Monday, December 29, 2008

Well it's Monday - the start of the last week of the Year 2008 - while many of us like to reflect back on the year with the shenanigans on Wall Street and most of us retirees taking a severe hit in our portfolios it is probably better to focus on the year ahead and hope a new administration in Washington is as committed to turning things around as they said they would be in the campaign.

What are my plans - well other than the cruise in Feb 09 I haven't planned any major trips for the coming year. With the price of gas dropping to 2004 levels I will perhaps do more short trips within the country.

I may do a Skyline trip in the summer depending on what location they select - if it is White Man Pass I will probably do it as I missed it the last time it was offered do to the wild fires in the summer of 2003.

If not a Skyline trip I am also looking a doing a trip with the Vancouver Natural history society - they have a trip into the South Chilcotin Park Cinnabar Pass and Basin- this is an area I visited back in the early 80's before it became a provincial Park and have wanted to revisit ever since - it runs on a similar format to the Skyliner camps and costs about the same but the associated costs would be a lot less as I can drive to the trailhead in about 6 - 8 hours and no overnight stay in expensive Banff is required.

I will continue to do my volunteer projects - Yellowpoint Lodge, Vancouver Marathon, Dragon Boat races, YMCA Connections and expect to work as an returning officer in the May Provincial election.

The heat is off in the apartment today- just those on the top two floors - as they fix a broken pipe - we are on hot water heat and a pipe burst just down the hall over the holidays - it is not too cold but will be heading out shortly anyways - may have lunch with the big one if he is feeling better but do hope to pay a visit to the gym for a post Xmas workout.

More later

D

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Update - removed some of the original comments in this blog.
Today I will be doing some emailing in my role as Work Party coordinator for the Friends of Yellowpoint - they need a small group of about six to take down the decorations just after New Year's so I need to arrange the time for that.

With improving road conditions and weather conditions I just might venture out for a drive but then again there's lots of football and hockey action on as well.

That's enough for now.

Cheers

D

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Well it finally has switched over to rain BUT that is causing other problems - like slippery sidewalks and flooding roads as many of the catch basins are under a couple of feet of snow.

The image at the top is from my Nov 2007 trip to Cozumel - it from a beach on the Atlantic side of the Island - more rugged - actually part of a National Park that I visited as part of a bus tour of the Island.

I will be returning to Cozumel on my Feb 09 cruise to the Western Caribbean from New Orleans.

Cheers

D

Friday, December 26, 2008

Well I had hoped to be able to report that the snow had stopped and turned to rain but such is not the case as it is still snowing hard as I type this post.

I did get out to the local stores this morning - lots of Boxing Day shoppers and the electronics store were packed. One item that the price has dropped to my expectations are a couple of LCDHD TV's - there is both a 32" Sony and a 32" Samsung on sale for just under $500.00 and I can get the deluxe HD box for under $400.00 I had hoped to pick one up this afternoon but with the heavy wet stuff still falling I'm not going to get the truck on the road - yes I could take a taxi back with the purchase but the sale prices are in effect until the end of next week so one more day isn't going to make a big difference. Then there is the matter of getting a hold of my cable provider to get the box switched to their service and the HD channels added.

The learning curve is also in effect for my new Blackberry - have the phone #'s plugged in - now starting to add some of my favorite web sites to make browsing easier.

More later

Cheers

D

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Vancouver's official Xmas tree at the Old Courthouse on Georgia and Howe Sts

The Olympic countdown clock at Courthouse Square

Snow scene at Plaza at Wall Center on Burrard St

My tree and some of Santa's gifts.

Walking over to have lunch with my brother I took my camera and caught some of these snowy scenes both before and after the lunch.

While the weather has cleared up I still don't feel like heading out to the burbs - still too much snow around and there is a chance for some more in the forecast.

My present to myself was a new Blackberry Pearl cell phone - my existing contract is expiring so I decided to upgrade to this PDA and add data web browsing and email to my contract.

More later

Cheers

D

Monday, December 22, 2008

I don't think anyone is going to be using our sun deck recliners anytime soon!

Looking down onto our inner courtyard from the 9th floor roof.

Southwest view towards Burrard Bridge and Kits Point.

Looking south down Hornby St towards Bridges restaurant - it's the yellow building - on Granville Island.

Well it finally stopped snowing about a half hour ago - there is somewhere between 10 and 15cm at least just on my balcony - here are some scenes from the roof top patio - I was up to my shins in places on the roof terrace just getting these images.

The turkey dinner went off without any major glitches and Jim brought along his new Korean room mate from Korea - it was his first time observing our Xmas tradition - while Korea is 70% Catholic which I was not aware of - he is Buddhist - only his second time having turkey - the first was at Thanksgiving with his then home stay parents.

A small gift exchange took place - I show them some of my video from the recent trip and we just chatted and enjoyed each other company for a few hours.

By 10PM I was once again alone in the apartment and after having an active day called it a day and turned in for some shut eye.

Today I hope to head to the gym for a brief workout and then possibility out to Metrotown with Jim for him to do some last minute shopping - right now the roads aren't great but hopefully they will improve now that it has stopped snowing and the sun is trying to shine.

Cleaned up the mess - dishes etc from last night - even with using paper plates this year I am still looking at 2 loads for the dish washer.

Craved up what is left of the turkey and have enough left over to several meals - we probably make a casserole later in the week.

Gord - if you are reading this - I still have room for your turkey on Xmas day.

More later

Cheers

D

Sunday, December 21, 2008

The chair in the courtyard indicates how much snow has fallen so far.

A look at our courtyard and the bikes in the snow.

Rooftop patio looking towards the Burrard Bridge and English Bay.

These images are almost live as I just shot them after getting home from the grocery store. The streets are passable but don't use them if you don't have to.

Now I can sit back await the arrival of the turkey stuffer and watch the snow fall and the football games - the Seahawks are playing in Seattle in an open air stadium so it should be another reason they can use if they lose.

More later

D.
Found this cute seasonal image on another blog site so I am gonna borrow it for a few days - hope Santa won't mind.

Well it did snow overnight and there is around 5cm on my balcony and some light flakes are still coming down but so far it hasn't been all that bad.

Today is the day that the turkey goes in the oven and a few friends are suppose to come over for a full Xmas dinner - I know that Mary Rosie - my godmother and cousin - won't make it - the streets are very slippery by her place and at 80 she is worried about falling - hopefully the others will be able to make it - just as I started to type this post the snow has intensified and I do need to run out to the store for a couple of last minute items.

The way this weather is going I can't wait for the trip to NOLA and the 7 day western Caribbean cruise.

More later

Cheers

D

Friday, December 19, 2008



Well I did adventure out into the cold this morning and it indeed is cold - even with three layers and a toque and gloves I was cold - did stop to take a few pictures - two of which are displayed here.

Most of the sidewalks and even the sea wall have been cleared of at least some of the snow and ice so it wasn't too hard to get around.

Need to go out for supper and then to the liquor store for some beer for the group on Sunday and a couple of final items - like a roasting pan for the the bird and then it will be definitely in for the evening.

Even the apartment is cool - my windows are single paned so they don't hold the heat that well - at least the strata did spend some money earlier in the summer to fix the and clean the boiler so the heat is better than it was last year. I also get the mid day sun at this time of the year so that will warm up the apartment somewhat.

Did three loads of laundry - now just need to put it all away.

Cheers

D


Each year around this time I try to make a trip up Grouse Mt to see the alpine Xmas display but with the current bad road conditions, freezing cold temps and more snow in the forecast I don't know if I will be getting up there this year so these three images are from three previous visits.

It looks like it will stay very cold through the weekend and it will be Xmas before we might see a thaw or a slight warming of the temps.

Attended a small mix and mingle with some of the other members of my Health Spa last night - a couple of glasses of beer and some appys.

Also spent a couple of hours on Wednesday with Tom and the grandchildren at Pacific Center Mall.

Gonna go for a short walk along the water and then a bite to eat and a few more items for the dinner party on Sunday. Rosie just phoned to cancel - her street is a sheet of ice and even the taxis don't want to drive on it and with her being 80 she is worried about falling - she even had trouble walking across the street to church so I can't blame her for not being able to attend.

Good to see that the Canucks have won the Sundin sweepstakes - he should be able to help the team out and advance further into the playoffs.

Finally got around to booking some excursions for my Feb 09 cruise - can't wait to get some warmer weather.

More later

Cheers

D

Wednesday, December 17, 2008


Did I mention in any of my previous posts that it might snow today - well it is coming down pretty good here in downtown Vancouver but other than meeting Tom for lunch at Pacific Center it is a good day to stay inside.

That's me in front of the Xmas tree in the main lounge at Yellowpoint Lodge this past weekend.

Cheers

D

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

These are some of the chairs that we use to relax on by poolside at Yellowpoint - thought they looked kinda awesome in the snow.

Today I spent some time getting back into the mundane groove of things - with more snow forecast for tonight and tomorrow - in fact it looks cold until the end of the year - I decided it was time to get the shopping done for the Xmas dinner on Sunday so I headed out to the Real Canadian Superstore for that major shopping - I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had utility grade Turkeys on for $1.11 a pound - I still spent over $70.00 on groceries but this is a once a year treat for some of my closest friends and then I headed to my gym for a nice relaxing steam bath.

Time for supper

More later

Cheers

D




It was quite the weekend over at Yellowpoint Lodge - the actual work party, social and meeting went off as planned but the big story was the weather - in the four images in this post you will see how things looked at different times on the weekend. The image at the bottom was taken shortly after I arrived on Friday afternoon - the drive in from the ferry was not a lot of fun - while there is no snow in this photo there was several inches of snow on the road just a few kilos from the lodge and many people were having trouble navigating - I made it okay with my all seasons and standard shiftshift.

Second closest image is taken at lunch time on Saturday and the third one in the evening after it started to snow - the top picture shows how much snow had fallen by Sunday noon - the main photo on the page is how it looked after it started to clear off late Sunday afternoon.

By then I had made a decision to stay for another night - several others in the group also decided against trying to drive even a short distance home.

Once the snow stopped and it cleared it turned very cold and the roads became compact snow and ice - I left the Lodge about 9AM on Monday for the 10:30AM ferry - this drive usually takes no more than 20 minutes but it took me 45 minutes of driving in second gear and two hands on the steering wheel to make it to the ferry - I didn't slip or slide - just kept the speed down to around 40KPH and gave myself lots of room for braking - fortunately the other drivers were also being extra careful and I didn't need to do any sudden stops - the ferry left on time and by 12:30PM I was in Horseshoe Bay and home an hour or so later.

We did a number of work projects on Saturday - I signed up for a wood splitting job - a large fir tree on the property was diseased and had been felled so we were left with the task of downsiding the large pieces into smaller ones that can then be used in the stoves in the cabins.
It was a good day's labour and we were rewarded with adult beverages for a few hours in the evening - after a delicious roast beef and all the trimmings dinner we were entertained by a pick up band - Richard the Lodge owner plays the guitar and he has a few friends in the community who are alos musicians so they get together and do a jam session - this year they called themselves "Sing - a - long Pete and the Sheaves of Wheat.

Sunday we held the AGM - I was returned as Work Party co-ordinator which was expected as you usually stand for three years unless you want to move on to another position.

Shortly after I turned in for the night and after breakfast on Monday left for home - this is one AGM weekend that many of us won't forget for some time

More in the next post - this one is getting long.

D

Friday, December 12, 2008

Another view of the Yellowpoint Lodge - I will be leaving in about an hour - at present it is raining and it looks like I should make it over to the Island before it changes over to snow later this afternoon - so you won't get any more updates to this blog until I get back later Sunday evening so enjoy your weekend.

Cheers

D

Thursday, December 11, 2008






Tomorrow I head over to Vancouver Island and two nights and three days at Yellowpoint Lodge near Ladysmith BC - it's all part of the Friends of Yellowpoint Lodge AGM - we are a volunteer organization that helps with a few extras projects for the keeping of the Lodge in great shape etc.

I am keeping an eye on the weather as it is expected to change for the worse tomorrow - it is cooling down - at present looks like snow won't be a major problem - it also will be be first time on the ferries since they dropped the rates by 1/3 for the next two months - that will save me about $40.00 and with gas at $0. 82 a liter that also has saved me some money.

As for today - I took my new bike in for it's 20 hour maintenance check and will be leaving shortly to go and pick it up across the Burrard Bridge and then it supper with the Big One at the Slocan Restaurant.

Still need to pack for the weekend trip but that shouldn't take too long - will need some of the cold weather clothing as most of our work projects will be outdoors although one of the bigger projects is the decorating of the Lodge's Christmas tree which will take a crew of a dozen or so the entire day - they also make ceder wreaths which we attach lights to and mount at various places in the lodge.

Cheers

D

Monday, December 8, 2008


Yesterday it was the annual Santa Claus parade here in downtown Vancouver and a large crowd estimated at around 300,000 was on hand for the event - my advantage point was near Howe and Nelson - we were about five deep here - lot's of young ones who would dart into the street every time they saw a sponsers mascot come along - one nice addition this year was some of the marching bands for the US - in previous years when the parade was held a couple of weeks earlier at the same time as the US Thanksgiving weekend it was near impossible for them to make an appearance.

The image is of one of the floats in this year's parade.

Also found time to head out to Metrotown for a little bit more Xmas shopping and to stop in at the gift wrapping which once again is being done by the YMCA Community Services department -I offered to help out but my wrapping skills are a little wanting so we agreed that it would probably be best for everyone that I not attempt to help out.

More later

D

Friday, December 5, 2008



Got a few things done today - started off by driving up to Cypress Mt - little to no snow at the ski base and hiked the Yew Lake trail and Old Growth trails - the picture above is of the new Ski Lodge which is set to open any day now. This will consolidate all services into one area and skiers will be able to ski right to the doors of the Lodge unlike now where you need to take your skis off to get to the services. The snow in the background of the images is man made - if you look closely you should see a small cloud - that is the snow blowers hard at work.

There was no one else on the trails but I suspect some people went up the Baden Powell trail towards Cabin Lake as I saw people heading in that direction.

Got home and checked the mail - got a 50% rebate for the dental work done in the States so that will give me a few more $$$ to spend.

Well almost supper time and then I guess I might just watch the Canucks - hopefully they can stop the slide tonight.

More later

D

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Well I decided to get out on the bike after all and it was a pleasant but cool ride - headed east along False creek to near Science World and then took the Adanac bike route through Chinatown and Strathcona before turning left and heading for Alexander and Water Sts in Gastown - then along the Coal Harbour seawall to the Park Entrance and through to Second Beach - it was here that I met up with the 2 Chucks - Wright and Lew - long time Y members out for their walk - according to them it looks like there will not be a Santa Claus run/dinner this year as most of the organizers are either in Mexico or Palm Springs - From Second Beach into English Bay and a bite to eat and a newspaper read at the Davie St Golden Arches and then home.

Later I needed a little walk as I am starting to print out some contact sheets of the images from the trip and ran out of matte paper - for some reason my glossy paper is jamming my printer so that is something for me to work on later.

Hard to believe but 3 weeks from today is Xmas - have you done your Xmas shopping.

Looks like the Canucks are going to make it 4 straight losses as they are down 6 - 4 to Detroit late in the 3rd period.

Tomorrow if the weather is dry I might head up Cypress - want to check out the new Lodge and its related facilities and provided there isn't much snow on the ground perhaps a short walk along the Yew Lake trail.

Cheers

D
It's Thursday and cloudy here in Vancouver and I am off two minds as to what to do today - one mind says get on the bike and go for a ride - the other mind says held to Metro town for some shopping and the third option is to do nothing.

While I am trying to decide what to do perhaps I should phone Telus and find out why my bill is up a couple of $$ this month - the contract doesn't end for another month so their shouldn't be an increase - and it looks like they have some specials on right now that might actually save me some money next year.

Last night I attend the volunteer wind party for Arthur Griffiths campaign team - free booze and light snacks and a fairly good turnout - and yes the federal government mess was discussed - no one really likes Harper and most would like to see him gone but not all thought the coalition was a do idea and several didn't want Dion leading the charge as they were working for Iggy. Event wound up around 8PM just after Arthur announced that he won't be running in the gneral election in May and that the Liberals will need to find a new candidate - he will be supporting the new candidate both politically and financially.

More later

D

Tuesday, December 2, 2008


Actually just a short post to accompany this photo which was taken this afternoon at Fisherman's Wharf on the south side of False Creek.

Cheers

D

Well it was dry this morning so I got on the bike and did the False Creek loop - over the Burrard Bridge, down Cypress to the seaside bike trail and then followed it all the way to Science World passing the Olympic Athlete's village and the nice new seawall there.

After a quick lunch at Burger King it was back on the bike and the westward ride on the north side of False Creek to Hornby St and then up Hornby to the apartment.

It was a pleasant 12 Km of riding and the weather was quite nice.

Last Sunday I went for a drive out the valley - the weather was soggy - light rain but I did stop and take in Cliff Falls in Kanaka Creek Park in Maple Ridge - it's just a short 10 minute walk from the parking area to the Falls which are really flowing at this time.

The second stop was at the Railway trail head on Hayward Lake - have driven by a number of times but have never stopped and explored - so I grabbed the umbrella and walked the first 2 kms of the mostly level trail to get an idea for a longer bike/walk in the future. The image at the top is of some of the old railway trestle that used to run along the lake.

Took the Albion ferry across to the south side of the river and then home.

Tomorrow is Larry's - that's my brother- 60th birthday so I will be treating him to lunch and then in the evening there is a wind up volunteer party for those who helped the Arthur Griffiths by-election campaign - while Arthur didn't win it was a fun campaign to have been associated with - chance to renew some friendships and perhaps gain some more - I am sure that the mess in Ottawa will probably come up and it could be quite a discussion as there are people from all the major parties that volunteered for Arthur.

I am also starting to think about my excursions for my next cruise which is slated for February out of New Orleans. Also need to book Amtrak so that should keep me busy for a day or two.

More later

Cheers

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Still raining here this morning although it has eased up from yesterday - not much planned for today - perhaps a little more Xmas shopping - yes I am one of those who likes to get it over a done with - got up the courage this morning to take a look at my pension portfolio and like I suspected it is not a pretty site - hopefully the worst is over and some of the value will return in the next month otherwise it will be either me stay in town and vegetate or draw down some of the reserve funds which are outside of the registered plans.

More later

D

Thursday, November 27, 2008

This really is a much to do about nothing day - can't decide what to do - more Xmas shopping, go for a bike ride, go for a drive in the country - with the cheaper gas prices I can afford - at least for the time being - to run the truck more.

I guess I could sit back and watch the three NFL games that are on TV and then tonight the Canucks are playing - perhaps drive up Seymour or Cypress and a walk in the snow.

One thing that I will have to do in the near future is rearrange the contents of my storage locker - our strata has been using some lockers in an adjoining building for free but that building has decided that it either wants our users out of there or to start paying for the ones that we are using - at a Special strata meeting last night the owners decided to go for option B which is to divide our full length lockers in half thereby giving each owner his or her own locker except some of us have two much junk and will need to either get rid of some of it or rent a second locker except that I have a large bookcase that will be too large under either scenario - so i just might bring it up to the apartment and replace it for a couple of my smaller ones.

Decisions - decisions - decisions

Cheers

D

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Sunny morning here - heading out shortly to have lunch with my brother and in one week he turns 60 - finally have all my digital stills and video transferred from my laptop to my desktop - next will be coming up with the "best of" files and then onto DVD for lasting memories.

Not much other to discuss so

Cheers

D

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Raining here today on the west coast of Canada so it will be a good day to do some indoor things - before I forget - the picture at the top is taken from St Lucia in the Caribbean - it's of the Pitons one of the most recognizable natural features on that island.

The other picture most of you should recognize as well -I had a seven hour layover between trains in Washington DC and the weather was sunny but cool so instead of taking the hop on hop off bus I starting walking down Pennsylvania Ave to the White House then over to the Washington Monument and down the National Mall to the Congressional building and then back to Union Station - that took at little over 2 hours and then I basically spend my time in the first class lounge at Union station or exploring the Station which is an attraction all by itself.

The Xmas decorations have been brought up from the storage locker and will be put up over the next few days - Dec 1, 2008 is the allowable date for us to have any outside lights up and on.

Later I am heading out for coffee with some of the other retired old farts from the Y at a coffee shop on the North Shore. Usually try and see them about once a month and since I have been away their will probably be lots of BS to spread around.

More later

D

Monday, November 24, 2008

Things are finally starting to get back to normal in my everyday life although I am still waking up early - like 3 to 4 AM as the body clock is just starting to readjust to Pacific time.

Got the last of the digital photos transferred over to the desk top - next up will be the video and then it will be a project to come up with a small 100 photos and less than 30 minutes of video.

Didn't find the Grey Cup game yesterday all that exciting - yes it was close and in doubt until the final minutes but there have been more more thrilling games in recent years.

On the agenda for today includes getting my flu shot and stopping into the dentist to update him about my loose tooth episode in NYC.

Yesterday I did bike around the Stanley Park seawall - lots of people out and about and will either bike or hike somewhere today.

One of the upsides to the current financial downside is that with gas much cheaper I will be able to afford to drive to some of my favorite biking and hiking destinations a little further out.

Also good to see some snow on the North Shore mountains - might even do some snowshoeing on Grouse since they have two or three groomed trails and it doesn't cost me anything other than the shoe rental as the use of the trails is included with my annual Grouse pass.

More later

D

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Well finally arrived home around 2:30PM on Thursday and have spent the last few days getting to know my bed, apartment, city etc.

Did 4 large loads of laundry and Friday and a little Xmas shopping as well.

Will need to work on putting over 1000 photos into a much smaller file and spend some time editing and joining the video files as well.

Weather today is clear and cool so I hope to make it out on the bike a little later - in checking the scales at my health club it looks like I only put on a couple of pounds and that might be from the train ride as there isn't much opportunity to move around on the train and the meals in the dining car are big.

Do hope to be back in time to catch the Grey Cup - with over 65,000 fans cheering on the hometown Montreal Als it should be noisy in the Big O today.

More later

D

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Tuesday November 18, 2008 - Metropolitan Lounge Amtrak Station - Chicago - in a couple of hours I will be boarding the Empire Builder for the final two days of this trip - came through overnight from Washington DC - snow on the ground along much of the route but none on the ground in Chicago.

Spent my layover time in Washington DC walking from Union Station to the White House - no I didn't see George or that biting dog on the grounds - the over to the Washington Monument - down the National Mall to the Congress building and then back to the train station - had hoped to post from there but there server was down.

While cruising and the train rides are great three weeks is getting to be a long time to be away at one time not to think of the 6 or so loads of laundry that will have to be done when I get back.

More later

D

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Well the cruise is over - it was a whirlwind 13 days at sea with visits to Samana in the Dominican Republic, St Thomas in the Virgin Islands, Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, Curacao and NCL's private island of Great Stirrup Cay - the weather for the most part was fine - a couple of brief tropical showers especially in Curacao - will post some thoughts later as it is almost time to leave for the train station and the trip home.

More later

Cheers

D

Monday, November 3, 2008

On board the Norwegian Dawn - Monday Nov 3, 2008 - Atlantic Ocean southbound to Samana Dominican Republic with arrival on Wednesday Nov 5, 2008

Embarkation was a breeze in NYC - within an hour of arriving at the pier I am on board the ship and meeting up with some of the other cruise critic members for an impromptu drink at Bimini’s Bar on Deck 13 - then to the Garden Café for lunch and then it’s time for muster drill and before long we are off and sailing down the Hudson river pass the Manhattan skyline and the Statute of Liberty and into the open waters of the Atlantic ocean - the weather while sunny is cold thanks to a brisk NE breeze - I stayed on deck to capture the sail away with many images of the skyline - then adjourned to Aqua restaurant for supper where I had a onion soup with rigatoni pieces - herb spiced chicken with mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies - like Brussels sprouts and zucchini neither of which I am a fan of. I pass on dessert - then tour the ship and take in some of the entertainment on board before returning to my cabin and a night’s sleep.

Speaking of my cabin - I have an outside obstructed view cabin which means that my view is obstructed by part of the tender boat but at least I can tell whether it is light out or what the weather is doing.

Today Monday I will attend the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet and Gift swap at 10:30AM in the Salsa restaurant where upwards of 80 people will attend.

I have brought a small memento of Vancouver - one of the Olympic mascots - should be a great gift for those with kids or grand kids.

The rest of the day, I intend to take easy, as I am still foot sore from all my walking in NYC.
I have booked the Salsa restaurant for dinner - it is a Tex-Mex sort of menu - had their ribs last year and even though there is now a $10.00 fee it is well worth it.

More later and Gord if you see this on Sunday say hi to Jim for me.

Cheers

D

Sunday, November 2, 2008

It's Sunday morning here in NYC and almost time to vacate the hotel room and head for the ship - a picture of which is at the top of the page - it's the Norwegian Dawn - I am sure that I will meet up with some of the CC'ers in the lineup and once on board some of us were going to meet for a sail away drink at the Bimini Bar.

We should enjoy that sail away drink under sunny skies although by the time that we sail down the Hudson it will be getting dark - don't intend to worry too much about photos this year as I have a good supply from last year and got some much better shots of Lady Liberty yesterday from the Staten Island ferry. Might take some more video as last year my battery was dying as we sailed.

The only thing on my agenda that I didn't get to see was the United Nations complex which is only a couple of blocks from the Y - could still walk that way after breakfast and before grabbing a ride over to the ship. Will probably take a taxi rather than the bus that way I don't have too carry the weight of the suitcase too far when I get to the pier.

Cheers

D

Saturday, November 1, 2008

This posting is coming to you from New York City - mid - Manhattan to be more precise - arrived yesterday afternoon - got checked in to my room at the Vanderbilt Y and then headed out for some of my planned sightseeing - first stop was Grand Central Station where I had supper and the onto Rockefeller Square and then Times Square - as it was Halloween there are lots of crazies on the street - one thing that also occurred as it was the last Friday of the month was the Critical Mass bike ride through Manhattan and Times Square - the only difference between this one and Vancouver's is that here they obey the rules of the road and stop for traffic lights etc.

Then it was off to bed for a big day was planned tomorrow.

Now for today's events - well the best laid plans sometimes don't go as hoped - while eating breakfast one of my crowns in my fine dental display came loose while eating a bagel sandwich at McDonald's - as tomorrow is cruise day I want to try and get it fixed - fortunately I was able to save the tooth - asking at the desk didn't give me much hope as it is a Saturday in a downtown core - because it is still early I buy my one day pass for the bus and subways - $7.50 for unlimited local travel and get on the # 4 run up to Central Park mid-point - spend about an hour walking up the east side of the Park and then cross over to the other side and start heading down the West Side before heading over to Broadway in the hopes of finding a dental office in a more residential neighbourhood - did succeed in finding one but they were swamped and couldn't take me if I wanted - did suggest another place and while the neon sign said Open today the security guy says that they are definitely closed on weekends - I then grab the Subway #A and take it down to the Staten Island ferry which I take over and come right back - you get some great views of the Statute of Liberty - the Manhattan and New Jersey skylines - it is now one o'clock and I still haven't had lunch so I walk from the Ferry terminal to the South St seaport where I have lunch and try to connect to the free wi-fi there but couldn't get my settings to work - I have free Internet at the Y but for some reason it won't load certain URL's including Telus and Cruise critic.

After a lunch - yes I can still eat even with the extra space in the upper part of my mouth - I head for the Brooklyn Bridge which is a short distance away and start the walk across the bridge - it is very busy for the first half and most people are coming over from the other side which is considered the better way to walk the Bridge - you get the views coming at you rather than having to turn around - the weather is sunny with filtered sun so quite pleasant for the walk - taking lots of photos and video - after completing the walk I take the Subway train back to Grand Central station and walk the short distance back to the Y - I am tired and hot from all the running around and after spending a little time chilling out I head out to look for a place to have supper and to my surprise I see a walk in dental clinic that appears opened - I step in and explain my dilemma - they can take me so I quickly return to the Y and retrieve the tooth and within an hour it has been re cemented in place for only $75.00US - nothing hard to eat for a couple of hours - find a pizza and pasta place and have a bowl fill of spaghetti and the return back to the Y for the evening - still have some repacking to do but other than not being able to post to Cruise Critic am pretty much ready for the cruise tomorrow - one thing for tomorrow is whether to take a bus to the cruise ship terminal or taxi - the NYC Marathon is on tomorrow and while it doesn't come into this part of town it could cause some traffic problems in other areas of the city.

Cheers

D

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

In just over an hour I will be boarding the bus and the trip down I-5 to Seattle to board the train.

Jim - bless his kind soul - is giving up a hour of his sleep to drive me to the train station - it's on his way to work so it isn't taking him out of his way - will grab a quick bite to eat at the Station since we don't get any stops for food etc on the way down - have packed some Pringles to help with the hunger pains - if I have enough time before boarding the train I will pick up some beer to drink on the train in my sleeper.

As for luggage - it my big new suitcase which is about 3/4ths fill - all the clothes needed for the cruise -I will have it send through on the train to NYC - a smaller overnight bag with clothes I need while on the train and a small day pack which will come in handy in the ports etc which has my cameras, laptop and other toys and there attachments.

More later

D

Monday, October 27, 2008

In a little less than 24 hours I will be underway by bus to Seattle to pick up Amtrak's Empire Builder for the first leg of the train ride to Chicago and then onto Pittsburgh and NYC arriving there on Friday night Oct 31, 2008 - yes in time for Halloween - should be a site to see in Times Square.

Finished packing this morning and will have supper with Jim tonight and then tomorrow he will drive me to the train station - it's on his way to work - and I will be underway.

More later.

D

Saturday, October 25, 2008

This will soon be my home for 13 days as I head for NYC and board the Norwegian Dawn for thirteen days of cruising through the Caribbean before ending up in Miami and a train ride back to Vancouver.

Check back throughout the trip as I will be posting my thoughts etc to this blog.

Cheers

d

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

I recently saw this posted about a person's pending retirement:

" When you are retired you never have a day off"

It seems that lately that is exactly the case with me - between working for Elections Canada on the federal election, trying to get everything in place before I leave for the trip to NYC and the Caribbean cruise, trying to arrange my brother's 60 th birthday party, enjoying the outdoors with short hikes and bike rides, playing and learning how to operate my newest toy, volunteering with one of the candidates in our local by-election as a scrutineer at the advance polls, trying to keep my fantasy hockey pool players in focus, trying to decide on some holiday plans for next year in light of the current financial challenges facing my pension plans - I am keeping busy.

In one week I board the Amtrak bus for the trip down I - 5 to connect with the Empire Builder to Chicago then on to NYC.

In NYC I hope to get a hold of Denise - one of my former Y workers who is currently attending acting school and working in the Big Apple.

The weather is nice again today so it will be out on the bike again shortly for a ride to somewhere fairly close by.

More later

D

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Weekly update

Spend the weekend over at Yellowpoint Lodge doing some volunteer work with the Friends of YellowPoint - as work party co-ordinator I am responsible for trying to find 14 bodies 4 times a year for these work efforts - this one was a little tougher than it should have been - 4 people canceled 2 days before the event so I had to scramble to try and fill the quota - didn't quite make it so went over myself - had a good work crew - we cut some kindling - cleared some brush - put up some new trail sign posts - burnt some debris - drank some liquor and danced the night away.

Had the new Coastal Inspiration ferry both ways as I took the Tsawassen - Duke Point route as I had a passenger and that route was easier for the passenger - ouch have the ferry fares gotten high - $75.00 each way for the two of us.

Spend Monday late afternoon helping one of Jim's roommates get her student visa renewed at the border - it took a while and since she had been the country for a while they almost didn't renew her.

Wednesday I going to take Larry for his weekly lunch but he has already spent his comfort money on cigs and sushi so he didn't have any money for his Chinese meal - while I don't mind paying for him once a month lately he has been getting staff to take him out more frequently thus depleting this allowance that much faster.

Today I intend to get out on the bike for a short ride and then possibily to metro-town for lunch and some shopping - looking for some cruise shirts and shorts as the current ones are starting to show there age.

Tomorrow I will be going to the BC Lions game with my Y Connections match except that he hasn't returned my email to arrange for the ticket pick up.

More later

D

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Got lots to talk about but only the point form details will be listed.

Weather has turned from summery to autumn like.

The work party situation seems to be in a constant state of flux - one minute I have enough - the next minute there are some more cancellations - I will be participating myself - will be heading over on the 12:45 ferry and have supper at the lodge on Friday night.

Attended my three hours training session for my deputy returning officer job on Oct 14, 2008.

Watch parts of both the US and Canadian leaders debates.

Dropped into the Y and made my annual contribution and also picked up two tickets for the football game on Oct 10 against Edmonton.

Met my new Y connections match - Peng - he will be joining me a the football game.

Stopped in at the Langara Y and picked up my new permanent honorary life membership card - the Y has finally joined the Class computer data base program - this will allow me to just scan my card at any Y in Canada that is on the program and have the card instantly accepted.

Will have to vote in the advance poll for the provincial by-election.

Will also miss Rosie's 80th birthday party in November because of the cruise.

Need to start planning Larry's 60 birthday party in Dec.

Will vote on Monday in the advance poll for the federal election as it is recommended that you not vote on election day if you are a DRO.

D

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Woke up to a beautiful Sunday morning here in the heart of the Okanagan Valley in Kelowna.

Yesterday was a good day - got up early and headed for the Myra trestles on the Kettle Valley rail trail - you might remember that many of the 18 odd trestles were burned or damaged in the 2003 fire that ravaged the area. Well they have finally been rebuilt and reopened to the public - I have cycled the 12 km of this mostly flat trail prior to the fire so wanted to return to see how the repair job was - they have done a magnificent job - well worth the time and money it took - the have also added info signs.

After having lunch I finally caught up with JIm and some of the others before heading out for a drive out Lakeshore Drive to the trail head for OK Mountain Park - on the way there I stopped at Cedar Creek Park where I meet up with Mark and Irwin from Calgary and advise them that it is 5PM meet at Jim's room for dinner instructions.

Jim has been working on finding us a place to eat - our first choice was a place called Cattle Country steak and seafood but they appear to no longer be in business - next it was Moxie's but they are too busy to take our large group. We get reservations at Milestones for 6:45PM which is located across the street from the hotel in the Orchard Park Mall - after a brief wait we are seated - I ordered a half chicken dinner with garlic potatoes and seasonal veggies - we are finished by 8:30PM and then head back to the hotel where a pool party will take place but first watch the finish of the BC Lions game and catch some scores on the Canucks game as well.

Been a few years since I was in a swimming pool - it is a smaller one - only 6' deep - so I enjoyed a couple of short wades and the into the hot tub before returning to my room.

Some of the younger ones are heading downtown to a caberet - will hear about that later today.

Today's plans include a possible bike ride along the Mission Creek greenway or a walk along the Lakeshore before heading back over the now toll free Coquihalla highway - I may stop at Kentucky-Allenye Park - the colors through there were nice on the way up and then when I get back it's hitting the phone to try and rescue the FOYP work party weekend - need to find 5 -7 bodies between now and Wednesday - sent out an SOS email to the President this morning seeking help in finding bodies. Looks like I will have to journey over myself but probably won't take the truck - it's just too expensive with the ferry fares to go over just for that reason and since I just spent a little cash this weekend and with the cruise upcoming up.

More later

D

Friday, September 26, 2008

Posting tonight from Kelowna BC - I find out after I get here that the government just took the tolls off of the Coquihalla highway about an hour after I paid the $10.00 toll - well at least I can say that I was one of the last persons to pay the toll. I actually have never minded the toll - it is a faster and shorter route to the coast and if you didn't want to pay the toll you could always take the slower Fraser Canyon or Hope-Princeton routes.

I do wonder what will happen to the workers and what effect removing the tolls might have on the struggling Fraser Canyon communities - the Coquihalla has become the defacto Trans-Canada highway - Merritt has definately seen a boom - there is now a Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire and Boston Pizza in the country music town.

Staying at the Sandman hotel - Jim has booked 5 rooms for the bunch of us - check in was a breeze but it took me a while to get the internet up and running - they aren't using wireless but a cable feed - the cable was missing and I didn't think to bring my mine but the front desk finally found one and that took care of that.

FOYP's is turning out to be a real hassle - lost another participant today - need to find 6 people quickly - looks like I might need to attend myself.

Got my first payment from Elections Canada for the work done last week.

I will attend a training session next week to prepare me for being a DRO on election day - elections day starts at 6:00AM to at least 8:00PM - I will vote at an advance poll next week

I expect once the gang arrives around 10PM tonight things will get lively.

Tomorrow I hope to get out on the bike and do the Myra canyon section of the the TCT - KVR - did this part before the forest fires in 2003 that wiped out a number of tressles - they have been rebuilt and reopened earlier this summer.

The beer is starting to taste pretty good so if the typing gets a little bad you will know why.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Didn't do a lot today - biked down to Stanley Park - hit some of the trails and then into McDonald's for lunch.

Also finally brought up the last of the camping equipment from the truck and put it in the storage locker.

Finally got around to booking some excursions for the upcoming cruise.

Stopped by the clinic to see about a note so that I can process my physio claim but I need to see a doctor and get a new note and there was a 45 minute wait so I will go earlier in the day when it isn't so busy.

Jim has finally gotten the hotel details for this weekend set so I know that I can head up on Friday - hope that there is no snow on the road.

Suppose to rain the next couple of days so might just stay inside and relax and do nothing.

Don't expect any work from Elections Canada this week - probably will get some calls for training for the advance polls etc next week.

Still wrestling with getting the last five people for the work party - will get serious on phone calls tomorrow.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Monday - the day has dawned brighter and with some sun - spending the morning working on this blog, straightening out my finances and editing the photos from the weekend cruise - also will be phoning some folks regarding the work party in two weeks time.

Need to stop in at the Doctor's office to pick up a note so that I can get reimbursed for the physio treatments.

Also need to start working on the fine details of the Dawn cruise - the only major item left to do in advance of the cruise is the booking of some excursions.

Also don't know if I will get a phone call from Elections Canada - don't think there is much to do until later in the week when the training for the Advance poll will take place.

Almost time to pick up the mail, have lunch, head for the health club and perhaps a walk if the weather holds.

More later
Report of a little excursion I took over the weekend.

It started a little after 6AM Saturday as I headed out of the condo and walked down Hornby St to Canada Place where I showed my cruise documents and then boarded a bus for Seattle with about a 45 minute stop at the border. Our bus was able to just show passports or ID and didn't have to go inside with luggage etc.

Arrive at Pier 66 Bell St Terminal and were greeted by a representative of NCL who directed us inside the terminal and into the US Immigration line where I was quickly processed and then up the stairs to the NCL check in - once again directed straight to a terminal agent who processed my cruise - produced my key card - then about a 30 minute wait for boarding - on the ship before noon - as our staterooms wouldn't be ready until 2PM I have the option of storing them in a secure room or keeping them with me - as it was only a small day pack I kept it with me.

Headed to the Garden Buffet for lunch - had one plateful of good food and then a burger and fries.

After lunch toured the ship before heading to the Bier Garten to meet up with some CC'ers for a sailaway drink - unfortunately it is raining so the outdoor BBQ is canceled.

Terry and his wife show up for a drink - I brought a bucket of beer - 6 for the price of 5 Bud's.

Then got to drop off my pack in my room - a balcony on the 9th deck - had another beer.

At 3:30PM the mandatory muster drill took place - for me the meet spot was the Aqua restaurant - some had to meet outside.

After the drill which takes about 20 minutes - returned the life jacket to my room - grabbed another beer and walked the ship - the beer was going down too well - around 5:30PM I decided to have supper in the Aqua restaurant - no wait - ordered a Caesar salad - a lamb dish and a chocolate laced dessert.

Had another beer with dinner - they are going down well.

The ship is very alive as it is a much younger crowd than I usually get on my longer cruises - a few employee groups - lots of single women having a gals night out - lots of beer being drank - probably more alcohol drank on this one nighter than some seven day cruises - well you can drink all you want because you don't have to drive home.

I passed on the show - Band on the Run - as I have seen it twice - finish off another beer and then head up to Spinnaker Lounge to catch the NCL White Hot Party - and boy was the dance floor fill and hopping - Crazy CD Paul B was whipping up the crowd to a dancing frenzy.

Spotted Terry and his wife at the Party.

In walking through the ship all the entertainment venues were busy and fill - from the 4 piece amigos band in the Grand atrium to the sound of the entertainer in Carousel nightclub to the soloist folk singer in the Gatsby lounge to another singer in the Red Lion - the place was a hopping.

Around 11PM the Casino opened and quickly filled - all the tables were busy - lots of young types taking in the poker games.

There also was some light snack food available which I indulged in.

In the course of the evening the other three ships in Seattle - the Oosterdam, Golden Princess and Millie all passed us as we slowly cruised the waters of the Strait of Juan De Fuca - looking at the onboard map it look like our course was west towards Port Angeles - then across into Canadian waters outside Victoria and a slow cruise up to Vancouver.

I turned in sometime after midnight and awoke the next morning in time to catch the ship sail under the Lions Gate Bridge - the weather is still dark and cloudy so the photos ops weren't too good - not to mention that I was feeling the effects of a 6 pack of beer. My bladder was reminding me of that.

The Star then slowly made its way to the east side of Canada Place - the Voldendam was on the west side - by 8 AM the ship was cleared for disembarking - I made my way down to the Java Cafe on deck 7 to wait for clearance and was off the ship and walking home by 8:30AM.

It was a good cruise, good ship, good crew.

The one night dinner and dance cruises are vastly different than your regular longer cruises - a much younger crowd but surprisingly not many young kids and teenagers - so I guess the parents on board left the kids at home or with sitters so that they could enjoy an evening to let there hair hang down.

Despite the inclement weather the pool and hot tubs were also busy.

Most people on the cruise were either from the Vancouver or Seattle areas although I did talk to some people from Portland.

Some of the Seattle folks where busing it back and some were going to spend some time in Vancouver and take Amtrak back later in the evening.

I will do another one of these next year - just got to decide between the Star or the Pearl and try and get some of the gang interested.

The rest of Sunday was spent taking it easy, watching some NFL football, grocery shopping and supper at the White Spot as I didn't feel like cooking up anything.

That's all for the cruise and how I spent my weekend.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Have gotten a little lazy and haven't posted for a couple of days but there are a few things to report.

Some of the great folks on Cruise Critics are actually visiting this site to get a good look at me from my mug shot at the top of the page.

I will be doing a little bit of part time work over the next 3 weeks - I have signed on to work with Elections Canada in my riding - it is on call work - right now they have 93,000 voter registration cards to have the labels attached and mailed.

Later I will be working on the advance poll and then the entire election day which is Oct 14, 2008 here in Canada.

This will be a different experience for me as for the better part of the last 40 years I have usually worked for a political party which is volunteer vs this which is paid.

I probably will use the extra money for some extra excursions on the Dawn cruise.

Saturday I have to get up at 5:30 so I can get down to Canada Place to catch a bus to Seattle to catch the Norwegian Star for an overnight cruise to back to Vancouver.

I have been getting out on the new bike - starting to really enjoy it - especially not having any pain after riding - stopped into the physio's office to report my progress and told him about the new bike and better riding as he stated that a lot of people end up needing physio after bike riding.

Also dropped off my supporting documents for the insurance claim for the bike.

Will need to phone a few people re the FOYP work party - would like to have a full crew in place by mid-week at the latest as I will be heading up to Kelowna next week with Jim, Bruce and a bunch of others for a fall let's get out of town party.

Also need to get in touch with my financial planner to see if she recommends any changes to my portfolio in light of the stock market performance the last little while.

That's it for now

Dennis

Monday, September 15, 2008

While the day didn't get off to a great start it finished up okay.

I waited until around noon to head over to pick up my new bike - across the Burrard St bridge only it wasn't ready and wouldn't be for at least three to four hours so I walked over to Granville Island after a short rest there grabbed the aqua ferry and headed home - checked the mail - was hoping for cheque for some of the physio but instead a letter saying I needed some more documentation so I will have to work on that tomorrow.

Got a phone call from one of the FOYPS who wants to do the work party.

Got an email from Marlene regarding my request for an upgrade - it will be about seventy $$$ to ugrade - give her the go ahead - receive a further email telling me the first woman was a twit and that the second one got even a lower price - it will only be $40.00 more - almost wonder if we shouldn't try a third agent and see if they get another even lower quote.

Heard from the insurance adjuster - just need to fax/email him some of the quotes etc and a cheque will be issued.

It's now 3PM and head back over to get the bike - it is almost ready - just needed the rear rack mounted but the bag I brought wouldn't fit so I had to take another set of panniers.

By 4PM I have the bike on the road - do the False Creek loop - the bike is lighter and handles well and the change we made to the stem seems to be good as I didn't experience the pain that I did in the practice ride.

By 5PM I am home after the bike ride and it almost time for supper - I have another email from a FOYP volunteer so I am now at 9 - need 14 so only five to go and there a some people who had previously indicated they wanted to attend that I will phone.

About the only two things left regarding the NYC cruise is packing and excursions - the former won't start until about a week before but I do intend to book some of the more popular excursions before they completely fill up.

More later.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Decided that I would go for the Kona bike as I am used to the brand so I walked across the Burrard St bridge - not hard to see why some people don't like sharing the sidewalk with the cyclists - can't blame them - especially the lycra clad types that don't know what 15KMH means - it's not a raceway guys it is a bike lane shared with human beings on foot.

After crossing the bridge made my way to Dizzy cycles - had hoped to get out on the bike but other than a spin in the neighbourhood to try out the bike that was all I had by 2:00PM - there is only one mechanic on duty on Sundays and I have a few bells and whistles to be installed - at best I will get it late this afternoon but probably tomorrow - also had to get the stem raised as I noticed soreness in my neck and shoulder on the trial ride. The actual $$ amount is actually a little less than I paid for my last bike so I was able to upgrade some of toys and still have a few bucks left over. I will also have a one year free service package on the bike. It felt good to ride but that was before the toys are being installed.

Couldn't wait for the adjuster to call but I don't anticipate any problems since the price is actually a little less than the replacement price on my policy.

Walked back over the Bridge and home in time for a late afternoon internet surfing session - found out through my cruising buddies that there has been a price decrease on my upcoming NYC cruise - usually after final payment they won't decrease the price but will sometimes upgrade the cabins - this is what appears to be happening to many of those friends so I have emailed my TA to see what might happen.

Almost time for supper.

Dennis
Now that I have gotten yesterdays rant out of the way it is time to concentrate on Sunday's agenda.

I miss having a bike for those nice day rides so later today I will go and pick up a new bike - I will pay and then get the insurance money later. I can't wait any longer.

It is really a decision of which bike and shop to choose. I also will be getting a hybird style of bike - don't need the heavier mountain bike any more as the days of doing severed dick and urinary tract trails are over - don't want a road bike because it do like to ride some off road or gravel trails and wider paths. Both sales reps basically said the same thing - hybird is the way to go.

It is another sunny and hot one here in Vancouver - looks like the first half of the week is going to be dry and the second half more normal - next Saturday I head down to Seattle for a one day cruise back to Vancouver on the Norwegian Star.

May go to a memorial service on Friday - a long time Y member and retired Vancouver firefighter has passed away so I may attend the service.

Also need to stop and pick up some black ink for one of my printers - I have two printers and the cassettes are interchangeable .

You may have noticed I have changed the title of this blog and I may change it again to Dennis' Rant Blog - what do you think or do you really care.

That's all for now

Cheers

Dennis
Saturday was one of those days - everything was going perfectly until an event change the mood for the remainder of the day.

I got on the bike and rode over the Lions Gate Bridge stopping to take a number of pictures - then down under the bridge along the waterfront and into Lonsdale Quay where I had lunch - walked through the market and the adjacent new viewing area where the HMCS Regina was berthed - opted not to take a tour - then hopped the Sea Bus for the short ride across to Waterfront station - then its onto my fitness club for a steam, shower and shave. This is where things started to unravel - as I was leaving the club I couldn't find my access card - think it is inside the club somewhere but without the card I would have had to get security to let me in - this is only a concern if I go on a Saturday or early or late in the day - this is a minor inconvenience for what confronted me - I go back outside and my bike is nowhere to be found - I was sure that I had locked it up properly but there was the cable lock on the bike rack and no bike - did a quick check of the area but couldn't see anyone with a bike - it was a good bike - a Kona which was 6 years old but still in good condition - I have full insurance with no deductible so that isn't the worry - I also remembered to remove my camera and cell phone before going inside to the club - the only thing that I noticed was that when I locked my bike up there were no others in the rack - when I returned 20 minutes later and mine was gone there was another old clunker lcoked next to where my was suppose to be - the thought now occurs to me that perhaps someone took mine - locked up his and would return later to get his after selling mine for some dope money. The chances of it being recovered are slim although when I filed my police incident report on-line I was able to provide a serial #.

After doing the police report I contact my insurance provider who takes the details and will get an adjuster to call me on Monday - I then proceed to get a couple of quotes for the replacement - one for a Trek and one for a Kona - I can replace the bike and most of its toys and whistles for what I paid for my last one.

I lean towards the Kona - like the color better + I know the owner of the store + one of the personal trainers at the Y works there on Saturdays which I wasn't aware off - both provide one year service - The Trek shop is a block away - the Kona store is across the Burrard Street bridge.

The third event was another minor one - I usually eat at a White Spot on Saturdays and yesterday was no exception except for the shitty service + cold fries = our regular waiter is away in Ireland and the guy running the show is not a favorite - they also had about 4 new waiters on so that was one reason why things might have been sub-par.

The last item was my good friend Jim - once again he was too busy to have dinner with his best friend.

On a more positive note I did finally get the FOYP email done and had one couple respond to wanting to work on the work party.

Friday, September 12, 2008

After getting my weekly spending money from a bank machine I fired up the Mazda truck and then filled her up at 135.4 liter before heading out the Valley - ended up at Campbell Valley Regional Park - while I have hiked some of the trails in the park it has always been from the north entrance off of 16th Ave - this time I started from the south entrance off of 8th Ave and did a loop of the southern trails - a combination of mutli-use trails and narrower walking trails - took about 90 minutes to do - did take a number of photos - while the scenery isn't spectacular it is an interesting valley walk - there were a number of flowers in bloom and even took one picture of myself - yes the camera still works - then proceeded into New West and Walmart where I had lunch, did some grocery shopping and look to see if there were any buys on Hawaiian shirts - need to replenish my supply before the cruise in November - nothing there that I liked.

Tonight I am going to take it easy - watch some TV and perhaps meet up with Jim for a coffee later.

Tomorrow morning I will send you the emails to the FOYP's for the work party.

Time to upload the photos.

Cheers

Dennis

Thursday, September 11, 2008

It has been a good day so far - after doing my usual morning Internet surfing etc I got out on the bike - I wasn't sure exactly where I was headed except that it would be over the Burrard Bridge and after crossing the bridge I headed for Kits Point and then along Point Grey road to Bayswater which is a newer addition to the City's network of bike routes on quieter residential streets - after 16th I continued to head southerly and finally up onto the Cypress Bike route - but I was feeling fine and adventurous so I climbed gradually up into Shaunnessy and then followed Angus across Granville and then over across Oak and Cambie to the Ontario bike path which I took downhill all the way to Science World where I had lunch at McDonald's - then False Creek north home - it was a ride of 24.9 km and I don't seem to have any stiffness in my neck or shoulder - some in the lower back but that seems to be normal - did I mention that the weather is gorgeous - sunny with a cooling breeze near the water.

I also got a call from the Y about meeting up with my immigrant as part of their Y connections program - he is Chinese - studying English and hopes to get a job as a mechanical Engineer which is what he is trained for.

Going for a short walk along Davie and then home for supper.

Cheers

Dennis

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Another beautiful sunny and warm day here on the west coast of Canada - don't normally do a lot on Wednesdays as it is the day of the week that I take my brother - who has a long term illness and can't go out by himself out for our weekly lunch and chat.

Still working on some of the plans for the Nov. '08 cruise and spend a fair amount of time on the cruise critic site watching the happenings there.

Tomorrow I intend to get out on the bike - not sure where so will just play it by ear - also need to do a laundry - usually like to wait for a cooler and wetter day but there isn't one in the forecast for at least a week.

That's all for today.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Well it was a good weekend - the weather was sunny and warm - took in Davie Street days on Saturday as well as a nice steam, shower and shave at my fitness club - met up with Jim for dinner at our usual Saturday eating establishment - the White Spot and then spent some time watching the street action from the corner of Davie and Granville - spent the earlier part of the day arranging the Amtrak portion of my upcoming trip to NYC and Miami - it took several phone calls back and forth with Marlene to get everything straighten out and the proper codes etc.

Sunday I was determined to get out on the bike - which I did under beautiful blue skies - first stop along the route was the Amtrak/Via rail station to pick up my tickets - took all of five minutes to get that taken care of - I then spend some time enjoying the new seawall by the still building Olympic Athletes village - had my camera and got many great shots - will post a link later.

Today Monday will see me continue to spend some time on recruiting volunteers for the next FOYP work party - emailing newcomers and those who haven't done one in a few years - it a thankless job at times but a way to get to meet or talk to new people who all share there love for Yellowpoint Lodge.

More later

Friday, September 5, 2008

Time for another update - after having returned from my hiking trip in the Rockies I spent the rest of August rehabbing my neck and shoulder which were hurting big time while at the Skyliners camp and lead to me staying in camp for two days.

I doesn't looked like there is anything major wrong - just strains and pains - 4 sessions of physio which included ultrasound and heat along with some exercises have done the trick.

The thing I missed the most during this time was not being able to do any bike riding but I now been cleared to resume riding so this week I have done False Creek and Stanley Park - I also found time to renew my driver's license and annual Grouse Mountain Pass - spend some time up the mountain yesterday walking the Eco-trail and visiting the Grizzlies.

I am continuing to plan my Caribbean cruise - getting my TA to book the train and travel insurance for me - also have made contact with one of my former work mates at the Y who is currently in New York studying acting and working part-time at a Y in Brooklyn.

I will spend part of this weekend lining up workers for the next Friends of Yellow Point Lodge work party and with a favourable weather forecast to some more hiking and biking.

I hope to post some images from the Grouse trip on the Picasa site in the next day or two so check back to see what the top of the mountain looks like.

Cheers

Dennis

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Best of Tall Timbers Week #4
Just click on the image to be taken to my photo essay of my just completed week of hiking in the Rockies.

Time for an update

It really has been awhile since I posted to this blog - it seems the more you are retired the less likely you are to worry about little things like personal web sites and blogs.

I just returned from a week of hiking in the Canadian Rockies with the Skyline Hikers - if I can get my you know what in gear I will post the diary entries here in the next few days.

Just finished uploaded the images to my flickr and Picasa photo site - they still need a little organizing before I put a link to them from here.

More to come later