Destination

I grew up in southern Manitoba, where there is plenty of wind but no hills. The wind was almost always from the west and the only question was how strong it would be on any given day. Going into the wind was nasty. Today I live in British Columbia, where we have mountains, but not as much wind. My favourite rides involve hills, and I enjoy going up more than coming down. (This may say something about my mental health.) Mountain passes are a lot of fun. The difference is I can see the end of a hill, or at least I know the hill will eventually end. I can't see the end of wind.

Aah, the sweet sound of the word "aboot." It's music to my Canadian ears, eh?

I buy my shoes in left pairs, but my girlfriend enjoys dancing. She's determined to teach me at least a little bit of rhythm. And I'm determined to at least try to learn how to move both my left feet without tripping over them or stomping on her toes.

Jokes about vacuum cleaners can really suck.

I'm on the metric system. Please translate inches into something understandable.

Not at all. The poor guy is long overdue for a dental appointment. He also needs a razor, since he hasn't shaved in quite some time. And he may want to see a chiropractor. His posture could end up causing him significant discomfort.

The tone of a corporate culture works its way down from the top, not up from the bottom. If those at the top of the corporate chain treat those under them as valued members of a team, mistakes can be seen as an opportunity for improvement. Sometimes this means changes for the individual employee who messed up. At other times, it means changing a system to prevent the same mistakes from recurring. If those at the top believe their employees are lazy, dishonest and inept, then the result will be a workplace culture of blaming individuals when things go wrong. And eventually, the culture of blame will extend to the point where coworkers will point fingers at each other when things go wrong, rather than addressing ways to fix things and improve efficiency.

I hate the question about why something wasn't done, or why it was done wrong. That question seems to invite the employee to make up an excuse or two, which is exactly the behaviour you don't want.

Welcome back, Mr. Beanz.

Yes, there are rules. It takes a while to learn how to use them, but they are very handy devices.

Snowy here today, but the temperature is noticeably warmer than a few weeks ago.

Unnatural death is something else entirely.

Oh yes. Room 101. I remember that lesson.

I grew up with cabbage rolls and perogies, but we had different names for them. They're not common fare where I live now, and when I find them, they don't taste at all the way they did when I was growing up.

If I knew the exact date and time of my death, it would mean I was on death row in a prison in a foreign country, since Canada does not have the death penalty. The thought of awaiting my own execution is quite unpleasant, and it raises some important questions. Why am I in this country's prison system and what did I do to deserve this punishment?