Campbell River

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Passing the Torch

In the middle of writing up my last post, I looked out the window and noticed a crowd gathering in front of the rock. There was also a lot of police activity. Holy moly, I thought, the Olympic torch is about to go by! I grabbed a coat and ran down to capture this historic event.

Twenty-one years ago, I saw the torch being passed on in my home town ahead of the 1988 winter games in Calgary.  It boggles my mind that I can recall so clearly an event that happened more than twenty years ago. I’m getting a little long in the tooth. 🙂

first glimpse of the torch!

first glimpse of the torch!

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passing the torch

passing the torch

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the new runner takes off... walking

the new runner takes off… walking

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Ah, That Bracing Ocean Air!

I woke to rain this morning but, as mostly usual, it cleared up by mid-day. Needing to get up at, gasp, 5AM tomorrow I decided that a long walk in the bracing ocean air might be what I need to tucker myself out enough to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Norma left me a little project that requires a trip to the hardware store, so I decided to walk to the Rona, about three kilometres away. The store wound up not having what I needed, but I did get a few things for myself. It was an amazing walk and there were moments that made me feel that I was in either or both an alien world and a Harry Potter novel!

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there are wizards in Campbell River!

there are wizards in Campbell River!

I thought this was William Tell at first, but turns out it's Eve!

I thought this was William Tell at first, but turns out it’s Eve!

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The first of several fantastic wooden statues all set up in a park. They are available for 'rent' by local businesses and I had fun spotting them throughout the village.

The first of several fantastic wooden statues all set up in a park. They are available for ‘rent’ by local businesses and I had fun spotting them throughout the village.

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Oscar!

Oscar!

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Willowpoint Village has a grocery store, coffee shop, restaurants, pharmacy, pizza place, and just about any other service you could need

Willowpoint Village has a grocery store, coffee shop, restaurants, pharmacy, pizza place, and just about any other service you could need

this whimsical seaside cottage is almost a cliché

this whimsical seaside cottage is almost a cliché

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Driving down the highway, I saw Cookie Monster from the rear and knew I had to walk down and take a look at all the statues!

Driving down the highway, I saw Cookie Monster from the rear and knew I had to walk down and take a look at all the statues!

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first time I've seen a wooden inuksuk!

first time I’ve seen a wooden inuksuk!

a jetty

a jetty

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this burn pattern caught my eye

this burn pattern caught my eye

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I wear a size nine shoe, if that'll help with scale

I wear a size nine shoe, if that’ll help with scale

it also looks like that writhing mass of snakes at the bottom of the Well of Souls in Raiders of the Lost Ark

it also looks like that writhing mass of snakes at the bottom of the Well of Souls in Raiders of the Lost Ark

this is pretty much what I imagined Devil's Snare (from the Harry Potter series) looks like

this is pretty much what I imagined Devil’s Snare (from the Harry Potter series) looks like

yellow dogwood next to seaweed

yellow dogwood next to seaweed

that is some serious seaweed!

that is some serious seaweed!

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Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth

Well, I start a full-time job as a cashier at a gas station on Tuesday. It’s five minutes from home on foot.

Sounds great, right?

Let’s just say that minimum wage in BC, an absurd eight dollars an hour, only pays the bills. And I have to start at 5:30AM for at least one training session. I tend to go to bed at 3AM when I’m following my circadian clock, so I expect to be rather groggy on Tuesday. There’s no way I’ll be able to get myself on an 9PM bedtime routine by tomorrow night!

I’m thrilled that I’ll have money coming in this month, but I’m still looking for something that will pay a living wage. I cannot believe that there are people in BC who make only eight dollars an hour. I can’t remember the last time I only made eight dollars an hour. But beggars can’t be choosers and considering the employment situation in Campbell River, I know I’m very lucky. At least, my fixed expenses are covered. Now, to find the extra income stream to cover renos and all that gas I’ll need to make it back to Dawson in the spring.

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Seawalk-ing

I stayed in yesterday as it just poured and poured and poured, but this afternoon the rain finally stopped and blue sky started to peak from the clouds. I bundled up against a blustery wind and went for a short walk of a couple blocks along the Sea Walk that passes in front of the house.  It’s going to be a great place to go biking and running; my only quibble is that crossing the highway can take forever!

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lighthouse in the distance

lighthouse in the distance

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this boulder is the bane of my existence as it blocks my view

this boulder is the bane of my existence as it blocks my view

blackberries

blackberries

at first, I thought the sea gull was a weather vane!

at first, I thought the sea gull was a weather vane!

I really like this statue

I really like this statue

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Appliance Joy

Here is a stock image of my newest toy. I don’t have room in the rig for it yet so it’s still in the car ( 😀 ):

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No, it’s not a microwave! It’s a DISHWASHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just cannot believe that I own a Danby counter top dishwasher at this point in my life!!! They are worth about 300$, so I planned to do my renos and get one next winter.  Browsing the For Sale ads on Craigslist this week, I found TWO of these on sale! One was in Campbell River for 120$, which was still too pricey for my current financial situation. But the other one was in Cumberland, 50km away, for 70$. Even counting in gas, the latter one was a bargain that I couldn’t disregard. Since I won’t be buying groceries this week, I put my grocery money towards the Danby. I love it when things work out that way.

It’ll be great doing the renos with the dishwasher in my possession since I won’t have to guess how it would fit in a given space. It would have sucked to create a nook for it that wouldn’t work and have to start all over again. As it is, I think that my original idea was good, but will require some tweaking since the unit is a bit deeper than I expected. I’ve also  been advised that it gets really hot when it’s in the drying cycle. Since I usually just open the door instead of going into the drying cycle, this last bit might not be important, but it’s still useful information. One thing I will have to be careful about is plugging it into a socket that is not on the same circuit as the study as it is a 1260W unit, meaning it’ll draw almost 11A and cannot therefore operate on the same circuit at the same time as the microwave, vacuum cleaner, or printer.

Having had a dishwasher for one year, I know just how radically my life is going to change. I hate washing dishes. It’s the most onerous task in the universe; worse than scrubbing toilets or doing laundry. Being single, I have to do everything around my home. Why not let an inexpensive machine deal with the one thing I resent the most? I know from my experience living with a dishwasher that I’m going to cook more and eat out less. Needless to say, I can’t wait to set it up! The best part is that I have space for it, even if the space doesn’t exist right now. By keeping my rig relatively decluttered, I can, as I wrote in my ebook Sorting It Out, make room for things that matter. Until I find a human dishwasher, the things that matter include a Danby countertop dishwasher. 🙂