The World According to Aargh

Go Go Gadget

Anthony — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:30:16 +0000

Kinda catchy! Due to the changes at my job I am traveling a lot more and on really short notice. Because of this I have had to put together a ‘Go Bag’ which is my quick grab and go bag. The bag I am using is my Maxpedition Vulture backpack I received from my brother and his wife a couple of years ago. It has been with me on my world travels and still looks brand new. What I love about this bag is the versatility and toughness. It stands up to all kinds of abuse and even though it has been with me on all my travels over the past 3 years it still looks brand new. Since I get so many questions about my bag I was wondering what bag others use for their main short term travel bag? Do you have a favorite backpack, duffel or sling pack?

My Go Bag

Change for the Sake of Change

Anthony — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:39:38 +0000

I do not normally talk about my job or where I work but over the past 6-8 weeks my life has been turned upside down because of changes at work. I have been asked to take on a more expanded role without having anyone to help with my previous role. The result has been a very hectic and stressful time for me. At some point I think things will even out but until it happens I am finding it difficult to relax. At this point I am trying to cope with the stress and not let it impact me too much. Oh well I am told what does not kill you will make you stronger.

Note to world I feel strong enough, can someone stop the world for a bit I want to jump off.

Changes are a Part of Life

Anthony — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 05:14:12 +0000

Some things have happened recently which may cause a major change in my life. Some of the changes will be my choice if I want to embrace the changes. Some of the changes are not my choice and I have no option but to accept and move forward. I have been in a good place with work and home life so change while it could be a good thing it is the unknown that is driving me crazy. I am torn between the status quo and the unknown. I am mulling over what is in my best interests, not a fun time.

Summer is Here

Anthony — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:53:49 +0000

Yaa summer has finally arrived and tomorrow I am going to the BC Lions game which will be outside. It has been a large number of years since I last attended a Canadian Football League (CFL) game outside. Looks like it will be a nice warm summer evening. Looking forward to a great evening at Empire Field and I do not really care who wins I am excited to experience the Lions outdoors after more than twenty years attending games inside BC Place. Bring on the Tail Gate Parties and Cheerleaders!

Got My Seat

Anthony — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:41:44 +0000

Well I did it. Nothing spectacular really I renewed my Abbotsford Heat seasons tickets and upgraded my seats from the Red section to the Gold seats. As I was looking at the material concerning my season tickets it indicated 39 home games when the team normally plays 40 home games. I asked my ticket rep about the extra game and it turns out Abbotsford will play one ‘home’ game in Calgary. Now I have not heard this officially but as Calgary is playing an outdoor game in February it makes sense that Abby play outdoors as well. I am not saying that this is the plan but it does seem logical and Abbotsford will be playing a game in Calgary….

Either way I am going to Calgary for the Abbotsford game and plan on attending the Flames outdoor game as well. Road trip!

New Vehicle

Anthony — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:35:24 +0000

I figured it was about time I got myself a new vehicle and after a lot of searching I finally found one that I think is a good choice. More of a fun vehicle than anything else but it is something I have been looking at for quite sometime and decided to finally take the plunge.

Ok so maybe not what you were expecting but it is very cool. This is my new Traxxas Slash 1/10th scale Stadium Truck for short track racing. I have not raced it yet but have taken it out a few times bashing around in the dirt. I have had it zipping around on the street and it goes about 30-35 mph. The neat thing is just how customizable it is and some of the neat options you can add. In the future I want to upgrade the engine and suspension. For now I am just happy roaring around in the dirt.

To Pay or Not to Pay

Anthony — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 08:00:58 +0000

I am wondering if that will be question for much longer. Today I was driving home and decided to check my tire pressure so I pulled into the closet service station and found the air hose. Just as I was about to get out of my vehicle I saw a sign and a coin slot for $1. It took me a few seconds to realize I was supposed to pay for the air. I thought you have got to be kidding and headed up to the next station only to discover the same thing. I have never seen this before that I can remember but figured it cannot be everywhere and I headed up the road to the next station where I found it was only 50¢, what a bargain. So not only are we gouged when we buy gas we also now have to pay to get air. What is next, paying to use the squeegee or having to pay to dip the squeegee in water?

Travel Dilemmas

Anthony — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:19:35 +0000

Not that I am able to travel at the moment but I have certainly been looking at places to go and things to do. As I am totally busy at work I cannot really get away at least until August or September so I am in planning stage for a trip to somewhere. I was thinking of taking a cruise out of Mobile or New Orleans but I have two problems, the oil spill may cause some issues and more importantly I have no one to go with me. As cruise lines like to fill the cabins if I go alone I will have to pay for two people even if I go alone.

So I decided to look at other options and see what I could do by myself but what I am finding is the costs do not compare to some of the prices for cruises which includes meals and a bed. If I goto an all-inclusive I will pay 2,3 or more times the amount I will for a cruise and not sure how much I would enjoy it. Could go on a road trip but again the cost and the fact that I want to relax so I think road trip is out. Then I thought about a stay-cation which has some benefits, not really what I had in mind but worth a look I guess. Arranging a vacation should not be this hard or this much stress. Oh well I will figure out something as I need something to look forward to sooner rather than later.

Random Thoughts – Accidents

Anthony — Mon, 24 May 2010 02:53:33 +0000

As I am on the road a few hours each day I observe a lot of different driving styles both good and bad. While I am not the best driver I am pretty safe and on the ball when I drive. Some of the crazy things I see do bother me somewhat but there is one thing which I do not understand and just drives me absolutely bananas. So here is the scenario, I am on the highway and the traffic in front of me is stop and and go. I figure probably an accident and check on the radio to verify. I can kinda understand when accidents happen and feel some empathy for those involved. Now I find out the accident is on the other side of a divided highway and the accident should have no impact on my side of the highway.

Quick Question why is my side of the highway slowed down if the accident is on the other side? Let me understand this, there is nothing from the accident causing the traffic on my side of the highway to be slowing down except people want to have a look at the accident. WTF? Listen people there is a really good reason not to slow down. It is freaken dangerous and can cause more accidents and it pisses me off to no end! The most frustrating part of this whole thing is as soon as you get parallel to the accident the traffic speed returns to normal. So those who feel the need to be a lookie loo at the next accident do me a favour and just drive off the road and allow us who want or need to get somewhere the opportunity to keep going.

Random Thoughts – Sunroofs

Anthony — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:39:25 +0000

The other day I was driving with my sunroof open and while stopped at a stoplight I looked up and saw a gaggle/flock of seagulls overhead. This got me to wondering how good their aim was and what are the chances of a direct hit. As I drove away they followed me or so it seemed for a bit, at the time I thought it was just amusing. Later that evening I had gone out and happened to look up at my sunroof which was now closed and on it was a big white spot. I figure one of the gulls from earlier decided to leave me a present, damn birds!

It’s a Mystery to Me…

Anthony — Mon, 17 May 2010 04:36:44 +0000

One of the pleasures in life I truly enjoy is a good British mystery show. I am not a fan of all the shows just a select few. For the life of me I cannot figure out what it is that attracts me. The latest one I have been watching is Foyles War which is about a Police inspector in a small English town during World War 2 who investigates all sorts of crimes. Intricate well written stories with good characters. Some of the other shows I enjoy are Taggart, Inspector Morse, Law and Order UK and A Touch of Frost. There is a rawness about these shows, their stories and I find the characters fascinating. As each show is a stand alone story the characters take a long period of time to develop. While some of the terminology is not easy to understand and I have to Google some of the words I find the intelligence of the stories refreshing.

Das Auto

Anthony — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:52:03 +0000

It has been two years since I took delivery of my Volkswagen Touareg. I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy the fine German engineering of my beast. As I commute it is nice to have a great vehicle to make the drive as pleasant as possible. Today I was at a meeting and as I was leaving the folks I was meeting with commented on my truck. I always enjoy showing off my vehicle and I sometimes take for granted I am blessed with a really nice vehicle.

What the Heck is Happening

Anthony — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 06:15:12 +0000

It is my favourite time of year, the weather is getting nicer, the days are getting longer and of course hockey playoffs are in full swing. As an added bonus the Abbotsford Heat, one of the new American Hockey League teams is in the AHL playoff race. As I am a season ticket holder I got to enjoy Abbotsford’s first full season of hockey and now hope to enjoy some playoff hockey in person.

Normally I look forward to watching a bunch of hockey as there are games every night but for some reason life has decided to interfere with my hockey enjoyment and almost a week into the first round and I have only seen parts of a couple of games. What gives doesn’t the world know I am in hockey mode, at least this week I will get to see three Abbotsford Heat games but it is not looking good for me to enjoy watching many games on TV. Too much on my plate at the moment and no end in sight. I think I need to find a cubbyhole to go hide for a bit. Oh well I will enjoy what I can when I can.

Time Passages

Anthony — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 04:56:47 +0000

With the last weeks and months being especially busy I have not really thought too much about things but today I realized that Tara would have been 15 years old. It is her birthday and it is hard to believe she has been gone for 5 months, the time has passed so quickly. I still find myself turning to the end of the couch and expecting to see her sleeping peacefully.

I sure miss my baby monster.

Embracing Technology

Anthony — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 06:07:52 +0000

Lately and I do mean over the past year or so my television habits have changed quite a bit due to my work schedule and amount of travel I do. Except for hockey I tend not to watch too much in the way of “live” television. Thanks to the internet and the progress of streaming technology I am able to download or stream almost all the shows I would have watched during their original broadcast times. I must admit I do like to watch shows on my schedule and yes I could get a PVR but I do not see the need at this point as everything I like to watch is easily accessible.

As my tagline from my title says I am a Geek and do like technology, it has changed my viewing habits and allows me to watch what I want when I want. Isn’t Technology Grand!