In the past few days it has finally hit me that in the very near future I will be moving to Halifax. More importantly, I have finally started to realize that I really need to start preparing for this move. In particular this means gathering the items I am hoping to move as well as acquiring those items that I need to acquire before I move.
Fortunately, starting some number of months ago, I set aside a shelf in a closet for things that I am hoping to have in Halifax. So far this shelf has accumulated a few books, some clothing, and a few kitchen related odds and ends. Unfortunately, most of the things that I will eventually pack are not anywhere near this shelf and are more likely scattered around my room or the rest of the house.
Even more problematic than the fact that my belongings are all over the place is that I no longer recall exactly what it is that I already have in Halifax. Though even if I did have a complete list of my belongings that are in Halifax I know that I would still be likely to take too many things with me. (Part of this is because I always like to have back up items, just in case I am in a situation where I can't use the item that I would normally want to use).
On the more pro-active side of things, I actually managed to make it to a store today and buy a few packages of seeds for plants that I hope to grow while I am in Halifax. While some of the seeds are admittedly foolhardy, I think that I will at least have fun with the attempts.
The six types of seeds I purchased are:
Beets - Detroit Dark Red - While I don't know that I have had beets in the past 15 years I was thinking that I would try to grow a few and then make borscht. Fortunately I should have between 50-60 days from the time of planting to actually have to figure out what it is I might want to use the beets in.
Beans - Improved Golden Wax - I think these were a good choice because I know that I really like yellow beans and I know that it is possible to grow beans inside in less than ideal sun conditions. As with all of the plants, I see space being a particular problem as I will likely need a number of pots to grow more than a handful of plants.
Corn - Early Golden Bantam - This is clearly the seed that is most unlikely to succeed of those that I purchased today. While I know that this is a long shot under the best of circumstances I am somewhat hopeful only because I witnessed the relatively remarkable growth of some corn at one of my house-sitting houses this summer. While the corn was certainly behind schedule and likely to never produce an edible ear of corn it was nonetheless a clearly identifiable corn plant, which is about all I might be able to hope for with my seed packet.
Dill - Anethum graveolens - This is something that I think might actually grow well and require only small to moderately sized pots. So I guess this means I think that this is a safer bet than some of the other seed choices I made, and of course some success would be nice. Furthermore, I think that I will actually be able to use dill, though it isn't my favourite herb.
Thyme - thymus vulgaris - This is a plant that I know can do quite well in a pot inside, and I am relatively certain that it should even be able to handle the smaller amounts of sun that it will receive in the winter. This one, like the dill, would be in the safer bet category.
Radishes - Cherry Belle - I purchased these because I am a big fan of radishes and it would seem that they are only supposed to take about three weeks to reach maturity. This means that I might even be able to grow these on the balcony before the cold weather sets in, though this might be wishful thinking.
Peppers - Yellow Hot Wax - This purchase was made with Neil in mind as I know that he is a fan of hot peppers (or at least he was in his youth). A further consideration is that I was able to germinate pepper seeds in Montreal indoors in the spring under less than ideal conditions. Presumably these will be as allow growing as the bell peppers that I planted in Montreal, meaning that I shouldn't even hope to have anything before Christmas.
I have also made plans to take clippings from a few of my mother's plants just before I leave. I am particularly looking forward to growing a succulent plant that has green rain-drop like leaves on branches that gracefully hang from the side of the plant's pot (assuming that the plant is large enough to extend beyond the sides of the pot). More recently I have been looking forward to taking a papyrus clipping, though my excitement has been somewhat tempered by my relative lack of success when it came to making papyrus from the shoots of this plant earlier this summer.
Of course none of these seeds or plants will work if I don't manage to acquire pots and potting soil, something I haven't yet arranged with Neil or Rebecca. Another concern might be my desire to fill the apartment with an unmanageable number of pots and planters, something else that I have not really discussed with Neil or Rebecca.
Showing posts with label packing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label packing. Show all posts
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Sint Maarten: Day 17
At about 5:15 AM I woke to find that my father had already risen and showered. Almost immediately I went in to clean up. Once I was done in the bathroom I packed our dirty clothes and my belongings. We then went down to the main floor to check on the continental breakfast and the shuttle.
As it happened, they were loading a shuttle as we exited the lobby. We thought that we would head over just to check things out, and maybe to find the schedule. It also became clear that again there was a bit of a backlog and that things may take longer than one would want. As we approached the shuttle it was clear that many people weren’t going to make this particular journey. Somehow, just as this was becoming clear to us, one of the individuals who wasn’t going to make the trip because of space constraints pointed out to the driver that we didn’t have luggage and that we would fit. So at the last moment we made our way onto the shuttle for the three-minute journey to the AirTrain station.
Unlike like our first trip on the AirTrain, our second journey required us to visit all of the terminals, even those we had no interest in seeing. Fortunately, the train wasn’t too busy and seemed to move quickly from one stop to the next.
Once in the airport we were able to go directly to security as we had already checked our bags to Montreal. This was a relatively quick process, and certainly more painless than in smaller North American centers, but nowhere near as painless as Sint Maarten.
Soon enough we were through security and on our way to our gate, which we thought we would check out before getting some breakfast. As we continued walking we realized that our gate was quite a ways out, and that we likely wouldn’t be able to make it back to the restaurants at the beginning of the journey as they were just too far away.
Fortunately, just as our gate came into view so did a final food service establishment. After a quick examination of the menu we learned that they sold basic breakfast sandwiches for reasonable prices, and even dropped 30 cents if you didn’t have cheese. Even more pleasant than the low price was that the fact that the sandwiches were actually relatively large, and very satisfying. I was also very satisfied with the coffee that I purchased, it was much better than I expected.
Soon enough we were able to board our plane. For the first time on our trip my father and I were actually assigned seats next to one another, which was a pleasant change.
Both of us fell asleep very quickly, before the plane even left the ground. I ended up waking up and reading while my father continued to sleep. Eventually both of us were up and served drinks by the very competent and pleasant flight attendant. Unlike most Canadian flights, the flight attendant actually came back and offered us a second round of drinks (and this is on a flight that is only about an hour long).
Once in Montreal we raced off the plane and to the immigration screening area. We were the first people, possibly of the day, but certainly of the flight, to make it through. Though we were asked a few questions there were no problems.
We then moved down to the baggage claim area where I went to the bathroom. By the time I returned our bags were making their way along the conveyor system. Our only real delay then was that my father also wanted to use the bathroom, causing us to wait a minute or two during the entire process.
Customs was even less problematic than immigration and we were able to exit the secure area and enter the arrivals area.
While at the airport we went to the ticketing counter to try to change my flight itinerary so that I could spend some time in Halifax on my way to St. John’s. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t let me change the schedule without paying a change fee and the cost of the new fare. This made the trip impractical, as one of the main reasons was to reduce shipping costs, which would be less than the change to the itinerary.
We then made our way to the shuttle bus. While at the ticket counter we were told that there would be another shuttle at the main bus station that would transport us to our final destination, which we thought would be McGill. Soon after taking our seats we were on our way, reaching the bus station in a very respectable time. Soon after arriving at the bus station we noticed a particular individual who seemed to be associated with the bus company. My father was convinced that this particular man was the shuttle driver. Eventually my father approached this man and learned that he was in fact the shuttle driver.
Much to our surprise, instead of ending up a Sherbrooke Street hotel, the driver dropped us off at my door. This was particularly nice as by the time we boarded this second bus it had started to rain, and was raining quite heavily by the time we reached my apartment.
Soon after arriving and dropping off our bags we went out to Place Milton for lunch. As it happened to be a holiday they were only serving breakfast, meaning that I wasn’t able to purchase the hamburger that I had hoped to order.
Once we had finished lunch we started on the packing. Basically we needed to back my belongings in both suitcases and boxes by the following afternoon, at which point we needed to head out to the airport to catch a flight to St. John’s.
Amazingly, we were able to pack about 6 boxes and the better part of four suitcases in a number of hours. By time we finished packing for the evening it was dinnertime, meaning that we had done what we needed to in about 4 or 5 hours. This was a much more efficient operation than I had originally expected, but that is fine with me. Our productivity meant that we had a much more relaxing and productive day the following day.
After dinner, which we ate a restaurant on St. Catherine, my father and I hand-trucked a load of beer bottles over to the local grocery store. I was able to get about $14 from the load, which was nice. The only downside was that it wasn’t quite enough to cover the dozen beer and bag of pretzels that we were purchasing.
Shortly after returning to the apartment Liam arrived for a poker game that Nithum was arranging. Eventually Dougal and Nithum also arrived, allowing us to start the game. Eventually one additional player arrived. As it turned out, the latecomer was the big winner.
Soon after finishing playing poker we hit the sack. Both of us were able to get to sleep relatively quickly as we were going on about 4 hours of sleep.
As it happened, they were loading a shuttle as we exited the lobby. We thought that we would head over just to check things out, and maybe to find the schedule. It also became clear that again there was a bit of a backlog and that things may take longer than one would want. As we approached the shuttle it was clear that many people weren’t going to make this particular journey. Somehow, just as this was becoming clear to us, one of the individuals who wasn’t going to make the trip because of space constraints pointed out to the driver that we didn’t have luggage and that we would fit. So at the last moment we made our way onto the shuttle for the three-minute journey to the AirTrain station.
Unlike like our first trip on the AirTrain, our second journey required us to visit all of the terminals, even those we had no interest in seeing. Fortunately, the train wasn’t too busy and seemed to move quickly from one stop to the next.
Once in the airport we were able to go directly to security as we had already checked our bags to Montreal. This was a relatively quick process, and certainly more painless than in smaller North American centers, but nowhere near as painless as Sint Maarten.
Soon enough we were through security and on our way to our gate, which we thought we would check out before getting some breakfast. As we continued walking we realized that our gate was quite a ways out, and that we likely wouldn’t be able to make it back to the restaurants at the beginning of the journey as they were just too far away.
Fortunately, just as our gate came into view so did a final food service establishment. After a quick examination of the menu we learned that they sold basic breakfast sandwiches for reasonable prices, and even dropped 30 cents if you didn’t have cheese. Even more pleasant than the low price was that the fact that the sandwiches were actually relatively large, and very satisfying. I was also very satisfied with the coffee that I purchased, it was much better than I expected.
Soon enough we were able to board our plane. For the first time on our trip my father and I were actually assigned seats next to one another, which was a pleasant change.
Both of us fell asleep very quickly, before the plane even left the ground. I ended up waking up and reading while my father continued to sleep. Eventually both of us were up and served drinks by the very competent and pleasant flight attendant. Unlike most Canadian flights, the flight attendant actually came back and offered us a second round of drinks (and this is on a flight that is only about an hour long).
Once in Montreal we raced off the plane and to the immigration screening area. We were the first people, possibly of the day, but certainly of the flight, to make it through. Though we were asked a few questions there were no problems.
We then moved down to the baggage claim area where I went to the bathroom. By the time I returned our bags were making their way along the conveyor system. Our only real delay then was that my father also wanted to use the bathroom, causing us to wait a minute or two during the entire process.
Customs was even less problematic than immigration and we were able to exit the secure area and enter the arrivals area.
While at the airport we went to the ticketing counter to try to change my flight itinerary so that I could spend some time in Halifax on my way to St. John’s. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t let me change the schedule without paying a change fee and the cost of the new fare. This made the trip impractical, as one of the main reasons was to reduce shipping costs, which would be less than the change to the itinerary.
We then made our way to the shuttle bus. While at the ticket counter we were told that there would be another shuttle at the main bus station that would transport us to our final destination, which we thought would be McGill. Soon after taking our seats we were on our way, reaching the bus station in a very respectable time. Soon after arriving at the bus station we noticed a particular individual who seemed to be associated with the bus company. My father was convinced that this particular man was the shuttle driver. Eventually my father approached this man and learned that he was in fact the shuttle driver.
Much to our surprise, instead of ending up a Sherbrooke Street hotel, the driver dropped us off at my door. This was particularly nice as by the time we boarded this second bus it had started to rain, and was raining quite heavily by the time we reached my apartment.
Soon after arriving and dropping off our bags we went out to Place Milton for lunch. As it happened to be a holiday they were only serving breakfast, meaning that I wasn’t able to purchase the hamburger that I had hoped to order.
Once we had finished lunch we started on the packing. Basically we needed to back my belongings in both suitcases and boxes by the following afternoon, at which point we needed to head out to the airport to catch a flight to St. John’s.
Amazingly, we were able to pack about 6 boxes and the better part of four suitcases in a number of hours. By time we finished packing for the evening it was dinnertime, meaning that we had done what we needed to in about 4 or 5 hours. This was a much more efficient operation than I had originally expected, but that is fine with me. Our productivity meant that we had a much more relaxing and productive day the following day.
After dinner, which we ate a restaurant on St. Catherine, my father and I hand-trucked a load of beer bottles over to the local grocery store. I was able to get about $14 from the load, which was nice. The only downside was that it wasn’t quite enough to cover the dozen beer and bag of pretzels that we were purchasing.
Shortly after returning to the apartment Liam arrived for a poker game that Nithum was arranging. Eventually Dougal and Nithum also arrived, allowing us to start the game. Eventually one additional player arrived. As it turned out, the latecomer was the big winner.
Soon after finishing playing poker we hit the sack. Both of us were able to get to sleep relatively quickly as we were going on about 4 hours of sleep.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
A Few Quick Notes 171
-Today, though momentarily moderately overcast, has largely be quite beautiful. Like past days, today hasn't been too hot, but quite nice for walking and participating in outdoor activities.
-I must be 15/88 on this year's Roll Up the Rim contest. While buying a coffee yesterday, my father and noticed that the woman was just about to double cup my coffee with a second contest cup. Unfortunately she was intercepted by a more experienced employee who only allowed her to give me one contest cup.
-My father had a brief but successful visit to Montreal this weekend. Not only were we able to do some socializing with my friends, but we were also able to buy a dozen pint glasses and pack a selection of my possessions (meaning that I have already started the move).
In a few weeks he will return and we will pack up the remains of my life in Montreal.
-This afternoon I attended a picnic on Mont Royal. We ate next to the battle re-enactors and their entourage.
While we watched the unending fights we shared food and listened to a few of the picnic participants perform on a mandolin, a banjo, a clarinet, a glockenspiel, and a trumpet.
-I must be 15/88 on this year's Roll Up the Rim contest. While buying a coffee yesterday, my father and noticed that the woman was just about to double cup my coffee with a second contest cup. Unfortunately she was intercepted by a more experienced employee who only allowed her to give me one contest cup.
-My father had a brief but successful visit to Montreal this weekend. Not only were we able to do some socializing with my friends, but we were also able to buy a dozen pint glasses and pack a selection of my possessions (meaning that I have already started the move).
In a few weeks he will return and we will pack up the remains of my life in Montreal.
-This afternoon I attended a picnic on Mont Royal. We ate next to the battle re-enactors and their entourage.
While we watched the unending fights we shared food and listened to a few of the picnic participants perform on a mandolin, a banjo, a clarinet, a glockenspiel, and a trumpet.
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
Apartment Update 3
-It seems that on Wednesday Nithum and I will have to vacate our apartment for some number of hours to accommodate a visit by the exterminator. In the notice we received were told that this visit is pre-emptive in nature (is this the same thing as ‘shock and awe?).
While this shouldn’t be too big a deal, the major problem is that all of the cupboards in the kitchen and bathroom need to be emptied. This will presumably take some amount of time and be of some inconvenience. My initial thought is that I should reassemble some of the moving boxes that we have and quickly load them up and then place them in the living room.
We also have to clear out the floors of our closets, which shouldn’t take me too long in the context of my bedroom. In the context of the main coat closet this may not be the case, particularly as it will involve moving a large air conditioning unit, boxes, and a sleeping pad.
Actually, the worst part about it all is that it means that we need to vacate the premises by 8:30 and then remain out for a number of hours, before coming back to our torn apart dwelling.
-It seems that the number of sections of our parquet floor that are not actually attached to the floor is growing. My theory is that the lose pieced move and then knock free additional pieces, causing the problem to grow at an almost uncontrollable rate.
-I have installed my first piece of bottle-cap art in the living room. We now have a ‘flower’ coming out of the ground with the sun shining above. Pretty classy if I may say so myself.
While this shouldn’t be too big a deal, the major problem is that all of the cupboards in the kitchen and bathroom need to be emptied. This will presumably take some amount of time and be of some inconvenience. My initial thought is that I should reassemble some of the moving boxes that we have and quickly load them up and then place them in the living room.
We also have to clear out the floors of our closets, which shouldn’t take me too long in the context of my bedroom. In the context of the main coat closet this may not be the case, particularly as it will involve moving a large air conditioning unit, boxes, and a sleeping pad.
Actually, the worst part about it all is that it means that we need to vacate the premises by 8:30 and then remain out for a number of hours, before coming back to our torn apart dwelling.
-It seems that the number of sections of our parquet floor that are not actually attached to the floor is growing. My theory is that the lose pieced move and then knock free additional pieces, causing the problem to grow at an almost uncontrollable rate.
-I have installed my first piece of bottle-cap art in the living room. We now have a ‘flower’ coming out of the ground with the sun shining above. Pretty classy if I may say so myself.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 141
-Today brought with it a somewhat sizable snow storm. As of yet, the high winds and blowing snow have not been as bad as I expected, but as weather seems to be a bit tamer here than in St. John's, maybe this is all we were supposed to get. More interesting was that at about 1:00 PM we had lightning, followed by thunder. This is the first time that I have every experienced either of these phenomena in the snow.
-As of last night I and finished with my busing responsibilities. Unfortunately, a shift I had hoped would provide me with a little extra cash failed to do so. It seems that one sure way to have bad, or almost non-existent tips is to work a externally catered family friendly event. For eight hours of work we each made just a little more than we made in an hour the previous day. Of course, this didn't mean that we had to do any less work.
-My packing is going relatively smoothly. For the most part I am just packing clothing and items that I don't or won't need in Montreal in the coming months. Not surprisingly, my two extra pair of hiking boots, and the extra pair of winter boots that I have should be able to be sent back without too many problems.
The best part about this is that the packing has been very quick. As soon as some socks that I plan on packing air-dry I will be just about done.
-On Friday, after punching out at about 2:00 AM, I went over to a co-worker's apartment for a party. After a few hours I then had the pleasure of walking home at 6:00 AM. The only down side was that the sidewalks were particularly icy, which at one point caused me to slip and wipe-out just north of the Hotel Dieu hospital.
-As I will be flying out tomorrow I thought it might be good to get a sense of how much the storm is messing up today's flights. It seems that a huge number of other people are also interested in seeing how messed up today's flights are, so many that the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport web page is inaccessible because the "server is too busy." Hopefully I will eventually be able to get a sense of the delay situation. Though I don't expect this to be the case, I do hope that my flight isn't too screwed up.
-Neil did make it back safely to St. John's, though he clearly has not found the five minutes or so needed to make a post indicating such.
-As of last night I and finished with my busing responsibilities. Unfortunately, a shift I had hoped would provide me with a little extra cash failed to do so. It seems that one sure way to have bad, or almost non-existent tips is to work a externally catered family friendly event. For eight hours of work we each made just a little more than we made in an hour the previous day. Of course, this didn't mean that we had to do any less work.
-My packing is going relatively smoothly. For the most part I am just packing clothing and items that I don't or won't need in Montreal in the coming months. Not surprisingly, my two extra pair of hiking boots, and the extra pair of winter boots that I have should be able to be sent back without too many problems.
The best part about this is that the packing has been very quick. As soon as some socks that I plan on packing air-dry I will be just about done.
-On Friday, after punching out at about 2:00 AM, I went over to a co-worker's apartment for a party. After a few hours I then had the pleasure of walking home at 6:00 AM. The only down side was that the sidewalks were particularly icy, which at one point caused me to slip and wipe-out just north of the Hotel Dieu hospital.
-As I will be flying out tomorrow I thought it might be good to get a sense of how much the storm is messing up today's flights. It seems that a huge number of other people are also interested in seeing how messed up today's flights are, so many that the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport web page is inaccessible because the "server is too busy." Hopefully I will eventually be able to get a sense of the delay situation. Though I don't expect this to be the case, I do hope that my flight isn't too screwed up.
-Neil did make it back safely to St. John's, though he clearly has not found the five minutes or so needed to make a post indicating such.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Hasta Luego Halifax
My time in Halifax is now drawing near a close. Within a few hours I should be on a bus heading out to the airport for a late night flight back to Montreal and a busy weekend of busing.
Fortunately, I am trying to take advantage of these last hours in Halifax as they could be the last hours here for some time. This morning I was able to go for a stroll along Spring Garden Road and locate the general area in which I need to catch my bus to the airport. Afterwards I was able to take a nice was to and then through Point Pleasant Park. As the name suggests, the area is quite pleasant and a nice place for a leisurely stroll.
Unfortunately after the trip to the park my degree of creativity hit a low point and I returned to Neil's apartment where I continued to read a book about Richard Feynman (which also happens to be by Richard Feynman). Luckily my Halifax creativity struck again, this time as interpreted though the hinternet. Basically, I started surfing around Dalhousie and Dalhousie-related web pages and the library catalogue. The only downside was that I was not able to access the full range of library resources, even though I am using a university supplied hinternet connection. This relatively brief process helped me find some very useful information that I hope to act on in the coming days, weeks, and months.
As I have not completed my packing this is likely where my energy should be focused. Though, as usual, the siren call of the hinternet seems to be pulling towards the glories of blogging and away from filling my suitcase with dirty clothes and White Swan toilet paper.
Actually I am going to be strong and step away now.
Next stop, Montreal.
Fortunately, I am trying to take advantage of these last hours in Halifax as they could be the last hours here for some time. This morning I was able to go for a stroll along Spring Garden Road and locate the general area in which I need to catch my bus to the airport. Afterwards I was able to take a nice was to and then through Point Pleasant Park. As the name suggests, the area is quite pleasant and a nice place for a leisurely stroll.
Unfortunately after the trip to the park my degree of creativity hit a low point and I returned to Neil's apartment where I continued to read a book about Richard Feynman (which also happens to be by Richard Feynman). Luckily my Halifax creativity struck again, this time as interpreted though the hinternet. Basically, I started surfing around Dalhousie and Dalhousie-related web pages and the library catalogue. The only downside was that I was not able to access the full range of library resources, even though I am using a university supplied hinternet connection. This relatively brief process helped me find some very useful information that I hope to act on in the coming days, weeks, and months.
As I have not completed my packing this is likely where my energy should be focused. Though, as usual, the siren call of the hinternet seems to be pulling towards the glories of blogging and away from filling my suitcase with dirty clothes and White Swan toilet paper.
Actually I am going to be strong and step away now.
Next stop, Montreal.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 118
-Today was a remarkably warm day. At one point I heard that the temperature was being reported as 29, though I find that hard to believe. Also remarkable was that the sun quickly gave way to showers which then gave way to gray skies. I guess that having only one or two rainfalls in a month is not actually all that good. Presumably there will be more rain in the coming days
-With the addition of traditional spring loaded traps to the arsenal we have managed to catch our third mouse. This mouse, caught after only one night with the new equipment, was a fair bit larger than the second mouse. Though this may be the last mouse, we have replaced the used trap and will continue to keep monitoring the trap lines until we go some number of weeks without a confirmed sighting or other evidence of mouse related activity.
-After a several week absence I am back at work on a controlled vocabulary side-project that I have been working on for the past several months. The original goal was to create a vocabulary of 2000 terms, something that seemed easy at the time. It still seemed easy after an early flurry of activity. Unfortunately, after about 1300 terms it no longer seems as easy. To be fair, with a little bit of effort and organization it shouldn't be all that hard to flesh things out and add a few thousand more terms without really stretching myself too much. Adding fewer than 20 new terms a day is just laziness on my part (something which I have plenty of).
-On Wednesday I have to hand in a project, most of which was done some number of days ago. The part of the project that was holding me up was the one page write up. For hours I stared at a computer screen, edited and re-edited, and wrote and re-wrote. Finally I have something that covers most of what I want to say, but still manages to be less than perfect. I guess I am out of practice when it comes to writing papers.
-After almost a month I finally unpacked my final two boxes this evening. Sadly, the motivation was create a space for my hand-truck, which I was tired of seeing in the front entrance. At the moment, my new 10 kg bag of flour is resting on the 'bed' of truck, ready for a quick evacuation.c
-With the addition of traditional spring loaded traps to the arsenal we have managed to catch our third mouse. This mouse, caught after only one night with the new equipment, was a fair bit larger than the second mouse. Though this may be the last mouse, we have replaced the used trap and will continue to keep monitoring the trap lines until we go some number of weeks without a confirmed sighting or other evidence of mouse related activity.
-After a several week absence I am back at work on a controlled vocabulary side-project that I have been working on for the past several months. The original goal was to create a vocabulary of 2000 terms, something that seemed easy at the time. It still seemed easy after an early flurry of activity. Unfortunately, after about 1300 terms it no longer seems as easy. To be fair, with a little bit of effort and organization it shouldn't be all that hard to flesh things out and add a few thousand more terms without really stretching myself too much. Adding fewer than 20 new terms a day is just laziness on my part (something which I have plenty of).
-On Wednesday I have to hand in a project, most of which was done some number of days ago. The part of the project that was holding me up was the one page write up. For hours I stared at a computer screen, edited and re-edited, and wrote and re-wrote. Finally I have something that covers most of what I want to say, but still manages to be less than perfect. I guess I am out of practice when it comes to writing papers.
-After almost a month I finally unpacked my final two boxes this evening. Sadly, the motivation was create a space for my hand-truck, which I was tired of seeing in the front entrance. At the moment, my new 10 kg bag of flour is resting on the 'bed' of truck, ready for a quick evacuation.c
Friday, April 20, 2007
Montreal Sign-off
As I write this I am sitting in my packed up room. My books are no longer on my bookshelf, my clothes are no longer in the closet, though my computer still is on my desk.
As usual, I seem to have ended up packing much more stuff that I can possibly need. Amazingly, I don’t quite understand what it is that is taking up so much stuff. Well that is not completely true, my steel toed books, three pairs of shoes, and unicycle are doing a pretty good job of killing luggage space. In particular the unicycle is taking up a fair bit of space.
Actually just yesterday I came to the realization that I likely won’t be bringing my unicycle back with me when I return to Montreal in the fall. If next year is anything like this past year, I won’t have the time or space to ride. This spring being pretty wet and snowy compounded the problems of the fall, resulting in only one ride. The wheel also takes a fair bit of luggage space.
Well I guess I should get back to tidying things up and preparing to go.
As usual, I seem to have ended up packing much more stuff that I can possibly need. Amazingly, I don’t quite understand what it is that is taking up so much stuff. Well that is not completely true, my steel toed books, three pairs of shoes, and unicycle are doing a pretty good job of killing luggage space. In particular the unicycle is taking up a fair bit of space.
Actually just yesterday I came to the realization that I likely won’t be bringing my unicycle back with me when I return to Montreal in the fall. If next year is anything like this past year, I won’t have the time or space to ride. This spring being pretty wet and snowy compounded the problems of the fall, resulting in only one ride. The wheel also takes a fair bit of luggage space.
Well I guess I should get back to tidying things up and preparing to go.
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.
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