18Nov, Sunday - Today is the day for the annual Santa Claus Parade here in Toronto. I remember watching it on television as a child. It is scheduled to start at 1pm and we’ve made plans to meet at TGH to watch it, the route goes right down University Ave. past all the hospitals - yeah parade planners!
At 11:48 I get a text from Jess saying they are heading out and asking if I’ll be joining them. (she is going to speed over on her new scooter, Archie, while Carla runs beside her). Carman is not into this parade activity, so once he is up, fed and settled, I tell her I’ll meet them, Kristy and the entourage.
At 12:46, a new text:
Where are you?
Carman just got up, I'm making his lunch then heading over.
I want Starbucks but the line is 1000 people long!
I know she must have counted because Jess never exaggerates. I tell her there’s a Starbucks on my way so I’ll grab what we need. The parade has just started to pass by their spot so I know I won’t miss Santa.
I stop for a Tall Blonde Hazelnut for Jess, Tall Blonde for Heather, Gingerbread Latte for Kristy and a Chai Latte for me...then walk as quickly as I can without emptying the cups on the sidewalk or letting their contents get cold! Through a series of texts I determine their location, drop (not literally) their treats, leave my camera with Derek (and instructions to shoot whatever comes down the street) and head to Heather’s room to deliver her treat. She has a perfect view of the parade from her room, which looks directly out onto University Ave. She has a friend visiting so we chat for a few minutes and I leave them to enjoy the parade together.
When I get back to the group I discover that I haven’t missed Santa but I did miss Shilpa. The nurses brought her and all of her attached equipment out of the unit to the windows to watch the parade. It’s her first time up so she was only able to stay 15 minutes but YIPPEE!
Thanks to Derek Lockwood, impromptu photographer extraordinaire here are a couple of the thrilled kids watching the parade:
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| Kristy & Jess |
and some of the floats and marching bands that went by...
It was wonderful to see from our special perch where we were nice and warm, but better yet to see the patients pre & post transplant, enjoying the afternoon!
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| The VIP, Santa Claus! |
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| The very cool cop cars |
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| and the super speedy clean-up crew! |
I'm really annoyed at myself. You shouldn't have had to stop at Starbucks for us and miss any bit of that parade.
ReplyDeleteOnce I'm healthy, you can count on me to do many, many things for you. I love you so much for everything you do and everything you stand for.
You are such a great friend and I'm lucky a zillion times over for having met you and Carman.
Love you :)
P.S. I look like I'm half inebriated in that photo.
Ok, well thank you and
Delete1. I didn't have to stop, I wanted to
2. I love that you let me do stuff for you...I know how stubborn you are about doing things for yourself, so count myself lucky that you trust me that much!
3. I look forward to having you do many things WITH me, not for me!
4. Too much Tall Blonde Hazelnut will make you look that way - ha, ha
BIG LOVE & Squeezy Hugs!
Pj
Kathleen my sister has volunteered for the parade for the last 15 years she is a Marshall and she remembers as a child our parents taking us to this parade several times even though we lived in Windsor. Birdie
ReplyDelete