Birthdays, Wisdom and Words

If you're reading this, it means you're too close to your screen...

July 14th - Cutting Cable

Once the cable is gone, it will be just the internet for a while, and all the shows I can find there( YouTube? )as well as what I have in my DVD collection. Interestingly, I heard today that NetFlix is partnering with Xbox Live! to offer 10,000 of their 100,000 titles initially to download and watch - coincidence perhaps? I know I will be converting most of my DVD collection to smaller PDA-sized files so I can watch shows in bits here and there, wherever I wish to. Speaking of which, I have been writing a majority of the last few months of blogs on my PDA, where and when I can, just to get a different perspective on things. Cafe's, park benches, on the grass at a park or on slow days at work - each has their own merits, though some make it harder to balance a folding keyboard( with fidgety keys ). Getting the mirror positioned is a pain though.

The short trip to and from work is always a lovely, almost tranquil time for me. I cannot( as yet )convey in words the beauty of the lanes I cycle through to and fro each day. The simple lines of low stone walls, draped by lush green vines and o'er-towered by tall trees by the dozens, in all their many shapes and varieties. The clean scent of honeysuckle bushes, of gardens bursting with colour and smell in every yard I pass. The deep serene lawns of the heritage homes, guarded by silent old trees and gardens that seem wild in their careful tending. Everywhere the eye rests easy on beauty natural, on pleasant views unmarred by stark plain lawns, too-few too-new trees or cookie-cutter homes different only in their owner's choice of siding colour. Here, there is a riot of difference, a glorious jumble of harmonious uniqueness that makes stopping to smell the roses an all-day activity... as it should be.

July 15th - Amazing Grace arrives!

Great news this morning – my good friend Katie & her husband Darcy had their first child at 3am this morning, Annabelle Grace. Fantastic news, and they’re all doing well. My best to you! *GRIN*

Being restless at night is not a good thing - I was up late for some reason, tossing and turning. Most likely some issue or another I've not been able to resolve, some stress that my subconscious hasn't dealt with. Like anyone else, I have more than enough to keep my Id busy for years - hopefully whatever it is, I'll be able to get some sleep tonight.

After work today I went to my friend Carol's place for a small BBQ, my neighbour Laurel being there too. I grilled up some 'Tofurkey Polish Sausages' which I have had before - the spices really make it tasty with a little char from the 'barby. The sun was out, it wasn't stinking hot like too many Niagara summers I can recall, and I enjoyed the quiet peace of the backyard.

Until the squirrels arrived. Well, one actually. Apparently this particular squirrel has been using Carol’s many potted plants to pot peanuts in, pretty often. The discussion turned to non-lethal and / or humorous ways to deal with the problem, from which squirt guns, zip lines and thigh-holsters-ala-Lara-Croft all came to mind. Amazing what a tree rat on the lawn can cause the conversation to shift to.

I suggested a website name, such as www.squirtthesquirrel.com to go along with The Nut-Buster Brigade… incidentally, did I mention that all the members were women? )and the evening took a delightful turn into the bizarre and punny from there. Still got it, though others don’t often get it… or wish they hadn’t.

July 16th - Happy B-day to Moi

My friends Mike, Pierre and Brian gave me a GREAT gift today. More on that in a moment.

I'm 35 today, 1/3 of the way along and 2/3's from the end of the beginning. Some folk may have a midlife crisis at this age; the old show Thirtysomething comes to mind. Myself, I wonder that 40 is now closer than is comfortable, and that I could have been doing the same job since I was 20, which would make for 20 years at the same job... Yeesh.

Who am I? What do I want?

Well, I've learned that I am comfortable looking in the mirror each morning. I've tried to separate the person from the 'career' and I find that who I am these days is someone I'm mostly proud to be - thanks to some good parenting, good friends and good luck. Though I may not be famous, or rich, or admirably good at one thing, I am what I am - that's good enough to let me sleep at night and get me out of bed in the morning. I don't feel the need to rush through life feeling as though I am late for an appointment, to acquire riches for their own sake, or to prove myself to my peers or friends. I've been down in the gutter, so to speak, been places where some will thankfully never have to go, and come through many trials to still be here to tell you about it today - all of which shaped me, tempered if you will, into a more flexible mettle.

I mentioned last week the concept of balance in life; as important is not to be brittle, to 'not sweat the small stuff'. If you hold yourself too rigid, define yourself by standards too tight and unrealistic, then you can be shattered by blows that would only injure or even just roll off other folk who know how to better deal with life's little foibles.

It depends on how you define success. I know for me, that definition is more personal and less professional. I'd rather be who I am, where I am, than be writing this in an expensive home office of a home I may own in another 25 years, with my hair grey from stress and my nights filled with personal regrets for what I had to give up to get there. No, I can look in the mirror a long, long time with a steady gaze, despite a lack of the 'essentials' that some folk expect from life: a wife, kids, a long-term career... All of which would mean nothing if I could not meet the eyes of the man in the mirror.

So… what was the gift that my Three Amigos gave me? A website. An amazing website, they have obviously worked hard on for some time… all in aid of me furthering my career in the Tech Journalism field. With this website, which I will be working on in the coming months( details to follow soon )my articles will be collected in on place, easily readable by a (hopefully) adoring public… or just the guy down the street who needs his computer fixed. What comes, will.

Dinner with my parents was a quiet affair, no singing or cakes or carryings-on. We went to the Ross Bay Pub. Where I course I had a Guinness with my meal… semi-traditional. After that, I finished watching Spiderman… love that film. Heck, the character’s always resonated with me, for that matter. Thanks Stan.

July 17th - Condo Signs

From wisdom to street signs - amazing how a little thing can throw you off. Here, there are no single posts with signs. Rather, there are TWO posts at every street-meet: one, a stop sign, on which is the secondary street name. On the opposite side of the street, the MAIN street name is on a separate sign. This system makes sense, in that drivers always know where to look for a street name, and it uses the same number of poles( two )as every stop sign doubles as a street pole.

Another day off – two in a row! Part of it was spent entertaining my parents: seems that their building is undergoing extensive renovations. Well, the owners of various units are fixing a LOT of things that they shouldn’t have to. To date, 66 owners have had to change their floors due to shoddy workmanship, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg – ironic, given that the place looks like a cruise ship. I’m glad( and so are my parents )that they didn’t buy a unit there; the old adage “Look before you leap” has proven most apt, as I am sure many of the $500,000-plus unit owners are finding out now. It always amazes me that people will pay such huge sums of money for homes or condos, with no real guarantee that what they’re buying is TOP quality… but it can LOOK like it is. I’ve searched, and there is just NO guarantee out there in Canada that what you buy IS top quality. Sure, there are New Homeowner’s Warranties in various Canadian provinces, but sometimes serious problems take a few years to show up. Even when building a home back in the mid-80’s in Port Dalhousie, we ended up being present EVERY DAY to keep an eye on the project, and usually we found at LEAST one thing wrong EVERY visit we made. Gah!

Which again makes my glad that I’m not trying to climb the ‘Property Ladder’ as is so often mentioned in the HGTV show Location, Location, Location… with my luck, the thing will be missing most of its rungs and the wood rotting. No thanks.

July 18th - Walking, Writing, Gaming

I went on a walking tour today, of the Beacon Hill / Fairfield area around where I live. I was most impressed with Beacon Hill Park, as it is a vast greenspace the majority of which has been left in its natural state. Paths wend through the tall grasses, and many rocks poke through the ground cover among the groves of trees. The park is MUCH bigger than you think, even if you’ve been past it or through it via car – the speed of a vehicle gives lie to the SIZE of the space you’re passing. It’s worth getting out and walking around, as there’s many amazing views in the park: trees, small lakes, flowerbeds galore. All of this is in full green mode, bursting with growth.

The tour took a lot longer than I’d planned; I returned home after four hours, though that included a long lunch stop at the Beagle Pub( finally! )just around the corner in Cook St. Village. The place is a LOT bigger on the inside than at first glance, but I was on the patio so that didn’t matter much. The view was great; it’s the perfect people-watching spot on a summer’s day.

I did some work on a few articles and short stories in the evening, followed by some detour-time on NWN. The latest( and final )patch has come out for the game – amazing, considering Neverwinter Nights was released way, way back in 2002. It’s unheard of for a developer to support a game 6 years after its release, but here we are today in 2008. Thanks, Bioware…. even though you’ve sold out to EA, there’s still a soft spot in my heart for you. Especially since NWN runs so well on my 'ancient' 2004-era PC.

July 19th - Robotech Returns

No rain for a few weeks now, and none for another week. The sun has been lovely, and I'd rather have blue skies than gray any day, especially as the temperatures here are in no way sweltering given the abundant sunshine.

I’ve discovered that Space will be running the entire original Robotech TV series again starting today, with four episodes every Saturday – nice! I’ll be making good use of my cheap DVD recorder to get the entire three series on disc – more TV that I can watch at a later date. Of course, that means I’ll have to keep the cable for a while longer… *sigh* Decisions, decisions.

Interestingly, I was going through my notes from TorCon2003, and I ran across a quote that made me smile( though I don’t know who said it – missed that scribble I guess ). It says “Punsters and smartasses can quickly link diverse subjects or topics with humorous results” – exactly how I’ve always felt about puns. Despite a common misconception that “Puns are the lowest form of humour” it’s NOT easy to pun – you have to be quick of wit, familiar with a vast range of topics, and be able to pick through all that knowledge to snap a pun together in a few seconds to make a timely and humorous line. *sigh* Unappreciated in my own time… at least there's a Practical Guide to Puns available now I can browse through for solace. Apparently the Brits appreciate punsters, moreso than any other country...

July 20 - The Week Winds Down

A Sunday off - lovely! I spent part of the day outside to enjoy just relaxing, but that was in the morning. Turning on my Xbox360, I discovered that ALL the guys were online today! We flicked a few msgs around, and ended up gaming until 5pm on COD4. It was great; we haven’t done that for months and months, though towards the end I started to lose my edge… of course.

Somehow I developed a headache( well, hours of twitchy-eyed gameplay may have done it )so I took a break from the TV to rest my brain for a few hours with some housework – gah. After dinner I finished off a pair of articles for Cyberwalker.com, then updated the blog. All of this with the sun peering in around the sides of the blinds in my living room – not helping the headache. I think I’ll get a curtain set up this week, as every evening it’s the same story with me sitting on the couch, trying to dodge glaring ribbons of sunbeam while using the computer or the TV.

Still, it’s sunshine – glorious sun, not drab rain or grey winter skies. I’ll wear sunglasses. *grin*

Until next week, thanks for tuning in! I hope you enjoy all the links I plug into this blog - they're there to enhance your reading experience, to broaden the context of the things I mention here every week. So click on a few...!

Melodies, Memories and Markets

If you've missed large parts of this blog, I do recommend that you take a little time to go back and read through it. Heck, skim it if you must... I put hours of work every week into this, trying to hit the highlights and leave the washing-my-socks stuff out of it. So have a boo; I hope it's to your liking.

Plus, this week: a link-free blog!

July 7th - Shower me with Wisdom

A bit of wisdom came to me in the shower today, following in the footsteps of many who have experienced epiphanies whilst under the soothing flow of hot water. Though it was not the face of a saint that appeared in the mineral deposits on the shower curtain, it was something I felt needed to be shared. The image that occurred to me was this: balance. It came to me that a person cannot effectively deal with all the foibles that life throws at you unless they already have balance of some sort in their life. Being knocked off your feet or staggered by each new challenge seemed to be akin to a juggler trying to catch many medicine balls at once - the ones who are balanced in their life can nimbly catch or dodge these life missiles, while others will be knocked flat in short order. I liked the picture, and imagine one day I will use it somewhere...

July 8th - Foxed by a browser

I have been disappointed and annoyed for a few days now with my previously stalwart web browser, Firefox. The most recent update( 2.0.0.15 for those who know )has thus far managed to crash consistently with every other page I load. I've become frustrated enough to download and install another top web browser called Opera - wow, is it fast! It has quite a few features that Firefox does not, all of them eminently suited to swift web-browsing, so I recommend it to those looking for a fast surfing experience.

July 9th - Songs in my head

I worked a nice late shift today, my fifth of six days. Considering I am not, nor desire to be, a manager, i I do put in regular hours. But tempt me not with visions of Salary, lest I laugh in your face and regale you with tales of slave wages... I leave it at that.

On a happier note, I wrote a brief bit of a song today, the first in many a long year. Like my father before me, poetry comes naturally to my hand and so I hope now too will the occasional song. *grin* Balance, it seems, is VERY good for the muse... The Uncluttered Mind.

July 10th - Hey there Rene!

'tis my friend Rene's birthday today!
We've been friends since high school, when the heady days of trading TurboGrafX games were the highlight of our school weeks. I do miss those days sometimes, when grades hung on tests we were never ready for and excitement was a whisper of the next summer movie in the pipes. How little we really knew, and how happy we were most days.

July 11th - Pre-Birthday Swag

The morning vanished in the usual domestic blur, with a little kickstart to the day: I gave my cast-iron pan another workout with some bacon and eggs. I haven't had those in quite some time, and even though it was turkey bacon( low fat )it made no difference to the satisfaction of a well-made breakfast to start my day.

I received a surprise at work today as well: a birthday gift! Seems my two co-workers decided to buy me a ton of little themed gifts - guess what they chose? Spiderman. Yep, they spotted the little Spidey sticker on my PDA and took it upon themselves to raid a dollar store for kitsch. The centerpiece was a Mr. Potato-Head Spiderman, complete with Peter Parker parts. I was very touched at the thought that went into it all... see the photo here.

July 12 - to Market, to Market

I finally made it to the Moss Street Market today after 10am. It was busy but not overly crowded. I was surprised that only about half the vendors were selling food; the rest were crafts of excellent quality. While I currently have little need( or budget )for such, I did enjoy about an hour of wandering and enjoying the sights. As it's less than ten minutes walk from my apt, I may pop in a few more times this summer.

Having a day off is wonderful, as always. Deciding what to do with it, well... that can be frustrating as the hours tick past. Such was today, which managed a mix of things that brought me all too quickly to the close of the day. I did get some time on on the Xbox360 with Civ: Revolutions as well as a bit of BioShock. Seems that all my 360 pals are taking a break from COD4.

July 13 - Nothing on TV?

I worked another Sunday, lamenting the injustice of a world where a third of my life has to be spent under the last of others to earn coin. I am glad to see at least one of my friends has thrown off the yoke of Working For The Man - best of luck to you Brian!

I have decided to cancel my cable tomorrow - watching the many DVD's I have will occupy my time full well. Too, I have become quite dissatisfied with the image quality of digital cable - the compression used for each channel looks godawful on a large screen, even when compared to a DVD. The HD channels I do have do not carry a tenth of the shows I find interesting, so rather than aimlessly hope for the one show a week to be in HD, I am cutting my losses. Heck, I can watch a lot of the TV already recorded, plus use the 'net to hunt down things I may have missed. All in all, I feel good about it, as I hate to pay for something I do not use fully. Which is also why I have sent in a refund for my brain... *grin*

Well there you have it - another week done and down in brief, in print. Who knows what next week will bring? The weather here is fantastic - two weeks of nothing but sunny skies and mid-twenties for temperatures. I just love it...

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*