My First Father's Day!

This picture says it all really, doesn't it!

Casa Walsho Springs a Leak!

Somehow, I probably deserved this... Not sure why, but I probably did. We took possession of our lovely new townhouse last night. First order of business was to install full shelving in the closet of our bedroom. It has a small walk-in closet which we really need to take advantage of... Due to the small space we have. At the back of the closet the original builder installed one, yes people... Just one measly shelf. Kinda pointless right? Uh, yeah. So, after measuring out all the studs I decided that before I headed to the store to get the shelving I would just take that one shelf outta there because it was not going to work for us anyway. Little did I know what awaited me when I did that! As I turned the very first screw our of the wall, I heard a strange hissing noise. As I continued to turn the screw out, it got louder and louder... What is that? I thought... What in egad's name have they screwed through on the other side of the wall? And then fizz-whooosh! Water starts spraying out of my wall! You can imagine my stunned response as I feverishly wound the screw back in as tight as it would go and then went running around the apartment shutting off water valves not knowing if I was having any effect or not.

Here is a picture of what it looked like when I finally got the water stopped. Luckily I was quick enough to just figure that if I got that screw back into whatever it came out of I would be fine. As it turns out that's what saved the day! They had drilled that mounting screw right into the sprinkler supply which is on a completely different water system than the household water. So, even though I turned off the household water, it wouldn't have stopped the gushing had I not got that screw back into the pipe, and it would have been minutes not seconds that the water was rushing down inside my walls and would have most certainly cause a ton of damage. I would have had to call 911 or something to get the sprinkler system shut off!

So much for "not having to do anything" as a result of moving into a new place! Someone told me that "you have to live through one of these incidents to develop empathy for your home." As I fill and sand all the wholes the idiot who mounted the shelf improperly created I tell myself "I am learning to love my home..."

"If Image Engine was a woman..."

Click here to read a Vancouver Sun article about the 'up and coming' Vancouver visual effects community. Could it be... At long last... That Vangroovey is finally making the 'AAA' map? Nawh! Come now... don't be ridiculous!

C.R.A.Z.Y.

Vive le Quebec Libre!!! If you have that moment sometime soon as I know you will... When you ponder endlessly the lack of great Quebecois films you've seen lately... Uh, yeah... Well fret no longer! For the great Monsieur Jean-Marc Vallée has given us this masterpiece of film. C.R.A.Z.Y. is an endearing story of growing up in Canada's much maligned Belle Provence during the 1960's and 70's and oh, let's not forget...Beingg gay. Small detail really as it only provides the context for what are some tremendous and personal performances by the entire cast. What I love about this film is that it feels delightfully Canadian without actually trying to be Canadian. It has such rich, authentic and well chosen details the sum total of which create a beautiful fabric that is immensely watchable. Allez-vous!

Version Up! Walshman V|6.2.1 Now Available

Release Notes: this version incorporates cutting-edge strategic planning initiatives and complex dependancy arrangements as well as extensive multiple outcome contingencies. Negotiated resolution, robust hierarchical implementation and aggressive stop-gap asset management techniques are also encorporated. Spring mango a non-negotiable parameter.

Walshman Versus Portman

So... The Walshman faced-off against the power that is known as "The Portman" recently during an a trip east to The New York of Canada (yes, I mean Toronto...) for some on-set visual effects supervision duties on this film. Always an interesting thing "meeting a star." First, there's the meeting, which invariably you are much more uncomfortable with than they are, isn't really a meeting at all. In this case, I was staring down at a crossword puzzle folded on a chair (yes, the secret is out... on-set work is often that boring!) when a voice said "if you can do any better than me, go right ahead." No, in fact I could not add anything to Ms. Portman's efforts in this regard, and so I informed Ms. Natalie of this fact and then promptly resumed "minding my own damned business." It is an odd circumstance indeed to see a large group of people in a condensed area all trying desperately "not to bother someone." Yet, it somehow all functions like a greased wheel. The director ponders the scene largely from a secure location via a monitor, the assistant director bellows orders, the cinematographer instructs the grip, the grip issues the communication to the crew, etc. Like a modern fiefdom. Nothing new I suppose, but it did prohibit the ultimate showdown from going down.

Spring In Vangroovey

Ah yes, here we are in that most momentous of occasions on this fair coast: spring! Heralded for certain by the arrival of the Japanese Ornamental Cherry blossoms you see in this photo taken mere footsteps from the doors of Image Engine and in fact, on my bike route to work. Quite spectacular for sure. In the often sunny, often wet, Vancouver months of April and May the city seems to be at its most colour-saturated and perhaps most beautiful. The evenings may not match the warmth and lingering light of July and August, but the mornings are nearly always stellar with the end of winter on the North Shore Mountains picking up the light of the sun like painted high-lights on a stage set.

My buddy James and I had a conversation one time while enjoying a late "summer" day in Los Angeles about how when spring arrives in Vancouver it comes with a "pow!" And really lifts people spirits. Very true, you can just see it in the way people hold themselves, though sometimes I wonder if that's just because of the rains of winter have subsided. Contrast does people a lot of psychological good I think. It is the great characteristic of some places that they do not allow people to become complacent. I think that the weather in Vancouver is one of these forces. Just when you begin to take the long "Indian Summer" for granted the cold north winds of November arrive, and just when January and February's oppressive begins to eat your soul you are magically lifted by the brilliance of "la primavera." Salud!

Walshman Digs In Deep!

At the suggestion of Vancouver real estate mogul Mike "Coach" Pearce, I decided to check out a town house development on the off chance that I might amidst the insanity known only as "the Vancouver real estate market" be able to afford to own reasonable housing. The next thing I know I am locked in a bidding war with lesbian parents of a new born. Is that possible? In East Vancouver it is! And that's why I love it! To make a long story short a strange set of circumstances lead to Meg and I deciding to place an offer on a 1200 square foot town house just off of Commercial Drive in East Vancouver. The first thing was that while shopping at the best independant grocer in Vancouver, Famous Foods on Kingsway and King Edward, I received a call from Coach Pearce encouraging me to check out a housing development just around the corner called "The Brix." As I made my way over there I ran into Victor and Julia from our birthing seminar, who as luck would have it live in the development! Not to mention that "Ms. Griffin" Meg's teaching partner Heather from Stratford Hall School also lives in the building. "Fate! It must be fate!" I told myself. Intelligent folks you know all chosing the same development? Must be... So we took a look with the assistance of Lynne Dequanne, Meg's aunt who is a dynamite real estate agent and loved the place except for... dum, dum, dum... for the small living room! After much humming and hawing we decided to elicit the help of Coach Pearce and his lovely wife Christine who came to "review the property" and who were very enthusiastic and gave up the proverbial "thumbs up!" So we went ahead with an offer and a day later we're home owners!

Having lived not far from this location for a number of years in the past, I knew I would love it. It is a true "up and coming" area of the city. But, what I didn't truly realise was just how much was going on in the area and the pace of development. Things are really ripping along in East Vancouver these days. Within eye-sight of our new home there are four other townhome developments in the works. It is crazy out there! I am really looking forward to seeing Mateo ripping about John Hendry Park (Trout Lake) and having Commercial Drive's diverse community within walking distance from my front door!

My Lovely Birthday Card!

Thanks so much to my sweet Meg and little gaffer Mateo for putting the time and effort in to create this beautiful birthday card. It is really beginning to feel "right" to be called "Papa!"

Walshman Gets Buddha!

I thought it might be a good idea to get myself my own little Buddha. What with all that spiritual turmoil lying about the place. Besides, they're all the rage these days. I strongly suggest you get one for yourself! Ah... The calmness and serenity.

GKR Coming To Town

Click here to read an article about San Francisco based Giant Killer Robots visual effects firm who have made the decision to open a satelite studio north of the 49th paralell! Another local option!

Raising A Ramone

Hey! Ho! Let's Go! Hey! Ho! Let's Go! Looks like Mateo has had a little too much Blitzkrieg Pop!

Yo! Walshman, what's the weather like?

Hmmm... Let's see. It seems to be raining. Yep, no doubt. It's raining. No, make that pouring. Coming down pretty hard actually. Cats and dogs, really, who's kidding who? Come to think of it, it was doing the same thing yesterday. In fact, it has been raining for so long now, I can't really recall when it actually started! My memory has blended the past two months into one single blue-grey, blurry, nebulous element. Where is the street? The people? I think I see something moving but I can't be sure! Is anyone out there in the abyss? Okay, calm down. I was thinking to myself "this is normal" I am just 'getting my gills back.' The Los Angelino azure is still lingering smoggily in my consciousness. But, no, time for reassessment. It is wet. It is really frickin' wet. And blowing a gale. And dark. Nocturnal, northern, damned dark, and saturated. Stinking humid. Saturated. Did I already say that? Okay. It is seriously wet out there people. Everything is one gigantic sponge wet. Robyn Hitchcock singing "the rain falls... Up from the ground!" wet. The Pacific Ocean attempting to transfer itself to dry land wet. Wrap yourself in a kilt to survive wet. Bloody Orks of Mordour arriving to the bloody gates of Helms Deep wet!

But wait! Lo! What is that glimmering golden orb on the horizon? A streak of light emanating from the beyond? Has the end finally come? Are we all to be ushered off the to the Land of Beulah? No, not yet at least. It is just the sun.

I already miss the rain...

My Son Mateo!

Well, it has taken me a week to find the time, but here he is nonetheless for all the world to see: William Mateo Peñafiel Walsh! A.K.A. Bebe Burrito, Tomateo or Mateito! Take your pick! He was born January 22nd, at 2:03 pm, after a strong 7 hour labour and weighed in at a hunk-o-burnin' love weight of 11 pounds 7 ounces! About 5.2 kilos for those of you living in the modern world. So, it appears that he will be a gentle giant like his brute of a Dad!

Here's the "birth story." Meg was blessed with a freight train of a labour which began at about 7am, when her waters broke and she immediately went into labour with strong contractions about 3-5 minutes apart. We were into Saint Paul's Hospital by about 8:15am after picking up Meg's mother who we had invited to be along for the ride. By 10am she was already 4cm dilated, and continued with good strong steady rhythm until about noon when she was 8.5 cm. By this time she had spent about half the labour walking, standing the latter half in a nice deep tub which helped immensely. Holding her hand while she experienced the contractions in the tub will be something I will always remember to draw encouragement from when times are tough. She was truly inspirational to me. The midwives then began to try to slow her down a bit, so that the last bit of dilation would go as planned, but before we knew it she was beingtransferredd to the bed so that she could begin to push little Mateo into the world. And what a job she did! I have never witnessed my Megcita be so courageous, without reservation or fear, and full of shear focus as I did on that bed. She literally willed Mateo into the world in 18 minutes! I was full of tears as his head emerged, and before I knew it he was there with us, plopped out onto Meg's chest and we were suddenly three!

Thus far the little big guy has been nothing but a pleasure. I think he thinks he is on holiday or something!? He sleeps and eats happily and he and Mom and I are spending days at home together getting to know each other. As strange as it may seem, now that he is here, I simply can't imagine what we did without him?

The Age of Aquarious Begins! Long Live The Aquarian!

Any Time Now!

Well, we are definitely into that time of the pregnancy where we are "waiting with baited breath." Meg was officially "due" yesterday. We had a trip to the midwife that was all positive for both Meg and baby. It is totally normal for first time mothers to carry their babies a little over due. So we are remarkably chilled out about it all at this stage. A friend told me "you both look like you have submitted to accepting your new future." And I guess that's very true. At this stage every little change brings about the phrase "could this be it?" And I think in our case the midwife just pointed out that Meg doesn't look all that "uncomfortable" yet and that's generally a sign that she is still a few days off. It is amazing to see just exactly how stuffed she looks and especially in Meg's case where she has literally only gained weight in her belly. She looks like she is hanging a freakin' pumpkin off the front! And yet the midwives say things like "it feels like there is still a lot of room in there!" Huh? One thing I have noticed that is really amazing is how "small" women's worlds become the further and further along they get in the pregnancy. It is like the world is closing in around them, the things they care about being the most immediate direct things around them. This manifests itself in the particular in the well known and much talked about need to "nest" in the home, but it is really stunning to see how focused your partner becomes. If anything, this extra waiting time has given us a chance to continue to adjust to our new reality! We have had a lot of support from friends and family over the past few months, and it really has made coming home to Vancouver such a great thing. So, I say "bring on the chaos man!"

"I find myself missing Vancouver more and more these days."

A friend of mine south of the border said that to me a while back. No, really! It is true I am a well known verbose fan of Vancouver. Even occasionally masochistically! For example, I was very disappointed recently when a brilliant sunny day ruined the city's chances of breaking a record going back to 1952 for most consecutive days with measurable rainfall - a mark of a true Vancouverite I thought. The statement still caused me to reflect a bit because I myself have just returned to this fair rainy twilight coast. So, if you find yourself muttering the above statement these days... Don't fret! You might want to pick yourself up a copy of this book just to tide you over if you are far afield. And remember, you know, but you're not alone in this regard! There seems to be a growing sentiment of this kind... Especially amongst my work friends. My friend James and I had many, many, conversations while working together in Los Angeles that perhaps people were just getting to that age, or time in their careers, where the intangibles outside the studio were beginning to count for more and more. I mean, it is not that people don't like other west coast places in North America like San Francisco (or L.A. surprisingly!) but there seems to be a remaining appeal to ole Vangroovey that people don't shake easily. Whereas people seem to "grow out of" L.A. or where-ever else. Is it because there is a feeling that Vancouver as a place is "growing along with you?" I wonder if Portland is more like Vancouver in this regard? Who knows? Since coming back, after three years in "bigger places," (San Francisco, Madrid, London, Los Angeles) I think that I have figured it out. Quite simply, aside from lack of a particular job opportunity (like say, Pixar in my industry, the top job or whatever in your respective industry) living in Vancouver is just kinda "better." Cheaper cost of living (though still high by Canadian standards - after all it is the San Francisco of Canada!), very diverse, multicultural, and so tolerant (much more so than even San Francisco), no guns! (relatively speaking, but hey! at least our Prime Minister is actively campaigning on "a total ban of hand guns"), politicians who can actually speak lucidly(no kidding!), way less 'religiosity' (in fact the near total absense of religious programming on television is a shock in comparison to the U.S.) a much greater sense of social well being, etc. Hence, I may say things like "I miss my social life in London." Or "even though I had an amazing job in L.A. I only really miss the dry roads." Or "I would love to live in San Francisco for a "stint" again." However, saying all that "I would NEVER trade them for Vancouver." Canada in general seems a more welcoming, less arrogant place than many in my opinion. And Vancouver really seems to be "becoming something." I don't mind the rain as some people do... I grew up in it, and it never did me any harm. Though Meg and I still plan on living in Spain temporarily at times throughout life. Ah yes, but you're still thinking about the work. I have come to realize that we have to work hard to change the "work opportunity problem" ourselves. We can't sit back and "just hope someone does something about it." The opportunities to create a Pixar are long gone, maybe even the opportunities to create a WETA are gone, but nonetheless there is 'net growth' in the computer graphics industry. I am under no illusions about my own "level," and thus I realize the imperative for a team. So it is all about creating the opportunity to do good work, in a way that we who have spent time away from this place have learned to do it, with that team... The answer to "how?" still remains fiction. We'll see.

Feature Animation Coming To Town?

Click here to read an article about the feature animation "Space Chimps," being produced by Vanguard Animation (who also gave us "Valiant" last year). There are some rumours that the production is going to settle down in Vancouver for the next couple of years. I would be interested in knowing if anyone out there knows more! Pretty exciting. Aside from both Nitrogen and Bardel Animation producing some elements of "Happily N'Ever After" in town last year (I believe the film was finished by the Berliner Film Group), I don't recall anyone ever completing a full length theatrical feature animation production in Vancouver. So, doubly interesting then, given that it will be a first. Let's see what happens on this one!

Chief Executive Baby Sitter

Check it out Dad! That little girl on your lap looks pretty darned happy to be in the arms of Grandpa Walsh now doesn't she!? When do you think that she'll start calling you "Bud?" My guess is sooner than you think! Congratulations on your recent "appointment" to Chief Executive Baby Sitter, and Chairman of the Smiles Board. Oh, and incidentally... Happy Birthday Dude!!!

25 Years Ago Today

The strange thing is that although I was only ten years old, I vividly remember driving in the car with my mom when the CBC News broadcaster said something like "John Lennon, the singer, songwriter, former Beatle and peace activist was shot to death outside his New York apartment today." Not only that but I remember my mom gasping in horror, and me asking her "why would a man do that to him?" I don't recall the answer. Today, as I heard the CBC broadcaster remind listeners "25 years ago today..." I couldn't help but think of the first time I heard The Beatles "The White Album" and realized that almost everything that I listened to and loved in rock music "came from there." And also how relevant I think John Lennon and his moral center still is today. Especially today. I found this great quote from Norman Mailer just now.

"I have hidden myself in work today. But it keeps flashing in my mind. I feel shattered, angry and very sad. It's just ridiculous. He was pretty rude about me sometimes, but I secretly admired him for it, and I always managed to stay in touch with him. There was no question that we weren't friends, I really loved the guy. I think that what has happened will in years to come make people realize that John was an international statesman. He often looked a loony to many people. He made enemies, but he was fantastic. He was a warm man who cared a lot and with the record Give Peace A Chance helped stop the Vietnam War. He made a lot of sense."

So, in honour of the Statesman Who Never Was... STOP THE WAR! GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!