Tag: Vancouver

The Daily EO: February 2nd, 2013

More than 30 years ago, my mom signed me up for figure skating.  Little did she know that was going to result in being the head costumer for the little birds number for the skating carnival.  I wasn’t a particularly good skater – weak ankles they said – so I didn’t pursue it much further.  Last time I skated was about 15 years ago on the Rideau Canal.  That lead to about 4 days that I couldn’t walk very well after using muscles that hadn’t seen the light of days in quite some time. Emile hasn’t skated since grade school. So, when Emile and I were invited to skate at Robson Square we both said sure, but with a bit of wariness.We had a wonderful time spending probably 1 1/2 hours on the ice with kids and beginners; show offs and hand-in-hand couples.

February 2nd, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:   Learning to skate again – and we both did really well.

(forgive my pictures, moving on a cell phone in low neon-back light was pretty tough).

A train
A train
Faster! Faster!
Faster! Faster!
My weak ankles managing to keep my blades straight.
My weak ankles managing to keep my blades straight.

 

The Daily EO: November 14th, 2012

When we visited Vancouver in February of this year, we did not know we’d have moved here.   Emile – as always – took a day to explore the city and took this shot from North Vancouver.  If you look at the skyline in the distance, you’ll see our building (the tallest one) near the “giraffes” on the port.

As I drove home tonight, I was considering that it almost half way done November and time flowing by.  It feels like I’ve lived here forever but yet, I think I might be on vacation.  So much has changed and I don’t feel home-d yet.

November 14th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary:  If this is vacation, I’ve got to get a new travel agent.

Little did we know. . .

 

The Daily EO: November 11th, 2012

It has been 15 years since I have lived in a province that recognizes Remembrance Day as a holiday.  Ontario does not and a day off notwithstanding, I always felt a vague sense of unease for the lack of honour.  But I returned to British Columbia and we have a long weekend due to Remembrance Day.  But to me somehow it has to be earned.

At the base of our building is Victory Square that holds the main Vancouver cenotaph and it was the site of the major ceremony in Vancouver, though there were plenty others.  A couple of posts that I liked about ceremonies in Vancouver:

http://wanderlustmegan.com/2012/11/12/remembrance-day-generation-to-generation-lighting-of-the-cauldron/

http://theurbanbeautiful.com/2012/11/11/remembering-on-november-eleventh/

I was on the opposite side of the square from”theurbanbeautiful”.  We arrived promptly at ten because I wanted to hear the choir singing and watched the many men and women who serve march to honour the veterans of Canadian combat.

Both of my grandfather’s served during World War II, but stationed in Canada and did not participate in any battles.  My grandpa recently told me a story of a Japanese submarine that passed near Sidney (north of Victoria) that “lobbed a 5 pounder at us”.   Not only was I completely unaware of any enemy military presence in Canada, but his story brought home how easily human life is ended during conflict.

I am not in military family nor am I close to anyone who is a military family.  I do not know how spouses and children and parents and friends say goodbye to their loved one during a tour of duty or before a long shift in the RCMP or Coast Guard.  Knowing the dangers they face and the life altering things they will see.  It is something I don’t know if I could live with and I am thankful for those who do.

November 11th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary:   Strange and uneven gait after standing for an hour and a half, but for a worthy reason.

The Daily EO: Thanksgiving Weekend 2012

I have many things to be thankful for this weekend and among the foremost are my generous and kind friends Colin and Alison who let us stay at their house for a month until we could get ourselves settled in our own place.  They and their delightful children welcomed us with open arms sharing their rooms, food and attention with us.

After a full day shopping, visiting, buying, cooking and eating on Saturday, our truck arrived on Sunday and we then spent a whole day moving and unpacking.  Today was also spent moving and unpacking, but fortunately with a lovely afternoon with margaritas in the backyard also.

Over this weekend we:

  • shopped
  • purchased mattresses
  • searched for beds and other furniture
  • Had a house-warming party with Colin and Alison and kids enjoying fire roasted pizza at Incendio in Gastown
  • helped to cook a turkey dinner (and ate said turkey dinner)
  •  moved all of our stuff into a storage unit or condo
  • unpacked the kitchen
  • unpacked the living room
  • transported all of our things from Colin and Alison’s
  • made up our bed (I write while sitting on a foamy leaning against the wall)
  • unpacked all of our clothes (a difficult feat considering we have no dressers or bookcases)
  • took my grandpa for Thanksgiving pizza lunch at Me & Ed’s
  • Didn’t write the Daily EO daily (they would have gone something like this.  Moved and unpac. . . . zzzzzz.)

Here are some other things I am thankful for:

  • My husband Emile is the brave and supportive and he made this move happen.
  • Our truck with our possessions arrived on time and under budget and tax-deductible and so far unbroken.
  • I discovered that Benalyn is more effective than Safeway knock-off Nyquil.
  • Thanksgiving Dinner was a delight of new and different sides than I usually do.  Yum.
  • Sushi restaurants serve non raw fish options so we can go as much as Emile wants
  • Whoever the guy was that decided to have the lit sails of Canada Place change colour during the night.
  • My in-laws are so close by telephone and supported this move whole heartedly (despite a few tears on both sides)
  • That I never reduced my credit limit from $15,000 despite certainty that I would never ever break a 5 figure balance.
  • I am climbing in the call rotation from my grandpa – I can now help when he needs something.
  • That my weird habit of sticking kleenex up my nose when I am sick is tolerated by my husband as long as we are in the house alone.
  • My family is close by – comparatively so.
  • That pottery can go in the dishwasher.
  • I have a job.  In my field.
  • I no longer live in the house with a huge bag of Jelly Bellys so I can now lose the bean weight added.

I could go on and on and on as I realize what I have.  I only have to travel a few blocks east to see the crushing poverty and addiction that some struggle with.  I miss the rural life in Huntsville of course – but neither of us regret the decision to come to here and make a different kind of life.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2012 Extra-Ordinary:  I live in Vancouver.  Family lives here.  Friends live here.  We are going to make a home here.

The Daily EO: October 1st, 2012

Sometimes I drive erratically.  I make quick right turns, pull u-turns, move speedily into another lane, drive significantly under the speed limit, switch back and forth between lanes, hammer on the brakes, and occasionally use my hand-held device.  I do hope ICBC is not reading this, but these things are true.

October 1st, 2012 Extra-ordinary:  I wish I could have my Ontario plates back so people know I am learning, not a yahoo.  I’m trying people – this place is hard to get around in even if I have a map on my phone.

The Daily EO: September 25th, 2012

I was truly terrified to make my way back down to Gastown to see our new place.  Emile and I agreed to meet there after work, but it was not because I wanted to.  I had already put off meeting their on Monday with some airy excuse of being too tired.  But the real reason was because I was afraid.

Seriously.  Yes, I was afraid to go and see my new condo that I had committed to paying a large amount of money for each money for the next 15 months.

  1. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find the parking and I’d accidentally pull into the wrong underground parking.  Then I wouldn’t be able to back out because there would be all these cars behind me honking.
  2. I was scared that perhaps the real estate agent who arranged this deal was shady and this was going to result in me actually not have rented an apartment and that he just took our money. (despite me visiting his Re/Max office myself)
  3. I was anxious that the concierge would be mean and not helpful.  (??!)
  4. My gut clenched at the thought of 41 stories in the air and that I would be frightened every time I was at home.
  5. The apartment shrunk in my mind and I thought all of our stuff wouldn’t fit.

All of these ridiculous fears made me feel ridiculous, and so I knew I had to go down and deal with it.   And turns out I am just a little crazy.  None of these things actually happened.  Can you believe it?  The concierge helped me find the parking location – he was friendly, our key was not a fake one,  unless I was standing on the balcony I felt fine and the apartment was the 950 square feet.

September 25th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary:  My god, I’m ridiculous.

The Daily EO: September 23rd, 2012

I missed it!  I missed the Vancouver Fringe Festival!  But all is not lost:  I’ll be able to attend next year (!!) and the last Pick of the Fringe is playing today.  For $10, Emile and I could take in The PostSecret Event in Granville Island.

The day started out pretty overcast and dull, but by the time we made it down to Granville Island, the sun was peeking out and the tourists bumped their way through the market.

PostSecret fans are generally like Apple cult members.  A sighting of the founder – Frank – results in smiles, pointing, giggling and tweeting.  Although I much appreciate the PostSecret project, I don’t know that I fit into the category of fanatic.  I check the Sunday Secrets out often, rarely read the forums, and never post in them.  But I like the concept, I like the outlet.

They had an interactive application running while we waited for the show to begin. If you tweeted using #psvancouver, then it displayed the tweets.  Some were from audience members, some were from people who wished they could be there.  Really neat way to pass the time until the show began.

I love fringe performances because it is alright if they aren’t great, and it is such a bonus when they move you.  The PostSecret performance touched us both – there were a lot of people shedding secrets and somehow it makes me feel more connected to those around me.  We’ve all got those things we don’t say out loud – but until someone does communicate something from their inner being – we forget that we are so much alike.

We immediately returned home, changed and made our way to pick up my grandpa who was treating us to dinner at Horizons on Burnaby mountain.  The sun hung in the sky and we had panoramic views of the city.   We enjoyed our meals as the sun dipped below the horizon.  Grandpa reached out while gesturing during a story.

The red wine sat between us.

September 23rd, 2012 Extra-Ordinary:  With red wine dripping down me and the table, I knew that this was a GOOD day.  Starting with installing my grandma’s new light, wandering like locals through the tourists at Granville Island, and pleasure in my dinner company and thankfully purple dress.

 

 

The Daily EO: September 20th, 2012

It was a pretty crappy ad as ads go.  No pictures, no great use of punctuation, poor description.  Normally, sending up red flags about reliability and credibility, I wouldn’t have responded to it.  I was high from my urban experience at Salt, and feeling risky, and that I needed to look deeper to find a place.

So as we sat and chatted around the kitchen table, I send a quick e-mail.  I didn’t even tell Emile.  I got a response quickly – in about half an hour I got a no salutation, no capital, no paragraph, ramble of an email.  I almost wrote it off as someone I wouldn’t trust to rent from.

But I googled the cell phone and email address and found that it was a real estate agent.  Okay.  Hmm.  I answered, and I got another quick reply.  With 3 or 4 exchanges we made an appointment to view the apartment the next day.

We walked the area and noted all the shops within the building – pub, grocery store, drug store, bank.  And the area – great restaurants, shops, boutiques.  Walking distance to Emile’s work.

The sky was pink from the evening sun and people bustled around returning from work.

The agent arrived and we made our way up to the 41st floor to one of the penthouse suites.  We opened the door and found ourselves in what could only be described as our new apartment.  The view stretching across the living area and two bedrooms.

September 20th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary:  Finding our spot in Gastown.

41st Floor, North View across the water, 2 bedroom, 2 full bath, ~930 square feet, immediate occupency.