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Vancouver to Nanaimo
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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Tuesday, week last, a trip over to the Island to visit the boy.
Nanaimo Via Horseshoe Bay - Over the Lions Gate, into West Van, the houses, pleasant, no external clues as to their astronomical value, neighborhoods that I remember vaguely from childhood, the "rural & suburban" Vancouver, Horseshoe Bay, a stark contrast to the industrial Tsawwassen Ferry, a smaller, tiny terminal, mountains, peaks, inlets and islands, it is the very picture of an ad for "Travel BC".
The ferry ride - long, Nanaimo, well, there's nada in Nanaimo, we check the thrift shops for my bag, no luck, lunch - an overdone burger at a well reviewed pub - my own review would be substantially more damning - the boy, the island life, makes it a little, a lot tougher to "treat" him to a decent meal as I would the daughter, a short, few hour visit - but this change, to the island, the pace of life greatly slowed - it's worth it to escape the East Side, if only for a day...
New Bag...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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Made in Bolivia, out of real Llama Skin. They spell it "Lama" but I know better, I mean, I found it in Nelson. And - while not EXACTLY what I wanted, it's close enough, and having canvassed and searched a dozen thrift shops in Vancouver, and a couple of others in Edmonton, this will be the bag.
Thrift shops, Nelson, terrific, have missed them greatly. Vancouver thrift shops are mighty fine too, merely exorbitant - and I didn't find a bag.
Now there's an awful lot more treasures to be searched for...
Aussie Gold
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Christmas at my fathers, the first night, TV - The Star Wars Trilogy. The digital Lucas-remix, infinitely inferior to the original.
The second night, the John Wick Trilogy - by the third episode really more occasional commercials for "Parabellum" intermixed amongst commercials for any number of other products. Glad I watched the movie in theatres, because if I was trying to watch it on HBO I would have been immensely discouraged.
And, night 3 - AHA - found it - my own particular brand of drivel - "Aussie Gold Hunters".
I didn't know this existed, but - I could have predicted it.
These shows, they're terrible, scripted "Drama", predictable outcomes, the big draw I suspect is that - even if you've never found anything in your life, not even a missing sock from your dryer, you know you could do better than this.
"Don't pick that up mate, you'll hurt your back, look for something a little smaller" and "..."Goldzilla", reality "stars", never the best or the brightest - not only by design (adds in the 'drama' and 'human interest' - and, really, if you were in the least successful or competent why on earth would you consent to being followed about with a camera crew?), their scripted lame-ass 'dreams' and 'targets', it confirms my every prejudice about Australia, my new favorite...
And after that, 3 more shows that have the exact same formula, "Bering Sea Gold" and "Aussie Opal Hunters". I still don't need a T.V., although this helps to make the plan for the summer months...
Cambie & Marine Drive
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I don't know why, file this under another of my mislaid memories. Monday, off thrifting, South Vancouver. I start on the Canada Line, ride down to Cambie and Marine Drive.
Now this haunts me - I can't figure it out, but that phrase - that intersection - has been with me since childhood. And since this is the start of my thrifting tour get out and check it out.
Nada. No memory cues or clues whatsoever.
I don't know why, perhaps - as a child, decades ago, I obsessed over a magic store located nearby. That's the only reason I can think. And here, in Edmonton, I asked my father, he has no recollection either. So - that must be it - if ever I was here it didn't make much of an impression, unremarkable in every respect, but a good jumping off point to begin a fine day of thrifting, during which I found 2 pairs of cufflinks for the boy (one, theatre, silver masks of comedy/tragedy, appropriate, the other a "SWANK" pair of female buddha's - TARA - arm outstretched in a blessing, silver again, huge, vintage 60's or early 70's, maybe an inch across, masterpieces, need only to find him a fitted lotus dress shirt with French cuffs and he'll be set... other finds, books, shirts, countless others left behind - it was a great thrifting day.
And still I wonder what once was at "Cambie & Marine Drive".
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