British Columbia

by

Propane Sticker Shock, Once Again

I had my 30lb tank filled this morning and the cost almost a full dollar per pound. It wasn’t quite as bad as in Dawson, where I paid $40 to fill the tank, but it was still a full ten cents more than in Whitehorse! I guess living on an island is more expensive than living near the end of the world?

There appears to be only one place within a reasonable distance of Campbell River city limits to get propane; the Ocean Grove Esso station at the corner of South Island Highway and Colorado. It’s easy to get to even if it is a 20km round trip drive, so I doubt I’ll be taking Miranda out for an onboard tank fill. The 30lber will last a long time so long as I’m not heating with it, so it’s not worth the hassle of trying to get myself out and back into this spot.

by

A Zanier Morning

WHEW! I did in 4 hours what I normally do in what I have thus far considered to be a ‘busy’ 8 hour shift! Our till system also went down for about an hour. The manager tried to lock the doors, but customers were persistent and I was doing well manually calculating things, so we persevered with the customers who were paying cash. Once I got everything entered after the till came back up, we just about balanced, so I think the manager was glad that we stayed open for these cash-only customers. There were a few little tax-related discrepancies because BC’s taxation system is quite different from any other I’ve experienced in this country and I haven’t studied it in depth.

I have a really hard time finding anything special about this season of over commercialism, but this year it sure is easier to be cheery about it.. Compared to last year in Oliver, this week has been pure heaven. Last year, I spent this week moving snow, being responsible 24/7 for the RV park, and being %#( upon by the manager. I also  had the stress of dealing with the continuing cold snap while preparing for my departure from Hell-iver. There was also the not-so-fun job of trying to be cheery with customers and get into the spirit of things for our potluck.  Last year I did get a nice dinner from the manager at the RV park (fainting almost ensued) and this year, to my surprise, I got a little bonus at the gas station even though I’ve been working there less than two months.

(It was also a year ago tomorrow that I moved the blog to WordPress!)

My only plans for the 25th are to have dinner with the mother and step-father of one of my best friends. What are the odds that they’d live here? I’ll be working 10 to 6 and then heading over there for turkey. If I hadn’t done that, one of my former colleagues at the gas station was going to bring me leftovers from their dinner. I might be a solo RVer, but solo does not have to equal alone.

by

A Zany Morning

Normally, my 10AM to 2PM shifts at the convenience store are busy, but mundane. Today, thought, was all about one thing after another. The following are the two best incidents of the day:

Today, a colleague accidentally threw away a key component of our coffee machine which resulted in my having to mop up a gallon of boiling hot coffee and then dig through a garbage can to find the missing part. Before I’d even had my first cup of the day.

Some time later, I witnessed something I have only otherwise seen in movies and tv shows. We have had a problem with our ATM for about a week now; it won’t print receipts. Today, for some unfathomable reason, it decided that those receipts had to come out. Receipt after receipt poured out of that machine like thick flakes of snow. There was no stopping the flood as customers looked on in awe. Finally, the storm ended and the machine rebooted. I assumed that the problem had fixed itself, but no. Two customers made withdrawals and were not given a receipt. Shall I look forward to a repeat performance by the ATM next Monday?!

Never a dull moment…

by

Campbell River Water Quality

The thing I will remember the most about Campbell River is just how amazing the tap water is! It is so sweet and fresh; probably the best I have ever had and apparently some of the best in all of Canada. After so many months of truly horrible water, from the chlorine sludge of south Surrey to the sanguine nightmare pouring from the taps in the Yukon, being able to drink water straight from the tap is a dream. I really can’t understand why anyone would pay for bottled water here.

As an added bonus, the outside temperature means that the water coming through the taps is very cold. I usually prefer my water at room temperature, but this water tastes even better cold, just like that lovely glacier melt I savoured on my Chilkoot hike.