Sorry, a few days ago I listened to an interview with Tom Green on WTF so I have a few of his classic film titles rolling around my head.
Down to more pressing business, now that Jeannette and I have a new car we're going to break it in by taking a long-weekend road trip to Calgary to visit some of Jeannette's extended family.
Though we won't leaving for a few hours, this will be my last chance to post from my computer as will be leaving half-way through the work day directly from my place of work. Of course, assuming all goes well and this 3G stuff works as it's supposed to in the open prairie, I hope to make at least a few quick updates from the road.
In case you're curious, I'm definitely a little bummed that we likely won't quite make it to the Rockies - I guess I'll just have to settle for the Ikea.
Cameron - 16
Neil - 0
Showing posts with label trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trip. Show all posts
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Arizona - Day 5 onwards
Wow, quite a number of things happened between now and my last post.
After spending a beautiful night in Williams we made our way south through Sedona and the surrounding areas. As expected the scenery was fantastic.
It was also the case that Sedona was a little infested with new-agey types, many of whom seem to have been attracted to the region because of its 'vortexes.' If you are interested in learning more and happen to find yourself in the region it won't be hard for you to find a crystal store or tour guide who would be willing to explain the mystical powers of the region to you.
From Sedona we made our way to a 45 000 acre cattle ranch for an hour long trail ride, though on horses rather than mules. As we were riding we saw thousands of prickly pear cacti, though no cattle. Even though our ride was cow free it was great. Actually, that it was an hour rather than three likely made it better rather than worse.
On Thursday evening, the day we visited Sedona and had our trail ride, the family side of the trip started. We attended a family barbeque at my cousin's house. As it turned out, it was Rebecca's first chance to meet many of my aunts and uncles. And we got to see the bride and groom to be. Amazingly, though my cousin and her husband have been friends for 18 years (and I have heard his name many times over those 18 years), this was the first time that I actually got to meet him.
On Friday morning my father, brother, and I, while 'the girls' were getting mani-pedis, made our way to the Arizona state legislature. We visited the public galleries of both the House and the Senate and also the Capitol Museum. At the museum, aside from visiting the old legislative chamber, we took in an exhibit on the legislative process in Arizona. Strangely, at least according to the exhibit, they seem to use a fair bit of randomness when creating legislation in Arizona.
[Embedded video]
On Friday afternoon we made our way to Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, reputed to be the busiest general aviation airport in the US. While at the airport a few of us were able to take short flights in our host's small Piper mono-plane. While on our respective trips Neil and I both got chances to pilot the plane for a few minutes. I was particularly pleased to get a chance to turn the plane around and then descend a few thousand about 2000 feet.
On Saturday morning we made an early morning trip to a tourist store where I was able to purchase a few souvenirs, including things like prickly pear jelly and prickly pear candy. Oh, I also acquired some cactus seeds. Not surprisingly, almost everyone else who made the trip purchased similar items.
Our next stop was the Desert Botanical Garden, the site of the wedding. As part of the wedding package the guests of the wedding were provided with free access to the site on the day of the wedding.
After a relatively short visit to the botanical garden we met up with Neil and Rebecca and made our way to a restaurant for lunch and then to the hotel where we would be spending the evening. Then, after a brief swim and a quick check of the internet, we made our way back to the botanical garden for the wedding.
The wedding itself, as expected, was great. The weather and the location cooperated perfectly. The wedding ceremony, which was held in an amphitheater, was short and to the point (though there were a few questionable biblical interpretations). The reception, which was held immediately afterwards in an unwalled pavilion, was longer and generally more free-wheeling. For better or worse, I accepted this free-wheeling atmosphere and ran with it, dancing harder and longer than was likely good for me or anyone else in attendance. Anyway, it's done now.
Sunday, our last full day in Phoenix, started with a brunch at the home of the newlyweds. After a few hours there Neil, Rebecca, and I made our way out for some touring and shopping in the Phoenix area. Not only did we manage to visit quite a number of major chain stores, we also were able to visit a local 'Indian casino,' the Casino Arizona.
While this is the largest casino I have ever visited, in many ways it was quite like the two other casinos I have had the pleasure of entering. Not surprisingly, even though it was midday, quite a number of this casino's slot machines were in full swing. Actually, the place was really hopping considering that it was still well before evening and many of the games tables weren't even open. It was also not too surprising to see that a similar demographic, the over sixty set, seemed to be the most prevalent demographic taking advantage of the casino's offerings.
Monday, as many of you might have expected, was largely spent traveling. After an early departure from Phoenix we were able to go through customs and immigration in Toronto and then have a quick lunch. From Toronto we flew to Halifax, where my parents et al had to make a quick connection to their return flight (fortunately they made it).
At the moment I am awaiting the return of Neil and Rebecca, which will finally mark the conclusion of my family's trip to Phoenix and Arizona. As it turned out, Arizona was much more biologically diverse and fun than I expected. Though I didn't really expect to be saying this a few weeks ago, I really don't think that I would mind a trip back in the future. Not only would it be great to see the Grand Canyon on a clear day, but there are a number of things in the Phoenix area that it would be neat to see, it would also be neat to see a few other regions in the state that we weren't able to visit on our brief trip.
After spending a beautiful night in Williams we made our way south through Sedona and the surrounding areas. As expected the scenery was fantastic.
It was also the case that Sedona was a little infested with new-agey types, many of whom seem to have been attracted to the region because of its 'vortexes.' If you are interested in learning more and happen to find yourself in the region it won't be hard for you to find a crystal store or tour guide who would be willing to explain the mystical powers of the region to you.
From Sedona we made our way to a 45 000 acre cattle ranch for an hour long trail ride, though on horses rather than mules. As we were riding we saw thousands of prickly pear cacti, though no cattle. Even though our ride was cow free it was great. Actually, that it was an hour rather than three likely made it better rather than worse.
On Thursday evening, the day we visited Sedona and had our trail ride, the family side of the trip started. We attended a family barbeque at my cousin's house. As it turned out, it was Rebecca's first chance to meet many of my aunts and uncles. And we got to see the bride and groom to be. Amazingly, though my cousin and her husband have been friends for 18 years (and I have heard his name many times over those 18 years), this was the first time that I actually got to meet him.
On Friday morning my father, brother, and I, while 'the girls' were getting mani-pedis, made our way to the Arizona state legislature. We visited the public galleries of both the House and the Senate and also the Capitol Museum. At the museum, aside from visiting the old legislative chamber, we took in an exhibit on the legislative process in Arizona. Strangely, at least according to the exhibit, they seem to use a fair bit of randomness when creating legislation in Arizona.
[Embedded video]
On Friday afternoon we made our way to Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, reputed to be the busiest general aviation airport in the US. While at the airport a few of us were able to take short flights in our host's small Piper mono-plane. While on our respective trips Neil and I both got chances to pilot the plane for a few minutes. I was particularly pleased to get a chance to turn the plane around and then descend a few thousand about 2000 feet.
On Saturday morning we made an early morning trip to a tourist store where I was able to purchase a few souvenirs, including things like prickly pear jelly and prickly pear candy. Oh, I also acquired some cactus seeds. Not surprisingly, almost everyone else who made the trip purchased similar items.
Our next stop was the Desert Botanical Garden, the site of the wedding. As part of the wedding package the guests of the wedding were provided with free access to the site on the day of the wedding.
After a relatively short visit to the botanical garden we met up with Neil and Rebecca and made our way to a restaurant for lunch and then to the hotel where we would be spending the evening. Then, after a brief swim and a quick check of the internet, we made our way back to the botanical garden for the wedding.
The wedding itself, as expected, was great. The weather and the location cooperated perfectly. The wedding ceremony, which was held in an amphitheater, was short and to the point (though there were a few questionable biblical interpretations). The reception, which was held immediately afterwards in an unwalled pavilion, was longer and generally more free-wheeling. For better or worse, I accepted this free-wheeling atmosphere and ran with it, dancing harder and longer than was likely good for me or anyone else in attendance. Anyway, it's done now.
Sunday, our last full day in Phoenix, started with a brunch at the home of the newlyweds. After a few hours there Neil, Rebecca, and I made our way out for some touring and shopping in the Phoenix area. Not only did we manage to visit quite a number of major chain stores, we also were able to visit a local 'Indian casino,' the Casino Arizona.
While this is the largest casino I have ever visited, in many ways it was quite like the two other casinos I have had the pleasure of entering. Not surprisingly, even though it was midday, quite a number of this casino's slot machines were in full swing. Actually, the place was really hopping considering that it was still well before evening and many of the games tables weren't even open. It was also not too surprising to see that a similar demographic, the over sixty set, seemed to be the most prevalent demographic taking advantage of the casino's offerings.
Monday, as many of you might have expected, was largely spent traveling. After an early departure from Phoenix we were able to go through customs and immigration in Toronto and then have a quick lunch. From Toronto we flew to Halifax, where my parents et al had to make a quick connection to their return flight (fortunately they made it).
At the moment I am awaiting the return of Neil and Rebecca, which will finally mark the conclusion of my family's trip to Phoenix and Arizona. As it turned out, Arizona was much more biologically diverse and fun than I expected. Though I didn't really expect to be saying this a few weeks ago, I really don't think that I would mind a trip back in the future. Not only would it be great to see the Grand Canyon on a clear day, but there are a number of things in the Phoenix area that it would be neat to see, it would also be neat to see a few other regions in the state that we weren't able to visit on our brief trip.
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Arizona - Day 4
Wow, what a day. Things started with us being awoken in the middle of the night by a alarm that was sounding in Grand Canyon Park. We were then re-awoken by a similar incident later in the night. It turned out that in both cases these were false alarms, though we didn't know it at the time.
In the morning, at 6:00 AM, when we eventually got up to prepare for our mule ride we learned that it was still raining and that there were tornado warnings. From this point on I didn't have a good feeling about our prospective mule ride.
After breakfast and a little messing about we made our way to the mule ride headquarters to begin the sign in process. After some more messing about we were all ready to go (we had to buy some straw hats and tie our other belongings down) we made our way to the stable. Within moments of arriving at the stable we were told that because of tornado warnings the mule ride would be cancelled. Despite my objections we re-scheduled the mule ride for the afternoon.
This meant that we had to hang around in the morning, even though it was rainy, cold, and wet. We eventually decided that driving to some of the lookouts might be the best use of our time. When we eventually made it to our final destination we discovered that parts of the park had recently been hit by a substantial hail storm (when we arrived many places had about an inch of hail on the ground). Obviously, the conditions convinced us that visiting the lookout wasn't as good an idea as visiting the canteen to pick up a warm beverage.
When we eventually made it back to the mule headquarters we learned that the afternoon trip had also been cancelled. After a little more Grand Canyon touring, which was occasionally made spectacular by clear skies, we moved one and started to head south.
While traveling south to Flagstaff we encountered the beautiful Painted Desert, a nearby canyon which was adjacent to the Little Colorado river, a trading post/community named Cameron, a volcano, and, finally, Flagstaff. As soon as we reached Flagstaff we continued on to Williams, which is where we are now.
Williams seems to be a strange combination of tourist shops, motels, and restaurants. They also have a train station and a grocery store. I am not sure if there is much else there (aside from Route 66).
Anyway, tomorrow should take us to Sedona and, eventually, Phoenix. Hopefully we will finally be able to shake the rain and grey skies.
In the morning, at 6:00 AM, when we eventually got up to prepare for our mule ride we learned that it was still raining and that there were tornado warnings. From this point on I didn't have a good feeling about our prospective mule ride.
After breakfast and a little messing about we made our way to the mule ride headquarters to begin the sign in process. After some more messing about we were all ready to go (we had to buy some straw hats and tie our other belongings down) we made our way to the stable. Within moments of arriving at the stable we were told that because of tornado warnings the mule ride would be cancelled. Despite my objections we re-scheduled the mule ride for the afternoon.
This meant that we had to hang around in the morning, even though it was rainy, cold, and wet. We eventually decided that driving to some of the lookouts might be the best use of our time. When we eventually made it to our final destination we discovered that parts of the park had recently been hit by a substantial hail storm (when we arrived many places had about an inch of hail on the ground). Obviously, the conditions convinced us that visiting the lookout wasn't as good an idea as visiting the canteen to pick up a warm beverage.
When we eventually made it back to the mule headquarters we learned that the afternoon trip had also been cancelled. After a little more Grand Canyon touring, which was occasionally made spectacular by clear skies, we moved one and started to head south.
While traveling south to Flagstaff we encountered the beautiful Painted Desert, a nearby canyon which was adjacent to the Little Colorado river, a trading post/community named Cameron, a volcano, and, finally, Flagstaff. As soon as we reached Flagstaff we continued on to Williams, which is where we are now.
Williams seems to be a strange combination of tourist shops, motels, and restaurants. They also have a train station and a grocery store. I am not sure if there is much else there (aside from Route 66).
Anyway, tomorrow should take us to Sedona and, eventually, Phoenix. Hopefully we will finally be able to shake the rain and grey skies.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
On the Train 3
Turns out I was wrong, we both purchased things from the concession cart.
Kirsten just noted that we have now been on the train for about an hour. We only have about 29 hours to go before we arrive in Halifax.
Kirsten just noted that we have now been on the train for about an hour. We only have about 29 hours to go before we arrive in Halifax.
On the Train 2
OMG, we are in Oshawa. Wasn't there a 1980s Canadian movie about minor league hockey that took place in Oshawa?
How is it that we have already stopped twice even though we aren't even out of the Greater Toronto area yet?
How is it that we have already stopped twice even though we aren't even out of the Greater Toronto area yet?
On the Train 1
It is just about noon, meaning that Kirsten have been on a Montreal bound train (Toronto was the departure location) for about 25 minutes. So far most of this time has been spent creeping along or in stations not picking up passengers. Hopefully this train will eventually reach something approximating a reasonable cruising speed. Fortunately, since I started this post things have picked up a little in terms of speed, but we are still nowhere near European speeds.
The train on which we are presently riding is slowly working its way into the 21st century. We have wi-fi access, but it is some of the slowest wi-fi access I have ever experienced. As far as I can tell it isn't good enough to allow users to stream videos or do much more than simple browsing. The other way in which the train is super modern is its approach to privacy. Instead of providing traditional bathrooms that have locks and prevent other people from accessing them while a passenger is using them, these bathrooms do away with such archaic notions of privacy and allow other passengers to enter whenever they would like. Amazingly, I even heard the passenger in front of us complain about such a progressive approach to bathrooms and privacy.
We can now see the concession cart approaching for the first time. As we just boarded the train a few minutes ago I think we will likely pass up this opportunity to buy things, though I imagine that this trend will not hold as time passes. I presume that in about an hour or so I will be quite keen to buy a coffee and Kirsten might like something or other (the water and bran muffins we purchased last night are just not that exciting).
I will do my best to keep you updated as our trip progresses.
The train on which we are presently riding is slowly working its way into the 21st century. We have wi-fi access, but it is some of the slowest wi-fi access I have ever experienced. As far as I can tell it isn't good enough to allow users to stream videos or do much more than simple browsing. The other way in which the train is super modern is its approach to privacy. Instead of providing traditional bathrooms that have locks and prevent other people from accessing them while a passenger is using them, these bathrooms do away with such archaic notions of privacy and allow other passengers to enter whenever they would like. Amazingly, I even heard the passenger in front of us complain about such a progressive approach to bathrooms and privacy.
We can now see the concession cart approaching for the first time. As we just boarded the train a few minutes ago I think we will likely pass up this opportunity to buy things, though I imagine that this trend will not hold as time passes. I presume that in about an hour or so I will be quite keen to buy a coffee and Kirsten might like something or other (the water and bran muffins we purchased last night are just not that exciting).
I will do my best to keep you updated as our trip progresses.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Michigan +10
Today started with tour of the River Rouge Ford plant. We were able to see portions of the production of F-150s. All-in-all I would have to say that it was a pretty impressive tour. My sense of things is that they were cranking these trucks out at a rate of about one truck a minute, maybe even less than that. While huge portions of the operation were mechanized, many labourers were still required and involved in various processes. The cleanliness and quality of the working conditions were also impressive.
After the factory tour we made our way the Henry Ford museum.
While in the museum we saw things like trains and presidential limos. We also saw the world's first regular production Mustang (which happens to have been sold in Newfoundland and still has Newfoundland plates).
We also saw, and were able to sit in, the bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat.
While in the steam engine and generator section of the museum Neil and I engaged in an electricity generating competition.
[Embedded video]
I am pretty sure I won.
Afterwards the museum we made our way to Highland Park, my father's place of birth. As expected, it was pretty desolate.
The highlight of the trip was heading down the alley next to this house to stand on the last piece of Highland Park land still owned by my family. For some reason Neil and Kirsten walked down the alley but then declined the chance to actually set foot on the triangle of land.
We just returned from family dinner at my aunt and uncle's house. As expected, it was great. Unfortunately, I was talked into eating about half of a watermelon. As one might expect, I feel somewhat bloated and water-logged at the moment. I am hoping that this feeling will soon pass.
After the factory tour we made our way the Henry Ford museum.
While in the museum we saw things like trains and presidential limos. We also saw the world's first regular production Mustang (which happens to have been sold in Newfoundland and still has Newfoundland plates).
We also saw, and were able to sit in, the bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat.
While in the steam engine and generator section of the museum Neil and I engaged in an electricity generating competition.
[Embedded video]
I am pretty sure I won.
Afterwards the museum we made our way to Highland Park, my father's place of birth. As expected, it was pretty desolate.
The highlight of the trip was heading down the alley next to this house to stand on the last piece of Highland Park land still owned by my family. For some reason Neil and Kirsten walked down the alley but then declined the chance to actually set foot on the triangle of land.
We just returned from family dinner at my aunt and uncle's house. As expected, it was great. Unfortunately, I was talked into eating about half of a watermelon. As one might expect, I feel somewhat bloated and water-logged at the moment. I am hoping that this feeling will soon pass.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Michigan +9
Yesterday afternoon was actually somewhat busy. Not long after yesterday's trip report my uncle decided to install his digital TV antennae. While this shouldn't have been a particularly complicated process it did require about three people; my uncle was on the ladder with the equipment, my father was holding the ladder and relaying messages, and Neil was working the TV remote and scanning for channels. Eventually the device was placed in a position that allowed my uncle to catch about 20 channels, though some number are duplicates of the same channel (though they seem to be showing different content).
For dinner we had fillet mignon that we cooked on the barbecue. For some reason, presumably laziness, we didn't brand our steaks. To accompany our meat we had some nice corn on the cob and a few fresh vegetables. The most notable of the raw vegetables were a few plum-sized peeled turnips. As it turned out, the small turnips really weren't that tasty. I guess the good thing is that I won't like be tempted to serve too many more raw small turnips (I will stick to turnip sticks).
After dinner my uncle and I installed a solar-powered light on a tree in his backyard. Unfortunately the height at which the light was to be installed meant that we couldn't used the extension ladder but that the would be to short if properly used. As you might have guessed, we mis-used the step ladder (my uncle stood on the top step while I held it against the trunk of a tree). While holding the ladder I was quite taken with the sounds made by the cicadas. Not only was the volume impressive, but also the fact that it almost sounded as though the sounds were gradually moving from one side of the yard to the other.
Though I probably haven't effectively captured it, I did record a short clip of the sounds that these animals were making near the tree where we installed the lamp.
[Embedded video]
After the lamp installation I manned the burning operation for a little while. Aside from burning the lamp packaging, I also burned some scrap newspaper. Much to my surprise, this process took much longer than I originally expected. Apparently if you throw enough paper in to one of these you can really get quite a fire going and have it burn for quite a while.
[Embedded video]
Later in the evening we were visited by a form high school classmate of my father's and two of his daughters. We basically just sat around the back porch and had a few drinks and snacks.
This morning we started to make our way back to the east side of the state. While in Fenton for lunch we saw a great sign at a BP gas station.
Shortly after we arrived in Ypsilanti my father, sister, and I headed out to a raspberry and blackberry u-pick. In about 30-45 minutes we picked 6 quarts of raspberries and 2.5 quarts of raspberries.
While picking raspberries I happened to spot a small frog.
I have seen frogs like this only in Michigan, though I presume that they exist elsewhere in the world as well.
Tonight we will likely do a little visiting and whatnot. Actually, I think visiting and whatnot will consume much of the rest of the trip.
For dinner we had fillet mignon that we cooked on the barbecue. For some reason, presumably laziness, we didn't brand our steaks. To accompany our meat we had some nice corn on the cob and a few fresh vegetables. The most notable of the raw vegetables were a few plum-sized peeled turnips. As it turned out, the small turnips really weren't that tasty. I guess the good thing is that I won't like be tempted to serve too many more raw small turnips (I will stick to turnip sticks).
After dinner my uncle and I installed a solar-powered light on a tree in his backyard. Unfortunately the height at which the light was to be installed meant that we couldn't used the extension ladder but that the would be to short if properly used. As you might have guessed, we mis-used the step ladder (my uncle stood on the top step while I held it against the trunk of a tree). While holding the ladder I was quite taken with the sounds made by the cicadas. Not only was the volume impressive, but also the fact that it almost sounded as though the sounds were gradually moving from one side of the yard to the other.
Though I probably haven't effectively captured it, I did record a short clip of the sounds that these animals were making near the tree where we installed the lamp.
[Embedded video]
After the lamp installation I manned the burning operation for a little while. Aside from burning the lamp packaging, I also burned some scrap newspaper. Much to my surprise, this process took much longer than I originally expected. Apparently if you throw enough paper in to one of these you can really get quite a fire going and have it burn for quite a while.
[Embedded video]
Later in the evening we were visited by a form high school classmate of my father's and two of his daughters. We basically just sat around the back porch and had a few drinks and snacks.
This morning we started to make our way back to the east side of the state. While in Fenton for lunch we saw a great sign at a BP gas station.
Shortly after we arrived in Ypsilanti my father, sister, and I headed out to a raspberry and blackberry u-pick. In about 30-45 minutes we picked 6 quarts of raspberries and 2.5 quarts of raspberries.
While picking raspberries I happened to spot a small frog.
I have seen frogs like this only in Michigan, though I presume that they exist elsewhere in the world as well.
Tonight we will likely do a little visiting and whatnot. Actually, I think visiting and whatnot will consume much of the rest of the trip.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Michigan +8
This morning I realized that I forgot to mention one of the more exciting activities we engaged in while we were on the West side of the state. My Aunt arranged for us to all participate in a vineyard tour of the Fenn Valley vineyards. The tour, which invovled about 22 people being pulled around in an open trailer, gave us the opportunity to taste close to 20 wines (I don't remember the precise number). Most importantly, many of the wines were juxtaposed in such a way that really highlighted the differences that resulted because of particular types of processing. I was particularly glad to learn that I likely don't like white wine aged in oak barrels (apparently a French technique). Another great thing about this vineyard is that the tour seems to vary from season to season so going once doesn't mean that another trip wouldn't be worthwhile.
Instead of heading back to Birch Run this morning, Neil and I decided to hang around the house in Vassar. So this morning, unlike the aforementioned vineyard tour, saw Neil and I engage in much more pedestrian activities.
For breakfast we made our way to the local McDonald's. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, about 10:40, they had switched from their breakfast menu to their lunch menu. Consequently, Neil and I both had to order non-breakfast foods for breakfast. One of the positive results of this forced decision was that I ended up with a beverage cup that provided us with a coupon for a free smoothie (something that we wouldn't have had if we had ordered from the breakfast menu). The thing about the coupon that differentiated it from many other free beverage coupons that I received was that it indicated that it could not be redeemed until at least two hours after the initial receipt of the coupon.
Not surprisingly, Neil and I went back to McDonald's early this afternoon to take advantage of the smoothie coupon. While there I also picked up some lunch. Amazingly, we ended up paying only about $3.20 for a smoothie, a double burger, a small fries, and a large iced tea. I was even able to take advantage of the free-refill policy before we left.
Shortly after returning from our second fast-food run of the day my father and uncle returned from Birch Run. Though I don't know all of what was purchased, my father did tell me that he purchased a new three-piece suit for about $95 (it would have been only $80 if he opted to forego the vest). My sense is that this isn't the only deal that was taken advantage of.
Fortunately, between our fast-food runs I was able to get down to work. I think I managed to put in about 2.5 hours of solid work. Maybe, if I am lucky, I will be able to get a little reading in later this afternoon.
Unfortunately, I don't really know what the plans are for this afternoon and evening. Actually, I don't really know what the plans are for the rest of the trip. In many ways it doesn't really matter, I will just go where I need to go.
Instead of heading back to Birch Run this morning, Neil and I decided to hang around the house in Vassar. So this morning, unlike the aforementioned vineyard tour, saw Neil and I engage in much more pedestrian activities.
For breakfast we made our way to the local McDonald's. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, about 10:40, they had switched from their breakfast menu to their lunch menu. Consequently, Neil and I both had to order non-breakfast foods for breakfast. One of the positive results of this forced decision was that I ended up with a beverage cup that provided us with a coupon for a free smoothie (something that we wouldn't have had if we had ordered from the breakfast menu). The thing about the coupon that differentiated it from many other free beverage coupons that I received was that it indicated that it could not be redeemed until at least two hours after the initial receipt of the coupon.
Not surprisingly, Neil and I went back to McDonald's early this afternoon to take advantage of the smoothie coupon. While there I also picked up some lunch. Amazingly, we ended up paying only about $3.20 for a smoothie, a double burger, a small fries, and a large iced tea. I was even able to take advantage of the free-refill policy before we left.
Shortly after returning from our second fast-food run of the day my father and uncle returned from Birch Run. Though I don't know all of what was purchased, my father did tell me that he purchased a new three-piece suit for about $95 (it would have been only $80 if he opted to forego the vest). My sense is that this isn't the only deal that was taken advantage of.
Fortunately, between our fast-food runs I was able to get down to work. I think I managed to put in about 2.5 hours of solid work. Maybe, if I am lucky, I will be able to get a little reading in later this afternoon.
Unfortunately, I don't really know what the plans are for this afternoon and evening. Actually, I don't really know what the plans are for the rest of the trip. In many ways it doesn't really matter, I will just go where I need to go.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Michigan +2
We are now part way through our second day in Michigan.
We crossed into Michigan in Marine City, a community across the river from Sombra, Ontario. We traversed the river in a ferry that was about to hold about 9 cars. All things considered, it was a pretty pleasant border crossing.
After visiting my Grandmother we made our way to a Big Boy for dinner. I think that we were all quite pleased with our meals (and I think that there is more that I wanted to say, but I don't have the time to outline these details right now).
I hope to have a little bit more time to detail a few things, but at the moment I am a little bit short on time and coherency.
We crossed into Michigan in Marine City, a community across the river from Sombra, Ontario. We traversed the river in a ferry that was about to hold about 9 cars. All things considered, it was a pretty pleasant border crossing.
After visiting my Grandmother we made our way to a Big Boy for dinner. I think that we were all quite pleased with our meals (and I think that there is more that I wanted to say, but I don't have the time to outline these details right now).
I hope to have a little bit more time to detail a few things, but at the moment I am a little bit short on time and coherency.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Michigan -1
I am presently in the Halifax Airport waiting to board my flight to Toronto. So far the wait has been pretty good, but I guess I still have about 45 minutes go before boarding. Fortunately I was able to pick up a free paper while checking in (I left my copy at home this morning).
One of the neat things about my flight is that I should be meeting my parents on board. This morning my father was able to arrange the seat assignments such that I will get to sit next to my mother from Halifax to Toronto.
Of course this change in seating assignment meant that my seat assignment changed between the time I checked-in online yesterday and the time I checked in at the airport today. At first the staff person at the counter here was somewhat confused as she didn't understand why my seat would have changed. Only once I explained the "meeting my parents on the plane" thing did she understand what was going on. Anyway, hopefully all of this seat shuffling will work out and I will get to sit next to my mother.
It seems that once we are in Toronto we will be driving to somewhere in Toronto to meet Kirsten and then spending the night there. From this location, I don't know exactly where, we will be heading down to beautiful Michigan. I still don't know exactly where we will be heading once we cross the border. The more I hear about it the more I get the sense that no one knows exactly where we will be heading.
For better or worse I have brought some work for me to do while I am on this trip. I wonder if I should reasonably expect to do any of it? While I think that it is unlikely that I will have much time to spend on studying and work, I would like to find at least a few hours on a few occasions to tackle a few of these tasks.
I guess I might consider heading towards my gate. Getting this far (to the airport and through security) only to miss my boarding call would be rather frustrating.
One of the neat things about my flight is that I should be meeting my parents on board. This morning my father was able to arrange the seat assignments such that I will get to sit next to my mother from Halifax to Toronto.
Of course this change in seating assignment meant that my seat assignment changed between the time I checked-in online yesterday and the time I checked in at the airport today. At first the staff person at the counter here was somewhat confused as she didn't understand why my seat would have changed. Only once I explained the "meeting my parents on the plane" thing did she understand what was going on. Anyway, hopefully all of this seat shuffling will work out and I will get to sit next to my mother.
It seems that once we are in Toronto we will be driving to somewhere in Toronto to meet Kirsten and then spending the night there. From this location, I don't know exactly where, we will be heading down to beautiful Michigan. I still don't know exactly where we will be heading once we cross the border. The more I hear about it the more I get the sense that no one knows exactly where we will be heading.
For better or worse I have brought some work for me to do while I am on this trip. I wonder if I should reasonably expect to do any of it? While I think that it is unlikely that I will have much time to spend on studying and work, I would like to find at least a few hours on a few occasions to tackle a few of these tasks.
I guess I might consider heading towards my gate. Getting this far (to the airport and through security) only to miss my boarding call would be rather frustrating.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Return to Halifax
After about two weeks in St. John's Neil, Rebecca, and I returned to Halifax today. Our early morning flight meant that we had to wake up at about 4:00 AM, which meant that none of us had much time for sleep.
We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare, though I arrived in different car than Neil and Rebecca. Through a strange piece of luck (for me) I somehow managed to end up at the beginning of a new check in line and consequently had my bags processed quite quickly. Neil and Rebecca, who weren't quite as lucky in the line department, were also ready to move on to the next stage of the process.
The security line was a little longer than the check in line, though even this line wasn't too long. What was most impressive about the security process was how quickly I moved through the metal detectors and x-rays, there was basically no lost time (though I was asked if I had liquids or gels about 2 more times than made sense).
Not to longer after we made it through security we all decided to make food and/or beverage purchases at the cafeteria. Amazingly, the amount of time we spent standing in line to place our order was probably more time than the combined amount of time that I had to spend in the other two lines.
When Neil was eventually able to place his order, which included a toasted bagel, he was told that they didn't have any bagels. This was a little surprising as bagels were visible in the display case. A moment later the employee indicated that they were just 'joking,' and that they did actually have bagels.
The plane ride itself was rather uneventful. Unfortunately, I think that the 20 ounces of coffee and can of energy drink that I consumed before the flight largely prevented me from sleeping on the flight even though I had had only about 1.5 hours of sleep the night before.
Shortly after deplaning and picking up our luggage we made our way out to grab a cab. We made our way to the only remaining cab, whose driver eventually determined that he wouldn't be able to fit all six of our suitcases in his cab and thus was unable to take us. He indicated that he would request that a van be sent for us. After going into the airport to make the call, he told us that a van had been requested but that it would likely take "a while."
After waiting for a few minutes Neil came to the realization that part of the problem was likely that most of the cab drivers (particularly the drivers of vans) had likely worked until the middle of the night on New Year's night. This likely explained why there were so few cabs at the airport and why a van would take "a while."
While waiting for the van we discussed various options other than a cab to make it back to Halifax. Unfortunately none of them seemed particularly tempting or particularly expeditious.
Just as Neil and I were in the midst of such a round of discussions the cab driver came over to talk to us and suggested that we might consider renting a car. He even offered to call an acquaintance at one of the few open rental companies to try to grease the wheels for us.
So within in a few minutes of the cab driver's suggestion we were on our way back to Halifax in a rental car, which turned out to be less than the cab ride would have been. Even once we take gas into account I think that this will be the cheaper than a cab ride (with tip) would have been.
Once back in Halifax with a ride (and unlimited kilometers) we decided to do a little cruising. We eventually settled on having breakfast in Clayton Park and then doing a quick drive-by on the Bayers Lake shopping district. Not surprisingly, most of the stores and businesses were not open today, which was a little disappointing as this is likely the last time we will have car access for the next few months.
By about noon we had finally made it back to the apartment and had time to unpack most of our belongings (some of which were previously owned, others of which we acquired while in St. John's). All three of us then decided to go for afternoon naps, which I think were necessary as none of had even close to 4 hours of sleep.
Though we don't have too many specific plans for our first night back in town, we are thinking that we might head out to catch a movie at Bayers Lake (which would be quite an inconvenience without a car). As of tomorrow we will have to try to get back on something of a regular schedule, which should be assisted by a few commitments that we each have in the coming days.
We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare, though I arrived in different car than Neil and Rebecca. Through a strange piece of luck (for me) I somehow managed to end up at the beginning of a new check in line and consequently had my bags processed quite quickly. Neil and Rebecca, who weren't quite as lucky in the line department, were also ready to move on to the next stage of the process.
The security line was a little longer than the check in line, though even this line wasn't too long. What was most impressive about the security process was how quickly I moved through the metal detectors and x-rays, there was basically no lost time (though I was asked if I had liquids or gels about 2 more times than made sense).
Not to longer after we made it through security we all decided to make food and/or beverage purchases at the cafeteria. Amazingly, the amount of time we spent standing in line to place our order was probably more time than the combined amount of time that I had to spend in the other two lines.
When Neil was eventually able to place his order, which included a toasted bagel, he was told that they didn't have any bagels. This was a little surprising as bagels were visible in the display case. A moment later the employee indicated that they were just 'joking,' and that they did actually have bagels.
The plane ride itself was rather uneventful. Unfortunately, I think that the 20 ounces of coffee and can of energy drink that I consumed before the flight largely prevented me from sleeping on the flight even though I had had only about 1.5 hours of sleep the night before.
Shortly after deplaning and picking up our luggage we made our way out to grab a cab. We made our way to the only remaining cab, whose driver eventually determined that he wouldn't be able to fit all six of our suitcases in his cab and thus was unable to take us. He indicated that he would request that a van be sent for us. After going into the airport to make the call, he told us that a van had been requested but that it would likely take "a while."
After waiting for a few minutes Neil came to the realization that part of the problem was likely that most of the cab drivers (particularly the drivers of vans) had likely worked until the middle of the night on New Year's night. This likely explained why there were so few cabs at the airport and why a van would take "a while."
While waiting for the van we discussed various options other than a cab to make it back to Halifax. Unfortunately none of them seemed particularly tempting or particularly expeditious.
Just as Neil and I were in the midst of such a round of discussions the cab driver came over to talk to us and suggested that we might consider renting a car. He even offered to call an acquaintance at one of the few open rental companies to try to grease the wheels for us.
So within in a few minutes of the cab driver's suggestion we were on our way back to Halifax in a rental car, which turned out to be less than the cab ride would have been. Even once we take gas into account I think that this will be the cheaper than a cab ride (with tip) would have been.
Once back in Halifax with a ride (and unlimited kilometers) we decided to do a little cruising. We eventually settled on having breakfast in Clayton Park and then doing a quick drive-by on the Bayers Lake shopping district. Not surprisingly, most of the stores and businesses were not open today, which was a little disappointing as this is likely the last time we will have car access for the next few months.
By about noon we had finally made it back to the apartment and had time to unpack most of our belongings (some of which were previously owned, others of which we acquired while in St. John's). All three of us then decided to go for afternoon naps, which I think were necessary as none of had even close to 4 hours of sleep.
Though we don't have too many specific plans for our first night back in town, we are thinking that we might head out to catch a movie at Bayers Lake (which would be quite an inconvenience without a car). As of tomorrow we will have to try to get back on something of a regular schedule, which should be assisted by a few commitments that we each have in the coming days.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Halifax to St. John's: 2009 Holiday Season
Yesterday, after almost a year's absence, I finally returned to St. John's and Newfoundland for a brief Christmastime visit. Aside from the many more phone calls than would be the case in Halifax it has been quite nice to be home.
When we left yesterday we started our trip with a cab to the airport. Three things were quite memorable about the cab ride. The first was the the cab was much colder than most cabs. While I didn't find this to be a problem, it did really stand out. Secondly, both Neil and I likely fell asleep for some portion of the ride out (Neil was in the back with Rebecca and I was in the front). Apparently we both feel asleep at approximately the same time and then woke up at about the same time. Rebecca was observant enough to notice that my quick glance down as I was waking up was to check for drool. I really hoped that I hadn't drooled on the seatbelt while I was sleeping (and I hadn't).
Once we got to the airport we made our way to the Porter check-in area. Unfortunately we encountered an employee who was new to the position, and thus rather slow and cumbersome. Anyway, without too many problems we managed to check our bags, pick up two free newspapers, and be on our way.
Once we had checked in we made a brief detour to the arrivals section of the airport to visit the ATM. While in the general area Rebecca and Neil spotted a fresh cotton candy vending machine and decided to go for it. While I was a little bit skeptical about the whole thing, I was glad to see the machine in operation (and that it wasn't my money that had initiated the process).
[Embedded Video]
As you can see, the machine seems to have really done its job well. I think that we were all surprised that it was a full-sized cotton candy serving for much less than one might pay at fair/street food booth. So if you see one of these you should feel comfortable that they do have the capacity to pump out real, fresh cotton candy.
Eventually we made our way through security with few problems, though they did change the regulations again so the plan that Neil and I had regarding our computers and thin neoprene sleeves was foiled. Anyway, none of us were wanded, which is really the most important thing.
Almost as soon as we were through security we noticed that our flight was delayed, something that we were surprised that the check-in desk staff didn't mention. Furthermore, based on information available on the arrivals and departures screens, it was clear that something was amiss, there was no way that our plane could arrive and then depart in the expected time frame.
We decided that with our extra time we would head to one of the restaurants in the secure area. We ended up sitting in the VLT zone. So not only where we about to watch drunken travelers pound down $6 singles, we were also able to watch many more people pump money into VLTs. What was amazing about the experience is that most of the machines were in use for the entire period of time that we were there. Only occasionally would a machine free up, and then it would be snapped up by another customer.
While watching the VLTers we ate our rather sub-par food and sent out a few rather detail sparse emails. Eventually, after maybe an hour and a half, we decided to move our operation to a coffee establishment so that we could access a larger table.
Once settled with our beverages and donuts all three of us attempted to do some school-related work. Rebecca was doing some course prep for a course see will be teaching in the Winter, I was trying to do some overdue grading, and Neil was doing some computer based stuff (and some reading). Not surprisingly, we weren't particularly productive in this setting. After only a few exams I packed it in.
Eventually we made our way to the waiting area for our flight. Amazingly, the airline was still insisting that the plane would be leaving at originally re-scheduled time, even though it was clear that the plane we were to be catching still had not landed and was really even likely to be that close.
When the plane eventually did land we were able to board quite quickly, and after a quick trip to the de-icing station we were off. Only once the plan started moving did those of us in row 7 (Rebecca, Neil, me, and a guy named Justin) realized that we were sitting right next to the propellors. This was somewhat of an intimidating and loud position to find one's self.
Fortunately, I had a very pleasant chat with Justin, a St. Mary's University student from Newfoundland. Sitting next to him made the flight go much more quickly and pleasantly than it would have otherwise.
We eventually landed in St. John's, a few hours later than expected, we found that it was raining quite heavily and windy (not exactly my favourite December weather). Fortunately, the car wasn't too far away and we were soon on the road.
The other fortunate thing is that my mother had prepared dinner so we didn't have to wait a particularly long time to get food after we had returned.
Though I have managed to really stretch this post to several hundred words, it was generally a pretty uneventful, pleasant trip.
When we left yesterday we started our trip with a cab to the airport. Three things were quite memorable about the cab ride. The first was the the cab was much colder than most cabs. While I didn't find this to be a problem, it did really stand out. Secondly, both Neil and I likely fell asleep for some portion of the ride out (Neil was in the back with Rebecca and I was in the front). Apparently we both feel asleep at approximately the same time and then woke up at about the same time. Rebecca was observant enough to notice that my quick glance down as I was waking up was to check for drool. I really hoped that I hadn't drooled on the seatbelt while I was sleeping (and I hadn't).
Once we got to the airport we made our way to the Porter check-in area. Unfortunately we encountered an employee who was new to the position, and thus rather slow and cumbersome. Anyway, without too many problems we managed to check our bags, pick up two free newspapers, and be on our way.
Once we had checked in we made a brief detour to the arrivals section of the airport to visit the ATM. While in the general area Rebecca and Neil spotted a fresh cotton candy vending machine and decided to go for it. While I was a little bit skeptical about the whole thing, I was glad to see the machine in operation (and that it wasn't my money that had initiated the process).
[Embedded Video]
As you can see, the machine seems to have really done its job well. I think that we were all surprised that it was a full-sized cotton candy serving for much less than one might pay at fair/street food booth. So if you see one of these you should feel comfortable that they do have the capacity to pump out real, fresh cotton candy.
Eventually we made our way through security with few problems, though they did change the regulations again so the plan that Neil and I had regarding our computers and thin neoprene sleeves was foiled. Anyway, none of us were wanded, which is really the most important thing.
Almost as soon as we were through security we noticed that our flight was delayed, something that we were surprised that the check-in desk staff didn't mention. Furthermore, based on information available on the arrivals and departures screens, it was clear that something was amiss, there was no way that our plane could arrive and then depart in the expected time frame.
We decided that with our extra time we would head to one of the restaurants in the secure area. We ended up sitting in the VLT zone. So not only where we about to watch drunken travelers pound down $6 singles, we were also able to watch many more people pump money into VLTs. What was amazing about the experience is that most of the machines were in use for the entire period of time that we were there. Only occasionally would a machine free up, and then it would be snapped up by another customer.
While watching the VLTers we ate our rather sub-par food and sent out a few rather detail sparse emails. Eventually, after maybe an hour and a half, we decided to move our operation to a coffee establishment so that we could access a larger table.
Once settled with our beverages and donuts all three of us attempted to do some school-related work. Rebecca was doing some course prep for a course see will be teaching in the Winter, I was trying to do some overdue grading, and Neil was doing some computer based stuff (and some reading). Not surprisingly, we weren't particularly productive in this setting. After only a few exams I packed it in.
Eventually we made our way to the waiting area for our flight. Amazingly, the airline was still insisting that the plane would be leaving at originally re-scheduled time, even though it was clear that the plane we were to be catching still had not landed and was really even likely to be that close.
When the plane eventually did land we were able to board quite quickly, and after a quick trip to the de-icing station we were off. Only once the plan started moving did those of us in row 7 (Rebecca, Neil, me, and a guy named Justin) realized that we were sitting right next to the propellors. This was somewhat of an intimidating and loud position to find one's self.
Fortunately, I had a very pleasant chat with Justin, a St. Mary's University student from Newfoundland. Sitting next to him made the flight go much more quickly and pleasantly than it would have otherwise.
We eventually landed in St. John's, a few hours later than expected, we found that it was raining quite heavily and windy (not exactly my favourite December weather). Fortunately, the car wasn't too far away and we were soon on the road.
The other fortunate thing is that my mother had prepared dinner so we didn't have to wait a particularly long time to get food after we had returned.
Though I have managed to really stretch this post to several hundred words, it was generally a pretty uneventful, pleasant trip.
Monday, October 05, 2009
The results you have all been waiting for
A few days ago I posted a survey that I requested our readers complete to help me learn about the motivations for an upcoming trip that my grandmother, mother, and sister will be taking. The second half of the survey dealt with where and how we should celebrate my upcoming convocation.
I have given people a few days to answer and response numbers seem to have stabilized so I am not ready to release the results. Also, it took me a little while for me to arrange with Rebecca to have her create appropriate visual representations of the survey responses.
Question 1
1. My mother, grandmother, and sister will be arriving in Halifax in a few weeks for a period of time that coincides with my MA convocation ceremony, and also happens to be less than two months after Neil and Rebecca eloped in Las Vegas. Given these details, what seems to be the most likely reason for this travel?
Responses:
These three people are wedding crazy and want to see the bride and groom to celebrate the recent wedding (the convocation story is just a cover for their real intentions).
6.5%
The convocation and wedding are both motivating factors for the trip, though the wedding will be the cause of more celebrating and gifts than the convocation.
41.9%
The convocation is the sole reason for the trips as it symbolizes a real accomplishment, whereas the wedding was just a relatively sterile legal ceremony that doesn't merit celebration.
25.8%
The real reason was that all three women really just wanted to come to Canada's party capital, Halifax, for a crazy weekend on the town.
25.8%
Visualization:
Analysis:
I was very satisfied with these results as they basically confirm my position. Clearly the wedding, along with the convocation, were motivating factors for the trip. To suggest that the wedding did not play a part in the decision-making process would seem to be unfounded, certainly if we trust these results.
Question 2
It is likely that at least one celebratory meal can be expected during the aforementioned visit. Where should we go for such a meal?
Responses:
Saege - Not only is it where we went for Neil's convocation, but is also, arguably, nice.
32.3%
Cousins - The menu includes most of the classic North American meat dishes and most meals also include a serving of Jello and a roll.
12.9%
McDonald's - Inexpensive, quick service, and unlikely to be overrun with other celebrants.
35.5%
An apartment cooked meal - Would allow for more meat per person than any of the restaurants (and the meal could include carrot sticks if we wanted it to).
19.4%
Visualization:
Analysis:
The responses to this question definitely surprised me. I certainly didn't expect that McDonald's would receive as much support as it did (given that this was a convocation meal). I was pleasantly surprised to see how much support the home cooked meal had, though it turned out to be insufficient. Anyway, the good news is that I am not bound by these responses as that would mean that I couldn't go to the restaurant that I subsequently decided upon.
I have given people a few days to answer and response numbers seem to have stabilized so I am not ready to release the results. Also, it took me a little while for me to arrange with Rebecca to have her create appropriate visual representations of the survey responses.
Question 1
1. My mother, grandmother, and sister will be arriving in Halifax in a few weeks for a period of time that coincides with my MA convocation ceremony, and also happens to be less than two months after Neil and Rebecca eloped in Las Vegas. Given these details, what seems to be the most likely reason for this travel?
Responses:
These three people are wedding crazy and want to see the bride and groom to celebrate the recent wedding (the convocation story is just a cover for their real intentions).
6.5%
The convocation and wedding are both motivating factors for the trip, though the wedding will be the cause of more celebrating and gifts than the convocation.
41.9%
The convocation is the sole reason for the trips as it symbolizes a real accomplishment, whereas the wedding was just a relatively sterile legal ceremony that doesn't merit celebration.
25.8%
The real reason was that all three women really just wanted to come to Canada's party capital, Halifax, for a crazy weekend on the town.
25.8%
Visualization:
Analysis:
I was very satisfied with these results as they basically confirm my position. Clearly the wedding, along with the convocation, were motivating factors for the trip. To suggest that the wedding did not play a part in the decision-making process would seem to be unfounded, certainly if we trust these results.
Question 2
It is likely that at least one celebratory meal can be expected during the aforementioned visit. Where should we go for such a meal?
Responses:
Saege - Not only is it where we went for Neil's convocation, but is also, arguably, nice.
32.3%
Cousins - The menu includes most of the classic North American meat dishes and most meals also include a serving of Jello and a roll.
12.9%
McDonald's - Inexpensive, quick service, and unlikely to be overrun with other celebrants.
35.5%
An apartment cooked meal - Would allow for more meat per person than any of the restaurants (and the meal could include carrot sticks if we wanted it to).
19.4%
Visualization:
Analysis:
The responses to this question definitely surprised me. I certainly didn't expect that McDonald's would receive as much support as it did (given that this was a convocation meal). I was pleasantly surprised to see how much support the home cooked meal had, though it turned out to be insufficient. Anyway, the good news is that I am not bound by these responses as that would mean that I couldn't go to the restaurant that I subsequently decided upon.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 313
-We are in the midst of another rainy day in Halifax. Hopefully the thundershowers that have been predicted don't actually make it to town.
-I was able to attend the MUN fundraising dinner at Pier 21 last night. As I mentioned previously, the guest speaker was to be Gwynne Dyer, a Newfoundlander and MUN alumnus.
While I knew that Rick Hillier, MUN's Chancellor, was to be there, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the acting President, Eddy Campbell, was also in attendance, as was the Direct of the School of Pharmacy. I was also very pleased that I ended up seated next to the only person at the event that I knew (someone from Neil's elementary school class who is presently a Dal student).
Dyer's talk was about the likely negative impact of climate change. While I didn't necessarily agree with everything in the talk, I did agree with the general thrust of the argument (or certainly the over-arching goal of the talk), which is that humans are having a negative environmental impact and need to change their ways quickly.
Given that I am in the middle of a book on G.K. Chesterton, who was frequently sought as a public speaker (though on slightly different topics), it was fun to be privy to a similar experience. In general I get the sense that this tradition is fading to some extent. I don't know how many of my peers would be interested in hearing a freelance thinker/writer expound on whichever topic suit them. Though maybe part of the problem is that we no longer have as many people who write so prolifically on such a range of topics that they would be able to engage in such activities.
The more I think about it, the more I think it would quite fun to see the equivalent of a G.B. Shaw vs. G.K. Chesterton public debate. The problem is that I have no idea who the two debaters would be.
-My uncle is scheduled to arrive this afternoon for a visit. At the moment we haven't scheduled many activities, actually I don't think that we have scheduled much of anything. About as far as we have gone in the planning process is to discuss what we would be having for dinner tonight and how we would go about procuring beer (two somewhat important topics given the guest).
-In about half an hour I need to head to Dal. I am really hoping that the rain has subsided by then. Sitting around while wet is something I don't particularly enjoy.
(I was going to say "there are few things I like less" until I realized that there are likely many things that I like less, or dislike more.)
-I was able to attend the MUN fundraising dinner at Pier 21 last night. As I mentioned previously, the guest speaker was to be Gwynne Dyer, a Newfoundlander and MUN alumnus.
While I knew that Rick Hillier, MUN's Chancellor, was to be there, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the acting President, Eddy Campbell, was also in attendance, as was the Direct of the School of Pharmacy. I was also very pleased that I ended up seated next to the only person at the event that I knew (someone from Neil's elementary school class who is presently a Dal student).
Dyer's talk was about the likely negative impact of climate change. While I didn't necessarily agree with everything in the talk, I did agree with the general thrust of the argument (or certainly the over-arching goal of the talk), which is that humans are having a negative environmental impact and need to change their ways quickly.
Given that I am in the middle of a book on G.K. Chesterton, who was frequently sought as a public speaker (though on slightly different topics), it was fun to be privy to a similar experience. In general I get the sense that this tradition is fading to some extent. I don't know how many of my peers would be interested in hearing a freelance thinker/writer expound on whichever topic suit them. Though maybe part of the problem is that we no longer have as many people who write so prolifically on such a range of topics that they would be able to engage in such activities.
The more I think about it, the more I think it would quite fun to see the equivalent of a G.B. Shaw vs. G.K. Chesterton public debate. The problem is that I have no idea who the two debaters would be.
-My uncle is scheduled to arrive this afternoon for a visit. At the moment we haven't scheduled many activities, actually I don't think that we have scheduled much of anything. About as far as we have gone in the planning process is to discuss what we would be having for dinner tonight and how we would go about procuring beer (two somewhat important topics given the guest).
-In about half an hour I need to head to Dal. I am really hoping that the rain has subsided by then. Sitting around while wet is something I don't particularly enjoy.
(I was going to say "there are few things I like less" until I realized that there are likely many things that I like less, or dislike more.)
Thursday, December 18, 2008
It has been such a long time
Neil, Rebecca and I managed to make our way back from Halifax to St. John's on Tuesday.
A few weeks before our departure from Halifax we realized that with three of us traveling it would be as cheap to take a taxi to the airport as it would be for all three of us pay bus fares. Anyway, it turned out that that is what we did when the appropriate time arrived.
The taxi worked out quite nicely and we were able to make it to the airport in no time. It seems that leaving at about 9:00 AM is a pretty good time to leave as there is very little traffic heading out of time at that time of day.
Because our taxi ride only took about 30 minutes were arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Almost immediately after checking in and going through security we purchased some drinks and snacks and secured a table. Almost as soon as we were seated we proceeded to break out the cards and play a game of hearts. Within about a hand it was clear that I was playing poorly and taking far too many points. Not surprisingly, I was smoked in no time.
After our game of hearts we moved to the area near our gate and staked out a few seats. Soon after arriving in the new location Neil and I decided to play another card game. After a few suggestions we came up with War. As we were about to start we decided to modify the game by adding some elements from Cribbage, making the game Cribbage war.
Some of the modifications included that if the sum of the cards was 15 the win would go to the person who played the lower card and if two suited cards were played, and one of them was the jack, the trick was won by the jack. Eventually we modified even these rules so that jacks would only win if the cards were suited and we gave the winner the option to decline the cards (so you didn't have to take the 2 that you took with your 3). The other modification that we added, based on cribbage, was to have aces be low, so there value dropped rather significantly.
Anyway, even with these rules in place the game was still rather slow and tedious. We managed to keep the game going for the rest of our wait in the waiting area, through the pre-departure time on the the plane, during take-off, and through about half of the flight (before Neil eventually won). We then played again and I won (this second game was much shorter).
Playing war for about two hours really made things go quite quickly. Almost before I knew it we were in St. John's and waiting for our luggage. Though the luggage area was maggoty with travelers it didn't take us too long to get our bags. Almost as soon as we had our bags in hand we found Rebecca's Father and made our way to his car. Within another 10 minutes or so we were home.
As we returned home I was surprised to find my mother and father waiting for us. Almost as soon we were through the front door my mother asked if we would like some soup and muffins. As I hadn't eaten all day (as is frequently my practice when traveling) I was quite grateful to have such ready access to food. Furthermore, the food was really quite tasty. The soup was homemade chicken rice soup and the partridgeberry muffins were still warm (and seemed to have extra fruit).
Since my arrival I haven't been as productive as I might have liked, though I can't say that I am too surprised. Coming home for Christmas doesn't seem to be a time for great productivity, though I do really need to take care of a few things in the coming days.
A few weeks before our departure from Halifax we realized that with three of us traveling it would be as cheap to take a taxi to the airport as it would be for all three of us pay bus fares. Anyway, it turned out that that is what we did when the appropriate time arrived.
The taxi worked out quite nicely and we were able to make it to the airport in no time. It seems that leaving at about 9:00 AM is a pretty good time to leave as there is very little traffic heading out of time at that time of day.
Because our taxi ride only took about 30 minutes were arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Almost immediately after checking in and going through security we purchased some drinks and snacks and secured a table. Almost as soon as we were seated we proceeded to break out the cards and play a game of hearts. Within about a hand it was clear that I was playing poorly and taking far too many points. Not surprisingly, I was smoked in no time.
After our game of hearts we moved to the area near our gate and staked out a few seats. Soon after arriving in the new location Neil and I decided to play another card game. After a few suggestions we came up with War. As we were about to start we decided to modify the game by adding some elements from Cribbage, making the game Cribbage war.
Some of the modifications included that if the sum of the cards was 15 the win would go to the person who played the lower card and if two suited cards were played, and one of them was the jack, the trick was won by the jack. Eventually we modified even these rules so that jacks would only win if the cards were suited and we gave the winner the option to decline the cards (so you didn't have to take the 2 that you took with your 3). The other modification that we added, based on cribbage, was to have aces be low, so there value dropped rather significantly.
Anyway, even with these rules in place the game was still rather slow and tedious. We managed to keep the game going for the rest of our wait in the waiting area, through the pre-departure time on the the plane, during take-off, and through about half of the flight (before Neil eventually won). We then played again and I won (this second game was much shorter).
Playing war for about two hours really made things go quite quickly. Almost before I knew it we were in St. John's and waiting for our luggage. Though the luggage area was maggoty with travelers it didn't take us too long to get our bags. Almost as soon as we had our bags in hand we found Rebecca's Father and made our way to his car. Within another 10 minutes or so we were home.
As we returned home I was surprised to find my mother and father waiting for us. Almost as soon we were through the front door my mother asked if we would like some soup and muffins. As I hadn't eaten all day (as is frequently my practice when traveling) I was quite grateful to have such ready access to food. Furthermore, the food was really quite tasty. The soup was homemade chicken rice soup and the partridgeberry muffins were still warm (and seemed to have extra fruit).
Since my arrival I haven't been as productive as I might have liked, though I can't say that I am too surprised. Coming home for Christmas doesn't seem to be a time for great productivity, though I do really need to take care of a few things in the coming days.
Monday, October 06, 2008
A Few Quick Notes 230
-We had another nice day today. The sky was clear and the temperature pleasant. The only problem was that I didn't get enough of a chance to experience it from the outdoors.
-I am glad that Neil picked up on our 2nd anniversary, otherwise I would have completely missed it. It seems hard to believe that it was two years ago that this started (and that we haven't really gotten any better but have continued to keep at it). Strange that our 2nd anniversary and 500th post happened so close to each other. I wonder what the second anniversary gift is and if it is considered standard to give one to one's blogging partner on such occasions?
-It seems that today also happens to be the anniversary of Alexander Keith's birth (commonly called his birthday). To celebrate the brewery/beer baring his name hosted a concert headlined by Wintersleep. While I didn't manage to attend the show I was able to hear some of it from my window. Unfortunately, I think that I managed to hear the opening acts but not Wintersleep, thus continuing my run of opportunities to hear them play live that I have missed.
-My father is in town so we were able to take a trip to a shopping district on the edge of town. Unfortunately, I didn't end up buying a filing cabinet as I intended to. It seems that they were a little more expensive than I would have liked. I was able to buy a few other office-type supplies, which was nice. Were were also able to make a stop at a club store to pick a few groceries. The most impressive purchase might be the pork loin for $23 (which I then ended up carrying in by flopping it over my shoulder).
-I am glad that Neil picked up on our 2nd anniversary, otherwise I would have completely missed it. It seems hard to believe that it was two years ago that this started (and that we haven't really gotten any better but have continued to keep at it). Strange that our 2nd anniversary and 500th post happened so close to each other. I wonder what the second anniversary gift is and if it is considered standard to give one to one's blogging partner on such occasions?
-It seems that today also happens to be the anniversary of Alexander Keith's birth (commonly called his birthday). To celebrate the brewery/beer baring his name hosted a concert headlined by Wintersleep. While I didn't manage to attend the show I was able to hear some of it from my window. Unfortunately, I think that I managed to hear the opening acts but not Wintersleep, thus continuing my run of opportunities to hear them play live that I have missed.
-My father is in town so we were able to take a trip to a shopping district on the edge of town. Unfortunately, I didn't end up buying a filing cabinet as I intended to. It seems that they were a little more expensive than I would have liked. I was able to buy a few other office-type supplies, which was nice. Were were also able to make a stop at a club store to pick a few groceries. The most impressive purchase might be the pork loin for $23 (which I then ended up carrying in by flopping it over my shoulder).
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Activities that someone could do while in New York
People go to New York all the time, sometimes I even know some of
these people. Typically I don't tend to make too many suggestions
about what these people might consider doing while there because I
feel as though it is an easy place to find things to do. In this
case, as a co-worker got me thinking about the topic I feel as though
I should toss a few such suggestions out.
these people. Typically I don't tend to make too many suggestions
about what these people might consider doing while there because I
feel as though it is an easy place to find things to do. In this
case, as a co-worker got me thinking about the topic I feel as though
I should toss a few such suggestions out.
-Ride in the front window of a front car of a 7 train as it travels on
an elevated section of the track in Queens. This is a pretty neat
experience as you get to see the scenery approaching directly. The
only problem with this is that I think that they have finally removed
all of the old red cars from this line, these had particularly good
viewing set ups.
-Visit the famous branch of the New York Public library on 42nd
street. The main reason for me wanting someone to visit this site is
so they can tell me about it, I only ever got around to visiting a
special exhibit and didn't once see even so much as a reading room.
-Pick up a free copy of the Onion from a curbside distribution box.
This is both free and fun. If things are as they were in 2003 one has
to be quick to pick one of these up for they will all be taken by the
NYU hipsters. If I recall correctly this publication actually had
pretty good event listings and reviews in the A/V section.
-Eat some street meat (or at least a pretzel). One just can't find as
wide a range of street foods in most Canadian cities. Even more
impressive that the breadth of menu selections is that many of the
dishes are both complex and tasty.
-Sink a boat in the Central Park model boat basin. Most people try to
sail boats in this facility, to sink a boat is much more unique (and
somewhat more challenging).
-Visit the business section of the Citicorp building Barnes and Noble.
In 2003, and presumably through to today, this section was the
store's specialty area and one of the strongest collections of
business related publications in any bookstore in the city.
-Walk around in complete silence while surrounded by millions of
people. This has long been on my of favourite ways to spend a fall
afternoon in New York. My preferred route is along fifth avenue from
mid-town to the Central Park region.
-Head to the Pathmark on 125th to find great grocery deals. Not only
does this store have better prices than those stores in the mid-town
area, they also tend to have a much better selection.
-Go to the opera. Why go to a Broadway show when you could see the
real thing at the Metropolitan Opera? If I recall correctly, going to
the opera is significantly cheaper than going to a Broadway show, why
this is I have no idea.
-Attend an off-off-Broadway play that you found through the Village
Voice. While it is possible that you might pick a dud, this approach
does guarantee that you will end up with a story of some sort. In the
one instance that I did this I had a great time. My cousin Laura and
I ended up seeing a version of Moby Dick for about $10 in a 70 person
theatre.
-Listen to WNYC. While one can listen to WNYC online it is a much
more satisfying experience to know that while you are listening you
are in the core listening area and listening through the transmission
of radio waves.
I guess there must be other things to do while New York, but I
certainly didn't spend time doing them (aside from the occasional trip
to the grocery store).
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
'Round the Bay and back
On the weekend I took a day trip with Greg and Nikita to visit a number of communities in the Northwest Avalon region, that is after we made a quick trip South to visit Witless Bay.
Unfortunately, or visit to Witless Bay was less successful than desired. The friend we were hoping to visit hadn't yet returned from a trip to town. After a exploration of the property we ended up leaving, actually just as the owner was heading out from St. John's.
The next destination was 'Trinity,' though this was somewhat confused because we didn't have map in the car. Two of us thought that going to 'Trinity' meant leaving the Avalon and heading out past Clarenville, while the third person thought that it meant turning off towards Harbour Grace.
Once we had basically sorted out that we weren't going to the town of Trinity, but a town on Trinity bay our navigational confusion was lessened. At about the time were managed to clarify the supposed destination we happened to be approaching the picturesque town of Dildo.
Not surprisingly, there was unanimous agreement that we take a side trip down to Dildo. As we approached the town we stopped to take pictures of all kinds of signs with the name of the town on them. The highway sign that simply read 'Dildo' with an arrow below was one of the more amusing of these signs. Another particularly good sign was one for a local gift shop. Aside from the name of the business, the sign also had an image of a wooden statue of a man dressed in fishing garb with a sign that had the words 'Captain Dildo.'
Though it might be a sign of our collective sophomoric sense of humour, each of these instances of the name 'Dildo' caused us to laugh and generally behave as though we were 10 and hearing about matters sexual for the first time.
After a quick trip through town, with a stop at the Captain Dildo statue, we returned to the main road and continued on our trip. Within a few minutes we reached the metropolis of Islington.
Almost as soon as we arrived in town Nikita pointed out her grandmother's house (which was the day's destination). We pulled into the driveway and went up to meet her uncle, who was working in the garage.
Soon afterwards we made our way into the house and were introduced to Nikita's grandparents. After a few minutes of pleasantries Greg and I headed out to explore the region. Fortunately, before we left Nikita's grandmother was kind enough to warn us about the perils of driving around in the town. This was great. Most people wouldn't have been so concerned about our ability to get lost, something that is inherently difficult when there is only one road.
Anyway, we were soon back on the road and heading North. We eventually made it through all three of the 'Heart's' towns (Delight, Desire, and Content) before driving back through town and then out the other side.
Soon after we again departed town we noticed a warehouse like building on the edge of town. As we didn't really have any particular plans we decided to get out and see if we could figure out what it was. My initial thought was that cages outside suggested that it might be a mink cage factory, but that was just because there were a bunch of cages outside.
Anyway, aside from the cages and metal mesh, there weren't really that many clues as to what the building was used for. At one point Greg decided to go around the building in one direction while I decided to go in the other direction. As I was heading back to the front of the building I heard a scream and some barking. Immediately I ran to the front of the building, which is where the noise was coming from. It soon became clear that the building wasn't abandoned, as we had suspected, but that it was occupied by a guard dog.
Fortunately the large yellowish dog, though loud and aggressive, was contained in a cage, thus preventing it from attacking Greg. Nonetheless, this gave us enough of a fright that we decided that the rest of the exploration could wait for another day.
Once back in town we stopped at the two stores and asked the workers what the building was used for. The employees in the second store were able to confirm that it was a mink cage factory, and that there was a mink farm just a little further up the street.
We then returned to pick up Nikita and started to make our way back to the Trans Canada Highway. As we were leaving town we rolled down our windows to help us find the mink farm. As inferred, it really did give off quite a smell, and that smell wasn't opulence and beauty.
Anyway, soon enough we were back on the highway and heading back towards town. It shouldn't have been so surprising, but traveling by highway was really much faster than the back roads route that we took to Islington.
Soon enough we were in Goobies, Newfoundland's most famous re-fueling station. As was expected of us, we stopped at the Irving restaurant for dinner. As usual, this was a pleasure, though the service was a little slower than we might have desired. A little bit more surprising was that the coffee, unlike the coffee served in many Newfoundland diners, was good.
Once we finished dinner we made our way across the parking lot to the the world famous Goobies moose. This moose is a life size statue of a moose made from some kind of metal frame and covered in an unidentifiable non-metallic material. Of course, as it is obligatory when it Goobies, we tried to climb the moose. It seems that age has not really changed my Goobies related activities.
Soon enough we were back on the road and heading down the final stretch of road before St. John's. As we entered town we remembered that earlier in the day we had discussed a possible trip to Fort Amherst. As none of us had any other plans we decided to just head straight over to the abandoned WWII site.
Like all of the other similar WWII ruins in the area, this one causes me to feel something that I haven't quite figured out. Seeing them now, with no ceilings and rusting hulks that used to be guns, makes it hard for me to imagine them as they must have been in when they were operation encampments.
From the former WWII site we made our way to the local chain bookstore. After an extended period of browsing and and several impulse-buy close calls we check out. I was then dropped off back at home, where I had started the journey about 10 hours earlier.
Unfortunately, or visit to Witless Bay was less successful than desired. The friend we were hoping to visit hadn't yet returned from a trip to town. After a exploration of the property we ended up leaving, actually just as the owner was heading out from St. John's.
The next destination was 'Trinity,' though this was somewhat confused because we didn't have map in the car. Two of us thought that going to 'Trinity' meant leaving the Avalon and heading out past Clarenville, while the third person thought that it meant turning off towards Harbour Grace.
Once we had basically sorted out that we weren't going to the town of Trinity, but a town on Trinity bay our navigational confusion was lessened. At about the time were managed to clarify the supposed destination we happened to be approaching the picturesque town of Dildo.
Not surprisingly, there was unanimous agreement that we take a side trip down to Dildo. As we approached the town we stopped to take pictures of all kinds of signs with the name of the town on them. The highway sign that simply read 'Dildo' with an arrow below was one of the more amusing of these signs. Another particularly good sign was one for a local gift shop. Aside from the name of the business, the sign also had an image of a wooden statue of a man dressed in fishing garb with a sign that had the words 'Captain Dildo.'
Though it might be a sign of our collective sophomoric sense of humour, each of these instances of the name 'Dildo' caused us to laugh and generally behave as though we were 10 and hearing about matters sexual for the first time.
After a quick trip through town, with a stop at the Captain Dildo statue, we returned to the main road and continued on our trip. Within a few minutes we reached the metropolis of Islington.
Almost as soon as we arrived in town Nikita pointed out her grandmother's house (which was the day's destination). We pulled into the driveway and went up to meet her uncle, who was working in the garage.
Soon afterwards we made our way into the house and were introduced to Nikita's grandparents. After a few minutes of pleasantries Greg and I headed out to explore the region. Fortunately, before we left Nikita's grandmother was kind enough to warn us about the perils of driving around in the town. This was great. Most people wouldn't have been so concerned about our ability to get lost, something that is inherently difficult when there is only one road.
Anyway, we were soon back on the road and heading North. We eventually made it through all three of the 'Heart's' towns (Delight, Desire, and Content) before driving back through town and then out the other side.
Soon after we again departed town we noticed a warehouse like building on the edge of town. As we didn't really have any particular plans we decided to get out and see if we could figure out what it was. My initial thought was that cages outside suggested that it might be a mink cage factory, but that was just because there were a bunch of cages outside.
Anyway, aside from the cages and metal mesh, there weren't really that many clues as to what the building was used for. At one point Greg decided to go around the building in one direction while I decided to go in the other direction. As I was heading back to the front of the building I heard a scream and some barking. Immediately I ran to the front of the building, which is where the noise was coming from. It soon became clear that the building wasn't abandoned, as we had suspected, but that it was occupied by a guard dog.
Fortunately the large yellowish dog, though loud and aggressive, was contained in a cage, thus preventing it from attacking Greg. Nonetheless, this gave us enough of a fright that we decided that the rest of the exploration could wait for another day.
Once back in town we stopped at the two stores and asked the workers what the building was used for. The employees in the second store were able to confirm that it was a mink cage factory, and that there was a mink farm just a little further up the street.
We then returned to pick up Nikita and started to make our way back to the Trans Canada Highway. As we were leaving town we rolled down our windows to help us find the mink farm. As inferred, it really did give off quite a smell, and that smell wasn't opulence and beauty.
Anyway, soon enough we were back on the highway and heading back towards town. It shouldn't have been so surprising, but traveling by highway was really much faster than the back roads route that we took to Islington.
Soon enough we were in Goobies, Newfoundland's most famous re-fueling station. As was expected of us, we stopped at the Irving restaurant for dinner. As usual, this was a pleasure, though the service was a little slower than we might have desired. A little bit more surprising was that the coffee, unlike the coffee served in many Newfoundland diners, was good.
Once we finished dinner we made our way across the parking lot to the the world famous Goobies moose. This moose is a life size statue of a moose made from some kind of metal frame and covered in an unidentifiable non-metallic material. Of course, as it is obligatory when it Goobies, we tried to climb the moose. It seems that age has not really changed my Goobies related activities.
Soon enough we were back on the road and heading down the final stretch of road before St. John's. As we entered town we remembered that earlier in the day we had discussed a possible trip to Fort Amherst. As none of us had any other plans we decided to just head straight over to the abandoned WWII site.
Like all of the other similar WWII ruins in the area, this one causes me to feel something that I haven't quite figured out. Seeing them now, with no ceilings and rusting hulks that used to be guns, makes it hard for me to imagine them as they must have been in when they were operation encampments.
From the former WWII site we made our way to the local chain bookstore. After an extended period of browsing and and several impulse-buy close calls we check out. I was then dropped off back at home, where I had started the journey about 10 hours earlier.
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