Snü

Well we had our first snow of the year up here. More hail like then snow but we still went outside and taught Bryan about snowballs :)

Our New Sideboard

Christmas in October

So I got an award at RBC this summer, I was a quarterly STAR winner, which is the largest quarterly award one can get, and I was pretty darn proud about it, and with it came some gift points which I exchanged for some chapters cards. At the same time I also cached in some visa points for some futureshop cards. So here I was sitting on this pile of gift cards, when my Quarterly STAR award was upgraded to a Silver Yearly STAR award, which is really good. We have 4 tiers, Convention, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The convention winners are the top dogs, and they go with the convention winners from the other devisions of the company, and a guest of their choosing to a professional development convention, on a giant fraking cruise ship in the Caribbean in January. In spite of the boondoggle it sounds like, the non-guests, ie the RBC employee winners actually do have a mini convention, but it doesn't take up the whole trip, still tres cool, and a little jealous, but I didn't warrant myself a convention winner, hope yes, but expect no :)

So I digress, my award got bumped to a silver, and i got yet more reward points, so yeah me, and my points. So I've been on a gift card shopping spree these last few days and am now laden with books. Erin got a bunch of Octavia Butler, I also got the new Terry Brooks Landover Novel--cry and possibly last as a brilliant writers mind gets eaten away by altimeters ):

What else is in the pile, some D&D books, 2-3 seasons of TV, some movies, the new Diane Gabaldon, and the new Neil Gaimen tween novel (seriously, the grave yard book was awesome, so I'm excited for the next one.)

So for the last 2-3 days boxes have been coming in the mail every day (since chapters sent three boxes from their warehouse the same day instead of one big box ...) And for the next few weeks some more will arrive as the preorders become available.

My only sad is I really like buying the D&D books from my FLGS to support them, but free is better then paying I suppose.

Anyways thats all

Site Plan and Upgrades

Well for those who would like something to look at, here is our site plan for our new home, oooo ahhh!



Interesting, at least to me, is I have to completely rethink how I think about our home. We have the mirror inverted variant of our model, I didn't know that, and so I was visualizing it one way, and now I have to think about it another. So just weird.

Other oddities, we have an cat niche, I mean art niche above our front hall closet. Its just so strange and tall I don't know what we will put in there, other then cats, but I guess that is better then dead space?

So the rest of our house appointment was fun, and expensive, but fun. It was in some respects death by a thousand cuts, just in little electrical upgrades we racked up a ton, to make it worse, most of the electrical upgrades were adding a junction box for a light, and not the light itself, so It think we need 4 fixtures. Might be able to get away with 3, as I think we want 2 in the kitchen that match, but the existing kitchen one can go some where else, so yeah... :)

Biggest upgrade we weren't expecting, but I'm glad we chose, is the glassed in shower. Its going to look svelte!

The one I'm least happy about and we have 10 days to cancel is the basement rough in. Its just in such an aweful position it ruins the space. (well not 'RUIN OMG I WANNA DIE' ruin but I don't like it)

Otherwise we got a little side swiped by 2 upgrades we thought we were going to pick up in our second visit not our first, that being our kitchen package and stair stain. So the net price is the same, just we owed more deposit up front.

Anyways, between yesterdays excitement and the letter about the extra taxes I'm about neutral. (happy + pissed = meh)

If I compartmentalize a little better I'm really happy about the house, and really mad at Mattamy/Halton. There yeah house!

Somewhat at Random, An Appology to Alan Turing

So this is a bit of a random bit to blog, I picked up the story from TWIT, and followed it over to homepage of the British Prime Minister. The site does a better job then I will, but here is a bit of a synopsis, Alan Turing, father of computers, and British WWII hero,without whom the Alias may never have cracked Enigma or the myriad of other Nazi codes.

After the war, Turing was persecuted by the government for being gay, which was illegal in his era. In the end he was used by his government and then discard, treated monstrously, and finally committed suicide.

A grass roots movement started by programmer and author John Graham-Cumming brought to the Prime Ministers attention this long standing injustice, not just against Turing, but thousands of other gay men, including Oscar Wilde.

On the 10th the Prime Minster released a formal apology that was uncharacteristically earnest and honest from the government. I'm not usually a fan of the posthumous apology, but for a group still largely persecuted even to this day, and for Turing whom made possible so many of the technological things we use today, it is fitting.

Avast Autumn

I woke this morning to a crisp fall smell in the air (with a hint of pulled pork wafting up from the kitchen), and a day of fun ahead. Bryan was goofing with his mom as they woke me from a good nights rest (one of the few we've gotten this week.) So a happy ITLAPD day to you all, and enjoy the weather, go for a walk at the farmers market (like we did) or a hike through a park, anything just get outside.

Its a busy day between D&D, Pirates, and Bardonfest! TTYL

PS This blog post is an aberration and not an indication of more to come at any great rate :P

Bryan is on the Web

Looks like Bryan is starting to blog more then me, you can see what he is up to over at bryanpeart.com

Scarborough Bluffs at the Dakota

So for those following the twitter stream last night, you know that I was out at watching the Scarborough Bluffs (also know as the Barenaked Ladies,) but what couldn’t be conveyed was why the experience was so awesome. As I understand BNL is in the studio right now (well not now now, I imagine they are in bed now now, but like temporally proximate to now,) putting together their next album minus one. With Stephen Page off doing his own thing now the group is trying to re-establish their identity, reassure fans, and maybe even reassure themselves that they can pull this off.

So what better way then ask a friend and small indy music club owner if you can annex his bar for a night, invite only your family and closest friends, and then play all your new music to your most supporting audience, and get probably the most honest feedback. Now there is no way on earth that I should have even heard of this concert, but Trevor, who is always introducing me to new music, happens to know the owner of the club, and Trevor got himself +1 on the bottom of that guest list for last night. He also may have let it slip to Brad that the concert was last night so he could line up before the doors open to see if he could squeak in there as well (which he did.) So BNL, 110 of their family and friends, and eight of the luckiest friends and +1’s of the bar owner (which Brad, Trevor and I included) got the most intimate BNL concert that I will likely ever have.

To put this on a scale, it was like I was sitting on my living room sofa, and they were playing in my kitchen. They played two 10 songs sets, and an encore, in there they did 16 brand new tracks, and a half a dozen classics. Between the songs they mingled with the crowed as you would a family gathering, and I’m afraid I could not drink enough liquid courage to be that crass fan that shoves himself in the face of the ban and gushed about how awesome they are. Instead I will go with my more Canadian story, as I returned from the bar, hands full with a round for our table, I had to squeeze past Tyler, and with a polite excuse me I captured his attention, to which he politely with nodding deference to the hand full of beers stepped out of the way.

The “new sound” is reassuringly like the “old sound” they lacked the polished perfection of a studio album that I’m sure will prove that these guys still have it. Still the honest sound, with flubs, and in-between self deprecating banter is what makes these guys quintessentially Canadian. I’m really excited to get a hold of the album whenever it is ready, but I think my own apprehension, as a fan, has finally been relieved, these are guys who still make music I find compelling.

Well I don’t have any more to say now, but I am tired, I don’t think I got in until 2:30 AM last night, but it was worthwhile, I will post what sketchy pictures from my cell phone I can tonight, and I will see if Brad will share his pictures from his significantly less sketchy camera.

2009 Heart and Stroke Ride For Heart

Hey folks that Bryan picture was just a teaser. I'm far far behind in my fund raising efforts, but work has been an absolute zoo, so here starts the 2009 Heart and Stroke Ride for Heart Fund Raising Kickoff! So please, before I get all begging and pathetic, please donate to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

This year both Erin and I will be riding. Bryan, probably won't be, but just because I think 2-3 hours being dragged isn't up his ally (yet, next year though.)

Erin will be riding the 50, and had her first big ride this weekend, not sure if she can walk yet, but she mastered 26 with aplomb. I will be doing the 75 because I said I would, and foolishness before pride any day :)

It also looks like Erin and I will be riding in good company, with Emma, and Chris Bardon, and Brad and Jodi.

More posts, and emails will follow, you have been warned :)

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Asleep at the wheel