Refinery trip, Canada Day, and other fun miscellany
Refinery Trip
Today I went to Montreal on a trip for work (ie: free, and got paid for it). I got to go to an oil refinery! freaking cool! I don't know if i'm allowed to actually post what the company's name is, since they told us we're allowed to take pics as long as the company's logo isn't in any of them). That being said, i took a lot of pictures. Sadly they didn't all turn out so well due to the bus window being tinted as well as being in motion most of the time, but i did what i could.
here's what i might call one of my favourite pictures of the bunch:
and the rest:
here's a panoramic shot i took, the stitch worked out alright although there's one very clear spot where you can see the image boundaries. i won't tell you where just so it doesnt ruin the picture for you. hehe.
panorama!
(442k, remember to enlarge it if your browser makes it stupidly small ^_^)
Canada Day
I realize i havn't updated in a while. i'd apologize, too, if i knew anyone gave a damn :P Canada Day was... well, to be blunt, rather uneventful. The girls + Taylor (redundant, i know) came up for the weekend. Saturday, ie Canada Day, started out with breakfast at Cora's. I've never been there before but the waitress was pretty stupid and I doubt I'm going back any time soon. From there, Taylor got dropped off at my place while Lizekka went to look for a place to stay next year. A few hours later, they picked us up and, now joined by Tanya, we headed downtown; first to Tanya's place for some fucked up reason, and then to downtown to find food. some pitas from Pita Pit and an hour (or less?) in Chapters and later, we ended up sitting around on Rideau street just outside said bookstore .. doing nothing. for about an hour and a half. yep. don't ask, i dont know.
While inside Chapters I bumped into geekwithstyle, and outside John bumped into us! Which was awesome, because i had been trying to call him since we left Tanya's place.
We then headed up to Parliament Hill, picked a grassy spot at the back, and waited a couple of hours for Stars to hit the stage and for the fireworks.
Back at Tanya's place, we were joined by her roomate and/or best friend. Some alcoholic jello and drinks later (none for me, thanks), someone got a great idea involving sparklers. weee! there were glowsticks involved at one point, as well. I got some pretty sparkler pictures, as well as a couple of neat glowstick ones. I'll post them later, i really dont feel like going through and figuring out which ones to post, i already did once today (see above).
note: i'm trying not to be *too* bitter in this next part.. mostly why i waited a few days to make this entry mmk?
The next day, after they went to the beach without me (thanks! by the way), we went to see Superman Returns. or rather, me and john went to see it and they happened to show up right before the movie started. and left right after it ended.
nice seeing you guys too. sigh.
friendly note: to keep from kicking holes in the wall of your apartment building when you finally get back to your room, load up a nice game of Quake 3 with 5 or 6 bots on the hardest setting and Amorphis playing audibly in the background. It helps to soothe the nerves. Especially at 12:30am.
going home this weekend
Tomorrow i get to take the greyhound bus back to peterborough. yaaaaay! i hate that damn thing. godammit. anyway, i'm going home to watch the world cup final (which is now down to two teams i dislike, i still dont know who to cheer for) and i'll be taking monday off work. luckily there's a greyhound bus that runs on monday morning that'll get me back to ottawa just before my course at 5:30. wee.
I mostly can't wait to go home to 1) see the cat, whose been in my dreams for the past week, 2) finish the game of Zelda: A Link to the Past (for SNES) that i started last time, and 3) see the now-finished front of the house and possibly finished backyard too. don't get me wrong, i love my family, but the excitement of seeing them has worn down over the past couple of years.
i had a mid-term yesterday
my first psychology midterm, worth 25% of my mark. I only had to guess on 9 out of 50 of the questions, and i usually get my guessed-on questions wrong. so.. i probably got at least an 82 on that exam. i really hope i didnt get less, i need a high mark in this class :(
obligatory music-related section of the entry
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
I was compelled to download a KWS album the other day. I'm very happy I did. I think i'm starting to settle into liking the blues-bordering-on-almost-country-style stuff, like Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Leo Kottke. Music to my ears. PUN INTENDED DUNDUNDUN!@#
BT
apparently BT has a new album due out later this year. It's going to be released in 5.1 surround, but i'll more than likely end up with a stereo rip of it anyway. It also turns out he did the soundtrack to the movie Monster, so i grabbed it. It's all the slow-style BT stuff, very easy to sleep to and sounds beautiful. It's also very summertimeish, and i've got the whole album up here (password when you open it is: pipe) for those of you that want it.
GAMING!
I just bought Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (PS2) today. I havn't torn into it yet. in fact, i elected to write this update rather than start playing, although i've been wanting this game for 2 days now. I can't remember the last time i wanted a game this badly. What could make me run out and buy a game just like *that*? well, how's this for a reason? I don't think i'll ever be that good, and considering how badly i sucked at the first game i know i never will be. but it was still a very compelling reason to go out and buy this game.
other things i've been playing: almost finished Star Wars: Republic Commando (PC), starting The Longest Journey (PC), almost finished Half-Life 2 (PC), about 2/5 through Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (PS2), about 4/7 through Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2), installed but havn't started Psychonauts (PC), i think i'm past half way in Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (PC), and that's all i can remember for now.
well, i've got laundry and dishes to do now, and i've really got to poop at this instant so bie!~
Today I went to Montreal on a trip for work (ie: free, and got paid for it). I got to go to an oil refinery! freaking cool! I don't know if i'm allowed to actually post what the company's name is, since they told us we're allowed to take pics as long as the company's logo isn't in any of them). That being said, i took a lot of pictures. Sadly they didn't all turn out so well due to the bus window being tinted as well as being in motion most of the time, but i did what i could.
here's what i might call one of my favourite pictures of the bunch:
and the rest:
here's a panoramic shot i took, the stitch worked out alright although there's one very clear spot where you can see the image boundaries. i won't tell you where just so it doesnt ruin the picture for you. hehe.
panorama!
(442k, remember to enlarge it if your browser makes it stupidly small ^_^)
Canada Day
I realize i havn't updated in a while. i'd apologize, too, if i knew anyone gave a damn :P Canada Day was... well, to be blunt, rather uneventful. The girls + Taylor (redundant, i know) came up for the weekend. Saturday, ie Canada Day, started out with breakfast at Cora's. I've never been there before but the waitress was pretty stupid and I doubt I'm going back any time soon. From there, Taylor got dropped off at my place while Lizekka went to look for a place to stay next year. A few hours later, they picked us up and, now joined by Tanya, we headed downtown; first to Tanya's place for some fucked up reason, and then to downtown to find food. some pitas from Pita Pit and an hour (or less?) in Chapters and later, we ended up sitting around on Rideau street just outside said bookstore .. doing nothing. for about an hour and a half. yep. don't ask, i dont know.
While inside Chapters I bumped into geekwithstyle, and outside John bumped into us! Which was awesome, because i had been trying to call him since we left Tanya's place.
We then headed up to Parliament Hill, picked a grassy spot at the back, and waited a couple of hours for Stars to hit the stage and for the fireworks.
Back at Tanya's place, we were joined by her roomate and/or best friend. Some alcoholic jello and drinks later (none for me, thanks), someone got a great idea involving sparklers. weee! there were glowsticks involved at one point, as well. I got some pretty sparkler pictures, as well as a couple of neat glowstick ones. I'll post them later, i really dont feel like going through and figuring out which ones to post, i already did once today (see above).
note: i'm trying not to be *too* bitter in this next part.. mostly why i waited a few days to make this entry mmk?
The next day, after they went to the beach without me (thanks! by the way), we went to see Superman Returns. or rather, me and john went to see it and they happened to show up right before the movie started. and left right after it ended.
nice seeing you guys too. sigh.
friendly note: to keep from kicking holes in the wall of your apartment building when you finally get back to your room, load up a nice game of Quake 3 with 5 or 6 bots on the hardest setting and Amorphis playing audibly in the background. It helps to soothe the nerves. Especially at 12:30am.
going home this weekend
Tomorrow i get to take the greyhound bus back to peterborough. yaaaaay! i hate that damn thing. godammit. anyway, i'm going home to watch the world cup final (which is now down to two teams i dislike, i still dont know who to cheer for) and i'll be taking monday off work. luckily there's a greyhound bus that runs on monday morning that'll get me back to ottawa just before my course at 5:30. wee.
I mostly can't wait to go home to 1) see the cat, whose been in my dreams for the past week, 2) finish the game of Zelda: A Link to the Past (for SNES) that i started last time, and 3) see the now-finished front of the house and possibly finished backyard too. don't get me wrong, i love my family, but the excitement of seeing them has worn down over the past couple of years.
i had a mid-term yesterday
my first psychology midterm, worth 25% of my mark. I only had to guess on 9 out of 50 of the questions, and i usually get my guessed-on questions wrong. so.. i probably got at least an 82 on that exam. i really hope i didnt get less, i need a high mark in this class :(
obligatory music-related section of the entry
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
I was compelled to download a KWS album the other day. I'm very happy I did. I think i'm starting to settle into liking the blues-bordering-on-almost-country-style stuff, like Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Leo Kottke. Music to my ears. PUN INTENDED DUNDUNDUN!@#
BT
apparently BT has a new album due out later this year. It's going to be released in 5.1 surround, but i'll more than likely end up with a stereo rip of it anyway. It also turns out he did the soundtrack to the movie Monster, so i grabbed it. It's all the slow-style BT stuff, very easy to sleep to and sounds beautiful. It's also very summertimeish, and i've got the whole album up here (password when you open it is: pipe) for those of you that want it.
GAMING!
I just bought Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (PS2) today. I havn't torn into it yet. in fact, i elected to write this update rather than start playing, although i've been wanting this game for 2 days now. I can't remember the last time i wanted a game this badly. What could make me run out and buy a game just like *that*? well, how's this for a reason? I don't think i'll ever be that good, and considering how badly i sucked at the first game i know i never will be. but it was still a very compelling reason to go out and buy this game.
other things i've been playing: almost finished Star Wars: Republic Commando (PC), starting The Longest Journey (PC), almost finished Half-Life 2 (PC), about 2/5 through Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (PS2), about 4/7 through Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2), installed but havn't started Psychonauts (PC), i think i'm past half way in Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (PC), and that's all i can remember for now.
well, i've got laundry and dishes to do now, and i've really got to poop at this instant so bie!~