The Tales of Chris...

Spring in NS

2007-05-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

April is finally over and its into May. I thought for sure that the cold weather would never leave. Then, it got warm for a couple weeks, and it only took about a couple days for the flowers to start growing.

I had some peppers growing on the window sill too. They look pretty dangerous.

We finally got Nathan's garage floor poured too. I wasnt much help due work, but that floor is damn nice.

So, then Melissa comes over and wants to use the computer. No problem. Turns it on and nothing... monitor turns on for a split second and then disappears.

I know some people would make fun of me for this, but I am "curious" I guess. I dont really want to spend $200 on another monitor. I'd rather spend $800 on a flatscreen TV that I can route the computer through, and since I can't afford that yet, I decide to either fix the monitor or disconnect the internet and put the computer away.

So, I tear the monitor apart (it snaps together, not many screws) and pull out its guts. There is the control board for the screen and a power supply board.

Looking closely at the board, there is a discoloured part with a nice toasty black capacitor on it. Hmm... Its supposed to be yellow, I thought.

Looked for a couple days and finally found another capacitor to replace it. (its the blue one sticking out from under the board).

Plugged it in and crossed my fingers... Jackpot!

So, similar to what I have said before... If you or anyone you know needs a monitor repaired... for god sakes, take it to a professional!

Touring around...

2007-04-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

I was trying to think how I could post this and make it the most interesting post ever, when I realized that as always, everyone would just plain be excited to read it. Yes, both of my readers.

I got the chance to finally hang the shelf on the wall at Melissa's parents house. It was a little tricky to get the shelf level without a... uhh... level. Turns out a round tube of lipstick and some eyeballing work just fine. I was originally worried about the load on the shelf, so I wanted to use some heavy duty hangers. I dont think there's gonna be more than 150lb of coats on this shelf, so I think it should be ok.

Looks pretty good if I don't mind saying so. The trouble is that I know all the imperfections in it, however, I dare anyone to find any of them.

Before hanging the shelf, we walked out on the ice and found some rocks on the shore in Toney River. Despite how nice it looks in the picture, it was FREEZING here.

The next week, we wanted to find some waterfalls in the area. I used to take my days off in Alberta and hike out to waterfalls and take pictures of them. So, I was looking forward to this. The waterfalls in Alberta, in the mountains and foothills around 300+ feet tall. The largest waterfall in NS is only 100ft. The ones near here are around 40 ft. I was skeptical.

Every day at lunch, I see these two windmills on Fitzpatrick Mtn. in Scotsburn through the cafeteria windows. I've been dying to see them in person. So, I tried to find out how to get to them. I had no success, but it turns out there's one in Tatamagouche about 100m off the road. Sweet. We got to the windmill, but there was signs everywhere that said no trespassing. A little farther up the road was a path through the woods that lead to a clearing right beside the windmill. Nanuk, Melissa and myself walked up there and had a little photoshoot.

The hub of the windmill (the part the blades attach to) is literally the size of a house. I was amazed at the size of the thing. And, you hear all the time about the noise these things make and how they're so disruptive. I will just say that I had to concentrate for a long time just to be able to hear the thing. I think the people who say this probably have supersonic hearing or something.

From there, we went through Tatamagouche (right past Sara Bonnyman's) out to Wentworth. On the way, we took some pictures of an old lobster boat (check melissa's blog, i'm trying not to post the same pictures). Also we stopped at a bakery and got some bread and date squares. Luckily we ate at least a couple, as Nanuk found his way into them later on.

Just past Wentworth, not too far into the woods is a waterfall. It was nowhere near as tall as the ones in Alberta, but I'll admit I was impressed. Nanuk didnt like being drug through the water for all the pictures though.

Leaving there, we went back through Truro, stopping at the cave right by the train tracks. Again, I think Nanuk was getting tired of having to pose.

Ended up back in Toney River for Easter supper. It was great. It snowed a bunch that night, and went tobogganing the next day. Dogs running through deep snow are quite hilarious.

Not a whole lot exciting has happened since then. I've been working a lot of hours and spending quite a bit of time out on the "other side of the harbour". My new plans are to build some more furniture and finish off the backhoe that we've been working on for almost a year now.

Oh, and Bret, don't get jealous... you're still my buddy!

More finished projects

2007-03-31T16:32:00.000-07:00

So, a long time ago, Melissa decided to build a shelf. Then with a variety of circumstances, including a VERY cold winter, the shelf sat dormant on the... shelf in the shop.

I finally decided that Sandi's tray and Melissa's shelf, along with Brandon's garbage bins needed to be finished... literally. Spent the week of St Paddy's day with about 2-3 hrs every night at the wood shop. I would spend about 30 mins spraying the stuff, then have to clean the sprayer and do it all over again the other night.

Here's the play by play:

Originally, I had 1 coat of varathane on the back side of all the parts for the shelf. So, I sanded and put on another coat.

Then flip the parts and spray them. (keep in mind, its about an hours work to clean the spray gun). Then sand out the rough spots and spray again.

Then the shelf got assembled into the "upper" half and the "lower" half. One more coat of varathane.

Then the assembly. All went well here once I figured out the fasteners to use. The back of the shelf got 5 pocket holes in it, and 4 counter sunk screws. In all, you should be able to sit on this shelf with no fear of it breaking. So, the shelf is in two halves, should be easy to assemble... only about 12 more nails. WRONG.

I took out the finishing nailer and drove in the first nail. BANG! Nothing. Tried again. CLICK. Nothing. So I thought it was jammed. Took the gun apart and realized the pin that drives the nail was slightly rusted and stuck forward. Weird, it should return on its own. I pushed it back and lubed it with some oil. Went to drive the next nail. BANG. It worked on a test piece. Better try it twice though, I thought. CLICK. Nothing. Hmm... the pin must be stuck again. I'd better check it. Opened it up again. Yup, its siezed. Pushed it back. BANG. One nail. BANG. Two nails. BANG. Three nails. I'm on a roll. CLICK. Nothing. Opened it up again. Pin is stuck again. But this time its not moving.

After a phone call, I decided to tear the gun apart and fix the siezed part. Took the back off of the gun and little pieces of plastic fell everywhere. Turns out the front part of the cylinder that the piston rides in had completely shattered. 8 more nails to go... no air gun. I was definately not pounding them in by hand. So I put all the tools away and just as I was about to give up. I found slightly shorter nails that fit the smaller gun.

So, I was able to finish the shelf.

I tried ordering the part for the gun. Turns out you have to be a certified 'repair' person to order parts for the nailer. I guess most people just pay to have people fix things. Not this guy. Its only gonna cost me $30 or so to get the part. Finding the part is a whole story in itself.

You came up with one pretty nice shelf, Melissa. I had to put up with a lot of heckling because of the heart in it though.

Safety first :)

Just Chillin Out

2007-01-29T17:34:00.000-08:00

This week was OK. It started off with me trying to watch a movie from Blockbuster. I rented Crank and Little Miss Sunshine. Little Miss Sunshine would not play in my DVD player, so I got the idea to fix my old DVD player that I havent used in a year. I did some research on the internet and finally decided what was wrong with it. The spindle motor had gone out of it. Apparently 9 times out of 10, you can oil the motor and get it working again. Time to tear it apart.

The good news is that it now turns, but the bad news is it doesnt turn fast enough. Not quite good enough to read the DVDs. Oh well, wasted a couple days anyways.

Went up to the shop and helped Nathan and Billy do some wiring for a couple nights. We ran the piping to the lights and to the plugs, etc.

Friday night just took it easy. Saturday went to Truro and bought myself a new jacket. Saturday night we went to the shop and had a "pub night". Brandon brought his portable oven and deep fryer and we cooked chicken wings, mozza sticks, etc. It was good. As usual, didnt make it to sleep until about 3am after a few games of darts. Got a good action shot of mike throwing darts.

The coolest guy you'll ever meet.

Playing a drinking game

Mike throwing darts (Had to take 1000 pictures to get this good one)

Brakes are Important

2007-01-21T17:23:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday and Thursday past it was -20 and -30 out. On Wed. on the drive to work I noticed that my anti-lock brakes kicked on a bit. I just figured there was a lot of ice on the roads. Thursday as I was coming into Westville, I hit the brakes and went completely through the intersection. Oh well, I just figured it was icy. That night on the way home from work I thought the brake pedal felt weird so I picked a dry spot on the roads and stood on the brake pedal. I HAD NO BRAKES! So I start coming down this hill with stop sign at the bottom. There's a semi-truck turning in front of me really really slowly. I had to stop. I stood on the brake pedal and nothing... I was heading directly for the trailer of this truck. I started thinking about what I could do to get around him. I figured I could probably squeeze past the edge of his trailer if I drove half in the ditch half on the road and turned the opposite way I was going. I geared the truck down and put the front tire over the edge of the ditch. I might have made it past the truck by just a few inches. I had to pull over on the side of the road for a minute so I could collect my thoughts. That and my hands were shaking.
I drove up to Tims and got a coffee, then went to Highland Ford for some brake fluid (the reservoir was empty). Eventually I made it home after the most stressful drive of my life. Took the Escape to Nathans and inspected it all over. We couldnt find any leaks at all in any lines. Then I noticed that the parking brake light was out. It had been on for 8 months or so. As it turns out, the parking brake light is also the low brake fluid light. I had been driving around for almost 8 months with no brake fluid. We finally decided to leave the escape in the heated garage over night to let all the ice and snow melt off it. Nathan lent me his old car to drive to work the next day. After work, went to Nathan's and we started bleeding brake lines. Everything went fine until we got to the front of the escape. The passenger side bled no problem but the bleeder screw snapped out of the caliper on the driver's side. We couldnt do anything more that day. Saturday we went to town to get new bleeder screws. They do not list these parts anywhere. Back to Nathan's. We took the one good bleeder and went back to town. There are no parts listed anywhere (including Ford) to replace those screws. Chevy, however, uses the identical part. Haha. We tried welding a nut to the broken bleeder, but couldnt get it out. The only way to get it out was to remove the caliper, heat it up, drill out the bleeder and use an easy out on it. I ended up putting a used caliper on the escape anyways. We bled the line and I'm back in business. The brakes actually work better than before now.

The rest of the week was pretty dull compared to that.

After seeing pictures of Melissa in New Zealand, I am very jealous.

SNOWWW!!!

2007-01-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

Finally, its winter!

No Tickets Left

2007-01-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

I got quite excited today at work, cause they said it was going to be a storm. There was going to be a pile of snow come down and there was a heavy snowfall warning. I kept running to the window and looking. Nothing... run to the window and look again... nothing. When I left to come home, there might have been half a cm of snow on the ground. As of right now, theres a little over 10 cm or so. I don't think it qualifies as a heavy snowfall warning though.

I still am pretty excited to see the snow on the ground. It might just be winter here in NS for a couple days.

Mike and I got bored on Friday night so we decided to go somewhere to have a few drinks, but we didnt want to spend too much money. So we decided to go to the Glasgow Pub. That place sketches me out. I ran into the father of the daughter of the girl I dated for like 2 weeks. I thought he was in jail. I probably dont have to explain why I got away from that one.

Saturday, I had no energy at all, so I laid on the couch for a couple of hours after going to Truro. I tried to get tickets to the World's Largest Pub Crawl, but did not succeed. Although, I would like to go and am willing to pay for tickets, so if anyone has any...LET ME KNOW! Oh yah, went to Truro and I was looking at a new Jeep again. I seriously need one. Its not a question of wants, it's mostly needs. So after Breakfast, Jeep and no tickets, I came home and got bored. I called Tasha and Keith and Tasha wanted to do something. I pulled out an old card on this one and tried to convince them to go bowling. No one ever wants to go bowling except me. So, we went to the pool hall. Played pool for 5 hrs and listened to the karaoke. I was drinking Pepsi so I was the DD.

Sunday watched Talladega Nights at Keith's, had breakfast, came home. Nathan dropped in and we went and picked up some paint and brushes at Central. Stopped at Tims for the usual and went and painted the trim around the windows in the garage and around the beams. We're running out of things to do in the shop. I managed to get Sandi's tray finished in the wood shop, but I need a day with NO HUMIDITY so I can paint it. It will only take like 20-30 mins to paint, but since Nova Scotia is turning into the tropics lately, there's no way paint will dry without me staying at the shop for like 5 hrs running the furnace.

I don't think I have any pictures I can post right now.

But I'll leave you with this thought. Why do people always keep the window scraper INSIDE the car at night?

Christmas, New Years & Everything Else

2007-01-07T17:40:00.000-08:00

Since the last update, I've worked, been to Ontario for Christmas, and been back in NS for New Years

It was great being home. Its really weird, but you really appreciate having family around when you only get to see them once or twice a year.

I flew into Hamilton on the 21st and went out with my sister and her friends that night. I kinda felt singled out, cause I was the only person who wasnt a doctor. Have you ever been in one of those conversations where you just keep laughing and nodding your head cause you don't know what anyone is talking about. On top of that... its plain english, you just don't know what any of those words mean. I found out that night that I dance like a person from the East coast. Hmm...

Got to chum around with Dad a lot and put up a lot of signs and do some welding. We had some good chats over Tim Horton's coffee (which is wayyy better in NS). I much more enjoyed Mom's home brewed stuff tho. We had a "company" dinner which involved everyone who helped the company in the last year.

I think I may have gained a couple of pounds when I was home, but you just can't beat my mother's cooking. I will challenge anyone to try. She gives pretty good hugs too :)

Got to visit my cousin's and aunts and uncle's too. Ryan was busy washing cars while I was borrowing their shop to try and put a door lock back into Meghan's car door. It was a family event that involved Uncle Larry, Uncle Bo and myself. Good times. We even had Christmas eve "snacks" at Aunt Kim & Uncle Bo's. Can't beat the food :)

Christmas was everything I expected. I got all I wanted and got to see Bret chew on his present all day. Sometimes I wish my life was as simple as his. Ooo a rawhide bone... I'm gonna chew that all day!

Boxing day was christmas at the Cooks. We opened presents and stole them from each other (the Cooks are funny like that). I spent a lot of time exchanging stories with Colin and Ryan.

After the Christmas rush was over... things relaxed quite a bit. Just lounging around the house with Mom and Dad. Watching movies... playing online... getting the vinyl cutter working. Dad and I welded together a stand for sign legs. I'm definately not a good welder with a stick. Dad seems to know what he's doing. Went out for supper one night and had perch and frog legs. MMMMMM....

On the 31st I flew back to NS and when I got home, I showered and went straight to Nathan's for New Years. Dave was there, so we played guitar till our fingers hurt. We managed to stay up till 6am and even danced on the tables for old times sakes. I had a blast.

The next week was slow... I worked and tried to catch up. I may have even succeeded. This weekend was a blessing when it came. Spent friday night at Nathan's playing darts. Saturday I ran around town (bought a new shop vac) and went to Billy & Ellen's that night to play Monopoly. I came in 3rd I guess. Today I left Nathan's at about 8:30, came home and started laundry. I went to town and got coffee, dropped some for Mike & Nathan and then I went to the wood shop. I cleaned for about 5 hrs. It needed it, we'll leave it at that.

2006-12-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

IT FINALLY SNOWED THIS WEEK! (its all melted now tho)

So, Christmas is coming soon and I have yet to finish my shopping. Can't wait to get home and see the family and eat some real good food. Its funny, when you know you should go shopping for presents, how you can always find something better to do.

Thursday night we had a get-together with some of the people I work with out in Braeshore. Played a couple games of pool and got to do some "bonding". I definately ate wayyy to many appetizers that night though.

Friday night the power was out so I went up to Nathan's (he has a wood stove). We didnt do much until the power finally came on. When it did, we watched the butterfly effect 2 on the dish. Got to play around in the snow in the escape too.

Saturday, got up at about 8am and had breakfast at Tim Horton's. Then went and helped Nathan put up plywood in the garage on the ceiling. It was about -12C in the morning. We luckily had a kerosene heater in the garage running most of the day. There was a huge difference in the temperature inside once the ceiling was finished... much much warmer. My shoulder hurt quite a bit after all the overhead work. I had a date with my magic bag that night.

The garage in the snow

The source of heat in the garage

The finished ceiling.

Sunday was a little slow to start off. Went to town and helped Val and Brandon put a door on a trailer. Then we went to the wood shop and started moving some parts. Eventually, we are going to tear down a wall and have the shop twice the size it is now. Then... MORE TOOLS!!

Nathan's Garage and the last few weeks...

2006-12-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

I've been quite busy lately. Helping out on quite a few projects.

I spent a week or so in Pictou putting shelves in a closet. The closet was not square and it made it slighly difficult, but a good challenge just makes it that much more "interesting", I guess.

I've been helping Nathan with his garage (minus my time in Alabama and Waterville, and the few sunday mornings when it was difficult to get up). Its coming along great, and despite the fact that its snowing now... I think we succeeded in getting it up before winter started.

Went to St. John last weekend and spent some time with JD. Turns out that the bartender's name was Lindsay, not Jessica. Oh well, she didnt seem to mind :P

Last few weeks have been kind of fun. I get to go to Ontario for Christmas... Dec 21-31... I get to see the fam... and the dog!!

Good Weekend...

2006-10-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

Went to Brandon's on Friday night. Broke out the guitar. Got to see Mike's new car (2002 Civic SiR). Mike, Terri, Sara and myself went to Glasgow Pub after a couple beer and then to the Cabaroo... had a great time.

With a face like that, I at least hope I'm singing.

Worked on Nathan's garage in the morning. Shoveled gravel, ran plate tamper and even got to drive a tandem.

Sunday was a repeat of Saturday with a lot more people there. We hauled a lot of fill and tamped a lot of ground. I even got to be the first person to park inside the garage.

JD and Erin's Wedding...

2006-09-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

Thursday

Thank god thursday came, cause I was getting myself into a hole at work. 10,000 things to do and no end in sight. Must be a good reason to get some time off.

Thursday we went and tried on tuxes and then got a haircut. Then we were off home to prepare for the bachelor party.

The best man's flight was delayed for ~30-40 mins so our bachelor party was delayed for a little bit. JD and Darren got here at about 11:00 and we got JD dressed up as a blue-bumble-bee. It was a good laugh, and we had to make him stand out somehow. We got to Sam's at about midnight. We didnt miss anything though, it didnt start having people till near 1-1:30. We made sure we had some interesting challenges for him. Each challenge to be followed by a shot. If you've never tried a frozen alligator, I suggest it.

Mike JD and Darren

Then we made it to the cabaret. The shot girl followed us there. We had a few more drinks and then at about 4:00am we decided to head home. All in all, it was a great night and there were plenty of laughs to go around.

Friday

Mike and I had to get our tuxes and then get to Nathan's to help with the pouring of the garage.

Tip: If you have to shovel and trowel a lot of concrete, don't plan it for the day after a bachelor party.

We ended up being a little short on the concrete and had to lower the forms and move a lot of it. It ended up working out perfect though.

Immediately following this, we rushed to Pictou Lodge and went to get our rooms. As we arrive, we notice that everyone around is wearing nice button-up shirts and fancy clothes. We go to the front desk covered in spattered concrete asking for a room. Oh well, I guess the hillbillies just arrived.

We went through the rehersal and then had supper with the wedding party. The food was EXCELLENT and JD and Erin have very friendly family and friends.

Bedtime came around 3:30am (i think). The homemade wine was delicious (thanks, Brian).

Saturday

Golf started at 10:00am immediately following a run to Timmies (breakfast sandwich and coffees). We played 9 holes at Pictou Golf Course. I now understand Heart-attack hill.

We ran into a lot of people I work with at the golf course. We were playing best ball and ended the day at +3 i believe. Not bad for amateurs. After the golf, we had to get home, get showered and get some pictures taken. It was a great choice on the tuxes. Everyone looked great. Top hats and canes topped it all.

The wedding was next at about 4:00. Lots of people showed up and Mike and myself ushered them all to their seats. Then, we escorted the grandmothers to their chairs and stood up front to watch it all happen. You couldn't have asked for a better day.

Groomsmen and Bridesmaids

The Bride and Groom And Minister

The wedding party.

Following the wedding were a couple drinks and then the speeches and dinner. Darren, Mike and I managed to tell a few good stories (PG of course) to embarass the groom. I think it worked well.

After supper was the dance. Nathan showed up and helped us break it "old-school". And let me tell you, there was dancing. Got to meet everyone and the DJ even called Mike, "Mike the Hillbilly Campbell". At least we were wearing top hats and tuxes, I think it disguised it some.

The dance ended near 1:00am when we went to the afterglow party. The guitar came out and we all enjoyed ourselves. Bedtime came near 4:30am.

Sunday

Sunday brunch at Pictou Lodge is amazing. Lets just leave it at that. I've never eaten that much after having a couple beer in my life. As soon as the food was over, we went and watched the bride and groom open some presents. Then, it was all over. Time to make it home.

Congrats, JD and Erin, It was a great time. Thanks for everything.

Mike and I

Nathan's Garage...

2006-09-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

Nathan has been trying for a few months now to start his garage. Everything finally fell into place.

We started by digging ~350 ft of a trench for drainage which then involved digging a ditch. Brandon and Nathan found their homes in the excavator and tractor respectively while Keith, Mike and I were levelling and shovelling dirt. We dug the trench and then dug the hole for the footings for the garage.

Nathan and Brandon Filling in the hole

The next week we made the forms for the footings and poured them. Some "interesting" calculations we will call them made for a bit of extra work. All said and done, we are now in the process of forming up the frost walls. Its going to be a decent garage (shop, sorry) for Nathan and I expect there to always be some beer waiting in the fridge for me :P

Nathan, Billy, Mike and Keith

Nathan Working.

Mike Working

Its been a while...

2006-09-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

It took a long time to get the pictures working again. However, we are now back in business. Not a whole lot has gone on in the month of August.

It started out with the riverfront Jubilee in New Glasgow, which was great.

We then started building a device to be used to pull out alder bushes in a field. Of course, most people would just pull the bushes, we had to build a machine.

Mike cutting the "tree puller"

Brandon's sister was home for a while. When her boyfriend, Chris (we call him Steve) arrived, we went surfing in Halifax. Surfing was a blast. Although my shoulders didnt agree as much. The next day we went fishing in the mouth of halifax harbour. We caught mackarel and polluck. Caught about 10-15 fish. Only 3 or 4 of us ate them. I thought they were good.

Helped Brandon a couple of nights start to put together an entertainment centre. It looks good. Terri drew up the design. Oak Veneered plywood. I have no pictures, but I will eventually.

Melissa was home for a week and a bit. Her and I hung around quite a bit. I really like her dog. We went and saw Talladega nights, started building a shelf. When someone says that they want to build a shelf, picture one in your mind. Now picture something GIANT with three compartments on top and 5 hooks on the bottom. This is what Melissa pictures of a shelf. I will admit, it does look really good, and she is good at woodworking. Also, its kinda hot seeing a girl use all the equipment. No, wait... it is hot.

We then had a weekend in Goshen where we sided the camp. We also spent some time in Country Harbour playing guitar and telling lies around the fire. I really feel at home sitting around a campfire and playing guitar. It seems to make a person really relax. There's no pressure and you can pretty much play anything and forget the words to anything as well.

Mike Gettin the fire going

The camp sided

Building a Bar...

2006-07-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

We were asked to build a bar in 4 days. Seems reasonable, but the design we came up with was slightly extravagant. Anyways, the first night Mike and I modeled the bar in 3d on the computer and asked just about everybody we knew how high to make the top surface of the bar. We even piled boxes on my kitchen table to try and simulate the leaning at each height. Then there was the dilemna of there being 2 bartenders behind the bar. So, we came out with a 2 level 6' x 6' corner bar. Now, only 3 days left.

Go to the wood pile, choose somewhat reasonable boards to put on bar. Use planed wood to build surface. Trim the edge of the top.

Two days to go

Build the framework under the top of the bar. Assemble the top of the bar.

One day to go

Build the framework under the bottom of the bar. Start cutting boards to make the front of bar. Spray bar.

Congratulations, you just built a bar in 3 days instead of 4.

The Wedding Weekend...

2006-07-19T14:39:00.000-07:00

Dave came home on monday, but forgot to tell anyone he was going to be here. I ended up at his house tues, wed, thur and friday playing guitar. It was a blast. We went to fibber's on wednesday night for open mic and then to the tavern in pictou for Thursday night open mic. I enjoy playing in front of people. It is fun. However, sometimes it pays to practice before doing this :P

Friday evening started out with going to the greenhouses in West River to buy some cherry
trees. I bought 2 after picking the gardener guy's brain for about an hour. Got the trees, but the rear passenger door in the escape stopped working. Got to drive home with the door tied shut with a piece of twine. Mike called as soon as I got home. His car burst a fuel line. Good start to the weekend. I had to fix the escape first. Went outside, lubed the latch and it worked I wasnt asking any questions. I haven't used the door since.

We went to Dave's house and played guitar and sat around and chatted for a little while (till about 3 am). We were going to go dive in the river at this point so we grabbed some flashlights and headed down there. There was a tree laying in the river where we were going to swim so we decided not to go. It looked pretty hard to climb through the tree to get into the water. Long story.

Got up Saturday morning and headed to Country Harbour for Nathan and Sara's wedding. Got there around 2, changed and headed in. There was a van delivering people to and from the wedding so no one had to drive. The day was beautiful... sooo hot and sunny. After the ceremony and supper (roast beef), we started getting ready for the reception. I've never danced that much in my life. All I can say is that if weddings are all like this, then I want to someday get married on the beach (I SAID SOMEDAY!!).

Sunday morning we got up, went back to the cottage, and despite some skeptical people, we knew the sun was going to come up. Got the boat in the water and got the tube out. I had no bathing suit, and am a little nervous in deep water so I just enjoyed sitting on the boat tooling around. Took Brandon, Terri, Sara, Sara's cousin (Beth) and Nathan out on the tube. I wish we could have been there all day.

Sunday night made it back to home and kinda slept a little. Mike and I didnt get much sleep either friday night or saturday night.

Not much in the works for this weekend, paintball looks like a possibility and Melissa might be around again. Its been super super hot here lately, so I'm going to go shave my head.

The Taxi Cab Co-Pilot...

2006-07-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

Its been about a week now. Monday was a holiday and probably needed it from that weekend. It was a good time.

I can't remember what day we played paintball, but it was a lot of fun. It was Mike, Brandon, Devon and I. We walked up the road behind Brandon's house and played about 5 games until we ran out of paint. Improv paintball. I actually got shot from the flukiest angle. The ball sailed up between my chin and my mask and broke on my lip/tooth. Paintballs don't taste good. I ordered a new mask that covers my chin. Hopefully that will never happen again.

Tuesday night we put Nathan's Zodiac together. This way when we're up at the cottage, we get to water ski (or at least try). It was also the first time I ever towed anything with the escape. However, a giant inflatable boat isnt much of a load.

I keep thinking the garden should be weeded and every day that goes past just makes that little voice in my head keep getting louder and louder. So, we havent done that yet. The voices are constantly louder.

Kinda took wed and thurs easy. Friday was the start of the Lobster Carnival. Went to a party with people from work. Met a lot of the Pictou crowd. Trooper played in the beer tent. I thought I only knew two of their songs. I was right. I've only ever heard two of their songs. Good band tho.

Saturday (my birthday)

The day started off in Pictou sleeping on the floor in Sandi's house. I got up, drove home, had some breakfast at Tim Horton's and headed for the wood shop. I got to the shop to find an excavator, front end loader and Val and Billie digging a hole. I mostly watched while the paint dried on the desk support I was making for Melissa. They put an old insulated tank in the ground. The idea is to store hot water for heating in it.

After that, I went to Brandon's for BBQ and eventually we made our way to Pictou for the Lobster Carnival.

Saturday night was the big night at the lobster carnival. As usual, it is nothing but a high school reunion. Security guard at the Beer garden checked everyone elses ID but when I got there, he said he didnt have too look at my ID, I just looked old enough. I now feel old. I did manage to meet someone and get her phone # tho, so it must have been a good night. I even got to hang out with one of my neighbours that I haven't seen in a long time.

At the end of the night, I got into a cab that was going to Division Rd. (opposite way to where I live) and we dropped those people off. Then the cabbie and I bartered cause we had to go back through Pictou to get to my place. He knocked $10 off my cab fee in exchange for stopping in Pictou and finding someone to go to New Glasgow. So we stopped in Pictou again. The only people at the cab place were going to Scotsburn (again in the wrong direction from my house). Haha... we went there anyways. After we dropped the guys off, the cabbie saw some people he knew sitting on their deck. So we went over and said hi. I had already had a great night and was in no rush. So we stayed and visited for about 15 mins... friendly people. Then we decided not to chance picking up any other fares. So we headed for Hopewell. We got to Westville and decided to stop for a pee-break and a coffee. We had a good chat the whole time. I was in the cab for about an hour and a half I figure. Overall, it was the most interesting cab ride I think I've ever been on. I met all kinds of people, and got to be the "co-pilot". Definately the highlight of the night.

When I got dropped off at Brandon's I figured it was about 4 in the morning and the sun was going to start coming up soon. So, I started walking for home. Took me an hour and a half to get home, but I was sooo looking forward to my own bed. When I walked in the driveway, the birds were singing and the sun was coming up. It was really nice. Good way to end off a great night. Then I turned and saw my door. I have a hose hanging in the yard. Someone took the hose and tied it to my door and wall and lights and tied it in knots. So, I had to "untie" my "hosed" door before I could go to bed. I had a good laugh. Thanks, JD

Overall, great birthday. Great Lobster Carnival.

Sunday

Phone rang at 10:00am. Mike said, "We're cooking breakfast, you coming?" I said, "Yah, I'll be right over!" I hung up the phone changed and walked outside. Oh yah, I walked here last night. My car is still at Brandon's. Pick up the phone.

Mike: Hello

Chris: Uhh, yah can you come get me.

Got breakfast served at Brandon's (bacon and eggs... mmm). And then decided to head for Toney River. Got to see Melissa before she left. We watched most of the world cup, but had to leave just as it was getting good.

Fun with a camera...

2006-07-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ever get bored with a camera?

Hold the shutter open for about 10 seconds and swirl the camer around.

Hold the shutter open for 10s and move around.

Making funny faces always helps.

PEI

2006-07-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

We went to PEI to see the Tragically Hip. Left Friday morning on the 9:30 ferry. By the time we got to the ferry, we had stopped at Tim Horton's twice. We were in Charlottetown by noon and managed to pick up our tickets. We also found where to buy tokens for the beer tent.

Found our hotel room, which was more like an apartment. I somehow think that you could have fit another bed into the bathroom, it was that big.

Matt Mays played first. There weren't too many people there at this time. Then it poured rain but only for about 10 mins. Then came Sam Roberts. At the end, it was The Hip. Great show... everyone was into it... and there were only 2 fights we saw.

After the concert, we went to find some pizza and then go back to the hotel. This blog does not do the concert justice. It was a superb time.

Coming home on the Ferry

Land Ho!

The Bachelor Party

2006-06-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

Nathan's bachelor party. We were celebrating his marriage, or more like it... just rubbing it in. It was all it was supposed to be. We went to Country Harbour to where the wedding is going to be. We were helping get the cottage ready for the big day. We got skirting put up on the cottage, put up siding and constructed a deck. Also, we got soaked in the rain. Around 7 we went to the other camp in Goshen. Just before that, we slapped the ball and chain on Nathan's ankle. We also gave Nathan a couple gag gifts.

We arrived there, Brandon and I were driving so everyone else was already having a good time. When we got there, we realized we couldnt sit inside, so we put up a tarp and pulled the picnic table onto the deck. After getting everything setup inside, we started sitting around and having fun. The bugs weren't too bad seeing as how it was pouring out. We also managed to prove a point that even soaking wet wood will burn. Devon Mike and I went for a canoe trip but realized that 3 people in a 2 person canoe can be a little scary and tippy. We ended up staying up till about 2am. Somehow, Brandon's keys got locked into his truck, so we had to break into it at 2 am. It was entertaining to watch. This is the 2nd time we had to do this, so we are getting better and better at it.

In the morning, we had a great breakfast, cleaned up and headed back home. Spent the day doing laundry. As usual, just waiting for 10 pm to come so I can get some sleep.

Bruce, Mike and Brandon building another deck

Nathan with his "ball and chain" attached (padlocked to his ankle)

Nathan, Devon, Keith, Mike, Brandon and Joel in our makeshift shanty

Pouring rain all day and we managed to get a fire going.

Me in my element.

The camp in Goshen. Always a great time.

It's finally done!!

2006-06-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever worked on something for 5 months and finally finished it? It gives a great sense of accomplishment. I started it in Feb. now I need a new project!

My new dresser.

Another pic.

Another Random Rant...

2006-06-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

So today I took the Escape back in to get the front end worked on. The mechanic was convinced that the only problem was the tires being out of balance, but I knew the tie rod was bad. I was trying not to argue with him cause at the end of the discussion, he was the one working on the vehicle. I kept asking myself... "How do I get him to believe that my tie rod is bad, without pissing him off". Finally we agreed that the tires needed balancing but he'd "check" the tie rods. So, when I went to pick up the Escape tonight, it had one brand new tie rod on it. Ha ha he still had the last laugh tho... $300.

So, now its a matter of replacing the axle seals. Parts cost $14 and labour is almost $200. I'm pretty sure I can do it myself, but it seems like a lot of work. I have to get through a bachelor party this weekend tho.

July is definately looking like it will be my favourite month ever this year. Going to charlottetown for June 30 having a big party for July 1, Nathan and Sarah's wedding, and I think Lobster Carnival is going to kick some major ass. I always enjoy July.

Did the usual drive past the grocery store tonight and thought to myself again "I should stop there, I have nothing at home". When I got home I realized that I had tuna fish and taco shells. Made some tuna salad (celery, pickles, gr pepper, etc.) and stuffed the taco shells with a little cheese. Very very creative I thought. It was definatley enjoyable. Some people didnt think the sound of it was too great (Melissa, ahem.).

Going to wood shop to slap on the back of the dresser. Bring it home hopefully in my newly fixed car. Then the usual waste time till bed routine.

I wonder who actually reads this thing?

Me & the Escape (old pic, but does the trick)

Paintball

2006-06-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

Nathan, Mike, Terri, Keith(hidden), Tasha and Brandon

We got to the field at about 9:00am after a big breakfast at A&W. Again, bacon and eggs... goooood. Carried the 1000lb CO2 tank to the field through a big ditch and at about 9:05 we were tired enough to go home. Just Kidding.

Unfortunately, as we started, my gun wasnt working. I spent the first 30 mins of the day listenting to people play and cursing at the gun. Then finally, I realized that I was stupid and had overtightened the barrel. I'm such a genius.

We played numerous games until about 5:00pm. By that time, we were all pretty much out of breath and paint. Then Brandon and I put a couple coats of varathane on my dresser, and had a barbecue at Brandon's. Mike and I went to Sam's and then to the Cabaroo later on until about 2:30 then decided to come home, play guitar and go to bed.

Sunday we filled CO2 tanks so we sent the big tank home empty. Its kind of funny how fast vaporizing co2 will freeze your hand to a tank. Haha lesson learned.

The only safe spot to take a picture of our field.

Whitepoint Beach Resort

2006-06-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

I have discovered two things while at Whitepoint Beach Resort.

1. The ocean is still way to cold to swim in.
2. Don't take your wallet anywhere near the ocean.

I must have dropped my wallet out of my pants when I was swimming and then the tide came in. I found my room key, but not the wallet. I have a lot of cards to get again. Grr... Thankfully the lady at the bank in Liverpool was very nice to me. She got someone else to take her son to his piano lesson so we could straighten out getting a new client card and such.

When I get home, I notice a lot of oil splatter on the back of the Escape. Turns out I blew an axle seal. That should keep me occupied and help me with all the "free time" I have lately. Was a great day tho. Started getting ready for the paintball game tomorrow. Somebody should tell the blackflies to chill out for a day.

The waves were fairly large. I'm not sure who thought swimming was a good idea.

2006-06-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I've been motivated to write another post or not. Let's see... this weekend was fairly entertaining. I was down at Brandon's on friday night havin a couple beer and a couple rum. Not a whole lot happened, but around 1am everyone went to bed. I decided to lay down but realized I needed a glass of water before I went to sleep. Then in my great wisdom I decided I'd go for a walk outside. Haha, I was walking for almost 45 minutes before I decided to go back in. Lets see... 2am... must be about time to hook up the X-box and play a couple games. Unfortunately it wasnt hooked up... so... great. Its a good thing everyone was sleeping, cause someone who is slightly intoxicated trying to bend over to plug in an x-box in the back of a TV is fairly entertaining. I was having a good time laughing at myself. Took a few trys but eventually I figured it out... Turned on the TV, played one game then zzZZZzzz...

Woke up Sat morning and went to A&W for breakfast. I would like to state something I've stated a million times before. I LOVE BREAKFAST! Bacon and eggs should be the basis of every meal in existance. Anyways, after this we went to Farmer Clem's and bought some squash corn and brandon bought some other plants. We went back to Brandon's and he planted his crops and then he was getting ready for a wedding. I only had a couple hours to blow before I was going to visit Melissa, so I figured I'd just go hang out at home. Bad idea... if you are even the slightest bit lonely... then being by yourself for a couple hours makes those couple hours seem like an eternity.

Eventually went and planted more stuff in the garden. Presently we have corn, potatoes, basil, onions, cucumbers, watermelon, green peppers, squash, broccoli and soon to come are the carrots, beets and hot peppers. I cant remember the rest of what we have, but eventually it will get planted as well.

Decided to rent a couple of movies to watch with Melissa, the family stone and the producers. I picked up the producers cause it looked like a funny movie and it said comedy. Turns out, it is a musical. Now, I'm not a big fan of musicals... but this one was pretty damn weird. Not reccomended. It was good seeing Melissa, and as always Nanuk (her dog).

Sunday just kind of lounged around... finally finished putting the drawer-fronts on my dresser and finished the top. 2 coats of varathane and that puppy is done.

Not much else in the life of chris... just more garden planting to come.... get to go to whitepoint beach resort thurs and fri... big paintball game on saturday so i should have some colourful pictures... anyways its probably time for bed...

An old picture of Nanuk on my couch.

Building a deck in Goshen...

2006-06-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

So we get to the camp to find that there is a FULL truckload of wood in the camp. So, we move the wood and unload the tools. We'll get started in the morning... first thing... have a couple beer.

We had a couple beer outside, but it kept raining, so we moved inside to the sound of a fire and a wind-up powered radio.

Terri, Brandon and Meghan

The next day... time to start building. First went up the cribbing.

Keith Mike and Nathan

Brandon

Mike and Meghan Fishing

Then the framework. Did a little fishing.

Brandon, Keith and Mike

Then the decking. We said we wouldn't drink until the decking started.

Me chopping a tree

Nathan towed Meg out on the raft then left her... haha

Then the rest of the crew showed up and we had a good fire, told some lies and went to bed (3am).

Overall it was a great weekend, we used every last drop of wood, just have to build a handrail and a set of stairs. If you ever need a deck built in a day... please call someone else.

The finished deck.

Trip to Ontario

2006-06-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

So, my sister is moving to Ontario from Halifax and presents her BF and I with the need to load up a U-Haul (worst company ever) and drive it ~2000 kms to her new location. So, of course, we accepted and bought a lot of beef jerky and sunflower seeds to make the trip worth while.

Arrived the night before in Halifax, and turns out we have to drive 40 mins to go pick up the U-Haul (uhaul 1, us 0). We did. Got to Halifax, and cracked open a beer. Now we need to get rid of an old couch. So, take a picture, make a sign, put it in the entrance to apt building, go back to room, pick up beer... *knock* *knock*... yah, we want the couch... so then there was nothing left to sit on for the rest of the night. In total it took 4 minutes to get rid of the couch. So, Mike and I had a few beer and packed some stuff.

Next day, packing... started at 9 am and on the road finally at 3:30. Stopped for coffee on Barrington St Tims in Hali. Went to Robie St. Esso and pumped up flat tire on back of uhaul (uhaul 2, us 0). Decided Stewiake was best place to fill up with gas. Drove to Stewiake, pulled into gas station, shut off truck... giant puddle of anti-freeze on ground under truck (uhaul 3, us 0) then double checked tire that was flat... still no air in it... (uh 4, us 0). Its now 4pm on monday, just on road. Drove to aulac, NB to eat.

Finally on the road making some progress, stopped in Moncton, Oromucto and Murray's river for coffee. U-Haul leaked coolant in Murray River (UH 5, us 0). Then Mike took over the car, and I continued driving the truck. We didnt speak french very well so we decided to continue on moving through NB. Drove 8 more hours and stopped outside of Levis, Quebec. Woke up in the morning (after 1 hr snooze) and hit the road again. Stopped for gas, and you guessed it... leaked coolant again (Uhaul 6, us 0).

We found "Old Gummy" hitchin a ride with us...

Made it through Montreal a newly invented way (don't ask cause we probably couldn't do it again). Mike and I actually got into a couple shouting matches, but I guess thats OK since we were driving a big truck through Montreal in rush hour. Good plan by the way, if you want to shorten your life by a couple years due to stress levels.

Don't use a flash inside of car

Mike in Ontario

Got to Ontario and breathed a sigh of relief... but still we were only half way there. Of course, the U-haul spit up its guts again and the score stopped at Uhaul 7 and us 0. Finally I did some sleepin and Mike and Meghan did some more driving and we made it to London. Normally its a 20-24 hr drive and with the good 'ol U-slug, it took us 31 hrs.

We crashed hard when we got there.

So, we made it to London, the U-Haul made it with no major issues... the engine was slowly losing power on the last stint. Overall, the U-haul may have tried to beat us, but we managed to win the battle. We picked up two 2-4s and decided to have a couple beer. In total we drank 5 before we all passed out on the floor. I guess thats what happens with a couple hrs of sleep in 2 days haha.

Dad showed up in the morning and we got the Uhaul unpacked, and then came back to Kingsville with Dad. Got to see my dog. Talked to Melissa online and she showed me this web log thing. Good thing too, cause without it I might have been bored.

My Buddy

Cool Ship at my Parents Place

So, now its a matter of making it through the weekend and going back to work on Tuesday.