We are about to head to Ikea. I need to get some more bookshelves as a large portion of my books have been relegated to floorspace, sitting in piles on top of dressers, etc. I also need to buy cardboard magazine holders (holsters?) for the classroom (I'm in an LTO until January).

It's odd - at Staples, they holders are 4 for $13. At Ikea, they're 5 for $1.99. Even with spending money on gas, I still save more $. Although that's really an illusion, because by using more gas, i'm part of the problem of using up our dwindling resources, ultimately driving society closer to the brink of collapse. All for the sake of magazine holders!

That's about it. No funny stuff here today. Just sobering, morose thoughts. Maybe i'll stop by MEC too, just to make up for it all.

One thing about Ikea, though - aside from the Swedish chef, Ikea seems to be the only thing any of us know about Sweden. I suspect that they stole the idea for Ikea from their rivals, Denmark. You know, taking the concept of Lego & extending it. At least that's what i heard.

incomplete descriptions

I have a fairly decent collection of magic books. One thing that drives me crazy: when i read a book and a trick is being described, and the author deems not to explain a particular technique because it's in one of his "earlier works". Usually these earlier works aren't easily available and sometimes are not on my shelves. Pet peeve: why would you write a trick up and sell it in a book only to not explain a fairly obscure move?? What if someone purchased a book to learn that one trick, only to find out that they are missing key information? Why publish if you're not actually going to include complete routines? There's my obscure problem for the week.

Not only am i the world's worst barbequer (barbequist?), i'm an enviro-terrorist. Why? Because i bbq everything wrapped in foil. I think it's a confidence thing. I realize that's little different from just heating the stuff up in the oven, but at least the kitchen doesn't get super-hot. Today i did vegetables (en foil) and salmon (avec foil). I wore a foil hat while doing so. So much foil, so bad for the environment. I have to find another way. That's it. This is your crappy post after several month's absence. Sorry!

Looong time no post!

Wow. Dec 20th was the last time that i wrote on this thing? Yikes. Remember a time when i used to write upwards of 3 posts per day? Now i'm lucky to fire off 3 posts a month. There are loads of reasons for this. A big one is my career change of recent years. Previously, i sat at a desk for 8 hours each day parked in front of a computer. Now i often get nowhere near a computer until nightfall, and by that time i don't really feel like writing.

I think for years i felt the need to try to impress people with how funny or wacky i could be on here. I don't really feel that way anymore. I'm not sure why. Part of me thinks that's good & part of me thinks i've lost something there. Since i am, however, happy much of the time, i can live with that. It also might just be that i'm slightly overwhelmed in my new career (it's a given when you first start out) & simply don't have the time or mental fortitude to banter on about the minutia of life. Who knows?

Anyway, it's spring now! It's wonderful out as of late. I have been able to get outside & ride my mountain bike. I've also been able to exercise out doors which means i can do things like swing heavy clubs around, toss a kettlebell around the yard, etc - all things that would result in severe property damage if done indoors. I have been working out in the basement all winter, and while that is good it's just not the same as being to do this stuff outside. There are more options available out doors.

The Guelph Kettlebell Club has started up again. This is great! It means that twice a week i am reduced to a pile of goo. I think that people walking by us in the park must be confused and curious at the same time. They see a bunch of us essentially slinging cannonballs up and over our heads, perilously swinging them between our knees and so forth. As with many things, there is camaraderie in pain and hard work. We have about as much fun as you can have when you're feeling like you're about to collapse from exertion (that's actually a lot of fun).

As per my buddy Mark the Beekeeper's specifications, i built myself 2 club bells - essentially a bulkier form of Indian Clubs (google it). I used iron piping to put them together & then filled them with sand. The guys at Stan's Plumbing assumed i was making some sort of explosive device, and when i told them what i was actually doing, they thought that i was even *more* crazy. I don't entirely know what i'm doing with them, but so far i haven't destroyed anything yet (that includes me).



As with many things in life, one should ideally have goals. My fitness goals are simple: to be able to wear a Spider-Man suit without feeling self conscious. I suppose that has been a life long dream, if you really think about it.

Guess what's back?

Thanks for all your support during the Red River Cereal Crisis of 2011 (RRCC '11). But guess what - it's back! Back on the shelves! With a sticker that says that it *may* contain traces of soy in it. All this because of a "may" situation. And Soy. Seriously? Who called that one in? Some anti-hippies from a mirror-world universe? Who the h**k hates soy?

So it's back. I bought a box but have not opened it yet. I need to force myself to finish the (shudder) Kashi cereals i've been eating in the interim. Seriously, i cannot believe i lowered my standards and bought something called Honey Sunshine. And then i can't believe that i legally changed my name to Honey Sunshine. It's just embarrassing.

I'm going to make myself some Red River next week because, hey, it's Christmas this weekend and it's the gift that keeps on giving.

Honey Sunshine...yikes.

More oversized novelty truck nonsense

Sigh. Once again i used one of my best lines to dispatch a moron.

Zehr's parking lot. It's dusk. I am walking through the lot (not between cars) and some idiot in an oversized novelty truck comes tearing out from around the building heading towards myself & another pedestrian. He sees us (or so i think) at the last second, swerves & then starts screeching backwards into a spot - right where i am standing. I run to get out of the way. My 6th sense goes off telling me that there might be trouble from the driver. I make my way into the supermarket - i wasn't actually going there - but good self-defense teaches us to ensure we are not alone when crazy stuff happens. I can hear him slamming the doors & stomping his way over to me.

I get inside the supermarket & see him come in very angry looking. I turn my back, count to five & turn around & look right at him. I say, "Hi!" and he begins a tirade of nonsense. Shouting loudly, he tells me that i scared him to death because i ran behind his truck as he was backing up. I explain that he nearly hit me not once but twice & that perhaps he didn't see me because it was dark out (always give them a way to save face) and that there was actually another guy there too. He then begins swearing & making threats. As he begins to puff up gorilla style, I lead off with:

"Are you really going to talk to me like this in a crowded supermarket full of people?"

...and then deliver the classic: "your truck is a black Ford F150 and i can get your plate number in about 10 seconds".

Gears turn in his head as he does the math. I let him stew for a few moments before wishing him a Merry Christmas & walk away.

Be careful out there.

Red River ?

I am sad because i can no longer find Red River cereal at the supermarket. I guess they've stopped carrying it. I was likely the only one buying it, and really i was only buying a box a month. That stuff was such a good deal - very healthy, easy to make and quite cheap. A 5 dollar box lasted me a month. I will have to check around to see if they have it elsewhere.

I started trying other cereals which means i will probably fall into the cereal trap again. I could eat breakfast cereal all day which is not a good thing. However, i'm still being smart about it. I've been using a measuring cup for it like i have been for the past year so that helps. My latest kick is a Kashi brand cereal named "Honey Sunshine". Sounds like a hippy folksinger, i know, but it's actually alright.

I miss Red River, though. True, it looks like birdseed, and maybe even tastes like birdseed but i like it anyhow. It reminds me of my childhood, when i used to sneak food from the bird's cage in our classroom at school.

Let me know if you see it anywhere.