BACK TO SCHOOL...

As 2008 was coming to end, I found myself being bombarded with ads in the paper from various colleges and universities offering continuing education and part time studies aimed at people in the work force who have already earned a post secondary degree of some sort.

So I've done two things:

1 - I've applied for my Masters at UofT in computer science. This is a high demand program, and I don't get their decision of acceptance until March 31, 2009. IF I get accepted (and this is a very big IF), then I start in September 2009.

2 - In the mean time, I'll be taking a part-time course at Centennial College teaching web programming in VB.NET. (For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, VB stands for Visual Basic, and VB.NET is one of the many programming languages used in developing web applications.) I was pleasantly surprised that Centennial offers several computer programming courses teaching curriculum that I never was exposed to at UofT. Classes are every Monday night from 7-10pm beginning January 12 and ending April 13.

OTHER THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO:

Star Trek movie coming out this May!!! Can't wait.

President's Choice

Holy smokes,

Four months since my last post!! I wonder if anyone is reading this...

SO! This is a little note to give kudos to President's Choice. President's Choice is definitely where it's at! This is a company that truly cares about its customers. They make some of the best quality food (at very reasonable prices), offer no-fee banking (unlimited chequing and debit transactions), and have a PC point system (through their version of MasterCard) where you can get free food at Loblaws, and free movie passes!

They've made my life a whole lot easier ... and less expensive.

I love President's Choice. I hope you do, too!

I'm still alive

Happy February, folks. Sorry for the lack of blogging. I've had a quiet and uneventful 2008 so far - I just haven't had much to say lately.

Let's look at the good and the bad, shall we.

Bad news :-(

• The Maple Leafs are in the basement of the NHL standings.
• I'm not completely healthy (physically) - haven't been for 10 years.
  
• I still can't get a driver's license yet.

Good news :-)

• I live in an incredibly awesome country with the basic necessities of life.
• I got to see Kathy & Gonzo's little one recently.
• My job is going great (despite the 1 hour commute).
  
• I've got some incredibly awesome friends. (Like you, for instance.)
• God cared enough to save my bacon - and one day, I'll get to hang out with Him forever.
• Oh yeah ... and I'm alive (hence my blog title).
  

Gotta be content - all the time. I'll be honest - I'm still working on that, and I gotta quit complaining.

Sorry guys - I just wanted to "lay it all on the table," you know.

This is Andrew.
Over and out.

Catholic Encouragement

Today, I'm on the Midland bus, thinking that my problems are too immense. I will admit - there are times when I dwell more on the negatives than the positives.

Remember - I'm on the bus.

Cue in this message on the billboard of Jean Vanier Catholic School:

Remember that the problems ahead of you are

never as great as The Power above you

I pass by this school every day on the way to work.

God has perfect timing!

Time

The Trinity is often an incomprehensible reality that will be fully understood when we get to heaven. But (while we're still here), I want to bounce this idea off you guys. I heard once that we can untangle the Trinity by drawing some parallels with TIME.

Time has 3 unique components (or dimensions): past, present, and future. They all serve different roles. But they coexist to create the timeline. It's impossible to live without all three.

We can't live without the past - otherwise we wouldn't have any memory of what has already happened to us, and to the world; no opportunity to rejoice in our successes, learn from our failures, and make life-long friends. (For example, we can say, "I've been a Christian for 10 years" because we remember the past 10 years.)

We can't live without the present, because the present is ... NOW! If there is no "now", then what is the present?

And if there is no future, then there will be no present or no past. So whatever happens 10 minutes from now is the future. Exactly 10 minutes from now, it will be the present. 11 (or more) minutes from now, it will be past, since it has already occurred.

Past, present, and future - they are all measured the same way (seconds, minutes, etc.), but they each have their specific role! The Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - they all have the same divine attributes, but they exist as 3 distinct persons with unique roles.

By all means, let me know if my extrapolation of this analogy is any closer to connecting the dots on the Trinity.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hey friends,

Just want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving, and I thank God for each and every one of you because you're all terrific friends.

Have a great long weekend, and don't eat too much turkey (this coming from an Italian).

Baby Oil = No blood = AWESOME SHAVE!

Who says baby oil is just for babies?

It's often said that, "it's all about technique" when shaving. Well - to avoid all the nicks and cuts I get when shaving - I've recently attempted an peculiar technique ... shaving with baby oil. (This is advice I took from a fellow Italian buddy who experienced the same problem.)

I continue to use shaving cream on my face, but I soak my razor (the incredible Schick Quattro) in baby oil before using it. This seriously works magical wonders that a guy would never have thought possible.

Side Note: The Schick Quattro must have been invented by an Italian. (I don't have to translate "Quattro" for you guys, do I?)