journal of m. werneburg
poor man's MBA
2010.09.07
2010.09.07
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
2010.09.07
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
2010.09.07
On my way to Japanese class today, I made some long-exposure shots of the crowd passing in Shinagawa station.
my arm is healed
2010.09.02
2010.09.02
It's great when you've recovered from an unexpected set back, especially a health matter.
she really, really likes it
2010.08.31
2010.08.31
Mari came home late in the evening last night and found here belated gift of a photo book waiting for her.
a useful trick in learning Japanese verbs
2010.08.30
2010.08.30
Today my Japanese tutor showed me a surprisingly effective matrix trick for learning Japanese.
found some missing photos
2010.08.25
2010.08.25
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
2010.08.23
Having had some success with product photography, I've decided to extend my ability with a strobe to personal photos.
Amazon S3 clients for the Mac
2010.08.22
2010.08.22
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
2010.08.21
We went to the aquarium down in Yokohama again, our second visit in two months.
mirror in the bathroom
2010.08.18
2010.08.18
On the weekend, a forum I participate in had a "submit your photos" day.
today my wife saved my life (part two)
2010.08.14
2010.08.14
I went back to the hospital this morning as requested.
another fish lost
2010.08.11
2010.08.11
The constant temperature fluctuations are too much for our little 58L tank.
managing "open with" on the Mac
2010.08.08
2010.08.08
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
2010.08.06
We launched our business website with fairly basic SEO readiness.
NikkoCiti X'mas photos
2010.08.04
2010.08.04
In 2007, I attended my one and only Japanese 'bounenkai' (year end party).
turning your (webserver's) frowns into smiles
2010.07.31
2010.07.31
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
2010.07.30
Our website was taken offline by a hacker for about three hours this morning.
hot little fish
2010.07.20
2010.07.20
The weather's been uncomfortably hot lately, and one unforeseen problem is that our aquarium is overheating.
an interesting development
2010.07.16
2010.07.16
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.
selling ethical diamonds in Japan
2010.07.15
2010.07.15
As our intern Koki put it, "It seems that usual Japanese do not really know or care about diamond issues.
petition for change in the Kimberley Process
2010.07.14
2010.07.14
I've come across a petition for change in the Kimberley Process.
ethical fashion
2010.07.13
2010.07.13
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
2010.07.13
I've finished the trio of articles on ethics in the diamond jewelry business.
get your Japanese idiom and slang....
2010.07.12
2010.07.12
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
2010.07.10
Like some European countries, Japan confines voting in its federal elections to Sundays.
photos from Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
2010.07.06
2010.07.06
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 day starts with death
2010.07.05
2010.07.05
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
2010.07.02
I came to some conclusions about the iPad via an odd source.
turning Anglophone I really think so
2010.07.01
2010.07.01
Today I read that Japan's Fast Retailing is switching their internal business language to English.
location based services
2010.06.27
2010.06.27
While studying modern marketing developments, I've come across nothing as bizarre as "location based" shopping.
inflation, debt, and general madness
2010.06.26
2010.06.26
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
2010.06.22
One of my University professors is now in prison on a child pornography conviction.
an interview with the media
2010.06.16
2010.06.16
We had our first interview with the media today regarding our little business.
cycling through gotanda
2010.06.15
2010.06.15
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
2010.06.15
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
2010.06.14
I find that my Japanese vocabulary is heavily focused around three things.
weird way of getting language exposure
2010.06.12
2010.06.12
It turns out that studying Japanese has helped me learn to read Italian.
luxury sales in Japan
2010.06.11
2010.06.11
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
2010.06.10
A small town in Canada is making the news due to the suspicious purchase of a lot of ammonia nitrate.
Nanaimo syndrome
2010.06.02
2010.06.02
At the bank again today (been there three days this week), when I once again ran into The Nanaimo Syndrome.
yelling at crows (part two)
2010.05.29
2010.05.29
The city is going to come to our building and remove the crow's nest.
there's warm and there's warm
2010.05.27
2010.05.27
Japanese makes a distinction between a "warm" reception and a "warm" room.
the achievements and failings of the kimberley process
2010.05.26
2010.05.26
I've submitted a second piece for the 21st Century Network.
Amazon service for hosting images
2010.05.23
2010.05.23
My photos take up something like three gigs of disk space.
"no facebook"
2010.05.17
2010.05.17
We went to a barbeque at the home of Romi and Brian, friends who live in the neighbourhood.
photos, getcha photos
2010.05.12
2010.05.12
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
2010.05.10
Some seven-eight months ago, our friends the Mashams moved away to Barcelona.
shinjuku
2010.05.04
2010.05.04
For today's portion of Ken's visit, we went to Shinjuku—one of the places I always like to take visitors to Tokyo.
guitar shopping
2010.05.02
2010.05.02
Having been out til 3:30 the night before, we laid low for much of the day, today.
kamakura by bicycle
2010.04.30
2010.04.30
At some point over the interminable Winter, I picked up a rather excellent little guide book for bicycle tours in Kamakura.
new website trick
2010.04.28
2010.04.28
I've been working with an enterprising young man on building the forthcoming Caritas blog for us.
a home-cooked meal
2010.04.24
2010.04.24
Jon's brother Martin and his family have been "stranded" in Tokyo since the volcano's eruption in Iceland.
stranded in Tokyo
2010.04.20
2010.04.20
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
2010.04.18
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.
references
2010.04.16
2010.04.16
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
2010.04.16
Our friends Manami and Jon were married last weekend in Tottori.
rare and beautiful birds (homesick)
2010.04.14
2010.04.14
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
2010.04.11
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
2010.04.11
I fear that I've managed to bugger up quite a lot of the photos of Jon and Manami-san's wedding.
sight-seeing in Tottori
2010.04.10
2010.04.10
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
2010.04.09
This portrait, drawn by a seven-year-old, is actually not far from my self image!
Toothy, loud and bearded.
old film turns up
2010.04.08
2010.04.08
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
2010.04.07
Once again, I'm heading for online clothing retail.
things are changing
2010.04.07
2010.04.07
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
2010.04.03
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
2010.04.02
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
2010.03.31
Lately I've been tackling the issue of public relations for our little business.
confrontation at the immigration office
2010.03.29
2010.03.29
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
2010.03.28
We went to hanami yesterday, and met with several families all with kids of the same age as Kenny.
Go Miyazaki!
2010.03.24
2010.03.24
The high school volleyball team that my brother-in-law coaches has fought their way into the national semi-final.
an old speech
2010.03.13
2010.03.13
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
2010.03.12
There's a movement in certain conservative circles in Canada to introduce taxation on the global income of expatriate Canadians.
toilet flushes and hockey games
2010.03.09
2010.03.09
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
2010.03.08
Things have come a long way since I made the content management system that I use to run emuu.
staying Canadian
2010.02.26
2010.02.26
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
2010.02.24
Nate Jensen, who did the layout work on our diamond buyer's guide, have a presentation at PechaKucha tonight.
ear problems in Japan
2010.02.23
2010.02.23
For the first time in my life, I've recently begun having ear infections.
mobile phone chargers
2010.02.15
2010.02.15
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
2010.02.14
If you're looking for an engagement ring in Japan, you can now do your shopping online.
cards for emergency translation
2010.02.13
2010.02.13
When I went to Shanghai, I knew that I'd be buying food in places where people don't speak English or Japanese.
selling on the mobile phone
2010.02.08
2010.02.08
Tonight was my first "mobile monday", a get-together for schmoozing and presentations pertaining to that industry in Tokyo.
browser software
2010.02.07
2010.02.07
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
2010.02.06
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
2010.02.04
I've been tinkering with the webserver software that enables websites to exist for a long time.
a message from Google
2010.02.03
2010.02.03
Today Google announced that they would no longer support Internet Explorer 6 within Google Apps.
Tokyo weather report
2010.02.02
2010.02.02
This January was one of the warmest of my life—only Sydney was warmer.
no man's land
2010.01.23
2010.01.23
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.
changing my name in Japan
2010.01.22
2010.01.22
As I've recently mentioned, I feel the time has come to change the katakana spelling of my last name.
struggling with a foreign name in Japan
2010.01.20
2010.01.20
I've been struggling with a last name that just doesn't work in the Japanese language.
aquarium update
2010.01.17
2010.01.17
The three otocinclus fish that I bought in replacement of Buddy the Pleco have died.
reverse public relations
2010.01.16
2010.01.16
One thing I started in 2009 was feeding this journal to various outlets like facebook, tumblr, and twitter.
new year, more cycle glitches
2010.01.12
2010.01.12
Recently I said to myself, "I haven't had a flat tire on my bike, recently.
a tale of two banks
2010.01.04
2010.01.04
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
2010.01.03
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
2010.01.03
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.
a frosty new year and some resolutions reviewed
2010.01.01
2010.01.01
I woke up before the dawn, and realized that I had a chance to photograph the year's first sunrise.
Yawn, was that another eruption?
2009.12.30
2009.12.30
I was woken this morning at 07:30 by another volcanic boom that rattled the house.
X'mas for Mari
2009.12.22
2009.12.22
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
2009.12.21
It's always good to get a neighbour's take on things from time to time.
losing my accent?
2009.12.21
2009.12.21
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.
earthquakes make for lousy bedfellows
2009.12.18
2009.12.18
Last night I was up fairly late working on various projects.
paypal, swing and a miss
2009.12.18
2009.12.18
One of the things we're eventually going to do with our business is collect payments via credit card.
"great husband" again
2009.11.29
2009.11.29
When we were first married, Mari would occasionally tell me that I was a "great husband".
Arakawa clean-up
2009.11.28
2009.11.28
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
2009.11.27
I've learned a thing or two about lighting in this latest round of product photography.
a wedding!
2009.11.24
2009.11.24
This evening we attended the wedding for which we'd come to Hong Kong in the first place.
photos of China
2009.11.18
2009.11.18
I've finally assembled the photos from our trip to China and posted them to the website.
riding in Shanghai
2009.11.13
2009.11.13
A lot of people haven't asked what it's like to ride on the streets of Shanghai.
terribly ill
2009.11.11
2009.11.11
I was terribly ill from Monday night through to Tuesday night, with a 40ºC fever and a generally awful feeling.
traffic by country
2009.11.06
2009.11.06
For the past nine months or so I've been tracking the country of origin for traffic to my website.
aging
2009.11.06
2009.11.06
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
2009.11.05
In the days following the first death, there have now been three more dead shrimp.
visitors
2009.11.03
2009.11.03
We met with Blake and Violetta at 10:00 this morning under clear and surprisingly cold skies.
Blake's arriving
2009.11.02
2009.11.02
Tomorrow morning I'll be meeting with an old colleague who's coming to town.
crickets, fish, and birds
2009.10.28
2009.10.28
This morning we failed to find a river tour that could complement the tour we'd already done of the streets.
I guess I married well?
2009.10.26
2009.10.26
My wife astonished me this morning by telling me that she liked my camera vest.
shanghai sideways
2009.10.25
2009.10.25
We survived our motorcycle tour of Shanghai!
Not only survived it, but really delighted in it.
on business and busy-ness
2009.10.23
2009.10.23
It's hard to imagine that I've got myself simultaneously involved in two start-ups, but that's how things have turned out.
an old hobby renewed
2009.10.18
2009.10.18
It's been several years since I last maintained an aquarium in the home.
happy anniversary to us!
2009.10.17
2009.10.17
We hit upon the idea of having a getaway "anniversary dinner" while Mari's parents were here.
meetings and a visa
2009.10.16
2009.10.16
For some reason, I decided to sandwich in a trip to the Chinese consulate between important business meetings today.
round two of testing starts today!
2009.10.14
2009.10.14
Our little engagement ring business enters a new phase today.
cyyyyycling in the raiiiinnn
2009.10.14
2009.10.14
Just getting over a cold, when I get caught in the rain last night.
why I ride my bike in Tokyo
2009.10.03
2009.10.03
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
2009.10.02
There's a tunnel that passes beneath the wide set of sidings near Shinagawa train station.
the beat goes on...
2009.10.01
2009.10.01
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
2009.09.29
I've now got quite a range of items winging their way to me from overseas.
"money masters"
2009.09.28
2009.09.28
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
2009.09.26
Mari and I went took Kenny to the daycare this morning for a parent-teacher meeting.
sold a photo!
2009.09.25
2009.09.25
Today I put an 11"x14" print in the mail, bound for a former colleague in Australia.
frozen onion
2009.09.15
2009.09.15
We ran out of green onion the other morning, and had to eat our natto donburi without that lovely condiment.
ikemen and ikumen
2009.09.12
2009.09.12
"Ikemen" a term in (modern) Japanese term for a handsome, attractive man.
if I were a rich man
2009.09.07
2009.09.07
A former coworker asked how it was going, and I told him that I was having one of the best times of my life.
nohongo jouzu
2009.09.05
2009.09.05
Today I set out to reset the password on my credit card so that I could make Internet purchases.
the countdown
2009.08.31
2009.08.31
It occurred to me this weekend that I'm now only eighteen months out from turning forty.
Monday morning hoorays
2009.08.31
2009.08.31
We spent the weekend on family stuff, this weekend, except for an outing by Mari to meet some other local mothers.
Mari's second performance
2009.08.26
2009.08.26
The people hosting the event at which Mari sang on Saturday forbid photography.
sleeploss
2009.08.25
2009.08.25
Kenny had a fever all weekend, so naturally none of us has been sleeping properly.
Mari the performer
2009.08.23
2009.08.23
Last night Mari gave her second-ever performance during a night that ended in the hospital.
my tax dollars at work
2009.08.21
2009.08.21
Today as I was cycling back from Shibuya I passed through a large intersection in Gotanda.
neverending camera issues
2009.08.19
2009.08.19
Much to my dismay my recently-repaired X-700, the camera I dropped, has started leaking light again.
third quake in five days
2009.08.13
2009.08.13
We were eating breakfast this morning when there was yet another earthquake.
the new business takes a step forward
2009.08.13
2009.08.13
Today my partner and I nominated two acquaintances to do some testing with the website storefront for our business.
ganbatte, Burma
2009.08.12
2009.08.12
Recently, there's been a lot of non-Japanese political activity in my neighbourhood.
the second quake
2009.08.11
2009.08.11
So it seems that this morning's quake (the second in less than 60 hours) was stronger than I knew.
service and complexity
2009.08.04
2009.08.04
Twice in the past two weeks, Mari and I have tried and failed to engage the services of different companies.
today I got caught in the rain three times
2009.08.02
2009.08.02
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
2009.08.01
The repairs done to my Olympus rangefinder were clearly insufficient.
damn that store room!
2009.07.30
2009.07.30
Tonight Mari asked me, "Did you take those [crackers] from the store-room?"
me; "Um, yes.
banking 'round the world
2009.07.27
2009.07.27
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
2009.07.26
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
2009.07.25
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
2009.07.23
My buddy Lee and I have discovered something truly bizarre.
new favourite film
2009.07.22
2009.07.22
I think I've found a new favourite colour print film! The image below comes straight from the scanner w/o any manipulation whatever.
Google ain't all that
2009.07.18
2009.07.18
At the prompting of a personal correspondance, I'm adding an entry on my thoughts about Google.
a home rebuilt
2009.07.18
2009.07.18
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
2009.07.18
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.
.net frustration
2009.07.13
2009.07.13
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.
tour of Shinagawa
2009.07.07
2009.07.07
Today I took a free tour of Shinagawa, the city within the Tokyo district in which we live.
my old professor
2009.07.06
2009.07.06
One of my University professors was arrested on child pornography charges earlier this year.
on the spot
2009.07.02
2009.07.02
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.
an old acquaintance
2009.06.28
2009.06.28
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
2009.06.25
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
2009.06.23
I took my last* roll of HIE black and white infrared-sensitive film into Horiuchi this morning for development.
mikoshi
2009.06.07
2009.06.07
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
2009.06.06
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
2009.06.05
The Canadian tax authority sent me an advisory suggesting that they wanted me to call them.
portraits of my wife the singer
2009.06.01
2009.06.01
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
2009.05.29
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.
if the truck is a'rockin
2009.05.26
2009.05.26
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
2009.05.25
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.
some photos
2009.05.23
2009.05.23
I've put some photos of our recent trip to the Izu peninsula in my photo gallery.
Mari's video
2009.05.18
2009.05.18
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
2009.05.18
Mari's parents arrived in town yesterday for Mari's singing debut.
Mari's debut
2009.05.16
2009.05.16
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
2009.05.15
A few days ago I mentioned that I'd dropped one of my cameras and that it now was suffering from light leaks.
return to Izu
2009.05.11
2009.05.11
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.
crappy shrine
2009.05.06
2009.05.06
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
2009.05.04
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
2009.04.28
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.
camera drop fallout
2009.04.24
2009.04.24
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.
day 15: mycaplasma
2009.04.13
2009.04.13
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
2009.04.11
For two whole weeks now, I've been wrangling with a cold that just won't go.
losing my language
2009.04.09
2009.04.09
At first, it seemed that learning the Japanese language was having no impact on my English skills.
one day...
2009.04.07
2009.04.07
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
2009.04.07
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
2009.04.02
My son has simultaneously brought home his first and second illness.
remember, it's a foreign land
2009.03.31
2009.03.31
Today I had a real reminder -- as if being illiterate and unable to speak wasn't enough -- that I'm in a foreign land.
the juggling report
2009.03.27
2009.03.27
Today I managed to nearly double my record in continuous juggling, hitting 112 successive catches before fumbling.
me and PKD
2009.03.22
2009.03.22
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
2009.03.22
Today I took Kenny to the park at the end of the street because it was a beautiful morning.
final goodbye
2009.03.20
2009.03.20
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
2009.03.20
I've finished my intensive class and have passed my exams (in some cases only barely).
how to succeed in Japanese pronunciation
2009.03.17
2009.03.17
My "intensive" Japanese course is coming to its end.
japanese is trending upwards
2009.03.06
2009.03.06
I've been asked by my Japanese language school to write a short blurb on their behalf.
the Spiny Urchin returns
2009.03.06
2009.03.06
My sister-in-law, Vancouver artists Heidi Van Impe has revived the Spiny Urchin project.
the gaijin are leaving Tokyo
2009.03.01
2009.03.01
Near our previous apartment is an "international" grocery store, one that specializes in sky-high-prices for "foreign" foods.
babysitting
2009.02.28
2009.02.28
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
2009.02.26
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
2009.02.22
Below is a video of a press conference held by a minister in the Japanese government.
word to Internet Explorer users
2009.02.21
2009.02.21
I've modified my website to show a special message to viewers who use out-dated versions of Internet Explorer.
the camera is dead; long live the camera
2009.02.13
2009.02.13
Quite suddenly, my beloved primary camera began exhibiting problems late last year.
this website hacked
2009.02.10
2009.02.10
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
2009.02.10
One of the reasons I moved to Japan a few years ago was my dismay at what humans have made of North America.
film photography's next generation
2009.02.07
2009.02.07
I've noticed something interesting going on with the user community of a couple of the photography forums that I frequent.
Mari's new classes
2009.01.26
2009.01.26
Just as I've started Japanese classes, Mari's resumed some classes, too.
RSS feed
2009.01.25
2009.01.25
Over the past few years, many people have asked me to put an RSS feed on this website.
new year's resolutions
2009.01.18
2009.01.18
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.
new camera gear
2009.01.09
2009.01.09
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
2009.01.08
I've added the first of my recent LEGO set creations to the site in the creations section.
Nichinan, Miyazaki
2009.01.01
2009.01.01
Hello, 2009! Curious, when you've got a small baby to take care of you don't wake up with a hangover.
making mochi
2008.12.28
2008.12.28
This morning's festivities began with an extended barbeque and mochi-making party.
Trust me, I'm a licensed semi-professional
2008.12.25
2008.12.25
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
2008.12.24
X'mas eve, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for the 8.
The Birthday
2008.12.22
2008.12.22
I'm writing these journal entries after the fact for reasons that will become obvious.
adoring fans
2008.12.19
2008.12.19
Cycling home at this time of year the city streets are full of people celebrating.
toy
2008.12.18
2008.12.18
As noted previous, I'm making a wooden "inch-worm" pull-toy for my little nephew Ta-kun.
bad influence
2008.12.13
2008.12.13
Joon and I met in Ginza to go to a Malaysian restaurant with Jon and Minami-san.
JR shadows
2008.11.30
2008.11.30
I set off early this morning to go to one of the big camera stores and get some storage binders for my negatives.
website traffic
2008.11.16
2008.11.16
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.
medium format toy camera
2008.11.09
2008.11.09
As previous noted, I've recently come into possession of an old (54 year old!) Ricohflex Model VII.
street photography in the Philippines
2008.11.07
2008.11.07
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
2008.11.06
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.
let sleeping folk lie
2008.11.04
2008.11.04
A couple of weeks ago we went to the sea side to take in the scenery.
tricked out bike
2008.10.24
2008.10.24
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.
black cat didn't cross my path
2008.10.02
2008.10.02
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.
...the tire trilogy concludes
2008.10.17
2008.10.17
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
2008.10.16
I went down to the parking area early* this morning and had a look at my twice-flattened front tire.
the west west coast
2008.09.30
2008.09.30
We made it out to Tofino on the we(s)t coast of Vancouver island today.
tires
2008.10.15
2008.10.15
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.
seven sweet potatoes
2008.10.01
2008.10.01
We lingered in Tofino until the early afternoon, taking in all the nature.
shopping day #1
2008.09.29
2008.09.29
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
2008.09.28
Our much-anticipated trip to Canada's west coast has gotten off to a good start.
pronounciation
2008.09.28
2008.09.28
Sadly, I learned today that I have the worst Japanese-language pronounciation of any foreigner that my wife knows.
ten years already
2008.09.22
2008.09.22
It's just occurred to me that the ten-year anniversary of my presence on the Internet is just around the corner.
it's a small world
2008.09.10
2008.09.10
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.
keyboard
2008.09.09
2008.09.09
For the first time that I can recall, I spilled a big cup of water on myself while at my desk last night.
boat trip
2008.08.25
2008.08.25
We were invited to take a boat tour of the canals of Nichinan in southern Miyazaki.
heat
2008.08.04
2008.08.04
This morning the news report on the radio said that the temperature was about 30oC before 08:00.
lazy, lazy dad
2008.07.29
2008.07.29
It's been a fair time since I updated Ken's journal so I did some catch-up this evening.
Ilford no more?
2008.07.24
2008.07.24
My favourite films, Ilford HP5 and FP4, are no longer for sale at Bic Camera.
enschizophreniation and other coined words
2008.07.23
2008.07.23
Today I coined the word enschizophreniation in an email advisory 'round the office.
weight gain
2008.07.21
2008.07.21
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.
a tale of two hares
2008.07.17
2008.07.17
I posted a photo-microstory the other day, and had meant to link it to my journal.
work work work
2008.06.27
2008.06.27
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
2008.06.26
I work for the IT department of an investment bank, and often come home wound up and tense.
firefox browser
2008.06.21
2008.06.21
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
2008.06.19
Today I was assured by one of my colleagues that "everybody on the floor agrees" that I look like Jeff Goldblum.
iPod
2008.06.08
2008.06.08
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.
camera show
2008.06.02
2008.06.02
This morning, Mari pointed out that an invitation to a used camera fair had been sitting around in our apartment for quite some time.
good news
2008.05.30
2008.05.30
Tonight I learned that someone I know took my advice after asking an important question last year.
Burma
2008.05.25
2008.05.25
I've been attempting to follow the story of the catastrophic cyclone landfall in Burma.
sticky, stinky and scratchy
2008.05.23
2008.05.23
Just the other day I posted to this journal that the pleasant season was passing.
inflation
2008.05.16
2008.05.16
I've been reading bits and pieces here and there about inflation creeping into various national economies.
kid's day
2008.05.05
2008.05.05
Today is kid's day in Japan, when they fly long "fish" kites at just about every public place.
neutral density
2008.05.03
2008.05.03
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
2008.05.01
Tonight on the way home I bought a cokin filter and the adapter widget for fitting it to my cameras.
new toy
2008.04.29
2008.04.29
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
2008.04.26
Sometimes I take photos of rather mundane things like whatever is under my feet, or whatever wall or doorway I happen to be passing.
photo experiment: subway
2008.04.23
2008.04.23
I've been working on a new project recently -- a complete reworking of this website.
'you are what you buy'
2008.04.20
2008.04.20
There, I finally caught some advertiser cutting to the brutal truth.
forty x forty
2008.04.14
2008.04.14
Working for a gigantic bureaucracy is sometimes amusingly predictable (or vice versa).
baby's first trip
2008.04.03
2008.04.03
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.
site redesign
2008.03.30
2008.03.30
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
2008.03.27
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
2008.03.20
I recently posted to the journal of my son about taking him out to experience his first rain fall.
happy anniversary to me!
2008.03.09
2008.03.09
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
2008.03.06
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
2008.03.04
My grandfather liked to say, "there's always something to keep you humble.
lens swamp
2008.03.02
2008.03.02
When helping Jon shop for a new digital SLR camera, yesterday, I noticed an 85mm lens for the Minolta system in a store window.
Canadian consular affairs warden program
2008.02.22
2008.02.22
So, I'm a member of the Canadian government's warden program in Tokyo.
diet coke
2008.02.19
2008.02.19
So it's starting to look like aspartame may be much worse for the human body even than sugar.
gettin' old
2008.02.16
2008.02.16
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
2008.02.12
I cycled to the office today, and both my bike and I were both a little rusty this morning.
one child
2008.02.08
2008.02.08
I've just finished reading a really excellent X'mas gift from my mother, a book titled The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.
Japanese double speak
2008.01.20
2008.01.20
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
2008.01.19
This morning I've found a funny coding error in my script that creates this journal.
smart kid
2008.01.12
2008.01.12
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
2008.01.13
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.
baby sling
2008.01.03
2008.01.03
As part of our meager preparations for the arrival of Ken 4*, we've picked up a sling suitable for infants.
party night in Tokyo
2007.12.01
2007.12.01
Today we attended an evening of entertainment w/ a variety of different styles.
some days....
2007.11.16
2007.11.16
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.
EDSの社人の飲み会
2007.10.19
2007.10.19
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.
packing by day, music by night
2007.09.19
2007.09.19
We spent the whole day sorting out the stuff in my storage unit.
Cruise day
2007.09.17
2007.09.17
We got a reasonably early start on the day, and went into town where we did a bit of shopping.
a long day
2007.09.15
2007.09.15
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.
Bloor West Village is cool tonight
2007.09.12
2007.09.12
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
2007.09.09
In anticipation of the baby's arrival, we've been looking for a larger apartment.
new lens
2007.09.02
2007.09.02
Mari and I went for a check-up at the clinic again (they seem to be slated for every three or four weeks).
another flat
2007.08.23
2007.08.23
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
2007.08.22
This morning I got the report on my novel from the writing coach I hired.
Tokyo at night
2007.08.12
2007.08.12
With my handy Pentax *istDS, I took some long-exposure shots of the clouds passing over my neighbourhood in Tokyo.
Tokyo is hot today
2007.08.11
2007.08.11
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
2007.08.07
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.
my ring is back
2007.07.26
2007.07.26
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
2007.07.25
They have a verb for this: "being given a thing to take care of (it)".
going up?
2007.07.24
2007.07.24
At the office, the queues at the elevators are often a hundred people deep in the mornings.
singing in the market
2007.07.21
2007.07.21
You want some funny stares in Japan? Sing along to the muzak version of Blondie's "Tide is High" in the supermarket.
missing my wedding ring
2007.07.19
2007.07.19
On the weekend I took my wedding ring to the shop where we bought it.
Mari and I got married, today
2006.11.01
2006.11.01
I took my girlfiend into the ward office today, and came out with a wife.
of drinks and knives
2006.03.12
2006.03.12
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
2006.03.10
Been thinking about everything that Mari's done for me during the exile crisis.
today I moved to Tokyo!
2006.03.08
2006.03.08
I've taken the plunge, and among the newest residents in this city of 30+ million.
exiled from japan
2006.01.18
2006.01.18
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
2005.10.11
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.
theatre
2005.09.26
2005.09.26
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
2005.09.22
Much to my dismay, I spotted Iggy Pop in a television commercial last night.
the accountant and the tsunami
2005.09.22
2005.09.22
I took my corporate income stuff in to an accountant tonight.
bomb threat?
2005.09.21
2005.09.21
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).
firefox browser
2005.09.10
2005.09.10
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
2005.09.09
It turns out that my use of the laundry facilities at the hotel in Tokyo was not covered by the travel expense policy.
cycle commute wonder
2005.09.06
2005.09.06
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
2005.09.02
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
2005.08.31
Today I took a day off of work in lieu for the 18 hours trek back from Tokyo.
cycling (not)
2005.09.03
2005.09.03
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.
Toronto the green
2005.08.30
2005.08.30
After my time in Tokyo, I really notice just how lush and green Toronto is.
Toronto's subways
2005.09.01
2005.09.01
This may sound insane, but I think that Toronto's small subway system is actually more overloaded than Tokyo's.
a million times bitten...
2005.08.22
2005.08.22
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
2005.08.15
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
2005.08.14
The non-hungover bit of today came in the afternoon when I prepared some documents for work.
mmmmm sushi
2005.08.10
2005.08.10
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
2005.08.10
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
2005.08.07
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.
long day
2005.08.01
2005.08.01
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.
shopping in Japan
2005.07.29
2005.07.29
Today I was shopping for souvenirs in Shibuya for the gang back home, and wandered into a department store.
plans
2005.07.28
2005.07.28
Today at lunch I got one of those surprises where it turns out that coworkers have discovered my website.
Earthquake!
2005.07.23
2005.07.23
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
2005.07.22
I've started my day with the supposedly 'acquired taste' of natto, which is made of fermented soy beans.
day 3 - expectations and surprises
2005.07.18
2005.07.18
I've had a few of the experiences I was expecting in Tokyo.
hot day for getting lost
2005.07.18
2005.07.18
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.
another weekend, another bear
2005.07.09
2005.07.09
Amazingly, we saw a bear on the cottage property this morning.
back at the cottage
2005.07.08
2005.07.08
Today I scooted a bit early and booted it back up to Haliburton to the cottage.
Tokyo
2005.07.05
2005.07.05
My employers seem to think they might need me to go to Tokyo for some weeks, starting real soon now.
the ravine
2005.06.20
2005.06.20
Last week the ravine trail that is the most amazing part of my morning cycle commute was blocked off.
tug-of-war
2005.06.19
2005.06.19
Tracey and I went to her company 'family barbeque' at Toronto's harbour islands park.
nightmarish downpour
2005.06.13
2005.06.13
I managed to get completely soaked in a titanic thunderstorm on my cycle commute this afternoon.
my office has showers and a bike room
2005.06.06
2005.06.06
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.
celebratory gorging
2005.06.01
2005.06.01
Today Andrea got the job offer she wanted, so the four of us went out to the Walker Hill Korean BBQ in Richmond Hill.
considerate and informative virus
2005.05.30
2005.05.30
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).
geoff and mariko
2005.05.29
2005.05.29
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
2005.05.26
Lately, I've been reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and was doing so this morning.
more exercising
2005.05.21
2005.05.21
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.
Tracey in the park
2005.05.23
2005.05.23
Today, after the usual money-spending-spree, Tracey and I took a blanket and sat in the park to read.
more cyclin'
2005.05.19
2005.05.19
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
2005.05.18
For Charlie's birthday we had dinner at a really good 'pan-asian' place on Eglinton St.
new bike
2005.05.16
2005.05.16
I picked up my new bike this evening, after having it loaded down with mud flaps and panniers and lights.
the new shampoo
2005.05.15
2005.05.15
About a month ago, Tracey got her hair coloured, and it's a lot more blonde now.
more shopping
2005.05.15
2005.05.15
One thing after getting a job after months of part-time contracting - you have much to shop for.
new grill
2005.05.14
2005.05.14
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.
'summer' cold
2005.05.07
2005.05.07
I have a cold! After an entirely healthy Winter, I am now weighed down with a sore throat and head and a runny nose.
Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2005.04.29
2005.04.29
Jon and I went to see the movie incarnation of HG2G today.
arm wrestlin'
2005.04.28
2005.04.28
Much to my amazement, I got into an arm wrestling match this evening at a bar.
VoIP no more
2005.04.20
2005.04.20
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
2005.04.21
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
2005.04.21
Tonight our Prime Minister did a Presidential thing, and addressed the populace through a direct, televised statement.
a death
2005.04.16
2005.04.16
Today I got word that one of my best friends from my high school days drowned in a diving mishap.
moving right along...
2005.04.11
2005.04.11
Today I managed to secure an interview at a third bank that had expressed interest last week.
sunburnt
2005.04.10
2005.04.10
After the long crappy dark winter we've had, we've just had three days of sunshine.
Sleeuw is coming
2005.04.05
2005.04.05
My good friend Jonathan has announced that he's coming down for a visit later in the month.
new battery
2005.04.01
2005.04.01
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.
frantic PC repairs
2005.03.30
2005.03.30
My work search is at a halt without a PC, so I made it a priority to get my PC back in shape.
accidental stalker
2005.03.23
2005.03.23
Today I got into one of those unfortunate urban circumstances that happens (and gets made into short movies).
old job search
2005.03.11
2005.03.11
I had an insight today into how communications styles have changed in the business world in the past decade.
martha stewart is bad ass
2005.03.14
2005.03.14
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'.
age and weight gain
2005.03.07
2005.03.07
Thanks to the chaos of the move, I'm wearing jeans that are six years old today.
tasting room
2005.02.06
2005.02.06
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
2005.03.04
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
2005.03.03
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.
the wealthy die, too
2005.02.16
2005.02.16
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
2005.02.12
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
2005.02.11
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.
fourth draft, complete
2005.02.02
2005.02.02
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
2005.01.29
This evening, after a day spent visiting with Tracey's grandmother and aunt, we all went to see Hotel Rwanda.
eglinton and jane
2005.02.01
2005.02.01
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
2005.01.28
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
2005.01.26
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
2005.01.21
Today I had a rather good day, aside from Tracey's big thing about getting the new job.
lifestyle television and the new sermon
2005.01.08
2005.01.08
I've decided that lifestyle televion shows have taken the place in modern society once occupied by the weekly sermon in Church.
my late grandmother and the length of days
2005.01.18
2005.01.18
Today would have been the 87th birthday of my late "Oma".
getting batty
2005.01.17
2005.01.17
Just now, after eating, I announced "so hungry!" when I meant to say, "so stuffed!" I immediately corrected myself.
my baby brother
2005.01.05
2005.01.05
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
2004.12.22
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.
sometimes, I hate being right
2004.12.28
2004.12.28
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.
assault and punishment
2004.12.23
2004.12.23
So, once again it seems that you can get away with anything if you're a celebrity.
PL/SQL
2004.12.17
2004.12.17
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.
naggin suspicion confirmed
2004.12.10
2004.12.10
Today I discovered something that I'd been half expecting for some time, now.
puzzles
2004.12.08
2004.12.08
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
2004.12.12
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.
weather
2004.12.06
2004.12.06
If Toronto in November is the most depressing place on Earth, Toronto in December can be one of the most aggravating.
a friend in Ukraine
2004.11.25
2004.11.25
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
2004.11.24
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
2004.11.22
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.
so nothing's changed in Calgary
2004.11.17
2004.11.17
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
2004.11.15
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
2004.11.12
Today a 'homeless' fellow on the street barked at me for some help.
my perfect cousin
2004.11.11
2004.11.11
Today I meet with Kate, my cousin (not to be confused with my g/f Kate*).
the return of Blake
2004.11.09
2004.11.09
Earlier this week I was contacted by a former colleague from my days in Australia.
people on the street can be pretty lame
2004.10.29
2004.10.29
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.
genius of love
2004.11.08
2004.11.08
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.
looking for a home that's not for me
2004.10.28
2004.10.28
I had a look at some apartments for Charlie and Andrea, today.
Dog owner
2004.11.01
2004.11.01
Tonight I ran into the owners of the Doberman pincer that I watched attack two women and their dogs last Tuesday.
interviewing
2004.10.25
2004.10.25
I went to an interview today with an outfit that needs to augment their consulting business.
apartments
2004.10.25
2004.10.25
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
2004.10.26
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
2004.10.23
Today, while waiting for a postponed haircut appointment, I walked into a camera store.
the commuting unconscious
2004.10.12
2004.10.12
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
2004.10.11
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.
IKEA, Swedish for 'slow death'
2004.09.18
2004.09.18
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
2004.09.14
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.
Spiderhouse!
2004.09.08
2004.09.08
Ken and Heidi have a home that's in the (surprisingly sunny) basement of a place in West Vancouver.
Whew!
2004.09.02
2004.09.02
There are some things, even quite trivial things, that can bring about a sense of accomplishment.
dog plays fetch with dog
2004.07.11
2004.07.11
The view from my apartmemt includes the commons in "downtown" Halifax.
headhunter feed bag
2004.07.08
2004.07.08
So I was dragged to this little function that a head-hunter put on last night.
big street grin
2004.07.07
2004.07.07
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).
of back strain and mustaches
2004.07.05
2004.07.05
Today we were scheduled to go down to Bridgewater to see uncle Horst and aunt Barbara.
Korean-style Greek
2004.07.04
2004.07.04
This evening Tracey and I went over to Charlie's place where he and Andrea made a beautiful Greek dinner.
Going home
2004.07.02
2004.07.02
Tracey's here!
And the fellow who hired me out of New Jersey says he's spoken with my VP (at the client) and that I'm going to be able to transfer to Keane's Toronto office.
no i can't save the world
2004.06.30
2004.06.30
Today I was waiting at the corner for some traffic, when the woman standing next to me said something I didn't catch.
wristwatch stopped?
2004.06.27
2004.06.27
Today my watch stopped working for the first time in its fifteen year run.
fixed watch not so .. fixed
2004.06.26
2004.06.26
On my way to see the movie today, I noticed that the new face on my watch is loose.
plantar fascitis is worse than it sounds
2004.06.25
2004.06.25
This morning started with one of my colleagues blowing a gasket.
entry 848
2004.06.22
2004.06.22
The kid I've been dealing with at the watch repair place called to let me know that there were some watch faces in stock and that I could leave my watch with him.
old watch suddenly scratched up
2004.06.21
2004.06.21
Somehow, I managed to scratch the hell out of the face on my watch.
too .. much .. soccer
2004.06.20
2004.06.20
For reasons that I still can't explain, I decided to join some of my colleagues in playing a game of soccer this afternoon.
filing my negatives (sexy, right?)
2004.06.20
2004.06.20
I spent the whole evening filing negatives into sleeve-sheets, last night.
organizing my slides
2004.06.19
2004.06.19
Today I did something I should have done before I started misplacing/losing some of my thousands of negatives and slides.
outsourcing halifax
2004.06.18
2004.06.18
Sailor Yoon tells me that the outsourcing of his employer's IT operation to CGI is looking like a good thing.
shoulda been a comic
2004.06.17
2004.06.17
Today a coworker in New York who discovered this website asked me if I'd ever tried any improv work.
me .. stand-up comedy?
2004.06.11
2004.06.11
Today, for the first time, I was told that I should do stand-up on the account of my deadpan delivery.
goin' green in nova scotia
2004.05.30
2004.05.30
Today, for the first time in my life, I decided to stop simply grouching about politics and do something.
nova scotian home-cooked fries
2004.05.29
2004.05.29
Today I decided to try my hand at cooking up some sweet potato french fries.
my household budget problems
2004.05.23
2004.05.23
Today I decided to sit down and work out the budget I'm currently living under, and came to some difficult realizations.
my way with women
2004.05.21
2004.05.21
Tonight I was invited to Charlie's place to have dinner with those two and Andrea's friend Stacey.
they call this incident management
2004.05.14
2004.05.14
After a whole four hours of sleep, I was woken by the pager again at 6:30 this morning.
of calls and flames
2004.05.13
2004.05.13
Got home at midnight tonight, after spending the evening out with my colleagues.
too tired for hockey
2004.05.11
2004.05.11
I'm on support this week, so I just made it home in time to see the Flames's second, artful, amazing beautiful goal last night.
your father's moustache
2004.05.06
2004.05.06
I got my monitor back! For $100, as promised, it's been restored to its original condition by the fellows at Apro.
outsourcing to IBM
2004.05.05
2004.05.05
Charlie and the gang in the IT department at Maritime Life got word today of their future.
provincial, but gorgeous
2004.05.05
2004.05.05
Today we took the rental car down to the Ovens, near Bridgewater where my uncle Horst and aunt Barbara live.
more fallout from my move
2004.05.03
2004.05.03
After a fine weekend of many fun episodes, I awoke this morning to discover that my monitor had packed it in.
nineteen kilometers
2004.04.18
2004.04.18
Today while playing with some software that Charlie had for his GPS unit I learned that my little walk on Easter Friday was actually 19 kilometres long.
hellboy
2004.04.09
2004.04.09
Today was a beautiful sunny day, and the first warm day we've had, so I decided to go for a walk.
Toronto/Halifax
2004.04.06
2004.04.06
I went to an all-hands meeting at work today, where we were given some momentous news that set off a flurry of questions.
my place may be a dump
2004.04.03
2004.04.03
What would a visit with Tracey be without an awful migraine for company.
my place may be a dump
2004.03.28
2004.03.28
Recently, my apartment's plumbing has been exhibiting some strange behaviour.
on-call is killing me
2004.03.19
2004.03.19
Tonight I went out for dinner with Charlie after a long and tiring week.
may contain nuts
2004.03.09
2004.03.09
Tonight on the way home from work, I saw one of those hanging yellow diamond signs in the rear window of a minivan.
muddy dogs and other things
2004.03.03
2004.03.03
One of my favourite things in the whole wide world happened today.
skate and create!
2004.02.05
2004.02.05
This morning I looked out on the commons and saw that someone had made some art.
uncomfortably hot
2004.02.03
2004.02.03
The temperature on the little thermometer that I brought into the office two weeks ago hit 28C, this afternoon, and parked there for hours.
chhhhhh-glachpt-chhhhh
2004.01.26
2004.01.26
I was enjoying a plate o' Korean foodcourt 'food' today when a fellow walked by who was clearing his throat.
cold photography
2004.01.25
2004.01.25
Tonight I saw an ad on TV that had a woman burbling the line "There's something to be said for instant gratification" in a non-ironic fashion.
Firefly - TV's best sci-fi
2004.01.24
2004.01.24
I spent most of the day, today, watching the full "Firefly" series.
my tattoos get done
2004.01.21
2004.01.21
Someone got one of my tattoo designs done, and I'm itching to see the results.
there's always a worse job
2004.01.19
2004.01.19
The building where I work is glommed onto a structure that leads to a hotel lobby.
my shoulder is bloody, for once
2004.01.13
2004.01.13
Tonight was the first hour-long session at the Tai Chi place.
east coast style Tai Chi
2004.01.12
2004.01.12
Tonight on the way home from work I stopped in at the "Taoist Tai Chi" building, and asked "What's this all about?" I don't know if I was expecting a Taoist temple, but it turns out that it's a chain of places that teach Tai Chi.
Halifax is damn cold
2004.01.14
2004.01.14
It was -21oC on my way home from work, and windy enough to make it feel like -42oC.
another new year, full o' promise
2004.01.01
2004.01.01
This is two new year's days in a row that I've come through without a hangover.
partying with a centenarian
2003.12.25
2003.12.25
My mum and I went out to see the Mastersons in Oakville for Xmas, today.
george's trains
2003.12.24
2003.12.24
I got the mirror frame back today and ran over to "George's Trains" to get some paint and small model-style brushes.
new mirror frame
2003.12.23
2003.12.23
The mirror frame I bought yesterday is now in at a mirror shop just two blocks from my home (I'm going to miss the convenience of this place).
renting out my unit
2003.12.22
2003.12.22
Today's apartment showing was the first response to the ad I put in the Toronto Star.
lost credit card turned up
2003.12.19
2003.12.19
Today I had to go back to the computer shop where I'd picked up my PC to retrieve my credit card.
return of the king
2003.12.18
2003.12.18
Lord of the Rings' "The Return of the King" is the most outstanding finale to a trilogy that I have ever seen.
hrdc blues
2003.12.18
2003.12.18
This morning I went to the HRDC to see about the program they have for getting self-employed people going.
drinking with lightweights
2003.12.17
2003.12.17
It's a good thing I got my apartment sorted out yesterday: I had a headache all morning today.
oh park property you scoundrels
2003.12.16
2003.12.16
Today the weather gradually improved from heavy rain to clear skies.
Halifax weather hell
2003.12.15
2003.12.15
This morning—when I had appointments to see some four apartments—all Hell broke loose with the weather.
perfect hunting weather
2003.12.14
2003.12.14
I flew into town tonight on Jetsgo—or Jetslow, as I'm beginning to think of them—an hour and a half late as per usual on that airline.
another goodbye
2003.12.10
2003.12.10
Another day in December, another huddle with a friend before I take off for Halifax.
preparing to leave the city
2003.12.09
2003.12.09
Today, feeling better, I decided to get a start on my to-do list, now that I know I'm off for Halifax.
shingles really sucks!
2003.12.08
2003.12.08
I spent the entire day in bed today suffering from what was either the shingles or the antivirals I'm taking to fight them.
"that thing on your face is getting bigger"
2003.12.07
2003.12.07
Over the course of the past two days, a nasty rash has lit up on the side of my face, just down from my ear.
I've got a job in a new city
2003.12.04
2003.12.04
All of the confusion surrounding the extended hiring process with Keane has been resolved.
entry 727
2003.11.28
2003.11.28
I got my resume critiqued by the good people at the federal government's Department of Human Resources 'resource centre' staff today.
entry 726
2003.11.27
2003.11.27
Today I went down to the goverment's human resources centre to see what they have about finding work.
entry 715
2003.11.19
2003.11.19
Today was the first of two interviews with the software/consulting firm that's hiring for positions in Halifax.
entry 714
2003.11.18
2003.11.18
This afternoon I attended a job fair for an outfit that is hiring for nearly 40 positions in Halifax (of all places).
entry 713
2003.11.17
2003.11.17
Tonight I learned that no man races to the dollar store faster than he who seeks a toilet plunger.
entry 712
2003.11.14
2003.11.14
This evening I met with Juriy and Paul from Pontis to celebrate Juriy's finding a job at BMO.
entry 708
2003.11.12
2003.11.12
You know the kind of day where you decide at 6:30 to have a bit of a nap, so you take off your shirt and discover that you've been wearing two undershirts all day?
This was that kind of day.
entry 701
2003.11.07
2003.11.07
I inflicted the guys from the ol' IT gang from my days at Trimark on Tracey, tonight.
entry 699
2003.11.05
2003.11.05
I had a rather good interview today with a systems hardware retailer here in town that is trying to start up a professional services wing.
entry 697
2003.11.04
2003.11.04
It occurred to me today, as I waited in line at the federal government's Human Resources department's office, that this is my fourth November in a row that I've faced without a job.
entry 690
2003.10.28
2003.10.28
We checked out the Bell museum in Baddeck this morning, because the weather was really rough.
entry 689
2003.10.27
2003.10.27
Our hopes of finding colourful landscapes have been realized - we spent the day driving just ahead of a nasty front that kept us under a mix of sunny and dark skies.
entry 684
2003.10.21
2003.10.21
This morning while eating breakfast, I noticed a column of smoke rising into the air half a block north of my apartment building.
entry 683
2003.10.20
2003.10.20
On the show Morse today, there was an amusing witticism; "You know what they say about funerals - someone always catches their death!"
There.
entry 678
2003.10.11
2003.10.11
One of my Russian/Ukrainian coworkers brought a cold to the office during the week.
entry 660
2003.09.13
2003.09.13
It seems that Lee Salem, an apparatchik at Universal Press Syndicate, couldn't be brought to spell out the word 'masterbate' in a recent UPS fatwa against a recent Doonesbury strip, and went with 'm-word'.
entry 657
2003.09.09
2003.09.09
O, calamity! My chair broke tonight, while I was sitting on it chatting on the phone with the lovely Tracey.
entry 651
2003.09.04
2003.09.04
I've been making sales calls to ISP's across the country to try to drum up some business.
entry 647
2003.08.30
2003.08.30
I've noticed this summer that there seem to be a hell of a lot of sparrows around.
entry 645
2003.08.29
2003.08.29
Had my first success with the new project of working - contacting ISP's and attempting to drum up new relationships.
entry 643
2003.08.27
2003.08.27
Today at lunch I took the building's internal stairs down to the parking lot to head home.
entry 641
2003.08.26
2003.08.26
Today I ran into Andrea, one of the gang from the Davisville Physiotherapy outfit where I went routinely for three months back in the Winter.
entry 637
2003.08.22
2003.08.22
Tonight after work - the final day of a long, long week that had me on a crash course on sales, of all things - I trudged downtown and picked up a roll of negatives I'd had processed.
entry 635
2003.08.21
2003.08.21
Tonight I went to a dinner put together by some people I encountered on craigslist.
entry 634
2003.08.20
2003.08.20
On my way to get groceries, today, I past a family that had just emerged from a restaurant.
entry 633
2003.08.19
2003.08.19
I went to the gym this evening - I usually go in the morning, but with the power outage I hadn't been since Wednesday.
entry 632
2003.08.18
2003.08.18
There's a rumour going 'round that SARS-stock may not have been the care-free event everyone made it out to be.
entry 623
2003.08.08
2003.08.08
Last night I attended a send-off at Sneaky Dee's for Jonathan Culp (Satan Macnuggit himself).
entry 621
2003.08.05
2003.08.05
Today I had the bad luck of 'finding out the hard way' that the urinal at work had developed a leak.
entry 619
2003.08.03
2003.08.03
We made our way from Espanola back onto the island, and had a rather good breakfast in Little Current at a greasy spoon full of bikers.
entry 618
2003.08.02
2003.08.02
Today my mum and I set out at last to do the Manitoulin trip we've been threatening for two years.
entry 614
2003.07.28
2003.07.28
Two days to the SARS concert (which the Sun referred to on its front page as SARS-stock).
entry 613
2003.07.29
2003.07.29
At the gym today, I upped my efforts on the treadmill to:
5 min walking @ 5 MPH
3 min jogging @ 7 MPH
2 min walking @ 5 MPH
3 min jogging @ 7 MPH
2 min walking @ 5 MPH
How far did I run? No, no, I mean.
entry 611
2003.07.20
2003.07.20
Today, on the way back from the cottage, we stopped in Bala on the Trent/Severn canal system.
entry 607
2003.07.17
2003.07.17
Tonight I went to Chako's place to try to help with her computer (actually, it's Jonathan's PC, but he's in Japan).
entry 606
2003.07.18
2003.07.18
Tonight my mum and I went to dinner to discuss our work woes over Thai food at a place on Bayview called "Satay by the road".
entry 605
2003.07.11
2003.07.11
Having recently spent 2 1/2 years and more out of Toronto, it's interesting to note how windy this city is.
entry 602
2003.07.09
2003.07.09
I got a note from the building management today stating 'On a recent visit to the building, the Toronto Fire Inspector has advised us that anyone caught ossing cigarettes off their balcony causing a fire .
entry 601
2003.07.08
2003.07.08
I've been going to the gym for about two weeks, now, and I have noticed that I'm having a hell of a time concentrating at work (or at home, but what else is new?).
entry 600
2003.07.06
2003.07.06
Once back in the city, I returned the car and traipsed north along Yonge Street, watching the 'Toronto Festival' that was in progress.
entry 598
2003.07.05
2003.07.05
Today I was invited out to a barbeque by one of my new coworkers (the newest one).
entry 596
2003.07.02
2003.07.02
I almost always use the stairs to go up to my apartment, rather than the elevator.
entry 591
2003.06.27
2003.06.27
Though I had to work throughout the day, I believe I managed to make the most of the weather today.
entry 590
2003.06.25
2003.06.25
The nice woman who runs the restaurant between my gym and my place of employment told me today that I was a 'nice, soft-spoken gentleman'.
entry 589
2003.06.18
2003.06.18
On my desk, when I started my new job recently, was an assortment of clutter from my predecessor.
entry 587
2003.06.16
2003.06.16
Charlie missed his flight! He checked it repeatedly, but was always reading the arrival time rather than the departure.
entry 586
2003.06.20
2003.06.20
I bought a new film scanner with some of the proceeds of my 2002 income tax rebate (I'm still waiting on 2000 and 2001).
entry 585
2003.06.21
2003.06.21
I went for a long walk, today, after stopping by the office to help move my desk + associated crud there-on to the other room, where the bosses are assembling a 'data centre'.
entry 584
2003.06.14
2003.06.14
Charlie, the Chako, and I went to see Finding Nemo with one of the Chako's friends, another Japanese girl named Kyoko.
entry 582
2003.06.11
2003.06.11
My colleague Yuri from the office - who has been making regular appearances in this journal, recently - discovered today that the Ukraine has imposed a quarantine on all people arriving from SARS-afflicted regions.
entry 573
2003.06.01
2003.06.01
Today I went on a trek down to the lone wind turbine that was set up on Toronto's harbourfront.
entry 566
2003.05.16
2003.05.16
This may sound hard to believe, but I've bungled into some sales responsibilities at the office.
entry 562
2003.05.11
2003.05.11
I bought my mum a DVD player to replace her CD player, which died while I was staying with her.
entry 561
2003.05.10
2003.05.10
There is a style these days where young women wear track pants with a word printed across the ass.
entry 558
2003.05.06
2003.05.06
It stands to reason that as soon as I'm back at work I'd have my first real cold in over a year.
entry 556
2003.04.30
2003.04.30
Tonight after work, I did my usual monthly trick of shuffling money around between my line of credit, two bank accounts, and a credit card, but had the pleasure of adding a paycheque to the mix.
entry 546
2003.04.21
2003.04.21
We decided to take the car out and explore the eastern edge of the 'Georgian Highlands' today.
entry 540
2003.04.08
2003.04.08
I managed to get as much done today as I have been doing nothing for the last several months.
entry 538
2003.03.29
2003.03.29
Much to my surprise, I found myself in a second job interview at a place only a block from home.
entry 536
2003.03.15
2003.03.15
I ran into Dale Fallon on the street, today, during a walk in the suddenly warm weather.
entry 535
2003.03.17
2003.03.17
I've decided to apply for the job with the gov't in the northern reaches of the province.
entry 534
2003.03.14
2003.03.14
I've come across an interesting job posting with the Ministry of Natural Resources.
entry 532
2003.03.03
2003.03.03
Charlie has accepted the job offer from Maritime Life, and is moving to Halifax! A job lead that he first came across four-and-a-half months ago led to something.
entry 525
2003.03.07
2003.03.07
Happy 0x20 to me!
It was a long day, starting with brunch with my 'Auntie' Laurie (the designation Auntie used to irritate her when I was small because it suggested some aged spinster to her; somehow it stuck).
entry 523
2003.02.23
2003.02.23
The city was dumped on last night by rain that turned to sleet and then thick snow.
entry 521
2003.02.11
2003.02.11
Charlie, Josee Baillargeon (a colleague from my Trimark days who Charlie met on the street last week) and I - photographs all - met for dinner and drinks at the Bow and Arrow to catch up and show off our photos.
entry 520
2003.02.15
2003.02.15
Today I went down to the demonstration against Gulf War II that was being held in synch with other demonstrations in the rest of the world.
entry 515
2003.02.05
2003.02.05
The Sun has been making an on-again, off-again comeback after a surprisingly dull and gloomy Winter.
entry 513
2003.01.12
2003.01.12
One of my job leads is dead, and it died in a way that I've had to get used to in this shiney new decade with no name.
entry 512
2003.01.17
2003.01.17
The job search is picking up steam (an expression that in itself is pretty ridiculous, but one that I think I've used before in exactly the same circumstances in this very journal thing).
entry 511
2003.01.21
2003.01.21
The Australian Tax Office sent me a response to my inquiry from early December as to the status of my application to retrieve my Superannuation funds.
entry 510
2003.01.20
2003.01.20
Strangely, I received a cheque in the mail from the Australian Tax Office, today.
entry 509
2003.01.19
2003.01.19
Today I learned that the observatory west of Canberra that I visited in 2000 has been completely destroyed by 'bush fires'.
entry 507
2003.01.07
2003.01.07
It's now getting hard to find anything other than new releases at the video rental places in VHS.
entry 504
2002.12.29
2002.12.29
We said our farewells and left the Ottawa area bright and early and raced down the length of the MacDonald-Cartier highway to Oakville where the Masterson clan was having an extended get-together.
entry 503
2002.12.28
2002.12.28
Today the Ottawa contingent, my mum, and I went to the Museum of Civilization in Hull to see the Bog People exhibit.
entry 502
2002.12.27
2002.12.27
Today my mum and I rented a car and headed out to the Ottawa-area bedroom community of Osgoode for a visit with my dad's brother Ulli and his family.
entry 501
2002.12.26
2002.12.26
Today I learned that the name Boxing Day comes from the old habit of gathering things for charity into a box and delivering it on this day after Xmas.
entry 498
2002.12.20
2002.12.20
So tonight I happened to catch part of a panel doing a summary of the year's movies on TV.
entry 496
2002.12.11
2002.12.11
In other news, I had a job interview today at a place a block away from the apartment.
entry 491
2002.12.03
2002.12.03
Here's an embarrassing admition; I couldn't find the cell phone in the wreckage 'round the apartment today, so I used the land line to phone it and track it down by it's ringing.
entry 485
2002.11.20
2002.11.20
Tonight, Ken Charlie and I went up to Ching's place somewhere in the northern reaches of the city.
entry 480
2002.11.06
2002.11.06
One bright point in the day was the Lord of the Rings exhibit at the Maclauchlin Plane'arium.
entry 473
2002.10.23
2002.10.23
I dragged Charlie out to see "High and Low" at the Kurosawa/Mifune film festival tonight.
entry 472
2002.10.23
2002.10.23
Got my camera back! It was apparently ready yesterday, but they had the wrong number and it was only because I called that I learned it was ready.
entry 464
2002.10.15
2002.10.15
Today as I was coming home from the camera repair shop, I noticed a blimp-style balloon of maybe 4 metres in length and 1.
entry 463
2002.10.15
2002.10.15
After several hours of floating from one locale to another, I've found someone who'll fix my camera.
entry 461
2002.10.13
2002.10.13
Just typical; today it's sunny and clear, whereas yesterday - when we were driving among all of the Autumn colours on the Oak Ridges Moraine - it was cloudy and raining.
entry 460
2002.10.12
2002.10.12
After our adventures in the Kawarthas, we dropped by my ex's place so I could pick up a few things that had wound up in her possession after the dissolution of our engagement.
entry 459
2002.10.12
2002.10.12
Today Charlie, my mum and I rented a car to head up to the Whetung gallery at the Curve Lake IR near Peterborough.
entry 457
2002.10.11
2002.10.11
I woke up to a foggy city this morning, and decided to make a dash into the cemetary to get some pics of tombstones lurking in the mist.
entry 455
2002.10.11
2002.10.11
Keisha, beloved and ancient cat to Heidi and Ken, was 'put down' yesterday following a long struggle with cancer.
entry 452
2002.10.07
2002.10.07
Caught up with Charlie and the Catherine formerly known as Cox this evening at The Unicorn on Eglinton.
entry 448
2002.10.04
2002.10.04
Charlie and I went to the International Centre out by the airport to check out a photography and digital imaging show.
entry 444
2002.09.25
2002.09.25
It seems that my pages on caffeine addiction, uneducated though they are, have caught the attention of the CBC.
entry 442
2002.09.22
2002.09.22
I was at the reference library working on a short story today, when I noticed three turkey vultures circling low over some green space just to the north.
entry 440
2002.09.18
2002.09.18
Met with an agency today to tackle a lead with the outfit where one of my step-brothers works.
entry 439
2002.09.15
2002.09.15
It was a cloudy, muggy weekend, so I decided to go to the reference library to work on one of my short stories.
entry 435
2002.09.08
2002.09.08
The Stiffs, Gord's "drinking team with a softball problem" attended the West Queen Street (Illegal) Softball League's final game and subsequent banquet, today.
entry 433
2002.09.04
2002.09.04
So, I went to the Ministry of Transportation today, to get my Ontario driver's license going.
entry 431
2002.09.01
2002.09.01
My mum and I headed up to Midland for a tour of the 30,000 islands that she'd done at some point this Summer with her friend Jane.
entry 428
2002.08.28
2002.08.28
I met with my former Trimark colleague Scott Nelson last night at a pub in Yaletown.
entry 426
2002.08.26
2002.08.26
I found my copy of The Math Gene! It was tucked away behind two binders from old corporate training courses.
entry 424
2002.08.22
2002.08.22
Today was the day I changed my address with all of the various outfits and institutions that know it.
entry 422
2002.08.20
2002.08.20
My dad and I explored one of the valley roads that leads up from Pemberton in the morning, taking advantage of the Autumn-like weather that's already beginning to take hold in the interior to take some interesting pics.
entry 419
2002.08.17
2002.08.17
Today we went down to the beach, rented some kayaks, and spent two hours bobbing amongst the wind-driven waves, the motor-driven pleasure craft, and the odd bit of stationary architecture like bridges and rocky promintories (I've always wanted to sneak 'rocky promintory' into my writing, some how).
entry 418
2002.08.16
2002.08.16
Charlie arrived this afternoon, and ah hour later Ken's old University buddy John arrived on a business trip.
entry 417
2002.08.15
2002.08.15
Once again, I was reminded today of how it's better to take photos and ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission.
entry 416
2002.08.14
2002.08.14
I've arranged for the movers to come at the end of the month, and a 'mini-storage' cube for my stuff.
entry 413
2002.08.04
2002.08.04
It occurs to me that it's been just about exactly 20 years since I was diagnosed with asthma.
armed police in the streets
2002.07.25
2002.07.25
Today I encountered something I've never seen before in Canada; two cops hurrying around the corner toward me with weapons in hand.
entry 408
2002.07.23
2002.07.23
We left Nanaimo for Victoria, and toured Butchart gardens, which the women wanted to see, but which I think disappointed.
entry 406
2002.07.21
2002.07.21
Ken, Heidi, mum and I left Vancouver this morning for a day trip up to the Sechelt peninsula.
entry 404
2002.07.17
2002.07.17
I've started sending off emails to folks in T/O advising them of my plans to return.
a fellow named Skot (no longer Scott)
2002.07.15
2002.07.15
While dropping off a roll of film for development at Custom Colour, I was recognized by Skot Nelson, a former coworker from my days at Trimark in Toronto.
car full of mysterious girls
2002.07.08
2002.07.08
On my walk around the seawall this evening, I spotted a seal a number of times; it seemed to be making about the same time I was.
entry 393
2002.07.03
2002.07.03
I saw a fleeting reference to Henry Kissinger on a news clip about the international war crimes court that's being set up at the UN.
entry 388
2002.06.27
2002.06.27
I applied for a job in Japan, on the advice of my friend Jon who's been living there for a year and a half.
entry 387
2002.06.25
2002.06.25
So I went 'round to a couple of stores yesterday to try to price a new release plate for my tripod.
entry 385
2002.06.20
2002.06.20
Signing the petition the other day required that I register to vote, something I haven't done in over a decade.
entry 382
2002.06.13
2002.06.13
I went for a long wander round the city today because it was so damn warm and sunny.
entry 381
2002.06.12
2002.06.12
It seems that Rogers (cable modem) and Bell (ADSL) are imposing 'bit caps' on their high-speed internet services.
entry 380
2002.06.11
2002.06.11
Part of the seawall path around Stanley Park is closed due to some work they're doing on part of the wall.
entry 379
2002.06.09
2002.06.09
I talked briefly with my landlord today about potentially leaving this place in July.
entry 378
2002.06.08
2002.06.08
My little photo database project is great for learning some of the recent additions from a developer's point of view.
entry 377
2002.06.07
2002.06.07
I've been working on a replacement for my highly manual method of managing my photos on this site.
entry 376
2002.06.06
2002.06.06
Lousy migraines, robbing me of sunny Spring weather! Ah well, there's always the endorphin high that can only come from a quick eight hours of cranial agony.
entry 367
2002.05.25
2002.05.25
So I went for a wander through the city because the weather was decent and there's the possibility that I'll find contract work here in Calgary.
entry 366
2002.05.22
2002.05.22
Tonight I saw the hare that lives in the neighbourhood tentatively nibbling on some green grass at the edge of the sidewalk across the road.
entry 360
2002.05.06
2002.05.06
So, I went 'into town' to get my roll of b + w film from our trip to SW Alberta, battling the remaining 20 cm of snow in the 'carriageway' and the dimwit drivers (snow, wet conditions? Faster! Faster!).
entry 359
2002.05.05
2002.05.05
We spent the day toodling about in the Great Sand Hills again, then got back for about 5 PM.
entry 358
2002.05.04
2002.05.04
Today Charlie and I rented a car and headed to rural Saskatchewan to see the Great Sand Hills.
entry 356
2002.05.01
2002.05.01
Today, I tried to have a roll of TMAX 100 B + W film developed at the London Drugs.
entry 354
2002.04.28
2002.04.28
My brother, who has been watching my mail for me, says that a registered letter has turned up.
entry 353
2002.04.27
2002.04.27
I had bison steak today at a place in Okotoks which, fifteen years ago, had been the Lazy L.
entry 349
2002.04.14
2002.04.14
The papers say that the huge pall of smoke that appeared over the city yesterday was half of Nose Hill burning! I'm not sure that it was the area where Charlie and I had been in the morning, but wow.
entry 348
2002.04.13
2002.04.13
I went out this morning at 5 AM with Charlie to Nose Hill to take some pics of the city during sunrise.
entry 341
2002.03.28
2002.03.28
I've put up some new photos of buildings and animals in the Vancouver photo study.
entry 340
2002.03.17
2002.03.17
I've discovered through a bit of genealogical work I've been doing that my family is susceptible to having twins! My parents (and the world) ducked a bullet there!
.
entry 338
2002.03.14
2002.03.14
A conversation last week with Trena at the Grove just around the corner has done wonders for me.
entry 336
2002.03.11
2002.03.11
Today, while on a walk, I saw my first hovercraft! It was huge, and seemed to be all engine.
entry 335
2002.03.10
2002.03.10
Ken and I took Charlie off to the airport in the morning, and I returned to my struggles with my photo study of vancouver, which has been difficult to organize.
entry 334
2002.03.09
2002.03.09
Still reeling (literally) from the night before, we went to the usual spot for a late brunch, and then went down-town.
entry 332
2002.03.07
2002.03.07
Charlie arrived this morning, and we went out for lunch with Heidi when she got off work.
entry 331
2002.03.06
2002.03.06
I was woken at 4:15 or so this morning by a series of bright flashes and loud bangs.
entry 330
2002.03.05
2002.03.05
I decided to resurrect my old watch from the drawer where it had been sitting since I moved here.
entry 323
2002.02.19
2002.02.19
I was just having a look at my journal entries from a year ago, and I've discovered that it's been quite nearly a year since the little incident in the bar that damaged my shoulder.
entry 318
2002.02.08
2002.02.08
The *&#(*!&# provincial ministry of health took 9 weeks to look at my form and decide that I hadn't provided enough information.
entry 315
2002.02.03
2002.02.03
After an admittedly slow start to the day, Charlie, Heidi, and I went for a bit of a hike around the dam that holds most of Vancouver's drinking water.
entry 314
2002.02.02
2002.02.02
I managed to fail to impress the waitress at my somewhat-regular lunch spot, today.
entry 313
2002.01.26
2002.01.26
We've had quite a dump of snow; the last thing I was expecting from Winter in this city.
entry 310
2002.01.17
2002.01.17
I decided, for the first time in almost a decade, to try out one or two of the chat apps that are out there.
entry 308
2002.01.15
2002.01.15
The plumber working in my bathroom knocked the hot water pipe off the bottom of my sink, jetting water everywhere.
entry 300
2002.01.05
2002.01.05
When we went into the interior to watch the meteor shower in October, I'm pretty sure I left behind my binoculars, somewhere.
entry 299
2002.01.04
2002.01.04
Finally managed to get some pics scanned and posted from recent evening photo sessions in the city.
entry 298
2002.01.03
2002.01.03
These last 4 months and change have been interesting, but I've been dogged with the feeling that I may be missing an opportunity in simply looking for more work in the same line of business.
entry 297
2002.01.02
2002.01.02
And to start off the new year, I've encountered three new job postings that I'm interested in.
entry 288
2001.12.20
2001.12.20
My teenage cousins seem to be living in a different world than the one I inhabited at their age.
entry 282
2001.11.30
2001.11.30
I was speaking with a head-hunter this morning when an odd thought occurred to me for the first time, and that was this: even if my ex and I hadn't called off our engagement, the wedding would have been a disaster! It was scheduled for the morning of the 15th of September, just four days after the WTC bombing.
entry 281
2001.11.26
2001.11.26
Today I blew the dust off my laptop and got some good work done on my novel down at the library.
entry 280
2001.11.23
2001.11.23
Another week of 'looking for work' while the news talks about BC's gloomy future.
entry 272
2001.11.02
2001.11.02
I had a look at one of the new Minolta DiMage 7 cameras in the London Drugs today.
entry 270
2001.10.29
2001.10.29
We went up Grouse Mountain, just north of Vancouver, and saw some grizzly bear cubs that are in an enclosure up there.
entry 266
2001.10.19
2001.10.19
On my way to the photo lab for some negatives, I was re-routed today by some fireman who had roped off an area about two blocks from my house.
entry 265
2001.10.18
2001.10.18
I went and had a $6 stir fry at the local greasy spoon for lunch today, at around 3:30.
entry 264
2001.10.16
2001.10.16
As I was walking down the street today, I came across a bunch of sparrows squabbling in the small space below the over-hanging roof of a low-rise apartment building.
entry 260
2001.10.06
2001.10.06
Charlie came down last night so the two of us could take a trip out to Tofino to take some pics.
entry 259
2001.10.02
2001.10.02
I've just read a fascinating article on the analysis by the RIAA's lawyers on how the MusicCity.
entry 258
2001.10.01
2001.10.01
Lousy banks! The CIBC is still holding the money from the cheque I cashed on the 30th of August.
entry 256
2001.09.29
2001.09.29
Dad arrived (by bus!) last night, and we spent the day toodling about the rainy city.
entry 253
2001.09.26
2001.09.26
The US is tightening security at the Canadian border, and the Canadian gov't announced today that it will be doing the same.
entry 248
2001.09.16
2001.09.16
This evening, I realised that my legs and butt were sore, from having gone to the park with Ken and Heidi yesterday to throw a frisbee around.
entry 232
2001.08.17
2001.08.17
Yesterday I went to the 'driver's services' thing downtown to try and get a BC driver's license.
entry 229
2001.08.13
2001.08.13
If the sudden gaps in my journal are any indication, I'm starting to have a life again! This weekend, Ken, Heidi, Charlie and I went hiking/camping in the interior.
entry 223
2001.07.22
2001.07.22
Bought myself a small set of cookware today, in preparation for moving into my new place.
entry 214
2001.07.11
2001.07.11
I realised today that with the time since my last employment now hitting the three month mark, I've only worked nine months of the last 18.
entry 203
2001.06.23
2001.06.23
In an effort to relate the problems she'd had last night with heartburn, my grandmother was describing the last time she'd felt the same symptoms; when she'd had 8 Pina Coladas in one day during a trip to Mexico.
entry 201
2001.06.19
2001.06.19
Yvonne managed to depress me with the news that two of my cousins - two daughters of my mom's cousin Neil, both of whom are younger than me - were married last year.
entry 198
2001.06.16
2001.06.16
I tried to find the old road that my grandfather showed Ken and me, years ago, that led from a point across the road behind the cottage back to town.
entry 192
2001.06.07
2001.06.07
I've got a van arranged, and will be retrieving the furniture from Oma's house on Saturday.
entry 188
2001.06.02
2001.06.02
At the end of the hour long memorial, my dad announced that the four brothers (himself, Horst, Wolf, and Ulli) would be returning to the house to 'sort out the legalities', and that everyone would be welcome to join for pizza and beer at six o'clock.
I'm losing my Oma
2001.05.29
2001.05.29
As I was walking to the downtown library this afternoon, I noticed a tiny barber shop called house of Envy on Richards St.
settling into Canada again
2001.05.24
2001.05.24
Here are some familiar things I've re-discovered since I've returned to Canada:
-People wearing sneakers
-Crowded shopping malls and restaurants the smell of temperate N.
Wreck beach
2001.05.21
2001.05.21
Ken took me to a beach, here in Vancouver, beyond the University, ostensibly to see the variety of eagles that he and Heidi had seen down there on previous occasions.
heading home, at last
2001.05.15
2001.05.15
As promised on the bizarre airline tickets, it's still the 15th of May.
odd weather
2001.05.07
2001.05.07
Unlike last year's Autumn, this one is shaping up to be a really dark and wet affair.
I love black and white infra-red film
2001.05.02
2001.05.02
The infra-red shots came out great! What an awesome medium.
startled by a stranger's ruined face
2001.05.01
2001.05.01
Well, that lunatic who paid to get on the international space station is up there.
developing IR film in Sydney
2001.04.30
2001.04.30
After an interview with an agency (oh yeah, I'm looking for work!), I spent the better part of the day getting film developed.
dinner in Manly
2001.03.27
2001.03.27
We took the ferry across to Manly after work to meet Dad and Renate once more.
gay/lesbian Mardi Gras is a lot of fun
2001.03.03
2001.03.03
We went to the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade again this year.
I got into a bar fight (yes, me
2001.02.23
2001.02.23
I got us kicked out of a bar, last night, for getting into a stupid little fight with some assholes.
surfin' and drinkin'
2001.02.17
2001.02.17
We just had a great day up at the home of Sara's coworker Jo's parents.
bank chaos
2001.02.16
2001.02.16
Regardless of what happened two days ago, at work today I was told that I would once again be reporting to the fellow who hired me.
difficulties at the office
2001.02.14
2001.02.14
Today at work I was told that the fellow who'd hired me would be leaving the project (under what sounded like strange circumstances).
All About My Mother
2001.02.02
2001.02.02
Today, Sara and I went to see "All about my Mother" at the outdoor cinema by Lady Whatsit's Chair, along with Jo and Rob.
broken jade figurine
2000.12.20
2000.12.20
In an especially gifted moment, I managed to break one of the two little jade figurines from Woodside that I kept after Grandpa's death.
back in grundgy Toronto
2000.12.12
2000.12.12
I'm finding myself spoiled by Sydney's excellent mobile phone service.
is Bush an idiot?
2000.12.06
2000.12.06
I've been paying mild attention to the whole US election debacle, but what really strikes me is this: I think Bush is an idiot.
novel progress
2000.11.15
2000.11.15
Hmm, not many entries of late - days seem to slide by between entries! This weather is probably to blame.
real whale watching is awesome
2000.11.03
2000.11.03
Charlie and I went down to Fremantle today, and went whale watching.
foggy Alice
2000.10.28
2000.10.28
Today we arrived in Alice Springs, after another couple of days on the road heading from Melbourne to Adelaide.
second verse, same...
2000.10.08
2000.10.08
Like two inept Jacques Cousteaus, we've managed to fail to spot whales on our second go.
whales of New South Wales
2000.10.07
2000.10.07
Today, we've been in Australia for 8 months! Time flies when you're having fun.
stunning fireworks
2000.10.01
2000.10.01
Saw the fireworks come down the river from Homebush Bay to the Harbour Bridge.
Sleepy is going home
2000.09.28
2000.09.28
I've heard from the mother of the boy who launched Sleepy the wandering moose last year! We're going to take Sleepy with us on our road trip to Uluru, and send him back to Canada with Charlie.
hello, Sleepy
2000.09.27
2000.09.27
Last night after the diving semifinal, we were sauntering out of the Olympics venue when we were approached by a young (Korean) couple, who asked if we were from Canada.
the PM is a dunce
2000.09.26
2000.09.26
When Kathy Freeman - the Aborginal athlete who lit the torch in the opening ceremonies - won the women's 400m final yesterday, she ran a victory lap with the Australian and Aborginal flags.
missed the women
2000.09.23
2000.09.23
It turns out that the twelve helicopters over our office were a trial run for the marathon, when that many helicopters will be gathering to cover the event.
kookie Aussies
2000.09.21
2000.09.21
My Aussie coworkers are amazed that the world does not share their official view that Spring starts on Sept.
helicopter dawn
2000.09.15
2000.09.15
For possibly the first time in my life, I was woken by the sound of a sky full of helicopters.
dress rehearsal
2000.09.13
2000.09.13
This evening, Sara and I - and 90,000 Australians - went to the dress rehearsal of the Opening Ceremonies.
sweet coffee
2000.09.08
2000.09.08
After six days of coffee freedom, I had a cup today and IT WAS SO F*CKING GOOD.
the gym works
2000.08.08
2000.08.08
We've been going to the gym for about three or four weeks, now, and I'm amazed at the difference.
joining a gym
2000.07.12
2000.07.12
Sara and I went in for our interviews with the fellow who runs the gym and does the evaluations.
hello, GST
2000.07.01
2000.07.01
Today we had a little taste of home: we got to pay GST for our train tickets and the movie tickets cost $28!
.
torch, redux
2000.06.28
2000.06.28
We went to the little torch celebration thing in town, and witnessed an awesome display of Aussie 80s-forever spirit.
tuberculousis free
2000.06.14
2000.06.14
I don't have tuberculousis! We got our visas, which included a chest X-ray test for tuberculousis.
livin' in Sydney
2000.02.10
2000.02.10
We've been staying in a hotel, but have found a furnished apartment to stay in.
eat your heart out
2000.01.11
2000.01.11
I was listening to a NIN song (it's called (Too) Physical, I believe, and for the first time I noticed that he says something like 'Eat your heart out, Stevie' at the beginning.
TD ice sculptures
2000.01.10
2000.01.10
On the way to work today, I noticed some strangely clear, wonderfully sculpted chunks of ice on top of one of the TD Centre's entrances to the 'PATH' system.
SETI@home interview
1999.12.13
1999.12.13
Strangely enough, I was interviewed by the CBC for my involvement with the SETI@home project today.
happy birthday, Heidi
1999.10.28
1999.10.28
Heidi's birthday! I went to the art supply store and got a birth certificate for $72 to mark her 27th.
of cars and visas
1999.10.18
1999.10.18
Despite all the setbacks, we sorted out the car business, and Sara's now driving a brand new 2000 New Beetle.
Greek SETI@home
1999.10.09
1999.10.09
I had some email from a 16 year old boy in a small village in Greece this morning.
working man and bubble gum
1999.09.28
1999.09.28
Walking to work, I saw an older guy with green zippered nylon work jacket, greenish pants, work boots.
