Not The Hockey Player » Personal

Skating at the Harbourfront

Gary Roberts — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:04:30 +0000

For the record, I am not a good skater. I’m actually pretty crap at it, but I will give it a try every now and then. Today El Franco went down to the lake shore’s Harbourfront Centre Natrel Rink for a practice session—he’s taking hockey lessons right now—and I tagged along for the ride, skates in hand. …

Skating

Gary Roberts — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:57:00 +0000

El Franco had his skates on him as we walked to work this morning. The city’s outdoor rinks are now open and he’s going to be on the ice honing his hockey skating skills after work. The weather’s still unseasonably mild, although we did have some crappy sleety stuff happening for a while last night, …

Welcome, Pharyngulistas!

Gary Roberts — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:37:02 +0000

If you’re dropping by from PZ Myers’ blog Pharyngula, after he posted my article on why I’m an atheist, then welcome! And this is where I’d originally posted that article back in 2009.

Sunshine

Gary Roberts — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 20:54:56 +0000

The early September sunshine creeps across the table top in the back yard. The sound of tennis from the court in the park beyond the fence lends a vacation feel to the day as I sit outside reading, enjoying the warmth and the story. Light aircraft circle overhead, probably having taken off from Toronto Islands …

Up on the roof

Gary Roberts — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:17:39 +0000

This is a piece I had written some time ago, as an assignment for a creative writing class, and I thought I’d post it here. I had used a small part of it once before, in an earlier post, but now here’s the full version: *** The first thing I noticed as I opened the …

Rainy day

Gary Roberts — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 22:56:34 +0000

The rain is coming down hard in Boystown this Sunday afternoon. El Franco and I just came out of the cinema after watching “A Better Life”, then called a friend to meet for a beer at the Churchmouse & Firkin. I arrived here first, and it’s sticky and hot and humid, but the weather hasn’t stopped …

Well, that left a bad taste in my mouth!

Gary Roberts — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:12:53 +0000

I had an appointment with my dentist yesterday. I’ve been going to this dentist for 6 or 7 years now, and I’ve never had any complaints about him. Other than the fact that he has fingers like hot dogs, and can be a bit rough when he’s rooting around in there, he’s nevertheless a pleasant …

Good Friday was exactly that…

Gary Roberts — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:30:28 +0000

…a good day to get some work done in the front yard! Since moving into our old house in 2007, there have been some debates between El Franco and me over the state of the flagstones in the not-so-big front yard. I maintained that they were in good condition and that we didn’t need to …

Under the microscope

Gary Roberts — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:37:43 +0000

One of my best Christmas presents was my very first microscope, which was bought for me when I was around 10 (the 2nd best was a chemistry set). I remember collecting insects and hair follicles and spending hours poring over the specimens. One of the most interesting things was pond water, teeming with life. However, …

Trois anges sont venus ce soir

Gary Roberts — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:21:01 +0000

I found this song in the voice memo app on my phone yesterday. It’s a traditional French Christmas carol called “Trois anges sont venus ce soir” (Three angels came this evening), sung by El Franco. I have no idea when he recorded it, nor does he. It must’ve been when we’d had “one too many” …