5C's Que Pasa

Yesterday was another whirlwind day.  After a nice soak in the tub complete with a decaf Keuring which was excellent I headed down to the complimentary breakfast provided by the hotel.  A lovely presentation and more food than anyone needed to get their day off to a perfect start.  Next stop was another appointment with the chiropractor.  I had held my adjustment but was out on the right side at S1  which was likely due to my body adjusting to the first treatment.  Now I am fine and hope to remain that way for a long while   Too bad regular chiropractors can’t help me.  After a walk which was intended to settle my body I went back to the hotel, packed and checked out.

Just one of the many items in the shop windows. I don’t think I will buy this shirt though. Not my style.

With my carry on bag stowed at the hotel desk, I walked over to this Thai restaurant which has wonderful online reviews.  It is located just a few feet off of Whyte Avenue on 107th Street.

I was meeting friends that I had gone to school with from grades 7 to 12.  Whenever one of us is coming to Edmonton we contact Denise who in turn emails as many of those we have current contacts for to see if they want to get together for a meal.  I only was available for two hours on this particular day and only a few were free.  It was also very short notice on my part.  We have had several wonderful gatherings over the years and I have posted about the ones I was able to attend.

Only four of us this trip. Louise on the left is married to a Mexican from Tampico and they live half the year in Huatulco which is way south in Mexico and we have actually driven there in our RV.  Next to her is Denise who was a school teacher and taught both of my sisters.  Next to her in the teal top is Gisele who I went to nursing school with, she still works here and there.

After lunch It was time for me to take the shuttle to the airport. I couldn’t believe the low price of gas @ 84.44 per liter. Nor could I believe that a part of the airport was wrapped in an ad for Lexus.

I don’t think there has ever been a time that airport security in Edmonton has not been an issue for me.  This time they had me take off my hair clip so they could run their fingers through my hair to see what I might be hiding 😯   I had a good hour before my flight was boarding so I went for a walk to the far end of the airport and back.  It wasn’t unill I went to the washroom before boarding that I realized that my Fitbit was still in my purse due to security 🙁   Too bad those few thousand steps didn’t make it to my daily total as I would have made my 10,000.  Oh well.

Almost at the far end of the airport is the filtered water spout. Rather than pay $2.25 or so for a new water bottle many are simply bringing an empty bottle thru security and refilling at this station.  Yesterday I did notice another refill station closer to the area one comes out near security but there was a line up.

So I decided to put some steps on the Fitbit  ( not ) and walk to the far end where I filled up coming in on Friday as well as last year.  Last October 1st the refilled water bottle count was 13,006, so a total of 6,598 bottles were saved from the dump.  Over roughly 7 months, only 942 bottles were refilled monthly.  That works out to about 31 bottles per day.  Hopefully the water station closest to security was better used.  Still 6, 598 bottles @ $2.25 each was a savings of $14,845.50.  Amazing.

This is the usual Westjet aircraft the I fly on, a Boeing 737.

However yesterday, perhaps because it was a Saturday I was traveling on a Bombardier Q400.  A first for me and hopefully a last.  We took an escalator down to ground level and walked along the tarmac to the aircraft and then up a ramp into the plane.  I found the flight very loud as my seat, 7B, was just forward of the propeller.  There was also a lot of vibration the entire flight.

A very tight interior. Even at 5’4″ I kept hitting my head on the overhead bins.

Turns out that the flight was delayed by 40 minutes.  No pay phones in the departure area but I was able to borrow a cell phone from someone who was also waiting next to me.  She had to dial Colin’s number for me as I have no idea how to use an iPhone.  Now that he knew I was delayed I could relax.  Fortunately I was well into a good novel which also got me through the flight.

Colin picked me up at the airport so we had some private time to catch up.  Once home the girls pretty much dominated me.  Apparently Caeli slept with her head on my pillow and her body under the covers as I do.  Colin says that Carmeh kept wanting to go out every ten minutes to see where I was but when I got home a few hugs was good enough for her.  Caeli on the other hand sat on my lap last for over ten minutes kissing and licking my face and whimpered the entire time.

It is always good to get home again.  We had a nice evening together.

About 10AM this morning I remembered that it was Carmeh’s official birthday today and that she was 13 years old.  For a small dog under 20 lbs that is 68 in people years.  In case you are wondering, a medium size dog ( 21 – 50 lbs ) would be 74 in people years and a large dog, weighing more that 50 lbs would be considered 82 in people years.  At 16 years of age a small dog like our girls would only be 80 in people years.  We are so fortunate to have Carmeh with us especially after all she went through last year.  It looks like Carmeh and Caeli are going to be around for a long time.

I thought I might as well add this to the post for you dog lovers.  Now I know why doxies live so long.

Happy 13th Carmeh.  You are our miracle girl.

I was in the airport security line for 40 minutes very early this morning.  There was only one line open and we lined up four rows thick.  It reminded me of lining up for rides at Disneyland where you snaked back and forth.  Finally it was my turn and because of my bionic hips I always have to be body searched.  Once through I realized that they were boarding my flight.  Turns out there was no rush as the flight was delayed due to the long delay at security.  We were waiting for 24 more passengers.  Fifteen minutes past the scheduled take off the door to the plane was closed.  Turns out we left 8 passengers on the ground.  It really does pay to check in early for your flight.

Finally we have arrived and only five minutes late. I love my new carry on bag. That pink you see peaking out is my purse which I have stowed in my tote so that I have a choice  as to what to use once I am ready to roll.

So here I am in Edmonton.  I really had not recovered from my pinched L5 that occurred on July 1st and although the chiro lady in Kelowna relieved my pain she was not able to ‘fix’ me so that I stayed put and pain free.  I was still in pain and my body was rotated.  It was time to travel to Edmonton to see my magical chiro guy who seems able to fix me and keep me that way for between 6 – 12 months.  He is a wonder and only one of three who uses this technique in Canada.  This is my third time seeing him.  Last time I saw him was September of 2015.  It is an expensive trip but well worth it.

The airport shuttle to the hotel was in a lovely new van.  However the driver was simply a road demon.  I hung on for dear life.  Once I checked in at the hotel I had a few moments to settle myself into my room before heading out to my appointment.  Dr. M. was fabulous.  What I especially love is how he shows you what will work to help you before he actually does it.  He is proving to you that it will work.  By simply placing my finger in a certain area while he does I physical test ( movement of a body part ) I can see that what he wants to adjust will work.

As I type this I hear lots of loud noise outside including drumming and lots of motorcycles.  Friday night on Whyte Avenue is going to be very loud.  Great hotel location for me and all that I need to do here but very busy out there.

Dr M. moved my L5  from where it had been stuck to the left, adjusted a few other areas and I was good to go.  Instructions were to take a long walk.  However I was hungry and it was 2PM and I hadn’t eaten yet, so first a stop for lunch.

I ended up having the salmon and avocado eggs Bennie.  Trip Advisor said that this was the best place in town for an all day breakfast and this was the best of the best.  It was only 1/2 block from the chiro’s so I went.  It was good but not great in my opinion.

Back to the Varscona Hotel after my long walk, after I ate.  Gosh, so many smokers in this city.

I so love the art work of the ceiling.

I had a few moments to head up to my room to freshen up.  Where was my toothpaste?  Left at home on the vanity I soon discovered.  The front desk kindly provided me with a toothbrush which I had and a small tube of toothpaste.  This is only my second time staying here but I truly love it.  The hotel offers you bicycles at no charge to go biking around the city and the river valley. I discovered that there is a 3KM and and 5M river valley walk/run from here.  Hope I can find time to do it in the morning but I suspect I am already too busy.  There is also a complimentary wine tasting from 5:30 – 6:30 PM every evening as well as a full breakfast every morning.  Each room comes equipped with a Keurig coffee setup, a mini fridge, wine glasses and corkscrew, umbrella, ironing board and soft white robes.  What more can you ask for?  Well I found out…….later 😉

Next I was off for a massage by my very special Casa Maria who has given me weekly massages for years and years in Mazatlan and specifically in our RV on the Isla.  She lives here in Edmonton half the  year and I have actually had a few massages from her here in Edmonton.  Sadly after we left the Isla this past April Maria decided to move to Oaxaca and shut down her home and business in Mazatlan and the Isla.  I was devastated as I thought I might never see her again.  It was most special that she was still here before returning to Mexico and that we were able to have one last visit together as well as a final massage.  Of course tears were shed.  Enough said.  Mary/Maria will always be a special force in my life with an extremely special spot in my heart.

I got back to the hotel for the last 30 minutes of the happy hour although it took me a bit to get over saying adios to Mary.

Once I returned to the room and had a long chat with Colin ( I really really miss him ) I headed out for dinner.  The restaurant was in this old building built around 1920.

It used to be the Post Office. Whyte Avenue is home to much heritage and old buildings, hundreds of restaurants and boutiques and many locals as well as tourists.

The architecture within the Chianti Restaurant is interesting.

Even the ceiling is interesting. The Trebbiano D’Abruuzzo Il Bianco Italiano house wine was lovely. Dinner was a toss up between several mains and I chose the Ravioli Alla Gorgonzola. The Blue Cheese Cream sauce was delicious but the ravioli was too heavy and I only ate a little more that half.

This gentleman was trying to save the world. Welcome back to Whyte Avenue.  The restaurant had been a quiet oasis.

The very next corner, actually kitty corner. Look at the face of the guitarist. He was really into his music, complete with amplifier.

Just a half block up. What are these motorcycles gathering for?  I am still hearing  engine rumblings and drums beating as I type.  I think it might be a long and noisy Friday night here on Whyte Avenue.

My room by the way just happens to be right on Whyte Avenue.   If I wasn’t worn out from my treatment and then my massage, I just might head out to check where the drumming is coming from. Besides it is almost 12PM and I have been up since 5:50AM.

Got back to the room and went to open my bottle of wine. Colin told me to be sure to only buy wine that had a screw top. Guess I am that dumb blonde.

So I did manage to get the hotel corkscrew into the cork but then what?  No way could I pull that out.  So I was heading out to the front desk to see if they could help when I ran into a rather large fellow in the corridor.  Can you open this I asked?  He really had to work it and I told him that I would take it downstairs but he kept trying and inch by inch and muscle by muscle and bit by bit and finally he managed to pull it out.  Sadly he spilled wine all over his shirt and shoes.  I felt so bad and offered him half the bottle but he declined.  He had been drinking whiskey he said and added that he had to be leaving at 3AM.  Yikes!  My hero for the night.  So here I sit writing this post but there is no way I will be able to finish this bottle, likely not even half.  Such a waste but I still have a full day tomorrow that I need to be able to deal with.

Whyte Avenue about 9PM and now at 11PM it is bumper to bumper traffic and the sidewalks are teeming with people.  The drumming is getting louder!

I love fresh air and I have two windows here that I can open.  However, I want to at least attempt to sleep tonight so it seems that the A/C is the answer.  The street is a cacophony of sound.  Signing off at 11:45PM…….sweet dreams I hope.

…..I fear the drumming will never end.  Where are those ear plugs I gave to Rae?  Oh right, likely they are in Bulgaria with her.

…I have no idea where the time goes but it certainly isn’t going into editing photos including the canoe post I want to do.  As we say in Mexico, manana.

I  just read that today, 1 in 6 Canadians is aged 65 or over 😯   They say that by 2036 this will increase to almost 1 in 4.  But 1 in 6 now, that is something to think about.

Summer is officially a bust here in the Okanagan.  Businesses are losing money as it has been too windy or there has been too much rain for folks to get out and do things, especially on the water.  The wineries are happy as more people than ever before are spending those miserable days tasting wine 😕

Each sunny and almost perfect day Colin is out there doing what he can to make a living.  Certainly a different year for us.  On the other hand it is not smoky, no forest fires because of the rain, so we are doing a few jobs here and there.

We had a horrific storm Tuesday that created gridlock in Kelowna, which is likely a first.  I, in my still very new to me car was in the midst of it.  I never got over 35 km/h in a 70 zone for miles and miles.  Meanwhile my wipers were going off and on at will and suddenly two sets of lights came on.  Well I think they did as I got two different dashboard icons lite up on my dash.  They sort of looked like lights, well one did for sure.  The book that comes with the Lexus is bigger than the Bible.  Colin is a car guy and if he can’t figure things out, you know that I won’t be able to.  I was over my head driving home in that storm including driving through very deep puddles of water on the highway when I was finally up to speed @ 90 km/h. Splashing over the car.  By the time I got home I had some questions for Colin who thankfully was home.  I now know where the 4 way flashers are and the hand brake which happens to be a foot pedal to the left of the brake closer to the door.  I love the feature that shows the speed I am driving in the window just above the dash.  It always had a D to the left of the speed.  I assumed that that meant daytime.  I have never driven the car at night and when it got dark outside because of the storm the D changed to S4.  What the heck?  Turns out I was driving now driving in manual.  How did that happen?  The D means drive, now I know.

So much to learn and I will, but I hardly drive it so it will take time, maybe years.  I have decided to shut off the GPS, much too confusing.  The one time I was going somewhere new and had Colin program it for me, it took me right off track exactly at the moment when I had no idea where I was.  Thankfully I had printed out a Google map and I was good to go.  Then I had no idea how to shut off the GPS so it nattered at me all the way home.  Way too confusing.  I finally just now learned how to use AM channels for news.  It does have Sirius radio, it came with it until the end of October, which is nice but I have no time to figure which of the many of the stations I prefer.  I am feeling much more comfortable driving the car and the seats are so luxurious, you just sink into them.  Quite the car.

There is a change in the air.  Remember this song John Denver……

All my bags are packed
I’m ready to go
I’m standin’ here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin’
It’s early morn
The taxi’s waitin’

I am off very early tomorrow morning.  Adios Colin and the girls 🙁

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go
‘Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Where did July go?  The summer is half over and I haven’t even got our last trip to Mexico organized ( last bit of notes, amounts of money spent where, number of miles traveled, etc. ) and now it’s time to start planning the next trip South.  Time seems to fly the older you get.

Why it just seems like yesterday when we bought my brand new X-90 in 1996. This was the car that was totaled in July of 2010 when I had my serious car wreck.  Hmm, I still wear that Dalmatian t-shirt, not the skirt though although I still have it.  Somehow it shrunk.

I still need more time to just enjoy summer now that is has finally arrived here in the Okanagan.  I guess I lost most of May and June what with my medical issue.  Colin is not so busy at the moment so we are living in the moment and enjoying our extra time together.

This table has sat between our two teal recliners for years and years and years.  I really liked all that shelf space.

But it was time to replace it with something more modern which works with our glass house.

Usually I do the errands, groceries and such while Colin is working.  We have been doing everything together of late and enjoying the local sights along the way.  Quite the souped up Jeep.

This past Friday was the annual block party. It was hot and muggy at 97F. Not many photos were taken.  That is me in the green hat and dress in the background.  When we arrived all the men were on one side and the women on the other.  My wonderful husband sat with me and the ladies.  I think we all had a better time than the guys.  Lots of interesting conversation.

We also got out on the water yesterday and had a wonderful time.  I have 90 photos to go through and edit before I post about it.  It has been a relaxing weekend for us.  In case you Americans are unaware, this is a long weekend here in Canada.  Colin and I even enjoyed a few hours under the umbrellas overlooking the lake this morning.  Always something to enjoy nature wise.  Colin spotted an osprey diving bombing an eagle the other day.  That would have been something to see but I was not there at the moment.

Time to go out and relax in the shade.  It is cooler outside by 4.6 degrees.  We haven’t had the A/C on for the past two days which we prefer but the heat crept up on us late this afternoon and it is 85.4F inside.  No sense in turning it on at 5:20PM.  Once the sun goes behind the hill, it should cool off quickly.

I hope you all had a great last few days.  The week ahead for us has a few adventures in it, one something totally new.

Cheers!  I am ready for a glass of chilled vino blanco 😀

We certainly are getting the hang of taking time off and having fun.  By the way when I mentioned in the last post that we will be retiring in two years I neglected to remind you that we do take 5 – 6 months off per year to travel in the RV.   It’s the six months here that we are going to address in two years.  Colin will only do the jobs that we wants to and enjoys doing.  If need be I will give one day per week to the business or less if possible.   We will no longer need to work but Colin will want to.  However if we decide to take a month off and fly to Europe or go somewhere in the RV we can do that.  Of course the flying somewhere won’t happen until the girls are no longer with us.  Meanwhile they keep getting loved and spoiled everyday.

Last evening we revisted the Rotary Centre.  This is a 2 minute clip of the weekly jazz jam that happens every Thursday evening.  Besides the great music, my camera amazes me in what it can do.  Fabulous zoom.  All done hand held.  If you make the video full screen the detail is amazing.

I neglected to show you the bistro side of the main floor last week when we attended the The Great Gatsby.

We were there last night to enjoy the play Grease.  The voices were really good and so was the dancing.

The play was superb. This is Act Two, at the prom.  I found myself smiling through the entire show.

Our friends and neighbors were there also and we decided to meet at a rooftop patio for a drink post theater. As we walked along Bernard we came across two blocks of vendors and performers.  It was the second annual Arts on the Avenue.  Too bad we missed it, maybe next year.

It reminded us both of walking along the Plazuela Machodo in Centro. What fun.  There were many performers including this hula hoop performance and some 3D chalk art which we never saw.

Barry & Rosalie and their daughter Andrea, Colin and yours truly.  Rosalie discovered a new drink that she says is the best.  I can’t recall the name but is is beer with lime slushie on top.

Just another night out on the town for us.  This can get addicting, I love it.