The Perfect Date

Imagine if you will.

The desire is known. But before the pounce, there is a courtship.

You can call me old-fashioned.

He arrives at 8pm. The car is dark. The seats are leather.

“Would you like some heat?” he asks.

I nod with a smile, and a hum from my throat.

Words aren’t known.

We’re contemplating each other.

Energy. Intuition.

Timeless.

We arrive. The restaurant is grand.

I picture Don Francesco’s. The waiters with style. The service of a palace. White linens. Elegance and perfection all in one.

The food is divine. We taste it with our eyes.

Hours pass. We talk. We relax.

The night unfolds outside. A moon in the sky. The stars bright.

Dessert comes. Some coffee.

Later, a visit to the lady’s room. Coats back on.

He puts on mine. Takes care of the bill.

The car is called.

He opens my door.

We drive. Up to a scenic viewpoint.

Laughter. Deep breaths.

The night gets old.

I wait after the car is parked. He opens my door and holds out his hand.

Gently he guides me to my front door.

I unlock the door. Our eyes lock.

A warm embrace.

It’s goodbye for now.

As my back turns a smile appears.

It was the perfect date.

If only in my mind.

Love Inspiration

Wasn't long after Creative Mornings today that I stumbled on the outside of a building with the word Love on it. 
It stopped me. 
I enjoyed the lettering and the flow of the colours around it.
Later on I sat idle in the Milano coffee diner in Gastown.
Drawn to colour and Illustrator I came up with this postcard.
To spread the love.

Spread the Love by Jane Victoria King.
October 5, 2012

The SeaWheeze Cool Factor

The men stood out.

Love colour. Bright colours. Multi-colours.

Lululemon thought of everything.

The SeaWheeze lululemon half marathon was their first. 
Attracting  mostly women. It captured the spirit of health. The essence of being. In the blanket of Vancouver.

Branding activation at it’s finest.

Lululemon furniture in the BFD (Big Frickin' Deal) area at the After Party for SeaWheeze.

In a sea of calm I bought a pair of shorts.

It was late Friday night. The line-ups gone, for the exclusive merchandise of The SeaWheeze.

Sweet designs. Supreme comfort. Cool colours.

Drink water. Sweat. Do yoga.

The life force philosophy transcended the decorative displays of everyday wear.

Paramount for comfort with practicality intrinsically intertwined.

Then there was the run. Full of high fives and entertainment.

The sign says "Run like you are in the Olympics."

The end of the salmon run aka "The Course Sweeper"

Concluding with a live After Party, then sunset yoga at Kits Beach.

The SeaWheeze After Party with live music, sunshine, a sea of people and the mountains.

It was a perfect day.

East and West

Sunglasses are mandatory.

These days.

My new cycling commute is sweet.

I ride towards the sun in the morning and into the sunset in the evening.
The blocks of climbs on the final stretches steer me to the mountains and the trees. 
I am grateful for the beauty all around me.

The commute to work is down to 45 minutes. Like those in a car. I drink coffee along the way.

At stop lights.

I divide the ride into three sections.

The Esplanade roll into the sunrise. The Second Narrows grunt. And finally the residential bliss bicycle route.

Directional signage helped me find my way. Thanks to the Bike HUB (aka Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition) for dialing it all in.

Usually I’m hungry homeward bound. Often I smell barbeques, garlic and other wonderful dinner creations.

Has my mouth watering and my belly barking.

Each day I notice something different.

A community garden, a boulevard artistic creation, a neighbourhood book exchange and many innovative traffic calming circles.

North and south and east and west.

The Beat 94.5 Has Bonged

It’s bad enough when you really don’t feel like it, but you know you have to.

Get out of bed that is.

Especially in the mornings when the night has ended up short.

For years during the routine rituals I’ve tuned into The Beat 94.5.

I hear great energy. I get blasted with music I like to listen to. I’m engaged with the banter between Kid Carson and Nira Arora. Hemorrhaging in with Andy the Intern for kicks.

My day is set with something insightful to chew on.
Who has time to read a screen when you are getting ready to bolt out the door?

I also got pumped with anecdotal relationship deets or teased in the entertainment biz world.

But most importantly, I felt the real life of an adult who has grown up with a single mother.

I can relate. My son was raised the same.

But suddenly without warning, there’s no more Kid on The Beat.

Worse yet. No one is saying anything.

The spice has gone. 

No more piping in by Andy the Intern even.

Nira’s laugh is flat. Johnny isn’t pumping it up.

The Beat’s airwaves have flat-lined.

I mull for a week that maybe I just “missed” something.

Then more changes. The afternoon hosts shift to the morning.

Clearly the station is scrambling.

I feel for Holly and Nira.

Where has The Kid gone?

Rumours float he’s got something better. 
His Twitter handle spills out he’s been abducted by Aliens.

OK, Kid. The Beat. If you’re going to steal my morning hum drum, at least give me some warning.

It’s like I’m putting on the wrong shoes in the morning.

Does anyone else feel this way?

The Beat has bonged.

The High Five

Not enough time to roll today. Needed a good three hours plus. So I grabbed the gym bag to head out for a run.

Knew I’d be sitting the rest of the day. Trying to finish assignments. Figured a quick 40 minutes would do me good.

It’d been a week plus since a run. Managed to beat my last time… by a mere two seconds.

But hey, felt like that was good. All things considered.

This school stuff stifles the training plans when you get down to serious crunch time.

Was the best run ever.

I’m pacing myself good. Got the breathing down. The sun is in my face, I’m heading for Kitsilano Beach and this dude runs towards me and yells, “Hey! High five!”

We smashed a high five and ran on.

That made me happy.

I was doing it. Running my fastest, my hardest and sweating good.

And I got a high five.

Awesome.

Skinny Jeans

Booked six hours in the saddle this weekend.

I’ve learned a lot about my body.

Was close to bonking after the second hour today. Reminded myself to eat every 45 minutes. Tried that yesterday and it got me through.

It also helped to have a destination in mind.

Felt I should reward myself with a coffee at the new Musette Caffe where you can pack your bike in. No worries.

Took me a bit to find it. Was happy when I did.

Must of had a confused look on my face when I rode up. I saw a bunch of harsh locks outside. Was sure I’d read I could roll in.

Couple bike dudes looked down on me through the window. I pointed at my bike and to the door and I got the bring it in nod.

Was gassed when I parked my bike and booked it to the counter. Coffee and some fuel was only on my mind.

First thing I got asked was how my ride was. I elaborated and detailed yesterday’s and today’s. We discussed the wind during yesterday’s Iona Beach roll. I reiterated the tailwinds on the way home. Zoom, zoom, zoom!

There were wooden blocks on the floor as you walked in to park your back wheel. Genius. I’d wondered how they’d fit them in. There was a family, a couple fit cyclists reading Pro Cycling rags and more then a few pairs of riders in gear.

More guys rolled in.

We got to yacking. Where else can you go with your bike and talk saddle routes?

Turns out we had a lot in common. Plus they had a social team. Doing the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer as well.

Small world.

Or is it just we’re cyclists?

We exchanged contacts and I geared up for home. 
Fondly I reflected on my Friday night purchase. I’d bought a new pair of jeans.

If I can keep up this effort of training and nutritional regime, I’ll get the last 20 pounds off. Can hardly wait. Be easier for the ride. And afterwards, I’ll get to wear my skinny jeans.

The ones I bought on Friday night are a size too small.

Random Conversations

The bike is a getter. I’m cruising along this morning and this guy pulls up beside me on his rollerblades (only in Vancouver).

“I rode across Canada last summer, you should do it,” he says.

Like, how did he know that was on my bucket list?

So random.

We chat, he says he’s not sure what to do next. I suggest Europe. France, Italy (also on my bucket list).

Then he tells me about a web site that some pals who he rode with talked about. Waterscape. Cycling routes along canals and waterways in Great Britian.

Now that’d be cool.

My mind got meandering. I’d heard on the radio this morning the regrets people have on their death-beds. Like working too hard. Not enough time with friends. Not living their dreams. 

Too many nots.

Only yesterday a friend of a friend’s committed suicide.

How life can change in the wink of an eye.

So for the remainder of my roll to school I tried to hatch a plan on how to use my learned school skills in Electronic Media Design - upon graduation, and create a job to get paid to do what I love. Engage and inspire others, by riding my bike across Canada.

All sparked by a random conversation.

So random.

Ringing in 2012

Not the end – a new beginning

For some it’s time to start over.
Not me. It’s an excuse to celebrate.

I’ve been single for years and often spend New Year’s Eve with family or alone. This year I chose to be amongst strangers.

Multi-media is my new game. So I headed down to the W2 Media Cafe for some strolling.

A large dance floor in the basement, another upstairs. I melted into the crowd. Sussing out the eye candy. I warped my eyes into the charismatic colours all over the screens.

Cruising from one floor to the next I found the views of the faces interesting.

I wasn’t the only fourty plus er in attendance!

Lots of times on New Year’s Eve people talk on self-reflection. Personally, family wise, community and globally.

When I look back I think relevance. Everything that happened had it’s place.

And it’s OK I said to myself to be alone. I accept that.

I also accept and am grateful for everything I’ve done in my life and especially where I am today. I look forward to the future. In my own way, making a difference to the world as best as I can – by being me.

Then this line popped into my head as I danced my way into the New Year.

Be who YOU are and LIVE your dreams.

Then all around you will be fine.

Happy 2012.

Old School Says Who?

Maybe I am a little old fashioned. Although a lot of me has changed with the times.

Heck. I remember using a Telex machine before the now email. I can also recall the first use of the Fax machine, before email and PDFs hit the airwaves.

Yes, I even learned how to type on the manual hand cranker. With the raised keyboards. Granny style now I suppose.

Now I have a MacBook Pro that I carry around with me wherever I go.

Happened to mention to someone today that I’d only just traded in my old film camera equipment so I could get a new digital lens. I worked in newspaper when black and white film was developed in a darkroom. Before the age of digital.

Ironically, this young digital artist had done the exact opposite. I found that surprising and interesting.

Tonight I was bent on finding a video store. You know, the one you can walk around in and look at the covers of ALL of the DVDs currently in the swing. Check out this week's top ten rentals. For curiosity's sake.

As I throw my take on the counter at Rogers reflecting to the cashier that it took me a while to find the store, her reply made me sad.

“We’re one of only two left in Vancouver.”

Sure I download movies and TV shows (I don’t have cable) from iTunes, but it’s not the same.

For starters, I like fondling the covers of the DVD. And watching it on something other then my computer. 

When you rent a DVD you get more then the DVD. I look forward to hanging out and viewing the Special Features.

Nope, I don’t want to spend $25 on individual DVDs to build up a library.

Suppose maybe I am old school… in some ways.