-As noted previously, today has been a fair bit cooler than forecast. To the best of my knowledge, these cooler temperatures can all be attributed to the sun-blocking powers of massive quantities of throat and lung-irritating smoke. It seems reasonable to assume that as long as the smoke sticks around the temperatures will stay down, which is nice because it's not really open window weather at the moment.
-We've finally started harvesting food from our garden. So far we've managed to grab a few early kale leaves, some celery stalks, and quite a number of green onions. I suspect that for the next few weeks, at least until the peas come in, we'll more or less be suck with these three vegetables.
-On the fruit front we've also managed to grab a few raspberries and a few handfuls of haskap. While the haskap are likely just about done for the year, our real raspberry harvest is still probably a few weeks away. Hopefully by next year, when all of our plants are a little more established, we should really have good production from both types of plants. Sadly, our strawberries, now relocated to the front of the house, don't look as though they'll ever do all that much.
-Since some library school friends in town for a conference paid us a visit a few weeks ago Jeannette and I have been a little obsessed with tofu shish kebabs. Prepared with the broiler or the barbecue, these things are really great.
Showing posts with label socializing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label socializing. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Sunday, February 08, 2015
A Few Quick Notes 619
-We're currently in the midst of a light snow shower. Assuming all goes as planned, I'll probably head out in a few minutes to do a little light shovelling. Of course, depending on the length of this snow shower I may or may not have to head out later tonight to do a little final tidying.
-Fortunately, we've not had all that much snow this winter. And what snow we did have earlier in the winter was reduced dramatically by a warm stretch we had a few weeks ago.
-The Pet Roombaing has continued unabated. And as I've previously reported, each session results in far more hair and dust than seems reasonable given the frequency with which the machine is run. Gross.
-A few days ago Jeannette and I bought about a pound of strawberries. We consumed them in a single sitting last night as the fruit component of a chocolate fondue session. Once we ran out of fruit I switched to crackers (we wouldn't want to waste perfectly good chocolate, would we?).
-At the New Year's Eve party we attended one of the attending families brought a chocolate fountain with them. While the theory is quite similar to chocolate fondue, to get the right consistency for the 'fountain' effect they had to add quite a bit of vegetable oil to the pounds of melted chocolate. It was probably quite good that I saw the prep stage as I think I am quite unlikely to ever take part in any chocolate fountain activities in the future (not that I'd ever taken part in the past - but now I have a good reason).
-At some point I going to have to figure out what we're going to have for dinner. B'ys, it just never ends.
-Hope you're enjoying your blog-off content spurt.
Cameron - 8
Neil - 0
-Fortunately, we've not had all that much snow this winter. And what snow we did have earlier in the winter was reduced dramatically by a warm stretch we had a few weeks ago.
-The Pet Roombaing has continued unabated. And as I've previously reported, each session results in far more hair and dust than seems reasonable given the frequency with which the machine is run. Gross.
-A few days ago Jeannette and I bought about a pound of strawberries. We consumed them in a single sitting last night as the fruit component of a chocolate fondue session. Once we ran out of fruit I switched to crackers (we wouldn't want to waste perfectly good chocolate, would we?).
-At the New Year's Eve party we attended one of the attending families brought a chocolate fountain with them. While the theory is quite similar to chocolate fondue, to get the right consistency for the 'fountain' effect they had to add quite a bit of vegetable oil to the pounds of melted chocolate. It was probably quite good that I saw the prep stage as I think I am quite unlikely to ever take part in any chocolate fountain activities in the future (not that I'd ever taken part in the past - but now I have a good reason).
-At some point I going to have to figure out what we're going to have for dinner. B'ys, it just never ends.
-Hope you're enjoying your blog-off content spurt.
Cameron - 8
Neil - 0
Sunday, June 22, 2014
A Few Quick Notes 612
-Though we can often go months and months without any real rain, for the past week or two rain has been a very regular occurrence. For most of the past few days we've had more than one very intense rain shower, and on a few occasions we've had rather extended rainfalls lasting for hours at a time. Not surprisingly, the ground is now absolutely drenched. What fun.
-A few nights ago we even had enough rain that we had a little water in our basement. While it's unfortunate that we have any water problems in our basement, I'm glad that it is only when we have either massive thawing or a substantial rain storm that we have problems. Arguably, that water came in exactly where I hoped it wouldn't because of an epoxy patching agent that I'd used at least somewhat conclusively confirms my sense that the patch work didn't stick.
If the rain ever stops I'll have to head down and try to do some crack patching again. Hopefully this time I'll use something that at least works for one major rainfall.
-Since the local grocery stores started carrying cherries in the past few weeks we've really upped our cherry consumption. If I know what's best for me I should probably consider dialling it back down to under two pounds of cherries a day.
-Last night we received a last minute invitation to attend a barbecue with a few neighbours. Aside from the sudden downpour that forced inside for about an hour, we had a great time. Because we brought a tray of vegetables with us I finally had the excuse I needed to harvest the first green onions from our garden. As expected, they were pretty green oniony.
-While the rain means that we haven't needed to water our garden in weeks, a little more sun would probably be good at this stage. I guess probably shouldn't be complaining too much - basically everything seems to be growing. The potatoes, in particular, seem to be doing well.
-This year we've also planted a garden in front of our house. Our original plan was to plant a variety of plants that would look nice and complement each other in terms of height and style. As the absence of sun seems to have stunted growth I'm not sure if the plan will come to fruition this year. Of course, even if it doesn't we should at least manage to grow a few potatoes, some corn, and a few tomatoes.
-A few nights ago we even had enough rain that we had a little water in our basement. While it's unfortunate that we have any water problems in our basement, I'm glad that it is only when we have either massive thawing or a substantial rain storm that we have problems. Arguably, that water came in exactly where I hoped it wouldn't because of an epoxy patching agent that I'd used at least somewhat conclusively confirms my sense that the patch work didn't stick.
If the rain ever stops I'll have to head down and try to do some crack patching again. Hopefully this time I'll use something that at least works for one major rainfall.
-Since the local grocery stores started carrying cherries in the past few weeks we've really upped our cherry consumption. If I know what's best for me I should probably consider dialling it back down to under two pounds of cherries a day.
-Last night we received a last minute invitation to attend a barbecue with a few neighbours. Aside from the sudden downpour that forced inside for about an hour, we had a great time. Because we brought a tray of vegetables with us I finally had the excuse I needed to harvest the first green onions from our garden. As expected, they were pretty green oniony.
-While the rain means that we haven't needed to water our garden in weeks, a little more sun would probably be good at this stage. I guess probably shouldn't be complaining too much - basically everything seems to be growing. The potatoes, in particular, seem to be doing well.
-This year we've also planted a garden in front of our house. Our original plan was to plant a variety of plants that would look nice and complement each other in terms of height and style. As the absence of sun seems to have stunted growth I'm not sure if the plan will come to fruition this year. Of course, even if it doesn't we should at least manage to grow a few potatoes, some corn, and a few tomatoes.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
A Few Quick Notes 603
-After a few false starts, we've finally had a full-fledged snowy winter's day in Regina. At the moment I'd say that we have somewhere between 5 and 7 cm of snow on the ground, though I guess my estimate could be a little off due because zero-ish temperatures are leading to some simultaneous melting.
-Because of the snowfall I'll have to head out for some shovelling later today. I tried to do some shovelling a few weeks ago when we had another small snowfall but there wasn't enough to really clear.
-Last weekend we purchased a discount vegetarian Indian cookbook. The night we purchased the book we prepared about four of the dishes in the book. They were great. The only problem with the book is that it has lead us to over eat. Of course, this overeating hasn't discouraged me from fantasizing about preparing even more dishes from the book this weekend. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
-A few months ago we purchased a food dehydrator. Since that time we've been really into dried apples and fruit leather. Turns out that with a few hours of dehydrating time you can turn a dozen apples into nothing more than a few grams of dried apples/fruit leather. The problem, if you can say there is a problem, is that the dried fruit can be consumed almost instantly and without the feeling that you're chewing through multiple apples in a matter of seconds.
-Turns out I should probably do some fish tank cleaning today. Do Saturdays get more fun?
-Last weekend, while socializing with neighbours, one of the guys recommended a pomegranate de-seeding technique. When I finally got around to trying it last night I was amazed that it was actually as easy and effective as promised. You really have do the whole thing in less than a minute.
[Embedded video]
-Because of the snowfall I'll have to head out for some shovelling later today. I tried to do some shovelling a few weeks ago when we had another small snowfall but there wasn't enough to really clear.
-Last weekend we purchased a discount vegetarian Indian cookbook. The night we purchased the book we prepared about four of the dishes in the book. They were great. The only problem with the book is that it has lead us to over eat. Of course, this overeating hasn't discouraged me from fantasizing about preparing even more dishes from the book this weekend. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
-A few months ago we purchased a food dehydrator. Since that time we've been really into dried apples and fruit leather. Turns out that with a few hours of dehydrating time you can turn a dozen apples into nothing more than a few grams of dried apples/fruit leather. The problem, if you can say there is a problem, is that the dried fruit can be consumed almost instantly and without the feeling that you're chewing through multiple apples in a matter of seconds.
-Turns out I should probably do some fish tank cleaning today. Do Saturdays get more fun?
-Last weekend, while socializing with neighbours, one of the guys recommended a pomegranate de-seeding technique. When I finally got around to trying it last night I was amazed that it was actually as easy and effective as promised. You really have do the whole thing in less than a minute.
[Embedded video]
Sunday, June 16, 2013
A Few Quick Notes 598
-So after several months without rain and clouds grey skies and rain have finally returned to Regina. For the better part of the past few weeks we've had at least grey skies for part of most days and somewhat regular rain. The upside of this weather is that on Thursday night I got to see my first double rainbow, the downside is that it's almost always not quite as warm or sunny as I was expecting it to be at this time of year in Regina.
-Despite the grey skies, cool temperatures, and plentiful rain the plants we planted in our garden a few weeks ago are mostly growing. Sure, most of them would probably be doing a fair bit better with a few more hours of sun a day and soil that at least occasionally is a little drier, but that hasn't meant that most of them haven't continued to grow - if somewhat slowly.
Not surprisingly, the radishes are furthest along. And had this weekend not been as rainy as it was we would have even planted a second and third row so that we can start to have a stead stream of radishes. The peas and beans are also doing well, though, again, more sun would surely help.
The plants that seem to be growing particularly slowly are our pepper and corn plants. The corn plants seem not to have managed to make it beyond about three inches while the pepper plants don't seem to be any taller than they were when we moved them from indoors to the garden.
In any event, the fact that most of these plants are even alive seems kind of remarkable given the incredible number of weeds and the high clay content of the soil. I suspect that not weeds be an annual battle, but so will the soil. Who would have guessed that in a province known for agriculture that the soil is mostly just clay? In Newfoundland it's always a challenge to put a shovel into the ground because of the rocks - here the rock-free clay is just to dense and goopy for one's shovel.
-A friend of mine from library school is coming into Regina for a conference tonight and I've offered to give her a ride from the airport to where she's staying. Not only am I looking forward to catching up after about five years, having someone else in the car finally provided me with the motivation I needed to finally get around to giving the car a quick vacuum and clean for the first time since we've owned it. Not surprisingly, the back was a fair bit cleaner than the front.
-Now that our balcony rail has been in place for a week we've started thinking about our next project. As some discussion we finally settled on re-roofing our garage. Yesterday I picked up most of the supplies, though I still have to snag some flashing. So whenever the skies clear and the rain stops we'll have to start on this project. I'm a little worried that this is going to be a bit of a nasty project - but at least at the end we'll hopefully have a garage that doesn't leak quite as much as our garage does currently.
Oh, and then once we're done with the roof we'll have to move on to re-siding it. Hooray!
Fortunately, I think we've got the game plan for this more or less figured out - though that doesn't mean that there won't be surprises when we finally get around to it in a few weeks.
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Only because it was requested
Last night Jeannette and I went out for dinner with a few of her co-workers. As the evening was cluing up the conversation came to my less than enthralling YouTube content.
My to my surprise, my interpretation of the conversation followed was that I was then requested to
[Embedded video]
Not surprisingly, not much happens in this video.
In case you are interested in watching a slightly more interesting tulip time-lapse video consider checking this one out.
[Embedded video]
Update: The correct second video has now been included.
Cameron 4
Neil 0
My to my surprise, my interpretation of the conversation followed was that I was then requested to
[Embedded video]
Not surprisingly, not much happens in this video.
In case you are interested in watching a slightly more interesting tulip time-lapse video consider checking this one out.
[Embedded video]
Update: The correct second video has now been included.
Cameron 4
Neil 0
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday Night Pig Roast
Last night, instead of going to the free Hawksley Workman at the Grand Parade, Jeannette and I attended a pig roast held in honour of a friend's birthday.
Actually, the set-up was pretty neat. A local barbecue restaurant will prepare a pig (or hunk of meat of your choosing) and side-dishes (food for about 16) for a fixed price.
My primary disappointment with the event had to do with the size of the pig in relation to its cost. For $375 (for about 18 people) this seemed to be a rather small pig. I got the sense that everyone present expected there to be a fair bit more meat. At the end of the evening I observed that we could have had three turkeys and side-dishes for 30 for $15 less (as the turkey meal was only $120).
Anyway, I really like this idea and think that I would be willing to try it again, I just might wouldn't go with the pig option - it was definitely the worst value on the menu.
Score
Cameron 45
Neil 0
Actually, the set-up was pretty neat. A local barbecue restaurant will prepare a pig (or hunk of meat of your choosing) and side-dishes (food for about 16) for a fixed price.
My primary disappointment with the event had to do with the size of the pig in relation to its cost. For $375 (for about 18 people) this seemed to be a rather small pig. I got the sense that everyone present expected there to be a fair bit more meat. At the end of the evening I observed that we could have had three turkeys and side-dishes for 30 for $15 less (as the turkey meal was only $120).
Anyway, I really like this idea and think that I would be willing to try it again, I just might wouldn't go with the pig option - it was definitely the worst value on the menu.
Score
Cameron 45
Neil 0
Saturday, December 11, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 485
-As of about an hour ago it has been snowing. So far their isn't even a centimeter but the grass across from my window is definitely tinged with white.
-Irony of ironies, after going on and on about my search for an unscented antiperspirant my newly acquired unscented antiperspirant's odor is making me feel ill. I almost feel as though I should take a shower to get this stuff off of me.
-The female owner of the two puppies that had been using the grass across from my window as a toilet now seems to be taking her dogs a little further afield to expel their waste. Over the past few days I have seen the small dogs and their owner walking up and down our street. Whenever I see the owner I wonder if she recognizes me as the guy watching her dogs play and use the toilet from his bedroom window.
-For a while Montifax routinely took positions for or against things (being opposed to the re-naming of Parc Avenue in Montreal being one of our prominent stands). For better or worse, this tradition seems to have fallen out of practice over the past several years.
It seems fitting that we re-introduce this feature to the blog with a position that Neil and I both whole-heartedly support.
The position we are taking is against Earl Grey tea, likely the grossest of the teas. This stuff is just foul. Neither of us know why people drink it.
-I attended my department's Christmas party on Thursday evening. Unlike the version of the party I attended 2 years ago, in this instance students sat at tables with professors and vice-versa. All in all, it was a very pleasant event (a fact that was aided by the respect that was paid to my dietary limitations by the organizer).
-I believe it was yesterday when I purchased a 10 kilogram bag of flour for $5.35. What a price.
-Irony of ironies, after going on and on about my search for an unscented antiperspirant my newly acquired unscented antiperspirant's odor is making me feel ill. I almost feel as though I should take a shower to get this stuff off of me.
-The female owner of the two puppies that had been using the grass across from my window as a toilet now seems to be taking her dogs a little further afield to expel their waste. Over the past few days I have seen the small dogs and their owner walking up and down our street. Whenever I see the owner I wonder if she recognizes me as the guy watching her dogs play and use the toilet from his bedroom window.
-For a while Montifax routinely took positions for or against things (being opposed to the re-naming of Parc Avenue in Montreal being one of our prominent stands). For better or worse, this tradition seems to have fallen out of practice over the past several years.
It seems fitting that we re-introduce this feature to the blog with a position that Neil and I both whole-heartedly support.
The position we are taking is against Earl Grey tea, likely the grossest of the teas. This stuff is just foul. Neither of us know why people drink it.
-I attended my department's Christmas party on Thursday evening. Unlike the version of the party I attended 2 years ago, in this instance students sat at tables with professors and vice-versa. All in all, it was a very pleasant event (a fact that was aided by the respect that was paid to my dietary limitations by the organizer).
-I believe it was yesterday when I purchased a 10 kilogram bag of flour for $5.35. What a price.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 473
-We had another great day in Halifax today. For better or worse, I didn't really experience much of it directly and instead had to grasp its beauty through a series of windows.
-Much of my day today was spent reading/studying and grading. Unfortunately, I spent less time doing either of these two activities than I might have like.
-Last night we went to the apartment of some friends for some homemade pizza (mine was cheese and tomato free) and games. I think a good time was had by all in attendance.
-Hopefully I will get a chance to read some of today's paper tomorrow as I didn't get much of a chance to read it today.
-I'm once again incredibly tired. Hopefully I will be able to make it to bed early tonight.
-Much of my day today was spent reading/studying and grading. Unfortunately, I spent less time doing either of these two activities than I might have like.
-Last night we went to the apartment of some friends for some homemade pizza (mine was cheese and tomato free) and games. I think a good time was had by all in attendance.
-Hopefully I will get a chance to read some of today's paper tomorrow as I didn't get much of a chance to read it today.
-I'm once again incredibly tired. Hopefully I will be able to make it to bed early tonight.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 466
-We are in the midst of another pretty nice fall day in Halifax.
-Last night Nick, Rebecca's brother, and his girlfriend came into town and were at our apartment for a portion of the evening. This dovetailed nicely with my relatively intense week. Their presence gave me an excuse to take a break from work and relax. That being said, I think I may have found ways to relax had that not been here, though I may not have convinced myself that having a few beers was a worthwhile endeavour.
-We managed to lose our ultimate game on Wednesday by a wide margin. The irony being that the team to which we lost on Wednesday is the team against which we won our final game of the summer season, a win which made us pool B champions.
Actually, tonight is the night of summer Ultimate league party at which we will be presented with our prize for winning pool B. At this point I don't think any of us know what this might be, though I can't imagine that it will be too impressive.
-On Thursday night, after a week of intense reading, I finally finished John Porter's classic The Vertical Mosaic. I will have the pleasure of discussing this book in a classroom setting on Monday.
-I am just finishing my most recent round of laundry. Nothing quite like two loads of laundry to really kick off a Saturday afternoon.
-Last night Nick, Rebecca's brother, and his girlfriend came into town and were at our apartment for a portion of the evening. This dovetailed nicely with my relatively intense week. Their presence gave me an excuse to take a break from work and relax. That being said, I think I may have found ways to relax had that not been here, though I may not have convinced myself that having a few beers was a worthwhile endeavour.
-We managed to lose our ultimate game on Wednesday by a wide margin. The irony being that the team to which we lost on Wednesday is the team against which we won our final game of the summer season, a win which made us pool B champions.
Actually, tonight is the night of summer Ultimate league party at which we will be presented with our prize for winning pool B. At this point I don't think any of us know what this might be, though I can't imagine that it will be too impressive.
-On Thursday night, after a week of intense reading, I finally finished John Porter's classic The Vertical Mosaic. I will have the pleasure of discussing this book in a classroom setting on Monday.
-I am just finishing my most recent round of laundry. Nothing quite like two loads of laundry to really kick off a Saturday afternoon.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Arizona - Day 5 onwards
Wow, quite a number of things happened between now and my last post.
After spending a beautiful night in Williams we made our way south through Sedona and the surrounding areas. As expected the scenery was fantastic.
It was also the case that Sedona was a little infested with new-agey types, many of whom seem to have been attracted to the region because of its 'vortexes.' If you are interested in learning more and happen to find yourself in the region it won't be hard for you to find a crystal store or tour guide who would be willing to explain the mystical powers of the region to you.
From Sedona we made our way to a 45 000 acre cattle ranch for an hour long trail ride, though on horses rather than mules. As we were riding we saw thousands of prickly pear cacti, though no cattle. Even though our ride was cow free it was great. Actually, that it was an hour rather than three likely made it better rather than worse.
On Thursday evening, the day we visited Sedona and had our trail ride, the family side of the trip started. We attended a family barbeque at my cousin's house. As it turned out, it was Rebecca's first chance to meet many of my aunts and uncles. And we got to see the bride and groom to be. Amazingly, though my cousin and her husband have been friends for 18 years (and I have heard his name many times over those 18 years), this was the first time that I actually got to meet him.
On Friday morning my father, brother, and I, while 'the girls' were getting mani-pedis, made our way to the Arizona state legislature. We visited the public galleries of both the House and the Senate and also the Capitol Museum. At the museum, aside from visiting the old legislative chamber, we took in an exhibit on the legislative process in Arizona. Strangely, at least according to the exhibit, they seem to use a fair bit of randomness when creating legislation in Arizona.
[Embedded video]
On Friday afternoon we made our way to Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, reputed to be the busiest general aviation airport in the US. While at the airport a few of us were able to take short flights in our host's small Piper mono-plane. While on our respective trips Neil and I both got chances to pilot the plane for a few minutes. I was particularly pleased to get a chance to turn the plane around and then descend a few thousand about 2000 feet.
On Saturday morning we made an early morning trip to a tourist store where I was able to purchase a few souvenirs, including things like prickly pear jelly and prickly pear candy. Oh, I also acquired some cactus seeds. Not surprisingly, almost everyone else who made the trip purchased similar items.
Our next stop was the Desert Botanical Garden, the site of the wedding. As part of the wedding package the guests of the wedding were provided with free access to the site on the day of the wedding.
After a relatively short visit to the botanical garden we met up with Neil and Rebecca and made our way to a restaurant for lunch and then to the hotel where we would be spending the evening. Then, after a brief swim and a quick check of the internet, we made our way back to the botanical garden for the wedding.
The wedding itself, as expected, was great. The weather and the location cooperated perfectly. The wedding ceremony, which was held in an amphitheater, was short and to the point (though there were a few questionable biblical interpretations). The reception, which was held immediately afterwards in an unwalled pavilion, was longer and generally more free-wheeling. For better or worse, I accepted this free-wheeling atmosphere and ran with it, dancing harder and longer than was likely good for me or anyone else in attendance. Anyway, it's done now.
Sunday, our last full day in Phoenix, started with a brunch at the home of the newlyweds. After a few hours there Neil, Rebecca, and I made our way out for some touring and shopping in the Phoenix area. Not only did we manage to visit quite a number of major chain stores, we also were able to visit a local 'Indian casino,' the Casino Arizona.
While this is the largest casino I have ever visited, in many ways it was quite like the two other casinos I have had the pleasure of entering. Not surprisingly, even though it was midday, quite a number of this casino's slot machines were in full swing. Actually, the place was really hopping considering that it was still well before evening and many of the games tables weren't even open. It was also not too surprising to see that a similar demographic, the over sixty set, seemed to be the most prevalent demographic taking advantage of the casino's offerings.
Monday, as many of you might have expected, was largely spent traveling. After an early departure from Phoenix we were able to go through customs and immigration in Toronto and then have a quick lunch. From Toronto we flew to Halifax, where my parents et al had to make a quick connection to their return flight (fortunately they made it).
At the moment I am awaiting the return of Neil and Rebecca, which will finally mark the conclusion of my family's trip to Phoenix and Arizona. As it turned out, Arizona was much more biologically diverse and fun than I expected. Though I didn't really expect to be saying this a few weeks ago, I really don't think that I would mind a trip back in the future. Not only would it be great to see the Grand Canyon on a clear day, but there are a number of things in the Phoenix area that it would be neat to see, it would also be neat to see a few other regions in the state that we weren't able to visit on our brief trip.
After spending a beautiful night in Williams we made our way south through Sedona and the surrounding areas. As expected the scenery was fantastic.
It was also the case that Sedona was a little infested with new-agey types, many of whom seem to have been attracted to the region because of its 'vortexes.' If you are interested in learning more and happen to find yourself in the region it won't be hard for you to find a crystal store or tour guide who would be willing to explain the mystical powers of the region to you.
From Sedona we made our way to a 45 000 acre cattle ranch for an hour long trail ride, though on horses rather than mules. As we were riding we saw thousands of prickly pear cacti, though no cattle. Even though our ride was cow free it was great. Actually, that it was an hour rather than three likely made it better rather than worse.
On Thursday evening, the day we visited Sedona and had our trail ride, the family side of the trip started. We attended a family barbeque at my cousin's house. As it turned out, it was Rebecca's first chance to meet many of my aunts and uncles. And we got to see the bride and groom to be. Amazingly, though my cousin and her husband have been friends for 18 years (and I have heard his name many times over those 18 years), this was the first time that I actually got to meet him.
On Friday morning my father, brother, and I, while 'the girls' were getting mani-pedis, made our way to the Arizona state legislature. We visited the public galleries of both the House and the Senate and also the Capitol Museum. At the museum, aside from visiting the old legislative chamber, we took in an exhibit on the legislative process in Arizona. Strangely, at least according to the exhibit, they seem to use a fair bit of randomness when creating legislation in Arizona.
[Embedded video]
On Friday afternoon we made our way to Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, reputed to be the busiest general aviation airport in the US. While at the airport a few of us were able to take short flights in our host's small Piper mono-plane. While on our respective trips Neil and I both got chances to pilot the plane for a few minutes. I was particularly pleased to get a chance to turn the plane around and then descend a few thousand about 2000 feet.
On Saturday morning we made an early morning trip to a tourist store where I was able to purchase a few souvenirs, including things like prickly pear jelly and prickly pear candy. Oh, I also acquired some cactus seeds. Not surprisingly, almost everyone else who made the trip purchased similar items.
Our next stop was the Desert Botanical Garden, the site of the wedding. As part of the wedding package the guests of the wedding were provided with free access to the site on the day of the wedding.
After a relatively short visit to the botanical garden we met up with Neil and Rebecca and made our way to a restaurant for lunch and then to the hotel where we would be spending the evening. Then, after a brief swim and a quick check of the internet, we made our way back to the botanical garden for the wedding.
The wedding itself, as expected, was great. The weather and the location cooperated perfectly. The wedding ceremony, which was held in an amphitheater, was short and to the point (though there were a few questionable biblical interpretations). The reception, which was held immediately afterwards in an unwalled pavilion, was longer and generally more free-wheeling. For better or worse, I accepted this free-wheeling atmosphere and ran with it, dancing harder and longer than was likely good for me or anyone else in attendance. Anyway, it's done now.
Sunday, our last full day in Phoenix, started with a brunch at the home of the newlyweds. After a few hours there Neil, Rebecca, and I made our way out for some touring and shopping in the Phoenix area. Not only did we manage to visit quite a number of major chain stores, we also were able to visit a local 'Indian casino,' the Casino Arizona.
While this is the largest casino I have ever visited, in many ways it was quite like the two other casinos I have had the pleasure of entering. Not surprisingly, even though it was midday, quite a number of this casino's slot machines were in full swing. Actually, the place was really hopping considering that it was still well before evening and many of the games tables weren't even open. It was also not too surprising to see that a similar demographic, the over sixty set, seemed to be the most prevalent demographic taking advantage of the casino's offerings.
Monday, as many of you might have expected, was largely spent traveling. After an early departure from Phoenix we were able to go through customs and immigration in Toronto and then have a quick lunch. From Toronto we flew to Halifax, where my parents et al had to make a quick connection to their return flight (fortunately they made it).
At the moment I am awaiting the return of Neil and Rebecca, which will finally mark the conclusion of my family's trip to Phoenix and Arizona. As it turned out, Arizona was much more biologically diverse and fun than I expected. Though I didn't really expect to be saying this a few weeks ago, I really don't think that I would mind a trip back in the future. Not only would it be great to see the Grand Canyon on a clear day, but there are a number of things in the Phoenix area that it would be neat to see, it would also be neat to see a few other regions in the state that we weren't able to visit on our brief trip.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 459
-We are in the midst of another beautiful fall day in Halifax. Of note, though, is that this nice day is looking as though it will be sandwiched between two somewhat wet and unpleasant days.
-I am hoping to do a fair bit of reading today, though thus far I have not made much progress.
-We had something of a social gathering with the poli sci grad students yesterday. Considering how bad the weather was I was quite pleased without turnout of close to ten people (though that doesn't sound very impressive).
-I'm just stalling for time and space here.
-I think there might have been something else I wanted to say. Unfortunately I can't remember it at the moment.
-I am hoping to do a fair bit of reading today, though thus far I have not made much progress.
-We had something of a social gathering with the poli sci grad students yesterday. Considering how bad the weather was I was quite pleased without turnout of close to ten people (though that doesn't sound very impressive).
-I'm just stalling for time and space here.
-I think there might have been something else I wanted to say. Unfortunately I can't remember it at the moment.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Big day for Dal Grad students
After a year-long wait, today is the day that the new DAGS Grad House is set to finally open.
Unfortunately, rather than the expected capacity of 110, it will initially only be able to hold 50. Furthermore, it is unclear to me whether they in fact yet have a liquor license or whether they will just be open for food service.
Either way, DAGS is kicking off the opening with a free BBQ this afternoon. While I hope to at least swing by for a few minutes to see the new facility, I suspect that I won't be able to stay for long because of a pre-existing commitment at the time of the BBQ.
Unfortunately, rather than the expected capacity of 110, it will initially only be able to hold 50. Furthermore, it is unclear to me whether they in fact yet have a liquor license or whether they will just be open for food service.
Either way, DAGS is kicking off the opening with a free BBQ this afternoon. While I hope to at least swing by for a few minutes to see the new facility, I suspect that I won't be able to stay for long because of a pre-existing commitment at the time of the BBQ.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 453
-Today was a steadily overcast day. From the time I awoke in the morning until now things have been consistently grey and calm, but not quite rainy. The consistency of the weather, even if it hasn't been nice, has been impressive.
-The Political Science beginning-of-term social was this evening. Much to my surprise, though I didn't expect to have a bad time, I really had a good time. Unfortunately, because of a headache I have had all day I wasn't able to take advantage of the open bar and had to stick to water.
-School things will start in earnest tomorrow as that will be when I will be attending my first class of the year. This class, like the only other class I will be taking, is one that I will be auditing. That I will be auditing these classes probably means that they won't have quite the same intensity kick that most classes with marked components have.
-Our Ultimate play-off session will be taking place this weekend. Some how we have been scheduled to start playing at 9:00 AM on Saturday, a real bummer of a time. Hopefully this doesn't cause too many problems in terms of attendance.
-I am exhausted.
-The Political Science beginning-of-term social was this evening. Much to my surprise, though I didn't expect to have a bad time, I really had a good time. Unfortunately, because of a headache I have had all day I wasn't able to take advantage of the open bar and had to stick to water.
-School things will start in earnest tomorrow as that will be when I will be attending my first class of the year. This class, like the only other class I will be taking, is one that I will be auditing. That I will be auditing these classes probably means that they won't have quite the same intensity kick that most classes with marked components have.
-Our Ultimate play-off session will be taking place this weekend. Some how we have been scheduled to start playing at 9:00 AM on Saturday, a real bummer of a time. Hopefully this doesn't cause too many problems in terms of attendance.
-I am exhausted.
Friday, June 11, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 436
-Though there were a few overcast periods, my sense of things (now that I reflect upon them) is that today was generally a pretty nice day. For the past few days the niceness of the days has been something of a surprise as the forecasts have frequently suggested either rain or overcast skies. The continuing inaccuracy of the forecasts frustrates me.
-It seems that I have not completely resolved my spider mite problem. This afternoon I noticed that a few of my pea plants seem to be enduring something of an infestation. Shortly after first observing the presence of these unwelcome guests I sprayed the plants with some pesticide. Tomorrow I may try to rinse them with water and move them outdoors (where the mites will also have to put up with harsh Halifax summers). What a bummer.
-When Rebecca returned from Montreal a few weeks ago she brought with her a copy of the game Power Grid. Though in the immediate aftermath of her return we weren't able to play the game we have finally be able to find the time to sneak a few games in. Not surprisingly, Neil has won most of the games we have played. What has been frustrating is not that I have been losing (something I am used), but that I can't seem to figure out a better strategy. That I have been unable to make progress with my gameplay has been frustrating.
-I have been doing quite a lot of reading this week. Assuming that things go as planned tomorrow I will continue along this trajectory tomorrow as well (and also throughout the weekend).
-The Association of Canadian Archivists are holding their annual conference in a hotel just about a block away from our apartment. At least two of my library school friends will be in attendance. I am hoping that I will get a chance to see both of them before they head out of town once the conference is over.
-It seems that I have not completely resolved my spider mite problem. This afternoon I noticed that a few of my pea plants seem to be enduring something of an infestation. Shortly after first observing the presence of these unwelcome guests I sprayed the plants with some pesticide. Tomorrow I may try to rinse them with water and move them outdoors (where the mites will also have to put up with harsh Halifax summers). What a bummer.
-When Rebecca returned from Montreal a few weeks ago she brought with her a copy of the game Power Grid. Though in the immediate aftermath of her return we weren't able to play the game we have finally be able to find the time to sneak a few games in. Not surprisingly, Neil has won most of the games we have played. What has been frustrating is not that I have been losing (something I am used), but that I can't seem to figure out a better strategy. That I have been unable to make progress with my gameplay has been frustrating.
-I have been doing quite a lot of reading this week. Assuming that things go as planned tomorrow I will continue along this trajectory tomorrow as well (and also throughout the weekend).
-The Association of Canadian Archivists are holding their annual conference in a hotel just about a block away from our apartment. At least two of my library school friends will be in attendance. I am hoping that I will get a chance to see both of them before they head out of town once the conference is over.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 434
-After a morning and early afternoon of overcast and ominous-looking skies it has finally started to rain heavily. At the moment, though this wasn't the case a few minutes ago, Environment Canada is forecasting thundershowers along with the rain. Given the intensity of the rain and the grayness of the skies I guess I am willing to accept thundershowers as a possibility, even if they haven't been in earlier iterations of today's forecast.
-Late yesterday afternoon, after yesterday's post, I figured out why there was so much noise coming from the upstairs apartment. It seems that the carpets were being professionally cleaned. The cleaning was preceded and followed by furniture moving. This would also explain why we didn't hear much vacuuming yesterday.
-This morning, for breakfast, I made some bran muffins.
I was pretty pleased with the result, they were much moister and tastier than many that I have made in the past. I was pretty sure that this would be the outcome when I first examined the recipe (how can one go wrong when you use brown sugar, molasses and butter in the same recipe?).
-I think that I may make another batch of pasta this afternoon. This time, for the first time in my life, I will try to use a pasta press. My hope is that this will speed up the operation dramatically.
-Last night a poli sci friend called to see if I would be attending a poli sci grad student get-together. After a little bit of internal and external hemming and hawing I decided to attend (largely because of the promised attendance of the aforementioned friend). As it turned out, when I arrived I was able to find none of the other students expect this one friend and his wife. Instead of staying in a bar (three of the four of us were non-drinkers) we headed to a neighbouring coffee shop and had a very enjoyable get-together.
-While at the grocery store this afternoon I was able to pick up quite a number of sweet deals. In addition to the sales I expected to find (such as the buy one get one free pork tenderloin deal) I also came across a somewhat impromptu bargain section in which all items were priced at 50 cents (less the 10% student discount). I think I picked up 5 packages of wafers, 6 or 7 packages of tea, and a few other odds and ends. Hopefully I will be able to restrain myself from making a return trip later this afternoon just for the hot deals.
-Late yesterday afternoon, after yesterday's post, I figured out why there was so much noise coming from the upstairs apartment. It seems that the carpets were being professionally cleaned. The cleaning was preceded and followed by furniture moving. This would also explain why we didn't hear much vacuuming yesterday.
-This morning, for breakfast, I made some bran muffins.
I was pretty pleased with the result, they were much moister and tastier than many that I have made in the past. I was pretty sure that this would be the outcome when I first examined the recipe (how can one go wrong when you use brown sugar, molasses and butter in the same recipe?).
-I think that I may make another batch of pasta this afternoon. This time, for the first time in my life, I will try to use a pasta press. My hope is that this will speed up the operation dramatically.
-Last night a poli sci friend called to see if I would be attending a poli sci grad student get-together. After a little bit of internal and external hemming and hawing I decided to attend (largely because of the promised attendance of the aforementioned friend). As it turned out, when I arrived I was able to find none of the other students expect this one friend and his wife. Instead of staying in a bar (three of the four of us were non-drinkers) we headed to a neighbouring coffee shop and had a very enjoyable get-together.
-While at the grocery store this afternoon I was able to pick up quite a number of sweet deals. In addition to the sales I expected to find (such as the buy one get one free pork tenderloin deal) I also came across a somewhat impromptu bargain section in which all items were priced at 50 cents (less the 10% student discount). I think I picked up 5 packages of wafers, 6 or 7 packages of tea, and a few other odds and ends. Hopefully I will be able to restrain myself from making a return trip later this afternoon just for the hot deals.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 428
-Today has been passable but not particularly nice. Fortunately, aside from a few showers, there hasn't been much precipitation.
-Last night I 'hosted' a poli sci graduate student event at a local pub. Though I don't know if it is fair to go so far as to say that it was a rousing success, I do feel that I might generally consider it a success (meaning that I wasn't the only poli sci grad student in attendance). Additionally, I was quite pleased to speak to a few friends I haven't really seen in the past few weeks.
-This afternoon Neil and I played a few games of squash. For some reason, though I frequently raced out to a substantial lead, I managed to lose the first few games to Neil. Fortunately, by the end of our session I was coming around and able to hold on long enough to secure the victory.
-For dinner last night I tried to cook the Puerto Rican plantain-based dish mofongo. While the resulting dish was edible, I am pretty sure that the dish is supposed to be better than what I ended up with. I guess those I cook for may have the misfortune of me re-trying this dish in the coming weeks to try and improve the outcome.
-On Thursday evening Andrew and I re-potted quite a number of the seedlings that we have been growing for the past few weeks. Based on the gangliness of the tomato plants I suspect that we likely left the re-potting for a few too many weeks. I am hoping that the tomatoes and herbs will toughen up so that I can soon transfer them to our balcony.
-In other balcony garden news, I moved a few of the been plants outside and installed some garden netting and string. I am hoping that, like last year, I will be able to get some of the bean plants to climb around the balcony.
-Last night I 'hosted' a poli sci graduate student event at a local pub. Though I don't know if it is fair to go so far as to say that it was a rousing success, I do feel that I might generally consider it a success (meaning that I wasn't the only poli sci grad student in attendance). Additionally, I was quite pleased to speak to a few friends I haven't really seen in the past few weeks.
-This afternoon Neil and I played a few games of squash. For some reason, though I frequently raced out to a substantial lead, I managed to lose the first few games to Neil. Fortunately, by the end of our session I was coming around and able to hold on long enough to secure the victory.
-For dinner last night I tried to cook the Puerto Rican plantain-based dish mofongo. While the resulting dish was edible, I am pretty sure that the dish is supposed to be better than what I ended up with. I guess those I cook for may have the misfortune of me re-trying this dish in the coming weeks to try and improve the outcome.
-On Thursday evening Andrew and I re-potted quite a number of the seedlings that we have been growing for the past few weeks. Based on the gangliness of the tomato plants I suspect that we likely left the re-potting for a few too many weeks. I am hoping that the tomatoes and herbs will toughen up so that I can soon transfer them to our balcony.
-In other balcony garden news, I moved a few of the been plants outside and installed some garden netting and string. I am hoping that, like last year, I will be able to get some of the bean plants to climb around the balcony.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 420
-After a beautiful day yesterday, we are again in the midst of a rather overcast day today. Hopefully the forecast rain does not actually make an appearance.
-Yesterday Peter and I went to MEC and then Point Pleasant Park. In Point Pleasant Park we went to my favourite beach area and threw rocks for what must have been at least an hour. Eventually things devolved from skipping and accuracy to the throwing of big rocks.
These things made quite impressive splashes.
-Last night I attended a retirement party for one of the professors in the political science department. About 45 minutes after we arrived the grad student who gave me a ride left meaning that I was the only student in attendance for most of the night. On the whole the event was quite pleasant. The house where the event was hosted was absolutely amazing (it was huge and perfect for parties). It was also fun to talk to a few of my professors and get a chance to talk to some of their spouses.
-Peter and I are hoping to attend a Picnicface sketch show at Joker's Comedy Club tonight. I am really looking forward to this as I have been hoping to see one of these for almost as long as I have been in Halifax.
-I should go get some breakfast and coffee.
-Yesterday Peter and I went to MEC and then Point Pleasant Park. In Point Pleasant Park we went to my favourite beach area and threw rocks for what must have been at least an hour. Eventually things devolved from skipping and accuracy to the throwing of big rocks.
These things made quite impressive splashes.
-Last night I attended a retirement party for one of the professors in the political science department. About 45 minutes after we arrived the grad student who gave me a ride left meaning that I was the only student in attendance for most of the night. On the whole the event was quite pleasant. The house where the event was hosted was absolutely amazing (it was huge and perfect for parties). It was also fun to talk to a few of my professors and get a chance to talk to some of their spouses.
-Peter and I are hoping to attend a Picnicface sketch show at Joker's Comedy Club tonight. I am really looking forward to this as I have been hoping to see one of these for almost as long as I have been in Halifax.
-I should go get some breakfast and coffee.
Halifax with Visitors
A few days ago my friends Greg and Jeff came to visit for about four nights. Because Greg rented a car we were able to do some of the touristy things in the Halifax-region that I am normally unable to engage in.
One of our first major stops with the Dingle Tower on the Northwest Arm. Not surprisingly, the tower was closed to the public (though we didn't learn about this until we made it to the front door of the tower). After our failed attempt to visit the Dingle Tower we made our way to Peggy's Cove, which appeared to be a small fishing/sea-based village not to far from Halifax.
One of the things that seems to capture people's attention in Peggy's Cove is the light tower (I have been told that for such signalling devices to be 'light houses' they need to be attached to houses). While the light tower was OK, there were some pretty neat rocks surrounding the lighthouse that were fun climb (one visitor found them so tempting that she made her way out even though she was reliant on a walker-type contraption). One of the other things about the light tower that I enjoyed was a sign affixed to one of the light tower's walls.
After walking around the rocks and admiring the light tower at Peggy's Cove we made our way to the gift shop and restaurant. Perhaps not surprisingly, both Neil and I were quite amused by the Cackleberry Preserves. Sophomoric humour strikes again.
Eventually we made it to the Annapolis Valley and Wolfville. While in the Valley we picked up some cider, apples, and bananas (apparently the bananas were much cheaper in the Valley that they are in town). We had dinner/late lunch at the Library Pub, a Wolfville landmark. As we were making our way back to Halifax it started to snow heavily. At times it almost looked like a Winter snowstorm.
Later, once we were back in Halifax, Greg and I decided to spend some time just walking around downtown Halifax. One of the things I suggested we see/do was take the elevator in the Aliant Building (it is located at the corner of Spring Garden and Barrington). What is great about these elevators is that they have windows that allow the riders to watch the city as they elevate. I turns out that by going from the first to nineteenth floor the perspective really changes quite dramatically. If you are interested feel free to check out the relatively low quality video I posted of one of our trips down (we took two back-to-back round trips).
[Embedded video]
Just before Greg and Jeff made their way back to the airport we stopped at Cousins' (or maybe Cousin's), the right Cousins'. It turns out that the Cousins' I have been visiting for the past 18 months was not the same Cousins' that I visited with Greg and Jeff when I came here in 2005. I was again really pleased with this experience. Hopefully I will get to take Neil and Rebecca there in the not too distant future.
Of course there were casino visits and socializing (and a trip to Granite Brewery's new location), but I can't really think of many other major destinations that we visited while Greg and Jeff were in town. If it wasn't apparent from this post, it was both great to see Greg and Jeff, but also some of the tourist sites adjacent to Halifax that are almost inaccessible without a car.
One of our first major stops with the Dingle Tower on the Northwest Arm. Not surprisingly, the tower was closed to the public (though we didn't learn about this until we made it to the front door of the tower). After our failed attempt to visit the Dingle Tower we made our way to Peggy's Cove, which appeared to be a small fishing/sea-based village not to far from Halifax.
One of the things that seems to capture people's attention in Peggy's Cove is the light tower (I have been told that for such signalling devices to be 'light houses' they need to be attached to houses). While the light tower was OK, there were some pretty neat rocks surrounding the lighthouse that were fun climb (one visitor found them so tempting that she made her way out even though she was reliant on a walker-type contraption). One of the other things about the light tower that I enjoyed was a sign affixed to one of the light tower's walls.
After walking around the rocks and admiring the light tower at Peggy's Cove we made our way to the gift shop and restaurant. Perhaps not surprisingly, both Neil and I were quite amused by the Cackleberry Preserves. Sophomoric humour strikes again.
Eventually we made it to the Annapolis Valley and Wolfville. While in the Valley we picked up some cider, apples, and bananas (apparently the bananas were much cheaper in the Valley that they are in town). We had dinner/late lunch at the Library Pub, a Wolfville landmark. As we were making our way back to Halifax it started to snow heavily. At times it almost looked like a Winter snowstorm.
Later, once we were back in Halifax, Greg and I decided to spend some time just walking around downtown Halifax. One of the things I suggested we see/do was take the elevator in the Aliant Building (it is located at the corner of Spring Garden and Barrington). What is great about these elevators is that they have windows that allow the riders to watch the city as they elevate. I turns out that by going from the first to nineteenth floor the perspective really changes quite dramatically. If you are interested feel free to check out the relatively low quality video I posted of one of our trips down (we took two back-to-back round trips).
[Embedded video]
Just before Greg and Jeff made their way back to the airport we stopped at Cousins' (or maybe Cousin's), the right Cousins'. It turns out that the Cousins' I have been visiting for the past 18 months was not the same Cousins' that I visited with Greg and Jeff when I came here in 2005. I was again really pleased with this experience. Hopefully I will get to take Neil and Rebecca there in the not too distant future.
Of course there were casino visits and socializing (and a trip to Granite Brewery's new location), but I can't really think of many other major destinations that we visited while Greg and Jeff were in town. If it wasn't apparent from this post, it was both great to see Greg and Jeff, but also some of the tourist sites adjacent to Halifax that are almost inaccessible without a car.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 419
-For the second day in a row, after about five days of grey, we have blue skies. Though there is some suggestion that this may take a turn for the worse later today, I am hoping that we will be able to avoid precipitation until at least about midnight.
-I think that my Roll Up the Rim to Win record for this year 5/23, though it may have been 5/25 (at one point I was given an extra cup). Though this may not seem like much, I did much better that I should have and much better than I have done in past years. The major problem with my winnings this year were that they tended to be donuts instead of more useful prizes. In the end I think I gave away most of my winnings.
-Yesterday I was able to submit my exam marks, meaning that I have now (to the best of my knowledge) completed my grading for the semester. Though it hadn't really set in as of last night, I think I am now starting to feel a little more relaxed. One of the things that I seem to have learned from my recent grading experiences is that cursive is almost always more difficult to read than printing. Why school insist on teaching students cursive is beyond me. What might be gained in speed is certainly lost in legibility.
-I guess I should explain my noticeable internet silence of the past few weeks. It seems that I was engulfed in something a perfect storm of time commitments. First I had to kill of a number of school related tasks (mainly assignments and studying for an exam), while doing this I also had to deal with a variety of grading and RA responsibilities. Finally, social commitments, particularly that two friends stayed with us for 4 nights, managed to consume most of my remaining time. The time I had to devote to the internet was thus compromised (and because of this I am sure you were all saddened).
-Last night I had arranged to get together with Peter and just hang out for a while. After making these plans I learned that there was to be a conflicting poli sci grad student event that I felt obliged to attend. Peter agreed to take one for the team and accompany me to this event.
We finally arrived at the destination at about 8:30 (an hour and a half after the event was to have started) only to discover that the house appeared relatively dark. After a few minutes of hemming and hawing we finally decided to commit ringing the door-bell. Almost as soon as the host opened the door (maybe it was the look of surprise on her face) it became clear that the event was not tonight. Apparently the event was actually scheduled for tonight. I felt like a bit of an idiot, though also somewhat relieved as it meant that I didn't have to participate in a social engagement that I was entirely thrilled/sufficiently energized to attend. As Peter and I were walking away I suggested it was a 'party win.' (I should be clear that the reasons I didn't really want to attend relate to my level of exhaustion and not the host or other guests).
The best part, at least according me, was that when we got home I checked my email and found that the host had actually sent me emails indicating that it was on Friday (she even used the word 'Friday'). Of course, I don't know how to bring this up to her without sounding like a jerk, so I guess I will wear the shame of showing up on the wrong day for a while.
-Tonight, instead of attending the aforementioned potluck, I will be attending a retirement party for one of the professors in my department. The only problematic aspect of this event is that it is being hosted at a location somewhat far away from the centre of the city. So far I have been able to secure a ride to the event. I am hoping to arrange a ride back at while at the party, though if I fail on this front the back up plan is to walk the 4 km to the nearest bus stop. Can't wait.
-It seems that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador accidentally expropriated an old paper mill. This just seems like something that should be so hard to do that it should never happen accidentally. This just seems to provide more evidence that this whole expropriation thing has been an ill-conceived mess since day one.
-I think that my Roll Up the Rim to Win record for this year 5/23, though it may have been 5/25 (at one point I was given an extra cup). Though this may not seem like much, I did much better that I should have and much better than I have done in past years. The major problem with my winnings this year were that they tended to be donuts instead of more useful prizes. In the end I think I gave away most of my winnings.
-Yesterday I was able to submit my exam marks, meaning that I have now (to the best of my knowledge) completed my grading for the semester. Though it hadn't really set in as of last night, I think I am now starting to feel a little more relaxed. One of the things that I seem to have learned from my recent grading experiences is that cursive is almost always more difficult to read than printing. Why school insist on teaching students cursive is beyond me. What might be gained in speed is certainly lost in legibility.
-I guess I should explain my noticeable internet silence of the past few weeks. It seems that I was engulfed in something a perfect storm of time commitments. First I had to kill of a number of school related tasks (mainly assignments and studying for an exam), while doing this I also had to deal with a variety of grading and RA responsibilities. Finally, social commitments, particularly that two friends stayed with us for 4 nights, managed to consume most of my remaining time. The time I had to devote to the internet was thus compromised (and because of this I am sure you were all saddened).
-Last night I had arranged to get together with Peter and just hang out for a while. After making these plans I learned that there was to be a conflicting poli sci grad student event that I felt obliged to attend. Peter agreed to take one for the team and accompany me to this event.
We finally arrived at the destination at about 8:30 (an hour and a half after the event was to have started) only to discover that the house appeared relatively dark. After a few minutes of hemming and hawing we finally decided to commit ringing the door-bell. Almost as soon as the host opened the door (maybe it was the look of surprise on her face) it became clear that the event was not tonight. Apparently the event was actually scheduled for tonight. I felt like a bit of an idiot, though also somewhat relieved as it meant that I didn't have to participate in a social engagement that I was entirely thrilled/sufficiently energized to attend. As Peter and I were walking away I suggested it was a 'party win.' (I should be clear that the reasons I didn't really want to attend relate to my level of exhaustion and not the host or other guests).
The best part, at least according me, was that when we got home I checked my email and found that the host had actually sent me emails indicating that it was on Friday (she even used the word 'Friday'). Of course, I don't know how to bring this up to her without sounding like a jerk, so I guess I will wear the shame of showing up on the wrong day for a while.
-Tonight, instead of attending the aforementioned potluck, I will be attending a retirement party for one of the professors in my department. The only problematic aspect of this event is that it is being hosted at a location somewhat far away from the centre of the city. So far I have been able to secure a ride to the event. I am hoping to arrange a ride back at while at the party, though if I fail on this front the back up plan is to walk the 4 km to the nearest bus stop. Can't wait.
-It seems that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador accidentally expropriated an old paper mill. This just seems like something that should be so hard to do that it should never happen accidentally. This just seems to provide more evidence that this whole expropriation thing has been an ill-conceived mess since day one.
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