It's a wonder that I am waking up here in Kelowna this morning as yesterday was anything but smooth.

It all started just after 7:00 am yesterday when I managed to lock myself out of my apartment. I was going up and down the elevator loading the car when having dropped off the second last load, my purse and book bag with laptop were all that was left..so I thought. I went for my keys to get back to the elevator and discovered that they weren't in my pocket. I was locked in the parking garage. Luckily I did have my car keys and was able to walk out of the parking garage and go around the front of the building to buzz my building manager. This was around 7:s0 am. I buzzed him but to no surprise there was no answer. Next step...my spare keys. Niki and John have them, but they've just had their first baby the day before. Who wants to go knocking on the door at 7:30 am. I decided to drive by on the off chance that I see some movement in the house. I pull up, see John's mother in the living room so I go up and knock on the door. The poor woman is in her nightgown. We search for my keys but they aren't in the drawer where they are normally kept. We give John a quick call on his cell and he has no idea where they are. It's about 7:45 am now I decide that since I'm not getting in my apartment any time soon that I will keep my 8:00 am massage appointment. Luckily I had my wallet as I had planned to run and grab a muffin after loading the car. After entertaining Chris with stories of my morning I headed back to my apartment and tried the buzzer again. Still no answer. So I decide to get myself that tea and muffin and give it one more try before giving up and leaving for Kelowna. I'm walking back from the cafe when I see the resident manager's girlfriend outside. Apparently we just kept missing each other. I guess he screens his calls so I would leave after each time I buzzed him and then by the time he checked his message and came out I would have moved on.

So I am finally on my way, only half an hour late...not bad, I'm back on track. Traffic is good and the roads are clear. At the toll booth for the Coquilhalla I go to use my Corporate credit card to pay for the $10 toll. Declined! I'm baffled by this as I have just submitted an expense claim but figure I will sort it out once I am there. (It is later discovered that an expense claim submitted some months back has not been processed and for some reason I was not made aware of it).

At the summit there is snow on the side of the road but its smooth sailing. About an hour outside of Kelowna and just on to the Connector I get a call from a colleague in Kelowna. She's checking on me as she heard there is snow on the Connector. I report that its clear and there don't seem to be any problems. Well...don't I hang up the phone and less than 5 minutes later find myself in blizzard conditions. The road it completely snow covered, the wind and snow are blowing and there is a car off the road on its roof. Talk about crazy. In a four and half hour drive, I drove through beautiful sunshine, pouring rain, snow, sleet, and hail...I felt like the US Postal Service.

I arrive safely in Kelowna and check into my hotel, that my colleague has now arranged to be charge to our account with them due to my credit card problems. I decide to freshen up a bit before I head down to the race site. Well...don't I discover that my toiletries are still sitting in my bathroom at home as in my rush to leave after being locked out of my apartment I didn't do my final sweep to make sure I had everything.

Ohh what a day it was. Hoping today will be a little smoother; though the mold in the yogurt I bought from the coffee shop down stairs this morning suggests differently.

All said, I think its going to be a great weekend. I have two great volunteer coordinators helping me out and all of the race staff are great. The Vancouver gang arrive tonight and we've a few social activities planned around the race that hopefully I will have time to participate in.

Time to get going. Must find something to eat now that the yogurt is out of the question.