Yes, I changed the template on my blog (I'm talking to those of you who don't use a reader and therefore actually see my shining face everytime you settle in for another episode of A Jill Story). I wanted to start 2008 with a new look, or at least a fresh one, given that my old template looked like it was from 1985. Yes, that picture at the top is large (I kind of like it that way; it looks like the cover of a book). But I will continue to tweak and adjust this week.
Thanks for dropping by!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Christmas Day 07, the adventure continues
When I last left off, I was on my way to my aunt's place for Christmas Day dinner. This is when we get together with my dad's side of the family. Dale, my aunt's not-on-paper-husband, always makes enough food for three sittings, so it was no problem when three additional guests joined us this year.
I walked into the fireplace room to sit down and warm up. My mom and my grandma were sitting in the corner with Beryl, an old friend of my grandma's was going to be alone for Christmas Day until she was asked to join us. It also happened to be Beryl's 97th birthday. My aunt had warned us that she had just spent the afternoon entertaining Grandma and Beryl, neither of whom were wearing their hearing aids.
"They were round and hollow in the middle," Beryl said loudly.
"Were they Cheerios?" Grandma asked.
"No, not Cheerios."
"Fruit Loops?" my mom offered.
"No, they were round and crunchy and hollow in the middle," Beryl explained.
"Yes, like Cheerios," Grandma tried again.
"Yes, Cherrios," Beryl nodded. "And that is what I had for breakfast."
Oh wow, I smiled to myself. This is what I had to look forward to for the evening. I looked over to the plush easy-chair where a long legged black guy was sitting with a polite look on his face. I'm terrible at guess ages but I put him somewhere between 19 and 22.
"Oh, Jillian, this is David from Sudan. David, this is my granddaughter, Jill." I shook his hand and said hello. I remembered Grandma telling me about meeting David, a Sudanese refugee, through her church. He was living and going to school in Regina but staying in Winnipeg visiting some friends this week. Grandma and one of the reverends had lunch with David last week and learned that he didn't have plans for Christmas Day dinner so she called my aunt to see if it would be alright if David joined us. Aunty Carol told me Grandma wasn't wearing her hearing aids (again) that day so she was sure the entire Garwood Grill restaurant heard that yes, David was invited to spend Christmas Day with us.
I asked David about school and his sister. He is interested in the health field but taking just a few general night courses to see what he really likes. He has a sister in Regina who has five children. I later learned that they were all products of rape when she was captured by the militia in Sudan. He told me he was 24 and has been in Canada for four years. Grandma proudly pointed out that he recently got his Canadian citizenship and a driver's licence.
I told him a bit about myself--my job and my house.
"Are you married?" He asked.
"Oh no," I smiled and shook my head. "But I'm doing okay." I suddenly felt a bit shy knowing that my lifestyle was probably pretty different sounding from what he came from, not so long ago.
In a loud voice (I assume because she was deaf from talking to Beryl) my mom piped in, "But she's still looking!" Thanks, ma. Way to sell me.
David told me my grandma had told him a lot about me. I told him I was very interested in Africa as I had a friend who was working over there. I told him some of the stories I had had heard about my friend's adventures in Uganda and Tanzania. He laughed as I compared the description of a typical over packed bus ride in North Africa to the roomy bus ride he'd get to enjoy back to Regina later that night.
After David had left my aunt told us more of his story. His village was attacked and as he was running for safety he saw his dad and his brother get brutally killed. Aside from his sister, who he came to Canada with, he had other siblings that he doesn't know the whereabouts or fate of. He recently was put in contact with his mother who is still in Africa. He'd like to bring her to Canada as well. Despite all this, he still believes that God has a plan for him.
On the other side of the house was another current events story. My cousin, Scott, joined the military in 2005 and is now preparing for his deployment to Afghanistan. He was recently in Germany for training on the tanks he'll be driving. Since he started training he has missed a few family get togethers. I don't remember the last time saw him. It was the first time I heard him talk about minefields and roadside bombs and it suddenly started to feel real. Scott wasn't just running around playing war games in training anymore. I'm really happy for him; he has found a career path that he is excited about.
Beryl turned out to be hilarious in that kind of way where she would say something but have no idea how funny she was. She told us it was the best birthday she had in many years. By the end of the night she was telling us it was her 94th birthday. If we managed to take a few years off her life then I'd say it was a pretty successful evening.
So that was my Christmas. It was different, but it was good.
I walked into the fireplace room to sit down and warm up. My mom and my grandma were sitting in the corner with Beryl, an old friend of my grandma's was going to be alone for Christmas Day until she was asked to join us. It also happened to be Beryl's 97th birthday. My aunt had warned us that she had just spent the afternoon entertaining Grandma and Beryl, neither of whom were wearing their hearing aids.
"They were round and hollow in the middle," Beryl said loudly.
"Were they Cheerios?" Grandma asked.
"No, not Cheerios."
"Fruit Loops?" my mom offered.
"No, they were round and crunchy and hollow in the middle," Beryl explained.
"Yes, like Cheerios," Grandma tried again.
"Yes, Cherrios," Beryl nodded. "And that is what I had for breakfast."
Oh wow, I smiled to myself. This is what I had to look forward to for the evening. I looked over to the plush easy-chair where a long legged black guy was sitting with a polite look on his face. I'm terrible at guess ages but I put him somewhere between 19 and 22.
"Oh, Jillian, this is David from Sudan. David, this is my granddaughter, Jill." I shook his hand and said hello. I remembered Grandma telling me about meeting David, a Sudanese refugee, through her church. He was living and going to school in Regina but staying in Winnipeg visiting some friends this week. Grandma and one of the reverends had lunch with David last week and learned that he didn't have plans for Christmas Day dinner so she called my aunt to see if it would be alright if David joined us. Aunty Carol told me Grandma wasn't wearing her hearing aids (again) that day so she was sure the entire Garwood Grill restaurant heard that yes, David was invited to spend Christmas Day with us.
I asked David about school and his sister. He is interested in the health field but taking just a few general night courses to see what he really likes. He has a sister in Regina who has five children. I later learned that they were all products of rape when she was captured by the militia in Sudan. He told me he was 24 and has been in Canada for four years. Grandma proudly pointed out that he recently got his Canadian citizenship and a driver's licence.
I told him a bit about myself--my job and my house.
"Are you married?" He asked.
"Oh no," I smiled and shook my head. "But I'm doing okay." I suddenly felt a bit shy knowing that my lifestyle was probably pretty different sounding from what he came from, not so long ago.
In a loud voice (I assume because she was deaf from talking to Beryl) my mom piped in, "But she's still looking!" Thanks, ma. Way to sell me.
David told me my grandma had told him a lot about me. I told him I was very interested in Africa as I had a friend who was working over there. I told him some of the stories I had had heard about my friend's adventures in Uganda and Tanzania. He laughed as I compared the description of a typical over packed bus ride in North Africa to the roomy bus ride he'd get to enjoy back to Regina later that night.
After David had left my aunt told us more of his story. His village was attacked and as he was running for safety he saw his dad and his brother get brutally killed. Aside from his sister, who he came to Canada with, he had other siblings that he doesn't know the whereabouts or fate of. He recently was put in contact with his mother who is still in Africa. He'd like to bring her to Canada as well. Despite all this, he still believes that God has a plan for him.
On the other side of the house was another current events story. My cousin, Scott, joined the military in 2005 and is now preparing for his deployment to Afghanistan. He was recently in Germany for training on the tanks he'll be driving. Since he started training he has missed a few family get togethers. I don't remember the last time saw him. It was the first time I heard him talk about minefields and roadside bombs and it suddenly started to feel real. Scott wasn't just running around playing war games in training anymore. I'm really happy for him; he has found a career path that he is excited about.
Beryl turned out to be hilarious in that kind of way where she would say something but have no idea how funny she was. She told us it was the best birthday she had in many years. By the end of the night she was telling us it was her 94th birthday. If we managed to take a few years off her life then I'd say it was a pretty successful evening.
So that was my Christmas. It was different, but it was good.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
A Christmas letter from A Jill Story
Hey there!
Here it is, Christmas Day already and I'm just now writing you this letter. Well, it's been a busy season as usual so better late than never.
I took some vacation time this year around the holidays so I could travel with my parents to Edmonton for my cousin Briley's wedding. Unfortunately, it meant that I had to miss all but one of the Good Wooden Leg Christmas Choir performances but I'm sure they did a fine job without me. I also missed the department Christmas party at Triple B's. I'm looking forward to hearing all about the good times when I get back to the office on Thursday.
As I said, I traveled to Edmonton with Mom and Dad last week. We left just before 6am last Tuesday and drove straight through, arriving in record time about 13 1/2 hours later. We gave Dad his Christmas present early, a GPS unit for the car, so he could use it on the trip. It sure helped a lot! We also were highly amused when the thing got confused because it didn't have the updated maps for some areas in SK where they recently completed twinning the Trans Canada highway. It showed us driving through farmers' fields!
Once in Edmonton we did a lot of helping out with wedding stuff. One night I helped to make a tray of deviled eggs. Dad was bored and in the way so I told him to go buy us some red wine. Lets just say the eggs were sufficiently deviled.
I did a bit of shopping out there, including some Ikea stuff and an indulgence in Abercrombie. I also picked up a DVD recorder which I later wrapped up and gave to myself with love from Mac and Truck.
We got home on Sunday with a few hours to sleep and relax before the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve. It's our tradition to host Christmas Eve dinner, complete with 12 meatless dishes. This year, because my sister was working Christmas day and Boxing day we had to forgo Mass and open gifts that night. It was a bit strange and I honestly missed the tradition. Maybe next year things will work out.
I got a Mighty Mouse for Mac from Mom and Dad. I love it, except I keep forgetting it's there so I end up using the track pad anyway. The funniest moment last night was when I went to open my gift from my sister. I looked at the box and said with a long face, "I don't think this is The Little Mermaid", which I had been asking for every year they released it from the Disney vault. I opened the box and lo and behold, it was The Little Mermaid Special Edition DVD! How magical.
I better wrap things up for now. I have to go get ready to head to my aunt's place for dinner. It should be interesting as we will have a few new faces at the table. Perhaps I will add an update tomorrow.
I hope everyone out there is having a merry Christmas.
Love and stuff,
Jill, Mac and Truck
Here it is, Christmas Day already and I'm just now writing you this letter. Well, it's been a busy season as usual so better late than never.
I took some vacation time this year around the holidays so I could travel with my parents to Edmonton for my cousin Briley's wedding. Unfortunately, it meant that I had to miss all but one of the Good Wooden Leg Christmas Choir performances but I'm sure they did a fine job without me. I also missed the department Christmas party at Triple B's. I'm looking forward to hearing all about the good times when I get back to the office on Thursday.
As I said, I traveled to Edmonton with Mom and Dad last week. We left just before 6am last Tuesday and drove straight through, arriving in record time about 13 1/2 hours later. We gave Dad his Christmas present early, a GPS unit for the car, so he could use it on the trip. It sure helped a lot! We also were highly amused when the thing got confused because it didn't have the updated maps for some areas in SK where they recently completed twinning the Trans Canada highway. It showed us driving through farmers' fields!
Once in Edmonton we did a lot of helping out with wedding stuff. One night I helped to make a tray of deviled eggs. Dad was bored and in the way so I told him to go buy us some red wine. Lets just say the eggs were sufficiently deviled.
I did a bit of shopping out there, including some Ikea stuff and an indulgence in Abercrombie. I also picked up a DVD recorder which I later wrapped up and gave to myself with love from Mac and Truck.
We got home on Sunday with a few hours to sleep and relax before the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve. It's our tradition to host Christmas Eve dinner, complete with 12 meatless dishes. This year, because my sister was working Christmas day and Boxing day we had to forgo Mass and open gifts that night. It was a bit strange and I honestly missed the tradition. Maybe next year things will work out.
I got a Mighty Mouse for Mac from Mom and Dad. I love it, except I keep forgetting it's there so I end up using the track pad anyway. The funniest moment last night was when I went to open my gift from my sister. I looked at the box and said with a long face, "I don't think this is The Little Mermaid", which I had been asking for every year they released it from the Disney vault. I opened the box and lo and behold, it was The Little Mermaid Special Edition DVD! How magical.
I better wrap things up for now. I have to go get ready to head to my aunt's place for dinner. It should be interesting as we will have a few new faces at the table. Perhaps I will add an update tomorrow.
I hope everyone out there is having a merry Christmas.
Love and stuff,
Jill, Mac and Truck
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The first Noel
On Sunday Mom, Dad, Truck and I went out to buy Christmas trees. I'm talking REAL trees with sap and pine scent.
As we pulled up to the lot I could see Santa waving beside a reindeer. The sign said, "Get you picture taken with Blitzen". I had my camera that day, I was excited to stand beside a real reindeer for a picture. But, as we got closer I saw that Blizten wasn't moving at all because although Blitzen was very authentic, he was stuffed like a Christmas turkey. I shuddered. Poor Blitzen!
It was a bit chilly out as Mom and I wandered around the tree lot, -16 with a -30 windchill but we still took our time to pick out the right trees. Here is a picture of me with my first tree!
Dad e-mailed me on Tuesday morning.
So I requested an appointment for 7:00 pm and Dad showed up.
Once the tree was up we took a last minute trip to Canadian tire for some ornament hangers and an extension cord for the lights. I let the tree thaw overnight and hoped for the best.
The thing about lot trees that you don't really know what the tree is going to open up like. When I was a kid my family used to go to a place where we could chop our own trees down. Kind of like the Griswolds, but legal.
Tonight I came home from work and decorated the tree. I was so excited to try out my garage-sale-special ornaments. I think it turned out pretty. The picture isn't good so you'll have to take my word for it.
As we pulled up to the lot I could see Santa waving beside a reindeer. The sign said, "Get you picture taken with Blitzen". I had my camera that day, I was excited to stand beside a real reindeer for a picture. But, as we got closer I saw that Blizten wasn't moving at all because although Blitzen was very authentic, he was stuffed like a Christmas turkey. I shuddered. Poor Blitzen!
It was a bit chilly out as Mom and I wandered around the tree lot, -16 with a -30 windchill but we still took our time to pick out the right trees. Here is a picture of me with my first tree!My dad is funny
Dad e-mailed me on Tuesday morning.
Please contact Daryl to book a date and time to erect your Christmas Tree. This is required to ensure a timely and convenient time to meet your needs and schedule. At this time we have openings at most times this week. Your co-operation in this matter will be greatly appreciated. To ensure a satisfying experience please ensure you have the required materials available:
- Tree
- Tree Stand
- Beer
By having these items at my disposal it will ensure a happy experience that will bring satisfaction to all concerned.
So I requested an appointment for 7:00 pm and Dad showed up.Once the tree was up we took a last minute trip to Canadian tire for some ornament hangers and an extension cord for the lights. I let the tree thaw overnight and hoped for the best.
The thing about lot trees that you don't really know what the tree is going to open up like. When I was a kid my family used to go to a place where we could chop our own trees down. Kind of like the Griswolds, but legal.
Tonight I came home from work and decorated the tree. I was so excited to try out my garage-sale-special ornaments. I think it turned out pretty. The picture isn't good so you'll have to take my word for it.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Flippin' Flapjacks
On Sunday I like to make pancakes for breakfast. I use a mix that I get from the Bulk Barn. I usually eat two or three and then put the leftover prepared pancakes in the fridge to eat for breakfast during the week.
Also on Sundays I go to my parents' for dinner. This week my mom made a lovely turkey dinner and sent me home with a care package. I made myself the perfect turkey sandwich to take for lunch on Monday: white meat between slices of fresh whole-wheat bread with fresh baby spinach, Swiss cheese and a smattering of cranberry sauce. MmmMmm.
On Monday I was very hungry before lunch time. I don't know why, but I rather suffer the hunger pains than change my routine of eating at noon. It's like a personal challenge or something. When I finally sat down in the cafeteria I pulled out the Ziplock container only to find that I did not have a lovely turkey sandwich to eat, but instead four cold pancakes. I shook my head and got in line to buy a wrap instead. My perfect sandwich would have to wait until the next day.
Today I again waited in anticipation for noon to roll around so I could enjoy my sandwich. Today again I pulled out the Ziplock container and today again I discovered that I had packed four cold pancakes for my lunch.
"I can't afford to buy lunch everyday this week just because I keep grabbing the wrong container out of the fridge in the morning!" On top of that, I had forgotten my cafeteria card upstairs. Dear, sympathetic Joanna said not to worry, that she would buy my lunch. I didn't want to have to worry about remembering another debt to someone but Joanna told me not to worry, it was on her. Thank you, Joanna. You only have to put up with scatterbrained, cranky me for another five days before I'm off on holidays. So far, turning 26 has been kind of rough. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. All I can do is laugh, right?
Also on Sundays I go to my parents' for dinner. This week my mom made a lovely turkey dinner and sent me home with a care package. I made myself the perfect turkey sandwich to take for lunch on Monday: white meat between slices of fresh whole-wheat bread with fresh baby spinach, Swiss cheese and a smattering of cranberry sauce. MmmMmm.
On Monday I was very hungry before lunch time. I don't know why, but I rather suffer the hunger pains than change my routine of eating at noon. It's like a personal challenge or something. When I finally sat down in the cafeteria I pulled out the Ziplock container only to find that I did not have a lovely turkey sandwich to eat, but instead four cold pancakes. I shook my head and got in line to buy a wrap instead. My perfect sandwich would have to wait until the next day.
Today I again waited in anticipation for noon to roll around so I could enjoy my sandwich. Today again I pulled out the Ziplock container and today again I discovered that I had packed four cold pancakes for my lunch.
"I can't afford to buy lunch everyday this week just because I keep grabbing the wrong container out of the fridge in the morning!" On top of that, I had forgotten my cafeteria card upstairs. Dear, sympathetic Joanna said not to worry, that she would buy my lunch. I didn't want to have to worry about remembering another debt to someone but Joanna told me not to worry, it was on her. Thank you, Joanna. You only have to put up with scatterbrained, cranky me for another five days before I'm off on holidays. So far, turning 26 has been kind of rough. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. All I can do is laugh, right?
Natch-yo-Cheese
On Saturday, December 8, to wrap up my Alphabet Birthday Week I headed out with a few close friends in search of a good plate of nachos. George gave me this fun idea to pick three restaurants to visit and share one plate of nachos with my buddies. Everyone liked the idea and said they were ready for the challenge.The first place we tried was the new Academy Eatery location in Osborne Village. It was most recently known as Freehouse. Not much has changed it seems. The place was dead and service was spotty. The nachos were $10 for what turned out to be a small and uninspiring plate. The cheese was not evenly distributed and in general the dish was bland.
Our next stop was the Confusion Corner Bar and Grill. At first the hostess told us we couldn't get in as a 60 person Christmas party was supposed to arrive in an hour. After I stood there for a bit trying to figure out a plan B she let us in anyway. The 60 person party looked more like 16 at best, when it did show up.
Service inside the restaurant was good. We ordered the large nachos and added "spicy beef". Chris also added a plate of sweet potato fries.
The plate was larger and overall the quality much better. The salsa was sweet but tasty. The spicy beef didn't seem to be spicy at all though. I rated them a 7 out of 10. I wouldn't go there again specifically for nachos and in fact I probably wouldn't order them again.
After we finished that plate, we were pretty full of nachos. We couldn't fathom going somewhere else and getting another order. Well, Chris said he could have done more, but Lisa, Rob and I were nacho'd out. So we finished the night off at Basil's with cake. It was good cake.
Can you believe I forgot my camera that night? I was pretty mad at myself so we made a detour to Chris' place where he picked up his. I haven't (ahem) received the pictures yet from him so you'll have to use your imagination as to the antics we got up to. Basil's has a weird mural on the wall that I had my hands all over in a most immature manner.
Many people have asked me why this was my Alphabet birthday. In response I would first remind them that I was turning 26. Then I would point out that there are 26 letters in the alphabet. As Michael pointed out, that makes this my Z year, which sounds a little final and unpleasant I suppose.
The Cookie Monster
Some time ago Amara invited me to participate in her annual Cookie Exchange party. Being someone who A) likes cookies and B) likes to bake cookies, I was happy to accept. To add to the fun, there is also a prize awarded for the best cookie. To participate all I needed to do was bake 80 cookies for Thursday, December 6.
I prepared four different recipes--Eggnog Cookies, Merry Christmas (sugar) Cookies, Cherry Crowns, and Chocolate Truffles. All recipes seemed easy enough with basic ingredients I found at my favourite store, The Bulk Barn.
The Eggnog cookies were pretty easy, the rest were a lot of work. I also was very conscious of the fact that I wanted the cookies to impress people and maybe even win me a prize. Highlights of the preparation work include:
Attempting to make a golden yellow coloured icing for decorating the sugar cookies but ending up with atomic orange. How festive. Have you ever seen an orange snowflake before? Maybe I shouldn't say who, but one of my dear friends told me that when they were a kid they used to imagine that there was snow in the summer time and that it was orange. It was a cute story and it made me feel a bit better.
Wiping off with a damp paper towel icing that accidentally transferred onto other cookies when they flipped onto each other during the packaging process.
Decorating each truffle with two tiny holly leaf sprinkles and three holly berry sprinkles without the help of tweezers.
After all that work, I nearly missed the party too. On Thursday night I stopped off at my parents' place to sort out which cookies I would bring and which ones I'd share with my family. I was burnt out from a crazy week at work. If something didn't go wrong I screwed it up anyway it seemed. Exhausted, I crashed on the couch for a while with the idea in my head that the party was at 8pm. I realized that was not the case when Amara called me at 7:50 asking where I was. I felt so bad when I finally showed up, but thankfully no one seemed to hold anything against me and we all had a good time.
I prepared four different recipes--Eggnog Cookies, Merry Christmas (sugar) Cookies, Cherry Crowns, and Chocolate Truffles. All recipes seemed easy enough with basic ingredients I found at my favourite store, The Bulk Barn.
The Eggnog cookies were pretty easy, the rest were a lot of work. I also was very conscious of the fact that I wanted the cookies to impress people and maybe even win me a prize. Highlights of the preparation work include:
Attempting to make a golden yellow coloured icing for decorating the sugar cookies but ending up with atomic orange. How festive. Have you ever seen an orange snowflake before? Maybe I shouldn't say who, but one of my dear friends told me that when they were a kid they used to imagine that there was snow in the summer time and that it was orange. It was a cute story and it made me feel a bit better.
Wiping off with a damp paper towel icing that accidentally transferred onto other cookies when they flipped onto each other during the packaging process.
Decorating each truffle with two tiny holly leaf sprinkles and three holly berry sprinkles without the help of tweezers.
After all that work, I nearly missed the party too. On Thursday night I stopped off at my parents' place to sort out which cookies I would bring and which ones I'd share with my family. I was burnt out from a crazy week at work. If something didn't go wrong I screwed it up anyway it seemed. Exhausted, I crashed on the couch for a while with the idea in my head that the party was at 8pm. I realized that was not the case when Amara called me at 7:50 asking where I was. I felt so bad when I finally showed up, but thankfully no one seemed to hold anything against me and we all had a good time.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Shop Drop and Roll
I was away this weekend. Did anyone miss me? Of course you did. Well I'm here now and that's the important thing, isn't it?
I took off to America this weekend for some shopping with Mom and Dad. I will do my best to give the highlights in a succinct manner.
Friday, 12:17 pm
I booked a 1/2 day vacation, which meant I should have left the office at 11:30. The last thing to hold me up was a computer crash after realizing I shut down without turning on my out-of-office notice. Really, would anyone miss me that terribly on a Friday afternoon that it was so important I let them know I wasn't actually going to see their e-mail until Monday morning? I guess I'll find out tomorrow.
2:30pm
We hit the road. I realize that I had forgotten my list (written on an oversized envelope because I don't have any note paper in the house. Recognizing this, I also added, "note paper" to the list. Perhaps I should have added "This list" to the list). I am also bothered by the fact that my Hydro bill showed I owed them over $500 this month while my parents, who live in a house twice the size with 4x as many do-dads plugged in, only owed $100. Clearly there was a mistake that I would have to fix on Monday.
3:30pm
We arrive at the border. The border guard seems hung up on the fact that I have a passport while my parents do not. He also does not understand why I have no stamps in the thing. I got a passport because A) I needed it for flying to America and B) I thought it would make things even easier when taking weekend trips across the line. I conclude that the border guy must be new and cranky he got posted at the 49th parallel instead of the US/Mexico one.
4:30pm(ish)
We arrive in Grand Forks, hit the liquor store and head to the hotel. Upon opening the door we realize we clearly did not buy enough liquor to make the place look pretty. It's dark. There is one light at the doorway and a small lamp between the beds. The walls and ceilings are all cedar panelling and there are some strange decorative pieces nailed to the wall. The telephone is a converted one of those crank kinds. Over the beds there is a large painting of a ghost town. Oh yes, and it smells like stale cigarette smoke with notes of beef jerky. I didn't pack my camera for this trip and at this point I am really wishing I had, just so I could share this special place with you better.
5:30pm
Mom and I hit Target and Walmart. I pick up two pairs of shoes at Target--one pair a total steal at $7.48.
Saturday, 5:45am
I am awake.
7:30am
We are at McDonald's for breakfast. I get my usual, the Hotcakes. It is snowing out but we are on a mission to get out of GF and get to our new hotel in Fargo, ND.
8:00am
Driving conditions are not great. The snow drifts across the highway and every once in a while a plow, going the other way on the other side of the highway, sends a cloud of snow our way, reducing visibility to nil for a few long seconds. Now I know how race car drivers feel when they're trying to drive through a smokey crash. Except they have the benefit of a spotter to guide them.
8:30ish
We make it to the mall. Shopping resumes.
6:00pm
We stop shopping and go back to the hotel. Mom is tired but I could go for more. The hotel is much nicer here. Later, we walk to the restaurant for dinner. Walking in the new snow is hard and reminds me of walking in sand, except for the freezing temperatures of course.
Sunday
More shopping and then drive home. On the way we see a few cars, including a Sheriff, have landed in the ditch. The weather is much better today though and so my dream of getting stuck in America due to treacherous road conditions, with nothing to do but browse the shops, is shattered. I return to Winnipeg with three new pairs of black shoes, among other things. I know there are people reading this who completely understand why I need three pairs of black shoes. I also treated myself to a special bottle of white wine. Why is it special? Because it is called J, that's why. I intend to enjoy it on my birthday later this week.
I may post some pictures of my purchases later.
I took off to America this weekend for some shopping with Mom and Dad. I will do my best to give the highlights in a succinct manner.
Friday, 12:17 pm
I booked a 1/2 day vacation, which meant I should have left the office at 11:30. The last thing to hold me up was a computer crash after realizing I shut down without turning on my out-of-office notice. Really, would anyone miss me that terribly on a Friday afternoon that it was so important I let them know I wasn't actually going to see their e-mail until Monday morning? I guess I'll find out tomorrow.
2:30pm
We hit the road. I realize that I had forgotten my list (written on an oversized envelope because I don't have any note paper in the house. Recognizing this, I also added, "note paper" to the list. Perhaps I should have added "This list" to the list). I am also bothered by the fact that my Hydro bill showed I owed them over $500 this month while my parents, who live in a house twice the size with 4x as many do-dads plugged in, only owed $100. Clearly there was a mistake that I would have to fix on Monday.
3:30pm
We arrive at the border. The border guard seems hung up on the fact that I have a passport while my parents do not. He also does not understand why I have no stamps in the thing. I got a passport because A) I needed it for flying to America and B) I thought it would make things even easier when taking weekend trips across the line. I conclude that the border guy must be new and cranky he got posted at the 49th parallel instead of the US/Mexico one.
4:30pm(ish)
We arrive in Grand Forks, hit the liquor store and head to the hotel. Upon opening the door we realize we clearly did not buy enough liquor to make the place look pretty. It's dark. There is one light at the doorway and a small lamp between the beds. The walls and ceilings are all cedar panelling and there are some strange decorative pieces nailed to the wall. The telephone is a converted one of those crank kinds. Over the beds there is a large painting of a ghost town. Oh yes, and it smells like stale cigarette smoke with notes of beef jerky. I didn't pack my camera for this trip and at this point I am really wishing I had, just so I could share this special place with you better.
5:30pm
Mom and I hit Target and Walmart. I pick up two pairs of shoes at Target--one pair a total steal at $7.48.
Saturday, 5:45am
I am awake.
7:30am
We are at McDonald's for breakfast. I get my usual, the Hotcakes. It is snowing out but we are on a mission to get out of GF and get to our new hotel in Fargo, ND.
8:00am
Driving conditions are not great. The snow drifts across the highway and every once in a while a plow, going the other way on the other side of the highway, sends a cloud of snow our way, reducing visibility to nil for a few long seconds. Now I know how race car drivers feel when they're trying to drive through a smokey crash. Except they have the benefit of a spotter to guide them.
8:30ish
We make it to the mall. Shopping resumes.
6:00pm
We stop shopping and go back to the hotel. Mom is tired but I could go for more. The hotel is much nicer here. Later, we walk to the restaurant for dinner. Walking in the new snow is hard and reminds me of walking in sand, except for the freezing temperatures of course.
Sunday
More shopping and then drive home. On the way we see a few cars, including a Sheriff, have landed in the ditch. The weather is much better today though and so my dream of getting stuck in America due to treacherous road conditions, with nothing to do but browse the shops, is shattered. I return to Winnipeg with three new pairs of black shoes, among other things. I know there are people reading this who completely understand why I need three pairs of black shoes. I also treated myself to a special bottle of white wine. Why is it special? Because it is called J, that's why. I intend to enjoy it on my birthday later this week.
I may post some pictures of my purchases later.
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