A Cute Toaster...

When I saw this toaster I knew I needed to get a picture for McCow! He already has a cute toaster he's quite happy with, but sounds like he could use a laugh. Muu, muu, muu!!!

Merry Christmas

Better late than never, but it's been a busy day ...

Hope you have/had a great Christmas, how ever you define it!!!

Movies:
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

The Spirit of Zelda

Imagine those words on back of a beat up Ford Tempo, it brings a smile to my face when I think about it.

It brought a hugh grin to my face the first time, a few years ago, I saw it on the streets of North Vancouver. Zelda the Wonder Tempo was a common site for a while. I always smiled when I saw her. Zelda was too good to keep to myself. I mentioned her to my friends hoping to share some wimsy. She dissappeared. A shy Tempo? I missed her.

Then a year ago I was headed into Starbucks to grab a coffee for my annual Christmas trek North and there she was! Zelda, you're alive! My inimate friend had stopped by to say hello.

It happened again this year. I parked - loaded up for the Christmas drive - and headed into Starbucks for my travel coffee. There was Zelda parked in front waiting to say a silent hello. Hi Zelda, you're looking good - no rust I see. On my way out of Starbucks I was hit up for "food money" by a pan handler standing in front of Zelda. I never give pan handlers money and simply shook my head ... at the guy standing in front of Zelda. It didn't feel right. Then it came to me. Grabbing a Japanese orange stashed for the road I offered it to the guy. I wasn't sure he would take it, I've heard some pan handlers can be pretty snarky. He smiled real big and said, "Those are great, thanks!"

"You're welcome." Zelda made me do it.

Does the Body Good

Now if this doesn't make you feel better after the torential down pours, nothing will. I live in Vancouver and rain is a fact of life. I'm usually ok with it, grumbling more or less the same as everyone else. The last couple of weeks of multiple days of hard rain was really getting to me. Maybe I've been spoiled because of the sunny winter last year, maybe it's because I've been fighting a headcold with varied success. What ever, todays weather was just what I needed.

Saw "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings" last night. It did the spirit good, but my head cold flaired up - undoubtedly because the show wasn't over till 1am. The movie was very good. Not insanely excellent, but very good. In other words, I'd pay to see it again but am ok if I don't. Definitely something you want to see once on the big screen, though. The special effects were subtle and amazing. You'd swear John Rhys-Davis, who plays Gimli, is really 4 1/2 feet tall in real life!

Books (Finished):
A Song for Arbonne - Guy Gavriel Kay

Movies:
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings

I Win!

Christmas came a little early, whilst at an event with a door prize I actually won something!! Hoo-rah! It's a nice toy, too. I've already killed one set of batteries. What is it? I'll give you a hint.

The guy on the right guards the door to my apartment and the guy on left is lazier than I am:


Did you guess digital camera? You're very cleaver. Don't let it go to your head!

Bye, Bye, Hotmail

I'm free of HotMail hell, I've walked away from the stench of that junkmail cesspool. The "Mail the Dragon" link now points to an email account that gets checked as often as my regular mail. Think I need a shower.

Christmas Party Session

Christmas must be coming, I just hit my first Christmas get together. The Linux User Group and Wired Women had a joint party. It's the first "computer" gathering where there were as many women as men. Not a lot of mixing going on, at least not when I left.

Have a pretty blue disk for Christmas? Well, world conquest has taken a seat to ground pounding spin fusor fights in power armour. Some how the Civilization CD fell out of the drive and the Tribes CD fell in. They have a new scoring system and I'm doing very well by it. Points for fixing things means more points for Battle Dragon. Broke 100 the other day! Also got my first air kill using a plasma rifle, go me. Now, when I can do that consistantly ....

That's: Security Dragon!!!

That waiting is over, it's Mundane Dragon, CISSP!

The mail delivery person was later than usual today, but I forgive him. After finding my mailbox empty around 1:15 I was resigned to testing my patience for another 24 hours. About 20 minutes later my Enterphone system buzzes. My mind raced. Mail folken don't ring buzzers at apartments, do they? I press the button, "Hello?"

"Hi, I have a package that won't fit in the mail box."

THEY DOOOO!!!!!!

"I'll be RIGHT down"

I race out the door and down the stairs as fast as I can. I figure he's standing at the door ready to leave. My Enterphone system is pure crap and everyone who visits says they can't understand a word. This is one postie I don't want getting away because my reply sounded "Push off", "Green Tomatoes", or a newborn babbling in delight because toes are just the most fascinating thing in the world.

Socks don't have the same traction on carpet as shoes do.

When I hit the bottom of the stairs and tried slowing down parts of me didn't. That's ok, my ass rebounded off the stairs. I was standing like an expectant puppy in front of a very surprised looking postie still in the process of putting mail into mail boxes. "You weren't kidding about being right down."

Lacking any grace I'm sure, I said something like, "I've been waiting for this for a while. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Decorum, we don't need no stinkin' decordum.

Of my study group's core four, the four of us who made all the study sessions, three of us have passed and the fourth has a parcel pickup. Here's hoping for four out of four.

Me, A Work of Art?

Saw this on BabyBlade's blog/diary (see the Cute Toaster link) and had to give it a try. I don't feel like a starry night ....

If I was a work of art, I would be Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night. I am a tiny village at peace while overhead rages the tumult of the heavens. Objects whirl and flash around me in a fevered haze only partially reflected in reality while I remain grounded and secure in my isolation. Which work of art would you be? The Art Test

Books (Finished):
Applying Use Cases: A Practical Guide - Geri Schneider, Jason P. Winters

Movies:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Amelie