Today we all went out for a bike ride. This was Quinlan’s first time out on a bike (in the child carrier that Aidan used to ride in). We went down to ride the West Dyke Trail in Richmond — a nice scenic and FLAT trail on the western edge of Lulu Island. Return trip was about 12 km and we took it at a nice relaxed pace.

As you will be able to tell from the pics below, it was quite the fun ride for all involved.

Here are some shots of Gwen and Quinlan. The kid carrier fits Quinlan quite well, and after some time he got used to wearing the helmet.

A rare action shot of me on a bike and Aidan on the Trail-A-Bike. As you can see, Aidan likes the Trail-A-Bike. A lot.

After riding from Garry Point up to the northern edge of the island — and back — we took some family pictures:

Here’s a rare shot with all of us *together*!

And here are some awesome shots of Gwen and Quinlan:

Tomorrow, Quinlan turns 1!

• RT @RickMercer: When Harper said he wasn't running a deficit in 2009 he was already 6 billion in the red. Shocker. #
• Why do we allow our politicians, and indeed our highest office, to LIE to us? Where's the accountability? Where's the integrity? #cdnpoli #
• http://twitpic.com/la8g5 – Today's bike ride with Aidan is 30 km round trip to Stanley Park! #
• Back from awesome Thanksgiving ride to Stanley Park. 3 pm is too late for lunch, too early for supper. Solution? PIE! #
• In 3 days we've put about 55 km on the new bike and Trail-A-Bike. I guess the boy likes it … and shares his father's #wanderlust #
• Late to the party, but I want to be a member of the #LoyalOrderOfKnightsOfTheCurve (#LOKC) too! #KarLagerfeldIsAnAss http://bit.ly/7Zg8d #
• Rather than emaciated, @EmmeRogers reminds us that #CurvesAreSexy (and normal) http://bit.ly/i3oCx #
• RT @newfiehun @AnthonyFloyd Pie is the solution to many, many things. [Urp. At least 3 I can think of: Breakfast, lunch, supper] #
• RT @rhh: "Nova Scotia’s 3 CPC ridings getting more stimulus cash than the other 8 put together". *Totally* a coincidence http://bit.ly/X5cJw #
• RT @rhh: Peter MacKay's riding getting more than all 5 Liberal NS ridings combined. http://bit.ly/X5cJw #cdnpoli #
• RT @tararobinson: So thats what all that black smoke was from… http://tinyurl.com/yk5jybf #yvr #coalharbour #fire [Great shot!] #
• RT @krisjoseph: VANCOUVER TWEEPS: Check out Nick Di Gaetano's clown show, "Inclement Weather", this weekend at UBC: http://bit.ly/QwkTv #
• Increasingly frustrated with the Canadian public. It's becoming clear there's never been a gov't more corrupt than the Harper Gov't #cdnpoli #
• How the #CPC can maintain a 40% poll despite Harper gov't corruption is a sad commentary on public's view of the #LPC + Ignatieff #cdnpoli #
• RT @dadcamp: DadCAMP 2 is coming up on Saturday. Will be giving away an HP A646 portable printer. RSVP now! http://www.dad-camp.com #
• OH: "I'm *trying* to get the freakin' track cleaned up". Angst and a lack of self-censoring from our 4.5 yr old. #
• RT @TweetDeck: RT @mashable: TweetDeck Adds New Notification System and New Follower Column – http://bit.ly/1CA6V [Nirvana!] #
• About the only @Tweetdeck feature that is missing now is to have an "Ungrouped Friends" column instead of "All Friends"! #
• Oh, and the other @Tweetdeck feature that would be handy is a mute button to temporarily turn off all notifications #
• Since becoming a Dad almost 5 years ago, my emotional tolerance for "bad things happening to kids" has been acutely diminished #BoyInBalloon #
• That's it. Can't watch video, too much chatter on Twitter. Going dark for a while. #
• RT @dougsymington: Hope the wee balloon dude is ok. Meanwhile there are *many* 6 year-olds in your own communities in need of your support #
• In skimming through my Twitter stream, it's readily apparent who has kids and who doesn't. Some of you childless ppl seem pretty heartless. #
• RT @BreakingNews: BULLETIN — MISSING BALLOON BOY FOUND SAFELY. [Awesome. Whew. Now, what happened?] #
• And, of course, I'm sure @BreakingNews meant that #BalloonBoy was found safe. Well, I'm sure he was found safely too, but that's secondary. #
• RT @jaypiddy: If I was six and let that ufo sized balloon of my dad's fly off into the sunset. I would have hid too. #balloonboy #
• Twitter Lists! Now we need @Tweetdeck to synchonize its groups with Twitter lists! #
• RT @IanAMartin: @cognoscento I'm following you playing Quinn's Quiz. @CBCVancouver #
• Frackin' #Rogers. 2 months since I canceled my phone service and they're still billing me! On hold w/ billing 3 months running! #RogersSucks #
• I think at this point the #CRTC will be getting a letter. Un-freaking-believable. #RogersSucks #
• Watching @donttrrythis and the guy with the 'stache and beret on Craig Ferguson with a cranky toddler on my lap. #Mythbusters #
• Dark, slick leaves, and rain // Cycling to my work // Fall in Vancouver #twaiku #
• RT @timbray Tear down the Vancouver viaducts! http://bit.ly/3h5F3 [via @kaler] #
• Someone in USA who shares my name has been applying to universities. With wrong email accounts. Yes, plural. Hint: Uni might not be for you. #
• I mean, seriously. He's given wrong Gmail *and* Yahoo addresses to a number of universities. Either he hates me or is new to teh intertubes. #
• This person has looked at Kaplan University, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, ECPI College of Tech, and Colorado Tech U Online. #
• Really? Online technical universities? Getting your own email address wrong? A clear demonstration of natural selection. #
• The biggest problem with the @Twitter lists is going through hundreds of tweeps to categorize them. There needs to be a better way. #
• Ha! Stephen Harper's response to being challenged about spending only in Tory ridings: "So?" (paraphrased) #cdnpoli #arrogant #corrupt #
• Who's coming to the pumpkin patch with us tomorrow? http://bit.ly/4dc8PW #dadcamp #
• RT @gmarkham: Dear #LPC: I'm lifelong Lib voter who will abandon you if you back business over citizens in anti-spam bill http://is.gd/4n2MX #
• Let's raise a glass to @DixonTam on his last night as a wild bachelor! Slainte! #
• Oi. The #dadcamp'ers had better have gumboots. Oh great, now I have @TheKerplunks "Gumboots" song going round and round… #
• http://twitpic.com/lwbv9 – Pumpkin patch in the rain and mud #dadcamp #
• Thanks to @buzzbishop for organizing today's #dadcamp at the pumpkin patch! A bit wet and muddy, but — meh — that's Vancouver! #
• Great meeting @stv @karlwoll @_EricLowe @jaypiddy @buzzbishop @kylerstorm at today's #DadCamp. DadCamp 3: Giant's game 15 Nov 5pm. Join us? #
• Congrats Dixon and your bride! RT @DixonTam I do. #wedding #
• Now that we've returned from sloshing around the pumpkin patch … the sun has come out. Ah Vancouver, you're so fickle in the fall! #
• Didn't take many photos at #dadcamp but I like this one in the corn maze: http://bit.ly/1vRhFt #
• Freaking Windows driving me nuts this morning. We use Messenger to webcam btw grandparents, kids. Latest version unable to webcam. W.T.F? #
• Search Google, turns out many, many people have same issue. For months. No response, fixes from MS. Typical. iChat for Windows anyone? #
• Wow, overwhelming support for Skype. I'll push that option and see how we do. Thanks @gnb @buzzbishop @zenfish @kabutar #
• Witching hour and wife announced she's going down for a bath. Seems like payback, but for what? #dadcamp #
• Of course, it *could* be that I'm never home at witching hour (at work instead) so … you know … it's my turn … #
• Decided to put some music on to try to quell the witching hour behaviour. Let 4 yr old choose the music. The Weakerthans? Really? Weird kid. #
• I wonder what the correct technique for drinking wine out of a tumbler is… #
• Doesn't look like I'm making it to the photowalk. Nuts. #
• Going through my following list, putting tweeps into lists. What happened to @tofufighting? No tweets for months, no blog updates… #

Mud, mud, everywhere mud., originally uploaded by AnthonyFloyd.

Today, as part of a local Dad’s support group — DadCamp — we took a trip to the Richmond Country Farms Pumpkin Patch. Aidan was actually there yesterday with his preschool class, and it poured rain the whole time they were there. He went back today with me and it poured rain the whole time we were there. Still, he thoroughly enjoyed himself.

I’m testing posting photos to the blog from Flickr. You can see more photos from the trip (just a few, didn’t take many) here.

• .@iheartthatdance Ah, now, see you should have purchased the Tylenol Extra Zero Strength. Seriously. http://bit.ly/2OWufM #
• Wow, rabid iPhone fanbois drooling on Canadian GSM network competition — based on one article citing anonymous sources. #DrunkOnKoolAid #
• Does anyone have any experience with Trail-A-Bikes? Any thoughts about them? #
• 1st day of the riding season w/ gloves. I'm so adapted to the West Coast climate I've lost the right to ref that winter spent in Sudbury :( #
• Dear dumbass pedestrian: PLEASE look LEFT before you step off the curb. I'm doing 50 kph there, and I don't know who wins but it'll be messy #
• Dear dumbass truck driver: PLEASE look LEFT before running that stop sign. At least you'll know my last words because I KNOW who wins that 1 #
• Dear dumbass fixie-driving-hipster: Going the wrong way thru traffic circle is STUPID. Stupidity + hubris gave you the win in even match #
• Dear other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists: Thank you for not trying to kill me tonight. The 5%'ers are giving you a bad name, btw. #
• Interesting: Google Street View is live in Vancouver … but they didn't include UBC. I wonder why!? #
• This sure sets the bar high for expectations when visiting Australian research orgs in the future: http://bit.ly/32eYP (music vid runs 4:20) #
• The inability to block specific phone numbers on my cell is frustrating. 778-785-4596 "You've won $2600" I'm looking at you #PhoneScamsSuck #
• My 4 yr old just sat and watched the @rickmercer Report w/ me with rapt attention. I'm not sure what that says about me, him, or @rickmercer #
• Test-riding some bikes after work today. Stoked. #
• RT @dadcamp: How do you achieve Work Life Balance? post from @anthonyfloyd this am on DadCAMP http://retwt.me/HR2r #
• Twitter is being clever. I'm trying to RT an update from this am just before the Twitpocalypse and since it's a dupe Twitter won't post it! #
• RT @dadcamp: How do you achieve Work Life Balance? post from @anthonyfloyd this am on DadCAMP http://retwt.me/HR2r #
• RT @eastcoastgranpa: @AnthonyFloyd How about this trailer?? http://bit.ly/2ji008 [Wow, *that* is cool!] #
• Oh look, Canadian politicos, it's Justin Trudeau (@justinpjt) #cdnpoli #
• .@TassimoCanada *I* live in Canada. I have >500 followers. I'm a Dad! Why the hate? #
• OK I have to give @TassimoCanada credit, it seems they're not abandoning Dads after all … #
• I haz Google Wave. Being at the top of my local social tech food chain means that it's a pretty lonely wave to ride…. #
• RT @mugpie_guy: simply for ~not~ being George W Bush, Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize! http://is.gd/46kMp #
• RT @andreareimer: Just drank some juice..out of the carton…and noticed it has a "best before" date of 2017. WTH? [Was it Happy Planet? :)] #
• RT @smithcd05: Obama won the peace prize? Did a wire agency take an Onion article seriously? #
• Rather than "creating a new int'l climate" (2 years in a row now) how about somebody actually tries to advance peace!? #nobel #
• Uh … "AIRCRAFT" … !? RT @BreakingNews: BULLETIN — SECOND NASA AIRCRAFT CRASHES INTO THE MOON. #
• Want to get GPS mount for my bike. GPSCentral wants $10 to ship it (<100 g) from Calgary to VanCity. It's a $9.99 part. Grrr. #
• Reading "Two stupid things ppl say about Welsh" http://bit.ly/KnilR reminded of @julesjulesjules and trying to figure out how to say cwtch #
• RT @limelitePR: My take on the @tassimocanada contest. How does a free proposition translate into brand value & sales? http://bit.ly/FGRkG #
• SO, @Cheaty , my son would be all over a pink pull up. I get the BARBIE objection, though :) #
• Awesome! I think it was my cousin in Calgary who just helped me add a 1 TB drive to our Shaw PVR. Thrilled with Shaw Customer Service! #
• Just left a comment on @limelitePR's analysis (http://bit.ly/FGRkG ) of the @TassimoCanada promotion http://bit.ly/1a8h69 . Chime in! #
• Cleaning up and unabashedly using Treehouse to distract kids. They're watching the Chinese equiv of Dora: Ni Hao, Kai-lan. Just as annoying. #
• In retrospect, though, the Mandarin exposure is much more appropriate than the Spanish exposure. #NewWorldReality #
• http://twitpic.com/l17m1 – Our fancy new ride: A Gary Fisher and a Trail-A-Bike. At the inevit pgnd #
• This is quite a bike ride, now at playground at David Lam Park #
• http://twitpic.com/l1f34 – Toddler euphoria, fire truck shows up to deal with false alarm. #
• I missed this on Friday, but maybe @Translink could learn something from the Swedes http://bit.ly/15ll4A Piano stairs! (via @dbarefoot) #
• Ad in today's @vancouversun for California with boffo shot of Yosemite with sun peaking from behind Half Dome. Must. Resist. Pull. #
• .@buzzbishop Like @RebeccaColeman I strongly recommend using a removable for an infant. Easier to just unplug & go when they fall asleep #
• RT @604homesguy: I just verified that I AM an organ donor. Are you? Sign up today: http://bit.ly/14FCqJ [Me too!] #
• Trimmed my face down from Grizzly Adams to Dr. Andy Brown (google it). Should last for the week. #beardcore #
• http://twitpic.com/l53pf – I wonder how many followers I'll lose b/c of this pic? #
• Reality of not owning a minivan: 2 car seats in back preclude anyone else. Wife, kids + wife's sis heading to Burnaby mini trains, me @ home #
• Turkey dinner's done, pies are eaten. Lost one game of Wizards in the last hand, won one game of Wizards in the last hand. Good times! #