It's the last day of the year and I've been trying to formulate my resolution for the New Year.

2005 was a year marked with some fierce competition, conflict, and disappointment. But aside from these less favorable spots there were large swathes of unbelievable enjoyment, fantastic resolution, make ups, and lifelong friendships formed. All in all, a great year, even if my hand was "forced" and my previous resolution was broken in more places than I could count.

So after a careful review of where I've come from, I'm ready to lay out carefully where I'm going.

In the New Year I'll be as true to myself as I can be. I won't retaliate, but will instead choose to negotiate. I'll treat everyone as I would myself like to be treated, even those who may not deserve such a benefit. I'll be a better host and a better guest. I'll adopt another foster child and I'll spread what I have further. I'll recommit myself to the engineers without borders, something that I let myself get drawn away from in the fierce competition that consumed me. I'll befriend my enemies and I'll end and hold truce to my two prolonged and outstanding conflicts (both of which ended last night.) I'll make an effort to share what I know and not to mislead unintentionally or otherwise.
And lastly, but perhaps most importantly.. I'll do exactly what my heart tells me (within the bounds of sanity)... San Francisco, It's only a matter of time now (mere months).

The key Lesson learned from 2005 was that all mistakes or opportunities missed resulted from a complete failure to listen to my heart.

So... Here Goes... 2006.

Happy New Year Everyone

"Goodnight Harley.... You're such a Good Boy... Yes you are!" I said, giving my dog a good ruffle. His sleepy eyes looked back at me and he licked my hand.

"See ya boy." I said walking out of his kennel, leaving the gate open as he spread out across his plush mat.

I turned around to leave the basement and head to bed when something caught my eye. Amongst the tangle of Yellow and Orange heavy duty Utility extension cords hung my Skipping rope!

My skipping rope! 20+ years old and still there! My Toboggan hadn't survived the "clean up" but my Skipping Rope had! Red Wooden Handles, Black Bungie Cord and The White Twine fixes that my Grandfather had applied when disaster had struck.

When I lived in London, there weren't many kids my age in the neighborhood, for that matter, there weren't many kids at all. There was a lovable elderly couple next door, the Stansons. For Christmas one year they gave me a skipping rope, something I "could use and play with on my own", Mrs Stanson had reasoned.

I quickly mastered it and became nothing short of a skipping rope phenom. I was even better than the girls on my street who were older than me. I could play Hop-Scotch while Skipping, I could play monkey in the middle while jumping, I could even play soccer while skipping.

I took down the skipping rope from the Tangle of colored wire.
"Hmm.. I wonder If I still have it." I muttered, it's probably like riding a bike, you never forget.
I took the rope, a little short for me now but the handles felt right in my hands.

I swung it back and forth a few times. It seemed to clear the ceiling. So....
Whoop... Whoop... Whoop ...
The rope sliced through the air and I gingerly jumped over it. Harley stirred from his Sleepiness, now watching me in all my gimpy, smiley glee as I hopped around the basement.

"Holy shit! I'm a master" I thought, maybe said aloud. I started to cross my arms over, switching handles and stepping through the ropes.

"I'm the shit! I'm the S....... FUCK!"

The Skipping rope swung up and caught around the leg of the 20 foot ladder hanging from the ceiling. "...Fuck!" Too late, In the "come around" I had already pulled.
The ladder tumbled off its pegs and rolled down, crashing hard across my back and rattling to the floor. The other end caught a pile of boxes and toppled them, the ancient and long retired Christmas Lights within smashed to pieces. Harley Bolted out of his Kennel and out of harm's way as a box rolled to rest near where he had been.

I stood up, knees fine, pants scuffed, rubbing my back. "Ah shit."

The other basement door burst open. "What the hell is going on?" My pajama clad father said, looking around, thoroughly unimpressed.

"Sorry dad... Ahhhhh" A sudden burst of pain rolling from my impacted back "I was being an idiot and Knocked some shit over."

"Look, just go to bed ok."

"Aye." I said, hanging the oh-so harshly edged aluminum ladder back up. Dad piled the boxes back up and then I followed him upstairs.

I should have taken a hint I guess. Skipping rope is definitely like riding a bike, you never forget... But no one rides a bike inside. "Idiot" I muttered, silently thanking God for having not split my head open.

I had been thinking about how I've been spending my christmas when my computer chimed with a new arrival to my inbox.

It was an email from my friend Z, now Capt. Z of the United States Army. We'd met last year while he was on loan to finish his degree. He had been anxious to get back to "the real world" and do "real stuff".

So he sent me this picture, Boxing Day in Alaska; being loaded with 20 of his closest friends into a Chinook for an Arctic Exercise.

I remember the recruitment effort he'd put on me. It wasn't wasted, could have been successful at another time who knows. But now Looking at the pictures, part of me screams to be there, the guts, the glory, the freedom, the travel. Of course, the pictures don't show the other part of the job, the part that keeps me out of a service career.

And my plan, well that should require just as much guts, and give me more than enough glory, freedom and travel all the while avoiding the need to kill or be killed.

But either way, It's still great (no matter how amazing) to see that Christmas is enjoyed just as much on either side of the spectrum.

"You're crazy, just not crazy enough."

My head involuntarily cocked to the side, "What? Really?" I said, unable to understand, unwilling to believe.

"Well then do it, jump, walk, run, just do it."

I squinted, straining to look ahead. The fog held everything in secrecy. I stood still, sacred to move, not sure what direction to walk in. "Am I lost?" I shouted, then thought "What! Why am I asking if I'm lost."

That angelic voice sang again, "What are you waiting for?"
Was the voice coming from the left?

I could see a few twisted trees and the spongy mix of moss and grass beneath my feet. I lifted my foot to step ahead, the ground groaned with expansion, rising, filling in my footprint.

"Where are you!?" I cried, now walking ahead, having convinced myself a straight path was the best course of action.

"Trying to prove me wrong?" It said, no.. She said. It was clearly a female voice now.

The thick fog soaked my little yellow coat. My pants began to cling to my legs as I walked passed the trees, my shoes flooded. I sat on an earthy stump and pulled off my soaked jacket and my shoes, thinking It better to continue on cold and barefoot than uncomfortable.

"Who are you!?" I said, now somewhat closer to a normal conversational level, confident I was closing in.

"You know." The answer was a whisper.

I turned around. I shouted in surprise, Jumping backward. The path I had walked through was free of fog, as If I'd plowed a path, but aside from that, nothing.

I turned around again and started to run, jogging through the fog, feeling with my feet and outstretched arms as drops of water rolled off my hair, my face and everywhere else. The fog was thick now, I couldn't see passed my waist, the ground had changed, but to what was a mystery.

"Where are you?" I asked now.

"Right here."

I took another step, sure I was directly before whoever. I stepped ahead. The fogged passed as a wall as If I'd walked through a doorway. Sitting on the sand, the sand that was warm beneath my feet was a Panda bear. I walked over, it held and cuddled a Monkey.

"Now she's yours. Thank you for coming."

The Panda Slowly stood. Fear paralyzed me, I thought to run, but the Bear moved closer, arms extended. Shaking, almost violently so, I took the infant monkey from her arms.

Without another word, the Panda Turned around and strode silently down the beach.

The monkey opened it's eyes. Blue eyes. No. That was the reflection of my eyes, it faded...
...
and I woke up.
strangely enough remembering every detail.... And then remembering another.
I scrambled across the bed, grabbing for my cell phone...

"8:06 am."

Thank Christ.
Literally.

Sunday and perhaps even yesterday were the days of Giving. Today was the day of greed.

4:45 am
txt msg "JT Driving, leave @ 5:30 meet @ 5:45 @ FS.. Call, need your status"

My brain was slow, I had just gotten in the door. I felt like sleep but somehow I knew the movie I had just seen would keep it at bay until I was on the verge of collaspe. I looked out through the door. Raining, freezing: the definition of miserable weather, but what the hell.

4:48 am (after mastering predictive text on a Nokia)
txt msg reply " I am up and ready, sorry about lack of contact last night, when is go time?"

4.51 am (obviously I'm not the only one to understand predictive text messaging)
txt msg "Go time is moved up, we go now, be there soon. Youre gay."

Driver Exhaustion offered a very colorful ride in a well made Korean economy car, not only did my Heart Rate raise for the second time but a near death experience can do wonders for aiding in wakedness.

We arrived, the rain still driving, a mob assembling along the drier shadow of the building. The 4 of us moved into position. "5.55.. now we wait."

In my half alert state I'd slipped on Jeans that had been casualties of a snowball fight hours earlier. Despite my best efforts, they had apparently still been damp... something which didn't play to my favor in the hour long exposure to the freezing temperatures. I was the first to complain.

"What is the reading on your Chronometer there J?"

"We got here 10 minutes ago, it's 6:05, shut up."

I started to do a little jig, anything in an effort to keep warm.
The hour actually began to pass more quickly. The pitch darkness began to recede as we passed around the Flyer "You hit Home Theatres, you Computers, you run straight up the middle, push if you have to, get 3 of these phones, and you.... you run block for Colum, he's going for the Theatre centre, it's gonna be tangly in there." We were actually huddled, so it just didn't sound like a football game.

Moments later, "6.55 boys, 5 minutes form up!"

It was kind of crazy, I could feel myself flash with warmth, adrenaline pumping through me, everyone began jumping and down a little, edging to go.... and then there was like this sudden roar of the crowded. I imagine most riots begin like this.

"Surge!! Surge!!!!!" And we all pushed ahead, diving, driving through the sleepy, stumbling crowd and dancing through the open doors. We split off as our plan had demanded, a bigger fellow than I running block for me, pushing the stragglers out of the way.

A torrent of shoppers came in behind us, a Kid fainted and went into shakes on the floor, but a Store clerk was on top of him in a second. My First Aid long expired we Danced around it all andwe snagged it! One of a limited Quantity of Panasonic Home Theatre kits.

All the better for the movie Watching Experience.

9:56 am
I collapsed into my bed. A series of McDonald's "Hashbrowns" terrorizing my body, 25 minutes of sleep under my belt, Home Theatre at My feet, Huge.. Huge smile on my face.

When I was a kid Christmas meant one thing, The new Toys. Now, this year for really the first time, it was about the people.

I remember as a greedy little boy, I'd be so excited for Santa to arrive I wouldn't be able to sleep. The same excitement fueled insomnia strike on the eve of great Vacation as well. Disney World are the Caribbean were impossible to sleep before.

This Christmas Eve I learned a couple of things, perhaps most interestingly, why The Parents are always so Slow to get out of bed on Christmas morning. I labored with my Dad well passed 2am to reposition furniture and unpack the Monstrous TV Santa had Dropped down the chimney. I was exhausted, so not surprisingly I had no trouble getting to sleep, and quite some trouble getting up the next morning when my brother "cannonball'-ed me in bed.

Despite all the incredible clothes I got, (Bugatti!!! Bugatti!!!) I looked forward to sitting down at the Supper table with childhood friends and familiar hosts.

There is nothing quite like the constant threat of choking from laughter as a seasoned old English Prof quips and quirps about everyone at the table. The endless stream of "Did you know.." Tidbits from 'The American' and humbling rebuttals from those having already had their fill. I almost felt bad for him.. Almost :)

Day 1 down,
11 more to go.

The house is left in ruin. My little "cute" cocktail waiter (read as: punch pourer) outfit is hanging up in the bathroom, smelling of Shout and Tide. By all rights it was Dad's 50th Birthday, so after all the torture we had given him, the least he could do was enslave us for an impromptu party and crack jokes at us.

The basement was filled with coughing, sneezing, fighting, video game playing kids. What would they think if they knew All the Santa's were upstairs drinking Spiked Christmas Punch, Miller Genuine Draft and Ice Wine.

I'm actually shocked... shocked... by Ice Wine.
"Hot aren't they?" I'm asked as I have an Hor'Derve.
'Yes sir, Dr. so and so', I reply panting trying to cool my mouth, my mocking respect more than evident to the all too familiar Doctor.
"Here, try some of this" He smiles, "This will help."
I take what I think is a glass of chilled white wine and douse my mouth.
The rest is a Story for Another time... but let it suffice to say that I was relieved of waiter duties almost immediately after.

The Christmas Eve/Birthday Party finally started to wilt and tire as the Santas and Mrs. Clauses realized church bells would soon be sounding and children's stomach were still empty. Bit by bit the house cleared, leaving me sorting empty bottles and my brother whining about a lack of a real meal.

The house emptied. The kitchen and the rest of the ruins were cleared and cleaned.

The phone rang. I saw the number, knowing only too well it was 'Dr. So and So'.

"Hi... Colum is it? Do you mind if we come back? The Former Mayor's house is burning down and we can't quite get home."

Merry Christmas Everyone :)

Today is My Dad's Birthday, known to the rest of the world as Christmas Eve.

It's pretty surprising; Last night I went to Sleep with the feeling that I had school work to do still nagging, this morning the feeling of Christmas has slammed into my home. It only took Dad's birthday. There's cookies, cakes, decorations and yes, even visitors.

I've been let into Santa's Gift giving loop this year, I know what's coming as I used my techy side to approve the ideas and purchases. Christ. It will be a good haul for my brother and sister this year. I'd imagine I'll still get clothes. I'm just crossing my fingers for good clothes :) While I did help pick some pretty rediculous gifts for everyone else, nobody told me what I was getting. Oh well, I actually prefer to not know. I don't understand those families where the parents just give out money and say get your gifts for yourselves and wrap them. Santa never did that, not even in Las Vegas (the greediest place I could think of)

And you know, you;d be surprised how difficult it is to track down 50 birthday Candles on Christmas Eve.

Tonight was a lesson in the intricate nature of Interdependency. Our stellar flawless plan for this evening was only as strong as its weakest link - the people involved. Essentially, the larger the group you have, the harder it is to agree upon a common goal. We had a choice of places to go this evening, and at no point could we agree in whole upon which was the best.

This debate raged for almost an hour with lines that had been drawn becoming trenches that had been dug. The possibility of a compromise became a casualty of pride and the result was us being trafficked downtown by a parent while they paid for a $35 one way cab ride.

I was thoroughly disappointed with the outcome. The originally agreed upon plan of a sociable Friday, my plan, had been scrapped by the illogically vodka laden leaving us deeply divided. To add further insult to injury, in a stroke of genius, I forgot my cellphone, leaving it nestled between the cushions of a couch and hence leaving myself thoroughly disconnected.

I barely drank this evening, I felt as if I'd drank nothing. With the clarity of thought that resulted I didn't win trivia, I didn't give advice or offer an opinion but instead dove inward, examining how I felt. Worried. Wondering. Disappointed.

I'm in chase mode. A polite, delicate, possibly unnoticed chase.
Perhaps in the interests of avoiding misunderstanding I should become bolder and clearer.

... Then again, perhaps I'm an idiot.
I can't believe I forgot my phone, and without a single decent excuse.

It is interesting to see the continuing evolution of The legend of Colum. Despite the fact that I don't live here any longer, some people still feel threatened enough by the fact that I exist to act as they do. It's quite flattering, even amusing to see that some people devote so much time to the careful development of this great legend.

This city may indeed have the most highly evolved gossip network in the known universe; I'm amazed and amused.

Tonight, fully recovered and newly reunited, we went to the Republic and celebrated the full Reunion. Despite the fact it was a Thursday the pub filled up from 'just us' to a surprising 'crowdedness'. As with any other night, it was filled with fake confrontations, greets, meets, shouts, toasts, and hugs.

It all only missed one thing.

As I walked home, alone, snow crunching under my feet, stars blooming above me, the cold nipped at my ears, my eyes, coaxing tears.

...Or did it?

I do the legend no Justice.

It's so cold here that my shivers now consume my dreams. Last night my dream included my blankets. Santa had brought them and they had controls on them that looked as if they'd been lifted off the arm rest of an airline's coach seat. There were a couple of arrows and a digital readout, all controlling and detailing the heat provided by the blanket. Amusingly enough, the glow from the readout didn't keep me from falling asleep; I've always had issue with the glow from my alarm clock.

Right now, strangely enough I'm lying in bed, far from sleep with my mind so full of thought that a CT scan would probably resemble the Christmas tree I labored with earlier today. My thoughts may even resemble the bulbs on that Christmas tree, each having its descriptive color: red, purple, orange, green, blue, gold, faint faint white,....

• What would it be like to have a Kiss at New Years I cared about for once?
• What would it be like if Kettle drums played to the footsteps of the particularly pompous?
• What would it be like to say 'Fuck it' and just make my trip to the West Coast Happen?
• Could I have really made good on my Threat to Join the Royal Navy?
• Why are eyes so hypnotic and can you really tell if a person is lying from them?
  
• Is a $1000 enough of a budget to get the paintings/pictures I want/need to have on the walls of my apartment?
• Have I misplaced my faith? It's been a while since I've looked into the Eye of God with my telescope.
  

.... And that may be just the tip of the arrow. The arrow which is sticking out of my chest. The arrow that blindsided me as soon as I stepped off that plane on Friday. The one that slides a little further in everyday. It may be yet another accepted part of the life I have which is ever so dangerously intertwined with a cosmic amount of complication.

Maybe.... Just maybe I will say 'Fuck it'.
..Or would that be too crazy?
and the process which keeps me from sleeping starts anew.

Christmas Vacation: Day 4

Putting up the Christmas tree has always been an "experience" in my family for as long as I can remember. Instead of debating over the placement of lights and ornaments, the annual ruckus extended to include the actual placement of the tree. Crying foul and protesting the "ruin of tradition" my brother and sister refused to help with the tree at all. The result? The Usual. Myself and my Father struggled under my Mother's harsh supervision to put up the tree. The ruin of tradition was secured.

Last night didn't exactly work out as I had planned. My trip to the pub to celebrate a good friend's return from the Emerald Isle turned into a lesson in the important of the essential pre-drinking meal.
Among other highlights of the night, I got to [ was forced to] try a trick straight out of the movies. I flagged a cab and handed him 4 times the usual fare, ".... and Please hurry!" 2 and a half minutes later after traveling at about 120 km/h up a residential street I was home and quietly swearing to myself to never do that again.
...
I woke up in a tangle of blankets, stumbled down into the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice. My Mom stood there smiling. "What?" I asked. Fearing a lecture on "lessons learned" would follow.

"Well see, the Christmas Tradition lives on."

I walked passed her. "Holy shit!", During the course of the night the Christmas tree had given birth or something. There were now 2 Christmas trees, standing at 11 feet and 7 feet tall. One in the spot that had been hotly debated the night before. The other in the traditional space.

"Well holy hell." I said.

"What are you doing today?" She asked.

"Let me guess." I said as I flicked on MacGyver and collapsed onto the couch, the Christmas tree, naked with the exception of lights looming over me. "I've got a date."

A box of ornaments was dumped ontop of me. "Great." I smiled as the whinny, teeny sounds of Ashlee Simpson began to pump throughout the house.

"Christ...... mas"

I've only seen flamingos a couple of times in my life, and of course, living in North America, each and every one of those times was during a planned visit to the Zoo.

So you can imagine the commotion this morning when someone looked out the window to discover Flamingos on our snow covered front lawn.

I stirred from a great dream to look out the window. I laughed so hard it hurt. 49 normal Flamingos, one Giant Flamingo, and a sign to make sure Dad couldn't possibly escape embarrassment.

It's Dad's 50th birthday. Well strangely enough, it's not today, but that small oversight couldn't ruin the fun. So why the flamingos are there no one is really sure, but then again, maybe the flamingo people take Christmas Eve off. They have families too right?

I have to thank my parents for the planning which placed my birthday as far away from Christmas as possible. Having a birthday like Dad's, so close to Christmas always gets you 'ripped off' on the gifts :). Only mom ever gets him anything extravagant, everything else is along the lines of socks, gloves, a hat, or something else with the real present as required by the season coming the following day.

Maybe this Birthday Gift Neglect explains why Dad has the spending habits he does.

My adventure of Christmas with my Family continues.

I couldn't sleep last night, probably for several reasons with the fact that my house is constantly sub zero being a major contributor.
I went downstairs, pita bread and pepsi in hand and watched a CSI: Miami marathon. With my mind sufficiently numbed I came upstairs a little after 3 and collasped into bed. Only to wake up in what seemed like seconds later with a pillow being shoved in my face and someone screaming gibberish.

I fought against the attack and finally managed to hook the bastard [my brother] in the face. Unhurt, he shook me hard and ripped the sheets off my bed just to ensure I couldn't possibly get back to sleep. I didn't

And this morning, I discovered my eyebrows and sideburns are turning grey. Is my hair about to fall out. I don't remember walking into any rooms with radiation warnings on them. Christ.

The stress of this is killing me.

So the House is still suffering from the effects of renovation and I'm still suffering from the luxury of living alone. I woke up this morning and walked boxer clad into my kitchen for some orange juice. The French door creaked loudly, announcing my presence as I walked through toward the new fridge.

About 6 workmen, maybe more (I wasn't wearing my glasses) turned around. Only one was brazen enough to say what everyone else was thinking. "You work out?"

Thoroughly Humiliated and grasping for straws I said the only thing I could as I stood in the middle of my parents' kitchen, suddenly very cold. "Ah, so you guys work Sundays eh?"

"Gotta get it finished."

"Fair enough." I said, walking back out through the door in full retreat, no longer thirsty for juice, but longing for some pride. Sure my boxers are meant to be seen, well at least these ones, but not in these circumstances. I'm still not sure if they took the time to read them. I listened for laughter, nothing... Thankfully.

It was 11:30 and I walked into the bathroom, figuring I'd get a shower and head off to church with my brother and sister. As soon as I pushed the bathroom door, a door that had already been open, "What the F&^K! I'm in here!", the exlamation point being accented with the door slamming closed in my face.

Alright... A quick survey presented me with the very real possibility of no shower. Everything was occupied, it looked like a long drawn out date with an evening service for me! Yaay!

So I sat on my bed plodding away on my laptop, the sun warming my now frozen slender frame. Finally a bathroom door opened, this time vacated as well and I got my shower.

Now what? It doesn't seem that anyone has yet laid claim to my dog. I think I'll take him for a walk. Maybe over the southside hills. I always enjoy that. I mean, I am on vacation, I should start enjoying myself while sober in addition to the well established evening and night activities.

Damn Family. Cramping my style... not to mention my space :)

I'm back in Newfoundland and of course, it feels great. I've only been back a day but a lot is still very much the same... well aside from my house which has, as I feared, been subjected to a very drastic change in paint scheme. But interestingly enough, it looks much better than it ever did.

Last night, only hours after landing and only minutes after awakening from a well deserved nap I headed off to a birthday party.
It was really great to see everyone again. I saw and talked to some people I had expected to see and some I hadn't.

The inclusion of a traditional newfoundland party with a full blown "kitchen scene" and a relocation to a pub packed well beyond capacity was great. A welcome change from the solitude of Sexton Campus Forced Study.

It may have been the beer or perhaps it was the wine. But it was good to see that both still mix together well.

Today was the opposite of yesterday. Filled with quiet talk, coffee, and relaxing.
It's quite incredible how a host of crystal clear memories can burst from storage, especially when a relaxing, wandering mind is left undisturbed.

Either way, it's great to be home.
A great beginning to what I hope is a fantastic break.

I had a dream last night that I was playing monopoly back home on my kitchen table. Interestingly enough I knew it was a dream because I won. I'm usually picked on by an alliance of the other players and crushed or failing that, if it's beeropoly, I'm usually in the bathroom resetting the volume of my stomach.

But Either way, I woke up in a pretty good mood. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone again not to mention seeing my house - Apparently it's been completely remade. I'm sure some details are being withheld... as always.

I've been trying to keep the details straight in my head as they've been slowly fed to me. It was all thrown into motion this past August when some plumbing in the house burst. The space between the floors filled with Water and the ceiling on the first floor collasped. I was in Halifax with my parents at the time staying at a hotel. I was in the other room of the suite very much asleep when the phone call from my (undoubtedly half drunken) brother came in.

Cue Fireworks.

Dad was on a flight and home 4 hours later. Not too bad if you factor in a 30 minute drive to the Halifax Airport, a 1.5 hour flight from here to there, and a 20 minute drive to Home from the St. John's Airport.

Either way, apparently the attitude that prevailed was, "Well, if this isolated corner of the house has been destroyed, let's redo the entire place."

I'm not sure how I'm going to take to everything which was once green now being Yellow.

Could the Day have gotten any better?

I don't know, it's not over yet, but it's pretty certain, nothing could take this smile off my face.

It goes something like this:

• I got an A- in Dynamics of Machines
• I vaulted from the bottom third of my Machine design class to the top third. I must have had an amazing result on my final
• I got an A+ (one of 5 out of 60) in Fluid Dynamics
• I sold my Xbox and games minus Halo 2 (hello Xbox 360!)
• My Math Exam is taken straight from the assignments...
• My MythBusters T-shirt has Shipped!
• My gift for my girlfriend is spectacular :)
• Christmas starts in 5 days
• And it Just Started snowing: Quite the view from my study control center (read as prison

What a day.

Reality sank in today. Well at least a share of it.
I've got a job coming up. I've got a huge change staging to sweep in.

This job starts in less than a month and it promises to usher in the opportunities that I've been working so hard to get a chance with. It's a real job, something with a real stamp of true and revered professionalism attached. I've been told, warned even that it's very demanding and filled with hard and challenging work. My information package and the contract I've signed tell me over and over that this internship is considered a valuable opportunity for the company to further consider the prospect of my professional recruitment.

I got goose bumps. I was lying on the couch, watching the "Chinese Invasion Alarm" episode of Mythbusters and it just hit me. I starting jumping, I did some push ups and just acted like a lunatic for a couple of minutes. What am I going to do, I thought? I could finally embark into the world of trading. I could triple my money; or I could lose it all. But after some thought and after getting some sound financial advice I've decided that half of my money from every pay check will go directly into stocks; a new bank a new account. It should be exciting and prove to be a good way to use up some dead midweek evenings.

But then there's the rest of it. What could I do?

As of late I've been watching Long Way Round, this log of Ewan McGregor's motorcycle ride around the world. It was an incredible show and fueled my post-summer consideration of getting a motorcycle. I've been looking at a Honda, a Suzuki and even a Harley sportster. But now as a Dal Student I have a metro transit pass. So maybe a bike isn't the best thing right now.

Of course there is the constant song of enticement of microsoft's latest Creation, the Xbox 360.But to tell the truth, I had originally been leaning toward a playstation 2 when I entered the console market again 4 years ago. It was a chance encounter in a Lecture Hall back at Memorial University with Halo: Combat Evolved on a big screen that swayed me. I'll buy the xbox 360, but I want halo 3. I don't have that yet and the other games they're trying to push at me don't really impress me yet. I think I'll wait until something finally breaks down the extraordinary will power I've been exhibiting as of late in my resistance to the "power of x".

Perhaps insanely, I'm thinking that I should save the rest. Save every penny I can. I'm thinking I should save all my money for my dream move to my dream place to live and work: San Francisco. But then Again, I could settle for Los Angeles. I've heard that Caltech has a pretty good Masters Program. But then again, and perhaps more to the point, UC Berkeley has a very healthy relationship with Daltec and One should also note their Masters programs in robotics is pretty well developed.

Hmmm. :)
My decision is made.
Save.
But what to do with it.... the jury is still out. But better to save it then waste it.
At least for now.

But then Again, I could get a dog. A little dog I could bring home and introduce harley to.
Or I could Travel some. Maybe get a new Ipod.
Time to Stop.
If anyone has any suggestions what I should do, please do tell. Of course, keep in mine I'm already part of the Foster Parents Plan, I already have a subscription to Time Magazine and I have no interest in opening or investing in a vegan restaurant.

Flashy Ending

A Memorable ending to a great day. But by memorable ending, I don't necessarily mean great.

I was sitting back on my couch, enjoying a relaxing night in preparation for another day of study tomorrow. Just as the movie I was watching, enemy at the gates was nearing the end my apartment suddenly filled with the smell of fuel. I rose up from the couch and looked around, went to the door, opened it, nothing in the corridor. I didn't have any fuel in my apartment.

I walked to the window. Several people were down in the courtyard looking up at the building. I thought "What the hell, is the building on fire? There's no alarm" I walked back to the kitchen to get the radio to hear the news and see if there was a fire nearby when I saw the vent for my air exchanger. There was soot all around it.

I grabbed the phone and called the fire department. "Hi, well I'm not sure if this is an emergency, but it is defiantly of concern..." I started the conversation with the 911 operator.

Moments later sirens were outside the building. The smell of fuel was getting thick now, sickening. A couple of seconds later as I putting my scarf on and just stepping through my door to get outside and get some air the Alarm went.

....

Something had happened with the furnace at the hotel next door. It had spewed soot and ash into the air in huge clouds of smoke. The stuff had rained down on my building and been sucked into the air intakes. But Alas, no disaster.

The couple of hundred of us walked back inside.
The movie long over.
The night half over.

And I, left in not much of a mood.

Winter Wonderland

Yesterday was an ordinary gloomy day. It was just one of those days where you don't really want to be outside. It was cold, the wind was bitter, the trees hung lifeless and the smell of car exhaust was thick in the air.

But to make matters worst, the exam of exams was yesterday. After having hunkered down and having logged 16 hours of the most focused study ever I actually walked into the room with a smile.

I walked out with a much bigger smile, a grin even.

The day passed quickly after that highlight, the snow started but the rain that was supposed to follow never came. It snowed.. and snowed... And snowed.

I woke up this morning to the most beautiful sight. The streets shimmering, the sky a crystal blue, the trees a lively white, everything else mirrored with ice. The driving wind had snow coated everything in sight. My building, the cars, the trees, the powerlines, the poles, everything. What a great start to what I hope will be a great break.

It was just the kind of day that reminded me why winter was the season that contested summer for being my favorite. It was a beautiful day.

Well Like I've said countless times before, the term is drawing to a close (yippee). Between being buried under my Engineering Texts and trying to write for Thebrig I've managed to finish my Machineshop Project.

It's only a small little Cannon, as you can see from its size relative to the heap of notes it stands on, but I think it's going to provide some laughs this Christmas break.

If I can get my hands on some gunpowder, or something of similar properties <:) I'm hopping to actually fire this baby. Of course I'll have to drill a hole for the fuse, but I've done all the calculations. It's simple Aluminum, Steel, Brass construction is more than enough to handle the forces involved in firing off a couple of blank charges (and perhaps if I get brave, a cannon ball)

Either way, just another thing to look forward to once I finally shake this term off and get a taste of the real world for a while.

Check out this Post over at thebrig.org. It's a carefully composed self-help article.

Playing too much Halo2? Here's how to tell.

It's the proud work of myself and the other writer's at Thebrig.

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