A Better Smoke Alarm

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love the humour of The Onion. Now, they have merchandise, including gift boxes (that you fill with your own bric-a-brac) that looks like the latest didn't-know-I-needed-it-until-I-saw-it-on-TV crap. One of my favorites is the Peaceful Progression Smoke Alarm. It promises that you'll "wake up to your next fire calm and refreshed" offering a remote control with silence/snooze/off/test buttons.


I bow to your greatness, Onion Creative Team. If it weren't for my aversion to boxes, I'd order some of these.

More Lessons

After years of getting thumped by this lesson, I'm finally learning that most people only remember your most recent deed, not an average of all your past deeds.

(sigh.)

No Surprise

I just found out that the guy who used to be the CEO of our little company (before it was acquired) is giving a gift to all the employees at the Christmas Party. I know that he is a generous guy, but this move caught me off guard.

What an incredibly nice fella he is. I'd jump off a cliff for this guy.

In Jasper

This weekend, I taught the Phelan kids to dance to the Arrogant Worms.

Was that wrong?

me and kijiji

Kijiji is my new source of income, as I slowly sell off all the unnecessary bits cluttering up my garage. I am trying to make room for the car before the snow flies, so everything has been priced to sell.

I've had good luck getting rid of a few old pieces that I thought were going to need a ride to the dump. This goes to show that if you write a good ad, you can sell almost anything.


Except that silly aquarium.

Busy Weekend

I asked Kate to marry me this weekend and she said yes.

How was your weekend?

Halloween ... without the costume

This year was a big step for me. I didn't dress up and try to scare kids.

We're in a new neighborhood, so I thought I'd introduce myself gently. Besides, Kate is new to the whole Halloween thing (Aussies don't celebrate it I found out - it is a North American oddity). I decided to let the house be the centerpiece.

Kate got right into the spirit (sorry) and decorated the front porch with cobwebs, bats, spiders, lanterns and such. The front lawn had three tombstones and lots of dead grass and plants (the latter being courtesy of the frost a week prior). The interior of the house got a gentle sprinkling of accessories, too. She even carved a pumpkin into a jack o' lantern to sit on the front steps. All in all, it was quite subtle and subdued, but effective.

I added one thing to the display - a technical touch called a Hallowindow. One of my workmates is friends with the creator and brought copies into work to sell. I *had* to have one. I knew that projecting the images on the living room window would mean lots of noise and would require the lights to be out in the living room, so I commandeered McMonk's room for the Big Show. The house looked great as you couldn't help but see the Hallowindow as you approached the house. Topping off the effect was the spooky illumination from the other windows on that level, as the projected images' light spilled out through the projection room. I couldn't have been more pleased.

The house was a big hit. It is a great display and we had over 200 kids. we also had a raft of Aussies (Kate's ex-pat buddies) who came by to experience a real North American Halloween.

I think they got what they came for!