Long Day in Winnipeg

The trip to Winnipeg was great with only a few little mishaps. Apparently I don't always function so well really early in the morning. With a 7:00am flight I was up at 4:30am and at the airport by 6:00am. I've flown WestJet before and made my way to the gate to await our departure. As I watched the news I saw people get up to board an Air Canada flight to Toronto. Then I was reading the Star Phoenix and glanced up to see my WestJet pilot and flight attendants at the desk getting things ready for our flight. Then a bit later I started to look around and noticed that there weren't a lot of people near me. I figured that was odd since I highly doubted I was the only one getting on my plane. I glanced at my watch and saw it was 6:45am. I got up and walked to the WestJet desk and looked at the flight info...CALGARY!!! Oh Oh! I was at the wrong gate. Luckily Saskatoon airport is pretty small and after walking about 20 steps I was at the right gate and everyone was already boarding. That would have been a bad start to the day if I had missed the flight.

Once in Winnipeg I had a lot of time to kill since my meeting wasn't until 2:00pm. I sat around the airport trying to get my internet to work and then took a taxi to a modelling agency we sometimes hire from. The head manager wasn't in, but I chatted with a girl who has worked a lot of our Frank's promos for us in Winnipeg. I learned a bit about the modelling industry, etc. Then it was off to the University of Manitoba to chat with their Employment Services to post our job for upcoming promotions. After that I took a taxi to Polo Park and had some Chinese for lunch while I prepared for my meeting.

Then I had a brilliant yet stupid idea. I figured I'd walk to the Tijuana Yacht Club from Polo Park since it wasn't far and I had done it many times before. As I wandered outside and began to walk I noticed it was rather cold out. Then I noticed that the snow was actually blowing right in my face and there was a lot of wind. Then my body told me I wasn't wearing a toque and my head was getting cold. Then my feet told me that my shoes weren't as water proof as I thought and my socks and feet were now soaked as I walked through the slushly snow on the ground. By this time I was half way there and calling a taxi was pointless. I arrived at the hotel next to the venue looking like a drowned rat and went to the bathroom to "freshen up".

At 2:00pm I noticed that I was the only one there for the meeting. I talked to the front desk and they called the manager. I think they woke him up because he told me the meeting wasn't until 3:00pm. So I went to a restaurant in the hotel until he came down about 2:30pm. We chatted for another hour before the other 2 people showed up. The meeting went great until I got separated from the group.

I had left my laptop and jacket in another part of the bar and so when everyone left I told them I'd catch up. I grabbed my jacket and bag and followed through the door they had gone. However, the next door I tried was locked. So I went to this other one...locked. I went to this other one...locked. I went back to the bar door...locked. Hmmm....I was literally locked into this little holding area since I didnt' have a key or know the pin to unlock any doors. The only door I could get out was onto the patio where I could see the blowing snow. If I went out that door and couldn't get off the patio as the gate might be locked, I would be stuck outside. So I knocked (pounded) on a few doors to no avail. Then I heard someone calling my name....they had come back for me. I ran back to the bar door but they couldn't hear or see me and they left again. I was still trapped. Finally I figured it was do or die. I went onto the patio, quickly grabbed a chair and propped open the door. Then I rushed to the end of the patio slipping and sliding, grabbed the gate and found that it was open. So I rushed back to door, closed it, ran off the patio and back through the front doors of the hotel again...and there they all were wondering where I had gone!

Our Frank's rep offered to give me and our other client from Toronto a ride. We dropped her off first which was at the Radisson downtown. The only thing was that it took us over an hour to get there!! She didn't seem concerned with the slow traffic since she is from Toronto, but the Frank's rep and I couldn't believe it and are not used to that. It was a good thing my flight didn't leave until 8:00pm because I only go to the airport at around 6:45pm or so.

The flight home was uneventful and I walked into the airport and into the loving arms of my wife. What a day!!!