Since more than half of this blog's readers are SFU Alumni (a good number of them Engineers), I figure most people haven't been to SFU's Burnaby campus in a while. To continue with my posting earlier today on changes at SFU, I took some pictures of the on-going development. The first image is a map of SFU with arrows indicating the location and direction of the photos below (in numerical order). Here's a brief description of what I see driving around the top of The Hill:

• Last year, a through-road was paved from University Drive directly to B-Lot. This makes getting to B-Lot less round-about (photo 1). The end of the bottom lot, where most engineers parked, has a new flight of wooden stairs (photo 2), possibly temporary.


• The Pit was covered and excellent lighting installed (photo 7). There's no echo like we used to have, and it's more study conducive. The grad area is now a computer lab, housing 30 fairly new PCs (photo 8).


• With the Pit covered, offices are being built on the floor above (photo 6) -- a 3rd floor is being constructed on top of that (photos 3 - 5).


• A new building is going up above B-Lot (photos 9 - 11). I wonder if this is the new CMPT building.


• A couple large complex is being built for UniverCity, just down from the Water Tower (photos 12 - 15).


• A number of large residential buildings and a dining hall are under construction in SFU Res (photos 16 - 18). I wonder if they're going to have underground parking, because the buildings eat up some of the small parking lot already there.

The map.
B-Lot Parking [1 - 2]
The ASB [3 - 6]
The Pit [7 - 8]
Above B-Lot [9 - 11]
UniverCity [12 - 15]
Residence [16 - 18]

Looking for Krispy Kreme Doughnuts?

I noticed in my blog tracking that there's been a recent gush of hits referred by search engines... all with the same search keywords.

In google, try looking up: "krispy kreme delta bc" and see who's site is the first to return!

Okay, since most of you are probably trying to find the address to Krispy Kreme in Delta BC, I'll do you the favor and post it here:

Krispy Kreme, Scottsdale Centre
7153 120th Street (at 72nd)
Hours: ?? - 12am
[opened Tuesday Feb 24th,2004 at 5:30am]

There's a McDonald's nearby if it's any help. The KK store has a spotlight that points up in the sky. Very visible on cloudy days.

Now go stuff your face. ... and drop a comment if you actually came here looking for directions to KK. :)

It was a gorgeous day up at SFU today. The sun was shining, the clouds were few, the sky was solid blue, and everything was so perfect that you'd forget it was the first day or March. However, the smell of tar filled the air in certain areas of the campus, and it's hard to ignore the noise of construction, the unsightly construction vehicles, half-made buildings, and the butt crack of your nearest construction worker. SFU is getting a major upgrade. UniverCity is happening big time.

UniverCity: The Community at Simon Fraser promises to enrich the lives of SFU students and create a living society up on Burnaby Mountain. To be honest, it's pretty cool! I took a flip through the UniverCity Development Guildlines which will give UniverCity a clean and simplistic look and feel. I'd be pretty excited to see what the campus looks like between now and 2010. It will give SFU the kind of environment it's always lacked and that UBC has always had. Change is good.

I went to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in Delta, B.C. tonight with a few friends. The drive was a mere 15 mins from LG/CT's place, short compared to the 1h15m line-up. The queue started outside, then went into a large tent where KK merchandise was displayed on tables and racks. Who would buy a Krispy Kreme ladies' T-shirt for $18.99?? The inside of the store looked like any other Krispy Kreme, with their automated doughnut dispenser. The one thing the doughnut machine didn't seem automated for was detecting jams. We were there to witness first-hand a backing up of doughnuts, just after the glazer. Oh the tragedy! In fact, I happen to have a video of the crisis, narrated by myself and some other customers around me. Fortunately, the workers managed to clean up the mess and life went on.

As most Krispy Kremes, we got samples as we waited in line. Then I ordered a sampler (dozen original glaze, dozen variety) and a second dozen of the original glaze. When LG/CT and I got our donuts, we sat at a table to wait for some other friends in line. I downed one a filled donut and another original, then I stood in line with the other friends and got another sample. :) After I got home, I had another two originals. Hey, I'm not admitting that 6 Krispy Kreme donuts in an evening isn't healthy. But it sure is tasty!

Another one of these "why didn't I think of that?" examples, I guess. The best inventions are the simplest that solve a common problem. Good job for these guys. See Vancouver Sun Article "Students Engineer A Winner".

The wrong kind of stain...

I don't know how many times I've done this. I'm enjoying a mug of steamed milk with a shot of caramel just before heading out of the house. Then, somehow, I manage to split a little on my pants just off the crotch area. Well, it's milk, so it's not really colored... and then the caramel content makes it dry a little stiff, making it obvious there's a stain (while still with no color). These kinds of stains should not be hanging out near the crotch area. They're a cause for misunderstanding and poor assumptions.

I watched Gigli. Yes, the box office bomb. It wasn't even a bomb, it was a dud. But to be honest, I really didn't think it was that bad. It wasn't great, the plot wasn't well thought out and the acting was mediocre, but there were worse movies last year. And if the screenplay were really that bad, how could they have gotten some of the people they did? Al Pacino was in the movie (playing a bad part, mind you). Anyway, in spite of what the critics all said, I didn't think it deserved the ratings it did. Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle deserved worse. But they were lucky to have women and violence.

My Samurai Code quiz results:

"Compassion: You are there to share your sympathy with others. People would consider you affectionate and caring, and someone to look up to."

Whatever. When someone thinks of Kevin, they don't immediately think "compassionate" because I'm not, and I don't try to be. This test sucks.

I had trouble sleeping last night. My nerves got to me and my heart was racing as I lay in bed. I realized that I have a HUGE amount of work ahead of me in the next month and a half to pull off what I intend to pull. My M.Eng. project really only has the remaining few days of February and the month of March to be completed, although it's barely started. My final course project has to be done by mid-March, and I have to study for my final quiz. Aside from that, there's MUCH to do on the job front. Things like these tend to work themselves out for me, but it may be because of these "scares" I get when I realize that the timing's tight. I'm going to start working overtime (late nights at school), and cut out the TV. Well, maybe I'll watch American Idol. But that's IT! Gotta kick my ass.

Krispy Kremes has opened in Delta, B.C.!! There was a news piece just now on Global. People have been lining up ALL DAY, the lines right now (just after midnight) are 1hr - 1.5 hrs... TO GET DONUTS!

This is the first of seven B.C. Krispy Kremes locations. See this article.

Anyway, I'm going there on Friday. If you want to come, give me a shout!!