Back To The Cold

Well, I'm back from my week in the Dominican. What a great week. I've rarely had a vacation where I actually felt like I was relaxing... and that's all I did. The entire group of people I met on the trip down there were a blast. The resort itself had a few areas it could have been better, but really it was a great place. I have no pictures to share, since I was assigned the role of videographer, but maybe I'll get a clip or two uploaded. Or perhaps I can snag some photos from the countless number of people who took pictures down there.

I had hoped that the resort would have been a little more "24 hours" than they advertised... there was no food after 2am and no good food after 10pm, the pool closed at 6, and the drinks stopped flowing at 2am. But those were minor annoyances, all in all. The thing I learned from this, my first all-inclusive resort vacation, is that what really matters is the group of people you go with, because that's what makes it fun.

I'm Outta Here... Dorks

Right now I'm in the car (not driving) heading to the airport. Why, you might ask? Because I'm going on vacation for a week to the Dominican Republic! This will be the first time I've done an all-inclusive resort thing. I'll have to tell you how it compares to a cruise when I get back.

How did this trip come about? Well, my friend, Dan Tidball is getting married there and arranged a sweet group rate deal. So, without any other vacation plans this year, how could I refuse?

I hope it's really cold in Canada this upcoming week. Nothing personal.

-----------------------------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device

Masters Of Curling

I'm just reminding everyone that starting tomorrow, the Masters of Curling event is back for another year at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex. I'll probably be going to a couple of the games, if anyone else wants to come with.

Newsflash! Local TV News Is Idiotic

Thanks to Patrick for telling me about this.

CTV Southwestern Ontario (formerly known as CKCO) reported on the new roundabout in Waterloo at the intersection of Margaret and Union. If you were to listen to their story, apparently it's chaos and disaster here as everyone is having trouble negotiating this new fangled roundabout. Check out their news report video here. Pay close attention to when the "reporter" said that the bus got stuck and having trouble. The thing is that the video shows the bus moving quite smoothly around the roundbout. Granted, the bus is travelling slower than it would at a normal intersection, but that's exactly what is supposed to happen... for every vehicle. Besides, if the bus driver misjudged the turn, the centre island is constructed to be mountable so large vehicles (buses, trucks, firetrucks, etc) can make the turn.

That brings me to the morons who cut straight over the centre island (apparently there's no rule that says you have to be smart to drive a smartcar). One of two things is happening here... it is a new roundabout and this could be those drivers' first time through it. If so, they're sure to not make the same mistake next time. Or the other possibility is that these drivers are the same ones that'll race through a just-turned-red light, or roll through a stop sign, or use highway onramps as passing lanes. There's just no way to completely idiot proof our roadways.

I don't know why CKCO is so anti-roundabout. They have been since the beginning. Are they simply that ignorant, or simply trying to get viewers riled up in an attempt to get ratings. Probably a little of both. The bottom line is that roundabouts, when used properly, are efficient and safe. We just need people to learn how to drive. You wouldn't be given a licence if you didn't know what the colours on the traffic signals meant, so what excuse is there to not know the rules of a roundabout.

I hope we see many, many more roundabouts in Waterloo region, and hopefully it spreads across the province.

A Lesson In Every Vote Counting

I just read that the recount in Kitchener-Waterloo has just finished and the Conservative Peter Braid's victory over incumbent Liberal Andrew Telegdi has been confirmed. After the recount, the margin of victory was just 17 votes. That kind of blows my mind, thinking about how the outcome could have gone 2 very different ways depending on the moods of a handful of people on election day.

And I've Never Been To Boston In The Fall

I'm having way too much fun with that lyric.

Anyway, here I am in Boston to do a training course for work. I'm here all week, so I have to figure out something to do to stave off the boredom. Where I'm staying is not quite in Boston, per se, but just outside of it in Newton, MA.

What's the deal with Air Canada Jazz? Why does it even exist? They use the same website to buy a ticket as Air Canada... They use the same gates at the same terminals as Air Canada. And, for the most part, they fly the same routes as Air Canada. Why not just have everything as Air Canada? For example, I booked a flight to Boston from Toronto on aircanada.com, and the flight time that I liked happened to be a Jazz flight. Nothing different than booking a regular Air Canada flight, just in name. Anyway, when I check-in at the airport, I was informed that my flight had been cancelled and replaced with another leaving at the same time. The only difference... this flight is regular Air Canada, instead of Jazz. Same price, same terminal, same departure time, same nifty touchscreen on-board video... just a different name. Again... what's the point in Jazz? Even if there are some routes that are only served by Jazz, why not just call them Air Canada?

Election Today! Vote!

Hey guys, just a reminder to get out and vote today.

I'm so very much looking forward to tonight. One of my favourite things is to watch election results roll in. I'll have my TV on with picture-in-picture and my laptop feeding me results beside me. Awesome!

I thought I had made up my mind on who I was voting for a few weeks ago, but switched late last week. From the looks of the polls, it seems there was great volatility in voter preferences over the last few weeks of the campaign (but not as much as in the stock market), so it'll be a very interesting result. Here are some predictions I've found around the net:

electionprediction.org has the results at 125 Conservative, 94 Liberal, 51 Bloc, 36 NDP, and 2 Independent.
Similarly, democraticspace.com has it at 126 C, 92 L, 52 B, 36 N, 2 I.
However, Ekos has their prediction at 136 C, 84 L, 51 B, 35 N, 2 I.

My gut feeling has the Conservatives in the mid 130's range, which agrees with Ekos. We'll see. I can't wait.

Two Weeks Of Games That Don't Count

I got a last minute e-mail to be a spare this week for curling (my team had a bye this week), and wouldn't you know it, I was on a winning team! That feels different. But the scoreboard at the side still won't change as this wasn't with my regular team. It's only fair since I didn't count the exhibition loss last week.

A Lot Can Change In 5 Years, But Not Necessarily

Today, October 6th marks exactly five years since I started working here at Paradigm Transportation Solutions. Think about that time frame... five years. In five years, I started and finished University... also high school, for that matter. Comparing those different periods, it's amazing how little things have changed in the past five years. I know that I'm fortunate to have such a stable career situation, and as far as I can tell, I should be here for the foreseeable future. Anyway, it's a day of celebration (by buying my own lunch out) and of reflection...

Today, We're All Undefeated

Curling starts tonight! Exciting times. And I get to use my brand new Curling pants!