Hello I'm in Alberta

Since the drive to Alberta was really long, I’ll summarize some things I found interesting in point form.

- Cruise control is awesome, but it is difficult to use it all the time if the acceleration on the car in front of you, in this case an ’89 Oldsmobile, isn’t very good.

- Nikhil is a Leafs fan (boo) and likes Radiohead and other bands that I like (yay). He is very sad to be missing the opening of Spiderman 3 in Imax. I told him we would go when we have an excuse to go into Calgary.

- Crisia is obsessed with the Pride and Prejudice BBC mini-series and really wants to see the Mists of Avalon miniseries after reading the book. She is also extremely happy that I brought the second season of Lost. I may also have someone who will go see plays with me in Stratford, as she hasn’t gone since she moved to London since she can’t find anyone to go with.

- It is bad to be sleepy when driving through a one-lane highway surrounded by construction with a passenger who is asleep.

- Nikhil and I, both city kids, saw our first tumbleweed and laughed really, really hard. Crisia saw us in her rear-view mirror. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture

- Some motels are nice enough to be hotels despite outward appearances. Some of them also have wireless Internet and continental breakfast. Unfortunately, my wireless card isn’t very good.

- Never drive through Illinois if you can help it. There is a toll on the highway every couple of miles, and they toll you to either get on or get off the highway, which can be a pain if you have to turn around. If you do drive through Illinois, carry lots of change on you.

- Bug goo comes off the windshield with great difficulty.

- Moose Jaw and Medicine Hat are a lot bigger than most of the cities in the States that we drove through with the exception of Chicago.

- It is such a relief to see a Tim Horton’s after driving most of two days in the U.S.

- You only ever really have to go to the bathroom when there is no gas station or even a house for miles and when it’s raining outside with no bushes along the side of the road.

- It was snowing in Calgary when we drove through it.

- Mountains can and do come out of nowhere, just like little rodents and birds on the highway.

I was going to give you a rundown of my last couple of days, but I think I will wait since this is already rather long. Let me know in the comments if there is anything specific you would like me to address in future posts. You can do this throughout the life of this blog, and I will do my best to do your inquiry justice.

Here is a video of a song that describes some of the feelings I have right now. It is of City & Colour's "Hello I'm in Delaware" from a concert in Calgary. I find it fitting.

So there goes my life
Passing by with every exit sign.
(...)
But I will see you again,
I will see you again,
A long time from now.