Friday-Sunday January 25-27, 2013

Friday-Sunday January 25-27/13  update #351

Friday did not start off well but ended up really well.   I had set a doctor’s appointment for an annual physical with Dr Anderson ages ago from Ecuador for Friday at 10:30 and  I was there 10 minutes early.   The waiting room was jammed and more people showed up after me, yet I was not even called to sit in an examining room after 40 minutes, but folks who arrived after me were waited on almost immediately.  I had to be on the road very quickly so I was not a happy camper at all.  I got up and told the receptionist that I had traveled 7,000 kms, and had arrived on time, and had had to rearrange my schedule to accommodate their limited appointments available, so I was not appreciative at all of having to cool my heals all this time, and I walked out. 

My next problem was to hope that there would be enough heat for a long highway journey from a car with no heater blower.   I needn’t have been concerned because there was more than enough heat pouring out, even without a blower.   Add in the heated seats and I drove with a window open most of the way.   I thought of it too late to turn down my request for the maximum heat because I certainly didn’t need it.

I made my way to Wetaskiwin to visit with my son Todd, grand-daughter Heather who is pregnant, and grandson Tyson.  It was a really pleasant visit and it was nice to see all the stones and polished gems that Todd has been working on.   Todd is one of the head maintenance people with the City of Edmonton and he is tasked with looking after their largest rec complex in Terwilligar.  His wife Janet got tied up at her busy management job at Money Mart and didn’t make it home in time to visit.  Grandson Cody was similarly busy in town and unable to come and chat. 

Heather is due with my first great-grandchild on April 1^st so I am really looking forward to that.   I am hoping we can swing a return trip in May to combine it with our niece Bryna’s upcoming wedding on May 25.  I have tasked Bella with locating a trade show in that time frame for us to sell some of our Eleggant Hooks crochet hooks to finance the trip.

Around dusk I hopped back in the car and headed to Edmonton.  The new Anthony Henday ring road has been completed around the west side of Edmonton and takes me within a few blocks of my daughter Jill’s house in the north-central part of the city.  Driving right up the length of Edmonton is apparently 25 kms and the ring road is 50 kms, but the ring road had no lights and almost no traffic, with speed limits of 100kph, so it was a dream to bypass city traffic.   I got there in time to make many calls to different friends and relatives in the area.  I know I missed many more but time just didn’t allow for more.  Thank you to all those that indicated that they do follow this blog, because I often wonder who are my 35 or so very regular audience.   And thank you to Ash and Jill for always making me feel so welcome, and to Dawson for giving up his room for his PePere.

Saturday started off with a trip to deep south Millwoods area for a picture-taking session for grandson Dawson’s hockey team.  The backup goalie got lost on the way there so the photos were delayed a long time.  I was really impressed with the photographer’s ideas for shots and can’t wait to see his results.

On the way back we stopped to buy a new goalie stick for Dawson and had a quick panini lunch at Tim Horton’s.   We arrived home by 2pm and were greeted by a visit from our niece Shelley whom we had not seen in many, many years, so that was very special.

We had an early supper then headed off to the Cold Snap Cheerleading competition at the Northlands grounds where grand-daughter Danai was performing.  This competition was extremely well run and had countless teams running on a very tight and exact schedule.  Danai is only 12 and I was completely blown away by her team’s performance!  I thought it rivaled anything Jill did in High Scholl or even with the Edmonton Eskimo Cheerleaders!  They were flawless and easily got a first-place trophy.

Ash and I slipped out immediately after the performance to head back to Millwoods for a hockey game featuring grandson Dawson.  He is 15 years old, a goalie, and carrying the weight of his whole team on his back because the team is really bad and giving him no support.   The game was never out of reach as Dawson kept the score close with many spectacular saves but they ended up losing, again.   On neighboring sheets of ice we watched younger players giving much better efforts than poor Dawson’s teammates.  I hope the season is mercifully over soon for him.  Dawson attends a sports school and has had big-name coaching including all-star Grant Fuhr who won many Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers.

Sunday was yet another trip to south Edmonton to watch grand-daughter Danai practice volleyball in the phenomenal Saville Sports Center.  This complex has so many courts and sports that I lost count.  I was duly impressed with wheelchair basketball athletes that were practicing there.

Danai is such a jock that I tease her, but she has been doing track and field, diving, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and cheerleading, with older kids, and definitely not looking out-of-place.  She was in the top-four in the province in track and field in her age group! 

Sadly I had to depart for my trek back to Okotoks and I picked up our friend Mavis in Leduc for the trip back.   She is such delightful company.

I arrived home and saw that my brother Laurent from Redcliff had called so I returned the call.   He said his son Doug, with wife Joanne, were in Okotoks to watch their son Justin play hockey in the arena near our home so I went straightaway and surprised them.   One of Joanne’s uncles lives in the area and he was there too.   Another of life’s little surprises…..   I actually was watching the hockey with trepidation because I feared history would repeat itself.   Doug played many years ago with the Fort McMurray  Oil Barons and I would go watch him play occasionally, however he would get injured in every game I attended, the worst being a ruptured spleen when playing in Sherwood Park, hence I stayed away after that.   12-year-old Justin is looking to be a chip off the old block so I was ready to bolt for the door if necessary.  But the game ended with no mishaps so I breathed a sigh of relief.  I must say this Redcliff team was well coached, and had talent, and would easily have beaten the 15-year-olds on grandson Dawson’s team!   Let’s hope that Justin proves not to be as accident-prone as his father.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.    Please see all photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/