ninme

Well, the ninfam rolled back into Seattle yesterday afternoon, and rolled out again early this morning, leaving me here. The itinerary: Seattle to Walla Walla, Walla Walla to Brisco, Brisco for four nights, Brisco to Canmore, Canmore for four nights, Canmore to Revelstoke, Revelstoke to Seattle. I did very little, at first because of the foot sprain and then because there just wasn’t time. I didn’t go into downtown Canmore, never got into Invermere, went tobogganing once which counts as the only walk or hike, and didn’t even go swimming. Though I did see whole legions of cousins I haven’t seen since… well, years ago. And I forgot my face soap, so I’ve spent the last eleven days with a new soap nearly every day, except those days when I limited myself to lots of hot running water because I will not use my boy cousins’ Zest soap on my face.

I would have told you all this earlier, but there was NO internet ANYWHERE. And since I was tethered to assorted family members, I couldn’t scamper down the hill to the fabulous bagel place with free internet without inconveniencing everybody and inviting frayed tempers. When Peter and I were in Canmore just three months ago there was a fabulous connection that we could discreetly tap into, but this time, there were about 8 wireless connections around the condo, but every single one of them had passwords. Even the ones called “Netgear”.

Anyway, normal service resuming now. Unless I come down with whatever hideous disease Peter picked up on his flight out of Chicago last week. Yeah, that’s right, I’m blaming Chicago.

Oh, and we stayed up late last night to watch the fireworks from our balcony for the first time since moving in last January, and the idiots screwed it up. It kind of started a little, then stopped. Then we went inside again, then it started again. Then it stopped again and we stood there. Then people who had parked below us to walk to various public areas to watch started driving away. So then we went in again. Then it started again. Then it was done, and mom, who had watched it all from inside, said that the TV, which was also on, said that the fireworks outlasted the music (I love how these things are turned for the TV viewing audience) because of “a computer glitch”. Not terribly auspicious, I don’t think. But I spent the first night of the new year on my own pillow. Happy New Year, indeed!