April 2011 Archives

I actually first went to Vulcan years ago while I was a summer research student, but I took my snapshots on this odd Yashica APS film camera that had some serious problems with it’s automatic focus (it had been dropped). I lost the camera at some point that summer, and so I never got the roll developed. I have been meaning to get back ever since to get another photo of the exhibit, but it’s not exactly a convenient location. When my Uncle mentioned last weekend that he needed to pick up a horse trailer out in that area, I seized on the chance to revisit the iconic model of the Starship Enterprise and the somewhat tacky billboard featured above. And if Leonard Nimoy thought it was important enough to visit, then it’s certainly worth a visit by me.

Supposedly they are working on a sequel to the most recent Star Trek franchise reboot with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. I had a bit of trepidation going into that movie, but that was quickly stripped away by the production quality. Now I am eagerly looking forward to the next in the series. The time ‘fork’ allows them to explore unfettered by all of the previous backstory, so I am intrigued to find out where they’ll go with it.

On another note, my aunt and cousin are currently bombing around the Netherlands, just a little earlier than I did last year, and I have to admit to a bit of envy. I would love to be visiting over there for a bit, seeing the tulips, my relatives, and all of the museums. It’s a wonderful place to go for a bike ride. It’s not going to happen this year, but maybe I can arrange to make it happen for the next.

For the first time in many months, the Easter weekend weather was downright pleasant, often above 17° C and completely sunny. There’s few things so enjoyable as sitting out in the backyard playing Rummikub® in the sun. It was also fantastic just getting out of the city for a while and away from the usual daily grind. It's wonderful to be able to see the stars and the mountains from time to time.

I am intrigued by the upcoming election on May 3 and what the potential outcome will be. I don’t think anyone expected that the NDP would come on so strong, and that it's possible they could become the official opposition. I'll try to head down to the polls sometime in the next week, and we'll see what comes of it. I think my riding is actually somewhat competitive and was held by a Liberal before the current Conservative MP. I just want my taxes to stay where they’re at or lower.

I spent a healthy portion of Saturday doing a basement demolition, which is an interesting experience that I can't really say that I have done before. A word of advice to those considering this line of work, the steel-toed boots aren't really an optional piece of equipment. I stepped on a nail and regretted my decision to wear sneakers to this job. And there were so many nails, a lot of that wood was completely studded. Kind of a shame, as I would have liked to take some of that wood for campfires, it would have been spectacular, had it not been so dangerous.

Despite the fact that Lacrosse actually is the Canadian national game, I have never actually seen a game. I went to correct that Saturday evening at the Edmonton Rush v. the Colorado Mammoth, and it was quite an interesting experience. It was rather cheesy in the pageantry, though in a good way. It’s a decidedly odd experience to watch a game with no conception of the rules whatsoever. It looked like complete chaos, replete with a healthy amount of violence. I am still not sure what exactly merits a penalty, but at least a full bore fight resulted in a 10 minute penalty. Clearly there are some limits. The result? Well, they lost, but at least they did so only after we’d seen multiple audience mini-games, including a wing eating contest, little league games, and a scoring challenge. It’s sure a lot cheaper than a hockey game and they really cater to the fans.

I am also delighted to say that I went to that game in daylight. It’s blessedly getting lighter every day, and I have actually been able to make recent use of my sunglasses. For the first time in many months, I am looking forward to the prospect of going camping in the mountains and hiking in the river valley. The snow is still melting, unbelievably. I feel like going on a road trip.