Lethbridge

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Safe Arrival of My Passport

(not my passport, but a reasonable facsimile thereof)

I had a notice this morning that there was a piece of registered mail waiting for me at the post office.

It took me a minute to clue in and realise that, hey, my passport had arrived! Other than the fact that my picture looks like a booking photo after I’ve had a hard night of criminal activity, all is good with it. They even returned my old passport!

The simplified passport renewal process has been a long time coming and I am delighted that it lives up to its name.

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I’ve Had Better Road Trippin’ Weather

Movin’ through the Rockies by way of the Crowsnest
These rocks are cursed, thrown up by some god
Who turned his back on a word called love— Paul Gross, ‘Angels’

I set off for Fort Steele at about 8:30 yesterday morning. I’d been following the forecast for a week and knew that I could expect some flurries through the Crowsnest Pass, but expected good roads since that forecast kept improving day by day. HA HA HA HA HA. By the time I hit Fernie, the roads were pretty slick. But I knew I was heading downhill from there and had a better chance of hitting good weather quickly if I kept going west than if I turned back east.

I was right. The first 50 or so klicks out of Fernie were abysmal but, without warning, the pavement became dry. It was really quite amazing. I pulled into a turn off to let an idiot race past me only to discover that half of the turnout had several inches of snow and the rest of it was bare! So it was smooth driving to Fort Steele from that point on.

I arrived at 12:45, only 40 minutes ‘late’ as per my GPS’ initial arrival estimate. So that just goes to show that slowing down for the conditions really doesn’t add that much time to a trip when compared to having to wait for a tow truck because you spun out into a ditch!

Donna wasn’t home from work when I arrived, so I had a few minutes to snuggle my favourite dog in the universe while Ken brewed me a very welcome cup of coffee. Donna arrived with vittles and we had lunch and gabbed for most of the afternoon.

We went into Cranbrook for dinner, all enjoying a very satisfactory dinner at ABC Country Restaurant. This is a BC chain of casual family restaurants; I ate at one in Victoria. Donna and Ken had been there a few times and had a few recommendations, including getting the roasted red-skin potatoes in lieu of baked or mashed. Yum!

Back at the Ark, we gabbed some more, then Ken retired for the night. Donna and I chatted into the wee hours of the morning as she ran down the battery on my iPad playing a game. It’s a good thing I brought it. I’m not sure how she would have entertained herself otherwise. 😉

Needless to say, we all got a very late and lazy start to today, which included watching two movies. I headed out around 3PM in good weather conditions and had nice dry pavement all the way through the Crowsnest. I thought I was home free. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

The sky became more swollen and angry the further east I drove and it finally erupted over Fort McLeod. I pretty much crawled for the last 50 klicks of the drive in near zero visibility with big fat snowflakes clinging to my windshield wipers. It’s still snowing and it’s sticking. Yuck! I am so glad to be home. I just checked the forecast and Lethbridge is under a winter storm warning.

Even though the driving conditions were less than ideal, I am so happy that I had a chance to visit with my friends before the spring migration. Based on today’s projections, we will see each other again sometime next summer…

Before I sign off, does anyone care to guess what the liquor store in Blairmore is meaning to say with this sign?!

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Running for the Hills

I promised Donna and Ken a visit at the start and end of my Lethbridge winter. I can’t believe that it’s been almost five months since I last saw them! Tomorrow morning, I am heading to Fort Steele for a quick trip. I must love those guys to drive eight hours and only be with them for about that much (not counting sleep)! 😀

Today is the one-month countdown to departure! I should be at the Walmart in Moose Jaw this day next month. Crazy! Starting next week, I will be cutting down my hours at the apartment complex as my replacement gets more comfortable and I will be in full departure mode. I’ve been feeling really run down the last few weeks, but knowing that I’m heading out shortly has given me a much needed burst of energy. 🙂

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Is There a Better Ending Than a Wedding?

When I started at my apartment management job late last June, I was amused to discovered that my grumpy maintenance man is a romantic at heart and deeply in love with his Thai girlfriend here on a temporary work visa. The future was uncertain, but they were working on getting her permanent resident status (PR) and hoped to marry in a few years time.

Fast forward seven months, and they were able to get married a couple of weeks ago. They had a civil ceremony at home but planned to have a big party with all their friends and family a little while later. They had considered the summer, but wanted me to be there, so the party was held last night. What a wonderful affair! The mostly Thai food the bride cooked was delicious, the music was lively, and all my work friends past and present were there. It was so lovely to see the couple looking so happy and in love.

It’s been a very, very long time since I last went out for drinks and entertainment, so I will confess that I stayed out late, made a fool of myself on the dance floor, imbibed a little too much, and was glad that I made the decision to go to the party in a cab. 🙂

In the next few weeks, I will be helping with getting the immigration papers typed up, my wedding present to them. I am amused that part of the process is just like that in American films where folks are trying to get green cards, in that Citizenship and Immigration Canada want photos and other proof that they are a true couple and didn’t just marry so she can get her PR. All I can say is that this the real thing and makes me realise that love can be complicated and messy, but it’s worth the journey.

 

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Passport Update

Thanks to the wonders of tracking numbers, I was able to confirm that my passport application arrived safely in Gatineau on March 2nd, two business days after I sent it off, which is perfect. Had I been in Calgary, I would have expected it to be one business day, but from Lethbridge two days is okay.

I just logged into my online banking account and learned that my application fee has been processed. They do not charge the fee unless the paperwork is in order, so it looks like I will be getting my new passport in time to leave on schedule! I continue to be very pleased with the simplified passport renewal process. It’s not often that I say, “That was painless!” after going through a government process!