Groovy Business (and one teeny-tiny car rant)

I hesitated a moment before taking this shot. These are, I believe, the offices of CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service). I waited afterward to see if any uniformed security people would stroll out to question me (I once got held for interrogation in Port Sudan for photographing a couple of kids in a marketplace, so I was prepared). There were indeed some uniformed people outside the building, but they were working on the sewers. No one came out. I guess security threats aren't usually accompanied by tree-sniffing labradoodles.

Onward! 

Kind of ironic (given the sort of non-car/car-free people Paul and I are) that we live so close to all these luxury car businesses ...

I had to check on Google that Fisker (below) is indeed a kind of car. One of the things that came up in the search was a link to the "Fisker Karma." I guess there's the "car - kar" homophone thing ... but ... ugh. Cars aren't good karma (assuming that's what the company is suggesting). Cars are, I believe, very bad for humanity's collective karma, and "Karma" is a downright deceitful name (on par with Sierra and Savannah and other nature names). Now, the Nissan Armada, on the other hand? There's honest advertising.

This is more my kind of business (and by that I mean the thrift store part; the Sally Ann is a bit of a pain in the political-correctum with their homophobia). Yes, I confess: I dig shopping at thrift stores. It's very close to the borrowing/inheriting/stealing of friends' clothes that I've always loved. It's a way of circumventing most of what bugs me about clothes shopping and the fashion industry in general. It's fun! It's cheap! There are great treasures to be found ... and (side note to my brother, if he happens to read this) yes, I wash the stuff. Sheesh.

This place is near our new digs. Haven't tried it yet, but it looks kinda nifty. And are they claiming to have been around since 1935? I have no memory of this place from when I first lived in Kits (quite a bit later than '35 ;-)). Anybody know?

This place has definitely been around for a long time (since the mid '40s). It's Gandy's Home Hardware on 4th Avenue. It closed down for some years (and I was bummed) but is now back to its old self — super-friendly service, chock-full of whatever you need (and if you can't find it here, there's always Kitchen Corner down the street). Freddie and I were in search of a new toilet seat (the ongoing house-selling project!), and we found just the thing for $15.99.

I like the "try" in this sign. :)

These painted wooden fishies are a common sight on Vancouver school fences. They're a reminder that our water system feeds salmon streams and that we shouldn't dump toxic crap down the drains!

Freddie approves!