♥ This Is My Vancouver ♥

So before the Vancouver Riots even happened, I had a trip planned to Vancouver for my kids and I.

I thought screw it, I'm going to take the kids anyways. With all the negative press that Vancouver has been getting over some stupid morons, I thought now would be a great time to show my kids just what Vancouver is all about.... but I didn't realize how close the condo we were staying in was to the scene of the riots.

So we got to the 32nd floor of this building on Granville Street and looked out the hallway window and it struck me. 36 hours before we arrived the streets were jam packed with people and lots of rioting fools.

My kids and I were beside ourselves just thinking about what happened and how close this building was to the crazy chaos.  Now being that my kids were born and raised in Abbotsford they are not used to the big city.

When we come to Vancouver as a family it's usually to go to the PNE or Stanley Park in the summer.

They've never really got to experience downtown Vancity.

And I'm so happy that they saw the REAL Vancouver where people were happy, smiling, cheering, dancing and having fun in the streets. NOT what they've been seeing on TV the past week.

So here are a few pics of our adventure this past weekend.

So with that...... THIS IS MY VANCOUVER!!! ♥ ♥

Twitter Rocks

I've been on Twitter for about 19 months now and I really enjoy the people I follow.

I follow BH's ( BlockHeads = NKOTB fans) I follow Vancouverites, I Follow Canucks & some other NHL Hockey Fans. Only if they aren't rude about my Canucks. lol...

I also follow Abbotsfordians, Special Needs info like Austim, Aspergers, and Sensory Processing Disorder.

Well in the past 6 months I have won many contests over Twitter. A few prizes I've had to decline such as theatre tickets and event tickets. But the prizes I've been able to claim have been awesome. A Canucks Shirt from Sports Action Lottery, Canucks Open Practice Tickets which I took my oldest boy to on October 3rd. And I also won 2 tix to Fright Nights at the Playland. So hubby and I bought 2 more tix and went Thursday October 21st, with the kiddos as Friday was a professional day. I talked to many people over Twitter saying it was really scary and I shouldn't take my kids which made me rethink this whole thing.  Well we did it anyways... took our boys and didn't regret a thing except the rain and the fact that I didn't realize that Friday was a PROVINCE WIDE Pro D Day so Fright Nights was busier than a mall at Christmas time. WOAH!! The line ups for the available rides were rediculous but not nearly as horrendous as the line ups to the Haunted Houses. INSANE!! No cameras allowed inside the Haunted Houses either. But seriously we waited 40 minutes for one Haunted house just to get to the initial starting area for the line ups and they closed the house down due to too many people.
Having a special needs son who doesn't do well with line ups and having to wait was rough too. He had a sh*t fit and tried to run away on us. So after a couple rides we decided to try another Haunted House line up...it wasn't nearly as long, it was long enough but it sure moved pretty darn fast.  I had a couple young girls I'd guess 18-22 years old behind me pushing me & hitting me with their umbrellas and I was getting pissed off... but I kept my cool.. and stood their and made them wait longer when we had to move... lol... well anyways they ended up being in the haunted house with my family and were screaming like little babies... my kids were laughing at them. My kids are 7 & 11 and weren't scared one bit in this haunted house and laughed sooooo hard at these older girls who ran to catch up to us.... lol... Karma... love it... lol...

Here are a few pics from a couple of events I won.

Canucks Open Practice October 3rd, 2010

Fright Nights at Playland October 21st, 2010

If you haven't tried out Twitter yet. Give it a try and follow local peeps to win local prizes.

Hugs, Bonnie

Bakers Market: Cupcake Eating Contest

Hey Vancouver.... You interested in a Cupcake Eating Contest?

Check out the link below.

Bakers Market: Cupcake Eating Contest

I thought this would be a pretty cool idea for a school fundraiser but use mini cupcakes instead.

CBC News - British Columbia - Vancouver's living wage hits $18 an hour

CBC News - British Columbia - Vancouver's living wage hits $18 an hour

Working people in Metro Vancouver need to earn more than $18 an hour in order to meet the most basic costs of raising a family, a new report says.

The study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives focused on two-parent families raising two children in Metro Vancouver to determine what they would need to earn a so-called living wage.

It found that in order to pay for the essentials of food, rent, childcare and transportation, two people working full-time need to earn $18.17 an hour apiece.

One of the report's authors, Seth Klein, told CBC News the figure is based on a very conservative budget.

"There is no money for savings or retirement. There is no money for savings for a child's post secondary education. The family rents a home, they don't own. There is no money for debt or credit card interest," Klein said.

"It is a basic budget. I've had the experience of walking many employers and CEOs through the calculation, and I've never once had one tell me they think it's unreasonable," he said.

Since the first CCPA study two years ago, the living wage has risen nearly a $1.50 an hour.

Klein says rent for a three-bedroom apartment has risen nearly eight per cent since then and the cost of food, and child-care has outstripped inflation.

The report urges employers to raise wages up to the living wage level. Currently the minimum wage for adults in B.C. is $8 an hour.

Klein said employers who can't afford to pay people $18 an hour should lobby government for universal childcare and improved public services.

He pointed out that the City of New Westminster, located east of Vancouver, voted last week to become the first municipality in the region to adopt a living-wage policy for all staff and contract employees.

Please Donation to The BC Children's Hospital Foundation

A fellow parent friend of mine is raising money for The BC Children's Hospital Foundation by playing in The BC Children's Hospital Slo-Pitch Tournament.

If you would like to donate for his cause please go *here* and give as generously as you can.
Even if you can only afford a few dollars, every dollar counts.
I lived in this hospital for a brief period time when I was a young child,
and if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be around today!!
I'm donating, and I hope you can too!
Hugs, Bonnie

Happy 124th Birthday Vancouver!!

Wow....today Vancouver celebrates it's 124th Birthday!!

You can read more about it *here*

Yes I am being a lazy blogger...lol...I'm about to go to bed.
So please enjoy your read at Vancity Buzz!
Good Night.
Hugs, Bonnie