Oh boy I am bushed

Gosh don't know what to say today..  Well I had a great time and met some new friends

I am so bushed right now.  So not gonna be putting too much more down today.  I think the minute I out my head down I will be out.

This morning another early morning for me..  I think if maybe I went to bed a little earlier I might be better.  But mostly I think it is just the time change.

This morning was pirate day for us red hatters.  Another idea that has been building for a few years. Started out with a couple of guys who go out and do sports together.  One day they started talking pirate and goofed around at it a few times.  It started to catch on and they decided that there should be an official day for talk like a pirate.  The day was finally decided on and we now have official talk like a pirate day.  It is September 19th.

Well the red hat ladies decided to get in on the action as well.on September 19th there is allot of events going on throughout the red hat society.  There are groups that I know of.  One that has an event at the international convention.  That one is wenches gone wild.  There is another group in Abbotsford.  Hosted busy Elizabeth Wesley.  Her official branch is roaming red wenches.  Down around louisiana there is Yo-Ho.  I have participated in these groups at one time or another.  There are many other groups around the country that enjoy a day of pirateing and pillaging.  Well mostly  chocolate dubloms though and showing off there finest pirate wear.

There are wenches, Pirates, and the lowly deckhand.  So many different costumes you can see and so many different ideas you can come up with.  I saw so many different ideas this morning. At breakfast.  It was such a great morning..  Well the whole weekend was just great.  So much laughter and fun

Yes though now I am bushed. May have to start rethinking my conventions.  I love going but I am so tired now because of health issues that I wonder whether I should be going or not.  With yesterday's little bit of a vertigo attack.  What if it had been more and I was down in the states?  I have some rethinking to do.  But dang I love going to these.  It is one of the places I can get none stop laughter and love. The ladies are getting to know me and know I am quiet.  They except me for what I am.

So some brainstorming I will be doing. Well I will see.

Last full day of convention

Well it is soon time to say goodbye again.  Head on our way back home to the quiet where giggles only happen once in while.  Not every two or three minutes..  The ladies at our table tonight were so much fun.  Even got this quiet one laughing away.  That does not happen too often.  Felt so good.

This morning I woke up around 6:30 said to myself I don't need to be up this early and rolled over hoping I would not fall too deeply into sleep again.  Well I guess I did.  Next thing I know it is 7:30.  Dang I am suppose to be down stairs in half and hour.  Got to get cracking and get my butt in gear.  Jan calls a couple of minutes later to make sure I am up.  She knows I am not a morning person.

I scoot down stairs and lay onsie and my bunnie slippers.  Most comfortable shoes I have on all weekend.  Bunnie slippers.  Breakfast is buffet style. Oh my so much food.  After we are finished eating a few more prizes are given away and the a lady with pigtails and a pink hat comes in.  Talks about her great auntie and how she loves the red hat society.  Mind you in a very squeakie voice.  She then goes around to tables and tells ladies their fortunes.  The room starts to clear after awhile.  I head up stairs to get out of a very warm pair of pjs.  I guess fleece is just a tad warm.  I get into something a little more comfy and then close my eyes for awhile.  Umm yeah I went to sleep heavy again.  Ended up waking up about a half hour before the tea this afternoon.  Great gonna be close to being late again.

The tea was a bit fancy.  I might have been a little over the top but I like dressing up when I can.  Blingy necklace and the earrings were just a bit heavy.  At least I didn't loose one as they kept coming close to the end coming off a couple of times.  Tea was biscuits and cookies and a dollop of whip cream to dunk the cookies into.  Coffee and tea as well.  Seth Green showed up in the room and started talking with some of the ladies.  He was doing a show in Winnipeg and maybe part of our red hat group may be on tv.

Jan said I should get a henna done.  Okay who is henna.  Yes I know what henna is.  I was trying to make a joke and it didn't go over.  She said come with me.  So over to the other room and we both signed up to get henna done on our hands.  Some of the designs she had done so far really where good.  She did the henna and then she took some sparkle and sprayed it onto the henna.  To give it a red and purple colouring.  I had flowers and a butterfly done.  It looked great well that was until I had to get dressed for the gala tonight.

When I got up from the henna being done I started feeling alittle tipsy.  Oh great I hope a vertigo attack does not come on.  I do not need to be lying on the floor not able to get up as I can not stand up straight.  Not a pretty sight that is.  I look like a drunken sailor.  Well if it happens tomorrow I will be a drinkin pirate.  Great.

I headed back up to the room.  A lay down was defineatly in order for me.  When this happens and it gets worse I am cooked for awhile and may have to miss the gala.  Well what will be will be.  Yep the room started to spin a bit.  It wasn't too bad but yes the room was doing a little spinning.  I took one of my medications for this.  Did the exercise that is suppose to help and then put my head down for awhile and closed my eyes. I am not sure is it was the smell of the henna or just getting up too fast from her chair or if I just turned my head too fast that brought it on.  The excercise and meds had seemed to do the trick.  The room stopped is little jumping around and I could stand up again..  Halayluya with enough time to make the gala tonight with out any problems.

I put on my fancy dress and my bling and went down and enjoyed the night emencely.  The table I was at was full of laughter and fun. Always something strange being talked about.  The giggles were coming on oh so often.  We had a plated dinner with so much food.  Desert I snuck two of, but I was bad and did not finish my main course though.  Bad bad I was.

 There was a couple of skits done by different ladies and then Dolly Parton came in to do a song.  No no not the real Dolly Parton, just one of the ladies doing karaoke. The rest of the gifties were given out. You know they had some real nice items as gifties.  There was three diamond bracelets, blingy shoes, decorated hat and jewelry.

I know not going into detail as much as I usually do.  I think the conventions are starting to be a little much for me.  I end up sleeping during the day instead of down stairs visiting with ladies.  One day my back is sore as heck and today am a bit ditzy..  I come up to the room to change and end up sleeping.well I guess my body is telling me I am doing more then I should be.  Well we should eventually get it right and agree on something.  I want to play, but I do have to slow down as well.  Being sick is sometimes not that fun.

Anyways yes I should go to sleep here soon.  One more early morning coming up for me.  Tomorrow is pirate day in the ball room and then we say our goodbyes to everyone.

So goodnight to all

Today the fun really started. Well after I had a nap anyways

I woke up this morning at 9:30.  Grabbed my iPad and was looking at Facebook.  Yeah, yeah I am addicted.  Anyways the first thing I see is messages from 7:00 ,which to me is 5:00.  We are going for breakfast in a little while you want to join us.  Well dang I missed that by a couple of hours. Guess I will have to have to play by myself for awhile.  

I got up ate a muffin I had in the room and finished off getting ready for the day.  The sun is shining outside so it should be a good day to walk a little.  Not going to walk allot as I might have overdid it yesterday.  Go figure.

By the time I get down to the lobby they are taking registration.  So I get myself done with registration talk with a few ladies around the lobby and of course take a few pictures.  Not very often without my camera.  I don't take the best of pictures but I do get the jest of what is going on around me. After a little while I take my package upstairs to my room and then head over to the mall to grab some more of my caffiene fix. I walk around the mall for a little while.  Just to get a few steps in without hurting my feet too much.  I already did a little damage to a toe or two with big blisters now.  As long as they slowly go down and do not burst I am doing good.  They ain't going to look good with open toed shoes tomorrow night though.  Well will be under a long dress so no one will see them.  I just say I messed up with nail polish and couldn't get it off.  No that ain't gonna work.  It won't be seen anyways. The dress is too big at the bottom my feet will be lost in crimolyne. 

Well at least I did a few steps today.  Came out to allot less then I did the night before.  I guess I made my usual which is about 6700 or so.  Good enough for me for now.  Back at the room as no one is in the lobby.  I turn on the tv for some noise sit down on the bed and the next thing I know it is two hours later and I have just had a nap.  Went right to sleep.  Guess it was something I needed.  I usually don't go to sleep that fast.  Look at the clock.  Oh dang it is soon time to go down for dinner. The doors open at 5:30

I change into my purple coveralls and put on my hat and head downstairs.  Ladies in red and purple are waiting in the lobby to head into the room..  Everyone is talking with everyone.  Treating new friends and old.  I talk with a few of them.  Yes the quiet one I am actually talking to someone I don't know yet.  I am getting better.  I see a lady I have met before.  Give her a hug and she says. I should know you but I can't place you.  She walked up to me later and said.  I know who you are and where I met you.  You were in Edmonton.  The person who had the two bears on your butt at the pj breakfast.  Gee what a way to be remembered by my butt. And it is not even a great looking butt.  Just too funny I think!  Well I did give you a laugh too.

Missing all of Jan's text and emails today.  I missed some more.  She was asking if I wanted to sit with her.  Well napping I missed her messages. I still did end up sitting with her and five South Dakota ladies.  Was a fun night.  The meal was all red neck type food.  Fried chicken, French fries, corn on the cob and pumpkin and apple pie.  Oh and corn bread.  So moist corn bread.  Something I could eat without having to drink allot to get it down.  When you have trouble swallowing you have to find foods that are easy going down.  The corn bread hit the spot just right.  But then so did the pumpkin pie.

A DJ played music most of the night. Ladies were up dancing and having a good time.  Everyone was having a great time.  The food was great and lots of it.  I was stuffed.  But that was because I made a trip to the desert table.  You know should have gone ther first I love desert allot more then the main meal. But got to play nice.

Part way through the night the hosts uncovered three tables at the back of the room.  These tables were a free for all.  Lots of hats and clothing and shoes and eccessories were on these tables.  Donated by some red hat ladies. The tables were full of goodies.  We all got to go up to these tables and pick out a coupe of things to take home with us.  There was so much to choose from. I saw some of the items that were brought back to our table by ladies.  Some nice things.  What a really nice idea.

I didn't find anything but I kinda went up after it was all picked over.  Better chance of looking then when everyone was up there.  Not worried about it.  It would have been something else I would have had to pack home with me. So no worry to me if I didn't find anything.

Around 9:30 the room started to clear out for the night.  Allot would have traveled today so going back to room to catch up on travel sleep.  Some may still be partying down there.  For me don't know. My back was giving me a bit of trouble so here I am up in my room playing on my blog and watching the boob tube.  Well at least I found some new shows tonight instead of reruns.

Oooops. Just looked at the time.  If I have to get up for 8:00 down in the ball room I better put my butt to bed..  Night net.  Talk again tomorrow night

Wow what a day

Woke up every couple of hours last night.  Is it time to get up.  Heck no time for more sleep. Finally around 8:30 I rolled myself out of bed.    Am I ready for this day?  Well you gonna do this you gonna do this.  Now which way do I walk .  Okay let head to the forks and the river.  

I have good intentions I go down to the desk ask if a bus does go down town or do I have to change buses.  They say it is easy and the price is 2.65.  Okay my good intentions are I am going to take the bus down town.  Look at all the things I have circled on a map.  Enjoy my day there and then take the bus back.

Ha that didn't last long.  I start walking towards the bus stop and then say to myself well walk to the next stop as it is better then waiting for a bus.  It is a beautiful day anyways.  Enjoy the bit of a walk to the next stop.  Well the thing is I never did stop at that bus stop.i just kept walking.  Something I do when I am enjoying the day.  No ups and downs and the weather is great for walking.  Not too hot and sticky, not going to rain.so the dumb, dumb in me just kept walking.

I knew were I was going and if I head in the wrong direction have a map in my purse to put me back in the right place.  Well as long as I don't go off the map that I have.

I turn off portage street and go on Broadway.  I decided I stay on highway 1 it will get me to my first stop.  I love looking down the smaller cross roads.  They are all tree lined with huge elm trees.  Makes a canopy over the street.  Old growth and old houses.  Just spectacular.  You never really notice this kind of ambiance when you are driving in a car or riding a bus.  You can look at things and not worry about traffic behind you. A bus you don't see much as someone else is always in the way of what you want to look at.

Anyways yes I am still walking.  Been doing this for about an hour.  One foot in front of the other.  At least it is not up and down hills like I do at home or larger hills like I did in San Francisco.  That was a walk and a half.  I finally come the the legislation building.  Wow!!!  Very impressive.  Stone Mason's must have been very busy to build this.  There are carvings in the stone.  A dome in the centre with a golden boy on the top.  I took a walk inside.  Have to go through a security check before you can go wandering around. Then you walk inside.  Looks brass and stone and marble.  Just beautiful. The stairway up to the second floor.  It is defiantly a grand stairway.  Two Buffalo on each side of the stairway..  You walk to the back and there is a tables set in a circle around an opening.  You look down through the opening and see a star on the floor.  You look up and see a painted dome above.  As you wander around the building you notice all the stonework, the statues and the workmanship to put this building together.

I finally leave the building and head further down Broadway towards the river.  Construction and traffic, but what I also notice is allot of food trucks.  Parked every few feet selling something different.  Ooooo! Yum!  Yep still walking towards the river.  I come across Carlton street.  There is suppose to be a burned cathedral on that street.  I am not sure where but if I walk a little ways down might see it.  Well I did see an older church.  Don't think it was the cathedral but the church was something nice to take a picture of. Decide to head back to Broadway and keep going.  At the end of Broadway I come to the train station.  One of the hubs of the area.  I walk through the station and out the other side.  I see the museum of huma right.  Now there is a modern building.  To me looks like an ice cream cone.  Different layers piled on top of others and a tower on top.i like the building but was not interested in going inside..  Walk a little further down the path and come to a walking bridge that goes over the red river and into the French quarter.  I could walk along the river walk on this side or I can venture a little into the French quarter or I could turn around and head over to the forks market, which is where I wanted to go.  Well the market was were I went.   I got a couple of pictures of the church top in the French quarter but didn't venture much further.  Was getting too far away from to hotel as it was.  So back over the bridge I went.  There is an outcropping on this bridge.  It is a resteraunt over the water.  That is different. Walked through the waterfront park over to the market.

The forks market.  Boy are there allot of interesting things in there.  From food to articians to clothing.three floors of it and a tower you can climb stairs to get up or an elevator for those who are tired.  You really want to know I took the stairs.  Not too high but did give you a birds eye view of the area.  I met up with Brenda Marshall a few times walking around.  She told me about the river cruise that was very interesting.  You get to all the interesting sites from the water.  I never thought of going out on a mini cruise and it sounded interesting.  Well my feet and back were starting to tell me tails and I knew if I sat down I would probably not get back up again.  So a pass on the cruise or lunch for that matter.  Just keep me going and start heading back the other way.

I was even a bigger dummy and said no to a ride back to the hotel.  Well my mind was set on walking and I was going to finish it.  I headed up Assiniboine street. Heading back towards the legislation building.  Walking around the back of the building.  There are allot of memorial statues and other statues around the back lawn.  I made my way around the back of the building and then headed over to portage street and back towards the hotel.  I saw the bay building.  All five story building.  I didn't go in but was kinda wondering if they use all the floors anymore or just two like they do in other towns.  I guess not curious enough though as I kept walking.

Hour later I am back at the hotel and in my swimsuit and down to the hot tub.  Oooo that felt so good.  Didn't do much for the blister I got but yes it did relieve some of the tightness in my back.  A little floating around and a little soaking in the tub.  I was in there for about an hour between both pools.  Had to go back up to the room eventually though.

I had just sat down on the bed checking Facebook and my mail and a text comes in. A few of us are going out to the Olive Garden for supper.  Around seven want to come.  Okay it is a phone number no name.  I write back sure interested in a bite to eat and by the way who am I going out to dinner with. Jan was in the building.

I got myself off the be dandy down to the lobby to meet up with some other ladies.  Jan was down at the desk.  I got my big hug from her and we chatted a bit.  I went to sit with some other ladies sitting in the lobby.  They were putting together flowers for decorations.  So I fluffed up a couple of them .  There was going to be a big group heading out for dinner, but we're not going out till 8 when the reservation was.  Jan said a little late for her to be eating so she was heading out to eat now.  I decided to go along with her and keep her company.  We caught up from the last time we were together.  I found out things that were going on in Ontario.  I gave her My sister in laws info so she could text her and maybe get her out a few more times with some other events going on.  So Ivy you may have an email for you to answer.  You are going to meet so many wonderful ladies in Ontario.

We sat and talked in the resteraunt for at least an hour or so.  Well Jan did most of the talking, but I put my two cents in once in while.  It was abreast catching up.

Now my last problem.  Will I be able to roll myself out of bed tomorrow or am I gonna be gimped up and not able to move.    Well I am gonna push myself to get up and get moving.  Maybe even be on time up to get to have breakie with everyone else.  Or am I just going to eat my muffin in my room and roll out of my room when I am ready.  Registration is tomorrow so stick around the hotel to get that done.  I would like to go down to the zoo, but could I walk anymore for a long time.  Yep my problem and I guess I am to deal with it.

Yay!!!  Big time red hatting fun coming up tomorrow.

Well I am in the air again. Heading on another adventure

I got my red hat on and my purple clothes.  Bright eyed and bushy tailed.  Well I guess I can't say I am bright eyed.  I got up this morning at 6 o'clock.  Lovely.  I am not a morning person.  Never have been and probably never will be.  I don't drink coffee so no caffeine to get me going in the morning.  That is kinda a minus.  I am hooked on caffeine though.  It is just in the form of pop.  Being early in the morning have not drank any of that either.  So this hour and a half trip from Calgary to Winnipeg I might just dose off or I may have to get myself some caffeine.

I left mission this morning at 7:30 am.  Got to the airport in Abbotsford with a half hour to spare on getting on the plane.  So not too bad a wait. That hour flight was uneventful. But we did fly over mount baker. Had to get my camera out and take a picture. So now they flew into the US air space.  I did not have my pass port.  Oh oh I got to the US without it. Well not in trouble.  Made it to Calgary with a bit of time to spare.  Not enough time to eat though.  Starting to get the hunger growls.  Great and won't get anything until I get to Winnipeg.  Well guess I am going to have to suffer with cookies and a pop.  Yay I got some pop.  Caffeine here we come.  And I got two packages of cookies as well.  At least they are not as dry as the bits and bites they give out.  Aw!  Another sip of caffeine.  Should be almost bright eyed here when I get off the plane. Well I think I did nap a bit though.

Flying into Calgary.  It is a bit nippy in this part of the woods.  They say it is only 3 degrees here.  Good I brought my coat for a reason.  I won't be outside the terminal anyways so why would I need it right now. When we got back on another plane heading for Winnipeg they said if you brought along coats you will not need them.  It is a balmy 18 degrees there.  That is the first time to hear that.  Winnipeg is warmer then Calgary.  Cloud rolling below me on the way into Calgary and on the way out they are disappearing.  Light clouds though so it looks misty below.  You can make out the fields and rivers and such though.

  I love flying and sitting by the window. Something I can not do if I am flying with my hubby.  He has to have the window and then goes to sleep. As the world goes by you see so much of the changing landscape.  From mountains to flat prairies and back to rolling land again.you look at the cloud formations and daydream ablout what they may be.  I think if you could only walk out on those fluffy puffs of cotton and roll around in the softness.  But hey that is just my daydreaming.  Step onto those clouds and you gonna be making a straight beeline for the ground.  I still say though wouldn't it be fun to just play around on the cottony softness.  You fall down you would not hurt yourself.  Okay I will stop.  You probably think I am nuts now.  But yeah I am nuts.  I take off in planes to go on my red hat adventures.  On my own to meet up with some of the most gracious ladies around.  It gets my happy on and I need all the happy I can get.

Well clouds are rolling in again so will not see much for a bit.  Oooo!  These look like,e fierce ones.  Dark and all clumped together.  There must be a storm brewing below in Saskatchewan.  At least I think that is where we are now.  I have no live map on my chair.  So can not see where we are.  Clouds are getting thicker, but once in a while it opens up to see a river or a lake.  Well I guess I will not be seeing anything more out the window except big thick dark clouds.

So where am I going you say.  A red hat convention of course.  It is in Winnipeg.  Being put on by the traveling red hatters.  I have never met these ladies before.  So some more hugs on the way for me. I will be seeing a few ladies I have met before from Ontario so I will not feel all alone, but am still this shy insicure person who when meeting new people am very quiet.  I try but I just can not get the habit of making conversation.  Weird some people can talk to anyone and everyone.  Me I just sit back and watch and listen.  Sometimes afraid to put in my two cents as I may be butting into something I was not suppose to but in too.  Well anyways ladies are getting to know me and except me for what I am.

Well there is not too much more going on in this flight.  So maybe I will put my head back see if I can get a little shut eye.  Another thing I am not able to do but if I am tired enough I can do it.  And since my eyes are getting s little droopy here and a headache is creating in behind my eyes I better put my head down for a while and see whether a snooze will help a little.

Talk again soon when I am at the hotel tonight.  I have tonight and tomorrow where I am playing on my own and checking out the sites of Winnipeg.  I know a mall is across the road so I can get eats, but I would like to find the zoo tomorrow and wander around and look at the animals.  Maybe find the old part of Winnipeg and look at the buildings.  I think there is a part of town that has some older buildings.

Look and see when I get there.

Well now at the hotel.  The boob tube is going and I am typing away.  Catching up on what I missed for the day and send a note off to tell family I made it to were I was going.  Sitting snuggle in my room.  I had a bit of a mishap at the hotel. Some reason my credit card was not working.  Oh boy did that put worry on me.  Had to start making some phone calls to see what was going on.  I was afraid I could not get into my room cause my card would not go through.  I sat in the lobby talking to company.  Well at least sitting with phone to my ear listening to lovely elevator music worrying that I would be back at the airport because I had not room sleeping on a bench.  All sorts of scenarios were going through my mind.  Finally got through to creditors company and low and behold it was because of a stupid little mistake on my part.  Not calling the credit card company before I left and telling them I would be somewhere else. I think it is time to start making lists before I go.  That was a scary situatation for me.  No where to go and loosing my reservation and in a town where I know no one.everyone I know is two provinces away.  Well live and learn.  Make a dang list of what you need to do and don't leave the list somewhere you will forget.  I paticularly do not like a situation like that.  So yes make the list.  Getting too old to keep so much in my head all the time. Especially when I am prone to getting foggy once in while.

So anyways after my stress went down. I unpack a bit.  Just to get the clothes that would wrinkle out of suitcase.  Then I too a little wander down the street.  I found the Olive Garden, red lobster and a and w just down the street.  So at least there is food close by.  I wander a little bit further and crossed the road which brought me to the mall.  Not too far to walk.  Well at least for me anyways.  Wandered through the mall.  Pretty well the same as any other mall.  Stores all the same.  Maybe a few different items in it but you in one mall it is a different design but pretty well the same stores.  In the end found the food court finally had a bite to eat.  Stopped at the Tim Hortons and got a couple of muffins to enjoy in the morning and my caffiene.  Yes a bottle of pop.  I left the mall and headed a bit the other way from the hotel.  Not seeing much that way.  So headed back into the hotel.  Wandered a little and found the restaraunt and the pool.  Nice pool.  Maybe a dip will be in order tomorrow.  Who knows.

I am thinking of either a trip down town to the forks and pioneer area or out to the zoo which is the other way.  This all depends on the weather and whether I will get lost at my wanderings.  Will have to see.

So now I am veggin on the bed watching tv and have my feet up.  Hopefully resting my back and hope the twinges will come out of it.

So will write again tomorrow. Tell you all how lost I got