Keira-anne.com

Another Friday, another potential for adventure. In less than an hour, I’ll be bound for Horseshoe Bay to hop a ferry home for the weekend. I’m excited for time shopping with my mom and aunt, Juno, Chinese take-out from Quality Foods (yes, it’s a grocery store and yes, it’s the best Chinese take-out in the Comox Valley), cuddles and playtime with Charley, fresh air, relaxation, photo opportunities and whatever else the weekend brings my way. Two nights always seems to go too fast but at least it’s better than nothing.

Last night our Star Wars marathon officially came to an end with the destruction of the Death Star in Return of the Jedi. As a child, it was my favourite installment of the trilogy. As an adult, it’s clearly the worst. The Ewoks aren’t nearly as cute as I remembered them to be, and the movie as a whole was more than obviously made with mass marketing in mind. The magic of A New Hope was long gone. Return of the Jedi wasn’t even directed by George Lucas, so enough said.

While I’m soaking in the Island goodness, here are some things to keep your time occupied until we meet again:

Have a super Friday, everyone!

Original Photo: cemedia on Flickr

I started popping Tylenol at 5pm yesterday. Oh, how I adore seasonal migraines. I’ve been plagued with them for the past handful of years, mainly only in the springtime. Lavender is my new best friend. The truth is, the migraines are gone as quickly as they spring on me. After a few extra hours in bed this morning and some fresh air, I’m basically just feeling the remnants…something I like to call a “migraine hangover.” I suppose I’m one of the lucky ones - I know some who’ve spent weeks bedridden, so for the odd one I get here and there, who am I to complain? A migraine every once in a while isn’t the end of the world.

Here we go…

I’ve been on the Island since yesterday evening. After bailing from the office early, grabbing the car and puppies, I headed to Horseshoe Bay for the trek home. The sailing on BC Ferries was my first experience on the new C-Class Coastal Renaissance vessel, and I was surprisingly impressed. Some pluses: ATMs on the ferry (though you still can’t use Interac to pay for anything), two full-sized passenger decks, a 1,500 square-foot gift shop and more lounges. In fact, the lounges were what impressed me most. Rather than just one or two large passenger areas, the lounges are broken up, making the entire ambience of the boat much more calm and less chaotic - despite the increased passenger volume.

The only let-down I saw so far was the pet area. As before, it’s a small, cold, steel room with plastic seats - not at all warm, inviting or comfortable. One would think that BC Ferries would’ve finally realized that pets are a very important part of families and deserve more than solitary confinement. Some photos are below with more on my Flickr.

Since arriving, I’ve done nothing. I’m trying my hardest to get Charley, Casey and Benji to get along but it’s tough work. I’m really not sure what’s going on between those three. The only thing I am sure of is how cute they all are.

Truth be told, I should be more relaxed, rested and peaceful. For whatever reason, I feel anything but. It’s time to retire for the night with some Javier and a Diet Pepsi and hope that Friday brings the special kind of sunshine that I need.

Just one short month ago, Becky and I took a trip on a ferry boat. Prior to that trip, we’d been throwing around the idea of doing a podcast together and figured that the hour and a half spent on the ferry would be the perfect time to do so. Each of us fielded reader questions on our respective blogs and answered them for y’all.

I know you’re dying of curiosity to hear what went down, so click here to satiate yourself. We’re funny girls.

You’ve been warned.

P.S. We’re planning on podcasting again this Friday - does that idea interest anyone?

Being one who was born and raised on Vancouver Island, travelling on BC Ferries’ vessels was a significant and frequent part of my childhood. As a young girl, a voyage at sea was always something I looked forward to, with my family’s trip to Expo ‘86 being the earliest I can remember. My mom has photos of me from that day in my mini bell bottoms, standing near the railing under the yellow-tinted glass on the upper deck.

As I’ve gotten older and gained an understanding of corporate business and the money that’s to be made in the privatization of corporations, I’ve also gained a certain bitterness towards BC Ferries. From 1960 to 2003, it was operated as a Crown corporation within the Province, falling under the jurisdiction of the British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridges Authority. Upon rumours of a growing debt, it was announced that the corporation would, in fact, become privatized.

Since that time, service on the fleet has dropped at a rate that’s almost as alarming as the equal drop in customer service. Passengers are paying more, but for what?

I won’t even get into the NDP’s decision to commission a fleet of “fast ferries,” as I’m sure that’s something every British Columbian would rather soon forget.

The final nail in the coffin was hammered down on July 2, 2003 when British Columbia, and the Vancouver/Whistler area in particular, was awarded the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Since that fateful day, this Province as a generalized whole has been sliding down a slippery slope riddled with bullshit propoganda and corporate sell-outs by the handful. BC Ferries are no exception.

As Rebecca and I embarked from Departure Bay in Nanaimo this past Sunday afternoon, we noticed one of the new C-Class ferries docked next to our boat. It came as no surprise that the side of the ship was emblazoned with the 2010 logo in addition to a large illustration of Olympic speed skaters.

As I returned home that evening, I flipped on the news only to see a group of proud Comox Valley residents attempting to rally up the local residents and spread excitement over the pending games. There is so much about this that breaks my heart and angers me at the same time. Little do these communities know the enormous sacrifices being made to bring a two-week sporting event to our Province.

Simply put:

Until I am no longer, quite literally, stepping over sleeping people as I walk to work in the morning, this Province has no business building a bobsled course in the North Shore mountains.

To many in this Province, the games are something exciting and new to look forward to. Unfortunately, few of them realize the reality of the situation each and every day in the very city in which the games are to be held. This Province is failing its residents. Prime examples are everywhere if one is willing to open their eyes.

The closer that February 12, 2010 approaches, the more this Province will be clearly defined by an amateur sporting event.

To simply say that this is a “sad turn of events” is a gross understatement.

“Hey Keira, I think there’s a podcast question card on my head.”












“Let me see…ummm…yup, I think you’re right.”

















“Well don’t just sit there looking pretty - that’s my job. What are you supposed to ask me?”
Photo: Miss604 on Flickr















“Hmmm…it’s kind of hard to tell. I can’t read the question. What should I do?”















“Silly Keira…just look online! I’m sure our fabulous readers have been filling our inboxes with questions they’ve been dying to ask - just ask one of those!”
Photo: Miss604 on Flickr








“Ohhh…great idea! I’ll just check my e-mail.” [Checking…checking…checking…] “Nothing! We haven’t gotten any questions from any of our readers!”
Photo: duanestorey on Flickr














That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. It’s T minus 18 hours until Becky and I head off on our girls’ weekend. A ferry ride there means almost two hours’ worth of time to kill. In that time, we’re podcasting!

This is where the fun begins and you come in. You get to tell us what to talk about…or rather, ask us. This is your big chance to ask even bigger questions to Miss604 and Keira-Anne about anything and everything. At 3pm tomorrow, we’ll haul out all your reader questions and interview each other…the standard, the sexy and the scandalous.

All you need to do is leave your question in the comment section below or e-mail your question to either myself (keira at keira-anne dot com) or to Rebecca (click onto her contact page here) and ask what you will. The deadline is 3:00 p.m. tomorrow to have your questions submitted. Be anonymous if you will or share who are you - we look forward to hearing what inquiring minds want to know…

Years ago, a pretty young girl named Keira-Anne started using Clinique products on her face. The three-step program was the portal to a whole landslide of dermatologist-tested and approved soaps, lotions and potions that would moisturize, cleanse and soothe her skin on a daily basis. Before long, she had a complexion more glowing than anyone she knew.

After only a couple years, she ended her love affair with Clinique in hopes that there was something even better out there. She was wrong, and in January of 2008, she’s jumping back on the Clinique bandwagon. For good.

Photo courtesy of Kiss And Makeup

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With tomorrow morning comes my hop onto a Greyhound, bound for the Comox Valley. Time off is much more than overdue and there is so much good stuff I am looking forward to. Thankfully I’ve booked a guaranteed spot on the “loser cruiser” because, as Rebecca mentioned the other day, BC Ferries is anticipating a ridiculous amount of traffic, and thus headaches, over the following days. Let me remind you to travel safe and give yourself extra time to get where you’re going.

While you’re there, check out her piece on the history of punk in Vancouver - it’s well worth the read.

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I’m Googlicious. If you search for “Vancouver Island Blog” on Google, I’m the fourth hit! Keira-anne dot com is movin’ on up, people…

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With the holidays oh-so-close, as if you needed another reason to get overly excited…

Photo courtesy of Mt. Washington Alpine Resort

This was snapped at 10:24 a.m. today. With a mid-mountain base just shy of 200 cm and 18 cm of new snow, the slopes are where it’s at. Rest assured that you will soon see more than a few pictures of me smiling obnoxiously for the camera saying “pisu!” from the peak of the Eagle chair.

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So there you have it, folks - a sorry excuse for a Thursday blog post. I hope it provided a shred of entertainment (or at least escape from the mundane). Fill my e-mail inbox or comments with ideas of what you’d like to see me write about over the holidays. I need some juice.

A rant and a rave and then goodnight…

I never thought I’d see the day where I’d write anything negative about Vancouver Island, but here it is. As much as I don’t condone generalizing, drivers on Vancouver Island are some of the worst on a whole.

Between parking, merging, cutting off and following the basic and unwritten code of conduct with regards to driving, my experiences behind the wheel on the Island often incite colourful language that doesn’t normally pass through my strawberry-flavoured lips.

Metro Vancouver drivers are notoriously aggressive and offensive; Vancouver Island drivers are seemingly the opposite. The lax attitude translates to a sense of oblivion on the roads. Nights like tonight make me wish I was commuting in Highway 1 traffic to the Fraser Valley on a Friday afternoon in the alternative.

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I did, however, have a positive travel experience today - one which brought on a case of the giggles for nearly every passenger on the 4:15 p.m. sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay.

Shortly after leaving the terminal, the captain made a very unique announcement:

“For those of you detecting the scent of marijuana on the outer decks, contrary to popular belief, it is not due to BC Ferries’ staff. Those passengers wishing to smoke marijuana, I suggest you move to the rear decks as there will be less wind resistence at the back of the vessel.“

Shit you not. Only in B.C.

To the surprise of no one (yes, folks…”no one” is two words, not one word), BC Ferries Corporation is once again digging their hands into our pockets and fishing for more cha-ching. As of November 1, 2007, fares will increase an average of 2.8 percent on major routes connecting the Lower Mainland with Vancouver Island, and a whopping 4.4 percent on all other routes.

Perhaps this won’t dissuade tourists, but it’s certainly discouraging to people such as myself who travel between the Island and Mainland at least twice a month. This news must be even more painful for people using the ferry system as a means of daily transport, such as those living on gulf islands. At a total disadvantage to the residents of B.C.’s coast, BC Ferries holds a complete monopoly on oceanic travel, so a sufficient and less expensive alternative isn’t available.

Since the company was privatized years ago, the overall level of service has plummeted. Since I don’t see wait times at terminals being reduced anytime soon, this only leads me to question: “why the subsequent fare hikes?”

I can only conclude that the price of marijuana within the Province must be on the rise.