2,234 Kilometers Later .... Calgary to Vancouver and Back in a Week - Part 2

To continue my excellent adventure:

On Sunday, I went to church with the gang and saw a few people who I used to hang out with and that was pretty fun. With Facebook now, there were no real surprises, but was very nice to see them all just the same. One (non fb-er) of them came up and introduced themselves. haha. Another one came up, pointed at me and said "I know you. I know your face. I just don't know your name".

But the funniest thing of all was Duncan Beckett (family friend) was there on his honeymoon. So strange and random.

Here we are! I made him get someone to take a pic with his blackberry and email it to me on the spot! Cuz really - what are the chances?

I met up with Steve B. (Teebie Guy) and went for lunch at Dennys (we're a classy bunch) and drank great quantities of coffee and didn't stop talking for probably 2 hrs. Then I treated him (since he paid for lunch) to crazy lattes at Starbucks. So now we're even.  We had such a super visit, he's a very special cousin!

He's my buddy.

This is us! Nice angles, hey?

Then I made my way to Aubrey and Heathers (family friends, I hadn't seen in many years) and met their 3 lovely children as well. We laughed and told stories and got caught up on each others lives and laughed some more.

 Then some more.

They took out for dinner to White Rock, poor little G sitting on my lap the whole way - not entirely comfortable for her, I'm sure.

It was so wonderful to be amongst people I've known most of my life, its actually something I took for granted living in Nova Scotia. And don't realize I am missing out on until it happens.

(Aubrey's new business venture. Its really taking off.)

jk - innovative though, I must say. Imagine what this person has saved on signage.

The next day dawned with Mrs Kelly at the house to take the older two to school and the youngest to go spend time with his Grandpa at their condo. So while we waited for school to begin, I sat at the table with a hot cup of coffee hearing stories about their crazy uncle, with details coming from the mom, neice and nephew. Very entertaining. They are such wonderful children - so polite, and funny. It was completely enjoyable and relaxing to be there.

Then - off to see Mr Kelly! Following Mrs in her sporty red car was quite the adventure, I could hardly keep up. So I spent a couple of hours there, again, chatting and laughing and relishing in the company of people who knew me when I was in diapers. I was sad to leave, but was meeting Carmen for lunch and it was an hour drive away.

We spent a great afternoon together, and a regular school night at their place with a nice, homecooked dinner with Mark D again. Then homework and crafts and floor hockey and other-domestic-stuff-completely-foreign-to-me.

On Tuesday, after a leisurely get up, Carmen and I went to lunch with her mother and shopped a bit.  I was sick (as I've mentioned), but we had a super visit. It was so nice to be back because all that I know of Vancouver is positive. It was my foray into the world as an adult, leaving the safe confines of Cape Breton, and I made such great friends and had really wonderful adventures.

After hugs goodbye, 'thanks for having me"'s, with promises of a return visit in the summer, I made my way across the city again to see another family I'd known when I lived there. But its an extra special situation because I got to combine two sets of people who mean so much to me.

While living in Van, there was a family from church who lived a few streets away; this family consisted of 4 boys, ages 8 -16, all super sweet and fun, athletic, etc.

 I often locked myself out of the house and on a couple (or more) occassions, I'd make my way over, sheepishly knock on the Wilsons door, ask for Cam, and with a silly grin, he'd put his shoes on, walk over with me through the shortcut I'd never attempt on my own, and climb in a window, and rescue my keys which were almost always in full view.

 Their mom was quite sick and still trying to run a busy household with busy boys,

so I'd go over to visit her, help her fold laundry, etc and thus became quite close to them. She eventually lost the battle to her illness but her boys were lucky enough to, a few years later, have their dad re-marry a truly wonderful woman. Who just happens to be a good friend of my sisters, and whom I'd gotten to know well via this relationship.

Sooo ... I spent my last evening there, with her, her husband of course, and their two young daughters, and two of the boys and their wives. I feel like a broken record when I say how much I laughed and reminised and just purely enjoyed myself. The boys told crazy stories, skyped their brother that lives in Nicaruga (he didn't remember me), and played guitar and the tuba and did the splits and other tricks. The girls were so cute and fun and lo-ved by all! 

Then Suzannie Bobannie, who now goes by Sue, and I sat up until almost midnight chatting. Safe to say we covered alot of ground :-).

And with that, I started my journey back East the next morning through equally dangerous roads as the first time.

Thankful I live in Alberta where fuel is $1.08 at the most...

I didn't stop in Kamloops. Not even to pee.

If my fuel gauge read like this, like it did on my way out of that place on the way west, I'd have had to ...

I spent the night in Revelstoke - not cheaping out this time! at the coolest place ever. I'll write on that at another time.

 I am not a snob.

Well, sometimes.

About some things.

But overall, I'm not.

Except when it comes to coffee.

Revelstoke has no Starbucks and I was forced to down this swill on my way out of town. The only thing that made it remotely better was the shockingly hot man who struck up a conversation with me in the line up.

I made it home safe and sound that afternoon after a much more relaxed and snow-free drive! It was nice to sleep in my own bed again and I didn't have to worry about ickies on the top of my comforter.

This concludes the story of my spur of the moment trip to Vancouver - its the best thing I've done in a very long time. You should try it sometime.

Its a really amazing feeling to know that after all this time, even though we've kept in touch on a very minimal basis, I can pop back into their lives and I'm welcomed with open arms.

I'm a lucky girl. This much I know is true.