Red Cedar

Yesterday well and truly sucked. There’s no other way to put it. It was an all-around shitty day between the work meeting where management outlined its re-org (and layoff) strategy and the hospital, where my biopsy proved to be far trickier than the last two. I tried my damndest to put a chipper face on the whole thing, but there’s not much you can do to make watching people lose their jobs and cancer testing feel good inside.

At least there was cake at the end of the day. St. Honore cake from Fratelli’s on the Drive – the nearest thing to heaven that I know.

And fortunately, today is not yesterday! And my really good friend A. is coming to town tomorrow to spend three days in our lovely, rainy city. So far I’m thinking that Parade of Lost Souls, the suspension bridge over Lynn Valley (and hike around the area), and (if we can get a reservation) dinner at  Les Faux Bourgeois or Bao Bei are all possibilities for things to do. Also, drinks on the Drive, hanging around our ‘hood, and perhaps a nip over to Bowen Island for dinner at the pizza place depending how energetic we’re all feeling. Even in the rain, Vancouver is pretty awesome – as long as you dress for the weather, it’s got lots on offer. Highlights in the city for me include the great hikes and great food in particular.

But for those folks who like more indoor activities (and cultural events, and rec center access) a new program was announced yesterday which partners the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Public Library in something called the “Inspiration Pass”. Basically, VPL card holders can check an Inspiration Pass out of their local library once a year which entitles them to two weeks of free activities including family access to the Planetarium, Art Gallery, Opera, Rec Centers and more! Check it out here and get on the wait list at your local branch (passes are limited to five per local branch and fifteen at the central).

Since I’ve been a big complainer about how Vancouver events/venues are way too expensive for most families to afford – I think this is a great first step towards making these things accessible again. I’m hopeful that when the pass actually comes my way (I’m 50 on the waiting list for my branch) that there will be some good Opera or Symphony to get signed up for – which would be an added bonus to just having a few places to go in the rainier winter months. What’s great too is that the pass is for the *family* which means that each of us in our household could get the pass once a year for a total of six weeks of activities and events.

Anyhow – way to go CoV and VPL! The Inspiration Pass is definitely inspired!