Jeem's United Way adventure in North Vancouver

My work at the United Way of the Lower Mainland has passed the half way mark. It has been a busy and rewarding time.






Recently I had the pleasure of being involved with the City of North Vancouver, and yes it involved another escapade inside the strange red creature-mascot known as Care-y. This time it happened for the City's kick-off at seven in the morning. I managed to stay out of trouble, except for a minor altercation, and even though virtually blind within the costume, I still managed to find the bacon and sausage, though eating is quite impossible.

Co-chairs of the City of North Vancouver's United Way Campaign, Tim Ryce, Assistant Manager in Community Development, and Dave Owens, Assistant Fire Chief, posed with Care-y during the breakfast. The Mayor didn't want anything to do with the mascot, which might have had something to do with accidentally grabbing him earlier; I really can't see much of anything in that thing.

The next day a barbecue was put on at Fire Station No. 1 and Care-y was not invited, thankfully. It too was well attended and introduced many City staff to a first hand experience at a fire hall. It has a pole that firefighters slide down. I wanted to try it myself but was told very clearly, "No Jeem."






Interestingly one never grabs the pole with hands. You are to lean into the pole and when your shoulder nudges it, you then wrap your arm and leg around it and slide down. No hands prints are allowed.











The barbecue involved a group of City employees including those in Bylaw Enforcement, responsible for cooking burgers and hot dogs on this day. Though that guy with the shades might be from CSIS. Why is he looking at me?




Hey, that's the Mayor mingling with City staff! At least he won't recognize me, out of costume.

Fire fighters generously offered people the opportunity to use a fire hose and extinguishers. Alas, we did not get to start any fires.

A highlight for many was the chance to go up in the basket on Ladder Truck 10. At full extension the basket is about 35 metres above the ground.













And again, alas, when it came my turn to go up the ladder, wouldn't you know it, but an alarm came in and the truck had to take off into the city's traffic. I of course offered to go along and help, but of course.... "No Jeem."















Great things happen when people work together. The City of North Vancouver's United Way Campaign is an example of what can happen when people come together to make their city better: raising money for a good cause and building community within their workplace.



Still, it would have been nice to go up the ladder. Maybe next year? What if I pull up my socks?





Photos by Jeem. 
Care-y photos courtesy 
Rupi Cheema. 

Copyright 2013 by Jim Murray.

The long shadows of the autumn sun...

But then fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.

― Stephen King from the book: Salem's Lot

The rains will come soon enough. For now, after days of fog, we have sun, and the trees are beautiful, and their shadows long. It is a beautiful time of year.

Perhaps fall is sitting in a favourite chair at the Sylvia Hotel. Filling an afternoon with stories...

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2013.

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

The story begins with Linus as he writes a letter to The Great Pumpkin:  Dear Great Pumpkin. I'm looking forward to your arrival on Halloween night. I hope you will bring me lots of presents.

His friend Charlie Brown arrives and puzzles over his friend asking "Who are you writing to, Linus?"





Linus replies "This is the time of the year to write to the Great Pumpkin. On Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin rises out of his pumpkin patch and flies through the air with his bag of toys for all the children."

"You must be crazy" says Charlie Brown. "When are you going to stop believing in something that isn't true?"

"When you stop believing in that fellow with the red suit and white beard who goes HO! HO! HO!"

Charlie Brown responds "We are obviously separated by denominational differences."

Later on Halloween night, Lucy, Charlie Brown's little sister is angry for waiting with Linus for the Great Pumpkin, while everyone else was out getting treats (except Charlie Brown of course).

"I was robbed! I spent the whole night waiting for the Great Pumpkin, when I could've been out for tricks-or-treats!" She gasps in recognition at what she has just said. "Halloween is over and I missed it! You blockhead! You kept me up all night waiting for the Great Pumpkin, and all that came was a beagle! I didn't get a chance to go out for tricks-or-treats! And it was all your fault! I'll sue! What a fool I was! I could've had candy, apples, and gum! And cookies and money and all sorts of things! But no! I had to listen to you. You blockhead. What a fool I was. Trick-or-treats come only once a year, and I miss it by sitting in a pumpkin patch with a blockhead. YOU OWE ME RESTITUTION!"


It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown was first shown on CBS in 1966. It was from the Peanuts comic strip that first appeared in newspapers in 1950. The creator was the much loved Charles M. Schulz (1922 - 2000).

Photos and above pumpkin by Jim Murray. The pumpkin to the right is by a non-believer (in the Great Pumpkin). Copyright 2013.

Paths less travelled

Recently, in the fog, Sherry and I hiked the paths and trails around Cleveland Dam on the North Shore. It was good exercise, and refreshing to be almost alone in the forest.

















For some reason, the paths we hiked reminded me of parts of The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck (1936 - 2005). I read the book in the mid 1980s, and all his books thereafter. His words about a spiritual life, grace, evil, and suffering resonated with me then, as they do now. As I recall, Peck began with the line: Life is difficult.

Choosing paths in a forest, in a city, or in life, can be difficult. Does this one lead us somewhere, or in a circle? Will we find our way back if we take this one? Are we there yet Dad?



Each one of us must make his own path through life. There are no self-help manuals, no formulas, no easy answers. The right road for one is the wrong road for another...The journey of life is not paved in blacktop; it is not brightly lit, and it has no road signs. It is a rocky path through the wilderness.                  - M. Scott Peck

                           
Returning to the city, and ultimately, albeit several days later, to a brief moment of sunshine, pathways returned to us, and they were beautiful.

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. 
We ourselves must walk the path.       - Buddha

Sometimes the path is clear. Sometimes the walk is the easy part. And often, neither is obvious.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2013.

Odd Society Spirits ~ the media event

About ten days ago your faithful correspondent received an invite from a public relations firm to attend a private, media-only event at Odd Society Spirits. Followers of The Murray Chronicles on at least three continents, possibly four, will remember my earlier post about this new craft distiller in Vancouver. But media? Am I a member of the media? Is The Murray Chronicles a publication? The definitions of ten or fifteen years ago don't apply anymore, and there's vodka to be tasted. I replied affirmatively.


A week after the invite I appeared at the appointed hour. Odd Society Spirits has changed since my last visit. There's a new awning, inviting windows and a great interior that boasts a fantastic looking bar.














There's also a new partner to Gordon Glanz and Miriam Karp, in Joshua Beach, fresh off a flight from the EU. Josh was a fellow student of Gordon's in Scotland, where they both earned degrees in distilling. Friendly and engaging, Josh is as passionate as is Gordon when talking about spirits.












Eventually the invited journos assembled and the tasting and tour began. Phones were pulled out of pockets to take pictures, though some of us had actual cameras. Some even had notebooks and pens, but not your faithful scribe; it's hard enough lugging around this clunky camera thing.

The first spirit produced by the Odd Society is East Van Vodka. Made from malted barely, it has a slight taste, ever so subtle, not unlike malted barley perhaps. My initial impression was to the sweetness and thickness of the vodka. I'm no expert but it was extremely pleasing and it went down very smoothly. Wonderfully in fact.








Next up: a delicious cocktail created by guest bartender Matt Martin called Odd Aviation. Some fresh lemon and a wee bit of Luxardo Maraschino, a couple ounces of East Van Vodka,  and ... yes, this is good too.





Now, at this point I haven't eaten anything all day, apart from a couple of double espressos, and I don't think that counts as actual eating. I probably should eat some of the great looking canapes that have arrived for the media, which includes me of course, but I'd hate to be the first to do so. Better to wait I think, and at present I have only the mildest desire to operate heavy machinery.



And with the finishing of that first cocktail, or was it my second, the tour of operations began. The two 350 litre copper pot stills from Germany remain impressive, and the 4.5 metre vodka column, next to a new floor-to-ceiling glass wall is very much a highlight. The first barrels of whisky are present and could be the highlight three years from now.











However, getting back to the vodka, and why not I thought, as a member of the media, the next cocktail from Matt Martin was called Sour Owl and featured an Odd Society Creme de Cassis created by Herve Martin of The French Table. This was a dangerously deceiving drink indeed. It went down smoothly, without any indication of its 2 ounces of vodka. I'm now beginning to think more seriously about eating something, anything, or possibly driving a large tractor trailer rig through the mountains. In the end, the canapes, from nearby Kessel and March, won out, and were delicious, especially the salmon, horseradish and dill on potato slices.

Odd Society Spirits is open to the public for sales, tastings, tours and cocktails. It is a true craft distillery, meaning all spirits are fermented and distilled on site, made from BC ingredients, and produced in small batches using traditional methods. East Van Vodka is already available at some private liquor stores and featured in some restaurants around town. Wallflower Gin, the second spirit to be released, is expected by early 2014. I hope there is a media event for that release too.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2013.