February was an interesting, exciting, and scary month. It couldn't have started any worse, or at least I don't like thinking about a worse beginning.
February 1
Continuing the story from January 31, 2002.
The next morning, I called my boss to let him know what was going on and to tell him I wouldn't be going to work. I drove to the hospital and found Susan in good spirits, but still feeling weak. She told me that the doctor had visited and said she could go home if she could walk to the bathroom by herself.
The nurse wanted her to walk around, so we rigged up the mobile IV unit and headed out for a short, but time-consuming tour of the "Green" section. We found a hospital map and I described my confusion to Susan, hoping for some sympathy. I think she was too consumed with her own problems to care about my misdirection's.
Back at her room, we started gathering our things for her eventual release from the hospital. While verifying that we had all of her things, we noticed a sign on the mirror that said, "Check out time: 11:00am." No wonder the nurse was anxious for her to go for a walk. :)
As is customary for all hospitals, Susan was wheeled out by a hospital volunteer. The volunteer asked me where I was parked, and of course, I had no idea. She wanted me to pull up to the front doors of the "Green" section, but I was around back behind the "Red" section and was not sure how to get from red to green. I walked back to the car and started my search for the main entrance. I drove in what seemed to be the wrong direction when I discovered a hidden entrance to the front door. I pulled up to the sliding door and the volunteer wheeled Susan to the car.
Free from the confusion of the hospital corridors, I began my next mission; acquiring prescriptions from the pharmacy. As the pharmacy filled the order, we killed some time in the electronics section. With the prescription filled, we headed home and I started a new phase in my life; that of the butler. For the next three days, I was constantly in radio contact with Susan and available at a moment's notice for whatever she needed: water, medicine, lunch, Gatorade, etc. I can't imagine doing this 24/7. By Monday, I was ready to go back to the office!
February 4
Although Susan's birthday was nearly a month ago, I finally bought her present today. It's not that I was thoughtless or forgot it was her birthday; I actually ordered her present online on New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, the present was on back order, then delayed an additional two weeks, then delayed until mid-February. At that point, I cancelled the order.
With the order cancelled, I started searching locally for the Compaq iPaq Pocket PC. I found the best price at Best Buy. But more importantly, it was in stock! At lunch, I drove over to Best Buy to check out the merchandise first hand. I asked the sales clerk about the voice command feature. She looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language. I asked her if I could see the documentation. She handed me the owner's manual from the display unit and I found the section on voice commands. I showed it to the sales clerk to prove that I wasn't out of my mind. I was impressed, as expected, so I bought it. Susan finally got her present 22 days late.
February 7
After nearly five years, I finally went to see the eye doctor. I had almost forgotten how fun it is to have high-velocity air puffed in your eyes from point-blank range. Not to mention the agony of, "Is it clearer with A, or B. C or D. How about with E or F."
After performing his myriad of tests, the doctor was off to find me a pair of disposable lenses. In a few moments, he returned with a new pair of contacts in my prescription. I tried them on and he verified the fit. I was sent on my way with the promise of returning in a few days for a follow-up visit.
The next few days were unbearable. I don't recall being so aware of my vision, or lack thereof, since I received my previous lenses five years earlier. I thought it was just my eyes trying to get comfortable with new lenses. But after a few days, I couldn't endure it any longer, so I called the doctor's office and scheduled my follow-up. See February 20 for the rest of the story.
February 8
The opening ceremony of the XIX Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah welcomes the athletes of the world to the US. Who would have thought that just 5 months after 9/11, the world could come together -- in the United States no less -- to celebrate sports and peace? For the next two weeks, I raced home to watch the day's events. Living near Canada, we have the good fortune to receive the Canadian Broadcasting Company on our cable. The CBC carried all events live, unlike NBC which only showed the events live on the East coast. I watched the opening ceremony live, then watched the beginning again on NBC to see what I had missed earlier.
February 11
Like most things in life, the Olympics could not avoid a little controversy. The first controversy to strike was the pairs competition in figure skating. What to me appeared to be an absolutely flawless performance -- the performance of a lifetime -- was only good enough for Silver, whereas the Gold Medal winning performance had two painfully obvious stumbles. Later in the Games, pressure was applied by several governing bodies and the Canadian pair, Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, were given a share of the Gold Medal.
February 15
With the 18th being a holiday -- President's Day -- we decided to begin our long weekend with our second adventure into the Canadian Rockies. Susan and I planned a quick trip to Banff to enjoy the splendor of the Rocky Mountains and to thrill in the world class skiing at Lake Louise. Having been there in September, I was anxious to see the landscape from a different perspective; covered with powdery snow.
Due to the increased security measures at all airports, we started our trip as early as physically possible. Even so, we still felt pressured to catch our flight on time. We arrived at Sea-Tac about two hours early to a complete mob scene. There were hundreds of people going this way and that way; some with no idea where they were going. As we stepped of the escalator and headed for the Alaska Airlines check-in counter, folks were being directed around the corner by an airline agent. The line was literally around the corner, then around the next corner! We asked where to go to check in for our Horizon Airlines flight. We were very relieved when he pointed us to a line with only 10 people.
With our bags and skis -- an amazing amount of luggage for a long weekend and only two travelers -- checked in, we started towards our next challenge. The line to pass through security was beyond belief. I haven't seen so many people queued up since I visited Disney World. The end was nowhere in sight. I was expecting to see a sign stating, "45 minute wait from this point" or maybe a vendor selling souvenirs. With an hour and a half before departure, we were modestly confident that we would catch our flight. With forced smiles, we followed the line down the long corridor, where it looped back upon itself.
Finally through security, we arrived at our gate with a half hour to spare. Now it was time to stop worrying about time and start planning the short time available. The flight over the North Cascades and Canadian Rockies was spectacular; I took over 100 pictures from the airplane window. We picked up our Jeep Grand Cherokee from Thrifty at the Calgary International airport and were on our way.
Along the way, we started having problems. Nothing insurmountable, but problems nonetheless. The first problem was cash. The second problem was hunger. We had plenty of US money and we needed to find a bank to convert it to Canadian money so we could eat. This was very simple in September, but we were unable to find a bank this time. We were very excited to see a building that looked like a bank. We pulled off the main road, went around a neighborhood block, and found our way back to the building's entrance, only to discover that it was not a bank after all. Eventually we found a bank, but the teller was new and the process took much longer than necessary.
With the proper currency in hand, we were off in search of good fast food. We found an appealing place and pulled in. After ordering, Susan pulled out her Pocket PC and we began planning the details of our trip. We listed everything we wanted to do: ski at Lake Louise and Sunshine Village, revisit all photo shoot locations from September, visit the Olympic Park in Calgary, see the Northern Lights. We arranged all the events as best we could, paid the bill, and were on our way again.
The drive to Banff was gorgeous. The sun was shining and the mountains were inviting us from 70 miles away. We stopped at the park entrance to get our pass, then continued on to Banff. Our first stop was our hotel. We dropped off some of our luggage, then headed out to enjoy what was left of the sunshine.
Our first stop was a small park at the base of Cascade Mountain. Cascade Mountain is the dominant landmark of Banff. As you stand in Banff and look up the main street, Cascade Mountain fills the sky before you. The photo below was taken from the park. At the park, we watched an older couple pull a plastic sled up a small incline so two boys could ride back down to the bottom. A couple was out walking their pack of dogs, one of which came running up to greet us.
Moving on, we drove to the Banff Gondola. The temperature was below freezing, so we bundled up in all our ski gear and headed for the top of the mountain. Even though we only had 20 minutes on top, it was worth the trip. The photo below includes the Banff town site, the Bow River, and Cascade Mountain in the distance. Notice the shadow working its way up the mountainside. Once again, I was in photographer heaven. I took as many pictures as possible in the short time before we were asked to catch the last gondola down for the evening.
After descending the mountain, we started thinking about dinner. The hotel gave us a $25 dinner coupon for the restaurant two blocks down the road, so we decided to use it. I know, if the coupon is worth $25, how much do the meals cost? We bundled up, walked to the restaurant, and were seated. Right away, we knew that dinner would be very expensive. There was a big plate and a small plate, a big fork and a small fork, a big knife and a small knife, and a big spoon and a small spoon. There were three different types of wine glass, too. Any place with that much stuff on the table just has to be expensive.
We ordered an appetizer and a drink and the waiter took away half of our accompaniments and two of our glasses. Soon, the salad arrived and the plates were shuffled again. This constant attention to detail continued throughout dinner and into dessert. Needless to say, when we got the check, we were not surprised at the high price. It's a good thing the exchange rate favors Americans so much.
February 16
We decided early on that this would be our Lake Louise ski day. As you can imagine, skiing is a strenuous sport, so eating a big breakfast is a necessity. The previous night, we saw the breakfast menu at the fancy restaurant down the street while eating dinner. They offered an all-you-can-eat breakfast bar for a reasonable price; actually it was expensive, but I figured I could eat my money's worth.
Following breakfast, we headed back to the hotel, loaded our ski equipment, and headed for Lake Louise. Forty minutes later, we arrived at the main entrance. The parking lot was packed because it was an absolutely gorgeous day. I decided to abandon my goggles and go with my sun glasses. Since we were late arriving, I figured we would be a bit rushed on the slopes, so I decided to leave my camera in the car. Looking back afterwards, I wish I had taken it because the scenery and the views were unbelievable.
The first lift took us three fourths the way up the mountain. We then skied down to another lift which took us to the top. As we approached the top, the next ridge appeared and grew steadily in size and magnificence as we reached the top of the lift. My jaw had dropped into my lap. Oh how I wish I had my camera!
Skiing down the back side was like entering a giant bowl. Stopping at a ridgeline and looking into the bowl, we could see tiny specs at various points around the rim and at the bottom of the bowl; these specs were other skiers miles ahead of us. There were two ways to go; along the winding trail or straight down to the bottom. We chose wisely and thus we are both still alive to talk about it! After reaching what we thought was the bottom of the run, we found ourselves entering a long sloping valley.
The valley ended at another ski lodge and several lifts going in different directions. One could spend all day trying all the different lift and run combinations. We explored as much area as we could before the mountain closed for the day.
We were off the slopes by 4:30, but it was too early to head back to Banff. Instead, we drove over to Lake Louise and up to the Chateau. When we arrived we were amazed to find dozens of ice sculptures arranged around the hotel. The sculptures included horses, eagles, a sea serpent, a stegosaurus skeleton, a mermaid riding a dolphin, a sailing ship, a swan, a unicorn, a saber tooth tiger, and a giant grasshopper with a baby grasshopper on its back. A giant fort made of chunks of ice was out on the frozen lake. Skaters and hockey players enjoyed the lake as hikers walked along the edges toward the glacier at the far end.
Eventually, darkness fell upon us and we headed back to Banff. Back at the hotel, we decided to grab some dinner, then jump in the hot tub. Once out of the tub, we decided to call it an evening.
February 17
Sunday was earmarked as our day of skiing at Sunshine Village. We got up a little bit earlier; not too early -- it is a vacation after all. After two days at the expensive restaurant, we decided to go cheap and eat at the family restaurant next door. That was both a thrifty and a tasty decision.
We arrived at Sunshine Village to yet another packed parking lot. Unfortunately, the weather was a disappointing gray overcast with some light flurries floating about. We soon discovered that the parking area is literally miles away from the actual ski village. Transportation is provided by a gondola that first climbs in one direction, then makes a 90º turn to the left and continues further up the mountain, where it then slows to let people on and off, then it continues even higher to the village.
The village was crowded and full of activity. We donned our ski gear and headed for the nearest lift. After skiing a few runs on one slope, we crossed through the village and headed up the opposing slope. Upon reaching the top, I found myself completely exhausted and my calves were screaming in agony. After sitting in the snow for a while, I decided that I had had enough skiing for the weekend, so we headed back to Banff.
Although I was tired of skiing, I was anxious to revisit all the locations from our last visit. With camera in hand, and Susan napping in the passenger seat, I went in search of the perfect pictures. One of my favorite locations before was Vermillion Lakes. The three lakes are connected by a vast marsh with plenty of wildlife and great reflection views of the surrounding mountains. Another favorite attraction is the Banff Springs Resort. This beautiful structure is more a castle than a hotel.
Since Susan was already napping and I was getting sleepy by the moment, I decided to head back to the hotel. Back at the hotel, our exhaustion got the better of us. Susan headed up to the loft to take a nap. I "turned on" the fire, spread out on the couch, and watched the Olympics for a couple hours.
Rested but sore, we headed for the hot tub. Being late Sunday afternoon, we expected to have the whole tub to ourselves. We were surprised to find so many people, especially of the teenage variety, in "our" hot tub. We later discovered that Canadian schools have winter break the following week. I amused myself by eavesdropping on the flirtatious and braggadocios teenage conversation while Susan used the jets to massage her aching legs.
Relaxed but still a little sore, we bundled up and walked into town. We found a pizza shop still open and sat down for a late dinner. As we sat, dressed in layer upon layer, enjoying our pizza, we were reminded of how old and boring we are by the continuous stream of scantily clad twenty-something's streaming into the night club next door.
February 18
Monday began with one final stop to the family restaurant for breakfast. The plan for the day was to get some pictures from Lake Louise ski area, then drive back to Calgary for our short flight home. After breakfast, we packed our bags, checked out of the hotel, and headed for Lake Louise.
Along the way I found myself casually scanning the tree line for wildlife. While quickly looking to the right, I realized that I was staring eye to eye -- from a few hundred yards -- with a large male elk. It was such a startling sight that it took me a few seconds to realize what I had just seen. I looked to Susan for validation of my sighting, but she didn't see anything. I was tempted to turn around on the highway to see if I could find it again, but we were on a mission and time was limited. Susan was excited and started searching for an elk of her own. A few miles up the road, we spotted a small herd of females lying in an open field.
Looking at the cloudy sky in the direction we were traveling, we decided to change our plans and search for elk instead. While slowly driving along a back road, Susan spotted something deep in the trees. I stopped and backed up slowly until she spotted it again. It turned out to be the male elk in the picture below. I don't know how he caught her eye.
Along the side road back to Banff, we spotted several raven, including a large nest with two birds on the top of a telephone pole along the railroad tracks. My goal was to see a moose. My hopes piqued when I saw the sign for Moose Meadows. I pulled over and we each searched the meadows with our binoculars, but we didn't see anything.
We moved on and eventually arrived back in Banff. After one final drive down the main street in town, we said good-bye and headed for Calgary.
February 20
Continued from February 7.
On my follow-up visit, I explained to the doctor that something was not right with the new lenses. It was as if they were not maintaining proper contact with my cornea. He examined the fit and told me about a similar case that he had earlier. He offered a new, less curved pair of contacts for me to try. I tried them on and immediately could see and feel the improvement. I'm happy to report that I now have a nine month supply of disposable lenses, and the prescription is exactly the same as it was five years ago!
February 22
Despite the hard economic times last year, things are starting to look up. This year, Cisco started giving its employees bonus checks once again. Cisco has several criteria for handing out bonuses. Some of them include: profitability, number one or two in all markets entered, and customer satisfaction numbers reach previously set goal. Once the bonus is set aside, personal performance factors are then applied to determine the actual amount of each employee's bonus. I happily accepted a bonus that was approximately 1½ paychecks; very nice indeed.
February 23
The Northwest Aviation Conference has once again descended upon Puyallup, Washington. Every year, the Ninety-Nines hold a parallel seminar for the spouses called "Flying Companions". This year Susan made reservations for this, so I dropped her off at the hotel on the hill and drove back down to the conference alone. I met my friend Todd in the parking lot and we headed into the show.
This year's primary guest speaker was Phil Boyer, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). I always enjoy listening to Phil because he is at the center of everything that affects General Aviation (GA) pilots. Since September 2001, many government officials have tried to block GA access to our airspace. GA aircraft were grounded for more than 60 days, while airline traffic resumed within two days. Phil and AOPA has been there talking common sense and breaking down barriers to GA.
At the break, I went shopping with Todd for a water filtration system and lunch. Afterwards, Todd went home and I sat through a seminar on Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. Susan's seminar concluded, so I headed back to the hotel on the hill and we went home.
February 24
Fresh from her "Flying Companions" seminar in Puyallup and full of aviation knowledge, I decided it was time to put Susan's education to the test and let her experience flying first hand, from the "driver's" seat. In an effort to increase the interest in General Aviation, the "Be A Pilot" organization is offering $49 coupons for introductory flights. The flights last 30 minutes and allow the interested party to fly the plane.
Susan and I made a reservation with Regal Air, at Paine Field in Everett. Susan was nervous about the idea of landing the plane by herself. I told her that her attitude was all wrong -- the instructor will "let" you land the plane, not "make" you land it. Then I told her that the instructor will not make her do anything that she doesn't want to do.
We met the instructor and talked about the flight. Then we walked out to our waiting Cessna 172. The instructor walked Susan through the preflight inspection and then we all got in the plane; Susan was in the pilot's seat and I was alone in the back. Susan tried taxiing the plane while the instructor talked on the radio and monitored our progress. We were cleared to take off to the west and away we went. Out over the water, the air became rough and Susan expressed her discomfort as the plane began to bank from one side to the other. The instructor told Susan that the plane will do what you tell it to do, so if the left wing drops, pick it back up with the flight controls. We flew out to Whidbey Island and did a few turns. The air was smoother and Susan was able to maintain control very well. Once back at Paine Field, Susan let the instructor land the plane. I will never forget Susan's calm statement during the turbulence: "I'm not comfortable with this."
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