Woof! What a weekend!

I decided to pop over to Vancouver to visit with my parents before they leave town on vacation.

The night before I hit the road I went to see the movie UP! in 3-d with some friends. It was great. Had me crying all the way through … probably because of the PMS … but still a great movie. I really enjoyed it. Especially the talking dog. Ha. I wish Fergus had a talking collar. “SQUIRREL!”

On the walk home I told Gerry I needed to stop at the market and pick up some provisions for the trip to the mainland but Ger had this great idea that I should pick up a burrito from Hernandez instead. BRILLIANT!!

Only … I discovered they’re not open on Saturday like we thought. Boooo. So I ran down to The Joint and picked up a quick quesadilla with spinach, olives and their home-made vegan cheese. Yum!
I had a blast with my parents … we woke up on Sunday and ate Scotch Oatmeal (that they make to perfection) and had a lazy morning reading the NY Times and gabbing about life. Then we went out to run some errands. First we hit MEC so I could find some shoes to replace my runners (that have been to NY and back and have seen better days).

I bought THESE shoes and as I was looking for the link for this post … my heart dropped when I saw the description on the website that says they’re made from leather. I checked and double checked the shoe contents (I am a professional vegan ya know!) and it’s man-made synthetic “leather” … so phew!! I didn’t make a mistake.

Feeling a little peckish from all our shopping we hit up Saravanaa Bhavan for their Sunday Buffet. WOOT!!
With full bellies and new shoes on my feet we headed to the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the Golden Age of Dutch Art exhibit. It was pretty interesting but what caught my eye was an installation piece in the center of the building by Reece Terris.
I don’t even know how to explain it… so instead read the description the gallery provides:
Commissioned by the Gallery, Ought Apartment will consist of a tower that rises from the main floor to the full height of the central rotunda, in which sections from six apartments are stacked one on top of another. Each apartment will be furnished with discarded items from the 1950s (on the lowest level) up to the present decade (at the top). Through this process of “making strange,” Terris invites viewers to consider their relationship to the consumption and construction of domestic space and the role this space plays in locating a public as social subjects.

Great concept. Executed perfectly … and tactile. You were able to go into a few of the apartments and touch. It was so funny to see people in the 1950’s bathroom opening and closing the medicine cabinet like they’d never seen one before. Hilarious.

I was quite excited to see a version of my stove Samantha on the 60’s floor. Then a guard told me I couldn’t take photos … boo. 🙁
If you’re in Vancouver … run down to see the installation. It’s phenomenal. We also checked out Andreas Gursky’s photo exhibit which blew me away. The only downside was there wasn’t much information about the artist or the photos. I would have liked to know a little more about what I was looking at.

Exhausted and suffering from “Art Gallery Legs” we took our sore feet home and had a nap, had a lovely dinner and sat around talking. It was a perfect day … Until about 1:30am where I was suddenly woken up with excruciating menstrual cramps.

Oh $h*#. Not again!! I tried everything. Pills. Heat. Walking. Crying. Puking. Nothing was making me feel better. I called Gerry in a panic thinking that he could do something from Victoria … and he suggested I wake up my parents. So after suffering for hours … at around 4am I hobbled to their door and knocked. HELP!!

The rest is a blur. I barely remember talking to Denise and the car ride over and the hospital intake are just flashes. It was crazy. Listen. I can take a lot of pain. Look at me. I’m covered in tattoos. *laugh* This was serious pain. SERIOUS! My Dad was great. Rubbed my back and was very Daddy. He’s my hero.

I woke up the next day feeling like a weak kitten. I hugged and thanked my parents for the fun weekend (it was fun despite the menstrual drama) and drove as quick as I could (without speeding) to the ferry to take me home. Plugged into my ipod and listening to The Beatles (who always make me think of my Dad and make me feel safe) I stared out the ferry window and I pondered what the HELL is going on with my body and prayed a little to the menstrual goddesses for guidance.

I saw my GP today and he’s sending me to a specialist and am going to see my naturopath next week. We need to figure this out because I do not want this to happen again.

Before I sign off … I want to thank Tommy Douglas for Medicare. I am so
blessed to live in Canada and I am incredibly thankful for the access to medical care.