Canada! For reals.

Breaking down the last week into at least two posts... here is Canada!

H's car broke down the night before we were supposed to leave, so I got to push-start a car for the first time in my life, YAY new skills. It was really REALLY broken so we ended up taking my car to Canaaadia :). Left this town around 11, got to our hotel around 2, checked in and dropped our bags off in our fantastic room. It had a view of Granville St, aka the Strip (shops and clubs and hotels and etc) of Vancouver. Not very soothing or the like, but really cool that most everything was within easy walking distance. Our hotel was situated on top of a pub and a club :)

Before we actually headed there we went and found a bank for S, plus a metro-market equivalent, and stopped at a liquor store to check out the prices. Realized we were getting pretty damn hungry so we grabbed two 4-packs of Mike's and headed back to the hotel to put them on ice and find some food.

Went to the front desk and asked for suggestions for an area that we could find good food in, one of the young women suggested an area called Yaletown (should have been our first clue, no?). We went there, and after walking by tons of places that had 15-25 dollar entrees (we all had money at that point, just... not a ton), we found a little hole-in-the-wall place with AMAZING food (chicken breast alfredo penne and a wild greens salad) for a price we were all happy with. After eating, and realizing that all four of us are very much in the blood-sugar = mood control section of the population, we went back to the hotel. On the way though, we stopped in at a few clothing stores that looked promising... until we read the price tags. 300-400 dollars for a sundress? 200 for a bikini made of three TEENY triangles? I think not.

From there S and I went and got OJ and Lemonade to mix drinks with, and H and R went and got 750ml of peach schnapps and some absinthe. We all collected back at the room (around 8-9pm), changed into our comfy clothes and started drinking. If we hadn't started playing a game called FUBAR I might have gotten smashed, but it restricted our drinking abilities so my watchful side stayed engaged (H and R got completely smashed, R to the point of belligerence and attention-needyness... which was ok as I was pretty much sober when she got to that point (15 drinks). I ended up drinking 3 total, though one was a very alcoholic fuzzy navel (pukey-nakedy)). Went out to get pizza from the place directly across the street which was crap but we were hungry. Came back to the room and S and I sobered up while H and R kept drinking. Somehow, shirts came off and we all ended up sleeping topless, which luckily we remembered how it happened in the morning. Two double beds = H and R in one, S and I in the other.

THE NEXT MORNING. Day 2.

Luckily, no hangover for me, though S and H and R all had mild ones. Stopping at three drinks, where I had a nice tipsy feeling and an urge to text people, but wasn't drunk or actually texting people, was a good choice. We got up REALLY early to get our free breakfasts, and then went shopping. Walking a different direction down Granville St we found lots of stores that we could actually afford to walk into! I put an amazing pair of grey heels on hold at a store, then got a scarf from R who wanted the deal but not the items. Walked further and found a mall that was on top of the subway entrance we needed to get on, so we walked it for a little while. Found, and bought, a cute skirt from AE, R bought me another one that I didn't have any money for because it is so amazing (and very me) and she is so amazing. Then, while H shopped for bras at a place with an epic sale going on, R ran back and picked up the shoes for me from the other place :). At the bra place, I asked what sizes they carried and if they knew of a place that would have my size, to which the nice shopgirl answered 'Yes, a place at this other giant mall'.

So, off to this other giant mall. It's fucking huge. I can't say much more than that... fucking HUGE. We rode the skytrain/subway to get there... a lovely example of functioning mass transit. Honor-system for payment too, which is really lovely as well. Got there, got a bra (YAY), got recommendations for bra places to shop in France the next time I am there :).

H shopped some more, S and R and myself following. Hit up LUSH for a bath bomb, then back on the sky train, back to downtown, got pizza on the way to the hotel... got to the hotel and went BOOM.

Ate the pizza, then discussed our plans for the night. Originally we had been planning to go clubbing but after being on our feet for 8 hours that was not looking attractive. So, we decided to go to the pub downstairs and have a few drinks before we would go back to the room and watch a movie. Went to the pub, and the drinking began. R and I had refrained from 'pregaming' in the room, but we all drank in the pub. I had a Pornstar (amazing) and a Killer Koolaid (also amazing) in the pub, tried H's Cosmo and Sex on the Beach and didn't love either of them. Tried R's Jolly Rancher and loved it. After drinking and having a nosh at the bar, we went and walked on the strip. Got handed free access cards to a few clubs, and decided we did indeed feel like clubbing.

Back to the hotel so H could change, then to the club. Had a Jolly Rancher at the club, nearly got danced with by 4-5 creepy dudes, had a nice time dancing, though we only stayed for an hour or so because H and R got tired. Back to the hotel where S and I showered and then passed out.

Left early the next morning so I could be home around 1:30, whee. Some shenanigans at the border (big surprise the American side is way more ridiculous), and then back home.

I budgeted 200 dollars for all this, including my share of the gas and the room. My balance upon our return? $0.33. Yeah, I do rock that hard :P. I am now ridiculously broke, but it was totally worth it.

All in all, a great trip with some amazing photos and stories to remember it by.

AND THEN, left for family camping at 2:30pm.