blog.dreamrealm

Bad Parking!

Luc "Sandman" G. — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:16:49 +0000

My wife and I spotted this car while we were looking for parking at the mall today. Its not unusual to see a car that’s badly parked and taking up 2 spots. But a car so very badly parked that they take FOUR spots? Yup, its been done. I’m not blurring out the license plate either, so if you know who it is, you can make fun of them (and maybe get the Ministry of Transportation to yank their driver’s license?).

Sandman’s Tweets of the Week

Luc "Sandman" G. — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:52:00 +0000

@netfrost out to see the ice sculptures? #
#Sens stop trying to pass and aim for the empty net!!!! #
Canada finally wins gold on home soil! Go #Canada go! #Olympics #Van2010 Grats Bilodeau! #
@chrisavery Bell doesn't either. U have 2 floater days that you can take either Jan 2nd, Family day or Easter Monday. I'm on vacation so off in reply to chrisavery #
Finally going to go see what all the excitement about Avatar is about. #
Avatar was OK. The 3d was pretty neat, the effects great as well story was OK (very predictable). #
I'm gonna miss the first 2 periods of tonight's men's olympic hockey game cuz I have to go to pre-natal classes. ergh! #
@chrisavery My wife keeps saying he looks like a child rapist, but that's cuz she's a Flames fan. in reply to chrisavery #
@twister65 I'm not convinced its people singing the Ole Ole song. I think its being played on the PA system. In any case, it has to stop! in reply to twister65 #
Room prepped for painting. Lunchtime, then its time to paint the baby's room. Did I mention I hate painting? #
First coat of paint is done. I %*&%()# despise painting inside of a closet. Had never done it before. Not sure if I'll put a 2nd coat there #
@chrisavery Sweden is expected to be in the top 3 #fb in reply to chrisavery #
Can you be considered an Olympic junkie if you watch 10-12 hours of Olympic coverage daily? #
Though with the painting today all I did was listen to it from 2 rooms away… #
@twister65 Aye, those wipeouts were insane. Takes not only skill, but courage. Heard women go about 120km/h and men 140km/h on that track in reply to twister65 #
The mystery of the blue lines on the ski slope erxplained: http://tinyurl.com/ylcaot4 #
Blh, breaktime is done. back to applying the 2nd coat of paint. What a way to spend a vacation…. #
did I mention I hate painting? #
Nesbitt wins gold!! #
Canad gets another gold medal. Nesbitt wins the 1000 speed skating. #Olympics #Van2010 #
Anyone using Google Buzz that I'm not following? http://www.google.com/profiles/lgareau #
@stevetilley That song is severely getting on my nerves too. Its probably the only thing I won't be missing once the Olympics are done. in reply to stevetilley #
And on that note, go Canadian hockey team! #Olympics #van2010 #
Team Canada had me worried there for a second. Glad they got the Swiss monkey off their back. Bring on Team USA Saturday! #Olympics #van2010 #
@twister65 I read about that last night (and about Dylan Black). What was on this morning? in reply to twister65 #
@twister65 I wonder if that's just a placeholder for a week or 2 til a new team/show comes on. in reply to twister65 #
@twister65 I honestly stopped listening to Virgin since the switch from The Bear. In the car its usually a CD or Team1200 during the week in reply to twister65 #
@twister65 I only really listen to it when my alarm goes off (so for like 5 minutes at most), and on weekends. #
@twister65 or when Jim Rome is on Team1200. I can't stand that guy. So much dead air between sentences. Not sure how he's so popular. #
@twister65 Bear/Virgin has always had funny ppl in the morning. Bear's Breakfast, Rude Awakening, etc.. Probably new, funny ppl on the way in reply to twister65 #
@twister65 The move isn't surpringing though. Virgin's been hurting in/ratings. Morning show used 2 B #1 yrs ago, but hasn't been in a while #
@twister65 ROFL! That's hilarious and so random! Got pictures by any chance? Unless you're talking bottles of… in reply to twister65 #
@twister65 Jay & Gonzo will be taking over Virgin morning show on Monday w/ another unnamed cohost. Rumor is that it may be Kath Thompson. #
@twister65 I like Gonzo. Kath is good solo/produced segments, but I don't see her as show host with other ppl. #
@twister65 I agree. At first glance it doesnt sound to be as good (or better) of a morning show. I guess time will tell. in reply to twister65 #
@NachosAtMidnite Virgin's morning show. The show and 2 of the 3 hosts got canned yesterday in reply to NachosAtMidnite #
@NachosAtMidnite Cub and Kitty yeah. Only Jay remains. Sucks for Cub, he's been there for many many years (was on evenings before) in reply to NachosAtMidnite #
@twister65 That's just 2 funny! All we get is a daily visitor of the bunny kind. Crawls under the fence & hops arnd. Drives our cats nuts! in reply to twister65 #
@NachosAtMidnite I'm sure Cub won't be unemployed long. He's very talented at what he does. in reply to NachosAtMidnite #
@twister65 They updated mine as well. My house is no longer in bog. U can see my fence, but my shed isn't there, so it was b4 last summer in reply to twister65 #
Gld medal #4 for Canada (Men's skeleton) Not bad for having never won gold on home soil before Vancouver. #Olympics #van2010 Go Canada! #
@netfrost Arby's is finally open in Kanata? Hmm, might be worth the trek from Orleans. in reply to netfrost #

Sandman’s Tweets of the Week

Luc "Sandman" G. — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:52:00 +0000

http://twitpic.com/11zhyt – My famous SuperBowl nachos that I only make once a year. #
I tried to watch 4 hours of commercials, but it kept on being interrupted by 30 seconds of Superbowl. #
The number of commercials was totally ridiculous. And that CTV Olympic song? It sucked the first time around! Even more so the 90th time! #
Great game though. Have to hand it to the Saints, they played a great game. #
Need caffeine STAT! Brain is crashing! #
RT @ScottBourne: Canon announces new Rebel T2i – 18 megapixels, 1080p HD video, 3.7 FPS, 3 inch LCD – $799 body only – due March. #Photog #
@gwenix The T1i just came out 7 months ago. I've barely broken mine in! Too soon! Needless to say, I want one in reply to gwenix #
@twister65 @netfrost @chrisavery you guys are way too quiet lately! #
#Google #buzz social networking site launched http://tinyurl.com/yl6ntx9 #
@twister65 dotster uses registerapi … I've dealt with them for years for my domains in reply to twister65 #
Ah, now on vacation til the 22nd. Starting it off by going to the Sens/Flames game tonight. Sitting just behind the penalty box. Woohoo! #
Was sitting first row right behind the Sens penalty box. Amazing seats, the view at that level is AWESOME! #
@twister65 I hadnt been activated yesterday, just got it today. I read it'll take a week to get everyone done #Buzz in reply to twister65 #
Habs stop the Caps' win streak at 14. Caps at least came back from being down 5-2 to tie it, and get 1 point for going to OT. #
@chrisavery Can I hide in one of your suitcases? in reply to chrisavery #
@chrisavery too true. in reply to chrisavery #
Ooooooooh! #Starcraft2 beta to begin this month! I hope I can get in! #
Rangers have put Brashear on waivers. Interesting….. #
@twister65 So Leaclaire is hurt again, or is he still the backup for tonight? #Sens in reply to twister65 #
@gamestopcanada Red Dead Redemption for the Xbox 360 in reply to gamestopcanada #
RT @gamestopcanada: 20th CND fan to re-tweet the name of the title and platform wins a sweet prize pack! Red Dead Redemption for 360 #
Great #Sens vs Caps game and a great #Survivor Heroes vs Villains episode. It was a great night of teevee! #
And with the Sabres losing, Ottawa takes over the lead in the Northeast division and #3 in the conference. Repeat of 2007? I hope so! #Sens #
@Rick_E_83 I don't use my Sandman71_work anymore, haven't for a long time. Follow this one instead in reply to Rick_E_83 #
@Rick_E_83 the good thing about twitter is that you can block people. Tweetdeck even has "block and report spam" under a user's Other Action in reply to Rick_E_83 #
No more Picard? Yes!!! #Sens #
@Rick_E_83 I like Kuba. Less is the one we need to get rid of next IMO in reply to Rick_E_83 #
@Rick_E_83 Err *Lee, not Less. Less is the way he plays in reply to Rick_E_83 #
Looking at Cullen's injuries. He's really injury prone. Lots of concussions, leg and lower body injuries. Hmmmm #Sens #
I'm curious about 2 things. Where Cullen will fit in the lineup, and which other D will the #Sens bring up, since we're now 1 short. #
Unless Murray has another deal in the works to shed a forward and get another D #
@Rick_E_83 Lee is already being brought up to replace the injured Campoli (long term). Still short a D in reply to Rick_E_83 #
@Rick_E_83 or maybe we'll get something in the #Panthers clearing sale. Everything must go! Up to 75% off! http://tinyurl.com/yjx5e4e in reply to Rick_E_83 #
@Rick_E_83 And it'd probably only be for a couple of games. Karlsson is expected to be back after the Olympics in reply to Rick_E_83 #
ROFL! Rumours that the #Sens are top 3 teams sniffing around Comrie… AGAIN. #
Too funny. Deal was originally Cullen for 2nd round pick. Murray tossed in PIcard as an afterthought. Here, take our garbage. LOL #Sens #
@kenGe Adding Cullen to the mix is a good thing, regardless of injuries. I'm just wondering where he's going to fit, other than our PP in reply to kenGe #
Hypothetical: Would you trade away Leclaire and use Elliot & Brodeur as your goailes? #
@Rick_E_83 You were right. Derek SMith has been called up from BIngo. in reply to Rick_E_83 #
Now to hope that Volchie and his agent accept teh contract that was offered to them this morning. We absolutely need to keep him. #
Woohoo! RT @sskroughriders: Fantuz set to be in Green & White http://tinyurl.com/yfkr7jx #
@Rick_E_83 Sucks for Cheechoo, guy has heart, just doesn't have the touch and speed he used to have. in reply to Rick_E_83 #
@Rick_E_83 Aye, gives us the room to get a rental, and re-sign some players over the summer. We got lots of UFAs and RFAs in reply to Rick_E_83 #
And it starts. Olympic coverage started at 1pm. Gonna be blued to the tv for the next couple of weeks. #
@netfrost err glued. lol! in reply to netfrost #
@chrisavery too bad it won't work with my 9200 PVR in reply to chrisavery #
@twister65 watched the video. Both my wife and I are speechless. I'd guess they're going to pad those posts or do something before the event in reply to twister65 #
@chrisavery Renting. IIRC, contract isn't up til this coming October. in reply to chrisavery #
@chrisavery Yeah, I'll try that. Gotta watch stuff I've got taped first though. in reply to chrisavery #
@twister65 Make the sides higher, or put something in front of those metal beams. Or maybe the CDN gvt will enforce airbags in reply to twister65 #
Great opening ceremonies to the #Olympics Much better than I expected (though it'll be real hard to better China's ceremonies). #
Happy that Gretzky got to light the torch. If one Canadian athlete is known the world over, he's the one. #
@chrisavery Fully agreed. So one joint err poll didn't go up. Who cares, it was still a pretty awesome opening ceremonies. in reply to chrisavery #
Shit breaks, nothing is 100% perfect. They recovered nicely IMO. Get over it and enjoy the games. and be proud to be Canadian. #Olympics #
After a day of watching the #Olympics its time to watch the #Sens beat the #Redwings Go Sens Go! #
Canada wins its first medal of the Vancouver #Olympics Heil wins silver, just barely beaten out of gold by US' Kearney @ Women's moguls. #

Sandman’s Tweets of the Week

Luc "Sandman" G. — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:52:00 +0000

It'll be fun to see in how many ways Bob Cole will screw up pronouncing Sjostrom's name while calling #Leafs games. #
All my websites are hosted on Dreamhost, who are currently having an iPad contest if you mention their name in a tweet. #
Enforcement starts today (finally!) RT @CBCOttawa: Cellphone driving ban enforced in Ontario, B.C. http://bit.ly/c6KD1X #
So Jokinen and Prust deal to #Rangers went through after a 3-0 loss. Not a big surprise. #Flames #
Back home with the kitty. No longer throwing up, but still not eating on her own. And still don't know what the problem was/is. #
I would love me an iPad from Dreamhost ! #
@twister65 wtf? that's just friggin sick!!! Cyrus needs his f'ing head examined. in reply to twister65 #
HAHA, fuck Doucet! RT @ottawasuncom: NCC spurns councillor, says no thanks to buying Lansdowne from city . http://tinyurl.com/ygwt3ww #
What the heck is it with all the friggin fires in Ottawa? Seems that there's one daily this year #
@twister65 Yeah, that makes no sense to me either. We're covered for flood/fire/theft. Same insurance as my car, so the cost is 15$/month in reply to twister65 #
@twister65 its actually an 'all coverage' insurance.. would also cover earthquake, etc… #
at my old apartment building it was required. couldn't rent without it. Same now with my mortgage company. #
Back from the gym, just in time to watch the 2nd and 3rd periods of the #Sens game. Watched most of the 1st at the gym, but with no sound. #
@NachosAtMidnite Try Tusco's on O'Connor. Excellent traditional Italian. #Ottawa in reply to NachosAtMidnite #
@nightswithalice Happy 62nd, Mr. Cooper! #
Sens are playing great again tonight. 11 in a row? I think so! #
Dreamhost and Ipad giveaway, a winning combination! #
is the ice sculptures at Winterlude this weekend? I'd love to go take pics of them before they melt. #
I don't think #FF was made to post the 400 people you follow. 1 or 2 tweets should be more than enough for the week. Sheesh! #
Hmmm, having Taco Bell for supper might not have been a good idea if we're going to the gym after. #
Win a new Canon 5DMKII or $2700 of photo printing/product from @WHCCPro & Scott Bourne. Pls RT. Info: http://bit.ly/6Mtx9I #
I entered the SUPERFAN Sweepstakes to meet the @MythBusters because #IMASUPERFAN ! http://www.discovery.com/mythbusters #
@drpepper A couple of years ago you released a vanilla-cherry Diet Dr.Pepper in Canada. Bring it back! I absolutely loved the stuff! #
@SensChirp Kypreos is so Leafs biased; all he's missing is a big blue leaf tattooed on his forehead. Its why I don't listen to his opinion in reply to SensChirp #
If the #Sens lose, PIcard's shitty play will be a very big factor. #

Sens Desktop Calendar: February 2010

Luc "Sandman" G. — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:11:45 +0000

Since there’s a shortened calendar this month due to the Winter Olympic games, it was suggested to me that I include some of the Olympic hockey schedule. I’ve included the 3 known games for the Canadian hockey team, as well as the following rounds.

Note: If you’re unsure what your screen resolution is, follow these steps to ensure you’re downloading the correct background:

Windows: Right click any blank area of your desktop and click on Properties. Go to the Settings tab. Screen Resolution is listed at the lower left.
Mac OSX: Click on the Apple logo in the top left corner of your menu bar and select “System Preferences”, and then select “Displays”
Linux w/ Gnome: Click on System, Preferences and select Display

Screen Resolution	Wallpaper size
1024 x 768	1280 x 960
1280 x 960	1280 x 960
1440 x 900	1680 x 1050
1680 x 1050	1680 x 1050
1360 x 768	1600 x 900
1366 x 768	1600 x 900
1600 x 900	1600 x 900
1920 x 1080	1600 x 900

Sandman’s Tweets of the Week

Luc "Sandman" G. — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:52:00 +0000

Phase 1 of shelves is done. Woohoo! #
@twister65 Aye, I'm glad I'm working from home tomorrow. Though with +8, the ice probably won't last too long. #Ottawa in reply to twister65 #
http://tinyurl.com/yakuozq Version 2.0 of Sandman71 #
@twister65 Built from scratch. Plywood and 2×4s. Also had to put up drywall before putting up the shelves. http://tinyurl.com/ybhcbqj in reply to twister65 #
@ThatKevinSmith Something tells me @NathanFillion would be perfect to play a character in one of your movies. Plus he's from Edmonton! in reply to ThatKevinSmith #
@chrisavery glad to hear your dad's OK. in reply to chrisavery #
@twister65 We've only had 24cm of snow this entire month, so there's not much to complain about, compared to the 2 previous years. in reply to twister65 #
@gwenix ugh, dont remind me. Only 10am, been working for 3 hours and still have 7 to go…. #
@drunkenfools no, new season starts Feb 2nd in reply to drunkenfools #
@drunkenfools iPad? sounds like something a woman would wear during her period. in reply to drunkenfools #
@stevetilley Ipad sounds like a woman's sanitary product. in reply to stevetilley #
@drunkenfools From the conference "Apple uses the ePub format, which means it’s open & which might mean you can import your own ePub books " in reply to drunkenfools #
@drunkenfools I would suspect so, that it'd be closer to podcasts in iTunes than apps. in reply to drunkenfools #
No flash on #Ipad is total #fail. Apple locking users to pay for shows on iTunes instead of allowing users to use free sites like Hulu #
Hmm, Jan 30th 12:30pm, Shinny game between Sens alumni and former NHL players on the Rideau Canal #
@stevetilley Hmm? Bell does 3g/4g in reply to stevetilley #
@stevetilley Not sure if we'll see exclusivity. Not in Apple's best interest. More carriers=more sales = more profit in reply to stevetilley #
@stevetilley At least not in a 'small' market like Canada (compared to the US) in reply to stevetilley #
That's nice: You can sync the apps you already downloaded to your iPhone to the iPad as well, so you don’t have to pay twice. #
Not sold on the idea of #iPad. Looks like just an overgrown iPod touch. #
@drunkenfools how about a good ol ' poutine mexicaine? in reply to drunkenfools #
@drunkenfools Get another 2 gigs of RAM. RAM is dirt cheap. 2 gigs sticks for 45$ in reply to drunkenfools #
@auricom would you rather be bacvk working at the Hull helpdesk? in reply to auricom #
@auricom Oh yeah, (most of) the people were a blast to work with. Also less stressful, looking back on it. in reply to auricom #
@auricom but strangely not as gratifying or fulfilling back then. in reply to auricom #
RT @Alyssa_Milano: How easy is this? Feed An animal in need for free just by clicking ~ http://bit.ly/4o94f6 #
@twister65 weird, still only very light powdery snow in Orleans so far. My driveway is still black. #ottawa in reply to twister65 #
@twister65 A little just fell. Might have 2 cm on the driveway now #ottawa in reply to twister65 #
Yay, power went out for 2 hours. On bootup my PC said my CMOS battery needed changin. In 20 years of working on PCs never had to change 1 b4 #
Stupid Asus doesn't include the battery info in their manuals. Looks like I need to pull it out *ugh* #
@DJ_Davey_Ehm Depends on who your provider is. If you're on Ottawa Hydro you're fine. We're on Hydro One. OUr service sucks. in reply to DJ_Davey_Ehm #
Hmm, interesting thing about Xbox Live Gold. If you dont renew via a code before the expiry date, they automatically bill your credit card #
If you've purchased points in the past. I didn't give Microsoft authorization to auto renew. I've never purchased Live access via my CC. #
Me thinks I'll have to contact MSN and demand a refund… #
MSI to release 'iPad killer'. Runs Android, has multitasking, a camera, runs Flash. http://tinyurl.com/yamof8y #
Its days like these that I love my car starter. #
@kellidotca hahahaha, nice one in reply to kellidotca #
Have to head to the vet again. This time at emergency. Oh yay. But poor little kitty. #
@twister65 ? Sens game was on CBC HD. At least on Bell #Sens #Habs in reply to twister65 #
@drunkenfools Are you getting tired of seeing the Habs lose? Go #Sens! in reply to drunkenfools #
Fawk no! RT @SensChirp: Bad news on Foligno. Out 6 to 8 weeks from a broken leg. #
Unlocked 'Risky Business' in 'TRIVIAL PURSUIT®' http://tinyurl.com/ya5nfha #xboxtweet #
Playing 'TRIVIAL PURSUIT®' http://tinyurl.com/msjlpv #xboxtweet #
Unlocked 'Flawless Art and Literature' in 'TRIVIAL PURSUIT®' http://tinyurl.com/ycvrbq5 #xboxtweet #
Unlocked 'Fast Worker Geography' in 'TRIVIAL PURSUIT®' http://tinyurl.com/ycukkhd #xboxtweet #
A Dreamhost iPad contest for us customers? Sign me up! #

365 Days of Being Smoke Free

Luc "Sandman" G. — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:26:02 +0000

Saturday was my 1 year anniversary of quitting smoking. I haven’t faltered even once in that full year. Its actually to the point where if I smell smoke I get nauseous, whether its people smoking, or just the smell of smoke on their clothes.

I do still get the occasional craving under some stressful situations, but that’s more psychological I think. Then I tell myself that I’ve beat this nasty habit for a year, that there’s no point in restarting and going through the pain of quitting again.

Baby Gareau Ultrasound

Luc "Sandman" G. — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:18:32 +0000

My wife had her 3rd ultrasound today and I’m more and more amazed on how rapidly our little bundle of joy is growing. Baby Gareau is now 7.5cm long, has full legs, arms, hands and feet. Its heart rate is a powerful 147 bpm. At 7.5cm long, the July 13th due date is dead on (though we know the chances of an actual birth on the due date is slim). Its so amazing to see such a little miracle, and to see if so full of life. We could see Baby Gareau moving its arms and legs, shifting its body and head around. We’re just beaming!

(I’m using it because we don’t know if its a boy or a girl, and we decided to wait til the birth to find out)

Click the above picture for a bigger pic.

Sens Desktop Calendar: January 2010

Luc "Sandman" G. — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:10:13 +0000

The first Ottawa Senators desktop wallpaper of the decade! Hope you enjoy!

Note: If you’re unsure what your screen resolution is, follow these steps to ensure you’re downloading the correct background:

Windows: Right click any blank area of your desktop and click on Properties. Go to the Settings tab. Screen Resolution is listed at the lower left.
Mac OSX: Click on the Apple logo in the top left corner of your menu bar and select “System Preferences”, and then select “Displays”
Linux w/ Gnome: Click on System, Preferences and select Display

Screen Resolution	Wallpaper size
1024 x 768	1280 x 960
1280 x 960	1280 x 960
1440 x 900	1680 x 1050
1680 x 1050	1680 x 1050
1360 x 768	1600 x 900
1366 x 768	1600 x 900
1600 x 900	1600 x 900
1920 x 1080	1600 x 900

My Top List of the Decade

Luc "Sandman" G. — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:52:57 +0000

Wow, its mindblowing to think how fast the last decade flew by. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was busy updating thousands of router configs to combat the Y2K bug. Hard to believe that this was 10 years ago already.

Like many sites out there, I felt compelled to come up with my own personal Top list for the naughties decade, and here it is! I consciously tried to keep it short and to the point as to not bore you too much. These are not listed in any particular order.

Top 5 Music CDs: Metallica’s Death Magnetic. Since its release, that CD has been the music that’s played in my Jeep probably 90% of the time. That one was an easy choice. The other 4 music CDs that really stood out for me this decade are Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth, Korn – Take A Look In The Mirror, Linkin Park – Meteora, Bullet For My Valentine – The Poison.

Top 5 Movies: Dark Knight, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Watchmen, Star Wars Episode 3, Casino Royale.Yup, Star Wars Episode 3 made the list. As bad as Episode 1 was, Episode 3 I felt was amazing and brought both trilogies together.

Top 10 TV Shows: I couldn’t pare this down to 5, so I had to make it 10. Even shrinking it down to 10 was a bit hard. Not surprisingly however, most of these shows were on the air in the latter half of the decade. Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Survivor, Dexter, Family Guy, Futurama, Stargate: Atlantis, Firefly, The Office, Smallville

Top Life Changes: I’ve had quite a few big life changes in the last 10 years, most of them coming in the last couple of years. I bought my first house, I got engaged and married. I had a wonderful honeymoon in Paris, where I fell head over heels in love with that city. After 15 years of smoking, I was able to finally quit the nasty habit (and I’m almost 1 year clean). And very recently I found out that I’m going to be a father for the first time.

Here’s to another great decade.