A few weeks ago, Rebecca and I set out to venture around Burnaby for an event. I had to take a moment and do some photowalking around the area with all the trees in bloom.

Not bad for spring, but this is still winter time in early March.

All of this around the tail end of winter, if that’s what you want to call the last three months.

I could not believe the size of bumble bees that were zipping around this neighborhood of Burnaby, B.C. This one, and all of its friends, was the size of a Hersey’s Kisses.

Eventually we ended up down in Deep Cove.

Great place for dinner if you have reservations, or at least it seems. Still like getting down here when possible.

All of the photos from this photwalk can be found in my Flickr set: Gorgeous March Day Photowalk

On the way back from picking up our media badges from the Whistler Media House, we made a stop over in Squamish, B.C. to tool around the town and see more than the two main pit stops that most people think of when they drive through.

It goes without saying that there is always more than meets the eye, but it was pretty quick to see why people who live here call this place paradise. Cinci from EAT Communications took us out on a personal tour of the area she calls home.

This is where the snow melts from the mountains, runs down their sides, and flows between these banks on the way to the ocean. The water here was crystal clear. You could see why this spot, not far from downtown Squamish, was one of Cinci’s favorite places.

China and Goose also came along for our explorations, running and playing the whole time in what would probably be like an amusement park for a little kid. This was as close as I could get to get one of these girls to sit still long enough for a shot.

The playfulness of the dogs was contagious, and DaveO couldn’t help but claim this rusted out jeep. I can’t fathom how it got there, but you just have to recall that this is the outdoor capitol of Canada. Wind surfing, kite surfing, rock climbing, mountain trails, biking, running, camping, etc. So the fact that this bucket of rust is here can’t be all that surprising.

This cruise ship was brought to the dock in Squamish as housing quarters for Olympics volunteers in Whistler. Aside from the major road work that upgraded the Sea to Sky Highway that passes through the town, this is the main extent of involvement for this community even though its proximity is near geographically in the middle of Vancouver and Whistler.

The people staying here are apparently bused from this boat to the local Wal-Mart parking lot for staging. Volunteers stock up at the local superstore for everyday living as they go between the boat and Whistler Village, bypassing the core of the Squamish downtown community.

So what does downtown Squamish have to offer that these people might be missing?

Grilled Fromage was a great place to stop for a great lunch. 48 different types of grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese poofs served as a side, and a an amazing atmosphere and decor. 80′s music not only heard but also seen on the walls in LP form!

We were having a lot of fun just walking around the town because you can do that here. (The bike statue that DaveO is sitting on is actually a place to lock up your bike while providing a little street art.) Roads are relatively calm and easy going. There were people always in site, but the mood was relaxed and nicely chill. So what do you do at that point?

You hit the local brewery!

DaveO is an outspoken supporter of Howe Sound Brewery, and the reason is simple. They make great beers, put them in big bottles with a cork on top, and run a great brew pub in Squamish. It just so happened that the Superbowl was kicking off as we walked in for a quick pint, and the room was full of locals as well as Olympics volunteers with all their jackets and lanyards.

Making our way back through town to head back south to Vancouver, the display of Canadian pride and excitement for the coming games were everywhere.

The “Paint the Town Red” campaign was in nearly every store window, some more creative than others. I didn’t get a shot of it, but the local thrift shop simply put everything red they had for sale in the front window. Creative and effective.

Just inside the front door of the local Indian restaurant, this was my favorite display of enthusiasm for the games.

We spent around six hours wandering around Squamish, checking out “the spot”, taking the bumpy road up to “The Spit” where all the wind and kite surfing happens, and window shopping around downtown.

There’s a lot more to Squamish that I had ever experienced, and many thanks to Cinci for showing us around, not to mention making new friends to visit when we make it back there again, which will be this summer for sure.

You can see all of the photos I took from our trip to Squamish in this Flickr set.

I cannot help but let this 90 second spot get me more and more amped for the games. I’m not a fan of the millions spent on this ad campaign, but at least they did this one very well.

I think what’s more impacting is not only the beauty of B.C. that is showcased in this commercial but the way it’s delivered. I mean, if you compare those California ads with all the athletes, movie stars, and celebrity politicians, this is night and day. Some subtle background music, amazing shots, and, yes, some celebrities telling you how amazing it is here, but it’s done in a way that is very B.C.

I think the slogan used to be, “Beautiful, B.C.” This ad actually makes that slogan work now. If you don’t believe me, just look at what Rebecca did recently: outdoor speed skating, dog sledding, and, oh yeah, she caught the torch as it ran through Prince George, B.C.

That was all in one weekend.

This brings me back to my point: I’m getting really excited for the games. The city is buzzing, evidence is everywhere, and I’m starting to feel overwhelmed by the amount of things that can be seen, done, and hopefully documented over the next two months.

We have tickets to a few events, but I feel like the most fun will be what we are able to find away from the event locations themselves. Getting to those places sounds like a real adventure, potentially a nightmare, so we anticipate doing all we can by foot, transit, and probably more by foot on the other side of that.

I know they say you gotta be here, but here is just too broad when it comes to these games. Right now, “here” feels like I want to be everywhere and do everything.

We took a hike yesterday with our good friend DaveO yesterday before taking in the Leafs and Canucks game on TV. He took us to the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge[wiki], and I challenged my fear of heights by standing in the middle of the bridge with rushing water, rocks, and trees nearly 50 meters below. I made it, but the decision to get to solid ground on the other side was an easy one.

Spare time has been tough to come by with the various sixty4media projects we’ve been working on. There is a certain point where you need to get outside and enjoy life so the creative energies can keep functioning. It’s also amazing that we can take a 30-45 minute bus ride to find some trails, get some mud on your shoes, and breathe in some amazing mountain air. Makes tomorrow being Monday seem not all that bad.

In less than twelve hours, the first Apple Store in Vancouver will be open.

Photo credit: gregeh on Flickr

In the wee hours of tomorrow morning, the crowds will descend, a line shall form, and madness will ensue. In fact, people are most likely camped outside of Pacific Centre on Georgia Street at this moment. I would love to be there for an Apple Store opening and have heard nothing but cool things about it.

Sometimes they even hand out super fun free stuff, crazy discounts, or the odd gift certificate. Still, not enough to really want to make me suffer in line on a day off from work. Plus I’m holding out on replacing my Powerbook G4 with something more of a MacBook flavor, so that’s more of a priority in the near future.

There also won’t be any iPhones to speak of, but that will be changing in the very near future. John Biehler has more on that with some good points.

Unfortunately no details other than it’s coming ‘before the end of the year’.

The big questions to me are:

1. How much for the phone itself in Canada?
2. what does the data and voice plans look like? They better resemble the US pricing
3. How long do we have to lock in? Rogers seems to like 3 year terms
4. Will it be the rumoured new 3G model or as Rogers tends to be behind in releasing phones, will it be last year’s model [johnbiehler]

So an Apple Store within easy walking distance plus the iPhone on the horizon. Things are finally starting to happen for B.C. About freaking time, Apple.

When I moved to B.C. in 2005, I got strep throat. Within a few weeks of settling in on Vancouver being my home, a soreness in my throat grew to proportions that I never knew could exist. It hurt so much that I finally bit the bullet and went to a clinic. It cost me $100 just to see a doc, and the meds cost just a little bit more. At that point, I didn’t care. Just give me something to help make this go away.

Unemployed and unable to work in Canada at that point in my life, it was a relief to have the access to care like that. The cost would have probably been twice as much in the states, and the USD was still a tad stronger than the loony. That didn’t stop the doc I saw from giving me a lecture on the importance of having a B.C. CareCard if this happened again in the future. Kind of a “no shit, Sherlock” moment if you ask me.

After an intense few weeks at work, all of the going-ons of Northern Voice last week, and an excursion with The Crazy Canucks to the Canucks Open Practice, a tickle in the back of my throat grew to the point where gargling with salt water and a variety of over the counter remedies weren’t going to cut it. I was in full blown strep throat yet again, but this time I had that damn medical card, plus benefits.

I still made Rebecca go with me because I had no idea what to expect. Every medical place you go to in the U.S., there is paperwork to fill out. Medical history, etc. At the clinic, however, I gave them my card, they asked me to verify my name, address, phone number, and got my allergy to penicillin in their records.

That was it. No paperwork. Just have a seat and wait for my name to be called. The doc was brief and to the point of giving him the story of what was wrong with me, took one look at my “severely inflamed, very red” throat, and cut me a prescription for antibiotics which cost me $29 that my extended medical coverage will take care of.

20 minutes and I was back home to settle in with some tea, forcing everything down through the pain. So much pain, all on the day of our two year wedding anniversary. Oh happy day…

So there wasn’t anything great and grand about the experience other than it being quick, efficient, and made me better, even though I had to take the slow working meds because the faster way, the penicillian way, could potentially kill me.

Thanks for making me feel better, B.C. That was pretty awesome.

I’m a little late in posting this, but the 52 pictures that I uploaded to Flickr is quite the feat in my department. When we decided to go over to Victoria[googlemaps] with Rebecca’s sister and her family as of the middle of last week, I told myself that I’d do more photo taking.

Passing between Galiano Island and Mayne Island on the ferry

It was just Sunday to Monday, and we were all quite lucky to make it back to the mainland. The storm that slammed into the southern coast of B.C was awesome, hence the facetious “gorgeous” in referencing this last trip. I don’t mean “cool”, but more of a “holy crap”. Waves crashing on shore, winds howling through, rain falling from left to right… while driving down a street in the minivan, Sean rolled down the driver side window. I was sitting in the very back, third row, and the rain got me in the face.

We weren’t sight seeing as much as we were just exploring the island in the midst of a storm. Growing up in the Midwest, that’s pretty usual. It wouldn’t be until hell was falling all around you that the thought of, “Oh yeah, I should go somewhere so that I don’t die now” would finally cross your mind.

Remembrance Day ceremonies at the parliament building

A visit to the Royal B.C. Museum

Probably the coolest thing ever on this adventure was seeing my first lighthouse. The storm cleared enough that wandering down to the Fisgard Lighthouse wasn’t too bad, but the wind was biting something fierce. Inside was pretty neat, especially for being nearly 125 years old.

Cold and windy walk out to the lighthouse

Fisgard Lighthouse

Stairs up to the lighthouse beacon, locked off from public

There was also a defense outpost at this location, Fort Rodd Hill, originally built during British colonial times and then refortified and used during WWII to defend from possible invasion by Japan.

B.C. Parliament in Victoria, B.C.

I feel like there is always something of interest for us in Victoria. We wanted to do more ghost explorations, but we’ll have to save that for another trip. There was some recording done for a future episode of RZ, but it would have been so cool to snagged some audio from a haunted building or something and then check it for EVP[wiki]. Yeah, I’m a geek that finds the paranormal fascinating, but those are ghost stories for another time. In the meantime, you can view the whole set of pictures on Flickr.

It’s been a whirlwind last week or so, but I want to make a mention of the excellent long weekend that we had in Osoyoos.

I wish I could say that we did a lot of really cool things, but there is something to be said about going on holiday. To me, that’s means not doing a lot. One could say that cooking good food and hanging out on the beach is a lot, but that’s the speed of things that we both needed for getting away, especially with the amount of workload that has come with my day job.

On Sunday, we thought about doing some wine tours, but once we got into the car, it was tough to stop driving when we had some incredible, hot weather and good music going on the iPod. Instead, we ventured through Oliver and Penticton to explore the area some more.

There is something to be said about getting on the back roads to get a true sense of the Okanagan, especially after you’ve done a handful of wine tours before. It’s not that I’m against them (or the sampling), but it’s almost more impressive to drive by as many operations that you can and see them from the outside than seeing just a few from the inside. And if you think that the valley is impressive from the bottom, get up on the hills. Very cool perspective.

The marmots amazed me, and I realize that this makes me no better than the throngs of tourists who photograph the raccoons in Stanley Park like they are a dying breed. They were simply everywhere at one point. They’re plump and don’t move, even in the hot, hot sun.

When it comes down to it, numerous pictures of just hanging out on the lake just didn’t cross my mind. It was time to relax in the midst of all the busy things going on right now. As I write this, I’ve been awake since 3:30AM to work a remote until noon, only to have more things to take care of for future remotes in the afternoon. I knew this was on the horizon, so it’s why we took it very easy over the long weekend.

I’m ready for another.

Rebecca is in Victoria, B.C. for the weekend, but I got this sent to me from her cellphone while I was out for a run this morning. Too freaking funny.

Rebecca hit the nail on the head when she called this boil water advisory blogging gold[miss604]. You might be saying that this is getting old and not worth reading about anymore. If that’s true for you, then skip this post. You can say that I’m whining, but this is more about documenting a short lived nuisance to exhibit potential bigger problems that I highlighted in my last post about this situation.

I bit the bullet today and started in on the pile of dishes in our kitchen. Quite honestly, it’s been driving me nuts. I blame my mother for instilling this element of a neat freak in me, nicely balanced by my dad’s ability to achieve zen through delicately controlled messes.

I did boil a large pot of water to fill up an empty gallon jug for various needs, mainly to make coffee. The water still smells a bit funky, even after boiling. I’m not brave enough to ingest it, and that includes cooking. Once again, it’s a matter of the smell translating into funky taste that steers me away just slightly.

A recent post on Metroblogging Vancouver caught my attention when someone posted the following comment.

I was talking to a hydrological engineer yesterday, and she speculated that the current water “crisis” has been blown out of proportion and prolonged to drum up public support for the expensive $600-million water filtration plant that’s currently under construction on the North Shore. She’s been drinking the water out of the taps for the past week and she tests water quality for a living. No contamination has been discovered in our water and no one has been reported ill. That’s pretty amazing considering 2 million people were under the boil water advisory at one point. Health officials have only ever reported “increased risk” of contamination.

Interesting theory, and one that she said was widely held at her office. I should note too that she supports the new plant, probably because it will create more work for her and the engineering consulting company she works for.

Posted by: Chris at November 20, 2006 07:42 PM [mbv]

I was waiting for the “theories” to start popping up, but there is a lot of truth in that statement. No one has been getting sick from the water, and there hasn’t been any evidence of harmful bacteria being found through testing.

On the same post, a recent resident to Vancouver from France is amazed at the poor response the city has given to the locals. They site that the city has done poorly to provide water to those in need, which is somewhat true. I’ve heard more reports of radio stations and businesses giving out free water than local authorities. I’m not going to lay blame anywhere, but it is interesting to note.

The advisory, for the most part, is basic over caution, but it’s expected to go on for a while longer than I imagined[cbc]. Several days? Couple weeks? Ridiculous. I doubt that all of this has been done intentionally for the support noted above. However, it has much more support than ever before, that’s for sure.

It’s just nice to have clean dishes again. With Thanksgiving coming up, of which we will be celebrating in this household, it will make cooking a tad interesting. Like I said, I’m not ready to drink it, and the leg of lamb we intend to make might take some careful prep. The side dishes will need a little finesse as well. Would the water give potatoes a strange tint?

For those around Vancouver, we all know that the BC Lions are playing the Montreal Alouettes for the Grey Cup[wiki] this afternoon. Actually, they are playing right now as I’m writing this. -3C in Winnipeg. Looks damn cold, but BC’s holding in there, 16-0 in the 2nd quarter.

Now, let me put this into perspective for my friends and family back in the states. The CFL is just like the NFL, but Canadian football[wiki] is slightly different than American football[wiki]. It goes a little bit beyond how Robin Williams once put it, “We’ve got twelve men, we have a longer field. You have fun, enjoy!”

Mutant form, maybe. The interesting fact is that the history of Canadian football just barely out dates that of the American form of the sport. Yes, bigger field and more men, but there’s other things that start popping up as you watch a game. I’ve barely watched a whole game, catching nearly the entire second half of last week’s game between Saskatchewan and BC for the western championship. I’m not the biggest football fan in the world, but I do pay attention from time to time. My mainstays have to be the Iowa Hawkeyes in the world of college football, the Kansas City Chiefs for the NFL.

Let me list off the things that still trip me up a little bit. Penalty flags are orange, not yellow. The defense lines up a full yard off the line of scrimmage, not a football length off the line. No fair catch, just a mandatory five-yard buffer zone until a player touches the ball on a punt or kick-off. Three downs to move the ball ten yards for a first down, and that’s something that constantly gets me. Second and long is a big deal, and third down is the punt, field goal, or go-for-it down.

Also, -3C is 26F. This would be like playing a game of football in Green Bay. That should put that into a better perspective for folks back in the states. There’s more differences in the game, and if you really want to get more of a side by side comparison, check out this Wikipedia entry for a comparison of Canadian and American football.

For the most part, there is going to be little news about who wins this game in the American media. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t completely aware that the Grey Cup even existed until a handful of years ago. Who it was played by and when was still a bit fuzzy to me. It hasn’t been until the last few years that I’ve come to understand the history and the teams that are involved. And if you didn’t know, and I’m talking to my fellow buddies in the states here, they’ve been playing for this cup thing at least 94 times for the past century, WWI being the only conflict to ever prevent it from being held.

What’s fascinating, at least to me, is the amount of players that have been plucked from the American college football system, more so in the game going on today. Georgia, BYU, Minnesota, and so on. There’s quite a few guys that have been brought north of the border. Don’t think for a minute that it’s lackluster in terms of a career move.

The CFL is professional football and something to respected for sure. I’m not so sure that the dollar amounts are comparable, but this is nothing to sniffle at. Even Ricky Williams[wiki] is thinking of shifting his career away from the NFL and making the CFL his permanent home. That’s a strange story in general, but notable nonetheless.

Back to the Grey Cup, which has moved into halftime right now, Lions leading 19-3, it is such a party. With the Superbowl, fans of other teams in the NFL tend to retreat into their holes until the wisps of next season start to come around the corner. CFL fans, on the other hand, are nuts for this thing. Fans of all teams have flooded into Winnipeg, and it doesn’t matter who you’re a fan of. They’re cheering for BC or Montreal in this game, but they are all decked out in the garbs of their favorite home team.

There’s only eight teams in the CFL right now, so there really isn’t much to pick from. Ottawa was the latest victim to have their team fold before this season, but the league has had ups and downs for years. I got caught up tracking down the history of it the other night and was amazed with what I found.

They actually made an attempt to expand into the U.S. during the early 90′s, but it failed. Why they picked some of the cities that they did will never make much sense to me, but trying to put teams in Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana just seem like a huge mistake in general. They bleed football in those states, and that’s too much of a change to the sport in that area. It’s like what Fox did with hockey when they showed games with the glowing puck on TV; it’s just weird and didn’t sit well with die hard hockey fans, especially in Canada.

Being that the Lions play next door to my beloved Canucks, it’s tough to not get into the excitement of the game going on. Unfortunately, Rebecca has to work one of her Sunday shifts today, and the combination of Grey Cup celebrations and the Santa Claus parade made her trek to work a tad on the delayed end.

Robson Street is apparently a little nuts, and I’m about to head over to some friends on the north shore to catch the Canucks game on pay-per-view tonight. That’s a home game tonight as well against Chicago. If the Lions hold on to win, Vancouver is going to be a little crazy for the next 24 hours.

Update: BC Lions are CFL Champs. 25-14 over Montreal. Party time in Vancouver.

All Greater Vancouver residents urged to boil water

By Kent Spencer, The Province

Published: Thursday, November 16, 2006

A boil water advisory has been issued for the entire Greater Vancouver Area.

Vancouver Coastal Health spokesman Viviana Zanocco said Thursday the warning was issued because Wednesday’s storm dumped large amounts of dirt and mud in the region’s three reservoirs.

“We’ve never seen turbidity this high,” she said.

The entire region is affected, but the problem is worst on the North Shore.

The health region is advising hospitals, care facilities and restaurants to change the way they prepare food.

Water should be boiled for one minute, then cooled thoroughly before drinking. Or persons should drink bottled water.

The ban applies to brushing teeth and washing food. Showers are okay.

Zanocco said she doesn’t know how long the ban will last.

Persons drinking water are at risk of suffering diarrhea and vomiting because bacteria is present in the water. [theprovince]

There might be some people who would look at this as a cheap way to lose weight.

I did go running today through Stanley Park. For the most part, everything looked pretty ok. Trails seemed to not be over run with any fallen trees, and leaves were actually very sparse. Water is gushing out of Beaver Lake though. Was neat to see peaks of snow up on the mountains.

I’ve always grown up with Memorial Day[wiki] being the one day of the year where we take a moment to remember those who have fallen in various conflicts. Believe it or not, it was marching band in high school that taught me the impact of observing that day. It wasn’t the marching in the parade we had to do. It was the one football game where a handful of us started playing Taps when our team was blowing out the opposition in the second half of the game. A stupid thing to do, but we were young. That didn’t stop Mr. Russel from, politely, chewing a few of us out. Thankfully I got this information second hand.

Here in B.C., November 11th isn’t just a bank holiday. The mail still doesn’t arrive, much like Veterans Day[wiki] in the states. However, there is heart felt observance of what is called Remembrance Day[wiki] here. Most of the province gets the day off work, and there are numerous events that take notice for those who this day is reserved for.

Other than the standards I already mentioned, there isn’t much more that observes veterans from conflicts past in the states. I think that’s why I find the observance here somewhat intriguing. That’s not to say that the political debate doesn’t get in the way of everything, and trying to do something to this extent would get the stiff arm in today’s contentious climate for the U.S., at least on a national scale.

I know I’m late to the post here, but Rebecca has been so busy lately that we just did our best to enjoy her down time over the weekend. I will say that I have a lot of veterans of various conflicts in my family. My grandfather, uncle, great uncle, cousins, and even my brother, and some of them are still active(two extended family members caught up in Iraq right now). You always remember.

A few months ago, Rebecca[miss604] and I brainstormed an idea for a podcast that seemed too good to pass up. With the friends that we have been making in the world of blogging and podcasting, The Crazy Canucks was born.

We’ve brought together Vancouver Canucks Op Ed, the Canucks Hockey Blog, the Canucks Outsider, Miss604, and my adventures with RadioZoom into a podcast that is probably unlike anything you’ve heard before, and nothing like anything I’ve ever been apart of. And you don’t need an iPod to listen!

The Crazy Canucks

[krey-zee, kuh-nuhks]

Local Canuck Bloggers to Host a Weekly Roundtable Podcast this 06/07 NHL Season

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA (October 2, 2006) – Coming this October is a podcast the likes of which Vancouver has never seen. It will be a collaboration of hockey bloggers and the brainchild of a podcaster who all have one thing in common: The Vancouver Canucks.

The Crazy Canucks will be a weekly podcast about the team, the players, the organization and the league. Our goal is to have a fan’s point of view, since we’re not cable TV and we’re not local sports radio. Agree or disagree, leave us a written or audio comment and tell us how you really feel.

Listen and subscribe to the podcast, which will be available weekly on TheCrazyCanucks.com.

For more information contact: feedback [at] thecrazycanucks.com

Look for the premiere episode to debut this week as the Canucks kick off the regular season on Thursday. Subscribe or listen directly on the website. It doesn’t matter how you hear it as much as it matters that you come be apart of the podcast. Afterall, we’re fans just like you.

I am consistantly impressed with the way that the press interacts with emergency services in British Columbia, and the same can be true about the rest of Canada.  Sitting here and watching the news coverage of the recent shootings in Montreal, the amount of information coming from the police, in near real time, is really interesting compared to the news coverage I am used to in the U.S.

First off, I should say that my heart goes out to those people affected by this.  Regardless of who or why, things like these are shocking and scary.  While the CBC was covering this, I had sirens going off all around the west end.  Kinda spooky.

The media seems to be included on these events as they unfold, at least for the most part.  I so often see the morning news where there was a fire the night before.  While there are still firemen putting out the flames in the background, someone is talking to the camera, giving an update as to what happened, possible causes, and preliminary info about people affected.

What I’m used to back in the states is official statements that get released to the press or press conferences that happen hours, if not days, after the fact.  That gets printed up in the papers or some person with overly perfect hair tells you the facts on TV.  In between that time, everything is uncomfirmed and speculation.  You get some of that here, but the involvement of people on the scene is much higher.  It’s not some guy, outside of the whole situation, who has the job to collect the information and report it to the press.

It impresses me.  Maybe there is more confidence in the whole spectrum of distributing information, meaning the people on the scene, the media, and the person taking in the news, in Canada.  There is a lot more scrutiny in American media, always making sure that the right people are saying the right things at the right time.