Friday June 21, 2013

Friday June 21/13 update # 489

Got word last night that Calgary, High River and many Alberta communities are experiencing heavy flooding, worse than in 1975.  It seems that most of High River has been evacuated and lots of damage.  We haven’t had much word about Okotoks though, except for a photo on YouTube showing a city sign almost under water.   We have many friends and relatives in the area so we sincerely hope everyone is safe.

Last night I took a quick walk to Wal-Mart to get snacks to last me until departure.  This place is sure pretty at night.

The show was marginally better today, starting off very well then tailing off in the afternoon.   We have no idea what to expect tomorrow but sincerely hope it is wall-to-wall with buyers.

I got a chance to take a few photos of some of the quilts on display here.  I know some of our quilting friends can appreciate the beauty and intricacy of these works of art.

The great ladies across the way, Nancy and Shelley, gave me an option to use their credit card capabilities which we had to use twice today.  Poor Nancy had so much trouble with the Front Desk charging her 4 times for her hotel stay and tying up all her cash so they apologized by giving them a suite with the muckety-mucks upstairs so they now have a great view, fridge, microwave and coffeemaker…. They also get access to the a free lounge with snacks and drinks so we got to experience that for one hour.

Anxious to get home already.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Thursday June 20/13

Thursday June 20/13 update # 488

Strangely I awoke early but was determined to stay in bed until 8am.   I lasted until about 7:20 before some ridiculous pounding began to drive me crazy.   So I got up and tried to check emails but the Internet didn’t want to work.   I called the front desk and they referred me to another firm that handles ‘airport wifi’ but they were no help either.

The room doesn’t have a coffee maker so I was a little cranky already.   I went downstairs and picked up a coffee, a chicken wrap for lunch and a juice to last me through the day at the booth.

I decided to wait a bit to see which way the crowd would come in through the front doors and was quite pleased to see that they were turning right and going right past my booth and would be back when they navigated each aisle.  I t started off very slow, with a lot of “be-back” folks  so I made a decision to ask the show folks to get me a short half wall for the front side of my booth so I could install the one banner on the side which had the most traffic.  They showed up within about 20 minutes and the changes had an immediate effect.

Today was not a great day for sales and that is not a good sign because usually the first day is the best day, but starting on a Thursday is unusual so maybe Friday and/or Saturday will hopefully be a lot better.  It always helps when you have some good neighbouring booths and we do have that advantage.

After today’s work I just did a quick tour of the casino area and was tempted to try even just $5 but I decided against it.   It was better to just get a quick supper and relax in the room.   My legs are really exhausted tonight.

I finally found the Johnny Rockets out at the pool area.  They are apparently there on a temporary basis while the hotel finds them new digs.  After a forgettable $8 single burger I bought a Sprite at another booth and made it to the room.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Wednesday June 19/13

Wednesday June 19/13 update # 487

I had emptied the humidifier in the morning so I had no white noise to sleep with and it was much too quiet.  I had maybe 2 hours sleep when the alarm went off at 3:30am to get ready.  Gord again kindly drove me to the airport and everything went very easily through United’s counters, then customs, so I had loads of time to have a leisurely breakfast.  It was very foggy in Calgary but we got away early, had to skirt some bad weather, and flew over mountains in Montana and Wyoming before arriving early in Denver.   My original seat assignment was the absolute farthest seat in the jet so I had been worried about only having one hour to make my next plane.  I knew that the plane wasn’t full from my pre-board attempt so I asked the stewardess to lease move me up if at all possible.   All the empty seats were the premium economy ones that very few people paid the extra $33 to fill.  The stew moved about 6 of us up from the back rows so we were happy campers.   If you don’t ask, you don’t get….  Because a plane was late departing from our anticipated gate allocation we ended up sitting on the tarmac and lost all our advantage, so it was great that we had gotten moved up.

The gate for the next flight was a very long walk so I was doubly thankful about the prior seat change..

The flight to Reno was uneventful and we landed right on schedule.   I wasn’t too happy when I saw my big suitcase though.   It was obvious that it had been opened and the back of it has a 5-inch gash.  I think baggage handlers get a stipend from luggage manufacturers.

The Grand Sierra Resort hotel is only a 5 minute drive from the airport and they have a free shuttle.   Too bad it only starts at 5am because I will need to be at the airport at 4am on Sunday.  It is funny to see the local cabs with advertising on their roofs for the houses of ill repute, which are legal in Nevada.

The hotel is huge and has all sorts of gambling, theatres, restaurants, pool, etc.   Lots of distractions for anyone who would be interested but I am not.

When I checked in I confirmed that our Benson Box with out Eleggant Hooks had arrived and were being kept in the Business Center.   After I dumped my luggage in the room on the 12^th floor I headed down there.   It only cost $15 to retrieve the box so I took it to the booth.  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that our booth was completely empty, no table, no chair…  The show director claimed that we had not ordered anything.   I dug and dug in my emails back in the room until I found the order which I emailed down to her.  I couldn’t reach Bella because she would have been playing bridge.   Bella later let me know that they never did charge us for it, but in the meantime everyone was gracious and helpful to get us a table and chair.

Set-up did not take long but we are located on an odd corner and not very visible.  The folks will visit every booth at least once so I am not overly concerned but, if tomorrow is bad, I am going to ask for a full side wall so I can make our banners more visible from both directions.

Then I went for a very different pizza supper then did a quick wander around the casino/theater/restaurant floor.  The smell of smoke is pervasive and drove me from the premises in short order.

The hotel room is large and always sleep well in hotels.   I can create enough white noise and cool air with the air-conditioners for a good sleep.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Monday-Tuesday June 17-18, 2013

Tuesday June 18, 2013  update #486

Two blogs today, for Monday and Tuesday.

I awoke much too early but my brain was working overtime with a few last minute things I would have to do so I just got up and got started.  My cousin Maurice Jalbert came to visit this morning, having flown in from Regina the night before.  Maurice is coming back with me to Ecuador after we do our show in Houston to spend 2 weeks and tour the country.  2 weeks isn’t very long, especially when a trip to Mindo is a necessity. 

We went to Mr Spud for a brunch of fish ‘n chips and I was quite surprised that the lady proprietor remembered me, and my usual order!  She was quite proud that they had just been notified that they had been voted in the top 3 in the Foothills in 3 categories, getting 2 Gold and one Silver awards.  This is nothing new for them as they are one of the best food places in town.

Maurice and I discussed some of the things that would be good to bring to Ecuador, etc, and shot the breeze over many issues.

Maurice had to be away by noon so we made it back in time and he was nice enough to grab a couple of items that I could not take with me on this trip because of weight restrictions.  We will have to wait until November for good peanut butter, etc.

I began the final processes of packing, etc., doing my last laundry load and getting caught up on my Internet chores.  I tried to pre-board online, but because I am going on United, with a Canadian passport, I will have to dick around at a kiosk in the airport in the morning.

I then caught an hour’s nap before heading into Calgary to get Mom.  She was quite happy to come out to have Wings in Okotoks again, this time at Original Joe’s.    We met the usual bunch, Gord, Em, and Paul (everyone else is away until later this month), and we were joined by my sister Leonie, husband Brian, and Debbie who is our house-sitter.  A good time was had by all.

The return trip to Calgary was a little sad because it would be the last few moments I would have with my Mom until I return in February.

On return to Okotoks I had to put another $60 of gas in the Buick and pump up the tires, especially the right front which seems to have a chronic slow leak.  I may be a flaw in the aluminum rims, I’m not sure.  I then parked it carefully, backing it into the garage, and disconnecting the battery.   Hopefully that will help the battery survive until Bella gets here in November.  The last order of business tonight will be to drop the insurance coverage than maybe I can get a couple of hours sleep before getting up at 3:45 to head to the airport and to Reno.

Sorry that I just wasn’t in a picture-taking mood today, although we did see a nice deer along the highway but couldn’t stop.

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

Monday June 17, 2013  update #485 

I prepared more for my departure, washed clothes and bedding, etc.  I am crossing my fingers that everything left is going to fit in the suitcase or carry-on.   I didn’t get out of my grubbies because those will be last load of washing for tomorrow.

I didn’t venture away from the house at all and we only had one mild spell of rain here but they had tornado warnings to the east.

Deb came home from her trip to Hawaii and says she enjoyed snorkeling and swimming and their stay in a fabulous home.

No photos and not much news so I won’t even bother posting this today.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.

Sunday June 16, 2013

Sunday June 16, 2013  update #484

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there.

I haven’t managed to get a real gorgeous Alberta sunset yet, but I did get pretty nice sky and silhouette last night.

I made the mistake of stepping on the scale today.  ‘Nuf said… this boy is losing weight on his return to Ecuador!

I told Mom I would be in at 2:30 today and I barely made it on time because of construction and car accidents.  I installed Mom’s new thermometer on her bedroom window so she was very happy about that.  She had mentioned a couple of times that she wanted to go see the flowers at Sacred Heart church so I looked up the address and ugh… it was almost downtown.  I asked her if she wanted to go there and her eyes lit up so off we went.  It is a nice enough brick church on the outside  but I didn’t see one flower, which I thought was surprising.   I asked Mom if she wanted to go in, and she didn’t, so I just made a quick run inside, took a couple of shots and came back out.  Mom asked if they had a bathroom in there and I said yes, so I walked her inside.  There was some sort of ceremony going on with the Filipino priest, and what appeared to be a mostly Filipino congregation, but it wasn’t a mass.

As Mom was coming out she made a point of grasping the hand of the statue at the door and then said something to the effect of “Well I sure didn’t think I was ever going to get to see this church, much less pee in it, and shake hands with Jesus.  Maybe this will help me with my pee problems.”  I couldn’t help laughing over that one.

I drove Mom back and then came back to almost the same area near downtown to help my friend Keith with his groceries.   He had invited me for a barbeque but his muscle problems make it really difficult for him to manage many of the simplest tasks.  His landlord, Bill, came down to join us and then we were joined by Keith’s friend Gerda who is a long-distance walker and a saxophone player.

After a nice glass of wine Bill offered for us to dine upstairs where there would be more room, etc.  Keith had bought 6 lovely sirloin steaks ($53!) and we got Bill to grill them perfectly.  I made the salad and the dessert and we were away to the races.  I was savouring every mouthful of that delicious Alberta beef and didn’t want the meal to end.  Bill’s other half, LeeAnne, joined us after supper and we all shot the breeze for a while.

Then Bill disappears for a moment and comes back and puts a box in front of me that looks just like the lens on my camera, and tells me I can have it.  I am shaking my head at my good fortune then realize that this is a coffee cup that looks like a lens!   It is so realistic it had me fooled completely.

Bill and LeeAnne have constructed this gorgeous house and their kitchen is any cook’s dream.  Bella would fall in love with it instantly for sure.   They also have 3 rescue female dogs that are protective and smart as whips.  Would you believe these dogs can read?  They show the dogs pieces of paper with either of the words ‘down’ or ‘sit’, and the dogs obey and get a treat!!! 

I finally got home after 10pm but I am determined to get this Blog off tonight.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Saturday June 15, 2013

Saturday June 15, 2013  update #483

Last night we had some serious clouds going over at sunset with some long tubes out front that looked ominous.  But they weren’t any danger as there was very little wind and no roiling clouds.

I didn’t do much today except pack, and re-pack, and re-pack, trying to keep the main suitcase under 50 lbs.  Like usual, a lot of stuff had to stay behind and my backpack and carry-on will be stuffed.

Today was a re-run of yesterday, with alternating sun, cloud and rain all day long.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Friday June 14, 2013

Friday June 14, 2013  update #482

I got up too early after watching Lawrence Of Arabia into the wee hours of the morning but I wanted to see if the rain barrel had arrived as scheduled at Lorne’s.   I called and he said he had received two with big holes in them and to call again.

Today was a day where the weather couldn’t decide whether to pee or get off the pot.  Mostly it peed, but we didn’t need to go out until late. 

Every time I step out onto our deck, and then look at the neighbours, I smile and am so thankful that we spent the extra buck, did the work ourselves (with the invaluable help of our friend Ken Johnston) and put on the composite decking that we did.  I think it was called Trex, but I could be wrong.  It is always cool to the touch and still looks magnificent after 8 years.

I had to mail 2 packages of Eleggant Hooks then I sped into Calgary to try to do a quick shopping trip at Bianca Amor’s Liquidation Center.  I did pick up a couple of items, including a keyboard, and wireless headphones.   I just hope I have room in the suitcases for everything I want to bring back.   I better start packing tomorrow.

I went in to see Mom and we decided to play some Tile Rummy.  I had to smile when Mom insisted on dusting the table first.  It reminded me of her late husband Lou who said, “If you want to keep your Mom happy, hand her a dust rag”.  That has always been Mom’s hallmark, a spotlessly clean home, and age hasn’t diminished her resolve.

Now, do I have to admit that a 97-year-old woman beat me 2 straight games??  At least she doesn’t gloat about it (partly because she forgets who won…)

Then we went out for supper and her choice was to go to Boston Pizza for her personal “Meateor” pizza.  Better to have her eat something she enjoys than to hear grumbling over the meal.   It didn’t hurt that she could watch some wrestling on the big monitors.  Little things like that keep her happy.

When I dropped her off she mentioned that her thermometer in the bedroom window had deteriorated and was hard to see and she wanted a new one just like it.   On the way home I picked up a little gasoline and tried to use my Superstore coupons but they didn’t have any thermometers.   I did try to buy a $2 item which suddenly became $4 at the till so I told them they could keep it.

I could have gone to Canadian Tire or Wal-Mart but I was already fed up with Calgary so I headed to Okotoks and went straight to the Dollar Store.  There I found the right thermometer for a whole $1.   I dug up a nickel for the tax and opened my wallet to find my smallest bill was a $20.  Could you believe that the dimwit blonde at the till actually took out a calculator to determine that my change was $19 ??!!  What do they learn in school these days???!!!

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Thursday June 13, 2013

Thursday June 13, 2013  update #481

Happy 53^rd Birthday to our youngest brother Norm.

Last night I was looking outside quite late and saw 3 deer over the back fence so I stepped out on the deck to see if there were more in the area.   I saw a black and white animal scampering to my right which came right below me.   I didn’t want to startle it but I ran to get my camera.   By the time I had returned there was no sign of the skunk.  This morning I made a very careful check of the yard to be sure they were not building a den somewhere.   I always remember when Dad shot a skunk at the farm and it wasn’t long before the whole town, 2 miles away, knew about it.  That smell is very di-stink-tive!

Leonie and Mom were off to see her new doctor in High River mainly to refill prescriptions and to have a quick check-up.  Mom likes the manner of this Doctor, even though he is far away, so she cooperates well.  It was no surprise to anyone that he commended Mom for keeping in such great shape for a 97-year-old.

 I busied myself with chores around the house, like finding additional carpet to cover the front steps because winter and snow-shoveling is too hard on the new paint.  This is pretty good carpet, not expensive, but hard-wearing so it should last for years on our steps that get almost no traffic.  Even the paperboys just throw the paper from several feet away.

Bella has a picture/painting of a Paris scene over the main fireplace and somehow the picture had come away from the matting and was conspicuously askew.  Naturally the back is covered with glued-down paper but I managed to dislodge ½ of it, enough to get at the matting and photo.  I taped it back into place on the mat then wiggled it back underneath.  After taping up the back again, I hung it back up and it looks as good as new.

We had a little sprinkle this afternoon in spite of warning for more severe weather.    I was hoping for a decent rain to test out the repaired rain barrel.  I have to remember to pick up the “new’ rain barrel from Lorne tomorrow.

I enjoyed a nice supper of microwaved corn-on-the-cob and plan to make some popcorn later and relax with a good old movie.

I was surprised to hear that Cuenca has quickly gone from drought to almost flood conditions.  Our area is not on a flood plane so we are confident we will survive this.

I keep procrastinating but I had better start packing the big suitcase with all the items we want to bring back.  I am afraid that, like last time, some heavier items won’t make the trip….

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Wednesday June 12, 2013  update #480 

Sad news received this morning.  Jill’s mother-in-law, Dorothy, has just been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung, stomach and spine cancer.  Poor Dodie has been a recluse for the past year no doubt dealing with her pain.  Darn cancer anyway!  Hasn’t it caused us all enough heartache and pain.   Where are all these cures that they supposedly have?  There was even a report that the U of A had found a miracle cure….

More bad news today…  Our Coopera Credit Union in Cuenca has been closed and is under liquidation by the Banking Superintendent, supposedly for money-laundering, the same reason they closed down the Banco Territorial earlier.  Everything I have managed to read indicates that we should be able to recover our deposits and we certainly hope it is as easy as the last one.  I guess we should make sure our deposits are always diversified and guaranteed.

I uploaded some photos for sale today and did other chores before going out to finish sealing the rain barrel crack.  Hopefully it will hold the pressure of a full load.

After cleaning up I headed in to visit Mom about 2:45 and she was more than eager to go for a ride so we headed south.  I cut off the highway through DeWinton and had a real leisurely drive so she could comment on all the lilacs in bloom.  She still had a fixation about groves of trees being too thick, or just right.  When turned back onto 2A heading to Okotoks we just went slowly in the emergency lane then turned right to get some rich country flavour and enjoy the horses, cows, and views of the Rockies.  We even went into D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club on the off chance there might be some deer around but no such luck.

Then we drove across town and she recognized that we were headed to our home.  The grass had been freshly cut so the place looks quite nice.  On the way out I always automatically look at the ravine behind the mail boxes and was rewarded with our first sighting of a deer in our neighbourhood.   Gosh I miss those guys.

We both had been craving more Wings so we went over to Foxy’s where Bev and Jocelyn always look after us so well.  We ordered 30 wings and Mom did her best to help me out and we picked those plates clean.

After getting Mom back home I decided to drop in on our friends Lorne & Mary and was fortunate to catch them at home.   They both look great, as do all of our friends here.   It must be the good clean Alberta air here.   We had a nice visit and chatted about many things and Lorne offered me a blue rainbarrel, available Friday, that I could easily put under the south downspout off our deck.   From the sounds of it I will have to doctor it up much like the other barrel.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Tuesday June 11, 2013

Tuesday June 11, 2013  update #479

Oh boy, an early night and a good sleep do wonders but awaking to a rainy day does put he brakes on that and make you feel dopey and sleepy.

However I did need to get up and get our Eleggant Hooks packages mailed off.  I tried to check to see if we had any new orders prior to leaving but the Internet, and hence our phones too, were down.

I went to the main Post Office to get the packages off with the morning’s stuff then went over to the Southridge PO to check out the additional parcel.  It was indeed Mark Anderson’s passport and paperwork all completed so he will be happy to see all that upon my return.   I did a quick tour in Staples but one look in my wallet cured any thoughts I may have entertained about buying anything.

I dropped in at McFarlane Agencies to see all the boys, including Bill who was in the office in one of his rare visitations.  Everyone looks really good.   I then spent a little time with the new girl, Nicole, who has inherited my book of business.   She appears to have already made a very good impression on her co-workers and my clients so we wish her the best there.

Back home I saw the Internet was up so I called Gord and Em to confirm that Wing Night is tonight at Original Joe’s.  I then gave my Mom a quick call to say I would stop by tomorrow.   Mom loves wings so I am toying with the idea of bringing her to Foxy’s…

Then the Internet went down again so I used my cel to call Platinum to complain.  They are saying it is a general outage everywhere and they are working on it.  It is not looking good for getting at the many things I had hoped to accomplish, like uploading more work for sale, etc.

 I started to tackle the repair to the rain barrel outside.   I applied some Weldbond glue that is not good on plastic (not much is…) and I will apply some Duct tape over top of this once it is reasonably dry.   Hopefully it will then be able to hold water for a while.

Then I went to work on the new camera equipment, installing the UV filter, checking out the 2 new lens hoods, and connecting the new lens cap.   I am very pleased with the small investment.   I took a few shots with the new 70-300 lens and was thankful for the image stabilization feature because the image in my viewfinder wasn’t very steady.  I am quite happy that the photos turned out much better than expected.

I was pooped so settled in for an hour-long nap before heading out to Wings.  Many folks are away so there was only five of us tonight.   I had the salt & pepper wings and was adding more black pepper when the girl cam by with the peppercorn shaker.   Mmmmmm good and spicy.

I then went down to Gord and Emily’s for a quick visit with them and Chimo, their champion Golden Lab.   Oh, the two huge cats, Pepsi and Orange joined the party too.  First we went downstairs to check out why they are not receiving most of my emails but this is a universal problem with Shaw  so they will need to phone Shaw.  I had forgotten how nice a new computer can be, with almost instant page changes and no waiting on anything.  While we enjoyed an ice cream dessert we were treated to a few videos of Chimo doing his workouts and also some footage of his first litter.  Chimo is such a gentle giant who doesn’t bark and is such a pleasure to be around.

It will soon get boring around here once I finish these small projects and I know I will be looking forward to getting back to Bella and the Boys.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Sunday-Monday June 9-10, 2013

Sunday-Monday June 9-10, 2013  update #478

Early Sunday morning Jill and I met with old friends Norm & Alice Bilodeau from Legal for breakfast.  We hadn’t seen them in a few years so it was very nice that they made the special trip in to see us.  They were married in 1971 like I was and Norm was one of my Best Men.

Jill and I then stopped to pick up some baby gifts for Heather’s and Leah’s babies before heading back to Jill’s to pack up.   Jill and Danai headed for cheerleading practice while I finished up then quickly delivered the gift to Bea Rankin for her grand-daughter.

When I joined the girls at the cheer practice I was immediately amazed at the intricacy of the modern cheers groups and the immense strength in these young ladies.   I had watched my daughter Jill get thrown around in High School and when she was an Edmonton Eskimo cheerleader many years ago but had never really watched so many repetitive moves and lifts as I had in this practice.  Jill said Danai comes home just exhausted after a practice and I don’t doubt that one bit!!  Time after time they have to bend and lift and hold and throw, then hold and catch the falling “top” girl who isn’t necessarily much lighter than them.  The immense trust between the teammates is obvious.  Danai is a real jock, only 13, very strong, and in the top five in track & field in her age group in the province!  We are very proud of her accomplishments.  These young girls vary in age, but they are doing much more complicated routines that Jill did in her day, and Jill has a Duo World-Champion trophy in her case.

Sadly I had to leave but for a good reason as I was headed to spend another day with Todd, Janet, Tyson and baby Sofie.  We had a delicious steak supper and tried to watch TV but wind and rain kept interfering with their Telus satellite signal.  Finally we just hooked up the Nintendo and switched to NetFlix.

Todd had disappeared while we were watching the action movie  “Special Forces” and it became apparent later where he was.   He was in a spare bedroom putting together a futon they had bought so I would have a place to spend the night.  How very nice it was.

Monday morning I helped Todd bring his Yukon over to a mechanic to get repairs started on a rear leaf spring.  Todd has a couple of days off so he is hoping they can accomplish the task before he has to return to work.

I hit the road at 10:30 and arrived in Calgary at 1pm and went to Superstore for some grocery supplies.   I hurried because I had an appointment to meet my friend Janice at A&W for coffee.   This is the nice lady who helped me out with the use of her car in January.  She is presently unemployed so I hope she catches a good break soon.

Next on the agenda was to meet Mom and I arrived early.   I stopped in the parking lot to watch the antics of a squirrel and was surprised to see Mom step out on her patio to check if it was me, and it was only 2:30…  I checked in at the desk and spotted a beautiful bouquet with an unusual orange flower so the camera went to work on that and a rose.    I didn’t realize they were fake silk until I processed the photos.

Mom had also planted a couple of geraniums in her plastic swan planters courtesy of my sister Leonie.   Thanks Leonie!   That is something that Mom takes pride in every year, showing off her geraniums and getting them photographed.

Across the hall from Mom’s is the Garden Room where the ladies work on jigsaw puzzles, and some of them are exceptionally beautiful.  I sure loved the farm scene with the John Deere that brings back memories.

Mom wanted to see photos of the wedding on May 25 so I took her up to the computer room only to find that it is now moved over to the Library room.   Then we didn’t know the password and neither did the supervisor in that room so she let us use her laptop.   Another resident even came and enjoyed the show until Mom hinted strongly that it was time to make a pitstop. 

When we headed back to the room I soon begged off with my anxiety to get home and rest a little because I knew I had many chores awaiting me.   First I stopped to gas up and was dismayed to see that gas prices were increased again, compounding my price for the mid-grade octane.

My first stop was at the mailbox where I was pleasantly surprised to find my 3 packages of camera accessories had arrived.  I will play with those tomorrow.

I sorted out my dirty clothes for laundry tomorrow as well before tackling today’s emails and our Eleggant Hooks orders.  There were 4 orders stacked up including one very large order that needed clarification from Bella and some label printing.  It is a good thing that I have hauled along my external hard drive so I have access to all these unusual items.  It took some time but they are all ready to go now.

I also had another parcel notice for a fourth item that had me mystified until I heard the messages on the phone.  This will be Mark Anderson’s passport so he can sleep a little easier now.

I downloaded my latest batch of photos to the computer here then fired up the laptop to transfer all the Edmonton photos to the external hard drive.

I had another quick meal of nuked smokies with mustard, one of my favourites.  That is one thing I miss in Ecuador is a really good sausage.

It will be an early night tonight!

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Saturday June 8/13

Saturday June 8/13 update # 477

Jill was off early to take Danai to visit a friend while Dawson and Ash were off to coach a hockey practice for a bunch of 9-year-olds.   I got a call from Ash’s Dad to meet him for coffee so went over to a nearby shopping center.  There was a gazebo tent in front of WalMart which looked like a charity food concession so we checked it out.  It was in favour of the Stollery Children’s Hospital so we gave them our business and basked in the beautiful sunshine, watching the WalMartians go by.

I made it back at the same time as Jill so we called to make sure Bea Rankin was still expecting us to visit this afternoon.  They said to come on over so we arrived to an unexpected First Birthday party for grand-daughter Jenayah (sp?).  Bea had made a point of not telling us so we wouldn’t feel obligated to bring something.  Jenayah is only age One but already knows how to pose for the camera, just like her model mother Leah. 

There was an amazing painting on the wall of Bea’s late husband Jack who passed away Nov 2011.  Another good friend gone to his great reward.

We again made it back home in time for me to jump in with Ash and Dawson to join them for a 6:15 hockey game for their young charges.  The Kinsmen arena was again way on the south side so it was a fair jaunt.  It was kinda neat to sit beside 15-year-old Dawson as he skillfully drove us there.  Then it was a treat to watch these youngsters show off skills well beyond their years.  There was a lot of time to waste so luckily there were lots of TV’s tuned to the Chicago – LA playoff game.   Chicago scored late to make it 3-2 and we thought it was over, with 15 seconds left but somehow LA managed to tie it and it was headed to overtime.

As we reached the truck Dawson showed me a text from Jill to contact Norm & Alice, old friends for many, many years.   I managed to reach them to arrange a breakfast meeting for tomorrow.

I then checked my cel to find that I had two messages waiting as well.  This phone is too new and I am not accustomed to the ring yet, plus it is in a heavy case inside my fanny pack so I didn’t hear it nor feel the vibration.  The messages were for my cousin Jeanne asking if we were nearby and to stop for some Dairy Queen cake…  Well, we were close enough to make that very appealing so we stopped over and again enjoyed a few laughs.  We also managed to catch the goal in the second overtime that won the series for Chicago….  Ash drove us home from there and everyone collapsed into bed.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Friday June 7/13

Friday June 7/13 update  # 476

Happy 45^th Birthday to our son Todd who is now a doting Grandpa.   I started off by driving way to the south side to surprise my son but he had apparently left early, claiming sickness.  I could have gone to visit Ash at his shop again but didn’t want to get stuck that far in south central Edmonton during Friday rush hour.

So I headed back north and decided to pop in and check out West Edmonton Mall, just to see if anything had changed.  The big brass whale was gone and they were now charging for the dolphin shows but, other than that, everything was remarkably the same.  One other change is that the lounge where we always danced was now a sports bar, how boring.

I wanted to phone a few friends in the area but my cel phone had died without warning so I just continued north.  I wove my way near Tony House’s place and stopped in to say Hi.  Tony is a friend of long standing and I roomed with him there in 99-00 before I moved to Calgary.  He is the sharpest (and cheapest) accountant I know and he took over our taxes a few years ago, much to our relief. 

I then just headed back to Jill’s place.  I had to stop midway in the street because there was a duck procession across my path, a mother and about 10 ducklings.    The mother jumped the curb and kept going and it took a few moments to discover that the little ones couldn’t mount the curb until they scooted up further where it was slightly lower.   A couple of them had to take more than one run at it but eventually they all made it.   I kinda wished I had switched to video instead since it was so darn cute.

Dawson was under the weather all day but then was eating like a normal teenager before too long at home. 

Jill had a dinner with her cheerleading cronies so I offered to drive Danai to a free Gym Night at their gym.

I then headed over to watch Boston take Pittsburgh out of the Playoffs with my old neighbor Kevon again.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Thursday June 6/13

Thursday June 6/13 update  # 475

Thank you to Mavis for reminding me that I had forgotten to finish the missing key mystery.  I had meant to sneak that in later in my narrative, in chronological order.  When the key didn’t turn up at Kevon’s, either in the loveseat or along the route to the car there, that left only two alternatives, my car or the sidewalk at Jill’s.  A search of my car did not produce any results either.  When I returned to Jill’s from all my visiting I began to scour the route from the front door to where I parked the Buick.    The concrete was devoid of anything so I went over the edge of the lawn as carefully as I could, trying not to disturb anything that could just conceal it further.   The grass was long and the edge had a lot of dried clipping complicating matters so I went over it 3 times trying to eyeball things from different angles so maybe I could catch a glint off it.  I was about to give up when I just spotted the top edge of it near the front sidewalk, right where I figured I would be reaching into my pocket to retrieve my car keys.  The key was well hidden, pointed down, and thankfully almost impossible to see unless you were actually hunting for it like I was.   It was the last place I would have wanted to lose it, to compromise the security of the house, but providence was on our side, thank goodness.   The key is now attached to the rest of my keys so this will not happen again.

It is unusual for me to sleep with the window wide open but the evenings have been so warm here.  That means the rising east sun shines right in and so I was up at 5:30 and came down.   I expected to see Ash getting ready for work as I was certain he was downstairs at this time yesterday.  My old brain had it wrong again, he comes down at 6:30 so I was thankful that they don’t have creaky floors so I did not wake anyone.

Everyone was off to work and school before long.  In a couple of weeks only Ash will be off to work alone because the other 3 will be off on summer holidays from school.   I went back to bed until 11:30 as I didn’t really have anything planned until mid-afternoon.

When I finally did get rolling I stopped at Rexall Place (the old Edmonton Coliseum) and got a couple of shots of the statue of Wayne Gretzky hoisting the Stanley Cup.  Edmonton City Council has approved the construction of a new downtown arena.  Why taxpayers are supporting millionaires is beyond our comprehension again.  Apparently they will get ½ of concession revenues in return.

I wanted to be well on the south side before rush hour so I went to visit Ash at his Sunble Signs shop.  He inherited the company name which is well respected in town.  It is amazing to see the capabilities of sign-making with today’s new technologies, from plain wall signs to wrapping vehicles.  There is a lot of superfluous equipment that Ash would like to divest himself of, because many jobs are much easier to sub out to others.

We ran over to the Vimy Sports School (the former Bonnie Doon High School) to pick up Dawson after school and returned to attend to a string of customers that came by to pick up their signs and decals.

My final destination was to meet with my cousin Jeanne at her home for supper.  She was outside with her dog Benji and ready to go for a walk so away we went after putting supper in the oven to cook.  Benji was off his feed today for some reason and wasn’t his normal self.

Jeanne’s good friend Mend, a podiatrist originally from Thailand, joined us and we had a superb time, laughing and joking, and especially enjoying the Shepherd’s pie, corn on the cob, and fruit crumble plus cheesecake for dessert.  They were both very interested to know more about Ecuador so I showed them the slideshow that I had prepared for Mom on my previous trip n January.  They sure liked what they saw.

We all took Benji for a second walk and came back and yakked and laughed some more.  I couldn’t believe my watch that it was almost midnight so it was sadly time to depart.

I took a couple of shots out my car window of the downtown of Edmonton then a shot of the pyramids at the Muttart Conservatory but not proper time shots on a tripod.  I didn’t expect to get much of a result but, thanks to PhotoShop, I was able to salvage them somewhat.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Wednesday June 5/13

Wednesday June 5/13 update  # 474

I was a little frantic last night and this morning because I had somehow lost the key to Jill’s house.   Therefore my first stop today was again at Kevon’s to check out the loveseat I had been slouching on while watching the game.   I was certain it must have fallen out of my pocket while I was reclining but our search proved fruitless.  We checked along the sidewalk and also where I had parked to no avail.

I continued south and joined Ken and Bea at their house for lunch.  They had been friends with our family since we were almost the first people they met when they moved here from Ontario back in 1982.  Jill and their daughter Terri were inseparable for many many years.   Ken still works (he’ll be 75 on June 29) because it gets him out of the house, while Bea is enjoying retirement from nursing.  They celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary a few months back.  Tomorrow morning they are headed east to visit family and enjoy many milestone celebrations.

I then slipped east to visit with my oldest Edmonton friend, Ray.  He is a character that loves to cook, collect “stuff”, listen to the oldies, and used to be a heavy smoker.  All this has taken its toll on him as he struggles to walk and breathe.  He listed me his doctors and specialists, and there had to be at least 10 he mentioned.  They recently removed a large tumour from one of his lungs and he was forced to quit smoking.  He had asked his main doctor when he could resume smoking and his doctor said he could start any time but then he would always need to drag oxygen with him.  While he still craves smoking, he now discourages smoking in his house.  He still has his last pack of cigarettes on a table as a reminder that he has made the conscious decision to quit.

The sky was beginning to darken for a predicted thunderstorm so I hurried home.  There was enough time so I took a walk around the pond that is just to the east of the back of the house.   Usually there is a lot of waterfowl in the area but the pickings were a little slim today.  The neighbour’s gorgeous cat joined me for the first leg and was a friendly companion.

Today we saw ducks with ducklings, red-winged blackbirds, sparrows, and a strange blue-headed bird that we could not identify.  The highlight was a muskrat that joined the party and swam right underneath me.

The thunder made me beat a hasty retreat and the wind was pushing me in the door by the time I made it back.  I moved some of the patio furniture on the deck because I was worried the wind was going to carry it away.

It was quite windy but otherwise the storm was pretty tame, not too much rain or whatever.  Then I spied a rainbow, no, a double rainbow, so I hurried to grab the camera again.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Tuesday June 4/13

Tuesday June 4/13 update  # 473

The weather has been absolutely delightful since arriving in northern Alberta.  Let’s hope it will hang in there for me.

I was trying to see some old friends today but the timing wasn’t right yet.   I spent all morning getting the previous day’s Blog prepared as it takes twice as long on this old laptop.

I did end up stopping in at my old workplace at Northgate ?Buick? to see who was still working there.  It was amazing to see many of the same faces that had been there when I started there on 1980.   Notably there were many absent faces and I was saddened to learn that two of my co-workers had passed away in the past year.  Peter P. had fallen down his basement stairs and broken his neck.   Tony B. had died after an 8 month battle with cancer.   While I have many good nostalgic memories of working there, Hearing those stories made me very glad of our decision to retire early and get out of the stressful jobs we both had. 

I never even noticed what it is called now, the main sign still says Nothgate Pontiac even though GM has eliminated the Pontiac line.  They sure had a lot of inventory on the lot and they said that business is extremely slow.   I don’t wonder why…  The first unit I passed, a used Buick Enclave SUV was sale-priced at almost $45,000!!  Good grief!!   I can remember when our most expensive Buick Riviera broke the $20,000 barrier in about 1982.   They are also doing many renovations and there is no room for a customer to park.

I tried to pick up a webcam here but seriously couldn’t find anything under $30, and that was for a measly 1.3Mp    Electronics in Ecuador are generally close in price but the same webcam probably costs $12 there.  I checked Wal-Mart and London Drugs and was shocked at the prices for simple electronic stuff.

I made it back for supper and was planning to go watch Danai’s cheer practice but Jill said it would be boring for 2 hours, she just visits with the other Moms.  

Then my former neighbour Kevon called so I went over and spent the evening watching the hockey game with him and his Pekingese named Aphrodite.  To say Kevon is a different duck would be an understatement.  He talks a blue streak for 3 hours straight contradicting his ideas constantly and I have learned just to let him talk and vent.   I am one of the few people who can actually contradict him once in a while and he will actually listen.  He is a nice guy and will offer to help you in almost anything but his penchant for shocking oddball statements does alienate a lot of others.  I still make a point to keep in touch with him though as he has been a good friend for 35 years.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Monday June 3/13

Monday June 3/13 update  # 472

I knew I should have left at 5am but had decided that rush hour should be over by about 8:45… Wrong!!  The Deerfoot was a parking lot almost immediately so I pulled off for a quick breakfast at the A&W on 130^TH Ave but that didn’t help either.  It was pouring buckets to boot and the traffic had not abated one bit.   I finally asked the Garmin to find me a detour (Thank God I had just updated all the maps) and it brought me nicely over to the newly constructed ring road, Stony Trail to 17 Ave SE.  What a breeze to drive on there!   It must be a well-kept secret because the traffic was negligible.

As a result I was about ¾ hour late getting to my son’s place in Wetaskiwin.   The rain had quit around Red Deer and the weather was positively balmy when I reached Todd’s.

I arrived on the perfect day because not only was it Todd’s day off, but he had been drafted to look after his grand-daughter Sofia.  It was so cute to see him being the doting Grandpa and hovering over the baby with such nervousness.  Todd will turn 45 on the 7^th and calling him a Grandpa sure makes me feel old.

My Great-grand-daughter Sofia is just a sweetheart, not fussy at all and truly a delight.  Todd was certain to follow my sage advice for babies:  Keep one end wet and the other end dry!   It works!!  This little one is pretty windy too, so she must certainly take after our side of the family.   Oh, did I mention she was cute as a button too?   Definitely takes after our side then… lol.

Todd is very involved in gemstones and is a partner in a claim in BC where they have uncovered some amazing rocks, including some that were not expected to be on this continent!  Some day these stones are going to be worth a pretty penny!

Ashley, the pretty partner of our grandson Cody came over to help later in the afternoon too, followed by Janet’s Mom.   His gave Todd a reprieve to be able to go pickup Grandson Tyson, who is now 10 years old, from school.   Last time I was here in Februaury Tyson got engrossed in a video game and hardly spoke 3 words.  This time we had a really long conversation and I gave him some links to some of our family history.  He say he really enjoys school, especially science and social studies.

Before long Janet arrived from work to ply her Grandma charms on Sofia but I guess it is well known that Todd is the one that can generate the smiles from Sofia.

After a lovely supper of burgers I was back on the road to get to Edmonton to tag up with son-in-law Ash and Grandson Dawson at the soccer centre on Victoria Trail.   Dawson was playing goalie in back-to-back inline hockey games.   He is almost 16 and is so darn tall now.  The games were exciting but the aluminum bleachers gave us numb bum.   We had a surprise visit there from our old friend Ken Johnston, then a second surprise when Dawson’s other Grandpa, Gordie, joined us too.   It sure was a pleasant reunion with all those guys.

When we reached north Edmonton my daughter Jill and Grand-daughter Danai were waiting for us.  What a delightful day to be amongst my loving family.  

Thank you to Bella for letting me come north to enjoy Bryna’s wedding, Mom’s 97^th, Todd’s 45^th, and many more events!

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.   

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Snnday June 2, 2013

Snnday June 2, 2013  update #471

Another dreary drizzly day today.  If the days continue to alternate with nice sunny days I could live with that, but the forecast says rain Monday, sun Tuesday.  Hopefully the weather will be better in Northern Alberta tomorrow.

I did a few household chores today then went in to see Mom at 3pm.  Even though it was drizzling she was game to get out and go for a drive.  We drove slowly down Elbow Drive then veered west to their old house.  She always enjoys a visit there to see any changes to her old neighbourhood and she went on about the amount of trees, and how they will be joining together over the streets soon.  It was a good day overall because she really enjoys the greenery, flowers and the colourful lilacs that are in bloom.

We swung through downtown and I’m kicking myself that I never stopped to get a photo of downtown from Bow Trail, but it was raining pretty good at the time.   The Bow and Elbow rivers are both exceedingly high at the moment and it wouldn't take much to have some flooding problems.  We continued to MacLeod Trail and headed back south and stopped in at O’Sullivan’s for supper, and a pee break.  Saturdays they have their prime rib special so today they had a prime rib leftover special and it was not really very good at all.  

It was raining buckets when we got back to Mom’s residence.   I wanted to take pictures of her apartment only but she insisted on checking her hair so she could be in the picture.   Too funny!  We had some long hugs because I am heading to Wetaskiwin and Edmonton in the morning to see my kids and grandkids.  Itold her I would probably stop in on my way back through, on the 10^th.

I topped up my tank with mid-grade gas at $1.34 per litre.   Almost another $40 again  That really makes me choke when the gas price in Cuenca is $1.38 for a US Gallon, ¼ the price!

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Saturday June 1, 2013

Saturday June 1, 2013  update #470

I needed that!  I forced myself to stay in bed for almost 12 hours and that has recharged my batteries.  Miraculously I did not even hear any noise from the annual Soap Box Derby happening on the hill below the house.  The humidifier that we use for white noise must be effective.

I did my email chores then set this computer for a needed Defrag.   It showed 43% defragmentation when it began, and 0% when it finished 5 hours later.

I decided that if the deer weren’t coming to me, I would go looking for them.   I drove down near the library and walked along the river, first east, where I didn’t see anything, then west where I managed to spot 3 different deer in 3 different areas. 

On the way back I stopped at the Okotoks Museum.  The next door there was an Art Show in front of the Station so I stopped in and happened to see Robyn Thibodeau, whose mother I know very well, and whose sister used to live next door to me in Glorond Place.  One Metis lady had some incredible metal art over top of stained glass that were just magnificent.  I couldn’t believe that she only wanted $52 for this great art and I was so sorry that I had no safe way to transport this to Ecuador.  Some artists just take your breath away with their talent and artworks.

I then actually took a drive around Glorond Place but it was pretty quiet.  My jungle of a backyard has been stripped away and there was no activity anywhere in the complex.

I came home and decided to check on my water barrel to see why it is not holding water.  Sure enough, there was water left in it over the winter and it froze up and cracked.   I am not a happy camper over that because I customized this barrel to grasp the maximum amount of drippage from above.   Maybe I will try gluing then duct-taping the crack when it dries up a little.

I did a little laundry while watching the third period of the Chicago-LA game, my first hockey action in many months.   It just isn’t interesting if Edmonton isn’t playing.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this new camera lens??  What a difference to have such good glass in front of your eye.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Friday May 31, 2013

Friday May 31, 2013  update #469

I tried out a curved memory foam pillow we had, higher and firmer than my normal pillow, but all that gave me was a sleepless night.  I got up at 3:15 and before sunrise had done my laundry and updated my Garmin Maps.  The sky and clouds were so tinged dark blue above the Rockies that I had to take a shot for you.  It is still drizzly and cool but it is always nice when we get a view of the mountains.

I also got into cleaning up this slow computer and in the process discovered a free VPN download via Cnet. 

I hoped like heck this would work well here but this computer is just too slow for any streaming content and I can’t stand a program that tries to take over everything, adding search tool-bars, etc.   I just wasted my time and uninstalled it.

About 9am I went and crashed until noon before getting up again and trying to feel somewhat reasonable.  I met Leonie at the Royal Bank and picked up some money to take to Mom.   Then I headed to the CIBC to throw some money on our credit card bill.

Next I stopped at Ardiel’s to see if I would be able to renew my Driver’s Licence which isn’t due Until January and I was surprised when they said yes…  Driver’s Licence pictures rank just a cut above passport photos, but not by much.   The say I should get the real thing in 2 weeks.

I still had some time to kill so I stopped in at McFarlane’s, my old job, but most of the main folks were not around.   I will stop in again when I get back from Edmonton.

Then it was off to shopping with our good friend Mavis at Costco.   I had mentally set myself a limit of $100 to spend there, so I was quite pleased with myself when the bill was $104, after the 5% GST!   I then stopped in at Safeway to pick up a couple of items for Bella before heading home.    

Mavis had done a few more shopping errands before coming to pick me up and take me for supper at the Duke, the hotel formerly known as the Willy.  Fish and Chips were the special and they did not disappoint.  That was one of the things on my Bucket List to do while in Canada and I hope to repeat that before I leave.

We returned home and paid a quick visit to Ted and Janet next door, the stalwarts of the neighbourhood, who both look tremendous for being in their late 80’s.  Mavis knows them well from all their church activities together.

Mavis then came in for a bit to chat while we played 3 hands of Cribbage.  I found it amusing that in her English upbringing they call the Crib “the box”, and instead of saying “go”, they say “no”.  Mavis is such delightful company and we also went through some of our photos since she was there in November, because I have brought my external hard drive with me.

Hope to hit the sack somewhat early tonight, but doubt that will happen.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/