Gussy’s Blog

So i have developed some pet peeves over the last couple of weeks. Actually since i moved to Golden, or Canada or North America. It is one of the bain’s of my existence, the Truck. I know i have harped on about it before, but just recently i have become vehemently objected to them. The main reason has been the amount of gas they consume. The other is the fact that i ride my bike on the road, and well they are fucking huge and scare the shit out of me. I don’t want to be killed by one. Also the fact that 90% of trucks aren’t needed, IMO.

So i was talking with my flat mate, room mate, what ever you want to call him. Anyhow he is a country Albertan, always had a truck. he had a truck that was falling apart on him. So i told him to get something smaller, seeing he doesn’t actually use the tray part very often, only to collect snow, rocks, rubbish (garbage) etc. He might move the occasional bed or piece of furniture in it too. I was telling him to get something cheaper, and more economic. He was like, no fuck off. I’m buying a truck cause they are cheap to buy now. Never mind the fact that he will Never use the capabilities built into the truck, the 6 billion tonnes that it can carry, etc. So what did he do?

Bought a new truck, never mind the fact that he drives it up a hill every day and parks it, till the end of the day then drives it down. Never mind the fact that gas (petrol) prices are around $1.40/ L currently and going up. Never mind the fact that currently it cost him $120 to fill the tank, which he might be doing 2 times a week. Never mind the fact that it is fucking huge and a waste of money buying new car (I’m surprised people don’t know this by now). Never mind the fact im ranting here!

So you can see, i hate trucks, so much so i would long for the day that the 35mpg/ G or 25L/100km comes in and the fact that they will become extinct. It will take a while, but the more people get rid of them for other vechiles that can actually do the same thing and are more reliable, and cheaper to run the better. Oh i long for that day. 2010 can’t come soon enough on that front!

I have just been going thru my old bookmarks from years ago, finding sites that are dead, ones that aren’t updated any more and ones that still rock my world.

I love this one and this one. This one is good too.

Happy browsing.

I was browsing the net (looking for a new lense for my camera, 12-24mm f4 Nikon) and read about Ken Rockwell’s thoughts on saving money. Thought some of them are quite good. I am thinking of ditching some of the Credit cards and closing some accounts, to save money. I really don’t like being in debt. So i am trying to get out of it. Starting with my folks. They are in a crunch as well, with Dad not able to work full time and payments from the Government getting cut off etc. Maybe they should start a veggie garden in the front?? (Oh shit, why did i write that mum will do it!) That would save them lots. hehe, But Chickens in the backyard with a excited 2yr old black lab/collie is a BAD IDEA!

I’m not doing to badly with money at the moment. I have 2 full time jobs, so that is giving me lots of money with little time to spend it. I have been doing 14hr days for the last 2 weeks, with weekends off.  I haven’t been following Ken’s ideas about no caffeine! It has sucked but at the same time i have enjoyed i. Working with people sort of has helped to make it more fun. (I work in a Beer store, so that keeps me on my toes. Filling fridges etc ) Knowing that im saving money for going home, and hopefully paying off debt! I am well on the way to reaching my goal for my trip at the end of the year. If i keep on it all summer, i will be set! Then i can start on the Line of Credit. Once that is paid off i need to save for my citizenship! I think i will always have 2 jobs of sorts. It makes sense to use the time your not able to do anything else earning money. I’m not saying to give up having friends and fun.  Some thing that is 3-4 nights a week would be awesome. Still gives you time to have fun and enjoy life.  I have told  Second work that i need at least 1 full day off work, so i can recharge a bit and do things around the house. Like laundry, thou i do have a 1/2 wife in the house that would do it for me. lol NOT! Climb, haven’t done that in a while. Should be able to get out when i get a night off and do it seeing that it stays light till around 10pm most nights and getting later! Woohoo!!

So yes, save your money, and don’t spend it. LOL

I have 2 good things to announce! I’m not sure which one is better. They are both equally exciting. I will go with the one that cost least money but was more exciting. My trip to Victoria and The San Juans’ and Seattle. I went to get a Visa so that i can stay in the country legally for the next 2 years. It all worked out after i told them that i was allowed to stay in the country for 2 years and not just one, it was quite fun but i was all done by 9.40am. It then took me 2 almost 3 hours to find my travelling cohorts, cause of the fact that there phone’s didn’t work and that is how we were going to communicate. It was fun walking around but really i just wanted to leave the country and get my visa sorted out at the border. We ended up on coming back thru Abbotsford rather than going thru Idaho (your not a ho, i’da-ho, hehe) It was a fun trip, but whilst i was in the states, i found out that i could get my mac finally! It has only been missing for 1 month and 7 days but i ordered a new one today. Got free express shipping, and i asked what else i could get and they said anything. so i ordered a $130 laptop backpack that has heaps of cool pockets and stuff like that. So wouldn’t have normally spent that kind of money but it was fun to spend the money and get something which is going to last. Hopefully it will be in by Monday or even better in by the end of the week. I shall wait and see what happens to it again this time!

Well things are going quitely on the ranch. just chilln’ and taking it easy really. Not much going on. Reading and drinking and sleeping mainly. 

 Found out that Fedex have lost my computer and that they don’t know where it is. So they are looking for it and trying to track it down. Lets see if the find it, cause i really need it to start my course and to do some work on. I don’t really have a computer at home so that makes it a bit tough. Other than that everything is going hunky dory.

Well Zoey, that is what im going to call her. Cause well, the item is Z0EY, so it looks like that, so she will be called that. Everything is in Mississauga, ON. Hopefully arriving by the end of the week. It went from Shanghai, to Alaska, to Memphis, to Mississauga. Who knows where it will go from there! I will keep you updates. I’m so excited. Expect to see some photos on Flickr when i get it! Yay!

<update> Zoey has been sitting in the Calgary depot for 2 days! I am getting annoyed. The status tag reads “Package not due for delivery” Bull shit it is due for delivery! To my place. Maybe people in Calgary don’t know where Golden, BC is? Never mind that if they travel to anywhere on the National Highway they have to pass thru. Idiots. I’m getting annoyed. </update>

<update 6/5/2008> I have lodged a track with Apple, they say that they can’t do anything till that track is closed, 15 business days, so that would make it over a month since it was meant to be delivered. I wanted to see if i could pick one up in Seattle when i was down there. Doesn’t look like i can. I’m annoyed and will be ringing again tomorrow to see if there is anything that can be done. I know that everyone involved with the case up to Fedex in Calgary doesn’t know where it is.  So if the people that were looking for it don’t know where it is then, why can’t i just get a new one. I know they have procedures. A month is a long time to look for a package, especially if Fedex has been looking on there own as well. </update 6/5/2008>

So i just ordered my new 15″ Macbook Pro with Applecare and Apple Technician training. I am sooooooo excited about this. Luckily i can put it on my line of credit and pay it off over the summer. I am jumping around and can’t wait to have it in my hands. I now need to get some accessories for it. Case etc.

If you could see me i would be jumping around the room like a little girl clapping her hands, but your not so you can’t. If you are around me, ask for a demonstration. I’m more than willing to demonstrate. Afterall my GF is 3.5yrs old, almost 4.

Yay!!!

I have been feeling it in the last few weeks. The feeling that i miss the company of someone. Sure i have my friends and that is cool, but someone to share my feelings with. I am lonely. I just read something and it has made me think about what i want and everything. I have had an underlying feeling that i am missing something for the last few months. What that is i not sure. I have an idea, but not concrete. 

I was talking with a friend the other night and they were saying that the next bf they want is one that they will have a kid with. Whilst i have thought about having a kid. I know at this stage im not ready for it. Still made me think about it though. In some small way i do want a kid, not just because it is fashionable in Hollywood. Because i want the other half that goes with it.

I look at my sis that has a bub, and see her so happy. I look at my folks and see them so happy. I look at my married friends over here and see them so happy. I just want a part of that, a small itty bitty part. Maybe i just need space to find out what i want, what really matters to me. Everytime that i do that though, i get different results. Wanting different things out of everty situation. I’m confused as fuck. Maybe i need time to decide what i want really. With no distractions, time for me and me alone. Hopefully it is coming in the next few weeks. I am hoping to get away and spend some time doing nothing, just looking at the big blue sky and reading.

Having just re-read what i wrote, maybe i want it so bad i will just settle for anything. I don’t think it is the right thing to do, but that doesn’t mean that i won’t for a little bit. It isn’t healthy to do that.  I’m going to end this now, before i ramble on to much more.

Why is there a need for trucks in town? I know that Goldenites love their trucks, i however do not. I believe that the carbon tax that has just been introduced by the BC government should also include an extra tax for recreational trucks. If you have a legitimate use for one i.e. business use only. Then that is fine, prove it with tax receipts. The government shouldn’t be going after people that have vehicles that don’t guzzle fuel and pollute like trucks. I don’t believe the argument ”I need it to pull my sled”, is valid. There are many other cars on the road that have a similar pulling power. Do you really need 350hp? Just looking at one company website, which is represented in town. There are at least 2 other viable options that have enough pulling power for a 5th wheel, or your sled. Trucks of the size over here (the west) are much less common over east. Why is that? What do they do with all the same things that ”we” need to pull?

The size of trucks is another thing, they are a hazard on the road to all other users. Trucks with a 6in lift kit and sled deck, whilst looking cool to a minority really are at more danger of tipping over and injuring someone. Have you ever considered what would happen if your truck hit a minivan or passenger vehicle with children in it? If you live out in the Blaeberry or up on the west bench or out of town. Do you need a big truck? I know of lots of people that have SUV’s or all wheel drive cars, which can do just fine getting up and down steep hills. So why the need for a big dirty truck?

I must admit that coming from Australia, one and a half years ago i was shocked at the size of the vehicles. I thought that the US was the only place that had overly large vehicles, I was wrong. I know from personal experience working in the construction industry that trucks like over here, don’t even get sold any more. How often do you need to have anything over 1 tonne (2000 lb’s) on your truck? Not very often i think.

I have come to accept the fact that Golden loves trucks. At the same time, don’t you want to leave this town and environment for your grand children to enjoy as well? Ditch the truck, and get something that you can save money on?

/begin rant
I had a guy yesterday that really got my goat, not literally but figuratively. He was stupid. Really he was. He was trying to compare computer repairs with mechanic repairs. How do you do that? Like this. You say that a mechanic can fix anything and diagnose anything for $60. Where it is $75 and hour for me. Then you start to question the guys teaching and how much he knows on the subject. “Did you go to school for this?” “How long, mechanics go for 4 years” Blah blah blah.

The problem came in like this. Not booting. first thing you try, power supply. No boot. Take everything out of computer. Should beep. No beep. Tell him it is dead. He is annoyed. Go back and try one more time after putting it back together. Boots. You wonder why, something is up. Replace power supply with Bigger one than they had in there. Boots, Smaller Power supply, boots. Ask him which power supply he wants. He says bigger one. You put it in. Then you start to get funny messages from the Hard Drive. Start to wonder what is going on. Check the disk for errors. Find errors, drive is dying. Tell him he needs a new drive. Doesn’t like it.  So you put it together for him and he takes it. Not before moaning and groaning about it.

Don’t mechanics sometimes fix something then find out that something else is wrong after fixing the first problem? I think so, it has happened to me. Same with computers, you can’t find one problem with out fixing another first. If the car doesn’t start how do you know that you have a hole in the head? You don’t. Stupid man, fucking stupid man.

I asked him if he wanted me to put a smaller power supply in, he said no, what else could i do. Not do anything and charge him $80. I would have liked to. He was stupid. He was trying to get me to reduce the price cause he was in a band. Like i care he is in a band. He chose to be in the band, i didn’t. I worked hard on the machine, and he whines and complains about how it doesn’t work. I told him it doesn’t work. I put a few tiny scratches on the side of this case, he flipped out. I didn’t get a chance to clean it, when the scratches would have come out. It’s a computer, why did you buy a shiny black computer? It goes out of the way, your not going to see it. Jesus, man, grow some balls and get over it. I did feel bad about some of the scratches, but in the end i didn’t cause he was a prick at the end of a hard day. Wanker.

So at the end of it, i just went out and had a drink, after the first glass of wine i was all good and forgot about the stupid man. It turned out to be a good night, didn’t get home till around 3.30am. Back at work at 9.30am. Tired but happy.

/end rant