182: WETSUITS

At the Horseshoe Bay Village. My ferry was delayed by almost an hour so I had lots of time to kill. I arrived late for work and was rewarded by the busiest shift ever and customers who said things like, "I have herpes and it hurts really bad. I have no refills left and I don't know where I filled it last time. Can you give me pills because it hurts!"

181: A LITTLE EYE CANDY

The first thing my mother asked me when I told her that I had a male model tonight was, "Really? Was he naked?" Unfortunately he wasn't allowed to take his shirt off for us. I asked.

And here Rae and I are having some fun during class. She threw popcorn into my mouth and I caught it :) This is where having a remote control and tripod come in handy.

180: AM I BEAST YET?

Biking across the Fraser River on the Canada Line pedestrian/cyclist bridge.

This morning, I went rock climbing and managed to finally do some 10b routes, after months of being stuck on the 10a's. That destroyed my arms. Then when I got home, my friend and I went for a bike around my neighborhood. When she left my house, I decided to go for another bike ride by myself, this time across the bridge to Richmond. And now I am pooped and in need of a nap.

179: NORTH SHORE MOUNTAINS

The sunset view at the end of my ferry ride, with the clouds rolling onto the North Shore Mountains, as I waited to disembark.

For some reason I was also compelled to take a picture of this woman in red. I was looking out the window, watching her look out onto the Strait of Georgia. I thought she looked elegant, with the wind blowing against her red coat as she calmly she smoked her cigarette (although she was clearly doing it at a non-smoking area). I, on the other hand, was almost blown over by the wind when I went outside to take a stroll around the sun deck. I could barely walk straight in that wind!

178: PEELING BARK

It's 10:09pm and I am sitting in my hotel room waiting for my friend to get off work so we can go to dinner....I AM SO HUNGRY!

177: ALADDIN'S TEAPOT

I had a big dinner at Aladdin's Cafe to prevent the usual hunger pangs that I get at the end of the day when I work closing shift. Near the end of the night, I saw the box of Timbits at the back of the pharmacy, and of course I needed to eat some since they were just sitting there. I bit into one and it was not very good since it wasn't fresh anymore (I guess it has been on the counter for awhile). Then I thought MAYBE it was just that one that was bad and the other ones would taste better. So I had another one and it wasn't fresh either.  What a disappointment!

176: CELLULAR BREAKDOWN

My cellphone broke down the other day. I had to bring it in to get fixed, and I won't get it back for another 2-4 weeks. I am a bit lucky since my warranty expires next week. In the meantime, I was given a courtesy phone -- an old school Nokia that couldn't do anything besides the basic phone functions. That phone died after a few hours and wouldn't charge when I plugged it in, so I had to bring it back into the store.  In its place I got a pink and white LG phone with a QWERTY keyboard. It makes texting so much easier!

I've also lost my contact list, since my phone kept freezing whenever they tried to copy my contacts onto the SIM card. So if you're reading this and haven't contacted me since Tuesday night, then chances are that I have lost your phone number. Send me a text/email/message (preferably not a phone call since I am going to Nanaimo tomorrow) - I still have the same number .  And if you have texted me and I replied with, "Are you ___?" or "Who is this?", this is the reason why.

175: MY NEW BABY

The Norco City Glide 8 ST.

It was a bit difficult riding this bike right after going rock climbing, since home is 70 blocks away. But I made it, and surprisingly my legs are not sore at all! I am on my way to developing thunder thighs.

174: CLIMBING TO THE TOP

There is one route at Cliffhanger that I had deemed impossible for me, since my arms are just not long enough to grab hold of the rocks above the overhang. Sure, it's easy for all the tall guys with their long lanky arms, but I just could NOT reach those rocks. And then once you get over the overhang, the holds get harder - they are not the big fun jugs that are easy to grab onto, but the ones where you can only hold on with two fingers.

However, with lots of tension, reaching, jumping, hitting my legs and knees on the wall, and sighing, I made it to the top. To commemorate this event, I took a picture from the top of the wall.

There is my leg, my pants already covered in chalk after just two routes. Holding the rope on the ground is Anna, my patient belayer.  And walking towards her is the man who works for Cliffhanger, about to tell her that I am not allowed to take pictures.

My forearms are distrutti.

173: ON THE FENCE

To bike or not to bike after rock climbing tomorrow? That is the question...

I've decided on picking my new bike up in the morning, biking to Cliffhanger to do some rock climbing, and then biking home afterwards. It's going to be difficult, since rock climbing seriously tires me out, and there are some major hills on my way home. It's going to be an hour ride. I am going to be pooped! I was also thinking of either throwing in some yoga in the afternoon or biking to my photography class in the evening, but that is just too much for me to handle. Maybe when I have hands, arms, and thighs of steel. I want to be a bionic woman.

172: BICYCLE WHEEL

Back wheel of my old mountain bike, before heading off to search for a new bicycle.

Today, I biked to the Bike Doctor on Broadway and Quebec to buy a brand new bike!! I had been researching upright city bikes for the past week and had narrowed it down to the Pashley, Batavus, Electra, and Norco brands. Unfortunately the good quality bikes (Pashley, Batavus) were also the most expensive, and although I was tempted to spend the $1500 on the beautiful Pashley Princess, I just couldn't do it since I don't know how much I will be biking in the future.

I bought the Norco City Glide instead, since it gave me the most value for my money - it had all the features I wanted and cost under a grand. Pictures to come when I pick it up from the bike shop in a few days. It is mint green, with white fenders and white rear rack, a wicker basket, chain guard, and 8 speed internal gear hub. I'm not too crazy on the colour, but it was $600 cheaper than the British and Dutch bikes.

However, one day I WILL buy you, Pashley Princess with your fancy Brooks saddle...

The Pashley Princess: Hand-built by the British for the past 100 years in Stratford-upon-Avon. "The classiest bike we sell", according to the guy at Raincity Bikes.

Check out bicycle rush hour in the Netherlands. It's pretty crazy. You barely see any cars!

171: MORE ROPE

170: WAVING FLAG

Come on let your red heart show.

169: WEATHER WORN

Ropes and nets on a fishing boat.

168: POOR BOWSER

So many rules for Bowser.

167: MODEL AND MOTION

My model for photography class. I wish I could have that kind of professional lighting set up at home. I wouldn't be able to stop taking pictures!

Here she is in motion (or at the end of a twirling motion, anyway):

166: A PUZZLING SUCCESS

The Coronation of Napoleon has been completed! Putting in the last puzzle piece was very satisfying.

165: THE BIKE RIDE THAT NEVER HAPPENED

I was planning on biking from my house to QE Park since it was such a gorgeous day. Unfortunately I was incapacitated and there was no way I would be ok with biking today. So I had to put my helmet away after taking this picture and do nothing indoors for the rest of the day. I hate days like these when I WANT to do physical exercise outdoors in the sunshine but my body is UNABLE to do it.

PS. How do you make a bike helmet not look dorky? It's like I have a mushroom on my head.

164: DEPARTURES

Departing Departure Bay.

The clientele at the downtown Nanaimo store is so strange.

Scenario 1: A large, heavy-set BEARDED man brings in a prescription for *Sandra

Me: Has Sandra been here before?
Man: I am Sandra.
Me: It says Sandra is female
Man: I am female.
Me: Oh..umm can I see ID?
Man: I am Sandra. You don't believe me? He gives me his badge from work. It says his name is Sandra.
Me: Do you have a government issued piece of ID?
Man: I'm Sandra!! Have you never seen a woman with a beard before? He gives me his drivers license. It says Sandra and has a picture of his clean shaven face. 
Me: No..
Man: Maybe in a few years technology will enable you to do it too. I think you would look good with a beard.
Me: Maybe...

(S)he was very offended that I didnt believe that (s)he was a woman. I have to say (s)he looked like 100% man.

*Name has been changed.

Scenario 2: Customer comes in asking for Vermox, an anti-helminthic (ie. parasitic worm) medication

Me: What did the doctor say to you?
Customer: He said it might help for the worms in my skin. She shows me her hand that is covered with red dots.
Me: Do you know what kind of worm it is???
Customer: Well I can feel something wriggling underneath my skin. And then I see a white worm coming out of a hole in my skin, but when I try to pull it out, I can only get its head. The rest of it goes back under my skin and then it will come out later from another hole. I can't get the whole worm out of my hand!
Me: ........

I had to wash my hands after taking her money.

163: WESTWOOD LAKE

Such a gorgeous lake, with trees rising out of the water.

162: NAUTICALS CANDLE

I had some seafood at a restaurant called Nauticals for dinner, followed by some Wii Fit. Some of the games make you do such ridiculous things, including flapping your arms to pretend you are a bird. I tried really hard and tired myself out from all the flapping. But my favourite one was the Step Class. I miss going to step class!

161: BC FERRIES

I found these "BC ferries" sugar packets on the windowsill beside my seat.

Today, my taxi driver was like, "Weren't you here last week?" Nanaimo taxi drivers are starting to recognize me now! I've just realized that I am working pretty much full time in Nanaimo until the end of July, since I work 4 days of every week here. And I have therefore calculated that I will have all the travel and stat days I need for my 2 week Cambodia/Laos trip by the end of July. I love how my job lets me collect so many vacation days, because then that trip won't even count as part of my 3 weeks of vacation per year. And that means I will be able to go on another vacation in March to visit Phoebe!

PS. Seeing the Angkor Wat in Cambodia is another item on my bucket list -- I am really going through that list this year!

160: FEARLESS

Another thing crossed off my list! It was a beautiful sunny day at Abbotsford, and I jumped out of an airplane at 9500 feet. 35 seconds of freefall followed by 5 minutes on the parachute...it was amazing. Surprisingly I wasn't scared at all, except for when the pilot opened the door which was right beside me, and I looked out to the city underneath me...

The instructor told me to put my left foot on the step, and we leaned forward, and then we were out of the plane! It was such a cool experience. He even let me steer the parachute for awhile. I want to do it again, this time solo. Who wants to take skydiving lessons with me?!

159: THIRST FOR ADVENTURE

Next stop: Cambodia and Laos.

Last time I had an "adventure tour" to Peru, I got altitude sickness and amoebas. I'm crossing my fingers that I avoid dengue fever, schistosomiasis, and just any sort of worm or parasite this time.

158: PSEUDO-DIVING

I woke up at 6:30am only to have my skydiving plans foiled by the clouds. So instead of jumping from 12 000 feet, my friends jumped from the roof of Richmond Centre...

157: TATA FOR NOW

A brief goodbye to Nanaimo, home of Twiggly Wiggly Road, McFeely Drive, Jingle Pot Road, Buttertubs Drive, Town Ho End, Hooker Road, Dingle Bingle Hill Terrace, and many more fun street names. There is a whole Robin Hood area of town (Friar Tuck Way, King Arthur Drive, Sherwood Drive, Sheriff's Way, Jester's Way) and then there's an island with pirate themed streets (Pirates Lane, Treasure Trail, Captain Morgan's Boulevard).

If I were to buy a house in Nanaimo, I would buy it on Twiggly Wiggly Road or Dingle Bingle Hill Terrace. Just saying my address would make me smile. Plus I hear real estate is dirt cheap compared to Vancouver.

156: "JUST DON'T GO FOR A WALK"

Maffeo Sutton Park: the only safe park in this part of Nanaimo

I asked the receptionist where I could go for a walk near the hotel besides Maffeo Sutton Park, which is the one I always go to. She listed a bunch of parks and said, "...but it's not safe" after every option. "You can take a taxi to Westwood Lake and walk around there. But I would not recommend going to the other parks," she said. So I ended up not going for a walk at all.

155: "LINE" AND "RULE OF THIRDS"

Nanaimo harbour from a high vantage point. I am not very skilled with manual focusing.

154: "PROPORTION"

Which picture better exemplifies "Proportion"?

153: "ASYMMETRY"

Bone and wood

152: JIGSAW

My puzzle frustrates me. I didn't get much done in the two hours I spent on it today. But, at least I now have a full priest, Josephine without a neck, and Napoleon's head.