Canadian Buffoon's Hi Low Vacation - South Central Musings

[pkondz]

Ya Gotta Have Faith

After a not so great night
spent worrying about
someone hacking my iPod
and stealing my identity,
you'll forgive me if I didn't note
the time we got up that morning.

Kinda hard...
when you write notes on your iPod!

I just know we got up eventually.


Ruby found that our suite
had a washer dryer unit.
It was one unit.
I never knew those existed.
I've always assumed you'd
have to have two different machines.
But this one machine was a washer
and a dryer.

Did anyone else know about this?
Lemme know.
I'll toss you some bonus points.

While she started a load,
on a whim,
(okay... out of desperation)
I decided to call up to the icefields again.


And of course they didn't answer.


But this time, I did get
an answering machine.

So I left a detailed message on
what happened,
where to reach me, etc.

They already had that info,
from earlier.
Just covering my bases.
(The lady at the desk in
Lake Louise had emailed them.)

Now...
I have no idea, to this day,
why I did next what I did.

After leaving my excruciatingly
detailed message,
I hung up the phone...


And immediately re-dialed.


Why?
I told you.
I have no idea.

But I did.
And someone picked up!

Never be afraid to try.
You may fail.
But as long as you look cool doing it,
it's all good.

"Hi. I left my iPod up there yesterday."
I parroted.
"And wondered if it'd been found."

"What colour is it?" She asked.
"Black." I answered. "In a black case."
"What's the password on it?" She asked.


Now that's a mighty strange question.
If they find it,
surely they'll think to call me?
I mean, how many black on black iPods
do they find in a day?

Did this woman hope to find it,
mine all the data from it
and run laughing all the way
to whatever location she booked
herself using my WestJet app?


So I gave it to her.


"Yes." She said. "We have it here."


I almost dropped the phone.
Faith in humanity restored!


But you know what this means...
Another drive to the icefields and back!

Woot!...

Not.


Still, I couldn't help
but be happy.

I told Ruby and she saw that
I was itching to go back and get it.
She couldn't get ready quickly
and was happy to just relax
at the hotel while I was gone.

She told me to go on without her.


I was slightly relieved, actually.
I didn't want to wait half an hour...
I wanted to go right now.
This second!

I grabbed the car keys and...
"Would you mind grabbing me
a coffee and a muffin or something
before you go?"

Well... it was a reasonable request.
But... I wanna go!

I put my wants aside for a bit
and headed out to fetch some brekkie.

I retrieved our car from the parking garage.
Betty pointed me to the nearest McDonalds
and I set out.


It only took a few minutes to get there,
but there was a bit of a lineup.

Come on... Come on!
Just place your order!
It's McDonalds. It's not rocket surgery.
Actually... Go somewhere else.
You'll be glad you did.
And more importantly...
So will I.


Eventually I got Ruby's food
and zipped back to the hotel.

I entered the room and...
"Where did you go?" Ruby asked.
"I went to McDonalds to get
the breakfast you asked for."
"I meant." She said.
"From the breakfast nook down the hall."


oh


"I'm almost ready." She then said.
"I can go with you if you want."

And she did.


A few minutes later...
we set out on our fourth trip
on the Icefields Parkway.

There were three benefits
to driving this road again.
The first, of course,
being that I got my iPod back.
The second being that the day
was cloudless and we were able
to see the mountains
a whole lot better this time.
And the third being...
I was really (Really!) used to this road.
I made it there and back
in less time than the last
manic, insane drive.

Sorry. No pictures.
Time was of the essence.
No pulling over to take snaps.
I had my hands full with driving.
And Ruby had hers full with
gripping her seat or the dash
and trying not to die and stuff.


We got back to the Icefield
Discovery Centre and....
I had the strangest sensation
that I'd been here before.


Odd.


We marched straight over to the
front desk and...

Were greeted with a sign that said:
"Back in 5 minutes"


...


Oh, Come on!!!



Side note.
I hate those signs.
They're a pain in the tucus.
"Back in five"? I just got here.
Did you just leave?
Or have you been gone
for five minutes already?



Eventually, someone showed up.
I asked for my iPod and...

Yay!!!! There it was!

I had all my TR notes
in my hands once again.

Which, you're probably thinking.
"Great. If he'd really lost it,
this TR would've been a whole
heck of a lot shorter!"

And you'd be wrong.
I'd just make even more of it up.

er... I mean... some of it...


iPod in hand, we set out for Banff.
Trip number five on
the same stretch of highway
coming up!


Everything looked eerily familiar.
Strongest deja vu I've ever had.
I must be psychotic.

Psychic!

No... probably had that right
the first time.


Like the guy who stripped off
all his clothes and wrapped
himself in cling-wrap.
He then barges into
a psychiatrist’s office.
The doc looks him up and down
and says:
"Clearly, I can see you're nuts."


We arrived in Banff with some
daylight to spare.

We spent a nice afternoon
just walking around,
taking in the town
and popping in and out of shops.


I did take pictures, this time.
It's amazing what you can
accomplish when you're not
pressed back into a car seat
by acceleration G forces.

We ate at this fondue place
the last time we were here
with the kids.
About... Ten years earlier?
I think it was their first time
having it.
And everyone enjoyed it.

But we didn't stop in this time.
More to explore first!

Careful! Don't crash your
invisible car!


We found the Cows store
and had to go in.

It was a bit early for me
for ice cream.
We'd be eating soon.
Later... dessert.

But I can attest that their sign
of "World's best ice cream"
is no idle boast.

It really is good ice cream.
I've had it a couple/three times now.

The other thing they carry,
other than ice cream,
is souvenirs.

And everything has a cow motif.

I saw this one and knew
I had to take a photo for you guys.

We had toured a significant chunk
of the touristy part of town
and now it was time to chow down.
And we knew the perfect spot.

We headed to... The Keg.
(And right about now,
@mustinjourney is kicking
himself for not letting his bet ride.)

Sorry. No food porn.
Keg food is too good to stop for photos.

We both started with the escargot.


How shall I put this.
There are certain things in life
that let you know you're alive.
And there are certain things
that not only let you know it,
but make you feel great about it.

The Keg's escargot is better.

The stuff of dreams people!


After licking our plates clean...
okay... we didn't do that.
The Keg thoughtfully provides
bread to sop up every last drop
of delicious garlic butter.

After we finished our appetizers,
we were served our mains.
I didn't write down what Ruby had,
but I know it was chicken.
She has chicken every time.


It's her thang.


I had the bacon wrapped filet mignon
with a lobster tail.

Oh, Lord. That was sooooo good.


And by the time we finished all that...
We were too full for dessert.
Or Cows ice cream.
So we moooooved on.

The day was turning into evening,
and Ruby was about done,
but there was one place
she wanted to see
before we left.

The Banff Springs hotel was built
back in 1888.
But that structure was mostly replaced
in the early 1900s.
The last part of the original building
burned down in 1926.

Ruby's Mom, when she was a young lady,
hitchhiked from her home to Banff
and worked there for a while.


After wandering a bit,
Ruby had had enough
and we headed back
to our resort.

Once there, I headed out
to the pool area to take a photo

And that was about it for our day.
Nothing too exciting,
(unless you count
the terror filled drive
to and from the icefields.)

We watched a bit of TV
and settled in for the night.

Tomorrow, we head back home.


Contest

Answers to previous questions:
1. What does Ruby do that makes her happy?
Answer: Laundry. 25 points.

2. Which common fast food place
do I go to, to get breakfast?
Answer: McDonalds. 25 points.

3. iPod. Found? Or lost forever?
Answer: Found. 15 points.

4. Where do you want to travel to?
(Money is no object. But must be on Earth.)
Answer: 15 points.

Bonus points for chandelier - 15 points.

Did you see Marvin? 20 points if you did.

jandlinz - shopping, Timmies, found, Europe, chandelier, Marvin - 65 points.
afwdwfan - shopping, Timmies, found, Italy, Marvin - 50 points.
Curiouser&curiouser! - shopping, Timmies, lost, Tokyo, chandelier, Marvin - 50 points.
Terra Nova guy - shopping, Subway, lost, Disney Asia, Marvin - 35 points.
QueenJen - shopping, Timmies, found, Earth, chandelier, Marvin - 65 points.
rndmr2 - shopping, McDonalds, found, Disney World, chandelier, Marvin - 90 points.
Captain_Oblivious - laundry, McDonalds, found, Oz, chandelier, Marvin - 115 points. (Max points!)
irene_dsc - shopping, Timmies, found, Hawaii, chandelier, Marvin - 65 points.
franandaj - laundry, Timmies, lost, Quebec, chandelier, Marvin - 75 points.
vrajewski10513 - shopping, Timmies, lost, Bora Bora, Marvin - 35 points.
DonnaBeeGood - shopping, McDonalds, lost, Oz, chandelier, Marvin - 75 points.
mustinjourney - shopping, Timmies, lost, World, Marvin - 35 points.
Mac Brew - shopping, Wendy's, found, Oz, Marvin - 50 points.
fallonkendra - shopping, Timmies, lost, Europe, Marvin - 35 points.
juniorbugman - shopping, Timmies, found, south seas, chandelier, Marvin - 65 points.
Princess Leia - shopping, Timmies, lost, Africa, chandelier, Marvin - 50 points.
Steppesister - shopping, McDonalds, found, Europe, chandelier, Marvin - 90 points.
MAGICFOR2 - shopping, Timmies, found, Greece, Marvin - 50 points.


As usual, if I've made any mistakes,
either above or below, let me know.

Bonus points
jandlinz - 4 points for trying.
afwdwfan - 4 points for knowing his races.
Curiouser&curiouser! - 4 points for keeping balance.
KathyM2 - 4 points for not breaking vows.
Terra Nova guy - 6 points for poutine.
QueenJen - 4 points for being impressed. 4 points for Spies.
rndmr2 - 4 points for being awesome.
Captain_Oblivious - 6 points for emojis. 4 points for varnish. 4 points for Denver.
Tracy161 - 2 points for gravy.
franandaj - 6 points for warping.
vrajewski10513 - 4 points for mixed messages. 8 points for World Domination.
DonnaBeeGood - 6 points for ridiculous dates.
mustinjourney - 4 points for mounted police.
Mac Brew - 2 points for understatements.
MeghanEmily - 4 points to help her get some rest.
juniorbugman - 2 points for like minds.
Princess Leia - 2 points for seeing all.
Steppesister - 4 points for getting lucky.
MAGICFOR2 - 2 points for sliding into home.


Score

Steppesister - 638 points
Captain_Oblivious - 618 points
franandaj - 605 points
juniorbugman - 551 points
irene_dsc - 522 points
DonnaBeeGood - 500 points
rndmr2 - 449 points
Terra Nova guy - 423 points
mustinjourney - 418 points
Curiouser&curiouser! - 414 points
Mac Brew - 404 points
afwdwfan - 369 points
orangecats2 - 359 points
Mrs T 2009 - 355 points
DISNEYMOON10121991 -350 points
jandlinz - 341 points
fallonkendra - 323 points
MAGICFOR2 - 311 points
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 308 points
QueenJen - 290 points
cinderkelly - 286 points
vrajewski10513 - 206 points
Thumper_Man's Wife - 189 points
Thumper_Man - 185 points
Gracefulskinny - 183 points
Chrystmasangel - 177 points
DaisyDuck001 - 154 points
Princess Leia - 144 points
queenbetsey - 135 points
chookie94 - 122 points
Heluvsme - 102 points
bankr63 - 87 points
tashers - 84 points
chillitsanne - 57 points
SoccerDogWithEars - 44 points
natebenma - 39 points
SnowWhiteOz - 30 points
MHSweb79 - 29 points
kaileighbug - 28 points
krnelson65 - 22 points
Tracy161 - 20 points
lisaviolet - 18 points
MeghanEmily - 10 points.
KathyM2 - 7 points
BibbitybobityLu - 6 points
SimplyGoofy - 6 points.
cindianne320 - 4 points
DizzneyDi - 4 points
Ladyfish77 - 4 points
knik - 4 points.
MarieLightning - 4 points
sk8jdgca - 4 points.
Gigi@Disney - 2 points.
Kiotzu - 2 points.
Self_resqing_princz - 2 points


Questions, next round:

1. One more time!!!
What time do we get up?
(hint: flight is in the evening,
but we do have to check out.)

2. Been a while.
Need more poker chips.
How many Harley dealers
do we visit?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. none.

3. Dinner.
Ya gotta eat...
What happens after we
go into the practically empty
restaurant?

4. Dinner. Part II
...but ya don't always
have to eat healthy.
Where did we eat?
a. A&W
b. Wendy's
c. Five Guys
d. Burger King

5. What treat did we eat
in the airport?
a. cookies
b. brownies
c. cup cakes
d. banana loaf

6. What's your favourite thing to eat?


Did you see it?
PM the answer.
Revealing it will cost ya!


Coming up: Home again, home again...

Chapter 17. The End​

 

[MeghanEmily]

Your iPod!! Yay!! I had to wonder if you'd gotten it back since you seemed to still have access to your trip notes, but it seemed so unlikely.

Banff looks so lovely. Maybe someday we'll visit.

It's not rocket surgery.

My mom says this.

"I meant." She said.
"From the breakfast nook down the hall."

Ahahahaha

We found the Cows store
and had to go in.

They have Cows in Alberta!!? No way!! We always go when we go to PEI, though now there's not much I can eat with my allergies, but I remember their ice cream fondly <3 They also have a location here in Halifax on the waterfront, but strangely we've never gotten ice cream there, even though it's 15 minutes from my place, and the ones on the island are like 4 hours away.

 

[QueenJen]

Did anyone else know about this?
Lemme know.
I'll toss you some bonus points.

As a matter of fact, yes. This is where watching entirely too much tv (ok, having it on as background noise) comes in handy. It is quite common to have these in the tiny houses on wheels.

If they find it,
surely they'll think to call me?

why would anyone go above and beyond? That only happens 1 out of every 1,000,000 opportunities.

I mean, how many black on black iPods
do they find in a day?

Swenson, Swanson.........Samsonite....I was way off.

Did this woman hope to find it,
mine all the data from it
and run laughing all the way
to whatever location she booked
herself using my WestJet app?

I would have been a bit leary about sharing and asked if there was another way to confirm information.

So I gave it to her.

Trusting.

"Yes." She said. "We have it here."

She told me to go on without her.

smart lady.

"Would you mind grabbing me
a coffee and a muffin or something
before you go?"

well....what do you guys expect when you treat us so well that we become entirely dependent on you and we cannot do even the simplest task without your assistance? In fact, I'm enjoying my bagel and tea that was just brought over to me. (I really do appreciate all that DH does for me)

Well... it was a reasonable request.
But... I wanna go!

Too bad, you'll have to wait.

I put my wants aside for a bit
and headed out to fetch some brekkie.

There ya go.....now you're getting on board.

nearest McDonalds

Since when does McDonalds have muffins? This sounds like something they would have at a little coffee counter at the hotel.

It's not rocket surgery.

I've heard of rocket science and brain surgery.....but his combo is new to me.

And she did.

What????? Knowing what she experienced previously, she elected to go with you again?

And Ruby had hers full with
gripping her seat or the dash
and trying not to die and stuff.

This one is on her......she knew what to expect.

Were greeted with a sign that said:
"Back in 5 minutes"

Of course.

I did take pictures, this time.

Beautiful location.

We ate at this fondue place

Love fondue!!!!

We both started with the escargot.

I could never.....I might actually starve if that were my only choice. Do you feel that strongly about Brussels Sprouts? If so, I can fully grasp your level of yuck.

Captain_Oblivious - laundry, McDonalds, found, Oz, chandelier, Marvin - 115 points. (Max points!)

Way to go Mark.

QueenJen - 4 points for being impressed. 4 points for Spies.

Thanks Terra Nova Guy for helping me get an extra 4 points! Thanks pkondz for awarding them.

1. One more time!!!
What time do we get up?
(hint: flight is in the evening,
but we do have to check out.)

7 a.m. - you want to explore a bit

2. Been a while.
Need more poker chips.
How many Harley dealers
do we visit?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. none.

1

3. Dinner.
Ya gotta eat...
What happens after we
go into the practically empty
restaurant?

Fills up naturally

4. Dinner. Part II
...but ya don't always
have to eat healthy.
Where did we eat?
a. A&W
b. Wendy's
c. Five Guys
d. Burger King

Wendy's

5. What treat did we eat
in the airport?
a. cookies
b. brownies
c. cup cakes
d. banana loaf

Banana loaf

6. What's your favourite thing to eat?

Tough choice. Potato taco.

Did you see it?
PM the answer.
Revealing it will cost ya!

Yes - I'm assuming since you said 'it', there is only 1 thing to be on the lookout for. pm should be sent shortly.

 

[Steppesister]

Well... We may not have
finished all of it...

I KNEW it!

Nope.
Gas was a lot cheaper then.
And we didn't spend any money
on hotels until we got there.

For the two of us...
it probably cost around $100.
Round trip.

I doubt you could do it today. Unless you camped and at granola bars for a few days.

Yup. It bugs me that I can't
eat like I used to.

No fair!

I know. I breathe in food and pay for it.

It still would've gone
in a counter-clockwise direction.

I direct you to this article.

I know that. Just messing with you.

I know where that's coming from.

But have no fear,
the principles of aerodynamics
do not apply to heavenly critters.

Now I'm very worried. Because aerodynamic law does apply to we mortals. An angel I am not.

At least you weren't
several hours away.

When you lose something
you find it (relatively) close by!

Actually, I had gotten all the way back to my sis' place in McLean. And she was kind enough to drive me back....

You're going to hunt Canadians?!?!?!?!?!?

Nah, I was more referring to your inherent disdain/lack of guns in general for hunting. (yes, that was a gross generalization)

Yeah... But I did mine on purpose.
What's your excuse???

Umm.... er...well, umm....

Yup.
Only hitch is, it only works
if they turn it on and it
connects to the internet.

If it's wifi only (like my iPod. No data.)
and someone only turns it on
at home....

I had no idea. HUH!

Noted.
Can I come with you for that shoot?

Of course!!! You're a pretty amazing photographer; I think I"d be a bit intimidated.

Well, I dunno.
He does want to blow up Earth.

He's just misunderstood.

Coming right up.
Gimme two minutes.

Dang it! I missed a golden opportunity here!

 

[fallonkendra]

Did anyone else know about this?
Lemme know.
I'll toss you some bonus points.

This sounds made up.

This GIF made me laugh. My orange cat will sometimes try to jump onto something, completely miss and then immediately look around to see if anyone was watching.

Banff is so pretty, but always way too busy and touristy for me.

We found the Cows store
and had to go in.

It was a bit early for me
for ice cream.
We'd be eating soon.
Later... dessert.

But I can attest that their sign
of "World's best ice cream"
is no idle boast.

It really is good ice cream.
I've had it a couple/three times now.

The other thing they carry,
other than ice cream,
is souvenirs.

And everything has a cow motif.

I saw this one and knew
I had to take a photo for you guys.

Mmm, I always forget that Banff has a Cows. Obviously, as a Maritimer I've consumed more than a few cones of Cows ice cream in my day... I've also owned quite a few of their tshirts over the years haha. The last time I was in PEI I also bought Cows ice cream lipgloss - they were amazing!

Questions, next round:

1. One more time!!!
What time do we get up?
(hint: flight is in the evening,
but we do have to check out.)

2. Been a while.
Need more poker chips.
How many Harley dealers
do we visit?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. none.

3. Dinner.
Ya gotta eat...
What happens after we
go into the practically empty
restaurant?

4. Dinner. Part II
...but ya don't always
have to eat healthy.
Where did we eat?
a. A&W
b. Wendy's
c. Five Guys
d. Burger King

5. What treat did we eat
in the airport?
a. cookies
b. brownies
c. cup cakes
d. banana loaf

6. What's your favourite thing to eat?


Did you see it?
PM the answer.
Revealing it will cost ya!

1. 8:30am
2. 2. Even though you are now close to Calgary, it'd be cheaper to drive back to Edmonton and fly out of there (because of the rental car and stuff). So, you'll stop at a Harley in Calgary and then drive back up to the one in Edmonton, it's only like 10 minutes from the airport.
3. A tour bus full of people arrive.
4. Wendy's, because you probably stop in Red Deer on Gasoline Alley - and Wendy's is almost always our stop.
5. Cookies (By George of course!)
6. This is tough. Lately I've been loving Indian Food, but nachos still probably own my heart.

I saw it, I will PM you now.

 

[rndmr2]

Glad you got your iPod back!! Bet that was a big relief

Beautiful pics as usual. The Mountains in the background are really something. Glad you had nice weather. Banff is a really cute town, I love those places with all the cute Shoppes (when my friend and I talk about these places we even pronounce the E - "Shoppies" I don't always buy anything but I like to look.

I have heard of the washer and dryer in one machine (I'll be honest and say I think it was in one of Allison's TR's, I think maybe one of the DVC's have those now?)

1. One more time!!!
What time do we get up?
(hint: flight is in the evening,
but we do have to check out.)-------------9am

2. Been a while.
Need more poker chips.
How many Harley dealers
do we visit?
a. 1
b. 2----------------------------2
c. 3
d. none.

3. Dinner.
Ya gotta eat...
What happens after we
go into the practically empty
restaurant?---------------------------------huge crowd behind you

4. Dinner. Part II
...but ya don't always
have to eat healthy.
Where did we eat?
a. A&W
b. Wendy's
c. Five Guys-------------------------Five Guys (one opened near us about a year or so ago, my hubby went there for the first time last weekend)
d. Burger King

5. What treat did we eat
in the airport?
a. cookies--------------------------cookies
b. brownies
c. cup cakes
d. banana loaf

6. What's your favourite thing to eat?
----------------------------------Just about Anything with CHEESE-fairly basic ones like cheddar, Monterrey Jack, Muenster, Mozz, etc, although I do like brie at times

Did you see it?
PM the answer.
Revealing it will cost ya!------yes I saw it, PM sent.

 

[Mac Brew]

Hi Pkondz
Great that you got your I-Pod back saves a lot of time re-programing a new one which would have cost some as well. Banff looks a picturesque place to visit real touristy.I take it you didn't come across any moose whilst you where there.Your hotel pool area looked good must have been cold though as not many people in swimming.

 

[Mac Brew]

Hi it's me again answers to the questions coming up
1. Up at 08:00 hrs that's a lie in for yourself
2. I will go for one visit to a Harley dealer so one poker chip aquired.
3. Due to the lack of patrons in the restaurant they closed it.
4. As they closed the restaurant you had to comprise and ended up in Wendy's.
5. Banana loaf in the airport.
Being from Jock land it has to be Mince and Tatties for the favourite food dish.

 

[Tracy161]

But this one machine was a washer
and a dryer.

Did anyone else know about this?

Yes! But only recently, and only because my sister lives in London and ya know... space (or lack thereof...).

"Yes." She said. "We have it here."

Actually... Go somewhere else.
You'll be glad you did.
And more importantly...
So will I.

This is pretty much my thought bubble whenever pulling into a drive-thru which, truth be told, happens more frequently than it should

"I meant." She said.
"From the breakfast nook down the hall."

Oops. But you at least won the esteemed Husband of the Year, right?!

A few minutes later...
we set out on our fourth trip
on the Icefields Parkway.

The second being that the day
was cloudless and we were able
to see the mountains
a whole lot better this time.

Yay!!! Silver lining.

Were greeted with a sign that said:
"Back in 5 minutes"

Of course you were... they were just making the reconciliation build-up more... ya know... exciting!

I saw this one and knew
I had to take a photo for you guys.

Wow, Banff is spectacular! But most importantly, SO happy to hear of the iPod recovery!!!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Ya Gotta Have Faith

After a not so great night
spent worrying about
someone hacking my iPod
and stealing my identity,

Stealing your identity - big mistake on their part - they will never sleep again!

you'll forgive me if I didn't note
the time we got up that morning.

What? How will we guess what time you get up tomorrow?


Kinda hard...
when you write notes on your iPod!

I just know we got up eventually.


Ruby found that our suite
had a washer dryer unit.
It was one unit.

Oh yay! This would make Jim really happy too. Part of vacation for him is laundry every chance he gets.
I never knew those existed.
I've always assumed you'd
have to have two different machines.
But this one machine was a washer
and a dryer.

Did anyone else know about this?
Lemme know.
I'll toss you some bonus points.

Yes, I have seen one a time or two. Never tried it though.



Now...
I have no idea, to this day,
why I did next what I did.

Stalker.

After leaving my excruciatingly
detailed message,
I hung up the phone...


And immediately re-dialed.

Out of habit from playing radio contests.
Why?

Stalker.

I told you.
I have no idea.

But I did.
And someone picked up!
It was worth it!

Never be afraid to try.
You may fail.
But as long as you look cool doing it,
it's all good.

"Hi. I left my iPod up there yesterday."
I parroted.
"And wondered if it'd been found."

"What colour is it?" She asked.
"Black." I answered. "In a black case."
"What's the password on it?" She asked.



you'll forgive me if I didn't note
the time we got up that morning.
Oh okay, I guess with all the drama and everything, plus you couldn't look at your iPod to see what time it was.

Now that's a mighty strange question.
If they find it,
surely they'll think to call me?
I mean, how many black on black iPods
do they find in a day?

Did this woman hope to find it,
mine all the data from it
and run laughing all the way
to whatever location she booked
herself using my WestJet app?


So I gave it to her.


"Yes." She said. "We have it here."




I almost dropped the phone.
Faith in humanity restored!


But you know what this means...
Another drive to the icefields and back!

Woot!...

Not.


Still, I couldn't help
but be happy.

I told Ruby and she saw that
I was itching to go back and get it.
She couldn't get ready quickly
and was happy to just relax
at the hotel while I was gone.

She told me to go on without her.


I was slightly relieved, actually.
I didn't want to wait half an hour...
I wanted to go right now.
This second!

I grabbed the car keys and...
"Would you mind grabbing me
a coffee and a muffin or something
before you go?"

Well... it was a reasonable request.
But... I wanna go!

I put my wants aside for a bit
and headed out to fetch some brekkie.

I retrieved our car from the parking garage.
Betty pointed me to the nearest McDonalds
and I set out.


It only took a few minutes to get there,
but there was a bit of a lineup.

Come on... Come on!
Just place your order!
It's McDonalds. It's not rocket surgery.
Actually... Go somewhere else.
You'll be glad you did.
And more importantly...
So will I.


Eventually I got Ruby's food
and zipped back to the hotel.

I entered the room and...
"Where did you go?" Ruby asked.
"I went to McDonalds to get
the breakfast you asked for."
"I meant." She said.
"From the breakfast nook down the hall."


oh
It makes me strangely happy that your communication with Ruby is somewhat like ours. Of course she meant in the hotel - I already knew that just reading, but Jim would have driven to McD's too!



"I'm almost ready." She then said.
"I can go with you if you want."

And she did.


A few minutes later...
we set out on our fourth trip
on the Icefields Parkway.



There were three benefits
to driving this road again.
The first, of course,
being that I got my iPod back.
The second being that the day
was cloudless and we were able
to see the mountains
a whole lot better this time.
And the third being...
I was really (Really!) used to this road.
I made it there and back
in less time than the last
manic, insane drive.

Sorry. No pictures.
Time was of the essence.
No pulling over to take snaps.
I had my hands full with driving.
And Ruby had hers full with
gripping her seat or the dash
and trying not to die and stuff.


We got back to the Icefield
Discovery Centre and....
I had the strangest sensation
that I'd been here before.


Odd.



Eventually, someone showed up.
I asked for my iPod and...



Yay!!!! There it was!

I had all my TR notes
in my hands once again.

Which, you're probably thinking.
"Great. If he'd really lost it,
this TR would've been a whole
heck of a lot shorter!"

And you'd be wrong.
I'd just make even more of it up.

er... I mean... some of it...


iPod in hand, we set out for Banff.
Trip number five on
the same stretch of highway
coming up!


Everything looked eerily familiar.
Strongest deja vu I've ever had.
I must be psychotic.

Psychic!

No... probably had that right
the first time.


Like the guy who stripped off
all his clothes and wrapped
himself in cling-wrap.
He then barges into
a psychiatrist’s office.
The doc looks him up and down
and says:
"Clearly, I can see you're nuts."


We arrived in Banff with some
daylight to spare.

We spent a nice afternoon
just walking around,
taking in the town
and popping in and out of shops.


I did take pictures, this time.
It's amazing what you can
accomplish when you're not
pressed back into a car seat
by acceleration G forces.

Love this one!

Looks like great shopping!


We ate at this fondue place
the last time we were here
with the kids.
About... Ten years earlier?
I think it was their first time
having it.
And everyone enjoyed it.

Looks like maybe LeCellier copied their menu a little?

But we didn't stop in this time.
More to explore first!

Careful! Don't crash your
invisible car!


We found the Cows store
and had to go in.

It was a bit early for me
for ice cream.
We'd be eating soon.
Later... dessert.

But I can attest that their sign
of "World's best ice cream"
is no idle boast.

It really is good ice cream.
I've had it a couple/three times now.

Sounds good.
The other thing they carry,
other than ice cream,
is souvenirs.
And everything has a cow motif.

I saw this one and knew
I had to take a photo for you guys.

Funny!
We had toured a significant chunk
of the touristy part of town
and now it was time to chow down.
And we knew the perfect spot.

We headed to... The Keg.

No fair - never heard of it. Okay now I have.


Sorry. No food porn.
Keg food is too good to stop for photos.

We both started with the escargot.
Now I wish I hadn't heard of it.

How shall I put this.
There are certain things in life
that let you know you're alive.
And there are certain things
that not only let you know it,
but make you feel great about it.

The Keg's escargot is better.

The stuff of dreams people!
Nightmares?


And by the time we finished all that...
We were too full for dessert.
Or Cows ice cream.
So we moooooved on.

Such a pity. But I'm glad you had a great dinner.

The day was turning into evening,
and Ruby was about done,
but there was one place
she wanted to see
before we left.

Wow! Is that the place from the Last Holiday movie?





After wandering a bit,
Ruby had had enough
and we headed back
to our resort.

Once there, I headed out
to the pool area to take a photo

Nice digs



MAGICFOR2 - 2 points for sliding into home. Awe, thanks.


Questions, next round:

1. One more time!!!
What time do we get up?
(hint: flight is in the evening,
but we do have to check out.)

8 am sharp

2. Been a while.
Need more poker chips.
How many Harley dealers
do we visit?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. none.

d. none

3. Dinner.
Ya gotta eat...
What happens after we
go into the practically empty
restaurant?
you decide it must not be the place to eat and ....see number 4.

4. Dinner. Part II
...but ya don't always
have to eat healthy.
Where did we eat?
a. A&W
b. Wendy's
c. Five Guys
d. Burger King

c. I will say Five Guys because In N Out is not a choice

5. What treat did we eat
in the airport?
a. cookies
b. brownies
c. cup cakes
d. banana loaf

Freshly baked cookies!

6. What's your favourite thing to eat?

Chocolate cake!


Did you see it?
PM the answer.
Revealing it will cost ya!


Coming up: Home again, home again...

Yay! you got it back! I'm sure it made your day that much better. I would love to visit Banff again some day as an adult. I only remember the tall tall mountain and breaking something at a gift shop from my visit as a child.

Love the pics, fun update! I can see why I don't do this multi quote stuff - I really suck at it, but I tried. I guess it wasn't even a multi. I'm sure that trying is worth a bonus point.

 

[pucknasty]

This TR could be turned into an action packed drama about how you lost your ipod and never knew if you were ever going to see it again LOL

glad you got it though, makes it A LOT easier to enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

[cinderkelly]

Ruby found that our suite
had a washer dryer unit.
It was one unit.
I never knew those existed.
I've always assumed you'd
have to have tw

Cool! I've always wanted to do laundry on vacation. Not. But I probably would have done a load of wash like a Ruby just to see how it worked

Did anyone else know about this?
Lemme know.
I'll toss you some bonus points.

I've never seen one in person but did know they exist, thanks to House Hunters International. Unless you give me 150 bonus points I'm afraid all hopes of catching up to Steppe are lost.

Why?
I told you.
I have no idea.

Persistence!

Yes." She said. "We have it here."

Yea!!! So glad you got it back!

The doc looks him up and down
and says:
"Clearly, I can see you're nuts.

We spent a nice afternoon
just walking around,
taking in the town

It's a very pretty town

I had the bacon wrapped filet mignon
with a lobster tail.

Super yum!

One more time!!!
What time do we get up?
(hint: flight is in the evening,
but we do have to check out.)

9:00am

2. Been a while.
Need more poker chips.
How many Harley

1

Dinner.
Ya gotta eat...
What happens after we
go into the practi

You leave and go somewhere else.

Dinner. Part II
...but ya don't always
have to eat healthy.

Wendy's

What treat did we eat
in the airport?

Brownies!

What's your favourite thing to eat?

Mashed potatoes and gravy, and anything chocolate, but not all together

 

[Mac Brew]

HI Pkondz
Being a male of the species I don't know if I should admit this but I could do with some bonus points.I have heard of washer dryer's the are quite common in our country because our house's tend to be smaller the your ones as we don't have the land space to build big house's so our kitchens are smaller therefore only room for one washing machine and no room for a dryer as well so a washer dryer it must be.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I've always assumed you'd
have to have two different machines.
But this one machine was a washer
and a dryer.

Did anyone else know about this?
Lemme know.
I'll toss you some bonus points.

Well, kind of yes. But I have never seen them "over here" and assumed they were a European thing. I had one in my flat when I lived in Aberdeen, Scotland.

"Yes." She said. "We have it here."


I almost dropped the phone.
Faith in humanity restored!

Wow, I did not expect that. Good to know there are still some decent and honest people left in this world.

Everything looked eerily familiar.
Strongest deja vu I've ever had.
I must be psychotic.

Psychic!

No... probably had that right
the first time.

Like the guy who stripped off
all his clothes and wrapped
himself in cling-wrap.
He then barges into
a psychiatrist’s office.
The doc looks him up and down
and says:
"Clearly, I can see you're nuts."

How about the guy who walked into the psychiatrist's office saying "I'm a wigwam, I'm a teepee, I'm a wigwam, I'm a teepee". The Dr. says "relax, you're two tents".

The Keg's escargot is better.

The stuff of dreams people!

I have never tried it. I don't know. SNAILS? Really?

I didn't write down what Ruby had,
but I know it was chicken.
She has chicken every time.

Sounds much like my dear wife. Bless her, but she doesn't have the most adventurous palate. At The Keg and any grill type place, it's the chicken & rib combo. At any Italian type place, it's lasagna. Any other type place, she doesn't go...

Questions, next round:

1. One more time!!!
What time do we get up?
(hint: flight is in the evening,
but we do have to check out.)

2. Been a while.
Need more poker chips.
How many Harley dealers
do we visit?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. none.

3. Dinner.
Ya gotta eat...
What happens after we
go into the practically empty
restaurant?

4. Dinner. Part II
...but ya don't always
have to eat healthy.
Where did we eat?
a. A&W
b. Wendy's
c. Five Guys
d. Burger King

5. What treat did we eat
in the airport?
a. cookies
b. brownies
c. cup cakes
d. banana loaf

6. What's your favourite thing to eat?

1. 8:30am
2. 1
3. It fills up
4. A&W
5. cookies
6. cheeseburger (with bacon, of course)

Did you see it?
PM the answer.
Revealing it will cost ya!

PM on its way.

 

[Curiouser&curiouser!]

I have heard of those crazy washer/dryer combos in like TV shows and Movies and such, but I have never seen one in real life. I don't really understand how they can work. Water and then the heating element doesn't seem to mix well!

Glad you got your iPod back! Even if I was wrong! (Now would you please stop driving that same stretch of road already!)

Banff looks beautiful! I feel relaxed just looking at the pictures! And you dinner sounds to die for, even if it means missing out on some delicious dessert!

And my guesses!
1. 7:30am.
2. A. 1
3. They close because they can't cook anything else.
4. C. Five Guys (mainly because I could go for one of their burgers right now)
5. A. Cookies
6. Chocolate. I can almost always go for chocolate. And by some serendipitous event, brownies just appeared on my work desk as I was typing this! It's like I wished them into existence!

And nope. I didn't see it. I even went back. And I still didn't see it! I stink at these games!

 

[irene_dsc]

I've always assumed you'd
have to have two different machines.
But this one machine was a washer
and a dryer.

Did anyone else know about this?
Lemme know.
I'll toss you some bonus points.

I only heard about it on a TR! I thought it was Alison's, but since no one else is mentioning that, I'm questioning my memory! But, I'm pretty sure it was somewhere at a Disney place.

We spent a nice afternoon
just walking around,
taking in the town
and popping in and out of shops.

Somehow, I think of the National Park when I think of Banff, and not the town. I keep expecting more hiking.

I had the bacon wrapped filet mignon
with a lobster tail.

That sounds yummy. I've never seen bacon on a filet mignon, but it just seems like it would be yummy.

Questions, next round:

1. One more time!!!
What time do we get up?
(hint: flight is in the evening,
but we do have to check out.)

2. Been a while.
Need more poker chips.
How many Harley dealers
do we visit?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. none.

3. Dinner.
Ya gotta eat...
What happens after we
go into the practically empty
restaurant?

4. Dinner. Part II
...but ya don't always
have to eat healthy.
Where did we eat?
a. A&W
b. Wendy's
c. Five Guys
d. Burger King

5. What treat did we eat
in the airport?
a. cookies
b. brownies
c. cup cakes
d. banana loaf

6. What's your favourite thing to eat?


Did you see it?
PM the answer.
Revealing it will cost ya!

1. 7:30 am
2. 1
3. it fill up
4. Five Guys
5. banana loaf
6. Difficult choice! How do I narrow it down??? I might have to get back to you on that...
And, yes I saw it...will PM you.

 

[mustinjourney]

We headed to... The Keg.
(And right about now,
@mustinjourney is kicking
himself for not letting his bet ride.)

I KNEW IT!!!!

Especially since you gave me such poor odds.

You're lucky I cut part of my finger off yesterday during a knife sharpening incident, or I would type a really long angry tirade.

 

[franandaj]

Ruby found that our suite
had a washer dryer unit.
It was one unit.
I never knew those existed.

Did anyone else know about this?
Lemme know.
I'll toss you some bonus points.

I first learned of them a couple summers ago when we were buying another washer and dryer. At first I thought the idea was cool until I realized that you can't wash and dry two loads at the same time. I also had one in our DVC Villa at the Beach Club. I put a load in the dryer, took out some of the clothes that we already dry and restarted it, washing again.

But I did.
And someone picked up!

Amazing!

"What colour is it?" She asked.
"Black." I answered. "In a black case."
"What's the password on it?" She asked.

Surely there has got to be another way they can determine if it's yours? Really is she going to be booking flights and transferring money from your bank account while you're on the way?

So I gave it to her.


"Yes." She said. "We have it here."


I almost dropped the phone.
Faith in humanity restored!

And now I'm wondering why you think Liesa was so lucky. Obviously you are too.....

"Would you mind grabbing me
a coffee and a muffin or something
before you go?"

See I wouldn't trust something this sensitive to anyone.

I retrieved our car from the parking garage.
Betty pointed me to the nearest McDonalds
and I set out.

But, but, but you're Canadian!!!!!!! Tim Horton's!!!!! Do Canadian Micky D's have muffins? Besides Egg McMuffins?

"I meant." She said.
"From the breakfast nook down the hall."

See why I don't trust the most important meal of the day to anyone else!!!!!

A few minutes later...
we set out on our fourth trip
on the Icefields Parkway.

You should have called this trip...Pkondz visits the icefields, again and again and again.....

I had all my TR notes
in my hands once again.

Which, you're probably thinking.
"Great. If he'd really lost it,
this TR would've been a whole
heck of a lot shorter!"

Or I would have had more points...

"Clearly, I can see you're nuts."

Didn't you mean "your"?

We spent a nice afternoon
just walking around,
taking in the town
and popping in and out of shops.

Well at least you got to do something that didn't involve driving to the icefields!

We ate at this fondue place
the last time we were here
with the kids.

Mmmmmm fondue....now I want some!

We found the Cows store
and had to go in.

Is this some kind of Canadian Chain? Never heard of it down here....

I saw this one and knew
I had to take a photo for you guys.

Right. Strictly for our pleasure.

We headed to... The Keg.
(And right about now,
@mustinjourney is kicking
himself for not letting his bet ride.)

Sorry. No food porn.
Keg food is too good to stop for photos.

No photos, never happened.

And by the time we finished all that...
We were too full for dessert.
Or Cows ice cream.
So we moooooved on.

I see what you did there.

The Banff Springs hotel was built
back in 1888.

Looks very nice. Was it part of the hotels built by the railroad across Canada?

And that was about it for our day.
Nothing too exciting,
(unless you count
the terror filled drive
to and from the icefields.)

Sometimes not very exciting is better than too much excitement.

Steppesister - 638 points
Captain_Oblivious - 618 points
franandaj - 605 points

Ugh! How will I ever get another Caramilk bar?

1. One more time!!!
What time do we get up?
(hint: flight is in the evening,
but we do have to check out.)

I'm going to guess 8AM.

2. Been a while.
Need more poker chips.
How many Harley dealers
do we visit?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. none.

c. 3

3. Dinner.
Ya gotta eat...
What happens after we
go into the practically empty
restaurant?

A tour bus arrives.

4. Dinner. Part II
...but ya don't always
have to eat healthy.
Where did we eat?
a. A&W
b. Wendy's
c. Five Guys
d. Burger King

I'm gonna go with A&W again and you're trying to get the frosty mug. But my back up choice would be Burger King.

5. What treat did we eat
in the airport?
a. cookies
b. brownies
c. cup cakes
d. banana loaf

c. Cup Cakes

6. What's your favourite thing to eat?

Now how can you ask that question? It all depends on my mood, what I'm craving and all sorts of factors, but I guess if I have to narrow it down to one thing I will say noodles.

Did you see it?
PM the answer.
Revealing it will cost ya!

OK. OK. PM Coming.

 

[Steppesister]

And now I'm wondering why you think Liesa was so lucky. Obviously you are too.....

There's plenty of luck to go around. Again, and again, and again..... (something tells me the lost and luck saga ain't over yet.)

You should have called this trip...Pkondz visits the icefields, again and again and again.....

Ugh! How will I ever get another Caramilk bar?

I'll make you a deal...

 

[mustinjourney]

I still think I should get some bonus points for calling my shot. Bonus points aside, I'm pumped that I guessed right originally.

YOU have to be either impressed or scared with my knowledge of your behavior.

and I really did accidentally cut off part of my right index finger yesterday. 10 hours in the ER only to find out they can't reattach the piece is not the best way to spend a Holiday. So i'm not above seeking pity points.

One piece (no pun intended) of advice -- dont be careless when sharpening your knife.

the silver lining for me is that I should be able to get 10% discount on any future manicures.