A proud Papa!

My sister pulled up in a rented Dodge and off we went south to Lethbridge. Not too much to say about the trip down except we listened to Cheryl Crow for most of the trip and we took the secondary highway through Vulcan (not the planet on Star Trek)to get there. I had told the xwife and kid that we would arrive at 1:30pm so I knew our timing would be tight.
If I were driving, which I couldn't because of my broken foot, we would have made it in time. It was at my suggestion that we take the secondary road because I know from experience that it is devoid of hiway patrol. The RCMP concentrate on the main hiways. Unfortunately my Sister is a stickler for details such as speed limits so we chugged along at 110kmh. The trip at that speed is about 2 hrs, my best time has been 1 hour and 15 mins, we were at the 2 hr mark when we passed the town of Barrons.



At 2 hrs 20 mins we pulled into Lethbridge or as it is sometimes called the "Bridge" both as a shortened name and it fits with the trestle bridge spanning the Old Man river valley. Yes that is the bridge I speak of.






The reason for getting to the Ten Ten Pub at a specific time was primarily to be there when my daughter received her early birthday present, a snazzy new shure microphone! That's Taya with the microphone looking very happy. She should be as it cost $300.00, just kidding,. Taya was saving up for it but the bands first live show needed a bit more sparkle so her Mom and I got the thing for her.


My Sister and I hung out for a bit and when the band had finished checking all the gear we took off over to my eldest daughters residence.

Caira is the eldest she lives with her fiance and their dog Lucy. It happened that this day they were sitting a friends daughter who I have not seen since she was an infant. My Sister had a good visit took to bonding with the young child and chat with her niece.

It had been a 2hr ride so I excused myself and went to the back of the house to the "smoking room" to have a fag and chill.




I look over from where I was sitting enjoying the lethal cancer stick and saw a bag of pot sitting on a side table. This didn't surprise me as I know the soon to be son in law is a pot smoker. I have blown many a bowl with him in the past. I was very curious as to my immediate reaction which was nothing! Not so long ago I would have towed him into the "smoking room" and he would have offered to load up and have a hoot together. Not long ago I would have made that act a priority but instead it was a slight twinge and then nothing. I had no craving I was not conniving or planning or any of the things I would have done just a month ago. I would have thought it my right to smoke some pot after that 2hr drive. I would have thought that I would enjoy the visit with my Daughters if I were high. It had all faded away all of the posturing and longing had vanished. Was this due to some 12 step program? Perhaps I had found the Lord or had sunk to living in the streets begging for change was this the reason I had fundimentally changed? No if anything having my foot broken took me out of the loop, or cycle if you like, yet I could still have had a buddy of mine drop by to deliver, so it was a conscience desicion to stop smoking pot. Not just a bit or maybe once in a while or in a social setting but totally.

It has not changed me much yet over all I think it is good thing, the change has been in my bank account, it being the most profound one.

After having a nice dinner at a local restuarant we headed for the pub to watch and listen to the band. Taya, who is the lead singer, announced that the band was going to do a song written by her. It was a good thing she had said those words because it sounded so good that with out being told I would have thought it to be a tune smithed by some "professional" musician.

The band was tight the debut went well I left with my sister back to Xfield a little early but left with the knowlege that I had hit a milestone in my own development and she in hers, both making me feel like a proud Papa.