THANKSGIVING!

Today Zane and I went to historic Gastown, it's down by the water and it was Vancouver's commercial and shipping hub back in the late 1800's. John Deighton, "Gassy Jack" as he was known, perhaps due to his rumoured flatulence problem, set up a saloon in the area in 1867 and the area is now full of eclectic shops, cafes and pubs.

One of the main attractions is the steam clock, the first of its kind in the world. Every four and a half minutes steam powers one of the steel weights up to the top of the clock, and the steam winds the weights and causes the clock to chime on the half hour.The steam comes from underground, courtesy of Central Heat Distributions Ltd and the clock weighs over two tonnes and costs over $42,000.

Zane and I had a real coffee (soy flat white - splurge day!) and cheesecake in an organic coffee shop and had a little look around the shops. We had lunch at 'The Old Spaghetti Factory', where Zane pointed out that they had not only salt and pepper shakers on the table, but parmesan cheese as well. "Yeah I think this place does a few pasta and Italian dishes" I replied earnestly, soon to have it brought to my knowledge that we were at the SPAGHETTI FACTORY. Duh.

Zane and I both opted for the $8 lunch special which was a beef burger with chips which would have been perfectly fine had it not been preceded by the included bread and salad or soup. The salad dressing options alone took more than three minutes for the waiter to describe... too many choices. Nevertheless we managed to finish most of the food and waddle home.

As this weekend is Thanksgiving, we thought we'd surprise Robyn and Adam with a true Canadian roast turkey dinner and pumpkin pie for dessert. They've just got home from buying a car. A white Ford Explorer called Crystal. The name originated because when I first saw the car, I misread a word on the numberplate as Crystal, instead of Coastal, and the name was decided. Adam hates the name and I think he dies on the inside every time I say it, but I think it far surpasses in coolness any name that he has suggested, such as Bob, Bruce and Butch. Rocky is a better suggestion, as our maiden expedition will be through the Rockies but we'll just have to wait and see. Crystal Rock or Rocky Crystal might have to be the compromise.

As it's thanksgiving, I have compiled a list of things that we are thankful of...
- The ability to travel
- Our travel buddies
- My awesome turkey roasting skills
- Cheap beer ($10 a 6pack!)
- Friends and Family (whom we miss!)

Lots of love and thanks, T and Z

PS: Posting some photos of our first drunken night out.. Good $4 mojito times