by Drew
So I wasn’t too concerned with the whole H1N1 pandemic issue. I wasn’t even planning on getting the shot. I then found out that some countries won’t let you in if you don’t have it. I decided I should get it for just that reason. Other pandemics have come and gone and yet I have never been worried about it in the least bit.
The line was a good 200 people long. It took me a good hour and a half to get the shot. This was an hour and a half I could have spend cleaning my flat so I was kind of choked at the whole thing. What made the whole thing seem like forever was that I was between two special needs adults and their care taker and an older gentleman and what was most likely his grandson. It made for over an hour of people stating the obvious. Either of the groups on their own would have been fine but both combined was far too much for me. So, over an hour alone, no one to talk to and I forgot my iPod. It is all worth it in the end I suppose!
At one point one of the volunteers started handing out “Admit One” coupons. I figure they were just trying to track how many people were getting their H1N1 and/or high risk flu vaccinations. It had a very carnivalesque feel to the whole situation. I felt like dawning a red and white suit with white face makeup and blowing fire. Granted that is more of a court jester daydream… but I think the idea is still applicable.
Perhaps I’ll start a long lineup business. I’ll travel from city to city as a one man band or entertainment specialist. I will make terrible, yet applicable, puns and entertain the masses as they go about their linely ways. Perhaps there is some real money in that…
“I just get dizzy when I think of all the ways we try to hide our maladies”
by Drew
So I’ve switched to a new Wordpress theme called Green Apples. I’ve waded through the mountains of filth that comprise the likes of Wordpress themes and have located something a lot less busy, a lot less cluttered and easier on the eyes. I am in the process of customizing the theme but at the moment I don’t have the ability to change the colours of the graphics. Sure it is driving me crazy that the theme is green and the graphic I’ve started using is blue but hopefully I’ll have it all sorted out by the time I leave for Vancouver on Saturday to begin my travels to the Okanagan and then onto ’stralia. (Instead of fixing this run-on sentence I am just writing a note asking for it to be excused.) I have to thank Jeannine and Travis for helping me decide on this theme. Thank you (: I really think it is the write choice… heh.
“Why don’t you write about it in your blag?”
by Drew
Operation Vancouver: Success
Hanging out with awesome people, watching far too many movies and drinking a lot of coffee was a great time.
Though I was an hour late to meet up with my friend Steph. I didn’t drive to Van so I was busing it. Missed my stop at Cambie and ended up at UBC. I had almost reached my destination and started to speaking with the bus driver. His response to the situation was something along the lines of, “You’re an hour late to meet up with a girl‽ Are you nuts‽” I then indicated that her and I are just friends currently and his reply was, “Still, a girl is a girl, it sucks about the bus mix up… I could write you a note if you would like.” The thought of it is pretty entertaining to me…
Dear Steph,
This note is to excuse Drew for being an hour late for your rendezvous. It was a simple mix up and I got him there as soon as transitly possible. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
Signed,
The Bus Driver
Heh.
In travelbag news, even loaded with all the clothes I own, it was very comfortable and well balanced. Knowing how travelbags of these sort work, I only used the shoulder straps when using the bag. Even wearing it improperly my back and shoulders still liked the fit and the weight. This means that with the decreased weight and the proper wearing of said pack I should be able to wear it for long periods of time with little to no issues. This is a blessing as it will be very conducive for an extremely mobile lifestyle.
My current departure times are:
- 2 Days from my employment
- 5 Days from Victoria to the Okanagan
- 12 Days from the Okanagan to Australia
Stoked!
“These four wheels feel like home to me”
by Drew
Everything appears to be falling into place. It is a good feeling actually. I’m not a person prone to much stress but I do feel more relaxed. Soon I shall be leaping head first from my glass office into a world of kangaroos, gals with hot accents and spiders big enough to take on small birds.
Tonight I leave for Vancouver, only for the weekend though. I am stoked to visit with a few of my Vancouver peoples, especially Nate, his Amanda and Steph! They are some of my favourite people so a good time is bound to be had.
I’ve crammed the majority of my clothes into my travel bag to figure out where and how I am going to wear it. I’m testing this out during my weekend. The current weight of it is about three times what I expect to bring on my travels. From my walk to work I don’t expect to experience and issue but you never know.
“I know the pieces fit.”
by Drew
From summer to fall to summer. Anyone who knows me also knows that I love the winter. I enjoy snowboarding and doing backwards doughnuts in ice covered parking lots. This isn’t why I love winter though. I simply love it because of the evenings. Crisp cool air on my skin during an after dinner walk or even wrapping one’s self in a blanket on the couch while playing crib and drinking tea.
The island doesn’t get much of a winter unfortunately. It is more a long period of rain followed by a week of large patches of black ice followed by another long period of rain. I don’t mind so much. My last real winter was the last I spent in Edmonton. One morning it reached -57 degrees celcius with windchill. I did not walk or even drive into work that day. In fact, I didn’t even go into work that day. I think the majority of the city felt the same as I did about the whole situation.
The closest to winter I’ll get this year is a week spent in the Okanagan before my voyage begins. So really, I may not even see snow this year. It is a strange thought that I will be most likely laying on a beach in shorts and a t-shirt Christmas afternoon or ringing in the new year while staving off the heat. Anyone who wishes to build sand castles with me Christmas eve is more than welcome to join in!
“Summertime and the livin’ is easy”
by Drew
Just putting this up to remind myself.
Harvest Trail
by Drew
Today is so high paced. Payed out the remnants of bills that needed finalising and disconnected various services. Today at work it is quite the race. Everything is happening at once and for some reason instead of my head exploding and leaving little Drew-Brain-Bits all over my glass office I am going into hyper-drive. It has been a long time since I last multi-tasked like this. I don’t even know how I’m doing it! (:
Picked up my travelbag as well. I am pretty hyped on the bag actually. It is a MEC 64 litre bag with detachable 18 litre daypack and it has a bunch of other features I’d rather not bore you with the details of. I’m damn stoked on it though, so better believe those same features are exciting to me! It looks pretty snazzy and has all the functionality that I require. People will tell me, “Hey Drew~style, it’s just a bag!” To which I shall reply, “For seriousness? This isn’t just a bag! It symbolizes freedom, adventure, personal growth and oh so much more!” Granted like most things I get excited about they’ll probably just roll their eyes.
“Travelbag is love.”
by Drew
It is strange that the closer I get to leaving for Australia, the longer the list of things that need to be done gets. I have been crossing items off of my mental list with ferocity yet more items keep getting jotted down. I suppose this is because all of the important bits have already been taken care of. I have my passport and working holiday visa. I have my ticket and my destination. Heck, I even have already started saying my farewells.
There is an interesting subject I think. My farewells. There are many that I won’t get to do this in person with due to locational concerns and there are several that I can’t due to interpersonal reasons. That is cool though… If any of them stumble upon my humble little weblog they should probably know that I still like them/love them/consider them a friend. (Whichever would apply)
Ack, here I am doing a test post on my blog and it gets all serious like. Just the way the river flows I ’spose. Back to the purpose of this post. This blog shall serve as a standard weblog during my travels, however it shall also serve as a photolog and videolog. I’ll be posting videos via embedded YouTube and photos via NextGEN Gallery. I hope to have many posts/pictures/videos however the fact that I’ll be living in orchards and on beaches for the next 8 months will make any semblance of a posting schedule fly out the window.
Feel free to read or watch, even if I don’t know you. Comment often, even if I don’t know you. If you know any green eyed/Chucks wearing girls (or are one) in Australia definitely comment. (; I actually haven’t decided whether I like girls with green eyes or girls with chucks better yet. (:
“They call me the Chucks Wolf.”
by Andrew
I figure that if anyone were to ever set me on fire I would give them a nice long hug as gratitude.