Home Again - and it is HOT.

[agoodwinsmith]

Yesterday the temperature broke all previous records for highest temperature ever recorded at the Vancouver Airport (which is in Richmond, closer to the ocean, and not as hot as the old asphalt jungle of downtown Vancouver where I live).  The day before had also broken the previous record, but it only stood for that one day.  It is hotter in the Shuswap, but my folks have air conditioning, and it is an unconditional blessing and good thing.  Now that I am home, the absolute temperature outside is less, but I am suffering from it more.  My poor cats are so hot they are beside themselves.

My Dad had a heart attack this morning.  It was small, and the doctors weren't sure at first it was a heart attack but later tests confirmed it.  He is being kept in the hospital over the weekend (which is a long weekend in Canada, so it will include Monday), and will be scheduled for an angiogram in either Kelowna or Vancouver for Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on space and whatnot.

Fortunately, one set of my many Aunts and Uncles live in Mom & Dad's town and so they are there to give my Mom support.  They also have excellent friends and neighbours.

In other news: now there is a wildfire[1] in the Whistler/ Blackcomb area, site of so much 2010 Olympic constructions.  No homes or businesses or construction sites are currently under threat, but BC can add this to the total number of hectares burning.  There was a small wildfire near my parents' house (not near in terms of threat, but near in map terms), which has been suppressed.  It was stopped within spitting distance of two houses, and made it down the hill to the country road, but not across it.  Sometimes it seems like the whole province is burning.

[1] - wildfire seems to be the new term for forest fire.  Maybe it takes less space on a newspaper and fewer syllables in a newscast? 

Comments

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

My Dad had a heart attack this morning.

Ooooh! I just learned how to treat a Heart Attack! Now I'm wishing I was there so I could practise before my exam on Tuesday. Do you think I could borrow him for a bit? I'd give him right back.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

You'd have to get past my Mom first. I wouldn't give any odds for you being successful in that encounter. :)

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

Just my luck. All the good ones are taken.

[ciciaye.livejournal.com]

Best wishes to your Dad - hope he's back on his feet soon

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[cat63.livejournal.com]

I hope your Dad makes a good recovery - sounds as if he's beingwell looked after, at least.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[moustachios.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping your dad gets better soon. (I'm glad to hear he's perking up already.)

I read about the long weekend and went, "Huh?" We don't have it in NL. But I will be getting Wednesday (probably... yay, weather-dependent civic holidays!) off for Regatta Day.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

People whine here about stat holidays in midweek - long weekends or nothing! There was much sniveling about Canada Day. What is Regatta Day?

Thanks for the good wishes for my Dad.

[moustachios.livejournal.com]

It's the day of the Royal St. John's Regatta, which bills itself as North America's oldest continuous sporting event, and is held every year on Quidi Vidi Lake. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_St._John%27s_Regatta) Oh, and the boats are the old-fashioned wooden kind with fixed seats; originally, I suspect, this was due to lack of money for fibre glass ones, but by now it's Tradition.

The races are on all day, but most people just go down for cotton candy, ice cream, and fair games.

Oh, and there's fireworks at the end.


Most people don't mind too much when we get holidays mid-week... a day off's a day off, and it's kind of fun to confuse the tourists. :-)