I had gotten back from vacation and was almost back in the swing of things. But this Thursday, supposedly to Monday, I was to spend time with Mom and family. So I bought a round trip to Moncton and took the Maritime Bus system to Moncton. Mom picked me up and told me (my brother-in-law) Matt and (niece) Clare were there and (sister) Melody was to fly into town that same night. We got home and I greeted everyone there, including our dogs Liza, Lupin, Ella, and Sprocket.
Topping up Clare's juice.
I was told Sprocket had developed similar health issues Emma had had before she passed away of the cancer tumor.
I was also told that after some time off the air, famous TV dog trainer Cesar Milan started a new show called Cesar 911 and I watched part of an episode. Back in the day the National Geographic Channel showed him on a show called The Dog Whisperer. There he worked with famous people, like John Grogan the genius behind Marley & Me, a book which became, in my description, The Titanic of Dog Movies, starring Owen Wilson and Friends’ Jennifer Aniston, and the late Ed McMahon. And nonstop during my visits to Moncton I would watch that show on that channel and whenever Lupin or Mo barks wildly at me or some stranger I do Cesar’s famous “Sssss” or “Shhhhh” sound. I can also impersonate his accent.
(Matt’s parents) Chris and Milton showed up and we had lunch and Chris had made her family-famous Orange Salad which I enjoyed with lunch, AND supper later that night. Mom, Clare, Matt and I went to the Moncton International Airport to pick up Melody and (niece) Emily and Chris and Milton met us there.
Within just under an hour the plane landed and within minutes Melody and Emily showed up.
As I do when a new assistant from another town or country comes to L’Arche by plane, I helped Melody with the bags by carrying them to the car and said to them, like I say to anyone moving into L’Arche Saint John from another town or country, “Welcome to New Brunswick!”
We got home and had supper where Jen, Brian, Brennan and Connor joined us. They had just gotten new guitars: Les Paul guitars, one blue, one burgundy, one a Gibson, and one an Epiphone.
We even Face Timed Erin, Christopher, and Oliver.
The next day we were informed that now Dad had an issue with one of his eyes, so Mom and Melody rushed him to the hospital, and they said he had to be rushed to a Halifax hospital, the only place with a specialist who would do surgery for Dad’s eye condition.
Later Stephanie and Glen showed up with Mo. It looked like, though I bought a round trip ticket that would send me back on the 12:30 bus back on Monday, I would have to go back early on Sunday. But Stephanie and Glen and I were to have a great time.
Stephanie, Glen, and I went to the Superstore to do some grocery shopping, which was an activity I loved to do all my life, so I helped find the food we needed for the meal, which is why sometimes when an assistant has to go to Sobeys I ask to come along to help. We got a few pizzas, some sparkling drink, and vegetables with ranch dip in the middle, and some dessert. Kelly and her children showed up and we exchanged gifts as their birthdays were a few days ago.
We played Desert Island Discs too. For my song selection I chose Gangnam Style as if I were on a desert island I would need music to exercise to, as that plays at my Zumba classes.
Jennifer had brought up a movie called Away to Me. As any Border collie lover can tell by the title, it’s about sheepdog trials in the States. This DVD shows an entire tournament with documentaries on each competitor, each dog and where each team is from and what they do when they are not trialing. It talks about terms I read about in Nop’s Trials and Nop’s Hope.
I watched it and I loved it so much that Jen said she would watch it and then mail it to me at McKim House to keep! This would mean I would have Babe, Babe 2, 5 Mist Sheepdog Tales DVDs AND an entire DVD of sheepdog trials.
The next day Jennifer, Brian, Brennan, Connor, Glen, Stephanie, Matt, Emily, Clare, and I all went to Champlain Place and Glen bought me the DVD set Problem Child 1 and 2. Since I changed from the Citizen 19” TV/VCR Combo to the Toshiba 19” LED TV, I had missed Problem Child as I only had that on VHS. I first saw the movie while I was in my second year in Cubs. Now I had both. After the purchases we went to Dairy Queen and had our treats there! I had the Strawberry Cheesequake Blizzard, sharing some of the ice cream with Stephanie after all the great things she and Glen and the family had done together with me.
Glen tries to steal Clare's Dairy Queen ice cream.
Then we went to Chapters Crystal Palace and I looked at the travel books and local books while the others looked at other kinds of books. Then we went home, and Emily, Clare, and I watched Problem Child 1 together. That night the family gathered together and used NetFlix and watched Honey, I Shrunk the Kids together, sharing popcorn together.
The next day, as planned, Stephanie, Matt, and I, went in Dad’s Toyota Tacoma and headed to the Moncton Bus Terminal, also the VIA Train Station. I asked if we could change the return ticket to this day instead of Monday, but I was told it that bus was sold out! It was the first time I heard that with either of the bus services I used. So we got a ticket that guaranteed me a seat on the 5:00 bus that night. Stephanie bought a return ticket from Moncton to Bathurst as she had a business trip there.
Then we went to the Pump House Brewery to have lunch. It was my first time there, so I had the fish and chips with a Perrier. I shared some of my fries with Stephanie like I had done with the ice cream from my Blizzard at Champlain Place Dairy Queen.
Then we dropped Stephanie off at the VIA/Maritime Bus Station.
Then we went home and within minutes Mom Dad and Melody came home and I told them I was praying everyday for Dad to get better, which I was and still am.
Later Mom and I got in the car and left after saying goodbye to Melody, Matt, Emily, Clare, Jennifer, Brian, Brennan, Connor, Danny, Sprocket, Ella, Liza, and Lupin.
We got to the Terminal, and within minutes my bus boarded, and within minutes the bus took off and I texted Stephanie and all my sisters as I had promised I would, and I texted them once I got home and emailed Mom, like I promised.