lucetjosee

Real Calgarian

2005-07-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm becoming more and more a Calgarian. None of them seem to enjoy Stampede. At first, Stampede was fun. It was new... Now, to think that it's around is just bad all over. Think about it, I couldn't find parking at the C-Train. Once I found some at Anderson, I hoped on the train, only to find it full. Darn. To be stuck in a packed train is not my idea of fun (normally, it's half empty at the time I take it)... And then, to top it all off, I couldn't even get a half decently frozen Slurpee... All the tourists were drinking them already. This is not right, all those tourists. Ah well, we'll have our city back in 7 days!! Next year, we should take holidays and go to, well, anywhere, really! (no slurpee, geez...)

Cheers

Violence...

2005-07-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

Well, then... Kandace (again!) showed me this blog at work. It's takes you inside the mind of a pedophile and killer (he killed 3 days after his last post, I was told). This is kinda of weird journey, so if your mood isn't quite right, don't visit.

Cheers

fifthnail.blogspot.com

For those who wonder...

2005-07-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

... the new addition to the web site as to do with the various level of terrorist threats in the United States. Just something that Kandace showed me at work that I enjoyed!!!

Cheers

Always be happy

2005-06-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

It seems to me that, somedays, this is what is required from you at work. Some days, I just don't feel like being polite, just feeling rebel I guess. But, no, I can't allow myself to feel those moods at work, that wouldn't do. I suppose that I understand the purpose of it, but it stil sucks big time. Some days, I feel like just saying, screw the lot of you, I'm just here to work like the lot of you. MJ says it best, why do I have to smile when I don't feel like it... But, of course, I still do, part of the job. Ah well, I feel better now.

Cheers

Hmmm..

2005-06-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes people are amazingly and surprisingly... what's the word I'm looking for here?? Euh, well, let's put it this way, I'm just happy with not being people!

Cheers

New mission

2005-02-27T10:15:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Well, time flies, for sure. Due to that reason, I'm going to be less present in the blog department. It's an interesting process, but I want to give more time to Alexandre and MJ and less time to the computer. Family is really important and with work, I don't spend as much time with Alex and MJ as I'd want to. Therefore, I'm going to be less present here. I'll still use the blog to discuss the books that I've read and once in a while, talk about stuff that's happening. But, the news section of the site will slow down: I just need to put priorities on the forefront here!!! But, I'll still be around with tons of pictures, so stay tuned!

Cheers

Wow...

2005-01-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

... it has been 1 month already since the last blog: time is going crazy here. When time allows, I'll be back with a recap of last month!!! In the meantime, happy new year to all of our readers (or is it reader?!?).

Cheers

Luc

20% off your next project...

2004-12-08T16:46:00.000-08:00

Salut

This morning, an electrician came to the house as we need an electrical outlet installed in the closet (we'll place our water distributor there). We had a coupon stating that we'll give you 20% off your next project. So, the electrician comes in and tells us that for the 1 outlet, it will cost us the minimum charge of 150$. I kinda laughed at him right there. Then, MJ brought up the coupon and said that it should be minus the 20% from the coupon. The reply we got was quite comical: "well, actually, this coupon is only good for your next project, not the current one". Then, I really had a good time: in my mind, this is big time false publicity and I told him to pack his bags and to go rip off someone else... A few minutes later, I found someone else who will do it for 55$. We're kinda glad that we only had the free estimate on the 1st one... I tell you, some people: what a joke...

In the afternoon, we went at Southcenter Mall to visit Santa Claus with Alexandre. He was quite excited while he was waiting in line but when came the time to actually visit Santa, it became another story. He almost cried right away and the photograph didn't have the opportunity to take good pictures. The best that I could do out of 6 is on the site. Not a great one, but still, a nice memory of his first visit. I'm sure next time will be better!!

Tonight is the night that Sears is making their 2nd visit to our home. They'll replace the buffet, the hutch and 4 chairs. Hopefully, this time will be the right one as we're looking forward to start enjoying the kitchen set!

Cheers

Good stuff

2004-12-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Salut,

Well, I've clocked in this morning and I now lost 20 pounds since being back on the program. I'm pretty happy with the result for someone that's been on it for a little more than 1 month. (Although I have to say that I'm looking forward to the X-mas break!! MJ is also doing well!!

Well, I'm off to work soon so...

Cheers

Thank you Scott!

2004-12-05T22:47:00.000-08:00

Salut,

Well, thanks to Scott, we're back in business. He figures that something got corrupted along the way. He showed me over the phone a new way to put text on the website. I find the new way faster and more convenient. Great, thank you!

Last Tuesday, Dave came over to play a bit of air hockey. I'm afraid that I overworked the audio system. The next day, it burned while I was using it. After buying a 2.1 system (Altec Lansing speakers, they sound great!), I couldn't make them work properly. It bothered the heck out of me (yeah, I know, I'm a music freak...). It turned out that the only reason why they weren't working was the fact that after connecting them, I needed to reboot the computer. ARGHHH, damn technology sometimes! Turns out I'm kinda happy that I blew up the other pair: I've got something wicked instead! Just don't tell MJ that I said that :-) Now, I only need to find some time to spend on the computer to enjoy it!!!

We're slowly making our way in the hallway. We're halfway down with the painting in there. More to come on Wednesday: I'm looking forward to have it all completed: I want to sit down and enjoy it!! Wednesday is also the day that Sears is coming to replace the hutch, which has a couple of problems. A totally busted drawer and a major crack on top of it are the 2 main problems. We're looking forward to it.

Monday will be the first day of winter. The forecasted max for tomorrow is -17C. Ouch, let's get the winter coat out. For Alexandre, it will be a day in the house. Hopefully, the major part of his teething will be done, otherwise MJ is in for a tough one...

Last week, I finished reading the following book:

My first try with this best-selling author: I'm always careful with american authors as I don't care too much for graphic violence in my books. Instead, good procedurals and character development will win me in the long run. Well, this book is just off the press and I bought it at Costco. Overall, I was pretty happy with it. The author is a clinical child psychologist and he uses his skills accordingly. Not that this is a thesis, far from it. The main character is nothing special, that's for sure. If he plans on a series, their will be a need for better characterization. But the genius that works with her is another story. He puts a totally different spin on things: i'll let you read it to find out. The basis of the story is as follow: four teenagers have been murdered outside a concert hall, "The Paradiso". One of the dead teenagers wearing pink sneakers is targeted for particular further investigation, identity remaining unknown until well into the book, and the basis of what turns out to be the sub-plot. All of this mixed up with another investigation and a little wink at Hannibal makes this an entertaining read (Which is why I read in the first place, the get away from this all too cerebral world!)

Cheers

Technical problem

2004-12-03T10:30:00.001-08:00

Salut

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm having problems changing the text on the website. Well, really, I just can't do it right now. The computer is giving me this weird error. I'll refer to my webmaster on the weekend (yes, that's you Scott!) Until then, the site will be on idle.

Cheers

Technical problem

2004-12-03T10:30:00.000-08:00

A night out!

2004-11-29T17:01:00.000-08:00

Salut,

Last night was our yearly Christmas party at ADT! The food was excellent and the company was very good too!! We left at around 21:30 as we needed to get back home so that our babysitter could hit the sack too. Thanks to our organizer for such a great evening!!

This morning, our saleman came to take the measurements for the mantle. He took a couple of pictures and within half an hour, he was gone again. Now, they will take 10 business days to build it and they should be back at the beginning of January to install it: their installation schedule is booked solid until then.

It was quite funny to watch Alexandre today. We gave him is first cookie (rice cookie, that is!). The first bite didn't go so well: he didn't seem sure what to make of the texture of it. But he only took a few seconds to figure out that it was quite all right and then, in a matter of minutes, it was all gone... Another baby step in his life that's going way, way too fast.

I've finished reading the following book:

Geez, to think that I thought all those years that this was the title of a Led Zeppelin track... Hmmm... To me, this is my greatest discovery since Mankell. Excellent development of characters while the complex storyline is very compelling. At 500 pages, it better be as this book makes for a long ride. This book is dark, leaving you at the end with a bunch of questions that remains not answered. But there's also many sub plots developing, making you forget the investigation. Would Ben Cooper find love? Why was Diane Fry forced to move from the city to a sleepy little country backwater? Who or what was the titular "Black Dog"? Overall, excellent debut for this british author, who reminds me of the early stuff from Peter Robinson, only better. Very good reading, indeed.

Cheers

Another addition to our home

2004-11-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

Salut,

Thursday was quite busy! In the morning, we went to the YMCA to introduce Alexandre to the swimming pool! He didn't make a fuss but he wasn't his smiley self either. He looked unsure almost the whole time. He tried splashing the water a couple of times, but didn't like the water on his face. We'll go again next week!

Then in the afternoon, off to the flu shots for MJ and myself. The doctor said that for babies under 1 year that aren't going to the daycare, they're better off without it as they want them to build their immune system on their own.

After that fun time, we carried on to get our mantle for the fireplace. We can't wait to have it put on (not before January) but it will reshape the room altogether. On Monday, they're coming to take the measurements and to check on the color. We still need to pick out the tile or the marble for it. We haven't decided as of yet which one it will be.

After diner, we borrowed the neighbour's ladder and I put the Christmas lights in the tree, which took about 30 minutes. We finished the day watching the following movie:

Well, we were warned about this show. But, we still went ahead because we were curious about the special effects. And those are really, really well done. It was great to see the tidal wave get a gripe on NYC. All that snow covering the city was also very well done. BUT, this is where it's stops. The dialogues were corny and the plot itself is laughable. For one, when the whole world is devasted, the fact that the US government still fails to act can't be taken that seriously. Anyways, overall, if you want your 5.1 system to get a decent workout, go ahead. Otherwise, leave it on the shelves...

Cheers

A busy morning!

2004-11-22T00:13:00.000-08:00

Salut

Well, this morning was busy! After I got up, we went and did our civic duty. That's right, today is our provincial election. Ralph Klein is expected to be re-elected with a land slide victory. Still, we felt that we had to get out and do this, the 2nd time we vote in Alberta's election. We've won our first election and I'm not really expecting any different this time. Quite the change when your compare this to our federal election record...

After, we went for Alexandre's first haircut. He didn't seem to mind although he wasn't smiling either!!! It was way time as his hair is really growing fast now: if you've read yesterday's post, you know what I mean when I say that he's growing too fast... Anyways, it lasted a good 20minutes (if not more) due to the fact that his head kept bouncing and turning in all directions! Quite a sight!!

Cheers

Alexandre is growing too fast...

2004-11-21T18:16:00.000-08:00

Salut,

Well, he's done it again: Alexandre 5th tooth is now out and let me tell you, it feels like he's not our little, defenseless baby anymore. Well, it's just that he's growing so fast, it's incredible. I wish he would slow a bit so that we can enjoy him this way a littly bit more, but there's no stopping nature I guess!

Yesterday, we went to the art show and it was packed! We found a couple of nice ornaments that my parents will give us for Christmas: of all the places, the seller was from Montreal!!! We took his business card and will go visit his store in February. He has a was better selection there, or so he said!

Well, the weekend is already over and tomorrow is back to work. Noteworthy this week: we'll go to the YMCA for Alexandre's first trip at the pool and the Christmas party for work on the weekend...

Cheers

Some good news all around... well almost!

2004-11-18T21:40:00.000-08:00

Salut

On Sunday morning, Sears Home Furniture called to say that they were delayed and that the delivery of our kitchen set was now scheduled for December 2nd as opposed to last Tuesday. Needless to say, we weren't all that impressed with them and our salesmen in particular that promised us that this situation wouldn't happened. Today, MJ called them to share our insatisfaction with the whole situation. By the end of the call, she managed to get a 100$ gift certificate. We'll also get our buffet set up for free!! Not too bad for being unhappy...

Also on Sunday, the neighbor came and talked to us. She wanted to let us know that she had accepted to look over Alexandre when MJ goes back to work. This is great news as we now don't have to look for a babysitter. The fact that she has worked in a daycare before and that she lives next door also helps big time!!!

The 3 days off this week were really nice. I got to spend some quality time with MJ and Alexandre, which was really nice. Speaking of him, he now has a habit of sleeping on his side. It almost seems like he enjoys that more than sleeping on his back.

On Sunday, we'll be giving the kitchen wall a 2nd coat so that it's ready for the buffet. On Saturday, we're planning to go to an art show at the Telus Convention Center in the afternoon while I'm otherwise busy there in the morning...

I finished reading this book today:

In this one, the author takes his time. Not that the book is thick or anything: a quick 240 pages read. But, he describes rather well life in Sicily, with it's smells, habits, cultures, etc... Montabello is still a very cynical character that seems to have tons of troubles with life. His outlook on life is sometimes quite funny! Overall, this series is actually getting stronger, not weaker. This author is really well known in Italy (bestseller) and one can understand why after reading his books: he's got an interesting style, although still very straightforward. The small sections in the chapter reminds of James Patterson, only in better prose though. The solution to the problem is also interesting!

Cheers

34???

2004-11-13T20:24:00.000-08:00

Salut!

I'm currently at work, on a break (of course!!!). The book that I brought with me is an absolute bore, so I decided that the blog would be more useful than reading. I'm done in less than 3 hours and then I'm off for 3 days. I took Sunday as a stat holiday so that I could spend my B-day with MJ and Alexandre. I'm looking forward to it, although I must say that a birthday is now not necessarily a good thing anymore. Not that it's not a special day or anything, I've just had too many of them. I still can remember when I was turning 10, life seemed pretty young then. Now, who knows, perhaps I'm more than halfway through... Serious food for thought anyways: we need to enjoy it while we can...

The last couple of days have been pretty ordinary, nothing special happening. Today, Alexandre napped for about 60 minutes in the whole day. So, he was pretty tired by 19:00. After his bath and a bit of bottle, he went to bed. By 19:30, he was snoozing pretty good. So, we can expect him to be up at, oh, 2 or 3 in the morning...

Before I started reading this latest book that I won't bother with as soon as I get back home, I was reading the following:

This one is the fiftieth 87th Precinct novel. It is the typically accomplished mix of police procedure, characterization, social commentary, and tight plotting that has long distinguished this series. Nothing overly special, but still a good entry in this long lasted series.

Cheers

Good Lord...

2004-11-11T17:11:00.000-08:00

Salut

Well, I thought I had a full proof plan. Turns out we ended up at Ikea after all this afternoon. The place was packed: it all started outside, off the Deerfoot. Police officers were there, sitting in their car at every intersection. There was even an officer on the roof of the store, doing God knows what... Security guards were directing traffic, overall lots and lots of people.

The store itself is heaven for the lovers of that type of thing. MJ really enjoyed it, their selection being way better than the old store. It feels like it will never end! This is how big the store is...

Anyways, I'm not dead, but pretty darn close!!!

Cheers

Alexandre's 4th tooth...

2004-11-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

Salut

Well, we knew it was coming and now it's here. Alexandre's 4th tooth appeared this morning, much to his relief!! He now has 2 teeth on top and 2 at the bottom!!

Today will be an afternoon of painting as we need to get the kitchen wall ready for the buffet. It's a good day for it as I'm feeling pretty good, other than a constant nagging pain in my throat. Bah, no big deal. BTW, I went yesterday to get a blood sample and the nurse was all happy to shake my hand and wish me a happy birthday!!

After the painting, we might head out to Toys R Us to complete Nathan's Christmas gift. This is way better than going to the new IKEA, 2.5 times the sizes of the old one... (Enough to kill a man, really!)

For the last 2 nights, Alexandre has been falling asleep on his own. He cries for about 15 minutes and then calms down. We needed to break this habit before it got out of hand and he's responding well (we've heard stories that some babies would cry for 2 hours before falling asleep). Also noteworthy was the fact that we I went to see Alexandre yesterday in his crib, he was sleeping on his belly! He also really seems to fancy sleeping on his side, just like me!

Being that I don't have sufficient time for real updates, I'll be closing the interest section shortly. This is why I'll talk about my latest book readings again...

This is the 3rd book from this author in the series set in Sweden. The main plot of this one revolves around a plot to kill Nelson Mandella. The story also depicts well the climate that was reigning in South Africa before it's 1994 free election. Wallander is still very likable, although he's a definite anti-hero: a coward with bad relationships with both father and daughter. Another very tight book from this author that's making it's way amongts my 5 favorite authors...

Cheers

New furniture!

2004-11-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

Salut,

I've said my goodbyes to Tom and Jerry: by the time I'm done with the post, they'll be gone to someone else's home. A good thing for Alexandre (when he starts to crawl, he would've feasted on the food!!) and for me too as the feathers might be bothering more that I care to admit! At least, Coco is still with us as he's not as messy and there not a lot of his feathers flying around the house...

Today, we bought at Sears Home a brand new kitchen set. 6 chairs, 1 table (of course!) and the buffet that goes with it. Our current set, given to us by MJ's dad 9 years ago before he passed away, was starting to showing signs of its age. Still, a great memory from another time. This was a move-in gift that we carried around since our days in Anjou!

We also bought an oil painting yesterday that is now hanging around in the living room. It's a picture of Old Europe, complemented with the obligatory carriage. We like it a lot: it adds a dimension to the room!

Last night was pretty relaxing: we watched a couple of TV shows and that was it. Sometimes, this is all that the doctor orders!!!

Cheers

Back from the doc's office

2004-11-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

Salut,

Just a quick update: the doctor confirmed what we thought, Alex has bronchitis. I wonder how active he would be without it: he doesn't stop as it is :-)

Cheers

If you have nothing to hide, he'll find it.

2004-11-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

Salut

It has been a while, too busy to even sit down at the computer for a decent update. Not that a lot has been happening, just couldn't find the time.

MJ is currently at the doctor's with Alexandre as he can't get rid of his flu and his cough doesn't seem to want to go away and seems particularly deep. So more news on this shortly.

Later today, we're going to go a picture sale that's nearby. Now that the living room is painted, we need stuff to hang on the walls, soooooo we'll go hunting a bit today!

For the first time, we left Alexandre in the hands of a babysitter last Tuesday. Overall, he didn't seem too frazzled, although she had problems putting him to sleep. We took the opportunity to see the following play downtown:

This play claimed to be based on the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Nothing was as far of the truth as that statement. Sure, a couple of deductions were thrown in, Watson and Lestrade were there too, but without real feeling. The Baker Street rooms weren't as depicted in the books: instead, they were a clean, non messy environnement (even the classic practice gun shot in the wall is missing). Holmes himself looked more like a superhero (it was even billed that way in the play's booklet -- he was the first superhero... Please...) than a highly analytical guy. His whole arrogant and superior attitude was left aside too. The story itself was highly diluted when compared to the original Doyle's story: it's now an action play as opposed to a Holmes story. Not as cerebral with the vast majority of the cerebral moments taken out of the play. I figured that I would feel that way even before going to the play but I gave it a try. MJ enjoyed it but not recommended for the avid Sherlockian... Running for another week at Theater Calgary...

Cheers!

Oh God...

2004-10-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

I just finished writing this neat, long post and the Blogger server crashed.. Bugger, lost everything. Well, I'll have to rewrite this some other time soon.

Cheers

Pyjama night...

2004-10-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Salut!

On Sunday night, it was pyjama night at Dave's. Well, kinda... He invited me over for supper and Law and Order: but, by the time he'd extend his invitation, the laundry was all done, meaning that I didn't have any pants or jeans left whatsoever. So, I showed up in my pyjamas for an evening of great food, wine and a bit of TV too (on his brand new 51" TV!)

Yesterday, other than going out for the supervisor's meeting, it was a pretty quiet day. Watched a bit of TV last night and that's about it.

Today, it's 26C and what a beautiful day it is!! After my appointment with the doctor (more medication...), I went to Costco and Walmart. Not my dream trip! But, it's funny how I was able to complete all that was needed in a very short period of time: can't remember the last time that a trip at those 2 places ocurred in less than 1 hour, travelling time included!!! Tonight, if I'm up to it, I might go and catch a movie (what's that again??). If not, I'll just relax on the balcony with a good book.

Cheers

I've made a couple of new reviews...

A last memory...

2004-10-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well, that's it. Baseball in Montreal is no more. The last game was played today and we lost 8-1. Not that it really matters. In the 9th inning, I was signing for the last time, alone in the basement, just like all those others in Shea, "Let's go Expos". Quite a sight, I'm sure...

Just like last Wednesday, I stayed glued to the television until the end: I owed to this wonderful organization that I loved since I've been 7 years old. All those wonderful summers with my family, all the time we've spent watching the games together. MLB has taken that possibility away from Alexandre: at least, they can't take away all those memories from me.

Goodbye Expos: 1969-2004.

Sleuth

2004-10-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Salut

On Friday, work has asked me to work a few hours on Saturday to help out. No problem, I had nothing planned! Further, with our change of schedule, I now needed a few hours in the evening of October 15th so that I can attend the Ian Rankin event at Wordfest.

After work, I came back and slowly got ready (and still not Speedy Gonzalez!) for our play of the evening. This picture isn't one that's directly linked to the play, but it's the closest I found on the Net. This poster is based on the movie that was made with Michael Caine.

Briefly, a young man arrives at the impressive home of a famous mystery writer, only to be into a tangled web of intrigue and gamesmanship. Nothing is quite what it seems... this study of human conflict, jealousy and manipulation proved to be far more than a whodunit! Dave and I both really enjoyed this show: it was Dave's first experience at the theater in a long time, and I think that he had a good time. Overall, a fun night. Too bad MJ missed it...

Now, on to the last ever Expos game on RDS... I'm sure I'll post after the game...

Cheers

We won't forget you, Expos

2004-09-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

Saying goodbye is always a difficult chore. Not a lot of us are very good at funerals...

We all knew it was coming. But I can compare the feeling to having a friend that has been very sick for the last few years and knowing that he's going to die. Once it does happen, it's still a shock. Sure, from this year's edition, I could barely make the difference between Terrmel Sledge and Youpi! But, all the memories that have been built through the years flooded back during this 9-1 loss. The memories made sure that I stayed glued to the television until the end. The last game home was very tough to watch. I'm pretty sure that if I'd still be in Montreal, I would've remained a loyal customer until the end: I always have been. I will also be watching the last rendez-vous, this Sunday.

When you're in love, it's tough to let go. I'm going to remember my father taking me to the Big O for the first time ... and the last time, this past Saturday. I'll have the ticket laminated. A lot of memories are going away. Sure, it's just baseball but still: there was a little part of me that was put to rest last night... Adieux, les Z'amours...

PS Scott and MF, thank you for your thoughts when you went to the Basilic. Hopefully, she will respond!

A sad day...

2004-09-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

Salut,

When I went to Olympic Stadium this past Saturday, I kinda knew that it was the last time. It was a good time, even though they lost that game, 4-3 in 10 innings. The important thing was to relieve the thrill one last time.

Since I've been a little boy, I can remember cheering on the Expos. Sitting in the living room with my whole family, cheering or bitching at the television. All those ball games at the big "O". Gary Carter's last game, the amazing team in 1994, the cold weather of September 1981 during the championship race, going to the games with a winter coat on and a tuque, etc... All great memories. And now, this Sunday, it will be all over, for good.

Baseball has always been my favorite sport. Today, I feel like I've lost a good friend.

Le slogan etait: Les Expos, nos z'amours. Aujourd'hui, il est devenu: Adieux, nos z'amours...

A final goodbye!

2004-09-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Salut,

A day off after 2 days is always welcomed!! Being alone at home, I'll take the time to watch a music DVD today and just relax, trying to get over my sinusite before it hits the lungs...

Of course, Alexandre has pulled a new trick while he's in Quebec! I'll have to wait another 10 days to see this one: he's now able to turn from his belly to his back. So much for spending more time on his belly... I miss him and MJ more than ever!

Alexandre's baptism was held on the 19th and it was really special for me. To be able to have him baptized in the church where I've grown up and spent a lot of time was a special treat. From the time spent before the baptism in the sacristy until the end, the whole thing was a blast from the past: even a ghost from the past re-appeared right in my face!! All of this to say that I had tons of flashes throughout the ceremony: I'm really happy that it was done there. It's too bad that Alexandre is way too young to remember this special moment! A special thanks to Scott, M-F and Nathan that flew from Regina for the occasion!!

MJ and I celebrated our 11 years together in a special way: after a nice meal, we went to Montreal and spent some time in town, looking at tons of stuff before heading in a pub for a drink!! It was a beautiful and well rounded evening!

Before hitting the main subject, just a quick note to say that there's now a new book review in the interest section.

Well, after waiting all those months, the Phil Collins show is finally behind me. Those 2.5 hours went way, way too fast. It was my 4th time seeing Phil and knowing before hand that it would be the last, I really geared myself to pay attention to every little thing. Here's what I remember from the show via the setlist:

Drum Thing (A gutsy way to open up a show: a triple drums solo, with a few snippets of past Genesis drum duet)

Something Happened On The Way To Heaven
Against All Odds (I never get tired of hearing this song: one of my favorites -- this was the upgraded version of the '90s with a sax solo acting as a bridge in the middle of the song)
Don't Lose My Number
You'll Be In My Heart (The 1st time I heard this one live and it was really nice -- this time, MJ didn't cry!)

One More Night (Nice sax at the end!)
Can't Stop Loving You (The 1st time I heard this one live -- really good version, although not the best one: it was missing the horns that he had in the song when he did his promo tour for Testify)
Hang In Long Enough

True Colors (Very nice accapella version!)

Come With Me (He wrote this song for his son: I had a long thought for Alexandre on this one)

A Groovy Kind Of Love (Also one of my favorite ballads)

I Missed Again (Although it came with the cheezy video from 1981 in the back, this version was a great one, with a new extended sax solo in the middle of the song)

Another Day In Paradise (A classic song -- the first sing along moment of the evening)

Misunderstanding (A really cool moment in the show for me as I never heard this Genesis song before live -- the version was comparable to the 3 Sides Live version, the only difference being that it was complemented by the horn section)

Separate Lives (The only big yawn of the evening -- although the song was well done, I've never been able to enjoy it)

In The Air Tonight (As thundering as ever. The drum kit came out on top of the stage and I was surprised by Phil's ability to still sing this song!)
Dance Into The Light
You Can't Hurry Love
Two Hearts

Wear My Hat (Always a fun one, although not a hit!)

Easy Lover

Sussudio (We had one last chance to say the word...)

(Encores)

It's Not Too Late (Not a Phil song, but in the recent tours, he has taken the habit of singing a cover song for his 1st encore.)

Drums Into (One last time on the drums!)

Bridging the drum intro and the last song

Take Me Home (Well, we knew it was over :-(

Farewell, my (Dare I say) friend: thanks for all the years of entertainment and memories!!!

Back in town...

2004-09-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Salut

I'm now back in town while MJ and Alexandre are still in Montmagny: good for her, she deserves it! The flight was without any problems and arrived 10 minutes late.

I'll be updating the web site as the week moves along with older pictures as Mj has the video camera. I'll also talk about what we've did in Quebec in the next few days. Back to work tomorrow and back to Dr Audet on Wednesday: routine really!!!

Going to bed...

Cheers!

Nothing to say other than...

2004-09-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

...less than 1 week before we're in Montreal. Hopefully, I'll feel better by then. Sometimes, it's discouraging, but I have to carry on: next appointment, Wednesday...

Great news yesterday!!

2004-09-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Again today, not much to report, if that I'm a little bit better off than I was yesterday and the day before. I'll attempt a small walk and see how the body reacts!!

This morning, MJ painted the shed. This was the first color coat (a green that matches the house). Originally, we'd plan to paint it both green and white, but realized that it will need another shade of green to make it come out properly!! By 13:00, MJ was done while I took care of Alexandre all morning. BTW, he woke up at 03:15am, looking for his bottle!! That was a bit early, considering that it took him almost 2 hours to fall back asleep.

Yesterday, we've received our theater tickets for the upcoming season!! This is our 4th season with Vertigo Mystery, and we always enjoy it. With it came an add for the Wordfest: an opportunity to meet one of my favorite authors, Ian Rankin. I'm very excited about the chance to have some of my books autographed by this best selling author from Scotland. I already have my ticket: the big day is October 15th!!

With all this time on my hands, I finished the following book:

The premise of this one is a simple one: Santa Teresa private detective Kinsey Millhone is hired by wealthy Nord Lafferty to pick up his daughter at the California Institute for Women and get her through the first few days of freedom. This one is slower than her usual fare, only giving us some action towards the end. But all the standard fares are there: Henry, the Bulgarian restaurant and other Grafton's staples are back in this universe set in the mid-'80s. Kinsey's character development is very good in there and her personal life evolves quite a bit. Not a bad book, but far from the best in the series!!

Cheers

A very good movie indeed...

2004-09-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Salut!

Not a lot to report as I'm resting due to a lungs infection... I've been pretty idled... At least, MJ's bronchitis is way better while Alexandre is still very healthy.

Alexandre as eaten his first bite of cereals on his own, as shown in the front page. He now eats 4 tablespoon of cereals, twice a day. It finally starts to show on his bottles as he drinks a bit less. He also started a bit of a schedule, sleeping wise as he now gets up every day between 06:30 and 07:00am. He's also able to grab his feet with his hands, which he has started a couple of days ago...

Here's the movie we've watched last night in bed:

This movie is quite a gripping and powerful movie. We all know the story, but this shows it with a new angle. The violence that it shows is disconcerting, but necessary I suppose to show the real side of things. The torture of Jesus is presented in such a brutal, unflinching manner that it's almost impossible not to look away as chunks of flesh are ripped out by a scourge, and the bloody, mangled skin is shredded. This movie is way more graphic than Jesus of Nazareth ever was. This 2 hours mainly shows the last 12 hours of his life.

Actors wise, I've only recognized Monica Bellucci, but the whole cast his very, very convincing. It shows how inhuman humans can be with each other: too bad that things like this still happens today... An excellent show: A+.

Cheers

It's been a while!!

2004-08-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

Salut!

Well, one week since the last post. We've been reaaaaaaally busy with the house and other things while I've been on holidays. Let's get started!!

Last Sunday, Dave came over to help me to get the TV down it's podium, in preparation for our painting, scheduled to start on Monday. This thing is really heavy but with 2 of us, it was a piece of cake!! It took us 3 days to paint the living room (not full days, of course, as I have to go slowly due to, you've guessed it, my lungs!).

The living room was finished on Thursday: we've decided on a creamy color, which is really nice, although not a big shock to the eye. I'll post a picture later this week: now, we can go ahead and buy some decorations and the mantle that MJ has been waiting for!!! One thing is for sure, painting took most of our week.

The shed is also all primed and ready to be painted. We wanted to start today, but the weather isn't what we expected. Plus, I need to head down to the walk-in clinic and see a doctor there. Doctor Audet isn't available until September 7th and I'm coming down with something. My lungs haven't totally caught up since the last episode, 2.5 months ago and I have to be careful about this stuff...

Alexandre is getting closer and closer to roll around: he's not quite there yet but he's trying. He's succesfull at making tons of new noises and balloons! He's also enjoying taking is bath in the adults bath!! I've even taken a few baths with him but we've stopped as he developped rashes in a very personal area!!! It was confirmed by the doctor as MJ had to go on Saturday, only to discover that she had bronchitis...

Our next front page will see Alexandre using is exerciser: he's big enough for it and he seems to really like it!!

It was nice to be away from work for 10 days, I'm scheduled to start again on Wednesday. It will be a short stint as we're off to Quebec in less than 2 weeks!!! Too bad that the weather was still bad: we couldn't enjoy the international fireworks at GlobalFest. Next year, I guess...

Alexandre is growing at a very fast and steady pace. Hence the new car seat as his old one was now too small. He got just in time for yesterday's drive. We got up at the usual time and were out to give back the Blockbuster movie that we've rented on Saturday (I'll talk about that later on) and we've decided on a whim to make a day trip to Montana. This was our first visit down there and the mountains are beautiful.

We drove down at 11:00am and went through Pincher Creek and Waterton Lake first, just for fun. Waterton Park is really nice and the hotel overviews to whole place. A drive around town convinced us that we'll need to come back and drive those little 3 places bicycles. We then crossed the border, which is a bigger ordeal now (compared to the days when we use to drive to Plattsburg all the time). Now, they ID you and the whole bit: it's about a 3 minutes process. Before, it was a matter of yes and no and 3 hours...

After we've paid the hefty 20$ US to get in the park, we've enjoyed the scenic drive. Really beautiful and we got to see the American version of Logan's Pass, the highest point in the States. They also have a nice interpretation center which we visited. Alexandre was in a great mood and had a lot of visitors that came and approached, sometimes to his delight, sometimes not so much... There a lot of Kodak moments in the park and although we've only made half the drive, due to a late start, it was a very enjoyable day. We came back through the quick drive and stopped in Cardston to have a look at the Mormon temple that oversees the town. It's about 80 years old and is built on a 10 acres lot.

Alexandre was good all day, except for the last hour: he was getting tired and wanted out of his car seat!! MJ moved in the back and did a great job in keeping him entertained!!!

On Saturday, we've rented the following movie:

There was an article about this show in last week's Herald and MJ and I wanted a light comedy before our next rental (that comes out tomorrow). The critic in the paper was really good so we figured we'd give it a try!!! This is the story of a young ambitious high school senior that falls in love with his new neighbor. I won't spoil what her past is, but let's just say that the movie has it's spicy moments. It has some funny moments but still isn't even close of the king of trilogies for this style (The Pie trilogy). Overall, an average coming of age movie and a bit of a rip off from Risky Business. A B- (We're really looking forward to our next rental, which is a total different style of movie than this one: it couldn't be more opposites...)

I've also finished reading the following 2 books.

This book won multiple awards when it came out in 1973. In this book, a 30Km cylinder that travels at a speed of 100 000 KIm/hour suddenly appears in our solar system: it's been baptized Rama by the human race and the story turns around it's exploration. Lots of questions, not a lot of answers. I sure hope that the next 3 books will work on that. The writing style is wonderful and you get hooked right away. I'll have to look up the other 3 quickly here. This is how good this book is, although you're left with an empty feeling at the end.

This book is also in the finished column:

There is actually one main plot and two subplots to this 87th Precinct series novel. I'm growing fond of this series, which has over 50 books in it. The writing is very crisp and sarcastic, just like the society that McBain is trying to paint, which is obviously NYC, although he claims that the city is fictional. Carella is a very strong character and this book is no different. You also get to see the procedural at it's very best. A quick read, but well worth it. Don't touch though if you can't stomach some brutal comments about society and it's various social classes...

Cheers

3 more weeks...

2004-08-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

Salut!

Well, it's 05:30 in the morning and I can't sleep: now that's a change!!! Well, it might be because I have to be at work at 07:00: then again, it might not, as I usually sleep until the buzzer wakes me up!! Oh well, these things happens, must be the excitement of the upcoming holidays!!! After today, I only work 7 days out of 31.
Pretty nice count!

Alexandre's doctor appointment was very good, as per usual. He now weights 17.75 pounds and he's 26 inches long: he's basically the size of a 6 months baby at his stage of his life, pretty much like dad was!!! His next step is to get is 2nd set of vaccine, which are set to go right after Labour Day. Alexandre has been lucky not to have been affected by the lack of vaccine across the country: how in the world you can put all those children at risk with polyo and other dangerous illness is beyond me in this era of technology and planning...

Speaking of him, he's getting treated really badly these days!! You see, he keeps going out for shopping, which must be really draining him energy wise! Yesterday, he was at Chinook Center in his continuous quest to get good deals for his clothing! MJ spent part of the afternoon with her friend Sara and 2 girls reaching their teen years. She had a good time!!

Well, with this kind of weather, the shed is still not done. With my holidays, the first signs of nice weather will see MJ outside to prime it while I'll be inside, hopefully working away at the living room. But, first, since my health isn't too bad right now, I'll do the touch ups in the bedroom. Looking forward to have all this behind us!!!

Speaking of holidays, after this one, we'll be in Quebec in 3 weeks sharp: it has been too long and we can't wait for Alexandre to see his new family and la Belle Province! Now that dad has finished is vaccines againt ragweed, for all good to go!!!

Tonight, Dave will be coming over to help me move the television out of it's place in the living room to allow me to paint in that area too. Hopefully, Gizmo will be around to!!!

Last week, I completed the following book:

This is a pretty good golden age mystery. It was written in 1929 and is full of twists and turns. This author was one of the first to use psychology in his mystery writing and he came out with a quality story. All the elements of the golden age are right there. The plot is straightforward, but the way Roger Sheringham works himself towards the solution is excellent indeed (from suicide to murder in a locked room). A very entertaining read.

Cheers

PS I should have a new picture to post tonight: it's now 06:00 and I need breakfast before heading down to work.

Alexandre is...

2004-08-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

Salut!!

Well, this is all set and done. On Sunday, we went to Alexandre's baptism preparation class. The 3 hours session was divided in 2: the first 90 minutes can be summarized as a lecture on baptism while the last 90 minutes were a description of how the actual ceremony is going to take place (of course, this gave a general idea on how things would go, but I'm sure their will be some variations in St-Jean!).

Alexandre has crawled about 4 inches on Sunday: not a lot, but a beginning. I wasn't here when it happened and he has refused to do it ever since, but still pretty cool!! He's also starting to pay attention to some TV shows: he was glued to the television when Caillou was on!! (This is what the front page refers to!!) He's also starting to make all kinds of cool sounds!!!

Thursday is Alexandre's next doctor's appointment and we're looking forward to it: we need for the good doctor to give us the green light for is next stage, cereals! He's drinking every 60 to 90 minutes now, driving us through the wall!!!

We now have started counting the days until our Quebec trip: we're looking forward to it in a big way as it has been 15 months in between visits.

Cheers

A great visit

2004-08-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

Salut!

Last night, our great friend Dave came for a visit. It's always a good time when Dave's around: i just wish that we'd have more time to do this more often!!! We had a great diner, thanks to MJ's cooking skills. We finished off the evening with a movie that I'll review down below.

A bit later today (35 minutes), we're ahead down to Saint Patrick church for Alexandre's 3 hours preparation class, for his baptism. We should be back home at around 16:00, from which point MJ will prime the shed (if weather permits).

Here's what we've rented last night:

I was actually surprised with this movie. I've always enjoyed the Rock in a wrestling ring, he's always been very entertaining. But, I can't say that I enjoyed him much as an actor in the Mummy returns and the Scorpion King. This time around, his acting is up a few notches. Overall, the movie is about a bounty that accepts one last job to track down his boss's son in Brazil and bring him back to the States. Loads of action scenes (pretty cool with the 5.1 system) and some good comedy offered this movie good relief for a warm summer night. A good B.

Cheers

Tons of peppers...

2004-08-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Well, bad news more MJ's teeth: she now needs a 2nd crown. She was told last year that there was one that was needed, but she couldn't do it as she was pregnant with Alexandre. Yesterday has doubled the burden: she will get that done once she comes back from Quebec.

After MJ's haircut this morning, we headed down to Crossroad Market. Every summer, we buy enough green, red and yellow peppers to last us the whole year. We love eating it and it's rather cheap right now. The red pepper was at 1:39$ for 1 pound as opposed to 8.25$ last november. While everyone wasn't eating it, we were feasting on the red pepper in MJ's now legendary, new and improved spaghetti sauce. So we have our work cut out now as we need to cut all of them and freeze it for the upcoming year!

Alexandre is drinking more and more: in a lot of case, every 90 minutes and he empties his 7 onces bottles. After all that, we get the feeling that he might still be a bit hungry. We'll discuss that with the Doctor next Thursday, but it looks like Alexandre will be able to start eating cereals after all: time will tell, I guess!!

Tomorrow, after work, Dave will be coming over for diner and a movie with all 3 of us. Being that he's a big Rock fan, we'll try to get his lastest movie to come to DVD. I forget the title, but I'll mention it in my next post.

Till then,

Cheers.

Finally some nice weather!

2004-08-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

Salut,

The beginning of the week was both quiet and boring (if I may say so!!!). Basically, it was work, eat and sleep. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time at home with MJ and Alexandre, but it's nothing to write about...

On Tuesday, we went to Sears as we needed to add a piece of luggage to our "collection"! They had a 60% sale on and it was well worth it. We paid 40$ for a huge luggage that was usually priced at 100$!! MJ has a good nose for those deals!!!

Yesterday was my Friday at work, which means that I'm off today and tomorrow too. We're gonna do some work on the shed today and tomorrow and hopefully we will start painting it on Sunday (another day off for yours truly!!).

Tonight, with the nice evening ahead (it will be 30C) today, we'll be eating BBQ and sitting on the balcony, I'm sure!!! But before we have a good time, we first must go to the dentist as MJ as a noon appointment.

I've finished reading the following book:

I really enjoyed this French book: the storyline is very well done. A bunch of people are getting killed as they're bitten by bees. Nothing supernatural, just a good ol' plain explanation!! The characters are very well drawn and the Paris of 1889 comes out very lively. A must read! I'll order the next 2 in the series for sure!!!

Cheers

Oh my God...

2004-08-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Yesterday, we went to Wallmart 3 times (I almost died...). On the last trip, MJ's bought herself a coffee maker. She started drinking coffee steadily about 3 weeks ago and figured that it was time to get ourselves one. This way, when we have company, we'll be able to brew some "good" Tim Hortons coffee. How times change.

MJ and I have started talking about a quick 2 days getaway once I'm on holidays at the end of the month!!! More to come on this shortly!!!

5 more weeks until:

We can't wait: it will be my 4th show with Phil (and 5th if you can't the Genesis show). It will be great!

This summer has been an absolute disaster: for the month of July, there has been twice has many thunderstorms warnings (and actual ones) than last year. We probably had 1 week of nice weather, that's all. Today, it was 14C and rainy...

Finally, here's what I've finished reading:

This author is well know in Norway and continental Europe, but she's just being discovered in North America. The pace to the story is really good and the procedural ranks amongts the best. There was some traces of Mankell in the writing style, although with less accent on the Norvegian way of life (compared to Mankell's Sweden that's ever present in the story). A very nice multi-layered story that makes you wishe that the book wouldn't end that quickly. In some way, Sejer reminds me of Rebus. With more transalations on the way, this series could become a favorite of mine if it keeps it up! BTW, can't wait for the new Rebus to come out...

Cheers

PS This was a long blog to write, over 2 hours of interruptions and other such adventures!!!

What a beautiful today!!

2004-08-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

Salut,

This morning, we got up, intending to go to the Rockies. When I looked at the weather forecast, it said that it would rain and a forecasted 14C for Lake Louise. Needless to say, we changed our minds! Instead, we went in Lethbridge to spend the day.

The drive there is a piece of cake: only 2 hours, and it went really well. By the time we'd reach the city, it was already 12:45. We stopped in a park downtown to feed Alexandre and to eat the excellent food prepared by MJ!! Once this was done, we walked around downtown for a bit. There isn't much to see, but there was this one used bookshop that we went into. We found a couple of nice used books for Alex. This took us about 30 minutes as it's pretty small: we think that Medicine Hat and Red Deer are better than Lethbridge!!

We then moved along to our main event of the day: the Japanese Garden. For a mere 5 bucks, you're transported into another world!! Really nice area! Their philosophy is as follows: "Sometimes, we need to move away from the busyness of the world around us and search out the quiet places - places where we may seek understanding, take time to organize our thoughts, get in touch with our deepest selves... and then be ready to give all that is asked of us to our world again". With the crazy week at work, this is exactly what the doctor ordered!! The Gardens were founded in 1967 to celebrate the centennial of Canada. It's name symbolizes the cross-cultural friendship between Japan and Canada. Overall, we were very pleased to walk into this flower free garden: it gave us the opportunity to relax and enjoy the sun (and close to 30C temperatures)!!!

But, as soon as we were finished the visit, dark clouds started shaping up in the skies. We grabbed a bite to eat and made our way back home, in a light thunderstorm. This lasted about 20 minutes and the rest of the drive to Calgary was pretty straightforward!!!

We should've been there a long time ago but I'm happy that we've finally decided to make the trip today.

Cheers

A short week!

2004-08-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

Salut!

I'm updating this from work while I'm on a break!!! Technology is great!!!

After having the weekend off, I'm back to work for 3 days only before having 2 more days off! Life is going to be good this week! We're also planning to go to the Mountains on Thursday (and they're forecasting over 30C with Humidex factored in!), more specifically to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. We're looking forward to it as we haven't been there for a couple of years. I know that, for one, I need a bit of quiet time away for the noisy work place that I'm in right now. A nice quite day with my family is what I need. (Once we get back, I'm sure I'll have a few pictures to post on the website!)

There was a few changes in Alexandre's life in the last week that are worth mentionning!!! First, he now has started to hold on to his bottle. Well, sure, it's not for the whole feed and he's certainly not doing it properly. But, we he does it, you can feel that he's trying to direct it to his mouth. Really cool!! Since last Saturday, he's getting fussier: he's crying more, he's eating a bit less and his gums are turning white. It looks like he's starting teething, which looks painful to him. Hopefully, his first teeth won't be too long coming as they say that the 1st one is the worse for them. After that, they get use to the pain and it's OK. At least, he's still sleeping until 08:30 in the morning, which is great for us as we've never been early risers!!!

This is the movie we've rented on Sunday:

I wanted a comedy to be able to laugh a little, but wasn't all that lucky. This was the #1 renter at the local Blockbuster, but quite frankly, this was a bust. The storyline that they have put forward is just an excuse to fall into '70s excess. SUre, this part is well done, but the humor isn't funny at all. It's just one missed joke after the other. I haven't seen the original TV series and now I don't plan on it. Overall, let's put it this way: if a comedy with no story in it fails to make you laugh, then what's left?? A solid D-...

Anyways, got to go, break is almost over. I'll be changing the front page later tonight, once I'm home.

Cheers.

Now, that's crummy!

2004-08-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

Salut

We woke up this morning and it was cold in the house. To celebrate the arrival of August, we heated the house! It was pretty chilly today: it rained, 12C and a pretty cold wind. Sadly, no 2nd day for MJ's garage sale today as the temperature was way too crummy. We ended up in Superstore instead as Alexandre was in need of new PJ's: he's getting pretty tight in what he has right now and considering his growth rate, we figured that it was now time to upgrade his clothing. Tonight we've rented a movie, which I'll talk about next time. I'll also talk about 2 new milestones in Alexandre's life!

Cheers.

Update

2004-07-31T15:59:00.000-07:00

Salut!

The final count is 250$ sharp for today!!! That's crazy: let's quit our jobs!

I also found this week a couple of nice downloading sites, which allows me to get free live recordings of my favorite artists! Great place to be for a music collector!! I'm jus happy that I'm on high speed: no more mailing out CD's for this guy!!!

Cheers

Well, well, well

2004-07-31T14:39:00.000-07:00

Salut!

I has been 5 days since the last blog, but those 5 days have been without too much excitement (other than today...). Work, work and work... The transition to the new software is a bit rough, but is pretty much going as expected. Time will fix all wounds!!!

Today was MJ's first garage sale ever. We got up at 06:00am and tried to have everything ready for 08:00. After a quick shower, I set out to put 9 "adds" across our area. We bought the wood sticks earlier this week at the Home Depot (god I hate that place :-) After getting MJ some Tim Horton's coffee (Yep, she's starting to drink that stuff!), I was back home by 07:00am. Sure enough, 20 minutes later, even though we weren't quite ready yet, the first person showed up! Her first sale was of 3$. At the time of writing, she was already at 230$ net gain!! I'm really surprised as there was lots of people that came to have a look: at one point, as many as 10 "customers" were here at the same time! MJ did great as she's good at that stuff and she has amazing people skills! It's amazing the crap that some of those people have bought: a used shower curtain, some plastic cups and some Avon samplers!! We also got rid of our old computer chair and other stuff that were taking lots of basement space!!! She'll be at it tomorrow morning at 10:00 to try to get rid of the remaining merchandise!

MJ is torn about how to use the $$$! She wants to go ahead and get her teeth whitened. But she also wants to buy stuff for the house! She'll have the last word as she's the one who has put in all the work (well, I did put the adds and got of few items out of the house!).

In the middle of last week, I finished reading the following book:

This Morse novel is probably one of the best in the series. It has a multilayered plot that leaves the reader pondering many aspects of it during the reading and trying to work out who did what and why. The writing has the quality that is expected from Colin Dexter and the characterisation is excellent.

Over with!!

2004-07-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

Salut!

What a nice weekend this was. Over 30C both days. Beautiful!!!

Yesterday, we finally put to rest all the fears that we had with our software conversion and went ahead. I'm not gonna say much here, but it was a challenging time... I finally left work at around midnight even though I was scheduled to be done at 21:00. I couldn't leave everyone, just a mere hour after the cut. So I shared what knowledge I have of it!

MJ is now working on a garage sale! After her crazy shopping of this past Saturday, she wants to get rid of a lot of stuff that we keep (it's basically collecting dust). She even has the neighbor involved as she will be putting a table full of games. See the front picture to have an idea as to what MJ will be selling this Saturday.

Saturday, MJ and I kinda ran away from the heat! We rented the following movie:

MJ liked this one more than I did. This political/war movie draws it's foundations from Shogun. There's no doubt in my mind. There's multiple parallels that can be made with the book, which I found frustrating. (which I won't do here for fear of spoiling the movie) Still not a bad show that has demonstrates the power of simplicity and truth. The countryside images are wonderful and the battle scenes are very well done!! Tom Cruise is also excellent in this role!!! B-

Quite a good deal!!

2004-07-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

Salut!

Yesterday, while I was at work, I started talking to a Westjet employee that also works part time at ADT. He informed me that they had a seat sale going on and that I could rebuy my tickets and get credited the difference for a future purchase. By doing so, we now have a 200$ credit at Westjet for our March trip! Very nice way of retaining customers, isn't it?? They also said that Alexandre is entitled 2 luggages, which is perfect since we'll need to bring both his car seat and his stroller!

MJ was out and about yesterday at Chinook Center while I was working (isn't always the case: she spends the money I'm making the same day!!). She went to meet her friend Pascale (with her 9 months old) to chat and shop, 2 of her pastimes!!! She had a good time there and was back home before rush hour started.

We I came back from work last night, MJ and I spent some time on our balcony. There was a nice breeze outside and it was nice to enjoy our new purchase!!

Alexandre is starting to "chat" more and more. He's making all kinds of different faces and noises, which is really fun to see! He's also starting to ask for more attention: he'll be fussing and as soon as he sees us again, he's back to being all smiles and noisy!! Quite fun!!

This morning, we set out to go the Millarville market again. By the time we were out of our street, MJ had changed the project: instead, we were to hunt garage sales for deals! We got Alexandre a few more toys at ridiculous prices: the great thing is that those are in great shape!

When we got back, I mowed the lawn while MJ was feeding Alexandre. Later today, we'll go to Coop to get stuff to cook some burgers on the grill and then we'll watch a movie in the basement. We'll enjoy the cool air of the basement as they're forecasting a horrible 36C outside!

Tomorrow, it's back to work for 6 straight days. We'll cut over Mastermind tomorrow, which promises to be challenging!!

Cheers!

2004-07-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Salut

Yesterday, after work, we went to Zellers and we ended up buying a couple of things: we found 2 pictures for our bedroom and a 2 seater for the balcony that can swing back and forward. I'm looking forward to sit on our balcony and either read, spend some time with MJ and do a little bit of people and car watching!! We'll put pictures shortly.

Today, again after work, was Alexandre's 3 months appointment. He's now 15.5 pounds and 24.75 inches long. He's also in perfect health and well balanced. Dr Audet said that he will be tall like dad with a similar bone structure! I believe it, no doubt about it!! We'll see the good doctor again next month for both myself and Alexandre (she wants to see how my inhaler treatment is going)

Yesterday, I completed the following book:

This book provides us great insight into the life of Alan Gregory. I'm almost tempted to say that the subplots (both personal and professional, using thee psychology angle) overide the main storyline. His dealings with his young patient, that is somehow involved in the mystery, are very well done and interesting!! The mystery also offers a few twists, but mainly, the characters are well worth reading about! This is the 2nd book in the series of 11 (and still ongoing!) and they need to be read in order due to the importance of the subplots. 8/10

Cheers

With good news sometimes comes bad news...

2004-07-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

Salut!

Well, today is a day off for me! Yesterday , I spent 17 hours at the office, first working my regular shift. I then went for my Mastermind refresher as the change in the monitoring software will occur Monday.

I took the opportunity of having the day off to play with the site and try new things. I was able to add a link to e-mail us from a couple of pages, in case someone wishes to do so. I was also able to put a background color to the music page, which was cool! I've also partially resolved my picture problem. I've taken an image from the internet and I'm now able to put it on my page!!! This is not the perfect way of doing it (if the link to the picture goes Kaput, so does my picture, but it's the best I can do right now!!). The bad thing to this is that I've lost half of my link page, and I have no idea how. It just happened. %*^-*&()&
Technology sometimes is painful! I'll slowly rework it, I guess as I'm using this page lots instead of my favorites folder on the browser.

Before I did all this, we went to pick up Alexandre's new active learning center as it has now arrived at Toysrus! This is a gift from MF and Scott, I'm sure that Alexandre will enjoy i: it looks pretty cool!! Once it's put together, we'll put a picture on the site.

Sunday, Dave came for a visit in the afternoon and early evening. We almost spent the whole time in the basement as it was way too hot in the house. The only time we went out is to prepare some hot dogs. Other than that, we watched the following movie:

Not a bad movie, although a bit too long for my taste. The war scenes are real and the devastation is present. This is the story of a man that goes to war, leaving behind the woman that he loves. During the fighting, he's injured and ends up deserting the Confederate army. The majority of the story is based around his journey back in her arms. Although a good show, there was a few romantic scenes that could've been left out (hindering the story, but oh well!). The acting is excellent and the movie is a very good depiction of tragedy and the waste of a generation. A good B.

Cheers

Happy 5th Anniversary

2004-07-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Today was a special day: we were getting married 5 years ago, to the day. How time flies! Incredible.

I had to change the web counter to another version. The one that I had wasn't working anymore. When I went on the website to check out what was going on, I noticed that the HTML for the counter was modified, therefore rendering what I had useless. I figured that if they start changing that all the time, it won't be doing much counting...

Alexandre's rash is almost all gone: his cream is working wonders!! But, MJ woke up this morning really stuffed up, sure enough, the doctor said that she had a "sinusite", which is her 4th in 6 months. She was still in good spirits through the day though, which is much to her credit.

We went out to celebrate by having diner at Montana's: we really enjoy the restaurant and their chicken is great!! Afterwards, we went to Fair is Fair, a huge 2nd hand bookdealer and I bought myself 3 books at cheap price. We then went in a comic book store: I was trying to add a 3rd Spidey tie to my collection of ties, but they didn't have any :-(

We then came back and relaxed for a bit: I updated the website while MJ was sleeping on the chair beside me: she blamed it on the medication!!! We then had supper outside and we're now getting ready to go outside for a walk as the temperature is gorgeous.

Cheers!

PS You might've noticed that there was one picture that was tampered with on the recent picture section: I wonder who did that. Must be someone that knows my password!!

Brand new feature

2004-07-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

Salut!

I'm pretty happy with myself tonight. I was able to add a web counter to the web site all on my own. It doesn't seem much, but after watching Scott doing the ticker, I picked up a few pointers! I'll see what else I can do (I've also adjusted the order of the buttons on the front page!) Now, I only need to figure out the other problem I was writing about earlier this week and I'll be thrilled!!!

Cheers

Yesterday completed the cycle...

2004-07-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Salut!!

Well, like today's front page indicates, last night was weird. In 7 years in Calgary, we've seen snow in 11 months out of 12. That all changed today. We had another one of those freak storms. Our area just got hit with a little bit of rain, but towards the Southcenter, it was a different story. In fact, when I took the train this morning, I noticed that there was TONS of snow on the ground in that area. Imagine, 8 minutes from here and it looked like winter... Pretty bad, I'd say.

When I got here, MJ's friends were here and she had a good time with them even though the temperature was over 30C in the house. See tomorrow's update for a picture of this "event"! (I'm tempted to write a heck of a long blog today: it will be an excuse to remain in the basement for a long time!)

After barbequing some burgers, I moved the lawn for the 2 time this week: the fertilizer sure did it's job, didn't it??

I now have the weekend off and back to work on Monday for our last week before we totally change our monitoring software: this should be an interesting challenge!!

I received my accounting grade today and scored a B. I'm pretty happy with that considering that I could barely study in last 3 weeks of the class due to bronchitis. And this also means a 100% refund from work!

Finally, tomorrow is our 5th wedding anniversary! This day will always remain in my heart as the most important day of my life. MJ, I'm so happy I met you, words can't describe it! I love you more than yesterday, but less than tomorrow :-)

Have to go!

Cheers

PS Less than 2 months for the Phil Collins's gig in Montreal!

A day for doctor's visits...

2004-07-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

Salut

This morning, Alexandre went to see the doctor that's located at the walk in clinic on our street. He's developped a rash in the neck and a bit in the face. This was caused by the fact that we've changed his shampoo on the weekend. A little cream should do the trick!

I went to the same doctor after work to start my immunization process against the ragweed. I'll receive 4 shots, once a week and I'll be ready for our September trip in Quebec.

Tonight, we'll eat hot dogs on the BBQ!!!

You might've noticed that some pictures in the interest section aren't coming up properly. Although I did it properly when Scott was around, I can't manage to get it right. I'll need to talk to him soon so that I can continue on with this page...

Cheers

Yummy, yummy!

2004-07-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

Salut

Not much happening today: the weather is finally nice, 26C!

This morning, at work, we had our annual Stampede breakfast. On the menu, pancakes, ham and eggs. Great stuff, for sure, and better yet, no lineup!

I've started my regular reading habits again. I have finished the following book:

Her writing is as good as ever. In fact, this book won the award for best book in 1987. She even manages to have some interesting subplots happening while driving through her main idea. This is the 5th book I read in the alphabet series, 3rd in order, and this has been a treat. Although a bit slow to get going, once it does, the story picks up and take you to it's cliffhanging ending. A sure A-.

I know, this is a small review, but gotta to go fire up the BBQ for our sausage and potatoes!!

Cheers!

When you wait,...

2004-07-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Yesterday was a busy day. I went to work for 06:00am, only to find out at 11:00 that the only supervisor that was scheduled for that afternoon called in sick. I offered to stay until 21:00: in exchange for this 15 hours day, I was given today off! So not a bad deal at all.

We went to bed at around 23:30 last night, expecting to get up at around 05:30. Nope, Alexandre slept for 23:00 until 09:20am. We couldn't believe believe, but we didn't argue to much about it!!! He's also starting to grab better on his toys and putting them in his mouth: too cool!!

We took advantage of that day off to go to Costco (that should be renamed Costly... every time we go there, ....), and bought the usual round of stuff. We did find something that we'd been looking for a while: in Alexandre's room, there's a 13 inches wide space that we were trying to fill, but we never found a bookshelf for it. TOday, we found a coloured grid storage system that fits perfectly in there. It matches with the walls and fills the hole nicely!!

We then went to get a couple of rolls of grass: we needed to put the finishing touch on our patio! While MJ was doing this, I was feeding Alexandre outside, as it was really nice out today!

Tonight, someone from the catholic church will visit us to arrange a meeting to prepare for Alexandre's baptism!!

Cheers

A busy weekend!!

2004-07-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

Salut!!

We've had a busy weekend, but really fun! On Saturday morning, we all went for Stampede breakfast at Chinook Center. We waited about 45 minutes before having our pancakes with fake syrup!! The weather was nice, making the wait a nice one!! The place was packed, as usual.

From there, we went to the zoo for the remaining of the day: they've done a really good job with the new African pavillion. I've always felt though that the Calgary zoo is lacking animals. When you compare it to some of the other zoos we've seen, it sure feels that way.

Last night was pretty quiet as we were all pretty tired. Today, after a solid breakfast, MF and MJ went back to shopping again. I can't count the number of times that they've done so in the past few days: crazyness, I tell you!! Anyways, while they were gone, Scott offered to help me out with the patio and the stairs in the backyard. He pretty much did it all on his own as I still can't gather the strenght to do it. The only remaining thing to do is to buy a few rolls of grass and we're on our way!! While Scott was doing this heavy work, I was mowing the lawn, who really needed it.

After all this hard work, Scott and I went to rent this movie:

Overall, I thought that this was a good show. The main characters suffers memory blackouts during key moments in his life. Seven years later, he realizes that he can go back those events and change the past. Very good premise, this plays with the power of choice and chance in our daily lives. Overall, the movie is about regrets in life. I feel though that the ending is a bit of a cheat, a let down. I won't spoil it though: rent it, it's worth it! A good sci-fi, a B.

Cheers

A fun day!

2004-07-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

Salut!

Yesterday, we went to a new steakhouse, a 5 minutes drive from our house. MJ enjoyed one of her steaks :-(, while I feasted on some ribs. Great new restaurant, but a bit on the expensive side. Yesterday's front page showed Alexandre enjoying the sun!

Today, after leisuring in bed for a while (Alexandre slept well!), we went to ToysRus and Ikea with Scott and MF. That took all afternoon! We then went to burgers at the free Stampede Feast offered by Mark's Work Wearhouse and M and M shop! I was actually surprised as it was tasty! I thought for sure that it wouldn't taste all that great, but I was wrong!

Scott and I came back to the house to watch the Riders game, which was great fun, as they lost! This will help the cause of the home team: anyways, it can't hurt!

Nathan keeps taking us by surprise! He's developping his lungs pretty good, let me tell you!! I'm just happy that he doesn't have his uncle's lungs...

Tomorrow, we're off in the morning to our weekly visit to Dr Audet (or what it feels like...). More on this next time.

Hopefully, the weather will improve a bit for our visit to the zoo on Saturday: this time, we'll bring our camera along for some fresh new pictures.

Lastly, we should have some improvements to the site soon: Scott is here, so I can pick his brain (and knowledge!).

Last minute update: it's now 23:30 and no one is sleeping. I mean no one! Nathan is still testing is lungs capacity (!) while Alexandre is wide awake and is looking intently his Luminou!!! Hopefully, they will sleep soon so that us older people can go to bed too!!!

Cheers!

You know he's growing when...

2004-07-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Today, we went with Alexandre today to get his shots. You know that time going fast when it's already been 2 months since he was born.... Ouch.. Anyways, all went well. He was sleeping before the vacine, he cried when they woke him up and put the 3 needles, but within 30 seconds, he was sleeping again!! No reaction to the medication either... (Update: he's crying lots and lots right now -- he's even refusing to eat, which is unusual!!)

Yesterday, MJ called the lungs fundation as she was worried about my repetitive bronchitis and the long time that it takes me to recuperate after them. They said that I should go on a 6 months treatment because although I'm healed up, there's still some residues stuck in my lungs, causing all the problems. Friday, we're going to the doctor so we'll talk to her about it.

Company is coming to Calgary tomorrow night: Scott, MF and Nathan will arrive late in the evening tomorrow for a visit. We're looking forward to see them all again!!

Although I've slowed down in the last week and a half, (Working nights and holidays) I've finished reading the following book:

This was my first read in this long standing series. Set in Venice, this american author is well-known in Europe while she only has 3 books in print in North America. Rest assured, the whole series is available from booksellers in England! Anyways, although not as dark, violent and to the point as it's Italian counterpart Camilleri, this book read more like a novel than an actual procedural. Not that it isn't, but the feeling is a bit different than usual. It shows the competition between the military and the regular police force. A solid A-, I'll be looking for more soon!!

Cheers!

The ever amazing...

2004-07-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

Salut!

What a shitty day today: to celebrate the beginning of my holidays, we had a 7C day (with windshield). I mean, we've heated the house all day. Really sad... The day all started when I got up at 03:30am as I couldn't sleep anymore -- jetlagged from the night shift. Thank God I fell back asleep at 06:30 though!! I fed Alexandre and then came downstairs to goof around on the computer for a while... BTW, Alexandre now feeds 50% of the time every 2 hours during the day to make up the fact that he's sleeping lots at night.

That's about the extent of our day. I've seen 2 movies today. The first one is right below:

This movie is a look at the effect of one single event in the life of 3 different individuals that are reunited by a murder. Sean Penn's performance is really good, showing the pains of a grieving father. I just can't imagine what someone who goes through this ordeal feels like. The movie ends up as a dark, grim mystery, who often turns into a drama. Although there's no big twist here, this is still an enjoyable movie. The only thing we thought was a drawback is the fact that Kevin Bacon didn't make a really convincing cop. A solid B in my book.

In the afternoon, I went with my friend Dave to see what I consider to be the main event of the year, movie wise. If you haven't seen the movie and are considering doing so, please do not read on as there will be tons of spoilers for this one!!!

That's right, the amazing spiderman!! This was the second movie in the franchise and Marvel has outdone themselves! What a good show! For me, it all started more than 25 years ago when I first realized that this character was out there. This is when I read my first spiderman comic:

From that point on, what an amazing ride. And today was just another milestone with that character. He's always been my favorite superhero!!

Like in the comic books, the relationship between Peter and Mary Jane has been really explored. In fact, in the first half of the movie, we barely see Spiderman at all. Instead, we're treated with the life of Peter and his inner emotions on dealings on how to deal with all those responsibilities. His turmoil at the death of his uncle and at the fact that he can't convince himself to love Mary Jane is evident. Throughout the movie, she is one of the center theme of the movie.

Marie-Josee will be happy to see the ending, once we rent it! She was upset after the 1st, as she saw Peter as a bit of a wimp for not reaching for his dreams! The movie picked up where it left off in the 1st one and ended in a satisfactory way, as far as their relationship goes!!

Another character that was really well done is the vilain, Doctor Octopus.

Very well job here! God they made him believable! The tentacles looked like they were alive and quite frankly, they were scary!! There's a couple of things that I didn't like though:

1- Octopus wasn't linked with Oscorp at all. The Osbornes weren't even in the comic book when Octopus first showed up! They twisted the story really good there...

2- Octopus would've never realized the error of his ways and repent at the end: he's a hardcore vilain that shouldn't go soft at the end of the movie. That was really disappointing to me... The battle on the train was way more efficient that the climax, which wasn't all that great....

Another character that I've enjoyed was:

Good ol' JJJ, Jonah Jameson. As ironic and cheap as ever. He had a bit more screen time, which made for a few chuckles!!

Overall, the movie was very sharp. The CGI was very well done, if not better than the first movie. The story moved very well, concentrating on both Peter and Spidey. All the secondary characters were good, even John Jameson. He was out of character when compared to the comic, but they did a good job. Furthermore, they've set up Spiderman 3 very well. The Goblin will be back with a vengeance: we know he will have eyes for Mary Jane!

Spiderman unmasked himself twice in the movie, which was really strange. He's done so once in 45 years of comics, but twice in 2 hours in the movie. It made for a few ahs and ohs, but an easy gimmick nonetheless.

Overall, though, what a great movie. A great A grade. Too bad the next one is for 2007 only. It will be though to hang on for that long. At least, today was a real treat for a fan like myself. Until next time, farewell my friends!

Finally done with!!

2004-07-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Well, I'm finally done with my accounting class. Although it didn't quite finish the way I wanted it due to the fact that I couldn't prepare properly for the final, I'm still happy that it's done and over with. Now, I can enjoy summer (or it's imitation of it) with MJ and Alexandre!

Speaking of weather, tomorrow will be 13C, which is ludicrous. I was thinking of going to the Stamps going with Dave, but I'll probably scrap that and be indoors instead. I'll catch Spiderman tomorrow, unless Dave has bought some tickets already!!

This morning was my last night shift for a while!!! Although I like working with the people, I do have to say that I'm pretty happy to have my sleeping pattern back to normal again! I won't complain too much about that!

So, to celebrate, we went out this morning and went to the Millarville Market. It was our first visit. It's about 20 minutes away: we were lucky, although it came close to raining (again...), we were able to walk outside in a dry fashion!! (Today's front page was taken at the Market -- it will be posted once we're back from Home Outfitters!)

MJ has finished another year for the Stroke Foundation, canvassing door to door. She only had about 10 homes to visit this year, but they have bigger plans for her next year as they will give her the entire street behind our house!!

Alexandre is still sleeping through the night, but he's now eating every 2 hours. Those feeds are sure coming quick! He's also started reaching for the flowers that are hanging from his gym! He's always pulling on the little handle, which is really cool to see. There's a picture in the baby section about this feat!!

Well, gotta go: we're heading to Home Outfitters to buy some new lamps for our bedroom and after, we'll go to Blockbuster for a movie tonight. I'll post today or tomorrow what we've watched, along with a CD comment on a new discovery on my part!!

Cheers

Not that bad after all!

2004-06-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Yesterday, I went to the mechanic for the car. It wasn't as bad as we planned: only 275$, mostly due to the speedometer and an oil change. Thank god there's nothing wrong with the chucks!!!

I'm 2 night shifts into my run: so far, not too bad. Although I was getting tired yesterday by 04:00am, I still found that it wasn't as hard as before. Yesterday, I slept 6 hours and today 7. So, with 2 more sleep to do during the day, I'm not desperate to be done (although I won't complain either!). And then I'll enjoy my holidays and the beginning of Stampede with MF, Scott and Nathan. We are looking forward to it!

Before I go eat supper, a quick comment on this book:

This is the 2nd book in the Eraste Petrovitch Fandorine series. I loved the first one! I read this one in French as it hasn't been translated in English yet: instead, they've done the 3rd in the series. Originally, I was wondering why but now I know! This installement is totally different from the first one: it went from a mystery-spy-adventure to a war-betrayal kinda story. Not that it's a good thing, but I thought that the writting (or was it the translation??) was dry and uneventful. I kept on reading because I know that the 3rd book will be back to where it left off in the 1st as I read reviews! IT will be in the style of Agatha Christie and will happen on a train ride. (and the end of book 2 sets up this ride) I do have to say that the last 30 pages were excellent, but this could've been a 200 pages novel. Oh well, they can't all be winners. But, you really need to read the 1st installement: I haven't changed my mind about that!!!

Cheers

Not much today...

2004-06-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Not much to say today. What a boring day! Oh, the weather was nice, but I had to study all day for tomorrow's final. What a waste of a Sunday: but at least, I'll be done tomorrow evening and can enjoy the rest of the summer (or actually the beginning of it, whenever it decides to come...). Now, if only I didn't have those night shifts... Oh well, it will be done quickly!!

We've bought our plane tickets today. We'll be arriving in Montreal on September 12th, early in the evening. We're looking forward to it, as usual. 2 big events on the trip: ALexandre's baptism on the 19th (and it will be decided this week where) and Phil Collins's gig on the 14th. What a week that will be!!!

Tonight, after I was done studying, MJ and me rented the following movie:

Well, we felt like we wanted to watch a light movie. We knew what we were getting ourselves into but we went ahead anyways as we loved all 3 American Pies and we liked Old School. So, not a bad movie. The premise is really simple: after being dumped by his girlfriend, one of the main characters heads to Europe to meet his penpal (being a good looking woman, of course) Some really funny moments, although not as good as the Pie trilogy. It's way more graphic and cynical than the other 4 films combined. But, there's lots of cool glimpses of Europe as we move along on the road trip: London, Paris, Amsterdam, Bratislava, Berlin and Vatican City. (Oh yeah, and some place in Ohio!) They've brought forward a lot of common European stereotypes, which was funny, except in a couple of places where they've outlived their TV time!! There's no real surprise in this movie, although the end is crummy and unbelievable. Overall, a C+. Not a great show, not a disaster either. (it wouldn't have been a good deal to pay to see at our friendly neighborhood theater -- oups, getting carried away: Spidey will be in town this week!!) Anyways, let's just be happy that Alexandre's eyes were closed!!!

Here's the other CD that I bought the other day:

I discovered this band a couple of years ago when my sister introduced them to me. I enjoyed their last album. Last week, in the Herald, there was a whole page on the band, writing about them and their new album. I figured, let's try this again. I have mixed feelings about it. The first three songs are very strong, with some long guitar solos, a bit of experimentalism (is this a word??) and a few nice hooks. There even some evidence of some blues influences in there. Further along, there's some beautiful songs and some who aren't working as well (so far, anyways). I'm really disappointed in the 15 minutes songs ( I usually love those but it seems that there's lots of fillers in there.). Hummingbird and Wishful thinking stand out for me, although not a song as the opening 3 songs!! Overall, I'm happy with the CD, if only for the first three, although the rest of the CD will grow on me! I really like the fact that lots of songs are starting slowly and are building towards a nice (should I use chaotic??) ending.

Anyways, gotta go: I'll update the site again on Tuesday with news (Going to the mechanic on Tuesday afternoon: not looking forward to the bill...) and pictures.

Cheers!

There's always a first time!

2004-06-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

Salut

Today marks the first time that I'm actually able to update the whole website without looking at my notes! This doesn't seem like much, but to someone who's not computer friendly, this is an exploit! Watch out Scott, I'm coming for your job!! THanks for sharing your knowledge!

Well, looks like I'll be ready to tackle my remaining 5 night shifts, as of Monday night. I'm almost up to it today so another 2 days of idleness should do it: mind you, I need to catch up on my accounting class. I've lost precious time and my final is Monday. Argh....

Yesterday marked our first barbecue of the season!! We ate the good ol' hamburgers (Weight Watchers Friendly, BTW). It was good to fire up the good old barbecue!!! Speaking of the WW, since I've started again, I've lost more than 13 pounds. I need to lose the sympathy weight that I've gained when MJ was pregnant! Oh well, it was great while it lasted!

Lastly, next time, I'll talk about a couple of CD's that some of you might be interested in!! But this is what I was listening to while typing this blog:

Great stuff if you're into flute in your music!

Cheers

A bit of down time!

2004-06-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Today, MJ and Alexandre went shopping at the Southcentre mall, leaving me behind, on my own. At first, if felt weird (even the birds were quiet!) but I quickly realized that I could indulge in some relaxing and Luc time, trying to finally get rid of this bronchitis.

Earlier today, I went to one of my favourite activities: I went to AB Sound. Sure, it was a very quick trip due to health, but I still managed to buy 3 CD's to keep my mind occupied!! I'll talk about 2 of them later, the 3rd one will come once I've made up my mind, in a couple of days!

MJ went back again to Toys R Us today as she realized that, due to a sale, she was entitled to a 5$ stroller (valued at 25$!). This is because we bought 75$ at the baby center: this is a promotion that they had on to encourage customers to buy more. Marie-France told us yesterday about it and MJ was right with it today!!

Alexandre is getting better every day: we expect that a couple of days more and he will be back to a full 100%!!!

Tonight, after MJ's shopping, we sat down and watched an episode of CSI, on DVD. We really enjoy the show: too bad we don't have more time, our box set would be more only half watched as this point!

Back to those cd's!!! The first cover isn't available on the net yet (it's brand new, 2 days old) so I've elected to put a picture of artist in a live setting!

I'm talking about the latest offering of Sarah McLachlan! It's only an EP, 5 songs and it's about 20 minutes long. But, it highlights the power of her voice, as she's only either playing the guitar or the piano. What a voice and the 5 songs are all hits that have been reworked for the occasion. Recommended!!!

The other one that I'll talk about today is more a band that I usually listen to:

Ah, well! This was my last wanted Yes album until they come out with a new one. Why did I wait so long for this album as I love the band?? Well, this period of Yes was a weird one: both Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson had left the band. So, only Howe, Squire and White remained of the 3 core members. 2 more members were added, but the question remained in my mind: had they replaced Jon properly??? Well, although the album has some interesting moments (Machine Messiah and Tempus Fugit), it seems to dwell to much in trying to get a pop sound in there. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but combine that with the fact that the new lead was trying to imitate Jon Anderson's voice (without the high pitched notes!), some of the album doesn't go through the test. Even the bonus songs on the remastered edition are a bit of a stretch (those were done before Wakeman and Anderson left the band in '79): no wonder they left, the songs are poor efforts when compared to their previous inputs. Overall, an interesting novelty (there's still the great sounds of Steve Howe's guitar and Chris Squire's haunting bass), but certainly not great material. But, being the completist that I am, I still needed to sample and try it (and it was only 10 bucks!).

I'll add a couple of links in the appropriate page for those 2 discs!

Finally, I finished reading a novel from the 87th Precinct today.

Like usual, McBain is to the point and doesn't try to be politically correct. He attacks every area of society equally. Their dramas and way of lives are well depicted. The dialogues were once again very crisp and realistic while the police work was once again detailled. This is not a gory series by any means, but the langage used in the book my raise a few eyebrows. The 2 cases are spread through a 48 hours period and you get to meet different staff members as they rotate through their shift. So, the book doesn't concentrate on Carella as usual, both more on a bunch of different characters and detectives!

Anyways, enough rambling for today!

Luc

So much for that, part 2

2004-06-23T00:04:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Well, after another visit at Doctor Audet, she had a bad surprise for me: 1 more week of taking it easy, not doing much at home: otherwise, it could go down for a while, soooo, I guess I won't be very productive this week...

Alexandre's bronchitis, on the other hand, is doing better. Other than the sniffles, he's much better!!

Today, MJ went ahead and bought for close to 300$ worth of toys for Alexandre. 180$ was the money that was given to MJ from work in the form of a gift certificate to Toys R US. The other 100$ was from Gilberte (Salut!) and her uncle Jean-Guy and aunt Carmel (Merci!). We need to return the Disney tree that we had decided upon though because it wasn't working and it turned out to be boring anyways! Once we get a replacement, I'll post a picture of the damages in the recent picture section.

MJ finished planting all of her flowers yesterday: it will look quite nice. Once they're all bloomed, I'll post a picture!

Finally, with a lot of time in my hands, I've finished reading another book: here's the cover.

Once again, Ruth Rendell has painted an interesting mystery, even though the title is pretty corny... The story takes place at a Woodstock type of gathering and it involves a rock star. The solution is original and elevates Wexford at the top as far as deductive skills are concerned. Really short book, but quite worthwhile.

A bientot

Luc

So much for that...

2004-06-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

Salut!

Last time I posted, I was suggesting that I was getting better. Well, I guess that things have gone south since. I'm almost back to stratch with this bronchitis. Alexandre, on the other hand, is slowly improving, although he's still pretty stuffy.

We had a bit of a sandstorm tonight. The weather went from very nice (open windows type of weather) to windy, stormy and freakin' cold in about 10 minutes. You know what they say about Calgary: don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes and you'll be satisfied.

Yesterday's father's day was very special: it was my first one and I had a great time! It's amazing to think that 2 months ago, I didn't even knew Alexandre and now, I can't even imagine life without him around!!

This past weekend, I registered to live365.com. This is a web site with tons of independent radio stations. They have over 10 000 of them, 3 of them being progressive rock! This is heaven: a great way to discover new bands!!!

I'm about to go here, but before I do, cast your eyes on this cover.

I've discovered this band from Sweden a couple of weeks ago. They are called Sigur Ros and have 2 albums to their credit, the 3rd is coming out any day now. I have to say that I was pleased with this CD: this is the biggest band in Iceland. This surprises me as they are very experimental, at best. They have beautiful melodies and are groundbreaking. The lyrics are in swedish (I think) and they have tons of different instruments going on. Both Metallica and Radiohead only have good things to say about the band! The music is tough to describe, but if you are open minded with your music, give this a try, you won't regret it! I've also included a link to their official web site on my links page!

Salut!

A trip to the fair...

2004-06-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

Salut!

No, no, no: this is not a reference to an old number by Renaissance, a '70's band. My sister will know what I'm talking about! Instead, this refers to our trip today to the Calgary's book fair. This is the 2nd weekend. They have over 500 000 books to offers and today was sale day: children's books were 25 cents, paperbacks were 50 cents and harcovers were 1$. This was our 2nd trip in 10 days. The first one was very successful, this one was still pretty good as they replenish theirs stocks daily. I found lots of very good HC's for 1$, which made me very happy as those books usually retail between 15 and 40$ a pop, in these conditions. They already have raised more than 100 000$ for the raise a reader foundation, here in Calgary.

When later during the day went to Swiss Chalet, for a late supper. Towards the end of the meal, I discovered that there was a gum under my chicken. Now, that was disgusting. MJ, as ever, was the negociator in the family! She managed to get my chicken free (of course, that's obvious!) and 2 desserts, also free of charge! She also got the attention of the manager, that apologized numerous times...

Both Alexandre and I are doing better today. Although I get tired easily, my lungs are getting stronger: good thing too, because I've got to study all day tomorrow for my final exam on Wednesday and I have to put the final touches to our team presentation on Monday.

I have to go now. I should post again tomorrow, but I won't be posting every day though. So, don't get use to this infernal rate. I should have new pictures tomorrow too.

Salut

All smiles today!

2004-06-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

Salut!!

This morning, Ghislaine left really, really early! After a sleepless night due to my bronchitis, we got up at 04:45 to drive her to the airport. We woke up Alexandre, fed him and we were on the way. We got back at 07:10 and I went straight to bed. I got up at around 11:00, still feeling my bronchitis. Overall, though, as the day went along, I'm starting to get better. The rest ordered by the doctor is helping out. Alexandre has also improved today. He's still a bit stuffy, but he's coughing less!

Today, Alexandre has made a lot of real smiles. He's reacting a lot more to the faces that we're making, which is really cool!

Tonight, we've ordered some chinese as I'm sick and MJ is coming down with it. We've figured the rest will do us wonders!

I've finished reading a book that I've been waiting for 5 years now: the last known case of Solar Pons. Sadly, I can't track down the cover so here's something else instead, somewhat related!

Since the 20's, August Derleth (and then Basil Copper) have written stories about the heir of Sherlock Holmes. Their were usually 3000 copies printed on average, although those stories have been described as the best Holmes pastiches. Sure, they're pastiches, but as time went on, Pons and Dr Parker have developped a personnality of their own. I've received this week the last Pons story to have been written this week, Solar Pons VS the Devil's Claw. This one only has 200 copies in circulation and they all sold out during the pre-orders, making it skyrock in value right away. Anyways, as usual, lots of detection, deductions and twists, just like we were used to it through the years. I'm sad that this was the last Pons story, but it's a doozy! At least, we were given one last chance to go back to 7B Praed Street, where the eternal Pons was waiting by the fire to mezmerize us once again...

Luka

Alexandre's first real smile!

2004-06-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Salut!!

Today marks the first time that Alexandre smiled to me as a reaction to something that I was doing as opposed to just a reflex! He has done so for MJ and Ghislaine before, but it was the first time for me: it's not a regular occurence yet, but it's still really cool!!

I've visited Dr Audet today for my regular visit, or so it seems. She's diagnosed another bronchitis, although this is only the opening stages. Hopefully, the medication will kick in quickly and I'll be able to go to the book fair Sunday!!

Tonight is Ghislaine's last night with us. All her help was greatly appreciated and we hope that she'll visit again soon.

Finally, I've added more pictures today in both sections. Enjoy!

Luc

Hurray

2004-06-17T01:17:00.000-07:00

I've managed to upload pictures in the pictures section. 6 pictures were added, more in the baby picture tomorrow or Friday. Now, it's bedtime.

Luc

Harry Potter

2004-06-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

Salut!!

Typical Calgary day today: sun and warm. Euh, well, rainy and cold. Euh, well, warm again. No, it was raining: you get the picture.

If anything, Alexandre was feeling worse today. He had a stuffy nose to add to his current breathing problems. I think we'll bring him with us tomorrow when I go see Doctor Audet for my own problems, that are also getting worse! Quite the family!!!

As you might've noticed, the links section is slowly growing. I'm about halfway done with my book section. A new music section in that area is next. I'm afraid that I'm still having problems uploading pictures in the recent photos and baby pictures section. More coming soon!! (As soon as I speak to Scott to figure out the last couple of steps, which I didn't write down for some reason).

Tomorrow is Ghislaine's last day in Calgary. She will be flying to Regina on Friday morning. She has been a great help around the house: it will be a bit of a struggle to get things organized while I work night shift, as we're used to have 3 people around the house (not that I've done much in the last 2 days anyways...)

MJ and me went to see Harry Potter yesterday.

Although we both thought it was a good movie, we didn't enjoy it as much as the first 2. The change in directors might be for blame: less school stuff, Harry (and Hermione and Ron) look way too old for kids that only got the summer off, etc.. On the other hand, I've really enjoyed the darker tone on the movie while I thought that Lupin was great! Still a 4 out of 5, to be recommended if you've enjoyed the last 2. Now, for the real stuff, bring on Spidey :-)

Alexandre's first illness

2004-06-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

Salut!

Over the weekend, we've noticed that Alexandre's breathing was getting heavier and heavier. At 4:00am, he started coughing and having more troubles breathing. Alexandre has also been sleeping for almost 24 hours straight. We've decided to bring him to the doctor's office on our street (in the little strip mall with the Sobey's and Blockbuster). Sure enough, the doctor diagnosed something that we are quite familiar with: bronchitis.

I'm also coming down with something, so I need to stay away from Alexandre until Thursday when I see doctor Audet. It might be too late already, but we'll see.

Tonight, MJ and me are going to enjoy our first movie on big screen since last November. We're going to catch the 3rd Harry Potter. Looking forward to it. I'll talk about it later.

Luc

First real post!!

2004-06-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

Bonjour a tous!!

What a day!! We left Regina at around noon today, after a too brief visit. We've enjoyed our time in Regina, although the weather was way too close to the one we've been having in Calgary: it sucked!! Although, Sunday night was nice and we were able to sit for a couple of hours by the fire, eating marshmallows!! But, the main event of the weekend, Nathan's baptism, was great. Everyone was wonderful and we even got to spend some time with Marie-France, Scott and Nathan up front! I'll try to post a couple of pictures in the recent photos section tonight (if I understood Scott's class properly - thanks Scott for the class and thanks Don for the pictures!!!)

Anyways, we left Regina at noon and stopped for gaz in Moose Jaw, like usual. These days, it's 8 cents cheaper than in Calgary (it was at 75 cents compared to 83 here -- this is a shame since we have gaz in our backyard... anyways...). We then stopped in Swift Current to feed Alexandre. All was well, but from that point on, we had a couple of surprises in store. About 1 hour into the trip between Swift Current and Medicine Hat, in the middle of nowhere, we ended up with a flat tire. Great, I thought, we're stuck here until we can put the spear on and find a place to repair it, at 16:30 in the afternoon. Well, as I slow down, I noticed that there was a Coop Gaz Bar on the south side of the highway. Sure enough, they fixed it within one hour. Good thing they had the proper tire, otherwise it would've taken 8 days to order one. We were blessed there, no doubt!! MJ and Ghislaine enjoyed a drink in the little Cafe. I'll post a picture in the recent photos section, along with where we stopped and the motel we would've slept in if the disaster would've occured. ARGH!!!! While I was taking the picture outside, someone approached me to mention that there was a tornado warning in effect for the area (Tomkins, SK. Again, although it rained hard, nothing serious occured!!!

We thought we were done for the day but one we left Medicine Hat, the speeding indicator went dead. So where driving towards Calgary having only an approximate idea of the speed we're driving at: no cops anywhere, so it all went good. Now, a trip to the mechanic is in order... We finally arrived at 22:45.

On a last note here: I finished reading the third book of the Neanderthal triology. Here's the cover:

I discovered this sci-fi author last year. He's from Mississauga and he's been writing for a while now. I'm sure I'll be heading in his back catalogue soon. The premise is simple: what if a parallel world existed from the one we live in right now in which the human race would've died while the neanderthals became the supreme race. The story, in the 3 books, took some unexpected turn and I have to say that I was very pleased with the ending. The jargon used, although scientific in some areas, was still pleasant to read and very entertaining (the main reason I read a book). Also, it's nice to see mentions of the CBC and the Globe and Mail as opposed to CNN and The NY Times.

The 3 books are worth about 1000 pages of reading, well worth it. The interactions between the 2 worlds brought both interesting and unusual scenarios. The series was also ethically and technologically intriguing. Overall, I look forward to read some more from this author.

I will review the books I read as I move along! I'll try to be more detailled, today, I'm tired and want to get to the pictures!!

Salut!!

Luka

2004-06-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

Here it is again! We are still in Regina!

lucetjosee

2004-06-13T22:04:00.000-07:00

This is our first blog entry! Yeahhhhh!!!!!