Vancouver Day 3

Wake up late, walk to Nester's to grab a few breakfast items and then back to play video games with Mogivite.
Then a short walk to a festival downtown where we met the lovely redhead and saw the sights.

Mogivite and I tried to enjoy the hottub at his apartment...but it was more luke warm. It was broken a few days ago something something. I don't know...I didn't really care. So we hung out down there anyway and talked in the tepid water for a half hour or so.
Then it was off to enjoy Tapas at La Bodega.
All of the food was good, but the chorizo is what got me. It didn't have that killer heat that we have here in Texas with Mexican Chorizo...but the flavor was phenomenal. Definitely order the chorizo if you go there. Do it.

Anyway, as always, the company and conversation were both excellent. We had a great time and then walked back home. Due to flight changes I had to be on the train at about 0530 so it was decided that Mogivite and myself would stay up until 2ish playing video games and then I'd nap for a bit.
Right.

That was the plan.

Sometime between 0230 and 0300...I was yanked from a sound sleep by the loudest alarm clock I'd ever heard. The lovely redhead came out of the bedroom and I thought she was looking for her cellphone...until I became coherent enough to realize that the two of them were trying to suss the reason for the ruckus, and that the loud bonging noise was actually the fire alarm.
Mogivite lives on the twelfth floor of a 25 story building.
He also has an awesome cat.
So I found out that my jeans will actually fit OVER my pajamas...good stuff, and then we spent a few minutes wrangling the understandably freaked out cat into it's carrier.
Cat wrangling...heh
Then, at 0300, we walked down 12 flights of stairs so that we could go stand in the rain with all of the neighbors and find out what happened.
Which was this:
Someone was cooking or some such, there was a mistake of some sort, which necessitated the use of their fire extinguisher.
Good on them for having the fire extinguisher.
In fact, that's the only portion of the story that is definite...I heard different versions as to the reason it was needed...but yes...the fire extinguisher fulfilled its purpose and put out the fire.
Only the building's fire alarm is designed to recognize the use of a fire extinguisher and to call the fire department.
Also...to sound the alarm.
Good times.
After about ten minutes the firemen declared the building safe, and then we spent roughly twenty minutes trying to get back upstairs. Yeah, there were a couple hundred of us, and only two elevators. The stairs don't have floor access, one you go into them you can't get out except for at ground level.
So all of us had to use the elevators to get back upstairs to the apartments.

I did try to sleep...but after thirty minutes or so of tossing and turning it seemed pointless. So I just played video games for the next half hour until the lovely redhead's alarm went off and we all got up to walk to the train station.

I had such a gerat weekend. I enjoy them so much.
Go to Vancouver. Even if you don't know anyone, it's a beautiful city and a ton of fun. Totally worth the visit.


-cat wrangler

Vancouver Day 2

Woke up midmorning and the 4 of us (myself, Mogivite, his bother E, and brother's wife A...yes, single letters for now, give me a break)...so yes, the 4 of us headed out for the Fraser Canyon. I had no clue what the plan was other than we'd be outdoors for the day. We did the 2 hour car trip complete with McDonald's stop, sadly too late for breakfast, as well as a lovely phonecall from babymama letting me know that our wonderful son had thrown a rock through a neighbors car window.
Good times.
I might tell that full story later. Maybe. Don't know. Suffice to say he is grounded and I'm a couple hundred poorer than I was prior to said rock blasting through said window.

Anyway, so we finally made our destination: Hell's Gate Airtram It runs down into the canyon where you get a good look at the salmon runs as well as the blasted rock and whatnot. There was a fisheries museum giving us a good idea of what happened in the area and how important it was that the salmon runs be fixed . "In all honesty" heh...I really enjoyed this part of the trip. Also, they have a fudge shop there and though I don't normally eat fudge...
This stuff is phenomenal!
Not even joking.
Phenomenal.

So yes, we saw the sights, learned some things, ate some fudge. As we were leaving everyone agreed that it was pretty cool but much smaller than we imagined. Which is funny because apparently none of those three had been there as kids and that's the common complaint when you see something as an adult that you also saw as a child right?
That it all seems much smaller?
But yeah...none of us had that prior experience. I'm thinking the word Airtram makes a person imagine a long trip up a mountain or something, and this (while very cool and interesting) was much shorter than what our minds had conjured up.

On the way back from the Airtram I convinced E to make a detour and we went hiking up to Alexandra Bridge I think his wife A got pics. Hopefully I'll get my hands on a few. We'll see.
I had a great time. E and his wife A are both great people that I would happily hang out with again. Maybe a trip to Phoenix before the end of the year. Woot!
Let's see...so that night, back at Mogivite's apartment, the lovely redhead made dinner and the two of us had a very good conversation waiting on him to come back from a meeting. He showed up with friends and there was some Wii to be had. Eventually we all hit the hay though, and Day 2 came to an end.


-in all honesty

Vancouver!!

As usual, so much fun. The one major difference was the pace...we did a ton of stuff, but things just didn't feel as manic or non-stop as usual. The pace was much more mellow this time.

I'm going to try for a quick run through, let's see how that goes:

I caught the early flight thursday morning with no problems. Vancouver Airport has a pretty fantastic walkthrough from the gate to customs, complete with indoor waterfall and river combination. Let's be honest, I want a river in my house. It'd be super awesome.
Customs meant the usual 20 questions, but they forgot to ask if I was heading to the coffeehouse. heh
I don't think that story will ever get old.

Mogivite and his brother picked me up and the 3 of us headed to a local casino. We wasted a bit of time and I burned $60 at a blackjack table.
We split ways and headed back to Mogivite's apartment where we were soon joined by his lovely redhead. *We're just going to call her that for now, I'll find a good nickname later*
Anyway, hugs galore and she was off to make appetizers for the family dinner we were headed to later.

Honestly...her litte nephew plodding around in adult sized fuzzy ducky slippers...funniest thing ever. Not one person who saw him that night kept a straight face. It was fantastic.
So was dinner by the way.
The appetizers were a hit, and the rest of the dinner was fantastic.
Ooooh!
I forgot lunch. After the casino but before we split up, Mogivite and his brother took me to The SandBar. The view was spectacular, as was the salmon burger.

Anyway, I remembered that only because dinner included grilled salmon. Along with roast chicken, vegetables, warm green bean salad, regular salad, the salmon, and fresh ears of corn.
Plus, all of the amazing people who were there to share it with. Very good times.

After dinner Mogivite and myself headed over to his brother's to spend the night. Mogivite was banned from the house computer, and there was Rockband.

Finally, at around 1 or 2am we hit the hay. I walked upstairs, figured out which doorway led to my bedroom and which one led to an awkward situation with the lady of the house...and hit the hay.
I avoided the awkward situation, in case you were wondering.

That was Day 1. We're going to do installments.


-easy installation

Before Canada

I am so stoked for this weekend.
Vancouver is full of such fantastic people and yours truly will be fully emersed over the next 3 or 4 days.

As this is typed, eight hours into a ten hour shift, my mind can't fully comprehend the joy that awaits. Written like that it sounds like a Disneyland for adults. But mostly, it's just Disneyland for a person like me.
Though, it is such a beautiful city with a ton of fun things to do, so there is no doubt that many people would love a visit. But no seriously...Dizz-knee-land.
Because these folks that have managed to become a part of my world there in the lovely BC...have altered my perception of time.

You see...everyone else has BC and AD...Before Christ and Anno Domini, literally "year of our lord".
Or for those who are devoutly non-religious...heh...see what I did there?
Anyway, for those who reject all religious icons or denominations, or perhaps just reject all Christian Dates and times, there is BCE and CE, or Before Common Era and Common Era.
BCE and BC are the same, as are CE and AD.
It all gets quite confusing, but not nearly as confusing as the calendar that has suddenly been thrust into my head.

You see, I have BC and AC. That is Before Canada and After Canada. As such, I was born in 28 BC, and the current year is 6 AC.
Mind blowing.
I KNOW.

Okay, I'm a bit out of control, but you were told at the beginning that I am stoked, and these kids, especially Mogivite, they all have such a profound effect on me every single time I am with them.
More than likely I will be mentally and emotionally exhausted by the end of these 4 days and I will be more than ready to go home. But that is due to overstimulation and all of the many positive things that I'll get out of it not from anything negative.
Also sushi...remind me to get the sushi.

Right.
Now I really am the rambling man.

This started out with a vague notion that I would hit all of the possible locations...here at the office, in the air, where you are right now as you read this.
But it kind of took on a manic little life of it's own...and I'm okay with that.
Quite okay.

I hope you're okay too.


-lengthy and confused