A Collection of Daily Wisdom by Dennis Sylvester Hurd since September 2003.

It wasn't part of any of the plans for 2008. When I noticed my current class ends in just four weeks, I thought we could spend my week off somewhere.

We just got back from booking a 7-day Mexican cruise for February 10th to 17th.

We'll leave and return to Long Beach, California. The Carnival Pride stops at the ports of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas.

Labels: cruise, Mexican cruise, travel planning

I was uptown this morning as I had an appointment at the dentists' office. As long as I was already up near 6th and 6th, I walked from the mall to the city library. The collection of DVDs is growing but the discs seldom seem to sit on the shelf for very long. It seems as if hundreds are checked out and returned daily. I picked up Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist (2005).

DVD covers are fairly tricky. They never mention the date on the front cover. I've also noticed the old B&W classics always sport colourful images on the front. This is a tad deceptive, if you ask me. That said, a black and white flick can appear sinfully seductive if care is taken in the restoration and transfer processes. One nearly needs a magnifying glass to see the aspect ratio and sound mixing on most DVD cases.

As long as I was heading to the check out, I also grabbed Lassie -Come Home- (1943) from the shelf too. I popped it in the DVD player upon arriving home. I like something on while I sit at the computer.


I'm with Sandy in Wendell, New Hampshire in the mid-1960's

It seems as if I picked the movie that started all the Lassie-mania It was in colour. This was the version with Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor as mere kids. I found myself truly watching the television much more than my monitor. It started off a little hokey, but had its moments. I don't want to offer a spoiler but, guess what, the dog makes it back to Yorkshire! I'm sure I got emotional only because I probably remember the US television series as a youngster, or it may have been because my childhood dog was a collie. I'd challenge the butchest of you to make it through to the end credits without a least rubbing your eyes a little.

Labels: movies, New Hampshire, Sunapee

Okay, don't always believe our collective chorus. We always maintain how great it is not to have to shovel snow out here. What we sometimes forget to mention is that we sort of pay for the avoidance by putting up with non-stop rain for five months in a row. There are weeks on end when sunshine is only a distant memory.

A strange thing occurred to me today though. I found myself really enjoying my drive into BCIT. It was nice to have the windshield wipers working hard to give me a clearer view of the soggy environment on the other side of the glass. I really felt as if today's weather was how things were supposed to be. I really didn't mind that it had been raining for the entire week.

Oh, my God! This is my twelfth winter here and I guess I must qualify as a bona fide native of British Columbia now.

Labels: feelings, weather

On the way home from work this evening, I bought gas. It's strange that although the price of crude hit records at over $100 per barrel, the price at the pumps is lower than during most of last year. That's another story, however.

I just thought I'd share an observation I noted about myself. Now that all petrol pumps everywhere accept credit cards, I never ever use cash at a gas station. In fact, I hardly use cash at all. Again, that's another story.

What I noticed when filling up today was how determined I am to make the total come out to an even number. You know what I mean. If I overshoot $29.00 by a few cents, I automatically try to squeeze in enough to make it $29.50 or maybe an even $30.00.

Why?

It's not like I'm getting change back. You'll notice that today I left it at $29.09.

Labels: errands

Three short months ago, I blogged a product review about a can of shaving cream. I've still not bothered to buy an electric razor. I am, however, using something new on my face. I received a Schick Quartto as a gift.

To me, this is clearly demonstrates of the excesses of the free-enterprise system. To compete the market, companies need to continue to improve even the simplest of products.

If one works then two is better. If two are fine then, obviously, doubling the number will vastly increase the performance, right? Let's be honest. Four blades are a bit of an overkill. Steering this implement around my face is a little like driving an SUV through a tiny, back alley. I think the replacement blades cost a fortune too.

In the end though, I do have to admit, when using four blades, my face does feel as soft as a baby's bottom.

Labels: opinions, review

Today, I met with my new class. As we often hit the maximum of 22 students, I was very surprised that for the next five weeks, I will have only 14. How great that is! The fewer the students, the more time I have with each one. It also frees me up to provide more extensive comments on writing assignments. As well as being small in number, they also seem very motivated. Even after just four hours with a group, it's easy to get an overall impression of how the term will proceed. This evening, I feel happy and optimistic. You may notice my entries are a bit shorter for a few days, as I get things organized for the new students.

I did want to introduce one topic today though. Thanks to the satellite PVR, I watch television programming on my own schedule. I bet in a few years we'll look back on at having to follow networks' dictates for a viewing schedule with a chuckle. Let's see if I can think of a similar example. Okay. In high school, I used to listen to BTO on an 8-track player I installed in my Ford Pinto. See, didn't that make you at least grin?

I sometimes lament the lack of creative, science fiction on TV. One new show that automatically gets recorded when shown is Torchwood. I watch on CBC, a co-producer of the series. The episodes seem a bit inconsistent but at least each one is a story unto itself. If you don't get Canadian programming, it can also be found on BBC. In the US, HDNet has bought the distribution rights and so chances are that it'll eventually show up there.

Labels: sci-fi, television

If you've bumped into this blog before, you've probably noticed my propensity for travelling. I am often shocked by others I meet as some never venture out of their own little worlds. I know immigrants who landed here years ago and have never ventured beyond their original home and Metro Vancouver. I've met Canadians by birth who've not seen most their own country. Also, I know of employees who take their annual two-weeks of vacation and stay at home!

I cannot say whether it is nature or nurture that forges a longing for travel. Once in this blog, I tried to develop a theory that North Americans, in general, may travel a lot because they inherited a gene that gives that susceptibility. After all, we all have ancestors, First Nations included, who got to this continent by leaving a former home. Or, perhaps the love of travel is handed down through socialization. After all, my parents, without the option of international travel, still ventured out on highways and crisscrossed North America.

I just wondered if I could think of a few reasons why I believe travel is so important:

None of those items people are working so hard to purchase are going to be around in 1000 years and probably not even in a hundred. Invest in making yourself aware of the planet you're on, instead.

People who see how others live usually end up being less sure their way of life is the only correct way. Travel makes you more open minded.

Travellers who visit famous sites share in a larger heritage. Getting out provides you with a better understanding of your world and your place in it.

Some people say they don't have the money to get away. Travel can be accomplished on varying budgets, even yours.

Some people say they don't have enough time to get away. You have only so much time on earth. Don't wait for some future date when you may be too frail to go.

Life contains a lot of references to things beyond your backyard. Lastly, travel, even if by accident, makes you smarter.

Labels: opinions, travel planning