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

This weekend I got a message from Bret. He's the premiere reason that another buddy, Joel, and I were able to run a summer arcade business in my hometown of Sunapee, New Hampshire. Those were the years right after we'd graduated from high school. Bret was recently asked to write up a story for a locally-published magazine. Of course, in 2008, the request was to record the significance of those activities in a historical perspective. By a strange twist of circumstance we have separately all ended up as residents a few hundred miles of each other but near the other ocean. Bret's email was to ask whether Joel or I had any quotes to offer.

I have, on occasion, difficulty remembering what I had for dinner on the previous evening, so I am skeptical about how much I might be able to add to events of thirty years ago. I did a few searches on the Internet to see if I could locate any photos which would help to remind me of Sunapee Harbor in that bygone era. The only pictures, I could dig up were those which I'd contributed to the Internet myself. I modified this picture which Bret had once taken. It was originally in Kodacolor but all but the yellow dye had faded; therefore, I converted it to black and white.



It shows the most important part of what I can recall. The picture does show a young Joel and me. A significant aspect is that another classmate, Sherry Simms seems to be hard at work with maintenance too. She would not have been a paid employee but was among the others who simply wanted to hang out. During those summers of operation we offered such a place for many of the kids in town too. In those days the school system or town offered fewer programs to occupy youths' time. We were left to our own devices. Luckily, Bret saw the need as a business opportunity. I don't think it was as much about the money as a way provide a fun atmosphere for not only the three of us. We gave many Sunapee residents, who were under twenty, a reason to come up to the harbor.

Labels: Bret, Joel, Sunapee, The Harbor Gameroom

I'll admit I can remember Pong on a home TV. Yet, as mentioned in my eJournal and images before, most of my game playing experience occurred when friends and I ran an arcade during the summers of my college days. That was the late 1970's and early 1980's. I remember shooting at tanks from inside a virtual world of vector graphics in Atari's Battlezone. This would've been the original, stand-up cabinet where the player looked through a periscope. I knew that even thin green lines in 3-D sure seemed to beat out the coloured, but flat, images on the Pacman machines.



For years and years after that I didn't play games.

I did toy with an original xbox which is still in a closet here somewhere. We used it to play DVDs for a while and I spent a few hours impressed with Voodoo Vince.

Today, I spent most of the morning looking at trailers for the Sony PS3. This time things seem right for a fit to the Onkyo home theatre sound and the 42" Toshiba LCD. Although I'm thinking about buying one primarily for playing Blu-ray movies, if it's all connected, I will probably end up exploring a few game titles too. The Playstation 3 isn't known for having many good games at present: however, I expect the number will increase through 2008.



Yikes, we've gone beyond basic, wire frame graphics in the last 28 years, haven't we?

Labels: Bret, games, Joel, PS3, Sunapee, The Harbor Gameroom

I was thinking what a very cold winter we've had this year. We should've expected it here during an El Niño year. Still, we feel as if there's been more snow than in the previous eleven winters in Metro Vancouver. Snow has, of course, fallen this winter in many other places too.




Here are two pictures I've recently received by email. The first is from a former Emirati student. I taught him when I worked in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. He wanted me to see some white stuff which fell at high elevations in Ras al-Khaimah. The second photo comes from an area known for snow just a little south of here. Still, it's cute to know that there's a two storey log cabin behind the person and under the snowbank. It's Joel and Lynne's place at Snoqualmie Pass in Easton, Washington.

Labels: Dubai, Joel, weather

Those new platters, mentioned yesterday, for electronic bits are spinning nicely. Likewise, I ran round and round today organizing old computer files. I still have electronic files and documents with DOS timestamps of 1986. I used to write letters with a word processor. Moreover, I worked overseas so letter-writing was an art I frequently practiced. I have lots of Wordstar and WordPerfect files.

Today, I copied old data from archived compact discs. I put the digital debris onto a duel layer DVD. It's sad that over twenty years of my digital existence don't even fill it up. Oh well, I suppose I learned how to hit the delete key early on. Here's proof that some twenty-year old recycled ASCII characters can be born again. I wrote this to high school friends and their baby daughter who then lived in Washington State. Actually, they still do. I got a letter from Lynne today explaining how they just graduated off their son. He wasn't born at the time of this letter!

---

May 20, 1987

Siyanco SOCP
Box # 168
APO, New York 09017

Dear Whitney, Lynne, & Joel,

Hey, I've been patiently waiting at my mailbox for two freekin' months! I don't blame you Whitney; it's not easy work being a baby. Lynne, you're also excused; mothers don't have a "breeze" either. But what about the funkin' hairy face? What's his excuse? (Gads, that was not a very nice way to open a letter.) Please allow me to start again.

Hello, everyone. I haven't heard from you lately, but that's certainly all right because I know how busy you all are. I hope that everything's, like, ‘mega’ in Kent, Washington. Additionally, I hope that your yard is now dry and the bird of paradise frequently flies there!

Well, for whatever it's worth, here's the latest. I don't really know which end's up! "So, what's new?", I hear them murmur. "Go suck eggs," I retort. No, no. Here's the story:

Today was my last day of work until June 27, 1987. I'm on vacation. Yippee, you yuppies! However, I won't leave for America for five more days. My company bought the ticket and it's like, JEDDAH - NEW YORK next Tuesday. I'll be flying up to Lebanon, NH that same day. My ticket does show NYC to Seattle on Monday June 8th. Let me find the flight number ... (it's here somewhere) … (I really should clean my desk) ... OK, here we are! ... It's CONTINENTAL 467. Wow, it appears to arrive at 10:00 pm. I didn't know it came in that late.

Now it's time for the warning. The Surgeon General has announced, “Planning vacations in advance has shown a positive correlation with an incidence of cancer in tests with laboratory animals." So this schedule is subject to change. I have a tip on a great teaching job in Orlando, Florida. It is possible, be it however small, that I might spend several days there. That could mean a whole new travel itinerary. But of course, you'll be the first to know.

Regardless of the exact time, please be sure to make the necessary preparation:

1. Stock the fridge with all kinds of beer.
2. Clean your underwear.
3. Be ready to welcome me with open arms.

All seriousness aside, I'm really looking forward to seeing you all. And I'll call you from NH to let you know exactly when it's "goin' down". Until then, best of health.

With love,

---

Labels: file archives, Joel, Saudi Arabia, travel planning

The e-doors are closing on a bit of history.



My decision to stop working on the high school email directory was a bit slow in coming. Sometimes we, as people, continue things merely because we are used to doing them. My volunteer work on the Virtual Sunapee Reunion website lasted over eight years. That is quite a chunk of time. The site was started the year the Monica Lewinsky scandal hit the newspapers. A current senior at the SMHS was in fourth grade. More frighteningly, should I live to be 80 years old, these eight years will represent 10% of my life.

I appreciate all those who've participated over the years. I'm most pleased with those of you who used to update regularly. Lastly, a special word of thanks must go to the free hosting offered by the folks at www.nhvt.net.

---

I'd also like to take a moment to add the members who were current as of the final day of operation. They are:

2000-2006 Julie Bradford, Sasha Chait, Ashley T Esclavon, Dan Gonyea, Julie Heath, Kat Hudkins, Jolene Menard, Katrina Taylor

1990-1999 Joseph Abraham, Michael Abraham, Mindy Atwood, Christopher Barrett, Christine Frederick, Jaime W Godin, Matthew Hanson, Craig Heino, Lisa Kelley, Dustin Laro, Michael Murgatroy, Carrie Joaquin-Ocampo, Jennifer Oles, Steven Oles, Jennifer W Peck, Diana Perry, Matthew Simmons, Dan Smith, Pete Stevenson, Kate Sullivan, Megan J Williams

1985-1989 Beth Alstrom, Matt Andrus, Catherine I Ayer, Michele Couitt, Heidi C Currier, Kristi Curtis, Karen C Gates, Rebecca M Goetz, Wendy Lippincott, Dean Miller, Wendy S Sommers, Brette Twardosky, Sandy S Warren, Shelley P Wells

1982-1984 Lynda Lee D Addonizio, Maureen M Brandon, Theresa C Brush, Brenda E Cabral, Kim Cousens, Donnie Duling, Gary Gagnon, Angel G McAllister, Billie L Medoff, Carrie "Bali" Smith, Ellen K Wirta, Michele N Wood

1980- 1981 Michael Ansart, Jim Britton, Wendy Britton, Scott Dickinson, Liz I Hoar, Joseph Internicola, Lee Ann B Maroni, Dale Morrow, Annie C Potash, Kathy B Ross, Andrew Trombley, Mark Wirta

1978-1979 Randy Buswell, Janet G Butler,Cindy M Chaves, Kent Dickinson, Tim Fortier, Carl Gissler, Renee G Lecaroz, Aaron Simpson, Lynne B Thomas, Allison D Touchette, Daniel Trombley, Bob Wagner

1977 Paul Appleby, Marla Binzel, Christopher Ellis, Candy W Fuller, Dennis Hurd, Richard Kelly, Mitch Latva, Joanne N Menard, Marion C Quintas, Sherry Simms, Susan N Stocklan, Joel Thomas, Donna A Timme, Bret Wirta, Cindy B Yeager

1970-1976 William Boyce, Steven Butler, Charlotte S Clay, Robert C Ferguson, April W Freeman, David Fuller, Will Odell, Leslie Powers, Gail H Raymond, Susan Sargent,
Joanne A Stevens,

1940-1969 Bob Buswell, Chester Cheney, Charlie Colcord, Jim Cooke, Jerry Hackett, Patricia P Kosowicz, Linda C Nutting, Arthur Partridge, David Rich, Ellsworth Ruggles, David Tompkins

FACULTY Laura Davis, Anna Duke, Bill Gauthier, Karen Gosselin, Ken Greenbaum, Frank Hammond, Daniel Hudkins, Richard C Leone, Wendy Nolin, Alan Peterson, Patricia Rude.

Thank you all!

Labels: Bret, Joel, New Hampshire, Sunapee

This is compulsion for me. I'm proud not to have skipped even a single day during the last 1018. There are times though when I feel less than zealous about adding a new entry. I really should have a few extra, completed topics just sitting around in case of an emergency or sickness.

Maybe it's enough today to merely mention that I'm free from obligation next week. It is a free week between classes at BCIT. Jay has off Monday as well. We plan on travelling to Harrison Hotsprings Resort and Spa. It's a short trip out the Fraser Valley. We'll go on Sunday and return the next day. Being completely pampered differs from our usual backpacker-style overnights. Thank you Lynne and Joel for the extremely thoughtful present. We're finally making use of the gift certificate you so kindly gave us.

Labels: Joel

This was a road trip from exactly two years back. This road trip was not a long one. We crossed the border into Washington State and headed east on the North Cascades Highway. Our goal was the Grand Coulee Dam. We spent a night there and also one visiting the Thomas family in Easton, WA before returning home.

Labels: Joel, places

We had a nice trip going to Sequim yesterday and returning late this afternoon. It was about 250 kilometers (150 miles) each way excluding the half hour ferry between Keystone and Port Townsend, Washington.

This picture to the right comprises my two high school buddies, their wives, and Jay. I took the picture overlooking Dungeness Spit, a five mile strip that runs along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

We want to thank Bret for organizing the event and for the wonderful suites in their hotel.

Labels: Bret, Joel, places

I went to high school on the far side of this continent with Joel and Bret. In the grand scheme of things it has turned out rather strange that we've all ended up living so far away but still within 200 miles of each other. We don't really get a chance to meet up very often, but it has been known to happen. The photo above was taken during the summer of 1997. How could that possibly be nine years ago? At last, we will be meeting up again in Sequim, WA over the weekend.

Labels: Bret, Joel

This morning Lynne and Whit headed for home. I had given them my New Westminster visitor-parking permit. Our street has restricted parking and cars staying for more than a few hours must have a permit hanging from the rear-view mirror and visible through the windshield.



As we were out all of yesterday, we didn't even check the car. Today as they were leaving, we noticed two parking tickets on the vehicle. The infraction was for "parking within 1.5 metres of a driveway". What is this?

I've lived in the building for seven years and never witnessed this type of ticket. Care is always taken not to block the circular driveway, as handicapped people require close access to the doorway. Additionally, delivery men need to be able to pull in. For these reasons, we are very aware of vehicle placement. There are no lines on our side of the street which would indicate the apparently new restrictions. This 'extra' required space will cut down on the number of cars that fit in front of the building!

I have seen a cute little SmartCar owned by the New Westminster Engineering Department's Parking Services. It appears as if in order to pay for it, the Engineering Department is enforcing rules that are both silly and impractical. In fact to try to fit in the parallel spaces, drivers are going to be blocking the street for much more time while squeezing into the downsized area.

Lastly, if the $40 tickets aren't contested or paid within about five weeks then they're increased to $70! What type of business is allowed to function with such obvious bullying tactics? I dare say it'd be illegal. Shame on New Westminster's Parking Services.

Labels: Joel, New Westminster

Today was eventful. Whit was being dreadlocked from noon to 4 pm, while Lynne and I walked the length and breadth of downtown Vancouver. We did tapas for dinner and got back to New Westminster after nine.

Labels: Joel, New Westminster

In yesterday's entry I mentioned Bret. He's on the right in this well-worn photo of the famous trio that ran the Harbor Gameroom during summers from college. (See a previous blog entry.) This photo has been hanging around before. In fact, one very small and very old copy sits on my regular eResume Site's youth page. I recently scanned it again so that I could upload a copy to Flickr. It deserves to be re-digitized as the image will be 25 years old next spring.

By the way, this entry's title is a foggy reference to a beer-marketing campaign. It was probably aimed just at college males. There were hundreds of free posters with a buxom babe with several large, full mugs. I can't remember the company but I recall the posters being on many dormroom walls.

Labels: Bret, Joel, The Harbor Gameroom

Yesterday evening I was finally able to sit on the balcony and enjoy the summer weather. For some reason, it seems as though it's taken a long time in coming this year. It becomes very hard to sympathize with the news of sweltering heat in other locations, when one still has a quilt on the bed. Here are a few thoughts that I wrote after a hard day of teaching and a glass of Canadian Club.

"I'm watching barges and pleasure craft running up and down the Fraser River. The top of Mr. Baker, in Washington State, looms over the horizon. People who are barbecuing dinner on various balconies are providing a wonderful aroma of burning sauces. There are quite a limited number of people at the New Westminster Quay considering how fine the weather is. Perhaps I'm just comparing the present numbers to those who were here for this weekend's Fraserfest firework shows.

After a wait, I must've felt the same technological contentment that my friend, Bret must've felt well over a year ago when we installed a wireless network in his house. At that time, he was able to do computer work while sitting near the fountain at the small oasis at the back of the house. Here it my balcony that matters.

I just returned an email to my sister whom I hear from on occasion. I am so pleased to have got to know her more in the last several years than the previous two decades. It's also nice knowing that Lynne and Joel will be up for a short visit from tomorrow. Although their visits are rare, it only takes a second before it feels like we've never been out of contact.

I'm also happy that Jay will return from work shortly."

Labels: balcony, Bret, Joel, New Westminster, Quay

If you read this between 9:00 and 14:00 (GMT -8:00) we may be somewhere along this route. In fact, by clicking on the the first link I provided, you can get an idea of the first 100 kilometers. You may even see us on one of the Washington State highway cams. Just be on the lookout for a green, Ranger pickup with a black canopy!

DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
First, we have to head out of the building and down Church Street. We turn right onto Columbia Street and continue by following the route to the Alex Fraser Bridge, then down 91 to 99. Next, we drive through the Peace Arch border crossing and down I-5 South to Everett. At that point, we get onto Route 2 East but only to Monroe. After that, it's the leisurely drive south on Washington 203. In order to get to Snoqualmie, we will exit to Washington 202. If we bring along sandwiches, then Snoqualmie Falls might provide a nice view for lunch. Then, we proceed on to North Bend where we can hit I-90 East. Once we're over the pass, it's a short distance before exiting the Interstate. Finally, in the early afternoon, we'll be at Joel and Lynne's.

Labels: cars, Joel, places, Ranger

What a great segue! Yesterday, we were discussing saving moving images and the very same day, Joel asked about making video available online.

This will be the next pioneering effort with networks. It's already an industry trend. When broadband gets broad enough, we won't think a thing about sending around large compressed video files. I'm sure it will happen soon enough so we'll laugh at the restrictions of the present time. I remember streaming Real Audio in the Emirates at a blazing 8 kps. I was amazed it worked at all, but it puts to shame the 100k stereo one can pump out nowadays.

Rather than having to store video locally, Joel found this location to upload personal video. You sign away your rights to the material when you let 'em have it but so what? People used to bore each other with 35mm slide shows in a darkened room. Now I'll be able do it online.

Oh, so you won't be bored, here's:

Joel and Ben's Snowmobiling Rock Video.

Labels: Joel

Last July, I first showed the ability to connect my old Compaq iPaq to my Garmin GPS. Believe it or not, I don't think we've ventured on any sort of 'road trip' since then. We have had vacations, including several months in Sri Lanka, but no times where I've driven over 100 kilometers away from this apartment!

So I am looking forward to our trip down to see Lynne and Joel next week. I've loaded a set of three files converted from Microsoft Streets and Maps into my pocket version. Now with the GPS on the dashboard, my iPaq will show exactly where we are along our journey. Imagine being able to accurate know one's location within three metres as one flies down the highway at 120 kph!

Even more amazing is the fact I could exit into any town and watch our progress on named streets in the unknown location. I can also toggle on or off 'Points of Interest' at will. These include places like rest stops, restaurants, and even hospitals. A quick connection with the web site downloaded all current highway construction information. We're ready to head out on Tuesday although I would've known where to go without any of the technology.


Out in the 'boonies' there's not much detailed information.

Labels: GPS, Joel

It started the summer after high school graduation. The Soo-Nipi Shoppe at Sunapee Harbor, NH was created for tourists. We provided space in, what is again called, The Anchorage. To fill a small room, we collected handicrafts from locals and sold on a commission basis. During that first year, we oversaw a few pinball machines and a jukebox in an adjoining room. In subsequent years, the whole business morphed into The Harbor Gameroom.

Labels: Bret, Joel, New Hampshire, Sunapee, The Harbor Gameroom

Q) What's something that we all do but seldom publicly admit?

A) Type in our own names and do Internet searches.

I still remember when Yahoo first started pointing to web pages with my name around ten years ago. A whole decade later, I'm still listed and there's much more of me (literally too.)

That's neither here nor there though. What is important is that if I continue to add people from my past to this blog, then eventually they'll show up as visitors. (This has happened to a number of you and you know who you are!)


WHO'S IN THIS HIGH SCHOOL ERA SHOT?

Back row, left to right: Richard Kelly, Christopher Ellis, Joel Thomas, and Candy Winn Fuller.
Center: Gifford Swanson.
Bottom row: Catherine Harold, and yours truly (Is mouth always open?)
Half Hidden: Marla Binzel (Sorry, this was Bret Wirta's camera work.)

Labels: Bret, camera, Joel

Yesterday's entry prompted me to return to my photo suitcase. This is the only way I'll ever be able to write an autobiography; apparently, one disorganized blog entry at a time!

The photo to the right was from the actual Thanksgiving weekend mentioned in the letter below. The father, Joel, is older and undoubtedly wiser; while the daughter is now attending university in Washington, DC.

I was able to find images that matched yesterday's entry. I guess I'm more organized than I thought. Imagine how many places these pictures have been in the intervening years! Moreover, imagine what a horrible pack rat I'd be if I had settled into an actual house with copious closet and storage space!

The picture below was also taken in 1987 at my apartment near the SeaTac airport.

Since the scanner was set up, I just had to capture one other image from earlier that fall. It is a larger photograph showing the car in which my dad and I travelled from New Hampshire. It was in a parking lot when we visited Mt. Rainier National Park.



If I keep adding images at such a harried pace, I'll have to upgrade my server space before the summer!

Labels: Bret, Joel

Nowadays, my sister and I don't email often enough. I did, however, find this letter on my backup CD. It is proof that I used to write, back when the postal service was the only option. I'll include it here as it was at an interesting time of change in my life and in my sister's too.

I had quit working in Taif, Saudi Arabia about 6 months prior to this letter. I had immediately flown to Sri Lanka via Athens. After finding that a student visa wasn't going to work out for Jay, I reluctantly landed in Boston. My dad in New Hampshire had readied a Plymouth station wagon and we drove out west.

The destination was my friends, the Thomases who were living in Kent, Washington at the time. My father flew home. I stayed in Kent and searched for an apartment and lived for about three months practically on a runway at SeaTac. In this letter I was making arrangements to return to the other coast of Saudi Arabia and teach young Saudis in the Navy there.

---

Carriage House Apt# C1
3606 South 180th Street
Seattle, WA 98188
Telephone: (206) 241-7274

December 1, 1987


Dear Laurie,

I've never written a letter to Iowa before although I know that sounds rather ‘corny’. Aren't I just so funny?

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. And I'm sure you had a safe trip driving out there. How is everything?

For Thanksgiving I went with the gang down to Ocean Shores, WA. Did I tell you about it before? Joel, Lynne, their baby, Bret and his girlfriend spent the four-day weekend in a rented beach house. It was great. The weather was traditional Pacific Northwest. That means it was rather gray and it rained once. We all enjoyed ourselves. I think I ate and drank a little too much though.

I sent in my passport and other materials for the job in Saudi Arabia. I have been wondering if I'm making the right choice. But I'm not getting any younger and I'll have to get this traveling out of my system soon. This job sounds interesting because it is in a different part of the country. The city of Dammam is on the east coast, and not too far from Kuwait. Don't you think it might be fun watching all the boats going up and down the Persian Gulf? (Everyone I've told thinks I'm nuts.) But why not? I have had almost four months out here as vacation.

It will be a week's time before I hear anything about the job. It takes at least that long before the paperwork can be processed at the Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC. I'll be sure to keep you informed as soon as anything becomes definite. (And I have your phone number to call before I leave.)

You have got to sit down and write a letter to me and explain everything that is happening. (Neither of us can afford the telephone at this time!)

Dad sent a letter and told me how happy he was that you are getting this chance to go to Iowa. Isn't it funny, you never know how people are going to act. Even his life sounds as crazy as the rest of us. I think it will be good if he gets a chance to visit someplace far away. He has always had the right answers for everything. Maybe this will make him more open to new ideas.

I just wanted to send my greetings and remind you that I can write to you.

Your bro,

Labels: Bret, file archives, Joel, Laurie

There are all sorts of tricks that can help to drive guests to a blog. Some I avoid. Yet, I find that Google and MSN Search keep pretty accurate tabs on my site. This accounts for many strangers who visit.

And I discovered, quite by accident, another way to increase traffic. Last week, I blogged a list of ex-colleagues and . . . voila . . . a fair number showed up because they had googled themselves!

So, here is another list. These are people who graduated with me from high school in Sunapee, New Hampshire. It's true; there aren't many names because my town was very small. This little list is the whole kit and kaboodle. I copied all names from a reunion planning document mentioned in last Saturday's eJournal entry.

Ann Spear Pillsbury, Bernice Ross, Bret Wirta, Candy Winn Fuller, Carol Abbott, Catherine Harold, Christopher Ellis, Cindy Beal, Cindy Nichols Walker, Crystal Gareau, Dennis Hurd, Donna Ashford Timme, Fred Gallup, Gifford Swanson, Joanne Nutting Menard, Joel Thomas, Kathy Touchette Balch, Kim Seale Chartier, Kris Englestad Kayser, Laura Carroll, Lori Collins Preston, Marion Collins Quintas, Marla Binzel, Marty Wiggins, Mitchell Latva, Paul Appleby, Richard Kelly, Ricky Morse, Sandy Hale Bailey, Sharlene Doxter, Sherry Simms, Stephen Buswell, Susan Nielsen Stocklan.

Labels: Bret, Google, Joel, lists, New Hampshire, Sunapee

"... Everyone enjoyed the movie, Polar Express. Our school had done the story as a play some years ago. I was a little bothered at one point when the characters broke into song, in what had not appeared to be a musical up top that point. The computer animation is definitely a new "best" and seeing humans animated so real was a bit disturbing. Last movie that I saw there was the Matrix. Canada will always be where I go to see breakthrough movie technology!"

---

I will look forward to seeing that movie. Ebert talked about it perhaps becoming a 'Christmas-time classic'. Other critics have said it's a bit 'creepy' which is probably not the best adjective with which to market a Christmas movie. At what age group do you think it's aimed?

Oh, regarding earlier attempts at human animation, did you ever see Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within ? It's science fiction with a Japanese anime undercurrent. It is now over three years old, but I thought the characters were quite convincing even then.

In the future we'll be able to 'bring back' dead actors, or perhaps make 'a star' out of anybody. Hum .. would I be willing to pay extra bucks to see a movie where I had a leading role? My avatar is uploaded to the studio and a personalized print of the movie is sent back to me ... watch out Brad Pitt!

---

Labels: Christmas, futurecast, Joel, movies, sci-fi

Over the weekend, some high school students from Easton, Washington visted the area. They arrived by train from Seattle and stayed in downtown Vancouver for two nights. They participated in some local activities. While in the area, Joel Thomas brought them out for a visit to New Westminster too. The SkyTrain makes access easy and quick. They came up to this apartment and visited here for a little while.

Labels: Joel, New Westminster, Seattle

The taxi gets here at 9:45 am. The plane doesn't take off til 2:00 pm. See ya in November!

---

The 1st Annual Readership Awards

This is not the time nor the place where readers nominate award-winning entries which have appeared here over the past year. Rather, it's a space where I congratulate my most loyal readers. Gosh, I wish there were cash prizes!

Top awards go to:

Patty

Sujay

Ed

Shinji

Don (when at home)

Joel (for PocketPC AvantGo version).

Honourable mention:

Sally

Bret

Tim.

Labels: Joel

One benefit of this blog is that a search for materials sometimes prompts me to find old photos to scan. If there was no need to fill an entry, they'd surely sit forever in my photo suitcase in the closet.

Right now, I'm not wearing a shirt because it's so hot. This year, Vancouver has had a very warm summer with lots of sunshine. Furthermore, in a couple of weeks, we're off to Sri Lanka and Singapore for several months. The temperatures in countries near the equator don't vary greatly. In Colombo, it seems to be exactly 32C (89F) every day!

Because this photo is such a contrast to the discussion of heat, I've included it. Here is Jay the first winter after arriving in Canada. We went down to the Lynne and Joel's house at the Pass for Christmas. There was a major blizzard, the Interstate highway was closed for three days, and we were stranded. However, we had fun zooming around on snowmobiles. Jay had seen and walked in snow when we once travelled to Turkey from the Middle East, but he'd never seen this much!

Labels: Christmas, Joel

Now, my geocache hidden across the river has been discovered twenty-seven times. Actually, my friend Joel found it a few weeks back with my help and GPS, but he is not yet a member on the www.geocaching.com website.) By scrolling down the linked page, you can read the most recent of the 26 comments found there.

Click here ---> GCJQVV Tannery Park

Labels: GPS, Joel

Now they've headed south. What a good opportunity to thank 'em for coming up. Oh, and we give a special thanks for taking us out for dinner on the casino boat too! It was great to see the puppy and I'm sure Macie grew a few inches during the two-night visit!


It looks like they were thinking: 'Nah, we don't believe a word you're saying ...'

Labels: Joel

The visitors made it up across the 49th parallel. Joel, Lynne, and the puppy, Macie got here yesterday afternoon. We walked up to Queen's Park and those four tiny dog's legs did a remarkable job!

Labels: Joel

This week Joel and Lynne will be up to visit for a few days. It looks as if the weather will stay around 30C (85F). Phew, we're not used to such heat here. Ben has to work; however, Macie, the puppy, will be able to make the trip. It will be fun to meet her.

Labels: Joel

I was at a bit unsure what to include today. It does seem as if my recent entries have been a bit wordy. So, I decided that it was time to look through old photos to scan. That's always easy.


The other weekend at Bret's house, Joel and I agreed on
the profound human themes found in the movie, Summer Lovers.
Although, I never visited the Greek islands at the same time as
the Joel and Lynne, through the magic of a photo editor ... it
apparently occurred. (You should note that we are wearing many
more clothes than the people in the early 80's flick.)

This, however, is to encourage you, Mr. Wirta to watch the movie
as soon as it arrives in the mail.

Labels: Joel, movies

Click here ---->

Labels: Bret, Joel

I will be travelling to Seattle today. It is time to catch up with friends. Bret and Joel were high school friends from the other side of the continent. The three of us ran, The Harbor Gameroom (March 16, 2004), an arcade at Sunapee Harbor, New Hampshire in the early 1980's. The last time we were together was at our 25th High School Reunion in 2002.

I am sure that I'll be able to blog from there. Bret is in the midst of adding computers for the kids, a wide-sreen notebook book for his lovely wife, and enough wireless networking to tie it all together.

Labels: Bret, Joel, New Hampshire, Seattle, The Harbor Gameroom

Joel, I see that you use Avantgo to pull this into your PocketPC on a daily basis. Good morning!

Labels: Joel

We walked to see a beaver dam then up the mountain near Lynne and Joel's home.

Labels: driving, Joel

A person could read any blog from the beginning. However, if there happens to be any logical development in the topic, then it occurs in reverse chronological order. For example, here's a recap of the last few days:

Last Friday, I mentioned that I had brought my camera to BCIT.

So, on Saturday, I showed a picture taken in the computer lab.

On Sunday, that led me to consider the music at the beginning of the PC era.

Yesterday, I spent some time discussing the movie, TRON, from that time period.

Now here's the current connection: The movie, TRON, contained arcade games as an important aspect of the plot. This has led me look around for a picture of the gang who brought Pacman to the Harbor at Sunapee, New Hampshire. Look at the friends in the picture who began The Harbor Gameroom. Thanks to Bret Wirta's endless business acumen, Joel Thomas's engineering aptitude, and the good fortune of the arcade boom, we created a summer business during my college years.

Although the building no longer exists, our business is kept alive in memory. Our large roof sign now sits in the Sunapee Historical Society.


"Come Play With Me .... at the Harbor Gameroom". That's what
the t-shirts used to say and it was accurate for the hundreds of local
and visiting patrons. I'm in the back. In the first row, Joel Thomas
is on the left. Bret Wirta appears in the middle and his brother, Mark
Wirta is on the right.

Labels: Bret, camera, games, Joel, New Hampshire, Sunapee, The Harbor Gameroom

How can a request for distance sometimes elicit a response measuring time?

Continuing on the topic of hitting the road, I notice a big difference in perception between the east and west sides of our continent. The whole US eastern seaboard, from Portland, ME to Atlanta, GA and right on down to Key West, is essentially a continuous super-sized set of suburbs. So, one never has far to go. On the other hand, in the west there can be miles and miles between settlements. These differences have made many people 'out west' (where the states are big) more tolerant of long-distance driving. Whereas, people 'back east' prefer to live within a dozen miles of their job, in the west, I know people who routinely commute a hundred kilometers (sixty or seventy miles) each day.


In this 2002 picture, in order for our visitor to see a high school alumnus,
we easily made a 'road trip' a few hundred miles south.

Labels: driving, Joel, places

Yesterday's talk of luxury motorhomes reminded me of a scanned picture I thought I could find. Here's Joel and Lynne. Always the builder, the camper shell was a 'custom, Joel job'. I'm sure the truck was the means of transportation to the west, wasn't it? Hum ... I'd not venture to guess the year but I bet we'd have been more likely to have had The Police on the radio than in the rear-view mirror.


If I eventually find an email comment, then I'll know they read this blog!

Labels: Joel

Bret and Joel, I know you're keen on old railroad biking. The fires here in BC are now destroying historic trestle bridges in the Okanagan.

Labels: Bret, Joel, Okanagan, road trip