Roadtrip to Winnipeg

This probably isn't the best time to be posting, since I'm cross-legged on the floor with a sore back (I lean forward all day at work over documents... and now I'm sitting on the floor), and I seem to have picked up a devastating cold over the past 24 hours, and I certainly haven't had enough sleep for three days straight...

But when is it going to be an optimal time? I want to write about my weekend while my excitement levels are still high. Due to the cold and having been back for a day of work, they've dipped significantly already, but even in the worst of my achy-breaky pain, I can definitely look back and say it's one of the best weekends I've had in years. Maybe ever.

I left Edmonton on Thursday with Deacon Travis, and we drove out to Saskatoon, halfway across the prairies, and five-six hours down the Yellowhead. We had some good conversation on the way down, and that evening the beer-drinking commenced, followed by some liquour once I got dropped off at the Cathedral rectory where I was staying with Geoffrey, another seminarian. After the arrival of the fourth member of our party (the other Michael from Edmonton), and a formal introduction to "The Office" (British version), we crawled into bed around midnight.

On Friday the four of us headed down the Yellowhead to Winnipeg, pulling into the parking lot of the St-Boniface Basilica rectory half an hour later than we ought to have due to getting lost (Winnipeg has no rhyme or reason to its city planning... and I'm not talking aesthetic curves but complete nonsense of straight roads... completely unjustified in a prairie city). Still, once Paul (another, local, seminarian) showed us through the bowels of the rectory, we got dressed and were given the benefit of his wisdom finding our way back across the Red River to the Cathedral of the Winnipeg Archdiocese (due to Irish/French inability to get along, there are two Catholic Archdioceses in Winnipeg. St-Boniface is French and older), where Geoffrey and James were to be ordained priests.

The liturgy was beautiful... albeit slightly irregular, and was completely packed. After two hours of Mass and an hour or more of reception, some of us headed over to the Elephant and Castle pub across the street for the weekend's second round of beer, and then off to our respective beds. By the time I was in bed in the rectory of Paul's pastor, it was past 1:00 am (Winnipeg time).

Saturday we were supposed to be early for Fr. James' first Mass, but we were five minutes late. After the luncheon reception, Paul took Travis, Geoffrey (from Saskatoon, not the recently-ordained), and myself down to the Forks, then we went to Travis's uncle's for a steak supper. Then it was off to Fr. Geoffrey's home parish for HIS first Mass. Now, Fr. Geoffrey is Filipino, and it was a regularly scheduled Sunday Mass as well, so it was packed. Despite being 25 minutes early, Paul and I were still not able to sit in the church-proper.

After a lavish reception, and good-byes, Travis dropped Paul, Geoffrey, and myself off at Paul's house, where we watched Ghostbusters, and had more beer. By the time I got back to the rectory, it was well after midnight.

On Sunday morning, the four of us from the west regathered nice and early, and headed out from Winnipeg. We reached Saskatoon in mid-afternoon, and decided to have more beer at Winston's Pub near the Cathedral. Around 5:00, us Edmonton Michaels decided we should hit the road, so we parted ways with the Saskatchewan boys, and headed west. By 10:00 we had hit Edmonton.


Despite so much time in the car, it was an awesome weekend, and quite often the best fun was in the car. Roadtrips are fun, and I would sign up in a heartbeat for another one right now. Just like my return from Europe, I've got no real desire to settle down as a result of my travels. Unlike Europe, however, I'm not going to have to wait three years for a follow-up trip of a comparable nature. Instead, I'm off on a comparably long roadtrip to Idaho (although without company...) in a month, and I'm pumped for it. And in less than two weeks I get my long-anticipated "Next Pilgrimage-like flight" follow-up to Europe when I go to Quebec City for the International Eucharist Congress. After hanging out with the seminarians all weekend, I'm pumped for that too.

Life really is awesome. This summer really is awesome. Thank you, Jesus, that I have a job that lets me do this!