Fireworks, Friends and Fuel

Well, that was an exciting way to start the week. Good thing the Tall Ships only stop in here every 3 years - I need the recovery time!

June 29th - Boom, Sizzle, Sad

After work in the evening, I heard the boom of cannon again from the Tall Ships battle just outside the harbour to the west. I didn't go to see though, as I was still nursing my sunburn with hourly applications of aloe, at home and at work both.

Speaking of which, it's been going better and better of late work-wise, which I find heartening. Though I am loathe to admit it, settling into a routine has helped eased my daily stress, especially since I am at a 'slower' branch. My skills and experience may enable me to hold my own at even the craziest of busy locations, but I do not thrive on the sort of stress and conflict that often entails - some of my co-workers do, so I happily let them work the stressful locations.
On a sobering note, Don S. Davis passed away today. He played General Hammond on Stargate SG-1, with humour and great force of personality. I am saddened by his loss; you can see more about this fine actor and person here.

June 30th - Lobsters and Moon

Yes, the sunburn is still with me, but I have thus far managed to avoid loosing any skin, as much as folks may still call me a flake. But I have earned the name 'Lobster Boy' from my co-workers - and I am glad that it has not driven me insane as it has this poor guy named Doug. Given that my last bad sunburn was in Mexico in 2006, I do need to be careful of having any more. As it stands now, some freckles have made their merry way to my forehead already, gleefully dancing in groups under the redness. *sigh*

I finished reading The Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy by Elizabeth Moon, as lent to me by a friend at work. It was written by the author to "Do a paladin right" in her own words and was a fascinating read from start to finish. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a gritty no-holds-barred view of how someone can rise from nothing to become someone who can change their world for the better - at least in a fantasy setting. Don't we all want that, in some way or another?

July 1st - Happy Canada Day!

A nice relaxing holiday. Just a day at home, in good old Canada, eh! Though there was a lot to do here in Victoria today, I was just too tired to get to it...

In the evening I cycled over to my parent's place to watch the fireworks from the 9th floor of their building. Since the walkways are all open to the air, there was quite a gathering of people up there. The view was spectacular across the harbor, looking towards the parliament buildings, which were lit with white running lights as they have been for more than a century now.

The fireworks themselves were impressive, all the more so for being so CLOSE - the launching site was mere meters away on Songhees Rd, which was closed to vehicles for the show. Amazing... my favourites were the red and white shells, of which there were a LOT, far more so than any other Canada Day show I've seen. Definitely not just a few token ones.

The crowds on the way to and from the events were a blast too. One group that stood out was about a dozen girls, all dressed in Canadian colours and singing all the way down to the harbour. The same sort of folks stood out on the way back, though a few were less sober than on the way to the event - again, par for the course. Everyone was happy, friendly and thrilled to be out to celebrate our country, even more so this year which is the 150th anniversary of British Columbia's founding as a province. Spectacular!

July 2nd - Cool air and Smoke

Early mornings in the heat... Yeesh. The weather for the last weekend was fantastic, with sunny skies and warm temperatures - finally. I have to figure out a better airflow model for my apartment however, as the place stays quite hot despite the breezes. Not good for my computer or other electronics, or me for that matter. I picked up a large fan on the weekend, so I am trying to decide on which side of the place to pull the air in from. This is not as simple as it seems, as the side by the main entrance is a favourite for smokers... whose fumes rise up immediately to permeate my apartment, which happens several times each morning and evening.

Ah well. At least the air is fresh and cool when it's not laden with carcinogens - I am but a block from the sea, so the cool night air often carries with it the smell of the ocean. One thing though: I have noticed that most homes and apartments here in Victoria have no screens on their windows. While this speaks well of the lack of flying insects, such as mosquitoes, it does still leave things wide open for other creatures... such as spiders. I am loathe to allow such into my apartment, especially as the nice warm interior is very attractive considering the outside temperatures are much colder - very enticing to spiders, which like to lurk in warm dark places.

All joking aside, I do not fear spiders but rather the unknown. If it was a spider that got me back in the mid-90's during my family's move to Fonthill, then I have good reason to be careful. I have pain from that ordeal to this day, from the arthritis that came from the swollen joints to the side effects that the idiot doctor's steroid overdose caused to my health. But I am grateful, as at the time I did not know for a few days if I would regain the use of my hands, or my right leg. Considering I have full use of all my limbs, albeit with some daily pain, I am fortunate, I feel.

July 3rd - Rain, Scooters and Cars

A little rain fell today, just in the morning and had cleared up by the time my evening shift rolled around. It is interesting that we have yet to have a thunderstorm here, which I find surprising. One of the customers I talked to today mentioned that she was originally from St. Catharines, and that we rarely have thunderstorms here in Victoria. The rain comes as though from a celestial gardener, gentle and not lasting longer than needed to refresh the green of the land.

Riding a scooter in the rain doesn't appeal to me much, but considering the rising cost of fuel these days, it's not a bad idea. This seems to have occurred to quite a few folks, as there is a shortage of scooters right now worldwide. Though if I did decide on an electric scooter, I'd get this one. I am pleased that my planned move to Victoria did not include a car, as the hideous expense that is vehicle ownership can only be made all the more horrible as gas prices rise.

July 4th - B5, with a twist

This week I moved into the fifth season of B5, and I am still enthralled by the story. Some of you may not know I was( and still am )a part of a video game based on Babylon 5, called "I've Found Her"in which I voice the part of Alpha 4, one of the Starfury pilots. I am proud to have been even a small a part of such a game, as it shows what fan-based projects can achieve and the talent that many of us have within themselves, waiting to be shared.

A sobering thought on the future and the rate of technological progress: it seems the world is in immediate danger of running out of various rare-earth elements. You heard it correctly; our lust for flat-screen TV's and copper frying pans may lead us to asteroid mining sooner than you think. So invest in rocketry, or in mineral futures... before the prices rise like fuel costs.

July 5th - Bad Company

Mostly I finished up some stories I had been working on, deciding to plug away at them today and get them DONE.

I popped onto XboxLive a few times, but didn't see anyone who wasn't playing BF: Bad Company, which is a first-person shooter based on... You guessed it: greed. While the premised of fighting for stacks of gold bars seems a little thin to me as a writer, the gameplay itself seems a step or two above COD4, which is saying something. However, I wonder at the longevity of these games... A year or two at most, and then it's on to the next New Thing. How many folks still play Halo3, I wonder? Or Battlefield2( 2005 )or even Battlefield 1942( 2002 )? I sometimes wonder about the loss of good games, tossed aside because they are no longer 'cutting edge' in the graphics or gameplay department. Yet many of them are still solid games, but in the MMO market, it seems the crowd is solidly set on the new, and easily forgets the newly old.

July 6th - Fridges and Frodo

My fridge has changed. Yes, that stalwart symbol of the single guy, the bachelor's bulwark against hunger, as been undergoing a metamorphosis these last few months. I have noticed that very little pop has wound up in there, and of course no dairy products for months now. No, now it is the home of soy, of greens, of juice and many a healthy thing... Which amazes me, as I am not one to spend highly on healthy foods. Yet apparently I have, bit by bit, without really noticing. Even the cupboards are bare of chips, or cookies, or tasty snacks with ingredient labels that read like chemical warfare shopping lists. While I am not yet considering things like Raw Food, I am finding my own way towards health. Perhaps soon I will even dig into my nemesis, that has sat on my counter for half a year now: Cook With Jamie. Considering that I am limited in some of the meals I can eat, perhaps the time is coming soon where I will be able to spare the time to really train myself to cook, not just to eat food prepared in the easiest way possible.

After a lovely uneventful and daresay relaxing day at work, I watched The Return of the King while doing other things around the apartment. The music for the film fills the air with wonderful sound, and really makes the experience special. I remember waiting eagerly for this film to be released on December 17, 2003... hard to believe that is almost 5 years past. Wikipedia has a ton of fascinating information about the LOTR Trilogy, including all the deviations from the books as well as fascinating facts about the film process itself.

And, as I mentioned back then, there are too many blue eyes in the 3 films( see the ill-named 'Racism' section of that last link ). Really.

All for now. One of my weekends is going to have to be spent re-reading the LOTR trilogy, and the next weekend watching the three Extended Versions of the films. Joy...

Tall Ships, Short Trips and Sunburn

Come One, Come All, to the Blog Of Stars.... !

June 23 - Dialing in the Cool

Ten-digit dialing started here today, so the old-style comfort of only having to remember seven digits while calling someone is gone. I knew it couldn't last, but I enjoyed the nostalgic feeling nonetheless.

Last night set a record for the coldest recorded temperature in June for Victoria - seven degrees. Yikes! With the window just a tiny bit open, the cool air is refreshing but not chilly. I still wear my cycling jacket to work in the mornings, despite the fact that I can't seem to get the knack of proper airflow through it. At least it's not that far to work, as I've mentioned before - fifteen minutes, even uphill. Nice!

June 24 - Healthy Happy

It's been a month now since I cut dairy products out of my diet, and so far so good - no stomach cramps or nausea. Though I still get them when I look too closely at my bills.. but that's normal for most people. I've just located a lactose-free milk product by Natrel at my local Thrifty's, so I'm going to give that a try this week.

Why? Well, Getting used to tea with soy milk is tough, as it totally changes the taste. I may end up just having small containers of fat-free milk on hand just for that purpose, on the theory that small occasional doses may not cause problems.
Larger problems may not wait. I have been having more and more gall bladder related twinges, so I have the feeling that it's going to have to come out before one of the what-feels-like-golf-ball-sized stones decides to plug up the works. But DAMN, I really hate the thought of surgery... though the scars could be cool. I'll have to do even more research soon into the long-term lifestyle impacts that its removal will have.

June 25 - Skip the CD's

I've brought my old 7-disc cd-changer to work, to give it a new lease on life. It's amazing to think that in its day, it was a wonder of technology, to be able to listen to seven different audio CD's at random. Now it is literally a clunky leftover from another age, with each disc changing in a rattling clash of gears. The age of the MP3 has all but killed the CD; even my alarm clock has an MP3 input, a sign of the times.

Yeah, that's it for today's entry - I had something, but then I lost it. Oops.

June 26 - Fry-day

After a pancake breakfast( remember the ones I made at the Blue Mountain Lodge Trip of oh-so-long ago, folks? )I worked on some story ideas this morning, based on some conversations from last night on NWN. One in particular was very amusing - I'm tentatively titling it "Dinnertime at the Dragon Sands."

I've also been listening to some new music of late, which may come as a shock to those of you who know that my CD collection could fit, with cases, into a size-6 shoebox with room to spare. One that I picked up recently was Resilience, by Annabelle Chvostek, whose song "I left my Brain" keeps popping up in my head at odd times. Well, maybe not all that odd, considering the title... and I am the first to admit that my musical tastes can be considered eccentric by almost anyone's standards.

June 27th - Ships Ahoy, lubbers!

Up early and out the door at 8am today for a semi-leisurely breakfast at Smitty's on Douglas St, all part of the Tall Ships Plan. First a stop at the bank, which was crowded of course being end-of-month and full of pensioners too boot... then to the harbour area for.... the Tall Ships 2008 Festival!

Amazingly, I ran into two of my friends from Victoria while standing in line to board the Bounty - they were dressed in Pirate gear, and gave me some swag of my own: a pirate eyepatch! We had a blast standing in line to the amusement( and entertainment )of the crowd around us. Never let it be said I'm too quiet.
The Bounty was HUGE... well, bigger than I remember from the last time I was aboard her, back in 1978. Which is odd, given that I was MUCH smaller back then. The smell of the varnish on the wood, the fresh smell of the sea, the gentle creak of timber and rope as the ship rolled with the occasional wave - it was swell!

All too soon I had to leave for work, but I took with me an inexpensive souvenir... a sunburn! I'd packed everything BUT sunblock into my bag early in the morning, and being too cheap to blow $40.00 on a HAT( yes, they really liked their profit margins at the Festival )I sucked it up and fried. Though I did stop at a Shoppers on the way for some Aloe... boy, was my face red! To add insult to injury, my co-worked exclaimed "Oh, if you wanted to spend another hour or two there, I would have said fine..." - so it goes.

Oh, and Martin called today. Uh-huh. Yer blogged dude; s'good!

June 28th - Tall Ships Part Duex

Again, I was up early to pack in as much 'ship time' as I could. Yet one look in the mirror convinced me to stay my trip until mid-afternoon, so that I could slather aloe on my face / neck / arms at least once an hour( with the occasional rinse of the layers )before I tempted fiery fate again.

I arrived at the Festival a little after three, and immediately got into line to see the Nina( yes, Columbus' ship )and a few other ships. Then I got out of line, just before boarding... as I'd discovered my KEYS were missing. After some quick questioning of festival personnel, it turned out that a passerby had found them at the entrance way and given them to a policeman directing traffic - whew! I wish the good Samaritan had left their name, as they saved me some major grief. First time in twenty years I've lost my keys... even if for a brief time.

The delay meant that I missed the final boarding of the last set of ships by five minutes... which really burned me, compounding my sunburn pain a bit. It was quite an impressive fleet of ships that were moored in the harbour, all of which looked impressive in the sunshine. I soothed my annoyance by sitting on the patio at Milestones Habourside and managing to secure the ONLY table in the shade. I sipped on mint iced tea and supped on a veggie burger while watching the crowd go by... and BOY was it crowded today.

After dinner, I cycled down to Ogden Point, where I set myself up to watch the Tall Ships Cannon Battle performance by a half-dozen vessels. The first roll of cannon fire made the entire crowd gathered along the shore jump and exclaim, it was SO loud - magnified perhaps by the open water and a little TOO much powder? ;-) I'll post some of the pictures on FB, which turned out very well despite my lack of a zoom lens. An amazing and majestic site, seeing the sailing ships of yesteryear plying the azure waters under the bright blue skies, puffs of cannon fire the only clouds visible and the only thunder the cries of those same shots echoing...

June 29th - Shaving Sunburns

Bah... had to spend the day working, which is a shame given that I had a weekend pass for the Tall Ships. Still, it meant I was out of the sun, and that I could slather Aloe on my face once an hour and enjoy the refreshing cool A/C on the burn... which doesn't look too bad now, given how often I've treated it.

I can hear the cannon battle of the Tall Ships continuing as I write this, around 8pm tonight. The echoing roll of charges firing is strange in this quiet neighbourhood of Fairfield, but oddly soothing.

For those of you in a piratical mood, you can walk the plank while watching the hilarious Bus Pirates episodes while you wait for the next Talk Like a Pirate Day to arrive. Sadly, it's AFTER I'll be back from my trip to Niagara... but hey, there's always next year friends!

And finally... it's HOT here now - what a change from Monday! I logged 31 decrees C here in the apt, even with the windows open and fans going. Guess I've been spoiled the last few years with A/C ... and I should be careful what I wish for. No sweat; I can sense the irony!


Look at that - not a single mention of Babylon 5, did you notice? I 've been watching an average of an episode a day, but I thought relating a play-by-play might alienate some of my readers... But fear not, for next week we have: alien hairstyles!

Tea, Tickets and Raw Food

Just a reminder that anyone can call me at the local 935# I have set up in Niagara. It will ring both my home and cell at the same time; if I don't answer, it's because I am at work... but leave a message anyway. :-)


June 16th - People Watching and Tea

Opened the store today, another lovely one by the looks of it. One thing I like about this branch's location is that it is at a busy intersection, with a major bus stop out the front. As a bonus, there is a coffee shop and a tanning salon in the plaza; all that combined means there is always steady stream of people passing by. The big windows here means that people-watching is very easy and often fascinating. Today, for example, I saw a little old monk go by in his brown robes, at a steady pace with his walker which he does regularly. Too, I saw the unhappy woman with her drawn face, whose hair is in a perfect pageboy-bob every time. Then there is the older woman with the small child she takes for walks each day, who claims she is the daughter of Paul Sr. from the TV show Orange County Choppers - she comes in for laundry change fairly often. These are a few I know of the many passers-by, quite a few of whom I admit are very pleasing to the eye. Especially those who frequent the salon: a fitter, sleeker bunch I have not seen.

I took my parents out to the James Bay Tea Room( see the Virtual Tour here ) today for High Tea to celebrate Father's Day - a day late, but so it goes when we both work a weekend. It was a new experience for all of us, though I am sure it would have been absolute heaven if we had been monarchists, given all the images of British Royalty that covered the walls. The place was very relaxing, with a nice view along the road and a tasty assortment of finger-sandwiches for each of us.

June 17th - Clouds? No Sweat

The weather changed today, clouds rolling in from the west and the sea as they always do. I am pleased to say that weather changes here do not cause me nearly as much grief as they did back in Niagara. There, any major changes in air pressure would set off headaches; in Victoria, I feel a little discomfort most times and that is a wonderful change. Also, the temperatures are milder in the spring and summer; as I have mentioned, it seems COLD here, but I would still rather that than have to sweat my way through each day to and from work. Heck, I do that already... I might pass out if I had to do it at thirty-plus-degree heat. Not to mention the usual humidity that plagues Niagara most days...

June 18th - Daze Off

Again, I awoke early around 7am and started the day running... well, not literally. Lots to do, including getting my book collection sorted, finally - they're all grouped by genre, instead of haphazardly tossed on the dozen bookshelves I have in this place. It's been frustrating to go back to read a series and have to HUNT for the next book in line all over the place, but no longer... THAT took a few hours. Later in the day I helped out my mom with some maintenance at her condo, including some back-straining blind-swapping to make it easier for my parents to reach the cords. Some of these are half-million dollar condos and you'd think the details like that would have been better designed. Also, securing bookshelves and tall objects against earth tremors is an ongoing job; we had a small 4.0 shaker today, which I didn't even feel.

Amazingly, it was past dinnertime before I got home to relax...

June 19th - Ticket Miracles! Writing Wonderment!

HOLY COW - What a deal! My mom sent me an email late last night about a 2-day sale from Sunwing Airlines, a company I'd never heard of. After checking it out, I almost broke the phone this morning, I dialed so fast - $99.00 from Victoria to T.O. One-way with NO fuel surcharges? After the dust had settled and I had secured a round-trip ticket, the total after all was said and done was less than $400.00 ... 1/3 what I had been expecting to pay given current rising prices( heck, even the Russians are worried ). I was so happy I did a jig on the sofa... and didn't fall off, for once. YAY!!!!

On another happy note, I have been contributing steadily to Cyberwalker now for almost a year, and I am pleased to say it has been a completely lovely experience( thanks Mike! ). Knowing that one's articles are being published on a website seen by millions of people a year is a heady thought, and the fact I can write articles to both help and educate others is very liberating. Along with this blog, it has helped to hone my writing skills, as has my growing ability to dissect and learn from the many written works that I devour every week as time permits.

June 20th - Raw Food, and a Raw Deal

After opening the store today, I stopped at the local Thrifty's to pick up some veggies - I was invited to a raw food potluck by my downstairs neighbour and I had to pick up something to bring As it turns out, I picked the perfect things( mushrooms and broccoli ): there were a TON of dips and little else to dip with. It was a wonderful evening, as the most interesting people showed up to talk, including one young guy who travels Canada as a storyteller. His memory astounded me, as he recited numerous works, composed himself, with only his mind's eye as a record. We're going to correspond, as I am eager to see how he relates his first-hand knowledge of our fair country using the written word.

And did I mention that for the entire night, we were ALL throwing puns around? I was in heaven... and I held back, so as not to overdo things. Wonderful....

Of course, there has to be balance... as I found out when I finally returned to my apartment after four hours downstairs. I discovered that the NWN Nordock storyline had had a MAJOR EVENT while I was at the potluck, wrapping up the last year's major plot line WHILE I WASN'T THERE. Needless to say, I was ticked.

June 21st - Savory Saturday

Still feeling full from last night, I took an extra shift today( overtime! )so I had to cut short my first visit to the Moss Street Market, that runs 10-2 every Saturday just up the road from me during the warm weather. One of these days I'll do more than just drive by.

Reading through the local tourism mags has been very educational for me - there is SO much to do here that I feel guilty some days for not taking advantage of it all. Well, the free stuff anyway; I've yet to wander through Beacon Hill Park, or along the shore at Clover Point( some lovely pics here ) - the breezes there are PERFECT for flying kites( check out these two pics ). Given all that there is to do here, from art galleries to restaurants, parks, cycling trails and dozens of other activities, I am going to have some serious free-time angst, hence my decision to cancel my cable - I just can't justify spending time inside around here. Heck, with my PDA, I can compose articles anywhere I feel like it, except in the parks when it's raining.

June 22nd - Sunday Revolution

My only real day off this week... and of COURSE I woke up early. I put that early wake to good use though, getting my laundry done before anyone crowded the machines, as well as finishing all the usual home-chores by noon and so freeing up the day. I spent part of the afternoon playing Civ: Revolution with Lucas, as we actually got the multiplayer part of the Xbox360 demo working - on the first try too! It was fun, and the second game left us on a cliffhanger: my capital of Rome was poised to be invaded in a HUGE fight... when the game crashed. Argh! I was reminded of the old PC game Empire, back in the days of DOS...

Some of the rest of the day was spent watching B5( of course! )and doing some writing... though that tapered off fairly quickly for some reason. A few hours of NWN brought me to the close of the day, where I updated this before bed. Tada!


All in all, a pretty good week. You should also know that I do put some thought into the daily titles, to try and reflect the events of each day. Reflective...

Grease, Chumps and Cars

Here it is... not a lot of BC content this week, but considering the massive link-fest that last week's blog turned into, I thought some of you could use a break.

June 9th - The Week Begins

Mondays. Who likes them really? Everyone has had a Monday where they wake up and wish it was still the weekend - it's human nature. At least this site has some suggestions on how to beat the Monday Blahs. Or at least bruise them slightly.
On a happier, note, my entire closing shift today was overtime, thanks to the staff fluctuations we're having in the are. Too bad I can't get more than a few of these a month, as I'd sleep better. Speaking of which, my bedroom window faces east( same as before at The Prince )so as usual the sun and I fight to see who will give in first in the mornings. So far, I've been able to stay snoozed on a day off until 8am, which isn't bad considering my room at The Prince had the equivalent of WWII blackout-blinds from the Blitz in London. Here: not so lucky.

June 10th - Chumpdom Awaits!

Some happy news today: Brian sent out an email saying that 'Work is for Chumps' - he gave notice at his job and will be pursuing his own interests and his own business from now on. I am SO pleased to hear that it's working out for him, and hope that his dreams are closer than he thinks. Myself, I am looking at three fields of work right now: tech writing, general fiction and voice acting, including podcasts in any of those three fields. I figure I have a shot at all three, so if I can eke out the time every day to make good on the work apart from the day job, then perhaps.... Well, you get the picture, though some seem to think that it should begin early, like in college.

June 11th - The Plot Thickens. Like Soup.

Sometimes, you just want the day to end so you can get to the important things. Like this: a major plotline on the NWN server I game on was brought to a boil tonight - I was on for hours as an epic quest through dark and dangerous places played out, with myself and a few stalwart comrades at the center of the maelstrom. For those who enjoy video games, I equate my time at Lands of Nordock as similar to the experience one got from playing Baldur's Gate, or Planescape - it's that good. For a free server, they have a dedicated community of DM's, developers and players. Or, in the words of JMS: Dreamers, Shapers, Singers and Makers. As I have said before, I feel privileged to continue to be a part of a world where I feel my contribution matters, and where I can both relax after a long day AND explore a rich world that is continually being shaped by truly creative, passionate people. And have fun, of course.

June 12th - It's HOW green?

For anyone who wants to get a good mental image of how GREEN BC is, compared to Niagara, I have come up with the following. On Geneva Street in St. Catharines, south of the QEW, huge trees line both sides of the roadway, casting lovely shade over everything beneath. As well, on Shoreline Drive, the trees planted decades ago when the community was first built have grown such that they touch in many places over the middle of the road, creating a green corridor that is eerily lovely when lit at night by the streetlamps.

Now, imagine those huge trees, only twice as large. Greener. With every street in every neighbourhood packed with them. The gardens below practically bursting from their planting beds, every house a gardener's dream of flowers and bushes growing at incredible rates, all of it spilling over and barely kept in check by legions of gardeners armed with trimmers. How's that?

June 13th - Paraskevidekatriaphobia

For an unlucky day, today was remarkably uneventful for being Friday the 13th. I didn't see a single black cat, nor have to avoid any ladders or any other ill omen. The origin of Friday the 13th is an interesting read, especially in today's modern society of skeptics.

Speaking of bad luck.... as some of you may know, the cars in my life and I have always had a.. Special relationship. When I was living in Fonthill, way back in the 90's, I would often have to find ways to kill hours whilst my steel chariot was in the shop. One cheap one that I found was to walk the short distance down to the newly-opened McDonald's and have their Double Quarter-Pounder With Cheese special. This massive meal came to a mere $5.00 + tax at the time, which was great for students like me on a tight budget.

Why am I mentioning all this? Well, it's not about the car( I don't have one )or Fonthill( I won't be back there again )or even my mechanic Jamie( whom I DO miss! ). No, I mention it all to bring the Golden Arches into it. I haven't eaten at McDonald's now for almost a decade, though Wendy's and a few other fast food chains have seen some of my patronage. Why not Mick-D's though? Simple: grease. Even back in the 90's, I noticed that about an hour after a meal at Ronald's place, my face would start to sweat grease. It was the damnedest thing, like my pores were trying to sweat out the toxins. When I think about it now, it still gives me the willies that I didn't really pay attention to the effect and kept on eating the stuff... because it was cheap and easily available. I am not for or against the stuff, as everyone should be free to make their own choice. Though these folks here seem to really have it in for Ron and his pals...

June 14th - Super Sunny Work Weekend

I have been giving serious consideration to canceling my cable TV service, as I find of late I am watching one or two shows a week, aside from BSG - which had its season finale his week. Looking up at the shelves around the TV, I find I have a vast assortment of shows and movies that are as yet still unwatched. Those show know me know that I am not one to be wasteful, and in this case I have TWO things going to waste with a common thread: time. On the one hand, I am wasting money on TV that I do not watch, and the other is wasted shelf space on shows and movies I have not seen. Heck, my Unwatched Movie List recently topped 500, with the addition of such films as Iron Man and the new Indiana Jones . We'll see, especially if things go as I hope and I find myself wishing for MORE time to pursue my other career interests.

June 15th - Severed Dreams

Before work today I loaded up the third season episode of B5 entitled 'Severed Dreams'. In a nutshell, this is the breakaway episode, where the series turns a corner and doesn't look back. The buildup of the first two seasons comes to a head here, bursting into action based on moral choices and some very real pathos. The CGI is still mind-blowing, even by today's higher standards( BSG )with more FX shots in this ep than had ever been done on TV before, in any show. B5 won the 1997 Hugo( among many other awards )for Best Dramatic Presentation for "Severed Dreams" - what else can I say? Watch it( but only in Turkish, sorry ).

Comments as always are welcome... but if you're going to rate the blog, have the decency to do it under a name, as some of you have kindly done. Who cares what some spotlight-shy Anonymous slob thinks, anyway? *grins*

Plain Naked Janes, Bikes and Ships Ahoy!

I've posted a new FB album with many of my favourite shots from the last 6 months from the Victoria area. I may add some more, but for now those are the ones I like. I'll be adding a separate album showing the 'city' shots, both old and new - soon. Plus: Lots of Links!

June 2nd - Happy Birthday Mom!

Doncha hate working in the mornings? What is it about Mondays that make one feel this way? At least my morning sickness seems to be a thing of the past( insert jokes here )as I've cut out dairy completely from my diet. Let me tell you that soy-based cheese products are NOT the same in any sense, unless you count just the visual. But if it means no nausea, then I'll have to suck it up just like when I discovered those lovely gallstones. Cold turkey again, literally.

I took my parents out for dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday today. We went to the Penny Farthing Pub in lovely Oak Bay, on the same block as The Blethering Place - both places are iconic locations in Oak Bay, as well as being Properly British in all the right ways. The gravy, for example, was proper thick British gravy that smelled like a meal unto itself. Yum!

June 3rd - Headphones and Bikes

I've just learned that wearing headphones while riding a bicycle is illegal in B.C. - great. While I agree in principle, I have to ask if it's necessary to pass such a law to protect those idiots who want to remove themselves from the gene pool by cranking up the volume such that they block out the rest of the world, including traffic. Then again, considering my job and who I deal with sometimes, it's perhaps a rhetorical question. But, it means my headphones will get used a lot less.... maybe I can bundle them with my HD-DVD player and sell them for $19.99 on eBay. So my rides to and from work will be less entertaining, in that regard.

June 4th - "Are you thinking what I'm thinking...?"

I've been recording episodes of 'Pinky and the Brain' and I have to say, it's great. Hailing from the mid-90's and running for 4 seasons( didn't know that, did you? ), the show garnered numerous awards, including several Emmy's. One thing I've been looking for( and not found to date )is a compilation of all of Pinky's non-sequitur responses to Brain's famous line: "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinky?" - most of them are fall-down funny, folks: "I think so Brain, but the scratching just makes it worse." *grin*

Just an evening shift today, but some good news: seems I've been doing a good job of late, as I've had no less than THREE positive comments sent in to our Head Office this month, one of them from a customer known to be, er... difficult. Nice to hear, after all the other annoyances I've had to deal with of late at work.

June 5th - The Pennsic War

The other day I was reminiscing about 'The Good Old Days' and recalled that during my time in the SCA( back in my early university days ), I never managed to attend the Pennsic War. This huge medieval camping event was quite amazing in many ways, not the least of which was the feeling of going back in time( see photos )with thousands of others to the Middle Ages( or other eras )for a few weeks in the summer. But as with all things, time has moved me on other paths.
Though I do hope to take up my archery once more, as time permits me here in Victoria. It's good to have a hobby, and this one beats the hell outta stamps.

June 6th - Happy Frosty Friday

DAMN but it's COLD here. The nights have seen temperatures drop down to hover near ten degrees C, and not much more than 16C plus sunshine during the day. Being used to steaming-hot weather back in Niagara, it's been eye-opening to bike to work while shivering...

Lucas sent me an invite today about the new 'Civilization: Revolutions' for the Xbox360. Though I barely played the rest of the series over the years, I may pick this one up, as the multiplayer aspect looks to be a good fit with the rest of the game. Where to find the time though... oh right, I can stop playing NWN. Like that's going to happen. Maybe I can give up some sleep... ? Hmmm.

June 7th - A Busy Sat and ... Naked Bike Ride?

I forgot about the Moss Street Market today; a shame, as I only get every other weekend off to attend. Two weeks from now, I'll set myself a reminder, as this is something I want to do soon.

Speaking of which, I came across this List of 100+ Great Things to Do In Victoria. Some really good suggestions on this, so I'll be trying to cross off some of these as the summer ticks on.

I attended the Oak Bay Tea Party 2008 today with my mom. It was very similar to the many summer carnivals that usually dropped into Port Dalhousie during the spring and summer. Fewer people though, in a smaller space... so the effect was much the same. Lots of lineups for rides and food, with a loud( but good )band blasting away at the crowd. Surprisingly, the beach was not crowded at all. The walk through the neighbourhood there and back was great too; I know I rhapsodize about the gardens here in Victoria, but I say again: they have to be SEEN to be believed.

From there, I went for a walking tour of downtown Victoria with a co-worker's boyfriend for a few hours. We started from a spot next to the Victoria Conference Centre, which was appropriate given it was the first thing in Victoria that I took a picture of( and so sits as the title picture of this blog ). We walked north along Government Street, with its many century-old English buildings, most of which have been preserved. The area is very pedestrian-friendly and a delight to the eye with its varied architecture. The brick sidewalks are nice too.

Of course, I have a great sense of timing. Apparently, my walking tour time coincided precisely with.... the World Naked Bike Ride. Shortly before 3:30 pm, a pack of screaming naked bicyclists tore down Government street heading north, leaving stunned locals and picture-snapping tourists in their wake. Boring, this city is NOT, I tell you. And it has some HAIRY cyclists too!

After that bit of fun, the rest of the tour seemed to fly by. My friend( who has lived here 15 years )and I walked as far north as Chinatown, returning along the harbour walkway. I learned a lot, and my friend did as well; the tour pointed out several small details he did not know about his city, such as the fact that Waddington Alley is still planked with the original creosote wood bricks it was made from a century ago.

We finished up at Milestone's Restaurant on Wharf St, sitting right on the water downtown( see the link's photo ). After a refreshing pint of Stella, we slugged down some gelato ice cream for dessert before heading our separate ways - I got home around 8pm, with the sun still shining and a cool southern breeze blowing. Again I was amazed at how QUIET the Fairfield area is: on the walk home, the loudest sounds were the trees rustling in the wind and the birds singing. Sweet!

June 8th - Tall Ships on the horizon

My only 'real' day off, so I'm catching up on a lot of things today, including this blog. I uploaded an album to FB with quite a few pictures that I have been picking and choosing from over the last long while. One thing I've noticed is that there are very few pictures with ME in them, so I'll try to rectify that in the future - apologies to those who have enjoyed the lack to date.

After reading a bit more thoroughly through the Oak Bay Tea Party brochure, I discovered to my dismay that the air show was TODAY at 2:30p♦m - nuts! I'm a sucker for aircraft of any kind, so I'll have to find another fix. But all is not lost: the Tall Ships are coming to Victoria THIS MONTH! I've already got my ticket, and rest assured I will be posting many amazing pictures as soon as I disembark.

A little COD4, at which I tanked badly every game. Then, some BSG. After watching the latest Battlestar Galactica, I have to say the CGI sequences are stunning. The story is good too, though it's a little hard hanging onto the thread - I mean, all of humanity's on the line, and they're working WITH Cylons to get to Earth? Seems damned strange to me. Anyway, finished the evening off writing... the weather outside being sunny and bright after 9pm - have to love Summer. :)

You may have noticed that this blog had no mention of B5 in it at all. This was to avoid overload; a good blogger knows when to back off from week to week. But not to worry, B5 fans: more next week! And I am glad you liked this week's blog, 'Anonymous'.... 72 out of 77 eh?

You call this exciting?

After carefully reviewing the emails and tabulating the votes received, I have crafted this week's blog to more closely conform to the requests of you, the readers. Enjoy! Only ONE link this week. So there.

May 26 - More B5. Yep.

Many of you wanted to know more about Babylon 5, so I thought I'd again recommend the Lurker's Guide to B5. This is a peerless companion to watching the episodes in order, as I am finding. I have been amazed all over again at the care with which each episode was crafted, even in the first season. The little details, visual and written, are astonishing, as is the fact that it was ALL written as a five-year story arc. As a writer, I am humbled by the sheer craft that went into creating such an encompassing work, and hope that I might someday know enough to attempt such a thing, should I be in a position to do so. Maybe, or maybe not.

May 27 - Niagara

I've booked off my vacation time for September, so that I can come back to visit Niagara. It's going to be costly though; the rail option looks to be no less expensive, so I'll likely nix that thought. Hopefully I can pick up a last-minute deal on one of the many sites I am monitoring / subscribed to, in the next few months.

May 28 - ?

Nothing interesting happened today. Really.

May 29 - Bio Scooters

I saw something amusing on the road to work today: a pack of scooters. Yes, scooters - not motorcycles, ridden by leather-clad bikers but instead a half-dozen people in casual dress with helmets, backpacks slung comfortably and just cruising along the road. It was highly amusing, and speaks to the attitude that Victoria has towards environmentalism. There are still quite a few motorcycles cruising around town, but they are outnumbered by the scooter crowd, who are themselves outnumbered by the bicyclists who are often three or four deep waiting at lights.

In the evening: BioShock looks amazing on my flat-screen TV; the retro design of the underwater city of Rapture( I love underwater cities, by the way )is just breathtaking. I love art deco, so it's enjoyable on many levels - pun intended.

May 30 - Friday Freezing

I managed to sleep until 8am this morning, a new record; this past week has seen me awake at 5:38 am three mornings in a row. Why THAT time in particular, I do not know; perhaps my neighbour's alarm I'm hearing somehow? I'll have to ask... but it's been annoying.

Damn, but it's cold here in the mornings, for being the month of May. My cycling jacket is a must, as the ten-degree temps make for a chilly ride in any non-windproof garment.

May 31st - Writing

Dang, but it's cold out... sunny though. I'm not as brave as some folks, who are perhaps used to Victoria's somewhat cool-ish weather of late. Setting up a blanket on the front lawn of the building to have lunch is nice, though not when it's 15 degrees C out there, sunshine or not.

I played a bit of an older PS2 game today, called 'Demon Stone', which interestingly has the voice of Patrick Stewart as the narrator. The gameplay is all right, but I mainly enjoy revisiting it for the story and character design - Zhai is especially well-done, though I question her personal motivations in terms of helping the other characters( she's a drow, after all, for those who care ).

In any case, I just relaxed today. Some writing was done, but I have a lot of my mind of late and the words aren't flowing to my satisfaction... more of a flow that you don't want to see or smell, if you catch my drift.

June 1st - Already?

The start of a new month always has me wondering what awaits me in the pages of upcoming days. Too bad I spent today working, but them's the breaks.

The second Sunday in a row spent working, but at least the weather wasn't super-annoyingly-sunny out, so spending the day inside wasn't so bad.

All for now. Next week: More Drama. More Excitement. More... B5?

A week's worth of links

For the picky among you, this week's blog is presented after being spell checked. Lots of links in this one, but no pics - yet. I'm collecting the ones I have to make a FB gallery this week, so look for it by the weekend. Read on...


May 18th - Another beautiful day, spent indoors

What a gorgeous day this one turned out to be. Seems like everyone but me was out there enjoying it... and by the time I finished work to head home, it had grown chilly and overcast. Odd that it could be so nice then cool off so quickly. The newscasters were saying that this has been the coldest spring in the last 35 years here on Vancouver Island; ironic that I chose to move here when I did.
On the bright side, I get plenty of light in my apartment, regardless of the weather outside - which is great for saving on electricity. I can only hope that I get a decent cross-breeze when the weather heats up, though again since I am next to the ocean I hope the heat will be lessened somewhat.

May 19th - Victoria Day? Meh.

Not much of a holiday here in B.C. weather-wise ... grey and drizzly all day. I spent some of today trudging up and down the stairs here, trying to get my laundry done; I MISS having in-suite laundry... you never had to fight everyone for one of the two washers or dryers. I know I was lucky, but DAMN if I had the space( or the funds )then I might spring for a washer of my own.

Unsurprisingly, I spent a good deal of the day online, playing COD4 with my friends. Again, as I've said before, it's a HUGE bonus that I can still game with my friends from across the freakin' continent... talk with them too, relatively easily. Much as I detest Microsoft, I admit their 360 tech works as promised( excepting the Red Ring of Death ). When the network connection is smooth, that is ...

May 20th - Neither Open Nor Close Ye Be

Worked an odd shift today, neither opening OR closing, at my co-worker's request - which means I didn't have to unlock or lock anything. Nice to have a break.

One neat thing about Victoria, if somewhat trivial: they have coloured curbs here. It makes sense when you think about it: yellow means no stopping, red means a bus stop. Anything else is fair game for parking. Of course there are signs too, but having both really helps make the area function clear. Too bad Toronto hasn't caught on to this system; they have WAY too many No Left / No Right Turn signs!

May 21st - Plane, Train or Automobile?

I started looking into flight costs again for heading back to Niagara in September - yikes! Tickets are over $1,000.00 right now, no matter where I look. Seems one recent news article has pinned the increase in fares on rising fuel costs for airlines - not good news for people wanting to travel on the cheap. I also looked at train travel, but even though the cost is half that of a plane ticket, it will take at least four days to cross the county - amazing a century ago, but not so good for those of us in the modern era who have limited vacation time. Still, I've never crossed the country OR taken a train before, so I won't write that one off yet.

May 22nd - More B5

About a week ago I started to watch the entire Babylon 5 series from the beginning. An episode a day seems to be easiest before work, as I can watch it during breakfast. I'm amazed at the detail in each episode, especially with the breakdowns that the Lurker's Guide contains - amazing that the site is still there after ten years. I'll have to watch this series every 5 years or so. *grin*

The new bike seems to be working out well... or should I say, quite a workout. I'm still not up to biking UP the huge hill to my workplace yet, though I'm finding the lesser hills to be much easier after a few weeks now. Fortunately, I've not yet had occasion to use my new bike horn, but given the volume of traffic here compared to St. Kitts, it's only a matter of time. Not only was it cheap, but it's LOUD too!

May 23rd - More on The Dark Crystal

After working the morning shift, I did some grocery shopping at the nearby Safeway. It worked out well on my bike, as my backpack fit everything I'd purchased perfectly - seems my eye for spacial relationships is in fine form, given all the moving and packing I've done over the years.

I managed to pick up a copy of Legends of the Dark Crystal, a prequel to the 1982 film The Dark Crystal - love that film! I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of The World of the Dark Crystal by Brian Froud a few years ago - on the cheap too! A sequel film is in the works that has Genndy Tartakovsky( of Samurai Jack )at the helm as well as Brian Froud. The usual delays have pushed back the release date to 2009.

Also of note: my pal Lucas sent me a link about The Secret History of Star Wars, which looks to be a fascinating( and unbiased )look at the entire franchise, from the moment pencil touched paper to the current day. Thanks Lucas, both of you!

May 24th - Mount Douglas Park

After a somewhat early rise at 8am, I did my usual Saturday morning routine: laundry and cartoons! I enjoyed the latter more than the former, of course. After a little while spent playing BioShock( yes, I started late on it )it was time to head out for a few hours to Mount Douglas Park with my parents. What a gorgeous place! Just driving up the narrow, winding road to the top was an experience - no guardrail interrupted the view of the forest. And such trees! They towered above us, huge tall trunks topped in green far above, with slanted sunlight sending the occasional beam to illuminate the dusky world below. It was like a dream, in places - the slanted mountainside was thickly covered with ferns around the tree roots, covering the sheer rock with an abundance of life. All of this before we even reached the top!

Words seem inadequate for the majesty of the view. The clear, fresh sea air was warmed by the sun on the rock at the summit, permitting an stunning view for tens of kilometers. We could see all the way to Mt. Baker in the US, as well as the Soloman Islands offshore. The whole of South Vancouver Island lay spread out before us, a green veldt sprinkled with signs of civilization and bounded on all sides by the sea. All of this beneath blue sunny skies - it was heaven.
*deep breath* So, I will post the photos later in the week, once I whittle them down to a few dozen.... or less.

Hopped onto NWN for a while after a few hours of BioShock( engrossing game! )and met someone there I hadn't seen in a long time. He seemed to enjoy the new digs I'd set up in Nordock, and a grand time was had by all.

May 25th - Sunday Ends the Week

Worked the usual solo weekend shift, whilst another beautiful day passed outside with one less to experience it firsthand. The ride home was lovely as always, as well as being rather less strenuous for being downhill. I should mention that I pass quite a few heritage homes in Victoria on my way to and from work, and this inn is one of them. Some amazing properties here, simply awash in thick masses of gardens; some of the bushes are higher than the houses they front - incredible!

Yep, that's it. No witty quotes, just the usual heavy work in creating this blog...