Sentimiento de Nostalgia (Feeling Nostalgic)

   There has been some strange weather in Victoria today. We went from sunny skies to snow then back to sun, then hail, then sun again, and now it's a little cloudy. It's also a little cold outside today, and it has me feeling nostalgic for Mexico. My wife and I were in Puerto Vallarta this time last year.

   We had a lot of fun, made some friends, and experienced so many new things. Even when it rained it was still very comfortable. I'd go back again in a heart beat.

All photos taken by me except for the humpback whales and the sunset. My wife took those ones.
Adios!

The Wandering Oak

How I Spent My 35th Birthday

   Yesterday, Feb. 8th, was my 35th Birthday. Normally I'd mark the anniversary of my birth by writing out a rambling blog about what I've done or learned in the past year and how I feel about getting older, but not this year. This year I decided to just get out of the house and go for a walk along Victoria's waterfront, specifically the Dallas Road and Ogden Point area. It's been a while since I've been down there, and you know, I didn't even care that it rained.

   My old compact camera doesn't take photos as well as today's fancy cameras, but I did get a few nice shots along my walk that I'd like to share with you. I'll write brief descriptions below each image.

The view from Dallas Road looking roughly South by Southeast. Contrast and brightness have been edited. The ship on the horizon is one of Canada's Kingston class coastal defense ships, likely crewed by Naval Reserve officers and eager young cadets, on a routine training cruise. Any given day there could be several of these little ships out there. It's fun to watch them do rescue drills and play hide-and-seek with submarines.

A wider view looking Southeast from Dallas Rd. That little ship is now just a dot on  the horizon.

The Ogden Point Breakwater.

The lighthouse at the end of the breakwater.

This is the MV Dry Beam. She limped into Victoria this past weekend after suffering damage from a rogue wave on her port (left) side while on her way to Asia.

A closer look at the ship's damaged port side. Note the bent vertical support beams and shifted load of logs. The news report said the ship was in the open Pacific just outside of Vancouver Island and that the wave was 10 to 15 meters tall. Basically Mother Nature just bitch-slapped this ship and there was nothing the crew could do the prevent it. Fortunately nobody was hurt. The huge, black white and red Seaspan cranes towering over the ship's grey cranes are on a barge docked next to the ship and are in the process of transferring the logs off the ship.

Just as I was about to leave Ogden Point, this rainbow appeared over the harbour. What a nice way to end my walk!

And that was how I spent my 35th Birthday.

The Wandering Oak

Seven Years Later, I'm Still Blogging

   Seven years ago today I stepped into the blossoming world of blogging. I always like to mark this anniversary because it was through blogging that I got to know and become friends with so many wonderful people.

   The title of my first blog page was Inland Shipwreck, an oxymoron of a name that I came up with while living in the middle of Alberta at the time, and it was hosted by the now defunct MSN Spaces. At the time, almost everybody was using that service because it was so easy to access through one's MSN Messenger account.

   I published my first post on Feb. 1, 2005 and it took a few weeks before I started to notice any traffic in my visitor stats. Of course I forgot to set my page to public at first, so once I changed that then I started to see the occasional comment on my posts. I think everyone can agree that it feels nice to see comments on your material. It's like: "Yay! People want to share their thoughts on something I wrote!"

   Slowly at first I developed a small following of regular readers, and in good karma I would read their blogs and leave comments. As time went on, my regular group of readers expanded and it soon became a daily ritual for all of us to surf to each other`s pages and leave comments. I think it became an addiction for many of us. At the time there were so many users on Spaces that it was far too difficult to follow every new blogger out there, so eventually my friends and I just started to stay within our little circle. It was like a friendly community of like-minded bloggers and it really was the Golden era. We even had a name for our little group: Spaces Boulevard.

   I made so many friends through that blog of mine, and I don't just mean cyber friends. In many cases a lot of us got to know each other outside of Spaces, exchanging emails, instant messages, text messages, phone calls, exchanging holiday and birthday cards, and even meeting in person. I can't imagine my life without some of those people. You know who you are.

   And then Facebook came along. The bubble burst. Suddenly one could write notes directly on Facebook, and easily share photos, so there was no longer a need for a blogging page. All of my blogging friends migrated over to Facebook and I went with them. Suddenly we were all able to share so much more with each other and that became the new addiction. It wasn't long after that Spaces eventually folded and was swallowed up by, what was it? Wordpress? I admit that it kind of sucks that all the work I put into that page is now lost in cyberspace, but at least I kept my friends.

   Then, about three years ago, a few of us caught the blogging bug again. The constantly changing Facebook made it a hassle to post neatly formatted blogs, and, speaking for myself, I wanted something a little more formal. That's when I learned about Blogger. By that time I had moved back to my home on BC's West Coast, so the name Inland Shipwreck no longer applied (though I kept it as an email address). After humming and hawing for a while over a name, a light bulb came on and The Wandering Oak became my new moniker.

   The rest, as they say, is history.

Memories from my Inland Shipwreck days.

The Wandering Oak

Snow Days

   This week Victoria has been getting a blast of winter weather, the likes of which hasn't been seen since...last winter. It's Canada. It Snows. Even on the West coast. Nevertheless, despite the fact that it's only a few inches of snow and the temperatures are only just a few degrees below freezing, my poor city is crippled by what the rest of Canada would consider just a dusting.

   Although I'm not really that bothered by the snow, (I used to live in Alberta, so I've been through worse) I'm content to spend my snow days inside listening to my favorite music and building a model of a Navy ship.

   Yes, my virtual shipyard is my kitchen table. It really is the only spot in our home I can use for this. I get a lot of natural light from the window, and it's much roomier than the desk in our office/den. The table is also a great working height for me. My lovely wife has no issue with this since I always keep things tidy and have the table cleared off well in advance of any meals. Sandwiched between the two white cloths is a thick layer of newspaper for extra protection. I use water based acrylic paints, and not those smelly enamels. The glue is also non toxic.
   I'm not the only one making the most of my snow days. Even our cat likes playing in the snow!

   If the sun does appear tomorrow, as is forecast, I think I'll go for a walk down to a nearby lake with my camera. I can already think of a few spots that would look spectacular all dressed in white.
Stay warm.

The Wandering Oak

Making Time For My Hobbies

   I'm finally getting around to writing my first post of the new year. I know we're already eleven days in, but I've been keeping myself busy and haven't really been able to compose a new blog. So far 2012 has been good to me. It's the time of year when I'm on the Painter's Winter Vacation Program, so I've had a lot more time to get back into some of my other favorite hobbies and activities.

   I've been able to indulge in my nerdy hobby of building model ships, (I currently have a modern US Navy Destroyer on the go, in case you were wondering), and I'm also working towards bettering my own health by getting back into jogging and even working out. For my entire adult life I've always been on the slim side and this year I've resolved to try my best to put a little more meat on my bones.

   At a recent consultation with a trainer I was told that my Body Mass Index is a little low for someone of my age and height, though I am still considered healthy. It's not like you can play the xylophone on my ribs. Ideally I could stand to gain about 15 to 20 pounds and I'd be okay with that. I've never wanted to be one of those huge steroid monkeys you see in magazines with veins popping out everywhere and more muscle definition in their fingers than most people have over their entire bodies. I think that looks kind of gross. I will look into natural supplements though, and if anyone out there has any advice I'd be happy to hear it.

   In other news, I've also been picking up my guitar a little more often these days, though I haven't done any recording or songwriting or anything like that. Lately I've been on a quest to bring the sounds I hear in my head to life, so I've been looking into getting new effects pedals such as a phaser and a tremolo, and perhaps a nice boutique fuzz or overdrive pedal to compliment my amplifier's sweet, tube driven tones. My birthday is just four weeks away. Just saying.

   One challenge I've been facing is organizing my pedals. Like many guitarists, I have a little case that I keep my pedals in that doubles as a board, but over time I've been finding it just isn't working for me. My cat has ripped up the inside lining, and there are no pathways for running power cords and patch cables, so it's looking rather messy these days. To save myself some money I'm trying the D-I-Y approach by building my own custom board out of some scrap wood I've acquired, but that isn't working out as well as I hoped it would. I have the skills, but lack the proper tools and space needed for such a project. I may just have to save up and buy a pre-made one like this model. 

   I know that it won't be long before I get called back to work and I'll have to put these ideas on hold, but for now it's nice having a little me time. My hobbies keep me out of trouble and I enjoy the unique challenges they present. It's better than wasting my days in front of the TV, or even the computer for that matter.

   Now go outside and play.

The Wandering Oak

Retrospecticus, 2011

   Well here we are at the end of another year. For me 2011 flew by just as fast as any other year, and they seem to get faster as I get older. A lot has happened in my life this year, and honestly the majority of it hasn't been all that great, but I'm not going to write about that. There were plenty of great experiences this year, and the positive memories from those experiences far outweigh the bad ones.

   This is the time of year when most people will sum up the past year in list form. Everything from news stories to favorite songs are usually put out in a Top Ten list, so following that format I've decided to share my Top Ten Memories of 2011.

1. Mexico. From Feb. 25 to March 4th, my wife and I took our first ever trip to Mexico and stayed in a nice, all inclusive, beach front resort in the beautiful city of Puerto Vallarta. I could go on and on telling stories from that trip, but that would fill this page. Seeing humpback whales and exotic birds up close and steering a 47-foot sailboat by myself are definite highlights, but my wife and I also took in the local culture and didn't just stick to all the usual tourist traps. We also made some new friends that I hope to see again sometime soon. Overall, that whole week was the best week of the year.
2. Half My Life With My Wife. In August my wife and I celebrated 17 years as a couple, and we've been married for three of those years. I was 17 when we met and I'm 34 as I write this, so that means we've been together for half my life! I've got no problem being with her for the rest of my life, too! :)
3. A Day At Wild Play. On a nice day in July my wife and I got together with a bunch of our good friends and spent the afternoon going through Wild Play Amusement Park's "Monkido" course. The course is made up of different obstacles suspended from trees such as tight ropes, zip lines, rope climbing, and all kinds of other challenges. Everyone is rigged in for safety and just goes at their own pace. I have no fear of heights, so that was no issue for me, but some of those obstacles were still pretty tough. It was worth it though. All of us felt a hell of a sense of accomplishment when we got through it. Afterwards, all of us unwound near a historic lighthouse then went to our homes to freshen up and later reconvened at one friend's house for a few drinks. A perfect day.
4. My Turn on The Zone. This was just back in October when my favorite local radio station allowed regular listeners like myself to come in each day throughout the month to guest host our own one hour shows - playing our favorite songs, and chatting on air with the host. The real deal! I had a lot of fun during my turn, though when I listen to the playback I think I rambled a bit too much about my job during one segment. Nerves, I guess. Fortunately the host Pol helped me stay on track and I redeemed my cool factor by playing some great songs.
5. Jump Ship. The word "epic" gets tossed around a lot these days and doesn't always apply, but honestly epic is the best way to sum up that day. It started with gathering in Victoria's Inner Harbour with our friends to watch a bunch of BMX riders perform stunts on a barge tied up to the dock (thus the title Jump Ship), and the day just took off from there. After the event the lot of us wandered around downtown for a while, stopped for lunch, wandered some more, saw a bunch of naked cyclists, made our way to my home, then up to the lake nearby to meet another friend, then back to my home, then out for dinner, then finally out to another friend's house for drinks. Again, epic.
6. Sam Roberts. Now there`s a Canadian artist I`ve been wanting to see in concert for a while now and this year I finally had my chance. Mr. Roberts and his band rolled into town in October and played at the historic Royal Theatre and just the venue alone was worth the admission. What a beautiful building with great acoustics! The show went on for roughly two hours and everyone was moving. They played all of their well known hits and extended a few of them with nice little jams giving each musician a little solo here and there. I hate to say it, Sam, but I think your saxophone player stole the show a few times! I`d see them again if they come back to Victoria.
7. The Zone`s Toy Drive. I wrote about this event not too long ago. This was the second year I took part in the radio station`s Christmas Toy Drive and I`ll do it again next year too. It all goes to such a great cause and it makes me feel good to know I`ve done my small part to make some underprivileged children happy during the holidays.
8. My Birthday. As I mentioned above, I turned 34 this year, and this was the first time in many years that more than just one of my friends was able to make it to my birthday party. Thanks for coming out and making it a good one, guys. Just six more weeks until my 35th!
9. Building RMS Titanic (in 1/700 scale). I haven`t built a model ship since I was in my early teens, but in the summer of 2010 a good friend of mine, knowing my fondness of ships, gave me a plastic kit of the famous ocean liner saying it would look good in my den/office. It sat on my shelf until I finally had some time off last winter, then I went out to get some supplies and paint and had a go at building the kit. I started just before Christmas and finished this year just after my birthday in February. It does look good here in the den! I`m quite proud of how it turned out.
10.  Highest Roof In Town. The job site itself may have been a nightmare with so many other different trades around, and our task at hand was a daunting one to say the least, but there`s something to be said for having the privilege of seeing the city from a perspective that few people ever get to see it from. Although geographically there are higher points around Victoria, none offer the view you get from the roof of the 23-storey Orchard House building near Beacon Hill Park. When it wasn`t raining, it was downright beautiful up there and made up for all the job related crap we had to deal with. It also helped that a few of the guys I was working with are good friends of mine. If we didn`t have each other to vent to, we would have likely un-clipped our safety gear and taken a dive! (Okay kidding, but it was a rough job.) Thank goodness for good friends.

   So there you have it. Ten highlights from an otherwise not so great year. I`m looking forward to 2012, even if the Mayans are right and the world ends. I`m going to try to make the most of it, and you should too. Remember the people who are most important to you in your life and make time for them. Do things you wouldn`t normally do, but be safe about it. You want to make sure that if there is a 2013 you`re here to see it.

   Until next year, my friends.

The Wandering Oak

A Christmas Poem About Our Cat

This follows the rhythm of the 1822 classic “The Night Before Christmas”.

'Twas just days before Christmas and all through our flat, the only creature 'twas stirring was our little cat.

We awoke late last night to the sound of a clatter, followed quite promptly by an ominous shatter...

Three o'clock in the morning and without any warning, our cat had decided to do some exploring.

From the top of our book case, about 5 feet tall, he knocked over a jar which bounced off the wall.

A collection of rocks, found on various beaches, mixed in with the glass now in razor sharp pieces.

Fearing he might get a swat on the ass, kitty ran off and hid as we cleaned up the glass.

Soon kitty came back to the scene of his crime, but we’d never hit him. We love our feline.

So we found a container to hold all our rocks, then crawled back to bed until, oh, 6 o'clock.

The Wandering Oak

A Note From The Author: Based on the 1822 Clement Clarke Moore classic “Twas The Night Before Christmas” (also known as “A Visit From St. Nicholas”), I originally wrote this in 2005 and posted it on a former blog that I’m no longer maintaining. It then appeared in my Notes on Facebook back in 2007. For 2011 I made a few minor adjustments to the phrasing and added another line.