Last month I put out a “Family Edition” of the Best of 604, focusing on parks, playgrounds and kid-friendly establishments. Having never been to one of the parks I recommended I did so solely on my sister’s advice. She has three kids, 7 years old and younger, so she knows a good park when she sees one.
Luckily for a reader of mine, the park proved to be all that and more. She tried to take her family to the pumpkin patch in Steveston last Sunday but it was just way too busy, they even told her it would be over 2 hours to get in and that if she had something else to do, she should do it…
…So, we turned around and I desperately tried to think of something to calm our 3 year old who, at this point, was crying, “Why can’t I go see Corny?” I then remembered a blog of yours in the last few weeks about family things to do around Vancouver and remembered the park in the flight path near YVR that you recommended.
So we zoomed over there, had our picnic and let the kids play. Our 3 yr old had a blast and the day was saved! Thanks – I really enjoy your blog, and saving us from being cooped up in the car with a crying toddler is no small feat!
[Contact Form Email from Naomi]
I’m so glad to get such a nice email, and a follow up on the recommendation for the Best of 604.
On a side note, the Steveston pumpkin patch is mentioned in last year’s “Pumpkin Patch Review“, which was written by my sister – she’s my correspondent when it comes to family-friendly matters, obviously.
Since I’m getting tons of Google hits from people looking for pumpkin patch information, and the post is from 2006, if you do have any updates, raves or reviews, please leave a comment and let us know, thanks!
He isn’t from Vancouver but he loves the city almost as much as I do.
Tony Pierce was a natural choice for my next blogger profile as he’s been blogging for just under a decade on his own site, is a sxsw panelist, takes pics with hotties, can grow a beard like Papa Smurf, bleeds Cubby Blue, literally wrote the book: How to Blog and sends sweets to girls in Canada who fill their tummies til they feel sick.
Who are you?: I am just a typical ugly american gen x slacker loser misspeller pothead cubfan blogger bachelor angry black born again christian with a poetry degree
PC, Mac or Speak n’ Spell: i have two pcs – an ibm thinkpad laptop and a homemade desktop for downloading porn
Where do you write: busblog.com, LAist.com
Why do you blog?: to get laid, and to get paid
What’s your favourite thing to write about?: i like to lie about the girls i got lucky with and tell the truth about the ones i had no luck with
What is the BEST part of blogging?: the freedom to do anything at any time and be read by dozens
Do you write for yourself, your readers or for Google?: i write for the hope that one day a young lady who is concerned that she might be nymphomaniac and has thus hidden herself away in her room, will find me, and know that i wont judge, nor will i judge her outfits, and ways, and needs. theyre natural i will say. and i will photograph her to make her feel more comfortable. and i will love her. and sell the pictures at a profit. and i will love her sister too. i write for both of them. and their friends.
Would/Do you ever censor yourself?: i censor myself constantly. its my biggest flaw.
Blogs you read or would recommend: i’d like to recommend these 6 blogs written by hot babes who write on blogspot blogs: raymi, oakparkmastermind, xtx, smelly, danielle and zulieka
I could sit here and quote some of Tony’s amazingly free-flowing, puzzling, insightful, naughty, and boldly eyeopening posts but then I’d have to truncate this entry with a “Continue Reading”… and I just don’t want to do that. So check out the links below.
– Tony also has a weekly internet radio spot on Thursdays at 5:00pm PT through NowLive.
*removed*
– There’s talk, there’s music, and there’s a chance to call in and whisper sweet nothings. You can read all of Tony’s posts on his busblog or the LAist.
They’re BACK! I’m pretty excited to know that I can soon go ice skating on Thursday afternoons for the Twonie skate at the West End CC. Although it will take a while to get the ice rinks setup, various community centres around the city are offering specials, after being closed for several months due to a labour dispute.
Vision Vancouver wants to know just how much money the city saved during the civic strike. It will ask staff to account for every penny that wasn’t spent. Vancouver’s parks manager is now inviting people back to community centres. [News1130]
Here are just a few of the offers and information for the WECC:
You will receive your 100% refund in the mail for registered programs which were interrupted or cancelled by the strike.
All drop-in fees will be waived until November 1.
The Fitness Centre is offering a Welcome Back Special: Until October 31, admission for adults is $2 and for youth and seniors $1.
Fees will be waived until November 1 – West End Kids Care
Fees will be waived until November 1 – Little Sprout Preschool
Fees will be waived until November 1 – Childminding
After leaving many scrambling to reschedule, rearrange and re-plan their lives over the few months, community centres around Vancouver are offering services, deals, and refunds like those mentioned above. Check the community centre directory for more details about the centre in your neighbourhood.
As for the ice rinks? They are being prepared now and should be up and running in November. I’m stoked.
Side Note: The Stanley Park Ecology Society’s AGM is taking place at the WECC tomorrow night. It’s free, there will be presentations and it begins at 6:30pm. Since I’ve been keeping a very close eye on the restoration effort of the Park over the last 10 months or so, I’ll try to be there so I can educate myself a bit more on all the other projects on the go.
Update: Another way the City is trying to win back your love is FREE rides on the Stanley Park train this Saturday between 11:00am and 4:00pm – there will also be free hot chocolate (source: News1130)
Continuing my mini-series on cool people, Vancouver bloggers, bloggers and internet heroes, I had to contact Meg Fowler. She was nice enough to answer the questions provided, use the word “muffin”, create a brand new word, and make me giggle simply by reading her replies.
Who are you?:
megfowler.com
not just a website but a
girl who likes haiku
Where do you blog (which sites)?: Just at the .com for now, though I’ve done “guest posts” elsewhere. They never ask me back, though, because I always spill something.
Why do you blog?: I think the reasons change from post to post. To shake loose ideas out of my brain? To stretch some writing muscles? To take the paperweight off of my soul (oooh, that sounded emo)? To make people laugh? To indulge my OCD need to make lists?
Mostly, I blog because my mom will phone me to make sure I’m not dead if I don’t post at least once a day.
What’s your favourite thing to write about?: I love making random lists, and rehashing the near-death experiences I have while performing mundane tasks like washing my hair or riding on the bus.
What is the BEST part of blogging?: I love the community and connection with my readers, and all the great voices I’ve discovered out there. And people make me laugh so hard in my comments that I’ve had coffee in my sinuses more than once.
Do you write for yourself, your readers or for Google?: Myself and my readers most of all, although Google leads some pretty entertaining searchers to my door. Just today: “smart boobs”.
And they are. It’s true.
Would you ever censor yourself?: I would, and I do. I don’t write about work, I don’t write about private family information, I don’t write about most past (and all present!) romantic entanglements, and I don’t abuse other bloggers, ever.
People from every facet of my life read my blog, from my boss to my aunts to my former campers to my freelancing clients, and that makes me consider my posts pretty carefully. Not that I write them carefully. That I do as shoddily as possible. Is “shoddily” a word?
I don’t regret being honest and vulnerable about some of the toughest times in my life. I just set the lines that work for me, and stick with them.
PC, Mac or Speak n’ Spell: Mac. I drank the Kool-Aid. And mmm, I love me some Kool-Aid. Though if I could blog on a Commodore Vic 20, I SO would:
10 WRITE BLOG
20 GOTO 10
RUN
How long have you been a hockey fan and which team do you cheer for?: I’ve loved hockey all my life, though I only started loving hockey PLAYERS when my hormones kicked in.
My dad and my grandfather played and reffed for a long time, so I spent more than one late night in an arena in my pajamas, wrapped in a wooly blanket and my dad’s coat. My dad was actually the head of officiating for the league in Nipawin, SK when I was born. Let me tell you… that’s a heady responsibility.
I cheer for the Canucks, and the Canucks alone. And swear sometimes, too. But only with love.
Blog recommendations: My Sweet Reads list holds all my friends, lovers and obsessions. Narrowing it down beyond that always seems very Sophie’s Choice.
But I will say this: Darren Barefoot sets the bar for bloggers in our fair city, and the very witty Buzz lets me tell muffin jokes on the radio until my laugh is only audible to dogs.
And of course, one of my dearest friends, Eric, has a great blog that he hasn’t written in for… six months? But if you go back in his archives, you’ll love him.
I can’t believe this has been kept off my radar this long but in preparation for BC’s 150th birthday, the government is initiating projects and activities all over the province in celebration of this milestone.
BC150 Years celebrates the adventures, struggles, people, events and achievements that have shaped our provincial identity. It’s a celebration with a focus on five strong pillars: Heritage, Communities, Multiculturalism, Aboriginals, Arts & Culture. [About – BC150]
Spirit Squares have become a large part of the legacy of this festive milestone, and no they have nothing to do with cheerleading (as far as I know).
B.C. Spirit Squares are gathering places for our communities, created to help celebrate BC150 Years – next year’s 150th anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia – as well as many other festivities and milestones in the future…
…Spirit Squares will reflect the unique character, diversity, cultural and First Nations heritage and history of our communities, sharing that richness with residents and visitors alike. [Spirit Squares]
Since these announcement were made at the beginning of 2007, all communities who have been granted funds to build Spirit Squares have already been named. This includes: Revelstoke, Maple Ridge, Merritt, Williams Lake, West Vancouver, Langley (Township), Lytton, Quesnel, Castlegar, Coquitlam, Village of Cumberland, Sechelt, Campbell River, and Victoria… just to name a few. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
