New camera

Busy day today.  I went out this morning and found 3 caches in Burnaby.  Two were a bit of a walk.  

Met Rum, Marilyn, Mary & a former school secretary from Weir at the White Spot at Lougheed & Gilmore.  Haven't seen them for a while so it was good to catch up.

Bought a new compact camera to replace the one I lost.  My guess is someone lifted it from my trunk as I was getting out my chair & water at Lake Cowichan.  Went back to Lens & Shutter and got a newer model, the Nikon COOLPIX S9200.  Very nice with an 18x zoom.  It was on sale & it included a memory card.  

Went home for an hour before heading for Pru's and a big family dinner.  Good to see all the boys and Kathryn together.  Daniel is visiting from China.  John's sister is here from Australia and she greeted me with several hard slaps on my sore shoulder.  The kids nearby were even upset.  I swore and went inside and she didn't even notice.  Lucas got me an ice pack and I managed to avoid her for the rest of the evening.  Dinner was amazing ribs and 2 pies that Patience made with blueberries, raspberries & peaches.  I ate far too much.

Caching day

First day using the new car GPS.  Took it a while before the voice started telling me where to go.  It is a lot better than the old one.  The image is impressive and the Voice Command scary.  My iPhone works perfectly handsfree now.  The old one did these things but not nearly as smoothly.

Found 3 caches in Delta and a couple in Surrey.  Stopped at the Wired Monk for soup & a scone.  Didn't find a couple of caches and it was getting so hot, I decided to stop.  Did some shopping at London Drugs.  

Decided to buy a Roam Mobility SIM card for my iPad to use in the U.S.  The website said they sold it in Scottsdale Mall.  I wandered around and asked a few people.  Finally phoned and discovered it was the Rogers store.  Duh!  The card cost about $20.  When we go to Seattle next month, I'll buy 30 days of just data time for $29.95.  That will give me 500 mg of data.  Way cheaper than any phone plans.  The beauty of prepaying, is there will be no surprises.

Met Louise at the Cactus Club for dinner and then we bought cones at Mario's Gelati. 

Cloudy day

It was cloudy and cool all day.  A nice change.  I heard a bit of distant thunder but nothing came near here.

Had a bad night.  My left groin was quite painful even though the tumours are showing on the right.  Took some Tylenol and finally went back to sleep until 9:45.  Decided to have a quiet day and did feel better.

Pru called and talked about being in Chinatown today.  That made me hungry so I nipped over to Richmond mall food fare for take-out.  More than I could eat for $6.00.

nüvi® 3490LMT

Bought a new car GPS at London Drugs this morning.  It is the Garmin nüvi® 3490LMT.  Took a long time to copy everything I wanted from the old one and then set it up for Pru.  Started updating the maps but Lucas asked me over to Pru's for dinner and I had to start all over when I came home.  Then I had to figure out how to get the geocaches into it.  Sometimes I wonder about the intelligence of people who write manuals.  Got it nailed in the end.  I had to put in a memory card and copy the file to it.  Works a treat.  Like all the new things this one does. 

Spent a few hours on the front porch at Pru's with Patience, Patrick, Kathryn and Lucas.  It was far too hot to do much else.  We finally sent for delicious pizza from Supreme Pizza on Victoria Drive.

Came home early.  This heat is just too much!

Comparing prices

Came into some money this week from my cranberry farm.  Thinking of buying new GPS units.  The car one is cranky and I can pass it on to Pru (she is delighted).  The handheld would just be fun to upgrade.  

London Drugs sells the car unit for the same as GPS City & Deakins sells the Oregon® 550 for less.  Don't think I need to pay for the model with topo maps as I like the Open Source maps.  Not planning on climbing mountains.

I can certainly afford it and I don't blow money on other stuff.

Found Bell's Bake Shop in Steveston that was mentioned in the 365 Days of Dining blog.  Excellent cupcakes.

Spanish Banks

Took Patience to Chapters so she could buy Pru a Kobo.  Tried setting it up but couldn't get the library card to work and Pru needs a WiFi router.

Pru, Patience & I spent the day at Spanish Banks East.  They were in the sun but I stayed in the shade in my chair.  Fish & chips made the day complete.

Met Patrick & Lucas at the Oakridge White Spot for the obligatory family meal of Legendary hamburgers.

Fire alarm

Apparently a woman on the main floor has something to do with the fire alarm going off again.  She was in the hall saying nothing was wrong.  Another tenant was livid and said someone should get her out.  A couple of hours later I saw him leading some firefighters in to see her.  She looks like an addict.

Decided to have a lazy day and just read and watched TV.

Rear ender

Found a cache nearby this morning and went to the Kerrisdale Library.  Failed to find the book I was looking for on the messy kids' shelves and no one was free to help.  Gave up and will try another. 

Had my teeth cleaned and was finished by noon.  Nothing much wrong.

Picked up our drinks at Starbucks and met Lori for a couple of multis.  One gave us trouble so we went to the next.  She now has all she needs for the challenge we are working on.  I still need 27 Earthcaches and 13 Multis.

On the way to the last one, I stopped for a woman with small kids at Victoria & Venables.  The woman behind smacked into me.  It wasn't right away so it was clearly her fault.  I called the mother back to get her name and we all traded info.  She was a bit shaken and didn't seem to question the blame.  Neither of us could see damage to the cars.  Our bumpers did their work.  I phoned Lori to come back while we all talked.  Good thing we found the cache.

I found another one on the way home and failed to find one as the slope was too slippery.  Stopped at Safeway for a load of groceries.

Put my new fan together tonight so the bedroom is cooling.

My should is still sore.  Sitting in the dentist's chair didn't help it any.

New fan

Had to go out for a new fan for the bedroom.  The one I have is kaput.  Also got fresh produce, including strawberries, raspberries & cherries.  Used my wheelie to get the fan upstairs.  Was waiting for it to get cooler to unpack and then forgot.  

Got all my caches for the weekend entered and updated my stats.  They do look good.  Loaded up my GPS units for tomorrow when I need 12.  The car GPS acted up for a while again and wouldn't load the caches.  It seems fine again now.

Mega holiday

We were up early and had the free breakfast at the hotel before checking out.  We drove up to the Pancake Breakfast event but they were having propane trouble and the line was long.  We logged in and headed out for some caches.  Got a few multis and one challenge.  You needed 7 types of caches in a day and since we did 11 yesterday we couldn't ignore it when the owner told us about it last night.  Trouble was, my car GPS decided a totally wrong way to go.  We went too far North and then tried to drive on a closed logging road.  We had to backtrack to the Cowichan Lake Road and then nearly missed the turn to Chemainus River Park.  The GPS never did accept our route and kept trying to get me to turn around.  We not only parked close to the hide, another cacher had just found it and told us it was close.

This took a lot of time so we didn't find all the multis we wanted.  I stayed in my car at the top of a hill while Lori climbed down.  I finally phoned to say time was short.  She sent me on to the ferry and started running up the hill to her car.  I made it on with my reservation with 3 minutes to spare for the 3:15 ferry at Duke Point.  She was close enough to the window that the woman let her on.  There were only 2 other cars behind her!  We had a mid-afternoon lunch/dinner onboard and were able to have a relaxing trip on a perfect afternoon for sailing.

I am tired but in pretty good shape.  I was fading last night and this morning but have gained a second wind.  The trip was well worth the effort and who knows if there will be another mega event close by any time soon.

Island Spirit 2012 Mega

Up early and headed to Victoria.  We were aiming to find 11 different kinds of caches and DID IT.  On the way we found a Wherigo.  There was a WebCam along the Dallas Road in Victoria and a Virtual nearby.  After finding a Starbucks we headed up Island and found an Earthcache, a Multi, a Traditional, a Letterbox and an Unknown.  The Island Spirit 2012 gave us a Mega and there was a Geocoin Event and a CITO (cache in and trash out) to finish the day.  We also found one of each size possibility.

After the BBQ dinner, we went out to find a couple of Multis.  One defeated us but the owner has given us a boost for tomorrow.  Too tired to log tonight.

Pre Mega Day

Lori and I were up at 8 and had our free breakfast in the hotel.  We then went to an event right in Chemainus.  We joined a small group getting a guided tour of the murals.  Really interesting and worth the effort. 

We then rushed out to Lake Cowichan for another tubing event.  I took pictures and then found a shady spot for my chair.  Lori headed down the river on a tube,  The river was slow so they were gone for a long time.  Lori`s legs are bright red tonight.  Had a great lunch at the Cow Cafe.

We then went to a Whereigo but didn`t get it finished.  Lori wandered a big field for about 3 hours,  I gave out after a while and retreated to the chair under a tree.  We ran out of time and will finish tomorrow.

After a quick break at the hotel we had dinner at Tim Horton`s in Duncan and came back for a night event.  So glad to be home now!

Chemainus

Caught the 10:15 ferry to Duke Point.  Not many got on after me.  Met the Wild Thingys and we had brunch together and visited for the trip.

Failed to find a few caches on the way south so just gave up,  Checked in to the Best Western (using Aerogold Points), read the papers and got my GPS units ready.

Drove down the road to log a new cache and then walked across the street to eat in the Horseshoe Bay Pub.   Lori arrived at 8:30 and we went back to find the cache for her and then logged a multi in honour of Emily Carr.

FTF #9

My Starbucks was too busy so I waited until I was near Haney to buy my morning latte.  My iPhone Tweeted that there was a new cache 4 km away.  I made it in time to be First to Find.  The owner was pleased and came out to take my photo!

Found 3 more but didn't find a lot.  A couple of times I was close but the owners clearly don't understand that 1.5 means you can't find it in a wheelchair.  Some need serious bushwacking or were down inclines.  I tried one horse trail but gave up close to the prize when I realized how dangerous it was getting.

Had lunch at the Bobby Sox 50's Diner in Maple Ridge.  Went a bit further for cheap gas ($1.25) but started feeling really tired and my Gerd was acting up.  Stopped at Timmy's for the bathroom, took some antacid and started drinking water.  It settled down and I was home by 4.  Took the Golden Ears for a traffic free trip.

Just about ready for tomorrow's trip to Chemainus for the big Mega.

Laundry day

Did a couple of loads of laundry.  Had to go back down & up an extra time as I must not have pushed the last button on one dryer and had to do it again.

Picked up some geocoins at Point Roberts and then met Lori for a cache in the Secret Garden.  I had missed it last week and she found it right away.  Go figure!

Got through the tunnel just as the counterflow was put in but it didn't take long.  Stopped at London Drugs and was home by 4.

 

Strawberries

Went out to Richmond this morning for some strawberries, fresh peas... at Richmond Country Farms.  They have the best looking produce of anywhere I've looked and an amazing selection.  Bought an SD card at London Drugs.  Stopped at M&M and Cobb's and was home by noon.

Downloaded the Canadian Open Street Maps for my Garmin and am really impressed.  Thanks to KNL_Caching for the idea.  

Canada Day

Enjoyed watching the ceremony at Parliament Hill.  The GG and his wife were great.  Harper was a doofus.  The best anthem singers!

Euro game was boring.  Spain totally dominated Italy.

Spent the rest of the afternoon watching Music Man.  Best thing about getting old is not remembering old movies and experiencing them again.

Another caching day

I needed 33 today and got 10.  I waited until the rain stopped before heading out.  I managed to stay dry as most of the showers were while I was driving.  Got a text just as I left about a new one in Richmond.  Someone just beat me to it.  He doesn't have a lot of caches but does have a lot of First to Finds.  There was a problem with the cache terrain (shouldn't have been a 1) and it was disabled by the time we tried logging.  It appeared again in the afternoon.

Had liver & onions at the Waffle House in New West and started off across Surrey to Aldergrove.  Kept finding the Wild Thingys' sticker just ahead of me but never caught up to them.  Gas at Aldergrove was 123.7!

Stopped around 5 and headed home.  The sky was pretty black and it was beginning to rain pretty hard.  Picked up Chinese food in Richmond.

New GI Dr.

Had to be at Hornby & Davie at 9:30 this morning.  Left early but traffic was fine and I got a parking spot right outside the door.  Took a minute to realize the parking meters are on the other side of the bike lane.  Paid with my phone.  Love doing that and when the wait was a bit long, added more time.

I really like this new GI Dr. Ho Ho Kin.  She is a lot nicer than the last man I had and really listened to me.  Helps when I hand over a page listing all my illnesses & meds.  We decided to do nothing right now.  My symptoms have settled down and I am eating well.  She gave me some suggestions of what to do with the Gerd attacks and thinks the big attacks I had after Chinese banquets might have been food poisoning.  My immune system is compromised so it isn't surprising no one else was bothered.  I will see her in September but am to call if I am unwell before that.  This one is a keeper.

Headed out to Ladner and was First To Find on a cache put out this morning.  Never thought about trying to be first as I had the downtown appointment.  The next one nearly did me in.  It was really easy but I knelt down.  Ended up rolling to a fence to help me get back up.  My arthritis therapists are right when they say not to do that any more.

Had a cup of seafood chowder & a 1/2 Caesar salad at Sharkey's.  A perfect lunch.  Carried on and got to 12 for the day and 99 for the day of the month.  Stopped at Tim Horton's for a bathroom break and had some ice cream at the Cold Stone Creamery.  They now have free WiFi!

Back to the beach for one more and had to ask a dog walker to bend down for it so I didn't have to kneel again.  Made my 100.  

Traffic was rough at the tunnel as there was a football game so I drove around to the Alex Fraser bridge.  The game was great.  Better start than last year.

Washington caching

Woke up with a headache but took some Tylenal and decided to ignore it.  Stopped at my Starbucks for the obligatory latte to get the geocaching day going.  There was no wait at the border in the Nexus lane.

Found caches from Blaine down the coast to Bellingham.  Even got an Earthcache (with some help from Lori with the math).  Had lunch at the Shrimp Shack - shrimp & halibut & chips.  

There were a few DNFs but I managed to log 16.  This leaves 9 to find on July 28th.  On Friday I need 13 and then 33 on Saturday.  I just want to get the numbers down so it might be possible to finish the 100 next month.

Traffic was backed up going onto the Oak St. Bridge so I detoured to Tim's for some chili to go and tried the airport bridges.  There was a big jam there so I drove towards the terminals and doubled back.  That worked!

Planning day

Went over to Lori's for dinner tonight.  Glad I don't have to go through the tunnel every day.  We planned our trip to the Island next Thursday to Sunday for the Mega Event.  We picked out some key caches and then booked a reservation on the ferry home.

We found an elusive cache in Richmond on my way home.  Had to explain what we were doing to three men on bikes.

Check up day

Sarted my morning at the Mary Pack Arthritis Centre at 8:30.  The OT was replacing the straps that frayed on my hand splints.  One is fitting looser which just showed how much swelling there had been.

Walked over to Fairmont for my appointment with Karen.  Didn't see her but I like the one I saw instead.  We've met a few times now.  She says the tumour markers are either going up or down, according to which scale you look at.  Some of my tumours are growing & others are okay.  We decided to stay on the Tamoxifen until September.  Didn't see Karen.  That's a good sign.  She would have come in if she was concerned.

Found a cache near Stanley Park.  Offered to take a photo of 3 cyclists near a statue on the bench.  I told them what I was doing and one had a boyfriend who went geocaching.  She ducked under the bench and came up with the cache.  Came close to a couple of others but either needed to crawl or hang off a cliff.  Some cachers don't get the terrain levels.  

Realized that I was getting really tired so headed home without getting my 100th for the date (need 2 more).  Grabbed soup & a cinnamon bun at Characters.

Picked up Louise at 5:15 and we went to meet Gwen & Wanda at Chungqing on Commercial.  It was closed for renovations & had a stop work order from the city on the front door.  We then went a few doors down to the Gojo Cafe Ethiopian Restaurant.  They were very patient and helped us order and then came to show us how to eat the dish.  We used Injera (Ethiopian flat-bread) instead of utensils to scoop up the food and it was delicious.  We ended up at the Gelateria Dolce Amore down Commercial for dessert.  

Interesting contrast between tonight and last night.  At the VESTA dinner, several people came up and said how healthy I looked and wasn't it great that I was well.  What am I supposed to say to that?  Well gee, I'm actually dying (my plan is to keep it slow).  Tonight, I didn't have to deal with that.  They get it. 

VESTA Retirement Dinner

Had a quiet day today as I was going out tonight to the VESTA Retirement Dinner at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club.  A perfect evening with an amazing view of the sea and mountains.  Everyone should experience nightfall at such a beautiful location.

It was a small group of retirees and didn't include anyone I had actually taught with.  Still was able to chat with several old acquaintances as we had a buffet that was full of good stuff.  I had a good appetitie today!

Sunny Sunday

Funny sitting in Vancouver with a blue sky when so many places are being flooded in the province.

Watched the England vs Italy game.  The English are so soccer mad - why can't they win tournament games?

Had a great dinner at the White Spot.  The special menu right now is baby back ribs.  Followed that with a strawberry tart.  Perfect.

Did a bit of grocery shopping at Safeway.  Construction has started to replace mine so it was quiet.  People get spooked by big holes.

Stormy night

There was a lot of rain here last night.  Not so much during the day.  Luckily, I am on high ground.  The Fraser is flooding in areas up the valley.  Was thinking of going to Abbotsford on Thursday for one night but not if the weather is like this.

Stayed in and watched Euro 2012 game and the Whitecaps.

School visit

Picked up a latte and went to Weir for a visit.  Spent a bit of time with Rum and then Lynn asked me to help with a yearbook problem.  The student putting it together has made a separate pdf file for each page instead of one big file.  No way to fix it without hours of work.  I think I was trying to advise on a similar problem the year I retired.  I suggested taking it to a printer to have all the files printed and take the pages to the VSB to print.  

Never did make it into the staff room.  I had to leave finally to make it to my hair appointment.  Nice to have it short again.  It was getting too hot.

Stopped at Granville Island for some groceries.  Usually can get parking with my handicapped sticker.

Pam sent this from Peppermint Patti.  So perfect!

You have multiple GPS units and sometimes have trouble deciding which one to take out caching. Sometimes you take two.*

Given the choice between going caching or attending a banquet, you throw on the hiking boots, grab the bug spray and head for the woods.*

If you cache out in the woods too late, you had better have brought your flashlight so you can find your way back to your car.*

After finally coming in for the night, you're thinking about the cache you were working on, and where you want to hide it.

If a new cache comes out at 11:00 p.m. and one of your fellow cachers phones, you will  go looking for it. In your pajamas. Just add jeans, boots and a jacket.*

If a new cache comes out while you're out for dinner with friends (and are dressed for dining) you will go after the cache in your good clothes (and high heels) in the pouring rain.*

You would rather spend money on a trip to a "Mega" caching event than renovate the kitchen.

The caches you have hidden are your "babies" and they make you proud.

When a package containing cache containers, decals and camouflage tape is waiting for you on your doorstep when you get home from work, you feel like a 6 year old on Christmas morning.

Your idea of the "ideal" vehicle would have automatic doors for each passenger, a fridge, a bathroom and built in GPS.*

Work is what you do to make money to go caching.

You can't understand why people say, "You can only use one GPS unit at a time. Why do you need so many?"*

You find it very easy to spend money on travel costs, geocoins, event T-shirts and more containers suitable for hiding, but difficult to buy new dress clothes.*

You find that rainy days aren't so bad - once you're wet, you can't get any wetter.*

* I have actually done this. Some of them more than once.

If you find that more than three of the above describe how your mind works, then we need to start a support group and get help.

Welcome Summer (and the Great Swag Swap)

Had a quiet day and actually fell asleep this afternoon.  Met Lori at Kerr & 62nd to try to find a bug multi but the first stage was missing.  We did find 2 in Burnaby that were designed around murals on the sides of buildings.  Had to pass a homeless man sitting in Central Park but he chatted happily with us.  Must tell Pam not to try this one alone.

We attended an event in Burnaby at the foot of Byrne Road - Welcome Summer (and the Great Swag Swap).  Met several friends and got hints for a few caches, including the bug multi.  The river was high and fast.

Lost another member of our mets group.  Thirty years old is too young.

Club Mets

Attended metastatic support group this morning.  A small group with one new member.  As always, I felt calmer at the end.

Hair dresser was closed so came straight home.

Still having trouble with my shoulder.  Iced it tonight.

Wrote this last night but it didn't publish.  I'll try again.

Trip planning

Started the day at Mary Pack to have some of the straps and velchro changed on my hand splints.  Need more work next week.  Then to the Cancer Agency for bloodwork.  I am so glad that I have the port.

Went out to Lori's to plan our trip to Salt Lake City in September.  We booked our tickets and Pam's.  We should find a couple of really old hides and hit 4 states - Utah, Idaho, Wyoming & Colorado.  

Quick trip to Point Roberts for gas but got pulled in for a random check.  The customs agent went out to search my car (good luck!) and came back perturbed that he found my wallet.  He insisted that I go out and count the money before I left.  I agreed but had no idea of what was in it.  He also left the trunk wide open with it and my iPad sitting in the open.  Not well thought out.

Bought some gas & a scone for tomorrow's breakfast and then crossed back to Thrifty's for some more groceries.  What should have taken 15 minutes turned into over an hour.

Short day

The day just went.  I watched some Euro Cup soccer and read my newspapers and it seemed to be dinner time.  Frittered away some time updating my health app on the iPad/iPhone.

Lori has planned a trip for September to Salt Lake City & up into Idaho for some old caches.  We should finalize it tomorrow.

5,500

It was a dull day with just a bit of blue sky appearing from time to time.  I went on a geocache hunt and managed to avoid the few showers.

Found 13 sprinkled through Richmond, Surrey & Vancouver.  This got me to 5,500!  Didn't get a couple that I was within a few feet of as the terrain was just too much or you had to kneel.  My physio has instructed me not to do that as it damages my knees more.  A couple just eluded me, so I'll try another day.

Picked up Japanese feast at Applause on the way home.

My leg was bloody from the thorns and my shoulder is stiff and sore.  Still had a good time.

Soccer day

It poured and looked cold all day so I stayed in and watched soccer - Euro Cup and Whitecaps.  

Hope to get out geocaching tomorrow.

Found 8 multis & an Earthcache today.  We headed down I-5 and Lori retrieved the one at the Rest Stop that I couldn't reach.  We then did 3 multis in Ferndale.  My favourite was at the library.  There was also a good one along a parkway dedicated to salmon.

Found 3 on the Semiahmoo Spit and another in Blaine.  Bought a lawn chair & a bottle of wine before crossing the border.

We ate at Tim Horton's near where we left Lori's car.  The lemonade tasted so good, but gave me a brain freeze.  Haven't had that for a long time and never this bad.  What a waste of a good drink.

Then we drove both cars to Cloverdale and solved another multi after stashing Lori's car again.  She then took me to a few in Tynehead Park that she had already been to.  We finished off with one more multi before heading south again.  A good day!

This is one of the challenges we are working on.  The first number is what we must find and the one in the brackets is what I still need to get the first number.

I was pooped by the time I got home at 5. 

One more multi

Wasn't going out today but Lori needed a cache and decided to go for a multi in Ocean Park.  I got there at 1 and we started solving the clues.  I have had smarter days!  We finally thought we had it and headed into the woods.  Couldn't see anything at the GZ but we both expanded our search and I finally spotted it under a piece of bark.  Dumb luck or geosense?

I was home just after 2. 

Sleepy

Went to bed early and had trouble waking up this morning.  I was awake at 5 and 8, but Marilyn's call at 9 woke me up.  Still managed to get her to the airport by 10 for her trip back to New Brunswick.

Stopped at Cobb's & a farm market on the way home.  First local strawberries were in.

Had plans to do a few things but just went home.  Watched some soccer and the Lions first pre-season game.

My shoulder is still sore and has gotten worse in the last couple of days.  Put icepacks on tonight.

Brrr

Started wearing jeans again.  It was dull a a bit drizzly all day and cold tonight.

Picked up Marilyn and took her for a tour.  We started with the Olympic Oval & Steveston and then through the tunnel and had lunch at Fort Langley in Wendel's Bookstore & Cafe.  After crossing the Golden Ears Bridge we did a little tour of heritage houses in New Westminster.  Drove about 150 km.

Jesse & Pru cooked a great meal - prime rib, gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, mustard carrots, grilled asparagus and chocolate dipped strawberries.  All washed down with mojitos!!

Going to bed early.  I was home by 8 but am really tired.

Alarm test

Had to be up and ready for someone to come in for the annual smoke & heat detector tests.  The main alarm rang long enough to make me wonder if there was a fire.  Always nice to know that all the devices in the building are functional.

Didn't need any caches so decided to just stay in and watch the Euro 2012 and the Stanley Cup.

Feeling more normal today.

White Spot

Didn't sleep too well last night.  Had some pain in my lower back and at the top of the left leg.  One of my tumours must be pinching something.  It eased after I got up and had a hot shower.

Picked up Marilyn & Pru and we had burgers at the White Spot.  Did a bit of shopping in Gastown and drove back via Stanley Park.

Went home and did some cleaning.  Had a few bouts of nausea through the afternoon but wasn't actually sick.  Chicken soup and toast was enough for dinner.

WWFM IX - Red

Lori, Pam & I all took part in flash mob events today.  Lori organized one in Sorrento, wearing hats in the rain, and Pam was at one in Germany, blowing bubbles off a pedestrian bridge.  I was wearing my red shirt in Abbotsford.  It was a cool morning.

Pam's had over 100 people, Lori had about 10 and mine was over 40.  People were in Abbotsford from all over, including Vancouver Island.  Saw several cachers I have met before.  Good to see Sweet Marie making it.

Found a couple of Earthcaches about glacial errata (big rocks) and a multi near a cemetary on Sumas Mountain. 

I was really tired all day and my back hurts a bit, so I came home early.  Drove over 200 km but was able to buy gas for $1.28.

Marilyn arrives

I picked up Marilyn at YVR.  She is here for another Songfire concert featuring 3 of her poems.  It was a long day coming here from New Brunswick and she looked tired.

We visited at Pru's for a while.  I was able to deliver her birthday present.  Nellie dropped by and then I took Marilyn to Oakridge.  She wanted to write a bit before walking back home.

Double entry

Put one cache in twice yesterday so am at 99.  The mega next month will put me over the 100.

Went out to Richmond & to Safeway for groceries and prescription.  Bought lots but didn't have the energy to prepare it.  Luckily there was still some stew in the freezer.

Another 100 date

Wandered around Washington, from Birch Bay to Bellingham.  Found 16 caches and that gets me to 100 for the 6th.  Only have 8 dates to go.  Even managed to get a couple of multis.  I didn't find quite a few.  I could feel one with my cane, but couldn't reach.  I am now at 5,470.

Had a great lunch of halibut & shrimp at the Shrimp Shack.  Bought some bread, cheese & house wine at Trader Joe's.  No trouble at all at the border.

Diamond Jubilee

Spent the day watching the pagentry on TV & my iPad.  Amazing to watch so many people behave.  

Lost an old friend:

Blunt, Gwen

May 10, 1943 - May 30, 2012 

Born in Newcastle, England on May 10, 1943 to John and Charlotte Lewis, Gwen passed away at Cottage Hospice in Vancouver on May 30. She is survived by her son Andrew (Erin) and her grandchildren Elliott and Charlotte who adored their "Grandma G". Gwen was a longtime teacher and librarian who appreciated the smaller things in life such as a glass of wine with friends, a good book, or a walk on the seawall on a sunny day. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Gwen's name to the BC Cancer Agency or St. James Community Service Society (Cottage Hospice). There will be no service by request but please drop by and join us for an informal gathering at Monk McQueens (601 Stamps Landing in Vancouver) on Saturday June 9 from 2 to 4 pm.

Mundy Monday

Met Lori in New Westminster and we found 3 caches on the parade.  We then went to PoCo for a couple and then around Coquitlam, ending up in Mundy Park.  I logged 17, leaving only 13 on this date for next month.

A funny day.  A couple of times I was waiting patiently in the wrong place.  Good thing that Lori is so patient.  Must be all that practice with grandchildren. 

I realized the screen of my iPad is cracked - luckily, I took out insurance.  Came straight home when we finished as it seemed the safest thing to do!

We had a good lunch at the White Spot but I couldn't finish it.  Just had some bread and humus for dinner.  Too tired to eat until 8 pm. 

David sent me a photo of my dad as best man at his parents' wedding.  He is the cute one on the right.

Diamond Jubilee

Recorded the boat procession up the times so I could watch it when I woke up.  Recognized Carol Dale on the breast cancer dragon boat.  

Didn't do much today.  Just reading and TV. 

Grace's funeral

Slept in until 9:30 so grabbed a Starbuck's latte on the way to cousin Grace Eadie's funeral.  It was at an Anglican Church at UBC.

Glad I arrived 15 minutes early because the parking lot was just about full.  The church was packed and they kept putting out more chairs.  Saw several people I knew from the VSB - principals, associates and a superintendent.

Waited until some of the crowd thinned and introduced myself to my family.  Several did remember meeting me in the past here and in Edmonton.  Had a long talk with Grace's brother David & one of her sisters.  They all recognized my dad as being the parents' best man.  Nice to meet people who actually knew him.

So tired afterwards that I forgot my plan for the day and just stopped at Safeway for some groceries.

Rossanne's retirement

Went to Rossanne's retirement at the University Women's Club.  She was in the VESTA office for 30 years & 13 presidents.  Several were there to speak.  Good company and great food.  Helped that I could sit most of the time.

Got a tweet from Matt to say he was in a car accident today.  He thinks the car is totalled as the frame is badly bent.  He has sore muscles but seems to be relatively unscathed.  

UBC

Pam, Lori & I headed for UBC this morning.  Found a multi, a puzzle and a few traditional.  Picked up another traditional in Kerrisdale for Pam & finished with a puzzle near Pru's house.

I went to Point Roberts to pick up a package for Moira and loaded up with gas & wine.

Today was the wrap-up session at the Mary Pack Arthritis Centre.  I met with the Occupational Therapist & the Physical Therapist to review my goals and see how I was doing.  Pretty good, I think.

Got some fresh pasta for dinner at Granville Island and dropped Moira's package off as I came home.

Reading time

Love being able to take a day and do nothing but watch TV and read.  

Feeling tired but pretty good.  Bit of pain in shoulder and ankle but not slowing me down.

Meandering

Found some caches in Queensborough, Burnaby & Vancouver.  Got a tweet while in Burnaby that there was a new one in Kerrisdale & actually made it in time to get a First to Find.

Picked up a cinnamon bun for lunch & shepherd's pie for dinner at Characters.  A bit of shopping at Safeway & was home just after 2.

Sundials

I was on a mission to find sundials at English Bay & on the North Van waterfront for a multi we are doing at UBC.  Luckily, I sent the answers right away and Lori was able to send me back to the North Van one before I got too far away.  I had looked for the wrong data!  Can't read simple instructions.  Found a nice multi while there.  It took me to the War Memorial for the Boer, WW I, WW II & Korean wars and then an air raid siren put up for the Cold War.  Appropriate on Memorial Day.

Had some great halibut at Fishworks on Lonsdale.  Even ate a couple of brussel sprouts that didn't taste too bad.  Not the slimy balls of childhood.

Logged a couple of new caches in Burnaby and one at the end of Kerr St. on the way home.

White Spot comfort food

Had a quiet day.  Paid a few bills.   

Didn't feel like cooking, so went to the White Spot - chowder, burger & gelato.

Passings

Attended the memorial for Pam's dad today with Lori.  It was well done, with a brief bio and a slide show of photos. 

TRASK, Keith O.
May 19, 1922 - April 24, 2012
Surrounded by his loving family, Keith peacefully passed away on April 24 after a brief illness. He was a gentle and kind father, grandpa, husband and friend who will be dearly missed by Agnes, his wife of 65 years; daughters Pam Moulton and Sheryl Trask (Paul Spelliscy); and grandchildren Cameron Moulton (Cassidy Knowles), Curtis Moulton (Natasha Samuels), Caitlin and Brynn Spelliscy. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 26, 11:00 at the Mount Pleasant Legion Branch 177, Senior's Centre (lower floor) 2655 Main Street, Vancouver. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Little Mountain Place, or the charity of your choice.

Wandered around a bit and found 3 caches in Burnaby.  I needed 6 to get to 100, but was tired and it was hot.

Came home to find that my cousin had died.  My dad was best man at her parents' wedding so she saw his photo every day.  Her mother had polio and was always one of my heroes.  She would visit on her way to the sun in Hawaii.

EADIE, Isabelle Grace
October 2, 1941 - May 23, 2012
Born in Edmonton, passed peacefully after a lengthy illness, in her 71st year. Survived by her loving family, husband Desmond, daughter Carolyn (Daniel) Anderson, her auntie Claire Kirkland of Edmonton, brother David Hough of Victoria, sisters Joan (Leith) Campbell of Edmonton and Shirley (Dan) Tweed of Trail, grandchildren Catharine and William; other loving nieces, nephews and family members. Grace was a well respected educator in Vancouver, retiring after 35 years of service as a teacher, vice principal and principal. Memorial service will be conducted by The Rev'd Roberta Fraser, Saturday, June 2nd at 11:00 a.m. at St. Anselm's Anglican Church, 5210 University Blvd., Vancouver. In appreciation of Grace's love of beautiful flowers, they are gratefully accepted, or a donation may be made to the General Fund of St. Anselm's Anglican Church.

Laundry day

Heard the door of a dryer close the first 2 times I arrived at the top of the stairs.  Finally chanced it and all machines were quiet.  Returned after 1/2 hour of washing to find both dryers full of almost dry clothes.  Took them all out and they were still there when I went back for mine in an hour.  Either someone forgot or just didn't care how long they left them.

Up and down the stairs 3 times was enough for one day.

Fort Langley

Spent most of the day around Fort Langley with Pam and Lori.  We found a bunch of caches.  They went on a walk around Macmillan Island from 2:30 to 4:10 and logged 7 caches.  I stayed with the car and read.

Good lunch at Wendel's Bookstore & Cafe - Spinach Citrus Salad: fresh baby spinach topped with citrus, spiced walnuts and red onions with poppy seed dressing & focaccia.

Point Roberts

Picked up a couple of things at Lee Valley Hardware and then headed to Point Roberts.  Filled up with gas & bought a bottle of wine & a scone at the Shell Station.  Had one parcel with several things in it at TSB Shipping.  Zipped right through the border both ways.  Love driving past lines of cars without NEXUS.

Thought I could remember where a multi was in Boundary Bay.  Should have stopped at first stage.  Walked 2 km and gave up.  Next time I'll do it properly.

Fell asleep this afternoon!

Stanley Park Totems

Met Lori & Pam at the Stanley Park Totems for an event held by a visitor from Germany.  We visited with other geocachers for quite a while.

Found 5 other caches before leaving the park.  Also got a parking ticket on each of our cars at the Tea House parking lot as our passes had expired.  Who checks in an empty lot in the rain!  EasyPark sucks.  I ended up paying $10.70 for parking & owe $39.20 for the fine.  

Home by 8 - tired, wet & hungry. But, I have 5,402 caches!

Bob goes into space

They finally got the commercial space launch off this morning, sending cousin Bob's ashes into space.  Appropriate when you look at his career with NASA.

Gave my shoulder another day of rest.  It is much better but I can't reach for anything or lift it without hurting.

Sore shoulder

Spent the day icing my sore shoulder and watching Titanic shows on my PVR.  

Stayed up late to finish my latest ebook mystery on my Kobo.  Love being able to borrow ebooks from the library.

Fort Langley

Excellent day today.  Met Pam at Sungod and we headed for Fort Langley.  Found an Earthcache on Brae Island.  We were there for an event in the Fort and 3 new caches were nearby.  Strange being in the Fort without a bunch of schoolkids in tow.  Found the nearby Outdoor Art #3 multi.  I only have 1 left in this series, but it is disabled since the art has been removed.

Love events like this when we meet people we know.  Had lunch with a few in the pub and traded stories and hints for caches.

Had a bit of time to rest before meeting Matt, Andrea & the kids at the Topanga Cafe for my birthday dinner.  Excellent food.  I will return.

Fell asleep watching the news.  Have a sore shoulder tonight.  I fell and wrenched it. 

Down day

Slept really well last night and didn't get up until 9.

Read & watched TV all day and not much else.

Letterboxes

Met Pam in Surrey and we headed to find a solved puzzle in White Rock.  Then we went to Campbell Valley Park and found a couple of letterboxes.  I have the number I need for the pyramid challenge.  Ended up with 11 for the day.  We had several DNFs  so I felt better at blowing some yesterday.  I've been back to one 3 times, but no luck.

Good lunch at Choo Choo's in Langley.  Grabbed some groceries at Save-On & Cobs when I took Pam back to her car.  Straight home after that, arriving at 5.  Took some time to get the energy to even take my shoes off.  Will sleep well tonight.

Poor caching day

Just made it in time to grab a tea before our metastatic group.  There were 9 of us this morning.

Drove to Coquitlam and had lunch at Applebee's.  Failed to find 3 caches in a row.  One was a 1.5 terrain but I could only get to within 12 metres.  No way I was clambering over a bunch of fallen trees with a cane.  Finally found one and then it was time to head home.  Got here just after 5.

VESTA AGM

Met Pam in Queensborough this morning.  Picked her up at the end of a trail I had done we found 3 new caches.  She came with me on an obscure path on Annacis Island to find one that she already had.

Home for a rest and then went to the VESTA AGM at the Vancouver Museum.  It was a long meeting, going until almost 6.  So nice not to have to do that any more.  I was tired, so left when my parking ran out at 6. 

Another 100

Went out this morning and found 3 quick nearby caches to get to 100 for the 14th.  9 more days and 203 caches to go!

Picked up a cinnamon bun at Characters on the way home.  Didn't do much else today.  Not feeling perfect, but a lot better than the last few days.

Family Birthdays

Family celebrated several birthdays (me, Chris, Patrick, Kathryn) at Chris's today.  Large group - about 15.  We had a Mexican lunch.  Several went off to minigolf at Queen Elizabeth Park, but I was tired and headed straight home.

Iffy day

Woke up with the headache I went to sleep with.  It finally went by the afternoon, helped with a few painkillers.  Felt sick after dinner, but it settle down without getting too bad.

Finished a good mystery and watched PVR.  Enjoyed World Cup game since Canada won, but the Whitecaps lost their game. 

Tired

Slept in to 9:30 this morning.  Watched Canada beat Finland in the World Cup hockey game and then went to Richmond.  Stopped at COSTCO, Chapters & Cobbs.  Had lunch on the beach in Steveston.

I am tired and a bit headachy tonight.  Still managed to finish The Hunger Games trilogy.  Enjoyed the books a lot.  Now for the movie.

Long day

So nice to have the sun for so long after the short days of Winter.  Left home at 9 and returned at 8 tonight.  Pam, Lori & I found caches from Strathcona, to the PNE and across North Burnaby.  I logged 26 for the day.  They did most of the walking.  I would let them off at one part of a trail and meet them at the other end.  Our map looks pretty good now.

PVR day

Slept in until 10 and didn't really accomplish anything today.  I did have plans but ended up watching stuff on my PVR and reading book 2 & part of 3 of the Hunger Games trilogy.

Arriva Ristorante Italiano

Had a nice quiet day.  Did some cleaning  - mainly filling my recycling bag.

Met Robert & Pru at 8 and we went to Arriva Ristorante Italiano for an excellent dinner: Gamberi Piccanti  (Prawns, hot & spiced), Bruschetta and Piccata di Vitello al Limone (Veal, butter, white wine, lemon sauce).  So nice to have an appetite today.

 

Afternoon tea

I needed 7 caches to get to my 100 for the 7th.  Found one on the Surrey side of the Patullo Bridge.  Luckily it was away from all the road construction.  Failed to find 3 in a row in New West but then found a three quick ones.  Got one inside a branch library in Burnaby that was hidden under the geocaching shelf.  Failed under an abandoned rail bridge.  I don't do well under bridges.

Met Georgina & Marilyn for afternoon tea at Anni's house.  Always enjoy spending time with old friends.  

#100 was a new hide in Vancouver.  Had to explain geocaching to the man sittting on the rock I needed to look under.  Gave him an info card and he was quite interested.  Figured I could trust him as he had a nice dog with him.

Roaming North Van

Found 7 caches in North Van.  Met fellow cachers at the 2nd one and one of them found it under a bridge - good timing.  Even snagged a Letterbox.  Several were my 2nd attempt.  I must be getting better.

Stopped at Tomahawk for a lunch of beef barley soup, toast & tea.  They were just on You Gotta Eat Here.  A woman at the next table was attacking a burger that was about 8 inches tall.

Decided I'd had enough for one day and headed home. 

White Spot dinner

Enjoyed a lazy day reading and watching TV.  The Kentucky Derby win by a local jockey was amazing and the White Caps recorded an historic win.

Met Moira at White Spot for dinner. Ate quite than I've been able to lately.  Tasted good.

Cygnet silver ring splints

Found a cache by Children's Hospital on my way to Mary Pack.  Fitted with my new Cygnet silver ring splints.  They fit well and I had no trouble wearing them all day.

Picked up a couple of books & a bottle of wine in Point Roberts.  Was on the wrong side of the road for a cache and didn't want to miss the lane change in the tunnel, so I'll try another day.  Did find a couple of caches in Richmond near the tunnel.  Bought some produce at Richmond Country Farms.  Stopped at Landsdowne and then home. 

7 Caches

Felt pretty good this morning.  Met Lori in New West.  I needed 7 to get to my 100 for the 3rd.  We were back to Lori's car before noon.   11 more days to complete.  They were building sets for Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters in Robert Burnaby Park.  Have to see the movie now.  There were small houses, archery targets, barrels and a tower with a wall around it.  Should result in enough money to keep the pool open this summer.

Stopped at Byrne Road for some shopping.  

A bit of nausea tonight but ate dinner with no problem.

Still tired

Had to drop a paper off at Fairmont and then go to the pharmacy at the Cancer Agency for my new bottle of Tamoxifen.  We had a full house at the Metastatic Group.  We now have 3 Val's since Val J. has come.  We first met in 1993 at support groups.

Took Val home and stopped for groceries.  Fell asleep for part of the afternoon.  Couldn't eat much dinner.

Checkup day

Had an appointment at 8:40 with my oncologist.  Another doctor saw me first and then Karen came in.  My tumour markers are up on one test and down on another, there is no sign of anything in the lungs or liver, some tumours are bigger & some are smaller.  I can stop worrying about the 2 I can feel.  I am to give up the pool exercise and it is probably just too much exertion right now. 

I have lost a lot of weight and have been having enough trouble with my gut that I am being referred to St. Paul's for a look.  The CT Scan doesn't really show the stomach, so I'll need another scope.  Changed doctors.  Remember throwing up on the last one during the procedure.  Not altogether a bad thing.

Was feeling much better so decided to give caching a shot.  Stopped at Starbucks for a latte and it didn't upset anything.  Found Lori & Pam in New Westminster and drove them around.  Stopped for soup & sandwich at lunch and I was hungry for the first time in days.  Went out to Lori's house and she drove the two of us to Abbotsford for an event put on by a couple leaving in the morning for Africa.  I gave them a BC flag coin to drop somewhere exotic.  Logged a few more caches nearby and one in Cloverdale to get me to 100 for the 1st day of the month.  12 more days to work on to get those columns to 100.

I am tired but feeling much better.  Hope it stays this way for a while.

Recovery day

Got over 8 hours sleep and decided to have a quiet day.  Ate a bit but still don't have much of an appetite.

Home

Started off from my hotel at 9:30.  It was drizzling so I just found a few caches as I headed north.  Really wasn't feeling well.

Stopped at La Conner to see tulip fields and shop at the Olive Shoppe.  Had some grilled fish for lunch.  Just started feeling worse, so gave up and went home.  Only stop was for gas in Blaine.

Home by 5 an went to bed for a few hours.  I was feeling sick and my ribs hurt.  Swimming?  GERD? Cancer? Old age?  Who knows.

Heather woke me up at 9 and told me I had won an award.  That certainly perked me up.  Managed a pot of herbal tea.

Where is Harry & David?

Felt better today but just had juice & yoghurt for breakfast.  No where to sit anyways.

Drove to Bellevue for some shopping at Macy's (they didn't have my jeans) and Harry & David's.  Even got parked right by the door.  Went in with my wheelie to load up with bottles of goodies and the store was gone!  They have no stores left in Washington.

Found 10 caches today, including 2 Letterboxes.  Worked my way back to my hotel and had a rest before dinner.  Had a good meal of shrimp at Red Lobster but quickly filled up.  

Lynnwood

Picked up my tax form from Matt's work.  Andrea did it for me.  Owe $2,000.  Made it to Mary Pack in time for my pool class.  The time went quickly and I could keep up most of the time.

Home to drop off my wet bathing suit.  Mailed the taxes and headed south.

There were hardly any cars at the border.  Stopped for some lunch and then found a cache starting with X to complete my Washington alphabet.  Won't go for the final as it is a 3-hour walk.

Started feeling unwell and my ribs were aching.  Bought some antacid stuff and checked in to my hotel at about 5:30.  Rested for a bit and then went out for some soup.  Came back and lay down to watch TV and doze.  I think I was just overtired.  Glad I didn't do any shopping.  Avoiding rush hour traffic was probably a good choice.

Caching in Surrey

Met Lori in Surrey and we started off in White Rock.  4 new caches were besmirching our maps.  One appeared as I arrived at the Starbucks and we went right to it.  Met another cacher who had been searching for a while.  Lori found it so we all claimed first to find.

Took a wrong turn and went to turn around at Mavericks Tap House & Grill. Ended up staying for a good lunch - grilled caesar salad with chicken.  Turns out it was where Jane got all the food for her wedding.

Did an interesting multi in Cloverdale and then headed south for Redwood Park.  What a hidden treasure!  Did not climb 2/3 of the way up a big redwood to find a cache but we did log 4 others.

Tired when I got home.  My GERD had been acting up all morning.  I walked 3.33 km!

Swim & laundry

Had trouble finding parking at Mary Pack.  Finally parked in a Residents' Only spot on Oak.  I keep the bylaw in my car that allows parking for 3 hours if you have a handicapped sticker.

The excercises went well but my GERD was acting up through the whole thing.  Irritating.  Stopped at Granville Island for groceries.

Did a couple of loads of laundry but ignored the sheets & towells.  Can only haul so much up the stairs.  My new laundry cart worked well.

Another CT

Started out at the dentist.  She adjusted my new partial again and I think this is going to work.  It was too tight on the left side.

Had a CT Scan at the Cancer Agency.  Made sure they did low enough to catch the 2 tumours I can feel.  Now have to wait until next Tuesday.

Came straight home.  Can't do much else when you drink so much water!

Went through my little database of bills paid by VISA and changed the expiry date.  Not all were easy to figure out.  Paypal has been nice enough to send reminders.  BCCA had a message on the website for me and was simple.  The Sun won't work on my iPad.  It was easy once I switched to the computer.  Still haven't figured out what to do about NEXUS.  Will try phoning tomorrow.

Another year

Well, I made it another year.  I am now 63 and a couple of oncologists predicted that I would be dead in a couple of years when I was 44.  Glad to prove them wrong.

Arrived an hour early for physio so went to Starbucks and read the paper on my iPad.  Had a good workout and signed up for more pool excercises.  Four weeks every Wednesday and Friday morning.

Picked up Jane and she took me to the Five Guys for a hamburger.  It is really good but there aren't many of them yet.  We went back home and played with her computer and Kobo.

Picked up a couple of books and a bottle of wine in Point Roberts.  Decided on fish & chips from Pajo's for dinner.  When I mentioned my birthday, he gave me my money back and said there was a coupon as long as I had proof.  Flashed my driver's licence and came home with a free meal.  Not bad!

Happy Earth Day

Met Status of Women group at the Whip for lunch.  Good food and service.

Picked up a laundry cart at Canadian Tire and took it out to Matt's for him to assemble.  Lots of little parts!  Stayed for dinner and the Canucks.  There is always next year!  Can't blame the goalies.  They just aren't scoring enough.

Nice driving home at night when there is no traffic.

Chilliwack Earth Day

Drove to Chilliwack for an Earth Day Geocaching event.  Arrived early so found 3 caches.  The event was at an annual ED fair.  Signed in and was in the photo.  They had a list of new caches.  Think I'll save them for another day.

Had lunch at the airport (chef salad & raspberry/peach pie) and then found another in the Midnight Coffee series.  Failed at the next and at a letterbox hide.  Think I know where it is but a neighbour was eying me suspiciously.

Decided to head home at about 3:30.  Went via IKEA in Richmond and found a final for a puzzle I had solved.  Walked down a really old trail and across an ancient little bridge.  

Stiff from yesterday's pool exercises.

Pool session

Had my first hour of pool therapy at Mary Pack.  Warm little pool.  Worked for the full hour and was able to do most of it.  A bit of trouble with balance.

Picked up a package at Point Roberts.  Filled up with gas and bought a bottle of wine & a scone.  Did more shopping at Thrifty's and then home.

Lazy day

Didn't get dressed today.  Just sat and read and watched PVR.

Days like this are good for the soul.

Hanging in

Went to my metastatic support group this morning.  I now have 2 tumours in my groin that I can feel.  I had bloodwork yesterday and will have a CT Scan next week.  My doctor's appointment is the following week.  There is no point in going earlier as she will need the results to help decide what to do next.  They don't hurt but it is irrritating being able to feel the cancer.  It is usually out of sight.

Stopped at Granville Island for groceries.  Ate a donut made in a big C for the Canucks.  Worked!  Do I need to return for one on every game day?

Langley

We switched our caching from Thursday to Tuesday this week.  First, I had to have bloodwork at the Cancer Agency.  Had it changed from a private lab so the port could be used.  Saved me having to book a flush for it.  

Met Pam & Lori in Cloverdale and we headed to Langley.  I found 10 caches and they logged nearly double that.  The last puzzle was magical.  We had found a bunch of clues and then Lori guessed at the final.  I drove right to it first try.

Can't stay awake to read, so I am giving up and going to bed.

Day of appointments

At Mary Pack for physical therapy this morning.  Did a bunch of excercises for the knees & then had ice packs applied.  

Home for lunch and then to the dentist to get my new partial.  Took a bit of fiddling to get the fit right.  Out to Richmond for a couple of easy caches.  Met a fellow cacher at one and talked for some time.

Met Louise at Cactus Club for dinner and then to our support group at the Cancer Agency.  There were a couple of others there.  Home just after 8 and bushed.

Hmscherlic

Had a quiet day of reading and then headed for Surrey.  Found the first stage of a multi but the next was at a Sky Train station and there were too many police and people about.

Attended the Hmscherlic Support Group #3 at the Fresgo Inn.  The food is still as good as it was when I used to eat at their original location on Davie St.  Far too much of it and I ate less than 1/2.  

I now have 17 events - 10 more to go!  We are working on the Magic Cubic Cache Challenge.  Never a hardship to attend these.  Always see familiar faces and enjoy the stories and hints.  Even Lori showed up after convincing her family to go home early after dinner.

We were able to see some of the game and I was home for the last 5 minutes.  We played better than they did tonight, but couldn't score.

Last BCTLA meeting

Picked up Moira and we stopped for Starbucks on the way to the BCTF building.  We attended the Spring Chapter Council and AGM of BCTLA.  I am retiring this year after several decades of work.  Think it is time.  I used to be the only one who could do the web stuff but now there are many who know more than I do.  I'm also getting tired and don't want any responsibilities other than medical & geocaching. 

Sad to leave the people and to know that I probably will never see some of them again.

Found a new cache at the north end of Penticton St., overlooking the port.  Tried for a couple of others at the PNE and one at Children's but couldn't get parked anywhere near.  Racing started today and the lots were controlled.

Went to Richmond for Chinese take-out. 

Friggatriskaidekaphobia or Parakevidekatriaphobia?

Had a quiet day and then headed to Ladner to pick up Lori.  We both got stuck in traffic in Richmond on the way to the tunnel.  No trouble at all crossing the border.

We found a couple of multis (Ferndale & Bellingham) and then stopped at Fred Meyer's for a couple of bottles of wine.  No trouble bringing 1 bottle back after a day trip.  

We attended an event (Friggatriskaidekaphobia or Parakevidekatriaphobia?) at Round Table Pizza.  Sat with a man who was 94!  Interesting life flying B17s in the war and then, after 35 years in the navy, he spent 25 teaching.

Nice to see Sweet Marie just weeks after serious surgery.  Talked with a few interesting cachers.

Listened to the Canucks on the way back and watched the end at Lori's.  Disappointing.

Walnut Grove

Found 13 caches with Lori & Pam in Walnut Grove.  I woke up feeling tired and had some stomach upset.  Ate a few antacids and it settled down as the day went on.  

Weather was funny.  It was raining when I left home and sunny in Delta.  We were caught in a thunder storm in the afternoon.  Saw a lighting bolt going straight down over Pitt Meadows.  Wonder if it was the one that hit a house.

Car Service

Arrived at Open Road Toyota before 10 and didn't leave until 2:30.  Regular check and needed some work on the air conditioning.  Switched to summer tires and replaced the filters.  Added up to $668!

Read my newspapers and Kobo.  Wandered across the street for lunch.  So tired by then end, I just came straight home.

Poor old Canucks!

PVR catchup

Got up with all the intentions of going geocaching.  Had a shower and sat down with a cup of tea and my electronic papers.  Didn't move until dinner.

Played my turn in Scrabble, Lexulous & Words with friends and started watching shows I'd taped.  Got behind because of all the hockey.  Still many hours to watch.