A funny thing happened to me on my way to the cafe.

This morning I was minding my own business walking down the street to the cafe for a spot of brekkie when I heard a voice say, "Hey, gorgeous." What the...? I looked up but there was no one near me at all but when I turned my head, I saw this young man looking at me. I checked but there was still no one else there so he had to be talking to me, yeah?

Young man: "Hey gorgeous, come home with me."
Me: Laugh.
Young man: "No, don't laugh. I'm not joking. You're gorgeous come home with me."
Me: Laugh. "Are you THAT desperate?"
Young man (now walking beside me): "Why do you say that?"
Me: "Um, I'm like old and past it."
Young Man: "Age has got nothing to do with it. Really."
We walk along for a few minutes.
Me: "So how much success have you had with this approach?"
Young man: "Well this is my first time doing it."
My thought bubble: "Yeah, right." My voice: "I see and what made you try this with me?"
Young man: "Well you are gorgeous, you really are, and if you came home with me I would so go with you."
Me: (after a pause druing which I started to think about it - well people, he was kinda cute): "You know, I am from Australia. Have you ever been there?"
Him: "No. But I really want to."
Me: "Well you should go. You would be very successful there."
Him: "Really?"
Me: "Yes really.What's your name?"
Him: "Matt."
Me: "I'm Dee. How old are you Matt?"
Matt: "20."
My thought bubble: "Dear God, I have a son 5 years your senior".
Matt: "I am so serious. Like if you came to my house right now..."
Me:(Long pause) "So, what are you going to do instead?"
Matt: "Right"

We chatted while waiting at the crosswalk. I said I was going for breakfast. He said he was going to buy cigars (ewww). As I sat in the cafe, he later passed the window and I waved and smiled...

So there you go. Opportunity number 2. And that was all before 10 am this morning. Sigh.

Views of home...

Perth Webcam
Trigg Beach

Well today is my last day on Vancouver Island. Tomorrow Em and I head off for the mainland and Vancouver city for a bit of full on sightseeing and general fun type stuff.

General randomness.

Am currently majorly loving on Nine Inch Nails newy, Year Zero. Trent Reznor writing stuff that is not about himself... who knew? It's noisy and good. Very very good. Not all that US friendly though:


Nine Inch Nails-Survivalism
I should have listened to her
So hard to keep control
We kept on eating but
Our bloated bellies still not full
She gave us all she had but
We went and took some more
Can't seem to shut her legs
Our mother nature is a whore

(chorus:)
I got my propaganda
I got revisionism
I got my violence
In hi-def ultra-realism
All a part of this great nation
I got my fist
I got my plan
I got survivalism

Hypnotic sound of sirens
[ Lyrics found on http://www.metrolyrics.com ]

Echoing through the street
The cocking of the rifles
The marching of the feet
You see your world on fire
Don't try to act surprised
We did just what you told us
Lost our faith along the way and found ourselves believing your lies

(chorus)

(cut-up speech)

All bruised and broken, bleeding
She asked to take my hand
I turn just keep on walking
what you'd do the same thing in the circumstance im sure you'll understand

(chorus)

You got your pacifism - I got survivalism

In other cultural news...
Have just finished reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. A giant 529 page rollercoaster of a novel crammed with adventure and sizzling gypsies. No, wait. That is something else...

Next read is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand which I have often picked up and put down again but without actually reading any of the words. I hope to remedy this today.

May be going to University of Victoria today and might speak to boffins there about possibilities etc... Once I have finished my Master's Degree, who knows?

Also need to remedy a small problem with US Immigration or I may not be allowed back into the States. I forgot to submit a little piece of paper when I left Dallas. My experience with little pieces of paper like this is that they can be deceptively benign in appearance, yet cause all sorts of bother...

I find my thoughts returning home more often. Main train of thought concerns the question of whether the house is habitable after number one daughter and The Fringed One along with Here Be Dragons have been partying in it. Sigh. Seriously, I find that I need to get home in my head before I actually physically arrive there, otherwise I end up like really sad, dude.

I continue to be appalled at failure to find a sugar daddy to keep my in the manner to which I would like to become accustomed. Distraught at prospect of resuming mundane life. Resigns self to fact. Terrified at thought of looking at Visa statement. Decide not to look.

The main thing I like about being in the Northern Hemisphere is the feeling of connectedness to most of the major things that are going on in the world. Perth is SOOOO ISOLATED. The world is accessible from here. Also, people here have access to awesome music festivals that make me go weak at the knees when I read the lineups.

I have also had ample time to reflect on the comparisons between life in Australia and that in other places. Australia has some serious deficits, people, and I don't mean consumer type stuff. I mean in terms of attitude - toward the environment in particular and towards people and the world in general. I have to sort out what my conclusions are about a lot of stuff but that will happen when I get back home.

I am rambling on but in so doing realise I am at the transition between the fantasy of holiday and the reality of 'normal' life. This generally sucks. However, as usual I will carry on and see what happens next...

I miss my dog. Sniff.

So I hugged a moose. Got a problem with that?

(It's not a real moose but it is the horniest thing I have got close to so far... Can I say that in Canada?)


I drove along this pretty road today. Spring has sprung on Vancouver Island, that's fer shuuuuure.

Apparantly, Em woke up to this one morning...



We went to the BC Museum and oh boy, it is fantastic. Outside, there are magnificent examples of First Nations totem and house poles thusly:





Now, that is art.

Inside there is the most fantastic display of art from the First Nations people. Also a terrific historical exhibit of Victoria that you can walk in and around. I had a great day.



IN other news...
Darth Vader spotted busking in downtown Victoria, BC


And finally what it is like to not be at work.

Sigh...

Dee: What do you have to do to find a hot man in this town?
Em: Age fifty years...

Problem with comments

I notice that the last post I made and one other earlier one, did not allow comments. I am suspicious and blame Blogger for this. I, however, am on holiday and will not engage in any work-related activity re: debugging html code etc etc and so on and so forth, until I return home.

If you want to leave a comment for me (and I hope you will as I love getting feedback!)please email me:

dudledee@gmail.com

It was sunny all day yesterday...

...and the good denizens of Sidney walked around the town without their Goretex coats on!!! I kid you not. I goofed around at the B&B then went for lunch with Em after which I sat in the cafe next door and drank tea and ate mango passion cheesecake whilst writing cards to send to all and sundry. Then I put in a few solid hours on my book (Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides if you must know)as I sat on a park bench overlooking Roberts Bay. It was horrible and I was glad when it was time to go home. LOL. Em and I had fresh sole and vegies for dinner followed by fruit salad with raspberries, strawberries and stuff. But get this: you can buy a CRATE of strawberries, huge strawberries, for $6.50 Canadian. OMG. Food is so much cheaper here.

Anyhoo, thought I would post a map so you can see where I is. The red arrow points to Sidney where I am staying and the green arrow points to Tofino where Em and I will be going overnight on the 28th April. I think. The yellow dotted line between the island and the mainland is the border between the USA and Canada.



I love it here. The only thing that worries me about living here though is death by 1) earthquake and 2)tsunami. The west side of the island is extremely vulnerable to tsunami as is in fact the whole island. At least on the east side you get the warning of houses and stuff floating by from the west to alert you to the fact that something is not quite right... I am seriously tempted to spend a couple of years in BC though. Having said that, the pull of Australia is SO STRONG. I don't think I could leave there permanently. Sigh. I am all thing and internally windswept about the whole business.

In other news...
Em and I were waiting for a bus and I spotted a snake curled round a small branch just lying there in the grass at the side of the bus stop. He was sooooooo cuuuuuute and I wanted to keep him and call him Squishy and make him mine. I didn't though. The mean men at Australian Customs wouldn't have liked that.




I came across a pod of logs that had beached themselves. Their navigation systems must have gone wonky or something. Sad, eh?



You can stop looking. I have found it...


Average sized moth sighted in Butterfly Gardens.

Actually, it is called the Atlas Moth and is the freakiest thing. It just sleeps all day in the tree (like a koala) and only moves at night (unlike a koala which doesn't move at all if it can help it) and as you can see it resembles a low flying aircraft in size.

I've seen a cockatoo!


Me with 2 flamingo at the beautiful Butterfly Gardens. We had a great time there in the heated environment while it bucketed down with rain outside.


Just don't ask...


The following is part of the interior of the place we are staying at. It's for sale if you want to buy it - $800,000 Canadian. Not bad seeing as it has separate business premises out the front and a fully self contained flat at ground level, 5 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms and an office area in the main house.


I'd show you our room but it's too messy... LOL

On Sunday we are off to the BC museum. They have amazing stuff there. Em has all next week off work so we will be hitting the trails and doing the real thing.

See you all soon. Take care and loads of love.

Holiday tally so far...

The Dee awards brought to you by ... Dee.

Best cheesecake: Boston. In the market with Jen. Andreas baked vanilla cheesecake was the best I have ever tasted, and that is saying something. I wish I had got a whole slice for myself now.

Most useful item: The magic umbrella. Whenever I carried it with me, it refused to rain. If I left it at home, it bucketed down.

Most astonishing sight for an Australian: Seeing pasty English people swimming in winter in a lake in Hyde Park. I think I am still traumatised.

Biggest disappointment: The lack of actual English people in London. Seriously. We will not speak of this again. Also, the absolute and horrible changes in the land of my birth. Sigh. The place is almost unrecognisable yet I still love it. Was seriously homesick for London after I left.

Strangest building: The Atomium in Brussels. It's made of balls, people. Balls.

Best day out: Camden Town with Em. Just brilliant. I love Camden.

Most enchanting critter: The marmot. Roderick the marmot to be precise. He lives at the end of Chance's road and is so cute. I love marmots (but I couldn't eat a whole one).

I also liked the teeny weeny umbrella jellyfish at the New England Aquarium.

Thing I forgot to tell you: I had my right ear pierced in Belgium. On the little flappy bit not the lobe or the top. Ow.

Most emotionally complex experience: Visiting my childhood neighbourhood and seeing the house I lived in. Also, seeing Lake Michigan, full of fresh water. Still can't get over that.

Most unpleasant airport: Chicago. No question.

Nicest airport: Tie Between Denver and Vancouver.

Most unpleasant airline: American Airlines: Staff, planes, baggage handling (they lost my bag at one point) all up to poop.

Most charming men: Definitely Canada. OMG

Place where I have offended the most people: It has to be Canada doesn't it? I get the most disapproving looks by jaywalking across intersections which I, of course, NEVER do on purpose. *grin*

Most hilarious sound: Skaila's voice when I told her I was at the airport. She thought I was arriving the next day.

Most hair raising experience: Tie between the drive from Heathrow to Watford in Nikki's car (23 hours of utter safety in a plane and I am now going to die on this English motorway) and experiencing being in a car driven on the right hand side of the road for the first time (Brussels). I had my hands over my eyes most of the journey. The taxi driver thought it was funny. Oh ha ha.

Best food: Don't make me choose. Oh OK it has to be the clam chowder at Point No Point, Vancouver Island. And of course there is the grilled salmon at Fish on Fifth. Did I mention the deep fried Mars Bars??? Definitely not for the faint hearted. In fact, a nifty way TO HAVE a heart attack... yet, strangely delicious (gazes off into the distance).
Not forgetting the salmon and shrimp (shrimp, LOL) melt at the place next door to Em's work.

Biggest suspicion: That Canadians practise being polite in the mirror before leaving the house in the morning.

Best girlie day out: The beauty salon and lunch day with Joan in North Carolina.

Most strenuous day: Aspen and Hanging Lake trail with Chance. Lack of oxygen is a startling thing.

Australian thing most missed: The stars and the sound of magpies warbling in the morning on next door's roof.

Stupidest thing done by a grown woman: Getting drunk (Nikki made me do it) and lost in Brixton after midnight. Was hilarious though.

Best celebrity sighting: ALAN RICKMAN. (Fans self) I would have loved a picture of my face. Totally gobsmacked would be an apt description. In fact I wish someone had smacked my gob. I might have actually said something. No, wait. That might not have been a good idea...

Weirdest thing sighted: A huge carved chicken sitting on a swing that is hanging from the back neighbour's wooden deck here in Sidney. Here is the proof:


Most expensive indulgence: $45 Australian dollars to get my eyebrows waxed. You guessed it - London.

Thing I am most ashamed of doing: Buying things in Walmart. Doh. Idealogically unsound people. I feel tainted.

Funniest email received while on holiday: From number one son - 'Hi Mum. Am in Toronto. Balls frozen. Love T.' (Son was on tour with band)
Creepiest thought: 'I have to go back to work. Can I do that? Who have I become in the last few months? What does my life mean now?' Relax, that is as deep as I am going to get.

Absolutely the best experience ever: Seeing our Dan on stage in Equus and meeting him and his lovely dad. I mean, how cool is that? Totally and utterly the best night of this holiday.

Check back for more additions. I will post them as I remember or as events occur.

I'd forgotten how much I like Gordon Lightfoot

In the early morning rain
With a dollar in my hand
With an achin in my heart
And my pockets full of sand
Im a long way from home
And I miss my loved ones so
In the early morning rain
With no place to go
Out on runway number nine
Big seven-o-seven set to go
But Im stuck here in the grass
Where the cold wind blows
Now the liquor tasted good
And the women all were fast
Well there she goes my friend
Well shes rollin down at last

Hear the mighty engines roar
See the silver bird on high
Shes away and westward bound
Far above the clouds shell fly
Where the mornin rain dont fall
And the sun always shines
Shell be flyin oer my home
In about three hours time

This old airports got me down
Its no earthly good to me
cause Im stuck here on the ground
As cold and drunk as I can be
You cant jump a jet plane
Like you can a freight train
So Id best be on my way
In the early morning rain
You cant jump a jet plane
Like you can a freight train
So Id best be on my way
In the early morning rain


...

Fish on 5th...

... A humble looking fish cafe on Fifth Street in Sidney. Don't be fooled by the exterior folks ( I will post a pic when I take one! LOL). Inside dwells the best fish and chips (yam fries OMG) that you will eat and that is saying something. Have been there a couple of times now and enchanted by the cheeky waiters one of which I professed my love to last night.

Me: I think I love you
Waiter: You do?
Me: Well, you bring me food and beer.
Waiter: (laughs)

I may propose to him tonight.

But truly a fun place with great food. After dinner Em and I went to a bookshop and I bought a couple of half price Harry Potter calendars (only for their archival value and the sake of completeness you understand) and a book called 'How to be a Canadian'. Quote: 'There are no roads in British Columbia. There are only corners joined together.' and ' The natural habitat of Canadians is the shopping mall. Canadians are timid, but they will respond if approached. The best way, we find, is to offer them a handful of seeds whilst speaking softly in a calm but firm voice.' and 'Canada is a big, bold country. Most of the people in Canada live as close as they can to the U.S. border, where they huddle together for warmth. If you want to appear
Canadian, all you have to do is tuck a beaver under your arm and stroll along humming the Hockey Night in Canada theme song.'

I think I may enjoy this book. Perhaps I should write one on How to be an Australian... hmmmmm.

Anyhoo, I have just remembered my trip to the Roots clothing store in Victoria where I was immediately asked by the male store assistant if I was Australian.

Me: Yes!
Assistant: Ah. Are you offended? (he meant by the whole 'Roots' thing. In Australia root is a verb and refers to the procreative activities as well as referring to the bit on the end of trees that goes in the ground. For further explanation, please send me an email.)
Me: Naaaaaaah!

I bought several items of clothing which as we all know are the best kind of souvenirs. Em insisted on taking this picture of me modelling the baseball cap that I bought for number one son.



Ridiculous isn't it? PLease note favourite Camden Town tshirt bought in Camden Town.



Me on ferry going across to Victoria



Point No Point Resort Restaurant wherein dwells the best Clam Chowder in the universe.



It was raining but the view out of the restaurant was very calming.



Fat seals who became disinterested when it was obvious we had no food for them.



Sidney Marina and Marine Observatory (the little building). I spent a happy hour there on Thursday, looking into little tiny tanks and using microscopes to see the marine life in them. It was awesome and in lots of ways much better than a big aquarium. There were about 20 little tanks on desks that you could look at. The centre caters for school groups and tourists and is just terrific. I bought a tshirt, of course.



Seagulls conspiring to steal fish from the fish market on the pier. These guys were hilarious.



Seagull on the bathroom skylight. He later moved and started pecking the glass and looking in. Cheeky bugger.



There are flowers everywhere. Its the only way to tell that it is spring here. (Waits to get whacked by Em)



Em at work. Impressive eh? She is making a mockup of an archeological dig. I reckon she just likes cutting and gluing.



The view outside Em's work area. She looks out on this folks. Feel free to hate her.



The view across to the USA, Washington State. You can just see Mt Baker.

travel whinges

I do believe I am getting tired of living out of a suitcase. Everything is always crumpled and the thing you want always scuttles to the bottom of the bag. Grumble.

Am feeling a bit down as certain of my plans have fallen through for various reasons. The California bit is looking bleak. Looks like I will be there on my own which is sad. I was really looking forward to seeing it with Em but she can't come with me. I look like not seeing Mark either which is the biggest bummer and makes me sadder than sad.

Might kill myself by eating Rogers chocolates...

oh Canada!

Sidney by the sea,Vancouver Island. I could live here in a heartbeat. Am thinking of doing so in fact. If I don't report for work, you know where to find me.

Well, Em met me at the airport holding up a sign that read "Strange Australian Woman" (Oh HA HA. slap) much to the amusement of the woman standing next door to her. The flight had been delayed due to yet another set of luggage boarding the plane sans owner. All the luggage had to come off and the absconders removed and the hold reloaded before we could leave. But I digress...

Chance and I got to Eagle airport and I checked in with 4 minutes to get through security and on the plane. Hee. You guessed it. I got searched. Not my bags. Me. I was beeping even though I had no metal on me besides the rivets on my jeans. Got the full pat-down which took sooooooo long... Anyhoo, Finally got through that and repacked my carry on and got shoes on and all that and did make the flight. Had to go via Dallas Fort Worth and let me tell you how big that airport is. That airport is fecking HUGE. To make my connecting flight to Vancouver I rode a train that took 5 minutes to get to the other terminal. sigh.

I had the whole row of seats to myself. Sheer bloody luxury lad. Who needs first class??

When I got to Vancouver, the plan was to catch the ferry across to Vancouver Island but due to the delay we had missed the last one by one minute. Sigh. So off to a motel we went and then went out for something to eat. It was great.
Next morning we got on the ferry well, we got in a bus that eventually drove on to the ferry. Big ferry. We had delicious buffet breakfast as we powered through the teeny islands and gorgeous scenery. I will put photos up when I get my lazy ass on to it.

Em's dad man met us at the ferry terminal and we then zoomed off for a drive around the south part of the island. Sooooooooooooooo prettttty. All trees and moss and lichen and green and wet. Rainforest, gotta love it. Went to a little gorgeous place called Point No Point.

Me: This is called Point No Point?
Em: Yes
Me: What's the point in that?
Em: There is no point.
Me: That's the point?
Em: Yes.

The clam chowder was to DIE FOR people. Eating that looking over the little bay where there were seals swimming. Each table in the cafe had binoculars and Em's dad told a funny story of people down on the beach who were nude sunbathing once while the polite Canadian diners pretended not to notice. LOL. The manager had to go down and tell them that a restaurant full of people could see them.

Em and I are staying in a lovely bed and breakfast right in the middle of Sidney. On Monday we went shopping in Victoria because I need something decent to wear to the Empress Hotel when we go for afternoon tea. Get that! Me being posh, LOL. Around here
there are heaps of places to shop and poke around in and there is even a pirate shop Merri. Yes I am going in there. Don't panic. The sea here is grey but beautiful. The seagulls are freaking huge as is just about everything squirrels included. Yesterday I mistook a squirrel for a small cat.


Canadians are friendly and talkative. Bus rides are full of the sound of people chatter. Everywhere else I have been, the people are silent and try not to make eye contact. Paranoia. Here the people are relaxed and seem genuinely happy. Really. People smile at you as you go by. Can't work out if it is pathological or paradise.

I am well and happy and wondering how I will ever fit back into work and normal life again... off to explore some more of this wonderful place. Back with photos later.

Colorado to Victoria BC

Colorado is dry. Very very dry. The first time I shook hands with Chance's husband, I nearly electrocuted him with static. 'Welcome to Colorado,' he said. I had a wonderful time up in the mountains with Chance and her family. We drove all over the place. I stomped in snow, was amazed by frozen waterfalls, got sunburned!!, saw big-horned sheep, deer (munching up peoples gardens in town, lol), marmots (omg cute miniature meerkat critters SOOOO CUTE), Canada geese (these dudes are all over the place but I havent yet seen one in Canada...), prairie dogs, red tailed hawks, mountain jays (brilliant blue), chipmunks, and one small spider that Chance converted into atoms one night in case it was a Brown Recluse. This spider kinda kills your flesh and stuff so not too nice. We have one like it in Australia.

Memorable moments:
Me leaping into the air when Chance yelled 'OUTTA THAT CHAIR!' when the aforementioned small spider was sighted.
The look on Chance's face when I said I wanted to see a rattlesnake.
Seeing a marmot for the first time.
Poking snow only to find it was solid ice. Small embarrassment to pokey finger.
The funny tshirt shop in Aspen. OMG I wanted to buy ALL those shirts. Laughed till I cried.
Yummy crockpot dinners at the end of a long day sightseeing.
The amazingly weird tourist shop with the pianola that started playing for no apparant reason.
The Continental Divide even though it did try to kill me to death with freezing.
Seeing a frozen lake.
The roadsigns: 'Move accidents off the road'; 'Road rage call (number)'; 'Beware falling rock' (Man, that rock was falling all over the place);'Beware avalanches'(er... what exactly are you gonna do???); The street called Bellyache Road; The town called No Name (now that's just lazy).
Seeing Orion the right way up. I miss not seeing the Southern Cross out of my back door when I get up in the night though. sigh.
Seeing Christopher and getting Christopher hugs. Hi sweety!!!
Debating the usefulness of the Monarchy with Katie.
Listening to Gordon Lightfoot while travelling to Aspen. Carefree Highway, let me slip away on you.
Reading the lightning safety brochure out to Chance. Man that thing was so funny. "Treat the apparantly dead first."
Going up to Hanging Lake. 'Is it straight up?' I asked. 'Not especially,' said Chance. I am paying you back for that one buddy. Chance is like a mountain goat skipping from rock to rock. I, on the other hand starved of oxygen, went 2 feet at a time then gasped for 10 minutes... Coming down was easier,even when the dumbass tourists going up didn't step aside to let us through. NO BRAKES PEOPLE!!! Souvenirs from the hike include a gash on my knee and assorted bruises. My lungs may never recover.

I loved Colorado. It's big and dry and rocky and looks like Wittenoom Gorge in places (except for the snow of course) The air is clean and clear and the people are Australia friendly. After Chicago and all the big cities, it was heaven to a girl like me used to big spaces and sky.

Chance and I had so many laughs. OMG. I love you buddy and THANK YOU for my stay. Se e you when I get my Green Card eh?

Colorado. Rocky Mountain High

Let's just let the pics speak for themselves. OK with a little help from me.


Ski runs from the air.



Rocky Mountains from the plane. OOOOO shiiiny.



The view from Chance's house.







Everything's hunky dory here.





Sylvan Lake and yes, it is frozen.



The Continental Divide



Me getting my face blown off at the Continental Divide. I have never lost sensation to any part of my body so fast as I did this day. I couldn't feel my fingers after about 5 seconds and I am sure my face blew to the other side of my head...



Hanging Lake Trail that I hiked up today with Chance.



Me laughing deleriously through lack of oxygen on Hanging Lake Trail.



Mossy waterfall on the trail.



Hanging Lake.



Aspen. Can you say 'expensive'? Lots of shiny happy rich people wearing designer ski gear. YAWN. If Alan Rickman isn't there, there are no celebrities I want to see.

ANyhoo, I am really tired. I hiked up a mountain pass today so will write words tomorrow or the next day. I just wanted to show you how beautiful Colorado is. I love it here.

I am sadly leaving Chance and family in the morning... Off to Vancouver to see Em and to plan the slapping of Mark when we both go down to SanFran in a couple of weeks. See you with news of that when I next get a good internet connection.

I am having a ball. Still no luck but have not given up hope. Certain of you will get what I mean. I will definitely post if that situation changes *wink*.