B.C. Ferries Rant #4 · Monday January 28, 2008 by colin newell
Little known fact:
Show your BCAA, CAA, or AAA membership card and get a discount on travel between the Mainland and Vancouver Island…
with conditions.
To quote the B.C. Ferries website:
Pay the regular vehicle and driver fares, and your 2nd, 3rd and 4th passengers travel free (except for fuel surcharge and Nanaimo Port Authority fees—details below).
Offer applies to BC Ferries’ 9:00 pm sailings between Vancouver (Tsawwassen) and Victoria (Swartz Bay) and between West Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) and Nanaimo (Departure Bay).
Victoria realty expressions explained · Wednesday December 19, 2007 by colin newell
Notorious for some of the most expensive houses in North America, our Victoria area realtor’s pride themselves in their colorful, yet somehow cryptic use of the English language.
Well – here at the CoffeeCrew blog, we love to help out by making sense of the confusing. So here are some examples and the appropriate translation:
Great starter home – Has rats, lethal mold and is not fit for human habitation.
Good location close to transportation – One block from the airport runway… and has rats.
Walking distance to the Jubilee Hospital – Has mold and rats. You will be hospitalized if you buy this house.
Amazing privacy – Has Big scary rats.
Priced to Sell! – Next door to a grow-op.
Delightful backyard – playful rats
A piece of heaven – At these prices you can own the promised land… and has Norway rats.
Comment [1]
Dance to the Music · Friday November 23, 2007 by colin newell
It is always fun having someone walk up to you and compliment you on your life’s work.
Like if you are a butcher or something.
“Hey Colin… nice work on that brisket! It was a thing of beauty…”
Or if you are a writer and erstwhile singer.
Somehow we managed to get on the CBC Radio Playlist yesterday – note the “Two Old Goats” – Island Standard Time in fuzzy jpeg pixel-text. Click on picture for gallery view.
Yesterday, no less than a dozen people sailed by uttering the words: “Heard you on the CBC today…”
I think I said “Thank-you, very kind, thank-you very much…” about 25 times yesterday.
This spot-light thing could be very addictive.
Even though this is a single Christmas light sized spotlight at the moment…
probably a good thing that it will probably not get any bigger…
Comment [5]
Gas prices in Victoria · Friday May 11, 2007 by colin newell
Ok. So the word is out. The lock-step gas prices in Victoria B.C. Canada are a conspiracy of lies and deceit.
Yesterday I listened to both sides.
The center for policy alternatives calmly stated that the gas stations out West, particularly Victoria and Vancouver, are robbing patrons to the tune of 25 to 30 cents on every litre.
A representative from the gas monopoly was a piece of work.
With contempt and utter disdain dripping from his voice he offered: “Have you people ever heard of Katrina? Have you ever seen a refinery fire?”
As if I haven’t heard of Katrina? Ya. I have. That was the storm that devastated New Orleans. You know, the one that the U.S. government couldn’t much help with ‘cause they were busy tracking Osama in the streets of Baghdad.
Anyway – the pure contempt in this oil dudes voice was sickening.
He failed to acknowledge the 100 billion in profit that We put in the companies coffers last year. Like every other Canadian executive, all he could offer was a syrupy spew of utter contempt for the people that created this profit margin.
So what can we, as consumers, do? Nothing you say?
Think again. Ever heard of peaceful protest?
Try this.
Next time you need gas, pick out your least favorite gas station. That shouldn’t be difficult.
Pull up to the pump. Get out of your car. Pump 5$ worth of gas into the tank. Pay in pennies or small change. Buy a slushie.
And sit in your car for 15 minutes at the pump while you drink it. Conversely, buy your 5$ of gas. And spend 15 minutes wiping your windshield and wiper blades.
This is a peaceful blockade folks.
And remember one important thing:
The staff at ALL gas stations are your friends and brothers in this struggle. Do not harass the support staff at gas stations.
Yesterday I drove by a station near the Oak Bay junction where they had just “adjusted” the price to almost $1.26/litre. The staff were standing outside wondering where everyone was. Normally there is at least one person pumping gas. In this time interval, there was no one.
Anyway – want to do something about this issue?
Become an active member in the peaceful consumer army.
Monday night at the Flood... · Tuesday April 10, 2007 by colin newell
Get this:
My wife and I are sitting watching TV at close to 11PM
last night —
actually… she had just switched the TV off
and she said (and I quote…):
“Can you hear that? That sounds like water running?”
From the living room I could not hear anything…
As we moved into the hall, I could just hear the
shimmering sound of a torrent of water..
We darted into the master BR and the on-suite bathroom
was filling with water via the exhaust fan!
It was a horrifying torrent of water — probably
coming in at a rate of 1 gallon per minute.
I grabbed a dozen beach towels and threw them on the
floor… within seconds I darted upstairs to the
neighbors (a slightly younger couple…)
The upstairs neighbor answered the door
and from the look on her face she knew something
was amiss:
“Hi Colin…. whats… up? “
I said: “Have you looked in your bathroom recently?”
She shrieked: “Oh my god! Oh my god! “
and then darted into her bedroom with her husband not
far behind….
I came in after them.
Their onsuite had several inches of water and water creeping into
the master BR.
Apparently the water-closet in the toilet failed and was overflowing.
I think they were in the living room “working out” or “exercising”
based on what they were wearing and did not hear the event unfolding.
Anyway – got everything mopped up and sanitized
by about 1 AM.
The ceiling will probably need to be replaced.
Thank god for beach towels!
Do yourselves a favor folks – if you do not have one of these inexpensive water alarms, get one.
We did not suffer any extensive damage – but an alarm would have saved us some time cleaning up.
Comment [1]
