What To Do When You're Bored

So... I've been really trying hard not to go crazy because I don't really have a structured life right now. Apparently I'm getting desperate because yesterday I felt more up to driving to Calgary and back (six hours total) than sticking around town and trying to figure out something here. I didn't ask anyone to come with me, because I kinda just decided to go on a whim. Plus I don't really feel like I have a social group anymore that I can just call on to do things with whenever I want, which is also a contributing factor to my desperation to keep entertained and sane... But I'm trying to not let that get me down, so I choose to do things on my own and just be content with that for now. I think just being around other people helps me feel normal, whereas holing myself up at home is really depressing.

I realize that driving six hours by myself isn't exactly being around other people, but for me, as long as I'm in the presence of others, it makes me feel less alone. So even other cars driving around me has a certain comforting factor.

I was on the road by 1:30ish in the afternoon. I decided that since I was in no rush, that I'd just cruise at the speed limit, so then I could just enjoy the drive and not have to worry about getting pulled over at all. It was rather enjoyable actually.

I stopped in Red Deer and got some donuts to bring back for my family. They like pastries. Well... So do I, so the whole getting donuts thing was a win win situation. I only had one though on the whole drive, so I was pretty proud of my self restraint. haha. Also, because I'm pregnant, I had to go to the bathroom and this was on the inside of the bathroom stall...

It made me smile. It's like anti-graffiti. My husband would appreciate it. He's all about graffiti with uplifting messages.

Once I actually got to Calgary, I wanted to do a bit of exploring, so I could break up the driving a little bit. So I stumbled upon a road that ran along the Bow River (Memorial Drive for those who know Calgary). My goal was to find a park or something that I could walk around, and since there was a bike path along the road I was driving on, I figured that there must be some sort of park near by. When I saw a pedestrian bridge that went over top of the road, I decided to check it out in hopes it would lead somewhere cool. And boy did it ever. I was already impressed with the bridge itself, because it went over the river too. There was a raft rental place nearby so while I was on the bridge, I watched people float down the river. But with all the rain that's been happening lately, the water levels are way high, and the river was flowing pretty dang fast. Those rafters were brave. I wouldn't wanna go down that river going that fast... but I'm just not a thrill seeking type person... at least when there's nothing to ensure my safety. At any rate, it was fun to watch them floating by.

Those pictures are facing into the sun. The pictures facing away from the sun didn't turn out so dark. It was a really sunny day, and very green. It was beautiful.

See?? Pretty!!

So as I continued walking down the bridge, lo and behold, there was a park!! A really nice one! There were people playing frisbee, running, chasing after their kids, it was awesome. I saw a fountain in the distance, so I went to go check it out.

Once I got up to the fountain, I noticed how gross the water actually was but there were a lot of geese swimming around in it. Perfect for attracting the attention of kids. I laughed at this little boy who kept on trying to scare the geese and make them fly away.

The geese were really popular with the kids.

Then there was another bridge with another pretty view.

On the other side of THAT bridge was an actual kiddy pool that wasn't full of gross water. You could tell because of the smell of chlorine in the air. haha. My favorite part was when these parents let their fully clothed one year old son put his feet in the water... then the kid tripped and was soaking wet from top to bottom. The poor kid didn't know how to react! He just stayed there in the water with this look of complete shock in his face until his parents rushed to his rescue. hahaha. Things to look forward to.

By this time I realized I was downtown and there were tons of restaurants around. It's quite the little community there. It's very hipster, complete with a Whole Foods cafe. haha. But my favorite restaurant that I saw was this...

It made me giggle...

I was thoroughly impressed with everything I saw, so I kept walking around for a little bit to soak it all in, and then decided it was time to head back.

On the way, I saw a bride and groom walking around with their photographer, and I couldn't help but wonder if the couple were LDS because of the sleeves on her dress. Who else has sleeves on their wedding dresses in the summer??

I also saw this stairway of death and thought that my husband would appreciate that too, since he likes things that normal people shouldn't.

As I was walking back to my car, there was this adorable couple walking in front of me and I was a creeper and took a picture of them from behind. They're holding hands!!!

Again... Things to look forward too.

After making my obligatory stop at Peter's for my banana oreo milkshake and cheeseburger, the rest of the drive back to Edmonton was totally uneventful. I just plugged in my iPod and sang along to my music. haha. 

All in all, it ended up being a really good day. A whole lot better than it would have turned out if I had stayed home. And my Dad was quite pleased with the donuts. haha.