is tell you about my adventures in Vancouver

While waiting in the very busy eye clinic, the guy across from me pulled out his cell phone and for the next 30 minutes discussed sports with someone who clearly wasn’t as up to date as my “friend”.   I am curious (snoopy?), his voice was loud, my book wasn’t all that good, and the challenge of figuring out a one way conversation was too much, so I listened.  

“Yeh they’re trying to get the guy from Philadelphia.”  (The Canucks?  The Blue Jays?)

“He scored a bunch of goals last year.”  (Gotta be the Canucks.)

“He’s 33.  Still has 4 or 5 good years left.”  (Who? Who?)

“No! No!  The French guy.”  (Briere?)

“Lenarduzzi  was saying...”  (Lenarduzzi! He's talking about freaking Soccer.  I tuned out.)

Then the lady beside me who was about 75 took out some gum and offered me a piece.  I said no thanks, telling her that I already had some gum.   She then proceeded to tell me how good the flavour was and insisted on my taking one.  I felt obliged to offer one of my sticks and when she asked me the flavour I had to take my glasses off to read the label.  She laughed and told me about her eye problems (cataracts) and I told her about my retina.  Go figure: Two old people chatting about health issues.   Much better than freaking soccer!

Leaving the skytrain station at Granville Street I noticed a woman sleeping close to the wall of the Bay building.  Seeing people asleep in public often makes me sad.  (And this from the guy who nodded off in staff meetings and hasn’t yet found a waiting room that didn’t droop his eyes.)  I think it is my experiences in nursing homes where it is the setting and the circumstances rather than the sleeping that triggers my feelings

This one didn’t bother me so much because she was rather young and on second glance I noticed that her partner who was against the wall was also asleep with his right arm tucked under her neck and his left arm draped across her body.  Spooning on Granville!   But they were not wasting time while sleeping.  A cap was beside them accepting coins. 

Navigating along Granville to get back to the hotel was an adventure.  Half the people insist on using umbrellas even when it is barely dripping.  You have to bob and weave to avoid contact. 

Finally I was surprised at how many people in Vancouver eat on the run and I literally mean on the run.  It was just after noon and the number of people wolfing down hot dogs and burgers and slurping drinks was staggering.  Sit down for a couple of minutes.  You can’t be that busy.