Irish Family Trip, Day 9
Some yobbo felt the need to tear down the road with his car, popping exhaust, waking me up. Then a bunch of assholes waking up their friend — and the entire fucking hallway — at 3am. This should have been the sign for …
Topic
Hotels
145 posts tagged with this topic.
New Year's Tea
I’ll just come out and say it: I didn’t want to do New Year’s Tea this year. Yes, it’s our tradition, yes we try to do it even under strange circumstances (heck, we made our own during COVID). I …
New Year's Tea, 2023
Traditions are just meaningful habits. - Me Another year, another tea. I mean, that could be the post, but there’s a few things worth mentioning… First, Anarchy and Chaos – sorry, I mean Monkey and …
New Year's (Eve) Tea
By tradition, our family does afternoon (or high) tea on 1 January, and thus far it has always been at a Fairmont hotel (which, frankly, does excellent afternoon tea). This year, almost exactly one year ago today, we had …
New Year's Tea, 2013
Every year, so far able to be said to be “like clockwork”, we have Afternoon Tea on New Year’s Day. So far, every time has been at a Fairmont hotel (three times at the Banff Springs, once at the Hotel …
New Years Tea, 2012
This year, we continued with our burgeoning tradition of having afternoon tea on 1 January. In our previous two years, we ventured into the mountains to the Banff Springs, which boasts one of the best afternoon teas I’ve …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 8
We were up perhaps a bit earlier than I’d thought we’d be up, but I’d also forgotten we were stopping in Redcliff to visit Marnie and her kids. Thankfully, Grandpa had enough sense to jumpstart us for the day. That …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 7
Despite the nice appearance and newness of the hotel, the Canalta has stiff beds that are really meant for only one person — any movement is felt by the other person on the bed. The pillows are massive and overstuffed …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 6
We were all slow to rise today, but we made quick work of breakfast. You said goodbye to your Great Uncle Ken and Great Aunt Marilyn before we headed to the car. Our first stop was to drop off Granny at the airport. She …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 3
At least we didn’t have to get up too early today, Choo Choo, and you let us sleep a bit longer. That helped rest away the many kilometres behind us. We hit breakfast, also at the Chicken Chef (there ain’t a lot of …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 2
Choo Choo, I don’t think you yet have a real understanding of time. And certainly, you don’t understand the idea of letting Mommy or Daddy sleep in. Today, I’ll admit, that wasn’t something we would fault you for, since …
The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 1
Well, kids, today was a slow start to our cross-prairie adventure. The morning was otherwise ordinary, rising and having breakfast and dressing. But then I climbed into the car and took Asia away to her hotel for the …
New Year's Tea
The New Year is always a reason for change. It’s always a reason to do something differently than you’ve done before. It’s a time when people hold to ages-old traditions, and make efforts to start new ones. It’s a time …
The trip home
Well, Monkey, we’re home now. I know it doesn’t seem like it to you, because you’ve lived in three different homes since you were born. But this house, the one in Calgary (where we’re currently adjusting to serious …
Adios, Costa Rica
Eighteen months ago, I set foot in Costa Rica. Not as a tourist (despite what my visa said), but to make a new life abroad. My family (Alex, Monkey, and Asia the Cat) would join me a month later. One big, happy family, …
Our last weekend away
Well, Monkey, we’re down to less than a month before we’re back home again. In fact, a month today you’ll (hopefully) be sound asleep in a bed in our home in Calgary. It’s hard to believe that this is actually ending. It …
Some time in the Caribbean
Hey Monkey! Almost a year and a quarter ago, I brought you and Mommy so we could all be together here in Costa Rica. In that time, we’ve had the opportunity to do some travelling, but until this past week, we hadn’t ever …
A (wet) birthday vacation
Well, Monkey, if your memory is any good, you should remember the last few days for the rest of your life. And not because you got to spend five uninterrupted days with your dad (remember, I just turned 37 … I’m …
Visiting Villa Blanca
Alex’s birthday was yesterday (she just turned 29, in case you’re keeping track … ‘cuz we’re not), and as tradition holds, she got to choose where we went to celebrate. Well, at least it’s a tradition we’re going …
Hangin' out in Panama
I’m sitting near the edge of the illuminated blue-green pool, laptop burning a hole through my lap (as usual, the laptop is too wam to actually keep on a lap), spending some time outside while Mi Pequeña Niña is …
Weekend at Tabacon
When Alex and I first came to Costa Rica 3.5 years ago, we went on a little packaged tour. The tour included a two-night (possible three-night — Alex and I are struggling to remember which it was) stay in the Arenal …
A revenge-free Montezuma
Mother’s Day in Costa Rica doth not come in May, like we’re used to in North America. Here, it’s 15 August. This is the day (so I’ve read) that the Virgin Mary ascended to Heaven, and given that this is a very Roman …
Weekend in Punta Leona
I had promised Alex that the second weekend we were in Costa Rica would be spent away from our apartment. I just had to find the right place to go. So I spent a fair bit of time working out the location, time to get to …
Finding a Costa Rican Casa, Day 3
Yesterday, I was pretty convinced that I was hooped — there was no way that I was going home to Canada with a place all squared away. The task just seemed close to impossible. It’s amazing what 24 hours can do, though. …
Finding a Costa Rican Casa, Day 2
I knew today was going to be awkward when I woke up. Based on the conversation I’d had with Alex last night, none of the houses we’d seen on Day 1 were at all suitable. Either way too large, in not-so-nice areas (e.g. …
Finding a Costa Rican Casa, Day 1
Oy. It’s been a really long day. Didn’t sleep great last night (long travels tend to do that to me if I’m not traversing a dozen or so timezones, in which case passing out is a snap). Got up early thanks to the engine …
Back in Costa Rica
Years ago, I used to think business travel was glamourous. You got to go to far-flung places, see different things, and engage in activities you just don’t do at home. Then I started going on business trips. I learned …
On my way home
Well, the wedding’s done, Tamara and Dan are wed, and pretty much everyone is pooped. The bridal party was out late the night before, the groom’s group was fairly tired, and I’m just beat from all the running around. My …
Back in Vegas
It’s been nearly a dozen years since I was last (and first) in Las Vegas. It’s been a long time, and this city has changed a lot since I was here last. And not all for the good, I should say. If you’ve watched CSI, …
A Middle Ontario wedding
My friend Kathryn got married this weekend. A truly wonderful event that forced my hand to leave the comfort of my familiar Cowtown (and miss the opening of the Calgary Stampede) to visit rural Ontario and experience the …
Je suis en Paris, Jour Cinq!
I ate at the hotel this morning. Not a bad little place, really. And it meant I could sleep in a wee bit. Four hours of sleep just isn’t enough. But I brought that on myself. I was a bit late arriving at Eurosites — …
Je suis en Paris, Jour Quatre!
It’s official, I am a shmuck. I’m a unilingual moron. But more on that later… I’ve been getting up at 7:30 to account for the lateness we’ve been having, but also to ensure I’ve got enough rest to not tire during …
Je suis en Paris, Jour Trois!
No crepes for me this morning. As I’m beginning to discover, the French don’t consider crepes a breakfast thing. At least at the shops near the hotel. But hunger knows no bounds and I was forced to hunt out an …
Je suis en Paris, Jour Deux!
Despite wating up at 4:30 thinking it was daylight (in reality, only the hotel’s light outside my window), I slept pretty well. That didn’t mean that I’d totally licked jet lag — I ended up needing a nap in the …
Je suis en Paris!
I’m beginning to understand why people hate business trips. You can’t pack what you want (you have to pack for meetings with clients) and you don’t travel necessarily when you want. But at least the locations can be …
Surprise weekend at Bow Lake
Surprise weekends are a good thing. Especially if you have a good place to go. We have no standing rule that says we have to go anywhere, though. Although the “rules” (such as they are) suggest that staying …
The day after the CMMYs
Critical Mass works hard. We know that from all the various nervous ticks we’ve developed over the years from working too hard. So you can imagine that when we play, we make up for the difference. There are two annual …
The view in Osaka
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: The view in Osaka.] Nothing like a little wandering around to make things interesting. I’ve been to Osaka once before — a few hours last year, when Jen and I came here. …
Enter the Forbidden City
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: Enter the Forbidden City.] My calf muscles are killing me. I don’t know how many stairs Noah, Justin, and I climbed yesterday, but I swear my calves have never received …
Hiking the Great Wall of China
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: Hiking the Great Wall of China.] Amy’s feet self-destructed yesterday. And as you’ve already read, the state of her feet prevented her from coming to the Wall today. So …
Hello, underwear!
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: Hello, underwear!.] Today was errand day. Today, we decided to get our train tickets sorted out, and make plans for an excursion to the Great Wall. Inadvertantly, some …
Ni hao, Beijing!
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: Ni hao, Beijing!.] I woke up at the Datong station. I’d slept about seven hours, but decided that I wasn’t going to miss crossing this part of China. I was in a new …
Adventures in Mongolia
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: Adventures in Mongolia.] We’re back in Ulaan Baatar after a few days out in the Mongolian wilderness. It’s a brief return — we hit the #24 train to Beijing at 8:00 …
A little scoot around Ulaan Baatar
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: A little scoot around Ulaan Baatar.] We arrived early this morning. We were up by 5:00, but only arrived an hour later or so. After a sort-of-nap (couldn’t sleep), we …
Da svidanya Rossiya
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: Da svidanya Rossiya.] Well, we’ve reached the end of our time here in Russia. Tomorrow morning, early, we’re off to Mongolia. And a 10+ hour border-crossing, so we’re …
Finding the Academy of Geology Hotel
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: Finding the Academy of Geology Hotel.] When the Lonely Planet books fall a little short…So here’s the description of the Academy of Geology Hotel here in …
The last Moscow post
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: The last Moscow post.] We’ve wandered a lot through Moscow, and I never did get around to talking about it due to all the bitching I was doing. So… We took Train …
Any idea how hard it is to find the internet in Moscow?
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: Any idea how hard it is to find the internet in Moscow?.] Hard. Really hard. Amy and I got here yesterday morning, but you’d be surprised how hard it is to find an …
St. Petersburg in the rain
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: St. Petersburg in the rain.] It was a rainy day when my brother Raoul… no, wait, sorry — that’s a Pizzaville ad. But it was a rainy day here (the rain only …
Hermitage, Railway Museums, and Palaces, oh my!
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: Hermitage, Railway Museums, and Palaces, oh my!.] Oy. The last 36-ish hours have been a whirlwind of activity. Hit the Hermitage, as you already know, and then hit it up …
Visiting the Hermitage
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: Visiting the Hermitage.] The Hermitage is if not the largest art museum in the world, definitely in the top five. The place is MASSIVE. It makes the British Museum seem …
Back in the USSR ... sorta
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: Back in the USSR ... sorta.] Flew in Miami Beach BOAC, Didn’t get to sleep last night. All the way a paper bag was on my knee, Man, I had a dreadful flight. I’m back in …
On the way to Russia
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: On the way to Russia.] Why is it that British buildings are so freaking hot? My bag finally appeared at the hotel last night. Clean underwear is a good thing, indeed. …
A little more of London
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: A little more of London.] The first run of business today was food at Paddington Station. As it’s Sunday, not everything was open, and what few things were open weren’t …
The Tale of the Missing Backpack
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: The Tale of the Missing Backpack.] As I wrote yesterday, my bag is missing. British Airlines didn’t deliver it along with myself to London, England, which has left me a …
London, and bag gone AWOL
[This entry originally posted on How To Get Lost: London, and bag gone AWOL.] The flight out to London was great. Wow. I love British Airways — amazing service for an airline. So far above anything Air Canada could ever …
New York Meetings - Heading Home
Yesterday was tough. We did a lot of talking. We didn’t leave the building until we were done. The three of us, Lark, and Jim went for dinner at some steak house. Despite having been out with the client before, I felt …
New York Meetings - Touring New York
My first Valentines day with Alex, and I have to be 3,500 kilometres from her. It could be worse. I could be in Kanata. First thing: Room change. Last night’s room was one Mark and I had booked. Tonight’s is on the …
New York Meetings - Outbound
Leaving Alex this morning wasn’t easy. Given the events of the last couple of days, I would have preferred to stay in bed with her. But business calls, and I’m off to New York (though Newark) for business meetings with …
Mercedes-Benz meetings, going home
Despite having the room to myself, I was really groggy when I got up this morning. I know it wasn’t a result of last night, though, as I didn’t feel any worse for wear. I showered, packed, and checked out (using the …
Mercedes-Benz meetings, team building
Allard and I hit the restaurant in the main atrium for breakfast, joined shortly thereafter by Christian and a very tired-looking Jules. Powdered eggs aren’t exactly the breakfast of champions. Jules has been up late …
Mercedes-Benz meetings, Calgary to Chicago
I hate waking up before 6:00. There’s just something fundamentally wrong with it. Today, though, it was necessary. Today, I fly to Chicago. Was ready for my 6:30 pickup. Allard was collecting me for the trip to the …
Brunch at Banff Park Lodge
I slept horribly. I’m not sure if it was from the hiking we’d done yesterday, or the troubling thoughts running through my mind as a result of last night. I’d felt like Alex and I had been abandoned for breakfast, as …
Pam and Sean/Muck's Banff wedding
The schedule had been for breakfast at 9:00. Cathy and Craig weren’t terribly happy about that (it is early, after all, especially after being out drinking most of the night), but were up and running before Alex and I. …
Thelton McMillan leaves Critical Mass
A couple of weeks ago, we received a note in our inboxes that Thelton McMillan, the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) had left Critical Mass. Needless to say, this had come as a bit of a shock to the staff, who …
BC Vacation - Three Valley Gap to Calgary
No rooster, just the sounds of patrons leaving their rooms. I think I prefered the rooster. The Chateau’s name is a little misleading. One is brought to think of the Canadian Pacific (now Fairmont) hotels, with the old …
Surprise weekend in Edmonton
It’s been a while since our last surprise weekend (see [[Surprise Visit to Drumheller]]), but not for a lack of wanting. We’ve been that busy. Either Alex has had to work (the joys of working in the medical community) or …
Search Engine Strategies Conference 2004 San Jose, Yahoo! Party
Search Engine Strategies 2004, San Jose, California, Day 3 I wasn’t hungover. Since I had only two beers at the Google party (and they ran out!), I wasn’t really reeling from any overdoses. I skipped the swim in favour …
Search Engine Strategies Conference 2004 San Jose, Google Dance
Search Engine Strategies 2004, San Jose, California, Day 2 The alarm started at 6:30. I hit snooze several times before I finally had the realization that I needed to get out of bed. Almost instantly, I knew that I was …
Search Engine Strategies Conference 2004 San Jose, Overture and LookSmart
Search Engine Strategies 2004, San Jose, California, Day 1 After an exceptionally sound sleep, I awoke to get my day started. I had planned to start all my days with a workout (I’ve been slacking for the last little …
Surprise Visit to Drumheller
This weekend was a bit of a surprise. Not that it suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, but that until something happened, I had no idea what was yet to come. The weekend started with the one thing I did have control …
Jazz Up Your Weekend at the Banff Centre
Alex and I have been seeing each other for a couple of months now, and we felt it secure enough to try something a little adventurous: a weekend away from the city. Exactly how we found out about it, I’m not sure (I …
David Bowie plays Kelowna Prospera Place
We all woke at about the same time. I was awake, though eyes closed, when I heard Tamara and Andrea whispering. I joined into the conversation, joined shortly thereafter by Dan. At that point, there wasn’t much reason to …
Turning Japanese Again, Returning to Canada
I can’t even call this a “last day”. Yesterday, really, was our last day. Today is the packing/travelling day. And the day to say goodbye to dear friends. I hate leaving friends behind. Chris is one of my …
Turning Japanese Again, Shinkansen to Tokyo
More tofu for breakfast. Blech. Well, not so much blech as bland and really not what I’d like to eat first thing in the morning. Jen didn’t eat much. Today we’re back to Tokyo (and Yotsukaido). But first, we wanted to do …
Turning Japanese Again, Touring Osaka
We attempted to move a bit quicker this morning. The key word being “attempted”. The idea was to go to Osaka and do the touring thing. That meant we had to leave at a reasonable time so we could catch the …
Turning Japanese Again, Kyoto Nishi Honganji Temple
Today, we experienced what can only be the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced. The earthquake hit around 7:30, and shook the entire room. Jen and I leapt from bed, and I dragged her into one of the doorways — …
Turning Japanese Again, Kyoto Kiyomizu Temple
I was up long before I’d planned to be up. I’d wanted to try and sleep a bit more to get rest for the long day of walking ahead, but my body said it was time to rise, and so it did. Besides, the racket of Kyoto on the …
Turning Japanese Again, Shinkansen to Kyoto
We woke before 8:00 this morning, expecting breakfast. At least, that was the time they put on the reservation notice I got from the guest house reservation service. We didn’t eat until about 8:30, though, which was …
Turning Japanese Again, Shinkansen to Hiroshima
No hangovers. This was a good way to start the day, even if it was a lot earlier than Jen really would have liked. (Mind you, Jen likes noon as a wake-up time.) It was warm in the room. The Japanese seem to like it warm. …
Turning Japanese Again, Chris and Kaz's Wedding
I woke just before sunrise. I probably should have gotten up to look around, but decided that I’d rather sleep a bit more. I had a sneaky suspicion that it was going to be a long day. I woke again around 7:00, when my …
Turning Japanese Again, Shinkansen to Toyohashi and Irako
I slept a little oddly, considering we’d been up for over 24 hours straight. Woke up once around 3:00 (mostly to go to the bathroom), again at about 5:00, and finally at about 7:50. At that point, it was enough to say …
The Amazing Freeze
I hereby lodge as much a formal complaint to the final outcome of last night’s team building event as one can without a process by which to handle it. So I’m throwing it out on the Internet for all to see. But more on …
Touring Lunenburg and Peggy's Cove
One of these days, I’m going to remember to stop booking things at the last minute. I wanted to go to Lunenburg. I wasn’t about to take a taxi – it’s a little far for that. A car was the only real solution I could think …
Touring Halifax, Part 2
Sleeping in is good. Too bad I didn’t sleep in. Instead, I woke around 8:30 and began to get on with the day. The first order of business was typing out some of the journal entries I was behind on. The second was making …
Riding VIA Rail’s Bras D’or, Sydney to Halifax
It was still dark when the alarm clock (bolted to the night table) tuned in the local classic rock station. Great thing about radio – there’s always a classic rock station available. Showered and bags packed, I hiked my …
Riding VIA Rail's Bras D'or, Halifax to Sydney
Waking early after a few days of sleeping in (even if just a little) was difficult. But given the day’s activity, I couldn’t wait. I was taking a train. Yes, a train. A month on the CBC special hadn’t dampened my spirit …
Touring Halifax, Part 1
Sleeping in is one of those little pleasures of life that I’ve been ignoring for far too long. The fact that I was still exhausted from yesterday made passing through my alarm even easier. I skipped breakfast. I was in …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Bay of Fundy
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Halifax finale
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Halifax VIP
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Peggy's Cove
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Quebec City (Day 2)
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Quebec City
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Canadian Railway Museum
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Montreal
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Ottawa and Montreal
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Ottawa
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Eastern Ontario
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Toronto
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, London
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Southern Ontario
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Winnipeg employees
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Saskatoon
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Biggar
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Remembering 9/11
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Edmonton
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC TV 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, Safety training
[This entry written by Geoff Sowrey, ©2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Text used with permission of CBC. The opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the CBC, employees, affiliates, or …
CBC 50th Anniversary VIA Rail train, First day on the job
T-minus 3 days I awoke with my alarm ready for a day of discovery. That was important because I had only met three people in the crew of 30-odd. When I arrived in the restaurant for breakfast, I stared at a seemingly …
Visiting More in Vancouver
T-Minus 4 days First order of the day was to move out of Joel and Michelle’s piano room. Although I greatly appreciate their hospitality, I do need to be with the rest of the CBC. The show starts tomorrow morning. I …
Flying from Calgary to Prince George
T-Minus 8 days There’s nothing like trying to plan one and a half months of a chaotic life in excruciating detail. It’s a little easier when someone else does all the dirty work, but ultimately, it’s you that will make …
The Great Jasper Run, CN 6060 Stettler, Red Deer, Edmonton, Hinton, Jasper
637,540 pounds of hot iron 100,000 gallons of water 17,760 gallons of fuel oil 3,000 kilometres 566 digital photographs 400 pounds of food 250 litres of gasoline 30 mugs of beer 16 hard-working people 8 days 6 hotels …
Gerry and Sam's Wedding in Ottawa, VIA Train to Toronto
I knew something was up a few months ago, when Chris told me he was going to Ontario for “a friend’s wedding”. Chris is rarely that vague. More often than not, he’ll include a name, even if it’s someone I …
Visiting Bragg Creek and Elbow Falls, Canada Day in Banff (Bamf!)
Everyone needs a break from time to time, and Critical Mass was more than willing to give us a little time to breathe. So in addition to the statutory holiday on Monday, they decided to give us Friday off as well. So of …
Kathryn comes for a visit
It’s amazing how old friends can make you feel young. A week and four days ago, Kathryn, one of our closest friends, came out to visit us (Chris, Stuart, Therese, and myself). The five of us all went to OTHS, and though …
Touring Alberta, Calgary Stampede, Columbia Icefields, Lake Louise, Banff (Bamf!), Drumheller
Owing to a very hectic week, I really haven’t had a chance to get to this one. Hopefully my workload will drop a bit in the not-too-distant future so I can return to the simpler things in life … like writing …
Live from Cincinnati, Making Headway!
Today was a good day. Finally. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of finally overcoming a problem that’s kept you up a night, sent you to perhaps the dullest city in mid-eastern America, had you eating mediocre food …
A Little Cincinnati History
Another day, another hotel. Owing to some strange reason, there seem to be a lot of people coming to Cincinnati. Can’t really figure out why. The Omni was completely booked for today when my room was booked on Tuesday. …
Trapped in Cincinnati!
I’m trapped. Metaphorically speaking, that is. Today, I effectively did nothing. I spent the day trying to solve problems, but not really accomplishing anything. I started off with a conference call with Critical Mass …
Live from Cincinnati, Working at the Client, Seeing a Movie
My alarm went off early this morning. I rose somewhat slowly (I hadn’t quite adjusted to the time zone), but eventually found my way into the shower. That woke me up enough to get dressed, shave, and prepare my notes for …
Live from Cincinnati
It’s been a long day. It all started about a week ago. One of our clients, whom I’m afraid I cannot mention, had a problem with the website we developed for them. Actually, it wasn’t the client so much as it was our …
Wedding in Naramata
Several weeks ago, we received an invitation to a gala event in the Okanagan for one of Allison’s friends, Heather. She was getting married to her significant other, Brian. We were asked to attend the three-day event in …
Going to Microsoft Meltdown in Seattle
On Monday and Tuesday, I experienced my first real business trip. I probably would be more excited about it than I should be, but we went to Seattle. Whoopee. Going to Seattle for a business trip is like … well, …
Touring in and around Victoria
Our long weekend started Thursday night, when Allison’s company decided to hold an employee appreciation event at Metropolis (an entertainment-centric mall a couple of blocks from our apartment). Interlogic was springing …
Road Trip of the Southwest United States, Lousiana, Oak Alley Plantation, Mississippi
Despite Dhar’s snoring, I had a fairly decent sleep that night. As was our habit, the first order of business was a shower. Dhar was one step ahead of me, something I gathered by the sound of running water from the …
Road Trip of the Southwest United States, Touring New Orleans
The morning was sunny and humid, much like the day before. We awoke between 08:00 and 08:30 following a long and comfortable night’s sleep. Showers were the order of the morning, to prepare oneself for the long day …
Road Trip of the Southwest United States, Texas, Louisiana, New Orleans, and Bourbon Street
As a kid, I could never sleep in a moving car. I could never understand why, but the motion made me feel uneasy and I would sit there until we stopped (usually at home) before passing out. This inability to sleep in cars …
Road Trip of the Southwest United States, Touring Las Vegas and Cirque du Soleil Mystére
One thing about using an air conditioner — always use the air exchange feature. The air inside the van was beyond musty that morning. It smelled horrible. I woke blinking towards the navigator’s side of the van, …
Music Trip to Orlando, the Heritage Music Festival and Wet 'n Wild
I do need to mention that I was 18 when I wrote this, and ... oy, the mind of an 18 year-old man-child... A Dream… Carrots, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the U.S.S. Rabbit. It’s continuing mission: …
Music Trip to Orlando, Singing and Shopping in Malls
A Dream… Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations; To boldly go where no-one …
Music Trip to Orlando, Visit to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center
A Dream… I sat alone, on an endless beach, the sun setting far away in the horizon. The sky was painted a myriad of hues of orange, red and yellow. The waves washed in slowly, creating the soothing swish that had …
Music Trip to Orlando, Visiting Walt Disney World and the Magic Kingdom
A Dream… The choir was set, standing on a stage in a rather large auditorium. Four bright lights shone on us, one on Paul and Dave Kaye on one side, a sixth light on Shawn and Andy on the other. The audience was …
Music Trip to Orlando, All-nighter in Oakville and Arrival in Florida
A Dream… “Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking.” came a husky voice over the p.a. I shut off my walkman to listen to the message. “We have encountered some technical difficulties, …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Touring Helsinki and Heading Home
Observer’s Log: Traveldate 890714.17 Day 15 We are presently at our cruising altitude of 31,000 ft heading for New York. A few minutes ago, we passed over Iceland. Earlier this morning, Kelly B., Pete and myself scouted …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Traveling to Helsinki
Observer’s Log: Traveldate 890713.11 Day 14 We have just visited St. Issac’s Cathedral near the Neva. It is a very large cathedral, compared to others that we have seen. Established in the early to mid 1800’s, it is a …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Touring Leningrad (St. Petersburg)
Observer’s Log: Traveldate 890712.10 Day 13 WHERE THE HELL IS THE PEPSI?!? This question was asked many times last night and today. Everyone is thirsty and the BS shop doesn’t have any Pepsi. All they have is booze and …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Traveling to Leningrad (St. Petersburg)
Observer’s Log: Traveldate 890711.18 Day 12 If you’re wondering what happened to Day 11, it was spent trying to figure what the hell happened to this journal. Two nights ago, I gave the journal to Greg the Wonder Dummy …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Boating on the Black Sea
Observer’s Log: Traveldate 890709.20 Day 10 Today, almost everyone (except Jason ) was in higher spirits. Jason felt as if he were dead and spent the entire day in bed. Lisa and Greg disappeared for the whole day, which …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Touring Sochi
Observer’s Log: Traveldate 890708.16 Day 9 Today, we had a very wet tour of Sochi. This city of 130,000+ has only been here for about 150 years and does not have any significant history except for its Sanatoria, which …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Traveling to Sochi on the Black Sea
Observer’s Log: Traveldate 890707.10 Day 8 Today, almost all of us “men” leave for Sochi, about 4 hours before any of the girls. Most of us are just laying around while the girls are at the beach (some have …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Touring Odessa
Observer’s Log: Traveldate 890706.14 Day 7 We got into Odessa early this morning, after we had been up for an hour already (we were forced awake and I want to kill Radar for doing it too!). After a good breakfast, we …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Shopping in Kiev and the Odessa Night Train
As Jason had told me when he came in after being out on the town, Igor showed up that morning to finish trading. But he had also brought his friend Sergei to get in on the action. There were only three of us in total, …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Touring Kiev
Observer’s Log: Traveldate 890704.08 Day 5 We didn’t sleep much last night, in fact, we barely slept at all. Some of us were getting pissed out of their minds while the rest of us were yapping about life and sex (in …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Touring Moscow
The next thing I heard was the beeping from my alarm clock. It has one of those annoying electric beeps that grates on your nerves after a beep or two. The clock was on Jason’s side of the table that rested between our …
Behind the Iron Curtain - My Trip to the Soviet Union, Flight to Moscow
Day 2 began pretty much the way Day 1 ended — at 35,000 feet. The only thing that really marked the passage of a day was a change in the clocks. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t clear when the day actually started. You …