The Chronicles of Jimmy

Personal Rundown of the 00's: From School To Becoming a Ski Bum

2010-01-05T17:15:00.008-07:00

Well 2010 and a new decade is upon us ... good Lord, time flies doesn't it? Seems like yesterday that the World and myself were ringing in the new Millennium, and thankfully putting the rifle down since the Y2K apocolypse rumours didn't come to pass (note: I didn't ACTUALLY have a rifle, lol)

From there to today, a look at the decade that was in my personal life:

2000-2001: Continue living the sweet (i.e. college) life ... ran for sports rep at Aitken House, and won! Huge thrill, and it marked a huge milestone in opening up socially

2002: Won the Man of Aitken Award ... to this day, it is still one of the most humbling experiences in my life.

2003: Graduate from UNB with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree ... Janet is able to make it up to my grad after I made it to hers the week before ... the most intense two weeks of celebration and partying in my life to this day!

Late 2003 - Spring 2004: First gig out of uni was working for an occupational therapy firm as a contract kinesiologist ... it was a learning experience, but for all the wrong reasons, went in promised $40/hr (rate was high due low hours of work in a given month), was reduced to $30/hr (!) at signing, asked no questions and blindly accepted. Work was thinner than expected and spaced out way too far over a 6 month period of employment.

Went in with caviar dreams, whereas I barely broke even after living on a shoestring over that period.

Rest of 2004: Rollercoaster. Searched for work all Spring from my home in Havre Boucher, which yielded nothing but a vandalized car window over 2 months (I had lived in the Crime Capital of Atlantic Canada for a half a year and nothing happened, but one month home and this happens ... lol rural crime!)

Then a big break ... my contacts put me in touch with the biggest ergonomics consulting firm in North America, Humantech. I got interviewed for a position as an intern ... and I was accepted later that afternoon ... stoked!

A cruel twist of fate struck the next month (August) ... four days before I was to leave for Michigan, I got axed due to souring economic conditions! Talk about a sucker punch to the gut!

I was just about to resign myself to the depressing career choice known as telemarketing, but I made a phone call in Oct 2004 on a hunch to Humantech to ask about intern hiring for the winter of 2005 ... turns out they were hiring and they asked if I wanted to come out to Michigan ... snap call, imo.

Jan 2005 - September 2005: Move to Michigan with the blue rocket (my Cavalier, which I still own btw) ... almost get stranded in a blizzard in NS the very first day of travel ... not a good start! I arrive alive though, settle in and turn heads with my work ethic. Days off consist of exploring Ann Arbor, and life in another country.

I find out Americans aren't the pompous jerks the Canadian media likes to make them out to be ... Midwesterners are friendly, honest and hardworking, and most would give you the shirt off their backs if you needed it. Also, the tax regime (despite the condition of the roads, crime outside A2, etc) rocks! First pay $500 gross ... after taxes $480 ... weeeee!!

I enjoy watching Michigan college sports when they are playing (hockey,baseball, football). Michigan hockey fans are vicious to the opposing team, they put us polite Canadians to shame ... oh and about Football ... I was part of the 4th largest crowd at the Big House ... 111,000 fans ... now that's a crowd!

Rest of 2005: Visited home for a month or so. Partied with the Aitken bros, then hanged at home to decide my next step ... Alberta it was! Untapped market for ergonomics, imo!

Head across the USA on an epic road trip with Dad, enroute to Calgary (the destination). Stayed at a posh hotel in Ann Arbor, saw the Great Plains, Mount Rushmore, great times!

Then I saw the Rockies for the first time in Montana; my soul has never been the same since.

I settle in at my sis' place in Cowtown. I try to search for a career in ergo ... I get leads, but no success. It's like my drive suddenly evaporated; at the time, I had no clue what could have caused it.

I get a Sunshine/Marmot card for Xmas from Janet ... we went skiing a few days later, and I was filled with a joy I hadn't known for 7 years (the last time I went skiing, in high school). I had to do it again, ASAP.

Winter 2006: Alas, it didn't materialize ... $$$ (isn't always about the $$$?) I continued to grind a retail job while I searched for that elusive ergo opportunity. Miraculously, I catch wind of a research opp based out of Edmonton. I jump at the chance, and zoom up the QE2 (aka the AlbertaBahn) to E-Town to set up shop.

May 2006 ... so far so good. I put together a research proposal for Mr. Gordon Lamont, the owner of a startup based out of Lloydminister, Alberta. Now, we just have to wait for the funding, and off to the races we go! ...

September 2006: meeting at NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology). Funding denied. F$#%. Now what?

I drift along in a job that is paying the bills and then some, but it quite hazardous. I work for an environmental cleanup company. We cleaned up a lake in the Spring that was polluted with crude oil, which was fulfilling, but then I worked with cleaning lead and asbestos in the Summer and Fall respectively. Money was good, and I was enjoying life on the weekends (Summer in Edmonton is sweeet, dry heat and long long evenings!), but I was starting to worry at night about the long term damage I was doing to myself.

2007: The dam breaks. I nearly get into a head-on collision with a semi during a storm; my old laptop melts down and catches fire at 3am in my bedroom. Two close calls in a month lead me to seriously question my direction in life for the first time ... by the end of Janaury, I had quit the environmental job.

By the end of February, I took a union job in a steel plant in Refinery Row. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but looking back, it was simply more of the same that led to my quarter life crisis ... but with benefits (life insurance, dennal plan, etc)!!!

Made some strides in my personal life though ... did something I meant to do since high school, I took up hockey (full gear, not pond/floor). Went from totally inept to playing well and contributing in my Aitken Alumni game one year later.

All winter/spring I battled to help save Aitken House from the Forces of Evil (i.e. Res Admin) ... with Aitken safe, we would have a 50th reunion to go to!!

In summer, I travelled to BC for the first time ... my love of mountains/hiking/being outdoors was cemented for good after this trip. The seed had been planted in my head and soul.

2008: Aitken Reunion. Ohmygod what an epic time! If I had felt disconnected to my Aitken family after being out of school for 5 years, this event re-strengthened the connection by a thousand times! Can't wait for 2013!!

Started to get restless in my steel plant job, despite rapidly escalating pay. I make more, but I don't save money, what's up with that? I start searching for a way out. MLM was my first attempt ... didn't work. Started up my ergo consulting business ... despite a small amount of success, I was spinning my wheels, getting nowhere.

Trapped in a dirty job that was not my calling in life. Trying to run a business that I didn't care about.

Eventually, the dam broke again.

I snap quit my job one Monday in August in a wave of emotion. This was it. Either ergonomics/kinesiology was going to work or it wasn't. Crunch time.

By the time late October rolled around, same old story. "Thanks for your interest. We think you're an outstanding candidate, but we have selected somebody else for the position." It would be easy to chalk this up to bad luck, but looking back, a lack of passion was present despite overabundant preparation and optimal performance at any of the 5 job interviews I had.

By now, the stock market had tanked and everybody was running around with their hair on fire screaming "The Sky is Falling!!!" No time for dreams. Back to Any Old Job.

I took a job with a paper recycling facility. But one month in, poking my eyes out with a dull pencil seemed to be more attractive option than heading in to work. This place was Hell, plain and simple. Instead of snap quitting though, I decided to turn this situation into an experiment. I was going to use this "Hell" to push myself into the life I truly wanted to lead. No comfort in this place, unlike the cushy Union gig that I had left 2 months prior.

2009: I needed a vacation from Dante's Inferno. Off to Jasper for 2 days/nights of skiing in mid January. Jasper in January (name of festival)? More like Jasper in April! Temperatures in the 5-10c range made for lousy snow, but the warmth made up for it! Sitting in the hot tub on top of the Whistler's Inn that night, I made up my mind: I was going to live here, come Hell or high water!

I dallied around though for the next 2-3 months though: what about the monnnnnneeeeyyyy?!! Having made $15+/hr over the last 3-4 years, I had a poverty complex to overcome first. As it turned out, most of my current expenses were essentially frivolous lifestyle BS. Secondly, the cost of living out there was much lower than my bloated Edmonton existence. Cost of rent + utilities in Edmonton? Close to $1000/mth! In Jasper, with staff accom? Around $400!

I finally started looking for work in Jasper in Early April, and to raise the stakes and commit myself, I put in my 2 weeks notice at Lucifer's Castle. First night of searching was in a hostel ... met lots of cool peeps from overseas, drank beer and swapped stories until 1 AM. Liking this already!

I continued the search via the net from home, having it complicated by my motherboard in my ACER laptop failing mid-month (!). Despite these difficulties, I land an interview with Becker's Chalets for a housekeeper position ... 5 minute call, and they hire me on the spot ... sweet! But I have an interview with Maligne Lake the next day ... if I succeed, I get to drive a boat for the summer and give tours. The next day, I get hired ... whoohoo!

I start disassembling my Edmonton life, passing the time by watching this new show I came across on OLN called Departures. After watching all of Season 2 twice over, I pledge that I will travel overseas once I save the $$$ needed to make it happen.

I arrive in Jasper, get settled, and begin the summer of a lifetime. 6 weeks of intense, stressful training later, I'm a boat captain (official Master limited certificate holder) ... who would have seen this coming 6 months prior??

Through the summer, I hike almost every bit of Frontcountry that Jasper National Park has to offer ... some time in Late July I had summited the Bald Hills and when I gazed upon the hidden valley on the other side, I was overcome with emotion; only it was positive instead of negative this time. I had went from a personal Hell to Heaven in less than one year.

To close out the decade, I am spending the winter working as a Food and Beverage employee at Marmot Basin (Jasper's ski resort). I am enjoying life as a ski bum, as I have gone from a marginal recreational blue skiier to a technically proficient skier comfortable skiing most black diamond runs. I am halfway to the minimum amount of $$$ needed to go on my overseas trip (South Korea, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand are on the menu), and I have never been happier.

What lies in store for me in the 10's? Online business (being an entrepreneur and location independence are essential to me), regular travel, and a home base in Canadian Rockies (Golden, Revelstoke, Canmore are potential settling spots presently) are some of the things that spring to mind.

In general however, I will be pursuing anything that excites me and creates happiness in my life and those I care about.

Happy 2010 everyone.

Master and Commander of the HMCS Ta Lana

2009-06-23T17:30:00.004-06:00

Well, after 2 stressful weeks, it's official ... I am now a Master (limited), certified by Transport Canada to pilot boats over 5 tonnes! This means I am a sea (err... lake) captain ... now I just need to find a pointy hat and a fake parrot and I'm set!

A Day In The Life Of A Newly Indocrinated Jasperite

2009-06-05T19:53:00.003-06:00

Since my last post, I have arrived in Jasper and have begun training at my new job. I will be conducting tours and driving boats for Maligne Tours this summer, on beautiful (now 99% ice-free!) Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park. It's been an intense 3 1/2 weeks thus far, learning about marine terminology, emergency procedures, how to actually drive the boat (doing that right now, steering it is a totally different experience than from driving a car!), and all about tour topics (history/ecology/geology/geography/etc).

Amid this, I've been living the Jasper Dream; to illustrate, I will run through my day yesterday:

7:45am: Just started my work schedule for the year, which means that today is my final day off before 4 workdays in a row. I'm up early on this day though to go have brunch at the Jasper Inn with co-workers (subsidized by Maligne, only have to pay $5) before they head off to the Lake.

8:15am: Have brunch. Brooke and company are wearing the company uni, which I also had received the day before (the pants are sweet, and so are the jackets!) Filled my boots with sausage, bacon, pancakes, fruit, etc etc....

9:00am: Head back to Cavell (my apartment building), fire up the laptop. Pour over e-mail and Facebook, then enter 4 0.25 cent poker tournaments on Pokerstars. Cash in two of them (4th and 2nd out of 45 runners) for a tidy $4 profit.

1:00pm: Head out for the afternoon, having lunch at the North Face Pizzaeria (bacon and onion pizza + pop for $9!). On the way, some Aussie tourists, not suspecting sprinklers due to a watering ban back home, cross a median, only to be accosted by the Automated Sprinkler System Of Death (hidden throughout municipal land in Jasper), looooool...!

2:25pm: Begin the mega-hike of the day ... Old Fort Point to Lake Annette. Ventured through the thinned forest (underway the past few years for fire safety) to Lac Beauvert, whereupon I ventured past the lush fairways and greens of the Jasper Park Lodge (JPL) golf course to the Lodge itself.

3:00pm: Wander through the Beauvert Promenade, the haute couture mall in the basement of JPL. I'm sure any decent shopping spree would finish off my bank account in about an hour. Nice stuff though...

3:30pm: Speaking of bank account depletion, I buy an ice cream sandwich (Oreo) at JPL ... for $4. Yay Jasper inflation!!

4:20pm: Make it to Lake Annette after hiking through more thinned forest. My God, what a sweet place! Lake is spring-fed, not glacial, and it's shallow, making it delightfully warm. Beach is short, but not narrow like other Alberta beaches, and the view of Pyramid Mtn, Whistler's Mtn, and Mount Edith Cavell made it a beach unlike any other that I've experienced.

5:30pm: Make it back home after re-aggravating my knee descending a steep slope (it's fine today). Start dinner, end up making an amazing pork chop with fried sweet onion/corn garnish, with a side of chicken-broth flavoured rice.

8:30pm: Go shoot hoops at the community park to rectify brutal performance playing 21 against friends that day before. I'll be back guys, look out for me!!!

9:45pm: Study my boat/tour manual, surf the net and hit the hay....

6 months ago, I would have never believed I would be living this well, yet here I am! If you want to change up your living environment, just do it. I did, and my life is day compared to the night of the previous year....!

For Those Who Haven't Heard...

2009-04-27T00:17:00.002-06:00

... I am moving to Jasper to work as a boat tour guide this summer, from Mid-May to Mid-October. I'm doing this as (1) I need a change of scenery in my life and (2) I'm looking to get into outdoor recreation as a career, as I have a great degree of passion for it, something that was missing with regard to ergonomics, or working as a kinesiologist in a clinic.

Should be fun, I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Jasper in January ... Or Is That April??

2009-01-24T14:57:00.003-07:00

Last weekend, I went skiing at Marmot Basin in Jasper. It was the first day of the Jasper in January festival, so while prices were cheap ($92 to stay @ Whistler's Inn in the heart of Jasper!), the crowds were out in force! It took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to pick up my rental (note to self: get rental in town next time!).

Once I got out on the hill though, it was all good though ... temps were well above zero (probably near +4 or +5 at the base by afternoon), and the snow was FAST! It was a little icy in the shadows, but that added to the challenge, and it made the experience alot more fun for myself.

Overall, aside from hitting the green runs to warm up the legs at the start of the day, I was primarily on the blues all weekend, including a couple shots at the Knob chair (highest and considered to be the hardest lift @ Marmot, as evidenced by the NO BEGINNERS sandwich board sign at the base of the lift).

As usual, the mountain scenery was breathtaking (shame that I forgot my camera at home, blah); I gotta find a way to make the mountains my backyard sometime in the near future, as leaving Jasper (and Banff, and BC, etc) tugs at my heart everytime I do it...

New Year ... New Possibilities

2009-01-05T23:18:00.002-07:00

Hope everybody had a great holiday season .... a new year is upon us, and as such, hope for the future springs eternal. I intend to make waves this year, in spite of all the pessimism that you hear about in the media...

Goals:

- Turn my flat stomach into a ripped stomach

- Eat healthier (i.e. more vegetables/fruits, less fast food)

- Continue to test out internet business ideas until one of them takes off and becomes self-sustaining (meaning I can live off the proceeds without having to have a day job)

- Get better at poker, get sufficiently rolled to play $1/$2 NL on Pokerstars by the end of the year, and also play in some major tourneys in town (via satellite tourney win if need be)

-In general, pursue what makes me happy, both in my work and in my life!

Employer: "You're So Smart And You Got An Impressive Background, So We've Decided To Hire Someone Else..." Me: "Que?"

2008-11-19T23:05:00.005-07:00

So as far as my career goes this year, I have been trying acquire employment with a Physiotherapy climic; I have had 4 interviews, with zero success thus far, despite being told I have a great skill set, and that I am a really nice guy. I try to get constructive feedback, but they either skirt the question, or they have ignored me completely.

This begs the question: Are employers getting so afraid of hurting the feelings of people, that even constructive criticism is now off the menu?

How are you supposed to improve your hard/soft job skills, when you can't get the crucial perspective of an outsider? No matter how honest you are about your strengths and shortcomings, you are inherently biased about certain aspects of your character; these are things that only another person can pick up on.

I guess I'll have to make some blind guesses about where I'm coming up short, and see if it changes anything, but if there's any advice I would have for hiring managers/business owners out there, it would be this: Don't mistake being assertive with being aggressive. Offering up contructive criticism of somebody's skills isn't equal to berating or bullying them (especially if they are asking for it explicitly!)

Home for the Holidays!

2008-11-17T23:14:00.003-07:00

Well, I just booked my flight home for the holidays ... arriving in Halifax December 24th at 10:20am, and returning to Edmonton December 28th! Gonna be great to be home, if only for a short time!

DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!111one

2008-11-08T17:44:00.002-07:00

So I hear that a recession is coming, or it's already here. How do I know this? Because everyday, the newspaper and the TV is filled with predictions of doom; they're even dubbing it "Great Depression 2.0" ... good grief!

To all the folks in the media ... YES WE GET IT, times are more economically challenging than they were at this time last year, due to the market crashing (never mind that it happened in 1998, 1987, and in 1974, and the world didn't descend into the apocalypse) and credit freezing up temporarily. There is no need to regurgitate that which we already know, or to speculate endlessly on nightmare scenarios, while ignoring inspirational stories of economic triumph that point the way out of our economic woes.

The point is, bellyaching about the state of the economy will NOT cure it ... promoting success stories that provide lessons on how ingenuity and perseverance overcome challenges just might!

Cliff Notes: Whiners almost never achieve success, doers eventually will, in good times and bad times!

Obama Landslide? I Hope So!

2008-11-03T20:55:00.002-07:00

It's the eve of the U.S Election, and Obama is up between 6-12% over McCain .... whoo-hoo!

All you folks down in the States, get out and vote tomorrow, the Dems won't win unless you make it so!

Back Again...

2008-11-02T21:40:00.002-07:00

I've ignored this blog for too long, as Facebook kinda filled the "what's going on in my life?" niche for a while. But recently, I've come to realize that I miss the process of writing, so I'm going to start posting on here again ... besides, it adds depth that status updates can't provide!

Coming up this week, I'll let you know what's changed in my professional and personal life ... stay tuned!

"I'm So Sick Of Waiting! 2007 Is Going To Be The Year I'm Going To Go For It...!"

2007-11-19T15:13:00.001-07:00

Over the last several months, I have been catapulted into a series of life-changing events:

My old laptop burst into flames in the middle of night in January, nearly incinerating me in my bedroom, leading me to question my direction in life.

I switched jobs to a stable, night-shift job, which allowed me to focus on starting to draft my career plans, as there are next to no distractions during the day (except for cute kittens jumping on your lap!)

I went out and got full gear, and started playing hockey once per week, just like I have always wanted to do since high school!

I picked up "Start Late, Finish Rich" by David Bach and proceeded to banish debt from my life and get started on building a nest egg. I sleep much better now!

I went on a week's vacation to BC, perservering through battery failures, locking my keys in my car, and badly misjudging distances. The soul-humbling scenery will keep me coming back for years to come!

I bought the book "The 4 hour work week" by Timothy Ferriss, and it has set me on the path to cutting out all the unimportant crap out of my life, setting up sources of passive income, and generally taking control of time in my career so I can realize my potential as a human being. A must read for anyone!

I got pushed into doing what I've been putting off for so long: starting up the consulting business I've always wanted to have. I presented on office ergonomics to management of my current job, and I will know by the end of the month whether I've got my very first client as a freelancer. Very exciting stuff!

I said to myself on New Year's Eve last year that 2007 was going to be the year that I was going to finally make it happen for myself, and look what's happened? In addition to my own ambition, it looks like The Big Guy Upstairs is looking out for me...

Achoo!!

2007-10-20T00:47:00.000-06:00

I don't know what the heck's going on, but I've been a magnet for sickness this year. I am currently suffering through cold #4 on the year, and I got sick for two days following my flu shot last week. I guess the lunch room at my place of work is just like the 'ol dorm at college: a petri dish for germs of all kinds... :(

Post #250: Brought To You By Your Local Russian Mob Syndicate Posing As Russian Borscht Joint!

2007-10-08T02:28:00.000-06:00

For post #250, I got this: If you have strong stomach and don't mind pointy objects getting jabbed into people unthinkably sickening ways, go see Eastern Promises at your local movieplex. It's a movie about the Russian mafia in London, and ... I'm not spoiling it anymore than I already have.

Just be aware that it's rated 18A for a very good reason. Having said that, um, enjoy!

Gas Pains

2007-10-02T14:44:00.000-06:00

The natural gas people were here today to re-align gas lines and move our meter outside. In that process, they have left a huge hole in our backyard ... that's gotta make Scott (my roommate who maintains the garden and yard) happy, eh?

When I have time this weekend, I'll write about my career trajectory to date, as I haven't blogged on that in a long while...

October = Late Fall in Alberta

2007-10-01T14:04:00.000-06:00

Today I'm booking a car appointment to fix the air in my car (dead air sucks more than you'll ever know, even when it's not hot out) and to get winter tires put on my car. A little early you say, laughing? Not here in Northern Alberta. It snowed for the first time last year on October 28th, and the snow stuck around until April!

Global Warming? What's that??

(just kidding, I actually do care about Global Warming, just tryin' to be funny...!)

Team Jimmy 2008 - Now With 57% Less Injuries ... I Hope

2007-09-29T20:56:00.000-06:00

Well, I just picked a team full of ringers at my friend's Trooper's hockey pool today. Kopitar and Visnovsky have already got three points on the season - awesome start!

If I can somehow manage to get through the last two months of the season without half my roster going on the DL, I might just win this year!

Blustery Start to Fall

2007-09-26T15:15:00.000-06:00

Man it's windy today. Trash is blowing all over the street, what a mess! Oh well, it's not my problem...

More pics coming soon...but first, a text post!

2007-09-25T15:05:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody. Just dropping a note saying that I plan on writing here much more often, like every other day or so (you in the back, stop laughing!). I freed up a bunch of time by ridding myself of wasteful or important tasks, so I actually have room to breath now. It feels great!

BC Vacation Day 3

2007-09-04T00:17:00.000-06:00

Day 3 of my BC Vacation was all about challenging my physical limits, by tackling the famous Grouse Grind, and the Sea to Sky highway, which holds some of the most spectacular mountain scenery that I have ever seen! Your guide to the pictures above lies below:

Pic 1: In North Vancouver on the way to Grouse Mountain to challenge the Grouse Grind.

Pic 2: Looking down at fellow climbers. The Grouse Grind is a 3.5km trail that challenges the statima of even very fit people. There is 2900 + feet of elevation change, or just shy of 1 km, almost straight up!

Pic 3: This is a picture of myself and Joesph, a guy from Atlanta, Georgia that I met at the 1/4 mark. His wife took the tram up the mountain (probably smart), so like me, he was doing it alone. We talked about a bunch of stuff heading up the mountain, which helped to take our minds off the punishment that the Grind was dishing out to us!

Pic 4: The view from the tram line, looking down on Vancouver (what I could see anyway).

Pic 5: Between Vancouver and Squamish, BC on the Sea to Sky Highway.

Pic 6: Squamish, BC, incredible cliffs! I think it may be The Chief, a cliff face famous among rock climbers...

Pic 7: Whistler, BC. If you look closely at the side of the mountain you can see the chair lifts for Whistler mountain!

Pic 8: Between Whistler and Pemberton, BC. Did I mention it was raining that day?!

Pic 9: Near D'Arcy, BC. I missed the turnoff to Lilooet, BC, so I ended up losing 1 1/2 hours driving to the former community. Nice scenery though!

Pic 10: This picture does not convey the incredibleness of this mountain stream!

Pic 11: Unbelievable...

Pic 12: In Lilooet, BC. Look carefully, that's a mountain rising up very high into the clouds. After I took this picture, I realized I locked my keys in my car. Dinged for another $35!

BC Vacation -- Day 2

2007-08-27T02:41:00.000-06:00

This day started in Kelowna, and ended with me meeting up with a good friend of mine from college, Dunc. All comments on pics below refer to pics from the top down, as usual...

Pic 1: Nice hotel in Downtown Merritt. Good to see Mairitimers representing in this town (note the flags)!

Pic 2: Sprinklers on farmland in Merritt. With no AC in the car, I comtemplated stopping and running through them...!

Pic 3: Mountains on the Coquihalla Highway between Merritt and Hope. The Cascade Range is really beautiful, and ranks up there with the Rocky and Coast Mountains.

Pic 4: The lonnnnng descent to the Lower Mainland. I think my ears almost exploded, lol!

Pic 5: Almost to the Lower Mainland, one of the mountains in the Coast range come into view.

Pic 6-7: Downtown Vancouver. Very imposing and modern, but the next pic...

Pic 8: ... is just weird for the sake of weird!

Pic 9: An awe-inspiring view of North Vancouver from Downtown. This sight will live in my soul forever...

Pic 10: The spread of nachos and the Atlantic Trap and Gill on Robson Street in Vancouver, as I enjoy a bite.

Pic 11: Dunc and I after polishing off a pitcher and a few pints. It was easily the most fun I had during my trip to BC!

BC Vacation, Day 1

2007-08-09T15:20:00.000-06:00

Preceding this, I ran into a pretty bad snag on my way down to Calgary for the last weekend of the Stampede -- my battery died in Red Deer. Since this happened just as every mechanic in town was getting off for the day (it was a Saturday), I had to miss a pub crawl I signed up for in Calgary, but I ended up spending the night with Curtis and Phil, two college buddies of mine. We went and saw the Transformers movie, which was OK (though it smacked of an ad for GM). I made it down to Calgary on Sunday, and spent the last night on the Stampede playing poker and hitting the Roadhouse bar with two other fellow Aitken Rangers, the Baxter brothers, Trent and Trevor!

The pictures above are from the first official day of my BC vacation (although a good part of the first day was spent in Banff National Park). Refer to the key below (and in all other posts on my BC adventures) for comments on the aforementioned pictures:

Pics 1 -3: Lake Minnewaka, Banff National Park.

Pic 4: Kicking Horse Pass, Yoho National Park. This road passed by one of the most ambitious engineering projects ever (the Spiral Tunnels, that trains use to make it through the pass safely) and a very difficult one in the present day (the twinning of the Trans Canada through Kicking Horse Pass to Golden, BC)

Pic 5: A snowshed tunnel in Rogers Pass. There were about five of these tunnels, of which some were not lit. This took me by surprise, even though there was a sign warning about it!

Pic 6: View of the Kootenay Mountain Range from Revelstoke, BC. Lots of snow in the mountains even in mid-July (!). I stopped here for some baked goods (including that BC staple, Namaimo Bars, hahah) to wake me up, as I was starting to zone out a little from all that driving (5 hours at that point). BC is not a small province!

Pic 7: A houseboat on the shores of Okanagan Lake in Kelowna, BC. Definitely gotta get some of guys and gals together and do this sometime in the near future!

My New House in Rio Terrace, West Edmonton

2007-04-30T01:26:00.000-06:00

In order from the top: Front yard, back yard, backside of the house, kitchen, dining room.

Not bad for $600 a month eh (my room and my office are still in a state of flux, therefore you will have to wait to see them :P )

River Valley Walk

2007-04-30T01:16:00.000-06:00

Edmonton's River Valley, as pictured on a walk this weekend. It is this feature that makes Edmonton one of Canada's best kept secrets!

Alberta Legislature Grounds

2007-01-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

After crossing the High Level Bridge from the southside, you are literally at the doorstep of Alberta politics -- the Legislature Grounds. But even if you have no interest in politics whatsoever, the myriad of impressive fountains, reflecting pools, and gardens will act as a major draw. People wade in the pools throughout the summer, and ice vendors are located on site to provide an alternative cool down method for those who do not wish to venture into the water.

Pic 1: The most impressive fountain I've seen in my life to date. I've nicknamed it "the atom smasher"; notice the thin trail of mist sailing upwards from the immense collisions of water occuring below.

Pic 2: The reflecting pools behind the Legislature.

Pic 3: The pool at the back of the extensive system of fountains and pools at the legislature grounds. A great place to lay back and think about life...

Pic 4: The front of the Alberta Legislature.

Edmonton's Most Underappreciated Attraction: The High Level Bridge

2007-01-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

The above three pictures were taken from Edmonton's landmark bridge, the High Level Bridge. It spans the river valley gorge between the north and south banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The height from the walking deck to the river below is greater than the vertical drop of Niagara Falls, if you can believe it!

Pic 1: Downtown Edmonton as viewed from the High Level Bridge.

Pic 2: Looking towards the (much lower) Walterdale Bridge further East.

Pic 3: Kinsmen Park as seen from the bridge. Football/Soccer/Ultimate players look like ants from up here!

A Text Post? Without Pictures? Am I Hallucinating?

2006-12-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a hectic December thus far, with much going on. To start the week off, my car and my roommate's SUV got broken into. Nothing was taken from my car, even though they passed over my new Dave Matthews and Green Day CD! Whew! The next day, we went and saw a house in a nice neighbourhood called Rio Terrace, in West Edmonton. The owner was so impressed with our responsible, mature attitudes, that he rented it to us on the spot; not an easy feat, considering the cutthroat rental market in this city right now.

The new neighbourhood has virtually no crime, which is comforting, especially since the neighbours came over yesterday to ask me if I had seen anything suspicious, as their house was robbed in broad daylight. Yowsa! Good thing we're getting the heck outta here soon!

As for Christmas plans, I am flying home redeye-style on the night of the 19th - 20th of December, and I will be home until the 27th, flying back out West on the 28th in the morning.

Can't wait for some good times in the Maritimes!

Sorry Meghan, But The Name Of This Street Is ....

2006-11-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

... Lavigne Rd! One of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in the city, Riverdale had to fight the city back in the 60's on the matter of expropriation of its land for use as parkland as part of the River Valley. Successful in resisting this proposal, this street of upscale homes sits surrounded by a sea of greenery and wilderness in the middle of a city of a million. Incredible place to live, with a killer view of downtown (see first pic) ...

Condo Towers Aplenty!

2006-11-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

With the sheer nautral beauty, and the many opportunities for recreational activities in Edmonton's River Valley, condo towers line the the edges of the North Saskatchewan River ravine for miles on end. Many professionals live in these prized pieces of real estate, including members of the Edmonton Oilers, according to my roommate.

Lazy River

2006-10-10T22:56:00.000-06:00

Crossing over the river from Hawrelak Park, I began to take a series of pictures of the North Saskatchewan River. A few weeks previous, I had been rafting down the Bow River in Calgary. I wanted to gauge how paddling up the North Saskatchewan River would be. It doesn't flow as fast, but the views are just as stunning! I will definitely be doing this next summer!

Hawrelak Park

2006-10-10T21:15:00.000-06:00

The most celebrated park in the City of Edmonton, Hawerlak Park sprawls out from the base of the River Valley west of the University of Alberta. It is acres upon acres of open lawn, fire pits, kitchen shelters, and water (a lake in the middle of the park, and the frontage on the North Saskatchewan River). There is also a bandshell, where concerts, festivals, and outdoor orchestra productions take place throughout the summer. I walked to this park through the River Valley trails several times this summer, a fairly long walk from the 106th Street access (which takes 30 minutes to reach from my house!).

No wonder I'm in such good shape!

Around Allendale (My Neighbourhood)

2006-10-05T00:31:00.000-06:00

These two pics were taken on a walk in August. The first one is a common sight in Edmonton, as infill developments see old postage-stamp sized houses bulldozed, only to have bigger houses built in their place. The seocnd pic shows how heavy the tree foilage can get on Edmonton streets, creating tunnels of greenery!

Late Summer Nights

2006-10-05T00:01:00.000-06:00

Late evening scene from the backyard in Early August. The apples are out on the tree, almost ready to be picked...

Scariest Road Ever

2006-10-01T23:05:00.000-06:00

After dinner, I left Jasper for the Miette Hot Springs. By now it was 8 pm, and though I was 4 hours from Edmonton, I was determined to soak in their waters, especially after getted drenched on Whistler's Mountain earlier. It was a dramatic drive, dropping well over 1000+ ft to the valley floor. The road was as narrow as a two lane road could get, with no shoulder, and more hairpins than I ever seen before. It was nerve-wracking to drive back after my time at the Springs, as it was dark at 9:45pm.

Marmot Basin ... Just Couldn't Wait For Winter!

2006-10-01T22:44:00.000-06:00

Even though I was seriously behind on time after getting stuck up on Whistler's Mountain, I still took time out to see Marmot Basin, where I will be going skiing this winter. The gates were across the road, so I couldn't make it to the parking lot, but the views were breathtaking. The first two pictures are of a map of the ski hill and the 85+ runs that snake their way down the mountain.

Snow In August!

2006-09-25T00:02:00.000-06:00

I got back to the top tram station just in time, as a thunderstorm rolled through, delivering thunder, heavy rain, ice pellets, and even a few wet flakes of snow! Not surprising, seeing how the temperature outside was probably 3 or 4c at that point. This delayed me getting down the mountain by an hour, leading me to cut out my plans to go see the Athabacsa Falls.

The Hike Up Whistlers Mounatin

2006-09-14T22:43:00.000-06:00

In the previous entry, I alluded to my inappropriate dress for the elevation that I was about to visit. At the top of the tram, the temperature was chilly 9c, compared to 21c at the base camp. As I began my climb to the summit, the wind began to blow, and clouds swirled in from the north. Rain began to fall, and then shortly after, the rain became mixed with ice pellets. At this point, I realized I had to turn back and get back to the chalet, or this impending storm would turn into a very bad situation for me!

Of note, picture #4 is the view towards the town of Jasper from an elevation of 2,242 metres, and picture #5 is the view down the tramway from the top (the tower at the bottom is actually just beyond the top of the mountain shown in the tramway picture in the previous blog entry!)

Jasper Tramway

2006-09-14T22:06:00.000-06:00

Getting out of Jasper at 3 pm, I didn't have the luxury of time to see alot of the national park's attractions, so I settled for the Jasper Tramway, which takes you up Whistlers Mountain. The first pic shows the view down from base camp, the second is a relief about what is needed before going up the tram (e.g. warm clothes, for which I was woefully underprepared, as I was dressed in a t-shirt and board shorts!), and the third is the view is the path up the mountain that the tram takes (more than 1000 metres straight up).

Arrival In Jasper

2006-09-06T00:41:00.000-06:00

Pictures from the streets of Jasper. Jasper surprised me, as it was a great a town as Banff was, except that the Miette Hotsprings are 40 km away, instead in the town proper. I walked around the town for about a hour, and then headed off to my next destination for the day: The Jasper Tramway.

From The Park Gates To Jasper

2006-08-21T22:42:00.000-06:00

Pic 1: The mountain scenery unfolds after passing through the park gates.

Pic 2: Seeing the amazing aquamarine-coloured glacial river in person was stunning. Though it was probably too cold for a dip! :P

Pic 3: A peaceful lake just off an interpretative centre off the highway. The reliefs were about forest fires and how they benefit the forest ecology. Interesting, educational!

Pic 4: It's a mountain goat! Baaaaa....

Pic 5: More goats pretending we don't exist. How rude...

Pic 6: 365 km to Edmonton from here. Yup, I was out of the house all day Saturday!

The Long Haul To Jasper

2006-08-20T22:27:00.000-06:00

Pic 5 (from the top): The town of Edson, as the Yellowhead passes right through the centre of town. Not a bad spot from the looks of it, but it should have a bypass for thru-traffic. Reminds me of Lower South River in Nova Scotia...

Pic 4: The pulp and paper mill across the street from the Esso gas station in Hinton, where I got gas.

Pic 6: A Husky 24 truck stop in Hinton. I took this picture because I ate at one that morning, only it was in Acheson, just outside Edmonton. Nothing like a greasy truck stop breakfast to jump start a road trip!

Pics 1-3, 7-8: The approach to Jasper National Park, after passing through Hinton. The road narrowed to 2- way traffic, which meant I couldn't cruise along at 125 kn/h anymore. Oh well, it was easier to see the sights this way! :P

Man, Am I Bored ... Hey I Know, Let's Go To A Town In The Middle Of The Woods With No Attractions In Particular!

2006-08-05T00:55:00.000-06:00

This Blogger post has got everything backwards, so all references to pics start from the bottom up!

Pic 1: Whitemud Freeway on a rainy Sunday morning. The original plan was to grab a greasy truck stop breakfast after a hard night drinking, but at brunch, thoughts quickly turned to driving somewhere outside Edmonton, as I didn't want to be cooped up in the house on this particular day...

Pic 2: I decided to head up to Whitecourt, a fast growing town, due to the oil and gas industry. I decided to head there because Chris Herbert, a college friend of mine lived there. It was a snap decision to head there, so I didn't want to drop in unexpectedly, so I didn't try to make a call to arrange a visit (maybe sometime later this August). This picture is of the rolling foothills that begin just east of Whitecourt.

Pic 3: Downtown Mayerthorpe, where I got gas. This town marks the northern start of the Cowboy Trail, which stretches along the foothills of the Rockies from this point south to Pincher Creek, west of Lethbridge. Gonna have to drive that soon!

Pic 4: Descending into Whitecourt. My ears popped on the way down, first time that's happened since I was in the Rockies.

Pic 5: On a forest trail in Whitecourt. It was a cool and misty day, but it felt GREAT, considering the hot waether we had in the weeks previous to this!

Pic 6-9: Pictures from the Whitecourt visitors museum. There were outdoor and indoor displays on pioneer-age buildings, local wildlife, the forestry industry, forest fires, and so on!

Dispatch From Oiltown: Yes, I Am Alive and Well (Sorry About The Silence Lately...)

2006-07-09T23:01:00.000-06:00

Sorry I haven't been keeping up in posting to this blog, but with the summer bug biting me hard, I have slacked off in posting (just like last summer!) Basically, I have been keeping busy with my current construction job while waiting for the first phase of the research project to kick in (there is movement on this front, so hopefully a start date will be announced soon).

Also, the Oiler playoff run saw me get the opportunity to attend Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, which was a 2-1 Oiler win. It was louder than I could have imagined, the atmosphere was electric (goosebump moments kept occuring throughout, such as the National Anthem, the pregame activities, when the Oilers scored, etc). If you ever get the chance to go to a Cup Final game, do it. You will remember it, always.

And below, there are some photos of Canada Day trip to the beach, right here in land-locked Alberta (hint: it wasn't the wave pool at West Edmonton Mall!)

Nothing Like A Day At The Beach ... In Alberta?

2006-07-09T22:44:00.000-06:00

It was a cooker this past Canada Day weekend, so I did what anyone from Nova Scotia would do: I packed up my car and headed for the beach ... hey, wait a minute, I live in Alberta, no oceans within a thousand or so kilometres! Well, it's fortunate that the hinterlands surrounding Edmonton are pockmarked with thousands of lakes, some with beaches. A particularly large lake called Lac Ste Anne had a boldly named summer spot called Alberta Beach. The main beach was quite small, but made up for the lack of sandy real estate by having shallows that extend far out from shore, making the water extremely warm, perfect for wading. Aside from that, I also had lunch there, making for an excellent afternoon all round.

Garden Out Back Is Looking Awesome

2006-05-18T20:19:00.000-06:00

It's Mid-May, and the garden that is maintained by Scott (downstairs roommate, shown in a recent post) has exploded brillantly into a portrait of green, pink, and white. The apple trees are in full bloom (the petals clearly visible on the grass) and the grass, properly nutured and cared for early on in the Spring, is now dark green and lush, simply awesome to walk on. It makes for a great place to BBQ and have drinks outside, as it has happened several times already. Th last pic shows the owner of the house, Scott's cat Eartha. She is a sook, and a sucker for anyone who will pay attention to her (though she will make you pay attention to her if you ignore her for too long!)

The Blue Mile In Its Full Glory (Take That Cowtown!)

2006-05-18T20:07:00.000-06:00

All these pics were from the "Blue Mile" (known normally as Whyte Ave), after the Oilers beat the Sharks last Friday to tie the series at 2-2. I was tupid enough last night to forget my camera, so no pics from the series winning game (I won't forget again though!). The streets were taken over almost immeadiately by fans last night, instead of having the parade of honking cars that has taken place after Oilers' victories. Kinda better this way as it gave people more space, I never liked being penned in on the sidewalks anyway!

Mill Creek Ravine Park

2006-05-15T23:05:00.000-06:00

Blogger seems to be acting up this evening, so to follow the pics sequentially, start at pic #4.

Pic 4: Underneath the bridge on 82nd ave that goes over Mill Creek. Pictures can't quantify how high the bridge is though. Hardly what you'd expect to see in a flat prairie city!

Pic 5: Mill Creek. Not very impressive, but with below average rainfalls over the past few years, it's not hard to imagine why...

Pic 1: Luxury condos overlooking the Ravine. It is adjacent to miles of heavily forested trails, so it's definitely one of the most sought after places to live in Edmonton!

Pic 2: Speaking of forested trails, here's a sample of the enveloping stands of trees that makes you forget that you're in a city of a million people...

Pic 3: A signboard map of trails in the park. I actually needed to refer to this, because I had no idea how far south I walked at this point!

First Warm Day Of The Year = Great Time For An Urban Hike!

2006-05-15T22:55:00.000-06:00

2 weeks ago, I went for a walk on a warm Friday (the same day I took the pics in the backyard in the last post). The first pic is from the bridge over Mill Creek Ravine, which is located about a kilometre east of Calgary Trail on 82nd Avenue (Whyte Ave), giving a great view of the downtown skyline.

The second pic is from a elm tree-lined street (64 ave) two blocks north of my house, as the leaves were almost completely unfolded. Must be nice on hot summer days!

Spring Arrives In Edmonton

2006-05-15T22:43:00.000-06:00

Spring has hit Edmonton full force, and it shows, especially in my home's backyard. One of my roommates, Scott, maintains the garden in the backyard, and is the guy shown in the last two pics. As you can see from pic #2, even at 43, he still finds time to work out :P

Hockeyville? Why, Edmonton Of Course!

2006-04-13T17:51:00.000-06:00

One last reminder of Winter on my way back to the house last weekend, as I came across one heck of a backyard rink. Boards, lighting, and regulation nets, this guy had it down to every last detail! I might have to stop by for a pickup game late next Fall when it turns cold!

More University of Alberta From Last Weekend ... Yes, I Miss College (Except For The Work)

2006-04-13T17:30:00.000-06:00

Pic 1: The Butterdome at the University of Alberta, where much of the school's athletic contests (basketball, volleyball, wrestling, etc) are conducted.

Pic 2: Looking out at a quad of the U of A campus from Hub Mall. A mall on campus, you say? In the next pic, you'll see the kind of largess that could only be possible with the oil money that has flowed through this school in the past 50 years!

Pic 3: The Hub Mall in all its glory. It has over 60 shops and services, faculty lounges, and no shortage of places for students to hang around and "study" :P

Pic 4: Yep, those are student apartments you see above the Hub Mall. These kids have it sweet!

Pic 5: The main central quad at the U of A. You can't really see them, but there are (were) students throwing around footballs and frisbees, as per the usual Spring tradition, when res rats come out of hibernation and experience the glory of the end of Winter and the upcoming Summer!

Pic 6: Graffiti art makes an ugly block of a building into something worth taking a picture of...

University of Alberta

2006-04-10T00:26:00.000-06:00

My destination for the day was the University of Alberta, west of 111 Street and north of Whyte Ave. The first pic is of the ever-expanding University of Alberta hospital, and its research facilities. Very big complex, but it falls short of the U of Michigan health network! The second pic is of one of many high residence/apartment towers here in the University neighbourhood. They need every one of them, as the university population exceeds 35,000 students. The last two pics are of older buildings on campus, making the concrete blocks erected during the 60's and 70's more tolerable by contrast.

Big City Views

2006-04-10T00:08:00.000-06:00

From my neighbourhood here in Edmonton, the skyline is visible from quite a few spots. These two pictures attempt to capture the skyline from Calgary Trail (pic 1 from the top) and Gateway Boulevard (pic 2). Be sure to move your cursor over the pics after you click on them, then click on the expand pic button that pops up in the lower right hand corner. Not the best pic, but I thought they would be more visible!

Spring Has Sprung In Central Alberta!

2006-04-02T01:25:00.000-07:00

This past week was mainly spent as I have usually have over the past few months, building the infrastructure for my independent consulting practice. On Thursday though, I went to a professional gathering for Edmonton ACE members. Only one person besides myself showed up. She brought her adopted daughter though, who is a sweet little girl with boundless energy. Spring has been arriving in Central Alberta in recent days, so I managed to get out today and take pictures around South Edmonton. In the post below are the pics that I took, followed by descriptions. Enjoy!

Wandering Around South Edmonton ... My Neighbourhood

2006-04-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

Unlike last week, where it was snowing and raining, this weekend was bright and sunny, making it possible for me to start snapping photos of where I live in South Edmonton. Below, a pic by pic description: Pic 1 denotes the picture at the top, Pic 2 denotes the picture below Pic 1 and so on...

Pic 1: This picture is of the cul-de-sac where my house is located, officially denoted as 105A Street. The city almost never plows in this corner of the residental grid, but the storm of 2 weeks ago finally drove them to clean out almost a foot of snow from our street. As a result, the sun from this week has made the pavement bare, as opposed to a bunch of snow still being there!

Pic 2: This is the alleyway behind all the houses on my cul-de-sac. For the first few days before our cul-de-sac was plowed, I parked back here.

Pic 3: This is the elementary school one block north of my house, bearing the name of my neighbourhood, Allendale Park. Once the snow melts and the field dries up, I think I will be re-honing my soccer skills here!

Pic 4 & 5: A couple of houses alongside 106 Street, the closest street that runs north-south from my house. These expensive houses lie beside working class apartments and bungalows, which is one of the great things about South Edmonton.

Pic 6: Princess Alexandria school, a huge school two blocks south of Whyte Ave.

Pic 7: Heading down into the River Valley. That's alot of stairs to walk down (and up!)

Pic 8: Looking up at condo towers from the base of the River Valley. To a first timer, the amount of these towers are absolutely shocking. They line both sides of the river, all the way into West Edmonton!

Pic 9: The Kinsmen Rec Centre at the base of the River Valley. This is one of the cities most premiere recreation facilities, hosting a Olympic-sized pool, a diving well, and a fieldhouse. Also, there is a pitch and putt area behind the building. The city centre is also visible from this pic...

Pic 10: A sychronized swimming competition going on inside the Kinsmen Rec Centre when I went in to take a look. The future of our sychro swimmers looks bright!

Pic 11: Picture of the High Level Bridge from the Kinsmen Rec Centre parking lot. In the summer during Capital Ex, they turn the bridge into a waterfall. It looks pretty good from pictures I've seen, can't wait to see it in person!

Pic 12: The clearest shot that I could get of the city skyline, from the climb back towards 109 Street.

Life Is Always Good When You Can Watch A Hockey Game In Surround Sound!

2006-03-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

Well the first week has passed for the most part, and things are turning out well at my new place in Edmonton. I've got my stuff unpacked, food in the cupboard, and two great guys for roommates. Today I went for a walk to Whyte Avenue, the activity hub for those living in South Edmonton. It took 30 minutes, which makes this part of the city very walkable. Below, I have taken some pics of my new house, check them out!

My House In South Edmonton

2006-03-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

Pic 1: My bedroom in its young state. Scott from downstairs let me borrow the night table and lamp that you see beside my airbed.

Pic 2: The TV in the living room, hooked up with surround-sound, has made for a great viewing experience over the past week, as I have been watching movies and hockey games during that time...

Pic 3: The darkness in the kitchen makes this picture less than ideal, but it has a dishwasher, along with a chest freezer (out of view to the left).

Pic 4: The dining table that never gets used. Most meals are eaten in front of the TV, true to single guy form!

Pic 5: The sweet leather couch, the coffee table where most meals are eaten, and the entryway.

Pic 6: The club I purchased to help protect the car from becoming a victim of auto theft. Edmonton has the third highest instance of the crime, ranking behind Vancouver and Winnipeg.

Pic 7: My house from the front. Has some nice evergreen trees out front, a common feature alongside oak trees throughout Edmonton.

Pic 8: Backyard picture #1, with the barbeque prominently featured. A little too snowy to be used right now, but warmer days are on the way soon!

Pic 9: The remainder of the backyard. Fairly large for an inner-city backyard, with alot of plants that make this a great place to be in the summertime, according to Scott, who takes care of the space for the most part.

Meet The Newest Edmontonian!

2006-03-21T23:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last post, but I've been busy. Found and moved into a new house in Edmonton, and I saw my first NHL game, courtesy of Terry, who I hadn't seen for 1 1/2 years previously. I will have more details tomorrow...!

Cochrane: One Heck Of A Place To Live (Especially On A Clear Day)

2006-03-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

I had previously visited Cochrane, but I had forgotten to bring my camera. I made no such mistake this time! Unfortunately, the Rocky Mountains were completely obscured by clouds and snow, so I could only take pictures of the town proper. Fortunately, there are plenty of worhtwhile sights, such as old west hotels and saloons, as well as views from the base of a very large hill that signals the beginning of the foothills. Due to the unseasonable cold today (yes, fresh pics for once!), the camera kept shutting down on me as I tried to take pics of the town from the top of the hill, but I manage to capture an interpretative sign that tells the story of the town of Cochrane.

Boredom Can Be The Spark For Many Things, Such As Travelling To A Summer Resort Town In The Dead Of Winter...

2006-03-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago, I went out to Chestermere, a lakeside town just east of the city of Calgary. A nice place, probably more so in the summertime, as the temperature that day was a face-biting -13c. I saw some people walking and snowmobiling on the ice, in spite of a sign that stated the ice was thin (click on second pic). Stupidity and/or willful ignorance are amazing things!

Winter Arrives In Calgary ... Finally!

2006-03-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well, almost after an entire winter of nothing but chinooks and browned prairie, winter finally arrived in Calgary 3 weeks ago. These pictures were taken the morning after the first true snowstorm of the year, where 15 cm of fresh powder fell. You might think that would be a pain to shovel, but this is Alberta, so the snow is very dry and light. A simple push along the width of the driveway with the scraper was all it took to clean up the snow, and the snow vaporized off the windshield of my car as soon as a small portion of it becmae exposed to sunlight!

Web Site Of The Week (Or So): Shameless Self-Promotion!

2006-02-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

So recently I started up a professional weblog. It's called The Industrial Athlete, which focuses on physical ergonomics and human performance issues. I hope it will gain recognition and popularity in time, and that it sparks the kind of debate that the blogosphere has done for other interest areas.

Check it out, if only to learn about my chosen profession...!

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

2006-01-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-01-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-01-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-01-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-01-21T23:04:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-01-14T01:31:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-14T01:10:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-14T00:57:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-14T00:43:00.000-07:00

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)

2006-01-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-14T00:28:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-01-14T00:22:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-13T23:57:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-13T23:21:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2006-01-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-01-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-01-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-01-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-01-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

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!)

2006-01-07T21:53:00.000-07:00

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)

2006-01-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-07T21:30:00.000-07:00

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!