Posted on November 23, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

An awesome mango salad at a Thai restaurant in Washington State

 

 

Well, after nearly three weeks on the road, I’m back to the real world of work and Nova Scotia weather. I don’t mind work. Actually, I love it. The piece I wrote last week called “A Seismic Shift” paid tribute to my new colleagues at the hospital where I now spend working a few days a week. I have a much deeper appreciation for the work that nurses do and the strains of shift work.

Those of you who have been frequent visitors to my site over the years know that I am pretty much a “glass half full” kind of person. I feel very blessed and grateful with my lot in life and try to keep the whining to a minimum. Let’s face it. We all whine from time to time. It’s human nature. I am not going to complain about the weather but I must confess that last winter was a killer and has caused me to ponder future winters. I think that I could easily adapt to a climate that doesn’t require shovelling snow . I lived in Victoria back in the 1970’s and after my recent travels to that city, I am now pondering spending some of the winter there. Victoria is a wonderful place especially if you like the outdoors. Their spring typically starts in January but you can walk , bike or hike 365 days of the year without risk of falling on the ice! It may not happen this winter but I’m definitely thinking about it.

Yes, I know, I promised that I wouldn’t talk about my own journey of discovery with good nutrition ever again. But remember back in the school yard as a kid, when you made a promise but had your fingers crossed behind your back, rendering the promise meaningless? The following is not boastful. It is simply the facts. As we all know, being on the road, it’s very difficult to maintain any semblance of balance when it comes to eating, especially in the United States where restaurant meals are… well, gargantuan! After working extremely hard all fall to eat sensibly, I thought that it would be impossible to sustain my regime while on the road. Wrong! I realized that I just had to look at different pages of the menus. I am more than happy to report that despite spending 10 hour days in the car, I didn’t gain an ounce on the trip. I still managed to walk an hour every day of the trip but the fuel we consume is absolutely the key to keeping the weight off.

Coming up this week, I will be publishing my story about my trip to Dallas to see the place where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It will appear here and in The Casket on Wednesday. The story has a bit of historical information but it is mostly about how that event shaped a generation of people like myself. The story is called, “My Dallas Addiction: How I Became a News Junkie.” And later in the week, I will be publishing the story “Snake Bitten” which is about our surprising detour off the beaten path in Idaho and finding the most amazing place.

Some of you know that I have a brother who lives in Victoria. Tom and his long suffering wife (!) Catherine, are two of the most amazing people that I know. They raised their own family, all the while taking in foreign students. They have been lifelong volunteers and have taken this to a new level in retirement. They are fantastic cooks and routinely host friends… and anyone else who happens to be within shouting distance. If there is such a thing as “model retirees” then they have my vote. Even their dog, Oslo, volunteers at the Cancer Clinic. I am going to do a story about them in the next few weeks. Even if you don’t know them, I think you will be very inspired by how they live their lives. Stay tuned for “An Incurable Case of Optimism.

This coming Sunday, grab a friend and come to the fundraiser that I’m hosting on Sunday the 29^th. at the Schwartz Auditorium at 2:00 p.m. Story telling ( Len and Phil ) plus music ( Betsy and Jamie ), the Park Bench Players and much more. All proceeds go to “A Partnership in Caring.” A fun afternoon for a great cause.

And don’t forget my book launch coming Saturday, December 5^th. at 2:00 p.m. at People’s Place.

Have a great week.

 

Posted on November 18, 2015 under Storytelling with one comment

It was a LOT colder at the Grand Canyon than it looks

Peter MacDonald photo

 

 

When you’re on a long road trip by car, one thing is for certain; expect the unexpected.  This can come in the form of getting lost, although a good GPS has all but eliminated this risk.   Or you may encounter car problems.  These things you can happily do without.  But there are other more pleasant surprises, like finding a restaurant in an obscure part of a city and discovering that the food is out of this world.  Being spontaneous and going with the flow can make for wonderful adventures.

On a recent trip with my son, we ventured to Florida for a week of sun and sand before heading across the continental United States to Victoria, British Columbia.  Florida was fabulous as the weather was unseasonably warm for November.  Some of the locals said that they have never seen such temperatures at this time of the year.  With the help of a dear friend from St. Louis, we mapped out our route and decided that there were two must-sees: Dealey Plaza in Dallas, where President Kennedy was assassinated some 52 years ago; and the Grand Canyon, still one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.

The experience in Dallas was both amazing and surreal as I stood on the very spot where JFK died.  We then headed north and west, with Arizona in our sights.  When we left Albuquerque, New Mexico, we were surprised at the strength of the wind whipping across the Great Plains.  A couple of hours away from Flagstaff we could see the sky darkening off in the distance.  Sure enough, rain soon swept across the barren land.  And then, to our great shock, we saw one of those traffic warning signs that said: “Caution.  Winter conditions ahead.”  We looked at the thermometer.  It said 13°C.  Someone in the transportation department’s head office must have typed in the wrong code.

By the time we reached Flagstaff, a mere hour away, we were in the middle of a major snow squall.  The temperature had dropped 14 degrees in 3 minutes and we were battling wind, freezing rain and snow.  We saw a sign for the highway to Las Vegas and were sorely tempted to head south.  We stopped at a gas station at Williams to top off the tank and gather our wits.  A guy who had just travelled the road told me not to worry as the plows were out.  I was not amused and didn’t feel reassured.  Mercifully we soon drove out of the storm and sunny clear skies prevailed the rest of the way.

We checked in and hurried to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to catch the last golden rays of the day.  You can’t describe the Grand Canyon.  You have to see it in person to understand its true majesty and beauty.  Only a few weeks earlier, my brother had completed a hiking expedition in the Canyon and the day time temperatures had been in the 80’s.  We had a serious wind chill going as the sun set and darkness arrived.  So cold in fact, that there were small patches of ice on the walkways.

Rather than return to our accommodations, 15 minutes away, we decided to splurge and ate a wonderful meal at an onsite restaurant, sitting next to a crackling fire.  After finishing our meal, Peter decided that he wanted to take some night time pictures, so we parted company.

I have noticed a few things about getting old.  My footing isn’t nearly what it was when I was young.  Ditto for hearing and eyesight, and if they handed out an award for bathroom breaks, I am sure I would win the gold medal, hands down.

I have a better than average sense of direction … in daylight.  The path back to our lodgings wasn’t terribly complicated but the trail wasn’t particularly well lit and in one section there were no lights at all.  I couldn’t see the walkway and rather than risk falling on ice, getting blown off into the canyon or getting mugged, I decided to take a short cut.

The Grand Canyon is a major tourist attraction and the accommodations are spread out over a vast area, but unfortunately not on a neat and tidy grid.  Within minutes I was hopelessly lost.  I almost stepped on a couple of raccoons as I stumbled my way back to the main lodge.  The only problem is that it wasn’t the right lodge.  There are several on the property.  No problem.  The courteous front desk staff cheerfully produced a map and threw in a flashlight for good measure.  I stepped outside into the frigid night and discovered that the flashlight had the candle power of a single firefly.

I wandered around for several minutes and was back at the front desk for a new set of instructions and another flashlight.  I vigorously debated the lack of lights on the paths with the front desk staff.  They informed me that the Grand Canyon is a deep sky preserve and that low lighting is intentional so that star gazers can see the Milky Way.  The folks who invented deep sky preserves were certainly NOT old people.

Eventually I met another couple who had a real flashlight and I found my way to our lodge.  I received yet another set of instructions and another flashlight.  I looked around the foyer.  The lodge is open 24 hours a day and I scoped out the furniture to see which chair might work as a bed if I got lost again.  Peter actually called me to see if I was alright.  I nonchalantly replied that I was just hanging out in the lobby taking advantage of the Wi-Fi (and searching for a miner’s lamp).

Forty-five minutes after first setting out, I arrived back at our room.  There had been a few detours along the way.

Getting old.  Isn’t it Grand.

Posted on November 16, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Mt. Douglas, Victoria. A beautiful place to walk with friends

 

 

After  24 states, 3 provinces and 9785 kilometers, Peter and I touched down in Victoria on Saturday. Like our two  previous trips, we saw a lot, ate a lot, laughed a lot and had a plenty of time to ponder our good fortune as we rolled on down the Interstates. There is nothing quite like travel and to be able to do it with one of your children is special.

There were many highlights and no low lights. Well, maybe the 30 minute raging snowstorm in Flagstaff, Arizona which caused some momentary angst but we drove out of it quickly. The week of sun and sand in Florida was very therapeutic and a pleasant ( and necessary ! ) respite from all the driving.  The Grand Canyon was spectacular as advertised. As you get older, you don’t succumb to the hype so I was pleasantly surprised when the G.C exceeded my expectations. It only seemed fitting that I would write a piece about the experience but it was definitely not the story that I thought I would be writing. You can’t really describe the Grand Canyon. It has to be seen. But when I got disoriented ( lost! ) trying to find our accommodations on a very dark, cold and blustery night, I had to take a stab at one of my favorite targets and favorite subjects… me and the perils of growing old. I mean, I can understand getting lost in the Grand Canyon but on the property? Stay tuned for “A Grand Illusion” coming up later this week.

As mentioned in an earlier post, spending time in Dealey Plaza in Dallas was a profound and somewhat surreal experience. A whole generation of us were witness to the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Every year , on November 22, I think about this event and the memories of that day come rushing back. It is hard to put into words my feelings as I stood in the exact spot that JFK died. As a family member mentioned to me in an e-mail, “ America’s first and only Catholic President died. And with him, died a lot of hopes and dreams of a generation, however fanciful they may have been.” Peter took an amazing picture which captured the entire scene including the spot of the assassination, the “grassy knoll” and the Texas School Book Depository.” I’m still trying to find a suitable title but right now I’m going with this: “ My Dallas Addiction: How I Became a News Junkie.”  Coming soon at Week45.

So, we’re driving through hundreds of miles of potato fields in Idaho. Endless fields of potatoes. After the stunning landscape of Utah, this was a bit of a comedown. We were low on gas and it was lunch time. Anyone who has driven in the U.S. knows that there are oodles of rest stops where travellers can quickly and easily exit the Interstate, grab some fuel for the body and the car and be on your way in no time at all. We were passing through Twin Falls, Idaho and decided to do something we never do: exit the highway and drive 4 miles into a town. It is not an efficient use of time. As we were approaching the town, we came to a bridge and below us was a canyon and river hundreds of feet below… and the view was simply stunning. It turned out to be the best pit stop of the entire trip and spawned a story. The river is the Snake River made famous years ago when Evel Knievel tried to cross the canyon on a rocket powered motorcycle. How did that go, Evel?! The story “Snake Bitten” is really a story about “the road not taken.” Sometimes you can get some pleasant surprise when you go off the beaten path.

And finally this little gem.  KFC has reported that they will start delivering buckets of the Colonel’s best in selected cities in the U.S. Yes, you will be able to get artery clogging chicken delivered right to your door. You might even be able to get them to bring it right to your Lazyboy so that you don’t miss a single minute of the football game. Hell, you could get the delivery boy to grab a beer for you from the fridge while he’s there.

Have a great week.