Seems like forever since I last wrote...but I'll write more and describe where I go, places i eat, etc. 3rd time I've lived here and I'd never go back "home". Calgary is an awesome, friendly city and while I realize some of my friends back east don't like hearing that, oh well. Deal with it.
Next stop, Ouza in the Mission.........and it's so good.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
The West is Best
Unemployment rates came out today. Looking at the map in the Globe and Mail it's clear that the west is leading the country in jobs & economic growth.
I've been in Calgary now since March of 2007. Putting aside the lousy produce at the store, I've grown to love this city & this province. To be honest, I can't imagine moving back east even if my entire family lives there. The whole scene seems boring & lifeless, tired & old. Calgary's a place where people say hello in the elevator, where people let you in when you're turning in traffic....a place where people are civil and friendly. It's just how you are & it's how you become. The angry road rage I felt back home is long gone...hell now I'm the guy stopping to let someone walk across the road or someone cut in front of me in traffic.
And I've grown to appreciate the independent streak of this province...where people are willing to stand on their own without forever whining to the government for assistance.
But the thing I've most grown sick of is the never ending question I heard from everyone back east "when are you coming back". And the predictable litany of reasons why I should move back, many of them dated stereotypes of Alberta, Calgary & the rest of the west. As if it's somehow some lower form of life. As if Calgary should be some short term stopover for people in need of a job until they "collect their senses" and head back east.
Sorry, really...I'm just not interested in return to eastern Canada & it's miserable, pessimistic mentality.
I am a Calgarian. And pretty damn happy about it.
I've been in Calgary now since March of 2007. Putting aside the lousy produce at the store, I've grown to love this city & this province. To be honest, I can't imagine moving back east even if my entire family lives there. The whole scene seems boring & lifeless, tired & old. Calgary's a place where people say hello in the elevator, where people let you in when you're turning in traffic....a place where people are civil and friendly. It's just how you are & it's how you become. The angry road rage I felt back home is long gone...hell now I'm the guy stopping to let someone walk across the road or someone cut in front of me in traffic.
And I've grown to appreciate the independent streak of this province...where people are willing to stand on their own without forever whining to the government for assistance.
But the thing I've most grown sick of is the never ending question I heard from everyone back east "when are you coming back". And the predictable litany of reasons why I should move back, many of them dated stereotypes of Alberta, Calgary & the rest of the west. As if it's somehow some lower form of life. As if Calgary should be some short term stopover for people in need of a job until they "collect their senses" and head back east.
Sorry, really...I'm just not interested in return to eastern Canada & it's miserable, pessimistic mentality.
I am a Calgarian. And pretty damn happy about it.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
US border doods
The US feds are pissed off at Canada because it's apparently easy to smuggle in bad stuff to the USA.
Perhaps I played with to many chemicals under the sink when I was a kid but isn't it the job of the US to stop people from entering their country from elsewhere?
Perhaps I played with to many chemicals under the sink when I was a kid but isn't it the job of the US to stop people from entering their country from elsewhere?
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
It's time to go home
If you've worked in Toronto you know it's a badge of honour to work late. I spent time working for a huge financial institution in Toronto and I'd see people at their desks at 6 PM on a regular basis.
Here, its different. I often work till 5 15 or so, and I'm the last guy walking out of the building. I do computer consultant so I travel place to place and it's the same everywhere. By 4 30, the place is empty...everyone has gone home. And that's not just the worker ants either, but the senior people.
It's interesting how you become accustomed to working a certain way, as if you're "less" if you don't burn the candle at both ends. There is far more balance out here AND you aren't seen as a slacker if you go home on time. I think that's damn cool and I like it.
Here, its different. I often work till 5 15 or so, and I'm the last guy walking out of the building. I do computer consultant so I travel place to place and it's the same everywhere. By 4 30, the place is empty...everyone has gone home. And that's not just the worker ants either, but the senior people.
It's interesting how you become accustomed to working a certain way, as if you're "less" if you don't burn the candle at both ends. There is far more balance out here AND you aren't seen as a slacker if you go home on time. I think that's damn cool and I like it.
Pay Up
The Stelmach Government has publicly talked about raising the royalties on oil & gas. We're all aware of the high price of oil, but natural gas is really cheap at the moment. For Alberta, that's a bad thing.
It's interesting to see a Conservative government talk about increasing the royalties on tar sands. The government out here has generally been seen as pro Oil and Gas but that appears to be changing. I wonder if that's not some election ploy by the local conservatives to grab onto the hearts of people. Oil and Gas is seen by most people as the "enemy". In fact it's not, it's a huge business out here (obviously) and employs 100s of thousands of people.
But I don't buy the argument that the business will up and walk away. It can't. Alberta has nearly as much oil in the sands as Saudi Arabia. The world needs that goo & it needs it now, so not like these guys can pull out and go elsewhere
And it makes sense of the province to do that. This place is an economic tiger right now, and if this economy diversified it would be a monster. It's got all the right things to make itself a very competitive city & it's a great place to live. Bring on the royalties, just spend them properly.
It's interesting to see a Conservative government talk about increasing the royalties on tar sands. The government out here has generally been seen as pro Oil and Gas but that appears to be changing. I wonder if that's not some election ploy by the local conservatives to grab onto the hearts of people. Oil and Gas is seen by most people as the "enemy". In fact it's not, it's a huge business out here (obviously) and employs 100s of thousands of people.
But I don't buy the argument that the business will up and walk away. It can't. Alberta has nearly as much oil in the sands as Saudi Arabia. The world needs that goo & it needs it now, so not like these guys can pull out and go elsewhere
And it makes sense of the province to do that. This place is an economic tiger right now, and if this economy diversified it would be a monster. It's got all the right things to make itself a very competitive city & it's a great place to live. Bring on the royalties, just spend them properly.
Onterrible
I've heard this phrase a few times lately, it's what BC'ers call Ontario. There has always been a rivalry between Central Canada (known as the east) and Western Canada. For a long time it was about Oil and the Liberal government, but that seems to have ended outside of 50 year olds arguing about it in the Globe and Mail.
Calgary has it's faults and it's annoying at times, but the people here are much nicer than back in Ontario. I say this as a guy FROM Ontario. Calgarians are friendly, pleasant people most of the time. It is ALOT easier to meet people here than back home both at work & just out and about around the city. The level of paranoia seems far less & admittedly, so does the level of snobbery. I'm sure that'll raise the hackles of a few back home, but I'm writing what I see around me. If you're a single guy in Calgary I'd be willing to bet it's A LOT easier to meet someone of the opposite sex. People will talk to you on elevators & even smile at you on the street. In short, eye contact is OK. And for some people even welcomed.
Now..if they could just learn to PARK properly.
Calgary has it's faults and it's annoying at times, but the people here are much nicer than back in Ontario. I say this as a guy FROM Ontario. Calgarians are friendly, pleasant people most of the time. It is ALOT easier to meet people here than back home both at work & just out and about around the city. The level of paranoia seems far less & admittedly, so does the level of snobbery. I'm sure that'll raise the hackles of a few back home, but I'm writing what I see around me. If you're a single guy in Calgary I'd be willing to bet it's A LOT easier to meet someone of the opposite sex. People will talk to you on elevators & even smile at you on the street. In short, eye contact is OK. And for some people even welcomed.
Now..if they could just learn to PARK properly.
Snow
So yesterday it snowed. Not alot, just flurries, but it was cool to see. It's weird to see snow on Sept 19th...usually in late Sept you're impatiently waiting for the end of the heat & hoping for cool weather. I say bring it on.
I've also noticed that the sun is setting much earlier and rising later. It's dark by 8, vs 11 in the summer and the sun is not up when I wake up. I know from past experience that by late winter, the sun sets around 4 30.....and comes up at 9. You're at work....and it's dark.
Daytime temps are 10C now, maybe 15C on a good day, and 2-5C at night. It's hard to believe it's still technically summer, but who is complaining. Cool, fresh, light air makes for a great walk to work.
I've also noticed that the sun is setting much earlier and rising later. It's dark by 8, vs 11 in the summer and the sun is not up when I wake up. I know from past experience that by late winter, the sun sets around 4 30.....and comes up at 9. You're at work....and it's dark.
Daytime temps are 10C now, maybe 15C on a good day, and 2-5C at night. It's hard to believe it's still technically summer, but who is complaining. Cool, fresh, light air makes for a great walk to work.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
1C
Woke up this morning & it was 1C. It's technically still summer, but it's definitely fall in Calgary, Alberta. Cool mornings in Calgary are nice, blue sky, no humidity, clean air. Makes the walk to work really nice.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
McLeod Trail
If you move to Calgary, stay away from a road called McLeod Trail.
It's a major artery in Calgary that runs north south. It's 3 lanes wide and is a traffic nightmare even early in the morning on weekends. There are alot of lights on the street and it becomes a REAL headache around Chinook Centre, a large mall in the south. There are times when it's a solid wall of cars & given people's impatience with driving, find a way around it. In fact, find a way around the Chinook Centre area at all costs. It just SUCKS
On the flip side, McLeod trail is full of strip plazas and shops that are often interesting and cheap. It's a low rent district, so if you look carefully, you'll find some great places to eat & shop for a reasonably low price (rare out here). As you near downtown, it becomes more low rent & is home to everything from a donair shop to a Christian radio station. On the north side of the city, it's Centre Street & heavily ethnic. Also pretty cool.
There is a bottleneck around Chinook centre....so seriously stay away. If you're from Toronto, you'll be fine with the traffic but if you're from elsewhere, it's going to be pure hell. Elbow Drive isn't much of an option, but Blackfoot Trail is.
It's a major artery in Calgary that runs north south. It's 3 lanes wide and is a traffic nightmare even early in the morning on weekends. There are alot of lights on the street and it becomes a REAL headache around Chinook Centre, a large mall in the south. There are times when it's a solid wall of cars & given people's impatience with driving, find a way around it. In fact, find a way around the Chinook Centre area at all costs. It just SUCKS
On the flip side, McLeod trail is full of strip plazas and shops that are often interesting and cheap. It's a low rent district, so if you look carefully, you'll find some great places to eat & shop for a reasonably low price (rare out here). As you near downtown, it becomes more low rent & is home to everything from a donair shop to a Christian radio station. On the north side of the city, it's Centre Street & heavily ethnic. Also pretty cool.
There is a bottleneck around Chinook centre....so seriously stay away. If you're from Toronto, you'll be fine with the traffic but if you're from elsewhere, it's going to be pure hell. Elbow Drive isn't much of an option, but Blackfoot Trail is.
SAIT
Started with a part time certification at SAIT last night. SAIT = Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
SAIT is located on the C train line, has it's own stop & overall is a very nice school. The place is large and very modern and expanding. The equipment is up to date & overall I really like the school. I was surprised at the size of class out here, over 25 people vs the 7 or 8 that took it back home.
Where SAIT sucks is parking. You have to pay for night school parking & the lots are very small & hard to find. There is a large lot on the south side of the campus near the Alberta Art school, but it's a fair hike to your class. 5 bucks for evening parking. If you're into photography, the BEST shot of the city core in Calgary is standing in that lot. The entire skyline is laid out and because you're on a hill, it's at eye level.
If you are driving to SAIT (use transit, seriously), be advised if you pay for the parking with cash, you need to pay in the building. SAIT is a monster campus and there are FOUR machines to pay. The closes one is in the student centre (home to the Gateway Bar. Walk around a bit and you'll find it. It's also home to the bank machine, the only one I could find.
If you're new to Calgary and interested in going out, SAIT is also a good place to find out where to go. It's a few minutes north of Kensington, a artsy, hip neighborhood just north of the Bow River in Calgary.
SAIT also offers courses that are 2 days a week, vs 1 day. You complete a 42 hour course in 7 weeks, so it's possible to finish a certificate in 6 months.
The one big downfall is that it's expensive. 6 weeks of school will cost you 500 to 700 bucks with books.
SAIT is located on the C train line, has it's own stop & overall is a very nice school. The place is large and very modern and expanding. The equipment is up to date & overall I really like the school. I was surprised at the size of class out here, over 25 people vs the 7 or 8 that took it back home.
Where SAIT sucks is parking. You have to pay for night school parking & the lots are very small & hard to find. There is a large lot on the south side of the campus near the Alberta Art school, but it's a fair hike to your class. 5 bucks for evening parking. If you're into photography, the BEST shot of the city core in Calgary is standing in that lot. The entire skyline is laid out and because you're on a hill, it's at eye level.
If you are driving to SAIT (use transit, seriously), be advised if you pay for the parking with cash, you need to pay in the building. SAIT is a monster campus and there are FOUR machines to pay. The closes one is in the student centre (home to the Gateway Bar. Walk around a bit and you'll find it. It's also home to the bank machine, the only one I could find.
If you're new to Calgary and interested in going out, SAIT is also a good place to find out where to go. It's a few minutes north of Kensington, a artsy, hip neighborhood just north of the Bow River in Calgary.
SAIT also offers courses that are 2 days a week, vs 1 day. You complete a 42 hour course in 7 weeks, so it's possible to finish a certificate in 6 months.
The one big downfall is that it's expensive. 6 weeks of school will cost you 500 to 700 bucks with books.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Weather Whiners
Ontario has it's fair share of weather whiners. These are people & media outlets that never shut up about the heat, cold, humidity, rain, sun, etc. Have Mom Nature drop 2 cms of snow on the roads in Ontario & it's a crisis. Why it's "Breaking News" on certain Toronto radio stations
Out in Calgary, you'll be pleased to know that no such thing exists. It's the hottest summer in the history of Calgary, but I've not heard alot of people whining about it. Given that no one has AC in the house, they're holding out well.
It's a good feeling.
Out in Calgary, you'll be pleased to know that no such thing exists. It's the hottest summer in the history of Calgary, but I've not heard alot of people whining about it. Given that no one has AC in the house, they're holding out well.
It's a good feeling.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Banff
Yesterday, I made a trip to Banff. I've stopped in Banff, but not spent the day there for better than 5 years.
I'm not a fan of tourist traps, but I can't help but like this place. Yes, it's crowded & very busy and some of the shops are sort of tacky (in a high class way) but overall it's a pretty nice day out.
Banff has a regular population of 9000 people. You'd never know it, it feels like your in a busy city with a million people. There are also some great places to eat including more ethnic food than I remember in the past. I stopped at a place called Wild Bill's where I had...of all things, an Elk Burger & a pitcher of Traditional Big Rock Ale. What surprised me was that the prices were no higher than in Calgary...and in many cases, cheaper. Something seems rather odd that a remote mountain town can have lower prices than a giant city like Calgary. Wonder who is getting scammed ?
One problem in Banff is parking. Obviously, there are alot of day trippers there & it's hell to find parking. A better way to get to Banff is to take the Greyhound from Calgary....it drops you off a few minutes walk to downtown. No headaches, but of course, it's not as convenient as a car. If you do go to Banff in a car, be prepared to walk alot & park at the edge of town. Don't waste your time in the gridlock trying to find a space downtown.
Banff also has a transit system, so use it. You can get to any point in town on the bus & it's pretty decent looking. You can walk downtown but places like The Falls & Sulpher Mountain are a touch far on foot. Bring a mountain bike, that'll give you great choice to get around
Places you wanna see
Sulpher Mountain: Home of a pretty cool Gondola ride to the top. It's 25 bucks per person, but you go way up and can see the entire Bow River valley. Go later in the day, the line is less
Golf Course Road: Follow this road past the Golf Course. I went out that way and not a soul was on it. Walking around, I saw numerous Elk. There are places to park and you can wander down to the river. I saw a whopping 6 people out that way....on a long weekend. Just follow the road, it's a giant circle.
Downtown Banff: This place has a shopping centre, but you'd never know it. It's build in downtown and looks like a typical downtown. They really maximize the space in this city...so be prepared to look in every corner. They should model all cities on Banff. Talk about walkability.
Banff Springs Hotel: I don't much care for hotels, but this place is unreal. Incredible architecture & the inside is beautiful. It's more amazing that they built this place over 100 years ago before cars, trucks and power tools. You can take the bus there and I'd strongly advise you do this
Bow Falls : Not far from the hotel, and a nice walk in the woods along the river to downtown. It'll take you about 30 minutes and while actually in town, it doesn't feel like it.
The other thing I noticed about Banff was the number of jobs there. They number in the hundreds and the pay is as good as Calgary. Often times, if you work in the hotel business, they give you food & accommodation. Not a bad deal if you want to experience mountain life for a summer.
All in all, a pretty damn nice place to go. There are hundreds of km's of bike trails and walking paths. I could live here.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
500,000 Dollars
The "average" price of a house in Calgary has now surpassed the $500,000 dollar mark. This is a typical single family home that I'm talking about.
I have to wonder who buys these houses? I'm amazed at the number of mortgages out here that are 40 years in length. Guys buying with no money down and making payments of 2000 bucks a month.
I went to Ontario a few weeks ago. I was in Waterloo, my hometown. In 2001, the prices for a house there were pretty much the same. I was looking at a townhouse in Uptown Waterloo. It was 179K, which once seemed like alot of money. That same place out here in an urban core would run 450K. 6 years ago the prices were the same.
This is a good thing if you own a house here. But if you don't....well... I've had a couple of workmates give up on Calgary & leave. One to Saskatoon, the other to New Brunswick. Fed up with the high costs of housing & the rising costs of living here.
I have to wonder who buys these houses? I'm amazed at the number of mortgages out here that are 40 years in length. Guys buying with no money down and making payments of 2000 bucks a month.
I went to Ontario a few weeks ago. I was in Waterloo, my hometown. In 2001, the prices for a house there were pretty much the same. I was looking at a townhouse in Uptown Waterloo. It was 179K, which once seemed like alot of money. That same place out here in an urban core would run 450K. 6 years ago the prices were the same.
This is a good thing if you own a house here. But if you don't....well... I've had a couple of workmates give up on Calgary & leave. One to Saskatoon, the other to New Brunswick. Fed up with the high costs of housing & the rising costs of living here.
The lack of fans
I have to whine again about the lack of airflow here in this city. I can live without AC, but would it be possible to put in some form of AIRFLOW? If you've lived in a house without AC in the east, you probably had ceiling fans. They at least kept the air moving.
This is a foreign concept in Calgary. The elevator in my building has no airflow. Step in it on a hot day and it's 35C inside. No airflow. The C train and bus system has no airflow. If you're sitting in a C Train downtown and it's stopped at a light, there is no airflow. Now imagine that C train being STUFFED so full you can't move. And you're in a suit. THIS is the genius of Calgary.
There is a place in The Mission called Nellies. It's a place to eat breakfast. Nice place, but it too has no airflow. When you go in there, it's stuffy and hot. Exactly how am I supposed enjoy my breakfast when it's boiling hot? I'll give them credit, they do have a fan here and there. But it's not enough.
There is one place you can experience AC in Calgary. Goodlife Fitness. Walking in there you get that feeling you got walking into a shopping mall in Toronto. You open the door and POOF, this wall of cold air hits you.
This is a foreign concept in Calgary. The elevator in my building has no airflow. Step in it on a hot day and it's 35C inside. No airflow. The C train and bus system has no airflow. If you're sitting in a C Train downtown and it's stopped at a light, there is no airflow. Now imagine that C train being STUFFED so full you can't move. And you're in a suit. THIS is the genius of Calgary.
There is a place in The Mission called Nellies. It's a place to eat breakfast. Nice place, but it too has no airflow. When you go in there, it's stuffy and hot. Exactly how am I supposed enjoy my breakfast when it's boiling hot? I'll give them credit, they do have a fan here and there. But it's not enough.
There is one place you can experience AC in Calgary. Goodlife Fitness. Walking in there you get that feeling you got walking into a shopping mall in Toronto. You open the door and POOF, this wall of cold air hits you.
Hottest Summer in half a century
It's apparently the hottest summer in over 50 years or some number like that. I guess the word hot is relative. Typically, it's about 27C here, the humidity around 35% and it's almost always sunny. I don't find the heat that unbearable, I just find the constant sunshine annoying, mostly because I walk home in business clothes (for 45 minutes) and it's not that pleasant.
If you're moving here from Ontario, summer's a breeze. For those of you that have never experienced summer in South Ontario, consider yourself fortunate. Yesterday it was 44C with the humidity in my old city. The air is thick, polluted & stifling. Getting in a car that's parked outside in Summer in Ontario is subjecting yourself to pure hell. When I lived in the east, I had no AC, so after some time you just learn to deal with the heat.
I find the most annoying thing about summer is the constant sun. Life here feels like the movie groundhog day. I wake up, it's sunny, I walk to work, it's sunny. I walk home, it's sunny. You'd think one would like the sun, but sometimes I wish it would just get cloudy for a bit.
The other night in the mountains it was 1C. Bring it on.
If you're moving here from Ontario, summer's a breeze. For those of you that have never experienced summer in South Ontario, consider yourself fortunate. Yesterday it was 44C with the humidity in my old city. The air is thick, polluted & stifling. Getting in a car that's parked outside in Summer in Ontario is subjecting yourself to pure hell. When I lived in the east, I had no AC, so after some time you just learn to deal with the heat.
I find the most annoying thing about summer is the constant sun. Life here feels like the movie groundhog day. I wake up, it's sunny, I walk to work, it's sunny. I walk home, it's sunny. You'd think one would like the sun, but sometimes I wish it would just get cloudy for a bit.
The other night in the mountains it was 1C. Bring it on.
Ed Stelmach
For the past 20 years, the premier of this province ignored this city & let the city crumble. When the booming growth hit, the city fell apart. Overcrowded transit, areas without schools for 10 years, etc, etc, etc.
So along comes Ed Stelmach, who "won" the leadership of the Conservatives in Alberta by default. The leadership convention originally pitted Dinning, an urban oil guy against Ted Morton, a backwater hick best suited to some honky tonk in Arkansas. The leadership contest pitted the rednecks against the city people. And up thru the centre came Ed Stelmach, the king of mediocre.
Stelmach's not a popular guy in Calgary. Most of the city is pissed off at him because he seems to care more about the boonies & ignores Calgary & it's needs. Calgary is the economic powerhouse of Western Canada & quite literally, the Centre of the Universe West..and because of that makes demands for money to pay for city services.
So what's Eddie Stelmach do to "inspire the troops"? Rather than fix the transit system, he spouts off about how the "rest" of Canada keep it's hands off "Alberta". That might resonate amongst a bunch of 60 year olds, but it's not going to make it's mark on a city where the average person is 30 years old. It's definitely clear that Stelmach has NO CLUE what's going on in Calgary.
Politicians are idiots.
So along comes Ed Stelmach, who "won" the leadership of the Conservatives in Alberta by default. The leadership convention originally pitted Dinning, an urban oil guy against Ted Morton, a backwater hick best suited to some honky tonk in Arkansas. The leadership contest pitted the rednecks against the city people. And up thru the centre came Ed Stelmach, the king of mediocre.
Stelmach's not a popular guy in Calgary. Most of the city is pissed off at him because he seems to care more about the boonies & ignores Calgary & it's needs. Calgary is the economic powerhouse of Western Canada & quite literally, the Centre of the Universe West..and because of that makes demands for money to pay for city services.
So what's Eddie Stelmach do to "inspire the troops"? Rather than fix the transit system, he spouts off about how the "rest" of Canada keep it's hands off "Alberta". That might resonate amongst a bunch of 60 year olds, but it's not going to make it's mark on a city where the average person is 30 years old. It's definitely clear that Stelmach has NO CLUE what's going on in Calgary.
Politicians are idiots.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Shaw vs Rogers
Do you hate Rogers? If you're from Ontario, I bet you do. They're the WORST company in the business of cable TV. Not that their products are bad, it's their customer service.
Shaw Cable kicks ass. I bought an HDPVR from them & had some trouble setting it up. I had a weak signal and they came over and fixed the issue within a few days. Shaw's customer service is great, they're friendly & happy, unlike the angry dicks at Rogers.
I have Shaw Internet & Cable & so far it's been great. No interruptions in the service, the internet is fast (they have 25 MB Nitro internet here) and the TV is great. My only complaint is that they don't have OMNI TV Toronto and I'm hoping that changes as Rogers has bought CITY TV. Shaw seems to give a shit about their customers unlike Rogers. I'm sure people have complaints about Shaw, but so far I'm happy.
Shaw Cable kicks ass. I bought an HDPVR from them & had some trouble setting it up. I had a weak signal and they came over and fixed the issue within a few days. Shaw's customer service is great, they're friendly & happy, unlike the angry dicks at Rogers.
I have Shaw Internet & Cable & so far it's been great. No interruptions in the service, the internet is fast (they have 25 MB Nitro internet here) and the TV is great. My only complaint is that they don't have OMNI TV Toronto and I'm hoping that changes as Rogers has bought CITY TV. Shaw seems to give a shit about their customers unlike Rogers. I'm sure people have complaints about Shaw, but so far I'm happy.
Food
I've now been eating here for 5 months so I've got a better understanding on how much food costs. Food is expensive in Calgary & it's crap
I've taken to shopping at Superstore. They are owned by Loblaws & in Calgary terms actually pretty affordable. Most hard goods aren't that crazily priced, but you'll still pay more than in the east. They do have a good selection of Organics if that is your thing. Where they suck is that the places are massive. Grocery shopping used to take me 30 minutes at Central Fresh Market in Kitchener. Today, it's a 2 hour adventure, plus a 20 minute drive. If you go to the Superstore, go on a Monday or Tuesday, otherwise, it's a zoo. The parking lots are jammed and the buildings are full of people. It becomes frustrating to shop, people in the way, jammed isles, etc.
Superstore also has crap produce. I buy fruit and veggies from this place and it's moldy within a week. You can't stock up because everything will go bad. What's weird about this is that..it's summer, so things are in season. How can shit go bad in a week when it's in season? I shudder to imagine what it's going to be like in the middle of winter.
Your other choice is Safeway or Co-Op, but....you'll pay out your ass for food there. I can see it costing 600 bucks a month to eat for 2 people if you just shopped at Safeway. Where it does make sense is for fruits....the quality is much better. The other positive about Safeway is that it's likely near your house. Calgary is a VERY spread out city, so you can spend 30 minutes getting to a Superstore if there is traffic. You can likely walk to your Safeway
I've taken to shopping at Superstore. They are owned by Loblaws & in Calgary terms actually pretty affordable. Most hard goods aren't that crazily priced, but you'll still pay more than in the east. They do have a good selection of Organics if that is your thing. Where they suck is that the places are massive. Grocery shopping used to take me 30 minutes at Central Fresh Market in Kitchener. Today, it's a 2 hour adventure, plus a 20 minute drive. If you go to the Superstore, go on a Monday or Tuesday, otherwise, it's a zoo. The parking lots are jammed and the buildings are full of people. It becomes frustrating to shop, people in the way, jammed isles, etc.
Superstore also has crap produce. I buy fruit and veggies from this place and it's moldy within a week. You can't stock up because everything will go bad. What's weird about this is that..it's summer, so things are in season. How can shit go bad in a week when it's in season? I shudder to imagine what it's going to be like in the middle of winter.
Your other choice is Safeway or Co-Op, but....you'll pay out your ass for food there. I can see it costing 600 bucks a month to eat for 2 people if you just shopped at Safeway. Where it does make sense is for fruits....the quality is much better. The other positive about Safeway is that it's likely near your house. Calgary is a VERY spread out city, so you can spend 30 minutes getting to a Superstore if there is traffic. You can likely walk to your Safeway
"I need a second job"
I hear that phrase alot lately. I work for a handful of companies doing IT and I hear the people complaining about the high costs & the need for a second job. As prices continue to go rise, this seems to be the cry I hear from almost everyone.
The high costs of Calgary are starting to chase people out of town. I know a few people that are selling their places and moving away. Take the money and run as the song says. With houses at 500K, even a well paid dual income couple would have a tough time buying something here without 100K down. The costs of housing aren't just the problem....it's the high cost of food. They claim that inflation is 6% in this city, but I get the feeling it's more like 10 to 15% a year. Unless your salary is going up at that level, you can see where you'll end up. You'll need a second job too.
It really makes me shake my head that you'd need a second job in a city like this. I thought this was the Alberta Advantage? You'll get a few old timers that will tell you that "you don't pay the tax". This is a pile of bullshit. Food isn't taxable elsewhere & the 8% PST you pay in Ontario is far less than the 50% higher you pay for alot of things here.
The high costs of Calgary are starting to chase people out of town. I know a few people that are selling their places and moving away. Take the money and run as the song says. With houses at 500K, even a well paid dual income couple would have a tough time buying something here without 100K down. The costs of housing aren't just the problem....it's the high cost of food. They claim that inflation is 6% in this city, but I get the feeling it's more like 10 to 15% a year. Unless your salary is going up at that level, you can see where you'll end up. You'll need a second job too.
It really makes me shake my head that you'd need a second job in a city like this. I thought this was the Alberta Advantage? You'll get a few old timers that will tell you that "you don't pay the tax". This is a pile of bullshit. Food isn't taxable elsewhere & the 8% PST you pay in Ontario is far less than the 50% higher you pay for alot of things here.
Wireless Internet
One thing that really pisses me off about Calgary is the lack of Wi Fi. In places like Toronto and Waterloo they had municipal Wi-Fi systems. If you were in the city centre, you could fire up the laptop and you could connect to a system. They required an account, but they at least had one.
Calgary has none. It's entire city core, which has 250,000 workers in it has no Wi-Fi at all. Really annoying when you are sitting having lunch and want to surf
Another VERY annoying thing about this town is that cafe's and pubs CHARGE for the use of their wireless. A Starbucks will have Wi Fi, but it's via Telus & costs 6 bucks for an hour. That's outrageously expensive and a huge piss off. Free Wi-Fi in Ontario cafe's is commonplace & it's a great reason to go to a cafe. I can't speak for the rest of the province, but the places in Waterloo often had plugs for laptop users.
You'd think that as Canada's richest city they'd offer some form of muni Wi-Fi. Calgary's always talking about how it wants to be a player in the technical realm, but I'm not so sure. I think Waterloo & Ottawa have that hands down.
Calgary has none. It's entire city core, which has 250,000 workers in it has no Wi-Fi at all. Really annoying when you are sitting having lunch and want to surf
Another VERY annoying thing about this town is that cafe's and pubs CHARGE for the use of their wireless. A Starbucks will have Wi Fi, but it's via Telus & costs 6 bucks for an hour. That's outrageously expensive and a huge piss off. Free Wi-Fi in Ontario cafe's is commonplace & it's a great reason to go to a cafe. I can't speak for the rest of the province, but the places in Waterloo often had plugs for laptop users.
You'd think that as Canada's richest city they'd offer some form of muni Wi-Fi. Calgary's always talking about how it wants to be a player in the technical realm, but I'm not so sure. I think Waterloo & Ottawa have that hands down.
Calgary Airport
Calgary has a great airport. What's really great is you can take the bus to the airport. Take the C Train to the end of the NE line and grab Route 57 North. From there it'll take about 20 minutes to get to the terminal. It drops you off RIGHT at the departures/arrivals area.
The airport is clean, spacious & a pretty pleasant place. It wasn't to busy the day I went & it's sure as hell better than going to Toronto to catch a plane. I caught a Westjet flight and their waiting area is great. It's got TV's, pubs, places to eat, and lots of seating. The only thing it doesn't have is free wireless internet (which I'll whine about in a minute).
It makes flying pretty pleasant & the bus idea is great. They put in a low floor bus and surprisingly, it's PACKED when it leaves the airport. I would have thought only I'd be on the bus, but every seat was full.
The airport is clean, spacious & a pretty pleasant place. It wasn't to busy the day I went & it's sure as hell better than going to Toronto to catch a plane. I caught a Westjet flight and their waiting area is great. It's got TV's, pubs, places to eat, and lots of seating. The only thing it doesn't have is free wireless internet (which I'll whine about in a minute).
It makes flying pretty pleasant & the bus idea is great. They put in a low floor bus and surprisingly, it's PACKED when it leaves the airport. I would have thought only I'd be on the bus, but every seat was full.
Weekend in Ontario
I went back to Ontario for 2 days & I notice the glaring differences between West vs East. Just offhand
1. Food is so much cheaper and better in Ontario. I was shocked to buy a Donair in Waterloo for 5 bucks. Out here the same thing is 8 dollars. Not alot, but when everything costs more well....
2. Parking spots are bigger. I had wondered if it was me...but the parking spots seemed small here. They are indeed narrower, which is retarded because there are alot of SUV's
3. Calgary has WAY more trucks and SUV's than Ontario.
4. It felt great to drive 125 on the 401. On the Deerfoot on Friday and people were driving 100 in the fast lane. Made me realize it's why I live downtown and don't drive.
5. Humidity and elevation. The air in Ontario is thicker, heavier, but humidity is nice on the skin.
6. House prices. In 2001, Calgary and Waterloo Region house prices were the same. Today, a townhouse in Waterloo seemed like a bargain at 165K. In fact it seemed like a dream. Out here the same place would be 400K. Keep in mind the prices were pretty much the same 6 years ago.
1. Food is so much cheaper and better in Ontario. I was shocked to buy a Donair in Waterloo for 5 bucks. Out here the same thing is 8 dollars. Not alot, but when everything costs more well....
2. Parking spots are bigger. I had wondered if it was me...but the parking spots seemed small here. They are indeed narrower, which is retarded because there are alot of SUV's
3. Calgary has WAY more trucks and SUV's than Ontario.
4. It felt great to drive 125 on the 401. On the Deerfoot on Friday and people were driving 100 in the fast lane. Made me realize it's why I live downtown and don't drive.
5. Humidity and elevation. The air in Ontario is thicker, heavier, but humidity is nice on the skin.
6. House prices. In 2001, Calgary and Waterloo Region house prices were the same. Today, a townhouse in Waterloo seemed like a bargain at 165K. In fact it seemed like a dream. Out here the same place would be 400K. Keep in mind the prices were pretty much the same 6 years ago.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
More on the Stampede
Last night was the first night it was quiet in my house. I live close to the Stampede grounds and for the last week and a half it's been non stop noise. I like it, but there are times it gets annoying. To close out the day, they fire off a round of fireworks that lasts about 5 minutes. The end the Stampede with a monster show at 12 midnight......so if you have to work Monday and you live anywhere near the Stampede, expect to be tired.
During Stampede week, expect a real cowboy presence. In fact, you get used to seeing people in cowboy hats, shirts, pants & boots. So many of them, it becomes almost commonplace. Expensive wine clubs turn into cowboy bars with wooden railings & straw bales out front. Even if you're a suit wearing stockbroker, you can get away with wearing a cowboy costume for the week of Stampede. Contrary to what the Globe and Mail claims, you're not required to dress like a cowboy. Cowboy hats are also very hot, so if you get one, buy one that's straw. The felt ones boil your head in the hot sun
During Stampede week, expect a real cowboy presence. In fact, you get used to seeing people in cowboy hats, shirts, pants & boots. So many of them, it becomes almost commonplace. Expensive wine clubs turn into cowboy bars with wooden railings & straw bales out front. Even if you're a suit wearing stockbroker, you can get away with wearing a cowboy costume for the week of Stampede. Contrary to what the Globe and Mail claims, you're not required to dress like a cowboy. Cowboy hats are also very hot, so if you get one, buy one that's straw. The felt ones boil your head in the hot sun
Monday, July 16, 2007
AIr Conditioning
Cities like Toronto & Montreal go nuts in the summer with Air Conditioning. It's bad for the environment, but I like it. I really like it when I'm forced to wear business clothes (which I hate).
This isn't the case in Calgary. There is AC, but not to the extent in Toronto and some places don't turn it on. It's possible to find yourself in an office where it's 27C....you wearing long pants & a shirt. The +15C is also not air conditioned so if you have to walk, you'll find it really hot in some of the glass areas. REAL hot.
Even the shopping malls aren't that cold. If you walk into the Eaton Centre in Toronto, a wall of cold will hit you. Not the case here.
BUT THE WORST...is that transit is NOT air conditioned. A few C Trains have AC, but otherwise you're out of luck. Let me tell you how much is sucks to ride on a PACKED bus without AC when it's 33C. The old C Trains are worse. The heat from the brakes does not dispel, so the heat rises into the car. There are alot of people dripping sweat in the cars.
Needless to say, I've met more than a few guys that walk to work, some as far as 1 hour each way. It's just less horrible than enduring the sweat fest on transit. You get a real dark tan too.
This isn't the case in Calgary. There is AC, but not to the extent in Toronto and some places don't turn it on. It's possible to find yourself in an office where it's 27C....you wearing long pants & a shirt. The +15C is also not air conditioned so if you have to walk, you'll find it really hot in some of the glass areas. REAL hot.
Even the shopping malls aren't that cold. If you walk into the Eaton Centre in Toronto, a wall of cold will hit you. Not the case here.
BUT THE WORST...is that transit is NOT air conditioned. A few C Trains have AC, but otherwise you're out of luck. Let me tell you how much is sucks to ride on a PACKED bus without AC when it's 33C. The old C Trains are worse. The heat from the brakes does not dispel, so the heat rises into the car. There are alot of people dripping sweat in the cars.
Needless to say, I've met more than a few guys that walk to work, some as far as 1 hour each way. It's just less horrible than enduring the sweat fest on transit. You get a real dark tan too.
Calgary Summer
The Calgary summer seems to start in late June. It goes like this. Each day it's sunny & clear blue skies & about 30C. The sun comes up at 5 AM and sets at like 10 30 so there is alot of light.
It's like groundhog day the movie....EVERYDAY is the same. The sun comes up, it's hot, the sun sets...repeat. The air is alot drier than it is in the east & that's nice, but that's cool. I admit to getting a touch sick of the always on sunshine
Calgarians also enjoy summer more than anywhere else I've lived. Patios are full, streets are full, parks are full, people do things. It's a very outdoorsy active city. . Good example if the Elbow River which has more people tubing down it than it has water on a hot day.
It's like groundhog day the movie....EVERYDAY is the same. The sun comes up, it's hot, the sun sets...repeat. The air is alot drier than it is in the east & that's nice, but that's cool. I admit to getting a touch sick of the always on sunshine
Calgarians also enjoy summer more than anywhere else I've lived. Patios are full, streets are full, parks are full, people do things. It's a very outdoorsy active city. . Good example if the Elbow River which has more people tubing down it than it has water on a hot day.
Stampede ends...
It's been a while since I posted.
Went to the Stampede yesterday, I have to admit this city knows how to throw a party. If you're from out of town, the image you have of Stampede is probably just a big rodeo. It's actually a city wide celebration, where companies sponser free breakfasts & lunches for anyone that walks up off the street.
The Stampede parade was Friday, July 6th. Calgary's a city of 1.2 million people, over 400,000 people showed up. NO one works that day at all, unless you're in the service business. From this point on, people just go out & have fun. There are party tents all over the city during Stampede and most of them are open to anyone that wants to walk in.
If you work downtown it's casual week for you. You're free to dress as you please, but cowboy fashion is preferred. It takes some time to get used to seeing people dressed in western wear, but give it a few days & you'll become accustomed to it.
More to come on the Stampede as soon as I get finished what I'm doing at work.
Went to the Stampede yesterday, I have to admit this city knows how to throw a party. If you're from out of town, the image you have of Stampede is probably just a big rodeo. It's actually a city wide celebration, where companies sponser free breakfasts & lunches for anyone that walks up off the street.
The Stampede parade was Friday, July 6th. Calgary's a city of 1.2 million people, over 400,000 people showed up. NO one works that day at all, unless you're in the service business. From this point on, people just go out & have fun. There are party tents all over the city during Stampede and most of them are open to anyone that wants to walk in.
If you work downtown it's casual week for you. You're free to dress as you please, but cowboy fashion is preferred. It takes some time to get used to seeing people dressed in western wear, but give it a few days & you'll become accustomed to it.
More to come on the Stampede as soon as I get finished what I'm doing at work.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Purple Perk
I walk by this place everyday on the way to work, so on Friday I thought I'd stop in. I had thought it was a coffee shop, but not really
The Purple Perk is a sort of sandwich cafe & coffee house. It's pretty difficult to pin down exactly what it is, but it is good. They sell a variety of hand made panini's, sandwiches and salads. I had an artichoke & tuna panini & a roasted veggie & cheese panini. They're excellent & I went back on Saturday for more. They do sell coffee & their own version of a frappichino, but it's only so so, and I never thought it was worth the 4 bucks.
Inside there are about 30 seats, but the majority of people s eem to want to sit outside on the street & watch the world walk by. The staff is pretty cool & laid back, so you don't get that ooey formal feeling when you go in there. All in all, it's a good sandwich shop and 20 bucks feeds 2 people (with drinks)
Tip. Go early, or you'll find they have no food left.
The bathroom doors are kinda wierd too. They remind me of a entrance to a private investigatiors office in the movies.
New direction
Well, seeing I can't write much more about moving here, I've decided I'll make this blog into a sort of arts, entertainment & music blog for Calgary. And maybe some dull politics too. Why should everything be so interesting?
Friday, June 15, 2007
Koyro
A few days a week I stop at Koyro for lunch. It's in the +15, somewhere near 5th and 5th in the food court.
It's a Korean BBQ outlet and it's damn good. I've never much had Korean food until I came to Calgary......and it's really good. 7 bucks gets you a full plate of food, two veggies, two scopes of rice and two types of meat or 1 type of meat and dumplings. For a fast food place, the food is freaking AWESOME & worth every penny. I don't know if there are other places like this around town, but I'm sure it must be a franchise.
It's a Korean BBQ outlet and it's damn good. I've never much had Korean food until I came to Calgary......and it's really good. 7 bucks gets you a full plate of food, two veggies, two scopes of rice and two types of meat or 1 type of meat and dumplings. For a fast food place, the food is freaking AWESOME & worth every penny. I don't know if there are other places like this around town, but I'm sure it must be a franchise.
Le Chien Chaud
I hope I spelled the title correctly. This is a hot dog joint on 4th Street around 23rd Ave. Stopped by today walking home to eat just out of curiosity
Call it an upscale hot dog joint, it's pretty decent. I walked in to hear the guy working there listening to CKUA, the local public broadcaster which surprised me. There are about 10 choices for Hot Dogs, all of them 5 bucks. U get options like The Canadian, Greek, German, etc, all of them decked out with what you'd expect on a hot dog.
I'm not a huge fan of hot dogs, but I have to admit this place isn't bad, tho 5 bucks seems step.
Call it an upscale hot dog joint, it's pretty decent. I walked in to hear the guy working there listening to CKUA, the local public broadcaster which surprised me. There are about 10 choices for Hot Dogs, all of them 5 bucks. U get options like The Canadian, Greek, German, etc, all of them decked out with what you'd expect on a hot dog.
I'm not a huge fan of hot dogs, but I have to admit this place isn't bad, tho 5 bucks seems step.
Liberals win
Calgary's growth is changing it as a city. Earlier this week, we had an by-election, and in Calgary-Elbow the Alberta Conservatives lost. It was Ralph Kleins former seat.
There is alot of talk about what happened. The government of Alberta has ignored Calgary for the most part and really pissed off it's citizens. The transit system is overloaded, roads are bad, schools falling down & all of this in the richest city in Canada.
But I can't help wonder if the growth of Calgary and the huge influx of outsiders are the real reason for the change. Few cities in Canada vote in Conservative governments. That's likely due to the complexity of a city, the different cultures & income groups that live in a city. Calgary's reached that stage now so I think you'll see more changes coming. It may very well be the beginning of the end for the Conservative dynasty.
There is alot of talk about what happened. The government of Alberta has ignored Calgary for the most part and really pissed off it's citizens. The transit system is overloaded, roads are bad, schools falling down & all of this in the richest city in Canada.
But I can't help wonder if the growth of Calgary and the huge influx of outsiders are the real reason for the change. Few cities in Canada vote in Conservative governments. That's likely due to the complexity of a city, the different cultures & income groups that live in a city. Calgary's reached that stage now so I think you'll see more changes coming. It may very well be the beginning of the end for the Conservative dynasty.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Superstore
If you are moving here, I recommend you go to Superstore to shop. It's alot cheaper than Safeway or Co-op. There are a few downfalls........
1. The stores are huge. It'll take 90 minutes to do your shopping. You'll walk what feels like 10 kms
2. If you forget something, it's a long walk back to find it. Plan accordingly.
3. The stores are few and far between. I tried the one in Deerfoot Meadows. It's new, clean, & nice, but it's a long drive and a hell of a bus ride if you're car less.
4. You have to buy bags. I might suggest the plastic bins you can buy for 3.99 and reuse. No more bags at all. They also sell a reusable cloth bag
5. You need a dollar coin to get a cart. This is THE most annoying thing about stores out here.
1. The stores are huge. It'll take 90 minutes to do your shopping. You'll walk what feels like 10 kms
2. If you forget something, it's a long walk back to find it. Plan accordingly.
3. The stores are few and far between. I tried the one in Deerfoot Meadows. It's new, clean, & nice, but it's a long drive and a hell of a bus ride if you're car less.
4. You have to buy bags. I might suggest the plastic bins you can buy for 3.99 and reuse. No more bags at all. They also sell a reusable cloth bag
5. You need a dollar coin to get a cart. This is THE most annoying thing about stores out here.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The Caroma Toilet
Calgary is a city with a water shortage. It gets it's water from the mountains, so when the ice all melts, well....it's not so good.
My condo has a Caroma toilet. It's this expensive, but interesting concept of a toilet. If you take a piss, you press one button to flush and it only uses a litre of water. If you take a dump, well...you press the other button. It also is much quieter and faster than a typical toilet.
My condo has a Caroma toilet. It's this expensive, but interesting concept of a toilet. If you take a piss, you press one button to flush and it only uses a litre of water. If you take a dump, well...you press the other button. It also is much quieter and faster than a typical toilet.
Groceries:
Been shopping at Safeway. The key to shopping at Safeway is the "Safeway Club Card". If you watch the prices carefully, this card saves you money, sometimes alot of it. Salmon was 14.99 for a package for non club members, 8 bucks for club members. It's not likely to save you that much, but...will save you 15 to 25% on specific goods.
Safeway is a decent store but would not be my first choice. The stores are small (a good thing) and they're everywhere but you pay a lot. I suspect they aren't in Ontario because they couldn't compete. Safeway costs substantially more than even Sobeys.
They do have decent fruits and veggies ,but you'll pay for them. A can of orange juice concentrate will run you $2.50. I've met a few people in line that are from Ontario and they're shocked at the high costs of food in this city.
Safeway is a decent store but would not be my first choice. The stores are small (a good thing) and they're everywhere but you pay a lot. I suspect they aren't in Ontario because they couldn't compete. Safeway costs substantially more than even Sobeys.
They do have decent fruits and veggies ,but you'll pay for them. A can of orange juice concentrate will run you $2.50. I've met a few people in line that are from Ontario and they're shocked at the high costs of food in this city.
Original Joe's
Just down the street from Nellie's in the Mission is Original Joe's. I had original thought this place might be a chain of some type as there are a few of them around town. It's apparently a very local chain and it's nothing like a Kelsey's or place like that
Joe's has a good patio which is small but busy and not directly on the main drag (4th). One great thing about this pub is that it sells a HUGE selection of local/western microbrewery beer. They have their own stuff on tap as well as about 20 others, including Yukon Beer. The beer is reasonably priced ( by Alberta standards)
Inside is pub like, a few big TV's, service is fast. It's the kinda place you could go alone and read a book and not feel outta place. It's also not the kind of pub that's home to a bunch of loud obnoxious dickheads (see Melrose Cafe for that).
I've eaten there 3 times, and the food is good. This Friday I had the nacho's and be warned, the full plate is HUGE. It's so big that it's meant for 4 people, not two and half of them were tossed out because we couldn't eat any more.
There is another Joe's in Marda Loop which is really decent, but I can't say I've been to the one in Kensington. Still, if you like Micro brews & a relaxed atmosphere, it's a good place. U can park on one of the side streets (usually).
Joe's has a good patio which is small but busy and not directly on the main drag (4th). One great thing about this pub is that it sells a HUGE selection of local/western microbrewery beer. They have their own stuff on tap as well as about 20 others, including Yukon Beer. The beer is reasonably priced ( by Alberta standards)
Inside is pub like, a few big TV's, service is fast. It's the kinda place you could go alone and read a book and not feel outta place. It's also not the kind of pub that's home to a bunch of loud obnoxious dickheads (see Melrose Cafe for that).
I've eaten there 3 times, and the food is good. This Friday I had the nacho's and be warned, the full plate is HUGE. It's so big that it's meant for 4 people, not two and half of them were tossed out because we couldn't eat any more.
There is another Joe's in Marda Loop which is really decent, but I can't say I've been to the one in Kensington. Still, if you like Micro brews & a relaxed atmosphere, it's a good place. U can park on one of the side streets (usually).
Nellies in the Mission
This Saturday, I walked down to Nellies in the Mission. Nellies is a small cafe like restaurant that specializes in breakfast. They have several locations around the city including one in Marda Loop and one on 17th Ave.
Nellie's is somewhat legendary in Calgary. The food is pretty good, but I wouldn't say it's great. I enjoy breakfast at the Palomino more.
One annoying point about Nellie's is that the bacon/ham/sausage is extra. It's not included in the price, so you have to add it in for another 1.25 or something like that. That sorta pisses me off because breakfast IS about bacon and eggs, not just eggs and toast. I also find the potatoes they serve to be only so-so. I do like the bread, I tried both Sourdough and Whole Wheat. The whole wheat is thicker.
One thing about Nellie's is that it's always crowded. If you don't like crowds you won't like Nellie's AND....the seats are very close together. It's almost impossible to walk into the place and sit down if someone else is standing. If you feel wigged out being 3 feet from a stranger, my advice is to go somewhere else.
Not a bad place, but a bit cramped at times. The server is fast, you'll be served in 5 minutes max & you can drink coffee to your hearts content. The atmosphere is sort of homey, the kinda place you'd expect to find in a small town in rural Ontario. She's really put alot of effort into that.
Worth the trip and you'll pay about 7.50 to eat there. The bacon (like all Alta meat) is very good.
Nellie's is somewhat legendary in Calgary. The food is pretty good, but I wouldn't say it's great. I enjoy breakfast at the Palomino more.
One annoying point about Nellie's is that the bacon/ham/sausage is extra. It's not included in the price, so you have to add it in for another 1.25 or something like that. That sorta pisses me off because breakfast IS about bacon and eggs, not just eggs and toast. I also find the potatoes they serve to be only so-so. I do like the bread, I tried both Sourdough and Whole Wheat. The whole wheat is thicker.
One thing about Nellie's is that it's always crowded. If you don't like crowds you won't like Nellie's AND....the seats are very close together. It's almost impossible to walk into the place and sit down if someone else is standing. If you feel wigged out being 3 feet from a stranger, my advice is to go somewhere else.
Not a bad place, but a bit cramped at times. The server is fast, you'll be served in 5 minutes max & you can drink coffee to your hearts content. The atmosphere is sort of homey, the kinda place you'd expect to find in a small town in rural Ontario. She's really put alot of effort into that.
Worth the trip and you'll pay about 7.50 to eat there. The bacon (like all Alta meat) is very good.
Moved
So I've fully relocated out of the suburban hell known as Douglasdale and will not be returning any time soon.
I'm now living in The Mission, which is the area around 4th Street in Calgary, between the Elbow River and 17th Ave. The area is nice, full of good pubs, grocery stores, good places to eat & everything is reachable on FOOT. The local bus that runs down 4th is Route 3, and runs all the time, every 5 minutes it seems. It's a good perk when it's raining or I'm too lazy to drive to work.
I'm now living in The Mission, which is the area around 4th Street in Calgary, between the Elbow River and 17th Ave. The area is nice, full of good pubs, grocery stores, good places to eat & everything is reachable on FOOT. The local bus that runs down 4th is Route 3, and runs all the time, every 5 minutes it seems. It's a good perk when it's raining or I'm too lazy to drive to work.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Storms
Calgary has a pretty good storm last night. I think it rained non stop for about 2 hours. The city came to a crawl and they closed some roads due to water (see the picture).
Today it is still raining. This is unusual for this place, where it's sunny most of the time. Standing, in the driving rain, waiting for the bus that passed 3 times cause of crowding sure does suck. It's also cold here when it rains, something it's not in South Ontario in June. Today's high, 10C. But, it beats 36C :?)
Thursday, May 31, 2007
The Plus 15
The +15, the indoor Calgary walkway is something I've grown to appreciate and can now walk through with the best of them. The 15 was originally designed to allow office workers to go from building to building and stay warm in the notoriously freezing Calgary winters. Back in the day, before global warming, Calgary was a freaking cold place, where it was possible to hit -40C. It sucks walking outside in -40C.
The business core of Downtown Calgary rivals Toronto and it's an interesting microcosm so far as business cores go. It's littered with the usual food stands & with a variety of Second Cups & Starbucks. There are also areas which are "outdoor" areas where people seem to go to smoke and have lunch. They're above the street level and seem to be fill up during lunch hour with folks looking to go outdoors without being at street level. It amazes me how far you can go in this town without ever stepping a foot outside and were it not for outdoor C Train stations, I could literally stay indoors until I reached my C Train station.
They've also connected certain condo towers with the +15 so the residents don't even need to walk outside to get to work (assuming they work downtown).
The business core of Downtown Calgary rivals Toronto and it's an interesting microcosm so far as business cores go. It's littered with the usual food stands & with a variety of Second Cups & Starbucks. There are also areas which are "outdoor" areas where people seem to go to smoke and have lunch. They're above the street level and seem to be fill up during lunch hour with folks looking to go outdoors without being at street level. It amazes me how far you can go in this town without ever stepping a foot outside and were it not for outdoor C Train stations, I could literally stay indoors until I reached my C Train station.
They've also connected certain condo towers with the +15 so the residents don't even need to walk outside to get to work (assuming they work downtown).
Ch-ch-ch-changes
Reading in the Herald yesterday that the Stelmach (Conservative) government are at the lowest point in the polls in recent history (as in decades). They've suffered a 19 point drop in the polls in Calgary and area.
Stelmach is a backwater farmer from some small town in Northern Alberta. Calgary is a major city that's diverse and cosmopolitan. Steady Eddie as they call him....appears to have trouble recognizing that international cities are complex structures and the problems are not fixed by shaking a few hands or spending 10 bucks fixing something with duct tape. It's interesting to watch this dynasty cave in & while people will blame Stelmach, I personally don't. Cities are complex creatures & the government of Alberta doesn't understand such complexity.
Stelmach is a backwater farmer from some small town in Northern Alberta. Calgary is a major city that's diverse and cosmopolitan. Steady Eddie as they call him....appears to have trouble recognizing that international cities are complex structures and the problems are not fixed by shaking a few hands or spending 10 bucks fixing something with duct tape. It's interesting to watch this dynasty cave in & while people will blame Stelmach, I personally don't. Cities are complex creatures & the government of Alberta doesn't understand such complexity.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Pizza
This.....yes this......is a "large slice" of pizza in Calgary. Note the comparison to the can of Coke. Cost? 2.50 for the slice.
The Stetson
I'm going to buy a cowboy hat. Not that I'll ever wear it, but I find it so amusing I'm going to shell out the 60 bucks for the hat.
Indian Graves
Apparently a really common thing to do out here on long weekends is to get a 4 wheeler ATV & go tear up the wilderness. The most common place to do this is Indian Graves, this place southwest of Calgary.
To each his own, but I really gotta wonder how riding a 4 wheeler in the woods destroying nature is getting you back to nature? How about buying a mountain bike and riding in the woods? It's amazing the number of people out here that have these ATV 4X4 things just for sport.
There are also alot of people offended by this stuff too. I was amazed at the number of people that wrote the Herald and called into a talk show about it. It made the top of the news for 2 days.
Call me weird but isn't getting back to nature when you walk in on foot and find the peace of nature, not tear it up with a giant truck?
To each his own, but I really gotta wonder how riding a 4 wheeler in the woods destroying nature is getting you back to nature? How about buying a mountain bike and riding in the woods? It's amazing the number of people out here that have these ATV 4X4 things just for sport.
There are also alot of people offended by this stuff too. I was amazed at the number of people that wrote the Herald and called into a talk show about it. It made the top of the news for 2 days.
Call me weird but isn't getting back to nature when you walk in on foot and find the peace of nature, not tear it up with a giant truck?
Monday, May 21, 2007
holy &#$*
Today I went grocery shopping for the first time living out here. I've been staying with people who were kind enough to let me live off their food & housing to get set up here.
I went to CO-OP which is considered much the same as Safeway. I started in the meat section where sliced meat is 2 to 4 dollars PER hundred grams. Sliced Havarti cheese is 2.79 per 100 grams. Over the fruits & veggie isle. A small bag of mini carrots was 3.69, 2 lemons 99 cents, vine ripe tomatoes 3 bucks a pound (these are the CHEAP tomatoes). Red Peppers, 3.50 a p ound and junk. Then to grab some bagels. 50 cents for each average bagel.
A small package of Becel was 4 bucks. Soy Milk is 5 dollars a package vs 3.49 at home.
I was in the isle looking for chick peas. I looked at the price, 2.00 a can, and I thought I was in the organics isle. Not. That's right, it's TWO bucks for a can of beans in Alberta. I paid 89 cents a can at home.
The meat section (i rarely eat meat) blew me away. Meat costs more here. Substantially more. Ironic, given that the meat is grown here, and it's raised on land that's pretty much useless for anything else. You can't grow much else on dead prairie grass. Bread is also more, which is retarded, given that this is the breadbasket of the world
Now, Superstore and T&T are cheaper, but these stores are large and require a long trip to get to one. I wanted to base the prices off my local supermarket
In short, food prices are 35% to 50% higher on average here in Calgary. And it's not much different eating out either. I don't each much fast food ,but I bought a burger combo at A&W and it was 9.14. Keep in mind that there is NO PROVINCIAL SALES TAX out here. So that price seems damn high.
Like to eat? You won't like it here.
I went to CO-OP which is considered much the same as Safeway. I started in the meat section where sliced meat is 2 to 4 dollars PER hundred grams. Sliced Havarti cheese is 2.79 per 100 grams. Over the fruits & veggie isle. A small bag of mini carrots was 3.69, 2 lemons 99 cents, vine ripe tomatoes 3 bucks a pound (these are the CHEAP tomatoes). Red Peppers, 3.50 a p ound and junk. Then to grab some bagels. 50 cents for each average bagel.
A small package of Becel was 4 bucks. Soy Milk is 5 dollars a package vs 3.49 at home.
I was in the isle looking for chick peas. I looked at the price, 2.00 a can, and I thought I was in the organics isle. Not. That's right, it's TWO bucks for a can of beans in Alberta. I paid 89 cents a can at home.
The meat section (i rarely eat meat) blew me away. Meat costs more here. Substantially more. Ironic, given that the meat is grown here, and it's raised on land that's pretty much useless for anything else. You can't grow much else on dead prairie grass. Bread is also more, which is retarded, given that this is the breadbasket of the world
Now, Superstore and T&T are cheaper, but these stores are large and require a long trip to get to one. I wanted to base the prices off my local supermarket
In short, food prices are 35% to 50% higher on average here in Calgary. And it's not much different eating out either. I don't each much fast food ,but I bought a burger combo at A&W and it was 9.14. Keep in mind that there is NO PROVINCIAL SALES TAX out here. So that price seems damn high.
Like to eat? You won't like it here.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
The Railway
When you get into the interior of BC, you start to realize the importance of the railway in Canada. It really is the thread that holds this place together. I think it would be a really cool trip to take the train th ru the mountains.
To Golden BC & Back Part Two
After leaving Lake Louise, the road splits so you can head north to the Ice Fields or towards BC. I took the BC route this time around, and it was a good choice. In Lake Louise, you think the mountains are majestic, then you hit BC, and there is no comparison. As you head into Kicking Horse Pass the scenery is amazing. This is one rugged area of Canada & when you hear about the "True North Strong and Free" this is it. As I drove down the road, I couldn't help but marvel that someone had built a road here. And a railway. That's a feat of engineering.
As you near Field, BC, you're in the Kicking Horse Pass valley along the Kicking Horse River. It's pretty wild with huge peaks around you. Unlike near Canmore and Banff, you're car has to go UP the side of the mountain, not just stay in the valley. If you get nervous driving 1000 metres above a canyon with a river in it, don't go. And the slope of the hill is amazing, you'll drive uphill for what seems like 10 kms, then go back down.
As you pass Field, you heard towards Golden BC. It's a few kms before Golden when you come to the part of the Trans Canada where you can't do more than 70 kms per hour. The road is twisty and curvy & the scenery is amazing.....the problem being you can't pull over to take pictures. I would also imagine this area is dangerous, given the number of crosses I saw at the side of the road. You really need to pay attention to drive this on a sunny warm day in May. You'd need to be wide awake at night to drive it & really aware. They also have these guard like things that drop down if the road is closed in winter due to avalanches (signs are everywhere). Apparently this place can get like 10 metres of snow, with the record being 25 metres in a single winter in Revelstoke.
There is also very limited cell service in the area, it seems to depend where you are and NO radio at all. I have Sirius so it wasn't a problem, but.....you can't even hear CBC Radio expect in Golden
Arriving in Golden, you'll find a sleepy small town, maybe 10 000 people. There looks to be a ski hill there & I'd guess the town is run around the railway that passes through. I drove into the downtown and didn't see much going on, but it's a sleepy place.
As you near Field, BC, you're in the Kicking Horse Pass valley along the Kicking Horse River. It's pretty wild with huge peaks around you. Unlike near Canmore and Banff, you're car has to go UP the side of the mountain, not just stay in the valley. If you get nervous driving 1000 metres above a canyon with a river in it, don't go. And the slope of the hill is amazing, you'll drive uphill for what seems like 10 kms, then go back down.
As you pass Field, you heard towards Golden BC. It's a few kms before Golden when you come to the part of the Trans Canada where you can't do more than 70 kms per hour. The road is twisty and curvy & the scenery is amazing.....the problem being you can't pull over to take pictures. I would also imagine this area is dangerous, given the number of crosses I saw at the side of the road. You really need to pay attention to drive this on a sunny warm day in May. You'd need to be wide awake at night to drive it & really aware. They also have these guard like things that drop down if the road is closed in winter due to avalanches (signs are everywhere). Apparently this place can get like 10 metres of snow, with the record being 25 metres in a single winter in Revelstoke.
There is also very limited cell service in the area, it seems to depend where you are and NO radio at all. I have Sirius so it wasn't a problem, but.....you can't even hear CBC Radio expect in Golden
Arriving in Golden, you'll find a sleepy small town, maybe 10 000 people. There looks to be a ski hill there & I'd guess the town is run around the railway that passes through. I drove into the downtown and didn't see much going on, but it's a sleepy place.
To Golden BC & Back
Took a trip out to Golden, BC & back today. I guess it's around 500 kms return & way worth the time & money
As soon as you pass Canmore (see my prior trip there), you enter Banff National Park. It's 18 bucks for a car to enter with 2 to 7 people, or 8.50 per person. They don't take debit, only Visa, so you are warned.
Once you enter the park, you'll drive for a bit & notice the mountains seem larger & closer to the road. The area starts to get more desolate & there are no roadside gas stations, etc, so fill up. It's a 4 lane road, so you can cruise along well past Banff. They also make it easy to stop along the road and take photos of animals........and you'll see quite a few, believe me. The entire road is fenced off from the forest to protect the animals (and drivers) from accidents.
Lake Louise:
I had figured this was a town, but it's essentially two places. The first is the part off the Trans Canada Highways, which is about 30 lodges/hotels, and a shopping centre with a few places to eat. If you're wanting to eat, the food is only so-so, and there is nothing that is quick. Be prepared to sit down tho there is a little food store you could get groceries in.
You then head up this hill, and I mean up. You drive upwards for what feels like about 10 kms until you find public parking in Lake Louise. The area is a large chateau & some hiking trails and a small lake with what looks like to be a glacier in the back. What I noticed first was that it was cold, maybe 1C, or about 15C colder than down at the bottom of the mountain. There was also alot of snow, and the lake was still frozen. Keep in mind this is May 24th weekend. The area is very nice & I wouldn't mind spending a weekend in the Chateau just to get that remote feeling.
There is a small lake that is a a side trip of sorts. I can't remember the name, but you'll see the sign going back down the hill. GO here. The scenery is amazing & there are some vistas you'll see from the top of the mountain (high enough to be in the clouds). At the end of the road is a lodge & a small lake and a huge rock face. You could probably spend an entire day there just walking around. It's not a tourist trap
To be cont....
As soon as you pass Canmore (see my prior trip there), you enter Banff National Park. It's 18 bucks for a car to enter with 2 to 7 people, or 8.50 per person. They don't take debit, only Visa, so you are warned.
Once you enter the park, you'll drive for a bit & notice the mountains seem larger & closer to the road. The area starts to get more desolate & there are no roadside gas stations, etc, so fill up. It's a 4 lane road, so you can cruise along well past Banff. They also make it easy to stop along the road and take photos of animals........and you'll see quite a few, believe me. The entire road is fenced off from the forest to protect the animals (and drivers) from accidents.
Lake Louise:
I had figured this was a town, but it's essentially two places. The first is the part off the Trans Canada Highways, which is about 30 lodges/hotels, and a shopping centre with a few places to eat. If you're wanting to eat, the food is only so-so, and there is nothing that is quick. Be prepared to sit down tho there is a little food store you could get groceries in.
You then head up this hill, and I mean up. You drive upwards for what feels like about 10 kms until you find public parking in Lake Louise. The area is a large chateau & some hiking trails and a small lake with what looks like to be a glacier in the back. What I noticed first was that it was cold, maybe 1C, or about 15C colder than down at the bottom of the mountain. There was also alot of snow, and the lake was still frozen. Keep in mind this is May 24th weekend. The area is very nice & I wouldn't mind spending a weekend in the Chateau just to get that remote feeling.
There is a small lake that is a a side trip of sorts. I can't remember the name, but you'll see the sign going back down the hill. GO here. The scenery is amazing & there are some vistas you'll see from the top of the mountain (high enough to be in the clouds). At the end of the road is a lodge & a small lake and a huge rock face. You could probably spend an entire day there just walking around. It's not a tourist trap
To be cont....
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Feist
Feist is playing Calgary tonight at the Jubilee at SAIT. In today's fragmented world of music, you've probably not heard of Feist......which is too bad. She's got alot of press lately for her new record The Reminder. And that's really too bad because it's no where near as good as Let It Die, which is probably the best record FM radio forgot about in the past 10 years.
The Ironwood
Friday night I went to the Ironwood Grill. It's located in Inglewood, an area in Calgary that is like a little city in a city & pretty low key. Way worth the trip there
The Ironwood looks like an old tractor barn. It has that rounded roof & steel walls that you'd see on a farm (like a storage shed). Inside, the floors are old beat up hardwood & the chairs and tables not much different. Sorta has the odour of "old west" inside. At the front of the bar is the stage and a cupboard with a stereo in it with CD's from the acts that have played there recently (presumably).
The food is great. For starters, a pint of Grasshopper is 5 bucks. That's cheap in Calgary. They serve flatbreads (you'd call them pizzas) and they're awesome. I had one with Artichoke & Portabello mushrooms on it. It's THE best pizza I had in Calgary so far. I also had a Buffalo burger, smeared in cheese and Chipolte Mayo. Again, like all Calgary burgers, it was excellent. If Calgary can have a claim to fame, it's the locally raised meat. Until I moved to Calgary, I rarely bothered with meat when I ate out, that's completely changed now. I'm sure some vegans get uneasy over this, but hey, the meat is locally grown & the veggies are not, so from an overall environmental impact, which is worse?
The Ironwood is pretty run down looking, but that's what gives it the charm. It's low key and the kinda place you could go watch live music alone if you wanted. People just do their own thing. To get to Inglewood in Calgary, it's 9th Ave SE, or you can take the bus there by getting on Number 1 Forest Lawn. There is parking in the back.
Survivor Ottawa
Conservatives 34, Liberals 31, NDP 16, Green 9.
I love reading this. Welcome to the new future of politics in Canada. No clear winner. Some claim this is bad, but I say bah. Now each and every political party has to work to appease everyone or risk getting the carpet yanked from underneath them. It's much like a game of Survivor where you cooperate with the person you hate so you can stay on the island.
Canada doesn't have proportional representation. I'm not sure why, but it's likely because the the two major parties in power know that if they enacted a bill to create it, it would greatly diminish their powers. That alone tells you how much these morons give a shit about people. It's all about themselves. I mean, only a politician would believe that 42% equates to a majority.
In fact, I'd argue that the current system is what creates so many fractures in the country. East vs West vs Quebec vs Maritime s. When the Liberals where in power, it was about Central Canada (Quebec and Ontario), it was exclusionary. No doubt Harper would be pro-west too, but given he can't do anything because of his minority, he's learned to try to be balanced. The kicker is, this has alienated his fan base in the west. The same thing happened to Klein as he got softer, some of his fans ran off and started a hard core right wing Alberta party which gets about 10% of the vote.
So here is to hoping this stalemate lasts forever. It's good for this country. It's democracy. No one has the absolute power to shove through what they want too. Because that's what it's about. Whenever you hear someone say "nothing gets done in a minority" you know they really mean "we can't push through our agenda anymore"
I love reading this. Welcome to the new future of politics in Canada. No clear winner. Some claim this is bad, but I say bah. Now each and every political party has to work to appease everyone or risk getting the carpet yanked from underneath them. It's much like a game of Survivor where you cooperate with the person you hate so you can stay on the island.
Canada doesn't have proportional representation. I'm not sure why, but it's likely because the the two major parties in power know that if they enacted a bill to create it, it would greatly diminish their powers. That alone tells you how much these morons give a shit about people. It's all about themselves. I mean, only a politician would believe that 42% equates to a majority.
In fact, I'd argue that the current system is what creates so many fractures in the country. East vs West vs Quebec vs Maritime s. When the Liberals where in power, it was about Central Canada (Quebec and Ontario), it was exclusionary. No doubt Harper would be pro-west too, but given he can't do anything because of his minority, he's learned to try to be balanced. The kicker is, this has alienated his fan base in the west. The same thing happened to Klein as he got softer, some of his fans ran off and started a hard core right wing Alberta party which gets about 10% of the vote.
So here is to hoping this stalemate lasts forever. It's good for this country. It's democracy. No one has the absolute power to shove through what they want too. Because that's what it's about. Whenever you hear someone say "nothing gets done in a minority" you know they really mean "we can't push through our agenda anymore"
Go home, it's Friday afternoon
One thing I'd forgotten about Calgary when I last lived here. Many businesses let the workers go home early on Friday. 9 hours M-T, then 4 hours on Friday so you can get out and enjoy the sun. I love it, because it means I can do my IT support when the office vacates on a Friday, so I don't need to work on Saturday
Calgarians aren't workaholics like back in Toronto. I can remember walking around the towers of commerce and seeing people at their desks at 7 PM. You're lucky if you see people at their desks here at 5 30.
Calgarians aren't workaholics like back in Toronto. I can remember walking around the towers of commerce and seeing people at their desks at 7 PM. You're lucky if you see people at their desks here at 5 30.
Dress Codes
I notice one thing about the oil & gas industry. While the players still wear the suits & ties, the mannerisms are much different than back in the towers of downtown Toronto. It's pretty common to hear people swearing at work or more laid back, street like small talk. There also seems to be less emphasis on things like "I got my MBA from..." etc.
Yet, like back east, Golf is a popular past time & it's very common to see invites for wine parties or people in the biz going to upscale restaurants. It's a little less formal & a little more down to earth but on the flip side, to some that prefer the "formal" that's probably a bad thing.
Yet, like back east, Golf is a popular past time & it's very common to see invites for wine parties or people in the biz going to upscale restaurants. It's a little less formal & a little more down to earth but on the flip side, to some that prefer the "formal" that's probably a bad thing.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Dress Codes
One thing I notice about Calgary is that it's really a fan of the corporate dress code. I travel to a few companies on a daily basis & I can't help but notice how well people are dressed. Fewer people seem to wear things like Golf shirts, which is nice.....because I hate them. It looks like the lazy I can't dress myself thing.
Unfortunately.....business clothes are uncomfortable. I'm sure they do this to make your day more miserable. Wool suits, UGH, and it's worse in the summer.
I think in the name of global warming we should wear shorts & sandals to work. No more AC at work, just open the window. I could use some fresh air in the server room anyway.
Unfortunately.....business clothes are uncomfortable. I'm sure they do this to make your day more miserable. Wool suits, UGH, and it's worse in the summer.
I think in the name of global warming we should wear shorts & sandals to work. No more AC at work, just open the window. I could use some fresh air in the server room anyway.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Sunlight
It's just before 10PM as I write this. Nothing unusual about it, except there is still daylight outside. It's also light by 5 30 AM in the morning.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Canmore
Today I made a trip to Canmore. If you're not aware, Canmore is about 80 kms from Calgary and about 20 kms into the mountains.
Much of the land to the west of Calgary is under the control of certain Native bands. It occurred to me this is probably a good thing, otherwise, the entire trip to the mountains would be nothing but vapid suburbs and "estate" homes for the wealthy who want a view. Thank god it's Native land and I hope they DON'T sell it.
Canmore is a nice little place, I'd guess about 10 000 people & modern in every sense. It's not a tourist trap like Banff is, so you're not overwhelmed by the usual tourist rubbish when you get to town. It was easy to find a parking spot & easier to walk around. The town is a mix of local stores and stores geared towards tourists that sell the usual touristy t shirts & stuff like that.
I did note that the housing costs are about the same as Calgary. This surprised me, because I think if I was to shell out the money for a 400K townhouse, maybe it's better to live in Canmore. I understand that you need to either have a job or own a business in town, but that's not hard when I am my own business. I'll just work out of Canmore vs Calgary ;-)
When you visit Canmore, you can't help but not want to move there just to experience what it would be like. The city is 90 kms from Calgary, but feels a world away from the rat race of the core of Calgary.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Conrad Black
Is anything more interesting that watching the soap opera between Eddie Greenspan & Radler? This guy defines "cocky".
End of the Boom Part 2
Today the Alberta Unemployment rate was released. It was 3.6%. While that seems low, it's interesting to note that Edmonton & Victoria have lower unemployment rates and Vancouver is 0.1% higher than Calgary.
This seemed to be missed by the media. I can't recall the numbers but I recall the city of Calgary having a rate of 2.6% a while back, so 3.6 is a rather large increase in percentiles. If the rate was to rise this fast elsewhere, people would be all over it.
The Stelmach government has stated several times that they expect lower tax revenues from Gas and Oil in the coming years. 30% lower overall, meaning profits in oil and gas will fall. One reason is that costs of extraction have risen 250%, so 60 dollar a barrel oil is no longer money in the pocket. Not to mention the tar sands are energy intensive. It takes a great amount of energy to extract the energy in the tar sands (same as ethanol).
I've heard several analysts on the radio talking about how things may go bust here in 5 years, and how the government of Alberta has (again) not planned for the future. You'd think after 80 years of boom and bust they'd use some of that money they rake in to create a diverse economy that doesn't rely for 70% of it's government revenue on Natural gas & oil (FYI, Natural Gas is 66% of the governments revenue).
To quote the Edmonton Journal, the boom may over. But no one seems to know it. And while I doubt that it will be a "bust" like it was in 1981, I have to wonder what will happen. What with all these 20 year old buying 350K condos with 0% down? What about the rampant, almost piggish spending out here? When you see a guy try to pay for a coffee with AMEX cause he has no "money" in his pocket, you start to wonder where it's all going.
This seemed to be missed by the media. I can't recall the numbers but I recall the city of Calgary having a rate of 2.6% a while back, so 3.6 is a rather large increase in percentiles. If the rate was to rise this fast elsewhere, people would be all over it.
The Stelmach government has stated several times that they expect lower tax revenues from Gas and Oil in the coming years. 30% lower overall, meaning profits in oil and gas will fall. One reason is that costs of extraction have risen 250%, so 60 dollar a barrel oil is no longer money in the pocket. Not to mention the tar sands are energy intensive. It takes a great amount of energy to extract the energy in the tar sands (same as ethanol).
I've heard several analysts on the radio talking about how things may go bust here in 5 years, and how the government of Alberta has (again) not planned for the future. You'd think after 80 years of boom and bust they'd use some of that money they rake in to create a diverse economy that doesn't rely for 70% of it's government revenue on Natural gas & oil (FYI, Natural Gas is 66% of the governments revenue).
To quote the Edmonton Journal, the boom may over. But no one seems to know it. And while I doubt that it will be a "bust" like it was in 1981, I have to wonder what will happen. What with all these 20 year old buying 350K condos with 0% down? What about the rampant, almost piggish spending out here? When you see a guy try to pay for a coffee with AMEX cause he has no "money" in his pocket, you start to wonder where it's all going.
Jim Buckee
Jim Buckee is a name most people probably don't recognize. He's an older, conservative looking fellow who happens to be the CEO of Talisman Energy, a large & very profitable energy company here in Calgary.
On Wednesday, during the Talisman shareholder meeting, Mr Buckee stated that "world oil production has maxed out". More literally, "Peak Oil".
Buckee is the first executive to publicly state that we've reached or are close to Peak Oil. If you are unsure what Peak Oil is, google it, and make up your own mind.
Like all good capitalists, Buckee see the bright spots in Peak Oil. Higher prices, which mean higher profits for his business. Always trust a capitalist to see the profit in what is otherwise a serious calamity for the world.
His comments where splashed across the business section in the Calgary Herald, along with a writer that talked about "if" Peak Oil would happen. Not sure how "if" fits in, considering the black goo is non renewable, but anyways....I was more surprised by the lack of coverage elsewhere in the media, notably the Globe and Mail. The G&M had a huge write up on this months back, but completely missed this comment. Enviro doods & granolas whining about Peak Oil mean nothing, but when an oil God says it, surely that must hold some weight?
On Wednesday, during the Talisman shareholder meeting, Mr Buckee stated that "world oil production has maxed out". More literally, "Peak Oil".
Buckee is the first executive to publicly state that we've reached or are close to Peak Oil. If you are unsure what Peak Oil is, google it, and make up your own mind.
Like all good capitalists, Buckee see the bright spots in Peak Oil. Higher prices, which mean higher profits for his business. Always trust a capitalist to see the profit in what is otherwise a serious calamity for the world.
His comments where splashed across the business section in the Calgary Herald, along with a writer that talked about "if" Peak Oil would happen. Not sure how "if" fits in, considering the black goo is non renewable, but anyways....I was more surprised by the lack of coverage elsewhere in the media, notably the Globe and Mail. The G&M had a huge write up on this months back, but completely missed this comment. Enviro doods & granolas whining about Peak Oil mean nothing, but when an oil God says it, surely that must hold some weight?
Ed Stelmach & Rent Control
An interesting thing is happening in Cowtown of late. People aren't suddenly embracing the "free market" like they once did. It's most notable in rent control
I don't really believe in rent control. I think that landlords need to have the right to recoup money they invest in their property. And, for every slum landlord, I'm quite sure there is a slum tenant. No one seems to ever mention "slum tenants".
The issue of rent controls is before the government and no one is to blame but the landlords themselves. When you live in a free market/capitalism 50% is being a good consumer, the other 50% is being a good vendor, or in this case, landlord.
The landlords upset with the possible rent controls shouldn't be lobbying the government, but their own. The landlords that push through rent increases of 100% or the landlords that toss out single moms in the street to make way for a couple with a high income create the problem. To quote Gordon Gekko, "greed is good". But a logical thinker also thinks of more than just greed, but the future & of the entire situation.
And the effects of this are being felt on the Stelmach government. There is talk that they Con's may actually fall in Calgary. When the last budget was pushed through, it did not resonate so well with Calgarians. They felt not enough was done, but I think people are unrealistic. You cannot rectify what was the literal starvation Calgary has endured over the past 15 years through the Klein government.
Calgary is now a city. A real city. All cities have good things (and this place IS a good place). And all cities have problems. Problems that rednecks and hayseeds in small towns don't understand. There is far too much influence from the rural areas in Calgary vs the cities. Yet Calgary is the source of much of the money.
In the future, I suspect you'll see a real divide between the prairie and C-town. Both socially & politically, which will make for some interesting times out here.
Welcome to cityhood Calgary. Hayseeds need not apply.
I don't really believe in rent control. I think that landlords need to have the right to recoup money they invest in their property. And, for every slum landlord, I'm quite sure there is a slum tenant. No one seems to ever mention "slum tenants".
The issue of rent controls is before the government and no one is to blame but the landlords themselves. When you live in a free market/capitalism 50% is being a good consumer, the other 50% is being a good vendor, or in this case, landlord.
The landlords upset with the possible rent controls shouldn't be lobbying the government, but their own. The landlords that push through rent increases of 100% or the landlords that toss out single moms in the street to make way for a couple with a high income create the problem. To quote Gordon Gekko, "greed is good". But a logical thinker also thinks of more than just greed, but the future & of the entire situation.
And the effects of this are being felt on the Stelmach government. There is talk that they Con's may actually fall in Calgary. When the last budget was pushed through, it did not resonate so well with Calgarians. They felt not enough was done, but I think people are unrealistic. You cannot rectify what was the literal starvation Calgary has endured over the past 15 years through the Klein government.
Calgary is now a city. A real city. All cities have good things (and this place IS a good place). And all cities have problems. Problems that rednecks and hayseeds in small towns don't understand. There is far too much influence from the rural areas in Calgary vs the cities. Yet Calgary is the source of much of the money.
In the future, I suspect you'll see a real divide between the prairie and C-town. Both socially & politically, which will make for some interesting times out here.
Welcome to cityhood Calgary. Hayseeds need not apply.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Water
Meant to write this a few days ago after I left the gym.....
Calgary tap water is awesome. It's almost always cold & has none of that "flavour" to it. And of course it's free. I've heard that Dasani (div of Coca-Cola) actually uses Calgary water for it's Dansani Bottled Water
Calgary water comes from the Glenmore Reservoir, which is fed by the Elbow River, which is fed by glaciers, currently declining in size. Apparently we get some water from the Bow River, tho I can't see that...it's a big river, just not that deep.
Speaking of water, why are the biggest granola bars always sucking back bottled water? Yes, it might be cleaner than the water in the tap, but is it better overall? Plastic is made from oil. And how about all that transportation? How much gas gets burned and how many greenhouse gases get made just because you want a bottle of water? And so what if you recycle it? Isn't it cheaper to buy a filter for your house and put it in a hard plastic bottle you can reuse?
Calgary tap water is awesome. It's almost always cold & has none of that "flavour" to it. And of course it's free. I've heard that Dasani (div of Coca-Cola) actually uses Calgary water for it's Dansani Bottled Water
Calgary water comes from the Glenmore Reservoir, which is fed by the Elbow River, which is fed by glaciers, currently declining in size. Apparently we get some water from the Bow River, tho I can't see that...it's a big river, just not that deep.
Speaking of water, why are the biggest granola bars always sucking back bottled water? Yes, it might be cleaner than the water in the tap, but is it better overall? Plastic is made from oil. And how about all that transportation? How much gas gets burned and how many greenhouse gases get made just because you want a bottle of water? And so what if you recycle it? Isn't it cheaper to buy a filter for your house and put it in a hard plastic bottle you can reuse?
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Dry Air
Today the temp hit about 28C in Calgary. It was clear, sunny & very nice. It's also very dry, and that's a GREAT feeling. The air feels thin & cool & when you're in a suit/business clothes, 28C doesn't feel that hot.
If I was to walk around Toronto in summer in a suit, I'd be dripping with sweat. I like humidity, but only when I'm at home, wearing shorts and sandals.
The lack of humidity makes for cooler nights, but the days are much more enjoyable. The air feels fresh and it's not heavy, and it's not unbearable. It also makes for a truly blue sky. The view of the Rockies were absolutely clear today in the morning.
And when it's hot out, Calgarians go out in droves. Stephen Ave was a wall of people when I walked out of Bankers Hall at Lunch.
If I was to walk around Toronto in summer in a suit, I'd be dripping with sweat. I like humidity, but only when I'm at home, wearing shorts and sandals.
The lack of humidity makes for cooler nights, but the days are much more enjoyable. The air feels fresh and it's not heavy, and it's not unbearable. It also makes for a truly blue sky. The view of the Rockies were absolutely clear today in the morning.
And when it's hot out, Calgarians go out in droves. Stephen Ave was a wall of people when I walked out of Bankers Hall at Lunch.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Oh, the lowly hamburger
To many, a hamburger is just a hunk of meat stuffed between two pieces of bread with a couple of toppings. It's fast food, low brow & cheap.
Calgary is the home of the hamburger. Out here, hamburgers actually taste great. Today I had one topped with melted brie cheese & roasted apples & cinnamon. A side order of fries was served with some curry dipping sauce, not the usual ketchup. It's damn good & different, away from the usual pub fare
It's pretty commonplace to complain about the food in Calgary. Veggies are expensive & the quality of them sucks in winter. But Calgarian restaurants take liberty with things like the lowly hamburger & actually make it interesting. Same for peanut butter & bananas on French Toast or garlic fries. They think outside the box & it's refreshing.
Calgary is the home of the hamburger. Out here, hamburgers actually taste great. Today I had one topped with melted brie cheese & roasted apples & cinnamon. A side order of fries was served with some curry dipping sauce, not the usual ketchup. It's damn good & different, away from the usual pub fare
It's pretty commonplace to complain about the food in Calgary. Veggies are expensive & the quality of them sucks in winter. But Calgarian restaurants take liberty with things like the lowly hamburger & actually make it interesting. Same for peanut butter & bananas on French Toast or garlic fries. They think outside the box & it's refreshing.
Goodbye Suburbs
Thank GOD for it too.
Found an apartment to rent, a year long lease, cost per month (sit down) $1409.00 a month. If you're reading this from outside of Calgary, you'll think it's a crazy price. If you live in Calgary and you've spent any time looking for a place to live, you'll recognize it's a deal. It's a 2 bedroom unit in a downtown neighborhood (4th Street area)
Renting in Calgary is best described as pure hell. I called better than 50 people, more than 50% of them were ignorant & rude. They don't return your calls. They don't care about you. They also exaggerate how "nice" their building is. There really is no place to rent out here. In one case, a unit in The Mission I had applied for...was given to someone else because they offered to pay MORE for the unit. That's right, the tenant asked to pay more. I heard of another person who was asked to leave after her lease ended so they could rent to someone else. She had two kids. Nice eh.
Typically, a 1 bedroom rents for 1200 out here. A two bedroom for 1400 to 1900, unless you live in the North East or along International Ave in the SE. Once you live here, everything else seems like a deal. Even The Beach in Toronto seems like a deal.
So if you're wherever in Canada & thinking of coming here think really hard. If you aren't in a high paying career type, you're better off living where you live and making 10 bucks an hour. Calgary isnt' a bad city, but the costs are incredibly high & finding a place to rent is almost impossible. I can't imagine how people making 30-40K that are single survive here. It would be impossible.
Found an apartment to rent, a year long lease, cost per month (sit down) $1409.00 a month. If you're reading this from outside of Calgary, you'll think it's a crazy price. If you live in Calgary and you've spent any time looking for a place to live, you'll recognize it's a deal. It's a 2 bedroom unit in a downtown neighborhood (4th Street area)
Renting in Calgary is best described as pure hell. I called better than 50 people, more than 50% of them were ignorant & rude. They don't return your calls. They don't care about you. They also exaggerate how "nice" their building is. There really is no place to rent out here. In one case, a unit in The Mission I had applied for...was given to someone else because they offered to pay MORE for the unit. That's right, the tenant asked to pay more. I heard of another person who was asked to leave after her lease ended so they could rent to someone else. She had two kids. Nice eh.
Typically, a 1 bedroom rents for 1200 out here. A two bedroom for 1400 to 1900, unless you live in the North East or along International Ave in the SE. Once you live here, everything else seems like a deal. Even The Beach in Toronto seems like a deal.
So if you're wherever in Canada & thinking of coming here think really hard. If you aren't in a high paying career type, you're better off living where you live and making 10 bucks an hour. Calgary isnt' a bad city, but the costs are incredibly high & finding a place to rent is almost impossible. I can't imagine how people making 30-40K that are single survive here. It would be impossible.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Downtown Calgary
I work downtown and have to travel back and forth between 4 or 5 offices in the city core. Over this week, I've really come to like Downtown Calgary. It has a system called +15, which is much like the PATH system in Toronto but is above ground. Once you figure your way around, you can pretty much traverse the entire downtown core inside (good in summer & more so in winter). The +15 connects every major building with another & is full of places to eat & small shops. There are a couple of places to get your drivers license & all that stuff updated.
The more I am downtown Calgary, the more I like it. Just takes your feet some getting used to walking 3 kms a day in business shoes.
The more I am downtown Calgary, the more I like it. Just takes your feet some getting used to walking 3 kms a day in business shoes.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Favourite paragrah(s) of the year
Anderson said the poll may reflect "the new normal" for both the Liberals and Conservatives, which is "not whether they can get to 40 (per cent) but whether they can sustain a number that's higher than 30 or 35."
"And that obviously puts in question whether or not there's a majority government for anybody in the forseeable future."
Excellent. Oh, it's not excellent for anyone involved in partisan politics. They'll complain that nothing is getting done, blah blah blah. I say whatever. From where I'm sitting it looks like the government is working just fine. Bills get passed, things get done JUST that it takes a little more co-operation than the political morons are used too. In less polite terms, it's know as "you can now longer show through your own agenda"
Since the gutless turds in Ottawa won't give us proportional representation, this will have to do. Everybody gets a hand in the cookie jar and everyone learns to share. NO MORE MAJORITY governments in Canada. Woo hoo. I'll take it.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
CCIE
I am about to start the final trek in computer networking. I'm going to get my C.C.I.E. 2 more years, then Toronto 2010.
Monday, April 30, 2007
How to Park
This morning at the C Train station, I again noticed that another moron lacks the capability to park their car.
There seems to be some type of disease going around in Calgary that stops people from parking correctly. So, I'm going to help you to do this. Consider it a favour from me, your friend.
1. Pull into the parking spot putting your car between the two yellow/white lines.
2. Check to see if you have your car parked between the two yellow/white lines
IF the car is NOT between the two lines go to step 3
3. Reverse the car, and then pull forward ensuring that your vehicle (normally a large pick up truck) is between the two lines.
If these directions confuse you, you are too stupid to drive a car. Please board the C Train, take it to the nearest registry & surrender your license to the authorities. Do not pass GO. Do not collect 200 dollars.
There seems to be some type of disease going around in Calgary that stops people from parking correctly. So, I'm going to help you to do this. Consider it a favour from me, your friend.
1. Pull into the parking spot putting your car between the two yellow/white lines.
2. Check to see if you have your car parked between the two yellow/white lines
IF the car is NOT between the two lines go to step 3
3. Reverse the car, and then pull forward ensuring that your vehicle (normally a large pick up truck) is between the two lines.
If these directions confuse you, you are too stupid to drive a car. Please board the C Train, take it to the nearest registry & surrender your license to the authorities. Do not pass GO. Do not collect 200 dollars.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Red Deer
**residents of Red Deer may find this post somewhat offensive**
I had to go to Red Deer today. It's about 140kms north of Calgary, a city of about 82,000 people. It doesn't look any different than a typical western town, big roads, big malls, etc.
Arriving in Red Deer, I was greeted by this woman, 7 months preggie, wearing an 80's beach skirt & THIGH high leather boots. I'm all for pregnant women doing their best to look sexy, but NO one looks sexy in dated clothing and thigh high boots. I thought those things were reserved for Trannies.
Lunch time came around, so I drove on 50th Ave to find food. There are 3 fine choices, all of it fast food. Obviously, everyone in Red Deer eats fast food because the line was at least 50 people long, the drive thru's were jammed in all 3 places with 30+ cars.
If Americans are ever looking to solidify the stereotype that Canadians all talk like Bob & Doug McKenzie, well Red Deer is the place. One 40 something guy walks up to me, says "long line eh" then snorts through his nose. He then proceeded to talk to me for a short period of time about his "ATV" and how we was gettin' lunch then going offroadin'. Thing is, Jed never picked up on the fact that I don't get a shit about his ATV. And I swear, he said "eh" at least 500 times during the conversation. He finally went away, then proceeded to stand in front of the condiment area talking to some woman. When I was leaving, he shouts "have a good one eh".
As I am walking out the door, I hold the door open for a man & his son & daughter. The daughter walks in, but dad, decked out in his cowboy costume, lifts his hat and says "thank ya". His son, all of maybe 7, also decked out in this rodeo costume, lifts his hat and says "thank ya". Not thank YOU, thank YA. I can get people wearing this stuff during Stampede or on Halloween, but I got the feeling this was their NORMAL dress.
Calgary is a city in the west, but Red Deer is a western city. If the folk out here are worried about their culture being watered down, fear not, because Red Deer stills has lots of it. I actually saw someone riding a horse down the road on the edge of the city. I get the feeling that the kids there are kinda bored.
And I heard 3 anti-Calgarian comments from people, including the one in the business. And, the DJ on the radio was mouthing off about how he went to Calgary & had to endure what he called "Blackberry Hell", where everyone talks on their blackberry or sends messages. He was sure that most of these people signed up for spam or whatever just so they could look cool with their BB.
I had to go to Red Deer today. It's about 140kms north of Calgary, a city of about 82,000 people. It doesn't look any different than a typical western town, big roads, big malls, etc.
Arriving in Red Deer, I was greeted by this woman, 7 months preggie, wearing an 80's beach skirt & THIGH high leather boots. I'm all for pregnant women doing their best to look sexy, but NO one looks sexy in dated clothing and thigh high boots. I thought those things were reserved for Trannies.
Lunch time came around, so I drove on 50th Ave to find food. There are 3 fine choices, all of it fast food. Obviously, everyone in Red Deer eats fast food because the line was at least 50 people long, the drive thru's were jammed in all 3 places with 30+ cars.
If Americans are ever looking to solidify the stereotype that Canadians all talk like Bob & Doug McKenzie, well Red Deer is the place. One 40 something guy walks up to me, says "long line eh" then snorts through his nose. He then proceeded to talk to me for a short period of time about his "ATV" and how we was gettin' lunch then going offroadin'. Thing is, Jed never picked up on the fact that I don't get a shit about his ATV. And I swear, he said "eh" at least 500 times during the conversation. He finally went away, then proceeded to stand in front of the condiment area talking to some woman. When I was leaving, he shouts "have a good one eh".
As I am walking out the door, I hold the door open for a man & his son & daughter. The daughter walks in, but dad, decked out in his cowboy costume, lifts his hat and says "thank ya". His son, all of maybe 7, also decked out in this rodeo costume, lifts his hat and says "thank ya". Not thank YOU, thank YA. I can get people wearing this stuff during Stampede or on Halloween, but I got the feeling this was their NORMAL dress.
Calgary is a city in the west, but Red Deer is a western city. If the folk out here are worried about their culture being watered down, fear not, because Red Deer stills has lots of it. I actually saw someone riding a horse down the road on the edge of the city. I get the feeling that the kids there are kinda bored.
And I heard 3 anti-Calgarian comments from people, including the one in the business. And, the DJ on the radio was mouthing off about how he went to Calgary & had to endure what he called "Blackberry Hell", where everyone talks on their blackberry or sends messages. He was sure that most of these people signed up for spam or whatever just so they could look cool with their BB.
Revision: Drivers
Drove to Red Deer today. I'd like to revise a statement I made a while ago, that Alberta drivers are morons. I should have said CALGARY drivers are morons.
Driving to Red Deer this morning, everyone drove in the right lane unless they passed, average speed was about 130. Who woulda thunk that a bunch of country folk would have more sense driving than people in the city..
Driving to Red Deer this morning, everyone drove in the right lane unless they passed, average speed was about 130. Who woulda thunk that a bunch of country folk would have more sense driving than people in the city..
Friday, April 27, 2007
Dave the Beer Guy
Tonight, at the Willow Park Wine store, I was back on the mission to find a new micro brewery. The task seems insurmountable, it's both fun & frustrating. I love beer.
Then I met Dave the Beer Guy. Not only does Dave know beer, but he knows and likes Waterloo Dark & Brick Amber. AND he told me they'll be carrying Brick in the near future. I can't wait to see the Pig Head sitting in that cooler, waiting for me. Heh
For the time being, he recommended Black Cat from Paddock Wood. It's heavier than Waterloo Dark, but it's good. And I kicked in a 6 of Steam Whistle to compliment the Black Cat.
Today is a good day.
Then I met Dave the Beer Guy. Not only does Dave know beer, but he knows and likes Waterloo Dark & Brick Amber. AND he told me they'll be carrying Brick in the near future. I can't wait to see the Pig Head sitting in that cooler, waiting for me. Heh
For the time being, he recommended Black Cat from Paddock Wood. It's heavier than Waterloo Dark, but it's good. And I kicked in a 6 of Steam Whistle to compliment the Black Cat.
Today is a good day.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Buck--A-Beer
Tonight, while paying 12 bucks for 6 Grasshoppers, I realized........Alberta doesn't have Buck a Beer beer. No Laker, No Lakeport. They do have this swill called TNT Lager which is an incredible 4 dollars for a 6 pack or 10 99 for 15. I'm not sure I'd drink that tho. I think it's designed for homeless people and underage teens that don't have enough for real beer & smokes. Bleh. There is also Alberta Genuine Draft. Least Laker and Lakeport were decent......
Also, if you are moving here and you smoke, I suggest you quit. I don't smoke, but I notice that smokes are around 10 dollars for a package. Crasy.
Also, if you are moving here and you smoke, I suggest you quit. I don't smoke, but I notice that smokes are around 10 dollars for a package. Crasy.
My new Alberta plates
So I got my new Alberta plate. Out here, you only have 1 plate, one in the back. My first thought was "right on". This way they can't park photo radar vans on the other side of the highway to nail me.
Driving to work this morning I was listening to CBC Radio 1, ironically at 99.1 FM in Calgary *just like Tdot*. Some guy came on the radio saying he figured he'd drive the speed limit on the Glenmore and was "shocked" how fast everyone else was driving. Slick, I have some advice for you. Don't take a vacation in Toronto and if you do...take the TTC
Driving to work this morning I was listening to CBC Radio 1, ironically at 99.1 FM in Calgary *just like Tdot*. Some guy came on the radio saying he figured he'd drive the speed limit on the Glenmore and was "shocked" how fast everyone else was driving. Slick, I have some advice for you. Don't take a vacation in Toronto and if you do...take the TTC
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Luxury Apartment
Read an ad for a "luxury" apartment in a good area of the city. I call the guy, and he answers with a grunt. I inquired about the flat and halfway through the call he tells me to hang on, and goes to yell at his kid. When he returns I tell him I'll think about it and call back and if he's not there, I'll leave a message. He replies to me "I don't return calls".
I replied "I don't rent your apartment then". Sorry moron, I make enough, I don't need a moron for a landlord.
So I drove by the place. The "luxury" place was rundown AND above a store. Yep, LUXURY CONDO above a store. I can't help but laugh. I hope he ends up with the loudest, most stupid redneck in the world as a tenant.
I replied "I don't rent your apartment then". Sorry moron, I make enough, I don't need a moron for a landlord.
So I drove by the place. The "luxury" place was rundown AND above a store. Yep, LUXURY CONDO above a store. I can't help but laugh. I hope he ends up with the loudest, most stupid redneck in the world as a tenant.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
My Out of Province inspection & cars
Well it's going to cost me 150 bucks to get this done. I drove to a bunch of places & this is the average price. Any repairs required are on top of the 150 bucks.
If you're moving out here, you have 3 months to change your plates. You could probably get away with it longer if you had too. I don't see alot of Ontario plates, but I see alot of BC & Sask plates. You might get pulled over & asked how long you've been here. Make up a good lie :?)
Car insurance seems a touch cheaper out here. I can't argue with that, but I must admit to wondering why. Given how people drive out here, it seems weird.
One thing to note if you drive out here. The province puts these stones on the road when it snows (or so I think). It's somewhat common to have one of those rocks coming flying up and hit your car. Today, I was looking at the front of my car, and there are hundreds of tiny stones chips in the car. I'm going to have to buy a bra for the car or risk having no point. Those rocks will also hit your windshield. I now have this crack in my car windshield that also needs to be repaired. It's a real wake up when a rock hits your car on the deerfoot.
If you're moving out here, you have 3 months to change your plates. You could probably get away with it longer if you had too. I don't see alot of Ontario plates, but I see alot of BC & Sask plates. You might get pulled over & asked how long you've been here. Make up a good lie :?)
Car insurance seems a touch cheaper out here. I can't argue with that, but I must admit to wondering why. Given how people drive out here, it seems weird.
One thing to note if you drive out here. The province puts these stones on the road when it snows (or so I think). It's somewhat common to have one of those rocks coming flying up and hit your car. Today, I was looking at the front of my car, and there are hundreds of tiny stones chips in the car. I'm going to have to buy a bra for the car or risk having no point. Those rocks will also hit your windshield. I now have this crack in my car windshield that also needs to be repaired. It's a real wake up when a rock hits your car on the deerfoot.
Airdrie
I drove up to Airdrie today. One of my co-workers raved what a great place it was, so I was out & I thought I'd waste more gas and check out the place. Not much to say about it, other than it looks like a typical suburb & you'd swear it's just part of Calgary.
The Yukon
Later this summer, after going to Ontario, I'm going to go to the Yukon in the fall. The Yukon is a place I've always wanted to see & now it's within reach. On Air North, it's 200 bucks to fly there. Maybe I'll like it enough, I'll move there for a year or two.
Alberta Government: Bandits
When you arrive in Alberta, you have 3 months to change your plates to Alberta plates. To do so, you have to get an "out of province" inspection. This inspection is required even if your car is 1 day old & was plated across the provincial border.
While this might seem like a good idea, it's nothing more than a tax grab. You see, once your car is in Alberta, you're free to drive around with a missing bumper, rusted out car or my favourite example, the guy with NO door on his car (just two bars across it). There is no "certification" process when you sell a car.
This isn't about highway safety. It's about revenue generation. And the most humour part is that it's a "Conservative" government that engineered this. Aren't the Cons all about letting the people keep their money? Or so they & their blind, obedient supporters state so loudly.
While this might seem like a good idea, it's nothing more than a tax grab. You see, once your car is in Alberta, you're free to drive around with a missing bumper, rusted out car or my favourite example, the guy with NO door on his car (just two bars across it). There is no "certification" process when you sell a car.
This isn't about highway safety. It's about revenue generation. And the most humour part is that it's a "Conservative" government that engineered this. Aren't the Cons all about letting the people keep their money? Or so they & their blind, obedient supporters state so loudly.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
The Calgary Flames
Are you a hockey fan? Calgary Flames fans are. On a game day, you'll see a sea of red jerseys around town, the bars are full, people are buying and having fun. Everyone loves the Flames. As Iginla says, we have great fans.
Yeah, they do. But 5 years ago, the team was in the dumpster & you couldn't give away tickets to save your life. No one cared. The team was ready to pack up and move away. And it's a good thing that the fans really care.......
BUT.......
If your a fan, aren't you supposed to be a fan in good times and bad? The Flames are playing Detroit. The marker on the ice in the Joe Louis arena says "Hockeytown". And it is. People show up whether the Wings win or lose. It's not JUST about having a winning team. And back in South Ontario, we call it "Leafs Nation". When they closed Maple Leaf Gardens, the last time the leafs didn't sell out a game was in the 60's. People love the Leafs even when they suck. It's no different up the road in Montreal. You're a Habs fan, good or bad.
So call me a little skeptical on the whole "Red Mile" thing. When the Flames are in last place, I want to see the fans on the street giving a damn. Until then, it sounds like a flavour of the month thing.
Yeah, they do. But 5 years ago, the team was in the dumpster & you couldn't give away tickets to save your life. No one cared. The team was ready to pack up and move away. And it's a good thing that the fans really care.......
BUT.......
If your a fan, aren't you supposed to be a fan in good times and bad? The Flames are playing Detroit. The marker on the ice in the Joe Louis arena says "Hockeytown". And it is. People show up whether the Wings win or lose. It's not JUST about having a winning team. And back in South Ontario, we call it "Leafs Nation". When they closed Maple Leaf Gardens, the last time the leafs didn't sell out a game was in the 60's. People love the Leafs even when they suck. It's no different up the road in Montreal. You're a Habs fan, good or bad.
So call me a little skeptical on the whole "Red Mile" thing. When the Flames are in last place, I want to see the fans on the street giving a damn. Until then, it sounds like a flavour of the month thing.
The Palomino
The Palomino:
I had read about this pub in FFWD Weekly, Calgary's Art's & Entertainment Weekly. It's located on 7th Ave near 1st Street in an area that's....shall we say, rundown. The building is old, the sign just plain and simple. After seeing all of this, I just KNEW the place must be good.
Stopped in for breakfast around 1:30PM on Saturday. The Flames game was on the 20 foot TV set they have on the wall. The pub is obviously not a sport hotspot, which is a good thing in my eyes.
Inside it's a touch "old" but with classic western flare. It gives you that feeling of being someplace that's not pretentious where you just go to go. A guy was sitting at the bar eating lunch, alone, watching the game. Another sign it would be a good place.
The customers; a Chinese couple, some construction workers, a punk rock couple & some average looking types with Flames shirts. No one seemed concern about each other, they were just there to do their thing.
The food there is good. Breakfast is interesting, they offer a peanut butter & banana sandwich toasted on French toast. Another option was the usual omelette but it was served on top of beans, covered in cheese with tomatoes & green onions on top. The potatoes they serve are cooked in what tasted like garlic & olive oil, covered in some type of seasoning salt. A little different than the normal breakfast, but I like it. Only they don't serve toast. They also sell Big Rock Beer for 4.50 a pint until 3 PM.
The decor is interesting, it's truly old skool, with a western flare. As if they went out to find rickety old chairs & tables that had been rotting away in a barn. It gives the place a style of ambiance I've never seen prior to going there. In the evening, it doubles as a live music club, with it's focus on Indie Rock with a western flare (rock-a-billy).
Worth the trip just to eat and have a Big Rock Grasshopper. I'll check it out one Saturday Night
All Good Things Must End
Talking to locals around here, you'd get the feeling this "boom" will last forever. People fret about house prices going up and up and away, well beyond their reach. They fret about inflation, etc, etc. Then some of them whine they wish the boom would end.
Taken from the Calgary Herald:
So some of these types that wish the boom would end. Well, you might get your wish. When the government says it will be getting lower revenues, that also means the businesses that pay them will have lower profits. Lower profits translate into lower salaries. And if not lower salaries, it translates into layoffs. So here comes the end of the 350K 1 bedroom condo in Calgary. This place is so overheated, it's a nuke waiting to explode.
"David Taras, a political analyst at the University of Calgary, said Stelmach -- like his predecessor Ralph Klein -- has no vision for managing the province's enormous wealth."
......
People out here seem to lack the economic sense to understand one thing. Higher oil costs do not always mean higher profits. There is no magical secrets, it's just simple old business. Return on Investment. When it costs 10 bucks to suck a barrel of oil out of the ground, selling it for 60 bucks pulls in alot of money. But when you dig it out of the tar sands, the energy input is huge. That same barrel of heavy oil now costs 30 bucks to extract. And if the price of oil hits 100 bucks? You're still not safe, because the cost of extraction increases with the cost of oil. The tar sands are incredibly energy intensive. If you've ever wondered why Kyoto is not the friend of Alberta, now you know why......
The only saviour might be that 2/3's of the provincial revenue comes from Natural Gas. The price has plunged over the past 3 years on the commodity exchange. We've also had much warmer winters than normal & I doubt that's going away. Ironic eh, Global Warming may very well lay an ass kicking to the very industry that is so heavily responsible for it. On the other side of things, there is only so much natural gas....and it's bound to increase in price.
So......for all you types that cry & whine about the boom, careful what you wish for. You just might get it. Because if an profit recession hits the oil & gas industry, it'll be the nuke that takes this place offline. And no one will understand how it's happening when oil prices are still at record levels.
All good things must end.
Taken from the Calgary Herald:
For oil-rich Albertans in the midst of an economic boom, this week's budget presented the sobering prospect that falling resource revenues could put an end to the province's free-spending ways.
According to budget projections, oil and natural gas revenues are expected to be nearly cut in half within two years, dropping to $7.8 billion in 2009-10 after peaking at $14.35 billion in 2005-06.
The $6.5-billion drop in petrodollars has prompted questions about whether Alberta has hit its budget peak, with fewer resources available for the future.
So some of these types that wish the boom would end. Well, you might get your wish. When the government says it will be getting lower revenues, that also means the businesses that pay them will have lower profits. Lower profits translate into lower salaries. And if not lower salaries, it translates into layoffs. So here comes the end of the 350K 1 bedroom condo in Calgary. This place is so overheated, it's a nuke waiting to explode.
"David Taras, a political analyst at the University of Calgary, said Stelmach -- like his predecessor Ralph Klein -- has no vision for managing the province's enormous wealth."
......
People out here seem to lack the economic sense to understand one thing. Higher oil costs do not always mean higher profits. There is no magical secrets, it's just simple old business. Return on Investment. When it costs 10 bucks to suck a barrel of oil out of the ground, selling it for 60 bucks pulls in alot of money. But when you dig it out of the tar sands, the energy input is huge. That same barrel of heavy oil now costs 30 bucks to extract. And if the price of oil hits 100 bucks? You're still not safe, because the cost of extraction increases with the cost of oil. The tar sands are incredibly energy intensive. If you've ever wondered why Kyoto is not the friend of Alberta, now you know why......
The only saviour might be that 2/3's of the provincial revenue comes from Natural Gas. The price has plunged over the past 3 years on the commodity exchange. We've also had much warmer winters than normal & I doubt that's going away. Ironic eh, Global Warming may very well lay an ass kicking to the very industry that is so heavily responsible for it. On the other side of things, there is only so much natural gas....and it's bound to increase in price.
So......for all you types that cry & whine about the boom, careful what you wish for. You just might get it. Because if an profit recession hits the oil & gas industry, it'll be the nuke that takes this place offline. And no one will understand how it's happening when oil prices are still at record levels.
All good things must end.
Friday, April 20, 2007
17th & 52nd SE
I've mentioned before that 17th Ave SE is known as International Ave. It's a dirty, grimy place, but full of very cool & interesting stores.
I found a really great place to eat a true Lebanese falafel. The place is at the corner of 17th and 52nd, buried in an old strip mall. The food is awesome, comes at a good price & the owner was pretty nice. He offered me some olives & a dessert on the house to welcome me to his restaurant.
I found a really great place to eat a true Lebanese falafel. The place is at the corner of 17th and 52nd, buried in an old strip mall. The food is awesome, comes at a good price & the owner was pretty nice. He offered me some olives & a dessert on the house to welcome me to his restaurant.
Flickr: My pictures
I've decided to post some photos of around Calgary, so I started carrying my camera. Unfortunately, it's rained here for 3 days (something that never happens).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7850853@N06/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7850853@N06/
Monday, April 16, 2007
Contrived Communities
It is now week 5 of living in suburbia. I'm not here by choice, but out of necessity until I find a place in the core of Calgary.
One thing I find about living in suburbia is that you need to drive everywhere. That includes 7-11, the only store within 2 kms of this house. I find it amazing I can drive so many kms each week JUST to go to work or go out. And no matter how many times I drive around these areas, I can never find anything interesting. People seem so excited because of the large power centre nearby, but my god, is life ONLY about shopping? What is with people & their need for recreational shopping?
The weird thing about the suburbs is that it's not an ugly place. The houses are nice, the streets wide, the atmosphere pleasant. Yet, it's a place without any soul. It's devoid of life. It's absolutely boring. They call it a community, but it's not, it's just contrived.
June 1st I will be out of here. And none too soon. For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would want to live here, then venture off to the mall. It reminds me of some twisted version of Disneyland. I'll take an urban street scene over this any day.
One thing I find about living in suburbia is that you need to drive everywhere. That includes 7-11, the only store within 2 kms of this house. I find it amazing I can drive so many kms each week JUST to go to work or go out. And no matter how many times I drive around these areas, I can never find anything interesting. People seem so excited because of the large power centre nearby, but my god, is life ONLY about shopping? What is with people & their need for recreational shopping?
The weird thing about the suburbs is that it's not an ugly place. The houses are nice, the streets wide, the atmosphere pleasant. Yet, it's a place without any soul. It's devoid of life. It's absolutely boring. They call it a community, but it's not, it's just contrived.
June 1st I will be out of here. And none too soon. For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would want to live here, then venture off to the mall. It reminds me of some twisted version of Disneyland. I'll take an urban street scene over this any day.
Forest Lawn
If you mention the words Forest Lawn to a typical Calgarian, they'll likely laugh or put down the 'hood. Forest Lawn is 17th Ave SE and the area around it. It's also known as International Ave.
Unlike many Calgarians, I like Forest Lawn. It's a nice escape from the over priced shops of the downtown neighborhoods. No high priced gelato in Forest Lawn. Even the Safeway is old & gritty. BUT....the area is full of interesting shops with cheap goods & ethnic food. Often the best food is served in those hole in the wall type shops that cannot afford the rent of the inner-city.
I'll say the same for the NE of Calgary. It's another area that's despised by many locals, yet it's another breath of fresh air for shopping & interesting stores. It also seems to be home to most of the good grocery stores.
Another little known secret about the NE is that their C Train isn't crowded. I'm guessing because it's a lower income area, fewer people have office jobs in the city core? Whatever the reason, I drive there in the morning to park my car so I can ride a C train that isn't a wall of people.
Unlike many Calgarians, I like Forest Lawn. It's a nice escape from the over priced shops of the downtown neighborhoods. No high priced gelato in Forest Lawn. Even the Safeway is old & gritty. BUT....the area is full of interesting shops with cheap goods & ethnic food. Often the best food is served in those hole in the wall type shops that cannot afford the rent of the inner-city.
I'll say the same for the NE of Calgary. It's another area that's despised by many locals, yet it's another breath of fresh air for shopping & interesting stores. It also seems to be home to most of the good grocery stores.
Another little known secret about the NE is that their C Train isn't crowded. I'm guessing because it's a lower income area, fewer people have office jobs in the city core? Whatever the reason, I drive there in the morning to park my car so I can ride a C train that isn't a wall of people.
The Inevitable question arises
Do I miss home? The answer is not really. There are a few things I miss...
1. Microbrewery Beer. I can't find a good beer out here. Big Rock is OK, but I wanted a small, indie brewery. I'm now looking into BC to find something. Alley Kat is just OK.
2. Being on the radio. Not as much as I thought, but I still miss it. I still follow the music scene and will do something radio in the very near future (as soon as I get a house).
3. Pizza slices. It's nearly impossible to find pizza slices out here that are any good, so I give up. I no longer eat pizza. Someone, anyone, should set up a shop out here and sell slices. I wish I had 200 grand to start up a store. I went so far as to email Pizza Pizza and beg them to come out here, and I don't really like Pizza Pizza (but it appears wonderful given the options here).
4. Huether Hotel beer & wings. The Huether is the centre point of Uptown Waterloo. The owner is a bitch, but the place has THE best wings outside of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. AND I miss having their low cost beer. It will be the first place I go to when I go back home this summer.
5. Ethnic Food. By a stroke of good luck, I found this place in the North of the city that sells Jerk Chicken, Curried Oxtail & Curried Goat. It also sells fried plantains. Finding decent & cheap ethnic food in Calgary is a real challenge & requires one have a car.
6. OMNI TV. I used to watch a couple of TV shows on OMNI, most notably Saturday Night Cinema on OMNI. It was Chinese films, usually in Cantonese but sometimes Mandarin. That'll probably seem whacked, but they're better than the rest of what's on TV. Sadly, SHAW Cable does not offer OMNI.
1. Microbrewery Beer. I can't find a good beer out here. Big Rock is OK, but I wanted a small, indie brewery. I'm now looking into BC to find something. Alley Kat is just OK.
2. Being on the radio. Not as much as I thought, but I still miss it. I still follow the music scene and will do something radio in the very near future (as soon as I get a house).
3. Pizza slices. It's nearly impossible to find pizza slices out here that are any good, so I give up. I no longer eat pizza. Someone, anyone, should set up a shop out here and sell slices. I wish I had 200 grand to start up a store. I went so far as to email Pizza Pizza and beg them to come out here, and I don't really like Pizza Pizza (but it appears wonderful given the options here).
4. Huether Hotel beer & wings. The Huether is the centre point of Uptown Waterloo. The owner is a bitch, but the place has THE best wings outside of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. AND I miss having their low cost beer. It will be the first place I go to when I go back home this summer.
5. Ethnic Food. By a stroke of good luck, I found this place in the North of the city that sells Jerk Chicken, Curried Oxtail & Curried Goat. It also sells fried plantains. Finding decent & cheap ethnic food in Calgary is a real challenge & requires one have a car.
6. OMNI TV. I used to watch a couple of TV shows on OMNI, most notably Saturday Night Cinema on OMNI. It was Chinese films, usually in Cantonese but sometimes Mandarin. That'll probably seem whacked, but they're better than the rest of what's on TV. Sadly, SHAW Cable does not offer OMNI.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Another benefit of living in Calgary
When you live in Toronto, you're most likely to run off to NYC, Chicago or Montreal for a weekend. Out here, it's a short flight to Vancouver & Seattle & not much farther to San Fran & Los Angeles.
I've never really had a desire to live in LA, but I would like to see it. I'm told it's a grimy, polluted city, but it's one of those international cities i want to see before I'm old and drinking food from a straw. Much the same for San Fran, which strikes me as an American version of Toronto.
The other place I'm key on checking out is Whitehorse Yukon. I've no desire to live there, but I would like to see the "true" north of Canada that has yet to be run over by real estate deals and traffic congestion. It's a short flight from here on Air North.
For those of you into Indie rock, check out Indie 103
I've never really had a desire to live in LA, but I would like to see it. I'm told it's a grimy, polluted city, but it's one of those international cities i want to see before I'm old and drinking food from a straw. Much the same for San Fran, which strikes me as an American version of Toronto.
The other place I'm key on checking out is Whitehorse Yukon. I've no desire to live there, but I would like to see the "true" north of Canada that has yet to be run over by real estate deals and traffic congestion. It's a short flight from here on Air North.
For those of you into Indie rock, check out Indie 103
The Flames
I was downtown today after the Flames game & without knowing the score, I knew they lost. It was very quiet.
I watched the first period of this game. The Flames......well they sucked. 2 goals in the first few minutes and a slew of penalties. Coming from Southern Ontario, one gets to know Detroit & giving them a lead in the Joe Louis arena is NOT a good thing. Detroit fans are also rowdy & very passionate about the team. It's hockey town & the wings are one of the original 6.
I must give Flames fans credit. Back in 2002, the team was in the basement and about to leave town. The owners signed Iggy & things changed. Today, most of the city is splattered with Flames flags & logo's. Reminds me of Leaf fans who are arguably the most devoted/blind fans in the entire history of sport.
It'll take some time to dig the Flames. Growing up in the Leaf Nation, you can't help but have a sense of attachment to the Leaf jersey. The Leafs suck sometimes, but they are an embedded part of Toronto & Southern Ontario. Nothing says Saturday Night more than the sound of Hockey Night in Canada starting at 7 PM on CBC Toronto.
I hope the Flames do well, but Im not holding my breath.
I watched the first period of this game. The Flames......well they sucked. 2 goals in the first few minutes and a slew of penalties. Coming from Southern Ontario, one gets to know Detroit & giving them a lead in the Joe Louis arena is NOT a good thing. Detroit fans are also rowdy & very passionate about the team. It's hockey town & the wings are one of the original 6.
I must give Flames fans credit. Back in 2002, the team was in the basement and about to leave town. The owners signed Iggy & things changed. Today, most of the city is splattered with Flames flags & logo's. Reminds me of Leaf fans who are arguably the most devoted/blind fans in the entire history of sport.
It'll take some time to dig the Flames. Growing up in the Leaf Nation, you can't help but have a sense of attachment to the Leaf jersey. The Leafs suck sometimes, but they are an embedded part of Toronto & Southern Ontario. Nothing says Saturday Night more than the sound of Hockey Night in Canada starting at 7 PM on CBC Toronto.
I hope the Flames do well, but Im not holding my breath.
Movie: Radiant City
Just saw the movie Radiant City, which is playing at the The Uptown The Uptown is the local Arts & Rep cinema, located on 8th Ave in Downtown. It's a decent cinema & the place holds much potential. It is right across the road from The Globe, another local arts cinema. Calgary has 3 art cinemas (to my knowledge), the 3rd being The Plaza in Kensington
Radiant City was filmed in Calgary & it's about suburbs. Calgary is truly the king of suburbia so it's rather fitting.
The film is good, it's not too condescending, and if you pay attention it points out the paradox of the "suburban community". It's easier to watch than "The End of Suburbia" another more alarmist film. Noted in the film is James Kunstler a well known advocate of urbanization & author of The Long Emergency
The actors in the film are surprisingly good, all of them local. They all really pull it off. Well worth the few bucks to see it if you're into living the "urban" lifestyle.
Radiant City was filmed in Calgary & it's about suburbs. Calgary is truly the king of suburbia so it's rather fitting.
The film is good, it's not too condescending, and if you pay attention it points out the paradox of the "suburban community". It's easier to watch than "The End of Suburbia" another more alarmist film. Noted in the film is James Kunstler a well known advocate of urbanization & author of The Long Emergency
The actors in the film are surprisingly good, all of them local. They all really pull it off. Well worth the few bucks to see it if you're into living the "urban" lifestyle.
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