Category: life

Categories
life pandemic travel

Christmas Vacation Cancellation

We’ve been planning our Christmas vacation to California since last June but with the new omicron variant throwing a wrench in the gears we finally pulled the plug on the trip last Tuesday. Now I’m just hoping we can still get our kids together with their cousins and grandparents over the Christmas break. Such is life in a pandemic.

Back in June WestJet’s website said we could book with confidence knowing we could cancel our flights and get our money back with no fees or hassle but when I called them on Tuesday, the customer service rep told me that I will get the money back as a credit and that the credit will last for two years before it expires.

I was livid. After a moment of almost losing my cool I realized I needed to keep it together and asked her if there was anything she could do to help me get a refund. As it turns out there is a website that I could go to and fill out a form to apply for a refund. I’m still mad that they were pretending like they weren’t giving out refunds but at least things worked out for us.1

  1. At least it appears it might work out but I can’t actually apply for our money back until after our original departure date on Saturday; give me a break! Anything to make getting our money back just a little bit harder. It’s so shady of them.[↩]
Categories
life Politics

Running for Mayor

Last August while traveling through Medicine Hat I met-up with an old high school friend, Linnsie Clark. I’d heard she was running for mayor and I wanted to hear more about her campaign and catch up.

We talked for hours. She told me about some of the concerning proposals within the current council and why she was running and how she didnt even have a Facebook account before this and how difficult it was to find the right people to help with a campaign.

Clearly she found a great team because last week after the election I woke up to the news that not only had Linnsie won, she won in a landslide making her the youngest and the first woman mayor in the history of Medicine Hat.

The Medicine Hat News has a Q and A with Linnsie Clark.

(Previously)

Categories
life

Covid Test

I woke up with a sore throat this morning and pulled the trigger on getting a Covid test. I didn’t want to because, as everyone knows, once you sign up for a test you’re legally obligated to quarantine until results are back. So no playdates with the kids and my friends’ kids (at least not with me, Ange took them out to the park). And the big stress of the day became whipping up sub plans and trying to find someone to go in for me tomorrow.

Luckily enough, I couldn’t find a sub right away and before I had someone booked (less than 12 hours after the test) the relieving negative result arrived via text message.

On the other hand, I was already starting to look forward to a day in bed watching the Apple event tomorrow. I’m strongly thinking about getting a new MacBook Pro and I’ve been patiently waiting for this day since the rumours first started circulating in 2018. I guess I’ll just have to catch it on the replay.

Categories
life

Going Out Again

It’s been two weeks since my second shot and the other night a few friends and I went out for a drink together. We went INSIDE the establishment! It actually felt a little bit awkward wearing our masks in around all the mostly full tables as the patrons imbibed but it felt natural to drop the mask and for that night anyway, as far as we were concerned the pandemic is over.

Of course it’s not over, but that first taste of normalcy felt great.

Categories
life pandemic parody

Pandemic Medley

This two and half minute medley of classic pop songs with Covid-19 parody lyrics is just what I needed to get through this pandemic.

Last week I booked a vaccine appointment for my mom but last night she let me know it had been cancelled. My friends suspect the Alberta government was letting people overbook knowing their wasn’t enough supply and then turned around and blamed the federal government when the shipments didn’t arrive. It’s a bit on the conspiracy theory side for me, but I guess you never know. I was able to rebook her this morning at another location for a day later than the cancelled appointment.

Update: January 27 — my mom got her Covid vaccine.

Categories
life pandemic

Covid Vaccine

My dad got his first Covid-19 vaccine this morning. He’s got an appointment for the second shot next month. I booked it for him shortly after they opened for reservations. I think it’s probably pretty common for “kids” to book for their elderly parents. It feels a lot like trying to get concert tickets—you don’t mess around.

Categories
life

Birthday

Greg would’ve been 41 today. Instead he’s forever 18. Here we are about age 4 or 5.

Categories
Art life

Allan Jensen

As an art teacher myself, I often think about the art teachers I’ve had over the years so I felt great disappointment this morning when I learned that Allan Jensen, my former jr. high and high school art teacher, died this week. No further details were given.

Along with being a great art teacher, I remember him most fondly for organizing and chaperoning a school trip to Japan in 1993.

He’s the one pictured on the far right. That trip was a once in a lifetime influence on me. I will always appreciate the art lessons and the inspiration.

This has been a tough year. He’s the forth person I knew personally that has died in 2020.

Update: Here is his obituary.

Allan Jensen
1941 – 2020
It is with great sadness that we, the family, announce the passing of Allan Christian John Jensen in Medicine Hat on Saturday, December 26, 2020, at the age of 79 years. He is survived by his half sister, Evelyn Schafer as well as four nephews and their families. He was predeceased by his mother and father; two half brothers, Alvin and Gordon Pfiefer as well as his close friend and brother-in-law, Richard Schafer. Allan was born on September 18, 1941, in Drumheller, Alberta. He was the youngest of four children to Ella and Peter Jensen. Allan began his teaching career in Munson, Alberta where he was the principal. He furthered his career at Crescent Heights High School in Medicine Hat as an art teacher, where he retired. Allan loved to travel and led tours around the world. He was heavily involved in the art and cultural community in Medicine Hat which was his greatest passion. A Celebration of Allan’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Allan’s name may be made directly to the Hat Art Club, 399 College Avenue S.E., Medicine Hat, T1A 3Y6 or to the charity of one’s choice.

Categories
life

The Silent Generation

“Do your parents like the Beatles?”
“My mom does.”
“But not your dad?”
“Well, now he’d probably say they’re ok, but as a kid he thought they were a bunch of wild long haired hippie teenagers. He’s not a Boomer you know. He’s part of ‘The Silent Generation’.”
“Silent Generation? I’ve never even heard that term before.”
“Yeah, that’s because they’re silent.”

Categories
baby life travel

California Dreamin’

We’re off for a family trip to California next week and a couple of days ago realized that not only are we losing an hour from the change in timezone, but we’ll also lose an hour because next week is the time change.

It occurred to us that this abrupt two hour change might be hard on our daughter, The Little NessMonster, so we’ve started advancing her bedtimes by 15 minutes per day. Her usual bedtime is at 7:00 and by the time we leave she’ll be going to bed at about 9:00pm which seems crazy but at the same time, it will make it easier for Halloween since we won’t have to worry about her being woken up by trick-or-treaters.

We’re very excited for California and despite widespread black-outs due to high winds, fires, and the dangers of fires from downed power lines… Palm Springs area isn’t supposed to be affected.

(via poweroutage.us)