Because Eventually I Have To Die, Maybe
Quick Hit
As the joke goes…”Camping is in-tents”
Nov 4th
This is just a quick hit! Number 581 on my list was to go camping again. I vaguely remember going as a child, camping as we travelled around. By “vaguely” I mean I have a strong memory of camping at Niagra Falls and it raining so heavily that I could feel a river moving under the tent. Sidenote: I was also terrified of thunderstorms at the time and there I was, in a tent, during a thunderstorm. Fantastic. I went again when I was 10 or so with my parents and family friends, and it was just awful. So, naturally, I out-and-out refused to go outside or near trees for 15 years.
This summer I managed to overcome my deep fear and went camping a total of three times. And all three times I set up the tent. Oh yeah.
#581. Go camping again
Crossed Off: Body Shot
Aug 13th
This happened a long time ago. I’m just posting about it because Mallory is hot and I was super drunk.
615. Do a body shot
How Safe is Your Hostel?
Apr 3rd
The lock on the door proved to be quite useful in my Montreal hostel last summer. Easy enough to open if your roommate wanted to lock you out, at least.
Learning to Drive – Quick Hit
Mar 7th
I went today somewhat on a whim and took my “Learner’s Exam” as we refer to it here in Alberta and I passed!!! I can start (legally) learning to drive and in a year I can take my driving exam and cross off #42 on my list.
The Friendly Skies Above Las Vegas
Nov 10th
I actually miss Vegas. Or maybe I miss travelling in general. I’m not sure anymore.
How Do We Compare
Sep 23rd
Past: Drinking, gambling, Grand Canyon, doing whatever I want
Present: Sitting in class, listening to someone speak the same sentences I read in my textbook the night before, wondering if I start work at 5 or 6
Future: Laying on Mexican beaches
The periods in between traveling are pretty much terrible.
I have absolutely nothing planned that will fulfill anything on my list. I guess in a month I am seeing a live comedy show, but that is about it until December 27th, when I hit Mexico (or Cuba?)
I want to say that I’m not dead, but it certainly doesn’t feel like I am living at the current moment.
Leaving Las Vegas
Sep 5th
I’m sitting at the Las Vegas airport, taking advantage of the free wireless, and have decided to combat boredom by wiritng my first post regarding Las Vegas. Here’s a brief list of things I realized whilst in Sin City.
1. You walk on naked ladies everywhere on the Strip. The amount of people handing out the little call girl cards on the Strip is insanity! The ground is littered with pictures of naked women, quite literally. It’s bother disgusting and amusing. Do men actually call for these women while in Vegas? I mean, they must, otherwise they wouldn’t be in business. But SERIOUSLY?
2. It’s impossible to find anything here. I’m convinced most places in Vegas should be charged with illegal confinement, because it seems the main goal of all the major hotel/casinos is to make it very hard for you to leave. I spent several hours lost in them while trying to get back to the Strip or to a different hotel. The only place with decent signage was the MGM Grand.
3. There are more McDonalds than people in the city. Ditto for 7-11s.
4. The build out instead of up. In most cities, as they grow population-wise, you get a boom of tall apartment and condo buildings, so you don’t end up with a city 8 hours across. Apparently Las Vegas either missed the memo on how awesome multi-story buildings are for living accomodation, or they have some law against building high-rises off of the strip. The tallest condo building I saw was maybe 10 stories, which even by small Canadian town standards is small. We have grain silos bigger than that!
5. Drinking is so much more fun when done out of drink-ware that is shaped like the building you are in.
6. If there weren’t topless women dancing, you didn’t actually see a show in Vegas. I reccomend you get your money back or demand topless women.
7. Las Vegas is a black hole in which time stops. After about an hour here, you’ll already be trying to figure out what day things happened on.
It’s In Your To Live/Give/Cause Fainting
Aug 14th
I crossed one more thing off of my list this summer. I’m excited for when September 8th rolls around and I can officially see how many things I accomplished in the last four months. Yesterday I put a big strike through #43 which was to donate blood. I had planned to do this shortly after my vacation out east, but I was suffering from breathing problems when I got home and did not end up donating. Since I had a day off yesterday, I rescheduled for a morning appointment.
I arrived late thanks to pretty much every road in downtown Calgary being under construction. They weresuper nice regardless at the 737 13 Ave location, the main office for Canadian Blood Services in Calgary. I went through the normal procedures and was taken into the donation room, where I saw the size of the needle and had to avert my eyes from the vein puncturing. I can take needles without blinking and normally watch, but this was a freakin’ huge needle!! Of course, no trip anywhere with me is complete without drama, so I half passed out after they removed the needle. Yeah, everything was fine until I was completely finished and they took the needle out. It got all bright and loopy, and then I was suddenly aware I was wet (cold damp cloths to help you come too) and people were staring at me. Completely embarrassing. Completely. Regardless it is off of my list, and I have another appointment booked in October. I think I can donate two more times before going to Mexico in December/January.
If you live in Canada and aren’t a donor yet, call 1.888.2.DONATE to make an appointment. It’ll take about an hour in total but you could add years to someone’s life.
picture courtesy of jasondunn.com
Monday’s Picture of the Week
Jul 21st
Sign in found on the backroads of Southern Ontario, near St. Catharines.