Musings
I sense a site redesign coming especially if I manage to purchase a decent digital camera in the next few weeks so I can start taking up an old hobby of mine... photography. Though I'll need to ask my site provider just how much space I'm allowed to use, or I may just have to break down and get my own site.

In a little over two hours the Highwood Pass will open to traffic and I can begin training to master the highest paved road in Canada, something I did over 12 years ago as a Scout. I plan on reaching the top of the pass once more before I leave this valley for good.

Things I'm Looking Forward To In Returning To Edmonton
1. Spending time with my friends.
2. Spending time with my girlfriend.
3. Not being kept up at night by the sound of my roommate and her flavor of the moment in the room next to me.
4. Having dinner at a place where I can’t make everything on the menu.
5. Gaming talk with people I’ve actually role-played with rather than the motley collection of power-gamers out here.
6. Finding out what actually happened at the last Purgatory game.
7. Boston Pizza on Whyte
8. Returning Tom’s copy of “Shake Hands with the Devil”.
…. 1/2 A full day outside of the Kananaskis Valley.

Promotion
So... it's official as of today, I have assumed the role of Evening Manager for the Resort. Which means I now have the title to go with the responsibilities I've had for the past month.

Things are looking good for a late night arrival on Wednesday (11:00pm-1:00am) rather than Thursday morning. I'll likely be crashing at my parents place is Sherwood Park so I should be able to spend most of Thursday with my friends before leaving at 10:00am Friday to go back to work.

Other than that, I've switched my phone plan around for unlimited incomming calls and 200 minutes of LD for dirt cheap, so don't be afraid to call... right now my number hasn't changed.

Mostly Harmless
I kind of feel like Arthur Dent, my world has turned upside down. I think what I miss most about being in Edmonton is not having anyone to talk to about the things I cannot write about in my blog for one reason or another. Take tonight for example, I called Star to talk for a bit and sort some things out in my mind. Sigh.

It looks like I’ll be in Edmonton this Thursday… now whether I drive down Wednesday night or Thursday morning remains to be seen, but I should be there.

Full Weight of the Law
Part IV of the Criminal Code of Canada highlights Offences against the Administration of Law and Justice.

119.
(1) Every one who
(a) being the holder of a judicial office, or being a member of Parliament or of the legislature of a province, corruptly
(i) accepts or obtains,
(ii) agrees to accept, or
(iii) attempts to obtain,
any money, valuable consideration, office, place or employment for himself or another person in respect of anything done or omitted or to be done or omitted by him in his official capacity, or
(b) gives or offers, corruptly, to a person mentioned in paragraph (a) any money, valuable consideration, office, place or employment in respect of anything done or omitted or to be done or omitted by him in his official capacity for himself or another person,

is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years

In the case before the court of public opinion, it should not matter whom approached whom, the approach itself is a crime, and the act of discussion of such a crime is Conspiracy. The Honorable Gurmant Grewal, his wife The Honorable Nina Grewal, The Honorable Minister of Health Ujjal Dosanj, and the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Canada - broke the law. They should all resign and be held accountable for thier breach of section 119 of the Criminal Code of Canada. Throw the book at them... and perhaps you will stop the freefall of the public trust in thier government... I hope.

Homesickness
It's been three weeks since I started here, and a little more than that since I left town. There is very little to dislike about being here, and yet I still feel a little... hmm... hollow?

I'm getting along quite well with most of the people here, although I can't help but feel like an outsider. The rumour mill here works overtime and it doesn't help that I do not: drink, smoke, or pertake in recreational drugs.

I had my first day off in 19 days yesterday and worked on Purgatory turns, did laundry and watched some TV... I don't have another day off until next Thursday, and though I like the thought of driving up for BP's next week, I'd have to be back here by 1:00pm on Friday.

I miss my friends, I miss my girlfriend, I miss having people to talk to about things that matter to me. But, I'll cope. I have too.

Contact Info
Well, I have a valid mailing address now for those of you who wanted to send me postcards and letterbombs:
P.O Box 221
Kananaskis, AB
T0L 2H0

And my direct line at work is (403) 591-6386

Now Hiring
We are acepting applicants (anyone with a pulse) for the following positions:
Guest Services
Night Audit
Dining Room Server
Banquets
Housekeeping
Line Cook
Chef de Partie

Decent money and benefits, $250/month for accomodation. HELP!!!!!

Prelude to Paintball
So, I've worked fourteen days straight but tommorow I will be late for work (I've already arranged to have someone cover for me while I'm away) and there are about thirty employees of the hotel and many others going to paintball tommorow at 9:30am. I'm going to get slaughtered, and love every minute of it.

Then I'll shower, change and show off my welts at the desk in the evening... it should be grand.

A Historic Day
In just under 138 years of Confederation, never before has the Speaker of the House of Commons been forced to break a tie on a matter of confidence in the House, but today that record has been shattered, and it may indeed come to pass that he will have to do so again in the future.

It is nice to see that the fate of the nation was in the hands of a single, independent MLA – Chuck Cadman… the last man to be called upon to register his Yea vote. Maybe there is hope for democracy in Canada.

Only a Middle Power
Canada is an established middle power in a world where there are several great powers and only a single universally acknowledged superpower. It was a Canadian politician, and statesman who was one the driving forces behind international peacekeeping operations, and it behooves us to carry on in that role.

The world stood by without a care as an under funded and ill-equipped peacekeeping operation failed to stop the slaughter of 800,000 people in Rwanda over the course of ninety days. France, the United States, and many others could have deployed the 5,000 trained soldiers that Romeo Dallaire needed to stop the bloodshed, but not a single major or even middle power lifted a finger to stop it.

Canada is in a unique position to place ourselves and our military in that role as peacekeepers, and we as a country are not afraid to send our soldiers, our brave peacekeepers, in harms way in order to save the innocent and further international humanitarian law.

Our military exists for three purposes: international peacekeeping, emergency disaster relief, and to protect our territorial sovereignty. It is time we focused on what our military actually does rather than operating as a third and weaker arm of the American or NATO forces.

We can develop and maintain a significant force that would be capable of deploying 5,000 – 10,000 trained peacekeepers to regions like Rwanda, or Sudan to prevent another human travesty from occurring. We can offer training grounds and expertise to other nations for their own peacekeeping forces.

We are one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. It will not be a great power that takes the lead in this sort of action; it has to be a middle power, one that is respected throughout the world. This is what Canada can, and indeed must do.

Gobsmacked
Well... I didn't see that one coming. The Honorable Belinda Stronach, Minister of Human Resources and Development. So at this point in order to defeat the government both Chuck Cadman and David Kilgour would need to vote against the budget.

On an unrealted note, I am scheduled for 108 hours this up coming pay period, however my cheques max at 88 hours, so I'll have three lieu days acrued in the next two weeks alone. I hope the new hire who starts Friday is a quick study so that I can get up for the end of the month for a couple days.

End of Days
The Liberal government is dead, alot sooner than I expected. Although I think with the intense distaste for an election among the electorate and polls indicating that we will simply experience more of the same if an election were held, the Governor General may tap Mr. Harper to form a coallition with the Bloq to implement a new budget. It's unlikely but it may just happen, regardless of what the pundits say.

It's unfortunate that if she disolves parliment, the same sex marriage legislation will die as well. But given the unlikelyhood of a majority government in the near future... there is hope still.

Roomate
I get a roomate today, which could be good or bad, given I've never met her... she's a new hire as of today. So when I get off my 12-hour shift here in an hour I'll meet her. We'll shall see.

On a side note I /may/ be coming up late Sunday, staying the night and Monday night and then driving back to Kananaskis for my 3pm shift on Tuesday.... I don't know yet.

Settling Down
I'm starting to get into the swing of things here... getting to know some people and starting to make some new friends, although I must admit the 'resort' lifestyle is sometimes a little too much for me.

I have intermittent net access now... I can kick one of my bosses out of his office to do email and stuff... so things are looking better on that front.

I am hoping to be up sometime next week, although I'm not sure on the dates, but I'll keep you all informed.

Like a Log
I have to have to give credit where credit is due... I have an AWESOME bed. I slept like a log even though I could hear the cavorting elsewhere in residence through the open window... excellent, this bodes very well.

As an aside, I will NOT likely be up on weekends anytime soon. It appears that my normals days off will be Sunday PM, Monday, Tuesday, starting again Wed PM.... but that does mean I should be able to spend a few days in town whenever I do come up.

Anyways this terminal charges for every ten mionutes and I'm outta change so I gotta run and check my email.

Kannanaskis Update!
Well, I'm here.. having just moved into residence here at the Village, I spent the last two evenings in the hotel itself. Wow! I wasn't prepared for residence. My 'apartment' makes HUB dorms look roomy. But at least I don't have a roommate (yet).

Bad News: I don't have an internet connection.
Good News: They have cable which means I shouldbe able to get a cable modem setup after next cheque.

All in All, I'm lonely... I don't really know anyone here and haven't yet really started work so have had little opportunity to make friends... but that will come with time. I know I've only been gone a few days, but I miss you all...

I'll update when I can.