GrannyRant

Friday we decided, would be a little more relaxing, not so much driving, a later start and a laundry day. You know the type of day you have when you go camping and you’ve run out of clean clothes. I was up by 8 and managed to type up two days worth of the Granny Rant while everyone was still sleeping. Carmen got home from her night shift at 07.30 and went to bed and Steve had to work for one hour between 12 and 1pm at the swimming pool. So the four of us went to IHOP (international House of Pancakes) for brunch at around 12.30. We had pancakes with butter, Martin and Adam had omelettes and I had steak tips with shredded potato, mushroom and onion. Robyn and Adam’s pancakes were supposed to be chocolate chip, they came back all chocolate, with hundreds of chocolate chips and looking like ‘Death by chocolate’! There was maple, blueberry and strawberry syrup. Jesus, how can we eat meat and sweet pancakes on the same plate? Robyn dipped her sausages in blueberry syrup, you gotta love this girl’s style. As we left, we were all stretching to try and get the food to sink a bit lower, too full to walk, al four of us!

We called into Walmart, then went back to the house and picked up Carmen and Steve to go into downtown Vancouver, we all piled into the van, all 6 of us, like the Ant Hill Mob. For the Canadians reading this blog (and I know who you are) the Ant Hill Mob are cartoon gangsters who travel around in an old Al Capone type car. We travelled downtown, first to the Farmers Market on Granville we ate Gelato, which for the Brits is a homemade sort of ice-cream/sorbet, absolutely delicious. Outside in the sun, there were street entertainers and people selling all sorts of wild and wonderful things. Smell of Chinese food and donuts filled the air and music floated along on the warm breeze. We saw a place where they make totem poles, with huge whole tree trunks waiting to be carved, amazing. In a yard, there was a concrete mixer lorry, which was actually painted as a strawberry, strange but kind of quirky, I have this vision of a six foot six muscle bound man driving a huge strawberry around Canada?

We all piled back into the van and drove the extra few miles into the city, the buildings got taller and taller and they made for a really amazing sky-line. We parked in the underground car-park and walked up the ramp to the waterside restaurant. Adam wanted to try some fish as we were so near the sea and it should be really fresh and Steve led the way to Cardero’s Restaurant, which had been recommended to him. It was good advice, this place was really busy and as we were seated the waiter buzzed around us like a fly, attending to our drinks order and we all studied the menu. Martin, Robyn and Adam had Halibut, Steve ordered seared Lingcod and Carmen had Wok chicken in a sweet glaze. I had a juicy chicken breast, which came with roasted potato and fresh vegetables. There were chocolate brownie’s, baked Alaska and Irish coffee to follow and the men had port and brandy. The whole meal was really good and we had a great time. We left the restaurant and strolled along in the evening sun looking at all the expensive boats and the marina with the smell of the sea wafting in the breeze.

Along the marina and up the steps, is the place where the Olympic torch was lit in Vancouver, there were lots of people milling about taking pictures and enjoying the evening. I like Vancouver, it’s a lovely city, very clean and it feels ‘safe’. The kind of place you could spend a whole night in without seeing anything untoward and then watch the sun come up. Glorious! Carmen drove home, she is 16 weeks pregnant and is the only person who hasn’t had alcohol. We all dozed in the car, like 5 nodding dogs, the ones you see on the back parcel shelves of cars.

On Saturday, we were all up early. I tried to catch up on my blog and we took turns for the shower, 6 people sharing one bathroom is difficult and there always seems to be someone waiting to get in when you’re not ready to get out! We laughed about it and made the best of the situation.

We drove through the mountains to Whistler, Carmen is really excited about the trip as are Martin and I. We have to plan this trip carefully according to the availability of bathrooms, as when Carmen needs to go, she needs to go now! The views on the way are fantastic, high roads, overlooking enormous expanses of water and waterfalls, Native American place names which are unpronounceable to a Welsh woman! The only one I can remember is Squamish? I wasn’t quick enough to write them all down and gave up in the end. As we drove into Whistler, the Niukshiuk stone man, the Indian symbol of friendship and safe travel welcomes us on Whistler Boulevard.

We parked the van and walked up the stairs to the village, on the way, we found the bathroom for Carmen. When we got to the village square, I thought it would be a good idea to make a plan to meet somewhere later in case we lost each other. It’s not easy to see what you want to see when you’re all together and Martin and I needed to find the bank and he had to phone home, we didn’t want anyone else to be held up. I am also conscious that the others are almost 30 years younger than us and we don’t want them to feel limited to doing everything we want to do. I felt bad afterwards as I thought they may have felt that we didn’t want to spend time with them, which wasn’t the intention at all.

We wandered around the shops, ate a toasted sandwich and generally people watched. We saw the gondola rides to go up to the top of the mountain, the peak to peak was about £40 each and way to high for me with my fear of height, that one was a few feet too far, so we decided against it. I wonder if the others went up, that was one of the things ~I didn’t want them not to do, just because I wouldn’t do it.

I found a pair of clip-on sun glasses to go with my only surviving pair of specs, my prescription sunnies are at the bottom of the river. As we sat trying to fit them, Robyn came across the square to say that they were at the bar having a drink. We joined them in a beer and I asked what they had done, they had done exactly the same as us, so we could have stayed with them after all, we wouldn’t have cramped their style. We headed back to the Ant Hill Van and out of Whistler, on the way, I realised that we were looking for a sign, the Olympic village which was used for the Winter Olympics 2010 and we were going to see it. The weather had other ideas and the clouds gathered for what looked like a storm. As we approached, the heavens opened and the guy in the little booth, steeped out into the rain and said “there’s the ski run and the cross country to see” and he gave us a map. He laughed as he looked up at the sky. It poured and poured and pored some more. We saw the ski run and the ski jump, through the van window as the thunder rumbled and the lightening lit up the sky. Then Carmen said “Sorry guys, I need the bathroom again” we all laughed out loud as she got excited when one came into sight “Yaaaaay Bathroom!” I have never seen anyone so excited, how cool is it to pee in the Olympic bathroom! She ran across the tiles at break-neck speed, which worried me a bit, with her being pregnant, she’s certainly a fit mum-to-be! As we left the Olympic park (which was more of a clump of trees with a bathroom and a ski jump, we all laughed and said “imagine if you had to pay to go in there! Would’ve been an expensive trip to the bathroom!”

Robyn and me chatted on the way back to the house, the weather got brighter as we travelled and the others all napped. At home Steve cooked us fish, rice and vegetables and we looked at pictures, stuffed ourselves with food and drink and got to bed by 11. Goodnight people, we are off the Kelowna tomorrow I the Okanagan Valley…..Granny….to be continued

DAY 4
Good morning – Granny calling.
I got up early again, didn’t get a good night’s sleep as the bloody mozzie bite, which was now badly infected had swollen and was sore. Shower, downstairs to write my blog up, (I was two days behind) jet lag is over and I feel much better this morning. 4 cups of tea later I was joined by Uncle who had got up for a cigarette and was already planning his morning drive to the coffee shop 4 blocks away – Tim Horton’s coffee shop sells great coffee and with double cream, it goes down really well in the morning. I can’t get over the fact that he drives out for coffee though, even if he is on holiday, I think I’d make do with instant first thing in the morning.
The weather is fowl, high winds, black sky and raining like cats and dogs. It is 10 degrees and the temperature, according to the forecast, was set to get worse throughout the day. This was not good news; we have tickets for the stampede and the grandstand rodeo show which is outdoors this was not just a shower, it was a storm. The grandstand show hadn’t been cancelled for 46 years and the stampede for 102! Sods law that it would be when we were in town. Anyway, as we all said, “you can’t plan the weather”.
By 9am Aunty and Cousin Robyn had joined us and we sat around moaning about the weather, watching weather reports and trying to decide whether to go to stampede or not. Adam is gone to work and would join us later for the Grandstand show. The tickets for the show cost $50 and we had $300 dollars worth for 6 of us and we were not sure if we could get a refund? We rang the ticket office and they said “no way is it going to be cancelled, that’s never happened in years”! I’m not holding my breath.
09.30- quick trip to the Medi-Centre to sort out my swollen finger. $60 dollars to see the Doc and $42 dollars later, I have anti inflammatory drugs and Anti-biotic – sorted. Forget about the finger now and let the pills do their work. We all had a great breakfast. Bacon, eggs, hash-browns, loads of toast and choke cherry jam. I’ve no idea what a choke cherry is but I like it.
We pile into Uncle’s van at around 11.30 and drive off the Mall, just outside Calgary. Martin bought 4 Tee shirts, at a bargain price but would no way pay $32 (£20 approx) for a real leather belt, which is strange as he needs a belt but does not need 4 tee shirts as he has around 10 shirts with him and umpteen back at home. We had New York Fries, these are like skinny chips and you buy them covered with sour cream and chilli sauce. They were great and after a year of Weight Watchers dieting, felt really naughty, but what the hell, it’s a holiday. We also had more creamy coffee, which comes in half litre cups; it’s so strong the kick is like a mule!
The rain kept coming and coming, there were accidents on the road where cars were aqua planning and not allowing enough stopping space, Robyn and I went to Costco and bought rain coats and we decided that were going to the stampede whatever the weather. While driving to the city he news reader on the van radio was reporting the deaths of 4 horses and numerous injuries to cowboys due to the wet and muddy conditions and the people of Calgary were not happy about it. I think they’re angrier about the horses than the people as the people have a choice of whether they take part or not, the horses-well, they do as they’re told and then they die. Makes me sad and I’m not sure how myself or Martin would react if a horse or a person got hurt or even killed, while we were at the show.
The show ground was wet, deep puddles everywhere and everyone’s jeans were wet right up to the knees almost. We did the ‘stampede’ thing and wore check shirts, jeans and cowboy hats and tried to the make best of it. We had mini donuts with cinnamon and sugar and after 45minutes of wandering and watching people on the fair rides we decided to wait at the meeting place for Adam to get there from work. During stampede week at work Adam has to dress up Western Style as the whole city turns ‘country’ so he turned up in cowboy clothes and joined us in the rain. We decided to go in for a beer, get warm and sit out the 45 minutes until the grandstand show. The lady at the bar served us with a smile, 5 Alexander Keith’s Light beers and a Gin and lime $42 please and then she muttered something to Robyn which I didn’t quite hear…Robyn’s face was a picture, the show was cancelled, Adam already knew and thought we did too, they told him at the gate, so it must have been decided about half an hour after we arrived at the stampede ground, we had driven all across the city, in shitty weather, in rush hour, for Jack Shit! But the beer and the Donuts were great and I have a Calgary Stampede Tee shirt. Oh, and by the way, I didn’t have to watch a horse die, that makes me happy.
We piled in the car, us girls went shopping for wine, cheese and finger food and the men went back to dry off and drink beer, all’s well that ends well………to be continued 

Wimbledon, in all its ‘Britishness’ has come as a welcome distraction from the football this week. The prospect of sunny days, with overpriced strawberries and cream. Pimms on the lawn and hoards of fans cultivating melanomas on Murray’s Mound, (formerly known as Henman’s Hill). Spectators Mexican waving periodically, Her Maj on centre court with Sir Cliff, oh joy… Summer seems to have well and truly arrived. The curious thing is that the tournament began on the longest day of the year, June 21st, and thereafter the days will become ever shorter (perish the thought).

Johnny Mac sets about his usual flirting with Sue Barker in the commentators chair, while analysing, nay even dissecting every shot and the BBC airing something quintessentially British but using Americans more and more in commentary to heap praise on our mediocre players as they fall by the wayside one by one.

For weeks now the media have been whipping the nation into a frenzy of ‘Murray Madness’ and to give the man credit, he is our best hope for years! Yesterday, the newspapers carried stories of a ‘snub’ to Murray because he had been bumped off the Centre Court and had to put up with Court 1, well, he is only number 4 in the world and surely these things should be decided according to ranking. I’m sure he didn’t mind and even if he did, there’s nothing he can do about it. Speculation about bowing or not to the Queen was another issue, has anyone ever asked Her Maj whether she gives a hot about bowing or otherwise?

The whole point of Wimbledon in my mind is that it is another chance for us to be a whole nation, united in our appreciation of the almost gladiatorial way in which these people slug it out in soaring temperatures, drinking copious amounts of Robinsons Barley water and grunting louder and louder with every shot. The enormous amount of hard work that goes into training the ball boys/girls, watching the male line judges covering their crown jewels from the next 135mph serve and listening to the various Umpires from faraway continents trying to pronounce the names of some Croatian player.

Anything else just isn’t tennis!!

Today I am excited. I feel like a kid in a chocolate factory even though I don’t really like chocolate, you can get my drift. There’s something about Friday that makes me feel, bright, breezy and downright wicked! Who knows why but it’s a great feeling. This week is especially special and if you’ve got five minutes to spare I’ll tell you why…….

On Monday (which just happens to be a bank holiday) it is my birthday. Not just any old birthday but my 52nd birthday. “What’s so special about that” I hear you say. Well, it’s a day that I have dreaded for over 20 years, I never wanted to be 52 as this was the age my Dad was when he was cruelly taken away from us to some higher plain. Now hang on a minute, don’t click the x to close the page just yet as this is not a story about death or dying, rather a celebration, a happy, go lucky, live your life to the full story, so bear with it.

I decided that rather than mourning something which happened 20 years ago, I should do what he would have done had he been here, so this morning, I got up early, pulled back the curtains, stretched, scratched and thanked my lucky stars that I could look out at the sunshine and hear the birds.

I decided that at work, I would smile at everyone, (Dad was always smiling) regardless as to how miserable they were and I would also sing the Whiffenpoof song intermittently as he did. If you are Welsh, or know Wales, you will find the humour in this.

Tonight, I will take long walk, regardless of the weather, as he would and I will take special notice of my surroundings and see things properly, in detail, take time to listen to the sounds and smells of life and the living. On return I will listen to music, cook something nice and drink red wine, I will finish my meal with strong black coffee and good Metaxa Brandy. I will celebrate life, unashamedly, for both of us.

My partner and I have a weekend in a Hotel planned and some rare down time together, so it will be eat drink and be merry, all the way. Life is too short to mourn the past, live every day as if it was your last and dance like no-ones looking…..Iechyd da – Good Health!