Category Archives: Travels

Kids can cause us a lot of headaches.  Last minute glitches in Patrick’s planning kept us up late in the night.  It would be easier to rollover and go back to sleep and let them sort out their mistakes.  But we love them and get involved.  Its what parents do.  Even if the kids are old enough to live with the consequences of their own, may I say it, stupidity.

Now Patrick and Amanda have embarked on their voyage.  Safely.  At least no more phone calls! 

Praying for their safely and an uneventful trip.  At the other end another set of parents will take over.  And that will be good.  Can hardly wait to hear that they have arrived – but that will take about 24 hours. 

We leave this morning to catch our flight from San Diego. Miguel will, hopefully get us back over the border in plenty of time but we are going prepared for a longish wait with water bottles and apple juice for Leo. (He already hates apple juice – this post-surgical care will put it on his do not drink list for a long time)

Then off we fly up to the frozen North. It may be a fatal shock to our systems. I am beginning to feel more sympathetic towards those snowbirds who go south every year.

The water in the pool looks deceptively inviting.  It was cold enough that not a single person attempted it while we were there.   But the sun was warm and good.

This afternoon I tagged along with another family from PA to go shopping. They have been down here before and this time dared to rent a car.

Down to Revolution Boulevard.

During the day it is lined with shops – the little shops common to third world tourist shopping. At the entrance to each is a salesman/con man offering you the most special price of the day – 80% off just for us since we are from Canada and so friendly. And no tax. Boy they know their lines! Each shop sells pretty much the same thing, same quality. Shopping becomes a whole new source of entertainment and we are the sideshow.

I got the required gifts for children and grandchildren and a good long walk in for exercise.

At night this same street becomes a place to buy other wares. Women are lined up along the buildings in the thousands I am told. I don’t think I care to see that. I personally find that kind of spectacle too hard to stomach.

Time flies and this week has been too full of work and stuff to post but last weekend was great.

Winnipeg is an interesting city. It is definitely bigger than Saskatoon but also definitely smaller than Calgary. It feels more like Saskatoon than Calgary. I don’t really know why but maybe it is just the prairie feel to it. I think I like Winnipeg for that reason.

In any case, I had a good time there last weekend. I got there, rented a car and drove to the York hotel. In the afternoon, before Leo was done his courses, I wandered around downtown in the mall. Found a McNally Robinson store – succumbed to my biggest temptation there and came away with a couple new books.

That evening was Leo’s induction into the College of Family Physicians as a Fellow. Gowns and hoods, pin and certificate and new letters to put behind his name FCFP. He works hard to keep his knowledge current so he deserves it – and he loves it!

After all the pomp and circumstance, we had a nice visit with Mr. Daley who was made an honorary member of the college. He is another guy who has worked hard in the field of physical activity promotion and received the Order of Canada. He was wearing his medal so we got to check that out close up.

Then we went in to a performance by Chantal Kreviazuk. She is amazing really, performing up on stage from the piano which she plays as she sings – no other back-up – with a voice that is powerful and clear. And to us it was just a bit special that she had just returned the day before from Ethiopia where she travelled with War Child International. She brought back some stories and then called up an 11 year old girl, Hannah Bennet I think was her name, who has raised a tremendous amount of money for the homeless. Chantal donated $5000 to her and this was matched by the College of Family Physicians and the Scotia Bank.

The next day we spent with friends – first of all at Faith Covenant, then with Chantelle(my niece, not the singer) and friends and then met Jamie and Kim Arpin-Ricci for a really good visit. We still had a bit of time left so we drove down to the legislature and wandered among the bears in the park.