Oh Shannon. I am so disappointed. I was sooo looking forward to meeting you. Gosh, first Christine, now you. It won't be the same now..not nearly as much fun. I am happy for you though with your new position and all. Donna sitting here, feeling sorry for herself... :(
Thanks, Pam and Ingrid. Ingrid, I'm sorry you'll have to be the lone eastern representative....and by far the farthest to travel to get to the RU, now that I think of it. You will get a warm western welcome, I know that for sure. Maybe we can get together before you go - ?
Same here, Donna! I had great visions of us meeting up in the bar in the Victoria airport...lol
Boy, I just hate backing out like this. Well, the "closest" CF museum to you is at the Rocky Mountain Rangers in Kamloops....I'll have to see if I can get that one on the inspection list first, and drop in on you on the way home! It's only, what, 450 km?
Shannon vs Ingrid.
sorry guys oops mean gals. not very good with names, am I!!
G
Ingrid, don't feel like that at all. Most of us are going into this "blind", not really knowing any of the others. I am sure it'll feel like we've known each other forever when we all finally meet. Now don't you dare back out of this on me too....
OldFlowerGirl-Donna I'am excited in meeting you.
Not too worry- I'am coming ,and really looking forward to meeting everyone!!
Like spklatt (Shannon) said I'll have to be the eastern repersentative now..I'll have to do a good job.
MG99 & jagonjune have been so extremely good to me and arranged everything to make it happen.
Best regards, Ingrid
Congrats on your new job. I'm sure you'll love it. Sounds great. I was the executive director of the Campbell River and District Public Art Gallery here for years and have always been involved with the museum world too.
I'll be on Saltspring Island taking a painting workshop April 9 & 10th.
Congratulations on your new job Shannon. How exciting. It sounds like it's going to be a really interesting job. I'm sorry you won't be able to make it to the RU as I was looking forward to meeting you too. Oh well....such is life. Maybe another opportunity will come along. I'll leave your plants with Linda.
Sandy
Congrats, Shannon.
That is exciting and we'll still be here for the next RU!
Ingrid, you just come as Ingrid, some of us have met but most of us have not and we are all going to the RU to have fun and to meet peeps with similar interests! Mainly to ENJOY!
See you Soon, Dawn
Shannon, I do apologize for sounding so selfish earlier, but it did catch me off guard, and I will miss bedtime chats we were sure to have at the RU. But I really am thrilled for you and this new and wonderful opportunity that you have ahead of you. How exciting. Please accept my hearty congratualtions.
I guess we'll just have to make sure we all get to meet you at next years RU, perhaps down east in Ottawa or close by. You never know....:D
Thanks, Donna....same here. I really don't like backing out....I feel like a heel. I could have pushed the vacation timing issue with my new employers, but there was some controversy about the selection process as it was, and I just didn't want to chance taking vacation on my very first day on the job. And I didn't know how else to let you all know, except for just to say it - even though it was sudden. This all just happened yesterday. I didn't even think I was going to get the job.
I was sure looking forward to staying at Linda's place, and gabbing through the night.
I guess as our inspection trips to the 65 (!) museums across Canada get going, I will just have to drop in on whomever's living in that city or town, like it or not... :-) And I have high expectations for the next RU, wherever it is - although I wouldn't blame you all if you didn't count on my presence until I show up at the door.
S.
It doesn't sound like you could have done anything else Shannon. Don't worry. Where's the closest museum to Campbell River?
Thanks, Sandy. Looks like it's the Comox Air Force museum....that's not too far, eh?
No, that's not far at all. Only about a thirty minute drive. That's super!! We'll definitely be able to get together.
Gosh, I wish Kamloops was as close to me as Comox is to the other gals on the Island. But I really doubt you'd be taking this route Shannon. Castlegar is 452 km South of Kamloops and the driving time through our crazy mountain system, would take about 4 hours. If you are driving, you'd probably want to be staying on either the TransCanada or the Yellowhead. To drive here you'd have to come down hwy 97 through the Okanagan to hwy 3 (Crowsnest) which is right on the Washington border and then come east from Osoyoos about 2 hours and again over a couple pretty good sized mountain passes. If you were continuing to travel east from here, it would be another 4 hours before you'd come out around Pincher Creek, AB. So, as you can see, probably not that convenient for you. Oh well, it'll have to be next RU, that's all.
Thanks, Jeanne and Sandy - that'd be great! I'm not sure what the schedule is and who's most in need of a visit, but hope to find out shortly after I start on the 1st.
Donna, I sure hope we can figure something out before then. Wonder when the next RU'd be - '06?
LOL Donna's already got your route planned. I'm still laughing...that's so cute. This is going to be fun Shannon and Jeanne...I can hardly wait.
I remember driving through Osoyoos....lots of hairpin turns, very scenic. And Pincher Creek, heck, my aunt & uncle have a cabin there, & Castlegar is just down the road! Besides, I lost count of how many times I went from Edmonton to Saskatoon and back just for a long weekend, and that's 5-1/2 hours.
So, Donna, which way from the Castlegar Greyhound station to your house? :-)
There must be an AF museum in Victoria too, maybe it's just navy, but there might be one out by the airport, if there is, we'll get you at this end Shannon.
Linda
Yep Linda, that would be great. There are a few in Victoria - I think 5 Fd Regt has one, and maybe the C Scot R, and another museum with "Ashton" in the name (?). Victoria sounds like an extended stop to me. :-)
Edited for being mixed-up....lol
This message was edited Mar 1, 2005 10:18 PM
So which ones are in Saskatchewan?
Pam, there's only one so far that's "accredited" by DND (meaning it meets certain pre-determined requirements, and gets a specific allotment of public funding) is the Sask. Military Museum in Regina. But I know that there's the Snowbird gallery in the WDM in Moose Jaw as well - the only Snowbird collection in Canada - and numerous other military collections of varying degrees of officialdom. In case anyone's interested, here's a link to the internet site where you can look up your closest 'official' CF museum. (Shameless promotion!) Some of them are really neat. The Fort Garry Horse museum in Winnipeg has a bunker all set up with sandbags, sound effects etc. - and a life-sized horse, complete with all the gear that horses had to carry in WWI. They even had their own horse-sized gas masks.
http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/dhh/museums/engraph/cfmdir_e.asp?cat=4
This message was edited Mar 2, 2005 7:49 AM
I kinda figured SK wouldn't have too many. ;) If you ever head thataway be sure to let us know.
I would love to, Pam. Thanks. My dad will be there next week, for a WDM board meeting....but guess that wouldn't be the same, would it? ;-)
Not quite! ;)
Awright, you mean you'd actually come by Greyhound, Shannon. If you can make it here, we are just a few miles south of the Greyhound station. I'll be there in a flash to pick you up. Just give me the word! LOL, Castlegar isn't quite "down the road" from Pincher Creek, but four and a half hours isn't that bad, I guess. But you are right though, Highway 97 through the Okanagan and then Hwy 3 through the Kootenay's IS very scenic. :D
You bet, I'll come. You're not rid of me this easily...lol As soon as I know when Kamloops is coming up on our grand inspection tour, I'll whoop so loud you'll be able to hear me even without logging on to DG. :-)
BTW, has anyone heard from Yumiko since she left for Japan?
LOL, that's great,Shannon. :D
I don't think Yumiko has checked in since she left. She left me with the impression she would be there for a whle, because she mentioned she probably wouldn't be able to attend the RU.
By the way Shannon. I'll make sure your tote stays in Victoria for you...or if you like, I can mail it to you. What do you prefer?
As long as Linda's still ok with me dropping in to visit on the 9th or 14th, I'd be happy to pick it up at her place (and save you any mailing expense while we're at it). Thanks, Donna. I'm looking forward to the stories and pictures from the RU.....sigh. Do you think if I mailed Linda a big cut-out of myself, you guys could set me up at your dinner table with you? :-)
LOL, sure! Don't worry Shannon, we'll be thinking of you lots. And we'll take lots of pictures. I'll make sure everyone autographs your tote, too.
That would be great!! :-)
spklatt
Shannon, if you need me to bring something from you or back to you..You can use me as your middle man.
Ingrid
Thanks, Ingrid! I appreciate that. We'll have to get together sometime soon, even if there's nothing to transfer. :-)
Shannon
Shannon, YES, I'm still ok with you dropping in.
That goes for anyone here that's in the vicinity.
Linda
Thanks, Linda. I'll call my grandmother and one other friend in Victoria and find out which day will be best for various visiting, & send you a DG e-mail to see if it still works for you.
BTW, same goes for anyone who finds themselves in this neck of the woods. As long as I'm in town, I'd love to have somebody drop by - heck, even if I'm not in town, and you need a place to stay! lol I'm sure DSO and the 3 mouse-keteers would be happy to meet any of my DG buddies, especially (in Scruffy's case) if they come bearing some nice morsels of beef or cheese... :-) (like he's so poorly fed the rest of the time....lol....) Or, if you have cat allergies, we can meet somewhere else for a bite to eat. Please consider it a standing invite.
Shannon
Congratulations Shannon!
The new job sounds exciting - althougt it's putting a screw in your plans isn't it? Not sure exactly what you'll be doing ...but interestingly enough (Shamless promotion) I own a company (with my SO)that actually creates/designs & builds musuem exhibits- "believe it or NOT" ... and to boot we're 20minutes from CFB Gagetown, - so guess what - we'll be seeing you right??? ? We'll even take you sailing, (if you promise to come when the water is not so stiff).lol
I'll be great to hear all the fun you guys have at the RU, you'll all send pic's for the rest of us right??
Joanne (way east).
OFG -
I was in the "Kootnays" last August (3 brothers in Airdrie's) - we borrowed one of their campers and took all the logging roads for 4 days - would do it again in a heartbeat. Went as far as Canal Flats (I don't thing anyone else does), Sparwood, Elko, Pincher Creek - definately thought we did Kootnay lake - but could have been the river. Awesome, awsome, what a holiday. An eye-opener for "sailers".
Joanne
You'll have to so that again sometime, Joanne. From the towns you listed, it sounds like you were in the East Kootenays. Go a little farther west next time and we could get together for a coffee, hike, or something. I am in the West Kootenays, and south of Kootenay Lake. Kootenay River meets and joins the Columbia River in Castlegar which then flows south into the US. In the map below, you can see the Western border of Alberta and then just over the border into BC is Sparwood and Canal Flats. If you keep looking west and south you'll see where I am in Castlegar. :D
Thanks, Joanne! That's so neat, to hear about your company. How far-flung are your museum clients? Yep, I'd definitely love to come by for a visit. And sailing - wow, that'd be new for me - I'm in!
Thanks for posting that map, Donna. I was having trouble getting a good mental pic in my mind of Castlegar's situation. I was pretty sure it was close to Trail.
Yes Shannon, Trail is only 15 minutes from us. They have the closest Walmart to us, so I am there a lot.
