-When I woke up this morning I didn't have particularly high hopes for today's weather, but things seem to have turned out nicely. Presently it is quite bright, if not particularly warm or windless.
-As mentioned in the last post, Neil and I helped some friends move on Saturday afternoon. For the most part things went very well. The friends we were helping were very organized and had boxed basically everything that needed to be boxed by the time we got there, allowing us to focus our efforts on lifting and hauling.
That being said, there was one slight problem. The couch that they were moving was quite large and could not be easily brought into the new apartment. We first tried to go through the front door. This was an abysmal failure that at one point caused me to be trapped between the couch and the inside of the front door and for us to put a 1 cm dent in the front hall wall. After what felt like 30 minutes we eventually removed the from the front hall and decided to try going through the side door.
Going in through the side door meant that once the couch was through the first door way we had to spin it in two different directions and then move it in the kitchen. Once we had it in the kitchen we again had to spin it a few times to prepare it to make it through the next to doorways. Unfortunately, part way through the process we also learned that the refrigerator needed to be moved to the other side of the kitchen (the fridge didn't seem to have particularly functional wheels). I would guess that the whole process took the better part of an hour and a half. In many ways, if it hadn't been for this couch it might have seemed that this move was just too easy.
-For quite a number of hours today our neighbours in the apartment directly above us have been making all kinds of banging noises. At first I thought they might be moving something, now, after several hours of a range of noises, I have no idea what is going on. I guess I should be thankful that it isn't another day during which they spend several hours vacuuming.
-I think that we are going to have tacos for dinner tonight and that I am going to make tortillas for the meal. I guess if I want this to happen at any reasonable time I should get started on the food preparation process.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Another move
Already this Spring I have helped two friends move. In just a little while I will be taking part in another move, bring my total for the year up to three. For some strange reason this makes me feel good, though largely because it means that I will be able to tie last year's record.
I am hoping that today's move won't be too bad. So far things are looking pretty good, we will have a truck, so we won't need to cram things in the back of a car, the weather is quite nice, and the couple moving likely don't have too much furniture. As this move likely won't involve pre-move painting and the complete packing of an apartment it will surely be better than a move I assisted with a few years ago (oh, and in that instance I also arranged the van that we used for the move).
I guess I should get going and take care of my final mental preparations.
I am hoping that today's move won't be too bad. So far things are looking pretty good, we will have a truck, so we won't need to cram things in the back of a car, the weather is quite nice, and the couple moving likely don't have too much furniture. As this move likely won't involve pre-move painting and the complete packing of an apartment it will surely be better than a move I assisted with a few years ago (oh, and in that instance I also arranged the van that we used for the move).
I guess I should get going and take care of my final mental preparations.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
What the hell?
Regular readers of this blog will likely know that after several months of planning and searching I just recently bought a new pair of shoes for day-to-day use. For the past three weeks, or close to it, I have been wearing these shoes on an almost daily basis. For the most part I found the shoes to be comfortable and have been pretty pleased with my purchase, at least until today.
This afternoon, as I was putting my shoes and preparing to head out, I noticed that one of my shoes appeared to have some cosmetic damage on the outer layer of the shoe. At first I assumed that I must have some how damaged the shoe, maybe on of my visits to the nearby rock throwing beach. Then, just a few moments later, I noticed an almost identical tear on the equivalent location on the other shoe.
These developments kind of frustrate me, particularly after such a long, drawn-out shoe shopping process. On one hand I am inclined to try to return the shoes (though I don't really have a way to get to Bayer's Lake) because of the apparent design flaw. I think that it is reasonable to expect shoes to last more than three weeks before they start to fall apart. On the other hand, I am somewhat disinclined to do much of anything because of my general laziness and lack of interest is most matters aesthetic. In the end, more than anything else, that I can't easily make it to Bayer's Lake will likely shape my course of action and mean that I do nothing, except buy another pair of shoes sooner than I expected. What a bummer.
This afternoon, as I was putting my shoes and preparing to head out, I noticed that one of my shoes appeared to have some cosmetic damage on the outer layer of the shoe. At first I assumed that I must have some how damaged the shoe, maybe on of my visits to the nearby rock throwing beach. Then, just a few moments later, I noticed an almost identical tear on the equivalent location on the other shoe.
These developments kind of frustrate me, particularly after such a long, drawn-out shoe shopping process. On one hand I am inclined to try to return the shoes (though I don't really have a way to get to Bayer's Lake) because of the apparent design flaw. I think that it is reasonable to expect shoes to last more than three weeks before they start to fall apart. On the other hand, I am somewhat disinclined to do much of anything because of my general laziness and lack of interest is most matters aesthetic. In the end, more than anything else, that I can't easily make it to Bayer's Lake will likely shape my course of action and mean that I do nothing, except buy another pair of shoes sooner than I expected. What a bummer.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 432
-Though I thought that we might get some rain today we managed to make it through with just overcast skies. Though not as nice, at least by most measures, as yesterday this was fine as I don't think I was really interested in another 29 degree day.
-Last night while at a nearby pharmacy shopping for skin cleansers I noticed that the condom and lube section was located next to the acne treatment section. Today I happened to be in the pharmacy section of one of my neighbourhood grocery stores looking for acetaminophen and noticed that in this case the condom section was located next to the diet beverage section. I feel that in both cases I am being sent somewhat odd messages. In the first instance I almost feel as though they are trying to tempt acne-laden teens while in the second instance they are reminding people of their size (and almost suggesting that they might consider going on a diet if they want to indulge in sex). Of course, I could be reading too much into these placement of these products, but in an age of market research and product placement I have a hard time believing that these products were placed next to each other coincidentally.
-While at the aforementioned grocery store this morning I was in the midst of checking out when the cashier noticed that one of my purchases, a store-brand sale item, did not have a UPC. I not only surprised that the item did not have a UPC, but also that this seemed not to be noticed until I checked out. If things like this can slip by the management of this store then maybe I shouldn't be so surprised that they have a hard time keeping tofu and raspberry yogurt in stock.
-For the past few weeks I have been playing squash on Wednesday evenings. My plan is to do so again tomorrow night. While I am still a pretty bad player, I do think that I have improved (if not in terms of skill at least in terms of the power of my shots).
-I baked a three-loaf batch of white bread today. Unfortunately I allowed myself to eat almost an entire loaf.
-Last night while at a nearby pharmacy shopping for skin cleansers I noticed that the condom and lube section was located next to the acne treatment section. Today I happened to be in the pharmacy section of one of my neighbourhood grocery stores looking for acetaminophen and noticed that in this case the condom section was located next to the diet beverage section. I feel that in both cases I am being sent somewhat odd messages. In the first instance I almost feel as though they are trying to tempt acne-laden teens while in the second instance they are reminding people of their size (and almost suggesting that they might consider going on a diet if they want to indulge in sex). Of course, I could be reading too much into these placement of these products, but in an age of market research and product placement I have a hard time believing that these products were placed next to each other coincidentally.
-While at the aforementioned grocery store this morning I was in the midst of checking out when the cashier noticed that one of my purchases, a store-brand sale item, did not have a UPC. I not only surprised that the item did not have a UPC, but also that this seemed not to be noticed until I checked out. If things like this can slip by the management of this store then maybe I shouldn't be so surprised that they have a hard time keeping tofu and raspberry yogurt in stock.
-For the past few weeks I have been playing squash on Wednesday evenings. My plan is to do so again tomorrow night. While I am still a pretty bad player, I do think that I have improved (if not in terms of skill at least in terms of the power of my shots).
-I baked a three-loaf batch of white bread today. Unfortunately I allowed myself to eat almost an entire loaf.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 431
-Today was a wonderful day. The sun was out, though not too intense, until sunset. While it was warm, it was not so warm that it was unpleasant.
-As planned, Neil, Jeannette, and I (along with a few math types) volunteered at water station no. 5 of today's Blue Nose Marathon. As expected, it was a pretty good experience.
Though Neil warned me that it could get pretty busy, I guess I really didn't expected to really need to put out 2000 paper cups over the course of about 30-45 minutes.
-I allowed myself to take a rather long post-race nap.
-Tomorrow is the Victoria Day holiday so I may not really be able to do that much grocery shopping. Hopefully we have enough on hand to get us through the day (I think we do).
-As planned, Neil, Jeannette, and I (along with a few math types) volunteered at water station no. 5 of today's Blue Nose Marathon. As expected, it was a pretty good experience.
Though Neil warned me that it could get pretty busy, I guess I really didn't expected to really need to put out 2000 paper cups over the course of about 30-45 minutes.
-I allowed myself to take a rather long post-race nap.
-Tomorrow is the Victoria Day holiday so I may not really be able to do that much grocery shopping. Hopefully we have enough on hand to get us through the day (I think we do).
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Hot Duvet Cover Deal
Over the past few months, after years of regular use, it became clear that my duvet cover was wearing out and that I would need to procure a replacement. Yesterday I finally got around to really shopping for one in earnest. For better or worse, and given my budgetary constraints, I decided to go to Zellers to see what they had to offer.
After a brief and unsuccessful search for duvet covers I decided to ask one of the staff members where I might find them. She directed me to the aisle where they were housed. After a few moments of browsing she joined me in the aisle and mentioned a discount section that had a few different options, though the selection was likely to be somewhat hit or miss and unpredictable.
After poking around the discount section for a few minutes I was starting to think that I was unlikely to find anything I was interested in buying and that I would resort to going with one of the cheap duvet covers from the regular priced section when I happened to see one that tempted me. The 60% discount meant that the $104 (originally $139) duvet cover would be just over $40 (only $10 more than the low end option). I decided to splurge and go for this one.
When I took my purchase to the checkout I explained the discount to the cashier, who seemed to be having trouble scanning the item. After a few attempts he explained that whenever he scanned the item the system failed to provide a price. Shortly after he explained the situation he called over a manager to help. Almost as soon as the manager heard what was going on he told me that he would give me the duvet cover for $20 (instead of $40), presumably because I had been inconvenienced . So in the end I paid about $21 for a duvet cover that was originally being sold for $139.
What I still find surprising about all of this is why the manager dropped the price by $20, it was not as though I felt particularly inconvenienced or had complained about the service. It was actually quite to the contrary, I was feeling a little guilty about getting the item form $100 less than the original price and I was quite pleased with the service provided by both the cashier (as he let me know what the problem was) and the linens department employee. I guess the advantage for Zellers is that I am certain to go back and spread the word about their good customer service (and they only had to give me a special $20 discount).
After a brief and unsuccessful search for duvet covers I decided to ask one of the staff members where I might find them. She directed me to the aisle where they were housed. After a few moments of browsing she joined me in the aisle and mentioned a discount section that had a few different options, though the selection was likely to be somewhat hit or miss and unpredictable.
After poking around the discount section for a few minutes I was starting to think that I was unlikely to find anything I was interested in buying and that I would resort to going with one of the cheap duvet covers from the regular priced section when I happened to see one that tempted me. The 60% discount meant that the $104 (originally $139) duvet cover would be just over $40 (only $10 more than the low end option). I decided to splurge and go for this one.
When I took my purchase to the checkout I explained the discount to the cashier, who seemed to be having trouble scanning the item. After a few attempts he explained that whenever he scanned the item the system failed to provide a price. Shortly after he explained the situation he called over a manager to help. Almost as soon as the manager heard what was going on he told me that he would give me the duvet cover for $20 (instead of $40), presumably because I had been inconvenienced . So in the end I paid about $21 for a duvet cover that was originally being sold for $139.
What I still find surprising about all of this is why the manager dropped the price by $20, it was not as though I felt particularly inconvenienced or had complained about the service. It was actually quite to the contrary, I was feeling a little guilty about getting the item form $100 less than the original price and I was quite pleased with the service provided by both the cashier (as he let me know what the problem was) and the linens department employee. I guess the advantage for Zellers is that I am certain to go back and spread the word about their good customer service (and they only had to give me a special $20 discount).
A Few Quick Notes 430
-We are in the midst of an almost perfect day in Halifax. Presently it is about 20 degrees and sunny with a slight, but not overpowering, breeze. Though I haven't spent too much time outside today, I have been able to make at least a few brief trips outdoors.
-I think that I am finally starting to get the hang of my new charcoal barbeque. Last night I was able to get it going and not have it blow-out part way through the cooking process. Actually, I think that, if anything, my current problem is getting it a little to hot (which leads to burning on the outside before things cook on the inside). I am hoping to take another crack at it tonight when by using it to cook some chicken (I really should get started on this chicken).
-Yesterday I took advantage of a club soda sale and picked up 12 2 liter bottles at 66 cents each. Today I decided to go back with hopes of acquiring a similar number of bottles. Unfortunately they only had 5 bottles. What a bummer. The real bummer is that as this is only a three day sale I don't imagine that they will have any more before the sale ends tomorrow.
-Last night we had a few friends over to play poker. After some remarkably bad playing on my behalf I happened upon a particularly luck streak and managed to win our tournament. This unexpected and undeserved win likely means that I am now coming close to again being a life-time winner.
-If all goes as planned, I, and a few friends, will be volunteering at a water station along this year's Blue Nose Marathon course. Neil and Rebecca had such a good time doing this last year that I was motivated to volunteer this year.
-I think that I am finally starting to get the hang of my new charcoal barbeque. Last night I was able to get it going and not have it blow-out part way through the cooking process. Actually, I think that, if anything, my current problem is getting it a little to hot (which leads to burning on the outside before things cook on the inside). I am hoping to take another crack at it tonight when by using it to cook some chicken (I really should get started on this chicken).
-Yesterday I took advantage of a club soda sale and picked up 12 2 liter bottles at 66 cents each. Today I decided to go back with hopes of acquiring a similar number of bottles. Unfortunately they only had 5 bottles. What a bummer. The real bummer is that as this is only a three day sale I don't imagine that they will have any more before the sale ends tomorrow.
-Last night we had a few friends over to play poker. After some remarkably bad playing on my behalf I happened upon a particularly luck streak and managed to win our tournament. This unexpected and undeserved win likely means that I am now coming close to again being a life-time winner.
-If all goes as planned, I, and a few friends, will be volunteering at a water station along this year's Blue Nose Marathon course. Neil and Rebecca had such a good time doing this last year that I was motivated to volunteer this year.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Balcony Garden Update 12
Because there are few things I like more than sequentially numbered series of blog posts or articles I have decided to return to last season's Balcony Garden Update series and pick up where I left-off.
I guess I might actually start with something of a re-cap of last year's activities.
For the most part last year's balcony gardening activities were rather scattered and poorly organized. I ended up purchasing a number of different types of seeds and planting them as I purchased them. Little to no attention was paid to the timing of the planting of the seeds or which types of plants were to be grown. As a result of this lack of attention I ended up trying to grow things as climatically unsuitable as watermelon and tobacco and somewhat more suitable plants like peppers that I started far to late in the season. Not surprisingly, many of the plants individually did not produce and the garden as a whole was not particularly productive (though I did manage to harvest a few things). The plants that were most successful included some bean plants, peas, tomatoes, herbs, and a few different varieties of flowers.
Based on last year's experiences I have decided to focus this year's efforts on some of the types of plants that were more successful last year rather than on those types of plants that were less successful.
A major consequence of this approach is that this year's garden is likely to have something of an emphasis on pole beans, tomatoes, and peas, with a few herbs and flowers thrown in for good measure and variety.
Though I just started moving plants outside in the past few days it should be clear that I already have really started to fill things up. I am actually a little worried that I don't go overboard and overload our balcony.
Like last year, I have decided to try to grow a few scarlet runner bean plants around the edges of our balcony. This worked relatively well last year, though the plants were a little less productive than I had hoped.
What is particularly neat about these plants is that they are growing from seeds that I harvested from last year's plants. Now that I know that such seeds are viable I am inclined to try to keep this practice going and see how long I can keep plants from the seeds of last year's crops.
The tomatoes, which were started inside and left a little long before they were re-potted, are still looking a little gangly. I am hoping that within a few weeks they will have started to add a little weight and heft. This year I have planted only cherry tomato varieties, the hope being that the plants will be smaller and less likely to overwhelm the relatively small containers that I have for the plants. What I don't know about the plants that I have planted is exactly which type of tomato plants I have growing. The seed package I purchased contained several types of tomatoes so I will likely only know what is going on with my plants when they start to fruit.
These mint plants are actually from last year, they spend the winter in our living room. So far the transfer back to the balcony seems to have been good for them. My sense of things is that they both pots are showing a fair bit of new growth, which I presume will continue as we get more sun and the temperatures get warmer.
I have also decided to grow a few scarlet runner beans in a planter on the balcony floor to see if I can get them to grow up some netting and then across the ceiling of the balcony, which is basically what I did last year. The beans to the right of the planter are supposed to produce purple beans, though the beans are likely to change to green when cooked.
A few weeks ago I moved my tobacco plants outdoors to make room for my indoor germination operation. So far the tobacco seems to be doing relatively well in its new location. I think that at some point in the not to distant future I may have to plough it under to make room for some of the new plants, though I guess until I have to there is no reason for me to take such drastic action. Furthermore, now that I have found out that my homegrown tobacco has something of a following I am slightly more inclined to keep it around for a while, at least until it is harvested out.
I also have a few balcony garden related plants in my window. At the moment I am started a number of herbs, peas, and corn plants in this location before their eventual transfer to the balcony. At some point, likely once the balcony is filled, I may try to grow a few plants in this window on a longer-term basis.
I guess I might actually start with something of a re-cap of last year's activities.
For the most part last year's balcony gardening activities were rather scattered and poorly organized. I ended up purchasing a number of different types of seeds and planting them as I purchased them. Little to no attention was paid to the timing of the planting of the seeds or which types of plants were to be grown. As a result of this lack of attention I ended up trying to grow things as climatically unsuitable as watermelon and tobacco and somewhat more suitable plants like peppers that I started far to late in the season. Not surprisingly, many of the plants individually did not produce and the garden as a whole was not particularly productive (though I did manage to harvest a few things). The plants that were most successful included some bean plants, peas, tomatoes, herbs, and a few different varieties of flowers.
Based on last year's experiences I have decided to focus this year's efforts on some of the types of plants that were more successful last year rather than on those types of plants that were less successful.
A major consequence of this approach is that this year's garden is likely to have something of an emphasis on pole beans, tomatoes, and peas, with a few herbs and flowers thrown in for good measure and variety.
Though I just started moving plants outside in the past few days it should be clear that I already have really started to fill things up. I am actually a little worried that I don't go overboard and overload our balcony.
Like last year, I have decided to try to grow a few scarlet runner bean plants around the edges of our balcony. This worked relatively well last year, though the plants were a little less productive than I had hoped.
What is particularly neat about these plants is that they are growing from seeds that I harvested from last year's plants. Now that I know that such seeds are viable I am inclined to try to keep this practice going and see how long I can keep plants from the seeds of last year's crops.
The tomatoes, which were started inside and left a little long before they were re-potted, are still looking a little gangly. I am hoping that within a few weeks they will have started to add a little weight and heft. This year I have planted only cherry tomato varieties, the hope being that the plants will be smaller and less likely to overwhelm the relatively small containers that I have for the plants. What I don't know about the plants that I have planted is exactly which type of tomato plants I have growing. The seed package I purchased contained several types of tomatoes so I will likely only know what is going on with my plants when they start to fruit.
These mint plants are actually from last year, they spend the winter in our living room. So far the transfer back to the balcony seems to have been good for them. My sense of things is that they both pots are showing a fair bit of new growth, which I presume will continue as we get more sun and the temperatures get warmer.
I have also decided to grow a few scarlet runner beans in a planter on the balcony floor to see if I can get them to grow up some netting and then across the ceiling of the balcony, which is basically what I did last year. The beans to the right of the planter are supposed to produce purple beans, though the beans are likely to change to green when cooked.
A few weeks ago I moved my tobacco plants outdoors to make room for my indoor germination operation. So far the tobacco seems to be doing relatively well in its new location. I think that at some point in the not to distant future I may have to plough it under to make room for some of the new plants, though I guess until I have to there is no reason for me to take such drastic action. Furthermore, now that I have found out that my homegrown tobacco has something of a following I am slightly more inclined to keep it around for a while, at least until it is harvested out.
I also have a few balcony garden related plants in my window. At the moment I am started a number of herbs, peas, and corn plants in this location before their eventual transfer to the balcony. At some point, likely once the balcony is filled, I may try to grow a few plants in this window on a longer-term basis.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
More bad news for Nova Scotia politicians
It seems that the next phase in the Nova Scotia Auditor General's investigation into spending irregularities at the House of Assembly has been presented to the public, at least to some extent. Earlier today a letter to from the Auditor General to the Speaker indicating that a total of five current and former MLAs are suspected of having engaged in illegal activities. It seems that the related files/cases have been turned over to the RCMP. Obviously, any criminal investigation would then be conducted by the RCMP.
It seems that the more I learn about this scandal and the way it is being handled the more I am disappointed with the outcome. Firstly, it seems that the public has been left completely in the dark and doesn't really have a good sense about what is going on or what they should think about the behaviour of their MLAs. The two documents issued by the Auditor General provide very few specifics about who or what is involved. This recent letter suggesting criminal wrong-doing, after a report in which it was suggested no such wrong-doing had taken place, further confuses the matter. Secondly, because the information has been so limited and imprecise (meaning that the names and details of the individuals involved, total questionable expenditures, and the size of individual expenditures) it is hard for the public not to suspect the worst of most or all MLAs. The reputation of the House really hasn't been helped by several former MLAs who have given some particularly flimsy excuses for the expenses that were charged to them or the fact that the Premier seems to refuse to really have a detailed discussion of the matter.
As time passes and these issues begin to compound and further obscure the truth the more inclined I am to believe that a public inquiry of some sort is necessary. Not only would such an inquiry likely examine what exactly was done by the MLAs in question, but it would also examine the actions of the Auditor General and possibly provide recommendations about how to handle similar situations in the future. Without such an inquiry I don't see how the members of the public in Nova Scotia can have any confidence in their political system and the people that populate it.
It seems that the more I learn about this scandal and the way it is being handled the more I am disappointed with the outcome. Firstly, it seems that the public has been left completely in the dark and doesn't really have a good sense about what is going on or what they should think about the behaviour of their MLAs. The two documents issued by the Auditor General provide very few specifics about who or what is involved. This recent letter suggesting criminal wrong-doing, after a report in which it was suggested no such wrong-doing had taken place, further confuses the matter. Secondly, because the information has been so limited and imprecise (meaning that the names and details of the individuals involved, total questionable expenditures, and the size of individual expenditures) it is hard for the public not to suspect the worst of most or all MLAs. The reputation of the House really hasn't been helped by several former MLAs who have given some particularly flimsy excuses for the expenses that were charged to them or the fact that the Premier seems to refuse to really have a detailed discussion of the matter.
As time passes and these issues begin to compound and further obscure the truth the more inclined I am to believe that a public inquiry of some sort is necessary. Not only would such an inquiry likely examine what exactly was done by the MLAs in question, but it would also examine the actions of the Auditor General and possibly provide recommendations about how to handle similar situations in the future. Without such an inquiry I don't see how the members of the public in Nova Scotia can have any confidence in their political system and the people that populate it.
A Few Quick Notes 429
-Thus far today has been beautiful. As far as I know, things should be similar for the rest of the day.
-For about a year I have been a little frustrated that the small propane cylinders that our barbeque requires cost about $5.00 apiece (the price doesn't even drop much when you buy them in packs of three). This cost problem, and the fact that our barbeque would frequently blow out, lead me to the idea of a charcoal barbeque.
This weekend I finally got around to buying my first low-end charcoal barbeque. While my first use was somewhat less than satisfactory (I didn't really have the coals properly lit), I was able to have a much more satisfactory experience last night. Unfortunately, I am now quite keen to use the barbeque but I have a few things that I should cook that aren't barbeque friendly.
Anyway, I am quite pleased with our new barbeque and am looking forward to using it frequently as the summer progresses.
-I am presently in the midst of making some hamburger buns. My plan is to use these buns to help me consume a few of the extra hamburgers that I cooked with my new barbeque.
-Last night I barbequed some pollock. Though I have likely had pollock before in one form or another, I was pretty pleased with this fish (particularly given its cost). I imagine that not only will I be frequently barbequing but also frequently consuming pollock.
-Thus far my recently transplanted plants seem to be doing well. I am really hoping that today's sun will be particularly good for them.
-For about a year I have been a little frustrated that the small propane cylinders that our barbeque requires cost about $5.00 apiece (the price doesn't even drop much when you buy them in packs of three). This cost problem, and the fact that our barbeque would frequently blow out, lead me to the idea of a charcoal barbeque.
This weekend I finally got around to buying my first low-end charcoal barbeque. While my first use was somewhat less than satisfactory (I didn't really have the coals properly lit), I was able to have a much more satisfactory experience last night. Unfortunately, I am now quite keen to use the barbeque but I have a few things that I should cook that aren't barbeque friendly.
Anyway, I am quite pleased with our new barbeque and am looking forward to using it frequently as the summer progresses.
-I am presently in the midst of making some hamburger buns. My plan is to use these buns to help me consume a few of the extra hamburgers that I cooked with my new barbeque.
-Last night I barbequed some pollock. Though I have likely had pollock before in one form or another, I was pretty pleased with this fish (particularly given its cost). I imagine that not only will I be frequently barbequing but also frequently consuming pollock.
-Thus far my recently transplanted plants seem to be doing well. I am really hoping that today's sun will be particularly good for them.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 428
-Today has been passable but not particularly nice. Fortunately, aside from a few showers, there hasn't been much precipitation.
-Last night I 'hosted' a poli sci graduate student event at a local pub. Though I don't know if it is fair to go so far as to say that it was a rousing success, I do feel that I might generally consider it a success (meaning that I wasn't the only poli sci grad student in attendance). Additionally, I was quite pleased to speak to a few friends I haven't really seen in the past few weeks.
-This afternoon Neil and I played a few games of squash. For some reason, though I frequently raced out to a substantial lead, I managed to lose the first few games to Neil. Fortunately, by the end of our session I was coming around and able to hold on long enough to secure the victory.
-For dinner last night I tried to cook the Puerto Rican plantain-based dish mofongo. While the resulting dish was edible, I am pretty sure that the dish is supposed to be better than what I ended up with. I guess those I cook for may have the misfortune of me re-trying this dish in the coming weeks to try and improve the outcome.
-On Thursday evening Andrew and I re-potted quite a number of the seedlings that we have been growing for the past few weeks. Based on the gangliness of the tomato plants I suspect that we likely left the re-potting for a few too many weeks. I am hoping that the tomatoes and herbs will toughen up so that I can soon transfer them to our balcony.
-In other balcony garden news, I moved a few of the been plants outside and installed some garden netting and string. I am hoping that, like last year, I will be able to get some of the bean plants to climb around the balcony.
-Last night I 'hosted' a poli sci graduate student event at a local pub. Though I don't know if it is fair to go so far as to say that it was a rousing success, I do feel that I might generally consider it a success (meaning that I wasn't the only poli sci grad student in attendance). Additionally, I was quite pleased to speak to a few friends I haven't really seen in the past few weeks.
-This afternoon Neil and I played a few games of squash. For some reason, though I frequently raced out to a substantial lead, I managed to lose the first few games to Neil. Fortunately, by the end of our session I was coming around and able to hold on long enough to secure the victory.
-For dinner last night I tried to cook the Puerto Rican plantain-based dish mofongo. While the resulting dish was edible, I am pretty sure that the dish is supposed to be better than what I ended up with. I guess those I cook for may have the misfortune of me re-trying this dish in the coming weeks to try and improve the outcome.
-On Thursday evening Andrew and I re-potted quite a number of the seedlings that we have been growing for the past few weeks. Based on the gangliness of the tomato plants I suspect that we likely left the re-potting for a few too many weeks. I am hoping that the tomatoes and herbs will toughen up so that I can soon transfer them to our balcony.
-In other balcony garden news, I moved a few of the been plants outside and installed some garden netting and string. I am hoping that, like last year, I will be able to get some of the bean plants to climb around the balcony.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Summer in the Library
On Tuesday I accompanied my friend Jeannette to the library while she looked for a book for a course she is taking this summer. After our unsuccessful hunt for the book (which made me feel like less of a librarian) we made our way to the stairs to exit the library. On our way out we took the stairs down from the fourth floor to the second floor whereupon we entered the new periodicals/computer area. Upon I was taken somewhat aback by the numerous stacks of periodicals on the floor and desks. As we continued further into the room it became clear that the library was in midst of a major reorganization or re-shelving project.
While I was immediately inclined to take a photo of the room, which I found quite impressive, I did not have my camera with me. Fortunately Jeannette had her cellphone and its attached camera. Thus she was able to take a series of photos of the room (subsequently she created this impressive panoramic image of the room).
I am tempted to go back either tonight or in the coming days to see what kind of progress they are able to make with this project. I am curious to see how long the new periodical section will be out of commission?
While I was immediately inclined to take a photo of the room, which I found quite impressive, I did not have my camera with me. Fortunately Jeannette had her cellphone and its attached camera. Thus she was able to take a series of photos of the room (subsequently she created this impressive panoramic image of the room).
I am tempted to go back either tonight or in the coming days to see what kind of progress they are able to make with this project. I am curious to see how long the new periodical section will be out of commission?
A Slight Change of Pace
After a few days of videos of just bean plants I thought that I would try to mix it up today and include a video of a pot that contains both bean and broccoli plants.
If you are wondering why I would plant both beans and broccoli in the same pot the answer is that it was a mistake. I had no idea that I had already planted the beans when I planted the broccoli. Only when they both started to sprout did I realized the my error. I guess the upside of this mistake is that you (the viewer/reader) now gets the pleasure of watching both types of plants simultaneously.
[Embedded video]
Who knows what tomorrow will bring on the time-lapse plant front.
If you are wondering why I would plant both beans and broccoli in the same pot the answer is that it was a mistake. I had no idea that I had already planted the beans when I planted the broccoli. Only when they both started to sprout did I realized the my error. I guess the upside of this mistake is that you (the viewer/reader) now gets the pleasure of watching both types of plants simultaneously.
[Embedded video]
Who knows what tomorrow will bring on the time-lapse plant front.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 427
-While mostly overcast, and occasionally rainy, today, on the whole, seemed to be pretty passable, though certainly nothing great. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little nicer.
-Today, while at the grocery store, I decided to do a little multi-vitamin shopping. At first I was just going to quickly grab a bottle of general multi-vitamins, though when I saw that most options would put me at least the $10 range I decided that I should probably take the time to find a good deal or appropriate multi-vitamin. Eventually I settled on a 365 pill bottle for $24.99. What I found impressive about this bottle is that not only was it the best deal that I found, but also that there seemed to be few size options between 100 pills and several hundred pills.
-It seems that after a few days of haggling and coalition negotiations that David Cameron of the Conservative Party will be the next British Prime Minister. Also, after quite a number of years on the outside, the Liberal Democrats (arguably the party, at least the successor party, of Asquith and Lloyd George) have finally made it back to the cabinet table.
-My recently planted herbs and vegetables are continuing to sprout. I am quite surprised that so many of them have sprouted in such a short period of time. If time permits, I may have to try to plant a few more seeds in the coming days and move some of these recently sprouted plants outdoors.
-Today, while at the grocery store, I decided to do a little multi-vitamin shopping. At first I was just going to quickly grab a bottle of general multi-vitamins, though when I saw that most options would put me at least the $10 range I decided that I should probably take the time to find a good deal or appropriate multi-vitamin. Eventually I settled on a 365 pill bottle for $24.99. What I found impressive about this bottle is that not only was it the best deal that I found, but also that there seemed to be few size options between 100 pills and several hundred pills.
-It seems that after a few days of haggling and coalition negotiations that David Cameron of the Conservative Party will be the next British Prime Minister. Also, after quite a number of years on the outside, the Liberal Democrats (arguably the party, at least the successor party, of Asquith and Lloyd George) have finally made it back to the cabinet table.
-My recently planted herbs and vegetables are continuing to sprout. I am quite surprised that so many of them have sprouted in such a short period of time. If time permits, I may have to try to plant a few more seeds in the coming days and move some of these recently sprouted plants outdoors.
Yet another thirteen hours in the lives of a few bean plants
As seems to have become my habit, I took another time-lapse video of beans growing last night. In this case, unlike the past two days, the video is of scarlet runner beans growing. What is particularly special about these plants is that they were started from seeds that I harvested from last year's plants. I guess if all goes well I should also be able to harvest some of this year's seeds for next year's plants
[Embedded video]
If I end up making another video tonight I may try to either switch back to corn, or maybe even to a new type of plant (maybe peas?).
[Embedded video]
If I end up making another video tonight I may try to either switch back to corn, or maybe even to a new type of plant (maybe peas?).
Monday, May 10, 2010
Save the Coyotes, Kill the Dogs
Early this evening, just after visiting the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and seeing some HRM charter related legislation passed, Jeannette and I exited the legislature and walked past some sort of protest. (In case you were wondering, Dexter did not appear to be present while we were there and no one engaged in debate during the committee and third reading stages of three bills).
[Embedded video]
As best as we could tell they were trying to encourage the Nova Scotia government not to offer bounties for coyotes (as has recently been suggested). Given the increase in coyote attacks on dogs we can only assume that this group is comprised of aggressive anti-dog types (or that they are cat people). Of course none of this really matters as their protest slogans were almost completely unintelligible even from as close as across the street (and when you were trying to pick them out).
[Embedded video]
As best as we could tell they were trying to encourage the Nova Scotia government not to offer bounties for coyotes (as has recently been suggested). Given the increase in coyote attacks on dogs we can only assume that this group is comprised of aggressive anti-dog types (or that they are cat people). Of course none of this really matters as their protest slogans were almost completely unintelligible even from as close as across the street (and when you were trying to pick them out).
A Few Quick Notes 426
-Though some of the past few days have been nice, it seems that today has been largely overcast (though not yet rainy). Unfortunately, it seems that this weather is expected to stay until at least tomorrow (though this wasn't what yesterday's forecast predicted for Tuesday).
-It seems that Twitter experienced a few problems today. It seems that the first problem was that one could 'force' others to follow them followed by a second problem that made it look as though everyone had lost their followers and those that they follow. Shortly after my attention was drawn to the problem I read a BBC story that explained what was going on. By the time I went back to get a closer look at the situation it appeared to have been resolved. Of course what has not yet been satisfactorily resolved is why I might want a Twitter account (aside from it being of use when I want to feel like a cool kid).
-Actually, I probably shouldn't crap on Twitter so much. Just this afternoon, because I follow the Nova Scotia House of Assembly's Twitter feed, I was reminded that the legislature is in session and that the public is free to attend. So if all goes well I will try to make it to at least some of today's sitting, though I don't imagine that I will really need to spend all that much time there to get a general sense of how things work (though based on a quick assessment of the Order Paper I do get a sense that it works slightly differently than the Newfoundland House of Assembly).
-While it seems that the Brits have not quite figured out who the next prime minister will be it is clear that it won't be Gordon Brown as he made it clear this afternoon that he will be resigning.
-A few days ago I purchased a few bamboo steamers.
I am looking forward to breaking them in with some shark steaks and vegetables tonight.
-On Friday night Neil, Rebecca, Jeannette, and I took a trip to my favourite rock throwing beach.
After a relatively passionate rock throwing session we made our way back to downtown Halifax before sunset (though it may not look like it in the picture included above).
-It seems that my relatively passionate and long rock throwing session on Friday evening did have some consequences, other than reducing the number of beach stones available to future rock throwers. It seems that I must have over-exerted my right elbow and shoulder so much that when I tried to play squash on Sunday I was able to handle only a very short session (during which I was worse than normal). Hopefully everything will be back in shape by Wednesday, as that is when I am scheduled to play next.
-It seems that Twitter experienced a few problems today. It seems that the first problem was that one could 'force' others to follow them followed by a second problem that made it look as though everyone had lost their followers and those that they follow. Shortly after my attention was drawn to the problem I read a BBC story that explained what was going on. By the time I went back to get a closer look at the situation it appeared to have been resolved. Of course what has not yet been satisfactorily resolved is why I might want a Twitter account (aside from it being of use when I want to feel like a cool kid).
-Actually, I probably shouldn't crap on Twitter so much. Just this afternoon, because I follow the Nova Scotia House of Assembly's Twitter feed, I was reminded that the legislature is in session and that the public is free to attend. So if all goes well I will try to make it to at least some of today's sitting, though I don't imagine that I will really need to spend all that much time there to get a general sense of how things work (though based on a quick assessment of the Order Paper I do get a sense that it works slightly differently than the Newfoundland House of Assembly).
-While it seems that the Brits have not quite figured out who the next prime minister will be it is clear that it won't be Gordon Brown as he made it clear this afternoon that he will be resigning.
-A few days ago I purchased a few bamboo steamers.
I am looking forward to breaking them in with some shark steaks and vegetables tonight.
-On Friday night Neil, Rebecca, Jeannette, and I took a trip to my favourite rock throwing beach.
After a relatively passionate rock throwing session we made our way back to downtown Halifax before sunset (though it may not look like it in the picture included above).
-It seems that my relatively passionate and long rock throwing session on Friday evening did have some consequences, other than reducing the number of beach stones available to future rock throwers. It seems that I must have over-exerted my right elbow and shoulder so much that when I tried to play squash on Sunday I was able to handle only a very short session (during which I was worse than normal). Hopefully everything will be back in shape by Wednesday, as that is when I am scheduled to play next.
Another thirteen hours in the lives of a few bean plants
It turns out that you guys are lucky, I have been able to take another time-lapse video of bean plants. Also, to liven things up a little, I changed the image capture rate so that it looks as though the beans are moving more quickly. Enjoy.
[Embedded video]
Maybe I will try to change plant type for tomorrow's video.
[Embedded video]
Maybe I will try to change plant type for tomorrow's video.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Thirteen Hours in the lives of a few bean plants
Starting last night, and going through until this morning, I captured the following time-lapse clip of several of my recently planted royal burgundy beans. I was quite surprised to see how much they grew over the course of the night.
[Embedded video]
If you are lucky I may have another similar video for tomorrow.
[Embedded video]
If you are lucky I may have another similar video for tomorrow.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
New Advances in Pull-up Technology
A few weeks ago I happened to come across this video.
[Embedded video]
Not surprisingly, I was quite impressed with the star's athletic ability.
More recently, but still a few weeks ago, I finally got around to trying clapping pull-ups and was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was able to do something in the same family (though maybe not quite as nice and crisp as the original).
Yesterday night I finally got around to going over to the park across the street from our apartment to try and see how many I could do. As you can see, I can't do many and they get worse as I progress.
[Embedded video]
Wow, I feel like an internet superstar now.
[Embedded video]
Not surprisingly, I was quite impressed with the star's athletic ability.
More recently, but still a few weeks ago, I finally got around to trying clapping pull-ups and was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was able to do something in the same family (though maybe not quite as nice and crisp as the original).
Yesterday night I finally got around to going over to the park across the street from our apartment to try and see how many I could do. As you can see, I can't do many and they get worse as I progress.
[Embedded video]
Wow, I feel like an internet superstar now.
Friday, May 07, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 425
-Today was another beautiful day in Halifax, if a bit windy.
-It seems that since yesterday quite a number of the seeds I planted earlier this week have started to sprout. Hopefully they will soon grow large enough for me to identify what it is they are (as I forgot to label the pots). I am also hoping that things stay sunny enough to encourage more sprouting.
-My sense of things is that yesterday's British election did not produce a decisive result. I am quite curious to see how the situation will be resolved and who will end up being the British prime minister.
-I am preparing pork tenderloin for dinner tonight. Instead of cooking in red wine, as is my usual approach, I coated it in a garlic and thyme concoction.
-Today I baked a relatively large batch of bread. I ended up with five loaves and 9 rolls. According to Neil and Rebecca it is edible, though I haven't yet tasted any (though I do plan on serving the rolls with dinner).
-Today wasn't a particularly productive day for me, hopefully things will pick up tomorrow.
-It seems that since yesterday quite a number of the seeds I planted earlier this week have started to sprout. Hopefully they will soon grow large enough for me to identify what it is they are (as I forgot to label the pots). I am also hoping that things stay sunny enough to encourage more sprouting.
-My sense of things is that yesterday's British election did not produce a decisive result. I am quite curious to see how the situation will be resolved and who will end up being the British prime minister.
-I am preparing pork tenderloin for dinner tonight. Instead of cooking in red wine, as is my usual approach, I coated it in a garlic and thyme concoction.
-Today I baked a relatively large batch of bread. I ended up with five loaves and 9 rolls. According to Neil and Rebecca it is edible, though I haven't yet tasted any (though I do plan on serving the rolls with dinner).
-Today wasn't a particularly productive day for me, hopefully things will pick up tomorrow.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 424
-While this morning was beautiful (clear and warm), things have taken a slight turn for this worse this afternoon. The sky is now overcast and the winds have picked up. All of a sudden the thunder and lightning that have been forecast for this evening seem much more reasonable than they seemed earlier today.
-Just as a point of comparison on the changes in conditions of the weather in Halifax, here is a photo that I took early this afternoon.
This photo was taken just after 4:00 PM, the switch to a grayer sky is quite obvious.
-It seems that today is election day in the UK. It was about a week after the last election that I left Keele after my year as an exchange student in the UK. After the last election the Blair government retained its relatively significant majority. According to recent reports the present election isn't expected to produce such a clear result. The Globe and Mail is providing live coverage, as is my favourite newspaper, The Guardian. Hopefully I will be able to follow (at least intermittently) the coverage of the election results tonight.
-In April 2008 I posted a few videos on my YouTube account of the riots/violent celebrations that occurred after the first round success of the Montreal Canadians. Not only did these immediately become some of my most popular content, but I also ended up licensing them to the TV show Most Shocking. Anyway, after almost two years of YouTube obscurity these videos seem to be generating renewed interest with the current playoff success of the Montreal Canadians. I guess I should make it clear that 'renewed interest' only means that they are now sometimes receiving upwards of 30 views a day (I guess they are still relatively obscure as far as YouTube videos are concerned).
If you are interested, this is the most viewed of the set of videos.
[Embedded Video]
-Since I started working on this post it has started to rain intermittently. Tonight should be fun.
-This afternoon I finally motivated myself to move my old filing cabinet and place the new one.
Unfortunately I have not yet been sufficiently motivated to start filling the new filing cabinet. Also, hopefully within a few weeks the pots on top of the filing cabinets will be filled with plants.
-Yesterday I had the good fortune to pick up and start reading a book of essays by John Stuart Mill. Though it is not my habit, in this case I started reading the introduction. The introduction, at least the part I have read, describes aspects of Mill's intellectual development and charts his thinking on certain topics. One of the aspects of Mill's life (which seems to generally well known) that I found most impressive was that Mill's father, in association with the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, developed a program of education for Mill that was intended to create a perfect utilitarian. Perhaps not surprisingly after such a regimented upbringing Mill eventually moved away from some of these ideas and even went so far as to actively criticize Bentham's utilitarian positions. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the introduction as well as a few of the essays.
-I had an ultrasound yesterday afternoon. It seems that I still have at least a few big stones, though I will likely only get the formal confirmation of this in a few weeks. That this is the case wasn't surprising in the least.
-Just as a point of comparison on the changes in conditions of the weather in Halifax, here is a photo that I took early this afternoon.
This photo was taken just after 4:00 PM, the switch to a grayer sky is quite obvious.
-It seems that today is election day in the UK. It was about a week after the last election that I left Keele after my year as an exchange student in the UK. After the last election the Blair government retained its relatively significant majority. According to recent reports the present election isn't expected to produce such a clear result. The Globe and Mail is providing live coverage, as is my favourite newspaper, The Guardian. Hopefully I will be able to follow (at least intermittently) the coverage of the election results tonight.
-In April 2008 I posted a few videos on my YouTube account of the riots/violent celebrations that occurred after the first round success of the Montreal Canadians. Not only did these immediately become some of my most popular content, but I also ended up licensing them to the TV show Most Shocking. Anyway, after almost two years of YouTube obscurity these videos seem to be generating renewed interest with the current playoff success of the Montreal Canadians. I guess I should make it clear that 'renewed interest' only means that they are now sometimes receiving upwards of 30 views a day (I guess they are still relatively obscure as far as YouTube videos are concerned).
If you are interested, this is the most viewed of the set of videos.
[Embedded Video]
-Since I started working on this post it has started to rain intermittently. Tonight should be fun.
-This afternoon I finally motivated myself to move my old filing cabinet and place the new one.
Unfortunately I have not yet been sufficiently motivated to start filling the new filing cabinet. Also, hopefully within a few weeks the pots on top of the filing cabinets will be filled with plants.
-Yesterday I had the good fortune to pick up and start reading a book of essays by John Stuart Mill. Though it is not my habit, in this case I started reading the introduction. The introduction, at least the part I have read, describes aspects of Mill's intellectual development and charts his thinking on certain topics. One of the aspects of Mill's life (which seems to generally well known) that I found most impressive was that Mill's father, in association with the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, developed a program of education for Mill that was intended to create a perfect utilitarian. Perhaps not surprisingly after such a regimented upbringing Mill eventually moved away from some of these ideas and even went so far as to actively criticize Bentham's utilitarian positions. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the introduction as well as a few of the essays.
-I had an ultrasound yesterday afternoon. It seems that I still have at least a few big stones, though I will likely only get the formal confirmation of this in a few weeks. That this is the case wasn't surprising in the least.
When did this happen?
I just looked outside and noticed that all trees seem to be covered in leaves.
When did this happen?
How did this escape my notice until now?
When did this happen?
How did this escape my notice until now?
Tis the season
We are now solidly ensconced in Spring, which, at least for me, means the planting of my container garden.
Earlier this week I was able motivate myself to plant quite a number of seeds. Not surprisingly, thus far the only things to really show much progress are seeds that were actually planted a few days earlier.
The corn that I planted a few days ago has grown more than anything else.
Though somewhat underwhelming, I did make a short time-lapse video of some of this progress.
[Embedded Video]
As you can see, in just over a day the plants have made noticeable progress. I am hoping that this rapid progress continues and that I eventually figure out a way of making these videos that more effectively demonstrate these remarkable changes.
Earlier this week I was able motivate myself to plant quite a number of seeds. Not surprisingly, thus far the only things to really show much progress are seeds that were actually planted a few days earlier.
The corn that I planted a few days ago has grown more than anything else.
Though somewhat underwhelming, I did make a short time-lapse video of some of this progress.
[Embedded Video]
As you can see, in just over a day the plants have made noticeable progress. I am hoping that this rapid progress continues and that I eventually figure out a way of making these videos that more effectively demonstrate these remarkable changes.
Big Shopping Day
On Tuesday night, after a series of delays, Neil and Rebecca returned from their trip to Regina (and Winnipeg). To get back from the airport they decided to rent a car (which is about the same as taking a taxi and only about $18 more than taking the bus). The side effect of them renting a car to get back from the airport was that we then had a car for much of the day yesterday.
After a little discussion we decided to head to the Bayer's Lake shopping district yesterday morning.
We started our expedition off with a trip to an office supplies store. Almost immediately upon entering the store Neil spotted an eReader that interested him (though the staff was less than helpful and seemed anything but interested in making a sale on a $200 item). Eventually we made our way towards more pedestrian items like printer paper and file folders (I ended up buying 2000 sheets of paper and 100 file folders). I also acquired a second 2-drawer filing cabinet. Rebecca selected a new computer mouse. It was all pretty exciting. I did not acquire two plant watering devices for $9.99 (though I was tempted).
We next made our way to a sporting goods store as I was interested in acquiring a new pair of shoes. Almost immediately it became clear that we were basically the only customers in the store. That this was the case allowed me to have the almost undivided attention of the saleslady, who was quite helpful when it came to retrieving shoes for me to try. After trying on a number of pairs of shoes Neil or Rebecca alerted me to the fact that there was a sale that would mean a second pair of shoes could be purchased for 50%.
At first this seemed unreasonable (who needs two new pairs of shoes at the same time?), though eventually I found two pairs of shoes that interested me. In the end the two pairs of shoes that I ended up buying were not only some least expensive shoes that I tried on all day, but also the most comfortable. I guess I should point out that the second pair of shoes that I purchased were cleats (for Summer Ultimate).
If my memory serves me correctly we then made our way to Dollarama, where we all purchased a few items. I ended up purchasing quite a number of supplied for my gardening related activities. I bought a few trellis structures that I am looking forward to have the plants grow on (as well as a few stakes and pots). The other neat thing that I found were individual plant water bulbs (similar to those available at the office supply store) for $2 apiece.
We eventually made our way to a kitchen store where Neil and Rebecca were able to acquire a few items with a gift card. I am particularly impressed with their egg poaching set (which was over $100 off). While there I picked up a new wooden spoon (it has a thicker handle than many of my other wooden spoons).
As far as I recall this was basically all of the shopping we did at Bayer's Lake. Eventually Neil and Rebecca made their way to the Halifax Shopping Center (and its Dollarama). And we made a return trip later in the evening before the car had to be returned (I purchased a few more garden related items).
All-in-all it was a pretty productive shopping day. Now I just need to find places for all of the newly purchased items.
After a little discussion we decided to head to the Bayer's Lake shopping district yesterday morning.
We started our expedition off with a trip to an office supplies store. Almost immediately upon entering the store Neil spotted an eReader that interested him (though the staff was less than helpful and seemed anything but interested in making a sale on a $200 item). Eventually we made our way towards more pedestrian items like printer paper and file folders (I ended up buying 2000 sheets of paper and 100 file folders). I also acquired a second 2-drawer filing cabinet. Rebecca selected a new computer mouse. It was all pretty exciting. I did not acquire two plant watering devices for $9.99 (though I was tempted).
We next made our way to a sporting goods store as I was interested in acquiring a new pair of shoes. Almost immediately it became clear that we were basically the only customers in the store. That this was the case allowed me to have the almost undivided attention of the saleslady, who was quite helpful when it came to retrieving shoes for me to try. After trying on a number of pairs of shoes Neil or Rebecca alerted me to the fact that there was a sale that would mean a second pair of shoes could be purchased for 50%.
At first this seemed unreasonable (who needs two new pairs of shoes at the same time?), though eventually I found two pairs of shoes that interested me. In the end the two pairs of shoes that I ended up buying were not only some least expensive shoes that I tried on all day, but also the most comfortable. I guess I should point out that the second pair of shoes that I purchased were cleats (for Summer Ultimate).
If my memory serves me correctly we then made our way to Dollarama, where we all purchased a few items. I ended up purchasing quite a number of supplied for my gardening related activities. I bought a few trellis structures that I am looking forward to have the plants grow on (as well as a few stakes and pots). The other neat thing that I found were individual plant water bulbs (similar to those available at the office supply store) for $2 apiece.
We eventually made our way to a kitchen store where Neil and Rebecca were able to acquire a few items with a gift card. I am particularly impressed with their egg poaching set (which was over $100 off). While there I picked up a new wooden spoon (it has a thicker handle than many of my other wooden spoons).
As far as I recall this was basically all of the shopping we did at Bayer's Lake. Eventually Neil and Rebecca made their way to the Halifax Shopping Center (and its Dollarama). And we made a return trip later in the evening before the car had to be returned (I purchased a few more garden related items).
All-in-all it was a pretty productive shopping day. Now I just need to find places for all of the newly purchased items.
I'm Famous or Changes in Condom Testing Technology
A few nights ago while speaking to a friend, though I can't now remember why, I mentioned that while in Junior High and High School I had created a condom testing machine as part of my annual science fair requirement. Much to my surprise, this friend, who also happens to be from St. John's (though always attended different schools), had heard about my science fair project and was even able to recall a few details (though they had not seen the machine in action). Apparently, my science fair project was talked about somewhat regularly by a relatively large portion of the students my age in St. John's. It seems a little strange to learn 13 years after the fact that your work was having something of an impact in a broader community (though aside from inducing giggles and shock I am not really sure what impact I really had).
The machine that I created, which I called the Fex Machine, was based on the premise that Simulated Usage Condom Testing (SUCT) was worth considering (at the time may condoms were tested through an inflation test even though condoms are not typically called upon to hold several liters of air during use). Not surprisingly, the components of the machine were relatively straightforward. A condom was placed on the Fenis (fake penis) and then repeatedly inserted into the Fagina (fake vagina). At its top speed the Fex Machine could perform 112 insertions/thrusts/strokes per minute. If my memory serves correctly, I could get about 6000-8000 insertions before most condoms would break.
After a few years of somewhat passionate involvement with the subject methods used in condom testing started to fade from my consciousness. Of course this reminder of my former glory reignited some of my former passions and encouraged me to try to check up on the state of the field.
One of most interesting things I learned in this very brief foray back into the realm of condom testing is that something similar to my Fex Machine has now been used in the condom testing realm, though to determine the cause of ruptures rather than to determine their likely rate of success.
Though I don't have a photo of the Fex Machine I can tell you that it is not completely dissimilar to the photo included below, though unlike this machine it really does look as though it was built in a basement with scrap parts.
(Source: White, Nicholas D. and Steffen Bodemeier. "Male condoms that break in use do so mostly by a “blunt puncture” mechanism." In Contraception 77.5 (May 2008): 360-365 Image available here)
So I guess this means not only do I feel moderately famous, but also that I was somewhat ahead of my times as far as condom testing was concerned. I am also really starting to wish that I had considered patenting my machine (imagine the royalty/licensing revenues that would now be rolling my way).
The machine that I created, which I called the Fex Machine, was based on the premise that Simulated Usage Condom Testing (SUCT) was worth considering (at the time may condoms were tested through an inflation test even though condoms are not typically called upon to hold several liters of air during use). Not surprisingly, the components of the machine were relatively straightforward. A condom was placed on the Fenis (fake penis) and then repeatedly inserted into the Fagina (fake vagina). At its top speed the Fex Machine could perform 112 insertions/thrusts/strokes per minute. If my memory serves correctly, I could get about 6000-8000 insertions before most condoms would break.
After a few years of somewhat passionate involvement with the subject methods used in condom testing started to fade from my consciousness. Of course this reminder of my former glory reignited some of my former passions and encouraged me to try to check up on the state of the field.
One of most interesting things I learned in this very brief foray back into the realm of condom testing is that something similar to my Fex Machine has now been used in the condom testing realm, though to determine the cause of ruptures rather than to determine their likely rate of success.
Though I don't have a photo of the Fex Machine I can tell you that it is not completely dissimilar to the photo included below, though unlike this machine it really does look as though it was built in a basement with scrap parts.
(Source: White, Nicholas D. and Steffen Bodemeier. "Male condoms that break in use do so mostly by a “blunt puncture” mechanism." In Contraception 77.5 (May 2008): 360-365 Image available here)
So I guess this means not only do I feel moderately famous, but also that I was somewhat ahead of my times as far as condom testing was concerned. I am also really starting to wish that I had considered patenting my machine (imagine the royalty/licensing revenues that would now be rolling my way).
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 423
-After several days of sub-par weather today has been quite beautiful. The skies have been quite clear and the temperature almost perfect (meaning the low to mid twenties). Unfortunately, we seem likely to switch back to somewhat overcast/rainy and cooler weather in the coming days. What a bummer.
-On Friday night Peter and I attended the Old Man Luedecke concert at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Unfortunately, as both of us were somewhat tired we managed to sleep through portions of most of the songs in the first half of the show. Fortunately, due to an intermission sugar hit, we were able to wake up for the second half of the show.
-Part of the justification for my renewed absence from the blog this past weekend was that I was helping two friends move. On Friday I helped Peter get his things out of residence. We then stashed quite a number of his belongings in my closet for the summer. On Saturday and Sunday I helped another friend move, a move which first required us to do some shopping and cleaning. Anyway, it was definitely a busy weekend as far as moving was concerned.
-Neil and Rebecca will be returning from their trip to Regina this evening. I am hoping to have the apartment in order and food freshly prepared for their return. Hopefully I don't get too lazy between now and then.
-A few days ago I walked into our laundry room to find one of the components of the coin injection part of washing machine on the floor. It was immediately clear that this washing machine was definitely going to be out of order. Unfortunately, several days have passed and the washing machine is still out of order. Though this wouldn't normally be too much of a problem, not having access to two washing machines has definitely slowed down some of my washing attempts. I really hope that they will get around to having this fixed in the very near future. That the machine is out of commission is particularly frustrating as I know that the washing component of the machine is still fully functional (as I have seen it in use over the past few days).
-After a few weeks of failing to read my newspapers very thoroughly, it has been great to finally get back to my daily newspaper habit. I am hoping that in the coming days I might even be able to catch up on a few unread obituaries that piled up over the past year and a half.
-On Friday night Peter and I attended the Old Man Luedecke concert at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Unfortunately, as both of us were somewhat tired we managed to sleep through portions of most of the songs in the first half of the show. Fortunately, due to an intermission sugar hit, we were able to wake up for the second half of the show.
-Part of the justification for my renewed absence from the blog this past weekend was that I was helping two friends move. On Friday I helped Peter get his things out of residence. We then stashed quite a number of his belongings in my closet for the summer. On Saturday and Sunday I helped another friend move, a move which first required us to do some shopping and cleaning. Anyway, it was definitely a busy weekend as far as moving was concerned.
-Neil and Rebecca will be returning from their trip to Regina this evening. I am hoping to have the apartment in order and food freshly prepared for their return. Hopefully I don't get too lazy between now and then.
-A few days ago I walked into our laundry room to find one of the components of the coin injection part of washing machine on the floor. It was immediately clear that this washing machine was definitely going to be out of order. Unfortunately, several days have passed and the washing machine is still out of order. Though this wouldn't normally be too much of a problem, not having access to two washing machines has definitely slowed down some of my washing attempts. I really hope that they will get around to having this fixed in the very near future. That the machine is out of commission is particularly frustrating as I know that the washing component of the machine is still fully functional (as I have seen it in use over the past few days).
-After a few weeks of failing to read my newspapers very thoroughly, it has been great to finally get back to my daily newspaper habit. I am hoping that in the coming days I might even be able to catch up on a few unread obituaries that piled up over the past year and a half.
A Day of Domesticity
Contrary to my habits, I woke up early this morning (well, not that early). This decision seems to have set me on a course of domestic productivity for the day.
I started things off by heading to the grocery store to pick up a few things on the student discount day (which is still ongoing, at least at Atlantic Superstore). I was particularly pleased to couple a cracker sale with a coupon (and the discount) to buy three packages of crackers for about $1.35 each. Amazingly, by about 9:30 AM I was in the checkout and ready to go.
Once I returned home from the store I started some laundry and plant related activities.
The big plant development is that all of the tobacco has now been moved to our balcony. To replace the tobacco on the plant shelves throughout our apartment I planted new seeds (primarily herbs, peas, and beans). I am hoping to get these plants to sprout before eventually moving them outdoors and starting the process over again.
At several points throughout the day I recall looking at the clock and being somewhat surprised that it was either still morning or early afternoon and that not only had I been working for several hours but also that it was still only early afternoon or late morning. Maybe I should consider getting up before 10:30 in the future, because if this is what it means for my productivity I may need to give it a shot.
I started things off by heading to the grocery store to pick up a few things on the student discount day (which is still ongoing, at least at Atlantic Superstore). I was particularly pleased to couple a cracker sale with a coupon (and the discount) to buy three packages of crackers for about $1.35 each. Amazingly, by about 9:30 AM I was in the checkout and ready to go.
Once I returned home from the store I started some laundry and plant related activities.
The big plant development is that all of the tobacco has now been moved to our balcony. To replace the tobacco on the plant shelves throughout our apartment I planted new seeds (primarily herbs, peas, and beans). I am hoping to get these plants to sprout before eventually moving them outdoors and starting the process over again.
At several points throughout the day I recall looking at the clock and being somewhat surprised that it was either still morning or early afternoon and that not only had I been working for several hours but also that it was still only early afternoon or late morning. Maybe I should consider getting up before 10:30 in the future, because if this is what it means for my productivity I may need to give it a shot.
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