Hanging with Aj'a

Aj'a is definately one of the most interesting, creative people I know. She is so committed to everything that she chooses to do, that when she had a hunch to give me a shout, she tried my house phone, my cell phone and eventually my blog before she tried my house again. The hunch turned into going for a neighborhood coffee to catch up and then spending the weekend at my house (there's always an extra bedroom at my house).
She accompanied me to Mike's where I had to drop off his rent before going to Neal's for some veggie-wraps. Along 16th I saw a big white sign with Yard Sale painted in red. Aj'a is notorious for finding urban treasure so I pulled over. At first all we found were some infant items - games, clothing, shoes. But on the corner of a rough blanket were a bunch of small metal items - zippos, cigar cutters, jewellery. I picked up a fake pearl necklace when an old man with long white hair, cracked scotch-tape glasses and a great chest wearing torquoise and green tattoos. He told us how he buys crates of old books and sells the good ones, but that he has to buy boxes of trinkets as well. From a plastic box, I picked up a silver ring with a white stone in it. Looking at it a little closer, the stone turned out to be an opal. I bought it for five bucks. The strange old man talked about his art - Decoupage - layering imagery from books and magazines on furniture. I asked if I could see some of his work and his lead us into his little house - his significant other on the couch to our right, pet dog on a long chain outside. He showed me his prise cabinet - one he would never sell. The imagery was amazing - cut to fit every curve and turn on the woodwork of this piece. The man said he sells more downtown. We walk out of his house to find that his dog loves our allergetic Aj'a. I toss the ball for the pup a couple of times before we head to the car.
From there, we pick up some groceries to dine with my friend Neal - he cooks for us and we have a good time hanging out before we fail to make it up Burnaby Mountain. We headed to Burnaby North High School to view the dooming viking bust to compensate.
The next morning Aj'a accompanies me to pick blueberries with good friend Rebecca and her friend Yasmine. I'll do anything with Rebecca - anything she suggests, but I know if she's coming it will be interesting. And I did have a lot of fun berry picking - the orchird was overrun, Rebecca and I had to practically dive into the bush. In the middle of it, you could loose the direction you came from - with branches over your head causing you to walk hunched over. Then to read high out of the bush into the sun to pick the big plump ones that roll from the stem through your fingers and into your hand. We were picking for a hot hour and a half before heading back. Jasmine and Aj'a stayed on the outside of the orchird. A young goat, a kid, accompannied the fellow who weighed our buckets.
My Sunday became quiet when Aj'a left to go to a family dinner - her nephew is in town. Life is more colourful hanging out with Aj'a. Even if we're doing bland things, she always finds ways to make them more interesting. I look forward to hanging out more with her and seeing her around Dougie this fall. In the theoretical movie of my life, she would be played by Cyndi Lauper.