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Hiker Pace

My Dad recently was honored for working 25 years at his work. Rumor has it they hooked him up with sweet watch. A watch that I plan on stealing and then selling on Ebay....

Anyways, during the night one of his work buddies stood up and gave a speech about a time he, another man from work, and my Dad went hiking in Colorado. I thought it was hilarious, but you have to be able to picture my Dad 20 years ago which makes it even funnier. I wish I had a pic of him back then to share.

Here it is...

http://mail.google.com/mail/?attid=0.1&disp=vah&view=att&th=10f2b4533387e98b

Nose Drool

I'll let it loose but don't want to in case I wuss out. I'm signed up for the Houston Half Marathon. Training is going to good in Canada and I am still surprised I can pull it off around work everyday. Canadaland is North as most of you already know and it's cold here, I'd also like to point out Thanksgiving is NOT celebrated at the same time as the US.

With that said I would like to talk about Nose Drool. The daily temps like to hover around freezing (0 C/ 32 F) and sometimes a warm front comes through and it gets into the 40s, and this isn't even winter yet! Doesn't matter. Anyways, when running, every once in a while I lick my upper lip b/c I fill a presence on it. The taste is not always unpleasant or pleasant but I know its not right. It's slighly warmer then the ambient temp outside and salty. This my friends is Nose Drool. It's like liquid boogers if you will. You don't even know its coming out of your nose. Everyone's doing it.

Happy T-Day

Canadians celebrated T-day 2 months ago. I had a turkey sub for my own little celebration. Well, at least I had a good view (a few days ago). I've moved on to Pembroke, Ontario. The view out of this window isn't exactly picturesque like the one below. The weird part is this picture is of Ottawa, Ontario taken from Gatineau, Quebec.

Ottawa and the Parliment buildings... Drink it in!

Helicopters land where they want to

Baseball Fields



Motels



On top of me


















Cemetaries (not my idea, it was the clients I swear)

Pounding Pavement

Justification

I'm in Quebec now. I don't know why it never occurred to me driving over here that the primary language in Quebec is French. I mean, I already knew this but it really surprised me when I rolled into town. Maybe its b/c I can see English speaking Ottawa from my Hotel window (great view btw) but everyone speaks French around me. Maybe it's b/c I have 3 different types of currency in my wallet right now. I don't know French. All I know is the usual suspects: Hi, hello, thanks, goodbye, Do you speak English?, that sort of thing. It didn't get me very far tonight.

Anyways, the point of this post is to further my Texan proudness (<=== new word). Tonight I was asked... "Is it true almost everyone carries a gun in their pocket in Texas?"

YES IT IS!!!!

Texas

I love the fact I'm from Texas and please... let me elaborate. I've been traveling and on the road for almost 2 years now and when I think of "vacation" I think of home and home is Texas. Well, Barcelona slipped its way in there, but that doesn't count. Anyways, one thing I found myself doing with all the traveling is defending my home state, but every time it makes me that much prouder to be from there. If you ever have been abroad then you know how unsettling it can be being an American on someone's else's turf. (Unless you're one of those people who strap a flag to your back and ignore everything else) Whether you like it or not the majority of the world isn't exactly in love with us, maybe they "like", but definitely not love us. I get "Oh, you're an American" almost on a daily basis up in Canada and then I have to listen to their spill about it all. However, I realize where I am and think it's only healthy to listen to their opinions. It makes you more "worldly". You have to be able to respect and learn from the country/people you're visiting.

Anyways, of course I say "You better bet your bottom dollar I am" but when I let them know I'm from Texas, it's a whole different ball game. I could say Illinois or Idaho and no one would bat an eye, but Texas, holy cow. I know at that instant that every stereotypical thought is going through that person's head: horses, cows, Bush, etc., etc., Bush. If you know me, then you know I'm not exactly riding horses around on my ranch, shooting birds off my back porch with chaps on. Oh, and my duelly is running all night b/c I think the noise is sexy. And you know what? That's fine, it's NOT me, but I know "MY" Texas and it rules. Plus, nothing is better when someone notices my accent.

I can remember in college when all I wanted to do is go out West to some mountain town and ride my mountain bike all day and be a part of "that". Now all this time away from home has made me realize how much I like Texas. I don't know, there is something about the state. Everytime I hand my ID out, a comment or gesture is made which makes me that much prouder even though what they're thinking isn't me. I remember this summer in the Arctic when a lady seriously thought I had a horse instead of a car. Well, I didn't make the situation any better when I told her it's true and that my horse's name is Rick.

Hey, what's the saying? If you don't know where you're from, then you'll never know where you're going.

I gotta go shine my spurs.

Shoooooweeeee

MapStats

Google made this neat little tool for tracking visitors. It even found me in Port Elgin, Canada! Sweetness

Check it ======> and down some below the links over there ====>

Hmmmm?

There is a snowball headed straight for my forehead in this pic.



I literally had to ask my Canadian co-worker if I could drive in this. I rule.

Lidar Mobile

Lately I have come to realize this job given me NO life. However, when you get to roll around Ontario in this bad boy, you start to think otherwise.

Meet the Lidar Mobile, its the company leased van. The ladder on top serves no purpose and will probably not be used at all in the next weeks, but it just takes everything up another notch. The yellow siren/light is used constantly, you can get away with so much when it's on. The light is like kryptonite in a way, people (superpeople) just kinda back up when they see it. If I see a "No Tresspassing" sign I usually just drive down the road anyways.

Not Blue Collar, not white collar, more like khaki collar.





Why? Why, why, why?

Attorney at Law x2

So the "Stars at night were shining big and bright" on my sister today. That is correct, she passed the Texas Bar! Badass? Indeed.

Dont forget she already passed that Cali Bar too. From nowon I'm referring to her as Sis' x2.

Congrats.