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.

• RT @NS_Archives: Welcome to twitter, @VanArchives… from the other coast! #archives #
• RT @coraux: Ignatieff lost me for good at: Canada is a country born out of two nations, the English and the French… #
• .@kabutar @coraux Here's the full text of the speech. With the full context, I think it's a pretty accurate statement. http://bit.ly/2klFBk #
• Best quote from Iggy's speech: Pour le gouv't de Stephen Harper la scène intn'l n’existe que pour scorer des points sur la scène domestique. #
• Best quote from Iggy's speech: For the gov't of S. Harper, the international scene exists only to score points domestically. #canpoli #
• Disturbing video of former Ont A-G Bryant assaulting cyclist w/ car emerges: http://bit.ly/TTWLJ [via @rhh] #
• Happy with our Shaw Digital Phone package. Love having voice mails sent to my email. #
• RT @GeoCachingDeals is giving away free nanos! Check out all the other cool stuff they have. Their site is: http://www.cachingcontainers.com #
• RT @davidakin: New Ipsos poll: #cpc 39 #lpc 30 #ndp 12 #gpc 8 #bq in quebec: 36 [Well, maybe the #LPC doesn't want an election now] #
• It's not that there aren't big issues out there: isotopes, abandoning citizens, economy. But why haven't #NDP + #LPC been talking them up? #
• Thinking about buying a new TV. "Protection Plan" a good idea or no? #
• Really? Footer on @cbcnewsbc story notes "Comments on this story are pre-moderated" What does that mean? Moderated before they are made? #
• .@DanGoodchild Well, yes, I understand. But that's just moderated, not *pre-moderated*. #GrammarIsImportantToo #
• Keith Martin explains how R2D2 and Chewbacca are the real powers in the Rebellion http://bit.ly/Zf52O #StarWars [via @gregeh] #
• Just on CBC Radio right now, @Ujjaldosanjh @LibbyDavies and @mpjamesmoore squabbling. Please, it's not about who's loudest. #cdnpoli #
• Daily I'm flabbergasted at the fact our kids are so photogenic: http://bit.ly/yASSB #
• Refactoring is just another word for "can't figure out how this ever worked in the first place" #
• RT @yoyomama_van What it's like to be a baby on The Current on CBC: Apparently like being in love in Paris for 1st time after 4 cappuccinos #
• CF-18s will be escorting a plane to YVR as part of an exercise for the Olymp. [Any guesses to the public panic level?] [via @michaelallison] #
• Wow. Biggest fleet in the world is sitting idle off the coast of Singapore. Pic: http://bit.ly/DEfK9 Article: http://bit.ly/12CDax #
• How's *that* for professional journalism? TMZ obtains audio of Pres Obama calling Kanye West a "jackass" http://bit.ly/3u5TQ7 #
• #NDP to support Cons "until EI bill passes". O rly? Well, that pretty much guarantees it won't ever pass, huh? #cdnpoli #
• The "deputy chief of protocol" greeted @pmharper at the WH today. Doesn't seem like Obama has much respect for #Harper. #
• Wait, maybe Obama was just in the men's room #HarperSnubbed #PissingMatch #
• .@stephen_taylor @bgrice Name calling? Seriously? And why is it again that the Canadian public has political disdain? #roft #lpc #
• RT @karlwoll: Trail descents put Grouse hikers in peril http://ow.ly/pIn4 #
• Unbelievable: North Shore SAR (@nsrescue) helps 3 groups (5 ppl) down the BCMC trail at Grouse Mtn, expecting only 2 ppl http://ow.ly/pIn4 #
• Operation HDTV has begun. First step, de-SDTV, demolish old media unit. #
• Phase 1 complete. Phase 2 commencing: build new entertainment unit. Note: all this being done w/o beer or chocolate. Yes, we're brave. #
• That was the quickest assemble-it-yourself job we've ever done. Phase 3: TV #
• OK, TV's up and preliminary setup complete. Now to the 4th and final phase, rewiring all the electronics back together. #
• Done. Everything works, but get to spend the weekend tweaking. Bed calls. #
• Having a hard time with the afternoon. Few sleep hours last night + big lunch = drifting at my desk. Would that I worked outside… today. #
• Two external hard drives tumble 3 ft. Survival rate: 50%. Grrrrr. #
• Switched home phone service from Rogers on 1 Sept. They sent us a bill yesterday for service on a phone no. they don't control. Typical. #
• RT @lokl: Aarrr, shiver me timbers, less than 15 hours until Talk Like A Pirate Day! #
• I don't do #FF. But if I were to, I'd have to recommend @AnnDouglas (politico/author) + alter-ego @MotherOfAll (author/parent). She rocks! #
• Mind you, I also told @tjrossignol that if I ever did #FF, I'd recommend her too. And I do (YVR/mom/marketing/sarcasm) #
• RT @Stv: Anyone out there seen this yet? http://bit.ly/4fmGwl Corner of 5th & Yukon. Is this a new revenue-model for the city? #
• Seriously? GoToMeeting supports Windows and MacOS but not Linux? We have Java/JavaScript and Firefox too you know! #
• RT @braedencaley: Wow. Just Wow. The People's Republic of China prepares for it's 60th Birthday: http://bit.ly/Ingj2 #china #
• LOL. Subscribed to Shaw Digital HD today, somehow my total bill (cable/inet/phone) is going *down*. Huh? #
• RT @nep: Having twins? Both parents will get maternity leave, says the Canada's EI board http://tinyurl.com/npp8n5 #
• A couple of illusions that @cognoscento will dig: http://bit.ly/Snmz7 #
• LOL, awesome. Gotta watch-out for the health of those cockroaches! http://twitpic.com/i88g8 [via @englishwhirled] #
• Poptarts: They're what's for breakfast, lunch, AND supper #
• RT @majornelson Arrrgh. It be tha' time a year again – today it be International Talk Like A Pirate Day http://bit.ly/3XyLbX #
• On the other hand, the new TV remote control survived the 16 foot drop on to tiles without any apparent damage. #
• Me: Looks like @cognoscento wants to be a cornstar. Aidan: Is he wearing a corn costume? Me: What, right now? Probably. http://is.gd/3ccB2 #
• At the playground on Granville Island. Life is good #
• RT @FakeSteveHarper Okay so we spend 5x on election style ads than we do on H1N1 awareness but last I checked diseases didn't win any votes. #

• Ack! Flat tire on/under Lions Gate Bridge. Changed but running late #
• I'm on a mother-loving FERRY #TiredTwitterMemes #
• So the cache is here, dry, and intact. Thanks for nothing lazy cachers! #
• Smart-alec riders passing me in West Van suggested I shave my legs and face to reduce wind resistance. Aw they're just jealous :p #beardcore #
• .@Bradinator Thanks! 150 km ride from Hope to Vancouver coming up next Saturday for @AC_Cyclebetes! #jdrf #bbrw #
• Support #Diabetes, add a #twibbon to your avatar now! – http://twibbon.com/join/Diabetes-3 #
• Tomorrow is the first day of classes at UBC. The bike route will be crammed with doe-eyed cyclists, 80% of whom won't be riding next week #
• I'm surprised that UBCTrek doesn't do more to try to retain those newbies. I mean they've made the effort, they need a push to stick with it #
• Speaking of which, are you one of the poor people who haven't upgraded your wp.org blog? http://bit.ly/14bzdM Oh, n/m you're probably hooped #
• Want to read the 1st chapter of @brandonsandrson's conclusion to The Wheel of Time megaology? http://bit.ly/1GRFkp #
• ./ quote: "Jordan was verbose. He made Tolstoy look parsimonious. A word used a couple times in WoT novels, by the way." Too true. #
• A was a complete snot yesterday, angel today. Parents: "This too will pass" Kids: "Keep 'em guessing" Can't wait until teen years. Le sigh. #
• Jeeze! @LeftCoastMama opened our balcony door only to be greeted by a blast of chimney smoke. WTF YVR? It's 15 C, not the dead of winter! #
• Lighter than normal car and bike traffic to UBC today, parking lots still have lots of space. Is everyone taking transit? #
• RT @whatlolawants @TELUS announces acquisition of Black's: http://ow.ly/ouSq [Uh, strange. What happened to "Black's is photography"?] #
• .@Tweetdeck, could you suck less when Facebook is having problems? Constantly dismissing the login window makes me stabby. #
• Pounding my head against Windows XP's broken user-security implemention. How can file in "All Users" dir not be world-writable by default? #
• In anticipation of Apple Day tomorrow (both Apple Corps and Apple Inc) I'm listening to The Beatles "1". #
• Re-evaluating getting Beatles Rock Band tomorrow. Those are going to be some tough vocals (too high for me!) #
• More cowbell! #
• Cake. #
• RE: Your Brains by @JonathanCoulton on RB has taught me I need more supple wrists. Also we’re not unreasonable no one’s gonna eat your eyes #
• I see this FourSquare thing is going to be just as annoying as the SpyMaster thing. Adds no value to my stream. Let the unfollowing begin! #
• Wow, new #Tweetdeck. I might never visit FB again. #
• Does anyone know of an IRC channel for the Apple event today? #
• Saw total of 3 other cyclists heading into UBC today. Hey newbies! If you don't ride in the rain, you won't ride at all. #YVRBikeCommuters #
• No one came up with an IRC channel for me, but the best live blog for the Apple Rock and Roll event seems to be at gdgt http://is.gd/35cKi #
• Also, if you follow @macrumors they're live-tweeting the event #
• RT @kevleviathan: I'm shocked they didn't add at least a still camera to the iPod Touch. [Ditto. And disappointed.] #
• Well, I think the story of the day will be Apple Corps and not Apple Inc after all. #
• Ugh. @News1130 'Breaking Alert' that a SFU staffer has 'suspected' swine flu. Srsly? It's a MILD flu that lots of ppl will get. #DontPanic #
• Oh my. LOLPython http://bit.ly/A3nlG #python #
• Somebody just "discovered" a geocoin that I have activated but never placed. Archived the log, but WTH? #geocaching #
• Yay for Dependency Walker. Boo for WinSxS and DLL hell. I wasted a good part of today hunting down an errant dll. #ThanksBill #
• The Beatles Rock Band? Awesome. It's easy to forget just how timeless some of those songs are. The game helps you *live* the songs. #
• Quinlan has been awake since 4:30. I'm beat, knackered, exhausted. Gonna be a productive day at work, I'm sure. #
• Hey, look! I'm writing for @dadcamp http://bit.ly/zNjIH #
• .@tjrossignol Thanks, it's my @AC_Cyclebetes kit. 150 km ride from Hope to Vancouver on Saturday (!!) raising money for juvenile diabetes #
• Just watched @JonJennings' video. Want to go buy more CFLs. Also, why do Brits get an extra syllable for "electricity"? http://bit.ly/2U32jQ #
• RT @davidakin Flaherty updates budget. Was $50.2B deficit this year, now $55.9B. Next year, was $29.8B, now $45.3B [Buy the man new darts!] #
• Wow, most politicos seem upset at Harper and Flaherty being off by $6B this year. What about being off by 50% ($15B) NEXT year? #
• RT @danudey: Turned off tweeting from foursquare. Let's not be a dick. [OK, the rest of you, take note.] #
• Tomorrow is #UnfollowFriday and I've got my sights set on Foursquare Twitter abusers. #
• Thanks to A's preschool scheduling a mandatory orientation meeting at 5pm at which kids ARE NOT WELCOME, I have to leave work now. >:( #
• Found @LeftCoastMama scheming with @RaspberryKids outside the Douglas Park Comm. Centre after the inconveniently scheduled preschool meeting #
• Watch out, I think they're up to something … #
• I wonder what @sassjordan thinks about @theellenshow being on Idol. It'd be like having Mary Walsh on Canadian Idol .. wait, I'd watch that! #
• RT @sassjordan: @AnthonyFloyd i think it's the most brilliant move they have ever made- i wish i had thought of it! Fantastic. #
• Hey evening West Coast Tweeps, did you catch my debut on DadCamp? http://bit.ly/V6XLQ #
• And back to Liverpool with our favourite mop-tops…. #BeatlesRockBand #
• The Liberals' rejection of a left-centre coalition is disappointing, disheartening, and contrary to the good of the country. #lpc #elxn41 #
• With such an outright rejection of a coalition in #elxn41 the #lpc shows they are not interested in the good of the country, just power. #
• With more than 60% of the country voting left-centre, why are we letting a right-wing party ruin our country, our ideals, our reputation? #
• When @hedyfry comes to ask for my vote again this year, I will want to know why her party refuses to act in concern with like-minded parties #
• Dammit, inside cat was locked outside on our balcony all night long. Explains why other cat was up and upset all night. #
• Might explain both boys up at 4:30 too. #EveryoneNeedsMoreSleep #
• .@DanGoodchild I'm a typical left-centre undecided. If I sound like a Con, perhaps the #lpc isn't listening closely enough? #elxn41 #
• My #UnfollowFriday #FourSquare purge has begun! Buh-bye, thanks for the pollution! #
• RT @jeffbachman: Biked into work for the first time ever. I need to do this way more often. [Welcome to the cult! Secret passwd on its way!] #
• .@BobSongs In fact, I'd say that the #lpc seems to have lost sight of the fact that's its about the people not the party. #elxn41 #cdnpoli #
• Look #lpc. If you say "Harper = bad" *and* "coalition=never" then you're being inconsistent. #elxn41 #canpoli #
• I don't think this is quite what UBC had in mind when launching their new Web 2.0 feedback page http://bit.ly/8oav1 #
• Wow, CBC reporting Hwy 1 backed up eastbound from Lonsdale, over the 2nd Narrows to the Grandview Hwy exit in Vancouver! #NoBridgesForMe #
• Getting stuff together for my Cyclebetes ride tomorrow — Hope to Vancouver. I'll be tweeting what I can. Join us at Lumberman's Arch 3pm? #
• 100 km in, now in Maple Ridge. Slow leak in frt tire. Pace slowing #
• At water stop, off 1oo km, GPS reads 115. Had another flat, way behind now #
• Taking break in PoCo park. Much needed shade. 35 km to go. #
• Apparently this is the park for the PoCo homeless. I'm the only one here that hasn't taken a whiz on a tree. Yet. #
• Burnaby, what's up with all the hills? Cripes #
• Still in Burnaby, stopped for cold water and breather. Doesn't look like Stanley Park until 5pm #
• Wiped out going around a corner due to damn leaky frt tire. #
• Road rash and bruises from crash. Drive train out of wack. Limped to Vancouver, calling it a day. #
• Good news is that officially did Hope to Vancouver, too bad wasn't right to Stanley Park #
• Thanks everyone for the encouragement and concern! I'm ok #
• Whew long hot day. Between the flat tires, the road rash, and the heat exhaustion, you'd think I'd be cranky. But I *love* being on my bike! #
• Congratulations to all the @ac_cyclebetes riders on a great ride today! Can't wait until next year. Hopefully it'll be a titch cooler :) #
• RT @NathanFillion: And the Emmy goes to… http://yfrog.com/0rlyej [Congrats @NathanFillion @FeliciaDay @drhorrible et al!] #
• Damn Obama looks like he has *fun* at his rallies. Why don't our politicos? #
• You'd think with all the energy I expended today that I'd be dead to the world right now. Well, I'd think at least. And yet, here we are o_o #
• You know, Bach *really* understood music. And someone understands Bach: http://bit.ly/PbKkO #
• RT @dadcamp: We have our first contest! As training camp open – who needs tickets?! tell us your best day ever. http://bit.ly/RZ0Sq #
• A: Why are you being traded? Me: What? G: Well, it'd have to be a pretty awesome trade. Me: What?!? #
• RT @AC_Cyclebetes: Accu-Chek Cyclebetes the biggest bike relay in the world !!! Done #BBRW [congrats!] #

• After a two-week vacation, the University Hill welcomed me back with a big ol' punch to the gut. 150 km @ac_cyclebetes ride in 2 weeks! #
• Much can be learned from the Zen of 4 yr olds: Aidan loves playing the "Try Again" card game at Safeway — he always wins! #
• Although I'd prefer he lost every once and a while, I am amazed at his ability to see the bright side of things! #
• No matter what 'altercation', a normal person doesn't kill a cyclist by running him into a mail box & trees off the wrong side of the road! #
• Looks like I'll miss this YVRTwestival too. Will be biking from Hope to Vancouver with the @ac_cyclebetes crew raising money for JDRF! #
• Blah, blah, blah. Liberals will not back Cons "unless they change direction". Hey LPC? You can only cry "Wolf!" so many times. #Disbelieving #
• Consequence of Liberal inaction? No isotopes, abandoned Canadians overseas, and *27* Conservative senators #FAIL #
• Unbelievable! 747 waterbomber drop video http://tinyurl.com/lb2sn6 (via @CacheAdvance and others) #
• Former Ontario AG charged w/ criminal negl. causing death + dangerous oper. of motor vehicle for running cyclist off road http://is.gd/2LFmH #
• Doesn't look good for the Mt. Wilson observatory http://is.gd/2LGA3 Cali wildfire looks about to consume it (live vid: http://is.gd/2LGdA ) #
• RT @AC_Cyclebetes Wondering where all the diabetes tweeters are? Yo. 100s of people relaying a bike across Canada. Give them a high 5! #bbrw #
• As of this moment right … NOW … we're no longer a Rogers customer. Now to see how well Shaw's digital phone holds up. Buh-bye Rogers! #
• Dear bottle collector. Thanks for waking our 10 month old. 4 fricking times. Go sort your bottles some where else. #
• Sad: Canadian Saturn dealerships disappearing by the end of the year, some within the month! http://is.gd/2NNbK #
• RT @CacheAdvance: #GQotD @TheBadCop Yes; and stroller accessible as well. [Re: Should Terrain 1 caches be wheelchair accessible? AGREED++!] #
• Unexpected geocaching injuries: Sticking your tongue to the GPSr in -42C weather (via @northernpenguin). Erm, maybe he's doing it wrong? #
• BC gov't restores funding to arts groups just one day after defending cuts http://bit.ly/Nb6DF (via @CKNW) #
• RT @citycaucus When cars and cyclists clash, cars always win http://bit.ly/hgdi0 [Good read about cycling in TO] #
• My heart breaks every newscast I hear about that terrible assault on that baby in Winnipeg http://is.gd/2OvXY #
• Interesting, noticed that @cbcnews has closed comments on the Winnipeg baby assault story. I've *never* seen that on a current cbc.ca story #
• Hey! It's @bobsandlolo on CBC Radio 1 (Vancouver) http://is.gd/2Ox2k #
• I'm such a news junkie. Follow @News1130radio too won't you? #
• Seriously Twitter!? A popcorn bot? #
• The biggest bike relay in the world (#bbrw @AC_Cyclebetes) is just outside Thunder Bay right now! http://bit.ly/1UFE9J #
• Won't you join me for the #bbrw leg between Hope and Vancouver on Sept 12th? Follow @AC_Cyclebetes for deets! Support the JDRF + ride! #
• The great thing about the seal-attacks-5yr-old story? Dad ensured the girl had her PFD on the whole time she was dockside. That's awesome. #
• Everyone had more sleep last night. Not enough sleep, mind you, but Q slept more than not. A big change from the night before. #
• I walked out of a meeting and the damned thing followed me to my desk. #IHateCubeFarms #
• Bottled our Urban Reserve Pinot Grigio today. The whole process felt like cheating, both in effort and cheating on the local wineries :) #
• http://twitpic.com/gfjbl – This is a *huge* crane on the north side of False Creek #
• Disappointed that SOC will even entertain @pmharper's attempts to hold himself above the Constitution #OmarKhadr #
• Disappointed that the SCC will even entertain @pmharper's attempt to hold himself above the Constitution #OmarKhadr #
• RT @spectraversa: Only in Vancouver. http://twitpic.com/gcdnv (via @CanuckMakem) {This. Is. Awesome!] #
• RT @ProvidentMike http://twitpic.com/ggz36 Last resort used today to get parking issues resolved [Sometimes passive-agressive works!] #
• RT @realreporter: Remarkable story. Stray dog kept tot missing in Yukon wilds warm and gave him company, RCMP say http://bit.ly/VuIxS #
• Been looking to pick up a new guitar for Rock Band. Today at ToysRUs, got GHIII w/ guitar for $39. #
• Been looking to replace a broken Guitar Hero guitar, picked up GHIII w/ guitar for $39 from ToysRUs today. Most excellent. #
• RT @gresco With the seal and cougar attacks of the past couple of days pardon me for being alarmed as a squirrel darted out from my carport. #
• http://twitpic.com/gnhgt – It don't mean a thing if you ain't got that SWING #
• RT @trishussey: Update. WordPress. NOW. http://bit.ly/14bzdM [Much more informative than the wordpress.org blog post!] #
• Oh. My. God. If this boy doesn't re-learn how to sleep, we're going to become completely unhinged. #
• And then, of course, there's the insomnia that results from dealing with him. Argh. #
• Analysis of Toronto police reports of bike-car accidents said in 90% car driver was at fault http://bit.ly/a1COM (via @rhh) #
• Banana, graham cracker, nectarine, and apple juice, when all squished together by a baby makes a formidable paste. Just sayin'. #
• Riding to Bowen tomorrow to check on a cache. Anyone want to join me for the ride? #