Palmer's World

Short version: I managed to snag two general admission tickets to see Coldplay in Toronto next summer. Life is good.

Long version: I managed to get an email saying I was chosen to take part in the Ticketmaster presale. Total score!

But I soon realized that everyone in the world probably got the same email if they signed up for the presale.

How do I know? Let me spin you a yarn…

At 8:30 i entered the ‘waiting room’. You just wait there.

At 9:00am everyone in the waiting room goes into the queue. When a screen popped up it said there were 57,316 users ahead of me in the queue.

To put this into perspective, the new Rogers Stadium they are going to build in Toronto should hold around 50,000 people!

The outlook was pretty bleak 1.5 hours later as I sat there staring at the fact that I was now around 46,923 users ahead of me. I was reading on a Reddit thread that general admission had already sold out of its presale allotment (that would need to be confirmed…not sure if they allow presales to sell out an entire stadium or not) and the rest of the tickets were VIP $500+ tickets.

But all hope was not lost! I saw a pop up informing me two dates had been added to the Toronto tour and I could hop over and join that queue! I left my original queue at 24,000 and hopped to another one which was putting me at 21,000 users ahead of me. Again, this is completely random placement from the waiting room. I ended up losing my concert bud Claude by moving to the July 12th queue because it turned out he couldn’t make it that day and he only got back to me with that fact when I was already in the queue. I wasn’t taking any chances.

An hour later, the queue crept down and I managed to get into buy tickets! Hope was lost for a few minutes when I couldn’t find anything under $500 but I just kept refreshing and sure enough, two tickets popped up and I nabbed them for my bud Etienne and I.

I felt like I won the lottery. Is that the feeling they are going for these days?

The show is smack dab in the middle of Bluesfest.  I’m not entirely sure if Coldplay would come to Bluesfest itself…it’s a possibility considering their Toronto tour brings them to town on a Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday so who knows if Ottawa will pull off a miracle and bring this great band in the middle of the week.  

Either way, I have some options open if that happens now that I have some tickets in hand!

For about six months now we had issues with our recessed lights in the basement.  These lights were installed in 2018 when our basement flooded.

They were doing some eerie things.  You would turn the switch on and one would illuminate.  You try again and all six would turn on.  Or you turn them on and 4 would be at 25% illumination and two would be off.  All seemingly random.

To this day, I still don’t know what the actual problem was, but after testing out new switches and new recessed lighting along with Gaetan, we realized that putting new recessed lighting in did the trick so that’s what we stuck with.  Maybe a strange surge affected all six lights?  Or maybe they just all decided to die on me at the same time?  I have no idea.

At first I thought replacing the lighting would be a pain but it was actually quite simple.

1. Turn breaker off.
2. Disconnect the LED light from the driver box.  Here’s a photo of the box.

3. Take LED light out.  Watch your fingers near those springs!

4. If your light is at the end of a line (imagine six lights all strung together and you are working on the last one), then you will see two black wires going into a plastic connector.  If you are working on lights in the middle of the series then you will see three black wires going into a plastic connector.  You will also see three white into another connector and three grounds going into a final connector.

Here’s a photo of the final driver in the series of six lights.  Note that there are only two wires into each connector.

5. To take the wires out, just wiggle the connector while pulling the wire out.  I didn’t know this at first and was trying to pull them out with wiggling and it was a pain.

6. Once you have taken all the wires out, you can use some pliers to squeeze the grey plastic protector protecting the actual home wiring to get it out of the driver case.  Dispose of the case afterwards.

7. Crack open the new driver case and connect all the black wires into the black connector, etc etc etc.

From here everything should be simple.

Here are some notes to remind me of what to do the next time.

1. Find the original uncompressed file you want to edit.
2. Let’s say this file is ‘1994 summer’ from the Cantin Home Movie collection.
3. Go into your hard drive and within the 1994 folder create a folder called ‘1994 Uncompressed video files from Cantin Home Movies’
4. In this folder, we will create a Final Cut library file.
5. Open Final Cut and click New -> Library.
6. Save it in the folder you created a few steps before.  Generally I stick with calling the Library the same name as the video file that I found so in this case I would call it 1994 summer.
7. Next, we will create an event.  Click New->Event.  I generally call the event the same as the tape name.  I also check the box for ‘create new project’.
8. You will see that whatever you called it (example: 1994 summer) will show up in the library.  I generally rename it to Footage so it looks like this:

9. Next up, let’s drag and drop some footage into the Footage folder.  Go back to the original 1994 summer tape footage within Finder and drag it here.

10. It will copy the file into the library.  Once it’s fully copied over, you can delete the original file.

11. Drag the footage onto timeline.

Not the greatest screenshot but it shows that you dragged it onto the timeline and also I used the blade tool (click B on the keyboard) and sliced some footage up.

12. Use the blade tool and slice up the clips you want.  The first one is easy.  The next ones are a bit more tricky.  You have to remember to zoom in and make sure that the beginning and the end are what you want in your clip.  I’ve found sometimes I get a second of another clip on either end sometimes and have to redo it.  ALSO, you need to move the playhead to the beginning of the clip or sometimes it will export the entire file.

13. Now you want to share it and create a compressed version.  The trick here is that if you don’t select the actual clip in the timeline beforehand, it will process the entire file.  But it’s not as simple as just clicking and highlighting the clip you want.  You need to highlight it and then press x on the keyboard.  I can’t remember what this actually does…I think it selects the in and out points of the clip you selected.  Now you can compress it.

14.  Click File -> Share -> HEVC.

15. The name of the file should be very specific to what you want that particular clip to be.  If possible, use a file name like “1994-07-03 Perce Rock”.  I never bother changing the description, name, tags, etc.  Maybe I should?

16. Here are the settings I’ve played around with.  Format: Computer tends to not compress it as much compared to something for an iphone.

Video codec: HEVC 10-bit seems to work great.  I tried something with HDR before and it didn’t really work on old footage.

Action: Save Only prevents it from opening up the file to play back afterwards.  I found that annoying.

You can also scrub the preview to see if you missed some ins and outs.

16a. Check the exported file for in and out points.  Make sure no other clips appear at the ends.

17. Save it on your hard drive with a very specific folder like “1994-08-xx Party Filles”.  Name the file the same.

That’s it!  I generally put it on Google Photos after this process as well and add it to a family album.  Don’t forget to change the date after uploading to Google Photos!

Speaking of Google Photos, I was uploading videos once and it took six hours.  I think I figured out that it was an uncompressed video file.  Maybe Google Photos tries to compress it at the same time?  regardless, try and compress your files before uploading.  It takes a minute instead of hours.

 

This summer the family decided to go on an adventure with Mabel and Dipper and watch Gravity Falls.  It premiered in 2012 so it’s an older show but animation back in 2012 but pretty amazing so it doesn’t feel dated.

The show follows the adventures of Mabel and Dipper who are from California and have to spend the summer with their Great Uncle Stan in the town of Gravity Falls.  Stan is an odd fellow who runs the Mystery Shack…a tourist attraction of oddities from around the Gravity Falls.

The characters are funny and memorable and the mysteries within Gravity Falls are fun for the kids (and adults!) to be interested in.  Season 2 really kicks things into gear and the series ended in a great way.  Fate had us watch the series finale on the last day of our summer and it coincided with Mabel and Dipper’s last day of the summer in Gravity Falls.  It is a show we will associate with the Summer of 2024 and we are even trying to convince Maman to dress up for Halloween as characters from the show.

Here’s a note for future self:

If you have AVCHD files to export:

1. Create a new library in Final Cut Pro.  If it’s for something specific, save it in the appropriate folder.  Otherwise just create a random library to export files to.  You’re just using the export feature, not creating a timeline or anything.
2. With the new library created, click on the Date that it created within the library.  Within here you can drag media to import.
3. Click File->Share->HEVC
4. Go to info tab
   1. Format: Computer Video Codec: HEVC 10-bit Resolution: Whatever the original was (which was 1920×1080 when I was working on it).  Action: Save Only otherwise it will open every file.

A note about the Video Codecs…I originally chose HEVC 10-Bit (Dolby Vision).  This made the videos turn dark but they were HDR.  I’m not an expert on HDR so I’m not sure if I can take a video from 2013 which wasn’t captured in HDR and then…make it HDR?  Not sure.  I decided to just stick with 10-bit HEVC without the HDR so the videos would be brighter.  Not sure if that was a mistake if I want to make use of my awesome HDR television but at the moment, it’s not like I have any other HDR devices.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pressure_cooker_paella_with_chicken_and_sausage/

I modified this recipe to make it easier (I didn’t heat the broth with the saffron ahead of time…

The recipe below is my modified recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 pound (3 to 4) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (325g) short- or medium-grain rice (I used white rice)

Method
1. Cook the vegetables, chicken, and sausage in the pressure cooker:
Select the “Sauté” setting on your electric pressure cooker and add the oil and garlic. Sauté until little bubbles of oil form around the garlic and it becomes aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Stir in the onion and bell pepper. Sauté until they have softened a little bit, 3 to 4 more minutes. Stir in the paprika and salt, and sauté for one more minute.

3. Add the chicken and sausage and stir to combine. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, until the chicken has turned opaque. It’s ok if the chicken is still a little pink in the middle.

4. Cook the vegetables and stir in the chicken and sausage for the instant pot paella

5. Scrape the bottom of the pan:
Add a splash of the hot broth to the pan and use it to scrape up any browned bits that have developed on the bottom of the pan. These browned bits add a lot of flavor to the dish, so don’t skip this step. (This also helps prevent the dish from burning on the bottom during cooking!)

7. Add the remaining ingredients and the broth:
Stir in the rice, then pour in the rest of the hot broth with the peas. Push down any grains of rice from the sides of the pot, making sure that everything is submerged in the cooking liquid.

8. Pour the chicken broth and peas over the other ingredients for making instant pot paella

9. Stir all the ingredients for instant pot paella together before pressure cooking.

10. Pressure cook the paella:
Secure the lid on the pressure cooker, and make sure the pressure regulator is in its “Sealing” position. Cancel the “Sauté” cooking program, then select the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” program and set the cooking time to 5 minutes at high pressure.

The pot will take 5 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure, and then the cooking program will begin counting down.

11. Release the pressure:
When the cooking program ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure by moving the pressure regulator to its “Venting” position.

release the steam from the instant pot

Serve:
When the pressure has fully released, open the pot. Scoop onto plates, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve it piping hot. Leftovers will keep for about a week.

You may get a crust of dark caramelization and crunchy rice at the bottom of the pan — this is ok! This is called “socarrat” and is traditional for paella. Just mix it in and enjoy!

Notes:
– I should try the smoked paprika next time as the recipe suggests.
– Kids didn’t like the green pepper or the onion.

To my knowledge, summer 2024 would have been the first time I caught the covid virus.  I wanted to write down what I went through for historical record.  This was quite the whopper of a virus back in 2020 but in the year 2024, perhaps it’s a different thing altogether.

On Wednesday July 24th I woke up with a sore throat.  I also tested positive.  We did end up tracking it back to an outdoor lunch with Joe on our back patio as he later contacted me saying that he was sick after seeing us and to our knowledge, he must have caught it from someone at work.

Considering the interactions with Joe were completely outside and I don’t remember swapping utensils, I would say that this particular virus strain is quite contagious.

Anyhow, Wednesday came with a minor sore throat and general lack of energy.  I remember going for a nap in the early afternoon and being woken to a tornado alert.  While I napped, the rest of the family spent the afternoon in the basement.  Vero figures this is where Ezra might have caught the virus eventually.

The next day the kids and Vero went off to the cottage we had rented for a few days.  I was unable to attend.  Thursday and Friday my sore throat had gone away but I was generally on energy and appetite and going through a million kleenex.  By Saturday the family had returned early from the cottage because Ezra had a cough and had tested positive as well.  Luckily by Saturday I was back in shape overall with a lingering runny nose over the next week.  But I’m talking about blowing my nose five times in a day vs. 500 times in a day.

The only other symptom I can report on was having a hard time falling asleep.  There would be a few nights where I see the clock and it’s still 2 or 3am.  I felt this lingering side effect went away after a week.

Vero ended up testing positive a few days after Ezra.  She also had similar symptoms along with a fever on the first day (from what I remember while typing this).  Ezra had a pretty bad cough throughout a few nights but overall, I would say that we all made it out with what we can consider ‘mild’ symptoms.  No difficulty breathing or anything like that.

As I type this two weeks later, Sierra is the miracle child and somehow has not tested positive nor presented any symptoms.  We did our best to stay away…Ezra and I stayed in the basement a lot and wore our masks when going upstairs.  Vero was careful around her.  Ezra, being four years old, had to constantly be reminded to wear his mask near Sierra.  As the week went by, we became more lax in trying to protect Sierra.  But at the same time, she wasn’t getting sick and we have to think that we were dealing with a fairly contagious strain here!

My personal belief is formed from something Mom told me.  A few years back when a lot of folks in Gaspe got the virus, Maureen, John, Uncle Fred and Aunt Judy did not get the virus.  But they all had it the spring before.  This is the case with Sierra.  She caught the virus in the spring of 2024 but the rest of us managed to not get it.  I believe that there is some form of immunity to obtaining the virus a second time within…the same year?  It’s hard to nail down a time frame but it’s definitely more than six months.  Who knows if I’m right?  I haven’t really found scientific research to back this theory up, only anecdotes.

All in all, after four years without the virus, I would say that vaccinations helped us out and gave us minor symptoms.  It is a shame that we had to miss Anne-Marie’s wedding as she was in the middle of chemotherapy treatments during this time but it is what it is.  There was no way we were going to take a chance giving her any virus.

As I sit here backing up photos before heading North for a few weeks I am thinking about how the school year has went.

For Sierra, we saw her quite bored at the beginning of the school year.  “We are redoing things I learned in Grade 1”.  I asked her today if she felt the same way throughout the year and she said “No.  I learned a lot of stuff.  My favourite things to do were the spirales.”  The spirales were a combination of learning french language and math I believe?

Sierra made an incredible leap forward in reading.  She can easily read a book on her now and we’re not talking those 20 page books…we’re talking Charlie and the Chocolate Factory size!  I enjoy seeing her enjoy reading.

If anything, she has a lot of energy and has the need to learn more and more and more.  I need to work harder on finding things outside of school to keep her interested.

For Ezra, he has made a remarkable improvement.  From the kid who didn’t want to leave my side when walking into the school, to the kid who now carries his own backpack the whole walk to school and sometimes doesn’t say goodbye as he’s running off to school along with Conor, Scarlet and Sierra.

We are excited by this change in him…sure, he has a temper when he wants to but it’s nowhere near as bad as the first half of the year.  I think he’s starting to understand how things work like interactions with others.  His teachers once told us that Ezra is very calm and follow instructions well and I suppose that’s the ideal student to have!  Haha.

Our kids are still happy to be around their parents and we look forward to another summer off with them.

The first weekend of June brought a PD day at school so it was a long weekend for us.  Here are a few things that kept us entertained.

Sierra trying out her birthday rollerblades for the first time.

Enjoying an evening milkshake

Having fun waiting for some birthday cake at the neighbours

Haven’t seen Carrie in…maybe a decade?  Close to it?  She was in town from Germany so we had a few people over for a campfire.  It was a great night for those laughs that make you lose your breath.

We went to the big Vars garage sale on the Sunday but we should have went on the Saturday.  Only a few tables remained when we got there.  We managed to find a few good things including a couple of Wii games that excited the kids.  I say that but they never even tried them a week later!  Ezra was bummed he couldn’t buy a scooter for $1,500.  He asked me: “Do you have money on that plastic card you use to buy things?”  Certainly not!  But we appreciated his effort in trying to figure out way to buy it.

Dipping into the cotton candy

Hanging out with some friends on a warm Sunday afternoon.  The girls were preparing their dance routine for this year’s talent show at school.

Setting up the tent for another summer of fun

Always fun to have some family drop by even if it’s for a quick visit

Ezra had to present “What he wanted to be when he grew up.” at school.  He was struggling with it at first because he thought he had to actually CHOOSE it at this point in his life but we explained that it’s just to present ideas of what he’s interested in.  Maman introduced him to a camera and he took a few photos over the week.  He will talk about how he wants to be a photographer when he grows up.

 

My pal Mike has a great surf rock instrumental band.  However, as I have got older, I can’t really say I’m enthused when I hear the words “Hey, we start at midnight, you should come down and check us out!”  (Actually I don’t think Mike has actively ever asked anyone to come to a show like that, I just imagine his voice calling to me.)

So when I saw that there was an afternoon of tunes I figured “This is my chance!”

I invited a few pals from work and we hit the road but in different modes of transportation.  Mina took his bicycle and started from my house and managed to get to Cornwall in four hours!  Clive took his motorbike.  I took my car and strapped Mina’s bike on for the ride home.

It was a perfect June afternoon.  A bit of clouds, some good heat…a day on the patio with some good friends and tunes is perfect.

The band with their groupie learning how to guitar

I’ve never really been to Cornwall.  Lola’s had a pretty great patio to hang out on for the afternoon.  Clive correctly ascertained that it was an old A&Ws and we were sitting in the area where the staff would come up and deliver your food to your car!

Good times on the patio

The band played three sets with some good time between the sets to chat.  We even got to hear a few new tunes which is always welcome.

Some dancing going on

Mina wondering why he never learned to play guitar

Reverb Syndicate at Lola’s was a proper good time and I would definitely go again.  Great start to the summer.