Keira-anne.com

I just got back from Victoria a few hours ago. I bought myself a souvenir - new Keds. My love affair continues. I got off the bus in Nanaimo where my mom met me, took me to the Bay and bought me these ones too.

I took the first shuttle to Victoria yesterday morning, and was picked up in downtown Victoria by Toni to be whisked away for a killer day/night in the capital city. First we avoided the Harbour crowds, all there to catch a glimpse of the tall ships, and instead headed for the rocky beach on Dallas Road to walk, talk and catch up.

After a quick catnap, we took in Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia at IMAX. True, it was air conditioned, but being that the temperatures soared to 33 degrees on the inner Harbour, our next stop was the cold beer store. After beers on his roof, we stopped in briefly at a BBQ (where I met some truly stellar and ridiculously funny people) before heading back downtown so Toni could work it at the door. He’s a doorman at Lucky Bar. For fun.

I played the role of Lucky doorgirl, which involves nothing more than standing around and batting my eyelashes while the guys check ID.

This morning I opted to spend a bit of solo time downtown, so I made an early morning trek along Oak Bay Avenue to where the action is and found myself amongst the tall ships, the last of which were getting ready to set sail for Port Alberni.

Time spent in Victoria is never time wasted; it’s a truly classy city with wondrous sights to see that never cease to amaze me. Viewing the unique homes is alone worth the trip over. As I sit here in my mom and aunt’s lush, green backyard - Vancouver Islander Lager in hand - I am reminded of how grateful I am to be able to call a place like this home. The only sound I hear is the gentle patter of Charley’s paws on our deck and a few tiny birds distantly chirping back and forth in the trees. Now if only I could do something about these mosquitoes…

Today is November 1, so I am officially allowed to write about Christmas without getting a whack of flack from all of you. Being the self-proclaimed Island Girl that I am, combining my love for Vancouver Island with my adoration of Christmas seems only practical. If you’re headed across the water sometime in the next two months (or you already live there), I’ve put together a list of events happening from Victoria to Port Hardy, and all points in between, designed to get you feeling very merry indeed.

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VICTORIA (and Area)

Festival of Trees - Fairmont Empress Hotel (721 Government Street)
Each year, dozens of local businesses come together to sponsor and decorate a forest of Christmas trees in the lobby of this landmark hotel. The display is open to the public, and the trees can be voted on for a $2 donation with the winning business being presented the “Peoples’ Choice” award. Fundraising efforts benefit BC Children’s Hospital, and the event runs from November 20, 2007 until January 4, 2008. (Website)

(AND A FULLER SCOOP)

I’ve been back in my apartment for a little over an hour, and I’m surprised and amazed to tell you that I’m actually happy to be back in Vancouver. If my quick jaunt to Victoria did anything, it gave me a new-found reappreciation for the city I live in and the apartment I snuggle into. So in the spirit of all things fuzzy-feeling, let’s start this post off on a fun note!

I told you earlier today that I bought leg warmers. For some of you, the tune of Olivia Newton John’s “Physical” probably started swimming through your heads, but hold up! They’re super cute and super cosy - I promise! The bottoms have even been left wider so I can wear them over top of my jeans and boots!

Commence salivation. Just don’t buy them, k?

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So, wanna know about my trip to Victoria? Okay. Let me start off by saying that the people I did spend time with are fun in their own way, the city is and always will be beautiful, and I did enjoy myself at times. Most of yesterday afternoon was spent driving around from house to house, saying hello to people and trying to figure out what everyone was doing for the night. When the sun finally set, I found myself at my friend Evan’s housewarming party in Vic West. There were lots of familiar faces there and it was good to reconnect. I was most happiest to see my dear old friend Andrew and spend most of my time there with him.

From there, everyone re-convened at Lucky Bar (which is everyone’s local weekend haunt). In celebration of our long-time friendship, Andrew and I had shots and beers, which everyone knows is never a great idea. Mostly it was fun and dancing with everyone, but someone from my past…an ex-something…showed up at the bar. After a few drinks he finally came over and talked to me, but I can honestly and truly tell you I don’t remember a scrap of our conversation. I am sure, however, that I made a royal fool out of myself. I wouldn’t be Keira-Anne if I didn’t, right?

That brought me to today. I slept well, but not long enough. I crashed on the couch at Bateman and Stephen’s place. I showered with a dish towel because I couldn’t find any clean bath towels in a boys’ apartment. All I wanted to do was go home, but I had promised Antonio I’d see “Titanica” at IMAX with him. As soon as it was over, I bolted across the street to the bus depot. I couldn’t get home fast enough to talk to my mom and just relax.

Most of the trip home I just spent deep in thought, thinking about the things I care for and the things that matter. The truth is, few things really do in this life. This year has thus far been the hardest year I’ve experienced since 2000. Don’t they say something about a seven-year itch? I’ve wrestled with myself until my thoughts and my heart turned black and blue. I question myself and whether I made the right choice(s). When so few things in life really matter, isn’t releasing one of those few a completely foolish thing to do?

Okay, sorry about that little deviation. Want to know a fun fact that I learned at IMAX today? Many of the 17,000 workers who built the Titanic believed she was cursed before she left dry dock. It’s thought that one of the steel workers was accidentally sealed inside the hull during construction. Spooky!

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Last, but certainly not least, the extended version of the CTV spot that Becky and I did is online (for a limited time only). My aunt was wonderful enough to burn it onto her computer’s hard drive, so I’ll hopefully post the video clip online somewhere somehow. In the meantime, head on over to CTV Vancouver’s website and select “View Streaming Newscast.” Pick Saturday’s broadcast, and zip ahead to approximately 13:30.

It’s 12:52 p.m. and I’m sitting in an Internet cafe in Victoria. I think I’m on Yates Street. I just bought some legwarmers, but they absolutely did not work for me in the way that retail therapy should.

Did I mention that things suck right now? Okay, I’m being a bit dramatic by saying so, but it feels like they do. Coming over here yesterday, we missed the ferry and got stuck at the terminal for two and a half hours. We played Keno to pass the time. Driving into the city I had a bad feeling. Here I am hanging out with all these people that are two, three and sometimes four years younger than me. Why?

I miss him and I’d rather be with him right now. And always. And I’m a huge fucking idiot who made an even huger fucking mistake.

I feel ditched out on by my friends here, even though that’s not technically the case. We’re all supposed to see Titanica at IMAX at 2:00 p.m. but I ditched out to talk to all of you until then. Alone time was very necessary. I just want to get on the bus and go home. I miss my mom. I actually miss Vancouver. I miss him. Shit. Bye.

Oh and my cell phone’s dead.

I just arrived back at home within the last ten minutes in time to hopefully catch the CTV spot that Becky and I did this evening before packing up my backpack and heading to bed. The Shout Out Louds played a great set this evening and they’re one of those few bands that translates well when live. Hey, and I even recognized a song or two. Go figure.

Anyways, with my trip to Victoria comes a lack of blogging over the next day and a half until I’m home Sunday night, so I’ll leave you with something to discuss. I’ll turn the comment moderator off, so I’m trusting you kids to behave yourselves and discuss politely.

Anyone that attended a junior high or high school dance in the early 1990s was subjected to Guns ‘N’ Roses’ staple video, “November Rain.” This epic fable features performance footage and a fictional account of Axl Rose’s marriage to real-life love (at the time), Stephanie Seymour. In the video, Rose’s wife mysteriously dies during their wedding reception, and the last shots of her we see are in a coffin with what appears to be a mirror separating her face. So my question for all of you to discuss is this: how did Axl Rose’s fictional bride die?

Generate your own theories and discuss while I’m in Victoria.

…And You’re Running Out of Time

What did you have for dinner tonight? What was on the menu for breakfast and lunch? For most of us, turkey’s been on our plates at least once during the last 24 hours. Have you given much thought to where that turkey comes from? And further, have you considered where your vegetables were grown or the wheat from your bread harvested?

Photo courtesy of Port Alberni Farmers’ Market on Flickr

Last week I watched a story about something known as the 100-Mile Diet during the local evening news. Though I wasn’t paying close attention at the time, I understood that the idea behind the 100-Mile Diet is to only purchase food products that come from within 100 miles of your home. As my family gathered around the feast spread before us last night, my “uncle” Jim and I were discussing local produce, meat, dairy products and anything else edible. He said that it’s quite frightening because, all too often, we as a society are always in far too much of a rush to take a moment and consider what we’re consuming and what kind of treatment that product has gone through to reach our tables.

Photo courtesy of bchow on Flickr

Did you know that the average food product travels 1,500 miles before it hits the shelves at your local grocery store?

Alisa Smith and James McKinnon are two Vancouver-area authors based in Kitsilano who penned the book “The 100 Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating,” which was published in March, 2007. They’re quick to point out that, as British Columbians, we have a wealth of excellent, hearty and healthy food running the entire gamut of the Canada Food Guide at our fingertips. The book was based on their experience of a year-long experiment to eat only foods produced within 100 miles of their Vancouver home.

Photo courtesy of Natural Pastures Cheese Company

So why jump on the bandwagon? From the outset, yes, an endeavour such as the 100-Mile Diet will probably be a costly one because choosing to buy locally will most definitely ding your pocketbook a bit more than shopping the flyer sale at Safeway. But let’s look at some good reasons for doing so:

1. Buying locally will support both your local business owners and your community’s economy;

2. Every little bit makes a difference, and one person choosing to purchase only locally-made produce is one less meal that needs to be delivered over 1,500 miles (and thus you’re helping in part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions);

3. When you buy a jar of BeeMaid honey, for example, that honey is mass-produced and mass-marketed. It’s part of a business and the business is making money, not honey. Because local small business owners literally depend on their products with their livelihoods, much more care and concern is going to go into the product itself and into the quality being delivered to consumers - thus, it’s healthier for you; and

4. Shopping within 100 miles isn’t as difficult as you may think!

As I said, British Columbia is a hotbed for fantastic food, homebaked breads, creamy cheeses, divine wines and fresh produce. It’s true that purchasing all food products from local producers isn’t going to be realistic for everyone, but there are some things that you can do. Purchase your wines and beer from local vintners and breweries, visit a farm market on the weekend instead of stopping in at your local grocery store, or treat yourself and pick up some Vancouver Island-produced cheese. Not only is this doable, it’s fun and delicious too!

For ways in which you can join the 100-Mile club, so to speak, visit some of the following links:

100-Mile Diet
Seasonal British Columbia Produce
Local Food Directory

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If you haven’t done so already (like myself), you have less than a week to witness a slice of nautical history at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria.

Running until Sunday, October 14th, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition bring over 250 artifacts recovered from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean in one of the greatest-known tragedies at sea. Aside from featuring items that offer a glimpse into life aboard the “unsinkable” ship, the museum has reconstructed corridors and cabins, is offering education stations and has brought the ship to life with actors in period costumes taking on the roles of some of her most famous passengers, including Molly Brown.

For you self-confessed “IMAX freaks” out there, the adjoined National Geographic IMAX Theatre takes you under the waves and onto the deck of the sunken vessel for a first-hand look with “Titanica.”

What: Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition/Titanica at IMAX
Where: Royal BC Museum and National Geographic IMAX Theatre (675 Belleville Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Telephone: 250-356-7226)
When: Now through Sunday, October 14, 2007

For more information on prices, directions, hours of operation and other exhibits featured at the museum and at IMAX, visit the following websites:

Royal BC Museum
National Geographic IMAX Theatre

I’ll be hopping over to Victoria this coming Friday after work to check it out with my friend Antonio (who’s one of those self-confessed IMAX freaks), so look for me there!

Photo courtesy of the Royal BC Museum

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And lastly, unbeknownst to almost no one, Halloween is just around the corner and fast approaching in only 20 days. If you haven’t had a chance to even start about thinking about a costume yet, now is the time!

My friend Matthew has been running an online costume site for a couple years now, and you can easily find nearly anything you’re looking for on there, whether it’s an idea from scratch or the finishing accessory to your perfectly-planned secret disguise.

Sorry about this blatant plug, but his stuff is awesome. Head on over to Costume Cauldron if you haven’t already.

Photo courtesy of agoodveilsays on Flickr