Zoom Zoom

These are some shots using the new camera. It's an Olympus with an 18x optical zoom. I'm liking the camera overall but I keep forgetting to flip up the flash when I'm indoors! Our old camera did that automatically.

I'm quite impressed with the zoom on this camera. Thought I would share the results of using it on 3 settings.

Wii Mario Kart

I had the opportunity to play this game yesterday. There was a bit of a Wii party here at my brothers but because I am so sick I was mainly a spectator. That was...until they pulled out the new Mario Kart! I just had to try it out. This game ROCKS! If you are a fan of this series than undoubtedly you will enjoy this game but I think you may be somewhat disappointed as it's alot like the older versions. Having said that...this game is still alot of fun. The wheel that comes with the game is doable but I didn't use it. I just grabbed the Wiimote, turned it sideways and steered my way into a frenzy. We had four of us racing but there were a total of 12 characters in the race which makes it frantic and interesting dodging all the debris people keep dropping in hopes of slowing you down. I did manage to win two races out of eight. Not too bad for a girl on her death bed. *s* Once again, Nintendo doesn't disappoint us with this game. I give it two thumbs up and I will definitely be adding it to our collection. You should too!

New Poll Question!

Be sure to cast your vote on the right hand side. Come on...you know ya wanna! :-P

We made it...yesterday!

The second day of driving was as good as the first although the entire day was mist filled or sprinkling rain. It was never really a full on down pour which was nice. Driving through the valley things pretty much were the same as I remembered but it's still amazing to see the shacks that people actually live in. There were some real inventive homes that looked like something out of a war torn country. *shrug* I was also surprised how many people burn wood to heat their homes as there were alot of smoke stacks billowing away.

We saw quite a bit of wildlife on this trip. Just as we headed out from Prince George we weren't all that far down the road when we turned a corner and there was a deer just standing in the middle there. Again, Red was driving and had to put on the brakes. It wasn't near as close as the day before but we've definitely seen enough deer for awhile. During the two day drive we saw deer, elk, mountain sheep and a bear! Lots of wildlife to keep us entertained.

Last night we had a small party happening here and we ended up playing a fair bit of Wii. Red and I packed our Wii and entire game collection to bring here. Everyone laughed of course but the kids were happy to try out some different games. I'm sure it won't be the last night of Wii. My niece and her boyfriend bought Mario Kart yesterday at launch time but didn't bring it. They will bring it over at another time. Can't wait to try it out. *s*

I sit here on my laptop at the kitchen table having my morning java. Looking out the window, it is drizzling rain and the clouds are so low I cannot see the mountains. They are calling for the same type of weather all week. I'm hoping for some sunshine at some point.

We've got no real plans or agenda. Just going to wing our visit here. All I know is that we are going to the village to a restaurant on the wharf that serves fresh seafood at some point. Red is in heaven with anticipation. I'm hoping the view isn't blocked by the clouds as I am not a huge fish fan but I'll probably have some halibut.

So that's it. Day three of my holidays is just what the doctored ordered. Coffee, Internet and no real plans. I'm almost entirely distracted from the fact I have no job to return to. Well...almost. *s*

Poll Results!

The results are in and it turned out pretty even on this vote. I can see why this is such a hot issue today. People really are on two sides of the fence on this one. Be sure to check out the next poll question although I don't have one posted quite yet.

The question was "Do you believe in Cloning"

Yes, I donate to this cause on a regular basis.	0 (0%)
Yes, for organ use only.	1 (16%)
Sure, Dolly was cute.	2 (33%)
No, have you watched "The Other Son".	0 (0%)
No, we're all unique and special.	3 (50%)

Prince George, British Columbia

Well, we had a very good drive out here today. The sun was shining and there wasn't much traffic at all! Can't get much better than that. We did have one close call mind you. I had just pulled out my laptop and was pleasantly clicking away when Redder had to SLAM on the breaks. Let me say...my seat belt did the job! A deer had jumped out in front of us. Red's heart was going pretty good but we continued on our way. *whew* That would not have been fun at all.

I jumped into the drivers seat in Edson and when we pulled out we noticed another Suzuki SX4. A young trendy couple that we gave a thumbs up to. They smiled back and laughed. They ended up following us till Jasper when they turned off. So we had a little SX4 train. heh heh

I love the GPS even more. Not only did it get us to our destination which is a motel called Bon Voyage but during the trip it was nice to see how many kilometers we had left to go. I also liked how it zoomed out once we left Edmonton so we could see the terrain more. Quite interesting as it shows you the way of the road and bodies of water. I'm actually glad we had the GPS as this city has grown quite a bit since the last time I was around these parts. It's got to be about 15 years since I've made my way back home to Kitimat.

We left Edmonton at eight this morning and pulled up to the motel at about ten to five our time. Just in time to check in and get the Montreal hockey game on! We stopped at McBride for a light lunch. Red had a bowl of clam chowder and I had a delightful BLT. *s*

Looking forward to seeing my family tomorrow...and of course snooping around my old stomping grounds. I imagine it's changed a bit...but knowing Kitimat...probably not much.

Surprise!

Fedex showed up at our place today with a package. What's this? I'm not expecting anything. When I saw that it was from Activision/RedOctane I said "oh it's our Guitar Hero disc" but it was an awfully big package for just the disc I returned so they could replace it with one that was in Stereo instead of mono. Wasn't I surprised when they sent me a new faceplate!!! What a wicked suprise this was. It's not just a sticker either...it's a full plastic faceplate. I had to remove the other one to get this one on. It was a snap. That's a pretty sweet deal for their big blunder in the beginning. I'm certainly a happy customer though! Now if only the game would show up. We do a have second Guitar Hero game so it's all good. Haven't missed a beat. We've missed a few strums though!!! :-P

If you haven't already done so you can register for the stereo disc here. Just know that you are going to be without the game for quite some time. Get your "fix" before sending it away!

The Fat Lady Has Sung

I finished my last shift today at Dell Edmonton. It was a very sad day for me indeed. Tomorrow I just go in to sign some paperwork and hand in my notebook and badge. I have worked with Dell since February 2005. It was a great run and I had the pleasure of working with some of the most talented people I have ever met in my life. Unfortunately for business reasons the company decided to pull out of Edmonton and just yesterday announced that Dell Ottawa would also be closing. I'm afraid this is a sign of the times. It's just getting too expensive for companies to operate here.

Sadly, I will miss all the water cooler talks...even though I never stood by the water cooler. I will deeply miss my co-workers and seeing their faces every day and I wish them all the best in their journey from here. It has been an extremely interesting few months and hope I never have to experience getting laid off again but in this day and age one just never knows...but I can still hope. *s*

Goodbye Dell. It's been one helluva ride!

Seahawks Release Alexander

Anybody that knows me at all, knows that I am a huge NFL football fan and that the Seattle Seahawk's are my team! Today it was announced that they let go former NFL mvp running back Shaun Alexander. Am I sad? Yes, a little but I know how the sports world works and Shaun has not put out these past few years so it's kind of expected. Having went through this with our local hockey team The Edmonton Oilers. I remember all to well how it went down the day Wayne Gretzky was traded. It was a pure and simple business deal but my heart still broke. After that day I knew anyone in any sport could be traded for a buck...or two.

Thanks for making my Sunday afternoons very entertaining Shaun. You will always be a Seahawk in my books. Check out the writeup on the Seahawk's Website.

"Car"Toons

A bunch of us are here at work looking out the window at everyone stuck in the snow drifts outside. A bus was stuck in the front for a bit while in the back a Purolator truck and a bunch of vehicles were having big issues. So, not EVERYONE was watching from the window. Some braved the snow and cold wind to go out and help these poor souls. Problem was the helpers got stuck too!

Winter is highly over-rated

Now don't get me wrong I do love the snow. I am a true and proud Canadian in so many ways. Today however is April 21st and I didn't want to wake to a blizzard happening! How foolish I was when I ventured out this morning on a 4 block walk to do some testing for a Government job. Where was my toque? Where were my boots and mitts? Where the HECK did all this snow, wind and ice come from??? Well, I did manage to survive my little trek but the tips of my ears were none to happy. After my testing I went home and grabbed my car to go to work. Another adventure on the icy Edmonton roads. Why is it there is always ONE driver that just goes like a bat out of hell? Weaving in and out of traffic like it were the middle of summer on dry pavement? I don't get it. So ya, here's to Old Man Winter. Please go away. I am so done with you till next year.

Mac Vs PC

The commercials on TV for these are really quite genius but this is a cute spoof anyway. I especially like the pink outfit. *s*

An Interesting Read

This is from a friend's blog. If you've got a few minutes I highly recommend it. Read his post here.

A Hard Day's Work

You certainly don't have to be at work to "work" do you? We were up early today and rearranging everything so we could have room to paint the window wall. Living in such a small space has it's challenges when you are doing any kind of reno work. Even with the couches and table out of here it is still a tight squeeze. So after we put coat number one on we got cleaned up and were out the door to help friends move. The move went fairly well despite the weather. It was a slushy winter mess and a bit cool but we all managed. The hundred trips up and down three flights of stairs definitely took their tole on me. After the move we visited a bit and played a few songs on Rock Band. I'm pretty amazed that Tan was able to find everything she needed to hook it up! We ate before leaving and than painted a second coat to our wall. Now we have prepped our final wall for painting tomorrow. It's a different colour so that's why we didn't do it all the same day. Now it's time to call it a night. My back is screaming at me so I better rest it well. *s*

Auction at Work

We had an auction here at work the last couple of days and the only thing I really wanted was a Media Center Remote/IR Kit so when I get around to putting my computer in my TV stand I can start movies and music from the couch. It was a silent auction so as the minutes ticked down I still saw my name on one of the available ones. I think there were 9 in total. However, I had my name on one that didn't come with an IR Kit so it would be senseless to get that one so I scratched my name off after it was all over. *sigh* Oh well, I thought. I tried. Today everyone was picking up their loot and Tai-Chun came over to me and asked if I wanted to buy one of his remotes. He bid on two and got them both. YES...I'll take it I said!!! Today Tai-Chun is my hero but really, who am I kidding??? He's my hero and go to guy here at work everyday. :-P Thanks a MILLION Tai-Chun! You're the best.

Nintendo Wii Fit

I don't know about you but I can't wait for May 21st to come around so I can get my hands on this game. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that my excitement is almost as high for this game as it is for Wii Rock Band that's due out near the end of June. And I'm here to tell you that I am beyond happy with glee to get a hold of that one. *s* Nintendo just sent this link out in an email this week. Of course I had to check it out and for whatever reason took the survey. If you're bored go ahead and do it too.

Welcome to the Hood

Friends of ours got keys to their new apartment in our building tonight. Can you say exciting??? Our adventure is well under way. Changing locks has never been more interesting. *s* Their new digs are on the west side of the building on the 19th floor, while we are on the east side on the 11th floor. Pretty cool to see a different view and I actually love all the action back there! Should be good for a few pictures. You know me. Still have to wait till this weekend until they're here full time. Red and I are looking forward to that little thing called motivation. It will be nice to get off the couch and go for a walk or a bike ride...or go to the pool...or throw a Frisbee...or do weights...or go to Starbuck's...or just about a thousand other things on my list!!! And of course...there will be Wii. *s*

Welcome to the hood T&S. We couldn't be happier! :-P

XPS M1530

I picked up my new laptop last night and have been tweaking it out and loading programs on it ever since. As I unpackaged it all I held my breath as I hit the power button. I was hoping everything booted up correctly. All was well! Now it's just a matter of getting used to using Vista on a full time basis. I just love how they either rename previous programs we all know from XP or move them to an entirely new location of the operating system. Overall I am very pleased with my choices and the only thing I would have liked to bump up was the processor but I was desperately trying to keep the price down. Most of these specs were included in the basic price.

Some specs:

Intel Duo Core 2.0
3 gig's ram
256 Nvidia GeForce 8600 GT
200GB hardrive (7200)
Remote controller for Media Player
8 in 1 card reader
1394 Firewire
3 usb
HDMI
S-Video
VGA
Built in 2.0 megapixel web camera
Bluetooth
Wireless N card
High Resolution Glossy Widescreen 15.4 inch lcd (1680x1050)
Slot Load DVD +/-RW dvd/cd read write
Midnight Blue cover

The coolest feature has to be the biometric finger print reader. It allows me to log in with the swipe of any finger I've registered. The software also allows you to configure it so you can use it to log into websites that need a username and password. Instead of typing you could be swiping!

April Showers

Having broken records from 1969 for the warm temperatures here on Sunday, it isn't surprising we're seeing some showers today. Caught these after work tonight. I like that it's farther away and not right on my doorstep because it really looks like it's coming down there. You just gotta love spring. One short leap until summer!

Capital FM

I know we don't listen to the radio too much these days. What with Ipods and Satellite Radio there's not much need to tune in but I have to pass along this new station here in Edmonton. Tune into 96.3 FM and start listening to oldies of the 60's, 70's and 80's. Good stuff I'm telling ya! Ok, the name of the station is pretty lame but I'm quite sure you'll listen to more than just one song! Check out their website too!

Useless Info: While I was posting this they were playing "Under My Thumb" by the Rolling Stones.

Horton Hears A Who

Well I broke down and watched a kid's movie with Red. I know how much she loves these things. Me on the other hand...meh. Very rarely do I really enjoy these although sometimes I get a good chuckle here and there. This movie though did not do it for me on any level. The only part I actually liked was when the Mayor's son took that huge step to the Observatory. Will kids like this movie? Absolutely. Does it have a good message? Of course, it's Dr. Seuss. Just be warned as this one is definitely geared to kids and not towards adults like the Shrek series has been.

On a second note we used Winamp remote to watch this movie through our Wii Internet Channel. It streamed the movie wirelessly over the Internet from my computer. You have to love technology.

Clouds in my Coffee

Red and I went to Camrose yesterday and I noticed these unique looking clouds.

Poll Results!

Here are the results! I saw an improvement on how many people voted this week. Maybe by the end of the year I'll have more than 10 people take part.

Question: What would be your dream vacation?

Sun, Sand, water and a drink in my hand!
5 (62%)
Camping and hiking in the deep mountains!
1 (12%)
Vegas with a fist full of dollars!
1 (12%)
Taking a cruise and not getting seasick!
1 (12%)
Who's got any extra money for a vacation?
0 (0%)

Be sure to check out the next question on the right side of the page!

Playoff Hockey Pool

So when I started this blog my goal was to post at least once a day but I missed yesterday. :-(

I've actually been sick and there hasn't been much motivation to get on the computer here. I know, excuses excuses! I am glad the work week is done though. Only ten more days with Dell left but who wants to think about such sadness right now? It's the weekend! Tonight it's all about playoff hockey. Even though the Edmonton Oilers are out I still thoroughly enjoy watching all the action. Plus I'm in a playoff hockey pool but I don't think I'm going to fare too well considering what's already transpired in the last two nights. Oh well, it's still fun. *s*

We did a draft and needed to pick 6 forwards, 3 defensemen and a goalie. Here's the team I ended up with in the end. I'm in last place!!! LOL

Thornton, Joe

Elias, Patrik

Giguere, J

Forsberg, Peter

Pronger, Chris

Gionta, Brian

Heatley, Dany

Spezza, Jason

Ehrhoff, Christian

Poti, Tom

12 Working Days Left

No, it's not like the twelve days of Christmas that's for sure. As I sat at work today I realized there weren't many more days left until I get laid off. It's coming fast. Too fast in some ways and not fast enough in others. So many emotions wash over me on any given day that I find it somewhat exhausting. I don't wish this on anyone as it has not been something I want to go through again or desire to remember. I apologize for whining in my blog but that's what's on my mind tonight and I usually post about what's happening in my life, what new thing I've found or something I've done. Maybe because I'm alone tonight makes it different also. Red's not around to distract my scrambled mind. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and I shall do my best to get through it with my chin up. *s*

Hockey Pool

I came in second place in our Hockey Pool and made a cool fifty dollars tonight. Now a bunch of us just spent 3 hours at Boston Pizza picking 10 players for our Playoff Pool!!! It sure can be time consuming but the visiting was especially nice when you don't see each other too often these days. We'll see how I fare this time around with the players I picked. It's really like going to Las Vegas and rolling them big boy dice! Good Luck everyone!

Snakes on a Plane

This was a very BAD movie.

Don't bother with this one...unless you've been locked down in a cellar for over a year...and by chance you find an old VHS player lodged behind a trap door...and it just happens to have a copy of this movie jammed up inside it. Then ya, push play. You'll enjoy it.

Alternative titles:
Flight of the Python
Snakes over the Pacific
101 Snakes

Garmin Nuvi 250W

I finally got a GPS. I've been wanting one for quite some time but I thought I would have to spend 500-700 dollars. Not the case! Mark at work here has this model and was showing me all the stuff it does and it was definitely more than enough. Of course, this model doesn't have an MP3 player or Bluetooth but for me getting around the city here it's exactly what I needed! On Saturday night we were at some friends housewarming party and we ended up driving another couple home as they had too much to drink. I was showing them earlier in the night what the GPS could do and we had entered in their address. So when we went to take them home all I had to do was click on their address and hit GO. I have to say, it was a stress free trip right to their door. It worked extremely well and I am very pleased with it. We got it on sale at Best Buy for $229.99. It was $70.00 off the regular price and we also used our Best Buy bucks that we got from our TV purchase a few months ago. So the unit came to $120.00 which was awesome.

Check out the product here!

Lucky Number Slevin

I have to say that this was one of the best movies I've seen in a very long time. Right from the opening scene of Nick entering the area at the far end. The blue plastic chairs against the sterile white and grey background was breathtaking. This movie was so well done. I can't believe I hadn't seen it till now!!! I hadn't even really heard anything on it. What a gem of a movie. I highly recommend this to anyone that hasn't seen it.

One interesting note. For some reason our beautiful HD recording of this movie went all pixeley right at the end of the movie. WHAT??? How could this happen! I instantly went to youtube.com and typed in "end of Lucky Number Slevin" and Red and I were watching the last 5 minutes very happily. You have to love the Internet for everything good it has to offer. *s*

Fun at Work Part II

These are some pictures from last week at work. A lot of my co-workers were done on Friday so we had to have some fun before they were gone! Good times. I'll miss it.

Merry Christmas in April

What a thing to wake up to this morning!!! Who ever put this order in I am not at all pleased. Don't get me wrong. I love that we have four seasons but I thought we were done with winter. I was getting used to the dirty streets and the tons of litter strewn about. *sigh*

Photoshop Express

I caught this beauty of a program on Tech TV. It's a simplified web version of Photoshop Elements and best of all it's free! I signed up without any problems but I did need to choose United States as that was the only choice they have so far. Although the options to tweak out your photos are limited they do get the job done if you don't happen to have a photo editing program on your computer. You get 2GB's of photo storage space which is a decent amount indeed. You can also share your photos in a gallery for the world to see if you like or email your masterpieces to friends and family. An added bonus is that you can log into your Facebook, Photobucket or Picasa directly from the page. I added it to my Facebook account and it loaded all the pictures I had there without me doing anything. Nice feature. Click on the above photo to see the editing options up close!

Check it out for yourself!

Feeling Blue

Saying goodbye to friends is never easy. Saying goodbye to so many at one time is downright sickening. Approximately 400 people left Dell today. There is only about 100 left at the site and soon we will all be gone. I know we'll all be okay in this job market here in Edmonton. My sadness stems from already missing my co-workers. These past 3 years have been an incredible experience for me and one which I couldn't possibly forget. Like I've said numerous times lately. A job is a job no matter where you go. There's always going to be things you like and things you don't. It's the people that make work a great place to be and Dell had some truly GREAT people. I am really going to miss that part of it. Tomorrow starts yet another chapter at work. Every week for the next three weeks, departments will close and we will say goodbye and wish each other much luck along the way. I am not looking forward to the Ghost Town it will be. Once a vibrant new call center of 1000-1200 people just 3.5 short years ago. Now, our numbers are small but our hearts seem big because of how heavy they are.

My Brother's Last Sled Ride

My brother Jeff sent pictures today of his last snowmobile ride of the season. He lives in Kitimat BC where I'm from and I'm actually going for a visit there at the end of the month. I can't wait to see everyone. It's been close to 15 years since I've been home I think. I'm looking forward to being back in the mountains because as you can see from the pictures it really is a little piece of heaven. *s*

Run Fatboy Run

Well once again our team went to a movie this afternoon! We had to pay for it this time but it was still nice getting out. The movie had a few funny parts in it but because I'm not a huge comedy fan I didn't necessarily enjoy it as much as some of my co-workers. When we got to the theatre we realized the matinee we were going to was for the "Mom and Tot's" viewing. Oh boy I thought. A comedy and screaming babies??? How much more fun could this possibly be??? Well it didn't turn out half bad. Yes there were crying babies and mommies standing up against the walls rockin' their whimpering blankets but for the most part it was doable. Plus, when I was first walking into the movie there was a stack of individual diapers for everyone. Of course, I took one. Popped it into my jacket pocket and went along my merry way. Apparently none of peeps saw me do this cause they were quite surprised when I showed them the diaper back at work. We had a good chuckle over that one. So, make sure to check for free stuff the next time you go to a cinema. You just never know what they may be giving away! :-P

PS: Daniel thought it would be cute if I took the diaper home and slapped it on the table in front of Red...like my subtle way of telling her something. *s* April Fool's?