Things we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do tomorrow morning (New Year’s Day) and later in the week…

Who’s Down For Shrinkage?

The Vancouver Polar Bear Swim Club is one of the largest and oldest Polar Bear Clubs in the world. The swim takes place New Years Day, as in get ready it’s happening. Costumes and the Peter Pantages Memorial 100 yard swim race are the highlights, not to mention the general insanity. Rumor has it that a few swigs from the scotch bottle beforehand can help boost courage (not that we encourage that sort of thing).
Jan 1 | 2:30 pm | The icy shores of English Bay | FREE

Wolves, Sleighs, and Booze

Take in fresh mountain air on a sleigh ride through a snowy forest or lace up some skates for a turn on the outdoor rink. Both activities come free with admission to Grouse Mountain. Other free activities include snowshoeing, Theatre Under the Sky, Endangered Wildlife (wolf) Habitat. And don’t worry: restaurants and coffee bars will be offering full service New Years Day.
Open all year! | 8:45 – 10pm | Adult $35 Kids $13 (under 4yrs FREE)

Lightweight Polar Bear Skate

West End and Kitsilano Community Centre Ice Rinks offer small ice skating windows on New Years Day (2:00 – 6:00pm in the West End and 6:00 – 7:30 pm in Kits). Not quite a dip in freezing cold water – but it will get your blood flowing none the less.

Jan 1 | times above | $2 | Vancouver Parks Board for details

Work That Fat Ass

From the Fat Ass website: “The objective of this event is to sweep away the cobwebs of the previous evenings excess, work off a few of those holiday calories, and to start the New Year with a fun run in the company of like-minded individuals.”
Jan 1 | 9:00 am | Brockton Oval | See web site for details.

Supersuckers in Concert

Supersuckers 20th anniversary tour with special guests Carpenter
Jan 2 | Doors 7:30, Show 8:30 | Biltmore | $20 in advance, $30 at the door (tix at Zulu or Red Cat)

Festival of Lights

Start 2009 with an invigorating walk through a 15 acre garden festively lit by more than a million dazzling lights.
Until Jan 4 | 4:30 pm to 9:00 |VanDusen Botanical Garden | Adults – $11, Children $8

Free Sex In The City

From the UBC Department of Theatre site: Award-winning Sex and the City actress, producer and author Kim Cattrall returns home to BC to talk to Jerry Wasserman about her professional work in television, theatre and film, her life challenges, women in the work force, post-feminism, self-image, and her 35+ years of success in one of the toughest, most competitive businesses out there”.
Jan 7 | 12 pm | Frederic Wood Theatre | FREE (Call 604.822.2678)

Get Your Haiku On

The 2009 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival invites budding and established poets to submit haiku honouring Vancouver’s 36,000 cherry trees. Dust off the calligraphy set and start to work. Everything you ever need to know about Haiku and Cherry blossoms can be found on the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival website. Even if you don’t plan to compose a poem – have a look at the site anyway. The plethora of cherry blossom photos and pervasive pink wash over everything might ordinarily seem a tad saccharine – but given the cold, slushy streets of January – the enthusiasm of the site is actually a nice reminder of what spring will eventually bring.

Jan 7 deadline | Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival website

Etch Your Sketch Off

Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre presents “Wild, ZANY, Gut-aching, peeing in pants – FUNNY! competition to win the coveted Vancouver Rice Bowl
Jan 7 | 7:30 pm | Roundhouse Community Centre | $18 in advance, $22 at door