Hunting Season and Ziplines

So, I went to Calgary for a couple days with a bunch of PharmaFriends.

We went to AHEIA Calgary Firearms Centre, which confuses the hell out of you by using a name that is deliberately uninformative and mysterious. In fact, even in the Yellow Pages, the listing mentioned no address and only a URL and phone number.
Still, I found out that it was cheap. Several bucks for shotgun rental and $8.50 for a box of 25 shells. And even crazier, FREE instruction. In fact, it cost just over $60 total for 5 people, for 2 hours, with free individualized instruction on how to use a shotgun. Clay target shooting, that is. Just like the Olympics. The instructor was good, being a former Olympic competitor. He was very receptive and helpful in teaching us the ways of the shotgun for 1 and 1/2 hrs. I got pretty good at it by the end, shooting about half of the clay pigeons that popped up.

Fun, yet somewhat disturbing, especially since the instructor left us alone for 5 minutes with 4 shotguns and a bunch of boxes of shells. You do the math.

Also, I went on the Zipline, a new thing at Calgary Olympic Park. So you can fly down the ski jump, attached to a wire and a harness. Luckily, I asked, and ain't no one died yet. Just a leg fracture, that's all. And that was because the person didn't follow proper braking procedures. It wasn't as scary as I thought. Still it was pretty cool, flying down the hill, though a bit pricey at $50.

I keep telling my friend Sinister Dex that he should hoop up a Zipline from his Newton Place balcony to DP6069 of the DentPharm building. It would take only 10 seconds to get to class.

The Sickness that Wouldn't Go Away

For the last week or two, I've had a respiratory infection that has not changed for the last week, for better or worse. The same pattern emerges every day. Wake up. Cough and blow my nose every several minutes. Fight back a fever and headaches. Curse the day sickness made life miserable. Repeat.

I have seen a doctor and got some drugs, but they don't seem to do a thing. I think it's clear the infection is mocking me, messing with my mind. It's just trying to prolong my suffering, like a yapping dog that just grabs onto your leg and won't let go.

I almost wish I was getting worse. That way, at least something would change. Then I would know at least where I stand.

I haven't been going to work the last couple of weeks. I showed once for a couple hours, but then the pharmacist told me to go home, given my coughing fits. I guess it's better if I wasn't coughing on the patients' meds or my co-workers. Something about public health. I still go to school, though. Because well, students are supposed to get sick.

My mom probably thinks I got sick because I moved out and haven't been taking care of myself. Maybe she's right.

Erratic Hodge-Podge

Hail Halloween, one of the few days where feeding the poor and disenfranchised is recommended, if only in sweets. Unfortunately, I've long been too old for trick-or-treating, which is the domain of small kids and the candically addicted. However, they've been giving out a fair bit of candy at school, thanks to benevolent instructors and students. This should happen everyday.

So, I got myself a cellphone, joining the throng of people perpetually annoying everyone else with those tones that sound off at the most inopportune time. It has a camera, too, so I can take sneaky pictures whenever I want. Of course, now people can harass me 24/7. If you really want to call me, email me first.

I'll be going to my first hip-hop concert on Thursday, to see Jurassic 5. I especially like Chali 2na, who I consider to be the James Earl Jones of rap. Anything he says sounds amazing. He'd make a great cult leader. With that voice, he could command people to erect a statue in his honor, and they would do it, no questions asked. Because they don't want the voice to get angry.

And here's a crazy video by those crazy Japanese people. Frankly, I just don't question what they do anymore. You won't find the answer you're looking for.

Today's topic: English Lessons for Mugging Victims

Different House, Different Basement

So, I finally moved out. I am now staying with my sister and her husband, at their place.

All I brought over was a Rubbermaid container of clothes and my school bag, threw it into a car and drove off.

I don't feel particularly excited. In fact, I feel as if nothing has really changed. Maybe it'll take some time to get used to it.

I still live in the basement.

A few plusses so far:

It's a pretty new house.
So the carpeting is better.
And my room doesn't have that 'Smell of Death' to it.
My sister and husband are more easygoing.

But it doesn't feel quite right. I'm still looking for a place with the Derelictitious one.

I'll Take Whatever's Behind Door #3

Man, it's the middle of October, and it feels like the same ole shit as always.

The weather's too cold.
It's getting too dark.
School's a drag.
I still live at home with my parents.
I'm withdrawing into myself.
I'm feeling unmotivated.

There are a few options that could change my life

ONE
My sister has offered me a place to stay at her place.
It'd be a halfway house of sorts, with more independence, and I'd still be living with family. where I'd have to fend for myself mostly, cook my own food, do laundry, etc.
There'd be no rent.
It's in a nice, sedate neighbourhood.
I'd drive to school.

TWO
As well, a friend has suggested getting an apartment together.
I'd have to pay for rent.
I'd have to look for a place to rent.
It might be a mess.
I might hate my roommate.
My roommate might hate me.
It'd be my place.

Dumbasses

These are some of the lame replies I got in response to my Craigslist ad about the van I am selling.

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Thanks for the mail, the price,$800 is ok by me as i will like you to kindly keep all buyers off,i will take care of any minor repairs.you have every reason to trust me on this........I called my client and he told me you will be recieving payment (checque $1,700) Any moment from now as soon as i get your full name the checque will be made payable and will be sent through fedex shipping service , so as soon as you recieve the checque ,i want you to have you deduct your own money and send the balance to my shipper via Money Gram transfer to my shipper immediately so the balance sent will be used by my shipper to arrange for the pick up from your location.Pls confirm these and get back to me as soon as possible with your your full name and address including phone number so i can fax it to my manager immediately for the checque to be issued out.here is my number incase you like to contact me for quite transaction 234-80-52779496(i am not in your state right now but i have my manager close to you in the Boucherville..ok


Thanks for the fast response.I will like to know the last actual selling price of the vehicle if there can be any reduction.I will be paying you in money order or cashiers check depending on which one you want.

This is due to the nature of my work beause I am always offshore.This is why i can not come over to see it.But I believe it is what i want and it is in good condition because i want to purchase this for my wife before her return.
Thanks
Regards.

Hello seller,i saw this car on this auction site and i  am very much
interested in purchasing it,i will be making the payment via cheque,so
get back to me with the amount you will like to have for it and get back
to me with the information in which you want the payment made to such
as

FULL NAME:

FULL ADDRESS:

CITY:

ZIPCODE:

STATE:

COUNTRY:

Get back to me asap,so that the payement can be made asap.Look forward
to read from you

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My question of course is, WHO THE HELL ARE THESE FUCKERS?

I feel like kicking these dumbasses in the junk. I've only got one serious reply so far.

You Better Know When to Hold 'Em

On the weekend, I went to the casino. I played blackjack and won $25. Feeling that blackjack had become a bit too easy, I wanted another challenge.

I wanted to try my luck at poker, having seen it on TV all the time. Looked easy enough. Bet some money. Either win or lose. So I put my name on a waiting list to play poker. Half an hour later, my name was called, and I sat down to play $1-2 blind no-limit Texas Hold 'Em.

As someone in Rounders said, "If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker." Good thing I spotted the sucker in a second.

Problem was, I was the sucker.

I was in way over my head. There was the typical greasy-haired dude, shuffling hundreds of dollars of chips while looking all beady-eyed, scrutinizing all the players. Other people bet $50 or $100 without a second thought. Immediately realizing that I was fresh meat, the old lady next to me gave me advice, though I was too fresh to put it to any good use. The one thing that stuck out was that I was playing at the wrong table for someone with no experience.

Everything went really quickly, and I didn't have time to process anything happening at the table, except my fear of screwing up. I folded most of my hands without a bet. Every time I put money into the pot, I folded whenever another player raised.

In the end, feeling like raw meat in a sea of starving sharks, I got up and left the table.

I lost a humbling $10 in an hour of poker. I still ended up winning $12 overall at the casino, although I felt like I had lost.