Let the games begin...

So since getting the Passat, it has been a battle to see who would get to take it to work. So I thought I would make a bet with the winner getting to take the car to work the next day. What a great thing to bet on but who will win the jets game.....

Arizona adam said Phoenix Coyotes would win, while I picked the jets!

Guess who drove the Passat to work on Tuesday???? Lola:) to thank the jets and make sure adam sees I treat the car well, I even took the blue beauty for a bath during my lunch hour:)

Passat after the car wash, sporting the new winter tires!

Hope all are doing ok in this crazy weather we are having, stay safe.

Lola

Tire shop

I'm kinda feeling like te Coolidge tire shop in Warren MB:

A. A. 

Out with the old, in with the new

Well it happened. We finally got to take our Passat home!  I was a little sad to see the Spice Red Jetta go - we had some good times and not so good times:

- getting used to driving a standard - couldn't be any easier with DIESEL POWER

- daily driving to the U of M

- loading it up, strapping on the bikes and going camping or to the lake

- 50+ mpg

- countless trips to Morden and Warren

- many trips to Minneapolis

- one road trip to Banff

- driving 2,400 Kms to Montreal

- dealing with unfamiliar cities in a familiar car - Montreal, Quebec City, Peterborough, Boston, New York City, Chicago 

Here are some photos of the big day:

Last time seeing big red in the garage. 

The final odometer reading. Yikes look at that temperature. 

Gwen driving the car out of the delivery bay. 

The three beauties together:

Passat, Gwen, Jetta (L to R)

I'm looking forward to driving the car tomorrow for the first time. I let Gwen drive it the first day and today I wasn't feeling well so worked from home. Saturday we will get some new winter tires for the Passat, or passassat as some people like to refer to it as.

Excited to drive the blue beauty tomorrow ;)

Going home for a rest

Well Christmas is officially over... We haven't been home since dec 24th.  In that time we:

- visited Karl, Debbie, and Paige in stonewall

- went to church on Christmas Eve in stonewall

- celebrated Christmas with the Mankewich family at the Coolidge residence 

- opened presents Christmas morning with the Coolidge Clan.

- celebrated Christmas with the Coolidge Family at Murray and Phyllis'

- drove to morden from stonewall to wish the Nedohin family a merry Christmas on Christmas Day!

- celebrated Christmas on Boxing Day with the Nedohin Family

- packed up and meet the Coolidge clan in brandon on 27th to pick up passengers and make our way to Swift Current

- 28th, traveled to canmore

- 29th, snowboarded at Lake Louise, and went to Banff upper hotsprings

- 30th, snowboarded at Sunshine

- 31st, played at "elevation place" in canmore, shopped in Banff and celebrated The New Year with thousands of others in canmore

- Jan 1st, went snowboarding at Sunshine, beer and appies in Banff and upper hot springs once again

-2nd, made the sunny drive from canmore to regina

-3rd, made the very stressful drive from regina to morden, stopping in virden for lunch

- 4th, watched team canada lose the semi final at Melissa and Devins, enjoyed the company and food to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas at the Nedohin house.

- 5th, finally slept in, celebrated Julian's 38th birthday and packed up the car to make the trek home! 

It has been a crazy holiday season and bittersweet about going back to work tomorrow. Not looking forward to unloading this car... Hopefully we get our new car this week!

Here are a few photos of the drive home!

The backseat (the truck is full too)

Adam driving.

The passenger, trying to stay warm...

Well we aren't quite home yet but we have already put about 3,800 km on this loaner Passat!

Will be happy to sleep in my own bed tonight,

Lola

Arizona Adam - ZZZZZZ

And he is out... That drive tuckered him out! Has to rest up for the feast tomorrow:)

Lola

Coolidge Clan - drive home

Well yesterday was a long 8 hour drive but we arrived just east of regina at the "sleep inn" just in time to take a dip in the brand new pool. The hotel was brand new, I think we may have been the first ones in the beds, using the showers and using the alarm clocks.

The drive from canmore to regina was long but beautiful. The temperature fluctuated all day from 10 degrees to -10. It was sunny most of the way which felt so nice:) we stopped in Brooks (Blair's town) for lunch at Denys and then in Moose Jaw for supper at joeys seafood. 

Riley having fun at supper!

Baileys monocle! 

This is the view that I wanted Ashley to see as we approached Calgary on the way to canmore but the clouds wouldn't allow that to happen. I made sure to tell Ashely to turn around to look out the back to see the incredible view.

The view as we travel east.

Driving from Canmore to Brooks

Our passengers from canmore to regina

Today's drive hasn't been as pleasant as yesterday. A picture tells the story.

Jan 2 drive.

Jan 3rd drive from regina to morden.

So we were planning on going to winnipeg today to try and pick up our new Passat, but turns out it hasn't even arrived in Winnipeg yet. Thanks auto Haus VW for letting us know. We had to follow up. So since it may only arrive on Sunday, we decided to go straight to morden for Ukrainian Christmas celebration tomorrow!

It's been a stressful drive with our passengers...

Our snowboards were in the back seat as the Passat left 1 hr before the rest of the Coolidge clan, so we traded graham and Ashley for our snowboards.

It was an excellent ski trip, only thing that would have been better was a sunny and clear 6+ hour drive home. It has been a tense and slow drive home.

Trying to stay calm passenger,

Lola

Days 5 and 6

We forgot to blog yesterday so we need to catch up. 

Yesterday was a relaxing day. Breakfast in the condo then some of us went off to the rec Center for swimming. Gwen, Graham and I went with Bailey and Stuart and Jasper met us there. 

The pool was really neat - there was a water slide, 25 person hot tub, lap pools, lazy river and general swim area. Gwen's favourite part was the foam floatie toys - especially the canoe. 

Jasper had lots of fun - life jacket on and he was ready to go anywhere. Bailey too was very excited and did lots of swimming. The boys had a good time too, only a few errant balls were thrown into non-suspecting bystanders.

After a tiring swim, we went back to the condo for a lunch/snack. Mom and dad went shopping so we didn't see them all day. 

After our snack, G squared and A squared went to Banff in one car and the Coolman family in another. Once in Banff, the two cars wandered around taking in the sites and doing some light shopping. Gwen was upset she didn't buy a sweatshirt so we are back in Banff on day 6 (I am writing this from the Banff brewing Company lounge with a beer in hand along with everyone else in our car). 

Supper was bbq'd steak and baked potatoes. It was excellent. Then we continued to have a drink or two, took some family photos and then went to see some fireworks at 930 in Canmore at the skating pond. 

After the fireworks we made our way back to the condo and celebrated New Years on Manitoba time. Early(ish) night for some as we were going skiing again the next day. 

Day 6

Started early so we could get to Sunshine before the crowds. B, N, A and G took the "passassat" to the hill and arrived at 8:15, well ahead of most. With rental gear sized up and everyone ready we made our way to the gondola and up to the village. 

First run was at 9am. By 11 we had completed 6 or 7 runs. A quick lunch break and we were back on the hill by 1245. In total we completed probably close to 15 runs, even taking a few blue runs (as we had to get to the great divide chairlift and then down to the green runs). Blair was all smiles today - lots of skiing and not many wipe outs. 

We skied out at 2 pm as we were all pretty wiped from the runs we had already taken. From sunshine we went to Banff for some quick shopping and a pint of beer ($2 off with our lift tickets) and some appies. 

Tonight will be roast beef and potatoes at the condo. Gwen and I will probably go to the hotsprings again and then will need to pack up for the journey tomorrow.