families

This blog still exists, in case you are wondering. Maybe you are a regular who is surprised to hear from me again after so long. Or you're here for the first time because I gave you a business card or you clicked my link on Facebook, or you Googled me for some reason.

It's been a busy time at the mainwriter headquarters. The "new year" isn't even that new any more; in fact, the first month of it seems to be whipping by pretty quickly.

Our local school - Laura Secord - is trying to win votes for a new playground. About 9,000 kids in the area would be served by the new playground, including an estimated 350 children with disabilities.

I'm taking part in a project called #Reverb10. Its purpose is to reflect on this year and manifest what's next. Each day this month, I'll be responding to creative writing prompts, and - oops - I missed the first two days, but oh well.

It's all caught on surveillance camera and talked about in different languages around the world. A guy from my neighbourhood - Larry Skopnik - stopped a would-be robber from assaulting a store clerk on Commercial Drive. The fact that he did this from his wheelchair has made the story extra big news, and I've...

Yesterday my son played the new, much-anticipated Call of Duty - Black Ops war video game at a friend's place - released right before Remembrance Day. Today I took him to a Remembrance Day ceremony where we saw an old veteran cry.

Ideas are called for. Lots of them. So I'm pumping them out of my brain.

Bike corrals are used in Portland, Montreal, Ottawa, Seattle, and other major cities throughout the world - and now we have our first one in Vancouver.

Embracing the pre-teen boy experience has been pretty hilarious, if you look at them the right way. Don't see the "obnoxious" aspect. Try "mischievious" and "playful" and "full of energy." Think of wild kingdom and picture the younger, smaller, way more hyper version of the larger animal. Pre-teen chimpanzees or tigers.