By TheCalgaryGuy - Tuesday, May 31, 2005
[Warning: This entry contains language not appropriate for younger readers or devout Christians. Reader discretion is advised.]
Late last week I got some visitors at the house. Since I work from home, I now notice how many people actually go door-to-door to sell stuff. I call them "visitors" because I'm nice; calling them "assholes that waste my time" just isn't right.
Those two visitors require particular notice. I mean, who cares about the kid trying to sell Domino's rebates in a house when one doesn't eat wheat and the other doesn't like pizza, really. It was kinda funny when he tried to convince me they have stuff with chicken in it and salads and stuff. But I digress.
On to the two visitors, then. This nice little lady introduces herself as "a volunteer", going door-to-door to hand out this pamphlet on the benefits of daily exercise. Right off, I was thinking that she's working up to selling me something, but I was wrong. Just the pamphlet, free. I thank her and her friend and promptly rush back upstairs to my work.
Vero comes home from work and asks "we got a visit from the Jehovah's Witness?" So I'm thinking she found some piece of paper they left at the door or something, 'cause all I saw was a couple of volunteers.
Yeah, everyone caught up to that trick before I did.
The back of the pamphlet on exercise has an add to join the Jehovah's Witness. And the lady slipped a second booklet, under the first, all about their organization. I promptly, and heatedly, threw the documents in the trash and swore rather loudly.
I don't have a problem with these guys, or at least I didn't before now. If they had introduced themselves truthfully, I would have been nice and polite and wished them luck for their long day ahead. But noooo. They just had to LIE about who they are. I don't even get why! Is that little spawn of Satan lady going back to the frat house and getting a cookie for every pamphlet missing in her bag? Why does she feel it necessary to trick me into taking her documents, she doesn't want to fill up the trash at her place so I have to do it? WTF?!?
That little lady really pissed me off. Had she been truthful, she would have been turned down politely and the same would apply to everyone else that showed up later. But now she just switched me to the "mean people" bandwagon and I'm gonna tell them to fuck off and lock the door.
I wished I took better notice of your name, lying lady, so I could say "I would be nice, but because of X I'm forced to tell you to fuck off". Your legacy will go unnoticed.
I only hope she shows up again.
By TheCalgaryGuy - Monday, May 30, 2005
You'd think I would learn. Once again, sunny days come and I order the lobster...
This weekend was exceptional. Two days of 25+ temperature and not a cloud in the sky. We took the opportunity to take our to-do list and trash it and spent the whole weekend outside. It was great.
Sunday was even better than Saturday. We went to the lilac festival, where they blocked off 13 blocks of 4th street downtown and filled them with kiosks, stages and tons of people. I believe I saw one lilac, in a pot on someone's table. Quite the disappointment -- I was expecting the whole street to be filled with flowers. Organizers should consider renaming the thing...
Then we went to the driving range to hit some ball 'cause the in-laws are coming next weekend and we'll be playing golf. We haven't played in almost two years, so we needed the practice. We still do, too...
Bottom line: lots and lots of sunshine, lots more of sunshine, and now my neck is trying to match the (red) walls in our bedroom. And I got a bit of a raccoon thing going, since I wore my shades all day.
I do that every year. You'd think I would learn.
And no, you will not see any pictures.
By TheCalgaryGuy - Tuesday, May 24, 2005
We traveled in Kananaskis country yesterday. I really nice area, quite undisturbed by man.
As you will see from the pictures 14 through 22, the level of water in the lakes is very low. The walk from what was the shore last fall to what is now the shore took over five minutes! I'm not sure why the water is so low... It could be caused by a lack of rain and show this winter or, my personal guess, because the lakes are fed by glaciers and glaciers don't melt in winter. I'll see if I can look it up and confirm.
As we were coming back home, we drove by this goat. It was just hanging out, right there on the side of the road. Cars driving by (and stopping so the occupants could take pictures) didn't seem to bother it much.
Later along the drive home I had to jump on the breaks because a small bear decided to cross the road. I kid you not! About twenty meters in front of the car was a bear, something like 4 feet in length, casually crossing the road and jumping over the guardrail. Nice animals, bears, but I was happy to be in the car right then.
On a completely unrelated note, we went to Chapters last night and they have the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide, a hardcover book with all five books of the great series by Douglas Adams, plus a bonus short story about Zaphod, for the insanely ridiculously erroneous price of 22$. I say: everyone go and buy it before somebody realizes their error! (Consider that the first book, in paperback, sells for 16$.)
By TheCalgaryGuy - Sunday, May 22, 2005
The girls are off to their "pampering afternoon", something about pedicures, manicures, make up and lots of talking... you know, girl stuff. I still say they are beautiful as they are, but apparently that whole process is fun. I can accept that (or make believe that I can).
So I'm all alone for a couple of hours. Joy! (And mostly: quiet!)
I love silence. Not sure why... Perhaps the little voice in my head is too faint that I need silence to hear it; or I require so much concentration to come up with an original thought that I cannot be distracted with stuff like noise; or maybe it gives me the chance to relax. One of the above. Or maybe all.
The sun is shinning, the air is breezing, the silence is, err, silencing and the temperature is... well, it's nice and warm. It's a great day.
Maybe I'll play some WoW...
I am such a geek.
By TheCalgaryGuy - Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Today is my esteemed future wife's 24th + 5 years of experience birthday. And what do you get to the girl that has everything? Man, I haven't got a clue...
I'm going with "all of my love". Everybody else is on their own.
By TheCalgaryGuy - Sunday, May 15, 2005
We were successful in almost completely fooling Eric into thinking that he didn't have a party waiting for him at Martin's. Almost. My previous blog entry, in which I truthfully and very subtly denied that any party was to be held on Saturday, convinced him long enough of the false truth so that Friday's surprise party was, well, a surprise.
Because you see, I knew that he kinda knew. And he knew that I knew that he had his doubts. So I wrote something to make him think that I knew that he knew he had it all figured out, when in fact I knew he didn't know that I knew he knew wrong, thus convincing him that he knew the wrong truth that he thought I knew that he knew knew. Or something. I have a headache now.
Bottom line: the surprise worked. Yay for us!
And when I say "us", I really mean the Josée-Anik and Marianne of the world, because they got the whole thing done like nobody's business and I really had nothing to do with it. Other than being there, that is.
And I'm happy I was.
Note: Martin has some pictures on his blog of the whole affair. See them here.
By TheCalgaryGuy - Thursday, May 12, 2005
Anyone caring to check my calendar knows that this Friday is Eric's birthday. I've been quiet about it because part of the surprise is that I was flying over yesterday to hang out with him 'till Sunday so as to not be present for the non-existant party we won't be throwing him Saturday night, as we are constantly and categorically denying even knowing the concept of whenever it is not brought up in conversations.
Lucky for us, he's smarter than that.
Which brings me to my other point-of-goodness: working from home. One of the better part of working from home, like I do, is that your boss -- who, if you're lucky, does not work from your home -- does not really care where you are so long as you work. After all, what's the difference between you working from your second floor bonus room in Calgary or the desk in your friend's office in Laval? So long as the work gets done, I always say.
So I get to spend a couple of days with my friend and work all the while (which is, for now, still the best way to get paid).
And before anyone asks: my visit to Montreal was kept secret for two reasons. First, we had to make sure that Eric didn't know about it. Second, I am here only for a couple of days and intend on spending them with Eric, leaving me with no time to travel around and see everyone I would like to see. Sorry if I can't see you, friends and family, it will have to wait until next time.
Note on the humidity: you forget how dry Calgary is and how humid Montreal is. Then you step out of the plane and it hits you. It's the smell, mostly...
By TheCalgaryGuy - Wednesday, May 11, 2005
I was talking with Vero last night and the subject of Jade Empire came up. The conversation went something like this:
"I couldn't figure out what I needed to do tonight -- completely forgot, again -- but I did manage to get some play time. I haven't played a whole lot lately."
"I saw that. What happened between yesterday and when I got home today?"
"Not much. I did get to act in the play. That was kinda interesting."
"I wished I had seen that."
"What? You're really interested?"
"That game is addictive. I really want to know what is going on! I would like it if you played only when I'm around, so I can know what happens."
You heard right, folks. Instead of her berating me for playing too much, she actually wants to be there when I play!
Now that is the future of gaming.
Forget the realistic graphics, the online play and the wicked soundtrack. Forget the simulated hot babes, the intense action and the gore. The future is with immerssive storylines that plays like a movie or a book, the kind that observers, not just participants, can get into.
At least, that's the future of games coming into this household!
By TheCalgaryGuy - Monday, May 9, 2005
And a deeper silence when the sisters-in-law
Leave
As much as we enjoyed the weekend (I finally caught up on some Jade Empire and I highly recommend Blade Trinity as a rental), all good things must come to an end.
I'm not really sad to see them go because we're never really that far away, are we? With instant messaging and email and phone, we've kept in touch with them over the months (and by "we", I mean "mostly Vero") so that it doesn't feel like "adieu", but more like "goodbye". We are planning to go back East at least once a year and, really, a year isn't that long.
So farewell, sisters-in-law. It was great to have you over and we look forward to seeing you all again soon. Well, I do. But I'm sure Vero agrees.
Note: the opening is my adaptation of my favorite Leonard Cohen haiku, which goes:
Silence
And a deeper silence when the cricket
Hesitates
By TheCalgaryGuy - Thursday, May 5, 2005
The clock is ticking down to our first visitors to the new house! Tomorrow the Harmignies sisters arrive in town! Can you imagine that? Four Harmignies women under the same roof for a whole weekend...
I can almost feel what Marc and Fred went through all these years.
...
Man, I need to find something to do and get out of the house!
Although strutting around town with four cuties would likely raise my status among the male population. Hum...
On a serious note, I am please to inform the visitors that the renovations on the first floor are completely finished, baseboards and all! Sadly, the two guest bedrooms still don't have floors in them (the guy is supposed to come tomorrow)... but not to worry! We'll find somewhere to fit a couple of beds!
By TheCalgaryGuy - Sunday, May 1, 2005
We saw the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (H2G2) movie yesterday. Since then, I've been signing "So long and thanks for all the fish"...
I say it every time and I'll say it again: life is so much better when you can manage expectations!
So fans of H2G2, keep your expectations in check.
I saw the movie with two girls who have had very little contact with H2G2. The three of us have this exposure to the H2G2 universe: I read the books something like four times, I own the DVD of the TV show and I recently listened to the first season of the radio show (thanks Yanik!); Vero has kinda seen the TV show (a bunch of us watched it late one night) and has read about ten pages of the first book; Sandra has had no contact with the franchise, other than my little descriptions.
We all really enjoyed the movie.
It's a great movie (and fans will be happy to know it stems from Adams' screenplay) to be enjoyed by the whole family. People who have read the books will enjoy it. People who do not know the story will enjoy it. Kids of all ages will enjoy it. Wives will enjoy it. Pets will not understand it, but will enjoy trying to catch the mice.
But fans: manage your expectations!
If you've read the book, seen the TV show and heard the radio show (not necessarily in that order), you know that each reincarnation of the story is different. Adams describes it best when he writes:
some of the characters behave in entirely different ways and others behave in exactly the same ways but for entirely different reasons, which amounts to the same thing but saves rewriting the dialogue.
The movie is the story of H2G2, but not a direct application of the radio show, books or TV show. In many ways, the movie flatly contradicts everything else. But that's where expectations are so crucial: don't expect to see a movie that reads as the book (if you want that, they have audio books available). It's a totally different incarnation of the story.
Taking it as it is, a new foray into the world of H2G2 (and this wonderfully deranged mind of Adams), this movie is absolutely amazing. I am definitely getting the DVD.
As a fan, I know that Douglas Adams would have loved how the movie turned out. I am convinced it is exactly how he pictured it in his mind and for that I thank everyone that was involved in making the movie.
Movie notes: They actually put the original theme music in the movie! Also, look for a brief cameo from TV's Marvin.
