Monday, August 25, 2008

mon appareil-photo est dans l'hôpital

a hurt camera


for the 2nd time this year, my camera is at the camera hospital. this time it's been there longer than it's first stay. i guess things have gotten a bit serious - doesn't focus on subjects that are in the focussing areas when on auto focus mode.

please get better and stay better - the warranty on you is up at the end of this year!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

igor's bike clinic

igor's bike repair


slightly old news now, but i used to live right by igor's bike repair shop on queen. his decrepit store was filled with so much bicycle junk that he would fix bikes on the sidewalk right outside his shop. he always had a line-up of people waiting to get their bikes fixed and i would see him work well past 11pm with a cold beer stashed behind one of his planters.

it wasn't really a shock to me when news broke that he was a suspect in a huge toronto bike theft ring. there was always whispers that the second hand bikes that he sold were stolen. but it's ironic that a person who berated me about global economics and western economic privilege would steal bicycles.

igor: how much did you pay for this bike
hyedie: $99
igor: don't you know that some poor worker in vietnam was paid 25cents to make this bike for you?
hyedie: ...
igor: is that the only lock you're using?
hyedie: ya, do you think it's ok?
igor: no. anyone can steal your bike in less than 20 seconds. i sell better locks.
hyedie: ok, i'll take your beefiest lock. how much will it be?
igor: $6o for the lock and $15 for fixing your gears
hyedie: great, i'll take it.

photo: igor's bike repair shop taken in 2004, back when he still had a front window. here is a more recent image.

Thursday, August 14, 2008



can you tell why it's 'sale' and not 'sail'?

Sailing over wave and tide oh ho ho
Fantastic waves against our sides oh ho ho
And I'm not so afraid
Lost at sea, as i should be
And I'm not so afraid
Lost at sea, you and I, you and me

Congratulations
Cause we've made it
All the way home
All the way home
And you know that
Until the stars fall
I'll always love you
I'll always love you


~eisley's 'lost at sea'


i-friday topic: sail

Sunday, August 10, 2008

pattern haven and an eco audit



kitchen wall

pattern haven

our new house is a pattern sanctuary for old, retired patterns and textures. for now they co-exist peacefully and congregate in the kitchen area. their time on earth is numbered, but many of them have told me that they have lived long and fulfilling lives, so they aren't afraid of leaving.

today we had an eco audit done on our house by green tech, a non-profit energy/eco assessment company. after the report is filed by the auditor, we have 18 months to upgrade items in our house like appliances, toilets, windows and also to better insulate the house so that we can achieve a better score for energy efficiency.

the amazing thing about getting an eco audit done is that not only do get educated on the items that can be changed to save energy (thereby saving money on electricity and hydro bills), but we were walked through a tonne of rebates that the federal and ontario goverments are giving away on upgraded items.

for example, if you want to get a cheap low-flow toilet for $90, you can apply for a $100 rebate just for upgrading your toilet which ends up making the toilet free. you can then revel in the lower water bills after the toilet is installed.

with all these rebates, i'm surprised more home owners aren't taking advantage of this program! you don't need to be a tree hugger to want to save money, non?

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

welcome to our world

aidan!

welcome to aidan nicholas - andre's new little nephew. this is aidan at 1 day old.

we can't wait to watch you grow, learn and play. welcome!

Monday, August 4, 2008

le 400e anniversaire de la ville de québec



moules et frites



my first time in charming québec city! due to the festivities, hotel prices were jacked up so we stayed 30 minutes outside of the city in beaupré, right at the foot of mont sainte anne.

with the exception of the paul mccartney concert, we didn't have an itinerary so we walked around the city aimlessly. this is my favourite way of exploring a city because it makes the things you encounter to be so serendipitous. we stumbled upon a cute gallery that was showcasing local québec artists, nice cozy restaurants and ventured around an interesting residential area where the townhouses must have been older than 200 years (see last photo).

the people of québec city were really nice as well - patiently making small talk en français with us, yet not hesitating to pull out their perfect anglais whenever we got stuck.

happy 400th anniversary québec! you are a true canadian gem :) (i mean it!)