etc

So, I have a tendency to email myself things - reminders, documents, etc. And then I log into my email a while later and think "ooh, email! Fun! What is?" and it is just myself.
***
I had a very concrete reminder of how easy it is to give advice, and how tough it is to follow it. Even when it is your OWN advice - you know, exactly the thing you'd say to someone else in your own situation. See, the thing is, when I get the advice I usually give, I'm annoyed at myself ("I should have known that!") AND I've got to take the advice.
***
I think it is awesome that Michaelle Jean ate the seal heart.
***
There's been a lot of introspection lately. One of the things I really admire about Matt (The Renegade Librarian!) is his ability to reflect on himself, and be so open about it, and what he's struggling with. That's hard for me, but I think only all the more important for it. I was having a mild freak out this morning thinking about all the things in my life that are "out of control" - and then I realized that they're not out of control, they're just in flux. Repeat after me: change is not necessarily bad. Things will settle down. Eventually I will have a routine again. *deep breath*
***
Exciting plans for the upcoming week! Hopefully this will include posting more ;)

*sigh* Slate does NOT like WolframAlpha as much as I do. Then again, I was just playing with it. I stand by my assertion that it is fun, though.

The weather today was amazing. And then I met an old friend from dinner, and had a HUGELY nostalgic couple of hours, being in the SFUO and Arts offices, seeing people I know, people I was student-politics-y with. When one of the current Arts VPs was like "wait, what year were you? I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!" I had a brief "it wasn't my fault!" moment - but then it turned out he needed some institutional memory-type info, and I could actually help. Hurray! The only way it could have gotten better was if we'd gone to the English office, but no one would have been there, so it is cool. It is funny - student politics and debate had, and continue to have, such strong influences in my life. It makes me glad I was such a joiner in my undergrad.

This weekend is going to be a SUPER busy one... Ultimate starts tomorrow (we were smart and got cleats at Play it Again Sports, so I am all set!), the Great Glebe Garage Sale is on Saturday, so that's the morning, there will be shenanigans in the afternoon, and then the Race Weekend 5k in the evening! And then a patio, fo' sho'! I'm really looking forward to it all. Especially if the weather is as awesome this weekend as it was today. I don't know about you, but being outside today after work in my sandals and t-shirt (and, um, jeans...) with the warm wind on my face and in my hair, I just wanted to freeze time and have the weather stay that way forever.

Well folks, I hope you all also had an excellent long weekend. My boss pointed out that long weekends are almost nicer than actual holidays because you do not have to spend time getting ready for them, transferring files, etc, and there is not the worry about all the email and work waiting for you when you get back. I have to agree - I did not worry about work ONCE after I left on Friday, all the better to enjoy my May 2-4 of Awesomeness. BTW, Star Trek? frigging briliant.

Also brill is this search engine that New Guy emailed everyone about. Here is (most of) his email, since he did such a good job explaining it. Try searching relevant information about yourself (name, birthday, height, fave animal or city) and prepare to be highly amused.

***

There’s been some talk around the office about the (soon to be released) Google Squared and the Wolfram Alpha search tools. I just noticed this afternoon that the Wolfram Alpha site is now live and fully usable: http://www.wolframalpha.com/

It seems to be built on different logic than Google-type searches and, from what I can tell, is much more geared towards analysis rather than simple search functions. As a comparative analysis tool it seems to be quite useful, such as in comparing names or country information:

· www30.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=denis%2Bstephen

· www30.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Canada%2BUSA

The structure of the tool (a closed system rather than Google’s more open indexing) is interesting. The tool also seems to do some really basic Web Domain analysis, such as with www30.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=www.crtc.gc.ca or www30.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=recovery.gov (note the HTML element hierarchy).

(Signed)

- New Guy

P.S. This all stemmed from finding this Economist article on it.

Book Surprise!

So, I have a tendency to read about a book, decide I would like to read it, and request it from the library. But because I am reading about books on popular blogs, or in popular reviews, I am often at the end of a long list of requesters.

So it happens on a fairly regular basis that I receive notifications from the library that my requested material is in - and I have no idea what it is. It happened to me tonight, actually! I went and picked up two books, which ended up being "Lonely Planets Best in Travel 2009" and "Behind the Bedroom Door." I am super psyched for them both, and now have the awesome long weekend reading that I was thinking I should pick up... and it was free!

I know, I know, you all know how the library works. But I just love libraries. And long weekends. Whee!

Have fun, everyone!

The bizarre continues...

Okay, so today has juuuust been the weirdest day. Just now, I got a text from a 905 number I do not know...but I have a friend who just moved, and will have to change his number eventually. And it totally could have been from him. Anyways...

905: I think a little mystery is good in a relationship. But your first thought was about the window, wasn't it. ugh I'm so sick of walking. Had to take dishes back. Broken. But they were just closing so I have to try again tomorrow for them, and library card and bus tickets. And the ironing board that was on sale.

Me: new number? nah, I spend so much time with katrina that it is a pretty safe bet. but mystery, yes. And hang in there - you're bound to be done with the errands sooner or later!

905: Who is this?

Me: emily.... uhh, g.

905: Sorry... u hav the wrong #

Me: oh, not sure why you texted me then. good luck with the dishes.

905: Dont know what u r talkin about but thankx

Now, the numbers that these texts are coming from is the same. But the vernacular is obviously different. There seems to be some kind of bizarre cell phone number mixup going on. And if there was ever a day for it...

It wasn't my ring...

My brother sent me the complete series of Fraggle Rock on DVD! For no reason! Apparently he has nothing better to do with his liberty time in Alabama than shop for other people and go bowling. I was frigging delighted, let me tell you, coz I had a very bizarre Monday today.

But I still want my ring back!

*Waiting*

There is something delightful about knowing that there is a package at home, waiting for me, even when I'm nearly 100% certain I know what it is (my U of O ring, resized, 2 months late. Damn you, Jostens). Can't wait to get home and see though!

Also, it was cold out today, so I wore my leg warmers to work (like this, but black, and way nicer than this photo makes them look). Makes sense, right? And I've continued to wear them, because it is cold in my office and there are no clients about. Anyways, New Guy proceeded to hassle me about business socks, and how I'm channeling Avril, and there are ties in the office if I need one.

Listen, New Guy. Sometimes, a girl is just cold.

(I'm glad he didn't see my polka-dotted hoodie too. Just sayin'...)

I have a confession to make

It is spring. People are hooking up all around me. We're all twitterpated - myself included.

I have a huge, HUGE crush.

He's super geeky.
And kinda hot.
An awesome dresser.
And way too old for me.

Confidential to Galen Weston, Jr.: call me!

(Dudes, I am NOT the only one. And the newest commercial, where he's grilling meat? He just looks so damn good!)

My tech is win?

Right, so I told you all that I got a new phone about a week ago. One blissful* week of short battery life, freezing-when-I-send-texts, obnoxious menus, and just-slightly-too-big-to-work-one-handed-ness later, I bit the bullet and went back to the Telus store. I am now the proud owner of a black LG Keybo (it was a close call with the red one, but this matches my soul more closely).

Turns out that Jessica N was right when she told me that once you go full-keyboard, you don't go back. (Damn you, BlackBerry, for spoiling me for other phones!)

My old phone sure was shiny though.

(*And by blissful, I mean highly annoying.)

And then - last night I bought a lappy! I'd been really on the fence for a while, but after spending 20 minutes trying to get my stupid work laptop to connect to my stupid wireless network (they don't play nice on the days I use my laptop on the wireless network at the office) I got so frustrated that I knew it was time. Time for to take my computing destiny into my own hands, and meet my very basic ordinateur needs. It helps that I'd pretty much decided what I wanted. So I smiled pretty at K, and we went to Future Shop before the grocery store. AND THEN a fabulous thing happenned - they had an Acer Aspire (dude, I know, Acer... but my last lappy was an Acer too, and laster way longer than it should have) for 600$ Which is basically right around how much I would have shelled out to get the Acer netbook + external hd + external optical drive. And it is less than I would have paid for HP's netbook (which runs 650$), even before any extras. And this one has a 14" screen! I think it's pretty fair to say that any day I get an extra 3" is a good day.

The lappy is blue. I think it is pretty. Sadmaking is that I have to learn Vista, but it was bound to happen at some point, right?

I think that's all I need for the moment. Until I suck it up and get a new iPod with a "back" button that actually works... but the busted key has actually bothered me way less than I thought it would, so I may just sit tight until I bust it more. I'm sure it is bound to happen sooner or later.

Oh! And..

If you've seen the new OC Transpo tickets, I'm sure you're suitably appalled. It turns out that there's a reason - the old tickets jam the new fare boxes.

At least there's some logic behind the flimsy neon horrors that now pass for bus fare in our fine city.

In which a word-dump wins the day.

Okay, so it started with my hitting my snooze button several more times than I should have. When I finally crawled out of bed I was all cold and cotton-headed and not a happy camper, and the insane part of my brain went "maybe you have swine flu." And then the sane part went "you're an idiot. You do NOT have swine flu. Wash your face, iron your pants, make your lunch and go to work."

And then I realized it was later than I thought, so I packed my breakfast too.

And then I got halfway to work and realized I'd left my (work) laptop at home.

And then I got to work later than I wanted to. And proceeded to down 2 mugs of the not-great office coffee, while the coffee maker made more noise at me than usual. But I gave it the stank-eye, so we're even.

And then it was 11, and my office-mate went "hmm, time for a banana" and I said "oooh, I have an apple!" and I opened my purse. And noticed my breakfast. So I ate it, and then it was a lot easier to think.

And then I bailed on birthday drinks with a friend so I could stay home and do laundry. (Unfortunately, I'm not even kidding. Client consultations = I have to dress up tomorrow = I need the dressier work clothes which = wash them. At least the drinks have been rescheduled. )

And then it was 4.45 and I still wasn't done the document I need for tomorrow. And then it was 5.10 and I was!

And then I got home and put on my USMC joggers and grabbed my laundry and got downstairs... JUST as some guy was putting his laundry in the wash. And I opted to wait til he's done rather than use the sketchy washer. It is just not a good scene with that thing.

On the upside, I think I've figured out what I'm going to do about my computer issue (this weekend I was talking about it, and how none of the netbooks have optical drives, and someone pointed out that I could just get an external one. Duh. He had the grace not to mock me for failing to figure that out on my own... at least not to my face.) so I may well be getting a new toy in very short order. Woohoo!

It's been that kind of day

Gawd, today's been a bit of a gong show. More later, but I had to share this rightnow.

At the coffee maker, between coworkers:

K: Hey,R. May the 4th be with you.


...*

So, apparently it is best to take your vitamins in the morning as the body absorbs nutrients better then than at other times of the day. I don't remember when I read that - although I'm willing to bet that any health practitioner worth his or her salt will tell you "the best time of day to take anything is when you'll remember to take it," or something along those lines.

But that's not the point. The point is that I'm trying to remember to take the vitamins in the morning. And I did today! But not yesterday. So, last night while my sister was over, I remembered that I hadn't taken them. And so I asked the little one if she wanted to partake (she did), and then I trundled off to my medicine cabinet, and grabbed three - two for me and one for my sister.

Upon my return I proffered the three and offered her her choice of purple, orange or pink. (She got to choose because she's done with school and is leaving me for the summer. Under normal circumstances, youngest siblings should take what they can get and be happy about it.) She looked at them and said "what does the pink taste like?"

Me: Like pink. They all taste like chalk, really, but they remind me of my childhood.
Her: Huh
Me: Did you not have these when you were little?
Her: Nope.
Me: Haha, Mom loved me enough to give me vitamins!
Her: Well, Mom loved ME enough to feed me a balanced diet. .
Me: ...
I wasn't quite sure how to recover from that one...