Day one on my cross-country drive from Vancouver to Ottawa. Arrived at my friend Bec’s place in Banff and we went for Mexican. After the day’s diet of chocolate bars and potato chips, it seemed a welcome change. In retrospect, I don’t know if my life has ever taken a turn for the better after Read the full article…

Had my going away party tonight. Dave generously offered his house (equipped with hot-tub, coy pond with pissing boy statue, and croquet pitch) and it was great to have a chance to see everybody before I left. Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it.

I hate the morning. Maybe that’s because I also love the night, and have a tendency to stay up too late. Last night, my temporary roommate Eddie (or, more correctly, the new permanent roommate) came home around midnight, loaded to the gills. We had a couple beers and tried to get his PlayStation2 working, but Read the full article…

It is done. With the exception of my clothes and my office gear, my entire life is packed into a 400 cubic-foot wooden crate behind my apartment building. Finally the feeling of going is starting to set in. And the feeling of how the hell I’m going to fit what’s left into Charlie, my Toyota Read the full article…

Last night Dave the Photographer took me out for dinner, to pay me back for the beers I shouted on Friday. The Templeton is a 60’s (or 70’s?) style diner with burgers and shakes on Granville Street. I had a lime cola. [Ed’s Note: Don’t have the lime cola.] The burgers were great, as usual Read the full article…

Seeing how much crap I have to move down into storage from my apartment, I caved and decided to get a “hand truck” from Canadian Tire. I called ahead first to see if they had any in stock; the girl on the phone didn’t know what a hand truck was, and before I could tell Read the full article…

Going through all my crap today. Packing up everything that I can’t throw away, and throwing away everything that I haven’t used or looked for in the five years I’ve been here. Found an old watch given to me by Kim, an ex from long-ago Toronto. It was a Kenneth Cole, and the only piece Read the full article…

I’m compiling a list of things I’m going to miss about Vancouver. Only now am I realizing what a horrible observer I’ve been of this city. It seems like there’s something raw and unique and beautiful around every corner, above every storefront, down every alley. Or maybe my digital camera is just making me more Read the full article…

Tried to book a locker at the storage place in the next block, only to find out that it’s closed down. Two phone calls and one trip there didn’t clue me in to this fact. It doesn’t look closed down: there are cars in the parking lot and by the loading bays, and there’s no Read the full article…