Blues To Be There

Two blocks off of Main and Hastings, in one of Vancouver's seedier sections, lies Pat's Pub. Known for its intimate live shows, Pat's is one of the few small venues left in the city for live blues music. The grungy atmosphere inside gives it an authenticity that fits perfectly with the musical genre. The Blues is a grimy business and Pat's profile mirrors the low-down boogie.

We met at 6:30 last Thursday to take in the Steve Kozak Trio at Pat's. The trio, had been expanded to a quartet, all gentleman in the 40+ range. At first glance, they looked more like a folk band, but their music was far from Dylanesque. Moving from one classic blues standard to the next, they proved that the blues was more of a feeling than a photograph.

Our group was the largest at the venue with ten and our numbers grew as the night moved along. We were joined by two new members, which is always fun. I chatted up the girl on my right for most of the night, as we took in the live show. We talked about everything from cycling, to the Canucks, to environmental practices.

Since we arrived at a fairly early hour, we all ordered food, which is little bit of a different experience at Pat's. For one thing, tabs are unheard of. You pay upfront when your food or drink arrives - always in cash. The Blues, apparently, is not a fan of credit.

I ordered the barbecue burger, a messy affair, but when have the Blues ever been clean.

A few of the locals left their seats and moved to the dance floor, but our group was comfortable in our seats.

One individual that caught my eye was a middle aged Asian lady, who walked in around 8:30. She went directly to one of the tables in front of the stage, dropped her coat off and stepped on to the dance floor. With her eyes closed, a man's tie hanging on her chest and the blues in her heart she slipped into a trance, dancing slowly to the music. It was captivating.

Watching her groove, I couldn't help but get my own shoulders moving. I looked around our table to notice I wasn't the only one falling under her spell. The music, the atmosphere, and this little dancer had replaced our workweek worries with an authentic blues experience.

Writing this review, I tried to find a schedule of the events at Pat's. No luck. This got me thinking about the E&A experience. I would have never known about this gig if I hadn't seen it on the Events and Adventures calendar. In fact, I think the only way you would have known was if you were a regular at Pat's. Don't ask me how Ambrea, the events coordinator, found it, but props. It shows the range of options offered by the social club - Marry Poppins on one night, blues on the next.

It pays to have a third party organize your social calendar. Especially when they offer up a grimy dose of Southern blues. Have mercy.

Fresh Ice

There's nothing like skating on fresh ice, especially when you're surrounded by friends and other singles.

We went skating on Saturday and had a blast under the Robson Street Square. Where else can you enjoy a winter event for $5 in the heart of Vancouver?

Our meeting time was 12:30, but our group had a staggered arrival. By 1:00 our numbers had swelled to a dozen; we were by far the largest group there. The ratio, once again, was excellent for single men, as the ladies outnumbered us.

We had a range of ages and skating abilities. I was in the middle for both; I can skate but not stop and I'm thirty-six, the magical age when being single starts to raise a few eyebrows.

The night before, a number of our members had been at an E&A event at the Roxie, only three blocks away. I talked to a few of the ladies about their evening and regretted missing the dancing extravaganza at Vancouver's iconic singles bar.

We also talked about upcoming events in February, specifically the Icebreaker/Games Night party on Friday. I've never been to a games night, but I was told it is the best reoccurring, monthly event offered by Events and Adventures. I need to signup before Friday.

On the ice, a few of our members were experiencing ice-skating for the very first time. It was cool to see everyone involved, offering tips and supportive arms. By the time we left the ice, one of our members had advanced from hugging the side rails, to skating with the blue stabilizers, to roaming hands free around the rink. Pretty impressive.

During an ice break, we also got to witness a mini-zamboni, painted with an orca theme, clean and resurface the ice. So Canadian…

Skating on the fresh ice was awesome. The experience got me thinking about an extended metaphor that I would like to share:

Joining the E&A club offers a new way to approach dating. You don't have to return to the tired dating tropes of going for coffee or a having a drink at a bar. E&A lets you experience new thrills, while mingling with potential dating prospects. It's like a new sheet of a ice every time. For every event, the surface is cleaned and reformatted. You can hug the sides or test your skills bobbing and weaving between the other skaters. You can carve your own track around the rink or link-up with other singles. The rink is yours to experiment on. Have fun.

Pretty poetic, don’t you think? To sample the E&A ice, head to their Vancouver website at: http://www.eventsandadventures.com/vancouver

Ten Things I Love About Being Single in Vancouver

It’s fun to be single if you’re in the right circles. Since I joined Events and Adventures, I’ve been having the time of my life, meeting active, fun-loving singles in their element and trying new things every week. Here are my top ten adventures so far.

1. Night Sledding At Cypress: The more the merrier.

We hit the slopes at Cypress with toboggans and tubes for an evening event that’s 100x more fun in a group. We linked our arms and legs to create crazy chains and laughed like kids again. It was a good way to get up close and personal without any of the awkwardness of dating.

2. Gourmet Cooking Classes: You never know who you’ll meet.

We rolled out the fresh pasta at Kitchen Riddles and went home with our bellies full. Great instruction, a gourmet meal, a glass of wine, and some naughty flour handprints made for an imaginative evening in the kitchen.

3. Calvinball is in a league of its own.

Wallyball is a crazy version of volleyball. Just like Calvin and his Tiger, the best times are had when you throw the rules out the door and focus on the fun. It’s so much easier to meet someone new when you both have your hair down.

4. Taste Testing Oil? Yes, Oil. And things you’d never think of doing alone.

The Vancouver Olive Oil Company let us sample their unique diffusions. They paired our spot tests with a priceless education on the origins, health benefits and cooking secrets of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

5. Holiday Themed Parties are always better when you’re single.

We took the 'hideous sweater theme' to the bowling alley over the holidays. My Christmas flair definitely shone brighter than my lane skills. This event was well attended and I was able to meet a number of single women. Must have been the sweater.

6. Double Bounces for the fun and fit.

Jumping on a trampoline on your own gets boring quickly. Add a dozen singles and you have a party. Throw in a handful of rubber balls and that party turns into a dodge-ball laugh factory.

7. Sugar By the Spoonful: Just me and the ladies.

What a magical night out at the theatre. The cast of Marry Poppins transported us back to our childhood. I was one of the few men who attended this event; loved the ratio.

8. Exotic Dining with friendly new faces.

My first event with Events and Adventures - a night of shared plates and friendly conversation at the Banana Leaf. We had a great time. Since then I've been hooked.

9. Practice Swings and casual dating. Talk about multi-tasking.

It’s never a wasted evening when you have a chance to do what you love anyway. The sexy singles I met who shared my love for the game - that was icing on the cake.

10. Latin Laughter. Because you’re more attractive when you’re having fun.

The perfect combo pack: a wonderfully cooked Latin meal and two hours of comedy. We competed for prizes, interacted with the comics and laughed until it hurt.

Every week I write about being Single In Vancouver, BC. Check out it, you might relate.

5 Reasons Why Climbing The Walls With Other Singles Beats Climbing Alone

1. New Members

It’s always fun to see new members joining our group at each event. At a recent event at the Cliffhangers Indoor Rockclimbing facility in Coquitlam, there were two new members out of the seven that attended. Their enthusiasm was awesome to see.

2. The VIP Experience

The benefit of experiencing an activity withan organized group is the amount of personalized instruction and attention you receive. The Cliffhanger gym had allocated three staff members to handle our seven-person group. They were excellent about explaining the equipment and making sure each one of the members was comfortable and secure before climbing. The staff tied all the knots and preformed 100% of the belaying duties. They were encouraging, super friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Did we mention there were three of them?

3. Unique Features

The Cliffhangers climbing center has employed a number of auto-belayers. These unique devices allow climbers to ascend without an actual human belayer. I have a limited background in climbing, but I had never come across an auto-belaying system. Using the auto-belayer took a literal leap of faith, but it was something new and different that added a little extra to the experience.

4. Other Singles

Of the group that attended, five were guys (including me) and two were ladies. Though there was a range of climbing experience in the group, every member was physically fit and excited to climb. I noticed a number of other single lady climbers at the facility and talked to a handful of friendly fit people outside of the group. Going to an engaging physical activity like rock climbing presents an opportunity for our members to meet other active singles in an environment that is ripe with single Vancouverites with similar interests: staying fit, enjoying life and inviting challenges.

5. Post-Event Fun

After we finished climbing we carpooled over to the Boston Pizza, just off Lougheed Highway. Our host and four other members attended. We debriefed the night, laughed about our skills and shared a few stories. It was nice to sit down and talk with the others in a relaxed setting. I ordered the spicy sausage pasta. It was amazing. We also were able to discuss future events and see who was signed up for what. After hearing all the stories about last year’s snowshoe fondue adventure, I was little sad I was going to miss it. Ah well, plenty of other exciting events on the calendar. Definitely attending the Chinese New Year Parade on February 2^nd.