Shawinigan February 22 - 25, 2020
It's a lovely winter morning in Toronto and I'm booked on AC498 to Montreal at 15:30 where I'll meet Greg and drive to Shawinigan for a long weekend. He is picking me up in Montreal instead of Quebec because he's dropping David Hogg and family at the Montreal airport. The Hogg family have had a rough time in that Peter (the father) passed away recently and his wife has been in the hospital for two months. David is Greg's high school friend that has remained constant and a realty for thirty-five years now. The other two who made the group, 'Sci Guys' are Chris living in British Columbia and Meek who lives in Toronto.
I believe I'll see Ben and Sarah this weekend as well, but not Nathan, who at seventeen years is also living and schooling in Montreal.
I called Lyft at 12:30 and the ride was there in two minutes. The driver hardly said hello and had me at the airport in twenty minutes; I was through security by 13:20 and a beer and hook up with the MacAir at 13:35. Pretty good stuff I'd say even with the one of two moving sidewalks out of commission. I'm traveling very light today with a few gifts for the boys and one each for Marie-Lou and Sarah-Lena, but it's still a pain in my back down around the hip area.
Terryl just called from Barrie where she and the girls are partying with Claire Walker for the day just for fun; she asked if I'd say hi to everyone for her. Terryl made sure that I had a lunch and my kit packed with the various OTC's and Prescription Drugs that make up my routine; she really tries her best to stay on top of all of this, and so do I, not so much on the OTC's but as regular as clockwork on the rest. All of this is made more important because the husband of Leah, one of Terryl's great friends, just passed away after complications following a routine Hernia Surgery caused his death. We sat with Leah for two hours yesterday to give her some needed company, and one of the things she talked about was always reminding her Richard to take his pills and get his shots to ward off pneumonia and other illnesses that will invade the elderly more often than the young. Pneumonia was the culprit after the surgery, and he'd not had the shot.
At the airport this afternoon there is a steady filing of people passing by me on their way to the gates and I'm about ready to do the same.
We are loaded and rolling toward the runway when the Airbus 330 comes to a stop, and after fifteen minutes the Captain advises that a mechanical issue has arisen and that we will return to a gate for maintenance work. After twenty-five minutes all is well and are taxiing again with lift off happening 1.5 hours after schedule. It’s a beautiful flight that lasts fourty-five minutes.
Greg was waiting for me and off we go to Shwingtown and a non stop conversation about many of our favourite topics. At home Marie Lou, Ben and Sarah, Nathan and Thomas and Zelda gathered around the dining room table, ate, drank and talked until midnight before hitting the sack. And in the morning Thomas makes the decorated cafè latte while ML does the Mexican triangles with sauce and we all have a great time.
I called Lyft at 12:30 and the ride was there in two minutes. The driver hardly said hello and had me at the airport in twenty minutes; I was through security by 13:20 and a beer and hook up with the MacAir at 13:35. Pretty good stuff I'd say even with the one of two moving sidewalks out of commission. I'm traveling very light today with a few gifts for the boys and one each for Marie-Lou and Sarah-Lena, but it's still a pain in my back down around the hip area.
Terryl just called from Barrie where she and the girls are partying with Claire Walker for the day just for fun; she asked if I'd say hi to everyone for her. Terryl made sure that I had a lunch and my kit packed with the various OTC's and Prescription Drugs that make up my routine; she really tries her best to stay on top of all of this, and so do I, not so much on the OTC's but as regular as clockwork on the rest. All of this is made more important because the husband of Leah, one of Terryl's great friends, just passed away after complications following a routine Hernia Surgery caused his death. We sat with Leah for two hours yesterday to give her some needed company, and one of the things she talked about was always reminding her Richard to take his pills and get his shots to ward off pneumonia and other illnesses that will invade the elderly more often than the young. Pneumonia was the culprit after the surgery, and he'd not had the shot.
At the airport this afternoon there is a steady filing of people passing by me on their way to the gates and I'm about ready to do the same.
We are loaded and rolling toward the runway when the Airbus 330 comes to a stop, and after fifteen minutes the Captain advises that a mechanical issue has arisen and that we will return to a gate for maintenance work. After twenty-five minutes all is well and are taxiing again with lift off happening 1.5 hours after schedule. It’s a beautiful flight that lasts fourty-five minutes.
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| Beautiful night to fly |
Nathan and I have a discussion (his idea) on what’s in the future and why in an optimistic view while Greg and ML take Zelda for an hour and a half walk.
For tonight’s feast beans, polenta, onions, cabbage, crusted breadcrumbs, coconut bites and wine filled the bill perfectly. After Ben, Sarah and Nathan left for the drive to Montreal Apple TV switched on Mr. Fred Rogers and Tom Hanks rounded out the evening.
This morning (Monday) everyone but me went to work; Zelda's dog sitter came by at 09:00 and returned her at 11:00 and put her in the cage. Greg came in at 12:30 and we went out for a chicken dinner at St. Hubert. We have plenty to talk about, however, Mr. Rogers may have encouraged some of it. We went way back to our early days, for instance Greg had wished I played hardball with him in his first two years at University of Toronto where he was studying big time Physics, and not buckling down to the work. I said something like, "I've always thought you could do no wrong." And time has proven me right; everything worked out just fine when we got up from the kitchen table at 16:30. Marie-Lou arrived at 17:30 and we had a lovely talk about us and the quality of relationship we have enjoyed for twenty-seven years now. She has always been true to our relationship, and more than beneficial for my health issues. We'll have dinner soon, salmon I think and I hope we can do another movie tonight. We'll see what the consensus is.
We watched Salt with Angelina Jolie, a spectacular action film with incredible scenes of killing and escapes from certain death. I commented that this was Action 101 all about double and triple agents for Russia and the USA that was difficult to ascertain the bad guys from the good. And this went right to the wire, and at the end I was still guessing which side she was on.
At 06:15 on February 25, 2020 the four of us are up and at it. We expect to leave by 07:30 for the Quebec City Airport. This was a terrific weekend and we'll return for Greg's 50th Birthday in a month and a half. Thank you. My plane is here with ten seats available; all is well.
For tonight’s feast beans, polenta, onions, cabbage, crusted breadcrumbs, coconut bites and wine filled the bill perfectly. After Ben, Sarah and Nathan left for the drive to Montreal Apple TV switched on Mr. Fred Rogers and Tom Hanks rounded out the evening.
This morning (Monday) everyone but me went to work; Zelda's dog sitter came by at 09:00 and returned her at 11:00 and put her in the cage. Greg came in at 12:30 and we went out for a chicken dinner at St. Hubert. We have plenty to talk about, however, Mr. Rogers may have encouraged some of it. We went way back to our early days, for instance Greg had wished I played hardball with him in his first two years at University of Toronto where he was studying big time Physics, and not buckling down to the work. I said something like, "I've always thought you could do no wrong." And time has proven me right; everything worked out just fine when we got up from the kitchen table at 16:30. Marie-Lou arrived at 17:30 and we had a lovely talk about us and the quality of relationship we have enjoyed for twenty-seven years now. She has always been true to our relationship, and more than beneficial for my health issues. We'll have dinner soon, salmon I think and I hope we can do another movie tonight. We'll see what the consensus is.
We watched Salt with Angelina Jolie, a spectacular action film with incredible scenes of killing and escapes from certain death. I commented that this was Action 101 all about double and triple agents for Russia and the USA that was difficult to ascertain the bad guys from the good. And this went right to the wire, and at the end I was still guessing which side she was on.
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| We enjoyed a wee dram or two |
At 06:15 on February 25, 2020 the four of us are up and at it. We expect to leave by 07:30 for the Quebec City Airport. This was a terrific weekend and we'll return for Greg's 50th Birthday in a month and a half. Thank you. My plane is here with ten seats available; all is well.
Just an addendum noted November 30, 2020 that the planned 50th for Greg never happened. Covid-19 issues capture and circumvent plans made and abandoned around the world. Hundreds of thousands die as the Pandemic circles the world. Currently as I write we are in a 'Lockdown' in Greater Toronto for the public good. And that's another story. Maybe we can have a 51st Birthday Party for Greg March 25, 2021?
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