Birthday Perks and Peppa Pig

Early to rise today, just after 6. I made myself a coffee and scrolled Instagram while S made his and caught up on X a bit later. I had a VW appointment scheduled along with plans to cash in my birthday celebration with Kaylin, so I showered, got ready, and prepared for a day in the city.

Before heading out the door just before 9, I managed to publish Wednesday's blog post. S was having breakfast and another coffee before tackling a day that involved helping the winery neighbours and making yet another trip for the "right" parts he had finally tracked down in Brooks.

I arrived at VW about 15 minutes early for my 10 a.m. appointment but quickly discovered there was paperwork involved in getting a loaner vehicle. One thing I hadn't considered was the no-pets policy, so it was a good thing Lexi had already been dropped off back home yesterday.

Once the paperwork was complete, I set off in the loaner for the 25-minute drive to Kaylin's.

The weather wasn't nearly as warm or sunny as I had expected, topping out around 22 degrees. Renn had skipped school for the day so she could spend it with me, which made the outing even more special.

The first order of business was Peppa Pig playtime, accompanied by an iced coffee made by Kaylin. Once everyone was organized, we loaded up and headed for lunch at 1722 Bier Haus. It was a fun lunch, once again joined by the ever-growing Peppa Pig family.

Just around the corner was the pedicure appointment. My little buddy sat on my knee with her collection of pigs, which brought back memories. Three years ago, when Kaylin gifted me a similar birthday outing, Renn had sat on my knee too—only then she was a tiny little snuggle bug.

After our pedicures, we headed back to the Boysis house where the Peppa Pig adventures continued. Renn also did manicures and is taking all future bookings as well as dance lessons. XOXO

Thank you, Kaylin, for such a special birthday gift and a wonderful day spent together.

Around 4 o'clock I finally called the VW dealership to check on my vehicle, only to learn it was not fixed and might need to come back again next week. The issue revolves around connecting to the phone app. Honestly, how can technology still be this complicated?

On the drive back to the dealership, traffic slowed dramatically due to what looked like a devastating accident on the opposite lanes of Stoney Trail. Then, to top it all off, my vehicle was still connected to diagnostic equipment when I arrived. It wasn't until after 5 that I finally got my car back.

My plans for shopping completely disappeared at that point, but I did swing into Costco for returns and a few items. The place was absolute chaos. The return line alone took about 25 minutes, and the store was packed. Between the crowds and the traffic, I decided to make a quick escape east and finally rolled into the yard just after 7.

Harley shot outside to do her business immediately. Judging by her urgency, I have no idea when S left for the day, but she was certainly ready to get outside. She needed a little bribery to eat supper and only picked at it before heading back to rest.

About ten minutes later, B and Cooper arrived. B was less than impressed that the horse's food hadn't been soaked, sorry. While she fed and sprayed horses, the Amazon driver arrived with another package.

B and Cooper were headed home before 8 to enjoy a weekend off while I squeezed in my weight workout. Supper was a banana in cream with a side a fresh BC cherries,

The rest of my evening was spent relaxing and watching a fascinating documentary on Prime called GroundSWELl. It explores how biodiversity, regenerative farming practices, and healthier soil can help restore ecosystems and combat some of the impacts of deforestation and rising temperatures. It was well worth the watch.

I had just turned off the lights and drifted off to sleep when I heard S roll into the yard sometime after 11:30 having gone to Medicine Hat after his Brooks parts pickup for a visit.