RSS Feed

March, 2007

  1. Have Stamina, Will Travel

    March 24, 2007 by Gail

    departing Vancouver airport
    AC1234 Vancouver-Toronto, June 25, 2005

    My 35th birthday trip is booked! I’ll be at large over the North Atlantic.

    I’m going to Iceland! Not quite the Arctic Circle, but as close as I can afford to get. My first choice was Iqaluit, in Canada’s newest territory, Nunavut, but I couldn’t get any return flights between June and the end of September on points. Regular prices for these flights are well over $1,000 plus taxes and fees. Flights to my other choices were $1,000-2,000 (cities in Norway and Finland), but Reykjavik was my first choice after Iqaluit. Iceland celebrates their day of independence on June 17, and my birthday is June 18. The timing is good!

    I am very much looking forward to the photographic opportunities in Iceland, especially the Blue Lagoon. Wow.

    On Iceland Air, a flight to Reykjavik is a reasonable price of US$590. But Iceland Air will only add Halifax as a departure city on May 17, so I’m flying to Halifax from Toronto on Aeroplan points. I also discovered that I can add Reykjavik as a stopover for up to 7 days. So I chose a destination based on cost — Paris is only $100 more — and visiting people, and I added a 5-day “stopover” in Reykjavik. All up, I’m well under my CDN $1,000 threshold for air tickets; that is, I have never exceeded $1,000 for any single reservation. And in this case, I get to visit three cities (two new to me: Halifax and Reykjavik) for less than that.

    Toronto –> Halifax –> Reykjavik –> Paris –> Reykjavik –> Halifax –> Toronto

    Roll on June!

    Speaking of rolling, I’d better get rolling to this birthday party…

    Share this:
    Pin It
    Share

    Posted in Travel | 9 Comments

  2. Yesterday’s Pics and Last Night’s Flick

    March 24, 2007 by Gail

    I saw Fido last night, out of morbid curiosity. I’ve never been particularly taken with the idea of zombies, but this movie’s story looked interesting — and I’m always up for political satire. (I wanted to see Jon Stewart performing in Niagara Falls at the beginning of June, but the only tickets left were on the ballroom floor. After Ticketmaster charges are factored in, it’s too pricey for me!)

    Anyway, Fido was… rather bizarre! I can’t even slot this film into a genre — it’s a mixture of comedy, horror (if you’re easily grossed out, I don’t recommend it), with some “Lassie” thrown in. But it’s eye candy, too: it was shot in Kelowna and Vernon, BC. I never thought I’d see Billy Connolly playing a zombie, grunting his way through a role. And I have to admit, I’ve always had a thing for Henry Czerny. Carrie-Anne Moss plays a character completely removed from the Matrix, and isn’t wearing a prosthesis — she’s actually pregnant. You’ll either love this film or hate it, but I love that Telefilm Canada funded this highly original project.

    Some photos from yesterday:

    escape route
    butt stop

    (more…)

    Share this:
    Pin It
    Share

    Posted in Reel + Screen, Toronto | 1 Comment

  3. For Golden Lucy, who just celebrated her 85th birthday

    March 24, 2007 by Gail

    for Golden Lucy, who just celebrated her 85th birthday

    http://mucholderthanu.blogspot.com/

    I hope I’m still writing at the age of 85. Keep on blogging Golden Lucy!

    Share this:
    Pin It
    Share

    Posted in Linkage | No Comments

  4. Aftermath

    March 23, 2007 by Gail

    aftermath

    All that’s left of a very satisfying — nay, therapeutic! — Vietnamese dinner.

    After a really rotten 24 hours, I tucked into some lemongrass-laced beef, vermicelli, and vegetables and feel much better. The weekend is here, marked by a gorgeously sunny and warm Friday in Toronto. I think I might even go catch the film Fido tonight because the plotline is so intriguing. Leave it to the Canadians to make a political satire about zombies that takes place in the 1950s.

    Share this:
    Pin It
    Share

    Posted in Food + Drink | 6 Comments

  5. Now

    March 22, 2007 by Gail

    when?

    Hours later, I’m still upset. Thanks a lot, Mister Cab Driver, for ruining my evening with your thoughtless words.

    I was still at the office at 6:20 and had more to do, but I needed to run home and get something before going to my bereavement group at 7:00. I took a cab. What a big mistake.

    The cab driver, after learning that I had relocated to Toronto so I could be closer to Pennsylvania and finding out why, took it upon himself to berate me for not “moving on”.

    “Why don’t you go back [to Vancouver]?” he said. “There’s nothing for you in Pennsylvania anymore. Cut your losses and get on with life.”

    I have heard this from more people than I care to remember. I’m angry with myself for letting the words of total strangers get to me. I am frustrated because I should’ve seen it coming, and had some scathing remark ready to put him in his place. Or, at the very least, stopped answering his pushy questions!

    “I don’t recall asking your opinion on this matter,” I should have said.
    “Back off!” — would have cut him off at the pass.
    “Why is it any of your business?” — would have ended it then and there.

    I don’t know what upsets me more: unnecessarily defending my personal decisions to people who don’t matter, or feeling distressed by their words.

    All I do know is that it made tonight’s group very, very hard to sit through, let alone give a monologue about what David meant to me. I wanted to go home. I feel like I’m going backwards, that my skin isn’t getting thicker after all. I can’t remember anything I said. Maybe I’ll remember later, but right now my mind is cloudier than today’s sky over Toronto.

    Share this:
    Pin It
    Share

    Posted in Loss, Widowhood | 12 Comments

  6. As Long As I Don’t Dream About This Later

    March 22, 2007 by Gail

    I had to post a couple of links before I forgot, some things I stumbled upon perchance:

    1. Did you know that Hitler is on IMDB (Internet Movie Database)? He needs a headshot! And a posthumous agent!
    2. I wonder what American soldiers in Iraq think about serving next to an army-for-hire such as Blackwater USA? Blackwater‘s employees are outsourced military contractors, not subject to the same policies as American soldiers, and are paid a lot more money to do the same work. If they participate in the same operation, who can give orders to whom? I first heard about Blackwater last week — I had no idea such a company existed (although I shouldn’t be surprised) — and the mind boggles at the implications and questions it raises.
    Share this:
    Share

    Posted in Linkage | 3 Comments

  7. Stop… Driving

    March 21, 2007 by Gail

    stop... driving

    Am finally home after a ground school evening that went later than usual (after 10 o’clock), plus I got stuck in traffic because there was an accident along the 410. I take the 410, 401, 427, then the Gardiner Expressway, so between those four highways to and from the flight centre there is a high probability of encountering an accident. Knock on wood, I’ve managed to avoid an accident up close but I’m wondering now if I should look into finding an instructor closer to where I live. Today was more rule-breaking driving to get on the Gardiner, and I know it’ll be like that every time I leave during rush hour. The major reason why I live downtown is because I loathe commuting, but since I’m driving to flight school once a week I tolerate it. I’m going to look into finding an instructor at one of the closer airports after I complete the medical and PSTAR exams.

    While I was stuck in traffic, I took the opportunity to call Aeroplan (Air Canada’s frequent flyer program) because their call centre shuts down at 11pm. After doing some travel research online, I tried this morning to get a flight to my first choice Arctic destination on points, but it was nigh impossible: there is only flight per day on Air Canada’s partner carrier and on that flight they currently only release TWO seats to Aeroplan. There was no availability for all of June (actually, they could get me there but they couldn’t get me back); I was told people book a year in advance. Tonight I tried July and August, then May, then September! All I could get was the end of September! I might try again later, but I think I will move on to Second, Third, and Fourth Choice for Arctic destinations. The major issue with travel to any remote region is transportation costs and availability. Keeping costs down is always a challenge, but I usually do pretty well in this department because I’m relentlessly persistent about getting a deal. Like a dog going after a bone.

    Share this:
    Pin It
    Share

    Posted in Student Life, Travel | 1 Comment

  8. Ode to a Pioneer

    March 21, 2007 by Gail

    pioneer

    Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
    Mount Hope, Ontario
    (Hamilton Airport)

    View larger.

    Tonight’s class is Meteorology I (of III). Let’s talk weather! (Let’s see how much I can remember!)

    Share this:
    Pin It
    Share

    Posted in Aviation | No Comments

  9. Looking Up (Literally)

    March 20, 2007 by Gail

    (You) Are Free

    First upload for my Lunchwalk Series, inspired by David’s Lunch Walk photoset. It was a gorgeous day today — but nippy! I got a few photos before I had to hie myself back to the office.

    I’m turning 35 in June. THIRTY-FIVE! It seems like a milestone somehow, so I thought I would do something different for the occasion.

    To celebrate, I’m going to the Arctic Circle. Yes, you heard me right — I’m going north! I’m stretching out my 34th year a few more hours by experiencing the Midnight Sun for the very first time. It’s going to be a trip mixing anthropology, aviation, natural phenomena, and exploration. (And, needless to say, photography.) I’m in the research stages at the moment, doing some cost analysis and logistics. This is so exciting!

    Share this:
    Pin It
    Share

    Posted in Travel | 5 Comments

  10. It Pays to Shop Around

    March 19, 2007 by Gail

    geeking out at the Apple store

    David geeking out at the Apple Store at King of Prussia, PA. I was randomly searching for a photo that would go with this post, and picked this one. Then I looked at the date on the photo: March 19, 2005. I took this photo two years ago, to the day. How bizarre.

    * * * * * *

    On Saturday night/early Sunday morning I found myself reading through my old email, messages that David and I exchanged while I was living in both Vancouver and Scranton. I kept reading until five o’clock in the morning, alternately laughing and crying at the things he wrote until I made myself stop and sleep so I could be coherent at brunch.

    I really miss David’s sense of humour. This is an email he sent to me before our Summer 2005 rendez-vous in Toronto, a meeting place where he could drive to and I wouldn’t get in trouble with U.S. Immigration while waiting for my fiancee visa. The original plan was for David to fly the Tri-Pacer up (he even obtained the Canadian Customs sticker), but in the end he had to drive because it was July 1 — Canada Day — and Toronto City Centre Airport’s customs office closed early.

    From: David Fielding
    Date: June 29, 2005 3:08:55 PM EDT (CA)
    To: Gail Edwin
    Subject: It pays to shop around…

    There are two places to park planes at City Centre airport; the “nice” FBO, City Centre Aviation Ltd., wants $35 CDN per night for parking. The Esso Aviation place only asks $20/night, and they waive the first night.

    The Esso guy said that they are on the “rough-looking” part of the airport; I told him I would be right at home.

    The girl at CCA said I have a “Pennsylvania accent”!

    “Well,” I thought, “yaz* ain’t gettin’ my business…”

    * See third bullet point at ‘Lexical Characteristics’.
    Stumbled across this, too, which is hilarious if you’re familiar with the area.

    Share this:
    Pin It
    Share

    Posted in David, David's Writing | 1 Comment

Older Entries
Newer Entries