1. The stars - I can actually see them, which is certainly a welcome change.
   
2. Water - It's such a shock to be driving along, and suddenly see huge expanses of water. Despite the constant, armpit-ish feeling of the humidity, I love being on the lake, and the view of the harbour out my window is pretty incredible.
   
3. New cars/Singing at the top of my lungs in the car - When I lived at home, my car was my refuge. I took long drives to decompress; I took long drives to think; I took long drives for the heck of it. I knew that I missed driving when I was in Edmonton, but I didn't realize quite how much I missed it until I picked up the habit again.
   
4. The deer family who lives in my yard - 'nuff said.
   
5. The people - I have been lucky enough to be adopted into a group of people my age (who very well could be the *only* people around here my age), and I've been having a blast going on road trips, crashing Stag'n'Does (don't ask!), and occupying the patio of the only bar in town (literally).
6. Weekend road trips - one of the major advantages of being here in G-town with a car is that fact that pretty much any weekend destination is no more than three hours away. Also of advantage is the fact that Pearson, and all of it's supremely cheap airfares, is so close at hand.
   
7. Radio - I'm not quite sure why, but I've been listening to a lot more radio here than I have in years. In all likelihood, it's a result of #3 and also the preference of the drivers that I spent most of my time zooming around Edmonton with. I will note, however, that there is a surprising amount of Nirvana still played on the radio here...I feel, at times, like I'm back in high school.
   
8. Not sitting at a desk all day - I was beginning to have my doubts in Edmonton as to whether CubicleLife was for me. Not only has my work turned out to be extremely rewarding, but I've been having a great time doing it.
   
9. Reading before bed - For the first time in 15 or so years, I don't have a TV in my bedroom. This has caused me to pick up a habit of my childhood...reading each night before I go to sleep. I'm seriously considering throwing out my bedroom TV when I get back home.
   
10. Freedom - what started out as an rather unexpected and unwelcome "temporary relocation" has turned into quite the life-changing event. Perspectives have changed, career paths have changed, goals have changed. It's all been a bit traumatic, but it couldn't have turned out any better.
    

• I got myself a brand new, 2006 version of the 2005 that I had been driving. Mmm...new car smell.
  
• I almost ran over a peacock as I put kilometre #327 on my new car. Seriously. There was a peacock strutting down the middle of the highway. Apparently there's some sort of private zoo in the area, but I haven't found it yet.
  
• There were 17 spiders in the staircase to my apartment yesterday. Those of you who know me well should be surprised that I have not yet slept in my car to avoid the spider slalom.
• I almost died on 8 Mile Road. Yep.
• I downloaded exactly 123 new songs on my iTunes. I decided my iTunes needed an overhaul, and got rid of a decent chunk of my list. Almost every song I have has a memory attached to it, and it was certainly time to clean house. Song suggestions are being accepted, by the way...and thanks to those of you who have sent me your iTunes list!
• I finally (finally!!!) get the evil monkey thing. Yay me!
• Tuesday night determines my career path. Good thoughts are appreciated...please and thank you.
  

An open letter to Michiganians
(Michiganites? Michiganers?)

Dearest Michiganians,

Thank you for warmly welcoming our caravan of rowdy Canadians into your fine state this past weekend. Either than the few times in which we feared for our lives, we had an excellent time enjoying the Wolverine State.

Upon returning home to crime-less, character-less G-town, a few key questions stick out in my mind that I am unable to answer by my usual means (Google and whining profusely):


1. Does your road kill clean-up crew take significant holiday time during the summer months? While there is no fonder memory than being greeted as soon as you cross into Michigan with a rotting, maggoty deer carcass on the side of the road...I'm sure that there are other, more sanitary greeting methods that you could focus on. I have never in my life seen such an abundance of putrefying, half-liquid remains in one place. I realize that road kill is an inevitable fact of highway driving, but every single other jurisdiction I've driven through manages to clean it up on a regular basis. So...yeah. What's the story here?


2. Why must all of your public washrooms make visitors fear for their lives? Tourists to your fine state should not have to go to the washroom in groups, muttering prayers (or non-religious equivalents) under their breath. And please don't tell me that I must have just hit a bad washroom or two...my small bladder and I toured washrooms across the state, each one progressively worst than the last. On that note, you should mention in your tourist literature that it is helpful - even recommended - that each group of visitors have at least one burly, muscular bodyguard appointee. Luckily, I was covered on that front and made it back onto Canadian soil in one piece.


3. Is there a particular reason that you choose to patch your roads in such an over-enthusiastic manner? Potholes are one thing, but constructing small mountains in the former crevices only succeeds in worsening the problem. For future reference, roads should actually be flat. It leaves quite the mark when one is driving at the apparently common speed of 152 km and hits several of these small mountains in a row. The top of my head hurts, and I remain quite sure that there is a dent in my roof.


4. Do you employ practical jokers to get a laugh out of the tourists on weekends? I appreciate a good story as much as the next person, but I have to wonder...was the creepy looking guy standing below the sign in the middle of nowhere that read "DO NOT PICK UP HITCHHIKERS - YOU ARE IN A PRISON AREA" for real? Was he *actually* a newly-broken-out-of-jail hitchhiker? Or were you just trying to get a rise out of the tourists? I was curious...but not curious enough to stop and find out, mind you.

In closing, thank you for your hospitality, lack of speed-limit enforcement, and cheese curds. It was a pleasure.

Sincerely,
uncharted