The Daily Affirmation:

1. I sat in MY hot tub, secure in the knowledge that all components were perfect, for the first time in a very, very long time

2. The shower I had was one of the best of all-time

3. A delightful smile

Today I Learned . . .

1. Joni Mitchell wrote the hit Nazareth song "This Flight Tonight".

2. When injecting chemicals into water, sodium hydroxide (NaOH or "caustic") must be injected before sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl or "chlorine"). The reason is, injecting sodium hydroxide into water first, will raise the pH of the water. This will enable more of the free chlorine to persist longer.

The Daily Affirmation:

1. I beat the average score on the daily jigsaw puzzle

2. My hot tub works again!

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. How do I turn off my daily, running internal fantasy?

2. Should I eat more canned food for lunch?

The Daily Affirmation

1. My latest jersey order has shipped!

2. Was only 17 seconds away from beating the average time on my daily jigsaw puzzle

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Why does being a 'rock' station seem to doom a station to being an 'oldies' station?

2. Would I enjoy cola drinks as much if they weren't carbonated?

The Daily Affirmation

1. I was conservative with my consumption all day so I splurged on a Taco Time feast tonight

2. The Ground Pounders are signed up for 2012

The Daily Affirmation

1. The Leafs won and the Canucks won!

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1. Do I want to go see the movie 'Battleship'?

Today I Learned . . .

1. The number one color worldwide for sex toys is purple

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. When I no longer owe anything, why do I still struggle to leave my office

2. Why are the awful movies the only one's that get endless sequels?

3. Can I hire a coach for myself?

The Daily Affirmation

1. I came very close to beating the average score on a challenging jigsaw puzzle

Jigsaw Puzzle


2. Happiness is . . . getting a status update that your online order has shipped

3. I saw what I was doing, and I stopped myself from being negative

The Daily Affirmation

1. I added someone on Google+

2. Got $8 for my winning Christmas lottery tickets tonight

3. My cupcake was delightful!

Today I Learned . . .

1. A "typical" housekeeping pad in a water treatment plant can be either 4" (100 mm) or 6" (150 mm)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. How can a 6" sub, cookies and a drink be $9?

2. How much should I spend on soccer cleats?

3. Is it weird that the first key on my keyboard to lose its letter stamp was the 'C'?

4. How do I get stains off of bakeware?

Today I Learned . . .

1. The second law of thermodynamics

You can't heat a body of water and expect the energy (as heat) added can be completely converted to turning a bicycle wheel.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. With long hair in a ponytail, does it pull on your head when you run?

2. When viewed over the long term, is the shotgun approach to any subject as successful at getting you the return you desire, as focused effort on a specific set of targets?

The Daily Affirmation:

1. I got to play Yahoo drafts for 3 sports in one day, hockey, basketball and baseball

2. My buffalo chicken salad wraps idea was a success

3. I've had great success with sending emails today

The Daily Affirmation:

1. Playing a game of God of War on my PSP at lunch

2. The good thing about SiriusXM Hits 1's short playlist is, I get to hear the song(s) I like many times a day

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Should I have more than one pair of "nice" shoes?

2. Can you buy calorie free/lite candy?

3. Do I need someone to keep me out of trouble, or someone to encourage my desire for mischief?

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. When does Major League Baseball start for 2012?

2. Can a woman wear socks with high heels?

3. Should I order some jerseys from this site?  http://www.moonjersey.net/

The Daily Affirmation

1. I like Crystal Light

Today I Learned . . .

1. The element Scandium was predicted to exist by Dmitri Mendeleev, creator of the periodic table. He dubbed the element ekaboron, with an atomic mass between 40 and 48 in 1869. Lars Fredrik Nilson and his team detected this element in the minerals euxenite and gadolinite. Nilson prepared 2 grams of scandium oxide of high purity. He named the element scandium, from the Latin Scandia meaning "Scandinavia". Nilson was apparently unaware of Mendeleev's prediction, but Per Teodor Cleve recognized the correspondence and notified Mendeleev.

2. The 2012 Major League Baseball season will begin on March 28 with the first of a two game series between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The stateside portion of the regular season will start April 4 in Miami, Florida, with the opening of the new Marlins Park, as the newly renamed Miami Marlins host the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.

3. Google now has games

Today I Learned . . .

1. Adolf Hitler insisted on being allowed to cheat at chess

2. Film maker James Cameron has dived to the bottom of the ocean in the Marianas Trench

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1. Should I try to get involved in playing more iPad games?

2. Should I follow Kim Kardashian?

3. Why do I experience blinding, excruciating pain in my mid-back on the left side, when I get up from lying on the sofa?

The Daily Affirmation

1. I love poppy seed buns

2. I did an excellent job of applying a new iPad screen cover

3. I choose not to be a cripple

Today I Learned . . .

1. How to hang 5 things in the space it takes for 1 hanger:

Wonder Hanger

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. What are those closet accessories, that allow you to hang 5 things from one hanger, called?

The Daily Affirmation:

1. Finally bought the new game, Star Wars: The Old Republic

The Daily Affirmation:

1. $56 and my new hot tub body is on its way here!

2. Slowly, if the sentences are simple, I'm gaining back the ability to read French

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Is it acceptable for me to sleep all the time?

2. Why do I still struggle with nausea and sleepiness?

3. Why can't they fix Starcraft so your SCV doesn't get trapped?

The Daily Affirmation

1. Got help from my sister to set up my recycling properly at my house

2. Bought another interesting "... For Dummies" book

Today I Learned . . .

1. There are actually three ligaments that hold together the shoulder, as it relates to the connection between clavicle (collar bone), shoulder blade and shoulder socket. They are:

acromioclavicular ligament - connecting tissue between shoulder blade and clavicle
corocoacromial ligament - tissue between shoulder blade and shoulder socket
corocoacromial ligament - tissue between clavicle (collar bone) and shoulder socket

The Daily Affirmation

1. I'm getting a new hot tub body for my inflatable set-up!

2. I still love my new shoes.

3. Frosted Flakes are awesome.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Which company has the cheapest cell phone package in Saskatchewan/Canada?

2. Is my level of pain more a function of my emotional state and level of adrenaline?

3. Does mail.com have an iApp?

4. What is Instagram?

Today I Learned . . .

Why was the name 'Idylwyld Drive' given to the main road through Saskatoon?

The name Idylwyld Drive comes from the neighbourhood of the same name and was applied to both the bridge and the freeway by City Council upon completion of the bridge on September 28, 1966. The records don't reveal any real discussion on the matter - literally, one Councillor suggested the name for the bridge and freeway, everyone agreed, and that was it. In 2001, the Idylwyld Bridge was re-named in honour of Senator Sid Buckwold, ex-Mayor of Saskatoon, who died that year.

The source of the name "Idylwyld" itself is a bit obscure. There is an old, tongue-in-cheek story that it was because the "The men are idle and the women are wild" but this is of course not true, particularly since the name was applied before it was developed during the pre-First World War real estate boom, around 1909-1912.

There are several places in Ontario named something like "Idylwyld" and it's possible that the name is taken from one of them, and that it was simply chosen by the original developer because of its vaguely sylvan / pastoral sound (the area would have been fairly bushy at the time, and if I recall correctly, prior to development was often used as a camping ground by early residents of Nutana seeking to beat the summer heat).

Jeff O'Brien
City Archivist

The Daily Affirmation

1. Enterprise Rent-A-Car made it simple and painless to get a replacement receipt for my rental car last week

2. I solved the mystery surrounding Idylwyld Drive!

3. I got the last of my tax information and can now file my return, hopefully getting a refund

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Why do they have to play 'Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven' so often?

2. Why does choosing to be happy, lead me to feel unhappy?

The Daily Affirmation

1. Executed a textbook perfect parallel park, while wearing an arm sling

2. Made a choice to avoid something that would upset me

The Daily Affirmation:

1. When I'm alone at home, the pain from my injuries is a lot easier to manage.

2. Found my SimGolf disc from years previous and am enjoying an old classic

3. A Baconator for supper was great!

4. Made the Shockers Facebook news

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Should I have a Baconator for supper?

2. Why is it called Idylwyld Drive?

Today I Learned . . .

1. Many g's in French are pronounced with a z sound

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1. What Metallica song has been played on the radio the most?

The Daily Affirmation

1. Rolled all the pennies in my house and discovered I had $19

2. They have RC Cola at Dollarama again

3. Enjoying a Shamrock Shake on St. Patrick's Day

4. Received compliments on my appearance from completely unexpected sources tonight

The Daily Affirmation

1. Despite enormous obstacles piled in front of me, like sequoias and boulders on a thin mountain pass, I managed to get my Dad's iPad to play his favorite local radio station

Today I Learned . . .

1. 'Double Down' means, to double the wager, take one more card, then stand.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Why do some trailers have a set of wheels in the middle that aren't touching the road?

2. Is there another internet service I should join, because it would enhance my experience?

3. How do I find a good human anatomy book?

4. How does a person become a sexologist?

The Daily Affirmation

1. A Mr. Big chocolate bar can turn around a dismal afternoon

2. Just executed a textbook perfect parallel park

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Why does a Mr. Big chocolate bar always seem to break in half before you open it?

2. Why was I just dreaming about loading the dishwasher?

3. What does it mean to 'double down'?

The Daily Affirmation

1. I knew three of the girls that came to the bar at the concert tonight

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1. Should I stop wearing my winter coat?

Today I Learned . . .

1. Pilsner brand beer is bottled in Saskatoon

The Daily Affirmation

1. I got a yellow bag!

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. What causes gangrene?

2. Which is the right medical professional to consult regarding a question of how a person reacts to narcotic pain killers?

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1. Does anyone ever get to eat the meat tray?

The Daily Affirmation

1. Trussing my arm up, with my hand held higher, feels much more comfortable

2. I love my new shoes

3. Got my best trade show lead of the day in the hot tub of the Banff Caribou Lodge (not the trade show hotel)

Today I Learned . . .

1. The Kia Rio has no suspension

2. Female athletes are known to have a higher risk of injuring their anterior cruciate ligament

The Daily Affirmation:

1. I paid a pretty girl $5 to drink the liquid remnants of a jar of pickled asparagus

2. The Brier is mercifully over

Today I Learned . . .

1. A Grade 3 (Type III) shoulder separation involves a complete severing of the ligaments that attach the clavicle to the shoulder blade and usually involves some deformation of the clavicle relative to the AC joint

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. If space/logistics was no issue, what would you want to take with you wherever you went?

Today I Learned . . .

1. If you put a wooden spoon over a pot of boiling water, it won't boil over.

2. If you put cut limes into Diet Pepsi, it fools your brain into thinking its regular soda

The Daily Affirmation

1. Working with my favorite blonde girl all afternoon

2. Nothing tastes better than your own Coke/Sprite/Coke squishee, after making 150 of them for other people

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Do I need to by "The new iPad"?

2. How long do limes keep in the fridge?

The Daily Affirmation

1. There is something heart warming about a pretty girl using the phrase 'piss warm'

2. It may have been facetious but it was still nice to be called soneone's favorite

Today I Learned . . .

1. The name "street elbow" comes from its use in drainage lines and sewer connections where the optimal configuration is for the line draining /in/ to have a male-to-female connection (as opposed to a female-female connection with a stub connector)

2. It is impossible to successfully tie your shoes when you have a separated shoulder

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Why is it called a 'street tee'?

2. Do I need a PS Vita?

Today I Learned . . .

1. Working in the OR is boring. The people talk about current events and TV shows.

The Daily Affirmation:

1. Chili cheese fries can fix an afternoon that has gone all wrong

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Should I identify more with being a U of S alumni?

2. What is the world's best tequila?

3. Why does putting lime in Diet Pepsi fool my brain into thinking it's regular Pepsi?

The Daily Affirmation:

1. Even counting all the injuries, I remained a highly productive contributor at the bar

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Why do beer bottles have the odd volume of 341 mL?

2. Why do I feel compelled to convert every pop song I hear into a profanity laced parody?

Stories From The Bar:

A woman walks up to the bar. Its pretty quiet at this point so she's not being rushed into a decision. But, as its not busy at this point, we've got a couple of beer, for a couple of different kinds, sitting and waiting. Its preparatory for the periods of time when we can't pour them, to order.

So she order an "Original 16", which is the most popular kind at this event, the Brier. The server reaches for one of the two that are sitting on the table.

"Not one of those," the woman bellows. "I want a fresh one."

"We just poured them," the server says. "They've only been here a couple of minutes."

"No, I want one of those," she whines, pointing at the cooler. "It has to be cold. I can't stand the taste when its warm."

We all roll our eyes, but as I mentioned, its not busy, so there's no way to do a /switcheroo/ and just give her the table beer. I pour the "fresh one" but when I touch the bottle I can't help but let a goofy smile cross my face.

The woman walks away, thinking she got the best of us, and not having to settle for a 'table beer'. But the jokes on her. The beer on the table was from a batch that had been in the fridge all night, cooling to their optimal temperature. The 'fresh one' she just had to have, was only chilled slightly, as I could tell by touching the almost warm glass. The better of the two choices was clearly the one on the table.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. What is the difference between pudding and custard?

2. What properties of a turd makes it smell like a turd

The Daily Affirmation

1. There are such wonderful food smells at the Brier

2. Today I experienced learning of a news item on Twitter first

3. I have the most amazing parents; who shovelled my driveway for me as I'm too injured to do it myself any time soon

Today I Learned. . .

1. The seemingly solid, old fashioned plywood scoreboard at the Brier is actually a flimsy looking screen upon inspection.

The Daily Affirmation

1. My body has changed so much from the weight loss that I barely recognized my reflection in a window

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1. Can pain be measured?

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1. Would I enjoy visiting England?

2. When was Royal University Hospital built?

Today I Learned . . .

1. The pretty girl I was working with, at the 2012 Tim Horton's Brier, was a member of a famous Saskatchewan curling family

The Daily Affirmation

1. My injuries from soccer have improve since last night

2. I love my new shoes

Today I Learned . . .

1. Don't drive the highway leaving Las Vegas on a Sunday

The Daily Affirmation

1. I found my magnetic name tag

2. Managed to run my Yahoo drafts on my phone, which has never worked before

3. In my absence, my ball hockey team dismantled the opposition to move on to the final of winter league C division

4. The Leafs won their first game under their new coach

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Why is there no more McGriddle at McDonalds?

2. Should I buy a Brier vest?

3. Why can't Brian Burke tie his tie??

4. Can cheese still go bad, even if you freeze it?

Today I Learned . . .

1. The most important thing is just to have someone notice you.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1. Should I completely customize my iPhone app layout, instead of just alphabetical?

2. Why are all these random people following me?

3. Do I really want to fill out the APEGS salary survey again, for 2012?

4. Should I believe the BMI scale when it says I'm 'overweight'?

The Daily Affirmation:

1. Three completely random people started following me on Twitter overnight

2. In real life, a completely random, but utterly gorgeous woman gave me a compliment.

Today I Learned . . .

1. Due to the low carbon content of stainless steel it can not be hardened. The process of hardening is required to increase strength in steel. The inability to harden stainless steel means it can not be rated Grade 5 or higher, for strength.

Blog Question Of The Day:

1. Should I get another pet?

2. Should I decorate my office with Montreal Expos collectibles?

3. When did I become so incompetent at completing mechanical tasks?

The Daily Affirmation:

1. My Yahoo baseball draft team was sent to me overnight

2. We set up the test skid to check for leaks and repairs and there were no leaks, and no repairs to make

3. My ham sandwich on a cheese bun was beyond phenomenal

4. There are few things better than a jumbo Costco chocolate muffin

5. I bought new shoes today.

6. Using only the raw power of my brain, I was able to remember all of the things I was going to buy at the dollar store (unfortunately they didn't have any stock on one of my items)

I don't understand how some people operate an automobile.

I'm stopped at the light, where Idylwyld Drive merges into 51st Street/Ave C (whatever you want to call that mess of an interchange). I'm second in line on the left. This is a relatively long light for waiting, since the majority of the traffic is on 51st Street/Ave. C. That gets the bulk of the light cycle.

Now its not that uncommon for people to start rolling at a red light. I get that. But we're not even halfway through the wait and this mini-van ahead of me starts rolling. Consequently I begin rolling my eyes. Of course you can only roll so far, when you start doing it that early, before you're in 'oh shit' territory and you have to jam the brakes again. This guy got his nose into traffic he started so early.

Now comes the stupid part.

The car NEXT to him, upon seeing the mini-van start rolling, well he starts rolling too. So their both inching into the intersection, and its no where NEAR the point where its going to turn. Not even close. The mini-van eventually had to give up on the dream and jam the brakes. The guy in the car won't give up. Its like he's committed now, and there's no turning back. This guy is fully into the oncoming lane, and he's STILL inching forward. The light is NOT gonna turn for him.

Well he's screwed now. He's THAT far into the oncoming lane. I can see him, and he's got this, "I'm an idiot but I can't look like an idiot" visage on his face. The guy is looking to the left, trying to gauge whether to stop there, back up or just go for it.

The light is STILL not changing.

By some miracle of fortuity, there's no oncoming traffic. Of course, there's also no imminent sign that the bloody light is gonna change. He's gone so far now that he can't back away. He just steps on it and blows the light with a left turn. Amazingly this prompts the mini-van to start inching again. Keep in mind the light is STILL not changing. The car is all the way around the left turn, and now the mini-van is half into the oncoming lane. This is when the light turns green.

The most idiotic part of this ridiculous tale? I'm second in line behind the mini-van and I still caught the guy in the car before he reached the second light on 51st Street.

I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

I know what your boy like
Skinny tie and a cuff tight
He go and make breakfast
You walk around naked
I might just text you
Turn your phone over, when it's all over
No settling down, my text go to your screen
You know better than that
I come around when you least expect me
I'm sitting at the bar when your glass is empty
You thinking that this song's coming on to tempt me
I need to be alone like the way you left me
You start calling, you start crying
I come over, I'm inside you
I can't find you
The girl that I once had
But the sex that we have isn't half bad
The text say that "It's not fair"
That's code for "He's not here"
And I'm-a flirt with this new girl
And I'm-a call if it don't work
So we fuck till we come to conclusions
All the things that we thought we was losing
I'm ghost and you know this
That's why we broke up in the first place
Cause

I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

It's late night Thursday
I know that you heard me
But you don't want the same thing
Well two can play that game
So I'm chilling with my girlfriend
But she not my real girlfriend
She got a key to my place but
She's not my real girlfriend
Stupid, so dummy
Say the wrong thing and wrong girls come runnin'
I'm paranoid that these girls want something from me
And it's hard to make a dime go one hundred
And my dude freakin' out over a worse fate
She on time, but she late for they first date
Cause he went and tried out all new condoms
Slipped off in a threesome, good problems?
Right? Wrong
Askin' him if she gonna play games
We the super smash brothers, but none of them you
I miss the sex when you kiss whenever you through
Sixty-nine is the only dinner for two
I was wrong, but would you have listened to you?
Uh, you were crazy
I got a heart, but the artichoke
Is the only thing girls want when you in that smoke and light

I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

I wanted you to know
That I am ready to go, heartbeat
My heartbeat
I wanted you to know
Whenever you are around, can't speak
I can't speak

So we're done? This the real shit?
We used to hold hands like field trips
I'm a jerk, but your dude is a real dick
I read his post on your wall and I feel sick
He ain't cool, he ball and all that
But he just a fake nigga who blog in all caps
You couldn't wait to date
I'm going straight for your thighs like the cake you ate
I give a fuck about the niggas that you say you ate
You know that I’m the best when I’m a-fake-tionate
I'm the best that you had, face it
J and Keyshia are related: racist
I give you money, then you burn me, then you made off
She ain't a killer, but she'd fucking blow your head off
I know he wondering, "What the fuck you hiding?"
That we dated like raps about Bin Laden
Ayo, fuck this
Are we dating? Are we fucking?
Are we best friends? Are we something in between that?
I wish we never fucked, and I mean that

But not really, you say the nastiest shit in bed and it’s fuckin’ awesome

Today I Learned . . .

1. There are the same number of calories in 1 cup of Froot Loops as there are in 1 cup of Cheerios. [CORRECTION: they actually rig the serving sizes to make it appear that they are the same]

2. Stainless steel gains its corrosion resistance from the formation of an invisibly thin, but tenacious layer of chromium oxide formed on the surface of the metal when exposed to oxygen.

The Daily Affirmation:

1. Reviewing the Brier schedule, I will be available to play ball hockey playoffs on Saturday!

2. If we win on Saturday, I think I could squeak in playing in the finals on the following Sunday too!

Blog Question Of The Day:

1. Should I frame my periodic table of elements?

2. Should I do the experiment of trying to live exclusively on granola bars and Coca-Cola?

The Daily Affirmation:

1. Mspa is going to send me a new spa pool body on warranty.

Blog Question Of The Day:

1. Would it be inappropriate to wear a skidoo suit in my office?

2. Should I post my short stories on my blog?

3. Why am I always cold, and so sluggish, in the morning?

The Daily Affirmation:

1. I was very impressed with my effort level at work today.

Blog Question Of The Day:

1. What type of saw do I need to own to cut a perfectly straight edge on a piece of wood?

2. Is there an easy way to scan pages out of a bound book?

The Daily Affirmation:

1. Just came up with a unique solution to my basement storage problem

2. The Shockers played a defensive game that is the stuff of legend tonight, holding a monumentally better team to a 1-1 tie in regulation, before succumbing in a shoot-out

Blog Question Of The Day:

1. Weigh myself upon getting up. Exercise for 30 minutes, drink/eat nothing; sweat minimally. Weight myself after exercising; weight 4 pounds less. Which one is correct?

2. Should I scan all my university notes to PDF and then throw out all the paper/binders?

3. Is there a device you can buy which takes your pulse?