BCIT Finals

Greetings Bloggies.

This will be the last time I blog from here. Here being BCIT campus residence. I have some final thoughts about these last 11 months. I came here with different reasons and plans then I am leaving. I came here to become more employable to move away from my old looking at rocks profession to take on a more settled life. I also came here to get back out in the world and make new friends. Those things seem to have panned out. I feel that I have learned lots and I know I am more employable.

I say I am more employable because I have received interest in jobs that I would other wise not have been a candidate for. Technical skills and employability aside, I have found it is the secondary things that made this trip more worth the trouble.

The 9 months of this program pushed me harder then some elements of my academic program. The condensed nature of the program built a sense of community with some students that I had not had in 5 or 6 years since Hawaii. After the relationship ended and took with it any interest in my moving back to the interior I started to look at this town and started to like it. That is the first thing I gained that did not come as expected. That I want to live in Vancouver, the size and diversity attract me. There is an energy that many places lack. I have been to too many smaller cities where there is a strip of chain stores and every thing closes early.

The wanting to live here is the first major upset to my expectations. I have put my money and stuff where my mouth is. To prove that I am coming back the excess of my stuff is now in a small 5x5 storage locker near the burnaby vancouver boarder. I am coming back. And I am not coming back to a clean slate. Thanks to the GIS program having a healthy number of local folk in it I have start of a few friendships and a network.

This program, and the time in Vancouver in an odd way was a life changing experience. For the first time I have found a place where I wanted to live. Kelowna, I was happy to be out of Nakusp and have sun in the fall, but in the end I loved the Okanagan Valley and hated Kelowna. The north was the north, too far from any where and too cold for too long. Here there is a balance, warm weather good eats and as important good people to eat with. I discovered that here I don't just have to get by but can find all the ways to enjoy and enrich life without having to reach too far.

I will miss having a summer in this city but I will look forward to coming back into town and settling in to my own place.

Back in the field

Greetings Bloggies.

Well the good news is I got a job. Mineral exploration in the general area around Merrit BC. A job much like the one I had with Tyhee. This is an irony to me. I had promised my self that I would not pursue that type of work again. I also gave my self some conditions where it would be ok.

So then why am I going back into the field to look at rock again. Firstly they hired me. I had been finding few jobs related to my new Diploma and was becoming increasingly aware of tightening finances. I was getting close to looking for true grunt work. So money is good. Secondly while this geology job is not specific to applying my GIS training, I will maximize the use of that training where it is appropriate to stay sharp.

Other conditions, its a short term job, a three month contract. This means that It meets one of my conditions, not wanting to be out in the field for too long. Secondly it is in a much less isolated location. The camp can be driven to and is within a half days drive or less of places I will want to be.

Now that I have had the chance to think about it I like the idea of being in the field again. Its stirring my sense of adventure. Lastly it gives me a chance to use some old cloths as field gear and get rid of the stuff once and for all.

Not an image of the camp I am going to. But similar ish.

Vancouver Things

Greetings Bloggies.

Some slices of life here. Last Wednesday I went down town. I had a good walk down Burard Street photographing my favorite down town building. The ever lovely Marine building, in all its Art Deco stylings. To any readers here who are or will be in Vancouver, take the time walk north to the water and check it out.

I also picked some berries on Saturday. Salmon berries I am told. I am not sure, what I do know is people eat them and the leaves look like raspberry plants. Generally they are raspberry like. Since Mr. Darkrooms birthday celebration was the following day and there was a planned pan cake breakfast I had a good reason to pick berries. Though honestly, I just like picking berries. Also there is something about a city where there is enough wild tucked away that a person still pick berries. I like it.

I should also not the racoon spotted west where I am, it was getting a solid Ka'ing at from some crows as I passed by. Causing me to wonder if they had fought over garbage.

Sex Part III

Beetle Mania

More Vikings

Greetings Bloggies.

This is old news in the space nut world but since I was just writing about Viking 1 I should write about the real one too. Viking 1 was in the Space news loop when on May 20th the Rover Opportunity passed the 28 year old record for longest running lander on an other planet. Viking one was working on Mars for 6 years and 116 days. Opportunity has surpassed that and if Spirit wakes up in the coming spring it will have passed that record too.

Viking 1, a mock up. Not the real martian back ground.

Opportunity. Real Mars back ground photoshopped in rover.

According to one web site both the Viking landers and the Mars rovers were expected to last 90 days. My question is when will JPL start building cars.

Introducing Viking 1

Greetings Bloggies.

Back in October I made something of an impulse buy. A new Bike. I had not brought my old bike with me to Van and had tired of the cramping in the wrists and back that its compact trail oriented frame cause. So against better judgement I spent money that well I did have it to spend I might have spent else where, perhaps for better things.

Viking 1 because I name vehicles after space craft but also because it is a long bike. A Viking Long bike. Retroactively I have named my old mountain bike Zond 1 too keep the russians in the loop.

In the end I rationalized that it was my knee that needed the new ride. After having twisted it in december 2008, rather strongly, and a few more minor times before, I knew that having weak legs was a recipe for doing so again. The truth since I have started ride more regularly this spring my bad right knee has seldom been in pain. Even more importantly it has been less prone to feeling like it is going to twist out from under me.

The flip side is that I also get to explore town in away that can't be done when you need to look for a parking spot.

Science world where Yesterday Dragon boat races were being held. I boat was warming up to the chant of We Suck Less, We Suck Less. I did not stick around long enough to find out if that was true. I had to head west. I made it as far west as Jericho Beach. I stopped at White Dwarf books.

At White dwarf books at last I found a selection of Sci Fi books that was not the same old same old of the best sellers and newest books.

Procrastination 2

Good News, Every one

Futurama in Lego = WIN