I have two offices, which is both great and extremely frustrating. I love it when there is maintenance going on or I’m tired and want a change of scenery. Not so good when your water bottle, important file, etc is in the other office. Thank google they are only one floor/ one building away, otherwise I could essentially be spending my days running between the two.
My ‘newer’ office is great, has a window and everything and what made it even better was no one was around me. Well that was until last week when they moved a printer into the empty cubicle next to me.
I’m facing the opposite way of the printer so I don’t interact much with the printer people, that is until the printer goes awry. It makes some beepy noise and the person says ‘oh someone’s not happy’, or it jams ‘it always knows when I’m printing something important’.
I understand there is a basic level of office chit chat that occurs, and one needs to engage in it to be accepted into the office community. I don’t mind the printer talk, I find it rather peculiar but it’s the office chit chat so I figure c'est la vie.
So the printer people and me have our little chit chats everything’s cool, than I walk by them in the hallway and they won’t even smile at me! This I don’t believe is acceptable, I put up with the printer chit chat I deserve a smile!
I’m conspiring to find a suitable solution for this situation, either start smile wildly every time I see them in the hallway or start making inane comments about the water cooler and not smile at them. I don’t think I want to be known as the crazy smiler so the water cooler commentator it is. I just need some stupid water cooler chit chat … I’m thinking every time it bubbles ‘oh I think someone’s getting hungry’ – yeah that all I got, need some suggestions.
19 March 2010
Thank Google
Awhile back during one of my familial encounters, we were discussing the downfall of starbucks, and the continuing rise of good ol’ Timmy’s. The older generation believed that the higher prices and economic downfall of starbucks is directly related to the new fangled phenomenon of surfing the internet/ studying at coffee shops.
The first reason that is leading to the downfall is due to the long time period the tables are occupied (Tim’s has a 20min policy), SB’s coffee is $4 and say you stay an hour and half with your laptop – that’s about 4.4¢/ min. At Tim’s your coffee is about $1.25 and your stay is 20mins or 6.5¢/ min – so your Tim’s table is worth 2¢ more a minute that you’re fancy SB. Who would have thunk.
I was reading a cricket article, (yes I read about cricket since I can’t watch it) and the author (from the older generation) wanted to try out this new fangled phenomenon, especially since he was in the USA where I’m sure it’s even more prevalent.
While he was enjoying his coffee and free internet in walks Lara Croft (he is more out of touch than you would think). So he jumps on google to look up who she is, and of course finds out anything you would ever want to know and I’m sure so much more.
This brings me to my point - I love google and wikipedia, and really miss it when is not at my finger tips. Watching a movie and trying to decide if the actor is dead or not, the random word you have no clue the meaning, the cheapest way to get to Timbuktu (seriously, I’ve done it). I have gathered so much random knowledge that I never would have acquired without google at my side.
When the group of us were sitting around chatting the night away there were always times we would say ‘I wish I had google!” I don’t know how many hours we could have saved from arguing over some small fact (i.e. the release date of Gone with the Wind) if we had just had google.
From now on my expression of relieve will be in devotion of one of the most powerful forces in my life… Thank Google!
The first reason that is leading to the downfall is due to the long time period the tables are occupied (Tim’s has a 20min policy), SB’s coffee is $4 and say you stay an hour and half with your laptop – that’s about 4.4¢/ min. At Tim’s your coffee is about $1.25 and your stay is 20mins or 6.5¢/ min – so your Tim’s table is worth 2¢ more a minute that you’re fancy SB. Who would have thunk.
I was reading a cricket article, (yes I read about cricket since I can’t watch it) and the author (from the older generation) wanted to try out this new fangled phenomenon, especially since he was in the USA where I’m sure it’s even more prevalent.
While he was enjoying his coffee and free internet in walks Lara Croft (he is more out of touch than you would think). So he jumps on google to look up who she is, and of course finds out anything you would ever want to know and I’m sure so much more.
This brings me to my point - I love google and wikipedia, and really miss it when is not at my finger tips. Watching a movie and trying to decide if the actor is dead or not, the random word you have no clue the meaning, the cheapest way to get to Timbuktu (seriously, I’ve done it). I have gathered so much random knowledge that I never would have acquired without google at my side.
When the group of us were sitting around chatting the night away there were always times we would say ‘I wish I had google!” I don’t know how many hours we could have saved from arguing over some small fact (i.e. the release date of Gone with the Wind) if we had just had google.
From now on my expression of relieve will be in devotion of one of the most powerful forces in my life… Thank Google!
11 March 2010
05 March 2010
The Proof is in the PB and the Whale
My lovely morning commute consists of a 15 minute wait at the bridge in a beautiful Canadian winter. So to distract myself from enjoying the wonderful weather I started reading the free daily paper they give out at the terminal.
This is my source for the local news, but on occasion they stick in one of those weird and wonderful stories. So as one should everyday I learn something new. I may have believe this previously but now I know for sure; liberals and atheists are have higher IQs than those silly conservatives and believers. As my flatmate said when I shared the news 'I already knew that' but now we have scientific proof!
This evening I found evening more proof that this holds true, I swear the American Family Association must be bleeding freakin' idoits. They want to stone a killer whale to death, Stone a whale!!! The one who killed a seaworld trainer. Forget the fact that their the ones who tore it aware from its home and stuck in a small tank to perform tricks for the aforemention bleeding idoits. What I want to know is... Where are the seal hunt folks now!
Just one more example I have to share, my flatmate post this amazing video on her blog proving evolution wrong just through a little jar a peanut butter... Yup, think I feel smarter already!
This is my source for the local news, but on occasion they stick in one of those weird and wonderful stories. So as one should everyday I learn something new. I may have believe this previously but now I know for sure; liberals and atheists are have higher IQs than those silly conservatives and believers. As my flatmate said when I shared the news 'I already knew that' but now we have scientific proof!
This evening I found evening more proof that this holds true, I swear the American Family Association must be bleeding freakin' idoits. They want to stone a killer whale to death, Stone a whale!!! The one who killed a seaworld trainer. Forget the fact that their the ones who tore it aware from its home and stuck in a small tank to perform tricks for the aforemention bleeding idoits. What I want to know is... Where are the seal hunt folks now!
Just one more example I have to share, my flatmate post this amazing video on her blog proving evolution wrong just through a little jar a peanut butter... Yup, think I feel smarter already!
26 February 2010
Great Strides
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common, fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults, 1 in every 3600 children born in Canada! It is not a disease you of hear much and there is no cure. It is a multi-organ disease, primarily affecting the lungs and digestive system.
The life expectancy is steadily increasing with the amazing improvements in treatments and care, from 2000 to 2008 the life expectancy from 32 to 37.4! How amazing is that, but they still have a long way to go for a cure.
My beautiful, smart, and energetic little seven year old niece has CF. This is year will be my second year participating in the Great Stride walk, and yes I’m asking for donations! You don’t have to big everything little bit helps! You can contact me directly, go to my sponsor page, or even just give directly to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. That is also a great place to learn more about the disease. If you can’t give right now please take a few minutes and learn a little bit more about CF.
24 February 2010
A Little Disbelief
The great thing about downloading television shows is being able to re-visit your past, as sad as it may be. I’ve started to re-watch Seaquest DSV, not the best show coming out of the 90s but I admit I had a crush on Jonathon Brandis, plus this was my ‘I want to work at Sea World and train killer whales’ phase, and there was Darwin the talking dolphin as an added bonus.
Watching it now is kind funny, I know you have to suspend your disbelief to watch sci-fi and just enjoy, but they took it over the top. You have cryogenics, aliens landing on earth a million years ago and talking dolphin, pre-historic giant crocodiles unfreezing from glaciers (alive and laying eggs), psychics and so much more!
My favourite part has to be when they refer to the past, which was the ‘distant’ future when they shot the show and is now our present. In 2010 Seaquest time, all beef is outlawed because cattle farming degrades the atmosphere, and we’ve established underwater colonies (aren’t we just special). I do have to give some credit they have a great green message, the underwater colonies, mining, oxygen generators, etc are all necessities because we destroyed our world, so thumbs up for that.
I am willing to throw science out the window for some shows/movies, especially the really really bad monster movies (Ex: Shark Attack 3: Megalodon, Kracken: Tentacles of the Deep and the upcoming Sharktopus (can’t wait!)), but not everyone is. An American physicist is calling for Hollywood producers to tone down the fanciful science, and allow only one major suspension of disbelief per movie.
This would mean no megalodon or kracken, well if believe in monsters is considered suspending disbelief and what about ghosts, angels, gods, devils, Spiderman/ superman etc (all very unscientific). With this we would be left with romantic comedies, because in reality action movies, comic books and even cartoons (how many talk fish do you know) all need more than just a little disbelief. I appreciate where he’s coming from and more movies with good science can always be used, but I think he's suspended all disbelief if he thinks this is ever going to happen.
Watching it now is kind funny, I know you have to suspend your disbelief to watch sci-fi and just enjoy, but they took it over the top. You have cryogenics, aliens landing on earth a million years ago and talking dolphin, pre-historic giant crocodiles unfreezing from glaciers (alive and laying eggs), psychics and so much more!
My favourite part has to be when they refer to the past, which was the ‘distant’ future when they shot the show and is now our present. In 2010 Seaquest time, all beef is outlawed because cattle farming degrades the atmosphere, and we’ve established underwater colonies (aren’t we just special). I do have to give some credit they have a great green message, the underwater colonies, mining, oxygen generators, etc are all necessities because we destroyed our world, so thumbs up for that.
I am willing to throw science out the window for some shows/movies, especially the really really bad monster movies (Ex: Shark Attack 3: Megalodon, Kracken: Tentacles of the Deep and the upcoming Sharktopus (can’t wait!)), but not everyone is. An American physicist is calling for Hollywood producers to tone down the fanciful science, and allow only one major suspension of disbelief per movie.
This would mean no megalodon or kracken, well if believe in monsters is considered suspending disbelief and what about ghosts, angels, gods, devils, Spiderman/ superman etc (all very unscientific). With this we would be left with romantic comedies, because in reality action movies, comic books and even cartoons (how many talk fish do you know) all need more than just a little disbelief. I appreciate where he’s coming from and more movies with good science can always be used, but I think he's suspended all disbelief if he thinks this is ever going to happen.
21 February 2010
The guilty former vegetarian
I was a vegetarian for over ten years, and because of circumstance and physical requirements I started eating poultry and fish. Recently its only red meat I shy away from, not so much because of ideology but because of taste. I would love to go back but I have really loved the variety that eating chicken (especially) has given me.
Today I bought some vegetarian pepperoni, I knew I used to love it and found out still do. The flavour is great and it is so much healthier (although I was never a veggie for health, but for my ideals). I was made fun of, had a hard time finding appropriate substitutes, and eating out was a nightmare. But now I think that a veggie life is all about commitment, but I’m not sure I can do it anymore. Eating chicken etc has become so easy I think it would hard to go back.
Today was my first step... I have to finish all the chicken in my freezer first, because I think nothing is worse than wasting food, but after that I’m going to consider my choices.
Today I bought some vegetarian pepperoni, I knew I used to love it and found out still do. The flavour is great and it is so much healthier (although I was never a veggie for health, but for my ideals). I was made fun of, had a hard time finding appropriate substitutes, and eating out was a nightmare. But now I think that a veggie life is all about commitment, but I’m not sure I can do it anymore. Eating chicken etc has become so easy I think it would hard to go back.
Today was my first step... I have to finish all the chicken in my freezer first, because I think nothing is worse than wasting food, but after that I’m going to consider my choices.
Piggy, Piggy, Piggy
When I was reading through my old entries, I saw this one post that I had to comment on. We were search for pigs (actually pork, but we did understand the women when she was asking), because of swine flu! This was back in July of 2007, before the global panic; I didn’t even know what it was. At the time they were more concerned about the transfer of the virus to other livestock and had no concern for people in the least, funny how a year plus can change so much.
Back in the fall everything was about the H1N1, how to prevent it, who has it, how many have died. These days there is only remnants of the wide spread fear. Old signs up in the buses, the anti-bacterial gel bottles here and there, no one seems all that concerned anymore.
The death toll is nearly 16000 for 2009, but keep in mind in the US alone over 40 000 die per annum of the flu, so comparing the whole world to the US statistic (as we usually do) not so bad. Want to know why we freaked out... I'd say the media attention but hey what do I know :) . I do realize it was also because it was taking the lives of young healthy people as well, but the reality of it we need something to freak out about (war, virus, terrorism) for ratings so 2009 was all about the swine flu freak out. How many of you as of today are really all that worried about Swine flu? Not many I expect as its not being thrown in your faces every 2 seconds.
A nice cheerful subject for my first post... :)
A New ‘Interim’ Beginning
I started reading through my old entries, and I enjoyed the reminiscing immensely. So I thought a collection of new thoughts for a new ‘interim’ beginning. A new beginning in a new/ old place even if it’s only for a short(ish) time, I’m still living my life and still thinking so what else is a girl in the 21st century to do?
I do not know how often I will update this blog but I think it’s important, it became almost a diary of sorts. There were events, albeit minor ones that I had completely forgotten about until started to go through my old postings. So here we go again...
I do not know how often I will update this blog but I think it’s important, it became almost a diary of sorts. There were events, albeit minor ones that I had completely forgotten about until started to go through my old postings. So here we go again...
25 July 2007
I'm not demanding I swear
I have nothing interesting to write about so I'll tell you the little story about my few days in Cinsta.
Cinsta was our last stop on the way down the wild coast, only got to spend two nights there and had to start our way back to Durban. We stay at Buccaneers Backpackers, anyone I've talked to says this is the best one in SA, and it was great! We had booked a dorm room before we got there, we had been so lucky and other than the first night we hadn't needed to share a room with anyone else, we kept getting upgraded or just had a whole dorm room to ourselves as it was off season. But unfortunately Buccaneers was a little fuller than the rest so we got to the dorm room released we'd be sharing with 2 other people so to get a twin room was like an extra 10R a night so we decided to treat ourselves. So I we went back and asked for a double room which was fine, she smiled and gave us the keys and sent us on our way. We go down to the cottage and into the room and there was 1 double bed - we had asked for a double and not a twin. So I was sent back up to see about a twin. Again the girl laughed at me, which I realize is par for the course and so we get a twin but they only have one available for that night, but we figured we could sweet talk our way out of that the next day.
So we again move (only next door) this time into our very own house! Very cool. The house was huge and had a balcony on the top floor looking out to the beach (pic 1). We get settled and go up to the bar for a drink and realize we have no coffee for the next morning so off we go to see the lady at the check in for the 4th time in an hour to get directions to a store if such a thing existed in these parts.
Cinsta was our last stop on the way down the wild coast, only got to spend two nights there and had to start our way back to Durban. We stay at Buccaneers Backpackers, anyone I've talked to says this is the best one in SA, and it was great! We had booked a dorm room before we got there, we had been so lucky and other than the first night we hadn't needed to share a room with anyone else, we kept getting upgraded or just had a whole dorm room to ourselves as it was off season. But unfortunately Buccaneers was a little fuller than the rest so we got to the dorm room released we'd be sharing with 2 other people so to get a twin room was like an extra 10R a night so we decided to treat ourselves. So I we went back and asked for a double room which was fine, she smiled and gave us the keys and sent us on our way. We go down to the cottage and into the room and there was 1 double bed - we had asked for a double and not a twin. So I was sent back up to see about a twin. Again the girl laughed at me, which I realize is par for the course and so we get a twin but they only have one available for that night, but we figured we could sweet talk our way out of that the next day.
So we again move (only next door) this time into our very own house! Very cool. The house was huge and had a balcony on the top floor looking out to the beach (pic 1). We get settled and go up to the bar for a drink and realize we have no coffee for the next morning so off we go to see the lady at the check in for the 4th time in an hour to get directions to a store if such a thing existed in these parts.
She gives us directions - go down to the beach, and walk along until we pass a lagoon and take the first right, and we'll run into it. Sounds simply right... so we get down to the beach no problem at all and walk pass the lagoon and stop realizing the directions weren't as simply as we thought (pic 2) - she must also work for Google map. So we’re standing just beside the lagoon thinking she just sent us to Columbia to get our coffee when we see this little path beside the lagoon in the trees that lead up to a neighbourhood so we figured we'd have better luck up there finding coffee than in the Indian Ocean. Up the path we go and we end up on a little street so we figure that maybe if we take the first right we may indeed find a store, and we did! It was small store but it had coffee and milk and cookies so we were happy. Had a great night just relaxing on the balcony. The next morning we go back up to the office to try and sweet talk our way into keeping the house and our twin room, no luck the house was closed so we got moved back to the double room which we had turned down the night before. We had to share the cottage with 2 NZ girls and realized that’s why the lady on the check in put us there, let’s just say the NZ girls fit a stereotypical look, which I is why when we asked for a double she had the smile. But it was still a great night we had our own room and still a beautiful view of the beach, couldn't complain. I definitely see myself taken a trip back to Buccaneers.
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