Canada FLASHBACK!: (Part 2 of 4: Edmonton)

Edmonton is my hometown.  Now that I live all far away, every visit becomes an insane mash-up of past, present, and future as I:

• dash around to all my old favourite places 
• to see the loved ones that I'm keeping in touch with 
• AND buy all the stuff I'll need during the coming year but can't buy in Shanghai for less than the price of my first-born child
  

At best, the situation looks like:

//
ME:  Oh hi, [dear friend/family member]!  ...A macaron?  At Duchess bakery?  Yes, let's meet there, and maybe after we've had a leisurely coffee, we can browse the racks at Value Village for vintage treasures.

ME & DF/FM:  [Companionably] Yay!
//

And at worst, something like:

//

ME:  Hi, [dear friend/family member]?  Just stopped at a red light - I'm on my way - just have to stop at London Drugs / Superstore / Zellers / Mountain Equipment Co-op for non-sketchy vitamins / wholesale cases of Cheerios / 100-percent cotton socks / BPA-free water bottles.  Augh!  I have to apply for my China visa!  Totally forgot!  Augh!  [Cars honking as I attempt U-turn] ... I might be late for dinner...

DF/FM:  *sigh*
//

But this time, I had FOUR WEEKS in Edmonton.  Embarrassing riches of time rained down upon my head!*  So it was relaxed, and I didn't do one single U-turn.  Hazzah!

Mom and Aunt Alison (2nd and 5th of six sisters) catch up at the Farmer's Market.

Grandma and I hit Jasper for some hiking.

... then we got wasted.  KID-ding!  (Those glasses of beer are smaller than they look.)

Carla, Nick, and I do a quality-check on the coffee at Transcend.  Yup.  It's perfect.

A Tarty Party: industrial design classmates Jeff and Sergio and I baked shells; guests brought fillings.  It was super-fun and we want to do another one next summer, but the working title ("Summer 2011: Let's Get Re-Tarted") is a little insensitive.  Suggestions welcomed.

*Quote shout-out to Uncle David, who always has the best one-liners.