#it's been a hot week here in yvr!!!!!!

[stevestonbike]

May is here April is done.

The disruption continues. Missed the weekend and can only get one ride this week and already did.

I missed my March goal, but I am still ahead of year to date and so damn close to the 5 year average goal. They are all just numbers, so here are more.

I have done a ride for 1/3 of all the days this year so far. That fraction should marginally improve over the season. 40 rides in 120 days. I have burned 8.3 virtual pounds of fat. Oh and I have lost a few pounds in the last month. (3 ish lbs) Fewer beers and deserts consumed.

I should be back on track in about a week. I am basically ready for a loop to the north shore though doing the mountain is not a great idea, there is still snow up there by the top.

The ride I did get done was interesting. It was a YVR loop. There was a following cross wind outbound so I was able to hold high 20s low 30s in kph over the west bound run. I expected a hard return. As you travel through air the vectors add up to bring the apparent wind into your face. Anything but a dead tailwind is a headwind.

The route by the runway is a common one for cyclists in the area. Dead flat, some wind, low traffic for the most part. All the serious riders go there from time to time. When I stopped at the far end for a drink I spotted another rider at the restrooms. He had a jersey for the Lotus club. Slim and young but I did not know him.

As I started back I was pushing to see what the wind was like from this side. I was low 30s. I heard a click and this rider was on my wheel. He was in echelon so he knew what he was doing. That is sort of in my blind spot as you have to twist your body to see back there. Ok I got a passenger, but that wont last, cuz I aint fast.

After half a km he passed me but not too fast, so I jumped on his wheel. I had to push to hold it the speed edged up but I held it. After a km I slowed a bit. It is rude to wheel suck without permission. No words were exchanged. He slowed down and looked at me. So I jumped back on. We went on for two more km and it was fun.

It was not the fastest slipstream I have done. That time was behind a semi-pro rider and that bugger was FAST. The faster you go the stronger the tow. I do miss that from club riding.

At this traffic light he went left and I went straight. I thanked him for the pull and asked him to say hello to the Boss of Lotus. He said "who?" Must have been joking as that woman is the club.

I got home in a good time for cool air and a bit of wind. 26.9 kph average. I have beat 30 kph average in summer. Hot days with no wind are best. I love riding in heat.

[calpicowater]

Week 31/53: July 27th - August 2nd 2020 | Ball Gown

This week felt so long lol. I had two interviews on Tuesday and I died KJSKDSKLKFSL. Both felt low-key wack..... For one of them I had to walk near farmland for like twenty minutes wearing heels like wtf!!! HELP???! Did some more applications during the rest of the week lmao but I feel like my results are better when I spend more time working on my apps instead of rushing on them (okay no shit Sherlock Xie). I'm so tired of this already lmao idk what I am doing!!!!!! Only working twice a week makes me feel so bored and useless lmao. Good thing I'm gonna work 3 days starting next week lol maybe it will be good for me??? ANYWAYS YAY FOR MORE COIN??? EVEN THOUGH I GTG SUFFER FOR AN EXTRA DAY IT’S OK LOL. Idk..... I'm so lost right now KAJDKSKDLD. On Thursday I met up with Vivian aka my neighbour/cadet bff LOL we used to hang out once a year but we missed 2019 so I thought I'd never see her again but 2020 came through LOOOL. She took me to a random spot near Stevenson for picnic and then we went to Terra Nova to take photos because she's always obsessed with taking photos of skylines luls. This weekend spent w bb as usual ^0^ I made a giant bowl of seaweed rolls on Saturday LOL I rolled four rolls... I USED SO MUCH RICE HAHAHAHHAHA. Time to start a business!!!!!!! On Sunday we went to eat ramen at Ramen Danbo and we waited in line for almost an hour even though we went at 3pm aka a super unusual eating time..... just because we were unlucky SJDJSKKA SMH but the ramen was yum as usual. I got their spicy sesame ramen this time..... yum~~~ (but I think the regular sesame one was better??? I forgot LOL) After eating, we went back to bb's apartment and I gave her a haircut even though she just got one last week but she wanted her hair to be shorter so I helped her cut it again ^^ and it looks pretty cute...... I watched the 2block haircut tutorial like 4 times but in the end I still couldn’t give a proper 2block... sorries babe ;-(( but it still turned out really cute honestly!!! I AM PROUD OF MYSELF HAHAHAHAHA... time to start a hair cutting business too. Tfw low-key jobless so I just wanna start a business out of everything. CEO Lily when?????????? MILLIONAIRE LILY WHEN????????

[typical-simplelove]

Part 12 - Loud, so everyone can hear

Series Masterlist

Author's Note: It has been a hot minute since I updated for this series, so here's a small refresher for old readers and a primer for new readers (this is more so for myself than anyone). This is a gender-neutral reader; if there are any errors on this part, please let me know. Yes, this is a series, but you do not have to have read the other parts in order to understand this series. Lastly, please let me know what you thought once you've finished reading!

Warnings: airports and airplanes

Word Count: 561

After the season had ended, Mat went back home to Vancouver for the offseason. You couldn’t join him the entire time, but you managed to take two weeks off from work to visit him. You hopped on your plane excited to see your boyfriend again after roughly a month apart. When you touched down at YVR and grabbed your luggage (you already went through customs at JFK), you spotted Mat. You could spot his familiar head of brown hair anywhere. It also helped that he was one of the tallest people standing there. You ran straight to him and were ready to give him a giant hug and hold him until you had to stop.

That’s not quite what happened, though. Liana saw you first and ran straight to you and gave you a hug. You were shocked but still embraced Liana. You could see over her shoulder that Mat had just noticed your presence. The look of happiness and pure joy was enough to comfort you.

Liana finally released her grasp on you, but instead of moving right to Mat, his mother embraced you. She gave you a warm, motherly hug as she told you how happy she was to see you. Once she let go of you, she began to guide you over to the car. She directed Mat to grab your suitcase and follow. You stifled a giggle as you watched your boyfriend begrudgingly do as his mother said. He wanted to hug you and never let you go, but his mother and sister had other plans.

Once the four of you reached the car and Mat put the suitcase in the trunk, he hoped that he’d finally be able to greet you. Unfortunately, everyone else had other plans, again. Liana began to talk your ear off about everything she wanted to do with you while you were in town. Her mother began the same. By the end of the conversation, you had a brunch date planned with the ladies and a spa day with Liana. You weren’t complaining. You loved to spend time with them, but you really wanted to greet Mat.

You thought that you’d finally be able to see Mat, but, out of nowhere, it seemed, Mat’s father pops up. He gives you a small chaste hug as a greeting and the three of them begin talking your ear off again. You were nodding along, trying to keep up. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Mat leaning against the car rolling his eyes. When you throw him a wink, he stands up straight as if he’s about to make a proclamation.

“Babe, I love you!” Mat says loudly and his family stops talking. They look at Mat and push you over to him realizing they forgot to let you greet Mat. “I love you, and I’m so glad that you’re in town. As happy as I am that you’re getting along with my family, I really want to say hi to you.”

You walk over to him and, finally, give him the hug you so desperately needed. He wraps his arms around you, and you both sigh at the touch. It had been too long since you’d held each other, and you were both happy to be able to again. You love Mat’s family, but you loved Mat just a lot more.

Taglist: @joelsfarabees, @ana-maa, @stars-canucks, @ilyasorokinn, @maximoff-xmen, @barzysandmarnersbitch, @sunshinegiroux, @2manytabsopen, @boqvistsbabe, @nightmareonspookystreet, @fanficrecsby-e, @iwantahockeyhimbo, @heatherawoowoo, @islesnucks, @plds2000, @goalision, @besthockeyfics, @heybarzy, @localhockeygirl, @ddayyuu, @ghostyjosty, @barzy-xcvii, @bb-nhlqueen7, @lam-ila, @nilspettersson, @canadian-girl87, @nachodaze, @janeydeaux, @trashforbarzal, (Join my taglist here!)

[borrowedbackpack]

Nepalin’

Namaste from Kathmandu, Nepal, and welcome back to Borrowed Backpack. We are Borrowed Back-Back, if you will. Ha. Ha. Ha.

           So anyways, yup I decided to go to Nepal. I don’t really know why, since I don’t care about mountains or anything. But so far it seems nice. Also I’m probably as surprised to be here as you, my loyal followers, are surprised that I’m here. See, after my last trip, I was heckin broke. So I then I made some money. But then I went to uni and spent all my money. Just as I was resigning myself to a year of no international travel (how tragic), a generous old lady decided to give me a bunch of money for writing a couple paragraphs about how much I love managing natural resources. I think this money was intended to help finance my continued education in managing natural things, so of course I came to Nepal to do some experiential learning about mountains, yaks, stray doggos, sub-par water quality, and carbs. Lots and lots of carbs.

           We arrived last night (yup, we – Borrowed Backpack found a travel companion) at late o’clock after the longest combination of flights of my life (but a limited amount of those signature Borrowed Backpack 19 hour layovers, so that was nice). Ya’ll probably don’t care about my flight itinerary, but I’m going to discuss it anyways because it’s my blog and I think it’s interesting:

·      August 17th, 4:45am: Christopher’s mother drives us to YXE. I told her we could take an Uber, because 4:45 is a very early o’clock, but she insisted on driving us so she could say “one last goodbye” (she thinks we’re going to die on Everest. I’m not sure if she knows that we’re not actually climbing Everest. But that’s okay).

·      6:30am – YXE – YVR. Not much to say. I watched a documentary about Fyre Festival. It was good.

·      7:33 am (YVR time) – we arrive at YVR and eat French toast. I buy 6L of hand sanitizer.

·      10:30am: this is where shit gets real. We embark on a 13 hr and 20 minute Hell Flight* to Hong Kong. Christopher sleeps for 8/13 hrs. Anna sleeps for 15 minutes/13 hrs. I watched all of season 10 of Modern Family, Crazy Rich Asians (to get pumped for Hong Kong), Bohemian Rhapsody, and something about the making of Back to Black. Also I listened to a podcast about Not Complaining. Which I think helped.

·      ***this was not actually a hell flight. It would have been a Hell Flight on any other airline. I will exclusively be flying Cathay Pacific from here on. Around hour 7 I started to feel some moderate despair, mostly because my entire body was sore from canoeing a bunch of 8-10 year olds around all day the previous day (weird flex, I know). It was at this point that I realized that the free alcohol on the flight was, in fact, free, and not a Trick. This was a turning point – I went from “I am never flying again. If we ever reach Hong Kong, I will stay there and start a new life as a ground-dweller. I do not care” to “oh heck yes. I love being an adult. I am a Fancy Adult Traveller. Nothing hurts anymore and I roam the skies as I please.” And then they brought out gelato! What a time.

My sweet canoeing look. Oddly, a large part of my summer job was “canoeing instructor”. Which is terrifying, considering a came in with about 45 minutes of canoeing experience. Anyways, last week I was finally able to rescue a blowing away canoe full of children without assistance so hooray for personal growth.

·      August 18th, 2ish pm HK time: we finally land in Hong Kong. Flying into Hong Kong is very beautiful. Everything is lush and green. There are a lot of boats. Also I saw the beautiful rainbow sustainable social housing project. No one else on the plane cared L

·      Slightly after 2ish pm: HK customs. A wonderful time! I was greeted by the customs agent with a cheerful “Hey lady!” then when I handed over my passport he looked at it and said “almost it is your birthday! Have a very happy birthday!” AND THAT WAS IT. No questions. 10/10. Then we were free to roam the HK airport. Initially, I was very nervous about flying through HK due to the protest action earlier in the week. Fortunately, there was absolutely no sign of any sort of Situation by the time we arrived. We were greeted with many moon cake samples and more people toting around designer leather goods than I have ever seen in my entire life. Also a sign that just said “octopus”? idk. I was very sleepy and mildly grumpy at this point. Next we decided to look for food. As a person who does not eat meat, this proved to be extremely challenging. We walked 5,474 steps back and forth through the international terminal trying in vain to find something that didn’t have any belly, neck, or knuckles in it. Finally, we found vegetable miso ramen! Hooray! The quest was over. Except not. When I attempted to order this dish, the girl at the counter was like “okay, it has meat though. Is that okay?” and I was like actually not really but thanks. So then we walked and walked more and found the best noodles and seaweed ever and I was a Happy Traveller again. Then I slept on a bench for an hour because I felt the need to return to my Airport Hobo Roots.

My noodles! My seaweed! My weird (delicious) fried peanut cabbage stuff!

·      7:00pm – our flight (mostly empty) attempts to embark for Kathmandu. Unfortunately, it was extremely rainy by then so we had to wait on the tarmac for an hour-ish. I slept for most of this and also for most of the 4ish hour flight.

·      10pm (KTM time) – arrival in Nepal. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about the Kathmandu airport, the visa process, and the general immigration system there so I was prepared for the worst. Luckily, I found this whole thing to be extremely quick and easy. My backpack (the NBF) came zooming off the carousel very quickly. Christopher’s took a long time so I left him to deal with that and stood off to the side to eat some spicy nuts I picked up from first class during the de-planing process because I am nothing if not a resourceful gal.

·      late o’clock, idk: we took a taxi to our hostel and a very nice person showed us to our room. I tried to pay him and he was like “oh no. You’re very tired. You can just pay when you feel like it.”

This morning we woke up after a restful sleep on the World’s Hardest Bed. I had a shower, which was a big step for me because I fear the water here like I fear being struck by lightning, being involved in a shipwreck, and geology 105. So far I am fine. Then we went for a long walk, during which we went to some temples, saw a picture of a guy’s baby, almost got suckered in to buying some art (it was very beautiful art, to be fair), unsuccessfully looked for a bank, got #blessed, met a lot of dogs, almost got hit by cars/motorbikes/rickshaws  x infinity,  got pretty lost, saw a lot of plant life, and ate some delicious (and cheap) food (this country is the light at the end of the non-vegetarian friendly tunnel that was the HK airport).

Overall First Impressions:

·      so hot. So humid. Not raining all day err day as advertised.

·      A little bit…filthy. But like I understand it’s a developing country and they just don’t have the infrastructure to deal with pollution/garbage, etc at the moment so that’s okay. If anyone knows of any reputable environmental/clean up Nepal type of charities please hit me up.

·      A lot less dusty than advertised. So that has been nice.

·      No tourists. Or at least no noticeable tourists. Our hostel is mostly empty at the moment, presumably due to the current monsoon season situation

·      Very beautiful! Very culturally rich and diverse! Very lovely people! And so many doggos!!

We at Borrowed Backpack love a good roof view.

[seedfinance]

10 Top Penny Stocks To Watch After ANY Stock’s 559% Short Squeeze

EVERY stock continues to draw attention to penny stocks

The phenomenon now known as “Short Squeeze Penny Stocks” has taken the retail sector by storm. As the last month of the third quarter began, the focus on these high-risk, high-volatility stocks became evident. When the stocks of companies like Sphere 3D (NASDAQ: ANY) soar over 550% since the beginning of the year, people are sure to notice.

We experienced that in 2021. Right now, EVERY share was trading up to $ 9.49 per share during the morning session on September 2nd. But at the beginning of the year, it was just one more of the penny stocks on the watchlist, which was below $ 2.

Continue reading: The best penny stocks to buy after the BBIG stock breakout? 4 Watch now

A wild mix of headlines related to the crypto industry, speculation, and a surge in interest in ANY as a potential short squeeze stock culminated in an epic breakout this year. If you are an active trader, I don’t have to give you game after game at this point. However, if you are new to this story, here are some of our recent comments on EVERY stock.

Now the “cat is out of the bag”, so to speak. Traders look for data on short interest, float, and other stock structure information to start new trading ideas. We have therefore decided to take a closer look at some companies that are reporting higher short interest and / or lower market prices.

Hot Penny Stocks To Check Out Now

Meta Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: MMAT)

Senseonics Holdings (NYSE: SENS)

Liquid Media Group (NASDAQ: YVR)

Molecular Data Inc. (NASDAQ: MKD)

Data Storage Company (NASDAQ: DTST)

1. Meta Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: MMAT)

Meta Materials stocks have been on fire for the past few weeks. After closing the Torchlight acquisition earlier this year, the focus has been on how the company plans to implement a business plan that was a hot topic even before the merger agreement was formalized. Fast forward and now Meta Materials would like to expand its reach in the green electricity / ESG ecosystem. It also expands its technology offering.

The story goes on

Meta’s most recent acquisition target, Nanotech Security Corp., is in the middle of the company’s next potential roll-up valued at nearly $ 91 million. The deal is designed to advance Meta’s commercialization strategy. In particular, it brings Nanotech’s electron beam lithography equipment, which is expected to significantly reduce production costs. “Nanotech is also adding complementary capabilities that can support META’s markets and accelerating our commercialization plans in vertical areas such as solar, 5G and other antennas, batteries and fuel cells, and carbon capture,” said George Palikaras, President and CEO of META.

The move comes as Meta reported strong profits. This included sales growth of almost 200% in the second quarter. Also, given the huge selling pressure on MMAT stock in recent months, some are viewing it as a potential “short squeeze stock”. We’ll have to see how things play out, but for now it’s still testing the upper levels of the penny stick range.

The best penny stocks to watch on the Meta Materials MMAT stock chart

2. Senseonics Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SENS)

Another of the penny stocks we’ve talked about a lot over the year is Senseonics. The company specializes in medical diagnostic equipment. In particular, it is developing long-term implantable continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMs) for diabetics.

No headlines have appeared lately to support the stock’s momentum. However, with traders reporting strong profits at the beginning of this quarter, traders are optimistic about the future of SENS shares. “In the second quarter, we made progress in building awareness of Eversense among patients and providers through a targeted digital direct marketing campaign and presentations of the PROMISE study, an evaluation of our 180-day sensor, at the ADA and ATTD conferences. “Said Tim Goodnow, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Senseonics.

Looking ahead, the company submitted the data to the FDA. There is an active review for the company’s Eversense 180-day PMA supplement application. Additionally, Senseonics continues to expect that Senseonics’ global net sales for full year 2021 will be between $ 12.0 million and $ 15.0 million.

In terms of stock structure, this is not one of the “low float penny stocks” to watch out for. However, recent data suggests greater short interest in the stock. Short float information from this article shows it is around 22%.

The Best Penny Stocks To See Senseonics Holdings SENS Stock Chart

3. Liquid Media Group (NASDAQ: YVR)

On the flip side of SENS stock, Liquid Media doesn’t have a massive short float percentage based on the most recent data. However, it shows an outstanding number of shares below 13.6 million. According to most reports, this is viewed as the lower end of the stocks in the audience. Originally known for its media business, YVR stock was added to the NFT category.

Continue reading: Buy hot penny stocks now? 4 watch the market turn bullish

Earlier this year, the company signed a development contract with CurrencyWorks to develop NFTainment.io. The aim was to publish “Red Carpet” NFTs with pre-release versions. But to be honest, recent headlines highlighted the company’s move to strengthen its entertainment and “edutainment” platforms. Last month the company signed a letter of intent to purchase the video content management company Digital Cinema. This week Liquid Media announced a definitive agreement to buy iNDIEFLIX as part of an all-stock deal.

This latest acquisition is expected to close in the “coming days” and button up a deal originally announced in May. “This is an important acquisition for Liquid and our business solution engine as we help independent creative professionals and intellectual property owners monetize their content,” said Ronald Thomson, CEO of Liquid.

With less float, news, and momentum to tailwind, YVR stock could be kept an eye on amid this latest retail trend.

The best penny stocks to watch on the Liquid Media Group YVR stock chart

4. Molecular Data Inc. (NASDAQ: MKD)

We’ve been talking a little more about molecular data lately. This is due to the transition that the company has made from traditional logistics technology to the world of blockchain. It is neither a “low float” nor a “high short” share. However, given the similar industry compared to companies like Sphere 3D, it might be worth considering. As one of the penny stocks on Robinhood under $ 1, volatility was a huge factor. As you’ll see, 2021 was a tough year for the stock in general. However, the recent headlines seem to have sparked additional interest in the market.

Earlier this quarter, the company announced a partnership with Wanxiang Blockchain. The focus is on the digitization of the entire chemical industry. To address things like supply chain bottlenecks, improved e-commerce and the like, the two plan to build a digital platform built on top of the blockchain.

This week, Molecular Data announced a partnership with an investment firm to build blockchain data centers. The company’s press release was vague and didn’t say which US investment firm was. Also, no details were released other than “The partnership will resolve chemical bottlenecks and build blockchain data centers on a commercial scale in America.”

So take what it’s worth Vague headlines were a great source of speculation and increased risk. But given the EVERY stock breakout, some blockchain stocks might find sympathy for the short term.

The best penny stocks to watch the Molecular Data MKD stock chart

5. Data Storage Company (NASDAQ: DTST)

Data Storage Corporation stocks were moving early Thursday morning. That’s partly thanks to the company’s latest headlines. The company announced a managed services model partnership with Precisely. You’re a data integrity software company and the deal aims to bring security software solutions to the data storage cloud.

Data Storage specializes in business services ranging from disaster recovery protection to cloud infrastructure services.

“Adding Precisely advanced solutions in a cloud environment enables us to offer an even more robust and fully functional monthly subscription-based offering that addresses the most common IT security issues, including ransomware,” said Chuck Paolillo, Data Storage CTO. “With a free risk assessment and associated reports, we can pinpoint challenges and resolve any issues we discover immediately.”

In addition to this, DTST stock is also one of the lowest float names on the list of penny stocks. The outstanding stock count on the DTST stock profile page shows that the stock has issued fewer than 7 million. Given that the public float will never be larger than the OS, DTST is in the low float category. The most important thing you need to understand now is that volatility today can play an active role in the development of directional dynamics in the stock market.

Top penny stocks to watch on Data Storage Corporation DTST stock chart

Are penny stocks on your watchlist today?

Whether it’s low-float penny stocks, short squeeze stocks, or momentum trades, these cheap stocks are all the rage right now. It is clear that some are making record returns in a very short period of time. If you are looking for penny stocks to buy right now, understanding the trade is the first line in the sand to cross. Have a plan and strategy before entering a trade. The wins are big, but losses can happen just as quickly.

More Short Squeeze / Low Float Penny Stocks to look at

China Online Education Group (NYSE: COE)

Exela Technologies (NASDAQ: TELL)

Kala Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KALA)

Washington Prime Group Inc. (NYSE: WPG)

Creatd, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRTD)

source https://seedfinance.net/2021/09/02/10-top-penny-stocks-to-watch-after-any-stocks-559-short-squeeze/

[phuongmai-blog]

Day 1 & 2: Travelling to Maastricht

For the past month I have spent a lot of my nights crying due to how anxious I am feeling, and how much I was going to miss my friends, family, and Gami (especially Gami). I’m also someone who’s a big worrier. I’m travelling alone – will I make friends? Can Gami and I survive a long distance relationship? Am I forgetting something? Do I have enough money? What if I get robbed/pick – pocketed? Will I have friends to travel with? I think you get it… LOTS of things to worry about. Also I’ve been listening to an abnormal amount of true crime podcasts within the past year – WHICH HAS NOT HELPED AT ALL WITH THESE ANXIETIES. 🙃

(snack break) I’m currently writing this on my flight to Amsterdam and the nice flight attendant gave me a nice big stroopwafel and some mineral water – I love dutch people already! Haha.

But yes, lots of worries, especially since I am flying and commuting alone. This is me trying to stay positive on the plane! 

In terms of travel, I am flying directly  to Amsterdam via KLM (I am a strong believer in flying directly to a destination after my Japan fiasco – which is a story Gami and I will gladly tell you if you ask) and then taking a train from Schipol airport to Maastricht train station which is where I will get picked up by a shuttle bus organized by the university’s international student network/association.

There were so many times to past couple days I thought about not going, not doing this. I think I felt this way because I finally got to a place in my life where I was somewhat comfortable. And to think I was just going to “ruin” all of this comfort to drop everything in head to Europe?! But here I am - the whole reason I chose SFU was so that I could go on exchange. It would be a huge disservice to myself had I not gone on this adventure. Sometimes we just gotta put ourselves out of our comfort zone in order to grow

The past week before leaving has flown by so fast. I was able to get in touch with my second cousin who lives in the Netherlands! Which is so cool!! Turns out she lives in Utrecht and she speaks Vietnamese and Dutch! She is so sweet, I’m looking forward to settling down and visiting her. She even offered to pick me up from the airport to spend some time together at her place, and then drop me off at the train station. Unfortunately, she offered this once all my travel plans were made, but I will definitely stay with her sometime during this trip.

When I was leaving the house and saying goodbye to my mom, Carter and two sisters, it was hard to hold back the tears. In the car my dad was telling me how everything was going to be okay, and that when he escaped Vietnam, he was 20 years old. He was pretty much saying, that if he could escape Vietnam, that I was going to be okay. When it finally came down to saying goodbye to my dad, all the tears just came down. I think my dad walked away without looking back because of how emotional he was getting too. You know how dads be. Man, just writing this is making me cry. I’m not too sure if I’ll be able to go back and proof read this post without crying. Queeny was working at the airport and bought me a nice pair of long taco socks because I didn’t realize that you need to wear long socks with Blundstones.

And finally, the hardest goodbye to make was to Gami. We spent a long time outside the gates, crying, hugging and just being a couple. Every time I looked back my heart just broke into a million pieces seeing how sad he was and him crying. It took me a couple times to finally walk through the gates. As much as I know that we will be okay, I feel so bad to leave him behind. He never made me feel that way, but I couldn’t help but feel bad. Gami you have been so good to me, and especially good to me the past two months. Man, who would have known that airports could be just sad places. I’ve never associated YVR with sad emotions, but today it was. I know we can do it, and I’m counting down the days till I get to see him again.

Getting through security was tough, I mean, I’m alone and crying. I think one of the employees told me “hey, you did a good job.” In an effort to make me feel better – and I really appreciate it. I had my bag pulled aside because they thought I had too many liquids, thankfully I didn’t!! Also hot tip: keep your liquids in a separate bag and take out for security screening.

I then walked to the duty free and bought a moisturizer, then proceeded to the gate. Man, again, hard to hold back the tears. Especially reading everyone’s message, and especially gami’s. I was able to squeeze in a phone call with my mom and Gami before boarding. Now here we are, in the plane… just waiting to see what happens once I get off. Also shoutout to Susan for telling me about the snacks at the back of the plane! I have definitely stood up multiple times to walk and stretch…. Because the one flight I can’t sleep, Is this one shaking my head

The rest of my travel day was quite rough. From Schipol I bought a train ticket but I was so confused with what was going on. I thought the ticket I bought was for a specific journey, but I quickly learned that it doesn’t matter which train lines you take, as long as you get to Maastricht it’s fine. Unfortunately there had been a medical emergency which in turn caused all the train lines to get cancelled and re-routed. I hope you can imagine the sheer amount of panic I had reading on my travel planner apps “this journey is no longer available.” What was supposed to be a 2.5 hr train ride and 2 transfers turned into almost 3.5 hrs, many transers and switching trains/platforms.

Not sleeping on the plane during the 9 hour flight and this hectic train ride was needless to say not ideal. There were many times where I thought, I can go home, but I can’t. I truly felt like giving up. But I pushed through and finally made it Maastricht! Thank goodness the school had set-up a pick up service from the train station to the residence I was staying. Even though I was tired, I was pushing myself to talk to people and make connections. Since one of my biggest fears is not having any friends.

When I got to my room I had time to take a quick nap before the first social events were going on. I took some time to buy an arrival week package, which I highly recommend! It’s pretty much a bunch of events the International Student Networks puts together for you to meet others.

Man my dorm room is huge, but also it felt so lonely that first day. The exhaustion and worry was not helping me. I really wanted to take a nap before the first social event, which was speedfriending, but my mind couldn’t turn off. I felt so lonely, everyone back home was sleeping, and it was really hard for me to convince myself to get out of bed. Nonetheless, I pushed myself to go to the speedfriending event and success! I was able to meet some people. It was great because a lot of people were in the same situation as me and it’s so cool meeting people from all over. We definitely got a lot of Aussies, Canadians and Spanish people here! I’ve never been exposed to so many different cultures. There was also free beer! I never liked beer but there’s something about European beer which isn’t too bad!

After speedfriending there was a beer Olympics event. I was tired so I decided to leave early with a new friend I made. Before we left we actually went down to the bottom floor of Atlas where past exchange students left things that they didn’t end up taking home. This was really useful! There was stuff like Tupperware, paper towels, a hair dryer! Thank goodness for the last people. I will definitely pay back and donate a lot of my stuff I’m not taking back home.

[gunboatbaylodge]

Filming in Vancouver: Johnny Depp, When Calls the Heart, and Eggplant Emoji

Johnny Depp will wrap up production on Richard Says Goodbye this week.

Like the Andrea Bocelli song, it’s time to say goodbye.

This week, we prepare to bid adieu to a major Hollywood star and his production that’s been filming here. Not to mention the surprise appearances he’s been making around town.

But a new Hollywood film is starting up, and a TV drama-romance begins filming its latest season so—as always—there’s plenty more to look forward to.

Let’s take a look at what’s going on here in Hollywood North.

First up, the Netflix comedy Eggplant Emoji starts shooting today (August 21) and will continue until October 2.

Directed by Jake Szymanski (Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates), it’ll be produced by Ben Stiller (Zoolander 2) and the Workaholics gang: Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, Anders Holm, and Kyle Newacheck.

Ben Stiller

With those comedic talents producing, and that dinky little title, you should have some idea of which general direction this is headed in.

The story follows the painfully awkward misadventures of a teenager who accidentally chops off his wiener (and we’re not talking hot dogs) during a camping trip. Comedy somehow ensues as his friends rush to save his organ before it’s too late. Hmm. And ouch.

The cast includes Daniel Doheny, Luke Spencer Roberts, Eduardo Franco, Sadie Calvano, and Geraldine Viswanathan.

Johnny Depp

Okay, so now it’s time to say goodbye to the comedy-drama Richard Says Goodbye, which calls it a wrap on Friday (August 25).

The film, written and directed by Wayne Roberts (Katie Says Goodbye), started shooting back on July 25.

This period piece stars Johnny Depp as a college professor who changes his outlook on life when he receives an unexpected diagnosis. Throwing all conventions out the window, he begins to live impulsively.

The cast includes Danny Huston, Rosemarie DeWitt, Zoey Deutch, Devon Terrell, and Odessa Young.

Much to the thrill of fans, Depp has made a few surprise appearances around town during his downtime.

When he appeared in downtown Vancouver on July 25, he posed with and greeted numerous fans.

Luckiest girls on earth ❤️❤️ #welovejohnnydepp #love #hot #hottestmanalive #depphead #johnnydepp #johnny_depp #johnnydeppfan #johnnydeppmovies #johnnydeppfans #johnnydeppfanpage #johnnydeppforever #ilovejohnnydepp #johnnyforever #sexiesanalive #cutestmanalive #cute #sexy #wearewithyoujohnnydepp #johnnydepplovers #johnnydeppweloveyou #johnnydeppfandom #johnnydepplove #johnnydeppishot #JohnnyDeppWeLoveYou #johnnydeppsupport #depphead #deppfans #deppheads #depp #deppforeva

A post shared by Johnny Depp Official (@johnnydeppofficial.page) on Jul 26, 2017 at 1:27pm PDT

With @tatiannahaggard today ❤️ lucky girl xx #johnnydepp #johnny_depp #johnnydeppfans #JD #hottestmanalive #hottest #sexiest #sexiesanalive #cute #cutestmanalive #handsome #JohnnyDeppWeLoveYou #johnnydeppwearewithyou #johnnydeppfans #johnnydeppweek #johnnydeppmovies #johnnydeppforever #johnnydeppfanpage #johnnydeppweloveyou #johnnydeppfandom #johnnydeppfamily #johnnydepplovers #depp #deppday #depphead #deppfans #deppheads #update #hottestmanalive #hot #love #welovejohnnydepp

A post shared by Johnny Depp Official (@johnnydeppofficial.page) on Jul 25, 2017 at 9:31pm PDT

During one of his days off from filming, he dressed up in his Captain Jack Sparrow costume from the Pirates of the Caribbean to spend almost six hours visiting with patients, from newborns to teenagers, at B.C. Children’s Hospital on August 14.

Patients at BC Children’s Hospital were delighted by a visit today with one of the world’s most famous pirates, Captain Jack Sparrow. Actor Johnny Depp showed he has a heart of gold by spending more than 5 hours meeting one-on-one with every patient, from newborns to teens. . . #jacksparrow #captainjacksparrow #johnnydepp #mybcch #bcch #vancouver #yvr #piratesofthecaribbean #disney #pirate #potc #potc5 #disneypiratesofthecaribbean

A post shared by BCCH Foundation (@bcchf) on Aug 14, 2017 at 7:33pm PDT

[NEW] Johnny visiting B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver yesterday Such a sweetheart ❤ • #johnnydepp #depphead #isupportjohnnydepp #wearewithyoujohnnydepp

A post shared by Johnny Depp (@depp.vampire) on Aug 15, 2017 at 2:28am PDT

He attended a special pirate party and made one-on-one visits in the oncology, general pediatrics, and neurology units.

“Meeting Captain Jack was a dream come true for my daughter,” Sarah Kertcher, mother of 7-year-old Madison, stated in a news release from the hospital. “He never broke character once and was so generous with his time. He was truly here for the kids and it brought tears to my eyes to see how special he made each one feel.”

On that heartwarming note, there’s more news to warm the cockles of your Hearties.

When Calls the Heart

The Canadian-American TV period drama When Calls the Heart starts up production on 10 episodes of Season 5 on Tuesday (August 22) and continues until December 12.

Erin Krakow

Set in the early 1900s, the storyline, based on the novel by Janette Oke, revolves around Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a school teacher from a wealthy Eastern family, who relocates from a big city to Coal Valley, a small mining town in Western Canada.

Daniel Lissing

The cast includes Daniel Lissing, Lori Loughlin, Jack Wagner, Martin Cummins, Pascale Hutton, and Kavan Smith.

A two-hour sneak peek of Season 5 will air during Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas programming line-up, which will run from October 27 to January 1, 2018.

A specific date for the Christmas special hasn’t been announced yet but here’s a description from Entertainment Weekly:

“A loved one returns, Christmas spirit is renewed, and children’s wishes are granted in this heartwarming Christmas movie featuring the series’ beloved characters. Elizabeth’s fiancé, Jack, surprises her, coming on home on leave and bringing a young Mountie desperately searching for Christmas inspiration.  The community of Hope Valley works together to aid this young man with the help of an enchanted Wishing Tree. And as mayor, Abigail is pretty busy. Recognizing that, her newly adopted son, Cody, engages classmates in creating the town’s annual Christmas Celebration. While Sheriff Bill Avery forges a relationship with the disgraced former mayor, Henry Gowen, Rosemary and Lee are reminded that family is the true meaning of Christmas.”

Later on, Season 5 will premiere in February 2018 so there’s a bit of a wait. But as they say, absence makes the Hearties grow fonder.

When Calls the Heart

We’ll leave you with that for this week, but tune in again next time for more on what’s filming on the streets of Hollywood North.

Inside Vancouver Blog

[stevestonbike]

A couple more rides between rain showers.

I pride myself on riding in some serious weather. I have been avoiding that recently. Partly it is these issues with my bike computers and things. To debug the damn dongles I must use the red bike with no fenders. Rain has happened but is best avoided. The dongles are NOT cooperating.

For that I continue to lag behind in distance but I am on track with frequency and intensity.

I did two after work rides this week. The wind is still present, but I am improving. I never fail to be impressed how fitness for one thing does not really work for fitness for another really similar thing. I was getting pretty good at inside HIITs, but aside from holding cardio and raw strength they do not help real outside rides. 50 or 60 km rides are still an effort. Effort is really the point, no?

Yesterday I had a PB for the year on the YVR loop. My average speed was 27.2 and the time almost bang on 1:15. That is a solid time for that route in summer conditions. My all time PB is a lot faster (10%), but I do not even try for it in any wind. I did it twice within a couple seconds on HOT days no wind. It is still cool here now.

As far as condition and all that I am doing fine.

It is really important to get numbers. You can feel bad but still do good. You can feel good and do not so well. The numbers do not have to be Watts, or km. Time over a familiar route is easiest. Heart Rate and such is very useful. I have logs going back a long time.

Those numbers are telling me I am doing OK. It has been a slow year, but I was recovering from my worst accident so far.

In other news the Whistler Granfondo is postponed another year. It is set for Sept 10, 2022. Oh well. They could have done it I think. I got my first vaccine already. Most people will have two by Summer.

The plague is waning. It is still serious and people are dying. I am sure in years to come the conspiracy morons will convince themselves it never happened.

[stevestonbike]

My last after work ride?

The days are shorter and it is getting much cooler. I missed one day as the wind was too much. Yesterday was OK, and almost no wind at all. It is a shame we did not see that in the hot weather. I may have had a few really hot laps, maybe a PB. It was not to be.

The rest of the dark seasons weekday rides will be on the green monster indoors. It could be fun as my new power meter will work on indoor rides. I can compare the green monster values to the 4iiii thing. Gotta try hard to find the fun on the hardwood. Sweat and discomfort are usually the main thing.

I did my YVR loop in a reasonable time. I am short for the week as the weather has been poor especially windy. I ride in rain and cold, but not in icy conditions or in high wind. Wind has been stupid.

The leaves are hitting the ground and collecting in the streets. Once they get rained on they get greasy. I assume that was the cause of my crash last year. I am therefore a bit nervous about that. We will see how it goes.

I have good fitness. At least I am there this plague year. I have some life issues and will likely see what will happen there in the next 6 months. My riding is really good at relieving my stress from that. Our thanksgiving holiday is this weekend, so there will be food comas and wine flu. I do not worry about weight gain as it is not that much and is burned off soon enough.

Winter is coming and it will be wet and nasty. Around here they say you do not have to shovel rain. Still, I like snow. We get a bit. It makes things so quiet and pretty. There are things to look forward to.

Pumpkins and cranberries! Fall is here!

[stevestonbike]

I am getting twitchy.

It is still a few weeks until WGF.  I am getting all twitchy about it.  I am sure my body is ready, my bike is ready, I have my supplies and so hell I could go right now.  (Except for its the middle of the work week and it is really really dangerous on that road with normal traffic.)

I am just at 3300 km for the year.  I have 80 rides done. My average over the whole year to date is 249 minutes per week of moderate to FN hard exercise. I had a years best on 8 minute hill.  I have climbed a mountain.  Not bad for this old man.

I was musing about human bodies and what we ask them to do.  Generally it is very good to keep them moving as that is what it they are meant to do.  I know that if I were younger I would be much more powerful and faster.  The strange thing is that I have fairly large heavy legs that are mostly muscle.  I have seen riders who are damn skinny who can put out more Watts than I for much longer than I can.  If there is some other limitation like my heart or lungs why did my legs grow as big as they did?

I think it goes back to what you are born with.  Way earlier in this blog I wrote that I was a chunky fast twitch body type when young.  I was a sprinter and endurance was literally a pain.  I was also rather stupid.  I could outrun most everyone I knew for a short distance.  Then red faced and collapsing I would stop.  That also describes my very early biking experience.  I learned how to ride by slowing down.

I can push very hard for 30 seconds.  I can sprint very effectively for an old guy for a short time.  I know that very hard training would make me faster, but not twice as fast.  I know the physics.  I also know that it could hurt my heart and lead to very scary things if I try too hard to make that thing stronger.  My resting heart rate is 54 bpm.  Again really good for an old man.  I want to use that thing for a while longer.

I have come to believe that you are born with what you got.  You can train and optimize, but you cannot change everything.   You can take what you have and make it better to a point.  I could probably lose 20 pounds if I tried very hard and for that I would get marginally quicker up hills, but no better on flats.  I would also have to give up things I really enjoy.  I have climbed up to a plateau where most of the paths lead down and very few lead up.  But the view is very nice from here.

End of muse.

I did another YVR loop last night.  The days are getting shorter.  It was almost cool out and there was a bit of wind.  It was a dead average time, 1 hour 12.75 minutes.  My best time ever was 1 hour 5 minutes.That was on a hot dead still day and I rocked it.  There has not been a day like that yet this year.

I do not know if Lotus has a big ride planned I guess I will see.  This coming weekend is also when the Red Truck Brewery has a free beer for cyclists event.  Beer is one of the things I enjoy.