Good times

How would you like to wake up every morning to something like this?  That’s what I did on Saturday morning.  I had the opportunity to stay somewhere special and the opportunities are few and far between.  I had better try to make good use of it while the opportunity’s still there.  The temperature was comfortable, the mountain air refreshing, and the view … well, unspeakable.  Stanley Park as viewed from the hill across the way.

I absolutely love the summer months … vball in the sand and on the lawn, short road trips all over the place, and just chillin’ in the sun.  Who could possibly work in this kind of weather?

The weather was absolutely amazing last week … it was so nice that I made myself drive the Miata to work all week (like anyone had to twist my arm!).  It’s been a long time since I’ve really taken the car out and it’s just so much fun to drive.  I loved every minute.  The whole week I strolled into the office in shorts, sandals and a t-shirt - it’s great when you’re able to do it.  Anyway, tuesday night was so nice that I couldn’t make myself head home early.  After a not so pretty, greasy dinner, I chilled out a while at Beckwith park watching some buddies play v-ball.  It was nice to just lay out in the sun on the cool grass … though the hayfever was starting to act up!  =(

Wednesday was cool.  The office arranged for us to go bowling at Mayfair Lanes at 4pm.  I didn’t have a chance to play but chilled out with the crew nonetheless - gotta be a team player right?  Anyway, the night ended up being a pow-wow at work despite the beautiful weather (I must have been a little insane there).  Put in an extra few hours so that I could leave early on Friday … ended up leaving at 9pm.  Didn’t end up going home though … we ended up tossing Fight Club into the DVD player but I was way too tired to really follow everything that was going on in the movie.  I’ve gotta watch it again … from what I saw, it seemed pretty interesting.

Thursday was interesting as well.  It started off as usual but when it hit 2pm, the power went out … to the entire grid.  So, blessed with 30 degree weather, the entire office went outside to chill out and bake in the sun.  The office called in an ice cream truck for us to buy some sweets to cool down.  By that time, I had found out that the garage was open so I went for a spin in the car to get some bbtea  =D  By the time we got back, most of the office staff was let go for the day and shortly after we found out the power was coming back on at 4pm.  I booted it out of there only to find my way back because I left my cell charger at the office - I was a good boy and stayed after that.  Too bad I left before the free pizza came  :(  Anyway, back to the wicked night.  It was the third day in a row with unlimited sun and some buddies called me out to Sticky’s for some sand v-ball on the rooftop.  I was there in a second and actually got a couple hits in … didn’t play long since my ankle was still messed.  On my way out, I got pulled out again … some other buddies were setting over at Willows as well so I got a couple quick games there as well.  It was good to see everyone … good times … i just wish i could play!  God, why are you testing me?!

Friday was kind of cool as well, though I was bombing around Vancouver like a chicken with it’s head cut off … It seems as though everyone was enjoying the sun that week.  At the ferry terminal there were a healthy number of people sitting in the shade, reading in the sun, going for brief walks, doing a little shopping, and of course, buying some of that wicked kettle corn from the largest popcorn popper I’ve ever seen!  As i sat in the sun listening to some music, my eyes started to wander looking for anything and everything interesting … from people to products to design.  It really is nice to just take a moment to take in what’s around you … you see things in a different perspective rather than the blur that it usually is.  Kids trying some kettle corn for the first time to only bolt to their parents and ask for their own bag.  People kicking around a hacky-sac or walking their dogs.  Even the leaves on the trees are interesting with it’s brilliant green color contrasted by the shade, bright sunlight and wonderfully blue sky.  Dreamy isn’t it?

Anyway, I forgot a belt for my suit so I ended up looking around for one at the Gap.  Went to Richmond Center where I picked up a late wedding gift for Jon, walked all the way around the mall looking for a Hallmark because I couldn’t find a directory for the life of me!  Oh, btw, do you have any idea how many lame wedding cards there are?  Anyway, the Gap didn’t have anything in Richmond Center, nor did Oakridge, but I was able to hold one at the Robson location.  By that time, it was 8:15, I was getting hungry and Samauri sushi was staring me in the face (it was just across the street).  For some reason, I decided the belt was more important and the Gap closes at 9.  I boot it down there and it didn’t even occur to me that it was Friday night … good luck finding a spot anywhere, let alone move at anything more than a snail’s pace.  I just gave up after that and got something to eat.

That’s enough rambling for now i think …

Yup, the friday before any long weekend is typically a little slack, and this past friday was no exception to that rule.  In fact, it was more slack than usual  =)

The day started with me spending more money - money that I don’t have but what the heck.  BMW Driver Training should be a good time and it’ll be an opportunity to do something with my dad since there aren’t that may opportunities it seems.  Anyway, the Advanced II course covers steering technique, vehicle dynamics, emergency manoevers, front and rear wheel skid control, etc.  It should be a good time - we’re hitting the tarmac at Boundary Bay Airport in July.  Maybe now I can do that Skip Barber driver training down in California next time (two days, Laguna Seca, 500+ hp Dodge Vipers).

Next up?  Did about an hour of work and then started prepping for an interview.  The prep and interview took a good two hours and the office even put out for lunch  =D  After an hour’s worth of work after lunch, we geared up for our team meeting … 3:20 at SilverCity to watch Star Wars …  =D  We booked it out of the office around 2:30 … a productive day indeed.

The Star Wars flick was pretty good … better than the other two at the very least.  The action scenes were good, Yoda rocks as usual and Lucas still needs to hire someone else to do those cheesy love scenes.  A frequent comment from co-workers?  "Talk is cheap, start killing something!"  All in all, it was good and there’s not too much to complain here.  This rather dark movie leads in well to the original three episodes.  If you want an indepth review, you’ll have to look elsewhere … I’ve never been a hardcore StarWars fan.

It’s definitely been a weekend full of birthdays.  The weekend was kicked off with Gavin and Kendrick’s b-days at South Bay.  Dinner was good and the after party was pretty low key.  Later in the evening, I jumped over to bbtea and met up with the rest of the crew - had a good chat and played some cards.

If you can, do something nice every day.  Just this past week a good friend of mine was having a rotton week (for various reasons).  She popped up on msn one morning to see how I was.  Unfortunately, she brought some bad news herself.  After the brief chat, I promptly gave the local florist a call to send something small to her at the office hopefully to brighten her day.  The surprise did just that.

It’s always nice to do something nice just to make someone feel better or smile.  It warms their heart, and takes whatever problems away -  even if only for a moment.  On the days that you’re feeling down, bringing a little bit of joy to someone else, can brighten your own day as well.

It’s the little things in life that count and stand the test of time.

The past week’s been pretty insane and personally, I’ve been down in the dumps.  No motivation what so ever, feeling alone, and all that crap.  What’s it from?  I’d say it stemmed from work.  I had a presentation this past friday.  The prototype of the application I’ve been working on for months was shown to the major stakeholders at the office.  Pressure was definitely there.  For the entire week before it, I was working my ass off.  Starting at 8am to about 6:30pm I was at my desk focused on work like you wouldn’t believe.  Sit down and don’t move for 3 hours kinda work pumping out 40 or so bug fixes and feature requests.  It was a freaking wild ride and it lasted for 5 straight days.

In the middle of it, I found some time to get my first massage in.  The therapist was wondering what the heck I was doing.  My whole upper back and shoulders were unbelievably tense and stiff … the massage helped.  It was pretty bad, during that whole week I was walking around with my shoulders contracted … like I wanted to be a turtle or something.

Thank god the presentation went well … I would have freaked if it didn’t … at least I could relax a little at the end of the week.  One of the other problems?  This stupid ankle.  It’s still keeping down and out.  Timing was pretty bad as well.  It’s usually my escape from the stresses of work, but instead, it’s making me go insane very slowly.  Four weeks in, it’s still swollen but I’m walking fine, hopping a bit and living my body weight with it.  Hopefully some acupuncture will help as soon as my damned acupunturist gets back from vacation!  He conveniently left the week I injured myself.

Counting the days until I can play again … hopefully I won’t go insane first …

Admittedly, it’s been a long time since my last post - and there’s a reason for that.  I’ve been busy, like the rest of us.  So here’s the first of a series of posts to catch up.

After the ankle sprain, I simply haven’t touched the LSAT.  That ambitious feeling’s pretty much gone and for some odd reason, I just can’t handle any type of focused logic right now.  I think I’m just mentally exhausted from work.  The last few days I’ve been pushing hard to get things done and when you need to study later on that same day, it just doesn’t work.

I honestly can’t say that the last couple weeks have been all
happy.  I just came back from a funeral over the weekend.  My third uncle on my mom’s side passed away.  He had termal cancer and as of the end of last year,
he apparently had till the end of this summer to live.  He went
into the hospital two weeks ago and the doctors gave him two
weeks.  I had planned to go visit him over the weekend but he
didn’t even last that long.  The friday of that week I got a
message from my cousin telling me that he wasn’t doing so well.
Everyone got called into the hospital at 6am.  12 hours later, he
was gone.  So very sad - he was only 63.  So, the funeral was
for him the other weekend.  It was hard going through all that with the
family but it’s just a fact of life I guess.  At least he passed
away in peace.<!–
D(["mb","

\r\nGrandma seems to be doing ok right now - though my dad had a meeting\r\nwith the doctor a couple weeks ago.  He said that she\'s got a sack\r\nfull of gall bladder/kidney stones and they don\'t have a clue when it\r\ncould go.  It\'s scary ... a ticking time bomb it is.  Knock\r\non wood; I hope she\'ll be fine.
\r\n
\r\nSorry for all the sad news - it\'s just been what\'s happening lately.  What have you been up to?
\r\n
\r\nThere were some good things that happened over the weekend\r\nthough.  Steven decided to lend me his ipod indefinitely because\r\nit "complicates [his] life".  I\’m having a good time playing with\r\nit and should provide hours of entertainment 
\r\n
\r\nWell, it seems that it still holds true … when i get into writing\r\nemails they\’re long.  I hope it wasn\’t too boring though - always\r\nwant to keep my reader\’s entertained to some level 
\r\n
\r\nI hope to hear from you soon.  <big hug>  If I don\’t\r\nhear anything from you at all, I\’ll send it over to your hotmail later\r\nsince I don\’t know if you check your gmail anymore …
\r\n
\r\nAs supportive as ever.
\r\n
\r\nLove,
\r\n
\r\nChris
“,1]
);

//–>

On a ligher note, there were some good things that happened that weekend.  My buddy decided to lend me his ipod indefinitely … more on that later.  What else?  I finally picked up my TV Tuner card from eBay.  Although I don’t have that much to compare to, the ATI TV Wonder Elite card I got’s great!

Yup, that’s the title I’ve decided to give it.  For the better part of the rest of the week, I ended up working from home, keeping the ankle elevated and chilled.  Gotta baby this thing as much as I can.  As of Friday morning, the foot started to really exhibit some significant bruising and swelling.  I think driving to work and walking around on it the previous day didn’t help.

On Friday we hit the clinic and the doc basically freaked at me.  Getting me to go get an x-ray, suggesting crutches, splints, braces, etc.  She thinks i’m out for 6 weeks - I’ll be good before then I tell you that!  I have no plans of sitting on my ass for six weeks.  In fact, I was out briefly last night at a buddy’s b-day party  =)  Tonight?  Maybe I’ll hit Cactus Club with a few others.

Anyway, after the clinic I made my way to Vic General to get the x-ray done.  Every time I drive by that hospital I’m never in good spirits and how could you?  I don’t know who designed the thing but it looks like a dreary cement commercial building from an industrial zone.  I mean, really, it’s bad enough being there, could they have made it a little more attractive?  The rain from the grey clouds above never helps the mood either.  Luckily, the interior was a little better - though I didn’t see much of it.  As you walk into the hospital you find yourself in an open foyer, Emerg and info to the right; main corridor, coffee shop and gift shop straight ahead.  The lights, healthy buzz of people and splashes of bright color (blue, red, yellow, orange, etc.) accented the room creating a sense of life within.  Limping my way down the main corridor, I was attracted to a brilliant array of flowers undoubtedly made more vibrant by the natural light that was let into the area by a row of ceiling high windows.  The x-ray?  Well, that’s nothing really to write home about.  Luckily I only had to wait 10 minutes or so.  Snap! Snap! Snap! And we’re done.

Injuries, that’s what I’m about and I’m starting to think that’s all in my destiny.

Let’s go back a couple years … October of 2003 in fact.  At my last company, I was sent to Vancouver to do some work but instead of givine me a laptop, they make me take a desktop.  Yes, keyboard, powerbar, monitor, tower, etc.  Don’t get me started.  Anyway, the morning I get back to head to work, I’m carrying the monitor down the steps outside my house being as careful as humanly possible.  It wasn’t my day.  I missed the last step.  My right hit ground first, rolling it outwards spraining it with a nice *crack* for good measure.  Then?  The weight of the 17" monitor I was carrying accelerated me to the ground - me and my firm grasp.  Not so bad huh?  A high pitched wail filled with angonizing pain escaped.  My left knee hit cement dead on (body + monitor weight).  Picture this, an asian guy resting his entire body weight on top of a stupid monitor with the right ankle twisted outwards and the other knee glued to cement.  It was pretty and the only way out was a summersault over the screen.

Walking around hurt like you wouldn’t believe.  Walking upstairs, the left knee would hurt; walking down, the right ankle would hurt.  Worst of all?  I was dealing with all the pain the fact that I could have filed for worker’s comp didn’t even come to mind … and no one suggested it either.

So, ever since, I’ve been dealing with a badly bruised intrapatellar tendon (the tendon that attaches just above the knee cap to the muscles on your lower leg).  Badminton and v-ball got cut for the most part; couldn’t do anything that involved high stress.  Off and on for a year, I gave physio a go to no avail.  Finally, I gave acupuncture a go and that appeared to yield results.

Anyway, it’s now April 2005, a good year and a half from my initial injury.  For the first time, I actually felt good.  The rotator cuff injury I had in my left shoulder got taken out by my physiotherapist the week before, the tendon over my knee finally stopped hurting for a little while, and I was feeling ready to go.  And I was.  That night at badminton I played the hardest I can remember.  I was running the court like a Tazmanian Devil.  Opponents pushed me, and I pushed back harder.  Smashes were going down (and hard), drops were relatively tight and movement was awesome.  I was even consistent with the smashes with my opposite arm.  I was gleeming; happy that I was back.

Enjoy it while it lasts they say.  I can’t catch a break!  After badminton I got called out to vball.  30 minutes in, my buddy goes up for a hit and me to block.  He comes down with his leg on my side of the court.  My left comes down on it and I end up rolling my ankle.  Now I’ve got a small grapefruit for an ankle and I’m walking around slower than my 90 year old grandfather.  My physio says I’m out for three weeks.  Piss me off - it had better get well soon.

The Ford World Curling Championships hit Victoria this year.  For the span of about a week, the world’s greats converged on Victoria to the new Save-On-Foods Memorial Center (I still don’t know what the hell the sculpture is outside the arena).

Anyway, I’ve always been pretty interested when I’ve watched the game on tv on occasion.  The stragegy is good and some of the shots were quite amazing.  To this date, I still haven’t actually tried it myself.  So, what better opportunity to catch some curling?  Too late … all the tickets were sold out.

Luckily for me, a buddy of mine had an extra ticket … well, not really.  His buddy sprained his ankle and couldn’t walk so I was the beneficiary.  The seats were awesome … section 108, row c, seat 1.  Translation?  Front row seating with no visual obstructions other than the stupid hand railing and safety glass.  The shots were great and so was some of the strategy.

There were some Scottish ladies at the other end of the arena that were an absolute riot!  They had their chants and dances down pat.  I wish I had a picture of them.  I think it would have been cool to party with them as well.

Yes, the first entry into a category called "Education".  Done one degree and released in to the free world, I’ve been working for a good 2+ years.  An MBA has always been the plan, or some sort of higher level Master’s degree.  I’ve been scared as of late - scared of getting into study mode which is so very different from working life.  I knew the day would come, I knew that I would dred it so I kept on putting it off.

But today, it’s weird.  I actually got motivated.  I picked myself off my ass, gave a friend a call and went to pick up her LSAT books that she’s been trying to get rid of.  I have a healthy stack of books sitting right infront of me right now and in fact, i was walking around the house with one of the thicker ones earlier.  I tell ya, it’s a decidingly erie feeling … one that’s going to take some time to get accustomed to.  We’ll see how motivated I stay …