FW: Workaround

OK: Retro time. Back to the two-body approach. For you non-wireless folks oot thar, that means using my PDA for my mobile computing device, and my old GPRS phone pretty much as a dumb modem for the PDA. Connect the two via bluetooth and it's pretty straightforward after that. My PPC has WiFi but that's still not ubiquitous.

However I can't post pics using email like this, so an alternative solution is required. Am now in search of a Blogger client for PPC2003. Should be easy to find.

Thanks for all your congratulatory notes on reaching 190. Still can't discern my abs but 1 out of 2 ain't bad.

Despite a debauched night to celebrate Don's birthday on Saturday night (SaltLik on Alberni; great steak; cartoonish wait staff; average martinis) followed by a staggering breakfast by Shell on Sunday, AND a self indulgent junk food pigout on Sunday (bag of Smartfood and a chocolate bar) l'm holding at 191.5.

Seven days to go.

Hoto
(via email from my PocketPC Via my Sony T616)

FW: Workaround

Moist

managed to break an oarlock rowing today. This means that with only one oar for balance, the boat becomes quite unstable. Thus I ended up dunked in the chilly waters of Coal Harbour. Coach Boat was along in
no time so I could pull myself out, but my phone was in my pocket, and is now Very Dead.

So no wireless posts with pics for sometime to come.

Hoto
(via email from my PockePC)

Moist

Cheating

Fucking PIcoblogger. I've had enough. OK, I'm breaking with tradition and posting manually.

Cheating

190. Made it

Last night I was 191 and this morning made it to 190. PicoBlogger.com bailed on me last night so I will post a proof pic once I can get it running.

I week early. 21 lbs since July 31.

(From my mobile)

190. Made it

New idea for losing weight

Drink the water in Vancouver. Instant emetic/diuretic.

http://www.gvrd.bc.camedia/2006/2006-11-16-Media-ReleaseResidentsAdvised
WaterQuality.pdf

New idea for losing weight

Not much lost during all the renovations but still headed in the right direction. Haven't been this light in a long time.

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4th and last Day of Renos

Mad rush to try and get the 2nd layer of subfloor down. 3/8" plywood over the particle board sub-sub-floor. Easier since it's not tongue in groove, and the sheets were larger. Mum and I had to do some careful planning and scheming to use the largest bits of wood as possible. Still ended up making hundreds of cuts to get it to fit without wasting any wood. It's amazing how proud you can be of cutting a single 4'x8' piece of wood that wraps around a toilet, around a door frame and up an angled wall. Sad testament to one's self worth. Had to get up close and personal with the commode to squeak it into place. Seems like I spend a lot of my winters on my knees in this bathroom. This time, however, less retching involved.

Managed to shave off 1/2" from the bathroom and sauna door to ensure they'd clear both the floor and the carpet/tiling to come. Got finished in enough time to discover that there wasn't enough carpet or underlay to cover the area. M&D's friend Pierre will get them the flooring they need. He came by for a look-see tonight. Home tomorrow.

Hmph.

4th and last Day of Renos

End of Day 3: A Pile of Sawdust and cuttings to remove

Oy. Before and After.

End of Day 3: A Pile of Sawdust and cuttings to remove

3rd Day of Renos

Today was all about the subfloor. The first layer was 2'x2' particle board pre-glued with a plastic-rubber-compound moulded tile that creates airflow for warmth and a smooth surface. That's what went in today. Tongue-in-groove format meant cutting incredibly complex angles to fit around angled walls, toilets, door frames and casing. Hard on my small brain, but fun to figure it out. Got it done but not without an extra trip to Calgary to pick up more tiles and lots of sawing, sawing, sawing.

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3rd Day of Renos

2nd Day of Renos

Ceiling Tile completed today. Did all the fiddly bits that we weren't able to finish with Colin and Johnny. Yesterday was 96 (almost all whole pieces) while today was 35 little bits of pressed-wood tile. Multiple angles and crooked beams now look smooth and clean. Mum plastered, painted and stained the walls. Managed to work around each other and each other's schedules. Managed not to get too much paint or stain on me either.

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2nd Day of Renos

1st Day of Renos

Floor area cleaned out by Mum, Dad, Colin and Hoto. Johnny and Colin help with putting ceiling tiles up. Used Colin's compressor nail gun and stapled the lath to the ceiling across a cats cradle of joists, frame members, plumbing and crooked walls. Here, John's hard at work inspecting colin's efforts. Worth every penny we paid him. OK, he did carry all the wood and materials downstairs.

Couldn't have done it without them both.


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1st Day of Renos

Alberta Gets All The Good Sunrises

Sunrise on the Marquis de Sade trail south of Calgary. (Well, it's something like that anyway.)

On the way to return Colin's saw. Blessed thing rattled all the way to High River in the back of the rental car. Drove me very slightly mad. But worth it.

Nice visit with Simpsons at their enormous house.

Good tea, too.

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Alberta Gets All The Good Sunrises

Oy! Made it back down. We'll see how 4 days of hard labour in Bragg Creek affect the waist line. Renos to Mum and Dad's place over a long weekend. Stay tuned for results.

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sunrise over Garden Bay, Sunshine Coast, BC

Fantastic storm the previous night followed by a moon set and this sunrise in the morning.

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sunrise over Garden Bay, Sunshine Coast, BC

He-e-e-res Johnny!

It's that time, I guess. thanks to the candy lying around the office, I am back up to 197.

Less than 30 days left, so no more fucking around.

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He-e-e-res Johnny!

A wintry and treacherous drive

On the Coquihalla coming home from Brian's birthday party. praise for shell's driving and the all wheel drive Escape. made it home in 4.5 hours, in time for rowing at noon.

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A wintry and treacherous drive

Sheldon, Paul and Ruth looking for charts.

This is in Paul's rehearsal space in his back yard in Tsawwassen.

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194

The scale actually said 193 when I first stepped on, but when I went to get my phone to snap a pic, I somehow gained a pound.

Bloody air.

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194

Plateau

Managed to lose ground this week. Back up to 196 thanks to pizza, martinis and cookies. Last weekend I ran 8k, cycled 30 and rowed about 6. This weekend I cycled only 16 and only rowed about
3k since my instructor was particularly gabby this time around. And it rained so hard that it stung my legs where it hit them. Choppy too.

This week I should be able to make new ground as long as I don't blow it out on drinks at the Government Mule concert on Wednesday. http://www.mule.net

Hoto
(via e-mail from my PocketPC)

Plateau

A quick tour

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A quick tour

The entrance to Coal Harbour

floating just off the Bayshore with Stanley Park to my right.

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The entrance to Coal Harbour

2 at the very most

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2 at the very most

Sculling

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Sculling

Lardblog

The main reason I started posting my weight is that my family seems absolutely obsessed with the topic. It is the very first thing that my sister and mother mention when they see me... Whether I am looking lighter or heavier... Better or worse. My sensibilities used to be vaguely
Insulted by this, even though it was only family, until I realized that it is in fact an entirely British pastime, like grumbling about the weather or the government. As I found on numerous trips to the UK, Brits seem to almost invariably feel they are overweight and so find comfort and solace in the endless comparison between their own waistine and that of others.

I am, needless to say, no longer insulted.
Perhaps until my waist line begins to grow again.

Lardblog

Vancouver Traffic Cameras

Last night I created a mobile optimized web page for traffic, ferry line-up, highway, bridge and border web cameras around the lower mainland.

Useful for out-of-towners to get a glimpse of BC life as it passes by?

Perhaps.

Put this link into your phone or desktop browser.

http://www3.telus.net/hoto/tp/

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Vancouver Traffic Cameras

195

Back to 195 this morning. No problem to get to 190 in 55 days.
Binge and purge, binge and purge...

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195

Crunches

Bicycle crunches are backbreakers. I need a way to do them without causing lower bachache. Perhaps while lying comfortably on my side. In bed. With a good book.

Anyway: 120 tonight. Sounds like pathetically few given that 40 is less than 60 days away.

Still haven't booked a party for Trev and I either. (He turns 40 two days before me.)

Hmmm...

Hoto

Crunches

in the sunshine at the Vancouver Rowing Club

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not far to go.

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Canada Dry gets rebranded

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Canada Dry gets rebranded

Can't the Koreans stand even ONE non-Korean supplier?

Even Otis has to partner with LG in order to sell escalators and elevators.

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Can't the Koreans stand even ONE non-Korean supplier?

Interesting branding

Same company makes urinals and motor scooters.

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Interesting branding

Dinner in Myeong Dong

Heat and spice that defied description. Waitress told our Korean host that she had never seen white people eat kimchi before. Chicken dish name translated to "very hot spicy bird". hmmm.

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Dinner in Myeong Dong

The King Who invented the Korean alphabet

King Sejong from Korea's 14th century. Not me. the other guy. On the grounds of the Deoksugong palace. Brought enlightenment, health and education to the masses. Took the overly complex Chinese alphabet and simplified to 24 characters, used to this day.

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The King Who invented the Korean alphabet

Industrious

Our host's wife is a high school teacher. Her students are in class from 7am to 11pm five days per week. So his wife teaches 16 hours per day five days per week. 8 months of the year. THey do get 3 months off in the winter, and then 1 in the summer. But gruelling. The reason? University applications are so high that there are 40 students for every single university position. So at any of the 20 or so Seoul universities, if there's a capacity of 20,000 students, there are up to 800,000 applicants each school year. Our hosts 13 year old son has classes from 7am to 1am. He eats dinner at school and takes a short break and then is in intensive studies until 1am, then walks home and sleeps for a few hours.
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Industrious

Irony

One of South Korea's little known but successful exports is tear gas. Recently a group of 1,000 Korean farmers travelled to Hong Kong to protest the WTO. While there, 14 were arrested by the surprised Hong Kong military police. Several farmers were injured when they were sprayed with...
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Irony

Underground mall

Subterranean mall that stretches for hundreds of meters in many directions. Filled with tiny shops, most not more than 200 square feet, mostly selling the same shit. Tailored shirts, Korean trinkets, at least 20 eyeglass shops that I counted, handbags, dresses, hats, socks, ginseng and kites.
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Underground mall

Cheonggyecheon

In 2005, road crews uncovered the Cheonggye stream hidden for 50 years. Mayor decided to reopen its course and make a sunken green-belt and water way for the stream's 6km length all the way to the Han river. Controversially removed an entire highway running through downtown to do it. Starts at this fountain amid a concrete bounded course, and becomes greener and wilder as you walk downstream. PAcked with people into the wee hours. "Rock" steps across the stream are embedded with blue LED lights. Visually stunning. Cool air and negative ions are welcome amid smog.
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Cheonggyecheon

When is a Mercedes not a Mercedes?

When it's a Ssangyong. Benz OEM's them to Korean companies since Koreans like to buy from Koreans. Most cars are Hyundai, with some Kia. You see lots of Nissan Maximas that are Ssangyong as well. Very odd.
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When is a Mercedes not a Mercedes?

Grey Blocks

10 storey building with no windows save for those in the stairwells. I found out they are purpose-built department stores. No need for windows. Outside is festooned with advertising instead.
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Grey Blocks

Korean BBQ

Amazing meal. Tender marinated Korean beef is expensive but worth it. Here, they BBQ at your table over a charcoal fire with a vent that hangs over the table and raises/lowers electrically. Served with two kinds of kimchi, marinated onions, hot bean curd sauce. You make wraps out of sweet sesame leaves and stuff your face. Wash down with (s)hite beer.
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Korean BBQ

Different Planet

No Mr. Tube Steak here. Smokies on sidewalk vendor carts are octopi.
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Different Planet

Space Oddities

I miss the earth so much, I miss my wife. Left my mark on a graffiti board at an outdoor photo exhibition in Seoul City Hall Square, which is surprisingly round. Site of many political demonstrations.
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Space Oddities

Riot police

Huge traffic jam ends up against a cavalcade of riot police in barred-window buses. Here, armed forces service is mandatory for young men, but soldiers don't leave the base except for 2 weeks of the year. Many men choose service in the oft-used riot police instead, since they do get out and about. Buses full of giggling and face-pulling young police being carted from demonstration to demonstration. Koreans like their political events...
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Riot police