Friday funnies

 

A scam to be aware of!

I saw this posted on social media.  It would be easy to fall for this scam so I'm sharing it.  

I was almost a victim of fraud, but I played along when I knew what was happening, share the hell out of this.

A couple weeks ago I received a call from a “ New Canadian “ claiming to call from Bell mobility in Toronto, told me he could give me a big promotional offer with a brand new iPhone 17 pro max, and a free Apple Watch, sounded great!  I logged into my Bell App and he walked me through what to click on and order and told me when I receive the phone at my house to call him and he would set me up with the amazing promotional code.  So the day my phone showed up I get a hold of him and he says oh they sent the wrong phone, it’s a 512 GB and the promotion is only for the 256, “ so sir I’m going to send you a return label you just need to print it off and tape it on the box and go drop the parcel off then I’ll have my dispatch team send you the right one “. 

Keep in mind this is all over WhatsApp instead of the regular phone line.  I played with him for a few days said I’d do it blah blah blah.  Meanwhile I phoned Bell directly and yes they said I was just about a victim of fraud so they gave me a code to take into the post office to print the proper return label (note that any cellphone packages say on them, do not return to any address besides the one on the box). the return label the fraudster gave me was for a storage unit in Toronto after looking it up.  I took a small box I had laying around the house, wrapped it and stuck an old empty iPhone box inside with a nice friendly note 😉😉.  Stuck the return label from the fraudster on it and took it to the post office, the lady knew me from when I sent the phone back to Bell and said this is awesome, it happens so much. 

DO NOT FALL FOR THIS SCAM. Another lady that was in line said this happened to her as well.

The Price is Right Canada Tonight!

 

Howie Mandel is the host of the Canadian version of The Price is Right Canada Tonight.  It starts on March 10th on City TV in Canada at 8 PM Pacific Time.

Cheryl, Lexie and my long time friend Laurie and I went to a taping of the show last December.  I cannot say anything more as I signed a non-disclosure agreement, but I got this email yesterday:

The time has finally come for Canada to see you COME ON DOWN!

We are excited to confirm that you will appear in the second episode of The Price is Right Tonight, airing Tuesday, March 17 at 8/7c on Citytv. 

I will post more details when I can!

Daylight Savings and Passports

BC passed legislation in 2019 to let it enact permanent Daylight Savings Time but pledged to wait until Washington State, Oregon, California moved, so as to avoid any economic disruption and disadvantage. 
Now, BC says it does not care what USA does.

I didn't write the above, but I saw it on social media, loved the language and decided to share on my blog.

On March 31, the cost of a Canadian passport will rise by 2.7 percent, the CPI increase in April 2024. For example, for those applying within Canada, the price of a five-year passport would rise to $123.24 and the cost of a 10 year passport would increase to $164.32.

If you need a passport or your passport expires within the next 9 months, get one before the end of the month.  A friend from Vancouver Island came here for a visit.  She went to the Service Canada Office in my neighbourhood and they told her the replacement passport would be sent by Canada Post and delivered in about three weeks.  She went home one week after she applied for her replacement and it was sitting in her mailbox.  The sign on the window of Service Canada says passports in 10 business days.  Looks like they are exceeding their own commitments.  

A lovely Sunday in Vancouver

There’s something special about Downtown Vancouver when the sun decides to show off.  Yesterday was one of those days—the kind that reminds you why people travel halfway around the world just to stand on our seawall and breathe in the clean Pacific air.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous: crisp but bright, with that early‑season warmth that makes the glass towers sparkle. You could feel the energy the moment you stepped onto the street.  Some tourists were seen —cameras out, maps in hand, and big smiles as they discovered the city’s corners for the first time.  It’s always fun watching people fall in love with Vancouver in real time.

On our trip from South Surrey, we took the double decker bus to Skytrain.  The bus we were on was almost full.  Those buses are rarely full even through the work week at rush hour.   Locals were out in full force.  When we were walking the seawall, cyclists zipped past on dedicated lanes, and families wandered through the waterfront taking in the views.  Even the street performers seemed to have a little extra spring in their step.

Notice the yoga class on top of the Cactus Club

I've never gone to Nanaimo on Hullo but plan to sometime this summer

You don't see Canada Place when there are cruise ships in town.  

The mountains have very little snow for March 1st!

Always nice to see Stanley Park

I wandered through some of my favourite spots—Waterfront Station, Coal Harbour, and Canada Place—and everywhere I went, people were soaking up the day.  

Days like this remind me how lucky we are to live so close to a world‑class city that still manages to feel welcoming and walkable.  Vancouver shines brightest when people are out enjoying it together, and today was one of those perfect snapshots of what makes this place so special.

Neil Sedaka

I was very sorry to hear about the death of Neil Sedaka.  Few artists have woven themselves into the fabric of popular music as seamlessly as Neil Sedaka.  His career spans more than seven decades, crossing genres, generations, and continents — a testament to both his talent and his ability to evolve with the times.  Sedaka’s story is not just about hit records; it’s about resilience, reinvention, and the enduring power of a great melody.

Neil Sedaka was born on March 13, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York, to a close-knit, working-class family.  His musical gifts emerged early. By eight, he was studying classical piano at the prestigious Juilliard School’s preparatory division — a rare opportunity for a child from his background.

But while classical music shaped his technique, it was pop that captured his imagination.  As a teenager, Sedaka teamed up with lyricist Howard Greenfield, forming one of the most successful song writing duos of the Brill Building era.  Their partnership would define the sound of early American pop.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Brill Building in Manhattan was the beating heart of American pop songwriting. Sedaka and Greenfield were at its center, penning hits for artists like Connie Francis — including “Stupid Cupid” and “Where the Boys Are.”

Sedaka soon stepped into the spotlight himself.  His early singles — “Oh! Carol,” “Calendar Girl,” and “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” — became international hits.  His voice, bright and unmistakable, paired with his knack for irresistible melodies, made him one of the era’s defining stars.  I still sing his wonderful songs.

The arrival of the British Invasion in 1964 changed everything. Like many American pop artists of the early ’60s, Sedaka found his career suddenly overshadowed.  But instead of fading away, he adapted.

He moved to the UK, collaborated with new songwriters, and experimented with fresh sounds. His comeback was cemented in the 1970s when Elton John — a long time admirer — signed him to his Rocket Records label. The result was a second wave of hits, including “Laughter in the Rain,” “Bad Blood,” and a reimagined, slower version of “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” which made him one of the few artists to hit No. 1 with two different versions of the same song.  This era proved Sedaka wasn’t just a relic of the past — he was a master craftsman capable of evolving with the musical landscape.

Beyond the spotlight, Sedaka has always been known for his warmth, humour, and devotion to family. He married his wife, Leba, in 1962, and their partnership has been a steady anchor throughout his career.  Their children, Dara and Marc, have both pursued creative paths of their own.  Even into his 80s, Sedaka continued performing, recording, and connecting with fans — including through charming at-home concerts during the pandemic that introduced him to a new generation of listeners.

A wonderful artist with a fabulous life and he will be sadly missed.  

Casa Mia

 

🌺 Casa Mia: A Mansion of Music, Mischief, and Vancouver Legend

In 1975, I was in the hospital having surgery.  I was in a two bed ward and the nice older lady I was with told me her son bought Casa Mia but had sold it.  She said it needed a lot of repair work.  She also said, if he owned a couple of animals, he could claim it as a farm and pay very low taxes, which he did.  She also said he founded "Happy Honda" that existed at that time in North Burnaby.  I don't remember her name, but she was a lovely lady and I loved this story.  I believed it at the time and it probably was true but I could never verify it.  It doesn't really matter.  Every time I drive down SW Marine Drive, I remember that lady.

If you drive along Southwest Marine Drive — that elegant ribbon of road once known as Vancouver’s “Millionaire’s Row” — you’ll eventually come upon a grand pink‑hued estate perched above the river. It’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it, but once you see it, Casa Mia has a way of staying with you.

It isn’t just a mansion. It’s a time capsule.  A whisper of jazz-age glamour.  A reminder that Vancouver’s history is far more colourful than its polite exterior suggests.  And at the centre of it all is the Reifel family — brewers, builders, philanthropists, and, depending on who you ask, a little bit of trouble.

🍸 A Mansion Built on Beer, Grit, and Guts

Casa Mia was completed in 1932, during the depths of the Great Depression — a time when most Vancouverites were tightening belts, not commissioning Spanish Colonial Revival palaces. But the Reifels were not “most Vancouverites.”

The family fortune came from brewing and distilling.  They ran the Canadian Brewing and Malting Company, the BC Distillery, and several other ventures that kept Vancouver well‑supplied with beer — even during the awkward years of prohibition, when “near beer” was the only legal option.

Let’s just say the Reifels understood supply and demand better than most.

George C. Reifel, the man behind Casa Mia, wanted a home that reflected both his success and his taste for the theatrical. So he hired architect Ross A. Lort, who delivered a mansion that looked like it had been plucked from the hills of Santa Barbara and dropped gently onto Marine Drive.

🎶 The Ballroom Where Vancouver Learned to Dance

Step inside Casa Mia and you’re greeted by a sweeping staircase, ornate plasterwork, and a sense that the walls have stories they’re dying to tell.  But the real magic lies downstairs.

Hidden beneath the main floor is a full Art Deco ballroom, complete with a sprung dance floor, gold‑leaf ceiling, and acoustics designed for big-band music. It wasn’t just a room — it was a stage.

And the Reifels knew how to use it.

They were the same family behind the Commodore Ballroom, the Vogue Theatre, and the Studio Theatre. Vancouver’s nightlife — its pulse, its rhythm, its swagger — was shaped by the Reifels long before neon signs lit up Granville Street.

So when they threw a party at Casa Mia, it wasn’t a quiet affair.  Politicians, entertainers, business leaders — they all passed through those doors. The ballroom became a kind of unofficial cultural salon, where deals were made, gossip flowed, and Vancouver’s future was shaped over cocktails and jazz.

🎨 A Disney Surprise in the Nursery

One of Casa Mia’s most charming secrets sits upstairs: a nursery painted in 1938 by artists from Walt Disney Studios.  Imagine being a child waking up to Snow White and woodland creatures dancing across your walls — a private fairytale created just for you. It’s one of the few Disney‑designed residential murals in Canada, and it remains protected to this day.

🕰️ From Family Estate to Heritage Treasure

The Reifels lived in Casa Mia until 1965, after which the mansion passed through several hands. By the early 2000s, its future was uncertain — too large for a single family, too important to lose.

Heritage advocates stepped in, and after years of planning, Casa Mia found a new purpose:

a seniors’ residence that preserves the mansion’s historic heart while adding modern care facilities behind it. Today, the ballroom still gleams.  The Disney murals still charm.  And Casa Mia continues to watch over Marine Drive, a grand old dame with stories to spare.

🌟 Why Casa Mia Still Matters

Casa Mia isn’t just a house.  It’s a reminder of a Vancouver that dared to dream big — sometimes too big, sometimes boldly, always colourfully. It tells the story of a family who shaped the city’s nightlife, its architecture, and even its scandals.

It shows how heritage can be preserved not by freezing time, but by giving old places new life.

And it stands as a testament to the idea that behind every grand façade, there’s a human story — full of ambition, creativity, contradictions, and heart.