Welcome to
Rob Girard dot com
If you see this text, then your browser doesn't support JavaScript or div id replacement.




Headshot pic Webcam Email Me! Pics Archive Links Search Tech Help

ARCHIVE: April, 2007

----- 04.28.2007 --------
The other weekend, Jen & I were taking care of Sally & 2 of her pups: Ginger and Flick. It was a fun weekend... but those little pups are a handful! Anyway, it was a great opportunity to take some pictures. And why bother taking pics if I'm not going to share? I uploaded another gallery today. Click her to see the pics!

What else is new? I finished my "Digital Photography I" course on Wednesday. We had the final test and I ended up with 19/20. I was hoping for perfect... but I'll take that :) So now I have a week off, and then it's Digital Photography II. There are a few people moving on from my class, so it will be nice to have some familiar faces in there. I've seen quite a bit of improvement in my photos already, so I feel I am getting my money's worth with the courses. When I got the camera back in September, I kept it in Auto mode and played with some of the different "personality" modes (sunset, portrait, nighttime, macro, etc...), but really didn't get into any of the advanced settings. I feel really good about my camera now and I think I finally know what every button, knob & feature does. Since this class started, I put the camera into Manual mode and I don't think I'll ever go back to auto. More work, but I get way more control over my photos! And I also picked up Adobe's Lightroom... the "Digital Darkroom" software. It allows me to sort my photos easier and start to categorize all my data. I can post-process with it to enhance photos as well... but the major benefit is probably the ease of use of navigating RAW files from the camera. The RAW files hold much more detail then .jpeg's do, so I am now shooting exclusively RAW and have an easy way to create JPEGs after the fact. OK... I'm officially rambling!

Last night my buddy John took me to a Jays game. He's got awesome tickets!!! We were 4th row from the field, right behind the oposing team's dugout. It's great because they can hear all of your tauting! We were having fun with Sammy Sosa... cracking lots of steroid jokes at him. I'm amazed how well they can block out all of the background "noise". After the game, we went do to Harbour Sports grill to play some pool and drink some beers. Turned out to be a really fun night! Anyway... I better get going. Hope you enjoy the photos... and have a great weekend!

----- 04.25.2007 --------
I'm going to keep this short... real short. After work, I went for a run with my buddy Steve and one of his co-workers, Leanne. Me, not having run since the last time we went (I think it was 3 weeks ago).... for 5 K, was up for whatever. 8K it was! And it did it without walking.... unless you can call my "I'm not walking" hopping/dancing/jogging-on-the-spot/anything-but-walking thing walking! lol.. after a description like like that, there's no way you can bust me on it! Anyway... lots more new, and I'm too tired to report! If you're interested in finding out, ask me about me weekend with the puppies. Goodnight!

----- 04.18.2007 --------
I just got back from Vancouver today and I am tired! I have to take off for class now, but I needed to make a quick post for a couple reasons. One is to submit my assignment for class, and the other is just to let everyone know all's good at robgirard.com :) Seems like too long since my last update! Anyway, the pics from my trip can be found right here!. Enjoy!

----- 04.09.2007 --------
Today's post is a little ridiculous. It's a comment on how controlling society has gotten. Not all of society, just some people in "positions of authority". Am I referring to police? No. Military? No. Security Guards? Not even! I am referring to the girl that signs you in at the front desk of the "Super Club", which is the shared rec-center here at my condo. For more on my condo, refer to cityplacetoronto.com for a healthy dose of laughter. In fact, this story would make quite an addition. For the story, since I've already explained it in my pictures, can be read in one of the captions in my assignment, right here. For the assignment itself, it can be found here:

So, when my creativity is not being stifled, I like to take road trips. Easter weekend: Perfect Opportunity. Jen & I went up to Montreal to visit her Mom for Easter. It was a nice, relaxing and quiet weekend. I had a chance to see a few movies as well: The Departed, Pursuit of Happyness, and one that made me laugh my ass off: Tenacious D's "The Pick of Destiny". Too funny! Stupid funny... but that's right up my alley! Anyway, I took a bunch of pics, both for school and for fun, and lounged around. Call it a nice long weekend!

I am going to be travelling to Vancouver later this week for work. I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to update my site, but I will bring my camera and take a ton of pics. I'll post some when I come back. After all, I need to do my assignment for class. I actually planned my trip so I wouldn't miss class, which means I need to take uncomfortably early flights. I have class wed. night, so I'll fly out early Thursday morning and will work the day in Vancouver, as well as the remainder of the week, a good chunk of the weekend and into the following week. Early Wed. morning I have a flight back which will get me home in time to get my class. Somehow I need to complete my assignment in there, which includes assembling and uploading pics. Not sure where the time for that will come from yet... but here's always time, you just have to take it! OK... in this case, I am wasting it! Off to bed! Hope you enjoyed the pics & story! Cheers!

----- 04.02.2007 --------
3 words: "I did it!". Did what? Well, yesterday I posted that I was going to do a 5K run tonight. And what did I do? A 5K run! And I feel great for doing it! Now I know it's no marathon, but even marathon runners start somewhere, especially for their first run of the season. And in my case, this is probably my first run in 5+ years. In fact, I think the last time I ran I was more then half in the bag at the Labatt 24 hour relay! And that's going back a few years! Anyway... I have no plans to accomplish a marathon, nor do I even have plans to enter a 5K race. I just want to be healthier, and feel better inside. And it's all coming together and working out. So... where maybe it's 5 today, who knows what could be tomorrow.

And on another note, an unrelated note, but probably more exciting to you... I've been getting out more with my camera. Here are a few random pics I shot over the last week or so... reduced in size of course! Enjoy! If there are any you really like anywhere on my site, let me know and I'll gladly share the larger "originals". By for now! Click here for a gallery of recent pics.


----- 04.02.2007 --------
Wow, April already! Time flies when you let it ;). I hope you're all doing great.... I'm feeling great these days so it's only fair that you are too. The past few months in the gym have been great! A lot of work, but the payoff's on it's way.... I can feel it! Not only the fat loss and muscle gain, but I feel so much better inside! On Saturday, I went into the gym with my buddy Steve and we hit the treadmills. I usually stay away from the treadmills and stick to the elipticals for my cardio because their lower impact, however I thought I'd try out a jog since there are so many people hooked on it, there must be something to it! So, I set out to stay the same pace and sure enough, I ran 2 miles! We set the incline to 1 degree, which is supposed to mimic running on a flat surface. So, after that jog, my knees seem OK and still do. I was really worried about them since they were giving me so much trouble a couple years ago... enough pain that I even gave up squash to stop irritating the,. I figure if I don't use them now, I'll end up an old man and will end up wondering what I was "saving them for". So... tomorrow the plan is to run an outdoor 5K. It's not too much, but for someone who hasn't jogged in many, many years, I'll see how it goes. Who knows... this could be the start of a new hobby (but I doubt it).

Other then the gym, everything else is going well. Unfortunately my teacher bailed and our last photography class was cancelled, but I'm excited to resume on Wednesday and the makeup class, whenever that will occur, will be just as enjoyed as the original would have been. Anyway... getting late and I think I'm going to hit the sack. I just thought I'd post some kind of an update, even if it is close to a "nothing to report". If nothing else, I can look back in my archive years from now and see that life was taking its course :) Anyway, hope you're all doing well! The weather's getting nicer and I can't wait to get out and take more pics! Stay tuned... I'm about to start posting more pics then ever... and with any luck, the quality will be going up as well. Cheers!

-------------------------
SEE THE ARCHIVE FOR PAST MUMBLINGS

Google
Search WWW Search robgirard.com


© 2000, Rob Girard dot com