From bad to worse

After my blog yesterday, the situation in New Orleans has become steadily worse as the city fills up with water from the breaches in the levees protecting the city. Large scale evacuations have now become necessary to remove the injured and those remaining in the city. Also, prisoners at a jail have rioted and taken hostages in an effort to be freed. The situation is far from over, and hopefully it improves. I wonder if the city can be salvaged, and if so, what new measures will be put into place to protect it. The current level of protection was built to withstand a fast moving category 3 hurricane. As we know, Katrina was a moderate to strong category 4.

To all those who have family or friends still in the area, you and they will be in my prayers.

Katrina Pounds US

So a strong Category 5 hurricane raced towards New Orleans yesterday, spreading panic as it came. However, the big easy was spared the brunt of the storm as the strongest winds and storm surges passed the city to the east as the hurricane dropped in intensity to category 4 at landfall. It may not seem like much, but the difference in winds was almost 40 mph (145 mph instead of 180-185 mph about 12 hours before landfall).

The damage was extreme, but it could have been much, much worse. Count your blessings. :)

UPDATE: A 200m breach in one of the Levees protecting New Orleans from the ocean is allowing water to pour into the city, effectively turning it into one big lake. The problem now is to seal the breach, and to remove the water. This will be a challenge, since most of the city is already below sea level. Prayers to those still in the city.

Another week in the field...

I just finished another five days in the field. Well, four if you consider that I didn't get started until about 4pm Monday. Three 8 - 10 days and today 8-3 (which explains why I didn't blog those days). Now I am just about ready to relax a bit for the weekend. Good thing there is a stag Saturday, I guess. Lots and lots of drinking coming up. I think I may spend a good portion of Sunday recovering. :(

Next up: Chapleau!!! Gonna do some field work up there starting next Wednesday. So yes, I will be away again. I'll try to put some stuff up on the weekend to keep you all interested. ;)

Vacation

So I took a couple days off for the first time since I started here last August and took Shea up to Collingwood and Tobermory for her birthday. While the weather was a little wet (though not as wet as Southern Ont who got smoked), we were able to enjoy ourselves at the laid back resort with swimming, tennis, good food, and touring around escarpment country taking in all the beautiful sights.

We also slept in a teepee on Sat nite (though there was a tent inside the teepee) and went hiking on the Bruce Trail for several hours on Sunday. The views were quite breathtaking.

This is also why I haven't blogged in a while, since I haven't been anywhere near a computer. ;)

Looks like another long week in the field, though whether or not I go up north is still up in the air.... stay tuned.

Work is annoying sometimes

Ack!

I was out in the field doing some sampling for a project that is already way behind and I get a call: "We need you back in the office to get this report out." So an hour of driving later and it takes me half an hour to solve the problem and it is too late to go back out to sample. Ugh.

Next, I find out third hand that I am apparently going to northern Ontario next week (the week after, but thats not important right now). Once again, this important job just gets shoved to the backburner in favour of something small like this. I'm frustrated that the work I am trying to put the most of myself into is getting shoved aside, or shoved onto other people. This was supposed to be MY big project.... I enjoy interacting with the people who live in the area, and they know me and (I hope) trust me. But once again, the most urgent job pushes aside the one that is in trouble.

I'll just stop talking now.

Lots!!!

First off, I would like to congratulate Mark and Cristina on the birth of their third child - Marissa Emily Davidson - on Saturday.

Secondly, I would like to say happy birthday to my brother Greg (yesterday) and congrats to my dad on his retirement (end of July). Mandarin was delicious yesterday.

Thirdly, I want to say 'have fun' to Dan and linda, who are heading overseas again for a bit of well deserved R and R, (especially for Dan, who has been working his donkey off lately).

Fourthly, I can't believe I got to work at 615 am. :O

Derk

6 Errors

I had probably the worst softball game ever last night.

Not only did we get tanked 22-7 on about half our regular lineup, but our good ol' reliable third baseman, yours truly, didn't stop a single ground ball hit his way. It was like I was a sieve or something. Four ground balls, all of them right through me. Add a dropped fly ball and a wild throw afterwards and you have a recipe for disaster.

It wasn't all bad, though. I got a double, triple and home run with 3 rbi.

But to no avail. I was very very angry for being such a poor fielder. And stuff.

But we stayed in 2nd place, which is good, I guess.

The playoffs start next week and we will probably have even fewer players. I will be away with my sweetie celebrating her birthday. Priorities. ;)

I worry too much sometimes

That is something that gets on Shea's nerves. :)

But it has become a part of me, for better or for worse.

I should just stop being so overprotective and just be supportive.

But it is hard sometimes, you know? The urge to try to solve other people's problems is strong within me. I just need to learn when to give other people space and when to offer support.

33 years and I'm still learning. Who knew life could be so challenging? ;)

Caribbean Wedding

Wow!

What a celebration!!! I don't think I have ever been to a wedding that was so much fun! From the fog and fireworks during the first dance to the incredible DJ to the fantastic meal... I can honestly say I have never had so much fun at a wedding before.

What I noticed most about this wedding compared to other open bar weddings I have been to was the lack of people at the bar - for the most part, folks were on the dance floor the whole night. I guess this is credit to the awesome DJ, brother of the groom, who kept the tunes from getting dull as often happens at weddings.

Congratulations to Debbie and Scott! I hope you are enjoying your honeymoon! ;)

Ouch

I don't know why, but I have sore ribs today (on the right side). I noticed the pain starting yesterday, and it has gotten progressively worse. I suspect that I must have twisted it somehow on the weekend. Hopefully I will be able to play softball on Thursday - it is probably just one of those workout-type pains (ie using a muscle too much), though why wouldn't it be more widespread?

And my foot hurts too. I probably need new shoes. Waaah.

The Silly Season

The silly season has begun in spades.

NHL free agents are in a frenzy trying to suck as much money as possible out of the sucker GMs who recently were brought under a new collective bargaining agreement.

And so it begins. For some reason, guys out there are still getting offers of more than they are worth on the current market. What concerns me the most are the number of 3 and 4 year deals that are being signed. I know the players are required to put money away in case of a serious drop in the salary cap (which is based on revenues), but I don't see why teams should benefit from this and sign long term deals. I think (and hope) that these teams suffer the consequences because of their current decisions.

And I hope this isn't another in a long line of GM blunders that will once again spoil the game.