Summer sun, Vancouver fun

Hello again!

Life was mainly just ticking by for the last couple of months, and with not much new going on, a new entry didn't really seem necessary, or pressing enough. But now a few things have happened and I am making the most of a balmy June evening and sitting down to write, something I have been meaning to do for some time (no, not two months!)

Just to set the scene: it's 11.30pm, and I am surrounded by a silent house (boys are either asleep or down at the beach). It's warm and still, with the lazy atmosphere of a very hot day turning into a calm, warm night that won't get much colder.

So, a brief sum up of life during the last couple of months and a few forays into more interesting events. Housemates have settled into routines of work, and we now see eachother more haphazardly. Evening meals together have died somewhat as many of us work til quite late. Times together are all the more enjoyable. We've had a few more houseparties, with a totally different crowd to the first one, as people have made friends from work places. The neighbours didn't take too kindly to the noise of the very first one, back in March, and had been being very noisy upstairs in retaliation. At the second party, I spent the best part of an hour and a half talking to the wife on our veranda, her trying to calm down her drunken husband, and me trying to fend off equally drunk and equally unhelpful "peacemakers" who were trying to add their thoughts to the situation! It all resolved itself though, and we seem to have developed a cordial, if fairly non-communicative relationship!

Work is going well. I have recently been made Key Holder for the store, a fairly self-explanatory title! I have a key and responsibilities to open/close the store some days, count the cash and run the place on my boss's days off. It's not much more work, but better pay and full time hours, which makes a significant difference to the pay cheque! I get on very well with my colleagues; we've hired a couple of newbies, so I'm no longer the newest, rather someone that people now come to for advice, and the added responsibility has given me a new enthusiasm for the job. I definitely enjoy the small "managing" tasks and times when I'm making the decisions more than actually trying to sell yet another rain jacket. I'm also socialising more with people from work. David, who recently left, and I went climbing last week, I went to a bbq at his and his girlfriend's place, with another guy I work with and his girlfriend on Sunday. I love having my own circle of friends who are completely separate from my house, as quite a lot of the people we hang out with are a shared group and it can all get a little entwined sometimes. Which is why spending time with my friend Caro and the girls she lives with is always so good. Last week, I was round there and we had dinner, made chocolate cake, watched a movie and ate cake! It was much needed!

On the leisure front: Quentin and I took my new tent out for it's first camping trip this week. We went up to Alice Lake park, just north of Squamish, about an hour from Vancouver. We Greyhounded it to Squamish, then walked the 6-ishkm to the park, set up camp and spent the rest of the day hiking, swimming in the lake, soaking up the sun, playing cards and enjoying the BC outdoors with no electronic distractions or housemates. We discovered that the tent is racoon-proof (good) but that for future trips, an animal box for food might be a good idea, because they are persistent little creatures, and much less cute looking once you know that a lot of them carry rabies. We left the knife we suspected one had licked at the campsite... The next day was spent on a hike, more lake swimming and then heading back down to Vancouver in time for a bbq in the garden with home-made burgers by Loic (yum!).

I had a feeling I had more to write but everything else has evaded me. Life is pretty much dominated by trying to spend as much time outside right now, to make the most of the incredible, and highly unusual hot weather. This mainly involves parks and the beach, which is a 15-min bike ride from home. *Big Smile :-)*

The next big things on the horizon are a Coldplay concert in a couple of weeks, and then, more excitingly, a trip over to Montreal to see Becks and Laura who are coming over! I am massively excited about this for several reasons, namely that Montreal is an awesome place and I can't wait to see the lovely girls, whom I miss hugely, and spend a ton of time with them!

Well, that really is about it for now. Detroit Redwings are battling it out against Pittsburgh Penguins for the Stanley Cup (the Canucks were, alas, knocked out in round two). I read today that Jaqui Smith resigned over reports of dodgy expenses - I have to say, renting out an adult video and claiming it was a new one! UK politics seem as murky and eventful as ever. We're all backing Fedster for the French. I think if he beats the on-form del Potro then that will be a great win and will boost him going into the final. It would also amuse me greatly to see Soderling through too, after the wins against Nadal and Davydenko. Not so fussed about the women's - have they handed over the trophy to giantess Safina?? Go Kusnetsova!

Ok, I've had a paragraph of rambling, so it really is time for bed. Hope you enjoyed reading a bit about Vancouver life. There shouldn't be so much of a wait til the next post, I hope!

xxx