Olivier's Blog - Personal

Get to the point

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:06:26 -0400

A little shameless plug, but this is important. If you are Canadian and want things to change, click on the banner bellow. You can find more information on their website before signing the letter.

Do you miss it?

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:33:05 -0500

Do you miss you last job? I know I don't...

Seriously, the place I was working before, we had problems finding contracts, problems fixing bugs for existing clients, people leaving the sinking boat every week, how could you miss that?

I surely don't. However, one thing stroke me this morning. With all the problems the company had, and all the problems the employees had, everything was still done with respect. Yes, it was a team where people had respect for each others, and respect for the work done by others.

That I do miss.

So kudos to everyone I was working with or for. I do miss you all.

Howto: Café Latté

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Fri, 26 May 2006 08:54:52 -0400

If you love coffee as much as I do, you might already have an espresso machine. If not, you should get one now or suffer the Starbuck's prices for the rest of your life.

While my machine is in the 200$ range, I think it exceeds most of the ones sold at a higher price. One thing I like about this machine is that it's simple: no fuzzy buttons that do everything for you. If you want to make good coffee, learn how to do it yourself and then perfect your technique.

Since I've been owning this device for a couple of months now, I did have the time to try things. One of which is making café latté. If you need to learn how to make one, keep reading.

Continue reading "Howto: Café Latté"

I'm on the list!

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 22:52:28 -0400

I have just received an email from the school. At last, I am on the list of the next students to graduate.

If all goes well, I should receive my bachelor's degree this Christmas!

Best French Toast

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Sun, 24 Jul 2005 23:28:00 -0400

The best french toasts recipe I know:

2 eggs
Some milk
1 drop of vanilla extract
Some bread

And of course, you need real Canadian syrup, not that cheap stuff made with corn!

But the recipe is not that important. What is good when eating such a nice breakfast is the fact that you are not doing it. Yes, I do love cooking, and am getting better at it every day, but once in a while, it is time to let the other one be the chef.

And even though it was her first time cooking french toasts, they were real good. So thank you honey for that great weekend and all the cooking you did in the last two days.

My new toys

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Sun, 03 Jul 2005 20:53:39 -0400

It has been one week now in my new apartment and I felt something was missing.

Looking in the kitchen, I discovered that I had no oven and no washing machine. Sure, a microwave is convenient, but I have yet to find a way to cook an omelet in it.

So I went shopping. And here are the results: a Whirlpool ceran oven and a front-load Maytag washing machine. The bill is high, but I think it is worth the price.

From now on, I have no reasons to wear dirty clothes. So if something smells weird, it will not be me.

My new apartment

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Mon, 27 Jun 2005 14:25:27 -0400

I finally left my old crapy apartment and moved to the new one you can see in this picture. I am now located near the Rivière des Prairies, 5 minutes from the Henri-Bourassa metro station.

It is a big change from what I was used to in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. No worry though, I cannot think of anything that I would miss.

The only thing missing right now is a washing machine. I will go shop for one next week-end. For the time being, I have many boxes to open and I do have to get back to work...

School's out for summer

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 23:03:08 -0400

Just a quick post to say that school is finally out for the rest of the summer. Summer school is easy, but it is not my cup of tea. But at the end, it will have save me half a year, so I guess it is worth the trouble.

Next step, I am moving in 2 days. Let's pack and enjoy!

Bono is everywhere

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 22:15:26 -0400

If you do not already know, I have been dating a U2 fanatic for almost 3 years now. As I become more used to hear the name Bono, I thought I was soon going to be brainwashed.

And then I realized: Bono is everywhere. It is funny how sometimes while clicking links you can find something completely unrelated to your search query.

Anyhow, I was looking on Google how many liters per gallons, and thus typed: "liters per gallons". If you look at the results, Google has what they call a Calculator. Intrigued, I followed the link about obtaining more informations and got a page about Google Features.

Reading through the page, I came across the Q&A feature, which states:

Want to know the population of Japan? What currency is used in Algeria? The birthplace of Bono? Hit us with a fact-based [...]

Point made.. Bono is everywhere.

Have you been hit by a taxi lately?

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Tue, 14 Jun 2005 08:08:00 -0400

If you live in the Montréal area, you might have experienced the following: Bad taxi drivers doing as much as they can to make a dangerous and unnecessary move.

Just yesterday, I was waiting to turn right on corner Peel and René-Levesque. As some pedestrians were crossing the street, I was waiting in my lane not to block the cars in the opposite direction. Suddently, the car behind me, which was surprisingly a taxi, cut me from my left and almost hit some guy who was crossing the street.

I took his license plate number and called the taxi company. But sincerely, I don't think they gave a rat's ass. Too bad we live in a world where nobody cares unless someone gets hurt.

It's hot hot hot!

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Sat, 11 Jun 2005 22:19:05 -0400

32°C in my apartment and nothing else to do except moving my fingers and typing on my keyboard. It is actually so hot in here that I had to find something interesting to do without having to move any body parts.

Well.. So I decided to start a new blog. I must admit that I was kind of jealous. My girlfriend has been blogging for a month or so and many of my dear friends already have their daily weblogs.

So come'on in, and let's have fun together. I will try to post as much as I can and do not worry, I am being notified by email of everything you can comment here, so I will always stay in touch.

Who am I?

nospam@example.com (Olivier Hill) — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:01 -0500

For those of you that ignore who I am, my name is Olivier Hill and you are reading my webpage (or should I say weblog?)

If you are looking for facts, here they are:

White male, 5'8"
Living in Laval, QC, Canada
Has a girlfriend (almost married now)
Speaks French and English

I am a young professionnal working in the IT industry. Couple of years ago, I've graduated from the École Polytechnique de Montréal in Computer Engineering, earning my bachelor's degree with honors.

Continue reading "Who am I?"