It is a matter of public record that I have no fashion sense. I try my best, but if left to my own devices, I would try and wear essentially the same thing every day. I do not know how to accessorize either.
I had a friend say she would come over and help me organize my closet. Well, essentially to purge anything I shouldn’t be wearing. Goodwill will probably like this plan. So I’ve removed all my clothes and put them onto the floor so I can see what I have.
In the process I found that when I went shopping at Costco on Saturday, I bought a pair of pants that are identical to ones I already have.
Like I said, I need help.

I’m not proud of myself today. I had a date at 6:00, so I left work promptly at 5:00. Of course, this is the day that traffic backs up. And I get into one of those modes where I don’t want to wait in a jam, so I’ll make every turn possible to avoid them. This inevitably lends itself to more and interesting traffic jams. Eventually it ends up frustrating me completely.
The lack of pride comes from a desperate gamble to make it through a yellow light. I’m pretty sure it turned to red before I entered the intersection. And the wheels did feel rather wobbly on the sharp turn I had to do.
The annoying part is that I would have easily made the light, safely and legally, if a bicyclist hadn’t chosen an inopportune time to use a pedestrian crosswalk. This delayed me by precious seconds that I really needed to make the light.
If you’ve ever been stuck in far too much traffic, you will understand the frustration at waiting for another long red light. Particularly when you have an important appointment to get to.
In my heart I’m sure that light had a red-light camera attached to it. So if that bicyclist had been a few seconds later, I wouldn’t have a ticket coming to me.
Or if I had just slipped through the crosswalk before he had entered my lane.

Not proud!

Which is what happens when a friend needs to borrow the shower after she’s been exercising. 🙂

What? Did you honestly think I would be blogging about this if the situation was what you were thinking?

A week after I ran the Death Race I went on a 19 km run. It wasn’t too bad, but I got cocky; I charged up a hill faster than I should have. Ever since then I’ve had a muscle in my buttock that has not felt good. Well, something back there hasn’t been good. Pulled muscle? Torn ligament? I don’t know.
I’ve still been running, but I’ve been taking it easier on hills. And I don’t try to race faster. Still, the injury remains after a month.
Today I went to my physical therapist. It’s weird. I haven’t been there for over a year, and I feel like I should be going there more often. Is my natural state to be injured?
Anyway, I’ve got some stretches I’m supposed to do every day. Unfortunately I’m not supposed to run more than 10km. This is going to kill my Sunday mornings. But, they never said anything about not running more often, just not as far.
And I’m supposed to warm up before stretching…

I’m a wild one today. I decided to do maintenance on my life instead of anything else that you might do on a weekend. And there is something that has been bugging me. I did a lot of journal entries when I was in Europe last year, but I was always in a rush to get them into a computer, because internet cafés are not cheap. It has bugged me that there were spelling errors and no informative hotlinks.
So I spent all afternoon correcting that.
And reminiscing about Europe. That was a good time.
One of the last entries I did was a plan to go to The Keg to get my fill of Alberta beef. I still have not gone.
I remember a similar plan to go to the Sawmill after the Death Race and have a caloric intensive meal. I haven’t done that either.
Although I did have a prime rib at the casino on Thursday.

It was not my most productive day at work today. Not enough sleep will do that. With the lateness that I was up, I was hoping that as soon as my head hit the pillow I would be asleep. That didn’t happen.
It felt like I was awake all night. I know that wasn’t true, but it was not a restful sleep. Muscle pain that I can easily ignore, felt like my leg was on fire. And I think I was dreaming that I was having a dream. Look, it was weird. All in all, not a restive night.
I find that when I’ve not had enough sleep, although caffeine will help keep me awake, it feels like I’ve been crying. (Wait a minute. I’m a guy! I don’t cry, so how would I know what that feels like?)
I’ve also been discovering things about my body, as I get older, that I would never have guessed would happen. For instance, caffeine is actually starting to act weird on me. Last year, a coke would have given me a nice energy jump and I could still go to bed. I remember a time I would drink a Coke right before going to sleep because when the body was shutdown it wouldn’t process the caffeine until I woke up the next day.
Now it seems that when I have a caffeinated drink in the evening I have a lot of trouble getting to sleep. Surprise surprise. Even though I am sleepy. Isn’t the point of caffeine to prevent you from getting sleepy.
Then again, chocolate puts me to sleep if I’m not doing something particularly interesting.
Last night I had two cans of caffeinated soft drink and a candy bar. It might explain a bit.

Last night I was up very late volunteering for a casino. I was a cashier, handing people large amounts of cash for “worthless” plastic discs. So I didn’t get to bed until about 2:30 this morning. I’m off to work now.
It wouldn’t be so bad, but I have to be alert today because I’m hosting a potluck party. I’m doing a dessert that I was dared to do several months ago, molten lava cake. (Do I need ice cream for that? I don’t have any.)
The bad part about that is that at the casino I had a chocolate fudge cake for dessert that looked suspiciously like a molten lava cake. (Didn’t mind that there was no ice cream for that. Although there was whipped cream…)

I went to Fort Edmonton today. My company was having a barbecue there so we all got free admission. It was my first time in the park, but I didn’t have time to really wander around and get an in-depth view of it. More of a high-level view where I get to see a few things quickly.
The whole thing looked very… educational.
The fort itself was interesting and it was surprising to see what looked like a mansion within the wooden walls.
The horses in the park all looked bored. They would just stand there and stare forward. Very little energy. I talked to a driver and found that they were all old. They aren’t worked very hard. They have a good life.
It is awkward to talk to the workers there if they are in character. We both know it is pretend, so who are we trying to fool? Sometimes I have a question and I don’t want the runaround of how you have to travel two days to the homestead. How much bread do you make in a day?! Really?
Ironic, because I usually like to encourage roleplaying.

I had signed up for a course on GIS this weekend. I like maps. I use computers. It seemed like a natural fit. And more importantly, I want to start improving myself.
So it was really disappointing that I got a phone call telling me the class was cancelled. I feel sorry for the girl who had to phone up the students. I don’t know how the others reacted because I was the first contact.
Maybe this is a good thing. I now have time on the weekend to get my life organized again. The vacation to Montréal took a big chunk out of my life and now I need to get back on track.
Nah. It’s a bad thing.

I was driving home today when my cell phone rang. It was in the middle of playing music through an iPod device that isn’t completely compatible with the iPhone. I tried to answer, but I’m not sure if the device disrupted the connection or the other person just hung up.
The important thing is that it scared me how much I was distracted during this event. I could tell I wasn’t concentrating very well on the road. It was a good lesson on driving and cell phone use. Don’t do it!
On the plus side it was very handy during grocery shopping today. I was trying to buy some bittersweet chocolate for a recipe, but I could only find dark chocolate. Is it the same? Then I got the bright idea to use the web browser to look up the information. This was after I used it to convert ounces into grams. I couldn’t find any explicit definition. So I phoned my mother and asked her.
It seems they are equivalent.
The checkout line was painfully slow. I waited over half an hour. To pass the time, I amused myself by browsing on the web. Couldn’t do that before.
I’m beginning to really like having an iPhone.

I’m on my way home now. The flight was delayed, which may cut into my plans to have a movie night tonight. I sent out an email to some people saying the movie was delayed until 8:30, and hopefully that will get around.
I am tired. It has been a big party weekend. Although I seem to have consistently gotten to bed at 5:30. Last night wasn’t as much fun. The lack of sleep was catching up, and the knowledge that this was the last night.
I didn’t see much of the town, mostly hanging with friends. I have taken only one picture this entire trip.

I finally got around to doing some real sightseeing today.
I got up at the crack of noon, horked down a two-donut breakfast and then went for a run. I followed the same route I did last year, except back then it was on a bicycle, and this time I was on foot. Surprisingly, it took almost exactly the same amount of time. I did take some shortcuts though; I didn’t go around the Formula-1 track this year. I also knew the true route to take and didn’t get lost as often this time. Since I did it on a Sunday this time I could follow the other people using the trails.
Afterwards, once I had gathered energy again, I had the requisite poutine for a lunch. Nice carbs in that.
The Port of Montréal is having a festival, so I got on a bus tour of the shipping facilities. Unfortunately, if I had thought about it, I would have realized that the entire program was in French. That wasn’t exactly conducive to an enjoyable tour. But it was free. It was air conditioned. And I got to sit down. And the equipment for moving huge containers is impressive.
I have noticed I haven’t taken any pictures of Montréal. I did all my picture taking last year.

There is an XKCD comic titled Regrets that I didn’t want to be on the wrong side of. So, at the party tonight, there was the girl I’ve been hanging out with a lot. I decided to make the plunge and kissed her.
I have no regrets over that, which is the point, but I don’t think it is leading anywhere. She might just want to be friends. Which is annoying if you are only going to see someone for a weekend. Even a long one. And it was more of a friendly, chaste kiss than something that might indicate more.
But Montréal has been fun. Especially with all the late night partying. (Is that the sun coming up?)
Is it because I’m on vacation, or is it the city? I’m having a much easier time approaching women here. It still doesn’t mean I get anywhere. I’ve noticed I’m a social butterfly. (I might not be using the term correctly.) I will start a conversation with a woman, but as soon as the talk has covered the first subject, a big flashing “ABORT” sign goes off in my head and I thank her for her time and move along. My brain obviously is out to sabotage me. I need to learn to stretch out a conversation.
I did catch one hot girl checking me out and I approached her. She started the talk by wanting to take a picture with me. Happy to oblige. But I remain suspicious. I got the impression she liked men fawning over her, so I didn’t want to be just another trophy trying to get her attention. But now that I write this out, I’m thinking, she was checking me out? So it’s not like I’ve been given a bad sign.

Well, tonight I stayed out late. Or should I say last night, because it is now this morning. Montreal is a fun place to party. The people are friendly and I can meet old friends who are a lot more party-happy than the ones I have in Edmonton.
All I really did yesterday was try to shop and hang out with friends. The initial foray of shopping didn’t go so well; I needed someone else’s opinion. In the afternoon I hooked up with a girl I had met and she was able to give me advice.

I went out to dinner with friends. It was good to see them all again.
The odd part is that I seem to be turning in at a reasonable hour. I’m probably going to get a decent night’s sleep and be able to function tomorrow. Especially with the jet lag.
Weird.

Montreal is a very pedestrian friendly city. The citizens almost take it for granted. For them, traffic signals are merely a suggestion. So I went for a walk, and probably ended up going too far. There was so much to see.
I passed four Le Chateaus. There probably is the greatest concentration in this city. Or at least this province.
My hairstylist, yesterday, suggested a department store called Simons. She said there were great deals there. Montreal is apparently a good place for clothes shopping. I wandered in and saw a few things of interest, but I have no fashion sense, so I’m not sure if I’ll look good in it, or if it is a good price. I definitely felt cheap when I went into the designer section by accident.
The Apple store here is much more impressive than the one at West Edmonton Mall.
I even saw a victim of war crimes. Well, maybe not. She might have been a fashionable victim of war crimes. But it did look creepy. Eat a burger lady!

Last Sunday I joined the collective and I now have a cell phone. Nominally it is a reward for completing the Death Race.
Some people (you know who you are!) will be upset to hear that I got an iPhone. Many more are jealous, and contemplating getting one themselves. I’m wondering if I’ve spoiled myself.
When I got my first car, it was a Honda Civic. The thing is very reliable and I’ve had little trouble with it. It is made for people who just want to drive comfortably without having to deal with a host of problems. The cup holders are even designed well. You pay a premium over American cars, but you earn it back over time with less hassle and fewer repairs.
But I’ve never had to deal with the headache of an American car so I don’t know how bad it is for other drivers. Failure to empathize. I remember getting a car rental briefly and astonished at all the little things that were poorly made. Starting with using the key to unlock the door. (You have to turn the key awkwardly to do the more common operation of unlocking instead of locking.)
This is also my opinion of Mac versus Windows. But I do have a Windows machine at work so I do get the idea. Mainly I’m learning to hate Java, but that’s another story.
Now, with an iPhone, I’ve got a well engineered phone that seems to like me. Everyone else has a cellphone that has features no one uses, and a confusing interface. Yet I’ve never dealt with those, so I can’t relate. This just works.
I have gotten rid of my land line, so all phone calls now depend on the iPhone. Luckily, (I have tested this) I can still let people in the front door of my building through it. Heck, I don’t even have to be in the vicinity to do that. (Or even the same province, but I don’t want the roaming charges.) There isn’t much point to that if they can’t get into my unit, but it is an option.

I’m in flight to Montreal right now. I had intended to do this post from the airport because there is free wi-fi, but WestJet decided to board early. So I don’t know when this will actually get added to my journal.
My biggest problem right now is cash. I had intended to grab some from an ABM along the way to the hotel where I would take the airport shuttle. Unfortunately, I forgot that it is on Whyte Avenue, and they lock those atriums up overnight so that homeless people don’t move in.
Is there even a CIBC in Montreal? Can’t check on the internet to find out…

I should be running right now. But I had a haircut appointment and I’m going to justify it by saying I’m still on recovery.
I wonder how long I can milk that for?
But, apparently it has taken less than a month for us to start thinking about doing it again. Only worse. There is the Alberta Triple Crown which would be three specific ultras in a single year. I say that I don’t want to do it, but part of me does. I’m going to need to be strong to convince the others that it would be silly.

My sister is in town now. Of course I must now try and exhaust her. I took her to a play, dinner, and then rented a movie last night. We got halfway through the movie before she conked out.
So things are going well.
Four plays today.

Okay. I’m alive.
The presentation took longer than I expected. Time I could have spent cleaning up my place.
It was an impressive vacuum cleaner, but it was interesting noting the tactics he tried to get me to buy it. I was told that the manager was feeling “generous” and there were super deals that I could have today. And only today. And don’t tell other people about this super deal we’re giving just to you.
I have a policy of never buying something at a sales presentation. At least not for a week. I want to mull it over. That was my defense against most of their sales tactics.
I am feeling a little vulnerable. I tried to keep him just to the main areas of my home. But I was nervous when he complimented me on the nice place I have. He even told his boss that over the phone.
Was my joint just cased?
And I have no idea who this person was. He gave a name, but now business card. No pamphlets. No proof that he was a legitimate salesperson. I don’t even know if I could pick him out of a police lineup.

My sister is coming to visit.
Of course, this is the perfect time to have a fruit fly infestation. It’s my own fault. I need to be more proactive with taking out the garbage.
There is a tendency to not want to take it out until the bag is full. I’m a guy, so I don’t smell anything. But I do notice that there are little bugs floating around my kitchen now.
This will reflect poorly on me.
I am going through a whole cleaning phase right now, to prepare for her visit. I was about to start the vacuuming, when I got a call. Apparently, because I answered a survey last month, I’ve won a free gift. Some Ginsu knives. All I have to do is let them demonstrate a vacuum cleaner. Convenient timing.
Or this might be an elaborate ploy to get access to my home while armed with knives.

Could someone check up on me in an hour?

You know my movie picking system? The alphabetical one. Lately I’ve run into some trouble with it. People have been commenting on movies that they say are bad, making me think I should avoid them.
This has caused me to doubt the system. I have started going through and deciding if I want to see a movie. Adding a decision to the process slows it down incredibly. I used to be able to go in and out in less than five minutes.
Well, enough of that! I’m back to alphabetical. And even if I have heard a movie is bad, I’m still going to go see it if I have the slightest inkling to.
And Along Came Polly wasn’t horrible! It wasn’t great. But as long as you realize it is not a comedy, but just a romance, it is a lot more tolerable. American Wedding and Analyze That are coming down the pipe.

My watch fell off a table today. It still works, but the display has gotten screwed up; The top and upper-right parts of each digit don’t display anymore.
I hate not knowing the time.