Life Is Not Purgatory

Allergy Attack!
... you'd think I'd know better.

So I had to take an hour break in the middle of my shift today to go home and decontaminate myself after exposing myself to my two biggest allergies: horses and hay. I'm still wheezing a little bit even hours later but I'll be fine.

I have a very cool invite to reprise an old role from a D&D campaign as a guest appearance in a friends chronicle for few weeks in the near future... I'm really looking forward to it.

Reflection
… and unused RRSP contribution space.

In my last trip to E-town I renewed my vehicle insurance and managed to save about $700 because I live in ‘rural’ Alberta, although my insurance broker suggested I low-ball my estimated mileage in order to pay a modest distance premium as opposed to an obscene premium (on the order of $300). This brought my yearly cost down to an amount I was able to pay out of pocket – which means that I no longer have any monthly expenses except for ‘debt servicing’.

My current employment has been very good for me financially, to the point where I am now looking back at my rather large unused RRSP contribution space and looking towards some other investments that are more risky. All in all – I’m doing quite well financially; my credit card debt is all marked for payment within two weeks, leaving me a modest personal loan still outstanding, which will be dented even further in the near future (Thanks, Ralph!). The problem is I want to do something that I ‘know’ to be a risky investment, one that will likely result in no return in the near-term, possibly small returns in the long-term, and probable a complete bust… but it’s something I /want/ to do.

Speaking of other things I want – I did it, I’ve sent a direct but likely sappy email, and we’ll see what happens. Though I’ll admit, I hovered my mouse over the send button for an inordinately long time. I am not holding my breath however. I don’t live in E-town anymore, and we are both busy people – but I can hope right? I’m not looking for anything to serious just a mutual exploration to see if it can go anywhere…

Content
... with the election at least!

It's all good, a small Conservative minority with no one party able to really claim the hold the balance of power and the election of the 'shock radio jock' from Quebec. It should be an exciting few months in Parliament.

I am in Edmonton busily atttempting to make plans for the next few days... busilly electrocuting myself as Clarisse would say. :)

Partly Cloudy
... with a slight chance of pain.

I am doing far better than I could reasonably expect, and in general better than most of my co-workers who had less to drink than I did. I'm actually only slightly 'fuzzy' and still capable of number crunchin and mainitning a positive disposition - although I did wake up at 5:00am thinking someone had shoved cotton balls down my throat I was sooooo parched.

Reading what I posted earlier, I'm glad my censor was still working last night otherwise I would be very uncomfortable this morning.

I will be leaving for Edmonton around 2:00pm on Tuesday so I should be arriving by 6:00pm and I'm thinking about at movie night drop me an email, comment, or phone call if you are interested in joining or have a prefered movie.

First Time For Everything?
... Yup, I'm drunk!

It's just after midnight and I have just left the hotel after consuming copious amounts of alcohol given a ‘twonie’ bar during the staff awards dinner and Karaoke Night in Woody's Bar. I left the bar. unable to walk in a straight line (I checked) and having lost my voice. Had I stayed at the bar I likely would have drunk even more alcohol, and aggravated my voice to the point of total loss of use tomorrow.... bad idea.

I typed multiple paragraphs below but censored them after realizing I would very likely regret it when I sobered up in the morning.

I'll summarize by saying why is it that I always am interested in those who are not interested in me, or interested in those whom I infer are not interested in general... or in me in specific... and should I ask - only to crash and burn or remain silent and save my ego the bruising, and likely the underlying friendship.

PS - If this post disappears tomorrow... I think you know why.

Victory!
... the defeat of my Scabble Nemesis!

232-217 a much closer match than the 306-229 beating I received January 8th, my ego has been avenged...

STOMP tickets are about $44.00 and I'm looking at the performance on Tuesday, February 21. Wheeee!!!!

The Amazing Collapsing Liberals
… with the amazingly silent wing-nut Conservatives.

At the beginning of the election campaign I looked at the starting polls, which were quite similar to the 2004 election. I predicted that it would be a toss-up between a Liberal or Conservative minority government that would be significantly smaller than the previous one.

But now… we are almost certainly headed for a Stephen Harper led Conservative government – the only question now is whether the NDP will capitalize enough from the free-falling Liberal fortunes to deny Harper a majority government.

I don’t think they will get a majority – and I hope that is the case, but even if they do the Liberal-filled Senate will prevent them from taking too far a reactionary step to the right.

Humbled
… and other things I got beaten with.

So, this last trip up to Edmonton was a rather quick one although I packed a lot into the two days I had there. On Tuesday just as I arrived in town, I had dinner with my sister before game night with Tim and the ‘gang’ with the surprise addition of Brendan who brought his copy of the revised ‘Empire Builder’. It was fun although I had an odd combination of poor luck and lack of familiararity with the game that placed me dead last in a heat of 6…

On Wednesday, I was introduced to A Call to Arms: Babylon 5 Space Combat at GZ Games. Now, under the old Babylon 5 Wars I used to be pretty good at using my Earth Alliance fleet… but Jason wiped the floor with me and it wasn’t pretty, I licked my wounds just in time to go to the Harlequin’s play test of Oath of Stars and noted how truly out of his element my character was after taking a ‘me time’ break.. and leaving the rest of the player group – and opening a side plot that I have no idea where it’s going.

My early return to work on Thursday morning did prevent me from ‘taking the leap’ into the dating waters but given my poor luck – it may have been for the best. It was odd I really didn’t call anyone that I didn’t have plans with. Though I expect my next trip to be a Wed-Fri trip so we’ll see how that goes and if I chicken out again or not.

PS – I want to go to STOMP when it’s at the Jubilee in February, anyone else interested?

Windows - Winblows
... sigh

So I agreed to help a fairly computer inept line cook with her computer only to bestymied by the setup program to install Win98... requiring Windows... ARRRRRRRRRRRGH!

On a lighter note I will be leaving the valley around 10:00am tommorow so I should be in the city by 2:00pm. So if anyone wants an afternoon coffee date just give me a call.

15 Hours
... and still not sleepy!

Today was a long day, starting at noon and ending at just after 3:00am. I'd post more but I have to nap before my morning shift in just a few hours... joy.

It's Here
... and just as promised!

I think I've sold my soul to Ebay. The games arrived at the Kananskisk post office on Thursdaym just over 2 days since I won the bid and paid. Impressive even with the sender being from Lethbridge.

Update from the Valley
... with new discoveries.

I'll start with a note to Firefly DvD owners, that an Easter Egg was discovered by Oreo (my Scrabble nemesis) in the special features of Disk 4. Now there are those who take delight in finding Easter Eggs themselves so I'll only let people know the exact location if requested to.

The government isn't going to vivisect me for not submitting tax returns anymore... in fact I got a nice big cheque from them (which is always good.)

Dave, Anne and I have a dinner date for next week when I'm up to go over how we are going to do things for the next stage of the chronicle - we'll all be inundated with Purgatory talk soon enough.

Ooooo I'm plus cash in online poker (Wait before you jump on me - I have firmly established limits on what I'm going to spend and when I'm going to cash out), and it's a fun way to kill some time here.

I'm mulling over biting the bullet and testing the waters with someone to so if there is any potential in a relationship but I'm nominally worried about foot-in-mouth syndrome or otherwise underminining the underlying friendship... So, should I test the waters or just let sleeping dogs rest?

Mine! Mine!! Mine!!!
... I wants it, I needs it, my precious!

I won my first Ebay auction today and assuming I'm not screwed around by the seller (it is Ebay after all), I should be the proud owner of both of Avalon Hill's classic boardgames: Advanced Rise and Decline Third Reich and Rising Sun.

I was worried for a little while when I was fighting with my PayPal account so that I could actually pay for the blasted thing... but after three hours of cranial contortions I finally got it figured out - and only had to almost delete my entire account.

On an related-note (well not really) Dave has has finished the revamp of the SbN rule set for the next (and final) chapter of Purgatory... and it looks pretty. I've only skimmed it (I would have spent more time reviewing it, except I was busy plotting the revenge against PayPal) but I hope to give a full report back to Dave by tommorow.

I Fucking Hate Scrabble
... and it hates me.

My tiles are 2-I's, 4-E's and an O. I just had to get that off my chest.

2006
… Not a Bad Start

First - I would like to announce that as of 9:00pm tonight I now have a reliable satellite-supported Internet connection from my apartment within staff accommodation – which means I no longer have as good an excuse to avoid updating my blog.

Second - I blew the right front tire of my Neon and had to replace the rim and tires (they needed replacing anyways). So I went to Canadian Tire and bought the tires that were on special and saved (in that ‘spending’ a lot sot of way) some money and in the process I met an attractive young lady in the waiting room and after a few minutes of small talk she gave me her phone number – I may yet call her.

Third – The mystery at work has been revealed and aborted. Our owners were all-but finished the take over of a prominent hotel in another Alberta city (and guess where I was headed), however the seller got cold feet and pulled the plug at the eleventh hour. However things here are better, I have all the responsibility I want and my salary review is early next week.

Fourth – The local gaming group is starting to gel, although one of the members (the wildcard) has blown off gaming twice for a booty call (not that I can blame her…) I’m looking forward to seeing where it’s going to go.
More as it develops!