A Seven-hour Hike in Bob Creek

I've lost the number of times that I've been to Bob Creek to reach Thrift Peak! It must have been 6 or 7, including yesterday's trip. I set my clock for 05:15 because the times that I had set it for 03:30 or even 04:30, it was extremely difficult to get out of the bed and then continue to the trailhead! There were a couple of times that I left the city and then drove back after an hour or more driving! Crazy and stupid!
This time was not easy as well but I got myself out of the bed and left around 05:35 and headed south to Highway #22. The beauty of Alberta is undisputable. I had to make a stop every time I found something interesting to take a picture and of course I stopped for a cup of coffee, this time in Okotoks. I then started the hike at exactly 09:18. It means from the time I left home, to the moment that I geared up and headed up the trail it took almost 03:45 hours, which should not take more than 02:15, normally! 
The weather was nice at the beginning and there was no one in the area, as it's usually is the case but I noticed something different this time: Cows! Lots and lots of them everywhere! There're many ranches nearby but I had never seen the cattle on the trail and scattered everywhere. That caused some problem because they stand and stare at you and sometime jump and run erratically! 

People mostly don't see the beauty of the small things around

The clouds moved in after more than 2 hours that I was on the trail and then, again, I realized that I had gone the wrong! I had gone up a very tall cliff which it appeared that I had to go around it but I think the problem was with this path that I was following, saved in my handheld GPS. I took a few pictures from there and this in fact was as far as I had gone last year! So basically no progress in a year. I thought perhaps if I simply followed the trail, instead of following the GPS track, it might take me to the damn lookout but the rain started and I was, again tired, so I headed down.
More cows were on the trail and generally in the area when I got down. The funny part was when I was trying to sneak pass a calf and its mom(!), it looks like that the calf was interested in me(!) because it started following me. The mom who was protecting the baby started coming toward me! This was no good! At the moment I thought to myself: People are afraid of Bears and Cougars in the mountains, I have to be worried about cattle! I, fortunately, was close to a inclined area with lots of tree. I just ran down. There was no way that the cow could reach me! It would have hit the trees or rolled the hill! There were more cattle on the way which i had to go around them. At one point a whole herd started running! It was quite a scene! 
The rain stopped and the sun helped me to have a drier boots and pants! It had happened from crossing the stream and going to the wet areas to avoid the damn staring cows! I reached the vehicle at almost 16:20, after 7 freaking hours. That how long it should have taken to reach the summit, had I followed the right path! May be another time! 
I stopped at Longview Jerky Shop on my way back and bought a small package despite the fact that I eat meat (any kind) not more than once a week. I will share with Mom and Brother as I want them to try it. I did it just to support a local business and that's what we all have to do when we go to this small towns. Overall it was a very joyful day and despite the fact that I did not reach the summit, I enjoyed it very much. 

(Photo, top: this small herd of cattle was still standing in the middle of the trail and staring at me, making sure I am no harm! I had to go to the threes to avoid them and appear in behind. They still looked very uncomfortable!)

The Multiple Used Car Guy

There's a huge market for used cars here in North America. I had to hear all sorts of nonsense from people, every time I wanted to buy a car and I always ignored it:

1) You save in Insurance.

2) Your car loses its value so fast that it makes your head spin.

3) You can change your car every year, if you buy used.

And many other stupid meaningless nonsense! 

I don't have anything against the people who cannot afford a new car or the used cart dealerships. I bought a used car once in my life and I had it for 6-7 months. I'm doing better now and I haven't purchased a used car since and will never buy one. In fact the last car I bought last year was a brand new 2025 and I paid cash and I will buy another brand new car soon and I will pay cash for it as well! No interest but that fits my life style. I don't have other major costs that many do. 
What these people don't understand is that everyone has a different lifestyle. I give you an example of this nasty disgusting animal who works for the same company as I do: This pile of stinking horse manure was bragging about his cars and his house! How he has, I think, two or three, one worse than the other and how he " fixed" his house that now it's " cooler " in summer! I wasn't listening but I heard he was bragging about that to someone else in the breakroom. By the way these are the people who have no friend, no relative, no sibling, no reliable and no lovable partner and have to find a free ear to chow it off at work, about what they do in their daily pathetic lives!! He got stuck on Q. E. II, near Red Deer last year and had to call a tow truck (!) and then last week had to come to work taking a bus and then on foot, a few days ago! Why? The answer is simple:  All those junk that he drag here and there, broke down!
The other fact about this people is the amount of complaining that they provide to you! They complain about the cost of living and how expensive their kids are and so on! no one put a gun to your heads, you numb nuts! Are you familiar with this product called condom or some might call it prophylactic rubber?! How about Morning After™ ? This disgusting animal, did the same! As soon as conversation started he asked me how many kids I had. I was going to tell him to shove his question up his wife's rectum but you know you cannot do that in workplaces! So I gave him the right answer. I then tried to avoid him and I was quite successful. It was him who would approach me to shoot the shit, as all these losers whom I explained them above, do! That was when I realized he was walking to the bus stop and became very happy! Get your life in line and stop complaining! 

(Photo: A backyard junk yard! This is the Brave's backyard! I used to live here back in 2002 and it was a nice backyard with three and even a picnic bench. This dumb asshole has turned it to a junk yard! The building you see is what that has been replaced the beautiful backyard and now is full of items, mostly tools which are rotting and I think two old cars which have no faith better than the tools! The cars you see are all rusting and dying in sun, rain, wind and snow and mostly have no value. In fact he has to pay someone to come and take them away one day or whoever inherits the house would have to do so. The house itself has been turned to Indian Punjabi asylum house which is the subject of a different post, maybe later!)

The Game

If I didn't know Michael Douglas was born in N. J., I'd probably think he was from San Francisco, considering his obsession with that city! Basic Instinct, Streets of San Francisco (which I haven't watched, of course!) and the last film I've seen: The Game, all take place in that northern California city. The city which used to be glorious once. All I've read about it in the past few years is that it has lost all his glory and filled with poverty, homelessness and gang violence. Nevertheless that's not the subject of this post and regardless of all these negative thing I hear, I'm going there next year, if everything goes as planned. Or anywhere nearby because this time my intention is to approach Boundary Peak from California side.
The Game is an interesting movie and somehow unrealistic! It is a movie so it does not have to be real, someone would day. I believe unless they make science fiction, the story should fit with the audience easily. I don't want to spoil the movies for the ones who haven't watched it (although the likelihood of anyone accessing it and enjoying, isn't very high) but I think the other Fincher's movie, Se7en could be considered more realistic than The Game but The Game is a very entertaining movie and more importantly unpredictable until the end and that is very important for me, as movie goer and a Movie Buff, as well! 
The Game is a sort of movie which takes you along. This had not happened to me for a very long time. So despite the fact that I was dead tired, I glued myself to the seat and watched it to the end. I hope you enjoy this 1997 movie as well. 

(Photo: Douglas in the scene that the " game " actually is about to start!)

An Scaring Tactic

My work is a combination of office and shop. I go to the shop after my breakfast everyday. That's my routine. I felt a tense atmosphere this morning. Our supervisor who always says hi, didn't even look at me and then our manager came and had a somber look in his face and called us all to a meeting at 09:00!

There he was one of the top managers. He announced that the supervisor had been asked to leave and added that he could not give more details! 

I was not very surprised because I know behind the scenes these two had conflicts and disagreements. However, I had never seen something like that before. I have seen people being canned but there has never been a meeting to discuss that! The funny thing is some people defended him but I just don't know why! Just to have your voice heard?! You know the guy is gone and he is not going to be called back. Unless you want to be the next, you would not say a thing to support him. Not that in front of the judge! The other funny thing is that our manager said that was not his decision! That was one of the reasons why one of the guys with long term employment history was pissed off. 

I was both happy and sad at the same time. The guy was generally nice to me and mostly helpful but there were times that he was a jerk. While I was sad that he was gone as we had a good relationship, I was happy he was gone because he at times did not act like a supervisor that he must have been.

As per the meeting, the only thing that I can imagine is that the guy wanted to send a message. He wanted to say that no one is immune if they disobey the company's rules. That is what I think. 

(Photo: I have to talk to the guy to see if he was given any reason why he was booted out or not. This is the second person being fired in the past 8 months)

Driving Miss Daisy (37 Years Later)

Driving Miss Daisy is probably one of the most famous Hollywood movies of the 90's which has been known to me for a long time but has never had the chance to watch it until just last week.

The interesting thing about this movie is despite its simple story, it attracts you and you go along. 

When the movie started, after just a few scenes, I wondered who the actress was. She looked so familiar. I'm referring to the British actress Jessica Tandy. It hit me suddenly: The Birds! Yes. She also had a major role in the Alfred Hitchcock's movie. 

Tandy circa 1959. It was this face that brought The Birds scene back to my mind but this portrait is not from the film

Morgan Freeman plays the other major character: An old driver who is hired to take Miss Daisy here and there and that's where the story begins. I think if I had seen the movie 10 or 15 years ago, it would have felt different but tears came to my eyes while watching it just a week ago as this is a movie of human connection. It has tons of meaning and lots of affect on lonely people. Enjoy if you can get your hand on it.

(Photo, top: Jessica Tandy in the OSCAR. She passed away five years after the movie)

Cancelled the NY Trip

I just cancelled my trip to The State of New York. This was booked back in Dec. for this Sep.! How insane is that. I also cancelled the hotels (there were three of them) and have to do the last.
Why? To much uncertainty, too costly and not most likely very pleasant for my taste. Why the hell did you consider that in the first place, one might ask. The first thing is I had not yet seen so much violence and disorder in N. Y. City. There're thousands of clips. This new guy, Mamdani which has created so much division within the city had not been yet elected the mayor. The US and Israel had not started their endless and devastating attacks in my country of origin and ICE had not yet been so tough on people. I thought to myself: The purpose of a trip is to stay safe and enjoy. What's the point of going somewhere that I might be questioned simply because I was born in a country that I left 25 years ago and now is in a head-to-toe war with the US? What's the point of going somewhere that you cannot comfortably take a public transit and have to grow eyes on your back to make sure you're not mugged!
These are all excuses! The fact is I'm tired of travelling alone and driving from JFK to Albany which was supposed to be the first part of the trip does not seem to be easy. Lack of confidence has recently gotten the better of me. Based on this poor analysis, I cancelled my Marriot hotel which was about US $1200 and the Lake Placid lodge. I will cancel the last hotel and the rental and my focus will be shifted to the upcoming IT-SW trip although I have a lot to do complete that plan which will be a separate post if needed. I hope I can make this trip some another time and with a better itinenary) 

(Photo: WestJet flies to JFK directly without any damn stop in between)