Pawlitzer Prize for Lifetime Literary Achievement
It is my pleasure to write the letter of recommendation for Newton MacLean . In no way am I being forced or coerced to write this. Newton is more than just a fine cat. He is a cat…
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Life at Home.
Suburbs, routines, roasted chickens, and the small comedy of cohabitation.
31 pieces · newest first
The Roasterie and Urban Shave
Living your best life in the inner-city. Last week I ventured back down into Calgary's urban village of Kensington for some normalcy—call it a much needed inner-city recharge. I…
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51 Dargie-Approved Recipes
How to Make Sure Your Coffee Cake Can't Escape. I'm not big into deserts, but I'm a sucker for my mom's Coffee Cake. So what does one do when one is craving said Coffee Cake? Yes,…
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Capital "T" Theatre
This is what happens when goblins read "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare." Last night, Jennifer (Panda) and I went out on a date. We Uber'd downtown for dinner and drinks…
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I'm No Elephantologist
I'm No Elephantologist. From the Calgary Zoo to the Smithsonian's National Zoo. I just found this picture I took many, many, many years ago. All those years ago, we were treated…
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Setting the Bar
Achievement unlocked. After years of stressing I would never again be able to achieve this physical feat, I have done it. Ladies and gentlemen and those who identify otherwise,…
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It's Bigger On The Inside
What do technology and noodles have in common? It might surprise you. Two hard drives are sitting on my desk at the moment. They are both Solid State Drives, and the only…
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Preventing The Next Cosmic Killer Salad
The first and last line of defence is taught to all of us Canadians at a young age on family camping trips. What I know about gardening could fit in a seedpod. And I know that…
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A Boy and His Wallet
There have been many wallets in my life. My earliest wallet memory is my parents buying me a "Trucker's Wallet." I don't remember if it was a birthday gift or for Christmas, but I…
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Finding Fitness in Suburbia
Apparently, I’m pretty high-maintenance when it comes to working out. I expect certain things. A checklist, if you will. So in a desperate attempt to jolt me from suburban despair…
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One Of The Morning People
Everything is better in the morning. Coffee is better. Bacon and eggs are better. Pancakes, while delicious anytime, are better in the morning. Sunrises are better in the morning;…
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Bodies Are Weird
Bodies Are Weird So, for reasons unknown, my right deltoid started hurting. I didn’t do anything to it, I didn’t do anything with it, it was just hanging around doing what…
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Supreme Ruler of the Universe
Newton is Jenn's cat. He's been through many moves in his life—I couldn't say how many, Jenn would know—heck, in the last couple of years that Jenn and I have been together, we've…
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Complexities of Comfort
Complexities of Comfort. The house has been pretty chilly lately, and ‘ Dave the Sentient Thermostat ’ is having a hard time sorting out what to do. One day it’s minus 20; the…
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Everything You Need To Know About Snoozing
What is the logic behind ‘snoozing’ your alarm in the morning? But more importantly, and something that has been on my mind every time I hit that stupid button: Why nine minutes?…
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The Coyote Barriers of Calgary
Not all ‘burbs are created equal. “Some ‘burbs are built in valleys, and some ‘burbs are on the plains, and other ‘burbs—like our current ‘burbs—sit on high terrain.” Each area of…
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Your Family Might Be At Risk
Your Family Might Be At Risk. There are many things that can cause a family to break down, particularly during a pandemic. Families are literally trapped together, schedules have…
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Don't Forget To Eat
This is a quick one today as I’ve been busy writing a much longer post about our trip to Boracay a few years ago—it's a tale of adventure, intrigue, blood, being lost at sea,…
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The Crack Chicken of Calgary
I may have unwittingly created life, and not in the usual, fun, build-your-own-zygote kinda way. Jennifer and I are on a mainly Keto Diet, so we regularly challenge ourselves to…
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A Hairy Situation
It happened suddenly and without warning. One day my eyebrows were perfect; the next day, the left one went rogue; a single eyebrow hair began growing straight down—straight down…
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Gadget Addict
I’ve left my ‘close-up’ glasses at the studio so this will have to be short because I can’t really see what I’m typing. Fodder for another post I’m sure, but today I have a…
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The Day of the Cheat
If you are a Strongbad fan you will be sorely disappointed in this post—sorry about that. One day I will write a tribute to Strongbad and the Cheat, but today is not that day. “A…
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Option Number Three
In this new house we live in I have a workshop right off my office, and for the last few months it has been a disaster area. Boxes of drone parts, small drones, medium drones,…
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Basil or Bust
Just when you think all is lost, an email comes through that changes the entire course of your life. After reading the recent post about the ‘Great Basil Shortage of 2022’, Alert…
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Zen and the Art of Ironing
We’re going on seven months of living in the ‘burbs and I feel every moment of every day out here. I miss Kensington and my routines; life is just different out here, the vibe is…
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The Great Basil Shortage
It’s the great basil shortage of 2022 and it’s happening at exactly the wrong time—not that there’s ever a right time for a basil shortage. When you’ve got great olive oil and…
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Guy's Hoary Fungcicle
As one of the ways to explain the complexities of life and how to best live it, Aristotle said, “Everything happens for a reason.” Marilyn Monroe also said something like this, so…
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Standardized Relationship Test
There are only a couple of true tests of a relationship compatibility, and none of these are staged or staggered tests. Sure, there are regular standbys such as the latest…
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Carb Hunter
If 2022 had a motto it would be, "what was I thinking?" It's DAY 4 into the New Year and I find myself asking this question with shocking regularity. For example: I started the…
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The Sentient Thermostat
By all accounts being alive today is really rad. And by rad I mean how excited the eighties BMX movie, filmed in Cochrane, Alberta and surrounding areas made me feel. Before you…
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The Story of Estevan
There are patterns that occur in life which can inform you if you are in fact doing well or are about to watch your atoms skitter off madly in all directions. In my case, the…
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