Work, Travel and other fun stuff

Well folks... here I am again - in the Big Smoke. Trapped inside all day today in a ballroom enduring meetings, feeling claustrophobic with no fresh air. Granted, the meeting was actually really good this morning. I just can't get used to breathing recycled air for more than a few hours at a time. So after the meeting concluded this evening and we had a couple of hours to ourselves before heading down to an organized dinner in the same ballroom where we spent the entire day (sigh), Janette and I figured we'd go buy our manager a Christmas card so the group of us could sign it while we're together and get some fresh air. So much for that idea: it's raining and neither of us had an umbrella, and we still have to look good for dinner (otherwise, frankly I'd have gone out there and gotten soaked). They have this underground tunnel system here in T-dot and we were able to find a card store. We were starving for air though, so we went outside and stood at the doorway like a couple of smokers on a smoke-break just to get some oxygen.

I have to give another airline-other-than-AC endorsement today... I flew Porter Airlines yesterday for the second time and it's very enjoyable. I actually feel like the seat in front of me is a little far away... my knees don't bang into it and I had to reach for my Bicycling mag that I had inserted into the leather seat pocket. The staff was so nice and accommodating too. There was a comedian at our meeting this morning (a real one - seriously) and he made the funniest joke: "On Air Canada we're not happy until you're unhappy". LOL!!!! So true. When you fly with another airline you really realize how surly the majority of the staff are at AC (even though I should acknowledge that due to the sheer number of times I've flown with AC I have encountered some very nice staff). I think it's part of their recruitment strategy.

I've been reading like it's going out of style lately. So I finished yet another book and I think I'm about 5 books in arrears posting on the book blog. But if you didn't already notice, I did post recently there. I'm onto another book that I brought with me for the week. I'll get some time in the next few weeks I think to get some updates because I've read some really awesome ones lately!

And I've been out xc-skiing again since my last post. Wow. The conditions are absolutely FANTASTIC!!! Every time it snows I am giggly like a child. I love it! When I get back from this trip I plan to learn the skate technique. So I'll be practicing both disciplines this winter. Don't worry - the bike hasn't been missing me at all. I've been getting on it about 4x/week right now. Next week marks the start of "Early Base" phase. I will have 8 weeks of that - heavy weight time with Jessica. :) I'm already seeing some major differences since I stepped it up in the last month. Wicked!!! (I don't think I've said that since I was a student)