It's been four years since I went to New Zealand and Australia which was initially the reason to start this blog. It enabled me to share the pictures I took on that trip. Go back and look, they are fantastic.
It also means it's been almost four years since my dad passed away.
I find I miss his advice in my current job, he worked in the same field as a public servant, and of course the big life events are always times when I miss him as well. He wasn't at my wedding, he won't see my kids (when I have them), etc.
It's tough, knowing that he won't be around to see all those events.
Can't believe it's been four years already.
March 27, 2010
March 20, 2010
DST
Being from Saskatchewan i never participated i the ritual of daylight savings time until I moved here. I still find it odd even though I'd been doing it now for 10 years or so.
It's even weirder now that the Americans have started playing around with the dates that the clocks change.
I don't really understand the point. You're just shifting clocks around, not really adding or subtracting actual daylight hours. Apparently the opposition to the move came from farmers in Saskatchewan, not sure why though.
The real reason at least as far as I can tell that Saskatchewan doesn't change it's clocks is that if they did, the two main cities would fall on different sides of the time zone line. As it stands Saskatchewan just simple jumps from one time zone while everyone else is on standard time, and another when everyone else is on daylight savings time.
All I know is that when I was in school is was great, because during DST I could call my parents at a more convenient time, as they were two hours behind meaning that even though I was up later it was still early enough to chat with them.
It was kinda of amusing one year when we went to Florida as the time change fell the weekend of our trip, the rest of my family was even more confused about the change than I was.
Still, I don't really understand it, but I guess it's one of those things. It does highlight the fact that time is really somewhat arbitrary often it matches poltiical boundaries regardless of whether it makes sense or not.
Given that Canadian (or was he considered Scottish?) Sir Stanford Fleming had such a role in standard time, I think it's a bit amusing that we have one of the world's few 30 minute time zones. But that's a whole other story.
It's even weirder now that the Americans have started playing around with the dates that the clocks change.
I don't really understand the point. You're just shifting clocks around, not really adding or subtracting actual daylight hours. Apparently the opposition to the move came from farmers in Saskatchewan, not sure why though.
The real reason at least as far as I can tell that Saskatchewan doesn't change it's clocks is that if they did, the two main cities would fall on different sides of the time zone line. As it stands Saskatchewan just simple jumps from one time zone while everyone else is on standard time, and another when everyone else is on daylight savings time.
All I know is that when I was in school is was great, because during DST I could call my parents at a more convenient time, as they were two hours behind meaning that even though I was up later it was still early enough to chat with them.
It was kinda of amusing one year when we went to Florida as the time change fell the weekend of our trip, the rest of my family was even more confused about the change than I was.
Still, I don't really understand it, but I guess it's one of those things. It does highlight the fact that time is really somewhat arbitrary often it matches poltiical boundaries regardless of whether it makes sense or not.
Given that Canadian (or was he considered Scottish?) Sir Stanford Fleming had such a role in standard time, I think it's a bit amusing that we have one of the world's few 30 minute time zones. But that's a whole other story.
March 14, 2010
New Formula 1 season
This is probably the first season I have been so excited for the beginning of a Formula 1 season.
And no it`s not because Michael Schumacher is back. It`s because of that and everything else, whether it`s Jenson button`s move to Mclaren, the move of Fernando Alonso to Ferrari, or my hopes to see Sebastien Vettel win a world championship.
If you have no idea who i`m talking about, you`re not alone, and I`m not that surprised. Even though it mostly consists of the same people going around in circles, there is something interesting about it, with all the personalities involved, and the occasional incredible pass. Doing anything at 160 km/h adds some drama.
I think in part because the only North American GrandPrix is in Montreal (thank god they brought it back this year), I`ve noticed that Quebeckers and maybe even Montrealers more specifically are big F1 fans. Outside there, they can be hard to find, though recently I`ve met two others who are fans which was quite exciting.
I was thinking of going to Montreal for the Grand Prix this year, but it doesn't look possible. I am hoping to be there next year!
Anyways I hope the season gets better, because the race today was boring, so much for all the drama of the new pit stop system. It sucks for fans, so hopefully they'll figure out how to make it more interesting.
And no it`s not because Michael Schumacher is back. It`s because of that and everything else, whether it`s Jenson button`s move to Mclaren, the move of Fernando Alonso to Ferrari, or my hopes to see Sebastien Vettel win a world championship.
If you have no idea who i`m talking about, you`re not alone, and I`m not that surprised. Even though it mostly consists of the same people going around in circles, there is something interesting about it, with all the personalities involved, and the occasional incredible pass. Doing anything at 160 km/h adds some drama.
I think in part because the only North American GrandPrix is in Montreal (thank god they brought it back this year), I`ve noticed that Quebeckers and maybe even Montrealers more specifically are big F1 fans. Outside there, they can be hard to find, though recently I`ve met two others who are fans which was quite exciting.
I was thinking of going to Montreal for the Grand Prix this year, but it doesn't look possible. I am hoping to be there next year!
Anyways I hope the season gets better, because the race today was boring, so much for all the drama of the new pit stop system. It sucks for fans, so hopefully they'll figure out how to make it more interesting.
March 07, 2010
On sleep
Since I move into this new place, my sleeping habits have been affected.
In part because I now have to wake up slightly earlier to get to work, but also just the change if environment appears to have affected. We also got a new bed, which is an obvious culprit.
Unlike most people I would assume however, my problem is that i can't seem to wake up as easily on Saturday mornings. I mean this seriously. I find one of the big impacts has been on this blog, I was pretty good for a while at writing ever Saturday morning, alas I have been less diligent in the last 6 weeks or so.
Perhaps this will correct itself, but we shall have to see.
I've become quite curious about the nature of habit formation, and so instead of making grand New Year's resolutions, I tried to identify a few good habits I wanted to start keeping. I probably started too many at the same time, I think there were five of them.
It's been difficult for me to adjust in some ways to not having a regular position though as well, I'm in a development program in which I change jobs every 6 months. I keep telling people i don't see very often, that "the next time you see me I'll probably have a new job" and it's true. Even in the world of the public service where people change jobs seemingly all the time, it's a bit much for me.
I am getting better at adjusting and fitting in though, but still it wears on you and can be quite stressful, as I find it takes a month or so before you even know who people are, let alone what they do.
Over and out.
In part because I now have to wake up slightly earlier to get to work, but also just the change if environment appears to have affected. We also got a new bed, which is an obvious culprit.
Unlike most people I would assume however, my problem is that i can't seem to wake up as easily on Saturday mornings. I mean this seriously. I find one of the big impacts has been on this blog, I was pretty good for a while at writing ever Saturday morning, alas I have been less diligent in the last 6 weeks or so.
Perhaps this will correct itself, but we shall have to see.
I've become quite curious about the nature of habit formation, and so instead of making grand New Year's resolutions, I tried to identify a few good habits I wanted to start keeping. I probably started too many at the same time, I think there were five of them.
It's been difficult for me to adjust in some ways to not having a regular position though as well, I'm in a development program in which I change jobs every 6 months. I keep telling people i don't see very often, that "the next time you see me I'll probably have a new job" and it's true. Even in the world of the public service where people change jobs seemingly all the time, it's a bit much for me.
I am getting better at adjusting and fitting in though, but still it wears on you and can be quite stressful, as I find it takes a month or so before you even know who people are, let alone what they do.
Over and out.
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