Picasso di Spud

Charlie's first piece of art handcrafted for his uncle. My favourite little nephew claims it's a digger (a back-hoe for you canucks).

Clearly one can appreciate the raw beauty and simplicity with which he has swept his hand across the page; the white space; the rugged symmetry.

But as is plain for all to see, he's actually drawn a big cock and balls.

I don't think he's gay yet, but clearly unhealthily obsessed.

(see Superbad for pop cultch reference re: obsession with sketches of male genitalia.)

Picasso di Spud

Sparx excels again

Sparx excels again

My kind of joint

My kind of joint

Standing By for My Turnoff...

Standing By for My Turnoff...

Bit bigger

Bit bigger

Sign 'o the times

Sign 'o the times

Bit smaller, isn't it

Bit smaller, isn't it

You don't see these at the Whole Foods cash register

You don't see these at the Whole Foods cash register

Severed Witches finger cookies

Look foul. Taste sweet. Thanks to wifey for guidanceg

Severed Witches finger cookies

License Plates

These two were lined up right in front of us.

License Plates

The gun store

Andy, wifey Don and I after blowing through some clips at the Gun Store.

The gun store

Darker and cooler

...but a beautiful and peaceful oceanside commute nonetheless.

Darker and cooler

Peak to Peak

Over 400m from the valley floor between Whistler and Blackcomb. Through the glass floor of the Gondola. Those are big trees down there.

Peak to Peak

Go to France

Lose 6lbs.

Go to France

A fortunate life.

Well, I have to start with wifey.

She looks after me when I'm sick. Laughs with me when I'm happy. Commiserates with me when things go wrong and helps me up.

Halves my troubles, and doubles my joy.

She makes me complete.

And what a complete week we've had.

One week ago we were wandering along the Seine together, dining at the top of Montmartre in the shadow of the Basilique Sacre Coeur. We flew back from France together in peace and returned to our beautiful home.

This week, I walked along the shore of False Creek to my beloved job where my thoughtful colleagues had looked after my tasks for me while I was away in Paris.

Then I drove to my gig at the River Rock Casino on a balmy night in our beautiful city, and played with my favourite band and my close friends, the Bradley/McGillivray band.

Last night I got to blast my new car up the Sea to Sky Highway to meet wifey at the Fairmont Whistler hotel for a night out, during which we engaged Hys to bring us a great steak and a bottle of Champagne.

And now we're on the Peak to Peak Gondola together swaying over the valley between Whistler and Blackcomb Mointains.

Yeah. All good.

I'm a fortunate man.

A fortunate life.

Creme Brulee au Nutella

Creme Brulee au Nutella

You Lie!

C = cold
F = freezing

You Lie!

Orientation

Paris is ridiculously easy to get around. Buy a 3 or 5 day pass and you will make your money back in 2 days. We even used our 5 day pass for the funiculaire at Montmartre, bypassing a huge line for tickets.

We used the Tube 2 app on my smartphone with the Paris and RER maps, and never got lost. The app shows your route, changes, directions of travel for each train and written instructions that are easy to follow. Works for all of Paris.

Orientation

Last morning

Cafe au Lait et The Ceylon sur la Mouffetard.

Last morning

Bayonne.

Out of order but had to include: the heart stoppingly beautiful Bayonne, bedecked with the colours of the Basque.

Bayonne.

The Met.

Nous ami.

The Met.

It's a shop

You're lining up to get into a shop.

You twats.

(Champs-Elysees, Paris.)

It's a shop

Catholics

Can afford good architects.

Catholics

Money well spent

Waiting for our Seine cruise in a wine bar carved into a cavern off Saint Michel.

Money well spent

More please...

Merci Georges et Marcel pour l'introduction.

More please...

Yipe!

Cleopatra gets a dose from the asp.

Dies.

Caught on canvas.

In the Louvre

Yipe!

Bubble Blowing Bear

Out of order, but Saint-Jean de Luz, Basque.

Bubble Blowing Bear

Dear Translink

This system has been working for over a century.

Why can't you get YOUR shit together like this?

Dear Translink

They have statues for Everything

A study of evisceration in Marble.

I think the Louvre is just running out of ideas now.

They have statues for Everything

Anus de Milo

Most famous coinslot in history.

Anus de Milo

Da Vinci ho

Really. Is that it?

Da Vinci ho

Creme Brulee a Paris cafe dans la Marais

Spoiled for anything else now

Creme Brulee a Paris cafe dans la Marais

Erm...

Sparx and Spud pretending that it is summer in the south of France.

Erm...

Saint-Jean de Luz, Basque.

Saint-Jean de Luz, Basque.

Look mummy

An airplane up in the sky.

(cue Roger Waters on acoustic guitar)

Look mummy

A lovely day by the sea

Spud sleeping.

A lovely day by the sea

Toro Toro!

A tasteful olive pick holder. Saint-Jean de Luz, Basque-Pyrenees.

Toro Toro!

And then suddenly...

We were wandering dazed and jetlagged through a cloudy morning Paris, and there it was, through the trees...

And the sun came out.

And wifey was happy.

And all was good with the world.

And then suddenly...

Hey

This hotel is fantastic.

All the amenities of home.

Wait...

That's because it IS home.

At least the chambermaid speaks the language and you can get a decent cuppa.

Hey

Not the hotel room number we were expecting tonight

Flight to Paris cancelled. Back home. Hmph. Will try again tomorrow.

Not the hotel room number we were expecting tonight

Oh baby

Oh baby

Not as witty

But as succinct.

Not as witty

The hillbillies are in town

You can take the boys out of High River, but....

The hillbillies are in town

Hot Town, Summer in the City, Back o' my neck feeling Dirty and Gritty

http://m.cbc.ca/site?t=LpS9VGG-qHc-4DcVWZFSog&sid=cbc

Hot Town, Summer in the City, Back o' my neck feeling Dirty and Gritty

Garden Bay 8:45am

Up for a gig for 3 nights at the Garden Bay pub on the sunshine coast.

Up at the blessed hour of 8, after two long but rewarding nights in the club, to golf at Pender Harbour course. Sun already baking down.

Gonna be a scorcher. 32C today.

Garden Bay 8:45am

Pigs fly

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2009/may/05/swine-flu-cases-britain

Pigs fly

adrift

Long time since posting, I know. Just got back from a trip to Naramata where we rented a cabin and boat with friends. Wifey and I did some floatin' around. Not much swimming, because the water was 14C, but the air was hot hot hot. Wish we were back there.

It rains in Vancouver. But that makes our sweet peas grow.

This positive work environment is rubbing off on me.

--------------------
Hoto
(sent wirelessly from my phone)

adrift

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

I don't usually have jazz trumpet/piano duets at my parties.

Hmm... Should work on that.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Oh Yeah

THAT'S why I like Alberta.

Right.

Oh Yeah

Kilometre 1.3

It's at this point in my daily slog to work, when I think about how great it will be to get to my desk.

Kilometre 1.3

Congestion ahead

Commute: encountered another commuter whose slow pace and erratic manner forced me to adjust my route by one foot, making me 0.0002 hours late for work.

Tchah.

Congestion ahead

Why Washington is still in decline

http://prorev.com/2009/05/why-washington-doesnt-work.html

Hoto
(via email from my PocketPC)

Why Washington is still in decline

Starsky & Hutch Themes: There WERE two ...

So to that guy, in that bar.  You know who you are, Mister Man.

You refused to believe that there were two Starsky and Hutch theme songs (one for domestic US and one for International release) but which both were released subsequently in the UK where an impressionable and weedy little asthmatic kid waited sweatily for each episode:
 
Here's the domestic theme: http://technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyhVdCubsMqo
 
And here's the subsequent international theme: (killer Tom Scott and LA Express track): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJnPS0QuTvY
 
 
Nyah!  In your face!  I was right!  Yes.

Can't fool the Starsky and Hutch fan club member.  Had the poster. Had the matchbox and corgi Gran Torino.  @#$%ker.

Screw Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. There was only ever Glaser and Soul...
 

Starsky & Hutch Themes: There WERE two ...

Congestion

It's total gridlock on the False Creek turnpike.

Congestion

Commuting

Yeah, my commute just isn't that difficult.

Commuting