black friday

Yes, I did black friday. Got up at 4am, got to Best Buy at 4:32. Was probably at least 300th in line. (see graphic below) The Best Buy staff were very helpful, they were handing out line tickets for the hot items and keeping us informed of how it was going to go, even after the doors opened.

Doors opened at 5am, I got in the door at 5:20, had my purchase and was back in the car at 5:40, back in bed by 6am. It was not terribly cold and the people in the line were very friendly. Except the two guys behind me were sick and having been battling a cold myself for several days I don't think I am feeling the better for this today.

I was the envy of the line for having gotten a PS3 and Wii without standing in line (well Matthew got them without standing in line)

I got for my troubles at 20" tv/dvd combo for $89.99. Merry Christmas. Oh and I got
an alien lighter when I stopped to get coffee. Woohoo!

recovered

I think I am finally recovered from the trip, takes awhile to catch up on sleep. St. Louis is supposed to get its first snow of the season tonight, but I won't hold my breath.

Check out the pictures of my dwarf hamster Lola http://www.nocturnal.org/~kevans/lola/lola.html

Edmonton Wednesday

Today was the last day of the conference and it was over at lunch time. I did some shopping then went to see Borat with a couple other people, very funny movie, totally offensive to every group! Then I packed then went and had dinner and hung out with Terri from Webster and Geoffry from Wayne State in Michigan.

We come back to St Louis tomorrow, here are todays pictures

November 8, 2006

Tuesday in Edmonton

Today my focus was on student worker training and management, I had lunch with a great group of people who shared some great ideas, then after the session I talked with some other people and got more great ideas and shared some of our own information. Tonight was the conference gala at the Jubilations dinner theater. It was an interesting show and a nice dinner. Not a lot of pictures from today, but a few.

Tuesday, November 7

edmonton Monday

It's late and its been a long day, but a good one, I learned a lot at the sessions today, stuff I plan on using soon. Outside the sessions talked with some great people about relevant topics such as illegal download, student employee management and retention and beer :)

Saw one of the theme rooms and hung out in the Sherlock Holmes bar where there was some interesting music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E8sx6I8efs

There was more snow overnight but I haven't been outside today. Weird thing, at dinner I had a sandwich and fries, the waitress asked if I would like gravy with my fries. Yes, its real gravy, like beef gravy, served on the side, surprisingly good! I took a picture.

Overall a good day.

Pictures are updated

Saturday, November 4
Sunday, November 5
Monday, November 6

Edmonton Update (day 2)

Yesterday was a fun day. Terri and I did some sightseeing and shopping. Then we had a digital scavenger hunt for the conference. After that we had the opening event at the waterpark here in the mall. Terri and I both spent a lot of time in the huge wave pool but then we both braved the HUGE water slides! ) Yes, we both did, I don't think there are any pictures of that (thank goodness). That was pretty much the end of day two. Today starts the technical sessions where we learn lovely things! :)yesterdays pictures are up. More later!

Edmonton

I arrived in Canada yesterday, Edmonton Alberta. My first time out of the country. It was a long day of traveling, got to the airport in St. Louis just before 7am, arrived in Edmonton around 5pm I think.

Terri and I got lost only once on the way to the hotel so we're doing better than usual. We are staying at the Fantasyland Hotel in the West Edmonton Mall, its fabulous! There is a waterpark which we will be going to) a sea lion show, 21 movie theaters and everything else you can think of! We didn't see much last night, we were too tired, we had dinner then crashed.

The conference starts this afternoon but we are going to get some sight seeing in before that.

I am going to try to post pictures at least one a day, they can be found here http://lenzfamily.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=46671

how ironic is it that animal crackers and bacos are vegan?

shutup and hangup

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My first blues game

Went to my first hockey game Friday night. It was fun, we won! no fights but two players crashed into the glass and knocked a peice out.

take your screaming kids outside

I was in wal-mart today and almost from the moment I walked in the door I heard this kid screaming bloody murder. At first I thought that he must have gotten hurt, such was the volume of his cries. When the screaming went on for 5 minutes, then 10, then continued for the entire 45 minutes I was in the store, I was ready to harm the kid myself, and the adult in charge of him/her. You could hear this kid throughout the entire store, it took every ounce of willpower I posses to not follow those screams and tell the mother/father/guardian to shut the kid up or take him outside.
Back when I was a kid, we knew better than to make a scene in public. If we started to act up, and by this I mean the beginnings of a whine, we were asked "do you want to go outside?" the answer was no. We didn't want to go outside, because outside was a nice spanking. You behaved in public, you did not embarrass your parents by making a scene, whether it be in the grocery store, church or another adults house.
Now I don't think the parents are embarrassed, they will get pissy if you confront them about their misbehaving child, get indignant and angry.
Now given, I don't expect Wal-Mart to be a peaceful place, but damn, that was ridiculous.