Sorry, I'm a bad blogger...just been SO busy since I left the ATL. Okay, so my trip back to Winnipeg was pretty decent. Both flights were on time and uneventful and I was able to sleep for about half of each flight. The only bad part was the Toronto airport. NEVER GO THROUGH THE TORONTO AIRPORT is my new motto. They are undergoing renovations apparently, although nobody told us that, or apologized for the mess (remember that scene in Fifth Element?), or, you know, showed us where to go or anything. We got off the plane onto the tarmac, walked inside, then outside, then inside, then outside then waited for a bus (no one told us where to wait, fortunately there was one guy on our plane who was a frequent traveller through Pearson so knew sort of what to do), then got on the bus and drove for about 10 minutes standing up. Then off the bus and inside, outside, inside, outside...at any time I could have left the group and been outside on the tarmac...that can't be good. Then waited for another bus, then rode that bus, then on to customs. Then through to a huge baggage claim area with 22 carousels and no signs as to which was ours. We were all kinda hanging out together, wandering around until finally someone from our flight shouted that they saw their bag, meaning that we should all go to that carousel. So I got my 42 pound bag and hoisted it onto a cart. Then through to the second customs area. That went okay, then walked, I dunno, maybe a mile, literally (after I had been told to 'surrender my trolley' meaning that I had to tote everything myself). Then through security. That went okay too, although I was SO exhausted by that point.
Then, I stopped an Air Canada chickie and she wrote on my ticket that I should go to Gate 128. So I did, it was very very far away. I got there, sweating and red and grumpy and the board at the gate said that the flight leaving from there was going to Halifax. Poop. So, I waited for the two AC employees behind the desk to help me. They were talking about their weekend! That is clearly more important than helping a paying customer like me! I coughed, no dice. Finally, the guy looked over and said 'yeah?'. I explained the problem and he had no idea what to do about it and was horrifically rude. Finally he said "I guess I could look up the right gate for you..." "Yes!" I said. "Yes, please do that!" So he did. I was informed that I was to go to Gate 131. Now you would think that that would prolly be close to Gate 128 right? Nuh-uh, I was told to go to the entire other end of the terminal. I did that, pretty fierce annoyed at this point. I got to the gate and the board said 'Montreal"! Oh good! These AC employees were...get this...rude!!! Wow!! But it turned out that I did have the right gate. So, I plopped down on a seat and noticed that there was a phone on a table next to my seat. It was a neato Credit Card phone, so I called Paul for about 20 minutes and then felt much better. The flight was uneventful after that and right on time. So ultimately, the trip was good, just the airport in Toronto was bad bad. I had asked Andra to meet me at 10:20, my scheduled arrival time, and I was hugging her and Chris by 10:25. Good deal. Much as I hated going through Toronto, it sure was nice doing customs there so that I didn't have to do it when I got to Winnipeg.
Okay, so I got home at about 11:30 and ordered a Gondola (thin and greasy) pizza, breadsticks and a 2 litre of diet coke. Yum yum yum yum yum. Then I unpacked everything and pretended to sleep. Got about 2 hours, I think. Then Sunday after church mom and dad came and picked me up and we went back to their place. I gobbled up some home made coffee cake and bun toast and then took a lovely, peaceful 2 hour nap. My mom woke me at 4 :30 and told me that Shari wanted me to come over to see her new interior paint job and say hi to her and the kids. So I hopped in my car. My dad had, at my request, kindly registered my car for a month the day before. Mom says that he also filled it with essential fluids and hand washed it. *beam* My daddy is nice to me. I paid him back for the registration, which I could barely afford ($100 for a month!). So, of course, that meant that when I got in the car, it wouldn't start. Totally dead. No clickie sounds or anything. I was pretty pissy and ran in the house where dad said I could take his car to Shar's. So I did that, kinda worried about the next month without a car, but okay. The kids and the dog were SO cute and great and it was nice to hug everyone :) Shar's paint job in the living/dining/kitchen was really great. An awesome taupe-y colour with one wall a beautiful brick red. Then new curtains and all sorts. Very awesome.
Then the group of us headed back to our parents for a meatball and (inexplicably) macaroni dinner with homemade buns and homemade iced tea (or sweet tea as they call it in the South). It was delicious! Then coffee cake and napolean for desert. Happy happy. We hung out a bit and I showed them my pics of my trip. Dad wasn't there for the meal, didn't show up til it was almost over. Turned out he had called his mechanic, asked him to go to his shop at 5:30 on a Sunday afternoon and had him install a new battery in my car. Jeepers, what a nice guy. It was, unfortunately, almost $200 so I'm a bit screwed, money wise, But it will work out :)
Okay, so then I headed home and Bernice came over to see if she wanted to purchase any of my stuff. She did, which was cool, although she can't afford to pay me yet. But I have gotten rid of a remarkable amount of stuff so far. Then I talked to Pauly for a while on the phone. *sigh* Its so hard being away from him. Um, then about 3 hours of sleep. Woot. Okay, then Monday morning I tried to do a bunch of stuff, none of which worked out properly, but it still was an okay day. My name is worked back, sort of, okay its all confusing...but basically, my name is still Smith after all and it will stay Smith until I take Paul's name. (Which, incidentally, I swore I would never do, but he looked so dejected when I told him that and said it would be very meaningful if I took his name, and if it makes him happy, its my pleasure to do it).
Then Monday night I headed over to Matt and Andrea's and played with DREW!!!! He made strange a fair bit, but he was very good and incredibly cute and we had a lovely time. Then Matt went and got Burger King for us (Andra, I forgot to pay him back, I will on Saturday) and returned with Chris and Angie. We all sat around and played cards til about 10 when Kevin arrived from Calgary!! It was awesome to see him again. We all just reacquainted ourselves and it was very fun all round. I left there and went to pick up some construction paper and coloured Sharpies so I can create sublet notices and stuff-to-sell notices and also make birthday cards for all my friends and family who have birfdays this month. Then a short call to Paul to wish him goodnight, and a couple of hours sleep. Then today I worked through a giant vat of paperwork. I had two months worth of mail and general paperword to deal with. It took me a long time, but everything is organized. I also packed a few more boxes and had them remove the AC from my window. Then a lovely long talk with the man, and I fell asleep at Eleven! Of course, I was up by 1, but still!
The rest of this week is gonna be just as busy, but that is good, since it makes time go by quickly til I get to go back to Hotlanta. Yay :)
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A quick rant for the Winnipegers to read. NEVER NEVER NEVER go to the Osborne Spectacle Centre on the corner of Stradbrook and Osborne. They are rude and awful and stole $75 from me. They also prescribed me the wrong contacts. They have no redeeming qualities and I badly want them to go out of business - never go there! Thank you!
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