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.

Day 1: Toronto, ON to Cornwall, ON

Destination: Cornwall, ON
KM driven: 462.7
Location: The Anchor Motel

I just pulled into Cornwall, ON about 15 minutes ago. The Super8 was straight off the hwy but I drove on to see if I could find the Comfort Inn I had already set my sights on. I think I took a wrong turn somewhere, but the Anchor Inn $49.95/night sign certainly caught my attention. I wanted to log onto my laptop to check the reviews first, but I thought I would throw caution to the wind and give it a blind go. The room is presentable, and there is even a mini fridge which some higher class motels don't have. There's a tv and a little desk for me to set up shop, and I'm pretty much pleased as punch to have found this place.

My trip took a rough start as at the last minute I remembered a book I had to deliver to my mother. I had forgotten to drop it off the last few times I was in town. I called to see if she could last 2 weeks without it, but alas she needed it. I was kind of hoping either her or my father would offer to pick it up from my house but that was some foolish thinking. I was already way late leaving my house so tacking on another hour to the trip was not something I was happy about, but it was my own fault. I feel a little bit hopped up right now. After a McDs lunch, a redbull and a large Timmys I'm about ready to perform a one-man read through of Who's On First.

I wanted to do something today that would be new and exciting but the desire to stay on the hwy and drive straight was too high. It wasn't a huge deal, but I was going to stop at the Big Apple. I've driven by so many times and never stopped in. But really, what am I going to do with an entire apple pie? I did stop in Gananoque for a pit stop and saw my first Groceteria. What's a Groceteria you ask? I don't know, I didn't stop, but you can go to Gananoque yourself to find out.

I have to get used to this tiny keyboard. My father let me borrow his Acer & internet stick. Which is tres convenient (don't mind me while I practice my Francais). I'm actually a little bit nervous to enter Quebec because my French is disrespectfully awful. I need to do a bit more research for my departure tomorrow. I have a good idea of what I want to do. I'm thinking an early start would be beneficial. One thing I want to do will include a super gigantic stair climb which I'm not looking forward to. Previous gigantic stair climbs have always proven to be less than enjoyable. But I think this one might be worth it.

J-out.

**EDIT**
Now I understand the cheap price. I just found some pubes in the bathroom sink. Oh well, you get what you pay for.

Hokay...

The semi-plan was to get ready on Thursday night and then leave straight from work, but that didn't come together too well so here I am now, still at home with a sink full of dishes and laundry and packing to be done. That's ok though, because I am officially ON VACATION. So everything is aiiiight. I still have a lot of research to do, but my dad gave me is Acer with an internet stick so I'm hooked up for my trip. Or maybe I should say hooked in.

So. Thursday night Adam and I completed what was already the beginning of Toronto adventure #4, which was to explore the Bridal path. We previously took a lackluster trip down the Northern portion of the street, which looked less fancy than Mississauga Rd N of the QEW. I knew that couldn't be it, so I googled again and found a giant portion that we had missed. And what a spectacular portion that was. It's weird for someone to be so rich they can afford a mansion. And for someone to want to live in such a grandiose home. A home so large they need to pay several people to take care of it for them.

Jumping back in time, I went out for brunch with Sarah and Pete on Monday morning. We hit up this chain called Boom Breakfast. They have stores on College, just by me on St. Clair and then up near Yonge and Eg. I had the Boom Breakfast, which is just the standard eggs bacon and home fries. I figured getting the standard would be good way to judge the food. Plus I was all Bennied out from the last few visits to Futures.

So that's it, #3 & #4 down, and I'll have to pick up from were I started at when I back to Toronto. I leave this afternoon for the cottage.

Such Is My Life

I cannot believe what happened to me today. In efforts to give my landlord a direct deposit instead of an email transfer I have gone more than out of my way. First I went to my bank and waited for 20 minutes only to be told I had to go to his bank. Fine. Next day during lunch I went to his bank and waited in line. When it was finally my turn the lady was like, will you be depositing cash? And so I said I would go use the ATM. My card was not working so I left. Finally today I went to my bank to take out my rent and go back to RBC. At the ATM I was reminded of my apparent $400 daily withdrawal limit. I figured I would take that amount to RBC and email the rest. I pulled into RBC and as I stepped out my car my deposit envelope flew open and all of my money went flying EVERYWHERE!!!!! I was freaking out chasing 20s all across the parking lot. Luckily two very kind people helped me run the money down. I ended up $40 short, but overall it could have been a lot worse. Serves me right for doing my landlord a favour, right. It was like the opening scene from A Perfect World except less fake money blowing in the wind, and more my money blowing in the wind.

I leave on my two week adventure starting next Monday. I still have a ton to do. I need to drop my car off for a tune up and to make sure my transmission is alright. I've left it pretty last minute, so I'm pretty much going to be taking the trip either way. But a good lube oil filter never hurt anyone. I've started to create my itinerary, and it's starting to look pretty fantastic. I had first thought I would take a trip up North this weekend and start my trip from there, but with the amount of things I have to do I might just stay in town and get my business together and leave on Sunday. We shall see. I need to plan out some iPod playlists. And I need to take a few books that I want to get through. And most importantly I need to get a list of things to do in each city. I'll try to update from the road. I've decided that based on the weather I will probably be staying in motels and not camping so much. Also a lot of the campsites will be closed at that time. Part of me wishes someone was going with me, but another part of me is happy to be going alone.

Adam had a fantastico dinner party last night. I don't know what it is, but all of his friends make really delicious food.

Also, I'm extending my Toronto Discovery Challenge into the Fall. I have a few more to add but I'll never make it to 10 before Summer officially ends.

Time to sleep.

Yike, Likety

I thought the heat wave was over for the summer, but I clearly thought wrong. There was actually a good stretch of days that I didn't have to use the fan. I even contemplated packing it away in my closet. I would have had to unpack it because dangity dang it's hot out. My neighbour said nice night and I told him it was too hot, but he replied that I should think back on this weather in January and decide which I prefer. I think it's a close call, but I would rather sweat to the oldies without lifting a finger rather than wake up because my nose is so cold I can't sleep. But it was a close call.

Work has been really terrible for me lately. I've made/contributed to 2 major errors, and now a 3rd project of mine is taking a turn for the worse. It makes me want to just pack up and leave, but that's just taking the easy way out. I have a "talk" with my manager coming up, so who knows what that will lead to.

I've been doing some getting away over the past few weekends. From a full house cottage weekend to a day trip to Sim's new place, I've been busy. The weekend after next I'm going back up north and then from there embarking on a two week trip to the Maritimes. If I had the time or money I would extend the trip. But I can't afford to cover my work wages plus pay for vacation costs for that long. Even two weeks is pushing it, but I figure I'm only young once and I can always earn the money back.

I wanted to write more but the heat is getting to me. I missed the buskerfest last week because the timing didn't work out. But I did pick up a wicked piece of advice from that day, which I shall share: ♫Whenever scrambled eggs start getting you down, you can always go -- eggs benny♫

Go on.....git.

There is one thing that can happen in the mornings that aggravates me above most all else, and that is having my driveway lane way blocked. Last Thursday and Friday the same City of Toronto worker was blocking the driveway with his work truck and he would not move. On Thursday I was the second of two cars in a line to get out and the first person wanted to turn around so I did it, and proceeded to drive the wrong way to leave. It might just be a driveway but it has an exit separate from the entrance, it's the size of one car width, and there's a one way sign at the entrance. I'm pretty good at math so I've figured out that the entire lane is one way. It was completely begrudgingly that I did that, and not without shouting to the City worker that he cannot park to block a one way driveway. Then on Friday he was back again. I waited for maybe 20-30 seconds before I honked. He waved his hand as if to say 'just a second', and then went back to work. So I honked twice and he ignored me. Then I yelled something along the lines of, "You're going to have to move your ****** car, this is a one way driveway." Then I got a lecture about not cursing and giving him respect. I got out of the car to make sure it was a City of Toronto truck, wrote down his plate, and once again begrudgingly turned around to leave going the wrong way. If I had hit anyone on my way out it would have been 100% my fault. He didn't force me to drive the wrong way, but if I wanted to leave I didn't have any other choice.

Then today I came home to find someone parked in my spot. That was just so fantastic. The landlord knew it was the downstairs tenant but didn't seem to care. So right now I'm parked on the street. I walked to the back and they were sitting out there and said he was just leaving. If he wasn't staying overnight there was no reason he couldn't have parked on the street. That behaviour annoys me. Right now because there is construction on the back of the house, there is only room for the big mud pile and one car. I pay for that spot, don't let anyone else use it. Period. Thanks.

Work is a nightmare and I am getting really behind on a few of my projects. I'm looking forward to this upcoming weekend. It should be a nice relaxing weekend getaway. I'm actually procrastinating on some take home work right now.

Also, Visioneers is NOT a good movie. It had such potential but it bit the big one. Maybe the problem was going into it thinking a movie with Zach Galifianakis about an epidemic of people exploding was a comedy, big mistake.

I'm As Quiet As A Fish

I have had quite the week. I latched on to my Aunt and Uncle and spent as much time with them as possible, because I think they are amazing. They came and picked me up on Tuesday and we went and had breakfast/lunch in Kensington. We walked around for a bit and then settled in for food at Last Temptation. I'm glad I had been there just a few weeks previous when Divell came into town, or I might not have known where to go. I enjoyed the food, very much. Then we hunted down one of the last remaining Banksy tags from his May 2010 visit. It's behind the old OPP building on Harbour just before Bay. I got us lost trying to find it, and then miraculously we ended up at the exact right intersection. I didn't have my camera but it was quite neat. Then we cruised for a while trying to find an adequate place to dine with the family. After much difficulty we scored reservations for 6 at Origins at 9pm, and not a moment sooner. The food was unbelievable, un-be-lievable. It cost an arm and a leg but it was sooo good. Before dinner though we walked around the Distillery District for a while. I think that neighbourhood is a must for tourists, and of course locals. We sat on the patio at the Mill Street Pub, and shared a quick little something before heading to my brother's condo. This worked well for the rellies because they needed to see his place, but fitting it into another day would have been difficult. They really filled their days to the brim with activities. Wednesday I met up with them after work and we went to the Rainbow Theatre for an airing of "Exit Through the Gift Shop Door" which is a documentary on Banksy and some related graffiti artists. I quite enjoyed, and would recommend to anyone interested in the subject. The whole time we were trying to find a posted for my Aunt to steal and take home. They got one from their trip to Spain and I guess she's starting a tradition of sorts. The movie was followed by a sad goodbye in the parking lot. Not dramatically sad, but I don't know when I'll see them next and I miss them already.

Today I met Sonny after work at her work. We hopped over to Dai Ichi for some really yummy sushi. We're getting better but we still haven't learned how to order the right amount of food. The 3 roll Maki Set was definitely too big. Of course we did fill up on some of the free apps we got, because of the wait. There was this DELICIOUS one that was potatoes in a honey garlic sauce. Drool. Afterwards we went to Gairloch Park in Oakville, and I brought my camera to take some pictures. The waves were really strong and were beating up against the rocks in a really beautiful way. After a quick stop in with her parents we headed back downtown. I was really impressed to see an Alex Janvier hanging in her parents' bathroom. He's one of my favourite artists.

I have some decisions to make this weekend. My place is relatively clean since I scrambled for it to be presentable for my Aunt and Uncle. It's not the best, but the next phase of cleaning can wait. And by next phase I mean finish unpacking my boxes. The cottage freed up so I'm thinking that sounds like a good option.

I had already been there, but I'm counting the Distillery as Toronto #2.

Just So You (K)now

I had a fairly enjoyable day at work yesterday. There are a group of people that can make my office a fun place to be. A crisis was averted, yet several others seem to be emerging. But my manager admitted that the most recent of tragic turns for the worse was not my fault, and was unforeseeable from my position. I do still feel responsible for the rework effort required.

In good news I have secured my time off and will be embarking on a two week journey to the East Coast in September. The trip shall start and end with time at our cottage. I'm not supposed to know this, but I have it on good authority that we will be getting a hammock up there. That is perhaps some of the sweetest news I have heard in a long time. I can picture the good times already. So from the cottage I'll drive across and down through Ottawa and begin to look for some places to happen and make some stops along the way. I already have a draft route in mind, including: Fredricton, Hopewell, Summerside, Charlottetown, New Glasgow, Halifax, Lunenburg, Saint John, and perhaps a few QC cities on the way home. Not all of those are going to be overnights or I might find myself in an even tighter money situation. I have been putting money aside to prepare for my first down payment, but I feel this trip is more important.

I had a great weekend up north this weekend past. There was a family wedding, and my Aunt and Uncle from LA are up visiting. They are just the coolest people, and I wish I got to see them more. Apparently a family trip to LA is in the works for next summer. I stayed up both nights talking to my uncle, and during the day we sat on the patio and he played guitar for us. Very good stuff.

And last night was a night like many others. I met up with Adam and went for a coffee at Tim's on Davenport, where he shamelessly admitted to the clerk I didn't want a donut only because I had just gorged on pizza. Thank you Adam. Then we skipped down to Woodbine Park to see what the good word was. With the darkness and the fog we couldn't see much, but we took a nice walk down the boardwalk. I think I'd like to mark that down as my first of ten required new Toronto activities this summer.

Take it to the Nth Degree

There's this neighbourhood cat that likes to sleep in my driveway. Twice now I've made that tight turn into the one way alley to find an orange and white tabby taking a snooze. First time he jumped out of the way, but the second time he meandered, and then sat calmly as I drove past. It made me laugh but really it scares me. I worry about the kittens. They're not actually kittens, I just more often that not refer to all cats that way.

I took a trip this weekend to Kincardine. I got kind of surprised at the volume of traffic remaining on Saturday morning at 10:30. What is everyone else doing being a lazy git like me and not leaving bright and early, if not Friday night? The time on the road was a bit too extended for my liking but I quite enjoyed walking around Kincardine. I stopped first at a beach and took some photos and read for a while. I didn't want the main street to shut down before I had a chance to look around so I headed that way shortly after. I can't romanticize the trip because it was an ordinary somewhat uninspired trip. I just have a burning desire to travel every nook and cranny and of this country. Looking back now I wish I had kept a better diary of my trips. I'm still young, there's still time.

I'm reading 'Franny and Zooey' by JD Salinger. It would have perhaps sat on my shelf unread for decades to come if Adam hadn't picked it off to borrow one weekend. He found out that the Royal Tenenbaums was loosely based on the characters from this book. Very smart but unusually bizarre. It took a bit to get into, but I've enjoyed it. I'm excited for the next book selection. I must say, I can't afford to continue buying books, I really must stop. I have spent at least a few hundred on books this year alone. I have enough unread to last me a while, so I best reign in that spending.

Dinner with Shmucks was not what I was expecting yet still hilarious. Randomly ran into Adam Mansour from LP. All grown up and married, very exciting.

I challenge myself to do 10 new things around the city before the summer is out. Be it parks or cafes or pubs, I must explore more. I'm also going to start going to bed earlier and taking better care of myself all around.

Snap Back to Reality

I'm back downtown finally. I really enjoyed house sitting in PC for two weeks. It was nice having some people over for a swim. And the AC was perfect for some of the hot nights. But I did watch entirely too much tv. I felt like Kenneth on 30 Rock when he said, "Do you know that there is a channel that tells you what is on the other channels?" Going from HD satellite to plug and play is going to be a bummer, but probably better for me anyways. I should find more constructive things to do with my time rather than melt in to my sofa.

I want to go away again. I'm itching to leave the city. I'm also spending more than I make so I should probably cool it. I need to learn to manage my money better. I think I do a good job most of the time, but something is still killing the bank.

I have an entire Sunday afternoon to myself. What shall I do?

Goodnight, Amherst

I finally went out to the Fringe Festival last night with Adam. The first show we went to was unfortunately sold out so we went out for dinner instead followed by some drinks at the Green Room. I decided to start the night with a double shot of Rye, but I'm pretty sure what was brought out was Scotch. Needless to say the experience resulted in an embarrassing moment I would rather not reveal nor recreate. The good times continued with the Fringe show 'Goodnight, Amherst' which was based off of the song "38 years old" by the Tragically Hip. It was a good show, but unfortunately about 2 scenes in I needed to use the bathroom and spent the remainder of the show thinking about that. We followed the show with some beers at the tent and then the Victory. Then Adam and I walked back to his place and picked up some Souvlaki at the 24 hr diner. It was like 2:30am with not an empty seat in sight. We ate and watched Futurama but after only one episode I was spent and took a taxi home.

The heat wave has finally broken and the weather is magnificent. My apartment has returned to a normal summer heat, and I don't even need the fan anymore. Though I thank my lucky stars for even having it. Since the wave hit last Sunday I've spent almost every minute at home laying on my couch trying not to melt. I successfully avoided succumbing to the desire of having A/C. I'm going to be house sitting at my parents' house for the next two weeks. Ironic that when I finally have A/C I won't need it.

I can't get enough of the viral video Double Rainbow. It's just so hilarious. And I regret not taking video of my own personal double rainbow experience. I didn't break down and cry, but it was pretty intense and I did start to wonder what it all meant.

Julie out.

Salutations & Sayonara

I walked into my bathroom this evening to find my walls and ceiling covered in baby spiders. I seriously hate it when egg sacks birth within the confines of my personal living space. Not only is it disgusting, it's rude and uncalled for. There's an entire outdoor world for them to crawl around in and perform their birthing rituals. Blech.

It's just past 1:00am right now and I wish it wasn't 25C (31C w/ humidity). I hate having to sleep with the fan on because it's so loud. The blowing of the air would be soothing on its own but it makes this grinding noise when it reaches the far right of the oscillation turn. And it grinds even more if you try to keep the direction static. My mother has offered to buy me a mini air conditioner, but I'd like to see if I can hold out. Only a handful of times have I been reduced to underwear and a wife beater to maintain my sanity. I think my next place, if it's rented or purchased, I'll be sure to have A/C and central heating checked as mandatory.

I accomplished a lot this weekend in terms of taking steps towards cleaning this place up. I made a list of 24 mini tasks with hopes to complete them all by tonight. I got through 16 of them so that's acceptable. I like to tick items off a list to feel like I'm making progress. And I try to avoid getting an inflated sense of accomplishment by doing all the small stuff first, at least this time I did. I cleaned out my car, which I'm very happy about. I even scrubbed out the compartment between the two front seats. I think I found about 12 dollars in total, 4 of which is sitting in a mug filled with soap for reasons I'd rather not get into. I've never used the compartment before because it's always been jammed full of really weird items. Like mouth wash that expired in 2007. How.

I should sleep. My bathroom door shall remain shut to give me a false sense of security against attack tonight by any of the remaining spiders. Though I did manage to squash about 95% of them. When I get out my step ladder I mean business.

We Have Crashed The Party

I'm listening to Strung Out On OK Computer. A great classical rendition of perhaps one of the greatest albums every composed. A really nice way to start my Saturday. I was a little bit late rising this morning, but I spent the greater part of the morning in bed finishing The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It makes you think about the times we live in and how fortunate we are. Even in war times we are not deprived of anything.

I went up North with Adam last weekend. The weather was a bit unforgiving but we did manage a trip into Bobcaygeon and an outdoor fire on Saturday night. We watched a lot of 30 Rock, and drank a lot of beer. We ate like royalty (or at least like cottage royalty), and spent spare hours in our respective corners reading. I'm pleased as punch that we have set ownership of the cottage. Although it's no longer my weekend playground paradise available any and all weekends on a whim, I'm pleased to see it turn back into maybe what it once was. With constant feet traveling through it perhaps it will regain the confidence it once had to operate as a full-time summer home.

It's been a pretty quiet week for me. I've been working really hard at the office. For the first 3 days of the week I felt pulled in a hundred directions. That's an exaggeration but even being pulled in 5 ways can be stressful enough. I have 13 projects on my plate right now, and I just finished 3 but then I gained 2 back. And it's always the weirdest problems that arise. It's hardly my responsibility to ensure our scripts are properly written to ensure file transmissions from DOS to Unix are successful. How did I even find out that was the problem you might ask? Dumb effing luck. Rant at just the right time and you might find yourself sitting next to a networks genius who is more than eager to solve your problem.

Last night on my way home I swung by the Fringe tent to see A&D. While in the driver's seat I somehow lost my wallet. At a stop light with one foot diligently on the brake I reached around with my other foot to see if it had fallen to my feet. And as some person was walking past my car I accidentally tapped the gas and revved my engine. I'm such a complete dork sometimes.

I guess that's all for now. I did sweet nothing on Canada Day, so now I really must clean. The other day I was by chance browsing some photos I took of this place before I moved in. So clean, so crisp. I want to go to there.

The Best Days Of Our Lives

I don't know how some drivers can be so bold. If you make a directional mistake you should find a safe and appropriate place to correct yourself. Don't get me wrong, I've made a U-turn or two in my day, but only when I felt the roads were open enough and it was safe. Turning onto Vaughan from Oakwood there is a lane going straight and a lane going left with an advanced green. I was in the left lane and while our light was red the guy beside me did a U-turn in front of me to head back North up Oakwood. 4 seconds later it was green for me and I had an advanced light. If he had been mid-illegal-jerk-move I could have hit him, and that pisses me off.

3 people today at work got fired. It's possible that one quit, but it doesn't make me feel good about where I'm working. Not good at all. Once again I have something thinking to do. Some soul searching perhaps.

I took the collectors home today because I have come to distrust the hwy alert signs. Whenever it says both Express and Collectors are very slow I take Collectors. Turns out they lied (big surprise) and Express was WIDE open, while Collectors crawled at a speed slower than a car that is not accelerating. Just as I was thinking, "Sure would be nice to hop that hwy divider" a 4x4 did just that. At an opening between cement fences he took life by the balls and merged into the fast lane. I was jealous. It was slow because the 427S was closed for diplomats. I actually got a little peak at a motorcade being escorted by police. I'm not anti-G20, but if you've seen the fences they have built downtown it's scary and creepy. Total police state.

Also...
Pirate Radio: One hundred opposable thumbs up.
Men Who Stare At Goats: One giant WTF

SHUT IT DOWN

I'm wearing an old faded custom tank top right now. When it gets really hot in here there's no choice but to wear as little as possible and wait for the air to cool. My mother has offered to purchase an AC but I refuse, for now. I made an exception for the space heater that only gets used 3 months out of the year, but an AC would be much larger and more wasteful. Today the heat wasn't as bad as the end of May. I did get a little bit reflective and thought that it's sad when all that you have left of someone are some ancient memories, a faded tank, and some sour grapes. But that's life.

It was such a beautiful and amazing weekend. Not counting the fact that I once again locked myself out of my house everything just seemed to come together. I got to see a lot of family, I went to Frank's housewarming and saw Tamara down at the Skydome for 10 minutes between her buying tickets and entering the stadium. I sat off to the side in the shade and read for a while. Guernsey is getting really good.

Sunday night I went to Adam's on the way home. After a failed attempt at a harbourfront coffee, we went down to Cherry beach and skipped stones in the dark. Knowing your after hour coffee locations that are parking accessible is key. Unfortunately we failed and had to rely on good old reliable Casa Loma Timmy's.

It was a really enjoyable weekend. Perhaps the funniest part was picking up my keys at Sim's place. After about a 15 minute chat Sim goes, "So how are you planning on getting back into your place??" I paused for a second as my brain ran triple checks for sarcasm. "...Ummm, I'm going to get my spare keys from you?" I also had to remind her where she had stashed them, which I found very amusing. With the allergy medicine in an envelope marked "Julie's keys".

Now, to find the solution to neck acne and life will be perfect.

Peee-aaaccch

I got a nice surprise today on the way to work as my Check Engine light suddenly flicked on. Yaaaay. I spent the rest of the trip in cursing my car and my soon to be non-existent bank account. Through out the day my mind wandered away from the engine problems until 6pm when I was once again confronted with the glowing light of doom. It wasn't until about half way home that I remembered there was a higher than likely chance it was only because my gas lid wasn't screwed on properly. I was fairly certain that would be the reason for the unwanted orange thing on my dash, but I have become so accustomed to chagrin I was preparing for the worst. Luck be a lady, it was my gas cap. Now tomorrow I get to see if the light goes back to normal and I can move on with my life. Ironically, I'm about 50km short of my scheduled oil change and I might not have noticed had the lid not been loose. Who knows.

I just got rejected for another job. At this point I'd just like to get an offer to feel better about myself. I'm not too upset, it's just the principle.

I almost got an opportunity to work in a performance for the Fringe Festival. Turns out the director got someone else and my services were not required. I'm ok either way, but it would have been fun to challenge myself with something new like that.

I'm going back to Newmarket this weekend to see my awesome Great Aunt. Then I think there's something father related happening on Sunday. Stuff stuff stuff.

I've moved onto The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Barrows. I've heard good things, so we shall see.