thoughtsfrommylife.com - Advice From Someone Who Doesn't Know Everything

About This Site

This site is essentially a notebook of my financial ramblings, photography, computer, and other ideas. As I learn something new or interesting and spend a bit of time on it, I have been posting it to this site. Hopefully it will bring up some discussion or other useful tips and I can even get a few bucks off my google ads.

If you are wondering what my banner is about, I just picked a photo I liked from my collection. I took this shot in July 2006. It is the sunset looking west off a beach at Nungwi, a village in the northwest corner of Zanzibar, a small island off the coast of Tanzania in Africa. The sail boat in the picture is called a dhow. Most of the boats in the region look like this with the slanted mast.

About Me

Neil and Cheryl

I am a software engineer in Canada who has an interest in investing and financial matters for the average person. I have read the get rich quick schemes, investing strategies, and a whole set of other methods and am just trying to find the right mix for myself.

I have an avid interest in photography and also go on some sort of trip (usually overseas) at least once a year.

I'm married to a gorgeous, young gal from the west coast of Canada. We tied the knot on April 1, 2005, on Vancouver Island. She is a junior high school French immersion teacher who teaches math and sciences (she teaches math and science but the language used in the class is French).

Here is a picture of my wife and I and you can find out more about me on my personal blog.

Reverse Chronology of My Life

  • 2007 - Still happening. Really got going on this blog. Went to Quebec for 4 days and did a trip of Russia, Mongolia, and ending in China on the Trans-Siberian railway.
  • 2006 - Trip of Eastern Africa with Cheryl, my sister Janis, Cheryl's sister Shawna and her husband Scott.
  • 2005 - Married the love of my life. 7 years since I moved out of home and around 20 roommates later, my bachelor life was officially over. Went to Cuba (honeymoon), then Ecuador and Peru.
  • 2004 - Went to South East Asia for 2 months with my cousin Lisa. Came back and moved in with Richard, Shab, and Jesse. Bought my first house as well.
  • 2003 - Graduated from university and got my first full time job at Pason Systems. Moved in with James.
  • 2002 - Can't think of much. Scott slept on the futon for 4 months until Bruce moved out.
  • 2001 - Started dating Cheryl. Lived in Calgary for 8 months on a work term. I lived in a house with a revolving door of roommates (Ryan, Regan, Mark, Blake, Tom, Rod, Shawn, Brian, Kalen). Bruce moved in with me this year in Edmonton.
  • 2000 - Lived in Cold Lake, Alberta. One of the best summer jobs I ever had.
  • 1999 - First summar job. Kreg was my new roommate in the fall.
  • 1998 - Graduated highschool and moved to Edmonton to attend the University of Alberta. Brendan was my first ever roommate.
  • 1997 - Decided to pick Engineering for my application to University.