the long awaited update of the long ass drive to visit our lovely girlfriend

When I say long ass drive, I mean it...we're talking 1500 kms in one direction, can you imagine that.  Seriously who wants to drive 1500 kms to a city, well I did and so did C.

My trip started off at Great Slave Helicopters where I awaited for my helicopter taxi to shuttle me across the Liard River to be joined once again with my little piss-pot Nissan.  For those of you who don't know about Fort Simpson, well it's a little island on the Liard and Mackenzie river, two times a year we are greeted by mother nature who takes it upon herself to start the freezing of the river (the other time is in spring when the river breaks)...this leaves all of us town folk isolated for little over a month or even two, hard to imagine hey.
As my helicopter taxi arrived a cute pilot came out to assist me with my already over following suitcase into the chopper (told ya' I have a hard time packing :)  we arrived safely to the other side of the river, I gave the cute pilot a smile and was on my merry way.


First leg of my trip was to Hay River where I was meeting up with C.  Our plan was to spend the night and head out the next morning bright and early, or should I say dark and early the sun doesn't rise in our neck of the woods until 10 am.  Where was I *grin*  C started off the drive but I knew my turn was coming quickly as I promised that I would do some driving and she would teach me how to drive a manual transmission... 30ish kms later we switched seats and I attempted to switch gears haha.  I approached the drivers seat with confidence not really having a clue what the heck I was doing I figured that it was good for me to learn something new.  So as we slowly got started and I shifted into 1st, 2nd, stallll, 3rd, stalll 4th and finally 5th

As we slowly make our way back onto the highway...stalls and all I find that driving a standard isn’t so bad once you get going.  It’s the slowing down and changing gears that really get me in a pickle oh and the traffic that to can add to the stress of a first time driver of a standard car. 

My time at the drivers wheel didn’t last too long, C took over after High Level as the traffic picks up from there and it’s only a one lane.  Since I hadn’t driven to Edmonton in years I felt that it was okay for her to take over, plus just learning how to drive a manual with heavy traffic, not gonna lie it was scary.

We arrived into Edmonton at roughly 8pm.  It was a long drive but it gave us time to catch up on life and everyone else’s life, no this was not some big gossip session. It was more like so and so had a baby,  did you know what’s her name when you lived in Simpson...that’s the type of conversations that were had on that long dwerry drive to Edmonton.

FRIDAY....West Ed  here we come

C and I spent the first hour of the morning getting ready me with my simple black leggings,hot pink lulu top and a pair of thigh high boots.  I know what you’re thinking “lulu and thigh highs, really does that really work” YES it does, perhaps you think I'm crazy to wear a lululemon top with a pair of leggings toped off with some thigh high boots, but the top is actually a tunic style t-shirt so it works.  I'm not a fashionista...at least I don't consider myself one, I just have this desire for clothing, shoes and accessories, does this impose the idea of a fashionista, well perhaps but like I said I don't consider myself one.  I do like nice things, however I also favor  big grey sweats with the old fadded hoodie..something that I wear almost everyday after 5pm of course. 

Once we were ready and out the door our first stop was Canada Place, I had to renew my passport as Im heading on a lovely Griswald family vacation to Hawaii for christmas.

Grrr massive line up at Canada Place, ridiculous. This was defiantly  the place to be for destination travellers. I tell ya’ if I hadn’t had all my paper work prepared then I would have spent at least 3 hrs there.   I waited in line for an hour, the whole time C was by my side as we chatted, watched a beautiful toddler hang on to his mommy’s leg and browsed facebook from our phones once n’while glancing at a digitised numerical screen for my number to pop-up.  Finally when my number did come up I walked  up to the wicket and handed over all my goods, old passport, new picture, paper work and visa.  Four minutes later I’m sent on my way.  So all that waiting for only four minutes, seriously...C lets go to the mall J

West Ed it has been years...well an entire year to be exact.  West Edmonton Mall is a shopper’s paradise.  It has everything, I mean everything.  If you didn’t know then, than you know now Victorias Secret has taken space in the mall, it was added in either July or august so for all you brazier baring babes add it to your list of stores to visit.  It wasn’t on my list as I don’t bare a VS bra, don’t get me wrong I don’t have anything against their bras or anything, they are quite sexy, I’m just very happy with my bra of choice that isn’t from VS, plus I’ve had a lot of years browsing catalogues and internet shopping at Victoria’s Secret that it really wasn’t much of a secret to me..Haha however it was on the list to get some pretty lingerie for our dear bride-to- be. 

 *insert my smile here* oh mall oh mall...i haven’t visited your stores in ages.  I know where all my favourite stores are, and some not so favourites.  Just a little advise from this seasoned shopper, always know what stores your targeting and preview everything online (is this crazy of me? I don’t think so especially when you’re timing is limited)  I know  often  what you see online isn’t always available when you enter into a store.  This is because although every mass store for example the GAP are all pretty well the same, but each store has different buyers, so often times what you see in one store is exactly the same as another GAP store, sometimes one store carries something different than the other and it is simply because the store has different  a buyer.  Are you following me?  So if the GAP in WEM carried a plaid shirt and the GAP in Kingsway would more than likely carry the same one, however if they don’t and have never carried that cute little plaid shirt you were eyeing up on the internet  or in another GAP store it just  simply due to the fact that although both stores are the same, both stores have different buyers.  Do you get what I’m sayin?

As our day carried on it was time to catch a bite, it was a  late lunch with a few other Simpson folk mixed in with a university student as well as a new resident of Edmonton. Lunch was great but we eventually went our separate ways C and I went to get our hair done and  met up with the bride-to-be *big hugs* By 8pm our day slowly came to an end, not to mention sore feet from all that walking.  We had spent hours and hours of shopping, browsing and chatting. We were all exhuasted and hungry.  It was time for a little bite to eat and chatt some more. The thress of us gushed about the things we had bought and the cute store manager a few doors down.   It was a day well spent and I didn’t leave the mall empty handed and my day of shopping had been a success.  I found some absolutely wonderful things: a few hot dresses, some cute long sleeved sweaters, a few little tops, sexy booties and a ton of accessories. What more can a girl ask for?!...how about  a nice glass of red wine.  

C and I had to rush back to the mall on Saturday morning to pick up our bridal gift.  Sounds like an excuse to go back the mall right?! well it wasn’t.  We were joined by the bride-to-be the day before so it was almost impossible to get her gift while she browsed the shops with us.  Our first stop VS to get a sexy little number for bride and groom.  Afterwards C and I spilt,  I went to Sephora to pick up a little something by Philosophy for the bride. Philosophy has a wonderful line of products for brides to be, overall a great line for bath and body. Anyways as I was saying...

we ran outta the mall and quickly got sorted in the car on the way to Beaumont.   Once we arrived in Beaumont we got to work assisting where assistance was needed, filling our mouths with tasty treats and putting out paper plates.  The afternoon was quite splendid, a lot of ladies in attendance as well as some lovely wrapped gifts.  It was an afternoon of laughter, happy tears and bridal games.  Once we wrapped up there we than headed to the bride’s parents place for a lovely dinner and a showing of the gown.   

this was taken from the bridal shower, i only took two...i know i should have taken more :(

That night (saturday night if you're feeling overwhemled by my mashed thoughts being thrown at you) both C and I drove back to the city to get our party shoes on.  We were meeting up with the bride and company for a night of drinks and two-stepping at Cook County.   Have you even been to Cook County?? It was my first and let me tell you it was something, especially with it being the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) weekend,  the place was crawling with cowboys if you really wanted to have your choice there were plenty for the picking.  I had myself a few little chats with a few of them wrangler boys, but there was one in particular that stood out the most and he wasn't a wrangler bearing boy. His name was Jeff he was 39 and a racer of sorts.  He raced cars, bikes a snowmobiles pretty cool huh, um no not really, did it make him seem that much hotter? not at all, I mean he was already physically attractive, but we didn’t really have much in common and the conversation was dry.  Perhaps it was dry cause he had told me that he had a 17yr daughter and my response was “oh really, she’s gonna be in this bar  next year” probably not the best thing to say while chatting with an attractive muscled racing man..Hahaha. Oh well.

bar scene photo taken from the back bar of cook county

End of the night booooooo... and a lil tipsy

As you can guess neither of us were feeling %100 the next day, I lazed around for a bit not motivated to do much and C was out visiting.  We planned to go to Costco and Walmart that day we just got started a tad later than planned.   

The trip to Edmonton with C to visit the lovely bride-to-be was fantastic.  It was so nice to get out and see two of my close girlfriends for a weekend of wine, chatter and shopping...most importantly to get together with my cherished girlfriends to share a special day with another in celebration of an upcoming wedding.

 

Did anyone check out the Black Friday deals? I have to admint there really wasn't anything too impressive to actually make me excited and want to buy something...Oh well christmas is just around the corner. If you do decide to check out the internet and maybe treat yourself or someone else, check out www.esty.com   a site full of many beautiful things.  

Now was that too much for one read???
Have a good night
xo