Computers
In my early years exploring the Internet I had text-only access with my trusty old Atari STFM computer (originally bought for making music via MIDI) using a 9600 modem. A few years later it was time to move up, and I wanted a Mac, having had friendly encounters with them in the past (I really wasn't interested in a PC, as I don't particularly caer for Microsoft, Bill Gates, or Windows). In 1998 I bought a 3 year-old Powermac 7500, which was their "AV" model. The only sour aspect was finding out aferwards that the company I bought it from in Toronto had overcharged me for what I got, and did things like add my extra RAM in 8 meg chunks (when I had asked, and paid for, two 32s). They also sold me a modem that didn't work, and it took me almost a year to get my money back on that.
What I liked was that the model of Mac was that it was very upgrade-able, and it came with 16-bit audio/video in/outs on the back. In stock form it had a 601-100 mhz CPU, 1 gig hard drive, and 32 megs of RAM (with room for up to 1 gig, and this in a 1995 computer!). I could then enjoy the full benefits of the Internet, and for an information junkie like myself, it's been great looking up info on whatever has my interest at the time. But as good as this Mac was, for my next step it need a bit more horsepower, plus a few accessories. So in 2000 in went a 604e-200mhz CPU, RAM boosted to 128 megs (2x64 interleaved), an external SCSI Ultra-Wide 9 gig hard drive, Darla 2 in/8 out 20 bit audio card, and a 4x CD writer. This was all needed for my adventures with digital audio. I also moved up to a 28K modem.
And believe it or not, at this writing it's 2006 and I still use this machine! It now has 384 megs of RAM (two 128 chips plus two 64s), and am running Mac OS 9.1, and accessing the Net via DSL. And I think I've pushed it as far as it can go... I can't run OSX without a hack, and so am limited so older versions of software. Browser-wise I'm currently using Mozilla 1.3.1, and it has enough encryption for online banking, etc. But eventually standards will change, and I'll be out of luck, so a move to perhaps a mid-range G4 is going to have to happen sometime this year. My trusty 7500 will turn 10 in April of this year, so it will have outlasted perhaps the vast majority of its siblings.
Local History
When I moved from Montreal to Toronto back in 1984, I started becoming interested in the city's history. Two things initially aroused this interest. One was that the apartment I had moved into was quite old (still had push-button light switches!), and the other was a historical plaque a block away that read "This is the former site of Montgomerey's Tavern, where the seeds of the Rebellion of 1837 were sown." I thought "Wow, Canadian history occurred right in my new neighbourhood!" I got quite curious about local events after that, and even traced the history of that part of Toronto back through the late 1800s. And my landlord was pleased to find out that the store under my apartment was the site of the first A&P store in Canada!
After moving here to Ottawa in '92, I continued with my historical explorations. To anyone who thinks Canadian history is dull, I challenge them to get a few books out of their local library and start reading! We've had some very interesting things happen, with some very interesting characters behind those events. Ottawa's own history, with its start as a military encampment called Bytown, overlooking the new strategic Rideau Canal, is a fun read. From military outpost, to rough and tumble lumber town, to Queen Victoria's choice of the fledgling nation's Capital - there have been colourful events and even more colourful people. For Canadian histroy, Pierre Berton's books are great for stories and tales of times past. One particularily compelling read is his book about the Great Depression. In some ways Canada suffered much more than the US did during this time, and much of the blame can be placed at the feet of the government of the day. Essential reading for anyone curious about how we got to be the country we are today.
Interesting fact: Did you know that the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) started here in Ottawa, on the 7th floor of the Chateau Laurier Hotel? It grew out of the little radio station that CN Rail had started up, and the CBC was there on that same floor from July 1924 to October 2004, when it moved into its new building on Queen Street. Also, Yousuf Karsh, one of the world's most renowned portrait photographers, maintained his studio and residence at the hotel for many years.
OttawaStart has an excellent series of history links.
Candle-making
I've always liked making candles, and this interest goes back to when I was a kid. In years past I would get a slab of parrafin, melt it down, add the dye, etc. After filling the molds, and letting the wax cool, it would be an all-day operation if you were using more than one colour! One of my favourite types of candle is made with ice. Yes, ice! To make one, take a large milk or juice carton, lop the top off, put a slender tapered candle (cut down to the height of the container) in the middle, then fill the space around it with broken ice cubes. (You don't want full cubes, nor do you want crushed ice - just put the cubes in a bag and having fun breaking them up a bit with a hammer or board.)
While I've drifted away from the work-intensive melting and pouring of wax, a few years ago I discovered the joys of rolling my own - beeswax that is! A local area store named Benson Bee Supply gets their wax directly from the area bee-keepers (apiaries), and then they add their dye and produce flat and honeycomb-style sheets. At their outlet they have a rainbow of colours to choose from. They will also sell you the wicking you need, sized according to how thick the candles are going to be. I can easily end up spending far more money than I'd planned, just to have a variety of colours and sheet types to work with! And their wax is guaranteed 100% pure. Other companies sometines sell sheets advertised as beeswax that may have as little as 10% beeswax in their product, with the other 75% being regular parrafin.
The nice things about beeswax candles is that they are easy to make, smell absolutely wonderful, and they make great gifts! Instead of going to a friend's place with a bottle of wine for dinner, I bring some candles, and no one's complained yet! Something homemade is always appreciated, and you can even make then with their favourite colours. And to set any romantic mood, well, it has been said that everybody glows nicely by candlelight! As a sideline to this, I sometimes make candle holders using old bits of copper tubing and the associated fittings. Polished up they can look quite nice, and some of the holders start looking like sculptures! (It can get quite out of hand design-wise if I let it.)
Glass Painting
This is something I've just dabbled in a bit. I mainly decorate bottles with small motifs or themes, using both glass paint and outline paint. Sometimes I will make decorative candle holders/containers, using an interesting jar or glass and creating a pattern on it. This is a hobby I usually engage in for the Holiday season.
Other interests:
Hiking, natural healing/alternative therapies, carpentry and doing the Mr. Fixit thing, and trying to keep my plants alive.
