It’s tradition for me to be sick at Christmas but not Dave – that was until today.

First I might mention that Dave very rarely gets sick and when he does it is usually just the typical cold and he is better in a couple of days.

This time however, it is not a cold, well actually we both have the sniffles, but my honey has ended up with some sort of stomach bug. It might even be something he ate but we are leaning more towards the stomach flu.

He has the chills, fever, nausea, plus the other not so fun…well you know.

We figure if he could just throw up he would feel better but every time he gets the feeling he is going to – it stops!

Coincidently, it is exactly 1 year ago today that I ended up in the ER with a stomach bug that was causing spasms in my tummy. So, we are doing exactly what the doctor told me then.

Hopefully with my TLC, the BRAT (banana, rice, apple sauce and toast) diet, Gravol and Tylenol, he will be better in time for Christmas.

CBS Considering New Animated Trek Series For The Web

Yeah...

Umm...

Well...

"Not very Trek-like"? It isn't Trek at all. Sure, you have the names of the planets and the people and stuff, but that's about it, really. Slapping the word 'Enterprise' on a ship doesn't make it part of Roddenberry's vision.

Not so much for me.

- - -

On a separate but related note, I have been on record stating that the next Star Trek movie idea dealing with a young Kirk and Spock at Starfleet Acadamy wasn't a good one. Spock was serving with Chris Pike far before Kirk was even at the acadamy. But that's my Trekkie geekiness shining thru.

That said, I felt a little nostalgic twinge at the ol' heartstrings when I viewed the IMDB.com entry--

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0796366/

and saw the insignia--

K, I'll probably see the movie...

Our Christmas Tree

We're celebrating our first married Christmas together. Even through the house renovations and the dust and the cleaning, we had to set up the tree. We have family coming over for Christmas dinner. It's the first time we're doing it at our home. So we thought we'd share a few pictures of our decorating.

The decorated stairs

Most of our ornaments have a story behind them. We bought this one on our honeymoon in Huntsville--

Mr. and Mrs. Snowman

A Tree is not complete unless it has some lego--

Lego brick snowman

Cute as a button--

Snowman made of buttons

Mr. Hunny Bunny--oops, I mean my husband--

He still loves me

We'll post more pics as we go though the season.

From both of us to all of you, have yourself a very Merry Christmas. We hope your dreams come true.

Fixing the electrical issues

You may recall from a previous blog that we're in teh process of renovating the main floor bathroom. Well, we're almost done the process--down to the nitty gritty.

First, the substandard electrical wiring had to be fixed. So that's done--

Nice new switch and socket

Of course, after everything's back in place, it was then that i thought about GFI's... Grr!!! Next trip to Home Despot...

Then called up plumber extra-ordinaire--my papa--

Dad doing plumbing

to put in some pipes--

Nice job!

When the dust settled on all that, here's where we are--

Key components in place

Not too shabby! A few more 'little' things and I think we can call this job done!

You can see all the bathroom reno pics here--Bathroom Reno

Toronto PET User's Group (TPUG)

When I first touched a computer, it was a PET 2001. I was in grade 10. It was 1982.

I heard about this 'TPUG" group, but was waaaay too young to go to meetings.

Thankfully, I had contacts, and that meant that, for 5 bucks, I'd get a 5 1/4 floppy diskette with software! Good times!

Sadly, Commodore went the way of the Do-Do, and that was about it. A year or so ago, in a flurry of activity aiming at getting rid of a tonne of crap, I threw out most of the Commodore equipment/software that I was hanging on to thru the years.

Turns out that may have been a wee bit presumptuous. Could have given the 3-4 boxes of Commodore related paraphenelia to TPUG. I'm sure they would have had better uses for it than the local landfill.

Eh, c'est la vie!

My friend, Calum, and I have plans to attend the next TPUG meeting. I may just get some nostalgic feeling for Commodore computers and haul out my SX64.

Destruction commences on the main floor bathroom

Some of our regular blog readers may remember that Sandy and I started renovating the main floor bathroom.

Well, here's an update--

It's not done yet.

However, much progress was made this past weekend.

Here's the story thus far--

Lotsa icky stuff found under the vanity

In the middle of a great big mess

First, plywood...

Then underlay was put down

Cutting in the new vinyl floor

The vinyl floor in place

Sandy starts to paint

I figure out how to fit the new vanity

Vanity in place

All painted up

Once again with the bad wiring issues...

So what's left....

We have to put the new to-to in, as well as connect hte sink all up--that'll take some plumbing.

Baseboards, mirror, and, well, a door might be a good idea 'cause some people have privacy issues whilst in the can....

I'll patch up the electrical tonite. And Sandy and I have to shop for a new light--the old one's okay, but we want to 'fancy it up' a bit...

So there you are. Home reno's actually getting done.

Firefly Reborn as Online Universe

After a lengthy absence, I just may have to dust off my multi-player on-line game mode and see what it's like to be a browncoat.

I already have a theme song picked out--

'I'll steal from the rich and I give to the poor,

I'll stand up to the man and I'll give 'im what for!

Well... maybe not

Anyway, sign me up!

I don't care--I'm still free. You can't take the skies from me!

Skyway Bridge in the morning

A while back, my job replaced my very old (but still working) cellphone with one of these Motorola Razor thingies...

In the continuous quest to get as many gizmos into a small a space as possible--which I wholeheartedly encourage, btw--the new cellphone has a 640x480 digital camera in it.

Well... this is like, good for me, eh.

Over the past few months I've managed to snap a few pics using the phone, and after deleting the 99 bad ones, here's some that are passable for interest sake--

Company celebratory cake for two newly wedded couples

The company I work for had a nice little get together for myself and a co-worker. Both of us were recently married (not to each other ) and the company threw a little party--very sweet!

Basic LEGO brick collection

In the ongoing effort to keep my bricks sorted, I arranged all the containers so I could easily put the right bricks in the right bin. Not the best pic in the world, but, eh, whatever...

Papa and daughter

My good friend and his daughter out with us at Chuggies.

See all phone pic goodness here--Cellphone pics

I'll be updating the page when there's good enuf pics on the tephelone.

Sandy asked me, "How do we not become an 'old, bitter couple'?"

In our travels, we've noted that, on occasion, we'd see (presumably) hubby and wife in a mall/restaurant/etc. and they'd... well, just say they weren't happy--showed no signs of caring and/or affection...

So this got us to thinking... how to prevent ourselves from turning into Mr. and Mrs Unfeeling/Uncaring.

I've been ruminating in my head since she asked, and, for whatever reason, I'm putting out my thoughts in a blog entry right now--GASP! Huge Surprise!!!

Well, to start, I have to rightly point out that, in our travels, we've seen elderly couples that display much joy with being in each other's company. One just had to look around at the Journey concert that Sandy and I attended last year. Of course, the venue and the music may have had something to do with the happiness and affection displayed.

Sandy and I have also witnessed in our daily runs to the store or our trips to the mall that some 'older than us' couples would be holding hands and just be basking in each others presence. Our little run-in at Moore’s (the Suit People) the one time where I was holding onto Sandy's purse whilst she perused--another guy, somewhat older than me, casually mentioned in passing that it was the secret to happiness--he's been holding his wife's purse 'for decades' as she shopped

So with these thoughts in mind, compounded with all the 'Life Lessons' I've learned to this point, and by seeing real life examples of lasting and loving life commitments, I've got a few other notes to throw out there.

For me, the reason that there are clichés in the world is because there's truth. Sure, clichés are somewhat overused (the very definition of 'em) and most times they sound like overwrought greeting cards, but here's the thing--

Grant me the courage to change what I can, the strength to accept what I can't change, and the wisdom to know the difference.

See, when it comes right down to it, there's a real life lesson there. Getting one's knickers in a knot over something that fundamentally can't be affected by you or me--say, the weather...

I never really understood people who really get upset by weather. I mean seriously--like the other thing--weather happens. Sunny, rainy, snowy, windy... it's gonna happen. Yipping about it and shaking your fist at God... what's that going to accomplish, y'know, besides getting your blood in a boil (and we all know about heart problems due to stress...)

So there's a life lesson right there--accept the things that you can't change. Traffic issues, political ineptitude, family soap operas... hey--the only person that you can change is, well, you.

On the flip side, I'm not stating that you should ignore issues or problems--attempting to affect change in others is laudable. However, if others can't change, or are unwilling to change, then you've done your bit and it's time to let it go.

'Cause if you don't, y'know what happens? Bitterness creeps in. Resentment rears its ugly head.

Try to minimize the bitterness from external forces--family, work, whatever--and you'll minimize the negative impact of the bitterness in your relationship with your significant other.

That's where the 'strength to accept things you can't change' comes in. If someone has a problem and they don't want or accept your help--then it really is their problem. I always think of it this way--if someone's whining about being in the rain and I show them shelter, yet they don't accept it--hey, I tried. I'm not the one getting wet--the rain isn't affecting me. That said, I will also leave the door open in case the person comes to their senses and actually steps inside, 'cause that's just who I am, or at least who I want to be.

Which brings me to the next point--accepting who you are, yet always being able to see where you can make yourself better. This is where I've been completely blessed in my life--since I've always had friends and family that have (more or less) accepted me for who I am, I've been pretty good at, well, being me. There were issues, to be sure--I've been a Star Trek fan for, well, forever--even before Star Trek was mainstream cool--pre Next Gen Season 3. Sure, Star Trek was on the road to total coolness in 'The Voyage Home', but it didn't hit 'mass appeal' until 'Locutus of Borg... Resistance is futile...'

Anyway, I digress.

Being a 'geek' in the '70's and '80's wasn't the 'in' thing that it is today. It was tough going on about the 6502 microprocessor when everyone else was into, well, since I didn't pay attention to anything else besides my general geekiness, I don't know what the 'cool kids' were into back then...

But there was ridicule, scorn, and even ostracized--'thrown outside the gates where there'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth'... Eh, since my sense of self was pretty good, I didn't worry about it much.

As adults, we should have an easier time of accepting who we truly are. No pretence, no obfuscation--just lay it on the line--"This is who I am and this is who you need to love!" (Boy I miss 'Sports Night')

In a relationship, 'coming to the table' openly and honestly with who you are and what you want--your hopes, dreams--all part of who you are, is who I need to love. Not that I'm into bible quotes, but I'm snivving this idea--I don’t' want to love a 'fake idol'--first, the truth will come out eventually. That's definitely a 'bitter generating' idea--finding out after years of being together that who you thought you were with turns out to be someone really different... not good at all! Secondly, it's a waste of time and energy--being the 'true you' is much easier than generating a 'false version' of you. When it comes down to it, truth really appeals to my fundamental lazy nature--I'm too old and tired to fake anything.

Emily on 'Gilmore Girls' last week also made very astute statements where relationships are concerned--they require work, and they require compromise--not for the 'faint of heart'. In the lifelong commitment department, the ability to discuss things and compromise will go far--bitterness enters when one party gets it all 'their way'--the other party feels resentful, and that again leads to no good for the longevity of any relationship.

The clichés continue--trust and honour--two very important pillars in any relationship--distrust can sour things extremely quickly. The honour bit--you have to truly respect the person you're with or you're done.

I have gone on (as usual). Things just sort of percolate in this crazy space known as 'my brain'.

Want to know how to be happy in love when you're 'old and grey'--trust the person you're with. Show them honour and integrity. Compromise. Be yourself--don't project falsehoods. Don't worry about the things you can't change. Talk openly and honestly.

At least, this is all from my gleaning of various sources and life lessons from, well, my life.

K, there's also the 'laughter and fun' thing, but that'll be another entry for another time. I think, just by looking thru some of the blog entries here, we've got the laughter thing pretty much nailed down...

Well, inn't the interwebby thingy all wonderfull and somesuch...

The Internet Archive has been saving websites since around '96. Coincidentally, I had a website on the internet at that time.

So with much further ado, click on this link--

The Original Sparky's Space

Well, actually it isn't. It's the Endeavour Home Page. Phear my L33T HTML skilLz0rs!!!

Can't find the original 'Sparky's Space' website. THis is as close as I got (from 2002)--

Sparky's Space (2002 version)

Which, as you can see, is basically the same page that we still have here--Our old index page

Eh, thought it was cute enuf to share...

Unlike Vegas--what happens on the web, remains on the web.... forever...

(well, maybe not FOREVER forever, but at least a long time.... )

So there you are.

After a very long hiatus, the "Lurkers Guide To Babylon 5" has a new page up.

Where this is important, at least to me, is that a new page means a new episode! (or in this case--right to DVD when they're done)

Episode 118 - Voices in the Dark

Here's the thing--

Babylon 5 has been off the air, well, at least for this millennium anyway. JMS set out to tell his 5 year story, and he did. However, JMS always stated that there could be 'other stories' told in the Babylon 5 universe, and now it looks as if he's doing just that.

Filmed in Vancouver--by the sounds of things at the same location of Battlestar Galactica--JMS once again sets out to do what no one has done before--producing episodes right to DVD.

This is different than 'Star Trek: New Voyages'--ST:NV is a fan based production company that is producing fan-created episodes of Star Trek and making them available on the internet (for free, thus not infringing on copyright issues with Paramount).

What JMS finagled--full production costs from Warner Brothers (the company that produced B5 in the first place), hiring original actors, and putting these episodes right in the video store for us fans to buy.

If the first run of 'straight to DVD' episodes is successful, JMS will be producing more in the future.

I know that I'll be buying 'em!

See some pics and notes of pre-production here--J. Michael Straczynski's Personal Photos

Here's a quotation for my good friend, Calum--

Yep--pretty much can't wait!

Thank you JMS for always going above and beyond for B5 fans!

The mess continues

When I got home last Friday, I decided, for whatever reason, to take implements of destruction and tackle the basement. Thus a mess was created.

During the process of ripping apart the basement, I happened across this wonderful scene--

Exposed wiring

Eh, not a huge surprise now. Yet one more thing to fix. So we fixed that and proceeded to clean up the mess.

Cleaned up

The plan is to paint the walls, put up a new ceiling, and get some laminate from Ikea.

That's the basement

We also started the main floor bathroom on the weekend--

Working on the bathroom

Ripping out the vanity and the 'toto'--always a good time--

Nice... NOT!

It's amazing what can accumulate under a vanity after 30 years. I really have no clue how this 'stuff' got there because the vanity had an enclosed shelf--nothign could get there.

But it was there, and it was disgusting.

So a quick cleanup--

Ready for demo!!

So Sandy and I went at it with a mini crowbar and a hammer--

More mess!

Fun stuff...

Anyway, we're working on it. We have the new vanity and 'toto' all ready to go. We just need a new floor, paint job, and we'll be all set.

I thought the renos were fun before--now we're living in a demo zone and I haven't been happier!

All basement goodness can be found here--Basement Mess

The bathroom reno mess can be found here--Small Bathroom Redo

And, in case you think that we start a whole bunch of stuff but never finish anything--look! There's more!!--

New Windows!!

Yes indeed, boys and girls! New windows for the Sandy/Sparky abode! Once again, proving the old axiom, "It's not what you know, it's who you know..."

One of my very talented uncles came over a few weeks back with his measuring tape, wrote down some numbers, and et voila!! We can see!!!!

And check out this door--

Nice Door...

Yes we still have to get some trim up, but the door's in place and looking beautiful!

So there you have it--another edition of 'Sandy and Sparky want to be Mike Holmes'!