Power outage musings

Never expect to be relying on batteries until the power fails

Power went out the other day across most of the entire small town of Camrose, as some tool digging and severed a main power line...

Funny enough, my first thoughts came to mind, is I'd be screwed if it was more than a few days without electricity. After watching The Walking Dead, I have doubt at my long-term survival rates. I don't exactly have a cottage or farm in the wilderness to hide out, nor the highest survival skills other than boy scouts years ago. There was no merit badge for zombie invasion defenses.

Just for show, now where does a plug-in go?

Not that I am fearfully mongering for end of civilization as we know it, it's just odd sometimes the reminders of how "lucky" we are in this modern age. My kerosene lamp is purely for decoration....

Check-list of basics electrically taken for granted:

• hot water tank didn't work
• furnace didn't work
• stove didn't work
• dishwasher didn't work
• coffee-maker and kettle sadly didn't work
• lights didn't work
• garage door opener didn't work
• even the doorbell didn't work

Lack of electricity forced me to take stock of how many modern activities are tied to electronics.

Even my shaver and even toothbrush are electric -- They hold a fairly good charge, but it'd be another five minutes out of my day to clean and lather up manually.



Less essentials are entertainment-based, but better than a pack of playing cards and solitary or cribbage sometimes.

• telephone via modem router didn't work
• Internet didn't work
• computer didn't work
• TV and Blu-ray player didn't work
• radio didn't work
• e-Reader book neither
• cellphone had a bit of battery life still, but it wouldn't be working soon either

The list went on and it was half frustrating because nothing was functioning. It was almost humourous after a while stuck with first world problems.

I could live without being able to check the voicemail, as it's an electronic mailbox. I couldn't be contacted anyway, nor write emails. Oh shucks, no twitter updates.


My room-mate tried to look online... to find out from the electrical company and then remembered her computer was quite offline. I hauled out the real, yellow paper phone-book and blew the dust off.

I kept flicking at dead light switches. Couldn't cook breakfast on stove, so I tried to open the microwave before remembering. It was quite the gong-show in auto-pilot as waking up.

The day the radio died, can't send a message in a bottle.
And yes, that is a tiny hand-cranked music box, very cool

Even had a moment of trying to leave for work as car was in garage, so had to pool with my room-mate. Made it through the day despite the lack of power.

I could charge my cell phone up in the car and check emails too. My ac/dc converter in my car works okay for the laptop too. I usually read paperback books and the weekly newspaper anyway. Paper notebook and pen still work so I could write onwards too.

I groaned hoping the power wouldn't be off for long. Living in the great white north, one usually has a fireplace, just in case. My current house is newer and doesn't. I have had the furnace die once at night.

Coldest night of my life -30C before the furnace repair guy came to fix it.

If I needed to, I could have worn my parka to bed again, and piled on the extra blankets. Still not fun seeing your frozen breath.

Yet, I was more worried about the pipes freezing and bursting in the house if it had been for a few days or if it hadn't been a Chinook warm spell.

Be prepared! Most days, I get my shoes tied

Usually I look things up online, Wikipedia or tech forums for extra knowledge or trouble-shooting. I've even been known to call my wise parents for advice from time to time. No connection there, though I do have a number of resource books, even a survival guide somewhere on my bookshelf.

This led me to a more annoying question of why I only had  maybe half a 72-hour disaster survival kit for me and my room-mate. I haven't needed to go on a long road trip, so haven't restocked my car -- which sometimes has enough dry supplies.

My room-mate grew up on a farm, which most are fairly self-sufficient, even with back-up electrical generators and a huge gas-tank. There was plenty to eat from the half-acre vegetable garden, root cellar, and firewood chopped too. So she wasn't too worried.

Besides, there is plenty of "no cooking" required recipes, so we would have made do. Petroleum jelly and a tin-can in the ground will cook a foil-wrapped potato or can of beans, even a camp coffee pot.

And funny enough, though I know there are 1000's of variations of recipes online, I still have a bookshelf full of cookbooks. 

As slim as an E-reader is for holding a bookshelf-worth
books is far from gone from my house

I was for a lack of what to do... but my room-mate reminded me -- she was happy enough curled up in a blanket on the couch -- as a bit of a Luddite, she doesn't get stuck on Facebook anyway. Happily she sat there with a book and I had to agree, it was nice and quiet.


Remembering people yesteryear did without much of our modern conveniences. It did make me think about how people have survived some of the most incredible hardships -- invasions, disease outbreaks, airplane crashes, natural disasters -- even the eastern seaboard took a beating recently with flooding, yet people persevered.

We're very resourceful as a species... from natives able to use every part of a Buffalo, moose or antelope. Building a snow igloo, latrine, or rain shelter is something only military reservists practice on weekends.

I have a ton of respect for traditional native resourcefulness.

Perhaps we've lost some of that knowledge, at least some city dwellers might have, other than boy scouts. From gold prospectors and prairie settlers, to seafarers and space exploration, that will to survive and innovate has gotten humankind through a lot.

Though I use a GPS and Google map directions, somewhere buried in my desk is a real compass (from teenage scouting days) and a provincial atlas of road maps too.

Pretty useful for zombies and all other game hunting eh

I couldn't help but notice watching the Walking Dead, or reading about historical accounts, nobody was lacking from lack of iPad news and app update or Youtube.

It still does make me think I should learn to use a cross-bow and tomahawk for fun. It seemed just as sad to watch relationships, hopes and civilization crumble, as most of our knowledge and literature is migrating to hard-drives and Internet archives.

I know I write this Luddite rant on an electronically powered laptop, but I can live with not having to use a typewriter. Those things tire out the wrists something fierce -- I could barely write an article last time I tapped and dinged for kicks and giggles on the typewriter I found at a garage sale.

Ain't gonna find this boy scout lost...
unless I refuse to ask for diections

In the greater scheme of things... I wonder for all our technology, it's cool to go in reverse on occasion. See how things were done in other centuries and find a simpler way of doing things. Reduce the carbon footprint and all.

Not to go all wonky back to the earth, like hippies or end-of-world nuke spooks, but reduce consumption. Try installing alternatives like power-smart appliances, light-bulbs and up to solar panels and grey-water filters. Even just a rain barrel for gardening, it can be pretty simple.

The power did get restored a few hours later after lunch, so I didn't have to defrost a pizza and cook it for supper, over a fire built out of the phone book.

It did make me appreciate how much we rely on that zappy, arching stuff that comes out of the wall a lot more.

My best-friends to kick-start early mornings

For more reading, check it at:

Worst Case Scenarios (my favourite bathroom reading as some are ridiculous scenarios).

More useful, 72 hour emergency kit building and planning check-list.

And a bug-out kit for the much more hard-core list if the power goes out for a while.

So stock up the duct-tape and water filter pump, but don't head for the hills yet, not until the coffee maker is useless. Even then, take a tin cup and a magnifying glass or something and boil that water somehow! Gotta get my cuppa joe.




Anyhow, as Red Green says, she don't find me handsome, at least my lady finds me handy.

Back into blogging? Darn rights

Another year, another dollar, another trip around the sun. My blogging and writing in general took back-burner compared to utter frustration with lack of journalism jobs. Expensive piece of diploma paper and student loan having forged me into a legit journalist without a newsroom.

Other than tiny outposts in frigid backwoods of the tundra or random places in north-east Ontario. Not complaining, just stating facts that occupational outlook not being too good as a writer for hire.

Heard that journalists were being cut left right and centre. Veterans or new grads, it didn't seem to matter in the cyclical cycle of 'multimedia' video-blogger trend. I have shot perhaps three videos in my life so would need some time to perfect that to publishable state. No funds for schooling? Needed to pay the bills so I took advantage of a Alberta Works program to train as a health care aide -- health care is a huge economic factor with baby boomers retiring, eventually -- if only to have a steady income as I figured freelancing out.

The other side of my writing freeze was personal life taking over my focus. Planning for a wedding with my beloved fiancee. A bunch of family, spiritual, and personal issues took paramount at times as I approach over-the-hill of 30, but such is life indeed. Don't worry age 30 is the new 20.

I knew it took some devotion of energy into better communication, brain-storm, pre-marriage counseling and picking wedding complimentary colours for ties and bridesmaid dresses, photographers, pastors and caterer arrangements. It's been to the point of overwhelming with trends and options, but interesting nevertheless. Maybe I'll write more on that subject as the date approaches in July ^_^

Also took a total hiatus from writing anything published in favour of writing for fun. Goofy stuff, a few poems and a fair number of personal letters to friends. But some months I barely wrote and it was weird having no deadlines at first. I was studying too much in health aide course half the summer anyway.

Even took a stab at writing a novel during November month long Nanowrimo challenge. Got a third of the way through it until work schedule overwhelmed. I thoroughly enjoyed novel writing and will find plenty more fiction coming out of my laptop typewriter.

Excuses aside, I needed to re-establish my writing, for the pure exercise of writing regularly.

So back-story of frustration aside, I was very glad to try my hand at something different. Learning basic anatomy and medical terminology gave me a different perspective of life. Working and supporting the elderly and infirm has given me an eye opener too. Both on health care issues and on the amazing staff who care for those needing a helping hand.

Bound by FOIP and protection of privacy of vulnerable persons acts, I obviously wouldn't disclose a single experience, complaint/joy of work, nor reveal anything about my work. Didn't leave me with much to write back home about. It is pretty exhausting body and mind some days for being inspired to write -- flop on the couch tired. But such is life and I definitely respect the residents I work with and started to find balance of work/play/sleep.

Either way, redefinition was in order of this lowly piece of turf I call my blog. I am content to pound up semi-regular self-assigned feature, exercises, and photo essays, perhaps throw in an occasional editorial. Likely I am safe from copyright to post my newspaper articles as well -- seeing how I need a new folio to freelance with recent work.

If this sounds similar to a past post, what can I say, life took me elsewhere for a ride.

To be honest, a bunch of research went into the blogosphere as well. I know I'm too much of a multi-faceted generalist to write purely about cooking, or an unhealthy obsession of Twilight (so last month compared to City of Bones or whatever is cool now), or whatever kids write about nowadays. So I read a lot -- from graphic novels to classic lit and everything in between. Really enjoyed it and re-expanded my writing style from 400 word max, inverted pyramid of journalism cut-to-chase information, back to my first college major in English.

So bing bang boom, I write in my spare-room. No need to copy-edit much as I made a midnight deadline to hit.

-- PLR --

Interviews Bucket-list

When journalists get talking, inevitably they start to drop names to put a Hollywood agent or socialite to shame.

From talking to mayors about their kids to Members of Parliament about hockey and party leaders about travels; from Jimmy Herman (from Dances with Wolves) about addictions, to George Stroumboulopoulos about moshing at concerts; and from Canadian astronauts, veterans and engineers to more musicians and great artists than I can keep count... I've had my share of chats with charismatic people who made for an engaging interview.

It's the sort of conversation that you just don't want it to end because it's just a completely invigorating battle of wits or enlightening and hilarious or sad stories that really challenge a writer to get it right.

So when I hear of a great story, like a great man and his dog, like Roosevelt and his Scottish Terrier, Fala or Mackenzie King and his Irish Terriers, Pat and Bob. Or when I read a biography like George Carlin's outspoken critiquing and critical thinking on social issues. I think, would I love to have been able interviewing them. Not to say that normal people aren't interesting, yet a witty mind like of someone like Dr Seuss would be fun to pick through and quote.

Maybe I'll just do that from these people's speeches and letters -- could be fun. Of course, like most writers, I have a bucket list that gets longer as I try to get through it.

Here's a short list with whom I'd love to sit down if they were still around:

Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Jane Goodall, and Alexander Bell -- a few of the heroes of science.

Mark Twain, Hunter S. Thompson, Margret Atwood, and Ernest Hemmingway -- writers with long conversation over drinks.

Dorothy Lange, Yousef Karsh, Ted Grant, and Henri Cartier-Bresson -- amazing photographers who I admire.

Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Roy Orbison, and Janis Joplin -- voices of a generation before my own came into existence.

Fidel Castro, William Churchill, the Dali Lama, and Mohandas Gandhi -- leaders in peace and freedom.

Mother Teresa, Maya Angelou, Nelson Mandela, and Helen Keller -- saints of tolerance and patience.

Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, the Wright Brothers, and Alan Shepard -- flying off on adventure fearlessly.

Babe Ruth, Larry Bird, Johnny Bright (CFL running back) and Maurice Rocket Richard -- breaking sports records and striving in life.

Eleanor Roosevelt, Princess Di, Marilyn Monroe, and Audrey Hepburn -- charm and grace embodied.

Julia Child, Jamie Oliver, the Iron Chef, and Gordon Ramsey -- masters of one of my favourite subjects, cooking.

This list is hopefully not missing anyone incredible, and I know I've likely missed Olympians and other great speakers and leaders.

But more so plenty of those 'ordinary' people who became heroes by their actions. Those great local people who deserve 15 minutes of fame.

One great source of those stories are indie magazines and weekly newspapers. Those people were the most fun and rewarding to talk with like this young teacher who was awarded a top honour for making a difference in her class and caring about her kids.



Or this guy who had hunted down a speedy, shy and elusive jackalope. Sadly I was unable to have enough room in the newspaper layout to print this photo. So as usual, it was the tall tale that got away. The guy was really neat to talk with about hunting and the camaraderie out in the woods.

It's just as hard to get those shy people to open up, but once they do, it's awesome.

The real question is who do we miss hearing the real story from? Those who are those unsung heroes from all walks of life; those who are old and feel they are forgotten; those who are the local wise-crack or just plain wise; those who do all kinds of amazing things and are humble in their talents or contributions.

Take some time to listen, for those who need to tell their story too.

No gripes with newspaper

There hasn't been much activity on my site for the past few months and for good/poor reasons. I've been going through what is called slow fuse but total burn-out. Working 10-14hrs a day with few off will apparently do that and yet I had few complaints.

Despite the bizarre work schedule and writing time-lines, I enjoyed it and come out with no regrets. I put so much time and effort into my articles that it was occasionally depriving me of sleep and sanity. It didn't drive me crazy, just made me wonder why I tried so hard if next week it was going to be in the recycling bin or buried online. Completely worth it though to find and break my limitations and find out what I didn't care for or really enjoyed about the business of writing.

Short list of non-good times:

Fire & collision scenes = Not excitement or drama, only cold, icy & scary to hope it wasn't someone I knew.
County meetings and local politics = more interesting than I'd think and straight out of Leacock's writing.
Local swim meets = splash zone and worse on a cold camera lens and CMOS sensor, but 200 kids -- track a dozen?
School/community fundraisers = nice philanthropic attempts, but came up disappointingly short sometimes.
Economic development committees and a conference or two = exceeded my expectations entirely, but still dry.

Worst part, interviews going hostile or confused, or not even happening for lack of call-back leaving me with half/no article to write on a subject that needed sources to fly.

Most unfun was sleepless nights, away from my lovely lady and close friends, finishing up articles for a few days before deadline. There was always one with notes from a source didn't make sense, or wouldn't be good to quote as questionable facts, even less fun to salvage.

The good parts? When I was told I made a difference in someone's life or non-profit cause, it made up for the rest of a long haul. I wrote about exciting local sports and fun hobbies, tournaments and charities drives. It was an intrinsic reward to hear that I got it right about little known subjects like fur trapping, medical sonar technician, or martial arts training.


Free local sports games and fun concerts, more than I could race between the arenas, pools and community halls on a weekend before Monday deadline. Meeting and interviewing intriguing people was amazing -- more than a few of them shy/humble, but really interesting once they uncorked their hidden passions.

It was half frustration in getting let go because I finally admitted I wasn't cut out for the long hours, short deadlines of a small weekly newspaper, and hard to get to that point. It felt like I had no life even though I was doing an amazing amount of work out in the community and adrenalin high. Yet if I went out for a beer, someone would frown on it.

If I said something controversial, ignored a lobbying interest, or wrote unpopular truth, I would hear about it loudly.

What I did learn the most and enjoy was when an interview turned into something more than the 15 minute special news spot and a feature worth profiling something out of the ordinary. Those were the best parts when I could pitch something to my editor that was more than basics. For the record, editors have a wry sense of humour, wealth of experience and seem to love still learning new subjects.

When what I was writing clicked and I got a rare great response. When what people were doing was out of the ordinary and they didn't realize it until they read the article and went wow, that was too kind of you to paint us in that light, but thank you.

After writing nearly 250 articles and three car oil changes over the last six months, I saw my share of action -- moments of disbelief that I was having so much fun, or there lack of. Going through articles for scrapbook and portfolio, I had grown as a writer. So I can only hope writing independently and freelance will be just as amazing a journey.

If I get another shot at a newspaper? Great.

But the best part? My own desk and a press badge. Mission complete.

Sub-zero Alberta?

Take off to the Great White North eh. Those famous wanna-be Canucks Bob & Doug Mackenzie had the Americans convinced it was frozen up here 365.

To brave typical Alberta winter can require layering of thermal shirt and long johns, woolly socks, wind-proof or snow pants, toque, scarf or neck warmer, ski mitts, even ski mask and goggles against the wind.

It's not the Great White North for nothing and before I found Baffin -40C rated boots I remember resorting to donning multiple pairs of wool socks.

That was a couple winters ago. Currently, the dress code is still ready for shorts weather.

Penguin hosers took all the cold this year so Bob & Doug need to do a reunion tour to update on the climate.

(Exhibit A walking on ice was taken in November 2009 -- I got cabin fever that year real bad.)

Christmas Day a friend in Calgary was complaining it was green and I had no sympathy coming from Victoria BC where it's a rainy Christmas regularly. Another friend wondered if we got skipped this year for winter.

I hadn't thought twice and figured it was a Chinook wind melting the fun of the tobogganing hill.

It was perfect weather for ice fishing, nice and sunny. I even did one of my last assignments of the year out on the lake. It only snowed hard in mid-November.

Yet in the past few years, I remember not wanting to leave the house voluntarily for weeks of December or January because the windchill was so frigid. I haven't even hit cabin fever yet so far, knock on wood... cabin.

The barometer is staying balmy so I'll reminisce on the signs of winter not appearing yet.

Had to kick my car doors to unstick them after frozen twice over-night instead of nightly.
Only been scared to be driving on overly icy roads a few times.
Have only driven in one blizzard, not weekly.
My heating bill is unseasonally low and that's okay.
Haven't gotten frost-bite practically for exposing any bare skin for two minutes.
My camera lenses have only fogged up once from a long assignment outside.
I haven't made any hot cocoa or taken any with me on photo shoots.
I haven't unpacked my parka and am still only wearing a polar fleece hoodie.
Have only used my snow shovel once to clear the driveway and three times for porch.
I've gotten colder in the hockey arena than when exiting it.

It's great for now. Yet I'm scared February is going to hit with a vengeance of blizzarding in the frozen wastelands. That or we'll have late snow in May -- not entirely unheard of around here.

Supposedly it's supposed to dip down to -15C by the end of the week. For now, it's a bit confusing and I had to double-check my direction of travel as I saw two flocks of Canadian geese flying north last week.

Suits me fine when I can't go home and decide whether I should declare it pre-maturely sandal weather.

P.S. I had to go through some of my archives even just to find some frosty photos. This last one was taken in late April 2007 when it started to finally defrost. I'm hoping it won't be a repeat deep-freeze.

P.S.S. I take full responsibility for jinxing this warm-front with my observation ^_^


~~ PLR ~~

more clean Sunday school jokes

Went through a collection of jokes, and some of them are pretty decent, but some were nothing in comparison to the real wisecracks and cheeky fun heard in the pews after church. Anyhow, picked out half a dozen and the last was just something that made me smile because of some of the lil'churches I've attended over the summer on my internship roadtrip. So do enjoy.



A Sunday School teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"
One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."


A little boy was overhead praying: "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.
I'm having a real good time like I am.


An elderly gentleman passed his granddaughter's room one night and overheard her repeating the alphabet in an oddly reverent way.
What on earth are you up to?" he asked.
"I'm saying my prayers," explained the little girl.
"But I can't think of exactly the right words tonight, so I'm just saying all the letters. God will put them together for me, because He knows what I'm thinking."



A child came home from Sunday School and told his mother  that he had learned a new song about a cross-eyed bear named  Gladly.  It took his  mother a while before she realized that  the hymn was really "Gladly The Cross I'd Bear,"


An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening of religious service when she was startled by an intruder. As she caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables, she yelled, "Stop - Acts 2:38!" (..turn from your sin...) The burglar stopped dead in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done.

As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, "Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell a scripture to you."

"Scripture?" replied the burglar, "She said she had an AXE and two 38's!"


YOU MIGHT BE IN A COUNTRY CHURCH IF . . .
1. The doors are never locked.
2. The Call To Worship is "Y'all come on in!"
3. People grumble about Noah letting coyotes on the ark.
4. The Preacher says "I'd like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering" - and 5 guys stand up.
5. The restroom is outside.
6. Opening day of deer hunting season is recognized as an official church holiday.
7. A member requests to be buried in his 4-wheel drive truck because "I ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get me out of".
8. In the annual stewardship drive there is at least one pledge of "2 calves".
9. Never in its entire 100-year history has one of it's pastors had to buy any meat or vegetables.
10. When it rains, everybody's smiling.


thanks to the wonderful people who have collected these clever and cutesy jokes over the years:
http://louisvilleemmaus.com/jokes.html

Bachelor breakie

Warning, this meal is not cholesterol conscious nor something my woman wouldn't let me make for that reason. Apparently heart disease runs in the family or something.

Lazy and wholesome, this makes for comfort food, therefore one of the best meal ever for a bachelor.

It's pretty simple and takes about 10-15minutes to put together and only requires an flipper and a skillet of awesomeness.

Fry up the sausages then the perogies -- boil first for more speed. Throw some sauerkraut to fry for a moment.

If making this for supper, crack a beer open and enjoy the quick & easy grub.

Some would say that ketchup is no good compared to sour cream but I lacked sour cream at the time.

My German roots account for the sauerkraut. As a bachelor meal, this classifies the fermented cabbage as a veggie still.

So between perogies, full of cheese and potato, sauerkraut far outweigh getting scurvy.

Comfort food is good when I'm home-sick as I made lots of it during college and high-school.

It may be heavy, but it does the trick after a long winter day or to get you through another one for breakfast.


Enjoy and beware of orcs in case your skillet is still in use.

~~ PLR ~~

Tomato, Eggplant and Feta Penne

What do you do with an eggplant? I didn't know what to put it in, other going to the deli for baba ganoush, musaka or grilled. Eggplant is simple to fry. And lower cholesterol, more on that in a moment.

Just need a few other ingredients and grill things real fast and throw it together and pretend it's all fancy.

In case you've never dealt with eggplant, wash it and chop it like a potato -- seeing as both are night-shade plants and part of the same family.

It has a bit of a spongy consistency, but when it cooks up it shrinks.

As you can see, list of ingredients are a few tomatoes
a small can of tomato paste
an eggplant
1/4 cup of cilantro
1/2 cup of feta cheese
a few grilled sausages

Boil 3 cup of penne at the same time as prepping other stuff.

Cube up eggplant to throw in the frying pan until fried up good.

Chop in tomatoes and paste, cilantro and sausage to fry it up good. Crumble up the feta into the mix and stir into penne noodles.

Just a FYI of awesome random facts from good ol'Wikipedia because eggplant is pretty nifty.

The plant is used in cuisines from Japan to Spain. It is often stewed, as in the French ratatouille, the Italian parmigiana di melanzane, the Turkish karnıyarık or musakka, and Middle-Eastern and South Asian dishes. Eggplants can also be battered before deep-frying and served with a sauce made of tahini and tamarind. 


The fruit is botanically classified as a berry, and contains numerous small, soft seeds, which are edible, but have a bitter taste because they contain nicotinoid alkaloids; this is unsurprising as it is a close relative of tobacco.

Studies of the Institute of Biology of São Paulo State University, Brazil, have shown eggplant is effective in the treatment of high blood cholesterol.


There's some other nifty history and fun so check it out if you like. Other than that, it's pretty tasty.

All else you need is some good company and a bottle of red wine.

Bonne appetite!

Does testing new toy work?

Got a new phone when old one's charging port was dying and am thrilled to now have a galaxy s fascinate wee.... So finding out how to post blog with it. Ain't technology grand?

Already used it to post snap a photo at the end of an assignment when my Dslr batteries died in the cold.

Proof it's just a box that collects light box and amneeds a creative person holding it... So will keep writing.

return to blogger?

The eagle has landed and it's one small step to a small town newspaper but a giant leap for Phil's kind of adventure.


After a few months of madness busy beyond belief -- both from combination of finishing my internship up in Whitecourt to moving my life yet again and into another job as a full-fledged journalist in Ponoka.


I'll explain in a follow-up soon why I'm standing on a cat-walk over a bunch of cows, but for now, here's the article.


Six weeks in I'm loving even the high pressure nearly daily deadlines just to try to keep up with the flow of the new assignments hitting my desk. There's so much happening in town and as my role as roving reporter dictates, I've been everywhere between Red Deer and Edmonton and a lot of the time in little towns I'd scarcely heard in passing. All I know is I handed in 1,000 on my out-of-town mileage in one month.


It was like lifting weights and then realizing I picked a heavy one, requiring so much more concentration and effort, but totally worth it when I can finish the set of reps. I'm happy to report I'm starting to raise my writing stamina and even though I wrote four articles today and did half a dozen interviews, I'm still going strong.... almost.

Broke down and finally started texting twitter thingies and started to log some of the fun and insight I was having. As much fun as blogging was, I was doing over a dozen articles every week and my editor here in Ponoka is helping me to top that. I was excited to have my own desk when I was an intern, now I feel a tiny bit of cabin fever I spend so much time in my office. Not complaining because I get to write a ton of fun articles and photo assignments for whatever I can dream up and keep newsworthy.

So far, I've been nearly making par. Check-it if you want an time-line of how exciting my days got over the last few months. Don't worry, I rarely wrote more than one a day. It sounds odd that I finally tried out twitter, I just had heard such terrible repercussions with slander and job-dismissal over comments, that I went slow. Plus it takes a moment to come up with something that isn't lame.

Word of advice, avoid over-doing the caffeine. Withdrawal sucks without some ibuprofen and yoga does wonders too ^_^ Then again, yoga seems to work for everything.

It's just the Christmas special which has kept me busy since I managed to get through Remembrance Day special with a dozen articles extra to write in a week over my usual ten assignments. After this, it quietens down -- not until after I get through another dozen fun articles with way too much cuteness and Christmas joy.

Anyhows, here's a search result link to my three dozen articles that were posted on the website, I'll try to link a bunch later of my favourites over the past few weeks. Enjoy.

It's been quite an adventure and I wish I thought to twitter some of the more cool moments I've had. Such as culture shock of hanging out for assignments on the Hobbema reserves near Ponoka. Who knew it's possible to put up a stop-sign with a Cree translation on it. Learn something every day ^_^

As part of my return, I'll start rocking the cooking experiments. Admittedly, I've collected up a few over the last month and haven't had sufficient time to post them. Fun times for all. So time to sleep and I'll write the next time I slow down after production day, which I have a bunch of them coming up pretty quickly. Meh... fun times.

Glad to be writing too much to be able to write my blog. Working the writing lifestyle and still loving it.

Goodnight and stay classy or whatever.... Brain stops with a zonk.

-- plr --