Pointless Post #71

Poop

That word still makes me laugh, or at least break out into a smile. Also, I had (took?) one today.

AND in some exciting Tim-news, I changed the template of my blog so that it looks like I exist in the 21st century. If you're reading this in Google Reader or some other feeds aggregate, I strongly encourage you to check out the new look of the Terriblelands in the interest of being visually amazed!

You may ooooh and aaaah to your heart's content, but use your inside-your-head indoor voice only. Unless you are reading my blog out loud to a blind person. And if you are, I would like to meet this "reader." Hardy har har.

Crap, I'm rambling again.


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Saw gas for 131¢/litre a few days ago and today I saw it for 123.9.

My apologies in advance for weird layouts, broken links and other errors as I make more site changes.

Pointless Post #70

Eating a sandwich, listening to jazz music, and watching the 1990 Whirlpool Washing Machine: Permanent Press Cycle.

I take pleasure in little things.

Also, that video needs more colour, but what a cool cycle!

2 Cor. 13 and Ice Cube, foo'

While reading 2 Corinthians 13:5 in a Bible study, the chorus from Ice Cube's song "Check Yo Self" came to mind.

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. (NKJV)

or

Test yourselves and find out if you really are true to your faith. If you pass the test, you will discover that Christ is living in you. But if Christ isn't living in you, you have failed. (CEV)

Come on foo! You better check yo self before you wreck yo self!
I mean, do you actually follow the Word of God and treasure it in your heart? foo?!

Ok, I'll stop saying that.

Here's the song for your amusement. WARNING: salty language alert.



.....and my above thoughts leads us into this really great sermon by Paul Washer that I first heard in 2007 (2008?) and that I listened to again last month. The summary of the sermon is 2 Corinthians 13:5.

Happy 2012!

Merry Christmas?! kaaashplfffffttts!!!

Without fail, the news will always say something this time of year about political correctness and wishing people “Merry Christmas” or whether or not people are choosing other seasonal greetings. I always get annoyed by this topic.

I’m going to make an awesome old man when I become senile.

Yesterday, I went to Safeway to pick up some thyme. The cashier wished me “Merry Christmas.” I went to get some roast chicken from Save-On-Foods. The deli guy wished me “Merry Christmas.” At work I’ve been wishing customers Merry Christmas left and right and many times they even beat me to it before going out the door.

The day on the calendar is marked “Christmas.” It’s not that hard to understand, even if you don’t celebrate it. You’ll get the day off anyways even if you wrote “Festivus” on your own calendar.

One on one, I don’t think most people care about political correctness, unless perhaps one individual is representing some sort of corporate or government image. En masse, the motto is assumed to be “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” and “Happy Holidays” is the norm.

I loathe that phrase.
I really like Michael Bublé’s Christmas album.

Before running away and looking at cat videos on YouTube, you should read this article entitled “Arrival of One which is Awaited” by Andrea York. God reveals Himself to her and she writes out really encouraging things. You should subscribe to her feed.

And in the words of Jim Carrey, I hope you have a CHRISTY CHRISTY CHRISTmas!

Pointless Post #69

Yesterday evening, I found a loonie in some leafy muck on the side of the road where rain water flows into the storm drains. It was very dark and I thought it was a very large penny (which isn't worth getting your hands dirty over), until I remembered pennies aren't that large. So I took a few steps back and behold! ONE DOLLAR!

My hair is long enough that it can get caught in my jacket zipper.
Also, I found a knot in in one of the hairs today.
Jamie Oliver's Christmas specials are faaaaaantastic! Leek and Turkey pie? WOW.

I'm enjoying one of my Christmas presents from my sister and brother-in-law:


Sooooooo good. I just wish there wasn't MSG in in it. That's the price for deliciousness I suppose.



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Saw gas for 121.9¢/litre and its below 95¢ on Vancouver Island?!

10 New Spider-Man Pictures

I've been feeling pretty lazy lately, hence no new posts, as well as I had pneumonia recently. God loves me and I'm feeling much better, though I still wonder how I got it in the first place. I lost about 12.5lbs in the process. So now I get to gain it back, plus more!

Here's seven of the ten new-ish Spider-Man pictures. Some I forgot I had taken and some I just took tonight:


Just watched the PC Superdogs at the PNE.


In the Pacific Coliseum. Can you spot him?


At the newly renovated half a billion dollar BC Place stadium after a Whitecaps game.


Being a showoff.


Beating up a plastic candy.


Drinking "water."


BELGIAN COOKIES!


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Gas hovered around the high 120s in early November and recently I've seen it as low as 124.9¢/litre.

Pointless Post #68

It aggravates me when someone calls my phone early in the morning, asking for someone that doesn't live here (or doesn't exist) and then hangs up without apologizing when I tell them they have a wrong number.

Example, this morning, shortly after my alarm goes off:

*ring ring*
Me: [groggily, but trying to sound awake] Hello?
Rude person: Hi, may I speak to Amanda please?
Me: You've got the wrong number.
Rude person: *click*
Me: RAAAAAGE!!!

Wire clothes hangers also aggravate me. They get caught on each other so easily!


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Gas has been around 135-138¢/litre the past few weeks, and even hit 141¢ near Thanksgiving but today I saw it for 131.9¢/litre. Le sigh.

Pointless Post #67

Some lady just thought I just finished high school.

Ageless youth win!
...or maybe its because I dress like a slob.

Hmmm.

Occupy Vancouver/Wall Street/etc.

I think this movement is both very rational and irrational. It depends mostly on the reasons behind it.

For example, if you have served your country overseas, have a degree(s), been laid off and on the job hunt for ___ months, your home has been foreclosed, and then you see bank CEO's using government bailout money to give themselves cash bonuses in excess of millions of dollars, I'd be more than upset too. If you're protesting just for the sake of "protesting" than this is just dumb.

I've thought a few times what would happen if someone with too much money and time on their hands went down to these Occupy demonstrations with a scissor lift and just rained money down on people. Would the movement turn into a free for all?

This would probably work better with US $1 bills rather than loonies...

Just By Being You: Toronto and Winnipeg

I was watching the Senators-Leafs game last week and I strangely found myself silently (read: very, very silently) rooting for the Leafs. They were playing great. Phil Kessel was doing his thing where he puts the puck in the back of the night and those goals were worthy of applause. So I did (but silently). Toronto was up 4-0 after the second period. It helped that the celebration goal song is the same as the Canucks ("The Whip" by Locksley), but tangent, I find it annoying that Columbus uses it too.

Twenty minutes from a shut out win? Ok, Toronto, you are worthy of my approval tonight. You played well so maybe I'll make an effort to cheer for you more often instead of booing for no reason whenever I hear someone mention the Leafs. If I sound obnoxious, its because its just center-of-the-universe Toronto. Taranna! pffft.

Anyways, third period commences and poof, the Senators make some changes, Alfredsson finally shows up to play, and all of a sudden its a close game. The Leafs end up winning 6-5. After nearly blowing a 4-0 lead.

I applauded your victory, Toronto, but just barely. After seeing the Senators score a few unanswered goals, I jumped ship and deep down I wanted Ottawa to tie it up and win the game in OT so that I could sneer and say, "No finish! That's why you're Toronto!" followed by sarcastic applause. My, my, I would have showed you.

Eeesh, Toronto....

*shakes head*

The next day after church, I was watching a recording of the Jets' home opener against the Canadiens and suffering succotash that was a good game. Aesthetically, it's too bad Winnipeg's MTS Centre isn't up to par with other NHL arenas (they have the smallest seating capacity in the league) and the steep seats made for some weird angles at brief moments while watching the game on CBC. But it almost made it intimate and intimidating at the same time, if thats possible (at least, that's what I was trying to imagine from a player's standpoint). Or maybe I just had the volume on too loud and I was just too excited.

It's great to have a seventh NHL team in Canada. I was excited at the announcement of the purchase and move of the Atlanta Thrashers back to Winnipeg and I watched so much live news coverage of super happy Manitobans that day. I was too young too care about the old Jets, but being able to see a Canadian city and it's people coming together around their team today was just very beautiful. I also found it cool that Stephen Harper was at the opening game. Very classy of him (and I'm not being sarcastic).

Too bad Montreal beat them. And too bad the Jets are losing against the Coyotes right now as I write this (Edit: they lost), but I know I'm going to enjoy more of this Winnipeg-Phoenix rivalry in the future (because it's old Jets-new Jets).

Great sign by a fan in the stands after Winnipeg's first goal tonight:

C ouldn't
B uy
C oyotes

Got Jets!

Hockey, weeee!

Pointless Post #66 - Best Email Greeting Edition

It's early Thursday morning. I'm still a little groggy and checking my email before I start doing anything work related. There's a reply from a dear friend in my inbox. I open the email.

Tim!
You are a fresh pie!

I burst out laughing and continue reading.
Thanks, dear friend, I needed that!

I think I can see myself embracing that as a new nickname too.

Seacre...I mean, Freshpie out!

...actually never mind.

Pointless Post #65

(cold, grey, and damp weather) + (a selection of classical music by Julie Nesrallah on CBC Radio 2) + (home made mac and cheese, with extra cheese and chunks of ham) + (a stool to sit on)

= Contentment

I suppose that equation could be improved if I replaced the ham with bacon, but I'll work on that next week.

In other useless Tim-news, I discovered a new condiment (or is it a seasoning?).
Crushed up potato chips! You can use it as a topping on anything! It adds flavour AND texture.

And crunch!

I've yet to try it in my coffee.

Hebrews 12:29 - For our God is a consuming fire

I watched this video on a blog many weeks ago, said "Wow!" to myself and then forgot about it.

The following Sunday, the pastor mentioned Hebrews something in his sermon which I flipped to in my Bible, but my eyes were drawn to Hebrews 12:29 on the adjacent page because I had underlined it. And I remembered that video again.

Fire can be destructive, but it can also purify. When fires occur in the wild, they definitely destroy and consume the dry brush, but it also makes way for the new growth.

So let that verse and video simmer in your mental thinking pot.

Pointless Post #64

I don't think people appreciate my devotion to headbanging as much as I do, especially when I'm driving and making left turns. Sigh.

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Gas has been around 133-137¢/litre, but hit 140¢ during Labour Day weekend and today again.

PNE Crazy Dogs Review – VERDICT: It's All Hype :-(

I went to the PNE on Saturday and because of all the coverage I've seen and read on the news about the newest concession stand, I was very excited (super excited!) about trying something from Crazy Dogs. It's a brand new PNE-run concession stand (so they accept credit/debit cards) and they are most well known for their 2 foot hot dog, the "Double Dare Ya." It's a 2 foot long hot dog covered in chili and a bunch of other things. Here's the Crazy Dogs menu:



When I heard about the Crazy Dogs' two foot dog, I said to myself (and probably out loud), "I want to try that. And I'm going to eat it all myself." But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't justify the $25 price of what's probably more than one week's serving of sodium. I also looked back at my records and remembered that a foot long hot dog (from a different concession stand) was $5. So I thought, for $25 I'd be better off buying five foot long dogs. But alas, after 4 years, the price of a foot long hot dog with grilled onions at the PNE is now $7. Good grief, it's not like it's gold (long story short, I bought and ate a foot long to wash away the taste of the Crazy Dog).

Ok back to Saturday. After looking at the prices, I finally decided on the "Surf's Up Dog" mostly because it had popcorn shrimp. Everything else is mostly cheap starch.

$10.50. Whew! I'm at the PNE; I can't have second thoughts about this.

Here's Spider-Man about to dig in:



And a close up:



As you can see in my pictures, it looks good. It really does.



Check out this positive review (scroll down for close up of the hotdog; click on the thumbnail).
It looks good in those pictures too!

What's the problem Tim?! Are you just a whiny cheapskate?!
Good question! And yes, I am!

For $10.50 I shouldn't have ignored my second thoughts and I should've been able to expect a reasonably generous slathering of toppings because that's what's making this hotdog crazy! Isn't it? ISN'T IT?!?!?! BLUGABLOOGAUNGGHTH!!!!

Whoah, not sure what happened there...crazy, haha (get it?).

Anyways, here's my review. It's a gigantic pretzel bun (that's very dry) that props everything up high and that's what makes the hotdog look big. As for the toppings, on the hotdog I was served, I don't believe the servers were generous because the coleslaw was spread across the dog pretty thinly, and there's a lot of air in between of all the condiments/toppings. It looks like a lot of popcorn shrimp, but there were only 12. The equivalent of a small child's handful. A stingy, small child.

Ok maybe not a small child, but what I'm trying to say is there isn't actually a lot there, for the price I'm paying for. Underneath all the toppings is a wiener (beef?) that's dwarfed by a bun that's 4-5 times it's size which is really nothing special itself. How's it taste? Good. But nothing special.

My review might be coming across as harsh, which is what I'm trying to go for because I'll say it again...$10.50 for a hotdog? It better wow me. But it didn't. You hyped yourself up too much on the free promos you did on the news, PNE. It's your own fault you disappointed me. Besides, you've already made a killing on these hotdogs and will continue to do so no matter what I say. People will still buy these ridiculously priced hotdogs.

Which reminds me, the PNE isn't worth going to unless you can get in for free or very close to free. Aside from the musical acts, there's nothing much new or worth going to see, assuming you've been there in past five years or so.

Long live the IKEA 75¢ hotdog. FOREVER.

Pointless Post #63

Why do my socks wear out faster the older I get?

Having a pastor(s) under the age of 50 is beneficial because they are easily coerced into dunk tanks for the amusement of the church (and God's glory, muahaha).

Here's a video of Spider-Man riding the moving sidewalk at Calgary International Airport (YYC).:


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Gas was 129.9¢/litre yesterday and 133ish a few days ago.

Pointless Post #62

Good songs to listen to in the morning to wake you up and get you motivated:

Enterprising Young Men - Star Trek (OST 2009) by Michael Giacchino


and

Macho Man by The Village People
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO43p2Wqc08
(won't let me embed, poop)

...oh wow, I just watched that video and it was surprisingly gay, hahaha.
Still a great, catchy song though.

Speaking of gay (as in merriness), a customer, who's name I don't even know, made fun of me a few days ago by telling me that my ponytail was really weak. I laughed him off and told him I was working on it.

Where does he get the nerve to tell me that?
It's My Little Pony™!!!
But in his defense, he's right, haha!