The hotel here changes the carpets in the elevators every day so you know what day it is. Seems silly, but if you’ve been traveling a bit, it is actually quite helpful. I’ve settled in in Vancouver, BC. It is hazy/overcast, the deciduous trees are turning colors, and it is colder than I think it should be. We have a lovely view out over water where boats go by to a variety of marinas, or the gas station, and seaplanes take off. The roof of the convention center next door is grass, so it is like looking across a large lawn instead of a roof. Two teenage girls did some water ballet in the outdoor pool this morning. This is a favorite trip of mine, that we’ve taken many times so Mitch can attend a conference here. This is perfect reading weather, and the room has a fainting couch which is perfect for me to spread out on. I have knitting, my laptop, reading, files, calendar, etc. all spread out. Should I so choose, I could not move for hours.
Prior to this, I was in Las Vegas for a Yarn Group Strategic Planning meeting. I think Las Vegas is just the weirdest place I’ve ever been. The sensory overload of all the slot machines and the casinos is jarring. The fact that they were doing construction across the street from the hotel, amplified this because I was soon sleep deprived. But the meetings were really productive and I got to interact with people differently than I usually do at TNNA trade shows. I got a fair amount of knitting done–mostly swatches–and I could hardly wait to wash this swatch so I could take gauge and start a project. On Thursday morning I laid it out on a paper towel on our stove after I’d boiled the water and it had cooled a bit. I have cast iron burner plates that retain heat for a very long time. In an effort to hurry my process, I marshaled the retained heat to dry my swatch. It worked just as I planned. My swatch was dry before we left for the airport and I was able to take my gauge and begin my project once we got settled in Vancouver.
Last night we went to Vij’s for dinner. We’ve eaten at the more casual spot, Rangoli, next door before, but Vij’s, which doesn’t take reservations, is usually so crowded that a) we aren’t willing to wait to get a table, and b) if we had been willing to wait it is just so freaking loud and crowded that we haven’t wanted to. The food is fabulous, and because it was Halloween, we waited less than a half an hour. Thanks to Mitch for thinking of it. It was confirmed by the proprietor that Halloween is not a good night for restaurants. We didn’t see people dressed up until on our way home from dinner.
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