Turn Turn Turn

The song, if you like, or the karmic wheel.

2007 is done now, and the long night is turning into day again for a spell. I was happy to achieve my goals for the year, even if a few came in past deadline. One such was a move back closer to where I was born, for purposes of helping birth new things, meeting recently-birthed things, and birthing one of my own (on paper, not in flesh). That latter is just about outta me now and into the harsh light of day, so it was time to shift the cycle from nocturnal back to diurnal and depart the lonely home/womb office (so essential to grinding out the novel) for one where a flux of people move all around me every day.

Last but not least (to the tune of 22 kilometers not least) was the half-marathon, which I've run three times now - not to my satisfaction, but run nonetheless. It took a year of training to get to that point in the first place, of course, and it'll take a year more, I'm guessing, to get the finish time I'm looking for. That's why, when I woke up this morning to the following animated .gif on Etherbrian's blog, I was tickled beyond 8-bit pink. It's a friendly reminder that it takes time to turn the wheel.

But if you keep moving, things do change.

To every season, then. Through every season.



P.S. Brian accomplished a goal of his own this month, too - breaking into the ranks of printed Threadless T-shirt artists. I've been a fan of Brian's for over ten years and was happy to pick up a design of his through Zazzle shortly ago. Now I'm even more thrilled to be one of the first to shell out for his Interloper From Beyond The Heavens on starburst orange. Join me!

Father Like Son

Stephen again. (Sorry, Blorthos!)


FACT: The Reese boys enjoy getting in over their heads.

And I love my Dad.

That's it for today!

Perfect Circles

My friend Kevin, who taught me how to properly (mountain and road) bike last summer, has a term he likes to use when talking about what it is we do with our legs while pushing pedals and turning wheels in service of truly badass forward momentum.

Here's my understanding:

It's not just about rotating tires, round and round, to propel you onward across the straights and up and down those hills. You're also working to make your heel revolve on its ankle fulcrum. There is a subtle, gentle pull up, and a smooth, undulating roll down, that together complete the gesture. You don't want to jab and kick at the bike with a series of movements that taken as one, form a right-angled rectangle. What you're trying to do is describe hemispheres with the machinery of your feet.

You're aspiring to perfect circles.

As some of you already know, this summer I'm going to ride the Tour of Courage in support of my former colleague Rich Wilkins and his current battle with cancer. The aforementioned Kevin will be kicking my ass in this race. As will the several other friends and colleagues who comprise our team. For this combined effort, we hope to raise money to aid cancer research and prevention.

If you're able, folks, I'm asking you to please chip in with a donation to help me reach (and surpass) my personal fundraising goal of a thousand clams. Any bit helps. Me, I aim to paint some perfect circles for Rich. Let's see what we can do together.

This is the link to my donations page: Reese Rides For Rich

And if you haven't seen the source site yet, here's Go Rich.

Where's Mini?

Hereabouts.

I'll be back in the Sandbowl presently.

ADD-Day

Now it's raining! In full sunlight!

Wotta day.

Next: hail?

That Was Quick

Snow melted, sun ascendant.

What The--

Looks like my spring sproing was...premature.

Now it's snowing big, fluffy flakes outside.

Not that it'll last, of course. This Cowtown mantra applies:

If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes.

Ah well.

It *was* nice to run without tuque and mittens last night.

Feelin' It

So today's the official Last Day of Winter.

And though we've still got some snow on the ground here, I sense spring coiled and ready to sproing.

My time away's left me refreshed, excited, and horny as all get out. Plus, my meaning-monger radar's up. Walking along the street to fetch ingredients for tonight's dinner, I eyeballed myself a sweet triptych of chaos magick underfoot to get the evening (and perhaps the season) started: a page of somebody's screenplay made with the Final Draft demo version (I bent over to read it and found properly formatted but BORING dialogue), a discarded elastic curled into what I can only describe as a double vesica piscis, and a single die rolled (out of a dumpster, likely) to its #1.

It was great visiting with the fam, the Mbut, and Gramps. I got caught up on my backlogged magazine reading, started three new books (yay Teresa!), and worked my way through the 13 Years of Wax Trax! boxset, which was wonderful and has certainly inspired some ideas for April mixes. In the meantime, now I'm home, I'll do up a couple more rock mashups to finish out this month's theme, and I can also say Blorthos has been making noises (rather moist and feral noises) about getting a post up here soon.

Me, I'm itching to get my bike off Tacx and onto pavement, it's so nice outside. But not quite yet...I'll have to settle for running tonight without so many clothes on. Who knows? I may not even need a tuque (not toque, as Gweinz has learned me).

No tuque?!

Ah, the possibilities.

And that, my friends, is what spring is all about.

Grave Pronouncement

Saying of the day, courtesy of my morbid/silly Gramps on our walk a few moments ago:

"In this life, the only thing etched in stone...is an epitaph."

I giggled and cringed at the same time, always a good reaction.

Wind & Water

What a beautiful day!

I can't wait to go running later, but while I'm stuck indoors finishing work, I wanted to try capturing the moment.

A haiku seemed the right approach.

sun melting in snow
fresh rush of wind and water
light sways the branches

Hope you're having a lovely Sunday!

The End

All right, let's get this party started.

It's the end of 2006, and there's lots to celebrate.


Doug finished his first act, congrats!

Bill and Walt published their second book, wicked!

Tanya's moving to California, sweet!

Lisa got promoted, disco!!!

Julie's freelancing!

So am I!

Kevin found a team for spring!

Dave and Lena are pregnant!!!

Edie's smiling a lot!

Robs and Trevs are angling for a house!

Ryan's Outsiders is premiering!

Comrade's going strong!

Christen's teaching in the desert!

DJ's officially a Canadian!

Carl and Julianne are engaged!

Tara's joined us 30somethings!

Shannon's still in Canada!


And much, much more.

Good grief, what a year.

I've promised a Down South wrapup, and that's coming. After all, it's getting pretty cold here at Mini Nerd - all the more reason to say goodbye to fall.

I hinted at an update, and that's coming too. Thanks to Trevor for giving me a good excuse to make those posts I've been itching to for many weeks.

And all along, I've been plinking away at updating the site proper. Regular readers will notice more new functionality in the navbar. The F.O.R.G.E.'s been updated with several hundred new words for us Dungeons & Dragons knobs, plus it's been joined by Gruntage, a nod back in time to high school and a language my peeps and I forged to comment, ridiculously, on just about anything. Give it a click and try to pronounce!

Flirting on and off with a slideshow feature, I eventually discarded it because the thing was slowing down pageloads like nobody's business. In its place, we added a couple Videos (one from Down South, and the other a nod back to the early 2000s, when we made a grab for placement in the Big Rock Eddies faux beer commercial contest). I'll post it here, since it suits the season (snow and sauce, natch):



The "Geek Gifts" I've been steadily adding for about a month now are finally, fully live, comprising the comic books I really loved so far in my life and want you to love too, if only you'd take a chance and buy one from Amazon. Trust me, I wouldn't hawk 'em if they weren't cool. Got one open-minded nerd bone in your body? Then click, read and entertain yourself. There's some fun stuff.

For those who care, I can say with some certainty Big Nose Barney, Blorthos Malamakk, AND Lord Blooddyke will all make an appearance before year-end. They've each been absent from the Mini Nerd mainstage for a while, but ever watching from the wings and waiting for their moments of closure (or continuation).

Lastly but not leastly, up top right we've got the usual XML link for those of you who access Mini Nerd through your RSS readers - but this month out, it's accompanied by an XMAS link, which will get you a playlist I've compiled for your holiday enjoyment. It's appropriate for decorating trees, drinking eggnog (laced or not), shopping and wrapping, and of course, waking up Christmas morn with yer loved ones. Please partake. Christmas music always gets me weepy - especially the sacred stuff - and I've put some decent hours into compiling the best I could find. (You'll need Windows Media Player for the .m3u file to work, I think. Sorry!)

In closing; in opening:

Friends, folks, alla youse - let's send 2006 out with a bang, not a whimper. We're all one year older, one year wiser (hopefully). Dunno about you, but I'm ready for some festive. So bring it on. May the final four of this annum be ones to remember.

Cheers,
Steebn

Up Up Up

If you're keeping score, the end of Summer 2006 went like this:

Hangover 2
Hike 0

Well, third time was the charm. And following is the proof.

You can read along with us in your browser.


And so it begins.




This is the easy part.




Our heroes:




Robo-Kotti & Gweinz...




Robs & Trevs...




...and the conspicuous 5th wheel.




Onward!




Trevs, unaware what he's signed up for...




...but admirably game.




I like this photo.




Robs, first to crest Bear...




...and her wake.




Gweinz, hold still.
There's something in your pack.




Mini Nerd wuz 'ere.




Boom, lookin' lonely.




Top of Boom, lookin' naked.




Not sure what these are...




... but these are alpine flowers.




First leg complete!




And the motley crew still spoilin' for it.




Bring it on!




'Cuz we gots da goods...




...and Mini gots a woody.




Second leg underway.




It's all uphill from here.




You know I wanted to go in there.




But smarter heads prevailed.




So up Snake Ridge we went.




Here's a mountain woman in her natural habitat.




And here's a mountain insect.
(Note the prominent proboscis.)




Now we gotta climb this.




Gweinz: See y'all later.

Robs: Er--




Kotti/Trevs: We'll stay right here, thanks.




Mini: Guys, check this view!




Here's where it gets interesting.




Gweinz: See y'all later.




Mini: Slow down and pose, dammit!




Kotti: You coming?

Mini: Sec, I need a shot of this
loose shale I can't keep a grip on.




Photo showdown!!!
Trevs: of Robs.




Robs: of Trevs.




Trevs: of Mini.




Robs: of Trevs.




Trevs: of two random hikists.




He even pulled this one off.
Don't ask me how.




Robs: I win!




Trevs: Let's take this outside.




Random hikists make their escape.




Trevs pursues, eager for more photos.




As intense as it looks.




Ditto.




Robo-Kotti struts the scree like a catwalk,
showing off her elegant modified gams.




Yeah, it's pretty frickin' cool up here.




The final leg.




Another leg.




Gweinz: See y'all later.
(Spot the red backpack.)




Lofty ideals.




The top!

And here's who we did it for:

John Latt, rest in peace.




My Oma and Opa's ashes are here too.




The other crew, who went the easy way.




See, my photos were better.




The ladies love the foot.




Top right is where we are.




But it's time to go.




Trevs attends to business.




Not to be outdone, Robs throws
her, um...hat...into the ring.




Let's call it a draw!




And onward to the finale.




Now, this may look pretty tame.




But really, it's not.




Hence, my pose.




'Cuz I am here.




This photo could have been better.




This sure looks like ammonite to me.




And this, like a UFO crash site.




And this, a father and daughter
arguing about how much to offer
for the prime alpine real estate.




But I'm funny that way.




And for the record...




We took the easy way down.



EPILOGUE

Every time I biked this summer, I wanted to go for a swim.

I finally got my wish, but no bikes were involved.


So here's the spot.




It's pretty nice.




The gang's all here.




Including conspicuous 5th wheel.




Trevs considers a plunge.




Gweinz considers a shove.




Wyle E. leads the way.




Mini stops to smell the roses.




Trevs and Chibi pull up the rear.




Gweinz opts to stay dry.




Mini does not.




Neither do Robs or Trevs.




But Robs found the water too warm.




Though Trevs enjoyed another dip.




And 5th wheel made manifest his isolation.




Walter.




The diving board.




The way back.




Kotti's friend.




Some hooligans.



THE END

Received: The Sun

The title I owe to my Mom, who was talking about sunlight coming to the Elk Valley today after days of rain (and snow we enjoyed).



The sentiment I owe to my old heroes The Orb, whom I've discovered have a new album out last October! It's Dr Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann this time around, so The Good Doctor's sense of nonsense is slightly tamped down by precise German discipline. But oh, what discipline it is!

Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt is a consistent delight in the ultra-modern style popularized by those inventive Krauts at Kompakt. If you're expecting kold, Kraftwerkian klockwork, you'll get some of that, but Dr Alex shines such lovely rays of sun across the proceedings that upon hearing this LP for the first time I knew summer (or at least spring) proper had arrived.

This is the third return to form by one of the bands responsible for my formative musical years. Like Erasure (Nightbird) and Front 242 (Pulse) before them, The Orb have shown me there were some very nice aural surprises to come back to after my own "return to form" at the end of last summer after a crippling illness.

An Orb is for life, not just for Christmas.