My office view

My new office in Gastown sits in an old brick building in one of the most vulnerable earthquake zones in the city - old mudflats. On the bright side: look at the view from my desk: result!

My office view

Before and After

Before and After

Time to Decorate

Time to Decorate

Good day to be a foot commuter

Good day to be a foot commuter

A snowy morning

Christmas has made a rare appearance in downtown Vancouver.

A snowy morning

My old rolling briefcase. Handle too short. Noisy on it's wheels. A bit too wide. Zippers that catch. Heavy. Still smells a bit from having a flight attendant dump an entire pot of hot coffee in it over the atlantic. Finally turfing it after 14 years. It's been to 16 countries and 25 US states with me. Travelled over 275,000 miles. It really is a piece of shit, and always has been. Smells like it too. Never liked it. But strangely enough, I'm going to miss it.

Yee Ha

In Nashville for a tradeshow with colleagues David, Chris, Jacquie and Rich. Haven't worn one of these hats for a long time.

You can see why.

Yee Ha

A bit of history

A bit of history

What a ride

More to come on this story, but this is me with my riding partners Jonas Patterson (left) and Thomas Daley. Thomas rode the Transrockies Mountain Bike race with Johnny in 2004. Jonas is his stepson. Thats a high def camera on my helmet which I wore for parts of the ride. Bro in law Brian bought that for me.

What a ride

With Tom at the finish line

With Tom at the finish line

235 km in 9 hours over 2 days.

Overall average 25 kph

235 km in 9 hours over 2 days.

Brunch picnic

At Lunch stop after 70 k before 10am

Brunch picnic

Thomas and Colleen

Our friends Tom and Colleen at the 1/2 way camp. Averaged 24 kph for the first day - 123k.

Thomas and Colleen

At 71k on day one

Right after lunch, Tom gets a flat. This is him and his stepson Jonas taking care of it in 3 minutes.

At 71k on day one

1/4 way: lunch on the first day with Thomas and one of our fans

1/4 way: lunch on the first day with Thomas and one of our fans

Ride to Conquer Cancer is looming

I admit that I feel unprepared for this upcoming 250km, 2-day bicycle ride to Seattle from Surrey, BC. I have a great riding partner, my friend Tom, who is a great mentor and guide, and an experienced rider. He is almost 15 years older than me and hugely fit.

I am also reminding myself daily that this is a doddle compared to facing cancer.

Big thanks to my generous friends and family for donating to my cause snd seeing me on may way.

To distract me from this upcoming challenge, here's a picture of a little bird that came and sat on my shoulder while I was at a meeting at Starbucks today. He walked all over my back and shoulders and wouldn't be dislodged for 20 minutes. Sat there chirping loudly into my ear. I got up and walked back to my office about a block away and he rode on my shoulder the whole way whereupon a gentle wave from my colleague got him to fly away. Not until, of course, he left a delicate little poop on my sweater, in between my shoulder blades.

Ride to Conquer Cancer is looming

Sssh

There's an entire drumkit in that car...

Sssh

Walking in a winter wonderland

Hiking in the snowy trails above Storm Mountain on Christmas Day.

Walking in a winter wonderland

Yes, it is Christmas

At least it is in the Rockies, in a cabin deep in the snow at Storm
Mountain lodge.

Yes, it is Christmas

Waiting for catfish and alligator burgers

Waiting for catfish and alligator burgers

Jesus...

Met a Priest, Father Chris, fresh from a funeral ("running late today,
funeral ran long,... Had him in the ground but folks just kept on
talkin'...")

He videotaped me on his phone when I was playing washboard and offered
to email me the video. Now I am on a priest's mailing list...

Jesus...

After Sunday gospel mass

In Jackson Square with Don and Greg.

After Sunday gospel mass

Everywhere

Everywhere

Slave cabins at Laura Plantation

By law cabins had to be built 16' x 16' and housed up to four per
cabin. This plantation had 70 cabins stretching over two miles down
the plantation.

These cabins were occupied until the 70's with plantation workers who
were descendants of slave labourers.

Slave cabins at Laura Plantation

Laura Plantation

Restored Creole plantation home on the Mississippi near Vacherie,
Louisiana. The white antebellum style plantation homes you often
picture were owned by whites (defined as those with no more than
1/64th African heritage). Creoles of mixed European, West African and
Indian blood would paint their plantations in bright colours to
distinguish them.

Laura Plantation

Playing the washboard

With Waylon Thibodeaux at B&C Seafood roadhouse, near the Laura
Plantation on the Mississippi.

Playing the washboard

Amazing delicacies

A perfectly worded first sentence. B&C Seafood in St. James parish.
Mississippi levee in the background.

Had a spicy alligator burger and a bit of zydeco music with fiddler
Waylon Thibodeaux.

Thankfully, felines were not on the menu...

Amazing delicacies

Jazz Brunch at Arnaud's

They played How High The Moon for me as a birthday present at an
amazing brunch in the Quarter. Banjo, standup and sax.

Jazz Brunch at Arnaud's

Everywhere,,,

Everywhere,,,