For those who wonder why we studied ratios in school...
I had to do it today for work. I knew how much money someone made on a weekly basis but the vp was totaled biweekly. I had to find the ratio numbers and figure out how much vp was earned each week.
eg
week 1 earned 1643
week 2 earned 2201
vp over 2 weeks 79.36
1643:3844 = x:79.36
x=33.92 (vp earned in week 1)
y=45.44 (vp earned in week 2)
...and I would like to thank Mr. Brown for trying his best to teach us math (and for playing guitar when we needed it)
This was a common question I had for him, "Why do we need to learn this? What will we use it for in the future?"
So, ratios is something I use quite often. And I used triganomitry (sin, co-sin, tangent) when doing manual calculations for marine navigation. And I've used algebra when building stuff. For anyone still in school, pay attention to your math teacher - it will help you in the long run.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Last post until after vacation
Hello Everyone,
Last day of work before vacation. I have 1 more payroll to process, a bit of filing and then I'm done!
Busy weekend. Got my bottom bracket changed before polo. Polo was fun but tiring. Since my brake is on the right side, I had to place left-handed (and I'm not omni-dexterious). Easy to oversteer and fall over. A bit sore - my hands, chest.
Saturday, we had Jerry's friend's car for the weekend so he picked up donuts after dropping them off at the airport. Ate donuts and lounged in the hammock during the morning. Went to the farmer's market in the afternoon.
Sunday I went in to work for a couple hours. Had date night in the evening. Went to Chuck-E Cheese and learned how to play skeetball followed by movie. G-Force was fun and the 3-D was odd. A bit dizzying at first.
So, a lovely weekend. Got everything ready to go. Just need to clean the apartment.
Have a great day!
Last day of work before vacation. I have 1 more payroll to process, a bit of filing and then I'm done!
Busy weekend. Got my bottom bracket changed before polo. Polo was fun but tiring. Since my brake is on the right side, I had to place left-handed (and I'm not omni-dexterious). Easy to oversteer and fall over. A bit sore - my hands, chest.
Saturday, we had Jerry's friend's car for the weekend so he picked up donuts after dropping them off at the airport. Ate donuts and lounged in the hammock during the morning. Went to the farmer's market in the afternoon.
Sunday I went in to work for a couple hours. Had date night in the evening. Went to Chuck-E Cheese and learned how to play skeetball followed by movie. G-Force was fun and the 3-D was odd. A bit dizzying at first.
So, a lovely weekend. Got everything ready to go. Just need to clean the apartment.
Have a great day!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Poor Polly
Hello Everyone!
Polly got her first flat tire last night. It was a slow leak so I didn't notice anything was wrong until I was a block away from home. Piece of glass. Removed the glass (damage small enough I don't need to replace it altogether), patched the tube (first time I've done it for real). When I did the repairs, I was in the comfort of my livingroom but it was also after midnight and I fell asleep on the futon.
Furry family angry at me since I fell asleep before feeding them and then I slept in so didn't have time for cuddles.
I was going to replace her bottom bracket last night but Jerry forgot the part at work. So, I'm going there once I'm done today, do a quick replacement and then head to polo. So, for non-bike people, the pedals are connected to the cranks which are connected to the bottom bracket. The bottom bracket is the part that goes through your frame so it looks like a cylinder with 2 square rods sticking out at the end (which is what the cranks attach to). It should be a quick job as the steps are still fresh in my mind. I had to remove the cranks Wednesday night to measure the size of the replacement.
Bike polo tonight! Girls only intro night. Should be fun. They play on an outdoor hockey rink, 3 players on a team and no goalie. You have a mallet and you can't put your foot down on the ground. If you do, you're out of the play and have to go back to the centre line. Fast, exciting and you develop some amazing bike handling skills. At one point in time, it was even an Olympic sport!
Saturday morning is lounging in the hammock, eating breakfast outside, working in the garden. I'll do major cleaning/organizing on Sunday.
Oh, and Jerry finally came to the realization of how big my family is last night. I've warned him several times (his is really small - maybe 20 people on both sides in total - mine is around 70) but it was really funny to watch his face when it finally clicked. So, he might be a bit overwhelmed - but he still wants to meet you.
Have a great day!
Polly got her first flat tire last night. It was a slow leak so I didn't notice anything was wrong until I was a block away from home. Piece of glass. Removed the glass (damage small enough I don't need to replace it altogether), patched the tube (first time I've done it for real). When I did the repairs, I was in the comfort of my livingroom but it was also after midnight and I fell asleep on the futon.
Furry family angry at me since I fell asleep before feeding them and then I slept in so didn't have time for cuddles.
I was going to replace her bottom bracket last night but Jerry forgot the part at work. So, I'm going there once I'm done today, do a quick replacement and then head to polo. So, for non-bike people, the pedals are connected to the cranks which are connected to the bottom bracket. The bottom bracket is the part that goes through your frame so it looks like a cylinder with 2 square rods sticking out at the end (which is what the cranks attach to). It should be a quick job as the steps are still fresh in my mind. I had to remove the cranks Wednesday night to measure the size of the replacement.
Bike polo tonight! Girls only intro night. Should be fun. They play on an outdoor hockey rink, 3 players on a team and no goalie. You have a mallet and you can't put your foot down on the ground. If you do, you're out of the play and have to go back to the centre line. Fast, exciting and you develop some amazing bike handling skills. At one point in time, it was even an Olympic sport!
Saturday morning is lounging in the hammock, eating breakfast outside, working in the garden. I'll do major cleaning/organizing on Sunday.
Oh, and Jerry finally came to the realization of how big my family is last night. I've warned him several times (his is really small - maybe 20 people on both sides in total - mine is around 70) but it was really funny to watch his face when it finally clicked. So, he might be a bit overwhelmed - but he still wants to meet you.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
hump day
Hello Everyone,
What an unfocused week I've had so far. But things are still looking good workwise so when I go on holidays, it will be a proper holidays.
We have a few tomato flowers! Very exciting - I saw them for the first time this morning. One of Jerry's friends is looking after my place while we're gone and although there isn't a lot of produce, he'll be able to have fresh lettuce, spinach, swiss chard and herbs.
Some busy evenings ahead of me. Tonight I have Ranger patrol (ride on the City's pathways), tomorrow is plasma, Friday is polo (first time - they're putting on a girls intro night), Saturday is date night and Monday night is a salon appointment. I'm taking Jerry to see G-Force (in 3-D). lol - it should be amusing. And it's an action movie with lasers and explosions!
Have a great day!
What an unfocused week I've had so far. But things are still looking good workwise so when I go on holidays, it will be a proper holidays.
We have a few tomato flowers! Very exciting - I saw them for the first time this morning. One of Jerry's friends is looking after my place while we're gone and although there isn't a lot of produce, he'll be able to have fresh lettuce, spinach, swiss chard and herbs.
Some busy evenings ahead of me. Tonight I have Ranger patrol (ride on the City's pathways), tomorrow is plasma, Friday is polo (first time - they're putting on a girls intro night), Saturday is date night and Monday night is a salon appointment. I'm taking Jerry to see G-Force (in 3-D). lol - it should be amusing. And it's an action movie with lasers and explosions!
Have a great day!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mondays grrrr
Hello Everyone,
"I don't like Mondays..." - yep, I can relate to that song.
Tired this morning. Had a busy, sun filled weekend.
Friday night - school work
Saturday - rafting (floating) down the Bow River (relaxing), school work
Sunday - school work, mid-term exam, Sun & Salsa Festival
My mid-term went really well. I did it open book but even the questions were easier than I was expecting. Luckily, the stuff that was covered is stuff I actually do as part of my payroll process so it made a lot more sense to me. In the last course, the computer does all the calculations so I don't see where it gets that data from.
Tonight is a political event with Jerry. We get to meet Tony Clement (Minister of Industry) at some function. Was told about it last night so I don't know any details. I've never met him before so it should be interesting. Jerry wants to know about bikes and carbon credits.
Have my packing list pretty well done so I'll start putting my stuff together this week. Need to do a thorough cleaning/organizing of the apartment. Also need to get the pet stuff together (instructions, food labels etc).
Have a great day!
"I don't like Mondays..." - yep, I can relate to that song.
Tired this morning. Had a busy, sun filled weekend.
Friday night - school work
Saturday - rafting (floating) down the Bow River (relaxing), school work
Sunday - school work, mid-term exam, Sun & Salsa Festival
My mid-term went really well. I did it open book but even the questions were easier than I was expecting. Luckily, the stuff that was covered is stuff I actually do as part of my payroll process so it made a lot more sense to me. In the last course, the computer does all the calculations so I don't see where it gets that data from.
Tonight is a political event with Jerry. We get to meet Tony Clement (Minister of Industry) at some function. Was told about it last night so I don't know any details. I've never met him before so it should be interesting. Jerry wants to know about bikes and carbon credits.
Have my packing list pretty well done so I'll start putting my stuff together this week. Need to do a thorough cleaning/organizing of the apartment. Also need to get the pet stuff together (instructions, food labels etc).
Have a great day!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Women's Ski Jumping
Hello Everyone,
It's been a while since I've gotten p*ssed of at something but this fight has been going on for a while and it's difficult to watch the struggles these girls are going through. I don't know the first thing about ski jumping and I think these athletes are rather crazy to hurl themselves down a hill off a ramp.
Nevertheless, I think they should be included, based on principle.
This is from the website, "Let Women Ski Jump in 2010!" www.wsj2010.com
WHEREAS ski jumping is the only activity in the Olympic Winter Games that does not allow women to compete, and
WHEREAS women from all over the world currently compete in an international women's tour (FIS Continental Cup) comprised of competitions in Asia, Europe, and North America on regulation Olympic ski jumps, and
WHEREAS the International Federation for ski jumping, the FIS, overwhelmingly voted to add women's ski jumping to the FIS World Championships and request the International Olympic Committee include a women's ski jumping event in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and
WHEREAS events for women have been added to the Olympic program in recent years which have had less participating athletes, nations, and universality in competitions than women's ski jumping, and
WHEREAS women's ski jumping is unique from all other candidate new entrant events as it is only requesting a women's event be added to the already existing Olympic event of ski jumping, and
WHEREAS the Olympic Charter specifically states as a mission and role of the IOC "to encourage and support the promotion of women in sport at all levels and in all structures with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women", and
WHEREAS the Olympic Charter also specifically states "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement" as a fundamental principle of Olympism
THEREFORE the citizens of the world ask the International Olympic Committee to uphold the true spirit and intent of the Olympic Games and work with Canada to add a women's ski jumping event to the 2010 Olympic Games.
There is an on-line petition you can choose to sign if you wish. There is also a fact sheet.
Other notes on the website include: "On January 5, 2008, at the Whistler Olympic ski jumps, a woman set the overall normal hill record." and "In Canada it is against Federal and Provincial Law for the Government to use public funds for venues that exclude women."
Here is the fact sheet:
Should women be allwoed to ski jump in the 2010 Olympics?
You Decide
Myth: There are not enough women ski jumping for it to be included in the Olympic Winter Games.
Fact: Over 130 women from 16 nations are registered as international competitors with the International Ski Federation (FIS). Hundreds more compete in their own countries at the national and club levels.
http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/disciplines/skijumping/competitorbiographies.html
Myth: Women are not good enough to compete at the World Cup level.
Fact: The FIS Continental Cup format is used for the elite level of women's international competition. In 2004 organizers from ski jumping nations chose to forgo asking the FIS for a Women's World Cup tour in order to reduce production costs and facilitate growth in the sport.
Myth: Women's ski jumping is not developed enough. There is not enough "universality"
Fact: 16 Nations (AUT, CAN, CZE, FIN, FRA, GER, ITA, JAP, NED, NOR, POL, RUS, SLO, SWE, SUI & USA) have women registered as international competitors with the FIS. This season's Continental Cup tour will include 25 events hosted by 8 coiuntries in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Myth: Only a few women athletes can jump respectably.
Fact: 35 different athletes from 9 nations have placed within the top 10 in FIS Continental Cup competition during the past two seasons. The depth of field parallels the men's tour.
Myth: There must be two World Championship competitions held before an event can be included in the Olympics.
Fact: This crierion has had exceptions made to it in the past. The most notable being the inclusion of the women's marathon even in the th 1984 Los Angeles Olympics after a single World Championship in 1983. The first Women's Ski Jumping World Champtionship will be held in Liberec, Czech Republic in 2009. By 2010 there will have been four World Junior Championships.
Myth: There is not enough room on the 2010 program to incude the women jumpers.
Fact: Currently there are six men's ski jumping medal events (three ski jumping and three Nordic Combined) planned over six days. A single women's event could be schedules on available days.
Myth: The cost of including a women's event on the 2010 program would be prohibitive.
Fact: Women ski jump on the identical jumps that Men use. The venue would not be required to be modified in any way.
It's been a while since I've gotten p*ssed of at something but this fight has been going on for a while and it's difficult to watch the struggles these girls are going through. I don't know the first thing about ski jumping and I think these athletes are rather crazy to hurl themselves down a hill off a ramp.
Nevertheless, I think they should be included, based on principle.
This is from the website, "Let Women Ski Jump in 2010!" www.wsj2010.com
WHEREAS ski jumping is the only activity in the Olympic Winter Games that does not allow women to compete, and
WHEREAS women from all over the world currently compete in an international women's tour (FIS Continental Cup) comprised of competitions in Asia, Europe, and North America on regulation Olympic ski jumps, and
WHEREAS the International Federation for ski jumping, the FIS, overwhelmingly voted to add women's ski jumping to the FIS World Championships and request the International Olympic Committee include a women's ski jumping event in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and
WHEREAS events for women have been added to the Olympic program in recent years which have had less participating athletes, nations, and universality in competitions than women's ski jumping, and
WHEREAS women's ski jumping is unique from all other candidate new entrant events as it is only requesting a women's event be added to the already existing Olympic event of ski jumping, and
WHEREAS the Olympic Charter specifically states as a mission and role of the IOC "to encourage and support the promotion of women in sport at all levels and in all structures with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women", and
WHEREAS the Olympic Charter also specifically states "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement" as a fundamental principle of Olympism
THEREFORE the citizens of the world ask the International Olympic Committee to uphold the true spirit and intent of the Olympic Games and work with Canada to add a women's ski jumping event to the 2010 Olympic Games.
There is an on-line petition you can choose to sign if you wish. There is also a fact sheet.
Other notes on the website include: "On January 5, 2008, at the Whistler Olympic ski jumps, a woman set the overall normal hill record." and "In Canada it is against Federal and Provincial Law for the Government to use public funds for venues that exclude women."
Here is the fact sheet:
Should women be allwoed to ski jump in the 2010 Olympics?
You Decide
Myth: There are not enough women ski jumping for it to be included in the Olympic Winter Games.
Fact: Over 130 women from 16 nations are registered as international competitors with the International Ski Federation (FIS). Hundreds more compete in their own countries at the national and club levels.
http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/disciplines/skijumping/competitorbiographies.html
Myth: Women are not good enough to compete at the World Cup level.
Fact: The FIS Continental Cup format is used for the elite level of women's international competition. In 2004 organizers from ski jumping nations chose to forgo asking the FIS for a Women's World Cup tour in order to reduce production costs and facilitate growth in the sport.
Myth: Women's ski jumping is not developed enough. There is not enough "universality"
Fact: 16 Nations (AUT, CAN, CZE, FIN, FRA, GER, ITA, JAP, NED, NOR, POL, RUS, SLO, SWE, SUI & USA) have women registered as international competitors with the FIS. This season's Continental Cup tour will include 25 events hosted by 8 coiuntries in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Myth: Only a few women athletes can jump respectably.
Fact: 35 different athletes from 9 nations have placed within the top 10 in FIS Continental Cup competition during the past two seasons. The depth of field parallels the men's tour.
Myth: There must be two World Championship competitions held before an event can be included in the Olympics.
Fact: This crierion has had exceptions made to it in the past. The most notable being the inclusion of the women's marathon even in the th 1984 Los Angeles Olympics after a single World Championship in 1983. The first Women's Ski Jumping World Champtionship will be held in Liberec, Czech Republic in 2009. By 2010 there will have been four World Junior Championships.
Myth: There is not enough room on the 2010 program to incude the women jumpers.
Fact: Currently there are six men's ski jumping medal events (three ski jumping and three Nordic Combined) planned over six days. A single women's event could be schedules on available days.
Myth: The cost of including a women's event on the 2010 program would be prohibitive.
Fact: Women ski jump on the identical jumps that Men use. The venue would not be required to be modified in any way.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Rain
Hello Everyone,
Day 2 of rain. And not just a little bit - rainfall warning rain. I've been wanting to weed the garden this week and I don't think it'll dry out in time before the weekend.
I've been busy at work. Got 2 weeks to go before I'm on holidays. Starting to tie up loose ends and get my filing done.
So, I may be riding on a big adventure next year. There's a 3 day tour that raises money for a kids cancer camp in Alberta and it should be an epic ride. Day 1 is 100 or 165 km, day 2 is 100, 180 or 230 and day 3 is 100 or 160. Starting in Banff, riding up the west side of Alberta and looping around. It would mean 6 months of training and a new bike. She already has a name - Sasha. Problem is that she's would be the equivalence of 2 months rent. But I'll start saving now and hopefully will get a previous years' model in the winter. I told Jerry about the ride and he got super excited. I think it would be a huge challenge but it sounds exciting. I'll let you know more about it when I have details about next years ride - after all, I'll need your money!
This weekend is our 2nd anniversary of dating. I think we're either camping or going up to Edmonton. At any rate, I'll have my books with me since I'm going to be writing my mid-term next Tuesday.
Will chat with you later. Just wanted you to know I didn't run off with a cowboy!
Have a great day!
Day 2 of rain. And not just a little bit - rainfall warning rain. I've been wanting to weed the garden this week and I don't think it'll dry out in time before the weekend.
I've been busy at work. Got 2 weeks to go before I'm on holidays. Starting to tie up loose ends and get my filing done.
So, I may be riding on a big adventure next year. There's a 3 day tour that raises money for a kids cancer camp in Alberta and it should be an epic ride. Day 1 is 100 or 165 km, day 2 is 100, 180 or 230 and day 3 is 100 or 160. Starting in Banff, riding up the west side of Alberta and looping around. It would mean 6 months of training and a new bike. She already has a name - Sasha. Problem is that she's would be the equivalence of 2 months rent. But I'll start saving now and hopefully will get a previous years' model in the winter. I told Jerry about the ride and he got super excited. I think it would be a huge challenge but it sounds exciting. I'll let you know more about it when I have details about next years ride - after all, I'll need your money!
This weekend is our 2nd anniversary of dating. I think we're either camping or going up to Edmonton. At any rate, I'll have my books with me since I'm going to be writing my mid-term next Tuesday.
Will chat with you later. Just wanted you to know I didn't run off with a cowboy!
Have a great day!
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
New toy
Hello everyone,
So, I'm having fun with my new bike computer. First time I've ever used one so in the past, I only had a vague idea how fast I was going.
It's actually a great tool. I patrol on the bike paths that have a speed limit of 20 km/hr in most places. 10 km/hr in high congested place. 20 is a reasonable speed if you're out for a relaxing afternoon. Not reasonable for commuting. And 10 is ridiculous. Joggers will pass you. You're going to slow to keep your manoeuverability. The speed limit in the parkcade at work is 7 km/hr. My walking speed is 6.
But, I've had a couple chances to open her up and I've had some fun. Got her up to 38 on my commute in this morning. My average/comfortable speed is 25. The 38 was on a wide road with a very slight downhill grade. I don't often get the chance to go down on my drops so I'm not sure how fast I can get her. But, it's still fun to do those little sprints.
My top speed was last year during the MS Tour. Amazingly strong wind gusts got me into the 50s on Charlotte. Weirdly enough, it didn't feel like I was going all that fast since I couldn't feel the wind.
So, my message is that yes, bicycles are a viables means of transportation. When you're passing us, give us lots of room since those high speeds mean a lot of hurt if you stop suddenly, cut us off or even the wind shifts. I've almost went down a number of times because of wind gusts from vehicles passing too close, creating the lee and then smacking you once they've cleared you.
As well, think about how long you're sitting in a vehicle vs how you could get there by bike. If you take that time and add it to your workout/gym time, biking starts to sound a lot more appealing. Plus the $ savings. And, if you're worried about your business clothes getting messy, I change at work (there's a shower too but I don't get myself worked into a sweat) and the influx of cruiser style bikes makes it easy to carry a briefcase or purse. And cycling is safe - despite what the helmet people say. Yes, I wear a helmet. Yes, I wear gloves - but it's because they're blue with white bubbles on them.
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
So, I'm having fun with my new bike computer. First time I've ever used one so in the past, I only had a vague idea how fast I was going.
It's actually a great tool. I patrol on the bike paths that have a speed limit of 20 km/hr in most places. 10 km/hr in high congested place. 20 is a reasonable speed if you're out for a relaxing afternoon. Not reasonable for commuting. And 10 is ridiculous. Joggers will pass you. You're going to slow to keep your manoeuverability. The speed limit in the parkcade at work is 7 km/hr. My walking speed is 6.
But, I've had a couple chances to open her up and I've had some fun. Got her up to 38 on my commute in this morning. My average/comfortable speed is 25. The 38 was on a wide road with a very slight downhill grade. I don't often get the chance to go down on my drops so I'm not sure how fast I can get her. But, it's still fun to do those little sprints.
My top speed was last year during the MS Tour. Amazingly strong wind gusts got me into the 50s on Charlotte. Weirdly enough, it didn't feel like I was going all that fast since I couldn't feel the wind.
So, my message is that yes, bicycles are a viables means of transportation. When you're passing us, give us lots of room since those high speeds mean a lot of hurt if you stop suddenly, cut us off or even the wind shifts. I've almost went down a number of times because of wind gusts from vehicles passing too close, creating the lee and then smacking you once they've cleared you.
As well, think about how long you're sitting in a vehicle vs how you could get there by bike. If you take that time and add it to your workout/gym time, biking starts to sound a lot more appealing. Plus the $ savings. And, if you're worried about your business clothes getting messy, I change at work (there's a shower too but I don't get myself worked into a sweat) and the influx of cruiser style bikes makes it easy to carry a briefcase or purse. And cycling is safe - despite what the helmet people say. Yes, I wear a helmet. Yes, I wear gloves - but it's because they're blue with white bubbles on them.
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
Monday, July 06, 2009
too much deep-fried...and candy
Hello Everyone,
Ah, Stampede...
We went on Sunday and had a lot of fun. Both of us were tired as we had a long day on Saturday. Jerry helped make pancakes for his MP's breakfast and I had to meander all the way down the hill to eat them. I then spent the afternoon studying at the park. That night, we went to a politically orientated party filled with the movers and shakers of the Calgary region. It was actually a pretty good time but it went on rather late.
We got to the grounds by 8:30 so we could get free admission. Otherwise, admission was $14/adult. Didn't stand in the super long line for free pancakes but we did go into the grandstand for free juice and ice-cream. Watched the stock dogs in the Saddledome although the sheep were the clear winners. Went on the swings (the rides were super-expensive so we limited ourselves to one ride) and did lots of people watching.
So...
mini donuts: too much oil first thing in the morning. And then they sprinkle icing sugar on them. We ordered a bucket of them (think kid's sized popcorn bucket)
milk/wagon wheel: best deal on the grounds $1
lunch: ate off the grounds so we could have a proper sit down meal
deep fried macaroni & cheese: yum
deep fried jelly beans: not as good as they sound. I was expecting battered jelly beans but
these were just donuts with jelly beans added to the batter. And then sprinkled with icing sugar
candy floss: yum! and they had green! new flavour for me - and very tasty
It was a good time and it was also the first time that Jerry and I were at Stampede together. Last year he got pulled away for a political function the night we were suppose to see the Evening Show. And we didn't start dating until the week after Stampede the previous year. He was very patient with me - went through all the infomercial boothes with me, helped me eat the cotton candy (so I wouldn't get a tummy ache - it just doesn't taste the same the next day) and he didn't laugh at me when I found the swings ride very high and a bit scary. Oh, and it's still one of my favourite rides. We went on the newer one where it's 2 people per swing and it goes higher than the traditional single seat one.
So that's it for Stampede this year for me. Prices were expensive and I'm budgetting for Ontario. Very different feel this year than in the past - people very hesitant about spending money. Not the super packed bars and parties. Even clothing is more subdued. Yep, the recession came to Alberta late but when it did hit, it hit hard.
Ah, Stampede...
We went on Sunday and had a lot of fun. Both of us were tired as we had a long day on Saturday. Jerry helped make pancakes for his MP's breakfast and I had to meander all the way down the hill to eat them. I then spent the afternoon studying at the park. That night, we went to a politically orientated party filled with the movers and shakers of the Calgary region. It was actually a pretty good time but it went on rather late.
We got to the grounds by 8:30 so we could get free admission. Otherwise, admission was $14/adult. Didn't stand in the super long line for free pancakes but we did go into the grandstand for free juice and ice-cream. Watched the stock dogs in the Saddledome although the sheep were the clear winners. Went on the swings (the rides were super-expensive so we limited ourselves to one ride) and did lots of people watching.
So...
mini donuts: too much oil first thing in the morning. And then they sprinkle icing sugar on them. We ordered a bucket of them (think kid's sized popcorn bucket)
milk/wagon wheel: best deal on the grounds $1
lunch: ate off the grounds so we could have a proper sit down meal
deep fried macaroni & cheese: yum
deep fried jelly beans: not as good as they sound. I was expecting battered jelly beans but
these were just donuts with jelly beans added to the batter. And then sprinkled with icing sugar
candy floss: yum! and they had green! new flavour for me - and very tasty
It was a good time and it was also the first time that Jerry and I were at Stampede together. Last year he got pulled away for a political function the night we were suppose to see the Evening Show. And we didn't start dating until the week after Stampede the previous year. He was very patient with me - went through all the infomercial boothes with me, helped me eat the cotton candy (so I wouldn't get a tummy ache - it just doesn't taste the same the next day) and he didn't laugh at me when I found the swings ride very high and a bit scary. Oh, and it's still one of my favourite rides. We went on the newer one where it's 2 people per swing and it goes higher than the traditional single seat one.
So that's it for Stampede this year for me. Prices were expensive and I'm budgetting for Ontario. Very different feel this year than in the past - people very hesitant about spending money. Not the super packed bars and parties. Even clothing is more subdued. Yep, the recession came to Alberta late but when it did hit, it hit hard.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
26 days...
Hello Everyone!
26 days until vacation! Getting excited. It's going to be vacation on the super cheap but it will still be lots of fun.
Busy week but short at work. Had my meeting in Nisku on Monday and I'm getting my procedure for ROEs and terminations. So, have to do up a memo explaining what to do and it becomes effective immediately. I've been working on this for almost a year so I'm quite pleased.
Tuesday was a half day because of a computer system upgrade. Spent the afternoon studying.
Wednesday was a day of sleep. Brought breakfast over to Jerry and then went back home and fell asleep until the afternoon. Tried to do a bit more studying but couldn't get motivated. Went back over to Jerry's so we could watch the fireworks. Because of timing, we only saw about 30 seconds but that's ok since next week will have fireworks every night.
Today is a full day. Have a free reflexology appointment (15 minutes from my massage place) and plasma donation tonight. My only full work day this week.
Tomorrow is Stampede parade. Office closed until the afternoon so we can watch the parade. Yee-Haw!
Saturday is a pancake breakfast for my MP. Jerry's a volunteer. Will go eat free pancakes and then take my text books down to Prince's Island to study under the trees. On Sunday we're going to the grounds since if you get there before 9:00am, you get free admission and you get free breakfast. So, we'll go for breakfast, get a re-entry stamp and return later in the day. It's just too long if you're there right from 9am to 11:30pm (for fireworks). We're old - we need nap time.
Have a great day!
PS - we have little potato plants!
26 days until vacation! Getting excited. It's going to be vacation on the super cheap but it will still be lots of fun.
Busy week but short at work. Had my meeting in Nisku on Monday and I'm getting my procedure for ROEs and terminations. So, have to do up a memo explaining what to do and it becomes effective immediately. I've been working on this for almost a year so I'm quite pleased.
Tuesday was a half day because of a computer system upgrade. Spent the afternoon studying.
Wednesday was a day of sleep. Brought breakfast over to Jerry and then went back home and fell asleep until the afternoon. Tried to do a bit more studying but couldn't get motivated. Went back over to Jerry's so we could watch the fireworks. Because of timing, we only saw about 30 seconds but that's ok since next week will have fireworks every night.
Today is a full day. Have a free reflexology appointment (15 minutes from my massage place) and plasma donation tonight. My only full work day this week.
Tomorrow is Stampede parade. Office closed until the afternoon so we can watch the parade. Yee-Haw!
Saturday is a pancake breakfast for my MP. Jerry's a volunteer. Will go eat free pancakes and then take my text books down to Prince's Island to study under the trees. On Sunday we're going to the grounds since if you get there before 9:00am, you get free admission and you get free breakfast. So, we'll go for breakfast, get a re-entry stamp and return later in the day. It's just too long if you're there right from 9am to 11:30pm (for fireworks). We're old - we need nap time.
Have a great day!
PS - we have little potato plants!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Finally sunny Calgary
Hello Everyone,
For the past few days, it was overcast for at least part of the day. Today was the first all day sunny day in a while. Lots of wind over the past few days so the garden needed a lot of water.
Thank you all for your support this week. Excited for tomorrow night. Will have dinner ready for Jerry when he gets home and we're going fishing on the weekend. A weekend of relaxing and no real plans. That way he can decompress and review work stuff and I get to spend time with him. Oh - nice thing about Calgary - you can fish the river that runs through the city and the fish are edible. Lots of great trout spots on the Bow.
Have a great day!
For the past few days, it was overcast for at least part of the day. Today was the first all day sunny day in a while. Lots of wind over the past few days so the garden needed a lot of water.
Thank you all for your support this week. Excited for tomorrow night. Will have dinner ready for Jerry when he gets home and we're going fishing on the weekend. A weekend of relaxing and no real plans. That way he can decompress and review work stuff and I get to spend time with him. Oh - nice thing about Calgary - you can fish the river that runs through the city and the fish are edible. Lots of great trout spots on the Bow.
Have a great day!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
A bit better today
Hello Everyone,
I'm still down but it's getting better. I find it's the little things I miss. It's odd since we don't spend all our time together although our communication is regular.
Yep, little things
No kiss "good morning" from him when I stop by his house for coffee. He even gets the coffee ready just right for me. Sugar and a bit of water to cool it down. Yesterday, the door was locked so there was no coffee. Today, his ex-roommate put on a pot so I chatted with him. It's a routine we have. Jerry's roommate puts on coffee when he leaves for work. Jerry gets up. Ex-roommate shows up for coffee. I show up for coffee. I chat as they get their paperwork ready for the day.
No response back to my morning e-mail wishing him a good day. I usually send a cute e-mail (like a note in a lunch bag if he had one) but since it's going to his other e-mail account (this is temporary), it gets lost in the jumble.
No e-mail/phone call to see about meeting up at the park for lunch.
No messaging after work to see how our afternoons went. With the time zone difference, it puts us out of sync. And he needs his evenings for networking.
So, I'm a bit lost when I get home. Mike's enjoying the extra attention. I'm not focusing well. I need to get some housework and schoolwork done. Hopefully I can get myself snapped out of this tonight. I've got things going on tomorrow and Thursday which will help with the long evenings.
And I'm busy at work. Working on changes in processes. Created a new time sheet for my salaried payroll. Looking at possibilities of a new time sheet for my hourly payroll. Creating a procedure for terminations. And, I'm heading up to Nisku (where our operations office is - near Edmonton) on Monday for a meeting. It's the first time I've been invited and I will be presenting the termination procedure, discussing the new time sheets as well as general payroll explanations.
Well, I've got a busy day ahead of me. Have a great day!
I'm still down but it's getting better. I find it's the little things I miss. It's odd since we don't spend all our time together although our communication is regular.
Yep, little things
No kiss "good morning" from him when I stop by his house for coffee. He even gets the coffee ready just right for me. Sugar and a bit of water to cool it down. Yesterday, the door was locked so there was no coffee. Today, his ex-roommate put on a pot so I chatted with him. It's a routine we have. Jerry's roommate puts on coffee when he leaves for work. Jerry gets up. Ex-roommate shows up for coffee. I show up for coffee. I chat as they get their paperwork ready for the day.
No response back to my morning e-mail wishing him a good day. I usually send a cute e-mail (like a note in a lunch bag if he had one) but since it's going to his other e-mail account (this is temporary), it gets lost in the jumble.
No e-mail/phone call to see about meeting up at the park for lunch.
No messaging after work to see how our afternoons went. With the time zone difference, it puts us out of sync. And he needs his evenings for networking.
So, I'm a bit lost when I get home. Mike's enjoying the extra attention. I'm not focusing well. I need to get some housework and schoolwork done. Hopefully I can get myself snapped out of this tonight. I've got things going on tomorrow and Thursday which will help with the long evenings.
And I'm busy at work. Working on changes in processes. Created a new time sheet for my salaried payroll. Looking at possibilities of a new time sheet for my hourly payroll. Creating a procedure for terminations. And, I'm heading up to Nisku (where our operations office is - near Edmonton) on Monday for a meeting. It's the first time I've been invited and I will be presenting the termination procedure, discussing the new time sheets as well as general payroll explanations.
Well, I've got a busy day ahead of me. Have a great day!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
A saddish sort of weekend
Hello everyone,
It's been an up and down weekend and wanted to share. Most of it involves Jerry.
And it's not a bad thing - just something different in our relationship.
Among Jerry's business ventures is being the majority shareholder in a courier company in Toronto. It's still a new company and they've run in to personnel problems. There was (and still is) a chance he was going to head out there for an extended period of time. So far, it's at a best case scenario and it means likely monthly visits to Toronto for a week at a time. Jerry got word on Wednesday that he needed to be out there this week. So, I saw him off at the airport this morning.
I think this will be the longest we've been apart since we started dating (I know, a whole 5 1/2 days) so I feel pretty foolish for feeling sad. I did very good to not cry at the airport, even though it looked like both of us were going to at any moment. And I also know this business venture is very important to him. If everything works out, there's a chance he can start getting out of the day-to-day courier business in a couple years. And it means a possibility of a more stable future financially. With the ups and downs of the economy plus the dangerous side of his line of work, I have the stable long-term employment. He didn't even want me to think about considering going with him to Toronto in the event of him being there long term. Silly man - we'd cross that bridge only if it arrives.
So we're trying to make the best of the situation and I've been told hiccups like this can make relationships stronger. We're looking at living situations, financial issues, geographic location and even what both of us want for the future. It's really opened our communication level.
I still miss him though, even if it's been only a day. And he's back late Friday night.
The other thing is Friday was our 23rd month anniversary. Ok - you can laugh about that one.
So we celebrated our relationship but still had his departure in the back our of minds the whole night. We went to the movies (a proper date) and saw Up. Not a kid's movie. I cried within a couple minutes of watching it. Hallmark sad. But a great movie, positive message. Just very sedimental. Which probably started me in this mood.
Jerry completely understands that I cry over stupid sappy stuff. So does his sister. And I was even laughing at myself for crying.
Saturday was getting him ready for his trip. He needed business clothes so he picked up a plaid navy sportcoat to go with a couple pairs of pants he already owns. He also got a couple shirts - light green (complete surprise how well it looked) and cream. The cream has french cuffs so he can wear the bicycle cuff links I bought him for his birthday. He plans to wear this outfit for his first business meeting out there. Also got a colourful tie. It was fun shopping with him and he's actually a lot of fun to clothes shop with. Gravitates toward colour and isn't afraid to try new looks.
But since he's not the most organized person, we were up until 4am getting everything ready. We left at 5:50 for the airport (roommate drove) and got there in lots of time for his 7am flight. So, we got about an hour of sleep. After I got dropped off at home, I curled up on the futon with the furry family and slept until 5. Felt much refreshed when I got up. Mike slept on my feet and Whiskers stayed up by my shoulder. Both kept me warm and were cuddly soft.
Oh, off topic - on Saturday we also stopped at a couple garage sales and I picked up a red winter jacket ($5), a white wooden chair (7) and a retro stewardess bag ($4 - as a bike bag). We also picked up travel Yatszi for a donation. Jerry wanted it so we could play while on the train when we travel from Ottawa to Toronto. He's so sweet.
So, I need some advice. How do you handle short but regular separation from your significant other? We've got messaging and e-mail to keep in contact but do you do anything else? Any special routines? What about the emotional toll? Does it get easier after a while?
I'll work on schoolwork this week to keep busy and I know the time will go by quickly. And I'll try not to feel sorry for myself. Have a great day!
It's been an up and down weekend and wanted to share. Most of it involves Jerry.
And it's not a bad thing - just something different in our relationship.
Among Jerry's business ventures is being the majority shareholder in a courier company in Toronto. It's still a new company and they've run in to personnel problems. There was (and still is) a chance he was going to head out there for an extended period of time. So far, it's at a best case scenario and it means likely monthly visits to Toronto for a week at a time. Jerry got word on Wednesday that he needed to be out there this week. So, I saw him off at the airport this morning.
I think this will be the longest we've been apart since we started dating (I know, a whole 5 1/2 days) so I feel pretty foolish for feeling sad. I did very good to not cry at the airport, even though it looked like both of us were going to at any moment. And I also know this business venture is very important to him. If everything works out, there's a chance he can start getting out of the day-to-day courier business in a couple years. And it means a possibility of a more stable future financially. With the ups and downs of the economy plus the dangerous side of his line of work, I have the stable long-term employment. He didn't even want me to think about considering going with him to Toronto in the event of him being there long term. Silly man - we'd cross that bridge only if it arrives.
So we're trying to make the best of the situation and I've been told hiccups like this can make relationships stronger. We're looking at living situations, financial issues, geographic location and even what both of us want for the future. It's really opened our communication level.
I still miss him though, even if it's been only a day. And he's back late Friday night.
The other thing is Friday was our 23rd month anniversary. Ok - you can laugh about that one.
So we celebrated our relationship but still had his departure in the back our of minds the whole night. We went to the movies (a proper date) and saw Up. Not a kid's movie. I cried within a couple minutes of watching it. Hallmark sad. But a great movie, positive message. Just very sedimental. Which probably started me in this mood.
Jerry completely understands that I cry over stupid sappy stuff. So does his sister. And I was even laughing at myself for crying.
Saturday was getting him ready for his trip. He needed business clothes so he picked up a plaid navy sportcoat to go with a couple pairs of pants he already owns. He also got a couple shirts - light green (complete surprise how well it looked) and cream. The cream has french cuffs so he can wear the bicycle cuff links I bought him for his birthday. He plans to wear this outfit for his first business meeting out there. Also got a colourful tie. It was fun shopping with him and he's actually a lot of fun to clothes shop with. Gravitates toward colour and isn't afraid to try new looks.
But since he's not the most organized person, we were up until 4am getting everything ready. We left at 5:50 for the airport (roommate drove) and got there in lots of time for his 7am flight. So, we got about an hour of sleep. After I got dropped off at home, I curled up on the futon with the furry family and slept until 5. Felt much refreshed when I got up. Mike slept on my feet and Whiskers stayed up by my shoulder. Both kept me warm and were cuddly soft.
Oh, off topic - on Saturday we also stopped at a couple garage sales and I picked up a red winter jacket ($5), a white wooden chair (7) and a retro stewardess bag ($4 - as a bike bag). We also picked up travel Yatszi for a donation. Jerry wanted it so we could play while on the train when we travel from Ottawa to Toronto. He's so sweet.
So, I need some advice. How do you handle short but regular separation from your significant other? We've got messaging and e-mail to keep in contact but do you do anything else? Any special routines? What about the emotional toll? Does it get easier after a while?
I'll work on schoolwork this week to keep busy and I know the time will go by quickly. And I'll try not to feel sorry for myself. Have a great day!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Spock Days
Hello Everyone,
Here I am in costume. I made it myself since it was next to impossible to get a uniform here on time. It's a red t-shirt dress from American Apparel (super comfy), black undershirt from MEC, boots from Walmart (got last year) and I ordered the patch on eBay.
Jerry and his friends were dressed as tribbles (original Star Trek tv series) and Lara was a Vulcan. Here we are in the parade, and after in front of one of the floats.
Here is the statue in front of the information centre.
Here we are playing dress-up inside the visitor's centre. They also have cut-outs you can get your picture taken with. There is a simulator where you can manoeuver a Starship and lots of fan memorabilia.
They put on a great festival. Free pancake breakfast, long parade, festival activities on Saturday, slo-pitch tournament and a couple dances. The town was very welcoming and I was a bit surprised not to see more weirdo-fans all dressed up. It was relaxing and low key.
So, it was a fun but tiring weekend. We drove out Friday night and camped for the weekend in Vulcan, AB. They had their big Spock Days festival. Here are some pictures:
Here I am in costume. I made it myself since it was next to impossible to get a uniform here on time. It's a red t-shirt dress from American Apparel (super comfy), black undershirt from MEC, boots from Walmart (got last year) and I ordered the patch on eBay.
Jerry and his friends were dressed as tribbles (original Star Trek tv series) and Lara was a Vulcan. Here we are in the parade, and after in front of one of the floats.
Here is the statue in front of the information centre.
Here we are playing dress-up inside the visitor's centre. They also have cut-outs you can get your picture taken with. There is a simulator where you can manoeuver a Starship and lots of fan memorabilia.
They put on a great festival. Free pancake breakfast, long parade, festival activities on Saturday, slo-pitch tournament and a couple dances. The town was very welcoming and I was a bit surprised not to see more weirdo-fans all dressed up. It was relaxing and low key.
And finally, here is a nice photo of us.
Friday, June 12, 2009
le sigh
Hello Everyone,
I'm so lucky to be with such a great person.
So, yesterday I was looking at the forecast and thought, "we really need to get the rest of the garden in". This, after having snow last week. The weather is finally becoming spring and it should be a great weekend. We're off to Vulcan tonight for Spock Days and were not planning to get the rest of the garden done until next week.
But, I got the gardening urge and decided to dig. I knew Jerry was busy and I would have to dig into crappy, clay heavy soil. But I did, my hands are rough and the rest of the beds are done. I created 3 more - 2 are 5'x2' and 1 is 5'x1. Jerry arrived just as I was finishing. We then planted our little seedlings and the rest of the plants.
This is why I'm so lucky - Jerry called me from the garden centre to see if we needed anything else. I mentioned (jokingly) that if he saw some flowers that caught his eye, to pick some up. And he did. He chose 2 poppies that he liked (Oriental and Himilayan), some marigolds (for pest control) and then bought me some cosmos. I had mentioned a couple times that I really like them but they have an uncommon name so I wasn't expecting him to remember. They're such a pretty flower - bright cheerful flowers and feathery leaves.
We only have a couple things left to plant. I need to plant 2 corn seeds and we're going to pick up some cucumber, squash and melon plants (some didn't germinate and the rest were taken care of by Mike). Then we'll be all set.
There's quite a lot - by the time everything got done.
peas
beans - 4 varieties
carrots - 3 varieties
swiss chard
onions
shallots (I prefer them over onions)
garlic
corn
tomatoes (7 varieties)
potatoes
beets
herbs
raspberries
strawberries
rhubarb (there was one plant already there and we also planted a patch passed down from Jerry's grandmother's farm)
lettuce (in my tiered salad bowl)
nastriums (yummy for salad and pretty flowers)
didn't germinate - made me sad :-(
radish
parnip
All are being grown in square foot style, the main bed and trellis beds are raised. The beds I dug last night were not but I put wood around the edge to create an organized barrier. And I won the battle with the potatoes. Jerry wanted to do the tire method and I said that would look ugly. So, the potatoes are in the ground at my place and he will try the tires at his place.
I'll have pictures next week and will keep you posted with our progress. Have a great weekend!
I'm so lucky to be with such a great person.
So, yesterday I was looking at the forecast and thought, "we really need to get the rest of the garden in". This, after having snow last week. The weather is finally becoming spring and it should be a great weekend. We're off to Vulcan tonight for Spock Days and were not planning to get the rest of the garden done until next week.
But, I got the gardening urge and decided to dig. I knew Jerry was busy and I would have to dig into crappy, clay heavy soil. But I did, my hands are rough and the rest of the beds are done. I created 3 more - 2 are 5'x2' and 1 is 5'x1. Jerry arrived just as I was finishing. We then planted our little seedlings and the rest of the plants.
This is why I'm so lucky - Jerry called me from the garden centre to see if we needed anything else. I mentioned (jokingly) that if he saw some flowers that caught his eye, to pick some up. And he did. He chose 2 poppies that he liked (Oriental and Himilayan), some marigolds (for pest control) and then bought me some cosmos. I had mentioned a couple times that I really like them but they have an uncommon name so I wasn't expecting him to remember. They're such a pretty flower - bright cheerful flowers and feathery leaves.
We only have a couple things left to plant. I need to plant 2 corn seeds and we're going to pick up some cucumber, squash and melon plants (some didn't germinate and the rest were taken care of by Mike). Then we'll be all set.
There's quite a lot - by the time everything got done.
peas
beans - 4 varieties
carrots - 3 varieties
swiss chard
onions
shallots (I prefer them over onions)
garlic
corn
tomatoes (7 varieties)
potatoes
beets
herbs
raspberries
strawberries
rhubarb (there was one plant already there and we also planted a patch passed down from Jerry's grandmother's farm)
lettuce (in my tiered salad bowl)
nastriums (yummy for salad and pretty flowers)
didn't germinate - made me sad :-(
radish
parnip
All are being grown in square foot style, the main bed and trellis beds are raised. The beds I dug last night were not but I put wood around the edge to create an organized barrier. And I won the battle with the potatoes. Jerry wanted to do the tire method and I said that would look ugly. So, the potatoes are in the ground at my place and he will try the tires at his place.
I'll have pictures next week and will keep you posted with our progress. Have a great weekend!
Friday, June 05, 2009
Backyard photos
Hello Everyone
So, here are some photos of the backyard. My new outdoor furniture.
And some of the garden. I have salad and container carrots growing in the 3 tier planter.
And our raspberry bushes.
This is the set-up for the waterbarrel. And Polly.
So, here are some photos of the backyard. My new outdoor furniture.
And some of the garden. I have salad and container carrots growing in the 3 tier planter.
And our raspberry bushes.
This is the set-up for the waterbarrel. And Polly.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Birthday present drawings
Hello Everyone,
I got frames for Jerry's presents and wanted to share them with you.
The first two where drawn by someone named Silvin. S/he drew the first one but didn't like it so drew the purple one. There is a little guinea pig in the basket.
I took 2 photos of the other drawing from different angles since it is a very light pencil drawing. I think it's very pretty and it is a nude of a woman on a bike. Jerry said it reminded him of me as he likes to think of me as pear shaped (which he says is appealing to him - extra bonus points for liking my curves). I can't make out the signature well enough to say who drew it.Photos of apartment
Hello Everyone
And here is the other wall of the livingroom. This wall has the kitchen cupboards on the other side. The door leads to my bedroom.
I have no bathtub - just a shower. But Jerry has a tub and he was nice enough to draw a bath for me Sunday night when I needed to relax my muscles. I soaked while he made dinner. I'm spoiled terribly.
So, here are some photos of the apartment. It's not complete since I didn't include the kitchen yet. When you walk in the front door, you go directly into the kitchen. The storage room is on the same side as the main door. You then enter the living room.
This is the view from the kitchen. You can see my kitchen table in the bottom right corner. Gilbert is in the corner and you can see Mike in the window sill.
This shows the rest of my livingroom. My computer/office area is in the corner, behind the futon.
And here is the other wall of the livingroom. This wall has the kitchen cupboards on the other side. The door leads to my bedroom.
And here is my bedroom. I have no closet.
You reach the bathroom by going through my bedroom. Not too pleased with that set up but there was no other logical way to get to it. The closed door lead to the bathroom.
I have no bathtub - just a shower. But Jerry has a tub and he was nice enough to draw a bath for me Sunday night when I needed to relax my muscles. I soaked while he made dinner. I'm spoiled terribly.So, it's smaller than my previous 2 apartments but the storage room is great, the floors are easy to clean and it's a great location. It works well for 1 person. This weekend, I'll try to take pictures of the kitchen and the backyard.
Monday, June 01, 2009
A busy weekend
Hello Everyone!
So, super busy weekend. Jerry's parents came up on Saturday to celebrate my birthday. I did a mad rush cleaning of my apartment since they've never seen it before. They said it was very cute and were charmed by the furry family. Jerry and I did an Ikea run in the morning and I picked up an outdoor dining set and a bed.
Wasn't expecting to get a bed but they had Malm beds in the As-Is section for $30. They're regular $189. The only problem is that the headboard is "oak" while the side and end are black. But, there are black tones in the "oak" anyways so I couldn't care when it came to the price. My bed was just on the metal frame and no head/foot board. It rattled and moved around and since I toss a little when trying to get to sleep, the noise kept me up. It was ok on carpet at my second place but my first and current places had the locking wheels still moving around. I've now got a little more storage height under the bed and everything is much sturdier.
So the main purpose for the Ikea run was for the outdoor set. I'll take a picture tonight. There's a perfect spot in front of the garden that's sheltered from the wind and gets shade from mid-afternoon onward. It's a wooden set for 4 with 2 chairs and a bench seat. Very comfortable and half the price of the ones I saw at Home Depot. The table can be easily broken down for winter (although with oiling it, it can stay out year round) and if I have a dinner party, I can now have food on the table, rather than just the dishes.The chairs are a bit harder to break down since there are a couple screws in them but I have enough room to store them.
Had a nice visit with Jerry's parents. They watched me build the set and then we all relaxed in the shade. Went to The Keg for my birthday dinner and I thought the portions were huge. I ordered a classic T-bone and the salad was a full Caesar salad as well as a full plate for main course. And then they brought out a slice of ice-cream cake for me. Overall quite yummy but way too much food.
Sunday was the Lilac Festival. I ended up working at a sausage stand with Jerry. His friend owns the business and he needed a few extra helpers. I was cashier. It was long, hot and tiring. I did get to see a bit of the festival but I was too tired to really enjoy it. Got some cotton candy though.
My road rash is healing quickly. Some bruising showed up yesterday but the skin is recovering nicely. I still look a bit worse for wear and I have to watch my knee since that's the one I usually kneal on but I'm back to riding Polly again.
Since I cleaned my apartment for the weekend, I'll have photos to share. I'll post them tonight since Mom reminded me last week that she hasn't seen the place since I moved in.
Have a great day!
So, super busy weekend. Jerry's parents came up on Saturday to celebrate my birthday. I did a mad rush cleaning of my apartment since they've never seen it before. They said it was very cute and were charmed by the furry family. Jerry and I did an Ikea run in the morning and I picked up an outdoor dining set and a bed.
Wasn't expecting to get a bed but they had Malm beds in the As-Is section for $30. They're regular $189. The only problem is that the headboard is "oak" while the side and end are black. But, there are black tones in the "oak" anyways so I couldn't care when it came to the price. My bed was just on the metal frame and no head/foot board. It rattled and moved around and since I toss a little when trying to get to sleep, the noise kept me up. It was ok on carpet at my second place but my first and current places had the locking wheels still moving around. I've now got a little more storage height under the bed and everything is much sturdier.
So the main purpose for the Ikea run was for the outdoor set. I'll take a picture tonight. There's a perfect spot in front of the garden that's sheltered from the wind and gets shade from mid-afternoon onward. It's a wooden set for 4 with 2 chairs and a bench seat. Very comfortable and half the price of the ones I saw at Home Depot. The table can be easily broken down for winter (although with oiling it, it can stay out year round) and if I have a dinner party, I can now have food on the table, rather than just the dishes.The chairs are a bit harder to break down since there are a couple screws in them but I have enough room to store them.
Had a nice visit with Jerry's parents. They watched me build the set and then we all relaxed in the shade. Went to The Keg for my birthday dinner and I thought the portions were huge. I ordered a classic T-bone and the salad was a full Caesar salad as well as a full plate for main course. And then they brought out a slice of ice-cream cake for me. Overall quite yummy but way too much food.
Sunday was the Lilac Festival. I ended up working at a sausage stand with Jerry. His friend owns the business and he needed a few extra helpers. I was cashier. It was long, hot and tiring. I did get to see a bit of the festival but I was too tired to really enjoy it. Got some cotton candy though.
My road rash is healing quickly. Some bruising showed up yesterday but the skin is recovering nicely. I still look a bit worse for wear and I have to watch my knee since that's the one I usually kneal on but I'm back to riding Polly again.
Since I cleaned my apartment for the weekend, I'll have photos to share. I'll post them tonight since Mom reminded me last week that she hasn't seen the place since I moved in.
Have a great day!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Road Rash :-(
Hello Everyone,
So, the road won last night. I was coming up to a T-Intersection with a stop sign and started to position myself for my right turn. The City still hasn't cleaned the gravel off the roads from winter and it extended out into the road (rather than just along the side). I mistook it for old pavement as there was some earlier that looked like that and there were shadows from some trees on the road.
I turned slightly and down I went. Road rash on my knee extending a bit along the side of my calfe, on my right thigh, on top of my right shoulder; thumb is sore from where it jammed on my handlebars; broke a nail; got a couple little holes in the new cycling capris Jerry gave me. Polly will need new bar tape, had to tighten the bolt holding the front brake in place and I lost my water bottle.
Per Jerry's advice (after he tightened my brakes for me), I went home, took a shower and slathered myself in healing lotion. I'm riding Charlotte today since I had troubles applying my brake on Polly because of my sore thumb.
I'll heal quick but I'm sore today. For those of you unfamilar with the term, think back to when you were a kid and fell on gravel. You get a bunch of little (or big) surface scratches and a large surface burn (like rug burn). It hurts a lot since the injury is on the surface of your skin.
I haven't had a serious fall in Calgary yet (all my winter ones were more bruises or sliding on my side so I was pretty protected by my winter clothes). Last time I did anything like this was in grade 7 when I messed up my hand and it needed a couple months to heal (first and only time I went to Emergency for an injury). It was a controlled intersection and the cars behind me (and they were nicely back so no concern with them) stopped to make sure I was ok.
So here's my advice for the day:
1. Always wear gloves when cycling
2. Avoid loose gravel along the side of the road. It's dangerous and I avoid it like the plague. Its location on the road last night surprised me since it extended out through the lane.
3. Carry a first aid kit
4. When driving, don't crowd cyclist so they feel they should be riding in the gravel crap along the edge of the road. I see that quite often. And I force cars to give me the space I need to be safe.
5. (Completely unrelated) Don't honk your horn when passing a cyclist when you want to feel superior in your car. 2 a**holes did that last night to me. In the first instance, I was going downhill (speed around 30-35 since I have to watch my pedal speed on Polly) on a 2 lane road. I was riding in the middle of the lane (which is correct) because you need that extra space when you're travelling at high speeds in case you get into trouble. Van laid on horn as I was starting around the curve of the hill (about partway down) and passed me with about a foot of space. There was nobody in the other lane. Very dangerous driver. Second instance was at intersection turning left. I had oncoming traffic and as it was clearing, I got set to turn. Truck coming up from behind me layed on horn as he sped by on my right side. I was positioned in the intersection correctly, using my position to indicate I was turning left. I had put out my arm to signal my turn earlier. My hands were back on the handlebars as I was starting up again and needed to be able to manoeuver (accelerate and do my turn). FYI - a cyclist turning left in this circumstance turns at the same speed as a car. Another stupid driver. I don't think motorists realize just how dangerous their actions can be. A sudden horn being blasted in your ear is startling, which causes you to jump, which can lead to losing control. It also serves no purpose (since horns are suppose to be used to alert people to danger) since people become immune to them and they become ineffective when it's an actual warning. And in both instances, the vehicles illegally passed me.
Ok - that's my rant for the day. It's one that sets me off quite often since it seems to be popular.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend! It's going to be warm and sunny here!
So, the road won last night. I was coming up to a T-Intersection with a stop sign and started to position myself for my right turn. The City still hasn't cleaned the gravel off the roads from winter and it extended out into the road (rather than just along the side). I mistook it for old pavement as there was some earlier that looked like that and there were shadows from some trees on the road.
I turned slightly and down I went. Road rash on my knee extending a bit along the side of my calfe, on my right thigh, on top of my right shoulder; thumb is sore from where it jammed on my handlebars; broke a nail; got a couple little holes in the new cycling capris Jerry gave me. Polly will need new bar tape, had to tighten the bolt holding the front brake in place and I lost my water bottle.
Per Jerry's advice (after he tightened my brakes for me), I went home, took a shower and slathered myself in healing lotion. I'm riding Charlotte today since I had troubles applying my brake on Polly because of my sore thumb.
I'll heal quick but I'm sore today. For those of you unfamilar with the term, think back to when you were a kid and fell on gravel. You get a bunch of little (or big) surface scratches and a large surface burn (like rug burn). It hurts a lot since the injury is on the surface of your skin.
I haven't had a serious fall in Calgary yet (all my winter ones were more bruises or sliding on my side so I was pretty protected by my winter clothes). Last time I did anything like this was in grade 7 when I messed up my hand and it needed a couple months to heal (first and only time I went to Emergency for an injury). It was a controlled intersection and the cars behind me (and they were nicely back so no concern with them) stopped to make sure I was ok.
So here's my advice for the day:
1. Always wear gloves when cycling
2. Avoid loose gravel along the side of the road. It's dangerous and I avoid it like the plague. Its location on the road last night surprised me since it extended out through the lane.
3. Carry a first aid kit
4. When driving, don't crowd cyclist so they feel they should be riding in the gravel crap along the edge of the road. I see that quite often. And I force cars to give me the space I need to be safe.
5. (Completely unrelated) Don't honk your horn when passing a cyclist when you want to feel superior in your car. 2 a**holes did that last night to me. In the first instance, I was going downhill (speed around 30-35 since I have to watch my pedal speed on Polly) on a 2 lane road. I was riding in the middle of the lane (which is correct) because you need that extra space when you're travelling at high speeds in case you get into trouble. Van laid on horn as I was starting around the curve of the hill (about partway down) and passed me with about a foot of space. There was nobody in the other lane. Very dangerous driver. Second instance was at intersection turning left. I had oncoming traffic and as it was clearing, I got set to turn. Truck coming up from behind me layed on horn as he sped by on my right side. I was positioned in the intersection correctly, using my position to indicate I was turning left. I had put out my arm to signal my turn earlier. My hands were back on the handlebars as I was starting up again and needed to be able to manoeuver (accelerate and do my turn). FYI - a cyclist turning left in this circumstance turns at the same speed as a car. Another stupid driver. I don't think motorists realize just how dangerous their actions can be. A sudden horn being blasted in your ear is startling, which causes you to jump, which can lead to losing control. It also serves no purpose (since horns are suppose to be used to alert people to danger) since people become immune to them and they become ineffective when it's an actual warning. And in both instances, the vehicles illegally passed me.
Ok - that's my rant for the day. It's one that sets me off quite often since it seems to be popular.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend! It's going to be warm and sunny here!
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