Author: gfox (old content)

Roundhouse Workers

bouncy fun

Last October the photo club met at the Esquimalt Roundhouse to take some pictures. The conditions on that day were less than ideal. It was cloudy and slightly rainy, making shooting a pain since we were having to cover our cameras when not in use.

Today was the last photo club met again to redo the shoot at the Roundhouse. Technically we weren’t supposed to be there, but we are careful and watched where we went. On arrival today there was a train starting to leave, and a couple workers getting it ready.

At first I was kind of ticked since I assumed this was going to mean the end to the shoot. Waiting a few minutes, one of the workers waved at us. Hmm, maybe the shoot wasn’t off after all. The 2 workers never seemed to really care that we were there.

A shooting we went.

The conditions were a little better this time around. It was a little chilly, but at least the sun was out. I think I managed to capture all new shots this time which is great. That location is chock full of possibilities. Pics are here.

Commuter Settling

looking for a commuter

I am shopping for a commuter bike these days, and it is hard. I don’t have much of a budget, so that means looking for a used bike. This can be a little tricky if you don’t know what you are looking for in a used bike.

I found a used rental bike at Marty’s Mountain Cycle, but I was hemming and hawing over it. Would I be happy with this one? Would it suit me? Could I convert it into a commuter? It had almost all the necessities. The rear wheel did not have a quick release, and that was a huge drawback. The fit was OK, but I wouldn’t call it comfortable. I certainly wasn’t enthused by this bike. I decided to just walk away. Any time I settle for something, whether it be a bike part, clothing, or even a CD, I am rarely happy with it. I feel better now that I know I won’t get it.

Of course this means I am still without the bike I need. Frustrating, but better than settling for something, and not being happy with my decision.

So, if any of you see, have, or hear of a decent, large sized commuter bike, let me know. I am in the market for a new bike.

Gmail Integration

Welcome to Gmail Chat

Just restarted Firefox, and my gmail tab got re-opened. This is what greeted me. Too cool. I played with the new chat feature, and I have to say that I am pretty impressed. Very slick integration. Easy to use, easy on the eyes, lots of options that make sense and are easy to understand.

Will this replace MSN? No. Will it replace AIM? No. Will I use it? Maybe. If I had more contacts on gmail. Most people I know have their own domain or a shaw/hotmail/yahoo email address.

Gripping Badness

Keifer props up the show

One of the shows I like to watch is 24. Every season the story is so gripping, I can’t escape it. If I should happen to miss an episode, there is always the online story guide that gives enough detail that I can get by.

Yet, nearly every episode I watch something happens that I have difficulty watching. Sometimes it is the horible acting. The blank looks on a character that seems to go on forever. Sometimes it is the pathetic and useless sub plot that goes nowhere. Remember Kim getting caught in a cougar trap? Sometimes it is just the extraneous characters that don’t add anything to the show.

Despite the badness, the show is still gripping. The story is so good, and Keifer Sutherland definitely carries the show with his acting skill. The funny part is near the end of every episode I know there is going to be a cliff hanger twist. As this twist approaches, I am always trying to guess what it will be. I never get it right.

A couple season’s ago Sox and I got a couple episodes behind near the beginning of the season. We ended up taping pretty much every single episode. I grew to love the count down timer that indicated the show was about to being. I grew to love being able to fast forward through the commercials. I was so used to that, I will still occasionally reach for the VCR remote when the commercial break starts.

Postings Supplied

Just configured the Aggregator2 module for this site. I am now importing my postings from gf-tech to this site. Cool! This will happen automatically as I post on gf-tech.

The documentation on this module was a little difficult to understand. The thing I really want to do it have these posts imported into a specific category, but I can’t figure out how to set this up. The supplied documentation doesn’t help. Time to delve into the forums I think.

4 Things

Stupid memes.  I never participate in these things.  Until now.

Four jobs I’ve had in my life

  1. Dishwasher
  2. Carpet Warehouse Dude
  3. Overpaid Gopher
  4. Software Developer

Four movies I can watch over and over

  1. Clerks
  2. A few Good Men
  3. Die Hard (any)
  4. Hackers

Four places I have lived

  1. Nanaimo, BC
  2. Victoria, BC
  3. Penticton, BC
  4. ??? – that’s it

Four TV shows I love to watch

  1. 24
  2. That 70’s Show
  3. CSI (the original, none of the crappy offshoots)
  4. Survivor

Four places I have been on vacation

  1. Mexico
  2. Ottawa
  3. Sooke, BC (Point No Point)
  4. Alaska

Four of my favourite dishes

  1. Ginger beef 
  2. Lasagna
  3. Sushi
  4. Hamburgers

Four websites I visit daily

  1. BoingBoing
  2. Canoe
  3. Pinkbike
  4. Dilbert

Four places I would rather be right now

  1. Mountain biking
  2. Mexico
  3. Walking Yoshi
  4. No where (home is just great)

Four bloggers I am tagging

  1. Jason Kemp
  2. KandE
  3. James
  4. de Goede

Little Features

Little web site update here. A new bug fix Drupal release was made a while ago, and I finally got around to testing the upgrade, and performing it. muddylaces is now up to v 4.6.5

I really wish there was a version number printed somewhere in the admin interface, so I could easily see what version I am running. I guess that gets a little complicated when talking about CVS versions, and beta code. Still, it would be a nice to have feature.

I have also recently upgraded the gallery software. Not sure if I really like some of the new features, but I’d imagine I will get used to them.

Potholes Filtering

ghostly light switch

Today was the first meeting of the photo club in 2006. The destination was the Sooke potholes. We car pooled out there, and parked right next to the remnants of the failed resort. The river was raging. I had only been there once before during a summer, and the river had a gentle flow. I took a few shots of the river, was fascinated by some exposed re-bar, and was enthralled by a rusty tank.

I had a great time at this shoot. I felt inspired, and had no trouble seeing pictures. The above picture took me many tries to finally nail it. I found it very interesting that I could see the picture I wanted in my mind, but each succesive failure to meet it, pushed me to keep trying.

When all was said and done I had capture 89 shots. Filtering through them at home I was very pleased with my shooting on the day. Great start to another year of photography.

Pics are here.