Overheard in Vancouver

Bystander to friends as Critical Mass rolls by: I don't wear a helmet, I get a ticket. That's not fair.

-- Downtown Eastside, 30.05.2008

overheard by: me

Jim's Crisis on jPod

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It was 4am

Activated the house alarm. Exited through the back door. Remembered that the back stairs are temporarily absent. Returned inside. Headed down the stairs to the basement. Halfway down, remembered that the car is parked in front. Returned upstairs. Waited for the alarm to reach the end of its countdown. Deactivated the house alarm. Reactivated the house alarm. Exited through the front door. Went to work.

Larissa & Demetri & Griffey

I have a prediction: On Jeopardy!, Larissa Kelly will beat Ken Jennings's record of seventy-four wins. Or at least shatter the women's record. Anyone know what the women's record is?

I saw comedian Demetri Martin on television recently. He made me laugh with this: She was amazing. I never met a woman like this before. She showed me to the dressing room. She said: “If you need anything, I’m Jill.” I was like, “Oh, my God! I never met a woman before with a conditional identity. What if I don’t need anything? Who are you?” — “If you don’t need anything, I’m Eugene.”

I've heard that Ken Griffey Jr. may return to play for the Seattle Mariners in the near future. This would be fantastic. The Biscot and I are going to see the Ms play the Boston Red Sox on back-to-back days in July. Please make it so before then.

Bill's Samples

12PM Time to Consult the Oracle?

Office West Virginian: I need more samples! Does anyone know when Bill is making more samples?!
Office wise guy: Uh, Bill, maybe?
Office West Virginian: No, I already asked him and he doesn't know.

W. Market Street
Greensboro, North Carolina
via Overheard in the Office, May 22, 2008

Shipping Details

Here's the thing. When you're shipping something, do you check and double check that the address you're shipping to is complete and correct, including the postal code (or zip code)? I have recently started a new job and have discovered that a lot of people don't care to check addresses, or their checking and double checking is very substandard.

Here is a list of streets with some misspellings I have seen:

• Arbutus Street - Abutus, Arutus, Anbutus, Arvutus, Arbustus
• Balaclava Street - Balaca
• Broadway Avenue - Braodway, Brodway
• Burrard Street - Burrand, Burrad, Burnard, Bunnard, or Bunnand.
• Cornwall Avenue - Cortwall, Kornwall
• Cranberry Drive - Chanverry
• Dumfries Street - Bumfries (Dumfries is pronounced Dum-freeze, but pronounce Bumfries however you wish!)
• Duranleau Street - Duranaelu, Duranieav
• Granville Street - Grandvile, Grandvil, Grantville, Grainville, Grancille, Greenville
• Johnston Street - Johndton, Johnton
• Marstrand Avenue - Marstarad
• Shaughnessy Street - Shawnessy, nor Seanessy.
• Vine Street/Pine Street - Oine (likely Pine, based on o and p being keyboard neighbors)

Some other things:

• It's Burnaby, not Burnbury.
• Make sure the postal code is correct - Main Street is not V6K and Lougheed Mall (in Burnaby!) is not V6J.
• [address number deleted] WEST LLTH AVENUE - what the L?
• John Doe, West 6th Ave is not sufficient - what is the address number?!
• Secure the package - 'nuff said.
• [name deleted]; Vancouver, BC; [address number deleted] West 110th Avenue; V6J 2B5 - which is exactly what I saw today - is incomprehensible. Were you trying for 10th or 11th Ave?
• Check out this one: [address number deleted] W. 3rd Ave; Ontarria, BC, Canada; V6J 1K4. Ontarria?! WTF?
• The Molson Brewery at 1550 Burrard Street is not in Vanderhoof and does not have a postal code beginning with V0J

Telus Walk to Cure Diabetes

This coming Sunday I'm taking part in the Telus Walk to Cure Diabetes. I started a new job in late March and this fundrasing event seems to be kind of a big deal - much like Ron Burgundy. After gaining the ability to walk way back in my toddler days I've done some walking every single day of my life. With all that walking experience, I figure it's about time I used it to do some good.

[Added this paragraph on May 22, 2008, with apologies to Jax who has read it already.] I've done a lot of walking in my life, so I should be okay. There was the disastrous right-foot-toes clipping left-foot-heel tumble-and-fall of 1993 that catapulted me down the high school stairs and into grade 9 infamy, but I've walked like a champ since then, other than a few minor walking-into-a-street-pole accidents.

So to pledge me, click here. According to a message from the official website, You can pledge quickly, efficiently and safely through our secure online pledge option. An electronic tax receipt will be emailed directly to you for donations over $20. You can tell the pledge page is secure because of the s in https in the web page's address.

Juvenile (type 1) Diabetes is the most severe form of diabetes as it is unpreventable and strikes infants, children, teens and young adults, leaving them insulin-dependant for life and facing a future of uncertainty due to the threat of developing devastating complications.

Friday May 16 2008

My days of late haven't been terribly exciting. I work, I eat, I sleep. Throw in some television watching, dog walking, and a weekly Settlers of Catan game and that's my life. Yesterday, though, I had a very full and varied day. Here's how it went down, in chronological order..

1. Wake.
2. Perform four hours of physical labor - I was all ups in your face and may have handled your package.
3. Four hours of hiking Norvan Falls with Biscotti and the fat donkeys. A beautiful, beautiful day.
4. Fifth Ave Cinemas with Biscotti to see Young @ Heart - a superb movie. An abundance of energy and sadness.
5. River Rock Casino with Biscotti for dinner at the buffet, followed by a li'l bit of poker slots.
6. Sleep.

A fantastically great day to start the long weekend, as long as this morning's two o'clock phone call is ignored - and for the purposes of this post it can be, since it happened after yesterday.

Snart on jPod

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Ninjas: They're Everywhere

Four motivational posters received from my cousin...