I Hate June

Yes, I know it’s been a log time since I’ve posted, but you gotta understand, it’s June!

As a teacher, we always get a hard rap about those terribly long summer vacations - and possibly there is something to it - but we pay for it in June. Report cards, marking, assessments, retirement functions, intake meetings, the list goes on and on. Add to that my eldest daughter graduates from high school and I’m changing schools and, well, it’s a really hectic time. Luckily, I am able to get my head above water for a little while as some of these things are finished now. Here’s some of the highlights over the past month....

Wettest June on Record

We sometimes joke that the Lower Mainland of BC is on the Wet Coast. This June has been unseasonably cold and wet. I mean really wet. I’ve ridden my scooter lots but not on many long trips since my trip to Bellingham as it has not been particularly enjoyable riding. But with the price of gas, I'll put up with some wet weather if it will make transport a bit more affordable.

Talent Show Performance

One highlight that I’ve had the past few years is performing at our school’s talent show. After the kids have performed, I lead a group of teachers and a student in a song or two to close the show. We had three teachers and a Grade 6 student on drums in this year’s band. We even had a name, Trainwreck, named after one of the guys said, after our first practice, “Man, what a trainwreck.” The rest is history.

We practiced a lot and didn’t sound half bad. We performed “7 Nation Army” and “Blitzkrieg Bop”. During the second song, all of the kids got up and danced. It was a bit chaotic - something a teacher doesn’t particularly enjoy, but as a performer, it was great!

Vespa Surfing

In my school, Grade 7 is the last year of elementary school before high school. To recognize this, we held a nice dinner and activity afternoon at a local ranch. Problem is, when I was near the ranch, the road was flooded. No problem I thought, I’m on my Vespa, and so I negotiated the ridges of the road without difficulty. That is, until I reached the entrance. There I had to cross a lake of water. Although it was only a few metres wide, it was a bit deeper and my Vespa actually sounded like an outboard motor for a few seconds. Luckily, it was fine after the watery encounter.

Daughter's Graduation

This was a great time - starting at 9 o’clock in the morning we went to commencement, then a lunch at our place with both sides of the family, then make up and hair appointments for my daughter. After, a few photos and then off to dinner. After dinner, a dance and then to the dry grad, starting at around 11:30 PM. I dealt black jack there until 3 AM and then everyone went to watch a hypnotist - one of the funniest things I’ve seen. Then an hour of draws and it was 6 AM - time to go home with everyone tired but happy and safe. Whew! I’m still catching up on my sleep!

So that's just a taste of my hectic June. But with only 6 school days left, I can see the end of another year. Ahh, to be riding my bike or taking my Vespa for a long ride - I'm really looking forward to it!

Spring Break Part 1

Ahhh, Spring Break...

Well it’s been quite a week..

On Monday, I went to the doctor to have my stitches removed - and when I asked him how much longer I had to wait until I could wear a helmet, he said, “Ten minutes.”

So, Tuesday, I hopped on the Vespa after what seemed an eternity and scooted into Vancouver.

The forecast was for cloudy skies turning to showers in the afternoon. When I left Maple Ridge, it was cloudy but behind me was a ridge of sunshine under the clouds. Twenty minutes later, when I went over the Pitt River Bridge, monsoon-like rains washed over me. The rain continued to fall but varied as I went along my favourite route into Vancouver.

Going to Vancouver is a bit of a challenge for me on a 50cc scooter. It’s about 50 km (around 30 miles) taking Route 1, which is the freeway, but my scooter is too slow and is not allowed to go on the freeway. There are some other choices, but my preferred route is to take the Barnet Highway. It’s usually pretty quiet and is quite scenic - it goes along the southern shore of Burrard Inlet which is like a fjord that is the northern border of Vancouver. It goes by some industrial sections and shipping areas. In the picture at the beginning of today’s entry, you can see some piles of yellow stuff behind the trees. Those are sulphur piles and the colour of those on a bright sunny day are like powdered sunshine.



There are a number of different places along the Barnet including a gun club (gee, do Canadians actually do that sort of thing?), a marina, and a velodrome for bicycle racing. Eventually, the Barnet changes into Hastings Street as it goes through the city of Burnaby. The road goes through a nice area called The Heights which has a number of different ethnic stores and restaurants. When I’m really cold, I sometimes stop here for a bite at Quiznos or have a latté at one of the authentic Italian coffee shops.

When going along Hastings into Vancouver, the street takes a turn for the worse. This area is the downtown east side - the poorest postal code in Canada. I don’t have to ride through this part of town, but I tend to do it to remind me that there are a lot of people who need help in this world. Then, I turn up Main Street and on to wherever in Vancouver I want to get to.

Although it was raining for most of the day, I kept dry. At one point, I wore paddling gloves under my lobster mitts and my hands stayed dry and warm. It felt good to be out riding again.

Wednesday was car buying day. I finally got rid of the Ford Taurus wagon that is falling apart and bought (leased, actually) a Mazda 3 Sport. It’s shiny and smells very nice!



Today, I had an appointment back in New Westminster. A couple of trucks honked at me while I was on the Mary Hill Bypass but that was OK. What really bugged me today was when I got to my appointment. There was a parking space that was too small for a car but plenty of room for my Vespa. As I was sorting out my pet carrier, an elderly man got out of his car and asked me, “Are you going to leave that thing there?”

He had a full metre behind his care and he didn’t sound particularly angry, so I smiled and said, “Yep.”

Then he said, “I don’t know if there’s enough room for me to back out. If there isn’t I’ll just flatten that thing.” And then he went back into his car.

At the time, I didn’t think he was serious but, as thought about it, I began to get a little worried. As it turned out, his car was still there when I left but it made me pause and think about the incident. Usually, when parking or getting stuff out of my Vespa, people who talk to me are friendly or just asking questions. This is the first time where someone was actually angry or upset about the Vespa.

Oh well, I’ve got another week to relax and think about what happened.

Ahhh, Spring Break...