We’re headed to Calgary to visit Drews’ uncle.

Apparently I still haven’t completely adjusted to Mountain time. I was convinced all day yesterday that today was the 13th and we’d be heading to Calgary this morning. I guess I should pay more attention to the time zone I’m looking at on my watch.

It’s Remembrance Day and Drew is headed out for a memorial service at a local cenotaph. It was 0 dark 30 when he left to join up with the other members of his squadron and I’ll be driving out to the cenotaph later to watch the ceremony. There’s no way I’m getting out of bed before 8am if I don’t have to!

After the service, we headed to our Legion hall.

We headed out to a South Indian restaurant for dinner tonight and I was mildly disappointed. The food was ‘North Americanized’ versions of dishes I had enjoyed immensely while in Bangalore. Drew didn’t notice the difference and loved all of the things I ordered, but I spent most of the meal thinking that the office cafeteria served better food.

I guess you can’t have everything. I’m glad I brought some cookbooks home with me.

On the bright side, a few days ago I found a few local Indian grocers who carry Punjabi and Masala papadams. They’re great roasted in the toaster oven and I’m in snack heaven.

I am back to Mountain time, however, I’ve left the 2nd time zone setting on my watch set to IST. Anyone taking a quick glace at the watch would be thoroughly confused. The main section of the face displays CST and the digital readout at the bottom displays IST. I live in MST.

After 7 weeks in India you can’t imagine how wonderful it is to drive on a Canadian road with normal traffic patterns, lights and signals. Well, I’m sure Bill and Linda can. After all, they also survived the trip to Mysore.

I popped into work today to run a few errands. My desk has not moved during my absence and my security pass still works. I take these as good signs.

After work, I headed to the Canex to get a new coat. The one we purchased 2 years ago is falling apart, seams ripped, zipper broken, etc. They sure don’t make cheap no name stuff like they used to. I don’t usually make the drive to base to shop at the Canex, but there’s a sale on Columbia jackets (40% off) so I headed off to pick out one that will be warm enough to get me through the long winter.

Have I mentioned how much I dislike women’s winter coats? They have little or no pockets and come in a wide arrange of ugly colours.. lavender, white, pale yellow… UGH! Needless to say, I bought a men’s parka.

It was easier to enter the US on my way to India than it was on the return trip to Canada. I don’t think the immigration officer was too impressed with my glazed stare – I’ve had less than 4 hours sleep in the last 32 hours – when he asked the purpose of my trip to the US. You’d think that the response “I’m just here to catch a flight home to Edmonton, it was cheaper to fly North West than Air Canada” would merit some bonus points. After all, the immigration officers are always so concerned with citizens of other countries ‘stealing’ their jobs…and as a Canadian traveling on a US airline I’m sure my actions can’t be construed as removing anything from the US economy. Eventually, he must have gotten tired of giving me a hard time. He let me pass and I headed off to grab my luggage and re-check it for the next flight.

After clearing US Customs, my 4 hour layover has been reduced to 2.5 hours. I found my gate, a working electrical outlet, and plopped down to work on the journal.

Boarding has begun and I watch row after row of US hunters trudge down the gateway. Apparently when I left Edmonton, it was ‘bow’ season and now it’s ‘rifle’ season. The ticketing agent announces that we’ve been assigned a bigger plane, but that all the seats are full. We’re not to sit in any seat other than the one assigned on the boarding pass. Over 130 people embarked… 3 women (not including myself) and 2 men in suits…the rest are anxious hunters wearing too much camouflage and swapping pictures of past trophies.

This flight seems longer than the others. It’s only 2.25 hours, but the time seems to drag on. Soon I will be touching down at Edmonton International Airport and will see Drew again. Time slows down to a crawl.

Disembarkation.

It’s cold outside. I can see snow through the windows. There is ice on the ground.

The Canada immigration agent welcomes me home and quickly passes back my passport. Only a few minutes left while I wait for my luggage, then I can see Drew again.

Duties and Taxes wasn’t half as bad as I thought it would be. Despite being 200$ over the exemption limit, I paid only 14$. While I know that this is the standard 7% tax rate, I still consider myself extremely lucky not to have been subject to any special import taxes or duties.

Have I mentioned lately that Drew is wonderful? Unlike my trip to Jax last December, he remembered to bring a winter coat (his, mine died a horrible death last winter) for me to wear now that I’ve returned to the great white north.