Firstly, I'd like to wish my Canadian friends a (belated) Happy Thanksgiving!

Once again, Kyuketsuki and I spent our day digging out more trees - beech and magnolia this time around. Although they weren't rooted in nearly as badly as those in our last adventure, many of them were in fibre pots and bushel baskets that had started to decompose. As a result, we spent a fair bit of time putting them into new pots and "diapering" them (tying a sheet of burlap around the pots as an extra layer of structural integrity). Lots of fun.

Not much else is going on with me these days, although I am hoping to have some new pictures for you by the end of the month.

What's going on in your neck of the woods?

I logged on here yesterday for the first time in several days, only to learn that we lost Elsie. I am given to understand that she lived with a great deal of pain, and perhaps we can take solace in the fact that she will no longer feel that pain.

I was also saddened to learn about the loss of Sadie. I must admit that I am (unpleasantly) surprised by the fact that she passed away in August, yet I only heard about it for the first time yesterday.

I did not interact or know either of these two women, but it's always difficult to hear about people passing away while in the flower of their youth. So much left undone.

Rest in peace.

************************************************************************************************************************************

The Weezer show was a lot of fun, and it was nice to hang out with NateH and Vesta. They're good people (and that's putting it mildly).

I must admit, however, that my enjoyment was tinged with a bit of guilt...after all, Squrl4 and Rubix were supposed to be the ones going to the concert with Nate and Vesta, and I felt so badly for them. I really wish that they had been able to come out for the show, as I know that they would have liked it as much as I did.

Kyuketsuki and I have been spending most of our time at work these days doing end of season stuff (cutting back all of the roses, putting stuff into storage, etc.), but today was a little different. He and I (along with a few of our colleagues) were cleaning out one of the beds in the potted tree section, which meant that all of the trees in that bed had to be dug out and moved elsewhere. Many of these trees had been in the bed for several years, which meant that they had sent roots through the pots that were anchoring them into the ground. Some of them - especially the ash and sycamore trees - had thick roots that were literally breaking through the plastic pots. It wasn't easy, but we managed to remove almost all of the trees in one day. Kyuketsuki dug out almost all of the trees, and I don't know how the hell he managed to keep at it for as long as he did.

AandP and I are starting to think about Gala '09. It is not likely that anything will be set in stone until the new year, but starting now gives us the time to make sure that it's an event that everyone will enjoy. If you have any comments about what you liked (or didn't like) about Gala '08, feel free to let us know.

The past few days have been amazing.

I had a talk with Kyuketsuki on Friday about the stuff I (cryptically) mentioned in my last entry. It's amazing what a fresh perspective on things can do, and I feel much better about things. I'm still doing a bit of thinking, but it's not troubling me as much as it once did.

AandP had her birthday party on Saturday night. My sister and I took her out for dinner first, and then we walked down to The Chelsea Room, a little club that she booked for her party. It was a rather intimate setting (I don't think that the place could hold more than fifty people comfortably), and I really liked it. Unfortunately, we had to leave a bit early (my sister was under the weather and I had been up for almost 20 hours at that point)...but I always enjoy spending time with AandP, so it was very much worth it. I hope that I'll get to see her again soon.

Sunday was SGTO Rollerskating Day, and I decided to lace up and have a go (even though I haven't worn skates of any kind since elementary school). I did manage to fall flat on my ass, but I was half expecting for that to happen anyways...so it didn't bother me that much.

After all was said and done, we went to a great little place in Port Credit (the part of Mississauga right on the shore of Lake Ontario) for dinner, drinks, and highly amusing conversation. It was nice to be able and sit down for a chat with friends, and I got to know a few people that I've seen at other events but never had the chance to talk with before. I'm very much looking forward to our next event.

Tuesday also promises to be a good day, as I will be going to the Weezer concert with NateH and Vesta! Rubix and Squrl4 were originally going to the show with them...but, unfortunately, they can't make it due to circumstances beyond their control. Nate and Vesta were kind enough to offer me a ticket, and I'm really looking forward to seeing them again and enjoying some great music.

I've spent a little time sitting and thinking about something, and I had planned this big entry about what I was ruminating about and how I'm feeling.

Problem is that I can't really put it into words. I wish that I could explain everything, if only to pick your brains and get a little advice...but (for now, at least) I guess I will have to do a little more thinking and solve this one on my own.

What's life if not for a few challenges, anyways?

I saw this on the tube in the not too distant past, and it's always been good for a laugh. And that's never a bad thing.

Well, there really isn't much to report on the home front. Work is good. Despite the doom and gloom of the Mac commercials, my Vista powered laptop (aka HAL) has been extremely reliable. And I'm counting down the days to my next photographic adventure, an awesome birthday party, and one (possibly two) hang-outs with some of my favourite people from this site.

I do, however, have a couple of topics that I'd like to expand upon in greater detail. Read at your own peril, haha.

There. I feel much better. How about you?

I went to see Death Race recently, and it wasn't half bad. I have never seen the original, so I have no basis for comparison - but every now and then I like to watch a movie that doesn't require me to use my brain for a couple of hours and lets me enjoy some gratuitous violence.

Does this make me a bad person?

We're gearing up for the fall rush at work, and things are starting to pick up again. September promises to be a good month on other fronts as well, and I'm happy about that.

Here are a few sets that I think you might like...

Rubix - Biscuits

Lee - Smokin' Hot

Tita - Mystery Package

Niello - Basket Case

Mneylu - Nowhere Fast

...and here are a few sets in Member Review that I think should be on the front page.

Dusti - Polaroid

Malice - Off The Canvas

Shaine & Nikhita - Baby Said

Vesta - Buttercream Dream

I hope that all of you had an excellent long weekend!

You can see all of the pictures from my trip to The Falls on my Flickr page, but here are a few highlights for you:











I've been to Niagara Falls many times before, but this is the first time that I spent more than a day there...and it was well worth it. There is far more to do there than just take pictures of the falls themselves, and I would highly recommend it to all of you as a place to visit.

Saturday and Sunday presented me with fun of another sort - the Fan Expo, Canada's answer to ComicCon. Although the Expo itself was very entertaining, being able to spend time there with friends made it even better. I met up with BrightRedScream, SixBoxes, Kekelyn (and her bottomless purse), and WehrleBoy, and I met Bender99 and end_of_innocence for the first time. We walked around for a bit, spent some time at the SG table, and went out for dinner afterwards with Martini and a few of her friends. Before they arrived, I also ran into Lucy and johnlennon, neither of whom I have seen in some time. All in all, it was an excellent day.

I went back again on Sunday and got a few autographs - Brent Spiner (Star Trek: TNG), Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica) and Edward James Olmos (also of BSG). Edward is a great guy, and I was fortunate enough to have a bit of a chat with him about the show and a BSG related side project that he is working on. Much to my surprise, Erin Gray (who some of you might remember from the tv show Buck Rogers In the 25th Century) was at the table with Edward, so I got to say hi to her as well. I also ran into _LouLou_, which was another pleasant surprise.

Here's BrightRedScream at the SG table...


...and here are SixBoxes and WehrleBoy...


...and finally, here is yours truly.


I can't wait to go on vacation next year, haha.

Niagara Falls was great, and I'm really glad that we decided to go there this year. I've got about 100 pictures(!) to sort through, so I will post a more detailed entry in the next few days once that's done.

The vacation continues, though, and I'm really looking forward to the Fan Expo and getting to see some of you there. Huzzah!

I don't know how the weather has been in your area lately, but it's been rather unusual up here for the past few days. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday presented me with weather more reminiscent of spring/fall than of late summer; it rained pretty well all weekend and I actually had to wear a sweater to work on Sunday. It hasn't been the best summer for sitting out on a patio, but lawns and gardens around here haven't looked this good in years.

I had a pretty good Saturday evening, though, despite the rain. Slingshot and Black122 were kind enough to invite me over to their home for a bit of a get-together. BrightRedScream, SixBoxes, and WehrleBoy were there as well, and it was nice to spend an evening with them and have all sorts of unusual and amusing conversations.

Only a few days left until I head out to the Falls, and I'm looking forward to it. I promise to take lots of pictures, and I shall talk to you again late next week.