some photos

Breakfast

I love eggs!

I hate shopping for eggs because I always think of things like this.

Back at home in rural Canada we got our eggs from a farmer. They tasted better, and the chickens sure as hell weren't all locked up in "battery pens."

Now I've got to pay top dollar for organic free range eggs, whereas I used to be able to buy dozens for a buck-fitty straight up.

Stupid city.

The Sun Run

Helen and I ran the Vancouver Sun Run.

As a tribute to the absolutely ridiculously massively hugely gigantic number of people registered, we decided to pace ourselves at exactly one minute per thousand people registered to run.

54:45 was my time, pretty close eh...


OR

Helen had a hangover and I hadn't run in about a week so we took it pretty easy (or were unable to really giver.)

Truly My Favourite Band

Music is probably the single most important thing in my life. I could be (and have been) cold, alone, hungry, sad, dirty, hungover, and injured - but a good bit of music will pull me up out of the muck.

One of the bands that really inspires me is Folky Strum Strum and the Postmodern Bluegrass Boys (or Orchestra, or just Folky Strum Strum.)

I've done my fair share of jamming with songsmith Ian Bruvold, and always found him to be a creative if offbeat (but usually on or at least very near the actual beat) musician. The same goes for Reno Fitch, and especially Graham Kerr who I do believe is quickly becoming Western Canada's best bass-clef-based musician.

I can remember the first time I heard these guys rip through a set, actually it could have been more of a meander or stroll.

It was fantastic. Ian, Graham, and Reno became something more than a tall guitarist, a tall mandolinist, and a tall bassist. They became a a musical distillation of rural Canadian life during a time that saw farmers turning into oilmen and oilmen turning into drugmen. That, and they didn't have to stand on a stage to see over the crowd while doing it.

There is constant talk about style in music. We analyze genres and scenes, we pick apart influences and commonalities. For the most part, and I say this with no great joy, bands can be categorized. But the Folky Strum Strum became more than a genre or scene or a fusion of styles. They were, during their brief existence, the touching voice of something beyond human. Hearing their songs live was like tapping into actual meaning.

Louis Armstrong said, "What we play is life."

Folky Strum Strum did, and I hope we all can find whatever truth they managed to connect to.

Ian Bruvold, I hope my praise doesn't embarrass you too much. You're pretty good at the music stuff.

The Mojito

Sweetness and citrus
Summer and rum I sit and sip
Muddled lime and mint

I love a good mojito.

Work

I've had a few jobs over the last few years; Painter, carpenter, editor, computer technician. There are a few more I could add to that list, but rather than focus on what I've done I'd like to focus on what I do.

Right now I'm working at BCIT, I've got the ever-so-impressive title of Assistant Instructor - Broadcast Journalism.

It's a fabulous job for so many reasons, number one being that sharing information (teaching) is actually the best way to learn AND it's about the single most rewarding thing you can do.

As my contract expires in June I have begun the search for employment, and I realize that I've been working for the competition. Not BCIT, but the students in the Broadcast-Journalism program.

Should I be pleased that I've done (from what I hear) a good job, or should I be terrified that now there are 42 more budding journalists vying for the small pool of jobs in the region - this set had even more training that I did, although I'm not sure if that makes a huge difference because so far the most important things I've learned about broadcasting I found out on my own or while working.