Gussy’s Blog

So i have developed some pet peeves over the last couple of weeks. Actually since i moved to Golden, or Canada or North America. It is one of the bain’s of my existence, the Truck. I know i have harped on about it before, but just recently i have become vehemently objected to them. The main reason has been the amount of gas they consume. The other is the fact that i ride my bike on the road, and well they are fucking huge and scare the shit out of me. I don’t want to be killed by one. Also the fact that 90% of trucks aren’t needed, IMO.

So i was talking with my flat mate, room mate, what ever you want to call him. Anyhow he is a country Albertan, always had a truck. he had a truck that was falling apart on him. So i told him to get something smaller, seeing he doesn’t actually use the tray part very often, only to collect snow, rocks, rubbish (garbage) etc. He might move the occasional bed or piece of furniture in it too. I was telling him to get something cheaper, and more economic. He was like, no fuck off. I’m buying a truck cause they are cheap to buy now. Never mind the fact that he will Never use the capabilities built into the truck, the 6 billion tonnes that it can carry, etc. So what did he do?

Bought a new truck, never mind the fact that he drives it up a hill every day and parks it, till the end of the day then drives it down. Never mind the fact that gas (petrol) prices are around $1.40/ L currently and going up. Never mind the fact that currently it cost him $120 to fill the tank, which he might be doing 2 times a week. Never mind the fact that it is fucking huge and a waste of money buying new car (I’m surprised people don’t know this by now). Never mind the fact im ranting here!

So you can see, i hate trucks, so much so i would long for the day that the 35mpg/ G or 25L/100km comes in and the fact that they will become extinct. It will take a while, but the more people get rid of them for other vechiles that can actually do the same thing and are more reliable, and cheaper to run the better. Oh i long for that day. 2010 can’t come soon enough on that front!

I have 2 good things to announce! I’m not sure which one is better. They are both equally exciting. I will go with the one that cost least money but was more exciting. My trip to Victoria and The San Juans’ and Seattle. I went to get a Visa so that i can stay in the country legally for the next 2 years. It all worked out after i told them that i was allowed to stay in the country for 2 years and not just one, it was quite fun but i was all done by 9.40am. It then took me 2 almost 3 hours to find my travelling cohorts, cause of the fact that there phone’s didn’t work and that is how we were going to communicate. It was fun walking around but really i just wanted to leave the country and get my visa sorted out at the border. We ended up on coming back thru Abbotsford rather than going thru Idaho (your not a ho, i’da-ho, hehe) It was a fun trip, but whilst i was in the states, i found out that i could get my mac finally! It has only been missing for 1 month and 7 days but i ordered a new one today. Got free express shipping, and i asked what else i could get and they said anything. so i ordered a $130 laptop backpack that has heaps of cool pockets and stuff like that. So wouldn’t have normally spent that kind of money but it was fun to spend the money and get something which is going to last. Hopefully it will be in by Monday or even better in by the end of the week. I shall wait and see what happens to it again this time!

Well things are going quitely on the ranch. just chilln’ and taking it easy really. Not much going on. Reading and drinking and sleeping mainly. 

 Found out that Fedex have lost my computer and that they don’t know where it is. So they are looking for it and trying to track it down. Lets see if the find it, cause i really need it to start my course and to do some work on. I don’t really have a computer at home so that makes it a bit tough. Other than that everything is going hunky dory.

Well Zoey, that is what im going to call her. Cause well, the item is Z0EY, so it looks like that, so she will be called that. Everything is in Mississauga, ON. Hopefully arriving by the end of the week. It went from Shanghai, to Alaska, to Memphis, to Mississauga. Who knows where it will go from there! I will keep you updates. I’m so excited. Expect to see some photos on Flickr when i get it! Yay!

<update> Zoey has been sitting in the Calgary depot for 2 days! I am getting annoyed. The status tag reads “Package not due for delivery” Bull shit it is due for delivery! To my place. Maybe people in Calgary don’t know where Golden, BC is? Never mind that if they travel to anywhere on the National Highway they have to pass thru. Idiots. I’m getting annoyed. </update>

<update 6/5/2008> I have lodged a track with Apple, they say that they can’t do anything till that track is closed, 15 business days, so that would make it over a month since it was meant to be delivered. I wanted to see if i could pick one up in Seattle when i was down there. Doesn’t look like i can. I’m annoyed and will be ringing again tomorrow to see if there is anything that can be done. I know that everyone involved with the case up to Fedex in Calgary doesn’t know where it is.  So if the people that were looking for it don’t know where it is then, why can’t i just get a new one. I know they have procedures. A month is a long time to look for a package, especially if Fedex has been looking on there own as well. </update 6/5/2008>

Just wanted to post something short and fun.

This film won the first Annual Golden Film Festival. It is funny and i know both the shooter and deer. Check it out.

Well lots has been going on recently. Well in Golden Terms, it has. Things don’t move to fast over here but some how i have been really busy. I went getting my fill of cultural goodies over the last week. I went to the golden Broadway musical. It was really fun, with various songs from different musicals being sung. I knew about 1/2 the cast so it made it even more fun. I then went out after and had some fun listening to a beatboxer, then proceeded to go and stay up for 24hrs and chat with some friends watching various clips from Youtube. It was quite the night. I was buggered after though and slept for a full 5 hours! Awesome.

The next night i didnt do much but i did manage to go for a 20-ish km run. I just mapped out out. i didn’t think it was that far. It didnt take me long either. only around 1.5hrs. Im very surprised. Anyhow i’ll link to the map so you can see.

So there it is .

Then on Monday night, i went to the ballet. It was really good. The chicks were hot, the dudes were really strong. And it had a bit of everything. I would go again and plan to as well. It was a production from Ballet Kewlona. It was good fun with the Hudson’s. I wasn’t planing on going but did cause i had nothing else to do.

So that is my summary of weekend, quite fun and exciting.

Patrolled this weekend, it was good fun. Lots of soft powder, lots of first tracks. Lots of friends to ski with, no line to deal with, despite everyone else spending around 20-40mins lined up. It was great. Also had my first 10-40. Yep my first time to use my skills i learnt. The dude got slashed in the face by a friend on a snowboard. Nice cut above his lip. Was pretty cool. I enjoyed helping him out, chatting and everything. I did manage to get another Patroller, Joelyene to come and help me. I was fairly nervous but seemed to do ok with it all. Didn’t screw up to bad, forgot a few things on the mega long form, but other than that it was all good. He had to go to hospital to get it stitched up properly.

I managed to get stuck so many times it was awesome fun, the powder was mid shin most of the time. I loved it. Went back to my secret spots, that aren’t so secret, but no one goes there. Trees need love too people!

My mate Josh and Jase came into town on the Friday night as well.  They managed to get in under 1.5hrs from Revelstoke. Which is super fast considering that for 5 hours before the highway was closed. It was a fun time of drinking and general shindiery. We did miss the wet t-shirt contest cause someone was hungry. That was a pitty, but we did get to hang out and talk geek for a lot of the time. So much fun to do that. I miss it sometimes. Apart from that i really didn’t get to do many runs with them as they had to wait in line and i had to get to the top and back down again incase of anything going wrong. hehe ( just really want to do lots of laps)

Overall it was a super stellar weekend and i enjoyed it lots.

At this point and time in my life. I find it hard to ever want to leave this place. Golden, BC. The hour i get up now, is around 8, out the door by around quarter to 9. Just as the sun is rising. It is glorious, i can’t think of a more spectacular image. Mount 7 covered in snow, light shinning up behind it. Just amazing. If i ever think to take my camera out with me i will have to get a shot. I love this town. Some people come for the winter and leave for the summer. Alas they don’t know what they are missing out on. There is more to do in this town that i think there is to do in all of Banff and Lake Louise. Although, why am i writing this on the web? Were people can read it and then come and plunder the spoilt the place and people that live here.

For some reason when i went travelling with Sara, and people asked us where we lived etc. We both would turn into little advertisements for Golden. One of her friends remarked that we sound like the PR from the hill. We weren’t, or we aren’t. I can’t talk for Sara but i think i turned into the PR firm cause i love this place soo soo much. The people are really friendly, i have made some friends that will last the ages. Even the thought of leaving makes me tear up a little. So somehow i need to convince the government that i should stay here for good. I really need to find myself a good immigration lawyer, who can set a few things straight in my mind.

When i do go travelling i do enjoy myself seeing new sights, but there is a calming feeling to heading back home. Coming thru Kicking Horse Pass, and peering down on Golden, the Kicking Horse River and the Columbia river. (Aside- BC got its name  partly from the Columbia river) Or travelling in from Rogers Pass, and seeing the Blaeberry Valley and the little cottages dotted throughout the landscape. It is just a spectacular place. I love it here. I may be a walking billboard for Golden, but i am proud to call Golden my home. A place where i could happily spent the rest of my life, if only the government would let me.