Day 338 - Sushi & A Movie!

Whoa! I think I remember what it's like to have a social life! Today Jaco & I went to town & watched 'The Switch'. A movie! With my husband! A date! What a concept! 


We wanted to catch a matinée, but we were about 15 minutes too late. We passed the time by trying on stuff in Lululemon. It is a bit like torture to leave empty handed, but my physique leaves a little to be desired these days, so probably best I don't cover it in spandex! :oP 


We stopped at Community Natural Foods & picked up some more ginger. We bought what was left on the shelf & the gal suggested we talk to the Manager & order a box of it. We'll save wasting all those plastic tubs & we'll get 10% off. Hmm. Next time! 


We picked up sushi from Kinjo on McLeod Trail. $20 for supper for 2 of us. I think that's pretty good! The sushi was delicious! Jaco doesn't normally eat (or like) sushi, but he enjoyed this. I was chuckling inside as he generously applied wasabi to his sushi. His watering eyes shortly after had me chuckling out loud... But, he liked it! 


The movie was really good! It was funny, cute & entertaining. We had a tough time deciding, as Jaco wanted to see Inception, but the IMAX version only plays at 2100, which is too late for Chemo Eve. We'll go another time - hopefully before it's gone! We still haven't seen Avatar & Mom & Ken want to take us to see that. Looks like more popcorn in my future! 


Oh, we also saw one of the crew from Cirque du Soleil at the movie! Him & his wife were sat next to us. If only I could get out more, I'd know the entire cast & crew on a first name basis! And that dream of joining the circus one day would suddenly materialize... Although I've lost nearly all my hair, so my Bearded Lady routine won't be happening... Perhaps Valentina can be my trick dog... I do love Cirque du Soleil! If you haven't been, do yourself a favour - GO!!!


We rushed home, I felt terrible - partially from bone pain & partially because I COMPLETELY FORGOT about my Skype date with my friend, Luis, from Colombia. Argh! I checked to see if he was still online - nope. Darn. I worked on Mom's calendar for a few hours & then my back screamed louder than my iTunes. Time for bed. And now I'm going to dream about Corb Lund. '...The Chev got stuck & the Ford got stuck...' Sigh. Serves me right. Should have listened to Michael Bublé...


Wish me luck tomorrow... It's half way day! xxxxMJV&O 


'...mighty neighbourly...mighty neighbourly...'

 Our gift from Kinjo.

 Peter - the Boss & dressed for the occasion - Sweet guy!

 Out with my Baby!

Busy place!

Day 317 - Sweet Slumber!

Arriving home at 0200 in the driving rain left Jaco & I a little worse for wear. We were excited to have a day to finally sleep in! We did. In fact, it was near 1500 by the time we got up! It was fantastic to not have anywhere to go or anyone to see. We enjoyed every minute of sleep! 


When we did finally get up, we decided to head into the city to see Mom2. She had surgery on Thursday & was feeling pretty rough. We stopped & picked up some flowers, a card & some soup & made our way over to see her. She was in a lot of pain still & not feeling too great, so we cut our visit short, picked up some sushi & headed home. 


Silly me, I thought I could get away with the little amount of avocado in my sushi. Wrong. By the time we arrived at home, my belly was fully bloated & I was feeling like death. According to the Doc, my belly put me at 20 weeks. :o) Thank goodness the Doc & my belly were full of hot air! One day I'll learn to stay away from avocado altogether. I moaned & groaned & did my best to get to bed early. Tomorrow would be a much earlier morning & I was excited to spend the day with Shauna. 


Wish me luck!
xoxoxoxo
M, J, V


No photos from today, so here are the ones of little Harrison I forgot to post! Enjoy!

Day 271 - Farewell Jenny Rose...

Today was my last day hangin’ with Jenn. :o( I’ve really enjoyed our visit! And I must say, I wish she lived closer! We had a blast taking photos out & about, even if it was with our point & shoot cameras! We had a lovely breakfast of maple butter on sprouted grain toast with some fruit on the side. Jenn had never had maple butter, so I was happy to be the first to share my love of maple butter with yet another Maple Butter Virgin! Yum!

We went for a walk to the barns & caught Mom’s horse, Shufly. We took a few photos of the other horses & then headed out for a walk through the meadow. The grass was quite tall & it had rained the night before. Our feet were soaked shortly! Valentina had a blast leaping through the tall grass! She’s so funny to watch. You just see the grass moving a bit & every once in awhile you see her little ears flop above the grass line. She knows how to make me giggle!

We encountered a coyote on our way out. He was healthy – full coat & fluffy tail. He loped up the side of the hill, stopping several times to check us out. The funny thing was the cattle were more leery of us than the coyote! They kept running around us & stopping to get a good look at us! 

We walked for about an hour & then decided we'd had enough. We hung out at the house while Jenn cleaned the ka-ka off of her shoes to spare the poor lad she'd have to sit next to on the plane. I started sorting through a box of old photos. I joked with Jenn, saying she was going to know my entire life story before she flew out today! 

We left for town around 1500 with a quick stop for sushi. Jenn had a hankering for sushi the other day, but had the disappointment of her life at the sushi restaurant in Canmore. I picked one of my favourites in Calgary & luckily it didn't disappoint! We headed up Deerfoot to the airport - during rush hour. Ugh! Thankfully we made it there only 5 minutes past our planned time of arrival! 

I waited for Jenn to check in & also to go through security. She was taking everything on as carry on & I didn't want her to have to throw away her moisturizer. Sure enough, it was a meagre 20 mls over! One more hug goodbye & she was off! Hope to see you again soon Miss Jenn!!! 

I stopped at Chapters to see if they had a book on marriage I'm looking for. No luck. I then stopped at HomeSense & picked up a small wedding present for the James'. They are stopping next week... Yippee!!! 

I arrived home just in time to see Mom back from her visit to my brother's place. He is doing okay. Pretty slow going, but he's a tough, stubborn ol' cowboy... I'm sure he'll be right as rain in no time flat... 

As usual, I procrastinated at going to bed. It was 0200 by the time I turned out the light. One of these days I'll get to bed early. Here's hoping for tomorrow! By the way, it's chemo day... Wish me luck!

xxxx

Maria & Valentina

Shufly

Jenn & the ponies

Walkin' in the woods

Home Tweet Home

Day 168 - Happy Birthday To Me!

Yup, today is my 31st birthday. Looking back on the day, it really wasn't that much fun, so I'm going to celebrate it tomorrow!


I wasn't even the last one on the list today at the clinic, so I figured I would be able to get away in good time for Valentina's Vet appointment. Today she was getting her International Health Certificate in order to travel abroad. The appointment was at 1520 downtown. 


They called me in for my treatment before anyone had really finished up & no sooner had I sat down when Emily, Mika, Karla, Rossy, Nora & Maria came out with a couple of mini cakes & a candle on each one. They sang happy birthday to myself & to Jack, another patient. Yes, Jack & Jill had their birthday's on the same day! Oh the irony! I was very touched that they girls were so thoughtful!


I was finished in good time & managed to hop on the first shuttle. Oh dear. Today was also a ridiculously slow day at the border. We waited & waited & waited & waited. By the time we made it through & back to the hotel, I knew I would have to hustle my butt! To my surprise I had a dozen beautiful pink roses in my room! What a great Mom I have! The card read: 'I wish I will there. Love Mom'. Oh how I love a good English to Spanish translation. Mom said it took nearly 10 minutes to try & spell out what she wanted the card to read! And the girl still goofed it up! Oh well. My room smelled delicious! Speaking of delicious, I had to get some food in my belly, Valentina's papers organized & get out the door to catch the bus. I left the room at 1430.


I swear, I must have just missed the bus, as I waited a good 20 minutes for the bus. By the time I got on to the trolley, I had 10 minutes to make it 11 stops! Not happening!


I decided to head up to Whole Foods after the Vet appointment, as I was low on groceries & didn't want to come all this way & go home empty handed. I had taken my carry-on suitcase & placed it underneath Valentina's carrier, so lil' Miss V was riding the double decker bus today! 


We didn't really fit on the trolley benches, so I decided I would stand at the back close to the doors & stay out of the other travelers way. There I was, leaning against the wall, my double decker bus at my feet, when along comes this 'lady'. She plops herself down on the trolley floor next to my feet. She stretches out her legs, so every stop we make, people walk up the stairs & have to navigate over her legs. Eventually she sits cross legged. Why she sat there I will never know. There were plenty of empty seats in the trolley car. Pretty soon, she's rocking back & forth, banging her head against the wall. She's suddenly scratching her head & shaking her hands in the air. She's talking jibberish with plenty of profanity thrown in the mix. Oh please let this trolley ride end soon! Please let it be over! 


Thankfully we were finally at Park & Market & I was able to hop off & away from the scary situation. I scooted one block over to the Market Street Veterinary Clinic where Dr. Dorian was hopefully still waiting to see Valentina! Thankfully I was still able to squeeze in! I weighed my little girl while I waited. She was 10.2 lbs. I asked the Vet if she was overweight & he said she could lose just a touch, as she lacks some definition from her ribcage to her lower back. You know what they say, 'Dogs are like their owners'! And this owner lacks alotta definition! :o) Sadly & certainly more seriously, I've been told that dogs will often take on the health issues of their owners. I've noticed Valentina's lymph nodes before, but didn't think anything of it. I asked the Vet & sure enough, he did say they were a little larger than normal, but not to panic just yet. OMGosh. I would surely live the day in horror if I were to pass my Lymph problems on to my dog!


Otherwise, she was fit as a fiddle. He said she was very clever, although I'm sure he says that to all the dogs & their owners that come through! :o) But this time he's right! :o) We received our International Health Certificate, settled the bill & were on our way. The Vet Clinic was a great experience - wonderful staff & helpful. They also took the time to answer all of my questions. Two thumbs up & a big dog biscuit for Dr. Dorian & co.! 


It was back on the trolley & then onto the bus. This time I had 3 creepy men scoping me out. Eeew. I sat next to one of them, as it was the only seat I could manage the double decker. I just don't get people who don't get the concept of personal space. Your bum & thighs should rest in your seat, not 1.5 seats & certainly not my seat! Stop touching my leg with your leg. I swear, I'm going to have OCD issues & need to shower after every public outing. I was very happy to get off of that bus!


As soon as I got to Whole Foods, I bee-lined it for the bathroom. I kid you not. I waited a good 10 minutes for their Unisex bathroom to open up. When it did, this 'dude' steps out with his to go mug & a book under his arm. Are you kidding me? You're lounging in a public bathroom? More gross & more OCD issues.


I make my way around the best store ever (well, maybe 3rd best after Lululemon & Le Fate Scalze shoe shop in Napoli, Italia) & find all the wonderful healthy foods I know I should be eating! To my horror, the supplements I planned on picking up are not here! Oh no!!!! I am hoping that Henry's will carry some of them, as I am nearly out of several important ones! Argh! The ones they do have are different brands, dosages & who knows about the quality!


After checkout, I've got a suitcase that weighs a ton, a dog bag, a purse, and 2 brown bags of groceries. This is going to be fun! I fumbled my way over to Kiki Sushi again for my birthday dinner. Danny & Calvin were there & they remembered me. We had a great visit while I stuffed my face full of scrumptious sushi!


I caught the bus & no sooner had I sat down when another 'weirdo' starts asking me questions about my Whole Foods bag. 'What's so special about that place?' I tell him about the healthier options in the shop. It goes in one ear & out the other. He rambles on about his big casino winnings & how so & so took money from him & paid him with his own money & it all just went in my one ear & out the other! :o) He then wound back to the health food thing & proceeds to tell me, 'Oh well, we're all dying anyhow, so what's the use?' I retorted & said, 'Some of us are dying sooner than we'd like to & we're trying to make a change'. I was so happy that my bus stop was up & I could get off... I lug my heavy bags off the bus & once I'm rolling down the street, I catch my self muttering 'uglies' toward Mr. Unhealthy. Then I realize that I'm the only one on the street & I'm talking to myself... Not much better than the lady on the trolley. Yeesh. I'm becoming one of them! 


I make my way home & finally get back to the hotel about 2100. I'm wiped. What a day. And this was my birthday? I don't think so! I'm taking a raincheck & celebrating tomorrow! 


I unpack my groceries & get ready for bed. I'm looking forward to a more exciting day tomorrow! 


Love & hugs,
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Emily, Rossy, Nora, Mika & Maria serenading me with 'Happy Birthday'

Nora, Rossy & Maria

Maria, Karla & Rossy

Jack & Jill's birthday!

It feels so good to get flowers!

Was - Was - Was

The helpful girls at Market Street Vet Clinic

She looks pretty happy about her weight. Guess it runs in the family! :o)

University Ave

Day 161 - Is It April Already?!

Seriously? Where does the time go? I can't believe it's already April! Today there were a lot of goodbyes. Was it something I said? :o) 


I was the last one on the list to be called in for treatment, so needless to say, I didn't make the first shuttle back. Aaron, the lad from Dawson Creek, offered to take me to Whole Foods before he left for Yuma, however, it took so long to get through customs, he had to leave as soon as we got back. I decided to venture out on the public transit system & find my way to Whole Foods. 


I had been given directions the previous time I was here, but never went on my own. It took one hour to get there. I took a bus, the trolley, a bus, another bus & then walked a couple blocks. I spent about one hour in the most glorious health food store. EVER. I was excited to go home & eat! 


I stopped at Kiki Sushi across the street for some dinner & it was delish! The 2 sushi chefs were quite entertaining & made my visit an enjoyable one. Danny, Calvin, Andy, Julianna & Gabriel. My sushi chefs were Vietnamese & Chinese. Shows you how much I know about sushi!


After I finished my meal, it was a walk, a bus, another bus, the trolley & another bus.  I stopped off mid-trolley at the pet shop & they were just closing. I wanted to ask about a hard sided kennel for Valentina's cargo flight. :o( (!!!!) While I was talking to the clerk, a gentleman taps me on the shoulder & says, 'Hey! How are you!? It's been ages since I've seen you! How've you been?' I have NO IDEA who the guy is & I reluctantly say, 'I'm good. Nice to see you too...' Does he have any clue that I'm from another country & he MOST CERTAINLY hasn't seen me before??!! Crazy!


Then there's the P. Diddy wannabe I sat beside in the front of the bus on the way there. The 2 old guys sitting in front of me were telling me what bus to take to get where, when P. Diddy turns to me & says, 'What kind of perfume are you wearing? It smells like Diamond Pearl.' I smile & tell him it's Lolita Lempicka. He has no clue what I'm talking about. One of the old guys rolls his eyes & I just smile. Oh the joys of public transport.


I think I put my back out of whack when I lifted my suitcase onto the bed to unload the groceries from it. Yes, I shopped with my carry-on suitcase. Yes, the guys at Whole Foods commented on never having 'bagged' a suitcase before. Anyhow, here's hoping my back is back in action tomorrow! 


Have a great sleep & see you tomorrow!!! xxxx
Maria & Valentina

The girls getting gifts from the leavers

Aaron is really tall & Emily is a little short

Harvey's Brother & Sister in Law

My beloved Whole Foods!

Danny & Calvin whippin' up a storm

Yummy Sushi!

Waiting for the bus. There's a really raunchy XXX store across the street. I blushed just looking at the window displays!

Beautiful palm trees!

Day 158 - Holy Cow! What A Day!

Phew! Today was a LONG day! I had planned on heading out early, but as usual, the morning got away from me... Then dear ol' Contemplate wouldn't start! My last day to drive my lovely car for many months to come & it was no go. Mom was already gone with NeverLate, so I was left with the truck. I don't mind driving the truck, but it's a gas hog & a bit of a tank to drive in the city. Regardless, I headed out around 1100 for Cochrane.


First up was the TD bank for the $25 Barbados Import Permit. $25 Barbados dollars is equal to about $13 Canadian. It cost $50 (!) to post to Barbados. Ouch! 


I stopped in to see Jenn on her first day of her new job. She looked like a supermodel!!! Wow!!! I couldn't help but stare! She is such a beautiful woman! With those big eyes & perfect smile, no wonder Mike was so swiftly enamoured with this gorgeous Canadian gal! :o) I hope the job goes well for her.


I will admit. Today was a weepy day. I cried on my way to Cochrane, I cried on my way to Calgary & I cried on my way home from the city. I cried at songs on the radio, I cried when  I couldn't find the courts office... Yeah, I was a bit of a wreck. I'm sad to be leaving all my friends & Mom & happy to be leaving to get healthy. I'm sad I'm not already healthy, I miss my husband & I'm sad we're not already living somewhere together... And pretty much anything else made me cry.


I stopped at GAP Adventures to say goodbye to Michael - he was busy as usual! Then it was downtown to sort out the speeding ticket I got in September. I was caught doing 102 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. I was 3 hours late leaving for the wedding weekend, with a million things on my mind. It is my first speeding ticket in Alberta. Grrr. Anyhow, it had gone to trial so I had to see a Prosecutor about it. I phoned & was given the wrong directions. I went to 5 different places & couldn't find the right floor when I finally found the right building. Needless to say, I was getting close to losing it! I ended up having to buy a Jugo Juice just to get more change & pay for parking. My luck I'd get a parking ticket while paying for my speeding ticket! Hmpf!


The Prosecutor was actually human! He was very much unlike the Judge I visited in January - thank goodness! He reduced my ticket & I received 2 demerits instead of 3. 


I motored over to Meyers Norris Penny with minutes to spare on the parking meter. I paid my last payment & hugged my Bankruptcy Consultant goodbye. I was very excited to have made my last payment... Just another 3 weeks of receipts to submit & I am free & clear! Yahoo!


I boogied through the rest of the afternoon trying to get the rest of my to-do list accomplished. Community Natural Foods, then I tried to get a roll of slide film cross-processed. I was rejected at Vistek, Costco & Black's. I'll just take it to California with me & have it done there. I stopped at PetSmart, the Luggage Shop, Chapters, Jugo Juice (again), and then I stopped at Mom2's. She'd been away all weekend & I was quite worried, as I didn't know she was gone & I couldn't get ahold of her! She hadn't checked her email recently, so she didn't know I was leaving - for 4 months! 


It was nearly 2000 & I was pretty pooped. I decided to pick up some veggies for Mom & head home. Hungry as a horse, I decided to have some sushi. I chose a chai tea & sushi over a burger & fries. I thought that was a wise choice! Sushi Ginza was delish!


It had been quite windy all day & I swear in a matter of minutes, the temperature dropped by 10 degrees! It was freezing cold!!! Yuck! Of course, I arrived home to find a lovely blanket of fresh snow! Oh the joys of living in the mountains! 


Tomorrow it the last chance to pack & hit the skies enroute for health & happiness... Sleep well & I'll see you soon! 
xxxxxx
Maria & Valentina

Jenn on her first day!

Yahoo! Last payment!

Great Sushi!

Great service!

Great times!

Day 132 - Sushi - Dynamite Roll & Then I Roll Home...

Today was the final day of the road trip... 2700 kms later, Contemplate is still humming along! You go girl! 


I had a leisurely lie-in until about 0900, upon which, Roxy was already up & at it & busily getting formula ready for the 2 newest additions to the Ziola family... Batman & Robin, 2 calves needing to be bottle fed. We bundled up & headed outside to feed the little fellas. Oh dear! It's been a long time since I've been head bunted in the butt! I was giggling away & Batman really got me good! At one point I gave a little holler & I must be getting old, as it sounded just a little old lady who had just had a fright! After I had let Batman drain the bucket, he decided to go to town on my jacket, pants, & pretty much anything he could reach on me! I eventually gave him my thumb to suck & that kept him happy for a few minutes. 


Roxy was busy trying to coax Robin into a corner to give him his bottle. We eventually ended up with both calves in the corner, Robin getting a bottle, Batman having Roxy's other hand. 


After the calves were fed, we walked over to the horses & donkey, had a little scratch here & there, then we wandered down to look at the rest of the babies. Roxy has her favourites & as we walked through, she pointed them out to me. I'm always on the lookout for that one over protective Mama (picture me flying through the air, starfishing as I spin & land on a pile of giant rock solid frozen cow pies), but thank goodness their cattle are nice & gentle! Instead, I just tripped over the rock solid frozen cow pies! :o)


When we walked back towards the house, we noticed Batman & Robin had escaped. As soon as they saw Roxy, they were thinking of the bottle, so she led them back into the pen.


We ventured over to the barn to find some kitties, but they were hiding on us. We climbed up into the loft of the old barn & had a chat. It was amazing to sit there & imagine what had happened throughout the years in that barn. The stories & storms it had weathered. I love the old barns - they have so much more character than the tin ones they build today!


Back inside we quickly changed & headed for town. Roxy had to pick a few things up for Kevin & she wanted to take me to the only raw cafe in Red Deer. Sadly the cafe was closed today! This is the 2nd time this has happened to Roxy & I! I guess I am just meant to hold out a little longer! I'm sure it's worth the wait! We ended up going for sushi instead. It was delicious! We had another great chat while we sipped green tea, sitting cross legged on the cushions.


We chatted so long we nearly missed the one place we had to pick up something for Kevin! Luckily we made it there in time! Once we were back at Roxy's, I packed up & hit the road. I was anxious to get home after 9 days away. I stopped in Cochrane for a few groceries & made it home by 2200. Phew. I'm wiped!


I checked messages & 119 emails later... I was bummed to read I'd missed Robyn in Red Deer! She recently got married in Mexico & I was so excited to see her slideshow & photos! In any case, I'll have to make a special trip up to see her! She is gorgeous, so I can only imagine how stunning she will look in every single photo!!!


Home again, home again, jiggity-jig... Sleep well & here's to a semi-exciting blog now that the road trip is finito! 


Sleep well!
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

A thumb is better than a head bunt in the butt!

Hungry fellers!

Batman & Robin

New kid on the block... Kinda looks like Donnie?

Robin settling for 2nd best!

Oh my... The donkey was braying & I thought someone was dying... What a noise! Quel bruit!

Buck's eye

Mamas, babies, & plenty of yep, you guessed it! Rock solid frozen cow pies!

Inside the old barn.

Hello Rainbow Roll!!! Yummy!