Family Day in Alberta

This last weekend was a holiday weekend here in Alberta as Monday was Family Day. Yes, they actually have a holiday devoted to spending time with one’s family. Last year Rob was in Grande Prairie with Farron and Jordan visiting with his in-law’s. Without Internet or reliable cell service, we spent most of that weekend out of contact for the first time since we’d started communicating with each other before Christmas of ’06. It was a very long weekend as I remember it. He did manage to sneak out to the truck and call me a couple times from the on-star phone, but it was nowhere near the marathon phone sessions we’d become accustomed to by then. It seems such a long time ago now.

This Family Day activities we attended were at the Dow Centennial Centre, which houses, among other things, the gym I workout at most days. The community sponsored events included stage demonstrations on the soccer field by local groups like the judo and gymnastics clubs. There were also booths set up around the edge of the field for churches and different volunteer organizations. Rob and I generally walked by the church stuff without making eye contact as neither of us is inclined to practice religion in an organized manner. Indeed, Rob isn’t inclined to practice it in the disorganized manner that I have chosen. In addition to these attractions there was also face painting , yoga, belly dancing, storytelling and of course there was someone making balloon animals. In the art gallery attached to the Shell Theatre lobby was a traveling exhibit from the Alberta Art Gallery and the Waiward Steel Pottery Studio held demonstrations and a sale in hopes of attracting people to sign up for classes. There was also free public skate and shinny skate and no Dow Center do would be complete without those inflatables that Katy so loves to jump around in and slide on.

Afterwards we stopped to pick up tomatoes for supper and hit the Staples for a copy of the tax program because it is really time to figure out what kind of cluster-fuck we’ve gotten ourselves into by shunning our own and marrying across an international border. Rob suggested that I run into the Safeway and he would hit Staples and thus save time.

“But I wanted to go to Staples too.”

“Why?”

“.....because....I like to go to Staples....”

(Laughing) “I forgot what a Staples addict you are.”

“I’m not. I just love office supplies.”

“You are so weird.” (Big grin)

It’s true though. I am weird. I love pens, pencils, notebooks, folders. If it is paper or has something to do with paper - I love it. I have no sense of organization at all, but I love wandering office supply stores.

After we had late lunch and tea, I spent some time out in the yard building a snow fort with Katy and Rob worked on finishing up the north side of the basement. When we moved in, a person couldn’t even access the basement for the stuff piled high, but soon it will be Katy’s play area and an exercise area for Rob and I. Progress.

I love long weekends.