Tuesday 20 November 2012

I'll start by saying I had a perfectly fabulous weekend with a bit of a disastrous finish today.  Kelli and I slept in, ate late, watched junk TV, shopped, went to the Vancouver Aquarium, drank lattes etc. etc.  It was a weekend every Mom dreams of spending with her daughter!  Thank you "Mon Petite Chou!"

Then the wheels came off this morning.  My flight was to leave Vancouver at 9 AM.  We decided we would go to a little place around the corner where they serve a great bowl of oatmeal in the morning.  Didn't sleep all that great, fearing I might sleep in and miss my flight but shouldn't have worried because Kelli got me up in lots of time.  We headed over for our breakfast.  They served us massive bowls of oatmeal with granola, fruit, raisins etc.  It was really good but I don't think two of us could have finished one bowl.  It was definitely Papa Bear size, not Mama or Baby Bear size!  We were so embarrassed to have not eaten more of it that we asked for a take out container and then we dumped it once we left.  Kelli escorted me to the train station, bought my ticket and saw me get on the right train with instructions that this was easy.....just get off at YVR which is the very last stop.  I had done it before so wasn't concerned.  Well, off the train went and it was really full.  I kept looking for someone with a suitcase and spotted a girl at the other end of the car.  There were a lot of  people on the train though.  Guess everyone was heading off to work.  Then a lady sat down beside me and started chatting.  She asked me what time my flight left and got a kind of funny look on her face but didn't say anything.  I knew the ride was about 35 minutes so closed my eyes for a few minutes.  I don't think I drifted but maybe I did.  In any case I noticed the time on my phone was 8:30.  Figured that must be Calgary time. Then Kelli texted me to ask if I had arrived OK.  I answered no and told her which station I was at.  She texted back..."You're kidding, right?....Did the train stall?  Was there an accident?"  .... I am now in full on panic mode....realizing that I am not going to make it.  I am just about back to where I started that morning!  She calls me on my phone and I'm squeaking into my phone.  Although the train was very crowded, it was very quiet and I KNOW every single person was busy listening to my conversation but not person was even looking my way.  The interesting thing about this is that this is one of the conversations the two of us had had over the weekend.  A time back Kelli was riding the train and a very distraught woman who had clearly been beaten up was sobbing and not one person was looking at her.  Kelli finally went over and sat down beside her and asked if there was anything she could do to help.  Isn't it sad how nobody every wants to get involved in anyone else's problems or business?  Instead we feign indifference or pretend we don't notice.  To me that is a sad state of much of humanity when we can't even extend a hand, offer a condolence, try to help or even just offer up some reassurance.  In any case.  I hung up the phone and started to gather up my suitcase, my purse and my backpack and out of nowhere a man appeared, picked up my suitcase and said "Let me help you."  And that he did.  Wasn't much but it sure meant a lot to me.  He escorted me across to the other train and made certain I got on the right one.  This time I was super attentive.  I don't know how I missed the stop the first time.  On top of being announced you can actually see the airport and planes!  Despite the fact my flight had been delayed 15 minutes I was not in time.  Now this is where it gets kind of funny.  My friend Maureen's son, Paul was going to Edmonton this morning from Vancouver for his convocation.  They were announcing my name all over the PA system.  "Would Leslie Sherlock please report to the West Jet desk...."  He called his Mom to tell her I was missing....she called both Kelli and Bill.....Bill knew about it before I even told him!  I headed over to the West Jet desk and told the girl I had had a disastrous morning and that I had missed my flight.  I am so glad she did not ask for details because I really didn't want to share them.  I have never missed a flight in my life.  I'm always the one there two hours early just to be safe.  I told her this ranked up with one of the dumbest things I have done (which probably isn't entirely true) and she just laughed and said  to multiply that by four and you'd have her record.  She put me on the noon flight for a small fee ($50)  Terrible Tuesdays are becoming expensive Tuesdays.  Last week it was the little parking problem I had at Sait.....today this!  On top of that Tuesdays are the day I have my Chemo.  I'm thinking I hate Tuesdays!!!  Bill picked me up and brought me home.  Mike came for dinner but I had to head off early as I have my Sait photography course tonight.  Got to Sait and could not for the life of me find a parking spot.  Think if I had known what a challenge this was going to be I might not have signed up.  That on top of the fact.....I'm a little worried I'm not going to pass!   It's a little deep!  I finally looked at Brenda tonight and asked...."Are you getting this?"  She assured me she wasn't but she was probably just being nice.  I arrived 10 minutes late AGAIN.  You remember what happened last week.  The instructor gave me that It's OK look but I'm a teacher and I know he was probably annoyed!  It is pretty disrespectful to arrive late two weeks in a row.  I slunk in and sat down beside Brenda....but no sooner was I organized and trying to look studious did my damn phone ring!  My phone NEVER rings.  Of course you can just feel people's looks boring into your back.  I apologized profusely and scrambled to get my phone out of my pocket to turn it off without even checking who it was that was calling.  On the break I checked my voicemail and was so disappointed to see it was a call from Geoff from Thailand.  He was just calling to wish me good luck tomorrow.  I was so sad to have missed his call.  Got home and Bill told me that both he and my brother had called tonight and that Geoff would try to call again in a few minutes.  I was totally excited.  He and Lindsey have been gone since the end of October and I must confess I am starting to really miss both of them.  Well, the phone finally rang and I quickly answered it but the reception was soooo bad we couldn't talk.  We tried three times....No luck.  Oh well....it's the thought that counts and it meant the world to me that he called.  They are so lucky to be sitting on a warm sunny beach.........It is so cold here tonight!

Talked to Maureen about the day and she said I should have a screenplay done of the blog.  Her suggestion was to have Julia Roberts play me and Harrison Ford play Bill.  She wondered who would be a good fill in for my pal Kathy saying that Phylis Diller would have been perfect except she died!  Maureen wants someone young and voluptuous to portray her role!

In any case, I did get home.....everything turned out fine.  I only have the ultra sound tomorrow, not both the ultrasound and PET as I previously told you.  The PET is scheduled for Thursday.  In some ways I think it would have been nice to just get it all over with in one day.  Oh well.....it is what it is....
Will keep you all posted.  Signing off   "The Ditz".  (I knew I should have bought the blonde wig!)

1 comment:

  1. Hey Leslie! I'm impressed that you're able to find the humor in all this. Sounds like a 'terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day'. Did you ever read that book? One of my favorite kids books.
    Strangely, I'm in the middle of writing a song about exactly this kind of day. I'll send you the recording when I'm done! Hope you settle in well at home. I'm sure boomer's glad to see you, and I'm also sure that Kelli misses you already. hugs! - Jessie

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