Back from Vacation

I'm back! I had an amazing vacation and I never left home! Well, we left the house, but we never ventured more than a day drive from home.

It was the best birthday (should I say ever?). My family spoiled me rotten, which was fab. They all pitched in a bought me a beautiful new camera with so many bells and whistles I'm going to take a course on how to use it. For now I've got it on an automatic setting for the most part and that takes great photos.

There's so much to post about the vacation that I can't post it all at once so I think I'll just do some random days and photos to go along with it.

If you didn't know from the photo above that's Seattle. db & I went to Seattle on Saturday. Even though the family left on Thursday, we still wanted the vacation to go on. We've never been to Seattle and it was overdue. It's only a 2 1/2 hour car ride from Port Whoody (plus the border wait).

hand-blown glass outside of the Pike Place Market

The market is a main attraction right downtown on the waterfront. It was packed with mostly tourists (including us). I found the crowd a bit overwhelming, but the market was worth it. I especially loved the flower alley with nothing but flowers on table after table after table.
It's a great city to walk in and we did a lot of walking in several neighbourhoods. I really like the University district. It was less polished than the downtown and had a relaxed easy-going feel. Plus, there are several vegan restaurants and shops to check out.

For dinner we found Pizza Pi , a vegan pizzeria with everything a pizzeria has to offer and it's all vegan. We each had our own choice. I selected the Olive lovers pizza with a spinach artichoke cream sauce. db had the Aloha pizza with some additional jalapenos. The woman who made the pizzas was very nice and made wonderful pizzas. Another bonus was that they had a gluten free crust that I tried. It was so so so incredibly good.
When I go back, I'm going to Pizza Pi.
Oh and then there was Mighty-O donuts. The vegan donut shop! Everything on the menu is vegan. The shop is in a renovated garage so there is the garage door that opens up for an open air cafe feel. The coffee is delicious and the selection of donuts seems endless.
Did I mention that they are delicious?
We brought a dozen home. It's a good think we don't live closer to Mighty-O. It could be very dangerous.

A few quick notes on the week so far.

Just 3 more days of work before my vacation starts! My mom, brother and his girlfriend arrive on Sunday and will be here until the 9th of July so it's going to be a fun and busy vacation.

db and I decided to use our place as our home base and then just do day trips from here. There is so much to see and do within a short driving distance. We've mapped out some plans and just need to go over everything again before they arrive. I guess I should also google map destinations and read about anything else that might be in the area that we should see.

Vacation aside, I also have my run on Sunday with the 7 a.m. start. Wow that's early and it's a long drive from home so I'm anticipating a 4 am rise-and-shine (I think the birds are just starting to wake up at that time). I really hope to finish in a decent time, but I won't think about that too much.

Tonight, I'm just trying to get out for my run. My legs are tired even though I worked in the office all day. It's just tougher to go out and run after work, but I know I'll feel fine once I get going.

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My cousins were just here on the weekend. When I was 16 or 17 I spent the summer with my aunt and uncle in Vermont looking after my 3 cousins who were 10, 8 and 4 (I believe those ages are correct). It was an incredible summer for me. I loved being there. My aunt and uncle were so kind to me. Even though I may not have been the best at child care I did enjoy looking after them. They were bad and did fight a lot, but if anything it has only made me fonder of them because we went through it together.

At the time I was...let's say...a bit of a troubled teen, so this trip to Vermont was a learning experience that was good for me. I wish I'd been a little less of a troubled teen, but I can't change that now.

Anywho...two of my cousins were here this weekend. R, the youngest, is about to leave for New Zealand to do research for her Phd, while N. lives in Nelson and, as I've mentioned before, is a coffee roaster there. We arranged to have dinner Sunday night, but since they were leaving for Kelowna the next day we also arranged for them to stay over.

It was so nice to see them and see what incredible adults they've become. What I found most remarkable was how close they are as siblings. All that fighting when they were little and it didn't affect their relationships as adults. It made me miss my brother and sister and how much fun we have together. I miss how we can just pick up where we left off and feel completely at ease with one another. So to see my cousins having such a positive relationship really made me happy.

We had a nice dinner. db and I had prepped most of the food earlier in the day so we had more visiting time. db made bruschetta with mushrooms, pinenuts and tomatoes. I made my creamy pesto pasta with green beans and potatoes. We had a salad mix that I had picked up at the market that morning and for dessert I made a mixed berry crisp with fresh local strawberries, blueberries and some cherries I found in the freezer that my stepdad, pw, had given us at least a year ago. I also had some leftover rhubarb and strawberry compote to serve with it and made the cashew whipped cream that is absolutely divine. What a meal.

N had brought his dog Pitou so the cats were kept in the bedroom since Pitou hasn't had much exposure to cats and he looked a little too eager to chase (and perhaps nip a little) when he looked through the window at our kitties. Both of the cats' tails puffed up. Prima was curious, but Gigi wanted nothing to do with Pitou. The bedroom was a good place for them to relax while Pitou stayed over.

At 4 am I discovered that Gigi is an early riser and has stuff to do; therefore, she needs to get out of the bedroom now. I didn't want to wake everyone and put Pitou out in the backyard so I just lay awake and tried to stop Gigi from tearing at the door. She'd give up just long enough for me to drift off and then she'd start up again. At 6:30 I got up and we got Pitou up and moved him out. Sorry Pitou, but I had to let Gigi out of the room as she was going squirrly. Poor little Gi.

Anywho...it was nice to see R & N. Hopefully db and I will make it to Nelson sometime soon for a visit.

Sometimes life just gets too busy and I never seem to catch up. Even though I'm sitting here and taking time to blog, meaning that I must have spare time on my hands, I really am overwhelmed with the every day.

First, I want to talk about my Great Aunt Viki. She passed away this past week and I am so sorry for the family. She was such a great woman who was always so kind and welcoming. Whenever I visited with she and my Great Uncle Hanf, I was always reminded of how wonderful it is to be part of this large family we have spread across the country...or actually... across the continent.

One of my favorite traits of Viki's was how she would often say how nice it was to see me. We'd be having dinner or sitting in her living room having drinks and she'd just say how wonderful it was to see me, speaking exactly what I was feeling. Her smile was lovely and warm. Her face showed the signs of someone who smiled and laughed a lot. She loved her family, immediate and extended, and loved nothing more than to be with that family.

I saw her not too long ago when her illness had progressed so that she wasn't always aware of what was going on around her. This was heartbreaking to see, but she still wanted to be with us all and she still greeted me with her broad smile and a warm hug and kiss to the cheek.

***

So this news about my Great Aunt has been hovering around me since I found out from my sister on Friday and it put into motion the arrangements to fly my mom out from Quebec so she can be here for the funeral.

Friday morning was spent on the phone with my sister and aeroplan working through the process of purchasing a ticket by using my miles to bring the price down as far as possible. It wasn't going well. I was having trouble getting through to aeorplan and was learning to navigate the process when I got completely fed up. I called my sister and told her I needed to go for my run before it got to hot (we also had a heat wave here this past week).

I finally got out the door for my run about an hour and a half later than expected. My mind was focused on just getting it over with (13 k to go). However, running doesn't work that way. The body reminds you of the niggling aches and pains you've collected or are working through, so you can't just get a run over with. It doesn't take long for the mind to wander elsewhere. After only about 3 k into the run, my thoughts turned to Viki and I got the opportunity to go over all of my memories I had of her. I got to grieve a little, which is what I really needed to do because I hadn't given myself a chance to do that yet. This changed the whole feeling of my run that then became about every step and enjoying each moment I had.

By the end of the run it was very hot out, and I was more than happy to be finished with a nice walk up the long hill towards home.

I finalized the ticket for my mom and carried on with my day.

Since then I've been working. We had inventory today-- it's once a year--so I was at work all day long. Tomorrow I'm back at work and Tuesday and Wednesday.

My mom arrives Wednesday evening.

Thursday is the funeral. Thursday is the day we can all come together to remember Viki. I know it's an odd thing to say about a funeral, but I'm looking forward to it so I can have the chance to say good-bye in a more formal way. I want to say good-bye without the everyday of my life getting in the way. Thursday will be about Viki and I can't think of a better way to spend my day.

My uncle

My aunt and uncle were visiting from Vermont. As I mentioned I saw my cousin as well. We all got a chance to get together at another cousin's house in Ladner. It was great to see everyone.

My uncle is a painter and I was very touched when he gave me one of his paintings (I'm sorry I couldn't get a better picture of it than the one above). He said he wants to give something to all the nieces and nephews (there's a lot of us), which is such a generous gesture.

If you'd like to see a sample of his work, you can visit his website. From his website you can visit his blog and see more of his kimono series.

encounters this past week

Time flies when you're doing what you love. I had two days away from LV which was great and I spent my first day off working which was also great because I was doing what I love, and doing what I've wanted to be doing since I left school. It's nice to actually work for yourself. I hope I can keep it up and that this job leads to more.

Because I had met up with a friend from university who I hadn't seen in a couple of years I was able to meet up with this director she's worked with and she put the two of us in touch. The next thing you know he's got some story editing work for me. Like I said, I loved doing it.

I didn't have much time for the garden or really much else, but that's okay. I checked on the toad lily to make sure it wasn't starting to bloom without me noticing. The garden changes daily and I hate to miss it, but one of the nice things about getting to work at home was that I could take my work outside for a bit of a break from the computer and sit in the backyard and continue working there. It was idyllic really.

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On Sunday I ran 30 k. I had intended to run 32 but there just wasn't enough in the tank. I was ill prepared, feeling kind of crappy when I went out, and it got pretty hot as the day started to get going. On one of the trails I did keep meeting up with another woman runner with her dog (Taz) who was having to stop every now and then because Taz had to stop and sniff or run into the water or check out another dog. Anyway we did pace each other for a bit which was encouraging. I even got to run just behind Taz for a little bit which was fun. I could tell the woman was a distance runner by her form, her stash of water bottles she had with her and just the shape she was in.
The night before I had told db that I was a bit nervous having never done a 32 k run on my own since he use to cycle with me or I'm usually in a race when I go that distance so I'm never really on my own, there's motivators around and I'm use to that. So this encounter with this woman and her dog (Taz) was a welcome distraction from the road and trail ahead. While I didn't have a great run this past Sunday, I've got a second chance at the 32 k distance for this coming Sunday and I'm already feeling more positive. I'm taking an extra water bottle and more fuel to get me the distance. Maybe I'll even see Taz again.

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db's birthday is tomorrow, but he's been showered with gifts already. I got him a bread book that he had on his wish list. It arrived just in time. The book was shipped to his work address so he got it at work this morning with the card and was completely surprised. I love surprises. Then when I got home a package from my sister was waiting at the door. She filled a box with gifts for the two of us. db got some very nice running socks. Sis made some beautiful jewelry for me. I'll have to get photos of the jewelry and post.
Also in the package was a cd with photos my mom took when we all went to Tofino together so I had to add in these pictures of sis and I on our big run. I love the one of us on the road. She had finished her race and I was still working on mine so she ran a bit with me. It was such an amazing moment.
This is us on the dock in Ucluelet doing some post race stretching. We all took a bit of a break down on the dock and watched some of the seals and eagles in the area. That was truly an amazing day to have the whole family together and to be in such a gorgeous part of the country together, each of us having new experiences individually and together. Very memorable.

I've been reading My Sister My Self for the Fall Reading Challenge so when I saw the photos of the two of us I couldn't help but think about what a special relationship we have and how lucky I feel to have a sister and to be a sister. It really is a unique bond.

This last photo was taken on the ferry home from Tofino and the beautiful sunset we encountered. The sky was stunning that evening. Mom took this picture of db and I walking on the deck.

trip to the island

On Friday, db and I went to Vancouver Island to see my dear friend, her husband and their little boy who are visiting from Turkey. They're spending the summer in Toronto and since moving out here I thought I wouldn't get to see them. However, she has family on Pender island and a friend in Victoria that she was staying with so off we went to see them.
Being back in Victoria after 8 years was a little odd. I expected to see a lot of changes, but it was exactly the same. There is definitely a lot more traffic and there seems to be the usual condo building going on in the downtown area (like most cities), but we went to the Parsonage cafe where I use to be a regular and it hadn't changed one bit. Even the menu was eerily quite similar right down to the blueberry crumble and the granola and fruit with yogurt. I felt like I could pick right up where I left off 8 years ago as if nothing had changed.

We were delayed going to lunch and I didn't really want to leave G & O. and their little boy, but we had to drive up island. So we said our farewells and then db and I took a quick drive around the city just to see my old haunts and again all the places I remembered were still there. Small businesses survive in Victoria. It was quite nice to see.

The above picture is the scenic viewpoint on the Malahat where I always stop when driving up island. It was such a beautiful day and well worth the stop.

Of course P. is in Nanaimo so we thought we'd get a visit in with him as well. He had a very sick little kitty (Chat-Chat) Wednesday night and wasn't sure she'd make it through the night. After seeing the vet next day, she was sent home with some antibiotics and no one is really sure what exactly was wrong with her. She's probably 19. She's a street cat so her age is uncertain, but I'm guessing she's around 19. P. was a bit of a wreck after all that so it was a good thing we were going on Friday to see him.

The images of the garden are from P's place. He has an amazing garden and we picked beans, basil, tarragon, a few tomatoes and he had some massive zucchini for us to bring home. We've got veggies everywhere now.

This is Chat-Chat in her yard and a little perturbed that we brought her outside from her bed.


This is Velcro (or Cro for short) lying in his yard with his favorite blanket. He was quite social with us while we were there. He can often be shy so this was a nice surprise.



P. took us to the waterfront to walk along the Nanaimo seawall which was really lovely. It meanders along the water and through the marina. there are several little restaurants that look very inviting and of course buskers along the way. We had to stop for the accordion players and I had to take this photo of what seemed to be a father and son duo. I knew mister anchovy would appreciate the photo .
We listened for a little bit and then continued along the seawall. The evening was really lovely.

As we drove back to P's place he toured us around through other Nanaimo neighbourhoods. We saw a deer and two fawns and then another deer just standing in someone's front yard while these two guys stood talking like this was no big deal and the deer was part of the conversation. P. told us that deer really are very common in that area.

We were both so exhausted by the time we got on the last ferry that we both fell asleep on board. I rarely fall asleep traveling anywhere so I was astounded when I awoke to the announcement that we were approaching Horseshoe Bay. I love when you travel and can fall asleep so that it seems like you've spent no time traveling at all. You wake up and you're there.

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.

Mom's visit

Back at the coffee shop. I suppose this will go on for several more days or weeks until D and I sort out how we're going to live in the internet world.

Today is glorious and sunny. Did we ever need it after all the torrential rain and flooding etc etc. Okay we weren't flooded, but others were and it's just another mess after a series of messes that the weather has created this past winter. Today gives me hope and it is an indication of what is to come with the summer. It's very uplifting.

So my mom was here for a week. We had a great time. He flight was delayed because of the bad weather "back east" (everyone refers to central Canada and east of as "back east" and I can't help but find it funny. It's as funny as those in the east calling our location "out west" -- I'm sure I've mentioned this before so I'll move on). Anywho...she made it and we had a good week. We went to Nanaimo to see P. and even though I was fighting the flu I had a good time. We mostly ate food with P. He's such an awesome cook. He made vegan BAGELS! Yes, vegan bagels and they were Montreal style bagels with sesame seed and they were chewy and delicious. I took my Tofutti cream cheese and I was in heaven. He gave us some to take home as well. I still have one left that I put in the freezer because I'm waiting for that perfect Sunday when I have lots of time and can sit and enjoy every bite with my morning coffee.

We went to see the "From Totems to Turquoise" exhibit at the Vancouver Museum. It was an incredible exhibit of past and contemporary jewelry from the Southwest First Nations and the Northwest First Nations artists. It was engaging and very educational. The jewelry was stunning and inspiring. I'm glad I went. I can't wait to get to the Museum of Anthropology. Everyone speaks so highly of it.


The week flew by and despite the rainy weather we went for walks and enjoyed ourselves. Mom didn't seem to mind the rain at all. We had a great walk along the inlet. It was beautiful.

And on that note. I'm going to get out in that sunshine before it's gone.

Just hi

So much to write and so little time. I just stopped into that dreaded coffee shop for a tea and some free internet. I should make the trip to the Cornerstone, but hey this is just down the hill.

I just stopped in to say hi and let you know that I haven't disappeared nor did I go to fluville, but I'll return tomorrow with something more interesting.

Safe Arrival

No, not the shoes. I didn't get them that quickly. My mom is visiting and she arrived after a bit of journey from Mtl via Toronto through some nasty weather, but she's here and already sound asleep.

We're going to visit P. tomorrow and take some garden seeds and spend the day with him.

I'll have to post a picture of the picture he and his daughter B. gave us for a housewarming gift. She's a very talented photographer and I loved her work the minute I saw it. She's a bit of a natural.

more later...

Departure

Sis leaves today. She arrived on Thursday with her four kitties and they've all been staying with us. We've been lucky to have them. Originally she was going to fly directly through, but circumstances changed and I think it was best for everyone. It's been so nice to see the cast of characters. They did amazingly well on the flight and I have to say that they are well travelled cats. For kitties who have been through so much starting out their lives, they are very strong indeed.

We'll be driving them all to the airport in a few hours and then they'll be off to start their new life on the Queen Charlottes. I can't wait to visit.

Everyone I've met here who has been there has done nothing but rave about how fabulous the islands are. One woman I work with goes every year for vacation and she and her family camp on different beaches. She tells me that each beach has different sea shells. Apparently the area has some of the most diverse sea life compared to anywhere. Another person told me of a man who lives completely off the grid there and people often sea kayak to his remote place just to visit the possibilities.


I'll admit that initially I was freaked out about her moving so so so far away and to a place so remote. However, now that I've moved and am on the coast (or near the coast) I am so excited for her and I can't wait to hear how her life progresses and what she discovers. We both talked about this a few days ago, asking how many people talk about doing things and never do them? Here she has an incredible desire to be in a place and explore a whole new area of her life and herself and she's going for it.
She's opening up a whole new book in her life with nothing but blank pages. Some would be terrified, but I have to admire her for diving in, packing up her life and her cats and going for the dream. Would I be able to do the same?

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