Well, the other day when I was feeling all patriotic after watching the opening ceremonies, I decided to write a list of all the things I miss about Canada. Many of them are Calgary-specific - but some of them are things that all Canadians would miss if they were separated from them. I shall add links or pictures to whatever ones I can. *Note* These are not in any particular order, but are listed as they came to me. Some of them should probably be grouped together, but in order to retain the authenticity of original thought - I shall keep to the "as it came to me" list.
With no further ado, here it is...
- George Stroumboulopoulos
- Hockey Night in Canada (and the theme song)
- Coach's Corner
- Moxie's White Chocolate Brownie
- Kraft Dinner (original)
- President's Choice (anything and everything)
- Skor
- Ed Whalen (but obviously I can't bring him back from the dead)
(isn't that the best picture of Ed you've ever seen?)
- My family
- My crazy nephews and my sassy neice
Couldn't find a good photo with ALL of my nephews in it, but here's my wee sassifrass neice.
- My VERY best friends
- Being packed very tightly like a Sardine on the C-Train
- Heated Bus / Train Stations
- Block Heaters
- Wide Open Spaces
- The Rockies
- Fields upon Fields of Wheat
- The Claresholm 7-11 - Chicken and Wedges
- Stuart McLean & the Vinyl Cafe
- McNally Robinson
- Heck even Chapters/Indigo
- Reitmans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Zellers
- Stampede Wrestling
- Stephen Avenue
- The Rockyview Hospital - it feels like home somewhat... (oddly)
- The Drive from Calgary to Cardston
- Banff & Lake Louise
- Tobogganing throughout the winter
- Winners
- The Real Canadian Superstore (or stupidstore as we lovingly call it)
- Famous Players (I guess it's now called Cineplex)
- 17th Avenue
- 4th Street
- Tourette's Girl (don't ask)
- The DHCC!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Unit 71 - Urology
- Urologists
- Alright, SOMEtimes I miss the snow
- Being bundled up like a burrito when it's -40 degrees celsius WITHOUT the wind chill factor... (-70 with WCF)
- My Snow-dogs and igloo (just kidding)
- Boston Pizza at 2 am
- MacLeod Trail
- The Calgary Stampede (how it used to be - with real cowboys and family fun)
- Elbow Falls
- Kananaskis Country - and about a zillion different hiking options (though I have that sort of thing here too)
- Drumheller, the Hoodoos, and the Royal Tyrrell Museum
- Bison and "Head Smashed In" Buffalo jump
- Moose (Meese?)
- Native American Indigenous Peoples
- Multiculturalism (though Dundee does fairly well with that too)
- Royal Canadian Air Farce
- Newfies
- Burger Baron (does it still exist?)
- Fish Creek Park
- The Bow River
- Prince's Island
- The Calgary Tower
- Hot Dog Stands on Corners - ooh, and Tubby Dog
- Giant Poplar Trees
- Perogies
- Poutine
- A&W Root Beer
- The Burger Family
- Peter's Drive In and milkshakes so thick - they remind you of liposuction sucking it through the straw
- A&W Onion Rings
- The Second Cup
- Cinnzeo
- The Hudson's Bay Company
- Devonian Gardens
- The Terry Fox Run
- Roots
- Rick Mercer Report
- Corner Gas
- Little Mosque on the Prairie
- The Calgary Farmer's Market (even though it's insanely expensive - a very cool place to walk around)
- Forced Air Central Heating
- The Calgary Flames
- Mooch
And last, but certainly NOT least...
- Timmie's
That's all I have for now. I'm sure more things will come to me. It's just that sometimes you don't realize what you have until you're removed from it. Then, it's the little things you really miss.
There are about a zillion things I would probably miss about Dundee too if I ever left. It's all about perspective really, but culture runs deep.
4 comments:
sigh. . . deep breath . . . you got me teary eyed, becky! isn't calgary amazing? sometimes i feel like we should stop fighting to live in the u.s. and just go home, but there are things here, too - just like you mentioned (perspective), and sometimes where you NEED to be isn't always where you'd CHOOSE to be. . . i hope that dundee is amazing for you!!!
Nice list! A very good start, although I think you're omitting more than a few friends...
Rick
Too Right Rick!!! There just isn't enough room for all of the dear friends I left behind. It's a long post to begin with...
I loved this Becky! Especially since just yesterday I:
-complained about the crowded C-Train after going to an eye appoinment downtown
- whined about the slushy snow soaking the bottom of my good pants while walking from the C-train station to the eye doctor's office
- grumbled about the line-up at the brand new Tim's in my building at work while trying to get a hot chocolate to thaw my frozen, wet-footed self after returning from said appointment
Thanks for the perspective! However, I'm sure I could never miss Stupidstore, though I force myself to shop there anyway and then am cranky the whole time I am there...
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