five years on: reflections on the big life change
The Port Hardy skyline Since starting this blog in 2004, I’ve experienced three Big Life Changes. The first, of course, was emigrating to Canada. The second was becoming a librarian.…
personal
an obvious life hack: how to make streaming more affordable and still enjoy ad-free viewing
Much ink is being spilled, metaphorically speaking, about the changing trends in subscription-based streaming services. Headlines scream that shows on Netflix and Prime will now include ads, implying that users…
rip robbie robertson
The news that Robbie Robertson died hit me hard. Although he’s not the last surviving member of The Band (Garth Hudson recently turned 80), he was my last surviving deep…
too much honesty can be a very bad thing: a story about a birthday present
This post is written with permission. Recently on Facebook I announced that Allan, my partner, turns 60 this year, and he has already chosen a very special birthday present. We…
in which a restaurant server protects my alone time and i am very grateful
One day last week, I drove from Vancouver to Tacoma. It was raining the whole way, visibility was poor, and I had car trouble. It wasn’t horrendous, but it was…
oregon family visit, part 6 and final (portland to port angeles to victoria)
On our way out of Portland, we stopped at the home of R, the well-known baseball writer who Allan had met at Powell’s. By sheer coincidence, he had some research…
oregon family visit, part 5 (portland)
Our full day in Portland was almost entirely about books and food, with a little shopping-I-can’t-do-at-home thrown in. I thought I was going to do a bit of tourism —…
oregon family visit, part 4
We stopped briefly at my mom’s place in the morning. Allan was interested in some old family photos — from my mother’s childhood, and from family before I was born.…
oregon family visit, part 3
On Saturday, we had a lazy day at the M&M homestead. The big outing of the day was to Harry & David, the specialty food store, where we all spent…
oregon family visit 2023, part 2
The lovely little town of Phoenix, Oregon — down the road from M&M’s house — was completely destroyed in a wildfire in September 2020. One business that rebuilt is Puck’s…
oregon family visit 2023, part 1
Allan and I are in southern Oregon for a family visit. Last year I visited on my own, and Allan stayed home with the pups. Right now we have reliable…
trying something new: labour book club
Through my union, I’ve started a labour book club. This is something I’ve wanted to do for years, and now it’s gotten off the ground. I’m very pleased! Everything requires…
update: strength training without a trainer
I recently blogged about my experience working with a personal trainer. I really enjoyed it, and I was considering how to continue strength training on my own. I’m not new…
the game report: an update that is not completely analog
Back in December of last year, I blogged about starting a game night at home, rotating every-other week between games and music. I was super happy about it. Seven months…
in which i remember the pitfalls of creating rules, or, painting myself into a corner (again)
In our last episode of Laura’s Reading Plan, I posted a very long list for 2022. On that 2022 reading plan post, I wrote: This year’s plan is much longer.…
can you give a few dollars to help a giver in need?
From a wmtc party: clockwise: P, Chelsea,Jericho, Diego, Kim, Tala. Some of you may recognize an occasional wmtc commenter “Dharma Seeker”. Dharma Seeker — whose name is Kim — is…