I think I could win a head-bob endurance contest. I think I kept it up for about an hour and a half today. After a good run on the treadmill I was toast for the afternoon. I'm really liking my blades too. Two days and I haven't fallen yet, so look out tomorrow. I think I'll stop by Canadian Tire at lunch and buy a helmet. Better safe than cool right? And when you're already so cool you can afford some safety. Ah...the cockiness, gotta love it.

Terry and I were talking briefly tonight about the fact that he graduates this summer. I can't believe he's in high school let alone graduating. Then he gets a 2 month summer and off to some fun where ever he decides to go next. After that he'll be getting 4 month summers. I'm sure he's seen enough of what Jeff and I have had to do to know that coop is stupid. I would so love to have this summer off. I know that I could go home and live for free with only minimal house and yard work. (If I beg, right Mom?) I wonder what would happen if I got myself fired May 1st. I would show up to work at noon, tell my boss off, drop my computer, rollerblade through the halls, and scream "Alberta Rules" at the top of my lungs...all the things I wish I could do every day. I know I'd get to go home right away, but the whole point of being in engineering is to finish it (or become a teacher). Ya know....naw! I'll be good. Plus I want to see the sailing out here in July. Later peoples. Enjoy yourself where you are because there is always somewhere worse!

Seasons come and go. It seems like I've experienced an endless number of winters and summers, springs and falls. But really I've only been around for 21 now. I only have a chance of recalling about the last 15 and I guess that is starting to be a lot but I remember thinking this when I was younger too. I think living 1000 years would be about the same as now. Your mind and memories are split pretty much equally between two times, your immediate life and your past. About half of my energy goes into living now, doing my job, making my food, living in the present. And the other half draws on past experience, daydreams about what used to be, and tells me not to touch that hot frying pan. It didn't matter if I was 10 or 20 though, only half of my mind was used in storing the past. Does this mean that as I get older, my memory of what used to be will become less detailed as it has to cover more time? I don't want to lose my memories, I have lots of them and I love their detail and intensity. I think I must start some mind exercise. Recalling as much as I can kind of cements it in my head for longer. Mo' brawn fo' da brain. So when you see me sitting at my computer, staring off into space...don't bother me, I'm hard at work. My brain will be working at a capacity that is too great for you to comprehend. Thank you for your simple-minded cooperation.

What brought this all about? Changing seasons. Yesterday was the end of my ice skating and the beginning of my inline skating. It was a good work out last night but I was excited to get home and get to bed so I could wake up and ride my new Nike rollerblades to work. I left even before Sharon! It's nice when it's light out at 6:30 in the morning and you're taking a shower, only the sun lighting the bathroom. Now I'm going to get to work so I can leave here early too and ride my blades again. It's more downhill on the way home, I don't know if that's good or bad, blades came without brakes.

And dad, I planted my tomatoes. I'll let you know how they turn out. Let's have a competition this summer and see who can grow more. I know you're old but tomatoes are easy, you can do it.

The weekend countdown is 6 hours and 36 minutes. And believe me, that goes by fast. I'm very alarmed at the way time speeds along here. I wouldn't mind the longer work hours if I could just hold onto the weekend a little bit more. So on that note, I am not drinking this weekend. Not a drop. I don't drink that much here anyway but I have a car now. I think it's like having a baby. All your habits change for the better. I'm making my lunch to save up cash for gas money. I'm still walking to work to save the miles I want to put on my car later. This weekend I'm going to drive, I'm going to see the shoreline, RMC, maybe even check out a couple of the towns near Kingston. It is going to be a beautiful weekend. It was very warm on our walk to work today. I think I just might be able to retire the winter jacket for another season. Once the track by my house dries up I can start running there too. I remember when this time of year meant track and field was starting up. I miss my javelin. The discus too actually. I wonder if I can buy one...or rent one from Queen's. Is it illegal to throw a spear around in a public place? Well I'll find out for you. First I'll save up some bail money. Have an absolutely great weekend people, I know I will!

Try to guess what I'm listening to right now! Nickelback? Nope. Billy Talent? Not even close. The song is "We Are The Beaver" and the band is "The Arrogant Worms". What a great Canadian creation. We are such a great country to have so many things that other countries make fun of yet we're proud to death of them. I'm proud to say "eh"! I love hockey, yes it is the only sport. I love that we're all big hairy lumberjacks that drink really strong beer and can still be very polite. I love Canada.

Now where were we? Arrogant Worms, right. Their concert is on Saturday April 3 here in Kingston (their home town) and I have a ticket. Yeah, just one, I'm going solo. That really sucks, but it's worth it to see Peter's favorite band. My youngest brother is doing his class speech on the worms this year. Sounded pretty good when I heard it too. How did that go Pete? So I'm excited, even if no one else is. Who knows, maybe I'll sit beside some hot girl with a sense of humor as warped as mine. Her friends probably ditched her too so she'll be wanting to talk to me. Wow...reading that I sound like a real loser. Good thing I know I'm awesome or that could be damaging to my self esteem. I'm going to have fun...to the rest of you, "Whatever!".

What a great morning. The sky is cloudy, the air is cold, and the snow is coming down like it doesn't want humans to live here. Why is the great you say? It's not. But I just found out I'm going to save money by switching to GEICO. Actually no, it's awesome because last night the Oilers beat the Kings and put themselves into the eight and final spot in the playoffs. Now of course the battle isn't over and there are still games left to play before the end, but at least we know it's possible. Being 7 or 8 points out was depressing.

Today was also good because I made another Costco trip at lunch. My pictures weren't ready so I have to go back tomorrow, making it three times in three days. Good thing it isn't far away. I didn't buy anything yesterday and I won't tomorrow except for my pics, but today I caved. I bought the new James Bond game for the PS2. Of course, we don't have one right now but Chris is working on that for us. His went up in smoke (literally) and he says he'll be getting a new one in April here. I love the new Bond games. The ones that followed movie plots were boring because you knew exactly what you had to do (more or less) and some levels that had to put in for the story were boring. The new games have an original story line made to be fun as a game, not a movie. There are driving levels (cars, tanks, motor bikes) and all kinds of different stuff. It also has online capability and coop mode for the regular play. Do I have you sold yet? I'll give a better review, one not from the information on the back of the game, in a few weeks. Rock on people!

Well I'm finally back with my baby. It's like dating an Ex except awesome. You can pick up right from where you left off. Of course some immediate changes where necessary when I first picked up my car yesterday. After being on the back of a trailer across Canada, the car had picked up a little bit of every province. The caked-on dirt was about 1/2 " thick. When I got in and closed the door everything was dark. My windsheild wipers groaned under the weight. So the first think I did was give my Am a bath.

The drive home from Toronto was awesome too. I really like that stretch of highway. It stays pretty close to the lake for most of it, and the ice has finally melted out there. It felt like I was diving along the ocean. Jeff left a few CD's in the car so I sang aloud the whole way home. Too bad no one came with me, they would have loved my voice (right Jeff?).

I was home in time for hockey, Pete picked me up in his new truck. Very nice! The game was pretty fast so I was out right after I got home and called my mom. It was cold this morning so Chris and I wimped out and drove to work. I'm going to Costco and a few other places right after so I can justify it that way. Once I have some blades I probably won't drive to work again, unless there are some huge summer storms. Maybe then I'll just stay home. Anyway...work time...talk to you folks later.

I'm going to TORONTO! Why am I going? Is it to experience the capital of Ontario? No. Is it to visit the only place where people from the USA think Canadians live? No. Is it to return to the wonderful city that I have always felt a very close connection with since I was a young innocent boy? Hell no. I'm going to pick up a chick. She's pretty, fast, white, and get my heart revving. The name's Am....Grand Am. That's right, my car is coming back to me.

Got the call today. It'll be there Sunday afternoon so I'm going to take the bus there in the morning. I hope to get in a few hours early so I can see a bit of the city before I have to worry about a vehicle and pay for parking! This rocks! I'm trying to talk one of my roommates into coming with me...we'll see if any of them come around.

Tonight we were going to go to the first Frontenac home playoff game. We had a big group lined up yesterday, but through the day it slowly slipped away until again I was alone. I'm tired of going to hockey game solo. I sit by old, rude men or 15 year old valley girl chicks or people that have teeth pointing in 20 different directions. I don't mind that...but I want someone to make fun of them with me. So when those 80 year old men that sit there yelling at the players "You suck, punk. You can't score!" I can say "They probably score more than you do now limpy" and have someone to protect me from the caning! These old guys with their new ceramic body joints can sure pack a punch. So... I didn't go. Watch "What's The Worst That Could Happen" and played some drinking crib. I thought that crib would be too slow of a game to involve drinking but no, it works quite well. Have a great weekend people. Baby, get me my driving gloves!

I played squash tonight. Yup, that about it. I miss it though. Jeff and I play a lot at the university. I've been able to drag Nevin and Mike out a few times too. Jared taught me how to play in first year but then he stopped. I don't know if it was because he started going to school in Calgary or because in our last game I hit him in a rather sensitive spot with the ball. Sorry again dude, yes I remember you telling me what colour it turned, no I didn't want to see it.

Poll time: Who was the best super hero? I'm torn between superman and spiderman, but I'm going to say spiderman cuz those movies rock!

I just love this cartoon. Get Fuzzy is one of my favorite currently running cartoons, right behind Fox Trot.

Enjoy people, more from Kingston later. Enjoy your St. Patrick's Day!

Know what rules? Smallville. I really wish that I was Clark Kent. Or at the least, that superman was a real person. It would lift my spirits so much just to know that that is possible. Or Peter Parker. Spider-man rules too.

...and St. Patrick's Day, which is tomorrow. Bring on the green beer. I think we're going to a place called the Merchant. To those that can, be there...or be somewhere else! I mean it! Hoo-wa!

Ah, Monday. Is Monday good? NO. Monday night? YES. Why? Because Monday is over. Is it coincidence that Monday sounds a lot like Mundane? Really, what is the point of Monday? Everybody hates it, nothing gets done on it. Isn't this a democracy? I think that we should tell Paul Martin to get rid of Mondays. Finally an issue that could bring the country, and the world, together. I feel we should start a petition. Monday's are absolutely, without a doubt or exception, TERRIBLE. Except for today...

My coordinator from the U of A came for a quick meeting. I don't know if it was just because I was still in the room or because he generally feels this way but Dmitri gave me a great review. He and Mark said they were very satisfied with my work and that they feel I will continue to excel in this project. A Monday morning where you sit and listen to your bosses praise you isn't too hard to take. The Tuesday where you have to live up to those praises sucks though.

I also got a tour of the rest of the Williamson plant today. JF took me over to see the cash line and batch furnaces. I thought the cranes on the other side of the plant were huge, they're nothing. The bad boys over here can live three coils at a time, over 63 tonnes of aluminum. And it's controlled by some guy walking around of the floor under them. There are furnaces here bigger than a three car garage that they heat up to 500 C for hours at a time. One of the coils being re-rolled snapped while I was there. The noise was insane (even with earplugs) and aluminum pieces shot all over. The already wound coil looked like a small bomb had gone off on top of it. There is also a lot of oil and lubricant around. Usually these snaps start fires. (Snaps are not common though, just bad when they do) So today was good. All Mondays are gay, except for today.

(Sign my petition to ban Mondays from the calendar. I don't care about discrimination, all Mondays must go. Line them up and shoot them if you must. Take out one and the rest will get the hint.)

Blah! It's a word that can describe many situations, many moods, and this weekend. Now it wasn't a bad weekend, I feel good and all, but it wasn't exciting. Today was cloudy, rainy, little bit of snow, and blah! Today I made breakfast, watched a few movies, went for a very short bike ride, and ate pizza. I guess that's better than some weekends but it's left me in a very blah mood. I still have hockey tonight. I don't that will be blah, but if I don't digest some of this pizza first it's going to be "blugh" all over the ice. I must start remembering to limit how much I try to stuff myself before I play hockey...or any aerobic sport...or just at any time really. My weightlifting isn't going to do much if I don't shed some of this insulating layer. It is spring after all.

I watched my third Frontenac hockey game on Friday. They lost, but it was still a great game. I wish I could have some of the goalie's saves on replay. I also wish I had someone else there to share it with. I don't mean a girlfriend, but any friend. My roommates were all busy or otherwise occupied that night. I sat between two very vocal 80 year old men during the first period and spent much of that time scanning the other side of rink for a place to sit durning the rest of the game. I spied a group of cute girls on the other side of the arena and made my way over there durning the first intermission. My 'radar' is not what it used to be and spent the rest of the game sitting in front of four of the most 'well endowed' 15 year olds in Ontario. The cute radar is working fine, but the age radar is a bit fuzzy. Must not have the new settings in there after turning 21.

Saturday night was okay too. It had been a while since I'd played volleyball down at Queen's. I've started taking lessons from Kevin on how to spike the ball. I never think I'm high enough off the ground but last night I just decided to go for it. And it was working. I can spike again. I even managed to break Ahmed's block once. Put it off his nose. He was okay but I was wary going up to the net against him for the rest of the night. We watched "Duplex" at Stacy's after the game. Good movie, excellent ending, I recommend it. Poor Ben Stiller. The scene where he's unclogging the sink is...well...you have to see it. But really, the poor guy.

Going back and reading this I see that my weekend was actually pretty good. I think just the last 15 minutes have been blah and put me in this blah mood. I should have my car here in a week and a half though. Very exciting news. My range here is very limited, and renting cars is a pain. I loved driving my car last weekend back in Alberta. It's freedom to me. Even driving down my gravel road seemed new and exciting. The first thing I'm going to do with it here is drive up and down all the streets in Kingston. It's not a huge city but it will definitely take more time than going around all the streets in Nanton. You can almost do that on one breath. With my car and my camera you can expect some good pictures to start appearing on my website. www.geocities.com/michaeltenove . I might just to take a few now. Good night peoples.

I have recovered. I got plenty of sleep yesterday and was able to function for a whole work day. Actually it was better today than most. I walked to the plant instead of driving. It was a nice day here plus it's really not that far. My computer reading the thermocouples crashed last night around midnight, dunno why. I got it up and running again today though, and the readings, well they're not exactly what we expected. That might be good though. If everything was easy and straightforward, I'd be done next month and have to go home. Now while I'd like that, I'm here to learn and gain valuable experience. Plus Dmitri left on another trip. Why would I want to leave now??

I think my my real learning will be elsewhere this work term. In the bedroom you say? Um...no, I was going to say the kitchen. I started going through my cookbook that mom mailed to me. First on the list: Sweet & Tangy Chicken. The sauce has chopped onions, brown sugar, ketchup, salsa, and some spice. Before you judge, you must taste. It was excellent. I also made some rice and a Caesar Salad. Good meal. For dessert I had some green grapes and skunked Samad in crib. He's now 0-4. I think he needs another sport! (Yes I think crib is a sport, especially the way my brothers and I play)

Next up, some quality time with my guitar. I am inspired to play and learn. YOU...you people have inspired me.

IT WORKED!! I couldn't say anything in these blogs about it because my parents read them regularly but for the last couple of weeks I've been planning to fly home and surprise them. They were feeling bad that they wouldn't see me for my birthday, but I assured them I'd be just fine. So last Friday I hopped on a plane to Calgary after work. Jeff picked me up at the airport on his way down from Edmonton and together we booted it back to Nanton. We got there only 10 minutes before mom and Terry (the rest of the family had been at an Arrogant worms concert). We didn't have time to hide the car so Jeff just waited for them at the kitchen table. They were surprised to see Jeff as he was supposed to be in Edmonton. Jeff talked to them calmly for a minute before saying he had brought home a surprise. That was my cue and I made my way up from the basement. Mom and Terry were speechless. They thought they were looking at a ghost. We talked for a bit until dad and Peter showed up. We did the same thing to surprise them. Jeff walked up behind dad when he was talking to mom and put his arm around dad's shoulders. Dad just thought it was Terry and didn't notice until Peter started saying "What the..." and Jeff said "Hi dad". Again, my cue. Peter saw me coming up the stairs and continued to say "What the..." at a little higher pitch. I thought he might hurt his neck looking back and forth between his two arrived brothers. Dad was still talking to Jeff with his back to me so I had to tap him on the shoulder. His jaw dropped as he turned around. So even though it was my birthday, it was the rest of my family getting all of the surprises. I just wish I had it on tape.

The rest of the weekend was packed. I watched one of Peter's hockey games, played some shinny, walked in the back yard, went to a club in Calgary and my aunt's in Springbank. Of course it was over in a flash, but it was one of the best weekends I've had. Oh yeah, and I'm 21 now. I was so happy to be home that I didn't even remember my birthday until Sunday was almost over. Time to cheer now: YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

The flight home was a bit tough. I left Calgary at 12:35 am Tuesday morning. Flew all night, not sleeping and got to Kingston at 9:50 am. Straight to work and over to the plant. I was very tired but had to get my thermocouples installed. My boss let me leave a bit early (he could see I probably wouldn't be much use until I had some rest). I carried my heavy backpack and duffle bag home and then crashed. I think I was asleep by 3:30 and didn't stir until 7:00. Feeling much better now. I've managed to clean my room, do my laundry, go pick up my cook book from the post office, and take some pictures of the place with the digital camera I brought back from home. I'll try to get those up on my website soon.

I know it's tough to read long blogs so I'll end it here. I can't wait until I go home again, but at the same time I now realize that it's not that far away and I can enjoy my time here. I feel like I'm on an 8 month vacation with a job to finance my fun. Rock on! Later peeps!

Well, it's almost the end of another week. I had such a great day. It actually started last night. We all went out for supper last night...right guys? You were there, oh wait, you weren't!!! Only Amber came with me. But it was good. We went to a place called Atomica...very cool. You'd have to see it to understand it, it's hard to describe. Anyway the awesome-ness continued today because it was my plant day. I took the thermocouples I've been working on for a week, borrowed the company truck, and drove over to the manufacturing plant to install my hardware. Well, it wasn't that easy. They're installed but not hooked up to the computer yet. Have to wait until next week, but it wasn't a waste. I got a free lunch, we have so many more ideas for using the recovered energy after walking around the plant. I got to see the cranes in action and I got to go on the roof in the driving rain and put the wires down the pipe. It was just a really good work day. I can't wait to get this project going next week. Well, that's about it for now. I just wanted to write and say that I am happy AT work. Something new here every day I tell ya'. Later peoples!

Seven is a good number. Number of days in a week, it's a number that will win you big money in Las Vegas, and the seventh day of March is when people celebrate and remember how blessed they are to have me in their lives. :) It's the third today so I have four days to go yet. Do I want to turn 21? I didn't want to turn 20. I didn't want to end my teenage years. I was okay with 18, I was an adult by law but still a teenager and allowed to do stupid stuff. Turning 20 meant to me that I had to grow up (or at least try). It made me suddenly feel old and I realized that I was living on my own, with a job and an apartment in downtown Calgary. Sure it was just part of university, but I finally realized that high school was over, getting my summers off was over. I was fine once I turned 20 and saw that it was mostly just in my head. So should I fret about being 21? I can now go for beer runs in Montana, I can go to the Bulldog in Whitefish, I can rent a car. I can do so many more things now, plus there is no way I can really stop it. So no, I'm not going to worry about it. Bring on the years...a few anyway. I'll start to worry again when I turn 30.

And even though I'm in a completely new place this year, I will still be celebrating with friends.

Wow! I can't believe I let this thing go for almost a week without a new blog. Sorry everybody. My usual blog time is at work but the end of last week was rather busy. I've finally got all the equipment set up to start my tests. Hopefully we can get them going today. The weekend was very good. I went played hockey Friday (fast game) and went out to the Peel Pub with my roommates after. The line up was huge so we switched over the Brass Pub. We lost our girls somewhere along the way (Nina and Amber went home). Saturday was just beautiful here. The weather is warm, the snow and ice is melting. The skies are just clear and blue. I went for supper at a Thai place call Pom Pehn or something. There was music at the Merchant Pub too. Four women from Toronto were playing guitars and singing. I sat right up front trying to figure out how they were playing. Yesterday was the best of the weekend though. Samad and Nina got me up early and we went for breakfast at a place called Epicure. Food was good, but the girls were better. Guys...if you are looking for places to find women, bars are not good. Get up early and go to small breakfast places. I think Samad and I were the only guys in the whole place. Walked down to the water after that. The ice is starting to melt. The ferry went by a few times too. That thing is huge but still moves along pretty quickly, pushing pieced of ice out of the way. I bought a poster on the way home that shows fingerings for all guitar chords. Must play some more tonight. Had another hockey game last night too. It went later than usual and we still went to the Toucan after. I didn't get to sleep until 2:30 am. My alarm went off at 6:00 am but the snooze button somehow turned it off. I luckily work up at 8:00 before my other roommates had left. They didn't know I was still home (I leave earlier). It sure would have been nice to sleep in. I have my coffee here now. I hate coffee, but I hate falling asleep while my boss is talking to me more. Lesser of evils. But...time to work. Hope everyone else is enjoying their spring. It's officially here in three weeks.

Also heads up for everybody. My birthday is this Sunday, March 7th. 21!!! About time too.