journal of m. werneburg

oh great, it's yakudoshi
2012.01.27, Toronto

I'm now carrying a Japanese good luck symbol around, because I'm soon to turn 41, and in Japan that's very bad news.

catching a streetcar
2012.01.25, Toronto

I've been meaning to record a strange event from about two weeks ago: I caught a streetcar by catching up to it on foot.

autumn in Ontario
2012.01.26, Toronto

Shooting film, it's not unusual for me to be editing photos from the season prior.

amazon's support is everything they say it is
2012.01.24, Toronto

The bottom of my Kindle developed a problem where the USB port wasn't seated properly; I called Amazon and they sent me a new one.

新年快樂
2012.01.22, Toronto

We went to the home of some friends to celebrate the Chinese new year this afternoon.

Linda Penwarden Jewellery
2012.01.21, Toronto

For Christmas, I bought my wife a pearl bracelet that she really loves.

PMP course progressing
2012.01.21, Toronto

I had my third class in the PMP course today.

what is our currency
2012.01.21, Toronto

Today I came across an interesting explanation of what our currency holdings really are.

Mari's health card is here!
2012.01.16, Toronto

After a year and two weeks in the country, Mari's health insurance card arrived today, and will be active on the 20th.

back to the museum
2012.01.15, Toronto

It was a sunny gorgeous day, today; naturally, I took Kenny to the museum.

socializing again .. where will this end!
2012.01.14, Toronto

My cousin Kate the actress and her fiancé invited us to a party to celebrate four things: 1) his birthday 2) her birthday 3) the new year 4) their engagement Amazing, Mari found a card suited the occasion.

...and even sicker
2012.01.12, Toronto

I went back to work yesterday thinking that all was better -- nope! Today was even worse: a higher fever joined by a strong lassitude.

ugh, sick and feverish
2012.01.10, Toronto

My first cold of the year, and I'm dizzy with fever.

skating with my family
2012.01.08, Toronto

Mari's pregnant and can't go out on the ice, and I never learned to skate*, but today we took Kenny skating.

what's this .. socializing?
2012.01.06, Toronto

Tonight we met for a potluck dinner with some friends, and friends of theirs.

back online
2012.01.03, Toronto

We've been without home Internet service since the morning of December 23.

new year starts off right
2012.01.02, Toronto

Last night we went to a great Indian restqurant in the Beaches called Delhi Cafe.

welcome 2012
2012.01.01, Toronto

I'm looking forward to 2012, and hopefully a break from the themes of tedium and toil that marked 2011.

must be back in Toronto
2011.12.28, Toronto

I can tell I'm back in the city of Toronto: I made a comment to a woman on an elevator and she completely ignored me.

Santa has been!
2011.12.25, St. Catharines

Kenny's not an early riser, and even the prospect of seeing Santa (or at least new presents) wasn't enough to get him up before nine! But after that, it was an orgy of gift opening.

X'mas eve in Niagara
2011.12.24, St. Catharines

We've spent the day in St Catharines at "Grandma's", where a lucky little boy opened some presents.

the fastest drive across the city .. ever
2011.12.23, St. Catharines

Somehow, today turned out to be the fastest drive I've ever made across the city.

taking care of my health
2011.12.22, Toronto

Turns out that I'm actually doing something right for my health.

teetering on the edge of a migraine
2011.12.21, Toronto

I woke up early with a migraine this morning and couldn't shake it - it was getting progressively worse when I tried a desperate cure.

the audit is in the bag
2011.12.21, Toronto

Our auditors just provided their favourable Section 5970 report on our hosted software solution.

flooded facebook again
2011.12.21, Toronto

I've hooked up my RSS feed to Facebook again, and managed to once again spam everyone there who knows me.

it's a girl
2011.12.20, Toronto

Mari's been to the ultrasound; the technician says it's 70% likely that our next child will be a girl.

hit by a car, today
2011.12.20, Toronto

If I'm ever going to be again struck by a minivan while cycling, then let it be today's type of low-speed impact.

last minute shopping for X'mas
2011.12.19, Toronto

What do you get for the loving wonderful wife who has everything, when you're X'mas shopping at the last minute? Something from the Internet.

X'mas at the distillery district
2011.12.16, Toronto

Tonight we met Geoff and Mariko-san at the distillery district to take in the X'mas do that they're hosting.

piece of shit, indeed
2011.12.15, Toronto

A pirate who sits in our parliament stirred some feathers when he mistook a dessicated Conservative fossil for faeces.

rss can be dang finicky
2011.12.13, Toronto

It looks like my website's updates aren't getting to Facebook or Twitter again.

one small step for a man, one giant leap for an audit
2011.12.12, Toronto

The denouement is now done - we've negotiated a final draft of the audit report.

finished my class, got an 86%
2011.12.10, Toronto

Since I graduated from University for the last time, back in 1994, I haven't been back until this year.

the boy loves snow
2011.12.09, Toronto

Kenny was literally out the door earlier than I was this morning.

what could go wrong, did go wrong
2011.12.08, Toronto

Four blocks from the office, the rear tire on my bike went flat.

goodbye, uncle Ken
2011.12.07, Toronto

Uncle Ken was in North York today, working with clients - a visit to the Beaches was the last thing on his mind.

so much studying, so little time
2011.12.06, Toronto

I'm not entirely sure what possessed me to go back to University at this stage in my life.

uncle Ken is at my house, my house
2011.12.05, Toronto

After work, I met with my brother Ken and headed to the Beaches for a dinner with the family.

rare family gathering
2011.12.04, St. Catharines

Today, as my mum pointed out, all of her surviving immediate family was seated at a table together.

perfecting LCD Soundsystem
2011.12.03, St. Catharines

It seems that simply knowing a single line from the song wasn't enough for the boy; he's now learned three or four lines.

the phantom lunch
2011.12.02, Toronto

An old friend missed a lunch today because his employer's email system badly delayed his inbound mail.

my first X'mas party in four years
2011.12.01, Toronto

I attended my first company X'mas party since 2007, tonight.

the boy likes LCD Soundsystem
2011.11.30, Toronto

My son likes LCD Soundsystem; I couldn't be prouder.

30 minute no-show? gotta be the TTC
2011.11.29, Toronto

It was raining pretty steadily this morning, so I decided to take the streetcar to work; stupid move.

entered a photo contest
2011.11.27, Toronto

It wasn't good enough for "1x dot com", but I've submitted a favourite pic to the "Exposure" photo contest by "Artists Wanted".

facebook gets japanese
2011.11.26, Toronto

When I lived in Japan, none of my Japanese friends and coworkers were using Facebook.

Acer, back from the dead
2011.11.25, Toronto

My beloved 2005 Acer laptop died this evening - the optical drive was making funny noises; when I popped it out and in, the system died.

cheated in love
2011.11.25, Toronto

Today Kenny wounded me grievously.

too dark, too soon
2011.11.24, Toronto

I'd forgotten what it's like, living in this city in the Winter - it gets dark so soon! The other day I had lunch with one of Toronto's millions of foreigners.

new photos for Kenny's website (at last)
2011.11.23, Toronto

The now private website on which we're documenting our son's life has finally been updated with some pics from this Summer and Autumn.

Acer Iconia 6886
2011.11.22, Toronto

In my Marketing class, we've been asked to evaluate a product from humble PC manufacturer Acer.

growing up to be Daddy
2011.11.21, Toronto

So it turns out that I, too, as a three year old, told my mother that I wanted to grow up to be like Daddy.

santa clause parade
2011.11.20, Toronto

Today a stranger threw something at me on the street; I picked up the small piece of plastic and put it in my mouth.

new pannier
2011.11.19, Toronto

I've finally replaced the panniers I bought in 2005; rather than get two of the slim ones as I've been using, I bought a single fat one.

cycling in the snow
2011.11.18, Toronto

It's gotten cold early this year, or anyway colder by far than it was last year at this time.

total debt by country - 2011
2011.11.17, Toronto

Now for a bit of good news about the world's largest economies; just kidding.

let the system burn, we need a new one
2011.11.17, Toronto

Our economy and civilization is clearly going through some kind of evolutionary period right now.

unexpected windfall for cycle commuters
2011.11.17, Toronto

I cycle to work, where I have a consulting contract with a client; it turns out that this allows me to discount my cycling costs.

week of TTC cancelled
2011.11.16, Toronto

I couldn't make it work - a week of transit was just too much for me.

week of TTC (day two)
2011.11.15, Toronto

Today's driver actually said, "This is my streetcar!" A fellow had entered the streetcar by the back door - a move that's acceptable by policy that is posted at every entrance to every street car on the Queen Street line.

week of TTC (day one)
2011.11.14, Toronto

My backlog of reading is so severe that I'm taking transit this week instead of riding my bike; today the driver was a "ringer".

ammonia spike
2011.11.13, Toronto

It seems that the last time I went about uprooting all the gravel in the tank I may have upset the aquarium's nitrogen cycle.

Kenny and me on TV
2011.11.13, Toronto

I've found the twenty-second clip of Kenny and me that appeared on the news on Saturday night.

toronto's new streetcars
2011.11.12, Toronto

We went to see the open house for Toronto's new streetcars.

remembrance day
2011.11.11, Toronto

I managed to remember a moment of silence, today, but that was as far as any observance went; I wish this was a national holiday.

perspective and the electricity bill
2011.11.10, Toronto

I was fretting that our electricity bill is rarely south of $50 for a month; then Mari reminded me that in Tokyo we paid $100 a month! Happily, it turns out that we can write off a portion of that bill, as we're using about 20% of our apartment for office space.

spread too thin
2011.11.09, Toronto

There's a chance that I've spread myself too thinly this Autumn; I'm passing out before Kenny does in the evening, then waking at 5.

now with advertisements
2011.11.08, Toronto

I've added some new advertisements to emuu.

okay, Reichmann, okay
2011.11.07, Toronto

Yeah yeah yeah, I'm not listening a blah blah blah, can't afford a camera now, not going to look (again).

it's tax time—more belt tightening
2011.11.06, Toronto

I'm an independent IT contractor, and I bill my current client through my incorporated business.

another book of photos
2011.11.05, Toronto

At each Christmas since Kenny was born, I've been making photo books to commemorate his year.

spotted!
2011.11.04, Toronto

The boss fella spotted me on the way to work today; apparently I zipped by his car on my bike.

"thanks for the lift"
2011.11.03, Toronto

The elevators were on the blink today at the office, and the security guard was manually making them work with a key.

the new austerity program .. in our house
2011.11.02, Toronto

With a second child on the way and no health insurance for my wife, we're going to have some bills.

five year anniversary
2011.11.01, Toronto

It's been five years with my darling Mari-chan: today was the anniversary of the paperwork at the Minato city hall.

one year, already!
2011.10.31, Toronto

Tomorrow will be the anniversary of my return to Toronto from Canada; at the time I had no job or home, and was alone.

you can call me vegeburger
2011.10.30, Toronto

I got another funny wrong name today; my computer's spell check thinks my name should be "Vegeburger".

farewall middle class, we barely knew ye
2011.10.30, Toronto

Been watching some interesting vids of late, that talk about what's going on in our society and why.

didn't bomb the exam after all
2011.10.29, Toronto

So it turns out that I got the highest mark in the class on Thursday's exam.

Anonymous and Shakespeare
2011.10.28, Toronto

I met my friends Geoff and Mariko-san and two of their friends in seeing the movie "Anonymous" tonight.

the only Jew on Duncan street
2011.10.28, Toronto

Today, the "only Jew on Duncan street" came to our rescue.

bombed an exam
2011.10.27, Toronto

I never, ever know what to expect from exams when I've completed them, but being the first student to leave the room can't be good.

my first $1 US coin
2011.10.26, Toronto

Today I noticed a funny looking loony in my carry-around change; turns out it was a $1 coin from the US.

I saw a fox on my street, today
2011.10.25, Toronto

I had a special treat today; I saw a fox on our street, a beautiful thing with luscious fur and a calm bearing.

my year of bad luck
2011.10.24, Toronto

So it turns out that I'm in the middle of a two year run of "bad luck", according to Japanese lore.

kenny's first jack-o-lantern
2011.10.23, Toronto

When we lived in Tokyo, we never made a Jack O' Lantern for Kenny; who would, when pumpkins cost $50! But we've made one this year (woohoo, $3 Niagara pumpkins!), a smiling fellow with a single buck tooth and happy eyes.

manufacturer links to its retailers—at last!
2011.10.23, Toronto

You know, this is such a no-brainer that it really shouldn't have come as a (pleasant) surprise.

small town in a big city
2011.10.21, Toronto

Toronto has always had a certain anonymity to it, once you're away from certain niche populations.

mari is a permanent resident
2011.10.20, Toronto

Today we went to the border crossing at Niagara Falls and "flagpoled"; Mari is now a permanent resident of Canada.

free photo book for the iPad
2011.10.20, Toronto

You can now download my photo book for the iPad; and for a short time, it's free.

mari's passport is (almost) in hand
2011.10.19, Toronto

It turns out that we've been waiting for a passport that's been with the local post office for a week! We sent our passport back to the visa office in Tokyo on September 26.

why Acer should quit the PC business
2011.10.18, Toronto

An assignment in my Marketing course: advise Acer on whether to buy the Hewlett Packard PC division.

a big project, winding down
2011.10.17, Toronto

I spent the entire day today working on a single document for the audit; pushing paperwork is basically my entire job now.

one face, many ethnicities
2011.10.15, Toronto

The fellow who sold me my aquarium today guessed that I was of "East European" origin; specifically, he thought maybe Serbian or Czech.

the fish swap (and aquarium creep)
2011.10.15, Toronto

Today I took our thirteen-year-old clown loach to the pet store in exchange for some smaller fish.

iPads with keyboards
2011.10.12, Toronto

In the course I'm taking, I've been watching for signs of iPad use among the ~20 year old students that make up the majority.

the TTC strikes again
2011.10.11, Toronto

It was raining pretty heavily tonight after work, and rain seems to cause delays with the streetcar.

a bully no more
2011.10.11, Toronto

I've taken steps to remove a bully that's been plaguing our lives recently.

a heated holiday
2011.10.10, St. Catharines

We set off for Short Hills provincial park just after lunch today, but never made it.

and now for a feast
2011.10.09, Oakville

I can't recall having had too many feasts prepared by a lawyer-in-waiting, but that's what happened today.

"what a great day"
2011.10.08, St. Catharines

"Canada is a great country," my wife said, as we hiked through the changing autumn colours.

indian summer
2011.10.07, St. Catharines

It's well over 20ºC, where a week before it was 8ºC—this year's weather has been crazier than ever.

everyone hates charities on the street
2011.10.06, Toronto

So it turns out that I'm not alone in tiring of those people who pester you on the street in the name of charities.

an eight month audit comes to a close
2011.10.05, Toronto

We wrapped up the audit today, an eight month project that's now succeeded.

we're having a second child
2011.10.05, Toronto

Mari went to an ultrasound clinic today, and it seems that she's carrying a healthy and stable fetus.

touring the changing colours
2011.10.03, Toronto

We hopped into our rental car and drove to Bala today on a tour of the autumn colours.

a visitor from Japan
2011.10.02, Toronto

We're hosting our first visitor from Japan: "aunt" Yaguchi Miwako.

what kenny grows up, he wants to be...
2011.10.02, Toronto

When prompted with the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?", Kenny today answered, "Daddy.

a north wind
2011.10.02, Toronto

Our friend Yaguchi-san is visiting; sadly, her visit coincides with an extremely rare north wind and it's currently 10C.

are environmentalists working for the saudis?
2011.10.01, Toronto

Today I saw an informal talk by a prominent Canadian author/broadcaster/journalist who made several interesting claims.

acer versus hewlett packard
2011.09.29, Toronto

In my marketing course we've been assigned a project to evaluate whether Acer should make a play for HP's PC unit.

the eternal audit
2011.09.28, Toronto

Another long day with the auditor, this time eleven hours of systems security, hiring processes, and managing key systems.

Kenny's website under lock and key
2011.09.27, Toronto

Kenny's website is now private, reflecting our realization that the boy will want some privacy as his independence grows.

learning to skate
2011.09.27, Toronto

Kenny's going for his introduction to ice skating tomorrow, and needs some equipment.

an ode to autumn
2011.09.24, Toronto

Day after day, the sky turns grey, and the leaves are crisp again.

the TTC is driving me crazy
2011.09.23, Toronto

Today the streetcar arrived after I'd been waiting for twenty-five minutes - the third such delay in a week.

my first bagel in fifteen years
2011.09.22, Toronto

This morning I ate my first bagel in fifteen years.

Kenny's lego years have begun
2011.09.21, Toronto

Last night I gave Kenny some Lego (not toddler's Duplo) to play with, and he hasn't stopped making planes and buses since.

32 kilometer doh!
2011.09.20, Toronto

I took Kenny to Fairview Mall to see the Lego store, but the store wasn't yet open—a 32 kilometer "D'oh!" Thanks a lot, Lego website, for listing the store as open among your paltry three stores in Canada.

canoeing to the outer harbour
2011.09.18, Toronto

I found myself in a canoe for the first time in years, today.

two hours to travel 15 kilometers
2011.09.17, Toronto

It took me two hours to travel about fifteen kilometers today.

chilly cycling
2011.09.16, Toronto

Summer's gone, that's for sure: already I'm cycling to work in my Autumn sweatpants, long since hopeless stained with chain oil.

my descent into evil
2011.09.15, Toronto

When I started my career, I often butted heads with Marketing types; now I'm training to become one.

$15 electrical engineer
2011.09.15, Toronto

Today on the way to class I spotted a sign posted by an out of work electrical engineer who would accept any work for $15 an hour.

a lost cat and a missing streetcar
2011.09.15, Toronto

As I was heading out the door this morning, I noticed that a cat had somehow gotten on our roof.

the boy and the train voyage
2011.09.12, Toronto

I'm particularly pleased with one of the images from our recent trip to the Agawa canyon train tour.

midlife crisis mobile blunder
2011.09.11, Toronto

Today I managed to wedge my foot well into my mouth.

car crush photos
2011.09.08, Toronto

Here are some pics of the car under the toppled half of the willow tree that came down during the storm last week.

blowing east and blowing west
2011.09.07, Toronto

I saw something last night I'd never seen before: a bank of low clouds blowing briskly west under a high deck that was hurtling east.

old entrance to the ROM
2011.09.06, Toronto

I have no idea why they decommissioned the old entrance to the Royal Ontario Museum - so much classier than the new one.

back-to-school special on tattoos
2011.09.06, Toronto

I passed a shop advertising "sizzling back-to-school deals!" It was a tattoo shop.

black and white butterflies everywhere
2011.09.05, Toronto

Butterflies can be maddeningly difficult to photograph - especially when you remember that you're shooting black and white film.

my toronto to pickering cycle trip
2011.09.05, Toronto

This summer I took a cycle trip to lovely PIckering, Ontario; now I have some photos to share.

pics from a play
2011.09.04, Toronto

A few weeks ago I attended a play in Hamilton with my (extended) family.

something's happening here, what it is...
2011.09.03, St. Catharines

We're visiting with grandma today, and the first thing I noticed on her street was the giant heap of household belongings.

visit to a childhood home
2011.09.03, Beamsville, Ontario

Today, on the way to the city of my birth, I visited the farm where I lived as a child.

took a spill on my bike
2011.09.02, Toronto

It's funny; I was involved in several collisions in Tokyo, but all of my bicycle mishaps in Canada have been solo.

a death in the community (aquarium)
2011.09.01, Toronto

Somehow, for the first time in my checkered aquarium keeper's career, I've lost a plecostomus.

cn tower, here I come again
2011.09.01, Toronto

Fifteen years ago, I climbed the CN Tower; not having learned my lesson, I'm climbing those stairs again.

"dream of bird shit on my head"
2011.08.31, Toronto

The #2 search that brought people to my website yesterday was "dream of bird shit on my head".

new photos from the streets of Toronto
2011.08.30, Toronto

In early July I encountered a street performance by a troupe of ladies performing atop long flexible poles.

a delightful dinner away from .. that sort
2011.08.29, Toronto

We had pricey pizzas for dinner tonight to celebrate my darling wife's "75th" birthday.

working the Japanese network in Toronto
2011.08.28, Toronto

I went into a card shop for a birthday card for my wife, and found just the thing - in the section for 75 year olds.

osx lion upgrade fails
2011.08.27, Toronto

Today I upgraded to OSX "Lion" -- then I downgraded again.

images of our summer in Ontario
2011.08.26, Toronto

At long last, I've managed to get some photos of Kenny from this summer on web site.

ice and the great lakes: the plot thickens
2011.08.25, Toronto

So it seems I'm not the only skeptic of the theory that glaciers created the Great Lakes of North America.

more fun news from fukushima
2011.08.24, Toronto

Oh no, the Fukushima incident is making me jaded and cynical! But then again, why not? Thanks to R1ck for the link.

fukushima is still not right
2011.08.22, Toronto

A friend in Tokyo passed on some interesting sites that are collecting news on the ongoing Fukushima nuclear disaster.

car crushed by a tree
2011.08.21, Toronto

As we returned Geoff's tent and other loaners and did some shopping, the clear skies and strong sun gave way to dark clouds.

driven by rain (to a genuine izakaya)
2011.08.20, Toronto

It rained all day at the cottage, so we decided by early afternoon to just head home.

freshwater ferry and an inexplicable hill
2011.08.19, Victoria Harbour, Ontar

Today Kenny and I spent the morning playing on the small private beach in front of the "lodge" while Mari packed.

the freshwater sea and the home of god
2011.08.18, Manitoulin

We're on Manitoulin island, the world's largest freshwater island and in myth the home of Manitou, the creator of the universe.

glimpses of Agawa
2011.08.17, Sault Ste Marie, Ontari

Today we took a train tour north of the Sault to the famous Agawa canyon, a scene of terrific beauty and dramatic vistas etc.

visiting with an old friend
2011.08.16, Sault Ste Marie, Ontari

I don't have many friends in Canada any more, and yet this year I've visited the homes of two friends I met nearly twenty years ago.

into the North
2011.08.15, Killarney

What a day! We left the cottage at 10:30 and headed up the highway through Parry Sound and into the vast northern portion of the province.

the failed colony among the Wendat
2011.08.14, Victoria Harbour, Ontar

We visited "Ste Marie among the Huron" today, a remake of the failed French colony that was built 1200 kilometers from Quebec City near the south shore of Lake Huron.

2011 vacation part two begins
2011.08.13, Victoria Harbour, Ontar

Tonight we're staying at my late grandfather's cottage in Victoria Harbour, Ontario and we'll be sleeping in a tent.

home again, home again
2011.08.12, Toronto

We got home this evening by train: I am so glad we didn't drive.

technology museum
2011.08.11, Ottawa

I've been told that there are some 46 museums in Ottawa, and I'm inclined to believe it.

the ottawa contingent
2011.08.10, Ottawa

Today we took the train to Ottawa to visit with my Aunt Maureen and Uncle Ulli.

stumbling round mount royal
2011.08.09, Montreal

Today we did a fair bit of walking - more even than we wanted.

alligators and surfers
2011.08.08, Montreal

Today we got an earlyish start and went to Montreal's "Biodome".

the old city of montreal
2011.08.07, Montreal

We spent the day in Montreal's old city, today.

so this is Montreal...
2011.08.06, Montreal

We've only been in Montreal for a few hours but it's already struck us as pretty cool; but then attending a lively wedding reception helps.

and now to relax...
2011.08.05, Kingston

We're in Kingston, Ontario.

the jetlagged family
2011.08.04, Toronto

It's kind of fun being the only one in the house not severely jet-lagged; it's like being the designated driver for some drunks.

baksheesh
2011.08.03, Toronto

Did I ever have a strange trip in to work this morning.

meanwhile, in fukushima
2011.08.02, Toronto

Another new record-high radioactivity reading at the stricken Fukushima power plant today, according to NHK.

camping in killarney
2011.08.01, Toronto

I spent most of the day preparing for our upcoming vacation.

"new" lens
2011.07.30, Toronto

An old incident has been resolved at last.

a new abscess
2011.07.29, Toronto

I've now got a new skin abscess on the go.

I am not a software engineer
2011.07.29, Toronto

Someone at work sent me an interesting article decrying the absence of software engineering.

thank god for electric six
2011.07.28, Toronto

My brother and his wife were passing through town on their way to Peru today.

e-bikes, cars, and bicycles
2011.07.27, Toronto

Electric bicycles have joined the traffic on Toronto's streets, and I'm not a fan.

one thing leads to another (how rain causes hunger)
2011.07.26, Toronto

It was raining pretty hard yesterday morning.

questions, I get questions
2011.07.25, Toronto

One interesting outcome of my attempt at launching a business in Japan is that I'm still getting queries on how it's all done.

sundays are for migraines
2011.07.24, Toronto

Staggered off the couch at around one with a left side headache that felt just like a day-long weather headache.

watching the clothes go 'round
2011.07.23, Toronto

Well it must be Saturday, I've accomplished little other than laundry.

jazz in the beaches
2011.07.22, Toronto

Came home pretty burned out from work, today.

cringing in the actor van
2011.07.21, Hamilton

Tonight I did some unusual things.

identity theft, episode I, chapter five
2011.07.20, Toronto

I'm off the hook for the charges and the credit check that came about from the identity theft.

who's that boy?
2011.07.19, Toronto

As I was heading out the door this morning my wife called for the first time since they've been gone.

wrong again, weathernetwork.ca
2011.07.18, Toronto

I don't know why I bother with Toronto weather reports.

six hour cycle trip - to Pickering!
2011.07.17, Toronto

Today I set off at nine o'clock with the vague notion of heading east.

being with Toronto but thinking of Montreal
2011.07.16, Toronto

We're planning a trip to Montreal next month, and tonight I went out for some books about that city.

fish rescue fails
2011.07.16, Toronto

One of the wee loaches has died after all.

I am not a cop
2011.07.15, Toronto

Today two fellows sharing a joint hid the thing from me as I approached on my bike -- taken for a policeman again! It happens every now and then.

guys night
2011.07.14, Toronto

I had dinner and drinks with my old boss from EDS, who's now at a firm that makes software that my employer sells.

all work and no play
2011.07.13, Toronto

With the family away, I have to fight the urge to just stay at the office all evening.

the new torchwood's here
2011.07.12, Toronto

What a crap day.

a strom has come to chicago
2011.07.11, Chicago

Mari and Kenny didn't make it to Tokyo, today.

living easy
2011.07.10, Toronto

We attempted to do as little as possible today.

swimming in water (for free)
2011.07.09, Toronto

Today we got out at the crack of noon and went to a swimming pool.

flower girls on tall stalks
2011.07.08, Toronto

Tonight by happy chance I came across a trio of performance artists swaying on tall stalks in long flower-shaped dresses.

cycling with the boy again (no fatalities)
2011.07.07, Toronto

We took the boy down to the beach with his new balance bike.

tonight I broke the neck of a sparrow
2011.07.06, Toronto

It started out so nicely.

fish rescue (not too late)
2011.07.05, Toronto

Both of the tiny skinny fishes are responding well to having been plucked from starvation.

fish rescue (maybe too late)
2011.07.04, Toronto

Two of the young clown loaches in our aquarium have been struggling.

butterflies
2011.07.03, Niagara Falls

This morning we set out to do two things: visit a butterfly conservatory and buy my mother some furniture.

water balloons
2011.07.02, St. Catharines

The highlight of the day was the piña col^H^H^H^H playing with a water hose in the back yard.

the long journey
2011.07.01, St. Catharines

Today we celebrated the anniversary of our nation's creation by sitting in traffic for three and a half hours.

aquarium wars continue
2011.06.30, Toronto

I had a scare, recently, with the condition of the Pleco in our fish tank.

it's hard to ever trust again
2011.06.29, Toronto

I've overcome my recent bad experience and have dared to trust again.

comments on my photobook
2011.06.28, Toronto

It turns out that when you ask friends to have a look at something you've made they sometimes respond nicely.

twelve hour day, and what do you get
2011.06.27, Toronto

I've come to the conclusion that running an audit from start to finish strikes me as a difficult way of making a living.

dawn of the raccoon
2011.06.26, Toronto

This morning I ran into Kenny's room, seized him up and took him to the window to show him a mama raccoon and two kits.

photos from a celebration
2011.06.26, Toronto

Today's set of photos comes from a celebration that took place a mere three weeks ago.

photos from a fundraiser
2011.06.25, Toronto

I've assembled some photos from a fundraiser that we participated in.

feeling confident
2011.06.24, Toronto

A while ago I entered a photo book competition.

once more unto the breach, dear friends
2011.06.23, Toronto

Late this afternoon I got word from our auditor.

listen to your bicycle
2011.06.22, Toronto

As previously noted, I'm riding a fifteen year old, third-hand bicycle.

Fukushima and the US Pacific Northwest
2011.06.22, Toronto

All's well that ends with a refutation, and today it's the "35% increase in infant deaths" in the US North West.

MEC to the rescue
2011.06.22, Toronto

Last Thursday, my bike lock smashed into many pieces quite unexpectedly.

on occasion I do actually watch TV
2011.06.21, Toronto

Recently Mari and I watched a season of Doctor Who.

what's happening in Fukushima?
2011.06.20, Toronto

I was just passed a new (to me) article on Fukushima.

identity theft, episode I, chapter four
2011.06.20, Toronto

One of the member's of Toronto's 52 division's anti-fraud unit called to follow up on the mobile phone fraud incident from last month.

14 years, and what do you get?
2011.06.20, Toronto

Yahoo sent me a funny email on the weekend.

headhunters in Japan
2011.06.20, Toronto

For several years, it was possible for foreigners with sub-standard Japanese to make a living in Tokyo working in the financial field.

unsure of the benefit for using facebook
2011.06.18, Toronto

I found something interesting on the use of Facebook in Japan.

rental bikes in Toronto
2011.06.17, Toronto

This Spring, rental bikes appeared on the streets.

canada and japan under stress
2011.06.17, Toronto

A friend of mine pointed out a sad comparison between Canada and Japan.

another theft on the TTC
2011.06.16, Toronto

One of my coworkers bought herself a new smart phone yesterday.

the antics of google
2011.06.15, Toronto

A couple of days ago, Google abruptly cut off the service by which I've been hosting my emuu.

counting the dead in Japan
2011.06.15, Toronto

One of the things that's really struck me about the situation in Japan is the low death count.

free bicycle
2011.06.14, Toronto

It's "free bicycle" day in Toronto.

google screw me again
2011.06.14, Toronto

I had a message from Google this morning telling me that they wanted to transition the account I pay for, to some new infrastructure.

string of migraines
2011.06.13, Toronto

I've been enduring a real string of migraines of late.

spring time is for machetes
2011.06.12, Toronto

Today I hacked at several trees on our property with a machete.

chopsticks pick-pocket
2011.06.12, Toronto

Today we joined our downstairs neighbours in going to a Korean restaurant in the Christie Korea-town.

swim-meet, shoes, and failing to rain
2011.06.11, Toronto

Our downstairs neighbours invited us to the swim-meet that their daughters were participating in.

cycling in the city
2011.06.10, Toronto

Today the weather was just about perfect for cycling.

community bulletin board
2011.06.09, Toronto

In response to a couple of recent incidents, I'm putting together a forum for people in "The Beaches"; a place for communication, basically.

fixing the brakes
2011.06.09, Toronto

I've had some sloppy responses from the front brake on my bike of late.

record heat in toronto
2011.06.08, Toronto

A record day for temperature in Toronto and much of southern Ontario today.

who wears short shorts?
2011.06.07, Toronto

The first thing I saw as I cycled away from home today was a teenage girl walking up our street.

the return of doctor who
2011.06.06, Toronto

Tonight I thought to check whether the next season of Doctor Who had started at long, long, last.

USA goes to the moon .. or not
2011.06.05, Toronto

I saw this yesterday on the recommendation of a friend.

photos of collingwood
2011.06.04, Toronto

I've added some images from our recent visit to the Collingwood area together.

lousy elevator ride
2011.06.03, Toronto

The elevators in our building are notorious for their poor behaviour; today I had my first real taste of their dysfunction.

doors open toronto, 2011
2011.06.02, Toronto

I've put together some photos from the "Doors Open Toronto" 2011 event.

I am getting old
2011.06.01, Toronto

Today I took advantage of the suddenly warm weather to do some reading on the balcony outside our 8th floor office.

mutilated child corpse in syria
2011.05.31, Toronto

Today some thugs in the employment of the Syrian government dumped the mutilated body of a thirteen year old at the home of his parents.

identity theft, episode I, chapter three
2011.05.30, Toronto

The identity theft incident is over.

toronto open house, part II
2011.05.29, Toronto

Today we took in another couple of sites in the Doors Open Toronto event.

toronto open house, part I
2011.05.28, Toronto

Today I joined some fellow photographers from pentaforums.

stupid dogs and what s-h-i-t-t-y spells
2011.05.27, Toronto

You overhear things all the time when you're in a city where people speak loudly (and you understand the language).

identity theft, episode I, chapter two
2011.05.27, Toronto

Virgin Mobile called me back today and confirmed the situation: someone has used my identity to open an account with them.

identity theft, episode I
2011.05.26, Toronto

I'm the victim of identity theft.

20km in the rain
2011.05.25, Toronto

I was at Yonge and Sheppard and had to get home at Queen and Woodbine.

wow, windows 7 isn't bad
2011.05.25, Toronto

I was using a "Windows Vista" laptop at work.

a good burger joint in Toronto??
2011.05.24, Toronto

Today I decided to try the burger joint across the street from the office for the first time.

water falls of Grey County
2011.05.22, Collingwood

Today we all packed into our rented Civic and toured the sights of the Collingwood area.

a reunion in Ontario
2011.05.21, Collingwood

We drove to Collingwood today to meet Dad and Renate today.

allergy season
2011.05.20, Toronto

One of the good things about the constant rain and fog is that it's been keeping the tree pollen in check.

photos of our first Canadian hanami
2011.05.19, Toronto

I've gotten the photos from our first Canadian hanami (flower blossom party) online at last.

Springtime lunch
2011.05.19, Toronto

I had lunch outdoors today.

living without plastic
2011.05.19, Toronto

A free weekly newspaper in Toronto known for its anxious tone ran one of those stories about the perils of plastic this week.

an orthodox christian speaks out
2011.05.18, Toronto

I was standing astride my bike today, waiting for the light.

snakes, fungi, frogs, and leeches
2011.05.17, Toronto

One of my coworkers in Japan has, like me, returned to his home country.

Toronto -> Jamaica -> Japan
2011.05.16, Toronto

Last night we had a chat with Mari's family on "MS Skype".

the foggy city
2011.05.15, Toronto

This is my eighth Spring in Toronto.

razor granny and digital photography
2011.05.13, Toronto

Today as I cycled up the hill on our street to start my forty-minute cycle commute, the first person I met was a granny on a "razor".

Darth Vader is following me on twitter
2011.05.13, Toronto

Today Twitter sent me this: "Darth Vader (@SithMyDadSays) is now following your tweets (@mwerneburg) on Twitter.

hanami in Toronto
2011.05.12, Toronto

Today I left work early and met my wife, son, and mother at High Park in the west end for hanami under cherry trees donated by Japan.

approved as a sponsor
2011.05.10, Toronto

I started the day with one or two things on my mind.

the X-700 is dead
2011.05.09, Toronto

I got my test roll of film back this afternoon.

"I love living in Toronto"
2011.05.08, Toronto

This is getting out of hand.

three fishes to calm the waters
2011.05.07, Toronto

Our new aquarium has been cursed by a problem: fin-eating.

buying a Mac laptop?
2011.05.07, Toronto

We're looking for a replacement for Mari's defunct Dell laptop.

old friend, broken
2011.05.06, Toronto

When I was nineteen, my father gave me a Minolta SRT-101 with two lenses and a malfunctioning electrical system.

"rear deflector" to the rescue
2011.05.05, Toronto

Yesterday I bought one of these.

photo-book contest
2011.05.05, Toronto

Today is "boy's day" in Japan, and Mari stayed up til 01:30 last night making cookies shaped like 'koinobori", the fish flags that fly today.

cameraleather.com to the rescue
2011.05.04, Toronto

I like to re-cover my old film cameras in new leather.

light rain my curvy yellow butt
2011.05.03, Toronto

I rode to work today, following a forecast that called for steady but light rain.

a new dawn in Canada
2011.05.02, Toronto

Looks like we've elected a new style of government in Canada.

a rainy day in Toronto
2011.05.01, Toronto

It was a rainy day today, but with a forecast that was accurate for once, we were prepared.

oh what a perfect day
2011.04.30, Toronto

It's been a difficult month.

what the world can learn from Japan
2011.04.29, Toronto

I found an interesting set of observations about what the world could learn from Japan.

slippage in our PR application
2011.04.28, Toronto

I've been watching a certain webpage on the CIC website that shows where my application for Mari's PR approval might sit.

all is well in Japan (almost)
2011.04.28, Toronto

The Canadian government has signalled the all-clear for Canadians in Japan.

leaving facebook
2011.04.27, Toronto

Facebook went nuts today, taking a bunch of old things from my website and spamming all of my connections with that.

dead netbook and being green
2011.04.26, Toronto

Our netbook packed it in yesterday.

camera returned!
2011.04.25, Toronto

I've got my camera back.

lost my camera
2011.04.24, Toronto

This weekend I rented a car from a sketchy agency that had to its credit only its proximity to my home.

another new home for my website
2011.04.21, Toronto

Once again, I've moved my website to a new hosting environment.

crack this password!
2011.04.19, Toronto

It turns out that the "strong" password I've been using for my email accounts was weaker than the one I use for "everyday" websites.

cold hands, warm heart
2011.04.18, Toronto

Somehow, the day has gotten much colder as it's gone on, and I'm now facing a chilly ride home indeed.

raising fund for relief in Japan
2011.04.17, Toronto

Today we joined a DIY fundraiser for Japan.

two events makes daddy something something
2011.04.16, Toronto

This morning we visited the house of some new friends to plan a fundraising affair in support of a school in quake-ravaged NE Japan.

why don't we go up to the lab and seeee what's on the slab?
2011.04.15, Toronto

I've discovered something interesting about a show we've been showing Kenny.

today I did a bit of math....
2011.04.15, Toronto

It's occurred to me since I've been back that my salary is basically the same as it was in 1999.

return of the cold weather
2011.04.15, Toronto

Just when it was "Spring" and the cycle lane was clogged with traffic, the cool weather has returned.

cops are the scene, do you know what it is that I am saying?
2011.04.14, Toronto

On the way home today, the streets were packed with cyclists.

and now, a word on dai-ichi
2011.04.14, Toronto

The Canadian embassy put around another advisory today.

yes, my name is Michael Minolta
2011.04.13, Toronto

Today I picked up a beloved old Minolta X-700 from the repair shop.

what a way to remember
2011.04.12, Toronto

Sick all day with a migraine again.

aquarium established
2011.04.11, Toronto

We had a brief visit with the Seabrights out in "Poshawa" and came home with an aquarium.

what passes for excitement round here
2011.04.10, Toronto

Mari told me last night that she's getting excited about having an aquarium again.

new aquarium coming soon
2011.04.09, Toronto

This weekend I'll be drifting around the Golden Horseshoe in an, ulp, minivan.

four hours with the auditors
2011.04.08, Toronto

We've got an audit coming up, and today was the last of several warm-up meetings that are laying the groundwork.

how bikes pay for themselves
2011.04.07, Toronto

When I bought my bike in Tokyo, I spent more than I wanted to.

when does it stop raining in Vancouver?
2011.04.07, Toronto

I lived in Vancouver for a year, so I can appreciate this joke.

sponsoring your spouse in Canada
2011.04.06, Toronto

This morning I filed our application for Mari's permanent residency under the "family class".

chicadees at our feeder
2011.04.05, Toronto

At last, our bird feeder saw some use today.

the hazards of raccoon crap
2011.04.02, Toronto

I cleaned up all of the raccoon clap today, lest the boy wind up getting into it.

three million page views
2011.04.02, Toronto

I've just noticed that this website's gone past the three million page views mark.

no april fool's joke
2011.04.01, Toronto

Sadly, this is not an April Fool's joke.

american money in circulation in Canada
2011.04.01, Toronto

I don't seem to be able to go a week without some American money winding up in my pocket.

farewell March, 2011 & ghost girls at twilight
2011.03.31, Toronto

So, March is over.

cycling below zero
2011.03.30, Toronto

I rode my bike to work today.

"freelove rider"
2011.03.29, Toronto

My mother wrote to share some strange news about our family tree this morning.

another new site design
2011.03.27, Toronto

The amazon experiment went as expected; I racked up one referral sale in the months since I added their ads to my site.

earth hour was fun
2011.03.26, Toronto

We observed Earth Hour today, killing all of the lights and computers.

tripadvisor leaked my contact details
2011.03.25, Toronto

I just received notification from TripAdvisor.

a good photo day
2011.03.24, Toronto

Yesterday was a fun day for photography.

our phone setup is getting downright weird
2011.03.23, Toronto

Things were so much more simple in the old days.

the bank loses our paperwork
2011.03.22, Toronto

You have to hand it to Japan's bureaucrats.

spring is for songbirds
2011.03.22, Toronto

One of the beauties of Toronto's late-starting Spring is the return of the song-birds.

cycling into a 5ºC headwind
2011.03.20, Toronto

Today I picked up an old bike from a friend.

our first visitor from Japan
2011.03.19, Toronto

Today we met with our first visitor from Japan; Miho-san from Mari's recent employer.

long photo triptych
2011.03.18, Toronto

I've made a photo journal of sorts for my morning commute down Queen Street to the city center.

the plume from Dai-ichi
2011.03.18, Toronto

Here's a map of the radioactive plume coming from the Dai-ichi plant in Japan.

an update from Canadian consular services in Japan
2011.03.17, Toronto

I've received another update from the Canadian consular services as follows.

bringing my wife to Canada
2011.03.17, Toronto

I am trying to sponsor my wife for permanent residence in Canada.

saw my first raccoon on the street
2011.03.16, Toronto

It seems so trivial with the things going on in our household and in the world, but I saw my first raccoon since being back.

fukushima power plant in meltdown
2011.03.16, Toronto

It looks like reactor 2 at fukushima must now be in meltdown.

stay away from fukushima
2011.03.12, Toronto

This evening (Toronto time) I've had another update from the Canadian embassy in Japan, as follows: "On March 12th, the Prime Minister of Japan declared a nuclear emergency following a problem with the cooling system power supply at nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plants.

terrible news from Fukushima
2011.03.12, Toronto

Mari's been watching the news from Japan all day in a live stream.

tried curling, today, for the first time
2011.03.11, Toronto

Having just reached the tender age of forty, I'm delighted to have just knocked off a long-standing to-do item: try curling.

bad earthquake in Japan
2011.03.11, Toronto

This morning I received a warning of a terrible earthquake in Japan, as follows: Dear Canadian citizen, As you may have heard on the news already, a powerful 8.

my mac mini's funniest moments
2011.03.09, Toronto

I use a Mac at home (and desperately wish I could use one at work).

kid's programs
2011.03.09, Toronto

Toronto has a comprehensive program for kid's activities, many of which are free for the parents.

new camera leather!
2011.03.08, Toronto

For my birthday, I gave myself a small gift of two new camera leather kits.

the furniture is (mostly) here
2011.03.08, Toronto

Mixed news today on our attempts at getting ourselves settled.

a phone, a clinic, a bank, and some screws
2011.03.05, Toronto

It was a rainy day spent on the streets of The Beaches doing errands.

money and chicken
2011.03.03, Toronto

Today I met with Mari and Kenny downtown.

the return of the film scanner
2011.03.01, Toronto

I could take no more.

whatta day
2011.02.28, Toronto

The Boy's got a skin infection similar to the ones I had this autumn.

the boy likes snow
2011.02.27, Toronto

There was *yet another* snowfall last night.

migraine and "race"
2011.02.26, Toronto

It looks like race* is a determining factor when it comes to migraine (in addition to gender).

new site design
2011.02.26, Toronto

Don't give me free time.

a nurse's pin and a room full of chairs
2011.02.25, Toronto

Tonight I found an RN's pin on my seat on the eastbound 504 streetcar tonight.

a raccoon in the apartment
2011.02.24, Toronto

Tonight when I got home I noticed the small cat-door that was built into the wall next to the door.

this place is cursed!
2011.02.23, Toronto

On the way to the photo lab today, I noticed a woman coming toward me stoop to pick up something.

the long way to work
2011.02.23, Toronto

The Queen streetcar was diverted north a few blocks to Gerard St.

one miss, two hits
2011.02.20, Hamilton

Today we set out early to do some dreaded shopping.

traffic in a windy city
2011.02.18, Toronto

It took us two hours to get to my mum's place from our place, tonight.

elevator chat
2011.02.18, Toronto

One thing about being back in a land where you have basic fluency.

snow on the streetcar
2011.02.15, Toronto

Today a man got on the streetcar with a girl about eighteen months old.

migraine, bloody migraine
2011.02.14, Toronto

Laid up all day with a migraine today.

on the beach
2011.02.12,

We went to the shore today.

man with an umbrella (in his hair)
2011.02.10, Toronto

Today on the way home from furniture shopping we saw a young fellow with a cocktail umbrella in his hair.

Canada Customs is a mess
2011.02.09, Toronto

Here's a letter I wrote to my member of parliament about my recent experience with Canada Customs.

a taste of home
2011.02.07, Toronto

Tonight I tried--and failed--to do an organized errand run after work.

moving in is hard to do
2011.02.06, Toronto

We spent the morning at the Canadian Tire, rounding up a million little odds and ends for the new apartment.

moved!
2011.02.04, Toronto

It's done.

Customs issue resolved?
2011.02.03, Toronto

I had an odd message from our moving company today.

having trouble releasing our goods from Customs
2011.02.01, Toronto

Everything's gone pretty well with our move, until now.

on this, the 27th...
2011.01.27, Toronto

On this, the 27th, I went on a seven-collecting mission.

I don't understand the financial system
2011.01.26, Oakville

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't understand the financial system.

then I did something goofy
2011.01.25, Oakville

The train arrived on time this morning, but the doors refused to open.

metered Internet comes to Canada
2011.01.24, Toronto

Hooray for the government! Always there for the big telcos and their ilk.

degrees of evil
2011.01.23, Oakville

Rush Limbaugh, who I think is the American entertainer who gave Canada the nickname "Soviet Canuckistan" has finally come up with another keeper.

my brilliant old idea
2011.01.21, St. Catharines

For the past few months I've been carrying around a small bag that's suited for my netbook and a few A4 file folders.

at the japanese consulate
2011.01.19, Toronto

It looks like getting our Ontario driver's licenses will be easy.

snowball surprise
2011.01.18, Toronto

Whenever I get the chance, these days, I tend to drowse.

broken, cold sunrise
2011.01.17, Oakville

This morning there was a really amazing sunrise, just astonishing.

apartment hunting in Toronto
2011.01.16, Toronto

So far, I've seen some fourteen apartments in Toronto.

looking for a home
2011.01.15, Toronto

Today we spent the entire day looking at apartments in Toronto.

Alberta clipper
2011.01.14, St. Catharines

We've got a lot of driving to do this weekend.

77 of your contacts....
2011.01.13, Toronto

I had an email from linkedin.

a funeral in January
2011.01.12, St. Catharines

I attended a funeral in St.

coyote morning
2011.01.11, Oakville, Ontario

Today was a sunny day, but the morning was unusually dark and grey.

wondermark
2011.01.10, Toronto

For quite some time, I've been reading this brilliant web comics called Wondermark.

an old friend on the train
2011.01.10, Toronto

On Friday I had a happy chance meeting with a friend on the train.

looking for a home
2011.01.09, St. Catharines

We spent a good part of the day looking at online listings, trying to find a place to live.

niagara weather (snowstorm)
2011.01.08, St. Catharines

Today we had quite a snowstorm.

japanese in niagara
2011.01.08, St. Catharines

When I got to St.

toronto weather (this ain't miyazaki)
2011.01.07, Toronto

This morning I was reminded of an incident last week in Miyakonojo Japan.

jetlag, nytol, and "wake-ups"
2011.01.06, Toronto

At this time of year, Tokyo and Toronto are some ten hours off-set.

welcome back, sorry about your train
2011.01.06, Toronto

Today was my first day commuting back into the city center.

hello, Vancouver
2011.01.01, Vancouver

We found Vancouver sunny for a second day.

fare well, Tokyo
2010.12.31, Vancouver

My time in Tokyo is over.

monkeys, too many monkeys
2010.12.30, Nichinan, Miyazaki

This morning I climbed the hill near my wife's parents' place.

my new car crush
2010.12.28, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki

There's a new car that I'm crushing on.

as seen on TV
2010.12.28, Miyazaki

Much to my surprise, I was stopped by a TV "news" crew on the streets on Miyazaki today.

predawn photography
2010.12.27, Nichinan, Miyazaki

Every year end, when visiting with Mari's family in Miyazaki, I've taken a pre-dawn excursion for photography.

SOB readiness?
2010.12.26, Nichinan, Miyazaki

Caught a funny typo in a document I recently created for a client.

a new aquarium
2010.12.25, Nichinan, Miyazaki

We've got a new/old aquarium set up for my father in law just in time for his 70th birthday.

X'mas in Japan
2010.12.24, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki

It's our last X'mas in Japan.

the fish lives
2010.12.22, Nichinan, Miyazaki

So it's not so easy to ship fish via courier after all.

goodbye, home
2010.12.21, Tokyo

It's our last day in Tokyo.

smuggling live fish in japan
2010.12.19, Tokyo

The transport companies in Japan won't ship live fish.

I've forgotten how to be a dad
2010.12.11, Tokyo

I've forgotten the routines of being a dad, and I let my wife and son down tonight.

I've forgotten Japanese
2010.12.11, Tokyo

The timing of my return was intended to coincide with a performance at Kenny's day care.

first earthquake
2010.12.10, Tokyo

I'd only been back in Tokyo for about fifteen hours when I felt my first earthquake.

back in Japan
2010.12.10, Tokyo

So I'm back.

time to fly away
2010.12.09, Toronto

Woke up very ill today.

a presentation
2010.12.08, Toronto

I attended a presentation of my new employer's software for a prospect today.

cheeky Metrolinx
2010.12.06, Toronto

My train didn't show up this morning.

jobs in Tokyo
2010.12.02, Toronto

Naturally, now that I've left Tokyo (likely for good) I'm getting word of jobs opening up at Citi.

counting a month in Toronto
2010.12.02, Toronto

I've been back in the city for a month now, thought I'd take stock: I've been compared to Jeff Goldbloom twice (the latest in a long string of likenesses).

Prestocard "undercharge" & duplicate payments
2010.12.01, Toronto

My struggles with the transit system continue.

from Japan to Canada
2010.12.01, Toronto

Merry December, everyone! And with that, a fascinating look at the finances of "my two countries", Japan and Canada.

bay-adelaide at last!
2010.11.29, Toronto

On Friday I was stunned to see that the first part of the Bay-Adelaide centre has been built.

cycling photo contest
2010.11.28, Oakville

So, I didn't win the cycling-related photo contest I entered.

tronto's broken transit system
2010.11.28, St. Catharines

Getting down to St.

new ink
2010.11.27, St. Catharines

I got a new tattoo, today.

cold day for death
2010.11.27, Burlington

On my way down to St.

baby double decker
2010.11.27, Oakville

The other day as I headed for the bus stop I noticed something odd about the baby carriage that a woman was pushing down the street.

it's cold
2010.11.26, Toronto

Gloomy, this morning.

fights and tights
2010.11.26, Toronto

A superheroes league seems to be advertising in Toronto.

can't win for losing
2010.11.26, Toronto

Today I managed to save some money by doing some leg work.

toque and gloves and scarf
2010.11.24, Toronto

Windy today, and 1°C.

my dinner with Brian
2010.11.23, Toronto

I had dinner with a friend last night.

traffic, bloody traffic
2010.11.23, Toronto

I'm struggling with the train system in Toronto.

nice tie!
2010.11.22, Toronto

In contrast to the commentary I had the other day, today I got a compliment on my tie.

of electronics
2010.11.21, Toronto

Today I bought my son his first camera.

grandparents
2010.11.22, St. Catharines

This weekend my mother and I went looking for the tombstones of our grandparents.

fort meyers, eh?
2010.11.22, Toronto

On the Toronto subway system, you see ads for many things.

hick town driving
2010.11.20, St. Catharines

On my way out the door this morning I glanced into a neighbour's truck and saw a beer can in the cup holder.

streets of Toronto
2010.11.19, Toronto

Toronto's streets are so different from Tokyo's! Broken pavement, street cars*, large and brilliant graffiti, aggressive panhandlers, street hot dog vendors, and of course confrontation.

another startup
2010.11.15, Toronto

Today was hectic.

job search update
2010.11.13, St. Catharines

One job lead is dead, and one may lead to an offer on Monday.

gluten-free pizza in Canada
2010.11.11, Oakville

Tonight Scott and I went out for pizza.

apartment searching in Toronto
2010.11.10, Toronto

Here's a quick list of things that I like about searching for an apartment in Toronto as opposed to Tokyo.

a little modesty...
2010.11.09, Toronto

I went into a business today and was greeted by an attractive young woman with a very tight and low-cut top.

free Kindle and gross commericalism
2010.11.08, Toronto

I've added a banner from Amazon across the top of most of the emuu.

transit in Ontario
2010.11.07, Toronto

Nothing drives home the excellence of the Tokyo transit system like comparing it to that of a North American city.

job search progress
2010.11.06, Toronto

So far, so good.

what's that language?
2010.11.03, St. Catharines

Got to the bus stop this morning to catch the train to the city.

credit rating in Canada
2010.11.03, Toronto

Unlike Japan, Canada has a tax-number system.

home again, home again
2010.11.02, St. Catharines

I'm back in the city of my birth.

in Toronto
2010.11.01, Tokyo

I've touched down in Toronto, and immediately notice some differences with my adopted home of Tokyo.

photo challenge book
2010.10.29, Tokyo

I've edited and published a photo book containing the work of some fifteen pentax photographers.

why I ride
2010.10.21, Tokyo

waiting in Yokohama Riding for me was about corners taken to quickly, long skid marks, and gullies too steep for wheels.

China's cyberattacks of Japan
2010.10.18, Tokyo

During September, Japan's telcos came under a vast "cyberattack" involving a distributed denial of service attack.

flag of .. liberia?
2010.10.16, Tokyo

Some friends graciously gave us a denim jacket for Kenny, a hand-me-down from the son.

an example of great customer service
2010.10.16, Tokyo

I have had a really pleasant example of customer service from a software firm.

a tale of two Werneburgs
2010.10.15, Tokyo

I've had occasion to have both myself and my son photographed for official purposes, recently.

tough times
2010.10.13, Tokyo

I had a conversation with someone who's seen his business's sales plummet 95% in the past two months.

nihongo jyouzu ni narimashita?
2010.10.09, Tokyo

Today I ran into one of my formerJapanese teachers.

The world is getting worse
2010.10.04, Tokyo

I'm at the embassy getting my son's passport updated.

kicked square in the eye
2010.09.30, Tokyo

Anyone want a slightly used 2½ year old? Here I thought being kicked in the crotch was getting old.

charting a course through the IT industry
2010.09.19, Tokyo

For many years, the information technology field had major problems to solve.

another cycle trip
2010.09.17, Tokyo

I hopped on my bike again today, this time in the opposite direction.

20,000 frames
2010.09.16, Tokyo

Rolled my (DSLR) camera over the frame counter again, which means I've now taken more than 20,000 photos on it.

cycle trip to Yokohama
2010.09.15, Tokyo

I live in Shinagawa.

mari's singing coach
2010.09.12, Tokyo

Mari's jazz singing coach is, of course, a singer herself.

where on earth is hibarigaoka?
2010.09.11, Tokyo

Today we went out to the country and visited a knife-wielding .

green is a noun, sunny is a verb
2010.09.09, Tokyo

In the Japanese language, "green" is a noun.

and the weather finally broke
2010.09.08, Tokyo

For six or seven weeks this summer, it's been hot and humid.

dropped my iPhone
2010.09.08, Tokyo

Just not been a run of good luck for me, lately.

poor man's MBA
2010.09.07, Tokyo

Have had some really good advice of late from someone who's been through the business creation and capital-raising process.

an old photo set
2010.09.07, Tokyo

Once upon a time, in 2003 when the world was a simpler place, I took a trip to Manitoulin island with my mother.

ghosts of Shinagawa
2010.09.07, Tokyo

On my way to Japanese class today, I made some long-exposure shots of the crowd passing in Shinagawa station.

ami's dance troupe
2010.09.05, Tokyo

Today we went to see Ami's dance troupe perform.

my arm is healed
2010.09.02, Tokyo

It's great when you've recovered from an unexpected set back, especially a health matter.

she really, really likes it
2010.08.31, Tokyo

Mari came home late in the evening last night and found here belated gift of a photo book waiting for her.

Mari's birthday
2010.08.30, Tokyo

This weekend we celebrated Mari's birthday.

a useful trick in learning Japanese verbs
2010.08.30, Tokyo

Today my Japanese tutor showed me a surprisingly effective matrix trick for learning Japanese.

found some missing photos
2010.08.25, Tokyo

I've found some photos that got lost in the scanning shuffle not once but twice.

learning to crawl (with a strobe)
2010.08.23, Tokyo

Having had some success with product photography, I've decided to extend my ability with a strobe to personal photos.

Mari performs "The Gift"
2010.08.22, Tokyo

Mari had her fourth performance, in a Jazz club in Akasaka.

Amazon S3 clients for the Mac
2010.08.22, Tokyo

I've gone through all of the apps I could find for Amazon s3 and they've all let me down.

Pentax weekend
2010.08.21, Tokyo

We went to the aquarium down in Yokohama again, our second visit in two months.

the family arrives
2010.08.19, Tokyo

Mari's family has come for a visit.

today my wife saved my life (part three)
2010.08.18, Tokyo

My arm is coming along nicely.

mirror in the bathroom
2010.08.18, Tokyo

On the weekend, a forum I participate in had a "submit your photos" day.

hot weather
2010.08.17, Tokyo

I believe that today is the hottest day of the year to date, for Tokyo.

today my wife saved my life (part two)
2010.08.14, Tokyo

I went back to the hospital this morning as requested.

today my wife saved my life
2010.08.13, Tokyo

Today I learned that I have a dangerous infection.

another fish lost
2010.08.11, Tokyo

The constant temperature fluctuations are too much for our little 58L tank.

in the death tank
2010.08.08, Tokyo

Time to come clean.

managing "open with" on the Mac
2010.08.08, Tokyo

It's crazy, but in the Mac's OSX there's no way of reliably managing file associations with the applications that open those files.

search engine optimization
2010.08.06, Tokyo

We launched our business website with fairly basic SEO readiness.

NikkoCiti X'mas photos
2010.08.04, Tokyo

In 2007, I attended my one and only Japanese 'bounenkai' (year end party).

turning your (webserver's) frowns into smiles
2010.07.31, Tokyo

Here's a trick I found suggested in a comment on a site explaining the configuration of some web server software.

our first hacker
2010.07.30, Tokyo

Our website was taken offline by a hacker for about three hours this morning.

a break from the heat
2010.07.30, Tokyo

Finally we've had a break from the heat.

f'n weather
2010.07.24, Tokyo

Canadians like to complain about the weather.

lapsed
2010.07.21, Tokyo

First came the realization that I could no longer drink like I once could.

sleeping in the living room
2010.07.21, Tokyo

Our bedroom has no air conditioner.

hot little fish
2010.07.20, Tokyo

The weather's been uncomfortably hot lately, and one unforeseen problem is that our aquarium is overheating.

five years in Tokyo
2010.07.18, Tokyo

Today marks the fifth anniversary of my original arrival in Tokyo.

man ray
2010.07.17, Tokyo

Today, Joon and I went to the Man Ray exhibit at the National Art Centre.

an interesting development
2010.07.16, Tokyo

In reaction to my putting my photo book up on this site, I've been asked to help out with a video shoot about the streets of Tokyo.

Edonism
2010.07.16, Tokyo

Last night I went to the premiere screening of the movie Edonism.

selling ethical diamonds in Japan
2010.07.15, Tokyo

As our intern Koki put it, "It seems that usual Japanese do not really know or care about diamond issues.

the photo book is shipping
2010.07.15, Tokyo

Yay, a copy of my photo book has shipped.

petition for change in the Kimberley Process
2010.07.14, Tokyo

I've come across a petition for change in the Kimberley Process.

ethical fashion
2010.07.13, Tokyo

As indicated in the small series of articles I've posted on the subject, I've found "ethical fashion" a tough nut to crack.

ethics in the diamond jewelry business (part three)
2010.07.13, Tokyo

I've finished the trio of articles on ethics in the diamond jewelry business.

get your Japanese idiom and slang....
2010.07.12, Tokyo

The website I use for translations isn't downright insane but it sure is given to certain quirks.

Sundays is for voting
2010.07.10, Tokyo

Like some European countries, Japan confines voting in its federal elections to Sundays.

advertising on them Internets there
2010.07.10, Tokyo

Internet advertising.

happy Tanabata
2010.07.07, Tokyo

Today is the Japanese star festival, tanabata.

photos from Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
2010.07.06, Tokyo

A couple of weeks ago, some free tickets from Jon and Manami-san got us into the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium down in/near Yokohama.

the next step -- investors!
2010.07.05, Tokyo

Been doing some interesting work this week.

the day starts with death
2010.07.05, Tokyo

Kenny and I stopped to feed the fish on the way to the day care this morning.

jewelry retail and the iPad (or Apple, what have you done)
2010.07.02, Tokyo

I came to some conclusions about the iPad via an odd source.

another bike collision
2010.07.01, Tokyo

Today I was in a bike accident, again.

turning Anglophone I really think so
2010.07.01, Tokyo

Today I read that Japan's Fast Retailing is switching their internal business language to English.

location based services
2010.06.27, Nichinan, Miyazaki

While studying modern marketing developments, I've come across nothing as bizarre as "location based" shopping.

inflation, debt, and general madness
2010.06.26, Tokyo

This morning during a conversation with my mother I explained my upcoming quest for investors in our business.

a Brock Univerity professor is going to prison
2010.06.22, Tokyo

One of my University professors is now in prison on a child pornography conviction.

investor proposal nears readiness
2010.06.18, Tokyo

Today I completed a draft of an investor proposal.

an eyesore falls
2010.06.18, Tokyo

They're tearing down an eyesore in my neighbourhood.

burger king is inspirational
2010.06.17, Tokyo

Burger King is back in business in Japan.

an interview with the media
2010.06.16, Tokyo

We had our first interview with the media today regarding our little business.

cycling through gotanda
2010.06.15, Tokyo

While cycling to my barber's shop today, I heard the honking of a horn from a car behind me.

西 revisited
2010.06.15, Tokyo

The hilarity of learning kanji! Slowly, I've been trying to learn the Japanese writing system.

my Japanese vocabulary is uneven (千羽鶴)
2010.06.14, Tokyo

I find that my Japanese vocabulary is heavily focused around three things.

weird way of getting language exposure
2010.06.12, Tokyo

It turns out that studying Japanese has helped me learn to read Italian.

luxury sales in Japan
2010.06.11, Tokyo

According to this article by Reuters journalist Isabel Reynolds, luxury goods sales fell by ten percent in 2009.

a town in the news
2010.06.10, Tokyo

A small town in Canada is making the news due to the suspicious purchase of a lot of ammonia nitrate.

the iPad in Japan
2010.06.09, Tokyo

I'm not so sure that the iPad's going to be a hit here in Japan.

Japanese yardbird
2010.06.08, Tokyo

In English, the (outdated?) term "yard bird" means a prisoner.

yelling at crows (part three)
2010.06.07, Tokyo

The deed is done, the crows are gone.

our start-up is unfolding
2010.06.07, Tokyo

Last week was an interesting one for our little start-up.

new journal trick
2010.06.05, Tokyo

I've modernized the way that URL's work on my journal.

Nanaimo syndrome
2010.06.02, Tokyo

At the bank again today (been there three days this week), when I once again ran into The Nanaimo Syndrome.

banking error, Japan style
2010.05.31, Tokyo

Being illiterate sucks.

imageshack and emuu.net
2010.06.01, Tokyo

ImageShack looks like a bad idea.

an epic journey
2010.05.30, Grenfell, Saskachewan

Right now, back in Canada, my mother is moving from Nanaimo BC to St.

yelling at crows (part two)
2010.05.29, Tokyo

The city is going to come to our building and remove the crow's nest.

yelling at crows
2010.05.28, Tokyo

Over the past few days I've had problems with a crow.

there's warm and there's warm
2010.05.27, Tokyo

Japanese makes a distinction between a "warm" reception and a "warm" room.

the achievements and failings of the kimberley process
2010.05.26, Tokyo

I've submitted a second piece for the 21st Century Network.

a near miss
2010.05.26, Tokyo

Meanwhile, back in Toronto, a friend witnessed a fatal airplane crash.

happy towel day
2010.05.25, Tokyo

Douglas Adams would be proud.

a hit!
2010.05.25, Tokyo

We've had our first write-up in a jewelry-related Japanese blog.

Amazon service for hosting images
2010.05.23, Tokyo

My photos take up something like three gigs of disk space.

digital black and white
2010.05.23, Yokohama

I've tried an experiment in black and white digital photography.

press release activity
2010.05.22, Tokyo

Response from our press release has been interesting.

my parents are awesome
2010.05.21, Tokyo

There's a blog out there called "My Parents Were Awesome".

things are moving at Caritas
2010.05.20, Tokyo

Today we released a new look for our website.

ethics in the diamond jewelry business
2010.05.17, Tokyo

I've recently started a jewelry business.

"no facebook"
2010.05.17, Tokyo

We went to a barbeque at the home of Romi and Brian, friends who live in the neighbourhood.

a fine cycle day in May
2010.05.15, Tokyo

Today we went on a day-long cycle outing.

A tale of two kanji
2010.05.14, Tokyo

足 is "ashi" it means foot.

photos from tottori
2010.05.13, Tokyo

I've updated my pics from Tottori with a few final entries.

update from kamakura
2010.05.12, Tokyo

I've updated the collection of photos from a recent trip to Kamakura.

photos, getcha photos
2010.05.12, Tokyo

I've added a bunch of pics to the website over the past couple of days, and thought I'd brag about them.

the new mashams
2010.05.10, Tokyo

Some seven-eight months ago, our friends the Mashams moved away to Barcelona.

the musician
2010.05.08, Tokyo

Mari's had her first guitar for only three days.

Revisiting Tokyo
2010.05.07, Tokyo

Today I took my brother out on the city to find a gift for his wife.

Dirty brush
2010.05.07, Tokyo

This morning I asked Mari where she keeps a certain tough bath scrub brush.

getting a Japanese haircut
2010.05.06, Tokyo

I took my brother for a haircut today.

aquarium escapee
2010.05.06, Tokyo

Here in Japan, aquarium keepers tend to keep shrimp along with fish.

boy's day
2010.05.05, Tokyo

Today we went to Yurakucho and Ginza.

shinjuku
2010.05.04, Tokyo

For today's portion of Ken's visit, we went to Shinjuku—one of the places I always like to take visitors to Tokyo.

asakusa and akihabara
2010.05.03, Tokyo

We took Ken up to Asakusa to see the shrine complex, today.

guitar shopping
2010.05.02, Tokyo

Having been out til 3:30 the night before, we laid low for much of the day, today.

the wedding reception
2010.05.01, Tokyo

Today we went to the Tokyo wedding reception of Jon and Manami-san.

kamakura by bicycle
2010.04.30, Tokyo

At some point over the interminable Winter, I picked up a rather excellent little guide book for bicycle tours in Kamakura.

spring at last
2010.04.29, Tokyo

The weather suddenly improved dramatically today.

new website trick
2010.04.28, Tokyo

I've been working with an enterprising young man on building the forthcoming Caritas blog for us.

hambabu night in Tokyo
2010.04.28, Tokyo

Mari has another work-related drinks night tonight.

fixes and failures
2010.04.25, Tokyo

We had such a fine day today.

fixed jacket
2010.04.24, Tokyo

The handle tore off the slide of my coat on Thursday.

a home-cooked meal
2010.04.24, Tokyo

Jon's brother Martin and his family have been "stranded" in Tokyo since the volcano's eruption in Iceland.

crowded train
2010.04.23, Tokyo

It finally happened.

an intern!
2010.04.23, Tokyo

No start-up is complete without an intern.

strandees gone
2010.04.23, Tokyo

Three of the four volcano-stranded people are now gone back to Europe.

日本語上手聞きます
2010.04.20, Tokyo

Something semi-miraculous has happened.

stranded in Tokyo
2010.04.20, Tokyo

I now know four groups of travelers hoping to get to Europe who are stranded in Tokyo.

whoops I did it again
2010.04.18, Tokyo

When some visitors from Mari's family came for a visit today, I realized that I hadn't published yet more pics from our year-end visit.

so this is Tottori
2010.04.16, Tokyo

Part one of my photos from our three days in Tottori is sorted out.

references
2010.04.16, Tokyo

The Canadian government is polling for advice on the adoption of e-passports such as the ones that the Japanese government issues.

photos of a Japanese wedding
2010.04.16, Tokyo

Our friends Manami and Jon were married last weekend in Tottori.

rare and beautiful birds (homesick)
2010.04.14, Tokyo

As I stood looking out the window and munching on my lunch of brown rice, I noticed three gorgeous birds.

Japanese idiom strikes again
2010.04.11, Tokyo

At the wedding, Manami-san's sixty-something parents invited us to come over to their house to play, sometime.

fumbling with camera equipment
2010.04.11, Tottori

I fear that I've managed to bugger up quite a lot of the photos of Jon and Manami-san's wedding.

a wedding!
2010.04.11, Tottori

I don't get invited to a lot of weddings.

sight-seeing in Tottori
2010.04.10, Tottori

Tottori is Japan's least populous prefecture, running along the coast of the Sea of Japan a good many klicks from just about everywhere.

another flattering portrait
2010.04.09, Tottori

This portrait, drawn by a seven-year-old, is actually not far from my self image! Toothy, loud and bearded.

sand dunes!
2010.04.09, Tottori

Today we flew to Tottori in western Japan for Jon and Manami-san's wedding.

old film turns up
2010.04.08, Tokyo

I had the happy/shameful experience this week of finding three old rolls of film in one of my camera bags.

awful online shops for tall men's clothing
2010.04.07, Tokyo

Once again, I'm heading for online clothing retail.

things are changing
2010.04.07, Tokyo

I had an email exchange with someone in my family about the changes we're witnessing in Canada and Japan.

clash of the Canadian titans
2010.04.03, Tokyo

One of the things I find refreshing about Japan is that it makes Canadian bureaucracy look like a harmless triviality by comparison.

busy week
2010.04.02, Tokyo

In addition to the usual "build" activities I had this week, I had meetings on every day of the week.

public relations is tricky, tricky
2010.03.31, Tokyo

Lately I've been tackling the issue of public relations for our little business.

shame on me
2010.03.31, Tokyo

They say, "Fool me once, shame on you.

puzzling toy
2010.03.30, Tokyo

My brother and his wife sent me this awesome toy from Think Geek.

confrontation at the immigration office
2010.03.29, Tokyo

I was at the immigration office getting my spousal visa renewed when another foreigner at the counter had a meltdown.

a challenging lifestyle
2010.03.28, Tokyo

We went to hanami yesterday, and met with several families all with kids of the same age as Kenny.

Go Miyazaki!
2010.03.24, Tokyo

The high school volleyball team that my brother-in-law coaches has fought their way into the national semi-final.

highschool volleyball
2010.03.22, Tokyo

It's time for the national highschool volleyball finals in Japan.

welcome to Spring
2010.03.21, Tokyo

It's officially Spring, and for once it's noticeable.

scary map of Japan
2010.03.20, Tokyo

I came across a scary map of Japan today.

building a PDF library
2010.03.17, Tokyo

In building my business I do a lot of research.

haircut day
2010.03.14, Tokyo

Today my sexy young wife got herself a fetching hairdo.

an old speech
2010.03.13, Tokyo

I was doing some maintenance on my website today and came across the text of the first funeral speech I ever gave.

taxing expat Canadians
2010.03.12, Tokyo

There's a movement in certain conservative circles in Canada to introduce taxation on the global income of expatriate Canadians.

four years in Tokyo
2010.03.11, Tokyo

It's now been for years since I arrived in Japan.

algae
2010.03.09, Tokyo

Everything's been going swimmingly with the fish tank, recently.

toilet flushes and hockey games
2010.03.09, Tokyo

In keeping with my attempts at keeping abreast of events in "the old country", I came across an interesting item from The Big Game.

making a magazine
2010.03.08, Tokyo

Things have come a long way since I made the content management system that I use to run emuu.

turning 39
2010.03.04, Tokyo

Long ago I wrote down my thoughts on turning thirty.

earthquakes
2010.02.28, Tokyo

Mari and I were stuck at home today because Kenny has a fever.

adjusting to Japanese snack foods
2010.02.27, Tokyo

Japanese snacks are sometimes odd.

staying Canadian
2010.02.26, Tokyo

It's hard to stay Canadian when you've immersed yourself in a vastly alien culture like Japan's.

Nate's PechaKucha moment
2010.02.24, Tokyo

Nate Jensen, who did the layout work on our diamond buyer's guide, have a presentation at PechaKucha tonight.

the motorcycle trade
2010.02.23, Tokyo

A curious thing happened today.

ear problems in Japan
2010.02.23, Tokyo

For the first time in my life, I've recently begun having ear infections.

don't drink "curiosity cola"
2010.02.20, Tokyo

I tried a Fentiman's "Curiosity Cola" today.

free labour
2010.02.20, Tokyo

I met with another person who imparted some great advice last night.

advice from pros
2010.02.17, Tokyo

Our new website is getting a lot of great feedback.

mobile phone chargers
2010.02.15, Tokyo

In following with my current research into the mobile phone platform, I've come across some bad news.

looking for an engagement ring?
2010.02.14, Tokyo

If you're looking for an engagement ring in Japan, you can now do your shopping online.

cards for emergency translation
2010.02.13, Tokyo

When I went to Shanghai, I knew that I'd be buying food in places where people don't speak English or Japanese.

tsukiji is 70 years old
2010.02.11, Tokyo

My favourite fish market just turned 70 years old.

St. Valentine's Day
2010.02.10, Tokyo

In Japan, St.

selling on the mobile phone
2010.02.08, Tokyo

Tonight was my first "mobile monday", a get-together for schmoozing and presentations pertaining to that industry in Tokyo.

language and sex
2010.02.08, Tokyo

Tonight I was offered sex in two neighbourhoods.

browser software
2010.02.07, Tokyo

We're about to launch our new business, which aims to sell diamond engagement rings to the Japanese public solely via the Internet.

fixing an old, slow Windows PC
2010.02.06, Tokyo

On three occasions recently, I've recommended some software for people struggling with a Windows PC that's become slow with age.

webservers (nerd alert)
2010.02.04, Tokyo

I've been tinkering with the webserver software that enables websites to exist for a long time.

odd behaviour at Kinko's
2010.02.04, Tokyo

I walked into a FedexKinkos today to do some printing.

a message from Google
2010.02.03, Tokyo

Today Google announced that they would no longer support Internet Explorer 6 within Google Apps.

Tokyo weather report
2010.02.02, Tokyo

This January was one of the warmest of my life—only Sydney was warmer.

fashion in Tokyo
2010.01.28, Tokyo

I'm sure that those who know me don't associate me with fashion.

pecha kucha
2010.01.27, Tokyo

Tonight I attended my first Pecha Kucha.

Mexican food in Tokyo
2010.01.24, Tokyo

It's difficult to find good Mexican food in Tokyo.

no man's land
2010.01.23, Tokyo

Today we went to "No man's land", an art studio/gallery that's been built into the recently vacated former French embassy in Hiroo.

Shinagawa street fight
2010.01.22, Tokyo

Twice in Tokyo, I've seen fights happen on the street.

anti-spam routine
2010.01.22, Tokyo

One thing that plagues people who run websites: spam.

changing my name in Japan
2010.01.22, Tokyo

As I've recently mentioned, I feel the time has come to change the katakana spelling of my last name.

new site design
2010.01.21, Tokyo

For years, I made feedback to this website available to all comers.

struggling with a foreign name in Japan
2010.01.20, Tokyo

I've been struggling with a last name that just doesn't work in the Japanese language.

shipping from the US
2010.01.19, Tokyo

Living in Japan, I have difficulty ordering things from the US.

kanji study tools
2010.01.18, Tokyo

I'm juggling a lot of things at the moment.

aquarium update
2010.01.17, Tokyo

The three otocinclus fish that I bought in replacement of Buddy the Pleco have died.

reverse public relations
2010.01.16, Tokyo

One thing I started in 2009 was feeding this journal to various outlets like facebook, tumblr, and twitter.

another busy Friday
2010.01.15, Tokyo

Today I did a lot of running around.

our first order
2010.01.14, Tokyo

We ordered a ring from our principal supplier back in December.

the ballad of Buddy
2010.01.12, Tokyo

This is the ballad of Buddy the plecostomus, a fish I had to give up.

new year, more cycle glitches
2010.01.12, Tokyo

Recently I said to myself, "I haven't had a flat tire on my bike, recently.

Nihombashi
2010.01.10, Tokyo

We're setting up our "headquarters" in the Tokyo district of Nihombashi.

what to do with old phones
2010.01.09, Tokyo

We've got about three old phones hanging around the apartment.

fishes
2010.01.09, Tokyo

The aquarium's been stable for several weeks now.

my boy's book
2010.01.05, Tokyo

I've made a photo book detailing my son's first year.

a tale of two banks
2010.01.04, Tokyo

In light of my recent comparison of Japanese airlines, I thought I'd mention an experience with two banks.

belief in Japan
2010.01.03, Tokyo

Without knowing a thing about the religion, it would seem I've becom a practising Shintoist.

where have all the good things gone?
2010.01.03, Tokyo

When I left my first job in Japan, one of my coworkers gave me a fairwell gift of a small set of toy cars with a jump ramp.

home again, thanks to ANA
2010.01.02, Tokyo

We flew back to Tokyo today.

a frosty new year and some resolutions reviewed
2010.01.01, Nichinan, Miyazaki

I woke up before the dawn, and realized that I had a chance to photograph the year's first sunrise.

gaijin comic relief
2010.01.01, Tokyo

We're visiting my wife's family in rural Japan.

well it's over
2009.12.31, Nichinan, Miyazaki

Goodbye, 2009 and the nameless decade.

Yawn, was that another eruption?
2009.12.30, Miyakonojo, Kyusyu

I was woken this morning at 07:30 by another volcanic boom that rattled the house.

another eruption!
2009.12.29, Miyakonojo, Kyusyu

Again with these volcanic eruptions.

my first volcanic boom
2009.12.28, Nichinan, Miyazaki

Today I heard my first real volcanic explosion.

Why, JAL, why.
2009.12.25, Nichinan, Miyazaki

You can tell that the government is now running Japan Airlines.

a decade ends
2009.12.23, Tokyo

A decade ends in eight days.

X'mas for Mari
2009.12.22, Tokyo

It occurred to me today that while my wife loves chocolate, she wouldn't have time at X'mas to eat any.

things are tough in Japan
2009.12.21, Tokyo

It's always good to get a neighbour's take on things from time to time.

losing my accent?
2009.12.21, Tokyo

Could I be losing my Canadian accent after a combined total of five years abroad? Kenny and I were watching a video about elephants playing in the snow.

"great husband" part two
2009.12.20, Tokyo

So I'm a great husband again.

earthquakes make for lousy bedfellows
2009.12.18, Tokyo

Last night I was up fairly late working on various projects.

paypal, swing and a miss
2009.12.18, Tokyo

One of the things we're eventually going to do with our business is collect payments via credit card.

Apple book printing
2009.12.17, Tokyo

I use a Mac PC at home and it came with this iPhoto software.

sunrise over Shinagawa
2009.12.12, Tokyo

This was the sunrise as visible from our balcony this morning.

learning Japanese
2009.12.10, Tokyo

I'm going to resume my Japanese language studies.

a Kindle in Japan
2009.12.09, Tokyo

Today I got my mitts on a friend's "Kindle", the Amazon e-reader.

illness (again!)
2009.12.07, Tokyo

I've been sick for much of the past three days.

no longer "great husband"
2009.11.30, Tokyo

Well as I suspected, it's all over.

pics from a birthday
2009.11.29, Tokyo

We had a bit of a party for Jon's 40th birthday a few weeks ago.

"great husband" again
2009.11.29, Tokyo

When we were first married, Mari would occasionally tell me that I was a "great husband".

Arakawa clean-up
2009.11.28, Tokyo

Today we spent most of the day cleaning up a small stretch of the Arakawa, the large river that runs through the eastern side of Tokyo.

stare into the .. umbrella
2009.11.27, Tokyo

I've learned a thing or two about lighting in this latest round of product photography.

turning Japanese (slowly)
2009.11.27, Tokyo

I seem to be becoming accustomed to having a Japanese wife.

back in Tokyo
2009.11.25, Tokyo

Well all good things must come to an end.

a wedding!
2009.11.24, Hong Kong

This evening we attended the wedding for which we'd come to Hong Kong in the first place.

markets
2009.11.24, Hong Kong

Today we spent the morning in Kowloon.

pandas and old Minolta cameras
2009.11.23, Hong Kong

Today we went to see the Panda at an aquarium.

Shek O
2009.11.22, Hong Kong

Our first day in Hong Kong was a blustery cool one.

Another new city
2009.11.21, Hong Kong

And suddenly we're in tropical China.

what a day
2009.11.20, Tokyo

Sometimes, Friday just adds nothing to what you can get done in a week.

photos of China
2009.11.18, Tokyo

I've finally assembled the photos from our trip to China and posted them to the website.

dropped my bike .. and son
2009.11.15, Tokyo

I'm still a bit weak from last week's illness, it seems.

riding in Shanghai
2009.11.13, Tokyo

A lot of people haven't asked what it's like to ride on the streets of Shanghai.

new fish
2009.11.12, Tokyo

While I was ill, three more of the shrimp died.

terribly ill
2009.11.11, Tokyo

I was terribly ill from Monday night through to Tuesday night, with a 40ºC fever and a generally awful feeling.

happy birthday to a friend
2009.11.08, Tokyo

My long-time friend and business partner Jon is turning 40.

Japanese electrics
2009.11.06, Tokyo

Everyone's familiar with Japanese electronics.

traffic by country
2009.11.06, Tokyo

For the past nine months or so I've been tracking the country of origin for traffic to my website.

aging
2009.11.06, Tokyo

As I slide toward my 40th birthday, I'm starting to notice age issues again (for the first time since I was in my teens).

more dead shrimp
2009.11.05, Tokyo

In the days following the first death, there have now been three more dead shrimp.

crazy day
2009.11.04, Tokyo

I got more done today than I'd hoped.

visitors
2009.11.03, Tokyo

We met with Blake and Violetta at 10:00 this morning under clear and surprisingly cold skies.

pics from the motorbike tour
2009.11.02, Tokyo

I took a lot of photos on the motorbike tour.

Blake's arriving
2009.11.02, Tokyo

Tomorrow morning I'll be meeting with an old colleague who's coming to town.

it's our anniversary
2009.11.01, Tokyo

Three years ago we got married on a beach in Thailand.

shrimp tank
2009.10.31, Tokyo

Hmmm.

goodbye, Mashams (for real)
2009.10.30, Tokyo

Our friends the Mashams came by tonight for their last visit.

home again, home again
2009.10.30, Tokyo

It feels damn strange being back in Tokyo.

the aquarium
2009.10.29, Shanghai

Our last day in this mad city.

crickets, fish, and birds
2009.10.28, Shanghai

This morning we failed to find a river tour that could complement the tour we'd already done of the streets.

canal town
2009.10.27, Shanghai/SuZhou

Today we got out early, heading for the canal town of SuZhou.

the zoo!
2009.10.26, Shanghai

Today we went to the zoo to watch a panda sleep.

I guess I married well?
2009.10.26, Shanghai

My wife astonished me this morning by telling me that she liked my camera vest.

entry 1526
2009.10.25, Shanghai

I've been writing this journal for more than ten years, now.

adopting in China
2009.10.25, Shanghai

So it seems that adopting a baby in China is still an option.

shanghai sideways
2009.10.25, Shanghai

We survived our motorcycle tour of Shanghai! Not only survived it, but really delighted in it.

we've arrived
2009.10.24, Shanghai

Now I've ridden in maglev trains on two continents.

cycling in Tokyo
2009.10.23, Tokyo

Tokyo is by the safest city I've ever cycled in.

on business and busy-ness
2009.10.23, Tokyo

It's hard to imagine that I've got myself simultaneously involved in two start-ups, but that's how things have turned out.

a business idea is dead
2009.10.22, Tokyo

Looks like one of my business ideas is stillborn.

preparing for China
2009.10.19, Tokyo

We're going to China! Time to prepare.

an old hobby renewed
2009.10.18, Tokyo

It's been several years since I last maintained an aquarium in the home.

along came a spider...
2009.10.17, Tokyo

We have a lots of mosquitoes around the house.

happy anniversary to us!
2009.10.17, Tokyo

We hit upon the idea of having a getaway "anniversary dinner" while Mari's parents were here.

meetings and a visa
2009.10.16, Tokyo

For some reason, I decided to sandwich in a trip to the Chinese consulate between important business meetings today.

family's here!
2009.10.15, Tokyo

Mari's folks are here for a visit.

round two of testing starts today!
2009.10.14, Tokyo

Our little engagement ring business enters a new phase today.

cyyyyycling in the raiiiinnn
2009.10.14, Tokyo

Just getting over a cold, when I get caught in the rain last night.

new desk
2009.10.10, Tokyo

Mari's got a new desk for the office/bedroom.

shoe incident resolved
2009.10.09, Tokyo

After a few phone calls, the shoe incident is resolved.

typhoon
2009.10.07, Tokyo

Last night a typhoon made landfall at Tokyo.

wasp takes down dragonfly
2009.10.05, Tokyo

Japan has some nasty insects.

Gelding Gangster
2009.10.03, Tokyo

"Gelding Gangster" appears to be the name of a band in Tokyo.

why I ride my bike in Tokyo
2009.10.03, Tokyo

This footage explains one of the major reasons I like to take a bike in Tokyo rather than ride the excellent train/subway system.

low tunnel
2009.10.02, Tokyo

There's a tunnel that passes beneath the wide set of sidings near Shinagawa train station.

the shoes arrived!
2009.10.02, Tokyo

The shoes and boots arrived today.

the beat goes on...
2009.10.01, Tokyo

When you're a small start-up dealing with gigantic international leaders in the industry, I find it helps to know what you're talking about.

like boots and ... books
2009.09.29, Tokyo

I've now got quite a range of items winging their way to me from overseas.

"money masters"
2009.09.28, Tokyo

Over the past several days, I've been slowly watching a rather dated but comprehensive video on the role of the Federal Reserve and its ilk.

our long day
2009.09.26, Tokyo

Mari and I went took Kenny to the daycare this morning for a parent-teacher meeting.

sold a photo!
2009.09.25, Tokyo

Today I put an 11"x14" print in the mail, bound for a former colleague in Australia.

mum's off
2009.09.23, Tokyo

Well, not a long trip this time.

shopping day
2009.09.22, Tokyo

We went to Ginza for a shopping expedition.

back to the museum
2009.09.21, Tokyo

Today we went to the Edo museum.

goodbye, Mashams!
2009.09.19, Tokyo

The Mashams, our good friends and neighbours, are leaving.

respect for the elderly day
2009.09.18, Tokyo

Today we through my visiting mother into the deep end.

driver's license
2009.09.17, Tokyo

I've got a Japanese driver's license.

gaijin at Narita
2009.09.15, Tokyo

My mum's arrived on a short visit.

frozen onion
2009.09.15, Tokyo

We ran out of green onion the other morning, and had to eat our natto donburi without that lovely condiment.

all-day migraine
2009.09.14, Tokyo

I'm something of a weather witch.

the affair is over
2009.09.13, Tokyo

My Summer affair has run its course.

ikemen and ikumen
2009.09.12, Tokyo

"Ikemen" a term in (modern) Japanese term for a handsome, attractive man.

yawn ... another earthquake
2009.09.08, Tokyo

Just had yet another earthquake, a very mild one.

if I were a rich man
2009.09.07, Tokyo

A former coworker asked how it was going, and I told him that I was having one of the best times of my life.

bitchin' camero
2009.09.05, Tokyo

Today I saw a left hand drive Camero on the street.

nohongo jouzu
2009.09.05, Tokyo

Today I set out to reset the password on my credit card so that I could make Internet purchases.

another earthquake
2009.09.04, Tokyo

Just a few minutes ago, we had another significant earthquake.

o frabjous day!
2009.09.01, Tokyo

I got my little Olympus rangefinder camera back on Sunday.

the countdown
2009.08.31, Tokyo

It occurred to me this weekend that I'm now only eighteen months out from turning forty.

Monday morning hoorays
2009.08.31, Tokyo

We spent the weekend on family stuff, this weekend, except for an outing by Mari to meet some other local mothers.

typhoon
2009.08.31, Tokyo

A typhoon is descending upon us once again.

Mari's second performance
2009.08.26, Tokyo

The people hosting the event at which Mari sang on Saturday forbid photography.

sleeploss
2009.08.25, Tokyo

Kenny had a fever all weekend, so naturally none of us has been sleeping properly.

Mari the performer
2009.08.23, Tokyo

Last night Mari gave her second-ever performance during a night that ended in the hospital.

my tax dollars at work
2009.08.21, Tokyo

Today as I was cycling back from Shibuya I passed through a large intersection in Gotanda.

neverending camera issues
2009.08.19, Tokyo

Much to my dismay my recently-repaired X-700, the camera I dropped, has started leaking light again.

cicadas
2009.08.16, Tokyo

Tokyo is not exactly a nature lover's paradise.

third quake in five days
2009.08.13, Tokyo

We were eating breakfast this morning when there was yet another earthquake.

the new business takes a step forward
2009.08.13, Tokyo

Today my partner and I nominated two acquaintances to do some testing with the website storefront for our business.

ganbatte, Burma
2009.08.12, Tokyo

Recently, there's been a lot of non-Japanese political activity in my neighbourhood.

the second quake
2009.08.11, Tokyo

So it seems that this morning's quake (the second in less than 60 hours) was stronger than I knew.

earthquake
2009.08.10, Tokyo

We had a strong earthquake last night at around 20:30.

Jesus Body
2009.08.07, Tokyo

There are many things that can mystify a foreigner living in Japan.

service and complexity
2009.08.04, Tokyo

Twice in the past two weeks, Mari and I have tried and failed to engage the services of different companies.

syndication (signal to noise)
2009.08.04, Tokyo

This little journal of mine is now in syndication.

today I got caught in the rain three times
2009.08.02, Tokyo

The whole family went out in the rain at around 10:00 this morning in an effort to do various errands before some guests would arrive in the afternoon.

camera woes (revisited)
2009.08.01, Tokyo

The repairs done to my Olympus rangefinder were clearly insufficient.

damn that store room!
2009.07.30, Tokyo

Tonight Mari asked me, "Did you take those [crackers] from the store-room?" me; "Um, yes.

banking 'round the world
2009.07.27, Tokyo

I've been using my mother's address as a "Canadian mail stop" for some reason.

replacing Google as search engine in Firefox
2009.07.26, Tokyo

I typically use search by typing in some keywords to the location bar (rather than first going to a search site, or using the dedicated search bar).

new cycle shop
2009.07.25, Tokyo

The Kitazawa family, seen in a number of the (photos on Kenny's site) recommended a new bike shop to us.

Google is weirder than I thought
2009.07.23, Tokyo

My buddy Lee and I have discovered something truly bizarre.

new favourite film
2009.07.22, Tokyo

I think I've found a new favourite colour print film! The image below comes straight from the scanner w/o any manipulation whatever.

understanding Japanese withholding tax
2009.07.21, Tokyo

Tax law is always difficult to understand.

home again, home again
2009.07.20, Tokyo

So we're home again.

Google ain't all that
2009.07.18, Tokyo

At the prompting of a personal correspondance, I'm adding an entry on my thoughts about Google.

a home rebuilt
2009.07.18, Miyakonojo, Kyusyu

Today we flew to Miyazaki, and from there drove to Miyakonojo, the town of my wife's birth.

"I'm through with sleeping on the sidewalk"
2009.07.18, Tokyo

Tonight on the way home from the daycare, Mari and I found a fellow of about our age lying on the sidewalk, unmoving and eyes closed.

the new business
2009.07.15, Tokyo

My business partner and I came to a decision today.

.net frustration
2009.07.13, Tokyo

Once upon a time, when the 'net was young and no-one but techies fiddled about with domain registration, there was but one Internet registrar that everyone had to deal with.

what a day
2009.07.10, Tokyo

I've had a bit of a wobbly week, and today just capped it off wonderfully.

new for your iPhone
2009.07.08, Tokyo

Some friends have released a new application for the iPhone.

tour of Shinagawa
2009.07.07, Tokyo

Today I took a free tour of Shinagawa, the city within the Tokyo district in which we live.

my old professor
2009.07.06, Tokyo

One of my University professors was arrested on child pornography charges earlier this year.

semi-stolen chair
2009.07.04, Tokyo

We went to a gigantic sale at the TOC outlet building in Gotanda.

new glasses
2009.07.03, Tokyo

I picked up my new glasses today, the first new pair in five years or so.

on the spot
2009.07.02, Tokyo

At a celebration today for the demise of our Japanese course, I was asked to make a speech! No one told our class we'd be doing this, I suppose it was a matter of throwing us in the deep end.

Canada Day
2009.07.01, Tokyo

Today was Canada Day.

great dentist
2009.06.30, Tokyo

I had a great experience with a visit to the dentist today.

an old acquaintance
2009.06.28, Tokyo

Mari, Kenny and I met up with an old friend from a short contract stint I did in Australia back in "19100".

camera repairs
2009.06.25, Tokyo

I've got the good news from the camera repair shop in Illinois that accepted my old XD-11.

HIE no more?
2009.06.23, Tokyo

I took my last* roll of HIE black and white infrared-sensitive film into Horiuchi this morning for development.

chocolate covered what?
2009.06.16, Tokyo

Ah, Japan.

Three PC's and one ... um ... user
2009.06.15, Tokyo

I bought a Mac Mini.

mikoshi
2009.06.07, Tokyo

Today we went out to join the neighbourhood celebration that's centred around Shinagawa shrine (which is close to our home).

screwing up
2009.06.06, Tokyo

I decided to send one of my Minolta XD bodies off to the US for repairs after being told by one local repair shop they wanted more than $200, and being told by another that my particular camera would be impossible to repair in Japan.

thank you, government
2009.06.05, Tokyo

The Canadian tax authority sent me an advisory suggesting that they wanted me to call them.

new keyboard
2009.06.04, Tokyo

It's that time again -- I've bought another keyboard.

weird camera fixes
2009.06.03, Tokyo

Yup, another post about getting my cameras fixed.

portraits of my wife the singer
2009.06.01, Tokyo

I'm not an experienced portrait photographer, but a bit of forthought and a raft of lamps let me pull off some okay portraits of my singer wife for a promotional brochure.

digital black and white
2009.05.29, Tokyo

I ran out of points on my Bic Camera card last week, and told myself that I'd stop shooting film for a while when that happened.

camera repairs
2009.05.29, Tokyo

I got my 35DC back.

if the truck is a'rockin
2009.05.26, Tokyo

Today at the ward office building where I take Japanese lessons, we were taken for a three-part earthquake expo.

Today is towel day
2009.05.25, Tokyo

To all the other fans of Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books: today is Towel Day! As it turns out, Ken and Heidi sent us a Hitchhiker's-related towel.

at my feet
2009.05.24, Tokyo

I've got quite a large collection of photos.

some photos
2009.05.23, Tokyo

I've put some photos of our recent trip to the Izu peninsula in my photo gallery.

the busy life
2009.05.22, Tokyo

Sometimes I feel that I may be biting off a bit more than I'm supposed to.

Mari's video
2009.05.18, Tokyo

With a tip from my pal Nate, I've managed to put together a video of Mari's debut on YouTube.

if I never have a cent...
2009.05.18, Tokyo

Mari's parents arrived in town yesterday for Mari's singing debut.

Mari's debut
2009.05.16, Tokyo

Mari is practicing today for tomorrow's singing debut at a show with a dozen other singers (in turn).

dropped camera: the verdict
2009.05.15, Tokyo

A few days ago I mentioned that I'd dropped one of my cameras and that it now was suffering from light leaks.

Kamil's away
2009.05.14, Tokyo

Kamil's on his way back to Thunder Bay.

return to Izu
2009.05.11, Izu Peninsula

Jon, Manami-san, Kamil and the family went to the Izu peninsula this weekend to get away from the city and to show Kamil a real Japanese ryokan.

Yagstravaganza
2009.05.09, Tokyo

Today we held a belated birthday party for Yaguchi-san.

crappy shrine
2009.05.06, Tokyo

We'd planned a picnic for today, but called it off because it was raining hard the day before and then continued to rain off and on throughout the morning.

Kamil!
2009.05.04, Tokyo

Kamil Zaniewski, my University-era friend who's now a professor in Northern Ontario, has arrived for a visit.

day gods-know-what
2009.04.28, Tokyo

Just when I was about to report that all was well with my long-running bout of pnuemonia, I woke up this morning with a renewed feeling of having a sore throat that extends down into my entire chest.

new design for website
2009.04.25, Tokyo

I've once again tweaked the design of this website last night.

camera drop fallout
2009.04.24, Tokyo

To my dismay, it seems that it's time to say goodbye to another camera -- that's two so far in '09 and three in the past 18 months! My X-700, pictured above, hasn't recovered from being dropped a couple of weeks ago, and I suppose that it never will.

Japanese lessons again
2009.04.21, Tokyo

I had an entire month off, since I last took Japanese lessons.

a new world
2009.04.18, Tokyo

As of this week, I'm no longer officially employed.

day 15: mycaplasma
2009.04.13, Tokyo

So it turns out that in all of the wide world, among countless species of bacteria, we humans have only found one lone species that doesn't have cell walls.

day 14: looking like a dead bug
2009.04.11, Tokyo

For two whole weeks now, I've been wrangling with a cold that just won't go.

losing my language
2009.04.09, Tokyo

At first, it seemed that learning the Japanese language was having no impact on my English skills.

one day...
2009.04.07, Tokyo

Once in a while you have one of those days that makes you wonder about how you've arranged your life.

day eight
2009.04.07, Tokyo

It's now day eight of nearly incessant high temperatures (up to 38o) for me, and now my son has had it off and on for at least four-five days (last night reaching a high of 40o).

this week's fever brought to you by....
2009.04.02, Tokyo

My son has simultaneously brought home his first and second illness.

remember, it's a foreign land
2009.03.31, Tokyo

Today I had a real reminder -- as if being illiterate and unable to speak wasn't enough -- that I'm in a foreign land.

juggling debut
2009.03.30, Tokyo

Today was my public juggling debut.

website maintenance
2009.03.29, Tokyo

This morning I woke at 03:00 and couldn't get back to sleep.

the juggling report
2009.03.27, Tokyo

Today I managed to nearly double my record in continuous juggling, hitting 112 successive catches before fumbling.

me and PKD
2009.03.22, Tokyo

I had a bizarre dream last night in which I was working in a start-up business setting in which I had a significant leadership role.

camera drop
2009.03.22, Tokyo

Today I took Kenny to the park at the end of the street because it was a beautiful morning.

final goodbye
2009.03.20, Tokyo

Those of us who stayed for the end of the intensive Japanese program went for a goodbye at a Yakiniku restaurant in Shibuya.

class is finished
2009.03.20, Tokyo

I've finished my intensive class and have passed my exams (in some cases only barely).

juggling
2009.03.16, Tokyo

I'm getting better at juggling.

how to succeed in Japanese pronunciation
2009.03.17, Tokyo

My "intensive" Japanese course is coming to its end.

Japanglish
2009.03.16, Tokyo

I've just had a disturbing report from Miyazaki.

kanji guide
2009.03.14, Tokyo

I've completed a compilation of words/usages for over 100 kanji.

finding things
2009.03.13, Tokyo

When it comes to finding things, I've always been .

japanese is trending upwards
2009.03.06, Tokyo

I've been asked by my Japanese language school to write a short blurb on their behalf.

the Spiny Urchin returns
2009.03.06, Tokyo

My sister-in-law, Vancouver artists Heidi Van Impe has revived the Spiny Urchin project.

turning Japanese
2009.03.06, Tokyo

It's been coming for some time, and now it's happened.

developing film
2009.03.05, Tokyo

I've hit upon a really good film developer in Tokyo.

juggling balls
2009.03.04, Tokyo

I've come up an idea for a birthday gift this year.

new feature
2009.03.02, Tokyo

Today I've added a new feature: a photo-of-the-day.

the gaijin are leaving Tokyo
2009.03.01, Tokyo

Near our previous apartment is an "international" grocery store, one that specializes in sky-high-prices for "foreign" foods.

babysitting
2009.02.28, Tokyo

It's always a pleasure to babysit when Mari's off on errands or doing something like her singing lessons.

the big speech
2009.02.26, Tokyo

I took the time to read the text of US President Obama's speech to Congress this evening and I'm a bit confused.

drunken minister
2009.02.22, Tokyo

Below is a video of a press conference held by a minister in the Japanese government.

word to Internet Explorer users
2009.02.21, Tokyo

I've modified my website to show a special message to viewers who use out-dated versions of Internet Explorer.

new server
2009.02.17, Tokyo

Once again, this website has moved.

the camera is dead; long live the camera
2009.02.13, Tokyo

Quite suddenly, my beloved primary camera began exhibiting problems late last year.

this website hacked
2009.02.10, Tokyo

Today I learned from a friend that my website has been altered by someone redirecting search engine traffic to a spam website.

crash course
2009.02.10, Tokyo

One of the reasons I moved to Japan a few years ago was my dismay at what humans have made of North America.

weekend recap
2009.02.09, Tokyo

The following is an account of my weekend in Japanese.

last week's trip
2009.02.08, Tokyo

I've got my film back and scanned for last week's trip.

film photography's next generation
2009.02.07, Tokyo

I've noticed something interesting going on with the user community of a couple of the photography forums that I frequent.

a tale of two arimasu
2009.02.05, Tokyo

The Japanese language is a many-barbed thing.

precious days, part II
2009.02.02, Oita

The streak is over.

precious days
2009.02.01, Fukuoka

Happy February (this year is already sailing by at a terribly clip).

wind and rain
2009.01.31, Fukuoka

We're in Fukuoka.

Mari's new classes
2009.01.26, Tokyo

Just as I've started Japanese classes, Mari's resumed some classes, too.

RSS feed
2009.01.25, Tokyo

Over the past few years, many people have asked me to put an RSS feed on this website.

Japanese class
2009.01.20, Tokyo

My first class went well.

the deep end
2009.01.19, Tokyo

Today I followed through on my threat to find a Japanese class.

new year's resolutions
2009.01.18, Tokyo

OK, it's taken me a couple of weeks (due to the job situation) but now I can post my new year's resolutions for '09.

Japanese lessons
2009.01.11, Tokyo

One of my coworkers came up with an excellent suggestion on Friday.

success
2009.01.10, Tokyo

I've got one abbreviated week left of my current job.

new camera gear
2009.01.09, Tokyo

This morning I had a dream that I bought a used camera lens sight unseen (I have actually done this, with poor results).

LEGO section
2009.01.08, Tokyo

I've added the first of my recent LEGO set creations to the site in the creations section.

Nichinan, Miyazaki
2009.01.01, Tokyo

Hello, 2009! Curious, when you've got a small baby to take care of you don't wake up with a hangover.

another migraine
2008.12.30, Nichinan, Miyazaki

In bed half the day with a migraine again.

another birthday
2008.12.29, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki

Three birthdays in a week! This time it was young Kiyotaka ("Ki-kun").

making mochi
2008.12.28, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki

This morning's festivities began with an extended barbeque and mochi-making party.

party like it's 2008
2008.12.27, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki

This morning we did the beach onsen.

Guided by voices
2008.12.26, Niwashi, Kagoshima

Today we left the family home in Nichinan and struck out for Kagoshima.

Trust me, I'm a licensed semi-professional
2008.12.25, Nichinan, Miyazaki

After my ordeal of the previous days, I was up and around at more or less a normal hour on this day.

Merry F'n X'mas
2008.12.24, Nichinan, Miyazaki

X'mas eve, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for the 8.

Norrundon'twalk
2008.12.23, Nichinan, Miyazaki

On this day I came down with a bout of Norwalk virus or something similar.

The Birthday
2008.12.22, Nichinan, Miyazaki

I'm writing these journal entries after the fact for reasons that will become obvious.

Welcome to Winter
2008.12.21, Nichinan, Miyazaki

Well it's Winter again.

flying domestic
2008.12.20, Nichinan, Miyazaki

It was a busy morning.

adoring fans
2008.12.19, Tokyo

Cycling home at this time of year the city streets are full of people celebrating.

toy
2008.12.18, Tokyo

As noted previous, I'm making a wooden "inch-worm" pull-toy for my little nephew Ta-kun.

bachelor life
2008.12.16, Tokyo

Mari and Kenny are in Miyazaki.

bad influence
2008.12.13, Tokyo

Joon and I met in Ginza to go to a Malaysian restaurant with Jon and Minami-san.

visit with the neighbours
2008.12.07, Tokyo

Today we visited with the neighbours.

hunting bin Laden
2008.12.05, Tokyo

"Believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear.

JR shadows
2008.11.30, Tokyo

I set off early this morning to go to one of the big camera stores and get some storage binders for my negatives.

bad service
2008.12.01, Tokyo

I am blessed.

helmets for safety
2008.11.30, Tokyo

I know this cyclist who goes about Tokyo without a helmet.

troubles
2008.11.28, Tokyo

Ah, the economy.

website traffic
2008.11.16, Tokyo

Around the time that I last made a journal entry on the subject of traffic to this website, I found that the traffic had started to taper off.

shopping for terebi
2008.11.14, Tokyo

Mari wants to get a television.

medium format toy camera
2008.11.09, Tokyo

As previous noted, I've recently come into possession of an old (54 year old!) Ricohflex Model VII.

Jon's birthday
2008.11.08, Tokyo

It was Jon's 39th birthday party tonight.

street photography in the Philippines
2008.11.07, Manila

Before leaving for the airport this morning, I spent 90 minutes on a trek out to the river that wends its way through Manila's sprawling congested urban space.

A new US president
2008.11.06, Manila

I wasn't going to write on the subject of Barack Obama's election in this journal, but it occurred to me that my offspring might someday want to know where I was and what I felt.

Arnon in Manila
2008.11.05, Manila

Today I met my childhood friend in Manila while he was on a business trip.

let sleeping folk lie
2008.11.04, Tokyo

A couple of weeks ago we went to the sea side to take in the scenery.

it's 04:00 ... what's up your nose?
2008.10.30, Tokyo

I was woken at about 03:45 this morning by a mosquito.

shameful
2008.10.26, Tokyo

Last Monday my friend Jon was telling me about his recent successes as a cook.

tricked out bike
2008.10.24, Tokyo

After speaking with a coworker who's an avid cyclist, I decided to go to the fine folks at Azabu Cycle about getting my bike modified.

tuberculosis
2008.10.23, Tokyo

I recently learned that I'd possibly been exposed to tuberculosis.

the North Americans
2008.10.22, Tokyo

It's funny.

separated but still similar
2008.10.08, Tokyo

My brother discovered that he and I had bought the same watch.

black cat didn't cross my path
2008.10.02, Tokyo

As I joined one of the many major roads on my trip to work today I spotted a black cat that was trying to cross the road.

picnic
2008.10.19, Tokyo (Zushi)

Today we decided to give the new binoculars a trial.

...the tire trilogy concludes
2008.10.17, Tokyo

I decided to risk riding on the weakened tire one more time, only to get me to the office.

the cycle story continues...
2008.10.16, Tokyo

I went down to the parking area early* this morning and had a look at my twice-flattened front tire.

deer!
2008.10.02, Nanaimo

It was rainy and quite windy today.

the west west coast
2008.09.30, Tofino

We made it out to Tofino on the we(s)t coast of Vancouver island today.

tires
2008.10.15, Tokyo

Shortly before we left for Vancouver, I told myself, "I've sure been having a run of good luck with the flat tires! I haven't had one in six months or so.

the crow's nest
2008.10.12, Tokyo

We're back in Tokyo after two weeks in British Columbia.

seven sweet potatoes
2008.10.01, Nanaimo

We lingered in Tofino until the early afternoon, taking in all the nature.

shopping day #1
2008.09.29, Vancouver

Heidi works at Mountain Equipment Co-op, and we had a tonne of things on our list to stock up.

British Columbia
2008.09.28, Vancouver

Our much-anticipated trip to Canada's west coast has gotten off to a good start.

pronounciation
2008.09.28, Tokyo

Sadly, I learned today that I have the worst Japanese-language pronounciation of any foreigner that my wife knows.

the golden age
2008.09.26, Tokyo

No need to fear if the global economy is falling apart.

93 kilos
2008.09.23, Tokyo

On July 21, I reported that I weighed in at 98kg.

ten years already
2008.09.22, the Internet

It's just occurred to me that the ten-year anniversary of my presence on the Internet is just around the corner.

novel progress
2008.09.20, Tokyo

I've gone through the whole round with my editor on the novel.

new home page
2008.09.18, Tokyo

I've updated my home page for the first time in quite a while.

technogeek wife
2008.09.14, Tokyo

We were in a Yodabashi camera store today.

keyboard repair
2008.09.15, Tokyo

It looks like my new Model M keyboard is permanently damaged.

it's a small world
2008.09.10, Tokyo

Today I learned that one of my coworkers, here in Tokyo, lived in one of the buildings where I lived during my last year in Toronto.

gecko!
2008.09.09, Tokyo

I found a gecko in our bedroom tonight.

keyboard
2008.09.09, Tokyo

For the first time that I can recall, I spilled a big cup of water on myself while at my desk last night.

Game Gene Theory
2008.09.09, Tokyo

"There is no survival of the fittest.

laughing in Japanese
2008.09.02, Tokyo

Today Mari and I went to a local pre-school to 'audition', I suppose.

photo equipment
2008.08.29, Tokyo

The March before last, my brother surprised me with a gift.

boat trip
2008.08.25, Miyazaki

We were invited to take a boat tour of the canals of Nichinan in southern Miyazaki.

aaaaaaah
2008.08.22, Miyazaki

It is so good to get away from the city.

long-running novel
2008.08.17, Tokyo

I have an aunt who's a novelist, like me.

hot snow
2008.08.07, Tokyo

Curiously, the weather forecast this morning called for 32oC and light snow.

piano
2008.08.05, Tokyo

I got home tonight, soaked and exhausted from the simple commute home.

heat
2008.08.04, Tokyo

This morning the news report on the radio said that the temperature was about 30oC before 08:00.

greying
2008.07.30, Tokyo

While in a training session yesterday, I found a grey hair on my shoulder.

lazy, lazy dad
2008.07.29, Tokyo

It's been a fair time since I updated Ken's journal so I did some catch-up this evening.

fireworks
2008.07.27, Chiba

We spent the evening in Chiba, visiting with the Satoi family.

Captain Hammer
2008.07.27, Tokyo

My Captain Hammer t-shirt arrived, today.

cycling in the heat
2008.07.25, Tokyo

It's been hot, recently.

Ilford no more?
2008.07.24, Tokyo

My favourite films, Ilford HP5 and FP4, are no longer for sale at Bic Camera.

enschizophreniation and other coined words
2008.07.23, Tokyo

Today I coined the word enschizophreniation in an email advisory 'round the office.

weight gain
2008.07.21, Tokyo

I stepped on the scales today and learned that I've now gained some 8 kilos since I've been in Japan and am parked at 98kg.

lens swamp!
2008.07.20, Tokyo

Mari found out about a camera fair in Ginza today.

plug
2008.07.18, Tokyo

Posting this very late, but it's okay, this won't take long.

a tale of two hares
2008.07.17, Tokyo

I posted a photo-microstory the other day, and had meant to link it to my journal.

10,000 views
2008.07.16, Tokyo

This iteration of my website is now a year old.

been a long time
2008.07.15, Tokyo

It's been too long since I updated young Ken's journal.

keywords everywhere
2008.07.15, Tokyo

Today I've added keyword indexing to my site.

bonus season
2008.07.09, Tokyo

It's bonus season in Japan.

digressions and puns
2008.07.02, Tokyo

As I see it, digressions are a minor crime against speech.

dream wife
2008.06.29, Tokyo

I had a strange dream.

work work work
2008.06.27, Tokyo

When I'm working, I get so wrapped up in what I'm doing that I'm generally oblivious to my surrounds and even my general health.

peace on Earth
2008.06.26, Tokyo

I work for the IT department of an investment bank, and often come home wound up and tense.

firefox browser
2008.06.21, Tokyo

On the way to a (rather good) drumming show tonight, I noticed that someone is running ads for the free/open-source Firefox web browser in the Tokyo JR train system.

jeff goldblum again
2008.06.19, Tokyo

Today I was assured by one of my colleagues that "everybody on the floor agrees" that I look like Jeff Goldblum.

rat!
2008.06.18, Tokyo

I saw my first Tokyo rat today.

laundry mistakes
2008.06.16, Tokyo

I got home from the gym on Sunday and stepped into the shower.

new site is live
2008.06.08, Tokyo

Another year, another new website design.

iPod
2008.06.08, Tokyo

My handy little Samsung MP3 player (a YP-MT6) is a simple affair, with controls that are easy to use and no complications of any kind.

lenses
2008.06.06, Tokyo

Tonight I was pissed off with the world after work, and had to go for a long walk.

semi
2008.06.05, Tokyo

There are these insects in Japan that the locals call semi.

camera show
2008.06.02, Tokyo

This morning, Mari pointed out that an invitation to a used camera fair had been sitting around in our apartment for quite some time.

email
2008.06.01, Tokyo

I've been blasting off a lot of email in the past year and change.

new keyboard
2008.05.31, Tokyo

I have a fondness for the old IBM keyboards.

good news
2008.05.30, Tokyo

Tonight I learned that someone I know took my advice after asking an important question last year.

Burma
2008.05.25, Tokyo

I've been attempting to follow the story of the catastrophic cyclone landfall in Burma.

sticky, stinky and scratchy
2008.05.23, Tokyo

Just the other day I posted to this journal that the pleasant season was passing.

goodbye, favourite season
2008.05.17, Tokyo

That precious time of the year is sliding away.

inflation
2008.05.16, Tokyo

I've been reading bits and pieces here and there about inflation creeping into various national economies.

medium format pics
2008.05.14, Tokyo

Here are the pics from that first roll of film.

the results!
2008.05.13, Tokyo

I got back my first roll of 6x6 film shot on the old Ricohflex.

kid's day
2008.05.05, Miyazaki

Today is kid's day in Japan, when they fly long "fish" kites at just about every public place.

suica no more
2008.05.07, Tokyo

Since October of 2005, I've been using a Suica card for transit in Tokyo.

neutral density
2008.05.03, Miyazaki

The neutral density filter has to be the most porly named in the wide world of photographic filters.

it's all my mum's fault
2008.05.01, Tokyo

Tonight on the way home I bought a cokin filter and the adapter widget for fitting it to my cameras.

flying for baby
2008.05.02, Miyazaki

We flew with the baby for the first time.

end of a season
2008.04.30, Tokyo

I notice that it's already the end of my favourite part of Spring.

new toy
2008.04.29, Tokyo

One thing I realized during our early expeditions with the child: carrying a tripod doesn't mix with carrying child stuff.

floors and doors
2008.04.26, Tokyo

Sometimes I take photos of rather mundane things like whatever is under my feet, or whatever wall or doorway I happen to be passing.

tokyo at night
2008.04.25, Tokyo

I shot this with some cheap colour 100 film (Centuria) way out at 400 ISO.

another day, another photo
2008.04.24, Tokyo

Took this about ten days ago.

photo experiment: subway
2008.04.23, Tokyo

I've been working on a new project recently -- a complete reworking of this website.

Sleep
2008.04.21, Tokyo

Last week was a difficult one.

'you are what you buy'
2008.04.20, Tokyo

There, I finally caught some advertiser cutting to the brutal truth.

forty x forty
2008.04.14, Tokyo

Working for a gigantic bureaucracy is sometimes amusingly predictable (or vice versa).

smells & memory
2008.04.08, Tokyo

We've got this new 'all natural' shampoo.

hanami
2008.04.05, Tokyo

Today it was our scheduled hanami party.

entry 1233
2008.04.04, Tokyo

This morning we went on a boat cruise in Matsushima Bay.

baby's first trip
2008.04.03, Matsushima

Today the four of us went to Matsushima, a small town about three hours north of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of Japan's main island of Honshu.

sick
2008.04.02, Tokyo

I've been sick a lot recently.

camera gear
2008.04.01, Tokyo

I've been doing a lot of photography recently.

visitor
2008.03.31, Tokyo

My mother arrived today to meet her grandson.

site redesign
2008.03.30, Tokyo

It seems that every six to eighteen months, I redesign this website from scratch for one reason or another.

a profile, you ask?
2008.03.27, Tokyo

Someone in the global organization at work wanted me to produce a profile of myself for a newsletter.

when I was a baby...
2008.03.20, Tokyo

I recently posted to the journal of my son about taking him out to experience his first rain fall.

Arthur C. Clarke
2008.03.19, Tokyo

The finest science fiction writer in history is dead.

weather report
2008.03.13, Tokyo

The weather's certainly changed.

new tire
2008.03.12, Tokyo

I've finally tired of the flat tires to the point of doing something about it.

happy anniversary to me!
2008.03.09, Tokyo

I'd decided on a birthday gift to myself from my wife, and informed her that I wanted a box of film, specifically Ilford's excellent FP4.

one more for the road (or not)
2008.03.06, Tokyo

I hopped on my bike this morning, raring to get to the office early to catch up for the day I'd missed yesterday.

always something...
2008.03.04, Tokyo

My grandfather liked to say, "there's always something to keep you humble.

lens swamp
2008.03.02, N�2

When helping Jon shop for a new digital SLR camera, yesterday, I noticed an 85mm lens for the Minolta system in a store window.

2,500,000 hits
2008.02.28, Tokyo

Today my website logged it's 2.

dad for a month
2008.02.27, Tokyo

I've been a father for a whole month, as of today.

another(!) flat tire
2008.02.25, Tokyo

The thing with the flat tires is getting out of hand.

migraines
2008.02.24, Tokyo

I get migraines.

warden training
2008.02.23, Tokyo

Today we did a full day of training at the embassy.

Canadian consular affairs warden program
2008.02.22, Tokyo

So, I'm a member of the Canadian government's warden program in Tokyo.

weather report
2008.02.20, Tokyo

The weather in the city has been completely bizarre recently.

diet coke
2008.02.19, Tokyo

So it's starting to look like aspartame may be much worse for the human body even than sugar.

again with the flat tires
2008.02.18, Tokyo

I'm enjoying another run of flat tires with my bike, clearly.

gettin' old
2008.02.16, Tokyo

Looking at a recent photo of me, I can't help but notice that I'm looking creased and haggard.

back in the saddle
2008.02.12, Tokyo

I cycled to the office today, and both my bike and I were both a little rusty this morning.

one child
2008.02.08, Tokyo

I've just finished reading a really excellent X'mas gift from my mother, a book titled The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.

camera leather
2008.02.06, Tokyo

I got my third set of new leather from cameraleather.

parenting
2008.02.05, Tokyo

It's been a busy week.

I'm a dad
2008.01.27, Tokyo

I knew the day was coming, but it's still a staggering bit of news.

a prediction
2008.01.25, Tokyo

I've got a prediction.

D'oh!
2008.01.24, Tokyo

Oh, the things you see without a camera.

Tokyo is in tomorrow
2008.01.23, Tokyo

Today it snowed.

Japanese double speak
2008.01.20, Tokyo

It has recently come to my attention that there are considerably more double-words in Japanese than I'd previously known.

bizarre coding error
2008.01.19, Tokyo

This morning I've found a funny coding error in my script that creates this journal.

plastics
2008.01.17, Tokyo

My mother gave me a book for X'mas titled "The World Without Us".

novel, second cut
2008.01.14, Tokyo

I've sent a second cut of my novel to my agent.

smart kid
2008.01.12, Tokyo

Today I met a three-year-old named Reika who can read katakana and hiragana, the two basic syllabaries of the Japanese language.

black hole lens
2008.01.13, Tokyo

My friend, who's recently bought not one but two cameras, suggested today that a very small black hole should be use as a lens for photography.

buh-bye Pentax MX
2008.01.06, Tokyo

I did something today which I've only done twice before.

baby sling
2008.01.03, Tokyo

As part of our meager preparations for the arrival of Ken 4*, we've picked up a sling suitable for infants.

明けましておめでとうございます
2008.01.01, Tokyo

Happy New Year, everyone.

Merry X'mas
2007.12.25, Tokyo

My second "X'mas" in Japan.

pay day
2007.01.19, Tokyo

Today, by my careful calculation, my bicycle has paid for itself.

photo stats
2007.12.16, Tokyo

I've had quite a few hits to my site over the years.

baby stuff
2007.12.15, Tokyo

We're only a few weeks away from our baby's due date, now.

waist
2007.12.14, Tokyo

Think you're still in shape? Try getting into a seven-year-old pair of pants!.

Novel detour
2007.12.12, Tokyo

It's Mari's first day of maternity leave today.

"we love you"
2007.12.06, Tokyo

Today, not one but two people told me "we love you, Michael".

And now, a word from our sponsors...
2007.12.04, Tokyo

I've been working on a novel for several years.

The Yoda wedding
2007.12.02, Tokyo

Today we attended a wedding reception.

party night in Tokyo
2007.12.01, Tokyo

Today we attended an evening of entertainment w/ a variety of different styles.

east-end matsuri
2007.11.25, Tokyo

Today we attended a bit of a festival in the east end.

entry 1180
2007.11.28, Tokyo

A Japanese friend of mine bought a lens in total stealth mode.

my wife's getting bigger
2007.11.22, Tokyo

Heeeere comes aka-chan! This is my wife at 7.

some days....
2007.11.16, Tokyo

Recently, I was heading into the office for my 'normal' 09:00 (I fairly regularly start at 07:30 as well) and there was the usual crowd hanging around having a smoke.

bike accident
2007.11.15, Tokyo

It finally happened.

Shizuoka is warm
2007.11.11, Shizuoka

Shizuoka is two prefectures over from the greater Tokyo area.

more good luck from a bird
2007.11.08, Tokyo

Today I had a run of "good luck".

kekkonkinenbi desu
2007.11.07, Tokyo

A year ago today, we did this.

record year
2007.11.01, Tokyo

That was quick.

another goddamn headache
2007.10.22, Tokyo

If you've got migraines, I feel bad for you, son.

EDSの社人の飲み会
2007.10.19, Tokyo

I went to a reunion of former EDS people who had been stationed with the one client where I was on site when I arrived in Japan.

cycling in October
2007.10.15, Tokyo

The weather this autumn has been pretty lousy.

the kid is all right
2007.09.29, Tokyo

We went to the clinic again.

Goodbye, Toronto
2007.09.21, Toronto

And our last day is upon us, just like that.

shopping
2007.09.20, Toronto

I can't remember a day of such intense shopping running around.

packing by day, music by night
2007.09.19, Toronto

We spent the whole day sorting out the stuff in my storage unit.

back to the city
2007.09.18, Toronto

We headed into town first thing, and did some laundry.

Cruise day
2007.09.17, Victoria Harbour

We got a reasonably early start on the day, and went into town where we did a bit of shopping.

family day
2007.09.16, Victoria Harbour

We left the Falls this morning for St.

a long day
2007.09.15, Niagara Falls

My mum arrived this morning, and after the usual confusion with trying to reach Jonathan, Mari and I sped off to my aunt Laurie's place.

Mmmm, coffee
2007.09.14, Toronto

We found an amazing coffee place on Yonge street just south of Carlton.

Keg Redux
2007.09.13, Toronto

Tonight we all met with Charlie and Andrea and the Chako.

Bloor West Village is cool tonight
2007.09.12, Toronto

Flew into Toronto today, after leaving at some point that my watch says was three hours and my body says was 20ish.

new landlord
2007.09.09, Tokyo

In anticipation of the baby's arrival, we've been looking for a larger apartment.

Typhoon weather
2007.09.06, Tokyo

For the record, typhoon weather is fncking ridiculous.

My father-in-law's new camera
2007.09.03, Tokyo

My father-in-law's camera packed it in.

new lens
2007.09.02, Tokyo

Mari and I went for a check-up at the clinic again (they seem to be slated for every three or four weeks).

Thank you, Kate
2007.08.31, Tokyo

I had my session with my writing coach tonight.

another goddamn flat!?
2007.08.24, Tokyo

Tonight on the way home.

another flat
2007.08.23, Tokyo

Two weeks ago I was greeted had a flat tire while heading out to do some errands.

Another day, another d'ohnut
2007.08.22, Tokyo

This morning I got the report on my novel from the writing coach I hired.

$42 flash
2007.08.20, Tokyo

I'm feeling rather pleased with myself.

carving tools, rusty
2007.08.15, Tokyo

I learned a lesson about my new home town, today.

Tokyo at night
2007.08.12, Tokyo

With my handy Pentax *istDS, I took some long-exposure shots of the clouds passing over my neighbourhood in Tokyo.

RDL DVD's
2007.08.12, Tokyo

Today in a store in Gotanda I noticed these, which appear to be 8.

Tokyo is hot today
2007.08.11, Tokyo

今日　とても　あつっかた　です。　じてんｓひゃ　で　じてんｓひゃや　にいって　フォトァボ　に　いって　ぎんざ　に　いって　うち　に　かえぃました。　あつい　から　お水　ボテル　ふたつ　を　のみました。じてんしやの人　と　話しました。彼　は　いいました　３６C　です　－－　あたらし　さいしょう　たかい　ひ　です。よる　真理　ちやん　と　はなぶ　かいたい　行きました。 Today was ridiculously hot in the city.

What a day
2007.08.07, Tokyo

Today a cold I've been dodging for a couple of weeks finally caught up with me and I took the morning off to rest.

Tokyo big sights
2007.08.01, Tokyo

There's a place in Tokyo called "Tokyo Big Sight".

writing coach
2007.07.31, Tokyo

I've taken another step towards getting my novel completed.

my ring is back
2007.07.26, Tokyo

I picked up my ring, and it's like new!! I really don't understand how it happened, but not only are all of the gouges out but you can't even see any sign that the ring was ever worn.

the Japanese language is nuts
2007.07.25, Tokyo

They have a verb for this: "being given a thing to take care of (it)".

going up?
2007.07.24, Tokyo

At the office, the queues at the elevators are often a hundred people deep in the mornings.

singing in the market
2007.07.21, Tokyo

You want some funny stares in Japan? Sing along to the muzak version of Blondie's "Tide is High" in the supermarket.

a good day, all in all
2007.07.19, Tokyo

Things were interesting, today.

missing my wedding ring
2007.07.19, Tokyo

On the weekend I took my wedding ring to the shop where we bought it.

I'm back (again)
2007.07.18, Tokyo

Back online.

typhoon!
2007.07.14, Miyazaki

Today we endured the full blast of a tropical typhoon.

cycling in the rain
2007.07.10, Tokyo

A pedestrian wandered in front of me on a bridge, today.

I'm gunna be a dad
2007.06.04, Tokyo

Yes, it's one of those images you don't forget.

cycling through tsukiji
2007.05.23, Tokyo

On my route to work is a singular piece of real estate.

Taiwan is big on small motorcycles
2007.05.03, Taipei

We're in Taipei.

jobless in Tokyo
2007.01.31, Tokyo

Today I got a call from my boss.

結婚式をしました！
2006.11.07, Phuket

Today Mari and I had our little wedding ceremony on the beach.

Mari and I got married, today
2006.11.01, Tokyo

I took my girlfiend into the ward office today, and came out with a wife.

things are getting serious
2006.05.07, Tokyo

Things are moving quickly with my girl Mari.

tripped up
2006.04.20, Tokyo

Once again, my naïve nature has caught up with me.

watashi wa gaijin desu
2006.04.12, Tokyo

Today I applied for my very first gaijin card.

a recipe
2006.04.10, Tokyo

I have taken to making myself natto donburi every morning for breakfast.

Hiroshima
2006.03.25, Hiroshima

Today is my dad's birthday.

of drinks and knives
2006.03.12, Tokyo

I went to the office on Friday and learned that I'll be interviewing for my transfer to EDS Japan this coming Tuesday.

in praise of my girl
2006.03.10, Tokyo

Been thinking about everything that Mari's done for me during the exile crisis.

today I moved to Tokyo!
2006.03.08, Tokyo

I've taken the plunge, and among the newest residents in this city of 30+ million.

exiled from japan
2006.01.18, Nanaimo

I am in visa exile, ejected from Japan and staying at my mum's place in Nanaimo.

going offline for a while
2005.10.11, n/a

My camera stayed in Toronto because I've been getting less and less predictable results from the old manual body - I suspect that the exposure meter is shot.

Tokyo, again
2005.10.10, Tokyo

I'm back in Tokyo.

illness
2005.10.06, Vancouver

I have left Toronto for Tokyo, again.

rainy cycling
2005.09.26, Toronto

Today I got completely soaked cycling into work.

theatre
2005.09.26, Toronto

Tracey and I went to a small theatre in the King west area tonight and saw a really good show.

iggy sells out
2005.09.22, Toronto

Much to my dismay, I spotted Iggy Pop in a television commercial last night.

the accountant and the tsunami
2005.09.22, Toronto

I took my corporate income stuff in to an accountant tonight.

bomb threat?
2005.09.21, Toronto

Last night on my way home from work, I tried to spend the $50 gift certificate that Sears sent me to make up for the the air conditioning fiasco this summer (when they botched the installation).

socks
2005.09.20, Toronto

Today I am wearing one sock that is navy blue, and one sock that is black.

my actress cousin
2005.09.17, Toronto

Today for lunch I met with my actress cousin, Kate.

firefox browser
2005.09.10, the 'net

It seems that use of the Firefox browser by visitors to this web site has slowly leveled off at around eight percent (8%) of total traffic, according to the statistics I keep.

business travel
2005.09.09, Toronto

It turns out that my use of the laundry facilities at the hotel in Tokyo was not covered by the travel expense policy.

cycling mishap
2005.09.07, Toronto

Today I had a lousy commute to work.

cycle commute wonder
2005.09.06, Toronto

Today I resumed my usual route to work, cycling through Mount Pleasant Cemetery and down the Moore Park ravine and then along Bayview to Lake Shore Boulevard.

car rental hell
2005.09.02, Toronto

I'd been hanging on to the scratched rental car so that Tracey and I could get out of town for the weekend.

car rental gone awry
2005.08.31, Toronto

Today I took a day off of work in lieu for the 18 hours trek back from Tokyo.

cycling (not)
2005.09.03, Toronto

When I returned to Toronto, I took my bike in for a tune up because I'd noticed that it was acting a little "off" before I'd left for Tokyo.

gas and cars
2005.09.01, Toronto

Gasoline is selling for $1.

Toronto the green
2005.08.30, Toronto

After my time in Tokyo, I really notice just how lush and green Toronto is.

Toronto's subways
2005.09.01, Toronto

This may sound insane, but I think that Toronto's small subway system is actually more overloaded than Tokyo's.

comet Michael
2005.08.29, Toronto

I'mmmmmm back.

after the storm
2005.08.26, Tokyo

Once again, the air is at its clearest following a typhoon.

typhoon two
2005.08.25, Tokyo

I really am getting the full Tokyo experience.

a million times bitten...
2005.08.22, the

Some anonymous poster to my journal pointed out that the thing about Christopher Walken running for the Presidency of the US is a hoax.

what fun, another earthquake
2005.08.15, Tokyo

Today's earthquake one was by far the worst one I've yet experience, even though it wasn't the strongest.

hangover
2005.08.14, Tokyo

The non-hungover bit of today came in the afternoon when I prepared some documents for work.

hot and then not so hot
2005.08.13, Tokyo

Today was a blistering hot day.

two weeks to go
2005.08.12, Tokyo

Today I picked up my first-ever set of prints on CD.

truck lunch
2005.08.11, Tokyo

For lunch the other day, I had a curry lunch that was better than average.

mmmmm sushi
2005.08.10, Tokyo

I was walking home (through Panic crossing, though I remained calm (or as calm as I get, at any rate)) and I thought "where shall I eat dinner"* and thought of the small sushi place near my hotel.

morning photography
2005.08.10, Tokyo

I decided last night that I would finally get my act together and make the stop on the way to work that I've been thinking about for the past two weeks.

Kamakura
2005.08.07, Kamakura, Japan

Today I had my first visit to a Japanese shrine outside of the city, and my first to a site with a giant Buddha statue.

shake, rattle and snooze
2005.08.08, Tokyo

Ptth, earthquakes.

ho hum...
2005.08.06, Tokyo

Here's where you don't want to be when an earthquake strikes (even a small one).

Tokyo is hot tonight
2005.08.05, Tokyo

Today must have been the hottest I've experienced in the city, yet.

slow week
2005.08.04, Tokyo

So, another long day at an end.

long day
2005.08.01, Tokyo

With Jonathan's departure on Friday, today was the first day during which Shan and I were solely responsible for the upkeep of the systems at the client site.

novel work
2005.08.01, Tokyo

I completed the second part of the fourth draft of my novel, today.

fireworks
2005.07.30, Tokyo

As I write this, I'm sitting on the "limited express" train bound for Yokohama.

shopping in Japan
2005.07.29, Tokyo

Today I was shopping for souvenirs in Shibuya for the gang back home, and wandered into a department store.

plans
2005.07.28, Tokyo

Today at lunch I got one of those surprises where it turns out that coworkers have discovered my website.

another work-a-day earthquake, ho hum
2005.07.28, Tokyo

It is impossible to be blase about earthquakes.

Fujisan
2005.07.27, Tokyo

I never really realized how hazy it is, here, until this morning.

Typhoon
2005.07.25, Tokyo

I've had an earthquake.

shinjuku / manners
2005.07.24, Tokyo

I went for a trip through the "Shinjuku" part of town today.

Earthquake!
2005.07.23, Tokyo

I was sitting on a park bench today, watching the Japanese frolic in the tall grass and listening to the rock bands compete.

food
2005.07.22, Tokyo

I've started my day with the supposedly 'acquired taste' of natto, which is made of fermented soy beans.

the... horror
2005.07.21, Tokyo

It was only a matter of time.

life in Tokyo
2005.07.20, Tokyo

I've noticed a thing or two about Tokyo.

gay marriage
2005.07.20, Tokyo

So it seems Canadian homosexuals can marry.

fool!
2005.07.19, Tokyo

Well, I've outdone myself.

day 3 - expectations and surprises
2005.07.18, Tokyo

I've had a few of the experiences I was expecting in Tokyo.

hot day for getting lost
2005.07.18, Tokyo

I haven't been here long, but I've already seen a number of "Tokyo sights", like the old-fashioned small wooden houses, a girl wearing an informal version of a kimono, and drunken young fellow in a suit wearing his tie around his forehead in the prescribed fashion.

so this is Tokyo
2005.07.17, Tokyo

So I'm here.

new web host
2005.07.14, Toronto

I switched this website to a new web host, today.

what a day
2005.07.15, Toronto

I spent pretty much the entire day on the road, running around doing errands.

another weekend, another bear
2005.07.09, Haliburton highlands

Amazingly, we saw a bear on the cottage property this morning.

Tokyo
2005.07.13, Toronto

Okay, it's for real, I'm going to Tokyo.

elderly driving
2005.07.12, Toronto

At lunch time today, I saw something really horrible.

Tokyo (redux)
2005.07.11, Toronto

home again (again)
2005.07.10, Toronto

Drove the long trek back into the city under blistering heat.

skinny
2005.07.09, Haliburton highlands

Ah, nothing like bobbing naked in your own private stretch of stream.

...or not Tokyo
2005.07.07, Toronto

Now my employer says "maybe not so much" about Tokyo.

back at the cottage
2005.07.08, Haliburton highlands

Today I scooted a bit early and booted it back up to Haliburton to the cottage.

Tokyo
2005.07.05, Toronto

My employers seem to think they might need me to go to Tokyo for some weeks, starting real soon now.

home sweet Toronto
2005.07.05, Toronto

I had my first yelling-at while commuting, today.

short story contest
2005.06.30, Toronto

I entered a short story contest back in December.

home again, dag nabbit
2005.07.04, Toronto

As always, I had to come home again.

photography and the horse fly nation
2005.07.03, Haliburton highlands

I'd forgotten how much fun horse flies can be.

cottage life
2005.07.02, Haliburton highlands

We've settled into the cottage, and life is good.

going away!
2005.07.01, Toronto

Today we're heading off to the Haliburton "highlands".

cycling
2005.06.27, Toronto

I keep track of the hours I work in my own spread sheet at the office.

what a day
2005.06.28, Toronto

Today, I'm having "one of those days".

stories
2005.06.23, Toronto

Tonight we got together with a bunch of friends and family for Tracey's 33rd.

the ravine
2005.06.20, Toronto

Last week the ravine trail that is the most amazing part of my morning cycle commute was blocked off.

happy birthday Tracey
2005.06.22, Toronto

Tracey it's your birthday, happy birthday Tracey.

tug-of-war
2005.06.19, Toronto

Tracey and I went to her company 'family barbeque' at Toronto's harbour islands park.

heat sinking
2005.06.14, Toronto

I have learned something interesting about modern PC CPU cooling.

nightmarish downpour
2005.06.13, Toronto

I managed to get completely soaked in a titanic thunderstorm on my cycle commute this afternoon.

broken justice in north america
2005.06.13, Toronto

So it seems that Karla Homolka, scourge of St.

fedora core 3 and me
2005.06.14, Toronto

On Saturday I installed "FC3" on my PC, as noted in this journal.

dual-boot
2005.06.11, Toronto

Once again I have a dual boot PC at home.

hot and bothersome
2005.06.08, Toronto

I spent half the night sleeping on the balcony last night.

my office has showers and a bike room
2005.06.06, Toronto

Did I mention that my office has a bike room where you can lock up your commuter vehicle? And showers to wash the "new normal" Southern Ontario summer air from you? It does.

what a day
2005.06.04, Toronto

Ah, bitter irony.

overdoing it
2005.06.03, Toronto

I went to the shop where I bought my bike (about 3.

celebratory gorging
2005.06.01, Toronto

Today Andrea got the job offer she wanted, so the four of us went out to the Walker Hill Korean BBQ in Richmond Hill.

novel 4.25
2005.05.31, Toronto

Last night I finished entering the first quarter of my novel's fourth draft.

considerate and informative virus
2005.05.30, Toronto

Today a virus taught me what to do if I'm having a heart attack alone (the answer is to draw deep breaths and to cough).

rocket dryer
2005.05.28, Toronto

Tonight we went out for Geoff C's birthday.

geoff and mariko
2005.05.29, Toronto

After a day spent with a headache, today I managed to get mobile in time for our having Geoff and Mariko over for dinner.

commuting... quickly
2005.05.26, Toronto

Lately, I've been reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and was doing so this morning.

registering my bike
2005.05.22, Toronto

I've registered my bike with the police.

more exercising
2005.05.21, Toronto

Now that I'm getting the hang of being on a bike again, I've decided that I can spend a buck or two and get some exercise equipment for the home.

pizza!
2005.05.20, Toronto

Tonight I had pizza in a restaurant for the first time since January of 1998.

Tracey in the park
2005.05.23, Toronto

Today, after the usual money-spending-spree, Tracey and I took a blanket and sat in the park to read.

return of the novel
2005.05.24, Toronto

I managed to spend two solid hours on my novel, today.

more cyclin'
2005.05.19, Toronto

Today I took the plunge and zoomed down the mud creek / Moore Park ravine on my commute to work.

birthday for Sailor Yoon
2005.05.18, Toronto

For Charlie's birthday we had dinner at a really good 'pan-asian' place on Eglinton St.

cycling to work
2005.05.18, Toronto

And today I cycled to work for the first time.

new bike
2005.05.16, Toronto

I picked up my new bike this evening, after having it loaded down with mud flaps and panniers and lights.

lunch with the deaf
2005.05.13, Toronto

Today I had an unusual experience.

the new shampoo
2005.05.15, Toronto

About a month ago, Tracey got her hair coloured, and it's a lot more blonde now.

more shopping
2005.05.15, Toronto

One thing after getting a job after months of part-time contracting - you have much to shop for.

shopping
2005.05.14, Toronto

Today I picked up an MP3 player for Tracey.

new grill
2005.05.14, Toronto

When Jon left for Tokyo last weekend, he left a small thank you note and a gift certificate for "Williams Sonoma", a store I'd only ever set foot in once or twice before.

Dr. Suzuki
2005.05.11, Toronto

Tonight I attended a speech at the AGO by Dr.

shoes
2005.05.10, Toronto

The shoes I bought on Sunday for the office are proving to be revolutionary.

'summer' cold
2005.05.07, Toronto

I have a cold! After an entirely healthy Winter, I am now weighed down with a sore throat and head and a runny nose.

Jon is gone
2005.05.08, Toronto

Jon left this morning at 5:30 to return to Tokyo.

absinthe
2005.04.30, Toronto

We met at the Paddock tonight for drinks.

employed again
2005.05.06, Toronto

So, it seems I have a job, once again.

dinner with the Macleods
2005.05.04, Toronto

Tonight Jon and I went to Gord's place for dinner.

new watch
2005.05.03, Toronto

Today I decided to splurge, a bit.

Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2005.04.29, Toronto

Jon and I went to see the movie incarnation of HG2G today.

arm wrestlin'
2005.04.28, Toronto

Much to my amazement, I got into an arm wrestling match this evening at a bar.

the old Firm
2005.04.26, Toronto

I've come across this.

interview
2005.04.27, Toronto

Another Wednesday, another interview.

house guest
2005.04.27, Toronto

Jon arrived tonight.

job searching....
2005.04.25, Toronto

As I was climbing out of the shower this morning, my cell phone rang.

VoIP no more
2005.04.20, Toronto

After weeks of frustrating dead calls*, weird audio effects, interruptions to our network service, and voice quality that is considerably poorer than even Skype can manager, we've decided to pull the metaphoric plug on the Primus VoIP phone service we've been using at home, and are going back to .

parking patrol
2005.04.21, Toronto

Today while donating some old clothing at one of those collection boxes, I happened upon a parking enforcement fellow catching shit from a trio of rich-bitches that he'd just ticketed.

politicians
2005.04.21, Toronto

Tonight our Prime Minister did a Presidential thing, and addressed the populace through a direct, televised statement.

a fine day (to be hit on)
2005.04.18, Toronto

Today, the weather was simply awesome.

a death
2005.04.16, Toronto

Today I got word that one of my best friends from my high school days drowned in a diving mishap.

weather
2005.04.12, Toronto

For once, the weather has been stunning for several days in a row.

never do this
2005.04.11, Toronto

Today I learned how NOT to clean your television.

moving right along...
2005.04.11, Toronto

Today I managed to secure an interview at a third bank that had expressed interest last week.

job snafu
2005.04.08, Toronto

Well, I've once again managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

sunburnt
2005.04.10, Toronto

After the long crappy dark winter we've had, we've just had three days of sunshine.

church-goin'
2005.04.10, Toronto

Today I attended my first Church thing (I think it was called Mass).

Sleeuw is coming
2005.04.05, Toronto

My good friend Jonathan has announced that he's coming down for a visit later in the month.

big sand box
2005.04.03, Toronto

Kids today have such cool stuff to play with.

two jobs, what to do
2005.04.07, Toronto

As expected, I now have two job offers to contend with.

job offer
2005.04.06, Toronto

Out of left field, I had an unexpected job offer, today.

snow
2005.04.02, Toronto

Well, Spring was nice.

new battery
2005.04.01, Toronto

A couple of weeks ago, after discovering my minidisc player in among the old camera gear I no longer use, I decided to order a new battery.

PC is back
2005.03.31, Toronto

So, my PC is sorted out.

a job offer
2005.03.30, Toronto

I may have a job offer in the works.

frantic PC repairs
2005.03.30, Toronto

My work search is at a halt without a PC, so I made it a priority to get my PC back in shape.

Spring has sprung
2005.03.30, Toronto

This afternoon, I went for a good walk.

accidental stalker
2005.03.23, Toronto

Today I got into one of those unfortunate urban circumstances that happens (and gets made into short movies).

hole in the heart
2005.03.23, Toronto

I went to get my heart checked for a hole between the two halves.

old job search
2005.03.11, Toronto

I had an insight today into how communications styles have changed in the business world in the past decade.

brazilian dinner
2005.03.15, Toronto

Tonight we went to a Brazilian restaurant called the Red Violin.

martha stewart is bad ass
2005.03.14, Toronto

Martha Stewart is out of prison, and it turns out that her "net worth" has doubled compared to where it was before 'she went in'.

slavery
2005.03.09, Toronto

Today I found a disgusting article on the Economist.

age and weight gain
2005.03.07, Toronto

Thanks to the chaos of the move, I'm wearing jeans that are six years old today.

weather
2005.03.05, Toronto

We've had a spell of awesome weather.

tasting room
2005.02.06, Toronto

Today I noticed that the tasting room at the excellent Summerhill LCBO has been dismantled, and a coffee shop has been built in its place.

busy day
2005.03.04, Toronto

As of 15:00, this is what I've done today: 1) called the CIBC and bitched about the charge on my transfer of funds between my credit card and my chequing account - they refunded the $2.

naked by the light of the...monitor
2005.03.03, Toronto

I will start this story by saying that I have an optical computer mouse, which uses a light to determine the mouse's position and how it is being moved.

moved in
2005.03.01, Toronto

We're in the new place.

moving
2005.02.27, Toronto

We move on Tuesday.

autoshow
2005.02.22, Toronto

Today I went to the auto show that's in progress.

lousy drivers
2005.02.22, Toronto

Yesterday I helped a driver out of a snowbank.

travelling without camera
2005.02.21, Toronto

I did it again.

goodbye, uncle Duke
2005.02.21, Toronto

So Hunter S.

NHL (again)
2005.02.20, Toronto

The NHL debacle has reached the point of farce.

movie going
2005.02.19, Toronto

Tonight we went to see "Vera Drake" at the Regent cinema on Mt.

(bang)
2005.02.16, Toronto

I am getting old.

the wealthy die, too
2005.02.16, Toronto

Today I was passed by a limo-studded funeral procession on Eglinton St that had a substantial police escort.

grey lady down
2005.02.12, Toronto

Today I helped Geoff put together a new network at home because he needed to add a laptop from work to his workspace at home.

blood
2005.02.11, Toronto

Today, for the first time in a very long time (and I mean it's likely been 12+ years at a minimum) I gave blood.

winter in the city
2005.02.08, Toronto

I think she feels the way I do.

music
2005.02.03, Toronto

Here are some things I've been listening to, of late.

fourth draft, complete
2005.02.02, Toronto

It took nearly two years, but my fourth draft (third edit, however you want to see it) of my novel is complete.

Saturday night in Windsor
2005.01.29, Windsor

This evening, after a day spent visiting with Tracey's grandmother and aunt, we all went to see Hotel Rwanda.

visiting with 'gram'
2005.01.29, Windsor

Let me tell you about the rental car we have.

eglinton and jane
2005.02.01, Toronto

Part of my long daily commute is a stretch of Eglinton St to the east of Jane St that passes in and out of a meandering valley.

internic
2005.01.28, Toronto

I started dealing with "the Internic" (now 'Network Solutions') about ten years ago when I had to take care of the internet domain of my employer.

TTC chance occurrences
2005.01.26, Toronto

Tonight on the way home from work, I spotted my second cousin Anne on the Bay subway station platform.

a fine day
2005.01.21, Toronto

Today I had a rather good day, aside from Tracey's big thing about getting the new job.

the NHL
2005.01.26, Toronto

I see the NHL is back in the news.

on the clock
2005.01.25, Toronto

I'm at Bell Mobility doing a spot of contracting, again.

a new beginning for TKM
2005.01.21, Toronto

Finally I can tell the story: Tracey landed a new job, yesterday.

lifestyle television and the new sermon
2005.01.08, Toronto

I've decided that lifestyle televion shows have taken the place in modern society once occupied by the weekly sermon in Church.

noisy fans
2005.01.20, Toronto

No doubt about it - the new fans I've added to my PC are hell of loud.

my late grandmother and the length of days
2005.01.18, Toronto

Today would have been the 87th birthday of my late "Oma".

a good day
2005.01.19, Toronto

Today was a good one.

SEA program
2005.01.14, Toronto

I've decided not to pursue the self-employment program with the HRSDC.

getting batty
2005.01.17, Toronto

Just now, after eating, I announced "so hungry!" when I meant to say, "so stuffed!" I immediately corrected myself.

movie experience
2005.01.13, Toronto

Today, we had an interesting movie experience.

headhunting
2005.01.11, Toronto

I met with another headhunter, today.

awash in the dead
2005.01.07, Toronto

Sometimes I regret not being right.

weather and pain
2005.01.06, Toronto

Big snowstorm today.

my baby brother
2005.01.05, Toronto

Ken is here! We've got him camped out on a double-thick air mattress that I picked up at Canadian Tire this afternoon (after considerable time on hold while phoning around, I discovered it at the third store I tried).

'home'
2004.12.22, Toronto

I met with Anluan tonight at the Artful Dodger - a pub I haven't been to since I lived in the neighbourhood some nine years ago.

resolve
2005.01.01, Toronto

My resolutions are made for the year.

Laurie's for Xmas
2004.12.25, Toronto

Today Tracey and I went to Laurie's place for Xmas dinner.

story submitted
2004.12.24, Toronto

I did it.

Chako and Charkow
2004.12.30, Toronto

Tonight we had the Chako and Geoff Charkow over for dinner.

another year is over
2004.12.31, Toronto

Ah, 2004, I barely new you.

sometimes, I hate being right
2004.12.28, Toronto

When the news of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean first came out, and they were talking about a death toll of 3500, I said to Tracey, "These things are never this simple.

tempur mattress
2004.12.26, Toronto

Tracey bought me a tempur mattress cover and pillow for Xmas.

assault and punishment
2004.12.23, Toronto

So, once again it seems that you can get away with anything if you're a celebrity.

out of touch
2004.12.18, Toronto

Today I got a taste for how much I've aged.

solstace
2004.12.21, Toronto

Well, the solstace is finally here.

toronto is cold tonight
2004.12.20, Toronto

It's -22oC tonight, and was damn cold all day.

PL/SQL
2004.12.17, Toronto

I met with Sailor Yoon and the girlfriend for a drink or two, this evening, and was interrupted at one point by a bizarre phone call.

new apartment
2004.12.16, Toronto

Looks like we have a new apartment, for March 1.

naggin suspicion confirmed
2004.12.10, Toronto

Today I discovered something that I'd been half expecting for some time, now.

unchili
2004.12.09, Toronto

I'm really not at my best at this time of year, I suspect.

puzzles
2004.12.08, Toronto

The subway system has these puzzles that they put up to attract attention to their "What's On?" series of guides to the city.

I'm gonna drink beer!
2004.12.12, Toronto

Today I was in the liquor store, having a look for some beer for the women at tonight's little get together (we men seem to be whisk(e)y drinkers.

goobye Bell Canada
2004.12.05, Toronto

Three weeks ago, our home phone line was switched from Bell to Primus.

weather
2004.12.06, Toronto

If Toronto in November is the most depressing place on Earth, Toronto in December can be one of the most aggravating.

program applied
2004.12.07, Toronto

I've done it.

dundas square
2004.11.20, Toronto

They really are going nuts with 'developing' Dundas Square in Toronto.

caffeine
2004.12.03, Toronto

I think I've found the key to quitting caffeine.

the new plan
2004.12.01, Toronto

I spent the afternoon at the old Metro town hall.

the old gang
2004.11.26, Toronto

Tonight I met with the old gang from my time at Star Data.

goodbye caffeine
2004.11.30, Toronto

Today.

xmas nears
2004.11.28, Toronto

Ah, the Xmas season.

"across the road"
2004.11.27, Toronto

Tonight, Tracey and I had a really fine evening out.

a friend in Ukraine
2004.11.25, Toronto

I sent an email to a couple of friends from the Ukraine, and it turns out that one of them happens to be back in the 'old country' at the moment.

the situation in Ukraine
2004.11.24, Toronto

I find it interesting that "the West" is so quick to jump into the action in the ongoing Ukrainian situation.

my dinner with Jonathan
2004.11.22, Toronto

Tonight I met with my old friend Jonathan Culp and a number of his activist/media friends at a really good vegetarian "Pan-Asian" place called Bo De Duyen on Spadina Ave.

arrrrrgoooos
2004.11.21, Toronto

Watched the Grey Cup at a bar on Yonge Street called Elsewhere's tonight.

gym goin'
2004.11.19, Toronto

Tracey has begun a regimen of exercise lately.

chick flick
2004.11.20, Toronto

Saw a hard-core chick-flick today.

shorn
2004.11.21, Toronto

A shave, a haircut, and this is me.

so nothing's changed in Calgary
2004.11.17, Toronto

too brown for Calgary schoolyardsTwo 20-year-olds in Calgary were convicted of beating and urinating on a first-nations fellow who they - and three under-age friends - found sleeping on the streets.

the "greatest Canadian" is cooked
2004.11.15, Toronto

I had a look at the standings for the greatest Canadian 'competition' that the CBC is putting on.

succor for those in need
2004.11.12, Toronto

Today a 'homeless' fellow on the street barked at me for some help.

my perfect cousin
2004.11.11, Toronto

Today I meet with Kate, my cousin (not to be confused with my g/f Kate*).

the return of Blake
2004.11.09, Toronto

Earlier this week I was contacted by a former colleague from my days in Australia.

job lead fizzles
2004.11.10, Toronto

I didn't get the job I was up for.

remembrance day
2004.11.11, Toronto

So I didn't get to the Remembrance Day ceremony downtown this morning.

ill
2004.11.10, Toronto

I've got a cold.

remembering
2004.11.08, Toronto

Today I found an article on canoe.

people on the street can be pretty lame
2004.10.29, Toronto

Today as I was wandering about the city looking for a place for Charlie and Andrea, I passed a rather dishevelled individual on the sidewalk.

Revenge of the Sith
2004.11.07, the

So the first trailer for the sixth Star Wars movie is in the cinemas.

genius of love
2004.11.08, Toronto

I don't know who this guy was, but he could sure play some fine blues on the harmonica, which he had hooked up to an amp.

Bush and the Americans
2004.11.04, Toronto

I've had a complete change of heart since Bush won his re-election.

let it snow, let it snow.... oh God
2004.11.05, Toronto

It's snowing, and heavily.

looking for a home that's not for me
2004.10.28, Toronto

I had a look at some apartments for Charlie and Andrea, today.

the plot coagulates
2004.11.02, Toronto

I think I'm going to have to call this my "year of the dog".

new business and calling cards
2004.11.02, Toronto

Today I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Dog owner
2004.11.01, Toronto

Tonight I ran into the owners of the Doberman pincer that I watched attack two women and their dogs last Tuesday.

how to destroy a rug
2004.10.27, Toronto

Today I invented a new method of destroying a rug.

dog attack
2004.10.26, Toronto

What a fncking day this was.

interviewing
2004.10.25, Toronto

I went to an interview today with an outfit that needs to augment their consulting business.

apartments
2004.10.25, Toronto

I've been asked to have a look around for apartments for Charlie and Andrea, who will be moving here.

odd dream
2004.10.26, Toronto

I had a dream last night that a ne'er-do-well buddy and I stole a cement mixer or dumptruck or something.

Minolta, back from the brink
2004.10.23, Toronto

Today, while waiting for a postponed haircut appointment, I walked into a camera store.

Bell Mobility is big leggy
2004.10.19, Toronto

Today was my last day on the job at Bell Mobility.

the commuting unconscious
2004.10.12, Toronto

I've been taking the bus a lot of late, getting out to the site of the job I'm at for the moment.

CFL, w'hoo!
2004.10.11, Toronto

Today Tracey and I went to a CFL game with Scott and Carlos - a Mexican teenager who is staying with Scott and Sue out in Oakville.

em double-u net
2004.10.10, Toronto

I've finally got a new domain up and running.

Back to the cottage
2004.09.25, Midland

Mum is here for Yvonne's 75th birthday party.

the Toronto job market
2004.09.20, Toronto

The job market is heating up in Toronto, it seems.

IKEA, Swedish for 'slow death'
2004.09.18, Toronto

Today, we went to IKEA for a wardrobe for the bedroom and a sofa for the living room.

of bulbs and blinds
2004.09.14, Toronto

I didn't think that the first thing I'd be doing when I got back to civilization would be to buy some lilght bulbs and blinds, but that's exactly what I'm doing.

Home again, home again
2004.09.12, Vancouver

Diggity-dig.

Spiderhouse!
2004.09.08, Vancouver

Ken and Heidi have a home that's in the (surprisingly sunny) basement of a place in West Vancouver.

visiting with family
2004.09.03, Vancouver

I'm in Vancouver! The place is pretty much as I left it.

Whew!
2004.09.02, Halifax

There are some things, even quite trivial things, that can bring about a sense of accomplishment.

oil slick, adrift
2004.07.15, Halifax

Today I saw something amazing.

dog plays fetch with dog
2004.07.11, Halifax

The view from my apartmemt includes the commons in "downtown" Halifax.

headhunter feed bag
2004.07.08, Halifax

So I was dragged to this little function that a head-hunter put on last night.

big street grin
2004.07.07, Halifax

I said "Good morning" to a dis-shevelled woman on a street corner this morning (not the same one I'd run into a few days before who pointed out my failings as a saviour).

Keane's flip-flop
2004.07.06, Halifax

Keane seems to have changed their mind about the transfer to Toronto.

of back strain and mustaches
2004.07.05, Halifax

Today we were scheduled to go down to Bridgewater to see uncle Horst and aunt Barbara.

Korean-style Greek
2004.07.04, Halifax

This evening Tracey and I went over to Charlie's place where he and Andrea made a beautiful

emuu.net
opinions and images by m. werneburg since 1998
adventures · creations · articles · photo · journal · about me

journal of m. werneburg oh great, it's yakudoshi 2012.01.27, Toronto I'm now carrying a Japanese good luck symbol around, because I'm soon to turn 41, and in Japan that's very bad news. catching a streetcar 2012.01.25, Toronto I've been meaning to record a strange event from about two weeks ago: I caught a streetcar by catching up to it on foot. autumn in Ontario 2012.01.26, Toronto Shooting film, it's not unusual for me to be editing photos from the season prior. amazon's support is everything they say it is 2012.01.24, Toronto The bottom of my Kindle developed a problem where the USB port wasn't seated properly; I called Amazon and they sent me a new one. 新年快樂 2012.01.22, Toronto We went to the home of some friends to celebrate the Chinese new year this afternoon. Linda Penwarden Jewellery 2012.01.21, Toronto For Christmas, I bought my wife a pearl bracelet that she really loves. PMP course progressing 2012.01.21, Toronto I had my third class in the PMP course today. what is our currency 2012.01.21, Toronto Today I came across an interesting explanation of what our currency holdings really are. Mari's health card is here! 2012.01.16, Toronto After a year and two weeks in the country, Mari's health insurance card arrived today, and will be active on the 20th. back to the museum 2012.01.15, Toronto It was a sunny gorgeous day, today; naturally, I took Kenny to the museum. socializing again .. where will this end! 2012.01.14, Toronto My cousin Kate the actress and her fiancé invited us to a party to celebrate four things: 1) his birthday 2) her birthday 3) the new year 4) their engagement Amazing, Mari found a card suited the occasion. ...and even sicker 2012.01.12, Toronto I went back to work yesterday thinking that all was better -- nope! Today was even worse: a higher fever joined by a strong lassitude. ugh, sick and feverish 2012.01.10, Toronto My first cold of the year, and I'm dizzy with fever. skating with my family 2012.01.08, Toronto Mari's pregnant and can't go out on the ice, and I never learned to skate, but today we took Kenny skating. what's this .. socializing? 2012.01.06, Toronto Tonight we met for a potluck dinner with some friends, and friends of theirs. back online 2012.01.03, Toronto We've been without home Internet service since the morning of December 23. new year starts off right 2012.01.02, Toronto Last night we went to a great Indian restqurant in the Beaches called Delhi Cafe. welcome 2012 2012.01.01, Toronto I'm looking forward to 2012, and hopefully a break from the themes of tedium and toil that marked 2011. must be back in Toronto 2011.12.28, Toronto I can tell I'm back in the city of Toronto: I made a comment to a woman on an elevator and she completely ignored me. Santa has been! 2011.12.25, St. Catharines Kenny's not an early riser, and even the prospect of seeing Santa (or at least new presents) wasn't enough to get him up before nine! But after that, it was an orgy of gift opening. X'mas eve in Niagara 2011.12.24, St. Catharines We've spent the day in St Catharines at "Grandma's", where a lucky little boy opened some presents. the fastest drive across the city .. ever 2011.12.23, St. Catharines Somehow, today turned out to be the fastest drive I've ever made across the city. taking care of my health 2011.12.22, Toronto Turns out that I'm actually doing something right for my health. teetering on the edge of a migraine 2011.12.21, Toronto I woke up early with a migraine this morning and couldn't shake it - it was getting progressively worse when I tried a desperate cure. the audit is in the bag 2011.12.21, Toronto Our auditors just provided their favourable Section 5970 report on our hosted software solution. flooded facebook again 2011.12.21, Toronto I've hooked up my RSS feed to Facebook again, and managed to once again spam everyone there who knows me. it's a girl 2011.12.20, Toronto Mari's been to the ultrasound; the technician says it's 70% likely that our next child will be a girl. hit by a car, today 2011.12.20, Toronto If I'm ever going to be again struck by a minivan while cycling, then let it be today's type of low-speed impact. last minute shopping for X'mas 2011.12.19, Toronto What do you get for the loving wonderful wife who has everything, when you're X'mas shopping at the last minute? Something from the Internet. X'mas at the distillery district 2011.12.16, Toronto Tonight we met Geoff and Mariko-san at the distillery district to take in the X'mas do that they're hosting. piece of shit, indeed 2011.12.15, Toronto A pirate who sits in our parliament stirred some feathers when he mistook a dessicated Conservative fossil for faeces. rss can be dang finicky 2011.12.13, Toronto It looks like my website's updates aren't getting to Facebook or Twitter again. one small step for a man, one giant leap for an audit 2011.12.12, Toronto The denouement is now done - we've negotiated a final draft of the audit report. finished my class, got an 86% 2011.12.10, Toronto Since I graduated from University for the last time, back in 1994, I haven't been back until this year. the boy loves snow 2011.12.09, Toronto Kenny was literally out the door earlier than I was this morning. what could go wrong, did go wrong 2011.12.08, Toronto Four blocks from the office, the rear tire on my bike went flat. goodbye, uncle Ken 2011.12.07, Toronto Uncle Ken was in North York today, working with clients - a visit to the Beaches was the last thing on his mind. so much studying, so little time 2011.12.06, Toronto I'm not entirely sure what possessed me to go back to University at this stage in my life. uncle Ken is at my house, my house 2011.12.05, Toronto After work, I met with my brother Ken and headed to the Beaches for a dinner with the family. rare family gathering 2011.12.04, St. Catharines Today, as my mum pointed out, all of her surviving immediate family was seated at a table together. perfecting LCD Soundsystem 2011.12.03, St. Catharines It seems that simply knowing a single line from the song wasn't enough for the boy; he's now learned three or four lines. the phantom lunch 2011.12.02, Toronto An old friend missed a lunch today because his employer's email system badly delayed his inbound mail. my first X'mas party in four years 2011.12.01, Toronto I attended my first company X'mas party since 2007, tonight. the boy likes LCD Soundsystem 2011.11.30, Toronto My son likes LCD Soundsystem; I couldn't be prouder. 30 minute no-show? gotta be the TTC 2011.11.29, Toronto It was raining pretty steadily this morning, so I decided to take the streetcar to work; stupid move. entered a photo contest 2011.11.27, Toronto It wasn't good enough for "1x dot com", but I've submitted a favourite pic to the "Exposure" photo contest by "Artists Wanted". facebook gets japanese 2011.11.26, Toronto When I lived in Japan, none of my Japanese friends and coworkers were using Facebook. Acer, back from the dead 2011.11.25, Toronto My beloved 2005 Acer laptop died this evening - the optical drive was making funny noises; when I popped it out and in, the system died. cheated in love 2011.11.25, Toronto Today Kenny wounded me grievously. too dark, too soon 2011.11.24, Toronto I'd forgotten what it's like, living in this city in the Winter - it gets dark so soon! The other day I had lunch with one of Toronto's millions of foreigners. new photos for Kenny's website (at last) 2011.11.23, Toronto The now private website on which we're documenting our son's life has finally been updated with some pics from this Summer and Autumn. Acer Iconia 6886 2011.11.22, Toronto In my Marketing class, we've been asked to evaluate a product from humble PC manufacturer Acer. growing up to be Daddy 2011.11.21, Toronto So it turns out that I, too, as a three year old, told my mother that I wanted to grow up to be like Daddy. santa clause parade 2011.11.20, Toronto Today a stranger threw something at me on the street; I picked up the small piece of plastic and put it in my mouth. new pannier 2011.11.19, Toronto I've finally replaced the panniers I bought in 2005; rather than get two of the slim ones as I've been using, I bought a single fat one. cycling in the snow 2011.11.18, Toronto It's gotten cold early this year, or anyway colder by far than it was last year at this time. total debt by country - 2011 2011.11.17, Toronto Now for a bit of good news about the world's largest economies; just kidding. let the system burn, we need a new one 2011.11.17, Toronto Our economy and civilization is clearly going through some kind of evolutionary period right now. unexpected windfall for cycle commuters 2011.11.17, Toronto I cycle to work, where I have a consulting contract with a client; it turns out that this allows me to discount my cycling costs. week of TTC cancelled 2011.11.16, Toronto I couldn't make it work - a week of transit was just too much for me. week of TTC (day two) 2011.11.15, Toronto Today's driver actually said, "This is my streetcar!" A fellow had entered the streetcar by the back door - a move that's acceptable by policy that is posted at every entrance to every street car on the Queen Street line. week of TTC (day one) 2011.11.14, Toronto My backlog of reading is so severe that I'm taking transit this week instead of riding my bike; today the driver was a "ringer". ammonia spike 2011.11.13, Toronto It seems that the last time I went about uprooting all the gravel in the tank I may have upset the aquarium's nitrogen cycle. Kenny and me on TV 2011.11.13, Toronto I've found the twenty-second clip of Kenny and me that appeared on the news on Saturday night. toronto's new streetcars 2011.11.12, Toronto We went to see the open house for Toronto's new streetcars. remembrance day 2011.11.11, Toronto I managed to remember a moment of silence, today, but that was as far as any observance went; I wish this was a national holiday. perspective and the electricity bill 2011.11.10, Toronto I was fretting that our electricity bill is rarely south of $50 for a month; then Mari reminded me that in Tokyo we paid $100 a month! Happily, it turns out that we can write off a portion of that bill, as we're using about 20% of our apartment for office space. spread too thin 2011.11.09, Toronto There's a chance that I've spread myself too thinly this Autumn; I'm passing out before Kenny does in the evening, then waking at 5. now with advertisements 2011.11.08, Toronto I've added some new advertisements to emuu. okay, Reichmann, okay 2011.11.07, Toronto Yeah yeah yeah, I'm not listening a blah blah blah, can't afford a camera now, not going to look (again). it's tax time—more belt tightening 2011.11.06, Toronto I'm an independent IT contractor, and I bill my current client through my incorporated business. another book of photos 2011.11.05, Toronto At each Christmas since Kenny was born, I've been making photo books to commemorate his year. spotted! 2011.11.04, Toronto The boss fella spotted me on the way to work today; apparently I zipped by his car on my bike. "thanks for the lift" 2011.11.03, Toronto The elevators were on the blink today at the office, and the security guard was manually making them work with a key. the new austerity program .. in our house 2011.11.02, Toronto With a second child on the way and no health insurance for my wife, we're going to have some bills. five year anniversary 2011.11.01, Toronto It's been five years with my darling Mari-chan: today was the anniversary of the paperwork at the Minato city hall. one year, already! 2011.10.31, Toronto Tomorrow will be the anniversary of my return to Toronto from Canada; at the time I had no job or home, and was alone. you can call me vegeburger 2011.10.30, Toronto I got another funny wrong name today; my computer's spell check thinks my name should be "Vegeburger". farewall middle class, we barely knew ye 2011.10.30, Toronto Been watching some interesting vids of late, that talk about what's going on in our society and why. didn't bomb the exam after all 2011.10.29, Toronto So it turns out that I got the highest mark in the class on Thursday's exam. Anonymous and Shakespeare 2011.10.28, Toronto I met my friends Geoff and Mariko-san and two of their friends in seeing the movie "Anonymous" tonight. the only Jew on Duncan street 2011.10.28, Toronto Today, the "only Jew on Duncan street" came to our rescue. bombed an exam 2011.10.27, Toronto I never, ever know what to expect from exams when I've completed them, but being the first student to leave the room can't be good. my first $1 US coin 2011.10.26, Toronto Today I noticed a funny looking loony in my carry-around change; turns out it was a $1 coin from the US. I saw a fox on my street, today 2011.10.25, Toronto I had a special treat today; I saw a fox on our street, a beautiful thing with luscious fur and a calm bearing. my year of bad luck 2011.10.24, Toronto So it turns out that I'm in the middle of a two year run of "bad luck", according to Japanese lore. kenny's first jack-o-lantern 2011.10.23, Toronto When we lived in Tokyo, we never made a Jack O' Lantern for Kenny; who would, when pumpkins cost $50! But we've made one this year (woohoo, $3 Niagara pumpkins!), a smiling fellow with a single buck tooth and happy eyes. manufacturer links to its retailers—at last! 2011.10.23, Toronto You know, this is such a no-brainer that it really shouldn't have come as a (pleasant) surprise. small town in a big city 2011.10.21, Toronto Toronto has always had a certain anonymity to it, once you're away from certain niche populations. mari is a permanent resident 2011.10.20, Toronto Today we went to the border crossing at Niagara Falls and "flagpoled"; Mari is now a permanent resident of Canada. free photo book for the iPad 2011.10.20, Toronto You can now download my photo book for the iPad; and for a short time, it's free. mari's passport is (almost) in hand 2011.10.19, Toronto It turns out that we've been waiting for a passport that's been with the local post office for a week! We sent our passport back to the visa office in Tokyo on September 26. why Acer should quit the PC business 2011.10.18, Toronto An assignment in my Marketing course: advise Acer on whether to buy the Hewlett Packard PC division. a big project, winding down 2011.10.17, Toronto I spent the entire day today working on a single document for the audit; pushing paperwork is basically my entire job now. one face, many ethnicities 2011.10.15, Toronto The fellow who sold me my aquarium today guessed that I was of "East European" origin; specifically, he thought maybe Serbian or Czech. the fish swap (and aquarium creep) 2011.10.15, Toronto Today I took our thirteen-year-old clown loach to the pet store in exchange for some smaller fish. iPads with keyboards 2011.10.12, Toronto In the course I'm taking, I've been watching for signs of iPad use among the ~20 year old students that make up the majority. the TTC strikes again 2011.10.11, Toronto It was raining pretty heavily tonight after work, and rain seems to cause delays with the streetcar. a bully no more 2011.10.11, Toronto I've taken steps to remove a bully that's been plaguing our lives recently. a heated holiday 2011.10.10, St. Catharines We set off for Short Hills provincial park just after lunch today, but never made it. and now for a feast 2011.10.09, Oakville I can't recall having had too many feasts prepared by a lawyer-in-waiting, but that's what happened today. "what a great day" 2011.10.08, St. Catharines "Canada is a great country," my wife said, as we hiked through the changing autumn colours. indian summer 2011.10.07, St. Catharines It's well over 20ºC, where a week before it was 8ºC—this year's weather has been crazier than ever. everyone hates charities on the street 2011.10.06, Toronto So it turns out that I'm not alone in tiring of those people who pester you on the street in the name of charities. an eight month audit comes to a close 2011.10.05, Toronto We wrapped up the audit today, an eight month project that's now succeeded. we're having a second child 2011.10.05, Toronto Mari went to an ultrasound clinic today, and it seems that she's carrying a healthy and stable fetus. touring the changing colours 2011.10.03, Toronto We hopped into our rental car and drove to Bala today on a tour of the autumn colours. a visitor from Japan 2011.10.02, Toronto We're hosting our first visitor from Japan: "aunt" Yaguchi Miwako. what kenny grows up, he wants to be... 2011.10.02, Toronto When prompted with the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?", Kenny today answered, "Daddy. a north wind 2011.10.02, Toronto Our friend Yaguchi-san is visiting; sadly, her visit coincides with an extremely rare north wind and it's currently 10C. are environmentalists working for the saudis? 2011.10.01, Toronto Today I saw an informal talk by a prominent Canadian author/broadcaster/journalist who made several interesting claims. acer versus hewlett packard 2011.09.29, Toronto In my marketing course we've been assigned a project to evaluate whether Acer should make a play for HP's PC unit. the eternal audit 2011.09.28, Toronto Another long day with the auditor, this time eleven hours of systems security, hiring processes, and managing key systems. Kenny's website under lock and key 2011.09.27, Toronto Kenny's website is now private, reflecting our realization that the boy will want some privacy as his independence grows. learning to skate 2011.09.27, Toronto Kenny's going for his introduction to ice skating tomorrow, and needs some equipment. an ode to autumn 2011.09.24, Toronto Day after day, the sky turns grey, and the leaves are crisp again. the TTC is driving me crazy 2011.09.23, Toronto Today the streetcar arrived after I'd been waiting for twenty-five minutes - the third such delay in a week. my first bagel in fifteen years 2011.09.22, Toronto This morning I ate my first bagel in fifteen years. Kenny's lego years have begun 2011.09.21, Toronto Last night I gave Kenny some Lego (not toddler's Duplo) to play with, and he hasn't stopped making planes and buses since. 32 kilometer doh! 2011.09.20, Toronto I took Kenny to Fairview Mall to see the Lego store, but the store wasn't yet open—a 32 kilometer "D'oh!" Thanks a lot, Lego website, for listing the store as open among your paltry three stores in Canada. canoeing to the outer harbour 2011.09.18, Toronto I found myself in a canoe for the first time in years, today. two hours to travel 15 kilometers 2011.09.17, Toronto It took me two hours to travel about fifteen kilometers today. chilly cycling 2011.09.16, Toronto Summer's gone, that's for sure: already I'm cycling to work in my Autumn sweatpants, long since hopeless stained with chain oil. my descent into evil 2011.09.15, Toronto When I started my career, I often butted heads with Marketing types; now I'm training to become one. $15 electrical engineer 2011.09.15, Toronto Today on the way to class I spotted a sign posted by an out of work electrical engineer who would accept any work for $15 an hour. a lost cat and a missing streetcar 2011.09.15, Toronto As I was heading out the door this morning, I noticed that a cat had somehow gotten on our roof. the boy and the train voyage 2011.09.12, Toronto I'm particularly pleased with one of the images from our recent trip to the Agawa canyon train tour. midlife crisis mobile blunder 2011.09.11, Toronto Today I managed to wedge my foot well into my mouth. car crush photos 2011.09.08, Toronto Here are some pics of the car under the toppled half of the willow tree that came down during the storm last week. blowing east and blowing west 2011.09.07, Toronto I saw something last night I'd never seen before: a bank of low clouds blowing briskly west under a high deck that was hurtling east. old entrance to the ROM 2011.09.06, Toronto I have no idea why they decommissioned the old entrance to the Royal Ontario Museum - so much classier than the new one. back-to-school special on tattoos 2011.09.06, Toronto I passed a shop advertising "sizzling back-to-school deals!" It was a tattoo shop. black and white butterflies everywhere 2011.09.05, Toronto Butterflies can be maddeningly difficult to photograph - especially when you remember that you're shooting black and white film. my toronto to pickering cycle trip 2011.09.05, Toronto This summer I took a cycle trip to lovely PIckering, Ontario; now I have some photos to share. pics from a play 2011.09.04, Toronto A few weeks ago I attended a play in Hamilton with my (extended) family. something's happening here, what it is... 2011.09.03, St. Catharines We're visiting with grandma today, and the first thing I noticed on her street was the giant heap of household belongings. visit to a childhood home 2011.09.03, Beamsville, Ontario Today, on the way to the city of my birth, I visited the farm where I lived as a child. took a spill on my bike 2011.09.02, Toronto It's funny; I was involved in several collisions in Tokyo, but all of my bicycle mishaps in Canada have been solo. a death in the community (aquarium) 2011.09.01, Toronto Somehow, for the first time in my checkered aquarium keeper's career, I've lost a plecostomus. cn tower, here I come again 2011.09.01, Toronto Fifteen years ago, I climbed the CN Tower; not having learned my lesson, I'm climbing those stairs again. "dream of bird shit on my head" 2011.08.31, Toronto The #2 search that brought people to my website yesterday was "dream of bird shit on my head". new photos from the streets of Toronto 2011.08.30, Toronto In early July I encountered a street performance by a troupe of ladies performing atop long flexible poles. a delightful dinner away from .. that sort 2011.08.29, Toronto We had pricey pizzas for dinner tonight to celebrate my darling wife's "75th" birthday. working the Japanese network in Toronto 2011.08.28, Toronto I went into a card shop for a birthday card for my wife, and found just the thing - in the section for 75 year olds. osx lion upgrade fails 2011.08.27, Toronto Today I upgraded to OSX "Lion" -- then I downgraded again. images of our summer in Ontario 2011.08.26, Toronto At long last, I've managed to get some photos of Kenny from this summer on web site. ice and the great lakes: the plot thickens 2011.08.25, Toronto So it seems I'm not the only skeptic of the theory that glaciers created the Great Lakes of North America. more fun news from fukushima 2011.08.24, Toronto Oh no, the Fukushima incident is making me jaded and cynical! But then again, why not? Thanks to R1ck for the link. fukushima is still not right 2011.08.22, Toronto A friend in Tokyo passed on some interesting sites that are collecting news on the ongoing Fukushima nuclear disaster. car crushed by a tree 2011.08.21, Toronto As we returned Geoff's tent and other loaners and did some shopping, the clear skies and strong sun gave way to dark clouds. driven by rain (to a genuine izakaya) 2011.08.20, Toronto It rained all day at the cottage, so we decided by early afternoon to just head home. freshwater ferry and an inexplicable hill 2011.08.19, Victoria Harbour, Ontar Today Kenny and I spent the morning playing on the small private beach in front of the "lodge" while Mari packed. the freshwater sea and the home of god 2011.08.18, Manitoulin We're on Manitoulin island, the world's largest freshwater island and in myth the home of Manitou, the creator of the universe. glimpses of Agawa 2011.08.17, Sault Ste Marie, Ontari Today we took a train tour north of the Sault to the famous Agawa canyon, a scene of terrific beauty and dramatic vistas etc. visiting with an old friend 2011.08.16, Sault Ste Marie, Ontari I don't have many friends in Canada any more, and yet this year I've visited the homes of two friends I met nearly twenty years ago. into the North 2011.08.15, Killarney What a day! We left the cottage at 10:30 and headed up the highway through Parry Sound and into the vast northern portion of the province. the failed colony among the Wendat 2011.08.14, Victoria Harbour, Ontar We visited "Ste Marie among the Huron" today, a remake of the failed French colony that was built 1200 kilometers from Quebec City near the south shore of Lake Huron. 2011 vacation part two begins 2011.08.13, Victoria Harbour, Ontar Tonight we're staying at my late grandfather's cottage in Victoria Harbour, Ontario and we'll be sleeping in a tent. home again, home again 2011.08.12, Toronto We got home this evening by train: I am so glad we didn't drive. technology museum 2011.08.11, Ottawa I've been told that there are some 46 museums in Ottawa, and I'm inclined to believe it. the ottawa contingent 2011.08.10, Ottawa Today we took the train to Ottawa to visit with my Aunt Maureen and Uncle Ulli. stumbling round mount royal 2011.08.09, Montreal Today we did a fair bit of walking - more even than we wanted. alligators and surfers 2011.08.08, Montreal Today we got an earlyish start and went to Montreal's "Biodome". the old city of montreal 2011.08.07, Montreal We spent the day in Montreal's old city, today. so this is Montreal... 2011.08.06, Montreal We've only been in Montreal for a few hours but it's already struck us as pretty cool; but then attending a lively wedding reception helps. and now to relax... 2011.08.05, Kingston We're in Kingston, Ontario. the jetlagged family 2011.08.04, Toronto It's kind of fun being the only one in the house not severely jet-lagged; it's like being the designated driver for some drunks. baksheesh 2011.08.03, Toronto Did I ever have a strange trip in to work this morning. meanwhile, in fukushima 2011.08.02, Toronto Another new record-high radioactivity reading at the stricken Fukushima power plant today, according to NHK. camping in killarney 2011.08.01, Toronto I spent most of the day preparing for our upcoming vacation. "new" lens 2011.07.30, Toronto An old incident has been resolved at last. a new abscess 2011.07.29, Toronto I've now got a new skin abscess on the go. I am not a software engineer 2011.07.29, Toronto Someone at work sent me an interesting article decrying the absence of software engineering. thank god for electric six 2011.07.28, Toronto My brother and his wife were passing through town on their way to Peru today. e-bikes, cars, and bicycles 2011.07.27, Toronto Electric bicycles have joined the traffic on Toronto's streets, and I'm not a fan. one thing leads to another (how rain causes hunger) 2011.07.26, Toronto It was raining pretty hard yesterday morning. questions, I get questions 2011.07.25, Toronto One interesting outcome of my attempt at launching a business in Japan is that I'm still getting queries on how it's all done. sundays are for migraines 2011.07.24, Toronto Staggered off the couch at around one with a left side headache that felt just like a day-long weather headache. watching the clothes go 'round 2011.07.23, Toronto Well it must be Saturday, I've accomplished little other than laundry. jazz in the beaches 2011.07.22, Toronto Came home pretty burned out from work, today. cringing in the actor van 2011.07.21, Hamilton Tonight I did some unusual things. identity theft, episode I, chapter five 2011.07.20, Toronto I'm off the hook for the charges and the credit check that came about from the identity theft. who's that boy? 2011.07.19, Toronto As I was heading out the door this morning my wife called for the first time since they've been gone. wrong again, weathernetwork.ca 2011.07.18, Toronto I don't know why I bother with Toronto weather reports. six hour cycle trip - to Pickering! 2011.07.17, Toronto Today I set off at nine o'clock with the vague notion of heading east. being with Toronto but thinking of Montreal 2011.07.16, Toronto We're planning a trip to Montreal next month, and tonight I went out for some books about that city. fish rescue fails 2011.07.16, Toronto One of the wee loaches has died after all. I am not a cop 2011.07.15, Toronto Today two fellows sharing a joint hid the thing from me as I approached on my bike -- taken for a policeman again! It happens every now and then. guys night 2011.07.14, Toronto I had dinner and drinks with my old boss from EDS, who's now at a firm that makes software that my employer sells. all work and no play 2011.07.13, Toronto With the family away, I have to fight the urge to just stay at the office all evening. the new torchwood's here 2011.07.12, Toronto What a crap day. a strom has come to chicago 2011.07.11, Chicago Mari and Kenny didn't make it to Tokyo, today. living easy 2011.07.10, Toronto We attempted to do as little as possible today. swimming in water (for free) 2011.07.09, Toronto Today we got out at the crack of noon and went to a swimming pool. flower girls on tall stalks 2011.07.08, Toronto Tonight by happy chance I came across a trio of performance artists swaying on tall stalks in long flower-shaped dresses. cycling with the boy again (no fatalities) 2011.07.07, Toronto We took the boy down to the beach with his new balance bike. tonight I broke the neck of a sparrow 2011.07.06, Toronto It started out so nicely. fish rescue (not too late) 2011.07.05, Toronto Both of the tiny skinny fishes are responding well to having been plucked from starvation. fish rescue (maybe too late) 2011.07.04, Toronto Two of the young clown loaches in our aquarium have been struggling. butterflies 2011.07.03, Niagara Falls This morning we set out to do two things: visit a butterfly conservatory and buy my mother some furniture. water balloons 2011.07.02, St. Catharines The highlight of the day was the piña col^H^H^H^H playing with a water hose in the back yard. the long journey 2011.07.01, St. Catharines Today we celebrated the anniversary of our nation's creation by sitting in traffic for three and a half hours. aquarium wars continue 2011.06.30, Toronto I had a scare, recently, with the condition of the Pleco in our fish tank. it's hard to ever trust again 2011.06.29, Toronto I've overcome my recent bad experience and have dared to trust again. comments on my photobook 2011.06.28, Toronto It turns out that when you ask friends to have a look at something you've made they sometimes respond nicely. twelve hour day, and what do you get 2011.06.27, Toronto I've come to the conclusion that running an audit from start to finish strikes me as a difficult way of making a living. dawn of the raccoon 2011.06.26, Toronto This morning I ran into Kenny's room, seized him up and took him to the window to show him a mama raccoon and two kits. photos from a celebration 2011.06.26, Toronto Today's set of photos comes from a celebration that took place a mere three weeks ago. photos from a fundraiser 2011.06.25, Toronto I've assembled some photos from a fundraiser that we participated in. feeling confident 2011.06.24, Toronto A while ago I entered a photo book competition. once more unto the breach, dear friends 2011.06.23, Toronto Late this afternoon I got word from our auditor. listen to your bicycle 2011.06.22, Toronto As previously noted, I'm riding a fifteen year old, third-hand bicycle. Fukushima and the US Pacific Northwest 2011.06.22, Toronto All's well that ends with a refutation, and today it's the "35% increase in infant deaths" in the US North West. MEC to the rescue 2011.06.22, Toronto Last Thursday, my bike lock smashed into many pieces quite unexpectedly. on occasion I do actually watch TV 2011.06.21, Toronto Recently Mari and I watched a season of Doctor Who. what's happening in Fukushima? 2011.06.20, Toronto I was just passed a new (to me) article on Fukushima. identity theft, episode I, chapter four 2011.06.20, Toronto One of the member's of Toronto's 52 division's anti-fraud unit called to follow up on the mobile phone fraud incident from last month. 14 years, and what do you get? 2011.06.20, Toronto Yahoo sent me a funny email on the weekend. headhunters in Japan 2011.06.20, Toronto For several years, it was possible for foreigners with sub-standard Japanese to make a living in Tokyo working in the financial field. unsure of the benefit for using facebook 2011.06.18, Toronto I found something interesting on the use of Facebook in Japan. rental bikes in Toronto 2011.06.17, Toronto This Spring, rental bikes appeared on the streets. canada and japan under stress 2011.06.17, Toronto A friend of mine pointed out a sad comparison between Canada and Japan. another theft on the TTC 2011.06.16, Toronto One of my coworkers bought herself a new smart phone yesterday. the antics of google 2011.06.15, Toronto A couple of days ago, Google abruptly cut off the service by which I've been hosting my emuu. counting the dead in Japan 2011.06.15, Toronto One of the things that's really struck me about the situation in Japan is the low death count. free bicycle 2011.06.14, Toronto It's "free bicycle" day in Toronto. google screw me again 2011.06.14, Toronto I had a message from Google this morning telling me that they wanted to transition the account I pay for, to some new infrastructure. string of migraines 2011.06.13, Toronto I've been enduring a real string of migraines of late. spring time is for machetes 2011.06.12, Toronto Today I hacked at several trees on our property with a machete. chopsticks pick-pocket 2011.06.12, Toronto Today we joined our downstairs neighbours in going to a Korean restaurant in the Christie Korea-town. swim-meet, shoes, and failing to rain 2011.06.11, Toronto Our downstairs neighbours invited us to the swim-meet that their daughters were participating in. cycling in the city 2011.06.10, Toronto Today the weather was just about perfect for cycling. community bulletin board 2011.06.09, Toronto In response to a couple of recent incidents, I'm putting together a forum for people in "The Beaches"; a place for communication, basically. fixing the brakes 2011.06.09, Toronto I've had some sloppy responses from the front brake on my bike of late. record heat in toronto 2011.06.08, Toronto A record day for temperature in Toronto and much of southern Ontario today. who wears short shorts? 2011.06.07, Toronto The first thing I saw as I cycled away from home today was a teenage girl walking up our street. the return of doctor who 2011.06.06, Toronto Tonight I thought to check whether the next season of Doctor Who had started at long, long, last. USA goes to the moon .. or not 2011.06.05, Toronto I saw this yesterday on the recommendation of a friend. photos of collingwood 2011.06.04, Toronto I've added some images from our recent visit to the Collingwood area together. lousy elevator ride 2011.06.03, Toronto The elevators in our building are notorious for their poor behaviour; today I had my first real taste of their dysfunction. doors open toronto, 2011 2011.06.02, Toronto I've put together some photos from the "Doors Open Toronto" 2011 event. I am getting old 2011.06.01, Toronto Today I took advantage of the suddenly warm weather to do some reading on the balcony outside our 8th floor office. mutilated child corpse in syria 2011.05.31, Toronto Today some thugs in the employment of the Syrian government dumped the mutilated body of a thirteen year old at the home of his parents. identity theft, episode I, chapter three 2011.05.30, Toronto The identity theft incident is over. toronto open house, part II 2011.05.29, Toronto Today we took in another couple of sites in the Doors Open Toronto event. toronto open house, part I 2011.05.28, Toronto Today I joined some fellow photographers from pentaforums. stupid dogs and what s-h-i-t-t-y spells 2011.05.27, Toronto You overhear things all the time when you're in a city where people speak loudly (and you understand the language). identity theft, episode I, chapter two 2011.05.27, Toronto Virgin Mobile called me back today and confirmed the situation: someone has used my identity to open an account with them. identity theft, episode I 2011.05.26, Toronto I'm the victim of identity theft. 20km in the rain 2011.05.25, Toronto I was at Yonge and Sheppard and had to get home at Queen and Woodbine. wow, windows 7 isn't bad 2011.05.25, Toronto I was using a "Windows Vista" laptop at work. a good burger joint in Toronto?? 2011.05.24, Toronto Today I decided to try the burger joint across the street from the office for the first time. water falls of Grey County 2011.05.22, Collingwood Today we all packed into our rented Civic and toured the sights of the Collingwood area. a reunion in Ontario 2011.05.21, Collingwood We drove to Collingwood today to meet Dad and Renate today. allergy season 2011.05.20, Toronto One of the good things about the constant rain and fog is that it's been keeping the tree pollen in check. photos of our first Canadian hanami 2011.05.19, Toronto I've gotten the photos from our first Canadian hanami (flower blossom party) online at last. Springtime lunch 2011.05.19, Toronto I had lunch outdoors today. living without plastic 2011.05.19, Toronto A free weekly newspaper in Toronto known for its anxious tone ran one of those stories about the perils of plastic this week. an orthodox christian speaks out 2011.05.18, Toronto I was standing astride my bike today, waiting for the light. snakes, fungi, frogs, and leeches 2011.05.17, Toronto One of my coworkers in Japan has, like me, returned to his home country. Toronto -> Jamaica -> Japan 2011.05.16, Toronto Last night we had a chat with Mari's family on "MS Skype". the foggy city 2011.05.15, Toronto This is my eighth Spring in Toronto. razor granny and digital photography 2011.05.13, Toronto Today as I cycled up the hill on our street to start my forty-minute cycle commute, the first person I met was a granny on a "razor". Darth Vader is following me on twitter 2011.05.13, Toronto Today Twitter sent me this: "Darth Vader (@SithMyDadSays) is now following your tweets (@mwerneburg) on Twitter. hanami in Toronto 2011.05.12, Toronto Today I left work early and met my wife, son, and mother at High Park in the west end for hanami under cherry trees donated by Japan. approved as a sponsor 2011.05.10, Toronto I started the day with one or two things on my mind. the X-700 is dead 2011.05.09, Toronto I got my test roll of film back this afternoon. "I love living in Toronto" 2011.05.08, Toronto This is getting out of hand. three fishes to calm the waters 2011.05.07, Toronto Our new aquarium has been cursed by a problem: fin-eating. buying a Mac laptop? 2011.05.07, Toronto We're looking for a replacement for Mari's defunct Dell laptop. old friend, broken 2011.05.06, Toronto When I was nineteen, my father gave me a Minolta SRT-101 with two lenses and a malfunctioning electrical system. "rear deflector" to the rescue 2011.05.05, Toronto Yesterday I bought one of these. photo-book contest 2011.05.05, Toronto Today is "boy's day" in Japan, and Mari stayed up til 01:30 last night making cookies shaped like 'koinobori", the fish flags that fly today. cameraleather.com to the rescue 2011.05.04, Toronto I like to re-cover my old film cameras in new leather. light rain my curvy yellow butt 2011.05.03, Toronto I rode to work today, following a forecast that called for steady but light rain. a new dawn in Canada 2011.05.02, Toronto Looks like we've elected a new style of government in Canada. a rainy day in Toronto 2011.05.01, Toronto It was a rainy day today, but with a forecast that was accurate for once, we were prepared. oh what a perfect day 2011.04.30, Toronto It's been a difficult month. what the world can learn from Japan 2011.04.29, Toronto I found an interesting set of observations about what the world could learn from Japan. slippage in our PR application 2011.04.28, Toronto I've been watching a certain webpage on the CIC website that shows where my application for Mari's PR approval might sit. all is well in Japan (almost) 2011.04.28, Toronto The Canadian government has signalled the all-clear for Canadians in Japan. leaving facebook 2011.04.27, Toronto Facebook went nuts today, taking a bunch of old things from my website and spamming all of my connections with that. dead netbook and being green 2011.04.26, Toronto Our netbook packed it in yesterday. camera returned! 2011.04.25, Toronto I've got my camera back. lost my camera 2011.04.24, Toronto This weekend I rented a car from a sketchy agency that had to its credit only its proximity to my home. another new home for my website 2011.04.21, Toronto Once again, I've moved my website to a new hosting environment. crack this password! 2011.04.19, Toronto It turns out that the "strong" password I've been using for my email accounts was weaker than the one I use for "everyday" websites. cold hands, warm heart 2011.04.18, Toronto Somehow, the day has gotten much colder as it's gone on, and I'm now facing a chilly ride home indeed. raising fund for relief in Japan 2011.04.17, Toronto Today we joined a DIY fundraiser for Japan. two events makes daddy something something 2011.04.16, Toronto This morning we visited the house of some new friends to plan a fundraising affair in support of a school in quake-ravaged NE Japan. why don't we go up to the lab and seeee what's on the slab? 2011.04.15, Toronto I've discovered something interesting about a show we've been showing Kenny. today I did a bit of math.... 2011.04.15, Toronto It's occurred to me since I've been back that my salary is basically the same as it was in 1999. return of the cold weather 2011.04.15, Toronto Just when it was "Spring" and the cycle lane was clogged with traffic, the cool weather has returned. cops are the scene, do you know what it is that I am saying? 2011.04.14, Toronto On the way home today, the streets were packed with cyclists. and now, a word on dai-ichi 2011.04.14, Toronto The Canadian embassy put around another advisory today. yes, my name is Michael Minolta 2011.04.13, Toronto Today I picked up a beloved old Minolta X-700 from the repair shop. what a way to remember 2011.04.12, Toronto Sick all day with a migraine again. aquarium established 2011.04.11, Toronto We had a brief visit with the Seabrights out in "Poshawa" and came home with an aquarium. what passes for excitement round here 2011.04.10, Toronto Mari told me last night that she's getting excited about having an aquarium again. new aquarium coming soon 2011.04.09, Toronto This weekend I'll be drifting around the Golden Horseshoe in an, ulp, minivan. four hours with the auditors 2011.04.08, Toronto We've got an audit coming up, and today was the last of several warm-up meetings that are laying the groundwork. how bikes pay for themselves 2011.04.07, Toronto When I bought my bike in Tokyo, I spent more than I wanted to. when does it stop raining in Vancouver? 2011.04.07, Toronto I lived in Vancouver for a year, so I can appreciate this joke. sponsoring your spouse in Canada 2011.04.06, Toronto This morning I filed our application for Mari's permanent residency under the "family class". chicadees at our feeder 2011.04.05, Toronto At last, our bird feeder saw some use today. the hazards of raccoon crap 2011.04.02, Toronto I cleaned up all of the raccoon clap today, lest the boy wind up getting into it. three million page views 2011.04.02, Toronto I've just noticed that this website's gone past the three million page views mark. no april fool's joke 2011.04.01, Toronto Sadly, this is not an April Fool's joke. american money in circulation in Canada 2011.04.01, Toronto I don't seem to be able to go a week without some American money winding up in my pocket. farewell March, 2011 & ghost girls at twilight 2011.03.31, Toronto So, March is over. cycling below zero 2011.03.30, Toronto I rode my bike to work today. "freelove rider" 2011.03.29, Toronto My mother wrote to share some strange news about our family tree this morning. another new site design 2011.03.27, Toronto The amazon experiment went as expected; I racked up one referral sale in the months since I added their ads to my site. earth hour was fun 2011.03.26, Toronto We observed Earth Hour today, killing all of the lights and computers. tripadvisor leaked my contact details 2011.03.25, Toronto I just received notification from TripAdvisor. a good photo day 2011.03.24, Toronto Yesterday was a fun day for photography. our phone setup is getting downright weird 2011.03.23, Toronto Things were so much more simple in the old days. the bank loses our paperwork 2011.03.22, Toronto You have to hand it to Japan's bureaucrats. spring is for songbirds 2011.03.22, Toronto One of the beauties of Toronto's late-starting Spring is the return of the song-birds. cycling into a 5ºC headwind 2011.03.20, Toronto Today I picked up an old bike from a friend. our first visitor from Japan 2011.03.19, Toronto Today we met with our first visitor from Japan; Miho-san from Mari's recent employer. long photo triptych 2011.03.18, Toronto I've made a photo journal of sorts for my morning commute down Queen Street to the city center. the plume from Dai-ichi 2011.03.18, Toronto Here's a map of the radioactive plume coming from the Dai-ichi plant in Japan. an update from Canadian consular services in Japan 2011.03.17, Toronto I've received another update from the Canadian consular services as follows. bringing my wife to Canada 2011.03.17, Toronto I am trying to sponsor my wife for permanent residence in Canada. saw my first raccoon on the street 2011.03.16, Toronto It seems so trivial with the things going on in our household and in the world, but I saw my first raccoon since being back. fukushima power plant in meltdown 2011.03.16, Toronto It looks like reactor 2 at fukushima must now be in meltdown. stay away from fukushima 2011.03.12, Toronto This evening (Toronto time) I've had another update from the Canadian embassy in Japan, as follows: "On March 12th, the Prime Minister of Japan declared a nuclear emergency following a problem with the cooling system power supply at nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plants. terrible news from Fukushima 2011.03.12, Toronto Mari's been watching the news from Japan all day in a live stream. tried curling, today, for the first time 2011.03.11, Toronto Having just reached the tender age of forty, I'm delighted to have just knocked off a long-standing to-do item: try curling. bad earthquake in Japan 2011.03.11, Toronto This morning I received a warning of a terrible earthquake in Japan, as follows: Dear Canadian citizen, As you may have heard on the news already, a powerful 8. my mac mini's funniest moments 2011.03.09, Toronto I use a Mac at home (and desperately wish I could use one at work). kid's programs 2011.03.09, Toronto Toronto has a comprehensive program for kid's activities, many of which are free for the parents. new camera leather! 2011.03.08, Toronto For my birthday, I gave myself a small gift of two new camera leather kits. the furniture is (mostly) here 2011.03.08, Toronto Mixed news today on our attempts at getting ourselves settled. a phone, a clinic, a bank, and some screws 2011.03.05, Toronto It was a rainy day spent on the streets of The Beaches doing errands. money and chicken 2011.03.03, Toronto Today I met with Mari and Kenny downtown. the return of the film scanner 2011.03.01, Toronto I could take no more. whatta day 2011.02.28, Toronto The Boy's got a skin infection similar to the ones I had this autumn. the boy likes snow 2011.02.27, Toronto There was yet another* snowfall last night. migraine and "race" 2011.02.26, Toronto It looks like race* is a determining factor when it comes to migraine (in addition to gender). new site design 2011.02.26, Toronto Don't give me free time. a nurse's pin and a room full of chairs 2011.02.25, Toronto Tonight I found an RN's pin on my seat on the eastbound 504 streetcar tonight. a raccoon in the apartment 2011.02.24, Toronto Tonight when I got home I noticed the small cat-door that was built into the wall next to the door. this place is cursed! 2011.02.23, Toronto On the way to the photo lab today, I noticed a woman coming toward me stoop to pick up something. the long way to work 2011.02.23, Toronto The Queen streetcar was diverted north a few blocks to Gerard St. one miss, two hits 2011.02.20, Hamilton Today we set out early to do some dreaded shopping. traffic in a windy city 2011.02.18, Toronto It took us two hours to get to my mum's place from our place, tonight. elevator chat 2011.02.18, Toronto One thing about being back in a land where you have basic fluency. snow on the streetcar 2011.02.15, Toronto Today a man got on the streetcar with a girl about eighteen months old. migraine, bloody migraine 2011.02.14, Toronto Laid up all day with a migraine today. on the beach 2011.02.12, We went to the shore today. man with an umbrella (in his hair) 2011.02.10, Toronto Today on the way home from furniture shopping we saw a young fellow with a cocktail umbrella in his hair. Canada Customs is a mess 2011.02.09, Toronto Here's a letter I wrote to my member of parliament about my recent experience with Canada Customs. a taste of home 2011.02.07, Toronto Tonight I tried--and failed--to do an organized errand run after work. moving in is hard to do 2011.02.06, Toronto We spent the morning at the Canadian Tire, rounding up a million little odds and ends for the new apartment. moved! 2011.02.04, Toronto It's done. Customs issue resolved? 2011.02.03, Toronto I had an odd message from our moving company today. having trouble releasing our goods from Customs 2011.02.01, Toronto Everything's gone pretty well with our move, until now. on this, the 27th... 2011.01.27, Toronto On this, the 27th, I went on a seven-collecting mission. I don't understand the financial system 2011.01.26, Oakville I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't understand the financial system. then I did something goofy 2011.01.25, Oakville The train arrived on time this morning, but the doors refused to open. metered Internet comes to Canada 2011.01.24, Toronto Hooray for the government! Always there for the big telcos and their ilk. degrees of evil 2011.01.23, Oakville Rush Limbaugh, who I think is the American entertainer who gave Canada the nickname "Soviet Canuckistan" has finally come up with another keeper. my brilliant old idea 2011.01.21, St. Catharines For the past few months I've been carrying around a small bag that's suited for my netbook and a few A4 file folders. at the japanese consulate 2011.01.19, Toronto It looks like getting our Ontario driver's licenses will be easy. snowball surprise 2011.01.18, Toronto Whenever I get the chance, these days, I tend to drowse. broken, cold sunrise 2011.01.17, Oakville This morning there was a really amazing sunrise, just astonishing. apartment hunting in Toronto 2011.01.16, Toronto So far, I've seen some fourteen apartments in Toronto. looking for a home 2011.01.15, Toronto Today we spent the entire day looking at apartments in Toronto. Alberta clipper 2011.01.14, St. Catharines We've got a lot of driving to do this weekend. 77 of your contacts.... 2011.01.13, Toronto I had an email from linkedin. a funeral in January 2011.01.12, St. Catharines I attended a funeral in St. coyote morning 2011.01.11, Oakville, Ontario Today was a sunny day, but the morning was unusually dark and grey. wondermark 2011.01.10, Toronto For quite some time, I've been reading this brilliant web comics called Wondermark. an old friend on the train 2011.01.10, Toronto On Friday I had a happy chance meeting with a friend on the train. looking for a home 2011.01.09, St. Catharines We spent a good part of the day looking at online listings, trying to find a place to live. niagara weather (snowstorm) 2011.01.08, St. Catharines Today we had quite a snowstorm. japanese in niagara 2011.01.08, St. Catharines When I got to St. toronto weather (this ain't miyazaki) 2011.01.07, Toronto This morning I was reminded of an incident last week in Miyakonojo Japan. jetlag, nytol, and "wake-ups" 2011.01.06, Toronto At this time of year, Tokyo and Toronto are some ten hours off-set. welcome back, sorry about your train 2011.01.06, Toronto Today was my first day commuting back into the city center. hello, Vancouver 2011.01.01, Vancouver We found Vancouver sunny for a second day. fare well, Tokyo 2010.12.31, Vancouver My time in Tokyo is over. monkeys, too many monkeys 2010.12.30, Nichinan, Miyazaki This morning I climbed the hill near my wife's parents' place. my new car crush 2010.12.28, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki There's a new car that I'm crushing on. as seen on TV 2010.12.28, Miyazaki Much to my surprise, I was stopped by a TV "news" crew on the streets on Miyazaki today. predawn photography 2010.12.27, Nichinan, Miyazaki Every year end, when visiting with Mari's family in Miyazaki, I've taken a pre-dawn excursion for photography. SOB readiness? 2010.12.26, Nichinan, Miyazaki Caught a funny typo in a document I recently created for a client. a new aquarium 2010.12.25, Nichinan, Miyazaki We've got a new/old aquarium set up for my father in law just in time for his 70th birthday. X'mas in Japan 2010.12.24, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki It's our last X'mas in Japan. the fish lives 2010.12.22, Nichinan, Miyazaki So it's not so easy to ship fish via courier after all. goodbye, home 2010.12.21, Tokyo It's our last day in Tokyo. smuggling live fish in japan 2010.12.19, Tokyo The transport companies in Japan won't ship live fish. I've forgotten how to be a dad 2010.12.11, Tokyo I've forgotten the routines of being a dad, and I let my wife and son down tonight. I've forgotten Japanese 2010.12.11, Tokyo The timing of my return was intended to coincide with a performance at Kenny's day care. first earthquake 2010.12.10, Tokyo I'd only been back in Tokyo for about fifteen hours when I felt my first earthquake. back in Japan 2010.12.10, Tokyo So I'm back. time to fly away 2010.12.09, Toronto Woke up very ill today. a presentation 2010.12.08, Toronto I attended a presentation of my new employer's software for a prospect today. cheeky Metrolinx 2010.12.06, Toronto My train didn't show up this morning. jobs in Tokyo 2010.12.02, Toronto Naturally, now that I've left Tokyo (likely for good) I'm getting word of jobs opening up at Citi. counting a month in Toronto 2010.12.02, Toronto I've been back in the city for a month now, thought I'd take stock: I've been compared to Jeff Goldbloom twice (the latest in a long string of likenesses). Prestocard "undercharge" & duplicate payments 2010.12.01, Toronto My struggles with the transit system continue. from Japan to Canada 2010.12.01, Toronto Merry December, everyone! And with that, a fascinating look at the finances of "my two countries", Japan and Canada. bay-adelaide at last! 2010.11.29, Toronto On Friday I was stunned to see that the first part of the Bay-Adelaide centre has been built. cycling photo contest 2010.11.28, Oakville So, I didn't win the cycling-related photo contest I entered. tronto's broken transit system 2010.11.28, St. Catharines Getting down to St. new ink 2010.11.27, St. Catharines I got a new tattoo, today. cold day for death 2010.11.27, Burlington On my way down to St. baby double decker 2010.11.27, Oakville The other day as I headed for the bus stop I noticed something odd about the baby carriage that a woman was pushing down the street. it's cold 2010.11.26, Toronto Gloomy, this morning. fights and tights 2010.11.26, Toronto A superheroes league seems to be advertising in Toronto. can't win for losing 2010.11.26, Toronto Today I managed to save some money by doing some leg work. toque and gloves and scarf 2010.11.24, Toronto Windy today, and 1°C. my dinner with Brian 2010.11.23, Toronto I had dinner with a friend last night. traffic, bloody traffic 2010.11.23, Toronto I'm struggling with the train system in Toronto. nice tie! 2010.11.22, Toronto In contrast to the commentary I had the other day, today I got a compliment on my tie. of electronics 2010.11.21, Toronto Today I bought my son his first camera. grandparents 2010.11.22, St. Catharines This weekend my mother and I went looking for the tombstones of our grandparents. fort meyers, eh? 2010.11.22, Toronto On the Toronto subway system, you see ads for many things. hick town driving 2010.11.20, St. Catharines On my way out the door this morning I glanced into a neighbour's truck and saw a beer can in the cup holder. streets of Toronto 2010.11.19, Toronto Toronto's streets are so different from Tokyo's! Broken pavement, street cars, large and brilliant graffiti, aggressive panhandlers, street hot dog vendors, and of course confrontation. another startup 2010.11.15, Toronto Today was hectic. job search update 2010.11.13, St. Catharines One job lead is dead, and one may lead to an offer on Monday. gluten-free pizza in Canada 2010.11.11, Oakville Tonight Scott and I went out for pizza. apartment searching in Toronto 2010.11.10, Toronto Here's a quick list of things that I like about searching for an apartment in Toronto as opposed to Tokyo. a little modesty... 2010.11.09, Toronto I went into a business today and was greeted by an attractive young woman with a very tight and low-cut top. free Kindle and gross commericalism 2010.11.08, Toronto I've added a banner from Amazon across the top of most of the emuu. transit in Ontario 2010.11.07, Toronto Nothing drives home the excellence of the Tokyo transit system like comparing it to that of a North American city. job search progress 2010.11.06, Toronto So far, so good. what's that language? 2010.11.03, St. Catharines Got to the bus stop this morning to catch the train to the city. credit rating in Canada 2010.11.03, Toronto Unlike Japan, Canada has a tax-number system. home again, home again 2010.11.02, St. Catharines I'm back in the city of my birth. in Toronto 2010.11.01, Tokyo I've touched down in Toronto, and immediately notice some differences with my adopted home of Tokyo. photo challenge book 2010.10.29, Tokyo I've edited and published a photo book containing the work of some fifteen pentax photographers. why I ride 2010.10.21, Tokyo waiting in Yokohama Riding for me was about corners taken to quickly, long skid marks, and gullies too steep for wheels. China's cyberattacks of Japan 2010.10.18, Tokyo During September, Japan's telcos came under a vast "cyberattack" involving a distributed denial of service attack. flag of .. liberia? 2010.10.16, Tokyo Some friends graciously gave us a denim jacket for Kenny, a hand-me-down from the son. an example of great customer service 2010.10.16, Tokyo I have had a really pleasant example of customer service from a software firm. a tale of two Werneburgs 2010.10.15, Tokyo I've had occasion to have both myself and my son photographed for official purposes, recently. tough times 2010.10.13, Tokyo I had a conversation with someone who's seen his business's sales plummet 95% in the past two months. nihongo jyouzu ni narimashita? 2010.10.09, Tokyo Today I ran into one of my formerJapanese teachers. The world is getting worse 2010.10.04, Tokyo I'm at the embassy getting my son's passport updated. kicked square in the eye 2010.09.30, Tokyo Anyone want a slightly used 2½ year old? Here I thought being kicked in the crotch was getting old. charting a course through the IT industry 2010.09.19, Tokyo For many years, the information technology field had major problems to solve. another cycle trip 2010.09.17, Tokyo I hopped on my bike again today, this time in the opposite direction. 20,000 frames 2010.09.16, Tokyo Rolled my (DSLR) camera over the frame counter again, which means I've now taken more than 20,000 photos on it. cycle trip to Yokohama 2010.09.15, Tokyo I live in Shinagawa. mari's singing coach 2010.09.12, Tokyo Mari's jazz singing coach is, of course, a singer herself. where on earth is hibarigaoka? 2010.09.11, Tokyo Today we went out to the country and visited a knife-wielding . green is a noun, sunny is a verb 2010.09.09, Tokyo In the Japanese language, "green" is a noun. and the weather finally broke 2010.09.08, Tokyo For six or seven weeks this summer, it's been hot and humid. dropped my iPhone 2010.09.08, Tokyo Just not been a run of good luck for me, lately. poor man's MBA 2010.09.07, Tokyo Have had some really good advice of late from someone who's been through the business creation and capital-raising process. an old photo set 2010.09.07, Tokyo Once upon a time, in 2003 when the world was a simpler place, I took a trip to Manitoulin island with my mother. ghosts of Shinagawa 2010.09.07, Tokyo On my way to Japanese class today, I made some long-exposure shots of the crowd passing in Shinagawa station. ami's dance troupe 2010.09.05, Tokyo Today we went to see Ami's dance troupe perform. my arm is healed 2010.09.02, Tokyo It's great when you've recovered from an unexpected set back, especially a health matter. she really, really likes it 2010.08.31, Tokyo Mari came home late in the evening last night and found here belated gift of a photo book waiting for her. Mari's birthday 2010.08.30, Tokyo This weekend we celebrated Mari's birthday. a useful trick in learning Japanese verbs 2010.08.30, Tokyo Today my Japanese tutor showed me a surprisingly effective matrix trick for learning Japanese. found some missing photos 2010.08.25, Tokyo I've found some photos that got lost in the scanning shuffle not once but twice. learning to crawl (with a strobe) 2010.08.23, Tokyo Having had some success with product photography, I've decided to extend my ability with a strobe to personal photos. Mari performs "The Gift" 2010.08.22, Tokyo Mari had her fourth performance, in a Jazz club in Akasaka. Amazon S3 clients for the Mac 2010.08.22, Tokyo I've gone through all of the apps I could find for Amazon s3 and they've all let me down. Pentax weekend 2010.08.21, Tokyo We went to the aquarium down in Yokohama again, our second visit in two months. the family arrives 2010.08.19, Tokyo Mari's family has come for a visit. today my wife saved my life (part three) 2010.08.18, Tokyo My arm is coming along nicely. mirror in the bathroom 2010.08.18, Tokyo On the weekend, a forum I participate in had a "submit your photos" day. hot weather 2010.08.17, Tokyo I believe that today is the hottest day of the year to date, for Tokyo. today my wife saved my life (part two) 2010.08.14, Tokyo I went back to the hospital this morning as requested. today my wife saved my life 2010.08.13, Tokyo Today I learned that I have a dangerous infection. another fish lost 2010.08.11, Tokyo The constant temperature fluctuations are too much for our little 58L tank. in the death tank 2010.08.08, Tokyo Time to come clean. managing "open with" on the Mac 2010.08.08, Tokyo It's crazy, but in the Mac's OSX there's no way of reliably managing file associations with the applications that open those files. search engine optimization 2010.08.06, Tokyo We launched our business website with fairly basic SEO readiness. NikkoCiti X'mas photos 2010.08.04, Tokyo In 2007, I attended my one and only Japanese 'bounenkai' (year end party). turning your (webserver's) frowns into smiles 2010.07.31, Tokyo Here's a trick I found suggested in a comment on a site explaining the configuration of some web server software. our first hacker 2010.07.30, Tokyo Our website was taken offline by a hacker for about three hours this morning. a break from the heat 2010.07.30, Tokyo Finally we've had a break from the heat. f'n weather 2010.07.24, Tokyo Canadians like to complain about the weather. lapsed 2010.07.21, Tokyo First came the realization that I could no longer drink like I once could. sleeping in the living room 2010.07.21, Tokyo Our bedroom has no air conditioner. hot little fish 2010.07.20, Tokyo The weather's been uncomfortably hot lately, and one unforeseen problem is that our aquarium is overheating. five years in Tokyo 2010.07.18, Tokyo Today marks the fifth anniversary of my original arrival in Tokyo. man ray 2010.07.17, Tokyo Today, Joon and I went to the Man Ray exhibit at the National Art Centre. an interesting development 2010.07.16, Tokyo In reaction to my putting my photo book up on this site, I've been asked to help out with a video shoot about the streets of Tokyo. Edonism 2010.07.16, Tokyo Last night I went to the premiere screening of the movie Edonism. selling ethical diamonds in Japan 2010.07.15, Tokyo As our intern Koki put it, "It seems that usual Japanese do not really know or care about diamond issues. the photo book is shipping 2010.07.15, Tokyo Yay, a copy of my photo book has shipped. petition for change in the Kimberley Process 2010.07.14, Tokyo I've come across a petition for change in the Kimberley Process. ethical fashion 2010.07.13, Tokyo As indicated in the small series of articles I've posted on the subject, I've found "ethical fashion" a tough nut to crack. ethics in the diamond jewelry business (part three) 2010.07.13, Tokyo I've finished the trio of articles on ethics in the diamond jewelry business. get your Japanese idiom and slang.... 2010.07.12, Tokyo The website I use for translations isn't downright insane but it sure is given to certain quirks. Sundays is for voting 2010.07.10, Tokyo Like some European countries, Japan confines voting in its federal elections to Sundays. advertising on them Internets there 2010.07.10, Tokyo Internet advertising. happy Tanabata 2010.07.07, Tokyo Today is the Japanese star festival, tanabata. photos from Hakkeijima Sea Paradise 2010.07.06, Tokyo A couple of weeks ago, some free tickets from Jon and Manami-san got us into the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium down in/near Yokohama. the next step -- investors! 2010.07.05, Tokyo Been doing some interesting work this week. the day starts with death 2010.07.05, Tokyo Kenny and I stopped to feed the fish on the way to the day care this morning. jewelry retail and the iPad (or Apple, what have you done) 2010.07.02, Tokyo I came to some conclusions about the iPad via an odd source. another bike collision 2010.07.01, Tokyo Today I was in a bike accident, again. turning Anglophone I really think so 2010.07.01, Tokyo Today I read that Japan's Fast Retailing is switching their internal business language to English. location based services 2010.06.27, Nichinan, Miyazaki While studying modern marketing developments, I've come across nothing as bizarre as "location based" shopping. inflation, debt, and general madness 2010.06.26, Tokyo This morning during a conversation with my mother I explained my upcoming quest for investors in our business. a Brock Univerity professor is going to prison 2010.06.22, Tokyo One of my University professors is now in prison on a child pornography conviction. investor proposal nears readiness 2010.06.18, Tokyo Today I completed a draft of an investor proposal. an eyesore falls 2010.06.18, Tokyo They're tearing down an eyesore in my neighbourhood. burger king is inspirational 2010.06.17, Tokyo Burger King is back in business in Japan. an interview with the media 2010.06.16, Tokyo We had our first interview with the media today regarding our little business. cycling through gotanda 2010.06.15, Tokyo While cycling to my barber's shop today, I heard the honking of a horn from a car behind me. 西 revisited 2010.06.15, Tokyo The hilarity of learning kanji! Slowly, I've been trying to learn the Japanese writing system. my Japanese vocabulary is uneven (千羽鶴) 2010.06.14, Tokyo I find that my Japanese vocabulary is heavily focused around three things. weird way of getting language exposure 2010.06.12, Tokyo It turns out that studying Japanese has helped me learn to read Italian. luxury sales in Japan 2010.06.11, Tokyo According to this article by Reuters journalist Isabel Reynolds, luxury goods sales fell by ten percent in 2009. a town in the news 2010.06.10, Tokyo A small town in Canada is making the news due to the suspicious purchase of a lot of ammonia nitrate. the iPad in Japan 2010.06.09, Tokyo I'm not so sure that the iPad's going to be a hit here in Japan. Japanese yardbird 2010.06.08, Tokyo In English, the (outdated?) term "yard bird" means a prisoner. yelling at crows (part three) 2010.06.07, Tokyo The deed is done, the crows are gone. our start-up is unfolding 2010.06.07, Tokyo Last week was an interesting one for our little start-up. new journal trick 2010.06.05, Tokyo I've modernized the way that URL's work on my journal. Nanaimo syndrome 2010.06.02, Tokyo At the bank again today (been there three days this week), when I once again ran into The Nanaimo Syndrome. banking error, Japan style 2010.05.31, Tokyo Being illiterate sucks. imageshack and emuu.net 2010.06.01, Tokyo ImageShack looks like a bad idea. an epic journey 2010.05.30, Grenfell, Saskachewan Right now, back in Canada, my mother is moving from Nanaimo BC to St. yelling at crows (part two) 2010.05.29, Tokyo The city is going to come to our building and remove the crow's nest. yelling at crows 2010.05.28, Tokyo Over the past few days I've had problems with a crow. there's warm and there's warm 2010.05.27, Tokyo Japanese makes a distinction between a "warm" reception and a "warm" room. the achievements and failings of the kimberley process 2010.05.26, Tokyo I've submitted a second piece for the 21st Century Network. a near miss 2010.05.26, Tokyo Meanwhile, back in Toronto, a friend witnessed a fatal airplane crash. happy towel day 2010.05.25, Tokyo Douglas Adams would be proud. a hit! 2010.05.25, Tokyo We've had our first write-up in a jewelry-related Japanese blog. Amazon service for hosting images 2010.05.23, Tokyo My photos take up something like three gigs of disk space. digital black and white 2010.05.23, Yokohama I've tried an experiment in black and white digital photography. press release activity 2010.05.22, Tokyo Response from our press release has been interesting. my parents are awesome 2010.05.21, Tokyo There's a blog out there called "My Parents Were Awesome". things are moving at Caritas 2010.05.20, Tokyo Today we released a new look for our website. ethics in the diamond jewelry business 2010.05.17, Tokyo I've recently started a jewelry business. "no facebook" 2010.05.17, Tokyo We went to a barbeque at the home of Romi and Brian, friends who live in the neighbourhood. a fine cycle day in May 2010.05.15, Tokyo Today we went on a day-long cycle outing. A tale of two kanji 2010.05.14, Tokyo 足 is "ashi" it means foot. photos from tottori 2010.05.13, Tokyo I've updated my pics from Tottori with a few final entries. update from kamakura 2010.05.12, Tokyo I've updated the collection of photos from a recent trip to Kamakura. photos, getcha photos 2010.05.12, Tokyo I've added a bunch of pics to the website over the past couple of days, and thought I'd brag about them. the new mashams 2010.05.10, Tokyo Some seven-eight months ago, our friends the Mashams moved away to Barcelona. the musician 2010.05.08, Tokyo Mari's had her first guitar for only three days. Revisiting Tokyo 2010.05.07, Tokyo Today I took my brother out on the city to find a gift for his wife. Dirty brush 2010.05.07, Tokyo This morning I asked Mari where she keeps a certain tough bath scrub brush. getting a Japanese haircut 2010.05.06, Tokyo I took my brother for a haircut today. aquarium escapee 2010.05.06, Tokyo Here in Japan, aquarium keepers tend to keep shrimp along with fish. boy's day 2010.05.05, Tokyo Today we went to Yurakucho and Ginza. shinjuku 2010.05.04, Tokyo For today's portion of Ken's visit, we went to Shinjuku—one of the places I always like to take visitors to Tokyo. asakusa and akihabara 2010.05.03, Tokyo We took Ken up to Asakusa to see the shrine complex, today. guitar shopping 2010.05.02, Tokyo Having been out til 3:30 the night before, we laid low for much of the day, today. the wedding reception 2010.05.01, Tokyo Today we went to the Tokyo wedding reception of Jon and Manami-san. kamakura by bicycle 2010.04.30, Tokyo At some point over the interminable Winter, I picked up a rather excellent little guide book for bicycle tours in Kamakura. spring at last 2010.04.29, Tokyo The weather suddenly improved dramatically today. new website trick 2010.04.28, Tokyo I've been working with an enterprising young man on building the forthcoming Caritas blog for us. hambabu night in Tokyo 2010.04.28, Tokyo Mari has another work-related drinks night tonight. fixes and failures 2010.04.25, Tokyo We had such a fine day today. fixed jacket 2010.04.24, Tokyo The handle tore off the slide of my coat on Thursday. a home-cooked meal 2010.04.24, Tokyo Jon's brother Martin and his family have been "stranded" in Tokyo since the volcano's eruption in Iceland. crowded train 2010.04.23, Tokyo It finally happened. an intern! 2010.04.23, Tokyo No start-up is complete without an intern. strandees gone 2010.04.23, Tokyo Three of the four volcano-stranded people are now gone back to Europe. 日本語上手聞きます 2010.04.20, Tokyo Something semi-miraculous has happened. stranded in Tokyo 2010.04.20, Tokyo I now know four groups of travelers hoping to get to Europe who are stranded in Tokyo. whoops I did it again 2010.04.18, Tokyo When some visitors from Mari's family came for a visit today, I realized that I hadn't published yet more pics from our year-end visit. so this is Tottori 2010.04.16, Tokyo Part one of my photos from our three days in Tottori is sorted out. references 2010.04.16, Tokyo The Canadian government is polling for advice on the adoption of e-passports such as the ones that the Japanese government issues. photos of a Japanese wedding 2010.04.16, Tokyo Our friends Manami and Jon were married last weekend in Tottori. rare and beautiful birds (homesick) 2010.04.14, Tokyo As I stood looking out the window and munching on my lunch of brown rice, I noticed three gorgeous birds. Japanese idiom strikes again 2010.04.11, Tokyo At the wedding, Manami-san's sixty-something parents invited us to come over to their house to play, sometime. fumbling with camera equipment 2010.04.11, Tottori I fear that I've managed to bugger up quite a lot of the photos of Jon and Manami-san's wedding. a wedding! 2010.04.11, Tottori I don't get invited to a lot of weddings. sight-seeing in Tottori 2010.04.10, Tottori Tottori is Japan's least populous prefecture, running along the coast of the Sea of Japan a good many klicks from just about everywhere. another flattering portrait 2010.04.09, Tottori This portrait, drawn by a seven-year-old, is actually not far from my self image! Toothy, loud and bearded. sand dunes! 2010.04.09, Tottori Today we flew to Tottori in western Japan for Jon and Manami-san's wedding. old film turns up 2010.04.08, Tokyo I had the happy/shameful experience this week of finding three old rolls of film in one of my camera bags. awful online shops for tall men's clothing 2010.04.07, Tokyo Once again, I'm heading for online clothing retail. things are changing 2010.04.07, Tokyo I had an email exchange with someone in my family about the changes we're witnessing in Canada and Japan. clash of the Canadian titans 2010.04.03, Tokyo One of the things I find refreshing about Japan is that it makes Canadian bureaucracy look like a harmless triviality by comparison. busy week 2010.04.02, Tokyo In addition to the usual "build" activities I had this week, I had meetings on every day of the week. public relations is tricky, tricky 2010.03.31, Tokyo Lately I've been tackling the issue of public relations for our little business. shame on me 2010.03.31, Tokyo They say, "Fool me once, shame on you. puzzling toy 2010.03.30, Tokyo My brother and his wife sent me this awesome toy from Think Geek. confrontation at the immigration office 2010.03.29, Tokyo I was at the immigration office getting my spousal visa renewed when another foreigner at the counter had a meltdown. a challenging lifestyle 2010.03.28, Tokyo We went to hanami yesterday, and met with several families all with kids of the same age as Kenny. Go Miyazaki! 2010.03.24, Tokyo The high school volleyball team that my brother-in-law coaches has fought their way into the national semi-final. highschool volleyball 2010.03.22, Tokyo It's time for the national highschool volleyball finals in Japan. welcome to Spring 2010.03.21, Tokyo It's officially Spring, and for once it's noticeable. scary map of Japan 2010.03.20, Tokyo I came across a scary map of Japan today. building a PDF library 2010.03.17, Tokyo In building my business I do a lot of research. haircut day 2010.03.14, Tokyo Today my sexy young wife got herself a fetching hairdo. an old speech 2010.03.13, Tokyo I was doing some maintenance on my website today and came across the text of the first funeral speech I ever gave. taxing expat Canadians 2010.03.12, Tokyo There's a movement in certain conservative circles in Canada to introduce taxation on the global income of expatriate Canadians. four years in Tokyo 2010.03.11, Tokyo It's now been for years since I arrived in Japan. algae 2010.03.09, Tokyo Everything's been going swimmingly with the fish tank, recently. toilet flushes and hockey games 2010.03.09, Tokyo In keeping with my attempts at keeping abreast of events in "the old country", I came across an interesting item from The Big Game. making a magazine 2010.03.08, Tokyo Things have come a long way since I made the content management system that I use to run emuu. turning 39 2010.03.04, Tokyo Long ago I wrote down my thoughts on turning thirty. earthquakes 2010.02.28, Tokyo Mari and I were stuck at home today because Kenny has a fever. adjusting to Japanese snack foods 2010.02.27, Tokyo Japanese snacks are sometimes odd. staying Canadian 2010.02.26, Tokyo It's hard to stay Canadian when you've immersed yourself in a vastly alien culture like Japan's. Nate's PechaKucha moment 2010.02.24, Tokyo Nate Jensen, who did the layout work on our diamond buyer's guide, have a presentation at PechaKucha tonight. the motorcycle trade 2010.02.23, Tokyo A curious thing happened today. ear problems in Japan 2010.02.23, Tokyo For the first time in my life, I've recently begun having ear infections. don't drink "curiosity cola" 2010.02.20, Tokyo I tried a Fentiman's "Curiosity Cola" today. free labour 2010.02.20, Tokyo I met with another person who imparted some great advice last night. advice from pros 2010.02.17, Tokyo Our new website is getting a lot of great feedback. mobile phone chargers 2010.02.15, Tokyo In following with my current research into the mobile phone platform, I've come across some bad news. looking for an engagement ring? 2010.02.14, Tokyo If you're looking for an engagement ring in Japan, you can now do your shopping online. cards for emergency translation 2010.02.13, Tokyo When I went to Shanghai, I knew that I'd be buying food in places where people don't speak English or Japanese. tsukiji is 70 years old 2010.02.11, Tokyo My favourite fish market just turned 70 years old. St. Valentine's Day 2010.02.10, Tokyo In Japan, St. selling on the mobile phone 2010.02.08, Tokyo Tonight was my first "mobile monday", a get-together for schmoozing and presentations pertaining to that industry in Tokyo. language and sex 2010.02.08, Tokyo Tonight I was offered sex in two neighbourhoods. browser software 2010.02.07, Tokyo We're about to launch our new business, which aims to sell diamond engagement rings to the Japanese public solely via the Internet. fixing an old, slow Windows PC 2010.02.06, Tokyo On three occasions recently, I've recommended some software for people struggling with a Windows PC that's become slow with age. webservers (nerd alert) 2010.02.04, Tokyo I've been tinkering with the webserver software that enables websites to exist for a long time. odd behaviour at Kinko's 2010.02.04, Tokyo I walked into a FedexKinkos today to do some printing. a message from Google 2010.02.03, Tokyo Today Google announced that they would no longer support Internet Explorer 6 within Google Apps. Tokyo weather report 2010.02.02, Tokyo This January was one of the warmest of my life—only Sydney was warmer. fashion in Tokyo 2010.01.28, Tokyo I'm sure that those who know me don't associate me with fashion. pecha kucha 2010.01.27, Tokyo Tonight I attended my first Pecha Kucha. Mexican food in Tokyo 2010.01.24, Tokyo It's difficult to find good Mexican food in Tokyo. no man's land 2010.01.23, Tokyo Today we went to "No man's land", an art studio/gallery that's been built into the recently vacated former French embassy in Hiroo. Shinagawa street fight 2010.01.22, Tokyo Twice in Tokyo, I've seen fights happen on the street. anti-spam routine 2010.01.22, Tokyo One thing that plagues people who run websites: spam. changing my name in Japan 2010.01.22, Tokyo As I've recently mentioned, I feel the time has come to change the katakana spelling of my last name. new site design 2010.01.21, Tokyo For years, I made feedback to this website available to all comers. struggling with a foreign name in Japan 2010.01.20, Tokyo I've been struggling with a last name that just doesn't work in the Japanese language. shipping from the US 2010.01.19, Tokyo Living in Japan, I have difficulty ordering things from the US. kanji study tools 2010.01.18, Tokyo I'm juggling a lot of things at the moment. aquarium update 2010.01.17, Tokyo The three otocinclus fish that I bought in replacement of Buddy the Pleco have died. reverse public relations 2010.01.16, Tokyo One thing I started in 2009 was feeding this journal to various outlets like facebook, tumblr, and twitter. another busy Friday 2010.01.15, Tokyo Today I did a lot of running around. our first order 2010.01.14, Tokyo We ordered a ring from our principal supplier back in December. the ballad of Buddy 2010.01.12, Tokyo This is the ballad of Buddy the plecostomus, a fish I had to give up. new year, more cycle glitches 2010.01.12, Tokyo Recently I said to myself, "I haven't had a flat tire on my bike, recently. Nihombashi 2010.01.10, Tokyo We're setting up our "headquarters" in the Tokyo district of Nihombashi. what to do with old phones 2010.01.09, Tokyo We've got about three old phones hanging around the apartment. fishes 2010.01.09, Tokyo The aquarium's been stable for several weeks now. my boy's book 2010.01.05, Tokyo I've made a photo book detailing my son's first year. a tale of two banks 2010.01.04, Tokyo In light of my recent comparison of Japanese airlines, I thought I'd mention an experience with two banks. belief in Japan 2010.01.03, Tokyo Without knowing a thing about the religion, it would seem I've becom a practising Shintoist. where have all the good things gone? 2010.01.03, Tokyo When I left my first job in Japan, one of my coworkers gave me a fairwell gift of a small set of toy cars with a jump ramp. home again, thanks to ANA 2010.01.02, Tokyo We flew back to Tokyo today. a frosty new year and some resolutions reviewed 2010.01.01, Nichinan, Miyazaki I woke up before the dawn, and realized that I had a chance to photograph the year's first sunrise. gaijin comic relief 2010.01.01, Tokyo We're visiting my wife's family in rural Japan. well it's over 2009.12.31, Nichinan, Miyazaki Goodbye, 2009 and the nameless decade. Yawn, was that another eruption? 2009.12.30, Miyakonojo, Kyusyu I was woken this morning at 07:30 by another volcanic boom that rattled the house. another eruption! 2009.12.29, Miyakonojo, Kyusyu Again with these volcanic eruptions. my first volcanic boom 2009.12.28, Nichinan, Miyazaki Today I heard my first real volcanic explosion. Why, JAL, why. 2009.12.25, Nichinan, Miyazaki You can tell that the government is now running Japan Airlines. a decade ends 2009.12.23, Tokyo A decade ends in eight days. X'mas for Mari 2009.12.22, Tokyo It occurred to me today that while my wife loves chocolate, she wouldn't have time at X'mas to eat any. things are tough in Japan 2009.12.21, Tokyo It's always good to get a neighbour's take on things from time to time. losing my accent? 2009.12.21, Tokyo Could I be losing my Canadian accent after a combined total of five years abroad? Kenny and I were watching a video about elephants playing in the snow. "great husband" part two 2009.12.20, Tokyo So I'm a great husband again. earthquakes make for lousy bedfellows 2009.12.18, Tokyo Last night I was up fairly late working on various projects. paypal, swing and a miss 2009.12.18, Tokyo One of the things we're eventually going to do with our business is collect payments via credit card. Apple book printing 2009.12.17, Tokyo I use a Mac PC at home and it came with this iPhoto software. sunrise over Shinagawa 2009.12.12, Tokyo This was the sunrise as visible from our balcony this morning. learning Japanese 2009.12.10, Tokyo I'm going to resume my Japanese language studies. a Kindle in Japan 2009.12.09, Tokyo Today I got my mitts on a friend's "Kindle", the Amazon e-reader. illness (again!) 2009.12.07, Tokyo I've been sick for much of the past three days. no longer "great husband" 2009.11.30, Tokyo Well as I suspected, it's all over. pics from a birthday 2009.11.29, Tokyo We had a bit of a party for Jon's 40th birthday a few weeks ago. "great husband" again 2009.11.29, Tokyo When we were first married, Mari would occasionally tell me that I was a "great husband". Arakawa clean-up 2009.11.28, Tokyo Today we spent most of the day cleaning up a small stretch of the Arakawa, the large river that runs through the eastern side of Tokyo. stare into the .. umbrella 2009.11.27, Tokyo I've learned a thing or two about lighting in this latest round of product photography. turning Japanese (slowly) 2009.11.27, Tokyo I seem to be becoming accustomed to having a Japanese wife. back in Tokyo 2009.11.25, Tokyo Well all good things must come to an end. a wedding! 2009.11.24, Hong Kong This evening we attended the wedding for which we'd come to Hong Kong in the first place. markets 2009.11.24, Hong Kong Today we spent the morning in Kowloon. pandas and old Minolta cameras 2009.11.23, Hong Kong Today we went to see the Panda at an aquarium. Shek O 2009.11.22, Hong Kong Our first day in Hong Kong was a blustery cool one. Another new city 2009.11.21, Hong Kong And suddenly we're in tropical China. what a day 2009.11.20, Tokyo Sometimes, Friday just adds nothing to what you can get done in a week. photos of China 2009.11.18, Tokyo I've finally assembled the photos from our trip to China and posted them to the website. dropped my bike .. and son 2009.11.15, Tokyo I'm still a bit weak from last week's illness, it seems. riding in Shanghai 2009.11.13, Tokyo A lot of people haven't asked what it's like to ride on the streets of Shanghai. new fish 2009.11.12, Tokyo While I was ill, three more of the shrimp died. terribly ill 2009.11.11, Tokyo I was terribly ill from Monday night through to Tuesday night, with a 40ºC fever and a generally awful feeling. happy birthday to a friend 2009.11.08, Tokyo My long-time friend and business partner Jon is turning 40. Japanese electrics 2009.11.06, Tokyo Everyone's familiar with Japanese electronics. traffic by country 2009.11.06, Tokyo For the past nine months or so I've been tracking the country of origin for traffic to my website. aging 2009.11.06, Tokyo As I slide toward my 40th birthday, I'm starting to notice age issues again (for the first time since I was in my teens). more dead shrimp 2009.11.05, Tokyo In the days following the first death, there have now been three more dead shrimp. crazy day 2009.11.04, Tokyo I got more done today than I'd hoped. visitors 2009.11.03, Tokyo We met with Blake and Violetta at 10:00 this morning under clear and surprisingly cold skies. pics from the motorbike tour 2009.11.02, Tokyo I took a lot of photos on the motorbike tour. Blake's arriving 2009.11.02, Tokyo Tomorrow morning I'll be meeting with an old colleague who's coming to town. it's our anniversary 2009.11.01, Tokyo Three years ago we got married on a beach in Thailand. shrimp tank 2009.10.31, Tokyo Hmmm. goodbye, Mashams (for real) 2009.10.30, Tokyo Our friends the Mashams came by tonight for their last visit. home again, home again 2009.10.30, Tokyo It feels damn strange being back in Tokyo. the aquarium 2009.10.29, Shanghai Our last day in this mad city. crickets, fish, and birds 2009.10.28, Shanghai This morning we failed to find a river tour that could complement the tour we'd already done of the streets. canal town 2009.10.27, Shanghai/SuZhou Today we got out early, heading for the canal town of SuZhou. the zoo! 2009.10.26, Shanghai Today we went to the zoo to watch a panda sleep. I guess I married well? 2009.10.26, Shanghai My wife astonished me this morning by telling me that she liked my camera vest. entry 1526 2009.10.25, Shanghai I've been writing this journal for more than ten years, now. adopting in China 2009.10.25, Shanghai So it seems that adopting a baby in China is still an option. shanghai sideways 2009.10.25, Shanghai We survived our motorcycle tour of Shanghai! Not only survived it, but really delighted in it. we've arrived 2009.10.24, Shanghai Now I've ridden in maglev trains on two continents. cycling in Tokyo 2009.10.23, Tokyo Tokyo is by the safest city I've ever cycled in. on business and busy-ness 2009.10.23, Tokyo It's hard to imagine that I've got myself simultaneously involved in two start-ups, but that's how things have turned out. a business idea is dead 2009.10.22, Tokyo Looks like one of my business ideas is stillborn. preparing for China 2009.10.19, Tokyo We're going to China! Time to prepare. an old hobby renewed 2009.10.18, Tokyo It's been several years since I last maintained an aquarium in the home. along came a spider... 2009.10.17, Tokyo We have a lots of mosquitoes around the house. happy anniversary to us! 2009.10.17, Tokyo We hit upon the idea of having a getaway "anniversary dinner" while Mari's parents were here. meetings and a visa 2009.10.16, Tokyo For some reason, I decided to sandwich in a trip to the Chinese consulate between important business meetings today. family's here! 2009.10.15, Tokyo Mari's folks are here for a visit. round two of testing starts today! 2009.10.14, Tokyo Our little engagement ring business enters a new phase today. cyyyyycling in the raiiiinnn 2009.10.14, Tokyo Just getting over a cold, when I get caught in the rain last night. new desk 2009.10.10, Tokyo Mari's got a new desk for the office/bedroom. shoe incident resolved 2009.10.09, Tokyo After a few phone calls, the shoe incident is resolved. typhoon 2009.10.07, Tokyo Last night a typhoon made landfall at Tokyo. wasp takes down dragonfly 2009.10.05, Tokyo Japan has some nasty insects. Gelding Gangster 2009.10.03, Tokyo "Gelding Gangster" appears to be the name of a band in Tokyo. why I ride my bike in Tokyo 2009.10.03, Tokyo This footage explains one of the major reasons I like to take a bike in Tokyo rather than ride the excellent train/subway system. low tunnel 2009.10.02, Tokyo There's a tunnel that passes beneath the wide set of sidings near Shinagawa train station. the shoes arrived! 2009.10.02, Tokyo The shoes and boots arrived today. the beat goes on... 2009.10.01, Tokyo When you're a small start-up dealing with gigantic international leaders in the industry, I find it helps to know what you're talking about. like boots and ... books 2009.09.29, Tokyo I've now got quite a range of items winging their way to me from overseas. "money masters" 2009.09.28, Tokyo Over the past several days, I've been slowly watching a rather dated but comprehensive video on the role of the Federal Reserve and its ilk. our long day 2009.09.26, Tokyo Mari and I went took Kenny to the daycare this morning for a parent-teacher meeting. sold a photo! 2009.09.25, Tokyo Today I put an 11"x14" print in the mail, bound for a former colleague in Australia. mum's off 2009.09.23, Tokyo Well, not a long trip this time. shopping day 2009.09.22, Tokyo We went to Ginza for a shopping expedition. back to the museum 2009.09.21, Tokyo Today we went to the Edo museum. goodbye, Mashams! 2009.09.19, Tokyo The Mashams, our good friends and neighbours, are leaving. respect for the elderly day 2009.09.18, Tokyo Today we through my visiting mother into the deep end. driver's license 2009.09.17, Tokyo I've got a Japanese driver's license. gaijin at Narita 2009.09.15, Tokyo My mum's arrived on a short visit. frozen onion 2009.09.15, Tokyo We ran out of green onion the other morning, and had to eat our natto donburi without that lovely condiment. all-day migraine 2009.09.14, Tokyo I'm something of a weather witch. the affair is over 2009.09.13, Tokyo My Summer affair has run its course. ikemen and ikumen 2009.09.12, Tokyo "Ikemen" a term in (modern) Japanese term for a handsome, attractive man. yawn ... another earthquake 2009.09.08, Tokyo Just had yet another earthquake, a very mild one. if I were a rich man 2009.09.07, Tokyo A former coworker asked how it was going, and I told him that I was having one of the best times of my life. bitchin' camero 2009.09.05, Tokyo Today I saw a left hand drive Camero on the street. nohongo jouzu 2009.09.05, Tokyo Today I set out to reset the password on my credit card so that I could make Internet purchases. another earthquake 2009.09.04, Tokyo Just a few minutes ago, we had another significant earthquake. o frabjous day! 2009.09.01, Tokyo I got my little Olympus rangefinder camera back on Sunday. the countdown 2009.08.31, Tokyo It occurred to me this weekend that I'm now only eighteen months out from turning forty. Monday morning hoorays 2009.08.31, Tokyo We spent the weekend on family stuff, this weekend, except for an outing by Mari to meet some other local mothers. typhoon 2009.08.31, Tokyo A typhoon is descending upon us once again. Mari's second performance 2009.08.26, Tokyo The people hosting the event at which Mari sang on Saturday forbid photography. sleeploss 2009.08.25, Tokyo Kenny had a fever all weekend, so naturally none of us has been sleeping properly. Mari the performer 2009.08.23, Tokyo Last night Mari gave her second-ever performance during a night that ended in the hospital. my tax dollars at work 2009.08.21, Tokyo Today as I was cycling back from Shibuya I passed through a large intersection in Gotanda. neverending camera issues 2009.08.19, Tokyo Much to my dismay my recently-repaired X-700, the camera I dropped, has started leaking light again. cicadas 2009.08.16, Tokyo Tokyo is not exactly a nature lover's paradise. third quake in five days 2009.08.13, Tokyo We were eating breakfast this morning when there was yet another earthquake. the new business takes a step forward 2009.08.13, Tokyo Today my partner and I nominated two acquaintances to do some testing with the website storefront for our business. ganbatte, Burma 2009.08.12, Tokyo Recently, there's been a lot of non-Japanese political activity in my neighbourhood. the second quake 2009.08.11, Tokyo So it seems that this morning's quake (the second in less than 60 hours) was stronger than I knew. earthquake 2009.08.10, Tokyo We had a strong earthquake last night at around 20:30. Jesus Body 2009.08.07, Tokyo There are many things that can mystify a foreigner living in Japan. service and complexity 2009.08.04, Tokyo Twice in the past two weeks, Mari and I have tried and failed to engage the services of different companies. syndication (signal to noise) 2009.08.04, Tokyo This little journal of mine is now in syndication. today I got caught in the rain three times 2009.08.02, Tokyo The whole family went out in the rain at around 10:00 this morning in an effort to do various errands before some guests would arrive in the afternoon. camera woes (revisited) 2009.08.01, Tokyo The repairs done to my Olympus rangefinder were clearly insufficient. damn that store room! 2009.07.30, Tokyo Tonight Mari asked me, "Did you take those [crackers] from the store-room?" me; "Um, yes. banking 'round the world 2009.07.27, Tokyo I've been using my mother's address as a "Canadian mail stop" for some reason. replacing Google as search engine in Firefox 2009.07.26, Tokyo I typically use search by typing in some keywords to the location bar (rather than first going to a search site, or using the dedicated search bar). new cycle shop 2009.07.25, Tokyo The Kitazawa family, seen in a number of the (photos on Kenny's site) recommended a new bike shop to us. Google is weirder than I thought 2009.07.23, Tokyo My buddy Lee and I have discovered something truly bizarre. new favourite film 2009.07.22, Tokyo I think I've found a new favourite colour print film! The image below comes straight from the scanner w/o any manipulation whatever. understanding Japanese withholding tax 2009.07.21, Tokyo Tax law is always difficult to understand. home again, home again 2009.07.20, Tokyo So we're home again. Google ain't all that 2009.07.18, Tokyo At the prompting of a personal correspondance, I'm adding an entry on my thoughts about Google. a home rebuilt 2009.07.18, Miyakonojo, Kyusyu Today we flew to Miyazaki, and from there drove to Miyakonojo, the town of my wife's birth. "I'm through with sleeping on the sidewalk" 2009.07.18, Tokyo Tonight on the way home from the daycare, Mari and I found a fellow of about our age lying on the sidewalk, unmoving and eyes closed. the new business 2009.07.15, Tokyo My business partner and I came to a decision today. .net frustration 2009.07.13, Tokyo Once upon a time, when the 'net was young and no-one but techies fiddled about with domain registration, there was but one Internet registrar that everyone had to deal with. what a day 2009.07.10, Tokyo I've had a bit of a wobbly week, and today just capped it off wonderfully. new for your iPhone 2009.07.08, Tokyo Some friends have released a new application for the iPhone. tour of Shinagawa 2009.07.07, Tokyo Today I took a free tour of Shinagawa, the city within the Tokyo district in which we live. my old professor 2009.07.06, Tokyo One of my University professors was arrested on child pornography charges earlier this year. semi-stolen chair 2009.07.04, Tokyo We went to a gigantic sale at the TOC outlet building in Gotanda. new glasses 2009.07.03, Tokyo I picked up my new glasses today, the first new pair in five years or so. on the spot 2009.07.02, Tokyo At a celebration today for the demise of our Japanese course, I was asked to make a speech! No one told our class we'd be doing this, I suppose it was a matter of throwing us in the deep end. Canada Day 2009.07.01, Tokyo Today was Canada Day. great dentist 2009.06.30, Tokyo I had a great experience with a visit to the dentist today. an old acquaintance 2009.06.28, Tokyo Mari, Kenny and I met up with an old friend from a short contract stint I did in Australia back in "19100". camera repairs 2009.06.25, Tokyo I've got the good news from the camera repair shop in Illinois that accepted my old XD-11. HIE no more? 2009.06.23, Tokyo I took my last roll of HIE black and white infrared-sensitive film into Horiuchi this morning for development. chocolate covered what? 2009.06.16, Tokyo Ah, Japan. Three PC's and one ... um ... user 2009.06.15, Tokyo I bought a Mac Mini. mikoshi 2009.06.07, Tokyo Today we went out to join the neighbourhood celebration that's centred around Shinagawa shrine (which is close to our home). screwing up 2009.06.06, Tokyo I decided to send one of my Minolta XD bodies off to the US for repairs after being told by one local repair shop they wanted more than $200, and being told by another that my particular camera would be impossible to repair in Japan. thank you, government 2009.06.05, Tokyo The Canadian tax authority sent me an advisory suggesting that they wanted me to call them. new keyboard 2009.06.04, Tokyo It's that time again -- I've bought another keyboard. weird camera fixes 2009.06.03, Tokyo Yup, another post about getting my cameras fixed. portraits of my wife the singer 2009.06.01, Tokyo I'm not an experienced portrait photographer, but a bit of forthought and a raft of lamps let me pull off some okay portraits of my singer wife for a promotional brochure. digital black and white 2009.05.29, Tokyo I ran out of points on my Bic Camera card last week, and told myself that I'd stop shooting film for a while when that happened. camera repairs 2009.05.29, Tokyo I got my 35DC back. if the truck is a'rockin 2009.05.26, Tokyo Today at the ward office building where I take Japanese lessons, we were taken for a three-part earthquake expo. Today is towel day 2009.05.25, Tokyo To all the other fans of Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books: today is Towel Day! As it turns out, Ken and Heidi sent us a Hitchhiker's-related towel. at my feet 2009.05.24, Tokyo I've got quite a large collection of photos. some photos 2009.05.23, Tokyo I've put some photos of our recent trip to the Izu peninsula in my photo gallery. the busy life 2009.05.22, Tokyo Sometimes I feel that I may be biting off a bit more than I'm supposed to. Mari's video 2009.05.18, Tokyo With a tip from my pal Nate, I've managed to put together a video of Mari's debut on YouTube. if I never have a cent... 2009.05.18, Tokyo Mari's parents arrived in town yesterday for Mari's singing debut. Mari's debut 2009.05.16, Tokyo Mari is practicing today for tomorrow's singing debut at a show with a dozen other singers (in turn). dropped camera: the verdict 2009.05.15, Tokyo A few days ago I mentioned that I'd dropped one of my cameras and that it now was suffering from light leaks. Kamil's away 2009.05.14, Tokyo Kamil's on his way back to Thunder Bay. return to Izu 2009.05.11, Izu Peninsula Jon, Manami-san, Kamil and the family went to the Izu peninsula this weekend to get away from the city and to show Kamil a real Japanese ryokan. Yagstravaganza 2009.05.09, Tokyo Today we held a belated birthday party for Yaguchi-san. crappy shrine 2009.05.06, Tokyo We'd planned a picnic for today, but called it off because it was raining hard the day before and then continued to rain off and on throughout the morning. Kamil! 2009.05.04, Tokyo Kamil Zaniewski, my University-era friend who's now a professor in Northern Ontario, has arrived for a visit. day gods-know-what 2009.04.28, Tokyo Just when I was about to report that all was well with my long-running bout of pnuemonia, I woke up this morning with a renewed feeling of having a sore throat that extends down into my entire chest. new design for website 2009.04.25, Tokyo I've once again tweaked the design of this website last night. camera drop fallout 2009.04.24, Tokyo To my dismay, it seems that it's time to say goodbye to another camera -- that's two so far in '09 and three in the past 18 months! My X-700, pictured above, hasn't recovered from being dropped a couple of weeks ago, and I suppose that it never will. Japanese lessons again 2009.04.21, Tokyo I had an entire month off, since I last took Japanese lessons. a new world 2009.04.18, Tokyo As of this week, I'm no longer officially employed. day 15: mycaplasma 2009.04.13, Tokyo So it turns out that in all of the wide world, among countless species of bacteria, we humans have only found one lone species that doesn't have cell walls. day 14: looking like a dead bug 2009.04.11, Tokyo For two whole weeks now, I've been wrangling with a cold that just won't go. losing my language 2009.04.09, Tokyo At first, it seemed that learning the Japanese language was having no impact on my English skills. one day... 2009.04.07, Tokyo Once in a while you have one of those days that makes you wonder about how you've arranged your life. day eight 2009.04.07, Tokyo It's now day eight of nearly incessant high temperatures (up to 38o) for me, and now my son has had it off and on for at least four-five days (last night reaching a high of 40o). this week's fever brought to you by.... 2009.04.02, Tokyo My son has simultaneously brought home his first and second illness. remember, it's a foreign land 2009.03.31, Tokyo Today I had a real reminder -- as if being illiterate and unable to speak wasn't enough -- that I'm in a foreign land. juggling debut 2009.03.30, Tokyo Today was my public juggling debut. website maintenance 2009.03.29, Tokyo This morning I woke at 03:00 and couldn't get back to sleep. the juggling report 2009.03.27, Tokyo Today I managed to nearly double my record in continuous juggling, hitting 112 successive catches before fumbling. me and PKD 2009.03.22, Tokyo I had a bizarre dream last night in which I was working in a start-up business setting in which I had a significant leadership role. camera drop 2009.03.22, Tokyo Today I took Kenny to the park at the end of the street because it was a beautiful morning. final goodbye 2009.03.20, Tokyo Those of us who stayed for the end of the intensive Japanese program went for a goodbye at a Yakiniku restaurant in Shibuya. class is finished 2009.03.20, Tokyo I've finished my intensive class and have passed my exams (in some cases only barely). juggling 2009.03.16, Tokyo I'm getting better at juggling. how to succeed in Japanese pronunciation 2009.03.17, Tokyo My "intensive" Japanese course is coming to its end. Japanglish 2009.03.16, Tokyo I've just had a disturbing report from Miyazaki. kanji guide 2009.03.14, Tokyo I've completed a compilation of words/usages for over 100 kanji. finding things 2009.03.13, Tokyo When it comes to finding things, I've always been . japanese is trending upwards 2009.03.06, Tokyo I've been asked by my Japanese language school to write a short blurb on their behalf. the Spiny Urchin returns 2009.03.06, Tokyo My sister-in-law, Vancouver artists Heidi Van Impe has revived the Spiny Urchin project. turning Japanese 2009.03.06, Tokyo It's been coming for some time, and now it's happened. developing film 2009.03.05, Tokyo I've hit upon a really good film developer in Tokyo. juggling balls 2009.03.04, Tokyo I've come up an idea for a birthday gift this year. new feature 2009.03.02, Tokyo Today I've added a new feature: a photo-of-the-day. the gaijin are leaving Tokyo 2009.03.01, Tokyo Near our previous apartment is an "international" grocery store, one that specializes in sky-high-prices for "foreign" foods. babysitting 2009.02.28, Tokyo It's always a pleasure to babysit when Mari's off on errands or doing something like her singing lessons. the big speech 2009.02.26, Tokyo I took the time to read the text of US President Obama's speech to Congress this evening and I'm a bit confused. drunken minister 2009.02.22, Tokyo Below is a video of a press conference held by a minister in the Japanese government. word to Internet Explorer users 2009.02.21, Tokyo I've modified my website to show a special message to viewers who use out-dated versions of Internet Explorer. new server 2009.02.17, Tokyo Once again, this website has moved. the camera is dead; long live the camera 2009.02.13, Tokyo Quite suddenly, my beloved primary camera began exhibiting problems late last year. this website hacked 2009.02.10, Tokyo Today I learned from a friend that my website has been altered by someone redirecting search engine traffic to a spam website. crash course 2009.02.10, Tokyo One of the reasons I moved to Japan a few years ago was my dismay at what humans have made of North America. weekend recap 2009.02.09, Tokyo The following is an account of my weekend in Japanese. last week's trip 2009.02.08, Tokyo I've got my film back and scanned for last week's trip. film photography's next generation 2009.02.07, Tokyo I've noticed something interesting going on with the user community of a couple of the photography forums that I frequent. a tale of two arimasu 2009.02.05, Tokyo The Japanese language is a many-barbed thing. precious days, part II 2009.02.02, Oita The streak is over. precious days 2009.02.01, Fukuoka Happy February (this year is already sailing by at a terribly clip). wind and rain 2009.01.31, Fukuoka We're in Fukuoka. Mari's new classes 2009.01.26, Tokyo Just as I've started Japanese classes, Mari's resumed some classes, too. RSS feed 2009.01.25, Tokyo Over the past few years, many people have asked me to put an RSS feed on this website. Japanese class 2009.01.20, Tokyo My first class went well. the deep end 2009.01.19, Tokyo Today I followed through on my threat to find a Japanese class. new year's resolutions 2009.01.18, Tokyo OK, it's taken me a couple of weeks (due to the job situation) but now I can post my new year's resolutions for '09. Japanese lessons 2009.01.11, Tokyo One of my coworkers came up with an excellent suggestion on Friday. success 2009.01.10, Tokyo I've got one abbreviated week left of my current job. new camera gear 2009.01.09, Tokyo This morning I had a dream that I bought a used camera lens sight unseen (I have actually done this, with poor results). LEGO section 2009.01.08, Tokyo I've added the first of my recent LEGO set creations to the site in the creations section. Nichinan, Miyazaki 2009.01.01, Tokyo Hello, 2009! Curious, when you've got a small baby to take care of you don't wake up with a hangover. another migraine 2008.12.30, Nichinan, Miyazaki In bed half the day with a migraine again. another birthday 2008.12.29, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Three birthdays in a week! This time it was young Kiyotaka ("Ki-kun"). making mochi 2008.12.28, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki This morning's festivities began with an extended barbeque and mochi-making party. party like it's 2008 2008.12.27, Miyakonojo, Miyazaki This morning we did the beach onsen. Guided by voices 2008.12.26, Niwashi, Kagoshima Today we left the family home in Nichinan and struck out for Kagoshima. Trust me, I'm a licensed semi-professional 2008.12.25, Nichinan, Miyazaki After my ordeal of the previous days, I was up and around at more or less a normal hour on this day. Merry F'n X'mas 2008.12.24, Nichinan, Miyazaki X'mas eve, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for the 8. Norrundon'twalk 2008.12.23, Nichinan, Miyazaki On this day I came down with a bout of Norwalk virus or something similar. The Birthday 2008.12.22, Nichinan, Miyazaki I'm writing these journal entries after the fact for reasons that will become obvious. Welcome to Winter 2008.12.21, Nichinan, Miyazaki Well it's Winter again. flying domestic 2008.12.20, Nichinan, Miyazaki It was a busy morning. adoring fans 2008.12.19, Tokyo Cycling home at this time of year the city streets are full of people celebrating. toy 2008.12.18, Tokyo As noted previous, I'm making a wooden "inch-worm" pull-toy for my little nephew Ta-kun. bachelor life 2008.12.16, Tokyo Mari and Kenny are in Miyazaki. bad influence 2008.12.13, Tokyo Joon and I met in Ginza to go to a Malaysian restaurant with Jon and Minami-san. visit with the neighbours 2008.12.07, Tokyo Today we visited with the neighbours. hunting bin Laden 2008.12.05, Tokyo "Believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear. JR shadows 2008.11.30, Tokyo I set off early this morning to go to one of the big camera stores and get some storage binders for my negatives. bad service 2008.12.01, Tokyo I am blessed. helmets for safety 2008.11.30, Tokyo I know this cyclist who goes about Tokyo without a helmet. troubles 2008.11.28, Tokyo Ah, the economy. website traffic 2008.11.16, Tokyo Around the time that I last made a journal entry on the subject of traffic to this website, I found that the traffic had started to taper off. shopping for terebi 2008.11.14, Tokyo Mari wants to get a television. medium format toy camera 2008.11.09, Tokyo As previous noted, I've recently come into possession of an old (54 year old!) Ricohflex Model VII. Jon's birthday 2008.11.08, Tokyo It was Jon's 39th birthday party tonight. street photography in the Philippines 2008.11.07, Manila Before leaving for the airport this morning, I spent 90 minutes on a trek out to the river that wends its way through Manila's sprawling congested urban space. A new US president 2008.11.06, Manila I wasn't going to write on the subject of Barack Obama's election in this journal, but it occurred to me that my offspring might someday want to know where I was and what I felt. Arnon in Manila 2008.11.05, Manila Today I met my childhood friend in Manila while he was on a business trip. let sleeping folk lie 2008.11.04, Tokyo A couple of weeks ago we went to the sea side to take in the scenery. it's 04:00 ... what's up your nose? 2008.10.30, Tokyo I was woken at about 03:45 this morning by a mosquito. shameful 2008.10.26, Tokyo Last Monday my friend Jon was telling me about his recent successes as a cook. tricked out bike 2008.10.24, Tokyo After speaking with a coworker who's an avid cyclist, I decided to go to the fine folks at Azabu Cycle about getting my bike modified. tuberculosis 2008.10.23, Tokyo I recently learned that I'd possibly been exposed to tuberculosis. the North Americans 2008.10.22, Tokyo It's funny. separated but still similar 2008.10.08, Tokyo My brother discovered that he and I had bought the same watch. black cat didn't cross my path 2008.10.02, Tokyo As I joined one of the many major roads on my trip to work today I spotted a black cat that was trying to cross the road. picnic 2008.10.19, Tokyo (Zushi) Today we decided to give the new binoculars a trial. ...the tire trilogy concludes 2008.10.17, Tokyo I decided to risk riding on the weakened tire one more time, only to get me to the office. the cycle story continues... 2008.10.16, Tokyo I went down to the parking area early* this morning and had a look at my twice-flattened front tire. deer! 2008.10.02, Nanaimo It was rainy and quite windy today. the west west coast 2008.09.30, Tofino We made it out to Tofino on the we(s)t coast of Vancouver island today. tires 2008.10.15, Tokyo Shortly before we left for Vancouver, I told myself, "I've sure been having a run of good luck with the flat tires! I haven't had one in six months or so. the crow's nest 2008.10.12, Tokyo We're back in Tokyo after two weeks in British Columbia. seven sweet potatoes 2008.10.01, Nanaimo We lingered in Tofino until the early afternoon, taking in all the nature. shopping day #1 2008.09.29, Vancouver Heidi works at Mountain Equipment Co-op, and we had a tonne of things on our list to stock up. British Columbia 2008.09.28, Vancouver Our much-anticipated trip to Canada's west coast has gotten off to a good start. pronounciation 2008.09.28, Tokyo Sadly, I learned today that I have the worst Japanese-language pronounciation of any foreigner that my wife knows. the golden age 2008.09.26, Tokyo No need to fear if the global economy is falling apart. 93 kilos 2008.09.23, Tokyo On July 21, I reported that I weighed in at 98kg. ten years already 2008.09.22, the Internet It's just occurred to me that the ten-year anniversary of my presence on the Internet is just around the corner. novel progress 2008.09.20, Tokyo I've gone through the whole round with my editor on the novel. new home page 2008.09.18, Tokyo I've updated my home page for the first time in quite a while. technogeek wife 2008.09.14, Tokyo We were in a Yodabashi camera store today. keyboard repair 2008.09.15, Tokyo It looks like my new Model M keyboard is permanently damaged. it's a small world 2008.09.10, Tokyo Today I learned that one of my coworkers, here in Tokyo, lived in one of the buildings where I lived during my last year in Toronto. gecko! 2008.09.09, Tokyo I found a gecko in our bedroom tonight. keyboard 2008.09.09, Tokyo For the first time that I can recall, I spilled a big cup of water on myself while at my desk last night. Game Gene Theory 2008.09.09, Tokyo "There is no survival of the fittest. laughing in Japanese 2008.09.02, Tokyo Today Mari and I went to a local pre-school to 'audition', I suppose. photo equipment 2008.08.29, Tokyo The March before last, my brother surprised me with a gift. boat trip 2008.08.25, Miyazaki We were invited to take a boat tour of the canals of Nichinan in southern Miyazaki. aaaaaaah 2008.08.22, Miyazaki It is so good to get away from the city. long-running novel 2008.08.17, Tokyo I have an aunt who's a novelist, like me. hot snow 2008.08.07, Tokyo Curiously, the weather forecast this morning called for 32oC and light snow. piano 2008.08.05, Tokyo I got home tonight, soaked and exhausted from the simple commute home. heat 2008.08.04, Tokyo This morning the news report on the radio said that the temperature was about 30oC before 08:00. greying 2008.07.30, Tokyo While in a training session yesterday, I found a grey hair on my shoulder. lazy, lazy dad 2008.07.29, Tokyo It's been a fair time since I updated Ken's journal so I did some catch-up this evening. fireworks 2008.07.27, Chiba We spent the evening in Chiba, visiting with the Satoi family. Captain Hammer 2008.07.27, Tokyo My Captain Hammer t-shirt arrived, today. cycling in the heat 2008.07.25, Tokyo It's been hot, recently. Ilford no more? 2008.07.24, Tokyo My favourite films, Ilford HP5 and FP4, are no longer for sale at Bic Camera. enschizophreniation and other coined words 2008.07.23, Tokyo Today I coined the word enschizophreniation in an email advisory 'round the office. weight gain 2008.07.21, Tokyo I stepped on the scales today and learned that I've now gained some 8 kilos since I've been in Japan and am parked at 98kg. lens swamp! 2008.07.20, Tokyo Mari found out about a camera fair in Ginza today. plug 2008.07.18, Tokyo Posting this very late, but it's okay, this won't take long. a tale of two hares 2008.07.17, Tokyo I posted a photo-microstory the other day, and had meant to link it to my journal. 10,000 views 2008.07.16, Tokyo This iteration of my website is now a year old. been a long time 2008.07.15, Tokyo It's been too long since I updated young Ken's journal. keywords everywhere 2008.07.15, Tokyo Today I've added keyword indexing to my site. bonus season 2008.07.09, Tokyo It's bonus season in Japan. digressions and puns 2008.07.02, Tokyo As I see it, digressions are a minor crime against speech. dream wife 2008.06.29, Tokyo I had a strange dream. work work work 2008.06.27, Tokyo When I'm working, I get so wrapped up in what I'm doing that I'm generally oblivious to my surrounds and even my general health. peace on Earth 2008.06.26, Tokyo I work for the IT department of an investment bank, and often come home wound up and tense. firefox browser 2008.06.21, Tokyo On the way to a (rather good) drumming show tonight, I noticed that someone is running ads for the free/open-source Firefox web browser in the Tokyo JR train system. jeff goldblum again 2008.06.19, Tokyo Today I was assured by one of my colleagues that "everybody on the floor agrees" that I look like Jeff Goldblum. rat! 2008.06.18, Tokyo I saw my first Tokyo rat today. laundry mistakes 2008.06.16, Tokyo I got home from the gym on Sunday and stepped into the shower. new site is live 2008.06.08, Tokyo Another year, another new website design. iPod 2008.06.08, Tokyo My handy little Samsung MP3 player (a YP-MT6) is a simple affair, with controls that are easy to use and no complications of any kind. lenses 2008.06.06, Tokyo Tonight I was pissed off with the world after work, and had to go for a long walk. semi 2008.06.05, Tokyo There are these insects in Japan that the locals call semi. camera show 2008.06.02, Tokyo This morning, Mari pointed out that an invitation to a used camera fair had been sitting around in our apartment for quite some time. email 2008.06.01, Tokyo I've been blasting off a lot of email in the past year and change. new keyboard 2008.05.31, Tokyo I have a fondness for the old IBM keyboards. good news 2008.05.30, Tokyo Tonight I learned that someone I know took my advice after asking an important question last year. Burma 2008.05.25, Tokyo I've been attempting to follow the story of the catastrophic cyclone landfall in Burma. sticky, stinky and scratchy 2008.05.23, Tokyo Just the other day I posted to this journal that the pleasant season was passing. goodbye, favourite season 2008.05.17, Tokyo That precious time of the year is sliding away. inflation 2008.05.16, Tokyo I've been reading bits and pieces here and there about inflation creeping into various national economies. medium format pics 2008.05.14, Tokyo Here are the pics from that first roll of film. the results! 2008.05.13, Tokyo I got back my first roll of 6x6 film shot on the old Ricohflex. kid's day 2008.05.05, Miyazaki Today is kid's day in Japan, when they fly long "fish" kites at just about every public place. suica no more 2008.05.07, Tokyo Since October of 2005, I've been using a Suica card for transit in Tokyo. neutral density 2008.05.03, Miyazaki The neutral density filter has to be the most porly named in the wide world of photographic filters. it's all my mum's fault 2008.05.01, Tokyo Tonight on the way home I bought a cokin filter and the adapter widget for fitting it to my cameras. flying for baby 2008.05.02, Miyazaki We flew with the baby for the first time. end of a season 2008.04.30, Tokyo I notice that it's already the end of my favourite part of Spring. new toy 2008.04.29, Tokyo One thing I realized during our early expeditions with the child: carrying a tripod doesn't mix with carrying child stuff. floors and doors 2008.04.26, Tokyo Sometimes I take photos of rather mundane things like whatever is under my feet, or whatever wall or doorway I happen to be passing. tokyo at night 2008.04.25, Tokyo I shot this with some cheap colour 100 film (Centuria) way out at 400 ISO. another day, another photo 2008.04.24, Tokyo Took this about ten days ago. photo experiment: subway 2008.04.23, Tokyo I've been working on a new project recently -- a complete reworking of this website. Sleep 2008.04.21, Tokyo Last week was a difficult one. 'you are what you buy' 2008.04.20, Tokyo There, I finally caught some advertiser cutting to the brutal truth. forty x forty 2008.04.14, Tokyo Working for a gigantic bureaucracy is sometimes amusingly predictable (or vice versa). smells & memory 2008.04.08, Tokyo We've got this new 'all natural' shampoo. hanami 2008.04.05, Tokyo Today it was our scheduled hanami party. entry 1233 2008.04.04, Tokyo This morning we went on a boat cruise in Matsushima Bay. baby's first trip 2008.04.03, Matsushima Today the four of us went to Matsushima, a small town about three hours north of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of Japan's main island of Honshu. sick 2008.04.02, Tokyo I've been sick a lot recently. camera gear 2008.04.01, Tokyo I've been doing a lot of photography recently. visitor 2008.03.31, Tokyo My mother arrived today to meet her grandson. site redesign 2008.03.30, Tokyo It seems that every six to eighteen months, I redesign this website from scratch for one reason or another. a profile, you ask? 2008.03.27, Tokyo Someone in the global organization at work wanted me to produce a profile of myself for a newsletter. when I was a baby... 2008.03.20, Tokyo I recently posted to the journal of my son about taking him out to experience his first rain fall. Arthur C. Clarke 2008.03.19, Tokyo The finest science fiction writer in history is dead. weather report 2008.03.13, Tokyo The weather's certainly changed. new tire 2008.03.12, Tokyo I've finally tired of the flat tires to the point of doing something about it. happy anniversary to me! 2008.03.09, Tokyo I'd decided on a birthday gift to myself from my wife, and informed her that I wanted a box of film, specifically Ilford's excellent FP4. one more for the road (or not) 2008.03.06, Tokyo I hopped on my bike this morning, raring to get to the office early to catch up for the day I'd missed yesterday. always something... 2008.03.04, Tokyo My grandfather liked to say, "there's always something to keep you humble. lens swamp 2008.03.02, N�2 When helping Jon shop for a new digital SLR camera, yesterday, I noticed an 85mm lens for the Minolta system in a store window. 2,500,000 hits 2008.02.28, Tokyo Today my website logged it's 2. dad for a month 2008.02.27, Tokyo I've been a father for a whole month, as of today. another(!) flat tire 2008.02.25, Tokyo The thing with the flat tires is getting out of hand. migraines 2008.02.24, Tokyo I get migraines. warden training 2008.02.23, Tokyo Today we did a full day of training at the embassy. Canadian consular affairs warden program 2008.02.22, Tokyo So, I'm a member of the Canadian government's warden program in Tokyo. weather report 2008.02.20, Tokyo The weather in the city has been completely bizarre recently. diet coke 2008.02.19, Tokyo So it's starting to look like aspartame may be much worse for the human body even than sugar. again with the flat tires 2008.02.18, Tokyo I'm enjoying another run of flat tires with my bike, clearly. gettin' old 2008.02.16, Tokyo Looking at a recent photo of me, I can't help but notice that I'm looking creased and haggard. back in the saddle 2008.02.12, Tokyo I cycled to the office today, and both my bike and I were both a little rusty this morning. one child 2008.02.08, Tokyo I've just finished reading a really excellent X'mas gift from my mother, a book titled The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. camera leather 2008.02.06, Tokyo I got my third set of new leather from cameraleather. parenting 2008.02.05, Tokyo It's been a busy week. I'm a dad 2008.01.27, Tokyo I knew the day was coming, but it's still a staggering bit of news. a prediction 2008.01.25, Tokyo I've got a prediction. D'oh! 2008.01.24, Tokyo Oh, the things you see without a camera. Tokyo is in tomorrow 2008.01.23, Tokyo Today it snowed. Japanese double speak 2008.01.20, Tokyo It has recently come to my attention that there are considerably more double-words in Japanese than I'd previously known. bizarre coding error 2008.01.19, Tokyo This morning I've found a funny coding error in my script that creates this journal. plastics 2008.01.17, Tokyo My mother gave me a book for X'mas titled "The World Without Us". novel, second cut 2008.01.14, Tokyo I've sent a second cut of my novel to my agent. smart kid 2008.01.12, Tokyo Today I met a three-year-old named Reika who can read katakana and hiragana, the two basic syllabaries of the Japanese language. black hole lens 2008.01.13, Tokyo My friend, who's recently bought not one but two cameras, suggested today that a very small black hole should be use as a lens for photography. buh-bye Pentax MX 2008.01.06, Tokyo I did something today which I've only done twice before. baby sling 2008.01.03, Tokyo As part of our meager preparations for the arrival of Ken 4, we've picked up a sling suitable for infants. 明けましておめでとうございます 2008.01.01, Tokyo Happy New Year, everyone. Merry X'mas 2007.12.25, Tokyo My second "X'mas" in Japan. pay day 2007.01.19, Tokyo Today, by my careful calculation, my bicycle has paid for itself. photo stats 2007.12.16, Tokyo I've had quite a few hits to my site over the years. baby stuff 2007.12.15, Tokyo We're only a few weeks away from our baby's due date, now. waist 2007.12.14, Tokyo Think you're still in shape? Try getting into a seven-year-old pair of pants!. Novel detour 2007.12.12, Tokyo It's Mari's first day of maternity leave today. "we love you" 2007.12.06, Tokyo Today, not one but two people told me "we love you, Michael". And now, a word from our sponsors... 2007.12.04, Tokyo I've been working on a novel for several years. The Yoda wedding 2007.12.02, Tokyo Today we attended a wedding reception. party night in Tokyo 2007.12.01, Tokyo Today we attended an evening of entertainment w/ a variety of different styles. east-end matsuri 2007.11.25, Tokyo Today we attended a bit of a festival in the east end. entry 1180 2007.11.28, Tokyo A Japanese friend of mine bought a lens in total stealth mode. my wife's getting bigger 2007.11.22, Tokyo Heeeere comes aka-chan! This is my wife at 7. some days.... 2007.11.16, Tokyo Recently, I was heading into the office for my 'normal' 09:00 (I fairly regularly start at 07:30 as well) and there was the usual crowd hanging around having a smoke. bike accident 2007.11.15, Tokyo It finally happened. Shizuoka is warm 2007.11.11, Shizuoka Shizuoka is two prefectures over from the greater Tokyo area. more good luck from a bird 2007.11.08, Tokyo Today I had a run of "good luck". kekkonkinenbi desu 2007.11.07, Tokyo A year ago today, we did this. record year 2007.11.01, Tokyo That was quick. another goddamn headache 2007.10.22, Tokyo If you've got migraines, I feel bad for you, son. EDSの社人の飲み会 2007.10.19, Tokyo I went to a reunion of former EDS people who had been stationed with the one client where I was on site when I arrived in Japan. cycling in October 2007.10.15, Tokyo The weather this autumn has been pretty lousy. the kid is all right 2007.09.29, Tokyo We went to the clinic again. Goodbye, Toronto 2007.09.21, Toronto And our last day is upon us, just like that. shopping 2007.09.20, Toronto I can't remember a day of such intense shopping running around. packing by day, music by night 2007.09.19, Toronto We spent the whole day sorting out the stuff in my storage unit. back to the city 2007.09.18, Toronto We headed into town first thing, and did some laundry. Cruise day 2007.09.17, Victoria Harbour We got a reasonably early start on the day, and went into town where we did a bit of shopping. family day 2007.09.16, Victoria Harbour We left the Falls this morning for St. a long day 2007.09.15, Niagara Falls My mum arrived this morning, and after the usual confusion with trying to reach Jonathan, Mari and I sped off to my aunt Laurie's place. Mmmm, coffee 2007.09.14, Toronto We found an amazing coffee place on Yonge street just south of Carlton. Keg Redux 2007.09.13, Toronto Tonight we all met with Charlie and Andrea and the Chako. Bloor West Village is cool tonight 2007.09.12, Toronto Flew into Toronto today, after leaving at some point that my watch says was three hours and my body says was 20ish. new landlord 2007.09.09, Tokyo In anticipation of the baby's arrival, we've been looking for a larger apartment. Typhoon weather 2007.09.06, Tokyo For the record, typhoon weather is fncking ridiculous. My father-in-law's new camera 2007.09.03, Tokyo My father-in-law's camera packed it in. new lens 2007.09.02, Tokyo Mari and I went for a check-up at the clinic again (they seem to be slated for every three or four weeks). Thank you, Kate 2007.08.31, Tokyo I had my session with my writing coach tonight. another goddamn flat!? 2007.08.24, Tokyo Tonight on the way home. another flat 2007.08.23, Tokyo Two weeks ago I was greeted had a flat tire while heading out to do some errands. Another day, another d'ohnut 2007.08.22, Tokyo This morning I got the report on my novel from the writing coach I hired. $42 flash 2007.08.20, Tokyo I'm feeling rather pleased with myself. carving tools, rusty 2007.08.15, Tokyo I learned a lesson about my new home town, today. Tokyo at night 2007.08.12, Tokyo With my handy Pentax istDS, I took some long-exposure shots of the clouds passing over my neighbourhood in Tokyo. RDL DVD's 2007.08.12, Tokyo Today in a store in Gotanda I noticed these, which appear to be 8. Tokyo is hot today 2007.08.11, Tokyo 今日　とても　あつっかた　です。　じてんｓひゃ　で　じてんｓひゃや　にいって　フォトァボ　に　いって　ぎんざ　に　いって　うち　に　かえぃました。　あつい　から　お水　ボテル　ふたつ　を　のみました。じてんしやの人　と　話しました。彼　は　いいました　３６C　です　－－　あたらし　さいしょう　たかい　ひ　です。よる　真理　ちやん　と　はなぶ　かいたい　行きました。 Today was ridiculously hot in the city. What a day 2007.08.07, Tokyo Today a cold I've been dodging for a couple of weeks finally caught up with me and I took the morning off to rest. Tokyo big sights 2007.08.01, Tokyo There's a place in Tokyo called "Tokyo Big Sight". writing coach 2007.07.31, Tokyo I've taken another step towards getting my novel completed. my ring is back 2007.07.26, Tokyo I picked up my ring, and it's like new!! I really don't understand how it happened, but not only are all of the gouges out but you can't even see any sign that the ring was ever worn. the Japanese language is nuts 2007.07.25, Tokyo They have a verb for this: "being given a thing to take care of (it)". going up? 2007.07.24, Tokyo At the office, the queues at the elevators are often a hundred people deep in the mornings. singing in the market 2007.07.21, Tokyo You want some funny stares in Japan? Sing along to the muzak version of Blondie's "Tide is High" in the supermarket. a good day, all in all 2007.07.19, Tokyo Things were interesting, today. missing my wedding ring 2007.07.19, Tokyo On the weekend I took my wedding ring to the shop where we bought it. I'm back (again) 2007.07.18, Tokyo Back online. typhoon! 2007.07.14, Miyazaki Today we endured the full blast of a tropical typhoon. cycling in the rain 2007.07.10, Tokyo A pedestrian wandered in front of me on a bridge, today. I'm gunna be a dad 2007.06.04, Tokyo Yes, it's one of those images you don't forget. cycling through tsukiji 2007.05.23, Tokyo On my route to work is a singular piece of real estate. Taiwan is big on small motorcycles 2007.05.03, Taipei We're in Taipei. jobless in Tokyo 2007.01.31, Tokyo Today I got a call from my boss. 結婚式をしました！ 2006.11.07, Phuket Today Mari and I had our little wedding ceremony on the beach. Mari and I got married, today 2006.11.01, Tokyo I took my girlfiend into the ward office today, and came out with a wife. things are getting serious 2006.05.07, Tokyo Things are moving quickly with my girl Mari. tripped up 2006.04.20, Tokyo Once again, my naïve nature has caught up with me. watashi wa gaijin desu 2006.04.12, Tokyo Today I applied for my very first gaijin card. a recipe 2006.04.10, Tokyo I have taken to making myself natto donburi every morning for breakfast. Hiroshima 2006.03.25, Hiroshima Today is my dad's birthday. of drinks and knives 2006.03.12, Tokyo I went to the office on Friday and learned that I'll be interviewing for my transfer to EDS Japan this coming Tuesday. in praise of my girl 2006.03.10, Tokyo Been thinking about everything that Mari's done for me during the exile crisis. today I moved to Tokyo! 2006.03.08, Tokyo I've taken the plunge, and among the newest residents in this city of 30+ million. exiled from japan 2006.01.18, Nanaimo I am in visa exile, ejected from Japan and staying at my mum's place in Nanaimo. going offline for a while 2005.10.11, n/a My camera stayed in Toronto because I've been getting less and less predictable results from the old manual body - I suspect that the exposure meter is shot. Tokyo, again 2005.10.10, Tokyo I'm back in Tokyo. illness 2005.10.06, Vancouver I have left Toronto for Tokyo, again. rainy cycling 2005.09.26, Toronto Today I got completely soaked cycling into work. theatre 2005.09.26, Toronto Tracey and I went to a small theatre in the King west area tonight and saw a really good show. iggy sells out 2005.09.22, Toronto Much to my dismay, I spotted Iggy Pop in a television commercial last night. the accountant and the tsunami 2005.09.22, Toronto I took my corporate income stuff in to an accountant tonight. bomb threat? 2005.09.21, Toronto Last night on my way home from work, I tried to spend the $50 gift certificate that Sears sent me to make up for the the air conditioning fiasco this summer (when they botched the installation). socks 2005.09.20, Toronto Today I am wearing one sock that is navy blue, and one sock that is black. my actress cousin 2005.09.17, Toronto Today for lunch I met with my actress cousin, Kate. firefox browser 2005.09.10, the 'net It seems that use of the Firefox browser by visitors to this web site has slowly leveled off at around eight percent (8%) of total traffic, according to the statistics I keep. business travel 2005.09.09, Toronto It turns out that my use of the laundry facilities at the hotel in Tokyo was not covered by the travel expense policy. cycling mishap 2005.09.07, Toronto Today I had a lousy commute to work. cycle commute wonder 2005.09.06, Toronto Today I resumed my usual route to work, cycling through Mount Pleasant Cemetery and down the Moore Park ravine and then along Bayview to Lake Shore Boulevard. car rental hell 2005.09.02, Toronto I'd been hanging on to the scratched rental car so that Tracey and I could get out of town for the weekend. car rental gone awry 2005.08.31, Toronto Today I took a day off of work in lieu for the 18 hours trek back from Tokyo. cycling (not) 2005.09.03, Toronto When I returned to Toronto, I took my bike in for a tune up because I'd noticed that it was acting a little "off" before I'd left for Tokyo. gas and cars 2005.09.01, Toronto Gasoline is selling for $1. Toronto the green 2005.08.30, Toronto After my time in Tokyo, I really notice just how lush and green Toronto is. Toronto's subways 2005.09.01, Toronto This may sound insane, but I think that Toronto's small subway system is actually more overloaded than Tokyo's. comet Michael 2005.08.29, Toronto I'mmmmmm back. after the storm 2005.08.26, Tokyo Once again, the air is at its clearest following a typhoon. typhoon two 2005.08.25, Tokyo I really am getting the full Tokyo experience. a million times bitten... 2005.08.22, the Some anonymous poster to my journal pointed out that the thing about Christopher Walken running for the Presidency of the US is a hoax. what fun, another earthquake 2005.08.15, Tokyo Today's earthquake one was by far the worst one I've yet experience, even though it wasn't the strongest. hangover 2005.08.14, Tokyo The non-hungover bit of today came in the afternoon when I prepared some documents for work. hot and then not so hot 2005.08.13, Tokyo Today was a blistering hot day. two weeks to go 2005.08.12, Tokyo Today I picked up my first-ever set of prints on CD. truck lunch 2005.08.11, Tokyo For lunch the other day, I had a curry lunch that was better than average. mmmmm sushi 2005.08.10, Tokyo I was walking home (through Panic crossing, though I remained calm (or as calm as I get, at any rate)) and I thought "where shall I eat dinner"* and thought of the small sushi place near my hotel. morning photography 2005.08.10, Tokyo I decided last night that I would finally get my act together and make the stop on the way to work that I've been thinking about for the past two weeks. Kamakura 2005.08.07, Kamakura, Japan Today I had my first visit to a Japanese shrine outside of the city, and my first to a site with a giant Buddha statue. shake, rattle and snooze 2005.08.08, Tokyo Ptth, earthquakes. ho hum... 2005.08.06, Tokyo Here's where you don't want to be when an earthquake strikes (even a small one). Tokyo is hot tonight 2005.08.05, Tokyo Today must have been the hottest I've experienced in the city, yet. slow week 2005.08.04, Tokyo So, another long day at an end. long day 2005.08.01, Tokyo With Jonathan's departure on Friday, today was the first day during which Shan and I were solely responsible for the upkeep of the systems at the client site. novel work 2005.08.01, Tokyo I completed the second part of the fourth draft of my novel, today. fireworks 2005.07.30, Tokyo As I write this, I'm sitting on the "limited express" train bound for Yokohama. shopping in Japan 2005.07.29, Tokyo Today I was shopping for souvenirs in Shibuya for the gang back home, and wandered into a department store. plans 2005.07.28, Tokyo Today at lunch I got one of those surprises where it turns out that coworkers have discovered my website. another work-a-day earthquake, ho hum 2005.07.28, Tokyo It is impossible to be blase about earthquakes. Fujisan 2005.07.27, Tokyo I never really realized how hazy it is, here, until this morning. Typhoon 2005.07.25, Tokyo I've had an earthquake. shinjuku / manners 2005.07.24, Tokyo I went for a trip through the "Shinjuku" part of town today. Earthquake! 2005.07.23, Tokyo I was sitting on a park bench today, watching the Japanese frolic in the tall grass and listening to the rock bands compete. food 2005.07.22, Tokyo I've started my day with the supposedly 'acquired taste' of natto, which is made of fermented soy beans. the... horror 2005.07.21, Tokyo It was only a matter of time. life in Tokyo 2005.07.20, Tokyo I've noticed a thing or two about Tokyo. gay marriage 2005.07.20, Tokyo So it seems Canadian homosexuals can marry. fool! 2005.07.19, Tokyo Well, I've outdone myself. day 3 - expectations and surprises 2005.07.18, Tokyo I've had a few of the experiences I was expecting in Tokyo. hot day for getting lost 2005.07.18, Tokyo I haven't been here long, but I've already seen a number of "Tokyo sights", like the old-fashioned small wooden houses, a girl wearing an informal version of a kimono, and drunken young fellow in a suit wearing his tie around his forehead in the prescribed fashion. so this is Tokyo 2005.07.17, Tokyo So I'm here. new web host 2005.07.14, Toronto I switched this website to a new web host, today. what a day 2005.07.15, Toronto I spent pretty much the entire day on the road, running around doing errands. another weekend, another bear 2005.07.09, Haliburton highlands Amazingly, we saw a bear on the cottage property this morning. Tokyo 2005.07.13, Toronto Okay, it's for real, I'm going to Tokyo. elderly driving 2005.07.12, Toronto At lunch time today, I saw something really horrible. Tokyo (redux) 2005.07.11, Toronto . home again (again) 2005.07.10, Toronto Drove the long trek back into the city under blistering heat. skinny 2005.07.09, Haliburton highlands Ah, nothing like bobbing naked in your own private stretch of stream. ...or not Tokyo 2005.07.07, Toronto Now my employer says "maybe not so much" about Tokyo. back at the cottage 2005.07.08, Haliburton highlands Today I scooted a bit early and booted it back up to Haliburton to the cottage. Tokyo 2005.07.05, Toronto My employers seem to think they might need me to go to Tokyo for some weeks, starting real soon now. home sweet Toronto 2005.07.05, Toronto I had my first yelling-at while commuting, today. short story contest 2005.06.30, Toronto I entered a short story contest back in December. home again, dag nabbit 2005.07.04, Toronto As always, I had to come home again. photography and the horse fly nation 2005.07.03, Haliburton highlands I'd forgotten how much fun horse flies can be. cottage life 2005.07.02, Haliburton highlands We've settled into the cottage, and life is good. going away! 2005.07.01, Toronto Today we're heading off to the Haliburton "highlands". cycling 2005.06.27, Toronto I keep track of the hours I work in my own spread sheet at the office. what a day 2005.06.28, Toronto Today, I'm having "one of those days". stories 2005.06.23, Toronto Tonight we got together with a bunch of friends and family for Tracey's 33rd. the ravine 2005.06.20, Toronto Last week the ravine trail that is the most amazing part of my morning cycle commute was blocked off. happy birthday Tracey 2005.06.22, Toronto Tracey it's your birthday, happy birthday Tracey. tug-of-war 2005.06.19, Toronto Tracey and I went to her company 'family barbeque' at Toronto's harbour islands park. heat sinking 2005.06.14, Toronto I have learned something interesting about modern PC CPU cooling. nightmarish downpour 2005.06.13, Toronto I managed to get completely soaked in a titanic thunderstorm on my cycle commute this afternoon. broken justice in north america 2005.06.13, Toronto So it seems that Karla Homolka, scourge of St. fedora core 3 and me 2005.06.14, Toronto On Saturday I installed "FC3" on my PC, as noted in this journal. dual-boot 2005.06.11, Toronto Once again I have a dual boot PC at home. hot and bothersome 2005.06.08, Toronto I spent half the night sleeping on the balcony last night. my office has showers and a bike room 2005.06.06, Toronto Did I mention that my office has a bike room where you can lock up your commuter vehicle? And showers to wash the "new normal" Southern Ontario summer air from you? It does. what a day 2005.06.04, Toronto Ah, bitter irony. overdoing it 2005.06.03, Toronto I went to the shop where I bought my bike (about 3. celebratory gorging 2005.06.01, Toronto Today Andrea got the job offer she wanted, so the four of us went out to the Walker Hill Korean BBQ in Richmond Hill. novel 4.25 2005.05.31, Toronto Last night I finished entering the first quarter of my novel's fourth draft. considerate and informative virus 2005.05.30, Toronto Today a virus taught me what to do if I'm having a heart attack alone (the answer is to draw deep breaths and to cough). rocket dryer 2005.05.28, Toronto Tonight we went out for Geoff C's birthday. geoff and mariko 2005.05.29, Toronto After a day spent with a headache, today I managed to get mobile in time for our having Geoff and Mariko over for dinner. commuting... quickly 2005.05.26, Toronto Lately, I've been reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and was doing so this morning. registering my bike 2005.05.22, Toronto I've registered my bike with the police. more exercising 2005.05.21, Toronto Now that I'm getting the hang of being on a bike again, I've decided that I can spend a buck or two and get some exercise equipment for the home. pizza! 2005.05.20, Toronto Tonight I had pizza in a restaurant for the first time since January of 1998. Tracey in the park 2005.05.23, Toronto Today, after the usual money-spending-spree, Tracey and I took a blanket and sat in the park to read. return of the novel 2005.05.24, Toronto I managed to spend two solid hours on my novel, today. more cyclin' 2005.05.19, Toronto Today I took the plunge and zoomed down the mud creek / Moore Park ravine on my commute to work. birthday for Sailor Yoon 2005.05.18, Toronto For Charlie's birthday we had dinner at a really good 'pan-asian' place on Eglinton St. cycling to work 2005.05.18, Toronto And today I cycled to work for the first time. new bike 2005.05.16, Toronto I picked up my new bike this evening, after having it loaded down with mud flaps and panniers and lights. lunch with the deaf 2005.05.13, Toronto Today I had an unusual experience. the new shampoo 2005.05.15, Toronto About a month ago, Tracey got her hair coloured, and it's a lot more blonde now. more shopping 2005.05.15, Toronto One thing after getting a job after months of part-time contracting - you have much to shop for. shopping 2005.05.14, Toronto Today I picked up an MP3 player for Tracey. new grill 2005.05.14, Toronto When Jon left for Tokyo last weekend, he left a small thank you note and a gift certificate for "Williams Sonoma", a store I'd only ever set foot in once or twice before. Dr. Suzuki 2005.05.11, Toronto Tonight I attended a speech at the AGO by Dr. shoes 2005.05.10, Toronto The shoes I bought on Sunday for the office are proving to be revolutionary. 'summer' cold 2005.05.07, Toronto I have a cold! After an entirely healthy Winter, I am now weighed down with a sore throat and head and a runny nose. Jon is gone 2005.05.08, Toronto Jon left this morning at 5:30 to return to Tokyo. absinthe 2005.04.30, Toronto We met at the Paddock tonight for drinks. employed again 2005.05.06, Toronto So, it seems I have a job, once again. dinner with the Macleods 2005.05.04, Toronto Tonight Jon and I went to Gord's place for dinner. new watch 2005.05.03, Toronto Today I decided to splurge, a bit. Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy 2005.04.29, Toronto Jon and I went to see the movie incarnation of HG2G today. arm wrestlin' 2005.04.28, Toronto Much to my amazement, I got into an arm wrestling match this evening at a bar. the old Firm 2005.04.26, Toronto I've come across this. interview 2005.04.27, Toronto Another Wednesday, another interview. house guest 2005.04.27, Toronto Jon arrived tonight. job searching.... 2005.04.25, Toronto As I was climbing out of the shower this morning, my cell phone rang. VoIP no more 2005.04.20, Toronto After weeks of frustrating dead calls, weird audio effects, interruptions to our network service, and voice quality that is considerably poorer than even Skype can manager, we've decided to pull the metaphoric plug on the Primus VoIP phone service we've been using at home, and are going back to . parking patrol 2005.04.21, Toronto Today while donating some old clothing at one of those collection boxes, I happened upon a parking enforcement fellow catching shit from a trio of rich-bitches that he'd just ticketed. politicians 2005.04.21, Toronto Tonight our Prime Minister did a Presidential thing, and addressed the populace through a direct, televised statement. a fine day (to be hit on) 2005.04.18, Toronto Today, the weather was simply awesome. a death 2005.04.16, Toronto Today I got word that one of my best friends from my high school days drowned in a diving mishap. weather 2005.04.12, Toronto For once, the weather has been stunning for several days in a row. never do this 2005.04.11, Toronto Today I learned how NOT to clean your television. moving right along... 2005.04.11, Toronto Today I managed to secure an interview at a third bank that had expressed interest last week. job snafu 2005.04.08, Toronto Well, I've once again managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. sunburnt 2005.04.10, Toronto After the long crappy dark winter we've had, we've just had three days of sunshine. church-goin' 2005.04.10, Toronto Today I attended my first Church thing (I think it was called Mass). Sleeuw is coming 2005.04.05, Toronto My good friend Jonathan has announced that he's coming down for a visit later in the month. big sand box 2005.04.03, Toronto Kids today have such cool stuff to play with. two jobs, what to do 2005.04.07, Toronto As expected, I now have two job offers to contend with. job offer 2005.04.06, Toronto Out of left field, I had an unexpected job offer, today. snow 2005.04.02, Toronto Well, Spring was nice. new battery 2005.04.01, Toronto A couple of weeks ago, after discovering my minidisc player in among the old camera gear I no longer use, I decided to order a new battery. PC is back 2005.03.31, Toronto So, my PC is sorted out. a job offer 2005.03.30, Toronto I may have a job offer in the works. frantic PC repairs 2005.03.30, Toronto My work search is at a halt without a PC, so I made it a priority to get my PC back in shape. Spring has sprung 2005.03.30, Toronto This afternoon, I went for a good walk. accidental stalker 2005.03.23, Toronto Today I got into one of those unfortunate urban circumstances that happens (and gets made into short movies). hole in the heart 2005.03.23, Toronto I went to get my heart checked for a hole between the two halves. old job search 2005.03.11, Toronto I had an insight today into how communications styles have changed in the business world in the past decade. brazilian dinner 2005.03.15, Toronto Tonight we went to a Brazilian restaurant called the Red Violin. martha stewart is bad ass 2005.03.14, Toronto Martha Stewart is out of prison, and it turns out that her "net worth" has doubled compared to where it was before 'she went in'. slavery 2005.03.09, Toronto Today I found a disgusting article on the Economist. age and weight gain 2005.03.07, Toronto Thanks to the chaos of the move, I'm wearing jeans that are six years old today. weather 2005.03.05, Toronto We've had a spell of awesome weather. tasting room 2005.02.06, Toronto Today I noticed that the tasting room at the excellent Summerhill LCBO has been dismantled, and a coffee shop has been built in its place. busy day 2005.03.04, Toronto As of 15:00, this is what I've done today: 1) called the CIBC and bitched about the charge on my transfer of funds between my credit card and my chequing account - they refunded the $2. naked by the light of the...monitor 2005.03.03, Toronto I will start this story by saying that I have an optical computer mouse, which uses a light to determine the mouse's position and how it is being moved. moved in 2005.03.01, Toronto We're in the new place. moving 2005.02.27, Toronto We move on Tuesday. autoshow 2005.02.22, Toronto Today I went to the auto show that's in progress. lousy drivers 2005.02.22, Toronto Yesterday I helped a driver out of a snowbank. travelling without camera 2005.02.21, Toronto I did it again. goodbye, uncle Duke 2005.02.21, Toronto So Hunter S. NHL (again) 2005.02.20, Toronto The NHL debacle has reached the point of farce. movie going 2005.02.19, Toronto Tonight we went to see "Vera Drake" at the Regent cinema on Mt. (bang) 2005.02.16, Toronto I am getting old. the wealthy die, too 2005.02.16, Toronto Today I was passed by a limo-studded funeral procession on Eglinton St that had a substantial police escort. grey lady down 2005.02.12, Toronto Today I helped Geoff put together a new network at home because he needed to add a laptop from work to his workspace at home. blood 2005.02.11, Toronto Today, for the first time in a very long time (and I mean it's likely been 12+ years at a minimum) I gave blood. winter in the city 2005.02.08, Toronto I think she feels the way I do. music 2005.02.03, Toronto Here are some things I've been listening to, of late. fourth draft, complete 2005.02.02, Toronto It took nearly two years, but my fourth draft (third edit, however you want to see it) of my novel is complete. Saturday night in Windsor 2005.01.29, Windsor This evening, after a day spent visiting with Tracey's grandmother and aunt, we all went to see Hotel Rwanda. visiting with 'gram' 2005.01.29, Windsor Let me tell you about the rental car we have. eglinton and jane 2005.02.01, Toronto Part of my long daily commute is a stretch of Eglinton St to the east of Jane St that passes in and out of a meandering valley. internic 2005.01.28, Toronto I started dealing with "the Internic" (now 'Network Solutions') about ten years ago when I had to take care of the internet domain of my employer. TTC chance occurrences 2005.01.26, Toronto Tonight on the way home from work, I spotted my second cousin Anne on the Bay subway station platform. a fine day 2005.01.21, Toronto Today I had a rather good day, aside from Tracey's big thing about getting the new job. the NHL 2005.01.26, Toronto I see the NHL is back in the news. on the clock 2005.01.25, Toronto I'm at Bell Mobility doing a spot of contracting, again. a new beginning for TKM 2005.01.21, Toronto Finally I can tell the story: Tracey landed a new job, yesterday. lifestyle television and the new sermon 2005.01.08, Toronto I've decided that lifestyle televion shows have taken the place in modern society once occupied by the weekly sermon in Church. noisy fans 2005.01.20, Toronto No doubt about it - the new fans I've added to my PC are hell of loud. my late grandmother and the length of days 2005.01.18, Toronto Today would have been the 87th birthday of my late "Oma". a good day 2005.01.19, Toronto Today was a good one. SEA program 2005.01.14, Toronto I've decided not to pursue the self-employment program with the HRSDC. getting batty 2005.01.17, Toronto Just now, after eating, I announced "so hungry!" when I meant to say, "so stuffed!" I immediately corrected myself. movie experience 2005.01.13, Toronto Today, we had an interesting movie experience. headhunting 2005.01.11, Toronto I met with another headhunter, today. awash in the dead 2005.01.07, Toronto Sometimes I regret not being right. weather and pain 2005.01.06, Toronto Big snowstorm today. my baby brother 2005.01.05, Toronto Ken is here! We've got him camped out on a double-thick air mattress that I picked up at Canadian Tire this afternoon (after considerable time on hold while phoning around, I discovered it at the third store I tried). 'home' 2004.12.22, Toronto I met with Anluan tonight at the Artful Dodger - a pub I haven't been to since I lived in the neighbourhood some nine years ago. resolve 2005.01.01, Toronto My resolutions are made for the year. Laurie's for Xmas 2004.12.25, Toronto Today Tracey and I went to Laurie's place for Xmas dinner. story submitted 2004.12.24, Toronto I did it. Chako and Charkow 2004.12.30, Toronto Tonight we had the Chako and Geoff Charkow over for dinner. another year is over 2004.12.31, Toronto Ah, 2004, I barely new you. sometimes, I hate being right 2004.12.28, Toronto When the news of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean first came out, and they were talking about a death toll of 3500, I said to Tracey, "These things are never this simple. tempur mattress 2004.12.26, Toronto Tracey bought me a tempur mattress cover and pillow for Xmas. assault and punishment 2004.12.23, Toronto So, once again it seems that you can get away with anything if you're a celebrity. out of touch 2004.12.18, Toronto Today I got a taste for how much I've aged. solstace 2004.12.21, Toronto Well, the solstace is finally here. toronto is cold tonight 2004.12.20, Toronto It's -22oC tonight, and was damn cold all day. PL/SQL 2004.12.17, Toronto I met with Sailor Yoon and the girlfriend for a drink or two, this evening, and was interrupted at one point by a bizarre phone call. new apartment 2004.12.16, Toronto Looks like we have a new apartment, for March 1. naggin suspicion confirmed 2004.12.10, Toronto Today I discovered something that I'd been half expecting for some time, now. unchili 2004.12.09, Toronto I'm really not at my best at this time of year, I suspect. puzzles 2004.12.08, Toronto The subway system has these puzzles that they put up to attract attention to their "What's On?" series of guides to the city. I'm gonna drink beer! 2004.12.12, Toronto Today I was in the liquor store, having a look for some beer for the women at tonight's little get together (we men seem to be whisk(e)y drinkers. goobye Bell Canada 2004.12.05, Toronto Three weeks ago, our home phone line was switched from Bell to Primus. weather 2004.12.06, Toronto If Toronto in November is the most depressing place on Earth, Toronto in December can be one of the most aggravating. program applied 2004.12.07, Toronto I've done it. dundas square 2004.11.20, Toronto They really are going nuts with 'developing' Dundas Square in Toronto. caffeine 2004.12.03, Toronto I think I've found the key to quitting caffeine. the new plan 2004.12.01, Toronto I spent the afternoon at the old Metro town hall. the old gang 2004.11.26, Toronto Tonight I met with the old gang from my time at Star Data. goodbye caffeine 2004.11.30, Toronto Today. xmas nears 2004.11.28, Toronto Ah, the Xmas season. "across the road" 2004.11.27, Toronto Tonight, Tracey and I had a really fine evening out. a friend in Ukraine 2004.11.25, Toronto I sent an email to a couple of friends from the Ukraine, and it turns out that one of them happens to be back in the 'old country' at the moment. the situation in Ukraine 2004.11.24, Toronto I find it interesting that "the West" is so quick to jump into the action in the ongoing Ukrainian situation. my dinner with Jonathan 2004.11.22, Toronto Tonight I met with my old friend Jonathan Culp and a number of his activist/media friends at a really good vegetarian "Pan-Asian" place called Bo De Duyen on Spadina Ave. arrrrrgoooos 2004.11.21, Toronto Watched the Grey Cup at a bar on Yonge Street called Elsewhere's tonight. gym goin' 2004.11.19, Toronto Tracey has begun a regimen of exercise lately. chick flick 2004.11.20, Toronto Saw a hard-core chick-flick today. shorn 2004.11.21, Toronto A shave, a haircut, and this is me. so nothing's changed in Calgary 2004.11.17, Toronto too brown for Calgary schoolyardsTwo 20-year-olds in Calgary were convicted of beating and urinating on a first-nations fellow who they - and three under-age friends - found sleeping on the streets. the "greatest Canadian" is cooked 2004.11.15, Toronto I had a look at the standings for the greatest Canadian 'competition' that the CBC is putting on. succor for those in need 2004.11.12, Toronto Today a 'homeless' fellow on the street barked at me for some help. my perfect cousin 2004.11.11, Toronto Today I meet with Kate, my cousin (not to be confused with my g/f Kate). the return of Blake 2004.11.09, Toronto Earlier this week I was contacted by a former colleague from my days in Australia. job lead fizzles 2004.11.10, Toronto I didn't get the job I was up for. remembrance day 2004.11.11, Toronto So I didn't get to the Remembrance Day ceremony downtown this morning. ill 2004.11.10, Toronto I've got a cold. remembering 2004.11.08, Toronto Today I found an article on canoe. people on the street can be pretty lame 2004.10.29, Toronto Today as I was wandering about the city looking for a place for Charlie and Andrea, I passed a rather dishevelled individual on the sidewalk. Revenge of the Sith 2004.11.07, the So the first trailer for the sixth Star Wars movie is in the cinemas. genius of love 2004.11.08, Toronto I don't know who this guy was, but he could sure play some fine blues on the harmonica, which he had hooked up to an amp. Bush and the Americans 2004.11.04, Toronto I've had a complete change of heart since Bush won his re-election. let it snow, let it snow.... oh God 2004.11.05, Toronto It's snowing, and heavily. looking for a home that's not for me 2004.10.28, Toronto I had a look at some apartments for Charlie and Andrea, today. the plot coagulates 2004.11.02, Toronto I think I'm going to have to call this my "year of the dog". new business and calling cards 2004.11.02, Toronto Today I'm pretty pleased with myself. Dog owner 2004.11.01, Toronto Tonight I ran into the owners of the Doberman pincer that I watched attack two women and their dogs last Tuesday. how to destroy a rug 2004.10.27, Toronto Today I invented a new method of destroying a rug. dog attack 2004.10.26, Toronto What a fncking day this was. interviewing 2004.10.25, Toronto I went to an interview today with an outfit that needs to augment their consulting business. apartments 2004.10.25, Toronto I've been asked to have a look around for apartments for Charlie and Andrea, who will be moving here. odd dream 2004.10.26, Toronto I had a dream last night that a ne'er-do-well buddy and I stole a cement mixer or dumptruck or something. Minolta, back from the brink 2004.10.23, Toronto Today, while waiting for a postponed haircut appointment, I walked into a camera store. Bell Mobility is big leggy 2004.10.19, Toronto Today was my last day on the job at Bell Mobility. the commuting unconscious 2004.10.12, Toronto I've been taking the bus a lot of late, getting out to the site of the job I'm at for the moment. CFL, w'hoo! 2004.10.11, Toronto Today Tracey and I went to a CFL game with Scott and Carlos - a Mexican teenager who is staying with Scott and Sue out in Oakville. em double-u net 2004.10.10, Toronto I've finally got a new domain up and running. Back to the cottage 2004.09.25, Midland Mum is here for Yvonne's 75th birthday party. the Toronto job market 2004.09.20, Toronto The job market is heating up in Toronto, it seems. IKEA, Swedish for 'slow death' 2004.09.18, Toronto Today, we went to IKEA for a wardrobe for the bedroom and a sofa for the living room. of bulbs and blinds 2004.09.14, Toronto I didn't think that the first thing I'd be doing when I got back to civilization would be to buy some lilght bulbs and blinds, but that's exactly what I'm doing. Home again, home again 2004.09.12, Vancouver Diggity-dig. Spiderhouse! 2004.09.08, Vancouver Ken and Heidi have a home that's in the (surprisingly sunny) basement of a place in West Vancouver. visiting with family 2004.09.03, Vancouver I'm in Vancouver! The place is pretty much as I left it. Whew! 2004.09.02, Halifax There are some things, even quite trivial things, that can bring about a sense of accomplishment. oil slick, adrift 2004.07.15, Halifax Today I saw something amazing. dog plays fetch with dog 2004.07.11, Halifax The view from my apartmemt includes the commons in "downtown" Halifax. headhunter feed bag 2004.07.08, Halifax So I was dragged to this little function that a head-hunter put on last night. big street grin 2004.07.07, Halifax I said "Good morning" to a dis-shevelled woman on a street corner this morning (not the same one I'd run into a few days before who pointed out my failings as a saviour). Keane's flip-flop 2004.07.06, Halifax Keane seems to have changed their mind about the transfer to Toronto. of back strain and mustaches 2004.07.05, Halifax Today we were scheduled to go down to Bridgewater to see uncle Horst and aunt Barbara. Korean-style Greek 2004.07.04, Halifax This evening Tracey and I went over to Charlie's place where he and Andrea made a beautiful