Newcomb's Law

Technological advances

2011-12-23T14:36:00.003-05:00

I took an evolutionary step forward today! I now have a touch screen cell phone! No, it's not a smart phone, and no I don't use it for internet. I leave all that to Laura! But I am happy with my new phone. I can send text messages and make occasional phone calls, and it still costs me almost nothing. I have been with Petro Canada Mobility now for a few years. So all I pay is 10¢ per text (receiving is of course free) and 25¢ per minute on calls. Usually I'm just sending text messages to Laura, so this is all I need! I know, exciting life eh! I bought the phone at Superstore, so it was locked to President's Choice (PC) Mobile. But I found a site online to unlock it for just $9, then dropped my SIM card in and I'm off to the races! I just topped up my account with $100. (Last year, I only used $90, so this should do me no problem.)

Here is the new phone (ignore the Virgin Mobile logo):

Here is my old phone, which I will now be mailing to my Mum to replace hers. Still a good little phone:

Here is what she is going to replace. Apparently it still works!

Blast from the Past

2011-12-19T20:03:00.000-05:00

I was just in the car and heard a song on the radio that brought me back to my elementary school days.

"Tears are Not Enough" was the 1985 Canadian-made song, written by David Foster and performed by "Northern Lights," a team of Canada's best artists at the time, to raise funds for Ethiopia. I'm pretty sure I had the single and it got a lot of play.

It was made at the same time as the U.S. song "We are the World," written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie. Both are great songs for their genre, but I think I still have to say I like the Canadian version better. David Foster just has a magic touch, and the chorus tugs at one's heart a little more than its American counterpart.

But, both are super cheesy, and therefore impossible to avoid singing to.

A memorable date

2011-12-19T19:33:00.001-05:00

Laura sent me this picture. It was a date we had a while back. She took me for a ride on her bike. Just after this picture was taken, I made us fly. She was a bit nervous, but I was doing okay, as you can see. Not quite sure how I fit into that milk crate, but I guess I did. One for the memory books!

Another season behind us

2011-12-18T10:52:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's almost Christmas. Fall just flew by. In fact, every year seems to fly by faster than the one before. I guess that's what happens as we get older. I'm 35 now. I was thinking the other day about when I went off to university. Unbelievably, that was almost half my lifetime ago. I digress.

We just had our choir's Christmas concert two weeks ago. It went well and got standing ovations both nights. We did some really nice music; all Canadian composed or arranged, and almost all of it was holiday-themed. Laura and I went to the choir's after-party for some eats and drinks. All the choir members are interested in seeing who I am with. I think being the youngest choir member makes me somewhat of a novelty item, and that extends to Laura when she joins me at these sorts of events. I was happy to have her there. I'm always so-so on social events like this, even if I do a pretty good job of saying hello and talking to most people there.

Back in October, Laura and I had some engagement photos done. We recently got the photos back from the photographs. A few good ones in there. The engagement photo session was a relatively inexpensive add-on to our wedding photo package, so we said what the heck. Here is one taken that day. Laura has been wanting to have a movie-themed wedding, so we brought some director's chairs with us, and got a few shots with them:

It's now only six months until the wedding. I remember proposing and we had 11. I wish we could say that more has been accomplished in that time, but we've both been busy, and I think we're starting to have more of an idea what things will look like now. So I see things progressing more swiftly as we move into the new year. So far, we have our location, an officiant, and a photographer booked, and are working hard on getting a DJ firmed up. But most importantly, we have a concept, which is where I think we were struggling for a while. We want something that is representative of both of us, and that's a challenge when two people have different interests and styles. But we're slowly finding that place in the middle that will make both of us happy. We'll find out in six months if it was a success.

What's new?

2011-08-27T12:43:00.000-04:00

I haven't been blogging in a while. I have just been focused elsewhere I suppose. But I thought now might be a good opportunity, as I'm currently sitting on the bed while Laura tries on every item in her closet and asks me to give it a "yay" or "nay." Paring down is never an easy thing to do. With Laura having moved in about three or four months ago now, she's finally settled into this place as her new "home."

Well in addition to having a new, full-time housemate, it is probably no news to anyone reading this that I am now engaged. It happened just over a month ago on our summer holiday seeing family in BC and Waterloo. So now we're in the early stages of wedding planning. (Yes, I've been here before.) So far, not too bad though. With the wedding planned for June 2012, we have already found a nice venue for the event, Stonebridge Golf and Country Club in the Barrhaven area, and we're close to picking a photographer and officiant for the day. So already some good progress. It's a bit strange for me to be doing all this wedding stuff for a second time, but it's her first of course, and I feel good about doing it. I'm starting something with a really special person who makes me very happy. If it was her second time, she would probably be content to have a small affair in a much more intimate setting, but it's not, and I don't want to deprive her of a wedding day in the way she wants. Besides, it's not going to be overly extravagant. Probably in the 80s in terms of headcount, and much less work this time. I'm ready to make quick decisions and just move on. I don't want wedding planning to consume my life. A wedding is one day. No overthinking required.

Speaking of weddings, we have three more this fall that we have been invited to. It's strange to have three in a period of two months when I've only been to one in the past four years!

We have tomatoes growing like crazy right now. I planted about nine plants in the spring and I think we're going to get 70-80 tomatoes at least. It's nice to see all that come out of the backyard. And next to no work involved!

Laura has just finished an "Internal Medicine" rotation in her school program at the hospital. She was doing lots of overnight shifts and working over 100 hours a week on more than one occasion. This is her first weekend off in a while so we're taking advantage of it to relax and enjoy ourselves, and catch up on a few things that have been ignored for a while. I'm just off to go pick up a new pair of running shoes. Anyway, off to get this day rolling!

Broadway and Baroque

2011-04-20T10:25:00.001-04:00

Laura and I have had another busy month of shows to take in at Ottawa's National Arts Centre. Man, does it ever pay to know someone who can get tickets so cheap!

Earlier this month, we saw Broadway's Leading Men, which was essentially just that! There were three men, all of whom had come up to Ottawa from New York to put on one great show. There was also a young boy, who is currently the lead in the Broadway performance of Billy Elliot, and he did a few numbers, along with a woman, who sang a few duets with the men. Lots of well-known music from some of Broadway's greatest musicals.

Last week, we took in Vivaldi's Four Seasons. The first half was actually a Brahm's piece that was pretty good too. For the Vivaldi, though, while I had heard snippets in the past, I had never heard the entire work from start to finish. I thought it was just four movements. In fact, it was four parts - three movements each! So needless to say, it was longer than I thought. But still a nice evening. I think Laura and I only closed our eyes for a couple minutes in the second half!

One little bonus that I treat myself to when we go to the NAC is an Orangina. If you don't know what this is, it's a carbonated orange drink, and quite refreshing at that. Laura doesn't love it as much as I do, but she is happy to share it with me at intermission.

Not sure what's up next for shows, but there is a Judy Garland tribute as well as some Rachmaninov that look interesting! Stay tuned!

Another reno in the books

2011-03-05T11:34:00.002-05:00

Well, these projects always take a little longer than expected, but I am happy to say that another reno is in the books! My master bathroom took me about four months, but I came in around what I was planning in terms of cost: $2200. Not too bad for doing it myself (with a little help!). Thank you to my now-expert tiler. Oh, and also helping with paint colours, picking out fixtures, etc....

Here are some before and after shots.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Exam

2011-01-31T21:12:00.000-05:00

Two blogs ago, I mentioned that after Christmas holidays I wrote an exam for a manager-level job. Though I knew before Christmas that the exam was a few weeks away, I didn't really want to spend my holidays studying, and I took a calculated risk that I would be able to put something together in the two or three days I would have upon my return.

It seems that effort paid off. I got an e-mail this week that I passed the exam. This means I'm one step closer, and all that really remains is an interview. The interview should take place over the next few weeks, and then I should hear sometime in the spring if I qualify or not. We'll see how things turn out!

More great shows!

2011-01-19T18:26:00.001-05:00

Since seeing the opera Turandot a few months ago, Laura and I have taken advantage of further shows at the National Arts Centre. And for just $12, how could we not!?

First on December 4, we took in the Nutcracker, performed by the Alberta Ballet Company. I had only seen the Nutcracker once, and it was when I was probably about 11 or 12. Of course I knew all the music, but it was fun to see the full-length show again, and performed at a high calibre.

Next, we went to one of Laura's choices: The Music of Motown, performed by the group Spectrum. It was an entertaining evening. Laura knew every song. She just loves that Motown. She also liked when Spectrum made every man in the audience sing "My Girl" to his partner. Now I know what all that choir was for!

Last week, we checked out Canadian Brass! This group is a brass quintet which travels around and plays with local orchestras. Prior to the group's entry, the orchestra played a 10-minute West Side Story medley. Laura has never seen that show, but recognized most of the music. It's one of my favourites, so it was a great way to start the night. Canadian Brass! then entered and played a good variety of music, including a few with a New Orleans flavour. Good toe-tappin stuff.

Tomorrow night we're off to see Dvorak's New World Symphony and other works. I don't actually know the New World Symphony that well, but I know it's a famous piece of music, so it's a good opportunity to check it out! Another piece we'll hear is Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture. I remember studying this; it's quite nice. And we'll also hear a violin concerto. This concert was originally more my suggestion, but I had forgotten about it, and Laura reminded me, saying that she was interested in seeing it, since "she's likes to be cultured!" She said it!

Lots going on, where to begin?

2011-01-19T18:01:00.000-05:00

Well, after a hiatus I am back. A busy Christmas saw me divide my time between Waterloo, Ontario where I spent some time with Laura's family, and Duncan, BC where I surprised my own family with a last minute visit. It was great to see everyone and especially meet my new niece. All in all, a whirlwhind two weeks of living out of a suitcase

Upon my return, I wrote an exam for a manager-level job. Still to follow would be an interview, but even if I get the opportunity, I will have to assess whether or not I really want this job right now. I like the life I have now, and I'm not sure the extra work and stress is worth the marginal increase in salary. We'll see.

I've also jumped back into working on my bathroom, and there's finally some visible progress. Laura helped me do some tiling, and while I still have to grout everything, here is what is looks like as of today.

Cue the next project!

2010-11-07T17:50:00.005-05:00

As pleasant as it has been to have a break from the various house projects that seem to always occupy me, the most recent being the hardwood floors followed by the my backyard deck and fence, I have started yet another. And this will be a new challenge. A complete bathroom makeover. This weekend was the gut-job. As you can see, all that remains is a tub full of tile debris. Laura felt like getting her hands dirty, so she swiftly picked up a hammer and joined me in the demolition. The room smells a little of pee and there is some mouldy growth in a corner next to the tub, but nothing that can't be addressed by the modest handyman skills of yours truly!

An interesting find in shower walls -- a circa 1982 Pepsi-cola can. (Shown sitting on tub at right.)

All Hallows' Eve!!!

2010-10-31T19:31:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning to the first snowfall! So not the typical Hallowe'en, but I guess it's a sign of things to come. The good news is that it had mostly melted off by the afternoon, and also helped to spur me to action in cleaning out the rest of my garage so that I could once again park my car inside.

Laura was at the hospital last night for a 4-12 shift, and came out here this morning. We ran a couple errands, and then she did some schoolwork while I took care of some housework, and garage cleaning as previously mentioned. Then this afternoon we carved pumpkins and made spring rolls for dinner. Those things are just mouth-watering. I'm actually writing this about an hour after gorging myself, and my salivary glands are acting up all over again!

We set up the front door with my usual skulls around the door, and tea light pumpkins lining the driveway, but Laura had brought over some spiders and cobwebs to jazz things up a little. Here's her in action.

The pumpkin carving was a lot of fun too. My pumpkin featured a crazy looking face with the letters "H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N" for teeth, while Laura did more of a smily face with big teeth. I took some pictures of them, which don't do them justice, but you get the general idea.

We enjoyed answering the door for the kids later on as well. I put on a troll's mask (though it's Laura in the picture below) and answered the door first, grunting, and saying "candy?... candy?" Then Laura would tell me to "Get back to my cage" before handing the youngsters their loot.

We're finishing the evening with a movie, a thriller called "1408." Not a genre I would typically watch, but we're sticking with a theme here, and after all, All Hallows' Eve comes but once a year! Muah ha ha ha ha...

Dear Uncle Gerry

2010-09-27T19:23:00.002-04:00

It's been a few weeks since you left us, and I felt I should send along a message to pass on my regards. I'm sad that you're gone. I wish you hadn't have gone so soon, but I guess that's how it is sometimes.

I have memories of being perhaps only seven or eight, and taking trips up to Vernon, and you would come over to Grandma's to visit. You were always in a good mood. You had a way of being completely serious in one moment, and laughing the next. I don't know why, but as a kid, I remember wishing that that was a quality I had.

I remember when Corey and I went to Vernon for a visit once and got addicted to Grandma's soap operas. You would come over at lunch time and eat, then fall asleep. Grandma told us not to make noise while you were sleeping. I just thought it was weird that you were sleeping at lunch time.

I remember when I saw you for the first time in Mexico and you had recently shaved your head. I thought it suited you. You might recall that we had a good chat out on the balcony as the sun was setting.

I wish you had taken better care of yourself. I think you would have been around a lot longer. I won't hold it against you, because I'm sure you would have done better if you'd known, or been able to change it. I'm trying to do the best I can so that I live a long and enjoyable life.

I wish you and Quinn hadn't fallen out of touch. He was family, and he should have come first. But even if you didn't stay as close with him, I hope you were able to take some good memories from your time with him. I will make an effort to stay in touch with him.

I remember a message you sent me once that hurt my feelings. I don't think you meant it that way, but at the time, it was a bit upsetting. I remember a few times you tried phoning me on skype after that, probably just to say hello, but I was still a bit angry about that situation, so I chose not to chat with you. I think now you were just trying to give me advice and were doing so the best way you knew. I have since forgiven you for that.

I remember the last time we talked. My parents had told me you were seeking treatment for your health problems, and when you called me on skype, I answered. We chatted for an hour or so. It was a good chat. You were the same person I remember from my childhood. Serious one moment and joking the next.

What I would give to have another chat with you now, Uncle Gerry. I will think of you from time to time. I will remember you.

Reagan

Turandot

2010-09-12T08:08:00.006-04:00

One of the perks of being with someone who is still technically a student, and yes there are a few, seems to fall right into my line of interest. Inexpensive tickets to amazing events at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

The other day, I received some promotional material in the mail for Opera Lyra, Ottawa's opera company, informing me of its upcoming season. Up first: Turandot, one of Puccini's great works, featuring probably the most well-known aria of all time: Nessun Dorma. Out of curiosity, I looked up ticket prices, and discovered that they started out at the rock-bottom rate of $76. (Admittedly, this is reasonable, and the venue at the NAC is great.) But I asked Laura first if she had any interest in seeing an opera sometime, and second if she had heard of "Live Rush!" Her answers were "yes" and "no", respectively. "Live Rush!" is a program offered by many major box offices across Canada whereby students can purchase last minute tickets for mind-bogglingly low prices. Laura and I found the "Live Rush!" website, and sure enough Opera Lyra tickets were available. So the two of us managed to get tickets for last night's Turandot for just $17 each, taxes and fees included. Richard Margison, one of Canada great tenor voices, played the part of Calaf, and sung Nessun Dorma. But that was just one of the highlights of this spectacular show. Turandot is set in China, and the opera featured great costumes combined with well-designed sets, and Margison, along with the supporting voices and chorus really brought the show to life.

Laura enjoyed her first opera experience, and we both agreed that we would be sure to take advantage of other upcoming events through "Live Rush!"

When push comes to shove

2010-03-26T10:37:00.001-04:00

By nature, I am a non-confrontational person. I am accommodating in most situations, for the simple reason that I prefer harmony in my life, to discord. That is not to say that I will simply roll over when push comes to shove, but I have found that there is often a way for one to tactfully get what he or she wants, without bullying, antagonizing, or intimidating.

This week was probably one of the most challenging of my work career. For this week and next, I was asked to act in the manager's position while he was away, a position I have filled in for several times in the past in a previous job. My work environment has a very interesting dynamic. My small team of six people are colocated with a larger client group numbering about 40, to which we provide services. The manager (or project manager) of that team is a typical alpha-male type, who runs a tight ship and is also a highly knowledgeable man. His approach and management style is very different from mine, but admirable to me in many ways, since many of his qualities are ones that I wish came to me naturally. And through my own hard work, I have become equally respected by him, and seen to be one of the strong points within my team.

So this week, I was asked to attend a weekly management meeting, a meeting attended by seven members of our client, (and chaired by the project manager of that team himself,) and the manager of our team, who in this week's case was me. What I was surprised to see very quickly into this meeting, that the purpose seemed less about getting updates from around the table and sharing information, and more about pressuring and intimidating the representative of my team, (which was easy given the lopsidedness in numbers,) and this was being doled out almost entirely from the person I respected most, the project manager. For two hours I sat in my chair, pummelled with questions posed with antagonism. I first tried to give forthcoming responses, but found that each response was followed by another disrespectful question or remark. I felt my efforts were hopeless, and the only thing I could do at that point was limit the damage. My usually positive self, known to most in the room, began changing. In defence mode, I shelled up. I answered questions in two or three-word sound bites, and repeated these sound bites when pressured further. "Where is this?" I was asked. "We're working on it," I responded. "Okay, but when will we see it? Give us a date." "We're working on it," I repeated. I could see some in the room squirming with discomfort as they witnessed for the first time in a public setting someone not crumbling to the demands of their leader. But then, their leader was not my leader, so I was in a unique position. Still, there was fear within me. Fear of the embarrassment I would face if I was not able to maintain composure. Fear that I would fall out of favour with the project manager and his team. Despite all this, however, I did not break.

At the end of the meeting, I felt I had one thing I simply had to do. I had to confront the project manager one-on-one. I asked him to stay following the meeting so that I could have a few words with him. And then, I said all those things that we always wish we had have said to someone following an experience like that. I told him how I had felt unjustifiably belittled and embarrassed for two hours straight, and I would tolerate it no longer. I told him how (given the degree of respect I had had for him,) I was extremely disappointed in his behaviour. I told him that the intimidation had to stop. I told him that I had lost respect for him, and that it would take a lot of work on his part to regain that respect. (Bear in mind, this is someone who outranks me significantly, so to hear such remarks from a "junior" employee would almost certainly never have been anticipated on his part.) I'm not sure he really knew how to respond to all this. He seemed to be a bit shocked. I suppose it's possible that no one has said something like this to him before. Though, while my words seemed to be having an impact, at times I felt I appeared weak. Occasionally I could feel myself trembling, and even felt some emotion coming to the surface as I admitted to the pain I felt as a result of the experience. I did what I could to contain all of that, but it was likely still visible to him. I felt however, that it was okay, since my fear and emotion could only have reinforced my honesty.

Ultimately, he, in his position, could not lose face with me, and maintained his composure. He never admitted that his behaviour was inappropriate, (though another person who was in the room has since shared with me that she thought it was simply "childish".) I think I would have liked an apology, and while I didn't get one, he did say he would reflect on my words. And while since the event I have at times questioned how I may have been perceived by what took place that day, I can live with this since I stayed true to myself and stood up for who I am.

100 years

2010-02-18T10:48:00.005-05:00

On the occasional weekend, I have been getting together with my friend, Andy, to play music (a.k.a. "jam") where he plays accoustic guitar, I play electric keyboard, and we take turns signing. These little sessions are not much more than playing around, since we're not exactly concert-ready performers, but they are fun occasions to hang out and do something each of us enjoys.

Last Saturday, we had one such event, and I brought with me the music and lyrics to a song by the band, "Five for Fighting." For those of you who are not familiar with this band, it is a rock/pop band centred around the artist John Ondrasick. Ondrasick typically plays the piano and sings in his songs, and boasts a few quality tunes which are not too difficult to play and quite pleasing to the ear. One such song is "100 years."

Originally, I went looking for the music and lyrics just because I thought it would be a good song for our jam session. However, as we were playing it, the lyrics started to really speak to me. They talk about the wonder and innocence of being 15 years old, and how at that age, we have our whole lives ahead of us - "time to buy and time to lose." How true those words are. As a 15 year-old, I saw the life ahead of me full of immense possibility and so much time to achieve all of my dreams.

The song goes on to muse on the excitement of love at 22, how family life has crept up by 33, and living though a mid-life crisis at 45. Whether or not this timeline is reflective of mine or yours, it does speak to the passage of time, and how the years can fly by so quickly.

I have often found myself thinking, "I can't wait for this week to be over..." I have even wished I could fast-forward my life by a year or two, on more than one occasion. But why? Is life so bad that we are better off just closing our eyes in hopes to wake up when times are better? At 33, I am a third of the way to 100. All those years are now behind me, and I will only relive them through memories and photographs.

I wish I could be that 15 year-old again. So much possibility, accompanied by naivety to the challenges that life will ultimately bring. But now, at 33, I can see that each chapter of one's life is its own adventure, an encapsulated span of time in which we face the highs and lows of life that make us the people we are. And I will choose to live each chapter with my eyes open. Because life is too short to live only for the highlight moments. Because life is full of possibilities at any age. Because these 100 years are ours only once.

A Choral Experience

2010-01-28T10:40:00.004-05:00

One of the greatest gifts I have been able to afford myself is that of music. While many who know me would think I am referring to my experience in learning piano, I allude to not only that, but also several other valuable experiences and learning in which I participated. In particular, three years in a junior high school band, playing the baritone, oboe, and bassoon, as well as a year in a community orchestra as a bassoonist. I even played in the orchestra pit for my high school's production of "Oliver!" Certainly, my years of piano represent the greatest of all my achievements in music, and I have now been able to carry that on to teaching children, and playing for myself as a pastime. Not to be forgotten are some courses in music history that I undertook by correspondence. These, while offering little in terms of practical music knowledge per se, did provide a valuable learning experience by opening me up to the origins of music, its historical development, and the people who pioneered it. So, putting all of these experiences together, it is no wonder that music has a very important and special place in my life, and will remain so.

As a young boy, my parents exposed me to a variety of cultural and music events: the symphony orchestra, the ballet, musicals, for example. One experience, however, was particularly memorable. I was perhaps 10 years old. A young women's choir from Estonia was travelling through my area and doing performances. As a way of mitigating its costs, the choir was billeting with families along the way. My family offered to take in two of these girls. An interesting backdrop to this experience was that, at the time, Estonia was still a Soviet satellite, and I recall the girls telling us how there was someone from "the Party" who was accompanying them. Not that this had a whole lot to do with the music itself, but interesting to think about nonetheless.

The concert for me was a first in hearing choral singing. I wish I could say I remember more of it; what they sung, and how it sounded. Alas, I was just 10 years old, and probably more focused on trying to spot our billets among all the other young women. But I did take away something from the music. I remember being impressed, and wishing I could do something like that.

Fast-forward 23 years. I was sitting at home one day recently watching t.v. when a program came on in which there was choral singing, and I found myself humming along and wishing once again I could be a part of a group like that. I started poking around on the internet and uncovered a panoply of choirs in Ottawa, for all kinds of different age groups and singing styles. At first I was hesitant to pursue this further, because I have no formal training in voice, and was not looking to embarrass myself in an audition. But I came across a choir in my area, "Coro Vivo", and I figured I would just put out a feeler, and see where it led. A woman from Coro Vivo invited me to come see the choir's upcoming Christmas concert, and find her afterwards to chat. I took her up on the invitation, and was duly impressed. Her enthusiasm in my interest left me with no choice but to audition, which, in the end, was little more than "la la-ing" with the choir director. He gave me full assurance I would fit right in, and asked me to join immediately.

I've been to five rehearsals now, and I can honestly say that there is nothing like it. I am one of about 65 voices, singing four-part harmony. The choir director, a young Cuban in his 20s is engaging and positive, and is teaching all of us a great deal. Having a Hispanic background, he has us signing two pieces by José Ángel Lamas, a Venezuelan composer from the early 19th century. But by far the most challenging and inspring piece of music we are learning is Vivaldi's Gloria. Antonio Vivaldi, an 18th century Venetian composer, is probably best known for his "Four Seasons", but he was also a priest, and many of his works are very religiously based, such as the Gloria. I am by no means a religious person, but this music transcends religion with all its musical intricacies and inherent beauty. It is an incredible challenge to sing, which makes it all that much more worth working towards. Our performance is May 1, and I know it is going to be spectacular. And this time, I will not be sitting in the audience, taking in the experience. Rather, I will be one of the people sharing in its delivery, and perhaps touching some other young child out there, like I was at the age of 10.

The Law restored

2010-01-23T22:50:00.001-05:00

Well my friends, at long last, I have returned. It is time to breath life once again into the Law. It has been more than two years, but I finally decided to share with you my personal thoughts, feelings, and insights into the world.

This "renewal" of Newcomb's Law is, in a way reflective of a personal renewal for me. The last time I posted, I was married and in a very different place in my life. Obviously things have changed quite significantly since then. But it's not just "things" that I have changed; I have changed as well. And perhaps my writing will reflect that.

In the meantime, I invite you to check in from time to time and follow along with me as I muse on life's lessons and adventures.

Kitchen update

2007-05-18T10:58:00.000-04:00

It's been a few weeks since my last post, so I figured people might be wondering if the kitchen's looking any different. Well, progress with renos can be slow, but I guess we have accomplished a few things since the last photo you would have seen.

We primed and painted the kitchen and family room ceiling, so it now looks nice and finished, and the pot lights look great up there. I then built the island, although the drawer fronts that we got were not well finished so we're waiting for the cabinet manufacturer to send us some new ones at the moment. Still, the island looks pretty good there. We ordered our countertops, but they won't be here for at least four weeks (maybe more...) so, we've put a temporary top on the island (made of surplus cabinet parts!) just so we can use it as a work surface in the meantime. We also installed the new light fixture over the island, which looks good too.

We've also got all out appliances now; they're all sitting in the living room, except for the OTR (over-the-range) microwave, which I installed this morning.

Probably the job that I've done recently that I'm the most happy with is doing the pantry cabinets. When they came in the box, the parts were for two-feet deep cabinets. The space we have for them would only allow one-foot deep cabinets, and this manufacturer does not make pantries in that depth. So I had to cut them all down on the new table saw that we got from Phil and Carole at Christmas (which I just assembled a couple weeks ago!), and then I had to measure and drill all new holes to make sure they would got together properly. Pretty tricky job, but it worked out nicely.

Putting the pieces together

2007-04-29T21:03:00.000-04:00

Finally we can start turning this room back into a kitchen again! We spent a few hours on both Saturday and Sunday installing cabinets. One thing I've found out is how unlevel our floors are. I had to use shims under most of the base cabinets I installed. This house is only 20 years old, so I guess it doesn't take long for a house to settle an things to go a little off. But, fortunately there are ways to work around all that!

We've put the old countertop on as temporary fix until we have a new one. At least we have running water on the main floor though. We'll probably order the countertop this week, and then try and line up a plumber.

We also got the appliances delivered on Saturday. And is the fridge ever big. Wow. It's probably got twice the volume of our old one, and interestingly only uses 1/3 of the power! Guess we can call them "green" appliances!

Floors done

2007-04-23T20:28:00.000-04:00

The flooring guys were here three days last week and got all the flooring work done. The kitchen and hallways were retiled and the family room hardwood was sanded down and refinished. I think it all looks great.

Here's the kitchen as it looks now.

And here's the family room floor.

So now we're just sanding a few spots on the wall, and then we're ready to start installing the cabinets. Hard to believe that we're actually going to have a kitchen when this is all done. We're starting to get used to making meals in the dining room and washing dishes in the upstairs bathroom sink! We're are learning how important exercising patience in renovations really is.

Playoffs

2007-04-17T22:14:00.000-04:00

Thought I'd show you the lengths we took to make sure we could watch the playoffs while the floors are being installed/sanded.

I could get use to this TV setup...It's like being at the movies.

Christine

Gutted!

2007-04-14T15:27:00.000-04:00

There it is. What once was our kitchen is now nothing more than plywood and piping.

Rod came over this afternoon and helped us finish the demo and prep to get us ready for next week when it all starts going back together. The flooring guys are coming on Tuesday, and will probably be here for three or four days. They will lay all the tile on the main floor and refinish the hardwood floor in the family room. So next weekend we plan to start installing cabinets. Rod's offered to help with that too, which will be very much appreciated! Christine continued with the mudding today. We're going to do some sanding soon, but the walls are looking pretty smooth already.

Productive long weekend

2007-04-09T21:49:00.000-04:00

From a visual standpoint, it may not appear that much has changed since the previous photo, but actually a lot of work has taken place since then. That's what renos can be like sometimes! A lot of work, with very little visual rewards! But I think we're quite satisfied with what we accomplished these past four days.

We finished removing the floor tile on Saturday. That was a big relief. It's been a lot of work getting that tile up. And tiring work too. Just an hour of removing tile feels like a full day's work! After that I started rebuilding the corner post next to the fireplace, and building up the rest of the places that were exposed and would have to eventually be redrywalled. This took us up to the end of the day on Saturday. Then on Sunday and Monday, we drywalled everywhere necessary, including replacing the old drywall where the former backsplash tile was. I cut and installed the drywall, and Christine did the mudding. Here's me patching drywall holes.

On Sunday as well, Christine scraped the stucco ceiling in the family room. It's nice and smooth now, and will blend well with the kitchen ceiling when both are repainted. It was a dirty job. Here she is in action.

So here's how the kitchen looks now. Needless to say, we're both pretty tired. But it's coming along. We have this week to finish a few things up, and then the floor is installed next week (starting the 17th). Crazy to think that by the end of this month we should have at least a functional kitchen again! Can't wait!

April 7

2007-04-07T08:28:00.000-04:00

Just when you think spring has come...

I thought it was April...but I could be wrong.

Happy birthday to Corey who turns 29 today. I actually caught him on Skype last night when he was just waking up and was able to wish him happy birthday in person (well, sort of). I told him to "have a nice weekend" but since he is finished his teaching contract and not working, every day is like a weekend for him. Lucky guy.

Let there be light!

2007-04-06T19:09:00.000-04:00

Well at least partly. The electrician has been here for a couple days and installed pot lights in the family room. Very nice effect. (Ignore the dust!) I am very happy Christine convinced me to get on board with the pot lighting!

The kitchen is coming along very well too. The electrician has wired the kitchen for pot lights, but hasn't installed them yet. We took down the upper cabinets and removed the backsplash tile today. I'll have to re-drywall where the old tile came off because the wall is pretty damaged from the tile removal. That's on the agenda for tomorrow, as is hammering up the rest of the floor tile. Gotta love long weekends!

Open sesame

2007-04-01T09:08:00.000-04:00

The demo continues. Yesterday we took down the half wall next to the fireplace and the faux beam between the kitchen and family room. We had a structural engineer come in a week ago and tell us that there was nothing load-bearing here, so it was free to come down. And it makes a huge difference. There is much more light coming in the two rooms now, and it makes the two rooms seem more spacious. Here is the before (we had opened up the wall a little so the engineer could see what was inside, but you get the point):
And here is the after. Watch out for nails!
Today we're going to hopefully finish breaking that tile in the kitchen and scape the stucco ceiling in the family room. Never a dull moment!

Kitchen reno begins

2007-03-29T21:58:00.000-04:00

So this past weekend we started the kitchen reno, and man is it going to be a lot of work. We spent a few hours on Saturday, and much of Sunday breaking floor tile. The tile runs from the front door, down the hall and into the kitchen. I planned to finish breaking it on Sunday and would have, but around 3 p.m. I just collasped. I was so physically exhausted. First you have to hammer the tile and break it, then clear the broken tile from the floor, and finally use a floor scraper to remove the old morter. Here's a picture of me in full swing.
The good news is that the plywood under the tile is still in good condition. I was expecting to have to replace all of it, which would cost time and money, but fortunately, the person who tiled the old floor didn't do the best job, so the plywood is reusable. Here's a look at the hallway now.

Job interview

2007-02-13T20:55:00.000-05:00

Just had a job interview today, and it went very well I think. Currently I'm "acting" in a PG-05 position, but my acting term expires sometime in October, at which time I could possibly be dropped back down to my substantive PG-04 level, unless management offers to extend my acting term again. They likely would, but if I can qualify on a PG-05 competition, I will not have to worry about being an "acting" PG-05 anymore, which would be great.

Anyway, like I said, I think it went well. Prior to the interview, I wrote a 70 minute exam, which was not too difficult, but I was very tight on time, and I was racing. Finished though, just in the nick of time. After that, I was walked straight upstairs to the interview room, where I found four, count them, four, interviewers! I was a little shocked, but at the same time, walked in feeling pretty comfortable and ready to go. The interview was just three questions, and lasted about 30 minutes. I think I was pretty well received and would guess that I have a good chance of qualifying on this competition. They told me I wouldn't hear for a few months, because they have interviews running right through until April (over 100 people apparently), but I should know by summer. And, to add to that, if I qualify, I will be sent on French training, which I will definitely be taking advantage of! Pretty excited.

At home but no day to slack off

2007-01-08T09:20:00.000-05:00

Gotta love long weekends... If I had my way, every weekend would be a long weekend. Today is a day off for me which is great, but I have plenty keeping me busy. Today is the start of our window replacement. We're getting all new windows in the house plus a new 36" wide front door. We're pretty excited! The guys are here already and are ripping out three windows upstairs. Lots of noise and the odd "ostie" (French swear word).

Two other visits today. One, the hot water heater guy, has already been here. We were having trouble getting two hot showers out of our rental heater. The guy came in and knew exactly what needed to be fixed even before seeing the machine, so it was a quick repair job for him and he was gone in about half an hour. Hopefully both of us can enjoy a hot shower tomorrow!! The other guy coming today is from Sears and he's going to be fixing our elliptical machine. We paid $100 for three years service and maintenance, so it's time to cash in on that. The thing has been making noises and apparently just needs to have a few internal parts tightened and replaced. Guess it's getting a fair bit of use!!

In between all of this, I'm studying. I have a PG-05 exam next weekend. It's on online, open book exam, but I can't trust that just having my notes handy is going to be enough. Open book exams usually find some way to stump me in some way. So I'm cramming away, and slowly starting to retain things. One bonus is that the content I am studying is stuff I have studied before for other exams, so it's just refreshing really. Makes things a little easier.

Last little thing for you today. I recently built a workbench (with cushioned seat!) in my basement. It's very sturdy and functional with plenty of storage and shelving. It was kind of interesting how I built it. I had a basic design in my head, but no clear path. But as I started building it, it all just seemed to come together. A fun little project.

To early to decorate?

2006-11-07T21:48:00.000-05:00

I'm ready. I'm ready to deck my halls with boughs of holly. Is it to early? The malls are decorated, the stores are full of Christmas stock, and I have a new house to get creative with. Hopefully I can convince Reagan that it's perfectly fine to decorate for Christmas in November.

On other news, we are moving ahead on the house renovation. We have signed a contract to have all our windows and doors replaced at the beginning of January. It will be interesting to see if the energy efficiency of these new windows will be noticeable. I know the clean, new look with be noticeable, from both the outside and the inside. Our next big item on the to-do list is the kitchen. We've requested a few quotes for the cabinets and now we have to create a plan for the project. Our biggest dilemma is figuring out what to start with. That's a common theme for this house. Do we do the floors first, what if we remove a wall - how do we deal with the flooring transitions, etc. Thankfully we always see to figure it out...after a few arguments no doubt!

Mac has become our family pet. We fight to use him. I've become especially interested in itunes, and Reagan's enjoying all the different applications that Mac has as basic features.

I'll sign off with this picture of us at a Dictator and Ditzs theme Halloween Party.

Mac-y Mac-y and the Funky Bunch

2006-11-02T20:23:00.000-05:00

After much deliberation, Reagan and I finally bought a MacBook. We got it today, and I'm already reaping the benefits of a wireless laptop, and I'm starting to understand all the hype behind a Mac. This picture is a result of my first lesson with the Photo Booth.

Imminent déménagement

2006-09-10T09:25:00.000-04:00

Like my combination of our two official languages? Strangely, I like how it sounds too, with or without the French accent on word #2, which for my anglophone readers means "move."

Yes, we are moving, and soon. September 30 which is less than three weeks away. We are busy packing and so far, it is going quite well. Yesterday I packed and organized the garage, which I thought was going to take an entire day. I was quite happy when it was done just an hour or two later! I think Christine and are have done a good job over these past three years of completely removing clutter from our lives. If we don't need it, get rid of it!

The new house is a project house. It is about 20 years old, and needs beautifying in just about every room in the house. This is good, because it showed horribly and probably turned off most people, leading to a very reasonable price, and a wonderful opportunity for us! I must admit, there are several projects that are going to be costly, like renovating the kitchen, and replacing all the windows in the entire house; but these are things that Christine and I are eager to try and do (ourselves as much as possible). It's funny to think that not only can we save money doing things ourselves, but we also get pleasure, pride, and valuable experience in the process!

Sunday morning at the moment, and another day of packing awaits. And so does a fried egg, ham and cheese muffin made by Christine. Gotta go!

Back from "Beautiful British Columbia"

2006-08-03T22:18:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know, "Beautiful British Columbia" is what is writting on BC license plates. Like "Wild Rose Country" on Alberta plates, or "Je me souviens" (I remember) on Quebec plates - which I personally don't like because what exactly is it that they remember...? This is something I plan to investigate... If it is like, I remember my heritage, fine. But if it is like, I remember how the English beat us in the 1700s, and turned what should have been New France into the predominantly English-speaking country of Canada, I take issue with that.

Okay, enough with that.

The vacation! It was very nice. Christine and Josée and I spent some quality time together, and had an adventure or two, namely that our rental car was the victim of a hit-and-run, and we had no information on the getaway vehicle! Fortunately it only cost us $157 and half a day to fix. Not a huge issue in the grand scheme.

Our trip was two weeks - the first was spent driving from Calgary down to Vancouver, with stops along the way, and the second was at my parents' place in Duncan. Calgary was fun, we saw Rachel, a friend and bridesmaid from our wedding. The Rockies were more spectacular than I remember them to be. The Okanagan and the drive to Vancouver were hot, hot, hot. Got to see some family in Vernon which was nice. And then my friend and MC from the wedding, Tim, in Vancouver.

Vancouver Island was great too. Good to see all my family, and the weather had cooled off nicely by the time we got there. My parents had their indoor pool redone and it was filled while we were there. Had a little swim on the second-last day. 82°C. Nice.

Flew home last night, delayed an hour because of severe weather in Ottawa. Got off the plane to mugginess and rain. Better today though. This weekend we are off to Bon Echo, a campground about three hours southwest. Then back to work Tuesday. Ahh.... Well, the holiday was nice while it lasted!!

Surmonter la résistance

2006-07-16T06:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday may well have been one of the most difficult days I have had in a long time. It's a fact that I am an anglophone living in a bilingual environment. And it's also a fact that both my career and personal life, in many respects, depend on my willingness and ability to learn French.

This alone should be enough to inspire me to learn this language.

I have two other things going for me. I have gone through the experience of learning a second language before, Japanese, so I know what's involved; and I have the luxury of being married to someone who is bilingual and completely willing to help me.

So why might all this not be enough?

I think there are three things that contribute to an anglophone's difficulty in learning French in a city like Ottawa.
1. Laziness - I don't feel this is necessarily a problem for me, but it probably is for many people. There is certainly a lot of effort involved, and it's likely not something a lot of people are willing to invest.
2. Attitude of those who were raised bilingual or raised French and eventually became bilingual - This may be a generalizion, and is definitely not true for everyone, but it's something I have noticed in some people, and I have even heard one (bilingual) person say. It's the attitude that "everyone knows English, so just speak English." (ie. Don't waste my time trying to spit a few words out in French. Let's just make it easier on both of us and use a language we BOTH know.)
3. Fear of embarrassment and failure - Clearly this is what I suffer from, and is probably the stumbling block for most people. In Japan, I never found this to be a problem. The difference was that there, any foreigner who could speak even a few words in Japanese was lauded for their efforts, so there was inspiration to continue. Add to that the fact that most Japanese don't know a word of English, and it makes it more of a basic requirement to get around. Here, practically everyone who knows French knows English too, so a unilingual anglophone is something of an imbecile. So, when faced with looking foolish and feeling judged by your peers on the one hand (by trying to speak French), or at least sounding normal and comfortable in the language one is speaking (by sticking to speaking English), most people not surprisingly pick the latter.

So when I said yesterday was a difficult day, I meant it. It was the first practically full day that I have tried to speak French, and really limit my use of English. For the most part, it was a horribly frustrating experience. Christine deserves a lot of credit for putting up with me. I probably threw in the towel at least a dozen times. Surmonter la résistance to learning a second language is the greatest barrier of all. There's a voice in one's head that keeps saying, "You don't have to put yourself through this!"

But I haven't given up yet. Christine made a bet that if she and I keep speaking French together and I make efforts to speak French at work, I would see visible improvement within four months. I want to belive her. And what the heck, maybe it's worth a shot.

Silver wing holiday

2006-07-13T21:45:00.000-04:00

"I need a vacation...gotta get away...need to get me a Silver Wing holiday!"

You can't really tell by the way that's written but that was a jingle I remember hearing growing up. I guess for Silver Wing, it was a pretty successful one too, because I still remember it 15 years later!

Anyway, I actually do need a holiday. Christine was saying on the way home from work today how the summer is just flying by, and we haven't really done much. She's kind of right. We've both been busy with work, and wrapped up in things on the weekend, leaving very little free time. I remember the good ol' days when I was a kid and had summers off. Two months seemed like forever. I think I actually used to get bored with summers!?!! Weird. Now I worry about how I'm letting summer slip away! My mum used to make us think of a summer "project" that we could keep ourselves busy with. I always liked that idea. It gave me a goal and something to try and complete before summer was over. But I usually set my sights to high, and picked projects like "Build an airplane." Yeah, that one never got off the ground. Ba-dup-dup-chsh. There were a few summers when I did things though. I worked outside on our little hobby farm, usually raking, making $3.50 an hour from my dad. (Seemed pretty good back then.) Another year, I got sick (mono), and did a painting. Well, sort of. It was a paint-by-number. But it was a BIG paint-by-number, based on some famous painting. Turned out pretty cool.

But I really could use a holiday, and good thing I have one coming. Christine, Josée and I are going to Alberta and BC in a week. We're going to do a little road trip from Calgary, through the Rockies, and down to the coast. Should be a great time. We'll get to see some friends along the way, and then all of my family will be around when we get down to Vancouver Island. Can't wait!!

Time flies when you're busy as heck

2006-07-11T17:24:00.000-04:00

If you asked me the generic question, "What have you been up to recently," I would probably give you a blank stare while I searched my brain for a response, to which one might not come. I think I have been so busy these past few weeks, I find it hard to remember much of anything beyond one day in the past. That said, if you give me a minute, perhaps I can come up with something...

Okay, I think I've got some material.

Our friends Rod and Jen just moved this past weekend, and yes, we were recruited to help. The move itself wasn't bad. Hot, but done by lunchtime. (We started at 8:00 a.m.) But Christine wanted to stick around and help them unpack a few things and get some of their rooms set up. I complied. In the end, we didn't end up leaving until about 8:00 p.m. And I was done. Completely wiped. 12 hours of hard labour. Went home after that and watched a movie - The World's Fastest Indian, with Anthony Hopkins. ("Indian" refers to the brand of motorbike.) Good flick.

In the weeks leading up to the move, Christine and I had been spending a fair amount of time at Rod and Jen's, helping them refinish a used dining room set. They bought it a couple months ago, and were quite ambitious, wanting to finish it all before their move. And I think Christine and I can take some credit, because with the amount of work that was involved, I seriously doubt it would have been done without our help! Definitely a team effort, and it looks great in their new place.

The new job has been keeping me really busy too. I've had to work a fair amount of overtime, which I don't mind, since it's an unusually busy time of year, and I have my vacation coming up just around the corner. I'm enjoying it though, and still feel like it was a very good decision to have come back my old department. My new boss, Lyne, is great too, and keeps telling me how pleased she is with my work, having only been there a few weeks. Kind of nice to get the ol' pat on the back from time to time.

Oh, and Christine and I had a little date on Sunday. We went walking around Westboro for an hour or so, went to Chapters, then had lunch at Moxie's, and finally went and saw the new Pirates of the Carribbean. Nice day.

New job

2006-06-22T06:42:00.000-04:00

I started my new job last week. It's been a very smooth transition actually. Much easier than when I started at DND anyway. That was like learning how to read. A "from-the-ground-up" learning experience. Since I've now returned to PWGSC, albeit a different position, I have the luxury of having some pretty significant background and experience to rely on. It's funny, I've only been here a week, and already it seems like my job at DND is from some other life.

The work itself seems interesting. I will be managing the Hotel and Car Rental Directory program for the government for the next few months. Apparently another new person, who is currently non-government and has been working in the hotel industry, is coming in to do this job in the near future, so I will manage it until she starts. After that, I will take on the job of managing airline agreements, which my boss is currently looking after.

I am lucky enough to have a window office. Not the best view in the world, but it's not too bad, and lets in a lot of natural light, which I like. I also (finally) have a flat-screen monitor! Yay! I have been wanting one for a while! I also have some staff. It looks like three people presently. Everyone here is quite nice, for the most part. I like my boss. She's late 30s, quite determined. I like her. And I think she really believes in my potential. She's also helping me with my French. At least, she's speaking to me in French. I got myself a little black notebook to take notes of words I don't know. She's offered to send me on part-time training, which I will probaly look into for the fall.

Anyway, so far, so good. Looks like I made a good decision in coming here.

Father's Day weekend

2006-06-22T06:41:00.000-04:00

Had a great time this past weekend in Cornwall with family. Adam and Josée were both home which was nice. It's great when everyone's around. I think Phil and Carole really appreciate it too. We all spent Saturday afternoon putting together Phil and Carole's new gazebo from Cosco. Had a few hiccups, but it eventually got done, and I think it looks great. Grams Charlebois came over later and we all had dinner outside; barbecued pork tenderloin, sausages, etc. Tasty… Oh and Christine had made a chocolate-oatmeal cake. It was heavy and delicious! Reminded me a lot of my Grandma's chocolate cake. Had a couple pieces. Mmm…

The next morning, Phil, Josée, Adam, Christine and I went golfing. It was the first time out this year for Christine and me, so quite rusty, but it was still a lot of fun. I had a few great shots, and of course a few pretty ugly ones. I expect I will improve over the summer somewhat. I'm playing with new clubs, and also taking a few lessons this year, so I'm having to make some adjustments to how I've been playing, but hopefully I will seem some positive changes down the road.

My allergies were bothering my a fair bit on the golf course, and it was deadly hot, but it was just nice to get out there, and again be with the family. Josée was recovering from a night of partying and drove the cart most of the time. Adam played some great golf; I think he shot a 92. Very impressive. Phil had a sore shoulder, but didn't complain. He looked like he was enjoying himself. Christine struggled for a while, but I started seeing some real improvement towards the end, even though she was tired.

After golf we went over to Grams' place for the Father's Day lunch with the Charlebois family. Everyone looked good. Some people had quite a bit of colour (ie. tan) and made fun of my white skin. I guess I need to get a little more sun. I ate lunch, and shortly after that, I got super tired and a little headachy. I think I had a little dehydration and perhaps heat stroke from golf. I passed out in a bedroom upstairs for an hour. We headed home shortly after that and Christine slept the whole way home, so I guess we were both wiped. All in all though, a nice weekend, and a nice family visit.

Just a few more days, and looking forward to it

2006-06-08T11:49:00.000-04:00

So I am still waiting for the official paperwork, but my new job is all but an inevitability at this point. I should be receiving something sometime next week which will finalize my transfer from DND back to PWGSC.

And not that things are bad where I am now, but I'm really sensing some jealousy from some people. I guess, to a degree, rightly so. Many of those working at my current level have been working their butts for years and have certainly "done their time" to get where they are. But then along comes me. I come in to the government as a 25 year-old, and five years later I'm blowing by them.

Is it luck on my part? Partly. I entered the government at a time when a huge proportion of people were set to retire, meaning my climb in the government could easily be fast. But I was also fortunate to start in a training program which allowed me to move around in my old department several times, and make some very good contacts along the way. One of those contacts is the person who's offering me this acting promotion.

But I am sensing a lot of hidden jealousy from my DND colleagues. The mentality of this department, which is not nearly as apparent at Public Works, is that "experience" is the most important thing in an employee's skillset. Along with some of my other younger colleagues, I regularly am referred to as having limited skills, since I haven't "done the circuit" in my section. But the people who are saying this are the same people who have a maximum typing speed of 10 wpm, and have a filing system that looks like a paper recycling depot. Not to mention the fact that they take extended lunches and multiple coffee breaks on a daily basis. Then there's the majority of young people I work with, who are still less than 10 years out of university, but have a serious work ethic, have the ability to work through complex problems, are highly adept at using computers, and work hard day in and day out. But oh no...we don'thave the experience yet... It's frustrating to have to deal with, but the luxury we have is that the system actually "favours" us.

The promotional system, or "competition" system as its called, is typically based on four components: application (resume) screening, then an exam, an interview, and finally reference checks. For us, as long as we can get "screened in," we have a decent chance. We are usually better at writing exams than older folks, simply because we've had plenty of recent experience doing that. In interviews, we are also stronger on average. We've had a lot of oral presentation experience in our university years, and this benefits us. And the reference checks usually pan out well too. Most of us, as I've said, are workhorses, and always willing and interested to take on new work and new challenges, and managers love this. And thus, we receive favourable reviews there.

I think that our older colleagues know all this, and it irritates them. But in the end, the system is set up to let the most qualified people advance, and the direction the government is going is to see that those "qualified" people are hard-working, educated, and can think outside the box. And so far, I can't say that I have dealt with anything that I felt was really over my head or would completely intimidate me. And that's probably why I'm in the position I'm in.

While I actually really enjoy my current job at DND, I am looking forward to going back to PWGSC, where I won't have to listen to nearly as much superiority complex nonsence from my colleagues, and where plenty of new challenges and opportunities await me.

Terrorist threats in Canada

2006-06-05T08:38:00.000-04:00

I'm probably not alone when I say that I am angered to hear about the potential for terrorist threats in Canada, following the arrests this past weekend. It's not like I have been niave to think this even existed in our country, but whenever it is front and centre in the news, it tends to hit a person at an emotional level.

I once read an article about the ways in which culture is created and sustained. Historically, cultures changed across landscapes through war. A dominant society would invade a weaker one. The weaker one would collapse, and then be assimilated into the stronger one. The culture of the dominant society would prevail, with perhaps having residual traits of the weaker society.

Generally, this principle still exists today. Take a look at even our own country. British and French colonists landed here a few hundred years ago, and all but wiped out the aboriginal cultures that existed here for thousands of years before. What is left of those people, today's "First Nations" as they are called, are what is left of that process. As they were the weaker society at the time of colonization, they have been forced to assimilate into today's Canadian society, and for the most part, have done this.

Today's issue relating to terrorism in Canada is immigration. Canada is welcoming about 300,000 immigrants to this country per year. The main reason behind this is to sustain economic growth and competitiveness. As the baby boomers get closer to retirement, Canada loses manpower and skilled labour. But the problem with inviting 300,000 to the country per year is twofold. First, the screening process suffers, because it is impossible to evaluate detailed histories of each and every person to immigrates to Canada. Second, with such large numbers entering such a liberalized country, it is much easier to immigrate to Canada, and maintain one's previous culture, as opposed to assimilate. In most cases, most Canadians see no real issue with this. One example of a well-sustained culture is Richmond, BC, which is populated by a vast number of Cantonese (Hong Kong) immigrants. I remember going to a Tim Hortons in Richmond with Christine a few years ago, and strangely we were the only caucasian people there. Even the employees were all of asian decent. And I think the only time we heard English spoken while we were there was when our orders were taken. I admit that I experienced some culture shock that day, but it was nothing that really made me uncomfortable. It was just surprising. Just because it reminded me of when I had lived in Asia, and the experience was in many ways, indistinguishable. But this all points to the fact that "assimilation" is not taking place in the past as it used to, where weaker societies were conquered. Now, the less dominant (ie. formerly weaker) cultures are invited, and welcome to maintain their culture as they wish.

For the most part, maintaining one's culture in Canada poses no direct threat to the rest of Canada's citizens. The limit of the impact of this is that it makes it more open to different language, religious, and cultural backgrounds. And this is just the natural progression Canadian society is taking. But the downside is that there are a few that do wish harm upon us, and are able to take advantage of our relatively open society, with limited barriers to entry.

I was happy to hear that any potential terrorist attacks in Canada have been averted by these recent arrests, but it doesn't mean that the threat of attacks in this country has been eliminated. I personally enjoy the openness of our society, but not at the cost of harm coming to my fellow citizens. At least for the present time, while threats exist, screening needs to be stronger, and if that comes at the cost of fewer immigrants coming to Canada, so be it. And for all those who are against racial profiling, consider the possibility of terrorist attacks in Canada. Does it not make sense to focus more of our limited resources where threats exist, at least as long the trend is to invite such a large number of immigrants on an annual basis? Some might call this discrimination, but the alternative is a relaxed screening process for everyone, where potential threats can slip through the cracks. No solution is perfect, but then again, neither is the world we live in.

Karma

2006-05-31T11:01:00.000-04:00

I was driving to work this morning, and I will admit I was in a bit of a pissy mood. It was garbage day, and in picking up one of the bags of compost waste right before we left, the bottom of the double paper bag fell out. It had moistened with the waste inside and “rip.” So I look at my watch and realize we’re already late, and now I have to clean this up to get it out the curb, and we’re also temporarily driving a coworker of mine to work, and the fact we’re going to be late in picking him up too is in the back of my mind. So yes, I was little on edge.

We picked up my coworker and Christine told me to “snap out of it and get in a better mood.” Sometimes this will do it, and today it did. We’re driving along and I pull into a left turn lane at a light. As I’m pulling up behind the car ahead of me, I see another car to my right has its signal on and wants to pull in the left-turn lane too. So, I gently tap on my horn in a friendly way to tell the driver, “Go ahead.”

Then someone made the comment that I must not be in a bad mood now, since I was kind enough to let someone in. My response was, “Yeah, I need some good karma.”

But to hear myself say these words struck me as strange. And I realized what I mean to say was, “Maybe it will bring me good karma.” So I sort of corrected myself, and forgot about it soon after. But that moment of confusion has given me something to write about today.

Even though I used the word, I am personally not a believer in “karma,” as it most truthfully meant in Indian culture, where the belief is that cause and effect are so intertwined when it comes to a person’s actions and deeds. But the greater philosophy of treating others as one would like to be treated is something I do believe in, even when it comes to doing things for complete strangers. Society and culture is shaped around the beliefs and values of its people. When one person is treated with kindness, I believe it inspires that person to be kind to someone else, and so on, and so on. I think we're very fortunate that we live in a society that this is relatively commonplace. It's a testament to the success we've had in our growth as a nation over the last 130 years as well. It's not hard to find places in the world where people don't respect their neigbours, and even wish harm on them. Makes me feel thankful for having the luxury to live where I do.

New job on the horizon?

2006-05-24T09:42:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe. I have received a verbal offer of an Acting PG-05 position back at Public Works. I have been at DND as a PG-04 since I was successful on this dept's PG-04 competition 20 months ago. So this would be a promotion of sorts, though it would only be temporary. I would have to be successful on the next PG-05 competition that Public Works, or they would likely reduce me back down to a PG-04. A couple bonuses of this position though - it's in downtown Ottawa, only two blocks from where Christine works; I would be able to get some management experience, which is a big plus for the PG-05 level; and they have offered to put me on part-time language training. The drawbacks are I lose my free parking and would now have bus; I lose my free access to my dept's gym..., and I lose the opportunity to get the full-time language training that would be coming to me at some point in the future, though when, I do not know.

So these are the things I've been balancing for the past few weeks. I'm just trying to get a few last things hammered out with my new prospective boss at PW, but once that's done, I should be sitting in a new desk as of June 12. Wow, that's not far off!

Yardwork, lovin' it

2006-05-23T08:49:00.000-04:00

We decided with the weather finally letting up (at least for the most part) we'd get out and do some yardwork on this past long weekend. And I think we got a good start. Christine planted some little plants around our front yard tree, and laid river rocks there as well. Looks great.

After three years of trying to resuscitate my lawn, I finally gave up. It seems each year, despite more effort than the year before, the grass gradually gets worse. BUT, we did uncover the problem, and have a solution in the works. We have grubs (Merrium-Webster dict. 1 : a soft thick wormlike larva of an insect). These little guys feed off of the grass roots and prevent the grass from growing properly. Anyway, I have dug up about half of the grass in the front yard, and will lay sod and then treat the yard for grubs (searching out non-chemical solutions at the moment). But this might finally be the end to my lawn tribulations.

Lastly, we planted a tree! Just a simple deciduous for the backyard. It's tiny, so it's more for the future than the present, but it will still be a nice touch for some future owner, along with the back patio we had done last fall. Christine's done some weeding in the backyard too, so it's starting to look a lot better all around.

One unfortunate happenstance. Some mangy canine left a gift in our backyard, which I of course stepped in. Nothing like fresh dogshit on your shoe.

October Sky

2006-05-08T14:41:00.000-04:00

Have you ever seen this movie? October Sky was on t.v. on the weekend. I have seen it a couple times before, and it is a great movie. The main character is played by Jake Gyllenhaal, long before he would ever be known as one of the two cowboys in Brokeback Mountain. October Sky is based on the true story of Homer Hickam, who, after seeing Sputnick fly across the night sky, is inspired to build rockets. It is set back in the 50s, and follows Homer and his three friends, as they build rockets, face the challenges of family life, deal with the social awkwardness of being teenagers, and eventually make names for themselves in their small town. It's one of the few movies that brings a tear to my eye every time I watch it. Worth seeing!

Stood up for...golf

2006-05-08T12:48:00.000-04:00

I don't think I've actually been stood up for anything in a long time, but this weekend, I was.

I was invited to go golfing east of Orleans, about a 25-minute drive from my place. My friend (person A) had offered to drive. We had been invited by a friend of his / acquaintance of mine (person B), and a fourth person (person C), a friend of "B" was also coming apparently.

It was an early morning tee-off (Sunday 7:42 a.m.), so "A" said he would pick me up around 6:55. This worked out well because Christine needed the car that day. Anyway, "A" calls at 6:20 and says sorry, but he is sick with gastric issues, and can't make it. Unexpected, and disappointing, but what could I do? So Christine was now out of a car, and I was driving myself. I told her while she was still sort of sleeping, and she didn't seem to mind. Not sure how much she really heard though.

Left the house, and realized I was running a little late. So I sped there, and got there two minutes before tee-time. Ran to the pro-shop to pay, and was told to relax, because they were 30 minutes behind due to frost. So I hung around and looked at golf balls in the pro-shop.

But then things started to get weird. 20 minutes went by and the other two guys had not shown up. I didn't have a cell number for "B" so I couldn't call him. I just had to wait. Then five minutes later I got called by the pro-shop cashier.

"Are you here for "B" at 7:42?"
"Uh yes."
"Phone's for you."
"Hello?"
"Hey Reagan? It's "B"."
"Hey "B", where are you, it's just about tee-time."
"Uh, I'm in bed. I 'like' just woke up."
"What?"
"Dude I'm so sorry... "C" and I went partying last night, and blah blah my alarm blah blah.... But you and "A" should start. We'll meet you on the back-nine."
"Uh, "A" is sick with the shits."
"Oh dude.... Aw man.... Aw...."
"Uh, yeah."
"Oh man, I owe you a case of beer."
"Okay. I accept."
"Seriously... Man, I'm so sorry... I don't know if you feel like waiting there; we could leave now and start as soon as we get there. We could be there in about 50 minutes."
"Uh, some other time. But I will take you up on the beer."

Okay, I embellished a little there, to keep it interesting. But that was pretty much it. I drove home after that. Only a couple hours of my day gone. On the bright side, the drive out there was nice. Right along the river for most of it, and then down a country road. And beautiful weather. That helped to make up for the disappointment. I think for my next golf outing, I'll plan to go with my favorite golf partner, Christine.

May and the months to come

2006-05-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

May has come and I am loving it. As I drove to work today, the radio said it was 9°C, on it's was to 21°C. The sun was out, and the sky was blue. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was still scraping ice of my car. As many of you would know, I am creature from a mild climate, so I am now back in my natural environment. Ahhh.... I'm looking at my calendar for the month and the picture is of the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick. I'm reminded of the trip that Christine and I took to the maritimes a couple summers ago, and it's getting me excited for summer and everything that goes with it.

Le temps passe vite. (Time flies!) May and June are going to be spent doing a lot of gardening and yardwork, I think. Christine and I had our patio done last fall, so we will be able to enjoy it a little this year hopefully. I set up the patio set this past weekend and it looks good. The grass needs work though. I am no fan of lawncare, as you might recall, so I am tempted to just get sod where it's needed and then just "maintain" it.

In late-July, Christine, Josée and I are going on a road trip through Alberta and BC. I'm quite looking forward to that. That drive is probably about the most scenic in the country, no matter what time of year it is. And I can't complain about the company! We'll spend a few days with my family, and see how my parents are handling their retirement. Corey and Haru will be back from Japan for a visit, and Andrew won't be far off either.

Gotta love this time of year.

In tune with my bod

2006-04-28T11:59:00.000-04:00

Some of you may know that I am someone who is quite conscious of my body. Not in the vain sort-of way, but in the physiological way. When I was younger, back in my teens, I was skinny and remember often coming down with colds, and even caught mono one time. To add to this, my body lacked "regularity." Not that being regular is a priority for most teenagers. I'm sure I didn't treat my body all that well. I remember eating my lunch only when it looked appealing, and sometimes I would even forget to make something for myself. (My Mum stopped making lunch when I would come home with my lunchbag untouched. And rightly so.) The days I forgot my lunch, I would buy it, but only if I had money, which was a rarity. These habits, and this lifestyle, persisted for a few more years into university. Then somewhere in there, things started to change.

I started to notice how being hungry can really affect my concentration, mood and health. I can't count how many times I attended class with a growling stomach and a headache, and sat there watching the minute-hand snail-pace its way to the end of class. A whole hour would go by and I would learn and retain nothing.

The several years of, I will call it, "partying" gradually took a toll as well. I often found myself fighting through a hangover or a lack of sleep, and then being stuck with studying or doing homework under those conditions.

I started to say, 'Hey, this isn't fun, is it.' And gradually my behaviours started to change. I began to plan for when I would be hungry, and started substance-abusing less. I suppose I became more prudish, but hey, I was feeling better. (Note: this didn't mean I wouldn't 'indulge' from time to time, just in moderation.)

I joined the gym, and something else happened: I started to gain weight. No more comments from people like "you don't look well" or "are you eating enough?" And with that came the demand by my body for more food. My appetite increased, and pretty soon another miracle! I became regular! Ah yes, the morning dump. I had heard about it, and read about it, and it was as satisfying as I'd hoped it would be!

It took a few years, but in the end, I finally got into a system that seems to work for me. And in doing that, I come back to the subject of this post. I have become very much in tune with my body. I can tell when something's not right, and usually see the signs that led to that. Like having a headache, or not being regular, or getting sick, or being overly fatigued. And since none of those things are particularly appealing, I know generally what I can do to prevent them from occurring. It helps me feel and function better.

I sometimes get bugged about not 'living it up' enough, and being too stuck on a routine. But I had many fun years of 'living it up' and doing crazy things, and I don't think there's anything wrong with having a routine. I still do many things outside that routine that provide me with a good balance in my life. Christine once told me I needed to be more "positive and proactive" and ever since, those words have stuck in my head. These are the words I want to live by. And having a healthy body and mind really allows me to do this.

Have a good weekend!

Great pictures from Japan

2006-04-25T12:50:00.000-04:00

If you haven't been to my brother, Corey's blog recently, you should check it out (link at right). On the right hand side of his blog, you can view a slideshow (choose "full view") from a school hike he took not too long ago. It has some really neat shots of rural Japan. It's worth a look!

Bathroom reno

2006-04-25T12:37:00.000-04:00

I think I'm the kind of person who has a routine, but from time to time, gets wrapped up in something for a while, then once it's done, I move on to something else, or get back to that routine again.

This seems to have been the case with my lack of blogging for the past month. I think my last blog coincides closely with the day Christine and I started renovating our bathroom. This wasn't to be a huge job; it's not that big of a bathroom; but we have been adding a lot of details to it, and done just about everything in there except replace the sink, tub, shower and toilet. So it's been a little time-consuming. We've retiled the entire room, added wainscotting around the tub, added new moldings, added a new vanity countertop and faucets on the sink and tub, and we're now repainting. So it turned out to be a little more than met the eye. Still, it's been fun, and as you know, we enjoy doing this. I took on a few new challenges in the project, and that's what I love about this the most - the things that I don't quite know how to do yet, but need an excuse to try!

So pictures will be posted soon, as soon as the painting is finished, which should be this week. Stay tuned!

Victory on the pitch for Blue Steel

2006-03-29T09:35:00.000-05:00

A "pitch" is a soccer field, for those of you who were unaware, and yes this is my soccer report. I guess I can't say we really played on a pitch, though, since it was actually not a real pitch, rather sythetically-produced astroturf. Alas, I ramble.

So last night was the final game of the season for our team, Blue Steel, and the second of two tournament games in our six-team co-ed league. First let me tell you how we finished the regular season prior to the tournament. We ended up with a record of 12-3-3 (W-L-T), and placed first. And in the tournament, also successful. We played two games, and won them both to claim the championship.

Now before you make the assumption that we were an amazing team that steamrolled its way to victory on most nights, allow me to steer you away from such a notion. I like to refer to our team as a group of "lunch-pailers," just an average group of people with a hodgepodge of skill all the way from the beginner to sniper extraordinaire. But I don't think there was one person on the team that didn't feel as though they belonged. We supported each other, complemented each other, and kept our heads up even in defeat. And it showed in our "spirit points," which are points awarded by the opposition for our team's sportsmanship and positiveness. We tied for the most spirit points awarded.

Truthfully, most of the games we won were very close games, usually one-goal games. And every game we won was well-earned. It feels good to win on a team like this. A team that tried hard, worked together, and played with great sportsmanship. And hey, coming first ain't so bad either. All that, to me, is what being a winner is all about.

Write down your goals

2006-03-27T12:26:00.000-05:00

Newcomb's Law: Write down your goals

After writing my previous post, I thought about my advice and wanted to share something else with you. The other day, Christine came across a few scraps of paper that she and I had written on some time ago. Each were different, but were all titled "Goals for 2005" or something of that nature, but basically listed a bunch of things that she and I had wanted to accomplish in our free time.

Surprisingly, I would say that 3/4 of the goals I had made for myself had been acheived, at least to a degree. And I had not looked at this paper since I wrote these goals. Think about if I'd kept it beside me every day. I might have done much better! Still, though, I think 3 out of 4 is pretty good, considering they were goals that required some time and effort, such as "Refinish china cabinet," or "Select pieces for Grade 10 piano and start learning them," or "Renovate kitchen." Even the exercise goal, "Start running," which I wrote down in order to prepare myself for soccer, was something I did. Crazy eh!

So take my advice and write down your goals today. About five is probably enough. Don't make them completely out of reach. Just reasonable goals that are challenging, but achievable. Doing this will give you something to do in your spare time, and you'll be able to look back when you're done and say, "Hey me, way to go!"

Use your time wisely

2006-03-27T12:05:00.000-05:00

Newcomb's Law: Use your time wisely.

I often think about the passage of time. This has definitely been the case recently, as I hit my 30th birthday a week ago, and took some time to reflect on my accomplishments over the past 30 years. Despite those accomplishments, however, I cannot say I have used ALL of my time wisely. And reader, don't think you're any better! How many times have we burned away an entire evening in front of the television, or the computer for that matter? And really, how valuable was that time? This is why I have been making more of a point of watching educational programming recently, like PBS. I truly find it more interesting and also eye-opening. The other day, I was learning all about Carribbean marine life! I saw some of the most amazing fish, crabs, and sharks. I even saw some shark-sex! Quite interesting. Compare this to an hour spent in front of yet another "Survivor" episode. Oh look, they're complaining about having no food again. Oh look, they're running on the beach in some silly obstacle course again. Oh look, they're at Tribal Council again, and someone got voted off, again.

And no, I am no saint. I have done it countless times. In fact, I may or may not watch the aforementioned nonsence this Thursday night. In the end, though, I suppose it comes down to balance. Watching TV is pretty mind-numbing, but we all need that from time to time. The point is, don't let hours and hours go by where you can't look back and say, "It was worth it." I'm trying to keep this in mind more these days. We only live once, and 30 years can go by quickly.

Happy Birthday

2006-03-24T09:56:00.000-05:00

Two birthdays today, for two very important people in my life:

Happy birthday to Christine, my wife of 286 days!

and

Happy birthday to my Dad, my father of 30 years!

Hope you both have a great day.

Work situation

2006-03-21T12:16:00.001-05:00

Ahh!! Frustrated. I have a bit of a work situation happening here. I had been trying to contact Public Works on a file I have with them (as their client). I admit to being persistent; I had actaully tried contacting them five times in the past 10 days. Most of those e-mails were just simple one-liners asking something to the effect of "What is the status on this file?" I can see how this might be annoying to someone after five e-mails, however, all I needed was a short response like "I'm very busy right now. I'll try to get to it next week." You see, I have to answer to people too, and in the world of business, even government business, 10 days with no word at all is just bad manners.

So in my last e-mail to them, I told them I thought 10 days with no answer to a very simple question was not acceptable, and that this delay is costing the government money because we are trying to buy new equipment that will replace old stuff we are currently paying to maintain. I was cc'd on a response sent back to my manager from the Public Works' "Director" who stated that "Mr. Newcomb must tone it down, etc., etc." and "If he does not, I will instruct my staff to not respond to any correspondence from him in the future."

I couldn't believe it. Anyway, I spoke with my manager and he had a look at all my e-mails to them and wondered what their problem was, because I was just doing my job. At least I've got him on my side. It is a little irritating though because when accusations like this go flying out, it can hurt one's reputation, as harmless as it seems. I hope that doesn't happen in my case! I am going to depend on my supervisor and manager for references one day and I don't want them to have to think of me as a guy that didn't know how to handle himself. Oh well.

Japanese wedding

2006-03-21T08:44:00.000-05:00

If you are interested, check out my brother Corey's blog. (Link on the right.) He just had a Japanese wedding ceremony on the weekend, and has some pictures from it. The plan is still to have a Canadian wedding when he and his now-wife come back to Canada sometime in the next year or so. But while they were there, they wanted to do something of a more Japanese tradition. Quite cool.

The Big 3-O

2006-03-20T14:57:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I finally hit 30 years of age. Does this bother me? No. Should it? No. I guess one could make the argument that 30 is basically a sign-off to one's youth. True, I feel more like an adult than the average person in his 20s might feel, but I don't think that's anything to be ashamed of. I still feel very healthy, happy, and youthful, in general, and I think that's the real sign of one's age.

Unprofessional

2006-02-15T10:44:00.000-05:00

I just got back from a meeting and a few fireworks flew. One of the people there was really mad about something, and started to lose it on two people, who he felt had withheld information from him and his team. He must have dropped the F-bomb about 10 times. He threw papers around and dropped his notebook on the boardroom table in a way that said, 'I've had enough of this.' I'm not sure if the fact that this is a predominantly male environment makes this seem okay to some people, but I was baffled by it. It was completely unprofessional. Who in his right mind would think that a display like that can actually be productive? I guess he was just venting, but there is a way to do that diplomatically, and a way do make oneself look like a complete idiot, and he did the latter. After his display, he just walked out of the room, which was probably the right thing for him to do, since he didn't seem to be like the kind of person who would actually apologize for his behaviour. Better that he just removed himself from the situation before more people were completely offended.

Cindy

2006-02-14T15:35:00.000-05:00

I work with this girl, Cindy, who I've known for about four years or so. We first met on a course when we were both junior procurement officers, and working for different departments. Interestingly, we ended up being successful on the same DND competition and accepted offers in the same section. We now work about six steps apart from each other.

Cindy and I are about the same age, and like me, she's also the oldest child from a family of five. She's a very confident, fun, and vivacious girl, and has a great future ahead of her. Most of all, she's a very good friend, and someone I know I can talk to at work when I'm having a rough day.

Two weeks ago, though, very sadly, her brother was killed in an industrial accident. Cindy was travelling for work in Halifax when she got the news. Her family is from New Brunswick, so she was not far from home. But the accident had actually taken place in Edmonton, where her brother had moved about a year ago for work. Shortly after arriving there, he had met a girl who he told Cindy he thought he would someday marry, and in fact, he had brought her back to New Brunswick to meet his family this past Christmas.

Cindy returned to work today. She is a strong person and is doing well under the circumstances. She told me that the first few days after she heard the news, she was in a state of complete shock, just trying to come to grips with the reality of her family's loss. After that, however, she said things got better. I guess she seemed to find some strength, under very difficult circumstances, and knew that she was going to get through this all right. She let herself be there for her parents, who are undoubtedly grief-stricken, and just trying to keep themselves together.

There's much more I could say, but I think I'm just writing this because I'm thinking about her and her family going through this. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a sibling at such a young age. Or a son. Or a daughter for that matter. When I look at Cindy, I think I see hope. Hope that tells me there is life after sorrow, and happiness beyond grief. She hasn't lost her smile, or her laugh, or her spirit.

Cindy, my thoughts are with you.

Feeva, feeva, feeva!

2006-02-12T18:12:00.000-05:00

I've got olympic feeva! You? I spent much of this weekend doing stuff around the house, and pretty much the entire time, there was at least one television on with the olympics. If I wasn't watching it, it was background noise. There is something comforting about having the olympics on, I think! I remember when I was 16, I caught mono, and I ended up staying home for a couple weeks in the summer while everyone else was outside playing around. But did that bother me? No! I had Barcelona '92 on TV and I was lovin' it! (And yes, Brian Williams was just as just as smarmy back then as he is now.) And even being as sick as I was, it never really seemed to bother me. I could literally spend hours and hours going from rowing to boxing to running, and the days just flew by!

I think back then I was really rooting for Canada, and winning lots of medals. I suppose that really never changes, we're always hoping our country does well. But I think now, I just enjoy watching because it's so many different sports with so many different countries involved. That's what's so cool about the olympics. Bonne semaine!

Brokeback Mountain

2006-02-06T10:24:00.000-05:00

So I had to go and check out this movie that is getting so much attention. Two cowboys who fall in love in the mountains of Wyoming. I think doing this movie, and moreover, making it a mainstream success, was a big move by Hollywood. I was personally very impressed by it, and would highly recommend it. Like anyone seeing his first all-male full-on love scene in a movie, I confess I was initially slightly unsettled. I think because as we watch movies, we picture ourselves in the situations we're watching. I therefore quickly reconfirmed my heterosexuality, but nonetheless, I bought in to the love story, in part due to its beautifully textured quality, but mostly due to truly superb acting on the parts of Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Both are up for Oscars, "Best Actor" and "Best Supporting Actor," respectively, and it wouldn't surprise me if they both won.

One other interesting fact about the movie is that it was filmed entirely in Alberta. And the scenery is spectacular.

While the movie isn't perfect in every way, it's clearly an Oscar contender for Best Picture. I give it five stars.

Too bad I'm an anglophone

2006-02-03T13:04:00.000-05:00

I have seen the first real evidence in my career that not knowing French has limited me. I had asked to be moved to an adjacent section where I could get experience managing people. The management level there is PG-04, which I am, and I've heard they really needed one or two people. But apparently, the manager in the section, has stipulated that he wants "only bilingual people." At first it didn't bother me too much, because I know I will get that people-managing experience anyway at some point. But it was when I found out who they had their sights set on that I was a little irked. They want this guy Jean-François ("JF") to go work there. He's about my age, and actually very nice. He has worked at DND a couple years longer than me, but I have more overall "procurement" experience than him, taking into account my PWGSC background. The point that I really want to make, however, is that as nice as this guy is, he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and I think this is pretty obvious to most people. Kind of dopey, really. In fact, I was teaching how to do some very simple things in our financial system a while back. This is the first clear example where I have been affected by being an anglophone, despite the fact that I'm clearly brighter.

I personally think it's great that we are fortunate to have a culture in this country which embraces two national languages. That said, when I'm being held back for not knowing a second language for the simple unfortunate reason that I did not grow up in a society where French was even remotely spoken, I question what the government thinks it's really achieving. Ultimately, it means that the large majority of managers are from Franco-Ontario and Québec, and perhaps a few other French pockets of Canadian society, which isn't exactly very "representative" of what this country is all about.

The consolation is that that the rest of the government's potential future managers end up being sent on French training, which is rarely ever a real success, because most anglos could care less about learning French, or are simply too embarrassed to use it.

But I guess, in the end, I just have to accept how things are, and get myself bilingual. So I suppose that's what I'll do. (shoulder shrug)

Chopin

2006-02-02T18:56:00.000-05:00

I'm playing "Nocturne in B-flat minor" right now by Chopin. Melancholy, but pleasant. Chopin has always been known as the "poet of the piano." I'm about a third of the way through learning it, I would say. Definitely a Grade 10 piece, though. I think I have to learn a total of seven pieces on my way to doing my Grade 10, so this is my first. Fun shtuff.

"Cliffhanger"

2006-01-31T21:36:00.000-05:00

I was flipping through some pictures from our most recent trip to BC, and came across a couple shots I thought I'd share with you. These pictures are of the place I grew up in; a little area called Maple Bay. The first picture is actually the house I spent the first nine years of my life in, a.k.a. "Cliffhanger," as you can sort of tell from the shot. It was a cute little house, and it looked out over the bay. The next shot is what would be part of the view from the house. (The real view is much more wide and panoramic, but it still gives you an idea.) Anyway, my parents don't live there anymore, but I share them with you because I have good memories of that house.

My boss thinks I'm a kid

2006-01-31T11:24:00.000-05:00

I'm one of these people who gets bored easily in my job. I find it fun for a while, when I'm learning new things, but once I get to a point where I've "figured it out," I start getting twitchy, and feel the need to do something else. I've recently been letting my boss know, on several occasions, that I want to do something new, and yesterday we sat down for the second time to discuss the issue in greater detail. But this woman just doesn't get it. The way she was talking to me was like she was doing me all these favours, by talking to senior management on my behalf, and coordinating with another supervisor in the section to give me some new work. But she just can't "deliver!" There are a handful of new people starting in March and I told her that that would be a good time to rotate me into a new desk, but her mentality is, "oh no, you've only been doing your current job for just over a year; you really need to do it for at least three years to fully grasp it." No woman, here's some simple math for you: YOU need to do it for three years! I have triple the brain-capacity of you, therefore it takes me 1/3 the time!

Anyway, in March, I'm going to be looking for a move, and let me tell you, there is no shortage of a demand for PG-04s across this and other departments, and if she doesn't get that, she'll have an empty desk on her hands. Haha!

"the curious incident...

2006-01-30T19:16:00.000-05:00

...of the dog in the night-time" is the name of the book I just finished reading by Mark Haddon. This is a true achievement for me, as it's the first book I've read in a couple years. And I must say, it was worth it. It is written from the perspective of a young autistic boy. A very simple story, but told with a completely different view of the world. I laughed out loud several times, and I also enjoyed the way he always brought math into his daily life. It's funny because I remember being a kid and I always related math to my daily life too. Yup, I'm a right-brainer, all right! Anyway, thank you Kelly Heard for lending me your book; you can have it back now.

Been a while

2006-01-30T13:06:00.000-05:00

Okay, it's been a while, I admit it. I don't really have any excuses either. I just got into one of those zones for a while, though. You know, those zones where you lose track of things, and kind of lose your way. Not like I was way off track, but I just kind of fell out all the 'good habits' I have, and became sort of, well, 'habitless.'

But now I'm back. And today's blog is the last of my 'good habits' I had to reclaim.

So what are my 'good habits?' Here's an inexhaustive list, in completely random order.

1. Playing some piano every day
2. Reading a random book
3. Working on French
4. Limiting my TV watching
5. Being proactive about my job and developing my work-related skills
6. Calling parents, and occasionally grandmother
7. Being sociable, and planning social activities
8. Spending quality time with my wife, and reflecting on our deep love for each other
9. Reflecting on my many talents, yet not being conceited in the process
10. Acquiring new pieces of moderately useful information which I may quote or paraphrase in random conversations, thereby looking smart
11. Having a laugh
12. Blogging

I am, or have been, accomplishing all of these in the past week.

Basically, my philosophy is about not letting the world pass me by. There are only so many things we will accomplish in our lives, and I would like to look back someday and say, "Way to go me. I actually did something with myself!"

There's my post for today. Number 12 - done!

stay tuned

2006-01-10T23:53:00.000-05:00

Hey, remember me? The original Blogger of this site? I can't promise that I'll continue to be a regular, but I can't sleep and this idea has been on my mind.

Tomorrow (or some time this week), I will post a story board about my new job. Some people have been asking me various questions, so stay tuned to get more info. Life at the Privy Council Office is quite interesting.

Time to attempt to sleep, again.

Spend a moment with me on this slow afternoon

2006-01-04T14:15:00.000-05:00

I figured I'd double-post today as it's such a slow day. Well, I shouldn't say it's slow, it's just that I work too fast! I work too fast, and I walk too fast. And this 'speed-walking' I do is a habit I seem to have around work. I'm always walking like I'm on a mission. Either to the printer, my office, someone else's office, or the bathroom. An old coworker even used to make fun of me, "Hey young feller, slow down!!" (This is the government after all; speed-walking is not encouraged.) But I couldn't really explain why I would keep doing it. It reminds me of Forrest Gump, how he would just run "for no particular reason." That's kind of like me. It's not like I'm really in a hurry, but I figure if I have to get from A to B, why prolong the experience?! Just get there!

This reminds me of another recent conversation I had with a friend of mine, who strangely, though a man, prefers taking baths to showers. I personally don't really enjoy taking baths, and I was trying to understand why. I came to the conclusion that taking a bath in itself is fine, but once I get in there, I don't seem to know how long I'm supposed to sit there! I sit there for five minutes and then think, "Okay, is this enough? Is this how long one is supposed to sit in a bath, surrounded by one's own filth?" I don't even mind the filthy part that much. But at least with a shower, it's simple. You get in, you wash yourself and you get out. Done.

There you are. You've just spent a moment in my crazy mind!

New Year's

2006-01-04T13:20:00.000-05:00

After a short three-day workweek, Christine and I headed back to Cornwall to go to friends' Jaime and Jason's place. A small house party of about 25 guests. They hosted one last year and we didn't go, so this year we went there. I had a few beers, actually took it pretty easy because we had done some martini drinking with Rod and Jen the night before, and I was still in recovery mode. So New Year's was a little more tame for me, but still fun. Chatted with most people at the party. Though at one point I noticed I was the only guy amongst nine women, so I subtly exited to search for those I might be able to discuss the more interesting topics of beer and monster trucks. We later played Cranium, which, though fun, I am starting to get a little tired of because I've played it so many times. At least three of the girls were teachers too, and I felt a little bit like I was five years-old when they were explaining how to play. But I was the resident "Humdinger" on our team and was successful on a few occasions.

The next day we had a New Year's lunch at Grams' place. I ate like a horse and it felt good. Not even any room for dessert. A few of us played 'Sequence' (card boardgame), and Binh and I talked politics. Christine and I headed back around 3:30 p.m. and had a quiet night at home.

Christmas

2005-12-28T08:23:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays! We're back from Cornwall, and what a busy few days it was. We saw so many people, and did so many things, it's hard to recount! But here goes.

To pick up where I last left off, the McCabe family came over on Christmas Eve for lunch; played some Cranium with them, and had an all-around good visit. The highlight might have been when Phil and Carole gave Cliff the retirement gift of a 5L bottle of wine. It was huge!! Later that night we went to Grams place for the Charlebois Christmas dinner. Everyone was there of course. I got to talk to almost everyone, and most seemed to be doing well. The pending Domtar plant closure is going to hit three members of the family which is sad, but I think they are all doing well under the circumstances and are looking at it like an opportunitiy to doing something new, which is the best attitude to have. I wish them the best of luck. We then went to an evening Christmas mass. Not at the old cathedral church I wanted to go to, but it was still okay. Still got to sing some Christmas carols!

Christmas morning came with its usual slew of gifts. I won't get into all of what was given and received, but I'll just say that it was nice to be around family, and have everyone from the Lamarche family there. Next Christmas we'll likely go to BC so it will be nice to be there, and hopefully everyone will be around for that as well.

That evening we went to Jeanne and Mo's place (Aunt and Uncle on the Lamarche side) for dinner. Another nice visit, and great food. I think I gained 4 pounds over these four days, it was just that good!

On Boxing Day we went to Phil and Carole's friends', the Mastermans' place for their annual spaghetti and meatballs party. And I quote, "man, those balls were good!" After that, a quick drink out with Rachelle Lemire, friend of Christine, and one of our bridesmaids from our wedding. Another fun night.

The last couple days we worked on some puzzles, and played a lot of "Sequence." I think the Lamarches really got into that game! They all kept wanting to play!

I must say what I really noticed, and didn't expect to, was how much I saw of Adam and Josée. I sort of expected them to be doing things with their friends a lot more, since they are only in Cornwall for a few days, but they spent a lot of time around the house and this made the visit that much more special. Phil and Carole were their usual generous and accommodating selves. I sure did get lucky with the inlaws, didn't I!

So now it's back to work, and really, that's not all that bad. It's very quiet in here, almost no one around. I don't have much for do workwise, so plenty of time to blog, yes sorry people, I'm doing this on government time. But hey, it's worth it right? I mean, you're reading this right now, so it must be.

Happy holidays everyone!

Back in Cornwall for Xmas

2005-12-24T09:39:00.000-05:00

We got in last night around 5:30 p.m. and Phil, Carole, and Josée were here. Adam was on his way, just an hour out of town. It was great to see everyone. Had a drink and then Adam showed up and we all sat down for some ham and scallopped potatoes. Good eats thanks to Carole. Cracked open a 1.5L bottle of red and that seemed to go down pretty quickly. After dinner, a bunch of Josée's girlfriends came over for a little warmup to a night out. Adam took off to go see some friends of his own. Aunt Joanne also came over and she, Phil and Carole, Christine and I, and all the girls yacked for a while. The Canucks game came on around 10 p.m. so I watched some of that, but I think the wine kind of wiped me out by that time because I could hardly keep my eyes open and was on my way to bed by 11:30. Good thing I did too because they lost in a shootout - I think that's about 4 overtime or shootout losses recently...yeesh.

Today is Christmas Eve day. On the agenda is a visit by the McCabe family around lunchtime, and then the annual Charlebois family dinner at Grams' place. After that a midnight mass at a big cathedral-style church in town. I like the Christmas carols. Sheesh, only one day until Christmas...how does it come this fast every year??

Public speaking - thud!

2005-12-20T11:37:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, I have the occasional fear of public speaking. Recently, things have been very good, but in the past, this issue has been known to rear its ugly head. Christine will recall the week prior to our friends' wedding in which I had to give a wedding speech (a year and a half ago). I think I was ill almost every day for a week. It was awful. Fortunately though, after getting through that and other more recent experiences, I have built up some confidence there and the thought of worrying myself sick like that seems almost comical. Funny how there's an ebb and flow to fears like that.

Anyway, the reason I'm writing about this is that yesterday morning I was watching CBC news, and they were interviewing a girl, probably about my age, who was working in Africa with sick children. The interview started well. She talked about the program she was involved in, etc. Then the interviewer asked a question and she just interupted and said, "I'm sorry, I might have to cut out, I'm feeling rather faint." And then her eyes started rolling around and she stumbled, and then all I could see was her disappear from the picture and there was the sound of a loud "thud!" The report went back to the interviewer who obviously a little rattled by the situation herself said something like, "Oh my, well hopefully she's all right. Live television can be unpredictable that way. And often a little nervewracking." It's hard to say if it was really her nerves that led to all this, but regardless hopefully she was okay! But it made me think about myself; that that was what I feared happening in a public speaking situation. Truthfully, I've never had an experience where I was so nervous where that might have actually happened. For that, I should feel thankful! And in a way, seeing that this girl had done that on live t.v. made me think that I don't really have such a big problem after all!

Last lesson before Christmas

2005-12-20T08:57:00.000-05:00

My little student had her last piano lesson before Christmas last night and it was another good one. She really impressed me with a piece I assigned her two weeks ago. It was the first piece I had given her where she had to play two hands at the same time, and I was amazed to see how quickly she had picked this up. And one of the things I was worried that she wasn't getting was the "time" of the music. I've really been focusing on maintaining a strict time or pace while she plays, and I think she's finally starting to get that. I could tell she was counting her beats as she played. I said to her, "Wow, I can tell you've really been practising that song. You must have played it 5 times each day like I asked you eh!" Her answer, "No, sometimes my dad would say - 'Did you play that five times yet?' and I would say, 'No dad, I already played it 10 times today.'" Haha... If you can see the drama she has on her face when she says this, you'd laugh. So I had a chuckle and told her how proud I was of her, and she gave me a big smile back.

We also exchanged some Christmas gifts. She had given me a bottle of wine (well, I guess her mother bought that..), and I gave her a Christmas ornament and a music-story CD. Our next lesson is January 9, and I hate to say it, but I think I'm going to miss not seeing her for the next three weeks! But the break will be good for her, and we'll have a nice fresh start in the new year. 'Til then!

Last night - wedding and a reunion of sorts

2005-12-18T08:19:00.000-05:00

Last night, Christine and I attended the wedding of two of Christine's former coworkers. For both of them, it was a second marriage, so it seemed quite appropriate that it was a very small, intimate affair in their home with about 20-30 of their friends and family. We weren't exactly guests, per se, as Christine had been asked by the bride, Dianne, to assist in various wedding planning duties, but we were certainly treated as guests, and really enjoyed ourselves. Christine had done the flowers, and they turned out beautifully. She spent a lot of the evening making sure everything went well, and that people had their drinks, etc. I spent the evening sampling the couple's bottle of Captain Morgan and hobnobbing with others in attendance. Actually, I did put myself to use, though. I took digital photos throughout the night; got some neat ones with the "Candlelight setting" on our camera - sample here.

But most of the shots were of people, and I think I got one of almost everyone. Very fun.

But now to what I referred to in my title as "reunion." One of the guests turned out to be a former boss of mine from PWGSC. In fact, she was my very first boss there, and anyone who has worked in the department for a long time will know who she is. I think most people would describe her as a tiny woman with a big personality! In any case, we got to chatting, and I talked about how things were going very well at DND, but how I always remembered my time in her area as one where I also enjoyed myself a lot, and how someday it might be nice to work for her again. Well she must have felt the same way, because she quickly told me that she was looking for a PG-04 and PG-05 for her area, and suggested I might be interested. Since I'm already a PG-04, it would mean a lateral transfer if I were to ever go back there. At least, so it seemed. She then said, "well, you could come back as a PG-04 and then I could run a PG-05 competition for you that would be open to just my section." Uh...excuse me? This essentially means that I would have to go through the competition process, but with no competition, as there are only a couple other PG-04s in her area, and neither of whom would be interested in this as they're both set to retire anyway.

So now I'm in a predicament. Do I stay at DND, where I truly enjoy myself, and in a way, feel I haven't done all I have to do there, including obtaining some PG-04-level management experience - and six months of full-time French training? Or do I accept a lateral transfer back to PWGSC to soon after try a PG-05 competition that will pay better, and where I will likely find equally interesting work, but I will probably have to endeavor to obtain management experience and French training more independently? (Not that this is impossible, by any means, I'm just not going to have it handed to me, like it almost would be at DND.) I think I feel like I am ready for a PG-05 level, but my opportunities are slim outside of PWGSC because other departments seem to make the screening criteria much more stringent. In a way, this is the perfect opportunity for me. So do I trust my old PWGSC boss enough that she'll come through on her promise? Do I think I would have a good enough chance of succeeding (ie. passing) on the competition? Do I think I would enjoy the work back at PWGSC as much as I enjoy my current DND job? These are all the things floating about my noggin at the moment. I think I'm going to sit on it for a few days, perhaps inquire again with my old PWGSC boss as to the specific work that my lateral-PG-04 and potential future-PG-05 would involve and then decide what to do. It's funny, going back to PWGSC seems like it will be just as difficult a decision as leaving was.

A few days out of the office

2005-12-07T13:03:00.000-05:00

I'm just back in my office today after being away for the past four days. I had the great opportunity of being an "interviewer" on a PG-01 competition currently running in my department. Very interesting process. I was on a team of three people for 20 interviews. It was neat to be sitting on the other side of the table this time, and see how people behave in this type of situation. What was even more interesting is the number of different approaches people can take to the same question! PG-01 is an introductory professional level, so a lot of the candidates were clerical people trying to make a jump into a more challenging job. Others were recent university graduates just trying to get into the government. Anyway, fun experience, athough there are a few people that work in my area that I actually interviewed, so hopefully there are no hard feelings if they're not successful!

On another topic, I returned to my office to find that someone had walked-off with a removable shelf where I normally keep my bag, and other items when I come in. Whoever did it never left even a note to say why it was taken, or where it went. Later, I was at the printer and noticed a new shelf above it holding photocopy paper, etc. Hmmm... The paper usually sits on a table beside the printer where a mini-Christmas tree has now been erected. So, okay, I'll let it go...for now. But the week after Christmas, that shelf is coming back in here. I don't get how people can just walk in and take things without even asking or telling a person. I mean, manners people! Manners! Bah.

Grade 10

2005-12-04T07:42:00.000-05:00

Since taking on my piano student back in September, I have been thinking about working toward grade 10 piano. I did my grade 9 exam when I was 17, and in grade 11 in high school. I had considered doing grade 10 immediately after, but I felt the time commitment would be far too great. So here I am, 12 years later, thinking about starting up again. When I say the words "time commitment," I think I should explain that this is very real. No less than an hour of practice per day would be required, and in the latter months before an exam, upwards of two hours per day. It would probably take me about a year and a half to prepare. I would have to learn seven difficult pieces as well as many technical skills (scales, sight reading, etc.).

After grade 10 is a diploma level, where I could be a certified professional in music. Working towards that is not even on my radar at the moment, but it gives you an idea of how close I got to a professional level before putting it aside. This is part of the reason I feel I should continue.

Teaching has inspired me to do more with music, too. And with the wedding behind me, I certainly have more free time. So I really don't have an excuse, other than the fact that it might start taking over my life somewhat! Still, why not. We don't have children yet, and probably once we do, this will all be out of the question.

Perhaps it is normal, but when I think about doing this, I have a kind of nervous excitement. Excitement because I would love to be able to achieve this for myself, nervous because I fear being unsuccessful, and it's been so long since I was seriously committed to studying music. But I guess I won't know unless I give it a shot, so here goes!

Buffalo...

2005-11-30T11:09:00.000-05:00

So it's Wednesday, and I'm only just now getting to writing about my weekend in Buffalo. My gross apologies! But here is a synopsis of the trip.

Mike, Kent, Rod, and I left on Saturday morning in my car. We drove straight down to Buffalo; about a 5½ hour drive. It's amazing how the intellectual level of conversation can fall so far down when four adult males have to spend this much time together... We arrived in Buffalo, and got checked in to our hotel. Note: 2 double beds for four men. We left the hotel shortly thereafter to go for dinner. We were directed to a local pub, which had average food, but was acceptable nonetheless. The server gave us some pointers on what places to check out in the downtown district for nightlife, so we returned to our hotel, got "primed" and made our way there. We first hit "Soho" but found it's clientele were far more of the male gender on this night, so after a quick drink, we crossed the street to the club where we would spend the remainder of the night, "Level." This place was much more balanced in gender, and within minutes, we were breaking down various physical features of female specimens in the bar, a science that by their mid-20s, most men have completely mastered. This carried on for a while, and after a few more drinks we were on the dance floor amid groups of 21-year-old girls, dancing the night away. Note: Of course, we all love our respective spouses. Some harmless chit-chat was had, and many more drinks, and we stayed until closing, which in Buffalo, is 4:00 a.m.!! Argh.

We returned to the hotel, which soon smelled of raunchy burps, stale farts, and alcohol. We all tried to sleep, but when you're practically touching another man in the same bed as you, homophobia sets in, and this becomes difficult. But, we made the best of it. I think I managed about two relatively quality hours of sleep. Then, of course, we had to get up for what we really went down for - the football game.

The football game was actually pretty dull, itself. Only one touchdown, and it was made by the other team. The rest of the points were all boring field goals. And we were all wiped. But what kept us awake were the idiots behind us. A bunch of early-20s yahoos, completely wasted, swearing, etc. At a concession there, you can buy this sugary, baked dough. These guys kept buying this stuff, overloading (and I mean completely overloading it) with icing sugar, and dumping on each other's heads, or throwing it in each other's faces. Sounds fun, eh. One guy got so much icing sugar in his eyes, he said he was blind. I think they were drinking throughout most of the game. One guy had his eyes closed for a while, and his friends kept yelling at him to "wake up!" Finally, he threw up. Unfortunately some people beside us got slightly sprayed. He was soon dragged away by security. Anyway, quite the game!

We left Buffalo and headed straight back. Pretty smooth drive. I slept for half of it and let the other guys take shifts driving. That lack of sleep was really catching up with me by then. I woke up to Rod white-knuckling the steering wheel, and looked out to see cars in the ditch, presumably because of freezing rain, which came up quite suddenly. We all made it home safely though. A big hug with my wife, and I was out like a light.

U2 and now off to Buffalo

2005-11-26T09:41:00.000-05:00

Last night we went to the U2 concert. It was amazing... U2 played all its best songs, old and new. They had a cool stage. It was inside and at one end of a big oval. The oval was like a big circular catwalk. A couple hundred people were also inside the oval (standing room) and got to be about as close as one could get to Bono and the gang. Outside the oval there was much more standing room on the floor, and the stage was low enough that every seat in the Corel Centre, even those behind the stage, were filled. Easily well over 20,000 people. And man, were we all nuts! The noise was deafening.

Bono ran his socialist agenda during a few songs, but it did not overshadow the concert. Everyone knows he's an anti-poverty advocate, so I think it was expected he would incorporate some of that into the show. It was pretty tastefully done, I would say.

All and all, a great night.

Now, I'm running out - going to Buffalo with the boys for the annual football trip! Details on that upon my return... Have good weekend everyone!

Tuesday night soccer

2005-11-23T08:50:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, I'm playing soccer over the winter. We had our fourth game last night - a 3-2 win. It was a great game. Good friendly competition, and lots of fun. Our usual goalie was away last night, so I split the duties with a teammate. I really don't like playing goal, because I prefer the action as a forward, setting up plays, etc. Anyway, I was scored on once. I don't think I could have done much. There was little defensive coverage, and they just played me out of position.

For the most part, the other team was great. Unfortunately, they had one sore loser. He complained about a few things, and wouldn't even shake our hands at the end of the game. This league is supposed to be about fun, and not as much about overly serious competition. Our team is always positive. Even when we lose, we're good sports. I was acting captain last night, and I instituted a post-game cheer for the other team, something I haven't seen before in this league. I just thought it was good sportmanship on our part, and served as a 'thank you' to the other team for a good game. I think it was appreciated.

"Eighth notes are faster"

2005-11-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

I had the usual Monday-night piano lesson last night. Normally after the lesson, I feel really good and excited at my student's progress. But last night, I was feeling pretty rattled. I had to teach her what "eighth notes" are. Now, for those of you who don't know what these are, very simply, and eighth note is (in most cases) a ½-beat. The problem is, at seven years-old, one does not understand the concept of a "half." So I tried to explain to her "two eighth notes = one quarter note," etc., and then played some for her. Her response was, "oh I get it, eighth notes are faster!" Yes, twice as fast! But I could tell this still wasn't really sinking in. And then, unfortunately, we ran out of time. So I was disappointed that she had to leave without fully grasping this concept. But I guess that just means we'll have to revisit it next Monday. All is not lost though - I have a few more tricks up my sleeve! The one highlight of the lesson was that I had written up some easy Christmas music for her on my computer. Four Christmas songs, and she seemed to be really excited about trying them out. We'll see how she makes out with them next week!

Stir craziness!

2005-11-21T10:54:00.000-05:00

Short description of my weekend, in which I didn't leave the house! But, it wasn't a bad weekend, by any means. In fact, it was quite eventful, and fun.

Friday night, the one time I actually did get out! Christine and I went out, if you can believe it, vacuum shopping! Our current vacuum is coming to its end, and since I am the "Vacuum Guy," I had to be very involved in this purchase! And oh, if we didn't find ourselves a dandy! It is an upright, like we currently owned, but it has a detachable mid-section which can be easily transported up and down stairs, etc. Also, it has a 12-amp motor, so man does it SUCK! Play on words there people... After that, we went to Absolute Comedy and watched a show with some friends. Our friend Brian was 'hosting.' Some good laughs.

Saturday, I was wiped. Often Friday is a night in, and Saturday we go out. But I think the week was catching up to me. So I was a couch potato and watched a couple vids, and Christine went out with her old Chateau Laurier friends. But I was honestly so tired that even by 9:30 p.m., while watching "The Interpreter," I actually told Nicole Kidman to 'hurry up!' because she was losing me!

Sunday, Theresa, Jim, and their kids came over for a while. Nice to see them. We had a good visit. I played some piano, and also helped Aidan be a human rocketship, which showed me that I will need to be in very good cardiovascular shape by the time I have kids. Later, Kelly came over for dinner, so that was fun too. Christine, our resident chef, had prepared slow-cooked beef and vegetables, and strawberry-apple crisp for dessert. We chowed down and watched "Bewitched."

So barely getting out of the house, my weekend was about as active as they get. Though I must say, I did feel like I was venturing into a foreign environment this morning when leaving for work. As if to say, "Oh, so this is what it looks like outside..."

Next weekend: U2 concert Friday night, followed by the annual guys'-football trip to Buffalo. No rest for the weary!

My Dad gets third term

2005-11-20T07:33:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to my Dad! BC just had its municipal elections last night, and he came 2nd out of 13 for city councillors (the top 6 are elected). Great news. This to add to my parents' other recent good news, that they will be retiring at the end of December. So this means my Dad will have something to do on the side in his retirement for the next few years.

Kingston

2005-11-13T18:05:00.000-05:00

Christine and I had planned on making an overnight trip to Kingston to see Jo again, so this just happened to be the weekend. It also happened to be Jenny's birthday weekend so we told Rod that we were going and he said it would be fun to go too, and surprise Jenny with it.

Christine and I were in Kingston by about 11 a.m. Checked into the hotetl, and then did a little window shopping and then went and picked up Jo and the three of us went to Arby's where we were going to meet Rod and Jenny (surprising her). Rod had just told Jenny to pack her bags for an overnight trip somewhere, so she was pretty shocked to see all of us at Arby's! She's not one to surprise easily so it was pretty funny to watch!

Went back downtown and all did some shopping together. It was an amazing day for November. Just cool, and sunny - perfect. And Kingston is such a neat town - you're lucky to be there Jo!!

Christine dropped Jo back off at her residence to get herself ready for the evening out, while Rod and Jenny got checked in at the hotel and then Christine showed up and we all had a few pre-drinks.

We made reservations at a really cool restaurant called Gusto (Italian-Canadian cuisine) where we rendezvoused with Jo at 7 p.m. I hammered back a 12 oz. piece 'o' boeuf, and we all swailed back 'a few' martinis. Quite peached by that point.

After a tasty meal, we went to a couple bars and laughed and danced (and *drank*) the night away...

Here are a few pictures from our overnighter.

a couple babes

Rod and Jenny just getting started - Rod double fisting

Oh oh...now I'm getting into it

my little boxer...gotta love her

My student is gaining confidence

2005-11-08T08:25:00.000-05:00

Last night my student and I had another good lesson. She is so talkative now, and seems to be having a lot of fun. I gave her a couple pieces to practice last week that were actually French songs, and she knew the melodies already. This made learning to play them much easier and more fun for her. She played one of them, a French Christmas song, and was playing with such confidence, I had to tell her to slow down!

She made me laugh a few times too. At the start of the lesson I asked her, "What was one thing you learned at school today?" Her answer was, "I learned that every day is the same." Haha...I guess she'll have to get used to that!! Later I asked her how her practicing at home is going, and she said, "Sometimes I get bored of practicing, because I have to play the same thing over and over, and daddy makes me do that for 20 minutes!! Even when I want to get up for a minute, he says 'no, your 20 minutes aren't up yet' and I have to sit down again." Funny kid. But, all that aside, she continues to come to lessons with a big smile on her face and excitement in her eyes.

Jarhead

2005-11-05T07:23:00.000-05:00

We went and saw the new movie, Jarhead, last night. It was an interesting look at the 1991 Gulf War through the eyes of a young marine. I think a lot of people would find this movie just average, but I personally thought it was very well done. The acting is also very impressive. Jamie Foxx and Jake Gyllenhaal really brought their best. If you don't know much about this war, it started with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The Americans came to Kuwait's aid, but more than helping a country in need, this war was about oil, and the Americans' dependency on it. This led to their huge response (upwards of ½ million troops sent by the US). But with the technological and logistical power of the Americans, this war was brief, and fought mostly by air bombing, and those troops saw little to no combat. This movie really depicts this.

This movie is probably much more of a 'guy's movie' but like I said, I really enjoyed it and would give it an 8 out of 10.

Those university days

2005-11-02T19:58:00.000-05:00

If you've been through university or are going through university now, you've probably had someone tell you, "enjoy those days, because those will be some of the best days of your life." I've been out of university for six years now, and as those university years seem to slip behind me day after day, I reflect on them, and remember them, truly, as 'golden.'

It wasn't just the partying, the drinking, the dope smoking, or the 'relations.' It was the friendships, the challenges, the complexities, and the revelations. So much happens in so little time during those years. We start to become the people we will be for the rest of our lives. We start to decide on what kind of life we want to have, and what we're willing to risk for it. As I look back on those years now, I see them all in an instant. I see myself as an 18 year-old, straight out of high school and eager for independence, and then again returning from Japan to graduate, and wondering what comes next. I can hear my thoughts from those days; trying to answer all of life's questions, and figure out women...and how I can meet more of them.

In the end, though, those years go by, and we enter a new, and perhaps more rewarding phase of our lives. But we will never forget those university days. Those days when we thought we knew it all, and probably did. Because those days really were some of the best days of our lives.

My funny little piano student

2005-10-31T19:49:00.000-05:00

I just had my 6th lesson last night, (moved to Sunday this week because Monday is Hallowe'en) and I must say that my little student is doing very well! A few weeks ago I was actually getting a little worried, because I didn't think she was absorbing everything I was giving her, but this week she really surprised me. I quizzed her on some of the stuff we learned over the past few weeks and she seemed to be quite sharp. And then she completely sight-read a new song in a matter of a couple minutes at the end of the lesson. I was very impressed!

A couple funny things happened too. Last week, right in the middle of the lesson, while I was talking, she cut me off, and said, "I have to go to the bathroom now." I laughed and said go ahead. This week, she got to the house, walked in and said 'hi,' then put her books on the piano and walked straight to the bathroom. Haha... I guess she knows her way around now. Then, as if that wasn't funny enough, as she was playing a song during our lesson, she let out a surprisingly loud fart! I was kind of shocked, because after all, she is only 7. But I guess the little ones get gas too sometimes. She giggled in embarrassment, but had forgotten it within seconds and was right back to playing.

But despite all the funny things she's done, she's actually been a real joy to teach, and she makes Monday so much more of a day to look forward to.

Speech

2005-10-28T11:14:00.000-04:00

As most of you who know me will know, I am a pretty reserved person. And, as one could well expect, this quality about me makes it difficult to get excited about public speaking opportunities! Note: that was sarcasm, because the truth is, I tend to dread those moments. Chaulk it up to the genes I inherited, I guess, but one way or another, I got stuck with this, so I just have to deal with it.

Anyway, since the wedding, I haven't really had anything 'public-speaking'-related to do, but I was recently 'volunteered' by my boss to do a presentation on our division to our whole section. Naturally, panic set in, combined with racing thoughts of how I might eek my way out, or find someone to share the burden with.

In the end though, I said to myself, "Self, you have got to do this. Suck it up and step up to the plate." So I did. I made the presentation this morning to about 25 of my peers, almost all of whom have several times the experience I do. But as intimidating as it sounds, it went fine. I might have tripped over my words a couple times, but all in all, it went all right. Several people actually came to my office after the presentation and said they really liked it too, and thought I did well.

Though this is just a very small achievement, and I will no doubt have many more like it in my lifetime, it is still rewarding. And I know that I will still get those same feelings of anxiety in similar experiences down the road. But the high a person gets from conquering a fear is, at least for that one day, amazingly powerful; because for a brief period, it feels like you're on top of the world, and you can do anything.

PBS and Evolutionary Theory

2005-10-17T13:52:00.000-04:00

With our recent acquisition of HDTV, I have been watching a lot of PBS. It carries some amazing programming, and so much of it has beautiful scenery, which really shows off our TV beautifully.

The other day, I was watching an incredible show about some humanoid bones that had been found in Africa. They were carbon-dated to be approximately six million years old, making them the oldest human-like bones ever found. They were from a species that scientists believed were somewhere in the evolutionary chain between apelike species and humans, because it showed characteristics of both, though it is a species that is now extinct, as nothing in today’s world is like it. Not only were they believed to be the oldest bones ever found, but they were also thought to be the first indication of upright walking (as opposed to walking on all fours) in humans. The program also talked about how physically different the earth was thought to be at that time also. All in all, it was truly a fascinating show.

Aside from admiring the amazing shots of Africa in this program, I found myself wondering about the past. Those great philosophical questions about the world… Where did we come from? Why are we here? Since none of us actually lived millions of years ago, (or hundreds or thousands for that matter,) we can only choose to believe from what is presented to us, be it from a book, a television program, or what others tell us. It all makes for a wonderful, and timeless debate as to what is life’s true meaning.

Good weekend

2005-10-16T09:05:00.000-04:00

Been a while since posting anything, so I figured I should get back on it. Never got around to writing about Thanksgiving weekend last week, but we had a fun time in Cornwall. The Charlebois family was all over (about 30 people) for Thanksgiving dinner at Phil and Carole's. Also Phil's birthday was a few days later, and 'Grams' Charlebois too, who turned 80! So those were celebrated also. Great to see everyone.

This weekend we spent in Ottawa. On Friday, Christine and I had one of our "date nights." The word "date" seems like something only singles are entitled to, but from time to time, we like to go out, just the two of us, and spend some quality time together; something other than the usual humdrum of life around the house. Not that that is bad by any means, and we actually enjoy that too, but going out together helps to keep that little 'spark of love' going strong.

So our Friday date night started with Christine's favorite pasttime - shopping. We left from work and went around to several stores: the Bay, several stores in St. Laurent shopping centre, HomeSense, and Chapters. By the end of this (about 3 hours), I was completely done. It was about 7 pm, and I had had about enough. I can only handle so much shopping on any given day!! We went to a new Moxies restaurant that opened in Ottawa. We had to wait about an hour just to sit down - apparently everyone else in Ottawa wanted to check it out too! But it was a cool place. A loungy upstairs bar area, with a real downtown feel, even though it was in the east end, and when we finally did get to our seats, the food was worth the wait too. I went for the top sirloin and Christine had an Szechuan meal. Both very good. Opted for the dessert, a banana cream cheese pastry, amazing. All in all, a fun evening!

Last night Christine and a bunch of girls all got together to play poker at Jenny's. I hear they had a good time. Several of the guys came over to our place and watched some hockey and played a game of poker here too. Had a good time.

Today will probably be just a general cleaning day. We've probably had enough activity this weekend for a couple of late 20-somethings. And cleaning's not that bad...at least we have each other to do it with.

Fireplace tiled

2005-10-06T19:19:00.000-04:00

We finally got around to tiling our fireplace and it's all put back together.

Here are a couple pictures of before and after. Note: The before picture was taken when we first moved in, so it is also before we stained it and painted the brass.

Before

After

Duncan, BC gets the top story in Macleans this week

2005-10-06T13:57:00.000-04:00

As you probably know, my Dad is a city councillor in Duncan. Recently, a city resident brought a complaint before city council that he had been ticketed for improperly parking his "Smart Car" in downtown Duncan. My Dad has often talked about ways to add some vitality to the city, and he came up with the idea of creating SmartCar-sized parking spaces in the downtown area to encourage more people to go downtown to shop. Another councillor actually ran with the idea and it ended up being a top story in Macleans magazine. I haven't seen the actual magazine yet, but the story is also online on Macleans' website. Check it out here!

Hockey is back

2005-10-06T13:48:00.000-04:00

It's great to have hockey back. I watched the Sens/Leafs game last night and it was good. Nice to see the shootout process too - one had to know that the Sens would have the clear advantange there.

And no, I didn't stay up to watch the Canucks. It started at 10:30 p.m. so I just caught a few minutes of it, but as I will many mornings between now and next 'June' the first thing I did when I got up this morning was turn on the t.v. to catch the highlights from the Vancouver game. Happy to see that it was a win.

It should be interesting with a much more level playing field. Still, I think there are a few teams out there, Ottawa and Vancouver for example, that would have been strong with or without the issue of a salary cap.

Piano teacher gets some homework

2005-10-04T12:15:00.000-04:00

I had my fourth piano lesson last night with my little student. She is doing quite well. She's very enthusiastic, and not nearly as shy as she was a few weeks ago. I gave her a piano book designed for beginners and she has been flying through it. I think her mother was even impressed last night - I asked her to play a little song from the book and she just looked up at it and started playing. Her mother said, "so she's actually 'reading' music already?"

But I did notice my first challenge last night as well. She has been playing ahead in the book a lot, which on the one hand is good, but on the other hand, it tells me she is getting bored practicing the "assigned" pieces I have given her. Therein lies my challenge. Learning to read music is a process, and not one that is learned overnight. It takes a little bit of slugging through the same old stuff, and it's going to be a challenge to not bore her, but at the same time, get her to learn these basics.

So now I'm really brainstorming how I can continue to make her lessons fun for her, but still achieve some learning as well. I think she's really got what it takes to do well in piano; I just want her to have fun doing it.

Memoirs of a Geisha

2005-10-03T14:38:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard of "Memoirs of a Geisha," it is a best-selling novel about a Japanese girl who grows up to become a geisha. It is now being turned into a movie, and I just saw the trailer for this yesterday. It looks amazing! If you don't know much about Japanese culture, I would still highly recommend reading this book, and then seeing the movie. It is a very good story, and from the few clips I saw, the movie is going to really do the book justice. The costumes, the scenery, all look very authentic and exotic. The main girl in the movie is the girl from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and the guy is played by the man from "The Last Samurai."

Here's a link to the trailier if you're interested.

Read this book and go see this movie! It will be well worth it!!

Busy weekend

2005-10-03T14:31:00.000-04:00

Time for another update! Well, it was a busy weekend. Friday night we went 5-pin bowling with Rod, Jenny, and Kent. Had a few bright moments where I got three strikes in a row, but that was it. Still a good time though.

Saturday, Christine went off to help decorate a wedding for a friend of a friend. I was left to do domestic duties. I mowed the lawn, did three loads of laundry, and disassembled and put away our patio set. Exciting. Then, after a couple hours of couch-potatoing, we went out with Rod and Jenny again, this time to see a play at the National Arts Centre. It was just a moderately interesting story of a family that was struggling with whether or not they were going to sell their late-father's cottage. Well, not to spoil the story or anything, but in the end they did sell the thing, and it took 2½ hours to come to this decision. I copped some zees for about 10 minutes and didn't miss much. Still, it was good to get out and do something different like that. After that we went to the Market for some martinis. Found a cool place called "The Connection." My kind of place. Retro lounge.

Sunday, I talked to my brother, Corey, in Japan. First time we've actually "talked" since the wedding, I think. He seems to be doing well. When Christine got up, we decided to get on our last (current) tiling job - the fireplace. And I guess we must be getting good at this because we got through it pretty quickly. Just needs to be grouted and it's done. But it looks good. I'll post some pictures when it's finished. After that, we went and saw the new Jodie Foster movie, "Flight Plan." Action thriller, quite good. Dinner was a roast cooked in the slow cooker - good job Christine!

What is in the name "Newcomb?"

2005-09-23T12:52:00.000-04:00

Since Christine is now a "Newcomb," I started to think about my geneology. I mean, what really is in a name? Well, if you are interested, my family name goes back about 350 years in North American history. The first Newcomb to come to North America was Captain Andrew Newcomb (no coincidence that I also have a brother by that name!) He was a ship's captain, and he settled in Boston in the latter half of the 1600s. I came across a website that is dedicated to the history of my family name and talks about him.

The following is an excerpt from that website, and describes who Capt. Andrew Newcomb was, as well as the Newcomb family in general. Bear in mind it was written in 1923, so it is written in slightly different English than we would see today:

"That he was a man of vigor and enterprise, like all the New England pioneers, needs no proof, and that he was characterized by something of the same uprightness that the author trusts still belongs to those who bear the name of Newcomb seems absolutely certain. Finally, that he was a peaceable citizen, a good husband and father, occupied with the common interests of mankind, as his descendants of to-day, is no mere conjecture, but a reasonable certainty."

So there you have it - that's what being a "Newcomb" is all about.

Getting better value from your cable provider

2005-09-22T08:57:00.000-04:00

So we recently invested in a big-screen TV; and I have to say we love it. We are still trying to get used to the remote controls, and frankly we still have a lot to learn about what the TV is actually capable of, but for the most part, it is a lot of fun to watch and I would have to say that I think it was worth it!

However, with a big-screen comes the drawback of a slightly weaker picture with regular cable, leading many people to look into HDTV options. There really aren't that many currently in Canada. I had the choice of sticking with cable and upgrading, or switching to satellite. I think in the end, it works out to be pretty close to the same, but for us it was going to be a little cheaper if we just stayed with cable.

But look at what we're paying for cable and internet these days! Every day technology seems to get a little better, and even though our utility providers find ways to "bundle" their services to convince us we're saving money, they still manage to suck us in to all these new options so our bills keep going up, even if it's just marginally, and they keep making more money.

So I decided that I was going to put an end to that bullshit. Armed with a little bit of "bad service" ammo, I called the cable guy and told him I had had enough and was at the point where I was ready to cancel. Note: I did not say I was "going to cancel," just that I was "ready to cancel." Immediately I was sent to a priority service line, and a new person was listening to my story, which I honestly believe could have been completely fabricated by the way, and within minutes I was saving about $15 per month, the cost of adding HDTV service. So in the end, I got my HDTV for exactly what I'd been paying already.

I guess the moral of the story is: Don't let these utility companies take advantage of us. If they have to compete for services, they will do what it takes to keep us. Threatening to cancel can save you a couple bucks at the end of the day, even if you're not really ready to cancel anyway. All it takes is a good bluff.

Piano teacher

2005-09-19T19:26:00.000-04:00

For those of you who hadn't heard, I decided to try my hand at teaching piano. I figured for all the years I took lessons, and for how much I have loved to play over the years, maybe this would be something I might enjoy. I put up signs on my street for four months of free lessons to one student, and someone responded; a woman with two little girls, ages 4½ and 7. Well, we had our first lesson last week, and while it became clear very early on that the 4½-year-old was just a little too young, I will be teaching the 7-year-old every Monday night from now until at least Christmas.

Tonight we just had our second lesson. She had done all her homework and was ready for more. Just the kind of student a teacher wants to have! But in all honesty, I must say this is a very inspiring and rewarding experience for me. I see the curiousity and excitement in her eyes and it makes me feel like what I'm doing is really meaningful. I remember taking lessons as a child and feeling like my music teacher and I had a special relationship, and I'd like to think over time she might have felt the same way. Maybe what this little girl and I are doing now is creating something like that.