Hangout and Hungover

In a year quickly filling up with meet-ups, group trips, and reunions, it was fitting to visit with my old film school buddy, Tyler to coordinate some of our upcoming plans.  Tyler drove in from Regina after a whirlwind trip to Toronto to meet up with his 'friend' Kristine who he hadn't seen in person in years.  So, yeah, there was no delay in getting the conversation rolling.

A few beers in we then headed off to Local to continue the discussion.  Strangely enough we ran into my old friend Leah, who I went to high school with and who everyone expected to be in charge of organizing our 10 year high school reunion this year.  It sounds like things are going ahead with that too, and the chance meeting actually seemed fittingly on-point with the evening's theme of discussing our plans for the year. 

Tyler and I and few of our other friends are working on a trip to Vegas in September, I have trip with my family in July, and a few weddings to round out the summer (one of which is for Tyler's sister).  It should be simpler than it is to make a lot of this stuff work, but somehow there's always one more thing to consider.  Really though, it's a good kind of busy.

After getting back to my place I think we were both sufficiently sauced, but continued with a few Skype sessions with Kristine and then our friend Wendy back in Regina.  It was a lot of fun, and as is typical of a night where you can let yourself go a bit,  I recall a lengthy discussion with Wendy as I took a bath in my swimsuit . . . as you do.  Tyler meanwhile caught up on his sleep.

The next day we checked out American Reunion, another fitting reminder of our own reunions this year.  We added a few more green bottle beers to my collection, and we made our routine-middle-of-the-night trip to Hat News and Tobacco. The long weekend always goes by quickly, but it would seem there's going to be more than enough opportunities to create some great memories in the coming months.  So much for planning, I think it's time to start doing.

Archer Library - University of Regina

The hours spent studying, or more honestly, spent desperately searching for that lost book I needed to complete a paper happened here in the Archer Library.  I found these images I shot in 2006 only to be reminded of how thankful I am that reading has actually become a pleasurable pastime.  It's that time of year though.  It might be a bit frowned upon, but it's really easy to sleep at any of those desks with cubbies on them on the 3rd and 4th floors. Good luck on those finals.  

St. John's Presbyterian Church

I must have passed by this little church in downtown Medicine Hat countless times in my life without ever giving it a second glance.  What I hadn't realized was that St. John's was actually one of the first churches in Southern Alberta, when the Hat was nothing more than a tent town.  In 1883 the church was merely a tent itself, and in 1884 a wooden structure was built that also served as the town's school.  It was in 1902 that St. John's was rebuilt out of brick, with sandstone blocks around its foundation.

Walking around the church it becomes clear how long St. John's Presbyterian has actually been here.  It's not because it's in bad shape, but because of the decades old graffiti left on those sandstone blocks.  I captured a few noticeable carvings, one dated from 1923, the other from 1941. It was fascinating to discover that human element attached to the building, even if it was technically from vandals.

St. John's underwent an expansion in the early 1950s, and again in the 1960s, which changed the appearance of the building with a new entrance and hall.  The building now features turn of the century classic architecture mixed with post-war modernism.  As the oldest church in Medicine Hat, St. John's is so much more than just another building, it's really a history lesson in the growth of the city and the evolution of downtown. 

St. John's Presbyterian Church ca. 1910