Saturday 30 June 2012

Long weekend!!

So remember the dude whose poster (stolen bike) I took a picture of and emailed him? Well he email me back and was really sweet. Check out the convo.
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Andrew,

I saw your poster this morning as I walked down Assiniboine. I have no idea about the whereabouts of your bike but as someone who just got their first new bike ever I am sad that someone stole yours. I am going to assume stupid gangsters stole your bike and had no idea of the monetary value but more importantly the intrinsic value the bike had. I did chuckle out loud at the line "There's security camera footage of that ish". I sincerely hope you get your bike back and if you do I am always looking for people to bike ride with...and check out my sort-of-bike blog.

http://mvjdiaries.blogspot.ca/

Cheers

Mikki.J

His response...


This was really nice.  

It's been a crazy shitty week - coming up on the worst on record for me. 

So getting this random message was real good.  Thank you for taking the time to sit down and send your thoughts my way - it means a lot. 

From the pictures in your blog your bike  is hot. It's turning into a pretty nice summer so I hope that you'll get a lot of enjoyment outta it. 

Riding around the city with other people is always nice - so if my bike does turn I'm (and I ain't holding my breath) down for a ride. 

Thanks again 

Andrew
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Andrew restored my faith in humanity and I still feel really bad he has no bike now :(

I meant to show y'all this when it was found but that didn't happen so here it is now. This book was found at the 'Tan stashed in the magazine basket...a traveling book!

I have high hopes to read this summer. I love reading but haven't done much in the past 3 years. My hopes are so high I borrowed this book from my friend (2 weeks ago and yet to crack it). I just like looking at the cover... so pretty.


Iced coffee...iced coffee is just the leftover morning coffee poured over ice. I have a "thing" for to-go drink vessels, I drink out them at home too. I have about a trillion and I get stern looks from the husbie when I purchase yet another. I am out lots and need drinks!!


Caffeinated I felt motivated while I waited for the husband to get home. I decided to tackle the always nasty area that is my desk where I create...this is after about 20 minutes of straightening up. I create at this tiny child's (thrift store rescue years ago) so I don't take over the dining room table and make our place look like a hoarder's dream. For sure not ideal but it works for right now.


The tray from my tool box, some of my preciouses are in here like vintage stamps (thrift store rescues), washi tape, those scissors which are bad ass and came from the dollar store and the vintage coupon books (antique store). That hello stamp was in the clearance bin at Michael's a couple months ago. I love it!


The ever important and usually forgotten grocery list...If you don't know about veggie straws get in the know.


Glorious start to the long weekend

Chicken finger in my purse...don't ask!




Someone's lovely garden, taken on the baby camera from inside the vehicle.


Nationalism on a cupcake y'all!


Grocery store haul...Purple tanktop I hate the racer back and wish it would go away it doesn't cover bra straps but I bought this one to see how it fits...ok, not not fab like my Walmart ones from a billion years ago that are falling apart and are in desperate need of being replaced but I am so damn picky (and Walmart doesn't seem to carry their 725 line anymore here, just G21 or something which might have replaced the 725 line and the old lady George stuff)


Best mascara ever and the best eye makeup remover ever. Rimmel is one of my favorite drug store brands. This is the only eye makeup remover I use and make sure to never ever let a bottle run out. I am rarely this on top of anything else.
Prepping and cutting all the food, husbie took a massive bite of the block of cheese. He eats cheese like this sometimes by just cutting off a big hunk and then taking bites which grosses and freaks me out. I can only do slices, cubes or shredded. I have a mental block on taking a big bite of cheese even if it is the same amount as the slices I would eat.



I had originally planned to stay in tonight but I got antsy and texted my ladies to see what was up. They were baking a cake and invited me down to hang out and have a drink, I can't turn an invite like that down. Grabbed a to-go cup (this one was a gift from my girl with the nameless bike and came from Winners) my outfit matches the cup, again completely accidental. I am beginning to think I have some kind of unintentional style. Outfit run down...necklace from the vintage pearl, tank top from Joe, ancient Element hoodie (I bought it for the button detail), purse is Baby Phat was uber expensive and it's a diva so it follows fashion rules and only comes out from May long until September long...no diva wears white after Labor day, demin skirt is Urban Heritage I assume a cheap-o mall hoochie store but it is thrifted, I am wearing lace bottom legging which you can't see and the flip flops are Adidas from last year, beat to shit and still comfier than those crappy Old Navy foam ones, and minty nail polish (I rarely paint my toe nails)


The battery was on it's last legs on the baby camera so I had to be really careful with my picture taking and shut it off right away but I love this one, trendy shoe store that sells Tom's...I am not sure how I feel about those yet...mostly my brain says hipster shoes but they have cute ones for small people.
FORZA! (I think that only applies to Italy but I don't watch soccer/football)


RAINBOW CAKE that everyone has pinned on Pinterest, but actually being made!


Perfection...these cupcakes have tons of good stuff in them... zucchini, carrot and greek yogurt if I remember correctly.

Phat cat


While I was there I got a text from the Sister Wife who wanted to walk around so I bid the ladies goodbye and headed to meet her so we could go back to my place, grab the big mama jama and more purse beers and head out. Sweet ride please note I had been drinking for a few hours by this point and photography - especially night time photography -  will suffer.


Condos


More KUSH...I am fascinated by this and would love to attempt to get all the sayings


I love street art and graffiti but I love it more when people add to others works, like an on going dialogue.



No flash needed at dusk


Note to the city about tree placement...I can't imagine the city cares about their path.


Setting up already for the biggest beer gardens on the street...always a rowdy, drunken good time.


There were so many people on bikes! I was sad for Drake but I don't drink and drive anything but my legs.


Neon!


Idiots getting confused about how to move for an emergency services vehicle... I swear people are so dumb and then the construction just makes it worse.


My beautiful Sister Wife...I made her carry my purse and my beer while I womaned the camera. She is hanging off a massive asphalting machine that has been brought in to do parts of the roads.


Great start to the long weekend...and I upped the size of the pictures so you don't have to click on them to make them look bad ass. I found it to be much more user friendly.

Thursday 28 June 2012

Sweet sweet summer

Spur of the moment this morning I decided to take us all out down to the Children's Museum inspired by my bike ride yesterday . We were out the door by 9:16am which is bananas...I had insane lazer focus. I came upon a squirrel whom I interrupted eating something and I was not quick enough with the baby camera. This was his pile of food stuffs.



I waited for him to stop then stalked him. Squirrels are my power animal, I love them especially the little red ones...hello my precious


In this early morning light if I squinted hard enough I could have almost imagined this was an over grown lease site (in treeplanting it's a place where the drill for an oil rig would have been set up. When they are decomissioned they are reclaimed...meaning they are allowed to be planted. Usually the ground is hard and over grown with tall grass and weeds). This lot had some lovely pre-WW2 apartment buildings that got torn down I bet almost 5 years ago and it has sat empty since...at least they didn't pave it and put up a parking lot...doo dooo dooo.  





This poster caught my eye. I was saddened by the fact that this dude had his bike stolen. I legit emailed him with my condolences because I actually was sad that his bike got stolen and I offered if he gets it back or get another that I am game to bike around anytime.


This part of the poster made me laugh..."There's security camera footage of that ish". I really hope you find your bike Andrew!


Some persons unknown stretched a sock over this post...I like the square sock look, so different from the smooth curves usually associated with socks.


The Riverwalk, exciting as it has been under water for like 5 years rendering it completely useless which blows because it's pretty awesome.


Bridge graf. I would never jump over a bridge/scale at night and dangle for my art which is probably why I am so fascinated by graffiti and street art.


Moorings along the Riverwalk, the HMCS Chippawa. There is still one Naval building near the water but the other was just bullbozed. I can't imagine these were ever actually used for Naval boats on the river but I wonder if I could find out. The water taxi now uses the moorings.




So picturesque, this spot has been up to 15 feet under water during different summers


River bank erosion. It makes me so sad to think about all the huge old trees that have and will be lost because of the crazy flooding that ravages the banks every year. These ones are marked to go before they become a hazard to the Riverwalk users :(


Trying to combat river erosion. All that white stone has been trucked in to replace the lost ground that the water eats away at each year. The second picture shows the difference.


Under the bridges. I get a very cavernous and Modernist architecture feel under here. Must be all the clean lines and smooth concrete plus you get the echo of the 8 lanes of traffic driving above.


This is the spot where my grad pictures were taken almost 12 years to the day that we had our grad. It looked waaaay nicer when I graduated and now talking about it makes me want to cry at the fact that it was 12 years ago and I can remember it like it was yesterday.


Another painted rock, I have seen painted things along this path before...an artist mouse/bear?


There was this old lady fitness class going on, while I don't particularly like old people I approve of geriatric fitness, don't break a hip you old broads!


Since I was in a position to acquire my favorite cookies, I decided that I really couldn't not! I have been attempting to eat decent in preparation for copious amounts of streetmeat and beer on the upcoming long weekend. But I cannot turn down FolkFest cookies from a local bakery. I.love.these cookies and this bakery.


Children's Museum goodness. I never get tired of shooting inside here...all these were taken on the big mama jama, yes I lugged it all that way with me. If you've got it, use it!










I love the museum's logo. We had season passes, it was worth it for us and we got almost double the value out of it.


I ventured out for beer, milk and batteries when the husbie got home. I love being out in the city in the hot hot heat when you are sweating balls and the whole world seems like it's burning up. It makes a/c that much sweeter. This dude was jammed in the coin slot at the vendor (vendor = cold beer only store) cute pink dino butt.


Crude marker graf



More of the horse graf but this one is on stickers. I love finding the same graf in different mediums. As I stopped to take a picture a man in a fur coat and cut off jean shorts (I can't make this shit up and yes he was wearing a fur coat in almost 40 degree heat) asked me if I was taking a picture of "I will find you"...yeah buddy I was.


I then stopped to take this one and as I stood up a man walked passed me and said "They'll never know". I am not creeped out by any of this I have just never been approached really while I am doing my thing.





As I passed American Apparel for the second time my undies were firmly lodged in my crack and there was no frickin' way I was picking my wedgie in front of full on rush hour traffic so I fidgeted on the sidewalk for a moment with no relief. This is the crazy Asian clothing store. Rumor has it this stuff comes out of whatever the Japanese equivilent of Walmart is. I have bought a navy boxy purse here a few years ago, nothing more. I think of this as hipster clothing now.


A discarded hobo sign...I would have compassion if I didn't know better.


BEERS!!! I bought these with the intention of stashing them and not having to brave the topless, sweaty, flag clad dudes at the vendor on Sunday...signs are not pointing to that happening.