Long Ride, Short Flight
7/19/08 Calgary, AB, Canada - DFW, TX
Early alarm (damn TV!) today to make sure I get to Calgary in time to take care of business and still make the 2:40 flight. Morning clerk rather disinterested in the whole thing, would rather play internet gaming than talk to a traveler. Finishing my ride thru town I note several more savory lodging options - at the same price. But the morning is crisp and clear, and I'm wearing just the right number of layers to be happy. And happy I am. Something about morning sun, cool temps, a sweetly running bike and uncrowded roads. The landscape stays wide open all the way into Calgary, where it congests slightly, reminiscent of Colorado Springs in layout, including the by-pass to the airport.
Sentinal Storage has a spot for me, and Shirley and her husband (managers) are bikers as well so there's an understanding and friendliness. Cab is 21$ and I'm standing in cue 3 hours before the flight. Seem like a waste of time? Not really. First off, I'm all relaxed and unhurried - so my temperament is one of amusement and humor. Secondly, I have time to take in the surroundings and the people - most of whom are returning from a wonderful vacation in the Rockies and are happy to share their experiences.
I struck up conversations with several folks in the gate area: a couple from Keller on their 45th anniversary, a tour guide from Indiana, and another couple from Tyler. I kept saying we needed a campfire and bottle of Scotch, because our topics ranged from travel suggestions to philosophical discussions of exactly what makes these mountains, this road, different from those mountains, that road.
Trying to squeeze out the single drop of difference, I suggested that perhaps there wasn't a difference in those things, but rather in our attitudes, observations, and willingness to open up to new experiences. Do you ever talk like this in line at Kroger, I asked? Good point.
A true challenge would be to keep the same vacation attitude after arriving in 100degree heat back home on the congested highways of the MetroMess.
Now it's time to think about the NEXT leg of this summer odyssey - bringing Emily back up for a few days in Banff and the Canadian Glacier Park!
Early alarm (damn TV!) today to make sure I get to Calgary in time to take care of business and still make the 2:40 flight. Morning clerk rather disinterested in the whole thing, would rather play internet gaming than talk to a traveler. Finishing my ride thru town I note several more savory lodging options - at the same price. But the morning is crisp and clear, and I'm wearing just the right number of layers to be happy. And happy I am. Something about morning sun, cool temps, a sweetly running bike and uncrowded roads. The landscape stays wide open all the way into Calgary, where it congests slightly, reminiscent of Colorado Springs in layout, including the by-pass to the airport.
Sentinal Storage has a spot for me, and Shirley and her husband (managers) are bikers as well so there's an understanding and friendliness. Cab is 21$ and I'm standing in cue 3 hours before the flight. Seem like a waste of time? Not really. First off, I'm all relaxed and unhurried - so my temperament is one of amusement and humor. Secondly, I have time to take in the surroundings and the people - most of whom are returning from a wonderful vacation in the Rockies and are happy to share their experiences.
I struck up conversations with several folks in the gate area: a couple from Keller on their 45th anniversary, a tour guide from Indiana, and another couple from Tyler. I kept saying we needed a campfire and bottle of Scotch, because our topics ranged from travel suggestions to philosophical discussions of exactly what makes these mountains, this road, different from those mountains, that road.
Trying to squeeze out the single drop of difference, I suggested that perhaps there wasn't a difference in those things, but rather in our attitudes, observations, and willingness to open up to new experiences. Do you ever talk like this in line at Kroger, I asked? Good point.
A true challenge would be to keep the same vacation attitude after arriving in 100degree heat back home on the congested highways of the MetroMess.
Now it's time to think about the NEXT leg of this summer odyssey - bringing Emily back up for a few days in Banff and the Canadian Glacier Park!
posted by Randy Masters at 7:27 AM
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