Part of this trip was planned in advance to include a little family responsibility on our part. Our youngest daughter Erin’s boyfriend Ryan is a business major at Manitoba University in Winnipeg. Because of all of the academic and political B.S. (and that is not the degree), he is here and she is there until graduation. We had all planned to meet as sort of a “family’s introduction” during this vacation, but due to mid-terms for Erin back in California, Carol and I became the surrogate diplomats. We were both a little stressed out Mom was given STRICT orders regarding MY behavior (gee, I don’t understand THAT) about making the right impression in our daughter’s absence. Well, that was stupid!
We were met at the VIA station by Ryan and Pam (Ryan’s mother). Pam was holding a GIANT sign that read, “Welcome to Winnipeg, Carol and Steve Steinbrecher!” as we walked down the stairs to snag our luggage, and we knew that everything was going to work out just fine. It has turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Pam said that people came by and said “They’re on the train.. guess we made an impression!”
We were met at the VIA station by Ryan and Pam (Ryan’s mother). Pam was holding a GIANT sign that read, “Welcome to Winnipeg, Carol and Steve Steinbrecher!” as we walked down the stairs to snag our luggage, and we knew that everything was going to work out just fine. It has turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Pam said that people came by and said “They’re on the train.. guess we made an impression!”
Ryan’s family invited us into their home and has made us an immediate part of their family. We spent our first evening in Winnipeg drinking wine, watching CFL football (well, at least Ryan’s Dad Rob, Steve, Ryan and Kali’s boyfriend Andrew did) while Carol, Pam and Ryan’s sister Kali solved all of the problems of the world (which is the way it is supposed to work, eh?). We had a cake that is made only in Winnipeg.. Pam what is the name of that wonderful cake?
We all ended up having a GREAT time together. We traveled around the city for three days and learned about the history and the culture of Manitoba and Winnipeg, toured the city’s beautiful gardens and parks, went to a nature preserve, learned that Ryan’s Dad is one of the premiere bowlers in Canada (the MAN has a couple of 300 games and is competing in the provincial championships this coming weekend), attended a session of Provincial Parliament (gee, they waste as much time and money in Manitoba as they do in California!!) at their equivalent of the State Capital, and would have met the “Governor” of the province (who is a personal friend of the family) except he had political commitments. Again, we have once again learned that where ever you go in the world, we are ALL the same. The people here work hard and pay taxes, and the politicians figure out ways to waste that money. However, watching Parliament is a LOT more refined than the Bozo’s in the California Assembly or Senate. Surprisingly enough, their “state capital” building was so similar to ours in Sacramento we were just amazed. Carol got a chance to go to the Mall and we found a Starbucks.. It was great, we also learned all about 5-pin bowling and Carol promised this elderly man that she would send her daughter to Winnipeg in January to shovel snow!! He thought she might be too young!!!
We had an opportunity to ride the “Millennium Train.” For more pictures check the photos on the Google album!, share homemade pizza with the family, and we capped off the visit with front-row center (in football terms four rows behind the bench on the 50-yard-line!) tickets (provided by Pam’s brother) to the local AAA AHL Hockey Franchise, the Manitoba Moose. Many of you know I spent a few years playing football and REALLY enjoy all of that violence, and I had really never paid a lot of attention to ice hockey (I mean, in California there ain’t a lot of ice) before. But after watching this game, I am quite enamored with the idea of giving 12 big guys on ice skates sticks and telling them, “There ain’t a lot of rules here, boys….” At the end of the first period there was this huge fight between a couple of players, and we read in the paper this morning that one of them went to the hospital with a broken jaw. NOW that’s a sport! Carol was standing up yelling and screaming, and when we woke up this morning to leave, both of us had sore throats from the game. When the Moose came out to throw shirts, Carol and Pam were yelling and hollering and they threw a t-shirt to Carol. It is her favorite night shirt now!!
We all ended up having a GREAT time together. We traveled around the city for three days and learned about the history and the culture of Manitoba and Winnipeg, toured the city’s beautiful gardens and parks, went to a nature preserve, learned that Ryan’s Dad is one of the premiere bowlers in Canada (the MAN has a couple of 300 games and is competing in the provincial championships this coming weekend), attended a session of Provincial Parliament (gee, they waste as much time and money in Manitoba as they do in California!!) at their equivalent of the State Capital, and would have met the “Governor” of the province (who is a personal friend of the family) except he had political commitments. Again, we have once again learned that where ever you go in the world, we are ALL the same. The people here work hard and pay taxes, and the politicians figure out ways to waste that money. However, watching Parliament is a LOT more refined than the Bozo’s in the California Assembly or Senate. Surprisingly enough, their “state capital” building was so similar to ours in Sacramento we were just amazed. Carol got a chance to go to the Mall and we found a Starbucks.. It was great, we also learned all about 5-pin bowling and Carol promised this elderly man that she would send her daughter to Winnipeg in January to shovel snow!! He thought she might be too young!!!
We had an opportunity to ride the “Millennium Train.” For more pictures check the photos on the Google album!, share homemade pizza with the family, and we capped off the visit with front-row center (in football terms four rows behind the bench on the 50-yard-line!) tickets (provided by Pam’s brother) to the local AAA AHL Hockey Franchise, the Manitoba Moose. Many of you know I spent a few years playing football and REALLY enjoy all of that violence, and I had really never paid a lot of attention to ice hockey (I mean, in California there ain’t a lot of ice) before. But after watching this game, I am quite enamored with the idea of giving 12 big guys on ice skates sticks and telling them, “There ain’t a lot of rules here, boys….” At the end of the first period there was this huge fight between a couple of players, and we read in the paper this morning that one of them went to the hospital with a broken jaw. NOW that’s a sport! Carol was standing up yelling and screaming, and when we woke up this morning to leave, both of us had sore throats from the game. When the Moose came out to throw shirts, Carol and Pam were yelling and hollering and they threw a t-shirt to Carol. It is her favorite night shirt now!!
Thus ending the first of a LOT of future family get-togethers in Winnipeg and Pollock Pines. We are so happy to have the Dufreane’s in our family and of course, Carol was wiping tears out of her eyes as we said good-bye.
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