Days leading to the big Hike

Well, it was an interesting, LONG flight.  First time on KLM, and overall, it was a good experience.  With Jen's little surprise getting us first class seats, we began our trip sitting back with champagne as a starter (just what I need…a drink that goes to my head before a bumpy 9 hour first leg).  Just after takeoff...we experience something slightly embarrassing to both Jen and I.  We receive our first meal and noticed we both received lemon chicken skewers with a salad.  This was not acceptable seeing I had ordered the tenderloin and Jen ordered the pasta.  We called the attendant over and told her there was a mistake.  She kinda looked at us funny and first didn't say anything.  We thought she didn't understand us as they were all dutch (previously, I asked for a rum and coke and got a tomato juice haha).  She finally told us that this was an appetizer before the dinner.  Holly cow…really?  How much fricken food were we going to eat??  Well, by the time we landed…Jen literally could have rolled me out the door.  Add that with the really bumpy landing, I wasn't feeling too great.  One hour of transition, we were off on our second flight for another 9 hours.

Bubblies before takeoff

We thought this was the wrong meal ordered…I guess it was just the appy!

Seeing we lost our "cool" vibe…we were offered a picture of the 2 of us.

Just a side note…Our flight actually went right over Reindeer lake…I was able to see Crater Bay (South end of Reindeer Lake)…kinda cool.  Our second leg went over the Sahara dessert…insane how much sand we flew over!

Jen knocked out….me on the other hand… When I took this picture, my camera flashed…waking up anyone without a blindfold.

She gets more than enough sleep when she flies.

Supper…prime rib…yum

Breakfast before landing

Landing into Kilimanjaro was kind of interesting.  There were no lights to be seen.  Even after we touched down, Jen had to ask me if we landed... it was that smooth.  The airport was so dark….felt odd.  After the doors opened, everyone scurried off the plane (Jen teared up stepping onto African soil) in a mad dash to get their visa's approved.  Didn't take too long…maybe 15 minutes (4 windows visited….first one to get a stamp, Jens favourite, then forms approved, then finger prints taken, then access into Africa).  Once we got our bags, I ran to convert $200US into Shillings…which was funny because I literally got a pile of money 3 inches thick….yeash.  From here, Jen and I walked outside to 30-40 waiting tour companies holding signs.  Took us 10 minutes to finally find ours, Tro-Peaks.  Joseph was a friendly looking, shy driver who took Jen's bag and showed us to the van.  Once we were loaded, I heard a knock and looked to my left to see a wide eyed, super positive man with a big smile, looking at me and extending his hand to me.  I would later learn this was the famous Daniel….co-owner of the company that has been well liked by the majority of guests.

Can you count how many TO's

We had 40km to drive in total (just past the town Moshi)…which seemed like a quick drive…BUT, it felt a lot longer, and ended up taking over an hour….probably had something to do with the speed bumps every 100 meters and dozens of pedestrians walking on the dark shoulders the entire way.  Finally, the driver turned on the signal light, indicating we had arrived to the quiet street which accessed our lodge.  This is were I finally started to get a bit nervous - just like that commercial ad for booking.com on TV right now (look it up).  The road was almost inaccessible!  Some of the pot holes were big enough to get stuck in, and it was pitch dark.  What were we getting ourselves into.

Our room felt basic, with partial lighting aiding us just barely.  We were too tired to care.  We decided to set up the mosquito nets and hit the hay.  Even with the 100% humidity and +25 temperature, it actually felt quite cool through the night, even with just a little fan aiding our comfort.

Our bed…it worked.

It worked.  Keep in mind…in Moshi…this is almost the highest end ($50/night)…couldn't imagine the $15/night rooms.

The morning brought a refreshing positive vibe to it.  Birds I had never heard before woke us up…accompanied by roosters in the background and other different sounds we don't know yet.  As I dug myself out of our netted cocoon, the place looked a lot cleaner then I remembered the night before.  Jen like usual, was not ready to get out (Jen says: it's 7am on sunday with nothing open!), so I decided to go outside to see where we actually were.  Half awake, I walked onto the patio and immediately felt something was different.  All the trees were moving!    It took me a few seconds to realize it was 15-20 monkeys playing in the trees (what looked to be several families).  Oh yeah…we are in Africa!  This immediately gave me a jump to my step….I was ready for this :)

These guys were everywhere!  Wish I was able to capture a photo of a baby…but they were too fast.

The pool….main hangout spot in the afternoon (pic taken at 7am)

At breakfast (which was included and amazing), we met a few Canadian families who were extremely friendly…and a nice Irish couple!  We even shared a cab with a crew from Edmonton to town for coffee made from local beans grown on the side of the mountain (soooo good!).  Jen of course didn't have any, and settled on a tea.  After walking the street for an hour, we were finally suckered into an alley and ended up buying 2 wood figurines…they had us at hello.  The nice thing was…the cheap prices made it a bit easier, especially compared to Mexico.  Jen wanted more shopping time (ugh)….but our cab was waiting, and we had a debriefing with Daniel in a few hours, so off we went for some more speed bump driving;)

Such good coffee!!

Can you tell I'm enjoying it

Odd..there was a lady standing outside of the shop with a gun…random

Majority of the women exhibited bright colours….walking with stuff on their head.

Before jumping in the pool to cool down, we had our debriefing with Daniel.  He was a bit more intense then I was hoping.  I guess he just really wanted us to be ready…he was all business.  I did screw up on a few things.  First off…we are not allowed to bring any plastic bottles on the mountain…which was my plan, so I now need to rent a few jugs.  I also needed to bring mitt liners for the cold mornings…guess my ski gloves for summit day were not enough.  After all was said and done, (and our tour operator was officially fully paid), Jen and I realized we were going to be short US cash after all tips were doled out…..yeash, that sure didn't last long.

A cool snail on our exterior room wall.

Well…we are eating some stone fired pizza for supper (7pm) outside with thunder around us, we are hydrated up, and ready for what will hopefully be a successful 6 days.

See u in 7 day with good news…fingers crossed!

AFRICA...Let the journey begin!

Finally, after hundreds of emails back and forth with our Tour Operator (TO), thousands of reviews read on Trip Advisor (TA), questions asked to friends and companies, hundreds of hotel enquiries, and so on...Jen and I are finally packed and ready for one of our most exciting and challenging trips to date. As I look down at our new duffle bags bought exclusively for our porters on the 6 day kilimanjaro hike, I realize this trip will be a mental challenge, as well cost more then we realize, but in the same breath, this is a once in a life time opportunity and we needed to take it!

Soooo, what is my biggest hurdle to overcome on this trip?...will it be the 5800+ meters of mountain to climb through forecasted rainy conditions, or will it be the black flies and heat on the following 4 day safari, or will it be the expressed safety concerns in Stonetown we have read so much about online directed towards first world tourists?  Nope...none of them! My focus will be to keep my expectations in check; which will be really tough because for the amount of time and money invested in this, we basically could have bought a car haha.

I've read Africa is a bit different then what we have previously experienced in trips.  We will need to put aside all the small annoyances we grew accustomed to here in Canada.  For example...I've read we should expect to have showers in cold water at least a few times, or have the power go out for hours or days....or have no TV at night before bed (heaven forbid right ;). These are just a few things I personally need to let slide after paying 400-$700/night for a room....but seriously....where is this money going? Who is the one getting rich off this?  Oops....already started to analyze....so I should digress. lol.

Jen and I decided to head to the airport several hours early to take advantage of her Priority Pass and have a nice meal in one of the airport lounges.  After a $70 cab ride…our adventure has officially begun!

 Update!!!

Jen surprised me by upgrading our flight to first class!  Nice little surprise for Valentines day:)…. I got her cupcakes hehe.  I am going to be so full of…of….everything haha.  Mind as well take advantage of it!  As I type, I'm watching the olympics (just saw Chan win the silver), having a Guinness, french onion soup, and observing Jen getting anxious over the upcoming flight over the ocean…priceless.  Always amazes me how someone who flies so much is so scared of flying;)

 Inhaling Pellegrino, Guinness, and soup….going to feel it later.

 Nice day for flying….hope its a sign of more to come!

The couple beside us was watching TV on their iPhone at full volume….awesome.

We have 20+ hours of flying to look forward to, first stopping in Amsterdam for a few hours, then straight to Kilimanjaro. This will be our first time on KLM, and with what I've seen on the reviews, should be a good flight....I hope.  There are personal TV's on each seat, but apparently the shows are not near as good as Air Canada.

First plane we take to Amsterdam…330-200

The second leg of our trip….330-300…a big boy.

This also gives Jen and I some time to organize all the paper work that comes with a trip like this.  For example, at one point of the planning, we had to take the scary plunge of wire transferring a large amount of money to our African TO…talk about trust….and a bit scary.  This is why we needed to review dozens of blogs online, TA reviews, and so on, just to trust this company fully with our money….yet we are still waiting on our receipt lol…but I'm pretty sure this is typical slow African business.

Another funny thing about Tanzania is currency.  Many steps of our planning/booking seemed to work on different currencies!  For example, our Zanzibar resort quoted us in Euros, our TO quoted us in US, and all the restaurants and operations quote in local Shillings…fun.

We are expecting lots of rain…and lots of bugs.  We were advised to separate much of our stuff into plastic waterproof bags….not fun.  Try stuffing a large Burton puffy jacket into a small bag, then transfer it into a little duffle…ugh, but Jen was able to stuff her AK Jacket basically into a sandwich bag…insane.  Jen also wanted to buy special mosquito spray…didn't want to take any chances.  We had to drive to MEC to get the highest deet possible….but at least the name brand is called "Bens" :)

Well, off we go.  Our next blog should be the night before the hike (3 days).  We will be well hydrated, and probably a bit nervous.  Hope my knees hold up, hope the weather holds, hope the altitude doesn't get the best of us….hope!  (a line from one of my favourite movies "Shawshank Redemption").

Cant wait!

2011 almost over

Well, I'm sitting here at my desk at 8:00 am on the 23rd of December, and the farthest thing from my mind is work.  I hope the city is aware as I look at everyone elses computer screen that its really hard to try to force people to work so close to xmas.  For example, I'm spending my last few hours searching for good options for Jen's next new vehicle.  My neighbour here is just random googling.  2 ladies to my left are trying to extend their conversation to the quiting bell.  It's all very comical, but at the same time, no surprise. 

For me, 2011 was an up and down year.  I sold my first place (a condo).  It was a place I worked really hard on, renovating everything from the kitchen, the floors, and paint.  It was a crazy learning curve.  Made a lot of mistakes along the way, but in the end, how could I be disappointed in the profit I got.

It was also my first home bought with my first (and last) fiance.  This was scary and intriguing at the same time.  We bought a foreclosure because we saw value that would have never been in reach for us at the time.  Again, it took sweat equity to get the place to where we wanted it, but currently, it looks as though our neighbourhood is booming, so our built in equity was accomplished:)  We also lucked out with our neighbours who are currently celebrating Hanukkah, very nice family.  Our dog loves the off leash park 2 blocks away, and both our commutes are under 15 minutes with rush hour never a concern.  If it wasn't for the fact we share 1 wall (infill) and have a small backyard, this could be a long term home.

Our kitchen

This year was also the first time I had my truck stolen...followed by a second truck stolen 2 months later.  Apparently there must of been someone in the area scoping out all the Tacoma's.  This was basically a 6-7 month headache that is JUST now resolving itself.  I had to buy a fancy new alarm, something my pocketbooks did not appreciate.

My second truck that was stolen

In April, I started a new career path, getting away from the consulting business in the oil industry, instead working for the city.  I truly hated working for engineers.  So with the city, I became a stormwater tech, which allowed for me to be home on a consistent basis and work outside near the rivers.  This was greatly needed as we had a little dog to care for and a large home to attend to. Also, someone needed to be around when Jen was on one of her crazy week long calls.  The micromanaging was the hardest hurdle in my job to get over.

Jen passed ALL her tests needed and is now a full fledged GI doc.  This was a long process for the both of us (longer for her I know...14 years for her, 4 years for me).  She worked crazy hours all year with extra call, but it "paid" off in the end.  The skies are the limit now and she is now actively talking with several groups to cement down a long lasting career.

Getting primed for the Vegas strip

This year we travelled a few times.  We visited Jen's dad in Phoenix for a full week.  We golfed 4 rounds (which buggered up my knee), and did a bunch of shopping.  We went to Vegas with our friends in May.  This one was not as fun as the other dozen or so times we had gone, but it was still a good time.  We did a road trip to Seattle which was a blast!  We stayed at the Sheraton downtown.  This would of normally cost us over $220/night, but because we gambled on hotwire.com, we scored 4 nights there for $180/night.  We saw a mariners game, walked the town, and went to several wineries.  Our last few days were spent on the hippy island of Hornby Island.  Here we met with our friends Heather, Rob, Dan, and Sheri.  We camped, did more local wineries, and relaxed.  Well worth the 3 ferries to get there lol.

The mariners game...8th row

Hornby Island

This year was also consumed by our wedding planning.  Wow what a headache.  The invitations alone were a battle.  We currently have a wedding planner in Maui who is overseeing all our vendor scheduling.  We are over budget by $4,000.  Not only that, but when we invited 120 or so guests, we were expecting maybe 50 at best...we are now at 65!  At any rate, it will be a great party and hopefully we will be able to capture all of them with our photographer Jenna who is part of Jen's family (cousin).

This xmas I will be leaving in 2 hours from work to Edmonton.  As we speak, Jen is packing my truck so we can get away as soon as I arrive.  We will be spending 3 nights with Jen's dad and Jen's step mom's family.  After that, we will be driving to Prince Albert to spend a few days with my family...have my birthday at a bowling alley which is slowly turning into a tradition.  I hope to also take Jen on the quad on the trails behind our house...maybe have a campfire.  Then we will make the long drive back and HOPEFULLY ski...pending on my stupid knees!

After that, 2012 will arrive, and most likely I will be doing little to nothing to celebrate its arrival.

My Second trip to Phoenix

I have just returned from Phoenix with Jen a week ago and had a great time shooting 4 rounds of golf and seeing Jens family again.  A week of +23 degree weather, pristine conditioned golf courses, and excellent hospitality, what more could a guy ask for.
Phoenix is location in the Mojave desert, no beaches, no lush tropical rain forest, no real tourist attractions other then the golf courses.  So what does this baron land offer that has so many Canadian expats coming down for the winter other then the obvious...year round heat.  It took a few days to really see this, but after immersing ourselves in the community, it became more and more apparent...impressive service that paid attention to all the details.

Canadians are found everywhere here...especially the golf courses after October.  Jen and I accompanied Roland (her dad) for a round at his country club "Las Sendas" the first morning.  These types of courses are the ones that are build within a community where the majority of players currently inhabit, and so Roland bought into this one...mainly for the ease of accessibility, and long term savings.  Beautifully mass produced homes line this course, hugging every fairway...adding a hint of intimidation to every shot.  Conditions were IDEAL.  For a members discount, Jen and I were able to play for $60 each...normally $100+ in Alberta for quality this high.  Every hole, every green, were painstakingly maintained and landscaped...the sand raked (basically anything not on the fairway), the cacti maintained, greens as fast as a carpet.  It was awesome...and tough lol.  I only hit one house;)  The course was 6850 yards long (not the tips), making it quite tough.   When arriving at the clubhouse, we saw why people came to Phoenix.  Complimentary valet, they load your clubs into your car and cart, free driving range offered, free tees, GPS on every cart.  Service that apparently is the norm here...which we slowly became to realise throughout the week.  At the end of the day, we all shot below average, but enjoyed the +21 weather and all the 5 star service anyone could ask for for only $60:)
That night we were exhausted!  We decided to stay in with Nakita and watch a movie. 

Next morning we awoke to find Roland had booked us a round at the beautiful WeKaPa Resort.  With a coupon card, we were gratefully able to golf for $69, discounted from the $120 sticker price...score!  This course was situated on a nearby native reserve 20 minutes north of Mesa (Phoenix).  Jen and I really looked forward to this round because we had golfed desert courses before, but never outside of the city with no houses along the fairways.  Ferne (Rolands wife) was unable to join us again due to a nasty cough, so it was just the 3 of us again.  Immediately the level of quality jumped out.  We had our car unloaded and parked for us again, our carts were loaded onto the carts and parked for us in front of the complimentary driving range.  The range looked over a beautiful desert valley.  Here we hacked away, trying to sync our swings...too no avail.  This course was amazing!  Completely different then what you would see in Mesa. Every tee box seemed to have a view of the massive mountain valley.  We saw a red cardinal on the first hole...pretty cool.  Every hole was littered with cottontail rabbits, hummingbirds, or quails.  We all were having a shitty game again, but after 9 holes, I treated everyone to a hot dog or hamburger (because Roland had paid for our round) and everything was back on track.  For $14, we were able to get 2 massive hot dogs, 1 thick burger, all with their buns grilled, and 3 complimentary bags of chips...awesome.  After the round, we were completely exhausted.  Cartpath only rules had caught up to us.  We seemed to always be hitting our balls on the opposite side of the path, and seeing how hilly the course was, resulted in A LOT of walking lol.  A day off in golfing was in order.

WeKaPa

Las Sendas clubhouse

Las Sendas hole 18

Las Sendas

Jen began to plan out her black Friday shopping the next morning.  We went to Santan Shopping Centre to scope out any future deals.  At nights we worked on the "Girl with the dragon Tattoo" trilogy.  One night, Roland and Ferne treated us to happy hour at a popular pub.  Margaritas and appys hit the spot.  Wish we would of stayed longer, but drinking and driving was not condoned, so we headed back after all of us had 2 rounds...except Roland who only had 1.

Thursday was a relaxing day after a quick round of golf at Camelback Resort with Ferne.  The course is a well known and is well established in Scottsdale.  The condition was ok, but overall, was our least favourite (even though it cost $70 each after 35% off).  I shot a decent round finally, and right when we finished, it tried to rain.  Luckily we were under shelter enjoying lunch overlooking holes 9 and 18. 

After arriving back at the house, little did I know, Jen was orchestrating an attack on the shopping malls for black Friday...starting at midnight at Macy's.  I reluctantly gave in thinking there was a slight chance I too could find a deal to make it all worth while.  Jen sifted out all the relevant flyer's.  Around 9pm, we "attempted" a nap before our departure at 11:30pm to the Santan shopping complex. 

WeKaPa

WeKaPa with Red Mountain in background

par 5

Friday arrived, and we drove the 20 minute commute to the desired shopping centre.  We were a bit early for Macy's, so decided to peek into Walmart to see the activity...WELL...we could not believe our eyes.  It was basically hundreds of lower income families lined down the aisles with shopping carts piled with toys.  The more annoying point I found was the deals were not impressive at all.  Some had walkie-talkies.  This worried me as I started to think we were wasting our time.  We got the hell out of there and headed to Macy's.  Macy's was a bit less frantic, but picture 90% of the consumer base being women, wide eyed as they all rushed towards the purses and shoes.  Jen was right in there... for the shoes lol.  I found nothing and within 5 minutes, found myself waiting with all the other guy suckers peering from afar.  Jen got her "no heel" boots and one pair of heels...and soon after we got the hell out of there.  I was a bit more grumpy and tired, but new a bed was waiting for me.

Next morning around 7am, Ferne woke us to remind Jen it was time to head to the big mall..."The Fashion Mall".  This mall is located in Scottsdale, and is the more well known one in all of Phoenix.  We were expecting huge lines, so we left around 7:15 am and arrived around 7:45am...apparently early enough to find a good parking spot.  When we walked into the mall, it was clear our hallowed parking spot was mearly average as there were no lines anywhere.  No hustle and bustle, no panicked women, nothing.  The only real deal found was at Ambercrombie & Fintch...50% off everything, but in typical fashion (in my case), nothing fit me.  I then went to G-Star to find the prices higher then Canada.  Then I went to Dillard's to find no shoes in my size.  I was getting quite pissed off at this point and just wanted to end this gong show.  I ended up buying 6 pairs of Hugo underwear for $40 at Macy's...at least it was something lol.  After several hrs, we left and went to another nearby mall that ended up being a complete waste of time, so home we went.

I napped on the pool deck while Jen went back out with her dad in his Porsche to look for a TV stand at Best Buy.  I couldn't imagine what many thought; seeing a young girl with an older man in a new 911 Porsche turbo...mid life crisis?...but in reality obviously it wasn't. 

That night was a very special night.  In celebration of Ferns B-day and Jen passing her test, we fine-dined it at a place called "City Hall"...and in typical fashion, were blown away with the service provided.  As per usual, someone parked our car.  Every head waiter had 2 following them.  Our plates were dished out in front of us. Drinks were prepared in front of us.  Sparking water was assumed.  Every little detail you could think of was provided, and impressed ALL of us.  We had lobster mashed potato's, steak, mushrooms, and peas, and all were perfect in execution.  we left feeling the price paid was well worth the experience...with leftovers to boot;)

Next morning before our flight back to the great white north, Roland booked us a round at Golden Valley Resort...one of the top ranked courses in Arizona.  It was basically a course that went up one mountain valley, around, and back down.  The condition was impeccable, and lived up to its hype.  Because of the supper paid for by Roland the night before, Jen and I insisted paying $100 each for the round  (not sure if this even covered the cost of the round).  I again actually shot an OK round.  My knees at this point though were starting to really hurt with all the torquing on them with my crazy swing.  4 rounds in 6 days was apparently my limit.  Awesome way to end the week!  We drove home, packed and sore, and off we were back to -10 weather in Calgary.

Golden Valley

So why do people holiday in an ocean-less city of 3 million people?  Well, in short, its for the 340 days of sun, being able to buy a beautiful 4 bedroom home for 1/4 the price of Calgary, and receive A++ service everywhere you go....something that is lacking in today's standards.  I feel we are expected to tip more and more while receiving less service.  It was refreshing to see the opposite in Phoenix!

A warping mind

(old post)

Ive always been raised in the mindset that police, government, security...all of it, was put into place for our best interest.  I remember when I was a little kid, I would see the RCMP in their old Ford Taurus cars, ALWAYS rocking the conservative mustache working the street.  It seemed to me they did the job for one reason....respect; definitely not for the money by the looks of it lol.

I remember in my elementary school years, my dad had dabbled in the policing industry as a conservation officer for 20 years, so I did have a very small inside perspective when it came to officiating.  I remember the pay being horrible (senior officer getting under $40,000/year).  I remembered the countless times we had to move (every 3 years!)  It was especially hard in grade 8, moving from Humboldt to Moose Jaw....just before high school.  The point I'm making here is, we had to abide by the law to a T...and what I mean here is, when we hunted, we properly stored our guns, we followed every no trespassing sign, we asked farmers for access, we dressed fully in orange, we looked for a wounded deer to sun down if need be, and so on....practice what you preach.

Later on in my years (oh...about 12ish?), I began to rebel a bit.  I was caught stealing a golf ball from Sears...definitely not one of my proudest moments.  What I DO remember well though was the respect given by both parties.  I was raised to address the officer and security guard as sir.  When I sat down in the small room waiting for them to escort me to my parents restaurant, I remembered the nice conversation I had with the RCMP and security guard.  They spoke quite aloof, but in a respectful way.  They knew I learned my lesson, and offered me tips on how I could best manage this situation.  This was a first and last offense by me...Why, because I didn't want to be embarrassed like that again...to my folks, to the officers, to anyone.

You may now see I'm actually getting somewhere here lol

1) I'm going to do what I do best and generalize a bit here with respects to our current "Occupy" movement.  Lets be honest, the majority of protesters in these camps are edging on the hippy end.  I also suspect the majority don't approve of our politics either.  I'm even going to wander out on a ledge and suggest many dislike our police service (and yes, this is almost a fact as I've first hand heard the shouts with my own ears).  Slogans such as "military state", "facetious",  "pigs", "corrupt"... heard them all.  It should be no secret that I disapprove protesting in general...and I'm sure the majority of my friends (not the really close ones) disagree with me on this.  Like seriously, if you are within several blocks of ANY riot, you SHOULD expect the full extent of the law on you.  It's not like they don't warn you.  Despite what you may think, they are doing their job!  They are putting themselves into harms way because it's for the greater good of the city.  I am sooooo tired of people claiming too much force was used at a riot, or they were pushed to the ground when they spat at an officer.  Personally, not once have I felt my rights were abused....probably because I'm not always testing the extent to which they were written to.  Don't get me wrong, you are free to exhibit your charter of rights and preach your crap, but when it's done on public land (Occupy)...and its slowly destroying the parks...and safety is becoming an issue (with fires in tents, drug overdoses, cold temperatures, and and and)...get the fu%k out of there...and if not, be moved by means of the full force of the law. 

The above perspective is how I see our Police force in general....for the greater good!  Below is a hypocritical side note haha (don't get confused though, this is a completely different side issue)...

2) a) You may or may not have heard that I have personally had 2 Toyota Tacoma's stolen in front of my house in the past 6 months.  Insurance was a bitch...a long process that was never made easy (TD Meloche, just throwing that out there).  The first one was a shock.  I filed a police report.  I never heard back till it was found AFTER my claim had gone through.  My $41,000 newly bought truck lasted 2 months!  Again, stolen in front of my house, no broken glass, no skid marks, nothing.  This one currently still has not been found.  Now, Jen and I feel we have been targeted, or someone is scoping the area out.  Unfortunately, we have not received any advice, news, anything with these 2 bizarre thefts from the police.  We are hesitant to park any vehicle in front now. 

b) Last month, I had gone to a house warming trip up in Edmonton over the weekend.  That Saturday night around 2am (after several beers), I was missing dozens of calls being made by Jen.  She was alone in our new house with Nakita.  I guess late at night, Jen heard voices along the house.  She then heard someone trying to get into the front door.  Understandably, she was quite scared.  Once they started to pound on the door, it was the final straw.  She called 911 and told them what was happening.  In the morning, Jen talked to the neighbors and learned they had their garage broken into.  The only reason ours wasn't was because our handle on our gate door was broken (dumb luck).  Jen never did hear back from the police.  So much for 911 priority. 
c) Literally several days after the 911 incident, I was driving Jen and I to the rental store to pick up a rental due to my stolen truck.  Wouldn't you know it, a police officer caught us speeding down a hill.  He gave us the ticket...no discounts.  He asked if I wanted the payment details explained because he had to get back to catching more people.  Jen was PISSED...and let him know it lol.  Not only did we feel we were caught right in an unfair speed zone change, but the way the officer was in a hurry to catch someone else after basically taking $125 out of our pocket did not sit well with us.  They were so quick to take our money with no compassion, but could not come by our house during a possible break and enter. 

This gets me to my final point....finally....

Respect on both sides are lacking.  I was very polite to the police officer; unfortunately it seemed he was more concerned in racking up fine totals instead of doing what was intended, keeping the area safe, letting the "culprit" know we are on the same side, but to make a point at the same time.  If he would of taken several km off the ticket, those measly few dollars would of made the world to me...ahhh but alas.  I received a speeding ticket 8 months ago (I know, seems like I speed a lot lol, but  first 2 in 4 years).  The officer had chew in his mouth while taking $115 out of my pocket...disrespectful.  What ever happened to the tall and stiff older mustache men stopping us, feeling bad for us, and either warning us or rounding the ticket down. 



The respect is down and it almost makes me begin to consider "hatting" the police...BUT....I'm at least intelligent enough to understand that at least I know my own well being and safety is good....great, especially compared to the majority of the places in the world.  Its a job that is still lowering the murder rates, cleaning up the streets, and so forth.  They just need to understand that the smaller simpler details are being missed.  

Ah, gotta love my conflicting blogs...I've been quite pissed off at the police lately, but I still don't hate them, don't think they are corrupt, and feel they should use all the force needed....when needed, they just need manners lol.



Tough to take anyone seriously looking like that.

Dividends

First, take a look at this website...


http://www.topyields.nl/Top-dividend-yields-of-TSX60.php



I love dividends!  Why... because no matter how bad the market does (well, for the most part), the stock will pay you a % every 4 months.  For instance, I bought TransAlta because like many large dividend stocks, they're a leader in their sector....so Im quite confident in 50 years, they should at LEAST still be kicking around.  They also pay me 5% quarterly!  So basically any time I see the market dip...I buy more at a discount.  Unfortunately at the moment (and this will sound funny), the stock has been hovering around $1 higher then when I bought it.  Solution, sit on it!  Take your money every 4 months till either it drops to a new 52 week low (buy more), or when it increases to a new 1-2 year high...sell.  On top of this...all is done in my TFSA....SO NO TAX!  Easy peasy:)

Now banks would be an obvious safe haven to collect high dividends.  Canadian banks are some of the most stable banks in the world.  The only problem with this is...they are soooo expensive; like $60 per share.  So as a result, these stocks will be contributed to slowly , every time the market dips, you buy 10 or so, then plan for 20-30 years or so of holding this.

Now some will say they don't jump into dividend stocks right away because these stocks tend to not grow as aggressively...based primarily on their investment to their shareholders....in dividends.  Is some cases,this can be true, BUT, if you wait long enough and keep your wits in check, this should not be the case IN THE LONG HAUL.  For example, the 2009 great recession, everyone was selling their stocks because they thought the sky was falling, when in reality, some of the biggest profits were made as a result by anyone who was buying.  Like the cliche says, buy low, sell high;)

When looking at dividend stocks, I have only a hand full of rules I follow before I buy.

• It needs to earn more then 2%
• It needs to be a company I know, and understand at least "slightly"
• I need to at least want to use the product at some point if the opportunity arose.  
• and not let myself buy when they are high.  Wait for an obvious blimp in the 52 week trend.
• Has to be Canadian

For example, Shoppers Drug Mart.  This stock is my top one, WHY?... because they give me 2.5%, they are building ferociously in trendy neighborhoods, and they are sub-developing a separate cosmetic store in malls (Jen loves these).  Not only that, I bought when the stock was crashing based around the prescription mess in Ontario.  I will only sell this when the stock hits $38-40/share.  Its currently at 34:)

Don't get me wrong, I don't just buy based on dividends.  The earthquake in Japan ROCKED uranium stocks; the economy wasn't confident in its future stability.  I disagree.  The stock went from $40 to $28 in literally 1 week. I bought it at $25.  It later dropped further after several hick-ups to $18!  I bought a bit more averaging my total around $23/share.  It is currently at $20.  Personally, I hope it drops a bit more so when I buy next year, I can buy a large sum...because I believe uranium is not done, and should be at least worth $30/share, where I plan to sell it.  My last point on this subject...I bought Cameco...the leader in the uranium sector.  This makes it a bit more stable and long term.  I can hold it longer till I see the trends I want.  

I also use and bought Aeroplan.  They pay 5% dividend...and Im up on this, but lately I've been using them less, my interest is dropping, so I will sell when I get the percent I want...no timeline here.

Last, Suncor has been good to me.  Good dividend payer, and a leader in the oilsands.  I sold half of my stocks when it was at $41...I bought it at $30...not bad:)  Unfortunately, this is not a long hold for me, so when it hits the 40s again (give it a year?)...I will sell and move on.

Numbers...they are a fun thing haha.  Im sure the 2-3 people reading this are bored out of their mind...as I have said, my friends tend to not be interested in this sort of thing.

Hotel standards and public services

Jen and I just got back from the Rimrock this weekend after celebrating her successful completion of the GI exam in Ottawa.  I chose this place because normally we would go to the Banff springs for a random nighter, but I always had heard Rimrock was comparable, less prestigious, but larger rooms, with all the frills you'd expect at the Fairmont Louise or Springs.  Id just like to note that we usually only go to these expensive hotels if we wanted to just experience the hotel, the dining options, and enjoy drinks with a wonderful feel and view.  After experiencing all the 5 star resorts in the Banff area, half a dozen mid level hotels in the area, and several budget hotels in the area, I had one of those clarifying moments with respects to hotels and the services they provide.

BUDGET:  This was the majority in my early years as a ski bum, and sometimes still in Revelstoke or Golden.  These are your typical motels, where you are able to park in front of your door for free, where sometimes you'd have the fumes waft inside your room.  The offices are usually attached to the owners living room, and the keys are the old fashion style with a big hanger on them.

• PROS - Cheap!  Like under $100/night cheap.  You can pile people in with no questions asked....heck throw a dog in as well.  They are usually near downtown for easy access.  They have a party atmosphere.  Internet is free, parking is free.  They even offer discounted lift passes.  Lots of pros for being at the bottom of the heap eh?
• NEGS - Well, first, cleanliness is not ideal.  Usually you will find a minimum of 1 long hair in the shower from the previous occupant.  You always double check the sheets, making sure all is good.  Everything is stuck in the 80's...the flower print sheets, yellow curtains, old tub with a bit of rust near the drain, and of course, a 15 inch tube TV.  The hot tub is usually 10% spilled beer, with less then ideal water quality conditions.  Early in the morning its noisy, people packing up for skiing before 7am, big trucks idling with many yelling to each other to hurry up.  There are no amenities such as a spa, restaurant, bar, etc.  Hot tub is usually the big attraction here.  Basically, what you see is what you get.

MID RANGE: These places are usually newer, or recently updated.  They are roughly 3-5 stories, and compete near other hotel chains.  They are fiercely in battle with their rivals.  These chains are usually very well known, and found right across the country.  Examples include Holiday Inn, Ramada, Super 8, Quality Inn, Travelodge, Best Western, and some Hiltons (some border 5 star).  Cost range from $110-$180 on average.

• PROS - You know what your expecting before even entering the building.  If you've seen one, the rest will be very similar...they basically all have new duvet sheets, small LCD TV's, good shampoo and coffee options, and good showers (which is a big deal to me).  The parking is 99% of the time free.  There is usually a complimentary continental breakfast.  Internet is free.  They usually have a small pool and hot tub, and a small gym.  There are rarely any hidden fees.  Deals can be found using search engines.  Best bang for the buck!
• NEGS - Location is average, usually not ideal.  The restaurant is also average....maybe a Perkins or Humpty's.  Kids are usually wrecking the mood in the hot tub...which is usually full.  The feel in these hotels is average... basically get in, enjoy, get out.  The elevators are slower than most (ok ok, Im reaching lol).  I honestly cannot think of any others.

5 STAR:  These hotels are usually large, stores within stores.  You'll have your convenience store, jewelry store, bars, more then one restaurant, spas, and more.  The location is usually somewhere with significance.  These places can be old with lasting appeal, or glamorous like many of the vegas resorts.  They are found at tourist attractions, or downtown within metropolitan cities.  Costs can range from $200-10000/night.

• PROS - What can I say, luxury.  You will have your up to date trendy shampoos, the latest starbucks coffee.  Counters in the bathroom will obviously be granite.  The TV will be a minimum of 42 inches.  They will offer many options for restaurants (high budget to mid budget), several bars, spas which are connected to a full service pool area.  They offer valet and room service.  Like Jen and I in Banff this week, you really don't need to leave the hotel if you don't want to.  The food should be excellent.  Service SHOULD BE top notch...after all, you are paying double for what a mid range is.   The view from the room should be at least decent...either high up, looking into the city, looking over a mountain valley, or down any famous "strip".  Room service should be meticulous, and 50% of the time, "turn down service" should be provided.  
• NEGS - There is a slight chance service will not meet expectations, which in turn, will suck even more because you now just blew hundreds per night just to basically sleep.  Status sometimes trumps service...if you look young, or not filthy rich, you may not get that table near the window, or be serviced in that first minute.  The cost of food, tipping, not to mention internet, parking, etc can add up FAST...like seriously, you pay all this money, and that does not include internet or parking.  Do they not know I can just use my iphone for internet instead of paying $20/night, or park down the street instead of the $25/night they offer.  Dogs are rarely allowed.  Basically, it doesn't take much at all for the cost to be a big waste of money if just one little thing goes wrong.  

In Summary, best bang for buck is the MID RANGE!  They fight for your service, everything is new, and they are accountable for their shortcomings.

Worst bang for buck CAN be the 5 star, but not always.  I personally find they feel like they can charge what ever they want because they know the egos of their customers wont dispute it, but if everything goes as planned, then it can be a night to remember!

Our recent 1 random night at the Rimrock...

Looking out into the valley

4th round of drinks? Jen tried a few Martini's

Big dessert, pretty good!

Our French waiter rocked!!