Books

I bought two new books tonight. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I can't wait to dive into them. I'll probably read Ender's Game first as this is the first novel by this author. I have read a few Neil Gaiman novels and completely love them. I'm sure American Gods will be no different. I'll let you know what I think of them when I'm finished.

What are you reading right now?

PVR

I am loving our new Shaw HD-PVR. I was never great at setting up timers to record TV shows but with this thing it is such a no-brainer! We watch so much recorded television when we sit down to watch that it's making live TV quite painful because you can't fast forward through the commercials! We all know there's probably just one or two advertisements out there that are worth viewing at normal speed. Now, if there were only a way to get this PVR hooked up to the projector at the movie theatre's. It drives me nuts that we pay ludicrous amounts of money to go to these shows only to be subjected to the same damn commercials we get at home. Makes my head spin.

PVR = My happy existence...for a price.

Addiction

Let me introduce myself. My name is Teddy and I'm addicted to coffee. There. I said it. I love the stuff. I don't have any real preference. Any bean will do. I can thoroughly enjoy a cafeteria coffee just as much as that four dollar Latte at Starbucks. I love everything about the stuff. The taste, the smell, the feeling it gives me. I try to limit my intake to two cups a day. Sometimes it's more but very rarely is it less. I enjoy it with milk or cream and on some rare occasions a dash of sugar if I'm craving something sweet.

Java...the way to "this" girls heart.

Lego At Work

A work day is never complete without some lego at your desk! Daniel and Michael were playing with the oh so fun blocks today. I absolutely LOVE lego and still play with it from time to time myself. Of course, when I started playing with lego it certainly didn't have intricate sets like these! Long Live the plastic block!

Thought of the Day

I intend to live forever. So far so good.

Land of the Lost

Ok, this is one more show that I watched as a kid. I LOVED this one!!! Yup...really skipping down memory lane now! LOL

HR PuffnStuff

This is really showing my age now. I used to watch and enjoy this show as a kid. Too funny.

Jumper

I went to the matinee today and saw Jumper. It was just an "ok" movie and you can definitely wait to rent it. No real need to see it on the big screen. I got a little sea sick watching it too. I don't know why movie makers insist on having the cameras bouncing around like beach balls. I do not enjoy it whatsoever. I am part of a small percentage of people that actually get motion sickness from it and it sure doesn't feel good. Blah. The closest I've come to almost puking was at The Blairwitch Project. Holy Hannah did I fight it back. Needless to say I didn't see 75% of that movie as I had to close my eyes.

On another note, I have to say thanks to Kristjan and his trusty key flashlight! The hunt was on for my Honey Mustard sauce for my chicken fingers. Couldn't see a damn thing than EUREKA, let there be light. Bingo...I was dippin my chicken. *s* Beats popcorn kernels stuck in my teeth any day.

Robo Cup

Robo Cup. He wants to eat your soul...He really really does. Keep your children locked up and your whiskey in the cellar. Robo Cup was created entirely by Daniel. Daniel makes me laugh everyday at work. I want to make Daniel happy so buy your tickets early so he can retire! Buy today...don't delay!

Disclaimer: No cups were actually mutilated in the making of this film although a few of them are now plates.

Reality Junkie

Ok, I admit it. I am totally a Reality TV Junkie. I've been watching Survivor from the start and I'm also a huge fan of Big Brother. We used to watch The Apprentice but have missed the last couple. Not enough hours in the day to keep up with everything. I always enjoy watching the dynamics and drama unfold before me. It always amazes me how some people still make crazy decisions, say unbelievable things or of course do what they do. *s*

Thank goodness for a little device called a PVR. *s*

Lunar Eclipse

So I just finished watching the Lunar Eclipse. I had a great view from my deck and even though my camera doesn’t do it justice I took a few pictures (click on them to get a larger view). I also had a good look with my binoculars and it was quite wonderful to watch. As I looked up at the sky I couldn't help but wonder how many eyes were on this beauty tonight.

A Lunar Eclipse is when the earth is directly between the sun and the moon. The result is a darkening of the moon due to the shadow the earth casts upon it.

Wii Sports Needs A Warm Up!

So this last weekend Red and I played ALOT of Wii Sports. Having had the game for over a year you can imagine how surprised I was to come across a You Tube video showing me something in Wii Sports that I hadn't seen! The training section. Whenever we played the game we would just play the full games and didn't go into the training part of it. Well, it seemed like we played for two days straight. What a complete hoot! Baseball, bowling and tennis mainly. There was a price for this Wii Marathon though. My upper body is extremely SORE and I can barely lift my arms above my head without wincing! You gotta love a gaming console that works you out like that. Someone at work mentioned that people put weights on their wrists to get a better workout. That's not a bad idea at all but here's one suggestion. Warm up before you start playing!

Carbon Leaf

I have to share this band with everyone. They are so good and it doesn't matter which cd you listen to...it's just great music! Right now I am listening to their album "Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat". Head on over to their website and see for yourself! Click on the "launch player" link on the left hand side to have a listen. I especially like the album Echo Echo.

Early Sunday Morning

Took these shots from the deck this morning. It's only -4c and it sure has been a nice change from the -30c we were experiencing a few short weeks ago. I never get tired of the view and the sky is forever changing it's majestic landscape before me.

Stream music to your Wii

So I found a cool little program tonight. It's called Winamp Remote that allows you to access your music on your computer from any computer on the internet. Plus there's an added bonus. You can also stream this music to your Nintendo Wii! First download and install the small program on your computer. It will ask you to create a username and password so that you can access your music elsewhere. After you install it you will notice the little winamp icon in your system tray. That needs to run so it can access your files.

Now go to your Wii and click on the internet channel. Type in this web address www.orb.com/winamp and you will be prompted to enter in your username and password. Once in you can browse your music files on your computer and play them!

This did not take me long at all. Under 10 minutes I was listening to music on my Wii.

The Difference Between Dogs and Cats

I got this in an email today and actually read it. I don't usually read many of the jokes that constantly fill my inbox. I usually just gander a bit at the picture jokes. Today though...after work I came across this little gem that really struck me funny.

DOG DIARY

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 PM - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 PM - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 PM - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 PM - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 PM - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

CAT DIARY

-Day 983 of my captivity.
-My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
-They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape.
-In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
-Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Hmmmm!
-There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
-Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
-I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

Thought of the Day

Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

Nitro Bike for the Wii

I have just recently purchased this game and I definitely give it two thumbs up. If you liked Excite truck than you have got to get this game! You can play with four people or up to 6 players online. It didn't take long at all in career mode to unlock a small mini game that had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. Picture this. You pin it as fast as you can down the straight stretch heading for bowling pins. Yup...bowling pins! You try to get a strike by being launched from your nitro bike after hitting a concrete wall and knocking the pins down with your rag doll of a body. Talk about a hoot at parties! I love racing games but sometimes the interface and modes are far too complicated. This is a simple yet surprisingly fun game.

Water Baby

I'm off to the pool for a swim here pretty soon. Time to get some physical activity back into my daily routine! Of course, I won't push it. A few laps to start before hitting the hot tub and finally the sauna to dry off a bit. It's a tough life. Here's some useless trivia.

Hippopotamuses do eighty percent of their vocalization under water.

The Amazon River enters the Atlantic with so much volume that fresh water exists more than a hundred miles from the mouth of the river.

Iomega 1TB Desktop Hard Drive

My external USB 2.0 hard drive finally arrived. I ordered this on Dell's Days of Deals awhile ago but it was backordered so I had to patiently wait. Woo Hoo! I am letting it warm up to room temperature on its own here before I plug this puppy in. Purolator just delivered it and it feels as though it's been in a refrigerated truck for a month. Better safe than sorry I say. What is 1TB you ask? It's approximately 1000GB's. That's a ton of storage for backing up digital pictures, movies and music!

Escalations

I have to rant. I took an escalation yesterday and the person was extremely irate because WE (the company) did not tell her what is a consumable (she pays for) and what is covered by the warranty (the company pays for). Things that make you go hmm.

I am here to shout it from the roof tops. It is not the responsibility of any company on the planet to report to you what is and what is not covered under the warranty of the product you are purchasing!!! It is the consumers responsibility to do this. If these things are important to you than I say...do some research...read the contract before purchasing...ask some questions. For example, if having a toll free phone number is important to you when you need to call for technical support make sure this is part of this products package. If you need the toaster to also be your back up alarm clock, do some research before buying it. Don't get it home and a month later scream at someone because they didn't tell you that it doesn't actually have an alarm function!

For myself, I do research the hell out of most of the products I purchase but I do not read the warranty. If my product has an issue later on down the line that's when I'll pull out the warranty and read it over to see if my problem's covered. If not, c'est la vie!

Just my two cents this morning.

Watermelon Head

That's how big my head feels today. Heavy and full. *sigh* Here's to it feeling like it's peanut self very soon.

Holy Wii Accessories Batman!

If you've got a Wii than you gotta check out this website. I especially like the Wii Light Swords and the Fishing Rod. The rod even comes with fishing line and a plastic fish. That is just too funny. I really need to patent something quick. It seems people will buy just about anything. *s*

When Walls Fight Back

They just stand there. Silent. For years on end. Then something happens...one of them just snaps. I witnessed such a thing today. I'm almost certain this wall has had an issue with this guy for a very long time and it finally had enough. It attacked him as he casually strolled by. It was very fast and if you hadn't been looking in that direction you would have heard the loud crash but would have still missed seeing it.

The guy. He survived but he's sore.

The wall. Slightly bruised ego but standing once again...no doubt waiting for another unsuspecting soul.

Be on the lookout. There are more walls out there that are about to snap than you think!!!

Mercury Meltdown Revolution

We just picked this game up tonight at Future Shop for $19.99. I'm looking forward to playing with the blob of silver stuff. It brings back childhood memories!

We now have a total of 19 Nintendo Wii games not including Gamecube or the Virtual Console ones. Might as well face it. I'm addicted to Wii.

Desktop Wallpaper

It's the "Flying Spaghetti Monster". Check out the website here! What do you currently have displayed on your computer?

Rock Band for the Wii

EA has finally announced plans for Rock Band on the Nintendo Wii console. No definate release date yet. As of today Rock Band is only available for Xbox and PS3.

Rock Band allows players to perform in virtual “bands” by providing up to four players with the ability to play three different peripherals modelled after music instruments (a guitar peripheral for lead guitar and bass guitar gameplay, a drum peripheral, and a microphone). These are used to simulate the playing of rock music by hitting scrolling notes on-screen.

That spells "fun" in my books! Bring it on EA...the sooner the better for me!!!

Superbowl Commercials

If you missed all the great Superbowl commercials than you really have to check out this website and have yourself a look. Some real gems in there this year!

XLII Superbowl Commercials

New York Giants Win a Thriller

What a disappointing finish to a great season for The Pats. It was a very close game but really the Giants were very strong defensively. They never gave Brady much of a chance.

My hats off to Eli Manning for getting it done. That's back to back Superbowl wins for brother's Payton and Eli. Congrats.

Better luck next year New England.

Superbowl Sunday

Well it's finally here! The last game of the season. The New England Patriots vs. The New York Giants. If anyone is going to beat New England it has to be this Giants team. They played them tough and they have absolutely nothing to lose. Young Eli Manning has done a great job and even if they don't win he will be recognized for leading this team to the Super Bowl. Tom Brady on the other hand has a ton of pressure on him. To go undefeated all season long and lose the last game will go down in history as one of the biggest upsets. If New England can pull this off I would have to say they are the best NFL team of all time.

We are having a few people over to watch the big game on our new 40" lcd tv. This will be the first NFL game I watch in full HD. Can you see the huge grin on my face??? We'll have some snacks and a pot of chili with some fresh bread on the go. What a perfect day. I am just way too easy to please. *s*

Go Patriots!!!

Saturday Morning in the City

I just took this shot. My thermometer on my deck say's it's a balmy -18c. Pretty nice considering at the beginning of the week we were in some very nasty temperatures. The view from my condo never gets old to me, although it may be that way for some that see my pictures all the time! For me though, I inhale it in and sometimes I can't get enough. I'm looking forward to the summer when I can enjoy my morning coffee on the deck. For now, I'll stay warm and sit here bundled up and enjoy all I can through the window.

Enjoy your Saturday all. *s*

Edmonton Traffic

Ok, it's friday night and it took me an HOUR to drive home. WTF??? It usually takes at MOST 30 minutes. Bumper to bumper. Stop and Start. I phreakin' hate it.