In June, Neha and I took on Calgary in our third city chase. We wanted a challenge and we definitely got what we wished for. Our goal was just to finish the race, but unfortunately we were only finishing our 8th checkpoint (out of 10) at the time the course ended. Considering that we were unfamiliar with the city, we still feel like we did well, especially since there were many repeat local competitors that also didn't finish. Highlights of the course included creating a synchronized hip hop dance for judges, wheel chair basketball, shooting guns and riding the c-train. This last photo is of us crossing our own finish line that we made after our three-legged race.
Okay, so back to July, the official start of my official summer. We went back to Calgary again. We went hiking at Mount Norquay to the Cascade Amphitheatre in Banff, and then we went to Neha's friend's engagement party and had a blast.
Next a week was spent in Fort McMurray, and much time was spent eating home-grown strawberries and basking in my parent's glorious backyard. My Uncle Curtis and his family came up for the weekend and we played with his kids, and then we celebrated my dad's birthday on July 13th.
And on July 15th, Karyn and I embarked on a great road trip across the prairie provinces to her cottage at Victoria Beach, Manitoba. Some people scoffed when I told them I was holidaying in Manitoba - scoff away, I had a fantastic trip in a beautiful place and I hope to return someday. First, the road trip. I defy anyone who tells me Saskatchewan is flat - I didn't notice. Only beautiful yellow canola fields and a lot of sky. Shortly after crossing the border into Manitoba, we were mooned by an adolescent in the cab of a truck at 120 km an hour on the transcanada highway. A special welcome to a special province. We camped the night in Brandon, almost froze to death and hit the road early the next morning. The next five days were spent reading, sleeping, kayaking, biking and suntanning on the beautiful beaches of Lake Winnipeg.
I flew back to Edmonton, where I have been since enjoying the new pace of life. It's amazing how busy one can still manage to be even when unemployed. I've really enjoyed being a part of the daytime crowd. I have observed that people drive much slower during the day, and that there seems to be an abudance of senior citizens and very pregnant women.
One last thing - Neha's Sangeet! A party for the bride and the wedding guests from her side of the family. Lots of singing, dancing and eating - my kind of party!
Stay tuned for Part II of this summer...
