Voting + Pictures + Work Stuff = Mixed Bag That Has No Witty Title To Go Along With It!

It's the weekend, which means (you guessed it) more pictures! This will be the last of the pics for a while, as I have posted all the pics that I had in my backlog. These latest pics came all from my new digital camera, so pics will be making a much more regular appearance on this blog, if not everytime I post!

As for this week, I voted in the federal election for the NDP (I changed my mind from the Greens due to the fact that the NDP stand a better chance at promoting a progressive agenda in the days ahead). Kaufman came in third, getting buried by the Conservative candidate (shocker of the century!!!)

I heard more about the Edmonton job on Thursday. It sounds like exciting work, and I can't wait until a timeline is drawn up for the project so I can get started!

Other than that, it's back to work tomorrow at the part-time job at Sportchek. It has been quiet lately, not surprising since nobody buys anything in January...

Downtown Cowtown

Last weekend, I went downtown for the first time since November. For anyone who hasn't been to Calgary, downtown is where it's at! Buildings going up everywhere, the Stephen Avenue Walk (last pic, just walk there on a chinook day at lunch, there's buskers, food vendors and lot and lots of people), as well as the +15. The +15 is a work of genius, allowing office workers to shop, eat lunch, and move about the downtown in comfort, even when it's -30c outside.

Nose Hill Park

One cool, cloudy Saturday afternoon, I was bored out of my skull, so I decided to go walking in Calgary's wilderness within a city, Nose Hill Park. Once you walk out of view of the parking lot, you enter a surreal landscape of endless rolling grasslands. It really does give you a sense of much needed isolation without leaving the city limits, as this town is getting more crowded with each passing day...

Skiing Is A Life-Affirming Experience That Everyone Needs To Try!

Over the holiday season, Janet, Shaun, and I headed out to Sunshine Village for a day of hurling ourselves down the side of some of highest mountains I've ever seen. The first pic was after I had crossed skis and nearly blew out my knee trying to uncross them. The rest of the day was fine, aside from the occassional fall from not skiing in over 8 years. I will be heading out there again soon after the situation concerning my possible job in Edmonton clears up!

Christmas in Calgary? Break Out The Shorts and The BBQ, Forget Turkey Dinner!

These are pictures from Christmas Day in Calgary. Temperature? 15 glorious degrees, with bright, plentiful sunshine! Yet, we still have people skating on the Hidden Valley rink, puddles and all! The top 3 photos show the excitement of gift-opening on Christmas morning (yes, that is the often-talked about "fireplace channel" in the third pic from the top).

Another Weekend, More Photos!

The photos below are from the week after I arrived in Calgary. The majority of them are from a road trip that myself, Dad, my sister Janet, and her fiance Shaun took out to Banff on the Saturday of that week.

As far as current events go, the Nortel interview is pending, and I may have another job prospect brewing up in Edmonton. If none of those pan out, Eastward to Ontario I will be heading!

Jimmy Explores Banff For The First Time, Gives 2 Enthusiastic Thumbs Up!

After Norquay, we headed to a trail which led to the Bow River in Banff. We walked past the rapids, which combined with the shadows of the nearby mountains, made for a cold and damp experience! We then went out to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory on Banff Avenue. Spaghetti entree + dessert for about $10, great deal! The coup de gras for the day was spending a hour in the Banff Hot Springs. If you follow this blog, you know how I like hot tubs, so I took to this pool like a fish to water! The cold fall air gave it the perfect contrast, making for a relaxing end to an eventful day...

The View From Norquay Mountain

For an extraordinary view of Banff and vicinity, Janet & Shaun took us up the road leading to the Norquay ski area. Halfway up the mountain, we got out of the car at a scenic viewpoint. I was not yet acclimitized to the elevation in this part of the country, so I was in the throes of altitude drunkeness (means I was light-headed, and my limbs were tingling pleasantly). The views of the Banff townsite were nothing short of spectacular. Walking out on the meadow before the severe dropoff was also an experience to remember, being so high up, yet so close to tumbling hundreds of metres to the base below.

Rocky Road Trip

On the Saturday of the week that my Dad spent in Calgary before flying home, we went out to the Rockies for a day of sightseeing. These pics were taken on the way out to Banff. The first one was just west of Cochrane, the second was approaching the Bow Valley prior to Canmore, and the last one is looking up at one of the Three Sisters. Beat the crap out of the Rockies in Montana, which were awesome enough in their own right!

Another Aitken Animal Invades Alberta

This photos were taken on the morning that we arrived at my sister's place in Calgary. I was officially in the heart of the Canadian West!

Western Trip Photos, At Long Last!

I've finally got off my behind and posted all the cross-continent trip photos from October 2005 for your enjoyment. Please feel free to leave comments, and I'll address them as soon as possible!

The Home Stretch

At the 1 week stage of our trip, we were finally within sight (1 1/2 hours sight) of our destination. At 7:30AM, with the moon still i the morning sky, we left Lethbridge for Cowtown. I was exhausted from our week-long oddessy, but it was ground-breaking in that I saw alot of territory that I had not seen before. Soon, with my career plans shifting, I may see them yet again, very soon!

The Great State Of Montana: Butte To Great Falls

No comments required, other than if you're near this corner of the world, just drive this section of I-15 from Butte to Great Falls. You won't regret it!

The Great State Of Montana: Billings To Butte

Pic 1: Approaching the Rockies west of Billings.

Pic 2: The Missouri River again, near its headwaters.

Pic 3: Livingston (I think), Montana's downtown. Nice!

Pic 4: Driving through a mountain pass near Bozeman, Montana.

Pic 5: The city of Butte after crossing the Continental Divide.

Welcome To Big Sky Country

We then entered the final U.S. state on our Western journey: Montana. This is gigantic state, only bested by Texas, California, New York, and Alaska I believe. The second pic heralds our arrival in Billings, the state's largest city. Beyond layed the majesty of the Montanan Rockies...!

More Wyoming (Told You It Was Desolate)

As Day 6 dawned, we were awed at the beauty and emptiness of Northeastern Wyoming. Indeed, one of the few mostly wild, untouched areas of our world...

Wyoming: Where The Cattle Outnumber People

As Day 5 died, we made our way into Wyoming, the most desolate state on our trip. Luckily, it wasn't winter, so we weren't threatened by the snowstorms that warrant the gates that keep you leaving town when the white stuff is coming down in these parts. Yup, that would a bad situation!

Mount Rushmore!

We made time on this day to visit Mount Rushmore. It was worth it! A spectcular view of the Prairie below, and a picture of what could be considered one of the Modern Wonders of The World. Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills were just the beginning, as we started to enter the Rocky Mountains...

More South Dakota

Lots more pics from South Dakota (one of the most surprising states on the trip). From the top:

Pic 1: Crossing the Missouri River, the dividing line between the good farming lands in the state, and the badlands where only cattle grazing is possible. Seriously, it changes like *that* as soon as you go across the bridge!

Pic 2: Prime ranching country, set against a Indian Summer sky. It was warm, around 17-18c on this day.

Pic 3: Where we ate lunch, in Central South Dakota. It was also a novelty museum, with all sorts of artifacts, but with nothing in particular that stands out when I think about it...

Pic 4: A slough, across from the gas station where I gassed up in the Mountain Time Zone for the first time ever. There's something really peaceful and comforting about gazing upon a sole spotch of water in the middle of many miles of arid prairie...

Pic 5: Ignore the repeat picture. I would have deleted it, except for the fact that Blogger deletes ALL pics on the page when you try to do that!

Pic 6: The rocky, craggy outcrops of the Badlands begin to appear in Western South Dakota. Farther to the south is Badlands National Park. We only had time for one park today (next post) though, so we skipped it...

Pic 7: Me squinting against the low Autumn sun. I think I was also in need of a Coke at the time, as I look rather cranky!

Into The West We Go

As Day 5 dawned, Dad and I set out across the flatness of the American prairie. The first pic displays wind turbines in far Southwestern Minnesota. More of these units should be distributed across these windswept lands, as much clean renewable energy can be reaped from this part of the country. At 9:30 AM, we passed into South Dakota. Notice the heavy morning traffic in picture 2. Yep, we were officially in the West now! Picture 3 is of a commonly reported roadside attraction, a wooden steer head in Eastern SD...

Midwest Sunset In All Its Glory

This was our stop for the night on Day 4. We booked a room at the Comfort Inn in Worthington, Minnesota, about an hour east of the border with South Dakota. We got beer from the Superamerica gas station in the background, and watched the ALCS between the White Sox and the Anaheim Angels (I forget what game it was). Afterwards, I soaked in the hot tub and swam in the pool. Relaxing end to a longggg day!

The Land Of 10,000 Lakes

We then entered Minnesota, the last state we travelled in on Day 4 of our journey. The rock formations along the Missisippi River were breathtaking, as were the hills as we descended into a town 10 miles off I-90 (last picture). This marked the beginning of the slow, continous climb towards the high prairies of the West. My ears must have popped a half a dozen times between the river crossing and Albert Lea, the next major centre in this desolate section of Minnesota. There are no pictures of the majority of the 300+ miles of Southern Minnesota because it is sooo flat and boring!

Hello Wisconsin!!!

Next up on our travels on Day 4 was the State of Wisconsin, home of That 70's Show. We didn't stop for any cheese, but we traveled across lots of farmland that are probably used for creating tons of the stuff! The latter pic is of a rock formation in an area known as the Wisconsin Dells. Overall, this was a very scenic state, kicking the arse of Minnesota, which was yet to come on this long day!

A Food Court With A View

These 2 pictures were taken from a rest area located north of Chicago on I-94. This was unique in that it was one that was situated that was positioned OVER the freeway! There was one like this one in New York (Dad actually got a trucker to honk for him! HI-larious!), but it didn't have food court seating over the highway. The sensation of eating Chinese food while a motherlode of traffic passes beneath you is otherworldly!

Jimmy Takes On The Windy City

At around 11 AM Central Time, we entered the great city of Chicago. It takes FOREVER to reach the downtown area of Chicago. The scene depicted in the first pic is the frame you see for about 20-30 minutes, with the distant skyscrapers slowly growing larger and larger with each passing minute. The second pic is of U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, 2005 World Series Champions! As we reached the downtown core, I quickly realized why being in the far left lane was a BAD idea. There were exit ramps from downtown streets that spit out cars with NO MERGE LANES. I quickly got over into the next lane, and my stress level decreased exponentially...!

Back On The Road For The Second Half Of The Great Western Road Trip!

These are some highlights from the morning portion of the drive on day 4. The first one is of a bunch of Corvettes apparently headed to a rally. Very cool! The second one is us passing into Indiana, and thus into the Central Time Zone, the first time I had entered another time zone other than the Eastern Time Zone...

The Weber Inn In Ann Arbor Gets 2 Thumbs Up From The Jimmy!

The hotel that we stayed at in Ann Arbor was rather sweet. Had an indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, a poolside bar, and a pool table. A jukebox was also available to use according to our musical whims, and this was all accessable from a sliding patio door from most of the rooms in the hotel. Spiraling staircases gave those on the upper floors access to the pool deck; we were on the ground floor, so we just had to walk outside, and BAM! there we were!

The hot tub experience was to be repeated in each motel that we stayed at for the rest of the trip, and it has been a habit that has stayed with me here in Calgary, through weekly trips to Cardell Place (recreation centre in North Calgary) and 2 visits to the Banff Hot Springs!

Nickel Tour of The Ford Rouge Plant

These are pictures from our whirlwind trip to the Ford Rouge facility in Dearborn, Michigan. I say "whirlwind" because I had to make it back to the bank to wire my money to my Canadian bank account (the debacle surrounding THAT is described in a earlier post back in October). We didn't get into the museum because construction confused me into missing my turn, which turned out to be a good thing, as I may have not made it back to A2 in time to do my bank transaction. It was HOT on this day for October, as temps hit 20c (70f) in Detroit. We had the AC cranked back in the hotel room for a while after that (for those who don't know, the AC in my car has been broken for a while!)

Return To Ann Arbor

We made this our short day, as we only traveled from Cleveland to Ann Arbor. I paid a visit to Humantech, reconnecting with colleagues who I had left behind only 1 1/2 months previously. The second pic illustrates the Canada Goose problem in this town. I wouldn't mind them much, if it weren't for the fact that they are noisy and notorious poop factories. One of them unloaded on my car. I was not too pleased with that!

Ride Through The Rain ... Day 2

This day was an exercise in stress, frustration, and rainy gloominess, as my Dad and I drove through one of the 21 days of continous rain that was afflicting New England and the Ohio Valley. Though even throughout this damp journey, there were photo opportunities that brightened up our minds. From the lumbering smoothness of the Hudson River in Upstate New York, to the the sun making an appearance just before setting in Central Ohio, it provided highlights in what was an otherwise uneventful day.

Motel 111 Re-Visited

At the motel we stayed at on the 1st night. The same place I stopped on the 2nd night of my Michigan trip. The cheap, no-frills Motel 111 in Biddeford, Maine! Yeah, I was as groggy as I looked! Breakfast food + some OJ from the Irving woke me up though, as a long day of driving was ahead of us both!

Maine: The Way Life Should Be

At about 3 pm (2 pm when we crossed the invisible line that is the Canada - U.S. border), we entered Maine. As I mentioned in the initial posting on my Westward journey, the passage across the border at McAdam was much more laid back than at St. Stephen 10 months previous. We then set out across the largely unpopulated expanse of Maine. Very beautiful landscape of trees and dark blue lakes, dominated by a large snow-capped mountain farther to the north (I tried to take a picture, but I was unsuccessful. Blah!)

Aaaand They're Off!

Driving on the Trans-Canada between Antigonish and New Glasgow, NS at 8 AM on October 12, 2005. As you can probably tell, I was raring to go! My recently retired father, who accompanied on my cross-country journey, took this picture.

The Chronicles Of Jimmy Present: Mr. Shannon's Career Outlook For the Year 2006!

Welcome to the first blog post of 2006 on The Chronicles of Jimmy! Yes, it was a good holiday season, with skiing at Sunshine Village, a good New Year's Party in the S.W., and plans for the first part of this year starting to formulate in my head.

Skiing was great, considering it was the first time in 8 years and only the third time ever that I've hit the slopes! The new, shorter parabolic skis make it so much easier to carve on the slopes, which was a good thing, sinec the green runs here are much harder than the ones back East. Seriously, the trail named "Green Run" is a sick joke designed to lure unsuspecting Easterners into doing what would be considered a solid blue run with portions of black diamond back home! I'm convinced of it!

As for the plans for the New Year, I will be moving out of my sister's house in Early February, after I have addressed the job prospects that I have in the pipeline. Depending on their success, I will be moving anywhere from an apartment or house here in the city, to Ontario or perhaps sunny L.A.!

If none of them pan out, and I am still ergo jobless by May, I will be moving to Canada's technology triangle, or to the supercities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, Ontario. This region is much more ergo-friendly, has plenty of economic growth (though not as high as Alberta of course), and lies within driving distance of Toronto, Windsor, and Ann Arbor, as well as within a short flying distance to Atlantic Canada.

Now to see how it pans out! Should be an interesting year to say the least...

P.S. I also scanned the last of my Michigan photos, along with commentary below. Enjoy!

This Is What 111,000 People Look Like (NOT A Typo!)

When I walked into the stadium, I had one of the those life-defining moments where your jaw just drops, and you just stand there in awe. A veritable sea of people lay before me, with varying hues of blue & gold, with surprisingly large splotches of crimson red. Within minutes of the game beginning, I understood why college football was such a big deal down here. Thousands upons thousands of people there to party and cheer their team on, listening to a band that played fight songs and popular songs with laser precision. Chants that boosted their squad, while uttering epithets that mocked their opposition. By the time the Wolverines had scored their first touchdown, I had morphed into an U of M student myself, if only for a day!

To summarize, this is something ALL sport fans have to experience before they croak. Just do it!

EDIT (10:16pm): Click on the pics to get a better idea of how massive the stadium was; move your cursor over the shrunk pic (something that newer versions of IE will do) and expand the pics to full size! Yup, it was crrrazzzy!

The Maize N' Blue Carnival (With A Slight Hint of Red)

After submitting my ticket at the gates, we ventured into the concourse at Michigan Stadium. Lots of stuff going on here, food vendors, memorabilia peddlers, and some Red Cross folks collecting donations for Hurricane Katrina relief. Having to witness the death, destruction, and carnage on the TV all week took its toll on me. I gave to the collectors, and later to the Canadian Red Cross via the web. When I have a steady job in the New Year, I will be giving more money to recovery efforts, as things really are still screwed beyond recognition down on the Gulf Coast, even 4 months on from the disaster.

But I digress.

If you think that's alot of people out on the concourse, wait until you see the next pic....

The Parking Lot Scene

The overflow parking lot at Michigan Stadium, where tailgaters were set up, drinking and eating as much as they could handle before venturing inside (alcohol is NOT served in the stadium, and food prices are outrageously high). I went to negotiate buying beers off some guys, and ended up getting brews for my whole crew for free. Great outcome, eh?

Tailgating At Kent's House

Tailgating before the first game of the U of Michigan football season with Mat, Kent, and Kevin ( who took the picture). We drank BBQ'ed, and listened to some bloody good tunes! We then joined the ever-thickening crowd of people walking down 7th st towards the Big House!

Kevin + Blue = Alcoholy Goodness!

A close up pic of Kev enjoying the favoured drink of Michiganders everywhere: Labbatt Blue! That's right, a Canadian beer in the heart of one of the most patriotic states in the U.S.! It sells for only $10 per case (12 beers, taxes + deposit), and it shares its colour with a certain college team around these parts...

More Good Friends Having Good Times!

More folks! From the left: Kent, who owns this house and was kind enough to take me in during the week-long gap between the end of my lease on the room in my summer house, and the time of my departure from Ann Arbor. He continues to assist me with my career, and is great friend whom I trust greatly. Cheers dude!

Next, we have Kevin, who was the intern who took my place for the Fall. I hope he had fun during the madness that is A2 in the Autumn, and with my future plans up in the air, I may end up meeting up with him again soon, if I end up in Kitchener-Waterloo, ON later this Spring (more on this in a future post).

The next guy is Blake, supremely smart guy and a Wolverine's fanatic! As per the scenario laid out in the above paragraph, I may have to catch a hockey or football game with him sometime in the near future!

Finally, we have Teresa, Kent's girlfriend. Nice person, a geologist I believe (just like twin sis!)

Farewell to Michigan, I Barely Knew Thee!

This is one of several pics from my final weekend in Ann Arbor. This was taken from the going away party held after my final Friday at work in the evening. Pictured is one of our accountants Roberta, and one of our newest consultants, fresh out of Waterloo (who knew!), Mat! Mat says cheers!

Briarwood Water Works

A picture of the big water fountain at the exact centre of Briarwood Mall, the largest shopping centre in Washtenaw County. It's much nicer in person, restoring a bit of sanity to an otherwise insane pace of life in this corner of the world.

NOT What It Looks Like!

I know what you're thinking, what in the hell is that? First things first. It's not a certain devil weed. But yes, that is a plant growing out of the baseboard in one of the bathrooms of my summer house in Ann Arbor! Gotta love slumlord housing, it gives you conversation pieces for anybody that you might have over on the weekend!

Americana

It didn't turn out perfectly, but here is a small example of me trying to improve my fledgling photography skills. This is a house on the street that I lived on this summer in Ann Arbor (Granger Ave). Lots of homes in the States have flags out on their porches as a way of demonstrating their love for their country. This was one of the better looking ones that I've seen, though there was one time that I wish I had my camera on me. I was in Dearborn visiting the Henry Ford Museum with a group of co-workers, as part of the events during our summer company meeting. On the way back to A2, we passed a street where every house had a flag, with near perfect symmetry. I have a digital camera now, so I won't be missing opportunities like that again!