- (https://b-ark.ca/ksKKwg)
I’m riding in the 2025 Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer, raising money for the Alberta Cancer Foundation, and have so far raised $2,744, exceeding my $2,500 goal and surpassing my 2024 effort!
Help me by donating here
And remember, by donating you earn a chance to win a pair of hand knitted socks!
Knitting Update
Given that I’m part of the Men Who Knit webring, it seemed like a good idea to write an entry about, you know… knitting.
First off, I gotta thank Lenore for a lovely christmas present. I’d on occasion eyed the Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles. This set, which comes in a nice, folding case (with the name Denise stamped on the front in gold embossing… did I mention I really dislike the name ‘Denise’? And gold embossing?), comes with a large assortment of needle tips (ranging from 5 to 15US) and cables ranging from 5” to 19”. In addition, the kit comes with joiners, so you can join cables together for larger pieces, as well as attachable stitch holders (of which I’ve already lost one), so you can transform a cable into a flexible straight needle or a stitch holder.
The result is an incredibly compact, yet very flexible kit, which is particularly handy if you tend to knit on the go, as I do. And at ~$50 bucks, the kit is a huge bargain, as it easily replaces a very large needle collection. Highly recommended!
On the project front, the baby blanket continues unabated. All the components are finished and blocked, so all that remains is to sew it together. Yeah… that’s all. I just have to assemble a blanket from the ~30 parts I’ve made. Oh, and did I mention I’ve misplaced my tapestry needles?
Additionally, in my spare cycles, I completed a new toque for myself from some very cool, chunky yard made from part lambs wool… let me tell you, this sucker is warm. And it’s actually long enough to cover my ears! And with that done, I’m working on another Yellow Goofy Toque for Lenore, though this time slightly larger and in the same yarn I used to make Lenores Mittens and Lenores Scarf.
See? I knit. I’m just too busy to write about it. :)
Fog
When one thinks of mental illness, the first thing I think typically comes to mind is the sick homeless, left devastated by the ravages of their disease. It’s sad to note that, among the homeless population, a significant percentage (up to 15 percent, according to the UCSD) are mentally ill, often suffering from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, both of which are treatable with modern medication. Worse, even if they are provided with medication, they often stop taking it when they begin feeling normal again, thus creating a terrible cycle.
The thing about these people is that, when you see them, it’s almost always the case that they’re already destitute, barely living on the streets. You never really get a picture of who these people were before their illness destroyed their lives. It seems natural to assume they’ve always lived that way, but these people were once sons and daughters. Mothers, fathers, and friends.
Which brings me to what I think was one of the most saddening things I’ve witnessed. We were in New York, waiting for the NJT to arrive so we could return to Newark Airport, when an older black man arrived. He was dressed in a suit and trench coat, a Samsonite-esque suitecase in tow, a newspaper stuffed into the front pocket, gray shot through his beard giving him a look of distinction, and a look of complete and utter confusion on his face. As I watched, he continually talked to himself, seeming to debate some issue that I couldn’t comprehend. Then, occasionally, he would stop, rubbing his chin in a thoughtful gesture, seeming to consider something before starting off again, all the while his eyes staring emptily.
It was obvious this was a man who, at one point, lived a good life. As he spoke, it seemed like he may have once been a lawyer or businessman, a salesman or accountant. He may have a family somewhere, wondering where he is. Or he may have none at all. But now, he was just a lonely man, lost in a fog of delirium.
I wonder how long it will be before he’s just another sick homeless person, dirty and starving, ranting on a street corner somewhere. Just another statistic, a stereotype, ignored and forgotten.
NYC 2007 - Day 4
Yes, that’s right… day 4. Today, the flight plan was to catch a plane from Newark to Toronto at 6:20, with a connecting flight from Toronto to Edmonton later in the morning, which had us arriving some time before lunch. So, we awoke in our tiny hotel room at a mind-numbing 3:30, caught the E train to Penn Station around 4:10 (the subway is slow that early in the morning), grabbed the NJT at 4:40 (the plan was to catch the 4 :20, so we were already running late), arrived at the Newark Airport around 5:10 or so, waited in line for around ten minutes, cursing the slow people in front of us, and then discovered that our flight had been canceled.
Yeah. Cancelled. Reason: freezing rain in Toronto.
So, here I am, tapping away, waiting for a 9:20 flight to TO, and upon arrival, we’ll be hanging out in the airport for a good 8 hours, so we can catch an evening connecting flight back home. How I love air travel…
On the bright side, the ticket agent was very friendly and did his best to get us on a reasonable flight plan. And we got a free breakfast out of the deal, too (do you suppose The Great American Bagel Factory is affiliated with The Great Canadian Bagel? Because they make a fine fine egg sandwich on a delicious jalapeno and cheddar bagel). OTOH, now we get to fight through a day of travel. Woo. Woo.
Update:
Okay, that Air Canada travel agent is frickin’ awesome. Not only did he get us on a flight directly to TO instead of my original flight plan of Montreal -> Toronto -> Edmonton (lenore was scheduled to go through Chicago), but for the TO leg, we’re in first class! Seriously, this is fantastic… nice, padded, not-rock-hard chairs. Tons of leg room. Two full armrests. Truly, this is the life. ‘course, last I heard, there was a gate hold in place, and we’re 25th in line for takeoff, meaning 45 minutes of taxi time, but hey, that just means more time in first class!
Update 2:
Good grief… we’re in executive class for the second leg, too! Air Canada ticket agent guy, I love you (in a platonic way)!
Update 3:
I have the New York Photo Gallery uploaded!
NYC 2007 - Day 3
Well, it’s 11:06, and already we’ve had an adventure. For kicks, we decided to take a ride on the Roosevelt Island Tram which takes one from Manhattan, near the Queensboro Bridge, to Roosevelt Island. The plan was to see the Manattan skyline from both the tram as well as South Point Park, where we also planned to check out the Roosevelt Memorial contained therein.
Well, the tram ride was certainly enjoyable, affording an impressive view of the north-east skyline, though unfortunately obscured by fog and low rain clouds. Upon arriving, we hopped the bus (25c!) and rode around the north half of the island. We then took a walk to the south end, where we found this:
Yes… apparently that is South Point Park. I think the barbed wire is quite nice, but the corregated steel we encountered later was even nicer. We never did see a memorial to Roosevelt (as it turns out, there is no memorial on that site, despite it seemingly appearing on maps).
So we proceeded to walk up the east side of the island, which offered lovely views of what looked like a garbage dump in Queens, not to mention a rundown hospital, all the while occasionally encountering lovely little fire boxes, perfect for a nice picnic while enjoying this image which looks like a shot straight from the movie Conspiracy Theory:
Such a lovely place, don’t you think?
Anyway, on the bright side (for Lenore), Bloomingdales is just down the street from the tram (on the Manhattan side), which has given her time to shop, and me time to tap this out.
(Now in the Pierson Airport)
So after Bloomingdales, we decided to split up. I went off to TKTS to secure our place at… well, any show with seats available. Meanwhile, Lenore decided to head off to Old Navy. The funny thing is, I ended up second in line, after arriving at around 1:30 pm (it opens at 3:00, as you may or may not recall). On the bright side, I got to enjoy conversation with a very nice, friendly old British couple and a nice young Irish woman who was visiting with her Aunt. And I also got my choice of shows, and that meant Phantom of the Opera! Of course, this also meant I was done around 3:10, and the plan was for Lenore to meet me there at 3:30. For the record, she arrived at 4:00. Thanks Lenore. ;)
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking back to the hotel to drop off Lenore’s various purchases. Though, along the way, at my beckoning, we made a stop at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which is, without question, one of the most beautiful buildings I have had the pleasure to explore and my favorite building in Manhattan. Enormous vaults, beautiful frescos and alters to various saints, a stunning pipe organ… it dwarfs the AMNH in grandeur, and trust me, that’s saying a lot. I tried to capture a bit of it on film, but as is often the case with such buildings, you really had to be there.
Anyway, once we dropped Lenore’s gear off, we walked to our restaurant of choice, a nice little Italian place called Nocello’s, also coincidentally well-rated by Zagat (I actually found the place online). I had a fantastic Risotto with fried scallops, sun dried tomatoes, and what was, hands down, the best shrimp I have ever had (very simply grilled… I don’t know what they did to them, but they were amazing). Meanwhile, Lenore had a terrific mushroom tortellini, and we lead the whole thing off with a wonderful grilled calamari. Yes, grilled, not fried! Again, very simple, but incredibly delicious, and presented over a very nice salad. Mmmmm…
And then there was the show. I think it goes without saying that it was absolutely amazing. The stage, the costumes, the singing… all absolutely wonderful. And there we only two people who tried to take pictures!