Thursday update

Photo: Daniel C.

Friends, I’m just in the door from the eight miles, and feeling like I owe you a wee post tonight. Last night I think I was just too tired to string sentences together, and as I was nodding off alone on my couch, I felt it best to just drag my weary bones to bed.

I had about a hundred things to share, but deleted a draft of about 500 words I had written up, at which point I was ready to throw my laptop at the pale white wall. Actually, I have told you a white lie already. I came in from my run, put down the groceries, and grabbed my camera to run back out into the night.

You see the things about Scotland is even on days when it’s grey and dreary, the sky always breaks in the evening, where layers of thin white cloud seem to float among the magnificent colors of the setting sun. At the start of June, it was never dark here; in the wee hours of the morning the sky was always this pastel blue, and the sky seemed unchanged between dusk and dawn. Tonight reminded me why I love just walking around under the Northern skies here – just like June, just like every night.


Anyways, trotting down Crow Road on mile eight tonight, the salmon and azure along the river skyline was just calling for me to snap a few frames – see result on the River Clyde above. Right, so... with a cup of tea in hand, and Bob Dylan Live at Royal Albert Hall 1966 as the soundtrack tonight, a blank page once again sits in front of me.

Funny, as I slowly work towards becoming a writer, I can honestly say the only thing I fear in life is writing prose for other people to read. I am deathly afraid of putting pen to paper and typing words to a screen; I imagine I always have been, which is why it took me years to right out my feelings and thoughts. Years. I just feel my lack of any education shows in the colloquialism of this all; this coming from the guy who will eventually finish a master's in English. It’s not a hill, it’s a mountain folks; thanks for reading along anyway.

Side note: I just got an e-mail from a guy called Hamish who stopped me in the park on Sunday to ask what I was taking pictures of, and what type of camera I had and all that. Random, but I look forward to meeting him to chat about photography. I think he runs some sort of studio.

I have been reminded all week how excited the editor-in-chief is about the idea I pitched on Monday, and tomorrow comes the day when I actually have to write up the feature. It’s about trash; seriously, it’s about garbage – wish me luck. There’s a strange but healthy mix of excitement and nervousness knowing if you knock it out of the park, your story will again be on page 3 of the national Sunday newspaper, with a readership of about a million people. I was banished to page 7 last week, bit was happy just to be printed.

Actually, funny story - this is how the Sunday Herald news editor reacted to first reading my story from last week on wellington boots. Yes, wellington boots and Kate Moss. We have a huge newsroom for dozens of reporters, photographers, electronic publishing people, and so on. Actually, there are hundreds of people We sit at oversized desks arranged in kidney-shaped nucleus's of eight-10 desks.

In the center of the extremely loud and intimidating room sit the news editors sit, at what is called the ‘hub’ - That’s where the magic happens folks. There are newspapers strewn all about, and phones constantly ringing off the hook; it’s right out of a movie, it really is.

Anyways, News editor, shouting across the room: “Hey. Daniel!” I hear this, and instantly think I’ve really messed up this time. I slowly pull my Ben Sherman tie tight to my collar, straighten my shirt, and spin my high-back chair around slowly, with the cautious and humble look on my face like I’ve been hard at work, head buried for hours.

Daniel, nervous, quite, manages to say: “Umm, yeah. Hi.” N.E: “How the f*#% did you manage to get a 16th century French philosopher into a story about wellington boots? Brilliant,” he says, breaking into laughter.

So, that story got lost in the system, but I’m working on re-writing it for you and promise I will post it soon; I will do so over the weekend, unless I have to play tour guide and fun maker for another CouchSurfer – just kidding, I love helping people discover this city. A new friend from Germany is stopping by to surf and share a few beers over the weekend. I’m rambling.

Here you go. Articles. Hope you’re all well. Send me an e-mail and let me know how you’re doing, what you favourite colour and Bob Dylan song is. Tell me all about what inspires you in life. I like people and photographs. That’s all. Right, goodnight!

With love from me to you,

- Daniel C.

A - Smoke it up. It may be easier for Turks to embrace an indoor smoking ban in Istanbul than it was for the French in Paris.

B - Hi-five of the day goes to Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan. In earthquake ravaged L'Aquila, Italy on Wednesday, the Japan PM stands out among the troops in a powder blue suit. He looks more Italian than Berlusconi. All politicians, and especially top leaders, tend to dress in a cookie-cutter style.

I would be smiling here too if I was wearing a perfect for summer pastel suit. Good man. Also, the article says a thing or two.

C - United broke my expensive guitar.

D - Knock knock. Wine delivery. Cute concept, but all the fun of shopping for wine comes in learning something as you go from the pros. Tip. Head to and wine shop, like say Metrovino on 11th Avenue SW in Calgary, and shop for wine while sampling any of the eight or 10 bottles they may have open on the counter. And know this. The new wine geek is the kid is the 23-year-old with Chuck Taylor’s and Nudie Jeans. Seriously. Wine is not a pocketbook old boys game anymore.

Want a free lesson? Skip the again sommelier, ask the good looking boys and girls serving your tables what they’re drinking this week. Alos, the Tantalus Riesling mentioned in this article is an absolute Canadian gem. It was one of my bargain favourites to recommend in my former life as a server.

E - Surfing in Montreal.

F - Van Gogh’s private letters.

G - Stirring the hornet’s nest in China.

H - I warned you about Facebook, I really did. being evil - Your life in the public domain.