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| View of our resort from a distant hill |
January 15
Two full days left and we are going to spend both of them on the beach or at pool side. I was never quite right though after my ordeal through the night. I felt better. Not sick at all, but still felt strange. Hard to explain. Not much energy, but I could get up and go just fine if I had to. I didn't really want to think about food, but knew I had to get something in me just the same. I drank lots of water and this day I have decided to have no alcoholic drinks at all.
I've met a great family from Brandon, Manitoba. They are the Sturgeons. 29-year-old Ryan Sturgeon is a source of motivation for anyone. When he was 16, he suffered a life altering injury when he jumped off a dock at Lake Minnedosa and thought he had about 16 feet of water to cushion him. Instead, there was a sand bar just 3 1/2 feet under water. He broke his neck and back in several places. Doctors told him he'd never move his limbs again and to be prepared to live in this state for the rest of his life. Well, Ryan and I had a nice conversation today, both of us standing poolside. He still uses a wheelchair on a regular basis, but is capable of walking, with assistance, and appears to have almost full use of his arms. His surgeon, who also instructs at the University of Manitoba once paraded his entire class in front of Ryan because he wanted the students to see, "a walking miracle". Ryan has a great job with Assiniboine Health Region and gives motivational speeches. He has no idea he motivated me just with a casual talk. His dad is just as amazing, as I watch him do things most of us would take for granted several times a day in an effort to help his son. In fact, I'm sure his entire family is special, but Ryan and his dad are the two I got to be most familiar with. I've met a few people in my life that have had to deal with life changing events that I would not have the power to handle the way these few people have. Maybe that's why I have never had to deal with such ordeals. God knows I can't and, as a favor, hasn't forced me to. Still, it's frustrating to see really bad things happen to such good people and it makes me angry.
We have a supper reservation at the Mexican Restaurant at 6:30 to use our second a la carte coupon. Most days, this is a challenge for me. I'm fussy and don't like Mexican food, but the restaurant overlooks the ocean and has the best view. Everyone wants to go. But, I'm also still not looking forward to any kind of food, so I know already this is going to be impossible. I ordered a chicken something or other and poked at it before the waiter came to collect it. "No good?" he says. I answered something politely, but he didn't understand and took it away. Oh...I took a blast of tequila before supper because I thought maybe that might get me going. It didn't. I would've had another, but nobody else wanted a shot and having two or three without anything of real value to eat may have resulted in another cozy night at the toilet for me.
5:30 - 6:30 was family picture time. Lots of pictures. It went pretty good, actually. Usually, we have a heckuva time getting everyone to smile. Looking at the pics, I'm officially tanned.
We got back to the room again around 8:30 and after a game of Trouble with the girls, it was bed time. I always go to bed to music or a tv show on my iPhone. I'm all set for NYPD Blue, but I can't find my headphones. New $50 headphones I just bought a week ago at Best Buy. Skull Candies, I believe they are called. Anyway. I can't find them. Anywhere. As I type this, I'm convinced housekeeping lifted them. Fuck. I'm pissed. As I type this on January 16th, I'm hopeful they still turn up as we pack our things for home, but I'm not optimistic. Jenn and I looked high and low. If I find them, I'm going to be even more mad for assuming someone stole them and also for being very irresponsible, but that's par for the course. I forget EVERYTHING. I'm not sure why. It's a little early for Alzheimer's. I think it's because I have about half a dozen things on the brain at any given time and so I'm never concentrating on where I put things. I'm famous for losing keys. My next vehicle will be keyless entry, keyless ignition. Then, I shouldn't have to worry about keys. Our house is keyless. The only thing left would be work. Not sure if Kirk and Sheri would go for changing the locks all in the name of me being forgetful and irresponsible. Speaking of keys, I have no idea where I put the van keys. Might be fun in Winnipeg.
I dug out my $10 spare set of headphones and I'll get by on those for now. But, I'm spoiled.
January 16
Last day = best day.
We were poolside from 8am to 5pm. I never saw the inside of our room from when we left for breakfast until we got back to get cleaned up for supper and to try and type this diary on a keyboard that is, increasingly, working better. Maybe it's my charge chord? I dunno.
Moneyball is finished. Good book. I'm not convinced Billy Beane is as smart as people think. But, that's just me. Ron MacLean's book is almost done. Very good book. And, I've selected a few pieces from The Business of T-Shirts to read too just to keep my mind on work a little bit. I've also read a little of Willy Mays' biography. This looks promising. I also read a couple of chapters of Cold Terror and had to put it down. It's about how our country harbors terrorist organizations. We are so politically correct and passive in this country, that reading about terrorists thriving in Canada doesn't come as a surprise to me; but the how much we have funded them is enough to make me as sick as I was two nights ago. You see, a lot of these guys disguise themselves as aid organizations or charities and the government sends millions. No questions asked. I am reluctant to share any thoughts, publicly, on what I think of this stuff because I will come across as racist. But, consider this: I have watched sports announcers ridicule Tim Tebow for his outward show of Christianity on the football field. Nobody says an objectionable word back in favor of Tebow. We put up with it. But, if Tebow was a Muslim and displayed something Islamic instead of Christianity, we would tread very carefully on how we criticize. Why? To me, we have rules and regulations in this country and they should be followed, not altered or changed so that select interest groups can do what they want when they want.
At the same time, I'm all for people coming to Canada and making an honest living and abiding by the laws of our nation. In fact, I'm thankful. The young white man has become lazy and feels a sense of entitlement to his life. So, it's refreshing to have those from other countries come to a place like Yorkton and show everyone else what's like to earn what you get instead of having it, simply, passed on to you because your parent is a hard worker.
Macey had another siesta poolside. About two hours she zonked out. She only awoke when it was time to leave. She did provide me with a laugh earlier in the day when she thought she saw an iguana hiding in the bushes where she, normally, exits the pool. So, she started crying and felt helpless to get out. I went after her and then we sat in the pool together for awhile and I started to get the gospel according to St. Macey. She informed me that the real big iguanas are grandpas. And, the one in the bushes had really big eyes and, therefore, it's a grandpa. In the same conversation, I asked her if here was anything left that she'd like to do in Mexico. She says, "No." I answered with, "Are you sure? This is our last day." She gets in a snappy, "Good." She was still upset about the iguana.
I put on a bit of a show later for some strangers as we were walking by another pool to look down at a waterfall when, honest to goodness, an iguana stepped out in our path. She screeched and proclaimed it as a grandpa one right away. I said she should reach out and touch it because grandpas like hugs. Not a chance. More screeching and some laughter from poolside.
We retired to the room shortly after supper to pack all of their things for the trip home. Still no headphones. Gone. Stolen. Let this be a lesson. Use that safe in the closet for ANYTHING you decide is valuable. I, clearly, didn’t put enough of my possessions in there.
Oh, and I was sick again. Heat stroke? Maybe, but I’ve been out in intense heat for a full day lots in my life and never suffered from this. Jenn thinks it might be the cheese. Honest. I wasn’t drunk the entire week. So, it’s not what you are thinking! I was a very well behaved father on this trip. The illness this time wasn’t as bad as the other night. I got it over with and I was, pretty much, better immediately afterward.
I didn’t sleep well. Some of the newcomers to the resort didn’t know how to go to bed after the disco shut down at 3am.
January 17
We had one last breakfast before checking out of the resort. Macey and Mallory both had chocolate Rice Krispies. Matthew had the biggest helping of bacon you could imagine. Jenn and I had regular breakfast meals.
I reported the stolen headphones at the front desk, but the clerk looked at me like I was crazy because he said I’d be long gone home and couldn’t get them back. I said the point was not to get them back (like I want them after they’ve been in someone else’s ears), but rather for them to establish a possible pattern of behaviour with a particular employee. He didnt’ seem interested.
The help from the doorman was much better. He took all of our bags to the front of the line and ensured we got on the proper bus that was shuttling us to the airport. Extremely helpful. On the half hour bus ride to the airport, all I could think about was how, in about ten hours, I would be experiencing a temperature difference of 75 degrees Celsius from what I was currently experiencing.
It was so cold in Winnipeg that it caused our plane to be delayed an hour and so we sat in the sweat box, otherwise known as Gate 3 at the Manzanillo Airport for about two hours. Again...the kids were very well behaved. I was so proud of them this week. Best ever for them. Someone even said to Jenn that, "You guys make having to parent three kids look very easy." Oh, if that person only knew the truth! I should point out it was later revealed that water pipes on the airplane broke because of the extreme cold and, therefore, there was no coffee or tea on the airplane and if you had to go to the john...you could flush...but had to stick to hand sanitizer to wash up. Good thing I don’t pee on my hands.
In Winnipeg, we waited forever for the luggage to come around on the belt. Turns out...the last bag off the plane was ours. How fitting seeing as how we have a 4 ½ hour drive ahead of us.
January 18
Home at 1am.
Two full days left and we are going to spend both of them on the beach or at pool side. I was never quite right though after my ordeal through the night. I felt better. Not sick at all, but still felt strange. Hard to explain. Not much energy, but I could get up and go just fine if I had to. I didn't really want to think about food, but knew I had to get something in me just the same. I drank lots of water and this day I have decided to have no alcoholic drinks at all.
I've met a great family from Brandon, Manitoba. They are the Sturgeons. 29-year-old Ryan Sturgeon is a source of motivation for anyone. When he was 16, he suffered a life altering injury when he jumped off a dock at Lake Minnedosa and thought he had about 16 feet of water to cushion him. Instead, there was a sand bar just 3 1/2 feet under water. He broke his neck and back in several places. Doctors told him he'd never move his limbs again and to be prepared to live in this state for the rest of his life. Well, Ryan and I had a nice conversation today, both of us standing poolside. He still uses a wheelchair on a regular basis, but is capable of walking, with assistance, and appears to have almost full use of his arms. His surgeon, who also instructs at the University of Manitoba once paraded his entire class in front of Ryan because he wanted the students to see, "a walking miracle". Ryan has a great job with Assiniboine Health Region and gives motivational speeches. He has no idea he motivated me just with a casual talk. His dad is just as amazing, as I watch him do things most of us would take for granted several times a day in an effort to help his son. In fact, I'm sure his entire family is special, but Ryan and his dad are the two I got to be most familiar with. I've met a few people in my life that have had to deal with life changing events that I would not have the power to handle the way these few people have. Maybe that's why I have never had to deal with such ordeals. God knows I can't and, as a favor, hasn't forced me to. Still, it's frustrating to see really bad things happen to such good people and it makes me angry.
We have a supper reservation at the Mexican Restaurant at 6:30 to use our second a la carte coupon. Most days, this is a challenge for me. I'm fussy and don't like Mexican food, but the restaurant overlooks the ocean and has the best view. Everyone wants to go. But, I'm also still not looking forward to any kind of food, so I know already this is going to be impossible. I ordered a chicken something or other and poked at it before the waiter came to collect it. "No good?" he says. I answered something politely, but he didn't understand and took it away. Oh...I took a blast of tequila before supper because I thought maybe that might get me going. It didn't. I would've had another, but nobody else wanted a shot and having two or three without anything of real value to eat may have resulted in another cozy night at the toilet for me.
5:30 - 6:30 was family picture time. Lots of pictures. It went pretty good, actually. Usually, we have a heckuva time getting everyone to smile. Looking at the pics, I'm officially tanned.
We got back to the room again around 8:30 and after a game of Trouble with the girls, it was bed time. I always go to bed to music or a tv show on my iPhone. I'm all set for NYPD Blue, but I can't find my headphones. New $50 headphones I just bought a week ago at Best Buy. Skull Candies, I believe they are called. Anyway. I can't find them. Anywhere. As I type this, I'm convinced housekeeping lifted them. Fuck. I'm pissed. As I type this on January 16th, I'm hopeful they still turn up as we pack our things for home, but I'm not optimistic. Jenn and I looked high and low. If I find them, I'm going to be even more mad for assuming someone stole them and also for being very irresponsible, but that's par for the course. I forget EVERYTHING. I'm not sure why. It's a little early for Alzheimer's. I think it's because I have about half a dozen things on the brain at any given time and so I'm never concentrating on where I put things. I'm famous for losing keys. My next vehicle will be keyless entry, keyless ignition. Then, I shouldn't have to worry about keys. Our house is keyless. The only thing left would be work. Not sure if Kirk and Sheri would go for changing the locks all in the name of me being forgetful and irresponsible. Speaking of keys, I have no idea where I put the van keys. Might be fun in Winnipeg.
I dug out my $10 spare set of headphones and I'll get by on those for now. But, I'm spoiled.
January 16
Last day = best day.
We were poolside from 8am to 5pm. I never saw the inside of our room from when we left for breakfast until we got back to get cleaned up for supper and to try and type this diary on a keyboard that is, increasingly, working better. Maybe it's my charge chord? I dunno.
Moneyball is finished. Good book. I'm not convinced Billy Beane is as smart as people think. But, that's just me. Ron MacLean's book is almost done. Very good book. And, I've selected a few pieces from The Business of T-Shirts to read too just to keep my mind on work a little bit. I've also read a little of Willy Mays' biography. This looks promising. I also read a couple of chapters of Cold Terror and had to put it down. It's about how our country harbors terrorist organizations. We are so politically correct and passive in this country, that reading about terrorists thriving in Canada doesn't come as a surprise to me; but the how much we have funded them is enough to make me as sick as I was two nights ago. You see, a lot of these guys disguise themselves as aid organizations or charities and the government sends millions. No questions asked. I am reluctant to share any thoughts, publicly, on what I think of this stuff because I will come across as racist. But, consider this: I have watched sports announcers ridicule Tim Tebow for his outward show of Christianity on the football field. Nobody says an objectionable word back in favor of Tebow. We put up with it. But, if Tebow was a Muslim and displayed something Islamic instead of Christianity, we would tread very carefully on how we criticize. Why? To me, we have rules and regulations in this country and they should be followed, not altered or changed so that select interest groups can do what they want when they want.
At the same time, I'm all for people coming to Canada and making an honest living and abiding by the laws of our nation. In fact, I'm thankful. The young white man has become lazy and feels a sense of entitlement to his life. So, it's refreshing to have those from other countries come to a place like Yorkton and show everyone else what's like to earn what you get instead of having it, simply, passed on to you because your parent is a hard worker.
Macey had another siesta poolside. About two hours she zonked out. She only awoke when it was time to leave. She did provide me with a laugh earlier in the day when she thought she saw an iguana hiding in the bushes where she, normally, exits the pool. So, she started crying and felt helpless to get out. I went after her and then we sat in the pool together for awhile and I started to get the gospel according to St. Macey. She informed me that the real big iguanas are grandpas. And, the one in the bushes had really big eyes and, therefore, it's a grandpa. In the same conversation, I asked her if here was anything left that she'd like to do in Mexico. She says, "No." I answered with, "Are you sure? This is our last day." She gets in a snappy, "Good." She was still upset about the iguana.
I put on a bit of a show later for some strangers as we were walking by another pool to look down at a waterfall when, honest to goodness, an iguana stepped out in our path. She screeched and proclaimed it as a grandpa one right away. I said she should reach out and touch it because grandpas like hugs. Not a chance. More screeching and some laughter from poolside.
We retired to the room shortly after supper to pack all of their things for the trip home. Still no headphones. Gone. Stolen. Let this be a lesson. Use that safe in the closet for ANYTHING you decide is valuable. I, clearly, didn’t put enough of my possessions in there.
Oh, and I was sick again. Heat stroke? Maybe, but I’ve been out in intense heat for a full day lots in my life and never suffered from this. Jenn thinks it might be the cheese. Honest. I wasn’t drunk the entire week. So, it’s not what you are thinking! I was a very well behaved father on this trip. The illness this time wasn’t as bad as the other night. I got it over with and I was, pretty much, better immediately afterward.
I didn’t sleep well. Some of the newcomers to the resort didn’t know how to go to bed after the disco shut down at 3am.
January 17
We had one last breakfast before checking out of the resort. Macey and Mallory both had chocolate Rice Krispies. Matthew had the biggest helping of bacon you could imagine. Jenn and I had regular breakfast meals.
I reported the stolen headphones at the front desk, but the clerk looked at me like I was crazy because he said I’d be long gone home and couldn’t get them back. I said the point was not to get them back (like I want them after they’ve been in someone else’s ears), but rather for them to establish a possible pattern of behaviour with a particular employee. He didnt’ seem interested.
The help from the doorman was much better. He took all of our bags to the front of the line and ensured we got on the proper bus that was shuttling us to the airport. Extremely helpful. On the half hour bus ride to the airport, all I could think about was how, in about ten hours, I would be experiencing a temperature difference of 75 degrees Celsius from what I was currently experiencing.
It was so cold in Winnipeg that it caused our plane to be delayed an hour and so we sat in the sweat box, otherwise known as Gate 3 at the Manzanillo Airport for about two hours. Again...the kids were very well behaved. I was so proud of them this week. Best ever for them. Someone even said to Jenn that, "You guys make having to parent three kids look very easy." Oh, if that person only knew the truth! I should point out it was later revealed that water pipes on the airplane broke because of the extreme cold and, therefore, there was no coffee or tea on the airplane and if you had to go to the john...you could flush...but had to stick to hand sanitizer to wash up. Good thing I don’t pee on my hands.
In Winnipeg, we waited forever for the luggage to come around on the belt. Turns out...the last bag off the plane was ours. How fitting seeing as how we have a 4 ½ hour drive ahead of us.
January 18
Home at 1am.
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