Last week we made our second trip west this year to be part of Communique 2011, hosted by the delightful Bad Tempered Zombie (who is not at all bad-tempered, and certainly not a zombie!). I finally got to meet one of my very first blogbuddies, Wandering Coyote, which was awesome. You just never know if "real life" meetings are going to be disastrous or not, but I can say that this experiment was wholly successful. The bloggers and "Blippers" blended with very little effort (not that it's hard to get along with folks who appreciate Radiohead and The Smiths even more than I do).
We had to deke out a bit earlier than the rest of the gang, but spent a night and a day enjoying the gorgeous autumn, the wackiness of downtown Vancouver, and some excellent company. We also had a chance to spend time with my friend Rebecca and her little girl, whom I hadn't seen since they departed Edmonton.
Driving through the Rockies in the fall is almost too gorgeous to describe. Our little Fiat handled the trip beautifully, without guzzling up the gas, and we thoroughly enjoyed Richard's iPhone playlist and the satellite radio. Our hotel rooms were excellent (artwork nothwithstanding), particularly the rustic Best Western in Vailmont. We shut our cable off a month or two ago, so of course I had to subject myself to SNL and gawdawful reality TV just to remind myself why we did that.
All in all, an ideal vacation. I'll post some pics soon. Right now I have to catch up on a few home-again tasks.
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
B:C. Vacation: Bigfoot & Synchronicity
Whew, that was the longest vacation ever!
Okay, not really. We only went to the coast for a week, and I've been sloughing off blog-wise ever since. Unless you count my series on "former Satanists" at Swallowing the Camel.
Anyway, thought I'd share a few pics of our trip to lovely Prince Rupert, B.C. My favourite memento is this card Richard found in the men's room at a rest stop:
A bizarre thing happened on the way home. I was reading Robert Graves' book The White Goddess, which deals with Celtic lore and the Arthurian legends, when we pulled into an average-looking rest stop. It had one of those tourist cairns, marking the spot of something-or-other. I usually ignore them if they're in an unremarkable spot like this one, but for some reason I felt compelled to get out of the car and read the plaque on the cairn. It turned out this cairn contained a stone from castle Tintagel, rumoured birthplace of King Arthur...
Okay, not really. We only went to the coast for a week, and I've been sloughing off blog-wise ever since. Unless you count my series on "former Satanists" at Swallowing the Camel.
Anyway, thought I'd share a few pics of our trip to lovely Prince Rupert, B.C. My favourite memento is this card Richard found in the men's room at a rest stop:
A bizarre thing happened on the way home. I was reading Robert Graves' book The White Goddess, which deals with Celtic lore and the Arthurian legends, when we pulled into an average-looking rest stop. It had one of those tourist cairns, marking the spot of something-or-other. I usually ignore them if they're in an unremarkable spot like this one, but for some reason I felt compelled to get out of the car and read the plaque on the cairn. It turned out this cairn contained a stone from castle Tintagel, rumoured birthplace of King Arthur...
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
My Hometown (Vacation Pics #2)
"Size matters"
The "Proud Redneck" is spelled out in duct tape.
Sculpture so badly in need of a paintjob, it's actually scary...
A peaceful spot.
Wild roses.
Richard & my grandparents with their dog, Shadow.Sunday, June 20, 2010
Vaca 2010 (Minnesota & Drumheller): Family Pics
So we drove the trusty li'l Hyundai to northern Minnesota to be with my grandparents on their 60th anniversary. They wanted just a super-casual day with friends, potato salad and baked beans in their little screenhouse.
Rain rain and more rain during this trip, but as always we had a great time.
My grandparents
Me & Mom
Me & Z-Kid
Rain rain and more rain during this trip, but as always we had a great time.
My grandparents
Me & Mom
Me & Z-Kid
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Vacation, all I ever wanted...
We had a great 4-day vacation in Minnesota, catching up with my family. Grandpa looks and sounds far better than I expected him to, considering he just had a stint put in and is more bruised-up than a Safeway apple (please don't sue).
He'll be starting chemo in July.
Z-Kid and I almost burst ourselves laughing at the insane ramblings of Lenon Honor (more on him tomorrow), bad anime, the Nostalgia Critic, and lots of other stuff.
It turns out I am the most uncoordinated Wii Fit user in the short but colourful history of Wii Fit. After the ski jump, I actually had my Mii pounding its fists on the ground and sobbing. But I'm pretty good at Boom Blox.
Richard was in heaven - he got to swim in an actual lake, eat meat every single night, and watch lots of pelicans.
This was a vacation vacation for me - no blogging, no Facebook, no Sims. Heck, I didn't even check my email. It was wonderful. I'm glad to be back, but it was good to take a breather.
The only interruption was when we passed a 40-foot hand-lettered "billboard" somewhere between Winnipeg and Ontario (can't recall), among all the other homemade billboards of half-dead fetuses and vaguely menacing Bible passages (GOD IS NOT MOCKED). It read "You can't cover the truth!" above INFOWARS.COM in huge letters. Ye gods. This is why I started Leaving Alex Jonestown. Not because Alex Jones is worse than Michael Savage or Rush Limbaugh, but because I don't see their websites smeared across giant hillbillyboards in the middle of freaking nowhere. He has clearly captured the hearts and, um, minds of the rural paranoid. Anyway, other than the billboard I managed to avoid Alex Jones for nearly an entire week. I feel smarter already.
Speaking of billboards, could someone please explain the billboards in Winnipeg to me? One was just an old woman holding up a heaping bowlful of what appeared to be oversized Crunchberries. Everything in the picture was mauve. It read "Colourful Clara" or another name that begins with C, and that was it.
I also saw a spice store that was called, I kid you not, Spice World. And the slogan painted on the window was "Spice up your life!". Srsly.
I stayed away from the news, more or less. I'm eager to see what kind of wild conspiracy theories have already sprouted around Jacko's death, other than Richard's (Iran killed him to distract the media) and Alan's (he's not really dead).
The only snag in our holiday was that our return flight was kept on the ground for a couple of hours after landing, thanks to thunderstorms. I read most of a Kathy Reichs mystery during the wait. It was gawdawful.
Sophie, as usual, wasn't too thrilled when we ended her vacation at the bunny spa. But I've bribed her halfway into liking me again, with some banana and kale.
Here are a few pics of the family (well, my grandparents - my folks haven't outed themselves too much with photos on their own blogs, so I'll continue that tradition for now).
I have great vids of my grandpa complaining about the salt in hospital food and me & Z-Kid trying to explain Skype to Mom ("how will you guys find each other if you don't know your names?"), but I'll keep those private too. ;D
Grandpa
Just awful.
Grandma
He'll be starting chemo in July.
Z-Kid and I almost burst ourselves laughing at the insane ramblings of Lenon Honor (more on him tomorrow), bad anime, the Nostalgia Critic, and lots of other stuff.
It turns out I am the most uncoordinated Wii Fit user in the short but colourful history of Wii Fit. After the ski jump, I actually had my Mii pounding its fists on the ground and sobbing. But I'm pretty good at Boom Blox.
Richard was in heaven - he got to swim in an actual lake, eat meat every single night, and watch lots of pelicans.
This was a vacation vacation for me - no blogging, no Facebook, no Sims. Heck, I didn't even check my email. It was wonderful. I'm glad to be back, but it was good to take a breather.
The only interruption was when we passed a 40-foot hand-lettered "billboard" somewhere between Winnipeg and Ontario (can't recall), among all the other homemade billboards of half-dead fetuses and vaguely menacing Bible passages (GOD IS NOT MOCKED). It read "You can't cover the truth!" above INFOWARS.COM in huge letters. Ye gods. This is why I started Leaving Alex Jonestown. Not because Alex Jones is worse than Michael Savage or Rush Limbaugh, but because I don't see their websites smeared across giant hillbillyboards in the middle of freaking nowhere. He has clearly captured the hearts and, um, minds of the rural paranoid. Anyway, other than the billboard I managed to avoid Alex Jones for nearly an entire week. I feel smarter already.
Speaking of billboards, could someone please explain the billboards in Winnipeg to me? One was just an old woman holding up a heaping bowlful of what appeared to be oversized Crunchberries. Everything in the picture was mauve. It read "Colourful Clara" or another name that begins with C, and that was it.
I also saw a spice store that was called, I kid you not, Spice World. And the slogan painted on the window was "Spice up your life!". Srsly.
I stayed away from the news, more or less. I'm eager to see what kind of wild conspiracy theories have already sprouted around Jacko's death, other than Richard's (Iran killed him to distract the media) and Alan's (he's not really dead).
The only snag in our holiday was that our return flight was kept on the ground for a couple of hours after landing, thanks to thunderstorms. I read most of a Kathy Reichs mystery during the wait. It was gawdawful.
Sophie, as usual, wasn't too thrilled when we ended her vacation at the bunny spa. But I've bribed her halfway into liking me again, with some banana and kale.
Here are a few pics of the family (well, my grandparents - my folks haven't outed themselves too much with photos on their own blogs, so I'll continue that tradition for now).
I have great vids of my grandpa complaining about the salt in hospital food and me & Z-Kid trying to explain Skype to Mom ("how will you guys find each other if you don't know your names?"), but I'll keep those private too. ;D
Grandpa
Just awful. 
Grandma
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Vacation Highlights: Washington to Minnesota
"Civil informationing" in action, Washington
Somewhere under the rainbow in Montana
Snowdrifts near Snoq or Snog
We experienced another funky coincidence in Washington state. Our GPS informed us the fastest route to Minnesota was via Seattle (taking the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, and another from Kingston to Seattle), and we arrived at the Kingston ferry dock in the early evening. It so happens that Richard's fellow Truther and co-blogger Robin Hordon lives there, so he rang him en route to the dock only to learn that Robin had just arrived at the dock himself, to do his weekly "civil informationing" with a big PVC-framed banner and leaflets full of 9/11 factoids. He stands in the middle of the weekend ferry-boarding traffic as each boat arrives, handing out leaflets to anyone who shows the slightest interest. Then, as each ferry unloads, he picks up his huge banner and trots across a long parking lot to another street corner that each car must pass as it exits the dock area. So, between hopping back and forth to catch the traffic, we had a nice chat with Robin. He's a very optimistic, very committed fellow with an interesting background: air-traffic controller, peace activist, comedy talent manager, and now a dedicated Truther. (His work was discussed in an Utne Reader article; google "civil information") He's very reluctant to work with Truthers in his area, fearing COINTELPRO-style infiltration, but he and Richard and their friend Wayne work together to spread the message of "CI", an alternative to civil disobedience.
Anyway, we drove through Seattle after dark (very nice, woodier and smaller than I imagined), then stopped for the night at a creepy lodge in snow-laden "Snoq" (which I mistakenly thought was called Snog). There were lots of cars in the parking lot, but all the lights were out and the whole place was eerily silent. On the up side, there was a great movie on TV about the 2000 election recount debacle.
Finally free of the east coast rain and the Washington snowdrifts, we zipped across Idaho and Montana (where we saw dazzling full-sky rainbows for hours), camped at a KOA and listened to Jordan Maxwell's weird paranoid rambling on Coast to Coast AM, then headed into North Dakota. I love Montana, but their rest stops are bizarre. They're lit by artificial windows, making it look like daytime in the middle of the night, and the brick-and-stainless-steel motif makes the bathrooms feel like DHARMA Project bunkers. In one rest stop there was a strangely muffled weather forecast playing on a continuous loop. Did David Lynch design these things?
Somewhere under the rainbow in Montana
Snowdrifts near Snoq or Snog
We experienced another funky coincidence in Washington state. Our GPS informed us the fastest route to Minnesota was via Seattle (taking the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, and another from Kingston to Seattle), and we arrived at the Kingston ferry dock in the early evening. It so happens that Richard's fellow Truther and co-blogger Robin Hordon lives there, so he rang him en route to the dock only to learn that Robin had just arrived at the dock himself, to do his weekly "civil informationing" with a big PVC-framed banner and leaflets full of 9/11 factoids. He stands in the middle of the weekend ferry-boarding traffic as each boat arrives, handing out leaflets to anyone who shows the slightest interest. Then, as each ferry unloads, he picks up his huge banner and trots across a long parking lot to another street corner that each car must pass as it exits the dock area. So, between hopping back and forth to catch the traffic, we had a nice chat with Robin. He's a very optimistic, very committed fellow with an interesting background: air-traffic controller, peace activist, comedy talent manager, and now a dedicated Truther. (His work was discussed in an Utne Reader article; google "civil information") He's very reluctant to work with Truthers in his area, fearing COINTELPRO-style infiltration, but he and Richard and their friend Wayne work together to spread the message of "CI", an alternative to civil disobedience.
Anyway, we drove through Seattle after dark (very nice, woodier and smaller than I imagined), then stopped for the night at a creepy lodge in snow-laden "Snoq" (which I mistakenly thought was called Snog). There were lots of cars in the parking lot, but all the lights were out and the whole place was eerily silent. On the up side, there was a great movie on TV about the 2000 election recount debacle.
Finally free of the east coast rain and the Washington snowdrifts, we zipped across Idaho and Montana (where we saw dazzling full-sky rainbows for hours), camped at a KOA and listened to Jordan Maxwell's weird paranoid rambling on Coast to Coast AM, then headed into North Dakota. I love Montana, but their rest stops are bizarre. They're lit by artificial windows, making it look like daytime in the middle of the night, and the brick-and-stainless-steel motif makes the bathrooms feel like DHARMA Project bunkers. In one rest stop there was a strangely muffled weather forecast playing on a continuous loop. Did David Lynch design these things?
Thursday, June 19, 2008
More Vacation Highlights: Victoria
Meghan's kitten, Kitten, doing some "boxing". You can hear Richard talking about Jesse Ventura and Willie Nelson in the background. ;P
We attended Meghan's "commencement exercises" at the University of Victoria the day after we arrived. As with most graduations, it had lots of pomp and very little circumstance; the grads clearly hated their fusty robes and mortarboards, and the university bigwigs wore ludicrous Medieval-looking costumes with poofy velvet hats that reminded me of the old Strawberry Shortcake dolls. The people receiving their doctorates and Master's degrees received a cordial handshake from the university president, but when it came time for the BA grads like Meghan to accept their degrees, he simply had them kneel down before him so he could tap them on the head with his goofy hat. As Meghan asked afterwards, "Do we have cooties or something?" Regardless, she was very proud (and relieved) to have taken such a big step forward in her education. She'll be spending the summer helping to construct "fish ladders" for spawning salmon, a painstaking process.
The next day we spent hours wandering through Butchart Gardens, a glory of exotic trees and blooms that truly boggles the mind. Everything is lush in Victoria, but the varied and meticulously designed Gardens are really a sight to see. Frankly, I was expecting just a lot of flowerbeds and a few rose gardens. Richard declined to go, so I'll be sure to make him watch the half hour of video I shot there. Heh heh heh. It was also around here that Romero the Rock picked up a friend, a gnome with a mysterious past...
I'll post some clips from the Butchart Gardens footage if I can ever figure out Richard's video-editing software. Please don't hold your breath!
The next day we said goodbye to Richard's family and hopped the ferry to Port Angeles, Washington. I tried to concentrate on my book as the boat sloshed from side to side and a very large woman bellowed at her very large and obnoxious daughter. "Siddown! Siddown er I'll git up an' beat yer ass!" But of course she never did get up or beat any asses - I think she was stuck in her little seat, actually - and I was relieved when they both fell into a deep sleep. Thank God for the sedative effect of junk food.
We attended Meghan's "commencement exercises" at the University of Victoria the day after we arrived. As with most graduations, it had lots of pomp and very little circumstance; the grads clearly hated their fusty robes and mortarboards, and the university bigwigs wore ludicrous Medieval-looking costumes with poofy velvet hats that reminded me of the old Strawberry Shortcake dolls. The people receiving their doctorates and Master's degrees received a cordial handshake from the university president, but when it came time for the BA grads like Meghan to accept their degrees, he simply had them kneel down before him so he could tap them on the head with his goofy hat. As Meghan asked afterwards, "Do we have cooties or something?" Regardless, she was very proud (and relieved) to have taken such a big step forward in her education. She'll be spending the summer helping to construct "fish ladders" for spawning salmon, a painstaking process.
The next day we spent hours wandering through Butchart Gardens, a glory of exotic trees and blooms that truly boggles the mind. Everything is lush in Victoria, but the varied and meticulously designed Gardens are really a sight to see. Frankly, I was expecting just a lot of flowerbeds and a few rose gardens. Richard declined to go, so I'll be sure to make him watch the half hour of video I shot there. Heh heh heh. It was also around here that Romero the Rock picked up a friend, a gnome with a mysterious past...
I'll post some clips from the Butchart Gardens footage if I can ever figure out Richard's video-editing software. Please don't hold your breath!
The next day we said goodbye to Richard's family and hopped the ferry to Port Angeles, Washington. I tried to concentrate on my book as the boat sloshed from side to side and a very large woman bellowed at her very large and obnoxious daughter. "Siddown! Siddown er I'll git up an' beat yer ass!" But of course she never did get up or beat any asses - I think she was stuck in her little seat, actually - and I was relieved when they both fell into a deep sleep. Thank God for the sedative effect of junk food.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Vacation Highlights: Nanaimo
(see post below this one for more pictures and some videos)
We just got back from one of the best vacations we've ever had: Scenic, relaxing, full of family and friends, with a few surprises along the way. Romero the Rock also had his first (and last) big adventure before rejoining his brother in Minnesota; he enjoyed it, but was pissed that we wouldn't let him stop at any casinos.
We drove through the Rockies and spent our first night tenting at a KOA near Wells Gray Provincial Park, a beautiful area. Since I didn't bring my laptop (figuring the Chinese characters might freak out Customs), I was anxious about keeping in touch with Kevin Annett and the Unitarian Church in Edmonton, because I was trying to arrange for him to speak there in October. Fortunately the KOA had internet access. (The short version of the story: Kevin Annett is a former United Church minister who stumbled upon very disturbing allegations about the residential school near Port Alberni, British Columbia - and many other residential schools - back in the early '90s. He has spent the last 12 years documenting survivors' accounts of forced sterilization and abortions, unexplained deaths, unlawful and involuntary medical experimentation, and a host of other crimes that amount to a genocidal campaign Canada's aboriginal children).
We reached Vancouver sometime in the evening and caught the very last ferry of the night to Nanaimo, where Richard was going to do another radio interview for "Unbought and Unbossed" at CHLY Radio Malaspina (you can listen to that here). We were to stay with the host, his partner, and Richard's buddy Wayne. On the ferry I had my head buried in a book that Richard's sister had loaned to me last year, The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. Suddenly Richard said, "Kevin? Mr. Annett?" and I looked up to see him coming up the aisle in his funny hat and long coat. Turns out he works as a counselor on East Hastings in Vancouver and takes the late ferry home to Nanaimo sometimes! This was such a bizarre coincidence that I could only say "Good God," and shake his hand. We chatted for a bit and agreed to meet after the radio show the next night. Far from being a paranoid ball of nerves as I half-expected, Kevin Annett seems a very calm and personable guy - not as into self-promotion and conspiracy theories as the press has been suggesting.
We had a good visit with the host, his girlfriend, and Wayne the next day before the show. Though I'm not a 9/11 Truther, we were all on the same page when it comes to most other topics (the environmental ravages of nuclear power, something fishy about JFK's death, etc.) and happily yakked about everything from UFOs to the nature of time. I knew we'd get along when I noticed that Raymond and Rhona's bookshelves could pass for clones of mine and Richard's, right down to Spongebob Squarepants episodes. Kevin gave us a copy of his self-published book, Hidden from History, and answered a lot of questions. Though I have no way of knowing for certain if all the allegations Kevin addresses in his book and documentary are true (frankly, I hope many of them aren't), and though I'm not on board with all of his recommendations on how to deal with the issue of unacknowledged residential school abuses, I feel strongly that the information he has compiled needs to be addressed legally, socially, and historically before Canada can move forward as a proud nation. If even a third of the reported crimes were committed, we're dealing with something on the scale of apartheid in South Africa.
Anyway, Richard and I spent a few hours roaming the Nanaimo docks, watching the birds play in the low-tide muck and trying to identify the various ocean crawlies that attach themselves to the pilings. It was shame Richard's niece, Meghan, wasn't there, since she was due to receive her B.A. degree in oceanography from the University of Victoria that weekend. Victoria was our next stop, in fact; Richard's whole family would be there to watch Meghan graduate.
While I was in the restroom, Richard started an epic conspiracy-themed conversation with a fellow named Phil from Protection Island. I admit it was fascinating. Phil believes that the U.S. has taken control of Canada not militarily or through its culture, but via medical and legal exams that every Canadian doctor and lawyer must take to become licensed here. The U.S., he said, uses the results of these exams to help them cherry-pick those professionals who will be most in line with U.S. policy. This isn't the case any more, but Phil insists these exams were used for decades to install anti-family judges and lawyers who would sow chaos in the courts, splitting up families and making everyone dependent on the legal system. That way the U.S. could sneak in legislation that loots Canada's resources, puts us under U.S. corporate control, and bascially transforms us covertly into the 51st state. Phil had a dozen of these byzantine theories, all of them exhaustively detailed but somewhat skewed. Is this common in Nanaimo? I mean, between Raymond's radio show, the gangstalking victims, and Phil, I'm really wondering if Nanaimo is the Canadian Mecca for paranoids...
Even so, Nanaimo seems more my speed than Victoria. It's much smaller, quieter, and less touristy, but you still get to enjoy the exotic flowers and the ocean views. Downtown is trendy and neat and as a pin, with lots of bookstores and a very bizarre surveillance-gadget store called Spy vs. Spy. They carry birdhouse-cameras, binoculars, listening devices, and lots of books on how to make homemade silencers for various guns. I heard a dog snuffling behind me as I was peering at the merchandise, and turned around expecting to see a Rottweiller or a Doberman - instead it was a miniature poodle in a tiny blue sweater.
We just got back from one of the best vacations we've ever had: Scenic, relaxing, full of family and friends, with a few surprises along the way. Romero the Rock also had his first (and last) big adventure before rejoining his brother in Minnesota; he enjoyed it, but was pissed that we wouldn't let him stop at any casinos.
We drove through the Rockies and spent our first night tenting at a KOA near Wells Gray Provincial Park, a beautiful area. Since I didn't bring my laptop (figuring the Chinese characters might freak out Customs), I was anxious about keeping in touch with Kevin Annett and the Unitarian Church in Edmonton, because I was trying to arrange for him to speak there in October. Fortunately the KOA had internet access. (The short version of the story: Kevin Annett is a former United Church minister who stumbled upon very disturbing allegations about the residential school near Port Alberni, British Columbia - and many other residential schools - back in the early '90s. He has spent the last 12 years documenting survivors' accounts of forced sterilization and abortions, unexplained deaths, unlawful and involuntary medical experimentation, and a host of other crimes that amount to a genocidal campaign Canada's aboriginal children).
We reached Vancouver sometime in the evening and caught the very last ferry of the night to Nanaimo, where Richard was going to do another radio interview for "Unbought and Unbossed" at CHLY Radio Malaspina (you can listen to that here). We were to stay with the host, his partner, and Richard's buddy Wayne. On the ferry I had my head buried in a book that Richard's sister had loaned to me last year, The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. Suddenly Richard said, "Kevin? Mr. Annett?" and I looked up to see him coming up the aisle in his funny hat and long coat. Turns out he works as a counselor on East Hastings in Vancouver and takes the late ferry home to Nanaimo sometimes! This was such a bizarre coincidence that I could only say "Good God," and shake his hand. We chatted for a bit and agreed to meet after the radio show the next night. Far from being a paranoid ball of nerves as I half-expected, Kevin Annett seems a very calm and personable guy - not as into self-promotion and conspiracy theories as the press has been suggesting.
We had a good visit with the host, his girlfriend, and Wayne the next day before the show. Though I'm not a 9/11 Truther, we were all on the same page when it comes to most other topics (the environmental ravages of nuclear power, something fishy about JFK's death, etc.) and happily yakked about everything from UFOs to the nature of time. I knew we'd get along when I noticed that Raymond and Rhona's bookshelves could pass for clones of mine and Richard's, right down to Spongebob Squarepants episodes. Kevin gave us a copy of his self-published book, Hidden from History, and answered a lot of questions. Though I have no way of knowing for certain if all the allegations Kevin addresses in his book and documentary are true (frankly, I hope many of them aren't), and though I'm not on board with all of his recommendations on how to deal with the issue of unacknowledged residential school abuses, I feel strongly that the information he has compiled needs to be addressed legally, socially, and historically before Canada can move forward as a proud nation. If even a third of the reported crimes were committed, we're dealing with something on the scale of apartheid in South Africa.
Anyway, Richard and I spent a few hours roaming the Nanaimo docks, watching the birds play in the low-tide muck and trying to identify the various ocean crawlies that attach themselves to the pilings. It was shame Richard's niece, Meghan, wasn't there, since she was due to receive her B.A. degree in oceanography from the University of Victoria that weekend. Victoria was our next stop, in fact; Richard's whole family would be there to watch Meghan graduate.
While I was in the restroom, Richard started an epic conspiracy-themed conversation with a fellow named Phil from Protection Island. I admit it was fascinating. Phil believes that the U.S. has taken control of Canada not militarily or through its culture, but via medical and legal exams that every Canadian doctor and lawyer must take to become licensed here. The U.S., he said, uses the results of these exams to help them cherry-pick those professionals who will be most in line with U.S. policy. This isn't the case any more, but Phil insists these exams were used for decades to install anti-family judges and lawyers who would sow chaos in the courts, splitting up families and making everyone dependent on the legal system. That way the U.S. could sneak in legislation that loots Canada's resources, puts us under U.S. corporate control, and bascially transforms us covertly into the 51st state. Phil had a dozen of these byzantine theories, all of them exhaustively detailed but somewhat skewed. Is this common in Nanaimo? I mean, between Raymond's radio show, the gangstalking victims, and Phil, I'm really wondering if Nanaimo is the Canadian Mecca for paranoids...
Even so, Nanaimo seems more my speed than Victoria. It's much smaller, quieter, and less touristy, but you still get to enjoy the exotic flowers and the ocean views. Downtown is trendy and neat and as a pin, with lots of bookstores and a very bizarre surveillance-gadget store called Spy vs. Spy. They carry birdhouse-cameras, binoculars, listening devices, and lots of books on how to make homemade silencers for various guns. I heard a dog snuffling behind me as I was peering at the merchandise, and turned around expecting to see a Rottweiller or a Doberman - instead it was a miniature poodle in a tiny blue sweater.
Vacation Highlights
Jasper, our first day on the road
Jasper
Flowers in Vancouver. Vancouver Island is also ablaze with them.
Birds at the Nanaimo docks
Patrick
Clownfish in Meghan's Aquarium
Meghan's unbearably adorable kitten, Kitten, doing some boxing.
One of the countless bunnies lounging around the University of Victoria campus. How does anyone get any studying done? I'd be wandering around with carrots and a camera all the time.
Victoria, B.C.
Richard's pal and co-blogger Robin Hordon doing his "Civil Informationing" at the Kingston, Washington, ferry dock. We coincidentally arrived (to take the ferry to Port Angeles) just as he was setting up. Some crazy chick urged her Pekinese to bite him, but the responses he got were otherwise civil.
Somewhere under the rainbow in Montana
Creepy rest stop bathroom in Montana
Hairry
Minnesota
I couldn't have said it better myself, Weird Willie.
Jasper
Flowers in Vancouver. Vancouver Island is also ablaze with them.
Birds at the Nanaimo docks
Patrick
Clownfish in Meghan's Aquarium
Meghan's unbearably adorable kitten, Kitten, doing some boxing.
One of the countless bunnies lounging around the University of Victoria campus. How does anyone get any studying done? I'd be wandering around with carrots and a camera all the time.
Victoria, B.C.
Richard's pal and co-blogger Robin Hordon doing his "Civil Informationing" at the Kingston, Washington, ferry dock. We coincidentally arrived (to take the ferry to Port Angeles) just as he was setting up. Some crazy chick urged her Pekinese to bite him, but the responses he got were otherwise civil.
Somewhere under the rainbow in Montana
Creepy rest stop bathroom in Montana
Hairry
Minnesota
I couldn't have said it better myself, Weird Willie.
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