Operation Intel Grab

So I made a fatal mistake in my mission to update my blog with some photos of the Postal employees who are locked out by Canada Post. Little did I know that while trying to snap photographs for my loyal blog readers it would land me in some hot water.
I will explain it before I post the crucial pictures. Basically I parked across the street and crossed the street (about a block away) with camera in hand. Mistake #1. Mistake #2 was leaning on a truck across the street and taking pictures from a crouched angle. It actually looked like I had something to hide.
So as I was reviewing the pictures I had taken I seen a postal worker walking towards me. I was panic city and cut through a back way to get out of their. There was a building in between us. I come out the back and there was more postal workers heading towards me. I started to run away while they were shouting at me. Classic.
My car was abadoned there and I had to come back later for it. Thankfully nothing happened to it. The sad thing is that I'm on the employees side and believe in a decent wage and believe in having union to protect the middle class. Plus I keep them in business with my mail art and my pen pals. Why target me?

Here are the sensitive photos :

And as a bonus I took a picture of the locked out mailboxes that are throughout Canada :

Operation Intel Grab was a sucesss!

I can't even make it till Tuesday!

So the mail is still on lockout (in Canada) so I cannot send or recieve mail. Sorry to my pen pals and fellow postcrossers. I'm curious to see how long this goes on. And I wonder how long it will take for the postworkers to deliver how the backlogged mail.

Since I have to no mail to talk about I will entertain you with some old school nintendo action. My buddy is crushing me in the old school game called Paper Boy 2. Now for those not familar with North American video games from the 80's Paper Boy is a game where you have to deliver "newspapers" on your route to all your customers and survive one week without losing all your subscribers or losing your all your "lives". How do you lose subscribers? If you miss their house or break their windows consider yourself out of a subscriber. And how do you lose a "life"? That's easy also: just get hit by a car or get bit by a dog. There are many ways to fail in Paper Boy. My buddy said I can't even make til Tuesday (of the delivery schedule). Ha.

Here is some action shots:

 Intro Screen

Deliver to that mailbox!

Not on my route! Time to hit him with a paper!

Noooo! Hit by car. A classic Paperboy death!

Fired??!!! Ouch!

This update should satisfy my loyal readers (and my friends) who have been zinging me and telling me to update this. And happy Fathers Day to everyone!

-Rob

Good News.... Bad News... Part 2

Bad News:

Canada Post has locked out its employees so now it is a lockout instead of a rotating strike. Now the mail is completely shut down. At least before some mail was still be processed. Sorry to all my pen pals and postcrossing fans. The Government of Canada may pass legislation that might force them back to work. I will keep you posted.

Good News:

I never travel much so I'm excited to announce that I'm off to New York City for 4.5 days at the end of June. My fav gal will be accompanying me. I have have two goals in life. One is to visit Howard Stern's building and the other is to visit this :

I am the biggest Seinfeld fan in the world in case you didn't know. I could quote Seinfeld all day. Growing up I managed to incorporate sayings and mannerisms from the show into my everyday life, which still happens to this day. And sometimes things happen to me that are straight out of an episode. I cannot make this stuff up. True story!

I will keep you posted as the date draws nearer. 12 days to go!

So much to blog about... so little time.....

Well I survived the half marathon! And the rain held off. It was overcast, cloudy and a little bit humid. I prefer that weather compared to blazing heat or pouring rain. So how did I do? Well better than I had projected. I had projected a time of 2:10 and I ran it in 2:02. My personal best is 1:52 and my worst is 2:45 (please don't hold it against me)

Here I am at the start line.

                                                                  

       A little pre-race stretching while checking out the scenery.

And we are off!

Full tilt finish. Ha!

Can't forget about the race medal!

 I had promised my loyal readers that if they emailed me something that was important to them (website, person etc) that I would put it on my race shirt and run with it. Well Mary was kind enough to email me a few selections.  The website that I selected was : http://www.colormekatie.blogspot.com/. Check it out if you get a chance.

It didn't quite work out but here was my attempt. I promise next race I will work out the logistics. Sorry Mary. I hope these photos make up for it.

Some help from my fav gal!

This is what it would have looked like.



I realized that it was too big to run with and we ran out of time to fix it in the morning. Lesson learned for next time. But the thought was there. Check out her website and thanks again Mary for the suggestions. And I leave you with this:

A little pre-race entertaiment. Almost made me feel like it was 2008 all over again.

Post Script: The postal strike is affecting me now. There are more rotating strikes throughout Canada and they are on strike here in Timmins. (I just drove by them a few minutes ago) And now mail is only delivered 3 days a week. Ouch.

-Rob

1 Day Left!

So I am in North Bay now and I just picked up the race kit. The t-shirt is beige this year and not red. Oh well. I have my race number which is 63. I am happy it isn't 420. Ha! So the race is tomorrow at 8am and I have to be there at 730am to get the timing chip.
Bad news: it is raining. One of the organizers said she ran back to back half marathons in pouring rain. Ouch. If it does rain this will be my first half marathon in the rain and second race overall in the rain. Okay I have to go.

Wish me luck tomorrow and full pictures and results to follow. -Rab

Blog Challenge!

Attention loyal followers!

 

I will be running a half marathon in less than 5 days on Sunday June 12 2011. Here is where you fans come in. I have always said that I wish to run a race for someone or for a cause. Well here is my chance and yours!. I know this is short notice, but I am issuing a challenge to everyone out there.

What is the challenge? Email me one of the following:

1. A name of person that has special meaning to you
2. A name of a organization or agency that is helpful to society
3. A name of a website or blog that is unique and should be shared.
4. A quote or poem that is postive. (not too long as the above is going to be probably written on paper and pinned to the back of my jersey)

If someone emails me the above to my email (departmentofrab@hotmail.com) or just leave the information on the comment section of this blog and if I receive it by Sat I will add it to the back of my race jersey. See you at the race! (Pics to be posted later)

  

 

 

-Rab

 

Where art thou race medal?

  For anyone interested here is update for the medal I mailed to China:

Track History

Date	Time	Location	Description	Retail Location	Signatory Name
2011/06/01	13:07	MISSISSAUGA	International item has left Canada
2011/05/31	19:03	MISSISSAUGA	Item processed at postal facility
2011/05/30	22:21	SUDBURY	Item arrived at postal facility
2011/05/29	16:02	TIMMINS	Item accepted at the Post Office