Posted on November 18, 2015 under Storytelling with one comment

It was a LOT colder at the Grand Canyon than it looks

Peter MacDonald photo

 

 

When you’re on a long road trip by car, one thing is for certain; expect the unexpected.  This can come in the form of getting lost, although a good GPS has all but eliminated this risk.   Or you may encounter car problems.  These things you can happily do without.  But there are other more pleasant surprises, like finding a restaurant in an obscure part of a city and discovering that the food is out of this world.  Being spontaneous and going with the flow can make for wonderful adventures.

On a recent trip with my son, we ventured to Florida for a week of sun and sand before heading across the continental United States to Victoria, British Columbia.  Florida was fabulous as the weather was unseasonably warm for November.  Some of the locals said that they have never seen such temperatures at this time of the year.  With the help of a dear friend from St. Louis, we mapped out our route and decided that there were two must-sees: Dealey Plaza in Dallas, where President Kennedy was assassinated some 52 years ago; and the Grand Canyon, still one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.

The experience in Dallas was both amazing and surreal as I stood on the very spot where JFK died.  We then headed north and west, with Arizona in our sights.  When we left Albuquerque, New Mexico, we were surprised at the strength of the wind whipping across the Great Plains.  A couple of hours away from Flagstaff we could see the sky darkening off in the distance.  Sure enough, rain soon swept across the barren land.  And then, to our great shock, we saw one of those traffic warning signs that said: “Caution.  Winter conditions ahead.”  We looked at the thermometer.  It said 13°C.  Someone in the transportation department’s head office must have typed in the wrong code.

By the time we reached Flagstaff, a mere hour away, we were in the middle of a major snow squall.  The temperature had dropped 14 degrees in 3 minutes and we were battling wind, freezing rain and snow.  We saw a sign for the highway to Las Vegas and were sorely tempted to head south.  We stopped at a gas station at Williams to top off the tank and gather our wits.  A guy who had just travelled the road told me not to worry as the plows were out.  I was not amused and didn’t feel reassured.  Mercifully we soon drove out of the storm and sunny clear skies prevailed the rest of the way.

We checked in and hurried to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to catch the last golden rays of the day.  You can’t describe the Grand Canyon.  You have to see it in person to understand its true majesty and beauty.  Only a few weeks earlier, my brother had completed a hiking expedition in the Canyon and the day time temperatures had been in the 80’s.  We had a serious wind chill going as the sun set and darkness arrived.  So cold in fact, that there were small patches of ice on the walkways.

Rather than return to our accommodations, 15 minutes away, we decided to splurge and ate a wonderful meal at an onsite restaurant, sitting next to a crackling fire.  After finishing our meal, Peter decided that he wanted to take some night time pictures, so we parted company.

I have noticed a few things about getting old.  My footing isn’t nearly what it was when I was young.  Ditto for hearing and eyesight, and if they handed out an award for bathroom breaks, I am sure I would win the gold medal, hands down.

I have a better than average sense of direction … in daylight.  The path back to our lodgings wasn’t terribly complicated but the trail wasn’t particularly well lit and in one section there were no lights at all.  I couldn’t see the walkway and rather than risk falling on ice, getting blown off into the canyon or getting mugged, I decided to take a short cut.

The Grand Canyon is a major tourist attraction and the accommodations are spread out over a vast area, but unfortunately not on a neat and tidy grid.  Within minutes I was hopelessly lost.  I almost stepped on a couple of raccoons as I stumbled my way back to the main lodge.  The only problem is that it wasn’t the right lodge.  There are several on the property.  No problem.  The courteous front desk staff cheerfully produced a map and threw in a flashlight for good measure.  I stepped outside into the frigid night and discovered that the flashlight had the candle power of a single firefly.

I wandered around for several minutes and was back at the front desk for a new set of instructions and another flashlight.  I vigorously debated the lack of lights on the paths with the front desk staff.  They informed me that the Grand Canyon is a deep sky preserve and that low lighting is intentional so that star gazers can see the Milky Way.  The folks who invented deep sky preserves were certainly NOT old people.

Eventually I met another couple who had a real flashlight and I found my way to our lodge.  I received yet another set of instructions and another flashlight.  I looked around the foyer.  The lodge is open 24 hours a day and I scoped out the furniture to see which chair might work as a bed if I got lost again.  Peter actually called me to see if I was alright.  I nonchalantly replied that I was just hanging out in the lobby taking advantage of the Wi-Fi (and searching for a miner’s lamp).

Forty-five minutes after first setting out, I arrived back at our room.  There had been a few detours along the way.

Getting old.  Isn’t it Grand.

Posted on November 16, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Mt. Douglas, Victoria. A beautiful place to walk with friends

 

 

After  24 states, 3 provinces and 9785 kilometers, Peter and I touched down in Victoria on Saturday. Like our two  previous trips, we saw a lot, ate a lot, laughed a lot and had a plenty of time to ponder our good fortune as we rolled on down the Interstates. There is nothing quite like travel and to be able to do it with one of your children is special.

There were many highlights and no low lights. Well, maybe the 30 minute raging snowstorm in Flagstaff, Arizona which caused some momentary angst but we drove out of it quickly. The week of sun and sand in Florida was very therapeutic and a pleasant ( and necessary ! ) respite from all the driving.  The Grand Canyon was spectacular as advertised. As you get older, you don’t succumb to the hype so I was pleasantly surprised when the G.C exceeded my expectations. It only seemed fitting that I would write a piece about the experience but it was definitely not the story that I thought I would be writing. You can’t really describe the Grand Canyon. It has to be seen. But when I got disoriented ( lost! ) trying to find our accommodations on a very dark, cold and blustery night, I had to take a stab at one of my favorite targets and favorite subjects… me and the perils of growing old. I mean, I can understand getting lost in the Grand Canyon but on the property? Stay tuned for “A Grand Illusion” coming up later this week.

As mentioned in an earlier post, spending time in Dealey Plaza in Dallas was a profound and somewhat surreal experience. A whole generation of us were witness to the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Every year , on November 22, I think about this event and the memories of that day come rushing back. It is hard to put into words my feelings as I stood in the exact spot that JFK died. As a family member mentioned to me in an e-mail, “ America’s first and only Catholic President died. And with him, died a lot of hopes and dreams of a generation, however fanciful they may have been.” Peter took an amazing picture which captured the entire scene including the spot of the assassination, the “grassy knoll” and the Texas School Book Depository.” I’m still trying to find a suitable title but right now I’m going with this: “ My Dallas Addiction: How I Became a News Junkie.”  Coming soon at Week45.

So, we’re driving through hundreds of miles of potato fields in Idaho. Endless fields of potatoes. After the stunning landscape of Utah, this was a bit of a comedown. We were low on gas and it was lunch time. Anyone who has driven in the U.S. knows that there are oodles of rest stops where travellers can quickly and easily exit the Interstate, grab some fuel for the body and the car and be on your way in no time at all. We were passing through Twin Falls, Idaho and decided to do something we never do: exit the highway and drive 4 miles into a town. It is not an efficient use of time. As we were approaching the town, we came to a bridge and below us was a canyon and river hundreds of feet below… and the view was simply stunning. It turned out to be the best pit stop of the entire trip and spawned a story. The river is the Snake River made famous years ago when Evel Knievel tried to cross the canyon on a rocket powered motorcycle. How did that go, Evel?! The story “Snake Bitten” is really a story about “the road not taken.” Sometimes you can get some pleasant surprise when you go off the beaten path.

And finally this little gem.  KFC has reported that they will start delivering buckets of the Colonel’s best in selected cities in the U.S. Yes, you will be able to get artery clogging chicken delivered right to your door. You might even be able to get them to bring it right to your Lazyboy so that you don’t miss a single minute of the football game. Hell, you could get the delivery boy to grab a beer for you from the fridge while he’s there.

Have a great week.

 

Posted on November 14, 2015 under Storytelling with one comment

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with the story

Peter MacDonald photo

 

 

I have always been fascinated by hospitals.  They were not places that I generally frequented over the years until recently, when I decided to start my fourth career in the field of mental health.  The word “retirement” doesn’t sit well with me.  Retirement generally signifies the end of a productive work life.   However, like many boomers, I see work as just one, long continuum with a change of direction every now and then.

Television has glamorized hospitals and like many people my age, I’ve seen episodes of Dr. Kildare, General Hospital, ER and Gray’s Anatomy.  Invariably, some young attractive doctor is the protagonist with co-workers taking turns duelling and drooling.  Add a dash of romance and a splash of rancor and you’ve got a ratings winner on your hands.  If it were only so.

My father in law, Dr. John, epitomized the profession of a bygone era.  He took the time to really get to know his patients and he was a brilliant diagnostician.  The former probably had a lot to do with the latter.  He had a profound respect for nurses.  And far from feeling terribly self important, he was humble and had a good sense of humour.  He could handle good natured ribbing from the nursing staff.   And they took advantage of that whenever the opportunity presented itself.  There was the famous incident when a noted prankster removed the camel from the nativity scene in the hospital rotunda and planted it in his office.  This caused quite a stir amongst the Sisters who, with a little help, caught him red handed.

I have known some wonderful nurses over the years, having undergone several knee operations.  I remember coming out of surgery at the old Civic Hospital in Halifax and experiencing a great deal of pain.  The nurses there were uncommonly kind.  On the day of the surgery, my X-ring went missing from my night table.  The post surgical pain was so bad that I asked them to reopen the incision in my knee.  I thought they might have left the ring in my knee when they marked the X on my kneecap for the procedure!

Back in the day I worked in a sawmill and also a commercial bakery so I have had some experience with shift work.  But throughout most of my work career, I have been in occupations where sticking to a rigid schedule wasn’t my modus operandi.  So, it came as a bit of a shock to the system to find myself punching in once again.  This was a fairly profound change to my routine and a welcome one.  It’s good to be busy and learning a new job among friends.

These days I spend quite a few hours a week at the hospital, working mostly with nurses.  These women and men are, in my humble estimation, the mortar that keeps the whole thing together.  They work 12 hour shifts and most of the time, they are going flat out.  They are professional, patient and occasionally profane.  Yes, I have come to discover that a quick wit is rather important if you’re going to spend your days tending to the sick.

I worked my first 12 hour shift ever a short while ago. What an eye opener.  And that was only one shift. The nurses work several in a row … some days and some nights.  The time off in between gives them just enough time to get their mental clocks straightened out before diving back in again.  It is not a lifestyle for the faint of heart, despite the glamour depicted on T.V.

Nurses deserve our utmost respect … because they don’t just show up at prime time.