Kitsilano Characters

Walking around the neighborhood today I happened upon the 2009 Hospital Lottery Home. The winner was from upcountry and took the cash. The home didn't sell in 2009 , was off the market for a year and now is back for sale. It had birds painted on the stairwell wall, very cool, but I forget to take a picture when I went back.

I think left over hippies bought here a long time ago and their decorating is just delightful. Looks like a lot of eccentrics around here.
Here is a 1959 Cadillac buried in the front garden 2 doors down.








Some of the landscaping around the block is wonderful. This home has the gate covered with honeysuckle and vines, and pumpkins marching up the front steps.



Here are the chairs on this front porch - made from ski tips on an aluminum frame painted bright red and blue. Very inventive and cheery. All this is in this 2 block area.

Unexpected Sunshine Today

While Ron had a sleep this morning, I zipped down to Marketplace at 4th and Balaclava for groceries and walked up and down the 2 blocks. I saw Christy Clark's office, very tiny with a speaker to ask to go in. There was an amazing Window & door store with antique hardware, stained glass and assorted stuff, next was Banyan Books with a delightful carved painted bench out in front, and an Indian store full of incredible furniture.

Off to White Rock

We had our 7 day post discharge appointment with Ron's GP today. His Dr. is away so we saw a young fellow. When he heard it wasn't just a valve replacement, but a burst Aortic aneurysm (forget the pneumonia, another surgery to rewire the unraveling steel sutures, kidney slowdown and massive edema), he looked Ron right in the eye and said, 'You are a very lucky man, Mr. Roszak. This happened in the right place and you had the right surgeons who could deal with it. Anywhere else and you wouldn't be here now. You would be dead.' Well that put it right in perspective. We are both finding it difficult that Ron's recovery is so very slow and hard. But never mind, every step is upwards so we're grateful. We celebrated by meeting CJ and Joan and Barb and Chuck for lunch at Tim Hortons. Here we are with Ron clutching his pillow in case of a cough.

Vancouver Art Gallery

Today was the 80th birthday of the VAG so they offered admission by donation. I have never been there, so decided to educate myself. I discovered that I have absolutely NO appreciation for Art Gallerie's view of Art. The first and second floors were closed pending a new exhibit. The 3rd was abstract stuff that a monkey or a 3 year old could have done as well. One was all the insides of a grand piano hanging from the ceiling as a mobile and similar weird stuff. The 3rd floor was an exhibit 'From Me to You' by 3 people. One was 10 framed black and white photos a a man running away through snow, sand, grass, scrub, toward mountains etc. I love the impressive building, the old Courthouse with a canoe and sailboat on the upper corners, the round structure and curved dome, and was amused to see the Land Registry office where so much of BC changed hands.

Very Scary Experience

Driving home from an appointment tonight about 9 pm in the dark, Peter was going through the intersection at MacDonald and 25th on a green light. It is very long due to 4 lanes of 25th Ave with a meridian boulevard in the middle when bam! there was a woman in his lane who bounced up the front of his Subaru, hit the windshield and bounced back into the road. She had left the bus on the opposite side and ran across the road, nowhere near a crosswalk, dressed completely in black. She managed to crawl to the side of the road and was sitting there by the time Peter was stopped and called 911. She spent over 12 hours in VGH but phoned him the next day and apparently was OK. Her black hair was stuck in the 4" indent in his windshield. So scarey. Never let your guard down for a moment.

Slow Going

Had to drive over to the Fairview Medical Building today by VGH fro Ron's INR test (blood clotting for the Warfarin drug). Car travel is difficult, to get in and out and the bumpy roads feel like mountains. Very tiring.
Here's the cat and Ron watching the morning news together. Poor cat - Brenda took her to the vet this afternoon after a month of stomach upsets, accidents and incidents and after having had kidney disease for a year and now diabetes, she didn't make it home today. RIP. We all felt sad but knew it was the right thing. We consoled Brenda and Peter with happy hour and really enjoyed their company.

Welcome Company

Well, it is a very slow process rehabilitating after 28 days in hospital with the equivalent of 3 surgeries. We walk out to the corner and that is about it for now. When the sun came out we headed to Jericho beach and sat there watching all the traffic.



Mardie and Bill were in town today to run in the Run For a Cure Cancer fundraiser, so popped over. Great to see them. When they visited at the hospital, Ron said to Bill 'where's the beer?' So today Bill brought beer chilled, but we sent it home with him to save for a later date.




Next was Marg and Brad with friend Peter. The 2 guys left New West at 1 to cycle over and Marg left at 2 and they all arrived at the same time. Very pleasant to see them all. They helped me put 4 x 6's under the couch so it is easier for Ron to get up out of it. That was much appreciated.