• That’s How I’m Feeling

    That’s How I’m Feeling

    I am honestly fairly drained from the events of this month, although I have a certain sane spring in my step again (intentional alliteration). December was s’posed to be great, I thought, but it went a little bit pear-shaped for a confluence of reasons. That’s okay. It all ended up working out for the better,…

  • Benches: An Essay Just Wouldn’t Cut It (Meaning, There’s Video)

    Benches: An Essay Just Wouldn’t Cut It (Meaning, There’s Video)

    A bench too meaningful to commit to simple paragraphs. …and honestly, the outline I started a couple of months ago was just spiraling out of control. The story of the Vancouver Granville Street Bridge Benches really isn’t that fabulous, but I have a tendency to start everything with a massive preamble, then elaborate on details…

  • Questionable Public Art: A Vancouver Seawall Odyssey (with quite the preamble)

    Questionable Public Art: A Vancouver Seawall Odyssey (with quite the preamble)

    Not here, of course. I’m referring to the other side of the Seawall. Come with me! The unthinkable has happened: against every odd outlined in my last grumble-fest regarding this particular time of year, I have leaned into summer. Yes, indeed. And I have not just accepted where I live (the West End), but I…

  • Bitchin’ and Beachin’: A Canada Day Harangue

    Bitchin’ and Beachin’: A Canada Day Harangue

    This Canada flag kinds of says it all about my country: a bit screwed up for now, but eventually it’ll unfold back into admirable functionality. It’s my second annual Canada Day blog entry, and I have to say, the overall energy this year is shockingly different from last year, when everyone felt pretty defeated and…

  • Update and Epiphany: I hate being on camera, so what was I thinking?

    Update and Epiphany: I hate being on camera, so what was I thinking?

    Even as a tot–and a very cute one–you can see how enthused I was to be dressed up and have my picture taken. Did I actually think I was going to voluntarily put myself on YouTube? I did.  And it was one of the more preposterous ideas I’ve ever had.  And that’s a mouthful coming…

  • Okay, that was that.  Let’s go, kids!

    Okay, that was that. Let’s go, kids!

    Well, it happens. We fall into states of misery and rumination, and then we read a bunch of spiritual tomes, and we watch some Up With People videos, and we shove some Haribo candy into our mouths, and we stare at our pets for hours, and our loved ones assure us we’re loved, and ka-blam!…

  • Brutalism in Vancouver.

    Brutalism in Vancouver.

    I am not referring to the job market, the cost of living, or the misanthropy of the residents in my particular neighbourhood, although any of those would be perfectly acceptable as material for this topic.  I am talking about an architectural movement that has been an object of mild fascination for me ever since I…