Feltham Rambles

Where would I even begin to describe my trip this past week to Alberta and BC! Like most things in life you can generally relate it to a movie, in this case it would actually be three movies mixed into one; Roadtrip meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas meets The Great Outdoors.

If you have not visited Western Canada, than do yourself a favour and get out there sometime. For an outdoors person like me this place is a mecca, nowhere else on earth can you be so far from civilization but at the same time right in the middle of it.

The trip was eye opening on many different levels; it occurred to me that this was the first time in nine years that Mike, Robert and I were in the same company of each other. Do the math and that equals a third of my life; the same equation works out for most people that I grew up with Glovertown. To anyone who has met a Newfoundlander you don’t need to be told that we are a unique nation of people. Although I realize this more than most - and fight the good fight to better our people - it never sits in more than after spending extended time with a crowd from home. I can’t remember having such a good time and feeling more accepted than this past weekend in a long time. Not having to repeat myself, using words and dialects that only we can understand and laughing just as much at ourselves than others is a joy I miss dearly.

I have always felt that a certain point in my life would come when I would weigh my career and finances versus quality of life (of course pick the second of the two decisions). I am not sure if that is where I am today, but it is calling more and more.

I received word that my promotion / group move at work has been approved within our department, next week I should officially be a Project Manager, let’s just hope the raise is big enough to give me a raise. I also had a successful project kickoff meeting this morning, followed by a great lunch and a couple of cold ones. Work is looking up for once.

Tomorrow I will be in Western Canada, spending time between Calgary, Banff and god only knows where we end up in BC. I have a bunch of 'meetings' in the city on Thursday, which should be interesting, only time and situtation changes will tell how I will deal with that potential decision…

My old buddies Mike and Robert are getting off the night shift tomorrow, jumping into a car and driving south from Fort McMurray to meet me in Calgary. To those of you who know us, I’m sure you’re shaking your head as you’re reading this and only imaging the trouble we are going to get in! Throw Pete in the mix and we have a recipe for disaster.

It is so good to get away!

The site below is a pretty good place for travel info, but they also have an application that allows you to enter the places in the world that you have visited. There is so little time to see the world...

http://www.world66.com/myworld66/

61% of Canada



37% of USA



3% of the world

When the world was ruled by religion, it was referred to as the dark ages. Although we like to think we have matured as a society, it is still religion that keeps us from progressing into a truly global community.

Regardless of the belief system, they all seems to preach tolerance and understanding as a core values. Which contiunes to amaze me, as the more religious you are, the more intolerance you generally display. If you truly want to find acceptance in this world, try speaking to an athesist, chances are they won't be looking down their nose judging your life the way the religious world does.

Islam is promoted as a peaceful belief system; however, I ask you to read the following recent statements from one of their top clerics and help me understand the peacefulness of the statements:

If the pursuit of the 'good life' means that I have to think I am somehow better than everyone else (common religious thinking), while getting high and banging boys on a weekly basis, I think I'll pass.

Pastor Ted Haggard is accused of paying for sex with a man and taking drugs at the same time. His book is shown on sale in the New Life Church bookstore.

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