7th -10th May 1998

Thursday 7th May
I know it's been a long time but somehow in Whistler I never really got a moment to myself to write but now we're back in Tofino and back at the Beer & Wine so plenty of time on my hands.
We spent last week travelling up to the North of the Island and when we got to Tofino we found they've added a new bylaw forbidding people from sleeping in their vans - so we're effectively homeless. Now we have to sell the van and find somewhere to live.  Tofino is just the same - we both got our jobs back after only being here an hour or so!  So I guess something had to go not so smoothly.  I think these two months are going to be an endless string of visitors - Darren for a week, Catherine on Monday, Elan on Wednesday.  Then Claire's parents and hopefully my lot in June.  It's going to be exhausting!
I can't really think about much more to say after this mammoth catch up.  So I'll just try and keep it going this time.
After work Claire and Scott picked me up after boogie boarding.  Then I was going to go to Aaron's to sleep but he was sleeping so I went with C&S to Radar Hill and then Grice Bay,  We then went to Aaron's to shower, C&S when to Chesterman to have a camp fire and I slept.  I also called Darren to sort out tomorrow.

Friday 8th May
Aaron came in at 6am and Hoek was amazingly good and I managed to get some sleep.  Claire and Scott picked me up at 9am and we went to the Loft for breakfast.  We wrote For Sale on Calvin this morning an had someone ask immediately.  We're asking $2500 and we'll be bumped down to $2300 or $2200.  Claire cleaned it out this morning - it was full of sand.
Just finished a long-hard day at work - 20 customers in 6 hours.  Darren hasn't turned up yet so after saying Hi to Nicky from Whistler in the bar (!) I went to the Coffee Pod and checked my messages.
The stupid fool missed the last bus to Tofino but instead of hitching, decided to hire a car! Which means he has to drive to Port tomorrow to take the car back - and I have to wait around until 8:30pmish.  So not I'm in the laundrette - might as well do something constructive.  The first machine simply swallowed my money and did nothing so a waste of $2.
Darren arrived at 7:45pm just as I was sorting my clothes.  We went on a tour of Tofino - all of 5 minutes - then to Chesterman for the sunset - very gorgeous.  We then left the hire car in Tofino and took Calvin to the Blue Heron - had a drink and then drove to the Turnaround to park.

Saturday 9th May
We had to get up early - as Darren had to get to Port by midday.  So we were in the coffee pod by 8:15 - had breakfast - paid full price and Darren left at 9am.  I now have two hours to kill before work.
Work is slow but busier than yesterday.  Darren got back from Port in one piece.

Sunday 10th May
Woke up covered in sand.  The blanket that we used to keep warm had, not just a small amount of sand but what seemed like a bucket-load.  We went to Al's apartment to shower before work and now Darren's cleaning and fixing up the van which is parked right outside B&W.  Once Claire finished work she came and joined Darren and I at the V&W.  We all of us sat there, the only difference is I was getting paid.  Claire went to Doug's to sort out some stuff and turned up later.  Very much later in fact as my till wouldn't balance and I ended up being $10.20 out.  We went and met Claire who was cutting up leaflets and then she had an early night.  Darren and I went and had a gorgeous Chinese and then called it a night.

<these are extracts from my diaries written whilst travelling and working in Canada and the US in '97-'98>