Free Parking

There are so many parking meters out of order downtown these days. Some say no parking anytime, others say 2 hr maximum. Originally they used to be covered with canvas bags which were locked in place. But now (perhaps because there are so many) they've been using plastic bags with masking tape.

The obvious plan is: go downtown sometime when you think noone is watching, and harvest a whole bunch of these plastic bags. Then, in the future, whenever you want to park for free, just pull up to a meter, and just slip one of your own personal stash of bags over the meter! It's so simple!

Sunday

Chanting, Jai, then down to the Lilac festival... Super crowded, mostly just booths selling stuff, or food, and a few performers. I heard a tin whistle and was drawn like a moth to a flame (is that the right expression?) to an east-coast/celtic-rock band (called "Fraid Knot") playing at Joyce on fourth, which I enjoyed till the wrapped things up and I started heading home. Surprisingly Richerd was the only friend I ran into. Evening was nothing special.

Japanese cultural stuff, hiking, chinese temple stuff and food, hanging out in some crowds, celtic party music... what a totally "scott" weekend (unfortunately including the point about doing each activity by myself). Only thing really missing was dragonboat and maybe a vietnamese restaurant.

But holy smokes are my quads sore, don't think it was ever this bad after any hikes last year... If you want a laugh, just get me to try to go up or down some stairs!

Hike numero 2

Decided to do prairie mountain as a strenuous but short one. Decided to do it as a sunset hike, I've never done one of those before. It was really nice and warm when I departed. Only saw one couple the whole time, I expected more. At the top there was snow, and it was really cold. I had a dry long sleeve t-shirt to change into out of the sweaty hiking one, but wish I had brought a touque or something more. My spare socks discovered they could be used as mittens. I took shelter from the wind behind the little clump of trees there while waiting for the sun to set. Great views, but not as amazing as it could be (weather). Took just under an hour to get up, but I think I could still do it faster.

Would have tried to have multiple people go for something longer during the day, but I went to Hana Matsuri at the japanese cultural centre. Got to meet some people, make some "happi" jokes (happi is kind of japanese attire), watch some IkeBana (one was so simple yet amazing to me), watch some Taiko drumming then play with some Taiko. It was pretty cool, maybe I should take that up, though they don't really have lessons per sei.

Tomorrow also busy, "immortal lui" festival chanting and jai then more chanting.

I love going for walks

Just felt like mentioning it again.

Mystery solved

Now I know who said hi to me in prince's island park 3 or 4 weeks ago... it was jamie's wife, signe! I'm still more interested in who gave me a look of potential recognition in the plus-15 earlier this week.

Snow! On the news it showed some surprised people, shows how quickly calgary is growing, any calgarian would just complain a bit but not be surprised. It's still sad though for all the trees that get damaged by this, and how it wipes out the may tree flowers (but hopefully the lilacs are here pretty soon!)

Busses look so naked these days, it's weird. Many have no ads, not even the transit-coloured lines. Is this some kind of job action? I guess one of the governing questions about the dispute in my mind is how essential are transit services? I could argue both ways. Especially with so many people wanting the urban-sprawl suburbia lifestyle.

Little Shop of Horrors playing at the pumphouse theatre in the next couple weeks, might be fun to see. $20 regular, $10 tuesdays (but I'm already seeing something this tuesday, and don't want to skip many tuesday practices. Oh well. No Rick Moranis anyways :)

Heard on the radio it's Star Wars 30 anniversary. Hmm I still haven't seen the whole first trilogy :P

Actually i just discovered I also haven't seen any of the movies currently playing in theatres (including cheap/old theatres!) though there are several I'd like to see.

Back on the water

In a voyageur canoe, to simulate dragonboat. It was so nice to be on the reservoir again, and despite earlier threatening skies, turned out to be a beautiful evening.

Looks like this year is once again somewhat a "rebuilding" year for the team, as I can count about eight people from last year missing from this year's roster.

Shear Madness

Tuesday, May 29, 7:30 pm at Vertigo Theatre

http://www.vertigotheatre.com/main/page.php?page_id=2
When famous pianist Isabel Czerny is found murdered above the Shear Madness hair salon in Calgary, police enlist the help of the eyewitnesses present to solve the crime. Ultimately, it's up to the audience to decide "who-dunnit" in this side-splitting comedy that's never the same show twice!

Tues May 29 is "arts & culture industry night" so you can get tickets for $10 instead of $35. Limit two per person. Phone 221-3708 to get tickets. Come join us! (though so far "us" is actually just "me").

Kananaskis

I finally went for my first hike of the year this weekend. (I was on hike #4 by this time last year). Almost everyone was going away for the long weekend, but one of evelyn's friends who I've met a couple times was going, so I joined up with her and her friend. It was nice and relaxing, and good to be out again. Unfortunately the people I hiked with most last year have all left the intermap calgary office, for field positions or for another job, so I'll probably be hiking less and doing less 'hardcore' hikes. I miss them :)

Other than that, nothing too interesting happening. Went with G&E to meet Phil Koeghan (host of amazing race) who was signing books last tuesday. That was kindof neat, but it took a couple hours waiting in line.

Expected but undeserved

Wore my Intermap shirt today. They gave it to me when the manhattan project ended. I don't wear corporate shirts, but I thought I should wear it at least once, and figured if there's any day to wear it, might as well be today since it's the AGM. Surprisingly though, the shirt is very comfortable, and looks pretty good too. I'm not sure it's my colour, but it's a nice style, the logo is elegantly blended with the background. Not like my Geomatics Engg shirt they gave me when I finished MSc, my one time wearing it was to suck up while getting the final signatures. I felt so fake wearing it. I felt like I should be behind a desk handing out pens and telling people to join our department cause we're so great. Anyways the Intermap shirt was well done and I'll probably wear it some more.

Shortly after lunch there was a brief "town hall" meeting in the lunch room. I saw they had some 'certificates of excellence' on the table, and I knew what was coming. A few other people got them, then I got one for my contribution to manhattan. I had a big smile on my face throughout, but it was more of amusement than of happiness and pride. A few assorted people asked later if I had been surprised, and I said no, I kindof knew they'd do that, even though I don't think they should. I know for sure I don't deserve any recognition for that, I didn't do anything much, didn't come up with any ideas, etc. But the awards thing amused me. Later in the afternoon, thinking about it made me feel uncomfortable, kindof ill almost, I dunno, I think I might have talked about this once before though I can't remember what specifically it was about. Just the general feeling... getting some kind of appreciation should be nice, but then the person giving it really doesn't know anything about me, or what I really did, that sort of thing, so it feels like a false gesture overall. I feel bad that it's supposed to make me feel good but it doesn't. And that I didn't really earn it (if I really did something special and someone rewarded me, I'd still say "oh don't worry about it" but I'd still feel good about it; this isn't like that) I dunno how to describe it, and really there's no point to even think about it, just take it and be happy or forget about it. It's weird and uncomfortable to take a step back and look at the world and wonder why we feel the way we do, why we do the things we do, etc.

Yum Yum Natural Gas

Finally in the office. Got here at regular time, but the building was blocked off by fire trucks. I think I might have heard about it on the radio in the morning, but I'm pretty sure they got the streets wrong (I heard 5th to 6th, it was actually 4th to 5th.). After a while, I realised that standing there breathing the fire truck exhaust fumes was much less pleasant than hanging out on prince's island 1 min bike ride away. So I headed there, stretched, relaxed for a while. It's so nice out in the parks though, smells so good... friday was walking along the base of the cliffs in sunnyside with the slight rain after work, was just reveling in the taste of the air. I like that area a lot, I think location-wise sunnyside / rosedale / crescent heights is my ideal choice. Anyways, slowly returned to the building, the road was open but the building was not. A bobcat was on the scene driving onto the sidewalk, that had such high potential for amusement, but it stopped. An atco truck started deploying pylons. Realised it would be a while, and retreated to princes island again. Did some Tai Chi (it's been a while) then back to the building and finally got in, despite atco doing work on scene. Unfortunately, the office still smells a bit like gas. Probably after a while everyone's going to have a headache and feel a bit sick. It's gonna suck.

So, not much else interesting to write about lately. Biking's still going well, including thursday in the rain almost snow (it's not so bad cause there's always clean dry clothes waiting at home). Those few days of rain always make everything suddenly turn green, so I liked them. Hmmm Eric and Danielle won amazing race, ironically, as Geoff points out, because the two all-girl teams didn't gossip enough! Broke a paddle at pool paddling sunday, I'd been feeling weak and left out since other people had been breaking them. (oh and my break was the nicest cleanest one of all!) Still haven't gone hiking this season. Oh, and I think I sortof kindof received a marriage proposal yesterday, haha!