Zona

They can call you many things but boring will never be one of them. We'll cross paths again.

The movers said absolutely not. The driver mentioned the possiblity of felony endangerment charges. I was overruled. WE have to take her

So it's a govt paid move which means the movers pack us up, load it all on the truck, and haul it away. I rented a truck because since we are going into temp housing we need a lot of stuff with us. The rest goes into storage until we buy a house. So we're yelling at the kids to put everything they want with us on the beds and we tell the movers that we'll take care of what's on the beds and they can box up everything else. So I have something to do downtown and the I pick up the truck. I get back to the house and I go up into my room.

"Where's my briefcase?"

I look at the bed then I look at the boxes.

"Where's the scissors?"

So I find my briefcase and I says to myself, "self, we should print up directions to the house in Utah." My printer is still hooked up because I told the movers not to touch anything computerish. I reach for the desk drawer to get some paper. The drawer isn't there anymore. I look at the boxes.

"Screw it."

I haven't written anything in a while. A lot of stress is off me now because I am done working in Vancouver and now stress is on because of the move. They pack us up tomorrow and load us on Friday. That means we will spend Fri-Sat nites in a motel near the house.

The carpet cleaners come on Saturday morning and then I will run to the airport one last time to get any mail that has arrived there for me.

Sunday morning we leave Canada and drive to Hood River, Oregon. We spend the night there and then head to the next stop in Boise, Idaho. Then down to Lehi, Utah and our temp housing until we buy our next house.

It was just last month that we got here it seems.

I finally got over to Little Sisters on Davie and picked up Yvette's CD, Sweet Bitter. It's very nice.

yvesapple.com

My wife told me some of the going away plans for her and my daughter and their friends. I listened through my increasing headache and then asked, "do I have to be at any of them?". "No", she answered.

Dinners, hockey game, small gatherings.

Then I eyeballed my camera asked she asked if she would see me when she got back at 1 or 2.

"No."

Then she gave me a kiss and drove off to finish a Spiderman quilt she started before Christmas.

It was yesterday but I wasn't around my computer. I'm so glad that you were around for me to see you share moments with my grandkids. I know dad sees them to but those pictures don't come out real well.

I love you very much.

Today it all changes

Today a black man will be sworn in as President of the United States. Just a couple of years ago I told some people that America would not elect a black man as President. I am happy to say that I was wrong. I voted for Obama because he has that rare quality called leadership. I have never voted for a presidential candidate based on that. I have usually voted for the "lesser of two evils".

My excitement today eclipses the anger I have for the outgoing administration. President Obama is, like all the other Presidents, a politician. I expect that many of the same things to occur that happen in most any administration. We can't expect immediate miracles but we can expect a change of direction. President Obama will change the way future candidates are chosen. The pasty-face old white man era is over forever.

I think that the internet should be credited being the final piece that brought this change about. Martin Luther King started the process by using TV to get the message out. A message that, for that reason, could no longer be ignored. Now it has all come to fruition.

Change has come today and I have never been more proud to be American.

Down to the last days in Vancouver and the highs and lows of leaving for a new place. So many emotions. If I was wealthy I might remain. I always find something worth shooting. Vancouver seems to bring greatness from subtlety.

I shall be back to visit because a daughter is staying behind but then I will be a little removed and the aura that includes me now will be withdrawn. I'll be a stranger again and now familiar voices will be silenced.

I DO have some vacation time to spend my last days running around and I will try not to shoot photos for photo's sake. The right images speak through the lens. I let them tell me to release the shutter. It is they who allow me to capture the stories.

This is how I feel after five years at VCV. Four more work days

The walk in from the parking lot is in it's final days

Once again Matthew Good has allowed me to drop by the studio while he records and take pictures. Matt and Zach are the two holdovers from Hospital Music that are working on Vancouver.

Twenty nine days to go

Just yesterday we pulled over by the Welcome to Alberta sign and took a family picture.
Just yesterday the wife and kids ran wild-eyed thru the house we rented in Arbour Lake.
Just yesterday I shoveled snow for the first time.
Just yesterday I walked on a frozen lake.
Just yesterday we went to our first Calgary Stampede.
Just yesterday I went to my first NHL game.
Just yesterday I spun thru a snowy intersection.
Just yesterday my kids commented on how different the schools were.
Just yesterday we made one of several treks to Great Falls, Montana to buy good ol' American stuff.
Just yesterday I saw the northern lights.
Just yesterday I bought my first Roots sweatshirt.
Just yesterday I got speeding ticket that said, "in the name of her majesty the queen, you are commanded to appear".
Just yesterday I discovered some very good rock and roll that Canada had been keeping to themselves.
Just yesterday I met Don Cherry, Ron Mclean, Ralph Klein, Jerome Iginla, David Suzuki, Matthew Good, Patrick Roy, and many other well respected Canadians.
Just yesterday I drove awestruck through the Canadian Rockies.
Just yesterday I realized that Edmonton and Toronto suck.
Just yesterday I took my wife to Niagra Falls.
Just yesterday I held my Canadian grandchild.
Just yesterday I transferred to Vancouver.
Just yesterday I took my first ferry to Vancouver Island.
Just yesterday I watched people handing out, and smoking weed in downtown.
Just yesterday I spent time in a studio watching Matt Good record Hospital Music.
Just yesterday I beheld the misery of Hastings for the first time.
Just yesterday I held my second Canadian grandchild.
Just yesterday I celebrated my 50th birthday with friends and family 5 pin bowling.
Just yesterday I turned on the TV and said, "hey look. curling!"
Just yesterday I complained about wimpy Canadian drivers for the millionth time.
Just yesterday I found out the day that I would be leaving.
Just yesterday, today, and probably tomorrow I said, "wow, that was nine years?"

The first day of my last month in Canada