Homeless in Vancouver: Rain or shine, I still want my coffee

I awoke to frost; breakfasted in a restaurant’s idea of hot, dry comfort; and binned through the alleys of Fairview long enough to feel the warmth of the sun overtake the earlier chill.

I felt positively overdressed by the time I cashed in at the bottle depot at Ontario Street and East 7th Avenue.

Later, when I was locking up my bike two kilometres or so to the west at Broadway Avenue and Spruce Street, it was raining—coming down buckets actually, but just on me.

The Waves Coffee House was having a power-washing crew over to hose down their awnings, windows, and sidewalk furniture.

That’s over and done with now. All of us are sitting in Waves drinking our coffees and playing on our laptops. The sun just glares at us hotly through the windows, as if to admonish us for not being outside on such a nice, sunny day.