And we're off.

See you all in a couple of weeks. We're off for vacation. There may be an opportunity to post stories or pictures along the way, but probably not.

-KDH

do re memememe

As prompted, here are 8 random things about me:

1. I read in the bathroom (it's not usually the main purpose of my visit there)

2. Of all the computer engineers I know, I am the one who is most afraid of making any hardware change on their computer. I really am of the mind "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", and it leads me to often accept non-ideal situations on my computer.

3. I don't really like performing for audiences (which is kind of strange for someone who sings in a performing chorus and quartet).

4. My trip to Taiwan on my honeymoon made me feel the tallest, the fattest and the most white I have ever felt.

5. I have a blog (I guess you already know that)

6. I have never owned a cell phone (I have carried one for work for the past couple years, but I've never had to pay for one... we'll see if two years of carrying a work cell phone has left me such that I can't live without it once I leave my current job and the cell phone behind).

7. I don't have a driver's license. (I guess that is not technically true, as I do have a G1 license, which is the first stage of the graduated licensing scheme here... I will also point out, before one of my "friends" does in the comments that this is the second G1 I have had after letting the first one expire through sheer laziness, and that I also did have what was know as a "365" well before the graduated licensing system was adopted, but it also expired through the very same laziness)

8. I am much better at learning to understand a language than I am at learning to speak that language. I think this is probably true of most people, but I think it is especially true in my case because I'm fairly good at extracting information out of whatever context I can (which aids in understanding), and I don't like trying to speak when I know I will be inept at it (which is a huge hinderance to learning a language).

Alright, so now I've got to pass this off to someone.... to keep this as a fully connected graph ("9. I'm a nerd"), I'm going to pass it to someone who does not usually post on their blog, but really, they are covered by the title... over to you Dion (a member of the Lew Family Blog family [sic]). I will also open the floor to others (MarkMark, I guess that would still have been fully connected too, Jesse and Pam, and whoever else reads this)

I'm in a quartet again

After a long hiatus from my last quartet (the Humbugs... no pseudo-spoonerisms please), I have now found myself singing baritone again in a quartet. Chameleon was looking for a new singer and asked me to audition, at the time not knowing whether I might sing lead (which I sing in the Northern Lights) or baritone (which is what I sang in the Humbugs). Following a fairly lengthy audition process (largely because our schedules conspired against us in quite a serious way) we decided that the sound was best with me singing baritone and Dave continuing to sing lead. He's got a real clarion quality to his voice which suits lead singing in the barbershop style, while I have a rounder and broader sounding voice (these adjectives might sound strange to non-singers) which suits the baritone part. I tried to convince the "boys" (I am the oldest in the quartet by a good margin, but they're not really boys... I just call them that) that one thing to consider is that I'd likely learn the lead line quite quickly, while the baritone line for songs(which is considered by most to be fairly tricky in this style) might take me longer to learn. They somehow were convinced that it wouldn't be a problem and I would learn quickly enough. We'll see!

I Quit!

I quit my job. My last day is next Friday, at which point I'll be heading away on our vacation and won't have any worries about work for the whole time! Don't worry, I do have a job lined up to begin after Labour Day. My leaving Soma is a bittersweet event: I do love (and will miss) the atmosphere and the people at Soma (and much of my job), but I'm also very excited about my new position and new company.

I don't usually talk about work on the blog to avoid any improprieties, but I think this is okay... I've already told all the people at work who really need to know.

-KDH

All day breakfast

I saw a sign yesterday day outside a local restaurant that said "All Day Breakfast (10AM - 4PM)". Is that breakfast really all day?

Project: vacation

It's all arranged (well almost all.. still some hotels and side trips to sort out), we are going to Europe with Susanna's family, a large part of which will be a Baltic Sea cruise. The plan is to spend 3 days in Paris (we can see all of Paris and get a strong appreciation for parisian culture in 3 days, right?) and take the chunnel on the way to Dover where we'll board the ship and head off to ports on the Baltic Sea.

The plan right now is to meet up with my sister and Thomas in our one stop in the north of Germany, and to spend the day with them. Our other stops are: Talinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark. If you have any suggestions of not-to-be-missed experiences in any of those places, let me know!

After the cruise is done, Susanna and I have to hurry back to our jobs, but Susanna's parents, brother and sister-in-law will be spending another week touring around... possibly England, possibly France... it has yet to be decided.

I'm getting excited.

-Kevin

More babies!

Rob and Rebecca are pregnant! (well, really Rebecca is pregnant and Rob is responsible for it) They are expecting their "little Ho" (her words, not mine) January 26, 2008.

You can read more about it here.