So where does that leave us? Shopping for a new car on a tight budget and short timeline. Not a good combination.

See, the trick in buying a car is in finding a model that you can not only afford, but afford to live with for 5+ years. And I’m not just talking money… I’m talking convenience, comfort, and “joy of driving”. Let’s face it; we all spend far too much time in our cars, so we need to make the time worthwhile.

And therein lies the rub. With the auto industry struggling a little bit, it makes buying a new car easier and cheaper than ever, but at the expense of the used market. What happens when you can’t afford new? The used car market is flooded with WAY overpriced cars because people paid considerably more for their cars last year, or the year before. In order for people to not lose a ton of money, they are selling 2 year old cars for almost the same price as a you can negotiate for a new car now.

But the issue is complicated even further when you have a tight budget. We started out aiming for a $200-$250/month payment. Unfortunately, we soon found out that with used car interest rates at 8%, that meant getting an economy car that is over 4 or 5 years old (to be in the $10000 range). However, with new cars being sold with 0.9% to 3% financing, getting a $15000 new car would equal the exact same payments! Then the question becomes “what kind of car sells for $15000″? A very plain one. What happens when you want a few little perks to make your daily drive more pleasant? Like… say… a USB connection for your iPod? Or a Sunroof for those nice breezy summer days on long winding roads? Or heated seats for those frigid Canadian winters? Or leather seating so we can easily wipe off the dog’s fur after a road trip? At what point do you draw the line between convenience and greed?

What may seem like a silly perk for some can be quite meaningful for others. Purchasing our current Cougar without a moonroof has haunted me since the day I bought it. It is my single biggest regret with the ’99 Cougar. You might be thinking “it’s just a moonroof”; But for me, it takes me back to those early moments with my wife, driving the country roads to Bourget while I look up at the stars from the passenger seat, full of love and joy. For me, the moonroof feels like a symbol of love, freedom and happiness. So I’m trying everything in my power to not make the same mistake I made with the last car. I don’t want any regrets. I want to make my time in the car enjoyable and fun.

So what is the art of buying a car? I guess it’s a bit like finding a true love.

Don’t be afraid to push your boundaries for what you truly want. Don’t be afraid to take a few risks in order to have no regrets. And make sure you’re going to enjoy every minute you spend with it.

Just choose something you can live with. Or more importantly, choose something you can’t see yourself living without.

A7

What else is there to say.

A7

2008 was certainly a year of change for me; Not that any of the previous 5 years have been stale by any means, but 2008 was a year with large-scale scary decisions and accomplishments. How did I fare this year? Let’s find out.

Friends:
This year had far less drama in it than previous years. It was pretty much smooth sailing for the most part. I’m guessing that had a lot to do with moving back to Ottawa and seeing all our old friends on a regular(ish) basis again. I’m still guilty of not communicating enough, but dammit, that’s just how I am, so deal with it people.

Family:
It certainly was interesting living at home (and at the in-laws) for the better part of 6 months. I’d like to say it brought me and my family closer together, but we were already close. I’ll tell ya, the hardest part was living out of a suitcase in a single room for all that time. I do miss “family dinners” (read: ordering out) on Friday or Saturday nights. And oddly enough, I kind of miss the smell of boiled hotdogs every Saturday.

House:
Getting the house was without a doubt one of the biggest events of the year. It really occupied pretty much the entire year, since the initial planning started all the way at the beginning of 2008, starting with the decision to buy, followed by the choice of builder, the model of house, the mortgage, the construction, the possession, and the decorating. Can you believe it? Tartan delivered the home on time! And more importantly, we are home owners again! I LOVE cooking in my custom designed kitchen with my indoor grill. I LOVE my home theatre setup in the basement (and I’ll love it more when the basement is finished). I LOVE my “sanctuary”; my organic earthy bedroom. And I LOVE my iHome setup, working exactly as I envisioned it.

Work:
You would think the house would be the most memorable event of 2008, but surprisingly, it is not. My employment has the honours of taking the top spot of 2008. It was a rocky, scary, hard-fought but exhilarating ride this year. It started off with my with my work at Artez. Just as my contract was about to expire, I was contemplating bringing up a deal with them to do design work as an independent contractor. It turns out the CTO had other plans for me, and a vision for the company’s future. He offered me a full-time position to work as an Interaction Designer. Unfortunately, after the move to Ottawa, the work started drying up. There was less and less work being sent my way, and I knew the inevitable was bound to happen; and it did. I was laid off, but they were still happy with my work, and asked me to continue working for them on a contract basis (which, ironically, I was going to propose doing 4 months earlier). This unfortunate turn of events allowed me to set in motion what would become the foundation of Hotcakes New Media. In November of 2008, Hotcakes New Media was official, and off to a great start. Although having my own company means my income is a little less than stable, it has proven to be successful so far, as I have designed websites for Canadian Tire Jump Start, Relay For Life, Red Nose Day, Better Farming Magazine, and of course, Ottawa’s Premiere Music Studio, Studio MC.

What’s Next:
With all the huge changes from 2008, 2009 is shaping up to be one hell of a good year. I will soon be writing the pilot for my “Hero Complex” mockumentary sitcom, and with any luck, filming it by year end. Hotcakes New Media is destined to become Ottawa’s best New Media company, Studio MC is destined to become Ottawa’s best piano and violin school, the house is destined to become a stunning example of modern design, and who knows… the house might be filled with a child’s laughter (or crying) by year end. 2009 is a big year indeed. Hang on, and enjoy the ride.

A7

On Tartan:
Tartan has really surpassed my expectations in every way. From the pre-purchase email responses all the way to the final delivery. The first email from them was very detailed, well written, personalized to me, and even went as far as suggesting local mortgage brokers to speak to about our situation (move from Toronto and job changes). The sales experience was fantastic, and they allowed us to visit the design center before purchasing to see what our options were. After purchase, the design center went above and beyond to accommodate my high standards. The delivery date remained the same with no delays. The house was built very well with only minor issues to deal with after the PDI (mostly clean-up related). I couldn’t imagine building with anyone else.

On the house:
It looks fantastic. The hardwood floors are gorgeous, the quartz countertop is stunning, the huge windows on the first floor bring in a ton of natural light, the tiles are spectacular… truly a beautiful modern home.

High points:
I love the kitchen countertop and undermount black sink. It turned out nicer than I could have imagined. The ensuite also turned out far nicer than I imagined.

Low points:
The pot drawers we upgraded in the island could have been bigger. But really, if that’s our only low point, I think we did well.

Looking forward to:
I can’t wait to see the space with our nice modern furniture in it. The Arco lamp will look great in our space, as will the modern carpet, Series 7 chairs, and custom built chandelier. The floating glass appliances and painted backsplash will change the whole look of the space too. I’m anxious to see the “real” final product.

So… enough about that. Time for some pictures! A few notes: The green spots you might see on the floor or walls are masking tape, left there to point out areas to repaint or fix. Also, keep in mind that lots of things are changing as soon as I get the keys, like the color of the walls in the kitchen, entrance and master bedroom, the lighting, and the window coverings.

A7

Now, you all know I have a yearly ritual of posting a “year in review” at the end of December, and one post is usually dedicated to bands who I believe to have been influential in moving the music industry forward. Guns n’ Roses will most definitely be a part of this list, in fact, I will likely just be copying and pasting most of this article. But I thought this album deserved it’s own post, as it deserves to be listened to now, not only in a month from now.

By now you may have guessed that this will be a positive review. It is; But it is so much more than that. This album is truly spectacular in ways most people won’t grasp, so I’m hoping this post helps people REALLY listen to the music, and appreciate the depth that is has.

First, let’s preface this with a bit of history. I’m not going to go in great detail, and I may have some facts slightly off, but this is close enough to give you an idea of where the album comes from. In 1991, GnR released it’s double album Use Your Illusion I and II. In 1994, they announced that they were working on a new album, despite losing the original drummer, and began recording songs sporadically until about 1996. In 1996, Slash left the band (and eventually ended up with Velvet Revolver). A few years later, bassist Duff McKagan leaves the band as well, leaving Axl Rose as the sole original GnR band member. In 1999, they announce they are working on the album Chinese Democracy and release one single. From 2000 to 2008, a bunch of weirdness occurs. Axl Rose discovers electronica music and begins experimenting with loops and effects. GnR goes on tour in 2002 to promote the album, which was still not released, and riots ensue when the band no-shows a couple of venues. Axl Rose cycles through band member after band member, including the guitarist from NiN, an avant-guard guitarist called “Buckethead” and a number of others. Meanwhile, it’s been more than 10 years since the album was announced, and the rumours of the album begin surfacing again. Everyone is skeptical, and Dr Pepper, in an interesting marketing idea, announces that they will give a free can of their soda to every person in America if GnR releases Chinese Democracy in 2008. In November of 2008, hell freezes over; The album is released. Dr Peppers for everyone!

Now that you have the history, it’s a little easier to understand where this review comes from. The fact is that this album is a masterpiece, but it is NOT Guns n’ Roses. It is clearly an Axl Rose solo album. Axl wrote the music, created the album, and did everything his way (hence various band members leaving due to him being a control freak). If you can listen to the album without the assumption that this is classic GnR, it will go a long way to appreciating the album for what it is.

One thing that is fascinating about the album is that, due to Axl going through so many different band mates during this time, the album is incredibly dense and layered with a variety of different styles. You can clearly hear the electronica influence, but you can also hear Buckethead’s unique guitar style, some jazz chord patterns, some old rock, and more. There is orchestration. There is piano. There are tender moments. There are rockin’ guitar solos. And it all blends in perfectly.

The album really sounds a little bit like a rock opera due to the technicality and orchestration of most of the songs. This is not an album that the average rock fan will really be into. This is clearly not generic rock with simple chord patterns. This album features some spectacularly complex and unique song writing and instrumentation. As a result, it initially sounds “odd” because you can’t follow the song like other generic radio-friendly tunes you hear these days. You have to listen to the music several times, keep an open mind, and hear the subtle nuances that make this album pure genius. You have to be a fan of MUSIC, not a fan of rock, nor a fan of GnR. 

Make no mistake; This album is epic, and will inevitably go down as one of the best rock albums ever written, but it will take time for this to happen. The songs on this album are classic, timeless, and unique. 

Was it worth the wait? Every minute. Here’s hoping we get another epic masterpiece from Axl Rose in 2018.

A7

The gears are in motion, and things are well underway. Stay tuned for more detailed news in a couple of days.

A7

HAPPY B-DAY!

A7

(yes I am sucking up)

Due to our recent move back to Ottawa, and our new house not being ready until December or January, we are in a bit of a quandary. We have been living with MC’s parents for about a week now, and it really isn’t working for us. The biggest issues are due to living in the middle of nowhere… between the gas and the parking, MC and I are wasting a lot of money (i.e. over $300 a month) that needs to be saved for the down payment on the house (not to mention MC losing almost 2 hours of her day traveling). On top of that, the internet connection here in Bourget is incredibly bad, so I’m unable to do some of my work (I need a fast connection for work, to do video conferencing daily). There are a number of other pressing issues that are making this a difficult experience for us.

So here it is; We need help. We really need to have a place to stay that is OC transpo and high-speed internet accessible. We can alternate between where we stay, so if you could put us up for one or two months, it would help us out tremendously. We would be happy to give you $300 each month, pay for the high-speed internet, and help out with cleaning and chores. All we need is a room for our bed and a place for my computer.

So… if you can help, please let us know!

A7

[note: this post will be moved to the personal category in a few days]

As much as I love my old camera, I have no use for two pro-level cameras, so I’ll be selling it. It is the Olympus C-8080, 8MP camera. If anyone is interested, or if you know anyone who may be interested, I’ll sell it for only $300 (I’ll be posting it for $400 on ebay, but I’d rather have it go to a good home). Email me for all the details if you’re interested.

I’m looking forward to sharing more photos with you all soon.

A7

I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, but my 1 month contract was yet again extended for another 3 months, until the end of April. Originally, I was asked to continue working a dual-role as IT admin (to help with generic IT requests like installing software and setting up servers) and E2 Support (supporting Artez’s main application called E2RM). Although I made it clear on a number of occasions that I did not want to continue doing IT and Support, I decided to continue the 3 month extension to help chip away at more debt, in the hopes that they would transition me into another role. Well, they unofficially transitioned me into another role.

I recently attended some quick training sessions on customizing the E2RM application with custom designs and templates for some of Artez’s bigger clients. As it turns out, a couple of days later both of their current designers decided to go on vacation for several weeks at the same time, leaving people scrambling to get some design work done in a hurry. That’s where I came in to save the day.

For the past week I’ve been working with an Australian charity to design a fancy template, graphics, and plug-ins for their custom designed site. The bad news is they had insanely tight deadlines, and working with Australia means I’m always one day late (they are a day ahead of us!). Due to the time difference, I’ve been working really weird hours. I even pulled a 16 hour day this week. Yikes! That would explain why I’m a little brain-dead this week. The good news is I haven’t felt this comfortable in a job in… well… ever. I really enjoy what I am doing, and I am having a blast creating great looking designs and tools for major sites. It’s very rewarding and everyone seems to love my work (despite it being only a fraction of what I can do… just wait until they give me more to work with…).

I wrapped up the main site design today, and just found out that they are so pleased that they’ve asked me to work on their main portal landing page as well, which will include a clickable map of Australia to select the charity events across the country. I’m booked until the end of next week with more design work, and I’m hoping it continues indefinitely!

So… while it may not be officially official yet, it looks like I’ll be doing web design and coding from now on. If I continue to impress them with my design, I’m sure I’ll have another contract extension, or better yet a permanent position, at the end of April. Wish me luck!

P.S. In case you didn’t read between the lines, doing design work affords me the option to work from home, which means I can work from Ottawa. And yes, we have contacted people about homes and mortgages already. More on that as we get further info in a few days.

A7