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Yah. Not much chatter online here recently. Just rushing from task to task basically. And tonight is no exception. I just went through the pile of crap on my desk in the home-office and found my PST return sitting there, and that is due in Jan 23. Yah. My small business, that keeps getting smaller, still must file PST and GST returns on time. So, here I sit, reviewing last year's take, and figuring out how much PST to forward to Gordo down at the Ledge. Maybe I'll just drop off a cheque in the morning when I cruise by on the way to catch the bus...

Here is the instructional video.

So I head out onto the web to look for Olympic torch photos. Most specifically, I want to see this thing about the torch riding a wave up in Tofino. I end up on the CTV BC web-site, and they have this photo gallery - great! I click on the link for the gallery, expecting to see the access point for the photos, thumbnails, or whatever.........

But, OH NOOOOOOOOO! I get a splash page saying that I need to load a Microsoft product into my browser to make my photo viewing experience better.

Gimme a break. I know how to click on an image, and my Firefox browser on Linux works just fine for showing images. I'm sure that the site authors had a heck of a duke-out in the board-room with the Marketing squad over that one. It's clear who won that battle. I'm now off to search for another online gallery....see ya'....

Trips to the grocery store are a pile of fun. Here you can see we got really lucky and found the shopping cart with the kiddie-car at the front. This cart has the car with 1 steering wheel, and is made for one toddler. There is another cart that has the 2-seater, but we did not find that one, and Wolfe managed to muscle in on his sister to take the helm here. You can see that he really loves steering wheels.


Here is something I thought was a little odd. I go down a canned foods aisle, and see this little screen attached to the shelf with a sign on it that invites me to push the button. Oh dear. So I push the button, and this really bad commercial comes on. I don't think I will even mention the tuna product by name here, because they don't really need coverage on coreman.com, when they have these shelf-mounted TVs in the grocery stores. Like really, is playing a bad commercial for your product in a retail environment going to actually influence a consumer buying decision ? I guess the answer is yes, or they wouldn't have gone through the effort to establish this kind of advertising. Weird.

Have been really enjoying the whole bean coffee, freshly roasted, from Mile 0 Coffee, available here in James Bay. Right there on Niagara Street at Government, at the historic Niagara Grocery, is where you will find this wonderful bean.

Was enjoying the Breakwater Blend this past weekend, and tonight stopped in quick to pick up a half-pound of freshly-roasted Sumatra, one of my personal faves. A huge WIN for James Bay!

Finally got around to taking apart a couple of computers sitting around here. Kept some parts, and took the hard-drives for secure-shredding courtesy of EDDIE the Shredder. Will be good to know that those old drives are no more. There is also a Return-It depot up there on Glanford, at the same location, so tossing the old PC crates are easy.

Just getting back from the Songs and Stories event down at The Superior. A great Friday morning activity that gets the whole family out for a good time. Mom and Dad can do a nice coffee and treats, while the kids get to sing, and march, and dance, and listen to stories.....Charlotte calls it the "Music Box Cafe"...

Ok, got the new KING size Kenmore HE washer/dryer pair installed yesterday. These babies are massive, taking up way more cubic footage in the laundry closet. Wow. I've never seen a residential washer/dryer so massive! They are in the stacked configuration and are taller than me! I have to get up on my tip-toes to see the top of the dryer!

Ran the first loads through today. So quiet! I did all the cloth diapers in 1 load, with tons of room to spare. Hey, I could have chucked in the neighbour's cloth diapers. And maybe even another neighbour?! Maybe I should start up a local diaper service while I'm on leave!

Editor's note: Ok, this laundry-talk is making you crazy.

Checking out the washer User Guide here, where they give you a recommended load suggestion for towels: 10 bath towels, 10 hand towels, 14 wash cloths. We don't even have that many towels!

As a visitor to our kitchen last night noted, I'm managing to pull a few things together in a one-handed style. In true attachment-parenting fashion, Wolfe is often up on my right-hip, held up by my right-arm. Left-arm free for various actions like stirring, stacking, lifting, flipping, etc.

So we've got a KitchenAid mixer on the counter next to the fridge. Should I not be using that baby full-time, as an aid to whatever it is that I am doing?! Yes! So, I did my first batch of bread-dough in it yesterday, and a batch of cookies in it just tonight. That baby really is a labour-saver that I should have been using long before now.....doh! double-doh!

Last minute menu change this week. I received a call at work tonight, instructing me to buy a ham on the way home. And not just any ham, but a special ham from the charcuterie down on Fort Street. My instructions were also to verify its local origin, and to find out how to prepare the ham for dinner. Good stuff. Having never bought a ham before, this would be a new experience....

So, I get down to the charcuterie about 5:10 PM, right near the end of their business day. I tentatively approach the counter, and ask the clerk if they have any hams left. Little did I know that this was the type of thing one typically orders weeks in advance. She went into the back to check the remaining inventory, and came out to advise that they only had one-half of a ham left.

I think for a moment, because this was a challenging decision to make. Given that my instructions were to return home with a ham, what would be the result of returning home with one-half of a ham? Well, I thought, I'd better arrive home with some ham, so I told the clerk I would take it.

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Anyone looking for replica Ford Granada toys for the kids, look no further.

Or would that be a multi-purpose vehicle? In any case, we decided to buy the Mazda MPV! After much research, test drives, and consideration, we picked it up from the local Mazda dealer last Friday. It is so nice to have all 6 of us travel all in 1 vehicle when we need to go somewhere.....like early AM swimming out at the JDF!

Turns out that this is the first van I took out a few weeks ago, and wasn's sure if it was *the one*. The dealer let me take it home overnight, and everybody had a good crack at trying it out for a whole day. That was handy, to see if the car seats and everybody fit in OK. And to check out the various features. Like 2nd-row windows that roll down - yes! You only get that in MPV, and Toyota Sienna after 2004. Ended up taking the vehicle back to Mazda as I was not sure it was the *one*. Had to try out the rest....

Tried out Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Dodge Caravan, and Ford Freestar. The Hondas are nice, but a little too pricey. Decided not to buy a domestic, so that ruled out Ford and Dodge. Tried out a couple of Siennas, and they have nice features, but this particular Mazda was a great buy. This is the 2003 ES model and is loaded with all sorts of options like leather, moonroof, premium audio system, etc. and it had low KMs (69,000). Turns out the dealer needed to clear this baby off the lot, as it had been sitting around too long, so it was priced sweet. And third-row tumble-under seating! Oh yeah, I'll have to show you the 3rd row tailgate-party seating configuration - very slick.

Been having a great time zooming this van around.....

Just out taking a Mazda van for a cruise....very nice zoom zoom. Whoom Whoom, Zoom Zoom.

Am looking for a minivan now. Need the 6-seater, with room for stuff. Have been homing in on a Toyota Sienna over the last couple days. Also have taken a liking to Mazda MPV. Been doing lots of research online, and gathering as much info as possible. Honda Odyssey does look very nice, but not so many of those used around - yes, shopping used, not new.....

I have some electronic items that I was planning to take over to Breakdown Recycle to get rid of. Turns out they're no longer listed in the phone book. and their number is out of service. Bummer. Guess I'll have to consult the Encorp Pacific (Canada) - Electronics Recycling in BC web page for another solution.

Interesting news on CBC's iconic Hockey Night in Canada theme song. Could be time for a new tune....

I'm gonna list my old ride for sale. It's a 1980 Ford Granada Ghia, 2-door coupe. 250 6-cylinder. Runs great. Well-maintained. I just don't need it anymore, and this car still has many miles left in it.

Here is a link to the GMV registry and the 1980 registrants. Here is the link to the pricing guide.

Interesting article in the Vancouver Sun weekend before last. The lead story, in fact - on the popularity of baby names in British Columbia. The Sun has put together an online baby name database, that shows how popular names have been over time, based on Vital Statistics data.

Looks like the annual coffee prize bonanza is upon us once again at Tim's. Perhaps I will exceed last year's winnings. I see Tim has posted a graphical howto page, on how to roll a rim.....

A bit of news on the CRD Blue Box program, that may soon allow plastic bags. That would be cool, and very convenient, to have an expanded curb-side pickup for things like plastic bags.

We've been taking advantage of the local recycling depot operated by Pacific Mobile Depot. They bring their depot into James Bay on the 2nd Saturday of every month, and man do they take a lot of different plastic stuff! And foam stuff. And electronic stuff. We are diverting what seems like quite a lot of volume using their service. Highly recommended.

Been doing a lot more streaming audio lately, since exploring the channels in my Ubuntu streamtuner. Right now, on this beautiful sunny day, I am locked in to SmoothLounge.com. Oh yeah baby...so smoooooooooth....

That was my first record. First record I could call my own. Rocked out to that heavily in the early 80's. Down on Dad's record player. It was hooked up to this Sansui receiver/amplifier down in the basement. Runnin' With the Devil. Eruption. Some of you know the tracks.

So they're playing GM Place tonight. I should probably be there to rock out to the tracks on that album. And the other LPs in the stack. Like their 2nd release. And maybe even Diver Down.

But....couldn't quite get the road trip together. I hope they rock.

Been trying out the usedvictoria.com web-site lately, and have found it very useful. Here is my stuff as of now. Just unloaded a big XMAS tree this weekend, and I sold 1 of the satellite receivers a couple of weeks ago. Going to toss some more stuff on there.....as we are still in the process of getting rid of things....

Not sure when it happened, but Queale Electronics has moved. The Burnside store is empty, and it looks like they are down on Government, close to Chatham.

Thinking of replacing the CRT monitor here at home, and picking up a wider, flatter screen. Victor will be pleased to here that the CRT monitor is sitting on top of a custom monitor-stand : a Mac Performa 6200CD. Yes! Of course I couldn't part with the Performa, so now it is doing a very nice job at holding up this 17" CRT screen!

Anyhoo, I'm really liking the dual screens (LG products) at work, but at home, I think I'd just like to get a single, wider screen. Am looking around now for options, and doing a bit of research online. No, I'm not a gamer, so don't need anything optimized for mega video-performance. I'm doing general computing at 1280x1024. Any consumer tips greatly appreciated. You've all been very helpful on tips for the digital camera.....!

We're thinking of getting into a new Digital SLR camera. Here is a link to check on Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ

Apparently, Sept 19 is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Arr!

We've got the house transformed into a residential gallery space for the Art Walk today and tomorrow.

We have a multi-media show on this weekend. Lance has a variety of drawings, paintings, engravings, and collage up on the wall. We have the snow:field audio "sound-construction" playing on the stereo, and the no(h) movement projected video work playing on DVD.

Campus transformed. The peace of the summer scene, changed overnight with the back to school crowds of September. This year we've been treated to sunny days in the first couple of weeks. Lots of people out of doors, hanging in the quad, making for a bit of a summer-festival vibe. Lots of lineups for parking passes, books, coffee; all the essentials.

It's great to be on campus at this time of year, to participate in the annual ritual. Hmmm....I'm not saying I want to go back to class - no, not right now. I'm here on campus in a supporting role right now - doing lots of stuff that needs to be done so people can get online and connect with resources, and each other. My gig up here is about identity and connectivity - and making it all work. Lots of pieces to connect....

photo credit

Today was the last day for all of us to work together at Reggie's. The store has been sold, and the new owners assume full control of the business as of Sept 1. Mom and Dad are retiring after 22.5 years of being in business - Across the Highway from Cowichan High School.

So many times I'd come to work in the past. And this would be the last time. And I know it.

When I was 15, I recall riding into town on my bike to work at the store. When I was 17, I'd come over in my spare during grade 12 and work during the school-day. Weekends through college. Every summer in my teens. Lots of after-school work.

There were lots of early mornings. When I was living at home, Dad would come in to wake me up by whispering from the doorway to my room, "Time to get up!". Like last Saturday, when we got up at 4:45 AM for breakfast, and then drove into town in the Chevy. I always liked being in town and starting work before most everyone else was up - except for the truck-drivers. They'd be on the road. And many of them would stop at the store. Early. To unload skid after skid of all sorts of products.

And today would be the last day I would work many of those products. I've got my favourite fruits and veggies to work in the store, and tried to get around to all of them today.

Today I got up at 5 AM, and left James Bay at 6 AM, arriving at the store at about 7 AM. Things were in full-swing of course, as Reg and Al had already been flying at it for a bit. The second pot of coffee was about to go on, so I was in time for a fresh cup....I put on Grant's green apron, and got busy with putting the veggies out on the rack.

Carrots was where I chose to start. Al reminded me that carrots was "Reggie's job". You see, no one is as good as Reggie at arranging the carrots in the display just right. I know that. And Reggie knows that. He sees me working the carrots, and comes over to give me a couple of tips. *sigh* So, I make them turn out alright. I had a 50 pound bag of BC carrots to work, so out they went. And then peppers. Spinach. Green cabbage. Leaf lettuce. Parsnips. Beets. Mushrooms. I worked a bunch of the produce before moving onto the fruit......

One of the fun things about the business is the seasonal goods that come and go throughout the year. Right now we have a lot of fruit like peaches, apricots, nectarines, and plums. The fresh-picked corn is also here, from just north of town. BC Summer goodness....

Mom and Dianne soon rolled in and started setting up the deli. This would be the last day for all the deli-ladies to be all together in the store. I used to have a name for them when I was a kid working at the store. I called them the "wise-old deli ladies". Yes, with all due respect, they were older than I. And all were ladies. And much, much, wiser. We have quite a busy deli, with all sorts of international meat, cheese, and grocery items. The deli does catering, gift baskets, meat trays, and lunch. Boy, do they do lunch. The lunch business has been quite crazy for a while now, as the word got out that some of the finest and freshest sandwiches could be found in Reggies. So, a dedicated lunch clientele has become well-established over the years.

Dedicated customers. So many dedicated customers. I was quite lucky today, and this past Saturday to see some of my old customers, that shopped at the store when I was a kid, and that are still around. They've seen me grow up, and are always interested in what I'm up to now. One of the big jobs you do in a family-business is get to know the community by knowing its people. And now we know a lot of people. We know them, and they know us. I've had a few folks say to me that we are all so "community-oriented". And that the store has been such a "community asset". Many of them have been shopping with us since the day the store opened.

One of the challeging things in recent weeks has been informing people that the store is changing hands. In talking to Mom on the phone in recent weeks, she's been telling me of the various reactions. Most people are delighted that my Mom and Dad are finally retiring after all these years, but they are really going to miss seeing them all the time.

Well, today was my last day to work at the store, and to share in the emotional effort it has been to spread the news. One of our customers was very delighted to see me there today, and asked what I was doing there today. I explained that today was our last day to work together as a family, assuming that she was in the loop on the recent sale. She didn't know. And she's been shopping at the store since the beginning. I could see that the news caught her a little off-guard. She asked to see my Dad - 'Where is Reggie?" I took her around the back of the deli and ushered her in to see Dad. I left them behind, and got back to work on an order I was pulling for one of our wholesale customers. I didn't find out until later that she shed a few tears back there while visiting with my Mom and Dad.

So, we pulled some orders. Ansered the phone. Took more orders. Put out lots of stock. Bagged some groceries. Reg and I went for our final delivery trip downtown. Back to the store. Answered the phone. Saw a few more customers. Put out some more produce. Oh yeah, I worked the dairy case this morning. For the last time.

I ran around and took some pictures. Customers came in with gifts, and cards. Even balloons!

And then it was 5:30 PM. Time to close the door, and wind things down. Ring off the tills. Put away the deli. Put away the produce. Holiday ahead. Put away the cardboard out back. Clean, and tidy the floor. Count the sales. Do the book-keeping. I hung out with Reg until he was done all that. The cash balanced out close enough.

I gave Reg my key.

Thanks to Joe for pointing out this photo of Reggie's sign on Flickr. Judging by her tags, she was into yellow signs in Duncan B.C. on her road trip....

Don't really blog a whole lot about music. Don't even have a "What I'm listening to" on the sidebar. What's that called anyway, a blogroll of tunes? A musciroll ? Don't know. I guess I'm not one of those music-bloggin hipsters....

Recently learned about the hype machine. Some sort of Internet radio powered by MP3 blogs - cool. I like Internet radio, and blogging. I'm not quite there yet with MP3 blogging though.

Been checking out music videos on YouTube lately - man there's lots of content up there. Don't have to wait for content broadcast on Much - nope....although that is what I was doing tonight. Got home late from work, and everyone was already in bed. Grabbed dinner and punched Much, and they played a set with Rihanna, Fergie, Neil Young, and Paul Mcartney.

Got to admit - Rihanna's track Umbrella is hot. Cool things about that track : she's got an interesting voice. The drum part is very cool - there's lots of percussion instruments (or simulated ones) at work on this track.....I'm still finding interesting things to listen to inside this song....