The most beautiful thing in my life

Last post of 2010

With a hour to go before the New Year, I just got back from my evening walk with Kooper.   Here's the North Toronto neighbourhood New Year's Eve assessment:

• Number of house party's in full swing: 3
• Yonge Street restaurants catering to a good crowd for dinner and celebration: 4
• A little dose of some backyard fireworks
• Biggest party: big lineup, bass driving tunes and security at The Capitol
• Friendly dogs: 1
• Smoker's alley party: 1
• Best atmosphere: all windows open at Cam's Place

Happy New Year to all

Mill St. Cobblestone Stout at Union

Holiday sushi lunch and the bent chopstick

Holiday sushi lunch and the bent chopstick, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

It's still below zero mate !

Is still below zero mate !, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Merry Christmas for Arsenal fans

Merry Christmas for Arsenal fans, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

3-1 win over Chelsea puts them a solid 2nd in the EPL table.

Stripes, cousins, hypotrochoid and Kooper

Stripes, cousins, hypotrochoid and Kooper, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Eyes for a Canadian Christmas

Eyes for a Canadian Christmas, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Christmas Eve excitement for big kids too

Christmas Eve excitement for big kids too, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Hearts and tree tinsel

Hearts and tree tinsel, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Park bauble reflection

Park bauble reflection, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Bauble bokeh

Bauble bokeh, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

5 more sleeps

5 more sleeps, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Reasons to live in the city - #1 an interesting dog walk

I've been using the themed, numbered series idea for quite some time on one of my other blogs - in Tune in (music focus) with the series Where I find new music.  So as I was walking my dog tonight, I thought about a series I could develop here on PJMixer.

I often catch myself these days, wondering if I can really afford to live in Toronto, let alone my affluent North Toronto, uptown neighbourhood.  What's the point of owning a home in one of the city's best neighbourhoods if you really can't afford to enjoy its fine dining and shopping on a regular basis.  Sure, in better times and with less family expenses, my wife and I knew all the better restaurants and our wardrobe provided lots of options for our many evenings out.  But times are a little tight, so perhaps this outlet we help me reevaluate the value of my urban life.

I have an energetic 20 month old Australian Shepherd, named Kooper.  I typically walk Kooper a few kilometres around my neighbourhood every evening.  I usually take a path that heads North from my house toward Lytton Park and the larger homes, and then back via Yonge Street, walking along streets like Alexandra Blvd (one of my favourites).  I wonder whether walking by these beautiful homes, with their equally appealing collection of cars, the lovely restaurants, and doing some window shopping every evening is good for me.  Of course, the walk is good for my health, but what about my mental health, am I comfortable in this world, this city, surrounded by things that I desire, but can't really afford at this point in my life.

But let's take the wealth of the neighbourhood out of the equation for a moment.  I often take different routes around my neighbourhood, walking past large apartment buildings, small, poorly maintained homes and many  businesses.  What the common thread is in my neighbourhood, my city and likely many great cities in the world, is the variety and the people.  

Whether it's the multi-million dollar mansions, the apartment buildings with thousands of single people or new immigrants, the family run Thai restaurant, the greasy spoon or the #7 best restaurant in the city, the dollar store or the latest in ski apparel, there's so much to look at on my evening walks.  Combine the visual stimulus with the common occurrence of Kooper and I crossing paths with many other urbanites and urban dogs and stopping for a brief sniff and the chat, and you have my first reason to live the city - an interesting dog walk.

I really don't think I'd enjoy going out every evening in a rural or small town setting.  I guess if I had a large property in the country, I may not need to walk my dog on city streets, but that's not the point.  To be fair, taking in the beauty of the countryside, a sheep filled meadow, a Muskoka lake on a regular dog walk would be nice, but perhaps could get a little repetitive.  Plus my neighbourhood, like many in Toronto has a huge amount of trees that add some natural beauty to the cityscape.  And keep in mind, that for half the year, my evening walks are when the sun's down !  I enjoy walking my dog in my neighbourhood, it's rarely boring and there seems to be an ever changing urban landscape to soak up.  Adding the right personal soundtrack (I wear my iPod probably on half my walks) can also help complete the urban experience, but you've got to be careful there, there's only a few hours in a day where country music makes sense, and the Sex Pistols doesn't always fit a quiet Sunday morning walk.  But when it's dark, some mellow electronica usually hits the spot.

A friend of mine who's a real estate agent, recently asked if he could perhaps use some of my photos for his neighbourhood newsletter.  I often take shots when I'm out walking Kooper, or to and from the subway station or whenever something or someone catches my attention.  Hopefully you can get an impression of my neighbourhood from the Around the neighbourhood set I just created on Flickr.

So is it healthy for me to fill my head with desires for larger, more beautiful homes and luxury cars every night, probably not. But like the feeling you get from looking at glossy pictures in a magazine, or classic art at the gallery, or snapshots of everyday street life, admiring the beautiful things around you is good for the soul(1).

(1)Paula, a stranger I met in Washington in 2009, told me that looking at photography is good for the soul.


I've got quite a lot of draft blog articles that I haven't had to a chance to complete.  I'm on vacation for a few weeks over the holidays, so I'm hoping I can use some of my time off to catch up with some new posts.

St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church

St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

It was a very grey, dull day and I was having some difficulty finding something beautiful , let alone colourful to photograph. I was really happy to find this church I'd never noticed before. It's just off Ossington, a little North or Bloor Street. It's worth looking at the larger image to see the wonderful mosaic details. I man noticed me taking the shot and asked if I spoke Ukrainian. Unfortunately I don't speak Ukrainian but I complimented him on his beautiful church.

Exquisite colour, beautiful religious imagery - perfect for Christmastime.

Ian

Ian, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Our friends had a casual neighbourhood Christmas party on Saturday night and I enjoyed talking with quite a few new people. I got talking with Ian late in the evening about cameras and photography. I may have been introduced to Ian at last year's party, but I don't think we talked very much, so I say it's ok to add Ian to my stranger project. Ian lives across the road from our friends and when I took my camera out, he quickly started to ask me questions about cameras.

When you get keen photographers talking about their hobby (or probably any hobbyist, the time just "flashes" by. Ian used to shoot with a Pentax SLR and is now looking to get a DSLR, so his questions were coming fast and furious on my recommendations and all things photography. He had his eye on the K-5, and from what' I've heard from past Pentax DSLR reviews, this should be a fantastic camera. But Ian may also considering Nikon, so the Nikon D90 is probably a really good buy at the moment. Nikon has released the D7000 (which would be my choice for my next camera), but it's significantly higher priced than the very good D90. But there are rumours the D90 is going to be replaced, so perhaps keen an eye on Nikon Rumours if you're in the market.

Another friend of mine was also involved in the conversation, and when we got on the subject or offboard IR controlled flash, I had him hold the flash to the left side of Ian and I took a few shots to demo the capability. I had the D80's [flash] commander setting at -1 EV for the pop-up and the remote SB-600 for this shot. I really like Ian's natural look, rather than a party pose and smile you often get in these situations.

Waiting

Waiting, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Yoga break

Yoga break, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

A good laugh between old friends

A good laugh between old friends, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Rosewell holiday postcard

Rosewell holiday postcard, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Window ice trees

Window ice trees, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

2 paws and sleepy eyes

2 paws and sleepy eyes, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Lion dart

Lion dart, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Two handed pour

Two handed pour, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Downsview winter red shed

Downsview winter red shed, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Imagine

Imagine, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

John Lennon was born 70 years ago.

The Beatles broke up 40 years ago.

John was killed 30 years ago today.

I can't say I'm a big Beatles or Lennon fan, but I can imagine I could be one day. Q107 has been playing his music all day and I'm still listening to it now. In a strange way, his words, music and ideas still seem very current. I feel like I know him a little better today.

I snapped this shot of a cover of John's Imagine 1971 album on vinyl at HMV at lunch today. I boosted the contrast, applied a fresco filter and took out the labels in Photoshop.

Imagine

Imagine, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

John Lennon was born 70 years ago.

The Beatles broke up 40 years ago.

John was killed 30 years ago today.

I can't say I'm a big Beatles or Lennon fan, but I can imagine I could be one day. Q107 has been playing his music all day and I'm still listening to it now. In a strange way, his words, music and ideas still seem very current. I feel like a know him a little better today.

Killing Joke

Killing Joke, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Littlest pet shop collective

Littlest pet shop collective, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Liberty Village bridge and the city

Liberty Village bridge and the city, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Kessel face-off

Kessel face-off, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Ross Petty's annual holiday theatre production at the Elgin Theatre

Ross Petty's annual holiday theatre production at the Elgin Theatre, originally uploaded by PJMixer.


Last year my family went to the Elgin to see the Ross Petty holiday show of Robin Hood. We had a fantastic time, fun for all in a holiday tradition close to a British pantomime. This year it's Beauty and the Beast and I'm sure the comedic production will be just as good - get your boos ready !

Wheels, pedals and casters - snap

Leaving the house on Thursday morning and I notice some people walking with a stroller.  The stroller gets caught on a crack in the sidewalk and the right front wheel bends and breaks - snap.  Lots of head scratching and I leave them to tackle their morning mishap.

As I was driving home after a meeting in Scarborough I was coming down Yonge Street off the 401 and was carefully overtaking a cyclist squeezed between the parked cars and my inside lane.  Snap - he breaks his left pedal off the crankarm.

The next day I'm at a customer's office and grab a chair in one of the cubes and one of its casters is snapped off.

Snap.

Ross Petty's annual holiday theatre production at the Elgin Theatre

Ross Petty's annual holiday theatre production at the Elgin Theatre, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Last year my family went to the Elgin to see the Ross Petty holiday show of Robin Hood. We had a fantastic time, fun for all in a holiday tradition close to a British pantomime. This year it's Beauty and the Beast and I'm sure the comedic production will be just as good - get your boos ready !

Woe is...

Woe is..., originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Morteza

I had a business lunch with a customer and my colleague made reference to a senior executive at one of our other customers.  The name was Morteza, I've heard the name before, but I've never been sure whether it's a first name or last name or whether it is a man or a woman.

In the evening I was at The Hangar for my ultimate game and walked in the washroom and there was a large soccer player at the urinal and the name on the back of his shirt was Morteza.

I'm pretty sure they're not the same person.

Phở

It was another cold, wet and windy day in Toronto and I thought some hearty phở soup would fit the bill for lunch.  I didn't actually know what exactly what pho was, but I'd seen it on lots of menus and knew it was a form of Asian noodle soup.  I did a little research looking for local best bets, and also found out that this Vietnamese dish is pronounced more like "fuh" than "fo".

I didn't find one of the top restaurant choices nearby, so I hoped in the elevator and planning to walk East along Dundas Street toward Chinatown until I found a spot that looked good and I could read the menu.

There are a few other people behind me in the elevator and I overheard one the ladies say she knows a great pho place and she heard from someone its wasn't pronounced "fuh" but "fo".  I didn't get in a debate about the pronunciation, but I did ask her the name of the restaurant - Asian Bowl on Yonge opposite the Eaton Centre Roots store.  I ordered the beef pho and a veggie spring roll - lovely stuff; very rich soup broth and tender beef and all for a decent price.

How private is your junk ?

How private is your junk ?, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

As I was packing up to leave the office I noticed a pile of cardboard boxes in one of the hallways of my office. I share the office floor with a number of different companies and knew that there was some new tenants moving in - so I thought of a daily shot on the theme of "moving day". I didn't like my first few hallway shots so I got a little closer and noticed there were a few personal items mixed in with the usual assortment of computer boxes and office junk. As my professional job is IT security I thought I could use a shot to comment a little on privacy and security issues today.

I blurred out the name on the Rogers bill in the photo and didn't go diving in, but wondered what data was on the CD-ROM. As I share the same office and janitorial staff it made me wonder a little about my disposal habits. Although my desk may look otherwise, I don't receive or print of lot of hardcopy documents in my job, and what client files I keep for historical purposes are locked in a cabinet. But investing in a shredder for some sensitive documents that I want to throw out would be a good addition to my security practices. At home, I shred bills and things I feel are of a personal nature. But what about that disc ? I don't back up to CD-ROM any longer and rarely have customer data or information on CD-ROM, but when I do I either keep the media safe or destroy it. Seeing that CD-ROM reminded me a little of the WikiLeaks news hitting the worldwide press this week.

It was past normal working hours and there were only a few people still in their offices. But as luck would have it, as I took this shot, a gentleman appeared in the hallway. I was a little embarrassed and felt like I'd been caught snooping red-handed. Then I learnt that it was his stuff ! Now that was a little more embarrassing. But I quickly introduced myself and explained what I was doing - curious as I was and interested in privacy and security. As he was new to the office, he actually asked me whether disposing of his stuff this way was safe. He told me he was a lawyer and I asked if there was any confidential client information in the mix. He said no and then bent the CD-ROM in half.

How private is your junk ?

How private is your junk ?, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

As I was packing up to leave the office I noticed a pile of cardboard boxes in one of the hallways of my office. I share the office floor with a number of different companies and knew that there was some new tenants moving in - so I thought of a daily shot on the theme of "moving day". I didn't like my first few hallway shots so I got a little closer and noticed there were a few personal items mixed in with the usual assortment of computer boxes and office junk. As my professional job is IT security I thought I could use a shot to comment a little on privacy and security issues today.

I blurred out the name on the Rogers bill in the photo and didn't go diving in, but wondered what data was on the CD-ROM. As I share the same office and janitorial staff it made me wonder a little about my disposal habits. Although my desk may look otherwise, I don't receive or print of lot of hardcopy documents in my job, and what client files I keep for historical purposes are locked in a cabinet. But investing in a shredder for some sensitive documents that I want to throw out would be a good addition to my security practices. At home, I shred bills and things I feel are of a personal nature. But what about that disc ? I don't back up to CD-ROM any longer and rarely have customer data or information on CD-ROM, but when I do I either keep the media safe or destroy it. Seeing that CD-ROM reminded me a little of the WikiLeaks news hitting the worldwide press this week.

It was past normal working hours and there were only a few people still in their offices. But as luck would have it, as I took this shot, a gentleman appeared in the hallway. I was a little embarrassed and felt like I'd been caught snooping red-handed. Then I learnt that it was his stuff ! Now that was a little more embarrassing. But I quickly introduced myself and explained what I was doing - curious as I was and interested in privacy and security. As he was new to the office, he actually asked me whether disposing of his stuff this way was safe. He told me he was a lawyer and I asked if there was any confidential client information in the mix. He said no and then bent the CD-ROM in half.

Where I find new music: Part 6 - concerts

Well this sounds a little backward doesn't it ? Don't we only go to concerts by musicians we already know and like ?  Sure we do, but we may not always know all their material or perhaps the constant playing by our spouse has numbed our senses and we've lost our appreciation for their art. We may also stumble on a opening band that are new to us or we've only heard a small sample of their material.

I'll start with the later as an example.  I like the bad Travis.  I was never a huge fan, but went with the gang to see them live a few years ago.  This year, their lead singer Fran Healey released a solo album which has been getting pretty constant spousal airtime around the house.  In both occasions, I loved their live performances and has made me want to listen more attentively to their music.  Actually, now I've re-listened to Fran Healy's latest album, it sounds quite different to the bare bones acoustic performance (my preference) on Friday night.  However, his beautiful lyrics haven't changed.

I saw Elbow open for Coldplay a few years ago.  They had a few UK hits, but I didn't know a lot of their older material.  They put on a fantastic show, perhaps one of the best openers I've ever seen and as soon as I got home, I downloaded a few older tracks and listened with a new ear to songs I'd passed on the first time around.

And finally, there are the total surprises.  These are often smaller bands or local talent that I see opening for old timers or hot acts from the UK or US.  Some of these finds include: Carney who opened for The Boxer Rebellion; Von Iva who opened for Glasvegas; Diane Birch who opened for Mat Kearney; and our favourite local lads, We Are The Take who opened for fellow Canadians The Waking Eyes and The Arkells.

Massey Hall's red doors and Jenny Nike

Massey Hall's red doors and Jenny Nike, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

The Red Head and the Court House

The Red Head and the Court House, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Sunday morning evidence of Saturday night boys

Sunday morning evidence of Saturday night boys, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

There were a number of cars on the block that had leaf bags on their roofs and hoods. I thought some relatively harmless fun was worth a photo.

Oil and vinegar with polka dots

Oil and vinegar with polka dots, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Fran Healy @ The Mod Club

Fran Healy @ The Mod Club
Originally uploaded by PJMixer

The man and his city

The man and his city, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Taken blind "from the hip".

Dark Downsview drama

Dark Downsview drama, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Domed shop

Domed shop, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

'ello 'ello 'ello

'ello 'ello 'ello, originally uploaded by PJMixer.
I took a quite few shots here in Hudson's Bay lower level as the tones, lighting and the reflective top of the garbage can opened up a variety of ideas. I must have been there quite some time and I'm sure I was a rather unusual site, but I didn't really notice the time as I was focused on capturing a good shot. Finally a very polite, casually dreshed Englishman with an earpiece approached me and said that I wasn't allowed to take photographs in the store. I apologized and said I'd get in touch with the store if I used the shots [commercially], he was actually kind enough to give me the name of the store manager. I asked him his name and thought briefly about a 100 Stranger shot, but I know security people never want their photo taken. It's odd, but it seems that the majority of security people I've met while pushing the limits of legal photography (incl. Peter at Hudson's Bay) have been very polite and I often take a moment to have a brief chat with them. When I reviewed the shots later, I noticed I actually caught Peter in one of the shots (but not really appropriate for a Stranger entry, pity).

Whistler

Dreamed about skiing in Whistler last night.  Familiar dream about trying to get a few more runs in before the vacation ends.

First commercial I saw on TV this morning (sports station) was one for Whistler.  I miss my yearly Whistler trips !

Daily emergencies - sky delivery

Daily emergencies - sky delivery, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Helicopters like this one pass by my office window on a daily basis and land on the roofs of nearby hospitals. I've taken a few shots from my office, but there's always reflections in the windows. While I was out for lunch I heard one coming and grabbed this shot of one passing overhead. I knew the shutter speed would stop the rotors, but didn't have time to adjust - in fact there is a some blur left on the rotors that gives it a bit of a ghostly feel.

Since I finished my 365inCamera project, I feel a little more relaxed and spontaneous. Not having to worry about fine tuning the shot in camera feels like it's creating more freedom for my photography.

The monotone sky worked well to isolate the helicopter and detach it from the world. I improved the lighting and sharpness in Photoshop from the RAW image.

Depths of the drug store

Depths of the drug store, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Jam on pavement

Jam on pavement, originally uploaded by PJMixer.

Thanks for the extra hand son

Thanks for the extra hand, originally uploaded by PJMixer.