Sunday, January 24, 2010

"An Act of God" to ruin the week

I am still here in Regina. "An act of God" had kept us here. We haven't had a bad snow storm all year and suddenly, the day we are supposed to leave for Jamaica, all hell (and snow) breaks loose.
We were supposed to leave at 9am today. We left our house before 7 am to drive in and pick up our friends. We had to drive 55km on the highway all the way into Regina. Then when we got there, the ticket counter was backed up, and they told us there was a "mechanical problem" with the plane and we were being delayed. They told us at that point that it wouldn't leave until 12. What we didn't know at that time, was that that was bullshit and the plane wasn't even there yet.
We decided to leave, and went and had breakfast at Smitty's. Then came back for our flight after hanging out at the in-laws for a bit. Then, we went back and sat around for an hour and a half. No one told us anything, no one gave us updates. We looked on the Departure Board and now it says 4pm!
Finally, at 2pm they finally told us that now we have a plane and they think they can land in this awful weather, but they don't have a crew. We won't have a crew for another 8 hours. So, we are able to pick up our luggage and go home for 8 hours. Then they tell us to keep checking the website because it might not be then either. Well, I just checked and it now says 2am. What crap.
I am wishing two things now. First, that we would have booked two weeks (then a delay of a day or two wouldn't be a big deal), but we didn't. Now, I am almost wishing they would just cancel the whole thing because at least then maybe I would get my money back.
Jurgen says to me, "See, this is why I don't like to travel". Again, what crap. We have never been delayed or cancelled before, and we have travelled a fair amount. A lot of people have these stories, so it is not just us.
I am frustrated and disappointed but there is nothing we can do. The really upsetting part is that this was not a cheap vacation AT ALL and wasting a day seems like wasting a whole lot of money. Not to mention we convinced another couple to come with us and now they are wasting this money and time too. Sigh. Again, there is nothing we can do.
Well, maybe we will still be able to go for a little while, maybe not. Only time will tell....

Monday, January 18, 2010

Jamaica, Man!

We leave for Jamaica in 5 short days. I can't wait! Sometimes you just get to the point when you need a VACATION, and this is it! It will be so nice to just sit and do NOTHING for awhile. Get some sun (Lord knows I need it), sip some pina coladas, go swimming, read a book or two, see some fishies. Aaaahhh, hot trips. How I love them. I do wish we were going for 2 weeks instead of 1, but honestly when I was booking it it just never occured to me. We have never gone for longer than 1 week before (OK there was that one time in Cuba we went for 2 weeks, but that was different). So, I just booked one. Unfortunately, my hubby had wanted to go for 2 weeks, but it was REALLY hard to change, so we are just going for one. Besides, that way we can save some money for Greece (which I have just gotten the green light for!!!!!!!!). But, I digress.
Jamaica will be relaxing and wonderful and warm and I am SO looking forward to it!!

Friday, January 1, 2010

remembering 2009

It is Jan. 1 and I feel drawn to blog about what I really liked and will be memorable about 2009.

Moving into our new house. When we bought the condo in Regina I always felt like it was Jurgen's house. Afterall, he lived there by hisself for two years before I got there. It was full of his decor and his furniture. Kind of like moving into your boyfriend's apartment - not really yours. I also had started to get the "baby ache" and thought that condo was way to small to raise kids in (although I was raised in house just a little bigger than that). So, we started looking for a new house. I am so happy with our house in White City. Sure, there have been a few problems (see my previous blog), but hopefully they will all soon be fixed. It is a beautiful spacious house in a peaceful neighborhood with a fantastic view. It is full of OUR decor and OUR furniture, and I can see us filling up the rooms with children and laughter. I love our new house.

Jennie's wedding. Everything from the shower in September, to the wedding on Thanksgiving, to the reception in Moose Jaw, it was all so fun! It was great to meet the people who are now such an important part of my best friend's life. Wonderful to get to know some of Jen's extended family (like Shawn, Eddie's parents, his brother, his sister). And truly great to get to better know the man who has stolen her heart.

Finishing my first year as a staff Anesthesiologist. Writing my board exams was a "right of passage", an awful thing that everyone must do in order to finally do what they have been trained for 9 years to do. It took everything in my soul everyday for a year just to put one foot in front of the other in order to get to the "big day" and sit in those little rooms until the end. Then, it was over and I had passed, and the world seemed so much brighter and better somehow. It was like the beginning of a new life. Now, that I have finished over an entire year of work, I realize something. I didn't pass because of luck, or even that I had studied so hard. No, I passed because I was meant to. Because I am good at my job. It really says something when the nurses who you work with everyday trust you enough to put them to sleep, enough to thank you with gifts and words of kindness afterwards. It says something when the nurses are happy that you are the one oncall with them - not because you are friendly to everyone, but because they are confident in your work. I am truly happy with my work here in Regina.

Watching my Dad progress. Last March my father had open heart surgery. He had a rough go of it afterwards with several complications including what could have been a devastating stroke. But he is tough. If life has taught me anything, it is that any toughness and perserverance I may have is because of my father. He taught me to never give up and to keep putting on foot in front of the other, even if it is with a walker at first. I watched him progress from struggling to speak and being unable to walk, to now joking and laughing like his old self and walking up stairs like he had never been bothered by them. Life may not be fair, and sometimes bad things happen to truly good people, but you have to be thankful for what you have. And, I am thankful my dad got a second chance.

All of these things helped me grow as a person this year. I can only hope that the next year will help me to grow even more.