BunkleLife

The Christmas of the Swedish Licorice

2011-12-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas is over, and it was much closer to the relaxed Christmas of my imagination than most. Christmas day, The Boy and I opened presents with Miss Mags in the morning, then headed to Mum's to get ready for the family - and in The Boy's case, set up Mum's wireless network and iPad (she's hip to the technology, people!)

I could talk about how once again I was spoiled, about how delightfully (?) odd my family is when you get them all in one big room. About how we missed Kerry and Tui at the table, but enjoyed the extra elbow room. Actually, scratch that re Tui - she made her presence known through a box of xmas goodies sent to us from Edinburgh. Lovely home made ornaments, soaps, candies...it all seemed so uncharacteristically NICE.


dip dabs and flakes - oh my!

And then her genetic link to the family was revealed through a bag of Swedish Licorice she picked up in a recent trip to Stockholm. So kind of her. Her uncle appreciated it - as did I.

We enjoyed the challenge of the salty outer shell of the licorice, leading to the sweet inner chewiness. We are not put off by the UNBELIEVABLE, fragrant nose of cat-pee that wafts to the back of the palate and cleans out the sinuses with each chew. We are not afraid of the cat-pee Tui, your evil game DID NOT take us down.

It did, however, take down Grandmere and The Boy

A closer look perhaps?

Such kindness from afar, Tui. Such kindness.

It's Tree Time again....

2011-12-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right.

The Boy and I headed down to my favorite tree lot (ok, a parking lot with trees stacked in it) to pick out another example of the beauty of uncultured trees. It was, of course, the first one we picked up that we ended up stuffing into the car on top of a camo-pattern tarp that made the whole mission feel a lot more military and precise than it actually was.

I do look forward to decorating. It is something I started on year two of life in the Bunkle, and this will be year two of having the Boy assist with carefully placing felt birds on the branches, for which I am grateful. I love the charlie brown tree, the little decorations, the sparkly white lights, the string of pudding carrying cats that make it all feel like Christmas. It will also be the second year Thomas won't be around to hide under the tree or decapitate unsuspecting wooden reindeer - maybe I shouldn't be surprised at how much I still miss him, but I really do. And though he had been missing from the celebrations at home for a few years now, this will be the first real year without Dad. And without Tui - who is too busy frolicking around Europe to bother with her family *sniff* (There is no thinly veiled jealousy here. None.)

The holiday season is always a weird ying/yang of happy and sad, relaxation and stress, calm and frustration. This year I've decided to try and take a little bit of time off after the holidays, instead of before - which I have come to realize never ends up being relaxing time off, it ends up being thinly veiled chaos. And this year, time off after Christmas will be dedicated to starting the process of transforming the basement in preparation for the Boy's impending addition as a household fixture in the Spring - this will include the creation of a man-cave for his man-stuff, and more useable storage space for the mass of stuff we have both collected. Hopefully I will have the energy to track some of that process on the blog for those that are interested.

In the interim, I will continue to try and keep Christmas what it should be this year. Or rather, what I want it to be.

And I will leave one tiny decapitated reindeer at the bottom of the tree, just in case the ghost of christmas past drops by.

cat heads!

2011-11-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

Tui is once again complaining about my lack of blogging.

She requested a picture of Maggie - so here is a picture of her in the bath (?...), followed by the results of Grand-mère's attack on a dark chocolate cat.

And that, Miss T, is all you're getting tonight.

But I will try and do better next time!

Tui's complaining....

2011-11-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

...that I'm not blogging. So here is something brief.

Here are some photos from my weekend with Tui in London. If you are having troubles identifying which of these photos is of her - she is the one with the wide-set eyes and expensive handbag.

We had a great weekend, despite the Shining Hotel Experience (the problems continued but I'm not going to go into it here - serenity now!) The weather was awesome, we did a ton of walking and poking around, meandering up through Regents Park and Marylebone. I fell in love with a cheese shop - not unusual for me really. And with Cath Kidston bags - this one came home with me and I love it. For those that are interested, a more detailed account of the weekend can be found on Tui's blog if you poke around and look for it.

It was great to see Tui and to know that things are going well for her in Edinburgh. Time goes so quickly, she will be back before we know it. Hoping I have one more work trip to go bug her before her time there is done.

Down to London...and a Thistle with a few thorns

2011-10-12T12:20:00.001-07:00

I'm in London for a few days on business, topped off by a quick visit with Miss Tui. I'm a bit groggy, but I do love this city. But I'm not going to blog about that, I'm going to blog about the joys of my hotel experience, at the Thistle Marble Arch. Now, the hotel overall is fine - it is huge (and reminds me a bit of the Shining), a bit dated but clean and with decent rooms. That being said, here's a lowdown on yesterday's check in:

1 - I check in, and am given a key to room 777. I drag my luggage the quarter mile to room 777 (yes, quarter mile), open the door, and SOMEONE ELSE IS ALREADY IN THE ROOM. I quietly retreat.

2 - I walk a quarter mile back to the reception desk - now, the issue at reception is that their booking systems are down and everything is being done manually - they apologize, and give me a new room, on the 8th floor, that is an even longer walk away. I *think* I hear someone trying to get into my room, but think Naah, can't be.

3 - I unpack, relax. Go for a walk. Go to my room. Decide to go back to reception to get a wireless voucher. A tour bus has arrived so there is a lineup of about 20 people. I decide to bail and go back to my room. Which I do, except MY KEY DOESN'T WORK this time.

4 - I go back to reception. Stand with the other 20 people, get to reception, voice my concern about the security in the hotel and have them check that my room hasn't been allocated to someone else. They apologize and assure me that isn't the case.

5 - I go back to my room. A letter is pushed under my door - a fax with my room number on it. But not my name. Result: angry phonecall to the front desk, followed by a sheepish hotel employee at the door who caught my growing concern about the security of my room.

6 - Phone call from the consierge who was "just verifying' my last name (now THAT instills confidence!)

7 - 9pm, I'm half asleep in bed, and there is someone desperately trying to open my door. I go bellowing like a bear with a sore head to open the door, in my PJs, to be greeted by a terrified looking woman holding an apology letter and fruit tray. Yes, they even messed up the apology.

Ahhh the joys. Really, the hotel is just fine. Just. Fine.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Things at the zoo

2011-09-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

A quick lazy post - I've been meaning to for days, but the truth is I'm completely shattered when I get home from work these days. So - tonight, just to get back at it, a quick post focused on pictures of animals. All but one are in the Edinburgh Zoo - which remarkably is a really interesting, non-depressing, vast, clean place - one of the leading conservation zoos out there apparently. The Amur Leopard took my heart, that's for sure.

I wish I had a bit more energy as I have a lot to say about the trip. I will start with the fact I want to go back there, I want to see the rest of Scotland. And I love the fact that when I look at Tui's blog, I can picture where she is and what is around her. I've been thinking about what this experience might mean to her later in life - it is pointless to say old people things to her like pay attention to every second, as this is going to be one of the best times of your life. Those are things you realize only when your life gets cluttered with all the things that it does as you get older. But I do know she will have an amazing time, and part of me wants to bonk her on the head and take her place. And the other part of me just wants to bonk her on the head.

Maybe I'm feeling a bit wistful as I watch friends go through what we all go through as we and those around us get older. I am so grateful I get to go on trips like this with members of my crazy family. We joke about our family dysfunctions, but I know deep down how very lucky I am.

And I also know how very very much I will enjoy bonking Tui on the head when I see her again in October :)

Last day, just about...AKA goodbye Hammerhead Junior

2011-09-10T10:04:00.001-07:00

Didn't bother blogging yesterday as I didn't take photos. It was a shopping day, with all the thrills and chills that shopping days involve. Somehow all the womenfolk ended up with new purses; Pete couldn't find one that would work with his new Camper shoes so he passed. We stopped at Henderson's Salad Table for lunch (gluten free items marked on the menu!) -very good Lots of walking, as usual.

Today we moved Tui into her new student apartment. It is new to her, but it's not a new building - so what that means is no elevator, and Pete having to drag Tui's suitcase - which must have weighed 40 kg at least - up the100 steps to her 5th floor room. His enjoyment was obvious.

Tui has lucked out with her room - it's large, with a gorgeous view over the old town and Calton Hill. Her roommates hadn't arrived yet (there will be two), but there are lots of activities scheduled for the coming week, and classes don't start until the 19th. I'm sure her social circle will be fully developed by then.

We went for lunch atPink Olive, pictured below. Lunch was really nice - and all the tables seemed to be filled with university students and their parents. Pete and I have been observing the local hammerheads ( wide eyes, overbite ) - Mum and Tui practiced their hammerhead faces at lunch, though Tui has a natural head start on the local look.

-

We've said goodbye to Tui now, and it is strange not to have her sitting on the other end of the couch. Something tells me that she will have a far easier time without us than we will have without her.

Tonight's events? A very brief sleep, cab to airport at 4am...good times!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:W Approach Rd,Edinburgh,United Kingdom

Not quite the Parthenon, but close enough

2011-09-08T11:27:00.001-07:00

And if I'd taken a photo of it with my iPad you would be looking at it now.

Today started out grey and rainy but turned into another lovely sunny day. We walked from the condo through the Grassmarket, along the Royal Mile, and up to Calton Hill - Scotland's answer to the Acropolis, topped by a truly Scottish version of the Parthenon, the Scottish National Monument (it all started out well, until they ran out of money after 12 columns...)

These photos are from Grassmarket and the Royal Mile.

The last one is where I start to snap. The full hysterical breakdown didn't happen til after pack-horsing groceries and other sundries along the busiest street in town, catching a cab home where my brother and I started bartering over what photos of each other we would delete. Removed from the history books my "Eggman" photo of Pete, and his Jaba the Hutt "Look, she's feeding" photo of me, which I might add made me laugh so hard I was weeping and close to losing control of other bodily functions. Oh, traveling with family.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:W Approach Rd,Edinburgh,United Kingdom

An addendum to yesterday's post....

2011-09-08T00:56:00.001-07:00

We went to First Coast for dinner - really great food, lovely cozy place and nice service (foodie pals at home take note!). Pete and Mum had a wild mushroom and barley dish, Tui had lamb, and I had sea bass, with starters of roast eggplant with goat cheese and other lovely stuff. It helped Pete deal with his Scottish food concerns. Methinks the best place for Pete to stay if he comes to visit Tui is the Zoo, with the chimps, as their diet is closer to that found in his natural habitat (95% fruit veg and grains - including porridge - 5% animal protein). He would also be the oldest male in the group by 2 years, which I think would give him first dibs on the porridge, which is really the most important thing.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Edinburgh - where Tui isn't the only monkey

2011-09-07T09:33:00.001-07:00

Zoo day for the special traveling family today. We caught the bus (I was sitting behind Pete as you can tell) to the Edinburgh Zoo, which is apparently a significant conservation zoo, and it really was pretty impressive - more impressive than these photos show, because all my good photos are on my real camera. I have included some highlights below, including the bathroom that won the "Best Loo in Scotland" award in 2005 - it is a 'family' washroom with side by side toilets. I tried to get Pete to go in with Mum but he refused.

-

What you aren't seeing photos of are the various apes - they have 21 chimpanzees and a variety of others as well. Tui was disturbed by the chimps. I have theories as to why that might be that I think it best not to share. I also have photos of them that might disturb the squeamish. I will be kind and not post those - yet.

They have some amazing large cats, including the critically endangered Amur Leopard (there are 35 left in the wild) - so very beautiful. Zebras, warty pigs (not wart hogs - warty pigs), rhinos, and an amazing array of penguins and lots of other amazing things. I can't remember the last time I went to a zoo, and this one was really pretty impressive. And hilly. And windy as hell.

Too tired to post anything clever, so I will stop for now!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Gilmore Park,Edinburgh,United Kingdom

Art and wind

2011-09-06T10:04:00.001-07:00

...and not just Pete's. Though there was that too.

The weather today was supposed to be terrible - but it really wasn't all that bad. There has been plenty of sun, mixed with a lot of wind and the occasional rain shower. We walked to a local art/craft gallery first thing, then continued our walk and went through the Grassmarket (seen in the snaps) to poke into more stores and stop for gluten free pizza for lunch. Pete has been paying for the pizza cheese for the rest of the day, but he seems to be recovering.

We continued to the National Gallery of Scotland, wandered around admiring the Bouchers and Rubens and Rembrandts (oh my!) before wandering back into the crazy wind and hitting M&S and Topshop before catching a cab home. Another busy fun day.

The elder abuse continued as you might have spotted, as did the Jan abuse, but that was really caused by my overly heavy purse (I can't figure out why the thing is so f-ing heavy but my shoulders are ready to fall off at this point). The only other annoyance today was that my camera battery died as soon as we left - so my photo taking was limited to the iPad, which is better than nothing...which was good as Pete forgot his camera today as well.

There are some great local artists here, and the attendants at all the stores and galleries have been really lovely. Even the guy at Tesco Express that laughed at us yesterday was nice - and I couldn't blame him. We are pretty amusing.

A wee castle...

2011-09-05T10:23:00.001-07:00

Another spectacular weather day in Edinburgh. We got up a bit earlier this morning (well some of us) and walked to Edinburgh Castle. I have much better photos than this, but the blog is limited to those taken with the iPad I'm afraid.

The view from the castle was amazing, as was the war memorial and various other buildings/dog cemeteries/chapels. The castle food was also pretty darned good - Pete has been a bit distressed by the Scottish diet/seeming lack of vegetables, so he was pretty happy to find a variety of salads to go with his goat cheese tart. Health panic level was brought down to yellow alert. He may be able to sleep tonight.

-

Pete is responsible for this photo of me. You may have to search on the page for it, as I don't think I can line photos and text up well with this app. Anyway, I think I look slightly insane, but Pete says "you look slim - it should go on your blog." OH nothing like the back handed compliment. Siblings. You can't kill them, at least not legally.

Tui took us to the University registrar's office - the University looks pretty cool, the buildings scattered about much like U of T's are.

And finally, some elder abuse. There has been a fair bit of it on this trip.

I really wish I could post some better photos of the castle; maybe when I get home and can download properly from my computer I will post a few more.

Pete abuse blog now officially over.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:W Approach Rd,Edinburgh,United Kingdom

Hollyrood...

2011-09-04T11:25:00.001-07:00

A gorgeous sunny day today - it may be the only one we get, we shall see. Went for a long walk from the condo to Hollyrood Park, marked by the rocky volcanic cragginess of Arthur's Seat and other high rocky things. Mum was keen to walk up to Arthur's Seat until we saw what the walk would actually entail - we took a slightly less strenuous (but still mildly treacherous) walk that still gave some fantastic views of the hills, old city and castle (the picture of Tui and Mum has the hill we walked up in the background). Despite attempts to throw family members down the side of the hill we all made it down to ground level, rewarded by vanilla ice cream topped with Flake bars.

Then on to the Palace at Hollyroodhouse, the Queen's official Edinburgh residence. We wandered through, then through the gardens. Pete tried a coffin out for size once he figured out he couldn't convince Mum to get in. After a snack we went to the gallery associated with the palace, which had a great exhibit of works from Durer and other great Northern artists. Jan discovered she really does need her reading glasses at that point.

-

We then caught a cab to a Tesco in Leith (looks like Leith is worth exploring) where we bought a giant cart of groceries (ooh! gluten free bread that isn't frozen!! oooh wine for 5 pounds a bottle!!! ooh scottish oat milk!! ooh black tights!! - feel free to assign the exclamation to the family member) then caught a cab back home, tired but having had a good day of exploring.

The final photo is perhaps the most touching one I have taken - a composition perhaps inspired by the 15th century art we were viewing earlier: Pete sniffing the shea-butter infused toilet paper we picked up at Tesco (Mum felt she required shea butter). Lovely.

And a shout out to my iPad - the happy blinking blue dot of the GPS on the map has helped us avoid more than one wrong turn. And it has allowed me to FaceTime with the Boy, which has been nice too (even if the connection is weird and freezy most of the time - the Scots may not have mastered wireless quite yet).

That's it for now.

Posted
using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:McLeod St,Edinburgh,United Kingdom

Late and slightly aimless in Edinburgh

2011-09-03T10:23:00.001-07:00

A late start this morning - not for everyone, as Pete was up early and eating soaked oats before the rest of us started moving. Mum got up, went to her ensuite and came out to find Pete in her bed. I had my first shower and the shower here does a rapid flicker between hot and cold for the first 5 minutes before settling in at a constant temperature. Not sure if that is some planned shower feature to wake you up or just weird plumbing.

Mum noticed there was a sneaker on her third floor balcony this morning - a new addition since last night. At 9 am, an Italian teen came sheepishly to the door wearing one shoe. Luckily Mum hadn't thrown his other shoe into the canal.

Another normal Chutter morning.

As for me, I got up to find a message from the Boy that the cat sitter hadn't been - thankfully he stopped by to see Moo, figured out she hadn't been fed in over a day so gave her some food - hopefully it is just a miscommunication and the cat sitter will appear soon. I had nightmare visions of what would have happened had the Boy not come by when he did. Lucky Moo. Lucky Me.

ANYWAY the day started with us walking completely the wrong direction, but thankfully finding coffee (albeit Starbucks) along the way. We walked up around Edinburgh Castle (though not right up to it yet), got Tui's local cell phone sorted out, got a 3G card for my iPad, ate some lunch (the primary gluten free option out here seems to be jacket potatoes - hoping that more variety might exist out there somewhere) then went to the Gap where Miss T found a new pair of black cord leggings. It was more a day of orienting than adventure. We will try and plan something more concrete for tomorrow.

-

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

My Mum the Terrorist

2011-09-02T14:22:00.001-07:00

The wireless connection in the condo is pretty sketchy, but I will write in hopes it is robust enough to post this without crapping out.

We had a lovely time out for dinner with Mum's brother Bryan last night - a short visit, but worth the effort to stop in Tunbridge Wells on our way to see him again. Managed to sleep OK, but there was knocking on our door at 7:30am - figured it must be Pete and Tui but decided to ignore them. I later found out that Pete had been up since 3am, talking to Tui and keeping her awake until 7, when it was decided they needed to go have breakfast. Mum and I didn't head down for breakfast until about 9, by which time Tui and Pete had gone back to bed (todays picture: Pete, locked out of their room after coming to let us in, his pants sort of around his thighs, knocking for Tui to open the door, receiving a frustrated"URGH I HATE YOU" in response). It all worked out in the end - we managed to check out and wander the streets a bit before we headed to Gatwick.

The Gatwick experience was all fine until it was discovered that Mum was smuggling a pair of long hairdressing scissors (carefully concealed and wrapped I might add) and too many liquids on board. The security guy asked if she had scissors on her, which she denied (well, she claimed they were in her checked baggage) until he pulled them with a flourish from her bag. He was actually very nice (extremely pleased to have found someone he had to 'deal with' I suspect), and distributed Mum's liquids appropriately - even letting her carry on a bottle that was over the 100ml limit with a strict warning not to try that sort of thing again. Mum claims she meant to pack all that stuff in her checked luggage. Pete and I think she was planning a hair scissor and Lanacaine fueled hijack.

We arrived at the condo - nice place on the canal (see view out back in snap below), 4 bedrooms so we can stay out of each others hair. Haven't quite located where we on a map yet, will do that tomorrow. We did do a quick grocery shop to get Pete his porridge oats and peanut butter, Mum her vaseline, Tui her british fashion mags and me some goat cheese, so we are well set for the next 12 hours or so.

More later :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Gilmore Park,Edinburgh,United Kingdom

OK I think I've figured out iPad blogging

2011-09-01T08:55:00.001-07:00

As proof - a test snap of tired Tuesday and her mint frappe.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Nevill St,Royal Tunbridge Wells,United Kingdom

A traveling we go

2011-09-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm a bit irritated by my attempts to post and add photos right now - my first time travelling with my iPad (*love*), and I thought I was being oooh so cleverclogs, thinking I could take snaps with my iPad and easily get them on the blog via the iPad - well, not so easily it turns out. I have to use an intermediate app and the sizing is whack - so I will have to work more on that I guess. Or just put links to photos instead which would be boring.

So far we haave all been up for over 24 hours (wheee). That fact is made much less painful by the space-pod business class travel experience, but tired is tired, no matter how you sugar coat it. The Brew House hotel is nice (mirrors and velvet flocked wallpaper anyone??). The feet beside the bed are Pete's. Oh - yes, I should mention, the travellers in this instance are me, Mum, my brother Pete and Miss Tui. Be afraid....
*update*
ok here are better photo uploads!

Water sports - AKA hot tubs, hot springs, and water rescues

2011-08-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

Boating Peeps

It has been a looong time coming, this post! The capped-one (aka The Boy) has been poking me about getting this post done, so tonight I will spend a few minutes for a quick catch up.

Firstly - the beginning of August was spent with the Boy's peeps in Nelson BC - a truly lovely place. We were spoiled by gluten-free baking, nights in the hot tub looking at the stars (so many! hello milky way!), and evenings on the lake trying to convince the trout that 'the pink wiggler' was worth taking a look at. Day trips to old growth forest, Ainsworth hot springs, an intrepid boat rescue, and a visit from a black bear topped it all off. His peeps could not have been more lovely and welcoming, and it felt so good to be away from the every day, to feel the hot sun for once this summer, and to spend an uninterrupted week together. It was hard to come back from it all (not just because of the 10+ hour drive), but I know there are many other trips we have to look forward to. I will also take a moment to extol the cuteness of my new retro swimsuit - super comfy and flattering to those that require something flattering ;) I've included a few snaps - including that rarest of photographs, one in which the Boy smiles a toothy grin - something I love, even if he doesn't.

Since we've been back, we have seen Beirut - another great concert by Zach Condon et al, loved every minute of it. We also saw a musical extravaganza of quite a different variety - Die Roten Punkte (The Red Dots) - an
Australian duo that perform as Otto and Astrid Rot, siblings from Berlin. Their "Kunst Rock" (Art Rock) show is a brilliant, silly fun parody of a variety of musical genres. My face hurt from smiling through it all, and that alone was worth the price of admission!

That's it. For now. I do have more to post about, and hopefully I will soon! :)

No, I don't have a drinking problem

2011-06-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

But I do have a case an a half of Naramata Bench wine. I don't actually feel like writing much, except to say the Girls Annual Wine Weekend was a huge success. We stayed here (*love*). We ate. And tasted. And drank. And discovered the magical mystery of the combination of port and dark chocolate.

(And thanks to fab photog Ana for some of these snaps! And apologies, I had to post the giant peach...)

Did someone say cats?

2011-06-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

Two of my faves, who quickly flopped by my bag for a tickle or two

So, I spent a belated birthday with the Boy and some dear friends (A&J, Lovely Lorie & the Bradman, Ana and Avril) in the wilds of Richmond - and if you know Richmond, you will know that it's not most people's first choice of birthday destination...with good reason. Sorry, Richmond lovers!

We started out at Lu Lu Island Winery ("Richmond's Largest Winery!"- who knew Richmond even HAD a winery?) for a wine tour and tasting, and it was great - we had a lovely tour guide, and tasted all 17 wines - and frankly, what's better than 17 wines at 11am on a Sunday? We followed that with lunch at Le Tapenade (very nice! Many gluten free options!!)...but the most fun part was yet to come: The Richmond Cat Sanctuary....

She reminded me of someone...I wonder who....

The sanctuary is home to 700 (yes...SEVEN HUNDRED) cats that have been rescued, given up for behavioral (usually pee related) or health problems (Feline leukemia, Feline AIDS), feral cats, aging cats...you name it. The place is comprised of a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces, beautifully landscaped gardens, trickling fountains, and hundreds of extremely relaxed, happy, well cared for felines. These cats are not up for adoption (a few are, but very few), most of them are considered unadoptable due to behavioral or health problems, but as a 'no-kill' facility, their goal is to give the cats somewhere happy and safe to live out their lives. One thing is for sure, the cats love having visitors. We had a great tour by the woman running the place, and she told us about the cats and their individual stories and personality traits. Interesting, sad, funny, and moving stories, and friendly, grumpy, shy, imperious, cuddly and sweet beasts. And yes, cat people can be a bit weird, but it was hard not to be touched by how happy the cats seems, and the overall calm quiet feel of the place. Literally, everywhere you look, on every available surface, there was a cat. Or two. Or three.

A very unique cat - they think she likely has a chromosomal issue, her face is very flat, with small eyes very far set, a deformed tail, double claws and other weirdness - and the sweetest personality ever. There is a list of 27 people wanting to adopt her, but she's not going anywhere.

I realize that what I've just described would be considered hell by those who have allergies/fear cats may be able to read their mind/think cats are the root cause of earthquakes/expect cats to take over the world with their amazing psychic powers. And it was pretty weird, but in the best way possible. We will be back. And next time, with a pocket full of kibble.

Has it really been..?

2011-04-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

Finally I feel like blogging (oh joy) thanks to an excellent long Easter weekend. Here goes the recap:

Friday, the Boy and I met up with dear pals Lovely Lorie and the Brad-man for some big stakes gambling on the ponies at Hastings Race Track. By big stakes gambling, I mean no holds barred $2 bets. Ya, OK, we aren't big gamblers, but it excitement exists despite the small bet size. You need proof?

...the calm of the truly committed...

...the excitement of the $1.10 win...


...and...ya, well...

I'm hooked on the ponies and cheap good fun. We will be back when the weather warms and when I have screwed up the courage to place (OK, more like the courage to try and understand) an exactor bet.

WANT.

the little grey patch in the mirror is the TV...

Saturday marked the end of year one for the Boy and me. We decided to splash out on a decadent night at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, a hotel erected just in time for the Olympics last year. We had one of their fancier King rooms, and it was gorgeous. I could happily have lived in the bathroom - uber deep jetted tub, a tv embedded behind the mirror, and a variety of lighting options (oh the endless fun of flicking between "spa" and "vanity" and "night"...ok, maybe not endless but it was entertaining for a couple of minutes), toilet discretely hidden in it's own little room at the end - oh bliss, oh joy. The only thing more lovely was the private (well, almost) balcony overlooking coal harbour and the mountains. The sun shone, we sat outside with our goat cheese and Burrowing Owl Syrah, ordered room service, and had a generally blissful time. Blissful with the exception of an unfortunate accidental viewing of the...berries...of the guy on the balcony beside ours, but a quick change of chair position rectified that thankfully.

No, I wasn't chewing on the paper napkin, it just looks that way

Sunday started with more room service (and kudos to the hotel for having gluten free options marked on the menu - I will blog more on me and wheat another time), a lazy late check out, and a short walk to Bella Gelateria for the Most. Incredible. Gelato. EVER (chocolate and sea salt - holy CRAP that was good).

Coal Harbour from the 22nd floor

But really, most importantly our stay gave us time to reflect on what has been a pretty remarkable year - a year marked with some tremendous loss and grief, but also incredible joy. I am constantly struck by the seeming randomness of life, but from time to time it seems like there is some grand design to things. I knew when I first met the Boy that something was going to happen, and a year later it's pretty obvious I was (once again - ha!) right. And that something has turned out to be something very, very special. His unfailingly open-book nature forces me to crack my own book more open, page by reluctantly creaking page; I am ever so slowly learning to really use my words, at least from time to time. I am so much more comfortable NOT letting people into my head, but it is wonderful to feel safe enough to let someone peek in from time to time and see what goes on in that crazy place. And I've found someone who seems to want to put up with me, poor sod, no matter what I throw his way.

Sometimes you need to step back and take stock of how lucky you are. And I am lucky.

(It's even more than super awesomesauce, Sweet)

iPhone + reaching the next level of Angry Birds = Happy Boy

Chocolate Sea Salt ... enough said

Yes, I still have a cat!

2011-04-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

I keep referring to the fact that I have "cats" even though I am now down to one. Maggie (aka Moo, Miss Moo, Miss Mags, Piggy, Wee Girlie, etc.) is still very much a part of day to day life - though I'm happy to say there is slightly less of her thanks to her fat cat diet. She is a more vocal, clingier version of herself now she lives solo, but that's just fine. This snap is a good example of Saturday mornings on the couch for Mags and The Boy. Yes, she has him wrapped around her paw as well.

And in other news, I bought this today - something about his wee tail just called out to me.

And yes, I have obviously lost my blogging mojo right now. I am sure I have something more important to say, but I just can't figure out what that might be. So, inane nattering and a shot of Moo will have to do for now. Sorry! (not really, just being polite)

I need a shell to get me back in the game...

2011-04-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

I have been a terribly inconsistent blogger. I have thought about it, but life has been full, of good things and hard things, and I just haven't had the energy. But I will! Again! I promise! And I figured I would share Marcel the Shell with you just to buy myself a bit more time, and because I love the weird cuteness of it.

In other news, it was Dad's memorial last Friday, on his birthday. It went well. And I think it has helped bring some closure...but I guess time will tell on that front.

More. Soon. Really!

April 1, 1936 - January 26, 2011

2011-02-03T21:03:00.000-08:00

My Dad died last week. I've been debating whether to post about it or not. I guess it is obvious which side of the debate won.

Those that know me well know that my Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's while in his mid 60s. I can remember the little things before he was formally diagnosed that showed the signs that something was wrong - like the time in the kitchen when he held a book of photos to show me upside down, and had no concept of what was wrong or how to rectify it - and the panic it caused in me. We all hoped it was something else - depression, or something else that didn't mean what Alzheimer's meant, for him, for my Mum, for all of us.

In many ways Dad seemed to be the one that coped with it best. He had the most positive attitude towards it all, and was determined to live his life as fully as possible. And the funny thing is, in a strange way the disease did help him live life more fully - he became more open, more emotional, more affected by music, art, beauty, children, than he had ever been. And that in turn helped him connect with his own children in a way that hadn't been possible before. So, strangely, it turned out that there was something positive in the middle of all of this, if you looked hard enough.

During a trip my Mum and nieces and I took in 2008 to England/Greece, my Dad fell ill, and ended up in hospital. He got over the illness but he never came home, moving right from the hospital to a care home. It was hard, but it was the right thing - and the way it all happened made it easier than it would have been if the move had been straight from home to a care facility. He was there just over two years, and my Mum would go daily to feed him lunch; my brothers and I would go every weekend. We watched him slip further into himself over that period of time, the moments of connection he would show with us and the world around him get fewer and fewer. It was hard, but it also became strangely routine. Things slip and change so slowly, you are really too close to notice the decline.

The beginning of last week, Dad had a series of strokes. Two days later, in the early hours of the 26th, he passed away, thankfully fairly peacefully. The week since then has been a surreal whirlwind. We had a funeral service for family yesterday. I am blessed with a family that has pulled together during this and it felt right to keep that moment down to that small core group. I have been to funerals before, but I never before fully realized how important ritual is in this whole mourning process - Dad is gone, and it is all about what those left behind need to help them deal with this all - but seeing him in his coffin dressed in his finest, looking in a way better than he has in years (yes, I realize what a strange thing that is to say) gave him back some of the dignity that the disease took away, and that gave more comfort than I would have expected.

I know I haven't fully figured out what this loss means to me, and I know with a memorial service and scattering of ashes still to come, it isn't technically over yet. And I know new routines will form to take the place of the old ones. And I know there is comfort in routine.

And that, I guess, is all I have to say. For now at least.

I escaped, but I'm back now...

2011-01-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

I know I have been AWOL for a while now, but it was a difficult end of year, and it's taken me some time to feel like posting again. But here I am, strapping the blogging wheels back on again...

Back from a self-made long weekend with the Boy at Harrison Hot Springs. We were both feeling the need to recoup from the holidays, and we decided to get away as a bit of a mutual Christmas present. Harrison seemed to fit the bill because it is an easy drive, but is still far enough away to feel...well...away. Anyhow - this is where we stayed, and I can say nothing but good things about it.

Now, there isn't much to do in Harrison - except soak in the hot springs (but the public hot spring is cooled to 38C, making it Harrison Tepid Springs, which isn't that appealing) or go for a hike or to the (windy) beach - so check your expectations for excitement at the door. That being said, if you want to find somewhere to go where you can hole up in your own cozy cottage, play board games, drink wine, and soak in a tub that is big enough for a family of four, it is worth going to Harrison just to stay at one of the wee riverside cottages. Not to say we didn't get out for a walk, but the weather was misty and windy (read: rain and gale force wind) much of the time - and that was just fine. It just felt good to be away from it all and be left to our own devices. And to have time to discover a new found passion.

A couple more comments about the accommodation - we were left alone (completely and utterly undisturbed! yay!) the entire time, though the couple running the place were extremely gracious and helpful. I look forward to coming back in spring when the trees are leafy and the weather is warm enough to sit out on the porch and gaze at the river.

Do we look like dissatisfied customers? I think not. Do we look like a couple of green-eyed crazy people? Perhaps. But that's not such a bad thing to be.

Time ticks on...

2010-12-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

I am off work until the new year - thank goodness, as I have done a big fat zero in terms of xmas shopping/prep - well, except decorating a rather lovely Charlie Brown style Christmas tree with the Boy (pictures to come at some point!). For me, it was really nice to share that task with someone special, and we had some laughs (thanks in part to heavily rummed eggnog), and I had a few teary moments looking at the wooden reindeer ornaments Thom decapitated last year. He did love the Christmas tree - he would wander closely by, letting an ornament touch his tail so he could turn around, surprised, and bat it to submission. Wooden reindeer were placed low on the tree as they are the most bat-resistant. Well, except for their weak, easily decapitated necks - Thomas' only successful prey kill I might add.

It is early days, and I still miss him like mad. The funny thing is watching the changes in Miss Mags - she is suddenly around me all the time, no longer going to the pillow she usually slept on in the basement to spend her lazy days, instead choosing to snooze on the upstairs couch where she can keep an eye on me...or be closer to her food dish, who knows. But it is obviously a big change for both of us. What I find interesting is that her behavioural changes only happened after Thom was put down - there were three nights he spent in hospital prior to that event that didn't seem to phase her, it was only after he came home for the night, and she recognized that there was something wrong (she was completely freaked out, walking in super-slow motion even when he wasn't in the room with her), that her behaviour changed. Cats may seem aloof, but they are weirdly perceptive at the same time, or so it seems to me. Anyway, we will see how Maggie does on her own - if she seems happy, we will remain a one cat situation, but if she seems out of sorts I may look into bringing another handsome young four footed man into the house.

But enough of that for now.

In other news, we went to see The Books a week and a bit ago - what a great concert, they are always a joy live - the quirky videos that accompany their (excellent!) playing really adds to the whole experience. My brother managed some great stealth videos - here is a taste (note - I am testing out making the video smaller so my stupid blog format doesn't cut off the right hand side!):

My heart is chipped.

2010-12-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

When I got dressed this morning, I went to put on one of my favorite necklaces, an enamel heart, and noticed that it was chipped. I wore it anyway. It sums today up.

I debated whether to write anything today or not. I hate the idea of seeming overly dramatic or maudlin or histrionic, and my logical self is telling me to wait til I am a bit more settled, but the other part is telling me to write while it is all on the surface. That part obviously won out.

Yesterday Thom's biopsy results came back, and they unfortunately proved to be pretty much the worst they could be. His liver was so bad that if he were a human, he'd be on the transplant list...there were few liver cells still functioning, he was borderline anemic/in need of transfusion, and was having a problem maintaining his fluid balance (read: fluid collecting in his abdomen). The vet made it clear that there was nothing we can do to make him "better" - there are some medications that could be given that might prolong things for a few days or weeks, but really that is as good as we could hope. So the Boy and I picked him up yesterday, and brought him home for the night, and I am glad we did - he hated the hospital sooo much (he is way too nervous for that kind of place), and at least he had one quiet night. This morning he hopped on the bed and came up to my head, and we cuddled for a good long time. It was good to hear him purr and see him relax after seeing him so distressed in the hospital for the last few days. But it is my duty as his human to make decisions about his well being (his well being vs my own desire not to let him go, which is one of those truly awful balancing acts), and so he was put down today - age 10 years, three months. It was as peaceful a passing as any of us can hope for.

I know everyone thinks their cat is amazing, but Thom really was. I had decided to get a British Shorthair because I liked their looks, but more importantly I liked how they were described - sturdy, quiet, low key cats that wanted to be with you, but not necessarily ON you. He was a classic example of the breed both in looks and temperament. When I first saw him as a kitten, he was unbelievably cute, but he was so shy that he squeezed his body between the cushions of the couch to hide, and hissed when I tried to pick him up. I actually wondered if I should take him based on that reaction - I worried that the hissing was a sign of things to come - but I braved it, and home he came, along with his "sister" (actually his niece if you look at the family tree, but who looks at family trees?) Maggie. What I ended up with was honestly the sweetest natured, gentlest cat you could hope for - he never scratched or lashed out at me, or the vet, or anyone, no matter how scared he was or what indignity he was being subjected to (the polar opposite to his very lovable but generally imperious and slightly indignant sister). Add that to his incredible handsomeness (in a slightly alien handsome way), a purr so loud and hard it would almost choke him, and his general sociability and you had one truly remarkable boy. If anyone wants to see more of his handsome self, just click on the "cats" link (or the *snap* link!) to the side of this blog and be amazed that a creature that looked like Thom could even exist (I should add, he was a camera whore - as soon as he saw the camera, he would start rolling around and posing).

I can't express how much I will miss him - and I know I am not the only one - the Boy, and Thom's "Grandcat" will both miss him dearly I know. Unfortunately when you sign on to the joy that is having a pet in your life, you also sign on to the inevitable sorrow of saying goodbye. But as for me, despite the buckets of tears I seem to have shed over the last 24 hours, I just feel really lucky to have had such a remarkable, lovely beast in my life, even if it was for much too short a time.

So, it is just Miss Mags and me now - not that she isn't a large presence in the house (physically and in every other possible way). I think we will both be missing those giant orange eyes for quite a while to come.

Grinderman, and just...the grind.

2010-11-29T17:13:00.000-08:00

Well, first the good news - the Grinderman concert on Friday night was truly awesome. Nick Cave has long been an idol of mine - I have seen him discussing film live, but I have never seen him play - so this was really a thrill. With his towering, elongated form and inky mop of receding hair, Nick Cave is rock-frontman Goddery (is that a word? If not, it should be). Rock multi-instrumentalist Goddery is found in the hairy, troll-like form of Warren Ellis - I didn't think it would be possible for someone to pull my attention away from Nick Cave, but lo and behold, Ellis' sometimes cavorting, sometimes writhing craziness was absolutely transfixing. It was all just...great. My brother took a whack of good video - a taster below:

Less great is the news on Thomas. Long story short, he isn't really getting better, and the only way to determine what the issue is, is to do a biopsy. Which sounds simple, but is actually pretty significant surgery, with a significant price attached. Once again, thank god for insurance, and thank double god that my policy renews December 1st, which means I have more money available for this illness starting soon. In my long discussion with the internist today we discussed the possibilities: polycystic liver disease (no treatment really); hepatitis (manageable with meds); cancer (you know the story there). So, no good news, it is really just differing levels of bad. That being said, I do feel a need to know what "bad" I am dealing with, so I will put him through the surgery for the biopsy, and keep my fingers crossed that insurance will come through for me on this one. Bleh.

Bring out the dayglo tape....

2010-11-24T08:32:00.001-08:00

I really think I was meant to be a backup dancer.

$1100 and counting....

2010-11-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

Well, you might ask what this photo is of. On the right, the end of my lovely new hand blender. On the left, the tail end of a pureed batch of venison and rice cat food, into which is stuck the giant syringe that will be used to force feed Thomas with.

Are we having fun yet?

Thom is suffering from fatty liver disease at the moment. And no, he wasn't overweight. But he did get fussy about his food, and eventually pretty much stopped eating. He is a very sick boy, and the only way to try to get him through this is to force him to eat sufficient calories to get his system back in line. Hence, the giant syringe.

I should add that before I found the giant syringe, I was using needle syringes, and they would block up with food, be hard to fill, and I would end up with pureed venison up my arms, on my legs, on the floor...so nice. Part of me feels like I am gavaging in order to make Thom Liver Pate, but please know that isn't the case.

As for the $1100 - once again, I am happy to have insurance, because this ain't over yet!!

Yes, I'm still here...

2010-11-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

...just not very talkative I guess? I had a fantasy that I was going to write a detailed blog post after seeing the Sufjan Stevens concert that happened a couple of weeks ago...but I didn't. Why not? BECAUSE I DIDN'T GO. Why didn't I go you might ask? BECAUSE I GOT SO F%#KING SICK I COULDN'T. Yes, on the day of the concert I came down with a flu - the real deal, complete with temperature of 101F (sorry, sickness happens in Imperial for me), shakes, splitting headache, and racking cough. So sick that I actually realized I couldn't go, heartbreaking though that was. Making it all a bit less painful were the impressive nursing skills of The Boy, and the videoing bravado of my brother, who attempted to bring at least some of the concert to me.

Other than that, said-video-creating-frere had a milestone birthday (happy 70th!!), and I have taken the big plunge and invested in (drum roll please) SNOW TIRES. Yes, after having a car in Toronto and not getting snows, and living here and not getting snows, my spidey senses are telling me it is time.

And that is about it. For now.

This feels weird, but...

2010-10-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

...I am using part of my lunch break at work to blog. Purely out of guilt I might add - not that I really believe anyone cares if I keep up with this or not - it's strictly self imposed guilt.

What have I been up to? Another good concert (clip included below thanks to my brother and his schwingy new camera), a modern Canadian opera, VIFF, and a nasty stinking cold.

VIFF was generally pretty good this year - a few highlights for me:

Waste Land - a lovely documentary featuring some truly amazing people - it has been picked up for release and I would highly recommend you make the effort. It won the People's Choice at VIFF fyi.

And another lovely film by Mike Leigh - Another Year. Really, really enjoyed this - a lovely quiet look at relationships, in characteristic Leigh style

There are more - Down Terrace, an excellent dark comedy about a British family with criminal ties; and Me, Too - a really lovely and eye opening film about the relationship between a man with Down's Syndrome and his coworker - are the other two of real note for me this year.

Other than that...hmmm...I have finally found some cat food that the perpetually fussy Thomas seems interested in eating. Now THAT is news! Aren't you glad I bothered posting?

What have I been doing?

2010-09-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

Um, ya...this....a night with the life changing Flaming Lips. THIS is what a concert should be. Really.

And this....

And to the idiot loud mouth couple sitting behind us - maybe next time you find it necessary to have a two hour conversation, you'll do it at a coffee shop not at a concert? Really...

It's started....

2010-09-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

OH I've been such a lazy blogger. Bad, bad blogger.

But things are looking up, because concert season is starting up! I can't believe the lineup - Sufjan Stevens, Grinderman (WOOP!), the Flaming Lips, Blonde Redhead, the Books, Blitzen Trapper, the Black Keys...yes, you read it right. Craziness. Absolute crazy good luck. I can't WAIT.

The fall started out with a pleasant outdoor evening with The National - it didn't rain, I was warm enough, and the band didn't disappoint. Did they blow me away? No, they didn't...but that's OK, somehow I didn't expect them to. Listening to the National is kind of like putting on a well worn, slightly moody looking cardigan - you can be warm and brooding all at once. I have lots of things ahead that are more likely to blow my rapidly deteriorating mind. Maybe this year Wayne Coyne will roll over me in his inflatable ball - now THAT would be worth blogging about...

Weekend away...

2010-08-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

The Boy and I managed a weekend away on the Sunshine Coast. It kills me that the summer is almost over, but I count my lucky stars that we managed to get out of the city at least once. The weather cooperated, the cabin cooperated, the lawnmower didn't, but we found a way around that (and no it didn't involve kitchen scissors. Or teeth).

I don't really have much to report in terms of Big Events during the trip - we went to Gibsons, and to Robert's Creek to mingle with the nouveau hippies; we hung out on rocky beaches so The Boy could investigate the tidal pools (ok, ok...I like tidal pools too...). But maybe it is the lack of big events that made it so good.

There are a number of decent photos - well, at least I think they're good...but I will stick to three that are sort of related, and won't get me into trouble with anyone who may have appeared in said photos. The first is the point at Robert's Creek, with a couple of tempting benches perched on the very end. The second, yours truly trying the bench out for size, followed by my view of The Boy from the bench. I know, not all that exciting. But for me, it tells a story. And it's my blog after all.

Who knows, there maybe another story to tell if I feel so inclined - this one likely involving crabs (the kind you find on the beach). We shall see.

OK OK I'm still here....

2010-08-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

*phew*

I am apparently still being a bit lame arsed when it comes to posting. Lack of motivation and lack of time, not lack of cool things to post about, trust me.

I am back at home after my month long holiday at Mum's. I'm still trying to wrap my head around having to do things like cook for myself again - it sure doesn't take long to get completely spoiled. And why am I back home? BECAUSE MY AWESOME BATHROOM IS DONE!! My photos are far from awesome really, but they give you an idea. And if you look back at this you will see how far things have come. I'm not completely finished yet - I foresee a wall cabinet in the near future, and a few other bits and bobs. My home away from home at the moment is (unfortunately) Restoration Hardware...$ka-ching, $ka-ching. I unfortunately have a soft spot for polished nickel fixtures.

I can't believe what a difference it makes to have a bathroom you actually enjoy being in. A bathroom with ONE door, not three...and tile, not a poorly laid vinyl nightmare.

And as an aside, this has been proof to me that non-nightmarish contractors DO exist.

As I sit here, there is a plumber in my bathroom replacing my bath's intake pipes with stupidly expensive chrome ones. My bank account and I are the only ones that will notice, I know - unless of course you hang sideways off my toilet and look behind the tub. It's the little things....

And in other news, I saw the absolutely phenomenal Joanna Newsom last week. This video doesn't do the gig justice at all - but it was the best I could do under the high-security situation. Such a talented performer, supported by an incredibly tight band. And you've got to love the harp - it is such a physically demanding instrument, and it's just odd enough to completely transfix me. Undoubtedly one of the best concerts I've seen - and thank you Vogue for being such a great venue for quieter acts like this.

And unfortunately I have had to enable comment moderation on this blog...grrr to all you Asian spam sites! I CURSE YOU!!

Weekend wrap-up: Horse heads, sock garters and Porta Potties - OH MY

2010-07-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm in a post-Vancouver Folk Music Festival funk. Well, not a funk, but it is one of my favorite times of the year, and it's over. Another year of sun, sound, porta potties, hand sanitizer, interpretive dancing, men in skirts, and horse head masks. OK, the horse head mask was a new thing - but it was an awesome addition - particularly because of the back-pack. Horses are, after all, pack animals.

I didn't take as many photos, or videos, as I did last year. But there are a few, and they amuse me enough to post. The first - the annual shot of me and my forever-partner-in-VFMF, the lovely A - looking considerably more lovely than I do in this photo. Alas I couldn't scare up my cowboy hat this year...there are contractors in the house and I just couldn't do enough real poking about to find it. Sad, that. But things will return to cowboy hatted normalcy in 2011, promise.

There was a new addition (and convert) to the VFMF this year as well - the mysterious man known by some as The Boy. I've included this shot because it wraps up so many aspects of VFMF - the beautiful sun, green trees, and porta potties. I'm assuming the one he just came out of wasn't too horrendous, or he wouldn't be smiling...though that smile doesn't look completely convincing, likely because he's extra special pleased with me for taking a photo of him exiting the porta potty. But I'm too nice to post that one. Note the natty new lid - a rare find from one of the vendors on site.

Also available from one of the vendors: the Man Skirt. Not a mundane man-skirt, a full on, multi-tiered satin number. Our model hear sports his skirt with a pair of fetching sock-garters. Lovely. FYI he wore a pink and red skirt the next day.

Now - you might be wondering about the music - which, really, is the point of the whole thing. I probably didn't see as many artists as I have some years, but I certainly saw enough to keep me happy. I only took one video (yes, only one) this year - The Deep Dark Woods. It was a bit of a random choice, though they were one of the bands I liked most this year.

They performed right before what seemed to be the big draw of the day - The Malahat Review, a roving band of Vancouver musicians (Said the Whale, Jeremy Fisher, Hannah Georgas and Aidan Knight). Second song in, the audience of excited youngsters (ok, some excited oldsters as well) jumped to their feet to dance. I did not, and neither did The Boy. We just sat, listened, and watched the amazing (but not necessarily in a good way...) view. I suspect that is actually a slight shine of panic in his eye...

Now the musical stunner for me this year was Luluc, an Australian duo. I was too transfixed to film them unfortunately. Singer Zoe Randell's unique, sweetly somber alto really grabbed me, as did her lyrically lovely songwriting. I've included a video below just so you can get a taste.

There may be more to post on the fest later. And, I may also post a bit on the New Pornographer's gig if I find the energy....

See, I'm doing what I promised...

2010-07-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

...and not waiting a month to blog again. That's because I have something to blog about - an extended, wine-laden weekend in BC's desert country, Osoyoos, with two of my favorite partners in crime.

We splurged and stayed at Spirit Ridge - gorgeous, gorgeous. The slightly crap photo I've posted is the view from our balcony, out over the NK'MIP vineyards. Why is the photo crap? Because I couldn't find my camera so had to use my Blackberry. (I'm hoping my camera wielding pal A will let me post some of her inevitably awesome photos when she downloads them).

We had a great trip - 35C temperatures, an air conditioned car, and many, many winery moments, followed by tasty meals and lazy nights by the pool and beds so high you had to climb into them - who could complain? Not me, that's for sure.

A few favorites: Silver Sage (ooooh those fruit dessert wines!!!), Tinhorn Creek (that view! that Cab Franc!!), and Stoneboat (lovely bright tasting room with some really nice whites). One to avoid, despite the great graphics - Road 13. Such lovely staff, such blah wine. But what I can recommend is taking the time to get away with a dear friends for some luxury and laughs.

And I came home to find THIS - yes, my new, gorgeous, bathroom floor...whoop whoop! One more reason to break open one of the many bottles that made the trip back home with me...

No I haven't disappeared...but I'm not home either!

2010-07-04T17:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been a month (augh!) since I have posted - to the two people in the universe who bother checking in to see if I've posted, I'm sorry for being a lazy-arse.

The good news is that finally I do have something to post about! My bathroom renos are finally (FINALLY) starting - I think I purchased the new vanity about a year ago so that tells you how long I've been waiting - and I enclose a "before" shot that hopefully captures the truly horrendous vanity and the awful vinyl flooring (though the awfulness really doesn't show well in this photo - bear in mind the flooring doesn't actually go right to the wall in all places and is more like a badly laid plastic carpet than anything. And it doesn't show the giant light-laden disco mirror.)

So, I moved to Mum's on Tuesday with the beasts, because bathroom renos mean no bathroom at home for, oh, three weeks. The cats weren't all that impressed with things, and I think they are likely still not all that thrilled with their change of situation, but they are adjusting. The first night I slept with Maggie curled up beside my head, and Thom just below her at my shoulder. Not our usual sleeping pattern to say the least - firstly the two of them rarely occupy the same piece of furniture let alone sleep within inches of each other, and if they do sleep on the bed it is by my feet. Either they found being by my head somewhat comforting, or they were preparing to lie on my face and steal my breath. Looking at Maggie sometimes I fear the second option was really the plan, but she likely fell asleep and forgot.

So - right now, my bathroom has NO floor (you can see through to the basement), the drywall with the tiles has been cut out, and two of the three doors into the bathroom have been framed in ready for drywall. So far so good with the contractors - they have been extremely tidy about things and all seems to be going according to plan.

And I will try and be a better poster this month. Promise.

Little Lion Man...Mumford & Sons

2010-06-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

I'm honestly waaaaay too tired to say anything worthwhile about this gig - other than the band were great, and venue left me a little bit cold (and frustrated). The sound on this video isn't great, but then again, the sound in the club - the Richards substitute "club 560" wasn't either...and the camera was wedged behind a sheet of glass, so it didn't have much hope. But lest you think I am complaining - the band were really great. A treat for sure.

It's been a while...

2010-05-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'm baaaaack.

Well, sort of. I think.

I haven't been compelled to post recently. Partly, there has been too little to say, partly, there has been too much. I have been preoccupied to say the least for the last few weeks. By what? By the recipient of our little hat wearing friend to the left. It was his birthday Friday, a week (almost) after my own.

And I will break my own rule about not revealing too much personal stuff in this blog, just this once. The birthday boy is a relatively new addition to my life. I knew when I met him, sometime between the girl-fight and the Bollywood film set, that something was likely going to happen. And happen it has. And it has surprised me, thrilled me, and thrown me into fits of complete and utter panic. It has made me realize that I haven't really dealt with all the crap I thought I had neatly tied up and discarded. It has made me realize how hard it is for me to TRULY be in the moment, and not always judging, weighing, assessing, projecting. Worrying. It has reminded me of the weight and responsibility of holding someone's trust and affection, and the joy of finding someone worthy of doing the same for me.

It is completely and utterly terrifying. And incredibly, indescribably wonderful.

And that is about all I will say for now. Except that he is quite unlike anyone I've met before. And I'm so very, very lucky.

Back to our regular impersonal programming next time ;)

Tulips.

2010-05-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

Is there anything prettier?

I think not.

Unless of course it is a Thomas/tulip combo.

DOXA time!

2010-05-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year - the DOXA Documentary Film Festival is upon us in less than a week. My picks so far this year range from a look at Vancouver's punk past, to the "sexual dysfunction" industry, to the fate of pets separated from their owners by hurricane Katrina. Oh, and there's some yodeling in there as well.

My current list (more may be added...)

Hope to see you there!

Terra Madre

Mine

Topp Twins

No Fun City

The Erectionman

Orgasm Inc

Bloodied but Unbowed

A Mountain Musical

Small Wonders

Anatomy: Muscle Skin Heart

Neurotic and Lonely....Gabriel Kahane

2010-04-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of seeing quirky American composer/singer songwriter Gabriel Kahane last week at Heritage Hall as part of Dave Pay's great Music on Main series. I hadn't heard of him before, but a friend asked me to go and a little research revealed that he has worked with Sufjan Stevens and a few other notables, so I figured heck, why not? What an unexpected treat. The audience sat around the centrally placed Kahane - along with his baby grand, and his accompanist Rob Moose (described by Kahane as his "nemeru" - part nemesis, part guru) - and he had us in the palm of his hand the whole time. His work is a bit hard to describe - there are classical influences mixed with opera, quirky pop - but whatever it is, it worked really well.

Highlight for me was his performance of CraigslistLieder, an 8 part song cycle with lyrics taken directly from Craigslist - oh lord, so very funny. And slightly sad. You can download the whole thing for free, or just listen, here. For those that care, my favorite is the last part of the cycle, Opera Scene, an ad placed by a guy looking for a roommate that can put up with his compulsion to put ice cubes down people's shirts. The clip above is the only thing I could find online that had decent sound quality - "Neurotic and Lonely" - a personal ad that you really have to listen to to appreciate.

And speaking of neurotic and lonely (ok, not quite but it was a good segue) - life is challenging me in some interesting ways this week. I think it's good...but heck it's challenging. I've had a bit of a rude awakening that my cool calm together self is really only that way when it's not faced with things that threaten that stability. So, I will try to breathe. And not panic. And not self-sabotage. And not run. And maybe, just maybe, in the coming weeks I will actually tell you what the heck I'm talking about...or not ;)

Jónsi ...

2010-04-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to memorialize the fantastic Jónsi concert the other night. The one-eyed, angel-voiced singer of Sigur Ros started his tour in Vancouver this week - and what a fantastic show. The video is shot by my brother & his new camera, which does a much better job of handling crappy lighting than mine does. Pay attention to the amazing set design. Flying birds, loping dear, running wolves, flaming sets - spectacular.

In other great news, Joanna Newsom is coming to the Vogue in August - front row balcony seats already procured! CANNOT WAIT!!

Friday - A story of Luff and Hate

2010-04-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of how my day started. No, I'm not preparing to operate, I'm preparing to finish off the incredibly annoying job of stripping paint from my f&^%ing bathroom window...all so I can paint it again. There was so much paint (cracking, peeling paint) that it really had to be done before the full bathroom reno is done. The hazmat gear is to protect me from potential lead in the paint. Wish I'd thought of that before I spent hours stripping it previously...sigh. Still, it is as done now as it will be. Next step: primer.

What made it all worthwhile was knowing that I had a guaranteed evening of fun ahead, with my own true cultural luff, Brent (*dramatic swoon*) Bambury - and the annual Vancouver taping of CBC radio's GO!

So much fun.

And dare I say it one more time - look at those pipes! All he needs is a Lycra suit and cape, and Brent would be as close to a Canadian Superhero as you could possibly want.

He was joined on stage with another CBC hottie, Ian HandsomeManThing.

I feel like a broken record harping on about how much I love CBC radio. It is such an incredible treat to get to participate in that rarest of rarities, a live radio show, and so much fun to watch people that are obviously having fun. It was the Western finals of the GO!'s Canada Writes contest, and the contestants and judges (including John Mann from Spirit of the West, another personal fave of mine) were all brilliant. Listen for yourself here - you can hear me and my pals cheering from the second row if you listen carefully enough.

Topping it all off? Dinner out to celebrate the birthday of the lovely A, fellow Brent lover and GO! fanatic. You couldn't ask for a better Friday night.

All hail Noah Baumbach

2010-03-28T11:13:00.001-07:00

I went to see Noah Baumbach's new film, Greenberg, with some pals last night. I'm a big fan of The Squid and the Whale (well, more like amazed and horrified upon realizing I actually dated the doppelganger of Jeff Daniels character *shudder*), and quite liked Margot at the Wedding, so I went with high hopes for his usual brand of slightly painful humour and cast of not all that likable, definitely damaged, but infinitely true and recognizable characters. I wasn't disappointed.

Greenberg (played fantastically by Ben Stiller) is a generally unlikable, neurotic 40 year old, uncomfortable in his aging skin, and frustrated with the imperfections he sees - constantly - in the world around him. Florence, the 25 year old he strikes up a truly awkward (and at times ugly) relationship with, is lovely and kind hearted, but her passivity makes her a somewhat complicit victim to the weirdness that is Greenberg. What I love about Baumbach is that he stays with these characters throughout the story arc, small though it may be - they don't change, there is no big transformation or resolution. It's awkward, painful, funny. Some people will hate it, but I think it's brilliant.

I know I have been blogging strictly about stuff I've seen recently, and not stuff that is going on with me. There is stuff, most of it is good, and I'm busy, but for some reason, I just don't feel like writing about it all just yet. Maybe soon.

Just a place holder....

2010-03-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

It's been another crazy busy (generally in a good way) week. I'm too tired, and not motivated enough, to write about anything in detail - BUT - here are the highlights for those who care:

Nixon in China (clip above) - a randy Kissinger and twist-dancing Nixon, anyone? Very, very cool.
Balkan Beat Box - time to put your hands in the air....
HIVE3 - already counting the days to the next HIVE - the lovely Sugarlove (aka the better half of my brain) talks about it here, so I'm going to be lazy and just link to her blog. What I will say is that at one point I felt like I was dying, and it was really, really cool...
SPINE - some great ideas in a play that could have done with some serious editing...that being said, I want the Isis outfit...
Cobre - for a dear pal's bday celebration ...YUM. and more YUM...followed by the agonizing ache of an overstuffed stomach.

Connecting all of these events? Friends and family that share my wacky interests and are willing to join me for the ride. And that's the best part of all.

Bring on the toe suckers...

2010-03-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

My brains seems to want to be challenged more than it usually does these days - if I run across something that I know has a high likelihood of eliciting a WTF?! in my brain, I want to be there. So, welcome to my night with Compagnie Marie Chouinard.

The language of dance is not something I have at my fingertips (or anywhere else in my body); that being said, we are all able to read meaning into movement to some extent, because we do it every day to help us survive in the world. Chouinard's interest in this piece has to do with the relationship of intelligence and body . Does her explanation make my head hurt? Yes, a little bit - but that's what I love about it.

Watching the piece, my brain was happily enjoying its fair share of WTF?! moments. And I have to give props to dancers who are willing to suck each other's toes, and stick their tongues to the floor...and perhaps most disturbing, dance while wearing Stephen Harper masks.

Thank you, Marie Chouinard.

Some good news this way comes....

2010-03-06T13:22:00.001-08:00

I have mentioned Mumford & Sons on this blog before. This week saw two bits of Mumford related news - first, the release of their CD Sigh No More (which is both great and inexpensive at $7.99), and the news that they will be playing Vancouver at the mysterious "Five Sixty," which is what the old A&B Sound space at 560 Seymour has now been branded. I look forward to seeing how successful a live venue it is - I doubt it can live up to its predecessor, Richards on Richards, but I would love to be proven wrong.

I challenge you not to be charmed by Marcus Mumford's moppish hair and their sweet harmonies.

Scott Walker: 30 Century Man

2010-02-28T07:32:00.000-08:00

I briefly mentioned the documentary Scott Walker: 30 Century Man a couple of years back, after seeing it a VIFF; I picked it up on DVD last week (along with the Scott 3 CD which I am loving), and I've got to say, it deserves a second mention. The film covers Walker's career path from idolized pop star to fairly reclusive avant garde musician/composer, interspersed with really interesting interviews with musicians about the influence of Scott's work, and fascinating interviews with the man himself.

What got to me this time were two of the extras - the first, an extended interview with Brian Eno. Eno's amazing musical brain is not news to me, but I was still left shaking my head in wonder at his ability to so clearly articulate some fairly difficult musical ideas, and his ability to so accurately pinpoint what makes Scott's music unique. Eno speaks with the confidence of someone who is comfortable with his lofty position in the pantheon of musical gods - he's great at what he does, he's comfortable, he has nothing to prove.

Not so much with the second extra - an extended interview with Scott. What slays me about this interview is how revealing it is - every question is treated with complete openness and honesty, and the picture you end up with is of a man who is at once very precise and sure of his musical ideas, and utterly terrified that they won't work out; someone who understands that he is on the musical margins, but is somewhat pained by the isolation of that position; someone who blames himself for any perceived misstep his career has made, and not the record company's creative shackles. You look at his eyes and see the pain of living with his creative, tormented brain. Unlike Eno "comfortable" is never a word that comes to mind. Scott has no choice but to do what he does, but it doesn't mean that he finds it easy.

Not much else to say really - except rent it.

It's almost too much

2010-02-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a week...though my feelings about the Olympics are mixed to say the least, one thing I will say is that t has allowed for a fantastic convergence of remarkable artistic talent in our fair city (and with this sunshine, it is more than fair, it's fantastic). This week's entertainment?:

Tuesday: New Songs/New Voices - which featured 4 singer/songwriters from across the country (Meaghan Blanchard, Romi Mayes, Jason Plumb and Dan Mangan); excellent show, and gorgeous sound at the Roundhouse. I'm hoping they will continue to present music there - so few small QUIET venues in Vancouver. And, being the hometown boy, Dan brought the house down, but I also really enjoyed Meaghan Blanchard and Romi Mayes.

Wednesday: Delusion, the new performance piece by Laurie Anderson. The highlight of the week for me, for sure. It's a bit hard to explain her amazing twining together of story, music, visuals, but it was astounding and completely transfixing. One of those things I just feel very lucky to have had a chance to see. As an aside, the slightly curmudgeonly and surprisingly tiny Lou Reed was sitting in front of us, which was kind of cool. When we left the venue he was busy reaming out a technical person for the misplacement of one of the lights on the stage, so his cranky legend lives on.

Thursday: Hal Wallner's Neil Young Project - a Neil Young tribute that brought together a huge whack of diverse musicians (Broken Social Scene, Sun Kil Moon, Joan as Policewoman, Eric Mingus, Teddy Thompson, Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Emily Haines to name a few). Overall a very enjoyable, if uneven, night. They couldn't quite get the energy in the place just right, but when the performances worked, they were fantastic. Below is the only clip I took, and unfortunately it was one of the low points for me of the night - Kevin Drew and gang do their best to close the night off, but the energy wasn't there.

Friday: The Blue Dragon, by Robert Lepage (oh how I love thee RL!) - for the second time. As always, an amazing production. I didn't find it as powerful as the two solo works of his that I have seen, but I'm starting to realize that there is a resonance that a one person play can have - at least for me - that can't really be touched by ensemble work. Great to see it twice, and to notice how he had modified the work over time. Also had the good luck to listen to a Q&A with the cast; Lepage is a wonderfully open guy, great to hear him speak about his process.

It has been a GREAT week. Sorry about the brief, not all that insightful post, but I just had to get it down on paper...I mean, on computer...

Olympic Portraits

2010-02-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

It takes all kinds.

This Olympic Portrait is by my fantastic stealth photographer pal A., taken at la Place de la Francophonie at Granville Island last night. We had a brief chat with our new friend - and, indeed, he does love his foreskin, and we got to learn the many, many reasons why. Not sure if anyone else loves it, but honestly, I don't think it matters to him.

And he does sell the t-shirts if anyone wants one. I suggested he start making mugs as well.

Funniest moment? The fact that A.'s rabbi called her during our chat with ILMF. ILMF cut the conversation short after that - so to speak...

Dan Mangan at the CBC: you had me at Leonard Cohen

2010-02-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

I headed to CBC Radio's Studio 2 with my pal A. for a particularly special treat: I managed to score a couple of seats to Dan Mangan's studio session with NXNW host Sheryl MacKay. CBC Radio is trying out having a live audience for some of their studio sessions - in the case of Studio 2, that audience is limited to a max of about 14, so we were two of a very lucky few.

First off, let me once again attest my deep, crazy love of CBC radio; NXNW and Sheryl MacKay's bright yet miraculously soothing voice (soothing being oh so important at 7am on a Saturday) is inevitably the soundtrack of my weekend mornings, usually accompanied by whining cats and a cup of coffee. It was a real treat to walk through the new CBC building down into the uber-quiet, studio-filled basement to see what goes into producing the show - well, at least a little bit of it.

I have also gone on (and on, and on...) about Dan Mangan repeatedly in this blog. I've spoken about his records, his voice, and his ability to engage an audience. What made this experience different was getting a chance to listen to him talk about what his life is like now fame is starting to nip persistently at his heels. Here is someone who has obviously though long and hard about who he wants to be, and how he wants to be. He seems genuinely humbled and grateful for what is happening in his world - not the fake humble you can smell a mile away, but the real, all-too-rare humble. Unfortunately I am someone who looks for the cracks, and (maybe frustratingly?) I didn't see any. Even when asked for his opinion on the rise and popularity of marketing-machine pop stars, he managed to treat the topic respectfully and graciously, with a recognition that they are playing completely different "sports," not begrudging them their fame, and realizing what he wants, and what they want, are very different things. He remarked with admiration on the grace and humility of Leonard Cohen - and what decent Canadian doesn't love Leonard? Really, he just came across as a genuine, pleasantly self deprecating guy. He was getting over a flu so his voice was a little hoarser than usual, but his performance, as per usual, was completely engaging.

My pal A. brought her camera and was an incredibly effective stealth recorder of the event, as you can see. As we left, she made the comment that pretty much summed it all up: "Don't you just want to wrap him up and put him in your pocket?" Weird maybe, but it made absolute sense to me.

The burning question we didn't ask? How did he feel about being tied with Jack White as the #2 musician women want to sleep with - according to the Georgia Straight - behind #1 Jon Bon Jovi (who comes up with this stuff?). One thing I will say - of those three, Dan is the only one you'd want to bring home to meet your Mom.

Listen to the interview this Saturday morning on NXNW on CBC 88.1 - it will play at some point between 8 and 9 am.

KAMP

2010-02-05T22:03:00.000-08:00

I'm heading into a couple of weeks of cultural craziness - no, not the Olympics (which would classify as craziness...and other things... but that's another story). It started last night with KAMP - a play by the fantastically creative, Rotterdam-based Hotel Modern.   I met up with my pal A. there, and we both brought along our well coordinated relatives (meaning they both share the same birthday and matching surgery scars, and not that they are both able to walk and chew gum at the same time - hey, it's my blog, I can tease if I want to...this post needs a bit of levity, trust me.)

I'm not sure where to start really. When you walk into the room, the stage area is covered by an incredible, tiny, detailed scale model of Auschwitz. The theatre troupe of three then starts to tell the story of a day in the life of this concentration camp - everything from the human cargo trains coming in and out, the painful repetitive hard labour, desperate suicides, gas chamber murders, meager rations, the broken bodies - all by manipulating tiny figures in this incredible set. Often, the action was filmed and projected on the white curtains that surrounded the set, providing a really amazing interplay of scale, of live, real-time action and projection. All many of us have seen of Auschwitz is in film, either news footage or cinematic recreation; the fact that the action being projected was happening right in front of us helped remove the safe distance film allows - not only from what was being seen as part of the play, but really all footage you might have seen of this horror in the past.

There was no dialogue - just incredible, intense sound - the scraping of the shovels, the screaming whine of the train on the tracks. And we all just sat, quiet and still, completely transfixed. There were no personal narratives told - this story was the ugly machinery of day to day life in this unimaginably horrendous situation, and the incredible scale of what was happening.   For me, that is perhaps the hardest thing to really grasp about the Holocaust - the scale.   This piece did a beautiful job of making it tangible.

There was a Q&A afterward. One of the questions raised was when will this be history? If you mean specifically what transpired in this one camp - well, strictly speaking it is history; if you mean genocide, the answer is obviously very different. The reasons the Holocaust is still such an active and important story to tell are many and various. As we chatted on the way home, the fact that in part, the importance of what happened at Auschwitz is to remind us that we, despite our illusions to the contrary, can so easily do the unimaginable, given the right situation, the right social permission, the right recognition. It's a horrible thing to have to face up to, and it is all too easy to forget. For that reason - and many more - this story has to be told, again and again.   YAY to Hotel Modern for doing it in such a fantastic, fresh, creative way.

Up next: Robert Lepage's The Blue Dragon, next Tuesday night - I CAN'T WAIT

Learning to let go

2010-01-31T13:44:00.000-08:00

I just realized that in combination with this picture of Thom at the vet, the blog title might seem quite dire...that's not the case. At least I don't think so.

But I will start with the vet story. I took the terrible twosome in for their annual oil change/tire rotation yesterday - something I dread for two reasons: it is very stressful for them, and financially stressful for me (I won't say how much it costs, but suffice it to say I could be supporting two children in a third world country for a year for less).
Vet trips are big productions - the catching (admittedly with Thomas, this part isn't that hard - he tends to hide ON things, bright spark that he is), the yowling trip to the vet, and Maggie's channeling of Freddie Kruger/rabid mountain lion as soon as the vet even looks at her don't make for a fun time. And I don't blame Mags for protesting - there are needles (in the bladder as well - ugh) and other nastiness, including the most dreaded part of all - The Nail Trim, which Maggie seems to equate with the amputation of a limb. It's equally terrifying for Thomas, but he just shuts down - the vet could wrap him in bandages and hang him upside down by his tail and he wouldn't complain. But it doesn't mean he's enjoying himself.

So - it's stressful. And I'm the one that brought them, so I should be The Enemy.

But as soon as we get home, and they are out of their cages, life immediately returns to normal. They wander around surveying their world as per usual, even walking calmly back into the dreaded transport crates on their own, completely unphased by their recent trauma. I'm not held accountable (at least I don't think so). Cat-life goes on as normal. Whatever horrors just happened, it seems like they've just let them go.

I had a difficult day at work Friday. I'm not going into the details - it's a combination of the landscape changing in a way that I'm not looking forward to, a reminder that the "you can lead a horse to water" proverb is frustratingly true, and a few other disappointments and frustrations. I've been carrying it around with me all weekend, but looking over at Thomas snoozing happily on the couch, I realize I've just got to let it go.

These are things that are out of my control.

Just let 'em go.

Goodbye Kate

2010-01-20T14:46:00.000-08:00

Kate McGarrigle's death earlier this week really hit me. It's kind of funny - there are a lot of musicians that have been important to me and my little life that have passed on, but for some reason this one resonates more than most. I don't know...maybe it is that there is something about Kate & Anna's music that feels so distinctly Canadian; I listen and I feel the crisp central Canadian winter, all mixed in with the warmth that their beautifully honest voices bring to everything they do. Or in Kate's case, did. I have had the good fortune to see the sisters perform a couple of times, and they were amazing - incredibly connected to each other, and in a bubble of their own, that's for sure - they were who they were, regardless of who was watching.

Sigh.

There's an essay in there for someone who wants to write it....

2010-01-11T18:45:00.001-08:00

I went to see a couple of really strong films this weekend - Tom Ford's A Single Man, starring Colin Firth (who is looking absolutely fantastic fyi) and Crazy Heart, the new Jeff Bridges film. Both films deal with broken men - one a gay English prof in 1962 California going through the motions of a life rendered meaningless by the sudden death of his long-term partner, the other a once famous musician now incapacitated by alcohol and the crash of his career (who knows exactly which came first). You couldn't get two more different men from the outside - Colin Firth's character lives a life of absolute order (and my god what a gorgeous life to look upon - well done, Tom Ford - and well done, cinematographer and art director whose names I am too lazy to look up); Jeff Bridges leads a life of absolute disorder (unless you can call keeping your jeans unbuckled so you can pee into a jug in your truck while you drive "order"), but in both instances potential salvation comes, perhaps predictably, through a human connection. Man - sorry, I try to avoid analysis of any sort on this blog, it requires too much brain work. Forgive me - but do go see the films (if you have to choose one, go to A Single Man)

Is this what you mean by "in situ"?

2010-01-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

In situ being code for "under the cats".

It's in an awkward spot to take a good photo (my dining room is really more of a wide hallway than a dining room, and I have yet to get an overhead light so the lighting is a bit of an issue), but I will try, soon. Thankfully, I LOVE IT!! And so do the cats, unfortunately. The pillow you catch a glimpse of on the seat below Thomas is part of the temporary cat-repellant setup (a combo of books and pillows). The issue with the chair seats is that they are a very coarse weave that the cats will inevitably get stuck to. Potential solution suggestions (that don't involve cat foot-binding, tempting though that is) welcome!

The Bunkle goes mid-century modern???

2010-01-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

Um....apparently.

I am not at heart a danish modern fan (particularly not a teak fan) - but there was something about this rosewood table that just kind of felt right. The grain and colour of the wood somehow goes back a lot further than the 60's, and the light, simple structure is kind of perfect for the very small space it will be placed in. With leaves extended I will actually be able to seat ten. TEN. Better than the big fat zero I can currently seat ... and the little chairs are extremely comfortable - and come upholstered with fabric that the cats will LOVE destroying (nice coarse weave perfect for trapping cat claws). Perfect. I foresee more dinner parties, and more games nights, in 2010.

Anyway, the set arrives tomorrow. Fingers crossed it will look like it belongs.

Sometimes I like to feel used.

2010-01-01T16:33:00.000-08:00

I've been doing some cooking and things around the house today (Happy New Year by the way), under the watchful, slightly withering gaze of Miss Mags. She doesn't get as much copy on this blog as Thomas does - quite honestly, it is because Thom is so ridiculous looking, and so damn easy to photograph. When Thomas sees the camera, he will start to purr and roll around. Maggie - not so much. She will immediately glare and vacate the area - UNLESS she is putting on her uber-sweet, needy kitty act to try to get something out of me (food). Sucking up is a skill all cats have, but some are better at it than others.

And this is the joy of Maggie. Unlike the sweet-natured (and slightly gormless) Thomas, she makes you work for it. She has rules. It doesn't mean she doesn't like hanging around with me - well, at least I assume so because she is usually lurking where ever I am when she is awake - but it also means she reserves the right to look slightly miserable while doing so (anyone with a teenager, or who has ever been a teenager, will know the look). I know a lot of cat lovers that avoid female cats - they are commonly thought to be more intelligent and bit more...difficult... at least in comparison to the male of the species (why does that sound familiar?) But somehow, that makes them all that much more interesting.

Look what I found under the tree (AKA better late than never?)

2009-12-30T13:50:00.000-08:00

A couple of shots of this year's Charlie Brown tree for you.

The cats like to lurk under the tree. If I could fit, I'd lurk under the tree too...

Bunklelife - Top Albums 2009

2009-12-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

I'll try once again to give a top 10 list of the year...acknowledging that there are going to be albums from 2009 I will discover 4 years from now and love more than any of those listed here.

1. Grizzly Bear -Veckatimest - the rest will be hard to rank, but this is comfortably #1 of the year for me. Lush and dark and beautiful. While you wait for the others is absolutely stunning.

and in no particular order....

2. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca - YAY for this album!! The gorgeous West African guitar and crazy vocal acrobatics from the women in the group balance out Dave Longstreth's unique vocal style to make something both wonderfully odd and surprisingly accessible.

3. Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light - A strong album from beginning to end, and really, music doesn't get much more beautiful - or haunting.

4. Dark Was the Night - Various Artists - Absolutely fantastic compilation album in support of Red Hot, an international charitable HIV/AIDS awareness organization. What I would have done to be at the live performance that went along with this release...

5. Akron/Family - Set 'em wild, set 'em free - It's Akron/Family. Do I have to say more? Perhaps not their most consistent album, but it's still great.

6. Noble Beast - Andrew Bird - Probably my favorite Andrew Bird album. Enough said. Watch and listen to Anonanimal, and be amazed.

7. Dan Mangan - Nice, Nice, Very Nice - And indeed, it is. Not 100% consistent, but there are some fantastic tracks on here...and as I have spoken about him so often on this site, it would be wrong not to put this on the list.

8. Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels - I'm a sucker for banjo.

9. Rock Plaza Central - At the moment of our most needing... - I'm a sucker for banjo. Still.

10. The Morning Benders - Talking Through Tin Cans - OK this is a bit of a ringer. It is not from 2009, it's from 2008. And at this point I don't know if I can honestly assess if it is good or not - all I know is that it has been on constant play in my car for over two months (I don't drive much) and I CAN'T take it off...but I CAN sing along, badly. Extremely well written pop, that's for sure.

PHEW - done!

This isn't a real post - but...

2009-12-23T18:15:00.000-08:00

Raunchier content than you will usually find on Bunklelife, but - I admit it, the Samberg/Timberlake Digital Shorts make me snort out loud. Dick in a Box was good, but the follow-up Mother Lover is oh so much more tasteless... and so much better, not only because Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson guest star. You have to watch an ad prior to the short, but it's worth it.

This is all really to distract you from the fact I haven't posted anything in ages. Soon, I promise, soon...
EMBED-Dick in a Box Sequal - Mother Lover - Watch more free videos

TO...or the T-dot...or Tawranna...

2009-12-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm in Toronto.

And I know I will get grief from my brother for saying anything nice about this city, but that's the price I have to pay I guess. Few self respecting Westerners would be caught dead saying kind things about Toronto. You just...don't.

And I am happy I left. Really.

BUT...

I love coming back. Even if it is for a short time, when I don't have time to see many pals (though that is what I love the most!), or do much other than try to work while feeling like a zombie from jet-lag induced lack of sleep. It is funny how big and exciting a place it feels now. How much more I appreciate the different neighborhoods. And the crazy volume of (good) restaurants. What seemed too much, too tedious before is FUN now - because all at once it feels new, and like home. Kind of. Strange, that.

The trip started with the top photo of Miss Mags. She hates the suitcase. Or rather, hates that she can't claim ownership of it. This photo doesn't reflect how fiercely grumpy she looked. Both cats know what the suitcase means I think, and they are none too pleased about it. I had a real battle getting her out, then getting her off the top of it, then getting her off the suits I had put on the bed to pack - she hunkered down, growled like something out of Pet Cemetery, and wouldn't budge. I had to bribe her off with food. I think she slept on it all night.

And the second photo is outside my hotel window. Not a great view this time around - I look straight on to another building, but oh well.

And I will be back on Saturday. It's a short, short trip.

But I'll be back. Soon. I hope.

Much more than just reading...

2009-11-26T20:37:00.000-08:00

Had the excellent fortune to see The Books at the Cultch last night. Firstly, how much do I love the Cultch? VERY much. Such a beautiful venue, and a staff that let everyone in early because of the crap weather. What's not to love??

I missed the Books the last time they were here (work-travel nonsense of some sort) so I was super happy to have another chance. They are an odd band, but one that remains in high rotation in the Bunklelife play list - somehow, their weird combination of vocal samples from tapes and videos they find second hand and some truly beautiful cello/guitar/music samples is just...right. And when you mix it with the all-important visuals (as you can on their DVDs as well), it just comes together so very very well.

The video above isn't mine for once - there was no way I was going to brave filming, or break the spirit of the night, by pulling out my camera.

For anyone interested in the band, check this out - the vocal samples are from a tape they found of a brother and sister talking (?!) on tape. Some classic moments of graphic kid violence in there...
I know I will find a way of using "by cutting your toes off and working my way up towards your brain" in conversation at some point...

Tuesday on Tuesday

2009-11-24T23:10:00.000-08:00

OK, maybe I was more interested in the models than the fashions, but...really, can you blame me?

Very, very fun. I await her wrath for posting this.

(I have lost my blogging mojo for a bit. Hopefully soon I will be back with something substantial to say)

Necks are overrated.

2009-11-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I have featured my flat faced roommate, so for those that have been missing him, here is Thomas watching shadows (I never said he was bright).
Sometimes he reminds me of a seal, sometimes a raw prawn (yes, you read that right), but these photos are pure space alien. And we all know space aliens don't need necks.

Where was I last night?

2009-11-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across a notice that Hofesh Shechter's dance company was coming to Vancouver for two nights to perform Uprising/In your rooms. I knew nothing about Hofesh Shechter's work, but I poked around the internet for a while, discovered he is the current darling of London's contemporary dance scene, and decided it was worth the risk/expense/trying to rope a pal into. And I'm glad I did.

I'm finding that I am getting more and more interested in contemporary dance. That being said, I know next to nothing about it...but, like music, you don't really need to know much to be affected by it. Shechter's choreography is energetic and raw, even animalistic at times. I've included a clip from Uprising (which looks a lot better if you view it in Youtube fyi) - an interview I listened to with Shechter indicated he was interested in boys' interest in playing, in fighting in this piece. I don't really think narrative is the focus of his work (this is just me, unedjumacated as I'ze be in the language of dance ... so I could be way off); there does seem to be an interest in between the group and the individual (in the middle of a completely unified group movement, one or two dancers will break off into their own patterns), but really, trying to figure it all out isn't all that necessary. There is something universal about the movement he presents, and you can't help but be affected.

Shechter also composes the score for his works. The clip I've included doesn't really convey how integral the really loud, pulsing score is.

A great night out.

Though my pal A. and I agreed Uprising would have been that much more meaningful if the dancers were shirtless... (sorry, had to lower the tone, but hey, we're only human ;)

I heart David Sedaris

2009-11-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

I had the good fortune to see David Sedaris last night as part of the Vancouver International Writers Festival. He was at The Centre, which is fairly close to GM Place, which meant the area was milling with a bizarre combo of hockey fans hoping that the Canucks could redeem themselves, and literary junkies excited by the prospect of hearing Sedaris tell his often personal, sometimes bittersweet, and always hilarious stories for an hour or so. It was one of those nights that caused me to make that weird sneeze sound that I emit when trying to suppress a slightly ill timed, anticipatory guffaw. What a great time... and even after hearing the results of the hockey game, I'm pretty sure that all in all, the Sedaris fans had a better night (OK, I'm biased, I admit...)

I've included the only clip I could find on YouTube of Sedaris reading live. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween, Vampire Style

2009-10-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

I finally saw the lovely Let the Right One In - not often you use "lovely" to describe a vampire film, but it isn't your regular vampire film I guess. At the core, it is a story about two outcasts - Oskar, a 12 year old boy so pale he seems completely bloodless, and his friend Eli, a 12 year old ("give or take") who just happens to be a vampire. The horror in this film is really Oskar's isolation from the parents who really don't seem all that interested in him, and the persistent bullying he faces at school. And there is nothing elegant or romantic about Eli's vampire life ( a nice change from the earnest teen love vampire romance genre so popular today) - she lives in a barren tenament apartment, and her need for blood to survive is just a brutal fact of life. I'm not going to say much more, as it would spoil the fun.

For those worried about blood and gore - there really isn't much. And for those who have cats - you'll learn that they are effective protection against the Undead. Just don't rent the dubbed DVD - brave the subtitles, it is well worth it.

*update* - actually, hold off watching this on DVD until after Xmas, when a release that contains the theatrical subtitles will be available - apparently the original DVD release had extremely poor subtitling - or, of course, you could go see it on the big screen if you get the chance!

Finally, I have something in common with Lindsay Lohan...

2009-10-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

I wasn't planning on it when I got up this morning, but that's how the day has ended up.

Yes, I ended up with a pair of Fiorentini & Baker boots. Did I know the brand before today? Um, no. But now I am in love - they are nothing flashy, but they are as soft as a puppy's ear. I don't make a habit of spending ridiculous money on apparel - the opposite in fact - but these ... well... I fear that next time I make it to London, some serious damage will be done at their flagship store.

If I could marry my boots, I would.

I'm a bit dizzy but...

2009-10-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

...I will try and make sense despite that. I seem to be going through a minor vertigo recurrance. Frustrating but oh well, could be worse - as it is, I'm drugged out on gravol and codeine so I'm feeling no pain.

Saw the engaging Chad VanGaalen at the Rio Theatre last week. Firstly, I love the venue - the lighting is a bit crap as it is really a movie theatre not a concert venue, but otherwise it is great - nice high stage, great view, comfy seats for old people - what more could you ask for? The concert wasn't life changing, but it sure was fun - Chad is an engaging guy (even when sporting a bizarre black wig) and you couldn't help but get drawn in. And as the pal I was with said, it was a bit like seeing a Neil Young concert, but without the guitar solos - I hadn't realized how reminicent of Neil Chad's vocals can be until I saw him live (listen to this and you'll see what I mean).

As for video quality? Well, it's crap due to the poor lighting, but hopefully it captures the spirit of the night.

Grizzly Bear...Again

2009-10-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Another fantastic time with Grizzly Bear last night. What made it extra special? The fact they were playing the Vogue theatre - a quiet, theatre style venue. What a treat not to have the Commodore's constant clink of glasses and background chatter. And cudos to a very respectful audience as well (with the notable exception of the insecure clingy girlfriend action in the row in front of us, which kept interfering with the view - I know, I know, not everyone needs to sit stock still. Hang on - yes, in my world they do).

I don't really know what else to say about the night without sounding like a drooling idiot, so I will let the videos speak for themselves. Sorry about the wandering camera in the second video - I was trying to avoid the giant head of the squirming girl sitting in front of me. Sigh. I didn't tape much, mostly because I didn't want to break the spell of just watching the band. I should mention that security asked if I had a camera on the way in, and I furrowed my brow and said "camera?" like it was a foreign word, let him look through the main pocket of my bag (which didn't contain my camera, obviously), and walked merrily to my seat. I think that the harsher the check is at the door, the less people they have observing the crowd for people filming. Who knows, but it's my theory for today.

A shout out also to the opening act, The Morning Benders - very talented young guys, and they managed to keep me and my pal L. impressed and engaged the whole way through, which isn't actually that easy a feat. Something tells me these guys were all in jazz band in high school - and it's paid off in spades. There are smatterings of The Dodos and Grizzly Bear in what they do, but hey in the big picture those aren't bad influences to have.

And MORE....

2009-10-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

Yet another very quick VIFF post - I only have two more films to go before my 20 picks this year are done.

So - my picks from the last few I've seen? Broke. ; Pop Star on Ice; Cedar Boys; and I Killed My Mother (see trailer above).

You may have heard of I Killed My Mother - it cleaned up a few awards at Cannes, and has been chosen as Canada's pick for the Academy Awards. For those of you that haven't heard of it, it is written, directed, and stars (and has art direction by) the now 20 year old Xavier Dolan, based on a story he wrote when he was 17. Let's stop and think about this for a second: write; direct; star in; 20 years old; first film; Cannes; Academy Awards....

INSANITY.

But it is well deserved. The film looks gorgeous, and does a great job of capturing the technicolor intensity of teenage life through the explosive love/hate relationship between a gay 16 year old boy and his mother. It has shades of C.R.A.Z.Y. and a few drops of Tarnation (particularly the b&w footage the main character takes of himself talking about his mother), but remains a strong, unique story about a very complex relationship. And it fulfills my seemingly annual film fest requirement to view a gay coming of age story...I don't plan it, it just happens that way.

Too tired but...

2009-10-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post on my one VIFF free, meeting free night this week.

First - I've included my favorite VIFF trailer for those of you who haven't already seen it - I laughed out loud the first time I saw it and it still makes me grin.

So how is VIFF going so far? REALLY well. I don't have the energy to talk about the films in detail - yet - but in broad categories so far:

GREAT: We Live in Public (old news I know); Will Not Stop There - oh my what an expected treat this was! When the film opened with a gypsy porn star playing a folk song with his nose (and that isn't a euphemism), I really wasn't sure what we were in for - but it is a really nicely layered story with great characters and a nice balance of comedy and drama...I may write more on this one later; Afghan Star - the pop culture wonder of the American Idol style show is a great foil to highlight the issues, culture, and people of a very complex country...and it also proves that teenage girls will vote for The Cute Boy no matter where in the world they are; and The Maid, for a really richly rendered look at the life of a woman who has allowed herself to become defined solely by her role in her employer's family, while never really truly being part of it.

VERY GOOD: Excited! (it ranks this high largely because the setting is VERY Vancouver! Nice story too.); Only When I Dance; Nora's Will; Rembrandt's J'accuse (lovely and entertaining, but hard to follow at times - information overload from the giant brain of Peter Greenaway)

GOOD: Gigante (lovely character, but slooooow)

NOT GOOD: It's Not Anime (a couple of good things but largely a disappointment)

Enough for now, more later....

VIFF highlights so far...

2009-10-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I've seen a few very good films, one good, and one that hit the ball right out of the park: We Live in Public.

Here is the synopsis from the film's website:

Ten years in the making and culled from 5000 hours of footage, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC reveals the effect the web is having on our society, as seen through the eyes of “the greatest Internet pioneer you’ve never heard of”, artist, futurist and visionary Josh Harris. Award-winning director Ondi Timoner (DIG! – which also won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2004 – making Timoner the only director to win that prestigious award twice) documented his tumultuous life for more than a decade to create a riveting, cautionary tale of what to expect as the virtual world inevitably takes control of our lives.

Harris, often called the “Warhol of the Web”, founded Pseudo.com, the first Internet television network during the infamous dot-com boom of the 1990s. He also curated and funded the ground breaking project “Quiet” in an underground bunker in NYC where over 100 people lived together on camera for 30 days at the turn of the millennium. With Quiet, Harris proved how we willingly trade our privacy for the connection and recognition we all deeply desire, but with every technological advancement such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, becomes more elusive. Through his experiments, including a six-month stint living with his girlfriend under 24-hour electronic surveillance which led to his mental collapse, Harris demonstrated the price we pay for living in public.

This one really keyed into some of my own fears about the new technological world. I could talk more about the film specifically, but I really think it better you watch it yourself.
What made this screening so great for me is that the director Ondi Timoner was there and did a really extensive Q&A afterwards. I love this woman's work - DIG! is one of my all time favorite films - and I have to say DIG! ranks higher than this one as a personal fave, but that is only because I have a particular love for stories of crazed musical genius. Josh Harris, on the other hand, is not a likeable guy. Timoner has no great love for Harris - she was hired by Harris to film the "Quiet" project over a decade ago (for which he stiffed her financially), referred to him during the Q&A as a charlatan, and admitted that for a long time she had no interest in stringing this footage together. Thankfully, that changed - as she said in the Q&A, despite her conflicted feelings about Harris, she felt that this was a film that needed to be made - the time was right, and Harris gave her complete access to the footage, letting her tell the story she wanted to tell.

And oh what a story it is. Harris truly believes that entertainment in the future will involve everyone having cameras in their house, the job of "producers" being to pull this footage into something that is engaging to watch. Oh the horror - and I like to think (or hope) he is wrong, though the volume of "reality" tv shows is already testing those boundaries. I get scared by things like the changing meaning of the word "friend"; that the self-worth of today's youngsters is starting to hinge on the number of online "friends" or "followers" they have, and that despite these fears I too have online conversations with people who I really don't know (name? location? age? family? schooling? job? no idea...and those are just the basics). Are they my "friends"? No. But how hard is it going to be to hold on to that distinction? What role do these online connections play in how socially involved we feel?

Uncomfortable questions to be sure, but important ones.

(And I will say a big thanks to Timoner for keeing the "toilet bowl cam" footage to a minimum.)

(and for those of you that read this earlier - I've gone back and corrected some pretty whacky sentences - that's what I get for trying to blog before my coffee has kicked in)

Today's struggle: moral ambiguity...

2009-09-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

Sigh. A rare Bunklelife True Revelations moment ahead.

When I woke up the other morning, the first thing I heard on the CBC was a news story about Roman Polanski's arrest in Switzerland. My reaction? I said - out loud -"OH for FUCK'S sake." You know it's a good morning when your first sentence includes the F-bomb. My initial reaction was frustration that this whole thing hadn't been dropped and put to rest long, LONG ago, and sympathy for the man involved.

But I've been thinking about my reaction. And about the situation. And I've been trying really really hard to figure out why I have sympathy for a 44 year old man who drugged and sodomized at 13 year old girl. And what I hate is that I don't really have a good answer. Or at least not any answers that I'm comfortable with.

Am I absolving him because he has brought some absolutely brilliant films to the world? No, but...yes he has ... but no... maybe?

Or because he is a "star"? Um....

Is it because I think the man has taken enough punishment in his life? (is the Holocaust and your wife's brutal murder not enough for one lifetime?) Um....kind of?

Is it because the 70's were different times (you know - drugs, free love, flowers and peace? or something like that?) I guess sort of...but not really...

Am I being a "victim blamer"? (she should have left when he told her to pose topless?) Ugh.

Or a "victim's mother" blamer? As if she knew...

Or is it just the passage of time - 30 years later let's just let it go...after all, the victim has ... But does that make it OK? No....

I can't explain it - particularly not when at the same time I am more than ready to be creeped out by Woody Allen's consensual relationship & subsequent marriage with a girl 35 years his junior that he had known (and helped raise) since she was a young girl (though strangely it seems to have worked out...but still - GROSS!), or the recent revelations about John and Mackenzie Phillips (though their sexual relationship is just one miniscule piece of a WHOLE lotta f*cked up). And lord knows that even though my nieces are both young adults now, if I found out either of them had something going on with a guy 30 years older than them, consensual though it may be, I would quite certainly be ready to rip out the offending testes with my bare hands - even though in the eyes of the law they are both "consenting adults". Reasonable? Maybe not, but ...would it be different if that 30-years-older guy was George Clooney? Or Harrison Ford? Or David Suzuki? Or David Bowie? (I know, I know - a random selection if ever there was one) I like to think not...but...?

So why am I cutting Polanski so much slack?

I honestly don't know. It must have something to do with his cultural significance, or his personal history, mixed with the passage of time, because I know for certain if some random 40 year old guy was caught raping a 13 year old I'd want the book thrown at him.

Ugh. It doesn't make sense, and it obviously doesn't sit comfortably...but I can't shake it.

So I'm being a little smug...

2009-09-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

At the risk of this blog becoming All Dan Mangan, All the Time - this Vancouver boy has just won the $25,000 "Artist of the Year" at XM Satellite's Verge Music Awards, a good old fashioned popularity contest calculated by listener votes if I am not mistaken.

For those that have been following this blog - I like to think that this is proof that when I'm right, I'm right - rare though it may be (and as nonsensical a statement as that is...in fact, I'm not sure exactly how my logic is working here for any of this, but it's Sunday and it's early, so work with me). And big congrats to Dan - it seems like it is finally happening for him.

The video above is Dan with Vancouver's Hey Ocean! at the Western Canadian Music Awards in Brandon MB (whoohoo Brandon! ;) Enjoy.

Some things stay the same

2009-09-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

Spent last night at the Commodore for D.O.A.'s dvd release party last night. This ranks up there as one of those nostalgia moments, for me, and for most of the people there at the table with me last night. My underage self was transfixed by their live shows back in 1982 - but I was transfixed by the whole Vancouver alternative music scene back then, or at least what I knew of it. I certainly spent a whole lot less time deciding what to wear last night than I did back in the day.

So - how is the band fairing? Well, to start with the only remaining member on stage is the irreplaceable musical politico Joey Shithead Keithley, and he's still got it going on. He looks great (dare I say better?), he sounds great, and he's still as empassioned a guy as he ever was. Sure, there isn't the same frantic rawness anymore, but it's 30 years later for heavens sake - if things hadn't grown a bit more...controlled...over time, it would be pretty weird. And I can't really imagine the 1982 Shithead telling the audience to get themselves aquainted with Woody Guthrie, the father of the protest song - but I kind of loved that he did last night. Change? Sure - but overall the essence of the man and his concerns is just the same - it has just grown deeper and more solid. He's still living it, and that in itself is inspirational.

I have full videos with better sound here (including the one featuring the stuffed Gordon Campbell effigy featured in these stills - which was quickly dismembered, its limbs thrown about by the crowd after Joey tossed it into the mosh pit ), but I though for this site I would just post a couple of short clips - the top one is from the fringes of the mosh pit roiling in front of the stage, which my ears (and camera) could only manage for a couple of songs. Enjoy.

The List!

2009-09-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

OK - for those that are interested, here are the films I have tickets for (so far... I have 2 unassigned tickets).
I may die of exhaustion (there are a couple of concerts in there as well) but there are a couple of things I'm really looking forward to - I do love Greenaway, and I do love Rembrandt, so I have high hopes for Rembrandt J'accuse. We Live in Public is also high on the list, particularly after I saw Errol Morris' interview with Josh Harris...but you can hit the link to find out more. And I will try to have the energy to do some brief reviews, at least of my faves. Wish me luck.

Nora's Will

Gigante

We Live in Public

Only When I Dance

Excited

Will Not Stop There

The Maid

It's Not Anime

Afghan Star

Rembrandt's J'accuse

Broke

Cooking History

Wah Do Dem (What They Do)

Cooking With Stella

Cedar Boys

I Killed My Mother

An Education

Chloe

WHEEEE!! It's that time of year!

2009-09-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's soon to be VIFF time again! I've been poring over the guide book, and I think I've found about 20 to see this year - though I still need to buy tickets (which I might right after I post...).

I do love VIFF, but though it pains me to say so, it makes me long for the crackling excitement of TIFF - which admittedly was my first experience of a film fest of any kind, so the bar was set high. I have fond memories of the long (LONG) lineup on labour day to pick up my tickets to see how many of my first picks I had this year (it's a complex, nail biting lottery system, details of which I won't bore you with). I have fond memories of sitting above Nick Cave, behind Roger Ebert, and in front of Alexis Bledel; of seeing Peter Dinklage walk confidently down the theatre aisle to a standing ovation after the screening of the truly lovely Station Agent; of listening to so many young directors so obviously and genuinely thrilled to have their films screened at such a big fest. I LOVED IT. Well, except for the crazy prices and overall stress of the whole ticketing process...ok I lie, the ticketing stress kind of added to the thrill of it all.

So - in comparison, VIFF feels kind of... tame. And easy. No lottery, no craziness. And seeing a film is actually cheaper at VIFF than when it comes out in wide release (ok, maybe that qualifies as crazy). It's very Vancouver somehow. There's no anxiety, no real buzz - just the opportunity to see what is - hopefully - a great film or two, fingers crossed.

I will keep you posted.

Paris: Some big things

2009-09-13T14:56:00.000-07:00

OK, I completely give up with attempting to make text and photos relate in any way - not sure why I am finding it such a struggle, but I am. Note to self: brush up on HTML skills. So - I will add two photos per topic. If you get lost, just count down.

Arc de Triomphe:
It's big. And if you make your way to the top, it gives you a clear view not only of Tui's rear end, but also the completely baffling traffic patterns below (can you use the word 'pattern' in this case? YIKES)

The Pantheon:
It's big. And quite beautiful. And it houses an example of Foucault's Pendulum, which is an added bonus.

The Eiffel Tower.

Also very big. I've included a "distance shot" so you can see how it looms over the Seine. We went in the evening, which was cool - and not only because it was raining (one of the few rainy patches we had, so I'm not complaining). It is an amazing structure. Part of me was hoping for a lighting storm...a larger part of me was not. Next time, will check it out during the day.

Notre Dame.
Also large...with very large rose windows. And a large number of truly fantastic small details, like this little guy. I'm restricting myself to two photos, which is a bit tough. There is a great photo of Tui doing a Hunchback pose, but you'll just have to imagine it.

The Luxembourg Palace/Gardens.
Big gardens, near the big Pantheon. This is one of the gorgeous manicured Parisian parks where you can observe the the locals at play. They also serve big (and really good) sandwiches, which you can eat seated on one of the many green chairs scattered about. A really beautiful place.

Bored now, so I'll stop!

Paris: Butterscotch and other sweets

2009-09-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

I think the Paris posts will be winding down soon, but I did want to post this one. Like the video of Tuesday on the Arc, this is another one really aimed at the family - specifically my brother M. who, I know, has a particular interest in Butterscotch the Robot Pony. So - here is a short of Mum enjoying meeting Butterscotch in the Bon Marché.

And as for other sweets - one word: FAUCHON. Fauchon is a gourmet food store - a big, hot pink house of food porn. Mustards, chocolates, pickled beans, coffee - you name it, it's there, all housed in hot pink luxury. We had a very very nice lunch at the Fauchon café (Tui is eating the end of that lunch in the photo), and more importantly, we bought 6 eclairs to take home - also pictured. ( T1, these are for you). Fauchon must have about 20 kinds of eclair to choose from, each one costing the same as two bottles of wine (my new unit of measure). But man, were they worth it. We carefully cut each of the 6 into three pieces, savoured, discussed, debated, and picked our favorites. Which, for me, was pretty much ALL of them.

*sigh*

Paris, in Pairs

2009-09-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

A bit of a random post today, with three of my favorite "pairs" pictures. I will start with the picture of Tuesday and me. I included this one for a few reasons:
1) gorgeous Seine background
2) acceptable picture of me (in that I am wearing sunglasses, preserving my anonymity - I avoid posting pictures of myself on this blog just in case I write something offensive and someone wants to track me down; and due to some weird body twisting on my part I don't look 7 months pregnant in that dress for once, which adds to the acceptability factor)
3) clear demonstration of the height difference between Miss T and myself. I might add, my height is NOT unusual, or overly short, despite what the rest of my family tells me. I am 5'5". Tui is closing in on 5'12". But she likes to remind me of my place with the little people. And once, she responded to an email of mine in which I was ragging on her to respond to a question I needed the answer to with "I'm not responding because I don't know the answer yet. And because you're below my sight line." Which, though it deserves a slap, makes me laugh every time I think about it. Tuesday's height made for a few good moments on the trip (including the couple on the plane who thought she was a remarkably tall 12 year old - "look at her face! She's just really tall") My fave was a point on our trip where Mum and I had to go to the washroom, leaving Tui outside waiting (and waiting). When we returned, she mentioned that a couple of short men had been circling her. We decided they were planning on clubbing her and dragging her back to their tribe of short men to improve on their breeding program. Luckily, we saved her just in time.

Picture #2 - Mum and Tui and the Ambiguous Sign. I am sure many MANY tourists have taken photos of what might be the world's most ambiguous street sign. We discussed the options:
1)NO hand holding allowed;
2)NO pedophiles allowed;
3)NO holding Jan's hand when you are wearing pants, Tui

I did some internet research, and discovered that the actual meaning is "end of pedestrian zone." I'm hoping they fired whoever designed this one.

Picture #3: Tui and her tall boyfriend
This was taken on a street near where we were staying. He might not have a face, but they make a nice couple don't you think?

Paris - where the dead people are....

2009-09-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thought this time I'd focus on three different things you can do if you want to see dead people in Paris. I'm not saying that the methods are limited to three - I can provide other suggestions if necessary, that's for sure.

Ranked according to levels of squeamishness

Method #1: Basilica of Saint-Denis (AKA "the Royal Necropolis")
The majority of the French monarchs from the 10th century on are buried at Saint-Denis, so there is no shortage of dead people to visit. It's great for the squeamish because the dead have been transformed into pleasant effigies - well, except for the dried heart of Louis XVII, which is presented in a nice clear glass jar. And, you have the bonus of being able to admire the variety of loyal dogs placed at the feet of the royal women (in contrast to the lions at the feet of the men), and some great 16th C graphiti (enlarge the photo of the bare breasted beauty and you'll see what I mean).

All this, housed in the first major gothic building. You can't lose.

Method #2: Cemeteries are nice...
Paris has some of the most renowned cemeteries in Europe. We didn't get to the most famous, but we did wander through the Montmartre Cemetery, which was impressive enough. It ranks a bit higher on the creepy scale than Saint-Denis because of the occasional disturbed grave, and the fact that some of the monuments seemed to include items that indicate some sort of habitation of the not-so-dead kind (why else would you need a pot? or a chair?). Added bonus: standoffish Parisian cemetery cats.

Method #3: The Paris Catacombs
Let's face it, who doesn't love a good ossuary?

This ranks pretty high on the creepy scale. To cut a long story short, in the late 18th C the inhabitants of the "city" cemeteries in Paris were dug up and their remains relocated to abandoned underground quarries (apparently the cemeteries were overwhelmed and the neighbouring living inhabitants were getting sick as a result...which I guess turns into a bit of a vicious cycle ...). So, you walk down about 130 steps (a typical Parisian spiral staircase) into the bowels of the city only to find tunnel upon narrow damp tunnel lined with neatly stacked ex-Parisians. Thousands of them. (as an aside - I have to say the first picture here - with the skulls on top - is one of my favorite photos EVER, because it looks so very baroque and painterly. Total fluke). And once you are down there, you are down there - there is no quick easy escape. If you get claustrophobic, stick to the cemeteries.

I might add that I did not touch any of the skulls, though it was kind of tempting. Not sure the same can be said of my companions.

So - that's the end of the tour through dead Paris. Something more lively next time perhaps.

Another Paris post: There is stuff to see, isn't there?

2009-09-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

Why yes, there is...and though we spent a fair bit of time in galleries/historic buildings/places with dead people, there is a lot we didn't see, but that just gives me another reason (other than cheese that is) to go back. It's a bit surreal for me to see things that I spent so many years studying and writing papers on and doing seminars about (and so many subsequent years slowly losing the details of ...sigh!). It's such a pleasure, but part of me is so frustrated that it couldn't have happened years ago when all that there book-learnin' was still locked securely in my brain.

I should also mention we had museum passes - expensive unless you are seeing a lot, BUT it means you can skip past the line ups in most cases, which is priceless.

Perhaps stupidly obvious, the thing that shocked me the most was the Louvre. I'm not a complete idiot - I knew it was big - but nothing could have prepared me for the scale of it. We spent about 7 hours walking through what I would guess is maybe 1/3 of the galleries - mainly the Egyptian section, and the 16th/17th C Netherlandish and Italian wings. The highlight for me was the Rubens room, which contains the unbelievable Marie de' Medici cycle. Unreal. UNREAL. The photo of Mum in the gallery is not my best effort, but hopefully it gives you an idea of the scale of it. I *heart* Rubens (and many other 17C Dutch/Netherlandish painters, admittedly) and I could have sat in there most of the day and been happy as a clam.

Realistically, the Louvre is probably a three day endeavor. The idea that they offer a one and a half hour tour of "the highlights" makes me shake my head. Highlights? The whole freaking place is a highlight. Maybe it's just the art snob in me that found the crowds around the Mona Lisa a bit pathetic. Sure, it is a master work, but there are hundreds of other true masterpieces in that gallery that are not surrounded by 100 photo snapping tourists quickly proving they have "seen it" before rushing off to snap the next thing.

I should also give a shout out to the Louvre's outstanding collection of mummified kitties. Gives me ideas for my two.

We also went to the nearby Museé de l'Orangerie, best known for two rooms of Monet's Waterlilies. Rubens could still take Monet in an artistic cage-match in my opinion (OK, full disclosure, though I appreciate their importance, I'm not a big lover of the Impressionists), but it was pretty impressive.

OK, running out of steam now. More later (hopefully) - maybe something about dead people, who knows?

Another Paris post...

2009-09-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

So I promised a few photos and a few words about the trip. Not sure how many you'll get, but I will start and see where things go.

Firstly, if you are going to Paris - or just want a very funny read - I advise The Sweet Life in Paris, written by relocated American pastry chef David Lebovitz. Pretty much all you need to navigate the very unique culture that is Paris, mixed up with great recipes and wicked humour. I read it cover to cover on the flight over, and it was the perfect airplane book (thanks for the suggestion T1!!). And it is a LONG freaking flight, so you'll need something to read, trust me.

Maybe I'll start with a little bit about where we stayed in Montmartre. Montmartre is the highest point in Paris, north of the city centre, and is where much of the wonderfully whimsical Amelie was filmed. We rented an apartment, which is definitely the way to travel if you are staying put for a bit - it's nice to have a home base where you can relax and unwind. I did mention the issues with lack of promised phone/internet/extra bed earlier, but apart from that (which I could shake off a bit more easily after reading Lebovitz' book) it worked out well. The place was large and bright and perfectly located.

We quickly discovered the boulangeries and fromageries in the 'hood - OHMYGOD so good. SO good. Tuesday would skip off in the mornings and come back armed with a fresh baguette wrapped with a twist of brown paper, or with buttery croissants and some truly evil chocolate filled pastries, and late afternoon we would snuffle our way through wine, cheese (oh comté, how I love thee) and slices of baguette after a day of walking (and walking and walking) around the city. The photo of Tuesday is a post-cheese-gorge couch flop. Notice the comté induced smile.

Which brings me to a couple of points - first, wine. You can buy a bottle of wine (tasty, drinkable wine) for considerably less than a cup of coffee. It is seriously the cheapest thing in Paris. We were buying wine for the equivalent of maybe $4 a bottle - and I wasn't picking up the lowest priced bottles, trust me. Crazy. So - if you could survive on wine and wine alone, Paris would be a pretty cheap place to visit.

You also read a lot about the standoffish attitude of Parisians, but that wasn't really what I found. And honestly, if I was Parisian, I'd be standoffish - they just seem to have life worked out in a much more balanced (dare I say superior?) way. Or maybe I'm just getting seduced by their obvious respect for cheese. Anyhow - provided you play by the rules (greeting the store attendants when you enter and exit a store for instance), and make an effort to speak French, generally they take pity on you and do what they can to help and make communication easier. That doesn't mean to say that they weren't getting a few jollies from our stumbling attempts, but that's OK by me. What I did discover that my comprehension of written French is better than I thought it would be, and that Tuesday & I had enough vocabulary between us to get through the basics most of the time, Tui with a much more elegant accent than my own. As for Tui's reading comprehension, she spent a fair bit of time poring through a French book on methods of committing suicide that she found in the apartment bookcase (aka French holiday reading?) - and she seemed to be picking up most of it.

I think that's enough for today...more later.

I see London, I see France...

2009-09-06T18:35:00.001-07:00

We are HOME - and there are many photos and words to come once I have slept. We had a wonderful time, we really did.

As a start - I couldn't wait to post this short video taken on our first day of serious touristing, on top of the Arc de Triomphe. I didn't know what a gem I had until Mum and I took a look at it on my camera during lunch later than day and both started crying with laughter...but maybe only my family will find it funny, who knows. Either way, it made for a great start to the day.

There is a life lesson in there somewhere (involving granny panties I'm thinking...).

Paris - meet Tui.

Bonjour mes amis...

2009-08-31T10:25:00.000-07:00

Well, my promises to blog regularly were dashed upon arriving at the apartment - the owner had decided to disconnect the internet/phone. I lamented - a lot - for a while, but I am over it now. There was something decidedly Parisian about the feined shrugs of sympathy, and somehow that has made it bearable.

The weather has been crazy good, though the rain should hit tomorrow for a bit. This place is embarassingly beautiful. It makes London (another personal fave) feel like childs play. We have seen, and done, a LOT so far, and there is a lot more to come. Tui has also exposed herself to France in ways that none of us could have forseen - but I will wait til I can post the video for that one...:)

Speaking of Tui - we are sharing a bed (another unforseen circumstance that involved feigned sympathy and shrugs), separated by The Noodle - a long body pillow that Tui accuses me of moving unfairly to her side, while I accuse her of flopping around like a caught tuna in the middle of the night (which, I might add, she doesn't really deny). But we are managing. And grandmere is managing to eat dinner at 8.

And I have found my new forever love - comte cheese. Praise the lord for comte!!

Not sure if I will be able to post again, but if not, will post upon my return...

Au revoir....

2009-08-25T20:17:00.001-07:00

A little bit of Elvis from a lovely show at Malkin Bowl last night (video quality gets better after the first little bit, but i do cut it short...sorry).

If my computer doesn't get stolen by those wily Parisian pick pockets, you will hear more from me soon...

:)

Intense

2009-08-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

A quick post, my last before flying to Paris on Wednesday. This one is really a way of avoiding doing all the things I need to do today (AUGH!), but I will make it short. I do plan to take my laptop with me this trip, and have hopes of doing some posts while sipping wine and eating cheese - or something like that. I do get worked up before trips - particularly with the whole packing thing - but am usually fine as soon as I get to the airport and things become, pleasantly, out of my control.

Before I go - a few quick words on The Dead Weather show on Friday night. INTENSE. Putting Alison Mosshart and Jack White in a band together is a stroke of genius, both musically and because they are both so crazily riveting to watch on stage. The Commodore was completely packed and the energy in the place was great. My camera had less fun with it all - poor thing was losing its digital mind trying to cope with the glaring blue lights and strobes. I didn't film much, and I'm not sure what I did capture really conveys how much they owned the place.

There are a couple more videos, as per usual, here.

Really not in the mood to post...

2009-08-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

...and therefore probably shouldn't.

But there are two things that are worth your time out there (drum roll please...)

In the Loop - British political satire at its finest. The trailer doesn't do it justice. I have a soft spot for the elaborate obscene insult, and there are many. MANY. With rocket fast dialogue and a painfully plausible storyline, it's well worth shelling out the $10 to go see. I've included a clip below, but if you find yourself too delicate for ripe language, you might want to give it a miss...

Dan Mangan's Nice, Nice, Very Nice has been released. Give it a listen. Even better, go see him at the Cultch in a couple of weeks.

Hopefully next time, I will have something more inspired to say!

Do they eat blue potatoes in Paris?

2009-08-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

(Je voudrais une pomme de terre bleue s'il vous plait..?)

No energy to post. My brain is starting to turn to plans for a 10 day excursion to Paris in a couple of weeks. I have been reading carefully how not to be mistaken for an American tourist - because that's what the tips lists seem to focus on (eg. don't wear white sneakers...do I even own white sneakers?). I have been mentally packing. And repacking. And giving myself pep talks on how to be a non-irritable travel companion while reviewing a few key French phrases (see above). Some of it is coming back. Most of it is not. But as long as I can ask for a blue potato, I will be fine.

Anything else I need to do?

This time, it's not me that's hot

2009-07-31T09:09:00.001-07:00

Finally, a morning where I am not dripping in sweat just standing in my house.

Hallelujah!

Bit brain-dead (tired) after a late night with Blitzen Trapper. They played the Venue as the original venue, Richards, is now being turned into much needed (ha...sigh. I curse you Aquilini...) condos. To be fair, they have tried to improve the Venue's space - they have removed the completely annoying bar that was smack in the centre of the floor, and the carpet no longer sticks to your feet (well, not yet) like it did in the club's previous incarnation, The Plaza. That being said, it is still a lot more awkward a venue to see a band at (particularly if you don't feel like standing), and the ambient crowd noise is REALLY high. We ended up at our usual spot, right at the end of the balcony basically overhanging the stage, which really is not the ideal place sound-wise (your head is about 4 feet away from the flown speaker bank) but gives you a pretty good view. And the place was packed, which was great to see.

The band put on a great show, and the openers - the Quiet Ones - were a lot of fun too. I took a few videos, but my positioning was a bit awkward - not my best efforts, my framing is consistently whacky, but here is the beautiful title track from their fab second album, Furr...

Not feeling very coherent this morning, so let's be safe and leave it at that.

Cat Flatness

2009-07-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

Seriously. ENOUGH already with this f$&king hot weather. I moved away from Toronto to get away from this nightmare.
I will never complain about rain again (ok, that's a lie...but for today, it's the truth)
signed,
Me and the Flat Cats

Folk Fest #2 - because there is ALWAYS more to share..

2009-07-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

Not a particularly content-full post, but here we go. First, Vancouver's incorrigible Geoff Berner. I don't know if I can come up with a better word for him. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to capture his 2010 Olympic Theme Song ("The Dead Children Were Worth It!"), which you can hear here. He's a bit like the South Park of the festival - sometimes you can't believe what you are hearing, but nine times out of ten he's holding up a pretty effective (if uncomfortable..and funny...) mirror for us to peek into

Some lovely reeds (oh how I love you Jericho Beach Park)....

Geoff Berner, of course...

Steven Page on the main stage, in what must be his Special Pink & Blue Show Suit...

Some Bellowheads...

the Weakerthan's John K Samson...

and a rather handsome Breakman, just to cleanse the palate. Or something like that. And I will say this is a perfect example of how I FIGHT WITH THE FORMATTING in this stupid blog!! AUGH!! Any tips on how I can get photos and text to play well together, let me know.

Vancouver Folk Festival...here we go, brace yourself...

2009-07-20T15:42:00.001-07:00

...for a long one.

I've been thinking for the morning how I'm going to break this one down. The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is hands down my favorite event in Vancouver. FAVORITE. If the weather is good, it is guaranteed to be two and a half days of sunburn/sunstroke, food from places with names like "The Preserved Seed Cafe" (cafe or sperm bank? Hmmmm), giggling at the colourfully clad interpretive dancers (who are not necessarily listening to any music you or I might be hearing), unusual relaxed friendliness, and GREAT music.

An Introduction to the VFMF:
I figured this year I would try and get the feeling of the place across with some visuals. A few stills, and then a couple of videos just to set the atmosphere: First, a quick 360 turn from beside the (controversial) new beer tent, with waving from my pals A & A, followed by a fantastic bit of dancing by a guy that is there, dancing to his own special tune, EVERY year:

Are you feeling it yet? Yes? Well, let's move on then...

Apparently I went with my sister...or ...?:
For the last few years, my partner in crime at the festival has been my dear pal A. We are about the same height and width, and take up roughly the same volume in the world. We both wear our festival cowboy hats, sit in our matching striped chairs (hers blue, mine pink) getting matching tank-top burns, with our similar sunglasses and identical cameras. At the festival, this means one of two things: to those that know only one of us, it means we must be sisters...one just being the pasty british version of her Chilean/Hungarian sibling I guess; for those that don't know at least one of us, it means we are A Couple. Not that we wouldn't make a pretty cute couple, I must say, but I'm guessing it does provide effective protection against meeting the man of my dreams there. I'm just saying.

The Music:
Now, this is the most important part of it all.

The lineup was really interesting this year - though still including some great classic folk & blues, and some fantastic international musicians, the focus shifted slightly towards acts that would appeal to a slightly younger crowd. The evening shows included Steven Page (who to his credit made some pretty funny self deprecating jokes about his drug related arrest and departure from the BNL), Iron & Wine, and the Weakerthans; and dotted throughout the weekend were personal faves the Great Lake Swimmers, Veda Hille, Rock Plaza Central, and Dan Mangan. So here we go with some highlights:

Holy crap, what was THAT? : Rev. Payton's Big Damn Band
Now, this video does NOT convey the monumentally imposing figures the Rev and his wife Breezy make. I wish I had more of their set. Particularly, the part when Breezy lights her washboard on fire and keeps playing through the flames. I'll be watching out for these guys, they were fantastic.

Yes, I know you know: Dan Mangan
I have spoken before about my Mang-on (I should add that the friend that accused me of that has subsequently changed it to Har-dan...or maybe I shouldn't add that...). Each time I see him perform I am floored by his talent, both as a songwriter and as a vocalist. And his charisma is...well, I defy you to find a grandma that wouldn't want to pinch those cheeks and feed him a bowl of soup, or a 20 year old that isn't hatching a plot to take out his girlfriend. And that, dear readers, is the mysterious combination that will move this young talent into the spotlight sooner rather than later. Mark my words. His new CD Nice, Nice, Very Nice will be released the second week of August. The tracks I have heard (either live or on the teaser EP released earlier this year) are fantastic, and if the stars are aligned as they should be, it will bring him the recognition he has long deserved.

And one day, one day, I will be able to listen to Basket without tearing up. Unfortunately, that one day was not yesterday.

I caught a bit of his workshop stage with his friend Mark Berube, and his fantastic solo set. (The still of him walking through the crowd is from the performance of Robots, which another lucky Fest goer videoed here) I should add that part of the delight of his solo set was that the enchanting Veda Hille sat in for a few songs, including these two:

Rock Plaza Central: Gimpy banjo? I don't think so...
Meet another band I am ridiculously passionate about. I can't quite pinpoint what it is that appeals to me so much - there's a rawness to it all, or an immediacy or something - that just grabs me. That, and Chris Eaton's incredible lyrics. Their new album ...at the moment of our most needing just came out, and it is absolutely fantastic. It was great to see them live in Vancouver with an audience of more than 50, and as Chris Eaton pointed out, somewhere where there seemed to be fewer crack addicts than the places they usually play. RPC played an absolutely fantastic workshop stage with Bellowhead and Geoff Berner - here's a glimpse of that magic:
They also played a fantastic solo set, during which Chris recounted that someone from the Breakmen asked him what style of banjo he played. He responded "gimpy". You be the judge:

I'm running out of steam now...but I will squeeze in another thing I loved - the Great Lake Swimmers. What a TREAT to see them at so many workshop stages, and for the most magical evening show, the band lit by the setting sun.

Gorgeous. Absolutely. And in every way.

Beautiful:

2009-07-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

My NEW back garden (thanks Mel! - that's her on my back porch...)

Less that beautiful:

rat face & tail, connected by a few entrails, found on the back path. Poop from satisfied coyote, found nearby.
new loaner fridge, which is squished into my kitchen alongside my regular fridge. Sigh. This fridge saga is OBVIOUSLY not over...
the lack of fence in the back yard (or rather, the stellar view of the alley & my car). Next year, next year.

WHiNE.

2009-07-08T17:19:00.000-07:00

My day:

5:25 - Get up
7:10 - Grab lunch from freezer before heading to work
7:11 - Discover lunch isn't frozen; discover nothing in the freezer is frozen. Swear
7:14 - Misplace my bus pass; swear again
7:16 - Find bus pass. Go to work*
8:00 - Call Sears - they tell me they will be there "sometime between 8 am - 7pm". I tell them I have to leave my house at 5:00; they will make note of that
8:15 - Rush BACK from work, home just before 9am. Cats appear to be happy to see me, but can you really tell with cats?
9:50 - notice that there is a "missed call" from Sears at 8:15am, but no message.
10 - 11am: online meeting for work
11:05 - Mum stops by with freezer box.
11:10am - call Sears to clarify if there was a reason they called at 8:15am. Find out the tech has logged a note saying "left message that we are only available during the day, not after 5pm". AUGHHH.
3:50pm - Sears tech arrives, all smiles. After 10 minutes, tells me I have a Serious Problem. Gas Leak. Major Repair. Loaner Fridge Required. Sears will call me with details (I am still under warranty. I should be. The fridge is a month old)
3:58pm - find out that the tickets I bought for a band I don't know just so I could be there on Richards "last night" are actually NOT for the last night. The last night, they have decided, is the evening before. The band I don't know is now moved to the crap "Venue" (aka the Plaza). Sigh.
4:15 - cancel appointment at vet for 5:30 pm, as still haven't heard from Sears. Rebook for Friday night. Because I want to spend Friday night at the vets. Really.
4:30pm - go into kitchen to find raccoon attempting to break in through cat door, likely because he smells thawing food. Cats stare at door, goggle-eyed. Which, truthfully, makes me laugh.
4:30 - 5:15 - spend a lot of time pacing. It's a family trait.
5:30 - am pouring myself a drink and plan to stay still until this day is over.

*I have NO idea why I didn't call Sears before leaving for work. Really.

BunkleLife

The Christmas of the Swedish Licorice

It's Tree Time again....

cat heads!

Tui's complaining....

Down to London...and a Thistle with a few thorns

Things at the zoo

Last day, just about...AKA goodbye Hammerhead Junior

Not quite the Parthenon, but close enough

An addendum to yesterday's post....

Edinburgh - where Tui isn't the only monkey

Art and wind

A wee castle...

Hollyrood...

Late and slightly aimless in Edinburgh

My Mum the Terrorist

OK I think I've figured out iPad blogging

A traveling we go

Water sports - AKA hot tubs, hot springs, and water rescues

No, I don't have a drinking problem

Did someone say cats?

Has it really been..?

Yes, I still have a cat!

I need a shell to get me back in the game...

April 1, 1936 - January 26, 2011

I escaped, but I'm back now...

Time ticks on...

My heart is chipped.

Grinderman, and just...the grind.

Bring out the dayglo tape....

$1100 and counting....

Yes, I'm still here...

This feels weird, but...

What have I been doing?

It's started....

Weekend away...

OK OK I'm still here....

Weekend wrap-up: Horse heads, sock garters and Porta Potties - OH MY

See, I'm doing what I promised...

No I haven't disappeared...but I'm not home either!

Little Lion Man...Mumford & Sons

It's been a while...

Tulips.

DOXA time!

Neurotic and Lonely....Gabriel Kahane

Jónsi ...

Friday - A story of Luff and Hate

All hail Noah Baumbach

Just a place holder....

Bring on the toe suckers...

Some good news this way comes....

Scott Walker: 30 Century Man

It's almost too much

Olympic Portraits

Dan Mangan at the CBC: you had me at Leonard Cohen

KAMP

Learning to let go

Goodbye Kate

There's an essay in there for someone who wants to write it....

Is this what you mean by "in situ"?

The Bunkle goes mid-century modern???

Sometimes I like to feel used.

Look what I found under the tree (AKA better late than never?)

Bunklelife - Top Albums 2009

This isn't a real post - but...

TO...or the T-dot...or Tawranna...

Much more than just reading...

Tuesday on Tuesday

Necks are overrated.

Where was I last night?

I *heart* David Sedaris

Happy Halloween, Vampire Style

Finally, I have something in common with Lindsay Lohan...

I'm a bit dizzy but...

Grizzly Bear...Again

And MORE....

Too tired but...

VIFF highlights so far...

Today's struggle: moral ambiguity...

So I'm being a little smug...

I heart David Sedaris