16 Hours on the Road + Just me = lots of time to think

So you'd think I'd have come up with something really interesting, or really mind-blowing. Nope. Nothing. Just a few random observations.
1. When the wind is blowing just right, Brooks AB only smells a little, but when the wind is blowing wrong, it's enough to make a girl dry heave.
2. Sitting down with a friend from College for the first time in 4 years can feel exactly the same as it would have four years ago. And it wasn't even creepy that she knew just about everything about my life (I guess there are some people who read this!)
3. I still have no idea what that semi was doing with a full side ad for Rex Goudie heading towards Swift. Is there an underground Canadian Idol runner-up factory beneath the city that I am unaware of?
4. I am still very frightened of Bridges. More so after driving over the god forsaken Walterdale Bridge in Edmonton. My blood pressure rose exponentially. Terrifying.
5. It's best not to yell at that car with the out of town plates that darted in front of you like she didn't know where she was going. It was me. I didn't know where I was going. Sorry.
6. Sometimes cab drivers are some of the nicest people with really interesting stories to tell.
7. West Edmonton Mall is just a big mall. There. I said it.
8. First impressions of towns are everything. Vegreville gets my thumbs up thanks to the A&W that was still serving bacon & eggers after 11 (till 12 on sundays!!), and the giant Easter Egg that will forever make me giggle. It's on a stand that allows it to spin in the wind which is actually very eerie. Lloydminster, on the other hand, did not impress me. As soon as I crossed the border to SK, it looked like it had been 30 years since someone did any work to anything there. Plus the wind blew dirt onto my icecream cone as the girl passed it from the drive thru. (I ate it anyway).
9. A first, listening to the same songs is kind of fun, but after 8 hours, I don't really want to hear the following songs anymore: Cascada - Evacuate the Dance Floor, Nickelback - Never Gonna be Alone, Theory of a Deadman - well...any of them, Jay Sean - Down, Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling, Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me, Lady Gaga - Poker Face and Love Game . That being said, I could listen to Miley Cyrus Party in the USA on repeat for another 6 hours (sure, go ahead and judge me, but you know you want to dance when you hear it too...you just haven't admitted it to yourself). And I'm still enjoying Lady Gaga Paparazzi, and Owl City - Fireflies even if it is kind of weird. Though I imagine those will be somewhat short lived as well, especially if I keep listening to 001 on Sirius Satellite.
10. I sincerely hope that Karl Wolf has been careful with his money. A cover of Toto's Africa and one other single won't pay the bills forever buddy...and I don't think it takes a gypsy fortune teller to see that his career will not span decades (or even another year, for that matter).
11. A 4 door sedan with a spoiler is still a 4 door sedan. It just looks like you wish it wasn't.

There. That pretty much sums up my 16 hours of driving. Thankfully I've only got another 4 or so before I'm home on Tuesday night. In the meantime, here is my latest picture with one of the world's largests.

Not as bad as I thought.

Any of it, really; I wasn't as bad as I thought I'd be, the game wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, and I wasn't as drunk as I thought I'd be. Haha!
I think I caught on somewhat to how to golf...though really, any of the good shots I got were more than likely pure fluke since I still don't really understand how to do any of it. My team, comprised of me, Brad, Kyla and her fiance Landon was really supportive of my terribleness and gave me some tips and pointers that were actually very helpful. They were encouraging when it took me four (or more) swings to finally hit that little damn ball, and they were excited with me when I made a really good (albeit totally fluked) shot. The major downside was the extreme heat. We reached a high of 34 degrees at 3 oclock, right smack dab in the middle of our 18 holes (by the way, 18 holes is waaaay excessive). I pounded more water than I ever have in my life and still ended up with minor heat stroke - really disappointing since I'm pretty sure a 6 pack would have drastically improved my game. Hahaha!
Anyway, here are some pictures:

Highlight of the day: careening around the course in a golf cart. I now totally understand why people love/buy these things. (I still think Scoots would have been fun...if only I could strap my clubs to it somehow...)
~

Our team members, Kyla and Landon
~

Ok, so before you start snickering to yourself about how I swung so hard (looks like I was trying to murder that ball) and the ball is still sitting there, know this: The white ball is not mine. We played best ball and my ball (which was purple) actually went reasonably far. So there. Ha.
~Me standing next to my pink ball (which I later lost in the water). This was my first really good shot and it was the best ball! I was so proud of myself! The next highlight of the game for me was a few holes later when I got a birdie! My drive was best ball, and my putt sunk it! I literally jumped up and down with my putter above my head screaming "Woohoo!!!"
~
Now, as to whether I will play again...definitely next year in the staff tournament, and maybe once or twice before. But don't you go thinking you've found a permanent golf partner, Brad. (I do take bribes though)

Golf...?

These are my golf clubs. Brad bought them for me yesterday (don't worry, they're used, he's not delusional enough to think that new clubs were a good idea).
I am participating in the Cypress Health Region Staff Golf Tournament today.
Allow me to break down my Golf-Related History.

Age 8 (ish) - I take golf balls and club to the field at the end of my cul-de-sac. Swing club. Hit ball. Ball hits 9 year old neighbour boy on the head and knocks him unconscious. I run.

Age 20 - Friend takes me to driving range. Thinks hitting a bucket of balls will be "fun". I hit a total of three balls a total of three meters (including the ones that roll three inches behind the marker when I knick them with the club). Remaining 10 don't go anywhere. Friend gets frustrated and confiscates balls and clubs.

Age 26 - Purchase Nintendo Wii. Really good at golf game. Become delusional that I am actually a natural at the game.

Age 27 - Sign up for staff golf tournament. Begin to suspect that my practice on the Wii will not equate to actual talent at game of golf. Become terrified. Consider running again.

More Pics!

The squeeling has started again! Rob has updated his blog with more pics from the wedding!! EEEEEE! (Linked on the sidebar)

Rat Population several hundred... minus 1

Apparently Swift Current has a rat problem. Not that I'm denouncing it, or sitting in my house with my ears plugged shouting LA LA LA LA! I just haven't seen any rats. I make regular trips to the hospital for work and haven't seen any in the field behind where they apparently hold their daily rat parties. I've been to the Southside where apparently they congregate. I've been down allies, past garbage piles...nothing.
Until Friday. Brad and I were leaving Movie Gallery when we saw a man (who shall now be refered to as Slack Jawed Yokel...or Mr Yokel for short) run across the street with a vehicle window scraper. In front of Mr Yokel was a medium sized rat scampering desperately across the street. The pair made it to the lawn of an apartment building on the other side and Mr Yokel began wailing his window scraper at the grass. We watched with disturbed facination as he enthusiastically began stomping his boot. His travelling companion who I can only assume was Mr Yokel Senior laughed from beside our Escape. After a few moments, Mr Yokel strutted confidently across the street laughing to himself and saying something akin to "I got him good!"
Now I believe that we have a rat problem, but more disturbing in my mind, is the hillbilly problem. How much money will the city put towards dealing with these rabbid hillbillies?

OMG OMG OMG!

I had a sneak peak and I want to share!! Rob, our amazing friend and stunningly talented photographer posted one picture from the wedding to his new blog. I've linked it on the side, but I'll link it here too: Rob's Sente.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! It's all I can do not to start squeeling like a 13 year old at a Jonas Brothers concert (or me at the New Kids show in April...this totally trumps that for my most-squeeled-moment)!!!!!
Thank you Rob, you're a genius, I tell you!!