On Guard
This post is a companion piece to the Prairie Queen's post of April 16th. What can I say...I'm slow.
If I recall correctly, it was a lovely day. I started by getting up too early to join the some of the alive crowd for the Vancouver Sun Run, an annual shamefest that I'd never participated in before. Once again, I had been misled by the folks at alive; I had understood that it was a mandatory event for everyone, especially we, the lucky makeover guinea pigs. I had heard that there was to be a group photo. There was no way I could get out of it.
So I put on my happy face, my team t-shirt, and went. And it was really kinda fun. We waited too long to start, shivering in the shadows of the tall Vancouver buildings. We saw all kinds of people, including a guy wearing a watermelon on his head, bunny ears, and clown shoes. We later (proudly) passed him. We also saw James' mom, Josie, who waved and then scurried away. I had completely forgotten about that until right now. Hey James...we saw your mom.
After starting an hour late, and after walking for half an hour before crossing the start line (where my personal trainer, Kerry, was one of 6 - 8 cheerleaders dancing to th e wigged band way up on the tall podium), Rita, Josie, and I finally started. No sooner had we crosse the start line, and one of them wanted to use the potty. They held out until half way through, when we stopped in Stanley Park for a pee stop. Eschewing the port-a-potties (yes, I used "eschew"), we decided to check out the Park's facilities. The women's washroom was open, and there was a line. The men's was closed, so the men used the facility's wall for a quick whiz. An excellent plan, but not for me. Instead, I sat on a bench, clenched, watching the boats in the harbour. It was quite peaceful, except for the bloated bladder.
We finished with a respectable time, and then parted ways. I'd coerced Josie to give me a ride to UBC. She was looking for an excuse to avoid her kids (bad mother!!!). Seriously, her kids had been working her last patient nerve, so she needed a little break. We stopped at Liberty Bakery for a quick snack, and then she drove me out to UBC.
I was meeting Sara for the Great Canadian Song Book concert at the Chan Centre, featuring Ron Sexsmith, Sara Slean, Veda Hille (whose step-daughter goes to school with one of Josie's sons...she knows EVERYBODY), and some French guy. All performers were good (except the French guy, whose awkwardness and bad singing forced me to close my eyes...which resulted in a quick nap). But for me, the stunner was Ms. Hille. She had to work with some crazy arrangements, and she rose to and above the occasion. I have one of her cds. I'll have to check it out again.
After the concert, Sara and I decided to take a bus back into the city and go to Sophie's for dinner. Sara had never been, but had heard good things from Good Christine at school. I've been several times, and I do like Sophie's chicken burger with satay sauce. Yum. We walked to UBC's bus loop (yes, I was taking transit...which made the day even more special). While waiting for our bus to come, I caught site of this crazy guy in the distance behind Sara. He was stabbing a telephone pole with a sword. We were next to the pool, so I guess that there was some sort of gym nearby where this guy had been fencing. That made sense. But still, it was funny to see some guy sneak up on a tree and stab at it a few times.
At Sophie's, Sara and I shared a chocolate shake (not Lady and the Tramp style, just split into two glasses). We both had burgers...Sara's a burger kind of girl. I was shocked when she didn't finish her meal. It had been several hours since she had eaten, and I've seen this girl eat a burrito an hour or two after having lunch. I think that the food was good...I ate mine.
The funniest thing happened while we were at Sophie's. Some guy must have lost something in the crack between the bench seat and the wall. We looked over, and he had found a sword...this one double-bladed, not a single, thing spike like the fencing sword...and was using it to poke down between the wall and the bench seat. I have no idea where he found the sword, but it made the day into a 2-sword day. Weird.
Then, we went out and waited at the bus stop, where we saw that guy looking for his keys with his tongue, shoved down his girlfriend's throat. Sara escorted me to the Skytrain station, and I went home to Surrey.
Sara thanked me for letting her know about the concert. I must thank her for convincing me to go. I'm a bit of a social-phobic, and the thought of going to a concert alone (her seat was on another floor), really wasn't the ideal situation. I almost didn't go. But I did, and I had a great time.
Sorry, this was a big one again.
This post is a companion piece to the Prairie Queen's post of April 16th. What can I say...I'm slow.
If I recall correctly, it was a lovely day. I started by getting up too early to join the some of the alive crowd for the Vancouver Sun Run, an annual shamefest that I'd never participated in before. Once again, I had been misled by the folks at alive; I had understood that it was a mandatory event for everyone, especially we, the lucky makeover guinea pigs. I had heard that there was to be a group photo. There was no way I could get out of it.
So I put on my happy face, my team t-shirt, and went. And it was really kinda fun. We waited too long to start, shivering in the shadows of the tall Vancouver buildings. We saw all kinds of people, including a guy wearing a watermelon on his head, bunny ears, and clown shoes. We later (proudly) passed him. We also saw James' mom, Josie, who waved and then scurried away. I had completely forgotten about that until right now. Hey James...we saw your mom.
After starting an hour late, and after walking for half an hour before crossing the start line (where my personal trainer, Kerry, was one of 6 - 8 cheerleaders dancing to th e wigged band way up on the tall podium), Rita, Josie, and I finally started. No sooner had we crosse the start line, and one of them wanted to use the potty. They held out until half way through, when we stopped in Stanley Park for a pee stop. Eschewing the port-a-potties (yes, I used "eschew"), we decided to check out the Park's facilities. The women's washroom was open, and there was a line. The men's was closed, so the men used the facility's wall for a quick whiz. An excellent plan, but not for me. Instead, I sat on a bench, clenched, watching the boats in the harbour. It was quite peaceful, except for the bloated bladder.
We finished with a respectable time, and then parted ways. I'd coerced Josie to give me a ride to UBC. She was looking for an excuse to avoid her kids (bad mother!!!). Seriously, her kids had been working her last patient nerve, so she needed a little break. We stopped at Liberty Bakery for a quick snack, and then she drove me out to UBC.
I was meeting Sara for the Great Canadian Song Book concert at the Chan Centre, featuring Ron Sexsmith, Sara Slean, Veda Hille (whose step-daughter goes to school with one of Josie's sons...she knows EVERYBODY), and some French guy. All performers were good (except the French guy, whose awkwardness and bad singing forced me to close my eyes...which resulted in a quick nap). But for me, the stunner was Ms. Hille. She had to work with some crazy arrangements, and she rose to and above the occasion. I have one of her cds. I'll have to check it out again.
After the concert, Sara and I decided to take a bus back into the city and go to Sophie's for dinner. Sara had never been, but had heard good things from Good Christine at school. I've been several times, and I do like Sophie's chicken burger with satay sauce. Yum. We walked to UBC's bus loop (yes, I was taking transit...which made the day even more special). While waiting for our bus to come, I caught site of this crazy guy in the distance behind Sara. He was stabbing a telephone pole with a sword. We were next to the pool, so I guess that there was some sort of gym nearby where this guy had been fencing. That made sense. But still, it was funny to see some guy sneak up on a tree and stab at it a few times.
At Sophie's, Sara and I shared a chocolate shake (not Lady and the Tramp style, just split into two glasses). We both had burgers...Sara's a burger kind of girl. I was shocked when she didn't finish her meal. It had been several hours since she had eaten, and I've seen this girl eat a burrito an hour or two after having lunch. I think that the food was good...I ate mine.
The funniest thing happened while we were at Sophie's. Some guy must have lost something in the crack between the bench seat and the wall. We looked over, and he had found a sword...this one double-bladed, not a single, thing spike like the fencing sword...and was using it to poke down between the wall and the bench seat. I have no idea where he found the sword, but it made the day into a 2-sword day. Weird.
Then, we went out and waited at the bus stop, where we saw that guy looking for his keys with his tongue, shoved down his girlfriend's throat. Sara escorted me to the Skytrain station, and I went home to Surrey.
Sara thanked me for letting her know about the concert. I must thank her for convincing me to go. I'm a bit of a social-phobic, and the thought of going to a concert alone (her seat was on another floor), really wasn't the ideal situation. I almost didn't go. But I did, and I had a great time.
Sorry, this was a big one again.
posted by kuzcolike at
10:07 PM
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