I’m trying to keep myself busy. Thankfully I have some amazing friends who are willing to visit new and interesting pubs and restaurants with me, or invite me to try a fave haunt of theirs! Social butterfly? No, just easier to keep my mind occupied…

I mentioned Rogue Kitchen & Wet Bar in an earlier post I believe, but it’s worthy of another mention. A couple of weeks ago I had what was probably the BEST veggie burger in my entire life…Seriously. It was a homemade patty, which is always a god-send in the world of pre-packaged cardboard tasting burgers. The menu calls it Swiss Stuffed Veggie Ciabatta and I had completely overlooked the ‘stuffed’ part until I bit into the gooey goodness! This burger was amazing! The bread held it’s own, the patty was full of flavor…pair it with the Pyramid Apricot Lager and it’s a meal fit for any real Vegetarian or those who want to pretend

I also had the pleasure of indulging in an ale at a little Irish pub I never even knew existed in Van City. Johnnie Fox’s on Granville (website link appears broken) was a small, intimate, “feels like a UK pub” say all the folks at the bar, kinda place. In fact it’s so cozy, it’s a snug…I can see a few more rainy afternoons or late night drinks here…

I went to a @yvrbeertweetup (for those not in the know, input that into Twitter would ya?) last night held at Smiley’s Pub on Pender Street and had a blast. 10 kegs from local craft breweries to sample and prizes to be won! The beers this time were all infused with whiskey and fairly dark so it wasn’t particularly up my alley, but the little gem from Parallel 49 Brewing Company was my style. Check out the link to their brews and to see some fantastic label art…really. The service at Smiley’s, like any of the Donnelly Group spots, was friendly and attentive. It was a tad slow at times leaving me no choice but to go to the bar for a refill, but it was also very busy so I give the girls credit for all their hustling last night.

Although life gave me a lot of heartache this year, it’s also giving me a ton of new experiences that I’m really trying to throw myself into. New people, new memories, old friends and never-forgotten pasts are what my days are full of now. Trying to keep my head above water during the turbulent times at work is proving to be a challenge and it takes all my will to remember those ‘little things’ I should be delighting in each and every moment. They are what will keep me afloat; and keep ALL OF US afloat in trying times.

I no longer know where I’m headed really, or what my future holds. All I believed in and saw on the horizon is gone. It’s time to set up NEW ideals, new goals and new images of what I want and more importantly what I deserve. Judging by the company I’m keeping lately, I’d say I’m on the right path. To those I love, those I cherish and those I call my friends- you know who you are and what you mean.

I’ll continue to keep myself busy, flit about town, relax at home with The Boys and trudge to work…there is a path for me. I’m only now starting to see it…