Luck was NOT a lady today!

Picture this:

...a set of stairs leading up to the Vancouver Art Gallery
...on the stairs 150 white cowboy hats...15 rows of 10 across
...under one hat, a red envelope holding a prize of an all expense paid trip for 2 to the Calgary Stampede
...price of admission...FREE

On my way to lunch at one of the food trucks near Robson Square in down town Vancouver, I happened upon this little promotional event.  I've got time, so I sign up and get a little yellow coloured bracelet promising me an opportunity to pick a white hat which may have this free trip underneath.  Every 30 seconds, 10 people will be permitted into the area to select their hat by standing beside it.  I'm in the 5th group of ten to select.  Right from the get-go a little voice tells me "pick a hat that's 2nd in from the outside".  Well, that doesn't really narrow it down.  Should it be 2nd in from the left...from the right....up high....or down low???  Some of the choice had been removed from my hands as 50 some odd have already chosen their hats before it's my turn.  I find a hat, second in from the right hand side, up near the back...3rd row down from the top.  Very shortly after, all hats are picked...the countdown begins....3.....2....1, I bend down with the 149 others to pick up my hat....it does NOT contain the red envelope holding the free trip.  The winner of the free trip???  The young guy standing right in front of me....2nd hat in from the right....4th row down from the top.  The only consolation....he was already in place when I took up the spot behind him.  Oh well, my little voice got me as close as it could given the choices I had to make.  Everything happens for a reason....today, luck was not a lady....it was a young guy.  Tomorrow....you just never know!

I didn't win the trip...but I got to keep the hat.  Not too shabby!

WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK:  Vancouver is a nice place to visit....don't think I'd want to live here!!!  It's just too big and reminiscent of my days in Toronto!  But had I won a trip to Calgary today....then both Vancouver AND Calgary would have been my favourite places!!!!

That's Insanity!

It's been a long 10 days here in Vancouver, so as a reward I bought myself something that I've been hearing a lot about lately.  It's a 60 day workout program called "Insanity".  Who'd have thought the day would come that I would consider a workout program a reward?!  That's how serious I'm starting to take the East vs West Weight Loss Challenge.  (Watch out Shelley....I'm gunning for you now!!)  I've got to get with the program...and when I get away from these Purdy's Chocolates, we'll ALL be better off!!!  Unfortunately, I won't be able to start my 60 days until I get my knee looked after next week.  All the R&R just haven't fixed it, not to mention all the jet therapy in the hotel hot tub.

It's been a very interesting visit here, and I've got to spend time with my old friend Maureen.  We've taken in 2 documentary films with the DOXA Film Festival, ate out at some very retro diners (the Acme Cafe...where I had THE BEST tomato soup....ev-ah!, and Save-On Meats), and saw lots of tourist attractions.  The only way to top this whole trip is if I get that elusive upgrade to business class on my return flight home.  Time will tell!!

WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK:  There's a new program offered at the Starwood Hotel Chain.  If you forego housekeeping services, you'll be offered a $5 coupon towards food service in your hotel.  It's called "The Green Choice".  It can be accumulated, but must be used prior to check-out, or can be converted to 500 loyalty points per coupon...so tomorrow night, I'll be dining in the hotel restaurant with some nice credits, compliments of the Sheraton.

And oh what heights we'll hit....on with the show, this is it.

It's been a weekend of facing my fears, moving outside my comfort zone, and scaring the bejeezers out of myself.  Why do we do these things to ourselves??  What is the purpose of it??  It's not like I'm competing in the Amazing Race and have to do these things for a million dollars.  (BTW my team won the Amazing Race last night....yeah Rachel and Dave!)  I just wanted to be able to say I did them....I guess.  My Saturday started with a trip up Grouse Mountain on the gondola.  Don't remember the exact figure, but somewhere in excess of 3000 meters.  I was just one of many sardines jammed into the gondola...only I was right by the window...and for some strange reason, all I could think about was the headlines in the paper should the gondola, or the sardines inside, fall to the ground.  Coming down seemed easier.

Wayyyy up....and I'll call Rusty!

View of Vancouver from the gondola

Once I got over that little excursion, we stopped at the Capilano Suspension Bridge.  Imagine how thrilled I was to learn that they've expanded beyond just the Suspension Bridge, and now have a Tree Top Walk and Cliff Walk.  I mean really....how difficult can it be....I've done a Suspension Bridge in Northern Ireland, and a Tree Top Walk in Australia...so how bad could it be....right??  Well, the bridge was tons longer than the one in N. Ireland...and much bouncier!  There had to have been 30 people on the bridge at one time!!!  It was verrrryyy scary.  But, applying the philosophy of mind over matter....I got across...and then back.  Again...I just kept imagining the headlines in the paper...

The return trip across...you may notice a "deer in the headlights" look.

Then there was the Tree Top Walk.  It wasn't as tall as the one in Australia...but I was reeling after having just moments before gotten across the bridge.

Luckily you can't see the white knuckles!

And if those two things weren't enough....we had to do the Cliff Walk...with the glass overhang.  Could it be any worse than what I'd just done??  Well, maybe not worse, but definitely equally as scary.

Maureen right out on the end of the overhang....I drew the line at that!

Maureen and I on the Cliff Walk

After I accomplished all these things, I had to go into the gift shop and get my completion certificate and a commemorative t-shirt.  I wasn't counting on the chest pains that came as my heart started to return to a normal rhythm!  But, alas, it was just what my mother would call a "stitch".

Needless to say, the observation deck that we went to when we got back into Vancouver was nothing after what I'd already been through!!

WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK:  I really don't like heights....so I think that dream of a hot air balloon ride...well, I'll defer that.  Not much sense paying big $$ for a balloon ride and then spending the entire time curled up in the fetal position on the floor of the basket!!!

Good news, bad news

There's been a few minutes of sunshine here in rainy Vancouver, so I headed out to enjoy some hot tub time.  I wanted to get some heat/jets on my knee injury that just won't go away.  It was certainly a worthwhile exercise as my knee feels better already.  I'll have to incorporate this jacuzzi time into the rest of my days here and perhaps my knee will be totally fixed by the time I head home.  It seems that with every month I develop a new ache or pain.  Shoulders, knees, what next??  The good news is that at least my bones aren't brittle...the bad news is that I had to have a fall in the bathroom to confirm that.  Yup, it was a bad combination of marble floor tile and wet feet.  All the good of the hot tub may have been quickly erased.  I'll know more in the morning if I can't get out of bed!!

Looking forward to Thursday evening when I'm meeting an old friend for dinner.  I met Maureen 20 years ago when I took a trip to Mexico and got roomed with her.  We got along so well as travel mates that we ended up taking another trip together a couple of years later.  I haven't seen her now for about 8 years, so we're getting together to catch up.  Although contemporaries, we are certainly from opposite ends of the spectrum as far as personalities/interests/hobbies goes.  I guess she might be called a "granola head".  But we always have a great time when we get together and she leaves me motivated to "get involved"...she's big into community, culture and networking.  Where I'd go see the latest Hollywood blockbuster, she goes to a Documentary Film Festival.   I'm anxious to see what restaurant she recommends...I'll keep you posted!!

WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK:  Most gifts have strings attached....well, those from Air Canada certainly do.  After our trip to Australia last year, we earned "Prestige" status on our Aeroplan accounts.  With this status, we got to pick some "perks", so we opted for passes to the Maple Leaf Lounge and some upgrade coupons.  To date, we've not had any luck using the upgrade coupons, and I couldn't figure out why.  We are permitted to request an upgrade 48 hours prior to our flight departure.  Twice now I've made the request, but have not been successful.  On my flight out to Vancouver, I requested the upgrade at precisely 48 hours before departure.  "I'm a shoe-in", I figured.  Imagine my surprise when I didn't get the upgrade....again.  I did find out why, though, so all was not lost.  I didn't get the upgrade because most other people of a higher status get to request their upgrades 96 hours in advance of their flights.  Gee, thanks for that gift....yeah, thanks for nothin'.