A new view

A new look to the page just to keep things moving. Nothing else is changing much. Okay not entirely true. I've made some recent decisions that could change my life in the short term anyway.

I've applied for an office job at LV which means I'd be full time 9-5 girl. It's more money, medical coverage and after moving west and still living with my university debt, I figured it was time to do something to pay that off faster. I've got three cats to care for and I don't want to live from paycheck to paycheck anymore. I've got to put a little more stability in my life.

The story is...I saw the posting go up for the job, but I wasn't going to apply until the woman who now holds the post approached me and told me I should apply for the job. I was completely shocked. She's a nice woman, but we haven't really talked much at work so this was a surprise. That evening I was working the night shift (Ugh! If I get the job no more nights!) and two other people suggested I should apply for the job. I knew I needed to talk to db about it before making any decisions.

While the prospect of working in the concrete block is not my ideal career choice, the chance to do something new and learn a whole new area of the company does appeal to me. It could sustain me for a while until...I decide what else I can do. I'd have my weekends off always which means db and I could get in a few camping trips and more hikes. It's quality of life right? This chance could give me a better quality of life. More time with db and enjoying the great BC outdoors is what I love to do.

So last Friday (pre family arrival and pre-marathon) I spent much of my day composing the letter that I later dropped off while on the way to the airport to pick up mum, bro, lucy-cindy and sis. I didn't get much done to prep the house for everyone, nor was a I really organized to get up at 5 am Saturday and head to the Island, but I got the letter in and when I handed it to the woman who holds the job now, she clapped her hands and said "Yay!"

Now I wait.

As for the trip. It was awesome, awesome, awesome. We had so much fun together. We stayed at the Cobble Wood Guest house . It was a good deal and a quiet location. We arrived at P's around 9 am after taking the 7:00 am ferry to Nanaimo. P's got a great location high up on a hill on a no exit street so there's little traffic and on a clear day you can see the coast mountains from his front yard. He's got all his veggies going in the backyard. db and I gave him our seed box in the spring and he's planted quite a bit from it. It was good to see that working out.

Mum wasn't feeling well so we hung out for a bit so she could nap and then we headed to Tofino/Ucluelet. We stopped in Coombs
to go to the market and see the goats on the roof. The goats were actually laying low since it was a bit rainy and cool. Also Saturday is way busy so I'd be laying low too if I lived on the roof with hundreds of people snapping my photo. I took this photo on the way back on Monday when it was much quieter and there were goats all over enjoying the grass.

The drive to Tofino was lovely. The mountains are all around. The road twists and turns, climbing and descending frequently. When we got to Tofino, we settled mum in right away since she wasn't feeling well and sis and I went to get our race packages at the Ucluelet recreation centre where the carb loading pasta dinner was underway. It looked like a lot of fun and kind of reminded me of camping. Most of the runners seemed to be there. There were only 133 marathon and 222 half marathon runners in total, plus those that were part of the 58 relay teams. It was such a nice size for a race.

When we got back P, db, bro and lucy-cindy had returned from a small beach that P knew about. Sis was pretty nervous about the race the next day and had lots of questions. Her nervousness kind of calmed me. I thought less about my own run and could think more about hers which was cool.

db made his classic bolognese and we had a big salad to go with. It was perfect. We were all really bagged though and I think I was asleep before I hit the pillow. In a way it worked well that we had travelled that day because I slept so well, the best I've ever slept before a race.

The air was cool and misting when I got up. Then the rain pelted while I had my oatmeal breakfast and coffee. Sis continued with questions, but I don't remember much of that morning now. I remember the view from our guest house window, looking out at the gray sky, the tree tops and the gravel drive below, thinking about the rain and how I would cope with that for 4 hours plus.

We split into two groups and well you know how the run went because I already wrote about it.

After the run I felt great! Mum, sis and I recouped at the guest house and grabbed a quick snack from a deli in Tofino. It is no problem being vegan in Tofino. Menus are very accommodating for the most part and if there are no vegan dishes every kitchen seems at ease and prepped to make something for you. Heaven.
Later we walked the rain forest trail in the Pacific Rim National park.
I'd never been to this park and it was beautiful. It felt appropriate that it should be cool and wet that day. The sun had been out and it was very hot, but then the clouds rolled in again. (btw...that's lucy-cindy and bro in the tree).

Mum only did the first trail. She still wasn't feeling 100% and sis was starting to hurt from the run so they waited while the rest of us walked the other trail. I was sore, but didn't want to stop. Bro loved the old growth woods and the big trees.



We were all pretty exhausted again. P had to head back to Nanaimo to care for his elderly kitty (chat-chat). Sis, bro, lucy-cindy, db and I went to the Botanical gardens restaurant. We ate on the patio despite the chill in the air and the occasional rain falling. On the way home bro found the 3 k marker and grabbed it for us as a souvenir.

Day three in Tofino, we wandered around the little town looking out at the bay and doing a little shopping for lucy-cindy's family and friends. We went to Long Beach and walked and walked. We left Tofino sad to go, but excited about the rest of our week in Van city and at home.

I'll just post pictures of the rest of the trip and just say that having the family here was fun and did give me a new outlook. What I really enjoy is being with these people and having fun together (even with bro whupping us at poker the other night). We've decided that we'll alternate years of visits so next year will be camping at my brother's and the following year he'll come out to BC. It's worth it for the fun we have together.


Long beach, Tofino.
Shannon Falls, Squamish

Crossing the Capilano suspension bridge. I couldn't look over the edge, but db took photos.
View from the suspension bridge.

Another view from the bridge.