It's Thursday, I'm probably going out drinking tonight then show up on time for work tommrow. That's the life! Also blame TagBoard for my site loading slow yesterday, something was screwy on their end.

This is really why Italians are so much better than the rest of Europe

Wait...now a woman can change her mind during sex? This isn't good news for The Professor.

I know there aren't many Lions Fans who read my blog (as far as I know, I'm the only one), but mlive.com has a great weblog of the Lions training camp. Great stuff if you are a football fan.

Weird how life works out. After my last blog, I find out I'm going to Sherway and get to go home as soon as I'm done. Now that's how you spend an afternoon!

The Professor is a sellout! That is all. Oh yeah, DP won the race last night after Hank Scorpio put a hex on me. Damm that Hank Scorpio, he's evil I tell you, evil!

So here I am, stuck at work for another 3 hours, waiting for my day to end. I tried getting a computer going this morning, but it wouldn't budge. So I'm going to give it attempt #2 and hope for the best. It's nice outside, good thing I get the desk with a window today and not the warehouse that I so proudly display.

Ok, here's the scoop, woke up at 5:30am today, left for St. Catherines at 6. Saw the sunrise for the second day in a row (that's the first time in my life I can say I did that in the summer...is that some kind of record?) Worked at the store until 5. Got home at 6. Now I'm off to SRL: Summer Showdown. And what a showdown it will be. Here's the update list (Sw0rdFish, get well soon, I'm dedicating tonight to you!)

Stu (duh)
The Professor (making his powered by Acura debut)
DP (always a fighter)
Boost Monkey (can he make it 2 in a row?)
Boost Monkey's friend #1 (he has a friend?)
Boost Monkey's friend #2 (he has 2 friends?)
Hank Scorpio (the offical trophy of SRL).

So that's the lineup for tonight. Best of luck to all (they'll need it). Who will Hank ride home with tonight?

Just got back from the falls. It seems every time I go to Daily Planet, something funny happens. Like last night for example, I was hammered pretty good, when one of my buddies tells some girl that it's my birthday. Hey hey, that's a good way to start talking. Long story short (well there are some parts that I don't remember either) we get back to her hotel lobby, when she asks if it's really my birthday. I'm like, yeah, it is, Saturday July 25. Only problem was yesterday was Saturday, July 26. BUSTED! Ahh well what are you going to do? Her friend and one of my friends were getting pretty close so with no taxi money and no sense of direction, I decided to sit on a curb for a few minutes while the others said their goodbyes. I lost 45 minutes on that curb, because when I woke up it was 5am. Ahh well, I had fun on my 1st birthday of the year. Hope my 2nd and 3rd ones are as good as the first.

This is what all those SRL blood sweat and tears are for: The SRL Trophy. Yes guys, I've managed to find that one thing that fits right in with everything SRL is. Let me first show you the picture of it:



Yup that's right, Hank Scorpio embodies everything SRL stands for: World Domination, Not quite mentally there and a one time apperance on The Simpons. I've managed to get a nice shot of him next to a kart (you guys didn't really think I'd let the kart be the trophy did you?)

2 More days until SRL: Summer Showdown. I can hardley wait. Sw0rdFish may or may not come out of retirement for the big race (which would make it an absolutely huge race). As for me, I'm gonna play some football in a couple of hours then go out somewhere tonight.

Last night I fell asleep early on the couch (about 11pm). Come midnight my brother wakes me up and tells me to go to bed. So I say in a few minutes and go right back to sleep. 5:30am comes around and he tells me the exact same thing (he's getting ready for work at this time). So I finally take his advice (as I don't want to be on the couch when he gets home from work) and sleep in till 10. It's nice to get some good sleep inside of me.

Monday is quickly approaching for SRL: SUMMER SHOWDOWN. With 3 people already confirmed (and possibly 2 more still to confirm) this looks to be the biggest race since the Formula Kartways days (which is good). DP is back after a one race absence and coming out of a retirement is The Professor (now powered by Acura). Talon Boy claims he's might be able to come out and race (although he won't be confirmed until he's actually at the track) and Boost Monkey, although MIA is always up for a good fight and is looking to defend his title (claims have been put out that I haven't been able to beat him in a month...I'll put those to rest). We may be able to get a hold of a new trophy for SRL, that would be awarded to the winner of Monday night's races. So who will it be? Stay tuned!

It's Friday, I'm at work doing doccumentation, but on the good side, I am working...hmm wait that's not good at all! Hehe, anyways, I thought I'd post up a pic of my work area to show you guys exactly what I mean when I say slave work. Check out the pipes!



I slept 10 hours last night as I was dead tired. Too tired to eat in fact. All I had to eat yesterday was the chicken pizziola sub. That's it! No breakfast/dinner! Hmm, I wonder what I'm going to have for lunch today. I'm thinking of trying those chicken strips from DQ, but I don't know if I can order actual food from there and not ice cream. Bah, there's a first for everything right?

I'm tired, went to work today long enough to find out I had to go to Markham. Meh whatever, I was so tired I couldn't care less. Stalled myself in the office for a while so that I could get to take lunch on the road (and thus make the company pay for it as I didn't bring my own food). Did the Markham store and decided to check out what the fuss about Pacific Mall is. I had the company digi cam with me, but decided against bringing it out, since it's one of those Sony's that use floppy disks. Man, I should have brought my own, but the supervisor didn't like the rates I would have rented my digicam out to the company for (hey I am a business man, I know how to make a profit). Back to pacific mall. Nice place I guess if you are into it's theme. Putting 20 people into a store the size of my bedroom isn't mine though.

I decided to get some subway on the way back to the office (as I said before, company was paying). Damm, the chicken pizziola sub combo came out to $10! I would have never paid that much if I was buying...but alas company is paying so might as well enjoy life right? Sub was actually pretty dammed good...would have been nice if they heated the whole thing, not just the chicken...but I can't complain. I somehow made it through the rest of the day...I think I know why, it must have been the 2 girls I picked up.

Yes, for the second time in 3 days, I've been working like a dog. Woke up at 5:30am to be ready to leave for Kitchener at 6 to get to the store at 7 so it's ready to open at 8. Get through all the necessary stuff by 12, lunch is over at 1, hang around Kitchener until 2 then leave to be in Hamilton for 3. Get to the store, check in, and begin time killing mode. See League of Extrodinary Gentlemen (ok...I slept through a good hour of it...somebody explain what I missed without telling me the ending, since I saw that part), back at the store for 6, do registers until 8, get dinner (mmm, My Buddy's -- that's the name of the place..and the owner calls everybody Buddy...it's pretty funny actually), off to the store for 8:45...out of there by 11 and home at midnight. That was my day today. Yes it's long, yes I'm going to work tommrow for 8:30am, I don't know why though.

Oh yeah, and you know your blog has made it when a search for really ugly people reveals that you are #6!

Just finished a hard day's work. Started at 7am, didn't get home until close to 1am. Yes that's the life I've chosen to live for myself, being there for store open, and being there for store close. I'll release more details of my days after I quit my job as I don't want ANYTHING coming back to bounce me the wrong way (yeah, it's probably a tad on the paranoid side...but hey always look out for #1 right?)

Officer, somebody stole my weed. Man, Cheech and Chong (who is from Vancouver) would love this country. Only in Canada can you call the police and say that somebody stole your drugs -- and get an investigation going. Best part of the article is the officer being asked what they will do if they find the weed.

I'm going to post this while it still lasts: TOYOTA IS LEADING AN F1 RACE! Yes you read it right, Toyota is leading an F1 RACE!

*edit*

Well, Toyota had their run in the spotlight. If you ask me they went in too early, and didn't get enough fuel. Good job Da Matta!

*update*

Even though nobody who cares about F1 is reading this blog during the race, you should see the job Da Matta is doing. He's hanging into 3rd and may actually catch up to Raikkonen for 2nd. Although, I don't think he has enough fuel to make it through the race (just a thought as my knowledge of the fuel consumption of F1 cars is about the same as my knowledge of the inner workings of the central nervous system of a monkey).

*final update*

Da Matta finishes 7th. Oh yeah Barichello won...I wonder if he's going to cry on the podium again. Montoya 2nd and Raikkonen 3rd, Schumacher 4th, Villeneuve placed 10th...alright I guess. I'm gonna play some GT3 now...it sucks that I have to work tommrow night, because I could really be up for some SRL action. Ahh well, July 28th will have to do for the next race.

Heh I just realized that it's a 1-2 finish for the South Americans. I guess congrats are in order for them...it's a shame there's no other Canadians or Americans in F1 to represent my continent.

Man yesterday was a long day. Picked up my sister from the airport around 12:45am....although she actually didn't come out of the terminal until 1:15. Drove home, and had to listen to her talk about her trip...until I sneaked away and managed to get some sleep...around the 2am mark. Woke up for 6 am to be at a store at 7:30. Fought traffic and showed up 20 minutes late...only to find out I was supposed to be there at 7:00am making myself 50 minutes late.

First store took us a while but we are done by 12:30. Had some Pizza Hut Buffet (thanks to the company and their $15 meal budget). Left for Yonge and Eglington at 2...got there at 2:45 (dammed traffic...although I still contend that Woodbridge at 5pm is still worse than downtown, experience it first hand and you'll know what I mean). A store that was only supposed to take me an hour took me 2 1/2.

Bolted down Yonge street for Yonge/Dundas, arrived at 4:45 (the "urban" store...really nice design, I highly recommend you visit it). Had to park on street east of yonge that runs parallel to it. Didn't pay for parking either (I'm such a rebel). Made it in and out of the store in 20 minutes (just had to hook up equipment, not install anything) and got back to my car just in time for the evening rush hour, 5:15! But oddly enough, the drive was much easier than the one from the office home (don't ask me how it happend).

Home by 6, out of the house by 6:45 for Zero Signals birthday events. In the restaurant for 7:15...eating dinner by 7:45 (approximately...I wasn't keeping track of time). Out of the restaurant for 8:45, at the theatre for Bad Boys 2 at 9:15. In my seat at 9:20, watch the 9:45 show, and somewhere between there and 12:15 I had a 1 hour nap (the movie was good, I was just exhausted, and when I sit still for that long...well you know what happens). So that was my day, and I had zero time to blog.

It's Thursday, but feels like a Friday since I won't be in the office tommrow. I get to do stores tommrow that are downtown, which is good. And if I get down quick enough, I get the rest of my day off, which is also good. But then again, I'm in control of the situation since the helpdesk guy that was supposed to me is instead going to be in the office, which is bad. But I'm making money and driving around, which is good. Although my car needs an oil change soon. So there ya have it. The good and bad of work.

I almost got run down in the parking lot today by one of the guys I play ball hockey with. I thought ok, people always get run down in parking lots. Then while wondering through the warehouse, some guy on a forklift almost took me out. And to add insult to injury, a box nearly fell on my head. Evidently, I always make people look bad, so they are resorting to German tactics to stop me from playing. I'm begining to think I'm not welcome here.

And in good news for Boost Monkey, seems he's always known the trick to avoiding prostate cancer. So that's why he always takes 2 hour lunches...

A happy birthday greeting goes out to Zero Signal. Happy Birthday buddy (sorry, I'm still too full from my blog's cake to even look at another cake...but oh well, how about this one?



Oh yeah and to read a blog with probably the whiniest (is that even a word?) person I have ever met (but he is pretty funny when he rants, I'll give him that much) go read Robb's blog. A must read when you ask yourself "is it possible for somebody to bitch and complain anymore than the person I'm speaking with at the present moment?"

I made it to work 10 minutes late...but I told the boss I did (yes it is true, I'm not good at lying). So meh, whatever, I know most of my readers wouldn't have bothered telling the boss, but that's not me (I'm trying to get a full time job somewhere first). I got some descent work to do today but a lot of it involves imaging which means I get to blog a bit more than normal. So in the spirit of imaging, here's some random blog entries that are tottaly unrealated.

Last night I had dinner at 6, and took a 3 hour nap from 6:30 to 9:30 then went to bed at 1 to wake up at 7. Does that count at 6 hours sleep or 9?

Played GT3 (that's gran turismo 3 you idiots, not grand theft auto, stop assuming it's grand theft auto even though there is no A,. see that's why I don't use acroyms. Because I can't spell the word, and because they cause more problems than anything else). Played it for 2 hours, then I went to get gas. Yes most people would have gone to the closest station, but I decided to drive the extra 2 minutes for cheap gas. It backfired because it's the same price, 69.9. I only filled half a tank since gas will be cheap Thursday night after hockey (it's how they rationalize raising hte price for Friday and Saturday). I get to the station, then my ego takes over. I realize putting $10 worth of gas on my gold card would make me look like an idiot, so I put in $15. Walk inside (I didn't feel like paying at the pump) when I see the squishy machine and of course I have to take a medium mountain dew. On the way back to the coutner, I see chips, damm there's another $0.99. But hey, I haven't had cool ranch doritos in such a long time, I can make and exception here. So in the end, my $10 half tank fillup costs me $17.08 and I still don't have a full tank of gas! Grrr, thank god I don't drive an SUV because I'd have been broke a long time ago. Hey speaking of SUV's, this is the reason I'm not allowed to drive one. It's our rental from BC, Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer edition (or is addition, no I think it's edition, somebody please correct my grammar because me failed english, wait, that's unpossible). Oh yeah, here's the pic:

In the ongoing saga that is my travel schedule, I found out that I was given a choice for Friday. Here's the direct converstaion:

Alright, we seem to have overbooked for Friday so you'll be travelling into the city. Do you want to a) do Dufferin then Scarborough or
"OPTION B, OPTION B!"

or do you want to do dufferin then downtown.

Gee like that was a tough choice. That'll show the "other" coop for not coming into the office today. It actually works out better for me like this anyway. I get my Friday afternoon off to golf or spend a day downtown. Needless to say, I'm brining my digi cam with me to snap up some good shots.

This is a real update, unlike the token update I did last night. I'm back in the office today after finding out I'm not going to do the GTA tour this week. Meh, after Don Mills, I didn't really wanna see much more of the east side of Toronto anyway. Really ugly people. It's actually pretty funny how many people from the west side of the city rarely go out to the east side and vice versa, it's like Yonge Street is this invisible barrier that people are afraid to cross. Having crossed it last night, I think I know why. The wind blows from west to east so they get all our pollution, if the nuclear plant blows, they are the first to die and the east side just plainly sucks. I'll take my side anyday of the week.

Today will be an update without any pictures at all! I know you all must be disappointed, but come on people, what did you expect? I only have so much bandwith. Anyways, my lynx users were complaining about missing out on something so I have to keep them happy. Well it's good to keep somebody happy. Anyway, I managed to write up a very short blog without saying anything at all so that's my blog for today. I might actually have something to say tommrow, but you'll just have to come back to find out.

Went to the molson indy today. Finally there was good weather. But I still can't get over this guy. WTF is he thinking?

Happy Birthday Boost Monkey!

Day 2, more pics with the digi cam. Sorry, I'm not in any of them today :(

Mmmmm, doughnuts


How come my focus doesn't look like this?


Paul Tracy coming into the pits


Flat (spotted) tyre


Side pods and tyres

Got my digital camera. Canon S400. It's a pretty sweet camera. Paid $800 for it, but my brother chipped in half, so it's all good! My original budget was $400, so in a sense you could say I stayed on budget!

Anyways, the battery wasn't charged, so the camera didn't last the ride down. Here's what I got:

The passenger: (me)


The toothpick:



Ahhhh, I'm being attacked (and I need to shave my legs)

Today is Friday, I got the day off work! My brother also has agreed to pay half the cost of a digital camera and I got indy tickets! Hopefully we'll have the camera tonight and I could get you guys some pictures of the practice sessions. Later all!

No SRL race this Monday, work calls...again (hey at least this time it's in Ontario). Next race is either the 21st or 28th, depending on whether or not I can get the store moved from the 21st to a later date in the week.

It seems my alter ego has opened up a chocolate store.

Woohoo, I beat the boss to work today, with time to spare! I feel so proud of myself right now I could take the rest of the day off.

What would you say if you were in a coma for 20 years?

I'm going to address this little rumor going around about a night in Vancouver. Here is my side of the story:

After enjoying the odd beverage at both Earls and Hooters (where the view of the umm mountains in Vancouver is great) I walked back happily to my hotel room with the other 2 members of my team. We get upstairs, have a glass of water and take one look at the skyline before bedtime. Shortly thereafter, a bell starts ringing (no, not in my head, a real one in the hotel). In the panic that happend, I managed to get my wallet, cellphone and room key. I also made sure the level 2 guy had his key and that his door was closed (you'd be suprised how many people leave their doors open during a fire alarm). So we get down the stairs and I manage to run a little faster than both of the other 2 guys I was with (I was 50 pounds lighter than the next closest one in weight). I blaze down 31 flights of stairs in record time (Ben Johnson on steroids had nothing on me). Push right through an emergency exit (hey the fire alarm was on, when's the next time I'm going to be able to do that guilt free?) and onto Robson Street (I think that's the name). Anyways, after 5 minutes, I notice we are missing an employee (the level 2 guy). Well once I realized he was gone, 20 16 year old girls walk out of the hotel in their pajamas (get your minds out of the gutter) followed by level 2 guy. Level 2 guy yells at me for not holding the door open and only saving myself. I reply with "if they were faster, I might have been able to hold the door open, but they were so slow moving, I didn't see any of them, that's what the fire department is for."

So now I'm branded a coward, and level 2 guy is supposedly a hero. I still contend that had I seen the girls I would have been able to guide them out. That's my BC story of the day.

Let's get some food. Who is up for some cake or pizza?

Man it's hot at work.

Hmm, just read this article about Britney. Seems she's single AND looking for somebody to kiss. Well if she ever needs anybody, I'm always free. It's a shame though that she's looking in Australia and Spain. Everybody knows anything she needs could be found in Stu!

Here's some photos of my trip to Alberta. I should have used my own hosting for them because the quality sucks. Maybe tommrow I'll change them over, but until then, enjoy!

It's tuesday, and we've managed to double the amount of computers at my desk...2! Well at least it means I don't have to be stared at when I blog (major pet peeve of mine). I'll update the rest later today, I got some things I want to do first (like get through the work day, only 20 minutes remaining...can I hold on? Only time will tell!).

Well, it was bound to happen. Boost Monkey finally broke my streak of SRL wins at prokart dating back to March 25th. Yes, for 3 and a half months I rained supreme, but like all good things, this one had to come to an end. Now I could be like unnamed racers and blame it on the car I was driving, but I never give the car credit when I win, so I shouldn't blame it when I lose. I got beat and that's final. Of course, I did have a badly bruised arm and hip and I was jet lagged a bit from the flight yesterday (and still had to adjust to the 3 hour time difference), but those aren't excuses if your name is Stu. The good news is next week I'll gaurantee a victory.

Well I got interweb back at work again, and it's running at a descent speed! So I can actually blog from work once again. I just reviewed my notes from my first day in BC and a few things stuck out: 1) We did a whole lot of work that day, 5 hour flight from Toronto to Vancouver, 2 hour ferry ride to Victoria, half hour drive to the hotel. And then we had to start doing our work (which took us 5 hours). We finished around 2:30am local time (which was really 5:30am my time). One thing I noticed is people in BC like to complain about the weather. They complain about the rain, but they have signs warning of forest fires. The one that got me was the temperature. Evidently, 29 and sunny is hot. Nevermind it's 33 and humid in the basement right now where I type this blog. 29 and sunny is hot (if you live in BC I guess...they have Kamloops, we should feel sorry for them).

I'm back! Yeah, BC was really nice. I'll give them that. Nice mountains, nice water, nice people. But there's nothing like coming home. I'll post a whole lot more about my trip this week as it'll give me great blog material, and I don't feel like typing it out now. But I'll leave you guys with one comment: If there was ever a person you don't like, send them to Kamloops.