Everyday Angels

It've had an oddly trying and blessed morning. I was up North helping out on a project with my friend L. She kindly found me a flight that got me home in time for Noel to be on the road to Calgary today. So after a long but great day yesterday learning about P.R. history and the people who live there, we got up at 5:45 this morning and drove to the airport. It had just started to snow. So my first angel today is L - for getting me a flight that got me home in time to facilitate Noel's trip to Calgary.


The airport I was at is small, but functional and nicely done when it was built in 1984. I was there a little under an hour before the flight. Yeah, small airports don't require the hour beforehand arrival time. It was a half hour until the pilot checked us in (yes, that's what I said, the pilot checked us in). The boarding pass was a laminated pink piece of paper that was handed to us and there was no security clearance. I was able to take my full water bottle on the plane (what a treat) but I shouldn't have had it really since there was no toilet on the 9-seater plane we took.


The flight took about an hour and we cruised at 15,000 (metres, I presume) - I know because I could read the altimeter from where I was sitting. So I have to say my second and third everyday angels today were the desk agent/pilot and the luggage-thowing de-icer/co-pilot. They took us high into the air in incelment weather and got us safely (and without even a little turbulence) to downtown Edmonton where it was -11C and raining. Now, you've gotta know THAT ain't good!

Edmonton has two airports. One is the large, International airport that is south of the city and half an hour from our house. The other is a small airport for local carriers that is downtown and at least an hour's drive from our house, more in rush hour (which it was at 8:10 this morning). The plans for this trip had various changes between the suggestion and the implementation. In that time, there were discussions about different airports, but since Noel had dropped me off at the International, he assumed he'd be picking me up there. I assumed he knew I was coming into the city centre airport ... Never assume!

So after the phone call to Noel at the International Airport, I asked one of the women who was on my plane where she was going. Leduc - to the south - just the direction I was going. I asked this total and complete stranger whose name I didn't know, if she would mind driving me to the south side of the city and she agreed. So angel number 4, but the most giving of them all, was Christine (I think) from Fairview who drove me from the City Centre to South Edmonton Common in a shower of freezing rain.

After a little more than 4 hours of sleep I was not entirely with it. I kept mixing up my lefts and rights and told Noel the wrong place to meet us. At the very least, I gave her a really good story that she can now either laugh or rail about for days. But if there was any ever chance of Christine (I think) from Fairview whose husband ranches 175 cattle to read this blog, I just have to again say thank you. You restore my faith in people. And next time I do a favour for a complete stranger, I will think kindly of you, my everyday angel.

So after she dropped me at Best Buy where Noel was waiting with Daniel in the back seat (angels number 5 and 6 because they love me no matter what), we three waited for the Alberta Motor Association to come and boost the car! Angel number 7 ... AMA guy with jumper cables. Thank you for jumping the car.

After the 45 minute drive back home, I dropped Noel at work, dropped Daniel at school, went to Canadian Tire where there was no service at all and then went to Kal Tire (with the last crank that battery had left) where the service was fantastic with angels 8 and 9 - the guy at the desk who had a battery, and the young man who changed my battery so I didn't have to do it in the -11C weather.

Angel number 10 ... my boss, M at the Millet Library. After getting home at 11:20 (I'm normally at work at 10), she told me it was fine if I stayed home and recovered from the morning instead of coming in to help her with the load of work she had. Thank you M.

Now ... after all of that, I have to mention that life always works out for the best. Although all of this crap happened this morning, the great people in my life and on it's periphery, made it not the least bit stressful. And, as I mentioned last time, I'm reading "Creative Visualization". One of the things I'm working on creating is a bit more work. I had e-mailed a potential client before I left, and as we were sitting in the dead car at Best Buy, Noel said he had bad news - that client wasn't going to have any work for me. But I had a feeling that it didn't matter, that if I stay positive it will all work out. And when I got home, I had a message from a past client who wants to include me in a proposal. There is always another door that opens. So, angel number 11 - ex-and possilby neo-client.

Thanks angels. It's been a good morning.