Dreams: Frogs and vans

Two recent dreams:

Frogs

I am in the hallway of some kind of school, possibly a college or university. For some reason the floor is carpeted. There are several people with me that I know in the dream, but I can’t recall if they were actual or dream people. Doors to nearby classrooms are open. There is a lot of water on the carpet, leaving it quite saturated in some spots. There are some green frogs scattered about, one a fairly big size (for a frog), the others small.

I am wearing blue jeans. I look down at one of my legs and see the jeans are wet. It is not because I failed to get to the loo in time, it’s just water. But from that water emerges a tiny frog, as if manifesting from the frog dimension and onto my leg. It hops onto the floor and joins the other frogs. I see more frogs appear out of the saturated carpet.

Before the frogs can take over the world, which was undoubtedly their plan, I awaken.

The Delivery Van

Or possibly a moving van, but I’m pretty sure it was a delivery van. I am riding shotgun and the driver is a nervous young guy, maybe 18 or 19. We are returning the van to the lot from which it was rented/borrowed. I am aware the van is semi-autonomous, but the kid is driving and in full control.

We get to the lot and there is another similar van there, which becomes relevant shortly.

From a room with large glass windows, almost like a control tower at an airport, a supervisor of some sort guides us in. He tells the kid over the radio to line the van up with some kind of docking mechanism. The important part is, just as the van connects, the kid has to push a comically large button on the dashboard. The kid muffs on the timing and the van fails to dock. This causes it to wheel off back into the lot and somehow it becomes more autonomous and sort of out of control, but very slowly out of control. Think of the steamroller in the first Austin Powers move, like that.

The supervisor from the control room somehow manages to climb into the driver’s side to take over. The kid has either disappeared or got out real quiet-like, making me wonder why I couldn’t have done the same. The other delivery van is kind of looping around us and while it’s not explicitly stated, I understand this is a bad thing.

The supervisor gives me a big key and produces another identical to it. He says we both need to insert our keys into slots on the dashboard at the same time and turn them. “Like firing nukes,” I say, “except we’re the nukes?” He laughs, but in a nervous way.

Sadly, I wake up before finding out what happened next. It’s too bad, because I really wanted to know!

41!

41 apps now need updating. For a while it was 40, then dropped to 39, then went back up to 40, and now it’s 41.

To me, this is the most interesting game I have on my iPhone. How many apps can get queued for updates before something forces itself? I suspect I will find out soon.

In Apple-adjacent news, Jonathan Horst, who got kicked out of Linus Media Group because his YouTube channel Mac Address was too clever and different, is back with a new channel called Think Different. I like his style and approach (though not his newly shorn head). His first video is a delightful rant against Liquid Glass and flat design. Good stuff.

Run 1,007: The chipper and me

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Calm, cloudy, but not cold.

My watch suggested a rest day yesterday, so I obeyed it. I then decided to run today for a few reasons:

  • To minimize the gap between runs (to three days)
  • The forecast for my usual run day of Friday is poo (well, rain)

So I set off to do a short loop at the lake and fought the urge to do more (I did not do more).

I wore three layers because it was a little cooler and there was a bit of a breeze. This turned out to be OK for the walk to the lake and the run itself, though two layers would have sufficed, but it came in handy on the walk back as I cooled off and the wind picked up again.

As for the run, I chose to go clockwise because I could hear what sounded like wood being cut nearby and I was intrigued. It turned out that half of the Avalon parking lot was closed off for a big ol’ tree chipping ceremony. They were spreading the chips in the forested bit between the parking lot and the trail, maybe as a bed for the bugs and critters or something. I assume the trees being fed into the chipper were sick/dead or had fallen.

Thar she blows!

Possibly due to the cooler temperature, the lack of energizing sunshine or not stretching beforehand (there was clutter in my usual stretching spot and I was too lazy to move the stuff, which is ironic considering I went out and ran 5K immediately after), I was slower, but my pace of 5:46/km is cromulent. I didn’t experience any issues. And the trail was much more sparsely populated compared to Sunday.

In the last km I did something I rarely do–I started to stretch out my gait, effectively speeding up without necessarily putting more energy into the run. I started this with only about 20 seconds left, so it had no effect on my pace, but it felt good and I may experiment more with this in the future.

Overall, a perfectly fine outing.

The lake, post-run. as seen from the turtle nesting area.

Stats:

Run 1,007
Average pace: 5:46/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW, short loop)
Start: 11:26 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:59
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 7°C
Humidity: 76-73%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 168.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,865 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (125/193/318)

Music: Accelerate, R.E.M.

Some shots from around town, February 10, 2026

I was going to post these shots yesterday, but because I had a terrible sleep the night before, then somehow decided it was a good idea to walk 29,000+ steps the next day, I fell asleep instead.

Here they are, using FooGallery’s adorably kitschy Polaroid theme.

I accidentally littered today

And I feel bad.

When I was at the store, I bought a regular-size Aero bar, because I’d just walked something like 4 km and felt I’d earned the bubbly chocolate calories. But I kept the wrapper in a pocket of my hoodie, because I wanted to enter the calorie particulars into my food total for the day, as I do. If I’m going to indulge, I need to track it!

It was sunny and surprisingly warm wearing my lined hoodie, so I took my hands out of the pockets and just let them hang at my sides, like some clever ape. When I put my hands back in the pockets later, the Aero wrapper was gone. Apparently I’d either pulled it out without noticing, or it had just quietly slipped out on its own.

I thought about retracing my steps, but the wrapper could have been anywhere along a 1+ km route and might have blown onto the road or something, so I just kept walking home, feeling guilty.

And it made me wonder, how much litter is accidental? Maybe not a lot, but I know for sure now that some of it is.

In the meantime, enjoy this 1976 McDonald’s anti-litter commercial. I remember this!

I read the news today, oh boy

(Yes, I am misquoting the lyric, but that’s to be technically correct–the best kind of correct!)

Specifically, I scanned the CBC News site. Did I leave better informed? Marginally. Did it make me feel better? Absolutely not.

I’ve learned my lesson. Next time, I’ll be more careful when I let me attention slip and go wandering websites.

Here is frantically typing cat, which I will aspire not to be when I’m surfing the net, as one does.

(Also, any excuse to post this gif.)

Favourite toots

A toot is what some people call posts on Mastodon, the federated, decentralized social media service (and the only social media I check in on anymore). I saw this today, found it delightful and I am sharing it here, as the tenets of social media dictate:

Oh, and a link, too:

My favorite kinds of toots:

– I thought this was interesting.
– I went outside, this is what I saw.
– I’m making something.
– I’m trying something new.
– This is my jam. (Any kind of jam.)
– I made a thing and I’m proud!
– I’m bad at it a thing, but I’m sharing anyway!
– This is my important animal or person.
– Whimsical shitpost.
– Real life mundane thing.— Steven Hoefer (@troublewithwords@wandering.shop)

Apple Music: That’s a nice album you got there, be a shame if something happened to it

I didn’t mention this in my post-run report today, but I had planned to listen to the R.E.M. album Accelerate on my run. It is a very good album for running, as the title might indicate.

Except it wasn’t there in Apple Music when I searched by (Downloaded) Albums on my iPhone 12:

Also, I have no idea why Abbey Road is listed twice.

I checked under (Downloaded) Artists:

And it turns out two R.E.M. albums are missing, Accelerate (2008) and Collapse Into Now (2011). These are albums I own, not just streaming ones I’ve downloaded. And they are albums I have listened to many times on my iPhone (Accelerate, in particular). I have not touched my music library in any way. Where did they go? Only Apple knows. Actually, Apple probably doesn’t know. But the bigger question is: Why is Apple disappearing albums I’ve actually purchased? It’s like the company is actively trying to push me away.

And guess what? It’s working! I am starting a trial of Deezer.

Run 1,006: The Miracle

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Calm, sunny and mild. Pseudo-spring!

I went running for the first time since Monday and it went surprisingly well. In fact, I posted my best pace in some time (5:37/km). I think there were several factors here:

  • Mild temperature–10C!
  • Sunny (so warm in the sun I had to shed a layer)
  • I was obviously well-rested

Because I went on a Sunday and it was sunny after a day of steady rain yesterday, the trail was fairly packed, but it was actually fine. There was only one real traffic jam and I managed to avoid it. Despite the rain, the trail had enough time to largely dry out, so there was no puddle dodging required.

I originally planned a short loop, but changed my mind and just ran a straight 5K. I started planning ahead, thinking how I’d have to loop back a bit to complete all 5 km, in order to avoid the flooded areas along the sports field.

And that’s when I saw it, The Miracle:

Resurfaced trail? Here? What mad sorcery is this?

Yes, since the last time I was here, a park crew came in and resurfaced the entire floody stretch of trail next to the sports field. And so far it seems to be working, as the water was still getting right up to the edge of the trail but so far, not spilling onto it:

We’ll see how long the water remains at bay (water joke).

This may not seem like a big deal, but I’ve been running at Burnaby Lake for 15 years, and they have never resurfaced this stretch, so it is a cause for celebration.

Being able to finish a good run without having to dodge around muck and mire and massive puddles was a very nice way to end today’s exercise.

Still Creek, post-run: Very still.

Stats:

Run 1,006
Average pace: 5:37/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:21 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:16
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 10°C
Humidity: 75-72%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 170.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,860 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (120/185/305)

Music: About Face, David Gilmour

Speaking of the 1980s and the existential threat of nuclear war…

In the previous post, I talked about David Gilmour’s album About Face. Released in 1984, it has the fear of nuclear war coursing through multiple tracks., It made me suddenly remember a poster I had as a kid.

I got my own bedroom when I was 14. This was a very big deal for me, because it meant I could listen to my own music, got to have the family’s second TV (our first colour set) and I could express myself with a carefully curated collection of art and posters, as befits the sophisticated tastes of a 14-year-old teen.

I had this poster hanging on the inside of the door of my main closet (the upstairs closets of our house were weirdly large–I actually had two walk-in closets in my bedroom):

Step 7 always made me laugh and it felt edgy having a poster in my room with the word “ass” on it. I must admit, it still makes me laugh today, because it was and is so very correct.

A few thoughts on a few (old) albums

Not reviews, just thoughts!

Out of Time (R.E.M.)

After my fiasco of trying to listen to the album on a run, I grabbed it and listened to it in full a day or so later at home. I can see why people pick Automatic For the People as R.E.M.’s best album–it’s more cohesive and arguably more “mature” (it also has a better title and album art).

But Out of Time has something Automatic lacks–a sense of joyful experimentation. The band spent a lot of time experimenting in the latter half of their career, especially after drummer Bill Berry left, but a lot of it feels weird or kind of indulgent (or worse, a bit boring!)

Out of Time is a band doing new things and having a blast with it. Every member is present and fully participating–you even get two Mike Mills lead vocals (one because Michael Stipe couldn’t finish writing lyrics to “Texarkana” so Mills took over, rewrote the song, dropped any reference to Texarkana and ended up with one of the best tracks on the album).

Everyone remembers “Losing My Religion”, which centred around a mandolin, or the goofy “Shiny Happy People”–which may have had a more sinister meaning, even as the band dismissed it later as a children’s song (the video, which I’ve commented on before, is peak 90s), but the album is chock-full of what the kids call deep cuts, ranging from a rare instrumental (“Endgame”) to the eminently silly but catchy “Radio Song” in which Stipe deadpans the phrase “Hey hey hey” repeatedly. It makes excellent use of Kate Pierson of the B-52s on a couple of tracks. Even the song “Fretless”, which didn’t make the album, is great. The B-sides are A-sides.

Anyway, you should listen to it.

About Face (David Gilmour)

This was Gilmour’s second solo album, released in 1984 and when it seemed Pink Floyd was done (he would reconstitute the band without Roger Waters and release a new album three years later). Unlike his first solo effort in 1978, which has a loose, dreamy feel, About Face is What If Pink Floyd Made a Pop Album?

Gilmour has been a bit bagged on for his skill as a lyricist, but on About Face, he keeps things simple, direct–and sometimes surprisingly cheeky. My favourite example is “Cruise”, a breezy song with a soaring chorus that is, literally, about cruise missiles. Gilmour is clearly not impressed:

Saving our children, saving our land
Protecting us from things we can’t understand
Power and Glory, Justice and Right
I’m sure that you’ll help us to see the light
And the love that you radiate will keep us warm
And help us to weather the storm

“And the love that you radiate will keep us warm” is a great bit of word play.

Then:

Please don’t take what I’m saying amiss
Or misunderstand at a time such as this
Because if such close friends should ever fall out
What would there be left worth fighting about

Same for “if such close friends should ever fall out.” So cheeky.

He conscripted Pete Townsend to write three sets of lyrics and used two, the standout being “All Lovers Are Deranged”, which combines a furious guitar with lyrics both savage and droll:

You know that you don’t really fall in love
Unless you’re seventeen
The break of day will make your spirits fly
But you can’t know what it means
Unless you’re seventeen

Unlike with PF, here we get a brass section on the kicking “Blue Light” and while the album has the shadow of the Cold War hanging over it (it was 1984, after all), the whole thing remains eminently catchy and well-crafted. Apparently Gilmour was a bit dismissive of the album as being very 80s upon the release of his next solo album in 2006 (yes, 22 years later), but apart from the lyrics, it achieves a kind of timelessness as the songs swing between Gilmour’s concise acoustic strumming and him thrashing in a way he rarely did with Pink Floyd. It’s worth the nostalgia trip to see what might have been, if Pink Floyd hadn’t returned.