (Locomotion) song. For some reason, waking up to it on Magic fm is much better than just listening to it repeatedly on youtube.

-Saw a scary documentary on cbc website about the Disappearing Male. How births of boys have been outnumbered by girls in heavily industrialized coutries since the 1970's. Also boys are at risk for genital defects and other problems. The source? Basically every household product we use made from polycarbonates (plastics) and other chemical compounds produced by the petrochemical industry. (This is also the suspected culprit behind high cancer rates too but that wasn’t included in this documentary.) It appears that these compounds negatively effect the hormonal balance of male fetuses but not females.

-CosmoTV has a free preview until August 2009 on channel 262 with Rogers digital cable. Don't ask me how I know that..

-Baseball and biking season (I went maybe 3 times) appear to be over for this year. I had trouble rounding up the troops this year and next year will be seeking out players through platonic ads on craigslist.

-I have really neglected my computer situation and wardrobe situation. In budget talk, I have slashed spending on these items. I just hope it won't be too late to play catch up and suffer the same fate as the province of Ontario when cuts were made to nursing and doctors' spots.

-As I am a price conscious consumer I often cast places of business in a negative light when they try to appeal to all your dreams and aspirations and then say the price is ONLY this, as if they are doing you a favour. I got a brochure for Winner House Chinese food and noticed that 12 eggrolls run 12.50, while one is 1.15, hardly a volume savings for the customer. I remember no more than 10 years ago, I was able to obtain a dozen for 7.00 at Lotus.

The worst offender in this category is definitely Good Life Fitness. Only 60$ a month they say. Nuts to that. So you may make it out maybe twice a week or 8 times a month. $7.50 per workout? Yikes. I would rather get fat and unhealthy.
Charge what you will but don't be a d%?# about it and try to appeal to me about how great a deal this is for me.

-I really enjoy the newish show The Big Bang Theory. It is relatively funny and features two up and coming actors in the people who play the characters Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Penny (Kaly Cuoco). They really shine on this show.


This is the kind of vigilante justice I'm craving!

Customers grab holdup artists

Two would-be robbers were taken out after customers of an east end fast food joint wrestled them to the ground.

Police said two men walked into the Burger King at 1804 St. Laurent after 9 p.m. with their faces covered and a knife demanding money. They were told no, and on their way out were wrestled to the ground by a group of customers who confronted them.

An off-duty officer happened to be in the area and assisted. Two suspects were arrested.

Today is Fri, the 24th, one day after my esteemed b-day. I was fortunate and received lots of goodies for my special day, not the least of which was tickets to the Sens game on Friday night with Mark. It was a grand time as we drove out to Kanata, parked at the East Side Mario's, where we ate, and then walked to the Arena from there. EAst Side Mario's was legendary as we had excellent hamburgers and service second to none! Usually you have to struggle to get the waitress' attention to fill up the soft drinks, but this time she brought full refills before we were even finished with our old ones! If you are looking for a fine, fresh, filler free burger, East Side Marios is your ticket. Probably the second best one in Ottawa, next to the Works.
As for the game, it was a blast. There really is no bad seat in the Corel Centre as they designed it well. The game was full of action and the Sens almost came all the way back from down 4.

Updates:

-Going on 3 weeks waiting for an e-bay purchase. Something is very fishy about it and that frustrates me. Note that I only use Ebay for collector/hard to find/unavailable items here. I would never buy something just to save a few bucks. A lot of mental energy goes into the process and it's not worth it. Then you never know what duties you get billed for from Customs. JUST NOT WORTH IT.

-My carpet finally is free of all the stuff on the ground as I did a big clean-up. I got all Molly Maid on Ambleside.

-I can't see myself travelling anywhere in the next 4-7 months.

-I have one month to go before I switch into my winter clothes and shoes and jacket etc. Another personal contract but also I need to get some stuff together and am missing some winter articles.

-I will finally go and get my passport done. That was a big pain but now I have the photos and form filled out.

-Willy's has not received donuts for months now. I hear the natives are getting restless. On the other hand, he has given me pepperroni instead of bacon (which I asked for) 3 times now. There really is no good way to go about telling him this. It is awkward to open the box up when he first gives it to you to check, and embarrassing to bring the box back after checking it out at home. And if you don't bring him the pizza to show him, he will probably think, wtf?

-The World Series has actually lost my interest. I didn't think this would happen, but the combination of that dreadfull stadium and two non-marquee teams have reduced me, the most passionate fan, into a channel surfer.

-O.C transpo still sucks. I will now get used to sweltering hot buses in the dead cold winter. So after getting off you are sweating like a pig with your winter jacket on.

-Next May will represent the 2 year mark since I was last in the Guelph/Hamilton area. I should go see Grandma sarah but there really is nothing there. She is the only thing/person/reason for going, there. (She is also a leading figure for the "getting out the birthday business" movement by ceasing all birthday card postages.) I've accepted at this point that I will be estranged from my first cousins in Southern Ontario in about 5-10 years time.

Random things I wish would happen:

-For Canada to stop exporting the harmful substance Asbestos to developing countries, as it is banned for use in buildings here. What are they, chopped liver?

-For the City of Ottawa to change that hideous logo with the circular O.

-For Ontario and Canada not go into the red for this year's finances.

-For the City of Ottawa to install smart card operated parking meters all over the city, even though I never street park (but may want to in the future)

-For online Canadian booksellers to just make it simple - one price, one condition, one seller (themselves), free and fast shipping, reasonable god damn price. It is paper with ink on it after all.

-For Light Rail to go to communities that have a great need for it, such as Barrhaven and Kanata and not just the east end.

-For Larry O'Brien to shine his bald head in the Shin 'o' Ballo.

-For Canadians, like our Southern neighbours, to get access to cherry coke, vanilla coke, or both. What are we, chopped liver?

-For dust in my apt to magically disappear as it forms on surfaces.

Lost of items to throw out there today, perhaps it will be my most random post ever. Most of you will find this boring, but if you look carefully there should be one sentence that interests you.

-I have pushed back my Focus eye centre plan, as it seemed to come up on me too fast. Perhaps in the new year or something.

-I am sweating like a pig right now as I have a bad cold/flu which I acquired from God knows where. I have 3 suspects: 1)the bus 2)H's b-day celebration 3) Ambleside being stingy with the heat as it wasn't turned on until recently and we had those few cool nights in Sept. I didn't go into work Thurs and then had to leave early Fri as it was a gong show in my office. I sneezed non-stop for half-hour and it was nasty. I don't think the people around me appreciated it.

-HOckey season is approaching and I could not care less about it. I am growing tired of the sport and league year by year and I am not sure what it is. Perhaps I am getting sick of hearing about how the sport defines Canada (along with beavers, maple syrup blah blah). I don't really understand why Canadians are always after "defining" themselves and point to this sport that is enjoyed at a competitive level by countless other nations. ANother aspect that I dread is the blatant political statements shoved down your throat each Saturday by an anti-french, anti-european blow-hard like Don Cherry. I wish CBC sports would just stick mostly to the hockey telecast. Yes the Remembrance Day weekly edition could feature this sort of thing.

-Baseball playoffs are on their way and unfortunately I have to get up at 6 most days so I will be unable to stay up for those late games. Related to the League, I am happy that the Twins will eventually have a new Baseball Stadium. The team is competitive year in year out and the players and fans deserve a quality facility. I now can't think of an ugly stadium in MLB, other than Tropicana field for Tampa Bay. Also related to baseball is my adoration for Billy Brewer, the Milwaukee mascott who goes down a big slide each time a homer is hit. This is the best gimmick ever.

-A Sega Genesis is in the works of being acquired. This would be a huge addition to Ambleside as I understood this was a mucho fun console. I had a SNES growing up and now I want try the competition (well, the competition 15 years ago)

-My photos are all ready from my big ball trip. They can be found on my fb page. For some reason I am really dissatisfied with the photos turned out by my camera. I will have to ask photo guru Mark about this. They will be up on Picasa in 3-6 months.

-For some reason, I am enjoying the tunes of 'Fleetwood Mac'. I never knew who they were at all, but I put 2 and 2 together after looking up some songs that the Jewel 98.5 radio station played in the morning. Some of my favourites: Monday morning, Don't stop thinking about tomorrow, I don't want to know, Go your own way.

-In related news, I think I am ready to change my morning radio station to Magic 100.3 as Sol and Fran (the Jewel DJ's in the morning are grating on my nerves). Ottawa must have the worst mix of radio stations in North America. On my Escort, there are 5 pre-programmed stations (which have remained the same since owner transfer from Mark) and during my frequent commutes to Barrhaven, I sometimes drive the whole way with my right hand on the toggle. It is either commercials, stupid DJ's trying to be funny and edgy or really bad new-age music. I'm really not asking for too much: some 80's music, early 90's, boy-band stuff even, late 90's punk=pop, or some oldies. But everything on the radio either conveys suggestive lyrics like "go kill someone", or "cheat on your biatch and grind up against me". If I logged more minutes in a car every day, I would likely be a Satellite radio customer.

-Lastly a big thumbs down to Sportsnet, as their anchors are soooo annoying with their personas and jokes. I remember a time when Mike Toth was professional, informative and did not act like a complete hick. Jim Lang and Sean "Big Dude" are also abhorrent. I will take the TSN crew anyday with Rod Smith (a legend), Jennifer Hedger (knows sports) and Darren Dutschyan (also a legend). Also someone may want to tell Sportsnet's hockey panel that there are too many people in the studio. The commercial shows like 12 people, including the newly acquired Doug McLean.

With my sickness, I now have no energy left after typing this all out. Im going to go now to my bed to hook-up to an IV.

Baseball Road Trip 2008

Originally, I was going to title this post, “To India and Back”, due to the long hours I put in taking the train to NY and back. It was especially bad on the way there, as I departed Fallowfield Via Rail at a ripe 6:12 am and did not reach our hotel that night until past midnight. However, the way back was just as weird, as I somehow sustained myself 12 plus hours on a 20 oz bottle of lemon-lime Gatorade and one bathroom visit. Both trips had us stop at the border for a ridiculous amount of time – 1.5 hours there, and 2 hours on the way back. I feel sorry for all the people who underwent invasive cavity searches. Oh well.


First night


J-biz did not fare much better on his arrival, as he was there a mere 15 mins before me. I was happy though when I came into the room and did not find him sprawled out on the kitchen floor, with the Mini-Bar door jarred open. That would have set us back some $. We immediately went to McDonald’s and recounted our tales of travel. We laughed some and then went to bed late.


Day 1


We got up and started the day off early, but found the breakfast they promised us rather pathetic. Don’t call it breakfast if it is just croissants and coffee – that is just coffee and croissants. No juice, milk, yogourt or cereal: I was already off to a dreadful start to the day! I can’t remember if I visited Dunkin Donuts on that day to make up for it, but I assure you that I went many many times during the course of the trip, much to the dismay of JB, who took an active interest in my health. We bantered back and forth about Dunkin Donuts being no worse than McDonalds. The first day we headed out and took the city by storm. We hit up China Town (saw a woman getting an ass/hip massage from a automatic swivelling machine and a Chinese guy getting his big truck stuck for 5 min trying to turn a tight corner, and then beeping at an unoccupied vehicle), Little Italy and Times Square. We also walked around in Central Park and it was beautiful. Some Latinos were passionately involved in a softball game so we watched. Riding the subway was all in all great, although it is kind of bumpy. The evening ended with our first ball game at Shea Stadium. They beat the Marlins 8-6 I believe. I got ripped off at the concession stand and I went hungry until 1 am, when I bought a stale Calzone. We certainly didn’t eat like Kings during our trip, but that wasn’t the point of going, now was it.


Day 2


The next day we were off to Philly and I indulged in Dunkin Donuts in the morning. I had a bottle of whole milk to wash down a Strawberry frosted and Bavarian Cream. We got the train to Philly and it was a very fast trip at only 1.5 h. However as we approached 30th Street Station in Philly, I started panicking as I had lost the train ticket package. Only at the end, after searching frantically did I find them in the seat. From that point on, J-Biz made it his Biz to hold onto the tickets. I did not protest at all as I felt relieved. We deposited our luggage at the hotel (since we couldn’t check in early) and headed off to Subway restaurant. At that point, it started pouring hard; not good since the game was set to start at 1:35 in Philly that day. We took the subway to the game, all the while it continued to rain hard. We took some photos in the rain as JB warned me frantically about water droplets getting into the lens. I cast his worries aside and took photos with reckless abandon. It was interesting in Philly how all major 3 stadiums are located on the same piece of land. This must make it efficient for sharing parking for games of the 4 major sports. Citizen’s Bank Park was the most beautiful of the trip and very spacious. The game started 1.5 hours late and I was able to observe the locals in their natural habitat. I talked to one older man for a lengthy time and JB also got involved at times. The game was alright and I was thankful that the rain held off. Phillies took it 6-3 against the Pirates. On the way back from the game, we got caught in rain again. After recuperating briefly at the hotel, we ventured out to get our dinner. Eyeing all the expensive restaurants around, we walked to Papa John’s and picked up a pizza, which was without a doubt, one of the worst pizzas ever. It was greasy, artificial and thin. In short, it was tacky and I hated it (quote from School of Rock). JB didn’t seem to mind and he reminded me of Kramer with the Kenny Rogers chicken as I saw him on the bed sort of lying down, rocking back and forth and eating the pizza from the box and licking his chops every once in a while. I am pretty sure he wiped his greasy hands on the sheets like Kramer did but I can’t be certain. We watched School of Rock while we ate and enjoyed the pitter-patter of the rain outside. Quaint would aptly describe the scene. We then turned on Eurotrip on his laptop and laughed our heads off for a bit. A fine flick if I say so myself. The night ended after a brief contest which saw us debate whether the air should be turned on/off and whether we should sleep with the blinds closed. I won with the blinds open (to see the Subway across the street and the Glaxo Smith Kline building) but lost with the cold a/c bearing down on my skin. This would lead to a headache and muscle ache the next day I suspect.


Day 3


We slept in that morning (much needed) and missed the complimentary breakfast. We left the place at around 11 and started on our day. It was bright and sunny, a strong contrast to the weather the day before. First stop was Dunkin where I splurged and ate 3 donuts in the store while drinking a bottle of whole milk. This time, the lemon jelly from the donut spilled out onto my pants, giving rise to the acclaimed, “donut encrusted pants,” which I would refer to often. There was also the powder all over my pants and my facial hair. We then got onto some sweet tourist sights such as Liberty Bell. We walked around, visited the Reading Terminal Market (quite impressive) and then saw the Franklin Institute Museum, where my headache started to set in. At this point, I was also quite famished and needed sustenance. I wilted out of the museum and then we determined that it was too far to walk all the way back to Independence Hall (where we were going to get the open house tour). So we hopped on the city bus and rode like Philadelphians to our destination of 6th and Market St. By the end of it all, I was tired, sick and hungry. We got back to our hotel, I popped two Tylenol x-strength and went to bed (a/c turned off). JB surfed the net for the next two hours while I slept through traffic noises. At 9:30 I awoke in a jolly demeanor and went for my bottle of fruit punch Gatorade (unopened). I was counting on this Gatorade and two pieces of leftover pizza to hold me over to a huge breakfast the next morning. Amazingly enough, it did. JB had other intentions and went to get something at Subway before they closed. Unfortunately, they had just closed (10 minutes before 10) and JB came back empty-handed. His next idea was to go to Papa-John’s for another pizza pie. I laughed at this notion and then we laughed together at how JB looked like a crackhead walking the streets. His hair was unruly, he had a 3 day stubble and he sported trackpants and a black Sleeman shirt. He jested that all he needed was some powder from the donuts I ate earlier that morning to sprinkle around his mouth for the full effect of crackhead. Much to the hilarity for both of us, JB returned empty-handed yet again. Apparently Papa-Johns also closed at 10. He did eat some pathetic microwaveable meal that he picked up from 7-11. I set the alarm that night to hit the breakfast hard with authority. We were scheduled to depart the next morning for Boston at 11:18. I should say that Me and JB both felt that my city should be Philadelphia. If I ever moved there, I could have the city in the palm of my hands within a few months. I would be mayor in a year.


Day 4


I woke up with one mission in mind: feed myself like never before. I did exactly that at breakfast with juice, one bagel, a banana, a yogourt, two bowls of cereal and a pastry. I took a muffin along with me for the 6 hr train ride. We decided that we didn’t need to take the subway from our hotel to 30th street station. Luckily for us, the 30th street station was a lot closer than we thought it would be, because our luggage felt very heavy after a while walking. We arrived with plenty of time and boarded the train. At J-Biz’s insistence, we sat separately but on the same row. I told him that the train would probably be crowded so we might as well sit together. In a sweet twist of irony, he then got boxed in by a woman with a walker who made numerous calls on her cell phone and was quite a handful. “Dr. Norma Hart, H-A-R-T,” she would exclaim to the poor souls on the other end of the line. She had many issues, the least of which was that she didn’t know if a psychology conference was cancelled in NY; or how a disabled person was going to get assistance at the Boston South Station; or that the Air conditioning was freezing. Let me say that the Amtrak train was indeed freezing. But back to the elderly lady, my heart skipped a beat each time she got up to get something from her bag, as she almost fell over twice. Then when the train went on a sharp curve, the walker rolled out of the storage area and we had to catch it. I laughed most of the trip at all these events and JB actually entered into an engaging conversation with her. We arrived in Boston and then took the T-train with our Charlie tickets. At the last stop, Braintree, I called our Sheraton hotel and asked them to send the free shuttle that had been promised. The woman on the other end informed me that we need to be at the Quincy-Adams stop to get the shuttle (the stop before). So another $2 and back on the subway for one stop. I made the call again and was told that it wouldn’t be long. This was inaccurate as it actually took 45 min to arrive. It was only 6 min away from the hotel so we figured out their scheme was to only come once an hour or so to let people build up. I was pretty hungry but JB wanted to get a shower. So at 9 we went down to the restaurant nearby, TGI Friday’s. It was pretty decent I guess, with me getting the ribs and JB grabbing some pasta. We then took a walk to discover a nearby shopping mall and AMC theatre (which was in the middle of nowhere). We missed all the movies that night. We hit the gas station nearby and got some candy. Me I picked up some M and M’s and milk. Back at the lobby, we asked the front desk if it was ok to remove the air freshener which was making us sick with its noxious fumes. They sent Ricky, a short-statured east-indian guy with us to remove it. It was pretty embarrassing hearing the concierge explain the problem to him and I could tell that Ricky was annoyed that he was being called upon for this task. Me and JB laughed a bit after and then hit the hay. I thought that I had properly set the alarm, but I was in for a surprise the next morning.


Day 5


So we awake around 9:30 and obviously can’t make it to the breakfast. Well, not true, but I always like to shower before heading down in the morning. Regardless, one glance at the prices on the Sheraton breakfast menu in our hotel was enough to turn me off. $15 for some juice and a bowl of Mini-Wheats – No thanks! I’ll be it, that price included delivery to your door. So we awoke hungry and decided to get something once in town. We waited around for the shuttle and left at 12. Our driver looked like Manny Ramirez (guess he never left town after all). We took the subway into the downtown area/financial district and I immediately hit up Dunkin. We then walked around and found JB a nice new green Bosox hat. I was mildly envious and was thinking of getting one but we came to agree that my hat of the future is an Oakland Athletics green away hat, with the yellow A in the middle. We then went about town through the 2.5 mile Freedom Trail, which took us to some important historic sites, including: Old South House, Paul Revere House, and U.S.S Constitution ship. Unfortunately we neglected the last stop which was supposed to be cool – Bunker Hill Monument. At that time, we were all walked out and needed to get to Kenmore area for our game at Fenway Park!! We made it there with time to spare and that is when I saw the McDonalds calling out my name. I was surprised that it wasn’t completlely overrun with people heading to the game and pigged out completely with chicken nuggets, fries, a drink and a cheeseburger. I refilled my soda on the way out and shared it with JB. We walked slowly to Lansdowne Avenue, the site of Fenway and proceeded to take pics. We then went inside and got pretty close to the bullpen warm-up session that Jon Lester was throwing. Varitek was catching him and gazed into the stands a couple times. Probably because he was worried that some drunk idiot would come tackle him. Our seats for that game were neat – right field outfield but close to field level. The Sox took it 8-4 I think as the Rangers almost mounted a comeback. The atmosphere was amazing at Fenway (with everyone singing Sweet Caroline in the 8th) and I would say that it was the coolest looking park of the four we visited. Afterwards, we saw some police officers securing a railing which was surrounded by fans. This was where the players would exit with their vehicles! A bunch of cars left but most had tinted windows. The players that we did see clearly were Kevin Youkilis, Varitek and Pedroia, the last two of which bothered to acknowledge the crowd (classy move). Then their vehicles just cruised down the street to wait at a red light, where I can only presume they were robbed, car-jacked and left to die. The night ended with us returning by shuttle to the Sheraton Braintree and calling it an early night.


Day 6

We awoke late again and started out the day the same as last. Went into town by subway but this time, we stopped at a subway station that featured an underground Dunkin. I had the egg, cheese, and bacon on a bagel and an orange juice….and then a milk and two donuts. Today we did a tour of the famous and prestigious Harvard campus in Cambridge. Before the tour, however, we visited the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Harvard has a beautiful, open, campus. Took plenty of pictures here. We then took the subway to Back Bay Area and explored Copley Square. We entered the Boston Public Library and looked around. Our search for Cheers bar was fruitless as the girl I asked may have misdirected us. We then went into Wendy’s where Jb indulged on a rare occasion. I know I did, even finishing my meal up with a Frosty; due to time constraints, however, it ended up melting on me as we never had a chance to sit down. I thought it would be frowned upon to eat it on the subway. We headed back to the hotel and hit the hay since we had to catch a train at 9:35 the next morning. It was back to NYC.


Day 7


We got to South Station in time and I crossed the street to find Dunkin. I had to ask a man giving out Metro Newspapers but he was happy to point me in the direction of the Grim Reaper. I had my patented breakfast bagel again. The train ride was 4.5 hours to NYC and it felt like déjà vu heading back. Upon arrival at Penn Station, me and J-Biz scurried around looking for a washroom. We hit Pizza Hut and Nathan’s for lunch/dinner. Then we figured out our route and assumed that getting off Smith St. subway station would be sufficient to reach our destination of 85 Smith St. (the NU hotel). It turns out that Smith was a long street that wrapped around and we had to lug our stuff 25 minutes in the heat. After arriving we were beat, with JB not feeling so well. He did somehow manage to buy some new athletic shorts while I was watching Olympic baseball in the hotel lobby. Regardless he showered right away while I was totally focused on the prospects of getting to Yankee Stadium for the fri night game. He was questioning whether it would be worth it – pay upwards of $200 for possibly counterfeit tickets. I said it was a calculated risk and would be worth it to get inside the house that Ruth built. He doubted it all and in the end we parted ways. We agreed that he would wait until 8:45 until heading out that night, to allow me enough time to subway back to Brooklyn (from the Bronx – 1 hr ride) in case I didn’t get in and the night wouldn’t be lost. Well I found my subway route and went underground for at least 40 minutes before resurfacing in the Bronx to a rain filled sky. “When did this happen?”, I mused to myself. So it was pouring and I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. No ticket, All alone, not sure if the game would even start. I was suddenly happy, because this meant that ticket holders would be trying to unload their tickets due to the poor weather. The result: lower ticket price as well as a greater chance of buying a real ticket off a scalper. So there I was, pacing around Yankee Stadium concourse in cold dripping rain, knowing that if the game did somehow start, and if I did somehow get a ticket, that it would all be worth it. It occurred to me that people probably thought I was a scalper, pacing back and forth, with my facial hair and slick white button up shirt. Then I heard it, “Oh say can you see…”, it was the national anthem playing; it was at that point I knew that I needed to find a scalper. And there he was, a crackhead looking fella walking around the concourse saying “tickets”. He told me $100 and I said ok but you have to walk me to the gate to make sure the ticket is real. Surprisingly he had no problem with this, and I slipped him 5 Edward Jackson’s (?) once my ticket got scanned in. I will never forget the sound of the machine approving the ticket and that whole interaction. I knew the game had started and I was almost running to my seat. Well, I walked briskly on the main level, but when I got to the ramps, I started running up them. Then when I got to my seat, I almost stumbled over people in my haste to sit down. The atmosphere in Yankee Stadium did not disappoint. It was the best! People dissecting the team, its players and the game’s events, the smell of sausages, peanuts, popcorn! mmmm. I didn’t even need to get any of it for myself. I just absorbed the smells vicariously. The game itself was fun to watch and my seat was good, right field up a little bit. It was the best 100$ I ever spent. The Yankees lost 4-3, despite bringing in closer Mariano Rivera in the top of 9th to the tune of Enter Sandman, by Metallica. The place erupted as the music played. Since there was a rain delay, I didn’t leave the stadium until after midnight and then there was the slight problem of getting home with 30 000 people (some had left throughout the night) all around. I made it back to the hotel after 2 am (after getting myself lost in the neighbourhood), which all in all was an 8.5 hour shift I put in (left the hotel at 5:30). Too bad no one paid me for the shift I put in. I stumbled in and put my head to rest, happy that I had seen the most historic franchise in baseball and sad for my friend Joshua, that he did not.


Day 8


The next morning J-Biz asked me some quick questions about ticket price and where I sat. I felt bad that he didn’t get a chance to see them so I didn’t go into too much detail or sound too excited. But he had a change of heart and wanted to go see them. I was happy and encouraged it and got on with my own plans. I walked the impressive Brooklyn Bridge (1.25 mile) and took in the sights and strong sun. It got pretty crowded as it got closer to noon, with the cyclists battling the walkers for space. I then took the Subway to Battery Park where I enjoyed the sights of people and food and spectacles. I also took a boat ride where we got close to Statue of Libery (but didn’t stop there). I heard conflicting stupid reports about the Statue being closed and it being open (to go up). I really am frustrated that I didn’t get to go if that is true. I figure the only way to settle this is to check answers.yahoo.com which is pretty much considered a fact if enough people agree on something. Afterwards I almost got ripped off by a hot-dog vendor and then sat down and listened to people’s conversations and such and relaxed on benches. I also tipped a guy $1 playing a saxophone to the tune of John Williams Jurassic Park song. Pretty much my favourite song ever, after Chariots of Fire. I then met JB back at the hotel where we went to a Broadway show. Actually, he wasn’t home from the game when I had gotten back so I crashed hard for 2 hours. We left the hotel at 6:30, got some dinner and took the subway to Times Square area for our show. We saw 39 steps and it was a good play. I am happy I saw a play and not a musical. We actually had to run to the show as we were almost late. I felt like Blink 182 running down the street to What’s my Age Again, except that we weren’t naked. After the show, me and J-Biz rehashed an excellent trip and said our proper goodbyes at night (Independence handshake) since I was leaving early morning.


And such, is the best trip I have ever gone on and I am happy I went alongside a good friend.

Thank you for reading and god speed, blog readers.

Played ball again on Sat with andy and andj. Was fun, and andy was hitting them over with reckless abandon. But it was amazing that we find them all the time after they disappear into the trees. We haven't lost one in the high shrubbery. I have 3 pro balls and 2 of the imitation ones to play with now on Monday with Mark and Francois. I am getting ready for a busy week with a 2 day session downtown and an early departure on Fri to New york.
Last night, Heidi and mark had me over and I was treated to Mark's excellent ribs. I really enjoyed them but it is a challenge to extract the lower layer of meat from the bone. That is all bloggers, I will talk to you after my trip.

I was able to play some baseball with Andy and Andrea. WE had a good time and it was a good baseball display. Andy hit some power shots over the fence (approx 230 ft I estimate - not a senior level field) while I hit one myself. I also felt I had some good hauls from the outfield back to the infield though my outfield arm has a ways to go go still. For that matter, so does my infield arm. It felt nice hitting with a wooden bat on real pro baseballs. We had a casualty as we lost one ball but we still got 4 left. I was worried that Andy was going to hit someone going by the path as there were lots of walkers and cyclists out that day. One person exclaimed as they saw the ball leave the yard, "Elle est partie!" He didn't realize that if he had been biking in that spot three seconds earlier, he would have been nailed.

I did a massive cleaning on my apt which included floors (thanks to new swiffer equipment) vaccuuming, and cleaning my dining table, which had milk stains encrusted on the glass since probably January. It feels much more hygienic and I am proud of this.

Upcoming things:

-Trip
-Mullins cottage (attendance doubtful, see trip)
-Possible camping (someone at work supposed to organize it)
-Father/son brief holiday
-The Blouin family cottage weekend (attendance doubtful)
-Computer purchase
-Dentist/Optometrist

-Shopping for new clothes, shoes, socks and jackets has been put on the back-burner like never before. Although the burner was getting pretty hot last fall when I entered the winter season in my summer clothes still. I am slowly wearing through my socks so I am not sure how much longer I can go. Soon I will just be standing in my shoes.

I was able to secure donuts for Willy's again but the brother who likes them so much wasn’t working that night even though he said he would be. His brother told me that he was scheduled but couldn’t make it. Oh well, more donuts for him. I had an excellent combination pizza on sat night and with the garlic sauce, I was a happy customer. I followed it up with three big glasses of milk and my stomach thanked me for it.

An aside: I hope there is never a fire alarm in my building as I always seem woefully unprepared to leave the building during the day on Sat/Sun. I am usually busy with something on the comp, or have food cooking, or am all greasy in my tattered (and deteriorating) hodge-podge pyjama set sitting on Mark's leather couch.I don't think I could leave if there was an alarm. I would need at least a week to mentally prepare for something like that.

Hi readers,

Nothing has transpired lately except that I scheduled a doctor's appointment. My lip and teeth continue to heal but I'm not sure if the teeth are a permanent solution. I think they could bust off again. I saw my first rapidz game and paid through my nose for parking. Otherwise it was o.k…I don't think they will have enough fans to stay more than a couple years though. The $5 parking can't help either.

I cut my hair to my usual shortness and my mom says I look like a convict. I say sure why not. I continue to ride the bus with my sunglasses on like the creep I am. I do remove my hat though. But otherwise I would have to stop put down my bag and change my glasses, which is an inconvenience. But the people on the bus don't know that and probably just think I am a creep.

I have grown tired of the trips out to Barrhaven and am now going far less often. I am down to only one trip per week. How do I manage this you ask? Easy, I buy two bags of milk instead of one and four bars of Lindt chocolate instead of one. My neighbourhood isn't bad, but the shopping is better in B-haven. In fact I dropped by Rainbow Foods and got that tongue cleaner.

Work is slow lately, and I am receiving less and less e-mails all the time. Oh well
I am getting sick of the gum I bought in bulk in the fall. I still have one and 3/4 of cases left. I must have been chewing less gum this year than last. My gum chewing ratio of last year to this year is askew.

The new Batman movie looks kick-A**. I saw Get Smart and while it was funny, I give it only 3 out of 5 starts. It was far too long - 2 hrs around. I am sure they are already planning to make 4 sequels.

Well the guys at Willy's need some donuts, so I better get on that.

So it was a busy week for me which entailed more driving than I ever do in a week, almost a whole 30 km more.
What else is new? I dunno I say.

I am recovering nicely but the days where I couldn’t brush my teeth combined with the amount of sugar I've put down my gullet in the past few months, have left their mark. I am like Larry David now with a nice little plaque problem. My next dentist visit is in Sept though.

To thank them for their efforts that day, I got my dentist (MAD, Marc Deschamps) and my supervisor a 200 ml bottle of Kahluha. Hope they savour the taste. It will be difficult since they have to share the one bottle and they don't really live close to each other or know one another. Oh well.




(joke)



I also bought some real baseballs from someone at work, but I feel I overpaid since the value to her was nothing before I came along. She didn't have an alternative use for them.

I am going to get on filling out a new passport form and next week the escort is going into Bourk's for an annual check-up.

Canada day approaches but I am indifferent to it.
I haven't had a physical for around 5 good years so it seems time to do that. I also want to get some shots; I'm thinking maybe a Hep A, a tetanus, might as well throw in a Menningicocol while you're at it. Whatever they're willing to give me really.

So far this summer, the black cherry vanilla cola that Coke featured last year has not been spotted on any store shelves.

"Half of my 20% allotment?

"Allotment (questions Richard), it sounds like you're running a matzah business."

"Who is this captain out of the clear blue sky?"


If it didn't get plugged enough, Wesley's blog is back in action everyone! Since I don't even have a link to his blog on my page and I'm not sure he is still checking this, this makes my message rather pointless. Oh well.

Tomorrow is the good old fashioned family fun 'iofd picnic. It should be a grand ol' time and I hope they ordered a dunk tank for this year's festivities.

I'm getting around slowly to doing things on my 'list of things to do' that was published only a mere 5 months ago. The 2nd edition is due out in early fall, so I can have a whole new bunch of unfulfilled promises and goals.

My hunt is on however for a Dr. Tung's tongue cleaner and some professional baseballs. Don't despair anyone, as I have leads on both!

Also in the mix is some PRK corrective eye surgery. I'm not too worried about that one though as I can probably do it on a lunch break or even on the way home.

One thing I did move fast on though was the Quaker Golden Honey with Bran Instant Oatmeal that Andy picked up for me. It turned out that McCarthy road wasn't as far as I thought and it is pretty close to Barrhaven. So I picked up 5 boxes of it at the only A & P in Ottawa. There was something unwholesome about going at 10 pm on Sunday night Father's day but it worked out. I have two packets in the morning and let me be the first to admit that the stomach is not too stable.

I am finished with disposable plastic water bottles, and am now only drinking out of a glass bottle that I will clean with soap when the mood should strike. Somehow it feels more hygienic when I wash a glass bottle out with hot water than a plastic water bottle. Any Zuzikis out there can tell me differently.

A baseball trip looks like it may not be happening if we don't move on the planning fast. I hope it goes ahead.
A decision on the computer is expected by end of August. Now, don't go ahead and confuse that with a purchase date, as I merely stated that I would decide on it.

Willy's has raised prices - for the second time this calendar year - and I think it is intended to send me a direct message: "Learn to cook your own meals you r$%arded kid"

Thanks for reading my hodge-podge of irrelevant info about hygiene routines, food consumption, and leisure budget. Appreciate it.

Andy C is an absolute beauty. Only hours after hearing about how I long for Quaker Oatmeal Golden Honey with Bran, he picked me up a box at his local Maxi (Gatineau). God bless him as now I don't have to drive 40 minutes out of my way to pick up a box on McCarthy rd. at the only A&P in Ottawa. I know they have the product because I called to find out. I discovered this variety of the instant oatmeal while living in Guelph. However, I couldn't find it at any grocery stores in Ottawa.

Tonight I think I am fetching a burger at East Side Mario,s and then back to the apt for internet work and a late night exercise session. Yesterday was laundry and watching ball on tv. The Jays were in an absolute nail-biter and must have went 1-14 with runners in scoring position.

There have been a few grizzly murders in Ottawa lately, with two of the female victims living right down the street from me, on McEwen and New Orchard respectively. I think I may start brandishing a gun when I walk around my lowly neighbourhood. I hope I am not next on this list of victims.

Ella's baptism is coming up and I will be going to that. There was talk that a bucket of chicken would find its way over to the after-party, but this notion was quickly discarded when I found out that 1) KFC is not classy to bring to a gathering after a baptism 2) KFC's whole price structure out of whack. For instance two 3piece meals would cost me 21$ after delivery and tax. I'm sure we will get by without getting grease stuck to our arteries.

I have noticed that running the air conditonner at night is very noisy in the bedroom and I am going to chill the room down, then turn it off when I go to sleep. That air conditonner is certainly due for a replacement to a more modern, civilized Danby model. But it can wait to next year.

Signing off,
One of the Idiots (Millar, Damon, ManRam, Papi, Varitek, A-train)

Not much happening. Or some stuff is, but I'm too apathetic lately to bother documenting it. What I will tell you are details that you probably don't want to know about. Ex: the past two weeks a pimple of fair size has just been sitting on the right cheek. It decides not to come out, nor will it go away. It has been around long enough I figure that it is time to start charging rent.

Also, I had told you about a more natural deoderant that I was looking at buying. It was called Tom's of Maine (aluminum free) and had hops in it. I got the unscented one and proudly started using it. It was ok on my trip to Cuba with only one day of b.o. and that was a hard day of trekking. But yesterday I had felt that I had applied it liberally and what do I get while changing in the handicapped washroom at work in preparation for my softball game after work? Stank from the underarms. I suppose there is a lesson here: if you want to go healthy and natural, you can't smell good.

Watching baseball has been good lately and playing softball is proving more fun than I expected. Brings me back to my old days in the Barrhaven League with Vesse calling the shots on where I should go play. He was a true beauty and I hold those memories dear to my heart. It was something that soccer never delivered for me.

Ol' ambleside is still standing, but there is second hand smoke that is leaking through somewhere in the apt. I suspect the fans or the sink drain. Really I have no idea and just wish it would go the f*#%$ away. I guess you pay extra for that fishy-smoky smell. You just don't get that fishy-smoky smell anywhere. In lieu of my patio chairs bieng taken away from me in the near future - which I've used all of three times since moving in, and are the only thing featured on a sad, sad patio littered with pigeon droppings - I will be hitting the parking way this summer more with my bike and maybe walking and jogging.

Have a good weekend Internet, I don't know if I will but it remains to be seen.

Well I still have 2668 e-mails at work in my inbox, as well 42 saved messages on my phone. I plan on deleting everything in the near future. The subject of today's blog will be to give my playoff predictions for Round 1 of the NHL playoffs. That time of year is finally here. You will also find some advice below. Feel free to follow it to the letter, or discard it like an unwanted sweater.

In other news, I have decided to delay the purchase of a new comp system as I will be busy with other stuff. Maybe in the early summer. I do not envy the task that I will eventually face of transferring over all sorts of media files. I also need to figure out the best way to dispose of my old comp stuff that is environmentally responsible. I will have to pay to get it take care of properly. No free programs set up in Ottawa. But there is a gun amnesty program. I guess a lot more people own guns than people who want to get rid of old computers.



NHL predictions:

New Jersey vs. New York Rangers:
Probably the hardest series in the East to call, but the season series record shows New York as the clear cut favourite (7-0). Marty Brodeur and the Devils should go out again early. Boring, yawn!

Rangers in 6

Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh:
A disaster waiting to happen for Ottawa, not that they would have been any better off facing Washington. Ottawa is so discombobulated right now, it is hard to imagine that this team went to the finals last spring. They say that a shake-up could be on the way for this Senators squad, with Spezza likely to fetch the most in return. Can anyone say Spezza for Luongo, given the disgruntled time Roberto had facing the Vancouver media this year. Oh yeah, the reason I am giving the sweep to the Penguins is because Alfredsson and Fisher will both miss the entire series

Penguins in 4

Washington vs. Philadelphia:
The speed of the Capitals should prove deadly for Philly. Look for Ovechkin to regularly undress Martin Biron and Huet to shut the door. Washington is on a mission this spring.

Capitals in 5

Montreal vs. Boston:
Complete domination should be expected here, but I will give Boston the benefit of a doubt and give them at least one game.

Canadiens in 5



Anaheim vs. Dallas:
Hard to predict, but remember that Turco is traditionally shake come playoff time. Can Richards rise to Conn-Smythe form? This one should be a slobber-knocker with the Ducks coming out on top in the end. Lots of OT here!

Ducks in 7



San Jose vs. Calgary:
San Jose should obliterate the Flames and anyone who says differently is drinking the Canadian Kool-Aid. While the series won't last long, it should be a physical one.

Sharks in 4

Minnesota vs. Colorado:
The hardest series to predict since I am not familiar much with the Wild. There team seems mostly the same from previous years, but analysts are saying, watch out for this group. Forsberg probably will not play much, but there is Foote to play the big shut-down on Gaborik. Let's not forget about Smyth in front of the net. Should be a beauty of a series which also features OT.

Avs in 6

Detroit vs. Nashville:
Anialhation by the Red Wings. A rather boring series can be anticipated.
Red Wings in 4

Advice:

-Pizza is your friend. Eat it as often as you can without doing damage to your body and health.

-Don't buy a "$300 Blu-ray player". Just continue to rent regular format DVD's and stick with an older player. Besides, ina few years, we are supposed to skip the video players altogether and get direct downloads from somewhere: probably the internet. I couldn't care less about "features, resolution, sound"

As long as I am getting to see the movie I am content; I would still sit down and watch VHS.

-Large amounts of money can be saved by not buying DVD's. Except for maybe a few select titles (i.e. Star Wars, a priceless comedy etc) it is just a bunch of clutter in your tv stand. Some people think they have really cornered the market by buying a dvd they have never seen and probably don't care much for, instead of renting it one time. When do you have the time to sit down and watch that drama/thriller with the B rated actor? Actually, the cheapest way to do it is to download, but that is another battle altogether (small risk of virus, annoying to watch at comp etc)

-Reduce your upgrades of technology equipment from every 2 or 3 years to every 4 or 5 years. Buy on the cusp of the right cycles and you should be fine.

Delaying gratification is something that the following groups have mastered: Viet-Cong, The Muja-Hadeen, and the Tibetan monks. We should strive to be more like them.

-Discipline is a must! Otherwise you are one of the many who are convinced that paying with cash is always the best way to go. The credit card can play a valuable role and is optimally used by placing a big purchase right after the cut-off date for the monthly invoice.

-To add to the above note, don't spend money you don't have! Only make that big purchase if you can afford to pay it off next month. Until then, you should stick with the CRT screen. Oh wait, I'm doing that anyways. But for everyone else!

Good friday

It was a good Friday.

I woke up at 1:48 and then got a lot of stuff done around the apartment in preparation for Josh's arrival. It seemed doubtful that he would come earlier in the week, but things changed course. I was happy to hear that he'll be joining the Easter dinner at the ertl household. Tomorrow is the pick-up at the train station, and before-hand I will do some grocery shopping.

As I write this, I have laundry going, and then I will pay some bills, and close the evening by washing dishes.

I have been dedicating lots of time to finding my next computer system. I am still debating between Mac and PC, laptop and desktop, big box store or small retailer and a host of other things. Should I wait for a Blue-Ray drive to become standard? Basically im sick and tired of waiting around for Windows to work, with all the error messages and slow-downs and spyware hidden on the system (even when it is brand news as it is all pre-loaded). Another consideration is that i woudl like my system to come with the operating system disc. I hate the ridiculous notion that i would need to burn a bunch of dvds in order to have a copy. In fact, it is making me angry just thinking about it.

I have made a positive change to my mornings. I now wake up to 98.5 the Jewell, as opposed to Magic fm with that crazy idiot Kevin or Bill. They made me very nervous each morning for about an hour as I lolly-gagged in bed with their crazy talk and the commercials aired on the station. It was also a loud pitch and I am sure my neighbours could hear each morning for that hour. At one point, I was worried that they would break in my condo (home invasion style) and beat me. If that happened, I would actually be sympathetic for their cause, since it was defeaningly loud in the morning. But ultimately, I would fight them off with my big CRT monitor.

I am also working on organizing two trips in May, but time is my enemy now as a lot is going on actually. In other news, I was paid out by the insurance company (not enough I dont think), but now I am still waiting on the french results.

This week I ate pizza on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and I will be getting another one I imagine at some point this weekend with Josh. Long live the pie!

Winter has made me one lazy lazy man. If I can count the number of nights I have hunkered down on the couch in front of the boob-tube, it would be a depressingly high number. Taking the bus has not helped my laziness however. If anything, it has contributed to it. Another project in the works (yes I have many of them..) is to get something (music, an ear block) in my ear to block out the annoying conversations one may be subject to while riding the bus. Alternatively, I may consider paying the extra 20 bones for an express pass, which tends to be a more civilized experience than the 97 and 95 routes (where anything goes). At least then, I would be guaranteed a seat on the bus, and more importantly would get on the bus ina timely fashion. These days I end up waiting longer for the bus than my commute home. Yesterday I waited just over 20 min. I don't really consider where I live a strategic spot. Too far to walk, too close to probably be granted a parking spot here. I do have a Willy's and a Tim Hortons, but don't hit Hortons often.

I still await the following things: word from the classroom outreach program; reimbursement for my dental bill; my french test results. No, things don't happen overnight, or even in a matter of weeks. The cold has persisted and I am willing to wear my coat until the end of March. I hope that I can wear a lighter coat in April, as I have not had a chance to wash my main winter coat. Talk about stank.

I am working on a new sandwich. From now on, I will be exclusively dealing with rye bread sandwiches. Two advantages: it is healthier than white flour bread and it does not go as stale as white bread rolls. I also feel like an Austrian when I eat my Diplfheimer (spelling) bread.

Tonight I ate another heavy cheese laden meal. It was Nacho night at ol' Ambleside. If anyone can offer me a healthy alternative that does not involve cheese or beef but fills you up just as well, let me know. It seems that without cheese, I am nothing.

I have really been enjoying all the curling, poker, and reality shows on tv lately. This is exactly what I hoped the networks would air when I got cable. Please, what a waste of programming.

I am once again inspired in the battle to speak french. It happened recently as I was watching 110% on TQS at 11. It is a hockey show where the guys just act like bastards and overrule each other constantly. Somebody is always talking when another is speaking. P.J. Stock, a former NHLer and anglophone -who also assists Ron McLean on HNIC- was on to my amazement! He held his own too and spoke fast enough to keep up with the others. If Stock can do it, so can we.

wheew

What a snow-filled weekend. Most things that I planned to do got cancelled. On Sat, I headed down to Rideau and King street to get to the Ottawa Little THeatre where I had signed up for a class. But I did so without checking my messages and I could have saved myself the trouble as no one was there. When I got back home, I saw that the guy had left a message; three actually! I had to drown my sorrows in a Willy pizza.

I played squash later and chilled around the apt, watching the carnage unfold from my window.

Sunday is where all the action happened. After much debating I decided that I would not attend the comedy show that evening on Preston St. I so wanted to go cross-country skiing but I never did make it. As I was going in Langholm Crescent to pick up the stuff from my parents' house, the Escort got stuck in the huge ridges of snow. I was angry, furious even that these side streets were left to pots. I revved the engine for a while, and then just sat there. A nice woman offered me a shovel, and I thought my prayers had been answered. As I was done shovelling around the car, I noticed I had left my keys in the car and locked it?! I was screwed. Thankfully, Marka nd Heidi were right down the street so I went to them, called CAA, and sat down to play some hockey to fill in the time. To my amazement, the truck came within an hour. But then the trouble started. The huge CAA truck got completely stuck on the side of the snow bank. This persisted for more than an hour as the guy kept spinning his wheels, burning rubber and ultimately spinning his truck all over the place. Cars were blocked by our big commotion and it was a sight.

The guy finally jarred himself loose and pulled the escort out and then got in the locked door. I then proceeded to act as the neighbourhood snow manager, as I tried to clear the spot where I got stuck. I did this for around 40 minutes before tiring. Hats off to Mark who cleared two driveways and pushed two cars out from their stationary state. He was a sore soldier afterwards. This has truly been, "The Winter from Hell" (richard lewis)

I had a bunch of advice to post but I will s ave them for a later post. I should mention that I performed less than ideally on my big french oral test and that I am fed up with the NHL teams and their choice to alternate between what jerseys they wear. First, it was always white jersey at home (ever since I can remember). Then in ahuge marketing effort to sell more jerseys, they switched it around and started wearing their dark jersey at home. Now some teams are screwing around again with it, most notably the coyotes who wore white at home. Can't the League just institute a mandatory white at home policy, like other leagues.

Lastly, 'yaker' has skewed the results I believe by notifying me that he was keeping track of his blog appearances. I realized this after he let me know that he was going for the "triple crown". While he may not have won the triple crown, he did win the Art Ross trophy and and the Hart Trophy, so that has got to count for something.

I was caught in the monthly publication of my employer. Actually 'yaker' found it on the good ol' Intranet and sent it over. He went to the trouble of circling me with black paint. It is pretty funny and I laughed hard when I opened it up in my e-mail. Mostly because it looks like I took one in the face from a shovel.

On Monday I went over to Heidi and Mark's for delicious fajitas. Thanks guys! I then played M in NHL 08 and lost a couple times. It is a fun game, but they had a serious lapse in judgment when they elected not to feature Adam Foote on the cover. Tonight, I was supposed to go Jones' to eat with her, FB and his parents, but I decided to not make the trip due to a combination of the weather and having to be at work early on Thursday for something. This winter has been something else, and I sincerely hope we have enough left in the tank to tackle the all time snow record of 440 cm, set back in 1970-71. After today's blast, we are at 357 cm.

Random thoughts from a scattered mind:

-My front hall is still a mess and I don't care much.
-I want to buy a Mac desktop for my next system maybe. Time frame is summer I think.
-Must start planning my two possible trips in May.
-THe above two cash outlays would mean that I would probably hold off on buying a new car.
-I ran out of white paint as I was trying to finish painting the cupboards on Sunday.
-The baseball tryout was mostly a bust and nearly left me bed-ridden the next day. When I was complaining about the process to someone at work, he suggested I start my own league. Weirder things have happened.

funny things

I have been invited to an indoor baseball practice at Carelton U this Sat at 8. I am excited and it will be good to get back into things. Hopefully I can parlay this into a spot on a team this summer.

After groceries on Saturday, I seem to have forgotten to put away my Beatrice milk. It was pretty hilarious to notice on Sunday afternoon, while leaving the apt. the bag leaning against the wall. It was out for 15 hours and no word yet if it is ok. I will test the waters soon. I have re-created the scene for your amusement in the attached picture by taking the milk out of the fridge again quickly. While I was at it, I took a shot displaying how the front hall is arranged at my condo. I find it more convenient to just sprawl everything out so I can easily access it when I come in the door.





Below are some things people from work have sent me:
The first is a poem by 'yaker' and the second is an e-mail from Andy C. at work meant to encourage me to take his retractable badge holder from him.


Hello little blue colored blue berry
You look so plump and delicious
Glistening in the hot summer heat you
Blue colored blue berry
Hello my little blue friend
Full of anti-oxidents and flavour
Now I pick you and put you in my mouth to enjoy you
Thank you you blue colored blue berry

Jake Purdy (2008)




Tones you are the busiest man ever these days.

The kind of man who has no time to bend down to unhook his lanyard from around his neck.
The kind of man who needs….a snap-back id badge holder.

It was one of the most productive weekends Ive had since I took residence at Ambleside. Started Friday off with a bang as I attended another one of Andy's great bashes. I had legitimate fun and I was able to carry over the momentum on Sat by heading downtown for church with Pa. I also got a Beavertail and then we quickly looked at the ice sculptures. See pics below. On Sunday I woke up early to play on the outdoor rink with Mark. I hadn't been in years and had a blast. We didn't even lose any pucks. I then got some breakfast at two different houses, groceries at basics and jetted back to Ambleside. I did a million loads of laundry and cleaned the bathroom spotless. Right now I am sweating in my apartment as the fossils in my building haven't noticed that the temperature is rising and probably have their thermostats set to 25 degrees.

being proactive

I have a 6 point plan to live a healthier life. These are all subtle things, but why not watch the body/mind. They should all be in place in the next few months.

1. Get a flat screen to eliminate radiation if lots of time is spent at computer

2. Ditch the aluminum filled deoderant tube in favour of a natural one (Tom's of Maine)

3. Take a multi-vitamin each day to cover all the bases

4. Drink low-acid drinks if you consume a lot of something (ex: low-acid apple juice by Allen"s. Your gums will thank you for it)

5. Drink enough water (but not too much!)

Update

Well it's been a while but I figure I'd do an update to clear some thoughts.

-I hosted a pizza party a couple weeks back that seemed to go well. I have some photos to post and will put them on facebook. The deficit continues to grow each time I have new pics to upload as I only put them on facebook. I still am caught between Shutterfly/Picasa/Or just taking them in to Loblaws to be processed. This new digitial age actually has produced more work than ever in managing photos.

-I have checked in on the NCBL (National capital baseball league) The forums are already up for players looking for teams so I should add myself in the near future. Can't believe it is already February.

-I signed up for a "Fundamentals of Acting" class that will be taking place on 6 consecutive saturdays starting March 8 at the Ottawa Little Theatre. I will try to make it to Improv this Wed, to keep fresh on my feet.

-For some reason, no major network decided to run the movie "Groundhog Day" this year. This disappoints me as it makes a lot more sense than showing "The Replacements" on Friday (City tv) and "War of the Worlds" on Saturday (ABC). On a related note, one has to admit that Groundhod Day has really fallen off the map completed. I used to remember this being a yearly ritual 15 years ago when people would come bustling in at school (or the office I"m assuming) analysing the decision made the groundhog early that morning (early spring or not). Sort of sad that the ritual died off.

-My classroom outreach program starts on Monday. I will be assisting a teacher in a class for up to 2 hours a week as part of the program at work.

-I am really fed up with this poker craze that is sweeping across all television networks. First it was just sports networks, now the A-channel picks it up on Saturday nights? Why do people find this interesting. It is such crap - even lower than reality tv. Why does Rogers Sportsnet think its audience would rather watch poker and be blacked out from watching the Leafs game. Sportsnet Ontario should mean Sportsnet Ontario. Show me what that people in Toronto are seeing, not some poker game.

-The following are a list of movies that I have narrowed down. Some are old but I figure this would catch me up. I have seen bits and pieces of some and would like to see them in their entirety:

E.T
Stand by Me
The Deer Hunter
Mullholland Dr.
Lost Highway
Braveheart
Rudy
Identity
Chariots of Fire

Thumbs up to Sylvester Stallone for making a real old fashioned Action Movie (80's style). It has received great ratings and I plan to see it.
Thumbs down to the writers of the utterly dismal movie, Meet the Spartans. How low can the spoof genre sink. Beyond the depths of hell seems to be the answer. THese hacks are pathetic and it is hard to believe any money can be made off the project.

Well everyone, it finally happened. Warner Bros became yet another studio to announce that it would only be releasing in Blu-Ray and not DVD format anymore. This spells frustration for millions of households across North America who have built up vast libraries of DVDs, acquiring them at places ranging from electronics stores to grocery store bargain bins. Apparently, the two are not comptabile (one won’t play on the other). This means everyone has to go out and buy another player, this time a Blu-Ray disc player. And if they want to keep their old collection, this Blu-Ray player has to co-exist with their old DVD player. Add to this the VCR that is still kicking around and you have moocho appliancos. Anyway, I told people to buy with caution, but they didn’t heed my warnings.

Well everyone, it finally happened. After much frustration and time wasted in the shower, I acquired the ultimate in face cream cleansers (for use in shower or just at night). Nivea has done it again – and by again, I mean that this product has been circulating for years, only I have discovered it recently. The name you ask? Nivea for Men Double Action Face Wash (cleans and conditions) for normal to dry skin. This wash gets rid of all the scum, grease, layers of oil and leaves it smooth. All this plus an invigorating scent that trails you for the rest of the morning. Most amazing is that I don’t require the use of a moisturizer afterwards! I am sure Nivea for Men has an excellent product for this, but the point is that it is not necessary. I hate slopping on greasy cream on my face after I just freshly washed it in the shower. Can you say self-defeating? I can. Pick this up in tube of 150 ml for around 6.55 at Wal-Mart. I expect it to last 3- 6 months.

My condo continues to take shape. I am in the process of painting and now I have liberated more counter space. Excellent, Smithers.

My gum supply continues to dwindle without a suitable replacement lined up.

Yesterday I had my tv turned to one of those digital radio stations - Galaxy 80"s. For about 6 hours I listened to some really great tunes while I went about my chores. The 80's certainly had some great music, none of this rap (crap) or slushy hip hop. Just feel good music.

I continue to not hear back from any employers about jobs I apply to. I am considering taking a radical new approach to get them to notice me. Maybe I will show up to headquarters shouting obscenities and flailing my arms. Or I create some business cards that say: “Hire me, I’m a big winner.” I guess a Bachelor’s degree and some elbow grease just ain’t what is used to be. That and that fact that I don’t know anybody inside these organizations. That plus the fact that most of these jobs are staffing only one position. Wow, I would do better just playing Lotto 649.

X-mas and New Years were a hit. Well New Year’s was pretty low key. But thanks to M for the gifts picked out. Grape soda is so money, and it doesn’t even know it!