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the kitchen is renovatorbing

The kitchen reno is underway. As with most kitchen renovations, i'm quite eager to get this overwith. I'll just post pics for now, discuss later, too tired... quite drained today as works busy and i have many issues to work out.

Heres the snakiness that is the plumbing coming from the floor: Heres the whole first layer of floor torn off (more to come): Heres the old rad - before cleaning: Heres where i pulled the cabinets from... now to fix *this*: The uppers removed: Tags: renovations

Posted by bob at 1:30 PM No comments: 

more malicious mother nature mangling

So this morning, i was greeted with a missing car and a parking ticket.  Totally my bad.  55$ because one of our cars was parked on the street, and of course (i should know!), street sweeping was in full force.  The car was moved about a block away, with a 55$ ticket attached.  Not the end of the world, totally my bad.

After i brought the car back, i went for more running.  On my way back, this time at the dead end planters of clemow ave. just east of bank, i found another John's Sweeping truck parked and running.  I think there may have been a reason it was idling - there was a worker wielding a hose attacked to the truck, and blasting snow and ice with water.  Hence, its possible the truck was idling to charge a compressor or something, in order to facilitate pressure/heat/etc..

I may be very wrong, but this is how this looks to me - burning gas on a truck, to pressurize water stored and trucked around in its tank, to blast ice that will easily thaw on its own, to then clean the streets with the truck that is burning gas.  Does this strike anyone else as ridiculously counter productive and so anti-green it makes me want to vomit?

I don't want to see anyone loose their job's, or get in trouble, or anything, but things have to change, and in my opinion, the city should start with stuff like this.  Just like i'd be more than happy to shovel my sidewalk in the winter to save a few bux, i would LOVE to save a buck or 2 (or not even!) and sweep my own road.  I'd even pay the bylaw charge for not sweeping my own road!!!!

Tags: ottawa

Posted by bob at 1:43 AM No comments: 

john's sweeping smog

Isn't there some bylaw in ottawa that prohibits engine idling for vehicles when the temperatures are not extreme?

I was on my way home from a run this morning, and midway through the glebe i could smell diesel fuel.  Once i finally got to the percy underpass i found the source - right outside the city's vehicle lot (or whatever there way) there was a "John's Sweeping" truck sitting in the middle of the road, idling.  No one in it, it was just sitting there running.

I probably should give the benefit of the doubt, by my hippocratic hypochondriac lungs despise anything other than tasteless or fresh smelling air, and i was pissed.

If there are such bylaws, they should be doubled for gas guslers such as these.  If these types of trucks/services "require" their engines to warm up/idle before service, the city should give incentives to companies that do not use these types of trucks.

Lazy idlers...


Posted by bob at 12:54 AM 1 comment: 

all of the subatomic pieces come together

The cats are getting a little out of control these days. In an effort to be "stern" and to convey my sense of disapproval, i often grimace or put on a mean face. I also attempt to "shush" the "meeeooeeehhh's" and "reeeeehhh's" that are meant to convey something to *me*, that i'm too dull or incognizant of.

It got me thinking this morning. Human's have this incredible ability to smile and form a variety of other highly elaborate facial expressions. Cats (and most other animals i'm assuming) do not. I'd like to think my cats are smiling sometimes, or are frowning, but the reality is they lack this ability to convey emotions with their faces (i could be wrong, please let me know if your cat can smile for real). If they're happy or they're sad, its the same face (although their eyes being slightly closed or twitching or whatever may convey something, their mouths/cheeks do not seem to). This begs the question - can cats sense our emotions through our facial expressions?

I think cats can sense emotions, or at least i'd like to believe this. Before i ever had cats, i'd heard they're great at sensing when your down, and spending some quality time snuggling with you. What are they using to determine this? The sad look on your face, or is something deeper? Or is it total nonsense, a coincidence brought on by human's sponge-like emotions willing to accept any gesture as one of love when we sorely needed reinforcement?

I think another scientific cat experiment is in order. The next time i need to be stern, i'm going to do so smiling. If i get a different response, i'll have to conclude that my cats are in fact, cognizant of my facial expression. If not, i'll have to scientifically conclude that they are not, and it will be a great day for science. I likely will fail to mention the results here, you'll have to see the journal of nature for that.

btw, the title is inspired by when you smile by the flaming lips
Posted by bob at 1:42 AM 2 comments: Labels: cats, Ottawa
