tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-133640232024-03-23T19:01:31.869-06:00Brad's MusingsBradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-58714988369648024752024-03-23T13:26:00.002-06:002024-03-23T19:01:00.104-06:00Hawaii with Amy<p>I promised
both of our kids a trip of their choosing upon graduation from high
school. Brodie got his a little early
(see <a href="https://pletzky.blogspot.com/2017/05/so-my-second-last-post-spoke-of-great.html">https://pletzky.blogspot.com/2017/05/so-my-second-last-post-spoke-of-great.html</a>),
but even though Amy graduated years ago, the timing didn’t work out until
recently. We finally managed to work out
a trip to Hawaii.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I’ve always
thought of Hawaii as a beautiful place I’d like to visit someday, but also
BORING!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew there was much to see and
do, but <i>everyone</i> goes to Hawaii.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d rather go places with fewer tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it turns out Hawaii can be an adventure
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read on. </span><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The joy
began in Calgary on Friday, March 8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
flight was delayed twice: once before we boarded and then again on the
tarmac.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived in Maui at about
10:45 PM, waited for our luggage, and then took the shuttle to the car rental
depot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do the vast majority of my
travel arrangements on Expedia, and the best deal for car rentals had been
Sixt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we showed up at Sixt office all
the lights were out and no one was there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I tried the lot and it, too, was devoid of humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried calling the “emergency” number and
was simply told “no, sir, we’re closed”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There wasn’t even a hint of apology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So there we were at the airport, exhausted from a long day of travelling
and a four hour time change, a forty minute car ride from our hotel, but with
no car!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, Budget was nearby, open,
and had cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We eventually did manage
to get a car and make it to our hotel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Our hotel
on Maui was very nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was older and
they were about to start renovating it, so that helped with the price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It couldn’t have been closer to the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>High waves would actually hit the sea wall of
the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were able to observe whale
activity from our balcony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6Sc6R_Ih9U7BoaScA85Dc8l9QnhXRLmGRW7cMXRuMUrXpLY2rfY7SH3JOFrzGBWqHIa6Jnz8UqJftIkxASwm9mtEJSCol0St6xd-j2boyOhztJ8KEwKuJwmmxCB_hXYvnTDG30ZpvATvT5FfX1EnQ4zu350tIEx1qdp0i7a9bjPRuGF-3A7g/s1772/DJI_20240310175502_0093_D-0040.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1772" data-original-width="1276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6Sc6R_Ih9U7BoaScA85Dc8l9QnhXRLmGRW7cMXRuMUrXpLY2rfY7SH3JOFrzGBWqHIa6Jnz8UqJftIkxASwm9mtEJSCol0St6xd-j2boyOhztJ8KEwKuJwmmxCB_hXYvnTDG30ZpvATvT5FfX1EnQ4zu350tIEx1qdp0i7a9bjPRuGF-3A7g/s320/DJI_20240310175502_0093_D-0040.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /> I was delighted
the next morning to be able to stumble onto the balcony and see Amy playing in
the surf. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She spent considerable time
swimming and body surfing throughout our stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That first day we did a lovely drive along the north-west coast.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLls88ZSsC43QKguGFi641aBviEcMJhFZkulymI7UtIH-bTEqVDc6901Z8-je42oMYOiZh1dwhO4pXhoWY91IJy68IUjZgeEDAInJWALos12FibOc_p90LR1KHs2lbFRjpYVECO6mM1aI9ps-JBw3BRJqUXa5xAfXQgf2kHJsuanXMuMfEyrPl/s3840/DJI_20240309112142_0091_D-0005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLls88ZSsC43QKguGFi641aBviEcMJhFZkulymI7UtIH-bTEqVDc6901Z8-je42oMYOiZh1dwhO4pXhoWY91IJy68IUjZgeEDAInJWALos12FibOc_p90LR1KHs2lbFRjpYVECO6mM1aI9ps-JBw3BRJqUXa5xAfXQgf2kHJsuanXMuMfEyrPl/s320/DJI_20240309112142_0091_D-0005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Amy had done a little walking and discovered
a church she was interested in, so we attended Sunday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lovely congregation consisted of mostly tourists
and people who’d retired on the island, but there were also some native Hawaiians
and others who’d been affected by the recent fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After church we went to “Maui Ocean Center,
The Aquarium of Hawaii”, where the highlight was an IMAX-like domed whale film
(hard to describe but a little like being inside a snow globe watching whales all
around us) and a tunnel through a shark/ray/large fish tank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEo_RoTLfGNH_5jbp4NZzMj08Zw2AgReWfOw7yW0zBTtwDC6o2xYCENWOWysN7hbhPW0zNaMHJ8YqVytaKkPpMuk5HMlo53O1A9FZjnwvEWiqcEZJSITCJD63t4IJGylhZtzHtGA8gHOZv1Q5USMOoLBG6y3918kJVRoDh7HDt16G28x5HQVK/s1659/Screenshot%202024-03-23%20125125.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1659" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEo_RoTLfGNH_5jbp4NZzMj08Zw2AgReWfOw7yW0zBTtwDC6o2xYCENWOWysN7hbhPW0zNaMHJ8YqVytaKkPpMuk5HMlo53O1A9FZjnwvEWiqcEZJSITCJD63t4IJGylhZtzHtGA8gHOZv1Q5USMOoLBG6y3918kJVRoDh7HDt16G28x5HQVK/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-23%20125125.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> </span>Monday we had an excellent whale watching
tour <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMLqMG_FRhXZMon9zVOf-3HQOvE6iEzYFIbIXOPcWRX_RTNyEM2A93NLuj4lAiBoUFZFgCLDDO3D-BUt4__tOi2w8W7sVihQjXHVhGdx7QUcCpE3PJjcIoZ4kRxn6PMA8dWB4hgWyQPrHxI3EEzz6UIpQI8np8C3U6FYDgPbeiGB30GgmyaTw/s2259/20240311_113836.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2259" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMLqMG_FRhXZMon9zVOf-3HQOvE6iEzYFIbIXOPcWRX_RTNyEM2A93NLuj4lAiBoUFZFgCLDDO3D-BUt4__tOi2w8W7sVihQjXHVhGdx7QUcCpE3PJjcIoZ4kRxn6PMA8dWB4hgWyQPrHxI3EEzz6UIpQI8np8C3U6FYDgPbeiGB30GgmyaTw/s320/20240311_113836.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />and then I drove the road to Hana (Amy opted to stay at the hotel).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes doing things late can be an
advantage, and sure enough I got to enjoy swimming beneath a waterfall all by
myself.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJHRHeSURB0Hebekgx5UjZn9EYnSy49HF0puFVpgL4L7-awDDP7HHdz2bHTB5uFLdAphwhNHYsANjlB3TNJza_nXvbPskuyhc9RK1weYzoE5RUVbygIfcPoZuZ-PIww47vWYL7GJbaL8oy8mAQzcBKKVSIZTrrB2iV9KaYnb9ZaNnp9TTnMNU/s4000/20240311_173528.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJHRHeSURB0Hebekgx5UjZn9EYnSy49HF0puFVpgL4L7-awDDP7HHdz2bHTB5uFLdAphwhNHYsANjlB3TNJza_nXvbPskuyhc9RK1weYzoE5RUVbygIfcPoZuZ-PIww47vWYL7GJbaL8oy8mAQzcBKKVSIZTrrB2iV9KaYnb9ZaNnp9TTnMNU/s320/20240311_173528.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Tuesday we
took a flight to the Big Island (aka Island of Hawaii).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had rented an SUV because I knew there were
some drives I wanted to do that require one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, when I got to the rental counter I was told I’d paid for a
2-wheel drive and would need a 4-wheel drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, a few hundred dollars more and we were on our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(For those that are unaware, Hawaii is
EXPENSIVE!!!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We managed to find a relatively
affordable hotel, but it was in Hilo – a significant drive from the airport. We
did, however, get to see a black sand beach on our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk58YS7Mggth7m7_dkL56OvhwNWOnQc7amEXq15v3PJG7w1Yju5HxEkhXkTHnWYNezYiK43ITn2dSLFE2uAt7eSTZTvr2jae1B8MbYr_1Bvz9YpxsPbFss_yHMu7w6Qfojlg7GzFNDmzAt6VrUlpptssyqhNhiMHcURfDFEDWEwi05weblpRvc/s4000/20240312_173950.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk58YS7Mggth7m7_dkL56OvhwNWOnQc7amEXq15v3PJG7w1Yju5HxEkhXkTHnWYNezYiK43ITn2dSLFE2uAt7eSTZTvr2jae1B8MbYr_1Bvz9YpxsPbFss_yHMu7w6Qfojlg7GzFNDmzAt6VrUlpptssyqhNhiMHcURfDFEDWEwi05weblpRvc/s320/20240312_173950.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The next day we checked out and headed back
to Kailua-Kona, where most of our activities were centered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent a bit of time exploring Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park and had lunch overlooking a volcano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was not the greatest, but as
evening approached the drizzle let up enough that we undertook a hike to the
bottom of a volcano where we’d observed people earlier in the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again being late-ish was good because we were
there all alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The landscape seemed
otherworldly, and especially magical with the dark lava, the mist, and the
falling darkness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06Pd4nRasyiOc7UL7eOrGFTk0da2DxEcSULnhiAQghUvBEb1hWhhJ9DvbqTfJGrE8NS2sJ-G2lvnjhEsAaEQiwEC2KksrtKV0_MkVcfym3nI2XXMWz9h0U_cMbMmyo9pHtemlpQ1JiDmw0Hg3BCsKJBWAZePk6zFODtbUwF_cX2_i6ZwO2KlK/s4000/20240313_182536.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06Pd4nRasyiOc7UL7eOrGFTk0da2DxEcSULnhiAQghUvBEb1hWhhJ9DvbqTfJGrE8NS2sJ-G2lvnjhEsAaEQiwEC2KksrtKV0_MkVcfym3nI2XXMWz9h0U_cMbMmyo9pHtemlpQ1JiDmw0Hg3BCsKJBWAZePk6zFODtbUwF_cX2_i6ZwO2KlK/s320/20240313_182536.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span>However, it was
getting later and later in the day, and it was completely dark before we
arrived back at the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We continued
the drive back to Kona with an eye on the fuel gauge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew we wouldn’t make it all the way back,
but I just assumed we’d find fuel on the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, we found several gas stations, but they had all closed at 8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure enough, we ran out of gas ten or fifteen
miles short of our destination. We were on a very twisty/turny road with no
shoulders, but by God’s grace I managed to find a small spot I could get the
vehicle off the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amy climbed into
the back seat and went to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried
Uber with no luck and then began walking toward town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point someone driving the other way
slowed down enough to ask whether I was ok. I managed to say I was out of gas,
but he had a bunch of traffic behind him, so he kept going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a few hundred yards further before a
pickup pulled over, ostensibly to give me a ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The driver turned out to be the gentleman who’d
slowed down earlier – it had taken him a while to find a spot to turn around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is when I met my new friends, a lovely
couple named Wela and Robin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had AAA,
so they made a call and were promised a tow truck would arrive shortly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We returned to the vehicle and waited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it turned out, they were just returning
home from Bible Study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say
that piqued my interest, and we quickly confirmed we were fellow
believers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That, of course, creates an
instant bond, and we became engrossed in conversation, not even noticing the
passage of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was getting quite
hungry by this time, and they just “coincidentally” had some left-overs from
their event that they generously shared with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Amy slept through it all.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we were waiting, Robin also found us a
hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Hawaii isn’t made for travelling
the way I do, getting a hotel when I’m done my day and know where I’ll be!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robin told me about how bad the road we were
on could be: just a week before she’d totaled her car less than a mile away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We waited probably about two hours when suddenly
the same tow truck and driver that had helped her out happened upon the scene
(no, it wasn’t in response to AAA – they texted her at 8 AM the next day to
inquire if she still needed help).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately this tow truck driver had fuel and we were on our way, but
not before I asked which church Wela and Robin attended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Amy and I arrived at the hotel (around
midnight), we realized it was quite possibly the nicest / most expensive one in
town!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghxj-C_f9jCbdL-xdGhYwsgOKVhA1rfE6IeiQ9_DA97MZU3_VqWd870hBBSh8h5jKVW9PIAkdEBT8AGSiV8grOycO5muhgvr6HzBcZntg2SsGqvqFtyDUdx2W2HuqbudEJanMk1HPNk0buqzNxPbEizRPTy9e1xC7AnVK1V6QwglnNcPqPZCM/s3840/DJI_20240314120212_0104_D-0100.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghxj-C_f9jCbdL-xdGhYwsgOKVhA1rfE6IeiQ9_DA97MZU3_VqWd870hBBSh8h5jKVW9PIAkdEBT8AGSiV8grOycO5muhgvr6HzBcZntg2SsGqvqFtyDUdx2W2HuqbudEJanMk1HPNk0buqzNxPbEizRPTy9e1xC7AnVK1V6QwglnNcPqPZCM/s320/DJI_20240314120212_0104_D-0100.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span>Still, by that time we weren’t
going shopping for a cheaper place!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Thank goodness for credit cards. <span face=""Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">🤣</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The next
day (Thursday, March 15) Amy spent some time with some newfound friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hung out at the swanky hotel until
check-out, checked into a cheaper place, and then headed uphill in hopes of driving
to the summit of Mauna Kea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
driving through a layer of clouds, I encountered a ranger station where 1) sure
enough, they turned back non-4-wheel-drive vehicles, and 2) I had to
acclimatize for at least half an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
then continued to the summit for a truly spectacular view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I happened to be there at sunset and could
hardly believe the incredible experience.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILOyaZ9Bl0tnKl_gCeS-X82S5GIBrIReQipEK4Qin2ERUc-dq2qVIaG8U0hLmDtRRVQTKT-LdjTusBcpAgmIZY2IsurZqFke_gQrA8Q8HlBBA_vxQzGhdt7OcGoTJBwtCis3Wy7c4Qu89H7J336g-AR5b05NoMs08YGbGWd4YJEtX_YPrF-ez/s4000/20240314_184358.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILOyaZ9Bl0tnKl_gCeS-X82S5GIBrIReQipEK4Qin2ERUc-dq2qVIaG8U0hLmDtRRVQTKT-LdjTusBcpAgmIZY2IsurZqFke_gQrA8Q8HlBBA_vxQzGhdt7OcGoTJBwtCis3Wy7c4Qu89H7J336g-AR5b05NoMs08YGbGWd4YJEtX_YPrF-ez/s320/20240314_184358.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Friday we
got the chance to cross off one of the two items Amy was most interested in
experiencing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we went parasailing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yep, what a great experience!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was especially satisfying to be experiencing
something new together with my daughter!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIvb4EOTEbSjP7U_hEzbkakDMq9NCERypnr6P2tYnZjT92_mKahD08lUoqN0m9KyPTIZPTrnJYyG68DlqtdT7Be4z6TCMbeKcd_rdoAhyphenhypheniGkefzAQsfUBlEbkkbnxsw7sfnFun0mlqdU30rm7kxuvNcbryu5-UV3LzoRr8jTdig5JAQVteV9_/s2700/ImageID_0_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="2700" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIvb4EOTEbSjP7U_hEzbkakDMq9NCERypnr6P2tYnZjT92_mKahD08lUoqN0m9KyPTIZPTrnJYyG68DlqtdT7Be4z6TCMbeKcd_rdoAhyphenhypheniGkefzAQsfUBlEbkkbnxsw7sfnFun0mlqdU30rm7kxuvNcbryu5-UV3LzoRr8jTdig5JAQVteV9_/s320/ImageID_0_8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Saturday we
decided to head for the green sand beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGz35RHpw8Pyphnp1AgzeKzXrkTTBcmPkKOwcktWibM6h53JcnkIP-BsHmsykPI3YRSo3z6juxKZduVrH_MyWFgaAX5aqZc91Vk9nBdJgZNlt62TAPHE6b6vONa2yzXKIZLCqCGb9RUL64pn8HnFFQiNB4iN1owUrRkZU9sF1E_AgX31XaEAa/s3840/DJI_20240316134123_0111_D-0040.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGz35RHpw8Pyphnp1AgzeKzXrkTTBcmPkKOwcktWibM6h53JcnkIP-BsHmsykPI3YRSo3z6juxKZduVrH_MyWFgaAX5aqZc91Vk9nBdJgZNlt62TAPHE6b6vONa2yzXKIZLCqCGb9RUL64pn8HnFFQiNB4iN1owUrRkZU9sF1E_AgX31XaEAa/s320/DJI_20240316134123_0111_D-0040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Most people, upon reaching the parking lot, take a shuttle or walk due
to the grueling nature of the rest of the (approximately 3 mile) drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But hey – I paid extra for a vehicle that
could handle it, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road was
nasty and gnarly – Amy was more comfortable walking – but nothing I haven’t
done before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem was that we had
a “city SUV” – not all that much clearance and highway tires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I was managing until about halfway there
when I heard a pop and immediately realized I had a flat tire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the beginning of the true
adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flat tire, you say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No big deal for this ex-farm-boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I opened the hatch and, much to my surprise,
there was no spare, no jack, no wrench – nothing but a small air compressor!?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t even describe my thoughts at that
moment – good thing I know so few swear words!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lacking any other options, I hooked up the air compressor which seemed (briefly)
to inflate the tire a little, but not nearly enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWqCHh_V8U4uwsEQc6xIFZJUG7stVTrO0atHjM1Hwda4pY5vQvFMqm3vi9umYRHBY4oS6f8WXQgaQwMTRIXalSBNKbcCRlRIM8CKeyk0UnRHADUo8tqjp_v0jSldNffgM1u4lslYgWDgabR_dH9WAe2DgtlerliEzxmKMKWpV4Js49YEf5UD1/s4000/20240316_150811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWqCHh_V8U4uwsEQc6xIFZJUG7stVTrO0atHjM1Hwda4pY5vQvFMqm3vi9umYRHBY4oS6f8WXQgaQwMTRIXalSBNKbcCRlRIM8CKeyk0UnRHADUo8tqjp_v0jSldNffgM1u4lslYgWDgabR_dH9WAe2DgtlerliEzxmKMKWpV4Js49YEf5UD1/s320/20240316_150811.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span>Eventually a local man happened along in a
side-by-side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finally found the source
of the leak – a compromised sidewall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought a new tire was the only option, but my helper was confident he could
fix it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, he gave it a valiant
effort, but no dice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said he was sure
he could fix it at his shop, so he took the wheel off and headed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was around 5:20 PM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent some time droning, but eventually the
light faded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surprisingly we had cell
reception, but fatefully I hadn’t gotten the helper’s number and hadn’t given
him mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hadn’t eaten since
breakfast, and only had a few snacks in the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It got later and later and still no sign of
our helper or our tire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the meantime,
Amy had been chatting with one of her newfound friends, who said “hey – I just
bought a new truck and enjoy driving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll
pick you up.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was roughly an hour
away from the parking lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was dark
so I escorted Amy the mile and a half or so through the rough terrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept wondering whether we’d eventually
encounter our helper, but he still hadn’t arrived when Amy’s friend
arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t decide whether to
return to the vehicle or return to town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I eventually decided, given that it was nearly 10 PM by that time, that
the helper likely wouldn’t return until morning, so I hopped a ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately I’d had pen and paper and was
able to leave my phone number prominently displayed in the vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 2:45 AM I was awakened by a phone
call:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the helper was at my vehicle and I
wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, there was not much I could
do about it, so I returned to my slumber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I got up earlier than planned the next morning and hiked out to the
highway – Uber was once again not going to be of much use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coincidentally the church Wela and Robin
attended was on the highway between town and our vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said “OK, God, whether I go to church or
directly to the car is up to you” and stuck out my thumb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well sure enough, when I got a ride the driver
said “I’m not going quite as far as the church, but I can drive you there”, so
church it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I arrived early and the
first person to meet me was the pastor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apparently I’d made an impression, and Wela had already told him the “out
of gas” story, so he knew who I was. I told him I’d been “exercising my faith”
that morning, and that phrase triggered something and he asked me to talk about
it to the congregation, to which I happily obliged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn1U6Do-zFYy-zTNSPAO3ApePkRNAAAlOtNKLNW_UUitghQSyEOtr9bVNtfqnAMn8f2rM6Gkm8DgXNFsB69H0WIujVC0U4ZpcBnSCHArNtUCHQlKoGb9unhUY6-a5E8ttIvnKQTsK0vyhOTMEa0lnVeoSwx1M9QQsjUMT70QqOtoDaeG5JrwP/s4000/20240317_114812.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn1U6Do-zFYy-zTNSPAO3ApePkRNAAAlOtNKLNW_UUitghQSyEOtr9bVNtfqnAMn8f2rM6Gkm8DgXNFsB69H0WIujVC0U4ZpcBnSCHArNtUCHQlKoGb9unhUY6-a5E8ttIvnKQTsK0vyhOTMEa0lnVeoSwx1M9QQsjUMT70QqOtoDaeG5JrwP/s320/20240317_114812.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span>Anyway, after church Wela and Robin offered
me a ride to my vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped for
a delicious lunch and then proceeded to the vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their truck had decent clearance, so they
were able to drive me all the way to my rental.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I got to the rental, the helper was there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He explained that he’d stayed with the vehicle
all night for fear it would be stripped or stolen – a danger I hadn’t really
given much thought to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’d had no luck
fixing the tire, but had managed to find another wheel with a matching stud
pattern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was only one catch:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to mount the wheel he’d had to take the brake
caliper off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was later told that it’s
possible to take a brake caliper off and leave the other three wheels to brake,
but that’s not how this had been done:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
had no brakes!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I’ve done some crazy
hairy/scary driving, but driving out of there with no brakes would certainly
make my list of nasty drives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately the helper guided me through, but he would, on occasion,
stop his quad in front of me and I’d have to remind him I had no brakes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One time I had to back up a little and… the
vehicle wouldn’t stop rolling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
100% convinced I’d bend the vehicle on the hill (small cliff) behind me, but I
managed to come out unscathed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually,
many very tense minutes later, we arrived back at the parking lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(In case this isn’t making sense, a
traditional tow truck wouldn’t have been able to make it to where the vehicle
was, and a tow truck that could would have cost a small fortune.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got back to the parking lot and I called
the rental agency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were going to
send a tow truck (and send me the bill).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, apparently there’s only one towing company servicing that area (coincidentally
the same company as had provided fuel just a few days prior), so I called them
directly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were going to be even
more expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robin to the
rescue:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>she worked magic with her AAA,
and this time they came through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately
there was room in the tow truck for me to hitch a ride back to the rental
company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things are sounding on the
up-and-up, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we were waiting for
the tow truck I received an email saying our snorkeling tour had been
cancelled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moments later I got an email
saying our flight back to Maui was cancelled (cancelled – not postponed!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, this did nothing to reduce
my stress!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally the tow truck arrived
(by now it was dark) and I hopped in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
tow truck driver also had his lovely family (wife and four-year-old son) with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a very nice time with them, but I also
had to conduct a little business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
snorkeling tour had an alternative: go with another company at 11:00 PM, rather
than the 9:00 PM we’d been scheduled for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I checked with Amy and she said “Let’s go for it”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it turned out, this was a good thing
because by the time I had exchanged vehicles and gotten back to our hotel, it
was 10:10 and we had to leave for snorkeling at 10:15!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I had made it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flight issues would have to wait.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Well, I’ve
led a charmed life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have travelled the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have done a lot of really cool
things!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Snorkeling at night with manta
rays is very high on the list!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would
run out of superlatives trying to describe the experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived at the dock, changed, and got into
a small boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a couple of hundred yards
from the dock we were given snorkels and pool noodles, and told to “hop off”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a guide in the water, as well as a
surf board with a rope all around the outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The guide then shone lights through holes in the surf board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We grabbed the rope and tried to stay as flat
on the top of the water as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The
pool noodle under our shins helped with that.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then we simply looked down into the water and the magic began (or, as
Amy would put it, the aliens showed up).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The light attracted plankton, and the plankton attracted manta
rays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now words fail me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first thing I saw was a manta ray that,
they told us later, was 15.5 feet wide!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was coming straight at me with its mouth wide open (I don’t think
they can even close them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cavernous
maw could, I’m sure, easily fit a human, and only head knowledge (1. they wouldn’t
take us out here if it weren’t safe and 2. mantas eat plankton, not people)
prevented me from freaking out, but to say it was initially intimidating doesn’t
do it justice!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The manta did large, vertical
circles, and every time it was coming up and around I got to look right into
that cavern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The light was very good and
I could easily see everything inside!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, what truly blew my mind, was how spatially aware the manta must
have been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first four or five times
it swam at and then beneath me I was 100% convinced it was going to hit
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(They’d told us in no uncertain
terms not to touch them.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But every time
it would turn at just the right moment and miss me by an inch or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, as it swam away, I had a great view of
its huge gills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a totally
mind-blowing experience!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sadly Amy,
who had never snorkeled before, never quite got past the fear and intimidation,
but maybe next time.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I got past
the intimidation I was just entranced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
never took my eyes out of the water again, and eventually they had to hit me to
get my attention when it was time to return to the boat.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.mykonaadventures.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="583" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHN6p1LF6zQpdiHIJ4XZPxumXj0w0ZMK1sxUDc3Qe09Z9GdT3H0mhfeEoIdWGXyQcq-esgdMiEyxc1iq6T2NetUvh65NGCe_DHuAay992CeoZgtFMQinQHJRz0tvMhHGpIgw4lth5jF7xzF733tolIJTGHDNqgteG3CnYyRMjhp9IzD9Y-zX8K/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-23%20132028.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When we got
back to the hotel, I managed to get another flight booked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately the timing wasn’t great, so we
spent a good chunk of time Monday waiting between planes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually though, after over 24 hours of
travelling, we did end up safely back in Calgary, with a lot of memories that
will last a lifetime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank-you, Hawaii,
for exceeding my expectations in the “adventure travel” department, even if some
of the experiences might not have been quite what most people would
choose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But hey, the two days trying to
get a Jeep out of the wilderness resulted in a friendship that I’m hoping will
last for a lifetime.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdf-cyp8TbCCn_q7HMS2cGDWpuBEPDD_Uzfj3b4Vc6g_iHifoNo46dDeoDrKjqkZV7vHvrpzJu3MptTCEeRBepx5pH9eQXHLTKl1D0CtNkoS7axv4iYw0a5yY2gQcMTNrzf9UWCdlak6e54PvCvp9XSqTigCcfD05wf0JFKueMxBNMRupD-fxP/s4000/20240317_181800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdf-cyp8TbCCn_q7HMS2cGDWpuBEPDD_Uzfj3b4Vc6g_iHifoNo46dDeoDrKjqkZV7vHvrpzJu3MptTCEeRBepx5pH9eQXHLTKl1D0CtNkoS7axv4iYw0a5yY2gQcMTNrzf9UWCdlak6e54PvCvp9XSqTigCcfD05wf0JFKueMxBNMRupD-fxP/s320/20240317_181800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">P.S. I have LOTS more pictures and videos. Drop me a line if you're interested in them. 😊</div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-74791946354552306932022-09-27T15:20:00.000-06:002022-09-27T15:20:04.847-06:00Highlights from Iceland<p>OK, <a href="https://pletts.elegantlogic.com/slideshowfolder/Iceland%20-%20All">1289 pictures and videos</a> culled down to a more manageable <a href="https://pletts.elegantlogic.com/slideshowfolder/Iceland%20-%20Highlights">78 highlights</a>.</p><p>I also have a bunch of drone footage, but I haven't figured out a good way to share it yet. The raw footage is <a href="https://pletts.elegantlogic.com/folderframe/DroneOverIceland">here</a>, but viewing it is very slow and doesn't always work.</p><p>Enjoy!</p>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-32468342689460093442022-06-25T18:53:00.001-06:002022-06-25T18:53:26.882-06:00Final Cancer Post?<p>I want to start by giving a heart-felt thank-you to all the prayer warriors out there. We won’t know, this side of heaven, exactly how much of a difference you made, but I thank God for all of you.</p><p>This week I had a meeting with my oncologist. He began by calling me his “best patient ever”. Then he followed that up with "I don't ever want to see you again". He even used the “c” word (cured), which I didn’t think oncologists even KNEW!!! Anyway, he says I now have the same odds of dying of cancer as any average person. That’s difficult for me to believe, and I don’t know whether I’ll ever be able to believe it subconsciously. Still, the cancer testing has now stopped and all care has been transferred to my family doctor.</p><p>So, this will presumably be my final post on this topic. Apparently God still has work for me to do on this planet. I just hope and pray I can do my part faithfully, and accomplish what He has for me.</p><p>God bless you all!</p><div><br /></div>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-35429367445980729962022-04-01T16:04:00.002-06:002022-04-01T16:35:13.716-06:00Microsoft's complete lack of support for this partner 😢<p>I am a small, independent software developer. I have been a Microsoft supporter and have been working professionally with/on their products since 1985. My company has been a partner since 1996. My relationship with Microsoft has had some bumps along the way, but it has sunk to a very clear all-time low.</p><p>Frustration #1: The program has changed quite a bit through the years, and rules have changed occasionally as well. Until this year I have managed to keep up. For many years I was an ISV partner, but that changed and more recently I've been a Silver level partner with an "Application Development" competency. Recently the rules changed yet again and, despite my long history with Microsoft, I was unable to fulfil the demands. The real frustration is that the requirements are simply ludicrous. There is a reasonable list of certification exams that are accepted as qualification. However, of the 9 possible routes, 5 are expired, 3 are irrelevant or too specialized (e.g. Azure Administration or Dynamics 365), leaving essentially 1 reasonable route for a developer. The one route that is open to general developers is "Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate", so if you develop for anything other than Azure, you're out of luck. Fortunately I have done quite a lot with Azure, and have used it extensively for many years. So I began work on the test. I tried the practice exams over and over again. They seemed to have very little to do with actual software development, but I plowed ahead, hoping the actual exam would be better. Eventually I wrote the actual exam and nope - it too had very little to do with actual development, and much more to do with Azure administration. Fortunately I squeaked by, but when I described the experience to my employees (Microsoft requires two people to certify), I was unable to convince any of them even to attempt it (which makes sense since they don't have nearly as much experience with Azure as I do). So, my Silver level partnership expires today, and I just remember fondly the sound of Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's second CEO, chanting "developers, developers, developers...". At least we have that in our mythology now. I guess I'll be telling my grandchildren about a time when that might have been true, because in technology terms, that's right up there with T-Rex: dead for a very long time.</p><p>Frustration #2: For reasons quite unknown to me, my main account is unable to communicate in this forum. I raised a ticket on 3/26/2022. On 3/28 I received an email with instructions that didn't work. After that I received another email saying Microsoft Customer Service & Support couldn't help, providing me with an email address, and closing my case. I tried the email address and it bounced!?! Subsequent attempts to contact Microsoft about this have received zero responses. Everything I send seems to go into a black hole. In order to post here I had to create a new account! It's a good thing I can create as many email aliases as I like!</p><p>Frustration #3: Because I was unable to retain my Silver membership, I purchased an Action Pack. When I tried to activate the Azure benefits provided by the Action Pack, I'm told I can't have both active at once. So, there will be a gap when the dozens of services I have in Azure will go dark while I wait to be able to activate my other benefit.</p><p>!!!!!-----!!!!!-----!!!!! This is the one that has me the most irritated!!!!!-----!!!!!-----!!!!!</p><p>Frustration #4: On February 1, 2022, SOMETHING changed and I could no longer update the applications I have in the Microsoft Store. I raised a ticket. It took over two weeks to get help on that, and when I eventually did I found I was communicating with the wrong department. I had to raise another ticket which I did on 2/25/2022. The issue? "Employment Verification"! Yeah, if you peruse this forum you'll find dozens, perhaps hundreds of people facing the same problem. I had my partnership verified in 1996, and occasional domain verifications throughout the years since!!! Now there's a separate tab for "Developer", and a new verification process. The new verification process makes no sense. There are so many reasonable verification processes that could be used. Instead, they want PDF documents and screen shots!?! Anyway, I've supplied a steady stream of those, trying various different combinations and permutations, all to no avail. The last response from Microsoft logged on the "Activity" page is from 3/17/2022. Every three or four days I get an email trying to convince me they're still working on it. I've tried escalating this in any/every way I know how, including phone calls, emails, notes in the activity log, and even Twitter. For weeks, now, I've started my work day wondering how I could get action on it. Everything I try just seems to go into a black hole. I've even been trying to figure out how to get the attention of the press to expose the rotten core of the Microsoft Partnership program, especially given how many other people are reporting the same problems. Except for the fact that my livelihood depends on this, I'd have given up weeks ago. I really have no idea what to do.</p><p>!!!!!-----!!!!!-----!!!!! This is the one that has me the most irritated!!!!!-----!!!!!-----!!!!!</p><p>Frustration #5: The partnership web site is so... incredibly... SLOW!!! I assume it's hosted on Azure, which sure reflects negatively on what I assume is Microsoft's flagship at the moment.</p><p>Well, that's my sorry tale. I suppose I could say I'm in the twilight of my software development career. Given how my career is pretty much intrinsically tied to Microsoft, and given the state of Microsoft these days, I suppose that's a good thing. At least I was around during the good times. Too bad it may end like this.</p>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-16122323161197455882022-02-07T18:04:00.000-07:002022-02-07T18:04:21.346-07:00Stir Crazy<p>Yep, being trapped in the Fraser Valley, as wonderful as it is, for two years with nothing but a few trips to Calgary and a wonderful-but-too-short weekend in Ottawa, finally got to me. I broke down and started driving south. (Yes, I'm well aware that many people would kill for "a few trips to Calgary and a weekend in Ottawa. I recognize my privilege. :-)</p><p>Las Vegas is a far cry from my "happy place" - my "happy place" needs to be either much more rugged and wild or not on this continent. In many ways I think of Las Vegas as rather distasteful. Still, in this instance it had a few things going for it:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Sunshine in January. When wintering in Vancouver, this one’s important to me!</li><li>Great shows. Yeah, I’m a sucker for Cirque du Soleil, and there are a bunch in Vegas.</li><li>People willingly subsidizing my hotel room! Vegas hotels can be remarkably cheap.</li></ol><div>Now to explain a little. This is kind-of a “working holiday”. There are only two months left on my contract, so now is not the time to take time off. But as I said, I was going stir crazy from lack of travel. So because I’d be working during the day, and, being January/February, it would be dark after work, I was looking for somewhere that I could enjoy myself more in the evenings. I thought about Arizona or California, but in the end it was the “night life” that influenced my decision most. (Sorry, Dave - can't really golf after work. :-) Also, I kinda wanted a nice, long road trip (as opposed to a flight), but no more than two days away so that I could make the trip down one weekend and the trip back the next. Since Sue couldn’t join me due to her work being more in-person, I didn't want to be gone for too long.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the way down I began making some observations that I thought I should capture. The "Christian" one is at the end so that those of you that don't want to read that can easily skip it. :-)</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It is truly amazing how much "waste land" there is in America. Every time I drive to Vegas from anywhere I'm amazed by the amount of desert. If you add to that the vast tracts of land not good enough to farm and not good enough to harvest lumber from (e.g. Alaska), it makes for a great deal of essentially uninhabited land.</li><li>The Vegas strip fills me with a mixture of awe and revulsion. It's spectacular, but it's also hard to imagine more of a monument to conspicuous consumption based on greed.</li><li>Pricing for most hotels in Vegas is a joke, and it's important to go in with your eyes open. I already knew this, but still got caught. You see there's the room rate you'll see on Expedia or Hotels.com or whatever, and then there's the "resort fee" that almost all of them charge. It's non-negotiable (as I learned on a previous trip). Sure you'll see it if you read the fine print, but it won't be obvious and it won't be on the charge you see from Expedia. Instead, they hit you with it when you check in. Supposedly it covers things like parking and wifi, but this trip they actually took parking out and I had to pay for that separately, meaning that for all intents and purposes, the resort fee covered wifi. So, here's the breakdown of a "cheap" room:</li><ul><li>Room: C$24</li><li>Resort Fee: C$58 - imagine... $58 for wifi!?!?! And that's for a maximum of two devices. Additional devices still cost another C$22/day!</li><li>Parking: C$22</li><li>Total: C$104, not the $24 Expedia promised!!!</li></ul></ul></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">Still, at the end of the day, the room I had (which was very nice) was a small fraction of the cost the same room would have been in other cities. Also, the room worked out very well as my "work space". Of course that's a week-day rate. The rate jumps to several times that on weekends.</div></blockquote><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Other room "amenities" are outrageous: movie on demand? US$20; streaming music (through the TV)? US$10/day</li><li>If you remember eating cheaply in Vegas, either you are old or you avoided the strip. Cheap food can still be found (e.g. I still enjoyed steak and lobster for US$12 at Tony Roma's, but it was on Fremont). The cheap buffets are gone, and the restaurants have gone considerably upscale, with names like Gordon Ramsay or Hell's Kitchen.</li><li>As a Canadian travelling in the U.S. I'm often amazed at how different our technologies (in particular banking) are between the two countries. Can you remember the last time you signed your name when making a credit card transaction in Canada?!? That's still very common in the U.S. Tap seems very rare, and I couldn't even get it to work. We can't e-transfer money to friends there. It makes me wonder how people feel about Canada when they're coming from places like Singapore or Japan where I assume technology is significantly more advanced.</li><li>I think The Who might be very ashamed of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN5zw04WxCc" target="_blank">their generation</a> now. Perhaps more of us should have died before we got old. I went to see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styx_(band)" target="_blank">Styx</a> while I was in Vegas and made the mistake of going cheap and sitting in the balcony. Note the word "sitting" - we were at a rock concert and <i>everyone</i> in the balcony stayed seated for the <i>entire</i> performance! The show was much better than I expected, but sitting down is not what I go to concerts for!!!</li><li>If you've been to Vegas you know what the pedestrian traffic on the strip is like. It's a vast sea of people. Well, wanna know how to kill that traffic? Take the temperature down to 4°C. I thought it was nice, comfortable walking weather, but the sidewalks were deserted. I certainly didn't complain - I don't like crowds.</li><li>More and more I believe that homelessness is an indictment of the west in general, and the church in particular. It's bad in Vancouver, but increases significantly the further south one drives along the west coast. Driving around significant swaths of downtown Portland can be eye-opening. Miles of sidewalks have been taken over by tents. Part of me wonders why it's tolerated, part of me wonders why more isn't done, and part of me wonders "where is the church in all of this?" This is particularly true in the U.S. where the church tries to take such an active role in society and politics. The church I observe must understand <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A40&version=NIV" target="_blank">the Bible</a> very differently from the way I do. Oh right - our "Christian" leaders are too busy building fancy mega-churches and flying around in private jets, supporting the antithesis of Christ politically, and obviously much too important to be concerned about the people living in tents on the sidewalk in Portland. Although Portland was a jolt, and Canada doesn't pretend to be a "Christian nation", surely the sheer number of people in Vancouver's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Eastside" target="_blank">downtown eastside</a> is still an indictment of our church as well. But at the same time it makes me wonder how much I do or what more I should do. I feel a little helpless since the problem seems to be so huge and I'm sure many others with much more knowledge and insight have tried to solve it, but still I am not innocent in this.</li></ul></div><p></p>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-76232633721600411862021-11-04T14:16:00.000-06:002021-11-04T14:16:30.766-06:00Mortality<p>Today I was given a solemn reminder of my (our) mortality. Being reminded of it is not a bad thing, but the circumstance is still sad. Today a friend, who'd been diagnosed at approximately the same time with the same cancer I had, passed away. Her fight was much more difficult than mine, so it's been an ongoing reminder, but her passing finally prompted me to write this post.</p><p>God has been unfairly good to me. October 7 of this year marked the five year anniversary of my last cancer treatment (surgery). Why did God keep me alive and allow so many others with similar health issues to pass? I'm guessing I won't get an answer to that question, but it does make me want to make sure I'm doing whatever it is He kept me around for.</p><p>Katrina, I know your family and friends will miss you dearly, but you now get to enjoy a beautiful new cancer-free body in the presence of your Savior. Someday we will meet again.</p>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-69639046975652672422021-11-04T12:58:00.000-06:002021-11-04T12:58:05.281-06:00Getting Old - Perspective<p>I started this on April 11, 2021, but never finished it. Now I'll just post it in its unfinished state to get it out of my "draft" folder.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>As I was groggily starting my day this morning, my lovely wife suggested, given that I'd hit an age that ended in a zero, that I should post an update. I guess I agreed, but now I'm feeling pressure to be profound, and I'm not sure I have that in me. 😀</p><p>The first thing that came to mind, and the reason Susan asked me to blog about it, is, of course, the fact that God is good. After all, in 2013 I'd been told I'd be lucky to live another five years. Although if I were being pedantic (which I'm prone to do) I'd say I'm using this verse out of context, it's still the verse that popped to mind: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome this world.” John 16:33</p><p>But really this post is about thankfulness</p>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-75260729960529423712020-05-26T20:47:00.000-06:002020-05-26T20:47:52.247-06:00Quick Update<div>TLDR: my last cancer test, for which I got the results this morning, shows no cancer in my system! PTL!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>I’m really sorry I’ve let this slide so long, but I really haven’t felt very inspired to write for a while. Unlike my lovely wife, writing doesn’t come all that naturally to me. So, this won’t be eloquent, but hopefully it will bring you up to date. After all, it’s been over a year since I sent my last update, and much has happened in that time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just over a year ago, Susan got accepted into grad school at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC. (In case you don’t know, she’s pursuing her Master’s in Counselling Psychology, but that’s her story – feel free to chat with her about it.) So, last July we packed up and headed west, leaving our kids behind in Calgary to take care of our house. For the first month we stayed in residence, but grad students aren’t allowed to stay in residence during the school year. So we found and rented a lovely carriage house (yes, it’s an apartment above a garage) on an acreage. I worked remotely, with monthly trips back to Calgary, for my Calgary client. Then, at the end of January of this year, the company scaled back and I began looking for work here in BC. The market turned out to be difficult at best, and whereas I had a number of good interviews, an offer was not forthcoming.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had a cancer test (CT scan) in Calgary on May 21, so, since I was still unemployed and Susan’s schooling could be done remotely, we returned to Calgary a bit earlier than planned. While in Calgary, I finally got a job offer, but needed to start on May 25. However, Susan wasn’t quite ready to leave, so I returned to Vancouver alone with a tentative plan of returning to pick up Susan next weekend. I started the new job yesterday, and today we got the results of the CT scan: all’s well!</div><div><br /></div><div>You may be wondering about our plans after Susan is done school (mid-2021). Will we stay in Vancouver? Return to Calgary? Other? Well, quite honestly we don’t know. Our plan all along has been to return to Calgary, but we submit that to God and look forward to His leading.</div><div><br /></div><div>There ya go – all caught up!</div><div><br /></div><div>God bless!</div><div>Brad.</div><div><br /></div>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-14453761600400966792019-03-12T18:31:00.000-06:002019-03-12T18:31:00.926-06:00ComfortI don't feel like I'm a particularly good comforter, but sometimes I wonder how I can use the things I've been through to help others. The other day I read the following verses and wondered if they applied:<br />
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“[Praise to the God of All Comfort] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”<br />2 Corinthians 1:3-4Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-41969171572669299522018-12-09T21:05:00.003-07:002018-12-09T21:05:55.270-07:00More good news...Yes, I got a new job and I start Tuesday! This has been quite a significant relief for both myself and Susan. It has also had a wonderfully positive effect on my depression. I will not say the depression is gone, and I expect I may experience some effects for a while yet (e.g. I expect to come home from work exhausted for the first while), but the day I got the job was my best day since my termination.<br />
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Susan shared a beautiful quote with me from “Out of Africa”: “that bad time blessed us and went away.” I won’t claim the bad time is gone completely, but there were many blessings (especially spiritual) gained from it. Still, I’ll be happy to see it in my rear-view!Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-47049970429100987682018-11-20T16:54:00.000-07:002018-11-20T16:54:04.637-07:00Flying Colors!<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s the short and sweet version (in case you don’t want
to read the preachy, religious stuff): I had another cancer test last
week and passed with flying colors. </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, God is good and has answered many prayers on my
behalf. Quite honestly, the oncologist this time around was much more
enthusiastic than usual about my results. He reiterated how rare it is
that someone with my level of cancer (stage 4, metastasized to the liver and
lungs) would be cancer free for two years. Now I suppose that could be
taken two ways: 1) whoa – you’ve made it for two years so it’s overdue to
come back any day now, or 2) wow – it’s been two years so your chances keep
improving. I don’t think I’ve articulated those well, but the oncologist
seemed to be trying to communicate that #2 was his intent.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And now for the other big thing in my life right now.
My depression is still very much affecting my life. I am still unemployed
and find myself feeling quite low much of the time. Also, of course, our
finances are in pretty rough shape as a result. The employment market in
Calgary for my skills does not seem to have recovered as much as expected
yet. Pretty much everything I’m looking at pays at least 20% less than my
last several jobs/contracts (really, below anything I’ve done in Canada since
the 90s). The extreme lack of motivation, that “down” or “sad” feeling,
the irrational anxiety, the extreme tiredness (e.g. any activity with other
people that lasts for two hours or more is just exhausting) persist.
However, the good news is that, as of approximately two weeks ago, the despair
(that lack of hope or lack of light) component of the depression seems to have
lifted somewhat. That really does make my situation much easier to
handle. So, once again, praise the Lord!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have toyed with the idea of trying to share some more of
the things I’ve been learning through this process (about myself, God, etc. –
there has been a lot!), but I’m not really sure how. For one thing, I
don’t think this is the right forum. For another thing, writing it all
down is a HUGE effort for me, so it likely won’t happen. Still, if this
is something that might interest you, encourage me and maybe it will happen.
</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span></span><br />
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<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-84564716190048195052018-09-20T21:50:00.000-06:002018-09-20T21:50:22.097-06:00God is Good...<span style="font-family: Calibri;">… all the time. Right?
Well, I firmly believe that to be true, but sometimes it’s much more difficult
to acknowledge than others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I believe God has
been tremendously good to me – far better than I deserve. I often feel
like I’ve led a charmed life. From an early age, He gave me a
relationship with Himself. He gave me parents, siblings, and an
upbringing that I believe are simply the best ever. He gave me a
wife that has been more of a support and companion than I could ever have
imagined (and keeps getting better!). He gave me two kids who have grown
and matured beautifully. He gave me an extended family and friends that I
cherish. He gave me a career that I love. He gave me a better home
in a better community than I deserve. He let me travel and see much more
of the world than is fair. He has provided for me at every turn.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why, when I
consider all of that, do I still sometimes find myself angry at Him? Yes,
that’s exactly how bizarre my present situation is. It simply makes no
sense. Let me explain.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two weeks ago I
lost my job. This was a job that I thought I was good at, and thought I
was doing a good job of. It paid well and had good benefits (especially
in light of my cancer fight). It seemed like a perfect fit, and I even
thought that it might be the job I would retire from. I had the audacity
to think it was exactly where God wanted me. Apparently God had other
plans.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, whereas there
is no question I want what God wants for me, losing my job threw me into a funk
(ok, I’ll be honest: a nasty depression). Suddenly, all I could do
was lie in bed curled up in a fetal position. Suddenly, all the faith I
thought I had in God came tumbling down. Suddenly all I could think of
was financial ruin. Suddenly, God hated me and was punishing me.
Suddenly, God couldn’t be trusted with my future. SERIOUSLY?!? Does
that make sense? Of course not.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hopefully I’ve encapsulated
the illogical nature of what I’m going through, because that, at least in part,
may be the most difficult for me. I tend to consider myself a fairly
logical person. This depression makes no sense. And what’s worse, I
can’t think my way out of it. And that, I think, is EXACTLY where God
wants me. I think that more and more God is working to draw me closer to
Himself, and more and more I’m able to relate to Paul’s struggle against the
“thorn in the flesh” (</span></span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+12%3A1-10&version=NIV"><span style="color: #0563c1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;">2 Corinthians 12:1-10</span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">).
I know that pride is something I’ve wrestled with most of my life, and I think
I was growing comfortable in my self-sufficiency. I didn’t “need” God
like I did when I was going through cancer. Well, I believe God wants us
to need Him and be dependent on Him. I think God is clearly saying to me,
like He did to Paul “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made
perfect in weakness.” Now I want to get to the point of saying, with
Paul, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in
hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, that all
sounds wonderful and spiritual and “holier-than-thou”, right? Well, that
is NOT where I’m coming from. That may be where I desire to be, but I’ve
got a long way to go. Right now, I am still battling this depression, and
it’s nasty. (I’m here to tell you that mental illness is every bit as
real as physical illness. I can also tell you that depression and
discouragement are similar in many regards, but worlds apart in terms of their
impact. I’ve experienced both.) Whereas I know God will take care
of me over the long haul, I still have to get through this. And at times
like these, He so often seems silent. I’ve been trying to do all the
right things (spend time in His word, spend time praying, reach out to family
and friends, get some exercise, take my meds<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">1</span></sup>, etc.). These
help some, but the darkness is still very often present and overwhelming.
I’m reading an excellent book right now (recommended by a dear friend who goes
by the initials PD) called “Astonished: Recapturing the Wonder, Awe, and
Mystery of Life with God”. It does a fantastic job of describing why God
often seems silent or distant. One of the things that caught my attention
is this. Many Christians like to quote Jeremiah 29:11: “’For I know
the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” That really is a
wonderful promise, isn’t it? Well, besides my personal doubt that it’s a
promise that any/every believer today can claim, the author of the book points
out that most of us miss an important part of the context from verse 10:
“When seventy years are completed.” Seriously? They had to wait for
70 years?!? Well, that certainly makes my two weeks sound trivial,
doesn’t it?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, if you’re
the praying type, feel free to bring my needs to God when you think of
them. The physical needs are simple: 1) deliverance from
depression, 2) physical energy and mental acuity to update my resume and go job
hunting, and 3) a new job (which would likely cure #1). The spiritual
need (a closer walk with Him, which is also what I pray for you) is much more
important and subtle. If you’re NOT the praying type, why not? </span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am tempted to
share much more, but I’d like to keep this short enough so that hopefully
you’ll actually read it. </span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">1</span></sup> – yes,
I’m on meds. I know that can be controversial, but that strays from the
point of this post. Feel free to contact me if you want to chat about
it.</span></span></div>
Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-73191164015500768112018-06-10T02:00:00.000-06:002018-06-10T02:00:30.234-06:00New lease on life?Today was an interesting day. In many ways it wasn’t all that special or memorable. It was a Saturday so I slept in while Sue went for a massage. Then we started off on our usual Saturday drive. Over the last period of time we’ve found it a very enjoyable way to spend time together: we each get our favorite drinks and then we go for a leisurely drive through our spectacular Alberta foothills. However, we did one thing a little different today: we went car shopping first. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re wondering why, since we have a reasonably current car. Well, that’s where this starts to get interesting. Five years ago we also had to go car shopping. At that time we did something very different from our “normal”: we leased our car. Why? Because I’d just been diagnosed with stage four cancer and we thought it would be less hassle to settle for a lease, especially if I wouldn’t be around for long (don’t question the logic too much – it wasn’t necessarily a period of great clarity for issues other than health). Well, now you may be starting to see the connection. Today we went car shopping because the five year lease was due and, whereas we haven’t made a decision on the car yet (this email really isn’t about our transportation), we’re actually considering a purchase instead of a lease.<br />
<br />
Yes, you can read into that the implication. I had my semi-annual (yep, I can say that now :-) check-up and all was clear! So, whereas I know it could come back any time, at least for now the results are very positive and we find ourselves more and more thinking about life more normally again (i.e. like it might last for more than a few months). Needless to say, the five year mark highlighted by our car lease was cause for significant reminiscing about the many things that have transpired during that time. But maybe, just maybe, I’ll outlive another car!<br />
<br />
Thanks again for all your prayers through the last few years! God is good!<br />
Brad.<br />"Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional."<br />
<br />
P.S. The five years I talk about in this post does not represent that magical number that oncologists talk of when they talk about being five years cancer free. In my case I’m still under two years on that count.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-77941092949601062652018-04-16T01:26:00.000-06:002018-04-16T01:26:03.991-06:00Wow! What A Birthday!Not only did I make it to 57, but it was a memorable birthday as well. I cashed in some air miles, booked a very cheap hotel room, and spent a bunch of money on some hockey tickets! Yes, Brodie and I continued our conquest and went to see the Las Vegas Knights play their very first ever play-off game. And what a game it was! It was a great, back-and-forth contest, with some great scoring chances, great hits, and spectacular goal tending. I know a final score of 1-0 sounds like it might be a boring game, but it was anything but! Also, I think we may have encountered the loudest crowd in the league. Nashville was loud, but I’m pretty sure Vegas was louder. Here are a few more random observations:<br />
<ul>
<li>Absolutely over-the-top opening, with different knights representing different teams, the LA knight got caught in the center-ice circle with cool graphics on the ice, and then the Golden Knight came in and proceeded to annihilate the LA knight. Lowering of the helmet was very dramatic. (video entitled "Opening act")</li>
<li>The crowd was rowdy and very much into the game</li>
<li>They loudly counted down the seconds to the end of a penalty (when short-handed)</li>
<li>Favorite chant: “Beat L.A.”</li>
<li>Generally the fans knew the game, but there was frequently a lack of knowledge evident as well In fact, a lady behind us knew “shoot the puck” was a good, acceptable cheer, but didn’t exactly know when it was appropriate. One time Drew Doughty (an LA player, for you non-fans) was skating the puck out of the LA zone and she was shouting “shoot the puck”. Brodie and I had a pleasant chuckle.</li>
<li>Cheerleaders and drummers wandering around the complex before the game, and on a special platform during the game.</li>
<li>Nothing much between periods, but lots of great, professional video productions</li>
<li>Blue Man Group made some minor appearances</li>
<li>A couple of mentions of Humboldt</li>
<li>Fans that get on the big screen go crazy</li>
<li>StubHub worked for us this time (we didn’t get kicked out of our seats), but their fees felt like highway robbery</li>
</ul>
The next day we made a trip to the Hoover Dam and then we went to see the Blue Man Group’s show. We topped off the evening with some nachos and dessert at the Hard Rock Café. Yes, it was a short trip, but very sweet.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdiF2kWoN-AuZRW74xyOIPZ0q5K_voUt2FA2pSTMw51T6tdxs_IdSMSc7LP3fT__I8IFBYzCJarXRK142-bgwUjNdraVIrobyRRbuHW2zllnolVJukm59KnglAdMKF1SSMgPS/s1600/VegasHockeyAdventure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1161" data-original-width="1600" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdiF2kWoN-AuZRW74xyOIPZ0q5K_voUt2FA2pSTMw51T6tdxs_IdSMSc7LP3fT__I8IFBYzCJarXRK142-bgwUjNdraVIrobyRRbuHW2zllnolVJukm59KnglAdMKF1SSMgPS/s320/VegasHockeyAdventure.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
More pictures and videos of our adventure ae available here: <a href="http://pletts.elegantlogic.com/Photos/ShowFolder.aspx?Folder=HockeyAdventure2018" target="_blank">http://pletts.elegantlogic.com/Photos/ShowFolder.aspx?Folder=HockeyAdventure2018</a><br />
<br />
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, my next CT scan is May 18. I won’t get the results for a week or so after that, which is when I’ll send out my next update.<br />
<br />
Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-57993325254962464642017-11-21T23:56:00.000-07:002017-11-21T23:56:00.561-07:00Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes, today I was reminded of a hymn that starts out “Praise
to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health
and salvation!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you may recall, it’s around the time of my four month
checkup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think both Sue and I were a
bit more nervous than we’d been in a while, since it was the first four-month
window since this whole ordeal began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the oncologist’s nurse skipped the weigh-in I joked they were
leaving that for the coroner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the
oncologist wasted no time in informing me that the PET scan was clear and that
there were no signs of cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing
that had lit up in my throat in the last scan showed nothing this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, for the best news since we began this
journey:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the next scan will be in SIX
months!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been “cancer free” for a
year, and the oncologist felt comfortable stretching it out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It's really an interesting thing, this cancer fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be hard balancing the potential for an
early exit and the potential for a lengthy earthly future, never really knowing
what’s in store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t help but think,
though, that’s how Christ would have us live:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>like any day could usher in His return, but that we may have years
left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For now, it seems, I can make at
least some plans six months in advance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-15967644948375714472017-07-25T23:47:00.002-06:002017-07-25T23:47:42.750-06:00New Lease On Life!This may be the best news I’ve had since starting this cancer journey. My next scan is in FOUR months instead of three! Yep, I had my PET scan last week, and my follow-up meeting with the oncologist today. There are no signs of any new growth, so the oncologist is willing to stretch it a little. If the next one is clear, too, then I may actually get a SIX month window next time. :-)<br />
<br />
God is good!Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-30819339085702554622017-06-10T21:56:00.000-06:002017-06-10T21:56:18.459-06:00EsophagogastroduodenoscopyI’ve always felt like a healthy person. In my 56 years, I’m quite sure I’ve averaged less than a single “sick day” per year (school or work). Of course, that all changed roughly four years ago with the discovery of cancer in my system. Now it seems almost like every visit to the doctor brings up new problems. Last week I had an endoscopy – that’s the simpler name for the procedure in the title. They’d sent cameras up my backside frequently, but now they thought it was time to examine the other end. I wasn’t awake for the procedure, but when I awoke I was given the bad news. OK, don’t get too frightened – it really wasn’t all that bad. In fact, the good news is that they didn’t find any cancer, and I have no noticeable symptoms of anything. However, apparently I have a small hiatal hernia, a Schatzki’s ring, and grade B esophagitis. They’re optimistic that these are reasonably easily treated. They’ve given me some pills and asked that I return in about eight weeks for a repeat.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned for more news from the exciting world of Brad’s innards!Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-26335732804830343912017-05-02T00:22:00.005-06:002017-05-02T00:22:42.783-06:00The joy of being monitored<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ve made a “blog-only” post concerning the hockey adventure
Brodie and I undertook a few weeks ago. It’s rather lengthy, and I didn’t
want you to have to use the “</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TL;DR"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "calibri";">TL;DR</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">”
excuse. If you’re interested, you can read it </span><a href="http://pletzky.blogspot.ca/2017/05/so-my-second-last-post-spoke-of-great.html"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "calibri";">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">.
I’m still back-logged from my vacation, which is why I haven’t gotten this
update out sooner.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now to the subject at hand. On April 19 I had another
routine PET scan and got another routine blood test done. On April 25 I
had a follow-up meeting with my oncologist. For some reason, the results
of the PET scan hadn’t reached him yet, so he arranged to call us later in the
day. He did say, though, that the blood test looked good – no significant
cancer markers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Later in the day, he got the full PET scan results, and the
news is generally positive. The lungs, liver, and bowel all look
clear. However, this time my esophagus lit up in a peculiar way.
The doctor didn’t seem terribly concerned, but… my next procedure is to get a
scope down my front end (as opposed to the scopes that have gone up the back
end). We haven’t been given a date for that yet, so stay tuned.</span></div>
Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-66944194368458915372017-05-01T23:49:00.003-06:002017-05-01T23:50:14.494-06:00Brad & Brodie's Excellent Hockey Adventure<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, my second last post spoke of a great hockey adventure in
the future tense, and my last post hinted that it didn’t quite start as
expected, but then I left it hanging – sorry! This time of year just
doesn’t lend itself to my sitting at a computer as much in my spare time.
Go Oilers!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>March 22<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Well, to pick up the story I left hanging, we’d made it to
the Toronto airport, and I’d learned that car rental companies frown on expired
drivers’ licenses. So, we were standing at the car rental counter fairly
late at night with no car. It was clear that I wouldn’t be able to solve
the problem there that night, so we thought we’d head to the hotel. I’d
known we were getting in late, so I’d had the forethought to book a hotel near
the airport. I assumed there’d be a shuttle, so we headed to the shuttle
pick-up area. That’s when I learned that there were three Hilton Garden
Inns near the airport, two of which had shuttles. Guess which one we were
at? OK, a ten minute cab ride and $45 later, we got to the hotel.
Of course, through all of this, we hadn’t had supper, so that was our next
project. Well, by this time room service and nearby restaurants were
all closed. There was a McDonald’s across the street, but at this time of
night it was drive-through only. Fortunately, after a few tries, we were
able to get in touch with a pizza joint that would still deliver to us.
Eventually, around 3 AM we got to bed.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>March 23<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I got up at 8:00 AM to start working out the logistics for the rest of the
trip, letting Brodie try to catch up on a little more
sleep. We had tickets to a game in Ottawa that evening, so getting to Ottawa was our
first priority. We had an empty day between Ottawa and Montreal that would hopefully give us opportunity to resolve the issues.
With Sue looking into things in Alberta, we were able to determine
that there was no option for a temporary license in Ontario, and that license
renewal in Alberta had to be done in person. In keeping with our first
priority of getting to the Ottawa game, I figured out that if Brodie and I left our hotel
by 11 AM-ish, we should be able to make a 1:20 PM train that would get us to
Ottawa in time. That would consist of a bus ride to the subway, and then
the subway to the train. That was about all I had time to figure out
before getting Brodie up and heading for the bus. Fortunately, the bus
stop was just across the street. We headed downstairs and out the door.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The first thing we saw upon exiting the hotel was a television news
crew. The next thing we saw was miles of yellow police tape. It
turns out there had been a shooting involving vehicles at the intersection in
front of our hotel. I guess the sound proofing in the hotel was very
good, because we hadn’t heard a thing (gun shots, sirens, etc.). OK, fine,
so we can’t cross the street as planned – there must be another solution.
I went back and asked the guy at the front desk in the hotel. Sure,
there’s another way: a 20-minute walk to another bus stop. We
started heading down the road, knowing that the extra time put our plan in
jeopardy. However, given that the cab ride from the airport to the hotel
had been $45, I assumed it would be cheaper to buy a car than take a cab all
the way to Union Station. I wasn’t sure exactly what to do, but we didn’t
get far until the guy from the front desk came running after us and offered us
a ride to the bus stop. Yep, he gave us a ride in his personal vehicle,
so a great review for that hotel/employee! Next, of course, we ran into
one of the other problems caused by the shutdown of the artery in front of the
hotel: gridlock. We inched through traffic for a while, eventually
got close enough to see the stop, and walked the rest of the way. Good
news: the bus wasn’t scheduled to leave for another eleven minutes.
We waited patiently, watching the electronic countdown to our bus, and noting
that there were no busses of any kind going in any direction. The sign
continued to count down the time to our expected bus: 11 minutes, 5
minutes, 0 minutes, 23 minutes. OK, next plan.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In Calgary, Uber has been in a fight with our city council,
but they’re running in Toronto. Let’s give that a try. I created an
Uber account and found that we could get picked up quite quickly.
Unfortunately, without knowing it, I’d picked some kind of premium Uber plan,
so it seemed quite expensive. Still, hopefully we’d get to the
subway. Well, once the driver mentioned I’d asked for a premium plan, I
had to ask: how much to Union Station on the cheap plan? Great news: he’d get
us all the way there for $45. Given that our subway ride was already in
jeopardy, we went for it. Sure enough, he got us to Union Station by
about 1:05 – fifteen minutes to get our ticket and get on the train.
Despite all the construction in Union Station, we were able to find the
appropriate ticket office and train platform and we made the train!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0ZCjfz7Dfk7u2D8BQ90YG2TOTdSwQbFadBRP6s6lVwPaIq1roJbpx3EdMYwufuh1dk83QyiqOoAKi67oxJRuKRABTPTwOoe-2kRcmjuJpUhBEFUWv07yqvxm9h70TU0IX_h2/s1600/WP_20170323_12_45_31_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0ZCjfz7Dfk7u2D8BQ90YG2TOTdSwQbFadBRP6s6lVwPaIq1roJbpx3EdMYwufuh1dk83QyiqOoAKi67oxJRuKRABTPTwOoe-2kRcmjuJpUhBEFUWv07yqvxm9h70TU0IX_h2/s320/WP_20170323_12_45_31_Pro.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Toronto's Union Station</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As we were walking to the train, I noticed that the train
had free Wi-Fi. That was good news, because I had a lot of trip planning
to do. So, how could we get around without a car? Well, maybe train/bus/plane
would work. The more I thought that through, given all of the tight
connections, etc., and the fact that we’d packed expecting to have a vehicle
(i.e. two large bags), that just didn’t seem practical. It might be
reasonable to take a train between cities, but then either hauling our bags
with us to the arenas or getting rides from the train to the hotel, to the
arena, to food, back to the hotel, etc., etc., it just seemed both impractical
and cost prohibitive. The longer I thought, the more obvious it became to
me that we needed a car! OK, what does an unplanned trip back and forth
to Calgary look like? It meant changes to our Ottawa hotel plans,
transportation back and forth to the Ottawa arena, redoing the car rental, and
booking a last-minute, extremely over-priced flight. No problem – sure it
would be costly, but I had a few hours on the train to work it out.
That’s when I learned just how spoiled I’d become with high-speed
internet! I guess you get what you pay for. Sadly, my phone’s
reception was spotty, so I was stuck with what felt like dial-up
internet. It’s AMAZING how frustrating it is to try to make all those
plans on such a slow connection. I spent the entire 4+ hour trip making
travel plans. We’d planned on meeting one of my nephews (Brodie’s cousin)
in Kingston for lunch, but sadly our travel plan changes meant we could only
wave as we passed by.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When it came to last-minute flights, I was very happy West
Jet existed. They were substantially cheaper than Air Canada for a
last-minute flight, and the times worked out. I’d leave Ottawa at 6:00
AM, arrive in Calgary around 8:00 AM, leave Calgary around 6:00 PM, and get
back to Ottawa around 12:30 AM. Yeah, it would make for a long day, but
maybe I’d catch a bit of sleep on the plane. The flight was the same
price if I booked through West Jet directly or went through Expedia. I
decided to go through Expedia because I’d get their points in addition to the
ones West Jet would give me. After booking the flight, I noticed the “add
a car” option. Absent-mindedly (forgetting that the fact that I was
making the trip was due to my inability to rent a car) I thought perhaps I
could let Sue sleep a little longer. I clicked on the button and, for
$30, I could rent a car for the day. Just before I remembered I couldn’t
rent a car anyway, I noticed that by adding a $30 car rental, the cost of the
“package” (flight plus car rental) went down by over $300!?! Well, that’s
a valuable travel tip – look into it if you ever need to make a last-minute
flight!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">OK, back to focusing on Ottawa. The arena in Ottawa is
WAY out of town. Public transit would take just over an hour if
everything went right, and we’d be hauling our bags with us. Fortunately,
we have some very good friends in Ottawa, and when Sue described our
predicament, she offered to pick us up and drive us to the arena. That
worked out really well, because she could also drive by the hotel so that we
could drop our bags off. Well, it would have worked out if we could find
our hotel! The GPS took us to a construction site. We eventually
got them on the phone and found out our “hotel” was actually a college
residence, which we were then able to locate. As we were driving from the
station to the hotel, and back to the freeway, we learned there’d been a
traffic disruption (accident and debris), and the freeway was at a
stand-still. Well, there are advantages to riding with a local. She
knew an excellent back road route, and she managed to get us there in plenty of
time for the puck drop. Thank-you Julene!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hockey highlights in Ottawa:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We had FANTASTIC seats – close enough to
recognize the players by their faces even without seeing jersey numbers!</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The anthem was sung by a very young-looking kid
(10, maybe) with amazing pipes!</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was an absolute delight to watch Crosby play,
even though he didn’t have his greatest game.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The game, especially the first period, was quite
physical, with lots of good hits.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The “fiddle along” contest, with the big screen
showing people with super-imposed violins playing along to a live fiddler, was
entertaining.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">T-shirt guns, by now, are common-place, but
Ottawa had a t-shirt MACHINE gun!!! (We saw more on our trip, but I think
this was a first.)</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><!--[endif]-->The snow clearing crew was all guys, and they
used a very different pattern from Calgary.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The game went into overtime and then into a
shoot-out. Ottawa’s goalie (Anderson) made a SICK save in OT.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">All three goals were scored from basically the
same spot.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">At one point the crowd was booing Crosby, and a
guy behind me piped up with “don’t boo him – he’s a great player”. I
agree!</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traffic patterns around the Ottawa arena are
RIDICULOUS (even mentioned by Don Cherry and Ron Maclean on “Hockey Night In
Canada” this week). The bus, if/when we could catch it, would take an
hour and a half. We tried to take Uber back from the game, but it took
our driver nearly an hour just to get TO us from just outside the arena traffic
(i.e. he was very close when he started)!</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ottawa</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Anyway, we finally got to bed at 2:00 AM, and at 4:00 AM I
was hailing Uber for a ride to the airport.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>March 24<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Yes, I got an Uber ride at 4:00 AM and got to the airport in
plenty of time for my 6:00 AM flight. By the time the flight left, the
weather in Ottawa had turned into a blizzard. It was so bad that I could
see nothing from the airplane window besides the runway lights. I was fascinated
by the vortices in the snow created by the engines. Anyway, it was an
uneventful flight to Calgary. I have a class 2 driver’s license, so in
order to renew my license, I needed a medical. Sue picked me up at the
airport, and had already done some research. She’d found a walk-in clinic that
would do the medical that opened at 9:00 AM. It was perfect timing.
She dropped me off at the clinic almost exactly at 9:00. However, when I
got into the clinic and told them what I needed, they told me they could do it,
but the doctor wasn’t there yet and wouldn’t be until 11:00. (Don't ask me why they'd open two hours before a doctor arrived.) Fine, we
managed to find another clinic, and I got it done. As expected, my
eyesight was borderline without glasses, but I got the renewal.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Given the trouble and hassle I’d had so far, and given the
fact that I was scheduled to arrive back in Ottawa at 12:30 AM, I wanted to make absolutely
certain that everything was going to work when I got there. There was plenty
of money available on the credit card, but I called to confirm anyway.
Having been very pleased with Budget’s Fast-Break option in the past (e.g. when
I was commuting to California), I made the new rental booking with Budget.
They took my credit card and gave me verbal assurance that all was well.
I finally felt a little relief, and I finished that up just as my brother and
sister-in-law arrived. This, it turns out, was an unexpected benefit of
my having to come home. My brother was in Calgary for a wedding that
weekend, and I thought I’d miss him, but it worked out that we got a bit of
time together and then he drove me back to the airport.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The flight was uneventful, and I got back to Ottawa. I
headed confidently to the Budget booth, but when I got there, my Fast Break
wasn’t ready. I asked what was going on and they said “Your credit card
didn’t work and we won’t take debit”. I was speechless. I’d had
assurances from both the credit card company and the car rental company that
everything was set. OK, I got on the phone with the credit card
company. They said “oh, yes, we have all your payments, but they haven’t
been posted yet.” Believe it or not, I managed to maintain my composure,
but both the credit card company and the car rental company eventually
understood that I was not happy. Also, the Budget guy, I think, was realizing
that whereas they were supposed to close at 1:00 AM, I wasn’t going
anywhere without a vehicle. Anyway, while I was “discussing” the situation on the phone,
the guy from Budget finally suggested that I just rent for a shorter time and
work it out later. He guaranteed me the same rate. To make a long
story at least a little shorter, that eventually worked out, and, at around
1:10 AM, they handed me a set of keys. My thought at that point was
“You’ll be prying these keys from my cold dead hands!” I made it out the
door with the keys and headed for the hotel. When I got to the hotel, I
couldn’t find a parking spot close by, so I had to trudge through at least six
inches of new snow for a couple of hundred yards. Oh, well, a bed was
waiting.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>March 25<o:p></o:p></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The nice thing about our college residence room is that it
had two bedrooms with closable doors. That meant Brodie got a decent
sleep without my snoring interrupting his sleep. But, cheaper hotels have
scratchier towels. (Ten points if you get that movie reference.)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our drive to Montreal was very nice, with the best part
being that it was uneventful. I had hoped to get to Montreal, scope out
the parking, and then show Brodie around the city a little (Expo site, big O,
etc.). However, by the time we got there, hockey excitement was already
surrounding the rink. We found a parking spot and wandered around the
area for a while. We found a pub and grabbed some (delicious)
supper. Then we headed to the Bell Centre. We had the time to wander
around a bit before the game, and also learned that, once again, we’d scored
some awesome seats. Also, both of us were really looking forward to this
game because it was a regional rivalry (vs. Ottawa), and both teams were
fighting for playoff spots/positioning. The excitement in the building
was palpable.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When we were planning the trip, I’d basically decided that,
since this might be a once-in-a-lifetime trip with my son, we would not skimp
on tickets. I also decided that, even if it cost a slight premium, I’d
buy all our tickets via “official” channels. Yes, Ticketmaster now has a
scalping division where people can resell their tickets at whatever price they
want, but the tickets are essentially guaranteed to be legitimate. I’d
done this everywhere except Montreal. Montreal has their own system, and
from what I could discover, they didn’t really have a legitimate resale
process. I’d heard good things about Stub Hub (a friend of mine with
season tickets sells all his that way), so that’s what I used in
Montreal. Well, before the first period started, some people came along
and said we were sitting in their season ticket seats. OK, we moved to some
nearby empty seats and thought we'd sort it out later if we had to. Well, with about
five minutes left in the first period, we were kicked out of those seats as
well. I told the attendant about the situation, and we watched the rest of
the first period from the entry-way.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At the period break, the security people took both us and
the supposed season ticket holders to the box office for a chat.
Initially it looked like our tickets were good, but eventually the ruling went
against us. We were out. I’m guessing this is a common problem in
Montreal, because as they were escorting us out, they gave us a slip of paper
with Stub Hub’s number on it. Well, whereas I wanted to sort it all out
as quickly as possible, my first priority was to get back into the arena to
enjoy our most anticipated game. Fortunately, we were able to buy two
tickets to get us back in the doors. They were nosebleed seats, and they
weren’t even together, but we were in the building. I spent the next what
seemed like an eternity trying to work things out with Stub Hub. It was a
mixture of watching from various entrances and wandering halls talking to Stub
Hub. I kept getting put on hold and then eventually the call would
drop. Finally, on my third attempt, I got through to someone who could
handle the problem. By the time that was all settled, I’d essentially
watched three of the four goals to be scored in that game that night on
TV! When all was said and done, I wasn’t sure whether to be happy or sad
with Stub Hub. Obviously they could do nothing about the Montreal game,
but they gave us all our money back plus 50%, so I probably shouldn’t be too
angry with them. The Montreal organization, on the other hand, needs to do more
straightening out. How could both we and the season ticket holders even
get into the building?!?! Anyway, that problem was behind us, and we
enjoyed a fantastic game!!!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hockey highlights in Montreal:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Banners everywhere!</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Numbers and players' pictures on the wall in the
nosebleeds.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">A woman with a beautiful voice sang the anthem.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Felt like a playoff game because of the regional
rivalry and because they were battling for first place in their division.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The guys scraping the snow at TV breaks looked
like a bunch of older, maybe even retired, men. They did a lazy circle
around the ice with no passion nor enthusiasm nor plan – they really didn’t do a
great job.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Karlson got booed every time he touched the
puck.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Carey <!--[endif]-->Price was magic.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Shaw was a bit of a jerk.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">At one point, in the game, Weber was on the
point. Brodie just finished saying “he scores a lot of goals from there”
when the puck came to him and he slapped it in.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">There was a performance (karaoke, dancing,
whatever) contest on the big screen. It got narrowed down to two
contestants: a busty woman and an Elvis impersonator. Elvis
eventually won.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The announcing and much of the entertainment was
in French, with some English songs thrown in, which was to be expected but
still took some getting used to.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was entertaining when, with two minutes left,
Ottawa pulled their goalie and Montreal fans starting singing “Ole Ole
Ole…”. There are a number of recordings of the crowd singing it on
YouTube.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The stairwells had acoustics that lent
themselves very well to singing.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We made the mistake of exiting the building
thinking we could get back in to buy souvenirs. We were wrong, but with
some sweet-talking we were let back in.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Brodie: “everything about it was sick”.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Montreal</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Right after the game we made it through the very muddy
parking lot, got into the car, and headed for Detroit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>March 26<o:p></o:p></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At some point between our putting together our schedule and
game day, the Detroit game had changed from an evening game to an afternoon
game. We got out of the arena in Montreal around 10:00 PM and the game in
Detroit was scheduled for 12:30 PM the next afternoon and the GPS said it would take us about 9.5
hours to get there. Well, that saved us a hotel room! I drove
through the night, thoroughly enjoying the stars and pondering G.K.
Chesterton’s quote “An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We arrived in Detroit at approximately 8:00 AM and drove
straight into the Joe Louis Arena parking garage. I climbed into the back seat
and got a better sleep than I’d expected. We woke up at 11:30 and walked
over to the arena. Whereas it was quite an old building, I actually
thought it was much more fan-friendly than the newer arenas. It was
basically one big bowl with all the suites around the top. It didn’t give
the same feel as newer arenas that tend to separate the rich and the
fanatic – it felt more like a united fan front.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hockey highlights in Detroit:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">It soon seemed appropriate that the arena was
named after a boxer. The fans were bloodthirsty! Any time there was
even a hint of a scrum or anything, the crowd got into it. They even
showed a video of a greasy, bench clearing brawl from 1980 that had included
the goalies. At one point in the fight they were showing a Detroit player
pounding on a guy from the opposing team that was just covering up. They
then showed a guy in attendance at the game (i.e. the day we were there)
holding a sign that said “Happy 20th Beat A Turtle Day” and the
crowd went wild. I also saw a hat in the crowd saying “Make hockey violent
again”.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The game went into overtime and the crowd went
wild, despite the team not being in playoff contention. A Detroit player
scored a highlight reel goal to win the game, and the arena lost its
mind. I described it as pandemonium.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I asked about the octopus-throwing, but apparently that's more of a playoff thing.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The arena only had one concourse and two
exits. It took forever to get out of the building.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">On the way between the arena and the car we encountered
two separate, very enthusiastic, street musicians making surprisingly good music
by drumming on empty plastic buckets. They both put on a pretty good show.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The walkway back to the car was more of a
traffic jam and took longer to navigate than the drive out of the parking lot.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Detroit</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Because it was an afternoon game, we did a bit of driving
afterwards. We were headed for Buffalo, but only made it as far as
Cleveland before tiredness started to get the better of me. However, I
was able to do a bit of driving around Cleveland before collapsing into the hotel
bed, and was actually somewhat impressed. There’s a huge chandelier that
is a highlight of the downtown area and what's called their theater district. The downtown, the waterfront, and my
reason for wanting to drive a bit that night (the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
were entrancing at night. It was probably good that I didn’t have my good
camera, or I might have been there all night! In my driving I happened on
a woman who’d run out of gas on one of the freeway bridges. I gave her a
ride to a gas station, bought her a gallon of gas, and took her back to her
car. Unlike the rest of Cleveland, that neighborhood didn’t feel
particularly welcoming.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Cleveland</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>March 27<o:p></o:p></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the morning I left Brodie to sleep some more, and headed for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was an unexpected treat
that I got to go – I’d thought of it, but really hadn’t expected it would work
out. I left a note for Brodie asking him to call me when he was up and
ready to go. Unfortunately, he’d left his SIM in the car (so that he
wouldn’t run up unexpected phone charges in the U.S.). Well, I was
enjoying the museum so much that I lost track of time. Brodie eventually
called me from the hotel room and I hurried back. Fortunately, Brodie had
managed to stay in the room until 2:00 PM, and I got there around 2:30.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I did want to share one observation from the
R&RHOF. Yes, I admit that I enjoy a lot of the music – probably more
than I should – but I couldn’t help but be left with a sobering thought.
Near the beginning of the museum there was a display showing old TV clips,
newspaper stories, etc., about the opposition to R&R in the earlier
days. I honestly thought that the museum did a reasonably good job of
displaying it neutrally, but given the context of the location, I assumed that
most people going through would see the opposition and dismiss it or laugh at
it. However, I found it very interesting that the opposition is
juxtaposed with many displays of musicians who had, either accidentally or
intentionally, overdosed on drugs or committed suicide. Yes, it seems that artists in many fields are troubled, but
the proportion in R&R does, to me, seem higher than in the rest of the
community. Hmmm…. worth some thought.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, off to Buffalo. It was quite foggy in Buffalo when
we got there. Interestingly, a large part of the city, especially around
the arena, smells, according to Brodie, like Lucky Charms. We were
driving around with the windows open, and we think we saw a large General Mills
factory that might explain it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hockey highlights in Buffalo:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The entrance area is huge and wide open, similar
to the new Edmonton arena. It was probably the best laid-out arena we
went to on our trip.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">There were suites separating the upper and lower bowls, but they
didn’t seem to break up the bowls as much as some arenas (e.g. Edmonton).</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">There was more than one concourse. They were
the most open and least crowded of the ones we encountered, with a very good variety of restaurants/food
venues.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The merchandise was disappointing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri";">T</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">hey sang the Canadian national anthem even
though no Canadian team was playing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Tickets were much cheaper that the places we’d
been to so far.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Probably due to lower ticket prices, there were
a higher percentage of kids and younger people in attendance.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The arena didn’t look full, even though they
said there were 18,000 people in attendance.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri";">E</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">nergy in the arena was pretty much
non-existent. There was no cheering the team coming onto the ice, and
when there was chanting going on, it was quite lackluster. This may have
been due to the fact that it was a meaningless game from a post-season perspective.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was Gionta’s 1000<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> game, so they
did a presentation for him.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The energy ramped up a bit in the third when, in
quick succession, there was a fight, a goal that was called back, and a penalty
that the crowd disagreed with.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The power of suggestion was at work: when
the lady beside us got ice cream, it didn’t take long until a number of people
in our area did, too.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The building seemed quite empty half way through
the third.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">They scraped the snow off the ice with metal
scrapers, which did a much better job than plastic scrapers do.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7OvNkvYv233tOPwrhurPIensvD6o9wblKyfV8Zz46FXKyX65TxfvC0h-O7rM-US3fXtzCjv-S82UBVOSUMOEOaTz56Io2XMxTB-m_6LX-9z9r_IMBv48l7gM3fvTMiPalSB1/s1600/WP_20170327_18_11_50_Panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7OvNkvYv233tOPwrhurPIensvD6o9wblKyfV8Zz46FXKyX65TxfvC0h-O7rM-US3fXtzCjv-S82UBVOSUMOEOaTz56Io2XMxTB-m_6LX-9z9r_IMBv48l7gM3fvTMiPalSB1/s320/WP_20170327_18_11_50_Panorama.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Buffalo</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We made the short jaunt from Buffalo to Toronto after the
game.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>March 28<o:p></o:p></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This was the day we’d planned on going to the Hockey Hall of
Fame. We slept in a bit and then headed downtown. Before entering
the HHOF, we had lunch in the downtown mall attached to the HHOF. It was
one of those restaurants that have different stations with different kinds of
food and you can go in and pick what you want from the various different
spots. Well, Brodie has just found a new favorite restaurant. He
absolutely LOVED it! We spent a few glorious hours touring the HHOF, and then it was off to the Air Canada Centre.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Hockey Hall of Fame</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hockey highlights in Toronto:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Anthem sung by a teenager with an amazing voice.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ice scraping was the same as Calgary.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The screen was almost as big as Edmonton’s, and
like Edmonton, they didn’t play very many replays.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The fans were awesome. We spent a lot of
time standing.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Austin Matthews scored the first goal of the
game, which brought him into a tie for the rookie scoring record for Toronto
(still far behind the league record).</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Jagr scored a goal. I’ve seen Florida in
person at least four times this season, and the old guy doesn’t disappoint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Toronto</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>March 29<o:p></o:p></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Next stop: Pittsburgh.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hockey highlights in Pittsburgh:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We didn’t know it when we bought the tickets (I
just bought what looked like good seats), but we were in a VIP section – we had
to show our tickets to get into the section. The seats were nicer and
wider, there was a separate bar/canteen, and there was a separate washroom.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This turned out to be the first game we attended
where the home team lost. Pittsburgh basically didn’t show up – Chicago
owned them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMcCMmZ97NI8fQHkT5tTwPDYKxHu2dxZCXw-HuzPgQnXAWgEgtz1wKmMwLAkfZd9H_8tOFAF-qF7NpeJHdlvFas5eoHQnH5AALjRC0ofyGxJU-cbUGhqCw7vlqe1umTHf0f0X/s1600/WP_20170329_19_31_00_Panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMcCMmZ97NI8fQHkT5tTwPDYKxHu2dxZCXw-HuzPgQnXAWgEgtz1wKmMwLAkfZd9H_8tOFAF-qF7NpeJHdlvFas5eoHQnH5AALjRC0ofyGxJU-cbUGhqCw7vlqe1umTHf0f0X/s320/WP_20170329_19_31_00_Panorama.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Pittsburgh</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">If you know me at all, you’ll know that one of the things I
absolutely LOVE doing is driving around cities late at night (see earlier reference in Cleveland). Pittsburgh
was interesting for this. I hadn’t looked at a map much before going out
driving, and I didn’t get a very good overview on my small phone GPS
anyway. I spent quite a while, initially, feeling lost (which I really
don’t mind – maybe even enjoy on these late night drives) and confused.
It seemed like at every turn I crossed yet another bridge over the river.
I finally took the time to look at a map and discovered that there were essentially
three different rivers that I’d been crossing over in different
directions. I eventually found my way up Mount Washington (really just a
hill on one side of the river – I’m not sure why they call it a “mount”) and
got a beautiful night view of the city, including the various rivers I’d been
crisscrossing.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>March 30<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When we wandered out of the hotel, we discovered two
things: our first rain on the trip and a flat tire on the car.
Fortunately, by now Brodie is quite adept at changing tires. I felt just
a bit guilty making him do it because of the rain, but it worked out better
that way, giving me opportunity to get on the phone with the car rental
agency. They said it would be quite a while before they could get someone
out to us. I said “It’s only a tire – I’ve changed tires before.”
They said “Ok, then go to the airport to switch cars.” I said “That’s too
far out of our way. How about if I just get the tire fixed?” They
said “Fine, but we won’t promise to pay for it.” So, we headed to a tire
shop. The first one we got to was too busy, but they directed us to
another one. The second one had the time, so Brodie went out to the car
to bring in the tire while I started the paperwork. On his way in, Brodie
found the source of the problem: we’d picked up a piece of metal right at
the point where the tread starts to curve up to meet the sidewall. Well,
the tire guy was determined to play it safe, and wouldn’t fix it because he considered the hole to be in the sidewall. Budget
said “Sure, get a new tire, but we don’t promise to pay for it.” OK, so
off to the airport we went to exchange cars. Yeah, it was a bit of a
hassle, but no big deal compared with what we’d already faced. We still
managed to make it to Chicago.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>March 31<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We hadn’t actually scheduled anything between the Pittsburgh
game on March 29 and the Columbus game on April 2. I was going to play
that stretch by ear. However, when Brodie learned that one of the options
was to take in a game in Chicago, he was all over it. It was an added
bonus that I got to take him to my favorite pizza place: Giordano’s
Pizza. Note to self: Giordano’s is AMAZING, but don’t get the
personal-sized pizzas. The proportions just aren’t as good as the bigger
pizzas.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hockey highlights in Chicago:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">There was a lot of cheering during the anthem.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Pandemonium and singing after the first goal.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">They did something I loved with the
scoreboard: most of the time, in addition to the live action, they were showing the names and numbers of
players presently on the ice. Why don’t all NHL teams do that?</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The “bubble thought” cameras were entertaining.
They’d show a fan and then put a bubble-thought on the screen. Sadly, I
only noted the fact, not any examples, and by now I’ve forgotten.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chicago</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>April 1<o:p></o:p></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I got to do a bit of driving in Columbus during the day and
into the evening. Broad Street in Columbus is impressive (at least to
me), with its old stone buildings and stretches of mansions set well off from
the street.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>April 2<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hockey highlights in Columbus:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Beautiful arena and surroundings.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Tickets were cheap.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Fans were more into it than I expected, even if
the noise didn’t always make sense.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">They shortened the team name to CBJ so that it
would fit into chants.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The cannon is both impressive and loud. I
was happy Columbus scored a few so that we got a chance to hear it.</span></li>
<li><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">At one point Columbus scored a goal, which was
promptly followed by a fight. There was a mixture of cheering and booing
and I couldn’t make out what for and/or against.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZu9MdBabPpV7_dC4v1x3gxxW_zeQ3YOtjqv5oUVU5szIgTzFY1qRMhGgm01iprZiHo6JFjVuLGQW2KMaibvGBFgfGztiXBnSo7i-j9M7N52AIE0_L9kCL2eC2Efpo2pVw1YrF/s1600/WP_20170402_16_59_13_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZu9MdBabPpV7_dC4v1x3gxxW_zeQ3YOtjqv5oUVU5szIgTzFY1qRMhGgm01iprZiHo6JFjVuLGQW2KMaibvGBFgfGztiXBnSo7i-j9M7N52AIE0_L9kCL2eC2Efpo2pVw1YrF/s320/WP_20170402_16_59_13_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxX3kqSoS8a0Bn5_AnHSAdBt3Q7VqGJ7H6RMUFVulbWl3jR44gibjhi96-MilNBx2Dk6WycYJn_6ALGZNqlX9upIAkrBa_bDxjEhe_TUG_aNm4x2rdMT3R8p709meSkWHWbog/s1600/WP_20170402_17_35_41_Panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxX3kqSoS8a0Bn5_AnHSAdBt3Q7VqGJ7H6RMUFVulbWl3jR44gibjhi96-MilNBx2Dk6WycYJn_6ALGZNqlX9upIAkrBa_bDxjEhe_TUG_aNm4x2rdMT3R8p709meSkWHWbog/s320/WP_20170402_17_35_41_Panorama.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Columbus</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><u>April 3<o:p></o:p></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Amy happened to be in Toronto at the same time as we were,
and we were lucky enough to connect with her. We had a meal with her at
Brodie’s new favorite restaurant (outside the HHOF). This was followed by
an uneventful flight back to Calgary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now Brodie and I have a great man cave displaying our loot. It's a fantastic place to watch the playoffs! Come and join us sometime. :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2XHoI_XERVpzrlwjWOrLBiOZsMbJ0yte4kyW99Ivtx-qIo5K0Aw8BpTplMcwkbeHiCL4MDFWP-13Opf6IU5PR8SohtCi7kRrlXYZuHfnnCGEgIxTDVFNvOOlcQMxOC1ySH-4/s1600/WP_20170423_16_36_37_Panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2XHoI_XERVpzrlwjWOrLBiOZsMbJ0yte4kyW99Ivtx-qIo5K0Aw8BpTplMcwkbeHiCL4MDFWP-13Opf6IU5PR8SohtCi7kRrlXYZuHfnnCGEgIxTDVFNvOOlcQMxOC1ySH-4/s320/WP_20170423_16_36_37_Panorama.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Man Cave</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There are a lot more (mostly crappy, taken on a phone) pictures and even some videos available at <a href="http://pletts.elegantlogic.com/Photos/ShowFolder.aspx?Folder=HockeyAdventure2017">http://pletts.elegantlogic.com/Photos/ShowFolder.aspx?Folder=HockeyAdventure2017</a>. Enjoy!</span>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-65413633747858254262017-03-22T23:24:00.000-06:002017-03-22T23:24:05.057-06:00RE: Hockey TripI look forward to laughing about this someday, but right now I’m not quite sure how God will work this one out for us. Our trip is starting out a little more adventurous than planned. Did you know you can’t rent a car with an expired driver’s license? And, of course, Brodie isn’t old enough to rent a car yet. Ain’t life grand? :-)<br />
<br />
Stay tuned.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-25048274354188581082017-03-22T18:05:00.001-06:002017-03-22T18:05:31.390-06:00Hockey Trip
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I’m sitting in an airport, past security, feeling like
the luckiest man alive! You see, I live my life in three month windows,
so I wondered if this trip would ever happen.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A number of years ago, I was lucky enough to go to the
Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. I loved it and was quite sure my son
Brodie would as well. I immediately began hoping I’d get a chance to take
him there someday. Also, years ago Brodie and I agreed that we’d love to
make a tour of NHL rinks and try to make it to all of them in my
lifetime. It was kind-of an unofficial bucket list item. Of course,
that was all pre-cancer.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, it looks like the opportunity has finally presented
itself. I have no immediate treatments on the horizon (just another test
in early April), and Brodie has over a week off school (mid-term break).
AND, Brodie is graduating this year, so the trip will be a bit of a grad gift
as well. With much encouraging from Sue (both to take the time to make
memories with Brodie and to go ahead and spend the money), we made the leap and
bought plane tickets and a bunch of hockey tickets. Hey – if my income
tax refund doesn’t cover enough of it, I guess our RRSPs will.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, here’s our tentative schedule for the next few days.</span><br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">March 22 – fly to
Toronto<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">March 23 – Ottawa
hosting Pittsburgh<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">March 25 – Montreal
hosting Ottawa<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">March 26 – Detroit
hosting Minnesota<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">March 27 – Buffalo
hosting Florida<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">March 28 – Toronto
hosting Florida<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">March 29 – Pittsburgh
hosting Chicago<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">April 2 – Columbus
hosting Washington<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">April 3 – flying back to
Calgary<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In case you’re worried about my treating kids equally, I’m
desperately trying to do something similar with Amy, but we haven’t nailed
anything down yet. Still, stay tuned for that.</span>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-88230080575314863082017-02-14T17:39:00.001-07:002017-02-14T17:39:48.991-07:00Another day, another medical procedure<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Last Thursday it was
another colonoscopy, and I’m happy to say that my posterior is clean as a
whistle. :-)</span>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-30939982641429629852017-01-06T00:05:00.000-07:002017-01-06T00:05:18.182-07:00Ringing in 2017
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel like I should be sending out an update, since I’ve
had two important doctor visits since my last update, but I also feel like I
have nothing interesting or clever to say. Maybe this is what Sue calls
“writers’ block”. Oh, well, I guess I’ll just send a factual update.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My last surgery, including the recovery, was the easiest one
yet. I think I’ve been quoted as saying something like “I’ve had colds
that hit me worse!” A couple of weeks after that surgery, I had a
follow-up meeting with the surgeon. The most memorable quotes I have from
that meeting are “jeez you heal nicely” (hey – it’s nice to be good at
something, though I don’t think it’s to the point of super-power </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; margin: 0px;">J</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">) and “you’re all clear – we don’t see
any more cancer in your lungs”. That was good news, though given my
history it sadly doesn’t mean it will last.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tuesday I had a follow-up with the oncologist for the PET
scan I had just before Christmas. Again the news was good: the PET
scan was clear! But this was my oncologist so, of course, he had to add a
bit of gloominess about how my prospects were still not very good, statistically
speaking, in the longer term. And so life goes: always a mix of
good news and bad. Still, we rejoice in the clear PET scan, and today’s
blue skies. “Do not worry about tomorrow….” (Matt. 6:34)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There. Now you’re up-to-date. If you’d like a
more detailed update about my family, other aspects of my life, etc., send me
yours first. Then, if you request that kind of update, Sue and/or I will
reply. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; margin: 0px;">J</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">God bless you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brad.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-44468168359263909772016-10-10T18:44:00.000-06:002016-10-10T18:44:12.600-06:00Home for the feast!Neither the surgeon nor the medical staff disappointed me this Thanksgiving. OK, so I didn’t get to have Thanksgiving in Manitoba, but 48 hours after slicing me open, they were sending me home! I teased the doctor that soon he’d have it perfected to an out-patient surgery. :-)<br />
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And, to top off the weekend, my wife (with some help from the kids), put on an awesome spread for Thanksgiving.<br />
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Now I’m sleeping my way back to health, and the best part is I’m doing it at home. Life is good. God is good!Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13364023.post-4655720346374729232016-10-04T01:30:00.000-06:002016-10-04T01:30:16.088-06:00ThanksgivingI admit that I had hoped for a trip to a <a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/stones-dylan-mccartney-and-young-all-to-play-coachella-site-in-october-1.2886966" target="_blank">concert in California</a> or at least a road trip to Manitoba for Thanksgiving, but it seems I’m destined to take another trip to the Foothills hospital, instead, to spend the long weekend being thankful for our wonderful medical system. Yep, more cherry-picking is at hand, so the plan is that they’ll take another piece of my lung this Friday (October 7). Hopefully it will go as smoothly as last time, but there are no guarantees. Still, given the most recent doctors’ visits, I believe we have cause for confidence and optimism. :-)<br />
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A pastor friend of mine recently quoted a Bill Gaither song to me: “Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God.” Yep, I’d like to think I’m learning to trust Him more every day. That also reminded me of another song by the Gaithers. A lot of the performances I’ve found on the internet don’t do much for me, but I LOVE the lyrics, particularly the chorus! I think they describe my feelings fairly accurately.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
God sent his son, they called him Jesus,<br />He came to love, heal and forgive.<br />He lived and died to buy my pardon,<br />An empty grave is there to prove my savior lives.<br />[Chorus]<br />Because he lives<br />I can face tomorrow<br />Because he lives<br />All fear is gone<br />Because I know he holds the future<br />And life is worth the living<br />Just because he lives</blockquote>
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Until next time,<br />Brad.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09039287470156076175noreply@blogger.com0