Meetings
Kallie and Shipmate
July 13-16 2000


Paul and Kallie-aka Brenda

    I guess my review of my visit to Calgary began 2 ½ years ago when Bren (Kallie) and Roland were passing through Toronto on their way back to Calgary. I went out to the airport to meet them but it was a very short visit as it was only about 15 - 20 minutes.

    Well back in the spring I started to e-mail Bren looking for a good time to visit as she is very busy and doesn't have a lot of time off. Well she e-mailed me the dates she had and one was the beginning of a weeks vacation for me. I booked my flights in March going to Calgary on July 13/00 on Canadian Airlines at 7:02 p.m. My flight out was delayed by about 15 minutes but that was not too bad. When I arrived Bren and Rollie were there waiting for me and after a big Calgary hug we headed back to their house. It was a beautiful evening when I arrived but they were complaining about the heat as it was 29C/84F which above normal for Calgary. We sat on the deck with cold drinks and chatted before calling it a night.

 The next morning (Friday) I had breakfast then it was off to...well breakfast Calgary Stampede style. The company beside where Roland works has an annual breakfast cookout during Stampede week and WOW!! What a spread. Orange juice straight or well not so straight.LOL. Bren didn't have the mixed stuff as she was a very good girl ? and we picked up the bacon and eggs, sausages, pancakes etc. I found out very quickly that the City of Calgary goes all out during Stampede week and eating is the number one thing they do. The owner of this company foots the bill and is a very successful business man who as a hobby restores old cars, trucks and even gas pumps from the 20's on up. He has and exquisite display of vehicles completed and is still working on others. After going through what I call a museum it was time for my tour of the print shop Rollie works in (he is a manager). He invited me for a tour, as he knows I have had some background in the printing field. I was very impressed with the set up as they have some equipment that is similar to ours but also was blown away at the newest computerized press. Thanks again Rollie for the tour. Next stop was downtown Calgary where Bren and went up the Calgary Tower to view the City and beyond. What a beautiful view it was and gave be a great overview of the City as she pointed out many of the hi-lights. Next was looking for a hat as I wouldn't fell right going to the Stampede without one so off we went looking for the right hat. Word of warning for those who don't like to shop..don't take Bren. LOL. It took only about 2 ½ hours to find the perfect hat and only $15.00 CDN and that gave me a real good idea what I was in for during my visit. Don't get me wrong now as I did enjoy myself and she will look for the right deal too. (Discounts anyone?) Well, I finally got my white cowboy hat and then it was back to Rollie's shop for what else a Stampede BBQ. It was very nice meeting so many people and I was treated with the well known Calgary hospitality. Bren and I finished eating and went back to the house and logged onto chat and when Rollie got home he settled down and played his guitar.

 The next morning (Sat) the weather was not good as it had poured rain all night and into the early morning. This was Stampede time and by the time we left the rain had stopped and during the day became warm and sunny. I had heard of the Calgary Stampede before but was not sure what it entailed. Well it is really just an amusement park with a western flavour  to it with the chuckwagon races, bronco riding  etc. at the grandstand with the rest of the park with the midway and buildings to walk through. Bren as always was in her discount mood and had pre bought midway tickets before hand and off we went, straight for the what I call it the tower from hell, I think it was called the Tower of Fear that works too. Rollie was lucky, he was too tall for it and because you had to have a partner Brenda roped me into going up with her. I HATE HIEGHTS and the tower is some 130 feet or so probably higher where they take you up slowly and then UGH the bottom falls out so to speak and you leave your stomach at the top as you drop like a lead balloon but do come to a gentle stop at the bottom. Well I lived through that and was heading off, wobbly legs and all when BRENDA called me back saying she still had tickets to use, UGH so back on this contraption again. When I walked off Rollie said I was walking better the second time..LOL but never again. My legs and stomach had not even started to settle down when we went on the rollercoaster. Finally I got my type of ride and rollie loves them too, the bumper cars, now that was fun. ? We took the sky ride across the park return trip twice as we did with the Ferris wheel, I must say that it was not as bad as I thought. Watching Bren made me think that she was just a little girl at the fair and her eyes were wide open and the excitement in her face was priceless. Rollie agreed she looked like a little girl also. Rollie won a CD holder at the beanbag throw and I won a squishy cow that I gave Bren as she had been trying for it before. Well now it was that time again, time to eat and eat and eat. For a little frame she sure knows how to put food away. We did a number of other things during the day and finished off the day by watching the fireworks for the hill off the fair grounds. We were there (at the Stampede) for about 15 hours but when we got home she put the TV on to watch her chuck races.

The next day (Sunday) we headed for Banff. Along the way we stopped at the Nakoda Lodge where we had brunch and what a spread they had. We got our moneys worth and didn't leave hungry. This lodge is operated by the Goodstoney Indian Tribe and it is nestled among the mountains on the shores of a beautiful little lake. After a leisurely brunch we headed for Banff and Sulphur Mountain. The gondola ride in what looked like fairly new cars was a real treat but I will never know after that tower from hell why Bren would say it was scary. The ride to the top of the mountain takes 8 minutes to reach the summit which has an elevation of 7,486 feet above sea level. The day was perfect and the view was...well beyond words. Looking over the Bow Valley and the town of Banff from that height was breathtaking. Pictures may give an idea but it is not like being there. We spent 2 ½ hours taking in the view and taking pictures before heading on down to see The Banff Hotsprings then onto the trading post. Bren loves the Indian "Dream Catchers" and everywhere we went she was drawn to them like magnets. She spent so long there that by the time we got to the Cave it was closed. Rollie and I kept walking taking in the sites when we heard the call of Rollie.Rollie. I said "no she didn't" and the answer was yes she did. She managed to get us and another family into the cave for a quick visit and "free" too. Bren is something else, she ceases to amaze me and I think Rollie too. There were many fascinating areas to explore which we did before go to a few other places near by for as I like to call it "a Kodak moment" The next stop was back in Banff for what else is new..food. We ate in a nice Italian restaurant and then headed back home with a quick side trip to show me were the cross-country skiing was held in Canmore AB during the Winter Olympics.

Monday was not a real busy day as it was the day I was coming home so we took things easy this day. Bren called her dad and we went to visit him for a short time then she took us   up to the little house on the prairie in Didsbury were Bren works. They have a lovely place there bigger than I would have guessed but it is homey. We spent a short time there and after a quick tour of the town we headed back to Calgary passing by some lovely scenery. We ate lunch then dropped her Dad off and headed back home so I could finish my packing. About 4:30 p.m. We headed back to the airport said our good-byes and I flew home on Air Canada flight at 6:00 p.m. This part was not good as yes the flight was slightly delayed by 15 minutes but they screwed up my seat assignment and didn't get the seat I wanted, the guy sitting beside me had the sound turned up full I could hear it and even though the meal was not that bad having his elbows in my face was not my thing. I   have sent off a letter to AC about the seat screw up but the rest not much more I could do but sit there for 3 hours. Oh well over all the time spent there was wonderful and gave me a chance to see another part of my Country that I had not had the chance to see.

Well I must say that any rumors of Kallie drinking too much are very over rated, now eating too much now that is another story. LOL She had a very comfortable place to stay and yes even clean more than I can say about her with Capachino down the front of her.? There was so much we did that this is only the high lights of the time spent and finally I just want to say to both Roland and Bren THANK YOU!! For everything.

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Paul