We got a total of 9 cms. of snow (about 3 3/4 inches) over the past 24 hours. I'd shovelled twice yesterday but it had blown in on half the driveway so there were spots that had more than the snowfall. It is also cold, -24C (-11F) with windchills into the -30 range. I know I'm going to miss my kids and my cats....but I certainly am not going to miss the weather!
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Just before I boarded the plane in Regina I realized I had forgotten my cellphone at home I'll have to see if I can get one of those disposable phones, with a pay as you go plan, because although I have my laptop I won't always be connected. Maybe that's not a bad thing.
I'm now waiting for the first call for boarding for the flight from Calgary to Vancouver, part two of the journey. It's scheduled to leave in just over a half hour so I expect we'll be boarding shortly. When we landed in Calgary, we weren't able to get into the terminal as our ramp was in use and the pilots were waiting for directions. So we sat on the tarmac for about 20 minutes...the little guy across kept asking his mom, "can we get off yet?" Oh so close, but oh so far away!
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The third leg of my journey was the best. We landed in Vancouver about fifteen minutes late but with still enough time to grab a bite to eat and to send a Facebook message to my daughter. I realized one more thing I'd forgotten,...my driver's licence. I'm such an idiot! Since I'm planning to drive to Comox to pick K up from the airport on the 13th I don't want to be without my licence...although I did consider asking her to bring the items with her I realized even if I were to borrow my cousin's car it would be my luck that I'd get pulled over.
We left a few minutes late from Vancouver and the flight was only 15 minutes! B was waiting for me in the terminal and I couldn't help but jump and down and say, I'm here, I'm really, really here!
We drove straight to Parksville, to the home I'll be living in for the next month. The unit is in the basement, and all of the rooms are large, and decently furnished.
There is a complete kitchen (where I am currently sitting) which would likely have a view of the ocean except for the tall hedge in front of me. I expect my landlady M has the better view.
And it really truly is only a minute to the beach, however it is down 57 steps and this part of the beach has been closed due to erosion. The community park is only a block or so away so I'll be able t wander down there to get to the beach.
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After meeting M, bringing in my belongings, B and I went to the grocery store to get some basic items. I was very appreciative as it would have been a heavy haul walking the six or eight blocks. Now I just need to pick up a few items at a time as I need them.
We spent the afternoon back at her RV with the two dogs, Chip and Dale (miniature Pinschers) and her cat Xena (Himalayan). Her husband got home from work shortly before 5 and we left him to watch Hockey Night in Canada when we went for dinner. I was "home" by 7 p.m., unpacked, in my pajama's and reading in bed in short order. It was a long day!
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It's pretty apparent B and are family. When I sent the message to my daughter I told her I'd get B's address so she could send it Priority Post. I had also posted on my timeline what an idiot I was forgetting my cellphone. When I got to the airport in Nanaimo, B told me she had already sent a message to my daughter with her address. As mom used to say, great minds think alike, fools seldom differ!
My brother just e-mailed to say, the weather app on his phone shows 4C in Nanaimo, while in Regina it is -34C with windchills of -44C.
I'm here, I'm really, really here! It's just after 8:30 a.m. and I'm going to go out for a walk in the rain. It was coming down hard for a while but seems to have tapered off as the sky is lightening.
Have a great day everyone!
