A Birthday Curve Ball

A truck towed.

A ferry missed.

Struck down by some eggs benny.

That’s what happened for my birthday getaway. Seems when life throw you curve balls, it may have been for the best.

Sean and I headed to the ferry terminal the night before my birthday. He had really wanted me to wake up somewhere other than Vancouver for the actual day. Bless.

But it seems that fate had other plans, cuz as we were about 50 feet away from boarding the ferry, his truck lost all power. Like 50 feet away. The ferry terminal workers were so great. They went above and beyond helping us. They tried to jump our battery. No go. They tried to give us a kickstart push, while we were in first gear. No go. Times three.

And even if the truck had started, we were not going to be allowed to board that ferry, as there are no tow trucks on the other side, in case the car lost power again. And while we were waiting for a town back into town, they bought us some complimentary hot chocolate.

I found it all too funny and was less disappointed than Sean was. When all efforts to revive our car didn’t work, the ferry guy said to us, although this unfortunately happened, that this incident might have saved our lives. That is EXACTLY the way I think. There a reason that we did not make that ferry. We were not suppose to catch that ferry. Daft, I know, but that is the way I think.

And it may saved, if not our lives, our sanity. When we went back to the ferry terminal the next day in my car and over to Galiano island, we found out that:

a) The island is pretty rustic.
b) There really is no tow truck service on the entire island and only one gas station.
c) When it dark, it’s so pitch black that you have to drive with high beams on.
d) You can drive for 15 minutes without ever seeing a car in either direction.
e) The unpaved path to the cottage is quite narrow and is cliffside. I tried to concentrate my gaze away from the sheer drop outside my driver’s side window.

So it could’ve been a disaster if we made it in Sean’s truck, only to be stranded once on the other side without any help. In the dark.

Once we arrived to Galiano the next morning, we headed to Cliffhouse and checked out our digs. What a tranquil retreat! The best feature was the floor to ceiling windows on one side of the bedroom, opposite the bed, with a panoramic view of the ocean. And the quiet was absolute serenity.

The picture window in front of the bed and beside the jacuzzi.

We unpacked and then headed back to the ferry terminal, as the island’s handful of businesses and the main drag were all located there and had breakfast at the Grand Central Emporium. I ordered the meatless wonder: 2 eggs over easy, fried tomatoes, toast and homestyle breakfast potatoes. Sean ordered the pesto veggie eggs benny. We were entertained by the obviously, “regulars” dining there. It was as if we were watching an episode of Northern Exposure, minus the Alaska.

We grabbed some snacks from the one market on the island and headed back to chill at the cottage. Watched a couple of dvds and that’s when Sean started to feel ill, most likely from the eggs benny. And as the last ferry already left, (there are only 2 ferry departures a day), our concern was what if he got worse and needed medical attention? There are no hospitals on the island, only a small health centre. Luckily, he slowly started to feel himself again late that night.

Deer sighting!

The next morning, we ate at the Hummingbird Pub, on the recommendation of our hosts. We were once again entertained by all the barflies nursing their drinks and the keno numbers displayed on the TVs.

And oh, look! Wasn’t that lady the same lady that was dining at the Grand Central Emporium yesterday? Why yes, it is! Galiano is definitely the place where you know everybody and everybody knows you. And they care. They even have a converted school bus now drunk bus to take one home.

After lunch, Sean and I checked out the Galiano cemetery, located cliffside by the ocean. It was very small but very quaint. Surrounded by forest and overlooking the pacific is not a bad choice for a final resting place.

We relaxed at the cottage before heading back to Vancouver. Although we had some curve balls thrown at our way, we rolled with the punches because really, what can you do? You can’t get mad at something that was completely out of your control. You just to shrug your shoulders and try to laugh.

Reflecting back, I think this may have been the universe reinforcing a lesson for me. I had been so stressed and anxious my birthday. As Sean is so sensitive to my worries (bless), he did his utmost to deliver a memorable birthday. But best laid plans don’t always work out the way you want them to, but that doesn’t make it any less special.

I had a very good birthday because:

* We got to stay at a gorgeous cottage
* We came across a lot of deers!
* We saw 3 bald eagles on our getaway (a good omen). One even flew right in front of us when we were taking in the view on the balcony.
* All the people we had encountered, from the ferry workers to the islanders, were so friendly and helpful in making sure we were taken care of, that my faith in humanity went up a notch.
* I have the most wonderful human for a partner.

My birthday takeaway reminders: don’t take things for granted, there’s a reason why things happen the way they do and count one’s lucky stars, it could always be worse.

View more photos of my birthday getaway on my Flickr album.