Gastroenteritis

So it turns out that nasty stomach flu I had was gastroenteritis, which is very similar to the Norwalk virus. People all over Vancouver have been hit with it to some degree or other. In fact parts of both UBC and VGH were shut down.

Time to back track: I only ended up working about a 6 hour day, two weeks ago. I managed to make it back into work on the Thursday, but did not last the whole day. I had my flex that Friday, and thought it best to take it and try to get over my illness. I didn't feel any better until Friday afternoon and my digestive system was still reeling until Sunday evening.

By Saturday I was suffering from cabin fever. During the day I walked into Marpole and ran some errands - dry cleaning, mail, return DVD's, etc. That night, I just had to be out of the house - and stay out. Colin and I decided to go see a movie - the only one that was playing that we were interested in seeing was American Dreamz. It was disappointing. The last 40 minutes were excellent, but the rest of the movie just dragged.

BTW: If you are looking for a great movie, go see Thank You for Smoking.

OK, back to last weekend. After the movie we went out for all you can east sushi. This was a real treat, especially after living on apples and rice for the last five days. The sushi tasted good going down - but later in the evening my body reminded that I was still suffering from gastroenteritis...

At this point it was about 10:30 PM and I refused to return home. My parents and grandparents were returing from their Caribbean cruise that night, so I suggested we surprise them and pick them up at the airport. We had just enough time to drive to my parents' house, pick up their car and drive out to YVR. But, in my haste, I forgot to check the flight info - the flight was supposed to arrived at 11:30 PM, but was delayed till 12:40 AM - thank god we live close to the airport. We went home for about an hour, watched some Saturday Night Live, and then returned to the airport to pick up my parents and grandparents.

By the time they cleared customs and picked up their luggage it was close to 1:30 AM and I was now ready to go home.

Last Sunday was a gorgeous day - warm and sunny. Colin and I walked down to Fraser River Park and walked along the trails for about an hour. When we returned home, I grabbed my book and sat outside in the sun for an hour - the first official day of outdoor tanning.

Last week was a hectic one. To start with, it was my first 5-day week since the end of March. And my first week back at work after being ill. Despite that, the week flew by: on Monday I started Curves 6 Week challenge (will explain more later).

Tuesday was the Canadian Bingo Forum, which took place in Vancouver this year. I was in the office all day, but all the attendees came to Planet Bingo that evening for a dinner we were hosting. I thought once dinner was over and we settled our guests into electronic Bingo, it would be time to go home - but it wasn't. I worked a 13 hour day Tuesday, and top that off, it was very warm. I returned home around 9:30 PM, hot, sticky and exhausted.

The rest of the week was uneventful: Colin and I went for a swim on Thursday and then sat in the hot tub and sauna afterwards. Then it was time for more all you can eat sushi.

Friday was a very quiet day at work - I was all by myself until the early afternoon. Friday evening I went out with Lisa to see Stick It. It was a fun way to spend the night.

I spent Saturday day doing chores and watching TV. That evening we met up with Lisa and Andrew and went to this great Greek restaurant on Commercial. Afterwards we returned to Lisa and Andrew's to watch Clerks - which I had not seen before, even though I have seen a handful of Kevin Smith movies.

Sunday, Colin and I tackled the shopping list for the first week of Curves' 6 week challenge. I am finding it quite frustrating since everything is in ounces and gallons - next time I convert everything to metric before we go shopping.

While searching Oakridge for a food scale, I popped into HMV and picked up the second season of Battlestar Galactica - that will take the edge off of waiting for the second season of Lost to come out.

Book Club

Currently I am reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides...

















This is a great book which I haven't been able to put down since I started reading it.


For our April Book Club we read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Another must read!

Now Here's a Story

Again, it has been weeks since I last updated my blog, but I really have had nothing that significant or interesting to write about until now – well, until Monday evening.

I had a great long, long weekend. I suppose I am one of the lucky ones whose office remains closed on Easter Monday. I don’t remember much about Friday day; Friday evening I drove over to North Van and spent the evening with Thalia – it was the usual: grab a sushi dinner and watch a movie – this week it was “Inventing the Abbotts.” Great flick.

Saturday the cleaning bug hit me, so I vacuumed, washed, scrub, polished. But while my apartment is germ free, it isn’t clutter free. I have come to accept that until I complete a full “Spring Clean," going through every last thing in my apartment and making the decision to turf or to keep, I will never be fully satisfied with my abode.

That afternoon I headed over to Chris and Lica’s new place to celebrate their son’s (Ken) first birthday.

It’s starting to happen – the weddings are slowing down – I only have one this year, compared to the five last year – and the babies are coming…

So back to the birthday: I always have a good time at Chris and Lica’s. It’s an opportunity for me to catch up with some of my sorority sisters and some of Colin’s fraternity brothers who we are close with, but don’t often get to see.

Colin and I bought Ken his first Mr. Men books. They were a bigger hit with the adults, as our friends flipped through them, bringing back childhood memories.

On Sunday, Colin and I sat down and began planning our summer vacation. This year, our vacation is being planned around Gavin’s (my brother-in-law) wedding, which is taking place in Huntsville, Ontario.

Since I have never ventured outside of BC (when it comes to Canada), we are looking at this as an opportunity for me to actually see some of Canada; and for me to introduce to Colin to the Eastern US seaboard. I’m not claiming to be an expert on the area, having only visited Norfolk, VA and Philadelphia, PA, but I have always had a fun time in that part of the world, and really enjoy the people.

So here’s the plan, of which nothing is final: Fly to NYC, where we plan to spend our one year wedding anniversary. Then take the bus to Boston and spend some time there. Then take the bus to Montreal and spend time there. And the rent a car and drive it to Huntsville, hopefully making a quick stop in Ottawa, so I can visit my nation’s capital.

We spent the evening of Easter Sunday dining with my in-laws, since my parents are in the middle of a Caribbean cruise. I loved the email Easter greeting I received from my mum: Happy Easter from Barbados – wish you were here!

Monday was a relatively quiet day, I ran few errands… and then it hit: Around 7:00 PM I started having intense stomach pains. I lay on the couch, hoping it would pass. I was somewhat spared until the end of 24, and then my body threw me a one-two punch and I doubled over in pain.

I felt like someone was grabbing my stomach and intestines, and twisting them. The pain subsided a little bit, but every 20 minutes or so my whole digestive system just wreaked havoc on me. I had never felt anything like it before. Colin was ready to take me to the hospital, but I wasn’t ready to make that move, yet.

I am the opposite of a hypochondriac – I would have to be missing a few limbs before agreeing to go to a hospital. But by 2:00 AM, after four hours of excruciating pain, which had now moved to the kidney area, I decided not to take any chances, and left for UBC….

…Only to find out that UBC emergency isn’t open after hours. We were pretty much half between VGH and Richmond General – I opted to go into Richmond.

I think a lot of our belief, faith and anger in the BC Health Care system stems from our personal experiences with it. A couple of years ago, I had to take Colin to emergency during the day, on a Saturday. We went to Richmond General that time as well, and didn’t have to wait very long at all. Such, was my experience on Monday night (or Tuesday morning by this time). I was admitted right away.

I met with a nurse as soon as I arrived at the hospital and she took some info from me. After that she took me to a bed. Right after that another nurse came along and got some more information from me. Then the doctor came to see me. He pushed and prodded my digestive organs. He told me he wanted to do a blood test to rule out the possibility of Appendicitis. If my white blood cell count was normal, it was nothing more than a stomach virus; however, if my white blood cell count was higher than normal then they would have to run some tests and make sure I didn’t have an infection. The only waiting I had to do at all was to wait for the results of my blood test.

It was a very odd experience, laying there in the emergency room. You see, I have never personally been admitted to emergency before, and the last time I was in hospital was 17 years ago, when I had mole removed from the side of my face.

As I lay there listening to the machines, all I could think of was that scene in Monty Python’s the Meaning of Life, where the doctor asks if they have the machines that boop and bing, or something like that. It’s always good to have a sense of humour, especially when lying in emergency and you aren’t quite sure what the hell is going on with you.

My white blood cell count was normal. It turns out I had caught a nasty stomach virus which seems to be making its way through Vancouver.

I returned home from the hospital around 3:30 AM. I still had bad cramping. Even to this very moment I am not a hundred percent, but a hell of a lot better than Monday evening.

So my four day weekend, turned into a six day one. I am feeling much better, other than the fact my digestive system feels like it took a helluva beating.

I will go to work tomorrow – Friday, we shall have to see. Friday is my flex – I may go in and catch up or I may stay home and take nice long weekend and recoup from this nasty, painful ailment.

Finally...

I think it is safe to say that Spring has arrived. It's wet. It's kind of warm. I can wear sandals and not freeze my toes off. It's Springtime in Vancouver.

Let me get the sad/bad news out of the way first - unfortunately for the citizens of Vancouver, Colin will not be out on the streets protecting us. He received his "dear john" letter from the VPD on Tuesday saying his recruitment has come to an end. And the worse thing is that they give you no explanation. So, suffice it to say, the last couple of days have been rough. Now we are keeping our fingers crossed and hope Colin finds himself getting shipped off to Regina... (not something I would wish on my worst enemy, but in this case, it would be a very good thing). Of course it could be a really long time before we hear back from the RCMP. Should we be surprised about this? No. After all, we are dealing with the Canadian government. And we all know how the government likes to take its sweet time with things.

So, apart from that horrible, black mark, things have been good. Last weekend Lisa and Andrew hosted the traditional Whistler weekend. The same group, now with spouses, has been heading up to Whistler for a weekend of fun since 1997. But just because we aren't 19 anymore doesn't mean we can't party like we aren't 19 anymore - I think we had our largest and most varied Whistler bar yet. Which is probably due to the fact that we are all working now and can afford a well-stocked liquor cabinet.

With Andrew heading back to Vancouver Saturday afternoon for the Canucks game, and Colin and Dasha skiing all day, Travis, Lisa and I got into the hard stuff early. It was a relaxing day of drinking, reading, electronic Yahtzee and board games.

We took the dogs and wandered over to the new "Village" in Creekside. It's great, we don't have to drive all the way to the Village now to pick up the necessities - food, booze and Starbucks.

Thalia and Todd made it up to Whistler around 6:30 PM, and at 7:00 PM we all crammed into my Honda Civic (minus Dasha and Lisa) and headed to Colin's place (Whistler Cay Heights) to catch the hockey game.

They were doomed to lose. The fact that Andrew had to drive back to Vancouver and then back up to Whistler after the game had Canucks loss written all over it.

Ciro and Andrew made it back up to Whistler around 11:30 PM.

Unfortunately for me, I had to be at work on Sunday to take one picture. Yes, I had to leave Whistler earlier than I wanted too, to rush back to Vancouver to take one bleeding photo. So many cliches come to mind - life sucks, c'est la vie, when life gives you lemons... Oh well.

Don't Mess With My Snow Pile, Bitch...

These could have easily been the words spoken on Monday between Marty Turco and Alex Burrows.

During a long break in play, while penalties were being doled out, truce started to build a little snow pile around his net. Goalies will do this to make it harder for the puck to go into the net. Anyways, Burrows skates right throw Turco's snow pile. Turco is extremely upset by Burrows' action and starts, what looks like, mouthing off to Burrows, and gives him a small shove. Burrows answers back. And lo and behold another two penalties are handed out - what do you call that one - two minutes for messing with the goalie's snow pile?

Even though Vancouver lost, again, the game on Monday against Dallas was definitely one of the most amusing hockey games I have ever seen.

Time Flies

Where has March gone? I can't believe the month is almost over, and Spring starts next week, although you wouldn't believe it. I think someone in Vancouver has done something severely wrong and has royally pissed off the weather gods. First, there was that insane amount of rain in January. And now? It's cold, too cold for this time of year.

If March has to have a theme, I would refer to it as the reunion month. I started my first weekend of March with the first of two (or more) 10 year reunions. Every year, on the first Friday of March, Crofton hosts a school birthday and alumnae luncheon/reunion. You can attend any year, but is traditional to return during a big reunion year. There were only two of us from 1996, and only three of us who graded between 1990-2005. So Jen and I didn't have a chance to reconnect with classmates, but we did get to chat with some of our teachers, including our Grade 1 teacher!

I also found out that the Kappa representative on VAPA also attended Crofton (she graded in '70).

The next day Colin and I headed to Port Coquitlam for Devon's birthday dinner. This could be classified as a reunion since we hadn't seen Devon since our wedding (7 months ago) and it had been ever longer since we saw Devon's husband Steve (I believe he was in Vietnam on our wedding day). After dinner the group headed to Boulevard Casino. This was only my second time in a casino, but found this one far more impressive than Edgewater Casino. I didn't feel like staying too long though as it reminded me too much of work. I may work in the Bingo division, but all the BCLC messaging is the same...

On the following Tuesday I had dinner with a classmate from BCIT. We became good friends during our two year marketing program, but lost touch after graduation. So after almost two years we reconnected and spent five hours at the Milestones in Kits catching up.

The following weekend Colin and I enjoyed a night out at the Blarney Stone. It is the only club I enjoy going to anymore, and usually go 2 or 3 times a year - when the mood strikes me. We got there around 8:30 PM (which is not early for the Blarney), but wanted to leave to go watch the end of the hockey game. Turns out you can now watch hockey at the Blarney Stone on their new, projection screen TV.

Then I got sick (but not from the drinking last Saturday). I got this horrible cold that is going around. It is not your usual cold however. Yes, you get congested and a soar throat, but this thing sucks the energy out of you. Despite living a very active life and getting plenty of sleep, I spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday absolutely exhausted. Wednesday morning I woke up and could barely get out of bed - so I have missed the last two days of work. I am back at work today. I still don't feel %100, but I feel a lot better than 2 days ago.

And here we are - it's Saint Patrick's day and I'm wearing my green sweater and I can't wait for the work day to end and the weekend to begin.

My Nemesis

I think it's good to have a nemesis. It makes life a little more fun and interesting.

I don't personally know my nemesis. I don't know what they look like. In fact, I don't even know if they are male or female. All I do know is that my nemesis is a Calgary Flames fan (season tickets holder as far as I can tell) and owns an air horn.

I refer to him/her/it as "Air Horn Dude."

I first came across my nemesis in game 3, round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2004. As I watched the game from home in Vancouver, I could not shake from my mind the incessant blaring of that annoying air horn.

And it was there, for every game played in Calgary during the Stanley Cup playoffs - of course they went all the way to the Stanley Cup finals - and I watched those games - cursing and swearing under my breath at Air Horn Dude.

Unfortunately, for me, during the off season and the year-long NHL lockout, the air horn did not meet an untimely end. It did not get run over by a car, or trampled in the Red Mile, for there it was, blaring away during the first Vancouver-Calgary home game of the 2005-06 season. And it is still there. Every game the Canucks play in Calgary (which is why I believe that Air Horn Dude is a seasons ticket holder - or they just happen to go every Canucks game in Cowtown). And what makes that air horn even more the bane of my life? Thanks to the NHL's new scheduling the Canucks have already played 5 games in Calgary - thank god there are no more this season.

But then there's the playoffs...

(Disclaimer: the blog is all in good fun and humour - my real nemesis is Greg Millan ;)).

That's All She Wrote

Well, another Winter Olympics has come and gone, and what a great Olympiad it was for Canada (apart from men's hockey). We finished 3rd overall with a [Canadian] record high of 24 medals, only one off Canada's predicted 25 medals.

As we prepare for the Olympics to come to Canada in 2010, The Canadian Olympic Committee has created a program entitled Own the Podium. The essence of the program is to win the most medals in 2010. The first part of the program laid out a plan to finish in the top 3 in Torino - which is exactly what Canada did. And owning the podium in 2010 looks like a real possibility as Canada had 45 top 5 finishes in Torino.

I am looking forward to the next four years: It will be an extremely unique experience to watch my home prepare for the Winter Olympics.



http://www.vancouver2010.com/en

It's Over...

I am not one to use vulgar language in my blog, but...

FUCK!!!

Why Not Go for the Hattrick?

Ok, so it appears that within the last 24 hours I have somehow managed to publish two blog entries about furry, little Canadian rodents. What are the odds of that? So, I may as well complete the trilogy by talking about the possible, rumoured mascot for the 2010 Winter Olympics - the Hoary Marmot. Yes, that right folks, the Hoary Marmot.

I found out about the Hoary Marmot by reading my placemat at the Spaghetti Factory in Whistler many years ago. This excerpt is from Tourism Whistler http://www.tourismwhistler.com/www/about_whistler/nature.asp:

"Whistler was named after the marmot, a rock dwelling mountain rodent. Marmots make sharp, clear whistles if there is danger or a warning to other marmots."

It seems fitting since the majority of the 2010 Olympics will be taking place in Whistler - at least that is the plan.

And thus concludes my Canadian, rodent hattrick.

Frank and Gordon

I must say, I absolutely love Bell's new ad campaign. It has been a long time since I have seen an advertising campaign that is as endearing and engaging as the Bell Beavers. It hits the nail right on the head. It is just so Olympic, so... Canadian.

For more on this awesome ad campaign check out http://www.frankandgordon.ca!

Wiarton Willy Lied...

Damn groundhog! You promised us an early Spring. The rain has finally ceased, but now the temperatures have dropped below average and winter is sneaking back into the city.

It better be a long, scorching summer.

Wiarton Willy

Might As Well Face It, I'm Addicted to Lost...

I think this past weekend has been among the busiest as of late. I never really slept in and was on the go the whole time.

Thursday afternoon I arrived home from work with just enough time to get myself ready for the WPGA play. After the play, mum dropped us home and Colin and I headed into Richmond for some late-night, all you can eat Sushi. After that we returned home and watched a couple more episodes of Lost.

Friday I had a hair appointment in the morning, then spent the early afternoon doing laundry and watching the Olympics. I watched the opening ceremonies three times, but each time somehow missed the Canadians entering. Colin said they looked like a bunch of red and white penguins waddling in, in that monstrosity designed by the Bay.

Too bad the Bay now has the rights to outfit the Canadian Olympic Team, since Roots did a far superior job. Unfortunately, the Bay is a sponsor of the 2010 games, so we are stuck with them outfitting the Canadian Olympic team for at least another four years.

Later in the afternoon I met with Tina and we walked to Starbucks. Afterwards I went back to her place and she made me garlic prawns - I didn't get food poisoning :). Thalia met me at my place later that evening and we wandered up to Rogers and rented Elizabethtown. It was ok. Actually, I was enjoying it till the end - it had one of those endings which seems more like the beginning of another movie - I hate that.

Saturday morning was split between watching the Olympics and watching the police and Hazmat team across the road from my apartment. Someone's meth lab caught fire... You can live in the best parts of Vancouver or you can live in the worst parts of Vancouver, this sort of thing (like meth lab operations) can found anywhere in the city.

I joined Tina and Jen for lunch at the Jericho Tennis Club - it had been years since I had last been there. Tina had to steer me in the right direction, as I made a bee-line for the Yacht Club - if I go down to Point Grey Road it usually means I'm going to the RVYC for some reason or other - we humans are creatures of habit. Afterwards Tina ran a few errands and then we visited her mum at a craft fair. Then we headed into Richmond and wandered around Richmond Centre for a bit.

That night Colin and I saw the third movie on our Oscar list - Munich. This, in my opinion, is my favourite so far. After that we returned home and watched another episode of Lost.

Yesterday morning my mum and I went shopping - it was good shopping day, except for the fact I couldn't find a pair of khaki pants that fit me properly.

I spent Sunday evening with my family and picked up a copy of Andrew's recently completed screen play - from what I've read so far it is very intriguing, and I personally would like to see it made into a film.

Later that night, Colin and I watched yet another episode of Lost. We now only have one episode left to watch, then we will have completed the entire first season! I am not sure what I am going to do with myself between now and the time I will have to wait for season 2 to finish and be released on DVD.

The Lost ad that aired during the Super Bowl states it best- "Might as well face it you're addicted to Lost..." (to the tune of Robert Palmer's hit, Addicted to Love).

The Olympics Have Begun...

I love the Winter Olympics. I don't wish away the four years in between, but at the same time I long for that excitement and pride the Winter Olympics bring. There is something about the Winter Olympics that is so, inherently, Canadian. Is it the hockey? The curling? The skiing?

Maybe it is the great, patriotice moments created by Canada's excellence in winter sports, namely hockey. I think the greatest Canadian moment I have experienced to date was the ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the USA in 2002.

It all started the night before that most wonderful of days, and I remember it vividly. Colin and I spent our Saturday night (Gold Medal Eve) at the Blarney Stone. We met some guys from Holland and had a great conversation with them about hockey, the Olympics, politics... Late into the evening (early morning really), Killarny began to play their cover of Where the Streets Have No Name, and in the middle rift, the guitarist kept on playing, and fluidly the Where the Streets Have No Name turned into O Canada. How many of you have rocked out to your anthem? There we were, all strangers, cramped onto the Blarney Stone's tiny dance floor, coming together as nation, partying and dancing to the national athemn in great anticipation the next day.

We were up early the next morning and at the bar (Malones) at 8 AM. It was such an amazing experience. Everyone decked out in red, white and maple leafs. The CBC was there. Everyone starting singing the Stompin' Tom Conners' classic, "The Good Old Hockey Game."

And when Canada won - wow - no words can describe it, but maybe these pictures can:

Irony

Vancouver's main newspaper publication is the Vancouver Sun...

Now that's irony.

Singing the Blues

I don't get it. I don't think any Canucks fan gets it. It is one of life's great mysteries, like how they get the Caramilk inside a Caramilk bar. Why can't the Vancouver Canucks beat one of the absolute worst teams in the NHL, the St. Louis Blues.

We can beat the best of them: Ottawa, Colorado, Detroit, Dallas. Hell, we could beat St. Louis when they were good; but now that they are bottom feeders in the NHL standings we can't beat them.

I guess there is one positive thing about not being able to beat the Blues - we know we won't have to face them during the playoffs...

When Will It End?

I do realize this will be my third (or fourth) blog entry in a row about rain, but this is all any of us of Vancouverites can think about, talk about.

I don't mind the rain, out of necessity. Vancouver is a rainy city. If you live here, you have to put up with it, and think about how beautiful the city is, when it isn't raining.

It has rained so much though, this winter, I think I have forgotten what a sunny day is like. It isn't raining right now, and the sun is peaking out, but there are still grey clouds all around, threatening to soak us Vancouverites even more.

In the last 46 days, it has rained 44 days. Yes. 44 days of rain. A month and a half of rain. I am going nuts. No more rain, please.

I saw the mountains today for the first time, in a long time. I then felt robbed. While I much prefer Vancouver in the summer time, there is nothing more beautiful then a clear winter day, with clear blue skies, and the bright sun lighting up the snow capped mountains. I have not been able to enjoy that scene this winter.

When the rain comes, it erases the mountains from sight.

You stare out into the Harbour and English Bay and see nothing but an ominous, grey mass. You know the mountains are behind it, somewhere, but you are having a hard time picturing them, because they have been hidden for so long.

We [Vancouverites] take some solace in this rain with the knowledge that these dreary, wet days have broken a few records - the wettest January ever, and the wettest month ever in Vancouver meteorogical (is that even a word?) history. Since the city started keeping weather records in the 1930's, Vancouver has never seen so much rain as it has these last 46 days.

As they say, this weather is for the ducks. And if this weather keeps up, I think we may, out of sheer necessity, evolve into water fowl. I think waterproof feathers and webbed feet may be the only way to survive this.

I love water. I am more at home on water, than on land. But I don't like water when it falls from the sky, for days and days and days and days....

And the Rain Goes On...

What's up? Well it is still raining. We did see a bit of sun and blue sky last week, but that was short lived.

Last Saturday, I attended the Vancouver Rowing Club Burns Supper with my family. My brother gave a great account on it in his blog, so I will let you read what he has to say about it: http://spaces.msn.com/pooley/blog/cns!DB6B19BECD846ADA!309.entry. I guess Colin and I must have a penchant for Scottish Country dancing, since we didn't seem to have a problem with them, and picked them up fast, especially the Eightsome Reel...

On Wednesday, also Robbie Burns Day, Colin celebrated his 31st birthday. I gave him his long awaited pair of hockey skates.

Thursday evening was an adventure: Colin and I were going to go skating, but his skates didn't quite fit properly (not wide enough), so I wanted to take them back before we used them. We decided to go out and see a movie instead. We headed out to Silver City Richmond for the 8 o'clock showing of Munich; however, there was a huge power outage all over Richmond, so Silver City was closed. We then headed to the cinema at Richmond Centre and to see if they had power.

It is truly amazing how drivers in this city don't know what to do during a power outage. Half of the people just sat at the lights and the other half just flew through them. Apparently these people have no concept of the 4-way stop procedure. So it was no surprise to us when we arrived at the intersection of Westminster and 4 Road, to see a major accident had just happened.

We arrived at Richmond Centre, in one piece, only to discover there wasn't a good selection of movies to choose from. The ones we were interested in seeing didn't have a 9/9:30 showing for some reason or other. But the power was working, so we decided to wander around the mall. Actually, we made a b-line for HMV to look at DVDs.

We have discovered Lost. Actually, I have seen a couple of episodes this season, but like 24, and even more so, you have to watch this series from the beginning. But instead of buying Lost on DVD, we decided to rent the first disc from the video store to see if we really liked it or not. Let's just say we headed back to HMV the next day to buy the DVD.

After only 18 months, Canadians headed back to the polls this past Monday, and for the first time in 11 years we have a new governing party - the Conservatives won, but only a minority, and Stephen Harper is our new PM. I think I will be keeping a very close on eye all the goings on in parliament this time round. Apparently, after not even a week of being PM, Harper already brought up the gay marriage issue, which he said he wouldn't, hmmm....

Last night Gavin, Jess and Travis came round to watch the hockey game. It was an excellent game, for the most part, and thank god Vancouver won.

Funny thing, though - the CBC feed cut out with only about 6 minutes left in a very close game. I guess Harper has started to make his cuts to the CBC... Gavin said that maybe the Avs fan that was getting out of hand decided to take out his (or her) anger on the CBC truck and blow it up. Well, the feed came back, but we were watching the Denver feed for a while, and one of the Denver commentators said the CBC truck exploded. We were pretty sure he was just joking, but considering it was our thought too, it was a little creepy.

I am currently reading Fall On Your Knees by Anne Marie MacDonald. This is a great book, very deep and intricate.

Rain, Rain Go Away...

Actually, I see blue sky and sun right now - what's that? Lisa sent me a funny email this morning, and I think any Vancouverite will have to agree with this one... I think it perfectly captures what we are all feeling right now:

The Daily Show - Canada's Indecision

I haven't watched the Daily Show in weeks, but Colin and I tuned in to watch it last night. If you are Canadian, last night was a great night to watch Jon Stewart. He talked about Monday's election. Yes, it was Indecision 2006, Canadian style. It was so funny, and very different from Canadian satirical programming. I will have to watch again on Monday to see if he has any election coverage.

So far my favourite satirical sketches during this campaign have been Air Farce's Debate 2006 skit (Friday, Jan 13). In this sketch Harper is portrayed as a robot and melts Layton with his laser vision - if only the real debates were this interesting to watch. The other great sketch was 22 Minutes' (Friday, Jan 13) take off on the most recent Buckley's ads. Vote Conservative - it may tastes awful, but it works...