CAL, GARY!

Yep...that's how the Canadians pronounce it. Here is a beautiful photo from the "panoramic" area of my Holiday Inn hotel. Aboot time I posted it eh?

CAPTURES

So I've decided to try and post pictures taken from one of my two camera-phones to my blog of the different places I travel to and the things I get to see. Some of these may be boring though...I'm just warning you for any future posts that will just be of trees or city skylines.

For my first entry I have a visit to Portland back in September. The following photo was taken in Billy Reed's Restaurant in the Lloyd Center district of Portland, Oregon. BTW, food is yummy there. I think on this occasion I had some kind of stuffed salmon. I call this photo: "Deformed George".

OH, CANADIA!

I have $177 CDN (that's Canadian) sitting on my coffee table. It's not such a great investment...kinda like putting money into ValueAmerica when everyone was jacking them for all kinds of computer hardware back in the heyday of the Internet Bubble. Next time "I'll use my credit card!" (in whitest businessman accent possible).

By the way, it's very difficult to get into Canada (or Canadia as I like to call it) while traveling on business. The first time I tried this I landed in Vancouver (YVR) and filled out the appropriate immigration form for some work in that charming city's downtown. Due to my honesty I have to stand for an hour in the secondary immigration line while people plead to accept them into the country. Tick-tock...

I get up to the counter and the female officer grills me with questions, steering close to items regarding personality characteristics. Ultimately they let me through into their socialized-medicine ruled country.

The next time I flew to Calgary (YCC) with a printed email letter from a medical physicist I was going to be working with. Granted, the physicist is a government employee, but the email could have been completely fabricated!

"Do you work for XYZ Company?" she asks. "Yes." I reply. "Welcome to Canada(ia)." Piece of cake eh!

FAUX NAIVE

Found an interesting IM conversation I saved from a few months ago. Made me chuckle today. Observe.

[00:08] marzipan: gave jakey a bath.
[00:08] strongbad: aboogeegooobeegooogeeboo
[00:09] marzipan: aawwwwwwcuteybooooogeeeboooo
[00:09] marzipan: *wagging tail*
[00:09] marzipan: hahaha.
[00:09] marzipan: he likes when i do that. haha.
[00:09] strongbad: when you wag your tail? weird.
[00:09] marzipan: yes.
[00:09] marzipan: have i said too much?