Week to Week

June 1st. 19 Days.

2007-06-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

Plenty has been happening in the last couple of weeks here. Mostly it revolves around Project shutdown, of which mine is fairly simple. Since Stonewall is coming back as a Project next year, the shutdown does not involve packing up a lot of the house...merely sanitizing it.

I went horseback riding a couple of times out at the Miracle Ranch, riding a horse named Rattigan the first time around (who was quite amicable) and a horse named Goliath the second time. Goliath was huge, which made me huge, which made me hit some tree branches on the way through the forest. He also liked biting the horse in front of me. Good times!

I went home for a few days to attend a wedding of a good friend and then to a party to see many other good friends! It was a great time in Saskatoon. Throw in a little family here and there, and it was even better.

The Ag Society fair was canceled due to the saturation of their grounds with all the rain we had, so it has been put off until September. Which is a cancellation for me, but not for the next year's program I suppose.

Stoney Mountain Prison was pretty cool too. Quite a bit different than the PA prison. They had a "Lifers" recreational room where you had to be a lifer to get in. It was an interesting social club within the prison.

I am off to the Zoo this weekend, then to a local festival called the Hintz Fest, and on to the Prairie Dog Central - a train ride through a bit of Manitoba.

19 Days. And counting!

May 14th. 5 Weeks

2007-05-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to report that I have but 5 weeks left before I head out to BC. It's going to be a crazy ride to the end getting everything ready for the next year's project.

Other than that, I am headed to Saskatoon/North Battleford for a wedding and a party this weekend. Good times indeed! If I have my GPS by then, I may do some geocaching too.

We had a baseball game the other day! It was good weather. Hit a few hits, struck out once thanks to me swinging at every single pitch that came my way, and I ran a few bases. I was just happy they had a glove for the 'ol right-hand.

This next week takes us horseback riding at the Miracle Ranch. I have never been. I think large animals freak me out a little bit...I have never quite been comfortable around horses.

I also found a comic book store in Winnipeg that was selling back issues/compilations of Arsenic Lullaby. I had not read it for quite some time, so I picked up the first nine issues. It's still as demented as I remember. I love it. To pieces. Little fetus pieces. Yummy.

Cheers, folks!

May 5th. Back in Manitoba

2007-05-05T16:22:00.000-05:00

My trip out to British Columbia went really well. Got to see some old friends, got to meet some new ones, got to see an ocean! It was truly a great time. I took a few pictures, and I have posted them here:

British Columbia Trip Pictures - featuring Burpy

I am now back in Manitoba for the next six weeks. This summer I am off to Whistler, and I have now been accepted to Quebec for the Odyssey program. So that'll be another nine months or so starting in September (provided everything goes smoothly).

This week has us doing some Geocaching out at Oak Hammock Marsh, and then we're helping with a dinner theatre for the Quarry Choisters. Monday brings us a Career symposium in Bausejour, and Tuesday we are headed out to the Miracle Ranch to do some yardwork (in exchange for free horseback riding).

Spiderman 3 is out in theatres, so I might head to that too. I hope it's a good time!

There's a chance I'll be heading back to Saskatoon for the May long weekend. Something about a wedding in North Battleford and a house re-warming in Saskatoon. Plus, family and friends and all that jazz.

Cheers!

April 19th. Out West.

2007-04-19T16:44:00.000-05:00

Well. It's about time. I'm headed for vacation. I am on my way to Vancouver for ten days, starting Saturday. Huzzah!

I went to the zoo just recently, and I pet the pygmy goat named "Star" there. It's not something I like to admit, but there should be a picture forthcoming as well.

As part of my vacation prep, I have played some silly games. Check them out if you like.

This is a little odd.
Hand-drawn Game

And this one has a robot that you make do things. Pretty simple, but kind of cool once you get into it.
Gateway 2

OH, and Fallout 3 is on the way. That should be awesome.

April 15th. Countdown Continues

2007-04-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

This week has had a few things happening here in Stonewall. Had my first French lesson at the University of Winnipeg, which was pretty basic (numbers, alphabet, salutations) but should pick up complexity in the next few weeks. It was a very comfortable first lesson, which means I am far from being over my head.

I was able to find some gaming people this week as well! We played a fairly simple game called Trans-America where you build railroads across the States, trying to connect your five colour-coded cities. There isn't a lot of chance to screw your neighbour over with your actions (not that I would), but it does require a bit of thinking in order to get to where you're going without giving your opponent the advantage. Fun game. And I lost. But still fun.

I became a member of the Royal Canadian Legion! I found the community service values of the Legion to be the reason for joining moreso than the military service reasons, but it takes all types to serve the country.

AND, I got flowers the other day. How special is that!

In other news, I have 6 days till I am in BC, and 66 days until I am finished this project. Huzzah!

April 8th. Easter Sunday.

2007-04-08T16:10:00.001-05:00

We are about four weeks into the third and final bit here in Stonewall. If you take away the two weeks of fun out in BC I am going to have, I've got about eight weeks left of work.

Back from the Junos! Went to Saskatoon, saw the family, saw the show, sat with the stars, was on TV for a touch behind the host of the Junos, and then came back. It was a tough ride on the way "home" to Stonewall.

This week is pretty bare for the crew, but not bad for me! I head out to Portage la Prairie on Wednesday to try and recruit more folks for this program next year, then I head to my first French class at the University of Winnipeg. Thursday gives me a bit of time off...I think I'll spend it in the Exchange District and in Chinatown if it's warm outside. I stumbled through there the other day but did not take a gander at much! Winnipeg has a boatload of things to see.

Saturday the crew is doing some Resume Writing, although there is a Japanese Cultural Sale going on that same day. I might see what I can do about seeing both.

Saturday NIGHT, is where it is at. And will start a new adventure for me. I am becoming a member of the Royal Canadian Legion. It's the ceremony this Saturday night, so I get the whole kit - membership pin and card. As for the adventure, well, now I can head to any Legion...which I shall enjoy doing. I plan on photologging all of the Legions in Winnipeg before I go. Now I have an agenda.

That's about it. But here's some fun. TWO games, one a little more involved than the other:

Indestrctotank

Desktop Tower Defense

Cheers, folks.

March 30th. Junowned.

2007-03-30T06:48:00.000-05:00

I am headed to Saskatoon today to partake in the Junos on Sunday evening. 10 hours there, 10 hours back. It'll be a good, long trip. I am staying at one of the crew's houses.

March 26th. Spring Break and an Early Easter Bunny.

2007-03-26T09:38:00.000-05:00

It is Spring Break here in Manitoba. And it actually looks like Spring outside. I have not seen this much ground in many many months. I could see it snowing again soon, but it is nice to see it leave for a little while.

The Beach Party we attended was great. Live parrots, steel drum music, salsa dancing, and a swimsuit show in which we all got to play fashion model and walk down the runway in new swimsuits.

This week is giving me quite a bit of time away from the Project. I am off for two whole days! and this coming weekend is sending us to Saskatoon for the Junos - plus a bunch of other activities. Wanuskewin, the Mendel Art Gallery, and some family focused fun are all on the plate. I am not looking forward to the 20 hours of driving it might take to get home and back, but you have to pay somehow.

The Easter Bunny has come a little early, but he is not doing so well. Have some fun with Save the Bunny.

March 20th. Donations.

2007-03-20T10:02:00.000-05:00

Back from the Manipogo festival. Not a bad little time out in St. Laurent. Ice fishing, Bombardier tours out on the ice, dressing up as the Manipogo mascot, Men in Kilts, and some pretty serious fiddle music. Plus a very good fish chowder.

Tonight is a bit of blood donating over at the Legion for the crew while I head to an Ag Society meeting to make some new contacts for this coming billeting period.

I have also found a job for the summer out in Whistler with Tamwood International, so I'm taking donations. I hear it's pricey out there. It's a similar gig to what I'm doing now, but only for six weeks. It should be a good time.

And of course, a fun little game called Boomshine. In Easter colours, nonetheless.

March 16th. Manipogo.

2007-03-16T12:40:00.000-05:00

96 days and counting. The last nine people are here.

Off to a festival this weekend up in St. Laurent. It's called the Manipogo festival and is centered around the tale that a giant Loch Ness sort of monster named the "Manipogo" resides in Lake Manitoba. To head a little closer to reality, it's a small town Metis festival focusing on fisherman. It should be good fun to volunteer at.

Meeting the Ag Society on Tuesday. World day for Water on Thursday. A compost workshop on Thursday evening. Swimsuit shopping with the group on Friday night for the What-not-to-wear beach day on Sunday. The Freeze Frame Festival on Saturday.

Busy times. But there's always time for a little story on a cultist who eats people.

Cheers.

February 26th. Sincerity!

2007-02-26T23:32:00.000-06:00

I have to say that after nearly two months of not writing, it was nice to see a comment or two from those people from far-away.

That started me thinking about positive comments, or positive reinforcement. A large part of my current job is building people up and giving/getting proper recognition for the things my "people" do. The very basic idea is that if people get the recognition at the end of what they're doing, it will spur them on to do more of the same. Pretty simple stuff. With volunteering, that can be a very important part of the deal. A little thanks can go a long way here or there, especially if that is all you are going to get. Whether it be your picture in the local newspaper, a pizza-night, or a thanks-for-doing-the-dishes-you're-doing-a-great-job sort of thing. It all adds up.

Where does it start to turn negative tho'? When do you think it starts becoming insincere? I have seen it from both sides now. Giving and getting positive feedback isn't all it's cracked up to be sometimes.

Aside from all of that thinking, who wants to kill people? I used to enjoy a game called "Black Death" where you played a plague trying to kill Europe. It was good stuff. Check out this flash game:

New Pandemic

That's it for now. Good times.

February 23rd. 117 Days to Go.

2007-02-23T23:07:00.000-06:00

It takes me a long time just to count to 117, let alone having to count down 117 more days. Even the skip-a-few trick doesn't cut it.

The last couple of months have been pretty decent. We have seen and done many things in this small town of Manitoba. Everything from Salsa dancing to Francophone festivals to Winter survival (and the winter has not been an overly pleasant one. Survival is key to...surviving). If you throw a little craziness in here and there with the many other people surrounding me, you've got a good idea of what this life nutshell looks like (what type of nut tho'...I think I would want to be a cashew as they're my favourite).

The last leg of this adventure starts in the middle of next month. I am a little surprised to see it come. Is that a light at the end of the tunnel? Or a train coming on down the tracks?

I should be coming back to Saskatoon for the Junos at the beginning of April. I'm headed out to BC in April for a few days and then possibly back there for the summer. Who knows what the fall will bring. Another adventure? A new pet? A few lost teeth?

Maybe I'll write again soon.

Jiggered

2006-12-30T18:22:00.000-06:00

Well I'll be.

It would seem that my pictures have come back all on their own. I must say that I am... impressed? annoyed? smug, for some reason?

My days here in Stonewall seem to be getting longer and brighter. Something to do with the cosmos I'd imagine. Or, it could be that things seem to be working out rather well.

There will not be much here in terms of baubles anymore thanks to the crashed up ride and the "shop locally from now on" phone conversation, but this site might morpholize into something else soon.

Rocky VI came out. It was emotional.

Adrian's Revenge will be gold. Mr. T sort of gold.

Sanity Loss

2006-11-02T21:21:00.000-06:00

It would seem that I will not be winning this battle. I crashed up my sweet ride on the way into Winnipeg and could not get to the Village. Also, my image hosting has dumped my account.

Stupid crap - 1
Sanity - 0

October 23rd. Deux Fleur.

2006-10-23T22:04:00.000-05:00

This week at the 'ol Village, I found two items. There is some common ground between them and I thought that they were very cool.

The first is actually one I had been looking at for a while.

This second item I came across today, and I have to say that I am very impressed with this portfolio. It is in great shape, and my Quebecois friends here tell me that it is very nice.

The first cost me a $1.99 and the second was $3.99. That's some cheap shit right there. Are they baubles, though? Sure.

Rock on.

October 16th. Canvas.

2006-10-16T22:18:00.001-05:00

This bauble really made me laugh. It made me laugh at all the stress and all the craziness that can happen when I sit down to do something. I can have tens of to-dos go through my head at any time in the day, but when I sit down to write a list...they're all gone.

Price of this gem? $10. Initially, anyway. When "they" saw that the canvas was missing, it got written down to $3. I do not think I would have purchased this if the craftsman actually had something to paint on.

October 10th. March of the Pigs.

2006-10-10T22:27:00.000-05:00

It took me a while to look over the shelves at Value Village today. I almost picked up a bowling trophy for a ladies league.

However, these three pigs spoke out to me. I used to listen to Nine Inch Nails quite a bit, and I could not help but pick these three up. They're too...cute.

October 3rd. Hockey.

2006-10-10T22:22:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of my first bauble. Price? $2.99

Stonewall is a hockey town, and it was just starting up at the beginning of October. That might have been a large influence in getting this.

Not only do I like hockey, but these two fellows remind me of a few things. First, they look French to me. I am not exactly sure why. Even considering that, they remind me of my buddies Sky and Ben. Sky on the left in the blue jersey - he looks like he knows what he's doing, and Sky always seemed to know that when he played floor hockey. And Ben on the right in the white jersey - hmm, mainly because he's taller and a little goofier looking. It might also have something to do with the night we watched an Ottawa game while drinking some quite-fine Tequila.

The Idea

2006-10-10T22:18:00.000-05:00

Here in Stonewall, one has to find sanity. I have found it in baubles! Every week, I go to Value Village and find something worthy of my shelves. Some for a reason, some for not. SO take a look, and if you see something in these baubles, let me know.

Are these things worth the money I spend on them?

Maybe.

Cheers.