Keith Ranspot

"Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.

"Hey Everybody!

I read the full list of names wishing I hadn't lost the yearbook. I haven't seen most of you in more than thirty years so its taking a while to clear the cobwebs. However, I have remembered enough arithmetic to realize that there must be a significant number of lurkers out there, many of whom I hope to hear from or read about. Not to worry though. If you don't have the time or inclination, I'll make one up for you. Now that could be mucho fun. Anybody want to help?

The Lowdown on Keith:

TravelThe family has had property on Savary Island for 20 yrs plus. We built a cabin there in the nineties and I spend as much time there as possible. (Indian Point to you Savoryites. Savary Islanders? Savoryonians? ) I've also done some traveling, primarily on this continent, but I also had a memorable time wandering through Europe. Mom was fulfilling an ambition to live and study in old Paris. She had a dingy little apartment in an antique mansion right in the latin quarter, a short walk from everything. So I stayed there a while exploring and improving my french before I took off on my own to bounce around western europe . No itinerary at all. Usually meeting other travelers in the hostels, traveling together for a while, then heading off in another direction with someone else. I loathed to see it end and decided then that I'd be back when I could stay much longer, when I had a deeper understanding of history and culture, and when I had a year (at least) to do it right. I will return.

School
Nine years post secondary: BA in arts (Psychology and Religious Studies) , 3+ years Computer Science, (UBC) and a diploma in Multimedia production. . Even did the first year of a masters in Islamic Architecture.

Jobs
Determined fairly early that corporate software engineering wasn't the place for me. So I bounced around quite a bit in the first few years: Prospector, Assay lab tech, Expeditor, Ironworker, Carpenter. I determined while still in university to learn a trade that would serve as a better paying summer job while I finished my education.

Gigs
Websites, Databases , Programming. Manuscript editor. Tutor. Graphic artist & Typographer.Musician.

Career
Eventually I discovered that I loved building things, so I decided to teach myself the craft of furniture making. Been doing it ever since, with a couple of excursions into Architectural Millwork and the TV /film industry. ( I worked for the CBC for a while in the mid & late 90s doing props, set dec, staging, and set carp on The Junos, Da Vinci's Inquest ,Edgemont etc etc etc.] Still at it today, though I work for myself out of a shop in East Van: " Beatty St Woodworks. ". [The shop is actually at 1000 Parker st]. You may have been there if you've ever toured the Culture Crawl held every year in the last week of november. If not, check it out. If so, do it again.

Love
A hook up with a North Van girl in my mid-twenties led to a twelve year common-law marriage. No Kids. [By the way, many belated congratulations on your many children. ] Thus far I've contented myself with the delusion that my brothers kids think of me as the 'cool uncle'. -- " K'yea. As if. " They're almost all in university now, as are many of yours., but that's one bit of reality I haven't got a handle on yet.

Fun
Like many of you, my body is paying today for yesteryears nonchalance and I've had to retire from the impact sports like tennis and basketball, and of course Gymnastics (in those days my 'serious' sport) . I finally learned to skate when I turned 40 (rollerblade) and hope to try all of the new activities that have emerged in the past three decades.To feed the brain I study history , make music,rant about world events, or work on any of a number of crazy projects-- including a diabolical scheme to conquer the world. But hey. Who isn't? (It's still on the ground-floor though. It's a lot harder than you'd think finding evil minions, and the prices of death-rays these days is extortionate! )

Locales
Except for a few months living in Dunsmuir California (Near Mt Shasta on the I5), I've remained in the lower mainland : N Van, Kits, Kerrisdale, East Van, West End, and finally back to WV in 2000 when I bought a condo near Municipal Hall. I've run into some of you, but less than I'd have expected and far fewer than I'd hoped.

So they say that if you want to make God laugh, you should tell him your plans. No doubt then that I've been an ongoing source of mirth to him. So I got that going for me .

I Missed both 10 & 20, so I'll try like hell to clear the calendar for the 13th. Hope to hear from everyone. Nutin but Love. Keith.