Ryan J. Allen

I’m pretty excited about Rogers coming to disconnect my cable television. I made some further cuts to my Rogers services that will reduce my monthly bill to just a hair over $70 per month, taxes in. I’m pretty excited about this, as I was paying them $170 month up until now, and a year ago I was closer to $250-$300 a month.

Someone from Rogers is coming to disconnect my cable on Saturday morning. I was informed by someone that the Superbowl is this weekend, which means that I am disconnecting my television the day before Superbowl. I don’t know what’s better: that fact, or that I someone had to tell me.

I’m 3/3 for school deliverables this week, and I feel very good about each one of them. I would have to say A+ across the board. I did have a bit of a rant in my head about group work this evening but that feeling has since past. There was also a rant about how little University students seem to do but I’m also over that.

Work has been running me to near capacity this week, with exceeding capacity expected for next week. Luckily I’ll just kick into overdrive. I have extra chocolate milk for additional cooling.

I may be integrating with the NPSIA crowd tomorrow evening. I’ll promote myself as a Telfer student. We’ll get along well.

I absolutely have a ton of stuff to write about, but it will have to wait.

February will be a very exciting month for me. I have decided that I will use February as a learning month.

Ack–I don’t have time to write more now. Sorry.

When I was applying deodorant this morning while getting ready I recalled that, as a young teenager, I used to refer to deodorant as simply “D”.

Readership, it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that I have canceled my order for the MacBook Air. Please, allow me to elaborate.

At home I have a 17″ iMac G5. This machine is three years old and is showing its age. It is fully functional but can be slow at times. The display is usable, but small. The inability to expand the internal components has never hindered, but storage is getting tight and my only option is to go external. I had always intended on replacing this machine this year and the MacBook Air would be no replacement–it would be a supplement.

I am saddened by coming to this realization. The light weight of the MacBook Air is incredibly appealing. Going between work, home, school, and elsewhere without a notebook has been difficult, and my desire to carry around a 5 or 6 pound machine has been next to none. Granted, my only option at this point is to carry around a 5 or 6 pound machine running Microsoft Windows but still: the OS will not make the notebook any lighter.

The small size of the Air would have also equaled room for another couple of shirts in the saddlebags of my motorcycle, perfect for a weekend trip out of the city. Any review I’ve read suggested that the Air removes the question as to whether to bring your notebook with you, and that’s exactly the kind of notebook that I’ve been waiting for. Even as I write this I am again thinking that the MacBook Air is the one for me.

Enter my more reasonable self, and prepare for another shocker as I admit that I probably cannot afford to buy a $2000 paper-thin notebook and a new desktop machine this year. Take a minute to soak that one in because I actually said it (wrote it).

So here’s the situation: I have all of my money and Apple has none. Apple has released the MacBook Air, has recently updated the Mac Pro, is expected to update the MacBook Pro in a few weeks, and is mid-cycle on the MacBook (updates for the June education buying season, no doubt). Here is what I’m considering:

1. Buy a Mac Pro–a tower of 8-core power–and an external display (22″ seems to be the sweet-spot, price wise, right now. Supplement this with a MacBook after the next refresh to support my portable side. Approximate Apple cost: $4149 (plus taxes).
2. Buy a MacBook Pro after the update and an external display. At home I can continue to use the Bluetooth mouse and keyboard I own and I can “pseudo-dock” the machine while I’m at home. Approximate Apple cost: $2200 (plus taxes).

Because my desktop computer is only ever in use when I’m home, it is reasonable for me to have only the MacBook Pro, leaving no machine available at home when I’m out. The MacBook Pro is about as portable as the MacBook, being approximately 10% larger by weight and volume. The ideal situation would be a Mac Pro at home, with a MacBook Air on the road, a costly $4800 scenario.

Looking purely at the numbers the choice may be obvious, but any option is an investment that will, hopefully, last me another three years. My iMac, when I bought it, cost me a little over $2000–further evidence toward my limiting my spending to approximately that amount. Maybe I’ll just have to spring for larger saddlebags.

I welcome comments. And don’t forget, I can always re-order the Air if it turns out this was a mistake.

Just a quick note: this weekend my beard saw the compliment of a lifetime. Someone–not just anyone, but someone–referred to my beard as an executive beard.

This is cool.

I spent $2692.39 unnecessarily in 2007.

I spent $5264.88 questionably in 2007.

I spent $2988.06 on groceries and household items in 2007.

I gave $11843.35 to creditors in 2007. (Note: this doesn’t mean I owed $12k to creditors. I don’t make a distinction between purchases made via credit and from cash-equivalents in these reports.)

I also made these special categories:
Squash: $284.66 (ongoing gym-related costs were later rolled into “questionable” spending)
NASCAR: $445.19 (this was for the tickets, camping, gas, and all purchases made while on the trip–a cheap vacation, if you ask me)
iPhone: $348.41
Hotel for Genesis: $276.23
Holiday Soiree: $294.34
Winter gifts to myself: $385.45

What an interesting month December was.

Unnecessary: $328.05
- Starbucks
- MHK Sushi
- McDonald’s
- Moxies
- Subway
- Pizza Pizza
- Denny’s
- Pan Chancho Cafe
- Canada Computers (card reader)
- Wendy’s
- Topper’s Pizza
- Gabriel Pizza
- Chien Noir
- Sunrise Records

Questionable: $262.51
- Clothing
- Haircut (W Hair)
- Seinfeld
- QNX Cafe
- Gas
- Inter-city Bus

I also gave myself a few gifts: a new jacket, an electronic keyboard, and some winter overalls; cost: $385.45

I hosted a party at the cost of $294.34.

Groceries (independent of the party): $172.94.

Tuition: $1756.11.

Debt: $1155.57.

Again, gift related purchases have been left out.

Here’s a great flickr set called Understanding art for geeks.

For the past two years I have subscribed to cable television services. I estimate that I have spent about $1500 on cable TV services during that time and am confident that I have not received $1500 worth of enjoyment for these services. Further, this money has fed itself into an organization that I pump too much money into as it is so I have additional interest in reducing this particular output.

After a very quick deliberation with myself I decided to cancel my cable television services. The cancellation request was delivered via telephone. During the call I felt no hesitation or uneasy feelings that suggested to me that this was a Bad Thing. My last day of cable television service will be February 1, 2008.

Cable TV and I were never a good fit, but it took me two years to realize it. At least it wasn’t two long years–two regular years, I would say. Who knows when our paths may cross again.

I am tired but I cannot sleep. This may have something to do with the can of Coca-Cola I had this afternoon. Whatever it is I’m kind of annoyed by it. I’m about to make the best of it, though, by telling you about the dinner.

To start I served chips and mini carrots with Helluvagood dip, followed jalapeno peppers stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese, parmesan, and ground pork. I thought about bacon-wrapping them but thought that might be a little excessive.

The main course was sirloin tip steak, which I rubbed with fresh garlic and steak spice then broiled to a beautiful medium-rare. The shrimp was prepared in butter, a touch of olive oil, garlic, paprika, and green onion and it was amazing. To compliment the protein was steamed broccoli and rice, both cooked to perfection.

Some fresh Kenyan coffee was served with a variety of desserts, including the last of the nanaimo bars and a variety of chocolate snacks. But better than the food, the company was enjoyed for many hours and we were left with one tired pig.

Really what made the food so great was the help from everyone, who all pitched in with dishes, chopping, setting, heating, etc. Because of all of their help the timing was perfect, the table was pretty, and eight people left with a full stomach.

I don’t think most of them read this but I will say “thank you again” to them all anyway. Thanks!