Saturday February 2, 2013

Saturday February 2/13  update #356

Do you know the joke where two guys are in a bar and one says to the other “You see those two guys over there, that’s what we’ll look like in ten years!”   And his friend responds “That’s a mirror, you dummy!”  Mirrors, especially the full-length ones, should be banned for anyone over 60.  They get warped with age and make us look misshapen and fat.    Mirror, mirror, on the wall, bugger off will ya!   Lol.   Getting back in shape will be my number one priority on my return to Cuenca.

I was up early again, had breakfast, and called a cab recommended by the hotel as cheaper than the one used yesterday but he actually cost more,… go figure….   At least he showed up right away, and was an independent small cab company with 4 units, so I contracted him to pick me up at 5:30 after the show.

The show today was rather disappointing and would not have exceeded yesterday’s poor showing by much if a former wholesale customer hadn’t come in the last hour and bought 20 packages.  She claimed she was having trouble reaching us by email so I gave her the right address, just in case.

I am really surprised that there weren’t any obvious Canadians in the crowd over the 3 days, considering how many Snowbirds there are in the immediate area.   One of the security people told me of two Canuck ladies who were at the dog show in the next building though.

I have the tear-down of our booth down to a science and managed to get all of our remaining supplies and display apparatus into our custom Benson Box.  I highly recommend a Benson Box to anyone that is shipping stuff back and forth across the country.     My neighbouring vendors were again envious when I was packed and ready to go in less than 10 minutes.

I lugged my box outside to wait for my cab at 5:10 and was about to borrow someone’s phone to give him a blast when he finally showed up at 5:50.    I discussed with him the possibility of getting my camera lens somewhere and he suggested Best Buy, with two stores equidistant in either direction about 18 miles.   I told him I would call them first to make sure they had my lens in stock before I spent a fortune to drive there.   When I finally got through to them they said they had none in the city but could order me one from New Mexico.   I am glad I didn’t cab there on spec or I would have been a very unhappy camper.

I arranged and secured my Benson Box and information for pickup by FedEx on Monday.   Hopefully there will be no glitches in getting it back to storage in Idaho.

I slipped out for a late supper and saw a strange concession truck set up with a covered eating area so curiosity got the better of me.  They served all kinds of Mexican food so I tried a flour taco and a corn taco with beef first.   I didn’t care for the corn taco but loved the flour taco shell so I ordered two more of those with a bottle of Sangria.  They had a TV going with a Mexican League soccer match so I even had entertainment.   The two young Mexicans running the place were very personable and willing to chat too.   I kept getting braver with their hot salsa and peppers until my eyes were watering.  Oh, that was so good, and very beefy too.  I ordered another Sangria to go and made it back to the hotel in time to catch another call from my brother Fern.

Sorry, no photos today.   There is really nothing too interesting in this industrial area.   Phoenix just seems to be a mass of freeways and airplanes, and not much else.   I am just anxious to get home to Cuenca but am not looking forward to almost 24 hours traveling tomorrow.   I have to be up by around 4:30am and will be lucky to get to our home in Cuenca by the same time Monday.   Wish me luck.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.   

Friday February 1, 2013

Friday February 1/13  update #355

Surprisingly I had a bit of a fitful sleep last night but at least I got enough rest that I was functional.

I reviewed what the show people want to charge to ship my box after the show and almost choked on that.  I called FedEx, who are not open on Saturday or Sunday, but will pick up my box from the hotel on Monday for about $288.  The hotel is happy to be the intermediary so we are good to go, as long as I can get the box to the hotel, and leave the address labels and my credit card information.

I had a small breakfast and called a cab to the Fairgrounds just to see the response, time, and cost.   They quoted a ride within 10 to 45 minutes, which thankfully arrived in 10 minutes, and it cost me $7.50.  Another method to my madness was to see if I could arrange transportation for tomorrow night after the show but this driver only worked until 4pm and wasn’t interested in working any later.

At the show I asked a security guard where the pay phones were and he said they were removed a few years earlier, so now I can’t even call a cab.   I am not sure what I am going to do except to solicit the help of one of the other vendors.

The show today was quieter, but a knowledgeable neighbouring vendor said that is common for a Friday, and to expect Saturday to be as good as Thursday and Friday combined.    I can live with that so let’s cross our fingers.  Right near the beginning, one of my young customers from the previous day stopped by to show me what she makes, using her crochet skills.  She crochets mini horse blankets for horse dolls that are donated to some charity.  She reminded me so much of my grand-daughter Danai with her beaming smile.

Phoenix is truly a strange town and I have not gotten to see any of its beauty as my hotel is basically in an industrial area between a whole lot of freeways.

My brother Fern picked me up across the street from the show and drove me ½ hour out to their gorgeous spot in Mesa on a golf course.  At least I got closer views of some the mountain scenery, like Red Mountain and Superstition Mountain.   We watched the sun set and made a quick call to my Mom in Calgary.  Eileen cooked up a delicious supper and we had some fun conversation and then I showed them my pictures of Ecuador.  I felt sorry that Fern had to make another 1 hour round trip to get me home and I sure appreciate his thoughtfulness.

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

Thursday January 31/13

Thursday January 31/13  update #354

Last night I skimmed the manual for my new camera which is about 200 pages compared to about 10 pages in my Sony manual.  I was relieved to see that I really can take movies with the new Canon and even edit them, right in the camera.

I don’t know why I sleep so well in hotels, but I do…  It must be the combination of air-conditioning, the resulting white noise, soft pillows and hard beds, combined with a tired body.

I was up early, made coffee in the room then went downstairs for complimentary breakfast before walking to the show and it must be close to 2 miles to take me 30 minutes.    I find it interesting that every time I glance south there is a jet in the sky, every time.   Their airport must be really busy!

There was a very long lineup to get into our building even ½ hour before showtime but I was kinda surprised that they let the public in 15 minutes early, probably so the old folks wouldn’t pass out in the sun!   Anyway I was ready for them.  The day started sort of slow and I did a lot of demonstrating with slow results at first but then it picked up and lots of the early folks came back so I easily matched my best day in New York.   That bodes well for tomorrow which should be busier, and maybe Saturday might be a great last day.   Most shows end on a Sunday, which vendors euphemistically call “family day” because everybody brings their brats after church but, with this being a retirement community, we might just get lucky.

I talked to the show bosses about shipping out our leftovers and they said they have “decorators” that handle that so I will talk to them rather than try to drag it all back to the hotel where they don’t seem geared to handle anything like that.

The show is pretty spartan, just concrete floors, no carpets, so that is harder on the vendors and the customers but it helps to keep the costs down.   They want us to commit to next year’s show by closing time Saturday because they have a long waiting list of vendors.   I should know by then if it worth doing it again or not by then.   I imagine we could say yes and then change our minds...

I picked up supper and snacks with a huge juice at the corner gas station.  The chicken sandwiches were really not bad at all, and they had very reasonable prices. 

I just had a call from my brother Fern and he is going to pick me up across the street from the show tomorrow and take me to their place for supper tomorrow night.   How nice is that??   Fern says he was at the PGA Golf happening here right now and overheard someone say that their next stop was our show…

I only took a shot or two of our booth which is ideally situated for fresh air and good foot traffic.  The concessions are just outside the door too, so that is handy to slip out for lunch.

I tried to locate some photo shops close by but found they are all miles away, and they all close at 6pm, every day.  This place is worse than Regina for rolling up the sidewalks at dusk…

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

Wednesday January 30, 2013

Wednesday January 30/13  update #353

I have a couple of photos as promised from my evenings out with Keith, then Maurice.   I’ve also included a couple of special shots.   The first one is hanging in the Boston Pizza at Avenida, showing the old embodiment of the Battle Of Alberta with Dave Semenko and Tim Hunter.   It is a classic!

Then home on our fridge in Okotoks is the first picture of baby Peso before we bought him and had him shipped from North Carolina.   He was so cute and odd-looking that nobody could refuse that face, lol.

Well I didn’t need an alarm clock to get up at 2am and have a shave and shower in preparation for Gord to drive me at 2:45 to the Calgary airport.   I had left our home in Okotoks pretty much the way I found it, with little evidence that I was even there.  Our house-sitter Deb did not make an appearance at all while I was there so I had the place all to myself.

The US Airways jet actually left the gate 5 minutes early and landed in Phoenix almost an hour early, surprising my brother Fern who is holidaying in Mesa and kindly picked me up at the airport.  My room was not ready so we picked up our Eleggant Hooks boxes that had arrived at the hotel a few days ago and headed over to the Arizona Fair Grounds where the craft show is being held.  We were there an hour before set-up time so we just dropped off the boxes and went for a small lunch and to catch up with each other.

Fern then dropped me off back at the show and it took me less than 20 minutes to set up.  The fellow behind me said he was very envious because it takes him about 8 hours to set up.   I registered, got my name tag and then walked back to my hotel, the Comfort In West which is very nice and is only a 30 minute walk from the show.   The hotel has free wi-fi and coffee and breakfast, plus an outdoor pool and Jacuzzi.

I have checked the immediate area and the only eateries seemed to be a few Mexican restaurants, so I had a fish supper at one of them and it was really delicious.   I think there is a modest convenience store attached to a corner gas station so I will have to check that out tomorrow.

One thing I find really odd here is that I do not recall seeing one solitary cab since I have been here?  If I need one some day I am not sure what I am going to do.

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

Tuesday January 29, 2013

Tuesday January 29/13  update #353

I had collapsed into bed around 10:15 so I was up at 6:15 this morning.  There was a blizzard happening and no deer in sight.   Then, all of a sudden, this dog comes on the crest of the ravine, but wait, it is not a dog, it is a coyote, furry tail and all.  He gave me a look but went down the ravine before I could get my camera set.

I set about getting ready to pack, do laundry again, etc.   I was pretty upset at all the things I had to leave behind due to weight issues in my main suitcase.  There are just too many things that wouldn’t fit, or be allowed, in the carry-ons so many tools and clothes were left behind.

The temperature was –22C with a wind chill of –36C and it didn’t change much during the day

Bella’s son Greg had an awesome idea to get a 4.8watt solar charger for my car battery so I stepped out to pick one up. Hopefully this will alleviate any future problems car-starting problems.   The blizzard stopped around 10:30am and the sun was shining but still cold. 

I made one last trip into Calgary to see Mom and to meet up with my cousin Maurice Jalbert who actually got there before me.   It is sad to leave my Mom again but maybe this will give her reason to continue her good health until I return again.   Maurice and I went to Boston Pizza for supper and we kept ordering exactly the same things while having some scintillating conversation about life and family and travel.  Maurice is hoping to venture our direction possibly in September so we will look forward to that.  

I have a couple of photos but will have to post them at a later date as everything is packed up for my exit from Okotoks at 2:45am.  Thank you to Gord Berberich for the ride to the airport at that ungodly hour.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.   

Monday January 28, 2013

Monday January 28/13  update #352

I had an appointment to take the car in to Fountain Tire to replace the damaged module at 8am.   It was only supposed to take an hour so I went to visit at my old job at McFarlane’s down the block again.  I sure miss the people and the customers but certainly not the stress of trying to keep up to date all the time.

I figured trouble was afoot when I returned to Fountain Tire and my car was still inside the shop.   Dean said the module they received was not correct and they would have to get another from the US, taking 14 business days to arrive.  Of course that isn’t going to work so he then made a phone call to try to find a used one.   No luck there either so they just put everything back together and I will have to worry about it when I come back here next time, hopefully in May.  The only good news is that they did not charge me a dime….

My replacement at McFarlane’s, Janice, took me for lunch at Original Joe’s for a delicious but expensive fish n chip dinner that I had been craving.   I answered as many questions as I could to help her deal with the personalities of different staff and clients as that is a constant balancing act. 

When Janice was trying to pay the bill with Visa there was some consternation because it was continuously rejected, but her other credit card was accepted. We heard later on the radio that there was a problem with Visa today for 2 hours and that was of course exactly at the lunch hour.

I slipped home and closed my eyes for a few minutes but struggled to not actually fall asleep which would have been much too easy in my exhausted state.

I traveled into Calgary to see Mom for 3pm and we ended up playing tile rummy, just the two of us, and she beat me 3 straight games!  At least she didn’t gloat about it, but it sure shows how sharp her mind still is.

I then slipped downtown to meet my friend Keith at his favourite restaurant, Fleur De Sel, and we laughed and joked as we have always done since we met in 1989.  Keith now has a degenerative muscular disease with a horribly long name and it is truly sad to see this once-active gentleman reduced to relying on a cane.   Keith and I played many sports together over the years, especially wallyball, and he was always an inspiration to me since he was 10 years my senior and more active than me.

The weather was forecast to change drastically this evening to blowing snow and –19C and this began as we were finishing our supper.  I wasn’t sure how my car, with no proper defroster blower, would react to the colder temperatures and the constant snow on the windshield.   I didn’t dally much and took the quickest route I knew to get back home as quickly as possible.  The blowing snow could hide black ice, just as it obliterated the dotted lines, so I made sure I was well away from any other traffic wherever possible.   Many times the snow made a person rely solely on the shape of the road as we struggled to keep the vehicle on the road and out of the ditch.   I was thankful that the weather kept most folks at home so the traffic was relatively light as I navigated home safely.   Luckily the windshield stayed clear inside and out and the wipers did the rest.

Packing should be on the agenda tonight but that is going to wait until morning when I will do laundry and do everything at once and make sure I am within the weight allowances. 

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.    No photos today, sorry.

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/