Friday, August 26, 2005
TGIF
I have a list of things to do that's a mile long. I've been plugging away at the items on my list and I look forward to a lot of socializing and a number of events this weekend. I was hoping to do the Friday Five but there isn't a new one up there yet today and I'm a little to busy to wait around for it. The weather is nice and should be good for the weekend, thankfully.
Posted by Dre at 1:00 PM
0 comments
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Dragonboating
Yesterday afternoon Joanne stopped by my desk and asked if I could fill in and help out with dragon boating on Saturday. There was a practice right after work. It was a lot of fun and I'm really looking forward to Saturday. The Saint John Dragon Boat Festival will be held at Renforth Wharf on Saturday starting from 8:00 AM and going all day. It's a great event to watch in case you're interested in coming out and cheering us on. I'm on the Aliant High Speeders team and Beth will be paddling on the Aliant Power Paddlers team.
Even though it's last-minute, I still need to raise a bit of sponser money between now and then so if you're interested in sponsering me, please let me know. This year, the funds raised at the festival will be for the replacement of an aging mammography unit for the new Women's Health Center located on the 9 th floor of St. Joseph 's Hospital.
Posted by Dre at 8:10 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Spoiled and Loving It
Last night I was itching to get home from work so I could get back to playing LOTR: The Third Age on my Xbox. Around 8 PM, I got a call from Colin who was grilling salmon burgers andd knew that I'd be too wrapped up in my game to worry about eating. Thank you so much Colin, for making me supper AND adding a couple of pieces of banana bread for dessert AND even delivering it!! It was awesome!
After supper I continued to game until Rock Star: INXS came on. Then I hit the hay after watching that.
Posted by Dre at 8:14 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
A bit of socializing and a bit of gaming...
Last night I ccaught up with Lisa for the first time in eons. We had dinner at Lemongrass. I swear their prices went up. I think it's way too expensive for what you get. Next time I'm suggesting Mings! After supper I showed Lisa The Sims: The Urbz and when she headed home I pulled out LOTR: The Third Age and started playing that. Man - another totally addictive game. I found the other LOTR games a bit too difficult, so I was pleased to find that this one was turn-based (along the lines of the Final Fantasy games.) I'm on a roll with the gaming thing. :-)
Posted by Dre at 8:05 AM
0 comments
Monday, August 22, 2005
The Quiet Weekend
Friday after work I headeed over to the Somerset to catch up with friends and cheer them on at karaoke. I was home and in bed well before 10 PM.
Saturday - I gamed until about 4 pm, then ran out to pick up a few items for the evening. Beth and Colin came over for a late salmon dinner and a movie. We watched About A Boy, which is in my DVD library, but neither of them had seen it before. I love this movie. I remember being pleasantly surprised when I saw it in the theatre, and it's one that I don't get tired of watching.
Sunday I spent the ENTIRE day gaming. I'd picked up The Sims: The Urbz and played it right through to the end.
Posted by Dre at 8:01 AM
0 comments
Friday, August 19, 2005
Friday Feast #60
Appetizer:
Do you get excited when the season begins to change? Which season do you most look forward to?
Yes I do. I love autumn. Well - only the beginning of it. I had had to choose an ENTIRE season, it'd have to be Summer. I love the heat, the lush greens, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the opportunities to be outdoors enjoying nature without getting a chill.
Soup:
What day of the week is usually your busiest?
Fridays are generally the busiest for me. I tend to have folks drop by at work with last-minute projects that they need done before the weekend. So my Friday work days usually (and thankfully) fly by. I usually have social plans on Friday nights, which means I don't have time to workout at the gym or go for a run. I also usually have alternative social options if my first set of social plans falls through.
Salad:
Would you consider yourself to be strict when it comes to grammar and spelling? What's an example of the worst error you've seen?
I enjoy the English language and I try to follow the rules (for the most part). There are times, however, when it's fun to break the rules. With this blog, I like to keep things in a somewhat conversational tone. That means I will do things like use dashes or parenthesis more often. Or I'll start a sentence with a conjunction. Sometimes I forget to go back through my post and look for spelling errors. I find that when I'm typing quickly I make a lot of errors where I get the letters swichted around.
Don't get me started on errors. There are a ton of basic errors that a lot of people make with words that sound the same but are spelled differently. A lot of folks don't know how to use punctiation properly either. The worst stuff is text that needs to be deciphered in order to understand it.
Main Course:
Who has a birthday coming up, and what will you give them as a gift?
There are a ton of birthdays coming up. Scott T's is on the 21st. Mare is turning 30 on the 31st. My mom's birthday is September 12th. For the most part, people are getting cards from me this year. Mom has asked for a pedometer, but I'm going to have to find something else to go along with that. My dad's birthday is in early October. I'm not sure what to get him yet. Probably some new DVDs.
Dessert:
If you could have any new piece of clothing for free, what would you pick?
What an odd question. OK - I'll take a phenominally expensive diamond-encrusted gown. Then I can sell the diamonds and pay off my debts.
Posted by Dre at 8:10 AM
0 comments
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Quiet Time
I strained my ankle the other day when I went out for a run. It's not a full-blown sprain, but it's enough that I'll have to take it easy for a while. This is frustrating as all I want to do is go for a run. So last night I decided I could use a quiet night in with a bag of frozen peas. I also had planned to try and get a bit of work done on one or two design projects. But I didn't. Instead, I picked up Myst IV - Revelation and The Sims: Bustin' Out for the Xbox and spent the evening checking them out.
I actually feel guilty for having a quiet night in and not calling anyone.
Posted by Dre at 8:12 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Catching Up
Thanks again Brian and Karen, for the great dinner and company. It was nice to catch up. I can't believe that it had been a couple of years since we hung out. I guess it's pretty easy to get caught up in our own little routines.
After dinner I headed home to watch Rock Star: INXS. It sucks that it's on so late. Normally I'd be asleep at 11 instead of switching on a show. I've been rooting for MiG and was so happy that he did such an awesome job last night. All in all, it was a very entertaining show. I'm curious about who will make it to the bottom three tonight....
Posted by Dre at 8:05 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
My Personal Trainer Rocks
So last week I got a call from the personal trainer (Terry Blizzard at Nubody's in Brunswick Square) that I'd hired last year. It seems as though I'd purchased 20 sessions with him but I'd only used 17, so I have 3 sessions left that I can use before they expire in October. Yesterday after work was the first of those three sessions. I had some different goals when I was working out last year than I do this year. Since I've discovered running, I'd like to have a routine that compliments my running goals. Last night I did an upper body and abdominal workout while discussing my exercise goals and habits. Terry said he'd put together a routine for me that should give me "the biggest bang for my buck" if I plan to hit the gym twice a week to compliment my running schedule. So my next two sessions will be that new routine. I'm looking forward to finding out what he has in store for me! I have to say that I've learned a ton from Terry. By knowing how to exercise properly, you can spend half as much time at the gym and get twice the results. It really makes a huge difference!
Posted by Dre at 8:09 AM
0 comments
Monday, August 15, 2005
TotE, Dancing then Gaming
The weekend flew by. Friday night I did makeup for TotE and enjoyed a quiet evening in. I was in bed by 10:30 but my neighbors woke me up just after 1:00 AM by slamming doors and using the stairs by the fire escape which are right by my bedroom window. I finally managed to get back to sleep around 3:45. On Saturday I tried to sleep in a bit, ran a few errands, went for a run at the nature park, grabbed a quick shower, then headed over to the loft to do TotE makeup again. It has been fun making Anthony look like an android. I stuck around and did eye makeup for a few of the gals for the cast party, and by the time I was finishing packing up, the plays were just about done. The cast party was fun. I didn't have too much to drink (which was probably a good thing since I'm still trying to get rid of my cold) and I was in the mood to dance. I somehow managed to stay awake until 4 AM, at which point Lisa walked me home. :-)
Sunday was a quiet day. I had strained a tendon in my ankle while running, and I think I aggrivated it by all of the dancing I did at the cast party, so I spent most of the day off my feet. I met Colin for brunch at Reggie's, then I settled into my couch for 2-hour nap followed by many hours of gaming. By 11 PM, I managed to complete Jade Empire. Awesome graphics and story line. I played a balanced character who followed the "Way of the Open Palm." I've heard there are 3 endings for the game. At some point, I'd like to go back to one of my saves near the end and try to see what the other endings are. Well, that'll probably be the extent of my gaming for a while. I was very happy to have a day off, but I have a fairly large list of incomplete projects that require my focus and attention. And I plan to intersperse some much needed social activity into the mix.
Posted by Dre at 7:56 AM
0 comments
Friday, August 12, 2005
Behind the scenes of King Kong
I know I've mentioned this site to a few friends, but I'd like to reiterate that this is a great idea. If you are at all interested in what it takes to put a film together, you should take the time to work your way through all of the Production Diary Videos on King is Kong.net. They started the diary with the very first week of shooting and they are still doing weekly updates as they go through post-production and only have 18 weeks left. You can use the drop-down box to navigate to the older posts. It's best to start at the beginning and work your way through the process. Each video diary is very interesting & entertaining. Very cool stuff!
Posted by Dre at 12:59 PM
0 comments
Friday Feast #59
Appetizer:
Did you sleep good last night?
I slept fine. I'm normally one of those people who will crawl in bed and fall asleep within about 30 seconds. Then sleep solidly for at least 8 hours.
Soup:
What is your current computer desktop image?
At home I have a picture of Minas Tirith.
My PC at work has the poster for LOTR:Return of the King.
My Mac at work has 2 monitors:
Salad:
When was the last time you planted something, what was it and where did it go?
I had an ivy that was getting extremely long, so last summer I trimmed it and started a new plant from the cuttings.
Main Course:
What's your favorite condiment?
Dijon mustard. Or ketchup. Depends on my mood.
Dessert:
Share a quote that you like, for whatever reason
"Too much of a good thing is wonderful." - Mae West
Posted by Dre at 8:07 AM
0 comments
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Catching Up
Last night, after doing a touch of makeup for the dress rehearsal for Theatre on the Edge, I got home just in time for Jonathan and Jennifer to arrive. Jonathan and I were friends in high school - we used to hang out in a pretty geeky social circle. After we graduated. most of us went our seperate ways and eventually lost touch with each other. Since I went to high school in Winnipeg and I'm currently living in New Brunswick, I don't exactly run into folks I knew back then. It was a treat to meet Jennifer and catch up with Jonathan. It has been 15 years since we've seen each other.
Posted by Dre at 8:06 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Mmm.... Suwanna
I had a lovely dinner at Suwanna last night with Beth, Morgan and Colin. I love dining and chatting with friends! I was feeling very chatty that evening.
In other news, I'm on the hunt for the SJTC makeup kit. I need it so I can do Theatre on the Edge makeup tonight for their dress rehearsal, and I couldn't find it anywhere in the loft. I hope Marzenna knows where it is. I'll pop down at the store she works at during my lunch hour and ask her about it.
Posted by Dre at 8:05 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Theatre in the Park
Last night I went out to catch the opening night of A Midsummer Night's Dream by the KV Players at the Rothesay Commons. It was fantastic! If you have a chance this week, you should really get out to see them - they are performing at 7 PM tonight, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. It's $10 a ticket and bring a chair/blanket. It's worth it! For starters, it's a very entertaining story with a lot of humour and whimsy. With this production, they did a great job making it so that everything that was going on was easy to understand and follow. The costumes were great, and the dancing fairies were beautiful. Scott T did a great job as "Bottom" - he seemed to be really in his element and having a lot of fun with it. Tim and Josh were great as Lysander and Demetrius, and Calen as a very funny Puck. Good casting there - they are all very expressive and believable. And it was a treat to see Gilbert and Jay in the production (I didn't know they were involved). They both did great jobs (and I'm still laughing over Jay's french bread.) So yeah, two thumbs up on the production. I totally enjoyed it and I recommend it to anyone who has a chance to see it!
Posted by Dre at 8:42 AM
0 comments
Monday, August 08, 2005
My First Race
The weekend leading up to Marathon by the Sea was pretty quiet. Friday after work, Beth hosted a "Chick Deck Party" and I stopped in for a short while before heading home for an early sleep. It was good to get out for a bit, but I was still nursing a cold that tired me out.
Saturday I gamed for a bit in the morning (I'm playing Jade Empire and I'm really enjoying the story!) then went for a very short walk with Colin along the first 1/3rd of Harbour Passage. Then I went home for a bit of a nap before heading to the luau on the peninsula. It was a nice gathering & was great to see everyone - even if I couldn't drink and had to leave early. I had a terrible sleep Saturday night as I was getting anxious about the race the next morning....
Sunday morning I was up bright and early for Marathon by the Sea. I took some Advil Cold and Sinus in the hopes that I wouldn't be too sick to run the 5 Miler. I met up with Sandra and Stephen's nephew's girlfriend (vacationing from Toronto) and we all headed down the the start line. This was a first race for both Sandra and myself. I couldn't get over the size of the crowd and all of the great energy. It was awesome! We were quite a ways back from the front and watched the sea of runners begin to funnel through the start line. It was a very cool sight to behold! It was a hard run - it was hot and sunny - even early in the morning (I pity the folks that were doing the full marathon.) Along the course, it was a treat to see all sorts of folks on the street corners or on their front lawns cheering all of the runners and walkers along! Despite my cold, which I'd managed to keep mostly at bay, I ran the course in 55:18, which is my new personal best (I even managed to sprint for the finish line at the end.) Not bad for my first race - and for having really started running only about two months beforehand. It was a great feeling to run in and have your name announced, with all sorts of people cheering and then have a medal placed around your neck.
There were a ton of folks there that I knew. I'm always surprised at how many people I know get involved in these things. I spent the rest of the day hanging out with Colin, Beth, Beth's niece Morgan, Sandra and Stephen - and young William. thanks again Stephen and Sandra, for having a few of us over for a lunch bbq. It was a nice way to break up the day. It was a hot and sunny day and we'd spent just about the entire day outside and in the sun, which was a little hard on the ol' system - especially after a hard run. So after listening to the awards, I headed home for a nice long nap. I don't think I entirely woke up that evening. I watched a touch of TV, gamed for a bit, and was in bed by 10. It was a good weekend!!
Posted by Dre at 8:11 AM
0 comments
Friday, August 05, 2005
Friday Feast #58
Appetizer:
Briefly describe your living room.
10 x 22 feet in dimension. It's a long living room, witha couple of large windwos at one narrow end (the entrance is at the other end.) There is a fireplace 1/2 way down one of the long walls. It's black and looks lovely but has not functioned for years. At the far end of the room by the windows, I have my computer area and my drafting table with my art supply cabinet. That is my workspace. The remaining 2/3 of my living room is for rest and relaxation. I have a ton of shelving in the room, and have tried to make use of the space as practically as I can. I have a lot of stuff to fit into a small apartment.
Soup:
List 3 things you'd like to accomplish before the end of 2005.
1.) I'd like to run in a race. That one's easy enough, since I'll be running the 5-miler at Marathon by the Sea this Sunday. I plan to keep up with running regularly too.
2.) I'd like to trim down my list of "things to do" so I'm not so stressed about them all the time. That means avoiding taking on too many new things (unless I can make a profit - like doing murals.)
3.) I'd like to eat more vegetables on a regluar basis.
Salad:
When you're online, what do you spend the most time reading/playing/doing? Suggest a site for us to visit.
Well, most of the sites that I like and that I check out on a regular basis are linked on the left-hand side of this page. I'll also read the news, and check out other design sites.
Main Course:
What would the title of your autobiography be?
"The Tale of Miss Dre." I know. Boring, huh? I can't seem to think of anything creative today.
Dessert:
What time do you usually go to bed?
It seems to be getting earlier and earlier all the time. Usually between 10:30 and 11:30 PM.
Posted by Dre at 12:05 AM
0 comments
Thursday, August 04, 2005
How Time Flies
20 years ago: I was living in Trenton, Ontario and I'd just finished Grade 8. I spent my summer climbing trees, playing dress up, playing with Barbies, listening to cassettes on my walkman, and hanging out with friends.
15 years ago: I had just graduated from high school and was looking forward to studying Architecture at the University of Manitoba.
10 years ago: I was a student at NSCAD, hoping to become a Graphic Designer. I finally knew what I wanted to do for a living.
5 years ago: I was living in Saint John and working in IT. I was also thinking about moving to a larger city.
1 year ago: I was working a ton of overtime and I was involved with SJTC: Second Stage's "Theatre on the Edge"
1 month ago: I was just getting into the routine of running regularly and I was putting the makeup kit together for the Summer Shakespeare Festival.
1 week ago: I was on my way to a 2-day canoe trip on the St. Croix.
Yesterday: I worked and spent a quiet evening in - mostly napping, as I am trying to get rid of my cold before Marathon by the Sea on Sunday.
Today: I'm expecting another full day at work, followed by more rest, fluids, and cold medication.
Posted by Dre at 8:11 AM
0 comments
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Colossal Waste of Time
I made the mistake of renting Alexander last night. (The one with Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie.) It's SO not worth renting. Don't even bother. It's boring, it's hard to understand what's going on. The Casting and acting are terrible. I have no idea what some of the accents were supposed to be. I wanted to shut it off after 20 minutes but I perservered. Silly me. It dragged on and on.
Posted by Dre at 8:09 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Extra-Full Extra-Long Long Weekend
Thursday morning I headed out for the annual canoe-trip with folks from work. We meet at Reggie's early in the morning and then caravan to Vanceboro, load the canoes and head down the St. Croix River that creates a border between New Brunswick and Maine. We had 14 folks on the trip this year, and I was lucky enough to get paired up with Joanna. (You usually get a canoe buddy that you wouldn't normally work with.) The river was higher and faster than I've ever seen it, and we arrived at our campsite earlier than we have in previous years. This year no one tipped their canoes or fell in the water. It was a good year.
A bunch of us went for a swim once we'd set up our tents at the campsite while Joe started to prepare a gourmet meal. We had scallops and leeks to start, then roast pork with baby carrots and grilled asperagus and scalloped potatoes (I had a baked potatoe) for supper. It was delicious as usual. We each brought a bottle of wine and we opened them up before dinner so we could start the contest. I have no idea who won, but I still prefer the one I brought (Chateau de Gorgazaud.) I was feeling a bit run down so I snuck off to bed early and wound up sleeping 10 hours - even without an air mattress. Of course, I could feel it the next day. I should pick up an air mattress for next year. Friday morning we had a bite to eat, packed up and headed down the river (another 20 minute journey) to our pick-up spot. We got picked up at 11 AM and were back at our cars by noon. By the time I was back home in Saint John mid-afternoon, I was wiped. I don't remember too much that evening except for going to bed early.
Saturday I headed out to Quispamsis. Suzy was out house-sitting at her brother's place and he has an in-ground pool. Suzy invited a few friends out to enjoy it and the nice weather. It was great to see some friends I haven't had much time to hang out with lately. After a day in the sun I was feeling a bit drained and I think I was in bed by 9:30 PM.
Sunday morning I went for a run around the entire outer loop at the Nature Park with Sandra. It was the longest she had run, and the first time she ran the trail. We did 5 miles in under an hour and it felt very rewarding. It was also getting bloody hot by the time we'd made it out there. I'm guessing it was about 25C. I napped in the afternoon. Not sure why I'd been so tired lately, I thought I might be coming down with a bit of something.
Monday I woke up with a bit of a cold. Despite that and the rainy weather, I packed up my gear and headed out to Fundy Trail with Colin. We drove to the end, took the suspension bridge, then decided to hike to Hearst Lodge. It's a 6.5 km trail and it's a bit challenging and absolutely gorgeous. That was my first time to Fundy Trail since they built it. It's definately worth a visit. That evening, my cold developed into a sore throat and a bad cough. I stayed in and took it easy. I need to get rid of the cold fr next weekend: Marathon by the Sea is next Sunday.
Posted by Dre at 8:14 AM
0 comments
Copyright © 2010 Andrea Arbour. All rights reserved.