Archive for May, 2011
Backpacking

Yesterday, I drove to Jasper and hiked Sulphur Skyline, a 7.5 Km hike with plenty of vertical. It’s a lot of driving for just a couple of hours of hiking, but as the hike is right by Miette, there’s hotsprings at the end.

I think probably Ailish and my third date was to the mountains for some hiking. We hiked up Whistlers Mountain, a trail that’s about 7 Km one way but with 1.25 Km of vertical. Pretty punishing, though you get to ride the gondola down. This date convinced Ailish that I was far fitter than she was. In truth, I had about 3% more energy left at the end, I was just able to take advantage of the breaks she called to catch my breath.

I had also taken up backpacking prior to meeting Ailish. That’s a somewhat crazy activity where you strap a 40 lb backpack to your back and walk into the backcountry. I liked it for the peace and quiet, as well as the physical challenge. Ailish, bless her heart, decided she had to see what this backpacking thing was all about and occasionally volunteered to come with me.

The problem was, Ailish was a rain god. Every single time we went backpacking, it rained. Generally, the rain would start 30 minutes before we started walking and end 30 minutes after we finished. I mean, the forecast could be for clear, sunny weather but if Ailish came along, she’d call the rain. One time, it actually started thundering before we could get the tent up. It’s actually quite scary being in a forest, on high ground, with thunder all around you.

One time, Chad and Ailish and I were hiking Jacques Lake, near Jasper. Not only did it rain for all 24 hours we were on the trail, but it was also quite cold. I remember after we set up our tents, there really wasn’t much to do other than to get into our sleeping bags. We were cold and tired and damp and it hadn’t been a very good day.

I had my iPod with me, so Ailish and I watched a science documentary called Connections. At one point, James Burke, the narrator, tells his audience to look around. How much of the technology surrounding us do we understand? We laughed and laughed. Sure, the iPod was technological, but nothing else around us was. Heck, there was nothing but trees for 13 Km. The fifty or so log bridges we had passed on our way in were the most cutting edge technology we had seen for hours.

Ailish never understood why I went backpacking. To her, it was a cold, damp, somewhat tiresome activity that had remarkably little beer. But she kept on trying. She kept on hoping maybe next time it wouldn’t rain, and she could figure out why I enjoyed it.

Perfect Saturday

Here’s the story of a perfect Saturday. Or, occasionally, a Sunday.

Ailish and I would wake up far too early, and this was entirely my fault. You see, I find it really hard to sleep in, now that I’m all old. We’d go downstairs, pick up the paper, find the most recent Economist, grab a cup of coffee, and sit outside and read. We’d share interesting articles, chat about the world, but mostly just quietly enjoy each other’s company.

After a while, it was time for bacon. Actually, a whole meal; bacon, poached eggs, toast, some juice, more coffee, a bit of cheese, and salsa or ketchup, depending on who was eating. Ailish handled the bacon, I handled the eggs and the coffee. I set the table, but I’d always forget things.

We always ate the meal at the kitchen table, but afterwards, retreated to the living room for some t.v. Law and Order? Boston Legal? Some sort of BBC nature documentary? Whatever.

Then, nap time! Because any successful weekend has to involve a nap, don’t you know? I was never very good at naps. See, according to Ailish, an ideal nap had to happen on a weekend and ideally had to last for two hours. I occasionally made it to an hour, but more often, only managed 45 minutes or so, much to Ailish’s consternation. I tended to fill up the extra time with computer games, though I’d sometimes sneak back into the bed for more napping, and Ailish would always give me a dozy smile.

Post-nap, it was probably time for a board game. Settlers of Catan, ideally, though sometimes I could convince Ailish to play Small World, sometimes she could convince me to play Scrabble. Or maybe Bananagrams. We would play a few games, then perhaps, if the weather was good, go for a walk. Our neighbourhood has a number of lakes (actually, storm-water runoff ponds, but hey). Sometimes we’d see the ducks. Sometimes we’d listen to kids playing on the street. Sometimes we’d sit on a bench and talk about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And sometimes I would hold her hand and she would beam.

Nose games

For the record, the nose beeping game and the squishy nose game are two entirely independent games that Ailish and I used to play.

The squishy nose game involved squishing our noses together as hard as we could, and then Ailish would announce that she had won. Occasionally, I’d try to claim I had won, but Ailish would give me a sad sort of look that said, “Look, Chris, you just don’t understand this game.”

The nose beeping game was slightly more fair, in that I at least had a chance of winning. I would touch Ailish’s nose and she would say, “honk.” She would touch my nose and I would say, “beep.” Most of the time, it was just a check to see if the other person was paying attention. But sometimes, we’d get a bit competitive and alternate nose beeping as quickly as we could, Ailish honking and me beeping. It’s surprisingly difficult. You have to pay attention to make sure you are saying the correct phrase while your partner is responding with the corresponding phrase. Inevitably, one person will eventually screw up, at which point we would fall over laughing.

They were both very silly games, and we enjoyed them immensely.

Death Cab for Cutie

Last night, I went to see Death Cab for Cutie with Dane. I had bought the tickets for Ailish’s birthday, one week before she died. She (and Dane, and several other people) had tickets to see Death Cab the last time they came to Edmonton in 2006, but due to problems with timing, Ailish missed the band. Several times, she had mentioned how disappointed she was, so I knew she would enjoy the tickets.

The concert was at the Shaw Conference Centre. Unfortunately, the sound was pretty craptacular. Even at the best of times, the Shaw isn’t known for its acoustics. Combine that with bad sound mixing and many of the songs may as well have been in latin for all I could make out. Still, the band was enthusiastic and I rather like many of the songs.

Of course, I absolutely balled when they played You Are a Tourist, as it was one of the songs we played at Ailish’s funeral. Still, I am very glad I went. I’m sure Ailish would have loved the show (and the beer area sectioned off at the back for over 18’s).

How Are You Doing?

People ask me how I am doing.

I understand the concern, but I don’t know how to answer the question.

It has been 33 days since the accident. On April 20, 2011, my entire world fell apart. I still cannot think back to that day. I don’t mean that I find it hard to discuss; I find it all but impossible to even think about.

So instead, I just try to take one day at a time. A good day is one where I get out of bed, shower, put on pants, go to work, eat enough to get by, and take care of garbage, laundry, etc. That takes a monumental effort. Honestly, I think the only reason I don’t just stay in bed all day is that I can’t even get eight hours of sleep, and so I may as well get up and do something. Staying in bed would be worse. I cry every day. I try to focus on work, but I’m a long way from contributing 100%. I try to do paperwork, I try to write articles on this blog, I try to respond to email, but most of the time, it is just too hard.

And I have bad days. It’s always the surprising reminders of Ailish. I watched The Office on Friday, and James Spader guest starred (and did so excellently). He played Alan Shore in one of Ailish and my favourite t.v. series, Boston Legal. I immediately recognised him, paused the show, and turned to Ailish to express my delight. And of course, Ailish wasn’t there.

I don’t even really understand what it means to say that Ailish is dead.

Followup CBC article

This news article was posted to the online edition of CBC News on April 20, 2011. You can read it there by following this link. I am republishing it here in case the Edmonton Journal subsequently removes the content. I believe doing so constitutes fair use as this entire blog is dedicated to commentary on the event described in the article.

Woman killed by ETS bus identified

The woman killed by an Edmonton transit bus Wednesday morning was identified as city employee Ailish O’Connor.

O’Connor, 28, was on her way to work at the time. She had worked for the city since 2006, most recently as strategic planning director with the treasury and finance department.

“Ailish was an exceptional person — always a kind word, a ready smile and willingness to help,” said city manager Simon Farbrother in an email to city staff. “She is deeply missed.”

O’Connor was crossing 97th Street in a crosswalk near the courthouse just before 7 a.m. when she was hit by the bus making a left turn.

Someone placed a bouquet of flowers on a concrete median near where O’Connor was struck.

Aminata N’Doye added her own memorial — a red rose tied to a light standard on the side of the road. N’Doye went to school with O’Connor and was her co-worker when she worked for the city.

“She was definitely a very kind person,” she said. “I definitely respected her as a professional because she just really had a knack for getting along well with people and such. So that’s something I definitely admired.”

The bus driver, a 29-year veteran, was left distraught over the incident, a transit official said Wednesday.

Initial CBC article

This news article was posted to the online edition of CBC News on April 20, 2011. You can read it there by following this link. I am republishing it here in case the Edmonton Journal subsequently removes the content. I believe doing so constitutes fair use as this entire blog is dedicated to commentary on the event described in the article.

Pedestrian killed by Edmonton transit bus

A woman in her late 20s is dead after she was run over by a transit bus in downtown Edmonton at 6:50 a.m. Wednesday.

The woman was on her way to work, said police spokesperson Clair Seyler.

The bus was turning left from 102A Avenue to head south on 97th Street at the courthouse when it hit the woman, who was crossing the street in a crosswalk, she said.

Firefighters worked for about four minutes to free the woman from under the bus.

Police are notifying the victim’s family.

The male bus driver is devastated and was receiving counselling, said Seyler.

The driver is a 29-year veteran and had a good driving record, said ETS manager Charles Stolte.

“He’s very, very distraught,” he said.

Other transit workers will also have access for support or counselling, he said.

“We have 2,200 employees that work for transit and I can tell you every person is deeply sorry about this tragic incident,” Stolte said. “We do have peer support available throughout our organization.”

Followup Edmonton Journal article

This news article was posted to the online edition of the Edmonton Journal on April 21, 2011. You can read it there by following this link. I am republishing it here in case the Edmonton Journal subsequently removes the content. I believe doing so constitutes fair use as this entire blog is dedicated to commentary on the event described in the article.

Edmonton bus accident victim named

Ailish O’Connor, 28, was killed crossing street

BY JULIANNA CUMMINS, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COM APRIL 21, 2011

EDMONTON – The woman who was struck and killed Wednesday morning by an transit bus worked for the city’s finance and treasury department, and graduated from the University of Alberta’s bachelor of commerce program in 2005.

On Thursday, the medical examiner’s office identified the woman as Ailish O’Connor, 28.

According to the City of Edmonton’s website, O’Connor was the strategic planning director in the office of the chief financial officer.

The offices are in Chancery Hall, near the accident scene.

“Ailish was an exceptional person. Always a kind word, a ready smile and willingness to help,” city manager Simon Farbrother said in a news release. “She will be deeply missed.”

The family has asked for privacy following the accident.

O’Connor worked for the City of Edmonton since 2006, according to a release from the city.

A Route 1 bus was turning left from 102A Avenue into the southbound lane of 97th Street at about 6:50 a.m. when it hit O’Connor, who was on her way to work.

The marked intersection is just south of the Edmonton Law Courts building.

Police think the bus had a green light. They could not confirm which direction O’Connor was walking.

Fire rescue crews had to free O’Connor from under the bus. EMS treated her on the scene before she was transferred to hospital, where she died.

In February 2010, O’Connor wrote an entry on the city’s Transforming Edmonton blog about the city’s Good Neighbour Awards.

In the entry, O’Connor talked about previous award winners, including a “bright, bubbly” eight-year-old who baked cookies and wrote letters for her neighbours.

“These people, by their mere presence it seems, can improve the quality of life for the people around them,” O’Connor wrote in the blog.

She also wrote about one of her own good deeds. While relaxing in her living room one day, she saw a neighbour’s car stuck in the snow and ran outside to help push.

Still, she wrote that she thought she could be a better neighbour, noting she hadn’t yet said hello to a family who recently moved onto her block.

O’Connor’s death came four years to the day of the last traffic fatality involving a transit bus.

On April 20, 2007, Norah Tomlin Henkel, 70, was killed when she was hit by a bus while crossing Macdonald Drive at 101st Street.

Henkle was crossing the street on a green walk light.

The driver, Audrey Ferguson, was convicted in 2009 of careless driving and failing to yield to a pedestrian.

Ferguson was fined $2,000 and had her driver’s licence suspended for three months.

The circumstances of Wednesday’s accident caused “flashbacks” for the Henkel family, the victim’s daughter, Tammy, wrote in an e-mail to the Edmonton Journal.

“We will keep the … family in our hearts and prayers. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do or say to lessen the trauma of losing a loved one under these circumstances,” she wrote.

She said the Henkel family still has “visceral reactions” when they hear of any pedestrian accidents.

Police continue to investigate Wednesday’s death. No charges have been laid.

jcummins@edmontonjournal.com

Initial Edmonton Journal article

This news article was posted to the online edition of the Edmonton Journal on April 20, 2011. You can read it there by following this link. I am republishing it here in case the Edmonton Journal subsequently removes the content. I believe doing so constitutes fair use as this entire blog is dedicated to commentary on the event described in the article.

Woman dead after being hit by bus in downtown Edmonton

Transit driver had 29 years experience on the job

BY JOURNAL STAFF, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COM APRIL 20, 2011

EDMONTON — A 28-year-old woman is dead after an Edmonton Transit bus struck her while she crossed a marked downtown intersection on her way to work Wednesday morning.

The intersection at 102A Avenue and 97th Street is just south of the Edmonton Law Courts building.

The Route 1 bus was turning left from 102A Avenue into the southbound lane of 97th Street when it hit the woman at approximately 6:50 a.m. Police think the bus had a green light. They could not confirm which direction the woman was walking.

Fire rescue crews had to free the woman from under the bus. EMS treated the woman on the scene before she was transferred to hospital, where she died.

Police spokeswoman Clair Seyler said the driver was “very devastated” and has been offered counselling.

A long trail of blood was visible in front of the bus, which was parked diagonally across 97th Street.

The roads around the scene were closed for about five hours while police investigated.

The woman’s name will not be released until family has been notified, Seyler said.

Police are also trying to gather additional witness statements and video footage from cameras in the area to determine the circumstances of the accident.

No charges have been laid.

The driver of the bus had 29 years of experience, said Charlie Stolte, transit manager of Edmonton Transit.

“In situations like this, we have a critical incident support team for our employees in coping with the trauma associated with such an incident,” Stolte said.

He noted that the driver was “traumatized” by the event.

“At times like this, we pull together to support each other,” Stolte said.

He did not know if the driver has ever been involved in previous accidents.

As of Wednesday afternoon, he said police were still speaking with the driver.

Edmonton Transit will meet with police about the ongoing investigation into the accident.

“We’re dealing with lots and lots of people on the streets … everyone is going to take that extra second-look after this,” Stolte said.

Wednesday’s accident happened four years to the day of the last traffic fatality involving a transit bus.

On April 20, 2007, Norah Tomlin Henkel, 70, was killed when she was hit by a transit bus while crossing Macdonald Drive at 101st Street.

Henkle was crossing the street on a green walk light.

The bus driver, Audrey Ferguson, was convicted in 2009 of careless driving and failing to yield to a pedestrian. Ferguson was fined $2,000 and had her driver’s licence suspended for three months.

jcummins@edmontonjournal.com

Music

Today is four weeks since Ailish died. I wanted to write an article today on what I particularly appreciated from my time with Ailish, but it’s been a really rough week for me and so I’m not up to writing that article yet.

Instead, I’m going to link to some songs that were meaningful to us.



This played during our first dance at the wedding.


Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
This played during our second dance.


Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day
This song played at Ailish’s funeral in Edmonton as the family entered the chapel.



A piano version of the famous song from the Titanic, without Celine Dion’s warbling. Ailish used to play the first few bars of this whenever she visited her parents in Medicine Hat. This was the middle song played at Ailish’s funeral, and the song Ailish’s parents, Michael and Dominica used in Medicine Hat after their tribute.



For her birthday on April 13, 2011, I bought Ailish two tickets to see Death Cab for Cutie (along with the video game, You Don’t Know Jack). Her eyes lit up when she saw them, and I was so happy. This song is from their new album. This was the last song played at Ailish’s funeral in Edmonton, and the song I chose after my tribute in Medicine Hat.



Ailish loved this sort of music. She constantly demanded that we host a dance party on Friday nights, after date night and noodle consumption. Brian chose this to follow his tribute as it reminded him of Ailish’s visits to Medicine Hat and the funny dancing she would do. She would very much have approved.



Iris is one of the most beautiful songs. Ailish’s sister, Siobhan, chose this song to follow her tribute in Medicine Hat. Ailish had given her Big Shiny Tunes 3 to introduce Siobhan to modern music.