I do have to get to the waterfront again though because rains are expected to start a few days earlier than I expected. I wanted at least one or two more walks along the waterfront before that happens as it could be months again before we have such warm and beautiful days.
I hope you are enjoying the weather wherever you are. I'm sharing some photos I took last Friday on my errand runs. I haven't shared any nature photos lately from my neighborhood or the adjoining neighborhoods. These ones show all the beautiful fall colours. I read on the internet that this year's fall colours on the west coast are more vibrant than usual due to the lack of rain over the summer and the sudden transition from summer heat to fall cold.
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| Sorry this photo isn't too clear. I used my phone camera. These next two photos were taken near a small mall within walking distance of my home. The place is very old and has been there forever. The local school board owns it and is always under pressure from the government to sell it and use the funds for school district needs. Those of us who shop at the small mall will be sorry to see it go some day. Though rather outdated the place grows on you and provides all the basic necessities one needs in the neighborhood. |
I haven't made much progress on the style course which I signed up for a few weeks ago. I knew that would happen and I tried to get out of signing up now. However the organizer said she wouldn't be offering the course "live" again so I signed up. Now I'm behind by several weeks. I'm keeping fingers crossed that I will be able to catch up soon. I try to log in when sessions are live to at least listen to the teaching and discussion. It is helping and the good news is I can actually work at my own pace and will be able to access the course forever (or as long as the company and website last anyway), I've been very busy the past few weeks trying to buy new clothing items to "fill the gaps" in my wardrobe (jumping ahead in what I'm sure is much later in the course), look for new winter boots or rain boots for the cold and rainy weather. I haven't decided which one would be best but I am tired of having cold and wet feet on the wettest of days. I guess I will buy whatever fits and whatever I'm able to find first. At least that will be ahead of where I'm at now. I also need to get to the tailor to hem several pairs of slacks and jeans. I can do it myself but would rather pay someone else to do it if I have more than one or two items to alter.
One big thing I have managed to accomplish is Christmas shopping. I've spent a lot of time comparison shopping and ordering on line. I am a pragmatic person so everyone on my short list of recipients is getting clothing items that they need or I think they could use. One of the recipients is my niece. I wanted to buy her several nice items of warm clothing for the winter and to match her newest (short) winter jacket. I managed to find tops but am having more difficulty finding a warm pair of pants. I decided to give her something I've newly purchased for myself instead but I will have to hem the legs for her before I can wrap it up. Good thing I've taken her measurements. I'm feeling rather good about getting most of the Christmas stuff done. I still have a few others gifts to buy or make and parcels to wrap before the end of November so some things can be posted. I often don't buy much in the way of gifts but now and then the spirit of generosity takes over and I want to buy for everyone!
When I'm running errands I often need or want to stop for a snack or a meal. On Saturday I had Vietnamese Pho Soup and a roll dip. I prefer shrimp salad rolls to the roll dip but this is a special and it comes with the roll dip. Have you ever eaten this kind of soup? I like to put fresh bean sprouts, Thai basil leaves and chili oil in mine. I always order the house special which comes with cooked beef, rare beef, tendons, tripe and beef balls.
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| I love having a bowl of Vietnamese soup and a roll dip for dinner from time to time. |
In about 2 weeks a friend and I will attend Verdi's Requiem performed by the Vancouver Music Academy. Though put on by students, the annual productions are very professional and held at the beautiful Orpheum Theatre downtown. I can't wait to go.
I'm also trying to organize another friend to get to a Verdi Opera, Un Ballo in Machera (A Masked Ball) in the middle of November. If that doesn't work out I'm hoping she will want to attend a performance of Handel's Messiah. It has been awhile since I went to The Messiah and it is one of my favourite pieces. This year it seems we have a choice of 3 different choirs and venues. I am so happy about that because these tend to get sold out very early in the season. Even if you wish to go you will miss out if you do not get organized very early. I hope to confirm tickets very soon but my friend has been slow to get back to me which isn't normal behavior on her part. I hope everything is well with her and her family and that we can connect soon. Other than that I hope to attend some craft fairs in late November and early December. There will be some artisans that I can only access once a year. Maybe I will find a unique find.
My reading has slowed down a lot. In August I met my goal of 35 books for 2017. Since then I have read several more books including the very long A Column of Fire by Ken Follett. I enjoyed it a lot but reading the reviews some of his fans didn't seem to enjoy it as much as I did or as much as they enjoyed his other books. Right now I'm reading a book that is taking me forever to read. It isn't that bad but definitely not the kind of style I usually enjoy. It's called Birmingham Blitz by Annie Murray.
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| This book is 928 pages long. |
If you've been reading me for awhile you know I like to collect loyalty points where I shop at the local pharmacy. I don't shop often in other stores with loyalty points because I don't like all the work involved in keeping track of them and trying to maximize the points obtained. But I can make good use of pharmacy products since they sell lots of things for day to day household needs. They also see a lot of food products and some basic technology stuff.
In my last 2 shopping trips I earned about 30,000 points. That brings me about 250 points shy of a grand total of 95,000 points which will give me $175 Canadian dollars. I must use all this money to buy stuff at the pharmacy. I don't normally need to spend $175 at a pharmacy but it comes in handy when looking to purchase something more costly like a humidifier, electric toothbrushes or water piks, etc. I have my eye on an air purifier or two but I like buying one big item and then using the rest for the daily household needs.
Whenever I am at the pharmacy I take my blood pressure. Lately it has been optimal or very close to optimal. The diastolic pressure has been lower though (more like 56 or so). The pharmacist doesn't seem too worried though I've asked several different ones about it. I will be seeing my regular doctor in about one month. Blood pressure readings are usually a bit higher when I am at the doctor's office. They call it white coat syndrome but also the machines they use are probably more accurate than the ones at the pharmacy.
I wish you an excellent week until next time!
