The loss of stuff

I dedicate this blog entry to the events that transpired today. I suppose every blog entry I write, now that I think of it, has something to do with that particular day. The focus is on the 'loss of things' because I have friends that are secretly getting rid of their kid's toys to alleviate the amount of stuff collected within their homes. 'Secretly' to the kids anyway, I found out because they posted the getting rid of stuff on facebook. This entry also documents my loss of data today from my iPad2.

Ironically the chain of events that follow all started off from performing a back up, of all things, of my iPad2 because my computer hard drive was getting full.

I had purchased Torchwood the complete seasons of one and two (mistake number one) which take up about 1.5 gigs an episode. My main hard drive sits in a netbook. Not a lot of space to begin with. The idea was to use iTunes to back up my files to an external drive. That was it. Simple. Straight forward.

Unfortunately it was neither. After backing up my files to my 'R' drive and checking to make sure they were all there by comparing it to my 'C' drive I proceeded to delete the stuff off my 'C' drive (mistake number two).

Upon running iTunes I noticed that all the apps were gone. How to solve this? I decided to hook up the iPad2 to the computer and download them (sync them) back to the laptop (mistake number three).

Instead of downloading the apps, iTunes decided to sync the empty laptop back to my iPad. Doing this not only wiped out all my Apps on the iPad, it also deleted all the support files and files created for those apps.

I lost music compositions, sketches, spread sheets, Word documents, game settings (including about a month of fish planet data), and all my sound recordings from travelling around the Boston T just before Christmas. Ugh. There could still be more stuff gone that I haven't discovered yet.

I suppose the part that really sucks about this whole experience is that it took almost 12 hours to get things back up and running properly and still not have those files. The good news is that Apple does keep track of all the software you buy so you can at least re-download everything. That was a small victory in itself. Had I not been able to reinstall the apps I would have probably put the iPad on eBay.

Things could have been a lot worse. Most of the data was only two months old. iTunes managed to back up my contacts and my notes data. This is the problem with a closed system like the iPad. You forget to backup files because they're hidden away. I knew this going into buying the Apple product so it wasn't a complete surprise when everything went to crap.

Whether it's computer data loss, a hundred view master reels your uncle gave away as a kid, that Apple ][+ (with all the software) your mother gave away to your relatives, your best friend dying, or your loss of youth and the ability to bend without grunting, you'll always lose something in life. It's just the way it is.

Wow, as I write this I realize that this blog entry is a big downer. To help pick you, the reader, back up here's some photos I took of Phoebe while I was working on the restoration of the iPad. We went outside when the computer was re-downloading the apps.

Also despite knowing the fact that loss is a fact of life, know this... Appreciate stuff when you have it. The memories of having that stuff in your life will last forever (or at least until your memory fades due to old age). If you buy an Apple product with a close system remember to back up each individual file (see, out of a horrible time consuming experience for me you have taken away some valuable time saving information; life is good)


Here's a photo of Phoebe with the neighbour's newspaper from today (It's the Wall street Journal)


The bridge near the park (again)


Phoebe rolling around on the ground (why? I have no idea)


Phoebe sleeps while I start the iPad's restoration


Phoebe changes beds. My restoration is taking a while.


Position three


Position four


Back to the softer bed (position five)


While the laptop is re-downloading all the iPad Apps I decide to take Phoebe for a walk.


Haymarket Pizza Prices


Phoebe with the statue of Kevin Hagan White, the longest-serving Mayor of Boston


Phoebe waiting for me across the street while I use the bank machine.


Phoebe at South Station


Phoebe near the Children's Museum


Phoebe across the street from the Barking Crab


Phoebe on a bridge connecting Boston to South Boston


Phoebe in front of some Christmas lights


A Boston park display


Phoebe in front of a large Christmas Tree in Quincy Market

Christmas in Boston

Phoebe Hurd

There was not a lot going on today being Christmas and all. All the stores were closed and even if I were in a shopping mood (which I wasn't) most of my day was filled with lounging and reading.

I had picked up some novels, yeah okay they are Star Trek related, purchased from the Apple iBook store. It's the four part Invasion series where each book covers a different crew (TOS, TNG, DS9, and STV respectively). A while ago I owned the first book, part one, in paperback and read through about half of it before losing it into a box while moving apartments. That was a few apartments ago.

The reader for the iPad2 was a free download so I figured I'd buy the book and see if it was any good (the iPad2 as a reader). The night theme on the newer version of iBook helped. It was easier to look at a dark screen.

I am posting this blog entry before some of the days past. I'm trying to catch up on blog entries since RollerCon. So if you already know I'm in Boston then pay no attention to what follows.

I'm in Boston. I'm currently on vacation from working on a movie being filmed here and instead of going back home to Toronto I decided to stay here at Patrick's apartment for Christmas. I really didn't want to do any travelling during the holidays. So in exchange for staying at the apartment I'm taking care of the family dog, Phoebe.


Looking for a good place to poo.

Phoebe reminds me of an ewok if one were to be real. If the dog were to say 'yub yub' this would not be of any surprise.

Phoebe requires walking a few times a day. This is a good thing as it gets me out of the apartment even if it's only a few minutes. I then get out of that stereotype of being that guy barricaded in an apartment by himself (or herself; let's not be sexist) over Christmas with food and movies on DVDs, sandbags at the entrance, and a shotgun to drive the curious kids and nosy neighbours away. Yes, walking a dog makes you more normal.


Wandering at the nearby park

Not that I was looking for this to happen but according to Patrick, and other dog owners, walking a cute little dog is a babe magnet. I would like to blow that myth out of the water. I had not seen or talked to any 'babes' today. This could also be that it's Christmas. Who in their right mind would be outside when they could be opening presents, spending time with family/friends, or sleeping... oh wait across the street... yep... another dog walker (specifically a guy who looked like he was thrusted out of his house by his spouse/girl friend/person that wears the pants in the house). Geez, he looked in sadder shape than me.

Did I mention that it was snowing? Not enough to start calling for snow plows or to start the barrage of putting salt on the streets, just enough to notice that it was indeed snow and not some person with a dandruff problem on a second floor apartment shaking their head. The snow melted by the time it hit the ground.


Phoebe walks toward me and the camera


The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in the distance

Dinner

For dinner I had forgotten to take a chicken I bought a few days ago out of the freezer. So for dinner I had cereal (Krunch Heads) and a choice between two calm chowders I had bought at the grocery store (the same day I bought the chicken).


CHOICE A: Cherrystone Clam Chowder


CHOICE B: Snow's Clam Chowder

I went with Choice A. The Cherrystone. I wasn't really that impressed. It seemed to have more sand in it than I expected. That or hard shell like particles floating around. Also it wasn't that thick. Stay tuned for Choice B, which I'll probably eat tomorrow.


Close up of Phoebe

Phoebe, like most dogs, watches me without blinking (creeps me out a bit) while I'm eating. I suppose all animals are like that. She'll just sit there and stare until I have no more food left and have put the bowl in the sink. If I'm still holding the bowl she's still there... staring.


Suspicious but lazy

She also has a lazy side to her. If she's sleeping and hears me doing something not food related she'll look around with as little head movement as possible shifting her beady little eyes towards me to see what I'm up to. If it's food related she's up and as close to the bowl as possible.


Sunset over Boston.

And that was how I spent Christmas.

My Wobbly Brain, My Ill Stomach and Destroyer

Sometime in the night maybe two hours or so after falling asleep I woke up to run to the bathroom where I would revisit those two filet-o-fish sandwiches I ate on the way home. They were completely digested but I suppose my body didn't like them mixed with the alcoholic booze and needed to reject them as quickly as possible despite what my brain wanted to do.

In my haste while attempting to find the light switch, the light switch that's been in the same place since moving in over six months ago, I missed the centre of the toilet bowl. At that point it wasn't like I had any control of what my stomach was going to do. Five seconds more and I would have made it.

Luckily the majority made it in leaving the rest dripping off the far side of the bowl onto the floor corner for easy clean up.

Still feeling hungry I scooped out three spheres of ice cream (mint chocolate), inhaled them, then fell back asleep.

14:30 woke up exhausted. Logged on to facebook to catch up on my reading.

19:14 while on my way to the Rock pile it started raining. I am liking this weather after being in the desert for a week.

20:39 listening to the opening band. Not sure who they are only that they're from Toronto. Name got garbled when they announced it. Sounded like 'Burning Danny'

There seems to be a birthday party going on over to the left side of the stage.

'Burning Kennedys'. They mentioned their name for a third time. I'll go check a roster layer on tonight to see if I was right.

21:16 Broomfillers. The band I was strong armed to see. They sounded okay. At least the instruments did. The lead vocals levels were pretty low so I couldn't really tell what was being sung. The band members did a lot of moving around on the stage, the lead singer (and also the guy from work) jumped off the stage into the darkness of the under lit bar. I hope he didn't want pictures of that because I couldn't see him let alone focus the camera on him.

22:30 One night stand did a cover billy idol's 'rebel yell'. The lead did a great job with the vocals. The band sounded great. From a photographer's point of view they didn't do much other than stand behind their mics.


Destroyer, KISS tribute band

23:30 Destroyer (Kiss cover band)

Wow, these guys were incredible! They even had the moves down. Anyone who has seen the way Gene Simmons stands while holding his axe knows what I'm talking about. They even had the platform boots!

This alone was worth the $10 admission. Up until this point I didn't really have much hope the night would be that interesting.


The Demon


The Catman


The Starchild


The Spaceman


KISS moves!!

Total cost of going out to photograph Broomfillers

Ticket (in advance) 10.00
TTC (return) 5.00
Ginger ale 4.50
Burger and fries 9.50
Mike's hard lemonade 8.50

total $37.50

Leanna and the Tattoo club

01:00 woke up early. That's what I get for sleeping since Wednesday. Yes, my time table of sleep is messed up. Since I couldn't get back to sleep I stayed up for another five hours then went to work.

I got to work an hour early, call time was 08:00. So I spent the hour talking to Paul the hair guy about Still Seas, a movie coming to Toronto and used a bit of time to optimize the computer set up.

Luckily work was pretty simple today. Some inserts were canceled at the last minute and big decisions on wire rearrangement and set set up could be put off until next week. I found out today that my computer work space would be replaced by elevators so I'd have to rewire everything in the next day or so once I got back to work.

by the end of the day 20:45, I was ready to pass out. I was on the subway when I got a call from Leanna. She wanted to go see some band one of her friends was in but didn't want to go alone.

21:55 dropped off computer gear at home.

22:30 met Leanna at Bathurst station

We ended up at some Tattoo bar. $10 later, inside the dark venue lit mainly by purple and blue lights we saw the band on stage. I took about three photos but only one turned out and not that well I'm afraid.

We talked to some people Leanna knew, went downstairs to hear 80s music (I think it was the Cult) danced a bit, returned to the main floor where more 80s music was playing (Billy Idol "Rebel Yell", Ramones "Blitzkreig Bop"), danced a bit more, then sat down and talked to more people.


Leanna outside the Tattoo bar in front of a parked Hot Rod.

While all this was going on I had finished a bottle of Smirnoff Ice and while normally I'd probably be okay I think the combination of loud music, lack of sleep, and the booze did me in. I had a buzz the rest of the night. Did I say I hadn't eaten anything since lunch?

I got into a cab with Leanna, got out at Spadina station and took the TTC the rest of the way home. I picked up two filet-o-fish sandwiches from the Dundas West subway station and inhaled them. As soon as I got home I fell into bed and conked out.

Delta Airlines

Irmena and fam.

The first stop was Irmena's. I needed to borrow their scale to weigh my suitcase. If you go over 50 pounds there's a extra fee that gets added on to your air fare. If my suitcase was too stuffed I'd have to leave stuff at home. I had heard that the venue lighting was pretty poor and since there were no outdoor skating events this year chances of getting any good photos would be pretty limited. I decided to pack my flash gear. The SB-800s with the cheap light stands I had. It was this or more clothing.

After packing all the light gear I weighed the suitcase and it came to 46 pounds. Woo woo!


YYZ - Toronto's Pearson airport.

Flight 5374
My first time travelling with Delta. Generally I would go with Westjet but was booked on Delta through the travel agent. The cost difference was almost $400.00 between the two airlines, Delta being the less expensive of the two.

I was dinged with a luggage fee of $25 and another $25 to bring the luggage back. Plus it's not a direct flight. There's a stop over in Detroit. The seats felt a bit narrow. I was squashed between two guys that had iPad/iPhone technology and were catching up on what looked to be news in Chinese.

Despite this he stewardess, Louryne, was quite a nice distraction. We talked a bit about the city (Toronto). She had flown there many times but never stayed there overnight. It got me to thinking about working in an industry where you're moving around all the time. While it's kind of neat to see the world you really don't have a lot of time to have a base of operations or a decent relationship. Louryne said she was pretty old for a flight attendant, I would have guessed she was in her40s, she could have been a grandmother perhaps. She had a great intercom speaker voice. It sounded like something you would hear in a movie narration.



Looking out the window


The barf /"air sickness" bag.

The air sickness bags had "I'll be back" printed on them. I thought this funny as I could imagine if a bad egg salad sandwich sitting on a radiator over night could speak, would say something like this... with the Arnold accent of course. Maybe the bag should have said "I have returned".


Looking out the smudged window

16:50

Detroit has an amazing airport, who knew? It's gigantic. It even has a monorail in it! Wow. There's also food places all over the place (including Popeye's chicken). Unfortunately my incoming flight was stuck on the Tarmac leaving Toronto so the time to be had in Detroit eating and taking in the environment was cut short. I managed to grab a cheese steak sandwich at Charley's, inhaling it before getting on the next flight.


The underground tunnel in the Detroit airport


Impressive water fountain


The monorail


Charley's


my sub.


Flight 1217

17:30 hey Allie gator is on this flight!


Allie Gator

With Montreal playing in Texas and only a handful of skaters from Hamilton or Toronto going to Rollercon this year I figured chances of bumping into any skaters that I knew on the way down to Las Vegas would be non-existent. With the added connection on my non-direct flight I suppose the odds improved. Sure enough a skater from Madison.


Airplane food

19:00 pacific standard time

We arrived at the McCarran airport. Like other trips I have going to Vegas I remember that it's hot (but a dry heat) but I forget how hot it actually is. I believe my brain is blocking out these uncomfortable experiences and just remembering the general overall sun of experiences. Las Vegas fun? Definitely! Hot? sure... maybe.

Being to Las Vegas now for the fifth time (three previous RollerCons, one NAB conference) I am still surprised at the amount of heat that blasts at you as you first walk out the airport doors to the bus stop. While not humid (like New Orleans), it's like opening an oven and sticking your whole body in. The automated doors open to the outside and Bawhooosh you're sweating like a pig.

Eventually your body gets acclimatized to a certain degree but five out of five times I have felt the weather change a shock to the system. So what if it's dry heat, it's still hot.


Waiting at the airport bus stop for our shuttle bus

There's this great service in Las Vegas called the airport shuttle bus. Not only does the shuttle bus take you to your hotel front doorstep but you can buy a two way pass so it can bring you back to the airport. I'm not sure if it's cheaper but it's a nice option to have while you have money, at least you'll be able to make it back to your plane if by the end of your trip you're broke (just don't lose your ticket stub).


Now in the lobby of the Riviera, Wendy checks her messages.

The line for registration was about 12 people long. While this doesn't sound that long we still ended up being in line for over 40 minutes. The people at the front desk were pretty understaffed or slow to get us all in. Being RollerCon and all though the 40 minutes didn't seem so long if you knew people in the derby world. I stopped some girls to take their photo on the account that one of them was wearing the Neon Skates T-shirt.


A Neon Skates T-shirt worn by a Guelph skater.

Neon Skates is the Montreal skate apparel shop owned by Marc and Tush. So seeing the familiar logo was a nice reminder of home I suppose. The girls as it turned out were from Guelph, Ontario (Canada). Hammer City just played them (How did I miss that game?) recently.


B-Train!!!!

"Bagelhot!" I looked toward the front of the line and it was B-Train from Wicked Skatewear. Yay! My first West Coastie of Rollercon. Like most people you like it's always good to see the person in real life and not just on the internet.


The hotel room


Skaters from Houston.

After checking in I decide that it's time for food and wander back downstairs to scout out nearby food places. On the main floor next to the Queen Victoria Pub I bump into some people from Houston. One guy thinks he remembers me from the previous year. After a bit of talking I figure out he actually remembers Marcus. Asian looking guy with camera, wearing shorts, and camera bag.


Kim Supersonik (on right)

Wondering around the lobby, especially the registration line, I kept bumping into people I knew or people from Canada. It was like attending a family reunion of sorts. Even with out Montreal, Hamilton or Toronto there, it was nice to see familiar faces.


Skaters from west Canada!


Our hotel signage



The hotel had a few things around it that would be useful. There was a Wallgreen's (drug store) just down the street, some food places (including a Denny's), a McDonalds and Subway sandwich shop across the street and a food court inside the hotel itself.


In the hotel food court

I ended up getting dinner at the Wok Express. It didn't really matter what type of food I ate, at this point I just needed to eat something. The Wok Express food was nothing out of the ordinary but it was just what I needed to keep my stomach from rumbling.


My first dinner of the night


A skater from San Diego left watching luggage

While heading back to my room (and trying to find it through the maze of slot machines) I found myself back in front of the registration line. This is where I saw this girl surrounded by luggage sitting on the floor. She was from San Diego. Her team mates had left her holding the bag, sitting next to a few of them actually. It was at this point I hear "Hey!". It was Marcus.


Marcus Metropolis!

That same guy that the guy from Houston mixed me up with. Marcus had just gotten in from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He hadn't had dinner yet so we ventured out to find food.


A San Diego girl looking for other San Diego girls

On our way through the hotel we saw this skater looking for her peeps. As it turned out she was from San Diego. I told her about the lonely skater sitting next to all the luggage downstairs.


Marcus at Denny's

Marcus and I ended up at Denny's where I ordered a round two order of food. Mostly light desserty stuff. Some Hawaiian tropical pancake puppies chased down by a rootbeer float.


Dinner two. Hawaiian tropical pancake puppies.

It should be noted that while the Hawaiian pancake puppies sould good having pineapple in them, if there was pineapple it was in powder form. The pancake puppies were pretty dry and hard, equivalent of eating a timbit that sat outside for a couple of days. The rootbeer float was good though.


The bronze Crazy Girls statue at the entrance of the Riviera