Vancouver Birthday Extravaganza, Day 4
Nov. 24th, 2011 11:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jamesqThis ended up being bit of an adventure.
I started the day by meeting Steph for breakfast at a restaurant on Commercial Drive called Havana. Nice food, the sort of ad hoc ambience that I like (similar to the Clubhouse), and decent for people watching. Apparently it also has a theater that shows Cuban/Latino films. I'd like to check that out someday.
Afterwards, Steph and I wandered around the drive a bit and I took her to the most claustrophobic store on the Drive, Beckwoman's. It's also the most hippy-ish store on the Drive, which has to make it a contender for most hippy-ish store in the Greater Vancouver area - possibly even BC and Canada, though I've never been to Nelson, so I can't really say.
I wanted to check out Gourmet Warehouse on East Hastings, and it wasn't too far from Commercial drive. We walked towards it in the light rain and encountered Womyn's Ware along the way. We went in and browsed and chatted with the friendly and personable staff, among them the old lady whom I suspect owns the joint, the young, slightly goth girl and the young, likely gay, man. All of them seemed plucked from some Platonic ideal of retail worker, because I've rarely gotten service so good. Exactly the right amount of helpful and availability without triggering my I-hate-salesmen button.
I walked out of there with an assortment of condoms, including some that glow in the dark! So long as my next partner isn't Kara Zor-El, I should be OK.
That mental image? You're welcome.
We continued on to Gourmet Warehouse to discover that's it's like Mecca for foodies. We spent about an hour in the store just checking things out. Among the things I bought there was Pearl Sugar (for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thebrucie ) and Bacon Jam (for me).
So within about a Kilometre from each other is two orgasm-inducing stores. Check them out.
Steph had to go get ready for her class that evening, but this coincided withbognaustroglum being available for hanging out. I dropped my perishables off at my room (hotel bar fridge FTW) and we went out to the Kits to see the new (to me) location of the Comic Shop. The problem with ordering comics online is now I know how much more expensive they are in the stores. A year ago I'd have wlaked out of there $100 lighter. This time? Not so much.
Went back to the room for a quick nap and then went back out to Commercial Drive to St. Augustine's Pub, which is rapidly becoming my favourite Vancouver drinking establishment. Better beer selection and nicer looking servers than the Hop in Brew, but the ambience isn't as good.
I proceeded to get nicely drunk. Hung out with Ryan, Athena, Ken and Sheldon, and met an adorable woman named Jessie. It was a fun evening and I'd have loved it to be a few hours longer. Sadly it was not to be since everyone else had to work the next morning. It would be the last time I see them all this trip, so the good time was tinged with a bit of sadness.
I started the day by meeting Steph for breakfast at a restaurant on Commercial Drive called Havana. Nice food, the sort of ad hoc ambience that I like (similar to the Clubhouse), and decent for people watching. Apparently it also has a theater that shows Cuban/Latino films. I'd like to check that out someday.
Afterwards, Steph and I wandered around the drive a bit and I took her to the most claustrophobic store on the Drive, Beckwoman's. It's also the most hippy-ish store on the Drive, which has to make it a contender for most hippy-ish store in the Greater Vancouver area - possibly even BC and Canada, though I've never been to Nelson, so I can't really say.
I wanted to check out Gourmet Warehouse on East Hastings, and it wasn't too far from Commercial drive. We walked towards it in the light rain and encountered Womyn's Ware along the way. We went in and browsed and chatted with the friendly and personable staff, among them the old lady whom I suspect owns the joint, the young, slightly goth girl and the young, likely gay, man. All of them seemed plucked from some Platonic ideal of retail worker, because I've rarely gotten service so good. Exactly the right amount of helpful and availability without triggering my I-hate-salesmen button.
I walked out of there with an assortment of condoms, including some that glow in the dark! So long as my next partner isn't Kara Zor-El, I should be OK.
That mental image? You're welcome.
We continued on to Gourmet Warehouse to discover that's it's like Mecca for foodies. We spent about an hour in the store just checking things out. Among the things I bought there was Pearl Sugar (for
thebrucie ) and Bacon Jam (for me).So within about a Kilometre from each other is two orgasm-inducing stores. Check them out.
Steph had to go get ready for her class that evening, but this coincided with
bognaustroglum being available for hanging out. I dropped my perishables off at my room (hotel bar fridge FTW) and we went out to the Kits to see the new (to me) location of the Comic Shop. The problem with ordering comics online is now I know how much more expensive they are in the stores. A year ago I'd have wlaked out of there $100 lighter. This time? Not so much.Went back to the room for a quick nap and then went back out to Commercial Drive to St. Augustine's Pub, which is rapidly becoming my favourite Vancouver drinking establishment. Better beer selection and nicer looking servers than the Hop in Brew, but the ambience isn't as good.
I proceeded to get nicely drunk. Hung out with Ryan, Athena, Ken and Sheldon, and met an adorable woman named Jessie. It was a fun evening and I'd have loved it to be a few hours longer. Sadly it was not to be since everyone else had to work the next morning. It would be the last time I see them all this trip, so the good time was tinged with a bit of sadness.
