2011

This is the last post for 2010....

I'm hoping 2011 will go much better than how 2010 ended. I am hoping for a new start; to start fresh and to become the person I want to be.

We are bottle feeding some lambs here at the farm that were our gift on Christmas Day. They have become my new babies and I am enjoying giving them my undivided attention.

That, and the rest of my energy is spent searching for jobs to apply for.

I hope my luck changes around soon....

I am running out of money.

Bye for now!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year-!!!

Extremes?!

Is it possible for a relationship to have too many extremes?

Over the last couple weeks, ever since the breakup, people have been asking me what went wrong.

I wish I knew....

I have gone over many different reasons and I still don't have an answer.

Could the many extremes our relationship went through been a detriment?

We met on a trip to China...

Two months after our relationship began he left for a year away at school....

When I finished school I moved to where he was...

It was stressful; it took a long time to find a job...

Then we left on a 5 week trip across the country....

Is it possible that by the time we got back and had the chance to settle down into a less extreme relationship it was too late?

We were both happy--but we feared we could be happier.

This is my chance to be happier and yet, right now anyhow, I feel 100 times worse.

When will the lonely heart go away? When will I be able to not think that we have just made the biggest mistake of our life? When will I be able to know that this was exactly how it should be? Will I ever know that or will I always wonder?

I wish somebody could help me with these answers....

Instead...I will ponder, by myself.

I will cry.

I will listen to music.

And I will try to heal....try.

Lifehouse--

The broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep tonight

Maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time

I am here still waiting though i still have my doubts

I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing

With a broken heart that's still beating

In the pain, there is healing

In your name I find meaning

So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on

I'm barely holdin' on to you

The broken locks were a warning you got inside my head

I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead

I still see your reflection inside of my eyes

That are looking for a purpose, they're still looking for life

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing

with a broken heart that's still beating

In the pain (in the pain), is there healing

In your name (in your name) I find meaning

So I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin')

I'm barely holdin' on to you

I'm hangin' on another day

Just to see what you throw my way

And I'm hanging on to the words you say

You said that I will be OK

The broken lights on the freeway left me here alone

I may have lost my way now, haven't forgotten my way home

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing

with a broken heart that's still beating

In the pain(In the pain) there is healing

In your name I find meaning

So I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'),

I'm barely holdin' on to you

I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'),

I'm barely holdin' on to you

It comes in waves

Hmm...some days I am seemingly fine. Seemingly is the key---I am pretty good and putting on a happy face and being joyous when it needs to be....and sometimes I just can't.

That is where the waves of sadness comes in.

Some days I wake up and I have this feeling that what has happened this last month was meant to happen...

And other times I wake up and all i want to do is jump in my car and go back to him. I want it to be back to how it was so I don't hurt as much as I do now.

Christmas has been really hard. I managed to be seemingly happy on Christmas Day, but Boxing Day was a complete disaster. Everything I did reminded me of the memories I have had or made.

The scenery reminded me of the many days spent in Invermere; sleeping on the floor reminded me of doing that with him a month ago; going to the wild lights at the park reminded me of the zoo lights I went to with him this time last year; playing with Teka reminded me of the fun we had throwing a stick for her at the river; and going to the ski hill reminded me of the passion he has for doing that sport.

It was very, very hard.

I have, like all challenges, survived and now I am back at my dads. He was gifted with twin lambs born Christmas Day and so now I can go and play with them as well as the dog and horses to help me heal.

Animals seem to know when you are hurting and they are very compassionate and loving beings and it is nice. It is nice to not have to talk or put on a happy face and know that they are going to stand by you no matter what.

Today I am doing ok....just ok. When I woke up I had a very strong urge to E-mail him, but I knew I shouldn't. And so I haven't.

Instead I will stick my nose into writing cover letters & resumes because I desperately need a job.

Jobbbbbb....

If anyone ever sees/knows or is a person who can help me with a PR/Media/Communications job please let me know!!!

It would be greatly appreciated.

Christmas

This is a late blog to all of my viewers.
I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Today has been very difficult for me. I am out in Kamloops spending Christmas with my mother and it is a trigger for all of the amazing memories I have had with Alexander.

I am not sad for the great memories, but sad that I will not be making anymore of those great memories---well not in the same way anyhow.

I will get through this rough day, just like I have all others....but today has been bad.

I feel the empty pain and heart ache like I did the day I drove away from his house.

It sucks.

I am waiting for that day that the heart ache will go away, and I will be able to look at all of this as a necessary step in my life.

One day...


That is all for now,


Merry Christmas Everyone!

xoxo

A Little Perspective...

My life has been turned upside down this last week and it has been really hard. I have had to pack, I have had to move, I have had to change my game plan on life and I have had to realize that I can do things on my own.

What I am trying to say is that I am very lucky to have what I have. When something bad happens to you, like a parting, you feel empty and lost and every emotion possible.

I should be thankful for the things I do have. The place to come back to; home, the friends to hang out with and the family to help it through it all.

Everything that I am going through was put into perspective when some friends of ours had their house burn down last night. The whole community was at a school Christmas supper and concert and nobody knew it was happening.

I've heard that by the time the fire crew got there it was already too late.

When I say I feel lost, it cannot possibly feel as painful and empty as how that family is feeling right now.

I have a place to stay warm, I have all of my belongings with me, and I have a place to be at Christmas.

I am thoroughly saddened to hear about this fire and I know our entire community will step forward to help the family out.

This is a shout out to everyone: soak in everything you have; don't take anything for granted, you never know when it will be taken away from you.

Broken--Lifehouse

Music usually tells a story.

This song tells my story or at least helps explain how i'm feeling right now

It's been a week

It has been a week.

I just realized that.

I can't stop crying.

I am continuously sad for the things we said we would do together but now don't get the chance to do. I am sad for the things that we will never get to do.

I am sad.

I have been so busy since this has all happened that I don't think I really realized what has happened.

Maybe just now I realized.

It is not a nightmare. It is real.

Time to curl up with my teddy bear and try and get some sleep.

Gah.

Unpacking..

I seem to have trouble sleeping these days. Usually when I come back to the farm I sleep solid through the night. Right now, I don't go to bed before 12:30am and I definitely do not sleep soundly. Any slight noise, at anytime of the night wakes me up.

It isn't the bed and it's definitely not that I feel scared, but something is causing me to not want to sleep. I know I am tired, I know I am exhausted, but somehow I feel as if I stay awake it makes every else that I'm feeling, well...feel better.

In a way it does. As I have said, the hardest, loneliest part of my day is right when I get into bed. I think my not wanting to sleep and not sleeping is because I try so hard every night to postpone that feeling.

Anyhow, this rant has nothing to do with the title of this blog, but I am writing it because right now it is 12:10am and I am avoiding going to sleep.

I had wanted to write a post about my lack of unpacking and so, here it goes.

I do not want to unpack. That means that my world has actually been turned upside down and it means that this not just a really bad dream.

The bad dream is not that I am home; I love home. I love the fact that I have been able to see my friends 4 or 5 times this week, whereas when I was in Calgary I was lucky to see them once a month. The bad dream is that I really do have to start over. I need to come up with a plan and I need to execute it.

I am running out of money. I have student loans and a phone bill that needs to be paid every month on the dot. With no job this is very stressful. It also makes it even more difficult because it is Christmas and I have always loved Christmas.

I am very thankful that my dad is helping me out with a few loan payments for the next couple months. It will allow me not to be as stressed out as much about money and I can spend my time searching for a job.

I don't just want a job for the money, I actually need one. I love to work, I love to be busy and I love that a job will allow me to keep my mind of other things.

I do not want to unpack because I am hoping I will be able to get a chance to start over pretty soon. I need that chance to start over and I need to make sure I do things for myself.

I am making a plan so that I can pay of my loans ASAP and I am making a plan to do things that I haven't been able to do yet, but that I have always wanted to do.

This is in writing; in a few years you will see blogs from me in Africa. I have always wanted to work/volunteer in Africa and I have made a note to myself to make sure that happens.

Unpacking means I am here to stay; I am not. This is a safe place to stay for a while until i get my feet back above water and can walk on sand.

I am ready for that sand.

Snow

We've taken quite a beating from Mother Nature lately and it makes getting around very, very challenging.

Because we are no longer on the bus route the road to our farm does not get plowed out as often as it needs to be.

Lots of snow, lack of snow removal and a giant hill going to our house makes it very difficult.

Last night we were hit with a huge pile of snow and the weather is not exactly freezing cold, so it is making the roads very, very slick.

My brother got half way to the highway today and decided to turn around and come home. He couldn't make it up our hill.

My dad and I had to go help him and we took his car to town. We then tried to get home in a van and were spinning our tires all the way up the hill. It was a challenge to keep the tires in the tracks and not spin out too much that we would have to go the bottom of the hill and try again.

For any of you have seen the hill to my house, you know what a pain in the ass that hill can be. Winter sucks.

I know people in the city complain if the roads are shit, but it takes one kind of driver to drive winter weather in the city and another kind of driver to drive winter weather in rural areas.

I did not venture out anywhere today in my car. I have plans for tomorrow night and Friday and I hope very much that I will be able to go, but I will make that call when the time comes.

I know that I will be able to get out and into town, I am just worried that I will not be able to get back.

Please, snow removal come my way. I am very much used to living in the city and being able to go places, so when I am stuck at the farm, with too much snow to drive anywhere I get ....well...

anxious.

The Flu

So when I went to bed last night all was well, it was like any other night at the Bergman household.

It all changed around 1am when I began to her a continuous noise from the bathroom. It seemed a bit strange as I know my brother had just gone to bed and dad was definitely sleeping.

I fell back asleep until I heard noises from the bathroom again. This time I went out to investigate.

It was dad...

he was sick.

Seeing your father sick is quite the shock to your system. Usually dad is looking after me. Somehow he had caught the flu and was having a hell of a time. He said he had crazy stomach cramps and vomiting and well....the other stuff and I can imagine just how unpleasant it was.

It seemed to settle down shortly after 3am and so we both went back to bed.

Dad was up at 5ish am like he usually is to go to work. As I heard him out and about I realized maybe I should check up on him to make sure he is alright.

He was as white as a ghost and informed me that he had managed to whack his head and back on the corner frame of his bed when he got a leg cramp and stomach cramp at the same time.

Now he has a sore head, a sore back, with obvious marks of being smashed and a very, very tender tummy.

Because he never stops we headed to Edmonton. I could tell just how weak he was as he did not want to get out of the car at all. I felt sorry for him, so I helped with groceries and stuff as much as I could.

When we got back home, he crashed.

He is now asleep, resting and sleeping off the awful flu.

I hope he feels better tomorrow....

My best friend's wedding!

So I have known for over a year that my best friend is getting married. Actually, I found out on Facebook chat as I was in China when the engagement happened.

As the wedding is approaching--it is taking place this June, I am begining to make preparations to be there for my best friends big day.

Yesterday my father and I organized a mass booking for four of us to fly out there.

We are going for just shy of a week and are making it our mini vacation plus wedding.

As I begin to look into more and more details of what I have to do for the wedding I am getting more and more excited!

Once again ---Congratulations Amber and Ian on your engagement---I can't wait for your wedding!

Freaking Out...

So the other day when I arrived back at the farm after it all happened I soaked in the tub.

I had put on my favorite necklace of all time before I left to make me feel a little better.

When I soaked in the tub i took it off and set it on the back of the toilet.....

Today, when I went to grab my necklace to put it on it wasn't there.

This is the one I am talking about.

From Impressions From Here and There...

Guess what happened next?! I broke down. I was a complete wreck. I was literally freaking out. Crying, running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Ya--freaking out.

It was a gift from Alexander to me and though we are not together anymore it means a lot to me. I was a mess as I had just lost him, I did not want to lose that necklace too.

I had to go to town so I could not look for it, but when I got home I did.

I searched high and low, behind the toilet, around the toilet....everywhere!

I just about gave up hope when I had a little flashback as to where I, yes, I had moved it to.

It has been found!

It was such a sigh of relief that my beautiful necklace can still hang close to my heart. I needed it to keep going. I needed it to be that connection to my heart.

Sleeping Alone....

My friends and family have kind of come to my rescue and decided it be best if they were around to keep me busy.

I have barely had time to think and that has probably been the best thing for me.

This weekend my two best friends came out to visit. (One from Edmonton, and the other from close by). We didn't do a lot; we played cards and talked and enjoyed the wonderfullness of the horses and we avoided the crappy weather.

Despite all the company in the day the hardest part are those first few minutes you get into bed and you realize you are sleeping alone.

It kind of makes me sad about all the times I went on or joked about being pushed off the bed and now I miss it. I miss not having that body beside me, or that warmth, or just knowing that if something happened someone is right beside me to keep me safe.

I miss the sleep.

I get sad at this moment when I miss everything and it makes the sleeping very challenging. My sleep patterns are completing out of whack so now I stay up till around 2am and I am awake again at 9:30am or 10am.

I am getting very tired.

The problem is, I probably could sleep if my brain would shut off, but it won't. For now I cannot seem to get out that longing, emptyness and moment of missing him when I first get into bed.

I wish he was there beside me, but he is not.

I need to get used to sleeping alone....

Actually, I need to get used to a lot of things, that's just one that is really evident right now.

An Empty heart

When your heart fills up you never really realize that it is happening. You never feel full of love, you just are. But when you lose something--that thing that has been so dear to you and part of your life for many, many months you feel...

Empty.

It is an empty-ness that I cannot explain. It is just there. The left side of my chest just feels raw and bare and open.

I have been told that time heals all wounds, so I am hoping time heals mine.

My family and friends are giving me incredible support and I am extremely thankful for it.

I have realized that the most important thing for me to do is keep busy.

Today I helped my dad with the horses--they have always been a calming source for me, and we bedded the sheep with warm straw as it is cold outside.

I also helped dad with X-mas decorations at his cafe and went to a X-mas party with him----all to stay busy.

The rest of my day is definitely consumed by that feely of loneliness and that wish that I could just call or message that one person who I have spent sooo many hours, days and months with---but I can't.

I am supposed to let go and so as another day passes I am trying to step further and further away and try and make the gaping whole in my heart heal.

I am not only doing this for me, but for him as well.

Starting over..

Sometimes in life we have to make some of the hardest decisions ever. These decisions don't only affect our lives but those around us (Our friends, our family, our friends friends, and their family).

Yesterday my better half and i decided to part ways. It was, without a doubt one of the hardest decisions we have ever made. We did not part in an argument, or with anger or rage--it was mutual, amicable and very difficult.

Right now we both need some time to heal. We need some time to grow apart and to realize that we are strong and that we can do things on our own.

We both have to start over.

I have gone back to my dads place for a while. As I am still in the process of finding a job I have the luxury of going to the farm where I feel that I am in a safe and tranquil environment.

As for my future plans; I need to decide where I want to be. At this point, I could take a communications job anywhere as nothing is keeping me in one spot.

I truly thank my friends and family for being here to support me, especially Amber and Ian who came down to Calgary yesterday to pick me up when I was a complete wreck.

As for Alexander, if you do read this: be strong, start over and take care.

Jobzzzzz...

So, it was tough to find employment when I was in Saint John and I was expecting to be difficult upon returning to Calgary and it has been just that-- tough.

I am still on the search for a job and as Christmas is approaching faster and faster and my money is dwindling more and more I am in need of a job just that much more....any job would be good!

Right now I continue to send out resumes and cover letters for communications jobs on a regular basis and I have also dropped my resume off at some restaurants for serving positions.

I need something to do!...plus the money!

Cross-Canada Trip!--Total Distance

To wrap up the posts on our unforgettable Cross-Canada Road Trip here are our total distance numbers:

-In Jerusalem: 10, 478 km's

-In the Jeep : 3, 253 km's

TOTAL KM'S: 13, 741

A Winter Wonderland!!

With our Cross-Canada Road Trip over I have been able to slowly sort out stuff that I have missed or left to do later. I have gone through all of my mail, car registration stuff and banking and am now on a full fledged search for a job.

One thing I did forget to get along the way were some snow boots and I desperately needed them this morning when Calgary received its first snowfall of the year! And did we ever get a dumping!!

With the roads a little slick and slushy I was so very glad that last year my car got new tires. These new ones worked perfectly and I drove slow and steady to run my errands.

Because the snow caught me by surprise I had to wear my running shoes to the doctor this morning and my feet got cold and wet. I realized rather fast that I probably should stop at the mall and grab myself some snow boots. DONE & DONE.

I am happy to say I am now prepped for winter --though I probably should find myself a few more pairs of mitts (since I always seem to lose them).

THE PLAN NOW: Find myself a job......

There was definitely a rodeo at the Rodeo

So as some of you may know I used to work as a reporter for the CPRA--(Canadian Professional Rodeo Association).

During the week of Remembrance Day, the rodeo association holds its championship finals, known as the CFR (Canadian Finals Rodeo) in Edmonton, Alta.

I have gone to watch for many years, and two years ago I was working for the rodeo association and was able to get a "back stage" look at the ins and outs of how the event works.

It is a site to see, and while I was there I was overwhelmed at the hard work and care that goes into the rodeo itself.

This past CFR a freak accident happened and a bull jumped completely over the arena rails and landed on the first row of rodeo onlookers.

Many comments have been posted regarding animal cruelty and the affects rodeo and similar events has on the animals.

I have had first hand experience and observed the care and attention ALL of the rodeo animals receive, (from the bulls to the steers to the contestants horses).

I think that all of the people who comment negatively towards the rodeo itself should stop and think about how much experience they have in the rodeo business before they pass any judgement as to how the animals are cared for.

In my opinion, rodeo stock is looked after more diligently than some people's children...the incident at this particular CFR was just a freak accident!

Nuff said...

Please check out the video below of the bull's leap... (skip to 2:20min to watch)

Also, my prayers go out to all of the CFR audience members who were injured or know someone who was injured due to this accident.

Lest We Forget!

On November 11th at 11Am we took our minute of silence to remember those who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom.

Alexander brought his trumpet to play the last post and his friend Becky read In Flanders Field.

We went to the top of the hill at Bella Vista so that the sound would carry to as many as possible.

The minute of silence made me stop and think of those brave men and women who are still fighting for a better world today.

Maybe one day soon all men and women will be remembering and not fighting.

I found this movie on Youtube: Enjoy!

November 7, 2010--Day Thirty-Nine!

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT ALL OF MY CROSS-CANADA PHOTOS HERE!!!

It is updated on a regular basis, so don't forget to check it out!!

When we woke up I hurried around the house trying to gather up all of the stuff I needed to take back to Calgary. A ton of my stuff is at dad’s as I moved it out of my old apartment before I headed to Saint John. I quickly found some clothes and hair products I needed and threw them in the car.

When all was packed we gave dad a dingle, asked if he had time to cook us up some breakfast at the café, and then headed in to town. Alexander went and said goodbye to the horsies quickly while I made sure everything was in the cars.

After breakfast we said goodbye to dad an then headed on our way back to Calgary. The trip isn’t very long—only 4.5 hours and I have done it many, many times now, so I lead, and Alexander followed with the Jeep.

We were headed back to Calgary!

We had definitely had our fair share of car troubles along the way and this final trip wouldn’t have been our adventurous finale to our Cross-Canada RoadTrip without some troubles.

We had almost made it to Calgary and were on the QE2 when Alexander’s Jeep decided it had had enough. He tried to use the accelerator, but instead of giving the engine more oomph and bringing him forwards the engine quieted down and his RPM’s fell. He could still drive at speed, but all acceleration was gone.

When we reached Calgary Alexander was in the special situation where he had to turn on his hazard lights going up hills because the Jeep could not get to the speed limit. I now followed behind him with my hazard lights on as well to make it safer. We did manage to get the Jeep home, but neither of us were very impressed that the Jeep was having problems. We were not happy on one side, but happy that our trip was coming to a close and this issue was not happening as we crossed the Rockies.

As we were in Calgary for a few days we were able to get the Jeep into the dealership to get checked out. Most of the people we asked hoped it was the cheapest thing to fix—the Fuel filter. It was not! It turns out the Jeep needed a complete electrical overhaul—with $750 worth of essential repairs.

Unemployed and currently arriving home from a 39 day Cross-Canada Road Trip this was not the news we needed. We were running out of money!

Anyways, we were supposed to take the Jeep to BC for Remembrance Day, but when we were packing I noticed something very important. Turns out that the entire time we have been driving the Jeep the registration had been expired. Oops!... so... we did not take it out to BC for Remembrance Day... yeah... we took my newly registered car instead…..

Back to the jist of this post. We made it to Calgary. We made it home.

After 39 Days on the road we made it from Saint John, New Brunswick to Calgary, Alberta, with quite a very interesting adventures in between.

Wow.

I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else! Thank you Alexander for being there with me and going on this trip together. It is a memory I will never forget

Ladies and Gentlemen, friends and family—our Cross-Canada Road Trip is over….

November 6, 2010--Day Thirty-Eight!

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT ALL OF MY CROSS-CANADA PHOTOS HERE!!!

It is updated on a regular basis, so don't forget to check it out!!

View Larger Map

My dad usually works weekends, but having known that we were coming to visit he took off Saturday morning. It was extremely nice of him, and it was great to relax with him. Before

We started talking about the race horses--which we breed, raise and run and which I have grown up with for most of my life. We had just taken one of our two-year olds down to our horse trainer to get broke so before we knew it we were in the car and on the road to watch as one of her employees gallops the horses around. Joan Petrowski is one of the most exceptional horse women and trainers around and her stables are about a 45 minute drive from our house.

When we arrived at the stables we said hi to Joan and then went directly out back to watch Bobby gallop one of the horses. He literally takes the two-year olds from just being halter broken to rideable. It is a very risky job as Thoroughbreds are very high-strung, but I can tell that he really enjoys it.

We said hello to eyelash—the two-year old which dad had taken down to get trained a few weeks earlier. She was not being galloped today as she had pulled a stifle and needed rest. Eyelash is gynormous for her age, 16 hands high…and according to Bobby has a temper. Actually, when she was getting trained she decided she wanted out of the round pen so tried to jump over it. She didn’t make it, but she did manage to completely wreck the pen itself. They now have a new post and planks in place of where the old section of the pen used to be. Yup…we raised that terror of a horse!

I’ve spent many hours at Viking Stables and at the race track in Edmonton so it was exciting for me to be able to show Alexander this part of my life. One day soon I hope to take him up to Edmonton when the races are going on, because it is an interesting thing to see.

We stopped in Innisfree to grab dad’s van, as he had brought my car home in the morning as it was diagnosed and fixed. When we got home we finished the second part of The Sculptress. Just like dad said, it will give you some crazy memories. We never found out if the Sculptress actually committed the murders or not, but she was found not guilty of her crimes, after being committed for months and was let out of jail.

Alexander had the fantastic idea of trying to get some silhouette shots of the horses out in the pasture. This worked out quite well as the sun was setting and we were waiting for my best friend Amber to meet us to take us to one of my other friends.

Alexander was out in the field playing with the horses and I was in search of the kittens. (We have four wild, wild kittens)!

I went out in the field to check on Alexander and before we knew it Amber had arrived. She went into the house, realized we weren’t there, then saw us in the field. She had seen our Thoroughbred baby when he was first born, so she wanted to see him quickly before we headed out. We trekked up to the corral, visited with the babies quickly then headed out.

Once at my friend Sharon’s place we went inside and literally chilled. Sharon had saved one of the kittens I had found at the farm and it was now one of the house dog/cats. Sharon has three pets. Timmy, Honey and Buddy (the cat she had saved from me).

We played with the cat, and cuddled with the dogs. Since we weren't doing much and all three of us girls were horsey girls, we sat and watched the Breeders Cup Classic and gah!!...was it exciting! Alexander seemed to enjoy the race too, so that was good to see.

I don't know how many of you have been following this big race, but it had special significance. The greatest racehorse of all time, Zenyatta, was running her 20th race. She has won all of her other 19 races. This makes her better than Secretariat and Seabiscuit. Anyways, this race brought her out of retirement and would leave her in retirement after. It was incredible! When the race started she was dead last. Sh was far, far behind the group. It was tragic to watch, the horses were running and running, and the crown favourite, Zenyatta was at the back. It was kind of like watching everyone's heart breaking. But, then, suddenly the jockey saw an opening. he pushed Zenyatta forwards and she broke into her famous sprint that has made her so incredible. From being behind the crowd she burst forwards and passed horse after horse. She was gaining on the leader, but running out of track. This was where everyone's heard broke. The excitement of watching Zenyatta burst through the crowd gave everyone high hopes that were shattered when Zenyatta lost the race...by a nose. Just a few inches and that was all. Her perfect record broke as she entered retirement forever. I don't think second is that bad, but I guess when you are on the cusp of history like that, maybe it is. I felt sad for the jockey, who blamed the entire loss of Zenyatta's race on himself. He was in tears, and kept saying it was his fault. It was devastating for everyone.

After the race we had an amazing supper cooked by Sharon’s boyfriend Donald, then we enjoyed a huge bonfire, got dropped off back at the farm by Amber and then headed to sleep.

November 5, 2010--Day Thirty-Seven!

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT ALL OF MY CROSS-CANADA PHOTOS HERE!!!

It is updated on a regular basis, so don't forget to check it out!!

View Larger Map

We woke up and decided we best head to Vegreville ASAP to figure out the car just in case something goes wonky. First, I gave Alexander a quick tour of the farm. He saw all of the animals, minus the sheep, but he had seen them out the bedroom window when we woke up.

Before long we were on the road. We met dad half way to the highway and just let him know we were on our way and would be back in a bit. Like most trips to the registry it took a while to sort everything out. I was getting a new ID as I was changing my address, and they couldn’t’ read the dates on my temporary pink card, so I had to get my insurance company to resend the card. It took a while…

Anyhow, when all was done we stopped at the World’s Largest Ukranian Easter Egg and then continued on.

When we arrived home dad had brunch waiting for us. He had cooked up some eggs, bacon and pancakes, and we enjoyed them with Gilles and Francine’s maples syrup which I had brought home for them to try. It was delicious.

Dad is looking after a horse for a friend, and it is a horse for my two cousins to ride. He is an old 4-H and gymkhana horse so he is usually very quite. This horses name is Chubby. It took a few minutes for us to catch him and bridle him up, but before long I was aboard and so was Alexander. We figured we could double up and go bareback for a short ride and so off we went. We rode quietly down the road, checked out the field and then continued back. We really hadn’t gone far, or for a long ride at all, but Chubby had had enough. When we headed into the driveway he wanted to gallop. I held him back so he decided to buck. With no saddle and two people aboard this is ummm…challenging. The outcome was Alexander being thrown into me and me being thrown into him. It didn't take long and I was chillin out on Chubby’s neck. When I was eye to eye with him he figured he had better stop. Dad came bootin’ it out of the house with the lead rope in town to grab chubby. I jumped off to lead him around, as I wasn’t letting Chubby go back to his friends quite that fast. Alexander stayed aboard and we walked around the farm.

We bumped into my Uncle at the back of the farm and talked with him briefly then we took Chubby back to his friends.

I wanted to show Alexander the view of the lakes at the top of our pasture, so we took my dog, Minto with dads chore van and headed up to the hill. There we walked around and checked out the view and took photos of the fields and the harvested bales that were everywhere. My dog is getting old, so I felt bad for her. She isn’t as active as she was when she was little and it is noticeable as I have grown up with her. I took her to and from the yard in the van and I think she thanked me very much.

I wanted to take my car into Innsfree to run it, as it had been sitting for 5 months. As soon as I turned on the engine, the engine light came on. Crap!!

I phoned dad and he suggested I keep it at the farm and he will look at it when he gets back from work, so that is what we did. We took the Jeep into Innisfree. I wanted to show Alexander where I went to school, where I grew up and where was home for me. I have spent a lot of time around his home (both in Calgary and out in BC) and it felt great to be able to show him where I grew up.

I showed up Innisfree Delnorte School (where I went from K-12). It is much, much different from when I was there, as over the last year and a bit it has undergone catastrophic renovations and downsizing. From there we toured the curling rink and the back streets and then stopped on Mainstreet at the Video Café, which my dad owns and runs. After that, I showed Alexander the bank, post office and museum and within about 10min he had seen ALL of Innisfree.

We headed back to the farm, which is about an 8min drive from Innisfree and went up to feed the baby horses. They are about 6 months old so they are just little. One of them is a Thoroughbred, which was born in the spring and the other dad bought about a month ago to keep the other baby company. They are very,very cute and seem to enjoy each others company.

Alexander took tons and tons of photos—and they were spectacular shots of the farmland and animals and of great silhouettes of the horses out in the pasture. Make sure to check out both of our blogs for those amazing photographs.

My brother had offered to take us out for dinner, so we headed to Vegreville again to meet up with him after work. We went to Boston Pizza and it was great to catch up with what Gem had been upto. Thanks Gem for buying us supper!!!

When I arrived home the phone rang. Dad wanted me to bring my car into down so that a mechanic could look at it in the am, and I could hitch a ride home with him when he was done work and so I did.

When we arrived back home we watched some TV. We were watching Apprentice, since it was on, when dad arrived home. It was a very humorous episode of The Apprentice as the project manager had a huge man-crush on a model and was asked on National Television by Mr. Trump if he was gay. The project manager got redder and redder and more embarrassed and was eventually fired, but it really was quite entertaining.

Dad always seems to find intriguing books and movies to read or watch (probably because he owns a bookstore/movie store) so he suggested we watch the Sculptress. It is an interesting film about the story of a woman who was convicted of murdering her family but who may or may not have done it. It was an extremely long film, so we only watched Part 1, said our goodnights and then headed to bed.

November 4, 2010--Day Thirty-Six!

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT ALL OF MY CROSS-CANADA PHOTOS HERE!!!

It is updated on a regular basis, so don't forget to check it out!!

View Larger Map

Our time in Kamloops had ended. Before we knew it we were on the road with A&W breakfast sandwiches in our hands. We drove north towards Jasper. For the first while it was that same Wild West hilly terrain that surrounds Kamloops, but after that it turned into the rugged Rockies. We climbed and climbed and climbed and found ourselves in the midst of snow-capped mountains.

In the mountains we took a quick break. There was a Terry Fox Peak, and since we had already seen so much of Terry Fox we thought we should stop. There was a river running through the valley of the peak but it was too far down to get to. Instead we stood, marvelled at the peaks, ogled the largest crow ever, and then continued on our way.

When we made it to Jasper we were delayed by a pack of Bighorn Sheep. They were sitting on the highway, just like they do in Radium. Alexander snapped a photo as we went passed and then we continued. Onward through Alberta; through Edmonton, and stopping quickly in Vegreville for gas. Then, we before we knew it we were at the farm! HOME!!!

My dad and bro were waiting for us, and when we arrived we had pork chops and mashed potatoes. It was a perfect meal for Alexander, and I think made especially for him of just meat and potatoes. Lucky him.

We caught up on stuff and discussed what I needed to do before I headed back to Calgary. I had piles of mail to go through and one of the two reasons we headed to Innisfree was to show Alexander around and to pick up my car. I had insurance, so all I had to do was get registration for my Chrysler Neon. I would do that tomorrow in Vegreville.

After a bit we headed to the bedroom. We watched an episode of Castle and then called it a night!

November 3, 2010--Day Thirty-Five!

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT ALL OF MY CROSS-CANADA PHOTOS HERE!!!

It is updated on a regular basis, so don't forget to check it out!!

View Larger Map

We slept reasonably well, but we were not alone. Sometime in the middle of the night Tika wanted to cuddle with us. She is extremely well mannered so she did not just jump on us, but instead waited at our feet. She managed to wake us both, as we realized we had something lying on our feet. When we woke, it gave her permission to cuddle closer. She slept between us for a while and when she didn’t like that anymore she slept at our heads, guarding over us. Somewhere in the middle of the night my mother decided it was tea time and came down for a cup. Realizing Tika was MIA she called to her, waking us up and Tika. I informed Mom that Tika was chilling at our heads, she got her tea and we all went back to sleep…

In the morning mom headed to school again, although meeting a little trouble along the way. The landlord was moving some cattle and tied a rope across the driveway. Not seeing the rope and driving quickly mom drove into the rope which slid up the windshield, ripping off both wipers and cracking the windshield…it was not a good morning for her.

She phoned us to let us know to watch out for the rope, but we didn’t plan to go anywhere so we were safe.

We got up, packed some water and snacks and headed to the hills. We had been eyeing up the nearby hill to climb since we arrived at my moms, so today was the day! We ran into the landlord and he told us to literally just walk straight up the hill, and so we did.

We stopped and started a few times, because of our lack of fitness level, and to check out the view but the most dangerous element was night the sheer grade of the hill but the cacti, which took over the hills bank. They were everywhere, so our eyes had to stay wide, wide open to avoid the deadly plant, thingy! Despite trying very hard, we did have some issues with the cacti. If one stood on one it would detach from the main plant and stick to your shoe. Then, when you continued walking it would detach from your shoe as it imbedded itself in your leg! This was not good. We had to remove cacti from legs twice and from shoes thrice. I still has some thorns stuck in my shoe that we could not remove...

The hike was challenging, but rewarding. It was absolutely beautiful. The dry environment makes it interesting and much different to wetter climites like Vancouver. Kamloops is similar to the climate of Invermere, BC where we often relax on weekends. When we reached the top we just sat there and admired. We ate some discount Halloween candy, drank our Gatorade and water and then headed back down.

Down seemed to be a lot more challenging. I somehow managed to twist my ankle (it is weak anyhow), so walking was possible, but not pain free. We also seemed to find more cacti and it got caught on us even more so that on the way up. We were glad we did not take the dogs on this trip as it would not have been pleasant if they stepped on the sharp edges of the cacti.

Back at the house we relaxed and waited for mom to come home. When she did we returned to the river, this time with her and the dogs, to show her around. We walked the sandy beach again. We found some interesting things. Parts to and old car, with the tire and door handle visible, and steel all around. All in all, we think 50 years ago or so someone ditched a car in the river and it has been there ever since.

Back at the house we cooked up some lamb tacos, which we enjoyed. Then we had ice cream and berries and watched Children of Men and Survivor…

It was our last night in Kamloops….

November 2, 2010--Day Thirty-Four!

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT ALL OF MY CROSS-CANADA PHOTOS HERE!!!

It is updated on a regular basis, so don't forget to check it out!!

View Larger Map

The weather definitely hasn’t been on our side most of the trip, but these last few days of the end of our Cross Canada adventure have been phenomenal. We woke up to find it clear, and with nice weather it made it that much easier to go for a walk with Alexander and my mom. She lives on a small farm outside of Kamloops directly beside the North Thompson River. On the small farm there are a few animals. Some Llamas, sheep, cows and a few horses. Plus there are the dogs! Tika is my mom’s dog and Louie is the neighbour’s/landlords.

All five of us went for a stroll around the fields. The grass was frosty but it was warm outside so it was a nice way to wake up and start the day.

After a quick bite to eat we followed my mom, who was off to University, to Superstore where we picked up a few groceries. We got gas (after nearly not making it there due to lack of gas…) and then we headed back home. We grabbed slurpees along the way, ok, ok it was a small detour, and then we headed home.

Back at the house we were just a chillin’ when the neighbour (and landlord) came over. We had not been there long but somehow we had already consumed the daily download limit for their satellite Internet... this meant that there would be no internet for 24 hours. He was not concerned, since it could have been his kids, but knowing us... it was probably us... oops. Sorry mom!...!

The property which mom rents from sits on the North Thompson River, like I said. Since we enjoy wandering, exploring and hiking it seemed completely natural that we investigate down by the river. We did this, especially because mom had not done it either. Although she was not with us, we promised we would fill her in on what she could see if she did wander down that shoreline.

It is definitely low season for the rivers. The run-off from the snow on the mountains has evaporated so the bottom of the river is bare. When the water is gone you can explore in a very sandy environment.

Alexander and did much exploring, as did the dogs. They played in the river and ran around with us as we checked out the river.

When we were exhausted we headed back to the house. It wasn’t long after than mom arrived back from uni and we gathered in the car and headed to Milestone’s for dinner. We enjoyed a great meal and great company and when all was said and done we headed home to chill out.

From Kamloops we said goodnight.

November 1, 2010--Day Thirty-Three!

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT ALL OF MY CROSS-CANADA PHOTOS HERE!!!

It is updated on a regular basis, so don't forget to check it out!!

View Larger Map

When we have a timeline for a large trip such as we did for this, long leisurely days of rest just doesn’t happen. Today, we got to rest more than we had in a really long time. We had no plans and no “need to do’s”, so we enjoyed each other’s company and helped out Alexander’s Granddad with a few tasks he needed help with.

White Rock sits very, very close to the Canada-United States border. So close that while you are in half the town you can actually look across the water and see the United States. Alexander’s Granddad told us the story like this... if you look at a map you will see a black line separating Canada from the United States. This black line is actually Avenue 0 and happens to rest on the Canadian side of the border. It runs along the border letting you see both Canada and the US. We drove to Avenue 0. It was strange to be in Canada and to see, just a few feet away, Americans living their lives. There was no great wall, or trench, or minefield between the two countries... just some survey pegs and a little stretch of grass. There may have been no physical barrier, but if you cross that invisible one it is not long before some well-built gentlemen with big guns and bad attitudes approach you for a few “simple” questions... (We didn’t test it out, but we can only imagine….)

For the rest of the day we just hung out. Alexander’s granddad was heading out to a concert with his step-daughter, so we headed out to a restaurant to meet up with a friend of mine who was now going to school in Vancouver. It was nice to see you Brett!!!

After supper we took a short walk down White Rock’s well lit pier. It was dark now, but the town had beautiful lights carving their way up the hill. It was an incredible sight and not one that we will forget anytime soon.

Saying goodbye to seeing my friend and to White Rock and to the realization that our Cross-Canada Road Trip was actually complete was sad. We got in the Jeep after supper and left White Rock. We were headed for Kamloops.

There was rain leaving White Rock and then Vancouver but once we reached the Coquihalla Highway it was clear. I think that some people find the Coquihalla boring, but the way down I thought it was beautiful and incredible to see the highway twisting through the mountains. This time it was beautiful to see the lights. There were headlights and taillights stretched through the distance making the highway look like a stretched out snake of fire. Because you can see so far, this snake stretched far into the distance, slithering over a long horizon.

When we arrived at mom’s house, only having drove a little too far past her driveway, we settled in, had a cup of tea, caught up quickly, set up our sleeping bags, then fell asleep.

October 31, 2010--Day Thirty-Two!

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT ALL OF MY CROSS-CANADA PHOTOS HERE!!!

It is updated on a regular basis, so don't forget to check it out!!

View Larger Map

We ate breakie with the senior’s, who are given a prepared meal three times a day. We visited Helen quickly (Alexander’s granddad’s wife) and then we started our day. Alexander’s granddad gave a quick sermon and then we got ready to go. We had a quick tour of White Rock, including visiting Sherry. (Helen’s daughter) and then headed towards the Tsawassen Ferry Terminal. We were headed to Victoria and Mile “O” today to officially finish our Cross-Canada Road Trip!!

We had reserved a ticket so we got to get on the ferry first. The ferry was a bit different to East Coast ferries as these ones were just coasted ferries and not meant for open sea and big storms. Once on board we headed up to the buffet and settled in for lunch. Alexander’s granddad treated us as we went in, sat at the very, very tip of the bow and enjoyed a fabulous lunch buffet!

This is supposed to be Vancouver’s rainy season but we were finally lucky and got some great weather. It was clear as could be and we were able to watch the ferry navigate through the many islands around Victoria.

It was a fast crossing. Well, fast compared to some of the ferry trips we have been on. It only took and hour and a half, but as we enjoyed a delectable lunch it felt much, much faster than that.

We were one of the first vehicles off of the ferry and on our way towards Mile “O”. Alexander’s Granddad had been there before, not in a while, but he flawlessly navigated and brought us to where we needed to go. We made it to a large park in Victoria and Alexander’s Granddad asked a police officer if we were going to right way, so we knew we were!

Mile “O”

It felt…exciting! But sad all at the same time.

Our adventurous trip to drive from East to West Coast, through Labrador during the Autumn/Winter Canadian Weather was complete….

It was the end of a trip I will never forget.

Though our feat to go from the farthest Eastern point to the West coast was completed, we still had about a week left of travelling left to do.

At Mile “O” there was another statue of Terry Fox, representing him reaching the end he was never able to reach, and there was also a plaque devoted to Steven Fonyo, who completed the run for Terry Fox.

Alexander and I hiked down to the waterfront and Alexander’s Granddad stayed on the boardwalk.

We hiked down to the waterfront and put our hands in the Pacific Ocean….

It was an emotional moment. We looked at each other and realized exactly what we had done. It is a trip that most wish to take, but never get to do.

If you have never done it and have always wanted to I hope you do. It is a trip you will never forget!

Back on the cliffs we headed back to the Jeep. We took some time to tour around Victoria. Alexander’s granddad showed us around. We saw the downtown and parliament and the harbourfront, a huge hotel and the fishermen’s warf. None of us had been there, but we saw it so decided to pull in. There was a good place to park, so we decided to walk around a bit. We admired many of the floating houses and decided that we probably couldn’t handle that, given our sea sickiness during our ferry adventures…

Anyhow. It was neat to see that people enjoyed living in an environment such as that.

Wandering around we saw some people grouped together in front of a small store. There was a seal floating in the water just in front of the stall. Evidently, the seal had found the perfect spot to hang out. The store offered sardines for a dollar each or six for five dollars. People were buying the bait fishes and feeding them to the seal who would gently pull them from the people’s hands. The sea gulls were also keenly watching this and tried to go for the fish, someone had to stand dutifully on guard to squirt the gulls with a water gun to keep them away.

Alexander’s Granddad bought us some fish and we got to feed the seal. It was at the top of our list of highlights from the trip. I had never fed a seal. We had seen a lot in the distance on many of our whale watching and ferry trips, but none up close. The are just like a dog, but a dog with skin and …well anyhow…

We got some fantastic pictures, and an even better video and it was a highlight from our trip that we won’t forget anytime soon.

We watched some other people for a bit, one guy was about to drop the sardine into the seal’s mouth, but a seagull happened to swoop down just too fast and enjoyed a sardine for dinner. Sneaky things…

After wandering around the floating houses and enjoying their Halloween decorations we headed back to the Jeep and drove to the ferry. We saw people dressed up out trick-o-treating around Victoria and then in Vancouver as we drove back. When we got back to Alexander’s Granddad’s we visited for a bit and then passed out on the floor…..zzzz…