2 Weddings, 2 Provinces, 1 Day

This summer Chrissy and myself found ourselves in a fortunate, yet somewhat impossible situation. Two very important sets of people to us were getting married and we were invited. But the rub was that they were on the same day and about 500 kilometers away from each other.

We had a delicate decision to make; which wedding should we attend?

• Do we attend my oldest niece Nikki's wedding - the start of a whole new generation of weddings in our family, or
• Do we attend Andrea's wedding who is one of Christina's longest term friends (I hesitate to say 'oldest' with women involved) and who asked for Chrissy to be a bridesmaid after standing up at our wedding less than a year ago?

After some debate we decided that Chrissy would support Andrea as a bridesmaid and that I would head out to Saskatoon for my niece Nikki's wedding. In our short time being married we have learned fairly well to compromise; Or at least Chrissy has. After all, her saying yes to marry me was the ultimate compromise possible for a beautiful and successful woman. True to my nature to pursue her, I would not settle. I would endeavour to attend both weddings.

Nikki and Luke 

Leaving Chrissy in Edmonton I headed out early in the week to Saskatoon to hang out with friends and family. 

Mom and Grandkids

Before too long the big day was upon us and we headed out to the Forestry Farm for a late afternoon (4PM) wedding.  The predicted rain showers were seemingly put on pause and the assembled guests were in good spirits as we awaited the arrival of the bride.

Brother and Grandmas of the Bride

The assembled Kehrig clan

Right on time Nikki emerged from behind the trees escorted down the aisle. My brother Lawrence looked quite dapper in his suit escorting her but it went without notice compared to how great Nikki looked (only now do I actually notice just how well Lawrence was put together).

Both Nikki and Luke looked fantastic and their happiness and excitement was apparent to all those in attendance. Everything about the ceremony fit their personalities perfectly.

It's hard not to look at them and see their relative youth. As someone who was a bachelor for some time I am almost jealous that they found each other so early and get to spend so many of their years together. Marriage can be a challenge but certainly we will all be there to support them and they could not have a better couple to emulate then Nikki's parents, Lawrence and Betty.

Andrea and Ryan

Immediately after Nikki and Luke's wedding I raced back to Mom's place to change out of my suit into comfortable driving clothes and I hit the road. I left Saskatoon just before 6 PM heading west on the Yellowhead Highway. At this time Chrissy was just arriving in Vegreville for drinks before supper and had 12 hours under her belt in makeup/hair prep, a ceremony in Edmonton, and pictures at the Ukranian Cultural Heritage Village.

Thanks to my heavy foot I arrived at the hall in Vegreville around 10PM just in time for the first dance of the night.

Andrea and Ryan both looked great but I had my eyes set on a certain bridesmaid. Maybe, if I played my cards right I could get her to come home with me. 

The bride and groom are both of Ukrainian heritage and have both had long association with the Shumka dance group.  As a gift to the happy couple and the ~350 assembled well wishers in attendance we were treated to a special performance.

The athleticism of the dancers was of course outstanding and the fusion of the music, motion and color propped up the energy of the guests for the rest of the night. 

In fact it wasn't long until the guests got in the action forming a kolomyka (soloists dancing in a communal circle). And it wasn't long after that when the bridal party decided to kick up their heels.

Chrissy and I spent the night visiting with friends and the odd slow dance interlude before we realised that it was getting near 2am. With the clean up for the night done we caught the last shuttle bus back to the hotel and were pleasantly surprised when the guests of honor jumped on with us. Pretty impressive that they lasted the whole night!

And so ended the multiple wedding in multiple provinces day. Each wedding was completely different yet lovely and fitting to the couple in its own right. Chrissy and I wish both couples well as we look forward to many anniversary celebrations in the future.

Visiting Canmore

Earlier this summer Christina and I took a couple of trips to Canmore. We never intended to make two trips but opportunity and a celebration led us there.

In mid winter I was searching for a cheap vacation trip and on the Groupon Vacation site I found a fantastic deal for off-season in the Rockies. I swooped it up and come late May we found ourselves at the Windtower Lodge and Suites.

The hotel location wasn't what I would call central but in Canmore it doesn't really matter too much. We actually really liked the location as the walking path to downtown was along the scenic Policeman's Creek Boardwalk  exiting at the 'Big Head'.

After exploring the downtown for some time we took a short drive for a hike along a dried up gravel creek bed - Grotto Canyon Hike. It's an easy hike with very little grade but I wouldn't recommend it for the very young or aged. The uneven rocks will just eat up ankles. 

Our second trip to Canmore was specifically for a wedding of an old colleague and mutual friend of Christina and myself.  This time we ended up staying at the charming Georgetown Inn. This Tudor style hotel hosting the wedding supper was an apt choice as the bride to be is English born and still converses with an accent.  

Chrissy and I woke up early on Saturday for a picturesque walk and big breakfast then got all gussied up for the wedding ceremony on a hill overlooking town. 

The weather was almost as beautiful as my date.

I really enjoy outdoor weddings. Something about it seems more informal and much more congenial. 

Love the car battery power source

After a long night of celebrating and talking Redwings hockey (much to Chrissy's dismay) we woke up a little late to do any ambitious hikes. So instead we went back to one of our favorite spots; Lake Minnewanka for a shoreline walk.

Thanks Karen and Zac for allowing us to be a part of your big day. We wish you many happy and healthy years together.

Merry Christmas

A New York Honeymoon

Shortly after the wedding Chrissy and I jumped on a flight from Edmonton to Newark and then a train onto New York. Chrissy has been to New York before but it was my first ever trip to the City.

When we hit the street right out of Penn Station I was pleasantly surprised. For as long as I can remember I have envisioned NY and especially Manhattan as a tight labyrinth of skyscrapers with sidewalks covered in shadow. Arriving right at midday it was surprisingly bright with streets infinitely wider than I imagined. A short walk later through Midtown we arrived at our hotel, The Herald Square Hotel where we were immediately upgraded in celebration of our honeymoon.

We didn't know when we booked, but the building was the old offices of LIFE magazine before being renovated.

The LIFE cherub in gold above the entrance of the Hotel

From our home-base we spent 5 days in New York, or to be precise Manhattan. Below are some of the favourite things from our trip.

Central Park

We spent many an hour just wandering through the park and taking in the sights.

Christina and Lewis Carrol

Picnic in the Park near Strawberry Fields

The sheer scope and scale of park space within the boundaries of one of the biggest cities in the world is a little mind boggling. Many times we would meander along the edges marvelling at the great old buildings (like the Dakota) on one side and the massive trees on the other side.

Fence Details at the Dakota

A true highlight for Chrissy and I was paddling around "The Lake" in a rowboat. It's just a weird, albeit enjoyable, experience leisurely rowing a boat in an urban oasis with not a care in the world.

At one point I maneuvered upto a Japanese tourist couple and cajoled them through hand motions that we could move away from each other and then take a picture of each couple with the others camera. 

It's not the greatest shot but considering the language and the moving boat it is fine. Secretly I kind of hoped that the couple would try to abscond with our camera so we could have a boat chase. 

Empire State Building

I loved the fact that only 3 blocks away from our Hotel was the Empire State Building. Other than being a good navigation landmark it was just cool to walk by daily. I can't trace when or how I first became aware of the building but it's always had a mythical place in my mind as THE Skyscraper. Every building since its construction could only hope to be a fraction as cool, as significant or as regal. 

On a clear and calm morning we cashed in our Citypass ticket for a ride to the top.

The view was fantastic and the building itself from all angles lived up to all of my expectations.

Museums - The Met & The Cloisters

I powerwalk museums. Don't get me wrong, I love museums, it's just that I don't feel the need to read about every exhibit or sit and ponder endlessly on the motivations of artists. I either like stuff and linger for a moment or I move on.

Some of my highlights of the Met:

Below is the Roentgen's Berlin Secretary Cabinet, the coolest piece of furniture ever - hell, it's one of the coolest anythings ever. Check out the 2 minute video below produced by the Met, you won't regret it.

The Cloisters is a satellite location of the Met located at the end of the A Subway Line in beautiful Fort Tryon Park. The building, and its cloistered gardens, is an exhibit in of itself of medieval architecture and it houses art, decor and relics of medieval times. 

The most famous pieces of art in the Cloisters are the Unicorn Tapestries. The giant tapestries were created in the late 1490's in the Netherlands and are truly impressive.

Street Food

I love street food and I don't mean food trucks. I love sausages, pretzels, and apparently knishes. 

Italian Sausage on the grill during San Genarro Feast

Other than food you can eat with your hands we did have sitdown meals including a great Brazilian feast at Ipanema Restaurant. But for me a true highlight was at a Deli; the Park West Deli and Grocery near the NW edge of Central Park. The owner treated us like royalty offering great service, awesome sandwiches, Elvis on the stereo, and fantastic food. The Turkish beer and coffee further offered me the perfect cool down and pick me up. 

The owner was everything positive you could associate with NY. Chrissy and I greatly enjoyed the modest gem.

Accomplice New York

While browsing on TripAdvisor I came upon a highly rated activity that was completely unknown to me - Accomplice New York. After experiencing it I can only describe it as an interactive performance art and scavenger hunt. Needless to say it was quite fun.

Through the show/game we met some interesting people, explored the Downtown, Chinatown, and Little Italy areas and had a bunch of laughs. I won't describe too much for fear of spoilers. All I will say is if you find yourself in NY - go do it.

Statue of Liberty

For me nothing symbolises the American Dream like the Statue of Liberty. Just imagine, you have abandoned all you have ever known for a new life in a foreign land, your sea journey last weeks and you've subsisted on scraps, you're tired and second guessing everything...and then you see her...The Statue of Liberty. For those immigrants coming to America all those years ago I can't imagine the feeling of first seeing it. It's such a beacon of hope and potential. Even for a middle class Canadian white dude like me she's impressive.

We actually chose to go out and see her twice during our trip. Once on the ferry from Battery Park to tour the island and another time on the speedboat, "The Beast" which raced down the Hudson River at 45MPH. That was ridiculously fun.

Other Highlights

Mural as viewed from the Highline

Off Broadway Show

New York Public Library

On the "Top of The Rock"

Rockefeller Center

Flatiron Building

My first straight razor shave

For the trip Chrissy and I decided to make a concession to each other that she would not spend too much time shopping and I wouldn't subject her to any sporting events. Which ended up suiting the both of us just fine as we now have further reason to go back!