Winnipeg @ MindSay


 

   
Canada!!
So, I'm back from Winnipeg. We (Katie, Steve, Geoff and I) got back around 2am Monday morning which ultimately sucked since I was supposed to work at 8 and consequently woke up at that time which led to me being quite late for work... go figure. Good thing I work for my mom's company! Talk about job security... anyways, back to Canada. It was a long drive to the border and even a longer ride home in pouring rain, tornado/hail warnings. We left around 9:30am on Friday and arrived around 3 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We stayed at a hostel, which was pretty sweet (not to mention cheap! $24/night/person!!) Upon arrival we journied out in hopes to find poutine (a must have Canadian treat). Poutine is french fries with melted cheese curds and beef gravy poured on top (aka heart attack). Tasty stuff. Of course, with most every meal the rests of the weekend, we partook of alcoholic beverages mostly because we could... no worries though, we remained responsible adults as always. Then, of course we had to go bowling because in Canada, they have 5 pins and balls the size of bacce balls. I lost horribly, and Geoff mopped everybody with his less than impressive bowling skills (considering he got in the 100's whilst other Canadians get in the 400's...). We even had bumpers! Of course, we also ordered a pitcher of beer. After bowling, we bought a bottle of wine and proceeded to drink it in the hostel while playing cards. We found out Katie is less than a cheap drunk. A vagabond can afford to get this woman drunk! She apparently is also a really bad kisser while drunk... but I won't get into that. Saturday we rolled outta bed sometime before noon and ventured out on the town. Scoped out the bars, played in the city fountain, visited the art museum (which I enjoyed and everybody else was less than amused). We continued to waltz around the city, dress up and eat at a nicer restaurant, made a star bucks run, marveled at the policemen standing around some kindof crime scene outside the liquor store, and then headed back to the hostel. It was still relatively early Geoff and I still wanted to stay up and soak up the not so foreign atmosphere that resembled a smaller version of the Twin Cities. We ended up staying in and throwing back a few beers with other travelers at the hostel. Ivan- from Sweden, Holst (?) from ... I don't remember, Caleb from Nova Scotia as well as Bill- the owner of the hostel. Sunday, we woke up at noon (we are such early risers!) and ventured out for the last time. Found some food at an Asian bistro (sounds odd I know, bistro must mean something different in Canada) which was really good and over looked the baseball game- to which we paid little to no attention to, but cool none the less. To end our trip, we took a tour of the capital building which was really cool. On our way out of town, we topped off our trip with another order of poutine and headed south towards home. Over all, it was a really fun trip. Amazing people. Great times. I'll do it again.
 
 
   
 

Belinda Stronach tests leadership waters

WINNIPEG (CP) - Belinda Stronach received a small but warm welcome Wednesday as she took her tour to gauge support for a run at the federal Liberal leadership to Winnipeg.

 

Belinda Stronach has had leadership aspirations since her unsuccessful bid two years ago to lead the Conservatives. Last May, she shocked politicos of all stripes by crossing the floor to sit as a Liberal cabinet minister.

 
 
 

   
Winnipeg - Hollywood North
Winnipeg was the site this week for some scenes for the Brad Pitt movie "The Assassination of Jesse James" and I was fortunate enought to be able to walk around the set last Saturday.  The Exchange District in Winnipeg is full of old buildings so it's an ideal backdrop for a period piece.  The street was covered in dirt and all the modern signage was covered with signs saying things like "Haberdashery".  It was very cool. 
 
 
   
 

Some Catching Up To Do

Well, so much to tell, but yet it doesn't seem like too much has happened in the past month...we'll see what I can piece together for an interesting read! :)

Last month I had a couple pretty good trips with awesome crews.  The first 2 weeks I flew with a couple guys who were just riots, we had a really good time.  And the best part of the whole trip (I can't believe I forgot about this!), I got my first ferry flight!! :)  That means that we had to ferry the airplane (without passengers) to an airport that had a maintenance department.  So the guys let me sit up front with them, plugged in some headsets so I could listen to the radio chatter, and away we went!  I was so excited...it's so much different sitting up front and watching a take-off and landing.  I was very grateful to the guys for letting me sit up there with them, but they seemed to be just as happy to let me considering I was so excited to see the whole process. 

The trip I had the last 3 weeks was with a different crew going to different places, including a long layover in Winnipeg.  The hotel we stay at there is one of the "plushest" ones that I've been to so far.  I think I mentioned on an earlier entry that we had gotten picked up in a limo the first night I had ever been there, back in May.  Well, no limo this time, but a town car with an entertaining driver does the trick just the same! :) 

Each week we got in around 2:00 p.m. local time, giving us plenty to do before we had to jump in bed to be ready for an early show the next morning.  The first couple weeks we walked to a market area called "The Forks" and ate dinner (some of the best gyros I've ever had!).  The last week it was so blasted cold that we decided to pass on walking outside.  Lucky for us they have a huge indoor walkway that connects many of the downtown businesses and hotels, so we stayed inside the whole way to the mall and back.  Those Canadians definitely have figured out that walking outside in that cold weather is definitely best avoided! :)

Speaking of colder weather, it has become very evident lately that I am going to have to start carrying a coat for overnights...I can't believe that it's fall already, I seemed to have missed summer! 

A couple weeks ago it was kind of sad in the crashpad...well, for me at least.  One of my roomies, Nick, who I had gotten to be pretty close with, left for an extended backpacking trip in Europe.  I still haven't adjusted to not having him around, so my way of dealing with it seems to just be not being home at all.  I think in the last 3 weeks, I've only spent 2 nights at home, maybe 3.  I was lucky enough to be able to spend time with my best friend and her boyfriend over Labor Day Weekend, and then this week provided another whirlwind trip to Dallas/Ft. Worth.  Funny story actually...

Since I had a whole 3 days off this week, I had decided to make a trip to Eugene, OR, mainly because there is a vineyard up there that has AWESOME wine, and the one bottle I had bought back in June was not nearly enough.  Also, the captain I'm flying with this month is from Portland, and he said he had ate at a really good Thai restaurant up there, so hey, what better reason for a random trip?  Well, unfortunately all the flights to Eugene were oversold...there was no way I was getting there on Monday, no big deal though.  My best friend (Brooke is her name, btw) and one of her co-workers were coming to DIA to fly out to Dallas, and neither one of them had ever flown so I said I'd meet them and help them get checked in and find their gate, etc.  Well, while waiting for them to board, Brooke suggests I make the trip with them.  I find out the next flight leaves at 4:00 p.m. (it's about 1:15 p.m. at the time), so I rush back home, change clothes, pack a change of clothes, and speed back to the airport (it was definitely deja vu of my Puerto Rico trip).  I get to Dallas, we go eat (I had the BEST steak of my life at Texax Land & Cattle Steakhouse), pay for a $35 cab ride down to the Stockyards.  The Stockyards is actually the old stockyards of Ft. Worth, but now it's a pretty happening place for night life...except on a Monday night.  It was deader than a doorknob, but we got to see Billy Bob's of Texas and that was worth it.  I came home yesterday afternoon (a day later than originally planned) and am leaving today on my four day trip.  Next week might prove to be just as crazy, as there is a possiblity I'll be in 4 different states in the course of 5 days! :) 

It's things like these crazy trips that make me SO thankful for my flight benefits.  I've never had the opportunity to do things like these before, and sometimes I still can't believe I do now!  Next month will be exciting, too...I'm headed to Europe to see Nick for (hopefully) a week or so, depending on how my schedule works out.  I submitted my passport application last week and had it expedited, so it should be here by the end of the month...then it is just a matter of getting a group of days off together and I'm outa here!  My first international trip, voo-hoo! :)  We're not sure where I'm going to meet him yet, possibly in Poland.  You can be sure that you guys will get to see tons of pics though! :)

Well, better get a start on that laundry that has been severely neglected in the last couple weeks...the pile is almost tall as me! :)

 
 
 

   
Orientation Week
I'm in the middle of Orientation week.  Spend three days at Camp Arnes with a bunch of new students.  It was fun.  On the first day it was very windy so the waves were large - they reminded me of camping at Agawa Bay as a child so I went swimming.  This morning a I took a group of students out on our service project which was to pick up garbage in the neighbourhood of the school.  This afternoon I'm sending them on a photo scavenger hunt in the downtown and Forks area.  I could really use a nap now but I've got to get cracking on putting the welcome packages for the rest of the new students together. 
 
 
   
 

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Re: Slim to none. - lol, flare jeans are ugly. burn them. your school is gay. o.O mine is kick ass.

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