![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2025-03-11-14-14-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nThe best aspect of releasing an open-source website theme is seeing what others build with it. I released Hitchens for Jekyll all the way back in August of 2018. At the time, my hopes were that people would enjoy using it with Jekyll and that perhaps, one day, it might get ported for use on the excellent blogging platform, Micro.blog. In just a few months, several people began using it for their Jekyll blogs. Then, in August of 2022, Pete Moore released his port of Hitchens for Micro.blog, built on the Hugo static site generator.
\n\nYesterday, I received an email from Jason Shellen informing me that he’d just released his port of Hitchens for Eleventy! Eleventy is another static site generator similar to Jekyll and Hugo that serves a very large and engaged audience. I’m super excited that Jason has created this port and has extended Hitchens to another platform. Thanks Jason!
\n\nIf you or someone you know has built something cool with Hitchens, please let me know! I’m so grateful people are building on my work and hope that you’ll be inspired to do the same.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/hitchens-theme-for-eleventy/", "date_published": "2025-10-22T05:54:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2025-10-22T05:54:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2025-03-11-14-14-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "My band, the Pop Rockets, will be performing on St. Patrick’s Day at Winks again this year. Hope to see you there!", "content_html": "\n\n\nMy band, the Pop Rockets, will be performing on St. Patrick’s Day at Winks again this year. Hope to see you there!
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2025-03-11-14-14-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2025-03-11-14-14-00.jpg", "date_published": "2025-03-11T11:14:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2025-03-11T11:14:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/forty/", "title": "Forty\n", "content_text": " View Instagram ReelI turned forty today ☺️ On Sunday, I celebrated with forty friends and family members, playing music and sharing stories. Thank you to everyone who came and everyone who has (and will 😉) wished me a Happy Birthday ❤️Special thanks to Amanda and everyone who helped organize and prepare the party, Forked River Brewing Company for your hospitality, Kyle’s Fried Chicken & BBQ for the delicious food, and all of the musicians who shared your talent. I’m eternally grateful 🙏", "content_html": "\n\n\nView Instagram Reel\n
I turned forty today ☺️ On Sunday, I celebrated with forty friends and family members, playing music and sharing stories. Thank you to everyone who came and everyone who has (and will 😉) wished me a Happy Birthday ❤️
\n\nSpecial thanks to Amanda and everyone who helped organize and prepare the party, Forked River Brewing Company for your hospitality, Kyle’s Fried Chicken & BBQ for the delicious food, and all of the musicians who shared your talent. I’m eternally grateful 🙏
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/forty/", "date_published": "2025-02-25T19:54:00-08:00", "date_modified": "2025-02-25T19:54:00-08:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/turning-forty/", "title": "Turning Forty\n", "content_text": "In less than a week, I’ll be turning 40. To celebrate, I’m hosting an open jam and Pop Rockets performance at Forked River Brewing Company this Sunday, February 23 at 6pm.🍺 Forked River Brewing Company📍 45 Pacific Crt, London, Ontario📅 Sunday, February 23⏰ 6:00 PM – 10:00 PMIf you’re in the area, join me this Sunday for some food, drinks, and wonderful music", "content_html": "![\"\"Turning](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/turning-forty.jpg\")
\n\n\nIn less than a week, I’ll be turning 40. To celebrate, I’m hosting an open jam and Pop Rockets performance at Forked River Brewing Company this Sunday, February 23 at 6pm.
\n\n🍺 Forked River Brewing Company
\n📍 45 Pacific Crt, London, Ontario
\n📅 Sunday, February 23
\n⏰ 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
If you’re in the area, join me this Sunday for some food, drinks, and wonderful music
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/turning-forty/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/turning-forty.jpg", "date_published": "2025-02-19T05:00:00-08:00", "date_modified": "2025-02-19T05:00:00-08:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/twenty-twenty-four/", "title": "Twenty Twenty-Four\n", "content_text": "2024 was quite the year! Lots happening around the world, in Canada, and right here in London, Ontario. Looking back over the year and even though we’re a few weeks into the new year, I have so many fond memories of 2024 that I feel compelled to share.JanuaryThe year began with music. On New Year’s Day, I joined my dear friends John Young and Edward Platero for the first Pop Rockets rehearsal of the year. We’d played our first three shows in the preceding three months and were gearing up for an exciting year ahead.Two days later, I performed a solo show at Mustang Sally’s. It was my first solo show using in-ear monitors and an issue with one of the main speakers led me to discover the gain knobs for the main channels on my new mixer. The Pop Rockets performed our first show of the year at Dundas & Sons. At the end of the month, I performed with Pamela Scharback at The Mockingbird. View Instagram ReelWork-wise, I was in the middle of another project with the team at Make IT. January marked six years since my first project with Make IT and our twentieth project collaboration. The team at Make IT is equal parts talented, skilled, knowledgeable, professional, and compassionate. They’ve been supportive of me in good times and bad and we’ve built some really cool technology together. I am so grateful to be part of the team. January marked six years since my first project with Make IT and our twentieth project collaboration.Also in January, I built and launched a new website for my friend and musical collaborator, Jamie Shrier. Based on the work I had done to create PatrickDouglas.ca, I was able to quickly spin up a new Jekyll site for Jamie to update with his biography and a list of upcoming and past shows.FebruaryFebruary began with an impromptu Pop Rockets show at the Richmond Tavern to cover another band’s cancellation. Despite the short notice, we were graced with the presence of New Democrat Party federal candidate for London North, Dirka Prout!The next week featured one of the best open mics of the year as we celebrated Vinnie Vincenzo’s birthday. Vinnie has since become a good friend and works with the Pop Rockets as a sound engineer and stagehand. He has hosted open mics in London for thirty years and is an accomplished and entertaining multi-instrumentalist. I don’t mean to spoil a bit of November, but I built a one-page site for Vinnie, along with business cards I designed using a wonderful illustration of Vinnie drawn by Shaela Kinting.A week later, I made my way to Kitchener to meet up with my friends Tyler, Mike, and Dustin to spend the night in Toronto and see Wolves of Glendale live at Velvet Underground. I arrived in Kitchener early so I could attend a remote client meeting from my friend’s house and was a little surprised to discover my friend wasn’t already home but figured he was finishing up some work.I called to ask him about getting into the house and was met with laughter.I was a week early 🤦♂️So, I did the meeting, visited my friend’s super cool robotics factory, and then drove home. First photo of Patrick & AmandaA few days prior to this, I’d spent an evening at the Richmond Tavern with someone I met through the Winks open mic. We’d had a great time and continued chatting throughout the week. When I mentioned my scheduling mishap and newly discovered free time, she invited me to join her for a drink later that evening.Amanda and I met up that night, and aside from a two-week trip to Newfoundland in August (spoilers! Apologies again!), we haven’t spent more than a couple of days apart since.The following week, my friends and I finally made our way to Velvet Underground for Wolves of Glendale. I’d only seen one of their live videos and hadn’t listened to their music beforehand, so I was delighted to experience them for the first time in person. Their lyrics were as funny as their songs were catchy, and my friends and I had a blast.Ten days later, Amanda and I saw City and Colour live at Budweiser Gardens (now Canada Life Place). I think it may be the last time I see a live concert from a seat—I missed the energy of being in the general admission area, swaying with the crowd, and singing along. Good show, but not as fun as Wolves of Glendale. Toothpick house we made …we haven’t spent more than a couple of days apart since.On the last Saturday of February, the Pop Rockets and I celebrated my 39th birthday by performing at Winks. The birthday gig drew a great crowd of friends and family, and we had an amazing night singing and dancing.MarchI saw Annie for the first time when it played at Budweiser Gardens for the Broadway in London series. I’d purchased season tickets the year before and had seen Jesus Christ Superstar and Come From Away. Annie was my favourite of the four performances I attended (the fourth was Little Women in April… whoops 😅), but they were all excellent.The Pop Rockets played St. Patrick’s Day at Winks. We extended our usual set, playing four hours instead of three. We learned as many Irish songs as we could and also Jump Around by House of Pain.I drove to Hamilton for Easter Dinner with my sister and her in-laws. It was delicious 😋AprilI worked a bunch. Amanda and I watched WrestleMania from home. The Pop Rockets performed at Winks on the 20th. I had my first rehearsal playing bass with Sarnia’s Best Worst Band, Beer Store Money. I performed a solo gig at Kelseys Original Roadhouse and, as noted earlier, saw Little Women.On the last day of April, I discovered that a corner of my house’s foundation was crumbling 🤦♂️MayMay featured another Pop Rockets show at Winks; another Beer Store Money rehearsal; a trip to Stratford to move a futon for a friend; and—on a less fun note—a tick I removed from my pup, Billy.Musically, I played my first live gig with Beer Store Money at the Richmond Tavern; my second gig of the year—this time with my dear friend and musical collaborator, Carly Thomas—at The Mockingbird; and a performance at a coffeehouse event at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in my hometown of Dorchester.JuneJune was packed with even more music: a duo gig with Jamie Shrier, followed by a solo gig at Kelseys Original Roadhouse, another coffeehouse gig at Army Navy Airforce Club 393, and a Pop Rockets gig at Winks.Later in the month, I spent the day at the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology to record a song I co-wrote over a decade prior right before I first moved home from Vancouver. The song, Boombox, was originally released back in 2014 on Steady Diet by Raised on DJs, a new-wave album spearheaded by vocalist Kevin Gau and producer Sean McKay (SPM). I’d started playing the song acoustically at open mics where it was warmly received, so I was excited by the idea of recording a new version of it.Unfortunately, my performance on the recording didn’t live up to my expectations, so for now, that project remains on the shelf. I’m hopeful I can take another crack at it this year.After many hours of research and speaking with a few fellow homeowners, I hired an engineering firm to do a full architectural assessment of the house, including the crumbling foundation. They sent me drawings and gave the rest of the house the A-OK.JulyJuly started with another Pop Rockets gig at Winks (sensing a trend yet?), followed by a camping trip with Amanda, Jamie, and local chef Phil up in Algonquin. Amanda and I drove my trailer north, making it just past Mitchell before the right trailer tire blew. We pulled over, only to realize we didn’t have the right tools to remove the tire. While on the phone with CAA, a kind passerby stopped, pulled out his power drill, and replaced the flat with the spare in minutes. We were so grateful!At this point, I discovered that I had accidentally set Google Maps to avoid highways when plotting our route 🤦♂️ Eager to make up time, we pressed on–until we hit Orillia, where our second trailer tire went flat.After loading the trailer onto a massive flatbed, the CAA driver dropped it at the nearest Canadian Tire, where Amanda and I spent our first night camping—in the parking lot. We woke up before the store opened, and after a short wait, had brand-new tires installed and were back on the road to Algonquin’s beautiful crown land.Amanda and I spent a couple of days camping with Jamie and Phil, including a failed attempt to canoe with Billy in tow, then spent the rest of the week camping by ourselves. Amanda cooked several 5-star meals over the campfire 🤤That Wednesday was Amanda’s birthday (the reason for the trip), which we spent mostly in the trailer to avoid the rain. Despite the early setbacks and the rain, the trip was fun, relaxing, and memorable— everything you hope for when camping.Later that month, I performed at my first Pride London Festival with Carly Thomas and her band. This time, I played both guitar and keyboards for the first time with Carly’s band.Patrick and Carly backstage at Pride London FestivalThe next day, I played my least favourite show of the year. I won’t go into details or name the venue, but it was the last time I’ll ever perform there. Amanda cooked several 5-star meals over the campfire 🤤After a duo gig with Jamie and another solo gig at Kelseys, the month rounded off with my favourite Beer Store Money gig of the year at the Dresden Night Market. Things were a little hairy as we awaited a band member who arrived late, but in the end we had an awesome time performing on that stage. View Instagram ReelI hired the Foundation Brothers to fix the crumbling foundation. From what I could tell, none of the three men who arrived were related, but they did do a very good job.August Caught 5 cod in 90 min!In August, I finally met my second niece! My brother, Rob, and his family moved back to Newfoundland in 2023 and had their second daughter a month later. I was finally able to make my way East to visit in August and spent two weeks fishing, exploring, and connecting with my nieces. Newfoundland also features delicious food and breathtaking views, so it’s always a pleasure to visit.It was also my first proper vacation from work in a long time. I still checked Slack occasionally, but I maintained more distance from my computer than ever before. Little did I know that it would be another few months until I’d be working again. That’s not a spoiler, that’s foreshadowing!The Carly Thomas Band also travelled to Windsor for their Pride Festival. Later that night, Carly, band member Imogen, Amanda, Amanda’s friend Wendy, and I took in the sunset at Mitchell’s Bay.Patrick and Amanda at Mitchell's Bay watching the sunsetAugust ended with another camping trip, this time a little closer to home at the Fanshawe Conservation Area. It was my first time camping at Fanshawe and Amanda and I had an amazing time. Amanda cooked several more 5-star meals over the campfire and we enjoyed several beautiful nights under the stars. Newfoundland also features delicious food and breathtaking views almost everywhere you turn, so it’s always a pleasure to visit.September & OctoberSeptember marked a huge milestone for the Pop Rockets. On September 7, we began our two-month residency at Winks. As you may have noted, we had maintained a monthly gig performing there through the year and were stoked for the opportunity to perform weekly.Though we weren’t able to pack the place every week, we did have a couple of very successful nights during that two-month stretch. In particular, the Saturday before Hallowe’en saw a fantastic turnout and great retention of the crowd throughout the night. It was really nice to end our residency on such a high.Pop Rockets dressed for Hallowe'enThe experience caused me to realize I need more education and/or experience promoting events. I’m still unsure what else I could have done to make every week a success. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to work that out this year.On September 14, the Pop Rockets attempted something none of us had ever tried before: we played two shows—a total of 4.5 hours—in one day. That afternoon, we performed a ninety minute set at Sidelaunch Brewing for their Brews & Views event. Scheduled to coincide with the London Airshow, the event featured live music with jets flying overhead during the show! Definitely one of the coolest gigs we’ve played. That night, we continued our residency at Winks. View Instagram ReelThe Pop Rockets performed at our first festival when we made our way to Rodney, Ontario for the Roots & Revival Festival near the end of October. I also performed my first gig at Palasad Socialbowl with Carly Thomas.In early October, I began work on a side project. Whenever I perform–either solo or with the Pop Rockets–people request songs I don’t know or at least don’t know how to play. That said, I love when I can play a song that someone requests, knowing they’ll truly enjoy it.To that end, I designed and built an app listing all of the songs I know how to play, allowing audience members to request a song with a single tap. When a song is requested, the band receives a push notification in real time. I haven’t tested the system in a live setting yet, but plan to do so soon. If you’re curious to see a preview, you can check out this screen recording showing how the application works. …the Saturday before Halloween saw a fantastic turnout and great retention of the crowd throughout the night. It was really nice to end our residency on such a high.October also marked my parents’ 55th wedding anniversary. Married in 1969, they vowed to stay together ‘til death, and they did. I still miss them every day. I especially missed my father at the end of October. Halloween would have been his 74th birthday, but the night before marked three years since his passing.NovemberI had the opportunity to perform with Carly Thomas and her band at the Richmond Tavern for the VENUExVENUE concert series here in London. Our gig was on a Thursday night, the first night of the series. The setup was a bit chaotic, leading to some early discombobulation, but once we got going, we had a blast performing together again.I worked with my friend Jay to replace some rotting fence posts in my backyard. It took a few days due to inclimate weather, but we were able to get them replaced and get the fencing back up before the first snow of the season. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the tops of the posts cut before the snow fell, but at least the fence isn’t toppling over as it has in years past. ☺️DecemberFinally—another work project! In December, I started on a new project working once again with the amazing folks at Make IT. Also, I published two case studies documenting a couple of projects I have built with the Make IT team over the years: A responsive web application for the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board. A modern trading system for a Calgary-based energy brokerage. Amanda & ClaudeDecember also brought an exciting addition to our family! On the 4th–our ten-month anniversary–Amanda and I adopted a new kitty. We met Claude while shopping and walking Billy at the new PetValu on Wharncliffe Road.Claude is a tiny ball of joy who unfortunately had a rough start in life, living on the streets with his siblings. They were found at the corner of Commissioners and Wonderland, and Claude was the last to be adopted.His information card indicated he was “very affectionate”, and we can gladly report this is true! Claude has a lot of energy and loves to chase Amanda’s cat, Opie. At night, he transforms into the ultimate cuddle bug, stretching out across our laps as we watch television and soaking in the pets and cuddles. He even gets along with Billy! He’s a real sweetheart.Later in the month, Amanda and I hosted Christmas dinner for a few friends and family. We made a big turkey dinner with all the fixings and topped the night off with pie and eggnog. [Claude’s] information card indicated he was “very affectionate”, and we can gladly report this is true!The following week, the Pop Rockets were honoured to grace Winks once again to celebrate New Year’s Eve. We spent the month of December learning as many new songs as we could, while our bassist and visual artist, Edward, put together all new 3D environments for our interactive visuals—including an amazing countdown animation featuring a rocket blasting off into space! He also hand-crafted 50 friendship bracelets to hand out through the night.Pop Rockets friendship bracelets handmade by Edward PlateroThe show itself was awesome. The bar was packed, the energy was high, and the Pop Rockets played our hearts out. We had so much fun and are grateful to the owners and staff at Winks for entrusting us with such a big night. View Instagram ReelOverall, 2024 was an amazing year filled with family, friends, work, music, and love. I’m grateful to have met and built a loving relationship with Amanda, to have my amazing friends John and Edward with me in the band, to continue collaborating with the talented team at Make IT, and for good health and happiness. Here’s to another great year ahead!", "content_html": "![\"\"Twenty](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/social.jpg\")
\n\n\n2024 was quite the year! Lots happening around the world, in Canada, and right here in London, Ontario. Looking back over the year and even though we’re a few weeks into the new year, I have so many fond memories of 2024 that I feel compelled to share.
\n\n\n\nThe year began with music. On New Year’s Day, I joined my dear friends John Young and Edward Platero for the first Pop Rockets rehearsal of the year. We’d played our first three shows in the preceding three months and were gearing up for an exciting year ahead.
\n\nTwo days later, I performed a solo show at Mustang Sally’s. It was my first solo show using in-ear monitors and an issue with one of the main speakers led me to discover the gain knobs for the main channels on my new mixer. The Pop Rockets performed our first show of the year at Dundas & Sons. At the end of the month, I performed with Pamela Scharback at The Mockingbird.
\n\n\n\nView Instagram Reel\n
Work-wise, I was in the middle of another project with the team at Make IT. January marked six years since my first project with Make IT and our twentieth project collaboration. The team at Make IT is equal parts talented, skilled, knowledgeable, professional, and compassionate. They’ve been supportive of me in good times and bad and we’ve built some really cool technology together. I am so grateful to be part of the team.
\n\n\n\n\nJanuary marked six years since my first project with Make IT and our twentieth project collaboration.
\n
Also in January, I built and launched a new website for my friend and musical collaborator, Jamie Shrier. Based on the work I had done to create PatrickDouglas.ca, I was able to quickly spin up a new Jekyll site for Jamie to update with his biography and a list of upcoming and past shows.
\n\n![\"Screenshot](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/jamie-shrier-music-dot-com.png\")
\n\n\nFebruary began with an impromptu Pop Rockets show at the Richmond Tavern to cover another band’s cancellation. Despite the short notice, we were graced with the presence of New Democrat Party federal candidate for London North, Dirka Prout!
\n\n![\"Pop](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/pop-rockets-with-dirka-prout-at-richmond-tavern.jpg\")
\n\n\nThe next week featured one of the best open mics of the year as we celebrated Vinnie Vincenzo’s birthday. Vinnie has since become a good friend and works with the Pop Rockets as a sound engineer and stagehand. He has hosted open mics in London for thirty years and is an accomplished and entertaining multi-instrumentalist. I don’t mean to spoil a bit of November, but I built a one-page site for Vinnie, along with business cards I designed using a wonderful illustration of Vinnie drawn by Shaela Kinting.
\n\n![\"Pop](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/vinnie-vincenzo-business-card.jpg\")
\n\n\nA week later, I made my way to Kitchener to meet up with my friends Tyler, Mike, and Dustin to spend the night in Toronto and see Wolves of Glendale live at Velvet Underground. I arrived in Kitchener early so I could attend a remote client meeting from my friend’s house and was a little surprised to discover my friend wasn’t already home but figured he was finishing up some work.
\n\nI called to ask him about getting into the house and was met with laughter.
\n\nI was a week early 🤦♂️
\n\nSo, I did the meeting, visited my friend’s super cool robotics factory, and then drove home.
\n\n![\"First](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/first-picture-of-patrick-and-amanda.jpg\")
\n\nA few days prior to this, I’d spent an evening at the Richmond Tavern with someone I met through the Winks open mic. We’d had a great time and continued chatting throughout the week. When I mentioned my scheduling mishap and newly discovered free time, she invited me to join her for a drink later that evening.
\n\nAmanda and I met up that night, and aside from a two-week trip to Newfoundland in August (spoilers! Apologies again!), we haven’t spent more than a couple of days apart since.
\n\nThe following week, my friends and I finally made our way to Velvet Underground for Wolves of Glendale. I’d only seen one of their live videos and hadn’t listened to their music beforehand, so I was delighted to experience them for the first time in person. Their lyrics were as funny as their songs were catchy, and my friends and I had a blast.
\n\nTen days later, Amanda and I saw City and Colour live at Budweiser Gardens (now Canada Life Place). I think it may be the last time I see a live concert from a seat—I missed the energy of being in the general admission area, swaying with the crowd, and singing along. Good show, but not as fun as Wolves of Glendale.
\n\n![\"Toothpick](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/toothpick-house.jpg\")
\n\n\n\n\n…we haven’t spent more than a couple of days apart since.
\n
On the last Saturday of February, the Pop Rockets and I celebrated my 39th birthday by performing at Winks. The birthday gig drew a great crowd of friends and family, and we had an amazing night singing and dancing.
\n\nI saw Annie for the first time when it played at Budweiser Gardens for the Broadway in London series. I’d purchased season tickets the year before and had seen Jesus Christ Superstar and Come From Away. Annie was my favourite of the four performances I attended (the fourth was Little Women in April… whoops 😅), but they were all excellent.
\n\nThe Pop Rockets played St. Patrick’s Day at Winks. We extended our usual set, playing four hours instead of three. We learned as many Irish songs as we could and also Jump Around by House of Pain.
\n\nI drove to Hamilton for Easter Dinner with my sister and her in-laws. It was delicious 😋
\n\nI worked a bunch. Amanda and I watched WrestleMania from home. The Pop Rockets performed at Winks on the 20th. I had my first rehearsal playing bass with Sarnia’s Best Worst Band, Beer Store Money. I performed a solo gig at Kelseys Original Roadhouse and, as noted earlier, saw Little Women.
\n\nOn the last day of April, I discovered that a corner of my house’s foundation was crumbling 🤦♂️
\n\nMay featured another Pop Rockets show at Winks; another Beer Store Money rehearsal; a trip to Stratford to move a futon for a friend; and—on a less fun note—a tick I removed from my pup, Billy.
\n\nMusically, I played my first live gig with Beer Store Money at the Richmond Tavern; my second gig of the year—this time with my dear friend and musical collaborator, Carly Thomas—at The Mockingbird; and a performance at a coffeehouse event at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in my hometown of Dorchester.
\n\nJune was packed with even more music: a duo gig with Jamie Shrier, followed by a solo gig at Kelseys Original Roadhouse, another coffeehouse gig at Army Navy Airforce Club 393, and a Pop Rockets gig at Winks.
\n\nLater in the month, I spent the day at the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology to record a song I co-wrote over a decade prior right before I first moved home from Vancouver. The song, Boombox, was originally released back in 2014 on Steady Diet by Raised on DJs, a new-wave album spearheaded by vocalist Kevin Gau and producer Sean McKay (SPM). I’d started playing the song acoustically at open mics where it was warmly received, so I was excited by the idea of recording a new version of it.
\n\nUnfortunately, my performance on the recording didn’t live up to my expectations, so for now, that project remains on the shelf. I’m hopeful I can take another crack at it this year.
\n\nAfter many hours of research and speaking with a few fellow homeowners, I hired an engineering firm to do a full architectural assessment of the house, including the crumbling foundation. They sent me drawings and gave the rest of the house the A-OK.
\n\nJuly started with another Pop Rockets gig at Winks (sensing a trend yet?), followed by a camping trip with Amanda, Jamie, and local chef Phil up in Algonquin.
\n\n![\"Trailer](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/trailer-popped-tire.jpg\")
\n\n\nAmanda and I drove my trailer north, making it just past Mitchell before the right trailer tire blew. We pulled over, only to realize we didn’t have the right tools to remove the tire. While on the phone with CAA, a kind passerby stopped, pulled out his power drill, and replaced the flat with the spare in minutes. We were so grateful!
\n\nAt this point, I discovered that I had accidentally set Google Maps to avoid highways when plotting our route 🤦♂️ Eager to make up time, we pressed on–until we hit Orillia, where our second trailer tire went flat.
\n\nAfter loading the trailer onto a massive flatbed, the CAA driver dropped it at the nearest Canadian Tire, where Amanda and I spent our first night camping—in the parking lot. We woke up before the store opened, and after a short wait, had brand-new tires installed and were back on the road to Algonquin’s beautiful crown land.
\n\n![\"Trailer](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/trailer-on-trailer-bed.jpg\")
\n\n\nAmanda and I spent a couple of days camping with Jamie and Phil, including a failed attempt to canoe with Billy in tow, then spent the rest of the week camping by ourselves. Amanda cooked several 5-star meals over the campfire 🤤
\n\nThat Wednesday was Amanda’s birthday (the reason for the trip), which we spent mostly in the trailer to avoid the rain. Despite the early setbacks and the rain, the trip was fun, relaxing, and memorable— everything you hope for when camping.
\n\nLater that month, I performed at my first Pride London Festival with Carly Thomas and her band. This time, I played both guitar and keyboards for the first time with Carly’s band.
\n\n![\"Patrick](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/patrick-and-carly.jpg\")
\n\nThe next day, I played my least favourite show of the year. I won’t go into details or name the venue, but it was the last time I’ll ever perform there.
\n\n\n\n\nAmanda cooked several 5-star meals over the campfire 🤤
\n
After a duo gig with Jamie and another solo gig at Kelseys, the month rounded off with my favourite Beer Store Money gig of the year at the Dresden Night Market. Things were a little hairy as we awaited a band member who arrived late, but in the end we had an awesome time performing on that stage.
\n\nView Instagram Reel\n
I hired the Foundation Brothers to fix the crumbling foundation. From what I could tell, none of the three men who arrived were related, but they did do a very good job.
\n\n![\"Pat](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/patrick-fishing.jpg\")
\n\nIn August, I finally met my second niece! My brother, Rob, and his family moved back to Newfoundland in 2023 and had their second daughter a month later. I was finally able to make my way East to visit in August and spent two weeks fishing, exploring, and connecting with my nieces. Newfoundland also features delicious food and breathtaking views, so it’s always a pleasure to visit.
\n\nIt was also my first proper vacation from work in a long time. I still checked Slack occasionally, but I maintained more distance from my computer than ever before. Little did I know that it would be another few months until I’d be working again. That’s not a spoiler, that’s foreshadowing!
\n\n![\"Pat](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/patrick-rob-driving.jpg\")
\n\n\nThe Carly Thomas Band also travelled to Windsor for their Pride Festival. Later that night, Carly, band member Imogen, Amanda, Amanda’s friend Wendy, and I took in the sunset at Mitchell’s Bay.
\n\n![\"Patrick](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/patrick-and-amanda-sunset.jpg\")
\n\nAugust ended with another camping trip, this time a little closer to home at the Fanshawe Conservation Area. It was my first time camping at Fanshawe and Amanda and I had an amazing time. Amanda cooked several more 5-star meals over the campfire and we enjoyed several beautiful nights under the stars.
\n\n\n\n\nNewfoundland also features delicious food and breathtaking views almost everywhere you turn, so it’s always a pleasure to visit.
\n
September marked a huge milestone for the Pop Rockets. On September 7, we began our two-month residency at Winks. As you may have noted, we had maintained a monthly gig performing there through the year and were stoked for the opportunity to perform weekly.
\n\nThough we weren’t able to pack the place every week, we did have a couple of very successful nights during that two-month stretch. In particular, the Saturday before Hallowe’en saw a fantastic turnout and great retention of the crowd throughout the night. It was really nice to end our residency on such a high.
\n\n![\"Pop](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/pop-rockets-halloween.jpg\")
\n\nThe experience caused me to realize I need more education and/or experience promoting events. I’m still unsure what else I could have done to make every week a success. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to work that out this year.
\n\nOn September 14, the Pop Rockets attempted something none of us had ever tried before: we played two shows—a total of 4.5 hours—in one day. That afternoon, we performed a ninety minute set at Sidelaunch Brewing for their Brews & Views event. Scheduled to coincide with the London Airshow, the event featured live music with jets flying overhead during the show! Definitely one of the coolest gigs we’ve played. That night, we continued our residency at Winks.
\n\nView Instagram Reel\n
The Pop Rockets performed at our first festival when we made our way to Rodney, Ontario for the Roots & Revival Festival near the end of October. I also performed my first gig at Palasad Socialbowl with Carly Thomas.
\n\nIn early October, I began work on a side project. Whenever I perform–either solo or with the Pop Rockets–people request songs I don’t know or at least don’t know how to play. That said, I love when I can play a song that someone requests, knowing they’ll truly enjoy it.
\n\nTo that end, I designed and built an app listing all of the songs I know how to play, allowing audience members to request a song with a single tap. When a song is requested, the band receives a push notification in real time. I haven’t tested the system in a live setting yet, but plan to do so soon. If you’re curious to see a preview, you can check out this screen recording showing how the application works.
\n\n\n\n\n…the Saturday before Halloween saw a fantastic turnout and great retention of the crowd throughout the night. It was really nice to end our residency on such a high.
\n
October also marked my parents’ 55th wedding anniversary. Married in 1969, they vowed to stay together ‘til death, and they did. I still miss them every day. I especially missed my father at the end of October. Halloween would have been his 74th birthday, but the night before marked three years since his passing.
\n\nI had the opportunity to perform with Carly Thomas and her band at the Richmond Tavern for the VENUExVENUE concert series here in London. Our gig was on a Thursday night, the first night of the series. The setup was a bit chaotic, leading to some early discombobulation, but once we got going, we had a blast performing together again.
\n\nI worked with my friend Jay to replace some rotting fence posts in my backyard. It took a few days due to inclimate weather, but we were able to get them replaced and get the fencing back up before the first snow of the season. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the tops of the posts cut before the snow fell, but at least the fence isn’t toppling over as it has in years past. ☺️
\n\nFinally—another work project! In December, I started on a new project working once again with the amazing folks at Make IT. Also, I published two case studies documenting a couple of projects I have built with the Make IT team over the years:
\n\n![\"Amanda](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/amanda-and-claude.jpg\")
\n\nDecember also brought an exciting addition to our family! On the 4th–our ten-month anniversary–Amanda and I adopted a new kitty. We met Claude while shopping and walking Billy at the new PetValu on Wharncliffe Road.
\n\nClaude is a tiny ball of joy who unfortunately had a rough start in life, living on the streets with his siblings. They were found at the corner of Commissioners and Wonderland, and Claude was the last to be adopted.
\n\nHis information card indicated he was “very affectionate”, and we can gladly report this is true! Claude has a lot of energy and loves to chase Amanda’s cat, Opie. At night, he transforms into the ultimate cuddle bug, stretching out across our laps as we watch television and soaking in the pets and cuddles. He even gets along with Billy! He’s a real sweetheart.
\n\n![\"Claude](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/claude-bathtub.jpg\")
\n\n\nLater in the month, Amanda and I hosted Christmas dinner for a few friends and family. We made a big turkey dinner with all the fixings and topped the night off with pie and eggnog.
\n\n\n\n\n[Claude’s] information card indicated he was “very affectionate”, and we can gladly report this is true!
\n
The following week, the Pop Rockets were honoured to grace Winks once again to celebrate New Year’s Eve. We spent the month of December learning as many new songs as we could, while our bassist and visual artist, Edward, put together all new 3D environments for our interactive visuals—including an amazing countdown animation featuring a rocket blasting off into space! He also hand-crafted 50 friendship bracelets to hand out through the night.
\n\n![\"Pop](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/pop-rockets-friendship-bracelets.jpg\")
\n\nThe show itself was awesome. The bar was packed, the energy was high, and the Pop Rockets played our hearts out. We had so much fun and are grateful to the owners and staff at Winks for entrusting us with such a big night.
\n\nView Instagram Reel\n
Overall, 2024 was an amazing year filled with family, friends, work, music, and love. I’m grateful to have met and built a loving relationship with Amanda, to have my amazing friends John and Edward with me in the band, to continue collaborating with the talented team at Make IT, and for good health and happiness. Here’s to another great year ahead!
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/twenty-twenty-four/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/2024/social.jpg", "date_published": "2025-01-22T08:44:46-08:00", "date_modified": "2025-01-22T08:44:46-08:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/my-musical-side-hustle/", "title": "My musical side hustle\n", "content_text": "I’ve been playing a lot of music lately. It started a couple weeks after my father died when a friend from high school invited me to an open mic. Following six years of not performing music in public, what started as a monthly night out quietly grew into a side hustle performing at local bars and restaurants several times a month.When I started booking paid gigs, I decided to promote my music using just my first and middle name. As proud as I am of my family name, Dryburgh is difficult to pronounce and impossible to know how to spell based solely on hearing it spoken over a microphone or in a conversation at a noisy venue. So, I’ve been performing as Patrick Douglas.It also gave me an opportunity to make myself another website! PatrickDouglas.ca is a simple one-page site powered by Jekyll and hosted on Github pages. Right now, it includes links to my email and Instagram and lists my upcoming and past shows. Eventually, my hope is it will become a repository of the music I’ve recorded and will record in the future.I’ve reused the basic template for a couple of other projects now, including my nascent cover band, The Pop Rockets and for my friend and fellow musician Jamie Shrier. My hope is to encourage local musicians in London, Ontario to start owning their own domain names in addition to their social channels in the hopes it will prepare them for another inevitable upheaval across the social media landscape.", "content_html": "I’ve been playing a lot of music lately. It started a couple weeks after my father died when a friend from high school invited me to an open mic. Following six years of not performing music in public, what started as a monthly night out quietly grew into a side hustle performing at local bars and restaurants several times a month.
\n\nWhen I started booking paid gigs, I decided to promote my music using just my first and middle name. As proud as I am of my family name, Dryburgh is difficult to pronounce and impossible to know how to spell based solely on hearing it spoken over a microphone or in a conversation at a noisy venue. So, I’ve been performing as Patrick Douglas.
\n\nIt also gave me an opportunity to make myself another website! PatrickDouglas.ca is a simple one-page site powered by Jekyll and hosted on Github pages. Right now, it includes links to my email and Instagram and lists my upcoming and past shows. Eventually, my hope is it will become a repository of the music I’ve recorded and will record in the future.
\n\nI’ve reused the basic template for a couple of other projects now, including my nascent cover band, The Pop Rockets and for my friend and fellow musician Jamie Shrier. My hope is to encourage local musicians in London, Ontario to start owning their own domain names in addition to their social channels in the hopes it will prepare them for another inevitable upheaval across the social media landscape.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/my-musical-side-hustle/", "date_published": "2024-03-04T05:25:00-08:00", "date_modified": "2024-03-04T05:25:00-08:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2024-01-10-14-56-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "It’s been 21 years since I started skipping my last semester of the twelfth grade and began teaching myself how to code by installing phpbb and customizing the design. Sadly, those old designs are long lost, but they led to what has been an interesting and satisfying career.", "content_html": "It’s been 21 years since I started skipping my last semester of the twelfth grade and began teaching myself how to code by installing phpbb and customizing the design. Sadly, those old designs are long lost, but they led to what has been an interesting and satisfying career.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2024-01-10-14-56-00/", "date_published": "2024-01-10T11:56:00-08:00", "date_modified": "2024-01-10T11:56:00-08:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-10-25-18-51-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "For the first time since I bought my house, it is raining outside and not inside. So grateful to everyone who has helped me 😊❤️", "content_html": "For the first time since I bought my house, it is raining outside and not inside. So grateful to everyone who has helped me 😊❤️
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-10-25-18-51-00/", "date_published": "2023-10-25T15:51:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2023-10-25T15:51:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-10-13-11-31-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Raise your hand if you felt immense relief reading the story about the 23-year-old who recently fixed a 22-year-old bug in Firefox related to handling the hover state of an element that then renders a tooltip because you have a strangely similar issue sitting in a Jira project that you haven’t touched in months ✋", "content_html": "Raise your hand if you felt immense relief reading the story about the 23-year-old who recently fixed a 22-year-old bug in Firefox related to handling the hover state of an element that then renders a tooltip because you have a strangely similar issue sitting in a Jira project that you haven’t touched in months ✋
\n\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-10-13-11-31-00/", "date_published": "2023-10-13T08:31:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2023-10-13T08:31:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-09-30-20-17-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Billy seems to like the new flooring.", "content_html": "![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2023-09-30-20-17-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nBilly seems to like the new flooring.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-09-30-20-17-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2023-09-30-20-17-00.jpg", "date_published": "2023-09-30T20:45:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-30T20:45:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-09-15-13-08-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "I am super excited to announce the first official gig of my new acoustic cover band, the Pop Rockets, is happening on Saturday, October 14 at 10pm at Winks Eatery in London, Ontario.If you’re in the area, it would mean the world for you to join us 😊", "content_html": "![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/Pop-Rockets-Winks-Eatery-Oct-14-23.jpg\")
\n\n\nI am super excited to announce the first official gig of my new acoustic cover band, the Pop Rockets, is happening on Saturday, October 14 at 10pm at Winks Eatery in London, Ontario.
\n\nIf you’re in the area, it would mean the world for you to join us 😊
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-09-15-13-08-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/Pop-Rockets-Winks-Eatery-Oct-14-23.jpg", "date_published": "2023-09-15T10:08:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-15T10:08:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-09-02-15-04-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Allen Pike explains why you should make the thing the link. No, you can’t click here. Click the thing.", "content_html": "Allen Pike explains why you should make the thing the link. No, you can’t click here. Click the thing.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-09-02-15-04-00/", "date_published": "2023-09-02T12:04:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-02T12:04:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-09-02-14-58-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Today, for the first time ever, my barber buzzed out my ear hair. The war has begun.", "content_html": "Today, for the first time ever, my barber buzzed out my ear hair. The war has begun.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-09-02-14-58-00/", "date_published": "2023-09-02T11:58:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-02T11:58:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-08-18-17-40-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "My favourite podcast network, Relay FM, turned nine today! Congratulations to Myke & Stephen and everyone at Relay who consistently produce excellent entertainment. Here’s to the next nine 🍻", "content_html": "My favourite podcast network, Relay FM, turned nine today! Congratulations to Myke & Stephen and everyone at Relay who consistently produce excellent entertainment. Here’s to the next nine 🍻
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-08-18-17-40-00/", "date_published": "2023-08-18T14:40:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2023-08-18T14:40:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-08-02-09-55-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Check out this beautiful rain drop wallpaper collection from my baby bro!", "content_html": "![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2023-08-02-09-55-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nCheck out this beautiful rain drop wallpaper collection from my baby bro!
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-08-02-09-55-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2023-08-02-09-55-00.jpg", "date_published": "2023-08-02T06:55:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2023-08-02T06:55:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-07-27-13-44-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Good day at the vet 😊", "content_html": "![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2023-07-27-13-44-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nGood day at the vet 😊
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-07-27-13-44-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2023-07-27-13-44-00.jpg", "date_published": "2023-07-27T10:44:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2023-07-27T10:44:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-04-18-14-01-36/", "title": "Building a recipe search engine using DuckDuckGo\n", "content_text": "When I launched the DuckDuckGo Search Box Generator, I didn’t add any analytics as it felt counter to the spirit of the tool. The only way I know if someone’s used it is if they tell me and that’s happened less than a handful of times.A little while ago, I received such an email from Kieran Hunt. Kieran was using the DDG Search Box Generator to build something for themself and was asking about the ability to search multiple sites. It seemed my instructions were not working. After a bit of digging, we came to realize that DuckDuckGo stopped supporting passing a comma-separated list of URLs to the sites input of the generated form.Thankfully, Kieran was able to find a workaround using a little bit of JavaScript and was able to finish their very cool Recipe Search Engine.It’s always cool when something you’ve created spurs the creation of others. Thanks to Kieran for creating something cool and sharing it with the world!", "content_html": "When I launched the DuckDuckGo Search Box Generator, I didn’t add any analytics as it felt counter to the spirit of the tool. The only way I know if someone’s used it is if they tell me and that’s happened less than a handful of times.
\n\nA little while ago, I received such an email from Kieran Hunt. Kieran was using the DDG Search Box Generator to build something for themself and was asking about the ability to search multiple sites. It seemed my instructions were not working. After a bit of digging, we came to realize that DuckDuckGo stopped supporting passing a comma-separated list of URLs to the sites input of the generated form.
Thankfully, Kieran was able to find a workaround using a little bit of JavaScript and was able to finish their very cool Recipe Search Engine.
\n\nIt’s always cool when something you’ve created spurs the creation of others. Thanks to Kieran for creating something cool and sharing it with the world!
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-04-18-14-01-36/", "external_url": "https://kieran.casa/recipe-search-engine/", "date_published": "2023-04-18T11:01:36-07:00", "date_modified": "2023-04-18T11:01:36-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/make-something-wonderful/", "title": "Make Something Wonderful\n", "content_text": "The Steve Jobs Archive has just released Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words, a collection of speeches, interviews, and emails said to reveal “how he approached his life and work.” The book can be read for free in a custom online experience designed by Jony Ive’s creative studio, LoveFrom, or in your favourite e-reader.As someone who occasionally finds himself down the Steve Jobs rabbit hole, this is right up my alley and I can’t wait to dive in.", "content_html": "The Steve Jobs Archive has just released Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words, a collection of speeches, interviews, and emails said to reveal “how he approached his life and work.” The book can be read for free in a custom online experience designed by Jony Ive’s creative studio, LoveFrom, or in your favourite e-reader.
\n\nAs someone who occasionally finds himself down the Steve Jobs rabbit hole, this is right up my alley and I can’t wait to dive in.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/make-something-wonderful/", "external_url": "https://book.stevejobsarchive.com", "date_published": "2023-04-11T16:19:15-07:00", "date_modified": "2023-04-11T16:19:15-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-02-24-13-36-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "_DavidSmith’s PodSearch app is super cool! I was just trying to remember when John Siracusa most recently discussed Apple’s Migration Assistant on ATP and a quick PodSearch led me straight to 00:33:38 of Episode 485.PodSearch isn’t as forgiving nor as extensive as a Google search, but Google doesn’t (yet?) have an index of podcast transcripts. While only a handful of podcasts are indexed on PodSearch (yet?), the utility of having full text search of a few of my favourite tech podcasts is proving to be really valuable.", "content_html": "_DavidSmith’s PodSearch app is super cool! I was just trying to remember when John Siracusa most recently discussed Apple’s Migration Assistant on ATP and a quick PodSearch led me straight to 00:33:38 of Episode 485.
\n\nPodSearch isn’t as forgiving nor as extensive as a Google search, but Google doesn’t (yet?) have an index of podcast transcripts. While only a handful of podcasts are indexed on PodSearch (yet?), the utility of having full text search of a few of my favourite tech podcasts is proving to be really valuable.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2023-02-24-13-36-00/", "date_published": "2023-02-24T10:36:00-08:00", "date_modified": "2023-02-24T10:36:00-08:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/creator-cups/", "title": "Creator Cups\n", "content_text": "My brother Rob has started a video podcast! It’s called Creator Cups and is an interview series with creators.The first three episodes are out and feature creative and branding photographer, Rob Anzit, motocross photographer, Kailey Moffat, and my childhood friend and guitarist from my first band back in high school, Mike Aitken.I’m really proud of my brother for stepping out and trying to create something for the world. As both a military veteran and stay-at-home father, my brother has poured his heart and soul into serving his country and his family. A couple of years ago, Rob embarked on a two-year program at Fanshawe College studying photography and has been steadily growing his audience on Instagram, as well.1 As someone who has been a creator most of my life, I have been inspired by following the beginning of my brother’s own creative journey these last few years and witnessing him share his awesome talent and personality.If you have a moment, please check out my brother’s work on Instagram and on YouTube. And let him know I sent ya! As of this writing, he is 4 Instagram followers away from 800. Why not be the ones to put him over the top? ↩ ", "content_html": "My brother Rob has started a video podcast! It’s called Creator Cups and is an interview series with creators.
\n\nThe first three episodes are out and feature creative and branding photographer, Rob Anzit, motocross photographer, Kailey Moffat, and my childhood friend and guitarist from my first band back in high school, Mike Aitken.
\n\nI’m really proud of my brother for stepping out and trying to create something for the world. As both a military veteran and stay-at-home father, my brother has poured his heart and soul into serving his country and his family. A couple of years ago, Rob embarked on a two-year program at Fanshawe College studying photography and has been steadily growing his audience on Instagram, as well.1 As someone who has been a creator most of my life, I have been inspired by following the beginning of my brother’s own creative journey these last few years and witnessing him share his awesome talent and personality.
\n\nIf you have a moment, please check out my brother’s work on Instagram and on YouTube. And let him know I sent ya!
\n\nAs of this writing, he is 4 Instagram followers away from 800. Why not be the ones to put him over the top? ↩
\nYesterday, I received an email from Vincent W. He discovered a song I co-wrote back “in the days of Audio Galaxy and Napster” but lost the MP3 when an old computer died. After years of searching in vain, he finally found a reference to the song’s title on my personal blog and emailed me to determine whether he’d finally found what he was looking for.
\n\nIn an effort to make Vincent’s day, I present the world premier of the music video no one but Vincent was waiting for:
\n\nListening to Alanis Morissette performing live in the distance from my backyard is a very nice feeling.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2022-07-13-23-16-00/", "date_published": "2022-07-13T20:16:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2022-07-13T20:16:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/thoughts-on-my-first-political-rally/", "title": "Thoughts on my first political rally\n", "content_text": " The steel drum band that played as attendees entered the auditorium was awesome. Great vibe. I don’t understand why it was held indoors instead of a park with ample shade. Also… steel drums were made to be played outdoors. There appeared to be very few chairs available for those who needed them. Maybe they were available and I didn’t notice them, but I wasn’t not looking. The mic volume for the speakers was way too quiet and at times was difficult to hear. Meanwhile, recorded music that played as speakers entered the stage was so loud, a few attendees had to leave the auditorium. There were a few hundred people in attendance (I’d guess 300 and I once won a teddy bear by guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar). I have no idea how many people were in attendance. Please see correction note below 🤦♂️ The audience filled approximately 5/8 of the available space. When I decided to attend, I expected there to be thousands of attendees, but they would not have fit. I saw no police and couldn’t identify any security. Approximately 4/5 of attendees were very engaged and enthusiastic. The remaining were more reserved—like myself—plus a few dozen wandering teenagers. Lots of people brought signs and signs were provided. There was a large surplus of signs. Here’s hoping the signs get reused. That should be a law. Also… hemp signs only #makemeyourruler Almost no one was social distanced. In fact, orange-masked volunteers were encouraging us to move closer to the stage and therefore each other. I refused and made my way to the back of the auditorium in a spot where the radius between myself and all others was at its greatest, made complicated by the teenage wanderers. Everyone wore masks inside, but there were many, many exposed noses. I would have spoken up but am afraid of teenagers. I was glad to have an N95 mask because those other masks are dogshit. Go ahead. Put one on, light a match, and see how easy it can be blown out. Of course, having a beard reduces the effectiveness of any mask as does prolonged exposure in a crowded indoor space… 🤦♂️ Science is hard; don’t message me. I resonated with the message that was presented, though I recognize all political parties are complicated and speak to different segments of our population in different ways, some more dangerous than others. I don’t think any political party is perfect, but through my experience with my parents and the values they instilled in me, I am strongly convicted that health care is both a human right and a significant asset for Canadian society and that we need to do more, not less, to expand accessibility and include other services like dental and mental health.Politics is only one of many methods by which we interact with our fellow humans.May it never be the most important.—Correction: An earlier version of this post estimated attendance of Saturday’s rally to be around 300 people. Admittedly, this was intended to be a conservative estimate. Upon reviewing video taken during the event and learning the max capacity of the Canadian Convention Centre is 1,600, the author now believes attendance of the rally to be closer to 1,000 as claimed by Ontario NDP. The author realizes now that winning a teddy bear by guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar was a case of good luck and not a skill transferable to estimating crowd sizes. The author regrets the error.In fact, now I feel incredibly stupid and owe a sincere apology to the Ontario NDP. What I had intended to be a conservative estimate of 300–400 was in fact less than half of what I now believe the attendance to have been.I apologize to the Ontario NDP, the volunteers who organized and produced the event, and to anyone who read my initial estimate and believed it to be true. I realize lies travel faster than the truth and I am sorry I contributed a falsehood to the story of this event.", "content_html": "Politics is only one of many methods by which we interact with our fellow humans.
\n\nMay it never be the most important.
\n\n—
\n\nCorrection: An earlier version of this post estimated attendance of Saturday’s rally to be around 300 people. Admittedly, this was intended to be a conservative estimate. Upon reviewing video taken during the event and learning the max capacity of the Canadian Convention Centre is 1,600, the author now believes attendance of the rally to be closer to 1,000 as claimed by Ontario NDP. The author realizes now that winning a teddy bear by guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar was a case of good luck and not a skill transferable to estimating crowd sizes. The author regrets the error.
\n\nIn fact, now I feel incredibly stupid and owe a sincere apology to the Ontario NDP. What I had intended to be a conservative estimate of 300–400 was in fact less than half of what I now believe the attendance to have been.
\n\nI apologize to the Ontario NDP, the volunteers who organized and produced the event, and to anyone who read my initial estimate and believed it to be true. I realize lies travel faster than the truth and I am sorry I contributed a falsehood to the story of this event.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/thoughts-on-my-first-political-rally/", "date_published": "2022-05-14T18:46:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2022-05-14T18:46:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2022-04-27-09-55-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Inherited this hat and I think I like it.", "content_html": "![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2022-04-27-09-55-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nInherited this hat and I think I like it.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2022-04-27-09-55-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2022-04-27-09-55-00.jpg", "date_published": "2022-04-27T06:55:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2022-04-27T06:55:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2022-02-25-17-12-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Flown around the sun about 38 37 times.", "content_html": "![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2022-02-25-17-12-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nFlown around the sun about 38 37 times.
Wordle 228 2/6
\n\n⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛
\n🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
🧠💪
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2022-02-02-08-52-00/", "date_published": "2022-02-02T05:52:29-08:00", "date_modified": "2022-02-02T05:52:29-08:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2022-02-01-16-51-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "BONANZA!", "content_html": "\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2022-02-01-16-51-00/", "date_published": "2022-02-01T13:51:13-08:00", "date_modified": "2022-02-01T13:51:13-08:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2022-02-01-12-29-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "If you’re a fucking Canadian, please watch this fucking video and sign this fucking petition and demand the fucking federal government bring safe, clean drinking water to Indigenous communities fucking now.", "content_html": "If you’re a fucking Canadian, please watch this fucking video and sign this fucking petition and demand the fucking federal government bring safe, clean drinking water to Indigenous communities fucking now.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2022-02-01-12-29-00/", "date_published": "2022-02-01T09:29:04-08:00", "date_modified": "2022-02-01T09:29:04-08:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/hitchens-theme-for-microblog/", "title": "Hitchens theme for Micro.blog\n", "content_text": "Several days ago I logged into Micro.blog for the first time in a few months. After a bit of scrolling to catch up, I was pleasantly surprised to see I had been mentioned in a conversation between @sod and @pimoore where @sod mentioned he and his girlfriend had been using my Hitchens theme for Jekyll for their book blog, Läslöss. Check it out! It’s a very cool modification of Hitchens. Since releasing the theme, I’ve slowly been compiling a list of cool Hitchens mods that I intend to publish here, but that’s for a future post.This post is about how @sod’s post led to my discovery that developer Pete Moore (@pimoore on Micro.blog) had recently developed and released a version of the Hitchens theme for Micro.blog! Along with a few tweaks to the theme’s form and function, Pete was able to port my Jekyll theme to Hugo, the software that powers every blog hosted on Micro.blog. And from what I’ve seen over the last few days, people are really digging it!Back in 2019 when I was first developing Hitchens, I got a really nice mention from Micro.blog founder Manton Reese indicating his interest in having Hitchens ported for use on Micro.blog. I tried a year later to start the work of porting it to Hugo and Micro.blog, but unfortunately other things came up.By initially releasing the Hitchens theme under an MIT open source license, I created the opportunity for any other developer to build off of my work. On Github, the project has been forked almost two hundred times and, as mentioned above, I’ve seen some really great modifications of the theme over the last two years. (Follow my blog by email, Micro.blog, or RSS to be notified when I post that mods post 😃)This is the first time software I’ve released has been taken and ported to an entirely different platform and I am honoured that Pete did such a great job of maintaining the spirit of the original theme. If my blog was hosted on Micro.blog, there’s a very strong chance I’d be giving his version of Hitchens a spin.If your blog is hosted on Micro.blog, check out the Hitchens theme for Micro.blog. And if you’re interested in blogging and aren’t sure where to start, I highly recommend checking out the tools and supportive community Micro.blog has to offer.", "content_html": "Several days ago I logged into Micro.blog for the first time in a few months. After a bit of scrolling to catch up, I was pleasantly surprised to see I had been mentioned in a conversation between @sod and @pimoore where @sod mentioned he and his girlfriend had been using my Hitchens theme for Jekyll for their book blog, Läslöss. Check it out! It’s a very cool modification of Hitchens. Since releasing the theme, I’ve slowly been compiling a list of cool Hitchens mods that I intend to publish here, but that’s for a future post.
\n\nThis post is about how @sod’s post led to my discovery that developer Pete Moore (@pimoore on Micro.blog) had recently developed and released a version of the Hitchens theme for Micro.blog! Along with a few tweaks to the theme’s form and function, Pete was able to port my Jekyll theme to Hugo, the software that powers every blog hosted on Micro.blog. And from what I’ve seen over the last few days, people are really digging it!
\n\nBack in 2019 when I was first developing Hitchens, I got a really nice mention from Micro.blog founder Manton Reese indicating his interest in having Hitchens ported for use on Micro.blog. I tried a year later to start the work of porting it to Hugo and Micro.blog, but unfortunately other things came up.
\n\nBy initially releasing the Hitchens theme under an MIT open source license, I created the opportunity for any other developer to build off of my work. On Github, the project has been forked almost two hundred times and, as mentioned above, I’ve seen some really great modifications of the theme over the last two years. (Follow my blog by email, Micro.blog, or RSS to be notified when I post that mods post 😃)
\n\nThis is the first time software I’ve released has been taken and ported to an entirely different platform and I am honoured that Pete did such a great job of maintaining the spirit of the original theme. If my blog was hosted on Micro.blog, there’s a very strong chance I’d be giving his version of Hitchens a spin.
\n\nIf your blog is hosted on Micro.blog, check out the Hitchens theme for Micro.blog. And if you’re interested in blogging and aren’t sure where to start, I highly recommend checking out the tools and supportive community Micro.blog has to offer.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/hitchens-theme-for-microblog/", "date_published": "2022-01-18T16:19:56-08:00", "date_modified": "2022-01-18T16:19:56-08:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2022-01-15-12-12-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Wordle 210 6/6⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩", "content_html": "Wordle 210 6/6
\n\n⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜
\n🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜
\n⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜
\n⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
\n⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
\n🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
![\"\"Gordon](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-10-31-19-01-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nYesterday morning between the hours of 2am and 4:30am, my father Gordon Dryburgh passed away peacefully in his sleep. He had been battling lung cancer since early this year and had put up a hell of a fight. He is survived by me, my siblings, and his granddaughter, all of whom will miss him dearly.
\n\nVisitation and funeral service details are available now.
\n\nRest well, Big Gordo.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-10-31-19-01-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-10-31-19-01-00.jpg", "date_published": "2021-10-31T16:01:05-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-10-31T16:01:05-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-09-25-12-14-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Stoicism or staring out a window?", "content_html": "![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-09-25-12-14-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nStoicism or staring out a window?
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-09-25-12-14-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-09-25-12-14-00.jpg", "date_published": "2021-09-25T09:14:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-09-25T09:14:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-09-22-12-07-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "All smiles.", "content_html": "![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-09-22-12-07-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nAll smiles.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-09-22-12-07-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-09-22-12-07-00.jpg", "date_published": "2021-09-22T09:07:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-09-22T09:07:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/relay-fm-st-jude-2021/", "title": "September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month\n", "content_text": "For the last several years, Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley, and the team at Relay FM have organized annual fundraisers for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a nonprofit operating in Memphis, Tennessee that is a leader in childhood cancer research and provides treatment, care, and support to young cancer patients and their families at no cost to them, made possible through donations from people like you and me.Through the support of individual contributors, St. Jude has been able to quadruple the childhood cancer survivor rate from 20% to over 80%.Three years ago during the inaugural fundraiser, the Relay FM community was able to raise $69,000 for the kids of St. Jude. A year later, the team set their goal for $75,000, hoping they might push it to $125,000. They raised $315,000 in one month.Last year, the team set an initial goal of raising $315,000. The goal was reached during last year’s Podcastathon and by the end of the month, Relay FM and its listeners had raised $456,000.When this year’s fundraiser was announced, the goal was set to $333,333.33 with the added acknowledgment that once they had raised a little over $196,000, they would hit the incredible milestone of having raised $1,000,000 in three years. That milestone was reached last week.As of this writing, they have already surpassed this year’s initial goal and sit at $336,000 raised. They’ve since added another milestone of raising $400,000 by the end of the month.But my question is: while it took three years for Relay FM and its listeners to raise their first $1MM, how long would it take to raise the second?We don’t have enough yearly data to come up with a reasonable estimate for the rate of year-over-year growth, but as an exercise let’s assume this year will see a similar rate of year-over-year growth as last year (~44.76%). At that rate, we could estimate that by the end of this month Relay FM will have raised a total of ~$660,105 this year. Subtracting the $196k needed to reach the first $1MM milestone leaves ~$464,105 that would contribute to the second $1MM, leaving $535,895 to be raised for next year. Assuming the same growth rate for next year, we could expect to see the total amount raised reach $955,568, pushing Relay FM well beyond their second $1MM by the end of next year’s fundraiser.Now, maybe using last year’s growth rate isn’t fair. The good news is that Relay FM could still reach their second $1MM in two years if their growth rate dropped to 25%, which seems very reasonable to me.All of this made-up math—and the very real work happening at St. Jude—requires that people continue to donate. If you have even a little bit of cash to spare, please consider donating to St. Jude’s. Every little bit helps!The Relay FM team will be hosting their annual Podcastathon from 12-8 PM on Friday, September 17. They will be sharing stories from families who have been helped by St. Jude as well as hearing from some of the great people who make up the Relay FM network.", "content_html": "For the last several years, Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley, and the team at Relay FM have organized annual fundraisers for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a nonprofit operating in Memphis, Tennessee that is a leader in childhood cancer research and provides treatment, care, and support to young cancer patients and their families at no cost to them, made possible through donations from people like you and me.
\n\nThrough the support of individual contributors, St. Jude has been able to quadruple the childhood cancer survivor rate from 20% to over 80%.
\n\nThree years ago during the inaugural fundraiser, the Relay FM community was able to raise $69,000 for the kids of St. Jude. A year later, the team set their goal for $75,000, hoping they might push it to $125,000. They raised $315,000 in one month.
\n\nLast year, the team set an initial goal of raising $315,000. The goal was reached during last year’s Podcastathon and by the end of the month, Relay FM and its listeners had raised $456,000.
\n\nWhen this year’s fundraiser was announced, the goal was set to $333,333.33 with the added acknowledgment that once they had raised a little over $196,000, they would hit the incredible milestone of having raised $1,000,000 in three years. That milestone was reached last week.
\n\nAs of this writing, they have already surpassed this year’s initial goal and sit at $336,000 raised. They’ve since added another milestone of raising $400,000 by the end of the month.
\n\nBut my question is: while it took three years for Relay FM and its listeners to raise their first $1MM, how long would it take to raise the second?
\n\nWe don’t have enough yearly data to come up with a reasonable estimate for the rate of year-over-year growth, but as an exercise let’s assume this year will see a similar rate of year-over-year growth as last year (~44.76%). At that rate, we could estimate that by the end of this month Relay FM will have raised a total of ~$660,105 this year. Subtracting the $196k needed to reach the first $1MM milestone leaves ~$464,105 that would contribute to the second $1MM, leaving $535,895 to be raised for next year. Assuming the same growth rate for next year, we could expect to see the total amount raised reach $955,568, pushing Relay FM well beyond their second $1MM by the end of next year’s fundraiser.
\n\nNow, maybe using last year’s growth rate isn’t fair. The good news is that Relay FM could still reach their second $1MM in two years if their growth rate dropped to 25%, which seems very reasonable to me.
\n\nAll of this made-up math—and the very real work happening at St. Jude—requires that people continue to donate. If you have even a little bit of cash to spare, please consider donating to St. Jude’s. Every little bit helps!
\n\nThe Relay FM team will be hosting their annual Podcastathon from 12-8 PM on Friday, September 17. They will be sharing stories from families who have been helped by St. Jude as well as hearing from some of the great people who make up the Relay FM network.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/relay-fm-st-jude-2021/", "external_url": "https://stjude.org/relay", "date_published": "2021-09-14T14:55:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-09-14T14:55:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-09-09-10-49-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Picked up this wonderful poster from my dear friend, Mike. Will look great hanging in the office.", "content_html": "![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-09-09-10-49-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nPicked up this wonderful poster from my dear friend, Mike. Will look great hanging in the office.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-09-09-10-49-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-09-09-10-49-00.jpg", "date_published": "2021-09-09T07:49:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-09-09T07:49:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-08-27-12-27-22/", "title": "Behind The Ficus\n", "content_text": "My friend Carly Thomas’s latest—and in my opinion, best—album, Behind the Ficus is available now for purchase and streaming. I had the opportunity to perform guitar and backup vocals on her last EP, Explode, and believe the last 7 years have seen tremendous growth in maturity and confidence in Carly’s songwriting.Due to personal circumstances over the last couple of years, I turned down a couple of offers from Carly to record a few tracks for this album. Listening now, I’m torn between regret and gratitude; regret for not getting to be part of what I see as Carly’s best work to date but grateful that now I can listen to and enjoy this wonderful work free from self-critique. The songs are so strong and so good and the performances so rich that it’s a pure joy to experience this beautiful creation from a dear friend that I can listen to on repeat for years to come.Check out Behind the Ficus on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, or buy it now at BandCamp.", "content_html": "My friend Carly Thomas’s latest—and in my opinion, best—album, Behind the Ficus is available now for purchase and streaming. I had the opportunity to perform guitar and backup vocals on her last EP, Explode, and believe the last 7 years have seen tremendous growth in maturity and confidence in Carly’s songwriting.
\n\nDue to personal circumstances over the last couple of years, I turned down a couple of offers from Carly to record a few tracks for this album. Listening now, I’m torn between regret and gratitude; regret for not getting to be part of what I see as Carly’s best work to date but grateful that now I can listen to and enjoy this wonderful work free from self-critique. The songs are so strong and so good and the performances so rich that it’s a pure joy to experience this beautiful creation from a dear friend that I can listen to on repeat for years to come.
\n\nCheck out Behind the Ficus on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, or buy it now at BandCamp.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-08-27-12-27-22/", "external_url": "https://song.link/BehindTheFicus", "date_published": "2021-08-27T09:27:22-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-08-27T09:27:22-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-08-16-17-56-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "A good boy ready for a car ride. 🐶🚙", "content_html": "![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-08-16-17-56-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nA good boy ready for a car ride. 🐶🚙
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-08-16-17-56-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-08-16-17-56-00.jpg", "date_published": "2021-08-16T14:56:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-08-16T14:56:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-08-16-17-51-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "A friend of mine told me a few months ago about a festival that has been taking place in my hometown of Dorchester, Ontario for the last few years called BRIDGEFEST that features food trucks, local artisan vendors, and live music. This year BRIDGEFEST is taking place on Saturday, September 11 from 2–8pm on the Bridge St. bridge and my friend Carly Thomas is performing!", "content_html": "A friend of mine told me a few months ago about a festival that has been taking place in my hometown of Dorchester, Ontario for the last few years called BRIDGEFEST that features food trucks, local artisan vendors, and live music. This year BRIDGEFEST is taking place on Saturday, September 11 from 2–8pm on the Bridge St. bridge and my friend Carly Thomas is performing!
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-08-16-17-51-00/", "date_published": "2021-08-16T14:51:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-08-16T14:51:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-08-13-12-41-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Excited to attend this year’s Micro Camp, streaming live today at 1pm EDT. Register and join the stream to hear some lovely music created by the Micro.blog community before a 10-minute meditation led by David Johnson happening before the conference at 12:45pm EDT.If you missed this year’s Micro Camp, you can still register to watch the recordings of the weekend’s sessions. Manton has said the videos will possibly end up at https://micro.camp in the future.", "content_html": "Excited to attend this year’s Micro Camp, streaming live today at 1pm EDT. Register and join the stream to hear some lovely music created by the Micro.blog community before a 10-minute meditation led by David Johnson happening before the conference at 12:45pm EDT.
\n\nIf you missed this year’s Micro Camp, you can still register to watch the recordings of the weekend’s sessions. Manton has said the videos will possibly end up at https://micro.camp in the future.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-08-13-12-41-00/", "date_published": "2021-08-13T09:41:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-08-13T09:41:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-08-03-12-40-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "Finally got a chance to check out 88 Keys of Light, the immersive art installation by my friend Edward and his pal Kristyn, currently located in the courtyard at Covent Garden Market Square. While the damage it has suffered is still upsetting and prevents people from playing the actual keys, the buttons that trigger the musical animations and light display still work and provide an awesome experience.", "content_html": "![\"\"\\n\"\"](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-08-03-12-40-00.jpg\")
\n\n\nFinally got a chance to check out 88 Keys of Light, the immersive art installation by my friend Edward and his pal Kristyn, currently located in the courtyard at Covent Garden Market Square. While the damage it has suffered is still upsetting and prevents people from playing the actual keys, the buttons that trigger the musical animations and light display still work and provide an awesome experience.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-08-03-12-40-00/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/photos/2021-08-03-12-40-00.jpg", "date_published": "2021-08-03T09:40:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-08-03T09:40:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-07-22-09-59-07/", "title": "Carly Thomas’s album release party at London Brewing Co-operative on Friday July 23, 2021\n", "content_text": "Got home late last night from visiting my friend Carly and her musical companions who were rehearsing for her album release party happening this Friday July 23 at London Brewing Co-operative.I’m really excited to attend my first concert since lockdown began. The last public performance I attended was Kill Tony at the world famous Comedy Store in West Hollywood, California on Monday March 9, 2020. The virus was being discussed, but things didn’t lock down until a couple days after I got home. The idea that we wouldn’t be able to attend a live performance for more than a year was inconceivable at the time.This has been a difficult time for everyone. While in no way do I expect things to ever return to “normal,” it’s nice that some things from The Days Before are starting to happen again.", "content_html": "Got home late last night from visiting my friend Carly and her musical companions who were rehearsing for her album release party happening this Friday July 23 at London Brewing Co-operative.
\n\nI’m really excited to attend my first concert since lockdown began. The last public performance I attended was Kill Tony at the world famous Comedy Store in West Hollywood, California on Monday March 9, 2020. The virus was being discussed, but things didn’t lock down until a couple days after I got home. The idea that we wouldn’t be able to attend a live performance for more than a year was inconceivable at the time.
\n\nThis has been a difficult time for everyone. While in no way do I expect things to ever return to “normal,” it’s nice that some things from The Days Before are starting to happen again.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-07-22-09-59-07/", "external_url": "https://www.bandsintown.com/e/102736420", "date_published": "2021-07-22T06:59:07-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-22T06:59:07-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-07-15-11-36-36/", "title": "88 Keys of Light takes a beating at London market\n", "content_text": "I’ve been meaning to write about the arrival of the 88 Keys of Light project to downtown London. I haven’t had a chance to go see my friend Edward’s amazing work in person, but now I’m really sad I didn’t. After spending 45 days delighting thousands of people on a street corner in Toronto, the piano was vandalized just days after moving to London. The keys were broken rendering the piano unplayable and the stool smashed, causing my friend to have to add plexiglass to prevent further damage.Thankfully the buttons that trigger the preprogrammed song and light demonstrations still work and surveillance has been increased in the area where the piano is currently on display. If you are in the London area, check out 88 Keys of Light at Covent Garden Market Square at 130 King St.", "content_html": "I’ve been meaning to write about the arrival of the 88 Keys of Light project to downtown London. I haven’t had a chance to go see my friend Edward’s amazing work in person, but now I’m really sad I didn’t. After spending 45 days delighting thousands of people on a street corner in Toronto, the piano was vandalized just days after moving to London. The keys were broken rendering the piano unplayable and the stool smashed, causing my friend to have to add plexiglass to prevent further damage.
\n\nThankfully the buttons that trigger the preprogrammed song and light demonstrations still work and surveillance has been increased in the area where the piano is currently on display. If you are in the London area, check out 88 Keys of Light at Covent Garden Market Square at 130 King St.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2021-07-15-11-36-36/", "external_url": "https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/keys-of-light-vandalized-covent-garden-market-1.6099851", "date_published": "2021-07-15T08:36:36-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-15T08:36:36-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/team-hawk-spill-it/", "title": "Rob Dryburgh talks skydiving with the SkyHawks, parachute rigging, injury and the road to recovery\n", "content_text": "My younger brother, Rob, recently founded Team Hawk Canada with the aim to motivate, educate, and empower people through storytelling. His experience becoming a Master Parachute Rigger and a member of the Skyhawks military parachute demonstration team taught Rob important lessons about discipline and determination that have been an inspiration to me and many others.After 508 jumps and suffering a career-ending injury, Rob medically released from the military and began the long, difficult process of rehabilitation. Recently, Rob was a guest on the Spill It! podcast to share his story.", "content_html": "My younger brother, Rob, recently founded Team Hawk Canada with the aim to motivate, educate, and empower people through storytelling. His experience becoming a Master Parachute Rigger and a member of the Skyhawks military parachute demonstration team taught Rob important lessons about discipline and determination that have been an inspiration to me and many others.
\n\nAfter 508 jumps and suffering a career-ending injury, Rob medically released from the military and began the long, difficult process of rehabilitation. Recently, Rob was a guest on the Spill It! podcast to share his story.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/team-hawk-spill-it/", "external_url": "https://eccaia.com/rob-dryburgh-talks-skydiving-with-the-skyhawks-parachute-rigging-injury-and-the-road-to-recovery/", "date_published": "2021-07-13T09:24:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-13T09:24:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/88-keys-of-light-an-interactive-art-installation/", "title": "88 Keys of Light\n", "content_text": "What happens when you blend together a piano, 5 acoustic guitars, 120m of wiring, a massive array of LEDs controlled by a computer, 6 buttons to trigger renditions of popular songs, and an Augmented Reality experience?My friend Edward Platero and his partner in art (artner?), Kristyn Watterworth answered that extremely specific question with their wonderful 88 Keys of Light interactive art installation. The installation has been set up in Toronto for the last month or so, but will be heading to other cities over the summer months.During a time of darkness, it’s nice to experience a bit of light. ", "content_html": "What happens when you blend together a piano, 5 acoustic guitars, 120m of wiring, a massive array of LEDs controlled by a computer, 6 buttons to trigger renditions of popular songs, and an Augmented Reality experience?
\n\nMy friend Edward Platero and his partner in art (artner?), Kristyn Watterworth answered that extremely specific question with their wonderful 88 Keys of Light interactive art installation. The installation has been set up in Toronto for the last month or so, but will be heading to other cities over the summer months.
\n\nDuring a time of darkness, it’s nice to experience a bit of light.
\n\n![\"\"Billy](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/billy-napping.jpeg\")
\n\n\nI grew up with dogs. Samantha, a beautiful and gentle sheep dog, was around when I was first born. When she passed, our family got Mandy, a bearded collie who sadly had to be re-homed because she was too rambunctious for my then-just-a-toddler sibling. When we were all a bit older we got Samantha II, another bearded collie we all loved until the day she passed of old age.
\n\nI always dreamed of having my own dog one day. I once made getting a dog a reward back when I was trying to lose weight. I reached the goal I had set, but never got the dog. My life was still heavily oriented around travel, a hectic work schedule, and a lack of desire to settle down.
\n\nThis past autumn, I made the move from Vancouver and shortly after bought my first house, a bungalow with a fenced-in backyard in a neighbourhood by the Thames River and its beautiful trails.
\n\nOnce I had unpacked my belongings and felt settled in, I began the search for my first puppy. My initial plan was to adopt, however there weren’t any available in London and very few within a reasonable distance who were either not my preferred breed or too high-needs for my level of experience.
\n\nI had decided I was willing to wait for the right dog to come up for adoption, however in early January I found an opportunity to purchase a puppy who otherwise would have ended up at the pound. After meeting with the owner and their 8 week old puppy and feeling its friendliness and energy, I knew I’d found my puppy.
\n\nOn January 3, Billy Dryburgh came home. A Great Pyrenees mix, Billy is full of energy and lots of love to share with everyone he meets. He loves to chew, play fetch and tug-of-war, and cuddle. His favourite treats are dehydrated pig ears and large beef knuckles. His favourite toy is anything that makes noise.
\n\nOh, and nap. Boy, does he love to nap.
\n\n![\"Billy](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/billy-napping-2.jpeg\")
\n\n\n![\"Billy](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/billy-in-the-snow.jpeg\")
\n\n\n![\"Billy](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/billy-napping-3.jpeg\")
\n\n\n![\"Billy](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/billy-chewing-beef-knuckle.jpeg\")
\n\n\n![\"Billy](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/billy-in-the-car.jpeg\")
\n\n\n![\"Billy](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/billy-on-a-walk.jpeg\")
\n\n\nIt’s been amazing to see him grow and learn over the last few months. Billy and I begin dog training on Monday and I can’t wait for all of the adventures we’ll have in the years to come.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/billy-dryburgh/", "image": "https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/billy-napping.jpeg", "date_published": "2021-04-13T12:25:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2021-04-13T12:25:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2020-12-03-14-49-00/", "title": "\n", "content_text": "BONANZA!", "content_html": "\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/micro/2020-12-03-14-49-00/", "date_published": "2020-12-03T11:49:00-08:00", "date_modified": "2020-12-03T11:49:00-08:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/relay-fm-st-jude-2020/", "title": "September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month\n", "content_text": "For the last several years, Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley, and the team at Relay FM have run annual fundraisers for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a nonprofit operating in Memphis, Tennessee that provides treatment, care, and support to young cancer patients and their families at no cost to them, made possible through donations from people like you and me.In an ideal world, our friends in the U.S.A. wouldn’t have to worry about the cost of healthcare. But until that time comes, it’s heartening to know that someone is alleviating this burden for families whose children are fighting for their lives. Through the support of individual contributors, St. Jude has been able to quadruple the childhood cancer survivor rate from 20% to over 80%.Two years ago, the Relay FM community was able to raise $69,000 for the kids of St. Jude. Last year, the team set their goal for $75,000, hoping they might push it to $125,000.They raised $315,000 in one month.They are at it again this month and have set an initial goal of $315,000 with fun milestones along the way. There are countless causes worthy of our support, but if you have more to give, St. Jude’s is definitely amongst those who deserve your support.There will be a live Podcastathon on Friday, September 18, from 2-8 PM Eastern on their Twitch channel. If you can’t wait until then, have a listen or watch last year’s Podcastathon full of laughs, hijinks, and touching stories about the good work of St. Jude.", "content_html": "For the last several years, Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley, and the team at Relay FM have run annual fundraisers for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a nonprofit operating in Memphis, Tennessee that provides treatment, care, and support to young cancer patients and their families at no cost to them, made possible through donations from people like you and me.
\n\nIn an ideal world, our friends in the U.S.A. wouldn’t have to worry about the cost of healthcare. But until that time comes, it’s heartening to know that someone is alleviating this burden for families whose children are fighting for their lives. Through the support of individual contributors, St. Jude has been able to quadruple the childhood cancer survivor rate from 20% to over 80%.
\n\nTwo years ago, the Relay FM community was able to raise $69,000 for the kids of St. Jude. Last year, the team set their goal for $75,000, hoping they might push it to $125,000.
\n\nThey raised $315,000 in one month.
\n\nThey are at it again this month and have set an initial goal of $315,000 with fun milestones along the way. There are countless causes worthy of our support, but if you have more to give, St. Jude’s is definitely amongst those who deserve your support.
\n\nThere will be a live Podcastathon on Friday, September 18, from 2-8 PM Eastern on their Twitch channel. If you can’t wait until then, have a listen or watch last year’s Podcastathon full of laughs, hijinks, and touching stories about the good work of St. Jude.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/relay-fm-st-jude-2020/", "external_url": "https://stjude.org/relay", "date_published": "2020-09-03T08:00:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2020-09-03T08:00:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/goodbye-again-vancouver/", "title": "Goodbye again, Vancouver\n", "content_text": "In a little less than a month, I will be packing my belongings into the back of my Toyota 4Runner and making my way east from my current home in Vancouver, British Columbia back to my hometown near London, Ontario.I first moved to Vancouver in 2012 for a job and moved back to Ontario in 2013 to be with Mom. When she passed in 2014, it was only a matter of time (246 days, to be exact) before I would move back to Vancouver. I’m not sure my reasons for moving back to Vancouver were entirely logical. I just knew I loved BC and wanted to get away from the grief I was feeling in Ontario.(As it turns out, grief isn’t limited by geography 😄)These last 5 years in BC have had their ups and downs. I fell in love for the first time in a long time, got engaged, then wound up single again. I worked on a number of amazing projects and a couple less-than-amazing ones. I made a few new friends and lost a few others. I got to live in Uganda for 6 months, an opportunity that only presented itself because I was living and working in Vancouver.I was lucky to be able to return home often for holidays and summer workations, and once to attend a dear friend’s funeral. Being able to fly home at a moment’s notice made being so far away from the people I love somewhat tolerable.As soon as the country went into lockdown in March, I knew flying home was not going to be possible for a very, very long time. It was clear that I needed to move home to be closer to my family.I wasn’t sure when or how I would move and uncertainty around SARS-COV-2 meant I had to wait until I knew I could travel safely. I’ve been planning my strategy through the summer and think that by preparing meals ahead of my departure, camping in my tent along the way, and limiting my exposure to other people to only when I am buying gas and can’t pay at the pump, I should be able to avoid unnecessary contact with people.I’m excited to be closer to family again, to be able to help my father with chores and errands, to spend time with my brother and his wife and their daughter, and to only be a day’s drive instead of a day’s flight away from my sister and her fiancé.With the way things are now, I’m not sure when I’ll be back to visit BC. I know I will miss the mountains and the ocean, Lynn Canyon and Sloquet Hot Springs, I will really miss the few friends I still have here, and—of course—I’ll miss the sushi.I am hopeful there is still time to see people before I go (I’ve only seen two friends in person since March and am open to socially-distanced outdoor hangouts) and that one day soon I will be able to visit this beautiful province—my second home—again.", "content_html": "In a little less than a month, I will be packing my belongings into the back of my Toyota 4Runner and making my way east from my current home in Vancouver, British Columbia back to my hometown near London, Ontario.
\n\nI first moved to Vancouver in 2012 for a job and moved back to Ontario in 2013 to be with Mom. When she passed in 2014, it was only a matter of time (246 days, to be exact) before I would move back to Vancouver. I’m not sure my reasons for moving back to Vancouver were entirely logical. I just knew I loved BC and wanted to get away from the grief I was feeling in Ontario.
\n\n(As it turns out, grief isn’t limited by geography 😄)
\n\nThese last 5 years in BC have had their ups and downs. I fell in love for the first time in a long time, got engaged, then wound up single again. I worked on a number of amazing projects and a couple less-than-amazing ones. I made a few new friends and lost a few others. I got to live in Uganda for 6 months, an opportunity that only presented itself because I was living and working in Vancouver.
\n\nI was lucky to be able to return home often for holidays and summer workations, and once to attend a dear friend’s funeral. Being able to fly home at a moment’s notice made being so far away from the people I love somewhat tolerable.
\n\nAs soon as the country went into lockdown in March, I knew flying home was not going to be possible for a very, very long time. It was clear that I needed to move home to be closer to my family.
\n\nI wasn’t sure when or how I would move and uncertainty around SARS-COV-2 meant I had to wait until I knew I could travel safely. I’ve been planning my strategy through the summer and think that by preparing meals ahead of my departure, camping in my tent along the way, and limiting my exposure to other people to only when I am buying gas and can’t pay at the pump, I should be able to avoid unnecessary contact with people.
\n\nI’m excited to be closer to family again, to be able to help my father with chores and errands, to spend time with my brother and his wife and their daughter, and to only be a day’s drive instead of a day’s flight away from my sister and her fiancé.
\n\nWith the way things are now, I’m not sure when I’ll be back to visit BC. I know I will miss the mountains and the ocean, Lynn Canyon and Sloquet Hot Springs, I will really miss the few friends I still have here, and—of course—I’ll miss the sushi.
\n\nI am hopeful there is still time to see people before I go (I’ve only seen two friends in person since March and am open to socially-distanced outdoor hangouts) and that one day soon I will be able to visit this beautiful province—my second home—again.
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/goodbye-again-vancouver/", "date_published": "2020-09-02T11:00:00-07:00", "date_modified": "2020-09-02T11:00:00-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} }, { "id": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/my-little-red-spam-filter/", "title": "My Little Red Spam Filter\n", "content_text": "On the latest episode of The Talk Show, John Gruber made a comment during a conversation about the prevelance of email spam that made me chuckle: There’s no possibility in the real-world [for] a spam filter.I had to chuckle because here in Canada, we’ve had real-world spam filtering for over two decades 😆Starting in 1998, Canada Post has allowed residents to request that unaddressed advertising mail no longer be delivered. When the policy was first introduced, residents had to send a letter to Canada Post and then a red dot sticker would be placed in your mailbox, letting carriers know to stop delivering unaddressed advertising mail to your address.Most Canadians were unaware of this ironically unadvertised policy until 2008, when Vancouver-based marketer Beth Ringdahl created the Red Dot Campaign to encourage Canadians to make this request of Canada Post in an effort to reduce paper waste.Canada Post has since updated their policy to remove the requirement of making the request to stop unaddressed advertisting by sending a letter. Now, all that is required is a note inside your mailbox. Or, at least here in Vancouver, a little red dot.My Little Red Spam Filter", "content_html": "On the latest episode of The Talk Show, John Gruber made a comment during a conversation about the prevelance of email spam that made me chuckle:
\n\n\n\n\nThere’s no possibility in the real-world [for] a spam filter.
\n
I had to chuckle because here in Canada, we’ve had real-world spam filtering for over two decades 😆
\n\nStarting in 1998, Canada Post has allowed residents to request that unaddressed advertising mail no longer be delivered. When the policy was first introduced, residents had to send a letter to Canada Post and then a red dot sticker would be placed in your mailbox, letting carriers know to stop delivering unaddressed advertising mail to your address.
\n\nMost Canadians were unaware of this ironically unadvertised policy until 2008, when Vancouver-based marketer Beth Ringdahl created the Red Dot Campaign to encourage Canadians to make this request of Canada Post in an effort to reduce paper waste.
\n\nCanada Post has since updated their policy to remove the requirement of making the request to stop unaddressed advertisting by sending a letter. Now, all that is required is a note inside your mailbox. Or, at least here in Vancouver, a little red dot.
\n\n![\"My](\"https://patdryburgh.com/images/uploads/little-red-spam-filter.jpg\")
\n\nCanadian wireless telecommunications provider Freedom Mobile is offering a very enticing deal right now: 20GB of data for $55/mo. The catch? The only way to get the deal is to risk exposing yourself to a lethal virus by entering one of their physical stores.
\n\nWhen I told the Freedom Mobile customer service representative I spoke to that demanding customers go into public during a global pandemic is insane, they responded “I understand where you’re coming from. I really do.”
\n", "url": "https://patdryburgh.com/blog/freedom-mobile-wants-customers-to-risk-getting-covid-19-for-their-sweet-sweet-deals/", "date_published": "2020-08-12T10:19:53-07:00", "date_modified": "2020-08-12T10:19:53-07:00", "author": { "name": "Pat Dryburgh"} } ] }