Introverted

 I am an introvert. This often surprises people because I can be quite social and I am not quiet. In fact, people often laugh and don't believe me. But usually they just don't really understand what an introvert is. An introvert is not necessarily shy or quiet or antisocial. The defining characteristic of an introvert is how we refuel or get energy. Extroverts are energized by socializing. Introverts are not. This does not mean that we don't like socializing; it means we find it draining. Recharging requires alone time. I can be very social and enjoy hanging out with some of my friends. But, then I require time alone. Some people drain me a lot, some people less so. But being around people in general, is draining.

 But once in a blue moon, you might find someone who does not drain your energy, even after hours of socializing. Someone who actually fills you up. That rare person who somehow manages to energize you. You spend hours and hours together and somehow you feel better after spending time with them. Your heart is full and you don't need time to recharge afterwards. This is a minor miracle. 

Things I thank COVID for:

 Living in a pandemic sucks in a lot of ways. There are things I can't do, my movements are restricted, work is weird, the economy is tanking. But, there are some silver linings, things that I am glad for:

-I don't need to shake hands with anyone. I've never liked this practise and I hope it's gone forever.

-not being hugged by people. I love hugs, but only from a VERY small handful of people. Everyone else can keep six feet away. Forever.

-parents can't come into schools. This is especially helpful in kindergarten when kids cry until their parents leave and are then fine. No hovering helicopter parents is great!

-restaurants are not busy and are actually extra clean. Bathrooms are cleaned all the time.

-meet the teacher night is cancelled. Since I am both a parent and a teacher, this actually frees up FOUR evenings. Yay!

-all meetings are virtual. This means taking meetings at home, in my pajamas, on the sofa. Or, I can listen to the meeting and multitask. Last week during a zoom meeting, I baked banana loaf. Today, I cleaned my kitchen.

-there's less traffic. It seems to be increasing every day, but overall, there is still less traffic than "normal".

-most things require registration which means if you have registered, you have a spot. No more line ups

-congregating and socializing are discouraged at church, at schools, at work. This means NO small talk!!!

I'm sure there are lots more but these are the ones that come to mind right now...

Gathering again!

 Yesterday we went to church for the first time in 26 weeks! It was amazing. I might have cried I was so grateful. Of course our church did not stop gathering over the last six months, but we could not gather physically in our church building. Yesterday as we drove up to church, I was so excited. As we walked up to the building, who should I see but one of my VERY FAVOURITE people from church: Ursula. I couldn't hug her, but other than that, it was so, so wonderful to see her.

The sanctuary looked fairly empty as the seats were spaced out for social distancing. But the warm, inviting feeling was the same. The worship was so great. To sing, even with a mask on, filled my heart with joy. To hear Brett preach live was amazing. I know this post may seem like it's full of superlatives, but I can't help it. My cup runneth over.

Restaurants

My friend and I have been on a quest of sorts to try different lunch places around Vancouver and Burnaby. Ironic that we would choose to do this during a pandemic perhaps, but whatever. Like I have blogged before, a lot of restaurants are actually a lot easier to get into because people are nervous about eating out, so I guess in that sense the timing is perfect.
We often order different things, so our reviews would probably vary somewhat especially if one of us had a great meal and the other didn't. We have talked about the different places we've gone, however, and I don't think she would disagree with me too much. Besides this is my blog, these are my opinions and I'm always right, lol.
I think that the worst place we ate at was The Rise Eatery. The food was not very fresh and the menu was a little weird. It wasn't bad exactly, just not somewhere we would choose to go again.
My favourite place so far was probably Yolks. The food was delicious. I ate every last crumb on my plate. But what I also really appreciated was the way that they had made COVID adjustments part of their overall decor. They had plexiglass dividers between booths, but they were framed in such a way that you didn't even notice or think that they were recent additions. They actually looked nice.
A close second would probably have to be Hart House, not so much for the food, which is pretty good, but for the ambience, the view and its proximity to Deer Lake. We have spent a lot of time going for walks and Deer Lake has been one of our most frequented routes. I love looking at the glistening lake and admiring all the greenery. I don't love the parts of the walk that are in full, scorching sun, but that will soon cease to be a problem with the coming of fall.
Of course if we include restaurants on the way to Hope, then the Shandhar Hut wins hands down. Their Indian food is so delicious and it's family owned, which I really like. I also really like their serving dishes and presentation, but the orangey peach walls are "interesting", lol.
As I think about all the places we've eaten at, there are actually quite a few really good ones. I really liked Aphrodite's, The Gray Olive, Heirloom and Paul's Omelettery. Although it probably goes without saying, the friend I have been with makes for the best company, so that makes the food taste that much better. Obviously I take no responsibility for how it tastes when you're not with your best friend. 
The photo is from a great gelato place we have gone to a few times called Fior Di Latte. The flavours are delicious, the service is always friendly and you can actually sit down and enjoy your gelato. Vancouver has so many great places to eat, I sure hope that they are able to survive and still be around after the pandemic.

I miss my dad

My dad's birthday is today and I miss him more today than I did a month ago. I think a part of me has been waiting for him to come back all this time. But, he's not coming. Ever. This is very hard for me to accept, maybe impossible even.
I went to his grave the other day when I was in Hope and it was awful. How could he be in the ground? Yes, I know that he is actually in heaven, but I want him here with us. I miss talking to him. I miss him calling me from the car port and asking if he can come over. I miss having coffee with him at my kitchen table. I miss his practical help. This past week, our dishwasher broke and my first instinct was to call my dad. But I couldn't.
I see his handiwork all over my house: my renovated kitchen and bathroom, our deck, the hand rail for the staircase. In fact, his fingerprints are all over my house, my siblings' houses, our place in Hope and everywhere else that he frequented. It's comforting and profoundly sad at the same time.
Death really really sucks. No, that is not a beautifully crafted sentence but it's the truth. Whoever said that grief gets easier totally lied.