Home Sweet Home and Photos at the Beach

I'm uploading 264 photos to this beast of a computer. Live Earth is streaming out from my living room. A cross breeze is keeping my pad cool on this hot afternoon. And I've just ended a fruitfly.

My pad has been made spic n span by cleaning people. I've even gone so far as to beeswax my desk, which is now velvety to the touch. (It's a self-made 7' one-piece maple surface with awesome grain.)

I'm so excited that my place is so clean. I've crunched numbers and I do believe I can afford a cleaner once a month now. $45! Fuckin' a. This was $135, but I'll not need anything too intense after this, provided proper maintenance occurs.

I have about 10 days off at the end of August and I have ambitious plans for then. I plan to paint my hallway a bright but dark violet. Before then, I want to tile my kitchen table with glass tiles. They're really gorgeous 1x1 iridescent rough squares. Oh, hey. Here's a link. I'm getting the lime, violet, and turquoise. My kitchen's already lime and the main living area is turquoise. The hall will be violet.

I've designed a simple but neat layout for the tiles that's evocative of art deco, full of single lines and intersections. It won't be too busy and the lime will dominate in a 2:1 ratio at the very least.

I'll do before and after photos. As it stands now, the table's an Ikea table that has gone through about five incarnations since I bought it. I've long wanted to tile it, but I haven't had the money or motivation. I'm now thinking next weekend looks good. If it comes out as I hope, it'll be fucking cool. I'm planning to paint the table and chairs glossy black with a veneer. The chairs are covered already in cream vinyl. I'll colour match the grout to the chairs.

I'm stoked. :)

Dinner parties loom so I can show it off to everyone. Ha. And with the hallway violet, then I'll be one step away from the perfect apartment. Next would be the kitchen floor. Peel'n'stick tiles will be awesome. Likely black and white checks.

Now here are some photos!

All of these were taken last Thursday when the temperatures were soaring and the day was better spent in the woods. Next time I'll go to Lynn Canyon where I can get really awesome photos. These are all down at Spanish Banks, just opposite downtown. Behind this shot are the UBC Endowment Lands -- where the university is and a huge quantity of forests and trails (I think about 75 km of trail?). Awesome area of the city.





This one looks better its full size. Click for that. And for all the above, too.