Qui alieno history es reus ut revolvo is.
(latin: Those who forget history are bound to repeat it.)
These are things we've learned but may forget unless we keep notes. Use the list on the left to select a subject.
Farmer's Market Shopping Routine
Created November 14, 2008
Every spring the West End Farmer's Market starts up again and we slowly bring together a routine for Saturday morning shopping. We perfect the routine by the end of the summer, but it takes us a while. This is a reminder for us for next spring.
- Put ice packs in small cooler and bring with us to keep items cold in car trunk.
- Put mesh green produce bags in pocket for easy access.
- Fold canvas bags in half and put into backpack with handles facing down.
- Remember to bring empty egg cartons and juice bottles.
- Remember to bring change for parking meter. Drive to park on Thurlow and park at meter.
- Give empty egg cartons and juice containers to appropriate vendors.
- Do market shopping from vendor to vendor.
- Put appropriate items in small cooler in car trunk.
- Drive to Granville Island Public Market to acquire additional items.
Getting to Golden Ears Provincial Park
Created July 23, 2008
So we've done this twice now, and Google Maps has not been overly helpful either time, so these are directions to Golden Ears Provincial Park where Greg has had two trail races this year:
- Get on to Highway 1 heading East out of Vancouver.
- Take exit 44 towards Pitt Meadows/ Maple Ridge.
- This road does a slight wiggle to the left at the Mary Hill Bypass.
- Merge right at Lougheed Highway.
- Go over a bridge with severe construction work being done around or on it. We won't bother giving detailed instructions here because major changes are happening - just get yourself across the river.
- Do NOT turn left at the first Dewdney Trunk Road on the other side of the river. This is the "old" Dewdney Trunk Road. There is a new road with the same name to confuse people who don't live 'round here. Keep going straight.
- Turn left the second time you hit Dewdney Trunk Road.
- Continue straight on "new" Dewdney Trunk Road for quite a long distance.
- Turn left at 232 Street.
- Turn right at Fern Avenue.
- Stay on Fern to the end of the road - it will wiggle on it's way into the park.
BC Ferry Trips
Created November 14, 2007
After a painful weekend crossing back from Victoria due to a wind storm that stopped the Ferries, we should have known better:
- Going over to Vancouver Island on long weekends is not a good idea. There are huge crowds taking the Ferry and you will likely have at least a one-Ferry wait.
- Going over to Vancouver Island in November is tricky. Wind storms will stop the Ferries from sailing, and when the wind goes down and the Ferries are sailing again there will be hundreds of people crowding onto the boats.
- Stopping at the Thrifty's grocery store at the Broadmead village on the way to the Ferry in Swartz Bay can be useful if the weather is cool.
- Bring bottled water with you, it is more expensive on the Ferry and in the Ferry Terminal.
Eagle Viewing
Created: January 21, 2008
The Brackendale Eagle Reserve is reported to be a good place to view eagles. Google Map of Brackendale (if this does not display, google Brackendale in Google Maps):
View Larger Map
- Mid-November to Mid-February is the prime time to see eagles at Brackendale, but the salmon run was extremely low in 2008, so we only saw 2 eagles where there should have been hundreds.
- Brackendale is just past Squamish on the road to Whistler. The road to Whistler is undergoing massive construction, so we won't be doing this again before the roadwork is completed.
- Government Road is a good place to start viewing Eagles. There are interpretive signs and a path beside the river to the West of the road and parking along the East side of the road.
- Judd Road is a good road to go down, from Judd turn left onto Cottonwood road and go down a block and you will find a parking lot. If it is a windy day this area is much more sheltered from the wind than the area on Government Road. Do not go further down Judd Road, it is an Indian Reserve and thus a private road.
- Bring sunglasses. A nice sunny day is a good time to take pictures, but the sun is very low in the sky and can blind you on the drive back to Vancouver.
- Snow, and lots of it. Dress appropriately for snow but don't wear your coat on the drive up or you will be very cold when you leave the car!
- This trip is a good day-trip from Vancouver if you start early in the morning and plan to have dinner out when you return. There will likely be much traffic on the way back to Vancouver.
Mattress Shopping
Created: October 28, 2007
Purchase at Sleep Country on Granville/Robson, sales rep: Randy Rubiano
Well recognized as a minefield of bad purchasing decisions, you only do it every 5 to 7 years, so you forget:
- You cannot do exact price comparisons between stores that sell mattresses. Every store has its own mattress names from each manufacturer. The same manufacturer will have the same mattresses in many stores with different names on them.
- You need a guaranteed return window where you can send the mattress back and get a replacement.
- Platform beds make mattresses feel harder. A mattresses you try out in the store is on a box spring bottom and will feel much softer in the store than when you have it at home on the platform.
- Isolated spring coils are not necessary. The "bowling ball mattress" is not needed when you have a platform bed.
- Do you really want to sleep on a mechanism? The "sleep number" bed is just an air mattress with a mechanism to control the air pressure.
- Mattress covers with plastic bottoms are like sleeping on a diaper. A cotton, padded mattress cover is the best.
- Searsopedic mattress pad works well for us - the high end one.
- A "feather bed" is a feather pad that goes on top of a mattress.
- Air mattresses are not easily available, or well liked. They are typically in the "camping" section.
- The Sealy Posturpedic mattress was the best for us - the softest one available. The Simmons "bowling ball" mattress was worse that sleeping on the couch.
Physiotherapy Tape
Created February 8, 2008
After a few trips to a physiotherapist, we are finally writing this down:
- The tape to reposition parts of the body should only be left on for 24 hours.
Software Purchases
Created November 15, 2007
After saving $60 on Adobe Photoshop by doing a quick Google we recommend:
- Before purchasing any software, Google on promotion codes for the specific software.