Just before xmas, Claude and I went to Mental Beast, a super concert of I don't know how many bands over at the Biltmore. It was awesome. My friend Burnside and his band, Tight Solid, played a couple songs (on his 'lunch break'... his shows are always on his 'lunch break'! So crazy!) including "I Hate Christmas" which I've been driving Claude crazy with by playing over and over. :p
Here's the link where you can download the music... check it out!
That Wednesday (23rd?), we hung out with Ian (Dad's girlfriend's son) and his girlfriend Chrystal and her family. Went up to Grouse to see their Winter Wonderland set-up. It was a bit pricey but fun and definitely one of those experience things. It was really nice to have an activity with a family feel to it since I'm in Van for the holidays minus one family.
Favourite moment? Defintely the drive up to Grouse... haha.
Chrystal and Ian picked us up at my place (Kits/False Creek area) and we took Burrard through downtown to Georgia then up through Stanley Park. Ian got a little impatient and directed Chrystal to take the completely open right lane.
*Now, before we go any further, a little commentary on the dynamics of Chrystal and Ian's driving relationship. Ian's a bit of a side seat driver (aren't we all?), Chrystal is relishing the fact that it's her family that they're visiting out here so therefore their vehicle, therefore she gets to drive. Make sense?*
Okay, anyway, Ian's telling Chrystal to get into the right lane over and over, I don't know if it's quite a good idea because I think it's the lane that goes straight into the road around Stanley Park and has no access to the Lion's Gate Bridge (where we're supposed to be going) but can't seem to vocalize this, Claude's enjoying her cafe Americano, and Chrystal's trying to not get frazzled while trying to decide whether to take Ian's advice.
She ends up getting into the right lane, which turns out to be the on-ramp for Stanley Park. She's trying to get back into the left lane, which is of course jammed up. Flicks on her blinker and waits for someone to let her in.
Someone behind us honks. Of course. It's Vancouver... that's what they do here. Obviously this person's in a real rush to get to Stanley Park (the trees and the ocean might not be there by the time they round the first bend) because they're just laying on the horn - one long, sustained honk. It reminds me of either a movie car crash where the hero has smashed into a tree/other car/side of the building/boat/the Incredible Hulk/statue/whatever and their face is mashed up against the steering wheel.... or they've fallen asleep at the wheel and their face is mashed up against the steering wheel.
Either way, I don't get it. I don't like people honking like that - I think it just upsets the person that you're honking at more and creates frazzled people on the road, creating more accidents. I don't think that's was the intention when the horn was put into cars. I never use my horn unless someone's backing into me and just doesn't realize. In which case, I give it a nice little love tap...
Things I learned when I googled 'honking':
1. Worldwide honking is on the rise... (duh)
2. Cairo is the unofficial honking capital of the world...
3. In 1912, a Londoner wrote in to the Times arguing that honking shifts the burden of evasion and responsibility from the honker to the honkee... which makes sense as it reinforces the entitlement that cars have on the road... :s
4. People honk more when it's hot, on weekdays, if they're male (surprised? I think not...), at beater cars than Bentleys, and more likely if they believe they can do it anonymously.
5. BUT, people also kinda just suck at honking... a survey in the UK found that people take 2-3 times as long to honk as they do to steer or brake. I couldn't find Canadian stats because, well, we're too damn polite to honk, right? :p
Anyway, back to my story... Chrystal obviously abandons her plan to get back into the left lane and we're off on a scenic route through Stanley Park.
As an afterthought, Ian rolls down his window and sticks his middle finger high for our impatient friend. For some reason, I could not stop laughing about it. And every now and then, when I think of it, I burst into laughter, which gets me strange looks if I'm just walking down the street minding my own business...
Pic du Jour:
Is actually a video from our skating adventures at the newly reopened Robson Square... Starring Claude as our narrator (haha) and me as the one who nearly plows into a couple of people. Gimme a break, it was busy! And I get so nervous in front of the camera... :p
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