-After several days of warm weather we awoke yesterday to relatively cold and windy surroundings. Of course, it seems that what passes for cold these days is nothing like winters past when cold was cold (and cars needed to be plugged in).
-One major consequence of our unseasonably warm weather is that we haven't had much snow to shovel. While I can't really complain about the lack of shovelling, I was expecting a somewhat typical amount of shovelling this year. I was further expecting that this shovelling would finally be enough to wear out one of our two shovels. Because of these nested expectations some number of months ago I began dreaming about the replacement shovel I could justify buying once the cheap shovel I'm currently using finally wore out. Somehow, and maybe for the better, the cheap two-pack of shovels that we bought about three years ago just so that we would have shovels when we moved into our house have been much more resilient than expected.
-Several months ago, for reasons that are no longer entirely clear to me, I decided to try to up my cabbage consumption. Thinking back on this decision I think that it must have had something to do with price as it wasn't until after I'd made the decision that I learned that there were some nutritional benefits to be derived from the dietary addition.
While I can't say that I'm yet a daily consumer of cabbage, I have gotten pretty good at adding to my soup rotation, using it as the base component for any salads, and adding it to sandwiches.
I'm quite impressed with myself that I've managed to keep this going for a few months with relative ease. Maybe with a few months more of effort the practice will become so ingrained that it will no longer require effort.
-I really think I need a nap.
Cameron - 4
Neil - 0
Showing posts with label Snow Clearing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snow Clearing. Show all posts
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Definitely a storm
I rather prematurely doubted the severity of today's forecast storm.
Soon after my post things really began to pick up.
[Embedded video]
Of course, just as things were picking up we had to head out for my optometry appointment (and a trip to the local Asian grocery store).
Not only was the blowing snow really quite good at reducing visibility, but the cold temperatures (almost -40 with the windchill) and high humidity (about 80%) were causing cars' windows to frost up in a most impressive fashion. I've never experienced anything quite like it.
Normally, when it's this cold the major upside is low humidity (including a low risk of snow). Somehow, we've managed to get everything today.
[Embedded video]
[Embedded video]
Fortunately, the snowing is supposed to stop in a few hours. I guess once it does I will have to head out and take care of some shovelling. Yum!
Cameron - 11
Neil - 0
Soon after my post things really began to pick up.
[Embedded video]
Of course, just as things were picking up we had to head out for my optometry appointment (and a trip to the local Asian grocery store).
Not only was the blowing snow really quite good at reducing visibility, but the cold temperatures (almost -40 with the windchill) and high humidity (about 80%) were causing cars' windows to frost up in a most impressive fashion. I've never experienced anything quite like it.
Normally, when it's this cold the major upside is low humidity (including a low risk of snow). Somehow, we've managed to get everything today.
[Embedded video]
[Embedded video]
Fortunately, the snowing is supposed to stop in a few hours. I guess once it does I will have to head out and take care of some shovelling. Yum!
Cameron - 11
Neil - 0
Saturday, January 31, 2015
A Few Quick Notes 618
-After about a week and a half of unseasonably warm temperatures we've again seen the mercury drop to something approximating the seasonal norm (even if we're still a few degrees above where we normally are). The nasty consequence of the warm weather is that much of the snow that we had on the ground melted and then re-froze as ice and because many people hadn't been completely up to date on their sideway clearing much of this ice is now on sidewalks around Regina. Snowfalls, however slight, since the drop in temperatures have conveniently masked much of the ice making walking even more treacherous than it was when it ice was exposed.
-This morning at about 8:30 I went out for a nice shovelling session. I managed to take care of our shovelling and to also shovel the sidewalks of our neighbours on both sides. Much to my surprise, I think I managed to take care of this shovelling before any humans walked along the sidewalk.
-For dinner tonight we should be having a nice batch of mushroom and barley soup. If I decide to be ambitious we may even have some type of freshly baked bread or dessert to accompany the soup (maybe even both).
-I think that after about a month since we first felt the symptons of a cold Jeannette and I are both back to about 98%. There's a bit more phlegm than either of us would like, but it's not too bad.
-This morning at about 8:30 I went out for a nice shovelling session. I managed to take care of our shovelling and to also shovel the sidewalks of our neighbours on both sides. Much to my surprise, I think I managed to take care of this shovelling before any humans walked along the sidewalk.
-For dinner tonight we should be having a nice batch of mushroom and barley soup. If I decide to be ambitious we may even have some type of freshly baked bread or dessert to accompany the soup (maybe even both).
-I think that after about a month since we first felt the symptons of a cold Jeannette and I are both back to about 98%. There's a bit more phlegm than either of us would like, but it's not too bad.
Friday, January 09, 2015
A Few Quick Notes 617
-After several weeks of unRegina like Winter weather, we've finally moved on to the type of Regina winter weather I've come to know and love - it's about -20 and sunny. As far as I'm concerned this is almost perfect Winter weather. It just doesn't get better than this.
-While doing some supplementary shovelling today (I did the driveway, paths, and sidewalk immediately after the snowfall) I had the pleasure of taking in some of this wonderful Winter weather first hand. Of course, to prepare for the low temperatures I put on my coat, mitts, scarf, face mask, and hat. I was amazed to find that when I came in about 30 minutes later I was really sweating (and at no point did I feel cold).
-A few months ago This American Life began a new spin-off show - Serial. Almost immediately Jeannette and I became rabid listeners. During the run of the show we more or less restricted ourselves to the weekly podcast and the various discussions we would have with each other after each new episode was released.
Now that the podcast's first season has ended but various related stories have been independent news outlets we've gotten sucked into the Serial Reddit vortex. We can seem to spend an entire evening just reading Reddit comments about alternate theories of a 1999 Baltimore murder case. When not reading these comments I am compulsively contemplating my own (or Jeannette's particularly good) theory/ies of the case.
How is it possible that I am spending more time thinking about a 12 episode podcast now that it has ended than I did while it aired? How can I be waiting for new articles from The Intercept, articles that I know will just upset me, with a greater sense of anticipation than I had for new episodes? (I've probably checked for the concluding segment of the Kevin Urick interview 20 times today.)
-At some point soon I may have to start thinking about what to make for dinner tonight. On the other hand, because of our ongoing illnesses it seems likely that neither of us may be as inclined to eat in a timely fashion as we normally might be.
-While doing some supplementary shovelling today (I did the driveway, paths, and sidewalk immediately after the snowfall) I had the pleasure of taking in some of this wonderful Winter weather first hand. Of course, to prepare for the low temperatures I put on my coat, mitts, scarf, face mask, and hat. I was amazed to find that when I came in about 30 minutes later I was really sweating (and at no point did I feel cold).
-A few months ago This American Life began a new spin-off show - Serial. Almost immediately Jeannette and I became rabid listeners. During the run of the show we more or less restricted ourselves to the weekly podcast and the various discussions we would have with each other after each new episode was released.
Now that the podcast's first season has ended but various related stories have been independent news outlets we've gotten sucked into the Serial Reddit vortex. We can seem to spend an entire evening just reading Reddit comments about alternate theories of a 1999 Baltimore murder case. When not reading these comments I am compulsively contemplating my own (or Jeannette's particularly good) theory/ies of the case.
How is it possible that I am spending more time thinking about a 12 episode podcast now that it has ended than I did while it aired? How can I be waiting for new articles from The Intercept, articles that I know will just upset me, with a greater sense of anticipation than I had for new episodes? (I've probably checked for the concluding segment of the Kevin Urick interview 20 times today.)
-At some point soon I may have to start thinking about what to make for dinner tonight. On the other hand, because of our ongoing illnesses it seems likely that neither of us may be as inclined to eat in a timely fashion as we normally might be.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
A Few Quick Notes 603
-After a few false starts, we've finally had a full-fledged snowy winter's day in Regina. At the moment I'd say that we have somewhere between 5 and 7 cm of snow on the ground, though I guess my estimate could be a little off due because zero-ish temperatures are leading to some simultaneous melting.
-Because of the snowfall I'll have to head out for some shovelling later today. I tried to do some shovelling a few weeks ago when we had another small snowfall but there wasn't enough to really clear.
-Last weekend we purchased a discount vegetarian Indian cookbook. The night we purchased the book we prepared about four of the dishes in the book. They were great. The only problem with the book is that it has lead us to over eat. Of course, this overeating hasn't discouraged me from fantasizing about preparing even more dishes from the book this weekend. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
-A few months ago we purchased a food dehydrator. Since that time we've been really into dried apples and fruit leather. Turns out that with a few hours of dehydrating time you can turn a dozen apples into nothing more than a few grams of dried apples/fruit leather. The problem, if you can say there is a problem, is that the dried fruit can be consumed almost instantly and without the feeling that you're chewing through multiple apples in a matter of seconds.
-Turns out I should probably do some fish tank cleaning today. Do Saturdays get more fun?
-Last weekend, while socializing with neighbours, one of the guys recommended a pomegranate de-seeding technique. When I finally got around to trying it last night I was amazed that it was actually as easy and effective as promised. You really have do the whole thing in less than a minute.
[Embedded video]
-Because of the snowfall I'll have to head out for some shovelling later today. I tried to do some shovelling a few weeks ago when we had another small snowfall but there wasn't enough to really clear.
-Last weekend we purchased a discount vegetarian Indian cookbook. The night we purchased the book we prepared about four of the dishes in the book. They were great. The only problem with the book is that it has lead us to over eat. Of course, this overeating hasn't discouraged me from fantasizing about preparing even more dishes from the book this weekend. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
-A few months ago we purchased a food dehydrator. Since that time we've been really into dried apples and fruit leather. Turns out that with a few hours of dehydrating time you can turn a dozen apples into nothing more than a few grams of dried apples/fruit leather. The problem, if you can say there is a problem, is that the dried fruit can be consumed almost instantly and without the feeling that you're chewing through multiple apples in a matter of seconds.
-Turns out I should probably do some fish tank cleaning today. Do Saturdays get more fun?
-Last weekend, while socializing with neighbours, one of the guys recommended a pomegranate de-seeding technique. When I finally got around to trying it last night I was amazed that it was actually as easy and effective as promised. You really have do the whole thing in less than a minute.
[Embedded video]
Saturday, January 12, 2013
A tale of two storms
It seems that yesterday two of Canada's most important cities, Regina and St. John's, were hit with crippling snow storms. Of course, these storms were quite different.
In St. John's/much of Newfoundland a very substantial snowfall was accompanied by strong winds and sizeable drifts. Not surprisingly, many people throughout the province lost power - and there are apparently many who are still without power.
Of course, maybe the worst aspect of the St. John's storm (aside from the mass power outage and crippling snowfall) is the fact that for the past 24 hours the temperature hasn't been below freezing. So all of this freshly fallen snow is in the process of melting or at least turning into slush. Yum (especially if the forecast about lower temperatures later in the week comes to pass).
Not surprisingly, the way things played out in Regina has been a little different.
First of all, we had less snow and less wind (so our drifting wasn't nearly as bad). On the other hand, I suspect we've had a touch less ploughing of side streets and we had side streets that already had inches of ice build-up so many side streets are almost impassable and will likely remain in a similar condition for at least the next few days. Oh, and instead of the temperatures dropping to something that might allow melting of the snow the temperatures have dropped substantially. It seems that a windchill of -29 is as high as it has been in the past 24 hours (when I was walking around in this weather it seemed cold but in retrospect I timed my walk during the warmest part of the day).
Anyway, while if I had to choose one of these two storms I'd likely choose the Regina storm it will, nonetheless, likely be with us a little longer than the already melting snowfall that recently befell St. John's.
In St. John's/much of Newfoundland a very substantial snowfall was accompanied by strong winds and sizeable drifts. Not surprisingly, many people throughout the province lost power - and there are apparently many who are still without power.
Of course, maybe the worst aspect of the St. John's storm (aside from the mass power outage and crippling snowfall) is the fact that for the past 24 hours the temperature hasn't been below freezing. So all of this freshly fallen snow is in the process of melting or at least turning into slush. Yum (especially if the forecast about lower temperatures later in the week comes to pass).
Not surprisingly, the way things played out in Regina has been a little different.
First of all, we had less snow and less wind (so our drifting wasn't nearly as bad). On the other hand, I suspect we've had a touch less ploughing of side streets and we had side streets that already had inches of ice build-up so many side streets are almost impassable and will likely remain in a similar condition for at least the next few days. Oh, and instead of the temperatures dropping to something that might allow melting of the snow the temperatures have dropped substantially. It seems that a windchill of -29 is as high as it has been in the past 24 hours (when I was walking around in this weather it seemed cold but in retrospect I timed my walk during the warmest part of the day).
Anyway, while if I had to choose one of these two storms I'd likely choose the Regina storm it will, nonetheless, likely be with us a little longer than the already melting snowfall that recently befell St. John's.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
They still don't have it right
Since I have been in Halifax there has been something of a brouhaha surrounding rules regarding winter parking. After relatively snow-free winter there was much talk about making changes to the rules that would prevent people from being ticketed when there was no snow on the street.
It seems that just a few days ago the HRM council finally got around to making a few changes to the rules, unfortunately they have still left the primary problem in place.
Now instead of tickets being issued all winter long, tickets will now just be issued on nights when the cities issues a snow warning. Another change is that cars will no longer just be ticketed, they will now also be towed. One major consequence of this second change is that the cost to the offending owner will increase almost seven-fold.
Of course the problem is that these changes to do nothing to address the primary problem with the original regime - which is that people don't like being ticketed when there is no chance that the street will actually be ploughed. Furthermore, whether or not snow is forecast for that evening is not particularly important if ploughing is scheduled to take place.
Anyway, I suspect that this regime will have a few supporters as well as a few detractors. Presumably the failure to address the real problem and the increased cost and inconvenience for offending drivers will be the attributes of the new scheme that will be particularly despised by HRM residents.
It seems that just a few days ago the HRM council finally got around to making a few changes to the rules, unfortunately they have still left the primary problem in place.
Now instead of tickets being issued all winter long, tickets will now just be issued on nights when the cities issues a snow warning. Another change is that cars will no longer just be ticketed, they will now also be towed. One major consequence of this second change is that the cost to the offending owner will increase almost seven-fold.
Of course the problem is that these changes to do nothing to address the primary problem with the original regime - which is that people don't like being ticketed when there is no chance that the street will actually be ploughed. Furthermore, whether or not snow is forecast for that evening is not particularly important if ploughing is scheduled to take place.
Anyway, I suspect that this regime will have a few supporters as well as a few detractors. Presumably the failure to address the real problem and the increased cost and inconvenience for offending drivers will be the attributes of the new scheme that will be particularly despised by HRM residents.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The storm that wasn't quite
Well, it seems that our storm didn't leave us with much snow. Actually, I think we likely have only a little more than we did yesterday before this whole storm thing got underway.
That being said, it is snowing presently, so it is possible that by the end of the day some shoveling may be required (though that seems like a long shot).
Anyway, the following is my attempt at capturing the local conditions as they are presently.
[Embedded video]
While it isn't that bad I still don't think that I will be heading outside any time soon.
That being said, it is snowing presently, so it is possible that by the end of the day some shoveling may be required (though that seems like a long shot).
Anyway, the following is my attempt at capturing the local conditions as they are presently.
[Embedded video]
While it isn't that bad I still don't think that I will be heading outside any time soon.
Monday, December 22, 2008
A Few Quick Notes 252
-It really seems to have turned to Winter in St. John's. I woke up to find high winds and snow. Unfortunately, my only morning commitment of the trip meant that I had to drive in near-white-out conditions.
Amazingly, the weather has gotten a little worse as the temperature is now above zero so the snow is turning to slush. The only good weather news of the day is that the predicted rain wasn't as plentiful as expected. The bad news is that the wind is expected to remain relatively high and the temperatures are expected to drop, meaning that the slush will turn to ice.
-As it snowed today I got my first chance to use the snowblower this year. As I only use it once or twice a year I still haven't figured out my style or technique and basically have to re-learn everything about the process every year. The nice thing is, even with my inefficient style, it is still faster and easier than shoveling. Maybe if it snows again I will have a chance to refine my approach, but it is possible that I will be battling Neil and my uncle for snowblower access (as they both also have only limited snowblower access).
-A few nights ago Greg and I hung out for a few hours. After heading to the local bookstore we went to a bar where one of his co-worker's was to be performing. After chatting to the band and having a beer and still seeing no signs of the show starting any time soon (one of the guitarists still wasn't there) we decided to head on to the bar where one of Greg's co-worker's was doing sound.
Almost as soon as we arrived it became clear that the band performing was pretty far away from good (which may explain why they were playing at a bar way out on Torbay road). Anyway, hanging out for a while the guy doing sound mentioned that he was hungry. After a few quick negotiations it was decided that we would head out and pick him up a fish sandwich at the nearby fast food joint.
As soon as Greg and I pulled into the lot we noticed that that there was quite a line for the drive-thru, but because the restaurant section wasn't open we joined the line. After waiting about ten minutes we were finally able to place our order. We then waited another few minutes to proceed to the window where we were to pay for our food. When we finally reached this window we were informed that they didn't have any more fish. This left us in a tricky spot as the individual for whom we were ordering food was a vegetarian and the restaurant didn't have any other acceptable main courses. After a few minutes of discussion we settled on a two patty burger with the patties on the side.
When we eventually made it back to the bar with the food the recipient wasn't particular pleased with the outcome of our trip. His initial reaction was to reject the 'burger' and focus on the fries and drink. After a few minutes he cracked and ended up chowing down on the bun, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sauce that comprised the meat-free burger. Greg and I each had one of the patties, which weren't particularly good on their own.
-A few posts ago I mentioned that one of my contributions was featured on the podcast Stop Podcasting Yourself. It seems that I have extended my streak by having a photo I submitted featured on their blog and mentioned on the most recent episode of the show. If you check out the blog, the photo, also posted below, is the one I submitted. I still can't believe that such a sign exists.
-I had the pleasure of getting my teeth cleaned today. It seems that this is starting to become a Christmas tradition for me, which is a slightly better tradition than getting my teeth knocked out or catching a seasonal malady.
-I am not sure what is causing it, but I have been very unproductive and unmotivated since having returned to St. John's. You may have noticed that this has resulted in a drastic reduction in the number of blog posts (which is problematic because they are so highly anticipated by our readers) and my general crankiness. Though I don't know the cause of these problems I am starting to wonder if they are related to the drop in coffee consumption that came with the change in location. Maybe if I increased my coffee consumption to my pre-departure levels everything would be fine. I guess I might as well try as I don't have much to lose at this point.
-As we received a relatively positive response from our last Montifax live-blogging experience I am tempted to try and either live-blog Christmas or some other event, maybe if I go for coffee at some wifi coffee shop. Anyway, be on the look out for a very exciting seasonal live-blogging event from your good friends at Montifax.
Amazingly, the weather has gotten a little worse as the temperature is now above zero so the snow is turning to slush. The only good weather news of the day is that the predicted rain wasn't as plentiful as expected. The bad news is that the wind is expected to remain relatively high and the temperatures are expected to drop, meaning that the slush will turn to ice.
-As it snowed today I got my first chance to use the snowblower this year. As I only use it once or twice a year I still haven't figured out my style or technique and basically have to re-learn everything about the process every year. The nice thing is, even with my inefficient style, it is still faster and easier than shoveling. Maybe if it snows again I will have a chance to refine my approach, but it is possible that I will be battling Neil and my uncle for snowblower access (as they both also have only limited snowblower access).
-A few nights ago Greg and I hung out for a few hours. After heading to the local bookstore we went to a bar where one of his co-worker's was to be performing. After chatting to the band and having a beer and still seeing no signs of the show starting any time soon (one of the guitarists still wasn't there) we decided to head on to the bar where one of Greg's co-worker's was doing sound.
Almost as soon as we arrived it became clear that the band performing was pretty far away from good (which may explain why they were playing at a bar way out on Torbay road). Anyway, hanging out for a while the guy doing sound mentioned that he was hungry. After a few quick negotiations it was decided that we would head out and pick him up a fish sandwich at the nearby fast food joint.
As soon as Greg and I pulled into the lot we noticed that that there was quite a line for the drive-thru, but because the restaurant section wasn't open we joined the line. After waiting about ten minutes we were finally able to place our order. We then waited another few minutes to proceed to the window where we were to pay for our food. When we finally reached this window we were informed that they didn't have any more fish. This left us in a tricky spot as the individual for whom we were ordering food was a vegetarian and the restaurant didn't have any other acceptable main courses. After a few minutes of discussion we settled on a two patty burger with the patties on the side.
When we eventually made it back to the bar with the food the recipient wasn't particular pleased with the outcome of our trip. His initial reaction was to reject the 'burger' and focus on the fries and drink. After a few minutes he cracked and ended up chowing down on the bun, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sauce that comprised the meat-free burger. Greg and I each had one of the patties, which weren't particularly good on their own.
-A few posts ago I mentioned that one of my contributions was featured on the podcast Stop Podcasting Yourself. It seems that I have extended my streak by having a photo I submitted featured on their blog and mentioned on the most recent episode of the show. If you check out the blog, the photo, also posted below, is the one I submitted. I still can't believe that such a sign exists.
-I had the pleasure of getting my teeth cleaned today. It seems that this is starting to become a Christmas tradition for me, which is a slightly better tradition than getting my teeth knocked out or catching a seasonal malady.
-I am not sure what is causing it, but I have been very unproductive and unmotivated since having returned to St. John's. You may have noticed that this has resulted in a drastic reduction in the number of blog posts (which is problematic because they are so highly anticipated by our readers) and my general crankiness. Though I don't know the cause of these problems I am starting to wonder if they are related to the drop in coffee consumption that came with the change in location. Maybe if I increased my coffee consumption to my pre-departure levels everything would be fine. I guess I might as well try as I don't have much to lose at this point.
-As we received a relatively positive response from our last Montifax live-blogging experience I am tempted to try and either live-blog Christmas or some other event, maybe if I go for coffee at some wifi coffee shop. Anyway, be on the look out for a very exciting seasonal live-blogging event from your good friends at Montifax.
Monday, March 10, 2008
A Few Quick Notes 160
-Today has been a beautiful day. The temperature has also been quite reasonable today, not like some of the frigid days of this winter. Unfortunately, some of the streets are still filled with snow from Saturday’s storm. This makes walking around town a little more difficult than normal.
-If my count is correct, I am now 6/25 on my Roll Up the Rim coffee cups. So far I have won one donut and a number of coffees. The general consensus among my fellow classmates seems to be that winning a boat would just be a pain in the ass, particularly as most of us don’t have anywhere to store such an item, or a car with which to move it.
-The aforementioned storm caused most of the schools in Montreal to be closed today. Apparently, they had to do some work on snow removal before they were willing to send kids outdoors.
While I think that this was probably overkill, this isn’t as bad as the fact that CBC is reporting that the extreme number of school closures this year (3) is making it difficult for teachers to fit in the year’s required content. At the moment, at least this is what is being reported, the schools will likely re-schedule in-service days rather than add days to the end of the school year.
I can’t believe that this is an issue (though I know that it is in many jurisdictions), as we all know that elementary school isn’t so much about learning a list of things, but about socialization and day-care. Missing 3 days, or even several weeks, really isn’t that big a deal at the elementary school level, one has years to make it up, and likely will without problem. I know that missing the last six weeks of grade six because of a teachers strike has not been a problem for me (though it may explain why I still can’t do long division).
-Last night I was doing some reading about library education and thought that it was somewhat disappointing that many of the complaints people had about such education many years ago are largely the same complaints that my classmates have today. I guess people like me are at least partly to blame, we see these problems and then proceed to do absolutely nothing about them (except complain privately).
-A few weeks ago I tried to make some falafel from scratch. While the final product was edible, it certainly was nothing that I would want on a regular basis. This did get me thinking about home-prepared falafel options though.
A few days ago, while shopping in Lobos, I saw a falafel mix for $1.20. Not only was this about the same amount of money that I would pay for the raw ingredients, but it was also in a format that would give me some sense of what the pre-cooked product should be. At the moment I am in the midst of letting it stand, which is to be done before the cooking process is to take place, but after the mixing process has occurred.
My current concern is that the resulting mixture will not be thick enough to form patties, as directed on the box. I may have to add some flour, or other thickening agent, to achieve the desired consistency (though this would then screw up my chance at figuring our the desired consistency based on the pre-made mix).
-As some of you, our vast readership, may have noticed, we now have new buttons at the top of the right side bar of the blog. These buttons, when pushed, allow you to contact us (we each have our own buttons). At least in my case, this button will direct you to a voicemail service. We should be able to post particularly good voicemail messages to the blog for others to hear.
-If my count is correct, I am now 6/25 on my Roll Up the Rim coffee cups. So far I have won one donut and a number of coffees. The general consensus among my fellow classmates seems to be that winning a boat would just be a pain in the ass, particularly as most of us don’t have anywhere to store such an item, or a car with which to move it.
-The aforementioned storm caused most of the schools in Montreal to be closed today. Apparently, they had to do some work on snow removal before they were willing to send kids outdoors.
While I think that this was probably overkill, this isn’t as bad as the fact that CBC is reporting that the extreme number of school closures this year (3) is making it difficult for teachers to fit in the year’s required content. At the moment, at least this is what is being reported, the schools will likely re-schedule in-service days rather than add days to the end of the school year.
I can’t believe that this is an issue (though I know that it is in many jurisdictions), as we all know that elementary school isn’t so much about learning a list of things, but about socialization and day-care. Missing 3 days, or even several weeks, really isn’t that big a deal at the elementary school level, one has years to make it up, and likely will without problem. I know that missing the last six weeks of grade six because of a teachers strike has not been a problem for me (though it may explain why I still can’t do long division).
-Last night I was doing some reading about library education and thought that it was somewhat disappointing that many of the complaints people had about such education many years ago are largely the same complaints that my classmates have today. I guess people like me are at least partly to blame, we see these problems and then proceed to do absolutely nothing about them (except complain privately).
-A few weeks ago I tried to make some falafel from scratch. While the final product was edible, it certainly was nothing that I would want on a regular basis. This did get me thinking about home-prepared falafel options though.
A few days ago, while shopping in Lobos, I saw a falafel mix for $1.20. Not only was this about the same amount of money that I would pay for the raw ingredients, but it was also in a format that would give me some sense of what the pre-cooked product should be. At the moment I am in the midst of letting it stand, which is to be done before the cooking process is to take place, but after the mixing process has occurred.
My current concern is that the resulting mixture will not be thick enough to form patties, as directed on the box. I may have to add some flour, or other thickening agent, to achieve the desired consistency (though this would then screw up my chance at figuring our the desired consistency based on the pre-made mix).
-As some of you, our vast readership, may have noticed, we now have new buttons at the top of the right side bar of the blog. These buttons, when pushed, allow you to contact us (we each have our own buttons). At least in my case, this button will direct you to a voicemail service. We should be able to post particularly good voicemail messages to the blog for others to hear.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
A Few Quick Notes 152
-Today has been a somewhat overcast, damp day. Instead of nice forms of precipitation such as snow or hale, we received batches of rather unimpressive drizzle throughout the day. This drizzle was accompanied by temperatures just hovering slightly above zero, allowing for plenty of slush and water at each intersection.
-If I recall correctly, some snow removal was done in my part of town yesterday night, or certainly between last night and Saturday.
As I was operating under this assumption, I was somewhat surprised to hear the snow-removal procession moving my way this evening. More upsetting was that they decided to do this while I was trying to take a nap.
-Nithum and I have started the cupboard and closet emptying process that must be complete by tomorrow morning at 8:30. Though we have to stay out of the apartment for at least four hours after the treatment, they haven’t given us a precise time at which we might expect the treatment to occur, or some way of knowing when we might expect to be able to make it back into the apartment.
The particularly strange thing about the process is that they request that we don’t clean the treated surfaces for a month. This would seem to be a somewhat hazardous concept as they locations in question are where we store our food, plates, cups, and glasses. Maybe it is that the stuff they are using to keep cockroaches away isn’t all that poisonous.
-Last night I happened to notice all kinds of flashing lights at about 9:30 or 10:00 PM. Once I got up to survey the situation I learned that about four fire trucks were responding to some kind of situation at the large apartment building across the street from us. All kinds of people had exited the building and were standing on the front steps. Fortunately, after only a few minutes the investigation found nothing dangerous and the residents were given the all clear signal. What an inconvenience in the winter.
-Today I was introduced to a social tagging game that has been developed by the McCord Museum. Strangely, the goal of the project is to accumulate a wide variety of words to describe photos, yet points are given for common answers. This means that the best way to win is to supply the most obvious answers, though this may be completely contrary to what the project is hoping to collect. It seems a somewhat ill conceived concept, or that the game is promoting something contrary to the primary goal of the project.
-I guess in the very near future I might want to check out some of the preliminary Super Tuesday results.
-If I recall correctly, some snow removal was done in my part of town yesterday night, or certainly between last night and Saturday.
As I was operating under this assumption, I was somewhat surprised to hear the snow-removal procession moving my way this evening. More upsetting was that they decided to do this while I was trying to take a nap.
-Nithum and I have started the cupboard and closet emptying process that must be complete by tomorrow morning at 8:30. Though we have to stay out of the apartment for at least four hours after the treatment, they haven’t given us a precise time at which we might expect the treatment to occur, or some way of knowing when we might expect to be able to make it back into the apartment.
The particularly strange thing about the process is that they request that we don’t clean the treated surfaces for a month. This would seem to be a somewhat hazardous concept as they locations in question are where we store our food, plates, cups, and glasses. Maybe it is that the stuff they are using to keep cockroaches away isn’t all that poisonous.
-Last night I happened to notice all kinds of flashing lights at about 9:30 or 10:00 PM. Once I got up to survey the situation I learned that about four fire trucks were responding to some kind of situation at the large apartment building across the street from us. All kinds of people had exited the building and were standing on the front steps. Fortunately, after only a few minutes the investigation found nothing dangerous and the residents were given the all clear signal. What an inconvenience in the winter.
-Today I was introduced to a social tagging game that has been developed by the McCord Museum. Strangely, the goal of the project is to accumulate a wide variety of words to describe photos, yet points are given for common answers. This means that the best way to win is to supply the most obvious answers, though this may be completely contrary to what the project is hoping to collect. It seems a somewhat ill conceived concept, or that the game is promoting something contrary to the primary goal of the project.
-I guess in the very near future I might want to check out some of the preliminary Super Tuesday results.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
A Few Quick Notes 151
-Today was another relatively standard winter day, not too far below zero, but with a little snow to remind people that it is definitely still winter.
-It seems that today is Stupor Bowl Sunday. I am surprised at how many of the people I know in Montreal have plans that related to watching this event. Particularly surprising is that I can’t see most of them as sports fan (but that may just be because I have a hard time understanding how anyone can be a sports fan).
-After completing a little work on campus I returned home. On my way back I stopped at a grocery store. Though I had originally intended to pick up one or two items, I eventually purchased almost $25.00 worth of goods (most of which were sale items). Unfortunately, I didn’t forget to buy a few cans of water chestnuts (as they will only be on sale until midnight tonight).
-Though I was a little worried about my shift last night, it turned out to be nothing to be scared of. We ended up with about 250 McGill residence dwellers for just over two hours. In part, that this party was tolerable may have been because of the brevity.
One of the more impressive sights at the party (which was to be a New Year’s Eve party) was a table covered in about 250 glasses of sparkling white wine. Not surprisingly, there was somewhat of a feeding frenzy type atmosphere surrounding the table. After talking with one of my co-workers who was more closely involved with the filling of the glasses, I am pretty sure that this was likely even truer that I was able to tell from my few quick glimpses of the scene.
In part because of the number of glasses used for the sparkling white wine, but also just generally it seemed as though it was a good night for stemmed glassware. We seemed to switch from our typical focus on pitchers of beer to glasses of wine.
The downside of the shift is that I didn’t make it back to the apartment until well after 3:00 AM.
-If people are interested, the recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the Joy of Cooking is pretty good.
-About three different types of sirens are currently being used to alert car owners in my neighbourhood that snow ploughing is about to take place. After the siren phase, a team of tow-trucks removes any remaining cars and the ploughing begins.
As you may imagine, these are not ideal circumstances for studying or concentrating.
-I should eventually try to prepare some dinner this evening. It is likely that I will have something with a can or two of freshly purchased tuna.
-It seems that today is Stupor Bowl Sunday. I am surprised at how many of the people I know in Montreal have plans that related to watching this event. Particularly surprising is that I can’t see most of them as sports fan (but that may just be because I have a hard time understanding how anyone can be a sports fan).
-After completing a little work on campus I returned home. On my way back I stopped at a grocery store. Though I had originally intended to pick up one or two items, I eventually purchased almost $25.00 worth of goods (most of which were sale items). Unfortunately, I didn’t forget to buy a few cans of water chestnuts (as they will only be on sale until midnight tonight).
-Though I was a little worried about my shift last night, it turned out to be nothing to be scared of. We ended up with about 250 McGill residence dwellers for just over two hours. In part, that this party was tolerable may have been because of the brevity.
One of the more impressive sights at the party (which was to be a New Year’s Eve party) was a table covered in about 250 glasses of sparkling white wine. Not surprisingly, there was somewhat of a feeding frenzy type atmosphere surrounding the table. After talking with one of my co-workers who was more closely involved with the filling of the glasses, I am pretty sure that this was likely even truer that I was able to tell from my few quick glimpses of the scene.
In part because of the number of glasses used for the sparkling white wine, but also just generally it seemed as though it was a good night for stemmed glassware. We seemed to switch from our typical focus on pitchers of beer to glasses of wine.
The downside of the shift is that I didn’t make it back to the apartment until well after 3:00 AM.
-If people are interested, the recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the Joy of Cooking is pretty good.
-About three different types of sirens are currently being used to alert car owners in my neighbourhood that snow ploughing is about to take place. After the siren phase, a team of tow-trucks removes any remaining cars and the ploughing begins.
As you may imagine, these are not ideal circumstances for studying or concentrating.
-I should eventually try to prepare some dinner this evening. It is likely that I will have something with a can or two of freshly purchased tuna.
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