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How is it already December 19th? Yeesh. And it seems my aim of writing more posts this year has been a failure, a goal that kept getting pushed aside as life threw more things my way. Sure, a lack of discipline can also be blamed, but so can simply having very few tales to tell. And that's due to my disinclination to going out, being shy about breaking my routine and leaving my rather comfortable base. MJ and I did go to Tokyo in September, which I'll write out in full later. A mostly enjoyable trip, memories that are still rather fresh in my mind's eye. I'd never had a strong desire to visit Japan, and I still find it odd that I was there, among the throngs of conservatively-dressed, impassive citizens, along spotless avenues and riding equally spotless subway trains. I'd say the highlight was a bicycle tour which took us through and around the downtown, the city being fairly amenable to cyclists. People talk about how good the food is, but I wonder if those peop...

Halifax Public Gardens Mary Jean got a post-doc in Halifax, and I spent a couple weeks there helping her get settled in. My expectations of the east coast were rather limited*, so I'm glad to have filled some of that in. Indeed, the more time I spend there the more I find myself enjoying Halifax, with its coastal charm, walk-able downtown, and many sprouting districts. As a small city (~400k people), it fits that desirable niche of being large enough to have the amenities of a modern city without the daunting issues of a bigger one. Halifax Central Library My second week there was during an unseasonal heat wave, and while MJ worked I sought shelter in the beautiful Halifax Central Library, an impressive structure that embodies the coming together of civic will, a common good that all can enjoy, a modern structure that makes the most of efficient technologies. I also got to get re-acquainted with some old friends, some dear faces whom I'd never forget but have no...

One might think that with my two months off of work that I had a lot of free time to kill. In truth, however, when I was experiencing discomfort or pain, I turned to Twitter and simple mobile games to keep my mind occupied, and continue to find myself leaning on them to distract me at various times throughout the day. I did watch some Netflix: Disappointed by season 2 of Stranger Things , which makes me think season 1 was perhaps seen through rose-colored glasses. A little too goofy, with side-plots that did not pay off. Thoroughly enjoyed the Fargo the series -- Billy Bob Thornton opposite Martin Freeman, who'da thunkit? Second season was weaker overall, but still enjoyable. Inside Llewyn Davis -- I must be missing something because while it contained many of the ingredients I like this Coen brothers film just did not do it for me. Maybe they are not very good at all? Big Mouth -- Watched this one on a whim and it surprisingly tickled me in the right places. Guardians o...

Well, I made it. The surgery itself was a success, and I remember the day vividly -- the thin hospital gown, the cold floor through flimsy slippers, the narrow operating table, the oxygen mask placed moments before I was put under. I spent a couple days at the hospital, tentatively trying foods (and sometimes failing to keep them down) and calling for pain medication. A couple friends visiting, holding my spirits up. I was, for the first few weeks, going to the bathroom around 15 times a day, including a few trips overnight, which thoroughly disrupted my sleep schedule. After a while I kind of got used to waking up in the dark of deep night, hardly a thought in my head. My father was able to jury rig my toilet seat bidet, a puzzle that neither my friends or I could solve, and it made an enormous difference in my bathroom comfort level. Indeed, I now find using non-bidet toilets a delicate operation at best, excruciating at worst. I had a brief hiccup in my recovery in mid-December,...