SOCial herMIT

Christmas Concert

2011-12-13T11:25:00.003-04:00

It's Nate's Christmas Concert today. Here he is all set to go to school. Let's hope his outfit makes it to the 1.30pm unscathed.

The mackerel run

2011-09-30T21:39:00.000-03:00

I happened to find myself down on the waterfront this afternoon, and saw something quite amazing. Well, maybe it was only amazing to me, because no one else seemed to be paying any attention to it.

You can just make them out in the photo above. At first I thought it was just a school of them, but as I continued down along the waterfront, I realized that they were everywhere along the waterfront. Mackerel, lots of mackerel.

The water was boiling with fish, and no one else seemed to notice or care. I of course have only seen things like this on TV, usually on some BBC documentary hosted by David Attenborough. I've seen schools of fish while scuba diving, but never anything on this scale! And in the Halifax Harbour of all places! The very same harbour where raw sewage was still routinely being discharged into as recently as 2000. There's actually life in there?! Real fish even! Not horribly mutated fish-like creatures with two heads and three eyes, but actual real fish!

It's almost enough to make this pessimist think that there might just be a little hope left in this world yet.

The first day of school

2011-09-06T10:37:00.000-03:00

Stinky Nervous Chuck

2011-06-26T23:05:00.001-03:00

A baby bird, sitting by the side of the street. It didn't look hurt, but it didn't look like it was capable of doing much else besides sitting either. That was the situation Friday morning, when I went to get Nate back from Kiddy Capers. Nate had gone off to play with some friends in the park, so I went back inside and found a small plastic tub, stuck some holes in the top of it, and put the little thing inside. Nate carried the bird all the way home.

When we got back, we called Hope for Wildlife and they told us that this time of the year it was very common to find young birds on the ground. They suggested we take it back to where we found it and it wouldn't be long before it's parent showed up. So we transferred the little bird into a cardboard box, and packed some snacks and walked back to Larry O'Connell. We set the box down right where we had found the bird, took the top off and crossed the street and waited. There were lots of birds about, but not one came close to investigate. After almost 2 hours, we packed it up and walked home. In all that time, the little bird had just sat in the box, calling every once in awhile.

Another call to Hope for Wildlife to see if someone could come and pick up the bird, and we got some cat food to feed the little guy in the meantime. I was all set to go find it some worms, but I was damned if I was going to chew one up for it first! The cat food option sounded much more appealing. Apparently baby birds get fed by their parents every 20 minutes. So we started to feed the little fella as best as we could. After a few hours he seemed to perk up and was even happy to perch on my finger while I fed him. Didn't seem to mind being handled at all. Patty had already dubbed him Stinky. Nate decided he should be called Nervous because he was probably nervous when we first brought him home. I called him Chuck, cause that was what his little call sounded like to me.

Later that evening, a volunteer from Hope for Wildlife stopped by to pick up Stinky Nervous Chuck, who turned out to be a baby robin. She seemed to think that he was in good shape and would probably do well. I hope so, he was a sweet little bird and I think we all kinda miss him now that he's gone.

It tastes suspiciously like...

2011-06-11T15:23:00.000-03:00

...beer!

It's been three weeks since I bottled the home brew, and while it hasn't felt extraordinarily long, that time didn't fly by either. I had intended to wait four weeks before cracking one open, but today seemed like as good a day as any.

I am happy to say bottle #1 went down very nicely. A nice pale ale, fruity up front with a nice hoppy finish. I doubt if it'll win any medals, but I won't be pouring it down the drain either. Only sixty-six bottles more to go.

Cheers!

New glass

2011-04-21T20:25:00.003-03:00

eyes, originally uploaded by J J Justinsen.

Shot with the SMC P-FA 50mm f1.4 which I acquired on ebay April 10. Took a bit of time for the money to clear through paypal, but it finally made it here on Tuesday.

I think I am really going to like this lens. Should come in really handy for the 100 stranger project I'm working on.

When a reflector arrives in the mail, it's time to take some photos

2011-04-08T23:09:00.000-03:00

Shot with my SMC Pentax-M 1:1.4 50mm, with a gold reflector to one side. I think they turned out rather nicely.

Family dinner at Two If By Sea

2011-03-19T00:05:00.000-03:00

We had a family day today, so we took Nate across the harbour to Dartmouth to see his buddy Zane at Two if By Sea. By chance, we found out that there had been a cancellation for the family dinners that they'd started hosting. Date night!

We had a fabulous time! Great food, great hosts, and we got to meet some really great people as well. New friends we hope to see again soon!

Backyard birds seen in 2010

2011-03-17T22:59:00.001-03:00

I have been meaning to post a list of the birds I saw through 2010, mostly for my own records. As with most things these days, it kinda fell by the wayside. Since I find myself with a few minutes to spare, and since working on photographs isn't going too well with these old glasses of mine, I thought I'd get started on that bird list instead.

There were of course all the usual suspects:

Blue jays
Black capped chickadees
American goldfinches
European Starlings
Downy woodpeckers

But a few of these birds also made visits to our backyard last year:

Dark eyed Junco
Northern flicker
White-breasted nuthatch
Purple finch

But probably the most interesting bird to visit was a lone female ring-necked pheasant. If my dad had not been there with me to witness it, I might have not believed it myself. I thought it was a cat lurking in the brush waiting to ambush some unsuspecting bird, but then it popped out into the yard and it was most definitely not a cat.

In 2009, we saw a lot of common grackles, but they all but disappeared from our yard in 2010. Looking forward to what we'll see this year.

The universe might be trying to tell me something Part2

2011-03-16T23:35:00.000-03:00

I think the universe is telling me I may need writing lessons. I guess I've been taking the easy way out lately and I've let the pictures do the talking in most of my recent posts. Writing about the events of one day has taken me much longer than I had anticipated.

But back to the universe and how it's been communicating with me in the last few weeks. If I didn't know better, I think it might not like me going to work. Prior to this week, I've only been in to work for 2 afternoons out of a possible 8. If I told you why, you'd probably think I was making it all up!

Just a combination of things happening, conspiring to keep me away from work. Nate got sick and Patty was travelling. Nate's grandparents got sick and Patty was travelling. Then just when I made it back for one afternoon shift, I had to call the very next morning to say I couldn't make it in because Nate got sick again. This eventually led to my being sick. By the time this whole business with my glasses rolled around, I was starting to get a bit of a reputation at work for not showing up. Apparently my two co-workers were not taking any chances and had already arranged between themselves to cover my shift!

In any case, I guess it all worked out in the end. I made it to both my shifts this week, and in doing so, made a little boy cry yesterday afternoon. Poor fella, it broke my heart but I was only playing along with his mother. What is a guy to do when he's put on the spot like that? I hope I haven't traumatized him and forever altered the course of his life. What if that's why I was supposed to stay away from work? I may have forever changed the fate of the world!

You might laugh, but you weren't there and you didn't see his little face crumble. All that hope and faith suddenly dashed.

Fracking universe!

The universe might be trying to tell me something Part1

2011-03-15T23:18:00.000-03:00

I was about to take Snoopy out for a walk yesterday morning, when I realized that my glasses were sitting on my face oddly. One of the nose pieces had come off. Actually the piece of metal that held the nose piece had broken off. I retraced my steps and eventually found the piece that broke off on the bathroom floor.

In the meantime, Patty had already been on the phone to 4 or 5 different optometries and found a place that could solder the pieces back together again. It wasn't going to be pretty, but it would buy me some time till I got a new pair made. So I hopped in a cab and got myself over there. A nice lady took the pieces from me and told me that the repair would probably cost $10. No worries. Ten bucks is a deal considering I am blind without my glasses. I had to work that afternoon, and I wasn't relishing the thought of calling in to say I couldn't make it, again (but that story is for Part 2 of this post).

The glasses disappeared into a back room with the nice lady, and I took a seat since I really couldn't see anything. I heard an exclamation come from the back, followed by 'Oh my god!'. The other two staff members disappeared into the back and I was now all alone out front. I could make out words like plastic, glass, interspersed between lots more 'oh my god's. Another customer entered the store and one of the women came out to greet her. I managed to snag her as she passed and I asked if everything was alright back there. No, not really she replied and she went to meet the new customer.

For the next little bit I heard phonecalls being made from the back, the occasional 'oh my god' and I began to suspect that my glasses were probably in worse shape now than they were before. A few minutes passed, and finally a woman came out with my glasses...or what was left of them. The lens had shattered when she tried to remove it from the frame. Poor woman, she was visibly upset and kept saying how sorry she was. But she had a plan.

So, she got me some contact lenses to try on, while she explained to me that they were getting new lenses for me. It would take a few days of course, given my short-sightedness. So the contacts were just for the time being. I haven't worn contacts in years now, but these were surprisingly comfortable and I could see again. I even got to pick out a new frame, and then she asked me if I had a new prescription for my lenses. Quick phonecall to Patty and those were emailed over.

I left the store with a rather big smile on my face. When my glassed broke that morning, I wasn't really looking forward to having to spend what would probably amount to $500 to get new ones made. By some bizarre twist I am getting a new pair of glasses, with my new prescription for free. I feel like I just have won the lottery! I'm also wondering just how far I can take this...you know, like the next time I have to get a new pair of glasses. I might just have to snap that nose piece off myself and take it in to get soldered.

Good dog

2011-03-08T21:55:00.000-04:00

When Nate woke up this morning, he called me into his room and told me his tummy didn't feel like it normally did when he woke up. Then he threw up. That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day. He got me to make up a bed for him on the sofa, and spent pretty much all day there.

At some point during the day, Snoopy abandoned his favourite spot on the back of the other sofa by the picture window and curled up with Nate. I think it was his way of making Nate feel better. Nate said that Snoopy was taking care of him. It reminded me of when Nate first came home and became the newest member of our pack.

We were living in Vancouver then, and Snoopy had been number-one-son for over a year and a half. We were of course concerned about how he would react to the new addition. Would he feel threatened and perceive Nate as competition or worse a snack? We needn't have worried. Snoopy took to him right away, and made it his job to look after Nate.

He would wake me in the middle of the night when Nate was crying and we were slow to respond. He would come into Nate's room with me, and if I was having a hard time settling him back to bed, Snoopy would run back to our room to rouse Patty. It was almost like he was saying 'that guy hasn't got a clue what he's doing, you better go give him a hand'.

Whenever I took Snoopy out for a walk, the first thing he did when we got home was to check on Nate. He would run over to the bassinet and peek over the top, and if Nate was not in there Snoopy would run upstairs and check the crib. He would not do anything else until he had found Nate.

When Nate was old enough to start walking around the dog park, Snoopy was his constant shadow. He was never far from Nate, not even when there were other dogs to play with. He watched over Nate.

Snoopy, sticking close to an under-the-weather Nate.

I'd always meant to write a post about how great Snoopy was when we first brought Nate home, and maybe I have already? I forget. But watching Snoopy today brought back all those memories, and when I snapped the picture above, I already knew what I was going to do with it.

Good dog Snoopy. Good dog.

Nate turns 5

2011-02-27T19:31:00.000-04:00

Nate turned 5 yesterday. We started the day off with crepes for breakfast, followed by some presents. The rest of the morning was spent getting ready for his party. There were cakes to ice, fruit to slice, wiener rolls to bake, and a house to make presentable. It was pretty close in the end, but we got it done and I think everyone had a good time.

Happy birthday bubba!

On the deck of the Titanic

2011-02-13T19:50:00.000-04:00

A snowman's best friend

2011-02-09T08:28:00.000-04:00

Winter fun

2011-02-03T16:05:00.001-04:00

Nate and his little red sled, which turned out to be the fastest thing on the slope.

The long climb up.

Coming down.

Going over the top

Catching some air.

I think he's having a good time.

A bit of snow at last

2011-02-03T13:12:00.000-04:00

These are mostly for my brother's benefit, sorry you missed all the snow Kev!

The Force

2011-02-02T21:14:00.002-04:00

I realize that it's already February and I haven't posted an entry yet. Unfortunately, this posting is a bit of a cop-out. No photos, no thoughts, just a video from Youtube. Having said that, it is rather enjoyable. I find it amazing just how expressive that little guy can be, even with a mask on.

Given all the doom and gloom that has been in the news of late, this makes for a nice distraction.

This Christmas

2010-12-21T07:43:00.000-04:00

My brother Kevin is spending Christmas with us this year. It'll be the first Christmas I've had with him since 1998, so I'm really thankful he was able to make the long trek out here for it. It will also be the first Christmas that Nate will have with him. It should go without saying that Nate has been pretty much stuck to his side since he arrived. Best Christmas present ever!

Boozy Black Forest birthday cake

2010-11-15T12:05:00.000-04:00

Patty asked me what sort of cake I wanted for my birthday and I chose Black Forest. It's been years since I've actually had one, but they were a particular favourite of mine when I was younger.

I tried me best, but I don't think the pictures do it justice. It was delicious! Better than I remembered. An impressive feat considering it was the first time she had actually made one. Thank you lovely! I think I am going to be asking for these quite a bit from now on!

Experimental hair

2010-11-15T00:23:00.000-04:00

A walk around Charlottetown

2010-10-30T21:58:00.000-03:00

We spent a few days in Charlottetown last week, where we were all nicely spoiled at The Cranford Inn, a lovely B&B not 2 blocks away from our friends Lori and Paul. These photos were taken on a leisurely Friday morning walk through the city, culminating with a lobster dinner at the Water-Prince Corner Shop.

Getting in the mood for Halloween

2010-10-17T23:21:00.000-03:00

We've been trying to get this done for a few days now, but the weather hasn't been very cooperative. That and I have been feeling a little under the weather. But we caught a break this morning, it wasn't raining, and I wasn't feeling too badly.

A few minutes of fiddling about and voila! May I present to you dead Ned. As you can see, it didn't take Nate long before he was hamming it up for the camera!

Thanksgiving this year

2010-10-10T11:58:00.000-03:00

It's a special Thanksgiving for Nate this year. He'll have all his grandparents together in the one place. Who knows when or if this will ever happen again? He's a lucky kid to have the grandparents he does. It's been quite a revelation for me to see this relationship develop, because I never really had grandparents like that while I was growing up. Different place, different time I suppose.

In any case, watching Nate with his grandparents more than makes up for it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lego time

Peanut fight

There are no chocolates in Chocolate Lake

Waiting...

On the waterfront

2010-10-09T11:04:00.000-03:00

TEMPT1 and Eyewriter

2010-09-17T09:39:00.000-03:00

Sundays should always start with surprise visits like this

2010-08-22T21:08:00.000-03:00

Two old friends got to spend a little time together today. I doubt if surprise visits get any better than this.

You're doing a great job

2010-08-14T10:22:00.001-03:00

Nate:

Dad, you're doing a great job catching all those bugs in your traps.

Me:

Thanks Nate.

Nate:

Yeah, I wanted to tell you that because I'm your manager.

Me:

How do you know about managers?

Nate:

I don't know. I just know that this town is full of them!

What happened to June and July?

2010-08-04T11:00:00.000-03:00

I'm not sure how it happened, but June and July have slipped by and it's August already. I've been meaning to post updates to this blog for some time now, obviously without any success. I suppose I could tell you about all that we've been up to, but I'm being lazy.

Jack was our first visitor from Vancouver.

Our peonies bloomed while Patty was in Vancouver.

Mawio'mi - Grand Chief Membertou 400 pow-wow.

Steve, Leah and Liam visit from Vancouver. Liam hams it up with Nate.

Summer soccer with the Westmount Wallabies.

Father's Day

2010-06-20T22:36:00.000-03:00

This evening, Nate went to his treat jar and picked out a chocolate heart for me. "Happy father's day!", he cried, as he presented me with his gift. "It's a Transformers chocolate and they're really crunchy!".

It might not seem like much to you, but it meant the world to me. I already know I'm his best friend because he tells me this quite often. I know he loves me because he tells me this almost everyday now. Today I found out just how special I was, when he picked a treat out of his treat jar just for me.

So Nate, if you should be reading this one day, I just want you to know just how special you made me feel today. I love you son!

Nate, back in 2008

2010-05-31T23:03:00.000-03:00

This is Snoopy immediately after a bath

2010-05-31T12:33:00.002-03:00

Victoria Day

2010-05-24T21:56:00.000-03:00

10am and it was already 20 C, on it's way to a high of 29 C. We spent most of the day out in the backyard, in the shade of the big Norway Maple. Sunscreen, washing on the line, bare feet; summer in May. Emily and Sam came for 'Sunday dinner', and we spent a lazy afternoon sipping sangria, nibbling on veggies, fruit salad, and a bean salad.

Getting ready for the Tooth Fairy

2010-05-03T20:06:00.000-03:00

We were back at the dentist's again this morning to have Nate's front tooth extracted. Nate did very well, and we only had to bribe him with one Lego Bionicle and one Lego Star Wars toy. The hardest part was the needle, it just took so long to get the stuff into him, and he didn't like it. But Dr. Macdonald was great with Nate, and made sure that Nate was in control. He told him that all he had to do was say stop, and he would stop. And that was how it went. I think that really helped Nate feel more comfortable about the whole process. That and having Patty sit in the chair with him.

In the end it took just under an hour to get the job done. Nate got to take his tooth home in a special little tooth necklace, and tonight it goes under his pillow to await the Tooth Fairy.

It wasn't even half an hour after we left the dentist's when we heard him proclaim 'It's a good day.'

Symmetry

2010-04-29T13:01:00.000-03:00

It's probably been happening for some time now, I just never really noticed it. Nate's Lego constructs have mostly been on the small scale, usually assembled from pieces no longer than two stud lengths. Last Friday he dragged out his mega blocks and started building with them. It seemed like he was only at it for a short while when he walked into the office to show me this.

It may not look like much to you, but to me it was vastly different from the other things he's made. It's obvious that some thought went into it. It is completely symmetrical, in form and colour. My first response was to ask him if he had made it by himself. Silly question really. I had been in the office, Patty was out of town, there really wasn't anyone else! But to me it didn't seem possible that he had done it all by himself.

Later on that same day he came and showed me this.

'A robot!', I said.

'No! It's a mask!' he said.

And so it was, complete with eyes you could look through.

I have no idea when a child is supposed to develop these abilities, I just find it fascinating that it came about so quickly, and that I was fortunate enough to be around to witness it. A few days later, I watched him as he put together a 'building' in the waiting room at the dentist's. You could almost see the gears turning in his head, as he picked through the bins looking for the pieces he needed. He almost always picked them in pairs, but sometimes he'd find one piece and add it to the building before going back to find another one. If he couldn't find another one, he would look for a new pair that would work instead.

I'm pretty sure I could have watched him for hours.

The tooth fairy

2010-04-28T00:53:00.002-03:00

I took Nate to see the dentist yesterday morning. Some while ago he was trying to show Patty he could jump up and spin around in the air. However he forgot he had his hands in his pockets and lost his balance. He fell and smacked his face into the hardest part of the kitchen floor. A while later we noticed that his front left tooth was starting to discolour.

Yesterday, we learned that the tooth was dead and had to come out. So the good dentist took some time to explain to Nate how the tooth fairy had called and put in a request for Nate's tooth. Apparently she's building a house and needs Nate's tooth because it's the perfect fit for a hole in one of the walls. Personally, I find the idea of a house built out of teeth a little creepy, but Nate seemed to think this was perfectly fine. Dr. Livingstone also explained how they would remove his tooth, and how he would have to take it home and put it under his pillow so that the tooth fairy could pick it up. He's already wondering what the tooth fairy will leave him in return for his tooth.

The whole visit went without a hitch, and he didn't even want to leave after he was done. We spent another 20 minutes in the waiting room so that he could play with the mega blocks. He's always enjoyed going to the dentist and I hope that his next visit won't change that.

On the walk back to his grandparents' after that, he told me 'I love my dentist'. He also told me he loved me and I was his best friend. He turned to hug me, and I picked him him up to give him a big squeeze. Then he broke the spell with 'You can put me down now dad!' He's so sentimental.

We go back on Monday morning to get the tooth removed.

Allergy

2010-04-18T23:26:00.001-03:00

Nate (after a series of coughs):

I think I have an allergy. Yeah, I think I'm allergic...to myself.

Slugger

2010-04-14T21:54:00.000-03:00

Everything I know about baseball comes from movies like The Natural, Field of Dreams, and Bull Durham. When his nana asked him if he knew what baseball was, Nate's reply was "Yeah. It's a show on TV". Are you starting to see a pattern here?

His grandfather got him the tee ball set. To my untrained eye, he looks like he's got pretty good form. But what do I know about baseball?

More signs of spring

2010-04-14T12:59:00.003-03:00

The cherry tree is budding, little flowers under the maple, and hyacinths in bloom.

They're also good for making pictures

2010-04-14T00:00:00.002-03:00

I have no idea what he thinks he's doing with them, but he sure had fun! What a goofy kid, I suppose he gets that from me.

Then there's this snippet of a conversation from the other day.

Nate (playing Lego Indiana Jones on the Wii):

Dad, I can't move anymore!

Me:

Hold on Nate, I think that remote is out of juice.

Nate:

Juice? There's no juice in the remote! That's ridiculous!

Me:

No the batteries are dead, they're out of juice.

Nate:

Oh! There's the juice that is the real juice you can drink, and there's the juice that's electricity!

And not long after that he's talking to me about solar power. I kid you not.

Beka

2010-04-02T10:48:00.001-03:00

I still remember it clear as day the first time I met Beka. It was early 1991, and I had been in Toowoomba for maybe two weeks. I had just moved into that dodgie place across the paddock from school, which looked like it had been put together overnight. It was a hot afternoon, and I was hanging out in the common room by myself. I hadn't met too many people yet, I was feeling homesick, and missing my friends. A girl came in to get a drink of water, she smiled at me and said hi, then she was gone again.

A while later, I heard someone singing. It wasn't anything in particular, just some sort of scale or something, but it was the voice that caught my attention. It was just so beautiful. I can't really put it into words, but it was such a crystal clear sound it didn't seem possible that it was being made by a human being. I walked down the hall towards the sound of the singing, and peeked in through an open door. It was the same girl from earlier, singing while she unpacked.

That was my introduction to Beka. I can't tell you what the exact date was, or what I was wearing. But I remember exactly what Bek was wearing, and I can still hear the amazing sound of her voice.

This morning I learned that Beka had passed away after a four year battle with cancer. I have known for some time that this was coming, but it is still hard to accept. I have lots of memories of Beka, but I think the one I cherish the most is of our first meeting and that initial shock of realization that that beautiful girl was the source of that most wondrous sound.

Backyard stirrings

2010-03-25T10:50:00.000-03:00

The tulips and hyacinths we put in the ground last summer started poking out of the ground a couple of weeks ago. Not exactly earth shattering stuff, but it's about all I got right now.

OK Go - This too shall pass

2010-03-25T09:35:00.000-03:00

Distractions on YouTube

2010-03-22T23:10:00.002-03:00

A friend of mine did make-up and hair for the first video, which led me to the second one.

What can I say? I like accordian music.

blue jay

2010-03-17T21:47:00.003-03:00

blue jay, originally uploaded by J J Justinsen.

This photo was taken last summer, through our kitchen window. I shot it through the screen, which may account for the overall softness. We haven't seen the blue jays in our yard for some time now, but I hear them around and hope they will come back now that it's warmed up some.

My portrait

2010-03-12T12:54:00.002-04:00

This is a picture of me, drawn by Nate. Pretty darn awesome!

Why watch the Academy Awards when you can watch this?

2010-03-07T19:01:00.001-04:00

A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever -- powered by Cracked.com

4

2010-03-03T08:51:00.002-04:00

Nate turned 4 last Friday, and we threw a party for him Saturday. In case you missed it, it was a Batman themed party. There were cupcakes, balloons, face painting, crafts and games, and pizza. We had 15 kids over, and I think they all had a great time.

I love kung fu!

2010-02-15T09:29:00.000-04:00

Happy year of the Tiger!

An excursion across the harbour

2010-02-11T00:55:00.001-04:00

I've been meaning to go across the harbour to Dartmouth and visit my friend Zane for awhile now. It's been almost four months since he opened Two if by Sea, and as busy as he's been, he's found time to stop by and see me at work.

So this morning, Nate and I got the bus downtown and caught the ferry across the harbour to Dartmouth. I doubt if we could have picked a nicer day for it. The sun was shining and it wasn't all that cold out.

We found the cafe, a short walk from the ferry terminal. There was one free table and we snagged the four-seater, even though we were just two. It wasn't long before Nate had his hands on the largest chocolate chip cookie I've ever seen. How big was it? Let's just say in the battle between Nate and cookie, the cookie came out on top. Not everyday you see a kid defeated by a cookie. I got a shot of espresso, followed by a macchiato, a cup of Kenya from the pour-over station, and another Kenya brewed in an Eva Solo.

Perhaps best of all though, was the fact that we got to meet people. Nate made friends with a two year old girl, I got to chat with her and her mum, and I even helped out a customer with a home espresso problem. I was reminded of when I first started going to JJ on Main, even before I started working there. It was more than just a cafe, it felt like a community centre.

Nate and I are hoping to make this a regular excursion.

Backyard visitor

2010-01-23T15:10:00.005-04:00

Our feeders usually attract black-capped chickadees, blue jays, downy woodpeckers, starlings, and pigeons. But every now and again we'll see a new bird, like this one. I'm not entirely sure what it is, possibly an American goldfinch. We keep a guidebook by the window, and I've started to take photos of our visitors to aid in identification. Even so, I could use all the help I can get. So, if you know what this bird might be, please let me know!

Another year gone

2010-01-03T21:45:00.003-04:00

I had planned to post an entry for the end of 2009, or the beginning of 2010. You know, one of those looking at the year past, or looking at the year ahead jobs. 2009 was such a big year of change for us, but the more I thought about it, the more overwhelmed I got by it.

So here we are on the third day of 2010, and still no big year-end post. I think that ship has sailed. As for the year ahead...who knows, I've been too busy digging out from under all the snow we've had this last little bit to even think about it. If nothing else, it was a nice way to get out and spend some time with the neighbours. Truth is, I'm really glad for the exercise as well.

But I digress. The thing is, I've given up on my original idea. No one needs me to go over the past year, after all you were there too! As for the year ahead, I am no soothsayer. Instead, I've decided to aim a little lower.

So for my first posting of the new year, I present to you Nate and Tex.

See it hasn't been all work, we got to play as well after all the shoveling was done! Nate actually helped build this snowman this afternoon, and didn't knock it over after we finished, that being his usual M.O. Not a bad way to start the year eh? (I did say I was aiming low!)

Happy new year!

Quiet time

2009-12-24T00:07:00.002-04:00

Snowing out, sounds of plows on the roads. The walk home from the bus was straight out of a Christmas card. Made this egg nog. Waiting for the laundry. Christmas in a new city. Thinking of old friends and acquaintances; I wonder where they are now and what they're doing, and if they remember me at all. Ave Maria on the radio. I want to call people, but don't know if I will have the words. Another year almost over.

Holiday baking

2009-12-22T22:54:00.000-04:00

We spent the weekend baking. I made some banana bread, and Nate helped make ANZAC bikkies and sugar cookies. He'll probably deny it, but I think Nate had a great time decorating the sugar cookies. Patty made up little packages which Nate, Snoopy and I took round to the neighbours.

The first 36 mince-meat tarts are all gone, maybe I'll get around to baking some more tomorrow morning.

Tree trimming

2009-12-11T22:18:00.000-04:00

Walking away from Christmas

2009-12-11T02:21:00.000-04:00

Patty went out with her brother yesterday evening to go get our Christmas tree. They'd just left when it started to snow, quite heavily. A little later we had an 8 foot Christmas tree in our living room, and a very excited Nate, who could not wait to decorate it.

We very quickly realized though, that there is quite a big difference between the number of lights you need for a 6 foot tree, compared to an 8 foot tree. Since we have only ever been able to fit a 6 foot tree in our old place in Vancouver, we only had enough lights for a 6 foot tree. After several failed attempts at trying to stretch the lights to cover the tree, it was pretty clear that we needed to get more lights if we wanted to trim the tree that evening.

By this time, Nate was getting quite frantic about being unable to start the tree decorating. It was still snowing and blowing like crazy outside and neither one of us really relished the thought of having to venture out for lights in that weather. We tried to convince Nate to wait till the next day to trim the tree, but he was having none of it. Increasingly distraught at the prospect of having to wait another day, he bowed his head and wandered away, announcing "I'm walking away from Christmas!"

I found him sitting on the floor of Patty's office, in the dark. A few minutes later, I was getting snow blasted in the face as I walked to Walmart to get some lights.

Nate got to trim his tree before going to bed.

Who was that masked man?

2009-12-02T23:24:00.000-04:00

Old friends

2009-12-01T22:56:00.004-04:00

Our friends Lori and Paul paid us a visit this last weekend. They moved from Vancouver to Charlottetown a little over 2 years ago, and for the longest time we could not go past The Lee Building without Nate telling me that was where his friend Sosi lived.

It was great to see them together again this weekend! Better yet, they're both old enough now to more or less work things out amongst themselves. They would disappear up into Nate's room, or down to the basement rec room, and it was almost like there weren't even there! Just two old friends, hanging out and enjoying being with each other.

He's pretty handy for a kid

2009-12-01T22:50:00.000-04:00

No, he didn't put it all together by himself, but he helped a great deal. He didn't get frustrated, or lose interest, and stuck with it from start to finish. I think we both enjoyed ourselves putting the cart together.

The espresso machine has been moved off the kitchen table, and the grinder has been reunited with it. No more running about from one end of the kitchen to the other to make coffee! Thanks Nate!

The Muppets cover Queen

2009-11-25T23:53:00.000-04:00

Seen through a car window

2009-11-21T22:18:00.005-04:00

Taken in August, along the drive home from mum and dad's. The Armview is a sweet little diner about 10 minutes walk from us.

It only took six months

2009-11-21T15:03:00.003-04:00

A couple of nights ago, I was on Facebook chatting with one of my friends in Vancouver. He wanted to know how things were going with the house, and I told him that it was keeping me pretty busy. I told him I was learning lots, like framing walls, hanging drywall, crack-filling and taping. His response to all this was that I needed to post more photos of the house and the work that was getting done.

Well, this post is especially for him. I'm starting small, with a little tiling job I did in front of our dishwasher. It's not quite finished yet, but you get the idea.

When we first moved in some 6 months ago, we had to do a little surgery to the kitchen floor. The hardwood in there had been laid over the old floor, and there wasn't enough clearance between the new floor and the kitchen counter to slide the dishwasher in. We eventually ended up having to cut a few floorboards out, and for the past 6 months there has been a hole in front of our dishwasher; a patch of old vinyl flooring; a window into the past.

It was always our intention to get that cutout patched up. and we decided that some slate would look best. We picked up some tumbled mixed slate mosaic, and they've been languishing in the garage for months now.

On Thursday morning, after dropping Nate off at his play group, I got back and started work. Cutting the trim pieces from the floorboards we had removed. Then I cut a piece of plywood to fill in the space so that the tiles would come level with the rest of the floor. First time laying tile, and as you can probably see, it's not exactly level or straight. I had also underestimated just how hard it would be working under the dishwasher door. I could barely get the notched trowel or grout float under it. I laid the tile on Thursday morning, and let it set for 48 hours. Did the grout about an hour ago, and will seal it in the next few days. In all I'd say about 2-3 hours work.

Patty should be home in the next hour, hope she likes it.

The old neighbourhood

2009-11-19T07:54:00.004-04:00

I thought I would make a list of the things I missed from my old neighbourhood. While putting it together, I realized just how much I've already forgotten. Little details; store names, people, dogs. Some are from 9 years ago, some are from just before we left. There is no particular order, just me remembering. Some of the people and places are no longer with us. Sad, yes. However the memories are all good, and I found this exercise to be a strangely uplifting experience. All those little bits we take for granted.

Milo, the big shepherd; Shiloh, the great dane and Liza Minelli, the Boston Terrier; Misha, Francine, and Frank; Kea; Nice Café; Chris at Pulp Fiction; Soma; the little old lady at Kams; BBQ pork at Ho Tak Kee; Our Town; Sushi Yama; Grr; Tisol; Leepo; Mister; Corey and Erica at Happy Bats, Tea Swamp; Dave the guerrilla gardener; Hillcrest plumbing; Walter out front of the Sev; Viki and Aleese at Urban Source; Our Community Bikes; Hawkers’ Delight; Helen’s Grill; Bert’s Diner; Anubis and Dammit; Corey; Rev; Windsor Meats; The Flower Factory; Zipang Sushi; Toshi; JJ – RIP; Brewery Creek Cold Beer and Wine; The Budapest; Adam at Yek-O-Yek; Sid and Helen at Papa’s Pizza; Everfresh; Monsoon; Motherland; Pleasant Girl; The Cascade, and the scarey old junk store that used to be there; St. Vinnie’s; Planet Bingo; The Reef; Olivia at Main Sellution; Bubba; Merlin, Linda and Joey (RIP); Max (RIP); Cheryl; Shelley and Crash; Jonathan Rogers Park; Pad Thai; Chutney Villa; Anthony at Mine; Aurora Bistro; Major Matthews Park; Robson Park; The Sunny Spot; Vegetarian at the Bo Kong; Jenny. Eliza and Alice (RIP); Kingsgate Mall; mama (like nana); Rose; The Federal Store; Kim at the best little sushi place ever on Main and 11th (the best spicy tuna roll I’ve ever tasted); The little Vietnamese noodle place that used to be on that corner; Legendary Noodle House on Main and 26th; Thai Son on Broadway; Slickity Jim’s Chat ‘n Chew (destroyed in a fire last week); Laura and Lunar; Shannah; Tara and Bailey; little Arlo; Gabriel, Carley and Frankie; Mark and Story; the Mongolian place; haddock and chips at The Windjammer; Confuscius says; the little place that made jerky, victim to a fire 9 years ago; the congee and noodle house; Damian, Ian and Finley;...

I hope to make more lists like this.

Uilleann pipes

2009-11-09T13:40:00.005-04:00

Davis Watson is presently couch surfing at my friend Sam's in Cork, Ireland. Spread the word and pledge if you can.

Missing friends

2009-11-08T23:13:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Nate wandered into my room in the morning and woke me up with this:-

'I miss Vancouver. I like Vancouver better than Halifax. I miss my friends there and I miss your friends at the coffee shop.'

Then he slumped his shoulders forward, as if defeated and launched into an overly dramatic wail. At the time I thought that he just wanted some attention, and so I pulled him up onto the bed and cuddled with him while we talked about the good things that came with our move to Halifax.

He hasn't let it go yet though. He's brought it up several times since then. We've been here for almost 8 months now, and in the past couple of weeks it seems to me he's mentioned missing people in Vancouver more than he did during the entire 7 months prior.

He's not the only one though. I've been missing my friends too. When I first moved here, I made a conscious effort not to pick up the phone to call people back in Vancouver, or to check in too often on Facebook. I felt I needed to let go a little, if you will. I didn't want to be living my life in Vancouver via the phone/internet while I was here in Halifax. Of course that didn't stop me from thinking of my friends there. I guess Nate hasn't stopped thinking of his friends in Vancouver either.

And so my friends out West, know that you are missed by a little boy, and his dad.

Yes, I am still very much alive

2009-11-02T21:27:00.004-04:00

My friend Jack wanted to know where I went. I've been right here. Never left, I just never got around to posting anything here. Somehow October just got away from me, and now it's November. What happened?!

I guess I've been busy. With what I'm not exactly sure. The basement reno has been taking up some of my time, and I'm glad to say it's almost done. It doesn't look like the basement anymore, it looks more like it's part of the house now. The newer part of the house. We've also got ourselves a new front door, one that lets light into the previously dark cave-like hallway. It's remarkable what a little bit of light will do.

The outside of the house has been plugged up, the rotten boards have been replaced, the satellite dishes have been removed. Now there's just the matter of all those leaves.

The espresso machine is finally up and running again. I haven't put the cover back on yet, just in case. There are still a few little leaks and some of the valves need replacing, but when you've been nearly 8 months without an espresso machine...you take what you can get. Now we have to find someplace to put it. It's sitting on the kitchen table right now, not exactly ideal.

Nate went trick-or-treating as Batman on Halloween. I stayed home and doled out candy, and Patty took him around the neighbourhood. He was very well behaved, and didn't once wander into anyone's house. Quite a change from last Halloween when all he seemed to be interested in was going into people's homes.

It's Patty's birthday tomorrow and she's leaving for Ottawa in the morning. I got Beatles Rock Band for her last week, since I knew she wasn't going to be around this week. Nate has been singing Yellow Submarine and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

Today at work I met a couple who just moved from Vancouver. They drove across the country and arrived here at two this morning. They were looking for Black Cat espresso. 'Wicked?' I asked, 'Yes!' they replied. Regulars of Wicked Cafe on Hemlock, but they also liked JJ Bean and 49th Parallel. I wanted to jump over the counter and hug them, but I managed to control myself.

This post is missing photos, and I promise they will come soon.

Burned...by a three year old

2009-10-02T17:35:00.007-03:00

Nate's bed was empty when I went to his room to wake him up this morning. I kept it together long enough to yell his name, and he yelled back 'I'm down here'.

I went downstairs and found him on the sofa, tucked in comfortably with a pillow and blanket. The following exchange proceeded to take place:

Me:

What are you doing down here?

Nate:

I couldn't sleep so I came down here.

Me:

What time did you come down?

Nate:

At night, it was still dark.

Me:

Why couldn't you sleep?

Nate:

You were making too much noise.

Me:

I was making too much noise? I didn't make any noise last night!

Nate:

You were too noisy dad, your snoring was too noisy. I couldn't sleep. That's why I came downstairs.

I'm not sure I like the idea of my three year old wandering around the house in the dark while everyone else is asleep. That said, this incident has clearly demonstrated that Nate has not inherited my night blindness. I'm not sure how he made it down the stairs in the dark, but I am pretty sure I would have ended up as a mangled mess of broken bones and torn flesh if I had tried it.

He could just as easily closed the door to his room.

Parenting

2009-10-01T09:40:00.004-03:00

It's one thing when your kid tells you he hates you, but it's entirely different when you catch him telling another kid he hates him.

As a parent, you expect your kid will hate you, it just goes with the territory. I was a kid once myself and I remember telling my parents I hated them, so why should it be any different with my kid?

This morning, when I dropped Nate off at 'school', I was hanging around and chatting with the teachers when I caught him telling another kid 'I hate you.' He wasn't just saying it, you could see venom in his eyes. He'd been playing with some Lego bricks, and another boy walked up to him to show him a toy, and he just turned and looked him in the eye and told him.

I called him over and we had a talk and he apologized, but I'm still in shock. I know these things are going to happen, but it just brought up all these doubts in my mind on the walk home. Doubts I used to have before I became a parent. Doubts about being a good parent, raising a kid to know right from wrong, doubts about passing on my prejudices and faults. Am I raising him right? Most of those doubts have faded since Nate was born. I don't think I've had much time to worry about them, too busy 'parenting'. This morning's incident makes me question how I've been parenting, too often I think I just want to get things done and don't put much thought into the process. It strikes me that this sort of parenting is exactly what I used to have doubts about, and that this might ultimately be a self-fulfilling-prophecy of sorts. Perhaps I am over- reacting (I'm not even sure if any of what I've just written makes sense), or perhaps this is a bit of a wake-up call for me.

I'm not looking to win any father-of-the-year awards, but I think I may have to work a little harder at this if I want Nate to be that good man when he grows up.

I think Nate may have inherited a love for tools from me

2009-09-30T22:43:00.004-03:00

We were at The Home Depot today, getting more things for the basement reno. We had Nate with us this time, and although he wasn't all that excited to go initially, he quickly warmed to the place once we got there.

Some things he wanted to buy:

various tape measures - 'for measuring things'
a rubber hammer - 'so I can bang on things'
some small screw drivers - 'cause they are made for little boys like me and they're cute'
2 packs of 10 carpenter pencils - 'one for you and one for me'
a chisel - I have no idea why

This could be a good thing, I could think of worse things to do than go to The Home Depot with Nate for a few hours.

The continuing story of my broken espresso machine

2009-09-30T22:11:00.004-03:00

They may not look like much, but these two pucks of coffee signify the first time that espresso has been poured in this house. The first time I've been able to pull a shot of espresso at home since we left Vancouver.

We have been without the Wega for over 6 months now. 6 months! If we were still in Vancouver I could just walk the 3 blocks to JJ and pick up coffees, but we haven't had that luxury here. Three blocks from here gets us a McCafe, and we weren't going there!

So we've been making do with an Aeropress and a Hario woodneck pour-over. They're good, but they don't get you espresso. They also take quite a bit more time, and fussing about. There is no satisfaction of watching that first stream of espresso drop from the spouts, thick with promise. I"m not knocking the Aeropress or the Hario, I just miss my old morning ritual. I miss hearing the familiar sound of the pump kicking in as I lay in bed, my old pre-alarm so that the Wega would be hot by the time the real alarm went off.

Finally, we are one step close to getting back to the good old morning ritual. The machine is up and running, but there are still a few kinks to work out before I'll be able to run it all day like I used to.

As you can see, there is still a leak in the boiler. It's just a small crack, but it's a leak. So I'll be taking the boiler out again. The good news is everything else seems to work just fine, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Random bits

2009-09-22T23:49:00.002-03:00

It's been 6 months since we left Vancouver
Nate started going to 'school' last week - 2 1/2 hours twice a week
This, based on one of my favourite books by Oliver Jeffers, makes me happy
We've been without our espresso machine for 6 months now, but the wait is almost over...I think
I am still taking photos, despite the lack of activity on my flickr account
Pipe is being laid for natural gas, right in front of our house - our electric stove's days are numbered
Work on the basement continues
Patty is spending next week in Vancouver, I wish I was going
I really really miss The Brewery Creek Liquor Store

This, is my life

2009-09-09T11:16:00.004-03:00

Getting Nate to do anything these days is like pulling teeth, wringing blood from stone, bashing your head against a brick wall...you get the picture. He's full of excuses, he talks back, he yells, he screams, he throws things, he hits. There have been quite a few time-outs lately.

Just this morning, he drew a time-out for not listening and bugging Patty while she was trying to work. Not an hour later, I asked him to go pee, and he refused. He didn't want to, he would go later, he didn't have to. I asked him again, and told him he could go pee or go to his room. He started yelling, and I put him in his room. More yelling and eventually silence. I usually give him some time to cool off, and he generally comes around and comes out all smiles. Five minutes and still not a peep, so I decide to go take a look. I find him sitting on his bed, reading a book, all smiles. Then I see the dark spot around him on his sheet. The little devil peed in his bed!

Some days there's just no winning. You're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't. It was 10am and I wanted a drink already. Such is my life these days.

Excuses

2009-08-23T11:34:00.008-03:00

Patty:

Nate, take your toys and books up to your room.

Nate:

But I'm too tired. Those things are too heavy. My hands are all sweaty. It's almost lunchtime. I got to make supper. I need a rest.

Reminds me of Joliet Jake explaining why he didn't make it to his wedding.

The boy and the nice monster - as told by Nate

2009-08-12T13:09:00.006-03:00

Alternatively known as The nice boy and monster or The nice boy and the nice monster.

Once there was a boy. One day he found a monster.
It was a nice monster, and they became friends.
The boy helped the monster look for the squiggly arrow sign.
They had to look a long long time before they found it.
Then the boy said 'This looks like the right place!'
And then he pushed the button where the squiggly arrow sign was.
Then this big giant door opened, and there were all kinds of monsters inside.
Then the boy and the monster shook hands, and then they said 'Goodbye'
The End!

Nate told me this story and two other variations of it this morning, as we lay on a blanket in our backyard. For reasons I do not yet know, and perhaps may never know, he is in love with the idea of picnics. And so we were having a picnic in our backyard.

This story is Nate's rendition of The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan.

Stay frosty

2009-08-09T23:11:00.006-03:00

I have been watching Generation Kill, a seven part mini-series by HBO. It follows the Marines of the First Recon Battalion as they battle their way through the first 40 days of the Iraq war.

Generation Kill is based on the book by Rolling Stone writer Evan Wright, who spent two months embedded with the First Recon Marines. A lot is covered, so much so that maybe some of it might seem trivialized, but it makes for some pretty interesting television. If nothing else it'll give you some idea why, almost six and a half years later, the U.S. is still mired in Iraq.

I should caution that it's not for the faint of heart. There are some pretty graphic images, lots of colourful language, racism, homophobia, sexism..., and that's just amongst the Marines themselves!

The boiler is back

2009-08-09T22:51:00.006-03:00

Peter dropped off the boiler on Thursday afternoon. Beautiful welding job, looks better than new. You wouldn't even know that there had been big gaping holes in it.

Today I spent a few hours putting it all back together. It took some doing, working in such a tight space, but I eventually got it all hooked up and plugged the Lyra in and powered her up. The pump came on, and I watched the welds carefully as the boiler filled. Everything was looking good.

And then I noticed the water pooling beneath the machine. There was another leak, and I eventually traced it to a busted pipe leading from the boiler to the group head.

So, still no espresso. I will have to take the Lyra apart again. And this time I will have to take the group out as well. From what I could see, it looks like this isn't the only rupture in the pipe. I guess I should have checked the rest of the machine while I was getting the boiler repaired. Lesson learnt.

Just when we thought it was safe to go out to dinner

2009-08-04T22:34:00.003-03:00

I worked the closing shift at the goat today, and mum and dad came to get Nate for the afternoon. He was very excited to see them and wanted to stay over at their place tonight. Patty and I decided we'd meet for dinner after I finished my shift.

We'd just finished a fabulous meal at Mezza, when my cell phone rang. It was mum, calling to tell me that Nate had been crying for the last 10 minutes and he wanted to come home. I guess it could have been worse, we could have just sat down to eat. So we caught a cab home and he arrived shortly afterwards, all smiles to see us.

I'm not sure what happened this time, he's slept over and mum's a few times now without any trouble. But he told me he wanted to come home because he missed us. How can you argue with that?

Patty told him it was OK and he could stay over at nana's another night. His reply?

'And then I can come home at night?'

I hope this is not the start of a new pattern.

I was only gone for a day...

2009-08-03T22:20:00.003-03:00

Natal day in Halifax, a celebration of the birth of the Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I worked a full shift at the Goat today, the first time in awhile since I've been on my feet for nine hours straight. My feet are killing me!

I left home while everyone was still asleep, and when I got back I was greeted by Nate running down the hallway yelling 'Dada!'. He was talking up a storm, about what he was doing, and what he'd been up to during the day.

'We went to Sobey's because we didn't have any baking soda. Then we came home and we made chocolate cookies.'

'Did you go to work dad? Were you on the bus? How did you come home?'

We had supper out on the deck, it's Nate's favourite thing now, having supper outside. I realize I was only gone for a day, but he seemed so much older to me when I got home.

For the past week or so, I've been leaving his bedside light on after reading him his bedtime story. He wanted to "read" his book one night after I read it to him, so I told him he had to turn off his light after he was done and go to bed. I said I would check in on him later. He's been good to his word so far, and every time I've gone up to check, his light has been off and he's been asleep.

Now, after I read him his bedtime story, he tells me:

'I'm going to read my book, and I'll turn off the light when I'm done. You can check on me at 4.30 (he still doesn't know how to tell time and makes a new one up every time).'

It's a good job I'm back to my half days shift tomorrow, who know how much more growing he'll be doing while I'm gone!

Soccer

2009-07-31T19:45:00.004-03:00

Soccer practice did not get rained out this week, and I've since gotten my work schedule organized, so I got to go see Nate in action this week. I'm not sure I was prepared for the whole thing. I can see how it could be a little overwhelming for a kid. There were just so many people, kids, parents, pets, coaches. There seemed to be so many things all happening at the same time. I got to meet some of our neighbours, but I am afraid I can't remember any of their names. There are people who are very into coffee here though, so that bodes well.

Anyways, enough about my experience, here are some photos of Nate in action.

This just in, we are lucky

2009-07-23T18:27:00.005-03:00

My 3 year old son told me, so it must be true.

Nate was eating cherries in the living room, and I was looking out the kitchen window at the mob of blue jays in our garden.

Nate (very excitedly):

Dad! Do cherries grow on trees?

Me:

Yes Nate, cherries grow on trees. You see those blue jays out there on that tree? That is a cherry tree.

Nate:

And cherries are going to grow on it, and then I can get cherries to eat?

Me:

Well, we need to do some work first because that tree hasn't been taken care of for quite awhile. We'll have to prune it back and we're not going to get fruit this year. If we're lucky we might get some next year.

Nate (very matter-of-fact like):

But we are lucky dad!

Me:

Why do you say that Nate?

Nate:

Because we are.

He is correct, of course. We are lucky. Sometimes it's easy to forget that. I just think it's neat that he might actually get it, even at 3.

The first step to getting espresso in our house again

2009-07-18T20:51:00.005-03:00

Today, I finally made some time and went down into the basement to remove the boiler from the espresso machine. It's been sitting down there since that fateful day in May when I discovered it did not survive the move from Vancouver.

The photo below shows the boiler still in the machine. You can see where one of the brass couplings has popped off. That is the hot water on-demand heat-exchanger. Water in it must have froze in transit, and the ice blew the top off the stainless steel flange where the coupling fit in. The coupling is still screwed in to the flange. The flange just isn't in one piece any more. The same happened to the heat exchanger next to it, which runs to the group head. In this case. the flange is split, but not completely blown off.

Here is the Lyra with the boiler removed.

Finally, a look at the boiler itself. The markings are my own, just so I don't forget where everything goes. I still have to put it all back together, assuming it is possible to weld the damaged bits.

I'm not going to get my hopes up, it's more like an interesting project now. I'll keep you posted .

A reminder that there is good out there

2009-07-18T10:41:00.005-03:00

There may be some hope after all.

Nate on soccer

2009-07-16T00:16:00.008-03:00

Nate went to his first soccer practice this evening. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go. My fault, I totally forgot and said I could work this evening. He's been pretty excited about it, and Patty said it was all he could talk about this evening. So what does he say when they get there?

'Mum, I don't know about this soccer thing.'

Of course, by the time it was over and people were leaving, he wanted to keep on playing.

Vancouver through the window of a taxicab

2009-07-13T22:44:00.006-03:00

Shot from a taxicab as we made our way from The Cascade Room on Main Street, to our hotel downtown. I don't know why I never did this sooner.

More food from Singapore

2009-07-11T23:43:00.006-03:00

This is some of the food we had at my friend Lun Cheak's home. I wish I could have eaten more, but sadly I stuffed myself at lunch that day. Honestly, there is just so much good food in Singapore, it's almost impossible to eat it all! This becomes especially difficult to do when you are only in town for a short visit.

I think all of the foods here are Indonesian in origin, but they are very popular in Malaysia and Singapore as well. When I was in junior college (grades 11 and 12), my lunch usually consisted of rice, rendang, begedil and sambal goreng (green beans and tempeh fried in chili sambal). This is my comfort food, and I'm getting hungry just writing about it!

Sayur Lodeh (Coconut vegetable stew)

Begedil (Fried potato cakes)

Beef Rendang

I think I'm starting to appreciate how some of my readers have felt about the previous food postings!

A reunion

2009-07-11T09:47:00.006-03:00

Myself, and my friends from high school. That's Gary on the far left in the black T-shirt, and Lun Cheak in the middle in the blue T-shirt. When I was still working in Singapore, the three of us would meet up in the evening and spend hours at the beach, drinking coffee and talking. Some of the best talks I've ever had happened on those evenings chats.

The posse has gotten somewhat bigger in the last few years. We all had dinner together one evening with our families, and it was nice to see the kids get along and play. And we got to the beach for one more late night chat before I left Singapore. It's nice to know that even after so long, some things just never change. It was just like old times, only this time we got to talk about our kids as well.

Nate's goodbye

2009-07-10T12:05:00.002-03:00

I am writing this now, before I forget it.

When we left Singapore, we were seen off by my parents and my brother Kevin. Poor people, they had to wake up at 3am to make sure we got to the airport on time. After going through security and customs, we turned around to wave goodbye to my family through the glass. I was carrying Nate over my left shoulder, and he kept on waving as we walked towards the gate.

Then he said:

'Goodbye Kevin! I'll see you later. I'll be back soon.'

There was of course no way Kevin was going to hear it, and it was probably just as well. It was said in such a sincere voice it would have broken his heart. It damned near broke mine, and I just barely held it together as we approached our gate.

Back home

2009-07-10T09:38:00.002-03:00

Well, we are back in Halifax. Back in our new home, and slowly coming to grips with regular life again. We spent our first night home sans Snoopy, which was a little odd. The bed seemed altogether too big, and I missed the comfort of that familiar warm furry body next to my leg. It's funny, but both Patty and I woke up the next morning feeling like something wasn't right. But we are all back together again now. It feels good. Now if someone would just take care of all the stuff that needs to get done around here! Groceries to get, laundry to be done, bags that need unpacking, grass that wants mowing... the list goes on. Good thing we had a vacation, although I feel I need another one to get over the long journey back.

For those of you who are wondering about the rest of our vacation, never fear! There is still lots to tell from our time in Singapore and our short stay in Vancouver. Lots more photos, and lots and lots more food. I'll try and get around to them soon, I promise.

It only took 3 years and 4 months

2009-06-25T08:42:00.003-03:00

and a bunch of beer! Free I say--free like the birdies! This is the first night Justin and I have shared with Nate nowhere in sight since his birth! So what the hell am I doing talking to you?

Love Patty!

P.S. She's had a few drinks.

This is where we are!

A celebratory lunch

2009-06-23T05:49:00.006-03:00

To celebrate mum's birthday and Fathers' day, we went out for indian food at Vansh.

I'll let the photographs speak for themselves.

Nate and the family in Singapore

2009-06-20T23:56:00.006-03:00

It's never been a big secret that the primary reason for this trip to Singapore was so Nate could spend time with his grandparents. They've been to Vancouver to see him twice already, but he'd never been to Singapore to see them. It was so nice to see Nate run up to his grandparents at the airport and give them big hugs, even though he hadn't seen them since April 2008. Since then, it's been nothing but grandma this and grandpa that.

In addition, Nate has finally met my brother. It didn't really take very long for him to make up his mind about his uncle Kevin. On their second meeting, he turned to Kevin and said 'You're a cool guy!'. Since then, whenever Kevin is around, Nate is stuck to him like glue.

'Is Uncle Kevin coming?'

'Uncle Kevin, are you coming with us?'

'Uncle Kevin, I have to tell you something.'

'Are you coming home with us uncle Kevin?'

These are just some of the things you'll hear Nate say when his uncle Kevin is around. The list goes on. I always knew that the two of them would hit it off, but it's so nice to finally see it happen. Just look at them, you'd think they've known each other forever!

Some of the things we've been up to

2009-06-18T01:16:00.006-03:00

Yes, that is Nate feeding an Aldabra giant tortoise at the Singapore Zoo. We spent about half a day there on Tuesday, and got to see all sorts of animals including bats and snakes, which made Nate very happy. I don't think he was so sure about the giant tortoises, but I thought they were lovely. Their keeper told me that they will actually seek out human contact, and enjoyed being scratched on the neck or patted on the head. Somehow I never really thought of tortoises as social/affectionate types. Who knew?

This morning we took Nate to the beach, something we've been promising him for quite a few days now. It's just been too hot the last few days and no one has felt much like being at the beach under the sun. To that end, we left first thing this morning when it was only 29 degrees! I think Nate has a love hate relationship with water. He never seems very sure of it when he gets up close and personal with it. It takes him awhile to warm up to the idea of getting wet. He always excited to go to the pool, but usually spends the first 10 minutes or so just sitting on the first step with his ankles in the water. It was the same at the beach this morning, but he eventually settled in and really enjoyed himself.

As for food, we are working our way through it. My brother brought curry puffs over on Monday, a deep fried pastry filled with chicken and potato curry. Patty and I used to make these when I first moved to Vancouver, but it has been quite awhile since we've made any. Eating them here though might just change that. They really are very good, and I wish there was an equivalent back in Canada.

Finally, some nasi lemak. Rice cooked in coconut cream and usually served with a small fried fish, egg, chili sauce and a slice of cucumber. I remember it as breakfast food, but this is Singapore and you can pretty much eat it any time of day you like. When I was a kid, there were always boys cycling around our neighbourhood with packets of nasi lemak in baskets attached to their bikes. You only had to walk down the driveway and hail one of them to get a great meal.

In Singapore

2009-06-13T20:39:00.005-03:00

Breakfast at the hawker centre

After some 34 hours of travelling time, we arrived safely in Singapore. Our plane landed at 11.30pm and it was 30 degrees Celsius outside. I was informed by dad later, that it was a cool night!

Nate did remarkably well on the journey, and seems to have adjusted very well to life in the tropics. I wish the same could be said for me. I spoke to an old friend yesterday and he complained about the heat. People who live here are finding it hot! It's not so much the heat as the humidity, which hovers around 90% most of the time.

We are slowly getting our body clocks adjusted, although Nate did wake up at 4.30 yesterday morning. We've been spending lots of time at the pool, although it's not the cool relief I was expecting. It's more like getting into a warm bath.

Cooling off

This being Singapore, we are spending lots of time taking part in the national pastime - eating. Jack, if you are reading this, the food photos are for you. I know it's not the same thing as eating it, but it's the best I can do right now. Enjoy, there will be more to come.

Lontong - cabbage, tofu, rice cake in a coconut curry broth

Roti Prata - fried bread with curry

The only food I truly miss from Singapore

Inside our house

2009-06-08T22:03:00.014-03:00

The front door/hallway

The living room

Dining room

Master bedroom

Nate's room

Kitchen

New do

2009-06-08T21:55:00.005-03:00

Cut short in preparation for Singapore. Once again, he was very good in the chair. Made some small-talk, held the spray bottle and the trimmer, and pretty much charmed everyone there.

Our house

2009-06-07T21:24:00.008-03:00

I've been trying to get photos of the house, but haven't been too successful. I just don't seem to have a wide enough lens to shoot the interior. They all end up being views of walls, and not much else. I will keep trying, but in the meantime, here are some photos of the outside.

I assure you, there really is a house in there somewhere.

Today and the weeks past

2009-06-06T22:10:00.007-03:00

Today was our tenth wedding anniversary. The weather here in Halifax not unlike the weather in Vancouver 10 years ago. It was wet, windy and cool. We started off the day with coffee courtesy of my friend Jesse, who had sent us some Guatemala SHB from Vancouver. Thanks Jesse! You have excellent timing. There was a phone call from my folks, which turned into a teleconference on Skype (yes, I finally unpacked my old computer and got it up and running). A trip to Walmart, window washing, dinner, house cleaning, and laundry. Not exactly romantic stuff I suppose, but we got to spend the day together.

A lot has happened in the weeks since my last post. I probably won't remember everything, but I will attempt to summarize the important bits.

I have started working at The Smiling Goat, a small cafe across from the Public Gardens downtown. So far it's just half days twice a week, but those hours will increase later.
We spent a week painting the house and getting it cleaned before we moved in.
We moved into our new house on 16 May. We're mostly unpacked, although there are a few boxes to go, mostly books and CDs. For those of you who are thinking of visiting, the guest room is all setup.
I discovered that our espresso machine had not survived the journey across the country. I suspect there was water left in the two heat exchangers, and that water must have frozen at some point, causing the boiler to rupture. Hoping to get it welded back eventually. Fingers crossed. For now we're using the french press.
About nine days after we moved in, Patty left for Regina and Ottawa. This left me, Nate and Snoopy bouncing around in a huge house, an odd experience that will probably take some getting used to. During this time, I spent a lot of time watching Flight of The Conchords. So much so that I found myself speaking with a kiwi accent.
While Patty was away, I took Nate for his first dental checkup. To my amazement, he did not throw a fit. Instead he was the complete opposite. He listened and did as he was told, he asked questions, he joked and shook hands with the dental hygienist and dentist. I was so proud of him! And to top it all off, no cavities!
My brother completed his tour of Afghanistan and made it back to Singapore safe and sound.

There's probably more, but I can't think of what it might be right now.

Come Wednesday, we'll be getting on a plane and flying to Singapore. I would be lying if I told you I was looking forward to this flight. It will take us some 30 hours of travelling to get from here to Singapore. The longest flight Nate has ever been on was from Vancouver to Halifax, 8.5 hours that seemed too long for him and me! People have suggested we drug him for the trip, but I think it'll work out better if I drug myself.

I hope to be updating this from Singapore, so stay tuned.

Covered in paint

2009-05-09T00:28:00.003-03:00

It's in my hair, on my glasses, my fingers, my arms, my clothes.

We've been painting the house. It looks like a different house now. The main floor is almost all done, and today we made a start on the second floor. With a little luck, we might get it all done by the weekend. We've also got a new hot water tank, and a new burner for it. Dad did the plumbing hookups, and we put the burner in together. It took another day before I was able to figure out the wiring for the burner and get it fired up.

We've got a range, refrigerator and dishwasher now. The dishwasher is still a work in progress. We had to cut out some of the kitchen floor in order to get it under the counter. Today we hooked up water and electricity and ran it without any leaks. Now we have to figure out how to patch the floor! Washer and dryer were hooked up today too.

It's all starting to take shape. There is still lots to do though, and I feel like the house will keep me busy for a long time to come. Not that I am complaining. I am learning lots and having fun. Yes, I am a little sore from being on my knees most of today, bent over painting the baseboards, but the end result was worth it! Tomorrow...we'll tackle the refrigerator and hook up the ice-maker. I'm starting to think it won't be such a big job to plumb the espresso machine now.

Photos to follow.

The Halifax Crafters Spring Sale

2009-05-02T21:05:00.007-03:00

Today we paid a visit to the Halifax Crafters spring sale, held in an old wooden church on North Street. There was live music, food, lovely crafty things, and lots of people who looked familiar to me. It was like I was back on Main Street, at a craft fair in Heritage Hall. It was, for want of a better word, comforting. And, to top it all off, a rather funny thing happened to me.

Ever since we arrived in Halifax, I have run into people who think they have met me before. It inevitably turns out that they haven't, although I'm starting to wonder if there is another long-hair myopic asian barista roaming these parts. When we went to view the house we ended up buying, the lady of the house was sure she'd met me before. 'Don't you work at Dal?', perhaps my double does.

In any case, back to the Halifax Crafters spring sale. Patty had spied some lovely screen printed handkerchiefs and called me over to inform me she was getting me a subscription to receive a new hanky each month. The woman at the table looked at me and said 'I think I know you!', to which both Patty and I replied 'No, you don't'. I was just about to explain how this has happened to me quite a bit, when she said 'You worked at JJ Bean on Main Street'. She did indeed know me, and I knew her too. We'd actually worked together for a short time at the store on Main Street! What a nice surprise, someone who thought they knew me, actually did know me! It really is a small world.

If you're in the area on Sunday 3 May, the Halifax Crafters spring sale is at the North Street Church, 5657 North Street from 11-5. Admission is free. You never know, you might run into someone you know too.

Misadventures in medicine

2009-04-29T22:20:00.006-03:00

First, they misplace my medical charts from Vancouver. Then they question whether I actually brought them in when I said I did. They might as well have called me a liar. Not exactly the best way to start with a new doctor.

Not impressed.

Then I have to do a 24hr urine collection for some lab work. I wait for almost an hour just to get a bottle in a paper bag. Then I drop off the bottle at the lab for analysis. A few days later I get a call from my doctor informing me the lab was unable to use the sample. I had dropped it off on a Friday and they didn't get around to testing it till Monday, and evidently it was not properly stored during that time. Excuse me?! Not only have they wasted my time, but they want me to go through the whole process again because they screwed up!

Really not impressed.

I don't usually like to make a fuss, who's going to listen or do anything about it? But I made it known I wasn't happy, in no uncertain terms. I am in no particular hurry to have my time wasted again, but I suppose I will eventually have to go and get those test done. I think the next time I drop off my sample, I will instruct them in the proper handling and storage of it.

That's two strikes now...I can't wait to see what will happen next.