Today is Brought to you by the Letter ‘P’

‘P’ for Productivity

At the urging of friends and family last night, I planned to spend today strategically running an errand or two that allowed me to explore the areas around Vancouver. My Type A personality has been pressuring me into solving every problem right now. RIGHT NOW. I wanted to spend some downtime reacquainting myself with the city – so naturally today was incredibly busy and productive.

I started off on track by plotting out two stops: 

Target in Burnaby and Safeway in Kitsilano (Kits)

Target was reassuring, familiar, and naturally cheaper than the stores downtown. I stocked-up on some much-needed items and chuckled to myself at the popularity of faux Doc Martins in their shoe section.  The best part of Target, however, turned out to be its location as an anchor store to a large shopping mall. A mall! The type-A personality kicked-in again, shouting about how much I could get done in one stop. SO MUCH. I gave in, even moving my car from the 30 minute Target lot into long-term mall parking.

Next, I planned to tackle the continuing issue of communication… what to do about cell phone coverage?  I headed to a nearby cell phone kiosk to further my research when I spotted something miraculous…

Inside, I found a 20-something gentlemen who knew more about phones & devices than I ever will. He became my favorite person of the day when he set me up with a simple, pre-paid phone that features unlimited calling to the U.S. and basic coverage in Canada for the low price of $36 per month. (My Canada plan features unlimited nights & weekends and 100 minutes during the weekdays.  …I know, right? Who knew anyone still did that?!)

In a glow of accomplishment I drove in the sunshine to the Safeway, making mental notes of the neighborhoods I passed through along the way. That was the original goal, after all. And then there it was – a full-fledged grocery story. They had affordable fruit & veggies, which had been considerably higher at the markets in the city, as well as the standard pantry items, and an extensive variety of maple syrup. So did I buy anything useful? No. I bought Halloween cookies from the bakery.  Because, fall.

I perused the shops in Kits and drove through the streets looking for any sign of a building needing a renter.  Upon returning ‘home’ I noticed I had received messages from two apartments I had contacted about subletting. They both wanted me to come by – tonight. So I parked the car and went traipsing back into the city, exploring the West End and hoping these Craigslist contacts didn’t turn out to be people who liked lampshades made out of other people. (American Horror Story: Asylum, I’m looking at you) Thankfully they were all wonderful people, one set from Turkey and the other from Australia. But now, decisions! I had planned on ending my day content after enjoying the city I’d driven so far to be a part of. I did enjoy the city today, but now I’m going to bed with a brain that’s stuck in a loop of analysis and worry.

Ah, the joys of productivity.

AN ASIDE: My walking through the city tonight reminded me that I'm a flatlander out of my element. The hills! I was out of breath after two blocks and had to stop and rest on a bench, feigning interest in my cell phone. I was grateful for the workout, but this terrain is going to take some getting used to.

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