August 9, 2005

August 9, 2005

West Hawk Lake day 84 of 113

YEAR 2 DAY 53

 

Today was sunny and very warm. It rained overnight, which was needed.

Today was the big day ! First thing this morning, we headed off to Kenora. Joanne had an appointment to review the results of all the cancer screening tests and procedures she has undergone over the last few months. I dropped her off at the hospital, then continued into town. First I stopped at the Bank Of Montreal to withdraw some cash. Then I went for a haircut and beard trim. The barber was very busy. I was third in line for a haircut. I went to the same barber I had been to earlier in the summer. He seems to be the barber of choice for all old men in Kenora. After my haircut and beard trim, I returned to the hospital to pick up Joanne. She approached the truck with a big smile. All tests were clear ! ! !

WOO-HOO ! WOO-HOO ! WOO-WOO-WOO-HOO ! ! ! ! !

We decided the good news was cause for celebration. We went to Kenora's finest restaurant for lunch. The Plaza is a family owned Greek restaurant. The only restaurant in Kenora listed in "Where To Eat In Canada". We had a very good meal. After lunch we headed to the new mall on the east edge of town. First stop was Mark's Work Warehouse to look for some clothes for me, then Wal-Mart for a large replenishment of groceries and supplies. I was purchasing $49.98 worth of clothing at Mark's Work Warehouse, and presented a coupon valid on purchases worth $50. They refused the coupon. I refused the purchase and walked out ! After Wal-Mart we drove back into the centre of town, stopping at a Dollar Store. Then to Kenora Shopper's Mall downtown, where Joanne went to Extra Foods for groceries, and I went to The Beer Store for, of course, beer. Wow ... beer is a lot more expensive in Ontario than Manitoba. Oh, well, I refuse to give any more business to the beer vendor at the bar at West Hawk Lake after witnessing that spectacle with the older woman customer and the profane sales clerk. Last stop in town was Safeway, for more groceries. Sometimes our days in Kenora or Winnipeg seem extremely expensive !

On the way back to West Hawk Lake I made a serious error in judgement passing a tractor trailer, and encountered an oncoming tractor trailer before I was finished passing. What a close call ! I scared and upset myself and Joanne immensely. Most likely both truck drivers as well. At the Manitoba border, I pulled into the truck weigh scale station, knowing that the truck I had passed had to pull in there as well. I parked, and as he drove over the weigh scales, I walked over to apologize to the driver. I may be a massive screw up from time to time, but at least I'm a decent enough human being to apologize.

Back at West Hawk, while Joanne put everything away, I flopped into bed for a nap. I was exhausted. The bar noise last night prevented us from falling asleep easily. I'm sick with colitis today. We've been entertaining visitors three days in a row. And the scare on the highway seemed to have left me feeling drained. When I awoke, it was time for another trip to the bathroom < sigh >. Joanne got tonight's site availability information from the office just before it closed, then left to phone her sister with the good news about her cancer screening tests. I became busy with late arrivals, one after another. There is still a staff shortage problem with the campground office, so they're still operating with only one shift per day instead of two. The office opens late, and closes early. That leaves us with more of the evening late arrivals to look after.

We had leftovers for supper. I was feeling ill and didn't have much of an appetite. The one TV show a week that we like to watch wasn't on tonight because of the World Track And Field Championships in Helsinki. We watched that for awhile, but most of the telecast was watching rain fall on a deserted track field. Way to go, CBC ! Good contingency planning !

DSK