Grande Prairie Reunions!

Sunday, June 27th, 2010 – Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

START: Sagitawah RV Park, Whitecourt, AB – 11:30 a.m.

STOP: Grande Prairie, AB – 2:45 p.m.

WEATHER: The weather literally changed every 5 minutes up there. T’was a cornucopia of sun, clouds, rain and wind.

We started off our morning by blatantly disobeying quiet time (which was stated as being from 11:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. – you best believe we let’er rip for those four hours of fun time) by exercising Bellowing Beula’s Nascar sounds while Dad tried to find the root of the problem. Luckily, it didn’t turn out to be a life-threatening ailment leaving us trapped (like those befallen souls in the petting zoo) another day until the RV repair shop was open – so it was off to Grande Prairie! This time around it was Paw and I’s turn for a reunion.

Along the way we hit the Hail Mary of all unmarked road bumps which proved to be a revolting development, as all of us and everything that wasn’t bolted down were tossed violently to and fro. Alas, we arrived in one piece in GP just before three o’clock in the afternoon and much to my pleasant surprise, discovered that Laura lived only TWO BLOCKS from Sloan’s house. TWO BLOCKS. TWO BL – You get it. Long story short, everything leading up to this event was obviously meant to be. So Dad and I got to do our own versions of the slow-mo cornfield runs. I didn’t witness Dad’s but I’m sure it entailed something much more manly than an open-armed embrace, you know, like a chest bump and a beer can crush to the forehead or something. So we spent the next almost four days relaxing and visiting and taking real life showers and listening to Dad and Sloan tell stories of their crime-riddled youth. I spent time with Laura visiting her brothers and their peeps, and spent a lot of time with her cute as a button eight year old niece Chloe and three year old nephew Crash. At dinner one night – Mom: “I love your dimples.” Crash: “You wanna see my nipples?!” *whips up his shirt* Hahah. Chloe is way too smart for her age and Crash LOVES batteries. He has a collection and carries them around with him everywhere he goes, robbing them from any and all household items that he can get his hands on. Even during Toy Story 3 when Buzz was under duress, he yelled out, “I know! He needs a new battery!” Love every square inch of them both.

We found out that the legal age in Alberta was 18, which delighted Mike to no end. “Like, I can buy stuff too?” Mom kept his beer store receipt for the baby book – Baby’s First Six Pack. Deeze are speshull thymes. I spent a lot of time reading on the deck and listening to the soothing crackhouse tunes from two doors down during the day while Laura was at work, while Mom got to explore the wonder that is Costco, and Mike kept a watchful eye over Beuls on the street when Dad didn’t have her in the shop. By the end of it, she had herself a new set of lungs, new u-joints and hanger bearings on the drive shaft, and an overall tune-up. Sloan took Mom and Dad on a sight-seeing expedition to Peace River, and Laura tried to take her friend Ashley and I off-roading but forgot where the spot was so we ended up at some provincial park getting hunted down by an angry beav instead. Ashley: “Look, a beaver! It’s swimming to shore!” Laura: “What!? RUN! My dad was chased by a beaver once! They run as fast as dogs and chew right through your legs!” Hahaha. So we ran like a bunch of screaming idiots only to return in the safety of Laura’s H3 to photo document the beast. We even saw a monstrous moose on the way out – no griz and samsquanches to speak of yet.

Mom and Dad got to meet some of Sloan’s friends at the Army and Navy Club of which he is a member (GP’s version of the Legion). Mom’s motto during our stay quickly became, “Well, it’s five o’clock somewhere.” Haha. Our Last Supper consisted of Sloan’s delicious maple-glazed sockeye salmon with rice and salad on the side and while they spent their last night relaxing together, I spent the night at Laura’s apartment and experienced all that GP nightlife has to offer.

We all had a great visit and enjoyed being able to rest our weary heads in one place for more than a day at a time and we want to thank both Sloan and Laura for their wonderful hospitality and jobs well done as honorary GP Host and Hostess! We miss you both!

Tomorrow it’s back to life on the highway and finally... MOUNTAINS!

Letting the good times roll,