To recap...I slept after my last night, while my fitness friend taught her exercise class, shopped for groceries and did her housework. Then we were off, making our way to the city by 7 pm. I had a coupon I'd scored online for $10 off at the Body Shop so we headed into MicMac Mall to use that. One thing led to another and before we knew it....two ladies who don't necessarily consider themselves shoppers had laid down a few dollas for shoes. I picked up a pair of Birkies (as if I need another pair of those) and my buddy got some cute sneakers. Seeking sustenance we headed over to East Side Marios in the mall and had a carbohydrate overload (but delicious) supper of pasta. A short drive to be squatters in the daughter's place as she and the son-in-law were at a family cottage for the weekend. Hank (their rescued kitty who sometimes doesn't have a full set of manners) was at first pleased to see us, then bit my buddy (affectionately) and then hissed loudly at us for no obvious reason. Apparently the hissing is something new that he's started, but it sure surprised me. We got ourselves settled down for the night as we were anticipating an exciting day ahead. My travel mate reported that Hank had visited several times and attempted to make amends.
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| The Trews |
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| Tom Citroen |
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| The Boss |
We made good time to Moncton, found Magnetic Hill, located the Coliseum so as to be able catch the shuttle bus and scoped out a place to eat. Found one of those 'where you go after church for Sunday lunch' kinds of restaurants and had great bacon double cheeseburgers. Off to the Coliseum we were on one of the first shuttle buses out to the concert venue. This year the bus took us right up to the gate, and when we approached the lineup a security guy holding armbands asked if we wanted to be assured of getting in early. How could you refuse that offer? He gave us purple armbands and told us we could wander around as long as we were back at 2 pm for the ticket draw as 100 people would be let in early. When the appointed hour arrived we somehow managed to find ourselves in the first 200 people and were led down the hill into the venue. I was still thinking we'd be in back of the VIP area but as we moved along it became clear that we were going to be right in front of the action. Good news for short women. And what a concert it was. Began at 4 pm with The Trews who are great - NS band which we'd never heard before, especially loved their Highway of Heroes, then Tom Cochrane and Red Rider - now he is ancient rocker who certainly looks it but he makes up for it with his obvious love of rock n roll. He also had a very junior wife and two young daughters dancing in their seats in the pit and the band was amazing. A quick changeover and before we knew it the screen was showing Bruce Springsteen heading towards the stage. It was an unbelievable show from 7:30 - 10:40 pm with all the old favourites and lots of new material which we danced and sang to. The E Street band is excellent, great horn section, wonderful drums and piano. Bruce was very high energy, out onto the walkways and all over the stage and before we realized it, he was heading towards us shaking hands down the row. He sure knew where to find the groupies! He was cool and sweaty but....we were touched by THE BOSS! Headed out and on to the road just after midnight and home by 5:30 am to crash into bed. I've already copied the photos and videos onto a flash stick for the travel partner so we can continue to enjoy those memories.
Monday brought a return to reality with laundry and errands and the news that a friend's husband had been kept in the hospital in the city. He is a tough cookie and a fighter but he's facing a real battle as he has a number of 'comorbidities' as we say in the trade.
Tuesday began with a breakfast sandwich at a bistro in town with the baby daughter and her boyfriend before they traveled to Iceland. Good to get caught up on the news as we hadn't visited since the spring. They had lots of plans for sightseeing on their travels before heading back to Canada and their studies. A day of appointments and errands por moi which filled my time until a late supper.
Wednesday the class of 1976 from my nursing school did lunch and it was a blast. We ate at Ye Olde Argyler - which you can check out here on their webpage, it's a lovely restaurant and lodge:
Although some of us are grandmas, we sure still have it going on and had a lot of laughs and catching up. We have agreed to make lunch an annual event. Didn't want to leave.
Thursday was a day to head to the city to visit with the friend and her ailing hubby. Spent some time at the hospital, learning they're going to be grandparents and are pretty excited and then got some lunch at Mary's Place II - great Syrian dishes, did a walk in the Public Gardens and a visit and a cup of tea with the friend's son before heading home. Wonderful day spent, just wish there was something I could do to ease the load.
Friday was back to work for a 12 hour day and that was an endurance run what with the late summer heat, heading in to the long weekend and full moon - anyone who has worked in healthcare can attest to the cycles of the moon and how they affect moods. Enough said. Saturday, Sunday and Monday have been LNs with stories to tell.
Today in the middle of a great sleep I was rudely jolted into consciousness by what I thought was one of those old windup alarm clocks. Finally got myself awake enough to realize it was the Red Cross cell phone which I've been carrying for the past week. This phone hasn't rung for months but today at 1:45 pm I got a call for assistance in the next county. I find a pen and paper, write down the particulars and start calling through the list of volunteers in the binder (reminded me of work as no one was answering) to handle the call. I finally found a willing person, passed on the information and seriously considered going back to bed. Within minutes the phone rang again with the volunteer reporting the phone number reached someone who had no idea what he was talking about. This required retracing the call to the referral source and advising them to "talk amongst themselves" to sort it out as someone (not me this time) had obviously written down a wrong phone number. Now 45 minutes later I was too awake and annoyed to go back to bed. Sigh. Needless to say it's been a looonnnnggg night because of it.
As we sat eating supper I noticed the shore captain had shaved (hmmm, I didn't think the CFIA inspector was expected - the only woman he shaves for) then he asks the particulars about a BBQ being planned with my sister and family for Friday and then casually remarks that he'll be back by then. From where? St. Andrews. When is he leaving? Tomorrow. He wasn't going to go but the weather forecast meant the boats wouldn't be in. Not "oh you could've come with me, it's your days off" or "oh dear, you'll be back to work just after I get back and we won't have spent time together". Oh wait, that's the novel I've been reading, not the conversation with a long time male partner. Best that we have some 'alone time' me thinks. The Executive Director of his association can enjoy the challenge of making sure he's on time and focused this week.
My 'days off' include plans to take the cats for their inoculations - it almost seems a miscalculation of dosage to have the same vaccine amount for a 10 lb and 22 lb cat but I'm not a vet. As well, a possible trip to the city to run some errands and check on the under the weather friend. Also, there is the aforementioned family BBQ which will be a belated celebration of my baby sister's birthday and a chance for catching up.
Was listening to CBC on my road trip last week and there was an interview with a young fellow with a silicon valley company here you can check them out:
They apparently do 'tear downs' of equipment such as iPhones and post the pictures and how-tos online. He was describing how he screened applicants for creative positions by their grammar. His theory was that attention to detail in language also translated to writing computer code. There were rebuttals in the New York Times and online complaining that the company was being elitist but the amusing part was that most of the complaints included terrible grammar and very poor spelling.
So as I check FaceBook to see if there is news of a new arrival - one of the daughter's friends has apparently left for the hospital to deliver her little boy - I have left her a message saying that it's only one night no matter what goes on. I'll have to take my own advice.
