EASTER ROCKETS
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.
HARD AT WORK: DEMOLITION EDITION
play pause stop mute unmute Hard at Work 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.
LACROSSE AND DAYLIGHT
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.
HR 607 — SELLING OUT AMATEUR RADIO AND XETEX
A new bill as titled by Peter King R-NY above seeks to transfer the 420 MHz – 440 MHz amateur radio spectrum to commercial interests in the US. I can’t say that I am particularly impressed with this, but neither am I surprised. Amateur radio does not generate any funds for the federal government, but cellular and commercial auctions do, and quite a bit at that. Nevertheless, I am hoping that a strong lobbying effort from the ARRL will get the bill buried or amended before it comes to a floor vote. Additionally, the spectrum is used by the military for PAVE-PAWS to detect incoming missiles to the US. I can’t imagine they can very easily discontinue that operation. I'll be following it closely over the next few months.
MOUNTAINS OF SNOW
I have lived in Edmonton for many years now, but this year has been truly remarkable for its snowfall. I cannot recall a year here where we got anywhere close to this much snow. In some places, it’s been pushed up higher than my head. In fact, Edmonton tied a record made in 1971 for the highest snowfall in January. It’s really been quite an experience, and as I have not had to shovel any of it, I have kind of enjoyed watching the snow fall. I desperately would like spring, but now I am hesitant due to the swamp that is surely awaiting us once we tip over above 0° C.
SCRIPTS
I find programming to be an interesting exercise; it’s often one big fairly challenging puzzle to accomplish the task at end. As enormously frustrating as this can be when it doesn’t come together right away, it can be immensely rewarding once it does. I find my ultimate motivation comes from the desire to never want to tediously process hundreds of records by hand, or search for a needle in a haystack. Once I script it once, it’s a task I never need to spend another moment’s thought on again. It’s sort of like playing a sodoku puzzle, but with a much better payoff in the end.
GEZELLIG
I moved out onto the frozen tundra many years ago now, and have lived in many different situations — thankfully none without a roof. One becomes accustomed over time to a variety of different living situations, but I think that potentially none of them have quite the resonance of the nascent imprinted home. There’s nothing that quite captures that essence like the scene above, blurred as all memories are — it’s gezellig. It’s a scene that perfectly captures peace and contentment, and isn’t that what the ideal of home truly is?
SKEET SHOOTING
For the first time in nearly three years, I headed back to Grand Rapids, MI for a little Thanksgiving action. It was a great time to take a break at the office, and it is the first time I have been at an American Thanksgiving in 8 years. It’s surprising how much you grow to miss a holiday like that; they have a Canadian Thanksgiving, but it’s a considerably more subdued affair. The whole week went over very well, with the exception being the deterioration of my shooting ability. It’s something that requires a great deal of practice for proficiency, and mine has been lacking lately.
RALLY SATURDAY
I had been looking forward to seeing Jon Stewart’s rally for several weeks now, since he first announced it on the Daily Show. For all of America’s vexing problems, the single solution offered by Washington is rhetoric and fear. Reasonable debate and sane political discourse seem about as far removed from American politics as the Lions are from capturing a Superbowl title. Sure, it’s within the realm of possibilities, but it doesn’t seem likely within my lifetime. And it’s frustrating because it’s difficult to find any solutions when the participants seem solely committed to talking points, chicanery, and earmarks.
TOILE D'ARAIGNÉE
A number of years have gone by, and I think it is now an appropriate time to make a pilgrimage back to Grand Rapids. The last time that I went there the predominant carrier on the route was still Northwest Airlines, so I think that should convey some sense of how long it's been. It feels like a piece from another life, like a smoky wisp or a cobweb that haunts my memories. I am looking forward to, but am apprehensive about, reconnecting with all those whom I have not seen for many years. It is easy to wonder how much has changed and how much has been forgotten in the intervening years. I found a song a number of years ago that I found particularly poignant by Alison Krauss: "Gravity" I left home when I was seventeen I just grew tired of falling down And I'm sure I was told The allure of the road Would be all I found And all the answers that I started with Turned out questions in the end So years roll on by And just like the sky The road never ends And the people who love me still ask me When are you coming back to town And I answer quite frankly When they stop building roads And all God needs is gravity to hold me down