Discover Calgary

I borrowed P. M.'s digital camera today (Sun.!) and tried to get familiar with it's features and functions. It's an HP Photosmart 320. I don't know much about digital cameras and after Resurrect's, this is the second one I'm using.
So I went where I always wanted to be: Spiller Road where Calgary cemeteries are located! You can have a nice view of Downtown, Stampede Park,Pengrowth Saddledome, etc from there. I started walking in the tombs and how beautiful, quite and peaceful it was. After taking a few photos I noticed a building like a house at the other side of the fence. I asked me: Who lives here besides a cemetery, although it's very beautiful and quite!? Then I got closer and noticed that there's a path with a board indicating Reader Rock Gardens. That was a restaurant in a magnificent, beautiful garden full of different flowers and planets! There were a few people inside but I didn't go. I took a few photos and planned to be back with my own camera later. Then when I was back to the cemetery I noticed two coyotes roaming around. At first one of them was chasing a hare but couldn't manage to catch it. Then there were birds like crow with long tail (I don't know what it's called but it's a bird you see everywhere here) who were screeching and chasing the coyote! Wherever it went, they chased it! I took two photos of them and that was when I noticed that digital zoom is a useless feature in digital cameras. You get the subject bigger but the quality is very poor. I went to Talisman for my exercises right after that while promised me to go there again during Stampede days and take more photos with my own camera.
(Photo: This fantastic building and the beautiful garden of it, full of different beautiful flowers is located right beside the cemetery, is a convenient place for dinning. I'll give it a try later)

Almost a Complete Game!

Game six of 2006 NHL Finals in Edmonton is probably the only game that I spent the longest min. on it! Except a few min. of the first period that I was in the shower (and luckily the period was scoreless!) I watched the whole game.
The first thing I noticed was the Prime Minister in the crowed when Canadian national anthem was being sang by everyone in Rexall Place, including him. He had his glasses and suits on! It's OK to have a pair of glasses but why would you wear a suit in a game? Just to say you're Stephen Harper?
Anyhow Edmonton had a good start and the first intermission finished, as I said, scoreless. Markannen suddenly jumped out of the net in the period to get the puck and that was going to cost the Oilers but didn't. The first period was finished with a 10-3 shootout for Edmonton.
Piasani who made the Hurricanes to travel all the way to Edmonton for the sixth game, scored in a powerplay in the second period and that was the opening for the Oilers. That was just a mild backhand but was deflected by number 2 of the Hurricanes and went in.
They scored one more time in that period to have a 2-0 lead at the end of 40 min. Markannen did the same mistake that Ty Conklin did in the first game after Roloson was injured. He came out of the net and passed to a teammate while a Hurricane was about to get the puck and scored. But he was lucky for the second time and got away from that.
Edmonton had a 3 on 1 great chance in the third period and they scored, I believe, but the judges didn't count it. Ward, as I saw, took the puck out of the net with his glove, while it has already passed the score line. That was called a miraculous save by the commentator later. Then Smyth went all the way to the Carolina net in a powerplay, right from the middle of the rink and scored and made it 3-0. At 11:14 left to the game it was 28-8 shots for Edmonton. The Hurricanes had a few powerplays but didn't score as a good penalty killing by Edmonton. On the other side Markannen had an easy day, almost. The last score of the Oilers was on powerplay again and they blanked the Hurricanes 4-0. The last game will be played on Mon. in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Back to Edmonton

After missing the 4th game which ended to a loss for Edmonton, I promised myself to watch the whole 5th game between the Oilers and the Hurricanes tonight in Raleigh, North Carolina but couldn't keep my promise! I started watching and in 16 sec., Edmonton scored while I was in the washroom washing my hands! Can you believe this? And I was elated and said to me: " They're determined to beat them. " Then Carolina scored 5 min. later and all I said was: " Shit! " and noticed that can't watch the game and turned the TV off! After a few min. I went to bed. I guess it was around 07:00 PM and woke up with my cell phone's ring around 08:40 PM. That was Mom. At first I thought it's 08:40 AM and I said to me: " Oh my God! I missed the work. I'll be in trouble! " After a few min. of confusion, I found out that it's still Wed. afternoon. I got back to the TV when I finished talking to Mom. It was tied up 3-3 and OT was about to start. There were a few opportunities for both team and a penalty was called against Edmonton. After an Edmonton offence, Carolina guys were sliding the puck to the neutral zone and that was the time when Pisani stole the puck and confronted Ward, the Hurricanes goaltender and made one of the most beautiful goals that I've ever seen, short-handed. I shouted and clapped so hard like I've never did and jumped up! The final score of the game is 4-3 for Edmonton and the series is still in progress with a 3-2 lead by Carolina. The next game will be played again in Edmonton on Sat.
(Photo: Pisani scores in OT and Edmonton is resurrected)

Micro Fail

I was so confident and determined in the morning and was dreaming about what I'm gonna do after get the job in the small plant as a quality inspector! That was specially because I studied enough about calipers last night. I even went to Keiv's and got confirmation from him about the way I use imperial calipers. Then when I got to Mid Western, Stephen referred me to a motherfucker Indian guy with a golden earring and he introduced me to a Canadian guy, Kyle and asked him to show me a few parts and test me with a micrometer. I had not practiced that tool and what I told him that I was familiar with the tool but had not used it practically. Kyle show me the micrometer and explained its divisions and subdivisions. Then he made a measurement and asked me to tell him what it is. I calculated fast on the paper and showed him. He did it on his own way and confirmed it. Thou is what they use for thousands of inch! I luckily understood that but then the stinky Indian with his stupid ridiculous accent showed up and asked me to show him for example 2.543" on the micrometer and me, the stupid, said that I needed more practice and that was the end. The motherfucker refereed me to Stephen and after a short conversation we shook hands and I left! I should have studied micrometers last night but I didn't think that might be a question because Stephen just talked about imperial vernier calipers. Besides if they need an inspector and a safety officer, they don't just reject him because he has never used a micrometer!
I'm sure non of those morons in that small workshop has ever been to school. They are all experienced guys and it was hard for them, specially for the Indian one, to see someone educated and organized take over their inspection department. All they do over there is stupid things but I thought that might be a good start for me to just get familiar with Canadian manufacturing environment and learn a few things and then leave there. Those idiots do all their inspections after all the processes is done! For example there were a part whit all holes, welds and cuts and they wanted to measure different dimensions of it! They use blueprints as a reference for their measurements and when I asked if they have an inspection plan, they both looked at me with wide open eyes and mouths! They don't even know what it is! Anyway that's all happened and I have to focus on the next opportunity and my studies.

The Break-Up

I watched The Break-Up today in Chinook. Last weekend, I guess it was Fri. night when I got there at 10:35 PM, I was told that it had been sold out. I guess most of the people who catch the movie, go to a theater to see the F.R.I.E.N.D.S star, Jennifer Aniston.

Aniston is probably the most popular star of the TV show, not only because of her appearance but also because of her relationship with Brad Pitt, which ended up later to breaking up! She's also the busiest star after the last episode of the funny TV show. The only other movie with her I watched is Bruce Almighty. She's a good actress in both movies and also Friends. Her boyfriend in the movie, which is not known to me very much, performs well but the movie is just something below average and I guess that's the lack of a good story or scenario.

The film, as a romance doesn't even have the usual scenes that you expect when you watch such movies, not even a kiss! Just the dialogue might be interesting to the audience. Like the two teenage girls who were sitting beside me and were laughing loudly and repeating what the couple say. Finally I enjoyed the movie but that's not what I expected. Why is it the second movie in top box office? I have no answer for this but Aniston.

(Photo: Jennifer Aniston in a scene of the movie)

The Stressed-Out Guy

I didn't watch much of the third game of the Oilers-the Hurricanes in Edmonton, firstly because me and Laszlo went to The French Maid for a beer, as he wanted, and secondly because I usually don't watch a whole game!
But let me get to The Maid, first. We only watched 3 shows. The first girl was performing when we got in and God! I couldn't believe my eyes! What a boob! Those ones were too big and so prominent. I guess they were fake 'cause no one has such a boob especially in that age. (I had a look at her face later and she was in her late 30s). The problem is I didn't get hard! Obviously it was after 8 hours work and I didn't have more than 5 hour sleep last night. And no lunch but a cup of coffee and a pastry. Besides I'm mostly aroused emotionally not physically. Then there were two girls performing together and one of them, the older one, had a perfect body, in my view: Big natural boobs with hard nipples, a little belly with a tattoo on the bellybutton and nice hair. The other one was just OK. The last girl was just very tall with sexy legs and she danced very well with a Country song. We left shortly after that.
Then the game was not bad. Don Cherry talked a lot about the way Jussi Markkanen, Roloson's replacement, played. He said: " The kid (that's how he usually names the players!) was on so much pressure because of the last game in Raleigh, and played well. His career was in jeopardy and he had too prove himself. " After all it's said that Roloson might return to the games. I saw a few nice saves of Jussi tonight and the Oilers won the game 2-1 finally which is not a good score.
Note: I was looking for an official website of Don Cherry and noticed that he owns a chain restaurant with different branches mostly in Atlantic Canada and Ontario. There's only one restaurant in Edmonton. This is the Internet address in case anyone likes to give it a try: http://www.doncherrys.com/ . I may when I'm in one of the locations.
(Photo: Markkanen, the Finnish goaltender of Edmonton had a few fantastic saves tonight)