Well, today is my birthday. I don't say this in a shallow attempt to attain happy birthday greetings, so don't feel obligated to do so. I am just attempting to write a journal entry, and that seemed like the best place to start. In all honesty, I was more focused on the work that needs doing an forget it was my birthday until I was reminded yesterday. You are only as young as you think you are, and right about now, I feel old. I wish I had accomplished more with these 22 years, but that reflection doesn't bring me down. Instead, it encourages me to do more with the rest of the years I got. It's kind of like I am procrastinating and today is just a reminder that I better get a move on. So for the day, I am doing homework. I believe me roomie is planing on ordering some pizza for dinner. Delicious. This about all I really have to say on the topic of birthdays.
Presently, I am watching my tiny pet blue crayfish struggle to push it's way out of a hole it's dug its self into. It's an interesting little creature, and all together far to fun to watch. It attacked one of the larger fish in the aquarium yesterday. The fish was chasing after a piece of food which was slowly falling towards the entrance to the crayfish's cave. I guess I am just noting this because I am laughing my ass off right now at the sight of the crayfish pushing it's head up to lift the busted shard of pottery he lives under. After watching all the fish just swim around the tank, it's fun to see a new kind of behavior in the habitat. In conclusion, crustaceans are funny, especially blue ones stuck under something. Here, I included a picture of my aquarium!
I biked to downtown today. It had been several days since I bike, so it was nice to get out. My daily 8:30 am classes are draining my motivation to bike my way to school in the bitter cold 7:30 am morning air. I have managed to muster the will power a few times, but on the whole, I have been a slave to the bus. Fortunately, today I had the opportunity to sleep in a little, so I wasn't so bitter about biking to my destination. I had some errands to run at the rideau mall and I took my bike down to this large bike rack in the market like I always do. I zipped right in and then a girl stopped me as I was locking it up. I took off my headphones to hear her say "Are you aware of the new program?". "New program?" I asked. "What kind of program?". "Well, it's $2.00 to lock up your bike for less then 3 hours and $5.00 after that. What!?!? This city is charging me to lock up my bike now? Here I am, trying to do a favor to the planet and not pollute the air with a Co2-spewing chunk of metal, and you want to charge me for it? There is a reason people ride bikes city of ottawa. 1) It's good for your health 2) It's good for the environment and 3) PARKING IS FUCKING FREE! NOT $2.00!
Despite the fact that I am ranting now, I was actually perfectly polite at the time (as that is all I can seem to be) and actually contemplating paying the woman. The only thing that snapped me out of it was another guy riding up and entering the same scenario. Except instead of talking to the city employee he just scoffed and left. While I do promote politeness, I think this guy had the right idea, so I left and found another bike rake even closer to the mall.
Hmmmm, I am just starting to actually think. There is one benefit to having the girl sitting there. No one can steal the bike, or at least would have a much harder time. The girl was no more then 5 feet away from the rack, maybe thats the citys scheme. The big rack is right in the middle of downtown, so it is a high-theft area. But there is also tons of people around, and it's daytime. I think I would be willing to pay someone $2.00 to watch my bike for 3 hours at night, but not during the day. None the less, at least I justified this new "program" a little more. Still don't like it however.
Presently, I am watching my tiny pet blue crayfish struggle to push it's way out of a hole it's dug its self into. It's an interesting little creature, and all together far to fun to watch. It attacked one of the larger fish in the aquarium yesterday. The fish was chasing after a piece of food which was slowly falling towards the entrance to the crayfish's cave. I guess I am just noting this because I am laughing my ass off right now at the sight of the crayfish pushing it's head up to lift the busted shard of pottery he lives under. After watching all the fish just swim around the tank, it's fun to see a new kind of behavior in the habitat. In conclusion, crustaceans are funny, especially blue ones stuck under something. Here, I included a picture of my aquarium!
I biked to downtown today. It had been several days since I bike, so it was nice to get out. My daily 8:30 am classes are draining my motivation to bike my way to school in the bitter cold 7:30 am morning air. I have managed to muster the will power a few times, but on the whole, I have been a slave to the bus. Fortunately, today I had the opportunity to sleep in a little, so I wasn't so bitter about biking to my destination. I had some errands to run at the rideau mall and I took my bike down to this large bike rack in the market like I always do. I zipped right in and then a girl stopped me as I was locking it up. I took off my headphones to hear her say "Are you aware of the new program?". "New program?" I asked. "What kind of program?". "Well, it's $2.00 to lock up your bike for less then 3 hours and $5.00 after that. What!?!? This city is charging me to lock up my bike now? Here I am, trying to do a favor to the planet and not pollute the air with a Co2-spewing chunk of metal, and you want to charge me for it? There is a reason people ride bikes city of ottawa. 1) It's good for your health 2) It's good for the environment and 3) PARKING IS FUCKING FREE! NOT $2.00!
Despite the fact that I am ranting now, I was actually perfectly polite at the time (as that is all I can seem to be) and actually contemplating paying the woman. The only thing that snapped me out of it was another guy riding up and entering the same scenario. Except instead of talking to the city employee he just scoffed and left. While I do promote politeness, I think this guy had the right idea, so I left and found another bike rake even closer to the mall.
Hmmmm, I am just starting to actually think. There is one benefit to having the girl sitting there. No one can steal the bike, or at least would have a much harder time. The girl was no more then 5 feet away from the rack, maybe thats the citys scheme. The big rack is right in the middle of downtown, so it is a high-theft area. But there is also tons of people around, and it's daytime. I think I would be willing to pay someone $2.00 to watch my bike for 3 hours at night, but not during the day. None the less, at least I justified this new "program" a little more. Still don't like it however.