He made a decision

I won't bore you with details of the machinations and hair pulling, that was by the employees at the dealerships. I just worked and walked the dog all week end to avoid being pulled into the vortex. He decided on the 2009 car of the year, the Genesis. He drove all of its competitors and then ordered one in champagne and saddle brown leather. He loaded it up with all the goo gahs and will be saving the american economy with in two weeks.

Citizens of the first world can now get back to lying on the couch, eating chips and watching Dr Phil, safe in the knowledge that some one believes in the economy.

However, speaking of which, our real estate market is doing fine. First time home buyers are out there buying up the deals and there are buyers in other price ranges who feel confident in their jobs and in the Alberta economy and who are willing to take the big step into much higher prices ranges. Granted, we have oil sands and future oil and everyone knows that for now, at least, you can't fuel up at a wind mill.

Snow this morning...last night we were walking around downtown, in the early evening, in light jackets enjoying the warm evening air. This morning we woke to wet sloppy snow clogged freeways, ditches full of cars and emergency vehicles, walls of slush, and snow still falling. What a weird world....I hope this is still part of the March lion.

We made a decision!!

I can"t believe it! We actually made a decision about a car. Everyone has been waiting with baited breath. I know!!! We shopped and shopped and diddled around and frustrated car salespeople and changed our minds and changed them back again. We forgot which car had what and which ones we liked. But tonight we bought one. Once we had decided which car it would be we couldn't decide about the colour, should it be gold or rust or euphemisms (golden umber mica and sunset bronze mica) for those colours. We decided not black, the roads are always dirty in Calgary. Light colours visit the car wash less often. So that eliminated red and dark blue. We thought grey would be boring. And it is sooo unprofessional to drive a sea foam green or baby blue vehicle. The other consideration is the interior and no longer can you get what you want and order interior colours that please the esthetic eye. No. You must get what they want you to have and after blinding combinations of extras and options you don't care anymore. The wizards in Emerald city that put together the combinations are just laughing their asses off. If you want a seat warmer you must have a tilting steering wheel but you can't have a usb for your ipod unless you have a sunroof and you can't have a wrapped steering wheel or navie unless you have leather and blah blah blah...You barely care what time of day it is when you get out of the dealership let alone if you still have the will to live once you have popped out the other end of the car buying experience. So, the car we decided upon is the Toyota Venza. But, wait, it is so rare because the Toyota plants have stopped production in Japan and are just keeping their heads above water in NA that there is no car. We must wait for sometime in June or maybe later. ARGHHH!

Blogging from YVR

Sitting here at the airport waiting to board and using the wi fi.

Heather and I took a trip to Vancouver to visit our parents. We left on the 18th after a kafuffle with delayed airplanes and such but arrived in time to rent a car. What a busy week!! We did the usual round of doctors and tests and shopping and driving. But we managed to have a lot of fun as well.
It was Mom's birthday when we arrived...

OMG it looks like we killed a zebra

We loaded up the car and took Garmin off to find parks that we didn't know about and destinations that without Garmin didn't exist. We found Squint Lake. What a cool place.

We drove to Cates park and listened to a guy practising his trumpet. Not really exciting stuff but if you don't get out at all and have NO social interaction then a sally ann trumpet player is a big deal.

Top of the hill Inlet view. Apparently we brought the nice weather with us and the sun came out. Vancouverites squint a lot in bright lights...I don't think they see the sun much. :o))

We drove out to see the new bridges under construction crossing the Fraser but after the PittMeadows bridge we started to think about coffee and muffins and got ourselves in the Albion ferry line up and took a delightful drive on a sunny day.

One of the highlights of our week's visit was a trip to White Rock where we met up with Heidi and Dan and little Kat. Who taught us all the royal wave and has the most delightful giggles

Whose the blonde kid?

A future in the majors? This little kid is just too cute for words. My mom and dad think she is exceptionally intelligent and observant.

A wonderful evening with Mike and Louise at the Pan Pacific. They were there to attend the home show and of course to see Jenny's baby. They were having dinner at the buffet overlooking the harbour and listening to an Italian opera evening. We went to the bar where we listened to a Michael Franks sound alike and had a spanish coffee. Lovely to catch up with old friends.

My only regret about this little trip is that I didn't get a chance to see my wee Morrow babes in Abbotsford or should I say Augusten. But, that will be corrected in May when we go out for Dad's birthday.