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... and speaking of retro
2012-01-09 09:00:00
Have you seen "The Artist"? It is perfection. Here's what I love about it: The director has used twenty-first century technology to create a film that looks like it was made with basic equipment in the 1920s, rather than following the current trend of making films that are increasingly technically complicated each year. Ironically, I'm sure that it took a lot of technology and artistic genius to create the old look. It is timely and timeless. Its theme of "make way for new technology; change yourself to adapt in a new economic environment" is just as relevant today as it was in 1929. There is no shot wasted, no corner of the frame without intentional design. The film is so true to the original aesthetic, it even screens in the old aspect ratio and shows all the credits in the beginning (unlike the current trend to leave everything, even the title, till the end). The selective use of sound is brilliant (for it is not completely a silent film), and the music score is beautiful. T...
More About: Retro

Retro Friday: Christmas Seals
2012-01-06 09:00:00
I'm taking down the tree today, but before I do I want to share one of my favourite, home-made ornaments with you. If you're Canadian, chances are you remember Christmas Seals. Originally used as a fund-raising stamp for the Canadian Lung Association, in my lifetime they have been mailed to homes sometime in November with a request for donations. An avid pen-pal and Christmas card-sender, I have been collecting Christmas Seals for as long as I can remember. Every year they had a different design. About ten years ago I created Christmas ornaments with them, using old photographic slide containers which sandwiched them perfectly. The one above is an example. This year, Rajeev was on the verge of throwing them out as we decorated our tree, thinking that since they were made of paper, they were expendable. "Noooo!" I cried. "Not the Christmas Seals! These are collectors' items now. Jeez ..." They are also a vivid memory jogger for me. I can look at the one in the photo above, fro...
More About: Retro , Friday

Miami, how I love ya
2012-01-05 09:00:00
Bookmarking our adventure on the TCM Classic Cruise last month, we stayed in Miami : first in Art Deco heaven, South Beach, and then downtown. I have to say that based on my brief visit, and despite the fact that I was sick when I was there, Miami is now my favourite American city. It's tropical, Cuban, friendly, and easy to get around. Here are a few of my iPhone pics:
More About: Love

Still life with male bonding
2012-01-04 09:00:00
During the past couple of gift occasions (birthday, Christmas), I have given Rajeev decanters for his growing Scotch collection. He loves them. He has even created a little still life with the decanters, some Indian beedies, and a couple of Cuban cigars. You see, the male bonding at our place, when it happens, always involves scotch AND cigars. I can do without the Scotch and cigars (yuk and yuk), but I love the look and sensibility of these decanters. They're old, hand-me-down crystal. I love the heaviness of crystal. I love the fact that these things were built to LAST. I guess I'm on a mission to bring retro back.
More About: Life , Male

Now that it's all just a blur ...
2012-01-03 09:00:00
Sometimes, my Christmas baking hoard lasts well into January. And when it does, I can keep raiding it to prolong that 'holiday' denial of impending austerity. This year, however, my stash of baked goodies ran out on New Year's Day. Rats. I can't prolong it anymore. It's time for detox.

December happenings
2011-12-31 09:00:00
We went on the TCM Classic Cruise, a floating film festival from Miami to Cozumel. I discovered my new favourite American city: Miami. I baked a cake and spent some time with my Dad on his 88th birthday. I spent quite a lot of time horizontal, recovering from a terrible cold. We socialized with the usual suspects over the Christmas season. Happy New Year!

Retro Friday: crossing guard
2011-12-30 09:00:00
This is me, holding a stop sign at the corner of Derby and Cedar Hill Roads, circa 1974. My dad showed up when I was on duty as a crossing guard near my school -- that's his Porche parked on the left side -- and embarrassed the hell out of me by taking photos. No one else's parent did that! In addition to wearing a hard hat and holding out the sign, crossing guards had to do a little sing-song chant that went something like "Cut traffic, students through." Then, after people had crossed the street, we moved back to our original position with the chant "Cut students, traffic through." Oh, the weirdness from 1974 ...
More About: Retro , Friday

Not a resolution in sight
2011-12-29 19:53:00
I don't make New Year's resolutions. Oh, I used to. Like most people, I resolved to lose weight, get in shape, get up at the crack of dawn and exercise every day until I was perfectly thin, etc. But a couple of decades ago I realized that once the newness of the year wore off and life settled into the ordinary, my resolve would wane. I wasn't alone. Have you ever been to a crowded gym in January, and then seen the tumbleweeds blowing through it in February? Sometime back in the 1990s I decided that if I was going to resolve to change anything in my life, it should happen at any time of year in order to stick. And if that time of year happened to coincide with the New Year, my resolution had to be something that I'd be able to keep on a Wednesday in April or a Sunday in September. In other words, it had to be realistic. This year, I joined a gym in late October. For me, post-surgical recovery was what inspired me to exercise daily. After a period of enforced idleness, I really...

recipe: breakfast muffins
2011-12-26 09:00:00
Lately I've been whipping up batches of these muffins to have for breakfast, and freezing what I can't eat within a few days. I'm calling them breakfast muffins because they are loaded with healthy ingredients and go great with a cup of coffee or tea first thing in the morning. I have modified this recipe a couple of times, substituting hazelnuts for almonds, soy milk for cow's milk, etc., and the end result is always great. Just use whatever you have on hand to add crunch or sweetness. The bran and the carrots constitute the healthy part ... INGREDIENTS 2 cups flour 4 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 2 cups bran 1/2 cup wheat germ 1 cup brown sugar 4 Tbsp sesame seeds 1/2 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, etc.) 1/2 cup chopped apricots (or raisins or any dried fruit you like) 1/4 cup chocolate chips 1.5 cups grated carrot Grated rind of one lemon, lime or orange 2 cups buttermilk (or soy milk, almond milk, rice milk) 1/2 ...
More About: Recipe , Breakfast , Muffins

Retro Friday: Christmas 1975
2011-12-23 09:00:00
My sister and I, showing our loot. This was a good haul for me, because I got my first tape recorder. I used that thing for years. It was a Telefunken. I taped tv shows by putting the machine close to the tv speaker, running up to pause it during commercials. I had most episodes of "The Brady Bunch" on tape, which I listened to later in my room. It probably seemed like a weird thing to do at the time. A few years later, the VCR was invented.
More About: Christmas , Retro , Friday

In praise of real, live, actual Christmas cards
2011-12-22 09:00:00
Don't send me no form letters or e-cards, especially at this time of year. I LOVE sending and receiving real, live, paper Christmas cards. There's something about going out to the mailbox and finding an envelope with my name and address hand-written on it ... It's so rare these days. And the number of cards we receive is dwindling every year, unfortunately. Some people claim that e-cards save paper and postage, and therefore are better for the environment. Maybe so, but for the enjoyment factor, you might as well not bother. You can't enjoy an e-card the same as a paper card. You can't display it on your mantle, for starters. An e-card is nothing but a gesture,  not the personalized mini-gift of a real card, especially if it's hand-made. Above is a photo of the cards I made this year. I used a photo of a frosty fern I shot in our garden in November, and got them printed through an online company called Pinhole Press. [If you're Canadian, don't use them. They ship thro...
More About: Live , Praise , Real , Cards

Cruise ship packing for carry-on only: this is how we do it, do it
2011-12-20 09:00:00
Some people were surprised to hear that we went on the TCM Classic Cruise with carry-on bags only. Yup. We can't stand waiting for our bags after a long trip, worrying if they made all the connections. And we had a LOT of connections this time: Victoria - Seattle - Atlanta - Miami. It was a challenge, but this is how my packing went: In the bottom of the suitcase, I packed the following: light scarf tango shoes 1940s shoes swing shoes thongs casual sandals bathing suit shorts shorts and sports top for gym undies socks (inside swing shoes) 2 belts  sarong pantyhose  On top, I folded the following: 3 casual dresses 1 1940s dress 1 1950s outfit long gloves evening purse 4 light tops light cardigan capris Strap it all down, and Bob's your uncle: Into my purse went: iPhone toiletries jewelry passport travel documents and receipts headphones magazine makeup small, casual purse Onto the plane, I wore: walking shoes jeans light cardigan t-shirt c...

Cruising with the Stars: all the deets on the TCM Classic Cruise
2011-12-19 09:00:00
Apart from being deathly ill with a cold the whole time, I absolutely loved the TCM Classic Cruise. Over four days, we cruised from Miami to Key West and Cozumel, then back to Miami. There were film screenings, discussions, dancing, and all sorts of opportunities for once-in-a-lifetime events ("Oh look, there's Ernest Borgnine having breakfast in the cafeteria!"). Instead of traveling with my big camera, this time I decided to leave it at home and just use my iPhone. I didn't want to have an expensive camera to worry about on this trip, and as it happens, I was too sick to care about taking photos anyway. But next time, I'd take the big camera with the telephoto lens. The iPhone doesn't zoom well, and it's terrible in low light. This was our ship, the Celebrity Millennium: It was very nice. Great service, beautiful cabins, gorgeous artwork everywhere. One of the crew members told us this was the best cruise most of the crew had been on. When we asked why, he said, "Becau...
More About: Stars

Retro Friday: TCM Classic Cruise
2011-12-16 21:03:00
If ever there was a subject for Retro Friday , this is it. I just got back from Miami and the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) Classic Cruise. Correction: I got back on Tuesday night, but I've been deathly ill with a cold so that's why I haven't blogged about the trip yet. Unfortunately, the cold hit me as soon as we reached Miami the day before the cruise, and got progressively worse each day of the trip. This has been no run-of-the-mill cold, either. We're talking skin hurting, ears ringing, constantly sneezing, painful coughing, and generally feeling like Dead Woman Walking. However. I will tell y'all about the trip on Monday. For now, I'm going back under the covers. Meanwhile, check out some of TCM's photos on Facebook (and look for the one of Rajeev swing dancing) here. Image: Key West through the porthole, shot on my iPhone

pause
2011-12-06 09:00:00
We are blasting off today for the TCM Classic Cruise, leaving our house and beasts in the capable hands of not one but two live-in cat-sitters. Note to burglars: you don't want to mess with these people. We're talking neck tattoos and black belts in karate. I kid you not. I'm not sure how often I'll have internet access, but I will post iPhone photos to ahemobile when I can, so feel free to check over there until I return to this space. Au revoir!

making a [cruise holiday] list and checking it twice
2011-12-05 19:06:00
Even though we're only going away for a week, it's amazing how much stuff we are packing. We aren't just going to the tropics for some R & R, we are going on the TCM Classic Cruise which has Theme Nights, so two of my outfits are for that purpose. Case in point: my Joan & David retro shoes (above) that I'm wearing for the 1940's Night In Casablanca evening on Friday. Saturday night is Swing The Night Away so in goes my 1950s swing dancing outfit. Then of course there's casual wear for the port stops in Key West and Cozumel. In all I think I'm taking 5 pairs of shoes, and I can't cut it down any more than that. Oh - and as usual we aren't checking any bags, so all this stuff has to go into my carry-on bag. It seems that trip packing is very similar to video editing: it's harder to make a short video than a long one. There are more editing decisions to be made, as you keep cutting down and eliminating the unnecessary. I should be good at this. The perfectionist i...
More About: Holiday , List

Retro Friday: Honolulu Marathon 1999
2011-12-02 09:00:00
Here is a photo of Colleen and I at the half-way point of the 1999 Honolulu Marathon . We finished in 6 hours, 40 minutes, having done a lot of walking and waiting in port-a-potty lines along the route. Six weeks previously, I had run my first marathon at home in Victoria. I think it took me less than 5 hours. The Honolulu race is a slow one for most people because of a number of factors: You are sharing the course with 40,000 other runners, many of these runners are Japanese and have never run before, and the pack never thins out, so you are constantly surrounded by people. It began at 5 a.m. in the dark, with fireworks announcing the start. In 1999, marathon day weather was awful. It rained almost the whole time. That's why we were waiting in the port-a-potty lines so much; we had over-hydrated, expecting a long, sweaty, tropical run. We got our medals, celebrated with goofy cocktails, then spent the next few days playing on the beaches to help our muscles recover. And neithe...
More About: Retro , Friday

movies for hibernating time
2011-12-01 09:00:00
I don't think I've ever created a list of my favourite movies, but recently as I was mindlessly slogging away on the elliptical trainer, I decided to create one. This is my List of Eleven Movies I Will Always Watch When They Come On TV: Some Like It Hot Rear Window Dial M For Murder It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World The Railway Children Starstruck Raising Arizona The Year of Living Dangerously Run Lola Run The Matrix Gallipoli (until the last 15 minutes, which are too sad to see over and over) What's yours?
More About: Time

November happenings
2011-11-30 09:00:00
I finished another corporate video for iDUS Controls Ltd. This one was about the Home Conservepump, a home grey-water recycling system. This little Nanaimo company is really skyrocketing and I'm glad to help them get some well-deserved exposure by making videos of their innovative products. We had a joint birthday celebration for the young 'uns in the family: Ivy (14) and Rajeev (34). I spent a lot of time on a creative project which I will share here after Dec. 25 as it's a gift for someone who shall remain nameless (not that he reads my blog, but just in case word gets around). We're getting very excited about our upcoming cruise, hunting for vintage outfits and researching what to do in Miami. If anyone has a white, double-breasted dinner jacket that will fit Rajeev, please let me know. This seems to be the most difficult item to find. UPDATE: we went with the off-white one and I think it'll do just fine. Rajeev grew a mo' for the cause. Carcass count: 34 rats, 2 mice...

one day until the big shave-off
2011-11-29 09:00:00
Rajeev has been cultivating his mo' this month in support of Movember. This is what it looks like. This is why I can't wait for the big shave-off tomorrow. Yuk. In case you'd like to make a contribution to the cause, please read Rajeev's plea below: ---- As some of you may or may not be aware, a few of us out working on the same project in Calgary have volunteered our upper lips for follicular growth for the brief period of the month of Movember (http://www.movember.com). The Movember movement is a campaign in view of raising funds to fight prostate cancer, the most common form of cancer affecting males.  Movember is a rather large, global campaign that has grown (pardon the pun) over the years motivating many individuals to take part in the fight to cure prostate cancer. We have put together a team of eight such individuals.  Here are the details: Team Name: Labia Pilosa (I know it sounds like a disease you might catch.  Remember we are workin...

mulched, counting down and getting our vintage on
2011-11-28 09:00:00
With winter approaching and the first fierce storms rolling in off the Pacific, it's our last chance to get the house ready for the long, dark, icky months ahead. I've been raking what seems like endless amounts of leaves from our property. We've turned off the outside water taps, taken several loads of garden waste to the depot, and I'm watching the temperature carefully to make sure that I empty our rain barrels before they freeze solid. Meanwhile ... We're getting ready for the TCM Classic Cruise! 9 more sleeps till we blast off for Miami! I'm very excited. I've never been to Miami and I've always wanted to go to Key West and Cozumel. To see these places in the company of thousands of classic movie fans is going to be so great. There will be classic movie screenings, hob-nobbing with movie stars, and tons of dancing. I've been enjoying Thursday nights on TCM this month because they've been showing movies that take place on ocean voyages, although many of them are dis...
More About: Vintage

Retro Friday: natural blonde
2011-11-25 09:00:00
Three things: Can you tell I have German and Austrian heritage in the mix? Again with the cool outfit. I'd love to have grown-up versions of these pants and this top. It costs me a lot of money to make my hair go this colour these days. Back in 1971, all it took was a little sunshine.
More About: Natural , Retro , Blonde , Friday

on yer bike, bottoms up
2011-11-24 09:00:00
While we were driving around the North Island of New Zealand, we wanted to do a winery tour at some point and finally found the perfect place for it: Hastings. Just south of Napier, Hastings is located in the Hawke's Bay region and the wines are superb. We went on a full-day cycling tour of eight wineries through a company called On Yer Bike . They provided us with bikes, water bottles, a packed lunch, a map, and a cell phone. The route took us through olive groves, vineyards and country roads. It was such a nice experience. At the end of the day, we used the cell phone to call the company to let them know which wines we had purchased, and they drove around to the wineries to pick them up. Perfect.

A day on the volcano
2011-11-23 09:00:00
This was one of the best days of our New Zealand trip back in February. The volcano above is Mount Ngauruhoe. Just like every kid's drawing of a volcano, it's a perfectly shaped mountain with red lava oozing down its sides and steam coming out of it. If you saw the "Lord of the Rings" movies, this is one of the volcanoes that was filmed to represent Mt. Doom. We did a 7-hour hike at this mountain, called the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It's a bloody long hike, but after driving around in our campervan for two weeks we were in need of some exercise. We could hardly walk the next day, but it was worth it. Here we are at the start, muscles intact: The first part of the hike is a nice, easy stroll along a boardwalk: Then it gets much harder. In fact, when you reach the base of the volcano's steep slopes, there's a sign warning you to seriously consider turning back unless you're in good physical shape. Yikes. The day we did this hike, there were hundreds of other peop...

a new addition to the family
2008-06-02 06:35:00
Behold, our new barbeque.Now we just need to learn how to cook things without overcooking or charring them to a crisp.
More About: Family , The Family

gardening 102
2008-05-31 04:21:00
These irises only bloom for a couple of weeks, but they sure are gorgeous. Our garden is full of them. Some are so heavy now that they are keeling over. Rajeev decapitated one of them gardening, and another while playing badminton, but the rest are surviving.Here's another surprise: a bleeding heart. I didn't know it was planted in a pot on the patio, until suddenly in March it burst out of the dirt and grew about a foot a week.
More About: Gardening

we're all glad the sun is back
2008-05-30 04:15:00
Living in the only part of the world that seems to be COOLING as a result of "global warming," we ... need ... SUN.
More About: Back , Glad

The Pose
2008-05-29 00:49:00
This is a shot of Charlene and I taken at Nymph Falls near Courtenay BC a couple of weeks ago. It's the traditional pose we used to strike for photos as teenagers. We'll probably still be doing this when we're in our 90's, assuming we can get out of our rockers.
More About: Pose

watching the parade go by
2008-05-28 00:39:00
Here we are, watching the Victoria Day parade. Rajeev hadn't seen it before, so we packed snacks and walked down to Douglas Street with our chairs.The photograph was taken by my friend Mike Tourigny, who was on the roof of his studio taking shots of the parade. We saw him up there, and tried to get his attention to no avail. It was only when he was editing his photos that he noticed our faces and sent me this pic.As for the parade, it was a snoozer this year. There were lots of long gaps between acts, making people stand up, look down the road and wonder "is it over?" And it rained. Oh well. There's always next year.
More About: Watching , Parade

finally, a place for the hammock
2008-05-14 06:22:00
Day View:Night View:
More About: Finally , Place , Hammock