Lilypie Pregnancy tickers

Friday, June 20, 2008

Chebucto Disaster Planning


Hi folks, all is well with the pregnancy (baby is now the size of bell pepper, in case you were wondering, 5 inches long and 7 ounces). We'll try to get some belly shots up soon.

The first picture links to my latest column. The second links to a story I didn't write but that I've reported on - it's just FYI, sad conclusion to a sordid affair: cars 1, people 0.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Good News About Exposing the Bulldozers


Hi folks, some more exciting news for me today. I have been invited to join the Writer's Council of the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia. This, in my mind, sort of lands me as an official professional writer/journalist in this province. By year's end I should have a website up with the Federation featuring a list of publications, bio, and photo - sort of an online brochure.

Also, two stories in the Coast again this week. Click on the pics to see those. The second story is some surprising good news on a story I've been following for some time.

--CB

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Quick Update

Hi all,

Quick baby updates: Miia's starting to show (we'll have to post some belly pics soon) which is super-exciting; and we've heard the baby's heartbeat on 3 separate occasions now (twice with the mid-wife and once with a nurse practitioner). The first time we were so excited we cried. Baby's heart is beating a steady 140+ beats a minute.

I leave you with a few pictures from Halifax's largest ever critical mass bike ride (which I wrote about in the Coast), the subsequent Bicycle Idol singer/songwriter contest, and a dandelion festival (which included a Samba/Bossanova concert and a stay in a windmill-shaped motel) we went to on the Northumberland Strait (NS side) last weekend, and a couple from around the house.




















Friday, June 06, 2008

Liking Biking in a Faux Democracy with Fewer Schools

Three new publications this week: my Coast column, a Coast cover story/feature, and a cover story/feature for the NS Policy Review. The latter doesn't publish its stories online but I linked to its table-of-contents just for fun. You can read the other two by clicking on the pictures:

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Consulting Crisis















Hi folks, two articles this week, click on the pics for your reading pleasure.

Monday, May 19, 2008

HUGE news!



















Lots of news, but the biggest piece has to do with Miia's belly, which now contains little 'Shrimpy', our baby-to-be! Miia is 13 weeks along and we're having lots of fun reading 'Birthing for Dummies' - kidding - visiting the doctor and midwife, and thinking ahead. Miia has some nausea and fatigue but is otherwise great, strong, healthy, happy, as you can see in the photos. The official due date is November 20.

Of course Miia's mom (Aiti) couldn't resist coming to see her pregnant daughter. She's had fun at garage sales, Peggy's Cove, the art gallery, and on a visit to my parents and grandma, who shares Aiti's love of gardening. Aiti is fixing up our garden real nice.

In some lesser, but still significant, news, I got into King's College journalism school but declined the spot. It would have been fun but I'm already getting a fair bit of work freelance writing, particularly my regular gig for The Coast, and I'm enjoying the balance between journalism, PR-type writing for NGOs, creative writing, and policy work on pesticides. Seemed more important, for now, to get a year of paid local work as a freelancer than a year of I-pay-them training.

Otherwise, we're settling in here in Hali, a great little capital city with a good sense of community. With the nice summer weather we bought a little barbeque and we've chucked the frisbee around some in the Commons with friends. I play basketball weekly with the youth from Miia's work, which is lots of fund.

We also just learned we'll be able to stay in our current home at least another year, which makes us really happy. We hope to do a home birth here if all goes smoothly. The cats like it here too. Bosh has of course befriended many of the neighbours and makes his rounds daily. As you may notice in the photo little Moon has just been neutered and will soon take to the streets. Fortunately Hali's absurd cat by-law has been stalled. Now Council can go back to investing in parking.

There's also a picture here of our good friends Jason and Jocelyn, who are great fun, and my friend Toast at open mic night. He came for a visit from Bristol England.



Happy Spring to all!

-Chris

Friday, May 09, 2008

Book Title Poll

Down to three potential titles for my novel. Please tell me your personal favourite:

Living in the Dirt
Child of Earth
Drive-by Saviours

Thanks kindly for your feedback.


-CB

Poop Scoop


Click on the pic for my part two of my sludge story.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Bio-not-so-solids


Click the link for my latest column.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Harbour Non-Solutions


Click on the picture for my latest story in The Coast.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Upside's Down


Click the pic to see my latest column. They put my name on this one but the sketch is of the guy who used to write it. We're getting there: