Just what the doctor ordered…

When I can’t be a part of family activities I don’t see why they can’t enjoy themselves without me. Yes we all wish it were different, and as it happens my younger son didn’t want to ski today anyway, so we got to hang out together. My elder on the other hand saw big fat flakes falling from the sky & there was no stopping him – which is great. So off hubby & no.1 went into the unknown, because for most of the day you wouldn’t even know there were mountains it was such a white out. No.2 & I packed up & checked out. We then strolled across to Blackcomb to meet a friend for coffee. The mum who makes your ears bleed but is interesting & entertaining with it so I don’t mind hanging out with her.

She started by apolising for texting me so early (9am, so not that early when you have kids!), she was desperate to meet at her hotel so I could see the room they’d been upgraded to… it was only the penthouse suite! Apparently because they had arrived so late the night before, & the hotel was overbooked, they were the last to check-in which went in their favour. Her husband & daughter, left early this morning to go skiing. He’d made her promise that she would check out on time & not continue her total lock-down. He also had to remind her that she had something in every bathroom – all 3 of them! Honestly, a bathroom each for goodness sake. She had decided not to go skiing so she could enjoy the free luxury. I was totally with her, why not, I would!

We order coffee & the server asked for her room number – she had no idea, having been so taken with the room itself she hadn’t taken a blind bit of notice. She then continued to talk about her upgrade, this time even making my son laugh. When she checked out she had promised to text her husband to confirm that she had left the room willingly & not frog marched out by security.

It was just what I needed right now. My knee is swelling & is achy more & more each day, along with the rest of my body. Having coffee with someone who can completely take your mind off it all is just what the doctor ordered!

Blasted Church!!

Today we were very naughty parents & took the boys out of school so we could go skiing. We were going away anyway this weekend, but when hubby had the day off, post call, it seemed rude not to take the opportunity, and have an extra day. Once again I was left behind, which saddens me greatly, especially when they return tired & full of stories with the bruises to match. Instead, Tess & I walked the Valley trial before pitching up at the hotel to blag an early check-in. It was just my luck that a large conference had just checked out & all the rooms had been occupied the night before. Not only that, but all 5 million of the candidates were camped out in the lobby where I was hoping to vegetate & write while I waited. Normally I would be fine & move onto a coffee shop, but with having the dog I couldn’t go anywhere else. Also, our hotel does pretty good free latte’s, so why would I pay for them?

The receptionist took pity on me & at least found me chair, while promising to have the room ready within a couple of hours, this was at 11.45am. A short while later, while perched on a plastic chair next to a pile of ‘Peak’ magazines, I learn from the group next to me that they are waiting for the bus to pick them up at 3pm – NO WAY! Just when I thought that sitting the car might actually be a more comfortable, quieter option, the large crowd that were hogging a sofa on the other side of the lobby begin to gather their things, they were going for lunch – YAY! I gather up bags, coffee, coat & dog ready to stake my claim on a spot. Fantastic, the entire sofa to myself, a coffee table, & now a quieter lobby, until…

Less than an hour later when they all return! It would appear that I became invisible while sat there. The same crowd that had vacated that spot earlier parked themselves in the exact same spot, & almost on me. Some guy produced a board game & that was that, my bags were trod on, sat on, had coats were piled on them. Then there was my poor dog who was lying quietly at my feet one minute, only to be bombarded with people wanting to pet her. It is also important to mention that the people nearest to me had some personal hygiene issues, don’t these people know that soap & deodorant are very inexpensive essentials. Honestly, we go on about areas being free from cologne because of allergies, why shouldn’t it be the same for body odour? However, I wasn’t giving up that spot. I even had a go at the guy next to me, who was a particularly ripe specimen, about not having respect for my personal space. I claimed that spot after they’d left, therefore it was MINE! He apologized, but did he move, heck no, just turned back to the coffee table & continued playing.

It was almost regular check-in time, 4pm, when I finally got the all clear to go to my room. Wouldn’t you just know it, at the same time the bus arrived to pick up the fermenting conference goers, & by now the lobby was packing them in like sardines in a can. At last, I was leaving. Then, just as I unloaded the last couple of bags from the dolly, my tired & hungry skiers walked out of the elevator. Great, there was cheese & wine set up in the lobby now, we can grab a free glass of Blasted Church on the way to the hot tub, & then everything will be right in the world again… until I discovered that I’d packed everyone else’s swimwear but mine!!

Mouth before brain – AGAIN!!

It was far too early to be stood on the side of the pool this morning; 7.40am & only 3 mouthfuls of coffee had been consumed. The last school swim meet of the season for child no.1 & school had requested parents drop the competitors at UBC aquatic centre – otherwise it would have been an even earlier start if they’d taken the school bus. At some point in the last couple if weeks the teacher who coaches the team asked for parent volunteers to help out with timing. I don’t remember actually saying I would be able to help, I think I mentioned that I might be able to. It would appear that might actually really means can!

So there I am hanging out with some of the other poor unfortunate mum’s, & it was a relief to find that one mum in particular was also there. When I say she’s a mouth on legs, I mean it in the nicest way possible. Although my ears are bleeding by the time we part, she is always very entertaining & can turn the most tedious of situations into quite the event. While stood talking (believe it of not!) we witnessed one of our rather substantial grade 3 students pull out a large tub of gummy worms & proceed to offer them around – FOR BREAKFAST. It was barely 8am for the love of god! As you can imagine neither of us could understand why a parent would allow their child to even bring such a thing. It was another one of those moments when my mouth worked faster than my brain. I turned to her & declared that having candy for breakfast was clearly why he was overweight, but at least he won’t sink. After almost inhaling coffee she agreed with me, I apologized for my mouth, & she announced that she thought it but her mouth hadn’t had as much caffeine as mine yet.

Fast forward to the first event that this child was competing in. I’m stood with my clipboard looking all official, & I’m partnered with another mum from our school. The gun starts the race & the child belly flops into the water. It was painful to watch, but at least the kid was trying. He’s going flat out, but stayed in the same spot. When he was almost at the end, myself the other mum cheered him on, she declares how awful & embarrassing it all is to have him on our team because he’s overweight. I reply by saying that it’s not surprising he is when he eats a pot of gummy worms for breakfast. What followed could have quite easily been even more embarrassing for me…

The mum was furious with her child for bringing the worms without asking, & who knew they were not supposed to be taking them to school or to any kind of school activity. She was actually quite glad I had shopped him. I had a sudden moment of wanting to jump in the water & drown myself but thankfully she was more furious with him than with me – PHEW!!

 

 

Party people…

We entertain a reasonable amount, which is always fun, but hard work. So when we’re invited to someone else’s gathering it’s even more fun because we are spared the hard work. It is always interesting to meet new people, inevitably when it’s your own do you pretty much know all the people. No matter how big or small it brings together all works of life. Being married to a physician, & having been a nurse BC (before children), it is not surprising that most of our friends are part of the medical/nursing world too. Then through a few other professions, most of us have kids, some at the same school/similar ages, we live & work in the same city… you get a wide variety of discussions & story’s.

Today while all the kids watched movies & destroyed the basement of our friend’s new house. Us grownups gathered in the kitchen where all the best parties happen (because why would we want to sit on a comfy couch in the nice spacious living room to enjoy our wine & nibbles?). All the walks of life & ages put the world to rights & shared stories of life experience. My favourite one was shared while the host was making coffee (for me being the designated driver today). It began when my husband announced how fantastic it is that he can order his coffee from the hospital Starbucks now via a new app so that it is there waiting for him, therefore avoiding the queue of 30+ people. This particular Starbucks lineup was then discussed at length.

One of the guys who also work at the hospital, someone I know but see very infrequently, has obviously studied this particular lineup in great detail. Of course, the first discussion was about my husband ticking everyone off by jumping the lineup to pick up his order. It must make no difference to those waiting that this ordering system is perfect for people like him who only get a matter of seconds between cases to grab their fix. The fact remains that to them he is somehow jumping the queue. The coffee lineup expert then amused us with a clear description of who the real queue jumpers are.

It’s the ones who see a friend or colleague who conveniently happens to be about 3 people from the front. They sidle up to said friend & get chatting, announcing at some point that they should get coffee together now that they are at the front. Meanwhile, there are several faces behind them looking like slapped backsides!

He then went on to describe that moment when a drink is announced & placed on the countertop, & 4 hands reach for it. He gave us the perfect look that the individual to whom this beverage really belongs to would give the caffeine thieves – a look I can only describe as a Paddington hard stare. Clearly this guy had been in this position enough times to perfect the art of making those hands 3 hands recoil and apoligise instantly for their mistake.

Of course this has all set a standard for my future visits to any coffee shop really, not just Starbucks. I shall now be watching the lineup with great interest, & in turn the collection bar. All the time while listening & watching this guys account of coffee bar behavior I was thinking that this scene needs to be in book…