How-To Tuesdays

Another new feature I have been thinking about for a while - this one also a monthly one. How-To Tuesdays! There are quite a few things I do that I would enjoy sharing with my readers. This idea started with How to Wrap a Baby Gift, which I posted last month. I thought of starting it then but figured I would not be able to think of enough things. I have already written a few and therefore figure it could work. Topics will likely range from sewing projects and gifting ideas to random computer functions - perhaps even some Photoshop techniques. I will try to document them with photographs and/or screen captures as much as possible as I find this helps me when learning new things.

Sweet 341

When I moved into residence I was rather nervous. Those 8 months turned out to be some of the greatest of my life and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Suite 341 (deemed Sweet 341 by Chris) was awesome and the people in it were even better.

I checked out XKCD the other day and saw this comic entitled "orbitals", see above. What most intrigued me, besides the completely accurate logic behind it, was that the dorm set up looked almost identical to what Chris, Emily and I had in Glengarry. The only difference is that there appears to be closets for each of the rooms, which we sadly, did not have. In fact, if you take away the closets, put a tv in the one corner across from the couch, and move the main door to the 'top' wall you would have Suite 341. I am not naive to think that no other place would have the same setup, it is just odd to see is all.

Hallowe'en at DST

Most workplaces have people who get dressed up and some will have candy and treats for their employees near Hallowe'en, and DST is no exception. This year we had a myriad of costumes and a pizza lunch/staff meeting.

The costume contest participants at DST Ottawa, are pictured above. There was our (female) CAD Technician who dressed up as our Sector Manager (with newborn son) pictured below, won the costume contest despite the fact that she wore the same costume (minus the child) last year. It is just such a funny costume it can't be topped.

Dave was a little upset later on when I told him that he likely would have won if a) his costume was complete and b) he wasn't sent out of town for the day (by me) to complete waste audits. He was only upset because the winner (and runner up) got gift cards to Future Shop and Subway, respectively. I hope that next year, my costume will be completed in time for me to participate as well as it just looked like everyone was having so much fun.

One Minute Writer #46

What nervous habit(s) do you have?

I have a few nervous habits, all of which I would really like to stop. Firstly, I bite the inside of my cheeks and my lips. It leads to not only painful and unsightly lips, but I get a wee talk about it every time I go to the dentist. Secondly, I bite and pick my nails. Usually I do this under a desk where no one can see and then throw them into the garbage, but it irritates me that I do it nonetheless. There are some others, but those are the two big ones that I do when I am nervous or bored. Oh, I fidgit. I play with pens or my iron ring, whatever is around.

A Cookie Monster Kind of Morning

This morning when I logged onto the computer and routinely opened up Google, I found a great big Cookie Monster greeting me. It is the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street and both yesterday and today Google has been celebrating it with special Google headers. Yesterday was Big Bird's legs as the L, and today, as you can see above, Cookie Monster is eating the cookie Google. I really love this one as Cookie Monster was my one of my favourite characters. My dad also did (and likely still does) a really good Cookie Monster impression.

The show premiered back in 1969 and as I am told by my parents today, was a children's show that parents could bear to watch. I remember watching many hours of this show growing up and often having my dad watching it alongside me. So seeing the Cookie Monster on my computer screen this morning filled me with a warm, happy memory that made my morning a little better.

Quotable Thursday #9

"An inability to stay quiet is one of the most conspicuous failings of mankind." - Walter Bagehot.

Asbestos

Dave and I work and deal with asbestos (and asbestos abatement) on a pretty regular basis. DST does a great deal of asbestos surveys and abatement monitoring and we as juniours tend to do a great deal of the field work and report writing for these jobs. I recently completed a course on Asbestos Fibre Counting and can now do even more with asbestos.

It is also funny how Dave and I both get really excited when someone, or thing, in every day life refers to asbestos, like the above comic. (comic from xkcd). We also have this pretty annoying habit of surveying every building we walk into for asbestos and the other 10 designated substances.