CRAP

I think I left my camera at the hotel! :(

I have to track it down or start using my mobile for photo blogging and yes after much bitching (those of you who heard it, you know who you are) about getting my mobile sorted out here.... I FINALLY DID. I will not post the number here but I will give it to you via email.

I went to Big John's Pizza tonight on my way home and made the error of being slightly flirty with the guy working there. Well not really flirty more cute, he asked me if I had $2 on top of the $20 that I had given him (so he didn 't have to give me all the change he had) and I said "oh, anything for you". Oops, next thing you know he said "then can I have your number". BOLD!!! Guess I learned a lesson... the men here a little bolder than in the 'Couve.

No photos of the bold man though... CRAP, must find my camera!

Last Day, First Day!!!

k, so I am here. No surprise to any of you since I got on the plane but just to confirm. I did not end up somewhere else, though there were moments at the airport (like when they told me my ETA Visa wasn't valid and i couldn't get on the plane) that I thought perhaps I wouldn't end up here. But I did! Yay me!

I must send my great big thank you to Sandra and Steve for taking me to the airport and of course putting up with my insane nervousness prior to dropping me at the gate. It's funny, I was calm for a long time, then as the days got closer for my departure I started to freak, then when I got the furniture and the bikes to the shippers I calmed down, then the few hours before and the time at the airport I went insane again! Rollercoaster!!! and again thank you to everyone (steve, sandra, aliki, ken diamond, kevin, greg, monica and alex) for not making too much fun of me (ok maybe not steve, but as previously mentioned they got the highest point of insanity I think). Thinking back; maybe the hangover that I gave myself from the night before may have been an added bonus!

Fortunately the flight itself seemed like it was about 5 hours and I did get to watch some good movies and lay in my super lux pod drinking hoity toity champagne!!! The highlight of course was the quarantine spraying they did on the plane before they let us deplane and to add insult to injury the flight attendants covered there faces when the spraying happened leaving us to suck in the fumes (I covered and took photos. Hee hee)

The full enjoyment of my bags kicked in when I had to try and get them on the luggage cart myself. I, of course, found myself a nice gentleman to help out though ;D but had no one to help me coming down the ramp with my 210 pounds of luggage.... can you say runaway cart????

Imke picked me up and we went down to Bondi for a bit of breakfast (10am-ish) had some fantastic ricotta hotcakes with blueberries and checked out the most famous beach in Australia (I think), and of course we went surfing that day too! Couldn't not. Got the shit kicked out of myself by the waves but it was glorious! Warm(ish) water - but warm compared to Vancouver and just a beautiful day in all.

So all in all i have nothing but good things to say so far. The jetlag is almost gone (i hope) and I am settling in already.

What's to come next? Stay tuned....


The Chestnut I had to leave behind :(









Sandra & I in "Rock Mode"









What the?!?!?!?












the first shot of my last night...









the last shot of my last night (so not drunk)









coming in for a landing... hello Bondi Beach!!!!









spraying the dirty dirty passengers!!!









the first surf!!!

This old draft, deserved to be posted!

I wrote this post on the 14th of March but didn't post it thinking I wanted to edit it so it wasn't so sappy. I guess it's just meant to be a little sappy. I love Vancouver.

This morning I took my bike to John Valk to get some work done on it, and after dropping it off I took the skytrain back to Commercial Drive. I got a little melancholy looking at the skyline as the train sped along. Seeing Mainspace and that ugly school next door, just knowing that I wasn't going to see it for a while and wondering with all the construction what Vancouver would be like in a few years, when I hopefully get to venture back (after the Olympics though!!!)

Even walking along Commercial and thinking "I just moved in this neighborhood and didn't really get to fully appreciate it", knowing how much I'm going to miss the great restaurants and cute little shops, especially Mintage, one of my favorite places to browse on the weekend after brunch.

I know Sydney is going to be GREAT, but I am still very sad to be leaving. :(

See you later Vancouver!

New Eyes, New Adventure!!

So to start the post I just want to say "I got new eyes!!!". I am sure you have seen the great pic of me in my blue blockers but just in case I posted it below (thanks Aliki for taking such a great shot!!!!).

It's pretty cool being able to wake up and see right away. Makes me think, I can now fight off any intruders that stroll in (yes, stroll - I was blind and they somehow would know it) into my place in the middle of the night! Throwing things when you can't see is hard! And hitting the object you are throwing at is even harder. But with my new eyes... look out Mr. Robber!!!

So I continue to purge and pack in hopes of actually getting it all done by the time I leave for Sydney. Seems like I have been doing it forever with very little result but today I feel like I made some serious headway. I'm off to the "Panel Doctor" for my visa x-ray tomorrow, (they don't want to let any sickies in) and then back to more packing. Wahoo!!! Anyone need any small appliances? I got a table piling up with stuff to go to Sally Anne!