Aside from Raul, who is finishing up his doctorate in environmental studies, and DaveO who works for happyfrog and was there at Clayoquot, I’d have to say Keira’s one of my most eco-conscious friends.
A few weeks ago she wrote a blog post inspired by words printed on the side of a Starbucks cup. As a result, she was asked why she gets the paper cups in the first place, and was told she should be using a travel mug. Her explanation to me was that her coffees just don’t taste the same coming out of a travel mug.
Talking with John yesterday, he said he’s the only person in his department at work that actually recycles his paper coffee cups. He said he’d try a travel mug if it didn’t insulate so well – as in, it still allowed for a slow cooling of the coffee so it becomes a drinkable heat by the time you get it back to your desk.
As for me? I try travel mugs but I always end up forgetting them at work. I need to make sure nothing will spill out the top on my way in, and then remember to wash them out when I’m done. If I don’t wash it out I won’t put it in my purse to cart home for the next morning cause it’ll be dirty and drippy. It soon becomes a part of the dish washing machine at work that I perpetually forget to recover.
I suppose save for my general laziness when it comes to the travel mugs, I could spare some lovely trees from a venti-sized doom if I simply found an ideal cup. Let’s put it to a Miss604 poll (since coffee and Miss604 polls seem to be a trend [1][2]) although unfortunately is the only one now in existence since the others got nuked when I upgraded my WP and changed hosts.
[Poll Closed]
If you don’t use either or have a reusable cup of choice, leave a comment below. Also, Salt Spring Organic Coffee…. is amazingly tasty.
Since my niece walked up to me a few months ago and said, “Miss604 dot com!” I figure she may be watching today (and that I need to remember to keep things pretty clean around here).
She is the oldest sister of 4 brothers, and was my Oma’s first great-grandchild, my mother and father’s first grandchild, and the reason they started calling me Auntie Becky in the first place.
She’s one of the most clever little people you’ll ever meet and by the age of two was able to tell you in which country she lived, the capital, and who was the Prime Minister. She’s not an overly girlie girl, like her mother and I, she’ll tell you what’s on her mind and her intelligence is never to be underestimated.
Throughout her 8 years she’s been speaking two languages, and has been able to crack a knock knock joke that can simply turn any frown upside down. I have saved every card she ever made for me and mailed over when I lived in Boston – from my birthday, to Valentine’s and Easter. She’ll always have a special place in my heart, even moreso that in every way she reminds me of one of the most important people in my life.
We’ve come a long way from the year 2000, when it took my sister and I twenty minutes to prep a stroller to take her baby girl for a walk to the store, and I can’t wait to be here to watch my niece grow. Happy Birthday Lexi!!
Outside the rain is coming in sideway off the harbour, but it only ads to the ambiance. Fresh cut flowers on the table, and fireplace ablaze, I’m sipping my mocha and typing out a blog post with my legs draped over the sides of this armchair that I wish would just swallow me whole.
Last night after the chicken topped with lobster and few glasses of a local red wine, we retired to the jacuzzi tub and popped in the Saltspring Soapworks bath bomb. The rest of the evening is pretty hazy after that.
45 minutes outside of downtown Vancouver we hopped on an hour-long ferry and arrived at this amazing gem of and island called Salt Spring. I haven’t been over here since a family camping trip when I was wee so I forgot how easy it is to get to.
This morning we drove down to Burgoyne Bay in search of the “beach access” we saw on a map. After a rolling 30 minute hike through towering arbutus trees, around gargantuan moss-covered boulders that peered down at the rocky shores of the Salish Sea below, we came to a clearing.
Following a trail of daffodils we then spent the better part of the morning perched on a collection of rocks above the shore watching a pacific white-sided dolphin cruise the bay, and frolicking otters who made appearances now and then. Natural areas and habitats are protected and numerous signs will make you well-aware of the reasons why you cannot trudge down on that beach at low tide – who knows whose nesting area you would be destroying.
This afternoon at Vesuvius Bay, we were treated to some of the best halibut and chips I’ve ever had the pleasure of devouring (at the Seaside Restaurant). These folks know good food – locally grown, organic, and freshly caught. Also, you probably can’t throw a hemp seed without hitting an artist around these parts. Pottery, woodworking, cheese crafters, bakeries and even glass blowing studios are peppered throughout the island.
Sheep grazing on the shoulder, the roads are narrow, muddy, and only a percentage are paved. Backpackers thumb for rides, there are no trolley buses crusing around, and there’s a serious lack of signage for out of towners – but that’s part of the charm.
The rain has stopped and looking outside the spotted window I see nothing but evergreens and blue skies. I just called housekeeping and they brought us another bath bomb for tonight. I had my choice between the goat milk and chamomile or mai tai – I went with mai tai. This was just probably the biggest decision I had to make today, do we ever have to leave?
This morning’s dose of random history bites is courtesy of VancouverHistory.ca.
In 1988: Point Roberts, the little tip of Washington State that’s accessible by land only through BC, finally got its own US-based telephone service. B.C. Tel had been serving the area up until this year.
In 1958: Under construction, the Second Narrows Bridge collapsed into Burrard Inlet. It would later be renamed to include the “Ironworkers Memorial” in memory of those who lost their lives during that tragedy.
In 1956: A baby penguin was born in the Stanley Park Zoo (the first in Canada) and postal service is brought to White Rock.
In 1963: Tolls came off the Lions Gate Bridge under its new owner, the provincial government, which had bought the bridge for $6 million.
In 1908: The first tourist bus services begins rolling through Stanley Park.
In 1930: The oldest surviving bowling centre in Canada, Commodore Lanes and Billiards, in the basement at 838 Granville Street, opened under the direction of Frank Panvin.
This afternoon as I was skipping across a street in Surrey something popped off my bag and bounced to the ground with a metallic *tick*. No cars were coming so I turned about and noticed it was my Surrey button that had unhooked itself and leapt from its perch next to the others. As much as I wish I could compose and entire post about my day in my hometown and kick it off with the cute little story of the button that also felt quite at home, that’s about all there is to that tale.
Tomorrow we hit the road, leaving Vancouver and the Lower Mainland behind, and I simply can’t wait. The last few weeks have brought on stresses of mammoth proportions that I haven’t felt since we were a single income family dealing with money woes, immigration, lawyers, and the Canadian government. Those times have passed but one thing that hasn’t changed is the fact that John and I rarely take vacations, have never been away more than 5 days from work as a married couple (… ever), and still have not had a honeymoon.
Sure, these weekend getaways are lovely substitutes, as are our informal Sunday walks in the park, but sometimes we just really enjoy getting a little further away from home.
Honestly, I didn’t even check if there was internet where we are going, although I’m sure if it’s not available at our place of lodging, it won’t be far away. I’m solely looking forward to some time with my husband, and anything and everything else that takes place is purely a bonus.
