20 Apr 2005
The time to move keeps drawing closer and closer. I've started looking at some condos and apartments online. I'm really looking for something right downtown in Montreal and right along the metro line. Preferrably along the orange line.
There is a new set of loft apartments opening up in downtown Montreal that look amazing! I'm sure there is no way I can afford one though :( I will definitely look into it though, becauase wow, did I mention they are amazing?
My ticket out of hell got pushed back to Monday because the movers decided that they can't move my stuff (I call it junk, the movers call it stuff) on Thursday or Friday so it will have to be Saturday morning. One more day for a life time away? I guess that's an okay deal.
I've been slacking. Maybe even super-slacking on cleaning up my apartment. Maybe I'll just let the movers do it when they're here? I'll just tell them what to pack and whatever is left I'll just throw out.
It's amazing the crap you can accumulate over the years. I mean really, excercise bike? Me? It worked out great for that first month, now it's a hat rack. It's a nice hat rack though :)
16 Apr 2005
Part 1 - The Jalopy
I've never seen a taxi quite like the one I took to the airport at 4am on Thursday morning. The only word to describe it is jalopy. I got in, had a look at the driver, got scared, had a look around the car, got more scared. Good thing I was so tired.
The car itself had broken seatbelt buckles. They worked but were missing the covers to the latching mechanisms. The driver gave me flashbacks to the cop from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He made lots of strange noises and chain smoked for the whole one hour drive.
There was a strange jangling in the car too. It took me nearly a half hour of sneaking glances out of the corner of my eye in the eerie green glow of the dashboard lights to notice two little bells hanging from the ceiling.
The car also made noises and behaved a lot like the car in the old John Candy movie Uncle Buck.
Part 2 - When a Man Falls on a Plane
So I completely passed out on the plane from Halifax to Toronto. One second I was standing in the aisle, the next I was on my back looking up at everyone around me. I don't remember the fall at all. Just the waking up. Then there was the whole being put on oxygen and I think twenty minutes of them asking me questions and filling out paper work over the whole thing.
I got bumped up to first class for the rest of the trip though :)
They almost didn't let me leave the Toronto airport on my connecting flight. They tried to make me stay until the doctor could look at me. I told them I had to get there on time and they compromised by letting me just talk to a nurse. It turns out I was dehydrated, had a slight touch of food poisoning, hadn't eaten in a few too many hours, didn't get enough sleep, and it was just ridiculously hot on the plane. All of those things put together, equals me on the floor of the plane. Stupid heat!
Part 3 - The Wailing Child
From Toronto to Vancouver, I got stuck on a flight with a child who just could not be calmed down. Now normally something like that would never bother me. That day though, wow, did it ever drive me up the wall. Keep in mind I had passed out on my last flight and had only one hour of sleep the night before. I really needed to sleep on that flight, but the kid just didn't quiet down at all.
Part 4 - Oh Sweet Beautiful Ground!
It felt really nice to finally arrive at my destination. I like flying, but I really like being on the ground. It just feels so much safer and, well, more solid. What can I say? Things don't fall out of the ground!
I ended up at this really swanky hotel. Too swanky for me! The elevators all had crazy different lighting in them. One was blue and yellow, the other was red and green. Although that place sure was jumping in the evening :)
Part 5 - Interviews and Offers
The interviews were great. I'm good at talking and the time sure flew buy. The offer was outstanding! Turning it down will be hard to do, and I still might not. My heart seems to be in Montreal right now though. It just makes sense in a lot of ways.
Part 6 - When the Old Meets the New
I ran into a couple of good friends out there that I used to work with. It was great to see them and catch up on old times. Good to see they were doing well and see how life had changed for the better.
It was fun to go out and grab some late night food too!
Part 7 - The Return (Boy My Head Hurts!)
I had a headache the whole flight back. I still needed so much sleep, but I couldn't seem to get to sleep. Thankfully the played Lemony Snicket and that helped pass the time :) I love that movie!
Then on the last flight home I watched Spiderman 2 on my PSP. The PSP just keeps endearing itself to me more and more.
My headache went away something like 30 hours after it started. I'm so glad that it's gone now. I think I was stressed over something.
Part 8 - The Goodness
I just keep getting good news from everywhere and everyone. It seems like good things are happening to all of the people I know. It's a wonderful time right now :) I'm so ridiculously happy sometimes that I can't even contain it :)
I just wanted to give a shout out to my friend Ilona. You were there for me when I needed you these past couple of days. It means the world to me :) I hope to repay the favour one day.
Part 9 - The End
I need to sleep more. I had a really good day so far today. Now it's time for big screen gaming and maybe some beer and pizza.
Mmmmm, soft serve rum ice cream :)
There is a giant journey ahead of me. I can't wait to get this adventure started!
10 Apr 2005
Ahh! Tonight was a good night. A good solid 10 hours of drinking can do wonders for the soul sometimes. Especially when the right people are around :)
I definitely had too much to drink. That is a rare and wondrous occasion. A friend brought a bottle of good tequila, and I got to know it well. Who will I ever drink tequila with when I move? Those are big shoes to fill.
After the 10 hours of drinking, lots of talking, lots of gaming, lots of fun. Somehow I wandered out into public with a different friend and we bought supplies for breakfast. I then proceeded to head back and cook breakfast for everyone who was awake and wanted it or who could be awakened. I was a little concerned about the breakfast, but I guess it went well since they paid me for it when all was said and done. Haha, I would so have done it for free.
I was all ready to cook up a mean desert too! A nice peach pie, but we couldn't find any peaches while out and about. That was probably a good thing, because I probably shouldn't cook too much while still so drunk.
While I write this entry I am drinking lots and lots of water to rehydrate myself before going to pass out for a while. There is still much to do today, and for the rest of my time here for that matter.
Ilona, we should talk. Tonight was good in other ways as well. Very talk-worthy ways :)
The sheep are beckoning. I must sleep. Happy everything everyone!
07 Apr 2005
Hmm, I guess it's been almost a week. So hello out there.
Work is done and gone. At least the job I've had for the last four years is done and gone. It's time to move on to something new and interesting now. I'm still not 100% sure what I'll be working on, but I 99% don't care :)
I'm not moving because of work. I didn't quit my last job because I hated it. I am moving on because it is the right thing to do for life. I need things to do. I need to be in a place where I have options and the opportunity for some spontanaeity.
There is no doubt that I will miss a lot of the friends that I have made here. They can all come and visit though and see what I'm like when I'm happy. That is something that has been very rare for a long time. Plus any of those who want to move on for the same reason, I will help to the best of my ability to move on.
Basically I could go to where I'm going to work and they could put me on the exact same project I'm on now and even though I'd be bored out of my mind, I'd still be happier about everything. Unless you love your job, you shouldn't let it make life decisions for you. Only maybe 2% of the people I know love their job. That's great for them! I however am one of the 98% of the people who just can't seem to get a job that I absolutely love, so I'll just do whatever will get the bills paid and allow me to live my life the way I want to. i.e. HAVE FUN!
My days have been nice and low key lately. Sleep in, get up, clean the place and prep for moving. I like life when it is simple.
I hope the world is treating you all well :)
02 Apr 2005
I just have to start everything off by saying that Sin City is awesome!
I've been making a lot of mistakes lately I think. Breaking promises that I made to myself and things like that. I'll have to fix that all up I guess. I'm going to have a very long and quiet think sometime in the next couple of days. Sort some things out in my mind. Sort some things out in my life. Stop freaking out some of my good friends like I think I have been.
I only have two days of work left. The work days get longer with every passing minute. I would swear that every single minute takes twice as long as the last one while I'm there. I'm looking forward to the parties before I go. Should be some good times :)
Then I'll be looking forward to when everyone moves to work where I'm headed, or at the very least comes to visit.
When my project that I'm working on with a good friend of mine that I've never met finishes up I think I'll disappear for a while. Maybe take the WWF up on one of those working vacations or something. Maybe just withdraw and play a week of Halo. Could be anything.
Have you ever have something happen that is probably a coincidence, but you have no way to be sure? And it leaves you wondering why something happened or what you did wrong? I hate times like that. What if it wasn't a coincidence? I had a moment like that tonight. I just can't shake it.
I'm sure I could say a lot more tonight, but I'm really tired.
Rest will this night.