Up and Atom

You may have noticed that my License Plate Game number has not changed in quite a while. Well, it is true, I am in a slump. I just have to get out there and give it 110% and find that elusive 81!

So Kris and I inherited a tree so we decided to decorate. Since we are usually not around much for Christmas we usually don't, but traditions must start sometime. It's our first real Christmassy Chrstmas. When I get up in the morning I like to sit in the dark with just the tree lights on. I think I inherited this from Mom.

Bloc party

Just in case you were planning on getting me a Christmas and or Birthday present, I have some hints posted on the right. No pressure though ;)
So this past weekend I got a horrible case of Cold Sores. Five on my upper lip. I looked like a leper. They are mostly healed now but it was pretty uncomfortable for a while, not to mention ugly.
The really cold weather also gave me a new un-appreciation for the C-Train. The colder it gets the more unreliable the C-Train gets, so there was plenty of standing in the cold.
On the plus side Shawn and I went to the Flames game on Tuesday. Shawn had never been to one before and it was a really good game to make your first. Calgary scored 4 (technically 3) power play goals plus one even strength. It was enjoyable. Props to Shawn for inviting me! (I am not sure what props are but I assume they are propellers. Everyone wants propellers.)
I am feeling pretty settled at Headplay now. I am comfortable with the work I am doing, but still find challenges in it. Getting to know the people more is good too. Today we tested out a Nintendo Wii on our device. It is a really fun gaming system. The controller has motion sensors so you actually swing your arm to play games like tennis and baseball.

And the winner is

So I got my results back from my APEGGA test. I passed! One step closer to being a professional engineering. Yay me! Crazy week so far. I am longing for Christmas.

Ramer Weekend II

So the Ramer weekend has passed and by my account it was successful. Just look at those smiles.
We went to Elkwater which was a good middle point for Damon coming from Sask and us coming from Calgary. The hotel was quite nice, even including a heated swimming pool. There was much time spent in there. As is common with Ramer retreats there was also much games played. A classic scene below. Unfortunately everyone assumed others would be bringing games so few games were brought. We had to make up the games ourselves, i.e. coming up with our own categories for Scategories.
We even went on a hike with an actual guide and discovered the treasure of Old Baldy. Oooo.... It turned out to be a film container of coins from around the world. It was quite a nice hike, even if a little cold.
The only complaint would be it was too short, but that is the nature of a weekend.
On a totally different path, I think I have discovered a major lie in my life. I feel that at a very base level, I don't trust people. Subconsciously, I am always waiting for them to betray me. My response is to keep people from getting too close to the real me, even people who I am close to. It can be a little frustrating to get to this point though. I recognize the issue, but I also recognize I am powerless to correct it. All I can do is keep praying about it and hope that God will remove it. I am not very patient that way though and I usually just push the issue away and stop thinking about it. I guess I need to pray about that too. *sigh*
On the plus side, the Flames have won 5 in a row! Yay!

Phones

So here's a little story about my adventures with phones, or lack thereof. Kris and I don't have a home phone, we just use a cell phone. However, we only have one between us. This usually isn't an issue as I don't need a cell at work. If we are doing different things in the evening we can plan out who needs the phone. Yes, I could feel pretty smug about saving money on phone usage.
Tonight I did not plan things out very well and I had a soccer game while Kris was out with the phone and the car. A friend was supposed to pick me up for soccer but I hadn't arranged what time. I figured the solution to my problem was a pay phone, so I set out walking around downtown trying to find one. There appears to be a disturbing lack of pay phones in this city. I think it is because of that movie Phone Booth. (It's a lame movie). After several blocks of walking and some directions I did find my pay phone but was unable to get a hold of my ride. Fortunately he picked me up anyway and I only had to wait outside for 15 minutes. Unfortunately, we lost the game. The moral of this story seems to be that I need to get a cell phone.
To make this day more unpleasant I missed lunch with uncle Mal and had to eat soup at my desk. I am sorry Mal, I was punished for my offense.
All in all it was kind of a cruddy day. Not so much that I really have anything t complain about, but it's my blog and I'll cry if I want to.
At least this weekend is the famed Ramer Getaway. Here is some exciting pictures from last years trip.

It's that time of the week

So on Tuesday this week I moved to my company's main office in the Chinook area. I feel so much better there. It is much nicer not to be in a single room office. When I need a break there are more places to go rather than just the bathroom. There are more people around too and it makes it feel like an actual business atmosphere.
This weekend Kris is on a retreat with her department (Spiritual Theology for anyone not in the know) in Montana. They get to meet Eugene Peterson. She was very excited about the trip. I expect she is on her way back home now.
So that meant I had to entertain myself this weekend. I managed to work my way into a "Guaranteed Fun Night" with some friends from Mentor, or at least a partial one. I had heard about these nights but never seemed to be invited to them while I was working there. It consisted of eating ice cream and watching videos of a trip to France, but it lived up to the name. I think it is the hilarious conversation that is so fun.
On saturday Corey and Dale (visiting from Chiliwack) came over and we played Civilization: The Boardgame for six hours. Games of this type and length usually aren't appreciated by our wives so it was a good opportunity to play. I am now hoping for some time over Christmas when we can have a long game with lots of people.

Guilt

Every time I post something new I feel guilty that I don't post often enough.
I've added some photos to the post below so check them out. Last weekend Kris and I were back in Duchess for some birthday parties and such. I even had a little time to help Corey, Damon and Dad build a catapult for launching pumpkins. It was able to launch, but not very far. You really need a lot of spring to do a large launch. Unfortunately no pictures, but if you are in Duchess, head to the Ramer farm on Saturday for the Pumpkin Festival and you can probably see it. yay!
And in the spirit of pictures, here is my beautiful wife.

Goings on

So a lot has been happening lately and I will attempt to give full details here. I know I promised pictures but our camera is currently missing so you will have to wait. So as I briefly mentioned earlier two weeks ago Kristin and I moved to a new apartment.
Before the move:It is in downtown Calgary in a newer condo building. We are on the 14th floor, though it is technically the 13th...but they won't number it that.
It has a nice kitchen and a second bedroom so people can stay at our place; though not yet because we need a second bed. The view is also tremendous (though it is a little smoggy in this pic).
We are quite happy here. We have our own washer and dryer, hooray!
It's pretty cool living in a high-rise apartment. I feel like I am in a big city like New York when I look out the window and can see other people in their apartments. I've decided to start naming people. Like the guy next door a floor down who paces back and forth when he smokes on his balconey. He is, of course, The Pacer.
Then, this past week I officially became an uncle. Kristin's sister Larissa and her husband Alex had a baby girl, Selah. She is very cute. Now I'm not totally sure what my new responsiblilities will be as an uncle but I believe it will involve giant pancakes and back-firing automobiles.
This time was surrounded with studying for my Professional Engineer exam which I wrote on Monday. It was an exam on engineering ethics and law that is a requirement for getting my Professional Engineer status. I was pretty stressed out for the whole studying time. The exam went all right, but now I have to wait 6-8 weeks for the results. I also have to make an extensive application and show that I have been doing engineering work for the past 3 years.
Also over the weekend my computer died. I am writing this on an old pentium 1 laptop. Soooo slow.

Happiness is a popular blog

So I have been happy to see that more people have been reading my blog. I know there's not much to it and I don't update enough but I really appreciate the feedback. Anyone should be able to post a comment anonymously so go to it! It's been a little crazy around here lately as we found a new place to live and moved that very weekend. I have a few pics from the move that I shall post. More soon....

Talking Books

I just finished reading State of Fear by Michael Crichton. I used to read his books when I was a teenager and for some reason I am currently interested in reading stuff that I used to read when I was younger. I'm not sure why, maybe it has something to do with being a quarter of a century old and trying to recover my "lost youth". Anyway, some of the book is the typical Crichton stuff where people go on crazy adventures and barely survive. I guess I used to enjoy that style, but now it just seems like pulp fiction. However, the rest of the book is a discussion of environmentalism and the effects of media hype. It is really interesting. He uses a lot of scientific studies to show that global warming may not be happening but it is hyped in the media to ensure people are kept in fear. It is basically talking about the culture of fear that exists in western society. It is quite thought-provoking.
I still think it is important to be environmentally conscious, but we need to take media reports with a grain of salt.

The cat came back, the very next week

Good news. Marigold came back. At 6:00 this morning she climbed through the window. Except for meowing a lot (which she does when she hasn't seen us in a while) she seemed absolutely fine. I have no idea where she was for the past 4 days. I often wish cats could talk. I assume she was strung out on catnip and now she finally got hungry enough to come home.

Renting

So our landlord sold our apartment and we have to move out. Looking for a new place to live is one of the most frustrating things. So many crappy places. On the plus side we can look for a place that doesn't have some of the drawbacks of our current place, i.e. ensuite Laundry, a room for guests to stay. At least we have until November to find it.

Stupendacular

My posting seems to wax and wane a lot. Most of the time when I think about looking at my blog I feel my creative juices dry up and I quickly do something else.
So this last weekend I went to Duchess by myself. Kristin went to Banff with her mom and her sisters so I went home to help with pumpkin picking and hang out with my family. I wish I had pumpkin pictures to post, but I failed there. This was the first time since I was married that I had been home without Kristin. It was kind of nice to spend the whole long weekend with just my family. Not that I don't enjoy Kristin's family because I really do, but it was nice all the same.
I got to play pool on Nate's new pool table and even got to stay at his house. It was very different to get a look at what living in Duchess as an adult is like. For me it was only growing up and coming back on weekends for "mini-vacations". Anyway there was some good times around the campfire and playing Sega and much family stuff. I quite enjoyed it.
Some sadder news, our cat Marigold has gone missing for over a day now. I think it is because I am a bad parent. If cat ownership is anything like being a parent then I would be a negligent father. I feel bad. Growing up on a farm I am used to cats disappearing all the time, but this is quite a bit different. It's bothering me more than I would have thought. Gotta keep optomistic though...

Recent Reflections

When I first started seriously writing in my blog I thought this could be a good way to let people know what I am up to. After about a month it appears that this is a good way to let Lindsay and Nate know what I am up to. Ah well.
So Steve and Jessica's wedding was very nice. I think outdoor weddings are the best, and the weather was perfect. Nate did a good summation of the event, so check his blog for details.
It is interesting the swing I've been on. A few weeks ago when I left Mentor I was incredibly blessed and felt like I was important to people and they actually liked having me around. Since then I have gone totally the opposite way and have felt disconnected and sad. Part of it is working in a new place where I don't know anyone and I can't really talk to people much. But the other part is the continual struggle I have in myself. The thing I dislike most about myself is that I often feel I can't talk to people. It's not that I don't want to talk, I just feel like I have a mental block and I don't know what to say. I have in me this desire to be well liked by people and want people to enjoy talking to me. But when it comes to actually talking I just don't know what to say. This usually comes off with other people thinking I am shy or snobby. The latter is the worst part because it makes it even more difficult to talk to people.
I know I keep a shell around myself and don't let people in. I have been trying to get past that and have had some success, but it is still a difficulty. And I don't know why it is there. I look around at other people and envy the closeness they have with friends. It is difficult for me to have that closeness even with family.
Well I'm not sure why I am saying all this on the internet. I guess I just need to get it out. Hey look it's Corey and Wendy! Bunz is showing his true feelings for weddings.


*Have you ever used blogger's spellcheck? Apparently Nate should be NATO and Jessica should be cheesecake. Done and done.

Wedding Question

It appears the August wedding season is upon us and I just have one question:
Where's the kilts? I was told there would be kilts. I am gravely disappointed.

*Not disappointed that I don't get to see men in kilts because that doesn't do anything for me but just that it seems like a unique wedding idea.

Failure of the Library

I am a great fan of Libraries. I love books and love places where I am surrounded by them. In bookstores I feel like I could never afford all those books so I can't enjoy it. But in libraries it's just books and I can take any one I want. However, I have had an experience to shake my faith. I was looking for the 4th book in the current series of books I am reading, "The Death Gate Cycle." However, in the entire Calgary Public Library system not a single copy of this book was available. I spent almost the entire weekend looking through used bookstores with no luck. Finally on Monday evening when I had almost totally despaired of any hope I found a copy at "Fair's Fair" used bookstore. It was the happiest day of my life.* Hopefully the library will not fail me again.

*May not have been the happiest day of my life.

Reflections

Marigold Spinoza is pretty cool. So yesterday was my last day at Mentor Engineering. I worked there for three years and I must say that I enjoyed it. I am actually pretty sad to go. I really like the people I work with. I have become friends with many of them and will miss being able to see them daily. One of my failings is that when it takes some effort to keep in touch with people I usually don't put in the effort and so I lose touch. I must try more.
I wonder many times whether I am doing the right thing in leaving Mentor and going to Headplay. I am excited about it and think it is a great opportunity, but what if I don't find the things there that I enjoy at Mentor? Like being able to wear flip-flops to work and really liking the people I work with. *sigh* Well if I didn't go I'd never find out. At least I am leaving on really good terms. I could probably even go back if things didn't work out at all.
Quitting my job was one of the most interesting episodes of my life (not interesting as in exciting but in analyzing emotions and seeing peoples reactions). It seems a bit immodest but I know I was pretty important at Mentor. I had 3.5 weeks to complete or transition all of the projects I was working on. In the end I couldn't get it all finished. I feel bad for my manager who has to take over much of what I was working on. I know he will get through it but it won't be a fun time.
The most interesting part was all the feedback I got from people. I was extremely blessed by all the comments and notes on goodbye cards. It was somewhat of a shock to realize that people think highly of me. I often don't know what to do with that as I usually just see my weaknesses. I also got the impression that people would genuinely miss me. Part of my self-image is that I often think people wouldn't notice if I wasn't there. It seemed pretty clear that I would be missed.
So I have the long weekend and then I start on Tuesday. I'm feeling pretty nervous about starting. I feel confident that I will do well, but I think it will be a tough few months learning new things and trying to contribute to a hard-working company.
Well this is a fairly long post. If you made it all the way through I congratulate you! Here is your reward. It follows the Ramer theme of pictures with cute kids.

Yikes

So I've been crazy busy lately trying to finish up at my current job, before starting my new one next week. The stress is building. My problem is that I just can't not care about the all my projects and making sure that the correct information is passed on properly.
Once things settle down a little I will do some updates including pictures and possibly some new sidebar items.

Movies Worth Watching

Kristin and I went to the new M. Night Shyamalan movie, Lady in the Water. I wasn't expecting too much. None of his later movies had been as good as The Sixth Sense (though Signs came close) so I didn't think this one would be. Well, we have a new winner. This was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.
Now I'm not sure you will agree with me. As I was leaving thinking what a great movie it was, the people behind starting saying how it was the worst movie they had ever seen. I'm guessing that it is a movie you will either love or hate. I loved it, so I recommend you go see it.

Updates

Inspired by other Blogs I am adding a section on the current books I am reading. I will often be in the middle of one book and start reading other, depending on how interesting the book is.
Right now I am re-reading some books I enjoyed a lot as a teenager. I am mildly surprised that I still enjoy them, though I think for different reasons than before.

Competition!

This morning I woke up with a song in my head.

Com-fort to sleep, my baby-kin
My peaches and cream, my baby-kin
If you don't sleep, my baby-kin
I poke out for you, your eyes, like this!

10 points to the first person to guess where it's from.
If you're a brother of mine you are automatically disqualified. Unfair advantage.

A note about comments

So I had set up to moderate comments but then forgot to moderate them so peoples comments didn't come through. I apologize profusely. I have decided not to moderate. If I get weirdos with scary comments maybe I will again....
Thanks for the comments though! I feel fulfilled!

New Job

So I have officially accepted a new job with a company called Headplay. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to talk about what they do publicly like this so you'll have to talk to me to get the details. The job involves embedded software development, like I do now, but it will be on a different product. I start there on August 7th.
In the meantime I am going crazy trying to finish off everything I am currently working on. I'm gonna be fairly stressed out for the next few months...but hopefully it will be worth it.

Godzilla!

CBC has been playing old Japanese Godzilla movies. They are pretty funny. Some great lines like "Even if you are half human half robot, I still love you Katsuma!"

Canada Day!

Another tradition this past weekend. Canada in Rosemary, AB. Rosemary is a small village of about 360 people, but on Canada Day the population triples. It's always a good time. Also they put on a pretty amazing fireworks display. It seems they must spend their entire budget on the fireworks. If you want a good Canada Day, I recommend Rosemary.

Calaway Park

So this past weekend Kristin and I went to Calaway Park. We're not big into amusement parks but we had some free coupons and Kristin's little brother and sisters were going to be there too.
Aside: I am never quite sure how to write entries. Do I assume the reader does not know me or my family members and need to give details on each person I refer to, or do I assume the reader knows me and such details are unnecessary. I suppose if you are reading this you do know me so I will go with the latter assumption. If you want to know details you could always leave a comment.
So anyway we had a fun time at Calaway Park. It's always fun to be with someone experiencing something for the first time; even more so when they are young children. I'm not into rides, especially spinny ones that just make me sick, so it was nice to only have to go on kid-type rides.
I also have found that I have not experienced a lot of standard amusement park activities. This weekend was the first time I rode a roller coaster (quite fun actually) and the first time I had ever eaten cotton candy (I think I'm addicted). Kristin thinks I was a deprived child.

A new beginning

So it's been a while but I am going to try and make a new effort to keep my blog somewhat updated. I'm not much of a writer and not well motivated but here goes nothing...
So this past weekend was the Brooks Rodeo. It's not terribly exciting but there is a parade and a pancake breakfast. We usually go; it's tradition.
Another tradition of the weekend is roller-blading from Duchess to Brooks (15 km) before the pancake breakfast. My brothers have done it 4 years in a row now and I came along this time. It was good fun.