Here is a brief run down of the trip thus far:
Tampa:
-Smells like St. John's Harbour
-Rays games was fun. Rays won. Bought a jersey and got a free autographed baseball when I did. The stadium was amazing, had so much to do in it, could definitely spend a day in there.
-Football game was ridiculously hot - probably reached over 120F in there, Kara got all woozy with the heat. It was a great experience though. Kara and Burns played beer pong with some real rednecks, Burns ended up getting loaded because well they lost. But they played with weird rules which involved them leaning over the tables and stuff.
Orlando:
-We ate at IHOP 3 times in Orlando...all for breakfast, so if I don't see an IHOP again for a while then that will be fine with me. When we were there once there was a chick who would not shut up, yammering on and on all morning...she belonged on Maury Pauvich. I will leave it at that. One other time right next to us some chick was crying. She was either getting dumped by her boyfriend who was with her or he was her pump and was demoting her from Top Bitch, either way the crying really ruined my meal. I was pissed.
-Went to Universal. Never had the balls to get on any real roller coasters, but got on 3 simulators including the Harry Potter one which was super intense and had about a 3 km line to get into it. Worth the line though, and we got a picture of it.
-Disney. After shopping in the morning we went to Disney. We were there for about 20 minutes when the skies just opened up with rain and thunder and lighting which shut down all the outside rides. Did a few of the inside ones, but I had done those last year so it was kind of lackluster. My shoes are still trying to dry from Kara splashing everyone in the puddles. Good times though.
-Gatorland. Wasn't expecting a whole lot from this, but it was great. Got to sit on a gator and feed a bunch of huge ones up close inside the fence. That was kind of unsettling, but I'm still alive and with all my limbs so it's all good.
Miami:
-Arrived today, did some beach hanging, and tomorrow is jet skiing and scuba diving. Should be fun.
Restaurants:
-TGI Fridays had such a friendly atmosphere and good food. Go if you get the chance.
-Popeyes - good chicken, good biscuit, but not as good as Mary Brown's.
-Olive Garden was brutal. Bad service, bad food.
-Medieval Times was also awesome. It was like watching pro wrestling live. One of the knights even stopped and pointed his sword at me because I was cheering for the other guy, it was awesome!
Well that's a brief summary so far. It's been a great holiday, with still a lot of good activities to go!
Download:
Story About a Girl - Our Lady Peace
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Storm Preparation
To Paul: Thanks for the support, but are you calling me fat by referring to me as muffin top?
================================================================
In wake of Hurricane Igor and all the damage it caused I wonder how prepared we are here in Newfoundland for events like this. I'm probably not the best to be discussing this as here in Grand Falls-Windsor we didn't really feel the effects of the storm outside of some high winds and a lot of rain, whereas some people (perhaps due to karma about their Creed bashing) have been without power overnight and probably still into today and have suffered extensive property damage.
Fortunately, only 1 person has lost their life during this storm and that was a freak accident in itself with a driveway just crumbling out of nowhere. However I dropped by the office last night around 9:30 only to see that the calls about the outage were still pouring in to Newfoundland Power, and resumed doing so overnight and are still going crazy today. I'm not directly involved with the outage, but the amount of people calling and wondering how fast the power is coming back on makes me wonder how prepared people generally are for a storm like this?
How many of us keep stocks of batteries, non-perishable food, coleman stoves, portable generation or first aid items on hand in case something like this happens? I personally do not, but am considering it after this. Customers do not have power, and not due to a lack of effort in restoration, but of some impossible obstacles such as washed out roads meaning crews cannot access the trouble spots. Until these roads are fixed, people will be without power, and they need to be prepared for situations like this, but I get a sneaking suspicion they aren't.
But can I really blame them? Well it'd be the pot calling the kettle black. But in terms of how often we lose our power or how often a natural disaster strikes us, we are very lucky. But that luckiness has led us to be sheltered and perhaps under prepared when the time comes. I know I'm going out to get emergency supplies soon, hopefully the rest of the province does too so we can ensure that the next time a hurricane or winter storm comes through, the casualty count does not rise.
In summary, F*ck you Igor!
Download:
Drowning - Saving Abel
================================================================
In wake of Hurricane Igor and all the damage it caused I wonder how prepared we are here in Newfoundland for events like this. I'm probably not the best to be discussing this as here in Grand Falls-Windsor we didn't really feel the effects of the storm outside of some high winds and a lot of rain, whereas some people (perhaps due to karma about their Creed bashing) have been without power overnight and probably still into today and have suffered extensive property damage.
Fortunately, only 1 person has lost their life during this storm and that was a freak accident in itself with a driveway just crumbling out of nowhere. However I dropped by the office last night around 9:30 only to see that the calls about the outage were still pouring in to Newfoundland Power, and resumed doing so overnight and are still going crazy today. I'm not directly involved with the outage, but the amount of people calling and wondering how fast the power is coming back on makes me wonder how prepared people generally are for a storm like this?
How many of us keep stocks of batteries, non-perishable food, coleman stoves, portable generation or first aid items on hand in case something like this happens? I personally do not, but am considering it after this. Customers do not have power, and not due to a lack of effort in restoration, but of some impossible obstacles such as washed out roads meaning crews cannot access the trouble spots. Until these roads are fixed, people will be without power, and they need to be prepared for situations like this, but I get a sneaking suspicion they aren't.
But can I really blame them? Well it'd be the pot calling the kettle black. But in terms of how often we lose our power or how often a natural disaster strikes us, we are very lucky. But that luckiness has led us to be sheltered and perhaps under prepared when the time comes. I know I'm going out to get emergency supplies soon, hopefully the rest of the province does too so we can ensure that the next time a hurricane or winter storm comes through, the casualty count does not rise.
In summary, F*ck you Igor!
Download:
Drowning - Saving Abel
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Cheap Buttered Muffin
To Jugigatame - There was nothing cliche about it. Went to a pond and fed ducks with microwaved hamburger buns. As well Creed was a staple of the late 90's, early 00's. I dare you to honestly tell me there wasn't a time you enjoyed the song "Higher".
===================================================================
As anyone who drives by a Tim Horton's en route to work in the morning knows, the lineups are insane. Well at least the drive-thru lineup is. Cars packed bumper to bumper, even lined up on the street disrupting traffic all in the name of getting a coffee. Well in Grand Falls-Windsor, McDonald's is pretty much next door to the Tim Horton's, and while all those cars are idling and killing the environment at Tim's, the McDonald's lot is close to empty. So wanting a hot beverage in the morning, I decided to give it a whirl and head over there to get a tea. To my pleasant surprise, the tea is way better than Tim Horton's and its only $1.19 for any size. I usually get large which costs $1.63 at Tim's. If I average 3 per week at a savings of $0.44 each time I get one, that saves me $68.64 per year! That's pretty sweet. Extra groceries, a UFC pay-per view, etc. In addition to this, I decided to get a muffin there today. A Muffin at Tim's would be $1.12 in addition to my tea cost, whereas at McDonald's I was able to get tea and a muffin for a grand total of $1.59 - and the muffin was also delicious and came with free becel butter and plastic knife for buttering!
To summarize, good job on your pricing McDonald's. Also Tim Horton's is helping to contribute to global warming with their slow service/long lines of idling cars. Shame on you Tim Horton's, shame!
Download:
Hero of War - Rise Against
===================================================================
As anyone who drives by a Tim Horton's en route to work in the morning knows, the lineups are insane. Well at least the drive-thru lineup is. Cars packed bumper to bumper, even lined up on the street disrupting traffic all in the name of getting a coffee. Well in Grand Falls-Windsor, McDonald's is pretty much next door to the Tim Horton's, and while all those cars are idling and killing the environment at Tim's, the McDonald's lot is close to empty. So wanting a hot beverage in the morning, I decided to give it a whirl and head over there to get a tea. To my pleasant surprise, the tea is way better than Tim Horton's and its only $1.19 for any size. I usually get large which costs $1.63 at Tim's. If I average 3 per week at a savings of $0.44 each time I get one, that saves me $68.64 per year! That's pretty sweet. Extra groceries, a UFC pay-per view, etc. In addition to this, I decided to get a muffin there today. A Muffin at Tim's would be $1.12 in addition to my tea cost, whereas at McDonald's I was able to get tea and a muffin for a grand total of $1.59 - and the muffin was also delicious and came with free becel butter and plastic knife for buttering!
To summarize, good job on your pricing McDonald's. Also Tim Horton's is helping to contribute to global warming with their slow service/long lines of idling cars. Shame on you Tim Horton's, shame!
Download:
Hero of War - Rise Against
Saturday, September 18, 2010
New Music My Ass
To Jugigatame, you're welcome for the knitting tip. The owners and operators used to leave in Whitbourne right across from where Pop used to live when he had the funeral home.
So I heard a new Alice in Chains song on the radio today, or so they say new, because it sounds identical to all their other songs. I know bands are supposed to have a sound or something distinctive about them but this takes it to a whole new level. I challenge someone to name me 3 separate Alice in Chains songs that don't sound like all the other songs they have ever made. Can't say I thought I would ever blog about Alice in Chains.
After working two trade shows in the past two weekends, you run into a lot of crazy people and mentally challenged people and I learned a valuable lesson...never make eye contact with these people. They're just like wild animals! If you make eye contact they are going to come towards you in all their awkwardness/craziness and then there is no getting rid of them. So what do bears and retards have in common? Making eye contact with them is dangerous.
Watched MacGruber last night...so so so disappointed. The movie was terrible. I love Saturday Night Live and the MacGruber skit but this was not even funny at all. I was so disappointed. Never watch the movie MacGruber. Didn't think I would say that, but Kristen Wiig wasn't even funny in it.
Fed some ducks today in GFW. In comparison to MUN ducks they are snobs and not friendly at all...much like everyone else in Grand Falls-Windsor! OUCH. Well naw there are some good people here but a lot of them are dicks.
Download:
Overcome - Creed
So I heard a new Alice in Chains song on the radio today, or so they say new, because it sounds identical to all their other songs. I know bands are supposed to have a sound or something distinctive about them but this takes it to a whole new level. I challenge someone to name me 3 separate Alice in Chains songs that don't sound like all the other songs they have ever made. Can't say I thought I would ever blog about Alice in Chains.
After working two trade shows in the past two weekends, you run into a lot of crazy people and mentally challenged people and I learned a valuable lesson...never make eye contact with these people. They're just like wild animals! If you make eye contact they are going to come towards you in all their awkwardness/craziness and then there is no getting rid of them. So what do bears and retards have in common? Making eye contact with them is dangerous.
Watched MacGruber last night...so so so disappointed. The movie was terrible. I love Saturday Night Live and the MacGruber skit but this was not even funny at all. I was so disappointed. Never watch the movie MacGruber. Didn't think I would say that, but Kristen Wiig wasn't even funny in it.
Fed some ducks today in GFW. In comparison to MUN ducks they are snobs and not friendly at all...much like everyone else in Grand Falls-Windsor! OUCH. Well naw there are some good people here but a lot of them are dicks.
Download:
Overcome - Creed
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Bench
This won't be too long of a rant, but I have to blame "Bench" for trying to make the popped collar popular. First it was the polo shirt, but now I see everyone (well at least in Springdale and Grand Falls-Windsor anyway) wearing their Bench jackets and they have the collar popped. And why? It's because the damn company decides to write their brand name on the inside of the collar of these jackets! Normal companies just write the name on the chest, maybe on the arm, but nope, Bench has to write it on the inside of the collar, so if you want people to know you're wearing Bench (not sure why you would), then you have to pop that damn collar!
Had yet another bad customer service experience. This time it was yesterday at McDonald's waiting for breakfast. It was so slow and they screwed up my order. However I got some inspiration from it as I believe my thesis is going to be on the decrease in customer satisfaction within the service industry due to an aging workforce population.
Also if you have a dog, support Valley View Gourmet Treat Shop. I met these people at the Trade Show and they are really nice. Bought some product to try out with Lady when I go to St. John's. Go here
Also if you like wool:
Marie's Knits
Download:
I See the Want To in Your Eyes - Conway Twitty
Had yet another bad customer service experience. This time it was yesterday at McDonald's waiting for breakfast. It was so slow and they screwed up my order. However I got some inspiration from it as I believe my thesis is going to be on the decrease in customer satisfaction within the service industry due to an aging workforce population.
Also if you have a dog, support Valley View Gourmet Treat Shop. I met these people at the Trade Show and they are really nice. Bought some product to try out with Lady when I go to St. John's. Go here
Also if you like wool:
Marie's Knits
Download:
I See the Want To in Your Eyes - Conway Twitty
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Long Time No Write
It's been brought to my attention that I haven't blogged in a week. I must have been busy or something, but I'm glad that people missed my commentary.
So as you might be aware, I've been dating a girl and its going well (as far as I know), but that got me thinking of a bunch of different stuff that I am totally unsure about because its been a while since I have been in this situation. I wondered about some of the following things, in no particular order:
- Do people go steady anymore? Or rather, do you ever ask someone to go steady? At my (old) age is that required or is it just assumed at a certain point, and if so, at what point.
- When do you meet each others friends? It's kind of a big deal to open that door because if your girlfriend doesn't like your friends or vice versa it can be a pretty bad time for all parties involved.
- When do you meet each others parents?
- When do you give her a key to your apartment?
- How much money are you supposed to spend on Christmas gifts, etc?
Maybe I'm getting way ahead of myself here which I tend to do but all these things are foreign to me at this point so I don't really know the rules/guidelines...not that I ever did to begin with!
Onto other things though.
Egg Rolls are definitely my least favorite thing about Chinese food. No wonder nobody liked me when I brought cold egg rolls as my contribution to a potluck one year!
When you go out to eat and you order a sandwich (ex. a half club), and you ask for no mayo you get hard looks. You get even harder looks when you ask for Mild wing sauce as the substitute to the mayo. Now I know how Mark D feels asking for wing sauce with everything, or Greg and his Hollindaise. Some people just don't like mayo, I don't really know why people are so shocked by this!
Something that enrages me though is that Paddy Daley is the host of VOCM's Nightline. The guy is such a turd. It's hard to not listen to him because he is that big of a turd. Always talking like a "true newfie" with his colloquialisms and the like. I can't picture him having any valid opinion on any subject, including sexting which he was talking about while I was waiting for my Chinese.
From radio to TV - I also hate NTV because they claim that the shows they broadcast are their own! On the radio they were all like "Jimmy Smits gives an interview to the Herald about his new NTV show..." I was like really? a) You're stealing the interview from someone and b) It's not an NTV show...you're stealing it from another network and probably not even paying for it! I understand stealing American TV because they do it a lot better than we do up North, but stop stealing all the credit...and put in some GD American commercials because they are way better than the commercials shown on NTV, especially during the Superbowl. Just sayin' NTV, you're not fooling anyone by claiming that "House" is an NTV show!
Started my Master's Course yesterday, seems challenging, better get crack a lackin.
Also football season starts tonight. Awesome.
Download:
Breaking - Anberlin
EDIT:
I also hate women who call their boyfriends "my man". Seriously, fuck off.
So as you might be aware, I've been dating a girl and its going well (as far as I know), but that got me thinking of a bunch of different stuff that I am totally unsure about because its been a while since I have been in this situation. I wondered about some of the following things, in no particular order:
- Do people go steady anymore? Or rather, do you ever ask someone to go steady? At my (old) age is that required or is it just assumed at a certain point, and if so, at what point.
- When do you meet each others friends? It's kind of a big deal to open that door because if your girlfriend doesn't like your friends or vice versa it can be a pretty bad time for all parties involved.
- When do you meet each others parents?
- When do you give her a key to your apartment?
- How much money are you supposed to spend on Christmas gifts, etc?
Maybe I'm getting way ahead of myself here which I tend to do but all these things are foreign to me at this point so I don't really know the rules/guidelines...not that I ever did to begin with!
Onto other things though.
Egg Rolls are definitely my least favorite thing about Chinese food. No wonder nobody liked me when I brought cold egg rolls as my contribution to a potluck one year!
When you go out to eat and you order a sandwich (ex. a half club), and you ask for no mayo you get hard looks. You get even harder looks when you ask for Mild wing sauce as the substitute to the mayo. Now I know how Mark D feels asking for wing sauce with everything, or Greg and his Hollindaise. Some people just don't like mayo, I don't really know why people are so shocked by this!
Something that enrages me though is that Paddy Daley is the host of VOCM's Nightline. The guy is such a turd. It's hard to not listen to him because he is that big of a turd. Always talking like a "true newfie" with his colloquialisms and the like. I can't picture him having any valid opinion on any subject, including sexting which he was talking about while I was waiting for my Chinese.
From radio to TV - I also hate NTV because they claim that the shows they broadcast are their own! On the radio they were all like "Jimmy Smits gives an interview to the Herald about his new NTV show..." I was like really? a) You're stealing the interview from someone and b) It's not an NTV show...you're stealing it from another network and probably not even paying for it! I understand stealing American TV because they do it a lot better than we do up North, but stop stealing all the credit...and put in some GD American commercials because they are way better than the commercials shown on NTV, especially during the Superbowl. Just sayin' NTV, you're not fooling anyone by claiming that "House" is an NTV show!
Started my Master's Course yesterday, seems challenging, better get crack a lackin.
Also football season starts tonight. Awesome.
Download:
Breaking - Anberlin
EDIT:
I also hate women who call their boyfriends "my man". Seriously, fuck off.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Penal
I am glad I got to use that title. It stems from an article I read on cbc.ca that had the headlines:
"Irishtown man arrested 3 times in 5 days"
I was thinking, how is that possible? Then I kept reading to realize how ridiculous the justice system is at times. To summarize the article, a man went to jail because he assaulted an 80 year old man. He appeared in court the next day and was released under condition that he "keep the peace". The very next day, he gets his ass hauled back to jail for uttering threats to someone. So he has now committed two crimes AND violated the conditions of his release, and what does the judge do? He sets him free again the next day! And keeping with the pattern guess what happened? He ended up back in jail for violating the conditions of his release AGAIN! What was this judge thinking? You already gave him the chance to behave and he obviously couldn't do it, and you let him back on the streets with yet another chance? Not only did he threaten people before, but he had a prior assault charge which means he is well capable of acting on his violent threats!
It's hard to believe that we could have judges on the bench who lack common sense. The guy is now in the "Pen" in St. John's, because 3 strikes and you're out apparently...except when it comes to crime you should start with an 0-2 count. The penal system is sometimes insane. At least I ended up with something to blog about today.
Download:
Stars and Boulevards - Augustana
P.S. You should start following me so I seem cool - it's at the top of the page.
"Irishtown man arrested 3 times in 5 days"
I was thinking, how is that possible? Then I kept reading to realize how ridiculous the justice system is at times. To summarize the article, a man went to jail because he assaulted an 80 year old man. He appeared in court the next day and was released under condition that he "keep the peace". The very next day, he gets his ass hauled back to jail for uttering threats to someone. So he has now committed two crimes AND violated the conditions of his release, and what does the judge do? He sets him free again the next day! And keeping with the pattern guess what happened? He ended up back in jail for violating the conditions of his release AGAIN! What was this judge thinking? You already gave him the chance to behave and he obviously couldn't do it, and you let him back on the streets with yet another chance? Not only did he threaten people before, but he had a prior assault charge which means he is well capable of acting on his violent threats!
It's hard to believe that we could have judges on the bench who lack common sense. The guy is now in the "Pen" in St. John's, because 3 strikes and you're out apparently...except when it comes to crime you should start with an 0-2 count. The penal system is sometimes insane. At least I ended up with something to blog about today.
Download:
Stars and Boulevards - Augustana
P.S. You should start following me so I seem cool - it's at the top of the page.
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