So Long, The House That Ruth Built

This was how excited I looked like last year in my first and only visit to Yankee Stadium. I witnessed history that night: Roger Clemens pitched his 350th career win with Mo finishing it off. Today, reliving all the historical moments and sweet memories on the final game at this baseball Cathedral, I felt so grateful I was there for the once-in-a-lifetime experience. My emotions are mixed and overwhelmed. My heart was there with the fans, the Pinstripes, and of course, the Stadium. It's still hard for me to accept this place is going, going, gone. Those thundering chants will be echoing forever. Lights out for the last time...

Photo courtesy of MLB.com

Loved The Island

Okanagan was beautiful, Vancouver Island was only better. After the short trip, where I had organic food from the backyard and sipped fresh wine from the basement, to the Lake last week, I got on the ferry and crossed Georgia Straight for the first time since I came here; only left me wondering 3 days later why I waited for 4 years to touch this gorgeous place. Victoria had more perks than I expected. I thought Vancouver had trees - until I arrived in Victoria - it certainly has more. I was grateful to have Kelly and Courtney as local hosts and toured us around the town. Then it came the highlight: going across the Island to Ucluelet and Tofino. Ucluelet was such a peaceful small town, if not seeing those new real estate development. I camped on their Big Beach for the night: sleeping in the sound of ocean waves pounding on the rocks and under the bright full moon shining its pale light on the water, I could not ask for more. The only thing I missed was a moon set on the next morning. My favourite part of Long Beach was Wickaninnish Beach. The water was freezing cold but the fun of playing in it with the waves obviously beat it. In the end, when we arrived at our original destination Tofino, it was the time to head back. You can spend weeks there to discover the beauty. If the rainbow was the theme in Hawaii last time, the Mid-Autumn moon was with us throughout the trip this time on the Island. We captured an amazing view of this full moon climbing out behind the mountain right after sunset when we drove passed by Port Alberni, the colour could only made by nature. Then, on the ferry back to Vancouver, the silky moon light spreading on the water only seemed to help save my memory from the past three days.

A Genius Idea

I bought a new printer today at BestBuy. At the checkout, the cashier told me there was an $8 “Environmental Handling Fee” from the government. I couldn’t say no to that, as I did to the extended warranty charge, because it was government regulation. BUT... WTH! It was more than 11% of my printer’s price. 8 bucks plus tax for what? Cartridge disposal? What or whom do we pay for with that? It is modern technology (which somehow we all paid for) that invented this machine and now we need to pay extra to use it because there is something wrong with using it? I don’t think we can save the environment through this, as long as people don’t bother taking the cartridge to the disposal box, or they keep ferociously clicking the printing button on one-sided paper without a second thought... What a brilliant idea by the politicians -- I just graciously paid $8 ENVIRONMENTAL HANDLING FEE!

Danke Olli!