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adventuresMar 21, 2022
A Sunstar pickpocket named Stephanie
It's not every day a Sunstar tries to steal your watch. China Creek Campground is located on the Alberni Inlet just outside of Port Alberni proper and is home to a dizzying array…
essaysApr 12, 2022
Of Gravity and Lampshades
This story is a glimpse into my accident-prone life. You might be feeling a little queasy looking at the photo of my youngest son jumping off a cliff into a relatively small bit…
adventuresJan 28, 2022
Mike’s Big and Wet Underwater Adventure Activity Book
How bad do you have to be at biting stuff that evolution gives you ‘endless teeth’? I’m speaking, of course, about our friends beneath the waves, the shark. Earlier today, I was…
100 days — writingAug 23, 2026
Crime Scene
Charlie and Mabel were left for dead in a snowbank two years ago. We took them in and gave them a job: watch the shop, report anything unusual. Today, no girls. Just an open window and a light rain.
work & creativityJan 8, 2022
The World is Your Oyster
This past week I've been working on a couple of really fun client projects while trying to balance my "day job" with personal projects, and I'm pleased to announce everything is…
life at homeJan 3, 2022
The Story of Estevan
There are patterns that occur in life which can inform you if you are in fact doing well or are about to watch your atoms skitter off madly in all directions. In my case, the…
adventuresFeb 7, 2022
Adventures In Boracay: Part I
A few years ago, Jenn and I went to the Philippines and decided to spend a week on the island of Boracay. My eldest son Keegan had been before and highly recommended it as it had…
camp covidJan 24, 2021
Life and Times at Camp Covid
The gritty truth behind life in quarantine Catch up on the rest of the story and read the tales of 'Camp COVID' in order: 1. Alive and Well at Camp Covid 2. Adventures at Camp…
camp covidFeb 15, 2021
Camp Covid Epilogue
So, This Is How It All Ends Catch up on the rest of the story and read the tales of 'Camp COVID' in order: 1. Alive and Well at Camp Covid 2. Adventures at Camp Covid 3. Life and…
camp covidJan 19, 2021
Alive and Well at Camp Covid
What started with a close contact and a couch at the studio quickly turned into a full-blown quarantine staycation—welcome to Camp Covid, Alberta-style. From deep throat swabs to Frankenlamps and food trays delivered like prison rations, this is the surreal, oddly cozy tale of isolation with a view.
adventuresJan 24, 2022
Old Dog Tricks
As much as I like to entertain people, I also want to educate, to wit: In 1523, a book was published called ‘ John Fitzherbert’s Book of Husbandry’ ; in it, Fitzherbert postulated…
work & creativityJan 25, 2022
Grammar Bot
The other day my good friend Neville Chamberlain wrote a blog post about how checklists help him get stuff done without (too) many errors. He also has taken on the 100-day writing…
adventuresFeb 5, 2022
Quicksand, Crawdads and Gangsters
It's starting to feel like Spring (again) in Calgary , with temperatures in the double-digits on the plus side beginning this weekend. Will it snow again? Probably. Are we in…
adventuresFeb 8, 2022
Adventures In Boracay: Part II
Getting off the ferry was just as harrowing as getting on the ferry, but we made it, damn it. Dragging our luggage kicking and screaming onto the lush island of Boracay, we…
adventuresFeb 9, 2022
Adventures In Boracay: Part III
Life on Boracay had settled into an easy rhythm. I’d wake up early to work, later Jenn and I would have breakfast, go for long walks on the beach and then swim back to the hotel…
life at homeFeb 13, 2022
Supreme Ruler of the Universe
Newton is Jenn's cat. He's been through many moves in his life—I couldn't say how many, Jenn would know—heck, in the last couple of years that Jenn and I have been together, we've…
life at homeFeb 18, 2022
One Of The Morning People
Everything is better in the morning. Coffee is better. Bacon and eggs are better. Pancakes, while delicious anytime, are better in the morning. Sunrises are better in the morning;…
work & creativityFeb 21, 2022
Dropbear and Panda GTFO
It’s time to recharge, refocus, and re-evaluate our next great adventures It's almost next week. And next week means a week away from Calgary and over to nearby Canmore for a…
essaysApr 14, 2022
The Adventures of Hunch Nut
You may not want to read about this. Welcome to Day 96 of the 100 Days Project. As you have likely learned, there have been many weird and surreal times in my life. As I sat down…
camp covidJan 29, 2021
Leaving Camp Covid
After weeks in isolation, ‘Camp Covid’ is finally in the rearview—bittersweet as it may be. Through media attention, unexpected friendships, and an endless supply of hotel soap, this experience has been a strange but powerful reminder that kindness, connection, and a good sense of humour can get you through anything.
life at homeApr 11, 2022
51 Dargie-Approved Recipes
How to Make Sure Your Coffee Cake Can't Escape. I'm not big into deserts, but I'm a sucker for my mom's Coffee Cake. So what does one do when one is craving said Coffee Cake? Yes,…
adventuresNov 15, 2020
Space Walk 2020
Captain's Log: Autumn 2020. The Global COVID-19 Pandemic is really starting to ramp up for the 'Second Wave' and masks are now mandatory in all indoor public places; Safeway…
life at homeJan 10, 2022
The Great Basil Shortage
It’s the great basil shortage of 2022 and it’s happening at exactly the wrong time—not that there’s ever a right time for a basil shortage. When you’ve got great olive oil and…
100 days — writingSep 14, 2026
Theatre Fun
There will probably be houses of straw, sticks and brick. There may be a talent show rap-battle-dance-off. We don't know yet, and that's most of the reason I keep coming back.