Rain

As I lay in bed I hear the rain falling outside my window and an instant calm comes over me. There is something about the sound of rain that is soothing. I get my best sleep on nights like tonight when the pitter patter of rain drops ring through my ears. Rain is just one of those things that brings comfort to me. The sound and smell bring a sense of freshness. It washes away the dirt and mud of the day and let's you start fresh and clean when you wake up. Living in Vancouver we get our fair share of rain and we all complain at one point or another. But I have come to realize how lucky we are to have rain. Rain sustains life and gives us the abundant and beautiful landscape that we all love and enjoy. Tonight I have found a new apreciation for rain. Tomorrow is a new day and I will start it clean and refreshed.

Michelin Stars

After reading Gordon Ramsay's autobiography I got to thinking about how many Michelin Stars there are in Canada and if we have any three star restaurants. Well after doing some investigating on the Internet, I was sad to discover that Canada doesn't even have a single Michelin Star. This bothered me and as I dug deeper I found out that the guide does not even review Canadian restaurants. I do not know why they don't, surely we have great food in Canada. After all we are the home of Poutine and well it is not a fine dining dish it does show that we know good food. I am a proud Canadian and know that I live in the greatest country in the world. This seems to not be the perception when it comes to food for others around the world. We are only two years removed from hosting the Winter Olympics where we showcased to the world what a great nation we are. But it makes me wonder what all those thousands of people were eating while they were here. Did not one of them enjoy the food enough that our country had to offer that they went home and told their family and friends. I know we have great restaurants and great chefs in this country and I think it is time we got the world recognition that we deserve. So maybe this blog is my challenge to bring a Michelin Star restaurant to Canada and I think the right place to start is Vancouver. With our diverse array of cultures and cuisines and an abundant ocean full of the best seafood the planet has to offer we can easily go head to head with any restaurant in any city in any country in the world. Add to the fact that the best wines in the world are produced in our back yard and I think we have as strong of a chance as anyone. So consider this my declaration to the world that Vancouver, Canada will get a Michelin Three Star restaurant and will be known around the world as one of the best cities to dine in.

Beautiful day in the nieghbourhood

What a beautiful day it is today in Vancouver. I love this city so much and I am so glad I live here. There is no city like it in the world. It's a cold windy fall day full of color. I took this photo this morning. It's just a nice view of the harbour and downtown. We are lucky to get views like this from where ever we are in our beloved city.

Dinosaurs of the beach

Another day at the beach for me. This time it was a cold windy day at my favourite beach Jericho. This is something you don't expect to see on the beach. A giant excavator picking up huge rocks as if they were feathers. When you stop and watch them they begin to look like prehistoric creatures. Out of place and out of their environment. I am used to seeing these on constructions sites downtown or ripping up city streets. Not on the beach that I love. At first it destroyed the beauty of the beach but as I stood there and watched I began to see how graceful they can be. Something so big and powerful being so delicate and precise. Picking up rocks and arranging them in a specific order. I could picture in my mind dinosaurs with their long slender necks bringing them down to the water to drink. I began to realize that these noisy beasts weren't destroying what I love but instead making it better. They no longer felt out of place. Soon they will be done their work and will move on to their next job but I will always have this picture as proof that dinosaurs like the beach too.

Cliff Walk & Cleveland Dam

Capilano Suspension Bridge round two. This time I went with my sister and yet again it was another great day. We decided to leave the Cliffwalk for last and headed over the bridge. Of course I was a little shaky crossing the bridge and had a run in with a crazy chick trying to shake the bridge. So not cool but I made it over safely. We walked around the boardwalk and up through the tree top adventure. It was her first time there since they had been built and it inspired the two of us to decided to design playgrounds. I know it's a weird place to decide on a career change but it got us thinking about our childhood and all the playgrounds we use to climb on and all the forts we use to build. Basically we think playgrounds today suck and don't challenge kids physically or mentally. Everything has got to be safe so every ones "precious" kids don't get hurt. Getting hurt is a part of being a kid and growing up. So we want to build playgrounds that do just that. Let kids climb, fall and be creative. So after our inspiring walk through the trees we headed back over the bridge and right as I get to the middle I looked up to see Matt Damon right in front of me. I shook his had and said hello but wasn't going to stay on the bridge to talk to him. Next up it was the Cliffwalk. It had only been two weeks since I had first done it and I was excited to share it with my sister. The two of us are both scared of heights but we realized that our fears differ. For some reason the bridge really freaks me out but my sister is fine on it, but when it comes to the Cliffwalk we are the opposite. She was freaked out yet I was calm. After the Cliffwalk we drove up to the Cleveland Dam. This was my first time up there and as soon as I got out of the car I fell in love with Vancouver all over again. The sheer beauty of the place we call home is breathtaking. As I looked over the edge of the dam I froze with fear. I honestly have to say that I had never been more scared in my life. Something about all the rushing water combined with the height sent terror through my body. But I managed to lean over long enough to get a good look and even snap a picture. It was the perfect day spent with my big sister who I admire and look up to. I love you and can't wait until our next adventure.

I'm melting

It's such a nice day out today. Summer has finally hit Vancouver, the sun is shining bright and hot today. I know everyone in Vancouver is out enjoying the day but it has drained me. I have been zapped of all my energy. I am hot and tired and feel like shit. I want to be a turtle today, hide in my shell and bury myself in the mud where it is nice and cool. Is it too much to ask for a freak snow storm right about now? I would gladly shovel ten feet of snow to escape this heat. I think I am going to move to the arctic. It's decided I am moving to Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada. It's a nice 8 degrees Celsius today. I can go play with the Polar Bears. I know I will look like a fool running around in a hoodie, shorts and my Crocs but I don't care. I give all the credit in the world to all the people who live in hot climates. How the hell you get your ass out of bed everyday and function is beyond me. Crap it will cost $2 145.50 to get to Pond Inlet. I guess the freezer at work will have to do for now.

C Note

What a long day it's been. I had a baker phone in sick so work was crazy this morning. But I survived a grueling day at work and headed to Jericho Beach. It was such a nice day today and I decided to take the scenic drive along the water front. Looking up at the north shore mountains across the inlet was picture perfect. It has taken awhile for summer to reach us hear on the west coast but when it does you really see the beauty of Vancouver. So I spent the afternoon downing Jello shots and relaxing on the beach. I fell asleep for a bit and somehow woke up without a sun burn. It must be my lucky day but now I am kicking myself for not buying a lottery ticket.

Next it was off to Cactus Club for an extremely over priced dinner. It was good but not enough food to fill the belly of a big boy like me. After dinner I went to the theatre to watch Transformers Dark Of The Moon. I watched it in the new AVX 3D theatre which only added to the experience. The movie was great. The action was incredible and seeing it in 3D is a must. The only thing missing from the movie is Megan Fox. Micheal Bay you are an idiot for not keeping her. The new chick had a nice ass but Megan Fox she is not.

The day's not over yet. I think it's time for a McDonalds run for a McRib and a Coke. Oh and defiantly an ice cream cone to finish it all off.

This is Vancouver

This is the real Vancouver . The Vancouver that we all love. This is Vancouver at its best. When we all come together for good. A week ago today you all saw the worst of our city. You saw those images of our city burning smeared all over your televisions and your newspapers. But that isn't Vancouver at all. In a way I am glad we lost game 7. I know you might all think I am crazy for saying that, but I don't think we were ready to win the Stanley Cup and we showed that to the world. Because after the fires were put out and the smoke cleared we showed everyone what Vancouver really is.

What makes Vancouver so great isn't the worlds best skyline. It's not Stanley Park, or the North Shore mountains. It's not the ocean and the many beaches that line it, nor is it the abundance of outdoor activities we have in our backyard. It's the people that make this city the greatest city in the world. Out of the ashes rises the phoenix. And we all rose up together to take back our beloved city and show everyone what we are really about. We our a diverse city made up of people and cultures stretching from every corner of the globe who all take pride in our city. Without every single one of us Vancouver wouldn't be Vancouver. When the city is hurt and needs us we all put are differences aside and come together to rescue her. Of course we aren't perfect, we showed you all that, but what city is? It doesn't matter if you are from strathcona, the downtown east side or shaughnessy the one thing we all have in common is that we love our city. So don't let the actions of that night determine how you see our city. Instead let the actions of the next day speak to what our city is. And if you still aren't convinced then come for yourself and we will show you that this is the greatest place on earth.

My Mountain

This is my thinking spot. The place where I go when I need to let my mind unwind. The top of Burnaby Mountain. It's my mountain. It's not a great big mountain reaching high into the sky but for me it is just perfect. It shows me exactly what I need to see. I chose this picture because this isn't the view that most people climb this mountain to see. They go to see the view downtown Vancouver and the north shore. I don't blame them the view is magnificent, even majestic. But this is the view that I go for. When I stare out over Indian Arm and look at the coastal mountain range my mind clears of all that is troubling me. All my stress and anxiety melt away just like the snow melting away from these peaks every spring. I watch the boats maneuvering up and down the arm and I hear the faint sound of the train whistles below. I look at the mountains and picture what is on the other side. The vast openness of the Pacific Ocean. Stretching for miles and miles. The beautiful deep blue colour of the water that looks like a sheet of glass when calm and still. Just writing about it makes me miss it and gives me the urge to drive up there to see it again.  You have helped me out so many times. You have helped me release my anger, brought me out of depression. Cheered me up when I have been sad. You have shared in my happiness and my sorrows. You have been my companion when I was lonely. Always making me feel like I belong.