We made plans, shut down the phone and power for the winter, got all ready to go. Just before we left I got the call that I was waiting for back before September started. There was a bus route available if I wanted. The guy that was going to have me strip out an old fence for firewood FINALLY called to get started,(something we could have been doing back in June!) But to everyone the reply was, "I am sorry but I needed this information back two or three weeks ago. I have plans now to return to Calgary and work for the winter. I will call you in the spring."
There was a couple of snags that had to be sorted out first. Andrew and Susie, (Marianne's friends from college) are having issues with the relationship. So we went down there for a visit. Two days after that Marianne's uncle passed away so back down south she went. A couple of days later she came back. Andrew's relationship exploded while Marianne was down there and She went so far as to offer to bring him along with us. He declined and said he would keep trying to work it out.
We closed up shop boarded up the windows loaded the car and planned the trip to visit family along the way.
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| The kids helping Marianne Pack |
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| All covered up inside |
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| Car is PACKED |
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| All covered up outside |
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| Last Sunrise at the farm |
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| Ready to hit the road. Hope it doesn't hit back! |
First stop, The folks.
We popped in to visit the folks on the way out, Marianne's mom still is mad at me for telling her I do not do head games and hanging up the phone on her. (read the blog titled head games and hurt feelings). The visit was alright. I was treated as if I did not exist Marianne and her mom talked for a while, we hugged up, albeit somewhat unwillingly. Back on the road.
The second stop, Marianne's Sister.
We were originally planning to stop at Chris' house for lunch. But by the time we got on the road and visited with the folks we got there about 3 in the afternoon. Chris had dinner guests coming over at the last moment. So she paused in the frantic furry to get the house ready and visited with us. We were 'fed' because the folks did not while we were with them. We loaded a catnip plant, and Marianne got hugged and hugged and hugged again. I even got a small squeeze or three. This from a person who strongly dislikes physical contact.
The third stop, Colleen's
After getting on the road we drove west and then northwest for about 10 hours. We had to stop for a quick nap on the way so that skewed the time. At about 3 am we got to Colleen's, Marianne's cousin. We had a quick hi howareya chatted for a bit then everyone found beds. The cats and the somewhat pruned catnip plant spent the remainder of the night in the car.
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| Colleen and Darwin |
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| Peanut and Hemi (the cat is Hemi because she purrs that loud ) |
Stop four was supposed to be for Sunday evening but they canceled so we hung out with Colleen and her boyfriend for the day. We brought the cats in and Midnight went and hid under the bathtub right away. After he figured that we were stopping for a bit and the little kitten and puppy were not going to eat him he came out and everyone made friends. We spent the day talking and visiting, She is in the midst of a messy divorce and Marianne had some fun texting her ex on her behalf. He 'had' to stop at the house, Marianne went out and said 'hi'. He found a reason to be elsewhere for the next while. He likes to play head games as well, sort of a control person who needs to be let out into the real world to see that control is an illusion and he has none. I watched a movie that I wanted to see since it was released three or four years ago. We endured a pirates of the Caribbean movie or two on top of it and That wrapped up the day. I felt that was the main reason of the trip, if nothing else that made the whole thing worthwhile.
The fourth stop, Calgary.
From Colleen's house we drove through Saskatoon, then down into Drumheller, and then into Calgary. About 12 hours drive time. We arrived about 7 pm. Martha, Marianne's friend, was going to put us up for a week or so until we got settled. She had changed her plans as there was apparently some renovations that needed to be finished and 'the guys' were going to come by tommorrow to work on it.
Stop four point five Dave's place.
Martha's friend from church, Dave, is one of those "empty nesters". The kids are gone he works, and is busy all the time. We did have a good chat the first night, it was then that we were informed that his son, who works shift work and sleeps in the house when he gets back to back graveyard shifts, is deathly allergic to the cats. This bit of news put a wrench in the works for us because now I had to have the cats stay in the car while we did other stuff in Calgary.
Calgary day one.
Bright and squirrley the next morning we headed off to the apartment building to get the paperwork done. The one bedroom place we were hoping for was not available but they had a nice two bedroom place priced at about 1300/month. We figured what the hay and filled out the papers, paid the application fee and I phoned Mark about my job. He was out and would be back in about an hour or so. We jumped back in the car and headed off to talk to Mark about my job.
We got to the office about ten minutes ahead of Mark. Marianne had a chance to fidget with the jewelry in her sales kit. I saw Mark come in the back way and as he was heading up to the desk I said to him "Hello Mr. I don't reply to E-Mails" We tootled back into his office and had a nice chat. The problem is when the economy is going bad the first people who feel it is the contractors. No one wants to build something new when money is unstable. He told me that the one big job he had on the go was wrapping up and he would have to struggle to keep his guys off the chopping block. The work he was hoping for was just not happening. The estimating guys couldn't score the contracts. He told us about some of the other companies who had headhunters out looking for guys but it was at this split second that Marianne and I both decided that Calgary was a bust. We were going home.
After the nice visit with Mark, and yes apparently he has real computer issues with Email and other functions, we phoned the apartment to let them know we were pulling the plug. Unfortunately 'unrefundable application fee' means even after half an hour it is UNREFUNDABLE. Back to Dave's to repack the car.
We repacked the car, pulled out all the dishes and other things we had set aside for the apartment, and repacked the suitcases. Marianne had a 'Mary Kay thing' with Martha that evening. I had a few seconds to chat with Dave when he popped in and out again. I informed him of the decision and asked if he could give the housewares to someone in need he said he would have no problem with that.
Calgary day two The road back.
First thing the next morning we reloaded the car, made some phone calls and got ready to head back. Marianne wanted to take in a meeting with her old home group before we left. We headed down that way and were going to stop for breakfast when she met one of her friends, Mary. She was one of the few people who actually showed up to our wedding. We were invited in for breakfast and a visit. Marianne said she wanted to get in the noon break meeting so we were invited back for lunch after the meeting.
Noon break meeting.
I have been to several AA meetings with Marianne before. This one was bigger by far but it was also nice. For me the way AA meetings run is the way I always envisioned church to be. Everyone comes together for one reason and talks about that reason, how it affects their lives and day to day being. There is just enough order to keep the meeting running but it is not a regimented gathering of people who have there lives interrupted by 'church'. After the meeting it was back to Mary's place for a light lunch and about an hour or so later it was back on the road. We topped up before leaving Calgary and were out of city limits by 4. Not bad considering I wanted to get on the road at about 5 or 6AM.
Dinner break and one more top up in Medicine Hat. then it was back through Saskatchewan, we drove all night long stopping every few hours for a stretch and a few naps. I can't sit in the car for more than about 2 hours without my hips and back giving me grief. So after three days of driving I was good for about 45 minutes then I got a all new understanding of pain. I drove half the way with sharp stabbing pain from my hips to my ankles. A five minute walk and I would get back into the car and it was off.
We arrived back in Manitoba early the next morning. Winnipeg by noon. Marianne had a couple of stops to make the first was at AA central office to get some supplies. I waited in the car with the cats, she got into the afternoon meeting and an hour and a half later she came out with the paperwork she wanted. A visit to Walmart on the way out for some essentials (COFFEE) and it was head back home. We unbolted the plywood from the door and unloaded the car and it was back to fun and games.
The power we had set on limited service, so all we had to do was flip on the breakers and fill the plumbing lines. The telephone 'should be hooked up by Tuesday' or sometime on a Tuesday sometime within the next six months. I keep remembering that we are on farmer time here and nothing in Manitoba happens quickly. We called the internet provider with the last few Cell phone minutes we had left and the internet was working before Marianne got off the phone. The ISP is not in Manitoba and therefore works on normal time not farmer time.
Two days later, after some serious rearranging, and unpacking, two tired people two stressed out cats and one very pruned catnip plant later and life is getting back to 'normal'
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| Art instructing Marianne on how to relax |
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| Marianne 'trying' to relax. She was able to hold still for the length of time it took to take the picture and then she was off doing something else. |
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| Art relaxing on the couch indoors after the house has been set up for winter, Guess who still needs to cut 14 to 20 chord of firewood this month. |
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| The professionals showing how it is really done. |
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| Midnight tending his new garden. The catnip plant (or what is left of it) |
Last thoughts
Birthday and Christmas are coming up hint hint....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7agC0C-LNy4&feature=player_embedded
