Decommissioned!!

The PC, she's been taken out of service. No longer will I hear her noisy fans. I hope to find her a new home. Somewhere where she can still be of service.

More power than I know what to do with!

It has finally arrived....
The Box... It was HUGE and HEAVY!
Frontal view.
Side view. Nice little Apple logo.

Sorry.. Didn't take any interior shots. Maybe later.

The PC will soon be history. The Mac Mini will soon be obsolete....

[Fill in the blank]-sexual

Which came first? Metrosexual or Retrosexual? And with which would you identify with?

Guys? Which are you?

Gals? Which do you prefer?

Am I Sad or What?

Okay, so since the event, I have watched the following movies more than once:

- High Fidelity
- Under the Tuscan Sun
- Must Love Dogs

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know they all have something to do with breakups and stuff, but hey, I can dream, can't I? I know they're just movies, but it's nice to see happy endings.

I just borrowed a colleague's collection of Fellini movies. I might try to watch La Dolce Vita this weekend.

*sniffle*

It's been a rather miserable week, healthwise. All this week, I have been battling this cold that I must have caught last Friday (scratchy throat). From there, the congestion started on Monday/Tuesday. I feel better now but the congestion and some of the coughing will take some time to get rid of.

On Tuesday, after I picked up my car from the garage (brake work), I stopped by the supermarket to pick up a few things. I had wanted to buy some fish (usually frozen filets) but didn't see anything I liked. There were, however, some "fresh" tilapia filets. Against my better judgement, I picked up a package of the fish. At home, I dusted the filets with some blackening spice to pan fry them. It was tasty, but within half an hour of consuming the fish, I started to feel a bit ill. My tummy felt like it was on fire and I was just not feeling very good.

I continued to make some banana bread while trying to fight this ill feeling. I tried to quell the fire by having some yogurt and then afterwards some milk. I had also drank some water to perhaps help dilute things. In the end, I tried to manually purge the bad fish. I crawled into bed in a cold sweat. Then I was out for maybe 2 hrs. When I woke up, I felt much better, but my tummy still felt a bit heavy from the meal.

I must remember never to buy "fresh" fish that has been packaged in those styrofoam trays. Evil, evil things...

In other news, my Mac Pro finally showed up on the tracking radar! It looks like it should be delivered on Monday! Woohoo!!!

Crescent Moon and Venus

Woke up early and took a peek outside. I wish I had a tripod. But these are the 2 best shots I got.

Weekend Wrap-Up/Monday Bleargh

This weekend was not bad. Saturday, I went out to see Snakes On a Plane with some friends. Afterwards, we grabbed a bite to eat at Les Trois Brasseurs.

The movie was okay, but I don't know if I would want to see it again. I guess I am just not a huge fan of most "horror" movies, if this was suppose to be one. However, Samuel L. Jackson really made the movie. I think he really saved the movie.

At the resto, I only had a pint of amber with dinner. However, I think I might have knocked it back a bit too fast for my system. I was a bit tipsy %-) Once I got home, I really wasn't feeling too good. I thought it might have been the beer. So I nearly zonked out immediately on the bed.

On Sunday, I woke up really not feeling too well. I thought it was allergies since it's ragweed season. So around 6AM I took a Benedryl Allergy tablet. That sucker knocked me out until around 10:30! :-p When I woke up, I figure it was about time I got up. I was feeling slightly better but not by much. I later called up "Organ Grinder" to let him know that I was going to go to the Hash. It was fun and I got to meet some nice people. :-) The weather was less than ideal, but we all had a grand ol time. I'll prob do another hash.

Today, I woke up with a hint of congestion. My throat was not much better. It seems to have hit that dry hacking cough phase. Most annoying. I had day 1 of a 2-day First Aid course at work. Throughout the class, I was sucking on Halls and drinking water to stave off the dry hacking cough. By the afternoon, the congestion was starting to rear its ugly head. I think I have a cold.

By the time I got home, the congestion was really going. After having some supper, I popped a Sudafed. I can't sleep when I'm congested. :-p

Well, it looks like i have to sink more money into my car. On Saturday, on the way back from Hudson that morning, my brakes gave me a scare. On the exit off the highway on the way home, I tried to brake but the brake pedal went all the way to the floor! I was like WTF? The car did manage to stop at the stop light. Whew! My heart was pounding a millions beats per second! From that point on, I just wanted to get home in one piece! :-o Which I did. This morning I called the garage about it. They found the part and I dropped my car off after work (I cautiously made the drive in this morning). Not sure just how bad the $$$ damage will be, but heck, ya needs brakes on a car!!

Well, there you have it: a somewhat exciting weekend. Now back to nursing my cold with some lemon-honey drink to chase down that Sudafed. ;-)

%-)

What the F* am I doing up at 4:30AM? I dunno. Do you? For some reason I have been having a hard time sleeping this week. Maybe it's due to allergies? I think it's ragweed season. From what my brother said, it's suppose to be pretty bad this year. Right now, my mouth and throat feel pretty dry. I rode my bike home yesterday and it was pretty warm.

In other news.. They've shipped my Mac Pro! Woohoo!!! Hopefully, I can actually track it on Monday. It's being shipped by Sameday Right o Way. I have no idea what kind of shipper they are. Hopefully they don't bang stuff around.. :-o

How Fast Are YOU?

Wednesday is HUMP Day

I have NO idea who came up with that...

In any case, I'm feeling crappy because I haven't been able to sleep very well the past couple of nights. I think it may be allergies since it's about ragweed season. On top of that I did bike to work Monday and today. :-p

In the meantime, I took a couple of shots with the digi-cam recently.

View from my room towards UdeM a few nights ago. Not bad shooting through a double-glazed window.

Same evening but of the moon peeking in and out of the clouds. You can see the effect the window has here.

Sunrise this morning. The sun was just below the Bombardier building.

This might have been slightly over-exposed but this is a shot of UdeM a sunset. It should have had a more golden tone to it. Oh well.

So that's it for now. I think I will ride to work again tomorrow. I might drive on Friday. We'll see how much energy I've got left. ;-)

I DID IT!

So, I went ahead and did it. I ordered a Mac Pro. Screw a new LCD HDTV! I'll take the Mac Pro instead!

Am I crazy?

Don't answer that.

So what configuration did I opt for? I downgraded the CPU to 2Ghz. I upped the RAM to 2Gb. And I went for the Apple Protection plan. That's what I gone ahead and done...

The expected ship date is August 21st. *wait*

I will need to unload the Mac Mini after I transfer some data. I was talking to someone at work who knows someone who might be interested in it. Cool!

Afterwards, upgrade the 14" G4 iBook to a MacBook (prob just the 13"). Again, same person knows someone who might be interested in it. Yay! Makes my life easier!

Just Another Monday

It's the start of another work week. Yay.

Weekend wrap up:
Bought an inexpensive set of SPD pedals for the Bianchi on Saturday. Also bought 2 pairs of shoes. One pair of Clarks from Globo and a pair of Merrell's at Sports Expert. Did I really need more shoes? Don't answer that.


Then in the afternoon, went to catch Bon Cop, Bad Cop. It was quite funny! Then had supper at Baton Rouge and an ice cream at the Orange Julep.

Sunday was as mentioned fairly routine. I did go out and rent two movies: In Good Company and Saving Face. Both were pretty good.

In other news, I think my PC is about to go sometime in the near future. I need to back up all the data to DVD from the external drive that's connected to it (it was formatted for the PC and not Mac). After that I think I will seriously assess the feasibility of purchasing the Mac Pro. At least I know someone who's interested in the Mac Mini.

Cake and Chicken

Ok, this is one reason to make a grocery list: I forgot to buy more poppy seeds. I made do with what I had left which was probably a very scant 1/4 cup. :-p I haven't had a slice yet, but I'll probably bring some with me to work.

The supermarket did not have any acceptable rib material so I bought a package of chicken breasts instead. They turned out pretty good with the blackening spice! Had that with some salad.

Menu for the rest of the week? Well, I decided to pick up a package of spinach with paneer. That would go well with some rice. Some italian sausage for the ol' pasta standby. Got some chicken thighs to make chicken madras with.

Here's a quick recipe for my standard pasta sauce. Perfect for bachelors (and bachelorettes) and people short on time!

1 pkg italian sausage, about 6 links (I prefer the spicy over sweet)
1 teaspoon of minced garlic (I use the small jars of the stuff for convenience)
1 red pepper, diced
1 8oz pgk of white button mushrooms, sliced
1 19oz can of diced tomatoes
1 small can of tomato sauce
Italian seasoning
Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Start by heating some olive oil (about a tablespoon) in a non-stick saucepan. Take the sausage meat out of its casing and break them up into the heated pan. As the sausage browns you can add the garlic and seasoning (about a tablespoon). When most of the sausage is cooked, add the mushrooms and saute for a few minutes. Add the can of diced tomatos and tomato sauce. Mix well. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar for extra flavor. Add the red peppers. Stir well. Lower heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, you can prepare your pasta. This type of chunky sauce is better with pasta like rotini or penne, but it's still good with regular spaghetti. :-)

Enjoy!

Sundays

Sundays are usually fairly routine. Get up, maybe exercise, if not, watch a little TV. Shower, have some breakfast, go buy groceries. Laundry, veg or watch a movie. Maybe some cleaning depending on how bad it is.

Yup, pretty routine and at times boring. But it's days like this that helps you refocus and stay grounded, I think.

Today, it probably won't be much different. However, I think I might make that lemon poppyseed cake. I better make sure I have the poppyseeds! :-)

I still have some dry rub left. Maybe I'll see if I can find a small rack of ribs at the supermarket. That could be supper for tonight! :-)

I'll try to post pics of the results of these culinary delights. :)

Friday Night

It's Friday night. I'm home. I'm watching a DVD. What are you doing?

It's interesting to note the number of men, both attractive and not so, who are logged into sites like LavaLife at this hour. If they're so hot, why are they not out? Another interesting observation I've made is the number of men logged in on Monday and Tuesday nights. There seems to be over 250 of them logged on on those evenings.

Just an observation...

I guess I'm a bit of a flake at times. One moment, I think I know what I want. The next, I haven't a clue what to do. I guess that goes with the territory. In any case, as I have already mentioned before in previous posts, I really need to focus on things and understand what's important.

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Plum Upside Down Cake

I had bought some plums on Sunday. I wanted to make some sort of crumble or fruit thing with them. So I dug around and found this recipe on the Cooking Light web site. It's quite yummy. :-)

Small Projects

Well, after stuff got moved out, I was left without a place to store the linens and things. I wonder to myself, "How did I manage before?" I guess the answer is that I didn't not have as much stuff as I did before.

So, I was on a quest for a replacement box/trunk/storage thing.

I had been to Finnegan's a few times but hadn't consciously looked for something until recently. On the last trip I found it. Luckily it had a cedar boards lining the bottom of the main compartment of the trunk. The bottom drawer was a bit sticky but I used a tip from a friend to apply candle wax to the sides of the drawer that come in contact with the trunk. It should make things slide more easily. This drawer does not have runners.

Next step is to clean up the outside a bit. Maybe with some Pledge or Endust. I don't think I really want to apply a coat of furniture wax to it.

Dis 'n Dat

I've sort of taken my profile off of LL for now. I've essentially hidden it. I've also been pretty good about not login in to the sites from work. At times I find that it's almost addictive to login to these sites to see who's seen me or if there are any messages. Unfortunately, I think I might end up blowing off this one guy I had been exchanging some mails with. In any case, I think I still need to get my head on straight.

Well, that's pretty much it. I've come to the realization (again) that I really need to focus on other things.

Anyway....

I've been trying to ride to work most of this week. Unfortunately, if it does shower tomorrow I won't be riding to work. I guess I'll have to use the trainer instead. Friday's forecast doesn't look too bad, so I will probably try to ride then as well.

It's not a terribly long commute, but it's better than getting no exercise at all. :-)

Belated Birthday Outing

Yesterday a couple of guys at work decided to take me out for my birthday. I know it was a week late, but last week was impossible to coordinate.

We ended up going to Les 3 Brasseurs on the corner of Ste-Catherine and Cresent. It's the newest of that chain to open. They brew their own beers.

I had a pint of amber to start with then ordered a Neopolitan flamm. In total, I had only 2 pints of amber. At least I know my limits! ;-)

I think by the time I started on the 2nd pint, I was quite happy. :-)

All in all it was a good evening. Thanks guys!

Come to Mama!!

Oh yeah!

Okay, the geek inside is a little excited over this one. However, not to the point where I'm ready to plunk down that kind of coin for one! I do have some sanity left in me! Nevertheless, I am going to keep an eye out on user reviews of this new beast.

If it comes to fruition, I might decide to get it just to replace the 2 machines I currently have as desktop machines. I will keep the iBook for now. I think ultimately, I will want to replace the desktops with the one machine and maybe upgrade the iBook to either a MacBook or MacBook Pro. That's a lot of coin there, so I will have to really think about this.

In other things... Is classy casual akin to business casual? Since I am not exactly one for fashion (I have not bought or perused any fashion mag in YEARS). As a result, I haven't a clue. In any case, I think I will need to do some shopping in the near future. Apparently, fall fashions are hitting the stores.. Eeeek! Goes to show you how often I go shopping!

Things to work on...

Well, I think that starting this week I will need to work on a few things:

1) Brush up on Perl and other stuff.
2) Clean out my closet of stuff I don't wear any more.
3) Work on filling any gaps left by the closet cleaning.
4) Cycle more, whether it be indoors or out.

It sounds easy enough. However, I find that I am easily distracted by things such as this thing as well as the temptation to login to the dating sites. Incidentally, I still need to respond to one individual for a time and place to meet for a coffee/drink/dinner. I've GOT to STOP initiating some of these things... At times, it almost seems like an addiction.

Anyway, it's getting late and I need my sleep. I don't think I will be able to cycle in to work tomorrow.. bleah!

Social Gatherings

To keep my sanity and to avoid going into complete isolation I planned a bbq today. The guests are mainly friends from both work and non-work. I did a lot of cleaning and preparation yesterday and today. I think everything is set. Even if there is too much food, it's better than not having enough. :-)

What am I preparing? Chicken satay, a variety of sausages, chicken and beef brochettes from the butcher, and some burgers, in case someone would prefer burgers. :-)

I picked up a babka yesterday as well as some organic veggies for grilling. Today, I got some grapes, cheese and crackers as well. I guess it's a lot since some folks will be bringing some stuff as well. But I'd rather see people go home with their tummies filled and happy.

Gaaah!

Okay, so I am so messed up in the head right now, psychologically. I am starting to think that maybe I am not really ready to start dating again. I think I still need to define what it is I want. I think I really need to re-discover myself to some degree.

I suppose I should focus on other things such as the trip to Japan. I should brush up on some Perl. There's probably other things I could/should be doing as well.

I think it will take some will power to maintain this kind of focus. I should stop login in to some of these dating sites.

I should continue riding on the trainer (see pic) if I don't ride to work. The weather looks promising this coming week. It doesn't look like it will be as hot and steamy.

Music from the 80's

Yes, there were SOME decent tunes from the 80's. It wasn't all Culture Club or Duran Duran. Although I must admit that, like many other teenage girls, I did go through a Duran Duran phased of sorts. However, I did not go so far as to emulate them (i.e., wearing a fedora).

Some 80's groups/musicians with some redeeming qualities:

• Psychedlic Furs


• The Smiths


• Echo & the Bunnymen


• Siouxsie and the Banshees


• The Police


• U2 (I am somewhat biased in that I prefer their older stuff)


• Midnight Oil


• INXS


• Joe Jackson

I'm sure there are others. Any suggestions to add to the list?

Just Passing Through

I guess these days I have been doing a lot of reflecting upon my life to date. Today, I feel as if I am just passing through this city. It seems that I am way overdue to pick up and move on to some place new. My wanderings started when I was 23. It's been about 15 years since I left home. I've been through a couple of cities along the way. This seems to have been my longest stop.

I guess I wonder at times if I am really the sort to settle down and do the "normal" thing. By normal, I'm talking about settling down with a significant other and starting a family. I guess when I was much younger this might have a been a goal of sorts at the time. However, as I got older and experienced different things, I don't think I am meant to settle down and have a family. I still feel that there is much more out there for me see and do. I guess I am starting to get restless again.

My restlessness may have also been influenced by my current work situation. Don't get me wrong. I think my position is fairly secure. However, on the whole, I don't see too many new mandates coming to this location in the near future. If there is no new growth at this location, then I wonder what will happen down the road. Would there be more layoffs? I don't think I want to be part of that. Anyway, we shall see what happens in the coming months.

Almost the weekend

Well, I didn't get a chance to post anything yesterday. I don't think I had much to say. I was terribly busy at work. I didn't get out until about 6PM and I had been in the office since 7AM. Today will probably not be any different.

Other than that, nothing new has really happened. There was a pretty major t-storm that blew throught he area Tuesday night. It caused some damages in some places. Some areas are still without power.

On the dating front, there hasn't been a whole lot of new news. I'm still chatting with the one fellow who's over an hour away. Haven't heard much from the Friday night date. And most recently, started a mail exchange with another guy. I really don't know whether any of these will amount to anything. Okay, so I might sound a little discouraged, but at the same time I am also trying to be realistic.

In other areas, I think a few of us are going to go out Friday after work for a few drinks to celebrate my old age (slightly belated). The rest of the weekend will be fairly busy with me cleaning up and getting ready for Sunday's BBQ. I think there might be 10 of us (including myself). I'm planning to make some chicken satay. I will probably pick up some sweets at Finnegan's Saturday. I might pick up some brochettes from the butcher's on Saturday as well. It should be fun even if there is a chance of showers. :-)

Another Year, Another Birthday

Yes, it's that time of year again. Another year under my belt and perhaps many more to come.

Not too many people knew it was my birthday at work. Some remembered and sent me an email. My officemate got me a small bag of one-bite brownies. Yum!

G suggested going out after work sometime this week for a couple of beers. Sounds like a grand idea!!

Tonight, I just want to spend a quiet evening. Probably listen to some music. Perhaps watch a movie. In any case, I think I will need to turn in earlier tonight. I keep saying that, but I somehow almost always end up going to sleep later than planned. Tonight, however, I will go to sleep by 10!

The "Too Much Information" Department

Okay, so I've decided to delete the "Men" entries. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but after thinking about it and getting a few comments, I've decided to remove these entries. Sorry, if these entries actually entertained anybody.

In any case, the entries fell into the "Too Much Information" department. And as such, these entries have been deleted. Some things are better left unsaid.