Tonight I took a continuing education course on journaling. It took place at Van Tech. It was my old high school.
I expected the course to be more a creative writing course. It wasn't like that at all. The teacher taught us different techniques for thinking about journal topics / ideas. She taught us about four different techniques. Some are better than others. It was a three hour class. I wish the class was longer to have more time to work on the techniques she taught us. We only got to practice two techniques. You may see some of techniques used on my blog in future postings.
After class I just walked the hallways. On the first floor of the school close to the office, there are pictures of previous grad classes. I found my grad class. I was looking at everyone's picture and thinking of what they are doing now. There are some people on my Facebook list. Most of them are married and some with kids.
Just being there brought me back down memory lane. I saw the picture of my principal. I remember she was the only female principal in the history of the school. I remember she drove a Toyota MR 2. It's a little sports car. It was weird seeing a very tall 'proper' old school woman driving a 'cool' young sports car. The Boys Citizen Award went to my friend Chia. I am not sure what the qualifications are to win the prize. He won so many awards during his high school years. A few years after graduating, he is no longer with us. I can't believe it's been 16 years since I graduated high school. Only four more years till my 20 year reunion. At my 20 year reunion, I need good stories to tell them.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Day 301: The Reef / Sweet Revenge
Review: http://lisa-restaurants.blogspot.com/2010/09/reef-sweet-revenge.html
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Day 300: Engrish Signs
I'm at my 300 post! I'm almost done. To mark this achievement, I've decided to post something humorous.
I think these signs were posted on engrish.com at one point. They were emailed to me and I've decided to share them with you!
http://lisasfunnies.blogspot.com/2010/09/engrish-signs.html
Friday, September 24, 2010
Day 299: Mexican words of the day / The Middle Wife
Mexican words of the day
http://lisasfunnies.blogspot.com/2010/09/mexican-words-of-day.html
http://lisasfunnies.blogspot.com/2010/09/middle-wife.html
http://lisasfunnies.blogspot.com/2010/09/mexican-words-of-day.html
The Middle Wife
http://lisasfunnies.blogspot.com/2010/09/middle-wife.html
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Day 298: My first time selling Canucks 50/50 tickets
I was nervous because it's my first time. It's like starting a new job or new relationship. You don't know what to expect. The instructions told me to meet at a gate. I got there and saw some people waiting outside. I wasn't sure what they were waiting for. I walked thru the doors and told the guy at the desk that I was there to volunteer. He told me to wait outside with the other people. When I am nervous, I tend to talk to people to break the ice and to make myself relax. I started talking to this guy who looks very eccentric. He was wearing a Canucks flag as a cape, a sparkly blue wig and a hat. Once more people arrived, they were talking to each other so they have worked together before. We just waited outside the gate till a Canucks staff came outside to check us in. At that point, they asked us if they have any extra tickets if we are interested in watching. I said 'yes'. After all the volunteers were checked in, we went inside the arena. We hung up our jackets. We had to give them our ID's and they lent us a volunteer shirt. It's a red long sleeve fleece shirt with '50/50 volunteer' printed on it. After we got our shirts, we were split up into two groups; one group are the newbies, one group experienced people. Of course I was in the newbie group. In this group, we had a staff member explain to us about the 50/50 program, the tickets, how to sell them, some perks and basic housekeeping / common sense rules. They then assigned us a location to sell the tickets. I was located at Gate 2 tonight. There were four of us there. We sold tickets from 6-7 pm and at the first intermission. Then we submitted our money and our left over tickets to the staff.
After my first shift, I have learned:
- don't be afraid to ask questions. That's how I managed my shift. I didn't know what was going on and I just asked people around me.
- one perk is getting food at 1/2 price, as long as you are in your volunteer shirt. A White Spot burger is more delicious when it is $4.87 for a burger and fries.
- there is no quota. It's not like a sales job. You sell what you can.
- you get to enjoy the game when you finish volunteering. They only have certain amount of tickets per game. I think it is random on who gets the ticket. Because it's a preseason game, I think all the volunteers got a ticket. But once regular season rolls around, I think it will be more of a luck of the draw on who gets a ticket. I managed to watch the second half of the second period and the third period. That's ok for me. That is the exciting part of the game anyways.
After my first shift, I have learned:
- don't be afraid to ask questions. That's how I managed my shift. I didn't know what was going on and I just asked people around me.
- one perk is getting food at 1/2 price, as long as you are in your volunteer shirt. A White Spot burger is more delicious when it is $4.87 for a burger and fries.
- there is no quota. It's not like a sales job. You sell what you can.
- you get to enjoy the game when you finish volunteering. They only have certain amount of tickets per game. I think it is random on who gets the ticket. Because it's a preseason game, I think all the volunteers got a ticket. But once regular season rolls around, I think it will be more of a luck of the draw on who gets a ticket. I managed to watch the second half of the second period and the third period. That's ok for me. That is the exciting part of the game anyways.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Day 297: Union Gospel Mission Orientation
It took about three months before I made it to an orientation. My friend wanted to come with me. The orientation is only on Tuesdays. In July and August our schedule didn't jive to attend the orientation session. Finally we made it tonight.
We parked about 20 feet about the entrance to the building. Like usual, there is a line up outside the building. We went through the front doors and they directed us to the third floor. We went pass the second floor and it said 'do not enter'. Because it was of secrecy, we were more intrigued to find out what was on the second floor. We got there early and just hung out outside till it was time to sit down. We went into a small room with theater style seating. The seats are quite comfortable. It seemed like they were custom made because they had the table extension on them. The orientation was 1.5 hour long. There was a pamphlet on the table and they explained the information the pamplet.
I do understand that they have to clear out the weirdos as volunteers. There are pretty strict rules to follow. One of the guidelines is 'do not give out your address, email address, phone number or invitations to join Facebook to clients'. I understand about the address, email and phone number thing. It's a safety precaution in case they are weirdos. But the 'invitation to join Facebook'? Is a homeless person really a person I would like to add as a friend on Facebook? Will they respond to my 'friend request' or check my status to see what I'm up to? I do know they have access to the internet for free at the library. It's a sign that companies these days are aware of the impact of Facebook in our lives. Facebook is a form of communication like email or phone.
There are so many UGM locations with various activities at each one. They have locations from Mission to the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Their services include drop in services, lunch meal, dinner meals and alchohol and drug addiction recovery programs. There is also a Mobile UGM. It's a van that drives around the Lower Mainland and provides homeless people with food and socks and other goodies. They also have special dinners where they need volunteers.
To be a general volunteer, you need to attend the orientation seminar, fill out an application form, go to an interview and sign an agreement form. This process is very extensive. There is also a 3 month probation period. It's like a job!
We parked about 20 feet about the entrance to the building. Like usual, there is a line up outside the building. We went through the front doors and they directed us to the third floor. We went pass the second floor and it said 'do not enter'. Because it was of secrecy, we were more intrigued to find out what was on the second floor. We got there early and just hung out outside till it was time to sit down. We went into a small room with theater style seating. The seats are quite comfortable. It seemed like they were custom made because they had the table extension on them. The orientation was 1.5 hour long. There was a pamphlet on the table and they explained the information the pamplet.
I do understand that they have to clear out the weirdos as volunteers. There are pretty strict rules to follow. One of the guidelines is 'do not give out your address, email address, phone number or invitations to join Facebook to clients'. I understand about the address, email and phone number thing. It's a safety precaution in case they are weirdos. But the 'invitation to join Facebook'? Is a homeless person really a person I would like to add as a friend on Facebook? Will they respond to my 'friend request' or check my status to see what I'm up to? I do know they have access to the internet for free at the library. It's a sign that companies these days are aware of the impact of Facebook in our lives. Facebook is a form of communication like email or phone.
There are so many UGM locations with various activities at each one. They have locations from Mission to the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Their services include drop in services, lunch meal, dinner meals and alchohol and drug addiction recovery programs. There is also a Mobile UGM. It's a van that drives around the Lower Mainland and provides homeless people with food and socks and other goodies. They also have special dinners where they need volunteers.
To be a general volunteer, you need to attend the orientation seminar, fill out an application form, go to an interview and sign an agreement form. This process is very extensive. There is also a 3 month probation period. It's like a job!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Day 296: Potential Volunteer opportunities
I have been looking for some volunteer opportunities for some time now. I haven't been actively looking, I think passively looking (if there is such a thing).
Tomorrow night I am going to the Union Gospel Mission's orientation. The volunteer position is serving food to the homeless in the downtown Eastside. I used to live by the downtown eastside and it was a scary place. Maybe it's not so scary anymore? Maybe you have to learn about the people who live there to be comfortable in their surroundings? A few years ago, my workplace had a group of them going to the downtown's soup kitchen. I didn't think that was practical volunteer experience. At that time, I wanted to volunteer somewhere I can gain more practical / office experience. But now I think it is a rewarding experience. I am getting older now and don't need to gain more experience. Volunteering to give food to the homeless is more about giving back to the community.
I am a Canucks fan. (In case you didn't notice my Canucks jackets, hats, jerseys, necklace and socks). A friend of mine, who is also a Canucks fan, told me about volunteering at Canucks games selling 50/50 tickets. At a Canucks game you can buy 50/50 tickets. The winner gets 50% of the money. The other 50% goes to Canucks charities. When you volunteer to sell the tickets, you are allowed to watch the game. The price of Canucks games have gone up from last year. Last year, I spent close to $100 on a game nite. It includes the ticket, maybe some mini donuts, maybe a drink or hot dog and gas / bus fare. As the price increases, the less I am able to go watch and support our Canucks. As a volunteer, I am supporting the charities and supporting the Canucks. I have sent the email to the volunteer coordinator with my contact information and availablity. I am waiting for their confirmation if I am accepted as a volunteer and what nites I will be volunteering.
Tomorrow night I am going to the Union Gospel Mission's orientation. The volunteer position is serving food to the homeless in the downtown Eastside. I used to live by the downtown eastside and it was a scary place. Maybe it's not so scary anymore? Maybe you have to learn about the people who live there to be comfortable in their surroundings? A few years ago, my workplace had a group of them going to the downtown's soup kitchen. I didn't think that was practical volunteer experience. At that time, I wanted to volunteer somewhere I can gain more practical / office experience. But now I think it is a rewarding experience. I am getting older now and don't need to gain more experience. Volunteering to give food to the homeless is more about giving back to the community.
I am a Canucks fan. (In case you didn't notice my Canucks jackets, hats, jerseys, necklace and socks). A friend of mine, who is also a Canucks fan, told me about volunteering at Canucks games selling 50/50 tickets. At a Canucks game you can buy 50/50 tickets. The winner gets 50% of the money. The other 50% goes to Canucks charities. When you volunteer to sell the tickets, you are allowed to watch the game. The price of Canucks games have gone up from last year. Last year, I spent close to $100 on a game nite. It includes the ticket, maybe some mini donuts, maybe a drink or hot dog and gas / bus fare. As the price increases, the less I am able to go watch and support our Canucks. As a volunteer, I am supporting the charities and supporting the Canucks. I have sent the email to the volunteer coordinator with my contact information and availablity. I am waiting for their confirmation if I am accepted as a volunteer and what nites I will be volunteering.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Day 295: Blues and Chili Festival
I first knew about this festival because one of the organizers came to the company I work at to rent some items. Because I didn't know about it last year, I thought it would be neat to check it out this year.
It took place today, Sept 19 from 11 am to 7 pm at the 200 block of Abbott St. There was a stage where they performed blues music. I have never really listened to blues music. It's pretty good as background music. I had a notion that it was depressing music. It's not all about being depressed. I don't think I would run out to go to a blues concert. But I wouldn't mind if I went to a restaurant playing blues music.
I knew there was a cost to trying the chili. Their tent didn't have real visible signage. I ended up asking some random people where to get the tickets. (I've been known to talk to random strangers.) The tickets to try the chili were 3 for $5 or 10 for $15. We were there to try the chili. There were 14 restaurants offering chili. We shared the chili that we tried. Luckily for us it stopped raining and it was starting to clear up. It was a good day to be outside in the afternoon. There were two restaurants that shared a 10 x 10 tent. I guess it would be kind of squishy for them. That's why they ordered the skinny tables from us.
I never really tried chili before. I don't think Wendy's chili counts. It was very interesting. Each restaurant made chili a little bit different. One restaurant added boar meat to theirs. Another restaurant had bison. Some had beans and meat. Another had just meat (the Texan style). Most of them were spicey. Some were too salty. Some had suckling pig. You get to vote for your favourite chili. We didn't vote. By the time we finished, we forgot about voting. Overall, I don't mind chili if it isn't too spicey. I don't think I would eat a whole bowl of it myself. I realized I like the chili with some beans and some meat.
There are so many restaurants in the Gastown area. We found out that Kirk McLean (Canuck alumni) has a restaurant in Gastown. That was our first chili stop. They had flyers and their business cards. The flyer had Kick McLean's picture from a hockey game. My first thought was 'why are they allowed to use his picture? isn't it copyrighted?' But I saw the business card and the contact was Kirk McLean. Who knew he had a restaurant?
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Day 294: Vancouver Fringe Festival
Tonight I went to see two Fringe shows. The Fringe festival is all about alternative theater. Some shows are good and some are bad. You never really know until you watch the shows or read the reviews or hear a review from your friends.
The first show was at the Carousel Theater. It was called The Exquisite Hour. It started at 6pm. We managed to get there just in time. From the write up, it seemed like a very thought provoking play. The play takes place in 1961. There is a man seemingly innocently wanting to enjoy a lemonade in his back yard. Then suddenly a woman shows up in his yard. She eventually tells him that she is selling encyclopedias. As a part of her 'sales' pitch, she gets him to pretend how much information he knows to impress woman. At the end, she reveals that she wasn't really there to sell the encyclopedias!
The show was only an hour long. There was a lull in the middle of the show for me. But it was a surprise ending (that's why I didn't write about it).
The second show was at the Wicked Cafe called Wicked Shorts. The name peaked interest for us. We got there 45mins before the show started. There were two tickets left and we managed to buy them. I was so surprised that 45mins before the show that it would be sold out. We were so lucky to get the last tickets. It was an interesting play. It was actually 4 smaller plays in the one hour time slot. It was performed by two actors (one male and one female). The four plays are totally unrelated to each other. It is a very small cafe and the actors use the counter space and the washroom as part of their play. The first one is about a couple who are one a blind date and it ends bad. The second one is about two servers in a restaurant who watch guests on dates in their restaurant. The third one is about a brother and sister who don't really get along. It was kinda hard to understand. It seemed like they have an incestuous relationship. The fourth one was the funniest and the best one.
I liked the Wicked Shorts better than The Exquisite Hour. Yes, there was alot of swearing, but that was ok. The short plays get to the point quicker. It's interesting to see how the actors become different characters.
The first show was at the Carousel Theater. It was called The Exquisite Hour. It started at 6pm. We managed to get there just in time. From the write up, it seemed like a very thought provoking play. The play takes place in 1961. There is a man seemingly innocently wanting to enjoy a lemonade in his back yard. Then suddenly a woman shows up in his yard. She eventually tells him that she is selling encyclopedias. As a part of her 'sales' pitch, she gets him to pretend how much information he knows to impress woman. At the end, she reveals that she wasn't really there to sell the encyclopedias!
The show was only an hour long. There was a lull in the middle of the show for me. But it was a surprise ending (that's why I didn't write about it).
The second show was at the Wicked Cafe called Wicked Shorts. The name peaked interest for us. We got there 45mins before the show started. There were two tickets left and we managed to buy them. I was so surprised that 45mins before the show that it would be sold out. We were so lucky to get the last tickets. It was an interesting play. It was actually 4 smaller plays in the one hour time slot. It was performed by two actors (one male and one female). The four plays are totally unrelated to each other. It is a very small cafe and the actors use the counter space and the washroom as part of their play. The first one is about a couple who are one a blind date and it ends bad. The second one is about two servers in a restaurant who watch guests on dates in their restaurant. The third one is about a brother and sister who don't really get along. It was kinda hard to understand. It seemed like they have an incestuous relationship. The fourth one was the funniest and the best one.
I liked the Wicked Shorts better than The Exquisite Hour. Yes, there was alot of swearing, but that was ok. The short plays get to the point quicker. It's interesting to see how the actors become different characters.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Day 293: I'm dreaming about chocolate already...
I received the continuing education flyer for Burnaby and Vancouver. I thought because most of the courses I was considering in Burnaby are also offered in Vancouver I ended up taking the courses in Vancouver. I am interested in the culinary courses, photography courses and writing courses. I ended up signing up for the one or two session courses.
I registered for two courses:
WRITE: THE POWER OF JOURNALING: AN ADVENTURE IN SELF-DISCOVERY
Journaling allows us to absorb information more effectively. It also helps us be more focused and creative. It awakens a new level of awareness. It creates more space for deeper thoughts to come through. Our minds work at about 1000 words per minute. When we write, the mind slows down to about 100 words a minute. This course brings in an additional element by using images with words to bring balance to your right and left brain thinking. Join us to explore the power of different journaling tools and experience new ways of thinking. A VSB Fine Arts Diploma course.
BAKING: LIVE BY CHOCOLATE
Join Chef Clarence & "live by chocolate" in this great hands-on class designed for true chocolate lovers. He will share with you his prized chocolate making techniques & recipes that you can use to celebrate any special occasion! You will learn to create your very own chocolate buffet with an array of tempting favourites such as: Chocolate Fondue & Dipped Fruit, Chocolate Orange Souffle, White Chocolate Truffles, Toblerone, Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Eclairs, Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Cake, Chocolate Amaretto Biscotti & more! Expand your knowledge of chocolate & learn where to buy the very finest. Bring an apron.
I chose the journaling course because hopefully it will help me with my 365 Day Challenge. It is only a one day (night) course. If it is a good course, I will be able to continue my blogging after my 365 days.
I chose the chocolate course because it's CHOCOLATE!!! I don't need to explain..hahha. It sounds really interesting. It's probably not intense but you get the idea of how to make all the yummy chocolate items. It will be a good chance for me to learn about chocolate before the chocolate festival starts in October!
I registered for two courses:
WRITE: THE POWER OF JOURNALING: AN ADVENTURE IN SELF-DISCOVERY
Journaling allows us to absorb information more effectively. It also helps us be more focused and creative. It awakens a new level of awareness. It creates more space for deeper thoughts to come through. Our minds work at about 1000 words per minute. When we write, the mind slows down to about 100 words a minute. This course brings in an additional element by using images with words to bring balance to your right and left brain thinking. Join us to explore the power of different journaling tools and experience new ways of thinking. A VSB Fine Arts Diploma course.
BAKING: LIVE BY CHOCOLATE Join Chef Clarence & "live by chocolate" in this great hands-on class designed for true chocolate lovers. He will share with you his prized chocolate making techniques & recipes that you can use to celebrate any special occasion! You will learn to create your very own chocolate buffet with an array of tempting favourites such as: Chocolate Fondue & Dipped Fruit, Chocolate Orange Souffle, White Chocolate Truffles, Toblerone, Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Eclairs, Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Cake, Chocolate Amaretto Biscotti & more! Expand your knowledge of chocolate & learn where to buy the very finest. Bring an apron.
I chose the journaling course because hopefully it will help me with my 365 Day Challenge. It is only a one day (night) course. If it is a good course, I will be able to continue my blogging after my 365 days.
I chose the chocolate course because it's CHOCOLATE!!! I don't need to explain..hahha. It sounds really interesting. It's probably not intense but you get the idea of how to make all the yummy chocolate items. It will be a good chance for me to learn about chocolate before the chocolate festival starts in October!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Day 292: What Love means to a 4-8 year old . . / Yin Yoga
Funnies:
What Love means to a 4-8 year old . .
http://lisasfunnies.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-love-means-to-4-8-year-old.html
Health and Wellness:
Yin Yoga
http://lisahealthwellness.blogspot.com/2010/09/day-27-yin-yoga.html
What Love means to a 4-8 year old . .
http://lisasfunnies.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-love-means-to-4-8-year-old.html
Health and Wellness:
Yin Yoga
http://lisahealthwellness.blogspot.com/2010/09/day-27-yin-yoga.html
Day 291: CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE KIDS.... / Hot Yoga at Yyoga
Funnies:
Health and Wellness:
Hot Yoga at Yyoga - http://lisahealthwellness.blogspot.com/2010/09/day-26-hot-yoga-at-yyoga.html
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE KIDS.... - http://lisasfunnies.blogspot.com/2010/09/congratulations-to-all-kids.html
Health and Wellness:
Hot Yoga at Yyoga - http://lisahealthwellness.blogspot.com/2010/09/day-26-hot-yoga-at-yyoga.html
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Day 290: House of Wings / Museum of Vancouver
House of Wings
I started my day with lunch at the House of Wings. I was having lunch with a couple of friends. One friend wants to sell some comic books and the other friend is a comic book lover with a large collection of comics who may be able to help sell the comics. Comic books is a whole different language for me. I was happy to connect them.
I have never been to House of Wings before. It is located at Highgate Mall. It used to be Applebee's. After Applebees closed down, it was another restaurant. It has only been House of Wings for about six months. With a name like House of Wings, the wings better be good. The wings were on sale today for 37 cents each. We shared a few plates of wings. There were so many flavours to choose from. We ordered 4 plates of wings: tropical BBQ, honey garlic, unltimate pineapple and ginger sesame. There were interesting flavours such as chocolate, peanut butter and jelly and honey cinnamon. I liked the tropical BBQ and the honey garlic. The ginger sesame was too dry. I didn't like the ultimate pineapple flavour. I usually like pineapple flavoured food but not these wings. It was the cooked wing covered with a pineapple syrup.
Museum of Vancouver
I wanted to see the Fox, Fluevog and Friends exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver. While there, I noticed they were also exhibiting Home Grown. Fox, Fluevog and Friends is the history on John Fluevog, Peter Fox and Ken Rice. They are local shoe designers who became popular. They exhibit ends on September 26. Home Grown is about sustainable living which includes community gardens, composting and growing your own vegetables.
The layout of the museum is quite interesting. The museum is quite small so they didn't have a floor plan to give guests. I asked the cashier for a map but she said they don't have one. She showed me a floor plan of the museum. Once you pass the cashier the exhibits are on the right and the left. On the right is the Fox, Fluevog and Friends in the middle. The Home Grown exhibit surrounds the Fox, Fluevog and Friends exhibit. On the left is the History of Vancouver. The Fox, Fluevog and Friends exhibit is quite interesting. There are old drawings of their designs, old family pictures and, of course, the shoes. Some shoes are so unique that it would seem impractical for everyday wear. Home Grown was quite interesting. I am not about growing my own vegetables, but many people are and this exhibit shows this.
The exhibit I enjoyed the most was the History of Vancouver. There were big posters and old artifacts. There was a section on the Japanese history and the Chinese history in Vancouver. There was a section on the 50's and the 70's. We were only at the museum for little less than 2 hours.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Day 289: I am addicted to.....
... bubble tea. I know they are about 500 calories a cup with pearls. When I'm thirsty, I am craving a bubble tea. I feel very bloated after I finish one myself. If I share one, it's ok. I have been having one an average of one every other day for the past two weeks. I detour to the nearest bubble tea place if there is one close by. I was at Metrotown the other day and I made a detour to Little Tea House. My friend lives by Highgate. Recently when I visit him, we hang out the Estea which is a few minute drive from Highgate.
At Estea they offer soya pudding with a choice of beans (red, green, or mixed) and pearls. The first time I had soya pudding with taro with half pearls and half coconut jelly. It was in a takeout cup with the sealed lid. It was layered: bottom layer was the pearls and the coconut jelly, the syrupy sugary liquid layer, then there was the soya pudding, the top layer was the chunk of taro. Taro is kinda like a potato and they just put a chunk of taro in my cup. It wasn't even in a liquid form where I can sip it with my straw. How would I get the taro out? I had to wait till I was finish the liquid and open the lid to eat the taro. The other two times I went to Estea I ordered the mixed beans with half pearls and half coconut jelly. We stayed in the restaurant so my bubble tea was served in a bowl. It was kinda weird eating bubble tea with a spoon. Not many bubble tea places offer soya pudding. Because I was at a place which offered soya pudding, I will order it.
I prefer the fruity slush flavors, like mango and papaya. I had watermelon slush for the first time the other day. It was refreshing. I tried grape slush. It wasn't very good. It tasted like a grape slurpee with pearls. I don't like the mixed fruit flavours. I tried strawberry and a bunch of other flavours together. It was just one big mush. I couldn't distinguish the different flavours. I dated a guy who would deliver me a mango slush bubble tea about once a week for a span of a few months. I guess I was a bit spoiled. Now I have to get my own bubble tea. There aren't that many bubble tea places close to my work or else I would have one every day. The closest one is the one in Tinseltown. It is kinda of a pain to go there because of the parking situation and it is upstairs in the food court. There are other bubble tea places that we know of but they don't open till about 2 pm. That's too late. Because if they opened earlier we can go get our lunch and detour to the bubble tea place. The coffee shop across the street from where I work started to offer bubble tea, but it's powdered and they don't mix it well so it's crap. In the summer time, I prefer the cold flavours. When it is cooler outside or when I need to warm up, I order the hot flavoured teas.
We were at Seattle Premium Outlets a few weeks ago. There was a small bubble tea stand. I saw all the powder flavour containers. They did offer a few fresh fruit flavours. I ordered a fresh fruit flavour. The young guy cut the fruit and put it in a Magic Bullet (http://www.buythebullet.com/). We have a Magic Bullet at home and I thought about making my own bubble tea. I think about all the work involved in making the bubble tea and that thought passed quickly.
I know it's kinda of a rip off cause I can probably get a big bucket of soya pudding for $5. I guess bubble tea is a rip off. The ingredients cost almost nothing and they jack up the prices for the customers. I think it's kinda like coffee. People are willing to spend $4-$5 on a coffee. I am willing to spend $4-$5 on a bubble tea. I think you can buy the ingredients and make it at home. It's like drinking home made coffee versus store bought coffee. It's not the same.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Day 288: Blood Donation
After being rejected at Canada Blood Services a few weeks ago for donating blood, I attempted to go again.
This week I had Tuesday off because Monday was a stat holiday. Canada Blood Services on Oak street is closed on Sundays and holidays. I didn't know if I would have time to donate blood on Tuesday. I went to dim sum with my Dad then I went for bubble tea with my friend. After all that food, I drove home and call Canada Blood Services to see if I can do drop in or if I can make an appointment. Lucky me, there was an appointment slot available. I made an appointment and drove there right away. On the phone, the lady said to make sure that my blood sugar level was good and to drink lots of fluids. I got to the Oak Street location and noticed that my blood sugar was dropping. I know it is low when I get weak, cranky and moody. I asked the receptionist if there was a vending machine. She asked me what I was looking for. I told her I needed some sugar. She said I can take some cookies from the refreshment station. I grabbed some Oreos and some Fudge-o's. I felt much better.
I had to do the process from the beginning. They had to check my iron level. I was confident my iron level was good. A few weeks ago I went to my doctor to get a check up done. I told him I get cold easily and he suggested that I get my iron level tested and my thyroid tested. Those test came back fine. Then I had to fill out their questionnaire with the million of questions. Make sure most of your answers are 'no' or else they will prob more on why your answers were 'yes'. Next step is where I was rejected last time. This time it went fine. They took my blood pressure and heart rate. I think this time my heart rate was about 93, not 103 like last time.
There is a small waiting area you have to go before you get to sit on that comfortable chair to give blood. In the waiting area, there are about 9 seats in a 'U' shape. The TV was on the Food Network. I like the Food Network, except when I'm hungry. The food makes me hungry. After waiting for 10 minutes, it was my turn. They ask if you prefer to give blood on your right or your left arm. I chose my left arm because I am right handed and my right hand is my dominant arm. If I have pain on my left arm, that's ok. It's easier to rest it than my right arm. On my lounge chair, I can still watch the Food Network on TV. The most painful part is when they insert the needle in you. It is a pokey feeling. After it is in your arm, it is a bit uncomfortable. Canada Blood Services lets you back out from donating blood at any time you feel uncomfortable. I was thinking since I'm there already, might as well go all the way. I sat there on my lounge chair for about 10-15 minutes before they took out the needle. They escort you off the chair and to the refreshment area. They have juice and cookies. You can sit there for as long as you want until you feel well enough to leave. I had my juice and lots of cookies before I left.
They suggest that you don't do any strenuous activities for 6-8 hours after blood donation. I just came home and rested. I felt quite light headed and weak for the rest of the night. It is good to know that your sacrifice of an hour of your day can save up to three lives.
This week I had Tuesday off because Monday was a stat holiday. Canada Blood Services on Oak street is closed on Sundays and holidays. I didn't know if I would have time to donate blood on Tuesday. I went to dim sum with my Dad then I went for bubble tea with my friend. After all that food, I drove home and call Canada Blood Services to see if I can do drop in or if I can make an appointment. Lucky me, there was an appointment slot available. I made an appointment and drove there right away. On the phone, the lady said to make sure that my blood sugar level was good and to drink lots of fluids. I got to the Oak Street location and noticed that my blood sugar was dropping. I know it is low when I get weak, cranky and moody. I asked the receptionist if there was a vending machine. She asked me what I was looking for. I told her I needed some sugar. She said I can take some cookies from the refreshment station. I grabbed some Oreos and some Fudge-o's. I felt much better.
I had to do the process from the beginning. They had to check my iron level. I was confident my iron level was good. A few weeks ago I went to my doctor to get a check up done. I told him I get cold easily and he suggested that I get my iron level tested and my thyroid tested. Those test came back fine. Then I had to fill out their questionnaire with the million of questions. Make sure most of your answers are 'no' or else they will prob more on why your answers were 'yes'. Next step is where I was rejected last time. This time it went fine. They took my blood pressure and heart rate. I think this time my heart rate was about 93, not 103 like last time.
There is a small waiting area you have to go before you get to sit on that comfortable chair to give blood. In the waiting area, there are about 9 seats in a 'U' shape. The TV was on the Food Network. I like the Food Network, except when I'm hungry. The food makes me hungry. After waiting for 10 minutes, it was my turn. They ask if you prefer to give blood on your right or your left arm. I chose my left arm because I am right handed and my right hand is my dominant arm. If I have pain on my left arm, that's ok. It's easier to rest it than my right arm. On my lounge chair, I can still watch the Food Network on TV. The most painful part is when they insert the needle in you. It is a pokey feeling. After it is in your arm, it is a bit uncomfortable. Canada Blood Services lets you back out from donating blood at any time you feel uncomfortable. I was thinking since I'm there already, might as well go all the way. I sat there on my lounge chair for about 10-15 minutes before they took out the needle. They escort you off the chair and to the refreshment area. They have juice and cookies. You can sit there for as long as you want until you feel well enough to leave. I had my juice and lots of cookies before I left.
They suggest that you don't do any strenuous activities for 6-8 hours after blood donation. I just came home and rested. I felt quite light headed and weak for the rest of the night. It is good to know that your sacrifice of an hour of your day can save up to three lives.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Day 287: Many Munchies at Milestones
In the last week I have eaten at Milestones three times. The first time was on a Monday. The second time on Wednesday. The last time was Sunday.
My adventure on Monday at Milestone's was with two girl friends. We were at the Cambie and 8th location. On Mondays at Milestone's they have a Girls Nite Out deal. I met the gals at 3pm so we didn't know if the special was valid during the afternoon. I called to double check and they do serve that deal all day on Mondays for girls. The Girls Nite Out deal consists of 4 appies and 4 bellinis for $40. We ordered the spinach and artichoke dip, yam fries, the flatbread plate and honey phyllo shrimp. I did eat before meeting the gals. But with all the food we ordered, I ate some more. I was in the mood for the spinach and artichoke dip. Boy, was I stuffed by the end of lunch!
On Wednesday I went out with my male friend. We had the date night special. No, we weren't on a date. We went to the Lougheed Hwy location. Both of us are dating other people. It was $50 for the deal and it included one appie, two entrees and one dessert. For the appie, we had the honey phyllo shrimp (sounds familiar). We both had the angus beef top sirlion. It was served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The steak was unique becuase it was served with three different dipping sauces: house made Worcestershire, Kobe mustard and gaucho sauce. We ended our meal with the caramel gingered apple crisp. It was good.
The third time to Milestones was to attend my friend's birthday party. We went to the Yaletown location. It wasn't very busy for a Sunday night. There was a private room that wasn't being used. We asked if we can use it for the birthday party. Luckily for us, the manager approved and we had our dinner at the lovely private room. For dinner, I had the slow roasted AAA prime rib. It was done medium rare and served with mashed potatoes and some vegetables. There was a bit too much fatty parts to my prime rib but overall it was delicious.
My adventure on Monday at Milestone's was with two girl friends. We were at the Cambie and 8th location. On Mondays at Milestone's they have a Girls Nite Out deal. I met the gals at 3pm so we didn't know if the special was valid during the afternoon. I called to double check and they do serve that deal all day on Mondays for girls. The Girls Nite Out deal consists of 4 appies and 4 bellinis for $40. We ordered the spinach and artichoke dip, yam fries, the flatbread plate and honey phyllo shrimp. I did eat before meeting the gals. But with all the food we ordered, I ate some more. I was in the mood for the spinach and artichoke dip. Boy, was I stuffed by the end of lunch!
On Wednesday I went out with my male friend. We had the date night special. No, we weren't on a date. We went to the Lougheed Hwy location. Both of us are dating other people. It was $50 for the deal and it included one appie, two entrees and one dessert. For the appie, we had the honey phyllo shrimp (sounds familiar). We both had the angus beef top sirlion. It was served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The steak was unique becuase it was served with three different dipping sauces: house made Worcestershire, Kobe mustard and gaucho sauce. We ended our meal with the caramel gingered apple crisp. It was good.
The third time to Milestones was to attend my friend's birthday party. We went to the Yaletown location. It wasn't very busy for a Sunday night. There was a private room that wasn't being used. We asked if we can use it for the birthday party. Luckily for us, the manager approved and we had our dinner at the lovely private room. For dinner, I had the slow roasted AAA prime rib. It was done medium rare and served with mashed potatoes and some vegetables. There was a bit too much fatty parts to my prime rib but overall it was delicious.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Day 285: PNE
PNE is a Vancouver tradition. I used to work at the PNE for 5 years in a row. The first 3 years I worked at a concession stand. We sold foot long hotdogs and sno cones. The last two years I worked as a hostess. We were basically roaming guest services. After I stopped working at the PNE, I would go to the PNE at least once a year. Last year they had a promo where if you were a Gold Card member, you can get in for free. A Gold Card is a casino loyalty card. This year there wasn't that promotion, but I had some of my friends send me their promo codes so I could save $5 a tix. I didn't end up using the promo codes, I managed to get free tix. I went to PNE three times this year.
The first time was right before the Bryan Adams concert becuase our concert ticket included gate admission to the PNE. We only spend about 1.5 hour there. We had to strategize on what to see in such a short period of time. One thing we wanted to see was the prize home. We walked by and there was a long lineup. We didn't want to spend our time in line. So we skipped the prize home. I heard about this new candy exhibit that started this year. We found it. It is called Candy Nation and it is on the concourse of the Pacific Coliseum on the right hand side. It's a really neat exhibit. There is all kinds of candy for sale. There were also old candy dispensing machines. There was also a history on the various candy makers. I am kissing Elvis! The Elvis poster is made from jelly beans.
One thing I have to do at the PNE is to play the games at Playland. I know it's a waste of money but it's a lot of fun. Most of the games are too hard for me or they are games of chance / luck and I don't always have luck on my side. The two games I have to play are the 'horse racing' games. One is the one where you throw the ball into holes and the holes determine how fast your 'horse' goes. The fastest 'horse' wins a prize. The other one is like a pinball game. We won a prize playing the first horse racing game and we also won a prize playing Whack-A-Mole.
The second venture to the PNE was Friday night. PNE this year has a line of performers on their mainstage. On Friday night Cyndi Lauper was performing. She had a few hits in the 80's. One Cyndi Lauper favourite song was 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun'. It's a classic party song. In the 80's, she sang pop songs. Now she is a blues singer. She did sing her 80's pop songs near the end of her performance. While she was singing her blues songs, we managed to see the PNE Prize Home. It was nice. I always find the bedrooms too small in the prize homes. The washroom in the master bedroom upstairs was the highlight for me. It had a TV and a hot tub. It is nice and spacious. The last show we watched was Kaboom! It is a pyrotechnics show with dancers. It is quiet neat. Because this is PNE's 100th year, they had clippings (video and pictures) from the various era's.
Today was my third time at the PNE this year. I wanted to see some of the things I didn't manage to see the other times I went. We went to see the Superdogs. It's a cool show. They take dogs out of the SPCA and train them to be Superdogs. Being a Superdog entails being disciplined and fast. Some dogs are faster than others. The Superdogs show is basically a dog race. Its fun because there is lots of audience participation. One the way to the Superdogs show, we picked up some little donuts and a whale tail. We got a whale tail with rasberry jam.
After the Superdogs, we were going to watch the mariachi band. We got to the location and watched for a few minutes. It is a very small space. We wanted to head to the Agrodome to watch the horse jumping show. Once we got there and sat down, they made an announcement saying that the 2:30 show was postponed to 4pm. We couldn't make it to the 4 pm show so we just left. We ended up going to the Marketplace. It's a place where they sell lots of stuff. The gals I went with liked to stop and look at many of the booths. Each of us bought something from the Marketplace.
The first time was right before the Bryan Adams concert becuase our concert ticket included gate admission to the PNE. We only spend about 1.5 hour there. We had to strategize on what to see in such a short period of time. One thing we wanted to see was the prize home. We walked by and there was a long lineup. We didn't want to spend our time in line. So we skipped the prize home. I heard about this new candy exhibit that started this year. We found it. It is called Candy Nation and it is on the concourse of the Pacific Coliseum on the right hand side. It's a really neat exhibit. There is all kinds of candy for sale. There were also old candy dispensing machines. There was also a history on the various candy makers. I am kissing Elvis! The Elvis poster is made from jelly beans.
One thing I have to do at the PNE is to play the games at Playland. I know it's a waste of money but it's a lot of fun. Most of the games are too hard for me or they are games of chance / luck and I don't always have luck on my side. The two games I have to play are the 'horse racing' games. One is the one where you throw the ball into holes and the holes determine how fast your 'horse' goes. The fastest 'horse' wins a prize. The other one is like a pinball game. We won a prize playing the first horse racing game and we also won a prize playing Whack-A-Mole.
The second venture to the PNE was Friday night. PNE this year has a line of performers on their mainstage. On Friday night Cyndi Lauper was performing. She had a few hits in the 80's. One Cyndi Lauper favourite song was 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun'. It's a classic party song. In the 80's, she sang pop songs. Now she is a blues singer. She did sing her 80's pop songs near the end of her performance. While she was singing her blues songs, we managed to see the PNE Prize Home. It was nice. I always find the bedrooms too small in the prize homes. The washroom in the master bedroom upstairs was the highlight for me. It had a TV and a hot tub. It is nice and spacious. The last show we watched was Kaboom! It is a pyrotechnics show with dancers. It is quiet neat. Because this is PNE's 100th year, they had clippings (video and pictures) from the various era's.
Today was my third time at the PNE this year. I wanted to see some of the things I didn't manage to see the other times I went. We went to see the Superdogs. It's a cool show. They take dogs out of the SPCA and train them to be Superdogs. Being a Superdog entails being disciplined and fast. Some dogs are faster than others. The Superdogs show is basically a dog race. Its fun because there is lots of audience participation. One the way to the Superdogs show, we picked up some little donuts and a whale tail. We got a whale tail with rasberry jam.
After the Superdogs, we were going to watch the mariachi band. We got to the location and watched for a few minutes. It is a very small space. We wanted to head to the Agrodome to watch the horse jumping show. Once we got there and sat down, they made an announcement saying that the 2:30 show was postponed to 4pm. We couldn't make it to the 4 pm show so we just left. We ended up going to the Marketplace. It's a place where they sell lots of stuff. The gals I went with liked to stop and look at many of the booths. Each of us bought something from the Marketplace.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Day 284: Fraser River Gold Panning Championships
My friend Troy was at the Fraser River Gold Panning Championships this past weekend. I met Troy in 2004 while working at InfoNet (http://www.infonet-tech.com/). I was a marketing assistant and he was a computer programmer. Most of the employees at InfoNet didn't speak English that well. After Troy got hired, we hung out at lunch time and during work hours. He would get in trouble because we were hanging out too much during work hours and his boss didn't like that. After a year of working there, I decided to go back to school. At around the same time I submitted my resignation, Troy had enough of the place and decided to move on to other ventures. It was Facebook that reconnected us years later. He just emailed me today about his adventure at the Fraser River Gold Panning Championships. It is very interesting and I've decided to share it with anyone who reads my blog.
Hi guys,
This past weekend I got back from the Fraser River Gold Panning Championships. A 4 day camping trip up at Yale,BC. Thursday and Friday was gold panning tutorials/demos down by the river (and yes, we all found flakes of flour gold!
http://www.yukondan.com/
http://www.yukondan.com/home.php?page=championships
Saturday and Sunday was the Championship itself. There's some serious events, but there's some really fun ones too. Here Brenda and I took turns in the blindfold event. Oh sure... find some flakes of gold in a bucket of dirt while blindfolded... goooood luck! :P
There were a lot of older fellas out there are wearing their prospectin' hats and whatnot.
Check out this guy's truck. It's from 1940. He said he tried to buy a vintage trailer too, but it never worked out so he made that trailer you see below.
This is the guy himself and his wife. There's a core group of these gold panners that are right into these competitions!
They also had great events for all the kids. Amanda was in something called the "Mini Miners" and "Mini Miner Gold Rush" events. All the kids under 7 won prizes too.
When getting ready for the trip, I figured I could use a satellite dish to get a cell phone signal at the Yale campground so I threw it into the trunk. Later, I duct taped the antenna to the dish. But no luck :( I couldn't get a signal to save my life.
Well, it turns out one of the contests is called "Anything but a gold pan".
People were coming out with frisbees and frying pans and hubcaps. One guy used a big chunk of tree bark and actually did really good.
I figured this contest would be the one where everyone would get to know Troy :D
Night before I pulled the stand off and made some other slight mods and voila...
The younger teens and kids thought it was hilarious and it got lots of laughs from people. But the "Professionals" were all quite interested in my "pan". One of them suggested I switch to the big tubs at the back of the field. and 2 others came over to give me a crash course in something called "flat panning" which is what the experts use for "speed".
I got 6 flakes of gold out of that crazy pan. Took me 6:08. Turns out everybody else only got 5. Ah, but there were only s'pposed to be 5 in there and extra flakes don't count. Is too bad, if everyone had gotten a 3 minute for a missing flake I would've won it! Still though, whatever... the satellite dish is actually pretty effective for panning although it is a bit heavy on the arms... even with the extra handle.
Although there are several fun events, the teen, adult, professional and flat-panning contests are all really serious. Some of the pics I took really show how serious people take these events.
Game-Face Robin. This guy is a serious prospector. He'll tell ya tips & tricks, but not his special places to go looking :) (He's a super nice guy, don't let the expression fool ya).
This one here was called "Grudge Match" maybe? I call him HipWader Willy on the left and Castlegar Sam in the back. getting ready. Ted Turner in foreground. Notice the pins in their hats?
HipWader Willy so calm, so cool. I had invited him and Sam to our campfire the night before and we had a great time talking about gold prospecting. I had no idea they were such high-calibre panners. At the bottom of the screen is Ted Turner who drives the red truck. Not until I started looking at the photos did I realize how competitive these guys are!
(Hip Wader Willy won the prestigious flat-panning competition!).
I had a really lucky moment on the first day in the Adults competition. After shaking the gold to the bottom of the pan, I over-sloshed the pan and lost almost all the rocks and dirt in one go. Figured the gold was gone :( Heart sunk. I kept at it and "whattyaknow? I found 4 of 4 flakes in crazy fast time! I came in second in the qualifying heat of the Adults category, one category below the "Pros".
I figured best to enjoy it that night though, cuz in the final heat on Sunday I was sure to get blown outta the water.
That night we had a salmon BBQ across the street at the Hope River Esso-General Store - native style. Was good eatin.
On Sunday the same thing sorta happened again... I'd gotten down to a much smaller amount of dirt in the pan really fast, but I was too adrenalized and sloshed too much out again! Crap!
Suspect this was the moment of disaster :( Too much sloshed out.
But then -hey! I saw 4 flakes of gold!
I was about to call "GOLD!" (Your timer stops the clock and whatever's showing in the pan is what counts). Then I remembered that there might be more in the pan!.... oh crap... little swishes now but so hard to be steady. Lost one back into the dirt again."crap" - couple more little swishes and I had 7 flakes pushed off to the side, good enough "GOLD!". Was a fast time... 2:03. Really fast.
But then while waiting in line to report to the judges I heard people saying they got 8 flakes :( Means I took a 3 minute penalty so 5:03. Too bad eh? The rest of these guys are all really good and lots of people started calling "gold" so that's it, with the 3 minute penalty I was out of the running for sure.
After lunch this girl Cheryl (who had provided critical tips about panning on Thursday and Friday) came over and gave me a hug and said "Let me be the first to congratulate you".
What? What the hell for? I walked over the office where results were posted.
Third??? !!! Just unbelievable. I was just walking on air after that!
I had the trophy sitting on the dash of the RV as we drove out of the lot. Yukon Dan laughed when he saw us pull out with the RV later.
Pretty good for my first time out eh? :D
Thanks for lettin me bend yer ear guys,
Troy
Hi guys,
This past weekend I got back from the Fraser River Gold Panning Championships. A 4 day camping trip up at Yale,BC. Thursday and Friday was gold panning tutorials/demos down by the river (and yes, we all found flakes of flour gold!
http://www.yukondan.com/
http://www.yukondan.com/home.
Saturday and Sunday was the Championship itself. There's some serious events, but there's some really fun ones too. Here Brenda and I took turns in the blindfold event. Oh sure... find some flakes of gold in a bucket of dirt while blindfolded... goooood luck! :P
There were a lot of older fellas out there are wearing their prospectin' hats and whatnot.
Check out this guy's truck. It's from 1940. He said he tried to buy a vintage trailer too, but it never worked out so he made that trailer you see below.
This is the guy himself and his wife. There's a core group of these gold panners that are right into these competitions!
They also had great events for all the kids. Amanda was in something called the "Mini Miners" and "Mini Miner Gold Rush" events. All the kids under 7 won prizes too.
When getting ready for the trip, I figured I could use a satellite dish to get a cell phone signal at the Yale campground so I threw it into the trunk. Later, I duct taped the antenna to the dish. But no luck :( I couldn't get a signal to save my life.
Well, it turns out one of the contests is called "Anything but a gold pan".
People were coming out with frisbees and frying pans and hubcaps. One guy used a big chunk of tree bark and actually did really good.
I figured this contest would be the one where everyone would get to know Troy :D
Night before I pulled the stand off and made some other slight mods and voila...
The younger teens and kids thought it was hilarious and it got lots of laughs from people. But the "Professionals" were all quite interested in my "pan". One of them suggested I switch to the big tubs at the back of the field. and 2 others came over to give me a crash course in something called "flat panning" which is what the experts use for "speed".
I got 6 flakes of gold out of that crazy pan. Took me 6:08. Turns out everybody else only got 5. Ah, but there were only s'pposed to be 5 in there and extra flakes don't count. Is too bad, if everyone had gotten a 3 minute for a missing flake I would've won it! Still though, whatever... the satellite dish is actually pretty effective for panning although it is a bit heavy on the arms... even with the extra handle.
Although there are several fun events, the teen, adult, professional and flat-panning contests are all really serious. Some of the pics I took really show how serious people take these events.
Game-Face Robin. This guy is a serious prospector. He'll tell ya tips & tricks, but not his special places to go looking :) (He's a super nice guy, don't let the expression fool ya).
This one here was called "Grudge Match" maybe? I call him HipWader Willy on the left and Castlegar Sam in the back. getting ready. Ted Turner in foreground. Notice the pins in their hats?
HipWader Willy so calm, so cool. I had invited him and Sam to our campfire the night before and we had a great time talking about gold prospecting. I had no idea they were such high-calibre panners. At the bottom of the screen is Ted Turner who drives the red truck. Not until I started looking at the photos did I realize how competitive these guys are!
(Hip Wader Willy won the prestigious flat-panning competition!).
I had a really lucky moment on the first day in the Adults competition. After shaking the gold to the bottom of the pan, I over-sloshed the pan and lost almost all the rocks and dirt in one go. Figured the gold was gone :( Heart sunk. I kept at it and "whattyaknow? I found 4 of 4 flakes in crazy fast time! I came in second in the qualifying heat of the Adults category, one category below the "Pros".
I figured best to enjoy it that night though, cuz in the final heat on Sunday I was sure to get blown outta the water.
That night we had a salmon BBQ across the street at the Hope River Esso-General Store - native style. Was good eatin.
On Sunday the same thing sorta happened again... I'd gotten down to a much smaller amount of dirt in the pan really fast, but I was too adrenalized and sloshed too much out again! Crap!
Suspect this was the moment of disaster :( Too much sloshed out.
But then -hey! I saw 4 flakes of gold!
I was about to call "GOLD!" (Your timer stops the clock and whatever's showing in the pan is what counts). Then I remembered that there might be more in the pan!.... oh crap... little swishes now but so hard to be steady. Lost one back into the dirt again."crap" - couple more little swishes and I had 7 flakes pushed off to the side, good enough "GOLD!". Was a fast time... 2:03. Really fast.
But then while waiting in line to report to the judges I heard people saying they got 8 flakes :( Means I took a 3 minute penalty so 5:03. Too bad eh? The rest of these guys are all really good and lots of people started calling "gold" so that's it, with the 3 minute penalty I was out of the running for sure.
After lunch this girl Cheryl (who had provided critical tips about panning on Thursday and Friday) came over and gave me a hug and said "Let me be the first to congratulate you".
What? What the hell for? I walked over the office where results were posted.
Third??? !!! Just unbelievable. I was just walking on air after that!
I had the trophy sitting on the dash of the RV as we drove out of the lot. Yukon Dan laughed when he saw us pull out with the RV later.
Pretty good for my first time out eh? :D
Thanks for lettin me bend yer ear guys,
Troy
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Day 283: Landmark Education
A few months ago a friend of mine mentioned to me about Landmark Education (http://www.landmarkeducation.com/). I have known him for a few years. But I didn't know him that well. One day after so many years of knowing him, we went out for dinner. He started to open up to me. He told me about how he was depressed for years and was taking antidepressants. One day his friend took him to show him about Landmark Education. My friend decided to sign up for the course. The beginner course is only four days long. At the dinner, my friend said the four day course changed his life. He is much happier. He has more focus in life. He enjoys his job. He found the love of his life. To make such an impact on someone's life, this is a pretty good course / seminar.
Another friend took the beginner course and it made an impact on her life. She just graduated from the advanced course. She is very excited about the positive changes she is making in her life because of this course. Because of these great changes in her life, she wants to teach / mentor others on how to live a great life.
When I went to the seminar last night, it gave me an introduction on what the program is about. It is about learning about yourself, your feelings and emotions to live a better life.You learn to analyze various aspects of your life and how to improve them.
Another friend took the beginner course and it made an impact on her life. She just graduated from the advanced course. She is very excited about the positive changes she is making in her life because of this course. Because of these great changes in her life, she wants to teach / mentor others on how to live a great life.
When I went to the seminar last night, it gave me an introduction on what the program is about. It is about learning about yourself, your feelings and emotions to live a better life.You learn to analyze various aspects of your life and how to improve them.
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