Wanted: dating agent

It's been a while since I've posted, mostly due to time being spent doing other things. On the whole, they're enjoyable things like indoor soccer, volleyball, guitar, and spending evenings with friends, but one of the activities has been a veritable sinkhole of time: online dating. Anyone who's tried it can likely sympathize. It takes some time and effort to find a decent pic, put together a decent profile and write something about one's self which is intelligent, articulate, orignal, and funny. Then there's creating searches, trawling ads, and hoping something interesting comes up in the net. As I said awhile ago, it really is a game or performance and I think the time has come to move to the next level: finding an agent.

Wouldn't that be great? Give someone a headshot, a blurb, and the kind of person you're looking for and let them set up an audition/date for you. That way, you'd be free to do the things you'd rather be doing while someone else is spending time finding your compatible partner in crime. They'd work for a low flat fee plus a commission for any match that lasts four months.

Interested? ; )

The short weeks can be the toughest

Here in Canada we celebrated Thanksgiving on Monday making for a four-day work week. Call me crazy, but I always find that four-day weeks feel like they're eight days long (What? It can't be! We had Wednesday two days ago!) At work, especially, there seems to be an expectation to cram a normal week's worth of activity into four days. In addition to the compressed week, I'm covering for my boss while away he's on much deserved vacation time. Oh yeah, I also drove through a 480$ Montreal pothole the other day which broke the front sway bar links.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow which is going to start with a tasty chocolate-orange bread from the nearby Premiere Moisson and good coffee and end with a massage. In between the two, there's going to be a barbecued, marinated steak with a glass of red wine (thanks RK).

Here's to Friday.

Have wrist pain from typing?

One of the downsides to all the time we spend typing and texting is the risk of RSI (repetitive strain injury) which may take the form of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, tendonitis, or other conditions. The usual advice applies here for treatment and prevention such as avoiding prolonged periods of the aggravating actions, keeping good posture and hand position, exercise (stretching), etc. One thing that I've found has helped is changing my keyboard. Of course, it's not a cure and won't reverse any existing damage, but I do find that my hands feel much more relaxed and comfortable when typing in this position. If you've never tried one of these odd-looking keyboards, I'd suggest that you give it a go. I've switched to this one at home and work and am happy with it. It takes a little getting used to, but if you're able to type without looking down at the keyboard, you'll adapt quickly. If you have a more advanced condition, here's another site that has an array of more advanced keyboards.

There are good tips available on a number of sites if you Google RSI. A number of things that can help are paying attention to how you use your hands when not typing. Is your hand bent backwards when you hold your phone or brush your teeth? Straighten it. How about at the gym? Can you modify your workout to do load-bearing exercise with a straight wrist? Does it hurt when you use a knife? A sharper one would let you use less pressure. Do you carry a loaded backpack when you commute on your bike? Consider a rack or panier to ease the weight on your wrists.

If you have any more tips to share, please add them in the comments. It's something which probably affects a lot of us, but we just don't discuss it.

Nothing makes a Sunday morning like..

.. the deep satisfaction of knowing the HABS BEAT THE LEAFS!


It's a beautiful, crisp fall day here in Montreal this Thanksgiving long weekend Sunday and I hope that the weather is equally nice wherever you are. Even if you don't officially celebrate Thanksgiving, I challenge you to take 30 sec. and think of someone or something that makes you happy.

Fall Resolutions

Who knows if it's the long ago ingrained back-to-school rhythm or the end of summer that spurs fall projects, but there's something in the air that stirs the worker ant in all of us. Friends and colleagues are taking classes, working on eating better, looking for new homes, planning weddings, trips, etc. I've recently started guitar lessons, am getting into the fall sports cycle (indoor soccer, volleyball, more running since it's cooler), and have other side projects to work on like designing a website for a guitar-building friend and generally trying to read more French books. I do remember reading somewhere that people tend to keep fall resolutions more then new year's ones - unfortunately, I don't remember where.

What's in your agenda?