Archive - August, 2005

----- 08.29.2005 --------
Where to start? I guess a lot has been going on since my last update. OK... so my latest update was my Devil Sticks video. Since then, I had re-editted and uploaded a newer version. If you saw the old version (which was only available for a day or so), you would see an improvement in the updated video. If you haven't seen the old one, you're probably wondering why my update said the video was full of drops. I since editted them out to make me look better at sticking :) I have played with my devil sticks quite a bit since this last video. I think I'll keep shooting video of each time then string together the best of each show into a montage. "It's a montage!" (think Team America.... :)

OK... so I covered devil sticking. Right. Time to move on. Last week my Mom, Aunt & Nana came over to visit my cousin 80 & myself, and Jen. We BBQ'ed up a storm, preparing them chicken, pork tenderloin, grilled pineapple, grilled mango, grilled zucchini, and more! All grilled of course. The next day (Thursday), I went back to Windsor with them. A close friend of the family, one of our neighbours, is very sick right now. Out of nowhere she came down with what seems to be a strain of e.coli. She's currently fighting for her life in the intensive care unit in the hospital. I really hope she can hang in there and beat it!

So, I was in Windsor and had a good time. It was the weekend of the Tecumseh Cornfest... always a good time! I saw tons of people I haven't seen in 10+ years! Jen came down on Saturday so we could drive back together on Sunday. She lucked out at the car rental office and her reserved "compact car" turned out to be a Mustang convertible! What a sweet right back it was! We had some company for the ride back.... a couple little yorkies (or part yorkie atleast). We were transporting them from a woman down near Windsor to a foster home near Cambridge, and then back to my place. That's right.... we're fostering another. She's a really sweetie and I was to keep her. I guess I better get an application in. She's 8 years old, and part yorkie, part silky terrier. We think. She's a bit bigger then your average yorkie... weighing in at just over 15 lbs. Her and my cat seem to get along fine and are the same size. Her name is Kristy but she doesn't really respond to it. I think it was changed. She responds to Trixie just as well so I think we'll call her that from now on :)

Anyway, I'll get a pic of her up sometime soon. I hope you're all doing well. Until next update... Cheers!

----- 08.18.2005 --------

I told you I'd post a video, right? Well.... here it is... and I actually editted it a bit too so that you don't see all the dull stuff. While I was at Jen's last night, I loaded up Movie Maker 2 for Windows XP (free from Microsoft!). The tool works pretty good for a rookie like me! Actually, I editted more so that you wouldn't see me drop it so much! But my editting really needs work because I kinda defeated that purpsed by cutting in the wrong places and INCLUDING the pickups! Oh well... it's only my 3rd time with them! Anyway, Download the video here or click on one of the pictures above. All feedback is appreciated, so feel free to email me (use the link on the left). Later!

----- 08.18.2005 --------
A shout out to all your Chubbers out there! You know who you are :) Anyway, you IT department called me because it appears that robgirard.com is consistantly in your company's "Top 10 Most Visited Web Sites". At first, I was a litle shocked. After the initial shock wore off, I felt proud. It's people like you who have made this site what it is today. So now I have a dilemma. Management has gotten involved because they're worried about employee productivity. They wanted me to "tone down" the content a little. Make it a little less interesting. Are they asking me to sell out. Then I though to myself.... "How can I make this site any less interesting to please chubb management?". Silence. The crickets started chriping and at that point I realized I was at a loss. "Any less Interesting...." ? Hmmmm.... I think I might already be there! But then I felt a little insulted! Lowering productivity! At that point I got back in touch with IT to crunch some numbers for me. Being a fellow IT guy, they obliged and kept it on the DL. They found that chubbers reading robgirard.com actually view LESS internet sites then their fellow employees. I then had them run a few more queries and they found these were the employees who account for the majority of the "work" on the network. Then they were kind enough to bust open HR's files and compare performance reviews of those who read robgirard.com and those who don't. That stats were staggering!!! The company's highest performers are all robgirard.com readers! Amazing! So, all you chubbers.... thanks for keeping robgirard.com in the "Top 10". CHEERS! :)

----- 08.17.2005 --------
Another week, another chance to play with fire! Last night my buddy Ronatron called me at about 10:30 to say he was in the neighbourhood and headed towards Cherry St. Beach to the drum circle. With about 5 minutes warning, I was like "Cha!". So, I pressed paused on my movie (SIN CITY), changed, grabbed my devil sticks, some fuel, and last but not least, my camera! Not like last time where I forgot it!!! So you know what that means, right? VIDEO! :) It's too long right now and I need to edit it to get it into a postable size. Hopefully I'll get that done over the next day or two and get it posted for you all. It's a pretty cool video, but keep in mind, this is only my 3rd time spinning with fire. Actually, it's only my 3rd time on my new sticks! The weight of them makes them quite different then the ones I'm used to. Take away the light and it's a totally new ballgame! But I'm learning....

On Saturday, Jen & I went to see "Deuce Bigalow, European Gigilo". It was hilarious! Stupid? Of course! But funny as hell! The puns they use are outrageous! I think my favorite it is prosti-dude... aka man-whore :) On Sunday night I went over to Jen's and we BBQ'ed up on her roof. The weather is AWESOME lately! Don't get me wrong.... I love summer.... but July was a little hot for my liking. In fact, it was so hot I never made it out on my blades! (Sure Rob.... tell yourself whatever you need to....). What else is new? Oh ya... on Sunday, "Nikita" came over to Jen's. Nikita is a little 9 year old yorkie rescue looking to find a home. We're toying with the idea of taking her in, but haven't come to any conclusions yet. I guess we'll know by the weekend!

Well, I finally made it out for a blade tonight! Only 6.9 KM, but it was my best AVG speed yet: 15.3 KM/H. I'll increase that by the end of the season now that it's cooling down. Speaking of the end of the season, I have almost 350 KM's to go to meet my 2005 goal!!!! Will I make it?!?! I really don't know but I'm going to try really hard to! I think I might stop going to the gym for a month or two to focus on blading instead. I could really use the cardio anyway! Anyway, I better get going. I hope you're all doing really well.... things are pretty rockin' with me lately. Work is especially good... I'm up to my eyeballs in a new project that has a ton of new technology to learn. And new toys!!! I'm like a kid in a candy shop with our new blade center & SAN coming in :) I can almost smell the new hardware... OK... talk to yall later!

----- 08.11.2005 --------
So Rob, what's new? Not too much... been busy. Workin. Playin. You know, the usual. OK.... anything else? Well, Tuesday night my buddy Ronatron and I got together and played with fire. That was pretty cool! We went out to Cherry St. Beach at dusk and practiced our fire skills. Ronatron was "fire spinning" with his poi, and I was giving my fire-breathing devil stick some practice. One thing is for sure.... devil sticking in the dark is HARD!!! Doing so with fire? Even harder!!! But, I guess practice makes perfect.... or if not perfect, then better. And that's all I'm after for now. Actually, that's all I'm ever after: Better. That's what we're all supposed to be after, aren't we? I dunno... where am I going with this? No where I guess. Next!

On an unrelated topic, I've finally added the missing pictures to my Camping pictures from July in Algonquin. I've been putting it off for too long so I finally dusted off my keyboard and did something about it. Speaking of dusting off my keyboard, what I really want to do is get Longhorn (aka Windows "Vista") Beta up and running. However, I only have one machine and I really don't want a beta box as my production box. Sure, backups are useful and all.... but I just can't be bothered at home! And I have WAY too many pictures I'd risk losing because I wouldn't back them up often enough. So, maybe I'll pick up a cheap bare-bones box? I've seen some cheapies on Tiger Direct that would fit the build. Add a graphics card and voila! A decent system for under $500. That's the other part though.... coughing up the dough! Oh well.... sooner or later I'll get it going. Can you say "VMWare"? I think that's what I should be doing... getting it running virtually. But I think it's too much of a resource pig for that. OK, I'm starting to blabber. That means it's past my bed time! Until next update... later!

----- 08.07.2005 --------

Last weekend Jen & I took a trip down to visit my folks in Windsor. We lounged around the pool and had a great time. On Sunday, Laura, Tom & I went to Cedar Point for the day. Cedar Point for those of you who are not familiar with it, is home to the World's largest, fastest, you-name-it coasters. Basically, unless it will break a record, they won't build a new one. Check out their site and see the specs on these beasts! It was a LOT of fun! That is.... fun if you're into beyond dropped, spun and tossed around :) Check out my Cedar Point Pics for more! I know I haven't been posting much lately, but I've been really busy! But, I wanted to make sure that if I was going to post, it would be a good one :) I hope you enjoy the pics. I even posted some video for a change! I would have had some much better video off the coasters, but the camera kept changing modes or I would mistakenly not hit record while getting tossed around on the coasters. I had some great footage of both the Meanstreak and Magnum. You will see the start of the Meanstreak video within my pics page, but it shook so much that I accidentantly changed the mode dial on my camera. Oh well... atleast I got the Gemini in entirety :) Anyway, things are going great, just busy.... both at work and at home. Hopefully I can find some time this week to post a little more. I have some new pics from my camping trip earlier this summer to add to the collection.... they're coming, as soon as I can find the time. So, come back and check soon :) OK folks, I'm off to bed... g'nite!

Wait a sec.... I almost forgot another highlight of last weekend! Jen got my some devil sticks that I can light on fire as an early birthday present! Below is a picture of my trying them for the first time on fire. Click on the picture for a VIDEO of my trying the devil sticks on fire, in the dark for the first time. What a rush! I can't wait to practice up and do it some more! Hopefully I can post some more pics or footage once I get better. Or maybe some good burn pictures! ENJOY THE VIDEO

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