Saw Napolean Dynamite this evening. It totally rocked.
Currently: Uninstalling that damn Norton Security Suite from my HD.
Saturday, October 09, 2004
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Absolutely Delicious
The good eats just keep on continuing. The birthday celebration/feast at Jasmine's birthday party was followed up by an equally impressive evening of gluttony for Nicole's sister's birthday. The event was held at the New Asian Village, an establishment which serves some of the finest East Indian cuisine in the city.
This was the first time I'd ever been to the place, though I have had their food before. Several months ago, before Nicole and I discovered the joys of cooking our own meals here at home, we called Dial and Dine to pick us up some eats. Seeing as how I'd always eaten my fill of East Indian cuisine for free, this marked the first time I'd ever dished out money for it. The food was delicious, though the price to feed just the two of us was a bit extravagant.
On this evening, however, we discovered the joy of their buffet. Though there weren't many items, all the essential dishes were present - everything from tandoori chicken, to aloo gobi, to butter chicken, to curried lamb. The only thing better than eating these things, is being able to eat as much as humanly possible.
Their "cooler of 250 beers" was not only innovative, but probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen in a restaurant. Whenever you desired, you could walk up to the cooler (which took up a whole wall), pick a bottle from their vast selection of international beers, and bring it on back to the table! I had myself a delicious Danish Tuborg and a Steam Whistle from Ontario. What more can I say, it totally reeked of awesomeness.
I highly recommend the place, if you even remotely enjoy Eastern food. The restaurant has an authentic atmosphere and, even if just for a few hours, tricks the senses into thinking you're enjoying a leisurely bite to eat in Bombay, and not the grey, concrete streets of chilly Edmonton.
Next up is Thanksgiving, more birthdays, Christmas, New Years...man oh man, I'm sure gonna pack on the pounds this Winter, that's for sure!
Currently: Attempting to master Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to effectively design business card logos.
This was the first time I'd ever been to the place, though I have had their food before. Several months ago, before Nicole and I discovered the joys of cooking our own meals here at home, we called Dial and Dine to pick us up some eats. Seeing as how I'd always eaten my fill of East Indian cuisine for free, this marked the first time I'd ever dished out money for it. The food was delicious, though the price to feed just the two of us was a bit extravagant.
On this evening, however, we discovered the joy of their buffet. Though there weren't many items, all the essential dishes were present - everything from tandoori chicken, to aloo gobi, to butter chicken, to curried lamb. The only thing better than eating these things, is being able to eat as much as humanly possible.
Their "cooler of 250 beers" was not only innovative, but probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen in a restaurant. Whenever you desired, you could walk up to the cooler (which took up a whole wall), pick a bottle from their vast selection of international beers, and bring it on back to the table! I had myself a delicious Danish Tuborg and a Steam Whistle from Ontario. What more can I say, it totally reeked of awesomeness.
I highly recommend the place, if you even remotely enjoy Eastern food. The restaurant has an authentic atmosphere and, even if just for a few hours, tricks the senses into thinking you're enjoying a leisurely bite to eat in Bombay, and not the grey, concrete streets of chilly Edmonton.
Next up is Thanksgiving, more birthdays, Christmas, New Years...man oh man, I'm sure gonna pack on the pounds this Winter, that's for sure!
Currently: Attempting to master Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to effectively design business card logos.
Monday, October 04, 2004
Uncomfortable Silence
Boy oh boy did I manage to have myself a busy weekend. Weekends are meant to be a time of rest and relaxation, aren't they? Well, if they are then it feels like I went out of my way to ensure that these two days were action-packed to the max.
Things kicked off Saturday morning as I attempted to continue my little experiment of waking up at the same time every morning...for the rest of my life. At this point in the experiment, I've arbitrarily picked 07:00 as that time. While certainly an admirable goal to strive towards, I find it a fascinating exertion of my will power (or lack thereof). Anyways, I trotted on down to Advanis to work a shift from 10:00 - 17:00, after which I hurried on home to get spiffied up for my niece Jasmine's birthday party.
Quite frankly, the evening was pure pandemonium. Gatherings with my family tend to be a bit out of control, what with 6 ankle-biters now in the picture, but said gatherings at my sister Debbie's house take things to a whole new level. People from India know how to party, and her husband isn't shy about inviting everyone and anyone over for the evening. Now, I like being in a small house with 40 complete strangers as much as the next guy, but Lord have mercy on people like my sweet Nicole, who's not only surrounded, but most likely bombarded by kids as well. Just as we had just about had enough, the crowd dissipated, and the family was able to enjoy a few moments of comparable tranquility before departing - until the next celebration/collision.
A few more hours of sleep and another attempt at rising at 07:00 later, I was back out the door to participate in the Run for the Cure. It's the 2nd time I've participated, and hopefully many more are to follow. I've never fancied myself to be a runner, heck, even walking to the corner store makes me grumble, but it sure is nice to challenge yourself once in a while. I entered into the 5km run, which started promptly at 10:00 in the near-freezing morning air. I wore my full-body Helly Hanson thermal underwear under my sweats and shirt, and it sure didn't take long before things started to get nice and warm. The sheer volume of people made the start very slow, and you were forced to pretty much walk the first block or so before you found some gaps. I finished in 28 minutes and 3 seconds, without having to break my pace once. Not since Phys. Ed. and the dreaded 20-Minute Runs have I carried on in such a foolish manner.
As if that wasn't enough physical punishment for one day, I then proceeded to play 3 games of ball hockey with the boys. It was a momentous occasion, as I decided to wear a cup for the first time - not a bad idea when you're a goalie. I never got to see if it would help out, but I did watch Jason get bagged by a ball during warm-up shots. That alone made me thankful I had something awkwardly covering 2/3 of my genitals. There were goals, there were saves, and Mike's slapshot in the last game damn near broke my blocker arm. Fun times.
Sweaty and exhausted, I made my way back home to discover that Nicole and I had been invited to her sister's place for dinner and a movie, so I finally showered up and headed back out the door yet again. What followed was a delicious dinner (filled with so many of those "vegetables" her family is so keen on), a visit with their cuddly matrimonial offspring, and a viewing of perhaps the 2 worst movies to come out this year: Walking Tall and Eurotrip. One should always be wary of any movie that stars a professional wrestler, and, for the most part, modern teenage angst movies are trite rubbish. Compared to the gems that they pumped out in the 80's, teens these days just don't know how bad they got it. On a positive note, there were several extended scenes of beach-bronzed male phalluses, which should have delighted female movie-goers so frequently forced to endure female nudity. To my and all males subsequent chagrin, these were not matched with extended scenes of bottomless females, however.
Phew. I'm getting tired just typing all this stuff out. So yeah, it was a very busy weekend, and the weeks to come are just jam-packed with more events, birthdays, and holidays. So here I sit, sore legs and throbbing arm, typing out my Blog far beyond my planned bedtime...enjoying the uncomfortable silence of a post-late-night-Queen Donair binge.
Currently: Thinking of organs to sell to off-set my education costs.
Things kicked off Saturday morning as I attempted to continue my little experiment of waking up at the same time every morning...for the rest of my life. At this point in the experiment, I've arbitrarily picked 07:00 as that time. While certainly an admirable goal to strive towards, I find it a fascinating exertion of my will power (or lack thereof). Anyways, I trotted on down to Advanis to work a shift from 10:00 - 17:00, after which I hurried on home to get spiffied up for my niece Jasmine's birthday party.
Quite frankly, the evening was pure pandemonium. Gatherings with my family tend to be a bit out of control, what with 6 ankle-biters now in the picture, but said gatherings at my sister Debbie's house take things to a whole new level. People from India know how to party, and her husband isn't shy about inviting everyone and anyone over for the evening. Now, I like being in a small house with 40 complete strangers as much as the next guy, but Lord have mercy on people like my sweet Nicole, who's not only surrounded, but most likely bombarded by kids as well. Just as we had just about had enough, the crowd dissipated, and the family was able to enjoy a few moments of comparable tranquility before departing - until the next celebration/collision.
A few more hours of sleep and another attempt at rising at 07:00 later, I was back out the door to participate in the Run for the Cure. It's the 2nd time I've participated, and hopefully many more are to follow. I've never fancied myself to be a runner, heck, even walking to the corner store makes me grumble, but it sure is nice to challenge yourself once in a while. I entered into the 5km run, which started promptly at 10:00 in the near-freezing morning air. I wore my full-body Helly Hanson thermal underwear under my sweats and shirt, and it sure didn't take long before things started to get nice and warm. The sheer volume of people made the start very slow, and you were forced to pretty much walk the first block or so before you found some gaps. I finished in 28 minutes and 3 seconds, without having to break my pace once. Not since Phys. Ed. and the dreaded 20-Minute Runs have I carried on in such a foolish manner.
As if that wasn't enough physical punishment for one day, I then proceeded to play 3 games of ball hockey with the boys. It was a momentous occasion, as I decided to wear a cup for the first time - not a bad idea when you're a goalie. I never got to see if it would help out, but I did watch Jason get bagged by a ball during warm-up shots. That alone made me thankful I had something awkwardly covering 2/3 of my genitals. There were goals, there were saves, and Mike's slapshot in the last game damn near broke my blocker arm. Fun times.
Sweaty and exhausted, I made my way back home to discover that Nicole and I had been invited to her sister's place for dinner and a movie, so I finally showered up and headed back out the door yet again. What followed was a delicious dinner (filled with so many of those "vegetables" her family is so keen on), a visit with their cuddly matrimonial offspring, and a viewing of perhaps the 2 worst movies to come out this year: Walking Tall and Eurotrip. One should always be wary of any movie that stars a professional wrestler, and, for the most part, modern teenage angst movies are trite rubbish. Compared to the gems that they pumped out in the 80's, teens these days just don't know how bad they got it. On a positive note, there were several extended scenes of beach-bronzed male phalluses, which should have delighted female movie-goers so frequently forced to endure female nudity. To my and all males subsequent chagrin, these were not matched with extended scenes of bottomless females, however.
Phew. I'm getting tired just typing all this stuff out. So yeah, it was a very busy weekend, and the weeks to come are just jam-packed with more events, birthdays, and holidays. So here I sit, sore legs and throbbing arm, typing out my Blog far beyond my planned bedtime...enjoying the uncomfortable silence of a post-late-night-Queen Donair binge.
Currently: Thinking of organs to sell to off-set my education costs.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
El Presidente
I was at work all evening, ironically calling Americans, so I was unable to watch the Presidential Debate. I was enheartened to discover, at the time, that many people I called were in the process of watching the debate.
As I said, I didn't watch the program, but I'm operating under the assumption, no, gut instinct, that Bush carried on in his usual despicable manner, and Kerry stood around with that Franken-grin of his. At the very least the head-to-head sparring match should have made it very clear that Bush should not be allowed back into the White House. This fact is so evident that I practically regard it as a Universal Law.
But no...polls following the debate show that 4 more years under Bush's reign of terror are expected to continue in November. Whereas Gregg provided a thoughtful criticism of American politics, my two cents can currently be summed up as follows: What the fuck does this war monger, Bush, have to do for the voting public to turn him away and what the fuck can possibly be going through a voter's mind when then think casting their ballot for him is the proper thing to do? What the fuck are the priorities of the American mindset?
One President lies about receiving a blow-job and they rise up to impeach him. The next one lies to start a war which kills 1,000 of their children and shepherds the populace under a state of constant fear...yet they reward him.
America under President Bush is an affront to peace and humanity, and I feel empathy for not only our neighbours to the south, but for all the peoples of the world.
Currently: Reading positive reviews of George W. Bush in a state of utter disbelief.
As I said, I didn't watch the program, but I'm operating under the assumption, no, gut instinct, that Bush carried on in his usual despicable manner, and Kerry stood around with that Franken-grin of his. At the very least the head-to-head sparring match should have made it very clear that Bush should not be allowed back into the White House. This fact is so evident that I practically regard it as a Universal Law.
But no...polls following the debate show that 4 more years under Bush's reign of terror are expected to continue in November. Whereas Gregg provided a thoughtful criticism of American politics, my two cents can currently be summed up as follows: What the fuck does this war monger, Bush, have to do for the voting public to turn him away and what the fuck can possibly be going through a voter's mind when then think casting their ballot for him is the proper thing to do? What the fuck are the priorities of the American mindset?
One President lies about receiving a blow-job and they rise up to impeach him. The next one lies to start a war which kills 1,000 of their children and shepherds the populace under a state of constant fear...yet they reward him.
America under President Bush is an affront to peace and humanity, and I feel empathy for not only our neighbours to the south, but for all the peoples of the world.
Currently: Reading positive reviews of George W. Bush in a state of utter disbelief.
I Bent My Wookie
Having Nate's combusticated computer laying on the floor next to me, has really made me appreciate this little eMachine I've got. Sure, by the time I replaced the speakers, mouse, keyboard, upgraded the graphics card and quadrupled the RAM, it might be said that it's not really the same computer I originally bought, but it sure as hell is more flexible than that damn Acer ever was, and 1/4 the MSRP.
I've stayed my mp3 collecting addiction by feeding that obsessive compulsive part of my brain with game downloads. Once I truly discovered where to go and how to install cracked game ISO's, it's opened a whole new realm for me. Truth be told, it all started with Return to Castle Wolfenstein. It was with this game that I first realized my computer was much more powerful than I thought, as I was capable of playing it on the highest quality settings. Since then, I've added a few more games to my collection:
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005
- Star Wars: Battlefront
- Rome: Total War
- Call of Duty
- Medal of Honor
- Unreal Tournament 2004
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- The Sims 2
- Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War
- Doom III
These are in excess of the various programs I've downloaded, from Microsoft Office 2003 Professional to Adobe Creative Suite. My HD is quickly filling to capacity, so maybe I should add a few more gigs of storage space to my birthday wishlist.
I've been playing Star Wars quite a bit lately, as there's nothing quite as rewarding as sniping Jar Jar Binks in the eye from 100 yards away or setting fire to a village of screaming Ewoks.
Currently: Making a vow to try and wake up @ 7am every morning!
I've stayed my mp3 collecting addiction by feeding that obsessive compulsive part of my brain with game downloads. Once I truly discovered where to go and how to install cracked game ISO's, it's opened a whole new realm for me. Truth be told, it all started with Return to Castle Wolfenstein. It was with this game that I first realized my computer was much more powerful than I thought, as I was capable of playing it on the highest quality settings. Since then, I've added a few more games to my collection:
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005
- Star Wars: Battlefront
- Rome: Total War
- Call of Duty
- Medal of Honor
- Unreal Tournament 2004
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- The Sims 2
- Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War
- Doom III
These are in excess of the various programs I've downloaded, from Microsoft Office 2003 Professional to Adobe Creative Suite. My HD is quickly filling to capacity, so maybe I should add a few more gigs of storage space to my birthday wishlist.
I've been playing Star Wars quite a bit lately, as there's nothing quite as rewarding as sniping Jar Jar Binks in the eye from 100 yards away or setting fire to a village of screaming Ewoks.
Currently: Making a vow to try and wake up @ 7am every morning!
Monday, September 20, 2004
Testing, Testing...
...this post is of no importance. My blog seems to be publishing funny in Firefox, so I'm just screwing around.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
I Fought The Law...
...and the law won. Apparently, intent to try and do the right thing is not sufficient for any degree of leniency. Well, that's not correct. The judge gave me until May 2005 to pay $172 for not turning right. The first dozen or so people before me were up for driving without insurance, and that carries a minimum fine of $2850, for the first offence, and increases dramatically from there. By the time it got to me, I almost felt kind of silly asking for time to pay my comparably insignificant fine.
The experience as a whole, however, was actually an interesting one. I had pleaded not guilty (as I rightly believed I had a reasonable explanation for trying to get out of that traffic situation) so the case went to trial. First the police officer took the stand and gave his statement. I then had the opportunity to ask the officer questions, but his statement pretty much verified what I was already going to say: was in right-turn lane, signaled to get out, turned into left lane once light turned green. Since he was using those facts to base his charges against me, my attempt to use the same facts to plead my innocence was severely hampered.
It was then my turn to take the stand, got to state my name, swear on the Bible and everything! They didn't tell me which hand to place on it, but movies have assured me that it's the right. Actually, they first ask you if you're willing to swear on the Bible, and you can say yes or no. I gave my little rendition of the events, the prosecution asked me why I didn't just turn right and circle around the block, and I countered that LRT construction was causing havoc in the area (detours, etc.) it was rush-hour, and I had no idea where I'd end up.
The judge commended me on how well-spoken my statement was, but in the end, upheld the fine. She took sympathy on my inflexible student budget, and granted me time to pay, which was much more courteous than throwing me in jail for 3 days.
Currently listening to: Our Lady Peace - Naveed
The experience as a whole, however, was actually an interesting one. I had pleaded not guilty (as I rightly believed I had a reasonable explanation for trying to get out of that traffic situation) so the case went to trial. First the police officer took the stand and gave his statement. I then had the opportunity to ask the officer questions, but his statement pretty much verified what I was already going to say: was in right-turn lane, signaled to get out, turned into left lane once light turned green. Since he was using those facts to base his charges against me, my attempt to use the same facts to plead my innocence was severely hampered.
It was then my turn to take the stand, got to state my name, swear on the Bible and everything! They didn't tell me which hand to place on it, but movies have assured me that it's the right. Actually, they first ask you if you're willing to swear on the Bible, and you can say yes or no. I gave my little rendition of the events, the prosecution asked me why I didn't just turn right and circle around the block, and I countered that LRT construction was causing havoc in the area (detours, etc.) it was rush-hour, and I had no idea where I'd end up.
The judge commended me on how well-spoken my statement was, but in the end, upheld the fine. She took sympathy on my inflexible student budget, and granted me time to pay, which was much more courteous than throwing me in jail for 3 days.
Currently listening to: Our Lady Peace - Naveed
Monday, September 13, 2004
No NHL? No Problem!
It feels like it's been ages, but I finally managed to put in a few ball hockey games with the guys. It's hard to believe, but with the 3 (well, 2.5) games we played today, I'm only up to game 14! That's not really all that much hockey - no wonder it always feels like I'm a bit rusty between the pipes.
It was a great day to be outside, especially after the nasty weather we've had all week. Who would have predicted that the weekend would turn out so beautifully? When the dust settled, though, I was 2-1 for the day, and loved every minute of it. We even had an audience, as some awesome dad stopped by with his 3 boys to sit and watch the action.
Not nearly as quaint, however, was the fact that my car was vandalized over-night. I had left it parked outside Nate's place, not far from where my old apartment used to be. I'm not quite sure what happened, but it almost looks like someone side-swiped it. It's nothing too severe, but my driver's side mirror is now busted (it looked horrible before Jeremy snapped it back into place) and scratch marks are visible almost the entire length of the vehicle. Disrespectful bastards! It's like your mom always says, whenever you have something nice, someone else will find a way to steal it or break it. I don't miss living in that damn neighbourhood, that's for sure...
Currently: Drying off after having a shower to try and clean that goaltender equipment "funk" off my skin.
It was a great day to be outside, especially after the nasty weather we've had all week. Who would have predicted that the weekend would turn out so beautifully? When the dust settled, though, I was 2-1 for the day, and loved every minute of it. We even had an audience, as some awesome dad stopped by with his 3 boys to sit and watch the action.
Not nearly as quaint, however, was the fact that my car was vandalized over-night. I had left it parked outside Nate's place, not far from where my old apartment used to be. I'm not quite sure what happened, but it almost looks like someone side-swiped it. It's nothing too severe, but my driver's side mirror is now busted (it looked horrible before Jeremy snapped it back into place) and scratch marks are visible almost the entire length of the vehicle. Disrespectful bastards! It's like your mom always says, whenever you have something nice, someone else will find a way to steal it or break it. I don't miss living in that damn neighbourhood, that's for sure...
Currently: Drying off after having a shower to try and clean that goaltender equipment "funk" off my skin.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
LOTR: Return of Blockbuster Video II
Who says my life doesn't entertain a certain degree of continuity? While out the other evening to Safeway to pick up a few groceries for lunches, I decided it was about time to bury the hatchet between myself and Blockbuster Video. This pertains to an incident that dates back to December 04, 2003.
As you may recall, I had discovered to my horror that the game LOTR: Return of the King was still in my possession, though I believed I had returned it a month previous. Upon receiving their wayward game, they were kind enough to waive the $100 replacement fee, and most of the late charges - all that remained was a little over $20 owed to them - and I hadn't been back since.
Was it cowardice? Miserliness? Stubbornness?
Draw your own conclusions, but I figured nearly 10 months was more than enough time to allow Blockbuster to think seriously about what they'd done, in allowing me to rent a game that was obviously so amazing that even my own mind conspired against me to possess it. Indeed, it was my precious...
Currently: Trying to get "The Sims" working on my computer
As you may recall, I had discovered to my horror that the game LOTR: Return of the King was still in my possession, though I believed I had returned it a month previous. Upon receiving their wayward game, they were kind enough to waive the $100 replacement fee, and most of the late charges - all that remained was a little over $20 owed to them - and I hadn't been back since.
Was it cowardice? Miserliness? Stubbornness?
Draw your own conclusions, but I figured nearly 10 months was more than enough time to allow Blockbuster to think seriously about what they'd done, in allowing me to rent a game that was obviously so amazing that even my own mind conspired against me to possess it. Indeed, it was my precious...
Currently: Trying to get "The Sims" working on my computer
Reading, 'riting, and 'rythmetic
Woe is me, returning to the hallowed halls of the University of Alberta yet once again. Though I'm actually quite excited to be tackling the books, I'm less than impressed with all the people that have filled the place! Over the past 4 months I began to become accustomed to the place being virtually empty: line-ups were non-existent, pedestrian traffic was free-flowing, and gawdy first-years weren't lounging around the place in bar clothes, obviously incapable yet of breaking free of their High School propensities.
What should have been a few minutes of running around, painfully turned to hours. Just this once I actually decided to purchase some of my texts during the first week of class, and this I solemnly vow: NEVER AGAIN.
Bah!
Currently: Hastily getting ready to head back out for 7 hours of working for The Man.
What should have been a few minutes of running around, painfully turned to hours. Just this once I actually decided to purchase some of my texts during the first week of class, and this I solemnly vow: NEVER AGAIN.
Bah!
Currently: Hastily getting ready to head back out for 7 hours of working for The Man.
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