Self-Checkout

Okay, I'm usually a pretty reasonable guy. I get along with people pretty well and I try to go along with whatever. However.

The time is 10:15pm. There is not one other person in line at the Save On Foods. Why, do you suppose, a guy would take his groceries to the Self-Checkout lane? Could it be to bypass the milling throngs clogging the standard checkouts? No? Could it be because he just wants to make his purchases and get the hell out of the store because he's in an unsocial mood? Hm... Nah, this must be someone who needs a lot of extra attention.

Honestly, that must have been going through the Self-Checkout clerk's mind as I strolled up because she hovered. And she wouldn't take a hint. While I was pushing the lookup produce button, she told me to push it. Then she helped me find the pesky T button (for tomatoes). Good thing. I've been struggling with those pesky alphabetized letters since '07.

She was trying to help me to make room in my cart for bags while I was trying to shoo her away. Then one of the bags I was filling with groceries disappeared from the filling area. I looked over my shoulder and she was putting it in the cart, with me holding a grocerous item, with no bag to put it in. So I bore it. I was the stone at the bottom of the river, allowing the water to flow over it.

Is it wrong of me to be so annoyed at a person who could not take a hint and apparently didn't think I could find the letter 't' without her help?

Battlestar Galactica

Note to the wise: This post will contain information and give away plot points for the first four and a half seasons. If you haven't seen these episodes and want to preserve a virginal innocence with regards to the identity of Cylons, etc., please go away. I will post other stuff later on but this is what this is about so move along.

So, I'm all caught up on Battlestar Galactica. Some thoughts:

Colonel Tye is probably my favourite character. When he was identified as one of the final five, I was shocked but the way he dealt with it in the latest show was brilliant. It showed that Tye wasn't changed by his discovery. Probably Torry wasn't either - a power-hungry bitch is a power-hungry bitch. Nice to see that some switch isn't just turning on and changing who they are.

As soon as Apollo left Galactica, I knew that he would be the next president. It wasn't even something I had to think about. It'll be interesting to see what they do with this. I think he's been one of the weaker characters, even if his would-be romance with Starbuck is interesting.

The best: All of the stuff on New Caprica, the boxing match between the old man and the chief, everything that comes out of a hybrid's mouth, Dean Stockwell, Helo

The worst: Early Tom Zerrich, Dee dropping Billy for Apollo (where did that come from?), Caprica 6 having visions of Baltar (seemed forced to me), Starbuck's problems with training nuggets, waiting to watch the next episode.

So, it's a brief babble on a good TV show and I know I didn't do it justice but I wanted to get something out, maybe start a discussion. Nah, who wants discussion, especially about TV, on the internet?

My Christmas with Katie

On a Saturday morning where I was scheduled to drive out to Leduc to visit my mom, I took some time out to visit the cemetery to clean it up and put some decorations up.

Keeping in mind that it was -33, I hope you'll understand that it was a quick trip.

Katie's grave was pretty full of snow. 

Fortunately, I'd planned ahead and brought my car scraper.

Some quick work dusting and sweeping, and recovering all the little people from the snow, and the work was done.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get our barbecue lighter to light but it's definitely more festive.

With my new job, mom in the hospital and everything seeming to come together just a little too quickly, I've definitely been feeling stress.  It was good to get away from that and gain a little perspective.  Even if it was just a short time. 

It's not that I don't care, it's just that I don't care a whole lot

First post in a long time.  See title as to why.

I started a new job.  Most or all of you know that by now.  I'm contracting through Bisonweb Inc. and they have a contract with Xea Services Inc. who have a contract with 5D software who have a contract with the department of defense for software.  Convoluted but true.  Suffice it to say, I've been busy. 

The good:  I went into this job as a non-newbie.  This is the first job I've walked into since University where I felt like I knew the score and could come in and contribute right away, which is good, since contractors don't generally have the same lee-way for learning on-the-job as full-time employees.  Thank you, Intuit, for making me ready to launch myself into my next position.  (I don't rule out a return to Intuit someday, but it's not entirely likely). 

The bad:  My mom is in the hospital and has been for several weeks.  She got an infection on her hip and she's been receiving treatment for that. 

The not-so-bad:  The dishwasher is once again in the fold.  I had no idea how much I was relying on that thing until I had to live without it.  I guess a little perspective is never a terrible thing but it would have been nice for it to just have kept on working.

The long and drawn-out: Unit testing.  Testing, in general, is something that I don't like to do when I'm programming.  I know it has to be done, and I know that I have to do some of it.  But the amount I've been doing since I started at 5D is a little out-of-proportion.  Still, they're paying me to do it, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

The short and sweet: We're having a baby!  Nature should take its course toward the beginning of July and we're excited.  Especially Lily who says that she'll share all her babies with the baby but if it's a boy, it's NIck's.

The failure:  I gave up on Nano very early on.  Generally, it's better not to try to write 1700 words per day when you've started a new job.

The win:  Barrack Obama won the election. Yes, I know.  Old news.  So what?  It's still monumental.  And he actually won the election unlike our ground-breaking woman-as-a-Prime-Minister-by-default scenario.  My concern with Barrack Obama is whether or not he can do the job.  I wasn't concerned on that score with McCain but Obama kinda came out of nowhere and smothered voters in charisma.

BSG:  We have one episode of BSG left until we're all caught up.  Just in time for the new episodes.  Must... not... spoil.

Football:  Despite being eliminated from the playoff hunt, Houston looks poised to turn in their best record yet.  A win over the woeful and embarrassing Raiders, and a home-win over the Bears and they've got it.  If I could remove the RosenCopter from the annals, we'd be talking about a wild-card spot.  Stupid Sage Rosenfels.

Books:  I've gotten up to 38 books this year, the most since I started counting.  Yes, it's not 50, but there *is* the new job, after all.  Best new book this year:  The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.  It's epic fantasy done right.  Doesn't stretch too many boundaries, but that's not what I read it for.  Good characters, good pacing, good world building and an underlying creepiness in the epic part.

Comics:  I'm reading the Sandman comics that James lent to me.  Really, really good.  Must... not... spoil.

Hockey:  Three times a week at the downtown YMCA, I'm playing floor hockey at 7 am.  Sean's made an appearance and all hope is that we'll see him out there again some time.  Nice to see I can keep up with a bunch of people I don't know.

That's all for tonight, folks!  Sorry there isn't more but who knows?  Maybe I'll generate enough energy and give-a-damn to squeeze out another post or two before Christmas.

If not, Merry Christmas.

Liam