Home Sweet Home...

I hate the cold weather!

Sure, I spent 40 years on the prairies. But don't for one minute think that amounted to "getting used to it". That is, getting used to freezing my butt off for five months every year. I never liked it, never found enjoyment in it, and simply did everything in my power to tolerate it. Thankfully methinks, those days are over!

It is nice to be back home in Kelowna...West Kelowna to be specific! After a couple of weeks away, home is always a nice place to return to.

This time around, we were lucky to return home to find my parents still enjoying the Okanagan Valley. They arrived on October 12, primarily to be close to Gay and I during my treatment. The upside is they finally left their empty nest during a prairie winter!

My brother, sister and I have been begging them to get outa dodge (Saskatoon) for at least a part of the crummy winters in recent years. Mom and dad are retired and can afford to do so. They are not terribly wealthy, but I don't believe you have to be to find ways to enjoy a brief respite from the frozen tundra. Expenses on a day-to-day basis in many parts of the southern USA are surprisingly affordable.

On January 16, we put mom and dad on a plane back to Saskatoon. They are now back in their comfortable digs, likely spending a few days trying to figure out how to set up shop back at home base after a three-month holiday of sorts. They were able to meet many people on the westside and perhaps will maintain those new friendships. They bumped into a few folks who frequent the Shannon Lake Golf Club, so I imagine I might hear a "war story or two" about occasional festivities.

They were also surprised at how many comments they heard from "hardened westsiders" about the lousy winter we're having here!. You see, they came from a place where winter arrived early this year and has been intolerable since about the end of October. Yet, many folks in the Okanagan have been complaining about the early snow and cool temps here, suggesting they couldn't wait to get outa here ASAP in the New Year! It took mom and dad awhile to wraps their brains around that sentiment because they were in their glory here dealing with winter temps around zero degrees.

My brother and sister "have them back" now, which will be comforting in many ways. Gay and I will miss their company here.

A Busy Schedule...
The poking and prodding starts again next week as we head into some more follow up on the medical side.

CT Scan in Kelowna: January 22
PET CT Scan in Vancouver: January 28
Follow Up Scan Results: February 5
Cancer Agency Dental Follow Up: February 7

No telling where all this will lead, but I suppose briefly I'll return to that mindset of some trepidation and uneasiness. All reports to date have been positive, although I am having a bit of a sinus problem these days. Okay, call it a bit of a cold, yet I do not feel debilitated in any way.

I am not enthused about the drive to Vancouver. Eight hours on the road and another bloody night in a hotel!

Again, I get that it's part of the gig. Could be much, much worse!