I had a curious conversation with one of my favourite authors last month, a privilege and a joy. It was a conversation about work and creativity, and he pointed me to Chip Scanlan as an important influence on his writing.

Scalan’s 33 Ways Not To Screw Up Your Journalism is free for the Kindle (Canada | USA) today, a promotional effort that, witness this blog post, is working.

From the introduction:

Journalism uniquely has the power to hold up a mirror and show us all who we really are, regardless of ideology, identity or place.

It is a discipline that, at its best, breaks through walls of deceit to shine a light on solutions to our world’s most complicated problems. Using timeless storytelling techniques, journalists illuminate the human condition.

Anne Janzer says in her book “Writing to Be Understood, “We need people who communicate across chasms in beliefs and understanding, healing the divisiveness that characterizes current public debate.” That’s the job of the journalist.

There’s a Pride window baked right into the St. Paul’s Parish Hall.

One of the challenges of living across two households is that on occasion big stuff ends up on the wrong campus.

Like this morning, when I had L’s bike and she had my lawnmower.

The solution: I popped off her quick release front wheel, flipped her bike over, bungied it to my trailer, and rode it to hers. I then unloaded the bike and loaded up my lawnmower. Which I cycled back home.

The quotes example for the paperd.ink is serving up a random quote to my display (er, paper?) every hour.

I managed to break the cover of my newly-arrived paperd.ink soon after unpacking it–my own fault.

Fortunately, they provide 3D models of the enclosure parts, which I was able to load right into Cura and print on my Monoprice Select Mini 3D printer. It took 3 hours to print; the result is pretty close to the original (itself 3D-printed, albeit on a better printer).

From Potsdamer Sea by Geoff Manaugh:

The SCUBA divers of the Potsdamer Sea now feel like mascots of that time, dream figures submerged in the waves of a future their work enabled, swimming through historical murk with limited visibility and, air tanks draining, limited time. Their pit was soon filled, the hole annihilated, and the surface of the Earth—which was actually architecture—returned with amnesia.

I’ll get over the move of the Trailside from Mount Stewart to town. Eventually. But I’m a staunch nostalgist, and the Trailside was a magic place—truly magic—where performers gave their best performances to audiences inches away, gripped by musical intimacy. My friends tell me the town version is just as good, better even. I’ll get there. Eventually.

In the meantime, in the shell of the old Trailside a new place, Bao Shack, has arisen, a humble Taiwanese diner in the country. We took a clan of seven there for lunch today (they’re only open for lunch, and only on Saturday and Sunday, as I write).

We enjoyed gua bao (think “fluffy spicy sandwich”), gyoza, fried sweet buns, ramen, crispy chicken over rice. It was an improvised menu, prompted by L.’s “we need food for seven” request. The chicken gua bao was my favourite (did I mention I’ve become a hypocritarian of late).

The space is much as it ever was, with some space breathed in, the stage removed, and some mild decorating.

There may be no more Garnet Rogers or Lennie Gallant or Martha Wainwright, but Bao Shack is a pretty good reason for a weekend trip to Mount Stewart.

We had coffee with a friend on the deck at The Gallery yesterday afternoon, and L. took this photo of me, with the Basilica in the background. Seeing myself through another’s eyes.

L.’s place by the shore–she insists I should say by the beach, but my patrician tendencies won’t allow that–is 50 km from town, meaning a round trip is a nice even 100 km.

Her gasoline-powered SUV has fuel economy of 9 litres per 100 km, meaning that, at today’s $2.18/litre price for gasoline, a roundtrip costs $19.62.

My electric-powered Kia Soul EV reports using 15 kWh per 100 km, meaning that, at today’s price of 15.32 cents/kWh, a roundtrip costs $2.29.

I had to do the math on that several times, and have a friend double-check it, as the difference was so stark.

I’m very proud of my landlords at St. Paul’s Church for tenaciously working to make the Parish Hall accessible to all: the new ramp at the back of the hall is part of a larger project that will involve installing a power door and extending the driveway to Church Street.