Ho Ho Ho

Santa was very good to me this year. I am very hard to buy for because I hardly ever get anything for myself and I don't do well accepting presents. But my family did a bang up job this year.

I am sooo excited to be off work for two more days. It's been a long December and I'm glad 2010 is coming to a finish. I think all in all it's been a pretty great year. I had a fun summer, great family visits, and the forming of new late night coffee traditions. All of which I am extremely grateful for. I should probably set some goals for myself for 2011. Maybe I'll make a list. I find I do well with lists.

Last night was Sim's annual boxing day getogether. It was a most rad evening. I was a bit late cause I napped after I got home from 2 days with family. I love them, but I guess they wear me out. I jest, it's probably just because I spent the last night on the couch instead of in the bed downstairs. The couch is just more comfortable but it's still a couch. It's always phenomenal seeing everyone from high school back in the same room. And expected unpleasantries ended up being alright, at least for me they did >_<. Today I'm going to finish my current book, and I think do some cleaning up. I don't know where this mess comes from. I suppose with all the time I've been spending at home it adds up faster.

Peace & love.

We Got Our Backs To The Wall

This morning was another wake n bake morning for my neighbours downstairs. I'm surprised my landlord hasn't put the kibosh on that. I had an early start today, at least in weekend terms. I got up and put some laundry on and did most of my dishes. I followed that up with a full laundry fold and a full rearrangement of my bookshelf. They're in alphabetical order by author, which unfortunately looks atrocious but it will just have to do. I hung my grandma's Bali ink paintings, watched a movie, and finally got back on the stationary bike in my room, it had certainly been long enough. And now I'm going to grocery shop and send out some resumes. Not bad for a lazy Sunday.

It's been a crazy busy week for me, starting with Son's visit from the Loo. She crashed on Sunday. And then on Monday I drove to work with Adam and he borrowed my car during the day. Then I dropped him off downtown and met up with Son for dinner at Friendly Thai in the Junction. Great Chicken Pad Thai. Tuesday I dropped Son off in High Park and took an alternate route into work. Some numbnut couldn't wait 2 seconds for me to make contact with a stopped car and cut me off by taking a left turn from behind me. I leaned on the horn and started to curse like a sailor. It didn't help that my horn was frozen and made more of a mrraaahhh mrrrraahhh noise than a meeep meeep noise. Wednesday I went to see Brian who was in on a visit from Brooklyn. I saw a handful of people from res which was great. Thursday I went to Disgraceland with Son/Tanya/Jess & Christine. I'd never been before but it just another Bloor St indie dive bar, with a bit of an Elvis twist (deep fried mars bars). Following that I went to bid Adam/Matt/Ashley happy trails as they were to be departing for NYC the next day. I took a pass on joining them. It just wasn't the right time for my first trip to NYC. I would need at least 3 full days to get that full travel satiation feeling. Friday was my day off. Saturday was a party at Ed's, and today was today.

I wore a Christmas sweater to work in hopes of lightening the mood a little bit. Most people just avoided eye contact or gave me unsatisfied stares. It was a joke people, a fucking joke. It just reaffirms my belief that I don't belong in that office. I got two laughs from some close coworkers. One of them admitted to me that for a split second he questioned whether or not I was serious, but that second quickly passed. He said that between my halloween costume and my sweater I should be nominated for person of the year at my company. Too bad there is no such designation.

I found another response to a quote on Friday. I think I know who's writing them now. And I'm sure she knows that it's me writing the original ones, as hers is the only office I need to slip past to get into the Conference Room. And she is most often in her office while I unstealthly sneak past. It feels really satisfying that someone is responding to my break out from eternal staledom that permiates from the very soul of the office. The response this time was "42 - DA". And there is one very clear person that quotes Douglas Adams as frequently as possible so I'm being a super detective and putting 2 and 2 together. I am pretty smart. Fairly smart. Kind of smart....I'm not TOO dumb. It's going to be a busy holiday season. It's kind of the time of year that everyone comes out of the woodworks and says, "Hey, I still exist, how about you?"

Murry Crissmas everyone. And by everyone I mean my two and only loyal readers. <3

I've Got Troubles Enough

Adam and I were saved by a van full of TTC workers on Thursday night. In typical fashion we were enjoying a coffee down by lake. I guess normally either we don't stay that long or we don't leave the radio running. By the time it came to leave the battery was almost completely drained. It only adds irony to the situation that earlier we had been joking about knocking on windows, and now we were really going to have to do it. As soon as we got out of the car we saw another one pulling in, so Adam went up to him first. He made something up about his battery not being good, so there went that. Then he realized there was a TTC van sitting in the round about. The van turned out to be jammed full of young guys in TTC jackets, all very willing to help out. I attached the cables to my battery and the driver did his and in no time flat we were up and running. I'm not sure if I mentioned that I recently gave a random guy a jump. Luckily I wasn't alone otherwise him luring me to the back side of the George Brown parking lot might have been a bit frightening. When that happened I quickly declared I had no problem providing a jump as long as he did all the connecting. But this time I was fully confident in being able to connect at least my own cables. Soon after the jump all remaining cars had left the lot. We could have been stranded at Cherry Beach. I really need to renew my CAA membership!

Before Cherry Beach I went to Sheridan College with my mother to see a performance of The Drowsy Chaperone. I'm usually not terribly keen on musicals, but this one was very enjoyable. The musical itself apparently first launched at the Rivoli and then went onto the Fringe Festival and then went to Broadway. I was going to say it has a great Canadian sense of humour to it, but apparently the authors were English. I suppose both are dry.

Tea with my mom last week was nice. We sat and chatted for a while. Had some cut up melon with some amazing yogurt. Good times.

I slept in today, and then after waking up I moved to the living room and took a nap. I am well rested but feeling surprisingly sleepy. I'm just going to bum around the house today, do some light cleaning, laundry, etc. This is the first morning in two weeks that I've been able to sleep in and be lazy so I'm soaking it in.

And last thing - Simona sent me a great link the other day. I've sent my email, and I think it's a very worthy cause. http://action.davidsuzuki.org/C-311.

Chasing The Day Away

My mother is coming for a visit tomorrow. Nothing makes me clean like a visit from a parental unit. They haven't been to my place very often since I moved in and perhaps they are feeling a tinge of guilt. Part of me thinks they are checking up on me but I'm too old for that, I think. I have a lot more to do because the plan is for this place to be spotless. And on top of it all I need to do a grocery shopping. I'm definitely procrastinating. On the bright side - I found an umbrella! To think I came very close to purchasing a new one.

I went into work today. On Wednesday our manager asked us if we would be free for work on the weekend. ONLY the two contract employees (myself included) volunteered their time. It was nice to see people from all sorts of depts coming in to lend a hand. The entire product development team was there. Anyways. Hopefully crisis mode will be over soon.

After work I went out for a coffee with Adam down at Queen & Davenport. That neighbourhood always reminds me of the Queen West Man video. New look, new outlook. Sadly I'm unable to find a link, it's a goodie from almost 5 years ago. I thought everything was supposed to last on the internet forever? After Adam left I sat and read A Moveable Feast for a while. We are gearing up for a Long Book Read in January. Normally that would not warrant capital letters for all words, but at over 1000 pages Atlas Shrugged is going to be a feat worthy of title case. Adam's going to read War and Peace, and if either are any good we might switch. Maybe for Jan 2012.

I was going to put up my tree and decorate it, but the lights seem to be broken. I can't remember if that happened last year or if maybe that happened just now when I plugged it into the space heater outlet and shorted everything. Either way I have to decided what to do with it.

I should get back to it. Grocery shop, laundry fold, sweep, scrub, and then sleep.

And Miles To Go Before I Sleep

I interviewed today for my own position, but permanent. I have to say it may have been my worst interview yet. I'm dumbfounded that there were questions that I was unable to answer. "Rate your knowledge of printers and what print stock is appropriate for each?" I'm sorry, is this an interview for the print room or project coordinator?? Right, thanks. I left the interview wanting to quit my job. I do have a sense that the questions were bullshit. I don't know the code for the SQL queries the data team uses. I ask them for data and I get it. I ask the print room to print, and I let them decide what the most appropriate machine is. I also had a few random bursts of inappropriateness that I would rather not get into. I need to find another job and fast. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

I actually had a talk with my manager about a few of my projects that are going to be disseminated amongst the other PMs when I leave. My manager noted that there's still a chance that I could be renewed, and barely acknowledging the ridiculousness of that statement I said, "I'm not depending on it" and carried on with my thought. If they are going to treat me like I'm disposable I'm going to start acting like I am.

My culture slam experiment has been a complete failure. As far as I know there's no buzz in the office. As far as I can tell no one has even noticed or cares. I almost gave up tonight, but to cheer myself up I slipped into the conference room and wrote, "The impossible often has a kind of integrity which the improbable lacks. - Douglas Adams." Of course I quote it as DA so if anyone actually takes interest they have to investigate further to find out who it's by. I think if the Solutions Manager were to ever notice she'd probably piece that it's me that is always slyly slipping past her office and into the conference room only to emerge a minute later with an unnecessary smirk on my face.

I've had a busy week. Jak came over on the weekend and we drank whiskey and watched Netflix. The free month has ended and the landlord has not indicated that he's going to sign up. I might get my own free month in the meantime. On Monday Adam came over and we watched a movie and then headed down to our possible new hang out, the park just West of Lakeshore and Windermere. The legal turnaround on Lakeshore leads straight into the parking lot if you can manage to drive straight across. It's a nice stretch of lot that faces straight on to the lake, and if you're lucky enough to grab an early parking spot there's a nice view of the tower. And then I met up with a few friends at the Duke of York on Tuesday night. We had a few beers and good laughs. I missed out on a few earlier gatherings and I needed to make up for lost time, so that was good.

Adam and I actually made it back to the new park again tonight. I had high hopes to tackle a few projects around the house but I didn't get back in until about 9:30. I had to stop at the gas station at Bathurst and Dupont. They always have the best gas prices. Tonight it was like 105.9 which is more than 2c cheaper than every other station I passed on the way home. I think I may just buckle down and do some cleaning before I sleep. I want to set up my little xmas tree too. I'll have to take a picture once it's done.

Lastly, I spent Sunday reading and I finished up Gods Behaving Badly. It was "recommended" by an "amazing person who knows all these cool books." I spent the first 200 pages wondering where the heck the story was going, and the final 80 pages wishing for the swift arrival of the last page. I may have entered into that book with more than a slight bias against it, but I'm just reporting the facts.

I think I have sufficiently unloaded. C'est tout.

Good FOR You

I'd like to think I'm a fairly intelligent being. So it doesn't feel good to admit that I only last week realized my space heater had an oscillating option. It's not even hidden. It's a button on the face of the heater that says "Oscillation". Point: Honeywell.

I've taken on a new adventure at work. I have decided to culture slam them by leaving inspiring or thoughtful quotes on the whiteboards in the conference rooms. I started on Friday night, and almost wet myself while I scribbled out the following Frost quote - "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one last traveled by, and that has made all the difference." I strolled past the conference room this afternoon and was tickled pink to see that the other PLO material had been erased by my quote proudly remained at the top of the board. Maybe I'll put a new one up each Friday? It may be lame but I'm kind of excited.

The Eastern parking lot at Cherry Beach is officially closed for the season. Maybe they could take this opportunity to fix the horrendous pot holes that riddle the entire stretch of the lot. I doubt it, but it would be nice. Maybe it's time to find a new winter haunt, but it's hard to think of a new place. It's so peaceful at night, and fairly isolated. Plus it's just a stone's throw from the downtown core. It made me think of where I would have gone in Calgary and that's easy - Nose Hill. I wish we had a city hill that overlooked the entire city. It would probably be too congested to ever get a spot. Here I go already dreaming up traffic for a site that doesn't even exist.

I went to see my Great Aunt this weekend. I love her to pieces. She's so tiny and proper, but she has this wicked smirk that shows she also has a great sense of humour. I told her all about my trip East, and we talked about books, and just everything. I told her about my Halloween costume and she knew what I was talking about. Though she may not have found it as hilarious I did.

I'm about to start reading A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. Adam lent it to me. I want to expand my reading into the classics. I might do Steinbeck next. Onwards!

Woooof

I had a project this weekend that required me to be in our downtown office from 9am-5:30pm on Saturday and 9:30am-7:00pm on Sunday. I'm beat. I actually went to a silent auction with my mother on Saturday night, and followed that up with a trip down to Cherry beach with Adam. The MC at the silent auction was unbearable. After each time she opened her mouth I would turn to my mother in disgust and remark about how terrible she was. That didn't leave much time for rest, but I didn't want my entire weekend to be wasted.

Two of my coworkers and I took the subway home together. One headed to the West end, one to North York, and me to York. As soon as we all sat down I said, "This is where I pretend to ignore everyone else, so there will be no further talking." Funny thing, we all sat in silence until about St. George and the West ender left us. I made some small talk with the last guy. He was the team lead for our Data Specialist team. He should really be the manager but our company decided to eliminate middle management and put all of the pressure on team leads. I like his style so it was nice to spend a weekend getting to know him better. Him and my old manager are both pretty cool. What really upsets me about this weekend is that I probably won't get OT pay. The 18 hrs will be added to my clocked hours, and only when it goes over 88hrs will it turn into pay and a half. Eff that noise, and that is all I have to say about that.

It's been a pretty busy week. Between dinner at home, to coffee with an old friend, I've been busy. Adam came over on Wednesday and we watched a movie. It was nice. There was no spastic cat to lure with nimbly tapping fingers, but that's ok. We had another midweek night trip to Cherry beach. It's kind of where we go when we're not sure what to do. It's not too busy late at night. And it's extra nice in the Summer time when you can walk up and down the beach, maybe blind skip a rock or two.

I have a few places to add to my new things in Toronto list. Next time.

A Freckle on the Nose of Life's Complexion

I wonder what our world will be like when our generation is at the top of the demographic distribution triangle. Will we be toting that we were kids when the internet first became popularized, just as some might have bragged about the first automobiles? I wonder.

I went to see the Toronto Philharmonia play on Thursday night. A coworker's wife is in the orchestra and he scored us some tickets. He playfully mentioned on the ride down that it was a coy plan for him to score a free lift there, and I laughed as I said, "Don't think that didn't cross my mind." But he was of course joking. For someone that commutes into Mississauga from the Toronto East end, he's no stranger to public transit and wouldn't blink twice at finding his way to the Toronto Centre for the Arts. At any rate it was a great show. They have 7 performances this year, and in efforts to find a new conductor they are having a new one for each performance. Looking at some of the photos for the up and coming conductors I was surprised at how young they all were. And to think, if it's difficult to make it as a musician think about how much harder it is for a conductor. Not many orchestras around town. The second song featured this amazing classical guitarist Michael Kolk (in this video on the left: Youtube link).

As promised from earlier I have a photo to share with you. Adam so cleverly clipped this from the Sun several weeks ago. I laughed so hard the first time I saw it, and I laugh every time I see it. The actual article to match the photo was about disaster relief, which is no laughing matter, but that was just too brilliant. Like some sort of editor's Easter egg. I have a lot to do today so I should get to it. Right now I'm just trying to heat my place up to a tolerable heat so that when I step out of the shower I won't freeze. For the record I hate winter at this apartment. Summer (minus the scorchers) is so wonderful. At least I have a space heater now. Last year I waited until Christmas to get one, but I don't know how I survived the cold winter nights that were upon us then.

Autumn Time, and the Living is Easy

I have finally completed my ten new adventures in Toronto. Perhaps it took me longer than it should have, but falling into familiar routines is so easy. Futures, BMV, 7-11, Flip Toss & Thai, coffee at Cherry Beach, a movie from Blockbusters. It feels good to expand my horizons, and I'd like to keep this tradition going for my own sake. I want to know as much as I can about this fine city of ours.

I'll get straight to the point. Yesterday after work I met up with Adam at a Bakery at Dovercourt and Bloor called Nova Era. It's a part of a chain of Portuguese bakeries that spreads across the downtown. It's nice and clean with a delicious selection of baked goods. I had a delicious cream filled donut type thing and was very pleased with it. We just sat and chatted for a while before calling it. The only thing I didn't like was that you paid after you had eaten. Why not just charge me up front? Then I can leave when I need to and not have to worry about flagging someone down or forgetting to pay (not that I would, but everyone is human).

After that we headed to the Comedy Bar for my first time ever seeing a live sketch comedy performance. And also it was my first time at the Comedy Bar. It was a cute little venue with a bar and a small performance area. A friend of Adam's was on the ticket for the Toronto Sketch Fest that was kicking off that night. I cannot believe how funny they were. It's hard to explain it but the content was just hilarious and the execution was just phenomenal. The other two groups on the ticket were alright, but this one set in particular was head and shoulders and pretty much an entire torso above the rest.

Perhaps my next mission will be to get to know my neighbourhood better. I still haven't had Jamaican food and I'm pretty much surrounded by it.

Tonight was the second night in a row that I stayed at the office until 7pm. I'm so busy right now. It might start slowing down for me after mid-November but until then I have 3 major internal projects to prepare for. I'm also coming up on the end of my contract. It feels like just yesterday I switched departments but it's almost a year ago. I have just over 3 months left and then who knows. Maybe they'll extend maybe they won't. They have their priorities so I need to have my own as well.

Halloween 2010

I took the prize at my company this year for the Halloween costume contest. I had been planning this costume for months but only put my plan into action earlier this week. I actually didn't start sewing until 7pm last night after I got home. I went to see Adam at 8 and he helped me make up for lost time by doing one of the arms. That saved me so much time, plus I picked up a waaay faster stitch from him. I actually need to go over the costume again tomorrow and sew up some of the seems that are falling apart. The last time I did anything remotely exciting for Halloween was 5 years ago. And 30 minutes before leaving the house I exclaimed to my mother that I had nothing to wear so she leant me a pair of crutches and a head bandage and I went as a fight victim. But Inflatable Tube Woman still takes the cake.

I'm in the middle of a thing with Elections Ontario right now. If I can't prove my political donation to a friend's campaign was cashed within the campaign fundraiser period they are going to keep the money. I'm 99% certain I gave the cheque well in advance of the cut-off time. Even if I come back with the proof and nothing happens I'm going to my MPP and then I'm going to tell off Elections Ontario. And if I don't like their response I'm going to write a letter to the editor somewhere. B-S.

Weekend Update

I've been remembering a lot more dreams than normal lately. It's strange to wake up and have such a vivid recollection of another world that exists only in my mind. Hopefully this trend won't keep up.

This week got off to a really great start with two tickets to the Leafs/Islanders game. Sim and I had perfect timing with our meet up at Union, and after picking up some snacks that we successfully smuggled into the ACC we took our seats just in time for the national anthems. That's actually one of my favourite parts of any sporting event. The Leafs were in fine form, and if they keep that level of play up they just might make it into the playoffs this year. Their cup record is embarrassing, but more disappointing is the current trend of not even making it to round 1. It was a really close game. With about 3 minutes left we tied it up, but after getting a penalty in OT the Islanders managed an easy victory.

Wednesday was a nice chill games night at Sim's, followed by some drinks at the Fox and Fiddle with a couple of work mates. It's tough working in an office that doesn't really provide me with many friend opportunities. Not many people that live in the city, and even at that most people are married and not looking to hang out with the likes of me. So different from Calgary, but that's ok.

Friday night I went to a late showing of The Social Network with Adam. Our reaction was that it was an ok movie, but the hype is way too high. Maybe it would have been better if it was based on the official story of Mark Zuckerberg. It was definitely rental worthy, but not worth the trip out or the cost of movie ticket. Saturday was a slow day. I finished a book Nik loaned me. It was children's literature, but it was a nice change in pace from the last two 500 pagers I picked up lately. Next on my plate is a book by a Toronto local writer. I read another of his novels that was nominated for the Giller prize a few years back (A Perfect Night to go to China), so I'm looking to this early novel by David Gilmour - Back on Tuesday.

And then there was today. I did some clothes shopping, which I loathe. I picked up some material for my Halloween costume, but I think I might be a metre short. I hope not. And if the construction doesn't work out I'm not going to dress up at all. I was going to buy Nylon but it turns out it's $10 a yard so I went for a more affordable less authentic alternative material. We shall see how it works out. I'm catching up on my laundry and dishes and I'm getting ready to cook up some dinner. I have a photo I want to share, but maybe next time. Adam did some hilarious clipping from a Sun article from a few months ago. The image features Hazel McCallion and another volunteer (an older gentlemen) holding some water bottles and standing in a warehouse of disaster relief goods. The headline from the below article runs along the bottom of the photo and reads, "Scarborough doctors will focus on waterborne diseases." It's really a hoot when you see it.

Googaly Doogaly

I saw something really messed up last night. This kid was trying to get into the show at the Phoenix after the last band was going into their encore (I had stepped outside), and the bouncer was aggressively pushing him back. I understand that they protect the club but it was too much force. I was walking down the exit ramp as it happened and I thought he was going to push this kid into me. I got out just in time as the kid was thrown to the ground with such force that his shoe came off. Yet still he tried to get back up and insist that he had paid $20 and he just wanted to see the show. At this point there was a max of 3 encore song left before the show was over, he fight was fruitless. The kid finally starts to walk away, and I don't know why but as he's 30ft away from the entrance the bouncer walks down the ramp and walks up Sherbourne after him. I didn't see the entire altercation but I saw him pick him up by the scruff of his clothes and shout at him, "Are you scared now? Are you scared now??" And I'm pretty sure after that he pushed him down and walked back to his post. This kid was like maybe 22 and 120lbs at the most. Not a force to be reckoned with by any means, and this guy who was almost 3 times his size was just batting him around like a yarn ball. In the bouncer's defense I heard him repeat a few things the punk kid said. At one point he apparently threatened to stab the bouncer, and at another point he called him the n-word. Both being incredibly stupid and rude. But as soon as the kid had left the property and was no longer a threat to the surrounding patrons I think maybe you should leave your personal feelings aside and let it go. The show itself was fantastic. The Smashers always put on a great show. I think standing and watching music for 5 hours was a bit long, but I had missed my dinner and was cranky. I remember the days with Nik skanking in the pit at Lee's Palace. I should get back into shape so I could do that again.

It's going to be a low key day. I have a book I want to finish, and as always a bunch of cleaning to do, chores to finish, etc.

Lost in Transcendence

Let me just start by saying I do not appreciate being honked at to drive into the oncoming traffic lane to take a left turn. Just because the main street is backed up and everyone else is doing it doesn't mean I don't have the right as a driver to wait until I'm moderately perpendicular to the street in question before I decide to cross traffic. I also apologize to any passenger that is forced to witness my outrageous road rage.

The above incident aside, yesterday was a pretty great day. After a long hour commute home I met up with Adam and we went for pie at Wanda's Pie in the Sky. Probably the best part of the whole thing was being in Kensington. Other than that, I don't think I would ever pay that much money for a slice of coldly serve pie of an average to less than average size. Adam's piece on the other hand was massive, but possibly a fluke as they reached the end his selected pie and couldn't in good conscience serve it as two. I'm usually not underwhelmed by a place that comes so highly recommended, but...meh.

Afterwards we scooted down to Liberty Village to check out an art show I spotted online. It was basically just a small exposition for up and coming talent across Canada, the US, and the UK. Our night was American photographers. The small commercial area we were in was very cute. It was like walking through a hanger, covered ceiling and all, flanked with high end stores and art galleries. We almost missed the boat because I didn't write down the unit number but it wasn't too hard to find. The location was a squarish white room and there were about 6 sets of photos all with their own unique theme. Some were misses but most of them were hits. I especially enjoyed some of the candid shots with their clever titles. Then it was back to Adam's for a movie and an episode of Bored to Death. Great cast, great show. We also watched Lost in Translation the other night, which has shot back up into my all time desert island top 5.

This weekend I'll be spending three days with my family up North. I'm not looking forward to the first few hours before the heat from the space heaters kicks in, but if this weather keeps up maybe it will be alright. I found out my mom is going to butterfly the turkey so it won't take eons to cook. My only response was, "But mama.....the stuffing has to go inside the turkey." I'm pretty sure my childish pleas were willfully ignored.

Time for a quiet night in, accompanied by some clean up time. Al-right.

Monetary Mitosis

I've been rubbing two pennies together all night to see if I could witness the miracle of penny creation, but no such luck. My plans to reign in spending for the rest of 2010 have gotten off to a rough start. I have an especially large challenge since one of my paycheques this month will only be for half time. If I can get by on 75% pay then I know I'll be in a good spot when it goes back up to 100%. I've considered getting a second job, but perhaps I will wait until the new year to see how my cost saving plans work out.

Nuit Blanche was pretty fun. We got off to a late start, but I wouldn't have looked forward to the crowds for the first portion anyhow. Adam and I hit up Yonge & Bloor, and then traveled to Dundas Square and walked the main downtown core. Then back up to finish the night at Casa Loma. Surprisingly, the whole night took 4 hrs. I was put to shame by my colleague who lasted until 5:45am and yet started well before 6:00pm. Good for him. A lot of people have spoken negatively about the night, and perhaps I just don't have a good point of comparison, but I enjoyed myself. I am kicking myself for missing the human clock. We arrived at 4:15am and it wasn't back on until 5:00am so we left. A coworker says it was his favourite of the entire night. I also missed a self mourning experience just south of my house, out of pure laziness. I should have just walked down on my own at some point earlier on.

I finished the book Old City Hall last night. It was written by a top criminal lawyer in Toronto. I did enjoy the city references, which is one reason I picked it up in the first place. But overall it just wasn't my cup of tea. Ending several chapters with, "I can't believe I didn't think of that before, how could I have missed it?!" got annoying after a while. And with a constant multiple narrative running through out the entire book I was happy for it to be over. He also left the ending completely unresolved leaving multiple plausible explanations for how the murder could have happened. With 4-5 main characters all with rich character development, I often found myself flipping to the early chapters of the book to remind myself who was who. In the end it felt like a drawn out 400 page episode of Law and Order. I would suppose maybe mystery just isn't my genre but Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood is one of my favourite books, and it even has a cliffhanger ending. Perhaps because Alias Grace was based on a true story it resonates more with the reader.

As annoyed as I may sound, I feel the fruits of my frugality shall pay off in the near future. I've always had enough money to get by, but I want better for myself now.

Midnight Train to Toronto

It's good to be back in the city. While I was away I missed the comradery of my fellow partners in non-criminal activity. I've been pretty busy since my return, starting with a trip to Oakville, plus some house chilling, and a 90th birthday party in Aurora for the best Great Aunt ever.

Life is back to normal, nothing too exciting to report. I did happen upon Toronto adventure location #5 which is the Corned Beef House. After picking up some tickets at Rotate this I stopped in at Sim's place. We unwound for a bit and then took a walk down Adelaide towards the marvelous house of smoked meat known as the Corned Beef House, conveniently located directly across the street from Hooters. The sandwich was quite good, and for just under $10 (before tax) you get a massive sandwich and a beer. Not bad at all. Then it was back to her place to once again, with the help of Spence, save the planet from unnecessary viral death.

I have a few short term life goals that I need to write down. First and foremost, I'm going on a strict cash diet. Not literally cash only, but either bank ATM cash or my credit card. I've allotted a certain amount of money for bare bone necessities, and then I'm going to budget for $100 additional dollars. I'm not going to cut up my cards but I need to get serious about money. I spent twice as much as planned on my vacation, and as much as I enjoyed it I'm a little disappointed in myself. I need to start living within my means. At least now I'll have some free time to start getting through some of my books. Get it...free?! I'm sure there are plenty of websites to pick up delicious and "on the cheap" recipes. Hopefully I can keep it together for the next few months, be prepared to pay off the winter tires, and then move forward into a world of monetary planning and financial preparedness.

Goal number two is to train myself on meditating. I know I've mentioned that already but it has been on my mind a lot.

There are other such recurring goals such as keeping my apartment cleaner, and shaving off some of this ridiculous baby fat. They're obvious but worthy of mention.

I just found out yesterday that a friend of a friend is moving to London with no one to stay with and no immediate plans. They have a year long visa and they are taking 2 mos worth of money and a whack load of ambition. They just want to mix it up a little bit, and I'm very jealous. What am I even doing with my life? I'll add that to my list of things to meditate on.

It looks like it's going to be a low key and frugal winter, but hopefully fruitful in other ways.

Day 12: Arnprior ON - Cottage

KM Driven: ~480km
Location: The Cottage

Well, my adventure has officially come to an end. I didn't do anything too out of the ordinary today. I stopped into some towns to take pictures of the names to surprise an old friend with. Then in typical Julie fashion I missed my cut off and drove in the wrong direction for at least 40 minutes. Sigh. I stopped into a Foodland to pick up some food for tonight and tomorrow morning. I think if the weather stays as it is now I will leave tomorrow. I've considered a few ways to wrap this up and I think I will do the following. Below are some fast fact recap points:

Total number of provinces: 5
Total KMs driven: 5,971.1
Cities visited: 20
(Cornwall, Trois Rivieres, Edmundston, Fredericton, Moncton, Summerside, Cavendish, Charlottetown, Montague, Georgetown, New Glasgow, Halifax, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, Miramichi, Bouctouche, Rimouski, Trois Pistoles, Arnprior, Eganville)
Sites visited: 16
(MontMorency Falls, Nackawic Axe, Bay of Fundy, Magnetic Hill, Bottle Houses, Alpaca Farm, Union Corner Park, PEI Provincial Park, Alexander Keiths Brewery, Pizza corner, Peggy's Cove, Citadel Hill, La Dune de Bouctouche, Pokeshaw Park Black Rock Park, Chutes A Picot, Pointe-Au-Pere)
Number of pages that flew out of the window: 2 - the contents of both being unknown.
Cheapest Night: Cornwall
Most Expensive Night: Halifax
Favourite Site: Peggy's Cove
Longest Day: 12 hrs on the road

And finally things I've learned:
1) Canada is more beautiful than can be put into words
2) Cruise control is an essential car feature for all road trips, and the e-brake is not
3) French is alive and well through out the entire East Coast. French is not a second language in NB it's a first.
4) Also, Acadian pride is alive and well in the East, especially in NB.

I thought I'd have more inspiring things to say but this is harder to wrap than I thought. Lived it, loved it, and I'd do it again in a heart beat.

Le Fin.

Day 11: Rimouski QC - Arnprior ON

KM Driven: 844.4
Location: Arnprior Motor Inn

Preface: I can't stay connected long enough to upload photos. They will be added tomorrow.

What can I say about today, other than I'm sore and I'm tired. I've pretty much sat in a car for two days straight. Sure there have been stops along the way, but it's still confining, and after a while it feels like my legs start to atrophy. I stop to use the washroom and it's like I have to learn how to walk all over again.

I started the day with a quick loop up to Pointe-Au-Pere to see the lighthouse and the historical site. It was just a few short KMs up the road fom where I was staying. I read a few placks, took a few photos, and was on the road for the big push through QC. I would have liked to have stayed longer and learned more about the lighthouse and the history of the historical site, but there was definitely too much time pressure for that. Back in the car, the first and only stop I made was in Trois-Pistoles QC. Being such a die hard hip fan I couldn't pass up the opportunity to drive through and take a picture of the welcome sign for the QC Hip namesake city. It has a quaint downtown with a beautiful church in the centre. A quick drive through was all I did and I was back on the road. I wanted to stop in for lunch somewhere but being so ashamed of not knowing French I had picked up a sandwich at a gas station in Rimo and that was that. Then I drove straight through to Ottawa. Pretty uneventful drive. The sun was a nice touch to the trip. Finally, when I have no sights to see it's bloody beautiful out. Still it made for a nice driving day. The Quebec drivers are still among the worst in the country. How can they not realize how stupid tailgating is. And cutting almost directly in front of trucks. Did captain bad idea tell them to do that, because the captain doesn't always give good advice. One turd burglar was tailing me, and I had to squeeze in front of a school bus to get out of his way. He was practically already in my lane by the time I got over. With my window down I flipped my hand out the window in a "shove it" motion. He gave me this really weird look when he passed, like he had no idea why I would have done that. I pulled up to the Econolodge (thew new Ottawa standard stop) and I was all ready to unpack and unwind but they were full. Unfortunately the Econolodge was full. It is the cheapest in Ottawa, and otherwise you might as well not be in downtown unless you want to pay 100+ dollars. The sun was already practically set, but I decided to get back on the road and just truck it towards my next destination. I'm taking the northern route to Haliburton, and making a few stoppies on the way. One potential stop is another waterfalls in QC, just across the way from I think Pembroke. I'll have to see if I'm feeling up for it. Now that I'm within 5-6hrs from home I have to think that anything I do now could be accomplished in a weekend trip if I so chose.

All in all Quebec in an amazingly beautiful province. This morning, and last night I really enjoy driving through what I'm going to call the Northern Appalachians. Whatever they were it was stunning. The towns and villages, the shoreline of the St. Lawrence River. Quebec est une tres tres belle province. I also have resolved that I need to learn how to speak French. I'm going to look into teaching myself and then if it goes well looking into getting formal lessons.

I'm going to attach some photos and head to sleep. The internet connection is very very weak up here so I want to wrap it up. Plus it was a fairly uneventful day, and there's really not much left to say. Oh, but I am less than impressed with where I'm staying. I put the deadbolt on and it was looking kind of suspicious so I gave it a tug from the locked position and it popped out. Good stuff.

Day 10: Miramichi NB - Rimouski QC

KM Driven: 644.7
Location: Le Navigateur Hôtel

I'm wiped. I just spent 12 hours on the road today. From what was supposed to be a leisurely 5 to 5 1/2 hour drive somehow turned into 12. Where to start.

I realized last night as I was flipping through my magical destinations book that I missed a pretty special one an hour back from where I landed. That kind of demonstrates my lack of preparedness these past few days. Anyhow, I decided it was a must see and this morning I booked it South to La Dune de Bouctouche, just a few minutes North of Bouctouche. It's funny I specifically remember passing that city the first time though because I giggled at the name, for no apparent reason. Backtracking was 150% the right way to go, the dune was absolutely breath taking. You had to park across the street and then walk across to the boardwalk. They had a small observation area where you could take a nice picture of the entire area. Then they had a boardwalk that stretches about 2km down the 12km dune. I took about a half click on the sand which proved to be maybe not the best choice. It was interesting watching the blowing sand start to fill in my foot prints just as soon as I had made them. The sun was out, the air was just the right level of cool, and it was a gorgeous walk up and back the boardwalk. At the tip of the boardwalk I spied a few people venturing down the beach. Who knows if they were going to trek to the tip of the Dune. That would be 10km in the sand, good luck to them.

So back and the road and up through Miramichi again, I took the extended route along the shoreline between Miramichi and Bathurst. This was not intentional. I did think it was taking much too long to get there, but once I realized it was far too late to gain any time back by cutting back across. It was a great view anyhow. There are a lot of beautiful shores on the Northern coast of NB. I made one unauthorized stop in Pokeshaw, NB at a tiny Provincial Park that was closed. It was just off the road, and as I drove past I saw this magnificent rock structure just off the shore. I u-ed back and pulled up to the closed gate and hopped the low fence into the park area. It's normally $2 a person, but I guess labour day is off season or something. I've gained free access to a lot of things because of the season. Not a ton, but enough to notice. Anyways, I snapped a few shots and was back in the car.

I almost blew my route at the border because I hadn't made note of a bridge as you cross from NB to QC. I crossed the bridge, got confused and went back, and then realized it had to be right and went back again. It was right, so I carried on. Just a few short moments down the road I saw a sign with a picture of a falls, and an arrow that said 15km. I figured I could spare 45 minutes and take a quick side trip. Turns out the first 10km is almost entirely uphill. My car ramped up to 6000rpm just to maintain the speed limit of 80km/h. I'm not sure I have ever, ever seen it go that high before. It was a mother of a hill. At one point you turned a sharp corner and turned into a continuing steep incline. It was French madness. I pulledup to a shoddy sign that said Chutes A Picot 4.5km so I turned in. It was a one lane dirt road that twisted and turned and went exactly back the way I had just come but on the inside. I finally pulled up to the end of the road where I found an outhouse (thank goodness), and a path with arrows indicating to follow to the falls. Now, the road in already scared me a little seeing that I'm a female travelling alone and if anything were to have happened I could have been in big trouble. I'm pretty sure at that point it was a no cell phone range (I actually couldn't find my cell phone at the time anyways). But to get out of my car and venture down an unknown path with potential unknown visitors was perhaps one of the dumbest things I've done on this trip. I second guessed myself but I thought I had already come too far to turn back. The path itself stretched about 1.5-2 clicks into the woods along a narrow path that sloped down a medium steep hill. And the path was covered in tree roots making it slightly difficult to navigate. I got about half way down the path and even considered returning to my car but once again I thought I had gone too far and needed to finish what I had started. I finally arrived at the falls, and it was really serene. There wasn't a soul in sight, just me and the beauty that is nature. I took a few pictures and then hoofed it back up the path, which by the way was entirely downhill towards the falls and uphill on the way back. Yeah. I really was worried the entire time that something bad was going to happen. I rarely if ever put myself into a situation I'm not comfortable with that I wouldn't consider safe, but I took a chance. In the back of my mind the entire time I kept thinking that maybe someone else would come, and see a lone car with the passenger seat filled with junk and know there was a solo hiker with a lot to lose. BUT, in the end everything turned out fine. And I finally put my own personal mark on this trip with an impromptu off the beaten path adventure. I tried googling Chutes a Picot for more information but apparently there is none. There are two flickr accounts with some photos but that's it.

I circled back the way I came and got back on the 132-O, destination Rimouski. In my direction notes I was to turn onto the 132-O, and then at the traffic circle take the 3rd exit towards Rimouski. I just didn't happen to make note that I had to stay on the 132 for almost 200km. So, as it started to get dark, and rain, and all the signs were for cities I had no recognition of I started to become really uncomfortable. I have always held the position that if I've driven in the wrong direction and it's too late to correct I just need to stop what I'm doing and fix it the next day. Finally I pulled into Mont Joli, and I decided to bring out the Acer and confirm my location. I was less than .5km away from the traffic circle. If I had driven on for 30 more seconds I would have seen it. C'est la vie.

The first hotel I stopped at was full, but luckily they directed me to the one I'm at now. It's pretty posh and not too unreasonable. If it was light out I'd find a dirt hole, but I was here and there was room so I took it. Tomorrow I'm back in Ontario, and then the following night I'll wrap this all up with a few after thoughts. Kind of like Jerry Springer but classier.

Bon nuit mes amis.

Day 9: Halifax NS - Miramichi NB

KM Driven: 596.1
Location: Fundy Line Motel

Check out was 1pm from the Cambridge Suites so I had a nice slow morning. I went down for breakfast at 9:45 but during the week they close at 9:30. That would have been really nice for someone to tell me that when I checked in. No bother. That put me 15 minutes early for visting a few stores I had picked out during my trek home. Which by the way I staggered walking uphill with walking across streets as to avoid having to hike vertically for more than 2 blocks at a time. I'm a big wussy. Anyways, I picked up a mediocre breakfast at a place called Paper Times Cafe, or something like that. Had a nice English Breakfast tea along with my eggs and bacon. It was a pretty alright way to start the day. Then I stopped in at the Blackmarket and picked up a headband. It was more like Kensington in Toronto than the Blackmarket in Toronto. I really loved most of the stuff they were selling but I restrained myself. Then I stopped in at a Yoga store just 2 blocks south of the hotel, just to look around and see if I could get any ideas for meditating. It's something I've wanted to start doing for a very long time but never got around to. I picked up a pocket sized book of Buddhist views on various subjects. And then lastly I stopped in at a comic shop just up the street. I wanted to expand my horizons and pick something up to read, but I just couldn't choose. And I figured I could always branch out at home if I really wanted. Back to the hotel, and all checked out, I went down to my car and left.

My car officially smells like death. I'm not sure if there's something rotting in there, or if maybe I smell like death, but it's bad. It's like paper mill up close all the time. Ok, maybe not that bad, but it's not good. I must eventually find the source and eliminate/remove.

I missed a really beautiful attraction just an hour south of where I am, so I'm going to double back tomorrow morning. I had just said to Sim earlier, "If it's less than an hour I'll consider it." Thanks to google maps I know it's an hour and eight minutes. And I think I will allow for the extra 8 minutes and do it. I really need to get to bed asap so I can get up tomorrow, prepare myself for the world, and get on the road. There's this other AMAZING...A-MAZ-ING looking attraction just 2 minuets down the street from my first destination, but it closed at the end of August. It's like this small island that you walk to on a boardwalk, and it's an old school Acadian town filled with old time actors. And they have authentic Acadian meals, and live music. And I think I would have enjoyed it. Though it does sound super kitch, it also looked wicked cool. They also had an attractive website, that always helps. I also missed an Eco Arts fair, but that's ok. At least it wasn't while I was driving past, but days before I even left Ontario.

Ok, so I got in the car, and literally across the street from my hotel was Citadel Hill. I almost passed thinking it would just give me something to do when I come back, but decided it was too close to pass up. I had a really unfortunate, yet fortunately not too unfortunate driving incident on the hill. I'd rather not get into it because I pride myself on making smart driving decisions and this was not one. Feeling the time pressure because of my leisurely morning I did a quick walking tour, I walked around the top of the fort, I checked out the Army Museum, and it was back in the car. The best part was eavesdropping on some older gentlemen talking about their war experiences. If I'd have had more time I would have pulled up a chair and soaked it all in. It actually piqued my interest in learning more about personal war experiences.

Next up was Mahone Bay and Lunenburg, the resting spot of the Bluenose II. They were both adorable towns. Old styled buildings freshly painted with vibrant colours. They both had adorable harbours, and a ton of interesting looking shops. It would be amazing on a nice summer day to sit by the shore and eat an ice cream and read, or talk (if you're lucky enough to have a friend). But for today it was a drive through situation. I did stop in Lunenburg to see the famous harbour but the Bluenosee II was NOT THERE. I should have done more research rather than just winging it. I think my problem lately on this trip is that I switched into wing it mode and I'm not getting the most of my journey. I've even stopped mapping out directions and just depending on road signs, which is not always advantageous. That's a lie, I did write down directions today but I promptly lost them in my car and then I winged it. Still. Just because my trip is winding down doesn't mean I should.

From Lunenburg I drove back up to Halifax and through Truro onwards to Miramichi, NB. I told NS to peace out as I drove past the borderline. I don't know when I'll be back. That's kind of sad really. I could definitely do this trip again. Though next time I would probably fly into Halifax, drive around, and then fly back from wherever I ended up.

And that brings me to here and now. I'm making some very last minute backtracking plans, and making sure I won't have to drive into Rimouski in the dark. Rimouski then Ottawa then home. Two more sleeps and I'll be back home (at the cottage). I don't want to start reminiscing before it's over, but this trip has been incredible. And although I may have been a little negative from time to time, I'm overall happy with the amount of touring I have accomplished. I've added 8 checks to sites from "Unforgettable Canada - 100 Destinations" bringing my grand total to 25. That leaves plenty more of Canada for me to see. It would take years to get them all, because a handful are seasonal, and at least 25 are either NL, NT, YK, or NU, and I don't see myself getting all four of them any time soon. Some day though :)

Zee end.

Day 8: Halifax NS

KM Driven: 0
Location: Cambridge Suites

It was really nice to wake up and knowing I was staying in the same place. No rush to pack up and ship out for a new location. It was raining this morning so I took it easy in my amazing suite. I finally headed out in the afternoon. I can't say exactly how slowly I walked down the hill of doom but I'm sure it was slower than normal.

There are no pictures from today. I didn't feel like lugging my camera around with me, and I didn't really have anything in mind that I wanted to photograph. You'll just have to take my word for it that Halifax has a really cool downtown core. I was looking for a few bars some colleagues had mentioned but no such luck. I headed down to the Alexander Keiths Brewery for the tour. It was actually quite entertaining. My only criticism is that they broke into song way too often, and there were far too many false promises that Mr. Keith would be joining the tour any moment. If he wasn't going to join the tour (the tour is run by period actors) then why continue to allude to it at every stop? Anyways. Then I headed over to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for a quick tour. Then it was over to the historic properties and to the Lower Deck for a pint. I walked in and the place was completely empty, without anyone at the bar. So I took it in and left. It would have been a cool place to go with friends. It had an Octoberfest set up with 3 main tables and bench seats running the length of the place. So I left. Following another recommendation I headed up to the Split Crow, but then moved along Barrington in hopes of finding another place, which I did not. So I stopped into an Irish pub I forget the name of, and with their half price appetizers I bought two and brought one home for dinner. I stopped into a used CD store, but most of the CDs were new. Tomorrow I'm hitting up a comic book shop just down the street, and Citadel hill and on to my next destination.

I think touring larger cities is easier and more fun with more people. It's just like Toronto, I'm more inclined to go out if there's someone to go with. I guess that's something I need to work on anyways. But I need to ramp it up, because I'm starting to bore myself. Maybe I can finish my book tonight though. Yay?

Day 7: New Glasgow NS - Halifax NS

KM Driven: 321.3
Location: Cambridge Suites

I took my time again in the morning, knowing that I didn't have far to drive. I had the most amazing continental breakfast I have ever had. I guess if they are going to charge what they do it better be a good breakfast. After breakfast I was on the road for Peggy's Cove and Halifax.

I have to say, I think Nova Scotia is my new favourite province. The area leading up Peggy's Cove was just gorgeous. It was just cove after cove of beautiful water, filled with the stereotypical fishermen boats. I wanted to stop at each one and take a picture. Pulling up to Peggy's Cove was just stunning. The rock formations leading up to the lighthouse are just unbelievable. And best of all, the whole trip is free. There's no admission, you just drive up and you can walk right out. I could have spent the entire day there just sitting on the rocks and watching the waves break up against the rocks. A coworker had told me about the danger of being swept out to sea if you go too close tothe water, so I was cautious going into it. But it's pretty clear where the water stops. Any rock stained dark from water is off limits.

After that I took the Prospect route back through to Halifax. It was a really gorgeous. I pulled into Halifax, and by winging it I found the hotel I'm staying at with much ease. I checked in, and just unwound in my room. I'm paying out my butt, but the room is amazing. That was the plan all along, to go as cheap as possible and then go all out in Halifax. I've had enough 2 to 2 1/2 star establishments. It will be tough to downgrade on the way home.

So I wanted to do at least one thing tonight, besides laundry, so I headed to an apparently famous location called Pizza Corner. Three of the businesses at the intersection are pizza places and they service people leaving the bars in the early hours of the morning. I was told in advance that walking around Halifax feels like everything is up hill, but that's not entirely true. To get to the pizza place was a sharp incline. As I was walking I thought to myself, "This is so steep I could probably fall", at which point I wiped out. That's right, I fell down while walking down a hill. A taxi driver coming up from behind me actually shouted to me to ask if I was ok. That's just a typical day in the life thing to happen to me. But at least the donair pizza made it somewhat worthwhile.

I've got a few sightseeing plans for tomorrow that I'm looking forward to, including a tour of the Ketihs Brewery. Right now I'm just waiting for my laundry to be done and then I'll hit the hay. From what I can tell I already love the city. There's just so much to do.

Day 6: Charlottetown PE- New Glasgow NS

KM Drive: 553.7
Location: Holiday Inn Express

I wish I had more time in Charlottetown to explore etc, but it wasn't in the cards. After a quick daytime drive through I headed west to Montague. It was raining, of course. This upcoming week looks like it just might be all sun, I should be so lucky, we shall see. Montague was nice, but I didn't stop at all. I kept on driving to see what Lower Montague was all about. It was just another gorgeous little town, with a small harbour section and beautiful beaches. Being behind schedule I couldn't spare any time so back on the road and around the bay to Georgetown. I looped around the streets a few times until I found this restaurant on the shore called Clam Diggers Beach House & Restaurant. Still feeling the burn of not getting my mussels the night before I thought this was the perfect alternative. It was exactly what I wanted - an authentic PEI restauarant, by the shore, that served mussels. It was only when I went inside that I realized how fancy it was and I was in over my head wearing my hobo chic travel wear. Basically the entrees were $25 and up. I felt too embarassed to order just an appetizer, so I had the mussels and a caeser. Both were really good. The mussels were in a delicious like coconut curry sauce. I can't even describe how good it was. Then it was back on the road back to the Confederation Bridge, with just one more planned stop. And that stop ended up being one of my favourite stops on the island - Victoria by the Sea (pictured above). I would have spent half a day there if I could, but alas time was up. I paid my toll and peaced out of PEI.

Once in NS I missed the cutoff to New Glasgow because it wasn't signed as that, but as the Sunshine Route. Anyhow, a few stops later I saw a sign for Pugwash (a city I recognized as being on route for NG) so I took t=route 310N up to the coast. It was really a fantastic site seing the Atlantic for the first time. And to follow the coast for almost the full drive was very nice. Of course it was overcast and raining for most of it, but it was still stunning.

My favourite stop along the route had to be Tatamagouche. I stopped to get some gas just in case stations became scarce along the way. That's where I got my first taste of the Scotian accent that I love so much. I pulled up to New Glasgow not too much longer. I think it's fair to say that this city stinks. There must be some sort of industry set up that's causing the stank. You let me down fake Scottish city, you let me down. The first place I went to was sold out. New Glasgow, after labour day, Quality Inn is sold out? Are you kidding me?? I actually gasped when the lady at the desk said that. That's the second time I've been told a place is full up and the second time I've let out a full on gasp. I really need to stop doing that.

Tomorrow I shall reach my final destination, Halifax NS. Unfortunately I have some laundry to do, but I shall use that laundry down time to plan how to pack as much action into 2-3 days as possible.

My vacation has taken a bit of a turn. It's no longer going to be about travelling, but more about tourism at the city level. I...am very excited. I'm only sad because it already feels like this trip is wrapping up. Today was the halfway point.

Anyways, as per usual, updates to come.

Day 5: Summerside PE - Charlottetown PE

KM Driven: 266.0
Location: Canada's Best Value Inn & Suites

As I drove in Charlottetown this afternoon I knew I had to find a place to stay fast because I was crashing. I had all intentions of sitting down and writing my standard post, but when I found out that my camera was set on Manual and I ruined a whole set of photos I shut down and just hit the bed. It's now ridiculous o'clock AM but I've already had close to 6 hours of sleep. I might go back down for a quick nap before breakfast.

I'm really kicking myself for blowing those photo opportunities. It's probably going to rain tomorrow so who knows if it's worth my while to circle back. I could get it all again in less than 2 hours, but I'm still just steamed over the whole thing. I was going to head downtown today to hit up a restaurant and get some mussels but when my alarm went off I just turned it off and chose sleep instead. I'm going to do lunch tomorrow instead, then maybe loop back for some photos. Maybe not, I'm not sure yet.

Well, I didn't travel far in terms of point A to B, but I took the extended route for sure. My first trip was back along the red shores to take a picture of this really awesome looking church. It stood out from anything else I have seen on the island. Of course that was one of the pictures I screwed with manual settings. Then I pulled off down a side street to take a few pictures of the red shoreline. Again, lost those. I also stopped in at a stop along the way with several small houses made completely out of bottles. From the outside it looks weird because all you see is the bottom side of hundreds of bottles, held together with cement. But then on the inside you see all the necks of all the bottles, it's wild. And then I stopped at this book store called Grumpy Old Men Books. I couldn't find anything I was interested in, but then this woman went into how her and her husband use the bookstore to pay for their heart medications, so I couldn't leave without getting abook or two. They were only $1.00 each, but it was better than nothing. Then I took off in the direction of a few places the hotel clerk from last night circled. I kind of couldn't find my way to the fist destination so I circled back along the Northern shore. I drove past this Alpaca farm, and I almost didn't turn around but the sign said "Visitors Always Welcome" so I just had to stop. The woman had just moved to PEI from Hamilton. She lost her oldest daughter three years ago, and needed to make a life change. So she gave me a tour of all of the animals, and gave me a history of her Alpacas, and just talked to me for the longest time. I ended up buying some really soft Alpaca wool socks. Fantastic. The last part of the day was a drive up along the central Northern shore, and into the PEI Provincial Park at Cavendish. The sands were really beautiful. I also stopped into Green Gables, but I couldn't stand the thought of paying money for something I wasn't even that interested in.

It's Friday morning now, and the rain is pouring down. My original plan was to hit a few Eastern points and then cross back to Nova Scotia. I don't know what to do anymore. I need to regroup and reinject a certain level of energy into this trip. Maybe some sunshine would help.

Jout.

Day 4: Moncton, NB - Summerside, PE

Destination: Summerside, PE
KM Driven: 362.8
Location: The Loyalist Country Inn

I had another late starting day. I tried to get up early, but after I woke up to the alarm clock I just went back to bed for another hour. Only later would I really wish I had that extra hour. Last night I looked into everything that I wanted to do so I wouldn't have to waste time when I got up. I read some reviews for Magnetic Hill and most of them were negative, but for a short trip out of Moncton, and for the fact that it might be a long while until I'm back here I decided to ignore the reviews and I went. It's a $5 entrance fee, but that's nominal for the frigging amazing thing that happens. I don't understand how anyone could ever write negatively about it. You drive down a hill, and then you go into neutral and roll up backwards. YOU ROLL UP THE HILL. I've read it's an optical illusion and "Any idiot can tell why it's happening", but I guess that just means I'm sort of special breed of idiot because I loved it, and I would recommend it to anyone. In the picture I'm at the top of the hill, and in neutral that pick up would roll towards me. Awesome, right?

Then it was back on the road for maybe the most anticipated stop on this entire trip, Hopewell Rocks. I checked the tide schedule and was planning my day to be able to see both the low tides and the high tides. I got there just at about noon when they were at their lowest. Half the time it's low tide at noon and the other half it's high tide. I guess it's depends on which side of bay the moon is on. After just about 45 minutes I pulled into the park, and got my ticket. The lady asked everyone where they were from and how they heard of the park. The couple in front of me was from Hong Kong and they said it's world renowned. When it was my turn I didn't know what to say. When does a Canadian learn about the Bay of Fundy? So I said it's a great Canadian landsite. That's right, landsite. That sounds more like me calling their national treasure a dump. Anyways. I trekked down to the shore and started to take some pictures. Maybe 10 minutes into my stay the skies closed and started to dump rain. I thought maybe I could wait it out, since other rainfalls I've experienced out here have come in intervals. But alas, no such luck. I didn't finally stop raining until about 4pm so I'm glad I left. I was so ready to sit and enjoy the bay and read while watching the tides. *Sniff* Moving on.

I had to pass back through Moncton to get where I was going. I've become much better at taking detailed notes from google maps, and navigating the hwys better. Though I'm still not a really great navigator. I second guess myself a lot, and it's just no good. I still don't understand how all the roadways connect. But I think it's fair to say that traffic circles are alive and well in Acadia. Just a short trip down the road is a small town called Shediac. What drew me to the city was a promise of a giant metal lobster, and they did not disappoint. At first I just sat in my car to wait out the rain. I dropped into Shoppers to pick up some tylenol. And then I stopped into a restro bar for lunch. I figured it was about time to bring on the Eastern cuisine. There weren't really any unusual dishes so I just had the seafood linguine. It was ok, I guess. Soda was $2 a glass and she charged me for my second drink. Where on the face of the planet are refills not free. I hesitated to ask when I ordered but I let it go. After I paid my bill another guy asked if I wanted a top up, so I think that woman just screwed me over. I wasn't in the mood to fight $2. Then it was back on the road for my final stretch of NB.

It was a pretty smooth ride back to the TransCanada, and just as smooth coming up to the bridge. I read just recently that it's a toll bridge. I suppose that makes sense since they have to make the money back from the build and for ongoing maintenance, but $42 bucks, REALLY?? You only pay to leave, so I still have a chance to choose to take the ferry. It's even more expensive than that but I will already be on the East side of the island so it might make sense. The bridge would still be cheaper. I must say the thing I found the most disappointing about the bridge were the concrete barriers that blocked any semblance of a view one might get of the upcoming shoreline. It must be great to drive a truck across, or even a minivan. I let out another little squeal as we went over the raised portion and the island became visible. The first thing I saw were the hardsloped red clay/sand shorelines and I fell in love. As I was driving I wrote down a list of things I loved about the island:

1) The red beaches
2) As soon as we were off the bridge it opened up into two lanes and NO ONE went into the passing lane.
3) 102.1 Spud FM
4) A gigantic fabric store, with a note about weekly quilting gatherings.
5) St. Raphaël - who in Canada has a city with an umlaut? That's right, PEI (though
I can't find reference online, it's on the sign itself)

That's all I have, but that's not too bad for a start. I arrived into Summerside and decided to do my standard drive through to get a feel for the city. It's small and cute, just as you'd expect. But then I saw these roadsigns that had a picture of a lighthouse and some red sands so I started to follow them. They took me out of the city and along some road. I had no idea where I was but I didn't really care. I knew it would probably only take me just over an hour to drive to the edge of the island, worst case scenario. I didn't understand where the signs leading because they would just drop off, and then appear again. There would be arrows pointing ahead as if we were approaching something, but that something never came. Finally I pulled off the road towards the water and came across a small red beach. It was so beautiful. I just wanted to sit and stay and soak it all in. I would have stayed longer but my camera ran out of battery. And with a dead phone and a dead camera I thought it was time to find a place to sleep. I pulled into the Quality Inn just at the edge of town but they were sold out. Summerside full up on a Wednesday after labour day, interesting. They referred me to where I am now, which was genius because I'm sure this room is cheaper and way nicer. I wish I was staying longer and could waste a day just chilling in this room. King sized bed, couch, tv, nice washroom, waterside view, and all for $99.99. I'm pretty sure the lady knocked off at least $30 bucks. I asked the price point at the Quality and she said $129. And at one point the woman here even said $129 was the cheapest, but when I said "I just need the smallest and cheapest room you have.", she was like "$99 is as low as we can go." And I'm thinking - lady I'm not trying to bargain but you have yourself a deal. She also took about 10 minutes of her time to show me on a map of PEI everything I might be interested in doing. I have a looot to do, and I only have tomorrow and the following morning to explore. I do have a moral dilemma. I can stay 2 more days and forgo ending the trip up north but I would potentially miss my great Aunt's 90th birthday. The schedule I mapped out takes me back into Ontario on Thursday so I think it's still possible for me to stretch it out 2 more days and drive into Newmarket just on time. We shall see.

There are things about this trip that I haven't written, that maybe I should try to write more completely. Like on the drive up the Eastern side of Quebec I saw this really cute city that sat right on the St. Lawrence. It reminded me of like a colonial city, with very few buildings and an old single room white church. I spent the rest of that drive trying to find something similar but I couldn't. And the roadsigns, geez. In NB I saw 3 separate instances of "Deaf Child Area". I get it, they can't hear cars coming. But the signs make it sound like they heard up the hearing impaired and make them all live in one neighbourhood. Or the fact that Summerside has a Piping College...as in bagpipers.

I guess that's it for today. I'm going to tour the West and North coast tomorrow, and time permitting the East coast. If I run out of time I'll try to hit the East coast on Friday. And I need to definitely boot it out of here before Sunday because they are shutting the bridge down for the Terry Fox run.

And scene.

Day 3: Edmundston, NB - Moncton, NB

Destination: Moncton, NB
KM Driven: 499.7
Location: Colonial Inn

Today was a lazy day for me. How can I be lazy on such a trip as this? I just was. I got up pretty early for how tired I was. I woke up just about the time my work alarm would have woken me. My body doesn't know I'm on vacation yet. I did some travel research, took a shower, took my time, and made it out of the room just in time for 11am check out. I took an uneventful drive through of Edmundston so I could feel like I did at least a little bit more than stay the night. I got lost, but at one point the buildings cleared and I saw the Shoppers from just off the hwy and I was found again. Hit the road, first destination Nackawic, NB.

I staved off stopping for anything because I thought I would visit the giant axe in Nackawic, and then stop somewhere nice for a bite to eat. Well, it turns out that the only thing Nackawic has is a "new" plaza with two banks and a grocery store, and a giant steel axe. I met two fellow travellers from Oakville as I offered to take a picture of both of them. Nice older couple travelling to visit their daughter in Halifax. And then they're off to NL which I'm totally jealous of. I commented that I wanted to go but it was too far, to which they replied they're flying. Smart. I only noticed afterwards that my camera had a giant mark on the front of the lens so a set of those pictures are ruined. Sigh. Then it was back on the road.

I pulled up to Fredericton a short bit later. I wanted to find a Tims to stop to use the washroom. They apparently only have one Tims, and you have to be approaching from the South or you can't get in. I guess for downtown real estate they're lucky to have a parking lot at all. I found a nice parking spot and took a walk through their downtown area. I sat outside city hall for a bit and drank my coffee and read some more. Then I stopped into a few bookstores and picked up some books to add to my read pile, which is grossly large and I need to either start reading more or stop buying books. I noticed as I was getting ready to leave that the Harvest Jazz Festival is happening in F-town for the next few days. I had an "I'm a guy like me" moment as I read that it was from Sept 14-18. "Hey, today is one of those days." I checked out the schedule but I didn't recognize many of the names. Plus it's like a NXNE because it happens at venues across the city. Plus some of the shows were like $50. The only show I would have considered was Big Sugar, but they weren't even tonight. I had already decided that if I didn't love the city I would boot it over to Moncton so I could be nice and close to Hopewell Rocks for tomorrow. Moncton is a really cute place. From what I've seen they have a really super clean and attractive downtown core. And I found an Inn downtown that's only $80 a night, but just a few blocks away from the main strip. I finally get my real meal and I can drink undrivable amounts if I so choose.

In my preparations for travel I saw that there was a Potato Museum on route. Yes, a Potato Museum. Everything you ever needed or wanted to know about potatoes, from the ground to your plate. I knew it was coming, but still as I passed the sign on the highway I emitted a laugh I have never even heard from myself before. It must have been a laugh of the dying because if I had laughed any harder my lungs might have seized. I thought it would have been funny to go just for kicks, even though in the magazine most of the attendants were children. But after that experience I know it would have been shameful, and I would have been asked to leave before I ruined it for everyone else. Not to remain untopped, I did come across a gem in Fredericton. Government of Canada - Potato Research Centre. And in case you don't believe me google "potato research centre", it will be the first hit.

I just got back from my first dinner out at the Moncton Alehouse Pub. I took a stroll down Main St. to an area I had already done a driveby on. I sat and ate and read my book while a bunch of buffoons sang karaoke. I thought about going up myself. Being alone in a city I will less than likely ever visit again, why not. But the thought was only fleating, as I soon returned to my chicken fingers and reading. I didn't fail to notice that the first song up was New Orleans is Sinking. I thought for a moment that perhaps love for the Tragically Hip was alive and well in New Brunswick, but then I realized it was just the DJ singing and was less enthused. But still impressed.

I'm getting pretty pumped for PEI and NS. I have a few things planned for tomorrow so I best get some rest. I should get an early start if I want to accomplish everything. I must admit as I was leaving Edmundston I let out a shout of glee. With no one to hear it but myself (and the hitch hiker I picked up....kidding, sort of, no I really am kidding), I just couldn't help myself. This trip means a lot to me, and I'm glad I'm taking it. And that I had the nerve to take it alone.

Time warp - I just planned out tomorrow. Much to do. And I found out my sensor has friggin gosh darn dust on it. I do not want to have to deal with this right now. Really, really, really don't want to have to deal with this. ACK.

Day 2: Cornwall, ON - Edmundston, NB

Destination: Edmundston, NB
KM Driven: 748.8
Location: Happy Club Motel

I'm beat. I'm plum exhausted. I had a pretty late departure from Cornwall. After breakfast and a fill up I didn't get on the road until 10am. My day started with me, due to unforeseen circumstances, missing the required on ramp twice. Not once, twice. Twice. On route it started to rain almost immediately. The only times it stopped were when I was on foot, it was quite miraculous really. It was a different drive for me because everything was new. Yesterday I drove past several locations I had already visited, some of them multiple times, but this time everything was fresh. Even the aforementioned Gananoque was just about the starting point of my infamous drive home in first gear. I don't know how I managed that and still maintained my sanity. I'm just lucky King's Rd 2 extends the length of the 401. I digress.

Trois Rivieres was a really cute town, with the back areas having a very European feel to them. I took a stroll along the shore of the St. Lawrence (at least I think it was), and then through some of the back streets and took some pictures. There was a typical old styled Quebec church, with an interesting statue outside. I'll have to look into who the statue was for, I didn't recognize the name. Then I went back to the main street, Boulevard des Forges, and sat at pub called Le P'tit Pub and had a pint and read A Dirty Job. At first I asked if they had half pints but I guess they haven't heard of half pints in QC. Then I pointed to a sign on the taps that said "Le P'tit Pub" and said, "I'll have a pint of your house brew." And the girl was like, "Uhh,
that's the name of the pub." So Keiths Red it was. At about 2:30 I packed it in and got back on the hwy, Autoroute 40.

Just past Quebec City is a small city called Beauport, and just outside the city limits is Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, which hosts a waterfall higher than Niagara. Not as grand in scale as Niagara but magnificent none the less. After another embarassing detour due to confusing notes and no map in hand, I arrived at the falls at 5:00pm. I thought the woman said $19.50 to enter, which I thought was highway robbery, but it turns out it was just $9.50. I only had an hour left so I didn't get to attempt the stairs, which in the end was probably a good thing. I had found out that there was a gondola ride that takes you up and down the mountain. It was $7.50 one way, or $9.50 return, so I took the deal and got a return trip. Of course getting the ticket was not achieve without utter and complete difficulty. I asked for return and the guy goes, "Deux", and I thought he meant 2 ways and I was like, "Oui, deux". So he's like, $22 please. I'm like, "What?" He's like, "Plus tax." I'm like, "So tax is $13??" He came out of the booth and taped and the price and said, "Plus tax." I suppose after he was out of the booth, and showing me how to get to the stairs he realized I was alone and
was like, "For you, $11." At first I thought I was getting a deal because it was end of day and he felt sorry for me. Turns out my communication skills are just sub-par and I paid full price. Quickly as I could I walked over to the falls to take some photos, and take in the beauty of it. With the park closing at 6 I needed to make sure I had enough time to get back to the top so I could walk across the suspension bridge and leave the park before closing time. I got back into my car at 5:56, and was back on the road.

The thing I learned about driving in Quebec is that you never really need to know the names of the exits as long as you have the exit number. I've never really paid attention to the exit numbers in Ontario because I navigate my road. Learned something. Heading South to Quebec City to cross the bridge was a breeze, and I even took the right side of the fork when the Autoroute 40/73 split. I was counting down my exits diligently. 135, 134, where am I?, 133, where's the bridge?, 132, BRIDGE, success. Once I crossed the bridge I knew I was going in the right direction. Of course it took about 100km before there was any signage for Edmundston, or Nouvelle Brunswick at all. I thought once I reached the top of hwy 20 I would be there but I foolishly forgot to consider the last 100km of the trip when you get the top of Maine and you have to cut across. I had a pretty good idea of where I was, but I figured if I got lost I would just set up shop, sleep in the car, and get back on track tomorrow. Luckily I did not have to do that.

As I neared Edmundston I had this vision in my head that I'd find a motel, and hop across the street to some local chain and have a real meal and a beer as I unwound. 1) I lost an hour passing into NB and only got into the city at 11pm local time. 2) Everything in NB closes at 6pm. I'm clearly exaggerating, but there wasn't a thing open when I drove in. I didn't want to risk not finding dinner so I stopped at a Subway. Tims, McDs, Subway, and I'm officially sick of fast food. Anyways, I pulled up to a motel not too far into town, Happy Club Motel. Clean Rooms, Vacancy. I always hesitate when someone has to declare their rooms as being clean. The woman at the front desk did not let me down, as she was one of the most pleasant people I have ever come across. I asked her how much for the night and she said, "Normally it's $65, but because it's so late and I want to rent the room $50." Bonus for me. I brought my stuff up, checked my emails, checked my work emails, and that brings it up to now. It was funny going down to my car and seeing the sign had changed to No Vacancy. At least the Clear Rooms is still there. I'm deadly tired, but I needed to do this. I haven't even planned tomorrow but after I check out I'll find a coffee shop and figure out what there even is do to in this province. Sheesh.

My second lesson of the day is that not all motels provide shampoo. Right now it's 0/2. Eventually I will have to either buy some or stay somewhere fancy enough to give me shampoo. And note to self: I need to learn French.

Bon soir.