So the long-awaited and much-anticipated hiking trip went off with only minor glitches.  Namely, Jack became too ill to join us, and so it was just Aiden and I, and 36 km of heavily wooded trail.  Oh, and a grizzly bear.

We pulled into the trailhead parking lot after purchasing out wilderness passes in Banff.  Basically you pay a very reasonable fee to use the backcountry camping sites (it’s about $10/night/person) so that the trails and sites can remain maintained.  We decided to sleep in the back of the van, rather than unpacking all of our carefully organized gear at a campsite.  It was cramped, and sort of chilly, and I am pretty sure I only slept in sporadic spurts, adding up to no more than four hours in total.

Friday morning came very early.  We boiled some water for oatmeal in a bag (I’d packed instant oatmeal, pecan bits, and dried cranberries in heavy duty ziplock bags, which you then add boiling water to, stir, seal, and let sit for five minutes) and instant coffee.  A local construction worker drove past us, poked his head out of his truck window, and with a chuckle shouted “I like your kitchen”.

I’m sure we looked pretty funny with our tiny backpackers stove in the middle of the parking spot next to us, decked out in our rain gear and toques.  It was already drizzling and the forecast was abysmal, and Jack didn’t feel up to hoisting on his 50 lb backpack, so he reluctantly bowed out of the expedition.  So with somewhat reserved optimism, Aiden and I set out on the first leg of the hike, which was a 2.7 km stretch of catwalks and paved trail that led past a series of waterfalls.  We hit the trail at 8:30 am.

Click on any of the following to view full-size

After the paved portion of the trail came to an end, the uphill climbing became considerable.  The next goal was the ink pots, which were another 3.2 km in, and during most of that distance we were gaining elevation.  It was somewhere around 10:30 am when we arrived at the ink pots, and we were making good time (around 6 km in two hours).  Unfortunately it began raining quite hard, and we had to pause at the far end of the meadow to put on our rain gear.

As you can see, the clouds were pretty low, and we were getting progressively closer to the snow line.  At that point we were at 1645 m of elevation (or 5,397 feet) which means that we had gained around 700ft of elevation.  For every 1000ft of elevation gained, the air temperature drops approximately 6.5°C and it certainly felt like it.

After making our way through the valley, we continued upwards, although it wasn’t as steep.  We planned to break for lunch at the first set of backcountry camping spots, commonly known as “Larry’s Camp” which was roughly the half-way point of the hike (around 8.5 km in from the trailhead).  We made it there around 11:30 am, which was right on schedule.

We selected a spot and settled in for a rather chilly lunch.  We boiled water and ate freeze-dried hiking rations, followed by hot chocolate and changing our socks, which had been soaked through for some time.  It was cold and we were both tired and damp, but Aiden was determined to make it to Lake Luellen and who was I to argue?  We broke camp around 1 pm and hit the trail.

The next 4 km were relatively easy to navigate, and only took us an hour and a half to complete.  The climbing was gradual, and we were in better spirits, having warmed up due to moving around again.  A warden’s cabin indicated that we were just about 3/4 of the way through our journey, and we stopped for a bathroom break and to soak up a bit of the sun, which was shining intermittently.  The scenery we encountered was breathtaking.  Photos really do not do it justice.

Shortly after we left the warden’s cabin, somewhere around 2:45 pm, Aiden shouted from in front of me “What the fuck is that?!?!  I almost stepped on it!!!” and when I peeked around his gigantic backpack, on the trail in front of us was a mother grouse with several chicks.  Apparently he’d nearly squashed the poor thing while she had been foraging on the trail, because they didn’t seem the least bit bothered by our presence, nor in any particular hurry to get out of the way.

Grouse are delicious, by the way, but these ones were safe, as hunting is not permitted in the park.

Not long after we passed the grouse, I heard something to the left of the trail, making quite the racket.  After a moment of searching the forest, which was not particularly dense, I spotted something climbing a tree.  Initially I thought it might be a porcupine, but it was rather large.  A longer look resulted in the discovery that it was, in fact, a grizzly bear.  We must have startled it, because it shimmied up the tree, decided that it still didn’t feel particularly safe, scooted down the tree, and ran for it’s life.  It was still a cub, likely born sometime in March, and still under the care of it’s mother, so we didn’t bother to linger very long.  Neither of has opted to carry bear spray, and I didn’t fancy having an encounter with his parental unit.

The trail began to climb more steeply, and the hail began to fall on the already-muddy maze of rocks and tree roots we were navigating.  The next 2.5 hours were some of the longest of my life.  We pushed on, at times I was certain I couldn’t move another step, but Aiden encouraged me, and we took quite a few breaks along the way.  It was incredibly challenging, and there were moments when I wanted to just lay down and die, but we eventually made it to the junction where the trail breaks off to the lake, or continues on to Badger Pass and then some.

There was only 1 km left to go, but it turned out to be almost completely uphill, and very, very steep.  Aiden and I looked at each other and sighed.  We were both exhausted, but we dug deep and trudged up the trail, slowly, but steadily.  I can’t begin to describe to you how difficult and discouraging it all was.  We were both ready to cry when finally the trail turned a bend, and over the crest of the hill, we saw the blue-green depths of Lake Luellen.  That last km took us 45 minutes.  From beginning to end we’d gained a total of 2,200 ft of elevation.  The air was thinner, and the temperature was significantly lower, but we were happy to be there none the less.

The hike in took us 9.5 hours in all, which includes the 2.5 hours worth of breaks we took, so 7 hours of actual hiking.

We were soaked and cold and more exhausted than we’d ever been before in our lives, but we pitched our tent, and got a rather small fire going.  The lake was a smooth as glass, save for a pair of loons, which were gliding over the surface.  They came close to the shore to check us out, before resuming their business of diving for food.

I cooked poached eggs for supper, which we ate with logan bread by the fire.  The lake is not very far below the snow line, which means it gets bloody cold in the evening.  We didn’t linger long outdoors when it began to get dark, especially when dry clothes and our sleeping bags were waiting.

Stay tuned for tales from our second day in the mountains…

We are taking 10 meals worth of freeze-dried fare, in addition to dried fruit, trail mix, couscous, beef jerky, oatmeal, fresh eggs, and Logan’s bread.

Logan bread (named for Mount Logan, the highest peak in Canada) is a dense, calorie-packed bread that lasts for up to a week in your backpack.  It was developed by climbers before the age of power bars and pre-packed hiking food.  There are plenty of variations to the recipe (I myself modified ours to taste) but the end result is always a durable and highly nutritious bread that will sustain you during long treks.

I loved that this recipe is all made in one-bowl, and is extremely easy to throw together the night before you depart on your adventure.  Baking does take two hours, and be certain to allow time for the loaves to cool completely.

Logan Bread

(Recipe courtesy of The Canadian Hiker’s & Backpacker’s Handbook, by Ben Gadd)
*Adaptations I’ve made are added in [ ]

3½ cups whole wheat flour [or 3 cups whole wheat flour and ½ cup wheat germ]
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/3 cup dried milk powder
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sunflower seeds [or 1/3 cup flax seeds]
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 cup (more or less, depending on consistency) water

Grease two standard loaf pans [or one cookie sheet, if you wish to form you own loaves] and preheat oven to 300° F.

Mix everything together in order listed. Knead by hand until it is thoroughly mixed (and holds together).

Divide into loaf pans [or divide equally into four portions and roll into slightly flattened, round loaves] and bake for at least one hour (or until it feels firm when you push on the top with a finger). Then lower the heat to 200° F and dry loaf for an additional hour [or 45 minutes if you made smaller loaves].

Allow to cool completely before wrapping tightly in two layers of plastic wrap, and a ziplock bag. Freeze any loaves you won’t be taking with you.

Keeps for at least one week.

They turned out really well, and are tastier than I anticipated. I doubled the recipe so that we would have eight loaves, six for the trip and two to taste-test. They are a bit on the heavy side, but well worth the weight in the pack I think.

Dropping the kids off with my mum this afternoon, and so I’d better get a move on.  Keep an eye on my Twitter and TwitPic accounts if you are curious about how our backpacking adventure is progressing.

On Thursday we leave for the mountains, where we will spend a night camped at the base of the trail.  At the crack of dawn on Friday morning, we set out for Johnston Falls, and beyond to Luellen Lake.  We should be able to make it all the way to the lake in one day, and spend the entirety of Saturday exploring the area around the lake, and maybe doing a little fishing.  I hope we see a lot of wildlife.

On Sunday we hike out and head for home.  Depending on the schedule and how things go, we may hike part-way back on Saturday afternoon, but that will be decided based on how long it takes us to get from the tailhead to the lake on the first day.

Fortunately, this trip has allowed me to indulge my inner gear-whore and buy all sorts of useful and awesome items for hiking and backpacking.

From left to right, beginning at the top:

1. High Sierra Long Trail 90L Backpack

2. MSR Miniworks Ex Microfilter

3. SealLine Baja Dry Bag (20L)

4. Platypus Big Zip SL Hydration System

5. GSI Halulite Minimalist Cookware

6. Sea To Summit iPood Pocket Trowel

7. The North Face Double Headed Toad 44 3-Season Tent

8. Therm-A-Rest BaseCamp Mattress

9. Ascend -29°C Mummy Sleeping Bag

Not shown, but still awesome:

1. Esbit Pocket Stove

2. MSR PocketRocket Stove

3. RedHead 116L External-Frame Pack

4. Stainless Steel Spork

5. Brunton Compass

I plan to take my big Canon camera, even if it weighs quite a bit, in the name of good photography.  I will also do my best to update my Twitter and Twitpic accounts with photos and quips about how the trip is going.  I have no idea what cell phone service will be like in the backcountry, so updates may be sporadic at best.

Often our house feels like a three-ring circus, with children and dogs leaping about, talking or barking at full volume, all four of them competing for attention, and the adults attempting some kind of discussion over top of them.

Yep, no matter where we live or what day it is, we just do the best we can to hold this shit together.

I don’t know how many of you read PostSecret every Sunday, but it’s been something of a weekly ritual here for years. One of the items on my Life List is to send in a postcard at some point. While I haven’t yet made time for that particular list item, I *have* left a note containing a secret in one of the PostSecret books, while I was browsing at a book store.

The above postcard is from this week, and as soon as I read it I thought “That’s exactly how I feel lately”.

I’ve wanted to write here a number of times, but it feels increasingly public, and while I don’t want to end up posting a bunch of locked entries, it’s supposed to be MY blog after all.  If there are passworded posts, and you do not receive a password, it’s likely that I’ve decided that I’m not ready to share the contents of that particular entry with anyone.  Do feel free to contact me, if you so desire, and I may send out passwords, or some sort of explanation, on a case by case basis.

I’m often glad for my old-fashioned paper journal, as nobody reads it aside from Aiden, and I am free to unleash all of my crazy there without fear of stomping on anyone’s feelings.

Aiden has been working rather long hours at his new job, but we’ve managed to get in a bit of time together during his days off.  This past weekend we made a rush trip to Drumheller, where we camped overnight and checked out the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Reptile World, the Hoodoos, the suspension bridge, and the Last Chance Saloon.  Next time we go, I hope to hike in Horsethief Canyon, which is supposed to be amazing.

This Friday I think we will take in Globalfest, which includes an international fireworks competition.  Germany is, coincidentally, presenting the fireworks display on the evening in question, as seeing as Aiden is half-German, I thought he would enjoy it.  I’ve never actually been to Globalfest before, although K and I went and watched the fireworks from a distance one evening several years back.

Jack and I have also taken advantage of some time to ourselves. One evening recently we went out for a quiet dinner together and had a really great conversation, punctuated by plenty of laughter. We also had the good fortune of spending most of an entire day together, picking out trees and other such foliage for the yard.

The household is still attempting to settle into some semblance of a new routine.  Currently the typical day consists of rising at the unspeakable hour of 3:30am to make breakfast and lunch for Aiden.  After seeing him off to work at 4:30am, I crawl (back) into bed with Jack until 7:30am, when he rises for work.  Coffee and breakfast to go, and he’s out the door around 8:15am.  Then the children and dogs are fed, and I settle in for a day entailing anything from unpacking to making phone calls, to running errands, and whatever else I can get up to.  Aiden arrives home between 2:30pm and 4:30pm (depending on the availability of overtime) and we shower together before I launch into supper preparation.  The evening usually winds down around 8pm, when kids, and often Aiden (and I, if I’m sleeping in his bed) tuck in for the night.

Rinse.  Repeat.

The entire rhyme and rhythm of things will no doubt shift once again, when the rugrats start back to school in only two more weeks.  I can hardly wait!

Don’t get me wrong, I adore the younglings, but every mother can relate to needing a break.  Besides, they are looking forward to making new friends and checking out their new school.  They also have brand-new playground equipment on which to exhaust themselves during recess, a feature sorely lacking at their last educational facility.  I am certain they will be just fine.

This afternoon will be spent preparing the yard for sod, followed by clothes shopping for myself, and then taking Aiden to find himself new work boots.  As much as I usually hate shopping for clothes, in this case, I am sort of looking forward to it, and having a little solo time.

I haven’t been sleeping well, I’m edgier, more easily agitated, noticeably more negative in my attitude.  I don’t feel like I have been handling things, stress in particular, as well as I usually do.  I wish I could figure out why, or where this is coming from.

Aiden has noticed the difference in me, and sadly it’s led to a good amount of friction between he and I.  He keeps asking me what he can do to make me happy, to get the old Shasta back, and I don’t have any good answers for him.  It’s sort of funny that I spent so much time worrying about how he would adapt to living in Alberta, and yet, he seems to be getting along here better than I am.

Maybe I’m just tired.  Tired of moving.  Tired of never living long in one place.  Ontario was the longest we’ve lived in one place in years, and I guess it finally felt like we were settling in somewhere, putting down roots.  Part of me may be mourning that, the loss of what felt like our first real home.

I miss Ontario.  I miss the humidity.  I miss Aiden’s family (his mum in particular) and the friends I had made there.  I miss LARPing, and camping in the gorgeous provincial parks.  I miss the heat and the freedom from my pain-in-the-ass family.  I miss the greyhound kennel.

For some reason I feel like it’s wrong for me to be sad about leaving there.  At least, that seems to be the attitude of everyone here.  Nobody seems to understand why I am sad to have moved.  I love Alberta, but I loved Ontario too.  I wish even one person understood.

Usually I take on a new house with all the enthusiasm of a kid at Christmas.  I’ve painted, stained, and made beautiful in some personal way, ever place we have lived, except for this one.  I can’t bring myself to care enough to paint, something that has already surprised a number of family members and friends.

“I’m surprised you haven’t painted anything yet!” my sister-in-law pointed out, during a recent visit to check out our new digs.

“To be honest, I haven’t the motivation to be bothered” was all I could really say.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE this house.  It’s beautiful.  The kitchen is gorgeous, and more space than I’ve had in ages.  There is more than enough space for everyone.  It’s a perfect fit.  Mind you I probably would have chosen different bedrooms for everyone, now that we’ve lived in it for a month, but too late for that, so I guess we will make do with…less than ideal living arrangements upstairs.

I know I will readjust to living here, and that eventually the exhaustion of moving and the sadness of leaving a place that I really loved will dissipate.  I just hope we don’t have to endure any more serious life changes for some time.

I miss “the old Shasta” too.

At least, not a house of my own.  Every place that Jack and I have lived since moving in together has been brand-spankin-new and generally built to our tastes.

The current house came to us “gently used” which means stains on the carpet that I have no means of identifying, nail holes in the walls that I did not create, and a kitchen with appliances that I generally would not have chosen.

One example of this is the microwave.  It’s the sort that they built in over the stove.  It also houses the hood fan.  The microwave, in my opinion, has no business being above the stove.  Not to mention that now we own a useless counter-top microwave.  Actually I think we have two or three of them these days.  Heh.

“I can’t believe our microwave is up there!” Luke chirped this afternoon, while I reheated him some leftovers for lunch.

“It’s totally mind-blowing” I replied, perhaps a little more deadpan than was entirely necessary.

All in all, things seem to be progressing more or less as they should be.  Aiden should hopefully begin working tomorrow, and the house is at least mostly livable in it’s current state of…err, disorganization.

I’ve come down with some soft of a wretched flu or cold, which has slowed down progress on the unpack considerably, but I am looking forward to utilizing the long weekend to catch up.

Surprisingly, this move has been infinitely more difficult, emotionally, than our move to Ontario.  I’m not completely certain why.  Maybe the addition of an extra adult in the mix, or the timing, or the misalignment of the planets.  I’ve probably fought, yelled, bickered, and snapped at the guys more in the past two weeks than I have over the course of my relationships with either of them (and I wasn’t the only one yelling or snapping mind you).  It’s put a strain on everyone, but I think we are coming out of it now.

Please let that be true.

We haven’t even unpacked enough heavy glass objects to provide proper ammunition for throwing at each other.

Presently I am writing from our new place in Alberta.  We are still negotiating our way through a maze of boxes, as our things only arrived on Monday.

The trip to Alberta was long and wonderful and terrible and beautiful, all at the same time.  I doubt I will ever elaborate much beyond that, but there will be photos coming along eventually.  Northern Ontario is one of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever seen, second perhaps only to the mountains, and I hope to vacation there in the future and do a lot more hiking.

In the days leading up to the trip, Aiden and I managed to get in some camping, a little hiking, and a trip to Wonderland.  I have some list items to cross off, including having sex in a public washroom, while other people were in there!

The trip was hard on everyone, and in the days after we arrived Jack and I seemed to be at each other constantly.  We’d only just mended things when Aiden and I had a couple of rough days.  All in all the entire thing has been…highly emotional, to say thee very least.

It wasn’t all bad.  We got to take in a bit of Stampede, and the rodeo.  I took Aiden to the mountains one afternoon and we did a bit of hiking.  We celebrated Jack’s 35th birthday, and he and I went out for a lovely romantic dinner together.  Yesterday V came over and spent four hours organizing and unpacking the kitchen with me.

There is more to say, but unfortunately free time is at a premium today.  We are preparing for the kiddos, who come home tomorrow, and I want their rooms to be ready for them.

Hopefully a moment to blog will present itself soon.  I just wanted to let y’all know that we made it safe and sound.

It would seem that my ability or desire to write has been packed amongst the knickknacks and flotsam collected over the course of our lives.  I’ve sat down to write at least a dozen times, only to find myself distracted or drawn away by something more pressing.  That, or I stare at the “New Post” screen, unsure of what to say or how to begin.

Tomorrow Jack and the kid will fly out to Calgary, where the younglings will be safely deposited with my mum, who is just thrilled to have them.  They will be staying with her for the greater part of July I imagine, at least until our things arrive and have been somewhat unpacked and arranged.  Jack will remain in Calgary until the 8th of July, while Aiden and I oversee most of the packing and loading.  On the 9th, P arrives, and on the 10th, the four of us and the dogs, will set out for Alberta in two vehicles.

We intend to camp, and see a few sights alone the way, and rotate vehicles so that everyone gets a turn to hang out with each other.  It’s actually somewhat precarious to arrange who will drive, as Aiden’s car is a stick, and only he and I know how to drive a standard, and P is too young to drive either of the cars, due to insurance issues.  So that Jack doesn’t have to drive the whole way, I imagine I will take over and ride with him or P, while the other rides with Aiden, and when I am with Aiden, he and I can switch off so that he gets a break as well.  We need to stop for the dogs every 4-6 hours anyway, so there will be plenty of opportunities to change up drivers and passengers.

In the mean time, Aiden and I have plans to spend some time with his family, hit up St. Jacob’s market, go to Wonderland with Dex, and do a little hiking.  Anything to stay out of the house, which seems to have become a huge source of stress for me.  I feel better when I am not constantly fussing over the move and the packing.  It will all get done, regardless.  I keep reminding myself of that, but it’s difficult to let go of my anal retentive OCD ways.  It’s much easier to escape, and leave the worst of it to the packers.  That’s what they are being paid for, after all.

Shasta: LMFAO

X: Am I a bad person?

445. Walk on the beach under the moonlight with someone I love

We hiked every day, completing around 12 kms (or 7.5 miles) worth of trails by the end of our trip.  The hiking grill and firebowl I bought some months back worked out extremely well.  We found remote rocks, right on the water, where we could cook our meal and enjoy a beer, without another soul in sight.  I wish I had known about Killbear months ago, as I am certain that Jack and the kids would have had a ball there with us.  It would have been lovely to have all gone together.

Over the course of the weekend we took over 400 photos, and on Monday I compiled the 200 best ones into a DVD slide-show set to music that we listed to during the trip.  Out of those 200, I’ve selected some of my favorites to include in this post, enjoy!

4 weeks. 28 days. Either way, the very thought induces both anxiety and excitement all at once.

In that time, we have to pack as many of our things as possible, plan and execute a birthday party for the eldest child, visit Wonderland and the Toronto zoo, attend a greyhound picnic, and a farewell soirée.  Not to mention the three-day camping trip that Aiden and I are going on, and the fact that Jack will be home for only half of the time between now and the move.  We also need to squeeze in some time with Aiden’s mum and dad before we leave, and finalize a thousand little details.

Despite the fact that there seems to be far more things to be done than time to do them, I can’t help but feel a rush of anticipation when I think about being back in Calgary.

The house we picked out is absolutely gorgeous, and could only be more perfect if we’d taken leave of our senses and decided to build again (which I swore I would never do after three separate and progressively terrible experiences).  V will be close enough that I can see her on a whim.  Family will be close enough to provide child-wrangling services whenever we have need.

I will never again have to endure feeling absolutely alone, because I had never experienced that feeling until we moved to Ontario.

Like the time that Jack was out of town and Sadie had to be admitted to the hospital, after we spent three hours waiting in the emergency room.  It was 7:30pm, and Luke hadn’t eaten supper, and Nia was the only person in the world I could call to come and fetch him and take him home.  If I hadn’t had her, I am not sure what I would have done.  There was nobody else could ask for help.

We have been here for almost exactly three years, and it’s been an interesting ride.  I can’t say that I will be sorry to leave, although there is a part of me that loves this place.

Sometimes I forget I took them, or they get tucked into a folder, never to be seen or heard from again.

For instance, my good friends Anakin and padme sent me this excellent mug some time ago, from their store Darkside Digital Arts.  I love this mug, for obvious reasons, and I’ve been meaning to put it up here for ages, as one of my Favorite Things.

I think that this next photo speaks for itself.  And I mean, really, who DOESN’T love cuties?

It wouldn’t be a proper Thursday without a little skin, so I’ll just slip this in here if you don’t mind.

Very recently I received a lovely surprise when Aiden brought me flowers for no reason at all. Or maybe they were to thank me for doing his laundry. Who really knows.

Finally, this morning I woke up in a bad mood, and do you know what cures crankiness? Tedious tasks preformed with pliers. This charm bracelet took me about 20 minutes to make, and now all it needs are charms.

I actually did feel a little better by the time it was finished. The coffee probably helped too.

The countdown to the move is somewhere around the 38 day mark.  Meaning we will be leaving Ontario in just over a month.  Sometimes when I think about it, it seems surreal.  The days are passing so quickly now, I am sure that June will be a blur, and before we know it, we will be unpacking our things in the new place.  Craziness.

Generally stressful times lead to acting like I’ve completely lost my mind, due to a combination of sleeplessness and having too much on my plate, both literally and figuratively.  I’ve decided that I will not use moving as an excuse to eat anything I want, or to behave like an utter loon, or to lay around bemoaning the fact that I’m exhausted from packing and therefore do not have the energy to work out.  Summer has arrived, and although I have gone to the beach and braved frolicking in public in a swimsuit, it has been with much angst and trepidation.  I would like to be able to enjoy sunning myself and swimming without feeling self-conscious all the time, and so it’s back on the wagon of exercise and eating better.  I never use the word DIET, because I believe that the negative connotations it generally carries, only fuel the feelings of sadness and deprivation that many people buy into.  I don’t believe in dieting, but I do believe in making changes to ones lifestyle that facilitate being healthy.  Regular exercise also seems to even out my moods, and prevents a lot of unnecessary conflict, which in turn makes everyone happier, so it’s a win-win-win, all the way around.

Last night I sat down to add a few things to my calendar (and dayplanner, and Aiden’s calendar, and my Google calendar, and, well you get the idea) which is becoming increasingly full as the move draws nearer.  There are a number of things I wanted to accomplish before leaving Ontario, but I won’t get to all of them, which is ok.  I know for certain that Aiden and I will be back to visit his family at least once a year, which will give me an opportunity to cross a few more off.

Right now I am hoping to get to the zoo and pet a stingray, visit the CN tower, and experience Canada’s Wonderland.  Beyond that, well I am not holding my breath, LOL.

I am absolutely in love with the place.  V joined us for the inspection, and she and I spent the better part of three hours planning and discussing what to do in each room.  We talked about paint and furniture and storage possibilities.  It was wonderful.  I cannot wait to move in there and “nest” as she calls it.  I look forward to unpacking and settling in, with her help.  She’s always my go-to girl whenever I need her, and I am so very lucky to have such an amazing best friend.

I’m getting ahead of myself, of course, LOL.  On Friday night I flew into Calgary, and Jack met me at the gate with a dozen roses.  Such a sweet gesture.  We went out for dinner, and then headed over to V’s place, where she joined us after a late shift at work.  It was so good to see her!  We had a couple of beers, and stayed up rather late, but I’ve missed her terribly.

Saturday morning Jack and I got up early, as we had a brief meeting with our realtor, to sign some paperwork.  We grabbed Starbucks on our way over, as we were both rather tired, and once we were finished signing our lives away, we went for a proper breakfast at Denny’s.  The day before we had agreed to turn Twitter off on our phones, and ignore them completely (with the exception of child-related messages/calls) so that we wouldn’t be distracted during our time together.  It was really nice to have Jack’s undivided attention all day  I think we should have “phone-free” outings more often.

Once we were full, and sufficiently caffeinated, we went to Camper’s Village to pick up a new tent.  After doing a lot of reading and research, I settled on The North Face Double Headed Toad 44, which is a 4-person, 3-season tent that should stand up to just about anything we can subject it to.  Jack and I share a mutual love for all things camping related, and we had a great time browsing through the store, admiring all of the fantastic gear.  I really enjoyed it, and I am looking forward to testing out the new tent when Aiden and I go camping.

After we had finished there, we headed out of the city to the CrossIron Mills, which is home to one of only three Bass Pro Shops in Canada (the other two are both here in Ontario).  MOAR CAMPING GEAR!  Such a very cool store.  The mall itself was also amazing.  Tons of stores, and a vast food court, where Jack and I sat down for a while to relax and enjoy a coffee.  We spent at least a couple of hours wandering around the mall and looking at things, holding hands, and talking.  There hasn’t been much alone time for the two of us lately, and it was really wonderful having nowhere to be, and no rush, or limits on how long we could be out and about.

Once we had seen enough of the mall, Jack took me by the new house, just to see the outside and peep in the windows a little.  I was really excited to see the inside on Sunday.

We grabbed a milkshake and a burger from Peters’ on our way back to V’s place, to hold us over until supper that evening.  They still make the best milkshakes I’ve ever had.

After V arrived home from work, we got ready to go for dinner at the Barbecue Steak Pit in Bragg Creek.  We made it just in time for our reservations, and the four of us had a delicious dinner together.  It’s probably been three years since the last time I’ve eaten there, but the food was just as fantastic as it’s always been.

Once we had eaten dinner, we headed back to Calgary, and on the way I mentioned wanting to look for a bottle of Crystal Head Vodka, since it’s been banned here in Ontario, and I knew it was available in Alberta.  I read about it recently, and became immediately enamored with the bottle, which is a glass skull.  At the first liquor store we checked, they were out of stock, but the helpful sales girl printed us a list of every liquor store in Calgary that had carried it in the last six months.  We checked a second store (also out of stock) before V and I decided to just start dialing each store on the list.  We must have called a dozen places between us, and everyone seemed to be out of stock.  I don’t think I’ve ever gone to that much trouble for a bottle of liquor before, LOL.  Finally V talked to a gentleman who had three bottles in stock, and promised to stay open a few minutes past his regular closing time so that we could drive over and pick up our much-sought-after prize.

V and I each purchased a bottle, for a cool $50, which is probably the most I’ve ever spent on 26oz of vodka.  We were thrilled with our find, and once we were back at V’s, we eagerly cracked open a bottle and everyone had a drink.  Not only is the bottle super awesome, but it contains the smoothest, most delicious vodka I’ve ever tried.  In fact, I think it’s ruined me entirely and now I will never be able to drink any other brand (which is fine, because I want to amass those bottles like it’s going out of style).  We all really enjoyed it, even M, who only drinks once every three or four years.

Much later, in the wee hours of the morning, we retired, only to get up semi-early on Sunday to attend the house inspection.  Jack went on ahead, while V and I grabbed coffee and breakfast before meeting him at the house.  We eagerly toured each room, squealing and chatting excitedly the entire time.  It’s a beautiful house.  Five bedrooms, an impressive kitchen, a den, a formal dining room, and the basement isn’t even finished yet!  We are going to have MORE than enough room.  It’s gorgeous.

After we had spent hours planning and scheming, while Jack and the inspector went through the house with a fine-toothed comb, and gave it his stamp of approval, the three of us grabbed lunch together and discussed all of our grand plans.  It was nearly time for us to leave for the airport, but I really enjoyed some last-minute time with V.  It was far easier to leave, knowing that I will see her again in just over a month.  It wasn’t our usual mournful parting, but a joyful “See you soon!” as we departed in our respective vehicles.

We caught our plane back to Toronto, and made it home around midnight.

This morning I got up early to see Aiden off to work.  I missed him over the weekend, and I am looking forward to spending some time with him this evening when he gets home.

All in all it was a first-rate weekend.  This coming weekend Aiden and I were supposed to go camping, however, due to some scheduling conflicts with Jack, we’ve decided to postpone until later in June.  Instead I think we will spend this weekend at the zoo, and perhaps take in the Borden Air Show.

The kids had a ball with Aiden while we were gone.  He took them to visit his parents and swim in their pool, and his mum spoiled the hell out of them.  He also took them for a nature scavenger hunt, and generally kept them outdoors and well entertained (not to mention totally worn out) all weekend.

Speaking of worn out, I think it’s nap time for yours truly.

Images courtesy of ontarioparks.com

While I am somewhat sad that we will be missing LARP and our friends, I am really looking forward to this camping expedition.  We reserved a spot right on the beach, in an un-crowded camp ground.  You can see approximately where we will be set up on the map below; our site is somewhere in the vicinity of that green arrow (click to embiggen)

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Killbear Park is on the edge of Georgian Bay, which is a part of Lake Huron.

Aiden and I have camped together at LARP, and briefly at TEASE, but never recreationally. I am looking forward to a weekend away from the house and the kiddos, before we really get down to the nitty-grits of this moving business. With just over a month to go, there likely won’t be a lot of opportunities for rest and relaxation after the next two weekends, which is why I am taking full advantage of both this weekend in Calgary with Jack, and next weekend camping with Aiden.

Today we are waiting to find out if the offer has been accepted, for the house I mentioned here.  I am hoping and praying and crossing all of my appendages that they take it, so that we can have the inspection done this weekend and close the deal.  Looking for the right house has gotten terribly old, and I will be glad to have that stage of the process finished with.  For the time being, there are clothes to be folded, and more empty boxes to be filled, and packing lists to be made!

Obviously, as we all continue to reside under the same roof, things are working out to some extent.  For the most part actually, we all function very well as a group.  Sometimes we have our moments.  Last night, for example, Aiden had given some instruction to Luke regarding dinner, and Jack, not having heard this exchange, gave a different and opposite instruction.  He hadn’t really intended to undermine Aiden’s authority, but sometimes it happens, so we make our best effort to learn from it and move on.

The children seem to tailor their behavior to fit best with whomever happens to be home at the time.  I think that is rather typical, however, and so I don’t let it keep me up at night.  They are generally pretty good rugrats, and I try not to complain, because I have worked in many environments that involved younglings, and let me tell you, some of them are so horrid that you find yourself entertaining the thought of holding their heads underwater.

Parenting conflicts aside, and the ongoing struggle to balance equal time between the males, we have worked out a fairly amicable rhythm and routine to life.  Often my day begins as the sun is coming up, when Aiden is getting ready for work.  The coffee maker turns itself on at around 5:20am, and we drag ourselves out of bed shortly after.  We talk a little and eat breakfast together, and I make his lunch, and then see him off at the door.  The children, and eventually Jack, decend from upstairs after I’ve spent 30 blessed minutes of time with myself (today it’s being devoted to this post) and then there are more breakfasts to be made, clothes to be laid out and changed into, and lunches to be zipped into backpacks.  The kids and I see Jack off at the door, and sometime later I hustle them out to the van and drive them to school, only to arrive home already feeling that the day is half-spent.  Truthfully by that time I’ve already been awake for over three hours, and the first thing I want to do is sit down with a cup of coffee and collect myself before the day actually begins.  Normally this involves pouring over or creating a vast “To Do” list for the week, which is then broken down into days.  Sometimes if I am feeling particularly scattered, I go so far as to organizing the list for that day into a time-line.

Errands, housework, and other tasks eat up the rest of the morning and early afternoon, until it’s time to fetch the kiddos from school.  Aiden arrives home shortly after we do, and everyone is ravenous, so if I’m really on the ball they all get a snack.  Sometimes I am distracted and just force them to fend for themselves.  Aiden and I talk about our days, while setting the eldest child to his homework.  Often we will take a shower together, and then he will entertain the brood while I wrangle dinner.

Jack never really arrives home at a regular time, but when he does, the kids are eager for his attention.  If we’ve already eaten, he will have his dinner, and if not, we all eat together, and then he talks to the children about their day.

Eventually the kids are bundled off to bed, and the adults heave a collective sigh of relief.  Some nights we watch TV, or Jack completes work-related tasks while Aiden and I talk about LARP, or work on some other project we have going.  Some nights there are outings, for one or two of us, and some nights I have to volunteer at the kennel.  There are almost always deviations in the schedule.  It’s rarely as tidy as I’ve made it out to be.  Often our house feels like a three-ring circus, with children and dogs leaping about, talking or barking at full volume, all four of them competing for attention, and the adults attempting some kind of discussion over top of them.

When it is finally time for bed, I either retire downstairs with Aiden, or upstairs with Jack, depending on the schedule or whatever has been negotiated for that particular night.  There is cuddling and quiet conversation before sleep, and then always-too-few hours of rest before we get up and do it all over again.

And so it goes, the weekends being an entirely different animal, wherein we toss the whole schedule out the window and run about willy-nilly.  Or at least the children do.

It wouldn’t be the ideal way of living for some, or even most, but I secretly love the level of insanity we often maintain.  Time passes so quickly, and I can’t even tell you the last time I was bored.  It was probably years ago.  Life is not always exciting in the ways that I want it to be, and some days I tire of the current state of constant packing, but boring?  Never!  I like it that way, because bored people are boring people, and I never want to be boring.

So far I think I am doing a pretty good job.

Speaking of the house hunt, some days back I received a rather unexpected note, from K no less.  He wanted to let me know about some houses that are up for sale in his area, that he thought I might like.  He also added that he would like to let bygones be bygones, and that he only wanted to offer a suggestion.  I thought about it for some time before responding.  We have a lot of…unpleasant history, but I’ve decided that it’s time to bury the hatchet.  It’s been over two years since the last time we spoke, and while I doubt we’re going to become the best of friends right away, I don’t feel the need to be a rude bitch either.

I thanked him for the tip, and we’ve exchanged a few messages back and forth, catching up a little with each other.  He skims my blog from time to time, so he already knew about Aiden, and obviously the fact that we are moving back to Alberta.  He’s in a long-term relationship now and seems very happy, and I am glad for him.

The long weekend has been somewhat uneventful.  Mainly I’ve spent it cleaning and packing, although yesterday Aiden and I went out for a couple of hours and hit the beach for some sun.  We played in the water (or more accurately, he tossed me in) and strolled around for a while.  It was nice to be outdoors and I enjoyed getting a break from the house.

In the evening we all went to watch the fireworks at a nearby horse track.  The kids seemed to enjoy themselves, and it was a pretty good display.

Next weekend I am going to Calgary with Jack to check out the house (assuming we get it) and to spend some time with V.  I can’t wait to see her again.  I miss her terribly.  We likely won’t have anything planned on Saturday, while V is at work, so Jack and I might drive out to Cochrane for ice cream at our favorite place, and check out the huge mall that was recently built north of Cow Town.  On Saturday evening the four of us (V, M, Jack, and myself) are going out on a double date for dinner.  I am hoping we can go to Barbeque Steak Pit in Bragg Creek, since I haven’t been there in ages and they make the best Chateaubriand I’ve ever had.  I am really looking forward to having some time alone with Jack, since we haven’t had a lot of that with the hassle of the move lately.  It’ll be nice to see the house as well, so that I can begin formulating decorating plans!

We should hear by Wednesday if the house is ours, and then the home inspection will take place on Sunday, so wish us luck with both!