Final Words
With only a few days left in North America I thought I would make some final comments using this entry, which will probably be my last. I never thought I would be a blogger (mainly for the fact that I didn't know such exsisted), but having spent close to 16 months making contributions to
Smoov Goes to College, I consider myself a good citizen of the blogosphere bcos:
* I make regular entries
* I'm arrogant enough to think that what I have to share is worth doing so
And despite its lexical misgivings and frequent errors in syntax, it is complete, being;
206 posts(142 posted in the US, 64 in Canada)
41,996 words
295 images (197 personal, 98 pulled from the web)
31 videos (13 personal, 18 pulled from YouTube)
(A notably more comprehensive body of work than the product of my scholarly pursuits in 2006 - which may suggest the most relevant education is that of life)
Smoov Goes to College is really a tale of two stories - my time at Butler University and the US during 2006, and then in Banff National Park in the winter season of 2007.
It is difficut to pinpoint my time abroad somewhere along a spectrum of enjoyment but the last year has helped to fullfill an enduring desire I've had since a young age; to see what's over that hill.
And while the far side of that hill does not present too many talking Trans Ams or 8 foot 2 inch yellow birds hanging out on street corners, I do agree with one fellow South Australian blogger who recently posted, "(America) is a place where so much of the mythology of my youth is set and it's a real mind spinner. A living fiction."
.
Anyways, thanks for visiting and as always...
Keep Rockin' in the Free World!
Working Holiday
I still have the statement of my bank account balance that I printed on a LAX ATM on the first day of this year. It was a little scary. However, I had already booked into, and paid for, two weeks accommodation at the HI Hostel in Banff in hope of securing work in that time. If not, my dream of skiing the Rockies would be shattered and I'd be forced to make a quick b-line for home.
Of course, my fears were unfounded.
I think I made good use of Banff considering the main reason for my stay being to ski. I guess I hit a mountain close to 30 times - the majority of which being
SunshineVillage. While I would have loved to have gone more, it is difficult to do so when one works five days a week.
There are, of course, other things to do in and around Banff, chiefly connecting with nature by day and partying by night. I did not partake in the latter on too frequent a basis (heck! you can do that anywhere).
I look back at my time in Pincher Creek with fond memories - while it was only for 2 weeks it was an unusual experience and one that I was not expecting to have.
And while I constantly complain about Macca's, I consider myself fortunate to have acquired regular, relatively well paid (in Banff terms) employment, which was requisite to achieving my goals. Also, the fact that it came with a place to stay was most serendipitous.
While I appreciate the oppurtunites afforded by city living, home amongst dense coniferous forest and alpine landscapes has been a feast for the senses: it smells better, it sounds better, it looks better!
Ahhhh!
It's not exactly a seller's market at the moment so my pair of 170cm ELAN skis, along with my boots and poles, will sit here until someone arrives in Banff next winter. I hope they enjoy them.
I slept until midday today knowing that the next time I will go to bed will be around midnight tomorrow night - some 36 hours from now. Tonight at 9 I will head over to the Greyhound station with a mate from work, Josh, who is also heading to the airport to make his way home to Ontario. We will spend the wee hours of the night in the airport until our respective flights leave early in the morning. Mine will be heading to Phoenix and to prevent more wasted time at an airport I am thinking of hiring a car and head out into the Valley of the Sun.
The weather is teasing me with a warm last two days - its paradise!!! While I have great things to look forward to, I really am sorry to say goodbye to my surroundings.
Bon Voyage!!
Having a good time at my going away party:
.
Marie-Lou hits the ground
Helping Eric back on his chair 
Bit of dancing
"Problem?"
Haha!
How cool is this kid? Excerpts from the Herald Sun:
A 13-YEAR-OLD boy who lives with his gran has been exposed as one of Britain's biggest internet conmen.The boy earned more than £250,000 by posing as the boss of several multinational companies.
He used the cash to revel in a luxury lifestyle way beyond his years: he wore designer suits, drank vintage champagne and travelled by chauffeur-driven limousine.
He even employed a personal bodyguard, flew abroad on business trips and claimed he was going to buy a private jet.
Working from his bedroom at his grandmother's house in west London, he set up a website purporting to sell discounted plasma screen TVs.
Despite not supplying the goods, the money started to roll in.
He eventually set up a stationery and office supply firm, a dating website and a modelling agency.
He moved into a succession of offices, always moving out without paying the rent. He also employed dozens of people after placing ads in a job centre. Unsurprisingly, many weren't paid.
He made bulk purchases on credit from expensive stores and took "business trips" to Paris and Edinburgh.
He hired women from escort agencies and went drinking in exclusive clubs.
The court was told his latest project was a genuine online lingerie store.
Despite this, he was warned he could face a time in jail when he returns to court this month.
His victims are now likely to unite to sue the boy.
He conceded the idea of buying a private jet was "a bit silly - I was only 13 at the time".
Matt
Here's Matt. Matt was pretty much the first person I met when arriving in Banff; down in the bar of the hostel up on Tunnel Mountain. Thus, he became my friend. It was January 2nd and he'd just arrived from his native Thunder Bay in the boondocks of Ontario. Since then Matt and I have found a combined interest in sharing self-depricating humour and an assortment of scallywag behaviour while sharing some Kokanne's (that's glacier beer) and listening to rock'n'roll on the old MP3 player. Matt always has a good story; be it one about some girl he has met, his housemates (a pair of 65 year old drunks) or perhaps something from his workplace at
The Phone Store.
But probably the greatest thing about Matt is his mother because she was the high school sweetheart of Paul Schaffer (from the CBS orchestra (Yeah Dave!)). I have spoken to his mother in length about her relationship and she commented that she still has all the letters that he has written her over the years. I often comment to Matt that he could have been the son of Paul but he suggests that it doesn't really work that way.
Raising Hell in the Seventh Veil
I have been having some weird dreams lately. You may have read of my Hitler one last week. Well this time Ive been lending a not-so-caring-ear to the concerns of Brad and Angelina on their breakup. I'm not sure why they were confiding in me as all I wanted to do in the time they were sharing their innermost feelings was to get a photo for the blog. As a result I can't tell you about their relationship problems but the dream has had me thinking how it's weird that a pair of desirable people, as such, can't find fulfillment. (This, by the way, is all based on the notion that the supermarket mags are correct in their predictions of a Brangelina split).
A more meaningful pair of dreams are two that were shared during back-to-back evenings - both strikingly similar. One set in Mount Gambier, the other Adelaide. In each I was pensively roaming around its respective town.... which was surrounded by snow-capped mountains. No point in me reading into it too much... altough I'm sure I could.
Some silly woman complained about her chicken nuggets this evening. The crew member who was dealing with her did the right thing and had some fresh nuggets cooked and exchanged them. However, she brought those back and complained to me that her nuggets were hard and crusty. I contemplated agreeing but decided that would be irrespnsible, so I told her to shove her nuggets! No not really, I just refunded her money as per company policy. But it did have me thinking about those KFC nuggets, as I often do. Man, I use to love their nuggets when I was a kid. I often wonder if I would still like them as much or if, like with Dave Evans' Turbo, they were just a thing of my youth. I guess I will never know as I don't eat KFC anymore - haven't since I saw that Pamela Anderson video. Not the one with Tommy Lee (although I did see that one too), but the one with the chickens,
Kentucky Fried Cruelty. Of course I still eat Macca's because they really are the shining example of corporate responsibilty!
(NB: I may have actually had KFC in the past year (once) - on Sunset Boulevard with Rick and Daz - but after all our bacchanalian revelry upon the Strip, a little southern fried chicken didn't seem too evil).
Here we are picking up the horse at LAX. We were just about to head down Pacific Coast Highway. Throughout our time riding the city's freeways and byways we did so without the aid of maps. I had spent a considerable amount of time creating 'Mapquests' for our journeys but left them on the train, along with my CDs and DVDs, about an hour before this photo was taken. So we decided maps were for wimps and let our gut instincts lead the way. The only time we had any concern was when we made our trip from Vegas to our place in Venice Beach, but I successfuly guessed my way back into Los Angeles County and from there Daz and Rick were able to guide us into Venice. We celebrated with Jack Daniels and then headed over to a local neighbourhood party.
Hairy Marmot's and other creatures
Banff truly is a place of two seasons. With resorts operating for around 6 months, it has one of the longest ski seasons in the world. It is timely that I soon leave as the winter season is coming to an end with
Sunshine being the only mountain still operating. Many of the Australians whom I speak to are either leaving in the next week or have just arrived. Those that have just arrived will enjoy Banff's temperate summer which brings about an even busier tourist season. It is 7C today so I made my trip to the rec centre with just a light coat (it seems one acclimates quicker than I would have suspected), and on my walk I was thinking of the cool time-lapse videography that they do on those
Discovery type programs to show the changing of the seasons.
I was heading to the rec centre for some ice skating, but upon entering the janitor paused from his duties to inform me 'no ice!'. This threw me as I didn't exactly know what he meant by 'no ice', but I got the point when I gazed over to the rinks to find their floor was bare cement. As I walked home along the train tracks I laughed to myself as a pair of unidentified rodents (they may have been Hoary Marmot's), were closely following my move - their heads would pop out of one of their holes in the ground, pause momentarily, and then scurry back through their network of underground tunnels before their heads would pop up in another location. I wish I could see more animals but unfortunately many have been in hibernation - although the local paper has written of one Black bear that has risen from its slumber. Black bears are considered to be a threatened species in the park with only 35-40 left. Suprisingly, their bigger, more feroscious cousin, the Grizzly, is somewhat more prevelant. I spotted a Bighorn Sheep on the way up to Sunshine the other day but am more intent on finding a Mountain Goat - I love the Mountain Goat so I thought I would pull a few pics from the web and post them above.
While Banff is getting busier, so too is McDonald's with over $15K in sales over Saturday and Sunday. Nice news for the owner who also owns a store down the road in the town of Canmore, where I'm sure sales were similar. A great reminder that while I will be sorry to say goodbye to Banff, the same can not be said for the workplace.
It was race day last Friday and unfortunately Team McDonald's did not place in the top 10 of the 32 teams involved in the Giant Slalom. This was not suprising as we were competing against a number of ex-Olympians and a group of youngsters (the eventual winners) who were decked out in their Team Canada race apparel. Ah, it was great fun all the same! My boss, Terry, thinks he will just make a mockery of it next year and call head office for the Grimace and Hamburglar outfits to wear on the day.
I had thought poor old Sunshine was slowly falling victim to the warmer weather (the top of the mountains are quite icy while the ski out is mushy) but a dumping of snow the other day has made some repairs. Hopefully we can get a little bit more to keep them in good shape for the final 4 or 5 times I will hit the slopes. It's been a blast - skiing is such a thrill.
Palandromes and stuff
Here I am with Michelle. Michelle is Australian - her family home is around the corner from Liz' on North Road. Michelle is a great crew member because she goes beyond our 'Minimum 3 Flair Rule' (as you can see from all the badges on her shirt). Many crew members feel the bare minimum of three is enough, which is fine: but some, like Michelle, choose to wear more... and we encourage that. You see the thing is, people can get a cheeseburger anywhere, but they come to
McDonald's for the atmosphere and the attitude. That's what the flair's about. It's about fun.
And my mo' is all about fun too. I think it really caps off my manager look. I'd also like to get my hair done in tight little curls to help cap off the look.
I have 7 days of work left and 7 days of work-free enjoyment. In exactly 2 weeks from now I will awaken, pack my bag and make the short walk to the Greyhound Station at 9pm, en route to New York.
While there is light at the end of the crappy-employment-tunnel, this could be shun by the fact that I may continue my relationship with Macca's.... at Glenelg!!! This is all dependent on how my mother goes in the interview process. You see, mamma bear is in talks with Greg at Glenelg and she is obviously doing a good job as Greg has not felt the need to respond to my emails. I'm not too worried - if I don't get work at Macca's I'm sure I can get into some sort of program out at Heritage.
If I am employed at Glenelg, I think my boss will get a suprise when he realizes that his newest employee is the same guy who came into his store a few summers ago to discuss what he proposes to do about all the red and yellow trash left on the foreshore. As my sister pointed out (who, by the way, is not involved in the interview process, but whom I may call upon for a reference), the reprecussions of my save-the-planet-attitude may have Glenelg mangement hand me a bag and gloves on my first shift.
Sirius
When Daz, Rick and I were in NY, we acquired tickets for Letterman on an evening that shock-jock Howard Stern was guest (you may know Howard, he recently claimed he's the father of Anna-Nicole Smith's baby). Anyways, it was an unprecedented show with free Sirius Sattelite Radio car stereos being handed out to every member of the audience (along with a three month subscription). This is the kind of behaviour that is usually reserved for Oprah - infact when Stern told us we were all being given the stereo I really thought he was just joking. But, while it was a kind gesture it was of little benefit to any of us because Sirius isnt available in OZ and I dont have a car here.
So I've attempted to set up an account to sell mine on eBay, but this had its difficulties (mainly due to the fact that I'm an idiot). So Ive decided to start up an online bidding system of my own. Here is the first item:
1 x Sirius Plug and Play Satellite & Vehicle Kit (Starmate 4). (see image above) The kit is unopened and security tab is still in place. (Kit includes: RADIO, VEHICLE POWER ADAPTER, REMOTE, VEHICLE ANTENNA, VEHICLE DOCK, DASH & VENT MOUNTS
With
1 x unused Sirius Satellite Radio $50 Programming Gift CardWith a number of prospective readers being Australian I may have stuffed myself by informing that it wont work in Oz. But anyways, bitting starts at 50 cents and if Rick or Daz try and cut you a better deal, I'll sell mine for 10% under their offer.
I don't know how to use Paypal so cash is the only acceptable form of payment. Bidding will close in 15 years or until the item is sold.
Free Countdown Clocks at WishAFriend.com
In and Around Banff township
What?
Sorry, it seems I am on a run of late with crazy headlines from news.com.au
This has to be the most ridiculous to date.
A MELBOURNE man who fantasised about contracting HIV before being infected by the virus speaks of a gay subculture in which infection is seen as "desirable".Hate to sound like a fascist, but could that Melbourne man and his good time friends eat a bullet so I dont have to spend my tax dollars on the ramifications of their f*?'d up sexual fantasies?
What an insult to the millions of kids in Africa orphaned because of AIDS. You sick twat!
Yuk!!!
Ok, I'll take gun problems over flesh eating rodents any day of the week. Yuk, yuk, yuk!
(Another disconcerting headline from news.com.au)
Carving gnar!
I love Banff. Last night when I cam home from work Bambi and her mum were waitng for me in the front yard. I am hoping the bears will come out of hibernation before I leave.
Winter activities are coming to an end; Banff's closest mountain,
Norquay, closed last week.
Lake Louise does the same next week.
Sunshine Village stays open till the long weekend in late May. I was up there today "carving some gnar" while the snow continued to fall. I have been compiling music for my big race day next week - I find a little Zac DeLaRocha screaming in my ear helps me to go faster.
Hey, no offence intended for anyone in relation to the comments in my previous entry. My remarks may have carried slight contempt; I just find it mind boggling that a nation steeped so deeply in religious and moral belief can have so many social issues. I guess it's irony is what makes the US so damn intriguing.
So why is there so much violent domestic crime in the US? The conservatives will tell you it's because of the movies and music. Now I'm no Michael Moore (bless his heart),but maybe the following headline from news.com.au could be a more accurate indicator:
Bomb Iran, sings US candidateUS senator John McCain, a 2008 presidential candidate, has sung "bomb Iran" to the tune of a Beach Boys hit when asked about Tehran's nuclear ambitions.Yeah those damn Beach Boys - they're a real problem! Huh, McCain the sonuvabitch, I never did like him. It seems there is little hope for the US going into a new presedential administration.
Death and Stuff
I had a dream the other night that I was talking to Hitler on talk back radio, although I think it was just someone imitating him. I guess I'll never know.
I think the reason for my Hitler dream was because I'm going to visit Germany when I meet Mike the Mechanic in his college town of Maastricht (Netherlands) and then take the short drive to his native Cologne.
I have been continuing to hitch rides to
Sunshine with a strew of different characters. The other day it was with a middle aged man who used the words, "gnarley", "sick" and "dude" too frequently for a man of his age. But if ever there was a place that such a person would exsist, it would be Banff.
This afternoon's ride was shared with a girl who grew up in Mount Gambier (a Rediy Park alumna) and recently bought a place that leads off Pleasant Avenue, Glandore.
I had 2 customers yesterday who are prison guards in a Texas state prison. I can't remember the name of the institution but upon research I learn there are 115 state prisons in Texas (and this doesn't include federal or county jails). I also read the United States holds the dubious distinction of having the largest incarcerated population in the world, with 2 million people behind bars. (With only 5% of the world's population, the U.S. holds a quarter of the world's prisoners). The conversation with the guards was going well until they started their anti-black man chants. God Bless America.
I was thinking about these alarming statistics today as I was listening to Neil Young's "(Four Dead in) Ohio" and then arrived home later in the day to read MSNs headline: "At least 33 dead in rampage on Virginia campus: worst mass shooting in U.S. history". Without having read the details, I bet any money you like this wasn't at the hands of a black man!
.
.
.
.
Ok so I started to read the MSN article:
"Witnesses described him as a man in his 20s, wearing a maroon cap and a black leather jacket...."(Ok so from that we know it wasnt a black man or the press would have mentioned that - most likely in the story's heading)
"....A spokesman for the FBI in Washington said there was no immediate evidence to suggest that the incident was a terrorist attack, “but all avenues will be explored.”
(Of course it wasnt a terrorist attack you idiots!!! It was another kid who's parents didn't give him enough attention and thus has acted in the all-American way for those fighting for their voice to be heard).
Did I already mention, "God Bless America"?
With only a few days left in North America I thought I would make some final comments using this entry, which will probably be my last. I never thought I would be a blogger (mainly for the fact that I didn't know such exsisted), but having spent close to 16 months making contributions to Smoov Goes to College, I consider myself a good citizen of the blogosphere bcos:
