Travels

Not on this most recent trip to Vancouver, but the one before in October served as inspiration for this blog. It is where the heavens opened and granted me the fabulous idea of "Random Ramblings and Confessions of a Small City Fag". So it was no surprise that on the most recent visit to Vancouver provided more ideas and content for this fabu blog....they will be revealed in this and future posts. (how's that for a cliff hanger lol)

The trip started with my assigned seat being in the front row of the plane to provide me with additional leg room. I've never been seated in the bulkhead but really enjoyed it...primarily because I was the first off the plane..and as luck would have it...my luggage was the first off the plane...no waiting...gotta love it.

Oh and for everyone's information, WestJet's claim of "Satellite TV on most WestJet flights" really means that satellite TV on every flight except those coming or going from Regina, or any other connecting flight on which someone coming from or going to Regina might be. Four flights, and not one TV. I wasn't too bothered I had a good book about Pierre Trudeau and his government's relationship with Fidel Castro's Cuba (I know I'm a dork).

The workshop that I attended was useful and rather than scaring me with information that made me question my past decisions at work it provided me with confirmation of my knowledge and allowed me to deepen my knowledge a bit. Overall..quite useful.

Normally, I don't spend a lot when I shop in Vancouver...normally. This time proved a bit different. Last time there I found some great dishes but of course had no real way of shipping them back without paying an arm and a leg to do so. This time I convinced my family who live in the Vancouver burbs to ship to pick them up from downtown and ship them back to Regina on the bus. So I bought the dishes.

I also spent some gift certificates that I received at Christmas. I bought a number of shirts...a size smaller than the last time I went shopping. Nothing like a smaller size to improve one's mood.

From there I made the obligatory pilgrimage to the gay village along Davie Street and the even more obligatory pilgrimage to Little Sisters Bookstore at which point I made the equally obligatory book purchase at the (in)famous Little Sisters. Just down the street from Little Sisters is Priape...where I bought some gay necessities.

If that wasn't enough I found some shoes at Winners. My "metrosexual" friend R will be proud. They are "Inspirations" a "Kenneth Cole Production".

Bottom line...it's a damn good thing I'm getting an income tax return this year.

My flight home was a bit more odd...firstly there was a massive line at the WestJet counter at the Vancouver airport. This is odd as it's usually a fast moving line..but the self-serve and full-serve lines were both long. It took me a half hour to get through the line...for a few main reasons.

Firstly there were only 3 desks open to deal with the full-service line.

Secondly some dumbass decided he needed to take 20 minutes to check in. He argued and/or wanted something unusual...something that took 2 employees and a manager to accommodate. In the meantime effectively closed one of the three desks for service. While observing this rather high maintenance man (if you're high maintenance...don't fly WestJet...only leads to disappointment) I'm thinking to myself what are the odds that he's on my flight...not so good as WestJet had a number of flights leaving within an hour of each other. I put the dumbass out of my mind (although he was a cute dumbass). Needless to say my "normal" friend's god Stanely was with me on this trip...as this guy ended up sitting next to me on my flight. However, as he was a high maintenance guy and seated in the middle seat between me and another larger man, he quickly complained enough to get moved to a row by himself...thanks Stanely.

Thirdly, some single mother without her ID was trying to ship her son to presumably his father across the country. She became a bit indignant when WestJet asked her for her photo id to make sure she was the kid's mother. She argued and got pissy until WestJet made a "huge" exception to ship the kid...but told her in no uncertain terms someone would need ID to pick the kid up. Something tells me that WestJet may have a new employee comes week's end. In the meantime she effectively closed the second of three desks for service.

So I followed the IDless mother...and for some reason the helpful WestJet employee couldn't find my reservation...ultimately needing my confirmation number (I had it). She then apologized for the wait, blaming Spring Break in BC for the extra business...I still blame the dumbass and the even dumber mother.

Explain me this...who the hell drinks at 9a.m.?!? As I was waiting for my breakfast at the airport a couple sat down and asked the server if he was "serving". He looked at them like they were idiots at which time they clarified their question referred to serving alcohol. Apparently he was. They both ordered beers and then the guy ordered a whiskey straight up. At first I thought they were travelling internationally and it was 5 o'clock in their minds/bodies...then overheard them talking about being from Vancouver and heading to Edmonton for a wedding. Go figure.

I also discovered a new WestJet policy of asking those seated in the emergency exists to pre-board along with the breeders, crippled, and aged. This is a great policy...as I can walk upright (unlike those previously mentioned)...and I can be the first on the plane...no waiting in line on the ramp...it's fabu!

I had a small layover in Edmonton. Time enough to grab a Coke Zero and browse the few shops. I hunted the entire length of the terminal twice trying to find a Coke Zero. Finally realizing that it may be impossible to find Coke Zero in the Edmonton Airport I decided to settle on Diet Coke...which also proved to be difficult to find in a bottle...but I did find a bottle vending machine hidden in dusty corner of the terminal. So after schlepping back to my gate at the far end of the terminal building I sit down...open my Diet Coke (complete with newly engineered cap)...look up and see in the corner of the far end of the terminal (i.e. in front of my face) was a vending machine with ...yep you guessed it...Coke Zero!

During my Coke Zero hunt I had two celebrity sightings.

The first was the former Governor General, the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson. She was getting off a plane looking rather dowdy and grandmotherly...complete with red rimmed glasses.
The second was Phil Fontaine, the Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations who was engrossed in modern technology with his nose in his Blackberry.

I should also note the first celebrity sighting in downtown Vancouver...while shopping I sighted Allison Janney, one of the many stars of the TV show The West Wing. Even without make up she is attractive and sophisticated.

I do believe that's all of the highlights from my trip....long posting...but I think well worth the read if I do say so myself. I of course came home to a shit load of emails both work and personal..but c'est la vie I guess....