Montana Jones

Thanksgiving vacation

5 Reasons I went to Canada for a Thanksgiving vacation.

• Because I could.
• My family was all going elsewhere and I didn't want to tag along.
• I finally had some money left between payday and rent due day.
• I have been craving some city life and Calgary and Edmonton are the closest big cities.
• I have been talking up a Canadian vacation for months. Time to do it or shut up.

7 Ways that Canada impressed me.

• The radio stations are better than the ones here.
• Every single person I met was super nice.
• Edmonton has the largest mall in North America.
• Canadians are smart enough to use the metric system.
• The winter driving skills of the motorists I observed are vastly superior to what I have witnessed in most U.S. cities.
• Alberta maintains their roads better than Montana does.
• Somehow I still couldn't figure out which exit to use to get to the gas station.

11 Things I did at the West Edmonton Mall.

• Spent waaaay too much money on gifts for my family.
• Watched some youth hockey games at the skating rink.
• Finally found a wallet to replace the one I lost.
• Decided that my twenty bucks was better spent on more gifts than on the bungee jump or the rollercoaster.
• Spent about 30 minutes gazing longingly at the roller coaster and the bungee jump but stuck with my principals.
• I petted a pig at the petting zoo.
• I got to hold a six foot broadsword.
• Played a game of Warhammer against a nine year old and lost.
• Nearly had a heart attack when my debit card started getting refused and I still had to use it to buy a hotel room later.
• Laughed hysterically when I learned that my money was still good.
• Had a plate of chicken teriyaki. The first exceptionally good chicken teriyaki I have had in years.

One really cool person that totally made my day.

Kim, the cute girl with the beautiful accent at the massager shop. She had the friendliest sales pitch of the day and the most beautiful voice. I could have listened to her sales pitch for hours. Her stuff was too expensive for me so I spent the day buying cheap gifts for most of my family, stretching the budget a little. When I got back to her She generously repackaged her products to match my budget. She was patient as my debit card got refused and I went into a phone calling frenzy trying to find my money. When she learned that the debit card issue might cut me off from a room for the night she suggested I could sleep on her couch. "We are Canadian." she said, "We help people, that's just what we do." I think I fell instantly in love with her right there. I was a little disappointed that my finances got sorted out and I didn't need to take her up on it. Every person I met in Canada was friendly but she was by far the nicest. I could have kissed her. I shook her hand instead.

Labels: Canada, girls, lists, vacation

Posted by: Montana Jones / 8:23 AM