-In the past 24 hours the temperature has really risen in St. John’s. Yesterday at about this time it was almost -10, and now it is just about 0. The forecast is predicting that it will hover at about this or a slightly lower temperature for the next few days.
In Montreal they are in the midst of a freezing rain warning. Such events have a history of causing serious problems in the areas. Earlier this year freezing rain brought down all kinds of trees and branches, knocking out people’s power for days.
-Yesterday I went skating for the first time in a few years. It was a strange feeling to be back on skates after a multi-year absence. The up side was that I learned that my skates needed to be sharpened, the downside was that I did not figure this out until I was on the ice.
My current plan is to take my skates back to Montreal so that I can go skating in the various ice rinks that are built around the city, particularly the one that is located in the Old Port of Montreal. This rink in particular is impressive when it is all open, skaters have access to a huge ice surface.
-Today is New Years Eve.
-I finally got around to getting some contact info for a few friends of mine. The nice thing was that in one instance I was actually able to talk to my friend rather than just getting his phone number.
-Sorry about the slow down in posting over the Christmas season. This should be rectified upon my return to Montreal. It is likely that Neil will still post less than his fair share once he returns to Halifax.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Saddam is Dead
It seems that Saddam was recently executed.
Several other famous people have died this Christmas season, including James Brown and Gerald R. Ford (whose museum in Grand Rapids is worth visiting).
Several other famous people have died this Christmas season, including James Brown and Gerald R. Ford (whose museum in Grand Rapids is worth visiting).
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Happy Third Day of Christmas
I have continued to take shots of snow falling, at least when we have snow falling.
This clip was taken this morning, making it clear that snow continued to fall during the night.
This morning was filled with post-Christmas shopping (is this a North America only phenomenon?). Both of us set our alarms for 8:15 AM so that we could be out of the house and at the store for opening.
The first stop was a discount store that seemed to have some very good prices. My goal was to buy a blender and a home hair cutting kit. If all went as planned I would spend about $15. Upon arriving at the store I learned that things weren't going to be quite as straightforward as I might have like. There seemed to be two flyers, the one distributed to homes had better prices and was not available in the store, that had varying content. The layout of the store did not really assist shoppers in finding their desired products.
When we were finally ready to leave this store I had only my two desired products, I had had to fight a few enemy urges during the trip (one of which was to buy some cheap trumpets and sell them on eBay). Neil was a bit below his desired price range. This result occurred because an MP3 player he was buying for Rebecca's brother came in $10 below the advertised price and a hoped for phone had already sold out. He too did not buy any unplanned items, only his own home haircutting kit and the previously MP3 player.
After our first (well second if you count my coffee) commerical experience of the morning we went all the way out to Mount Pearl to pick Rebecca up and drop off the MP3 player. With this mission complete the three of us went to an even cheaper discount store and picked up a few items apiece for our respective out of province apartments. I purchased a set of three wrenches for $1.25, hopefully one of them will help me remove my infamous peggle.
We then returned home. I then quickly left so that I could go pick up the paper, though between these two events I checked my email and learned that Jerry Ford died.
Upon my return I decided to check out my new blender. As soon as I opened the box I noticed that things did not seem to be quite right, something seemed to be missing. It turns out that the bowl/glass was missing, I only had the motor. Fortunately, Neil was to head back to that part of town for a dental appointment and offered to exchange it for me. Hopefully in the next few minutes he will come back with a full version of the super cheap blender.
This clip was taken this morning, making it clear that snow continued to fall during the night.
This morning was filled with post-Christmas shopping (is this a North America only phenomenon?). Both of us set our alarms for 8:15 AM so that we could be out of the house and at the store for opening.
The first stop was a discount store that seemed to have some very good prices. My goal was to buy a blender and a home hair cutting kit. If all went as planned I would spend about $15. Upon arriving at the store I learned that things weren't going to be quite as straightforward as I might have like. There seemed to be two flyers, the one distributed to homes had better prices and was not available in the store, that had varying content. The layout of the store did not really assist shoppers in finding their desired products.
When we were finally ready to leave this store I had only my two desired products, I had had to fight a few enemy urges during the trip (one of which was to buy some cheap trumpets and sell them on eBay). Neil was a bit below his desired price range. This result occurred because an MP3 player he was buying for Rebecca's brother came in $10 below the advertised price and a hoped for phone had already sold out. He too did not buy any unplanned items, only his own home haircutting kit and the previously MP3 player.
After our first (well second if you count my coffee) commerical experience of the morning we went all the way out to Mount Pearl to pick Rebecca up and drop off the MP3 player. With this mission complete the three of us went to an even cheaper discount store and picked up a few items apiece for our respective out of province apartments. I purchased a set of three wrenches for $1.25, hopefully one of them will help me remove my infamous peggle.
We then returned home. I then quickly left so that I could go pick up the paper, though between these two events I checked my email and learned that Jerry Ford died.
Upon my return I decided to check out my new blender. As soon as I opened the box I noticed that things did not seem to be quite right, something seemed to be missing. It turns out that the bowl/glass was missing, I only had the motor. Fortunately, Neil was to head back to that part of town for a dental appointment and offered to exchange it for me. Hopefully in the next few minutes he will come back with a full version of the super cheap blender.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Merry Christmas
So far Christmas Day has gone well. Though we started the day's festivities at about 8:15 AM we managed to stretch it out until almost 3:00 PM. As far as I know this is a family record, with the credit going to a very strictly enforced guessing requirement.
Hope things are going well for everyone else.
There should be a clip or two over the next few days, stay tuned for continued Holiday season updates.
Hope things are going well for everyone else.
There should be a clip or two over the next few days, stay tuned for continued Holiday season updates.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
A Few Quick Notes 42
-Much of the snow that has arrived over the past few days is quickly disappearing in the relatively heavy rain that is currently having. I had really hoped, and still hope, that we might still have some snow on the ground for Christmas day.
-Yesterday was “Tib’s Eve” or “Tip’s Eve” or “Tipsey Eve” in Newfoundland. This is the day before Christmas eve. It seems that the people used to go around and get loaded at this time of year, maybe even going from party to party as the night progressed. How I long for the good old days. My brother’s girlfriend recently heard it referred to as “Tim’s Eve.”
-Our Christmas tree is up and in place. To me it looks quite nice, but this may just be because I am a fan of tradition and all of my favourite ornaments are up.
-Since I arrived in St. John’s from Montreal I have been feeling a little under the weather. This condition seems to have almost been worsened, likely because of a large number of late nights and a very few number of sleeping hours. On top of all of this I haven’t even been able to regularize my napping schedule, or for that matter take many naps.
-In reference to an imaginary conversation with a cousin of mine, my sister stated that “the dog is nicer than you, and the dog bites.”
-Tonight we had roast beef for dinner (I peeled the potatoes, carrots and onions). Tomorrow night we will be having traditional Christmas Steaks (served rare so that they maintain their Christmas color). On Boxing Day we will be having Turkey with all of the traditional sides (hopefully I will peel the potatoes). The first of these three meals was very tasty, hopefully the other two will be as good or better.
-Yesterday was “Tib’s Eve” or “Tip’s Eve” or “Tipsey Eve” in Newfoundland. This is the day before Christmas eve. It seems that the people used to go around and get loaded at this time of year, maybe even going from party to party as the night progressed. How I long for the good old days. My brother’s girlfriend recently heard it referred to as “Tim’s Eve.”
-Our Christmas tree is up and in place. To me it looks quite nice, but this may just be because I am a fan of tradition and all of my favourite ornaments are up.
-Since I arrived in St. John’s from Montreal I have been feeling a little under the weather. This condition seems to have almost been worsened, likely because of a large number of late nights and a very few number of sleeping hours. On top of all of this I haven’t even been able to regularize my napping schedule, or for that matter take many naps.
-In reference to an imaginary conversation with a cousin of mine, my sister stated that “the dog is nicer than you, and the dog bites.”
-Tonight we had roast beef for dinner (I peeled the potatoes, carrots and onions). Tomorrow night we will be having traditional Christmas Steaks (served rare so that they maintain their Christmas color). On Boxing Day we will be having Turkey with all of the traditional sides (hopefully I will peel the potatoes). The first of these three meals was very tasty, hopefully the other two will be as good or better.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Promised clip
I was finally able to post the pigeon clip, though it certainly took a while. Unfortunately, I did not realize that I had an easy means of taking away the sound until after I gone too far. So you may want to turn down the volume as it really adds nothing to the clip. Additionally, I apologize for the shaky camera work, my arm started to get tired as I was leaning across my desk to be next to the window.
Friday, December 22, 2006
A Few Quick Notes 41
-We seem to be receiving a surprise snowfall today. What seemed like a few flurries at first is now a full-blown snowfall.
-I will be staying at home with my sister tonight. It is likely that we will rent a movie of some sort and hopefully head to bed early (at least that is my wish).
-Last night, with my brother and his girlfriend, I got together with a few friends, many of whom are no longer full time residents of Newfoundland. We started the evening at Bitters, the graduate student bar, but quickly learned that they would be closing at 9:00 PM. We then moved over to Big Bens, a nearby pub. Some people in our group played a card game called 120s. As I think that this is a horrible game I did not play. Eventually, around midnight, I left and returned home.
-While at Bitters a slight dispute arose between the bartender and myself. I requested a “Black Velvet” and learned that the bartender had no clue as to what I was talking about. When I described what I wanted, Guinness layered on a base of cider, she instructed me that the drink I was requested was called “snakebite.” What I described as “snakebite,” cider and lager, she called “black and tan.” I was pretty sure this was off, so I found this , though I can’t say that it is my favourite source. At the end of the day I guess I shouldn’t be too upset considering that I ended up with the drink that I wanted.
-For some reason since I have been home I haven’t been eating all that much, it is really quite strange. For instance, so far today I have only had two pieces of toast and I have been up for almost eight hours. Many of my days seem to go like this, with maybe one proper meal and very sparse quantities of food throughout the rest of the day.
-There are some leeks in the fridge, I really should make some potato and leek soup in the next day or two.
-I will be staying at home with my sister tonight. It is likely that we will rent a movie of some sort and hopefully head to bed early (at least that is my wish).
-Last night, with my brother and his girlfriend, I got together with a few friends, many of whom are no longer full time residents of Newfoundland. We started the evening at Bitters, the graduate student bar, but quickly learned that they would be closing at 9:00 PM. We then moved over to Big Bens, a nearby pub. Some people in our group played a card game called 120s. As I think that this is a horrible game I did not play. Eventually, around midnight, I left and returned home.
-While at Bitters a slight dispute arose between the bartender and myself. I requested a “Black Velvet” and learned that the bartender had no clue as to what I was talking about. When I described what I wanted, Guinness layered on a base of cider, she instructed me that the drink I was requested was called “snakebite.” What I described as “snakebite,” cider and lager, she called “black and tan.” I was pretty sure this was off, so I found this , though I can’t say that it is my favourite source. At the end of the day I guess I shouldn’t be too upset considering that I ended up with the drink that I wanted.
-For some reason since I have been home I haven’t been eating all that much, it is really quite strange. For instance, so far today I have only had two pieces of toast and I have been up for almost eight hours. Many of my days seem to go like this, with maybe one proper meal and very sparse quantities of food throughout the rest of the day.
-There are some leeks in the fridge, I really should make some potato and leek soup in the next day or two.
Snow falling earlier today
Another short clip of snow falling in the backyard. As you will note, there has clearly been a little accumulation since the last clip.
I should also let you know that I have not forgotten the promised pigeon clip, it just seems that I have had no luck in posting it to YouTube, and now my flash drive seems to be crapping out. What fun.
I should also let you know that I have not forgotten the promised pigeon clip, it just seems that I have had no luck in posting it to YouTube, and now my flash drive seems to be crapping out. What fun.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
A Few Quick Notes 40
-We have maintained our nice snow cover, though I would not mind a little more. On top of that it would not be too bad to have the temperature drop by a few degrees, as a snow preservation function.
-I had a rather nice night on the town last night. My evening started at a house where my friend is staying for the holidays. From the house we headed downtown and visited a few local drinking establishments. We were able to see not only traditional Newfoundland music but also more contemporary music as performed by a friend of mine.
-I was just listening to the radio and the host was talking to a guest. The guest passed out wishes to his family and friends, as well as the entire population of Newfoundland. The host then asked the guest how his mother was, to which the guest replied that his mother had died earlier in the year. Not an answer that you want to get on live radio.
-Moments ago I received a phone call telling me that I had just won a free Caribbean cruise. All I had to do was to press 9 and deal with a few steps. Being the nice guy that I am, I let my brother proceed with the call, and presumably my free cruise.
-I had a rather nice night on the town last night. My evening started at a house where my friend is staying for the holidays. From the house we headed downtown and visited a few local drinking establishments. We were able to see not only traditional Newfoundland music but also more contemporary music as performed by a friend of mine.
-I was just listening to the radio and the host was talking to a guest. The guest passed out wishes to his family and friends, as well as the entire population of Newfoundland. The host then asked the guest how his mother was, to which the guest replied that his mother had died earlier in the year. Not an answer that you want to get on live radio.
-Moments ago I received a phone call telling me that I had just won a free Caribbean cruise. All I had to do was to press 9 and deal with a few steps. Being the nice guy that I am, I let my brother proceed with the call, and presumably my free cruise.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Another video clip
Another shot of snow falling in our backyard. This one was taken a little later in the day, as evidenced by a greater amount of accumulation.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Winter goings on
Last night I was able to participate in a curling match. My former skip guessed that I might be back in town and invited my to join his team for last night’s game. It turned out that it was a thumping. We managed to score only one point.
As I hadn’t curled in almost a year I was certainly a bit rusty at the beginning of the game. A few ends in I started to get a feel for things and made a few shots, mostly draws and guards. The plus side of losing was that I did not have to buy beer for the other team but instead received the beer.
As I was leaving the curling club I noticed that there were a few snowflakes in the air. Obviously a few more came during the night because when I woke up this morning there was a rater nice dusting. The snowflakes have continued to fall intermittently throughout the day, resulting in an even greater dusting. Small patches of snow covered pavement are even starting to show.
As I hadn’t curled in almost a year I was certainly a bit rusty at the beginning of the game. A few ends in I started to get a feel for things and made a few shots, mostly draws and guards. The plus side of losing was that I did not have to buy beer for the other team but instead received the beer.
As I was leaving the curling club I noticed that there were a few snowflakes in the air. Obviously a few more came during the night because when I woke up this morning there was a rater nice dusting. The snowflakes have continued to fall intermittently throughout the day, resulting in an even greater dusting. Small patches of snow covered pavement are even starting to show.
Monday, December 18, 2006
De Square
So far I have spent most of my day just lounging around, though I have had to make two trips over to the Square* to pick up a few things.
My first trip over was to pick up a things to read along with a coffee. I first stopped by Bennington gate and looked for a copy of Zeugma, a local periodical, which I ended up finding in the periodical section. I was a little disappointed, but not really surprised, to see that the price had jumped from $5 an issue to $8. While in the store I was also able to pick up two free local papers, the Current and the Scope.
After finishing my errands at the bookstore I decided to walk to through the basement of this building, which would take me to an exit nearer to my next destination. As I was passing by a few stores I noticed that the liquor store did not seem to be open. I went to investigate. When I was a bit closer I could see that it was not just temporarily closed, but permanently closed. It seems that the have moved to a more inconvenient, larger location in a misguided attempt to provide better service. The move seems to have happened in early December, on wonders why they didn’t have the opening and closing date overlap so that they would have an extra store open at their busiest time?
The next stop was Monty’s, to pick up my paper. I think that the cashier may have recognized me but my longer hair and shoddy attempt at a beard may have thrown her.
My next stop required that I backtrack a bit and stop in at a famous Canadian coffee and “donuts” chain where I picked up an extra large black coffee. I was wondering how the price would differ here from Montreal. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I paid six cents less in St. John’s that I would have in Montreal. From there I went home.
Later this evening I once again found myself in the square, this time on a mission to pick up some molasses for some gingerbread that I had been requested to prepare. Upon reaching the grocery store I was a little thrown, the door through which I have been entering this store for over twenty year is no longer in use, it has been closed and turned into an emergency exit only door, which was somewhat of a disappointment.
Once in the store I walked around to do a little comparative shopping, and was not really surprised to learn that many products were more expensive here than in Montreal, in come cases by a fairly wide margin. I quickly completed my shopping and returned home to make the gingerbread, the scent of which is wafting through the air as I write.
*The Square is Churchill Square, a local shopping area.
My first trip over was to pick up a things to read along with a coffee. I first stopped by Bennington gate and looked for a copy of Zeugma, a local periodical, which I ended up finding in the periodical section. I was a little disappointed, but not really surprised, to see that the price had jumped from $5 an issue to $8. While in the store I was also able to pick up two free local papers, the Current and the Scope.
After finishing my errands at the bookstore I decided to walk to through the basement of this building, which would take me to an exit nearer to my next destination. As I was passing by a few stores I noticed that the liquor store did not seem to be open. I went to investigate. When I was a bit closer I could see that it was not just temporarily closed, but permanently closed. It seems that the have moved to a more inconvenient, larger location in a misguided attempt to provide better service. The move seems to have happened in early December, on wonders why they didn’t have the opening and closing date overlap so that they would have an extra store open at their busiest time?
The next stop was Monty’s, to pick up my paper. I think that the cashier may have recognized me but my longer hair and shoddy attempt at a beard may have thrown her.
My next stop required that I backtrack a bit and stop in at a famous Canadian coffee and “donuts” chain where I picked up an extra large black coffee. I was wondering how the price would differ here from Montreal. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I paid six cents less in St. John’s that I would have in Montreal. From there I went home.
Later this evening I once again found myself in the square, this time on a mission to pick up some molasses for some gingerbread that I had been requested to prepare. Upon reaching the grocery store I was a little thrown, the door through which I have been entering this store for over twenty year is no longer in use, it has been closed and turned into an emergency exit only door, which was somewhat of a disappointment.
Once in the store I walked around to do a little comparative shopping, and was not really surprised to learn that many products were more expensive here than in Montreal, in come cases by a fairly wide margin. I quickly completed my shopping and returned home to make the gingerbread, the scent of which is wafting through the air as I write.
*The Square is Churchill Square, a local shopping area.
Mr. Smallwood
As I was reading the Globe just a few minutes ago I came across the obituary section (rather intentionally I might add). The main obituaries were on a geologist and a musician, though in a side bar they had a small section about someone that had died on this day. It turned out that today’s subject was none other than Mr. J. R. Smallwood, former Premier of Newfoundland from 1949-1972. It seems that this Mr. Smallwood died 15 years ago today. Some of you may know that opinions of Mr. Smallwood vary; some feel that he was Newfoundland’s savior while others see him as a corrupting influence.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Back in Newfoundland
I made it safely back to Newfoundland sometime early this morning. Yesterday evening the airline staff members had lead me to believe that their could be some problems with my flight, fortunately nothing funny happened.
Based on various factors I ended up not getting to sleep until about 4:00 AM, a bit later than I had originally hoped. This was somewhat troublesome as I had to get up a make a few final changes to a paper that I had to submit today. Once the changes were finalized and the paper submitted I had to start to prepare for an showing of the Nutcracker that I was to attend at 2:00 PM.
As some of you may know, for many years I took part in this annual production. What encouraged me to go back this year to see it is that the artistic director/producer/founder will be leaving the province after almost 30 years. It was also enjoyable to see which elements were the same and which had changed in the few years since I was last involved.
It seems that most of the formal activities of my day ended after the show. The four of us in attendance came back and have largely been lounging around since that time. In a short while I hope to check out the mini-series in which I was an extra and then head to bed, though I managed to forget all three books that I am reading recreationally. So I have now started a fourth.
Based on various factors I ended up not getting to sleep until about 4:00 AM, a bit later than I had originally hoped. This was somewhat troublesome as I had to get up a make a few final changes to a paper that I had to submit today. Once the changes were finalized and the paper submitted I had to start to prepare for an showing of the Nutcracker that I was to attend at 2:00 PM.
As some of you may know, for many years I took part in this annual production. What encouraged me to go back this year to see it is that the artistic director/producer/founder will be leaving the province after almost 30 years. It was also enjoyable to see which elements were the same and which had changed in the few years since I was last involved.
It seems that most of the formal activities of my day ended after the show. The four of us in attendance came back and have largely been lounging around since that time. In a short while I hope to check out the mini-series in which I was an extra and then head to bed, though I managed to forget all three books that I am reading recreationally. So I have now started a fourth.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
A Few Quick Notes 39
-Another warm day for the time of year. I was able to take my bike out for a few errands that I had to run. Unfortunately, it is now a touch overcast. Hopefully the rain will hold off until I make it into the air. It seems that by early next week we are scheduled to have colder temperatures.
-I will be leaving for St. John’s this evening. On January 3, 2007 I will return to Montreal. Maybe when I get back it will feel like winter.
-While there were a few functions at work last night the main bar area where I worked was pretty quiet by 10:00 PM. I punched out just before 11:00 PM because I wasn’t really needed and I wanted to be able to head home to take care of some things before my departure. After I clocked out I decided to stick around for a bit to have a beer with my co-workers, something I don’t normally get to do because I work until close.
Anyway, I was sitting at the table when I suddenly noticed my father approaching. This was somewhat of a surprise as I had not expected to see him. It turns out that his flight from Ottawa to Halifax was turned around over the destination and then re-routed to beautiful Montreal.
My dad joined me and my co-workers for a few drinks. The result was that I did not leave as early as I had originally intended. All in all it was a pleasant evening, even if it did not go as expected.
-The pigeon couple was back on the building across from me today. I was able to get some footage to demonstrate the behaviour patterns I have observed with these two. If I get a chance in the next few days I will try to put it on YouTube with a link here.
-I will be leaving for St. John’s this evening. On January 3, 2007 I will return to Montreal. Maybe when I get back it will feel like winter.
-While there were a few functions at work last night the main bar area where I worked was pretty quiet by 10:00 PM. I punched out just before 11:00 PM because I wasn’t really needed and I wanted to be able to head home to take care of some things before my departure. After I clocked out I decided to stick around for a bit to have a beer with my co-workers, something I don’t normally get to do because I work until close.
Anyway, I was sitting at the table when I suddenly noticed my father approaching. This was somewhat of a surprise as I had not expected to see him. It turns out that his flight from Ottawa to Halifax was turned around over the destination and then re-routed to beautiful Montreal.
My dad joined me and my co-workers for a few drinks. The result was that I did not leave as early as I had originally intended. All in all it was a pleasant evening, even if it did not go as expected.
-The pigeon couple was back on the building across from me today. I was able to get some footage to demonstrate the behaviour patterns I have observed with these two. If I get a chance in the next few days I will try to put it on YouTube with a link here.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Shutting down in Halifax
I'm shutting down my computer in about 90 seconds. All in all I had a good, but busy semester. I'll post more next year. I hope to see some of you in St. John's. Let's hope good ol' flight AC 656 gets Rebecca and I there safely.
Winter activities that I may not be able to do this year because of the early arrival of global warming
The following list is based on activities I have actually done in recent winters.
1. Shoveling snow
2. Sledding
3. Scrapping ice from a car’s windshield
4. Make snow angels
5. Participate in a snowball fight
6. Fishtail
7. Get trapped on a one-way street by two snow ploughs
8. Experience a white Christmas
9. Push someone into a snow bank
10. Lose money in a snow bank while trying to put it in a parking meter
11. Catch snowflakes in my mouth
12. Break my collarbone in a staged sled crash
13. Be tempted to walk on the pack ice
14. Wear my full winter outfit because it is needed
15. Seem manly in my shorts during a snowstorm
In which winter activities will you not be able to partake this year because of global warming?
1. Shoveling snow
2. Sledding
3. Scrapping ice from a car’s windshield
4. Make snow angels
5. Participate in a snowball fight
6. Fishtail
7. Get trapped on a one-way street by two snow ploughs
8. Experience a white Christmas
9. Push someone into a snow bank
10. Lose money in a snow bank while trying to put it in a parking meter
11. Catch snowflakes in my mouth
12. Break my collarbone in a staged sled crash
13. Be tempted to walk on the pack ice
14. Wear my full winter outfit because it is needed
15. Seem manly in my shorts during a snowstorm
In which winter activities will you not be able to partake this year because of global warming?
Thursday, December 14, 2006
A Few Quick Notes 38
-Another beautiful day today, so warm that I did not even need a jacket while the sun was out. It seems that it should remain above zero for at least the next few days.
-Work last night was not very much fun. To start off, I was a little under the weather and really just wanted a quick in and out night.
As I arrived and went to pick up the key to access the staff coat closet I noticed that someone was working on the dishwasher. I later learned that it had been out all day that that dishes from lunch were still waiting to be done. This basically set the tone for the rest of the shift.
Eventually the guy finished up with the dishwasher and we were able to use it by 7:30. Though by this point we were pretty backed up because of functions in the basement and the ballroom. On top of all of this we blew about 5 kegs.
Just before two I left, though several employees were still working. I was feeling as much worse than at the beginning of the night. The good side of this is that tips were good.
-With just about two days left I still have plenty to do. The first priority is finishing a paper I still have not completed, second is packing, and third is gift buying. I am suspecting that the first two priorities might be bumped in favour of the latter priority.
-For a few days now I have been thinking about my favourite Newfoundland hip-hop/rap group, Gazeebow Unit. Unfortunately I have found no one with whom I can reminisce about the quality of their rhymes or their quick rise to fame. Of course when a person-to-person relationship is not possible the next place to go is the web. After a quick googling I learned that Gazeebow Unit have a MySpace page with a few available tracks (most notably “Trikes and Bikes). At least once I am back in St. John’s I will be able to get this off of my chest.
For those of you who have not heard Gazeebow Unit you are in for a surprise/treat. The skeet lifestyle has never before received such an eloquent treatment.
-Work last night was not very much fun. To start off, I was a little under the weather and really just wanted a quick in and out night.
As I arrived and went to pick up the key to access the staff coat closet I noticed that someone was working on the dishwasher. I later learned that it had been out all day that that dishes from lunch were still waiting to be done. This basically set the tone for the rest of the shift.
Eventually the guy finished up with the dishwasher and we were able to use it by 7:30. Though by this point we were pretty backed up because of functions in the basement and the ballroom. On top of all of this we blew about 5 kegs.
Just before two I left, though several employees were still working. I was feeling as much worse than at the beginning of the night. The good side of this is that tips were good.
-With just about two days left I still have plenty to do. The first priority is finishing a paper I still have not completed, second is packing, and third is gift buying. I am suspecting that the first two priorities might be bumped in favour of the latter priority.
-For a few days now I have been thinking about my favourite Newfoundland hip-hop/rap group, Gazeebow Unit. Unfortunately I have found no one with whom I can reminisce about the quality of their rhymes or their quick rise to fame. Of course when a person-to-person relationship is not possible the next place to go is the web. After a quick googling I learned that Gazeebow Unit have a MySpace page with a few available tracks (most notably “Trikes and Bikes). At least once I am back in St. John’s I will be able to get this off of my chest.
For those of you who have not heard Gazeebow Unit you are in for a surprise/treat. The skeet lifestyle has never before received such an eloquent treatment.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
A Few Quick Notes 37
-Another overcast, rainy day here in Montreal. The temperature is so high that I basically only need a coat because of the rain. The bright side of these high temperatures and lack of snow is that my flight on Saturday shouldn’t be affected by typical winter problems, all of the other seasonal issues will take care of that for me.
-My final exam for the season took place this morning. 50 multiple choice questions, only a few repeats, on an auto read card. How exciting. The exam seemed to take most people somewhere between 30 and 40 minutes. From my point of view, the main problems with the exam were the poorly written questions that left room for doubt. In several cases I got the sense that what they were looking for was not the answer that I wanted to give. I tended to side with their answer and then leave an explanatory note. This actually didn’t happen too many times, may be once or twice.
-Tonight is another work night, and like most of my work nights people from school will be heading up for a few beers. It would be nice if on occasion I could actually join them for a beer and not just clean up their empty glasses.
-As I write I am in the midst of doing a few last loads of laundry before I head out. Nithum is hoping to do the same thing shortly.
-With my last post I seem to have bumped Neil off of the front page of our blog. Clearly he is not keeping up with his blogging responsibilities.
-My final exam for the season took place this morning. 50 multiple choice questions, only a few repeats, on an auto read card. How exciting. The exam seemed to take most people somewhere between 30 and 40 minutes. From my point of view, the main problems with the exam were the poorly written questions that left room for doubt. In several cases I got the sense that what they were looking for was not the answer that I wanted to give. I tended to side with their answer and then leave an explanatory note. This actually didn’t happen too many times, may be once or twice.
-Tonight is another work night, and like most of my work nights people from school will be heading up for a few beers. It would be nice if on occasion I could actually join them for a beer and not just clean up their empty glasses.
-As I write I am in the midst of doing a few last loads of laundry before I head out. Nithum is hoping to do the same thing shortly.
-With my last post I seem to have bumped Neil off of the front page of our blog. Clearly he is not keeping up with his blogging responsibilities.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Newfoundland and da (h)arts
Bys oh bys, over the last few days I have been noting that Newfoundlanders have a huge presence on CBC Radio and TV. This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and Rick Mercer’s show both have their origins in Newfoundland, and reasonable audiences. On radio, both the Debaters and Cross Country Check-Up are hosted by Newfoundlanders.
Just tonight I learned that a former resident of Newfoundland was named the parliamentary Poet Laureate.
Newfoundland’s authors also are frequently mentioned also.
For such a small population, Newfoundland seems to have made a big impact.
Just tonight I learned that a former resident of Newfoundland was named the parliamentary Poet Laureate.
Newfoundland’s authors also are frequently mentioned also.
For such a small population, Newfoundland seems to have made a big impact.
Monday, December 11, 2006
A Few Quick Notes 36
-Another mediocre day, overcast and cool, but by no means cold. Apparently there was some rain or drizzle this morning, but I missed it. Seems like more of the same all week. All of this is hard to believe because for months I had been told about how harsh Montreal winters could be, and now I have something about as exciting as the Midlands, though with less snow.
-I had the pleasure of waking with a sore throat this morning. This is the time of year when one does not really want to deal with such things. I am back to my good old stand-bys, zinc and Fisherman’s Friend. Hopefully my sore throat won’t mutate into anything more serious.
-One down, two to go. This first exam today was not bad, though depending on how the professor decides to grade it my score could swing quite a bit. We found that on the first test the use of certain words and phrases were very important, more than just getting the concept correct.
-This afternoon, after a brief nap, I went out for a quick shopping expedition. I purchased some drain de-clogger, some all-purpose cleaner, some general foodstuffs, and some spices. One of the important purchases was some herbal tea to replenish my quickly diminishing supply.
-We acquired a new showerhead today. The last one squeaked quite severely, hopefully this one will be a bit better. Unfortunately, even if the showerhead does not squeak the pipes still will.
-The drain de-clogger that I purchased for $1 seemed to make the situation worse, if that is even possible. Maybe I should have splashed out for quality.
-Tomorrow is my cataloging exam! Sounds like fun!
-I had the pleasure of waking with a sore throat this morning. This is the time of year when one does not really want to deal with such things. I am back to my good old stand-bys, zinc and Fisherman’s Friend. Hopefully my sore throat won’t mutate into anything more serious.
-One down, two to go. This first exam today was not bad, though depending on how the professor decides to grade it my score could swing quite a bit. We found that on the first test the use of certain words and phrases were very important, more than just getting the concept correct.
-This afternoon, after a brief nap, I went out for a quick shopping expedition. I purchased some drain de-clogger, some all-purpose cleaner, some general foodstuffs, and some spices. One of the important purchases was some herbal tea to replenish my quickly diminishing supply.
-We acquired a new showerhead today. The last one squeaked quite severely, hopefully this one will be a bit better. Unfortunately, even if the showerhead does not squeak the pipes still will.
-The drain de-clogger that I purchased for $1 seemed to make the situation worse, if that is even possible. Maybe I should have splashed out for quality.
-Tomorrow is my cataloging exam! Sounds like fun!
Sunday, December 10, 2006
A Few Quick Notes 35
-An overcast day in Montreal, though on the warm side. As far as I can tell it was not below freezing all day.
-This morning I went over to Val’s place to have breakfast with her. We had breakfast at a local place, a Quebec based chain that recently opened up a place in Newfoundland. The experience was quite good.
-On my way back home from Val’s I stopped at the bakery down the street from her apartment. While at the bakery I purchased two baguettes, the last of which I just finished eating moments ago. They were both very tasty pieces of bread.
-A former St. John’s resident, Rebekah Rimsay, a first soloist in the National Ballet of Canada, was mentioned in yesterday’s Globe and Mail. In an article discussing her troupe’s version of the Nutcracker Rimsay’s first appearance as the Sugar Plum Fairy was discussed. It seems that the first time that Rimsay danced the role was when the original dancer fell ill during the show and the substitute had left for the evening. During the intermission as much of the part was explained as possible, arrangements for several parts to be cut were made, and decisions about were improvisations made. It would seem that this is not how one would want to go about getting the female lead. In later years Rimsay was properly awarded the part.
-My first exam is tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM. I am currently trying to memorize various bibliographic and factual sources.
-I went for a walk last night and came across Crescent Street, the Anglo bar district. Even though I had not been there before and don’t plan on going in the near future I don’t think that I will be missing all that much.
-For dinner tonight I had grilled, herb crusted chicken breast sections on a bed of leftover spaghetti and bean mush.
-This morning I went over to Val’s place to have breakfast with her. We had breakfast at a local place, a Quebec based chain that recently opened up a place in Newfoundland. The experience was quite good.
-On my way back home from Val’s I stopped at the bakery down the street from her apartment. While at the bakery I purchased two baguettes, the last of which I just finished eating moments ago. They were both very tasty pieces of bread.
-A former St. John’s resident, Rebekah Rimsay, a first soloist in the National Ballet of Canada, was mentioned in yesterday’s Globe and Mail. In an article discussing her troupe’s version of the Nutcracker Rimsay’s first appearance as the Sugar Plum Fairy was discussed. It seems that the first time that Rimsay danced the role was when the original dancer fell ill during the show and the substitute had left for the evening. During the intermission as much of the part was explained as possible, arrangements for several parts to be cut were made, and decisions about were improvisations made. It would seem that this is not how one would want to go about getting the female lead. In later years Rimsay was properly awarded the part.
-My first exam is tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM. I am currently trying to memorize various bibliographic and factual sources.
-I went for a walk last night and came across Crescent Street, the Anglo bar district. Even though I had not been there before and don’t plan on going in the near future I don’t think that I will be missing all that much.
-For dinner tonight I had grilled, herb crusted chicken breast sections on a bed of leftover spaghetti and bean mush.
A Few Quick Notes 34
-In less than 24 hours the temperature has risen by about 10 degrees, which, to me, seems to be a pretty big change. We are now just above freezing. Generally it has been overcast, though not particularly bad.
-Last night was one of my busiest nights at work. Aside from the normal Friday rush we also had a chemistry dinner with 100 people and a philosophy party with at least 50 people. The up swing of all this activity was that our tips were quite good. Another positive benefit is that I was able to have a very tasty turkey dinner instead of my normal meat only pizza, though I must say I did miss the pizza. The main downside of the night was that a group of people did not want to leave at closing time and were pretty rude when I requested that they leave (it was really not a very pleasant experience).
-I have done some studying today, but I need to do a fair bit more. Just recently I finished creating a list of reference sources that I need to memorize for my test. My next study goal will be going through a booklet handed out by the professor. On top of my studying I should also be working on my essay. Unfortunately, I didn’t take my usual citation based research approach to this essay, instead I took a subject approach and ended up with articles that weren’t as relevant or good as I could have found. The problem is that one dosen’t always know when they have a good seed article.
-Yesterday afternoon I photocopied an article from 1953, this article is still quoted in many contemporary discussions on censorship. After quickly reading it, the article is only about 5 pages, I was able to see why. The author very effectively lays out his arguments and makes his position easy to understand, on top of that, the issues he discusses, censorship and selection, haven’t really changed that much in the past 50 years.
-It looks as though I will be a member of our departmental intramural soccer team next semester (no tryouts were needed). Our team will be registered in one of the lower skill divisions, which is fortunate because as far as I know none team members have play soccer in at least ten years.
While I am not necessarily a big soccer fan, I am looking forward to the social and athletic benefits of this activity. It will also be something to get me out of the house once a week.
-Last night was one of my busiest nights at work. Aside from the normal Friday rush we also had a chemistry dinner with 100 people and a philosophy party with at least 50 people. The up swing of all this activity was that our tips were quite good. Another positive benefit is that I was able to have a very tasty turkey dinner instead of my normal meat only pizza, though I must say I did miss the pizza. The main downside of the night was that a group of people did not want to leave at closing time and were pretty rude when I requested that they leave (it was really not a very pleasant experience).
-I have done some studying today, but I need to do a fair bit more. Just recently I finished creating a list of reference sources that I need to memorize for my test. My next study goal will be going through a booklet handed out by the professor. On top of my studying I should also be working on my essay. Unfortunately, I didn’t take my usual citation based research approach to this essay, instead I took a subject approach and ended up with articles that weren’t as relevant or good as I could have found. The problem is that one dosen’t always know when they have a good seed article.
-Yesterday afternoon I photocopied an article from 1953, this article is still quoted in many contemporary discussions on censorship. After quickly reading it, the article is only about 5 pages, I was able to see why. The author very effectively lays out his arguments and makes his position easy to understand, on top of that, the issues he discusses, censorship and selection, haven’t really changed that much in the past 50 years.
-It looks as though I will be a member of our departmental intramural soccer team next semester (no tryouts were needed). Our team will be registered in one of the lower skill divisions, which is fortunate because as far as I know none team members have play soccer in at least ten years.
While I am not necessarily a big soccer fan, I am looking forward to the social and athletic benefits of this activity. It will also be something to get me out of the house once a week.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
The Hawaiian Guy
When Neil and I were children our parents used to tell us about a Hawaiian guy university with them. What made this guy (sorry, I don’t know his name) noteworthy is that he wore shorts all year long (obviously a seed was planted). He was always presented as a quirky guy, hell; he wore shorts all winter long.
For years now I have been doing the same, at least to the greatest degree possible. Shorts are my preferred form of lower body covering. Rain or shine, or even snow, I usually choose shorts.
I have worn shorts during snowfalls in St. John’s, New York, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and now Montreal. For six or seven years this has been my habit.
I now wonder if I have, or will, become the Hawaiian guy? Will kids be told of this crazy guy from Newfoundland that used to always wear shorts in the winter? Certainly it was never my goal to achieve a dubious form of recognition through the wearing of shorts, though that is what seems to be occurring. I happen to find shorts more comfortable than pants, a condition that encourages me to wear them as frequently as possible, even it that means during the winter. It seems a day doesn’t go by when I don’t hear someone one commenting on my clothing choices.
On the positive side, this guy from Hawaii, years after the event, was able to demonstrate to me that wearing shorts in the winter is a perfectly achievable goal. All one has to do is decide to wear shorts and then wear them. His actions show that just because a standard is in place it does mean that it is correct or necessary. I am sure that this was not his goal. He, like me, probably just liked wearing shorts.
For years now I have been doing the same, at least to the greatest degree possible. Shorts are my preferred form of lower body covering. Rain or shine, or even snow, I usually choose shorts.
I have worn shorts during snowfalls in St. John’s, New York, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and now Montreal. For six or seven years this has been my habit.
I now wonder if I have, or will, become the Hawaiian guy? Will kids be told of this crazy guy from Newfoundland that used to always wear shorts in the winter? Certainly it was never my goal to achieve a dubious form of recognition through the wearing of shorts, though that is what seems to be occurring. I happen to find shorts more comfortable than pants, a condition that encourages me to wear them as frequently as possible, even it that means during the winter. It seems a day doesn’t go by when I don’t hear someone one commenting on my clothing choices.
On the positive side, this guy from Hawaii, years after the event, was able to demonstrate to me that wearing shorts in the winter is a perfectly achievable goal. All one has to do is decide to wear shorts and then wear them. His actions show that just because a standard is in place it does mean that it is correct or necessary. I am sure that this was not his goal. He, like me, probably just liked wearing shorts.
Friday, December 08, 2006
A Few Quick Notes 33
-It is a touch on the chilly side today, at the moment Environment Canada is reporting that it is -8, which is up from earlier today (according to their 24 hour trends graph). Oddly, by Monday they are expecting the temperature to rise and there to be a chance of showers. My hope is that it drops enough to make these potential showers into some form of frozen precipitation. There aren’t many types of weather I like less than cold wet falling stuff from the sky.
-Last night I went out for a beer with Val and a friend of hers. We ended up going to a brew pub on St. Denis. This place served beer in German style 1 liter units. I was reminded even more of Germany by being able to order weiss (sorry about the spelling) beer, which in Quebec is called blanche. It was a very pleasant experience, I hope to return after Christmas.
-I am really behind on my newspaper reading. There are still a few sections of last Saturday’s Globe that I need to read. I may just skim the comics and obituaries and call it a day.
-Tonight is another work night for me. At least I didn’t have to get up for a 9:00 AM class, this should be an improvement.
It looks as though a few people from my program will be there. They have been requested to be neat and tidy, we will see what happens.
-My reading on censorship has been quite informative. The American Library Association seems to have really changed its view towards the role of the library. In the late 1800s it was seen as a place that would provide wholesome materials. By the middle of the 20th century the emphasis had shifted to supporting intellectual freedom cases.
-Last night I went out for a beer with Val and a friend of hers. We ended up going to a brew pub on St. Denis. This place served beer in German style 1 liter units. I was reminded even more of Germany by being able to order weiss (sorry about the spelling) beer, which in Quebec is called blanche. It was a very pleasant experience, I hope to return after Christmas.
-I am really behind on my newspaper reading. There are still a few sections of last Saturday’s Globe that I need to read. I may just skim the comics and obituaries and call it a day.
-Tonight is another work night for me. At least I didn’t have to get up for a 9:00 AM class, this should be an improvement.
It looks as though a few people from my program will be there. They have been requested to be neat and tidy, we will see what happens.
-My reading on censorship has been quite informative. The American Library Association seems to have really changed its view towards the role of the library. In the late 1800s it was seen as a place that would provide wholesome materials. By the middle of the 20th century the emphasis had shifted to supporting intellectual freedom cases.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
A Few Quick Notes 32
-Another passable day, though it actually feels as though we could be in for some rain. This somewhat warmer weather has removed much of the few centimeters of snow that we received on Sunday.
-With the departure of the snow has come the return of the squirrels. On my way back from school today I saw at least three in their normal locations. Apparently wherever they did go it was not far.
-Today was my last day of classes for the year, only exams and an essay left. It is quite likely that these things will keep my quite busy until I head out for the holidays. Today’s class was quite entertaining, the professor was at his best, he got laugh after laugh will presenting his point.
-Today as I was scrambling some ground beef for lunch I started to prepare the rice that I was to eat with my meat. I went to the table in the kitchen and found the bag of rice, measured two cups and went over to the stove to pour the rice in the pan. Unfortunately, I ended up pouring the rice in the meat instead of the proper pan. My immediate reaction was one of disbelief, I didn’t know what to do. Fortunately Nithum was there, he quickly suggested that I take the large chunk of frozen meat out and then just do my best to take the meat out.
After a few moments I had pretty much separated most of rice from the beef, though there were a few signs of the mishap in both. All in all the end result didn’t really seem that bad, though if you don’t like ground beef in your basmati rice you might not have liked it.
-I just spent a while printing articles on censorship, the super-broad topic on which I have to write a paper. The last paper that I printed seemed to basically be a guide to avoid trouble with picky parents, so basically a guide to affect public library censoring. One of the earlier articles I printed had to do with depublication of government materials in the US, an interesting and possibly ineffective form of censorship.
-With the departure of the snow has come the return of the squirrels. On my way back from school today I saw at least three in their normal locations. Apparently wherever they did go it was not far.
-Today was my last day of classes for the year, only exams and an essay left. It is quite likely that these things will keep my quite busy until I head out for the holidays. Today’s class was quite entertaining, the professor was at his best, he got laugh after laugh will presenting his point.
-Today as I was scrambling some ground beef for lunch I started to prepare the rice that I was to eat with my meat. I went to the table in the kitchen and found the bag of rice, measured two cups and went over to the stove to pour the rice in the pan. Unfortunately, I ended up pouring the rice in the meat instead of the proper pan. My immediate reaction was one of disbelief, I didn’t know what to do. Fortunately Nithum was there, he quickly suggested that I take the large chunk of frozen meat out and then just do my best to take the meat out.
After a few moments I had pretty much separated most of rice from the beef, though there were a few signs of the mishap in both. All in all the end result didn’t really seem that bad, though if you don’t like ground beef in your basmati rice you might not have liked it.
-I just spent a while printing articles on censorship, the super-broad topic on which I have to write a paper. The last paper that I printed seemed to basically be a guide to avoid trouble with picky parents, so basically a guide to affect public library censoring. One of the earlier articles I printed had to do with depublication of government materials in the US, an interesting and possibly ineffective form of censorship.
A Few Quick Notes 31
-Pretty decent day today, a few flurries but all in all not bad.
-Since the snow arrived on Sunday it seems that the squirrels have disappeared. Where do they go?
-Work was very busy tonight. We had a few functions that really clogged things up. The downside was that after all of the work we did the tips weren’t really all that great.
-My last class is tomorrow. My exams then start on Monday, then a paper is due on Friday.
-Since the snow arrived on Sunday it seems that the squirrels have disappeared. Where do they go?
-Work was very busy tonight. We had a few functions that really clogged things up. The downside was that after all of the work we did the tips weren’t really all that great.
-My last class is tomorrow. My exams then start on Monday, then a paper is due on Friday.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
And People Laugh When I Tell Them I Live In A Ghetto
When I woke up this morning I was somewhat inclined agree with some members of my class in their contention that the McGill Ghetto is not a “real” ghetto. As I was heading to school today I learned otherwise, we are as ghetto as they come.
My morning started off like most other mornings. I got up, ate, took a shower, and prepared for school. At my normal time I started my descent from the fourth floor to the main floor. I then proceeded through the lobby to the vestibule.
Then I saw it, as I was heading through the lobby on my way out it came into view. A real live homeless person was hanging out in the vestibule, sitting there drinking a big bottle of the most typical American beer. He had obviously been there for a while as the entire room smelled of beer.
It was so intense! Ghetto life can be rough sometimes, but keeping it real helps me get through the day.
My morning started off like most other mornings. I got up, ate, took a shower, and prepared for school. At my normal time I started my descent from the fourth floor to the main floor. I then proceeded through the lobby to the vestibule.
Then I saw it, as I was heading through the lobby on my way out it came into view. A real live homeless person was hanging out in the vestibule, sitting there drinking a big bottle of the most typical American beer. He had obviously been there for a while as the entire room smelled of beer.
It was so intense! Ghetto life can be rough sometimes, but keeping it real helps me get through the day.
Monday, December 04, 2006
A Few Quick Notes 30
-The weather was pretty nice today, a little on the cool side but nothing intolerable. Unfortunately, it looks as though some of the snow that melted in the noon-time sun turned to ice this afternoon. They really need to be a bit quicker with the salt around here.
-As I am always a sucker for beans I ended up picking up a few bags of romano beans. My idea is to try to replicate, with these new beans, the minor successes that I have had with my Brazilian black bean dish. I will let you know how things go.
-This morning I had a new type of hot cereal. It seems that the main ingredient, or at least the one after which it is named, is barley. It might be the barley, or it might not, but something about this stuff is seriously off. It was a less than pleasant flavour and texture experience.
-Two projects are due tomorrow. The past few days have been pretty busy preparing this for tomorrow. I think that they are ready to go, which isn’t all that bad, it isn’t even midnight.
-Shortly I will be heading out to the grocery store to pick up some provisions for this upcoming week, in particular some bacon for the bean dish. Maybe the trip will be slightly stretched so that it can be considered a walk.
-I also meant to clarify the picture in one of my recent posts. This was not meant to be an endorsement of any particular candidate, we just happened to find that sign in the garbage. If we had found anything from any of the other candidates photos would have been taken with those things also.
-Today I learned that our class received an extension for the last project that I have to hand in. The downside of this is that because a hard copy of the essay has to be submitted I won’t be able to take advantage of this because the new deadline occurs after I leave for St. John’s. Wonderful.
-As I am always a sucker for beans I ended up picking up a few bags of romano beans. My idea is to try to replicate, with these new beans, the minor successes that I have had with my Brazilian black bean dish. I will let you know how things go.
-This morning I had a new type of hot cereal. It seems that the main ingredient, or at least the one after which it is named, is barley. It might be the barley, or it might not, but something about this stuff is seriously off. It was a less than pleasant flavour and texture experience.
-Two projects are due tomorrow. The past few days have been pretty busy preparing this for tomorrow. I think that they are ready to go, which isn’t all that bad, it isn’t even midnight.
-Shortly I will be heading out to the grocery store to pick up some provisions for this upcoming week, in particular some bacon for the bean dish. Maybe the trip will be slightly stretched so that it can be considered a walk.
-I also meant to clarify the picture in one of my recent posts. This was not meant to be an endorsement of any particular candidate, we just happened to find that sign in the garbage. If we had found anything from any of the other candidates photos would have been taken with those things also.
-Today I learned that our class received an extension for the last project that I have to hand in. The downside of this is that because a hard copy of the essay has to be submitted I won’t be able to take advantage of this because the new deadline occurs after I leave for St. John’s. Wonderful.
Snow in Halifax
Today Halifax had its first snowfall in which there was any sort of ground covering. In exchange for working for me last Wednesday night while I was returning from Banff, I was supposed to work for Rebecca this evening in the Math Learning Centre. To be sure that Dal was still open (it was quite a snowfall) Rebecca and I checked the webpage. The conclusion we came to was that we would have found any reasonable attempt to post news on the page that the university was closed. Hence, I dressed up and walked to school. Traffic was backed up everywhere, and I saw a bus without any standing room parked on the side of the road, unable to go anywhere. As I approached campus it seemed surprisingly dark. As it turned out, about half the buildings had lost power. This included the math building and the library, where I was supposed to work, so I turned around and came home. The hour-long trek was nice, but I probably could have done without it. The power is on here at Fenwick though which is good.
The semester is coming to an end very quickly. On Wednesday, the Dalhousie Association of Graduate Students (DAGS) is having a general meeting. As I am the DAGS representative for the Math and Stats Grad Society (MSgrads), I will go. Rebecca will go as well (also potentially some other MSgrads exec members). Next week I will also mark some first-year calculus exams. I think that'll be about 6 hours of work. As well, I have my last 7 hours of work in the Learning Centre for the semester. The rest of my commitments are more academic. In my three courses, I have an exam on the 12th, a take-home due on the 11th, an interview in two days (for a project I have already submitted), and I have a project to do (in Game Theory). After that, I come home on the 15th (and I will come back to Halifax on the 3rd or so of Jan).
The semester is coming to an end very quickly. On Wednesday, the Dalhousie Association of Graduate Students (DAGS) is having a general meeting. As I am the DAGS representative for the Math and Stats Grad Society (MSgrads), I will go. Rebecca will go as well (also potentially some other MSgrads exec members). Next week I will also mark some first-year calculus exams. I think that'll be about 6 hours of work. As well, I have my last 7 hours of work in the Learning Centre for the semester. The rest of my commitments are more academic. In my three courses, I have an exam on the 12th, a take-home due on the 11th, an interview in two days (for a project I have already submitted), and I have a project to do (in Game Theory). After that, I come home on the 15th (and I will come back to Halifax on the 3rd or so of Jan).
A Few Quick Notes 29
-We received a few centimeters of snow today, our first real snowfall of the season. While I was pleased with the snowfall itself I was disappointed with the various removal operations that didn’t seem to materialize as promised.
I had been told that Montreal was quite good at removing the snow from sidewalks and streets, seemingly as soon as it fell. This did not happen today, though they eventually did get around to sending a rather ineffective sidewalk plough around.
McGill was another story altogether. When I went back this evening it seemed as though nothing had been done. In many places the snow had been packed down into an ice-like substance that was quite slippery, almost treacherous. By the time I left at about midnight a plough had clearly visited a few places, though not the packed down snow in front of the Arts Building.
-As you might recall, yesterday I was following the Liberal leadership convention, which was in Montreal. In many ways I found it somewhat hard to believe because I saw very little evidence of its existence, aside from a shirt and a sticker, it could have been anywhere in Canada.
I mentioned this feeling to Val while we were at a restaurant in old Montreal eating dinner. Then I asked her where the Palais des Congres was located. She almost laughed; actually it is likely that she did laugh. It turns out that the subway station from which I had exited on my way to dinner is in the Palais, though I did notice this. We decided that after we finished eating we would head back and see if anything was going one, and to let me see how inobservant I had been.
By the time we were due to arrive I was pretty sure that the leader should have been determined, though I couldn’t really tell just by looking, it was pretty dead. As we approached, actually as the large sign came into view we saw a sign in a garbage can. We went over to check it out and saw that it was a Dion sign. Upon pulling the sign out of the garbage we decided that it would be neat to take a picture with the sign and the Palais in the background. Obviously, this is the photo that has been embedded in this post.
We then continued our approach but still could not tell who had won. As we drew closer we saw more and more political do-dads. I quickly realized that I would likely have to ask someone if I wanted to know. Val refused to accompany me as I went of in search of an informed individual.
I quickly spotted a door with a few obvious Liberal smokers. A woman wearing some Dion gear was the easiest to approach so I asked her if she could tell me who won. She then told me, with a smile and a hint of joyfulness in her voice, that Stephane Dion had won. I thanked her and went back to Val to tell her the news.
-For dinner tonight I had wiener schnitzel, it was quite tasty. It seems that the fresh lemon juice really makes the dish work. It was served with freshly mashed potatoes and yellow beans. Very tasty, and there will be enough leftovers for tomorrow.
-I made two trips to McGill today. The first was to work on a cataloging project, which I did from 1:00-4:00. Then this evening I had to work on a short Reference assignment due tomorrow morning. I am not really sure how much time I spent there, though I know that it was less than two hours.
-Today, just as the snow was starting to fall, I brought my bike in. It turned out that the timing was just about perfect. The downside of all of this is that I have to deal with my bike in my room until I can figure out a better place for it to be stored.
I had been told that Montreal was quite good at removing the snow from sidewalks and streets, seemingly as soon as it fell. This did not happen today, though they eventually did get around to sending a rather ineffective sidewalk plough around.
McGill was another story altogether. When I went back this evening it seemed as though nothing had been done. In many places the snow had been packed down into an ice-like substance that was quite slippery, almost treacherous. By the time I left at about midnight a plough had clearly visited a few places, though not the packed down snow in front of the Arts Building.
-As you might recall, yesterday I was following the Liberal leadership convention, which was in Montreal. In many ways I found it somewhat hard to believe because I saw very little evidence of its existence, aside from a shirt and a sticker, it could have been anywhere in Canada.
I mentioned this feeling to Val while we were at a restaurant in old Montreal eating dinner. Then I asked her where the Palais des Congres was located. She almost laughed; actually it is likely that she did laugh. It turns out that the subway station from which I had exited on my way to dinner is in the Palais, though I did notice this. We decided that after we finished eating we would head back and see if anything was going one, and to let me see how inobservant I had been.
By the time we were due to arrive I was pretty sure that the leader should have been determined, though I couldn’t really tell just by looking, it was pretty dead. As we approached, actually as the large sign came into view we saw a sign in a garbage can. We went over to check it out and saw that it was a Dion sign. Upon pulling the sign out of the garbage we decided that it would be neat to take a picture with the sign and the Palais in the background. Obviously, this is the photo that has been embedded in this post.
We then continued our approach but still could not tell who had won. As we drew closer we saw more and more political do-dads. I quickly realized that I would likely have to ask someone if I wanted to know. Val refused to accompany me as I went of in search of an informed individual.
I quickly spotted a door with a few obvious Liberal smokers. A woman wearing some Dion gear was the easiest to approach so I asked her if she could tell me who won. She then told me, with a smile and a hint of joyfulness in her voice, that Stephane Dion had won. I thanked her and went back to Val to tell her the news.
-For dinner tonight I had wiener schnitzel, it was quite tasty. It seems that the fresh lemon juice really makes the dish work. It was served with freshly mashed potatoes and yellow beans. Very tasty, and there will be enough leftovers for tomorrow.
-I made two trips to McGill today. The first was to work on a cataloging project, which I did from 1:00-4:00. Then this evening I had to work on a short Reference assignment due tomorrow morning. I am not really sure how much time I spent there, though I know that it was less than two hours.
-Today, just as the snow was starting to fall, I brought my bike in. It turned out that the timing was just about perfect. The downside of all of this is that I have to deal with my bike in my room until I can figure out a better place for it to be stored.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
It Happened
It finally happened, they (CBC, or more importantly the Quebec media) referred to the little bit of freezing rain we had a few days ago as “that big storm two days ago.” Apparently this wind free storm that I seemed to have missed took out power for 71 000 people.
I will concede that this “storm” did manage to do some damage. Some of the tree limbs that came down were impressive. I can only imagine what would have happened if there had been even a little bit of wind thrown into the mix.
I will concede that this “storm” did manage to do some damage. Some of the tree limbs that came down were impressive. I can only imagine what would have happened if there had been even a little bit of wind thrown into the mix.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Convention update
It seems that Dion has shot into the lead at the Liberal Leadership Convention here in Montreal, leaving Ignatieff trailing and Rae out. The results of the last vote should be made available in the relatively near future. By dinner time things should be relatively settled.
Last Night
As soon as I walked in the front doors at Thomson House I could tell that it was a busy night. Firstly, there were more people than normal. Secondly, there seemed to be a party atmosphere along with several formal party-type events.
I was expecting a few people from my classes to show up, and I was not disappointed. Shortly after I clocked in at 6:00 I observed the first few liberrians. With in an hour or so the group had grown quite large. My guess is that at its peak the group neared 30.
While my classmates were showing up I was changing kegs. Between 6 and 8 we changed about 8 kegs and had to do some major re-stocking. During this time the busing was pretty intense, particularly since it had to be abandoned at certain times for the previously mentioned activities.
Things finally started to calm down at about 10:30 and were able to start preparing to close. As I was to clock out before close we advanced our normal time frame. By 12:00 I clocked out and joined my classmates for a few beers before Thomson House closed at 2:00.
It was a very busy, but enjoyable night. I actually wouldn’t mind if more of them were that busy as helps the time pass more quickly.
I was expecting a few people from my classes to show up, and I was not disappointed. Shortly after I clocked in at 6:00 I observed the first few liberrians. With in an hour or so the group had grown quite large. My guess is that at its peak the group neared 30.
While my classmates were showing up I was changing kegs. Between 6 and 8 we changed about 8 kegs and had to do some major re-stocking. During this time the busing was pretty intense, particularly since it had to be abandoned at certain times for the previously mentioned activities.
Things finally started to calm down at about 10:30 and were able to start preparing to close. As I was to clock out before close we advanced our normal time frame. By 12:00 I clocked out and joined my classmates for a few beers before Thomson House closed at 2:00.
It was a very busy, but enjoyable night. I actually wouldn’t mind if more of them were that busy as helps the time pass more quickly.
It's Snowing
Just a few minutes ago a good number of snowflakes started to fill the air. I wouldn't mind if this kept up for a while.
Liberal Leadership Convention
A short while ago I woke up and had the pleasure of listening to a few minutes of convention coverage. It seems that already today several individuals have dropped out (at least Dryden and Kennedy) while Ignatieff has not made very much progress.
Voting for the next round started a few minutes ago. With the newly freed delegates on the scene we might see how things will start to shape up.
It seem that the coverage to which I was listening was on for just a few hours, which is disappointing as I think that I could have listened to it all day. So maybe it is actually a good thing that full coverage is not available.
Voting for the next round started a few minutes ago. With the newly freed delegates on the scene we might see how things will start to shape up.
It seem that the coverage to which I was listening was on for just a few hours, which is disappointing as I think that I could have listened to it all day. So maybe it is actually a good thing that full coverage is not available.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Winter seems to have finally arrived
I woke up this morning to another overcast day and what appeared to be rain.
As I was getting ready I listened to CBC. The weather reports indicated that throughout the island of Montreal there was a mixture of rain and ice pellets, but that the ice pellets were still limited in their distribution.
As I was under the impression that I was in the rain section of the island I was not looking forward to going out. As I am a diligent student I persevered and went to class.
As I exited my building I was pleasantly surprised to find that our area was actually receiving snow-like ice pellets. Immediately the thought of walking to school seemed more pleasant, my entire disposition changed for the better.
In a few moments I will take a nap. Hopefully by the time I get up the ground will be covered in a fresh coat of snow, or the nearest approximation.
As I was getting ready I listened to CBC. The weather reports indicated that throughout the island of Montreal there was a mixture of rain and ice pellets, but that the ice pellets were still limited in their distribution.
As I was under the impression that I was in the rain section of the island I was not looking forward to going out. As I am a diligent student I persevered and went to class.
As I exited my building I was pleasantly surprised to find that our area was actually receiving snow-like ice pellets. Immediately the thought of walking to school seemed more pleasant, my entire disposition changed for the better.
In a few moments I will take a nap. Hopefully by the time I get up the ground will be covered in a fresh coat of snow, or the nearest approximation.
A Few Quick Notes 28
-It is raining but warm today. As I was walking to school today I ran into a classmate of mine. She said that she wasn’t really enjoying the unseasonably weather in the sense that she found it hard to dress for it.
-Over the past few days I have noticed that news stories mentioning the Harper nationalism motion keep referring to it as a “pre-emptive strike.” To call it this seems rather odd. Not only has the issue been on the table for weeks if not months, since Ignatieff first brought it to the fore. Furthermore, Harper’s motion was clearly in response to previously brought forward by the Bloc. Whatever this is I don’t see how it can rightly be called “pre-emptive,” as far as I can tell it didn’t really many to pre-empt anything.
-Earlier this week, for an assignment, I was looking at a few cataloging records in the McGill catalogue. I was struck by their use of certain MARC fields; the records just didn’t make sense. They were using 830 fields to represent information that was identical to that contained in the 490 field. It seemed to me that they should have just used the 440 field and saved themselves the hassle of re-entering the same data.
A classmate of mine works in the cataloging department so I asked her if she knew of any particular reason why this was happening. She didn’t know but offered to check with her boss for me.
The next day I ran into her and she gave me an update. It turns out that McGill had taken the records from another catalogue, the library term is copy cataloging, and not noticed the error. As of right now this should be fixed in the record that was presented to the cataloging supervisor.
The problem is, according to my classmate, that 6/7ths of the catalogers have been cut in the past year. Now there are only 3 fully trained catalogers supervising 20 technicians and students. It seems that there just aren’t enough people checking to ensure that a certain level of quality is maintained.
-In class today assignments that we handed in a few weeks ago were handed back. The mark was written on the front page of the assignment in pencil. I quickly noticed that something had been written and then erased in the same place that my current grade was located. With a little work I was able to see that the first number written was a 10 and that the number now showing most prominently was 9, I felt robbed. Though, to be honest, I did deserve to have lost that one mark and not have received the 10.
-If one has a bit of time on their hands one might want to check out www.jacksonpollock.org or www.mrpicassohead.com. It turns out that this is what library school students with laptops do while in class.
-It was brought to my attention that for filing purposes it would make the most sense if dates were presented year month day. This is because we want the like years grouped with like years, and so on. What we don’t want is like days grouped with like days. This filing arrangement would get us nowhere.
With this said, I will continue to write the date day month year, which I feel still makes more sense than month day year.
-How does one represent the Howard Dean scream in writing? Is “a;lgha[owighao[wieg[aowiwgn” a good approximation?
The sense of frustration that he must have felt to cause that scream is something that I can understand right now. Tonight, at about 8:00 PM I learned that an assignment that I had believed was due tomorrow afternoon is not actually due until Tuesday at Noon. It seems that most of my class, except my partner and I, knew this as of yesterday. I was working busily away none the wiser.
The good side of this is that we will be able to hand in a better assignment. The downside is that I will have to spend some of my weekend on this assignment when I had hoped to spend most of it on cataloging and reference assignments.
In many ways this change of due dates does not surprise me. Once I became aware that the professor knew that some individuals in the class, including your humble author, had been given incorrect instructions on how the project should be completed it became clear that an extension would be fair, if not likely.
-Over the past few days I have noticed that news stories mentioning the Harper nationalism motion keep referring to it as a “pre-emptive strike.” To call it this seems rather odd. Not only has the issue been on the table for weeks if not months, since Ignatieff first brought it to the fore. Furthermore, Harper’s motion was clearly in response to previously brought forward by the Bloc. Whatever this is I don’t see how it can rightly be called “pre-emptive,” as far as I can tell it didn’t really many to pre-empt anything.
-Earlier this week, for an assignment, I was looking at a few cataloging records in the McGill catalogue. I was struck by their use of certain MARC fields; the records just didn’t make sense. They were using 830 fields to represent information that was identical to that contained in the 490 field. It seemed to me that they should have just used the 440 field and saved themselves the hassle of re-entering the same data.
A classmate of mine works in the cataloging department so I asked her if she knew of any particular reason why this was happening. She didn’t know but offered to check with her boss for me.
The next day I ran into her and she gave me an update. It turns out that McGill had taken the records from another catalogue, the library term is copy cataloging, and not noticed the error. As of right now this should be fixed in the record that was presented to the cataloging supervisor.
The problem is, according to my classmate, that 6/7ths of the catalogers have been cut in the past year. Now there are only 3 fully trained catalogers supervising 20 technicians and students. It seems that there just aren’t enough people checking to ensure that a certain level of quality is maintained.
-In class today assignments that we handed in a few weeks ago were handed back. The mark was written on the front page of the assignment in pencil. I quickly noticed that something had been written and then erased in the same place that my current grade was located. With a little work I was able to see that the first number written was a 10 and that the number now showing most prominently was 9, I felt robbed. Though, to be honest, I did deserve to have lost that one mark and not have received the 10.
-If one has a bit of time on their hands one might want to check out www.jacksonpollock.org or www.mrpicassohead.com. It turns out that this is what library school students with laptops do while in class.
-It was brought to my attention that for filing purposes it would make the most sense if dates were presented year month day. This is because we want the like years grouped with like years, and so on. What we don’t want is like days grouped with like days. This filing arrangement would get us nowhere.
With this said, I will continue to write the date day month year, which I feel still makes more sense than month day year.
-How does one represent the Howard Dean scream in writing? Is “a;lgha[owighao[wieg[aowiwgn” a good approximation?
The sense of frustration that he must have felt to cause that scream is something that I can understand right now. Tonight, at about 8:00 PM I learned that an assignment that I had believed was due tomorrow afternoon is not actually due until Tuesday at Noon. It seems that most of my class, except my partner and I, knew this as of yesterday. I was working busily away none the wiser.
The good side of this is that we will be able to hand in a better assignment. The downside is that I will have to spend some of my weekend on this assignment when I had hoped to spend most of it on cataloging and reference assignments.
In many ways this change of due dates does not surprise me. Once I became aware that the professor knew that some individuals in the class, including your humble author, had been given incorrect instructions on how the project should be completed it became clear that an extension would be fair, if not likely.
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