Last week riding on the Lakeshore. Part of this summer’s goal to actually see the city.

The guitarist from Iron Age before their set last night at Adrift. The first show I’ve photographed since October of last year. See more at Former Transformer.

It’s snowing. My shoes are salty and ruined. And my bike is in storage.

Complete contents of one (1) Supreme scatter-weave backpack in olive green, because I can:

• Nalgene bottle

• three copies of McClung’s
• wrinkled and torn A-section and crossword from the Toronto Star
• one battered reporter’s notebook
• one tattered RSU-issued agenda, with miscellaneous notes, paycheques, scribbled reminders and other assorted brain meltdowns
• Canon 5D body
• Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L lens
• Canon 550EX Speedlite
• non-descript lens cloth
• off-shoe cord for flash
• two spare camera batteries
• two memory cards, 512 MB each
• four spare NiMh AA batteries
• three pieces of protective high-density foam from camera bag liner
• grey Spruce scarf
• one pair of holey Descente biking gloves
• one black H&M toque
• two booklets of YRT bus tickets
• two Papermate pens
• one highlighter
• one tin of Burt’s Bees lip balm
• file folder with assorted research articles for upcoming Eyeopener feature
• one Hilroy notebook, teal green with notes from POL540: Third World Politics and SOC525, Media and Images of Inequality
• one essay handout for SOC525
• one Moleskine graph-lined notebook with Mike Giant sticker
• slim case of business cards
• one crumpled Tim Horton’s paper bag, remnants of a dutchie donut

I’m not sure what to make of this year. Things got bad, then good, then bad again, really good, and now it’s ambivalent and complicated. A couple nights ago, I dreamt I was pregnant, which apparently means I’m developing on a personal level, or reaching a new direction or idea. Good thing, because I was afraid for a minute maybe it was some omen or straight-up Jesus Christ style divination gwannin’ into the Oh-Seven.

Normally I include some sort of rundown of my favourite pop cultural releases of the year, but I haven’t been paying much attention to any of that – aside from Ghostface and other obv items like Borat.

The photos are pretty self-explanatory, I think, in showing Canice’s highlights of 2006. But if it’s not apparent enough, here they are in a list:

• New York and Parsons School of Art and Design. I don’t know, what else is there to say about living in New York for 6 weeks?

• Going to a Cree reserve in northern Quebec for a week. It’s one of those things I will never talk about, but think about almost daily.
• I finally discovered a good cup of coffee in Toronto. The spot at Dundas/Euclid is mellow-roasted bliss, while Ideal is strictly mid-ride, double shot Americano business.
• I finally reached a point where I could label myself a photographer. Shot a wedding, sold some prints, and (lamely) finally attended formal photography classes so I wouldn’t feel like such a hack.
• Some pretty awesome jobs. I’m going into 2007 with more work with a small publisher. My column’s doing well. I’m doing good with photo work. And McClung’s Magazine is probably the best thing I semi-resistingly jumped into.
• New camera equipment: Canon 5D and an EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM
• I love riding my bike. I finally found a hypocrisy-free way of being an environmentalist!
• New friends, they know who they are.
• Moving back home was kind of a downer, but I think ended up making me a more financially and academically disciplined person. Of course, I still hate living at home, and I’m glad I’m moving out in February.
• Weaned off the materialism a bit. It’s amazing how much money you have when you aren’t buying another pair of $180 Nikes every week.
• Some great reads: George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London, Guy Delisle’s Shenzhen, Sean Wilsey’s Oh the Glory of it All
• Not really enjoying school anymore, to the point where I almost dropped out. I didn’t, but I don’t know whether that was the right thing to do yet.
• Some boy trouble, but I guess there’s always boy trouble. Hopefully that sorts itself out soon.
• 2007 is Year of the Bike Messenger! Hahahaha.

The foliage is probably, regrettably, the most compelling thing in Richmond Hill.