Archive for the ‘ Dispatches ’ Category

Feeling the love

Posted on January 28th, 2011 3 Comments

It started off with a tweet in which she mentioned how she’d just burnt her lip on a hot drink but couldn’t sue the company because the cup said, “Caution: Hot!”, and because she wasn’t living in the States.

I chuckled and responded:

tweet-1

She responded with:

tweet-2

Okay, obviously my tweet sounded like an insult so this was kinda justified.

I didn’t mean to imply that she doesn’t understand English, just that litigation for such things has gone to such extreme lengths (especially since she mentioned the States) that, you know, if at first you don’t succeed, sue sue again.

… Continue Reading

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I’m going, I’m going!

Posted on January 26th, 2011 1 Comment

No destination, no problem. The important thing is to dress properly and cover unwashed hair.

And yes, I believe that wallpaper is older than me (and I ain’t no spring chicken).

apartment, flat, landing, self portrait, toronto, city, life

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Put the coffee on!

Posted on January 25th, 2011 Be the first to comment

I think it’s time to resurrect it — the constitutional. As in, “Put the coffee on in a few, I’m goin’ fer me constitutional!”

Tonight, the snow made it especially worthwhile, and it’s pretty darned good most other times (except when it falls below -20°C as it did last night — that’s just kaka).

lights, snow, winter, lakershore, gardiner expressway, toronto, city, life … Continue Reading

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Dreaming

Posted on January 16th, 2011 1 Comment

dreaming buddha head, toronto, city, life

The old geezer’s got the right idea, huh? *yawn*

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Spoils and plunders

Posted on January 14th, 2011 3 Comments

I’ve finally managed to find a place for some of my treasures.

urban exploration, antiques, toronto, city, life

These fond memories were all salvaged from abandoned, dilapidated, crumbling buildings that I explored during my UrbEx days.

UrbEx (or Urban Exploration), traces a large proportion of its origins to Infiltration.org, based in Toronto, and later UER.ca (UrbEx Resources), possibly also Toronto-based. As enthusiasts are quick to point out, people have been exploring (including structures, abandoned or otherwise), since exploration has existed. The only real difference with UrbEx is the fact that a label and a hardhat have been slapped on it.

In 99% of the cases, UrbExers are breaking the law by trespassing, so that’s part of the fun right there.  Then there are the dangerous conditions of some of the buildings, that’s a plus. Also, some locations are remote enough that if you get stuck, you might be seriously fucked.

numismatics, coins, collecting, toronto, city, life

And then, sometimes, you hit on a cache of salvageables, items that need to be saved. I had no qualms about snatching any of these things before someone set fire to the place, or it was flooded, or collapsed, or was collapsed, etc. etc. In fact, after seeing what happened to some of the places I’d visited, I wish I’d been able to give more things a home.

I took photos too but I don’t know what happened to them. I suspect they’re burned onto some CD sitting around my flat but that doesn’t narrow down the culprits. Hopefully I’ll find them one day, and find them worth sharing.

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The crucial mid-January question

Posted on January 13th, 2011 Be the first to comment

I’ve already eaten all the good ones so now what am I supposed to do one do with all the leftover Christmas cookies?

christmas cookies, kitchen table, toronto, city, life, blog

Christmas trees too — done, pack ’em up and ship ’em out. It’s over. Next up, my birthday in which I get to keep all my cash … yay!

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When it’s not snowing…

Posted on January 6th, 2011 2 Comments

…sunsets by the lake are worth the frozen nipples.

docks, harbourfront, lake ontario, sunset, winter, toronto, city, life

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Back in the city…

Posted on December 30th, 2010 2 Comments

…it’s good to be. Holla!

hdr, photography, ttc, subway, station, bloor, toronto, city, life

Compared to the northern trails I’ve been walking, Toronto isn’t so bad. But even so, there’s always that wind. It would whip around up at my folks’ place but here it howls; you round an innocuous corner and wham! Just like a ninja.

sushi shop, sherbourne street, toronto, city, life

I’m in the process of digging through the collected post-holiday mountain of stuff so there won’t be much more to this post. But I sure would love to finish my top 10 posts of 2010 roundup for later today — we’ll see how good my ascension skills are.

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Merry Christmas from…

Posted on December 25th, 2010 2 Comments

…the great white north. And when I mean north, I mean, like, way the hell north. The north where rocks are extracted from big bouldery hills and where bodies are easy to dispose of.

northern mining town, life

This is not Toronto – a rarity, so don’t get used to it!

It is a sort of sub-alpine town  (if the hills were only bigger), situated somewhere in that vast swath of land called Northern Ontario.

… Continue Reading

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Staring at the wall

Posted on December 18th, 2010 2 Comments

Getting my pre-holidays sickness out of the way (surprised if I wasn’t snotting up right now, to be honest), and not really into “Four Eyed Monsters” at the moment.

still life, wall, photography, toronto, city, life

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures