BOUQUET To the two young gentlemen who changed my flat tire on the parkway. I no sooner puller away when I heard a strange clunking noise – we had not wound up the cable that holds the spare tire under the car. As I struggled to wind this cord, another gentleman and his wife offered their help.
BEEF To my neighbour. There was nothing on his to-do list and he still only finished half of it.
BOUQUET To the wonderful men who are the Knights of Columbus for donating your food and your time to Park Avenue Elementary School for the Santa breakfast. We truly appreciate all your hard work and Christmas spirit.
BEEF To the Christmas card selection at the store. I appreciate my newspaper carrier and all, but I didn’t necessarily want to send him “more Christmas love than words could ever express.”
BOUQUET To Riley at Newcastle Nissan for going to so much trouble checking our front tire for leaks in the pouring rain.
BEEF To the cranky post lady who butt in and wouldn’t let the clerk sell me stamps for my kid’s Christmas parcel, insisting I buy machine label ones. Merry Christmas to the north-end clerk who put real stamps on his parcel.
BOUQUET To the shuttle drivers at Nanaimo Toyota for going out of their way to pick up a damsel in distress. Also a big thanks to the team that got my Yaris back on the road so quickly.
BEEF To Victoria’s new mayor for refusing to swear allegiance to our Queen and her great granny, Queen Victoria who was the one who named our proud city. Shame on her for trying to change our traditions.
BOUQUET To Tara Fedosoff and Nanaimo Aquatic Centre staff for trying to improve recycling at the facility.
BEEF To the person who stole an old car battery off one of my tie-down legs of my tarp-covered car storage. Removing that one battery, for a lousy $5 or so, destroyed my frame. The wind blew it over my car, scratching the paint job as it went.
BOUQUET To the Beefs and Bouquets section and its power. I got to personally witness barefoot guy at the gym get busted by staff.
BEEF To the citizens of Nanaimo who have yet to figure out that the old Island Highway is 80 km/h and not 50 km/h. It’s not a residential street, it’s a highway.
BOUQUET To the Nanaimo Ice Centre for keeping a bookshelf in the lounge. I was able to read Babar The King during intermission of a hockey game. In a related beef, Babar The King isn’t as good as I remember from my childhood.
BEEF to the restaurant. Went there with a group of six and not only were the servers inexperienced and slow, we had to wait 45 minutes for our mediocre food.
BOUQUET To Darragh Worledge for sharing her love of Colliery Dam Park and showing us the way to Granny Falls. What a beautiful spot.
BEEF To the Grinch who stole my Christmas lights from my front yard on Bruce Avenue. I hope you think of my family every time you see them lit up in your front yard and know that you have made another family feel violated during what is supposed to be a season of charity and giving.
BOUQUET To hard-working volunteers at Cat Nap. I adopted Goose (now named Alexis) and she is an absolute angel. You do very good, important work.
BEEF When the water coming out of our taps isn’t safe to drink do we get a discount? Having to boil it takes both time and money. Defective products are usually sold for less.
BOUQUET To the kind gentleman (Mark?) at Life Labs for letting me and my daughter and another man ahead of him in line.
BEEF To the store’s delivery system. The driver tried three times, but could have left something to say he would be returning and the item could be picked up at the warehouse or store instead of being sent back.
BOUQUET To the raddest boyfriend ever. You do things every day to make me feel wanted and happy. You are truly awesome. Happy one-year anniversary.
BEEF To the grocery store that advertises in very large print, “turkey grade A, 98 cents per pound.” Then in small print – so small it looks like a pencil line – “minimum order $50 with turkey.” You really need a microscope to read the last part.
BOUQUET To Hazel and Karen Smith. You both work so hard and put in so many hours at Paradise Isle Seniors Society.
BEEF To all the people who think it’s OK to go out to a restaurant when you or your child are sick. It’s very inconsiderate to the servers in the restaurant who don’t have a choice but to serve you. There is such thing as takeout if you are too sick to cook.
BOUQUET To the Five Fundraising Friends. Another example of the generosity of Nanaimo people – especially at Christmas time.
BEEF To the lady in the white and pink SUV who can’t seem to slow down for any school zone.
BOUQUET To my mail person for putting my newspaper through the mail slot. A small act of kindness that is greatly appreciated. We sure won’t get this personal service from a community mailbox.
BOUQUET To the best yoga instructor Lesley at Koi Yoga. You got me started and now look at me touch my toes. Thank you for everything – especially the energy at your classes.
BOUQUET To Country Grocer at Southgate for your generous heart and the sunshine you bring to all of us seniors. From Hazel and all the members of Paradise Isle Seniors Society.
BOUQUET To Ralph at Mid Island Towing. Thank you for handling a difficult situation with the greatest amount of care possible.
BOUQUET To the owner of Cinnamon Joes for his generosity and delicious food. You are a great addition to our downtown.
BOUQUET To everyone who tries to keep a smile, or at least fake one, as they brave the mall corridors this month. We don’t have to let the stresses and pressures of the season dampen our good spirits.
To submit a beef or a bouquet to the Nanaimo News Bulletin, please e-mail bulletinboard@nanaimobulletin.com.
