lucozoid.co.uk

He's big, he's red...

... his feet stick out the bed! Peter Crouch scores a hat-trick and Liverpool beat Arsenal 4-1. Have that Gunners! For once I am glad I stayed up til 4:45am to watch the game. Last night I went to the Turtle again - met Jen in there, and we had dinner then went to Legends to see Newfy (Sean) as it was his birthday. I deliberately drunk very few drinks because I knew I was going to stay up all night. Come 4am, I was back at my hotel room, cup of tea and toast in hand, waiting for the game to start. 4 mins in, and we are 1-0 up and didn't look back. I hit the sack at 7am, and got up at lunchtime. Great game, and great result! Now we look forward to Tuesday's game against PSV.

Went to the Dew just now and had a taco salad - very good. Gonna hit the gym for an hour or so then head back to the Dew to catch the end of the Maple Leafs game, and then watch the Canucks take on Calgary Flames - local derby!

It's a really nice sunny day here today but there's a really cold wind. I managed to take a few pictures from my hotel balcony of the mountains. They are in the photo gallery, in my misc photos section. Hopefully I can get some better ones at another time - we may take a trip up there again at some point before I leave.

So - nothing else much to report since Wednesday. I watched the Sopranos of course, and then had a few quiet days - nothing much happening work-wise until next week's runway closure. I went to Name that Tune at the Foggy Dew on Thursday but didn't stay late of course, and didn't enter a team this week. I just helped a few people out with songs here and there. Friday - had a load of errands to run around the airport (posting various things) and at Best-Buy (looking at pc hardware), and also had to go shopping for new headphones (my ipod ones broke!) and the normal groceries and toiletries. On Wednesday night, I swapped from my ground floor hotel room to a room up on the 10th floor because the noise of construction over the road was getting too much. I'm on the other side of the hotel now so can't hear it. Room 1002 for those of you who are veterans of the hotel - The side that looks over the airport. It's good to have a balcony and a view again after a couple months stuck in the dungeon room!

Canucks make the playoffs!

The road to the Stanley Cup starts here. They clinched a 3-0 win at the Colorado Avalanche yesterday to guarantee themselves a playoff spot. We watched the game, it was a close 1-0 until the end when Colorado pulled their goaltender and Vancouver scored twice into the empty net. Good times!

Updated the photo gallery with a few (outside) pics of the hotel and the Foggy Dew. Still haven't been able to get some nice pics of the mountains. The problem is, I am on the bottom floor of the tower at the hotel so I am nowhere near high enough to get shots from the balcony. I might ask if I can move rooms to the 16th or 17th floor...!

Yesterday was a quiet day at work. Ended up going for a lunch at Milestones (great seafood salad!) and then later in the day headed to Minorou Park - unbelievably I never knew there was a park and rec ground just over the road from the hotel... You have to go down a sideroad between two other hotels to get there! I went there with Jax and we fed the ducks and did the diet coke and mento's experiment to see if it really worked - oh yeah! It did! I should have video'd it!

At the weekend I might go buy a football and see if I can persuade some of the guys to come play soccer! Should be fun if I can make it happen :)

After the park, I met Ben and we watched the hockey game. Then it was back to the hotel for a reasonably early night. No plans for tonight - it's Wednesday and that means The Sopranos is on TV :)

Beans Beans Beans! Yarrrr!

No, I've not gone mad. I finally cracked and opened the tins of beans that Graham brought out here a few weeks ago... Oh lord, yesterday for breakfast I had cheezy beans on toast with Worcester sauce and it was awesome! Here I am in one of the finest dining cities in the world and I chose to eat beans on toast. But it was sooo good!

So, the last few days have been busy. On Thursday/Friday I wasn't feeling too good - seems I caught a bit of the bug that various people at the airport have had. On Friday night I was due to go to the River Rock Casino in Richmond for the seafood & prime rib buffet. I went along (because I've never actually been to a casino!) and the buffet was good. I didn't go overboard on the food at all - some rib, and some tiger prawns, and mostly salad and veggies. It was actually good food for a buffet and only cost $30 - cheap as chips as we like to say! After the buffet we went down onto the casino floor and played some slot machines. I played the first machine and turned $20 into $40. We should have walked away right then... but no... played a few more and ended up losing all of it - and putting another $40 into a few other machines... like the slogan says "Know your limit, play within it" so after that we called it a day. But I was able to fulfil a lifetime ambition shortly after when we took a walk to the roulette tables and I put $50 on "black". Just a shame the ball rolled in on "red". Ho-hum.... :) After the Casino, I went with Jen to the Flying Beaver and had a few drinks before heading back to the Dew.

So, Saturday, after the customary dash to work to check things over, I didn't do much. Played computer games, listened to music, and read my book. Later in the afternoon I headed to the "English Store" in Steveston, and picked up some bacon, sausages, and black pudding for a fry up we are going to do sometime this week. Well, I say fry up, but I'll actually grill most of it and cook the bangers in the oven. The english store was great and had all the nice chocolates and stuff from home - they import it all so there is a bit of a premium added to the prices (1 tin of Heinz beans is £1.25!) but it's nice to know that I can go up there and get a few things to remind me of home..!

So, after that little excursion, me and Ben hit the gym and I taught him the joys of drop-sets on the bicep curling machine (or, the Ha-Ha game as me, Paul, and Deano used to call it). After the gym we were both shattered so I came home and veg'd out in front of the TV for a while before heading out for the night. Went to the Turtle with Neil and Jen for food and got half BBQ chicken and mash! Really nice, and hey the mash is bad for the diet but whatever, one bad day is allowed...!

So, plans for this week - well, the south runway is getting closed at some point for me to do some important testing so we'll have to deal with that. There are some other things to do as well if the bad weather keeps up. It's going to be a busy week I think...

5 more weeks!

So, I am provisionally going home on 27th April - so I can get ready to be best man at my friend's wedding and organise his Stag night! His wedding is on May 11th, so I get a few weeks to get home, reaclimatise, and get things sorted...

Gotta say though - I'm getting a bit homesick now. Now that I am on my health kick - hitting the gym, staying in the hotel room a lot more - I am getting more time to myself and thinking about home. I've watched all the DVDs I bought with me, and Canadian TV is no good (apart from CSI Miami if I am home early enough to watch it, and The Sopranos on Wednesdays). I seriously need a new hobby for the next 5 weeks that doesn't involve drinking beers and eating fried foods....

Went to the gym last night, and did cardio and shoulders/back weights. My shoulders are so weak now, I can barely lift 50lbs. I was never that good at shoulder presses anyway but it's not so good since I hurt my shoulder a while back. I'll have to do a lot more work on shoulders to build them back up. After the gym I hit the Foggy Dew for all of about 15 mins - the time it took to order and eat a Jambalaya pasta... I forgot how hot and spicy it is, in fact I would go as far as to say I didn't enjoy some of it - there is loads of garlic and you have the most horrific breath by the time you've finished :) After that it was back to the hotel, and again, an early night - asleep by 11pm. Since I've been getting these early nights though, I wake up feeling more tired than ever, perhaps I am sleeping too long...

Anyway, it's 10:30am at the airport as I write, a miserable, wet, gloomy day - and I am drinking a classico smoothie, so everything is good at the moment :)

What you talkin' bout, Willis?

Wednesday today, and not much is happening. My office has been overtaken by a load of furniture and chairs. The airport are moving me, and letting some summer students move in here, so I have all their stuff surrounding me. Should be outta here in a couple of weeks.

In all honesty, nothing much has happened in the last few days other than work issues. I went for sushi with Ben on Monday night, and did nothing last night onther than recover from the gym. I was in bed and asleep by 10:30pm. On the plus side though, I lost 4lbs in my first week of healthy eating and working out, so only another 16lbs to go before I hit my first target. I expect it will take much longer to lose more weight - you always lose the most in the first week you start. In any case, I'll be hitting the gym again today and every day I am here :)

Still no chance to take some nice landscape shots of Vancouver and Richmond - the weather has been really bad, dull and overcast most of the time, even if it's stayed dry. Never mind, I'm sure things will clear up soon...

The morning after...

... the night before! Ok, so first things first - I've added more pictures to the photo gallery and rearranged it a little. Yesterday was of course St Patrick's day and we had a great time in the Foggy Dew. I got in there at 3pm yesterday to watch the Maple Leafs hockey game and the place was rammed. It stayed busy right up until closing. I ended up staying the whole time because I didn't want to lose my spec for the Canucks vs Redwings game. Canucks game out 4-1 winners against the top team in the NHL - so a great result! Not such a good result for Liverpool today who could only draw against Aston Villa. Damn!

So, last night and the day in general was fun - the guys at the Dew had arranged Irish dancing, bagpipe music from the local firehall, and of course an Irish band for the night. It was good fun and everybody seemed to have a great time!

Today will be a day of rest and relaxation - gym later on of course - and chilling out tonight, probably watching DVDs or I might even go watch a movie...!

3 for 3...

Went to the Canucks game last night and they won 3-2, with an overtime goal scored by one of the Sedin twins - can't tell them apart so I don't know which. Daniel I think, with Henrik adding the assist. It was a good game but the Canucks should have won it easily. In the end they outshot St Louis by 35 to 20 something, but couldn't find the net. At least they won though! After that it was back to the hotel to get some sleep before work today.

I am not enjoying my new healthy eating lifestyle. Trying to find the right foods to eat at the airport is impossible. Everything is geared towards being fast food and therefore unhealthy. Must have been the day for it but even the sit down meal places like Medallist and Milestones were really busy and I didn't have the patience to sit down and wait. End result, it is 15:10 and I haven't eaten lunch yet.... will have to get something soon...

So - tomorrow is St Patrick's day, and as you would expect for an Irish bar, the Foggy Dew has got decorations and posters up. I am told they had Irish dancers last night, and they'll also be dancing tonight and of course tomorrow. I don't know if I'll go in tomorrow - it will be really really busy. Perhaps I'll go in early just to see what's happening. We were supposed to be going snowboarding tomorrow but the weather forecast is bad so this might happen on Sunday instead, although Liverpool are finally playing a league game Sunday morning our time and the LFC supporter's club Vancouver have a tape-delay showing of the game on Sunday night so if I can avoid looking at the score all day I might go and watch that...

Got a couple pictures to put in the gallery from the Canucks game last night - I'll do that when I get home from work. Going to the gym tonight as well - it's bicep, tricep, chest night tonight along with a healthy dose of running and bike work... oh joy!

Yeah! Photo gallery at last!

My pictures will now be stored online here - go take a look. Will be adding more as I start to learn about how to use my new camera :)

Busy day today - moving equipment and writing shipping lists for things that need to be sent back to England. I went to the gym last night so today I am aching a bit and having to move toolboxes and stuff around is not helping! Will be going again tonight but only doing cardio and perhaps back / leg stretches seeing as last night was chest, biceps, triceps, and abs. I'm determined to lose at least 20lbs - so it's going to be a challenge. No fast food, no fried food, and no junk. And the most difficult thing - no beers!

Went to the movies last night (again) and watched Reno 911: Miami - a comedy that is made from a tv-show. I've never seen the show but the movie was still very funny. Worth watching if you want a laugh.

Tonight - gym after work followed by a chill out night of watching DVDs and reading my book. I've got a ticket for tomorrow night's hockey game which will be fun. The Canucks played last night but lost 3-2 in overtime to the Minnesota Wild...

Spartans! Tonight, we dine in hell!

So, last night, we went to watch "300" at Richmond centre. If you need any motivation to go work out at the gym - this movie is it. It's the story of 300 Spartan warriors who faced a certain death fighting against a huge Persian army at the battle of Thermopylae in 480BC. I don't know how truthful the movie is to the historical records, but it's an amazing story, and a well shot film. I'm even contemplating going to watch it again at the IMAX.

Anyway - seeing this movie has reminded me what gyms are for! I am going for a full on fitness regime to lose around 15 to 20 pounds and get into healthier eating again. Once I am back in reasonable shape, I can start to do the weights again.

Not much to report on the food front - salads are not very exciting - and the weather has been terrible recently. I went to see Raymond today for a haircut and that's always an experience in itself.

I was looking on iTunes yesterday and I found the bargain of the century. I picked up the Status Quo Rocker's Rollin anthology for £7.90! 68 tracks for hardly any cash at all. Some good live tracks on it too.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...

It's all a blur. The last few days have flown by. Graham flew out here on Weds night for a presentation on Thursday. He flew home last night. Our demo went well despite the bad rain on the airfield. The weather the last few days has been really miserable. I am forgetting what the sun actually looks like! It says something that since I got the new camera, I haven't been able to see the mountains and any picture I take outside looks drab and dreary. We went down to Robson Street for some shopping yesterday - of course with Graham in town we just had to visit Lulu Lemon for the various ladies in his life - and he must have dropped a couple hundred bucks on a few items there. If we could work out a way to get that stuff to England, we'd be millionaires. I picked up a bargain pair of boots (which i don't normally wear) for $45 but they were comfortable and a good deal so, meh why not.

So - this week - I have to move to a new office up in the domestic departures. No more Cathay office - the end of an era. I'll be in an office with Elise and JD so for the first time I'll have someone to talk to each day :) Very strange after the solitary life in an office with no windows!

Hockey game is on tonight - 5:30pm - the Canucks are taking on the Anaheim Mighty Ducks at GM Place. Should be a good close game.

Champion's League...

... you're having a laugh! So, Arsenal just got knocked out of the competition. United went through, and Celtic are losing 1-0. If they can score, and stop AC Milan, they'll go through on away goals... As for Liverpool, well - we are through. A nervy 1-0 loss against Barca, and we should have won it 3-0. We were the better team but just like the other day, couldn't score. At least we are through and now we await our next opponents. I went to watch the game with the LFC fans down at the Library Square pub in downtown Vancouver. It was a great atmosphere and I met some great people - they made me feel welcome and it was good to watch the game and sing some songs and get behind the team. I joined the supporter's club for $10 and got a t-shirt into the bargain :) If there are any other big games while I'm here I'll definitely be heading down there to watch.

Graham is arriving today, so we are going to meet him at the arrivals hall. True to form, the flight is 40 mins late. Hopefully they will make up some time on the way over...

Still hoping to get out and take some nice pictures of the surrounding area but for the last few days the snow and rain and cloud has been wrecking the view...!

I don't think....

... I can eat again! Last night, the Richmond dinner crew went to Memphis Blues Southern BBQ House for some eats. (Team photo from afterwards above!) This place is awesome! You serve yourself with drinks, and order up the food - authentic recipe southern BBQ just like the King used to eat. We settled on 3 Elvis platters for ll people. Each platter has brisket, smokey sausage, pulled pork, short ribs, chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, cornbread, and fries. What a feast. Unfortunately for us they had run out of chicken so we got extra pulled pork. It's fair to say everyone ate more than they should have. This morning, I'm not feeling the best. In fact, it feels like I have a couple concrete blocks resting inside my belly. It was good fun at the time though. In the picture you can see several doggy bags which tells you how much food they served up! It was a good effort by everyone though...!

Had a good weekend - went to a club in downtown Van with Ben on Friday night - Plush. Was quite good and interesting to see that the clubs here are not different from the ones back home. Stayed up until 4:30am that night to watch the Liverpool vs Manchester United game. Less said about that the better, after the Mancs got an undeserved last minute winner to take the game 1-0. Gutted! Bring on Barca on Tuesday where we hope for a much better result.

So, Saturday was a quiet day - trying to catch up on rest having stayed up to watch the soccer. Saturday night we watched the UFC in the Thirsty Turtle - some great fights - and we played pulltabs - not so successful this time, and for $40 each invested, we came up with ZERO big wins :( Oh well, you gotta take the rough with the smooth. Yesterday, I was invited to a really nice brunch with Elise and Yvonne - they served up homemade pancakes, scrambled eggs, cinnamon buns, fresh fruits, OJ, and coffee, and it was really good. Elise and I hit the shops on errands after that - we finally managed to go get my workmate's joggers from Lulu Lemon that she bought and paid for in December! It was a miracle that after alterations they were still in the store. Going to be a quiet day of tidying up today - have to start to empty the office in preparation for moving to a new place. Probably won't go out tonight either as tomorrow is the day of the game and I want to be fresh for it!

Also - found today that I am here until at least March 30th!

Oh, and another thing!

Someone asked me - who is Dave? And what does the quote "Hello Dave, my wife would like to use your toilet" mean?

Well - it's a quote from a BBC comedy show called "The League of Gentlemen", and the clip I am talking about is linked from YouTube below :) [It is Papa Lazarou's first appearance in the show]

What? More snow...? Where did that come from?!

So, last night, I looked out of the window as I was lay on the couch watching "The Sopranos", and I saw the sky was filled with snow. I've never seen so much snow just suddenly start falling. Within no time at all, it was a few centimetres deep on the ground. It was supposed to be a very short flurry of snow, but there were still flakes falling as I headed to work today.

Got a new digital camera yesterday, an Olympus FE-220 - seems pretty good so far but it didn't come with a case or memory card so I need to go and get them at some point today. It seems a good camera though, and it means I can finally go out and get some nice pictures of Vancouver and Richmond at last.

I got the camera from Best Buy on the No. 3 Road, and on the way back I called in to the Thirsty Turtle bar to get some food - they do pulled pork bbq sandwiches that are awesome! Got one of those with the house salad. Played some keno, and some pulltabs while I was there. For a $20 investment, I got $7 back. Not so lucky today but it's all good fun. Someone asked what "pulltabbing" is? Well - it's like lottery scratchcards... The BC government runs lotteries and bingos to raise money for local causes (e.g. there is one pulltab that raises money for a kid's sportsfund). The pulltabs are little cards that can cost anywhere between 25c and $2 each. They have 5 tabs on them. You simply pull the tabs off the cards to uncover 5 lines. If you match 3 symbols on any of the 5 lines, you win that cash amount. The prize amounts and numbers of prizes depend on the cards you play.

As I've said in previous entries - we've managed to be quite successful at pulltabbing in the past - we won $900, then just the other day, 4 of us won $250 for a $40 investment... but of course you have to choose the games and venues carefully. No point going back to a place where you've won a jackpot recently to play the same cards again. To answer a question, it's just a bit of fun and not something you could make a living out of - unless you were the luckiest person alive! It's more of a social mess around thing for us, and we've just happened to get lucky on the 3 times we've played.

So - on the agenda for today - go and get an XD memory card and case for this camera, and then go and try and get some nice pictures of the mountains (especially now they are snow-covered), and the surrounding area. Tonight is "Name That Tune" night in the Foggy Dew, so I might go to that, but I am due to check out of the hotel tomorrow for a few days, so I need to ensure my bag is packed and I am ready to leave.

Oh - that reminds me - I am supposed to be flying home 1 week from today. I still don't know if I am going to be here longer but I suspect as much as we have to vacate our airport office and move some things to another area by March 15th!