Well...we made it to Toronto after a world-wind adventure. In the middle of a nap Monday afternoon we were awoken by a phone call at 3:00pm...Amber's parents were looking to see if we would be making it for Christmas. Turns out that our 9pm flight from Victoria to Vancouver was cancelled...in fact, all flights out of Victoria were cancelled. This was indeed a surprise to us as we had checked in the night before and there were no issues and the weather was even better this day. Given that we needed to make it to Vancouver, we decided to quickly pack and rush to make the 5:00pm ferry. (Air Canada said if we didn't make a run for Vancouver, the earliest they could rebook was Christmas Day).
After arriving at 5:05pm for that ferry, we were pleased to figure out that the ferry was delayed. We departed at 5:45pm to get to Vancovuer. Once arrived, we drove to the airport. The roads were horrible and we were not able to get in to the Park'N'Fly. After driving around for a little while, we managed to find a clear area in the Long Term Parking. Now it was time to check in...
Checking in was not much of an issue and at 8:30 our 10:40 flight to TO was still on-time. SO far, so good. With all of Amber's travels, she has managed to get Air Canada Elite status so off to the Air Canada Lounge we went. After relaxing in this area out of the hustle and bustle of the chaotic travel scene, we noticed that our flight was delayed until 11:30, then 12:30. This is where the adventure really started. Luckily, around 11:30 our names were called to come see the lady at the lounge entrance. Our economy seats were kindly exchanged for Executive seats (this turns out to be the one saving grace in this entire story).
At 11:30 the lounge closed and we headed down to the gate where we found a mass of angry people waiting for their flight. Some of these individuals had been in the airport for 2+days. When we arrived, we also noticed a lively gentleman in hand-cuffs being escorted from the gate (this was the cause of some of the delays). Due to this debacle our plane ended up being changed (this will later prove to cause more issues).
We boarded the flight shortly after midnight. The nice Captain soon came on to welcome us and indicated that due to the change in planes, the aircraft was carrying 20 tonnes of extra fuel. Now, you might think that more fuel is a good thing, but not when you have to land...we would be too heavy. So, await the de-fuel we would do...except for the fact that the de-fuel truck was broken due to the weather Vancouver had been getting. Thus, we would wait until the fuel was burnt off and then depart at 7:00am.
After deciding that we would remain on the plane while we waited, people started to get extremely agitated. This is where our luck of being up-graded kicked in. We managed to lay flat out and actually sleep - and hide from the chaos in the back of the plane.
At 8:00am we pushed off the wall to de-ice before proceeding to Toronto. That took 3.5 hrs due to the amount of freezing the night before. Things must have been getting in the back, as the Captain warned that if people were violent with the stewardesses, we would return to the gate and these people would be removed. So, at 11:30 we were on our way. We finally arrived in Toronto at 5:45pm local. By the time we got our rental and made it out of the airport it was 6:45. It took us over 1.5 hrs to get to Amber's parents at 10kph on the 401. However, we made it safe and sound after 15 hrs on the plane with all our luggage and 2x$500 travel vouchers from Air Canada for the massive disaster.
Hopefully travelling back will not be so adventurous. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and we will talk to you soon. M
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
'Tis the Season
Hello Everyone,
Our apologies for the delay in posting news recently. The Christmas Season has kept us quite busy at work and after hours. Last Friday, we were at Matt's 443 Squadron Christmas party, held at a hotel downtown. It was a great chance to catch up with everyone especially since many are posted next year. On Saturday we went to a potluck hosted by one of the members of the running group we train with Tuesday and Thursday nights. On Sunday, we attended Amber's work Christmas party up at the Wardroom (the Officer's Mess). Unfortunately, turnout was low as that was the day it started snowing in Victoria - and hasn't stopped since! The weather has been very unusual for this time of year. Apparently, this is the coldest it has been in the city since 1967 and since 1942, there have only been 8 white christmases (and the forecast is predicting this year will likely be the 9th). On Monday, we helped with a hot chocolate fundraiser in support of the base Triathlon Club that has just got back up and running. On Tuesday, we attended the Annual Naden Band Christmas Concert in support of the Salvation Army. Wednesday had us back at the hot chocolate shack persuading the few people that did brave the weather to see the ship's lit up with Christmas lights to buy some hot chocolate for the bus ride. Thursday we were supposed to run at the track but once again the weather forced us back on the treadmill:( And last night we hosted the Winter Swimming Social at our house for the Navy team we swim with Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings - it was great to see everyone without their goggles and swim caps on! A good time was had by all but we must admit we were eager to start our holidays today and are thankful to finally have some time to sleep in and relax! A
Our apologies for the delay in posting news recently. The Christmas Season has kept us quite busy at work and after hours. Last Friday, we were at Matt's 443 Squadron Christmas party, held at a hotel downtown. It was a great chance to catch up with everyone especially since many are posted next year. On Saturday we went to a potluck hosted by one of the members of the running group we train with Tuesday and Thursday nights. On Sunday, we attended Amber's work Christmas party up at the Wardroom (the Officer's Mess). Unfortunately, turnout was low as that was the day it started snowing in Victoria - and hasn't stopped since! The weather has been very unusual for this time of year. Apparently, this is the coldest it has been in the city since 1967 and since 1942, there have only been 8 white christmases (and the forecast is predicting this year will likely be the 9th). On Monday, we helped with a hot chocolate fundraiser in support of the base Triathlon Club that has just got back up and running. On Tuesday, we attended the Annual Naden Band Christmas Concert in support of the Salvation Army. Wednesday had us back at the hot chocolate shack persuading the few people that did brave the weather to see the ship's lit up with Christmas lights to buy some hot chocolate for the bus ride. Thursday we were supposed to run at the track but once again the weather forced us back on the treadmill:( And last night we hosted the Winter Swimming Social at our house for the Navy team we swim with Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings - it was great to see everyone without their goggles and swim caps on! A good time was had by all but we must admit we were eager to start our holidays today and are thankful to finally have some time to sleep in and relax! A
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Nanaimo Swim Meet
Yesterday, Matt and I competed in our first ever swim meet. What a blast! We were both nervous as hell walking out on to the pool deck - wondering what we had gotten ourselves into, but once things got underway, it turned out to be a great day.
It was the Nanaimo Ebbtides 26th Annual Masters Swim Meet at the Nanaimo Aquatic Center. The team we swim with is the Navy Masters who is coached by Lieutenant Tony Zezza. We swim Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 6-7:20am at the pool at the base.
Matt's raced in the:
200 meter men's relay (Our team (men 160-199) placed 1st in their age category!!!)
100 meter freestyle
50 meter freestyle (3rd Place in his age category! (25-29)
25 meter freestyle and (2nd Place in his age category!)
200 meter mixed freestyle relay
Amber's Races included:
100 meter freestyle
50 meter freestyle
200 meter freestyle (2nd in my age category (30-34) *What an experience! 200m is definitely painful!
25 meter freestyle and
200 meter mixed freestyle relay
As you can see, Matt is proving to be very talented in the pool! I can't say the same for myself but I'm getting better (or so I think). At the very least, I'm having fun :)
We've really come to like the whole Masters experience and are sure that this is something we will continue to do for the rest of our lives. It was inspiring to see so many elderly men and women out there competing and keeping in shape. If you've ever thought about joining a Masters Club, we would highly recommend it!
From Wikipedia:
"Masters swimming is a special class of competitive swimming for swimmers 25 years or older (Canada and the USA allow adults 18 and over and have an 18-24 age group, while Australia allows adults 20 and over and has a 20-24 age group). They compete within age groups of five years, with a swimmer's age group in a certain year determined by his/her age on the last day of that year:
Age Groups: 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, and so on at 5-year increments, the last group being for any age above 100 years.
The rules and distances are nearly the same as for competitive swimming. However, meet programs include 2 mixed (2 men/2 women) relay events in addition to the all men's and all women's relay events. Mixed relays are swum exclusively in masters' competition. The age groups for the relay events is determined by the sum of the ages of each team component, allowing for swimmers of very different ages to compete together in the same team. Age groups for relays are 100-119, 120-159, 160-199, and so on at 40-year increments.
Masters Swimming is a fast growing leisure activity, particularly in North America and Australia but also in Europe. Most towns or cities now have masters clubs. Typically these are very friendly and welcome newcomers. The minimum requirements to join a Masters club vary widely, anywhere from the ability to swim one length of the pool to the ability to swim a kilometre without stopping. Club members will follow a set of different drills and swims each time typically covering anything from 1.5 km to 3.5 km. Each club will have lanes and so whilst the younger and faster swimmers who are competing nationally and regionally are at one end, the other lanes are for hobbyists who may have taken up swimming quite recently".
A
It was the Nanaimo Ebbtides 26th Annual Masters Swim Meet at the Nanaimo Aquatic Center. The team we swim with is the Navy Masters who is coached by Lieutenant Tony Zezza. We swim Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 6-7:20am at the pool at the base.
Matt's raced in the:
200 meter men's relay (Our team (men 160-199) placed 1st in their age category!!!)
100 meter freestyle
50 meter freestyle (3rd Place in his age category! (25-29)
25 meter freestyle and (2nd Place in his age category!)
200 meter mixed freestyle relay
Amber's Races included:
100 meter freestyle
50 meter freestyle
200 meter freestyle (2nd in my age category (30-34) *What an experience! 200m is definitely painful!
25 meter freestyle and
200 meter mixed freestyle relay
As you can see, Matt is proving to be very talented in the pool! I can't say the same for myself but I'm getting better (or so I think). At the very least, I'm having fun :)
We've really come to like the whole Masters experience and are sure that this is something we will continue to do for the rest of our lives. It was inspiring to see so many elderly men and women out there competing and keeping in shape. If you've ever thought about joining a Masters Club, we would highly recommend it!
From Wikipedia:
"Masters swimming is a special class of competitive swimming for swimmers 25 years or older (Canada and the USA allow adults 18 and over and have an 18-24 age group, while Australia allows adults 20 and over and has a 20-24 age group). They compete within age groups of five years, with a swimmer's age group in a certain year determined by his/her age on the last day of that year:
Age Groups: 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, and so on at 5-year increments, the last group being for any age above 100 years.
The rules and distances are nearly the same as for competitive swimming. However, meet programs include 2 mixed (2 men/2 women) relay events in addition to the all men's and all women's relay events. Mixed relays are swum exclusively in masters' competition. The age groups for the relay events is determined by the sum of the ages of each team component, allowing for swimmers of very different ages to compete together in the same team. Age groups for relays are 100-119, 120-159, 160-199, and so on at 40-year increments.
Masters Swimming is a fast growing leisure activity, particularly in North America and Australia but also in Europe. Most towns or cities now have masters clubs. Typically these are very friendly and welcome newcomers. The minimum requirements to join a Masters club vary widely, anywhere from the ability to swim one length of the pool to the ability to swim a kilometre without stopping. Club members will follow a set of different drills and swims each time typically covering anything from 1.5 km to 3.5 km. Each club will have lanes and so whilst the younger and faster swimmers who are competing nationally and regionally are at one end, the other lanes are for hobbyists who may have taken up swimming quite recently".
A
Monday, November 17, 2008
The official results are in...
After much anticipation, Bear Mountain has finally posted the official results for the race on Saturday.
I couldn't be more happy!
Overall Place: 147 out of 305
Division Ranking: 8 out of 42 (Age category: Female 30-39)
Official Time: 56 minutes
Official Pace: 5:36
Hmmmmm.... what should I conquer next.....
A
P.S. Scroll to bottom of blog for new photos from overseas
I couldn't be more happy!
Overall Place: 147 out of 305
Division Ranking: 8 out of 42 (Age category: Female 30-39)
Official Time: 56 minutes
Official Pace: 5:36
Hmmmmm.... what should I conquer next.....
A
P.S. Scroll to bottom of blog for new photos from overseas
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Bear Mountain 10km - Canada's hardest 10km
This afternoon I'm at home recovering from the Bear Mountain 10km race - known as Canada's hardest 10km! The weather was cool with some fog and showers but despite that it was a great morning. I've been trying to go back and re-run the races I ran last year to see how I've progressed over the past year. I can honestly say that my recent interest in running and racing only started last year when I signed up for the Royal Victoria 1/2 Marathon - looking for something that would literally scare me into running. With Matt cheering me on from the sidelines (due to a quad injury), I was ready to go. And go I did. I'm still waiting for the official results which will be posted tomorrow but a quick look at the unofficial results had me finishing 8th in my age group (female 30-39) in approx. 56 minutes, which is amazing considering that it took me 1 hr 1 min to run the same race last year. Amber :)
www.bearmountain10k.ca
On the topic of running, it was only a few weeks ago that Matt and I ran the Royal Victoria 1/2 Marathon. This was Matt's first 1/2 marathon and my second. Take a look at our results - we were so happy!
Amber's Results:
Overall: 1112/4268
M/F: 385/2674
Div: 67/375 (Female 30-34)
Chip Time: 1:51:50 (Pace 5:18/km - 8:32/mi)
(My 2007 Chip Time: 2:00:31)
Matt's Results:
Overall: 876/4268
M/F: 606/1594
Div: 81/187 (Male 25-29)
Chip Time: 1:48:02 (Pace 5:07/km - 8:14/mi)
www.royalvictoriamarathon.com
www.bearmountain10k.ca
On the topic of running, it was only a few weeks ago that Matt and I ran the Royal Victoria 1/2 Marathon. This was Matt's first 1/2 marathon and my second. Take a look at our results - we were so happy!
Amber's Results:
Overall: 1112/4268
M/F: 385/2674
Div: 67/375 (Female 30-34)
Chip Time: 1:51:50 (Pace 5:18/km - 8:32/mi)
(My 2007 Chip Time: 2:00:31)
Matt's Results:
Overall: 876/4268
M/F: 606/1594
Div: 81/187 (Male 25-29)
Chip Time: 1:48:02 (Pace 5:07/km - 8:14/mi)
www.royalvictoriamarathon.com
Sunday, November 9, 2008
What a year!
As everyone knows, we haven't been the best at keeping in touch over the past year... But we thought that if we told you what we've been up to - and why we've been so busy - you'd forgive us and we could start fresh with this new blog :)
January actually had both of us at home but that soon changed in February when Matt went to Halifax for training and Amber went to Sydney, Australia and Hawaii with work.
Not soon after Matt got back in March, he was packing up for a 4 month deployment to the Far East onboard HMCS OTTAWA, stopping in Dutch Harbour, Alaska enroute.
As luck would have it, Amber flew t0 Okinawa, Japan - for work - but also got to meet up with Matt once there. Amber sailed from Okinawa onboard HMCS REGINA for a few weeks, while Matt stayed onboard OTTAWA. After a transfer at sea, Amber ended up onboard OTTAWA with Matt where we sailed into Kagoshima, Japan, a beautiful little town that has an active volcano 'watching' over the city.
From Kagoshima, we sailed to Incheon, South Korea and spent time exploring Seoul and the Demilitarized Zone on the border of North Korea. Both got to step-into North Korea... but only for a second!
From Korea, we sailed into Shanghai, China, just a few weeks after the earthquake had struck. After a short visit, Amber flew back to Canada while Matt continued on to Manilla in the Phillipines.
Matt then headed towards Hawaii for the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) and met back up with Amber, who was there for work. While Matt was enjoying the good life on our Canadian ships, Amber sailed onboard the USS KITTY HAWK for 3 weeks - what an 'interesting' experience! Amber then flew home to wait for Matt's return in August.
Now it was finally time for some vacation! We spent a week in the Okanagan enjoying the beautiful scenery and sampling lots of the local wineries. We then flew to Toronto to visit Amber's family and on to Nova Scotia to visit with Matt's family. Matt stayed in Halifax for some more training while Amber got back just in time to leave for India for work.
She flew into Chennai, India and met up with the two Canadian ships that were leaving the Persian Gulf for home and then visited the Indian Eastern Fleet in Vishakapatnam. From there she flew to Phuket, Thailand for a few days and then on to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Before Amber had even returned home, Matt went to Penticton, BC for the Mountain Flying Course. November is finally here and looks like we might actually be in the same city for a few months - which is a lifetime in military terms! We have tonnes of great pictures from our adventures described above and promise to post them soon.
January actually had both of us at home but that soon changed in February when Matt went to Halifax for training and Amber went to Sydney, Australia and Hawaii with work.
Not soon after Matt got back in March, he was packing up for a 4 month deployment to the Far East onboard HMCS OTTAWA, stopping in Dutch Harbour, Alaska enroute.
As luck would have it, Amber flew t0 Okinawa, Japan - for work - but also got to meet up with Matt once there. Amber sailed from Okinawa onboard HMCS REGINA for a few weeks, while Matt stayed onboard OTTAWA. After a transfer at sea, Amber ended up onboard OTTAWA with Matt where we sailed into Kagoshima, Japan, a beautiful little town that has an active volcano 'watching' over the city.
From Kagoshima, we sailed to Incheon, South Korea and spent time exploring Seoul and the Demilitarized Zone on the border of North Korea. Both got to step-into North Korea... but only for a second!
From Korea, we sailed into Shanghai, China, just a few weeks after the earthquake had struck. After a short visit, Amber flew back to Canada while Matt continued on to Manilla in the Phillipines.
Matt then headed towards Hawaii for the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) and met back up with Amber, who was there for work. While Matt was enjoying the good life on our Canadian ships, Amber sailed onboard the USS KITTY HAWK for 3 weeks - what an 'interesting' experience! Amber then flew home to wait for Matt's return in August.
Now it was finally time for some vacation! We spent a week in the Okanagan enjoying the beautiful scenery and sampling lots of the local wineries. We then flew to Toronto to visit Amber's family and on to Nova Scotia to visit with Matt's family. Matt stayed in Halifax for some more training while Amber got back just in time to leave for India for work.
She flew into Chennai, India and met up with the two Canadian ships that were leaving the Persian Gulf for home and then visited the Indian Eastern Fleet in Vishakapatnam. From there she flew to Phuket, Thailand for a few days and then on to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Before Amber had even returned home, Matt went to Penticton, BC for the Mountain Flying Course. November is finally here and looks like we might actually be in the same city for a few months - which is a lifetime in military terms! We have tonnes of great pictures from our adventures described above and promise to post them soon.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)