Whiterock

So because i was working so hard last week my boss told me to take a half day whenever i wanted so this morning with the shortest possible notice i could muster i asked for a half day cos M had some classes cancelled. So off we go to the retirement capital of the world - White Rock Vancouver. Its out on the ocean about an hour and a half south by bus and you get driven all around the houses to get there and its great crack. quiet enough spot but very pretty. we got kind of an overcast and cold day but enjoyed the out-of-city excursion - the first under our own steam since we got here.
M, earlier, thinking about retiring at 30.

In other news.....we're off to see Franz Ferdinand next month - mainly because Death Cab For Cutie are supporting them. Then Pinback one of my very favourite bands ever - who were due to play in Dublin last year but cancelled - are playing in a club about 5 blocks up the street in April! So I'm ecstatic beyond tablets. Part of M's birthday present was the "homer's bowling ball" of 2 pinback tickets...... We're off to see Animal Collective next week aswell. Blackalicious and dEUS are playing next month too but M says we cant afford to go and see them :) Local bands Pink Mountaintops and Frog Eyes are playing in a couple of weeks aswell. So its busy busy. I had heard that bands avoid Vancouver when touring but it looks like i was misinformed. Graham just passed me on a link to the Sasquatch Festival in Seattle aswell. Yikes.

Ridin' The Artwork

Righty ho slowly. This is our first entry in our newly commissioned blog (do they have a spell check in here?). Both of us are finding it difficult to keep up with the requests for updates from far and asunder so we figure that having a centralised place to throw up generic rantings and the odd photograph might be the best way to go. The truth of the matter is that its February in Vancouver and the winter nights are feeeeerse long and theres not much else to do in north america but blog. Its so bad that Maeve has taken up knitting...... Blogging is the techie equivalent of knitting anyways so we won't get too freaked.

Its been a busy couple of days for me in particular trying to organise M's SUPPLIES 30th birthday party on Saturday night. Altho in fairness I had a load of help from Lori, Ciara and Jackie who picked up the cake and the balloons. It went off without a hitch and I think M enjoyed and was thoroughly SUPPLIESED. We hired a room in a lovely little place in gastown called the water street cafe where there was a load of our brand new friends - so new in fact a lot of them still had that new friend smell - and we ate and we drank for Ireland. here's a photo of M with the very photogenic proprietor and featuring a cameo by the birthday cake.......

Then off we went en masse down the street - stopping to take some photos with homeless people - to the irish heather bar where we drank and drank. and drank. twas a great night altogether rounded off by a trip to the railway bar and a spin home in a "taxi" smaller than a fiat punto which smelled strongly of illegality and was driven by the worlds most unqualified and worst taxi "driver". he had his photo ID swipe card from his job as a binman around his neck and he was trying to pass it off as official taxi driver id. i tried taking a photo of M, Louise and Stephen's pot heads squashed into the back - one of the funniest things i have ever seen - but alas the guys driving was SO bad I couldn't get an in focus shot (ahem). but to balance the photo tally and also to give some indication of the fun that was had that night......... here's a photo of me ridin' the art downstairs in our posh apartment on our way to bed at some ridiculous time of the morning. have you ever seen a more unimpressed bullock?

Thirty Birthdys

A photo of the lovely M taken on her recent 30th birthday. Doesnt look a day over 29.