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/