on the go

I've decided to try something a little different this summer, I'm going mobile, geek on wheels at your service so to speak. My last day in the cube farm is this Friday, after which my focus will be preparing to ride a bicycle to the Pacific. Specifically, I would like to cap the summer off with a photo of me at Mile 0 of the Trans-Canada highway in Victoria.

For those who are interested or overcome with concern that I may be eaten by wild beasts (hi Mom!) I will be posting updates, photos, stories, and anything else that I can as opportunity allows. I will also provide more info on how to keep in touch while I'm out and about but for the moment the facebook and email are best bets.

Among other things, a personal goal for this trip is to meet people, make friends, and try to make myself useful. If you happen to find yourself living somewhere along the way, or know of folks who are and have a summer project on in the works that could use a seasoned geek, a strong (ish!) back, or an extra pair of hands for a few days by all means get in touch or pass along my details and we'll work something out.

At the moment plans are still being formed but my intention is to be departing mid June. I have quite a bit to do before then so don't expect me to vanish overnight. I'll be around a while yet, drop a line if you wanna hang out before the rolling starts and we'll grab a beer.

step one

Free Spirit + Burley Nomad: Check!

More to come soon, for the time being this page should cover the basics of my plans for the near future. Watch this space for updates!

nearly now

It's been pretty quiet here lately, but not for a lack of writing. I've been spending some time trying my hand at short / flash speculative fiction on a seperate blog I created for just that purpose. It's mostly nerdy and mostly crime related and mostly just for fun. If that sounds like your sort of thing, by all means stop by.

so that happened

I recently discussed free weights with a friend who takes his fitness pretty seriously, and I mentioned to him that my apartment building has a modest gym that I hadn't really checked out. He suggested I stop by and take some pics of the equipment so he could judge its worthiness. I looked in on it with cameraphone in hand other day on the way to work, but it was in use so I let it go for a couple days.

Today my friend messaged me when I got home.

Chris 05:23:09 PM
You get them photos?

Rob 05:23:11 PM
Ah fuck.
Aight well I gotta hit the laundry room, I'll detour the gym on the way back.

Chris 05:23:54 PM
Ya, do that.

Rob 05:24:53 PM
But srsly if theres ppl in there I'm not standin around takin pics like a creeper.
I'll be the guy with the laundry detergent and the bleach gettin the fuck outta there.

15 minutes later ...

Rob 05:40:52 PM
So that went well.

I walked in and there were two hot chicks doing some kind of aerobic thing in front of a mirror that pointed at me and a chick on a bike facing the door.

They all stared at me in my work shirt and jeans holding a jug of laundry soap.

At which point I was realizing that I had gone down and forgotten my phone up here.

So they all got an eyefull of a tableau I'm calling: confused idiot with soap.

If I'd had a camera I'd have taken a picture of that, it would have been great I'm sure.

Chris 05:42:52 PM
That is some of the best performance art I've heard of.

Rob 05:43:00 PM
Hahah, maybe I missed my calling?

Chris 05:43:12
Never too late.

see that tall thing over there?

For almost seven years I've worked about thirty seconds away from the CN Tower.  Most of the time I don't pay it much attention, it's just background.  Sometimes tourists will ask about it and remind me it's there though.  Once in front of Union Station two french sounding girls asked me where the tower was.  I pointed at it over a building and said; "walk towards that until you can see the bottom, then go in".

Then I heard about this platform they're opening this summer and I thought yeah that sounds cool, it's pricey but cool. It was initially described like this.

Crazy edge dangling: check.  But then I saw this.  What that hell is this?

No crazy edge dangling?  Meh.  Not sure if want. Yo CN Tower, you wanna make money with less safety equipment?  Hack your LED's into a pressure plate and rent out a gravity hammer!  Worlds biggest high striker?  Um, yes!

(actual amount of awesome)