Long time no blog - nothing really new recently. My weeks since May has been pretty routine. It typically involved being in Waterloo from Sunday afternoon/evening to Thursday morning, and in Toronto from Thursday afternoon until Sunday afternoon.
Monday would be school from 10-1130, work from 1230-430, back to school from 7-10p. Tuesdays would be class 1-4, 7-10, and Wednesday a repeat of Monday without the 7-10p.
Thursdays would start whenever I decide to wake up, go back to TO, and softball. And both Saturday/Sunday would involved church/softball in some way, shape or form.
It's been a pretty fast 2 months (May and June), with the 2 months literally feeling like it flew by. Grinded out a bit playing online poker in June, and managed to luck my way into winning 2 World Series of Poker Main Event seats, and flew down to Vegas to play in that. Trip itself was pretty much similar to my trip last July, with the only exception being that I actually played in the Main Event. The tournament itself went about as bad as it could without anything major. It was a slow and painful grind til I busted out. I ended up being away for a week, and now back in school to grind out the rest of this semester.
As for what's happening after this term, I think I can seriously say I'm lost and confused with "life" for the first time in my 22 years on earth. It felt like a good plan initially about either doing more school from Sept - Dec to complete my CHRP designation, take a couple of trips in early parts of 2010, and settle down and look for a full time gig in April/May of 2010. Having sat down and talked with my parents, I'm not sure how well that plan will fly. Furthermore, I'm not sure whether to go pursue the additional courses through UW, or other institutions closer to home. Part of me wants to remain in UW, as the Athletics Department has been able to (and will be able to continue to) allow me to be employed on a part-time basis while being in school, something I probably will not be able to continue should I go elsewhere. In addition, UW has been my home for 4 years, I'm not sure if I want to simply pick up my bags and go to another school "closer to home".
Another side of me is realizing how much money it's really costing to live away from home, as well as the other benefits of living at home. While I wish I can say I found a spiritual home in Waterloo, I cannot say that being completely honest with myself. While the CCF has been consistently providing me with spiritual support, it has never truly felt like home. I guess the saying of you get what you put into something definitely rings true to my involvement with the UWCCF throughout my 4 years here. Lastly, having finally looked at the course schedule for Fall 2009, the classes offered and their schedule will create a less-than-ideal schedule for me.
Time to really start praying about this...at least it was good to get one thing off my chest.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 - Joe Louis Arena
The game was a blast - the atmosphere was definitely disappointing considering the game itself is a "one-game-take-all" for the championship. Will post a more detailed blog later about the experience, but here are some pictures.
Outside Joe Louis Arena
Pre-Game Warmup
National Anthem
Opening Face-Off
Post Game Hand-Shake
Outside Joe Louis Arena
Pre-Game Warmup
National Anthem
Opening Face-Off
Post Game Hand-Shake
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Updates to Come
Being the smart person that I am, I left my laptop in Toronto during the week that I was without internet in Waterloo. So I was pretty much stuck internet-less most of the week except for some of the time I spent on campus using the computer in the libraries. Now that I'm back in Toronto, I'll post the rest of the report up shortly.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Las Vegas Trip Report
Saturday April 25, 2009
Departed Toronto shortly after 8am, after picking up the rest of the group for this trip. An uneventful drive later, we arrived at Buffalo airport at about 1130am. Parked, checked-on, and a bit of lunch preceeded boarding of our flight to Las Vegas via Phoenix Arizona. This flight was just one of those flights where you wished something could’ve made time go by faster. Not exactly being able to toss and turn, but my inability to be able to fall asleep caused this cross continent flight feel more like a cross Pacific flight. Part of the reason I believe led to this occurance, was due to the lack of food I had from the morning departure from my house, to boarding of the plane in early afternoon. Fortunatedly, there were no particular incident of crying babies, or big smell human being on the plane, leading to the only annoyance for this 6 hour journey being a group of a group of young lads 2 rows ahead pre-drinking on the flight.
Upon touchdown in Las Vegas, our luggage made it to the carasoul in record time, and we were on our way to our hotels after spending merely minutes waiting for our luggage. The rest of the group were clearly excited with the prospect of exploring Las Vegas for the first time, while my excitement surrounds that of spending time in Vegas with 4 truly great people, and enjoying the tourist-side of Vegas for the first time myself.
Venetian is the site where we would rest our heads for the first evening, and for those whom enjoy eye-candy in the female variety, look no further as you will soon find yourself with a sore neck due to extreme left-to-right movement.
A $20 trick later, we find ourselves sharing a bella suite with a clear view of Palazzo, Tressures Island, as well as the Venetian pool. Due to being on the 18th floor, we were unable to get a clear view the patrons of the pool, but nonetheless, the $20 trick led to another successful upgrade.
A dinner at Grand Lux Cafe later, it was agreed upon that we would call it a night early. But of course, first night in Vegas, there is absolutely zero chance that I would allow the night to pass without having any form of gambling. Having a $50 slots credit as part of my package for staying at the Venetian, of course we share the credit and decide to hit up the slots. 15 minutes later, the $50 credit became $60 cash…we’re now 1-for-1 in slots. After a short walk around the Venetian Canal Shoppes, we call it a night by 11pm Vegas time – 2am Eastern time.
Sunday April 26, 2009
Second day began with more packing and unpacking, as a result of our impending move to MGM Grand for the next 3 nights. Any Vegas trip is incomplete without a visit to the Bellagio buffet, and it’s time to start off with a bang. Our first brunch was of course at the Bellagio champagne brunch. 3 to 4 glasses of champagne each between myself and Erica later, we feel highly satisfied, a stomach that feels similar in size to that of a pregnant woman. Following the brunch, visitations to various casinos and hotels begins.
The trip beings north bound from Bellgaio, hitting up Caesar’s Palace, Mirage, Tressures Island, across the street on to The Wynn and Encore, and finished up back at Palazzo and Venetian. Nothing like starting the trip with seeing one of the best of the best in what Las Vegas has to offer. A short downtime later after checking in to MGM Grand, we find ourselves at the “O” Theatre in Bellagio to watch the Cirque du Soleil show “O”.
The show itself was a spectacular production, and the theatre was a gorgeous sight on it’s own. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone and everyone who is planning a trip to Las Vegas. The ticket price is a tad expensive, but to me it was worth every penny.
Departed Toronto shortly after 8am, after picking up the rest of the group for this trip. An uneventful drive later, we arrived at Buffalo airport at about 1130am. Parked, checked-on, and a bit of lunch preceeded boarding of our flight to Las Vegas via Phoenix Arizona. This flight was just one of those flights where you wished something could’ve made time go by faster. Not exactly being able to toss and turn, but my inability to be able to fall asleep caused this cross continent flight feel more like a cross Pacific flight. Part of the reason I believe led to this occurance, was due to the lack of food I had from the morning departure from my house, to boarding of the plane in early afternoon. Fortunatedly, there were no particular incident of crying babies, or big smell human being on the plane, leading to the only annoyance for this 6 hour journey being a group of a group of young lads 2 rows ahead pre-drinking on the flight.
Upon touchdown in Las Vegas, our luggage made it to the carasoul in record time, and we were on our way to our hotels after spending merely minutes waiting for our luggage. The rest of the group were clearly excited with the prospect of exploring Las Vegas for the first time, while my excitement surrounds that of spending time in Vegas with 4 truly great people, and enjoying the tourist-side of Vegas for the first time myself.
Venetian is the site where we would rest our heads for the first evening, and for those whom enjoy eye-candy in the female variety, look no further as you will soon find yourself with a sore neck due to extreme left-to-right movement.
A $20 trick later, we find ourselves sharing a bella suite with a clear view of Palazzo, Tressures Island, as well as the Venetian pool. Due to being on the 18th floor, we were unable to get a clear view the patrons of the pool, but nonetheless, the $20 trick led to another successful upgrade.
A dinner at Grand Lux Cafe later, it was agreed upon that we would call it a night early. But of course, first night in Vegas, there is absolutely zero chance that I would allow the night to pass without having any form of gambling. Having a $50 slots credit as part of my package for staying at the Venetian, of course we share the credit and decide to hit up the slots. 15 minutes later, the $50 credit became $60 cash…we’re now 1-for-1 in slots. After a short walk around the Venetian Canal Shoppes, we call it a night by 11pm Vegas time – 2am Eastern time.
Sunday April 26, 2009
Second day began with more packing and unpacking, as a result of our impending move to MGM Grand for the next 3 nights. Any Vegas trip is incomplete without a visit to the Bellagio buffet, and it’s time to start off with a bang. Our first brunch was of course at the Bellagio champagne brunch. 3 to 4 glasses of champagne each between myself and Erica later, we feel highly satisfied, a stomach that feels similar in size to that of a pregnant woman. Following the brunch, visitations to various casinos and hotels begins.
The trip beings north bound from Bellgaio, hitting up Caesar’s Palace, Mirage, Tressures Island, across the street on to The Wynn and Encore, and finished up back at Palazzo and Venetian. Nothing like starting the trip with seeing one of the best of the best in what Las Vegas has to offer. A short downtime later after checking in to MGM Grand, we find ourselves at the “O” Theatre in Bellagio to watch the Cirque du Soleil show “O”.
The show itself was a spectacular production, and the theatre was a gorgeous sight on it’s own. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone and everyone who is planning a trip to Las Vegas. The ticket price is a tad expensive, but to me it was worth every penny.
NHL Playoff Round 2
A bit late, but here is the prediction for round 2.
Detroit over Anaheim in 6
Vancouver over Chicago in 5
Boston over Carolina in 5
Pittsburgh over Washington in 6
Detroit over Anaheim in 6
Vancouver over Chicago in 5
Boston over Carolina in 5
Pittsburgh over Washington in 6
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