This is the part about lip synching that I don't get.

Its your song. You sang it. Its your voice that's being played from the amplified sound equipment. Its not like you've never put the words to voice before. So then how the hell can you not be able to match up to your original song? This seems like a simple matter of vigilant practice. If you actually do your bloody job, and learn the stupid version of the song that you've committed to the backing track, then how can you not be able to lip sync it when you pretend to do it live?

Girls? Go back to the damn studio, and learn your flippin' song! You can all go get drunk, stoned, and turned inside out by whatever Neanderthal gorilla that has your panties in a twist, AFTER your put in the twenty god damn minutes a day it takes to make sure you can live up to your celebrity! The celebrity that got you into the club underaged. The fame that got you the narcotics for free, from the shady guy that seems to know everyone. And the mystique it took to convince a guy twice your age that it was worth the risk to bend you over the marble counter-top in the men's restroom for 5 minutes of sweaty, but meaningless visceral thrill.

Merry Christmas!!!

Note to my readership:

Don't get a hamburger from the gas station.

I know its tempting to abandon the natural skepticism about gas station food, with the proliferation of Subway's that are set up in small town Esso's. Plus the Esso here in Watson has a restaurant and while its not cuisine, it doesn't make you barf.

However, the Quick Stop is closed today. WTF!?!?! It was open at 9:00 AM but closed for lunch. I don't support that. So I was running around town finishing errands and still hadn't eaten. So against better judgement, I got a two pack of cheeseburgers from the Co-op fridge.

Big mistake!

Burger one was okay. But by burger two I could feel the recoil happening already. I suspect a purge will become involved before afternoon ends.

If you need me, I'll be the guy in the corner, dry heaving.

I must hate myself.

Its the day before Christmas. (I guess you could call it Christmas Eve, even though its not evening yet) We are 'officially' closed, but I'm here at my desk in the office. There's no one else here. The phone is not ringing. And yet, as the hours tick by, I find more and more stuff that I should do before going home.

If you need me, I'll be the guy in the corner, banging his head against the wall.

Has anyone seen my penis?

I stepped out of the truck last night, when I arrived back in Watson. I'd spent the first three days of this week in Manitoba. I get out and its -31 C, with a vicious, biting wind.

I got home and my penis was missing. Anyone heard any rumors on where it went? I might need it again so I'm fairly keen on finding it.

Its that time of year again! Everyone submit their entry, guessing the dollar total contained in the 2004 tip jar!!!

Tips!

The contest will remain open until Christmas Eve. There will be fun and prizes for correct guesses!

I would like to invite everyone to meet the newest member of my sister Candace's family

Eddie

I often consider this my private little piece of the world, where I can rant and vent, about the things that irritate me. Or it can go in the other way, and be the place I go when I need to bare my soul. That is where I am right now. There's something inside me that I want to say. I don't know if I have the words for it, but I need to try.

I'm never going to get this, am I? The part that is supposed to be the easiest, will forever elude me.

I'm tired of trying.

I hate that I can pour my entire mental capacity, my enormous tolerance for pain, and an unbelievable amount of willpower into understanding this, and it won't yield to me.

This is my nemesis, the enemy I can not vanquish. It is the monster in my closet. I can run, I can hide, or stay and fight. It makes little difference. I am never going to win this battle.

I'm angry and I'm sad, all in the same moment. I despair and I scream my futility, but the situation remains the same.

I can't touch it.

For whatever reason, I simply can not make that critical connection that will let me grow. I remain stunted, somewhat less of a man, and a lot more of a child. While endearing and sweet, it is not the visage that will bring me to my goal.

I could live with this, if the pain would go away. If I didn't care, for a reason that remains beyond my ability to fathom. If that one, infuriating emotion would just cease its torment of me, I think I could relax.

I could be happy.

It seems my lot to be taunted by the monster. To have the venomous beast slither into my mind when I'm feeling contentment and pride at an accomplishment. There it comes, striking me like a vindictive lizard. And in my pride, and my arrogance, I let myself believe that the vastness of my potential, will now, finally, give me the answer I have for so long pursued.

There will be no answer for me.

How do you quit? The impulse will not just cease, because you ask it to. I've tried that and it is complete futility. In that last moment, where you stand over the beast, blood and gore dripping from yourself, and everything around you. Put your foot on the thing's neck, and exult at your victory. Only to have it snatched away, when once more, the thump of life beats under your shoe.

I hate this place.

I don't want to be here. I'm not used to failing. If I just try hard enough, I win. I am embued with so much that there is no challenge I can't best.

Except this one.

I'm weary. The fight continues, and it robs me of everything that the rest of life builds up within. I can win so many battles, and be crushed by a single failure.

Because I care.

The answer is that there is no answer. We all must try, and fail, then learn from our mistakes. And I do that and it still won't bring me salvation. I fail, and again, and again. Why can't my mind comprehend this, analyze it, and provide new direction? Why must I not progress?

In the end have I said anything? No, I don't think so. It is, and it will be, until the question disappears.

I remain . . .

Day Two of the week before Christmas. Home from work at 10:00 again. I apologize but this is all I have in me for a blog entry.

Toodles!

Can someone please explain to me why I keep buying so much stuff!?!

I got myself an XBox last week. It seemed like a good idea at the time. What needs to be mentioned at this point is, right now all of the XBox stuff is still in the box that it was shipped in. I haven't opened a single thing from it.

This is so typical. I buy stuff and then it just sits. I have no idea how many computer games I've purchased and either not played at all, or barely played. Let's do the list:

Rise Of Nations
Battlefield: Vietnam
Simcity 4
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic

Now how about other computer related stuff:

Logitech racing wheel (third one I've owned)
Logitech flight stick (yup, still in the box)
LCD monitor (currently collecting dust in my office/closet
The Ripper (why did I think I needed a tower computer with no purpose beyond copying DVD's?)

At this point I would like to solicit some advice on how to not spend my money so foolishly. Can anyone suggest some strategies that might keep my money in my pocket more often?

Thank you and good night

Blog Cryptogram Of The Day

Ich veux Khan

The way I feel at this moment in time is exactly why I hate being here on a Sunday night.

Blog Question Of The Day:

Is blogging a weekday activity, for the majority of bloggers?

I was watching 'Josie and the Pussycats' yesterday, as I drove into Regina. As I did so, an interesting question came into my mind. Now I was driving at the time, so my ability to remember the thought was limited. I have yet to figure out a way, that I like and will use on a continual basis, to record my thoughts as I drive.

(Yes, I've thought of, and had suggested to me, the idea of a voice recorder. I think I sound like a tool whem my voice is recorded, so I have thus far resisted that idea)

Now I am watching 'Chasing Amy'. (thanks Sean!) An infinitely better movie, in my opinion, that yesterday's Josie. However, there is a discussion of Archie comics in 'Chasing Amy' and this has reminded me of last night's question.

Why did they make a 'Josie and the Pussycats' movie, instead of an Archie movie? Considering the creative bankrupcy that seems to exist in Hollywood in the last 10 years or so, is it not odd that no one has put an Archie movie on the screen yet?

Why isn't the enthusiasm of wanting something badly, enough to insure that you will eventually get it?

G&M Word Of The Day:

confidence

Blog Survey Of The Day:

MiniDV tapes for my camcorder cost approximately $7.00 a tape.
A full tape transferred to the computer requires approximately 20GB of storage.

Should I use the tapes for long term storage, instead of trying to save all the raw footage on hard drives?

Does anyone use the F11 key!?!

A Friday summary:

I love $100,000 purchase orders.

This headache of mine can take the next bus outta town. I've had enough of its company.

I'm the last person to be chiding other about 'getting excited' but I think there are some people in Manitoba that ought to chill out pretty soon. It'll get fixed, and the world won't end if that takes me a week or two.

And to close . . .

LET THE GAMING COMMENCE!!!!!

I'm watching Daredevil tonight. As I watch, an interesting question has come to my mind. Isn't it kind of a cruel irony that someone who is blind, and can't enjoy the vision of a beautiful woman, might end up with one and never know the exquisite joy of seeing her smile?

G&M (minus M) Word Of The Day:

imbroglio

Blog Question Of The Day:

How deep does a cut need to be, before you require stitches?

Ummmmm God? A word?

God? Yeah, hi. Worshipper Guenther here. Gotta question for ya. Is today indicative of the after-life I can expect in heaven? If so, could I please go to hell?

Alright, I get it. I had the plague coming. You're right, I screwed up, and I deserved that one.

The locusts? A touch much, don't you think? Sure, I kinda punted that one, and I did have something coming, but couldn't the plague have covered both transgressions?

But to top THAT, do we really have to do this insomnia gaffe again? I can't see how I've ever done anything to deserve that. You know how much pain this brings me. Couldn't we have done without that little penalty?

And then you top it off with the events of my Tuesday. That pace you gave me, starting at 6:00 AM and not abating, even a little bit, until 10:30 in the evening. At what point do I get to stop calling you the merciful creator?

And THEN!!! You top off a truly excremental day, with a steaming, stinky, absolutely vile bowl of SHIT! Not poo, or poop, or crap, or excrement. Shit, in its purest, brownest, most complete form. And you roll that in together with some absolutely infuriating plumbing, and an unabating flow of water until I'm bloody near swimming in this putrid, fetid stinking POND that was once my bathroom.

When LORD!?! When the FUCK can your servent, ditch this foul set of circumstances and finally get to know some peace? When Lord when!?! When's gonna be my time!?!?!?!?!

If you need me, I'll be in the shower, trying to wash out the smell.

Six AM songs (that sounded like a good idea at the time)

Ciara - 1, 2 Step
Destiny's Child - Lose My Breath

What the hell is wrong with people? What I am speaking of today is, the behaviour of people on the street. This absolutely baffles me, while simultaneously driving me to a point where I could explode in a fire of furious rage.

There's a traffic disruption on Circle Drive this afternoon. The cops have blocked off one lane. You can tell there's something wrong, because there's 50 cars lined up in the left lane, and the right lane is open. But do the idiots steaming along take the 1/2 second it takes to make the observation that there's a REASON why this is the way it is? OH HELL NO!!! They figure they're the second coming of Irving Genius, and they'll just hope in the right lane and get ahead in the world.

WRONG!!!

All they prove is, they're idiots. They steam past everyone, get to the cop car, and become stymied in that place. Now by rights they should stay there until the traffic disturbance is cleared but sadly the cop has to wave the idiot in, and they are rewarded for their stupidity.

Why can't these people be hunted for sport?

Its kinda weird to watch a special about Metallica, and have the lead singer look like a guy you might go to talk to about your mortgage, but god damn do these guys still ROCK!!!!

METALLICA RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a problem with a situation that has someone phoning me, asking for the diameter of a hole, when his comments to me include, 'I see that the radius is 19 mm'

I have to make a declaration at this point.

Major thanks have to be given to Mr. Kevin Hills, for addition of a hit counter on my blog. I'd had the idea before, to include one, but all my investigations led me towards something that would cost me money. I don't really like buying from the internet. I avoid it whenever possible. This is another one of these situations.

However last night we were discussing my blog, and how many people we think read it. He suggested a hit counter. I told him I'd use one, if he found it for me. So he did.

Now I have a counter. Holy Crap am I getting more hits than I thought! Its been up for about 18 hours now, and at last count, I had 31 hits. I didn't expect to hit double digits until after the weekend.

Thanks to everyone for reading my oft-times warped thoughts. And a HUGE thank you to Kevin, for bringing a lot of value to my site.

Toodles!!

One of the worst things about being in Loserville is, there are so few permanent residents. You live right along the highway of life. Things go by on the highway. Both good and bad. The occasional person stops as they drive through on their way somewhere. You might get the odd person coming into town. Metaphorically speaking, stopping for a Pepsi and a piss in your hovel-like little abode on the side of life’s freeway. But the necessities of life taken care of, they get back in their Porsche, and press the pedal to the floor, speeding away from you, and your pathetic existence in Loserville.

To put it in more vivid terms:

I’m the bloody Chamberlain of relationships.

The Bitterness Poem
by Grant

Here I sit,
alone at my desk.
A loser again,
in every respect.

Let's be honest. Who actually LIKES the band R.E.M.!!!?!!!

Okay, who's with me on this one!?!

There's this Christmas commercial now on TV from Roger's Wireless. Its the one where the guy is trekking through a forest of fir trees, looking for the perfect Christmas tree. He has his camera phone with him, and he's sending back pictures of trees to his 'woman' who's sitting on the couch at home, warm, dry and comfortable.

Who thought this commercial was a good idea!?!?!?!?!?!

I'm watching this, and I just wanna cuff the damn bitch. She's sitting at home while this hapless bastard has to trudge through the snow and cold, looking for a damn tree. And every tree he finds, she's got some problem with. But to go with it, she's not providing any concrete suggestions for what else to look for. She just answers with standard responses that the guy out freezing in the forest is supposed to interpret!!

What a god damn stupid commercial. I bloody hate it!!

Who's with me? Kill the bitch on the couch or make them stop playing the commercial!!!

http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/hotgossipb3

The flash from a photographer's camera has illuminated a shine on Lindsay Lohan's head that looks like the symbol from Star Trek.

Welcome to Loserville.

Population = me

Muppet News Flash!!!

http://www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/article.asp?id=37328

I built the membrane plant for both the Associated/Yellow Quill, and Bullee/Maple Creek project. Where's my cookie!?!?!

Good Ideas from Bad Technicians

If you are given the chance, here are my suggestions for software to select, for your new DVD burner.

DO get ICopyDVDs2.

do NOT get DVDXCopy Express

DO get Sonic MyDVD

do NOT get B.H.A. including B's Clips.

I hate that stupid B.H.A. crap. I'm trying to do something really basic. All I wanna do is write to my newly purchased DVD+RW discs. I install the packet writing software that came with the drive awhile ago, but never tried the facility. I had the Sonic software at work, and I use the packet writing daily, for my engineering files. Its awesome. No muss, no fuss, its just works. Now I screw around with this B.H.A. software and it wants to give me a rash. SCREW THAT!!! I've bought 3 DVD burners, at least one of them must have the Sonic software. Found one, installed, rebooting and Voila! Its works like a charm.

So, to recap:

DO get ICopyDVDs2.

do NOT get DVDXCopy Express

DO get Sonic MyDVD

do NOT get B.H.A. including B's Clips.

Blog Question Of The Day

Why is the symbol for Canadian Tire reminiscient of a Yield sign?

Am I the only one that notices the irony in the move, The Rundown, that stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson?

'The Rock' plays Beck, a man indentured to a rather smarmy boss. This boss tasks Beck with a variety of unpleasant jobs, and one's that Beck has a moral or personal reason to not want to complete. And underlining all of these assignments is the carrot that, if he just does 'one more job' then he'll be free. So Beck takes every assignment, hoping that it can be the last, and he can pursue his true passion.

And what is the assignment that makes up the bulk of the plot in 'The Rundown'? Beck heads to the jungles of Brazil, to rescue the bosses son. What is the scenario that Beck finds in Brazil? A cruel, heartless boss figure is taking advantage of an indigent population. Paying them meagre salaries, while charging them fees to complete the work. The basic premise being, Beck must rescue this natives from the heartless ruler, who makes his wealth off the back of the disenfranchised.

Vince McMahon is listed as an 'Executive Producer' on The Rundown. Is it just me or are the parallels not vivid and striking?

I wanna be a super-hero!




I shall call myself . . . FATMAN!!!!!

Note to self: Don't go back to your computer to chat online with your friends, when you have something in the oven that you only intend to 'brown'.

What the hell is wrong with Hotmail!?!

I have my main, MSN - Hotmail, account that I use consistently. I'm on the road a lot, and logging in from different places, so its the account I use, to keep current, on all the issues that are going on in my world. If I'm away, all my friends and family now to copy that account, so I will get their message.

I use that Hotmail account a lot. There's usually at least a couple important emails in there, everyday. On that account I am still at the measly 2 MB of storage.

I have a second Hotmail account that I created. My main one 'disappeared' one day, and I was in a panic about having lost my significant 'online' presence. I log into the account daily, just to keep it current. They bumped up my limit on that account to 250 MB.

I can't switch, because my Hotmail address is now a significant identity representation of me. But they didn't give me the free, storage upgrade. Can I chalk this up to more Microsoft idiocy, and call them butt-munches again!?!

I need a no BS assessment of the following situation.

Is it gay that I like the movie 'A Walk To Remember'?

I need someone to explain something to me.

Didn't we go through this long, arduous, heart wringing session about a North American Free Trade Agreement about 15 years ago? Wasn't the whole point of the agreement, and the vicious lobbying on both sides of it, to arrive at an contract about who could assign fees, and to what commodity? The ultimate goal of the project being, a transaction that was province to province, or state to state, was to be the same as one that crossed the international border between Canada and the United States?

So what the HELL is the deal with the US imposing duties on things, such as softwood lumber? And why do we have to entertain the notion of countervailing trade penalties, to other US commodities, as retaliation? Wasn't the damn deal that was so fracturous when it was negotiated, supposed to prevent this exact thing from happening?

I boils down to this. The Americans are wrong. They've been told they are wrong, on numerous occasions, every time this has reached a global tribunal. What's the point of negotiating things with the Americans, if they have no interest in living up to the agreement when it doesn't cut their way?

Can someone please help me? I have grown weary of the pounding torture I am inflicting upon myself. If anyone has some thoughts on how to cease my infuriating desire to deliver pain onto myself, I would thank you for the mercy.

That is all.

I just had an interesting thought.

What would happen if, the next time the Americans went to the polls, it was Condoleeza Rice for the Republicans and Hillary Clinton for the Democrats? Would the entire country self destruct with no old, white man on the ballot?

Tonight's Grey Cup game served to prove that there is justice in the universe. The B.C. Lions were not able to use their 'free ride' to the grey Cup, to claim the championship. Nor was last week's hero, Duncan O'Mahony, able to perform under pressure. Let it be noted that he missed a kick of similar distance to Paul McCallum's, and arguably an easier one, as he was lined up straight at the goal posts.

In summation:

WAY TO GO ARGOS!!!!!

You see, this is why I have such an undying hatred for drunk people.

Concert tonight at Sask. Place (I know, I know, I'll get used to Credit Union Centre eventually). The Tragically Hip were tonight's band de la nuit. Something of an older favorite, as The Hip's popularity seems to have faded into the memory of the people my age. Still a big name in Canadian musical circles, but they just don't have the street cred with the yungin's. And lets face it, its the chillin's that set the bar for what's hot, and what's not.

But I digress . . .

The point I was getting to is, The Tragically Hip are a band for older people. And by older I mean, 30+. We remember who the Hip are, and were, and it makes us nostalgic for our youth. We shell out the bucks to attend their concert. And, as we're now into our 4th decade on the planet, we have a lot of the, mad-fat-cash, that we didn't have in our teen years. This opens up the facility to spend a lot of it on alcohol.

(I promise, we'll get to the drunk people part yet)

The concert was not exceptionally busy. Not that I really expected it to blow me away. It was a given as we began, that the show was not sold out. (on a completely unrelated note, I kinda wish I'd been in the audience. The Hip are a favorite of mine, even if they have faded into insignificance) Estimates were between 5,000 and 6,000. We were well staffed to handle the request for libations.

Now, the Hip come on, and the bars close. This is standard operating procedure. The concourse goes black, and all the food and beverage services shut down for the evening. This darkness is important to note. Everything closes, all the people go away, and I find myself alone at the bar.

(I have to digress again, for another comment that is not salient to my main goal with this post. Are the security staff at Credit Union Center not the most useless bags of snot that ever existed? When you don't need them, they are right there, to enforce a bar closing that some idiot in security just pulled out of his ass. But when the bar management decides they wanna close up shop, the dumb security bastards are a easy to find as a gay lobbyist at George W. Bush's inauguration)

Back to my story . . .

Its pitch black. (remember how I said this was important) I've even gone to the trouble of taking out the flourescent light in the fridge. There's not a soul around on the concourse. I am paying NO attention to the floor, or any possible other people. And they STILL stand at the bar, wait for me to turn around, and want to know if they can have a beer.

Does alcohol make you THAT stupid? This happens every time. The bars close, and there are still idiots roaming the deserted concourse, looking for a way to inebriate themselves. Go watch the damn show! Its the reason you paid all that money to be here. If you just wanted to drink beer, the price of your ticket would have probably bought at least four dozen beer at the liqour store. Not withstanding is the vast number of $5 bills you probably lost to my fellow bar staff, as they served you drinks at the new, and easily divisble, total.

Am I not righteous in my indignation?

The only problem with vegetables in your sandwich is, they tend to make it a lot more slippery, and prone to falling apart.

By the way, I knew Casey Printers would win CFL Most Outstanding Player.

Blog Question Of The Day:

Should I transplant the parts from the 'Blue Furnace' into the leftover computer case I have (shell from the Linux box that had an exploding power supply) to see if that eliminates the heat problems I had with that unit from day one?

Hopefully most of you will be watching the Grey Cup on CBC, when they kick the ball off Sunday afternoon. Those of you that do will probably notice the preponderance of Subway commercials. During the division finals, it seemed like every second commercial was for the barbeque steak and monterey cheese sub.

Word to the wise, it is NOT as good as it looks in the commercial.

I ordered one today. Point A - it is not sliced pieces of beef, like it appears in the commercial. It is the usual ice cream scoop of processed beef. Nor is the cheese as vibrant as in the commercial. And finally, the advertised toasting is not NEARLY worthy of that many commercials. Frankly, my sub didn't feel toasted so much as it seemed to have dried the outer shell, leaving the usual damp moistness to the bun.

Bottom line? Subway is good, but don't go out of your way for any of their new offerings.

That's all for me. I'm out.

Watching the Riders is a lot like getting a lap dance. You see a whole lot of action, get really excited, but you never score.

If we can't laugh at homosexuals, what good are they?

Blog Question Of The Day:

Would my autobiography be an interesting book to read?

You'd think I'd be able to relax now.

I completed my goal for the week. Two projects closing their tender this week. I have, at least preliminarily, secured both projects. Approximate total sales, $300,000.

So why hasn't my headache gone away? I really wanted (and to a certain degree needed) these two projects. They've been keeping me awake, with tension and nervousness for about a week.

Now I have them. So why am I not relaxing? I'm still tense. I still have a headache, and I can still feel the burn in my chest from the ulcer. What the hell is going on?

Maybe, as it was so eloquently put by a friend, I just need to 'get a piece'. . .




I'll console myself with the money.

Toodles!!!

Blog Question Of The Day:

Would a shot for shot remake of 'The Breakfast Club' keep its relevance in contemporary society, or would it seem dated and odd?

Until tomorrow at 2:00, if you need me, I'll be on the phone.

I am listening to MP3's, the same as I do every workday. However, as I listen, I had a thought.

Do you think any of these girls are gonna regret the public image they are currently putting out there for the world? I know that time tends to add a wistful sheen to the indescretions of the past. Some things don't heal though. Tattoo's are forever (or at least the removal scar will be). Sixteen different piercings? Undisciplined romps through the totality of eligible (and not so much, in Britney's case) of celebrity men.

I konw its a double standard. Men should be held to similar standards of behaviour. Maybe its just media coverage, but our young, former ingenue, female stars seem to have all gotten the same unbridled disease. They are poking holes in unmentionable body parts, stealing husbands/fathers, buying stupid expensive items, starting verbal wars with people they don't even know in any way other than as a name in a celebrity journal. And they all have tattoo's. (I think its sexy at 20 but what about at 60?

Someday they're gonna be mom's. For every cool mom, like a Pamela Anderson, there's going to be a thousand others that will live a life of driving their child to soccer, attending parent-teacher interviews, and buying groceries at Safeway. Do you really wanna live this hard, and wild, when the light of celebrity will inevitably fade?

Just a thought.

I hate the Riders.

Destiny Child didn't waste a bunch of money on lyrics for their new single 'Lose My Breath'

I made note of something this evening.

We have gin available, for that very rare bird that wants it. That doesn't happen very often. Nonetheless we have some at our bar (or what passes for a bar in a sports arena) The common reference to it is to call it 'liquid panty remover'.

The particular brand of 'liquid panty remover' we have right now is Beefeater. Is this just a coincidence?

Interesting . . .

New from the world of wacky coincidences:

My credit card balance right now is exactly, $999.99.

My fish died today.

His water was looking a little murky. It has for awhile actually, but I picked Friday as the day to clean his bowl. I did all the same stuff as always. Got a bowl. Filled it with permeate water. I used the room temperature tap, so he wasn't getting shocked. Filled as high as I could, then put him in. He was agitated as always, when I took him out of his bowl, but he swam around excitedly once in the temporary bowl. I started the process of cleaning his real home.

About halfway through the bowl cleansing, I took a look at my fish again. He wasn't moving. At all. I nudge the bowl, to get him to wave his fins. Nothing. He was completely dead, without possibility of revival.

I am now sad. I liked my fish. It was fun to watch him swim around in his bowl, on my desk. I could tap the glass and watch him swim when the vibrations stirred his water. He'd come to the front of the tank, and watch me for awhile. It always made me smile.

I know, its just a fish. I do, however, feel a faint urge to cry. I probably won't, but that swollen feeling that you get around your eyes, just before you start crying, is tinging my consciousness as I write this.

I don't know what I did wrong. I must have done something, because he died only after I moved him from his home. Was it the bowl? Was it moving him? (but he survived the move before) Was it the water? (I used 'pure' water, the same as always) I just don't know. I am a fish killer. I don't like knowing that.

Thoughts?

How am I supposed to take a spam message seriously when they can't even get the spelling right on a word as simple as 'grand'?

Take a look at the GROSSEST thing EVER!!!

Gross!!!

Somebody needs to explain this to me, right away. I'm about to blow an O-ring here with irritation.

I have a little package of M&M's that I want to eat. This is one of those snack-sized M&M packages that come out around Halloween, for inclusion in children's candy hordes.

How the hell is a kid supposed to get into these? The package is sealed better than Fort Knox!!! I'm going insane trying to pull it apart, and I can't do it. And I'm a full grown adult! How's a kid supposed to get this open?

That's it! Where's the ginsu!?!

Blog Question Of The Day:

It is my intention to buy a deep freeze in the near future. (1-2 weeks) How large of a unit should I purchase?

Today is the perfect example of why I am against the use of virus protection software. If you give someone a program, and tell them that it will prevent viruses from getting onto their computer, they assume that its infallible.

Viruses, and virus protection programs, are all created by humans. For every virus written by a human, another human must write the code to block it. Despite the euphemistic term we've stolen, to describe the situation, what we have here is software written by people, for people, and abused by people. Your computer is not sentient. It does not know a good program from a bad one. As well, the software you buy to protect yourself is not sentient. It can not tell a good program from a virus. You, or someone who wrote it for you, is giving the software rules for allowing, or disallowing the execution of a program. The virus program does not know right from wrong, good from evil. It only knows the rules you've given it. Thus it is as completely under your control as a game, a spreadsheet, or a word processor.

This happens all the time. People get viruses and without fail they say, but I have a virus blocker!?! And it with that plaintive cry of the righteous victim. Yes, you got a virus. Yes, you got a virus despite having an anti-virus program. I can almost guarantee it will happen again, if you don't learn from this experience of getting a virus on your computer. Bottom line is, YOU control your computer. It does not control itself. If you want to prevent getting viruses, don't do stupid things. Don't open weird attachments in your email. Don't assume every joke that is sent your way, is safe. Don't click pop-ups on your desktop. Dont, DON'T, DON't!!! assume you are safe because you have anti-virus software.

The most effective, and easy method of preventing the spread of computer viruses, or becoming infected yourself is by, NOT BEING A STUPID PERSON!!!!!

Do you think the SaskTel mail server admin gets mad when I bang the Send/Recieve button about 50 times in a row?

In honor of today's win by the Riders I am having a mug of green Kool-Aid. Who's with me?

Grant's blog has taken Friday off due to an abundance of irritation.

Check back later to see if he's over it.

I think I've figured out why babies are so irritating.

I was sitting in Pizza Hut this afternoon, waiting for my P'zone for lunch. Getting one was my brilliant idea that I came up with, as I was on my way to Subway. That's not part of the story. I'm waiting in the Pizza Hut and this baby is just WAILING, like someone was beating it like a screen door. The worst, more incisive howl you'll ever hear.

Then I had an epiphany.

Babies are irritating because they just make noise. When a baby screams like that, they don't say anything useful. You can't glean a distinguishable cause of the crying. They just bawl. It is possible to figure out what is making them cry, if you analyze the surroundings, or witness the babies actions. But I, sitting around the wall and down a hall from this screeching bag of flesh, had no ability to discern the reason, and therefore remedy the problem. And I dearly wanted to, because the noise was giving me a severe pain. Throttling the child was given serious consideration.

So where does that leave us? I think we have to outlaw babies in public. If kept in a closed, well supervised area, babies are less likely to meet incidental hazards. Less hazards means a reduced potential for causing howls. And less howling bags of flesh will improve the quality of life for all of us that know how to speak a civilized tongue.

Who is with me on banning babies in public? Show of hands?

Grant's Rule Of Trade Show Behaviour:

The level of interest in the exhibits is directly proportional to the price of beer.

Greetings from Saskatoon!

Its been a weird day. Got up and went to work this morning, the same as usual. Got there and all hell broke loose.

Turns out I was going to a trade show. Pony up all the horses to get into Saskatoon for that.

Now everyone is interested in making Cowessess start before the end of next week. I hear nothing from no one for a month, now I'm supposed to be done. Whatever.

Tim pulled together a huge amount of info about the system in Ste. Rose Du Lac and wanted my time to talk about it. I did the best I could for him, but I was under the crunch for this trade show thing.

I had calls from the previous day to sort out, involving billing and repair work. That had to be summarized and presented to someone to phone about today.

Once the Cowessess ball was put into play, everyone needed to talk to me, about how it was all going to fit together. Meanwhile I'm being prodded to hurry up and go to Saskatoon for the trade show set up.

Finally I said screw it, and just left. As I drove I thought of more things that I was leaving unfinished, so as soon as I had cell coverage (thanks for the dead spots SaskTel) I made some calls to get other things arranged, in my absence.

Whew! I'm tired just typing it all. The show wraps up at 12:00 tomorrow, so with a little luck, I can be back in my seat of power before the end of the day. All to get more things accomplished.

If you need me, I'll be the guy getting oxygen at the end of the bench.

The more elections we have, and the more times we go to the electorate for direction on the future course of humanity, the more it becomes achingly clear that the average citizen is ill-equipped to make such an important decision.

We have tests, trials, and various other methods of determining if someone is skilled enough to handle a job. Why then is the American presidency little more than a popularity contest?

There needs to be some measure of competency before allowing someone to be president.

Someone wake me before Armageddon starts . . .

Blog Recommendation Of The Day:

I am giving a hearty thumbs up to Subway's new, Chicken Bacon Ranch sandwich. It's a little more money than some other selections, but its sure tasty. Go out and get one yourself! (especially Melt girls)

Saturday October 30, 2004
B.C. Place - Vancouver

B.C. Lions 40 Saskatchewan Roughriders 38

Geroy Simon catches 13 yard pass, for a touchdown with 00:00 on the clock.

I hate the Riders.

I'm not a huge fan of this phone my parents have down here in the den. It has a red light on it, that flashes when its logged a call that hasn't been acknowledged. The damn thing reminds me of my office phone, that also blinks a red light when I have a message. I sit here and I'm constantly looking to the phone, thinking I need to check my voice mail.

I am firmly of the opinion that, you shouldn't be allowed to release a, greatest hits, album until you're dead. It is only with a death certificate that we can be reasonably sure (Tupac Shakur exempted of course, that guy won't go away) that you won't present any news hits.

Who's with me?

At the end of the day, you HAVE to respect a band that can make your clothing vibrate when you're standing still BEHIND the stage.

Red Sox win!

Red Sox win!! Red Sox win!!

Red Sox win!! Red Sox win!!! Red Sox win!!!

World Series - Game Four
Bottom of the 5th Inning
Mabry at the plate

That was a bad call.

Why does Tim McCarver have to make so many asinine comments during the course of a baseball game? His contribution by way of 'analysis' is often, 'he needs to throw a strike here' when the pitcher has the bases loaded and a 3-0 count on the hitter. We know that you idiot! Say something insightful, when you have some insight. Don't make a comment just to fill empty air.

G & M Word(s) Of The Day:

cracker
ass-bag

Blog Question Of The Day:

Has anyone heard from Sean this week? It is out of character for him to go so completely under the radar. If you've heard from him, or are him, please pass along to me.

Thanks!

Is it odd to crave scrambled eggs at 11:00 in the evening?

Show of hands . . .

Who remembers shrinking Old Dutch chip bags in the oven?

Tonight, as I sit here in my living room, watched the Red Sox beat the Cardinals, I find myself contemplating my purpose on this planet. I have a job, but is that who I am? I have a family, is that what defines me? I have friends, but can they put that magical 'it' into the place that seems hollow?

I want something. I can't describe what it is. Its an emotion; a feeling. I know its there, and its absence pains me. But how do I acquire something, when I can't understand it well enough to ask someone for it?

I think I've found a place where I can get it. But its not so easy as just saving the money, and going to the store. It has to be earned. And therein lies the fatal flaw in this experiment they call life. I seem unequipped to cultivate the last remaining piece to the puzzle that is me.

Changes.

Grant's Rant - October 25, 2004

I go to Future Shop in September to get an air conditioner that is at a good price. $320 for a 10,000 BTU unit. That's better than the $500 I've seen elsewhere. They don't have any in the store. They will have to order one in. Would I like to make payment to confirm the order? Yes, I want the no-interest, no payment, plan that is available with a Future Shop Credit account. Done and done! I go home to await my A/C unit.

Its now the end of October. No A/C unit. However, Future Shop Credit sends me a statement. We'd like you to make a payment on your air conditioner purchase Mr. Guenther.

WHOA!!!

I call Future Shop credit. Hi, I'd like to know what the deal is about asking me for a payment on my account when you haven't actually shipped the unit in question.

Their response?

I'm sorry sir, this is Future Shop Credit. We just take your money. We have no interest in delivering your product. Pay us or go talk to your Future Shop store.

Future Shop = GAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blog Joke Of The Day:
(as provided by M. Bodman)

I'm tired because I'm overworked!

Here's why:
The population of Canada is 30 million. 11 million are retired, that leaves 19 million to do the work.

There are 5.5 million in school, which leaves 13.5 million to do the work. Of this there are 3 million employed by the federal government, leaving 10.5 million to do the work.

1 million are in the armed forces preoccupied with killing terrorists, which leaves 9.5 million to do the work.

Take from that total the 7 million people who work for Provincial and city Governments, and that leaves 2.5 million to do the work.

At any given time there are 476,000 people in hospitals, leaving 2,024,000 to do the work.

Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons and 812,000 on Employment Insurance and Welfare. That leaves just two people to do the work.

You and me.

And there you are sitting on your ass, at your computer, reading jokes. Nice. Real nice.

I had a thought this evening, as I was making up my bed again. I am not sure why I came to this conclusion, at the time that I did, but I continued to think about it, as I finished my housebold chores.

What if monogamy is a male concept?

This suggestion would seem to be counter-intuitive. Men are the dogs that want to be out in the world, screwing anything that moves and instinctually 'spreading their seed'. This seems to be a commonly believed, and held to be true, concept. No one ever challenges it. But is it really a fair assumption?

Are women monogamous by design or by circumstance?

Have you ever noticed that most women want, and almost need, lots of friends. They aren't happy unless there are a wide variety of people that like them, and look out for their well-being. It seems far more important, for women, to be thought of as 'nice' or a 'desirable person'. They don't all pursue this goal the same way. Some mistakenly think they can accomplish this by sleeping around. Regardless of the means, the goal is still the same. She wants to be liked.

The common preconception is, a man does not want to commit. The cliche scenario is a woman complaining to her friends (notice the plural) that her current man just won't commit to her. It is thought that the inability to commit is just a male trait. Has anyone studied this? Is it not more likely that the man is just being cautious. Commitment is a big deal. Might it not be a more reasonable assumption to believe that, men do not commit easily, but remain resolute through more adversity?

I'm not suggesting that either gender less morally sound. It is just an observation that I made. The comparison is, women need lots of friends, and men seem only to need enough for a poker game. Which pattern of behaviour seems more monogamous.

Food for thought.

Update on Yesterday's Bet:

He did not go snowmobiling, although he would have, had his machines been snow-worthy. He did ride his quad though, I couldn't that 50%.

Only one person was willing to bet. That was my Mom. I owe you $5, and you owe me $5, since it was a split. How about we shake hands and write off the debts?

I have in my possession one crisp, legal tender, ten dollar bill that I am willing to bet against anyone that wants to contest my theory that my boss took today off so he could go snowmobiling.

Any takers?

Not that I'm complaining (which I'm certainly not because I must confess that growing up she was one of my teenage crushes) but when did the powers that be decide Christina Applegate was due for a comeback, and should appear in so many high profile movies!?!

Does the following situation seem like one that should be cause for concern?

I was lying on the weight bench today at lunch. I was pausing between repetitions on bench presses. As I lay there I looked up into the pattern of the stipple, in my textured ceiling. As I looked up, I came to see a pattern in the randomness. I thought I saw what I could have sworn was an evil clown. It was grinning devilishly, and had a cruel gleam in its eye, beneath the conical hat it wore.

Snow

A Haiku poem by Grant

I really hate snow
Its cold and gets slippery
Please go away snow

Okay, I just want to go on the record and say, I am NOT suicidal.

So I'm drilling some holes in my arm chair this afternoon. Fairly innocent task to be accomplishing. The 20 year old furniture castors on this chair have been broken for awhile. I have been negligent in making good on the needed repair. I am on a general improvement kick lately, so I thought I'd do this work on my chair.

I'm using my drill, for one of the first 10 times since I got it for Christmas. (I don't do home improvement tasks very often) The fault with giving me a power tool is, I'm unlikely to go buy accessories for it. Thus, all I have for drill bits are some dollar store ones that I got at the time I got the drill.

Without an alternative, I begin drilling holes with the largest of these drill bits. Its going reasonably well. How hard is drilling holes in a 2x4? I finish the first side, and switch to the second. All of a sudden the task of drilling holes becomes difficult. For some reason this piece of wood is extremely hard. I've drilled through steel with more success than I was having with this piece of wood. I get to one hole and there is so much resistance to my drilling efforts that smoke is emanating from the hole.

Then something weird happened. It kinda makes sense, when you think about the physics of something. But still, when something weird happens, you can't help but be surprised.

The drill bit bent. 90 degree right turn angle, in the split of an instant. This, however, would not alone be enough to necessitate a blog entry, or the inclusion of my warning at the beginning of this note. The truly eye-opening thing that came out of this little misadventure is, I ended up drilling my wrist with the drill. No, I did not put a hole clear through the wrist. However, what was accomplished, was I peeled open a nice wound. Again, not that noteworthy, in and of itself. However, as I'm washing the blood off my arm, (and there was a lot of it) I happened to take note of the actual location of the wound. Standing up proudly, a blue-ish outline of my arterial vein was throbbing methodically not 5 millimeters (or so) from the location of the inadvertent puncture wound to my arm.

The frightening coincidences that make up our daily lives . . .

Why do the Red Sox have to SUCK so much!?!?!?!?!

As I'm doing football this afternoon, a thought has occurred to me.

Why are we still using the, let the ref eyeball it, method of determining the line of scrimmage? With GPS, laser diode surveying, and all the other tricks and technological innovations that there are in the world, shouldn't we be doing something about the inequity in terms of setting the line of scrimmage?

Why not put some kind of sensor in the ball? Give the linesman a handheld reciever and instead of eyeballing it, he can know the precise location of the ball, at all times. Put some decent software on the device, and it'll tell him the farthest point achieved by the ball, and the location can be known precisely. Then we don't need this stupidity of arguing about the spot of the ball, especially on short yardage situations. Haven't we all groaned as we've watched the refs mark the ball 3 chain links short of a first down? Its stupid and bizarre that we've let this idiocy continue as long as we have.

TELK - bringing good ideas to you since 1982.

I have the TV on CBC this afternoon. Toronto and Calgary are playing in the CBC's Saturday football game. The game comes on, and Toronto has to kick off, to start the game. Noel Prefontaine gets the ball on the tee, and lines up for the kick. As he walks back from tee, pacing of the distance he needs to wind up for the kick, the signs along the stands of McMahon are readable. This occurence would not ordinarily require a blog entry. However, one particular sign caught my attention, as Prefontaine stopped, and prepared to kick-off. Behind him, along the bleachers was the following corporate sign:

BJ Services
Corporation Canada

And I LAUGHED MY ASS OFF!!!!!

How do you expect to make a viable enterprise out of an 8 page newspaper in rural Saskatchewan?

Why are shirt tags on the back of the collar?

Blog Question Of The Day:

Why do drummers put tape on their drums?

I never got around to blogging last night. I meant to, but when I had a few moments to type something up, I found myself doing other things. So, we will have a schizophrenic collection of random thoughts on this Thursday morning.

Vanilla Pepsi is way better than Vanilla Coke. My recommendation is to chill it significantly. Put it in the freezer (be careful with this because frozen, and then thawed pop is not as good) Get it icy cold and then drink it. Man, its almost as good as an ice cream float!

Do fish have testicles?

I need some advice, if anyone has any to spare. I do a lot of driving. And since there's nothing else to do, I do a lot of thinking while I drive. I have some good ideas. My trouble is, how do I make a note of them, while I drive? I haven't found a method that works really well. Suggestions anyone?

I am not ready for snow.

Work is intruding. More later.

I thought that the, fly in the TV, thing was a one time only occurence last summer. I watched this TV all the way through the summer and no flies. Now the calendar has rolled over into October. And much to my surprise and chagrin, there is ANOTHER fly in my TV. I much confess that is really pisses me off. If its outside the TV, I could just get a swatter and mash the damn thing. But its inside and I can't get the little bastard!

I believe I will name 2004's fly Oscar. Everyone say hello.

Blog Question Of the Day:

Should I password protect my PDA?

Does anyone know where my NHL 2003 and NHL 2004 disks are!?!

"Do you want to watch cheese, or snow?"

"It's only a flesh wound!"

"I think he's gonna pork her"

If any of these quotes make sense to you, then you're a child of the 80's.

Not to diminish the sorrowful hardship of people that have been sexually violated, but I have an inkling of what that experience might feel like. I just spent $10.65 for a common, household, wire mesh strainer.

Goal for the summer of 2005:

Go to a REAL amusement park for a day

Who's with me?

I'm going to have to give an enthusiastic thumbs up to the Delissio pizza that gets advertised on TV so painfully often. Yes, the commercials are irritating, and too frequent, but as freezer ready pizza's go, the Delissio is top notch.

Toodles!

Blog Survey of the Week:

With the playoffs now on TV, and the announcement of my beloved Expos only a recent memory, I am brought to the following question.

Now that the Montreal Expos are no more, to whom do I switch my allegiance?

Blog Question Of The Day:

Will Tiger Woods golf better, now that he's resolved the marriage situation?

Now a question for just the girls!

How important is ear hygiene to a man's attractiveness?

*** UPDATE ***

As previously mentioned, I FINALLY began the, improve my lifestyle, plan on Monday. It is now mid-week and I can confirm that I have fulfilled the exercise component of the plan for 3 days in a row. The eat better plan is also going well, as I've found some tasty treats in my house but have rationed my consumption.

Things look good, but its early. Stay tuned.

Blog Question Of The Day:

Am I too open, honest, or forgiving?

Today is the first day of playoffs in Major League Baseball. As it is the season, every professional, semi-professional and rank amateur has advanced who they think will win each series, and how the next month of baseball will turn out, as the competitors have been reduced to eight.

I will advance a different question. As the powers that be have killed the one and only baseball team I have ever cared about, I am left in need of a team to cheer for. Why not begin that look in the 2004 playoffs?

New York Yankees versus the Minnesota Twins

For me this is a no brainer. Tara would disagree with me on this one (sorry sweetie) but I gotta pick the Twins. The Yankees are like Goliath. They are always the favorite and its so nice to see them taken down. Will it happen? It might, as these Yankees are not the same as the ones that obliterated teams in previous years. Nevertheless, my cheering will be directed in favor of the Twins.

Boston Red Sox versus the Anaheim Angels

I'm torn on this one. I like both teams. In direct opposition to why I have to cheer against the Yankees, I must cheer for the Red Sox. They have been a good team at so many times in their history, only to be turned back at the last mile, the victims of the so called 'curse'. I hope they win every time they get to the playoffs.

But I also like the Angels. I know they've won the World Series since their inception, but they still have that veneer of the under-dog. I can feel it, but I can't explain it. When it comes to playoff time, I'm still impressed they made it in, and I can't help but root for them.

This series will be interesting for me.

Houston Astros versus Atlanta Braves

This one is a no-brainer, much like the Yankee series. The Braves do nothing but irritate me. In the first place they have always won the division that my beloved Expos have competed in. Except for 1994 when Major League Baseball and the Players Union conspired to prevent the Expos from winning the World Series, and thus continuing the streak of Canadian teams holding the baseball championship. That particular conspiracy I will elaborate another day. None of that has anything to do with why I hate the Braves. Enough already! Let's get someone else from the NL East into the playoffs.

I did not mean to disregard the reasons for cheering for the Astros. I like the team. They even made me like Roger Clemens, which didn't happen when he played for the Blue Jays. I could easily cheer for the Astros in the World Series final.

St. Louis Cardinals versus Los Angeles Dodgers

This one kinda goes under my radar. I haven't got much of a sentiment for either team. All my thoughts about either team are rooted way back in my childhood history. I could cheer for the Cardinals, but I could similarly cheer for the Dodgers. After a few moments contemplation I still do not know who I like more. Can they tie a series?

Now that I've bored you all, I will go. If you need me, I'll be in front of the TV, checking the score.

Blog Question Of The Day:

Visions in Saskatoon, on Saturday morning, had the Phillips 642 DVD players in stock, for $109 a piece. This is the DVD player that will play ANY format. Should I get in a panic to pick one up ASAP?

Good eeeeeeeevening

(Sorry, having a Flintstones moment there. Remember the episode where Fred thinks his new neighbor killed his wife?)

Slow day in news, with the exception of one thing. I finally began the exercise plan I've been talking about for so long. Its not much but, I got in 20 minutes on the exercise bike and with my weight set. If things follow my plan, a heavy bag will be added in the near future.

Toodles!

Blog Question Of The Day:

Would you drink a beer that had a fly in it?

Another snippet of my life, brought to you in photographic form

A Milestone

For the more statistical minded of you, a few thoughts on this 40,000 km milestone. That is my contract limit number of kilometers for the Trailblazer, on the lease. Actually, that's 1/3 of my 3 year total, so it works out to being my Year 1 allotment of kilometers. I just entered my 12th month of the lease, so everything from here until November 1 is over the 'budget' limit.

Which, I suppose brings us to a Blog Question Of The Day, even though I hadn't been intending one.

Should I invest in a second vehicle, to defray this overage on lease kilometers?

Answer as always. Toodles!

What's the deal with all these beheadings? Most of them are coming out of Iraq, but the concept itself seems popular among all terrorist organizations. Why beheading? Are they looking for some kind of gratuitious form of vulgar aggression? I don't understand what is their motivation behind this kind of violent display.

I think I see where they are going with these actions. They think, as erroneous as it is proving to be, that by randomly executing innocent civilians, that they can force remote governments to do what they want. I have two problems with this logic, and the continuing use of it.

a) its not working
b) its too extreme

Its not working. They keep beheading people they pull of the street, and nobody is evacuating the country. All that's happening is poor, innocent people, that committed no crime beyond being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, are losing their heads. Fine, if you think it will work, chop off a couple heads. But, after doing that, if you're not getting results, I really think logic dictates that you try another approach.

Which brings me to my second point. Its far too extreme a thing to do. Nobody is going to act the way you want them to, based on the threat. The threat is so far beyond what any rational person could concieve doing, that its not really a valid threat. No one acutally BELIEVES you'll do it, so they don't take action to halt the behaviour. Then, you chop off the innocent person's head, thus proving your point and validating it as a threat. Now you've created a new problem for yourself.

Once you've cut off the head, any sense of duty a government might feel, to prevent other beheadings, is washed away by the revulsion a rational person feels at having witnessed such a shocking behavior. No rational person will concede the point to you, and give in to the demand to prevent beheadings. Instead it prompts outrage, and a desire for swift and brutal retribution.

So you're end up screwed. You can't threaten beheading, and have people give in to your demands, because you're commitment isn't believed. You can't behead someone and force anyone to act in any way besides out of anger or a sense of retribution. So really, what is this beheading nonsense accomplishing?

Can someone explain to me what the deal is with deer? Don't these stupid animals ever sleep!?!

I'm driving home tonight, around 1:30 in the pitch black morning. On my way from Rosetown to Saskatoon you have to pass through this nature preserve, or whatever the hell they want to call it. Anyway there's the obligatory 'deer ahead' signs, to be acknowledged as you pass into Hell's obstacle course.

Its 1:30 in the morning. Why aren't these stupid animals sleeping!?! I see three or four of them, wandering around somewhat aimlessly in the ditch. Someone smacked one earlier in the day, as the carcass, and its blood, are spilled over the asphalt. You'd think the deer would sleep at night, when they get a rest from the relentless pursuit of hunters keen for a set of antlers or some meat for sausage. Nope, deer are party animals, using the cloak of darkness to play suicide games on human roads.

Stupid animals. Why haven't we hunted them to extinction?

So, what's the average length of freight trains these days? TWENTY-SIX MILES like the one I had to wait 14 minutes for this evening!!!

You are never more indignant than when you have to wait for a train, with your final destination being within a 9 irons distance of the train that you have to wait the better part of 15 minutes for.

What are five goals that you would like to accomplish in the next year?

I don't really want to do it, because of all the places there is to get one, I like this brand the best. But I have to give a, thumbs down, to today's Subway Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki. I don't think the girl that made it, remembered to cook the chicken first.

I was flipping through some of the pictures I have stored on my hard drive. There's a lot of stuff on there. I am sometimes amazed by what I have, that I don't remember, and how I can not find some things I would have sworn should have been available. I probably need to trim the archive just a bit, and get some stuff on active storage, and into offline storage. Bygones.

I was looking at pictures of Avril Lavigne, since I added four pictures to that directory this morning. Has anyone ever looked closely at the girls smile? If you can, find a picture where she's smiling (I know, she is rarely shown in a 'happy' state). Take a look at her grin, when she is flashing her teeth. Doesn't it kinda look like she has vampire teeth!?!

Just a thought for a Saturday morning.

Blog Question Of The Day:

What does sex feel like, from the female perspective?

I just finished dealing with my laundry. One load of darks. I don't wear a lot of white. It usually takes me a couple or three weeks to use up enough white clothes to make a load. None of this has anything to do with what I actually meant to blog about.

I was folding my clothes to hang in the closet. I had three pair of jeans that made it to the wash this week. I was holding them up, to shake the wrinkles out and I took a look at them from the rear. Christ is the ass on my pants ever huge! Why didn't someone tell me I had such an enormous ass!?! You people let me down.

Toodles!

Okay! We get it! Take the blue pill and you'll get a boner. Can we please not be subjected to all that horrendous singing!?!

Blog Question Of The Day:

Should I hire someone to clean my house (dust, vacuum, mop) once a month?

I am officially depressed.

I got up this morning with some reluctance. I'm not sleeping as well as I'd like. I seem to wake up before I have to, and there's no going back to sleep. That's not the depressing part.

I did my usual routine, and was ready to leave for work at 7:55. I opened the door and went outside.

My windows were frosted over. Its September 21 and I HAD to scrap. All windows not directly facing sunlight were completely covered in frost. I had no choice but to scrap.

I consider this depressing. I would like to think we could still entertain the notion of wearing shorts. Instead we get frosted windows. I hate that. I'd go back to bed and pull the covers over my head, but I'd just lie there thinking about how rotten it is that my windows have to be scrap.

I wanna blame someone for this situation. Anyone know a good receptor for my anger?

Warranty Action Notice
URGENT

Booster Pumps Inoperable

Please find attached Warranty Action Notice #51
The operator reports that booster pump #690 will not operate due to line fault (error F29). Back up pump is not available due to recent piping defect.

The above items must be remedied immediately.

The Contractor shall forward to the Engineer upon completion of the defects, a report detailing the work required to remedy the problem.

I love detergent.

It gets my clothes really clean.

All hail detergent.

I have solved the mystery of why Mountain Dew (the original) comes in a green bottle.

Have you ever poured Mountain Dew into a white cup?

Is it just me or has the advent of the internet made both the notion of, and the conversation about, porn more acceptable in polite company? It seems to me like porn has crossed into the mainstream. No, its not on regular cable, but the stigma that used to go with it, has disappeared. Anyone will, and like has, mentioned it in a conversation that had nothing to do with salaciousness. Porn seems to be just off the periphery of everyone's vision.

And I don't really think that's bad. Nothing is inherently bad. All of those classifications are human constructs. Its harmless, in and of itself. If you have a weak personality, then it is a significant problem.

Gotta go. Watching the Playboy Channel.

Who's bright idea was it that, every cute young girl who is on television, or is a blossoming star in movies, should also become a singer?

As well, who decided that every girl from the same subset as above, who has at least a modestly successful music career, should obviously branch out and into movie roles?

Singers should be singers. Actors should be actors. Celebrities should sit quietly in the corner until there is a movie opening, or some kind of awards show party that needs photogenic people. Do what you do best, and only do that. If you SUCK, stand quietly, let them take pictures, and stop bothering the rest of us with your lack of talent.

Does anyone go bowling anymore?

I have only one question for today. However, this question is of such epic enormity, it may be the only thing on my mind for the days to come.

How could anyone think 'From Justin To Kelly' was a good idea!?!?!

Tonight is the championship hockey game for the next, foreseeable future. Tomorrow the NHL falls in on itself, similar to the Las Vegas casino that is collapsed, to make way for the new.

I am excited about the World Cup game tonight. I have faith in our Canadian team. This is in direct opposition to the Riders, who I no longer have any faith in. Finland has the hottest goalie around right now, but that alone, I don't think, is enough to stop Canada. Brodeur is the best goalie in hockey, even if Kiprusoff is the current bright star. I think we will win.

What I don't think we can win is the NHL labour crisis. And I put the blame for this on the shoulders of the NHLPA. The economics for their argument don't make sense. I would further suggest that you don't have to examine any books to come to that conclusion. When the arenas aren't full for every game, and the CBC is your main source of television revenue, you can't pay million dollar salaries to every player, and superstar money to grinders that have more more penalities than goals.

I think the answer to the NHL labor crisis can be distilled into one question. The answer to the question will illuminate who needs to make the concessions necessary to see hockey played this year, or any year to follow.

Does anyone think the players deserve to keep recieving salaries that are bankrupting the league?

The Blogger Guessing Game!!!

Game time folks. We have a unique situation that is ripe for a guessing game. Here's the challenge.

A unique situation has just occurred in my cumulative appraisal of the number of liters of gas I have purchased so far in 2004. The total is a perfect multiple of 100 and 7. How many liters of gas have I purchased?

One entry per person. No asking Kevin, because I already told him the answer. Anyone that gets the question right will get a sum equal to my number of liters divided by one hundred.

Let the games begin!!

I have solved the mystery of Watson's poor radio reception.

Many of you have heard me complain about this situation before. And it always seemed so illogical. However, having done a critical examination, its not so strange that radio reception would die so quickly.

I turned my GPS to the, GPS Info page, as I came from Humboldt, to Watson, on the last leg of the trip. I turned it on between Muenster and Saint Gregor. As I came to the west 'Saint Gregor - 1' sign, my GPS said I was at an altitude of 588 meters above sea level. From this point until Watson, is 22 kilometers, if memory serves.

It went down mostly, and up very little. As I passed through Englefeld I was still about 560 meters. From there, in to Watson, the elevation dropped until I was at 548 as I parked my truck in the front of the office. 40 meters of elevation lost in 20-ish kilometers. It is no wonder I can't get anything buy CJVR.

Toodles!

I am becoming disillusioned with my Hotmail account. I never seem to get any good email to my Hotmail account. And the stuff that I do get, I can't seem to set the filters to stop. So I see '2 new e-mail messages' and I get excited, only to find that the emails in question are advertisements for mortgage loans, or some such idiocy, and Viagra messages. I may need Viagra, but I'm not getting it from a spam email source.

Perhaps I am not trawling for the right things to have delivered to my Hotmail account. Anyone have some thoughts on how to get better messages in my Hotmail account?

Toodles!

Can someone please explain to me what would be SO wrong with a salary cap!?!

I happened to be in Saskatoon this afternoon, attending meetings, fulfilling appointments, and making some calls on engineers I am currently working with, on projects. As I drove around, thinking about work, and whether to stop for Dairy Queen, I made an observation.

Is that sign, indicating traffic lights ahead, on the northbound off-ramp from Idylwyld onto Circle Drive, the oldest sign in the city? The bloody thing is all faded, and washed out. It looks like its 40 years old.

Other than that, I have nothing to say about today.

Blog Automotive Question Of The Day:

Can a car have only three cylinders?


Blog Sexuality Question Of The Day:

What's the appropriate response to the request 'eat my ass'?

Blog Question Of The Day:

If you were to subtract from your decision the monetary cost of each item, which vehicle from the following list do you think would most accurately reflect my personality:

2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer SLT (current vehicle)
2005 Ford Mustang GT
1989 Porsche 944
2005 Jeep TJ (red)
2004 Explorer Sport Trac

Or, is there something that is not on the list, that you think would be a better choice? Answer as always.

Toodles!

Kevin's Blog Question Of The Day:

Should Bob Barker switch to a wireless microphone?

Grant's Blog Question Of The Day:

Was Friends ever funny?

If you can have a sense of humor about it, getting spam in your email can provide you with a daily shot of mild amusement. Take for instance one of the spam emails I got in my inbox over the weekend:

Reply: Shy Prostitute wants to meet you

In the first place, how can you be a shy prostitute? Doesn't the career choice of prostitute mean that you can't be shy? Yes, you can, by nature, be shy and still be a prostitute. However picking that job kinda means you have to put aside your retiring inclinations, does it not?

Secondly, given that she wants to meet me, aren't we back to point number one? Okay, she's shy, but given that I'm getting this comment about 'wanting to meet me' via email, isn't it a commercial interest? If I understand the situation properly, wouldn't her interest in me be monetarily based, and thus a scenario where she can't be shy?

Like I said to start, there's amusement to be found in spam. Try it sometime. Just read a few of the headers, as they appear in your inbox. You might find a chuckle.

I gotta go. Someone just sent me an email that promises huge discounts on Viagra. I gotta check that out! Toodles!

Welcome to Grant's Casino! All the fun that's quasi-legal!!

Today's door-crasher special is our line on the 'who's gonna leave early' sweepstakes. I'm sorry but all of you that voted for Murray B or Clarence are outta luck. They bolted on the dot of 2:15.

All other 'horses' are still in the race. The odds are good on everyone but the engineer. Betting in his favor is fierce, and as such, your chances for a big pay-day are decreased. Currently he's running 1:2.

Step right up and place your bets! Winner takes all, unless you all bet the same!!

Can someone PLEASE explain this to me!?!

I wanted to wash my truck today at lunch. I like to get a wash in on Friday's, before heading into the city, just so my vehicle gets the dirt and dust cleaned off on a regular basis, and so it looks nice when I'm in town. I tend to 'go out' only on weekends, so a Friday wash works for me.

So, I get to the car wash at twenty to one this afternoon. That should be lots of time, even if there's people washing their vehicles. There were two in the bay, and two waiting, when I pulled up. However, one car was ready to go in, just as I took a place in line.

She washed her vehicle for twenty minutes. TWENTY MINUTES!!! And it wasn't dirty! And by saying that I mean, there were no boulder sized chunks of mud on the car. Which is an important stipulation to make because, someone with boulder sized junks of mud had obviously been in there this morning, because the chunks were all over the floor. (thus dragging the hose through the mud the whole time, and getting my shoes and pant legs muddy)

Just round, and round, and round she went with the rinse. She must have put 10 dollars into the thing for just rinses. Meanwhile the clock is ticking away, and now its after lunch, and not during. Of course my annoyance level goes up simultaneously. I finally got my truck washed but it was quarter after one when I was done.

For those of you that lost the faith, who didn't believe, that had given up hope, I bring you:

My Supper

I am firmly against ear wax. Who's with me?

Everyone has to try this game out!!!

Wreck him?

G&M(-M) Word Of The Day:

sad

G&M(-M) Word Of The Day:

lonely

Blog Question Of The Day:

Should I add a Yahoo group, as a companion to my blog?

Blog Poll Of The Day:

Which of the following two choices should I make, with respect to a bonus cheque I am scheduled to get, for completion of the Maple Creek project:

a) deposit the money in my savings, to cover the shortfall I've accumulated, by under-supplying my savings, per my originally allotted budget for saving
b) make a down payment on an Acer Ferarri Athlon 64 notebook computer

Now here's what I don't understand. This is not a new issue. I have never quite been able to figure this question out. And the more I try, the less sense it makes.

I'm talking about modern dance. This morning I'm sitting on the couch watching - Britney Spears: Live From Miami. Frankly, Britney has lost much of her appeal. When she was fresh, and had that veneer of playfully innocent naivete, it was nearly impossible for the ordinary male to resist her. Well, that veneer was not so much polished off, as it was aggressively scrubbed away by the seediness of a girl who's excesses were never reined in. She's something of a skank now, and if a guy wants skank, there are far more gratuitious examples that will serve better than Britney's act.

Nonetheless, that is not my commentary for today. What has drawn my ire today is the concept of modern dance. What the hell are these people doing? I know its choreography, and someone has taken the time to plan all of this. My question is, if its supposed to make sense, then why the hell doesn't it make sense!?!

I'm watching these dancers do what they do. There does not appear, at least to my untrained eye, a cohesive purpose to all the stupid gyrations. Here's an example:

Woman begins as a tightly bunched ball, kneeling on the floor. The dancer stands up, and extends her arm above her head. She doeses a 360 degree turn, bringing her hand from above her head, down around her waist, in a fluid motion. She takes a couple of steps, not walking, but some kind of attempt at fluid and grace. Upon concluding her descent, she stretches her leg over her head, and then twirls down to kneel on the floor.

What the hell does all that mean? I can at least fake an understanding of most of the fine arts. Opera, which I don't like, I can at least appreciate what the attempt is. Dance, a la the Rockettes, I can appreciate, for the synchronicity of the multiple dancers. The various forms of instrumental music, not all of which appeal to my ears, I can at least appreciate as an art form. But this ridiculous collection of random gyrations they call 'dance' completely leaves me mystified.

I think the thing that baffles me the most is all the arm waving, and gymnastic contortions of the body. Is this an athletic endeavour or an art form? Gymnastics I get. I won't agree with the judging of competitive gymnastics, but I can appreciate the athletic endeavour that is gymnastics. What I question is the 'art' of gymnastics, or by extension when these gymnastic motions are called, artistic dance.

If someone out there can put all of this in terms that I can understand, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks, I'm out!!!

Today for lunch I had a Pillsbury Pizza Pop. It was the pepperoni and bacon variety. It is distinctly possible that it is the single best tasting Pizza Pop I have ever had.

I get tired of some of these ads that show up in my inbox. I'm sure we all agree that the crap that is being marketed in this fashion, is somewhat on the irritating side. Each of us though, I would suspect, would find different ones more annoying.

What has gained my specific enmity today is, all of these bloody ads for dating sites. These dating sites seem as ubiquitous as noodie pages, which we all know are the dominant market presence on the brave, new internet. Now I have no problem with dating sites. I do, in fact, find them amusing, from time to time. Its a harmless activity, and kind of a thrill to play on sometimes. I have signed up for some, and tried using them but, in the end my experiences have been rather unsuccessful. Mostly my fault, I would suggest, as I still haven't figured out who 'I' am, thus I have trouble following the advice of, be yourself. Its getting better. I have some good friends now, that are female, and they aren't running away screaming. All in baby steps.

Back to my point. The internet dating site them has proliferated to the point where its kind of fruitless to actually sign up for one of these. There are SO many different ones being touted that its gotta be hard to find the one that is most popular, and represents your best bet. And I get this crap in my email all the time! Join this site! Just opening! All the best people are visiting here! Come on!

The marketing of these things is also getting a bit stupid. The whole thing is beginning to resemble phone sex advertising, and we all know what a joke that is. (Don't we? If you don't recognize the sham of phone sex advertisement, please email me, so I can get you straight on that) Today's new site will show up in the email, and the girl (its nearly always a young, nubile looking female) will be dressed in some provocative manner. In today's email, it was a very young looking blonde in some white, pajama-like, clothing, with pink highlighting. The whole package designed precisely to make her look young, to the point of criminality. She bites on her bottom lip coquettishly and we're to believe we will meet her, if we sign up for $24.95 a month.

The whole thing is just a bit on the absurd side. One, don't insult my intelligence by using what is clearly content taken from a porn producer, and dress it up like I'll meet this girl on your website. I'm not that naive. Two, don't play it like I'm going to find ecstacy on your site. Bottom line, if the premise holds, all I'm going to find is other ordinary people like myself. There won't be any girls in their pajamas.

The whole thing just makes me tired. I know what I want. Its not sex, or girls in their pajamas, wild parties, or adventures that would get censored in Penthouse Forum. I just want someone nice. A pretty girl that has a grounded sense of reality. I don't need non-stop excitement. I don't crave an exploit every day. I'm sure what I want is out there. Someone that makes me smile. A girl that hasn't gone down every nutty path that can be found in the woods. Someone that will venture out into the world with me, for our own little thrills, but also doesn't mind staying home, arm in arm, watching TV and just enjoying an embrace.

I know you are out there, mystery girl. And maybe you're not even a mystery to me. Maybe I already know you but for one reason or another, it just hasn't clicked. If you're out there, I encourage you to step first. I'm woefully inadequate at recognizing a possibility, and am not threatened by a girl's initiative. I'm tired of getting dating site emails, and having my hope appealed to. If you're out there, mystery girl, let's give this crazy thing a shot.

Toodles.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but, I think the world is ready for my brand of insanity.

Blog Question Of The Day:

If I was running for public office, would you vote for me?

Blog Trivia Of The Day:

I have been blogging for 94 weeks.

For those of you contemplating a Christmas gift for yours truly, here is something I found on the internet that I would just LOVE to have!

Bell AH-1Z

Blog Survey Of The Day:

Does my writing style include too many words, or employ too many obscure phrases, such that it is difficult or irritating to read?


Respond as always.

The cost of phone service, and high speed internet from SaskTel, delivered to a resident in rural Saskatchewan, is a minimum of $89.29.

Today on Grant's Rants we are going to take a walk down memory lane. I am going to post a couple pictures to the world today, and we'll see if any of you remember the people depicted in these images. Sorry goes to my Mom, and more to Candace (because I know she's going to spawn a cow when she finds out I put her picture on the internet). If I know my Dad at all, I don't think he's going to care.

Award (2004)


Wedding (2004)


Today's trip down memory lane was cued by a conversation I was having with Melissa the other day. I don't recall the exact reason why we ended up on the topic of body weight, but it came up for some reason. I made the comment that I'd once weighed (as an adult) 134 pounds. She was a little incredulous of that, and I promised to prove it. Well, this is me proving it.

My mom mailed me these photos yesterday. They are shots taken of me from when I was 18, so in 1992. I didn't even recognize the guy in the picture as me, at first. Especially in the 'award' photo. I had no exterior reference for it. (Other than I recognized the coat and the T-shirt). The 'wedding' picture reminded me of me more, but probably only because I was with my family.

To answer the question of how I was that skinny then, and not even close to skinny now, I will sum it up in a few words. I was sick, in an mental and emotional way. I was not making good decisions. I was in a bad, ugly, desperate state of mind that did not want to respond to stimuli. I was wrapped in my inner pain, and I couldn't escape. I think I'd have qualified for an anorexic diagnosis, had that been my only concern. There were, unfortunately, far more difficult, and potentially tragic forces at work, such that we kind of ignored the weight thing. The fact that we did ignore it, is a testimonial to how messed in the head I was. While I may be 80 pounds heavier now, I would suggest I am far more healthy.

Show of hands people!

Who thinks I should buy the 10,000 BTU Danby window air conditioner for $320?

Blog Question Of The Day:

Why do people cheat on the person they love?

Okay! I get it! I like my lettering to be small. We can stop talking about it now.

I have a question.

How can the Hotmail server be too busy? Wasn't Microsoft the one that wanted everyone to do their online experience by virtual of their Passport service? How then can the server be 'too busy' when the Passport idea kind of fell apart? Did they sell off all the server space they'd planned to do this service on?

Further to that, how can the Hotmail servers be 'too busy'? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there more Hotmail email addresses than there are people on this planet!?! If you know, I mean KNOW, that you are the single largest provider of free email accounts, how then can you allow yourself to fall into a position where your servers are 'too busy'?

I don't get this. I don't understand. Explain it to me like I'm a three year old. How can Hotmail be 'too busy'?

You know what?

Screw all you guys. I'm going to bed.

Can someone please tell me when Saskatchewan was re-located to Malaysia!?!

G&M's Word Of The Day:

pissrag

Blog Question Of The Day:

Why are there so many weird bitrates on MP3's available for download?

We will begin today with a question. The answer to this question should be self-explanatory. However, in typical human fashion, people have done things that defy logic such that we get the situation we have here, a ridiculous situation.

Why would you take your baby, or pre-schooler, to an air show?

I just don't understand these stupid people. An air show is, by definition, going to be loud. And you decide that a day in the grassy infield of an international airport is a great place for the family. Grab a bloody brain!!!

I sat and watched this retarded behaviour, all afternoon yesterday. (I am omitting the diatribe I was GOING to post last night, about the cacophony of sound I put up with yesterday afternoon. And no, it wasn't from the planes. I decided my blog didn't need that many consecutive epithets and I did not post it)

These jet-engine planes are screaming through the air. And screaming is a good approximation of the sound because its wicked loud. Babies are cued to cry. No wait, not cry. They howled. They poured out their hearts is futile, burning passion. The noise of these brutalized babies was nearly enough to drown out the jet planes. However they could not, because the sound of a jet plane is way to prodigious to erase with a babies cry. But they did their best. And they did this because they were in pain. Yes Mom and Dad, the babies were in PAIN!!! You can't do that to the little people. They just aren't able to handle it. It overwhelms them and of course they cry. Why kind of idiot subjects their new-born person to that!?!

I currently have 18 windows open on my computer desktop, and I am making a useful purpose out of each one.

Blog Poll Of The Day:

Should I add a number and lettering to my Saskatchewan Roughriders jersey?

I don't do this often but someone sent me this link, and rather than emailing it to 97 different people, and try to remember all the people I want to send it to, I figured I'd just put it in the blog, since everyone I know reads that anyway. (or at least I think you all do)

Wait for the web page to load and then pass your mouse over the image a few times.

<>Finally, leave the mouse over the nose of the image. This website won first prize in the Phillips Digital Arts Festival.

http://www.expression.philips.com.br/artes/venc2003/obrasflash/rmello/o_incomodo.swf

Blog Question Of The Day:

If you are a male, and on an Olympic swim team, and having to wear one of those spandex suits, to eliminate drag in the water, would you 'stuff' your suit?

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a new friend of mine. His name is:

Bruce




I found Bruce this morning when I came to work. My assistant had purchased him for me, while she was taking a day off yesterday. I was immediately surprised, and happy to have recieved him.

We've had an influx of animals to my office lately. Some weeks ago my assistant brought a fish for her own desk. I liked to stop by and see how he was doing. He was an orange fish. I named him Harvey. The fish didn't seem to mind. Then my boss brought his fish and turtles to the office, as he is in the process of moving and the new house isn't ready for pets, while the old house must be vacated now. More fun things to amuse the eyes and mind.

Now I have a fish. I was very appreciative to have gotten him. My desk didn't really need more stuff for it, but I made room for Bruce. He will keep me company as I toil away on my late nights and boring afternoons. I will have to learn how to care for him. I've never had a pet that was completely my own. This is going to be great!

If you want to welcome Bruce, contact him or I by the usual methods. He's still pretty shy, and likes to hide in the plant in his bowl. Slowly he's getting more adventurous. He peeks out for a few minutes, and then goes back into hiding. Should Bruce do anything monumental, I'll blog about it.

Toodles!!

I have something to say!!!

What the hell is wrong with SaskTel? I really don't understand this. At home in Saskatoon I've had high speed internet for 7 years. In that time I've had outages and problems on only two or three times. All were quickly and expeditiously resolved. So what the hell is the problem in Watson!?!

We had ANOTHER major outage. However, it didn't go completely down. For 3 or 4 hours it was, worse than dial-up, slow. Down on your knees, begging for salvation, slow. It was horrible. You never really appreciate how much you rely on the internet until it dies a slow, painful death like mine in the office did this afternoon.

The question remains. Why? Its freakin' Watson!!! It can't be an overloaded demand thing. What demand!?! Its freakin' Watson!!! This pisses me off. What pisses me off even more is the fact that I can't do anything about it. There's no, switch to Shaw, option. Sasktel is the only service that has a static IP address that we need for the accounting software. We're screwed.

If you see a SaskTel van on the street today, please give them the finger. SaskTel pisses me off.

Blog Question Of The Day:

What is the next great adventure of your life?



I think I think about these questions to much. I have this impression that the key to living a happy life is to not think about life so much. Everyone thinks about life. I know that. But it appears to me that pondering any part of life too deeply tends to create this uncomfortable psychological malaise that is not easily escapable. The person in question tends to get so wrapped up in what they are thinking about that the little moments in life pass you buy, and you forget to notice and appreciate them. Too much time spent alone in one's head can not be good for you.

Nonetheless I am pondering this question. Where am I going next? What's going to be the next story that is written in the book that is my life. I wish I knew, but in knowning I would lose the splendor that comes from finding something by surprise.

I need to relax more. Take my own damn advice and not think so much.

Good night my friends, family and loved ones. Have the greatest day that you can.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEAN!!!!!

Notes from a busy Friday:

I don't have a turbidity problem in Maple Creek ---> YAY!!!!!

Something about me must smell attractive to deer. I saw another two today, as I tried to pass a very slow moving, old Honda.

I shouldn't spend that much time driving, with nothing else to do but think. I believe I shall go back to watching movies.

Tonight's Madden 2004 should be kick ass.

Missy, I was busy dealing with that pesky thing called work. Sorry.

I'm getting annoyed with a collection of people that should be busting their ass to get us ahead of schedule, and not wasting our time worrying about a) Who is getting ahead while they work, b)
what corners they can cut so they can get home sooner, c) the state of 'clean' provided by the custodial staff or d) whatever pointless or inane thing is occupying their mind, that has no significance in the global picture.

I forgot to phone Manitoba Water.

Today's Pain Report is only the usual stomach churning. Am I improving?

Backing up multiple GB's of files is very boring.

This whole, new building, plan is beginning to give me a headache.

Why did I suddenly become everyone's confidante?

I think I will enjoy the weekend. I hope all of you do too. Good night!!!