Three things on Thursday

I have a variety of cards in my wallet that I didn't have before. Three, as a matter of fact.

1. A Compass card. This is the payment system for the buses. It's easy, you just tap and go, and occasionally remember to look at your account online and add more money. Mine also holds info about the share bikes here. I love the BikeShare in Toronto and use it a lot. These bikes here are suited to the area: more gears, a bit lighter than the Toronto bikes. Two flaws: the seats are made of some foam stuff that stays wet for ages after a rain, and I have come home with a big wet splodge on my backside, not very flattering! And the system doesn't spread over the whole city. I once found myself wanting to drop a bike at 41st Avenue, but the last dock is at 16th! That's quite a nuisance. 
2. A card for the Aquatic Centre. At home I sometimes walk to the end of the block and swim at the Boys' and Girls' Club. They have, I now realize, a kid-sized pool. The Aquatic Centre has a 50-meter pool, which takes some getting used to! I have also discovered that you can go to the diving pool and tread water, or get some floats and do your ab exercises in the water. One day I will walk across the hall to get to the whirlpool, but since I can't see a dang thing without my glasses, these things aren't as easy as they might seem!
3. A Vancouver Art Gallery card. I am heading off right this minute (or when the dryer finishes its work) to explore the art gallery. Just as I was leaving Vancouver in the 80s, a new gallery was built and it is quite the show-piece, as I understand it. (Okay, so it's almost 40 years old now.) I got the out-of-town membership which will get us in while we are here but also covers a reciprocal membership with other museums like, oh, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto! Good deal, I thought. 

Be careful crossing the street. (One thing I love about Vancouver is that the drivers actually stop when there is someone wanting to cross at a crosswalk, instead of barrelling through and cursing you, like they do in Toronto.)