Day 229 - Tracks

Day 228 - Beans

It was cold and windy out today so it was a good day to stay in and perfect the brappaccino.

Day 227 - Snow on fence

Friday, more snow.

Day 226 -U

Day 225 - Morning frost revisited

What a lovely mild day today.

Day 224 - Rain and slush

Day 223 - Rusty rope loop

Day 222 - Podcamp Halifax

After a brisk morning along the Darmouth Waterfront I checked out Podcamp Halifax, a day long gathering of people discussing social media. The presentations were open, participatory and free flowing. It was nice to roam in and out of conversation and participants were encouraged to take video, photos and live tweet the discussions. The hashtag #podcamphfx was on fire all day in the local twittersphere.

There were alot of great presenters including McLean Greaves, likely Canada's most respected online marketing and technology guru. Being the stats and research geek that I am I enjoyed Giles Crouch's (MediaBadger) overview of the state of Social Media in Atlantic Canada. Apparently I like graphs and demographic analysis. An amazing (free) 'un'conference that was energetic, thought provoking and fun.

Day 221 - Bowling

We went bowling on Saturday night. Living large. I am terrible, gutter balls everywhere. Going to start playing more though, I enjoyed it.

Day 220 - Duck races cloud

219 - Morning snow

Fluffy, soft, sticky morning snow this morning. Before work I checked out the Camphill cemetery and the public gardens. I desperately wanted into both. Alas, I left my key to the city at home. Still, a lovely morning.

Day 218 - Snow at night

Today we got 10 cm of snow. I didn't get too far for lunch and played hockey after work so the best capture I could find for the day was a spot of lit brush on the drive home.

Day 217 - George's Island

Over lunch I zipped down to check out the progress on the new NS Power headquarters renovation. The lighting was off and the construction activity was boring so I followed the leading lines of the snow melting on the boardwalk, which lead to this shot of George's Island and Eastern Passage.

Day 216 - Snow Dust

Light dusting of snow today. Hopefully nothing that will require a shovel in the morning.

Day 215 - Pink Bus

Day 214 - Walk along waterfront

It was great to get out and enjoy the sun and mild weather. Strolled along the waterfront making our way towards Boneheads, the new BBQ place on Barrington. Alas it wasn't open until 2 so no pulled pork for me. Ended up having a great lunch at the Wooden Monkey. The Apple salad and steak chili soup were great.

Featured

My blog has been featured in a wellness news article. Check it out here (page 6).

Day 213 - Black Market revisited

Day 212 - Painted wall

On the side of the Black Market.

Day 211 - Door window

5509 Spring Garden

Day 210 - Light Sails

Continued my walk along Spring Garden Road between 4:30 - 5. It was nice to see sunlight dancing off surfaces once again, cold as it was. This was outside Dalhousie Architecture building.

Day 209 - Stitch

Day 208 - Untitled

Day 207 - Fish eye reflection

I took a short drive around this morning looking for photo ops. I noticed this funky fish eye lamp(?) in the window of Norman Flynn designs on Agricola Street. I am a sucker for anything fish eye. So I stopped for a quick shot.

Day 206 - Fence

Using a back nine mulligan today. I have a wicked cold going so I hibernated indoors for the afternoon. This is from a couple days ago along Spring Garden/Old Burial Ground.

Day 205 - #Twushi 4.0 @ Doraku

This month's #twushi was at Doraku. It was an enjoyable tweet-up with @creativecandy, @porecelainduck, @darrinsearancke @myogis @curlyluddite @helenfong and @designforchange. The company was great, the smaller number was great for conversation purposes. Video attendance compliments of Darrin.

I was less than thrilled with the Doraku roll, which is usually a favourite of mine. I think they might have a new spicy sauce? It tasted a bit on the sweet side which added a richness that I didn't care for. Not sure what was up with that. Bring back the old spicy sauce! Still very tasty and a good time had by all.

Day 204 - Door

Day 203 - Crossing

Day 202 - Message in the Mirror

Day 201 - Favourite 2009 Albums

Picking my favourite 10 albums this year was challenging due to the variety and depth of albums I heard. The following provide interesting, refreshing listening experiences in a variety of genres. I had a difficult time settling on rankings so these top 10 are in no particular order.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart – self titled. A heartfelt throwback to fuzzy shimmering 80/90s indie pop.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz! The YYYs trade in guitar grit for a dose of synth glitter and dance floor. Karen OT has the charisma and cool to pull it off with ease.

Passion Pit – Manners. This year’s entry in the ‘love it or hate it’ electro-pop category is Boston-based Passion Pit’s debut. Lead singer Michael Angelakos’s falsetto voice can annoy some but the album is a warm combination of danceable electro-pop and infectious hooks.

XX: XX. South London’s XX released a strong, evocative debut album. A blend of understated, sensual gems that delights and surprises at every turn. A case of good simple pleasures always being the best.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. France’s Phoenix produces an album packed full of fun, catchy songs. A nice blend of traditional indie rock and danceable beats.

And So I Watched You from Afar – self titled. I have a soft spot for instrumental rock albums. Sometimes it is fun to turn up the volume, sit back and get lost in the music. Irelands’s And So I Watched You from Afar rock it hard on a refreshing release in the long lost post rock genre.

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest. I was a huge fan of 2006’s Yellow House so I had high hopes for Veckatimest. This album does not disappoint. The album contains sounds, lyrics and arrangements so rich and detailed that notes practically drip out of the speakers.

Atlas Sound – Logos. Bradford Cox continues to be one of the most prolific, interesting indie artists around.

The Antlers – Hospice. The Antlers Hospice has a lot going on for it that suits my ear: lofty lyrics packed full of emotional drama; tempo twists and turns; sonic indulgences at every turn. This is hardly a pop album you’d throw on at a party, but is still quite fulfilling.

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca. An eccentric yet accessible album that remains fresh after many listens. Although the album has a sound that does not easily enjoy categorization, there is no doubt that this a fresh, exciting listen from a talented group of musicians.

Day 200 - Snowed in, cooped up

Day 199 - Reflections on past decade

Overall,I enjoyed the 2000s. I fell in love, got married, held five jobs, visited 8 countries, bought a house, learned digital photography, converted to a mac, went wireless, enjoyed online social networking, became a fan of wine, quit smoking, craved sushi, learned cool stuff about coffee, enjoyed many crazy adventures and met a ton of interesting people along the way. My 30s rocked. I did have my share of sadness, most notably the death of my father and aunt. But overall this decade was a happy one.

Day 198 - Happy new year!

We had a fun new years eve. Dinner and a party with friends then down to the Armview for dancing. Leah and Shelly model our cheesy fun evening fashion accessories.