On Thursday, I was told I didn't have to work on Saturday, but then on Friday afternoon I was asked to come in anyway - so, once again, so much for any hopes of getting a weekend off. But, Sunday was a great day... I had a four hour hike, followed by a three hour cruise.
On Sunday we got our first rain in something like 45 days... It started with a drizzle, and quickly became an out-an-out downpour. Not a good day for a hike OR a cruise, but they were planned, and I was determined! In actuality, both turned out to be awesome. My friend Bob and I setout to conquor Eagle Ridge, directly behind my house. It's a four hour hike, and despite the rain, it was a warm day, and the wetness didn't really affect us much at all. In fact, when we finally got to the East viewpoint of the ridge and stopped for lunch, the rain magically cleared, and the clouds lifted. We could see east to Surrey, Langley and beyond, and we could see West to the Vancouver waterfront, and the north shore. We also did a 20 minute detour to Cypress Lake where we briefly searched for a geocache that hasn't been sighted in two years... we found exactly where it should be, but it's definitely gone. No worries, it's always great to get up to that secluded lake. We also met up with some mountain-bikers who were taking insane jump down the absolutely hellish terrain - as we were coming up the hill one biker lauched off a cedar ramp, a good 20 feet into the air, and landed (safely!) at least 60 or 70 feet down the hill. Amazing! I had my camera, but it all happened so fast, no time to take any pix...
When we finally made it home, I had one hour to clean up before Carole and I were to head downtown for a dinner cruise on the Horatio Hornblower. We actually got there 45 minutes early, and though it was raining (hard) again, we spent some time in the Westin Bayshore until the Coal Harbour cruise was ready for boarding. Dinner was really nice - roast beef, hot-hot-horseradish, potatoes, veggies, ceasar salad, potato salad, fusilli, all sorts of awesome stuff! Drinks were a modest $5 eash, and we both had a few. Too bad it's a crazy downpour outside, right? Well, you'll never belive this... as soon as dinner ends, and we're rounding third beach, the rain stops, the clouds part, and the most amazing sunset is about 15 minutes from it's apex... we go out onto the open upper deck to find it calm and pleasant out. It's a beautiful, peaceful momment - which the other passengers soon clue in to, and begin filing onto the upper decks. In fact, the night becomes so nice that the DJ brings his whole rig to the upper deck and starts the party! Absolutely perfect! For two hours we slowly cruise past Granville Island and around False Creek before making our way back past English Bay, Stanley Park, under the Lions Gate Bridge, and finally back to Coal Harbour by 10PM.
I had to be at work by 6AM, and the hike had really tuckered me out as well, so it was all over in the perfect amount of time (under different circumstances, it would have been great to just party all night long on the yacht!).
After a good 5 1/2 hour sleep, it was back to work this morning - BUT - THIS TIME, I'm REALLY supposed to get this whole weekend off.. so after today, that's only 4 days to go! I plan to make it an eventful weekend, though I don't know if I can easily top the time I had yesterday.
Posted by Calvin at August 29, 2005 03:21 PMIt is great to read a new blog story from you. I'm so glad you got to have a good time in the little time off you get these days.
Posted by: paladane at August 29, 2005 06:54 PM