Salamush! Do the Fandango

as i wander around my neighborhood here, one i've lived in for 12 years now, i see things that i'm going to miss and i get slightly melancholy. now it's not like i'm moving across the country, i'm just moving across the city and at that, not even all the way across the city. but most of the these things are the things that you walk out of your door and go to because they are close. not something that i would feel like getting out of the house and taking the bus trip to come and see, let alone drive to.

one might ask why we didn't try harder to still live in this neighborhood but i have lived right here for 12 years if i don't live somewhere else, that's like letting yourself...i dunno...rot.

tonight the example was the keg. the keg isnt' a good example because really, i think i've eaten at the granville island keg about 3 times in the evening. i just dont' really like going out for steak when it is so easy to make a really good steak at home without it costing so freakin' much but we had a coupon for this one. but what i have done is eaten there over 50 times for lunch...mostly because it was quite close while i was working on granville island. they had these chicken wings, their 3 pepper wings, that had some of the best hot wing flavouring that i've had in this city. for the past few weeks i've been craving them and when we got this coupon for renewing our art gallery membership early, it as a sign that i needed to go back to the keg for them.

well when we got there, they had taken the wings off of the menu.
and i remembered how much the things in my neighborhood have changed over the past 12 years and how things that i have loved for years have ended on their own without my giving up on them first, without moving away and for some reason i was less sad. less sad for sure about the keg because i no longer have any good reason at all to go there and since it's quite out of the way of my new neighbourhood and work, it will likely be a while before i go back. but even for the other things i love and will miss...they weren't going to be forever either.

on some level it made me feel better. i don't think it was ever about abandonment but i can't be abandoning the area if it's going to 'abandon' me all the time by changing anyways. maybe it's more of a way of knowing that change is an ok thing, that it's just another part of life.

is this thing on?
tap tap tap

gosh, one would almost think that i didn't even remember my password anymore with the regularity with which i update. it's not true. i spend some time on LJ every day, just not updating. mostly these reasons seem to fit around life patterns. my updates for the past few years had been coming in short downtimes at work. well there's very little downtime at the new work and updating from there just wouldn't feel right.

in addition to that, i seem to spend less and less time at the computer at home where i'm not doign some sort of work for work or getting to those short time things that everyone does at the computer. mostly, this less and less time relates to the fact that the computer is in its own room on this apartement and the wife is in the other with the TV. this has also been taking a toll on my photography. i don't seem to be taking as many photos but even when they get taken, they don't seem to get processed with as much speed or dedication. really, i need to refocuss my attention in that arena.

there's also the fact that when i've got links and stuff to post they are mostly getting put up on facebook. i just like that medium for link spreading more.

so yeah, i dunno. i expect that sometime in the near future that it'll feel more like i need to post and it'll happen more. i did just automatically pay for another year of LJ, so it's not like i'm running away from it.

for those of you who don't also get to follow things on FB here's a quick life synopsis.
- we bought a condo. just off commercial ave. we take possession on july 3. it's both terrifying and exciting.
- i've been at the new job for 14 months now...long enough that it almost doesn't count as new anymore.
- no one's pregnant, no one's trying.
- every freakin' person in my life (or so it seems) has now born fruit. there are babies everywhere. it's like it's freakin' contagious.
- we went to arizona and new mexico for a couple of weeks this spring. it was fun. there are pictures. i've worked through 1/2 of them.
- it feels like there should be more going on, but there isn't.

well, that's enough for now...back soon

so i was copying a section of an excel spreadsheet for pasting it somewhere else today and noticed that when i selected my selection that excel did a bit of auto-info gathering for me.

i'm curious as to how they've figured these values out. but i am very glad now, knowing what the average of my selection is.

was in stanley park over the weekend, took a few shots i like...



( and a couple of more )

i'm pretty sure this will count as TMI for some of you.
it's not particularly graphic but it might still be so. consider yourselves warned.

- so a little while ago i'm standing at the urinal doing my business and i had a little fart.
- at first i wondered if i should apologize to the guy a few feet done his business and washing his hands.
- but then i thought how was how this was the place to fart if there was indeed anywhere that it is ok to fart.
- but then i drifted a little afield from there.
- i began to think about how the stream is probably impacted by that fart but probably not enough to, you know, spray anyone.
- then i began to think how it could come about that i might be standing somewhere and pee-writing my name, say in the snow and you'd see some nice smooth writing (i was going with the notion that i might have good pee-name writing skills...really i don't know about that one way or the other) with a bit of a jagged edge where the fart happened.
- and then somehow i was thinking about eating a lot of asparagras so i could have a unique colour and using my skills to produce beautiful works of scripted art and how i might be standing at a wonderful high society art opening and i could point at that jagged edge and say, 'yup, that's where i farted' and everyone would give those polite society titters.
- then i finished and got the hell out of there.

the people you meet in the bathroom are so weird.
trust me, i know.

went to seattle this weekend for some assorted family committments.
got to see autumnwinds and mountain_child which was completely delicious. i have some photos from the stuff we got up to but i'm too tired now to process...i will leave you with two.


it was super windy this day.
isn't she pretty though.


it was a tree filled day.
isn't he scary.

back at this entry
i posted for a photo meme where people would provide things they wanted me to take pictures of.

this is the sixth response of the many requests. made in no particular order.

this fifth request was 'favourite toys around the house.'
this one came from from jennylee.

it was both easy and hard to do this one. just because picking wasn't all that easy.


you had to know that this would be a part of any list of my favourite toys.
hubba hubba we're in luva.
this is the new one.


( more toys! )

i didn't pick the name but it seems quite fitting. as ganked from epi_lj



build your own hero here

- so i go to give blood today. they've altered the process, instead of going up to the desk and checking in and waiting to be the next in line for the first step they now check you in and give you a number. probably better but when i got there the receptionist ignored me for a while while she chatted with some friends of hers, then when she looked at my card and saw i was 4 minutes early she said, 'take a seat.'
so as i sat there, she left and went upstairs to introduce her friends to someone. these friends she gave an appointment, cause they didn't have one, for 5 minutes after mine. then 3 young guys came in, for the free HIV test that giving blood provides and hung out. when the lady came back she found out they were 35 minutes late for their appointments and gave them all numbers. then she gave her friends numbers. after someone else came in and it looked like she might give them numbers i was fuming. as i was sitting there i was thinking about getting up and leaving and if she's given a number to one of the two other people who'd by now also came in i might have but just before i'd made the decission to hoof it, i asked her if i should have a number.
she seemed surprised that i didn't have a number. of course now it's 10 minutes past my appointment time. she's even appologetic. then i watched her proceed to go and take one of the numbers she'd given her friends and given it to me. i'm not sure how i'dve reacted to that if i was one of those people. but i was happier and i proceeded into the system 2 people behind where i would have otherwise been.
don't get me wrong, i'm happy they've gone to this numbering system. one of the complaints i've made in their seemingly endlessly occurring surveys is that i hate coming in for an appiontment time and having other people get in line when it's my turn. it was just today's unfair implementation.

- so after the above fun, i go through screening one, fill out my questions, sit down in the screening room and promptly get rejected. i had a nice low blood pressure, which is usually the only risk i have but apparently going on the day trip to the tequila plantation in mazatlan makes my blood undesirable. malaria risk. not if i only went to mazatlan only if i left the city at all. so i can't give blood for a year. oh well.

- got home, and started a brisket slow cooking in our crock pot. it smells wonderful.

- also picked up our icon guitar for rock band. this allows us to have 4 people playing rock band at once (as the set comes with drums, mic and one guitar). it looks like a hybrid of a guitar hero 3 and rock band guitar and actually comes with a dongle and the ability to plug a wiimote inside. j has claimed this one as her own so the neck strap won't have to have it's size altered.

due to the bad economy my team has been brainstorming new slogans today to see if we might be able to pick up some work as ad executives
(...note none of these are even remotely based upon fact (think that'll dissuade any lawyers?))

mcdonalds
...come on you know you're going to eventually.
...try it once more for the last time
...over 55 billion idiots served
...we give you what your ordered or you can call the cops
...our lawyers checked, what we do isn't really against the law
...loving it...but only until you find a bathroom
...shut up and eat it
...we make our biggest buck from those who claim never to eat here and then sneak in and binge
...end to end we make our food fast!
...chemically resembles all natural meat
...22 trillion servered...we're surprised each and every day
...surprise our meat is vegan...well at least it's not meat.
...we really believe a little toy can make our food taste good.

burger king
...for when you're sick of mcdonalds.
...why bother
...hate it again for the first time
...at least we don't have a creepy clown for a mascott

tim hortons
...avoid the ostricization of using another doughnut place

subway
...is jared fat again yet?
...better than a bag of lettuce but really quite similar

quizno's
...seriously...has no one noticed we charge the same amount as half a subway sandwich?
...honestly it never crossed our minds that subway could figure out toasting.
...getting our money while we still can

panagopoulous
...really we don't get why you don't order better pizza but keep at it.
...no, it never crossed our mind that you might call it pana-goop

coke
...we own you.
...preserving your insides for generations
...cause addiction is a powerful marketing plan

pepsi
...for people who don't want to be just like everyone else but don't really want to be different either.
...did you buy this by accident

KFC
...do you think live chickens could absorb this much grease
...we kill chickens. a LOT of chickens.

wendy's
...cause dave's love of little girls isn't really all that creepy.
...square? WTF
...we're really not any better but we're glad you eat here anyways
...cause who else has the balls to serve chili.
...now 55% less thumbs
...hey at least we're not mcdonalds or burger king

taco time
...serving high people since 1985
...the REAL authentic calgarian mexican cuisine

taco bell
...run for the border, it's near beside the bathroom.
...if we put a chihhuahha in our ads we'd never have the balls to use it in our meat would we? WOULD WE?

krispy kreme
...if you're going to die for eating doughnuts you might as well make them double deadly.
...neither krispy nor kremey

swiss chalet
...anyone else ever heard of swiss ribs?

budweiser
...piss never tasted so good
...we actually spend 115% of our revenues on advertising

arby's
...not really worth a slogan
...living in the 70's long after it was cool.
...what, are you lost?

DQ
...out of the burger race for over 20 years.
...best only hotdog in fastfood.

A&W
...we really don't believe it's creepy to eat your grandpa and mama
...supporting cannabalism through advertising
...we cool your mug so you don't have to (huh?)
...we'd really prefer you not take the mug home.
...A&WTF

back at this entry
i posted for a photo meme where people would provide things they wanted me to take pictures of.

this is the fifth response of the many requests. made in no particular order.

this fifth request was 'bedside table.'
this one came from from autumnwinds.

this one is shorter.
but i like it, capturing what i want in fewer photos is definitely a skill i'd like to continue two work on.




( and a few others )

back at this entry
i posted for a photo meme where people would provide things they wanted me to take pictures of.

this is the fourth response of the many requests. made in no particular order.

this fourth request was 'what it looks like on my way to work in the morning.
this one came from from eilenna.

this one wasn't quite as fulfilling for me. i took my camera with me on my way to work and in part because of time and in part because of that point in the day, i wasn't feeling as creative as normal. so consider the following more of a photo-journalistic dialogue following my way to work.


have i mentioned that behind my building they are laying tracks for a new LTR that will take people from near my house to Telus Ball of Science?

( and quite few others )

subject: Remember to stop using when you think you are too large
body:
She will really choke - believe us it's no joke.
Enter Bravely {a link to somewhere i didn't go}


personally...i think they chose that body as a tribute to dr suess' birthday.

back at this entry
i posted for a photo meme where people would provide things they wanted me to take pictures of.

thi is the third response of the many requests. made in no particular order.

this third request was 'furniture legs'.
this one came from from mountain_child.
i might have done a lot of things with this one...but i didn't. i went this way instead.



( and a few others )

back at this entry
i posted for a photo meme where people would provide things they wanted me to take pictures of.

after waiting for my new camera i have started to undertake people's suggestions.
i will post them here as i get them done.
i have chosen to let myself answer these requests in any way that i want.

the second one was 'isaac-pie in his favourite place'. isaac is my cat.
this one came from from knemesis.
i went a little metaphorical on this one...isaac's favourite place as far as i can tell, is inside isaac's own head



( and a few others )

back at this entry
i posted for a photo meme where people would provide things they wanted me to take pictures of.

after waiting for my new camera i have started to undertake people's suggestions.
i will post them here as i get them done.
i have chosen to let myself answer these requests in any way that i want.

the first one i've done...and i am doing them not in any particular order but rather when i find the inspiration for that particular request...is for my fridge. this was requested by sharolyn

our fridge on the outside is a mess of memorabilia that mostly doens't mean much of anything anymore. i've decided to give you a closeup up of some of the things that have been important enough in our own eyes to end up there.




( i've also allowed myself to do more than one photo per theme.  )

The BBC believes [sic] most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?

it's a pretty peculiar list.
some of them are great works, others, i guess, are just really well known.

( back here for length forgiveness )

this morning i rode the bus to work.  no big surprise there, i ride the bus to work every day.
as is true for most days the bus came 5 minutes late. 
i take this particular bus because there is almost always a seat for me and it drops me a block and a half closer to my work. 
anyways... i wrote the below about it to my wife after i got to work

My f’n bus driver today…
We get to the turn at waterfront and he pulls over and shuts off the bus  (i was reading and hadn't really noticed anything until the turn happened.
As he stands up and walks to the back door to exit, he’s super surprised to see me still on the bus.
He asks me where I’m going and I tell him tinseltown.
He then asks me if I mind if he goes and gets a cup of coffee.
He’s 5 minutes late when he picks me up…and he wants to add 15 minutes to get a cup of coffee (unless he has some sort of magic at tim hortons that makes there no line at 10 after 9 on a Friday.
So I say…well, I say about the only thing my canadian brain can say, I say, ‘nah, it’s ok, I’ll walk’
And he asks me if I’m sure and I say sure and walk away.

I really enjoyed the sunny beautiful walk to work.
I also really enjoyed being steamed and pissed at my bus driver for asking such a question.

Obviously if I’m on the bus at 9 o’clock in the morning I have all the time in the world and don’t mind if he just tacks on an extra 15 minutes to the before I get anywhere part of my day. 

so this year we did things a little differently.
in early january i asked the girl if it wasn't fair that she planned our festivities for V-day this year since i did it for the last few years. this was agreed upon and i was very happy. mostly because for a made up holiday it really does seem unfair that it always hinges upon the boy to do something special (ok, maybe only often).

this wasn't so very easy for the girl but things went all right and the day arrived.

in discussions just before the day the girl wasn't really sure what we were going to do beyond that the entire day would be reserved for it. she had some good ideas but they weren't concrete. myself...i couldn't resist, i also had ideas. her biggest idea was an obvious star in my mind...lots of sex.

when she said she wanted to make breakfast for me, i thought my idea for breakfast for her...the only thing i was going to do for the day was dead but this did not end up true. after some happy wake up, um, thingy, she fell back asleep and the dog and i went down to granvi8lle island and picked up some fresh pain au chocolate (croissant with dark chocolate in them). while there i also picked up a potted gerber flower and a small bag of rose petals. bully for the flower companies...figuring out that their trash (rose petals) was worht money. i also picked up this tiny heart shaped mousse cake for dessert.

i got back to the house just as she was waking up and sent her to the living room to wait for breakast.
on a platter i put a pain au chocolate, some starwberries, two types of cheese and right in the middle her v'day gift, a fire opal necklace, covered in rose petals. i also made her some peach tea.

this is what it looked like.


( the rest of the day back here )

to quote jennyleeOooh something to force me to use the camera!

Ask me to take a picture of any aspect of my life that you're interested in - it can be anything from the house I live in to my favorite shoes. Leave your choice here as a comment, and I will reciprocate by taking the pictures and posting them as an entry. That way you get to know a little bit about my life, if you're remotely interested in it.

i may, however, wait until i get the new camera. so that might put your reply out a week or two.