what a fine day we have for stories... it's morning, and it's early; i got a head start... plus the monkey was able to find a ride to Cypress(!)... see, the thing with road trips is that surprises come with the territory... the first surprise was that we found time as a family to go on vaca together... secondly, we were able to actually rent the van we wanted (Honda Odyssey) but voila! no CD player --no prob, we have a car kit... thirdly, my brother (who falls asleep driving from Edmonton to Fort McMurray) was fully awake when he takes turns with me and my Dad driving (it could be that he is a hopeless Vancouverite)... the fourth surprise was that men and women drive/road trip WAY differently... see, my Dad and my brother read maps while we womenfolk prefer landmarks as guides... (we got somewhat caught up in the wrong directions the Fairmont Hot Springs people gave us)... but note that Canada never had excellent highway/road signs for that matter (except when moose/wildlife are concerned --roadkill doesn't make for good snacks)... the fifth element of surprise was how short a trip is when FUN is the operative word... sixth, women have an intuition men will NEVER understand or even acquire maybe... we never give up as easily especially when taking advantage of cheaper grocery items... the scene at Invermere on the Lake was breathtaking; huge frozen lake, Rockies backdrop... *sigh* ...the seventh surprise, a fact of life we cannot deny, is that memory is not all its cracked up to be... twice my Mom forgot stuff this week; at first, it scared me because she always had great memory... my Dad remembered the map like the back of his hand, but he didn't remember whether we passed Kamloops yet or not... but then we had a good laugh about it... (i guess you should have been there)... eight-ly, one wakes up early when one is a guest; at home we just sleep in till whenever, BUT, one is offered shelter despite odd sleeping habits and late-night sushi escapades... nine, there is such a thing as land lag... *yawn* ...last night, from Port Coquitlam to Richmond, i was snoring in the back of my friend's car... (not a pretty sight with your mouth wide open sucking car air like that)... and lastly, one needs a car to get around, in less time and more comfort... unless each person in your 'crew' wishes to do their own things... but like i said, maybe you should have been there...