vic.gedris.org

This is what happens when:

1. The rim of your bicycle wheel wears down after years of being used as a braking surface
2. You notice that it's all worn down, and then do nothing about it
3. You top your tire pressure back up to 100PSI before riding to work
4. ....and then wait for the inevitable

So there I was, sitting in my office listening in on a teleconference with my bike parked less than a metre behind me... BANG! Scared the hell out of me, and had co-workers coming to see what blew up. We assumed it was one of the heat pumps in the ceiling above my office. While the building maintenance people were here to check on the pumps, I noticed what happened to my wheel. We had a good laugh about that unexpected discovery.

So, lesson learned: Check your rims for wear from the brakes. If you can feel a groove, it's probably time to replace the rim. I knew this, but never got around to doing it.

If fact, the rear wheel of this bike did the same thing a few years ago, but I caught it in time before there was any catastrophic failure.

Some of Joel Richardson's faceless "Suitman" pieces on Dupont St. have been affixed with faces.

Photos taken on February 15, 2012. Cheezy "filmstrip" effect added by me.

Yes. Yes, it is.

Feb 15, 2012, while walking on Dupont St. at Clinton St., in front of the Loblaws.

February 15, 2012.  A self-portrait in a window on Dupont St., Toronto.
 
I had taken the day off work to bring Alex to the Doctor, and ended up walking home from downtown along the full length of Dupont St., snapping photos along the way.
 
I haven't been posting much on my website/blog lately.  Maybe that'll change again soon.

January 27, 2012.  This morning was  the final run for the TTC's last remaining H4 subway train.  These beauties were known for their faux wood paneling, 1970's colour scheme, cushy vinyl seats, and huge ceiling vents but no air conditioning. I was able to take this train on it's final run from Keele Station to Kipling, and then back one station to Islington.  Yes, the train was full of other foamers / railfans / transit geeks / photographers.

December 30, 2011. Spadina Ave., Toronto.

August 24, 2011. A huge lightning storm with threats of tornadoes is moving across southern Ontario right now. The rain didn't seem nearly as hard as I expected so far, but the lightning show here in Toronto was fantastic. Here's one of the photos I took from my front porch (Symington Ave., Junction Triangle, Toronto, facing north-east).

August 12, 2011. One of the brightly painted bicycles from the "Good Bike" art project, installed on Indian Rd. just outside the Keele subway station.

July 18, 2011. Looking through the window of one of the vacant studio spaces at Planet Storage (formerly Viceroy Rubber), Dupont St. at Dundas St. West.

Reminds me of my "Filth Trees" window photo at Tower Automotive, which I like much better than this one.

August 7, 2011, in the stairway going up to the West Toronto Railpath on the south side of Bloor St. "* Some Conditions Apply" stenciled over a patch of wall that was recently re-de-graffiti'd (yes, that's officially a word now). It's a constant back'n'forth game around here, as graffiti shows up on the walls, then gets sloppily painted over by the City.

I believe the "Some Conditions Apply" phrasing here is a commentary about the various states of legality / illegality, and sometimes uncertain approval processes for legalizing artwork.