Haloranch

I fell on a crack and twisted my ankle. We're moving our office into temporary quarters on the same floor. When our old office was originally created, the floor was extended by adding 10' of some substance which was different from the existing floor. It didn't take long for the two substances to conflict. Thereafter, there was a pronounced ridge where the two floors met and over time, this ridge increased to a full vertical inch in height differential. It was never a big problem since the ridge was very close to the edge of our desks. While occasionally it might cause you to stumble, with the desks were right there it was easy to catch yourself. This morning both desks were moved to their temporary homes. The ridge is now fully exposed. While carrying an armload of binders (blinders, more likely) I twisted my left foot on the ridge and down I went. We have everything in our first aid kits except tensor bandages so I'll be hobbling around a bit.

33 years ago today Hans and I got married. I've been asked, "What makes a relationship last so long?" Most of it comes down to who you are. What your values are, your ethics, your morals. A lot of it is luck. We're lucky that as we grew older and changed, we changed together. A lot of it is money. More marriages break up over money than over anything else. We are fortunate not to have that problem, though money was certainly tight in the early years. And finally, we treat each other with affection and respect. But most of all, we have fun together!

The Maple Leaf Grill is THE place to eat in Banff. I know this to be true because two of my dinner companions have lived in Banff for over 30 years and own Canada House , an art gallery now run by their daugher Barb and her husband Eric. I met Peter and Marika through our friends from Wellington, New Zealand. Wally and Margot are currently on a 4 month holiday which includes a visit to Banff. Despite their lengthy absence from NZ, they are on a tight schedule in Alberta and didn't have time to visit Red Deer. So they invited Hans and me to join them for dinner in Banff. Peter and Marika spend most of their time at their other residence in B.C. and so asked their daughter to recommend a good place to eat. That's how I found myself enjoying *happy hour* at Peter's condo prior to dinner. "Can I get you some kind of cool aid?" he asked when I arrived. I heard *Kool Aid* and was momentarily nonplussed. After all, some people don't drink. I even know a few...

The mole left a hole. But, thanks to my skillful surgeon Dr. Skochylas, it doesn't show. In fact, this morning I've had to point out my wound to everyone and they all said the same thing: "If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have noticed." Well, that's why I told you! I had a mole in my right eyebrow. I first noticed it as a teen when I started plucking my brows though undoubtedly it was there before that. It was never a problem and when I was younger, it was smaller. Sort of like the rest of me. Since the mole got bigger my eyebrow hairs no longer grew in a pretty line but stuck out from it in a perculiar starburst fashion much like the witch's wart in Snow White. The good doc saw it one day and said, "I can remove that." Alright! It had never occurred to me to have this done, and so we set it up. Yesterday noon was the big day. I'm lying stretched out on the operating table in Outpatients. "Are you just going to give me a l...

It was the best of times. We had a huge party to ease Hans' transition into the next decade. 50 people came to wish him well on Saturday, and we pigged out on pig. Mr. Big Pig came and turned the beastie on a spit for 5 hours while succulent aromas wafted around the yard. The cats hovered nearby hoping for a stray morsel. The humans weren't far behind. Festive balloons lined the driveway and encircled the deck. Three huge Rubbermaid containers filled with beer, coolers and pop covered in ice lay in the shade of the front deck while boxes of wine (yes, we only serve the best!) lined the downstairs bar. Little deck tables were covered with finger foods: an ice bowl with fresh flowers frozen between its walls was chilling pink shrimp; a tasty crab dip sat in another corner; a creamy feta slice smothered in honey and garnished with cracked pepper left its sticky residue on many fingers. The really good part about having lots of people over is that they take care of themselve...

I'm an idiot, and I have proof. Back in June a little *check* light went on in my car. Not the oil light or anything straightforward like that. I had to look it up and the manual said, "Take it to your dealer." Okay. After work I pick the car up at the dealer's. "I've run the diagnostic, but the only thing we can find is that the gas cap is on loose," said the serviceman. "That'll be $50 please." "What? $50 to tell me the gas cap is on loose? That can't be the problem." "The code says it's an evaporation leak, and it's all we could find." He goes on to explain the 3-click rule. "Tighten the gas cap until you hear 3 clicks. Then you know it's sealed." "But how do I tell my husband it cost $50 to find out the gas cap was loose?" He humours me and gives me a long and convoluted explanation which I can't remember anyway, so I 'fess up. It's no big deal. A week later th...

Hmm. Hans' surprise birthday party is no longer a surprise. In the last week a couple of people have inadvertently spilled the beans. But, it's SO much easier now that he knows!! You know, I'm guessing he would have become suspicious anyway when he saw the boxes of wine and all the beer and pop stacked up in the wine cellar.