:: Just Work

Hopefully this one works... I don't feel like fixing the other ones. Blogger is weird and I can't read code.

:: Dear, Glass, Smash

Both me and Luis thought this was a lawn ornament at first until it moved it's ears.

So we scared him and I tried to get an action shot.

Mostly though they didn't really care that we were there or how close we were. The home owner told us to "take some with us" if we liked them. I guess they are a pest in this neighbourhood.
I see what he means.

Another railing completed. This one would have been easy if the stairs or the walls were even close to level. Kind of makes me wonder where he get those wonderful toys...

It was a bit of a battle getting things to line up but we did it.

This was a different job which worked out much better in terms of glasswork but was a nightmare to build the actual handrail.

This is pretty rough as it was my first try using my vid editor and I was just messing around. I think I figured out some tricks though and will do better in the future.

Not much else to say for now. I need to ride to clear my head. Red is doing kickass these days jsyk.

:: Heartbeats

Don't bother to pack your bags or your maps. We won't need them where we're going.

Hot damn though, remember you sunglasses. All year round the sun comes out. All year round the day blasts you with radiation. The sun is my friend and enemy. Like most of best friends. It challenges me to find a way to live better. Well I've lost my sunglasses and so help me I'm more or less a vampire. I can _not_ stand the sun.

But I will find a way...

Merry christmas friends and family. I can count on my fingers how many people I believe deserve it and I can fight with both hands for them a chance to enjoy it. You know who you are.

Happy holidays!!!!!

:: Two Minute Drill

I've been keeping busy.

Though it seems backwards the actual handrail is much more work than the glass to install correctly.
We made magic here. I can't believe we made this look as good as it came out.

My partner in crime right now working away... I had to get this shot quick so I didn't catch him texting.

He can get a piece of paper towel straight through his head. It's uncanny!

Shit, this took me 3 minutes.....

:: Choosing Weather To Watch

Snow in the mountains. Snow snow snow!! Go go go!!

But only in the mountains. I don't board in Calgary.
Fog valley. Very cool to see.
It followed the river. If you lived there you'd have had no idea it was really a nice day out until you left your house. Or you could check the weather network and wonder if it's lying or not.

50% of the time it's right every time.

:: The Ride

Everyday.

I tried to post a bunch yesterday but it didn't work. Here's a Monday morning morsel.

:: Boosh

Been working on some stuff. I'll have more later.

:: Winter

Winter finally showed up and in a hurry. I was riding one night after work in a T-shirt and had to be in full gear the next morning. It's been fun. It is kind of nice to go straight into winter from a late fall. I prefer ice and snow to cold rain anytime.
A dude sitting beside me took this as I slammed some drinks for my bday Friday after a long hard day. The drinks went down a little too easy. I had to leave early and cut my visit short. So it goes, I suppose.

:: Capturing Light Again

Trying out my new camera during a great ride Saturday morning. The first part of the ride had me downtown buying a new camera so I don't have any pics of that part.
And this is her. I didn't feel like setting up mirrors to get multiple angles so head on is all you get. Look her up if you're wondering more about the model. She's an upgrade on my last one and so far so good. I like it a lot.
Playing around with some features and showing you my shoe-pers at the same time. They're shoe slippers... shoe-pers. Or slooze, slipper shoes.
They're very comfortable and came free with shoes that were worn out. Best slippers I've owned. All it took was some time with the serrated blade on my multi-tool and a bit of pliers work to get rid of the small bits of plastic heal support.
A week ago I almost took a major spill on Jet but somehow managed to keep her upright. I did come away with a wicked sweet bruise that has since changed colours many times and spread out. The original hit was in the center of the light spot just right of the reddish area. It doesn't, and didn't at the time, hurt that much. Only when I poke it. I was riding a bit intoxicated and jumped up a curb onto newly laid very soft soil. I was moving pretty quick and almost completely stopped as her front end sunk right into the soft dirt. I think my knee hitting the headset pushed her free. Otherwise I'd have gone ass over teakettle onto sidewalk.

:: Folky & Roots-y

And slightly whimsical. (I laughed at that)

I've been out walking I don't do too much talking these days, these days.

These days I wear a winter coat, toque, goggles, and mitts on my ride in to work. On my way home in my tee I wonder why I wore pants and an undershirt while I carry a backpack loaded with garments.

These days I sit at home not watching TV drinking Lucky beer thinking how lucky I am to hear such tunes and not see such commercials. The good beer is for the weekend now. This will not be my first Lucky year and it doesn't bother one bit.

I've stopped my dreaming, I won't do too much scheming these days, these days.

These days I focus on work all week. Sure I have time to myself and use that time for video games and old movies, wicked kick-ass food and cjsw, but.... but nothing. It's awesome. I spend every night during the week alone not talking to anyone. I go all-week every evening in silence. shhhh...

These days I physically wrestle with myself to keep from going to the bars on the weekend. I have a goal and as per a friends advice via blog I have made a way of tracking my goal and a plan and reason for my small and big goals. This heart will not stop 'till zero twenty seven. zero27. 27nothing.

Oh, these days...

Please don't confront me with my failures, I have not forgotten them.

::

:: Taking Stock

Well, making stock anyway. I bought a whole chicken dinner from a place right beside where I live that has a different special everyday of the week. Friday's the only day that always has the same meal and it's a roasted local farm bred chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy. Really good and I had two large dinners from it and still have some breast meat left over for a good caesar salad. So instead of throwing the carcass away I'm making a bunch of stock that has my apartment smelling like heaven. Of course I'm assuming heaven smells like comfort food. Onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves and salt and pepper and a few hours and I can't wait to use this stock for soup or to make a bunch or rice with. One more hour and it should be ready. I'd take pictures but my camera has finally died. I'll get a replacement or fix it soon but either way I can't take a picture of how this stuff smells so you'll have to trust me.

It smells incredible.

:: Conversion

The new G&T, G&G?

Gin and Ginger. Like a sweet beer/tree/champagne. Really good but a bit too sweet..... I'm working on it. Maybe a ginger tonic combo? Ginger soda? I'll have to find out :D

This is my to do list, or was. It has changed seveal times since I took this. Which was inspired by the "Start a liquor cabinet" reminder.

It is worth noting I did burglar proof the windows before starting to collect booze. I now have some Tanqueray and Havana Club 7 year old. Barely a collection as my rye was finished Saturday during an obnoxious Halo session. The rum though is the Rum of rums. Sweet sentence, that. And the Gin, well, never met a gin I didn't like. Me and Ginny have a thing. It's not completely exclusive, indeed sometimes I have to pay and have at times boughten her for others. Taken bitter or sweet she puts a dumb all-knowing smile on my face knowing full well I'll be only hers that evening. She's hurt me so bad so many times but I can't wait to see her again 'cause she makes me feel so good...

must be love.

I wonder if pineapple juice is busy this weekend. We could use a third and it's my pick.

<3

:: Dinner & a Move

Happy thanksgiving.

A little late but that doesn't make it any less delicious. I had dinner at a co-workers place with him, his girlfriend, and his brother. It was their first time making a big dinner or large bird like this and it turned out super good. I ate twice as much as anyone there and left with some leftovers and a full ziplock bag of extra turkey. I had turkey everything all week.

That was dinner, here's the move.

Here's a few pics of my new place. I've been bringing stuff back and forth every weekend from my old place and it's been exhausting.

Moving is always tiring though. It sucked having to pay rent for 2 apartments for a month but having the extra time has saved me a lot of trouble I really didn't have time or energy for.

My new place is a bachelor suite on the second of a 2 level, 16 unit apartment building. I like it and it just fits all of my stuff. A lot of my stuff is going to stay in boxes.

As you can see to the left of my bed. I also am using the moving boxes as shelves by turing them on their side and stacking them. Obviously I'm not living in luxury anymore.

Which is good. I don't need to. I have everything I need to work, ride, and relax while I get myself out of the hole I've been digging for a year or two. I'm excited about it.

This summer I've changed some major parts of my life in Calgary. It started with fewer bar trips. I even went a month without going to a bar. The drinking hasn't been a problem, I'm a very good drinker, it's all about money. I did some looking and I have debt because of rent and bars. Besides the bars I was lucky as heck to have found a place to move that was cheaper than where I was close enough to work and amenities.

For the last 4 years I have lived within 1 km of my first apartment here. Heritage and Macleod area. This new place is right in Marda Loop. A very trendy yuppie part of town that's more or less due West of my shop where I was straight South before. The ride is only 1.5km more and the rents way cheaper. The ride is a lot different though as it's almost completely downhill to work now. So in the mornings I get a break but after work I have to go like crazy to get home. I kinda like it that way. There's a hill that rivals eighth line hill that's getting me to push hard again.

Otherwise I'm tired and recently reformatted my computer completely so I don't have any other pics. So I'm done for now.

:: Juiced

Back online.

I'll jam stuff here later.

:: Kitty

Over a week ago. Or forever ago. I had a job that had me waiting outside a shop called Laser Equations (I think). I had a 1" thick piece of starfire glass on my side I had just picked up. 43 by 90 ish... about 300lbs. Me and a stand-in helper (our glass edge/fabricator) waited for over an hour and a half in a cold truck. This summer has been a poor spring really. It was just over zero and rainy this day..... kinda all summer really.

Doesn't matter. So I don't leave the truck running unless I get so cold my extra clothes won't keep me warm. So now and then I fired up ol'#15 just to avoid illness. I notice about 30min into this a small cat come from the underside of a car in the parking lot a ways away. I watch him(her?) b-line it from the car to our van and only last minute realize he's going for our engine. I am in the middle of large commercial zone and this was not just a cat, but a kitty.

Small, all black, cute as a button. Too late I realize she's coming for us. She gets in our engine while it's off and I tell my partner about her and we check it out. Yup. We've now got a kitten. I can't help but let her warm up in there. It really is a terrible day.

10 minutes later I forget about her and fire up the engine.

heh.... This black cats all good luck. She wasn't anywhere near the fan or the belts that would have surely killed her. I look and she's just cool chillin' near the engine block to keep warm. Eventually we drop off our cargo and have to leave. We get some sticks and try and get her out where she decides, smartly, the high ground is safer and climbs somewhere upto and into/near the firewall and inner workings of our van.

What do you do? My patience is gone from waiting in a loading bay. A Kitten is stuck in our van. We have to drive a long way on wet roads at high speed to get home. I decide.

Kitty better hold on.

The whole way home at every stop light I could hear kitty in the dashboard. *meow* We pull off as many dashboard covers as we can but she seams to be near the steering column or the pedals and we can't get her into the cab. So she hangs on.

I get back to shop and let the monkey's take care of her... I tell them and they torment the van until she gets out and defends herself (himself?) and bites the hell out of a fellow glassman. hehehehe, good girl.

Some people leave some food and water out near the last corner they saw her bolt to for the night.

We catch her the next day with some more blood shed from our men (heh, heh, heh) and is brought to the vet the next day. She's 1.5lbs and should be 3. She's hungry as hell and already has asker's for her keeping. She'll be fine with care.

An alley-cat-kitty ready to survive the streets taken up to live in luxury. The kind of cat you don't mind letting out 'cause she'll come back with less ears and fur then she left with no doubt sporting her cute grin and just charmed to see you again. All you'd ask for in a good cat.

All I asked is they name her "Dash". She was my cat to give and that's where I caught her.

I hope I can pet her one day.

Some things are that simple.

:: Vitamin P

Is Pilsener.

I usually take my multi-vitamin with beer. It's just the time of the day I take them and they both make me feel better. The pill later and the beer right away. But too many vitamins would make me ill right away and too many beers would make me feel bad later.

Perfect balance.

:: Ready

In Calgary any day can be a snowday. If you're not ready for it then you'll be late for work.

Red Bike is ready. She's wearing her summer shoes but this is her gear setup. One gear. I have to use the middle chain ring and a single gear conversion cog on the back so she won't be that fast but I should be able to grind through everything in the winter pretty easy.

I cleaned her up, replaced the bottom bracket, and put on a whole new crank setup. Also some new front brake pads, pedals, and grips. That's a new back wheel too.
This is an upside down view of my chain tensioner (which while not a word is still a part). Otherwise, see: last winter, my chain would fall off several times a ride and be dangerous when I needed to pedal hard.

I move in October to Marda Loop. Smaller, cheaper place. Can't wait.

:: Moving

Again. And to a different sector this time. I'll let you know more soon.

Been working on Red. Got a new bottom bracket and crank. All I need now is a rim and chain. Have to have her ready for the winter. I've got a new ride now.

Hearty looking? Awesome tasting. Red onion, sausage, potatoes and some asparagus. When you work hard, eat hard.

:: A Ride

To remember and to forget.

I made it and I won't forget the ride up anytime soon. I had to stop for lunch in Banff on the way up and buy another layer to wear under my sweater and coat. I was still freezing. From regular gear in Calgary to long johns, sweat pants, jeans, and rain pants as well as an under shirt, t shirt, fall breaker, sweater, rain coat, and moto jacket by Jasper.
I took a few pics on the way up but I've done minimal editing on them to smooth out the image. I just don't feel like doing that unless I decide to print them out.
This shit is UNREAL in real life. Really. You'd reel in amazement.
I think I'll get better shots on a nicer day. Though I was happy to see very little rain on the trip in or out when it looked like it could have been terrible.
Both times I hit rain just under 100km from jasper and 50 km from home on the return trip. It averaged out to 10 degrees both ways dropping to 6 close to Jasper and 7 in the rain in Calgary. 5 or six hours of cold riding each way. I came back through Edmonton. Terrible. Just terrible. Always go through the mountains.
I'd like to think the ride home was forgettable. Except it was so bad I don't think I'll forget it. This pic was from 10min out of Jasper. The best part weather wise though the worst part of my hangover. The first bar Saturday night was okay to start off and meet people and enjoyed the fights at the second bar it was worth admission and made some friends but damned if the third bar didn't do me in.
I was soooo hungover taking this shot. I'll always remember powering through the 6" pizza sub before taking this shot to keep things from leaving my tummy the way they got there. The rest of the ride home was one long survival test. I lived but it took me a hot shower followed by hot soup followed by a long hot bath to thaw my body and mind.
Good town, good time, bad decisions. What can only be called my life moves on.


I hate being the fool. At least I know I looked good being it.

:: Smoke

Outside smells like camping and you can't see far.

I think BC could use a drink.

:: Hello Moto

My moto. Now ready to go mo-fo'.
Near a tree, see? Oh my, oh me.

:: 3

Side by side water closets. I make cool things in bathrooms. Though it makes a personal space feel public at least the glass looks good.
Me and my shadow aren't speaking. He takes the other sidewalk.

The portal from my balcony. I miss my west side something fierce.

Nothing to say. Moto pics soon, bebop.

:: Restart

Push, then restart.

Here I go again on my own
Goin' down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
And I've made up my mind

I ain't wastin' no more time

:: Glass Rock

Bike time. I owe you more.

Work time. I've been your whore.

:: Thought Process

Completely lost and zero desire to live. Maybe I should call her. I can't live alone. We could give each other hope and sexiness. But that's no way to call someone. I have to live myself. Mental break down. One third of a way through my coffee. I can feel my body accepting caffeine. Now I'm fine. Fine to good. Good to great. Great is satisfying enough. Day over. I feel like a beer. Time to enjoy this days ending. I don't need anyone. Beer and me today. Coffee began what beer will finish.

How I feel from the start of a Saturday coffee to 10 minutes later.

:: Long Week, End

Let me do as I please, please
Normally my company my company
Here I can't hide myself myself
I need someone outside outside
To let in

A mirror facing a mirror. There is no image.
This weekend's on me.

:: Get Back Up

This is how I pick myself up.


Yes, this is 2 Hickory smoked BLT sandwiches with asparagus and roasted cayenne potatoes with fried mush and onion and a healthy dollop of sour cream. (dollop added after). Fuck yeah.

Then get out of town.

And You go where everybody knows your name.
So I finally went for my first real ride of the season. Rode 22x to Bragg Creek, up to Cochrane, and rode the 1A straight (windy awesome road) to Canmore. Enjoyed some lunch and a pint.
Then I hit the hills. This is the 2nd or 3rd moose I've ever seen. A cow. All cows I think. I've never see a moose with horns so I don't think I've seen a bull. I felt weird stopping as close as the cars. I don't have doors and stuff. And really it feels rude.
The were some cute babies in this crowd. I messed up on the video... well, you'll see.
Mmmmmmmmountains.
Salad! The lettuce and sharp cheddar show up later. In my belly.



See? Fucked up. Oh well. The dude abides.