new tv thoughts

The ultra nice flat tv that's pictured below the Texas Longhorn is unfortunately not coming with the new house. this sucks.

Currently, my largest flat panel tv is a 35 inch lcd. I plan on doing a projector in the basement, but meanwhile i need something for living room. i'd like to get something that is 42-50 inches (prefer 50), 1080p, and has 4000+ contrast. Unfortunately i have no idea what that might be.

any thoughts?

Beer Necessities

This weekend was the 10th Annual Old Dominion Beer Festival, which was held in the metropolis of Ashburn.

While lucky enough to miss the crap weather, I managed to enjoy multiple beers from multiple vendors. Some were good, some were crap.

Hefeweizen seems to be a new trend in the US with most of the breweries presenting some version. Unfortunately I didn't taste a single one that tasted anything like the Hefe's I've had in Germany.

Legend Brewing out of Fredericksburg VA has a Brown Ale that was bold, nutty and full of flavour - with no bitterness in the aftertaste. It became my hands down favourite. So if you get a chance to drink some - I highly recommend it. Look out Newkie Brown.

Bong Manor

So it's official. August 1st I'll be moving into Bong Manor. This place rocks. hugeass kitchen, awesome deck, prewired for audio everywhere, and all sorts of fun. It is also on the 9th hole of a very nice golf course.

Shame I hate golfing. Maybe I can tan naked on my deck and scare the golfers with my Canadian Windmill(TM).

A slideshow was also done by the real estate people.

Learning the ropes

Day two: Some arena in Portsmouth, Va.

So a few months back, I officially cured my fear of heights. How? I completed my Ropes Rescue Technician Level III class. Ropes III is the highest level of rope rescue training you can get in Canada and US in the fire service. It was damned fun.

Cheesy notice at my fire station's website is here

Best part of the class was when we built a horizontal and vertal rope system that went off a 150foot platform. We needed the first human load (i.e. victim) to go over the side and ride the system. One of my classmates said...

"Let's send the Canadian, they're expendable."
















This is me! (you can tell by my Special Needs helmet).

This is still me.

And this is what caused the (un)expected need to change my undies.

Burn baby burn

It's been a long time since i posted anything here. that's largely because i haven't had that much going on. just working and going to fire school.

the fire classes are nearly done - final exam is two weeks from tonight. eeek.

now we're in the fun stuff. we're taking all of what we've done and actually crawling around burning buildings and such.



My team: Me,"Lightduty" and Becca

So last night we did some search and rescue in the burn building with live fire. we did it on the house and on the aparment building sides.




Searching the room for 'victims'. Me and Lightduty

It was pretty neat. The fires in some of the rooms were big enough that the flames were rolling over our heads on the ceiling. Not always a good thing. It was done on purpose of course so that a) we could experience it and b) put it out.

This is the fun stuff. it's made the class worthwhile. Of course I'll see more fire in the next two weeks than i likely will at the next two years at my station. (we don't have a lot of burning)..


photos courtesy Firefighter Tim Duckworth - thanks ducky