The first day of VanRamblings’ journey back east proved to be a long one.
As has been the case for many years, dating back to our enrolment in Grade One (oh so many years ago), VanRamblings has never been able to sleep the morning before a ‘big event’, and such proved to be the case Tuesday, August 3rd. No sleep, just more packing, and preparation of our humble Co-op abode for the coming onslaught of ‘the plumbers’.
Yes, VanRamblings spent the wee morning hours boxing everything in our kitchen and bathroom, because bright and early this Tuesday morning Cambridge Plumbing arrived at the Co-op to commence with a massive re-piping of the entire Co-op, an event which VanRamblings (thankfully) will miss most of, as we find ourselves in vacation mode in the Maritimes.
VanRamblings also busied ourselves in the early morning hours purchasing medical and travel insurance online. Yes, VanRamblings loves nothing better than leaving things to the last minute. We finally decided on a great $48 dollar package from Pacific Blue Cross, but (unfortunately) not before we’d purchased medical insurance from BCAA … oh well.
So, there we were at 6 a.m. on the #9 Broadway bus heading towards the Canada Line, ready to jump on the Airport line. VanRamblings’ progressive lefty friends may not appreciate the Canada Line (it’s a jobs thing, don’tcha know), but VanRamblings believes in a multi-faceted approach to transportation infrastructure — Community Shuttle buses, West Coast Express, Skytrain, streetcars and rail, as well as electric, hydrogen and clean diesel buses — so we’re darned appreciative of the new Canada Line.
The plane boarded at 8:25 a.m. and lifted off on time for a Calgary hop at 9 a.m. Seems, though, that on the approach to Calgary, a passenger ‘spilled’, causing a half-hour layover in Cowtown, for cleaning. Thus, VanRamblings and fellow passengers found ourselves behind schedule for the 7:28 p.m. Atlantic Daylight time Halifax (we arrived at 8:02 p.m. ADT).
The remainder of the journey east was relatively uneventful, as VanRamblings watched Atom Egoyan’s latest, Chloe, a rather inert Fatal Attraction knockoff, sans bunny.
Next thing VanRamblings knew, we were on the approach to the Halifax Stanfield Airport …
More tomorrow, on the life and times of VanRamblings in the Maritimes.
