Day 129 - Boyle Bound!

Now... where were we??? Oh yes, hot yoga & perogies... I was up around 0900 at Corre's the next morning. I wanted to get a good start on the day & make it to Sylvia's before dark. I enjoyed another great visit with Corre & Mike in the morning & said farewell around 1300. I wanted to swing past the Bay & see if they had any hoodies left, but nothing. I texted Sylvia from the mall to see if she needed anything. I didn't hear from her, so I guessed that was a 'no'.

I managed to find my way out of the city thanks to Corre & Mike's directions. I must say, I find Edmonton crazily confusing to navigate. Perhaps it's the mountain view I'm missing to help me keep my sense of direction! Regardless, I was en route towards Redwater. I had told Sylvia in my text that I would text her again from Redwater to let her know I was getting close to Boyle. She had emailed me a few days ago & said she would meet me in town. I took that as either she thinks I'm terrible with directions or she lives way out in the middle of nowhere. Either way, I was excited to see her!

I made it to Redwater & still no news from Sylvia. I checked the number I'd texted & lo & behold, it was her old cell number. I texted the new one & no reply. I called. No reply. Hmm. I sure hope she's home! I certainly don't know anyone else that lives this far north! :o) (It's really not that far after all, the map just makes it look intimidating!) Finally, I pass the sign that reads: 

Boyle        54 km

Okay. Time to call the house & cross my fingers. I call. She answers! She casually chit chats & I come to realize that she doesn't know I'm on my way to see her! I ask her if she still wants to meet me in Boyle & when she says yes, I tell her I just passed the 54 km sign. 'OH! OH MY GOSH! YOU'RE ALMOST HERE! YOU'RE COMING!' I love Sylvia! Her reactions are worth their weight in gold! She quickly says goodbye & hops into the truck. 

Sylvia & I met when we both worked at Three Bars Ranch in Cranbrook, BC. We were both Wranglers, taking guests out on the trails & boy did we have a blast! We were both set to work on cruise ships together, but those darned boys kept intervening! Anyhow, she's happily married with the most adorable son, who steals my heart every time he calls me Aunty Jill! Yes, Sylvia was a bridesmaid too! 

So we met at 'Hooters' - don't worry, it's the name of the gas station! I was beginning to wonder what kind of a town Boyle was when she said Hooters! :o) I followed her along the highway & when we turned off the pavement, I understood why she met me. It was a maze! Curves, turns, north, south, east, west, I've never been so lost! But it was well worth the trip. She has a beautiful home, tucked back in the woods & her husband, Gary, has done a marvelous job to create the yard, garden, tack shed, & corrals just for her! What a sweetheart!

Drayton, their son, had a blast playing with Valentina. They put a lot of miles on in a few short hours! We went for a walk outside, met the ponies & pooch, as well as their nearby natural skating rink. Little did I know, but there are a lot of lakes around that area & just a few minutes from home, there are 100+ summer homes. But the best part is the beautiful playground & park area. What a wonderful place to spend your days as a child! Picnics with Mom on the dock, swing sets & a jungle gym! How fun is that?!?

Gary was off to work that evening, so Sylvia & I enjoyed a wonderful visit while we watched the closing ceremonies for the Olympics. We were both wiped, so we called it a night & planned to be up around 8 or 9.

Sweet dreams!

Maria & Valentina

xxxxxxxx

Out for a stroll...

What a cutie!

Time passes by.

Big dog, small dog.

Tweet Pea has a sleep with Drayton!

Valentina's first slide ride!

Born to be buddies!

The Family!

Day 126 - Northern Bound

Yes, I slept another good stretch. 2030 - 0900! Guess I was hard done by for sleep! In any case, I woke up without that dreadful headache, so I was happy about that!


Trisha & I had a wonderful visit for the remainder of the morning. The boys played with Valentina & kept all of us entertained! We got ready & left for the city. We were all stopping by Granny's & then Trisha had appointments & I was off to North Battleford. 


Granny was excited to see the boys & Trisha, too. She visited with Trisha for a little while & then it was time for them to go. Valentina kept running out the door to see the neighbours, so I was rather distracted chasing after her! 


I said farewell to Trisha & co. & promised to give her more notice next time I was coming. :o) I like surprises! Sorry! Granny & I visited for a little while longer. Today she asked me more questions than the previous day. Sadly Granny's hearing & eyesight isn't too well anymore. She can't hear much of what I say & I hate to raise my voice too much, as I feel like I'm hollering. (Believe me, my Mother let's me know when I'm quiet vs. when I holler & apparently there isn't much difference) Anyhow, we made the most of our situation & I hugged & kissed her goodbye. I wish I could visit her every day! And I really wish I could fix her hearing & sight! I can't imagine how frustrating that must be! I have tried & tried to convince her to move closer, but she likes Saskatoon & wouldn't have it any other way.


I stopped at Costco & fueled up ol' Contemplate for the next leg of the journey. I wish our Costco had fuel! Must be something to do with that camo flower wrap... With only 1.5 hours between me & my destination, I was on my way! 


I love how Saskatchewan has little one horse towns dotted every 15-25 kms along the way. I can just imagine back in the day when the railroad pulled through these tiny hamlets & there was just one general store. Everyone had an account at the store & things barely cost a dime! 


I called Kristina for directions as I pulled into Battleford. She is teaching this semester in her old home town. I haven't been to her house since she graduated from high school back in 1998. I guess she hadn't been home for a while too, as her directions omitted a new traffic light! :o) All good, I love a challenge! She put me back on track & I found her place no problem. I remember her house being 'the end of the line' on the block. It's not like that anymore! The entire area is developed with no open spaces! The times they are a changin'! 


Kristina & I have been friends since Kindergarten. Her family moved, as did mine, but they had a summer cottage close to where my family ended up, so it was easy to keep in touch! She was also a bridesmaid at Wedding #3. She had just returned from a cruise out of San Diego, so I was excited to hear all about it!


Her parents are absolutely wonderful. I get the idea that their world currently revolves around their 1 year old grandson, Luke. Kristina was telling me that 'Luke' asked Grandma & Grandpa for a hot tub at the cabin, because whatever Luke wants, Luke gets. Wink, wink... Kristina's Dad, Guy, made us a delicious shrimp, scallop & veggie stir fry for supper. BTW, Guy isn't pronounced guh-eye, as in man, but Gee, no, not jee, guh-ee. Kristina's family is French. 


When I was trying to tell Granny where I was headed next, she had quite the troubles understanding me. She asked who I knew in Battleford & when I said Kristina (whom Granny knows), Granny asked, 'Who?'
'Kristina'
'Who?'
'Irina? They must be German or Italian?'
'No, they're Canadian.' (I thought of saying, 'No, they're French', but that would have only added to the confusion.)
'Oh. How did you meet her?'
'We've known each other since Kindergarten.' (I hoped that would trigger a memory)
'And you've kept in touch all these years? That's wonderful.'
'Yes, she's a great friend.'


Kristina's Mom, Doris, arrived just in time for supper & we enjoyed a wonderful evening of catching up & of course, some more olympics! We watched the mens aerials & some of the women's figure skating. I'm still trying to figure out how they judge them. Everything happens so fast! Of course, we watched Joannie Rochette skate & yeah, I got all lumpy in the throat (adding to the neck!) :o) And then there was the 30 year old aerialist from Calgary. They announced that & I'm thinking to myself, 'Gosh, I'm 30. What happened? Where did I go wrong & miss my Olympic career? Hmpf.'


Kristina & I caught up on her trip & she shared with me what it is like on the 'Other Side'. Her cruise was with Carnival & the majority of my sailing experience has been with Princess. It was interesting to hear how they ran the show. Of course she had a great time! She was attending the onboard wedding of one of her longtime friends. And San Diego is a hard city not to enjoy!


We hit the hay relatively early. Kristina had a busy weekend planned & I had a full day's drive ahead of me. Thanks for a wonderful visit, er, merci beaucoup et a bientot! :o) 


Bonne soir!
Maria & Valentina
xxxxx

Kristina & her beautiful smile! And check out that tan!!! :o)

Day 123 - Day One of the Road Trip

Well, as usual, I packed way too much stuff & left way too late! I had planned on leaving home at about noon, but it was nearly 3 by the time I pulled out of the yard. I had checked the Weather Network & the forecast was calling for mild weather for most of my journey. Off we go!

I am never too excited about driving to Saskatchewan. It’s always such a long drive & not too much happens along the way! I take 22x on the south end of the city & cut across past Gleichen to Hwy 1.

From there onwards, it’s a matter of ticking past the towns & cities… Bassano, Brooks, Medicine Hat, Maple Creek, & finally Swift Current! I pulled into Grandma B’s about 2100. I was completely wiped, but Grandma B was wide awake.

She informed that her friends had just left – they watched The Bachelor together & ‘There are only 2 girls left for him to pick!’ Now she was heavy into the Ice Dancing on the Olympics. She told me this is the only time she’s ever channel surfed! ‘There’s just so much to see & I hate to miss anything!’ I love my Grandma! :o)

We witnessed a Gold medal for Canada & I do love music & movement, so I enjoyed the skating as well! We visited until 0100 & then we both crashed! Even Valentina was played out!

For 83 years old, in fact, 84 in a few weeks, she does pretty amazing to live on her own & keep as active as she does. She told me of my Aunt Laureen taking figure skating lessons when she was young & Grandma had to drive & pick her up in the neighbouring town & when she got home, it was 7 p.m. & nobody was fed and she still had a night of work to do. Grandma B has 8 children. Oh My Goodness. When I stop to fathom exactly what that means, I am flabbergasted! I can barely look after myself & a dog, let alone a baby, yet never mind 8 of them! My hats off to Grandma B – what a feat!

Anyhow, that was day one of my road trip. Here’s to a fun drive tomorrow. Ha!

Sleep well & see you soon!

xxxx

Maria & Valentina

And that's about as exciting as it got.

Even Valentina couldn't stay awake.

Day 113 - Montserrat Erupts & I Clean the Kitchen

I woke up at 0645 to bright lights & silence. Mom was up & at it & had every light in the house on. She was no where to be seen. She was at the other end of the house in her bathroom. I stumbled into the kitchen half awake & proceeded to start turning off lights until I made it back to my bedroom in darkness. Last week I told her to remember to turn out her office light when she leaves, in order to save power. I'm not sure. Maybe this is some sort of reverse psychology on living green.


In any case, I saved power until the late morning when I finally got up. My neck has been kinked the past two mornings. I'm not sure why, perhaps Valentina has me doing tricks in the middle of the night. :o)


I managed to clean the kitchen & sort out some paperwork. I called the bank to try & organize a few things, but the lady on the phone got nosy about my trip to Mexico & 20 minutes later, she learned her lesson to never ask personal questions if she's on a limited time schedule! :o) We had a few good laughs, although she didn't help my finances any!


I called a few friends today & had a wonderful chat with my friend Joanne. She is doing really well on her program & I am so happy for her! She is spending this coming Christmas in Dubai with her daughter, who recently married & now lives there. I told her Jaco wanted to spend Christmas in SA, so perhaps on my flight over I could stop in Dubai for a few days & see her! How fun would that be! Joanne has this incredible talent of making me laugh gut-wrenchingly hard. I don't know how she does it, but every time we chat, it happens. 


Today was shot no. 6. Yes, I missed a day. Yesterday was late all around & I'm paying for it today. My throat is tickling & my nose is running. Let's hope I nip it in the bud! In any case, that leaves me with only 5 shots to go! Yay!


Oh, yesterday I forgot to mention, along with my email from Jaco with the CV, I also received an email from my friend Ami. Ami was my roommate when I worked on the Coral Princess. When we met, it was a total Forrest Gump scene when I boarded the bus to go to the ship. All the seats were taken until I got to Ami. I asked if the seat next to her was taken & we were inseparable from that moment on! Ami & I used to go to the gym on a regular basis & one day I was running on the treadmill next to her & when my 20 minute stint was up, I said I was finished. She asked how far I went & I said 1.5 mi (or so).  She said, 'WHAT? You're going to quit now? But you're so close!'
'So close to what?'
'5K!'
'No, I'm only 1.5.'
'No, Silly! 3.12 is 5K!'
'Really?' I asked in disbelief.
'Yeah!'
'Oh!'


So I popped the treadmill back on & did my first ever 5K run! I was so proud! I felt such a sense of accomplishment! Ami was the first (& only) person to ever get me running. Why did I tell you all this? Well... This is the email she sent me. I'm still a puddle when I read it...

Hi cutie,

I'm running in a 10k in May in support of cancer research and I was wondering if you would be okay with me putting 4 Jill C on my shirt because I would like to run in honor of you and your fight. I'm so proud of you and how strong and brave you are and that you have stuck to your guns in regards to your treatment. Even if your name is not on my shirt I'll still be thinking of you while I'm running and using you as inspiration to get me to the finish line. Let me know what you think and let me know how you are doing. 

X

Ami

Needless to say, I've never had anyone do anything like this for me before. I feel absolutely floored. I don't stop to think of myself as doing anything out of the ordinary. I guess I feel like everyone out there who has the same thing as I do would be doing all the same things as I am! The research, the questioning, contacting survivors & trying all sorts of crazy things to make life work! I am speechless, but as far from emotionless as I have ever been! Wow. Thank you Ami - you have no idea how much this means to me!


I also heard from Jaco. Twice. I had checked his flight departure time when I got up & thought I'd already missed him. But then he called about 2 hours later. Apparently the volcano on Montserrat was erupting & the visibility was affecting flights out of Barbados. His flight got canceled. He was now on a flight at 2100 this evening. Then he calls me at 2200. That flight got canceled & he's now stuck at the airport until tomorrow morning! Poor fella! He hardly slept the night before, he won't sleep tonight & he can't sleep on a plane & he has a good 24-30 hr journey home! Worst of all, because his flights were canceled, instead of flying business class, where he could try to sleep, he's been bumped to economy! I think he needs a good luck travel charm!


Speaking of travel... I'm such a nerd! I put the new 'Who's Online?' thing on the blog & I'm so excited! I've had people all over the States, Canada, England, Norway (!), & Africa check out the blog! Yes, I know, it doesn't take much to amuse me! Thanks for giving it a read!


Alright, I'm sure there is more news I am forgetting, but I'm pooped & need to get some shuteye. Have a wonderful weekend & feel free to update me on the Olympics... I don't have TV out here & I would love to know the scoop! (Not the bad news though - I already heard that!) Go Canada Go! 


Love & Gold Medal Hugs,
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox


No pictures from today, so here's a few from SA last April. Enjoy!

Henko, Jaco's Nephew, in his new Flames jersey!

What a handsome man! I'm so lucky!

Our B&B on a citrus grove near Addo, South Africa

Grenadilla blossom