Out and about

Bike date with my boo and Miss Em. Testing my camera after sticking the memory card back in after having to go back home for it AGAIN. This is 3 times now that I have left without it and it is getting old already. First.world.problems.

4 young dudes had rented one of those group pedal bikes. They were convinced that it was an off road vehicle. I hope they got their deposit back.

Waiting at the skate park for Miss Em so I could fear bust. It's totally been warm enough to wear pants and I am taking full advantage of it. I wasn't ready for the summer to be over 2 weeks ago but now that we are a week into August I feel like it can be fall now. It is already getting darker earlier and it is getting really cold at night despite the hot temps during the day. I love fall and I can't wait to wear the Japanese Muppet Vest.

My lady arrived on her squeaky chariot. Both of our bikes squeak so we need  to get them a little tune up.

Almost all the glass faces are on the building. I politically, philosophically and ethically disagree with this building (it's a human rights museum) but I will say that I will go once and only once to marvel at the crazy architecture and I know most other people will too. So it will be profitable the first year and everyone will say look we told you so  then they will tank in the following years because who wants to go to a human rights museum when they could have gone to a water park. This would have been the coolest water park ever.

Feet and a bike. We positioned ourselves on the concrete ledge to execute my challenge for the day. I am not revealing what it was just yet but I was successful admittedly with a tiny bit of help from Miss Em.

Bison booty

Her bike doesn't have kick stand so we had to lean it (I don't know if it's a she or a he) to get a shot of the 2 of them. Em realizing she is in the shot and check out the water bus cruising by in the background.

Not centered because there were people just out of the shot on the left that prevented me from getting it centered. Drake got another shout out as we were riding home. I believe it was "sweet bike" this time. He gets all the love, I never imagined he would turn heads but he's so gangster why am I surprised?

Creepy birds! There are tons of geese and ducks here and people feed them only encouraging them to shit all over the path...ugh. I hate birds.

Random sunflowers that I doubled back for. I am guessing that these sprouted out of someone's snack that got buried in the river silt. They looked so bright and lovely against the grey palate behind it.

I was losing light fast by this point

So green and spikey

We biked to a bench where we could rest and chat. Chatting with Miss Em is so easy for me and I don't chat with anyone the way I do with her which why I am so happy lately because she is here! She snapped a picture of what if I recall correctly she said "the curvy bike and the curvy lady". We had talked ourselves through the sunset and into darkness.

We ditched the bikes and headed out on foot to get to Kawaii before it closed so Em could have an inaugural crepe. If you recall last time we attempted they were closed. I like this person's penmanship.

We got there, I recommended a crepe (the Uptown), left her in line and made a b-line for the post-it note wall. I was curious to see if any of the ones I left a few weeks ago were still there...they were. Can you find mine? It's obvious.

Cute crepe drawings

Not mine but they could have been. This is why I always carry a pad of small post it notes and sharpie in my purse at all times. I like communicating with the world.

Reading, pondering, getting inspired and leaving her own love notes

Em said my hair looked lovely the other day when I bumped into her at the park. My secret was blow drying it, straightening it and using this! My trash hair product find. This little sample had just been thrown in the trash in the trash in the mail area, still all wrapped up. I assume some dude had no use for this little guy so I snagged it. It is awesome! John Freda Frizz-Ease. It's a 2 part system (most good leaving in products are) meaning you have to shake it before you use it. Rub into damp hair and style as usual. Makes my fine hair so smooth and shiny. John Freda did not pay me to say these wonderful things. I just happened to find a tiny sample in the trash. Before shaking

After shaking. When this little sample is done I will be buying a bottle. Thank you garbage can!

Another thing I am loving lately, this knife set from Costco. Have you seen it? Do you have it? It was mad cheap and our old knives were getting really really dull so he picked it up. I am loving them and I have had to be more careful with my knife skills lest I take of the tip of my finger. I use the small green one the most. I use a paring knife for most things (I am aware that I should use the biggest knife for the job possible but I like the size and control I have with a paring knife and I don't do a lot of huge chopping but I do use the big blue one when I do).

I am going for a massage today and I am so excited. I haven't been for one in forever. I am ready to melt the stress and back pain away.

Historically (in)accurate

I have been neglectful. I apologize, I am back. Check out these sweet bike lock ups! I have never seen ones that look like this before. I love finding new kinds.

I forgot I bought this purple tank top a month ago

I don't get why people stuck stuffed animals on their cars. They get filthy but I appreciate that the dog matches the car

Bridge art sticker

NUM kills something, I didn't have time to fully check it out and get a good picture. This bridge is always busy and I hate when people stop on it so I don't.

Speaking of the bridge, check out the progress. They are about 2 months maybe more ahead of where they were last year. Still curious about a bike lane but they are putting a crosswalk on the North side of the bridge   which is exciting because otherwise you have to walk about a quarter K to cross legally although jaywalking is not illegal in this province.

Out for adventures with Miss Em. I must monopolize her while she is still here to monopolize since I am lucky if I get to see her once a year. Photos are on a mix of the baby camera and the big mama jama. I don't like to use the big one while I am walking so I use the baby...yes I usually have 2 cameras on me, 3 if you count the one in my phone.

Speak of the beautiful lady, here is a fun (but slightly freaky) blurry picture of her before our night stroll the other day.

MOAR BIKE LOCK UPS. These are the ones installed by the city. In most cases they took over a parking spot or 2 to build these. I am terrified to lock Drake up anywhere, my boo is precious I don't trust anyone.

Speaking of sweet cruiser bikes.... YELLOW CRUISER BIKE! Look at the little polite splatter flap on the back fender...love! I just happened to walk by the bike about an hour after I took this picture and saw the owner unlocking the bike. Lemon Yellow was owned by a petite lady who looked new to biking but her hipster dofus bf who owned the bike on the far right did not but he was sweet, showing her how to unlock them.

Job site. I couldn't i.d the crew but husbie will know who this is and what they are doing

Destination the museum. I honestly hadn't been in about 15 years. BISON (there is no such thing as a buffalo, just misinformed people) majestic, tasty old bison. I switched to the big mama jama once inside the museum.

Gorgeous native art

Geeking out. I was a history major so I totally get off on this kinda stuff like old ledgers. My teachings have taught me so much. I can deduce from just looking at this document. That old curly writing...swoon.

More native art...Inukshuk building

This always used to be my favourite part of the museum, I have no idea why. When we visited in elementary school this was what I chose to draw in my journal. I would dig it and take a picture of it (yes I still have my stuff from elementary school) if my storage closet wasn't so hoarded.

Home sweet home

This sign made me chuckle because it is actually quite accurate. All I see when I look at this COLONIALISM in big bold letters (I was a history major with a focus/interest in imperialism and colonialism, typically in the tricontinental but it obviously occurred in Canada with indigenous people). History and museums are always the account of the people writing it and building it.

Diorama guts!

Blurry baby mooses

The worst class of biting bugs ever...sandflies and no-see-ums UGH! Biting Midges sounds so cute.

Probably the best part of the museum (minus the HBC collection) a replica of a commercial sailing ship. Seeing the ship for the first time in a long time, I remember it being a lot bigger when I smaller or I just smaller and now I am big and the boat isn't nearly as impressive.

The lighting all over the museum was different so I kept having to fart around with the setting like every single time I took a picture.

Claustrophobic bunks

I would love to go sailing sometime

Ah historically inaccurate...everything was filthy in the 17th century. Muddy, sooty and just plain gross. I guess it can't be too real.

The HBC Collection, the part I came to geek out on

Exploitation! I assume this supposed to be sugar or coffee from the Congo. I appreciate this tiny little part even though it goes unnoticed to everyone else.

This bench was apparently a mail bench a trading post...BLANKET!

MOAR BLANKETS! I brushed up on my knowledge of the point blanket and  only wanted one even more. The more "points" on the blanket (points are the skinny black stripes to the left of the bold ones) the more valuable the blanket. The red, yellow, green and indigo colorway has not been out of production since its introduction in 1800.

I don't think they are still made in England and I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't even made in Canada.

Replica of the HBC fur trade office in England. I could rant on about the drain of resource by the British empire but I am enjoying the Olympics and don't want to rag on the Brits.

The crest carved into the chair. The chair is authentic and came from the room. I really wish I had more time in this area but we got to the museum close to closing time so we had to be expedient to get through everything.

Skimming the boreal forest section but I had to stop for reforestation

Old ass snow machine

Auto-Neige! Made in Canada

Very well lit and well displayed glass bottles from the Manitoba Glass Company

Iconic Red River cart, made entirely of wood, no iron work.

The birth of a city area, urbanization, mass migration etc. Good picture taking is all I know and we were running out of time.

Maple leaf love

The mock drug store was awesome. I could have taken pictures of each bottle but I didn't have a stool or enough time...le sigh.

Blood purifiers. I was look for some morphine or some heroin for therapeutic use...no such luck

Old camera stuffs

Replica theatre playing old timey movies

Guns

The colors of colonialism

Ummmm the red light district?

This was the old time dentist but I caught the dentist giving the lecherous eyes to his patient. As is if turn of the century dentist practices weren't sketchy enough apparently you had to worry about this one hitting on you too! creeeeeepy!

Oh hi!

Back out in the sun...ahhh

My wounds from my spill off the curb the other day, these pictures are few days old so my knee is looking more gnarly because the bruising has really come out. My ankle is also still quite swollen (probably doesn't help that I have maintained my normal walking routine) and really tender in some spots. I messed it up worse than I had originally thought.

Fear check in... I went to my first session and long story short it wasn't a match. I was initially very disappointed and did not want to put myself out there again but I pondered it for awhile and after talking with people and reading some things I decided that I will try again!

And I'll leave you with this beautiful sun set