With a quick trip to Ikea

It's the winter season. That means that we can't open the doors and/or windows to vent any fumes from paint or other house reno-type things. So the drywalling/painting is on hold for a little bit. However, that would leave a pretty ugly looking wall in the basement at the foot of the stairs, and we can't have that.

So a quick trip to Ikea netted a wonderful shelf unit in the 'As Is' section. I don't want to let the word get out too much, but you are my friends so I'll let you in on a little secret--the 'As Is' section at Ikea is possibly the best place in the entire universe to pick up great deals. Sure, it's hit 'n miss, but when you find what you want at usually around half price--hey, can you say 'bargoon'?

Anyway, I digress.

We were pricing out the shelving unit we wanted to build. Without labour included, it was still looking pretty pricey (labour may be free, but time is a premium). Whilst claiming a wonderful antiquie bookshelf for the living room, we noticed a shelving unit that would suit our needs.

Always more than able to adapt, we spoke with the Ikea 'As Is' person, and she mentioned that there were a few of these units still in boxes! We wouldn't even have to take the one on display apart! And we still get the great discount 'cause the shelving unit in the box was also damaged! One little itty bitty dent along one side and we get the thing for almost half price! Perfect!

So we brought it home and set it up. With some slight modifications to the plans--I left one row of vertical separators out--it fits quite nicely.

Our new storage unit

It's moveable so when Spring shows up, we'll get it out of the way and fix up some drywall issues.

We'll keep you posted on any further events as they transpire.

So there you are.

didn't think I'd do it

but this is 365 blog entries in 365 days.

On another topic, we had another nightly visit by the very camera-shy possum. I tried to walk around the house and sneak up on him from the back yard, but we found out that possums have very sensitive hearing--the possum hid before I could get a picture.

So we threw out some old celery that was sitting in the fridge, and maybe that'll entice him to stop for a meal.

Until that time, however, Sandy and I are just excited about trying to take care of Gods little furry creatures.

of the 'Dave and Sandy' Experience

Our good friend Calum just posted one of our engagement photos on his blog. That's okay though, 'cause he took 'em!

See his blog entry here--

Dave and Sandy's Engagement Photos

He's also getting set up to do our wedding pics!

THanks Calum!

and legalization

Yes, I'm going to talk about it.

It's becoming more of an issue as each day passes. The gang violence in our streets as well as other crimes against us...

Look people, I know this is a complex problem that is not easily remedied, but shouldn't we start thinking about the idea that reducing criminal acts reduces crime?

For example, what happens if we legalize cocaine?

Seriously, what happens? Will there be more crack addicts on the streets? If crack is legalized tomorrow, will you start using it because now 'it's legal'?

I don't think so. Alcohol is legal today yet many people abstain from drinking (me being one of them).

And if it's legal, then we can make it safer than it is now. The 'act of crime' is removed from people using cocaine.

I will be the first to agree that drugs are a bane on society in general and a terrible burden on our law enforcement and medical costs. So is gambling, smoking, and that sacred cow--alcohol.

It's hypocritical, and I'll state a tad naive, to say that "Drugs are bad and they should never be legalized" when our society is what it is today--we have these various addictive substances and actions over here that we'll turn a blind eye towards, yet those ones over there--well, those are just criminal!

If we take the criminality out of using drugs, then we reduce the crime--if someone can get cocaine from the local pharmacy (or whatever the government decides for distribution--maybe like the LCBO), then there's no 'pushers' or 'dealers', and the attributed gun related violence goes away.

Yes there will always be crime. However, by legalizing drugs, we take that motive for crime away.

Let us also ot forget the tax income that will be generated by the legal sale of drugs. Again yes, I shouldn't be saying these things, but I will once again reiterate--we have LCBO's and Beer Stores everywhere. What's the tax rate on alcohol? What's the tax rate on smokes? Someone thought of it already, and we elected them.

Look, one of the biggest things I care about is the safety of my fellow person in society. I think about it all the time--what if we change this to do that--it could potentially save lives! And saving lives is what we should all be striving for.

Legalizing drugs saves lives. Yes, it really does. We are not going to make more drug addicts if we legalize drugs, just as we're not making more alcoholics by having legal alcohol or having more chain smokers because smoking is legal.

But we will reduce the crime associated with drugs if we legalize them. And if drugs are legal, we can better attend to those that are addicted--much like Alcoholics Anonymous does now.

I've thought about this for a long time, and as yet have heard no rational downside. Yes there's the 'moral downside'--"Drugs are bad!" Yes, 'recreational pharmacuticals' are bad, and that's why you'll never see me use them. It's not because they're illegal that I don't use them--it's just that I believe that it's wrong (and here's what people have to start understanding) *for me* to use them. Just like it's wrong *for me* to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes. I made these decisions--no laws made them for me.

As soon as we stop imposing our personal moral values on other people who might not necessarily adhere to them, our society will be a much better, and more importantly safer, place to live. Laws are there to protect the members of society from adversely affecting other members of society. Drug use affects the person who decides to use them. Right or wrong, it's their decision. Just as it is if someone over the age of 19 decides to drink or smoke.

Laws should be applied evenly and without bias.

Let's start here.

The beginnings of the mess

We did agree that we'd save the major renovations until after the wedding. Unfortunately, the lack of storage space necessitated a revisit of this idea.

So with lots of hmming and hawing--k, basically took a hammer to the old closet--we started our first real house reno.

These are the prelim pics--we removed the closet that was in the basement at the foot of the stairs. Here's a pic of the closet when I first moved in--

The old closest was only 16 inches deep--not good for storing much. So we took it out.

The plan is, when all is done and complete, that we'll have shelves that are 2 and a half feet deep. That should be deep enough to hold what needs holding!

Here's the intricate plans--

Hand drawn plans

As long as we're having fun

That's it for another season

Well, for those that are still standing, wasn't that some holiday season?

So three times to Mr. and Mrs. Auga, once to Winona, and once all the way out to St. Kitts (just to drop mom off and have a very quick visit, but that'll be remedied later this week).

But all that driving takes its toll.

And let's not forget the food! Oh My Goodness!! I'm at least 10 pounds more than when I left work on Friday!!

We're both feeling, well, not necessarily sick, but certainly not 100 percent. I think a few days of sleeping in should hopefully remedy that.

However, can't relax too much because now that the Christmas season is over, it's right back into wedding planning.

Speaking of weddings, since we were, indeed, speaking of it...

My good friend Corina went out and got herself hitched! Both Sandy and I are estatically happy for her!!

We have until September to finalize a bunch of stuff for our wedding. Since we made it thru the holiday season--balancing all the various family things--I think the wedding planning should be a walk in the park...

Well, back to the planning...

And I didn't buy a card

So I have nothing to write on
Which makes me kind of a dullard

So I'll write it here
Because there is this Space
Where I can write my thoughts
With a little aplomb and grace

I love you, dear Sandy
Thank you for being you
I love the fact
That there really is no shoe

You have brightened my life
with your beautiful smile
Just to see it
I'd walk that extra mile

I know that this holiday
Is your most favourite season
My wish is that we always
Love each other beyond reason

So this little rhymn
Bad though it may be
was what I came up with
And, well, it's all me

Sometimes words fail
To explain how I love you
I'm just thankful
That we'll soon say, 'I do'

Love you, Babe

Think I'll watch it again

'cause I can.

For our anniversary, Sandy bought me a DVD--

Serenity

I've watched the Special Features, Joss talking about the makings of the movie, and now, for the upteenth time since 3 days ago, I think I'll watch the movie again

Shiny!

It isn't going to be pretty...

I had composed a nice long rant but somehow misplaced it with a bad click of the mouse. So I begin again...

After reading the papers and watchig the television over the last few weeks, this is my Christmas wish list--

I wish that 14 year olds wouldn't kill toddlers and laugh in court about it.

I wish for the 4 people contending for the Prime Minister position at this time would talk straight and honestly without playing politics.

I wish that people would show some sort of compassion and respect of privacy as Wayne Gretzky mourns the loss of his mother--Paparazzi taking pictures of him crying right after the service--jackasses all!!

For the love of this season, I wish to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" as I choose, without worrying about getting my head bit off by those that have worked themselves up regarding this very inane 'controversy'.

I wish for true peace in Iraq--not whatever we have now that was imposed by George Dubya.

I wish that Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter and other loud mouth ego machines would just shut up for a while. What we need at this time is, for lack of a better word, 'Selah'. We need to pause and reflect, and perhaps learn and understand what the world needs right now. All these yippy commentators just stir things up. Hey Bill! We don't need someone throwing rocks at the beehive--We need sober reflection and honest debate. You don't have what it takes for that.

I wish that the local, provincial and federal governments would wake up and realize that passing more gun laws and offering gun amnesties will not lessen gun related crimes--all these laws and amnesties do is make law abiding citizens feel like criminals. Guess what? The criminals don't obey the laws we have in place right now--hence they're called 'criminals'. You know the definition of insanity--doing the same thing over again yet expecting a different result. How much money, time and effort have the various systems of government put into these 'gun laws'? To reduce crime, reduce the number of criminals. Stop with the 'revolving door' of the prison system and implement legitimate avenues for reform.

Now that I've worked myself into a lather, I'll stop.

I hope and pray that everyone that frequents 'Sparky's and Sandy's Space' has a happy, safe and blessed Christmas and Holiday season.

Take care.

strikes again,

It seems every year at Christmas or New Years, I get sick and this year is no different.

I had to leave work early on Wednesday because of pains in my upper abdomen and well, to put it nicely, too many visits to the washroom.

So, I get home and get in to bed.

Well, about 1 hour later, I'am calling Dave to come home and take me to the hospital.

Yup, the pain in my stomach had gotten so bad that I had to go to the hospital.

Dave made it home in about 15 minutes flat and whisked me off to the urgent care department at St. Joe's.

We get there and thankfully there is hardly anyone waiting to be seen.

We get to the triage and the nurse asks all the questions and takes my vitals. Well, me being the person that I am notice that she has circled one of those vitals. Hmmm, I wonder that means?

So, we go sit and wait to be called to register.

My name is called about 4 minutes later and then the lady who is registering me, asked me if they told me what room I was in and I said "oh, no, we just got here", so then she responds, " yes, but they have marked you as a priority and you'll be taken in shortly."

Ok, anyone who knows me, knows that this is not the thing to say to me because my imagination takes over and then the freaking starts and that is never good. Every possible worst case scenerio enters my mind.

Dave is a rock and tries to keep me calm with reassuring kisses and words.

So, we get called in minutes later but then wait about 1 or so for the doctor to come see me.

A very nice lady doctor comes in. She asks me some questions, checks my abdomen and tells me that she is not concerned that it anything other than a viral stomach bug.

Phew, the relief washes over me and I can relax.

She ordered some drugs - Imodium, Buscopan and Gravol. The Imodium stopsed the visits to the bathroom. The Buscopan helped with the stomach spasms. And the Graval, well, yeah, that just made me sleep.

So, I stayed home from work and stayed in bed the entire day sleeping, except to get some dry toast and glasses of water.

Hopefully, I will feel well enough to go in to work tomorrow and be able to start the Christmas holidays at almost 100%.

Proving once again that I have that 'Y' chromosome

This is a purely fanciful and hypothetical story--any resemblance to persons living is purely coincidental.

Okay, in this little tale, our protagonist, coincidentally named Dave, had a Christmas list. On the list contained many items that Dave's fiancee, also quite coincidentally named Sandy, had suggested over the last few months.

Now Dave, being a typical male of the species 'Homo Sapien', has, over the course of many months, misguidedly thought that he could 'tune in' and 'tune out' some of the conversations that he and Sandy have been having.

Of course, you, the very smart and attentive reader, will realize (and I'll make the foreshadowing abundantly crystal clear right now) that males of the aforementioned species often find themselves in many interesting and easily avoidable situations had they paid attention to the females of the aforementioned species. One needs only watch the sitcoms on the telly to deduce that little pearl of wisdom--Ray and the King of Queens should have learned this lesson a long time ago, but then if they did, how else would you continue the sitcom?

But I digress...

Dave, I remind you, was on his way to buy Sandy some Christmas presents. Sandy, being the wise and wonderful woman that she is, was kind enough to give Dave various ideas and suggestions leading up to the festive season. Dave, whilst nodding his head with every suggestion and mouthing, "That's a great idea", seldomly wrote anything down and soon forgot what most of the suggestions were.

So it was no surprise to anyone that when the hero of this story--Dave--finally went to the mall (of course, the week before Christmas, but that'll be a story for another time--Procrastination, thy name is Sparky) for some Christmas shopping, he found himself in the Women's Clothing section at the local Zellers.

The reason why Dave found himself in this particular spot was due to some fuzzy memory about socks.

Seems that Sandy, during a previous conversation, mentioned something about socks. Probably, at least according to Dave's logic and the little bits 'n pieces of memories that he pieced together (like popcorn on thread for those inclined to wrap their tree in that type of adornment), she wanted socks for Christmas.

Upon further straining into the shadowy depths of memory, 'X 9 11' suddenly popped into Dave's recollection.

With this newfound tidbit of info, Dave went up to the nearest Zellers staffer--a very young woman as it turns out, who was rearranging some display in the aisle.

"Hi!" says Dave (our hero in case you forgot that bit)

"Happy Holidays" replies the Zellers staff person

"This is going to sound a little unusual," starts Dave (as he notices that he's standing right smack dab in the middle of racks of feminine lingeree), "But I need to buy some socks for my fiancee."

"What type of socks are you looking for?"

"Well, here's the bit I'm a little fuzzy on--I remember something about 'X 9 11' socks"

She looks at Dave with a very confused expression--"I don't think I can help you--I'll find a sales associate for 'Women's Wear' to come over", she states, and proceeds on her way, perhaps a little quickly, Dave thought.

Whilst she was gone, Dave perused the womens section there at the mall.

Aha! The sock section!! Dave has found where he needs to be. Now to just find the X 9 11 socks and get the heck outta Dodge.

Dave scans the rows upon rows of womens socks.

Seriously, I thank God every day that I'm a man. The socks alone would drive me bonkers. Again, digression... back to our hero, Dave--

So Dave looks thru the various socks--colours, sizes, styles...

Then Dave notices that the socks have labels--"Sizes from 5 to 9". That's interesting. A penny drops.

A little farther down the aisle--"Sizes from 9 to 11". Boing!! The light goes on!

Now that our hero has found what he was looking for (at least the size--not the colour or style--I'll leave that part out of this little tale 'cause I don't want to ruin the surprise for whomever's getting these socks at Christmas time--oh wait, this is jsut a tall tale ) he started to overhear a conversation a little way away. It sounded like the nice young lady who spoke with Dave earlier was speaking with someone else--

"He was asking for X 9 11 socks--I don't know what those are. I was thinking 'Emergency socks'", says the Zellers staff person.

The not-seen-as-yet-by-Dave person has a little laugh and assures the staffer that "I'll take care of it."

A few moments later, the not-seen-yet person appears in the sock aisle, looking at our hero (Dave, in case you've forgotten) with a pretty big grin. By now, Dave has the proper socks in his hand.

"9 11 socks?", she says, pointing to the socks in his hands.

"9 *to* 11 socks", Dave replies, with as wide a grin on his face.

"Emergency socks".

We both have a little laugh.

I was going to write something funny

About waiting 'til the last minute for Christmas shopping or some such, but something happened at the mall today that just ruined the humour.

So her we are at the local Fortinos getting some pictures developed. Right next to us at the counter is a younger woman--I'd say around 16--talking with the store manager. It seems that her 100 dollar bill was counterfeit. Since the bill was in the manager's hands, I had a glance. It was one of those new 100 dollar bills--y'know, the one with all the supposed 'counterfeiting measures' in place.

Turns out that this 'bill' failed most, if not all, of the counterfeiting measures, at least according to the manager (I asked 'cause I was interested).

Anyway, this was bad on so many levels. According to the girl, this 100 dollar bill was given to her in a birthday card, so there's that. Since I was there and remarkably interested in these events as they unfolded, the manager asked the girl for I.D. and mentioned that the police had to be called, and she was quite okay with that, so I'm inclined to believe her (if there was any doubt).

So here's this kid who is out 100 bucks. Moreover, since it was a birthday gift, the person who gave her the card is probably going to feel really awful when he or she finds out. Then there's the annoyance factor across the board--the manager, the police coming down and questioning, and the poor kid who has now been put into the centre of all this.

All because someone out there is a great big jackass.

Look you little cretins, instead of trying to cut corners and working outside the system--whether it's counterfeiting cash or undertaking other law-breaking endeavours--try getting yourselves an honest job and be a constructive member of society.

But nope, this'll fall on deaf ears 'cause your only concern is yourselves and you couldn't give a whiff about the community around you and the lives that you inconvenience or, at worst, ruin.

Jackasses all.

Say that with a Dutch accent...

We went to the Falls on Friday night.

This is fast becoming an annual tradition for us--

Sandy & Sparky, Dec '04

This year, however, we went with Jeff and Jenn.

Sandy & Sparky, Dec '05

We get to the falls, do our 'usual' (k, twice now) picture in front of el grande Christmas Tree, when we heard what we thought was thunder. Thunder in winter? That's strange...

But when we came out form the building, we saw fireworks! Now I know they usually have fireworks on Friday nights during the summer, but I had no idea that the Friday Night Fireworks extended into the winter months!

Shakey pic of fireworks over Niagara Falls

So we watched those for a bit. Then we checked out the 'Festival of Lights' (mostly Disney Motif), and the gathering ice on various items like fences and trees.

The Little Mermaid

It was an enjoyable evening with good friends.

See all the pictures of our little excursion to the Niahara here--Niagara Falls Winter Pictures, December '05

I said Log, not Blog!

I've seen the video that came out, oh, 20 years ago--an entire VHS tape showing a log burning in a fireplace.

Then when DVD's came out, they made one that loops--you can just leave it on continuously--if you're into that 'burning log in fireplace' thing...

Now watch out! Now CityTv, on Christmas day, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. will be showing the log buring in the fireplace (with accompanying Christmas music).

I think that's, well, funny, but then I remember that it's CityTv--I love it!

I know what I'm watching Christmas morning!

Well, three of them...

I was in the shower.

That's how most fun stories start.

So here I am, having my morning shower and Sandy comes running in and peeks in--

"There's deer in the back yard!!"

My ears being full of shampoo suds, I thought she said there was beer in the back yard so I didn't come running--I continued my shower.

Next thing I know, there's Sandy with a towel in her hands, encouraging me to get out of the shower. So I did.

"Deer!" she stated emphatically, dragging me to the window and pointing.

Oh, deer...

So I towel off, get dressed and I looked out the window.

Oh! Real deer!

We get the cameras together and go into the back yard.

We saw Moma Deer and Baby Deer (who was probably the daughter, so she was Pretty Deer )

Then we saw Papa Deer as well--whole family Deer!

We took pictures--

Pictures of deer

Well, our little 'Wild Kingdom' is growing!

Future 'West Wing' vice president, Leo McGarry, passed away today.

John Spencer had a heart attack today. I've appreciated him since his L.A. Law days, but when Aaron Sorkin cast him as the Chief of Staff in the West Wing, well, that was fantastic!

I also was pleased to see him in 'The Negotiator' and 'The Rock'.

According to his biography, he was only 5 foot 6 and a half inches tall. I had no idea because every scene that he's in he commands my attention-not too many actors can do that. I think this is reflected in the numerous awards he was nominated for, as well as won.

From 'West Wing'--

Leo McGarry: There are two things in the world you never want people to see how you make them - laws and sausages.

John, you will be sorely missed.

no, no duct tape here...

I was doing my nightly duties of turning out the lights, making sure all the doors were locked, and checking on the regular 'put the house to sleep' things, when I happened to glance out the back door.

I usually check the back yard--make sure the bird feeders are full, make sure nothing's out of place... y'know, the standard stuff...

Anyway, it was snowing all day and into the night, so when I looked into the back yard, I expected to see nothing but white on the ground.

Well, not so much.

There, under the bird feeders was, what I thought at first was a clump of dirt left over from thrown out plants, but then the mind reminded me that it was snowing all day and that anything thrown into our little garden should have about 10-15 cm of snow on top of it...

Then the clump of dirt moved!

Eeep!

Turns out that it wasn't dirt at all, but an opossum (I'll just shorten this down to 'possum' from here on out 'cause that's the 'common' venacular)

So here's this possum scrounging thru the snow. My guess was that it was looking for leftover birdseed.

I let Sandy know that we had a visitor. She comes down and takes a boo--"It's sooo cute!!!" she states emphatically. (Marie didn't think so, but that's another story (and in that story, I wrongfully stated that the creature was a muskrat--I know better now))

Well, Sandy and I watch the possum for a bit. Sandy wanted to know what they eat. I'm all of a sudden Marlin Perkins from Mutual of Omaha's 'Wild Kingdom'. She thought that they'd appreciate carrots. Well, probably more than bird seed. She goes into the kitchen and gets some carrots, and I grab the camera.

We then--trying to be quiet about it--open the back door. Well, these nocturnal marsupials have very sensitive hearing, and the possum, after giving a look over his shoulder at us standing there in the doorway, went on his merry way--We couldn't entice him to stay with the wonderful carrots.

So no pictures (this time) to add to our growing list of nature's visitors to our back yard. If and when the possum returns to our back yard, we'll be better prepared.

Hope our new little friend can find a safe place for the night (or day 'cause possums are nocturnal and all )

And we come full circle...

The first 'adventure-type' video game I recall playing was 'Dragon's Eye' on the Commodore PET computer back in the early '80's. I thought it was great, but when I bought my Commodore 64, I played--

'Gateway to Apshai'. It was a cute little game where you find yourself travelling from room to room and down hallways--picking up treasure and slaying the wee beasties as you go. There wasn't much more to it than that, however. But it was all we had until--

Bard's Tale. Ahh, a huge step up--text based interaction with accompanying screen shots. Then, of course, came the Bard's Tale 2 and Bard's Tale 3--all wonderful. Until--

Questron! The ultimate adventure RPG on the Commodore 64 (in my opinion). This one lasted me a long, long time--right up until I was introduced to the PC market.

Ahh, the IBM (clone) PC. What wonderful adventures will you bring me? Many of the adventure games on the PC were inferior to Questron on the 64, up until--

The Realm--a wonderfully interactive on-line role-playing game that brought in the adventure element with playing with friends, all at the same time. That was perfect. I bought Ultima Online, thinking it was a step up, but I was wrong. The Realm lasted until I signed up to be a beta-tester for a little known game called--

Everquest. Oh My Goodness! This was as good as it gets. Fully 3D world with interactive quests and wonderful graphics, and playing in a rich multi-user on-line role playing game. Besides dragging my close friends into the game (you're welcome John, RIck, Andrew), I met many other people in the Everquest world whom I still consider freinds--Kadath, Jedcea, Ibiza, Goodwyn, and many more...

So many hours--nay, sometimes days--were lost to adventuring the the 'lands of Norrath'.

Everquest was the pinnacle of the adventure game (for me). However, what's really strange is that, at this time, when I have a spare moment, I don't play any of the above adventure games. Instead, during one of my meanderings thru the internet, I found this--

Angband. A text graphic based single player adventure game that was originally written back in 1990. I'll take a quotation right from the website--

"Angband has a very long history. It started 1990 as an improved and "Tolkienized" variant of Moria. Moria itself was created in 1985 and was inspired by Rogue (from the late 70s). Countless changes were introduced by many programmers on the way to the current versions of Angband"

Yep--an adventure game originally developed in the 1970's (before the Commodore 64 games) is the game I'm playing now.

Beyond that, however, is the idea that time for video games is at a minimum. Since the early '80's I've been playing computer-based adventure games. I've appreciated each and every one of them. That said, I'm finding that my interest in these adventure games (or any computer game these days), do not hold my interest for hours at a time anymore. That's because of--

Sparky's Life--The Adventure Continues...

is chugging away

I installed Greymatter about a year ago. I went with Greymatter over all the other blogging contenders because it's the one I understood the most and the one that I could most adapt to 'fit into' Sparky's and Sandy's Space.

However, now that the entire year has gone by, and we're approaching 350 entries, the Greymatter deficiencies are starting to rear their uglay heads.

First and foremost is the idea that Greymatter works without some sort of database engine to keep track of things. This is great 'cause it keeps it all simple like. The flip side is that when your blog gets big, it becomes unweildy to maintain and enhance--it currently takes 10-15 minutes to rebuild all the blog entries when I change the page layout.

Whereas I'm loyal to a fault to things that have done me well, I'm also not stubborn enuf to keep something around when it's (as Papa would say) 'nickel and dime-ing me to death' (a euphemism conveying the time and effort and money put into maintaining something that might not be worth it)

So do I move on? Do I say 'bu-bye' to Greymatter?

Well, if I do, I'll have to find something that can be customized as fully as Greymatter--S's & S's S has been arond since '93 and I kinda like the layout--it's a little archaic, as far as web standards go, but again, I don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. I've installed WordPress (see it here) to see if I'll like it. Well, right now, not so much.

Eh, I'll stay with Greymatter for now.

We shall see what the future has in store for our blogging endeavours...

'cause I can

So the MTO, in their infinite wisdom, opened up a 'carpool' lane along the 403 from the 407 to the 401.

I know that's alotta 400 numbers for those of you who don't live in southern Ontario--Google Map it sometime to see what this is all about... (I originally wanted to Mapquest it but couldn't get the link to work properly. Grr!! )

Anywho, it was quite the long project--expanding the 3 lane highway to include a 4th lane--a carpool lane at that.

But thru all the construction all summer, people were looking forward to that marvelous day when the carpool lane would be completed and ready for use.

Well, that day was Tuesday.

And then the stories started happening...

Single drivers with no one else in their vehicles wouldn't let cars with two or more people get over to the car pool lane. I mean you do have to go across 3 lanes of 'regular' traffic to get to the carpool lane. Supposedly, since the single passenger vehicle isn't allowed to use the lane, he or she will prevent others from using it. Jealous much? Tell you what--all you drivers who aren't happy about people in the car pool lanes 'getting there'more quickly than you--if you were a little more friendly, maybe you could get others to ride in your vehicle so you could use the fast lane. As it stands, your childish tantrums on the highway isn't appreciated.

Then those that only have one person in the car thinking that they can use the car pool lane? Can you read the little signs overhead? 2+ people in the vehicle. Less than that kinda defeats the purpose of 'car pooling'.

Look people, I know we are in love with our automobile--that somehow thru the ages the 4 wheel pieces of scrap metal have become the sacred cow at the alter of our personal freedoms. Between waxing, cleaning, maintaining and, for some, polishing the piece of tin with a diaper, it's amazing that we even let 'em out on the road (but that's a whole other topic, so I'll stop now). But old mother Earth is need of a little break from our pollution--and if we can cut the number of vehicles on the road, even a little bit, it can only be a good thing. Hence the car pool lane--by sharing rides with others, we reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

And you know what the bonus is? I'll spell it out for those of you that block the car pool lane entrances and use the car pool lane when there's only you in the car--Less vehicles on the road means we'll all get to where we're going more quickly, and, hopefully, in a less stressful manner.

So either get more people in your car, or let the cars that have more than one person in them get into the car pool lanes--at least they're trying, just a little, to make a difference.

It's good for the environment.

It's good for the Earth.

It's good for the rest of us.

And, if you really think about it, it's good for you, too.

Old word, new definition...

Just heard this word during the course of a coversation at work.

I've heard it used before in a different, and probably correct, context--

Administrivia -- from Dictionary.Com

However, it's a perfect word to encompass all the angst and helplessness I've been feeling lately. And it just fell into my lap.

So here's the thing--

Wanna know why companies go bankrupt? Wanna know why corporations lose billions? Wanna know why the average Joe Worker feels such angst and helplessness during their daily duties?

Well I'll tell ya--

Administrivia

Here's my definition of the word--

The act of management or the administration of a company to dwell on minutiae to such an extent that it negatively impacts on the employee's daily routines whilst thinking that this focus is actually good for the company.

Well, it isn't.

I've sat in on meetings.

I've added what I can to the committee's I've been assigned to.

I've filled out paperwork and assigned numbers and hours to what they wanted me to assign numbers and hours to.

I've re-sat in on meetings, discussing the same issues that were discussed 6 months ago and noticed no progress.

I've listened to chairs of comittees restating the same thing from meeting to meeting.

And I've come full circle on the paper-trail--the same questions asked 6 months ago but worded subtly differently to make it a 'brand new form' to fill out--this time it's asking for percentages...

I have an idea--take a wad of money and burn it. It'll be better than what we're doing now in one aspect--at least I'll get warm from it.

It's the age-old cry from the employees--management has lost touch with what is good for 'The Company'. And I'm just adding to that cry right now.

The person that makes the money for the company is where our focus should be--how do we make their jobs easier/better? How do we enhance their daily routines so they can do their jobs better? They make the money--anyone above them just spends it.

As with many companies, administration lost sight of that--the management believes that committees and meetings and filled out forms are what generates revenue.

In the real world, meetings and committees and paper trails are needed for an organization to run. That's not the issue. However, as I stated right at the beginning, when these meetings and committees and forms negatively impact on the employee on a daily basis--the employee, mind you, that's actually trying to generate revenue for the company--then we're into Administrivia.

Administrivia--It's the new word in town.

'cause the tree is done

We had our favourite Smith family over for dinner and some tree decorating. Diana and Leanne, in fine form I may add, tackled the task of tree toppings with a zeal I had not witnessed since, well, we did their tree a few weeks ago!

Mom and dad helped as well, so it was a family affair! With Sandy and I in tow, our first Christmas tree together is now fully decorated.

As well, thanks to the wonderful Smith family, there are also presents under the tree! That was unexpected and completely appreciated!

See photos of the completed Christmas tree--

Christmas Tree 2005

A very special thanks from our family (Sandy and me) to our wonderful friends--Diana, Leanne, Lydia and Craig--thanks for letting me take part in these traditions. Now that I'm well versed into it, you aren't gonna get rid of me

Well duuuuuhhhh....

Have a quick look at one of my blog entries--

A quick redesign

Someone decided--and I'm figuring it was an automated script, but whatever--someone decided to add some 'Trackback Spam' to that blog entry. Someone interested in 'Poker', as it seems.

Anyway, click on any one of those links that were left by the spammer takes you to where? Some sort of internet poker site? Some bad site that the good people that visit Sparky's and Sandy's Space shouldn't visit?

Nope, the link takes you to...

Wait for it...

A quick redesign

Yep, the very blog entry that they were attempting to spam.

Hmmmmmm....

Methinks the l33t script kiddies screwed up on their little script.

Normally when we get trackback spam I delete it immediately--I don't want links from S's & S's S going to websites that we don't appreciate. However, we do appreciate our little corner of the internet.

Ooooooohhhh.... conundrum....

Well, in the end I'm leaving the trackback spam there. Why? Hey, it points back to us.

Furthermore (and more importantly), I'm using them as an example to all you little script kiddies--yep, you're idiots. Go find something else to do. You're not good at this and you're wasting your (and my) time.

As an aside, I really like the trackback feature here--all I have to do is delete a file to get rid of unwanted trackbacks. No logging in and deleting entries--just a file deletion. Everytime I delete a trackback file, I say, "Begone! From whenc't you cometh!!!!"

K, maybe not out loud, but I do thinketh it

What I learn at work

So my company's committment to safety is unwavering. It's one of the many reasons why I love working for them.

One of the first questions asked of a new driver is 'What is safety?'

Well, safety, or at least one of the best answers, is 'Safety is: freedom from risk'.

If we're not at risk, then we're safe.

It might seem trite, but it isn't, and that's where the 300 - 29 - 1 come into play.

The numbers mean thus--

for every 300 instances of the same risk or unsafe act

there are 29 minor accidents

and 1 major accident.

And they demonstrated this in a little video--

Guy grabs his keys, leaves the house, gets into the mini-van and backs out of his driveway.

With the above situation, what is the unsafe act?

Well, from what is described, and what was witnessed in the video, he didn't check behind the mini-van to see if there was anything or anyone behind it.

So that was the unsafe act.

If he did this unsafe act 300 times, statistically, he would have 29 minor accidents--as shown in the video, running over a childs bike or some such.

And he could have, statisically, 1 major accident, such as running over his kid on the bike if he didn't bother to check behind the van before he backed up.

So that's the premise.

What to do?

Remove the risks--removing the unsafe acts removes the chance of minor and major accidents occurring.

One of the first things they teach you about driving a school bus is try to never get into a position where you have to back up the bus. I mean, you've seen them--school busses are extremely big, and that back end is very high. If something's right behind the bus, under the field-of-vision, how would you see it?

So if you don't back up, you don't run the risk of backing into something or over someone--you don't add to the 'unsafe acts'.

I kinda liked it.

One of the driving points in the video was to leave enough space beween you and the vehicle in front of you so you have time to react--if you're right on someone's tail, it's an unsafe act. You probably see the minor/major accidents on the side of the road on a daily basis caused by just such unsafe acts.

Anyway, I thought it was neat enough to share with you.

Safety is freedom from risk.

I like being safe.

The beginnings of a wonderful Christmas Tree

Well, this is a first for me. I've never, in the history of me living on my own, set up a big Christmas tree. I'm no Scrooge, but since I never got alotta visitors over the season, I never bothered, really.

However, all that has changed since Sandy decided to make me her life-long partner (poor girl).

So now a bon-a-fide Christmas Tree graces our living room.

The Tree--The Beginning

But the even better news is that two wonderful little girls--Diana and Leanne--are coming over this weekend to decorate the tree! It seems that I got myself into some annual traditions that I can't get out of

Actually, I consider myself to be quite blessed because of the people Sandy has brought into my life--she has the ability to surround herself with what I consider to be absolutely phenominal folks who are real 'salt of the earth' (as Papa would say)--but this blog is about the tree so I'll try to stay on topic--gorram tangents!

Anyway, we set up the tree, got the lights on it, and now we'll wait until Sunday for the real work to begin.

Not that there's anything wrong with it

It's a changing day in Sparkyville, my friends.

After many years of hosting pictures of Elin Grindemyr, I have finally come to the conclusion that those pages had to go.

What prompted this very drastic and shocking move?

Well, a veritable bevy of things--

I heard thru sources that Elin herself didn't appreciate unauthorised internet 'fansites'. I didn't receive a note directly from her, but various sources mentioned that. Whether a person trying to make it as a model should deride fan-based websites is up for debate--not here, mind you

As well, I've seen some of her recent photos--she doesn't appear to be very happy--that 'inner spark' or natural glow that originally piqued my interest wasn't to be seen, at least by me.

I may have put together two completely unrelated events, but put them together I did--I in no way, shape or form, want to be a willing participant in someone elses unhappiness.

Furthermore, having a 'babe page' attracts all kinds of unwelcome attention--bandwidth stealers, hackers, people who write very unpleasant (and poorly written) e-mails, etc.

So all these, plus a few more personal reasons, my little Elin Grindemyr pages are no more.

As I state on the remaining page--

"So life goes on, and people who really want Elin pictures can find them elsewhere. For myself, I wish Elin Grindemyr good heath, happiness, and all the best in her future endeavours"

3001 - The Final Odyssey

Recently I was at a loss for something to read. I went down to the trusty bookshelves in the basement and started to browse--Eddings? Not yet. Asimov? Just read. Adams? Saw the movie

On a whim, I grabbed Arthur C. Clarke's '3001-The Final Odyssey'. I've read it before--I own it, I hope I've read it--but wasn't adverse to read it again.

So I grabbed it, came back upstairs, and snuggled myself into the couch to begin a good read.

Well, I'm a few pages into it when Classical 96.3 fm starts with the Blue Danube by Johann Srauss Jr.

Well, if that doesn't beat all. Anyone who has ever seen the movie, '2001: A Space Odyssey' should immediately recognize the tune and understand how the waltz relates to the series of books.

So I rather appreciated that little coincidence.

Speaking of 3001, since we were indeed, speaking of it--another little thing that I appreciated was the reference to Dr. Susan Calvin as a 'historical figure influential in the realm of robotics'. Remember, the events in 3001 take place in, well, 3001. Arthur C. Clarke made a reference to one of Isaac Asimov's most famous characters.

Speaking of referencing other works of literature, after I put down 3001, I just grabbed another book randomly off the shelf. This one (also read before, but eh, I'm in that kinda mood) was 'Babylon 5: The Long Night of Centauri Prime'. I'm a pretty big Babylon 5 fan, and own a few of the books that 'take place in that universe'.

Anyway, I'll just quote the passage right from the book--

- - -

"One of our kind ... studied Humans. Centuries ago," said the Drakh.

That stopped Londo. He made no effort to hide his surprise. "Are you saying you were on Earth?"

The Drakh nodded. "A Drakh ... took up residence there. Few saw him. But word of him spread. Word of the dark one, the monstrous one who kept to the shadows. Who drained victims' souls ... and ruled them thereafter," and he inclined his head toward the keeper. "They called him ... Drak'hul. His legend lives on ... or so I am told."

- - -

For what it is, I appreciated the reference. I have read other sci-fi stories that try to set up some reference to past events or literary characters in other genres, but most weren't nearly as clever as this one was, in my opinion.

Anyway, I'll let Londo Mollari have the last word here--

So there you are.

Right from the movie--

Johnathan Trager, prominent television producer for ESPN, died last night from complications of losing his soul mate and his fiancee. He was 35 years old. Soft-spoken and obsessive, Trager never looked the part of a hopeless romantic. But, in the final days of his life, he revealed an unknown side of his psyche. This hidden quasi-Jungian persona surfaced during the Agatha Christie-like pursuit of his long reputed soul mate, a woman whom he only spent a few precious hours with. Sadly, the protracted search ended late Saturday night in complete and utter failure. Yet even in certain defeat, the courageous Trager secretly clung to the belief that life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. Uh-uh. But rather, its a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan. Asked about the loss of his dear friend, Dean Kansky, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and executive editor of the New York Times, described Johnathan as a changed man in the last days of his life. "Things were clearer for him," Kansky noted. Ultimately Johnathan concluded that if we are to live life in harmony with the universe, we must all possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call "fatum", what we currently refer to as destiny.

-Serendipity

I had more to say but none of it's coming out right, so I'll just leave it.

Trying to be unbiased

My future brother-in-law was very kind to me--he found out about my love of the 'little plastic brick' and, being a person that hits flea markets, garage sales, and an avid eBayer, he's been scrounging up used LEGO pieces for me.

I absolutely love that--any LEGO is good LEGO, in my opinion.

Mixed in with some of the LEGO bricks, however, are Mega Bloks. Not really a big deal--I try to keep my collection 'pure' and sort out the Mega Bloks and give 'em to my nephews, so no worries.

My brother-in-law's latest find had a complete Mega Blok set, still in the original box--set 9709 "Black Eagle". A black jetfighter that contained 230 pieces, I can see why a set like this would sell to the youth--it looks cool!

I've built Mega Blok sets before, working with the aforementioned nephews, and I found their pieces to be below LEGO's standard of quality--the pieces didn't fit together very well--could be the lighter weight of the bricks or the non-crisp edging on the corners or the edges of the studs. Whatever it was, Mega Bloks did feel 'cheaper' as I was building with them.

But to the average 7 year old who hasn't been building with LEGO bricks all of his or her natural life, these points probably seem trivial--the Mega Blok sets have the 'cool' factor nailed down.

So I decided to put aside my LEGO 'fan-boyness' for a bit and just build a Mega Blok set and try to give it an honest opinion.

The problem is, as most problems are, in the details--the box makes the set look cool but the implementation, well, not so much on the 'cool' factor.

The instructions were a little tiny for my liking (again, compared to LEGO building instructions). It was pretty tough to make out brick placement, especially after two or three layers of the jet were built.

The pieces held together better than I remembered from my previous experiences, though Mega Blok still has what I consider to be poor quality control in their molding processes--pieces that are suppose to be identical do not fit the same in the same area--some leave gaps between bricks whilst others do not. Furthermore, the pieces are lighter than the similar LEGO brick, and do not have definitive edges. Whether that's a good pr bad thing I'll leave up to the individual--I know I didn't appreciate it.

The model, when complete, looks as cool as the picture on the box--from a distance. Up close it looks blocky and chunky--that's not hte fault of Mega Blok, though--the model is built mostly out of basic bricks, so there isn't much you can do about it.

What is really cool, however, is the Mega Blok 'hinge block'--basically a half circle brick that fits into a base brick. It's a really nifty set-up--Nicely done! As well, the wing pieces don't have studs on top, and have a neat way of locking into the next wing, so the entire leading edge is smooth--no studs on top. I really liked that.

Overall, I'd rate this set a 3 out of 5.

In the end, my question would be 'If LEGO put out this exact same set, would you like it? Would you give it the same rating?'

I dunno--it's just basic bricks--I probably could do a pretty good rendition of the jetfighter using just LEGO bricks (minus the canopy and the hinge bricks). I'd probably still give it a 3 out of 5 because it really does look blocky, 'cause, well, it is.

The bottom line is right there, in my opinion--Mega Bloks, no matter what they do, will always be compared to LEGO. As long as the LEGO company continues to produce high quality sets and pieces, Mega Bloks will always be compared as the the cheaper, inferior knock-off. People looking for something cheap for the kids will invariably buy the Mega Blok set, but those that want the quality that lasts for a lifetime will pay the extra few dollars and get the LEGO set.

And in my house, it'll always be LEGO. I'll pay for the quality (or gladly accept it for free when my brother-in-law finds more )

I could go on but I'll stop now.

To let everyone know, the Mega Blok pieces that I do receive always end up going to a good home, so no worries about that.

In your dreams...

I like to think that I'm a good driver. For the most part, I take my time and do around the limit--slow down should the road conditions or other traffic warrant it. Moreover, I try to obey all traffic signs--no right turn on red if there's a sign stating same, I yeild ('cause I hate cutting people off), and whatever else there is that the Highway Traffic Act decided should be law.

I also trying to be all 'zen-like' where traffic is concerned--I don't want to get my blood pressure all thru the roof when I see other drivers do stupid things whilst driving.

So it was as much a surprise to me when I had this dream the other night--it was very vivid and I remember it clearly--

I was driving down a two lane highway, and a pickup truck whipped past me. After the truck passed me, it started drifting across both lanes in front of me, losing parts 'n pieces of stuff that was in the back.

I had to avoid all the trash hitting the road, and at one point, I used what I consider to be a very harsh profanity and, with my arm out the window, I raised a corresponding finger in a very angry gesture towards the truck and driver in front of me.

Of course, whilst demonstrating my anger towards the driver ahead, I didn't avoid some of the trash and got two flat tires!

Figures.

Replacing the tires (why my vehicle had two spares is something that, well, remember, this is all in a very vivid dream I had the other night), all the while thinking this extra work was my penance for letting my anger get the better of me, I started on my merry way.

Of course, there was still all this stuff on the road, so I stopped every few yards and moved the crap to the sides of the highway--Cars were honking behind me everytime I stopped.

Before I found out what I did about that, I woke up.

I dunno if I let my anger get out of control again. I would hope that I learned my lesson the first time.

whilst you least expect it.

A year + 1 day ago, I was thinking about a date.

A date, mind you, with a person that I met a few weeks before at a LEGO event (where I was sick as a dog, and looking remarkably scruffy) and spoke with once on the phone.

The date arranged (she said yes in spite of seeing me all scruffy-like), I was considering the possibilities--

The first, and what I considered to be the most probable course of happenings--we'd have dinner, we'd see a movie, she'd hate my sense of humour and take issue with the general Daveisms that I convey quite clearly (even when I endeavour to be on my best behaviour--see, I did it right there!!). She'd be polite at the end of the evening but not want to ever see me again. I pictured the subsequent phone-call days after the date to go like this--

"Hi, remember me? I'm Dave. We went to dinner last week?"

"Oh right... Dave. Hi. I have to go... somewhere... now."

*click*

So that's what my primary expectation was.

Other expectations--she'd be this psycho hose beast from Hades and I'd bolt from the restaurant.

Well, no, not really an expectation. But I was expecting some sort of 'shoe' to materialize sometime during the night. It didn't, at least not from her side. My side, on the other hand--there was a comment regarding 'pretty nice looking feet' (and you'll have to search the blog for info on that one...) that I had to do a quick 'that was smooth' talking to get myself out of it.

Anyway, there were a few preconceived expectations that I had before the date.

Again, life has a way of giving you what you least expected, but what you need the most.

She showed up.

She wore red.

We had a wonderful dinner.

We watched a movie (I won't talk about the 'pulling away'--that's been done to death now )

We went for a walk after the movie.

And that's when I first thought, 'I'm going to spend the rest of my life with this girl'.

At least, that was my hope.

And for the time of 1 trip around the sun, that single little hope that first sparked during that short walk back to the vehicles on that cold December night has become a bright reality.

She loves me (crazy woman that she is). She really loves me.

I love you too, Sandy. Not for who you were in the past, but for who you are right now, and who you will be in the future. I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together, tackling the problems that will come our way, sharing our joys, our dreams, and our sorrows.

Basically, bottom line? You're stuck with me, babe.

Get over it

Yup, 1 whole year!

It's hard to believe that a full year has passed since our first date.

Yup, today is our 1-year anniversary!

We will head out tonight to reenact our first date - but with a little change.

We will start our evening by heading out to East Side Mario’s for dinner. Instead of going to see a movie we will head back home, pop in National Treasure (our first date movie) and share some popcorn - just like that night 1 year ago. Although this time, I won't pull away from him.

It amazes me how fast my life changed in a year. Let’s see what has changed:

- went from not wanting to date again to wanting to date again

- met the man of my dreams

- moved to Hamilton to be with the man of my dreams

- got engaged to the man of my dreams

Wow - lots of great changes.

I have shared everything with Dave - every laugh, every tear, every fear, every worry, every smile, every dream and most importantly every bit of love that I have.

I thank my lucky stars (and Jen) every day that I get to spend the rest of my life with a man who is kind, easygoing, thoughtful, honest, funny, loyal, sensitive, patient, and of course in my humble opinion - very sexy!!

Thank you, babe, for making the past 365 days the best ever!

I love you to the stars!

'cause I'm a WWdN wannabe...

December 7 update:

I've added a link so you can play Wil Wheaton's podcasts from here--hopefully causing less strain on his servers.

Wil Wheaton dot Net Podcasts

- - -

Wil Wheaton, web blooger extra-ordinaire, has put out his first podcast. I downloaded the .mp3 version and really enjoyed listening to it.

Have a look at the blog entry regarding the making of it--

Radio Free Burrito Episode Zero

So I decided to put up an unauthorized version here--

radio_free_burrito_episode_zero.mp3

Download and have a listen. I think it's great to hear a 'behind the scenes' from a guy who's done the 'Hollywood' thing.

His stories go into various details about the various things he's doing and has done. Most amazing to me, however was the idea that Hollywood stars (or maybe just Wil Wheaton) get starstruck! I have a story relating to that but I'll get to it later.

Thanks Wil for the wonderful podcast.

Oh, you'll learn from the podcast that Wil loves 'Firefly'!

So there you are.

Thrilled you are!

(Yoda speak ends now)

For no real reason, I've changed the front page of 'Sparky's and Sandy's Space' from the 'old' front page to the blog.

Don't fret!! The old front page is still there, in all its glory!! Just click on the 'Sparky's Space' button on the top or bottom right there and you'll see it! So no worries about that.

I just wanted to try somethign different.

So when you surf on over to http://sparky.i989.net, you'll see the 'regularly updated' blogs!

Yippee!!

More changes to come...

Professional Drafting Table

We need to make some space in the abode, so the first thing on the auction block is one professional drafting table.

The table is 3 feet by 5 feet and is extremely adjustable, both in tilt as well as height.

I'm not much of a salesman, so here's the thing--

You show up at our place with cash in your hand, and a big pickup truck, and it's all yours.

All proceeds generated from the sale of the drafting table will go into the 'Dave and Sandy are getting married' fund.

       

'cause, well, I can....

First, removed many graphix on the blog page. Why? 'Cause some people don't like waiting for pages to download. What?? No high speed internet?? Yeah, I was in awe as well.

Actually, I like the more 'openness' of getting rid of the graphix, so there you are.

As well, whilst surfing a little--using Google all the while--I came across blogs written by friends. I was shocked that I didn't know about 'em so I added 'em to the list to the right.

Which reminds me, if you have a blog or a site that you think I'd find interesting, let me know--I'll add it to the list.

In which I become my dad

So I get in the Mighty Dodge this morning, pull out of the parking lot, and see down the street that there are two kids--boys around 13-15 by the looks of things--standing in the middle of the lane at the entrance to the complex.

See, I live in a condo complex of 100+ units, and every morning at around 8 a.m. all the kids stand at the entrance, waiting for the school bus. On colder days, there's often a few vehicles parked to the side, presumably so mom can keep little Timmy or little Jodie warm whilst waiting for the bus.

Teenagers, by the looks of things, don't get the same treatment.

So these two boys were, again I'm guessing here, waiting for their school bus. For whatever reason, they didn't want to wait at the corner with the rest of 'the posse', but instead, decided to stand right in the middle of the entranceway.

I get up there with the Mighty Dodge. Since there were cars to the right with the little Timmies and Jodies, I had to be in the left lane (almost like I was driving in Britain!) when I approached the entranceway.

The boys looked at my approaching truck and glanced away, resuming their conversation.

Well I drive up to them and then stop the vehicle. I wave my hand and make a little sweeping motion--"Wanna move over a little so I can go thru?" Didn't honk my horn or anything--felt that it wasn't warranted.

The boys decide that they should move, and I wave a thank you as I exit the condo complex.

So it wasn't that bad.

But a few things--why in everything that's 'let's not get hit by vehicles' do these kids think that they can stand there in the middle of an intersection? If a car was coming into the complex, there might have been a good chance that these kids could've gotten hit! Seriously, it's a busy little complex I'm living in, especially at around 8 in the morning when folks are coming and going!

Kids! Take it from uncle Dave here--vehicles will hurt you if they hit you. I'll tell ya right up--the vehicle won't feel anything. The driver may feel some emotional pain, and the insurance company may feel some financial pain, and the ramifications of the driver hitting someone will be what they are, but in the immediate situation--Vehicle vs Pedestrian?? I'll take vehicle to survive, Alex.

There are reasons that intersections have corners for pedestrians to congregate. Our place has nice, big sidewalks for people to stand on whilst waiting for whatever they're waiting for.

Papa always had this expression when we were growing up--"You could be right, but you could be dead right", meaning that you may feel justified in whatever action you are taking, but, in the end, you could be seriously injured or dead and if that happens, it wouldn't matter if you're right or wrong--you'd still be injured or dead. Pops learned that lesson very clearly when he rode a motorcycle in his youth--he had the 'right-of-way' a few times--that didn't stop the car from running thru a red light/stop sign/whathaveyou and putting my dad in the hospital.

Botton line kids--it's better to be safe than think you're in the right.

Stay safe!