Pix 'n Prose: In Calgary

Back in the spring when I saw the list of workshops being offered at this year's Canadian Council of Christian Charities' Conference, I asked if I could go.
In August, I got approval to register and make travel and hotel arrangements.

Unfortunately the conference (host) hotel was booked by then, so I made reservations in the other hotel they recommended (a ten minute taxi ride away). And that hotel could only book me for one of the two nights I required.

When I mentioned to Sandra that I would be going to"her" city for a conference, she immediately arranged to be here at the same time. (She has an office in Calgary and spends a few nights here every other week.) She also arranged for me to stay at "her" hotel, and offered to drive me to and from the conference as it was on her way to work.

So ...
She called me this morning to remind me to be at the airport 1 hour before boarding. I let her boss me around because she doesn't know how to turn that switch off.
"I'll probably be a little bit late," she added. "They know me there. And it's a small terminal. So, I probably will get there 45 minutes before boarding."

I left my office at Arrow at noon, and went home to do my final packing. I had some lunch, wrote a note for my boys, took out the garbage, stopped by the bank, and made it to the airport by 2:30 pm. I gave them my luggage, went through security, and was sitting on the plane getting comfortable when they made the first announcement about getting ready to lift off in a few minutes.

At 3:25 Sandra chugs down the aisle with 2 overstuffed briefcases, a purse and an overcoat looking a little bit frazzled.
"You're not kidding you come a little bit late." I observed.
"There was a line-up at the bank. And all that road construction. And they changed the parking lot around..."

It was an uneventful flight. I read my complimentary newspaper, Sandra did Suduko. And before you knew it, we were here:

We got our luggage then picked up her rental car.
The only car they had available was this:

I like business trips.
Except that long line up at the bank?
She left before she concluded her business.
So her credit card is not working out here.

Mine is though.

So the car, our hotel rooms and whatever else we need is going on my card til she can get to a bank. She's so lucky I'm along.

While we were having pizza, she made a call to her kids and mom.

"Yeah, so one of you needs to go out to the Abbotsford Airport and move my car from the metered hourly lot to the extended stay lot. I just parked it then ran into the terminal and didn't pay anything. I didn't have time... the bank lineup... the construction... Someone needs to help me out here, otherwise my van is going to get towed."

And you know what?

Her son-in-law did it for her.

I sat there with pizza on my chin and my mouth wide open. I can't even get my kids to take out the recycling. From the kitchen to the curb. And she manages (and trust me, "manages" is the right word) to get someone to leave Cloverdale and drive out to Abbotsford to move her van back one row in the parking lot.

Stunned awe.

After dinner we went to the Mall til it closed and they asked us to leave.

Then we went to our hotel. For the same price as a regular smoking room at the conference hotel, I get to stay here, on the EXECUTIVE FLOOR (you need a room key to even press this floor's number on the elevator) with a king size bed and mini-office area.

That's where I'm sitting right now... at that desk on that chair with my laptop hooked up to the wireless inernet.

This is so very civilized.

Are you wondering what I bought at the mall?

Shoes.

I figure there's no way I can get away with wearing flip floppy type shoes to the conference tomorrow.

And those flats are red, not pink.

I'm not sure what the protocol is for bare legs at events like this, so I bought nylons. I'm shuddering just thinking about having to put them on tomorrow.

If I see even one other woman with bare legs, I'm going to the bathroom and peeling those puppies off.

And then at the Sephora store, I spent more on these 4 products than I did on 2 pairs of shoes:

Three things I'm thankful for: