Finally Bugfree

Waiting for tea to steep

Today is pretty mellow. Much more so than any other day in weeks. Yesterday Nick (Kathryn's little brother) called her and said there's a surprise birthday party going on for their older brother Michael, arranged by Michael's wife Alicia at their place. So we went, and ended up coming home at midnight - really, really late for both of us considering we're used to being in bed by 9PM!

Also, you can see I managed to finally get the chance to properly update my blog, and install a photo for each day of this past weekend. Previously I just made holding posts to keep the blog's daily continuity, and record my struggle with computer bugs.

I think I finally resolved my computer problems... I disconnected the internet altogether, did a bit of fiddling, then ran both the anti-virus, and anti-spyware software. After spending an inordinate amount of my weekend working on this, it appears there's now nothing bad left on my system. I'm still getting an occassional advertisement popup, so I'll scan again while connected to the internet...

Not Entirely Clean

A tugboat in English Bay...

Today Kathryn and I went to Richmond Centre because a pair of jeans I got last weekend suffered a wardrobe malfunction. One of the buttons on the button fly nearly ripped off after I wore them one time. I got my $40 refund from Old Navy, then promptly went to The Bay to get a very nice pair of Buffalo jeans for $100 after tax to replace the pair I returned. They're possibly the most expensive pair I ever got, but I really like them. They're stretch denim, so I needed to get a size 31 to fit me properly where normally I'm a size 33.

The situation with the spyware continues... I did a couple complete virus and spyware scans, and it turns out my computer was infected with multiple viruses and malware. It looks as if a bad cycle got itself started.. a virus likely infected my computer, which installed a spyware program, which installed other spyware, adware, and viruses with its popups, thus multiplying itself. I managed to largely defeat all the secondary malware programs and viruses today. All but 1 of each, which I suspect are the original, core culprits that got the whole thing started in the first place. I'll see if I can finish this tomorrow...

Bugs!

The place we got our couch from was having a store closing sale. Now 4 months later, the same place is STILL closing! It doesn't bother me all that much, but I would think there's better ways to attract people to their store.

So yesterday my computer got some bugs. A web site that had a couple drink mix recipes I was looking for seems to have autoloaded a -tonne- of adware and probably spyware onto my computer, making it effectively unusable. This morning I was able to track down and disable much of it, enough to make it somewhat usable. There's still a fair bit of work to do to eliminate the more pesky and hard-to remove ones, which I likely won't get a chance to do till tomorrow morning.

A Pigeon, Blogger, And The Weather

A pigeon checking out the dude with the camera.

Using Blogger has been almost painful this past week. I suspect they're working to launch their new revamped version soon. If it means the site will be more stable again, the sooner it's finished the better.

So it looks like summer weather is likely to officially end with today. I think it's sort of interesting to see (and just know) there's going to be a clear seasonal change in weather like what you see in the forcast. I really don't expect the temperatures to break 25 degrees again until maybe May, or more likely June:

Like A Duck In Water

It just so happens this IS a duck in water.

Kathryn And The Ducks

Kathryn and I went off on a walk along Kits Beach this evening after dinner. Along the way we came across a bunch of ducks by a pond after a woman left them a load of food. The waterfowl didn't seem to mind our presence, as they were quite absorbed with their meal.

Here I have an action shot of Kathryn making sure we get the bench:

Here she is on the bench:

Fountain Figures

Figures in a fountain

I have never noticed these figures in a fountain I've passed probably 2000 times. It's interesting what you see when you change how you see...

Lion

Outside the Vancouver Art Gallery

About My Blog

Brockton Point Lighthouse at Stanley Park

This blog has sort of become a bit of a photo-journal of my little world. It really doesn't cover a lot in terms of what a lot of other popular blogs feature, like opinions on current events, or trends. That sort of blog has been done to death, in my books. This isn't really a sounding board, rave/rage board, nor an intimate journal/diary.

I'll agree my posts are usually about as deep as the bathroom sink in terms of content, but then that's on purpose. I really enjoy taking photos, and sharing them, along with mostly positive snippets of my daily life, environment and thoughts. I was in a bit of a funk for a while early in the summer. Doing a daily entry here was quite beneficial. It's also something quiet to do in the early morning before having to go off to work at a most unreasonable hour.

Start Of September

Rails

September has always been an interesting time of year for me. It's a time for endings and beginnings: the end of summer, and the beginning of fall. While I'm a little sad to see summer starting to end, I'm also rather excited about the onset of fall, and its own unique adventures.

End Of August

A dandelion backlit by the sun


I find it hard to believe August is ending already. It's been a very interesting and enlightening summer for both Kathryn and myself. We didn't go on any trips or had a 'vacation' per se, but both of us has had a bit of time to reflect and do some self-discovery. Overall I think it was really quite a positive and fruitful time. Kathryn's plans on pursuing music has been set to a new trajectory: to healthcare/psychology/wellness, which I think would give her a fair bit of personal satisfaction. I'm now considering exploring this photography thing a bit more seriously and have signed into a program that can be an entry to becoming professional.

I don't mind fall at all. It's a great time to get started on making new ideas and plans actually start happening. Besides, it's also a good time to go do some clothes shopping...

Cherries: Revisited

Rainier Cherries

This is from a little photo study I did 2 weeks ago on cherries and lighting. Unfortunately my photos are all that's left of the BC cherry season until next year.

Yesterday we had dinner at my sister Elaine and her boyfriend Paul's place. It was quite a bit of fun, although I may have had a bit more wine and beer than I should have, for a Tuesday night. In the end I managed to get to work on time today and actually be reasonably productive, so it's all good...

Baby Strollers Galore!

A Stroller Thief's Dream

This is the scene at the Pacific Coliseum during the PNE's Superdogs. A large section of the entrance was roped off so parents can take their kids to see the free show while leaving their strollers behind.

Finally!

Bart

So I FINALLY got the time to update this blog a bit better than simply entering holding posts, which is what I've done since Friday. So now there's a photo posted for each day I missed. I don't think it's cheating to update my weekend posts with photos, considering the idea of this blog is more about a daily (or approximation thereabouts) photo, than as a strict journal-type blog.

Anyway, it was a relatively busy weekend, but it was fun. It certainly went by too quickly. On Friday Kathryn got a 2 for 1 coupon for a restaurant we've been to once before called Burger Heaven. Quite good. Saturday we setup a stall to sell some of our excess stuff at a community flea market. It was actually my mom's stall, but we sort of ended up taking it over. She didn't seem to mind too much. Also on Saturday We went out to have dinner at the Curry King restaurant with Kathryn's older brother Michael and his wife Alicia. A good time all around. And on Sunday we took my mom to the PNE, then afterward went to Las Margarita's for dinner.

The PNE

Peter The Great: an exceptionally large bovine hanging around Vancouver's Pacific National Exhibition, aka The PNE.

An annual fair that runs for 3 weeks toward the end of summer, the PNE has a history going back 96 years. It, along with the adjacent sister fair, Playland, is home to all manner of exhibits, shows, markets, food vendors, rides, games, and gimmicks. The agricultural and livestock exhibition is one of the original attractions, although the show barns occupy just a corner of the overall fair, and is easy to be overlooked from the rest of the goings-on.

Sunflower

A sunflower in my parent's backyard.

Outside The Library

Here is my wife just exiting the library.

Pluto

This is a photo of the art-deco entry to the venerable Burrard St Bridge.

Let's feel for Pluto. After 76 years being part of the planetary family, it has been just kicked out. It has just been demoted from being considered a full-out planet, and is now classified as another large object in the Kuiper belt in the outer regions of the solar system. Poor Pluto.

You can read more about Pluto's ignominous fate here:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/08/24/pluto.ap/index.html

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=c8eaf4c7-557f-451f-9c4c-34911ff53309&k=21787

VPL

The Main Branch of the Vancouver Public Library

This is the central branch for the Vancouver Public Library. Inspired by Rome's Coliseum, the design won out in a public vote as to what the new library would look like. It's rather controversial, with some seeing it simply as an ugly monstrosity and others don't understand how a library and an ancient arena that displayed bloody gladitorial shows can be melded like this. I kind of like it, myself. Sure it's ostentatious, bu it certainly is different.

Duck!

A Duck in flight

Not exactly an exotic photo, but it's about the only picture I have of a duck just taking off. Not a technically great photo, but I sort of like it. The shutter speed was fast enough so the duck's not a blur.