Beautiful Boucher Birthday

A sweet for my sweet! Happy Birthday, Squishy McMonkey! 
 

She Is the New (and Improved) Green Lantern

Years ago, I had Sylvia pose while wearing a fake, battery-powered Green Lantern ring and used Photoshop to parody the cover of Green Lantern number 196. I was never happy with that version due to a couple of flaws, so I had ChatGPT fix them. Not bad! 

For reference, here's Howard Chaykin's original cover: 

The Two Faces of Earl

I asked ChatGPT to restore a photograph of me from the time Sylvia and I went to Radium. Sylvia put a little bit of her thumb over the lens of the camera when she shot this, so as a result there's a large pink blur obscuring me in the original image.

As you can see, about half of my face looks kind of Earl-ish, while the other...does not. It made me feel a little bit like Two-Face, one of Batman's enemies. But instead of being horribly scarred on one side, it looks like I've been through half-finished plastic surgery meant to disguise my identity. 

On a whim, thinking of Two-Face, I asked ChatGPT to give me half an outfit on each side, just like the villain does. 

Unprompted, ChatGPT chose to put the "me" half of this composite Earl in a Discovery-era Starfleet uniform. I really am embarrassingly predictable. 

Autumnal Geekquinox 2026: "Best of" #2

 

Once again--Geekquinox. Autumnal. Best of, the second time around.

Two absent, stricken by illness and injury. We who remained--carrying on valiantly. To eat what they could not; to drink what their lips would not touch. To share conversations later, and bring juicy leftovers. 

To begin: cocktails, virgin and wanton. Recipes tried and tested true. 

The tally for teetotallers.

I partnered with Scott to absorb the Silken Verdure. Sweet. Cold. Chilling in its crisp ambience. Delicious and smooth. A clear, perfect, see-through cube of ice. 

The appetizer. Atomic buffalo turds. Crudely named. Finely assembled. Fresh off the BBQ--sausage, sauce, and cheese wrapped in a jalapeno pepper. Hot stuff for a hot day and a cool crowd. 

Consumed on the back deck on an unseasonably hot September 19. In the distance, a sinister reflection. An Alpha male at the forefront. 

Perfectly pleasing. Snappy, sweet, scintillating. The pear and pomegranate salad. Presented perfectly, gobbled with gusto. 

And what next? A short rest. Use hit dice to regain hit points. Prepare for the next assault on the taste buds. 

The chef's court. Ruler of his culinary domain. 

An audience for the queen. Of beasts and men. And women. 

One of the wanton cocktails, clutched firmly in Mike's fickle fingers. 

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha--

--hamacha shots. A sudden, surprising shock of savoury sensation, twice over. 

Back in time by an hour. The main course. Beef Wellington. Named for the general? The city? It matters not; all wellington and good. Better than good: scrumpsational. 

Unseen: key lime pie. Dessert. Tart. 

Bringing home the bacon. The beef. The pastry. The mushrooms and fois gras. A tender moment. 

Gratitude? Boundless. It was a very good day...to dine. 

Felled by Fellini

 

Do you mock me, sir? 

A few days ago, I completed a major reorganization of our theatre room. Yesterday, not content with my work, I set about re-sorting some of my discs and adding themed decorations to the shelves. 

Suddenly, something heavy fell from above, slamming right into the bridge of my nose. I was so stunned that I didn't even yell; I was too dazed. A second later, the pain hit; it was severe enough that I wondered if something had broken my nose. When I touched it, causing an even worse flare-up of pain, my fingers came away covered with blood. 

I scurried to the bathroom and tenderly applied tissue to the wound to stanch the flow of blood, then returned to the scene of the accident. There on the floor was my prized Criterion Fellini box set--the culprit. I must have jostled the shelves, and the set, which had been perched with other Criterion sets on high, tilted over and struck its blow. 

I have now secured the Fellini in a better position. I'm just glad it didn't fall on Sylvia. 

Thanks to Stephen for the inspiration for this post's title. 

19 Years!

It's our 19th anniversary! No exotic destination this year--we watched half a bad movie, but that experience was mitigated by a very good meal--and the company! 

Next year--fingers crossed--we'll celebrate our 20th anniversary someplace far from here. 

Thanks for sharing a lovely day, Squishy McMonkey. 
 

Photoshopped Peters' Drive-In

About a decade ago, Sylvia and I stopped at the Peters' Drive-In in Red Deer en route to Calgary. I took a few wide-angle photos of the place. They turned out well enough. But while experimenting with Photoshop, I found I could use prompts to transform the image into something more dynamic than my original. 

And yet it makes me sad. Had I been more serious about photography, I could have achieved this effect myself, in camera. This feels like cheating. 
 

Branch Point

Sylvia and I came home after today's brief storm to find several tree branches on our driveway. 
 

I Never Left You Hanging

Today, with some help from Sylvia, I installed a clothes drying rod. Zounds! I exceed myself. 

I used the following tools for this mad mission: 

• Drill
  
• Hammer
• Screwdriver
• Allan wrench
  
• Pliers 
• Level
• Pen
  

Note the extension bar with holes! I can hang action figures and starships from this simply by threading fishing line through the holes. Bonus! 

 

Armpit Photo

Sean and Sylvia on February 28, 2009. 
 

Cereal Mixing

Today, we had cereal for breakfast. For Sylvia, Weetabix; for me, Cheerios. 

"Have you ever mixed cereals?" Sylvia asked. 

I recoiled. I'd never imagined such a thing. 

"Mixed cereals? Like, two different kinds of cereal in the same bowl?" 

"Yeah," she said. "It's the cereal power move." 

I said "Blech," or words to that effect. 

Before today, I've never heard of people mixing breakfast cereal together. Do other folks out there actually do this? If so, what cereals do you mix? 

I suppose combining, say, Special K with Corn Flakes wouldn't be so bad. 

Do Not Press

Our rental car has an SOS button. I really want to press it, but Sylvia and Sean say "NO." Alas. 
 

Sylvia and Uncle John

Today we celebrated Aunt Jean's life at a beautiful farm north of Kelowna. This is my favourite photo from that event. Uncle John was Aunt Jean's husband for many decades, and together they lived lives full of travel, art, and adventure on several continents. Uncle John's kindness, tenacity, and talent are truly something to behold, and it's not hard to see why Aunt Jean loved him, and why he and Sylvia connected very strongly at the instant of first meeting several years back. I loved watching them interact this weekend. 

As for the celebration itself, it was a showcase for Aunt Jean's art and our shared love of her somewhat off-the-wall way of looking at the world, something I like to think we share. 
 

Woods, Langergrabers, and a Newton at Red Robin

Earlier tonight Sean, Sylvia and I met with Uncle John, his two sons, their partners, and our cousin David for a long, leisurely supper and chat at Red Robin in Kelowna. Once again, the only real upside of grieving is how it brings people together to remember better times and create some new memories. And it was great to finally meet Kevin's partner, Carol, in person. Sean and Sylvia and I are very grateful to the Langergrabers and David for a wonderful evening. 
 

Osoyoos Oasis

Sean and Sylvia and I are in the Okanagan for celebrations of life for our Aunt Marjorie and Aunt Jean. Aunt Marjorie's was earlier today, and it was a beautiful, welcoming tribute. It was great to see my cousins Diane, Darwin, and Bruce again--Aunt Marjorie's surviving children--as well as several of their children and partners. 

After the service, we took some time to travel around the region, stopping at a patio in Osoyoos for refreshments. Being in such a beautiful setting helps take the sting out of loss.           
 

A Close Call

 

Today Sylvia and I had a close call on Anthony Henday Drive. We were in the middle lane when, in the course of regular spot checking, I spotted a large cargo truck swinging into our lane. I had barely enough time to shoulder check on my left; it was clear, so I was able to quickly dart over to the left lane. The truck came close enough to cause Sylvia to yell "Yiiiiikes," and I'm sure were were only a few inches apart for a second or so. 

The other driver showed no sign of awareness, blissfully ignorant of their role in possibly killing one or both of us or at least damaging the vehicle badly enough to turn it into a write-off. 

It was a good reminder that driving is inherently dangerous. Situational awareness is critical, because even if you never make a mistake (and I've made my share behind the wheel), someone else will, and you need to be ready for that. 

Even though I was performing my regular mirror and window checks as I was driving, I was lucky, too. If I'd been checking left instead of right in the critical moment, we might have collided with the truck. 

Stay safe out there. 

4414 Farewell

Yesterday Sylvia and I drove to Mom and Dad's place one last time so that she could have a final look. The place felt empty, and so did I. Another reminder I didn't need--that all things pass. 

I'm sure we'll drive by someday, if only to see how the new owners change the yard. But it won't be the same--of course it won't be the same. Nothing ever is. 

I remain grateful for the memories, for our upbringing, for Mom and Dad's love and care. 
 

Vernal Geekquinox 2026: Dem Bones, Dem Tasty Bones

The great thing about bones, in a culinary sense, is their ability to act as handles for meat. This year's first Geekquinox, held yesterday afternoon, was built on very sold bones: Pete and Ellen's peerless hosting and cooking skills, and friendships that now stretch back decades. Zounds! 

The lamb lollipops were so delicious that I forgot to take a photo before they'd all been scarfed down--thanks to Stephen for this photo! Moist, juicy, tender--I don't have lamb often, but wow, these were scrumptious. They certainly put a SHEEPISH GRIN on my face! 

The next course consisted of braised lamb shanks served on a bed of rice. The sauce...oh, the sauce...the meat and the rice were excellent, too, of a quality far better than, I dare say, most restaurants. 

Here's our dapper chef in his skeleton-themed shirt, alongside a couple of the cocktail recipes. I'm not a drinker, but apparently at least one of them was "face-numbing." 

Ellen took this shot of us, which means she's not in it! Still a fun photo that captures the feeling of the day. 

We took a break between courses to marvel at Pete and Ellen's just-completed library. It's utterly gorgeous, and really makes me want to do something similar in my (much smaller) space. 

Unfortunately, family matters called us away early, so we missed the steak and the duck. But we did share a piece of this amazing homemade dinosaur dig cake. Needless to say, we dug it, bones and all. 

For better photos and a more comprehensive writeup, including the dishes we missed, see Steve's story of the event! 

Sylvia on Gilligan's Island

I enjoy teasing Sylvia by using generative AI tools to turn her into a Green Lantern, her least favourite superhero. I'm not sure she'd enjoy being placed on Gilligan's Island either, but when I found a photograph of her in this dress from our first visit to Las Vegas, the island felt like a perfect place for her--in another reality, at least. And I feel like of all the castaways, she'd be the least annoyed by Roy Hinkley, AKA "the Professor." Hence his appearance here. 

I have a strong feeling that with Sylvia on the island, it would not have taken them fifteen years to get back to civilization. 
 

Facebook Art 'Twere It Done by Great Masters

Back in the early days, when Facebook, though evil, could still be fun. Facebook Graffiti was one of my favourite features, and Sean and I and others sent some terrible drawings back and forth.

As you can see here, Jeff and Andrea also contributed. 

I asked Gemini to "reinterpret these works as if they were oil paintings created by great masters." 

The results: