Game Reviews

I know I've never had game reviews before, but here goes:

Doom3 (PC) - fun if you liked the original Doom. Nothing new, but scary as hell.

Half-Life2 (PC) - I don't know what all the fuss was about. Sure I enjoyed the game, but the first one was way better.

Champions of Norrath (PS2) - this is a great game if you like this sort of thing. I found single-player a little dull, but a 2 player game is addicting.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic2: The Sith Lords (PC) - so far so good.

Not a Book Review

In the attempt to make myself more cultured, I took up reading "classics". I don't mean things like War and Peace or Crime and Punishment or anything so... difficult, but rather the stuff that was written a long time ago and has lately become the basis of Hollywood Box Office exploitation. It started after I watched League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. If you haven't seen or heard of it, its an action/adventure movie with Sean Connery about a group of classic literary characters brought together to fight the bad guy. Tom Sawyer, Allan Quartermain, The Invisible Man, Dorian Gray, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo, and the wife of the guy from Dracula. Anyway, I realized that there are a lot of times in movies and on TV when a reference is made to some old book or story. Even Stewie on The Family Guy makes reference to The Picture of Dorian Gray. I decided that if I read these old books, I would have a deeper understanding of the reference and either get a better understanding of the character and plot or a better understanding of the joke (depending on what I'm watching). I've read a few of the books with the above characters and here's what I thought: they're actually pretty good. Also, hollywood changes the stories a lot to make them a little flashier and exciting.

Ultimate goal: Read Dante's Inferno. I started, but stopped. I honestly tried. Its harder to read than Hemingway.

Book Review

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Short book. I read it in about a day which is pretty good for me cuz it usually takes me a week to read anything. I enjoyed this one. Its about a guy that dies and before he can get to heaven he has to find meaning in his life. The five people he meets all help him see what his existence was all about. Its interesting how the author shows the interconnectedness of our lives with the people around us, whether we know it or not. What we do affects those around us and what they do affects us. There were parts that were a little cheesy, but nothing lame. I'd recommend this book for anyone that likes sappy meaning-of-life crap.

Now What?

About a year and a half ago I used to stay home and find things to do on my own. I used to go grocery shopping on my own, go to Blockbuster to look at their previously viewed movies, find myself something to eat, and just generally keep myself busy. Now I find I have so much time on my hands I don't know what to do with it. I only have multiplayer games on my PS2 and my computer bores me. Maybe my heart is telling my mind something it won't admit to.

Just one of those days...

You know what really sucks? When you're not looking forward to work the next day. I know there are a lot of people out there that don't like their job and they hate the idea of going to work in the morning. Well, I still like my job, but I don't want to go because I just want to sit in front of my tv all day and eat junk food and play video games and smoke and not shower. But personal hygiene, usually prevails and I'll take a shower. Then I'll realize I'm out of smokes so I won't smoke. Then I'll get bored of my video games so I stop playing. And nothing's on tv so I turn it off. But I'll still go out and get junk food. Hmm, maybe I'll get Subway instead...

That's My Final Decision

For the past year, and especially in the past few months, I've been debating whether or not I want to go back to my old job as a bedside nurse or continue on in my current job as an informatics nurse. Well, I've finally made my decision. I'm going back. My contract has ended (it was only for one year) and I've got no obligation to stay. I do, however, have an obligation to my old ward. My old boss gave me a one year leave for this job with the unwritten agreement that I'd come back at the end of the contract. There will be a permanent position coming up soon, but probably not until June or July. I don't really want to go back, but I feel I need to. Here's why:

1. I think if I asked for an extension on my leave just so I wouldn't have to go back to my ward would be rude. I want to honour my agreement with my old boss. I said I'd be back and finding ways to avoid it, I think, lacks character. Besides, I don't want to burn any bridges.
2. My plan for my career was to work for 5 years and then move on. This opportunity came to me after only 4 years. I feel like I haven't met my own goals. Even by going back for a few months will ease my mind.
3. I'll be able to find out whether or not bedside nursing is what I really want to do. Maybe I'll go back and find that is something that I really want to do. Maybe I'll go back and realize I hate it. Who knows.

Dreams

Top Ten Things I Would Do if I Won the Lottery

10. Buy a really nice house.
9. Buy a place in Whistler - and none of that time-share crap. I'd get my own place.
8. Buy a few new cars.
7. Pay off the debts of my immediate family.
6. Go on a really nice vacation - like the vacations that hollywood stars go on.
5. Quit my job. Actually I might work once in a while just for something to do.
4. Start a business but hire other people to run it.
3. I'd have the most amazing computer you've ever seen. NASA would be jealous.
2. Finally get some nice clothes.
1. Make sure I had the most kick-ass entertainment system.

Happy Birthday Vanessa

I moved to BC in 1989 and that summer I met a handful of people. Some I haven't talked to or seen in years, but there are many that I'm still friends with now. Vanessa is one of those people. I've known her for 16 years now and I consider her one of my close friends. Happy Birthday, Vanessa!

If you don't already know, Vanessa travels a lot for her job. Once when we went shopping at Best Buy she pointed out a portable DVD player and said, "that would be great for those overnight trips when I don't want to leave my hotel room." So,this year for her birthday, we all pitched in and bought her one. Because I'm the tech geek, it was my responsibility to go pick one out that was in our budget and go buy it. So we collected names, counted heads, figured out a budget, and bought her the gift. The thing I hate about doing this that now I get stuck with collecting the money from people that I may only see once every other month. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be the one to go buy Bung's gift, but now I end up paying interest on my credit card because a handful of people won't pay me until I see them again in May. *sigh* Oh well. C'est la vie...

What if...?

I was talking to a friend of mine and she said that Finding Nemo was really sad at the beginning because in the first 10 minutes Marlon's wife dies as well as all the babies, except one (Nemo). So I asked her what she thought would be better: that the wife and children all die or that the wife arranged the whole thing and ran off with the bigger fish, taking all the babies with her except the one that was crippled (Nemo had one small fin). Hmm, considering this alternate story, I bet you're glad she died now.

Heart Attack

Today I went running. No, not away from anyone or anything. Last week a co-worker and I decided to start running to lose weight. We'd go after work twice/week and we'd only run a little at a time to start. Well today we ran a little more than 2km - or 5 laps of the track (in the outer lane). Since this is my first time doing any kind of sustained cardiovascular exercise, I do the run-for-a-minute-then-walk-for-a-minute style. This worked out pretty good for me.

Anyway, back to the title. Remember when you were a teenager and you heard all those warnings like "Consult a physician before engaging in any exercise regimen." I used to wonder why you would bother. Well, my little exercise in exercise just showed me that I'm an old, fat, out-of-shape man. I was seriously afraid that I'd have a heart attack while running. All I could think was that it was a good thing my co-worker that I was running with was a nurse. Well, luckily, I didn't have a heart attack. Now, if only this weird numbness in my left arm would go away...

Wonderful World Wide Web Bwowsing

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Finally!

I woke up this morning and WOW! its snowing!! I checked out the mountain reports and all the local mountains are opening up today. The crappy part is, I don't know when I'll be able to go. And in the meantime, I have to drive to New Westminster a couple of times this week, so traffic will suck if the snow sticks here.

This just keeps getting more and more difficult...

If it was simply a matter of choosing wether or not I stay in my current job or go back to my old job, I think the decision is getting clearer and clearer to me. Last week, though, something came up.

Here's the story:
My current job (Job B) is only a temporary position. It was only supposed to be one year. My old job (Job A) gave me a one year leave to take the position at Job B. This was difficult for my Job A manager because staffing is difficult enough without losing a full-timer for a year. So the leave was good for one year and one year only.
Now, just as I had hoped, Job B has the opportunity to become permanent. BUT, the position has to be approved for the new budget - which doesn't come through until (probably) the end of March. Then the position has to be posted for a certain period of time which I have to apply for and then, to follow protocol, most likely won't officially start until July. But I can't count on the permanent position until the posting is actually up.
Problem 1: I'm supposed to back to Job A on April 1st because that's when my year is up. If I want to stay in Job B until the permanent position starts, I'll need an extension on my leave from Job A. I already know my old boss doesn't want to do that.
Problem 2: I could just quit my position at Job A, stay in my temp position until the end of June, then start the permanent position in July. However, I'm pretty sure I lose out on something if I leave my permanent full-time position for 3 months.
Problem 3: I have to tell my boss from Job A whether I'm coming back or not before the posting of the permanent position at Job B. I can't take the chance that I'll be out of a permanent, full-time job no matter how small that chance is.

Is everything clear? I have to ask for an extension on my leave or go back to Job A for 3 months.
Problem 4: Going back to Job A from April to June is a very very bad time to be leaving Job B. A lot of the work that I've been doing the past 4 months has a great deal of impact on what's happening between April and June. Disappearing would not be good at this time.

I have to win the lottery soon...

Survey

I got this from Kim's blog. If you missed my 101 Things About Me segment (or even if you did catch it), here's a little more:

[Name 3 schools you went to]
HC, Kwantlen, Douglas, UVic - oops that's 4.

[Name 3 of your favorite vacations spots]
anywhere where there's a beach, anywhere that's relaxing - oops that's only 2.

[Name 3 things in your wallet]
credit card, driver's license, RNABC license - not money

[Name 3 things you always wear]
glasses/contacts, a smile, my phone

[Name 3 of your closest friends]
jeff - i know secretly he wants to be me
vanessa - i know secretly she wants me
vj - i know secretly he thinks he's me

[Name 3 favorite songs]
george michael - kissing a fool
depeche mode - somebody
new order - bizarre love triangle
good lord, how old am i?

[Name 3 favorite places to shop]
future shop/best buy (they're the same company so this only counts as one)
pier 1
amazon.ca

[Name 3 THINGS you love to do]
watch movies, eat out, make lo...aves of bread

[Name 3 most valuable things]
patience, consideration for others, 42" widescreen tv with 5.1 surround sound

[Name 3 of your fav color]
blue, green, black, red, silver, brown
shut up. i know that's more than 3

[Name 3 foods you love]
Coke, burgers, fries - wait, does that count as one because its a combo? if not:
italian
greek

[Name 3 recent expenses]
DVD's, mortgage, RNABC license

[Name 3 of your fav cartoon/fictional character]
Homer Simpson - "D'oh!"
Stewie Griffin - "Victory is mine!"
Optimus Prime - "Transform!"

[Name 3 goals in 2005]
i have 10. see here.

[Name 3 plans for next week]
next week? holy crap, i don't know what i'm gonna do this week!

[3 people in your mind right now]
Natalie Portman, Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale - and yes, they are all on my mind at the same time. together. *nudge nudge wink wink*

[3 things you're going to do in an hour]
see previous response

[3 words/phrases you like to use a lot]
mmhmm - as in when someone says, "no, we're just friends" -me: "mmhmm"
what? - as in when someone says, "my computer won't turn on. no, i can't see the plug because we're having a blackout." -me: "what?"

[3 things you didn't like last year]
working mon-fri through the summer
my car breaking down every frickin month
breaking my finger snowboarding (this hasn't been confirmed, but i'm pretty sure)

[3 things friends do to u very often]
instant message
ask me why their computer won't work
tell me i've gained weight ("oh, but not in a bad way! you look better. really!" pfft, whatever)

[3 things u do when you're sad]
nothing nothing and nothing

[3 things you do when you're happy]
eat, sleep, and smile - actually i do these things all the time, but when i'm happy i do them more

Movie Review

Before Sunset with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy

If you watched Before Sunrise and didn't like it, you'll hate this one too. I liked it. Lots of dialogue and you really get to see the interaction between two people that want to be together but shouldn't. Or maybe its that they should be together but can't. Or maybe they want to be together but can't. Anyhoo, they're not together but maybe they will be. Who knows. Like he says in the movie, if you're a cynic, they're not together. If you're an optimist, they get together. This movie is short and sweet.

Funnies

Prime time animated shows (AKA cartoons for grown-ups) are great. Even King of the Hill is funny. The best are The Simpsons and The Family Guy. Seriously, if you don't like them, you just don't get them.

Opportunity

In my last post I spoke of the decision I will have to make soon. I forgot to mention that there will be another position (actually 2) exactly like mine opening up soon (probably in Spring) for anyone that belongs to BCNU or HSA. You need about 4 years of clinical experience with a current, valid license, an interest in clinical informatics (basically clinical information technology), an interest in education, and a knack for computers (even just a little - we don't need computer geeks). Let me know if you're interested.

Decisions Decisions

Well, it looks like my job will be going permanent after all. Originally it was only supposed to be a one-year contract and then I'd go back to my old job in the hospital. Now (as expected by my current boss), it seems the position needs to have someone in it all the time. This may sound like great news but it now forces me to make a decision. Do I stay or do I go? There's hundreds of reasons to either job, but choosing which reasons I like better is a problem. Like this one: in my old job, I really feel like I'm making a difference with my patients. In my current job, I feel like I'm making a difference as well, but on a larger scale and I don't directly affect patients. Here's some more:

Pros for staying in my current job:
1. less tiring physically
2. more money/hr
3. Monday to Friday, 8-4
4. more interesting work for me

Pros for going back to my old job:
1. less tiring mentally
2. easily pick up overtime thus potentially more money/paycheck
3. 4on 5off schedule
4. greater personal satisfaction (its a more "noble" position)

Cons for staying in my current job:
1. Monday to Friday, 8-4
2. smaller staff, less variety in who I work with
3. more politics to deal with
4. lacks patient contact

Cons for going back to my old job:
1. dealing with body fluids that aren't mine
2. dead people
3. working weekends and nights again
4. patient contact
5. 12hr shifts

I could think of a lot more things that I like/don't like in my current job and my old job, but that would be a lot of writing. I guess I have something to think about now. I still have a lot of time to decide. I'll have to make my decision before the end of March.

Big White

Big White is a great mountain. I'll go back there any time. I spent the past weekend at Big White and even though we didn't have the best snow, (hard-packed, groomed, but not too icy) and the weather was a little bit on the cold side (-20C), we still had a good time. The mountain has some of the best runs I've ever been on. Fast and challenging, but at the same time forgiving and fun. Kalina's Rainbow and Roller Coaster were a couple everyone should try. The sky was clear and visibility was unlimited. The view was beautiful. The cabin we stayed in was a ski-in/ski-out place. And it really was ski-in/ski-out. No "you just have to walk 5 minutes to the lift" crap, I mean we were right beside a run. Walk 15 meters, strap in, and you have a Cypress-sized run before you even get to the main lift. Then, after a long day of snowboarding (ok, it wasn't that long, but 4 hours is pretty good), we had the hot-tub to relax in. The hot-tub made the whole trip worth the money. After the soak: eat, sleep, and repeat.

That is SO not cool...

How big of a loser do you have to be to get excited about a vacuum cleaner? I just bought a Hoover bagless canister vacuum and its the greatest freakin vacuum in the world! Ok, maybe its not the best you can get, but its pretty damn sweet. There's 3 suction settings, it has a little handheld piece with the rotating brush thingy, the power nozzle is so powerful the whole thing feels self-propelled, and it looks like a little droid from Star Wars. I vacuumed my whole house when I opened the box! See? I just got really into talking about a vacuum cleaner. Exactly how big of a loser am I?