For some reason when one moves up from fast food coffee chains to more expensive coffee houses certain differences are immediately apparent. At least as far as the coffee is concerned I see most of these changes as positive. For instance, I do like having some choice when it comes to roast or whether I would like an espresso-based beverage (not that this is a choice I often make). But, unfortunately, there is one coffee-based difference that seems common to many of these operations that I really dislike. For some reason, these places do not add milk or cream to the coffee before it is handed to the patron.
Maybe the most obvious reason for my dislike of this practice is that the pourers routinely leave room in the cup for milk or cream. As someone who takes my coffee black this means that I am being shorted coffee and not making up for it by taking advantage of the available (relatively more expensive) condiments. This is all the more galling as I’m paying more for the pleasure of being shorted coffee than I would pay for coffee at the cheaper fast food coffee places where I’ve never been shorted on coffee just because I like it black.
My second problem with this practice is more of a safety/spillage concern. So instead of handing me a to-go cup of coffee that is ready to consume, this places will hand me unlidded cups of hot coffee. I know that I am unlikely to spill this coffee on myself, but when I am handling multiple flimsy paper cups at the same time I do enjoy the comfort of a lid.
Of course getting a lid for the coffee is usually another issue. Instead of having the lids near the cash register they are usually near the milk, so that those adding milk can grab them when they have done. Of course, if you won’t want milk this means a trek to the milk stand. If a group ahead of you is at the milk stand you may have to wait or contend with other customers ineptly milking and lidding their coffee. Oh, and this area is usually a mess as people have been spilling milk and sugar since opening time. And as a black coffee drinker spilled milk and sugar are exactly what I want to deal with after I have just ordered a beverage without those ingredients.
And if I have ordered a beverage with those ingredients, which only happens when I am ordering for others, I don’t want to have to figure out how much milk or sugar are typically served with coffee. And even if I knew how much were desired, that I have to add the ingredients myself makes life more difficult when placing an order for a group, a process which is relatively straightforward at most fast food coffee shops. And if nothing else, isn’t service what we’re paying for at a place like this?
A final consideration, and though it doesn’t really impact me directly would seem to be of some significance to the milk in coffee segment of the population, is that when cold milk is added to hot coffee (rather than the other way around) more damage is done to the protein in the milk. Put another way, adding coffee to milk means that more of the nutritional benefits of the milk are be passed along to the consumer than if milk is added to coffee. Ironically, the fast food coffee chains typically do it the healthy way.
So given these concerns, and more that I haven’t dealt with, I don’t understand why this trend seems to be spreading. How has there not been a major outcry from the coffee consuming public to end these unsafe and unhealthy practices? This inferior service model must be stopped.
Showing posts with label fast food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fast food. Show all posts
Monday, December 05, 2011
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Seems like a strange way to start the day
This morning I woke up early and started working on a batch of soft pretzels based on a Joy of Cooking recipe.
Originally, meaning at about 11:00 PM last night, I wanted to make croissants, but after reading the recipe and directions I realized that such a project would have to wait until I learn to develop a greater sense of respect for cookbook instructions. So eventually I settled on pretzels (and almost decided to start making them at midnight and had to work quite hard to hold off until this morning).
Anyway, once I started the process I began to see that pretzels were also more complicated than I expected, though, I guess, not as bad croissants - and the process certainly didn't seem to be as long.
After the mixing, kneading, rising, rolling, rising, rolling, rising, and boiling I eventually came to the baking part of the experience (note that I omitted the salt sprinkling phase).
While I was originally planning on baking the boiled pretzels on parchment paper I decided to follow the instructions as laid out in the cookbook and decided to bake the pretzels on greased baking sheets. Of course as soon as I took the first tray out of the oven I realized that things had gone horribly wrong.
This first tray of pretzels had become quite stuck to the baking sheets. After some time I learned that the only way to remove even part of the pretzel was to rip the top off (and immediately consume it).
Afte quickly dispatching with six pretzels the second tray was ready to come out of the oven. For some reason on this tray only one of the four pretzels was completely adhered to the tray while the other three seemed just to be more adhered than they should have been (but I did manage to remove them without causing them too much damage).
Fortunately I still had two un-boiled pretzels whose fates had not been consigned to a greased baking tray. For these two pretzels I used parchment paper and they worked out perfectly. I guess I know that in the future I will have to ignore the 'greased tray' baking instruction and just go with parchment paper.
Fortunately, at least if you ignore the sticking-to-the-pan problem, the pretzels actually turned out quite nicely. They all had that nice pretzel flavour that we have come to know and love. They also turned an appealing tannish brown and really look kind of like pretzels.
Hopefully next time I make pretzels I will end up with a batch that results in more than five out of twelve successful pretzels.
Originally, meaning at about 11:00 PM last night, I wanted to make croissants, but after reading the recipe and directions I realized that such a project would have to wait until I learn to develop a greater sense of respect for cookbook instructions. So eventually I settled on pretzels (and almost decided to start making them at midnight and had to work quite hard to hold off until this morning).
Anyway, once I started the process I began to see that pretzels were also more complicated than I expected, though, I guess, not as bad croissants - and the process certainly didn't seem to be as long.
After the mixing, kneading, rising, rolling, rising, rolling, rising, and boiling I eventually came to the baking part of the experience (note that I omitted the salt sprinkling phase).
While I was originally planning on baking the boiled pretzels on parchment paper I decided to follow the instructions as laid out in the cookbook and decided to bake the pretzels on greased baking sheets. Of course as soon as I took the first tray out of the oven I realized that things had gone horribly wrong.
This first tray of pretzels had become quite stuck to the baking sheets. After some time I learned that the only way to remove even part of the pretzel was to rip the top off (and immediately consume it).
Afte quickly dispatching with six pretzels the second tray was ready to come out of the oven. For some reason on this tray only one of the four pretzels was completely adhered to the tray while the other three seemed just to be more adhered than they should have been (but I did manage to remove them without causing them too much damage).
Fortunately I still had two un-boiled pretzels whose fates had not been consigned to a greased baking tray. For these two pretzels I used parchment paper and they worked out perfectly. I guess I know that in the future I will have to ignore the 'greased tray' baking instruction and just go with parchment paper.
Fortunately, at least if you ignore the sticking-to-the-pan problem, the pretzels actually turned out quite nicely. They all had that nice pretzel flavour that we have come to know and love. They also turned an appealing tannish brown and really look kind of like pretzels.
Hopefully next time I make pretzels I will end up with a batch that results in more than five out of twelve successful pretzels.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Attacked by logic
This evening Neil, Rebecca, Jeannette, and I attended a Dal Alumni sponsored advance screening of the latest Harry Potter movie. As the recommended time of arrival was 6:00 I had to head to the theatre directly from school, without getting a chance to eat.
Shortly after we picked up our tickets I expressed an interest in getting a burger a fast food restaurant located next to the movie theatre. Neil was keen on joining me. I guess he was also quite hungry.
Though the line-up was not very long it didn't seem to be moving particularly quickly. After a few moments of observation I figure out the hold-up - the guy in front of us was paying with spare change. Though the guy seemed to have quite a bit of change he hadn't counted it in advance so he didn't know exactly how much he had, which meant a rather belaboured counting process. After an agonizing five minute counting process the guy then had to pick up the extra change that he had dumped on the counter. The only good news is that he didn't have to wait very long for his food to arrive after he had finished paying.
Then, all of a sudden, it was our turn to order.
I quickly placed our order, three of the special promotion spicy burgers, though I requested that two be plain and one have only lettuce and cheese. We were then told that we could not order these burgers without cheese or special sauce.
What? I can't omit the most expensive ingredients from my order?
Eventually they allowed us to hold the sauce on all three burgers and transfer all three pieces cheese to a single burger. When Neil's burger eventually came out they had placed two pieces of cheese on one side of the burger and the third on the other.
As ridiculous as this outcome was, I was quite pleased to have some food before the movie.
The movie, which was pretty much what I would have expected, was fine. That they split the final book in two was definitely a bit of a bummer, though a feature of the movie for which I was at least partly prepared.
Shortly after we picked up our tickets I expressed an interest in getting a burger a fast food restaurant located next to the movie theatre. Neil was keen on joining me. I guess he was also quite hungry.
Though the line-up was not very long it didn't seem to be moving particularly quickly. After a few moments of observation I figure out the hold-up - the guy in front of us was paying with spare change. Though the guy seemed to have quite a bit of change he hadn't counted it in advance so he didn't know exactly how much he had, which meant a rather belaboured counting process. After an agonizing five minute counting process the guy then had to pick up the extra change that he had dumped on the counter. The only good news is that he didn't have to wait very long for his food to arrive after he had finished paying.
Then, all of a sudden, it was our turn to order.
I quickly placed our order, three of the special promotion spicy burgers, though I requested that two be plain and one have only lettuce and cheese. We were then told that we could not order these burgers without cheese or special sauce.
What? I can't omit the most expensive ingredients from my order?
Eventually they allowed us to hold the sauce on all three burgers and transfer all three pieces cheese to a single burger. When Neil's burger eventually came out they had placed two pieces of cheese on one side of the burger and the third on the other.
As ridiculous as this outcome was, I was quite pleased to have some food before the movie.
The movie, which was pretty much what I would have expected, was fine. That they split the final book in two was definitely a bit of a bummer, though a feature of the movie for which I was at least partly prepared.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Michigan +8
This morning I realized that I forgot to mention one of the more exciting activities we engaged in while we were on the West side of the state. My Aunt arranged for us to all participate in a vineyard tour of the Fenn Valley vineyards. The tour, which invovled about 22 people being pulled around in an open trailer, gave us the opportunity to taste close to 20 wines (I don't remember the precise number). Most importantly, many of the wines were juxtaposed in such a way that really highlighted the differences that resulted because of particular types of processing. I was particularly glad to learn that I likely don't like white wine aged in oak barrels (apparently a French technique). Another great thing about this vineyard is that the tour seems to vary from season to season so going once doesn't mean that another trip wouldn't be worthwhile.
Instead of heading back to Birch Run this morning, Neil and I decided to hang around the house in Vassar. So this morning, unlike the aforementioned vineyard tour, saw Neil and I engage in much more pedestrian activities.
For breakfast we made our way to the local McDonald's. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, about 10:40, they had switched from their breakfast menu to their lunch menu. Consequently, Neil and I both had to order non-breakfast foods for breakfast. One of the positive results of this forced decision was that I ended up with a beverage cup that provided us with a coupon for a free smoothie (something that we wouldn't have had if we had ordered from the breakfast menu). The thing about the coupon that differentiated it from many other free beverage coupons that I received was that it indicated that it could not be redeemed until at least two hours after the initial receipt of the coupon.
Not surprisingly, Neil and I went back to McDonald's early this afternoon to take advantage of the smoothie coupon. While there I also picked up some lunch. Amazingly, we ended up paying only about $3.20 for a smoothie, a double burger, a small fries, and a large iced tea. I was even able to take advantage of the free-refill policy before we left.
Shortly after returning from our second fast-food run of the day my father and uncle returned from Birch Run. Though I don't know all of what was purchased, my father did tell me that he purchased a new three-piece suit for about $95 (it would have been only $80 if he opted to forego the vest). My sense is that this isn't the only deal that was taken advantage of.
Fortunately, between our fast-food runs I was able to get down to work. I think I managed to put in about 2.5 hours of solid work. Maybe, if I am lucky, I will be able to get a little reading in later this afternoon.
Unfortunately, I don't really know what the plans are for this afternoon and evening. Actually, I don't really know what the plans are for the rest of the trip. In many ways it doesn't really matter, I will just go where I need to go.
Instead of heading back to Birch Run this morning, Neil and I decided to hang around the house in Vassar. So this morning, unlike the aforementioned vineyard tour, saw Neil and I engage in much more pedestrian activities.
For breakfast we made our way to the local McDonald's. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, about 10:40, they had switched from their breakfast menu to their lunch menu. Consequently, Neil and I both had to order non-breakfast foods for breakfast. One of the positive results of this forced decision was that I ended up with a beverage cup that provided us with a coupon for a free smoothie (something that we wouldn't have had if we had ordered from the breakfast menu). The thing about the coupon that differentiated it from many other free beverage coupons that I received was that it indicated that it could not be redeemed until at least two hours after the initial receipt of the coupon.
Not surprisingly, Neil and I went back to McDonald's early this afternoon to take advantage of the smoothie coupon. While there I also picked up some lunch. Amazingly, we ended up paying only about $3.20 for a smoothie, a double burger, a small fries, and a large iced tea. I was even able to take advantage of the free-refill policy before we left.
Shortly after returning from our second fast-food run of the day my father and uncle returned from Birch Run. Though I don't know all of what was purchased, my father did tell me that he purchased a new three-piece suit for about $95 (it would have been only $80 if he opted to forego the vest). My sense is that this isn't the only deal that was taken advantage of.
Fortunately, between our fast-food runs I was able to get down to work. I think I managed to put in about 2.5 hours of solid work. Maybe, if I am lucky, I will be able to get a little reading in later this afternoon.
Unfortunately, I don't really know what the plans are for this afternoon and evening. Actually, I don't really know what the plans are for the rest of the trip. In many ways it doesn't really matter, I will just go where I need to go.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Dos and Don'ts while visiting Paris
Earlier this afternoon I was talking with my friend Jess about her upcoming trip to Paris. While we were talking about her trip I was reminded of my trip to Paris for Easter in 1995, and a few of the aspects of the trip that I would repeat and a few others that I wouldn't. Then tonight it seemed like the appropriate next step would be to create lists of some of these things so that our entire readership is able to take advantage of my experiences and integrate the information in their own Paris travel plans.
So I guess I might as well start with the positive stuff, the Dos
-Do go to the Eiffel Tower and do pay for the elevator ride to the top. I learned the hard way that while it is cheaper to take the stairs you don't get to the top that way.
-Do eat a baguette or two. When I was there they were a pretty cheap and tasty way of sustaining oneself while touring.
-Do watch local TV, it tends to be a little more daring than what you find in North America. This is particularly important if you are a twelve year-old boy when you are making the trip.
-Do visit the Moulin Rouge area, particularly if you haven't already been to a red light/sex district. I know that it is something that I haven't forgotten (though this may have something to do with me being a twelve year-old boy at the time).
-Do go to McDonald's and get a beer, if only so that you can tell me how the experience is (I wasn't able to partake when I was last there and have since been wondering how the beer is in a fast food restaurant).
-Do go to the Notre Dame bell tower.
-Do know how to ask where the bathroom is before you arrive.
-Do plan your trips to be bathroom in advance as you might encounter pay toilet situations or places with pesky attendants (which are best avoided).
-Do get on a train to the correct airport/transportation terminal when it comes time for you to leave.
That's about enough positivity, now I should move on to the don'ts.
-Don't stay in a hotel in Chinatown, it is definitely out of the way.
-Don't order the footlong hot dogs they sell in the Eiffel tower (they lube them up with something and then ram them in a baguette).
-Don't pay to go on the sewer tour, instead walk in the exit as the people from the previous tour are leaving (though don't do this knowingly or it takes the fun out of the experience).
-Don't go to the Palace of Versailles on Spring fountain cleaning day. Choose one of the 364 days of the year when the fountains are not shooting black gunk out of their spouts.
-Don't give your extra fast food restaurant food to homeless kids unless you want them to follow you around.
-Don't be a complete cheapskate all of the time.
I guess that is all I have for the moment, though I am sure that more will come to me at some point in the not too distant future. If I am appropriately motivated I may even get around to posting them here.
So I guess I might as well start with the positive stuff, the Dos
-Do go to the Eiffel Tower and do pay for the elevator ride to the top. I learned the hard way that while it is cheaper to take the stairs you don't get to the top that way.
-Do eat a baguette or two. When I was there they were a pretty cheap and tasty way of sustaining oneself while touring.
-Do watch local TV, it tends to be a little more daring than what you find in North America. This is particularly important if you are a twelve year-old boy when you are making the trip.
-Do visit the Moulin Rouge area, particularly if you haven't already been to a red light/sex district. I know that it is something that I haven't forgotten (though this may have something to do with me being a twelve year-old boy at the time).
-Do go to McDonald's and get a beer, if only so that you can tell me how the experience is (I wasn't able to partake when I was last there and have since been wondering how the beer is in a fast food restaurant).
-Do go to the Notre Dame bell tower.
-Do know how to ask where the bathroom is before you arrive.
-Do plan your trips to be bathroom in advance as you might encounter pay toilet situations or places with pesky attendants (which are best avoided).
-Do get on a train to the correct airport/transportation terminal when it comes time for you to leave.
That's about enough positivity, now I should move on to the don'ts.
-Don't stay in a hotel in Chinatown, it is definitely out of the way.
-Don't order the footlong hot dogs they sell in the Eiffel tower (they lube them up with something and then ram them in a baguette).
-Don't pay to go on the sewer tour, instead walk in the exit as the people from the previous tour are leaving (though don't do this knowingly or it takes the fun out of the experience).
-Don't go to the Palace of Versailles on Spring fountain cleaning day. Choose one of the 364 days of the year when the fountains are not shooting black gunk out of their spouts.
-Don't give your extra fast food restaurant food to homeless kids unless you want them to follow you around.
-Don't be a complete cheapskate all of the time.
I guess that is all I have for the moment, though I am sure that more will come to me at some point in the not too distant future. If I am appropriately motivated I may even get around to posting them here.
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 309
-Though occasionally overcast, today was a generally nice day. As far as I can tell, it was generally warmer than predicted. Apparently tomorrow is to be the first very warm day of the year, with temperatures that are expected to go as high as 26. If this is the case, it could be a little warm for my liking.
-I am now 2/22 on this year's Roll Up the Rim to Win contest. As supplies of cups are running out or have run out, I don't imagine that I will manage to really improve my rather dismal record at this point. I guess I need to re-group and come at things strong next year.
-Just moments ago I woke up from a nap. Originally the nap was supposed to be 45 minutes at most, it turned out to have run 1 hour and 15 minutes. As I ended up setting my alarm incorrectly I guess I am luck that I ended up only sleeping for an extra 30 minutes and not several hours.
-If my most recent 'stache was any indication, it seems that temporary tattoos may last longer than mustaches.
While I was out walking last night I realized that I had a conference to attend today which. Though it may have been unnecessary, I thought it would be best if I shaved before attending this morning's opening session.
-The conference, which is on the European Union and is my first full-fledged academic conference, is quite informative. Unfortunately, I was relatively tired for most of the day (the 9:00 AM starts really hit me hard). There are a number of sessions tomorrow that should be quite good.
-It seems that the swine flu problem in Nova Scotia has only gotten worse since it was first reported yesterday. CBC is now reporting that it seems that the disease has likely spread beyond the original four cases, which should not be all that surprising considering that it is contagious. As you might have expected, this news hasn't really comforted me.
-I am now 2/22 on this year's Roll Up the Rim to Win contest. As supplies of cups are running out or have run out, I don't imagine that I will manage to really improve my rather dismal record at this point. I guess I need to re-group and come at things strong next year.
-Just moments ago I woke up from a nap. Originally the nap was supposed to be 45 minutes at most, it turned out to have run 1 hour and 15 minutes. As I ended up setting my alarm incorrectly I guess I am luck that I ended up only sleeping for an extra 30 minutes and not several hours.
-If my most recent 'stache was any indication, it seems that temporary tattoos may last longer than mustaches.
While I was out walking last night I realized that I had a conference to attend today which. Though it may have been unnecessary, I thought it would be best if I shaved before attending this morning's opening session.
-The conference, which is on the European Union and is my first full-fledged academic conference, is quite informative. Unfortunately, I was relatively tired for most of the day (the 9:00 AM starts really hit me hard). There are a number of sessions tomorrow that should be quite good.
-It seems that the swine flu problem in Nova Scotia has only gotten worse since it was first reported yesterday. CBC is now reporting that it seems that the disease has likely spread beyond the original four cases, which should not be all that surprising considering that it is contagious. As you might have expected, this news hasn't really comforted me.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 298
-According to Environment Canada it was 9 degrees above zero at times today, though it certainly didn't feel that warm in downtown Halifax. If my sense of the temperature was correct this may be one of the few times I have experienced lower temperatures in town than at the airport.
-I am now 2/18 in this year's Roll Up the Rim to Win contest. Almost after snagging a free coffee on Tuesday I re-invested my winnings in a losing cup, and have subsequently entered a three cup losing streak.
-As you can see, the corn has now been chopped down and not yet replaced. At the moment I don't know what I should plant to replace the corn. I kind of think that something rather vertical, like more corn, would be good, though I would rather have a larger pot for corn. Anyway, surely within the next few days I will have come up with something to plant in the pot recently vacated by the corn.
-As I have previously mentioned, I am finding it very difficult to take pictures of the scarlet runner beans in my bedroom. While this shot shows some of the growth, I don't think it does the plants justice. Hopefully I will be able to figure something out in the coming days, though I am not particularly hopeful given the space I have to work with and the unfortunate location of a few walls.
I should also note that it seems that the plants aren't growing as quickly as those in the living room did. I find this a little strange as the pot is larger than any of those that I used in the living room. Maybe scarlet runner beans actually like to be pot bound much more than I originally imagined. If this is the case I might expect growth to speed up as the root structure develops, so I guess I should start seeing changes any day now.
-None of us made it to the Ice Castles filming session at St. Mary's University today. Last night Neil and I both realized that we both had MSU hats that we could have worn to add a touch of realism to the session. Hopefully a few dedicated Spartan fans were present in dressed in green and white.
-Normally we don't get all that many phone calls, so that I had to field five calls was rather anomalous. I feel that I sometimes can go at least a week without having a real phone conversation, so I really wasn't mentally prepared for such phone activity.
-I am now 2/18 in this year's Roll Up the Rim to Win contest. Almost after snagging a free coffee on Tuesday I re-invested my winnings in a losing cup, and have subsequently entered a three cup losing streak.
-As you can see, the corn has now been chopped down and not yet replaced. At the moment I don't know what I should plant to replace the corn. I kind of think that something rather vertical, like more corn, would be good, though I would rather have a larger pot for corn. Anyway, surely within the next few days I will have come up with something to plant in the pot recently vacated by the corn.
-As I have previously mentioned, I am finding it very difficult to take pictures of the scarlet runner beans in my bedroom. While this shot shows some of the growth, I don't think it does the plants justice. Hopefully I will be able to figure something out in the coming days, though I am not particularly hopeful given the space I have to work with and the unfortunate location of a few walls.
I should also note that it seems that the plants aren't growing as quickly as those in the living room did. I find this a little strange as the pot is larger than any of those that I used in the living room. Maybe scarlet runner beans actually like to be pot bound much more than I originally imagined. If this is the case I might expect growth to speed up as the root structure develops, so I guess I should start seeing changes any day now.
-None of us made it to the Ice Castles filming session at St. Mary's University today. Last night Neil and I both realized that we both had MSU hats that we could have worn to add a touch of realism to the session. Hopefully a few dedicated Spartan fans were present in dressed in green and white.
-Normally we don't get all that many phone calls, so that I had to field five calls was rather anomalous. I feel that I sometimes can go at least a week without having a real phone conversation, so I really wasn't mentally prepared for such phone activity.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 284
-Though it has been above zero all day we managed to sneak in a few hours of relatively heavy snowfall this morning. As temperatures have remained above zero some of the snow seems to have already started to melt. Hopefully this doesn't mean that if we get the forecast below zero temperatures we will have ice-covered sidewalks for this next few days.
-After making it to bed at 3:30 AM (remember the daylight savings time effect) I was a little surprised to find myself awake at 5:00. Almost immediately I realized the reason I awoke was because the fire alarm was ringing. As I was starting to figure things out and head towards my door the alarm finished sounding, much to my surprise. After a quick trip to the bathroom and exchanging a few pleasantries with Neil I made my way back to bed. Some time later, though it may only have been 5 minutes, I heard fire trucks pull up to the building. As you might have guessed, I didn't get up to see what had happened.
-For a few days I have been meaning to report on this season's Roll Up The Rim To Rim stats. So far I have been doing surprisingly well, I am presently standing at 1/3, which is about as successful as I might reasonably hope to be at this stage. Though a number of my family members seem to think that I consume this coffee every day, this is clearly not the case. I think what they have failed to take into consideration is that now that I have a coffee grinder the coffee I can make at home is drinkable, which means I purchase coffee only for consumption in class.
-My cold seems to be relapsing a little. I blame Neil.
-I recently mentioned that I attended a meal at a fancy hotel on Friday. I forgot to mention the salad that was served. If I recall correctly, the salad was primarily composed of spinach leaves, topped with some cheese and nuts, and garnished with a few cherry tomatoes. The only component that I might have considered eating was a single piece of some kind of red lettuce or cabbage. I am almost surprised that they didn't top off whole affair with a honey coated shrimp.
-After making it to bed at 3:30 AM (remember the daylight savings time effect) I was a little surprised to find myself awake at 5:00. Almost immediately I realized the reason I awoke was because the fire alarm was ringing. As I was starting to figure things out and head towards my door the alarm finished sounding, much to my surprise. After a quick trip to the bathroom and exchanging a few pleasantries with Neil I made my way back to bed. Some time later, though it may only have been 5 minutes, I heard fire trucks pull up to the building. As you might have guessed, I didn't get up to see what had happened.
-For a few days I have been meaning to report on this season's Roll Up The Rim To Rim stats. So far I have been doing surprisingly well, I am presently standing at 1/3, which is about as successful as I might reasonably hope to be at this stage. Though a number of my family members seem to think that I consume this coffee every day, this is clearly not the case. I think what they have failed to take into consideration is that now that I have a coffee grinder the coffee I can make at home is drinkable, which means I purchase coffee only for consumption in class.
-My cold seems to be relapsing a little. I blame Neil.
-I recently mentioned that I attended a meal at a fancy hotel on Friday. I forgot to mention the salad that was served. If I recall correctly, the salad was primarily composed of spinach leaves, topped with some cheese and nuts, and garnished with a few cherry tomatoes. The only component that I might have considered eating was a single piece of some kind of red lettuce or cabbage. I am almost surprised that they didn't top off whole affair with a honey coated shrimp.
Monday, January 19, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 261
-Here in Halifax experienced a 23 degree temperature swing in a twenty-four hour period ending this morning. This means that while it quite cold yesterday, it was a balmy 7 degrees today. A noticeable consequence of the temperature swing is a serious snow melt. This seems to be causing serious problems near the waterfront, among other places. The most significant problem may actually be to come as the temperature is supposed to drop this evening, causing the recently thawed water to turn to ice.
-A few days ago I mentioned making a sticky toffee sponge pudding with double the butter. Amazingly, it seems that this mistake didn't negatively impact the pudding. I guess the down side is that each piece is even more calorie laden, which is somewhat hard to believe given that it saturated with a sugar sauce.
-On Saturday Neil and I had another Ultimate game, and again we lost. Though we lost we played a particularly strong first half (with the exception of the first few minutes) we didn't manage to hold off the other team. As it was -20 with the wind chill taking it down to about -27 we decided to see if instead of waiting an hour for our bus we could get a ride from one of our teammates. In the end we got a ride about halfway home, took the bus for a few stops, and then walked the rest of the rest of the way. Though this might sound like a rather convoluted trip it actually worked out rather well.
-On Saturday I had the pleasure of introducing yucca root ( also known as cassava) to Neil, Rebecca, and Rebecca's friend Margaret. Though they all seemed a little apprehensive at first, they all tried it and all claimed they liked it. Hopefully the grocery store will to continue to carry this product through the Spring and Summer.
-Again today I was able to take advantage of the a free coffee coupon at a fast food restaurant. Possibly more surprising than the fact that they place no restrictions on the use of the coupon (or the size of the coffee that they provide) is that they make a point of returning the coupon and telling you that you are welcome to use it again. I am tempted to re-route my walk to school tomorrow to take advantage of the offer again.
-A few days ago I mentioned making a sticky toffee sponge pudding with double the butter. Amazingly, it seems that this mistake didn't negatively impact the pudding. I guess the down side is that each piece is even more calorie laden, which is somewhat hard to believe given that it saturated with a sugar sauce.
-On Saturday Neil and I had another Ultimate game, and again we lost. Though we lost we played a particularly strong first half (with the exception of the first few minutes) we didn't manage to hold off the other team. As it was -20 with the wind chill taking it down to about -27 we decided to see if instead of waiting an hour for our bus we could get a ride from one of our teammates. In the end we got a ride about halfway home, took the bus for a few stops, and then walked the rest of the rest of the way. Though this might sound like a rather convoluted trip it actually worked out rather well.
-On Saturday I had the pleasure of introducing yucca root ( also known as cassava) to Neil, Rebecca, and Rebecca's friend Margaret. Though they all seemed a little apprehensive at first, they all tried it and all claimed they liked it. Hopefully the grocery store will to continue to carry this product through the Spring and Summer.
-Again today I was able to take advantage of the a free coffee coupon at a fast food restaurant. Possibly more surprising than the fact that they place no restrictions on the use of the coupon (or the size of the coffee that they provide) is that they make a point of returning the coupon and telling you that you are welcome to use it again. I am tempted to re-route my walk to school tomorrow to take advantage of the offer again.
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.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
A Few Quick Notes 157
-For the past few days, or at least the past day and a half, we have had a bit of snow. This hasn’t really been problematic as the amount we received has not been significant. Hopefully the temperature will stay below zero for the next couple of days so that we don’t just have puddles of slush at every corner.
-So far I a 0/4 on my Roll Up the Rim cups. This is not all that surprising. Actually, I have decided to see if I can beat my record of last year, which was something like 0/17 before I got a free coffee. I should also note that this year I have been able to use my newly acquired ‘rim roller,’ a small device that automatically unrolls a coffee cup rim to save one the hassle of having to do it with either one’s mouth or fingers. The only downside to this device is that the swath it unrolls isn’t quite as wide as I would like it to be.
-On Monday night I finally ditched my beard. This took a while as I had to do it with a pair of scissors and then a razor. For those of you that are curious, yes, I left the ‘stache, at least for the time being. So far I haven’t really noticed much of a difference in terms of quality of life or a diminishing number of people who look at me as though I am nuts (but this latter part is likely because of the shorts).
-Last night, for the first time, I went to Concordia to borrow some books from their library, a privilege afforded me because of reciporical borrowing agreements. I ended up selecting three books, at least two of which are not available at McGill. The only problem is that I now have to try not to mix these three up with the pile of books that I have that are from McGill. Fortunately, I have been able to read the necessary sections already, meaning that I should be able to return them shortly.
-As I mentioned a few days ago, I have decided to apply to do an M.A. in Political Science at Dalhousie. On Monday I submitted my application package and paid the necessary fee. I guess I will hear back from them at some point in the future, hope it all works out.
-More than in previous presidential elections, but this may just be my own persona perception, it seems that instead of the positions of the various candidates news sources are covering events as a battle for polling support. This means that what a candidate says is significantly less important than the fact that they said it to a group of union workers in Ohio on a Sunday.
Another problem with this year’s coverage is that candidates are able to say something outrageous, which is then reported almost verbatim, the veracity of the statement is never seen to be an issue worth examining. Particularly troubling are the claims by Hilary that she has more international relations experience than Obama.
This is troubling as it simply isn’t true. What is more troubling is that the two credentials that Hilary is tossing around are her experience as a senator, as well as her experience as first lady. As far as I can tell, neither of these two positions, the second of which isn’t even a formal position, involves any diplomatic responsibilities. Being one of a hundred people to approve a treaty is not even close to the same thing as negotiating a treaty.
I feel that the claim that living in the White House should count for experience is kind of like the idea of going to the spouse of your doctor for surgery, I mean they have lived with a surgeon for 20 years. Some of that knowledge and experience must have rubbed off, right?
(This should not be taken as a statement in support of or against any particular candidate, but rather as a call for better reporting of the campaigns of those running for President.)
-So far I a 0/4 on my Roll Up the Rim cups. This is not all that surprising. Actually, I have decided to see if I can beat my record of last year, which was something like 0/17 before I got a free coffee. I should also note that this year I have been able to use my newly acquired ‘rim roller,’ a small device that automatically unrolls a coffee cup rim to save one the hassle of having to do it with either one’s mouth or fingers. The only downside to this device is that the swath it unrolls isn’t quite as wide as I would like it to be.
-On Monday night I finally ditched my beard. This took a while as I had to do it with a pair of scissors and then a razor. For those of you that are curious, yes, I left the ‘stache, at least for the time being. So far I haven’t really noticed much of a difference in terms of quality of life or a diminishing number of people who look at me as though I am nuts (but this latter part is likely because of the shorts).
-Last night, for the first time, I went to Concordia to borrow some books from their library, a privilege afforded me because of reciporical borrowing agreements. I ended up selecting three books, at least two of which are not available at McGill. The only problem is that I now have to try not to mix these three up with the pile of books that I have that are from McGill. Fortunately, I have been able to read the necessary sections already, meaning that I should be able to return them shortly.
-As I mentioned a few days ago, I have decided to apply to do an M.A. in Political Science at Dalhousie. On Monday I submitted my application package and paid the necessary fee. I guess I will hear back from them at some point in the future, hope it all works out.
-More than in previous presidential elections, but this may just be my own persona perception, it seems that instead of the positions of the various candidates news sources are covering events as a battle for polling support. This means that what a candidate says is significantly less important than the fact that they said it to a group of union workers in Ohio on a Sunday.
Another problem with this year’s coverage is that candidates are able to say something outrageous, which is then reported almost verbatim, the veracity of the statement is never seen to be an issue worth examining. Particularly troubling are the claims by Hilary that she has more international relations experience than Obama.
This is troubling as it simply isn’t true. What is more troubling is that the two credentials that Hilary is tossing around are her experience as a senator, as well as her experience as first lady. As far as I can tell, neither of these two positions, the second of which isn’t even a formal position, involves any diplomatic responsibilities. Being one of a hundred people to approve a treaty is not even close to the same thing as negotiating a treaty.
I feel that the claim that living in the White House should count for experience is kind of like the idea of going to the spouse of your doctor for surgery, I mean they have lived with a surgeon for 20 years. Some of that knowledge and experience must have rubbed off, right?
(This should not be taken as a statement in support of or against any particular candidate, but rather as a call for better reporting of the campaigns of those running for President.)
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 96
-Today turned out to be a pretty a semi-typical Newfoundland day. When I went to work in the morning it was quite overcast and damp. This type of weather continued for some number of hours. Without my noticing the day somehow actually became quite nice by the time I left work. Though it was only about 10 degrees we didn’t have any wind to make it feel much cooler. This is particularly nice as there have rumblings of snow in recent forecasts. The strange thing is that we still don’t have any leaves on the trees, though as of the past few days some have started to show buds.
-Today was garbage day in my part of town. Under normal circumstance one might not think that this is worth noting, but for the past year or so a by-law has been in effect which has been forcing people to cover their garbage with the aim of preventing birds from tearing the garbage bags apart. Based on my non-random sample, most people seem to be using nets of one description or another. What is funny about this concept is that most of the nets I walk past on every garbage day come no where close to actually covering all of the garbage bags. If entire bags aren’t exposed, most lawns will have a least a section of a bag or two exposed. Compliance seems on to the letter of the law and certainly not to the spirit.
-Once again I went to the Rose and Thistle for their weekly trivia night, though this time with Dougal and Peter. While we did not win outright we did manage to tie the tie-breaker and split the prize. Amazingly, we still had some of our original winnings left at the end of the night.
-The CLA conference should be starting next week in St. John’s. We will be swamped with librarians. Unfortunately, only a few (or maybe just one) will be making the trip.
-For the past few days I have been eating grapefruit every morning. This is somewhat strange because I typically don’t eat all that much fruit. What is even stranger is that when we didn’t have any grapefruit this morning I definitely felt as though something was missing. Fortunately, some grapefruit was purchased this afternoon. I keep thinking that I should make up for this morning’s missed grapefruit by having one shortly.
-Occasionally on my way to work I stop at the local Tim Horton’s to pick a coffee to drink on my way to work. For some reason on at least two days this week (the only two days I have checked) the line has been extended past the door. In the number of years I have walked by this Tim Horton’s I have never seen this even once, and now I have seen it twice in one week. The only fortunate thing about this Tim Horton’s is that they seem particularly efficient when it comes to serving customers. One thing that seems to help them along is that they are very good at remembering the orders of regular customers and preparing them before the order is even placed.
-Today was garbage day in my part of town. Under normal circumstance one might not think that this is worth noting, but for the past year or so a by-law has been in effect which has been forcing people to cover their garbage with the aim of preventing birds from tearing the garbage bags apart. Based on my non-random sample, most people seem to be using nets of one description or another. What is funny about this concept is that most of the nets I walk past on every garbage day come no where close to actually covering all of the garbage bags. If entire bags aren’t exposed, most lawns will have a least a section of a bag or two exposed. Compliance seems on to the letter of the law and certainly not to the spirit.
-Once again I went to the Rose and Thistle for their weekly trivia night, though this time with Dougal and Peter. While we did not win outright we did manage to tie the tie-breaker and split the prize. Amazingly, we still had some of our original winnings left at the end of the night.
-The CLA conference should be starting next week in St. John’s. We will be swamped with librarians. Unfortunately, only a few (or maybe just one) will be making the trip.
-For the past few days I have been eating grapefruit every morning. This is somewhat strange because I typically don’t eat all that much fruit. What is even stranger is that when we didn’t have any grapefruit this morning I definitely felt as though something was missing. Fortunately, some grapefruit was purchased this afternoon. I keep thinking that I should make up for this morning’s missed grapefruit by having one shortly.
-Occasionally on my way to work I stop at the local Tim Horton’s to pick a coffee to drink on my way to work. For some reason on at least two days this week (the only two days I have checked) the line has been extended past the door. In the number of years I have walked by this Tim Horton’s I have never seen this even once, and now I have seen it twice in one week. The only fortunate thing about this Tim Horton’s is that they seem particularly efficient when it comes to serving customers. One thing that seems to help them along is that they are very good at remembering the orders of regular customers and preparing them before the order is even placed.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 91
-It seems to be about 6 degrees above freezing and snowing in St. John’s. The forecast seems to be suggesting that by later this afternoon this snow will turn into rain, making things generally unpleasant. Fortunately it is not as windy as it was yesterday.
-For some reason I have almost stopped using my computer for personal reasons since my return. I haven’t been able to figure out why this has happened, though it may have something to do with not having access to a desk. Hopefully my blogging consistency will pick up over the next few days.
-My younger sister Kirsten and I went out for breakfast at the Bagel Café this morning. I think that the event was a success. All in all, the restaurant was pretty much as I remembered.
-When I returned to St. John’s I was surprised to learn that Roll Up the Rim cups were still available. I was able to purchase a few more chances at the big win leaving me with a record of 4/44, all of my wins being coffees.
-On Monday I was able to go to Memorial to pick up my Alumni card, something that allows me to check out books from the university library. On Wednesday I went to the public library to renew my library card. Two library cards in a week, I think that is a personal record.
Just this morning I realized that I will be able to use my new public library card to ILL a book that I have been interested in reading for a few years. Maybe I can head back to the library this afternoon to get the process rolling (that is if they offer ILL services).
-It is amazing how relaxing work seems in relation to this last year of school. While my work projects are on my mind, I don’t have the ability to work on them in a concrete way after hours in the same way that I would with schoolwork.
-It looks as though a big part of my summer will be spent designing, creating, and adding records to an InMagic DB/TextWorks database. One element of the task that I am not looking forward to is having to import records from another database with a different set of fields (which apparently can be done).
-For some reason I have almost stopped using my computer for personal reasons since my return. I haven’t been able to figure out why this has happened, though it may have something to do with not having access to a desk. Hopefully my blogging consistency will pick up over the next few days.
-My younger sister Kirsten and I went out for breakfast at the Bagel Café this morning. I think that the event was a success. All in all, the restaurant was pretty much as I remembered.
-When I returned to St. John’s I was surprised to learn that Roll Up the Rim cups were still available. I was able to purchase a few more chances at the big win leaving me with a record of 4/44, all of my wins being coffees.
-On Monday I was able to go to Memorial to pick up my Alumni card, something that allows me to check out books from the university library. On Wednesday I went to the public library to renew my library card. Two library cards in a week, I think that is a personal record.
Just this morning I realized that I will be able to use my new public library card to ILL a book that I have been interested in reading for a few years. Maybe I can head back to the library this afternoon to get the process rolling (that is if they offer ILL services).
-It is amazing how relaxing work seems in relation to this last year of school. While my work projects are on my mind, I don’t have the ability to work on them in a concrete way after hours in the same way that I would with schoolwork.
-It looks as though a big part of my summer will be spent designing, creating, and adding records to an InMagic DB/TextWorks database. One element of the task that I am not looking forward to is having to import records from another database with a different set of fields (which apparently can be done).
Sunday, April 22, 2007
My Return to St. John’s (I am actually back now)
I finally made it back to St. John’s early Saturday morning. Much to my surprise, the trip to the airport and then from Montreal to St. John’s went very smoothly. I even encountered a very pleasant Air Canada employee as I was checking my baggage. If my memory serves me correctly, I must have been inside the security area within about five minutes of being dropped of at the airport.
The only delay that I encountered during the trip was the wait to pick up my bags in St. John’s. It seems that about four or five flights arrived with in a few minutes of one another. For some reason only about one person was loading luggage onto the baggage carousels. The one individual was dividing his efforts between the flights, giving each about one load before switching to another flight.
From the airport we went directly to the grocery store as my parents seemed to not have any food in the house. This was a pretty quick shopping trip, though we did end up buying a 15 pound turkey on a whim.
Early the next morning I was able to head over to Monty’s to pick up a copy of the Globe. Though he didn’t say anything, I believe that Mr. Monty (not his real name) did recognize me from my years of continued patronage. From there I hit the Tim Horton’s on my way back. At this point I learned that there are still some Roll Up the Rim cups in St. John’s, though they seem to have sold out in Montreal (or at least the places I frequent).
It was then on to my haircut. My hair length is now “respectable.” I am thinking that in a few weeks I may even go shorter still. What I find strange is that I have still not really noticed the loss.
My weekend of curling started at just before noon. Amazingly, this was the first time I had ever competed in the Bon Voyage, an annual mixed bonspiel. We were beaten pretty badly in our first game, though we managed to come back in our second game that evening, only to be eliminated this morning. My body is really feeling these few ends, demonstrating the affects of age and lack of practice.
Hopefully in a day or so I will be on the Newfoundland schedule, though as it stands right now it may take a little longer.
The only delay that I encountered during the trip was the wait to pick up my bags in St. John’s. It seems that about four or five flights arrived with in a few minutes of one another. For some reason only about one person was loading luggage onto the baggage carousels. The one individual was dividing his efforts between the flights, giving each about one load before switching to another flight.
From the airport we went directly to the grocery store as my parents seemed to not have any food in the house. This was a pretty quick shopping trip, though we did end up buying a 15 pound turkey on a whim.
Early the next morning I was able to head over to Monty’s to pick up a copy of the Globe. Though he didn’t say anything, I believe that Mr. Monty (not his real name) did recognize me from my years of continued patronage. From there I hit the Tim Horton’s on my way back. At this point I learned that there are still some Roll Up the Rim cups in St. John’s, though they seem to have sold out in Montreal (or at least the places I frequent).
It was then on to my haircut. My hair length is now “respectable.” I am thinking that in a few weeks I may even go shorter still. What I find strange is that I have still not really noticed the loss.
My weekend of curling started at just before noon. Amazingly, this was the first time I had ever competed in the Bon Voyage, an annual mixed bonspiel. We were beaten pretty badly in our first game, though we managed to come back in our second game that evening, only to be eliminated this morning. My body is really feeling these few ends, demonstrating the affects of age and lack of practice.
Hopefully in a day or so I will be on the Newfoundland schedule, though as it stands right now it may take a little longer.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 90
-Today has been relatively nice so far, certainly much nicer than many of the days in the near past. It seems that we are supposed to finally have some nicer weather in the next few days.
For some reason we seem to have had a pretty large amount of snow this April. While the snow does not have any real staying power, it does manage to make things much less pleasant than they would otherwise be.
-My final assignment of the year was submitted on Monday. It was nice to get this out of the way. Since that time I have been focusing on packing and getting ready to head back to St. John’s for the summer.
-In less than a week I start work again. This will be a rather big change from my current lifestyle. I am looking forward to this change.
-For those of you that were saddened by the paucity of posts in the past few days, I apologize. Unfortunately, my schoolwork was taking a fair bit of my time and mental energy. Though I frequently suggest that Neil need only take a few minutes each day to post, I now see that at times that can be at bit much to expect. Hopefully I will have better time management skills in the future so that this lack of posting will not occur again (though this is unlikely).
-To pack I needed boxes. My first stop was Thomson House. From the recycling bin I was able to find a few good boxes, mainly wine boxes. Unfortunately, the few boxes I picked up were not sufficient to meet my box needs. As I am somewhat shy the idea of going to other places to look for boxes did not really appeal to me. Eventually I worked up the courage to go Dollarama, though I only found one box. Afterwards I went to the local depanneur, only to learn that they wouldn’t have any boxes until Thursday.
My next stop was the McGill Bookstore. While on the main floor I found a clerk working on a mug display. I asked if she knew if they might have any boxes available. When she asked what size I was looking for I pointed at the box of mugs she was working from. She then left to try and rustle up some boxes. When she returned a few minutes later she was carrying five brand new boxes that had yet to be unfolded.
As excellent as the boxes are I immediately began to wonder why a bookstore would have all kinds of new boxes. Wouldn’t they just use old boxes if they needed any? Why would they need such a large number of boxes? Does this type of practice (the buying unnecessary items) explain why the prices are so high at the bookstore?
-For the past few weeks I have been exposed to several pieces by a Montreal based group called Arcade Fire. Apparently they are really popular. The part of the equation that I don’t understand is why. None of the stuff I have heard has particularly interested me or held my attention. In most cases I can hardly manage to listen to the entire song. I would guess that the common consensus would be that I am missing something. If anyone wants to explain it to me I am more than willing to listen.
-My Roll Up the Rim To Win record is now 3/41. Apparently I really don’t have any skills when it comes to this game.
For some reason we seem to have had a pretty large amount of snow this April. While the snow does not have any real staying power, it does manage to make things much less pleasant than they would otherwise be.
-My final assignment of the year was submitted on Monday. It was nice to get this out of the way. Since that time I have been focusing on packing and getting ready to head back to St. John’s for the summer.
-In less than a week I start work again. This will be a rather big change from my current lifestyle. I am looking forward to this change.
-For those of you that were saddened by the paucity of posts in the past few days, I apologize. Unfortunately, my schoolwork was taking a fair bit of my time and mental energy. Though I frequently suggest that Neil need only take a few minutes each day to post, I now see that at times that can be at bit much to expect. Hopefully I will have better time management skills in the future so that this lack of posting will not occur again (though this is unlikely).
-To pack I needed boxes. My first stop was Thomson House. From the recycling bin I was able to find a few good boxes, mainly wine boxes. Unfortunately, the few boxes I picked up were not sufficient to meet my box needs. As I am somewhat shy the idea of going to other places to look for boxes did not really appeal to me. Eventually I worked up the courage to go Dollarama, though I only found one box. Afterwards I went to the local depanneur, only to learn that they wouldn’t have any boxes until Thursday.
My next stop was the McGill Bookstore. While on the main floor I found a clerk working on a mug display. I asked if she knew if they might have any boxes available. When she asked what size I was looking for I pointed at the box of mugs she was working from. She then left to try and rustle up some boxes. When she returned a few minutes later she was carrying five brand new boxes that had yet to be unfolded.
As excellent as the boxes are I immediately began to wonder why a bookstore would have all kinds of new boxes. Wouldn’t they just use old boxes if they needed any? Why would they need such a large number of boxes? Does this type of practice (the buying unnecessary items) explain why the prices are so high at the bookstore?
-For the past few weeks I have been exposed to several pieces by a Montreal based group called Arcade Fire. Apparently they are really popular. The part of the equation that I don’t understand is why. None of the stuff I have heard has particularly interested me or held my attention. In most cases I can hardly manage to listen to the entire song. I would guess that the common consensus would be that I am missing something. If anyone wants to explain it to me I am more than willing to listen.
-My Roll Up the Rim To Win record is now 3/41. Apparently I really don’t have any skills when it comes to this game.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 89
-Today is a beautiful day in Montreal, our first in a while. While I was initially concerned that the day might be cool and overcast, my fears were clearly misplaced. Today seems like a perfect day for me to ride either my bike or my unicycle for exercise purposes.
Unfortunately, Environment Canada is not acknowledging the clear and sunny skies, and goes further to suggest that we will be back to rain and snow by tomorrow.
-My Roll Up the Rim record is now 3/38. It seems that other stores still have the special cups, even though the McGill Tim Horton’s has been out of them for weeks.
-Another project was due today, this one for Collection Development. I am now down to two, one on Friday and one on Monday. Friday’s project still requires a fair bit of work.
-Nithum took me for $10.00 the other night on coin flips. I started betting each series of bet by betting a penny, then doubling my bet until I won. I was doing relatively well, or winning a penny on each series, until I ran into a particularly long string of tosses that went against me. After making, and losing, a bet for $5.12 I pulled out, not wagering $10.24 in an attempt to win a penny. In the end Nithum gave me my money back (except for two quarters). Once again, I have had my great system beaten by the fact that I don’t have infinitely deep pockets (something that I did say was needed for my system to work).
-The GSLIS party on Saturday night went well. As far as I know most people in attendance had a good time. It was nice to attend a party and know so many people. As far as I was concerned, the main downside was that I was not able to speak to a few people that I had hoped to. I was glad that it wasn’t a dud, because if that had been the case I likely would take heat for it at work.
-I will be busing tomorrow and Friday night at Thomson House. I keep deluding myself into thinking that I might somehow be able to bring busing to a new level. People might start having guest busers, and people would visit bars to have their tables bused by a particular person. In some weird way I think that this might work, but only if the person had the right personality.
Unfortunately, Environment Canada is not acknowledging the clear and sunny skies, and goes further to suggest that we will be back to rain and snow by tomorrow.
-My Roll Up the Rim record is now 3/38. It seems that other stores still have the special cups, even though the McGill Tim Horton’s has been out of them for weeks.
-Another project was due today, this one for Collection Development. I am now down to two, one on Friday and one on Monday. Friday’s project still requires a fair bit of work.
-Nithum took me for $10.00 the other night on coin flips. I started betting each series of bet by betting a penny, then doubling my bet until I won. I was doing relatively well, or winning a penny on each series, until I ran into a particularly long string of tosses that went against me. After making, and losing, a bet for $5.12 I pulled out, not wagering $10.24 in an attempt to win a penny. In the end Nithum gave me my money back (except for two quarters). Once again, I have had my great system beaten by the fact that I don’t have infinitely deep pockets (something that I did say was needed for my system to work).
-The GSLIS party on Saturday night went well. As far as I know most people in attendance had a good time. It was nice to attend a party and know so many people. As far as I was concerned, the main downside was that I was not able to speak to a few people that I had hoped to. I was glad that it wasn’t a dud, because if that had been the case I likely would take heat for it at work.
-I will be busing tomorrow and Friday night at Thomson House. I keep deluding myself into thinking that I might somehow be able to bring busing to a new level. People might start having guest busers, and people would visit bars to have their tables bused by a particular person. In some weird way I think that this might work, but only if the person had the right personality.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 88
-While we have a few centimeters of snow on the ground, today isn’t too bad. The cool temperatures have prevented too much slush from forming and the discontinuence of falling snow has prevented build-up on the sidewalks. My desire is that in a few days, or once my projects are done, that the temperatures will warm up and the snow will start to vanish.
-My Roll Up the Rim record is now 3/37, a solid losing record.
-The GSLIS party is happening tonight. It sounds as though there should be a fair number of librarians there.
-For dinner this evening I decided to go with my second steak bake. I was quite pleased with the results. It had bread, beef, and potato.
-My Roll Up the Rim record is now 3/37, a solid losing record.
-The GSLIS party is happening tonight. It sounds as though there should be a fair number of librarians there.
-For dinner this evening I decided to go with my second steak bake. I was quite pleased with the results. It had bread, beef, and potato.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 85
-Today was another beautiful day in Montreal. Though the morning was on the chilly side, it was quite comfortable by sundown. It was nice enough that I was able to ride both my bike and my unicycle. Hopefully this type of weather will keep up throughout the week.
-As mentioned above, I was able to crack out my unicycle for the first time this year. Most of my riding was done at McGill. A few days ago I found a good, out of the way spot that allows me to practice without torment (at least so far). I keep wondering why I haven’t seen more unicycles around McGill.
-This afternoon I had the pleasure of heading out on an errand for a friend. She is interested in be buying two mohair shawls for her before my return to Newfoundland. To make it to the store I rode my bike, which is no longer a peggle bike. Without too much trouble I found the store as well as the desired items. The staff was friendly and helpful. Early next week I will have to go back and pick the goods up.
On my way to my final destination I stopped at La Vielle Europe, a cool store on St. Laurent, and picked up some discount herbal tea.
-For dinner tonight I cooked myself a huge batch of sausage soup. I don’t know why I can’ cook reasonable amounts of food for myself.
-When I went to Tim Horton’s today I did not receive a Roll Up the Rim cup, meaning that my record for the year of 3/33 will stand. This is a disappointing record as I am below the advertised win rate, though I must admit it is pretty lose.
-I have to work tomorrow night and Saturday night. Tomorrow night is a swing night in the ballroom, though I don’t exactly know what that entails. On Saturday night there is some kind of private party.
-Over the past few days I have been eating a huge quantity of raw vegetables, typically in the form of leaf free salads.
-As mentioned above, I was able to crack out my unicycle for the first time this year. Most of my riding was done at McGill. A few days ago I found a good, out of the way spot that allows me to practice without torment (at least so far). I keep wondering why I haven’t seen more unicycles around McGill.
-This afternoon I had the pleasure of heading out on an errand for a friend. She is interested in be buying two mohair shawls for her before my return to Newfoundland. To make it to the store I rode my bike, which is no longer a peggle bike. Without too much trouble I found the store as well as the desired items. The staff was friendly and helpful. Early next week I will have to go back and pick the goods up.
On my way to my final destination I stopped at La Vielle Europe, a cool store on St. Laurent, and picked up some discount herbal tea.
-For dinner tonight I cooked myself a huge batch of sausage soup. I don’t know why I can’ cook reasonable amounts of food for myself.
-When I went to Tim Horton’s today I did not receive a Roll Up the Rim cup, meaning that my record for the year of 3/33 will stand. This is a disappointing record as I am below the advertised win rate, though I must admit it is pretty lose.
-I have to work tomorrow night and Saturday night. Tomorrow night is a swing night in the ballroom, though I don’t exactly know what that entails. On Saturday night there is some kind of private party.
-Over the past few days I have been eating a huge quantity of raw vegetables, typically in the form of leaf free salads.
A Few Quick Notes 84
-Another beautiful day in Montreal. While it has cooled off this evening, it is still a nice clear night. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to crack out my unicycle. Hopefully this will happen tomorrow.
-My facial hair is now completely gone. No mustache, and not even the soul patch. It is a little strange to see my unblemished face again. Now I only need a hair cut and I will be back to my good old self.
Many females that I know will likely be pleased with this development. While I did have the mustache I seemed to notice a very strong gender divide regarding whether or not mustaches were facial enhancements or not.
-My Roll Up the Rim record is now 3/33, nothing to smile about. As they are quickly running out of supplies I don’t know how many more chances I will have to win big and cover my expenses for next year.
-Tonight I made some humus. It seems that I put a fair bit of garlic in and maybe not enough lemon. Next time I will have to try and rectify this problem.
-So far tonight I have read three articles about library services for part-time students. One of these articles was about students in Nigeria, another about students in Northern Ireland, and the last about students in Ontario. Amazingly, between 1977 and 2006 the needs of part-time students in regards to library services don’t seem to have changed all that much.
-My facial hair is now completely gone. No mustache, and not even the soul patch. It is a little strange to see my unblemished face again. Now I only need a hair cut and I will be back to my good old self.
Many females that I know will likely be pleased with this development. While I did have the mustache I seemed to notice a very strong gender divide regarding whether or not mustaches were facial enhancements or not.
-My Roll Up the Rim record is now 3/33, nothing to smile about. As they are quickly running out of supplies I don’t know how many more chances I will have to win big and cover my expenses for next year.
-Tonight I made some humus. It seems that I put a fair bit of garlic in and maybe not enough lemon. Next time I will have to try and rectify this problem.
-So far tonight I have read three articles about library services for part-time students. One of these articles was about students in Nigeria, another about students in Northern Ireland, and the last about students in Ontario. Amazingly, between 1977 and 2006 the needs of part-time students in regards to library services don’t seem to have changed all that much.
Monday, March 26, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 83
-Today has been another cool, grey spring day. Though today has been damp, it fortunately has not been all that rainy. By Wednesday it seems that we might be in for some sun.
Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day, much nicer than I had expected.
-For a few hours yesterday afternoon about 10 of my classmates and I curled. Though I have more experience than anyone else that played it would have been hard to tell by my record. I was completely unable to read the ice and also felt as though I was thrown off by the slip-on slider that I was using. The good thing is that everyone seemed to have fun. Maybe for next year I will have my own equipment.
-It seems that the annual Roll Up the Rim contest is just about over. It looks that I might finish the year with a 3/31 record. My longest winning streak was 2, which occurred on Saturday and Sunday.
-Today is election day in Quebec. Only yesterday I received my first election literature. Throughout the entire campaign no one has come by our building to drop off materials. While many of us are non-Quebecers, I think that this is unacceptable.
For the first time in Quebec history election day means no classes. I don’t exactly know why this policy has been implemented as people all over the world are able to vote and teach or go to school. Strangely, while McGill classes have been cancelled today all other services are being offered as normal.
-My friendly neighbourhood pigeons have been back almost every day for the past few days. The construction project on their favourite part of the neighbouring roof doesn’t seem to be bothering them all that much.
-I finally made it to Fairmont Bagels yesterday. It was as good as I had been lead to believe. I managed to eat four of the six that I purchased by the time I returned home.
Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day, much nicer than I had expected.
-For a few hours yesterday afternoon about 10 of my classmates and I curled. Though I have more experience than anyone else that played it would have been hard to tell by my record. I was completely unable to read the ice and also felt as though I was thrown off by the slip-on slider that I was using. The good thing is that everyone seemed to have fun. Maybe for next year I will have my own equipment.
-It seems that the annual Roll Up the Rim contest is just about over. It looks that I might finish the year with a 3/31 record. My longest winning streak was 2, which occurred on Saturday and Sunday.
-Today is election day in Quebec. Only yesterday I received my first election literature. Throughout the entire campaign no one has come by our building to drop off materials. While many of us are non-Quebecers, I think that this is unacceptable.
For the first time in Quebec history election day means no classes. I don’t exactly know why this policy has been implemented as people all over the world are able to vote and teach or go to school. Strangely, while McGill classes have been cancelled today all other services are being offered as normal.
-My friendly neighbourhood pigeons have been back almost every day for the past few days. The construction project on their favourite part of the neighbouring roof doesn’t seem to be bothering them all that much.
-I finally made it to Fairmont Bagels yesterday. It was as good as I had been lead to believe. I managed to eat four of the six that I purchased by the time I returned home.
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