My ass has been talking a lot of shit lately. On monday, I think I visited the latrine about 6 times. I'm not sick..it's just one of those things where, well I won't get into it...I'm sure you don't wanna hear about my bowel movements.

As you can see on my main page, the daily Planman pictures are back...I finally got around to hooking up the ole webcam again. Haven't found the ideal spot for taking the daily pic in my new pad, so bear with me as I try a few different locations out.

With regard to locations in this pad, I'm gonna have to do some re-arranging in a bit once I get my home theatre setup. Need to find the ideal placing for speakers and such, while still keeping the room useable. I think I've got it figured out...but need to talk to the landlords to see how they feel about some possible modifications to the ceiling panels for wiring purposes.

I'm lovin' this place though...nice and cool through these hot summer days. It's a nice refuge.

Holy cow! It's been too long since I posted anything. I apologise to my loyal readers. Let's see what my excuses are this time:

1) Some things changed at work. People got laid off and schedules got modified. I am now one of the Prime Time operators in the CHUM West Presentation Centre. It's good, I've got a regular shift and will be able to plan a life around my days and time off. It's still a little rough around the edges as we get through vacations and schedule conflicts for the next few weeks. One thing though, is that I tell people my new regular hours and they respond, "oh, and you like that?" to which I say "sure". So I work Prime Time. So I don't get evenings off. This is the career I chose and the one I like. I may not be doing my most ideal job in this business right now, but I'm happy where I am, and I'm good at what I do. Being a Prime Time operator means the company puts a lot of trust in me...this is Prime Time...the most important viewing time for any television station. Besides, I get weekends off.

2) I moved. I am now much closer to work and activities that I take part in. Q & S bought a house and I have become their tenant in the basement suite. It's a nice place, lots of space for a bachelor pad, new appliances (I got a bigger fridge than they do upstairs!), and I got it all to myself. I will miss living with Choy, but I am a bit of a recluse sometimes and I think I will enjoy living on my own once again.

3) Rol & Katie got married. Congratulations to them on finally tying the knot. It's been 8 years they've been together. The wedding was very nice...ceremony and reception all held at Rol's parent's place in Sooke. Beautiful setting, lots of people, nice weather (a little too hot, but better than rain), and a good time was had by all. I helped out by videotaping the ceremony...I'm hoping like hell that it turned out ok. I had 2 cameras...1 locked off shot on Katie and they other handheld by me and panning between Rol, the chaplain ( I think that's what her title was...the minister type person), and the other party members. I think the camera shots will be ok...I'm hoping the audio was picked up ok. The ceremony wasn't structured quite as I had thought it would be...I failed to ask enough questions about it I think. Anyways, after the ceremony I moved the PA system (thanks to Choy for the help) and setup the DJ booth and microphone. A bunch of us took turns DJing and the dance floor was generally rockin' through the evening. It was a good party.

Those are my excuses for not updating. Whenever I've sat down at the puter I just haven't thought much about posts...but I'm back and settled and will be posting regularly again.  I guess I'll cut this one off here...don't have much more to say tonight.

As mentioned in my previous post, I have a new car. It's a 2002 Mazda Protege5 ES, in Sunburst Yellow, with a 5 speed manual tranny, 2.0 L engine making 130HP, air conditioning, moonroof, cruise control, and CD player. I'm quite liking it. Still re-getting used to driving a standard transmission again. I haven't stalled it yet, but I've had some rough take-offs which I need to improve upon. I haven't driven a standard on a regular basis for 8 years...wow, it's been that long. Should be getting some decent fuel economy now, which is needed in these times of higher gas prices. It's nice having a sporty car with 4 doors and a usable trunk area. It's a hatchback, but it's more like a small station wagon. So it looks cool and it's versatile and usable. It's almost like these should be classified as sport utility vehicles.

All right, enough about my car. If you wanna see it, click here. I'll be adding more pictures as my life with this car progresses.

Last November there were layoffs at work. I was a new employee then and I managed to survive the cuts somehow. Yesterday, there were more layoffs in the building, and once again I managed to keep my job. Unfortunately, 29 others did not. Here's the write-up on it from the Times Colonist.

You ever notice how the Mac's/Wink's Froster is generally a better product than the 7-11 Slurpee, but 7-11 has done a much better job on marketing? Slurpee is one of those trademark names that's caught on in place of the actual type of product name (like Kleenex or Xerox). The Froster is definitely better than the Slurpee in my opinion. They generally have better flavours (the Mug rootbeer lately has been great) and I love the small gauge straws you can get with a Froster...spoon straws are lame.

Yesterday marked the end of an era (and possibly the beginning of a new one). The Planman family GMC Sierra SL 1/2 ton pickup truck was sold and replaced with a shiny, sporty, almost new 2002 Mazda Protege5 ES. Yes, Planman has a new car!

First, a recap of my experiences with the GMC:
This was the first vehicle my parents bought that was brand new. Dad bought it from Pacific GMC in the lower mainland and drove over to his in-laws (my grandparents) place where I was visiting to pick me up. I loved it from the get go, and somewhere in the stacks of photos in my parent's house is a shot of me draped over the hood of the truck showing my definite approval.
A year, maybe two later, it became the first vehicle I ever drove...and by drove I mean steer. At the tender age of about 12, whilst on family vacation somewhere in the middle of BC, all four of us squeezed in across the bench seat (Gord and I sharing a seatbelt as it was only meant for three), I leaned over and asked Dad if I could drive. Feeling quite sheepish about my request I smirked over towards my mom, not expecting dad to say yes. Next thing I know he's telling me I'd better take the wheel or we're going to end up in the ditch...he had let go of the wheel as the truck flew down the highway at close to 100Km/h. I reached over and put my hands on the wheel...not knowing what the hell I was doing and steering like they do on TV (always moving the wheel back and forth). Dad was right there, ready to take control the moment he didn't feel my driving was satisfactory...which came pretty soon. So that was my first driving experience...it lasted all of about 10 seconds, but the GMC was there.
A few years later, the GMC was involved in it's only collision while with the Planman family. Some guy ploughed into the front driver's side corner on a blind corner of East Sooke Rd as Dad was driving home from work one evening. Thankfully dad was all right, and the GMC survived, only requiring some new sheet metal and body work. The GMC was (and still is) tough.
Fast forward a few years until I was actually licenced and driving. The GMC came in handy as an interim pizza delivery vehicle when I sold my B2000 and missed out on the Monte Carlo I had intended to buy by only a few hours.
Forward a few more years to me moving out into my own pad. Dad and I weren't getting along over some issue that had come up earlier that day, but he still helped me load up my stuff in the GMC and drive it into town. The GMC didn't interfere with our personal problems...it just worked as well as it ever did and got me and my stuff where we needed to be.
August, 1999, I borrow the GMC to move my ass up to Chetwynd to take on my first full time media job after finishing college. After 3 weeks in Chetwynd, mom and dad visit with the plan being that they would take the truck back to the island. Instead they offer to sell it to me (at family prices) and let me have some wheels in my new surroundings. I agree and the GMC becomes mine.
Fall, 2001, after surviving major powerplant surgery and serving me well in Chetwynd and on trips to areas from Prince George to Edmonton in all kinds of weather, the GMC returned it's tires to Vancouver Island soil where I sold it back to the family (yes, I'm an asshole who sells something back to his family for more than he paid them in the first place) so that I could go gallavanting halfway around the world.
June, 2003, I return from New Zealand and the GMC is returned to me at no cost (yes, I'm still an asshole...but they assured me it was ok and they didn't want any money). It took one more trip up to Chetwynd, through Grande Prairie and down to Edmonton and Calgary before returning to the Tie Lake for the first time in years. Upon returning to the island, it became a daily driver commuting vehicle once again as Planman began his new career at the New VI.
July 5, 2004, the GMC is no longer a part of the Planman family. Sold to a salesman at Victoria Saturn, the money going towards the down payment on Planman's new vehicle. It was a sad day, yet happy. The GMC will be dearly missed, and perpetually remembered in the minds of all who knew it. From hauling, to towing, to light off-roading, to camping, and much more, the GMC was an important part of the Planman family for just slightly less than 16 years.

Wow, work was cool yesterday. Lotsa stuff happening, kept me busy (which I like to be). I was in command though...which is the way it should be in Master Control. I guess it wasn't that busy, but it was busier than your usual graveyard shift (probably because it was an afternoon shift, of which I haven't done one on my own in a while). No fuck-ups, which is always good in my book.

Actually, yesterday overall was a good day. Big news comin' on Monday...wait and see. I'm not givin' away anything yet.

I picked up the Toronto Rocks DVD the other day and watched it with Mom and Dad on Canada Day. It's quite good...very cool to be able to see the recording of a concert I was actually at. Hell, I'm even in some of the shots (ok, so it's the big faceless jib or helicopter shots of the mass of people of which I was a part, but I'm still in it). I wish they'd have put more AC/DC songs on it though. Back in Black and Thunderstruck were good, but they weren't the best songs AC/DC did at the show. If You Want Blood would have been nice...since that's the only live AC/DC show I've seen where they played it (with Brian Johnson). I'm sure it was a licencing thing why they couldn't put more AC/DC on it. Regardless, I'm still happy with it...even though it cost me more for the DVD than for my concert ticket.

Elk Lake is amazingly warm. It's gotta be fed by some hot springs or something.

Behind a boat sports was quite fun yesterday, although I didn't clock in much time behind the boat as there were a lot of people. But I got up for a wakeboard and it was my best wakeboard run yet. I bailed once, but managed to keep the board on my feet which is good (cause I'm hooped if I'm in the middle of the lake and the boots come off). I started practicing S-curves out on the side and I'm getting better at crossing over the wake and keeping my balance. Anton seemed fairly impressed and he thinks I'll be pretty good on the board by the end of the summer.

Rol and I had a good tube session behind his boat. Tree drove and she did a good job. The lake was pretty calm and smooth and it gave us a lot of opportunity to goof off and try and tip each other over (which we both succeeded in a couple times). The water was so warm, it felt great just hanging your hand over the side of the tube and letting it drag through.

Looking forward to next week's outing...I hope the weather is good.