Getting to Calgary

Well, we made it to Calgary. The trip here was actually fairly uneventful. We had a nice time in Kelowna, visiting Tracey and Kelly and the kids. They are very well behaved. I may actually like kids afterall! We had lunch at Sun Peaks resort and saw two black bears (a mother and cub) and we were amazed by how much this area has grown. It will be close to triple the original size by 2012. Too bad we didn't buy some property up here a few years ago.
We also stopped in at Kelly's parents. They have a thouroughbred ranch with about 100 horses on it. This place is beautiful and their house is amazing! It's about a 4000 square foot rancher with 3 koi ponds surrounding it and a trout pond out front. Oh yeah, they also have a waterfall and an L-shaped koi pond in their living room. You can walk the bridge over the pond to one of the outdoor patios!
On our way into Calgary we were DANGEROUSLY low on gas. So much so that Jay turned off the fan and the radio and was cruising along at 100 kms/hr exactly. He said he didn't want anything drawing on the gas tank that didn't need to be. I thought the fan and radio drew on the battery, but what the hell do I know? Anyway, we finally pulled into Chief Chiniki's gas station. Yep, it was on a reserve and it was VERY rustic. We pulled in and there was a person being interrogated in his vehicle by RCMP officers, there were two native security gards in front of the store and there were about 5 or 6 natives in the store/cash out area. Oh yeah, let's not forget the graffiti on the pumps and the side of the building. I went into the store to pay for the gas and got the hell outta there as soon as I could. Jay pumped the gas and he over-squeezed 4 cents. I gave him a dime and told him to go in and pay for the extra gas. I thought they'd come after us if we didn't. He said , "No" and started up the truck. We drove off saying, "Thanks for the gas, Chief Chiniki!" (inside the truck, with the windows up, of course).
Our first night in Calgary was pretty good but we were sorely disappointed by the wet jockey party at the Eagle. There were 6 or 7 contestants and God bless them, but I don't think they were exactly Calgary's finest. I guess I was expecting tall, well-built jocks in really tight, sexy gonch. What we got were fairly decent guys in ugly, ill fitting y-fronts. Not at all flattering. Oh well, they had fun and we got drunk.
I'll sign off for now and try to update when I can.

TTFN

Yee Haw! I leave for the rodeo tomorrow! Won't have computer access for a week or so but when I finally do, I should have some great stories to tell.

The Tooth Doctor

I have to go my semi-annual checkup at the dentist today. Not one of my favourite things, as you can imagine. It's not that I have a lot of tooth problems (I've only ever had 2 cavities), it's just that I don't like the experience of the dentist. Sharp instruments, that antiseptic smell, the uncomfortable feeling of someone else's fingers in my mouth and above all, the palpable sense of fear that permeates the waiting area. They say animals can sense fear and I'm here to tell you , so can I. I don't know if it's the dilated pupils or the trickle of sweat on the person next to me, but it's always there. Fear of pain. Fear of having to pay an expensive bill. Or maybe...fear that you will be called a liar after you somewhat over-enthusiastically respond to the dentist that yes, you absolutely do floss your teeth. This lie of course is almost always answered with a whithering look of disapproval that hearkens you back to that moment in your childhood where you first experienced a similar look from your mother because she knew you were lying too.

OMG!!!

If this is not one of the hottest men on earth, I don't know who is!!! Check out Posh's better half in the new Armani ad campaign. Is it legal for someone to be this good looking?

Katy Perry

For those of you who like the taste of fluff, here's my new favourite flavour of the month. Enjoy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVVxOWXxpMI

Also very tasty... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zluCpm93vfg

The Birds!

I walk to and from work everyday (yeah environment!) and I pass Andy Livingston Park. Or, as I like to call it, "Crackhead Bushpeople Park". Anyway, I'm walking along and I hear these very angry sounding crowes. I look over and see two crowes strafing some cracked out guy (whom I will now call Tippi) who in turn, is yelling at, giving the finger to and waving his fist at the birds. It was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time! How many of you can honestly say you've seen someone flip the bird to a bird? Anyway, these two upstanding avian citizens drove Tippi out of the park, across the sidewalk and across the three-lane road before they left him alone! How can it be that two birds are more effective than the police at patrolling this park? I think the city of Vancouver should put them on the payroll. I may just toss them some crackers as a reward on my way home today.

The Gay Rodeo

It's official. Jason & I will be heading out on a road trip to Calgary for the Gay Rodeo http://www.argra.org/ at the end of June. It should be a blast! All Brokeback Mountain jokes aside, I am really looking forward to it. I've never been to a rodeo before and this one has regular, sanctioned rodeo events and then some campy events like getting a pair of panties on a goat. WTF, you ask? Yes, they pull volunteers from the crowd, pair them up (no pun intended) and get them to compete to see who can get the job done the fastest! I may actually die laughing.

There will be a couple of barn dances at the rodeo and since neither Jason nor I know how to two-step or line dance, we will be stopping over in Kelowna to get lessons from some friends of ours. Nothing like one night of lessons to get you ready to dance in public! I'm gonna need a few cocktails before this actually has a chance of happening.

On our way back, we will be passing through Banff and stopping for a few days in Fairmont to visit Jason's sister and her family. I'll be keeping an ear out for the distinct sound of banjos in the woods! Seriously though, it will be a nice time to catch up. Jason's neices are 13 and 9 and they're growing up really fast. When you don't see them for a few months, they change so much.

Hopefully, I'll have some good road trip stories (and a few interesting pics)...

Tibet (fact vs. fiction)

As I am only fed the western news, I do not pretend to know the intricacies of what has or is going on in Tibet. However, does this recent photo (from a Facebook friend) look very VERY suspicious to you? I know that there could be other explanations and an equal number of interpretations, but does this look like Chinese soldiers getting ready to don monk robes? Now, why would Chinese soldiers what to impersonate monks? I'm not accusing, I'm just asking...

Cirque du Soleil

The Cirque du "So Gay" lackeys are in town already, setting up the big top. The performances begin sometime this month and I have to admit, I'm a big fan of the Cirque. All those lithe, muscular bodies straining in singlets. Who wouldn't be turned on? Especially the body balancers. Dios mio. That reminds me. A point of clarification... If the wearer is hot, it's called a singlet. If they're not, it's called a unitard. Remember these terms...they'll serve you well.

Anyway, I can see the lackeys setting up from my living room window. Talk about a boring repetitive job. Seriously... put up the tent, take down the tent, put up the tent, take down the tent, lather, rinse, repeat...

Jason

My best friend and partner is Jason. We've been together for over 8 years now, although we had to set an arbritrary anniversary date of Feb 14th. We actually did meet sometime in February but neither of us remembers the date. And in the end, does the date really matter? Anyway, he's smart, gentle, kind and reeeeeeeeeeeeeeealy patient. God knows you'd have to be patient to live with me!

This is the earliest digital picture I have of him. It was taken at Galiano Island. We went kayaking there for my birthday in 2001.

Why I Love Canada

I went to Denise's surprise birthday party tonight and had a great time. Normally she has a bunch of dirty hippies from the Work Less Party at her place and I feel really out of place (seeing as I am OK with working and all). However, tonight the party had a really interesting mix of people from at least 10 different countries including Canada, Australia, Germany, Peru, Serbia, England, USA, etc... That's what Canada is all about. People from all regions of the globe come here for the hope of a better and safer life. God/Buddha/Jehova/Vishnu, Allah, whatever...I love this country.