What Really Happened...

What really happened... on my birthday trip. n_n

Well, Laurie, me, Craig, and Stephanie all crammed into Craigs car late on the night before my birthday, at around 11pmish. Mum had had only 3 hours of sleep after a 12 hour cab driving day, so she was a little tired. However, she insisted on being 'the one' to drive us back and forth.
It was dark, and it took forever to reach Saskatchewan. The dark and rain was pretty neat. Though I tried to look outside at the scenery, there was little I was able to see. Too dark.
Laurie kept pissing me off, at first just by swerving into the other lane. I kept asking her if she was okay, and she'd hastily assure us that she was. Then while it was raining, she'd try to ride a big trucks ass end all the way, until our complaints made her begrudgingly slow down a little. When it's pitch black out, raining, and you're two feet away from a big truck on a slippery highway, far from help, I'd be scared.
Mum was also feeling very warm, mainly due to her menopause. I wanted a few times to punch the back of her headrest, hard, to smarten her up. She'd have her window down all the way, cold air on the vent system blowing, and I'd feel my nuts crawl up in the back of my throat. 'Just try to sleep back there' she'd say, as she swerves into the other lane, following a big ass truck in a rain storm scant inches from his bumper. Grr... >_>

Regardless, it was fun. The girls all sang, Craig was his non-stop jokester self, and I rode more or less quietly along.
We arrived at Rolleu?... Rollo-something Saskatchewan, A.K.A. Dog River, a small town that Corner Gas is filmed at.
It was early morning, and we were all pretty excited to be there. There is a full-time security gaurd who is living at the gas station site, where she lives in a camperized trailer. She came out to greet us, and we got permission to walk around the area to take pictures.
Well, I went camera crazy and took lots of footage of the place. The security gaurd was so nice that she actually let me inside the store, ap lace normally offlimits to people, just to take a few pictures. It had that old, musty paint smell to the place that I love, full of neglect and old timey ways.
The security guard I guess was actually the same security person who, at the end of certain episodes of the show, explains about the towns history and stuff. I got her to pose with us for the camera.
After a zillion pictures, we left to take pictures of the towns many hand-painted fire hydrants, which usually have people painted on them. One had an Oscar the Grouch on it.

We stopped for breakfast at a diner, where we all behaved more or less indecently. We drove southeast, back into Alberta, this time able to see the scenery of Saskatchewan on our way.
Pincher Creek eventually grew into our sights, and we found my Grandmas' new place down there. Gladys and Alan are both living at a new place. It's like a series of bungalows, all made into a townhouse type of thing. Instead of a back yard, they have an apartment style shared indoor hallway, that joins every house and leads them to indoor rec centers, facilities, etc..
They did a wonderful job of settling in. It doesn't feel like a mausoleum. It has their personality in it, and they made it feel comfortable to be in. They're also quite happy, so, so am I.
We stayed the night there. Grandma rented a Guest Suite down the indoor hallway, where all four of us travelers all slept together for one night. Two cots and a bed.
I heard a noise at night, that sounded like a jar of water with dentures being shook around in it. I started to giggle. For two hours after that, all four of us laughed, snickered, snotted, giggled, and roared. It was great. Being tired can be fun.
The day after I walked/ran grandmas' dog, then we went north, more or less.
We visited Frank Slide, a place where a mountain fell and crushed a town. We drove west of it just to find a Tim Hortons, then came back east again to see Frank Slide one last time as we returned to the northerly highway.

Eventually we made it up to Red Deer, and went into Blackfalds to visit Maryanne and Mike. After a brief visit, and getting my fine birthday present from dad (thanks dad!), we went north, back home. It was swell.

More to type about, but not tonight. Some issues are on my mind, but they can wait. Laterz!