Next up are the more mundane things like reapplying for my SIN card, CareCard and that kinda stuff. Small price to pay to live in one of the best countries in the world!

Here’s my list if anyone is interested.

There’s actually some good stuff that I would like to see coming soon (in chronological order):

• Interpol (Apr 25)
• Fall Out Boy (May 06)
• The Bravery (May 14)
• Arcade Fire (May 24)

Considering they are my most played band according to last.fm, I would have killed to go to the Arctic Monkeys concert.

You were of course the outstanding candidate but after careful consideration we decided against your appointment. Quite frankly we were of the opinion that your tenure with us would have been short lived, as your undoubted talent would result in one of the big European clubs seeking your services.

We consider it a sign of our progress that someone of your status would consider us.

It was even signed by Steve Gibson the Chairman! After making a minor appearance on the usual gaming websites, it has even made its way to the BBC!

Anyway, after some experimentation with products claiming to provide relief from stomach discomfort, I finally found relief from that traditional Chinese medicine, Po Chai Pills! Yup, those little plastic tubes of black herbal balls which smell, taste and feel horrible actually do work! Each little tube contains 1.89g of 12 assorted herbs which range from Chrysanthemum Flower to Indian Bread… which even Google has no good answer for what it is.

Within seconds (I swear!) of downing the contents, instant relief came to my stomach and this persisted basically for as long as I kept taking the pills. I’m ususally skeptical of any claims of medication taking effect instantly, but it definitely felt that way to me.

Not only does it work, they even have capsules now for those who don’t enjoy gulping herbal balls by the bottleful (like me). Move over Pepto-Bismol, we have a new winner!

So today I parked at this lot at 430pm to pick up Esther who was working in an nearbybuilding. While sitting in the car, this officer walks over and said if I don’t pay $2 for parking right now, I will get a $40 ticket. The fact that I was just sitting in the car didn’t matter to him. Didn’t wanna make a fuss but when I walked over to the machine and tried to pay, the machine stated that I had overpaid. Turns out the cost of parking is only $1.50. However, the officer, who had been following me, threatened if I didn’t pay $2 I will get a ticket. Since this is fucking ridiculous, I refused to pay $2 and told him to write me a ticket. When I got back to my car, he changed his mind and told me to pay $1.50 instead. When I questioned him regarding the fact that he threatened me with a ticket if I did not pay $2, he refused to answer and kept repeating that this was my last chance. Not wanting to get a $40 ticket, I paid $1.50 and got my ticket.

By this time, there were 2 other cars who had parked beside me. Having seen me questioning the officer, they mentioned that the parking in the lot is free after 430pm (WTF!) and that they park there all the time after 430pm with no hassle. One of the other people talked to the officer regarding my situation, and the officer said that I had arrived before 430pm. However, the time on the ticket is 436pm and I am certain the entire incident happened after 430pm.

So now I paid $1.50 for what… 1 minute of parking?? That officer’s attitude just pissed me off majorly, a complaint is on it’s way to Richmond City Hall. How ironic that The City of Richmond website states that, “Officers also serve an ambassador role in that they will: ask questions before ticketing and offer assistance to those who are illegally parked and in need”. This officer did not do any of the above… he needs to be retrained in being friendly.

Moral of the story: To really screw up someone’s sleep, turn lights off and on the whole night.

Since summer is approaching, I ordered a custom bug screen for Esther’s window a couple of weeks ago. Fast forward to today, I pick it up from Rona, and it turns out that I totally misunderstood the measurements. Suffice to say, we now have a $35 custom bug screen that doesn’t fit anywhere. I think I should stick to geeking it up on the computer!

There’s been quite a lot of buzz about these Rube Goldberg type machines recently… if you have some time to spare, check them out! YouTube rocks!

This one is especially crazy, they actually do all that just to make a bowl of noodles and crack an egg on top!