Cold Snap

I forgot to mention that it was pretty cold here a couple of weeks ago.  I think it was too cold for snow, but we got plenty of ice.

This was a fountain walking down into Chinatown.  The ice looked pretty neat and the other little pond was frozen over.

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Jumping through hoops

I haven't really had much to say recently.  I haven't been feeling great and I had some issues regarding my TB skin test.  The test was negative, but due to some weird communication breakdown between my doctor's office and the TB clinic, I had to do more testing and wait.  It's all good now, but frustrating at the time.  I should start Humira next week after the nurse comes to train me on self injection.  It works out for the best as I caught a cold or something and should wait until it clears up before starting an immune suppressant.

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Physiotherapy

Or as it's known in the States, physical therapy.  I'm not sure why it's called something slightly different up here.  Anyway, I had my second visit today and it's been very helpful.  The biggest concern I have at the moment is making sure that my spine remains flexible and that I avoid developing the "hump" as I get older.  My physiotherapist has shown my some really great exercises and stretches, but probably the most important thing I've learned so far is how to be aware of my posture.  I didn't even realize that when I was standing I would lock my knees.  Almost 30 years old and I have to relearn how to stand up properly.  I am making an effort to "soften" my knees whenever I'm standing still and I think it's starting to work.

I also have the get the sides of my hips strengthened. The physiotherapist told me that when you see women walking down the street doing the "sexy sashay", letting one hip dip really low when taking a step, it's actually putting a large strain on all those muscles. It makes me laugh, the things we women do to look sexy.

If anyone is in Vancouver and looking for a physiotherapist, I highly recommend Gastown Physio and Pilates. They are amazing!

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A Brief Sunny Interlude

It was sunny and gorgeous here this weekend.  I've been really good about exercising everyday, but Sunday I decided to go walk instead of "working out."  Still a bit of exercise, but it was a nice rest day after a hard week. 

I went back along the sea wall as it is a really nice walk with plenty to see. I didn't take any pictures out onto the water as the sun was shining very brightly.

This is a sculpture of the Great Blue Heron. 

Some nifty rocks that someone set up. 

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Capilano Suspension Bridge and Stanley Park

Last weekend one of my close friends from Seattle came up to visit for a few days.  We spent most of the time exploring by foot and by the time she left I had acquired a couple of blisters.  The first day we walked around the False Creek Seawall from David Lam Park to Granville Island and then took the ferry back across False Creek. 

The second day we took a shuttle up to Capilano Suspension Bridge. My sister and I went here back in March and I thought it was pretty cool. Unfortunately I forgot that this was a weekend in summer rather than a weekday in early spring.   It was jam packed with people and I felt bad for bringing everyone up there.  It was still pretty though. 

The shuttle dropped us off near Stanley Park on the way back into Vancouver so we hiked around there for a bit before heading to Second Beach and taking the Seawall back home. 

I forgot to take any pictures during both of those walks except for when we saw an owl in Stanley Park.

 

On Sunday we were dead on our feet, so we drove up the Sea to Sky highway towards Squamish again. This is the view from this cute little coffee shop along the highway. 

We then went to Shannon Falls Park. Again, super busy but gorgeous. 

Monday before she left we went and walked around Gastown and Chinatown. Once again, I didn't take any pictures except for this funny sign.  By this time, I think a combo of dehydration and eating super bad over the weekend made things very uncomfortable for me and I was running to the bathroom every hour or so. Lesson not learned, of course. I'm not sure why I keep doing this to myself.  

Here are a couple of pictures of my cat in our rooftop garden :)

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Alice Lake Park

My fiance and I have decided that each weekend we are going to pick someplace awesome looking and go hiking. Last Saturday was the first hike and I picked the Four Lakes Trail at Alice Lake Park.  The trail is about 6 km and took about 2 hours.  The hike itself was pretty easy, except we started from the wrong direction so the very first part of the hike was very steep.  I guess it's for the best as it got my heart rate up pretty good.

It was my first time driving up the Sea to Sky highway and it was gorgeous.  The water was this beautiful greenish blue and the view of the mountains was amazing. I'm glad we got there nice and early because there was plenty of parking and it was full when we left.

Enjoying our picnic lunch at Alice Lake. 

Right at the beginning of the trail we saw a ghost plant. I've only ever seen one once before.  They are cool plants that get their energy via parasitic action on certain types of fungi that are symbiotic with trees. 

Edith Lake which is the second lake on the Four Lakes trail. For some reason I didn't take any pictures at either Fawn Lake or Stump Lake. 

 The north part of the trail runs along the Cheekye River before it turns down to Stump Lake. 

It was a great day and I'm looking forward to many more hikes.

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In which Canadian healthcare wins me back

Three weeks before we moved up here I ended up in the emergency with a ridiculous amount of pain. We had gone to the beach to visit my fiance's mother and by the time we got back I felt like I was dying.  I delayed going to the ER until the next morning and only went because I could not sit still the pain was so intense.  I am very stupid for waiting.

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Exploring Vancouver

We have lived in downtown Vancouver for about 4 months now.  Obviously we've already done a bit of exploring around here, but none of it has been documented.  I'll probably start posting more of this in an effort to actually remember to take pictures.

Yesterday I went to the Vancouver Public Library to pick up the copy of World War Z I had on hold (so far the book is fantastic). The downtown library is a gorgeous building and is a great place to come and read.

Not only is it supposed to be nice and warm this weekend, but Monday is Canada Day so it should be a good time to walk around.  I think we should be able to see the fireworks from our apartment too!

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