To whom it may concern: One day, while I was attending a meeting at work, my boss looked at me and said, “You’re staying incredibly quiet about this. What do you think?” This has often been a theme in my life; the perception that I am too quiet. This is also, perhaps, not necessarily untrue.… Continue reading Conversational Silence
Learning happens when you least expect it. There are very few people who know that one of my favourite pastimes and ways to decompress mentally is to pick up a brush and paint. And when I say paint, I mean acrylic paint on a canvas, not to be confused with builders beige on drywall. I'll… Continue reading Life by Numbers: A Lesson in Art
When I was a young boy, I remember a mother giving her son a toy dinosaur for his sixth birthday. He was so fascinated by that one toy that soon his whole bedroom was decorated with dinosaurs. He read every book on the different species and eras, he collected additional toys and built models, and… Continue reading Never Give In
The sickly yellow leaves hissed around Jeames as the wind picked up and he stopped to take a breath. His eyes flew from side to side trying to track movement that seemed to be coming from either side of the trail, but the shadows of twilight made it near impossible. The sound slowly calmed to… Continue reading Fallen Leaves: Prologue
I hate craft beer. The term, anyway; not the beer itself. For those that know me, you might find that to be a strange statement considering that I’m always drinking them – I’m always looking for a new and exciting beer to try. I love finding one that is a limited edition or made with… Continue reading Craft Beer: How I Hate Thee
On the last eight days of advent, my calendar gave to me... December 17 - Morpheus Saison Brewery: Brouwerij Alvinne Origin: Belgium Alcohol: 6% This beer seemed rather unremarkable at first; the label was clean, simple and plain. But then, you open the bottle. You get one warning - this bottle will explode in your… Continue reading Beer Advent 2018: An End to Mediocrity
Ho Ho Ho!! Another 8 beers on the go! December 9 - Galaxy Hoppy Belgian Blonde Brewery: Ugly Duck Brewing Co. Origin: Denmark Alcohol: 6.5% The first thing you'll notice about this beer is its extremely artsy label. Once it is poured into the glass, you'll see it is a cloudy golden colour with a… Continue reading Beer Advent 2018: Part 2 of a Holiday Roller Coaster
Today, I would like to tell you a story that will either make something better or ruin it for everybody. Buffalo Plaid. The red and black checked pattern has become iconic in North America and is quite a common motif for many pieces of clothing, bedding, and everyday design. We love to associate it with… Continue reading Buffalo Plaid: A Very Brief History
Call me a sucker for punishment. Another year comes and goes and how better to celebrate the waning days of 2018 than with a new beer every day leading up to Christmas. Of course, this is no ordinary calendar. This year's calendar has made sure of that by offering us 24 beers from 12 different… Continue reading Beer Advent 2018: Another Year, Another Beer (or 24)
I strike a match and the flame jumps as if just woken from a long nap and then, gently, I lower the flame to the crooked wick of the candle, hunched over and tired from past sessions. The flame catches slowly and begins to rise. Its head begins peeking up over the edge of the… Continue reading Moments: The Candle
