New Year's Resolutions

I guess its that time to start thinking about new year's Resolutions. I was looking back at my resolutions for 2004 and I didn't do too bad. Wait a minute, I did terrible. Out of my Top Ten New Year's Resolutions, I managed 3. One of the ten, "get in shape"... well, I'm actually in worse shape now than I was this time last year. Not only did I meet that resolution, I made it worse. Well, here's my new list:

Top Ten Resolutions for 2005:

10. get in shape
9. pay off more bills
8. cook at least 3 dinners/week
7. organize my personal belongings (they're everywhere)
6. pay more attention to my personal relationships (family, friends, significant others)
5. be more decisive
4. learn something new at least once/week
3. read at least 10 books
2. bring lunch to work at least twice/week
1. smile more.

Computer for Sale

Anyone want to buy my old computer?

$400
Athlon XP 1800+
512MB DDR RAM
80GB HDD
GeForce FX5200 128MB video
Logitech wireless k/b and mouse
CD-RW 52x24x52x
built-in 10/100 ethernet
built-in sound (no speakers though)
I'll even throw in my old 19" CRT monitor for $20

Keep in mind, this does not include tech support. I've gotten out of that business.

Ha Ha Ha Hee Hee Hee

I came across some funny shit today. Check these links:

Shit Happens

Possible Porn Titles

Advent Calender

Season's Greetings

Merry Christmas to you and yours! What exactly does this mean? Who are "mine"? Anyhoo, have a happy holiday season!

The Cons are growing

I'm not really a confrontational kind of guy. I like to avoid confrontation like the plague. In fact, when I see it coming I don't just walk away, I run for my life and then change identities and pretend I never saw it coming in the first place. Then if it still catches up to me, I can say, "Oh, I didn't even realize this was an issue." Of course this is lying, but I'm not out to win awards or anything. Today at work, however, was a different story. I was talking to someone from a different module and she suggested something that would be in direct contention with everything we've taught our users for the past 4 months. If anything, I like to think that I'm a diplomatic guy. Don't ruffle feathers, don't burn bridges. We discussed the issue and while trying to gently say, "your idea is stupid" as nice as possible, I suddenly decided that this isn't something I wanted to get into right now and there's no way I'm going to argue about it for a second longer. "Well, this sounds like a higher-level discussion that may need to be revisited after the holidays. I'll bring this back to my group and then we'll sit down when everyone is back after the new year." Just like that, it ended the discussion and we both quite happily went back to cracking jokes about project managers and directors. She's a very nice lady and I prefer working with her than any of her cohorts, but their whole group is starting to piss me off. Oh well, I can still go back to my old job if this gets too sickening.

He's Making a List...

Top Ten Things I Want For Christmas:

10. Socks
9. Underwear
8. good toque
7. new shoes
6. turtleneck sweater
5. long-sleeved t-shirt
4. pyjama pants
3. watch
2. DVD burner
1. movies on DVD

Now this list may seem pretty vague (what kind of DVD burner? what colour sweater? what size shoes?), but that's because I don't want to sound greedy.

Top Ten Things I Don't Want For Christmas:

10. eternal damnation
9. a large, unexpected bill
8. food poisoning
7. a pay cut
6. sudden illness
5. a colostomy
4. a psychotic girlfriend
3. car accident
2. a warm, dry season
1. home invasion

New House

Congratulations to my brother and his wife on their new house. They moved in today and I did all the heavy lifting. Seriously though, their stuff wasn't that heavy.

Movie Review

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Special Extended Version DVD.

Its even better on DVD.

First Night

I went snowboarding today! I went up to Cypress Mountain with Steve and a co-worker and it was an awesome night. The snow was a little slushy, but not too bad, the weather was about +1 degrees with no wind, and it was pretty clear. Beautiful view from the Panorama run. It felt so good to be on the mountain again. I've been waiting for this since March.

Stuff I like:
1. snowboarding when its a little warm. Even if the snow isn't all powder its nice when you don't freeze your ass off.
2. that rush of adrenaline when you hit a jump or when you're flying down the mountain.
3. the sound of your board carving in the snow.

Stuff I don't like:
1. when you get snow in your glove.
2. when its windy and you're freezing on the chair lift
3. when you hit a flat spot and you have to unstrap and walk.

New DVDs

Starsky and Hutch with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Previously viewed from Blockbuster. Funny shit, man.

Something something of the Spotless Something with Jim Carey. Previously viewed from Blockbuster. Haven't watched it yet, but I wanted to see it when it was out in the theatres. I'll let you know how it was.

Y'know, assuming the DVD isn't damaged (ie scratched or warped), previously viewed movies are a great deal. They're pretty new releases and they're really cheap - always less than $20.

New Office

We moved into our new offices today. Its not bad. The best part is that I'm across the street from the mall, there are restaurants surrounding me, and its close to home. The worst part is my desk is in a really crappy spot. Oh well, its only temporary anyway.

Back to Basics *sigh*

Every once in a while we make decisions in our life that we don't like. Not necessarily because it's the wrong decision, but we just don't like how it makes us feel. You feel shitty because it's a decision you have to make, not one you want to make. I hate feeling that way. I hate when my decisions affect other people. Someday I'm hoping for that confirmation that when I make a choice I'll know it was the right one - or the wrong one. At least I'll know.

Winter Sports

I hate being cold. I hate it when I'm in my car waiting for it to warm up and I'm just sitting there freezing my ass off. I hate when I get home from work and the place is chilly. I hate waking up in the morning and getting out of my warm bed to step in the cold bathroom and then stand there waiting for the water to warm up in the shower. Just the light spray of the ice cold water makes me uncomfortable. I hate being cold. The funny thing is, I love when winter comes and I can go snowboarding. I've been at the top of Blackcomb Mountain (about 2km up) in the middle of winter where its freezing cold, but I still had a smile on my face. I've gone snowboarding at night in the blowing snow and sat on a chairlift where the snow blows up your jacket and down your neck and still had a good time. I know what you're thinking. "He's an idiot." Maybe I am, but I love snowboarding. All the mountains have snow now, I can't wait to go.

A Few of My Favourite Things

In honour of the Christmas spirit and The Sound of Music, I'm going to list a few of my Favourite Things. No, no credit will go to Oprah Winfrey.

In no particular order:

• raindrops on roses
• whiskers on kittens
• bright copper kettles
• warm woolen mittens
• brown paper packages tied up in string
• cream colored ponies
• crisp apple streudels
• doorbells
• sleigh bells
• schnitzel with noodles
• wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
• girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
• snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
• silver white winters that melt into springs

I hate to admit it but I actually like the movie The Sound of Music. Even though its missing a good fight scene and fast car chases, it still has the girl in the wet, white dress and the tough-but-sensitive captain that gets to choose whichever girl he wants. A baroness or a nun... how do you choose? I'd give you my real list of favourite things, but someone will end up slapping me.

Don't I Know You?

Last night we went out to a friend's birthday party. Its always fun to go bowling and meet new people. I had a bit of a headache (actually a lot of a headache) so I wasn't feeling great, but I went anyway. Throughout the night I met a bunch of people, talked to people I knew, and at the end of the night I met a person I knew. I met her once or twice before, the last time being back in February, but ever since then we've just been keeping in contact through our blogs and the blog comments. I recognized her name but during the night I was like, "I'm pretty sure that's her." Because I wasn't 100% positive, I didn't say anything until we were talking at the end of the night. Its a small world after all.

Snow

December 4, 2004. Haven't gone snowboarding yet because the local mountains are just getting some snow now. Whistler has snow but its too far and too expensive right now. Baker had snow, but then they lost it and now its back. Still not enough to make it worth the trip. Cypress is getting a lot of snow right now. w00t! I can't wait. I've been itching to go since... well, last April.

Assess the Situation

Its the first of December. Let's assess the situation here:

1. I'm finished about 10% of my Christmas shopping.
2. My Christmas tree is up.
3. My house is a mess.
4. I'm poor - no, I'm broke.
5. I haven't gone snowboarding because the local mountains have no snow.
6. I don't even see myself going snowboarding until after the holidays (unless something good comes up).
7. My roommate is moving out in a couple of weeks (assuming Allen's house is ready on time).
8. My car passed AirCare (woohoo!).
9. My office is moving in a couple of weeks.
10. I'm overweight and out of shape.

Now don't think that this is my entire life. I mean, I'm very happy/relieved that my car passed AirCare, but I'm not that excited about it. And I'm not that upset that I've barely done any Christmas shopping. All I'm saying is that... well, nothing really. Just giving you an update. Happy December!

Happy Birthday!

Today is the first anniversary of my blog. It was exactly a year ago that I created my blog and contributed to the hundreds of minutes wasted (by me and my readers) reading and writing about completely useless stuff in my life, the world, and the universe. Let us all toast the start of another bloggy year!.

Funny Words

Every once in a while I hear a word or phrase that I really get a kick out of. Tonight's word of amusement: A-Hole. That guy's such an a-hole. Hey buddy, don't be such an a-hole! Why do you have to be an a-hole all the time? hehe. A-hole. That word killls me.

I Hate Dumbasses

I was teaching a class this morning and someone asked me something about a blood test. Considering how much background I have in lab procedures and theory, my immediate answer was, "I don't know." She gave me this dirty look like I was supposed to to know. Look lady, why the hell should I know. Don't give me that look cuz you didn't know either. I'm a nurse. I'm not a lab tech, I'm not a microbiologist, I'm not a programmer, I'm not radiologist, I'm not dietician, I'm not a phlebotomist, I'm not an administrator, and I'm not a cardiologist. My area of study is in direct patient care with an interest in informatics. I helped build a system for nurses to use because I am a nurse. If you don't know something clinical, its not my job to teach you. Maybe you should consider continuing education. Dumbass.

Movie Review

National Treasure starring Nicholas Cage:

A neat concept. Its okay. No nudity, a little bit of swearing, no excessive violence - a real family movie.

Sale!

I love when there's a good sale on snowboarding stuff. Today I went to the Arson/Orb Warehouse sale at Fantasy Gardens. Its on all weekend if you want to check it out. Last year I bought a $400+ jacket for over half off and this year I bought snowboarding pants (retail ~$250) for $130. I don't think I've paid regular price on anything that was over $100. That's Hott. Anyway, these pants are awesome. They're super-waterproof and still very breathable. Vents, cargo pockets, etc etc. I'm wearing them right now.

Half Asleep

Yesterday morning my alarm went off at 5:50am (like usual) but I didn't have to be at work until 8:30 so I hit snooze a couple of times. Just as I was about to hit it for a third time, I decided I'd just change the time of the alarm to 7:00. I go back to sleep and at 7:15 I wake up and drag myself out of bed, get ready for work, etc etc. Day goes on as usual. Last night I go to turn my alarm on and I double check what time its set for. WTF?! It was set to 10:20pm! Man, I really was drowsy yesterday morning.

Just Around the Corner

Well, Christmas is just around the corner again. I haven't started Christmas shopping yet and I doubt that I will anytime soon. Every year I say I'm going to get my shopping done early, but being November now and seeing as I haven't even started shopping, I guess I'll have to say: "next year I'll get my shopping done early."

Top Ten Wish List for Christmas 2004:
1. Half-Life 2 (but I'll probably buy this before December)
2. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Collector's Edition
3. Sweaters
4. a really nice touque
5. another 17" LCD monitor
6. black socks
7. a new bag for work
8. PS2 Network Adapter
9. a high-end universal remote control
10. Shaw HD Digital box with PVR.

Options

On the advice of Randy, I switched from Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox. I'm telling you now you need to try this out. Tabbed browsing is the shit. This has everything IE has, just better. Don't ask me why, but it just feels better.

Relationship Advice Isn't My Strong Point

I got a call from my friend Michele today. I was supposed to have lunch with her, but I bailed out (again) because I was supposed to help my brother move. I ended up not helping, but I had lunch with Vanessa, Steve, and Lisa instead. Anyway, a few months ago I wrote about how Michele finally met a nice guy that I approved of. Well just recently, she broke up with him. Now she says she misses him and she's all upset. I guess this is pretty normal because he wasn't a complete asshole to her or anything, she just felt it wasn't right for her. I feel for her, but she just has to be strong. She doesn't think she made a mistake so she can't turn around and get back together. THAT would be a mistake. I'm not much of an advice guy so I just told her she needs to do what she thinks is right for her. Am I wrong?

More Upgrades

Yesterday I went out and finally bought my new monitor. My old Samsung 950p 19" monitor has unofficially been retired. It's replacement is a beautiful new 17" Samsung 710T. This monitor is a thing of beauty. Digital Inputs, 12ms response time, 600:1 contrast ratio, 0.264mm pixel pitch, 1280x1024 native resolution @ 70kHz and 160 horizontal/vertical viewing angle. *drool* If this means nothing to you, then consider this: if you've been driving a 20 year-old Chevette all your life, imagine rolling down the street in a Mercedes CLK. I'm telling you, its that nice. I had the choice of this one and a 19" one, but this one was a far better monitor.

All I need now is a new processor and motherboard. oh and maybe some RAM.

Opportunity

For any RN's out there, check this out. Free season pass with 6-8hrs of volunteer time. I think I'm going to do this next year.

Update on Nothing

It's been a few days since my last post. What's happened since? Let's see... Last weekend I went to Celebrities for the first time. I had so much fun! I didn't even drink (ok, I had 2 drinks). Sunday was Jerome's baptism. Its always fun to see all the little babies. Then on Monday - back to work.

Work is getting really frustrating. Because the module that I'm working on is the one that the majority of users see, my group gets blamed for everything. 90% of the time it has nothing to do with us! Well, next week we start the training again which is a lot more fun than this support crap we've been doing.

But that's it. Not much going on. Things are going well in my personal life and my professional life. Other than winning the lottery, there's not much more I would ask for right now.

Don't think this is a threat to me

Okay, tell me who you think is wrong here:

Correspondence was sent out to all managers, educators, charge nurses, staffing clerks, and coordinators way back in March, again in May, again in September, and again in October to tell them that unless each unit has sufficient training in our new system, staffing the wards would be an issue. You have to have people that know the system (ie, have taken training and passed) on the ward at all times. If you didn't, you'd basically be S.O.L. and would have to deal with this issue internally (ie, don't expect me to cover your ass). Well, when we started training in September, out of 900 seats, we had almost 200 no-shows, and a 5% failure rate. Approx. 700 people were trained. The general attitude was "oh i don't care, i'll hardly ever use it anyway." Well, now that we're Live, we're getting calls left right and center asking for access without having taken the training. Now the attitude is "well if you don't give me a password, I'll just have to do it using someone else's" This is a breach of confidentiality, breach of authority-wide policy, unsafe practice, and poor patient care as it lacks accountibility for one's action (Nurse's Code of Ethics, RNABC Standards of Practice). We've given fair warning (over 6 months) and ample opportunity for training (900 seats=70-75% of the hospital). We will not give access without proper education. Just because I'm a pretty good driver doesn't mean I'm allowed to drive a car without a license.

Busy day at work

So today was our full GoLive with the entire hospital. Everything generally went pretty well with some minor glitches. The biggest problem we're having is that we only have about half the staff trained. We don't run classes again until the 15th so everybody is freaking out about it. Well, if they didn't skip their class the first time we would've had 70% trained - a much safer number. Another problem is no one wants to give up their old business processes. "We always did it this way." Well that way, from a bigger point of view, is unsafe and unreliable. Sorry, things have changed. If other places can manage with this computer system for 15 years, I'm sure we can too.

Today was pretty hectic. I was running all over the place doing support, troubleshooting, easing anxiety, and kicking ass. I must say, though, that I'm impressed how everyone was still pretty positive about it. I had some low expectations. Congratulations to everyone.

Happy Halloween!

Check this out: Are You Colour Blind?

Work is Fun

I forgot how tiring night shifts can be. Actually, its not the night shift that's the problem, its the recovery time. I used to work a couple of 12-hr night shifts, then switch back to a regular sleep schedule in a couple of days. I just finished 3 nights and then last night I couldn't sleep and I was up until 5:30am! *sigh* I'm getting soft.

Well the first 5 days of our GoLive have been pretty successful. A couple of minor glitches and one bigger behind-the-scenes glitch that we're working on. Nothing huge, the system just doesn't want to be told what to do. Damnit HAL, do your job! Tomorrow will be the next step. Three nursing units go Live with electronic order entry. This is my module so at least when nurses ask me something I'll probably know the answer. I get to sit in emerg when this gets turned on. I have a feeling this will be a busy busy day! The final step will be on Nov 1 when the rest of the nursing units get turned on. I'm working almost every day until Nov 5 but that's okay because I'm actually enjoying this.

Batteries and the Law of Murphy

So I'm at the mall the other day and I make the executive decision to replace the batteries for my digital camera. I haven't been able to find mine for, like, 2 months now and my camera is just sitting there. When I get home, I open the package, pull out the new batteries, reach under the chair where my charger is, pull on the cable which seems to be stuck on something, and what do I find? My old batteries! FUCK! I hate when shit like this happens! Oh well, now I have spare rechargables.

smoking

So last night on my break I went outside for a smoke. When I came back in I guess the smell of smoke was still on me. A "co-worker" told me that smoking could be fatal and I should quit. Well, I looked it up on Google and as it turns out, she was right. Holy crap, now I'm going to quit no matter what it takes - even if it kills me.

Everybody's Got a Story Part 4

Last night went well. No major glitches. Mostly just stupid stuff like, "it didn't print" which I answered, "is your printer on?" and they responded, "oh. oops." Brian and I decided that our team motto should be "Teaching the world, one dumb-ass at a time."

One of the things I noticed since taking this new job was that I didn't have any more good hospital stories. Last night I sat at Triage in the ER so here you go:

Last night there was a big accident on the Patullo Bridge so the ER was pretty busy. Some other guy walks in with his buddy and his face is all messed up. Looks like he got beat up real good. Half his face was all swollen, bloody, and pretty f$@!-ed up. But, he walked in, talked to the triage nurse clearly, and was otherwise in pretty good shape so the nurse tells him to get registered with the admitting people and wait. Oh, and the wait will be about 2 hours because of the accident. This guy was not impressed. If you saw him you'd think he needed to be seen right away, but because his injuries weren't life-threatening, he had to wait. That sux.

What else did I see last night? Let's see: multiple stab wounds, head lacerations, someone drinking bleach, lots of people that got assaulted, a guy that got hit by a car, a DOA, and a bunch of sick babies. I tell ya, emerg is pretty crazy. If you've got a cut on your pinky finger, unless its falling off go to a walk-in clinic.

Progress Means Change

Today was the day they flipped the switch. Actually, last night at midnight. Our system went Live today and so far there have been only a few little glitches. For the most part, everything is working as designed. But, because nurses don't go live until next week, there have been a few problems with access (mostly for the people in charge). I get to go to work tonight (back to night shifts: 2300-0700hrs) and help support the admissions team in the ER. I get to sit with the triage nurse to help him/her enter patients into the system the second they walk in the door. How exciting. NOT. ER is one of those places where a computer system becomes very difficult for those who aren't computer savvy or if there aren't enough computers around. Its the kind of environment where its a lot faster to just yell down the hall to the lab tech "hey! I need a stat CBC and Lytes here!" And the ER at my hospital has been used to doing things this way for years. As in however many years the ER has been open. Well tough for them. Time to join the 21st Century. Cya in a few days. I'll let you know how it went.

Maybe Not World-Changing, But...

Work has been pretty stressful lately. Before, in my old job, the stress had to do with people's lives - directly. If I mssed something or made a mistake, the consequences for that patient could have been fatal (at other times, sometimes merely... inconvenient). But now, in my new job, if we've made a mistake or forgot something, the consequences for the entire hospital could be fatal (at other times, sometimes merely... inconvenient). Every department is in a mad rush to make sure everything is ready for Saturday's Go-Live. Looks like this weekend I'm back to working night shifts for our 24-7 on-site support. This is going to one crazy weekend for me - and exciting. I've never worked on any project that has been as BIG or important for such a large population. I can't even put into words how huge the impact this project will have on our hospital. And to imagine, when we're finished we simply move on to another hospital and then keep on going until we've done all 12 hospitals. Whoa. Wish me luck, I'm gonna go puke. Any advice for dealing with this? I think my head is going to explode.

New Phone

I went out with mom today so she could get a new phone. I ended up trading in my old phone for a new flip phone with a camera. Oh, and I also changed plans, providers and phone numbers. If you have my old cell number, delete it and replace it with my new one. You can call me for the new number.

Blog Links

Just in case you didn't notice, I alphabetized my blog links and replaced your name with your blog title. I'm going to add more too. Even if I don't know you, If I've read your blog, I'm going to add a link to your site. Be warned.

Let us have a moment of silence...

Usually, I don't get involved with the lives of music and movie stars. I mean, I don't know them except from movies and music videos. So when tragedy strikes in their lives, I don't think much of it. However, there is one movie star that I must say has been inspirational and became a real hero to many people. Today, Christopher Reeve died. Remembered best for his role as Superman, Christopher Reeve led research on stem cell research and became a source of inspiration for all those with spinal cord injuries. He was treating a bedsore (a common problem in para/quadriplegics) which became infected leading to a blood infection. He went into cardiac arrest and died today. Let us all take a moment to remember someone that truly was a super man.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I often think about what I don't have. I don't have a barbeque grill, I don't have an LCD monitor, I don't have a very big house, I don't have a new car, I don't have washboard abs, I don't have condo in Whistler, and I don't have a lot of clothes. But this time of year we're supposed to think about what we do have and give thanks for our blessings. Let's see, here's what I have to be thankful for (in no particular order):

1. a good job
2. a hot, loving girlfriend :)
3. warm clothes in winter
4. food at all times
5. family
6. good friends
7. my own home
8. good health
9. 42" widescreen TV with 5.1 surround sound
10. PS2 with Dance Dance Revolution and dance mats
11. oh crap, I'm getting off topic here
12. a car that works
13. good neighbours
14. high speed internet
15. a pretty good computer
16. a wireless-g network
17. wireless mouse and keyboard
18. uh oh, starting to stray again
19. why am I still counting?

Anyhoo, even though sometimes I don't take things as seriously as I should, I am very thankful for the things in my life and I try to never forget that I'm very lucky to have these things. I've met many people over the years who have less and are in worse shape than me (and I don't mean physically) and have a harder time with (it seems) everything. I have to remind myself regularly that I'm a lucky person and not to take things for granted. So now, although I never say it enough, I'd like to make sure that all those who fall under #2, 5, 6, and 13 know that I appreciate everything you've ever done for me and thank you all for being there for me during the good and bad times and for supporting me in everything I do.

Happy Thanksgiving

Shout-Outs

I just realized that I haven't done any shout-outs in a long time.

-thanks to that special person who's made the past 6 months fun, exciting, challenging, and great!

-thanks to my employer (from my manager right up to the bigwigs) for giving me a job doing something that I really enjoy. for challenging me and making work more than just a job.

-thanks to Miss Vickie for making such great chips

see you all soon!

Everybody's Got a Story - Part 3

I picked up a shift on my old ward last night. First of all, night shifts are a lot more tiring than I remember - and last night I only did an 8hr shift instead of a 12. I was pretty bagged when I got home in the morning. Second, I'm not sure I can go back to my old job in April. Its a hard job and dealing with difficult patients is very very very frustrating. Anyway, on to the story:

I had this one patient, a 93 year-old lady with a fractured right femur. A broken leg is a painful thing to deal with, but when you're 93 years old its something you don't really deserve to have. Well, the docs weren't sure she was stable enough for surgery (we're looking at 4-5 hour anesthetic and close to 4 litres of blood loss) so she was laying in bed in traction. By the sounds of it, she would probably go for surgery, but in the meantime they had a few other docs look at her to make sure (you don't want to jump in to major surgery when you're that old). The problem is that she was basically laying there in pain - and we're talking a lot of pain, not the "oh I stubbed my toe pain", but the "oh, a car ran over my leg" kind. You're probably thinking, "can't you give her something for that?" Oh sure, I could give her morphine, but then you have to worry about respiratory depression, decreased level of consciousness, confusion and dementia, and whether or not her kidney can handle it. On top of the pain, you have to consider that if she has a foley catheter too long she's at risk for a bladder infection; if she lays in one position too long, she can develop bed sores and pneumonia, but you have to change her position regularly (every 2-3 hours) or else she could develop a clot that could move to her lung or heart or brain. At 93 years old, this is most likely the last few years of her life. I wouldn't want to spend my final days like this.

How fun

Quiz your friends about anything and everything. This is so much fun.

Whoa, dude, that's deep.

Sometimes I think I should write more profound things in my blog. You know, deep thoughts and revelations. But then I thought, "Deep thoughts from me? Who am I kidding? My deepest thought in recent years was 'if i exercise i probably wouldn't get fat.'" So if you're looking for mind-boggling thoughts and ideas, this probably isn't the place to be.

Risk

I just read Rhoel's blog about safety gear. Here's what I think: helmets are a good idea. seatbelts are smart, safety gear in general is good. But, when I go snowboarding I only wear my helmet sometimes (depends on who I'm with and where I'm boarding), and my gloves have some built-in wrist support (not wrist guards, mind you - just wrist support). But should I be wearing elbow pads, knee pads, bum padding, and/or a spine protector? It would be a whole lot safer, wouldn't it? Especially considering I've broken my wrist and my finger snowboarding. Forget it. I won't wear it. For the same reason I don't swim with a lifejacket or walk into a patient's room with full isolation gear on. There's a certain amount of risk involved with everything we do. It makes things fun, exciting, and memorable. Everything is about balancing what risks you're willing to take and which risks are worth taking. Stupid risks are stupid - drunk driving or betting your car on one hand of poker. Basic safety and common sense is good - helmets, eye protection, gloves, proper footwear, etc etc. Going too far is paranoia and irresponsible.

Things that make you g... is arsenio going to sue me?

When a neurosurgeon can't get something right, does s/he feel like a total idiot? Because when I can't do a simple thing right I tell myself, "This isn't neurosurgery or anything."

Just a stupid thought.

Book Review

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

This book is very short but very good.

Thank you and good night.

Pros & Cons (there'll be more of these)

As the time comes closer when I might have to decide whether or not I'm going to take this job permanently, I'm beginning to think more about the pros and cons of my job.

Top 5 Things I Like About My Job:
1. no asswiping, no bodybagging (ya, I know that's two things in one. shut up)
2. I get to sit in front of a computer
3. no patients/families to piss me off
4. easy hours
5. no weekends

Top 5 Things I Dislike About My Job:
1. sitting in a chair all day
2. no adrenalin rushes (like in a code blue situation)
3. nurses that refuse to learn how to use a computer for their job
4. only 2 days off
5. Christmas shopping is gonna be a bitch this year

All I need are pants...

I got new boots. Salomon F20. Nothing super fabulous, just some normal boots. They're really comfortable and they're not so bulky. I like it a lot.

hmm, that's sort of a funny title.

Lazy Minds

I know I take it for granted because I sit at a computer all day, but I get really frustrated when I'm trying to teach someone how to use a computer and they just don't get it. I understand that there are people that never grew up with computers and they have no interest in it now, but when your job changes and it now requires the use of a computer, I just think its their responsibility to do a little upgrading in their skills. Learning to use the computer for work is like getting a Class 4 driver's license for work. Or having to learn new protocols and procedures. You just have to keep up with the job market. Just because you've been doing a job a certain way for 20 years doesn't you should be doing the same way for another 20. Times change, technology advances, job requirements increase. The world is learning, keep up.

First Trip to Whistler for the Season

This is great. We can go to Whistler for the sale in October. Make sure you're all free on Saturday October 9. We'll go up to Whistler for the day, get some great deals on snowboarding gear and still be back home in time for some long-weekend partying! Next question: Who's driving? We'll need someone that has access to a vehicle that can hold 4-6 people comfortably, someone that's comfortable driving a vehicle that big up the Sea-to-Sky highway, and someone that can get us up there fast. Hmm, I don't know... What about Rodney? Does anyone have any ideas? Rodney! Rodney! Well, to whomever drives to Whistler, Rodney what about Rodney? I'll make you a deal. We can go to Pacific Boarder this Sat/Sun and I'll drive. How does that sound Rodney?

BTW, who's buying a Seymour pass this year? I'd rather get a Cypress nite-timer pass (night-boarding 7 days/wk) because I have a Mon-Fri job now and night boarding is no fun at Seymour cuz its so dark there. Let's all buy Cypress nite-timers!!

Sale

On the Thanksgiving weekend there is a Turkey Sale up in Whistler. If any of you don't know what that is, its a sale on ski/snowboard equipment and clothing. It happens every year on the thanksgiving weekend (hence, "turkey" sale) and they are supposed to have sales up to 70% off. Does anyone want to go?

Colour My World

So this weekend I decided I'd finish off the main floor and paint my kitchen. "Rosemary Sprig" is the name of the colour (its green). I don't have pics yet (I can't find the batteries for my camera), but as soon as I do, I'll post them. I also rearranged stuff so it looks a little backwards. I think its better now though.

Exploding Brains

I think its just because I've been sitting at home all day, but I've got a huge headache. It could be because my contacts are old or my glasses aren't strong enough and I've been straining my eyes a lot. Maybe its the MSG noodles we ate for dinner (oh but they tasted sooo good!). Or maybe I've got a brain tumour. Whatever the reason, all I want is for this damn headache to go away.

6 Virtual Degrees

Its funny how blogging has connected people. You read about what's going on in other people's lives and you let other people know what's going on in yours. There are at least a couple of people that I've "met" through my blog (although I have met them at least once in real life). The funny thing is that when people who don't read blogs question where you got your information or when they give you that "how-the-hell-did-you-know-that" look. I especially like when when someone you've never met leaves a comment on your page. Its like making a new friend. See? The cybergeeks can be very friendly.

Attack of the Computer Geek

What I usually do is I upgrade my computer every 12-18 months. You know, to keep up with new technology and to try and have a "kick-ass" computer. Well, the past two and a half years I haven't done anything to my comp. So, to make up for this, last week I bought a new video card. ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. If you're thinking, "Wow, that's cool." then you're a computer geek. If you you have no idea what I'm talking about don't worry about it, Cmdr. Data will teach you about it later. Next: new monitor. Then: new CPU and M/B. I get shivers just thinking about it...

Two Weeks Later

I've had my car back from the mechanic for 2 weeks now. I'm really liking my car again. Maybe I'll even wash it. Seriously though, its been running great and it feels like nothing was ever wrong with it. Randy, you'll be happy to know that if the car keeps this up, I'm more than willing to drive up to the mountains. Maybe even to Mt. Baker.

Pacific National Exhibitionism

I went to the PNE today. We were only there for a couple of hours because we didn't play any games or go on any rides. I'm saving the rides for Sept 19 when I get to go for free. Employee Appreciation Day. w00t! FYI: don't use the bathrooms in Playland. Make the trek over to the agridome (or whatever its called), its a lot cleaner, and nowhere near as busy. Also, there are separate urinals so you're not just peeing against the wall.

Top Five Favourite Things About the PNE:
1. MarketPlace (formerly known as the Showmart)
2. Those Li'l Donuts
3. Foot Long Hot Dogs
4. Corn Dogs (even though you can get these anywhere, they just seem better at the PNE)
5. Cotton Candy (don't eat too much of it though, you'll get a stomach ache. Also, the pink stuff is better than the blue)

Top Five Least Favourite Things About the PNE:
1. The washrooms
2. too much tempting junk food
3. too expensive - and getting more expensive every year
4. those funky animal smells
5. all the snot-nosed punks walking around (I used to be one of those!)

Anyway, you should check out the PNE. Its still neat to go see the different stuff, and if you like to people-watch, this is the place to be!

Dancing Machine

The past couple of days I've exercised more than I have in the past 2 months. I bought a new game for my ps2: DDR2 Max: Dance Dance Revolution. Holy crap is this game fun. Its probably hilarious to watch too. We've been playing non-stop since I got it. I got a couple of dance mats too so its the full experience. If anyone wants to play come on over! Man, I feel like J.Lo on this thing...

Car Update

Oh yeah, you're probably all wondering what's going on with my car. "Is he going to buy a new one? What about his old car? How much did the repairs cost?" Well, I got my little green machine fixed and paid less than $500. Right now, it runs just great, but my confidence in it has dropped to about that of one's confidence in Olivia, Jeff, and Michelle walking into a craft store and leaving without buying something. I'm just hoping that everything is okay with just minor repairs left to do. The whole new car thing? Not happening. Too expensive. Unless I get a roommate for the next 4-5 years, I can't buy a new car. C'est dommage.

Holiday

Did I tell you? I'm on vacation right now. It started today and lasts until after the long weekend. Let me tell you what I have planned:

Nothing. Just some good old nothingness. Time to relax with my thoughts and sit and do absolutely nothing.

This is my last chance at vacation until the new year. I'm going to have to plan out my EDO's and vacation days for weekday snowboarding and overnight boarding trips. Rodney, you better let me know ASAP when we can go to Whistler/Apex/Sun Peaks/Big White!

Housekeeping

I read through my old blogs today. There's a lot of unfinished business going on here. I never ended up getting my own domain name, and I never did hand out any prize for my picture contest. Well, let's finish these things. The domain name became more work than I wanted to deal with and just another thing to spend money on. I need to save money, not spend more! And the winner of the picture contest is: (drum roll)...(drum roll)...(drum roll)... I don't remember. I think it might have been Lisa, but I didn't really have prizes anyway. Everyone congratulate Lisa for submitting pictures of some kid (I think it might have been her cousin or something).

Free Money

I'm really making progress on my summer goals. Remember when I said I was going to clean out my garage? I spent one evening cleaning out all the carboard and shit and today I cleaned up all the empty bottles and cans. I just have to take them all to the bottle return depot. You're probably thinking: "Just take them there, what's the big deal?" Well, you haven't seen my garage, have you? There's about 2 years worth of empties in there. Today I filled 5, yes five, garbage bags with pop bottles of various sizes. I had approx. 35 empty bottles of wine, and roughly $20 worth of beer bottles and 12-packs of pop. Its no simple task to just drop them off at the bottle depot. I figure I have about $40 or so just waiting for me. I think I'll buy a new PS2 game.

Car shopping

To be honest, I can't really afford a new car. I really wish I could but I'd need a huge down payment to make the monthly payments affordable. I'm working on that right now ;) Donations are accepted. Anyhoo, I checked out the Kia dealership yesterday and holy crap! The 2004 Kia Spectra has all the options, a 5 year/100000 warranty, lifetime oil changes, and 0% financing for 5 years! The 2005 model has all that, a better engine, better consumer reviews, and 2.9% for 4 years. The models we looked at (which weren't short on options, I tell you), were about $20,000. For that price, a 2005 Honda Civic might have a CD player. I'm gonna go test drive one just for the hell of it. Celia wants a Kia just for all the stuff you get for the price - its just one helluva deal.

I'm Looking for a New Car baby, a New Car. Yeah yeah yeah

So on Friday I went to the Honda and Toyota dealerships. I don't really expect to buy a brand new car - that's just too expensive. I think my options are either a used car (roughly 2000/2001) or leasing. The lease is starting to sound better and better to me. Lower monthly payments, new car every 4-5 years, brand new car. You're probably thinking: "But you don't get anything at the end." So what? I have nothing now. And, I've worked it out: buying the car after a 4 year lease is actually cheaper than financing a car for 5 years. See? The lease is sounding better and better. But, in reality, I can still only afford to lease a cheap little car. I'll probably just end up buying a used car.

Speaking of cheap little cars, Rodney asked me if I was still interested in an Echo Hatchback. Hell ya! I don't care if people think its too small or ugly. I don't think its ugly and the size isn't an issue for me. All I need is a roof rack for my snowboard and I'm set. What do you guys think? The Echo is an economical car and all I really need it for is transportation, I'm not trying to impress anyone with my car. I don't drive fast, I don't go on long road trips, I don't carry much cargo, and I rarely have more than one passenger. Based on this criteria, the Echo is a perfect car for me. Don't get me wrong, I'd love something like a Acura EL or a Mazda 3 Sport, but those are up to $12,000 more expensive.

10 years of green goodness - its all over now

Well, today was the day. I was just about to leave for work when my car didn't start. Didn't even turn. Just some lights. *sigh* Argh. Time to look at a new car. Anyone want to go to the auction? Or does anyone want to just give me a car?

Weird

This morning has been very strange. I took the skytrain today and for some reason the machine only charged me $2. Usually, on a weekday it'll be $3 for 2 zones or $4 for 3 zones. Maybe the machine's clock was off. Then I was sitting on the skytrain and it seemed really really empty. I could have layed down on the seats without anyone complaining. Odd for a Monday morning. Then, when I got to work, the lobby of the hospital didn't have its usual hustle and bustle. No vendors, not a lot of people, empty coffee shop... Am I supposed to be at work today?!!?! Is this a holiday and no one told me? Its already after 8 and there's still only 2 of us in the office. This is like the twilight zone.

I'm a WB Superstar

We went to this karaoke place tonight that I haven't been to in a looonnggg time. Who remembers it? Its called Melody Shake in Richmond. It was a lot of fun. I didn't sing - well, actually I was singing non-stop, but never with the microphone. Who invented karaoke anyway? Whoever it was, thank you for endless hours of fun!

D'oh!!

We were watching TV on Saturday afternoon and my favourite show was on: The Simpsons. Then it was on again. Then we checked the satellite guide and The Simpsons was on all day until 6pm. Seriously, The Simpsons is the funniest, wittiest, and intellectual-est show on TV. Four hours of Homer is time well spent.

Translink rocks!

Since my car is a little un-trustworthy, I've been trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible. I've been taking public transit. I have to admit, its not as bad as I thought. I like the skytrain, but the bus still sucks. Earlier tonight we were on the bus and there was this one girl that kept saying, "Excuse me, bus driver, is this bus going to Fraser and Kingsway?" She must have asked him 10 times. Then there was this other girl on the phone saying, "I lost my bus pass on the skytrain. I'm fucked. I'm so screwed. I can't go to work. I'm gonna get fired. I'm so fucked. No, I don't have friends - they're all drug dealers. I lost my bus pass. I'm screwed." Okay lady, we get it. One thing that I enjoy when I'm out in public is people-watching. At least the bus gives me a chance to watch a lot of people.

Movie Reviews

Anchorman

Hahahaha...it was...hahahaha...and then he said....hahahaha...then he got up and...hahaha


The Village

mieh...

Congratulations! and Finally!

I have this friend (who I won't name for privacy reasons) who in the last 6 years that I've known her has been dating losers, freaks and creeps. A little while ago, we planned to have lunch and on Monday we finally got our schedules synching so that we could actually see each other. When she showed up she had a new guy in tow. As it turns out, he's a health care professional (RT) and he lives in the 'burbs. Anyway, we all had a great lunch and as it turns out, this guy is really nice and pretty cool. Not obnoxious, very down-to-earth, and ever-so-charming. Its about frickin time, Michele! Out of all the "boyfriends" she's had in the past 6 years, this is the only one I approve of. Good luck!

Stupid Car

Does anyone want to just give me a car? I can't afford a new one and mine is really starting to piss me off. I'm gonna start entering free contest that has a car as a prize. That's what I need to do - win a car.

Winnipeg Stories - Sunday

On our Sunday night in Winnipeg, we decided to drive down Portage and check out the "car show" and to watch any "races" that were supposed to be going on. Well, we saw some cars, we saw some people and we saw a couple of races. Ethnic races, that is. Needless to say, the night was a bomb. Sunday afternoon however, was far more productive. Steve and I checked out the outlets (nothing too special, but the tour of the city was amazing!), returned his tux and then napped. We went to Darleen's for a bbq after and it was fun to just hang out and chill with the boys. I don't know what it is, but sitting around and talking shit with the boys is a lot of fun.

More work

Work is getting harder and harder. This past week has I've been trying to finish everything before... well, before August. I know that sounds kinda stupid but see the thing is we have to have everything built before the end of July. For the rest of the summer there are so many people on vacation we decided not to take on any new work. Then in September we start training - and the training is pretty much non-stop until April. This job was easy at first, then became challenging, now its getting tedious. I'm hoping with training it becomes a lot more interesting, but I'm starting to look forward to going back to my old job. I realized the other day that I don't have any more fun and interesting stories from work. Maybe I'll just tell old stories...

Summer Update

Its pretty fucking hot.  No, not H.O.T.  Just hot.

Winnipeg Stories - Thursday

So on Thursday afternoon, we arrived in Winnipeg.  That night, Randy took us to Enterprise to rent a couple of trucks.  mmm, Tahoe...  Anyway, that night we all went out for drinks.  I'm not sure if we were downtown or not.  Is Osborne considered downtown?  Anyhoo, after drinks Steve, Alan, Hannah, Michael, Gene, and I decide we wanted to go get something to eat.  Just some drive-thru, nothing special.  We called Randy at the hotel and we were going to pick up some food for him too, but then from the back of the truck I hear, "Fuck it, we'll just pick him up."  Okay, so we go to the hotel and pick up Randy, Mark, and Clint.  As we're driving down Portage, I see the McDonald's and try turning, but oops, it was a one-way.  So I go to the next street, but after I turn the cop behind me turns on his lights and pulls us over. 
 
"Hi, what are you guys up to tonight?"
"Oh, we're just going to McDonalds before going home.  Our buddy is getting married this weekend."
"Okay guys, take it easy.  Have a good night."
 
WTF?!  There are nine asians in a car and the cop lets us go without even checking the driver's ID?  Only in Winnipeg...
 
The really funny part is... well, you'll have to ask Gene what Steve said in the car.

Out of sorts...

I was reading some of my old posts and I realized I don't write here as often as I used to.  I don't know if its because I work in front of a computer now or what.  I do know that lately I just haven't been feeling... whole.  I think I just need a break.  Oh wait, I'm on vacation now.  Doesn't help much.  I think the stress of life is getting to me.  Ah, fuck it.

Home

Ah, back to civilization!  Just kidding.  Winnipeg was a lot of fun.  Congratulations to Randy and Darleen.  I'll be back later to update you all on the what happened.

New Name

BTW, I changed the name of my blog. Its no longer "What's going on?" Welcome to "Notes from the 'Wood"

Newbies

Now don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to give my assistance whenever possible to anyone that needs help with their computer. I may jokingly gripe about it or give you hard time, but in the end I'm more than willing to help out. BUT, if you are going to ask for my help keep this in mind: I expect you to learn something. Do not point me to your computer and then leave me alone in the room at YOUR house (I might steal something). When I am working on YOUR computer, pay attention to what I'm doing - maybe next time you won't need to call me.

Here's a couple of stories that just make you shake your head:

Lisa calls me and says she is having problems with her computer. Its got a virus apparently. I ask her, "Did you open any emails in the past couple of days?" "No." she says. "Did you get any emails in the past couple of days?" I ask. She replies, "Nothing." "So let me get this straight. In the past 2 days you didn't receive any email." "That's right." Okay, now this is a little strange, but whatever. A couple days later I head over there to see what I can do. Steve and I are in the computer room and Lisa comes up and says, "I know where the virus came from. Its from the email that I got from Kim 3 days ago." "Umm, didn't you tell me 2 days ago that you didn't receive a single email for 2 or 3 days?" "Oh, I thought you meant email from people I didn't know." Kim knew which virus was there and apparently fixed her computer. We could have asked her and saved a lot of time. *sigh*.

Vanessa came over once and wanted to burn a CD (no, I really mean she wanted to burn a CD. a music CD - shut up jeff and lisa). Anyway, the Windows Explorer window is open and she says "Where do I search for music?" "You can click on "search". "But its not there." "Huh? Its right there." "But you don't have the song." "Oh, you want to download something!" "Yeah, that's what I said." "No. No its not."

Perry was looking for a wallet and Jason tells her "Its on top of the computer." She looks around a little more and says, "Jason, its not here." "Yes it is, I can see it from here." Now Perry is getting a little frustrated. "Where?!" When Jason points it out, Perry starts laughing. Then Jason says, "See, I told you it was on the computer." Apparently, Perry was looking on top of the monitor. The really funny part is that it was an LCD monitor. Why would anyone balance a wallet on top of a 2" thick monitor?

Nothing Days

Its so nice to do nothing. With my old schedule, I used to get 5 days off in a row. That gave me my 2 days to do stuff and 3 days to do nothing. Now, I only get weekends off so I have 2 days to do stuff but no time to do nothing. Oh I miss these days nothing days.

One More Day...

One more day of work and then I'm off for 2 weeks! I've never looked forward to time off this much before. In my old job I always had 4-5 days off so every week was like a mini vacation. Now that I'm working Mon-Fri I really feel the need for more than a couple days off. I've said this before and I still feel the same: how does the world live like this? If this job goes permanent this whole Mon-Fri thing might make me turn it down.

I leave for Winnipeg this Thursday. I'm hoping it doesn't cost too much to be there because my finances are a little weak right now. If money was water, I'd be the sahara desert. If money was skin pigmentation, I'd be an albino. If money was paper, I'd be a electronic calculator. Anyway, you get the idea.

Your Tax Dollars at Work (mine too, quit whining)

Today was a very very very unproductive day. I think I got one thing done and I'm still having problems with it. Oh well. There's still tomorrow. Oh wait, tomorrow I'm in meetings all day. Well, I still have Monday before I go on vacation. How do they expect me to concentrate on Monday when I'm on vacation for 2 weeks starting Tuesday (don't ask why I didn't take monday as well)?

So starting on Tuesday, I have 13 days off of work. Oh man, I can't wait. I'll be in Winnipeg for 4 days (oh man, I can't believe its in Winnipeg - I'm gonna have to kill Darleen). I shouldn't complain too much. I actually wouldn't mind going to Winnipeg again. I haven't been there since 1994 (holy! 10 years!) and I still have some friends there that I'd like to catch up with. Besides, you don't really appreciate living in BC until you see how crappy other parts of Canada can be. ;)

Allen and June are storing some patio furniture here until their house is ready. Woo hoo! Patio furniture for the summer! All I need is a barbeque...

Painting

I finished painting my living room and main hallway. I like how it turned out. Check out the pics here. Let me know what you think. I still have to do the kitchen, the upstairs hallway, the main entrance, the bedrooms, and the bathrooms. I've already decided on colours, but I'll surprise you when I'm done.

It Looks Like a Whole New House

Today I started painting my house. I chose 2 colours (Tuscan Red and Smoothie) and I painted 3 walls in my living room. I did the red today and tomorrow I'm doing the Smoothie. What do those colours look like you ask? Well, you'll have to come over and see. Maybe I'll post a picture. Then again, maybe I won't. Anyhoo, it looks great and you should all come over and see it. We could have another housewarming party cuz its almost like a new house! Well, I'm going to bed. Tomorrow is gonna be a busy day.

Free Money

A few weeks ago I finally got my cheque from the BCNU for the time I spent picketing. Something like $500! I had pretty much written off the money I didn't make during the strike and I had caught up with all my bills so when I got this cheque it was like free money. Like I said before, picketing was the easiest job on the planet and I got paid a lot of money to do nothing.

BTW, did you hear about the new, privatized housekeepers at MSA hospital? They voted to join the union.

Getting Started.

I'm working on one of my summer goals. I cleaned up all the old carboard in my garage. All the old boxes of the stuff I've bought since moving in here have been sitting in the corner of my garage. The TV box was taking up a lot of space! So I flattened it and made 3 big bundles of cardboard that I can leave for the garbage/recycle men. Next: bottle returns.

Its like Christmas all over again.

So the other day I opened my box of Corningware. I got it for Christmas and I totally forgot about it. At first, I didn't open it because it was the holidays and I was trying to clean up the place. Then after the holidays I put it on a shelf because it was a pretty big box and it was just sitting on the floor beside the counter. Then whenever I thought about it or saw it, it was "too high" and I would "get it later". Then after a while, I just forgot it was there. Well yesterday I took it down, opened it up and washed them off. They're actually quite nice too.

Party Weekend - but not the wild and crazy kind

Last night it was my aunt's 50th birthday. We had a big party for her here at my clubhouse and everything turned out great. It was really fun to see some people that I haven't seen in years. There were some visitors from Regina (well, actually just 1), and we started telling stories from when we were kids. Patrick is married now and its kinda weird to think he's 28 years old now. I guess I'm 30 but I haven't seen him since we were kids so I always remembered him as 10 years old. Anyway, it was nice to catch up with him. We used to play together all the time cuz we lived on the same street. Ah, good times...

Today is Emily's 1st birthday party. This ought to be fun. I'm sure it'll be tiring with all the kids around but its nice to see the babies growing up. I never imagined that I'd be uncle/tito/ninong oliver and I am really honoured that I can be there to watch my friends' children grow up. *sniff*

Another Top Ten List, no wait, just a Top FIVE List

Top Five Pet Peeves:

10. poor grammar ("irregardless", "i should have boughten it", etc)
9. bad spelling (independant, definately, etc)
8. slow computers ("i think i have a virus" "no, you just installed a tonne of resource-hogging software")
7. rude people (ring-ring, "hello?" "is so-and-so there?" "not at the moment" "k" *click* argh!)
6. running out of shampoo/soap/toilet paper at inopportune times (self-explanatory)
5. irresponsible people ("how did you expect to get home?" "what do you mean you don't have a key?")

The Real Superstar.

Here's a little something for all you WB Superstar fans, check out Nina Diva's official website. IMO, she should've won.

Stupid Thoughts About Food

If you want a ham and pineapple pizza when you're in Hawaii, what do you ask for?

In France, are french fries just "fries"? and does all their toast come soaked in milk and eggs and fried?

Does Belgium have "other" waffles?

Now I'm no expert in agriculture and stuff (obviously), but as far as I know New York isn't famous for its cattle. Why do they have a steak named after them?

In the New England states, do they have Manhattan clam chowder and regular clam chowder? And why does Manhattan have a clam chowder?

And finally, does England have regular muffins?

Summer Update

My house is a f#@&-ing sauna.

Top 5 Goals for this Summer

1. Exercise. I'm getting fat.
2. Clean out my garage. I'm surprised that I could collect so much crap in 2 years.
3. Paint my home. I've been meaning to do this since I moved in.
4. Make a relationship work. Not really a concrete goal, but its something to work on.
5. Quit smoking again. I quit every 3 months or so. Its time to quit for real.

Welcome

Welcome to the world of blog Mel! You better update it more than your husband.

OMG

Today I think I just realized the significance of my new job. The WHOLE Health Region (12 hospitals, community/public health, etc) will be using this system for their electronic health record. It occurred to me today that the stuff I'm doing now will affect thousands of people working for the region. What the hell am I doing?! I know I'm a bit of a computer geek, but this pretty much makes me an uber geek. I think I need an ativan...

Future Plans

My brother and his wife recently bought a new house here in Surrey. Kerri will be moving in with them, so now something that I have to think about is: what do I do with the extra space? I'll probably put my computer back in the spare room, but then I'll have a big empty spot in my kitchen. Something to think about.

work work work

Last week, I assisted with my first training class for the older software that we're using in the hospital. It was somewhat odd to walking around the room with people asking me for help as if I was an expert with it or something. I suppose I am the expert, huh? See, the thing is, at my hospital, we're using a newer version of it and at some other hospitals, they use an older version. I've been working with the new version so long, I've forgotten the old. So when people in the class asked me for help, I'd be like, "Well, let's try this... nope, that' didn't work. Oh here we go, this'll work... nope, let's try..." and so on. The only difference is some keyboard commands and some of the abbreviations. Anyway, I had to tell someone that they needed another class and would have to come back. In september I'll be running these classes by myself. I can't wait.

Where have I been?

I have to apologize. I haven't written here for a while. I've been noticing that with my new job, I've had less of a desire to sit at my computer at home and do anything. With my old job, I was on feet most of the time and to sit at the computer was a luxury. I couldn't wait to go home and sit at my computer. I could surf the web, play games, check my email, etc etc. But now, I'm sitting at a computer all day long. In fact, if I can't use a computer while I'm at work, I'm pretty much useless. When I have down time at work, I check my personal email, surf the web, etc etc (no games, damn). Another thing: my computer here at home has been acting funny. I think I might just go for a fresh install of Windows. Its been a while since I did that last...

Things I've Learned From Hollywood

1. Even complete losers will get the girl at the end.
2. When you argue with a woman a lot, you'll end up falling in love with her.
3. You can get punched through a wall and keep fighting.
4. All chinese people know kung-fu.
5. Its always snowing in Canada.

Done and Done.

Well, it looks like I've finally finished my 101 Things About Me segment. Its been going on since November. It took a long time to list stuff about myself. Don't get me wrong, I can talk about myself for hours (I'm that vain), but to list things like that without getting too personal can be tough. I had to keep it pretty shallow yet meaningful. Anyhoo, hopefully you all learned a little something about me, regardless of how utterly useless it may have been.

101 Things About Me #101

101. Seagulls kinda creep me out. Watching Finding Nemo didn't help.

101 Things About Me #96-100

96. I like my steaks medium rare.
97. I like that feeling when you put too much wasabi on your sushi and it burns your sinuses.
98. I miss my mom's cooking.
99. My favourite pen is a simple Bic ballpoint.
100. My favourite colour is blue.

Movie Review

The Day After Tomorrow

Pretty good natural disaster special effects. A little unbelievable, but they tried to explain everything scientifically. I think it tried to end with a "mankind will survive" and a "you should always keep hope alive" feeling, but to me it was more of a "now your life is gonna suck" feeling. I say: if you like to see these big hollywood "blockbuster" movies on the big screen, try to get someone to pay for you. Otherwise, wait for the rental.

Birthday time again.

Thanks to everyone that come out last Friday. It meant a lot to me that you were all there.

This Thursday is the big day. I hit a milestone in my life and I'm not that excited about it. At first I was a little anxious about turning 30, but I realized that I'm not old. I certainly don't act my age so why should I care? I'm sure that when I turn 40 I'll be thinking the same thing.

Its strange that I should think about this so much...

As I approach my 30th birthday, I'm becoming more and more apprehensive about having to change the first number of my age. I don't look 30, I don't feel 30, I don't act 30. I'm only turning 30 because I have to. I read something once that said, "If you didn't know how old you were, how old would you feel?" I'd have to say somewhere around 24. Unless I had to exercise or something - then I'd feel a little older...

When you turn 20 its cool because then you think you're an adult. But now I'm turning 30 and I'm still not an adult. Is there something that's supposed to happen that makes me a grown-up? I used to think when you hit a certain age, you were an adult. Then after most of my 20's I realized "that's not it." Then I thought maybe its when you start your career. Nope. Maybe when you buy a car or a home? Definitely not. Ever since I moved, I feel more childish than ever. Do I have to get married or have children or something? If that's the case, I won't be an adult for a while yet. Oh well, who wants to grow up anyway?

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Celia!

Kill Bill

I ran across this Kill Bill game. Its hilarious. Its not in english, but its easy enough to figure out.

101 Things About Me #91-95

91. I'm older than I look. Apparently I still look like I'm in my early 20's.
92. I miss my old job.
93. Since graduating from nursing school, I've gained 30lbs.
94. I love breakfast food.
95. Every once in a while, I get zits in strange place.

Opportunities

As it turns out, the electronic health record application that we're implementing in the region is going to be delayed. As a result of this, my boss decided that she would hire 3 more people to join the team. There are 2 BCNU positions and 1 HSA position. If you know anyone that may be interested, let me know. The requirements are 4-ish years of experience, a Bachelor's degree, interest in the field of informatics, and preferably experience/education with computer software (doesn't really matter what kind). Believe me, if they hired me, anyone can get the job. There's a bit of travelling required (just around the fraser valley) so a car would be good. Anyway, if anyone's interested, let me know.

Oliver: done.

Movie Review

Troy
I liked it. Good fight scene between Brad and Eric. You should see it.

Thank you and good night.

I'm Oliver and I'm done.

Change is always good

As you can probably see, I've changed the look of my blog. I thought it needed a more mature look now that I'm turning 30 this year. I've also switched to the Blogger comments rather than using haloscan. So for everyone that left me a comment before, thank you, but I've lost it and I don't know how to get it back. We're starting from scratch here, people. Don't get mad at me, I'm just the messenger. Oh wait, no, it was my idea too.

I'm Oliver & I'm done.

Now I'm just being dumb

I've been watching American Idol 3 on and off this season and once in a while I'll catch Ryan Seacrest's talk show. I get a kick out of how he finishes all his shows with "Seacrest: out". So, for now on, I've decided that I'm going to finish all my blog entries with my own little phrase, a new one each week. Here it comes:

I'm Oliver and I'm done.

New additions

You'll notice that I've added 2 new names to the list on the right. Andy and Brian don't have blogs, but I decided to start adding people's webpages. Brian is an informatics nurse (nursing informatics: the use of technology in the field of nursing), and Andy is an informatics physiotherapist (if you can't figure this one out, too bad) who is also a photographer and, uh, does some other artsy stuff. I work with both of them in my department. Wow! Three guys in a department of 12 people. This is so new to me... I usually work with 95% women. Anyhoo, neither of them have updated their websites recently (especially Brian), but I thought I'd let you guys see what they have anyway. Andy says he'll be putting up more of his work soon.

Another Wedding

I'm finding my weekends are very busy. I'm still having a hard time adjusting to a five day work week and only a two day weekend. Friday night is usually busy with something and Saturday always seems to have something happening. Then Sundays are usually the relax day. What day am I supposed to get anything done? My old schedule would still give me two more days off! *sigh* It's only temporary...

Anyway, as the title of this post suggests, I went to another wedding. This time, it was Kim's wedding out at Swan-e-Set. Nice place. Nice wedding. Nice reception. Not so nice: this is Randy's little sister's wedding and she's moving to Calgary. I still picture her as this little, shy girl that Randy would stop from talking to boys. Well she's all grown up now! Congratulations Kim and good luck in Calgary. We'll miss you.

Pictures

If anyone was looking for all the pictures from my website, you probably noticed there aren't any right now. I'm trying to fix it so it looks a little better and since I'm pretty lazy, it might take a while. In the meantime, check out the pics from VJ's birthday.

Bloggers

The funny thing about blog is that once you really get into reading it you can't seem to stop. I like to write in my blog because it gives me a chance to speak my mind, tell a joke, say something about myself, be silly, and to let people I don't see very often a chance to see what's going on in my life. Lisa gets mad at me if I miss more than a couple days.

I was reading Michelle's blog and she had a story about the difference between having wealth and having health. If you don't have one, you'll do anything to get it. Working in the hospital, I've run into people that think because they have money, they DESERVE health or that their care should be better than anyone else's. These are the people I want to yell at. I've also met people that don't have money, but are very rich in illness. Often, they are very thankful for whatever you do for them. I'd hate to say that I treat some patients better than others, but I will say that I'm nicer to some. Anyway, my point here is that whether you have money or health, don't take it for granted because someday you'll need one of them and it won't be there.

I gotta quit smoking.

VJ's Getting Older

VJ and I have known each other for as long as I can remember. I remember visiting him in Moose Jaw and then coming to BC to visit. Now that we are adults, its a comforting feeling knowing that such an old friend is still such a good friend. Last night we celebrated his 30th birthday in the usual VJ fashion: with a little style, a little food, a little drink, a little music, and one helluva party. Someone told me I got drunk, but I don't believe her. I didn't even go to the party. I just stopped by, had one drink and I just woke up in my bed. If I was at a party, I think I'd remember... sheesh. Just kidding. What do you do when you the drinks are free and non-stop?

... and a good time was had by all! Happy birthday VJ.

Health Care

Everyone has their own opinions on health care. Some believe in privatizing it to make it more competitive, some believe it should remain public. Seeing as this is my blog, I get to voice my opinion here without anyone interrupting me.

1. Canadian health care is based on 5 principles:
- universally available to Canadians,
- comprehensive in its services,
- accessible despite socioeconomic factors,
- portable within and outside the country, and
- it is publicly administered.
These principles govern health care across the country with each province administering its own health care plan - as long as they follow these principles.

2. Privatizing health care would no longer make the system publicly administered, would separate social classes with economic issues, and reduce its availability outside the country.

3. Due to the universal health care we have in Canada, we live by the motto, "Everything is free but nothing is readily available."

4. HEU is, unfortunately, made up of minimally educated workers (compared to other hospital unions), and the highly skilled workers within the union end up suffering for this.

5. Although HEU's wages are paid for by tax money, each and every member of HEU also pays their fair share of taxes - in essence paying their own wages.

6. I hate it when people try and blame health care workers when their grandmother in a nursing home isn't getting the care she needs. Look after your grandmother at home then. Not so easy is it? Think of it: someone else is caring for your loved one. The only way to get things done your way is to do it yourself.

7. I also hate it when people expect nurses to cater to patients and families. Between the nurse, the patient and the patient's 12 family members, who do you think is most likely best qualified to be making medical decisions? And between the nurse, the patient, the patient's 12 family members, and the nurse's 7 other patients, who is most qualified to decide what is a priority?

8. I could go on forever.

STRIKE! Part 2

I understand that there are a lot of people losing their jobs due to the government's decision to privatize some areas in health care, but to be honest, being on strike isn't so bad. I mean, its not my strike so I'm not in danger of losing my job or wages (yet - BCNU is next I think) so I'm basically sitting outside in the sun all day. Apparently, my union is going to reimburse me for lost wages while I'm "picketing" so I truly am getting paid to do nothing. Its kinda neat: I sit around outside, walk around the hospital and visit with friends, go to Tim Horton's in the morning, Dairy Queen in the afternoon, and tan. It just sucks if it rains.

Here's my daily routine:
- wake up at 6:30am
- get out of bed at 7:30am
- sign in at BCNU trailer at 8:15am
- go straight from the trailer to Tim Horton's until 9:15am
- walk around the hospital to say hi to everyone until 10am
- sit with Mar and the other OR girls until lunch, -or-
- find some other hot chicks to hang with
- go for lunch with whoever has the most convenient/fun plans
- sit on the grass outside the hospital until 2pm
- walk around the hospital again to "stretch my legs"
- sign out at BCNU trailer at 3 or 4pm (depending on how fun the people I'm hanging out with are)

As you can tell, this is far easier than any job that exists. The union tells me they'll pay me for my time spent "picketing" but I doubt I'll get any of it until, like, July. Oh well. This is a nice little vacation for me.

One More Time...

I have to do it one more time. Rodney just informed me that we're going snowboarding on May 22. Imagine going snowboarding in May! Its gonna be awesome. A REAL snowboarder goes up whenever the opportunity presents itself. And how can you call yourself a TRUE snowboarder if you going up in summer doesn't make your hair stand up? What kind of WANNABE snowboarder doesn't get excited at the thought of going to the peak of Whistler in May and then coming down for apres wearing shorts? Oh, its gonna be great...

Oh, btw, Randy said he was done.

So, today was my first day out on the picket line. For anyone that doesn't know why I'm there, here it is: The Hospital Employees Union (HEU) is fighting for their jobs which they lost during the governments idea to privatize some services in the hospital. Housekeeping, kitchen, laundry, and some other groups are being replaced by private companies. The BC Nurse's Union (BCNU - my union), and HSA (Health Sciences Assoc. - Jeff's union) are both supporting this uphill battle against the government. For RN's, this means working at "essential services" levels. My new job isn't considered essential so I'm out on the line with HEU and all the other non-essential personnel.

Today was actually quite nice out there. It was a beautiful day so we just walked around, sat on the grass, socialized, and went to Dairy Queen for treats. At least I got to hang out with Mar and her OR friends. I'll be out there again tomorrow so if you're bored, come by and keep me company. Tomorrow its supposed to rain so it looks like I'll be screwed.

Oh nurse!

Man, 3 weeks of working regular hours and now I'm having a hard time working a short, 8hr night shift. I must be getting soft. Luckily, it was an easy night. Working last night reminded me why I enjoy working with patients. Even when they are suffering I find that my job can be very satisfying. I honestly feel like I'm making a difference to these people. Also, I really feel like my patients respect my knowledge and ideas regarding their care. No wonder I like this job. It strokes my ego.

Back to the Trenches

I picked up a shift on my old ward on Saturday night. With this upcoming strike, I figure I'll need the money. It'll be weird working on the ward again. I mean, it hasn't been very long so its not like I've forgotten everything, but it'll be different work from what I'm doing now. I can't wait...

Cell phone

Because my position is only temporary, I don't get a Blackberry like all the other geeks in my department. But, because we do so much travelling around, my manager has arranged for the temporary staff to get cell phones. Nokia 3595. Cool, huh?

STRIKE!!

So I heard in the news that HEU has served strike notice. So, in 72 hours, they plan on going on strike. Don't get me started on what I think of that.

Good News: I probably won't be working Monday.

Bad News: I probably won't be working Monday (but I will have to stand on the picket line).

Good News: the strike probably won't last long.

Bad News: I don't get paid while they are on strike.

101 Things About Me #86-90

86. Like any true filipino, I like love songs.
87. I like bacon in my burgers.
88. I have a set of Corningware, but I've never used it. In fact, its still in the box.
89. I like cats better than dogs.
90. I like being a nurse.

Follow-up

Keeping with my "Bandwagon Fan" status, I must say this:

Man, I don't even like hockey.

Learn to Swear in Tagalog

I thought this was pretty funny. Also, for anyone that doesn't know tagalog, the first words you always learn in another language are the bad ones. Thanks to Gary Cruz, someone I don't know, for this site.

New Second Home

So today I moved into my new office. Its not much, I have to share it with another woman and in May another guy moves in. It has a lot of space though, so it shouldn't get too crowded. But now I have my own computer and my own desk and my own phone. This is so weird to me. I've never worked at a desk before (since school anyway) and I've never needed voice mail at work. If anyone knows how to work my Nortel 3202 phone, you can show me how to check my voicemail from home.

So far, my new job has started a little slow. Just a bunch of training classes and "self-directed" learning. In other words, a whole lotta sitting around. Today, in my 8hr day of work, I put in approximately 45minutes of productive work. The rest of the time I spent setting up the office. Tomorrow I'll be busier. Honest.

Post-Season Ramblings

Bummer. Next year na lang.

Hockey

Vancouver vs. Calgary Game 7 is on right now. Go Canucks Go!

I'm such a bandwagon fan.

New Stuff

I didn't want to do it, but I added a comments section just for all my faithful readers.

Thought for the day

Maybe I'll add a comments section...

My Mug and other loot

When I started my new job, I noticed that a lot of people were carrying around a spiffy new mug. From that first day, I was telling everyone, "I want one of those!" For two weeks I repeated this. Finally, yesterday, I came back from lunch and beside my computer was this box. Terri says to me: "There. What you've always wanted." Yay! I got my mug! I was so happy I said, "I love you guys!" I'm gonna start walking around the hospitals with my new mug. It gives me a false look of importance. But hey, image is everything.

Now you're wondering what my "other loot" is, aren't you? I finally got the keys to my new office (but I still haven't been there), a parking pass for Surrey City Hall, a parking pass for the hospital and a parking pass for the entire region. Wow! I can park at any hospital east of Metrotown for free!
I know, I know, you all wish you could that too. So if you guys ever want to go park at Eagle Ridge Hospital, just let me know. I'll go with ya.

Television

I have to admit that I probably spend too much time in front of the TV. I don't watch it every day, and I don't watch one show religiously, but I will sit in front of the TV for hours at a time. Once in a while I'll get hooked on a show. Before I started nursing, I used to work in a grocery store. I'd work until 10:30pm and be up until 3 or 4 in the morning. At around 2am I used to watch Melrose Place. For a while, 21 Jumpstreet was on at 3am. I stopped working evening shifts and started doing day shifts and I ended up waking up early every day and watching Transformers:Beast Wars every day at 8am.
Nowadays, I just watch whatever is on. In the middle of the afternoon there's a lot of Frasier, Home Improvement, Seinfeld, Star Trek, and Friends is always on. Syndication is a wonderful thing.
What I wonder now is: what's going to be in syndication in 5 years from now? Old episodes of Survivor? My Big, Fat, Obnoxious Fiance? American Idol? Well, I guess old episodes of Friends will still be running and there's always ER, CSI, Law & Order, and The Simpsons. I think our obsession with reality TV has ruined the future of syndicated tv.

American Idol Season 3 Review

This year's contestants suck. Go Fantasia!

The Daily Grind

I had to drive out to Abbotsford today. I don't know how Steve does it every day, because I've gone there once and I'm dreading going back tomorrow. And I'm praying I don't have to go there on Thursday. My manager was talking the other day about wanting to make my temporary position a permanent one at the end of the year. There are 3 of us in temp positions and she thinks she'll need us all after the year is up. I'm not sure if I want to do this permanently. Part of the appeal of the job was that it was temporary.

Pros and Cons of taking the new job permanently:
Pros:
1. more money
2. mon-fri
3. less physical work

Cons:
1. I like my old co-workers better
2. I still enjoy patient care
3. more days off

Friday: skipped church. its okay though - I watched The Passion of The Christ.

Saturday: snowboarding (see below). I have raccoon eye tan lines.

Sunday: went to church. tried to go to white rock but got dissed. watched Hellboy.

Monday: so far, this is what I've done: woken up.

Early Summer

This weather is amazing. Yesterday I tried to go to White Rock Beach to just hang out. Maybe have some ice cream, walk along the pier, people watch... Holy Crap was the place busy. I took me 20 minutes to drive 2 blocks just to reach the place and then I turned onto the strip and looked for parking. As I passed all the full parking lots I looked at the other lane and said, "so if we wanna turn around and look for parking, we have to get into this lineup?" So we said ScrewIt and went to the VW dealership to test drive some cars. But, when we got there, the place was closed! wtf? How does the rest of the world live like this - only getting weekends off when everthing is busy, there's lines everywhere, stores are closed? This something I'll have to get used to.

I kinda miss my old ward. I was chatting with Isabel the other day and she said she was having trouble with some of the staff. I had to go through who's cool to work with, who to avoid, how the coffee breaks work, and how to get away with shit. Normally, I'd be working today so I thought I'd drop by the hospital and give them an ice cream cake. Its a holiday, so they are having a potluck today. They do this every holiday.

Tanning on the Mountain

Today was the final day of snowboarding for the 2003-2004 season. Another t-shirt day but today was even warmer. There were people in tank tops, shorts, sleeveless tops, and one guy skiing in a speedo. Yeah. Just a speedo. And it was an old guy too. I'd tell you what the speedo looked like, but I had to turn my eyes away. There was another guy in a boxer's outfit. He had a robe that boxers wear just before the fight and instead of gloves he was wearing boxing gloves. It was pretty funny seeing all the different costumes that people had on.

I would also like to apologize on behalf of Rodney to the guy that he smoked coming off a jump. I've never seen a mid-air collision before in my life. I don't think the guy was badly injured, but he did go down in one of those sleigh things pulled by the ski patrol. I was kinda picked when I was asking the guy about his knee and one of the "speed control" guys that work at the mountain says, "just wait until the first aid gets here if you don't know what's wrong." Y'know, I don't want to sound all high and mighty, but I probably knew a whole lot more than that guy and just as much as the ski patrol. I wanted to tell that guy to screw off and let me assess the damage. But I just backed off and let them do their thing.

I think as a nurse I have a social responsibility to help. Someone told me once that the Good Samaritan Act, which says that you can't be blamed for at least trying to help - even if you did harm, doesn't apply to me.

Weather Update

The past few days the weather has been pretty fucking nice.

Today: not bad

The rest of the week should be pretty sweet. That's what I heard.

Thank you. Have a good weekend.