My wife and I just got back from
Northern Alberta. It was a nice -- but
eventful -- trip. The trip up to the
Peace River area took three days
because of a bad accident south of
Grande Prairie. Traffic was stopped
for almost 12 hours. It was -40C
(which is pretty much -40F) and we
waited for a bit, but neither of us
felt like doing the "how much gas do
we have left" math while trying to
keep warm. So we went back to Grande
Cache (an old coal mining town) and
spent a lovely evening there.
The temperature remained close to -40
until the last day we were up there.
We stayed with my wife's parents,
visited my brother (highlight of the
trip -- he re-finished a 1960s
credenza-like cabinet stereo and it is
amazing!), and hung out with an old
friend. Great trip.
The funny thing is that you actually
do get used to the cold weathher. When
it warmed up to -20-something, it felt
warm out. At home, -20 feels insanely
cold!
On the way home, we spent a night in
Jasper. If you ever go there, Cassio's
restaurant is worth a visit. My wife
asked them to turn down the overhead
lights because they were bothering her
eyes, and suddenly we were in an
old-school candlelit restaurant. So
nice. No one complained.
She had the steak (I had a few bites
and I highly recommend it). I had the
Bolognese Penne. It could use a bit
more sauce. We added some of the
veggies (green and red peppers,
onions, etc.) from the steak dinner to
the pasta and that made it much
better. So did the beer. ;)
Today, on the last leg of the trip, we
stopped in Blue River. It's one of my
favourite places. When there's no
traffic, there's absolutely no sound
there. It's so quiet. I got out of the
car and promptly slipped on some ice.
Full out, feet in the air, smack down
on the ground. I don't recommend that.
The palm of my left hand is still numb
6 hours later. I'm fine. Just
irritated with myself.
When we got home, there was about a
foot of snow across the driveway.
Sigh. It took a while to clear. Now
I'm sitting in my chair, with my numb
hand, typing away and enjoying a
drink.
