Okay its been a while since I posted so I’ll try and give a quick update.

I’ve spent lots of time traveling over the past 2 weeks, most important back home to Calgary (had 2 days of meeting in Toronto before I actually made it to Calgary). I was app really way too excited to head home as I left a backpack with a climbing harness, climbing shoes, chalk bag and pillow (don’t ask!) at security in the New York airport. (about $300 worth of stuff - fsck!)

Then after a couple days after on the actual flight home I left my precious Arcteyx soft shell on the plane - FSCK! cost me $250 but new they are $475 and the new model doesn’t have a hood..

Good news is the back pack is at the airport in laguardia.. or at least that is what they told me.. Westjet liked my jacket so they kept it.

Home was AWESOME! I LOVE Calgary - holy moly! I was an excited bumbling idiot my first night there - congrats to Julie who put up with me. The whole week was awesome - got to spend time with the amazing NAN!, head out for dinner with some people I really wanted to see, work with friends and spend time in the office, and topped it off with a great weekend at Nipika with the company.

After the trip home it was back to NYC - exciting but NYC is no Calgary to me but it’ll do for now. Even though it doesn’t yet feel like home and based on the following it likely won’t as I don’t spend a lot of time there..

My Story:
I traveled to Toronto Monday afternoon, with the expectation of getting my US working papers. The process is pretty simple once the lawyers get the paper work filled out, I show up at customs as per normal and let them know I have an L1-A application (Work visa for an executive - so all I have to prove is that I meet what they consider an executive to be - the L1-B is for specialists.. good thing I didn’t have to try for that one)

The process took a couple hours, which means I missed my flight and the later ones got cancelled.. Oh well no big deal - I call Air Canada and get a flight for the next day. I get a flight to Newark instead of LaGuardia but it still works and my lack of clothes shouldn’t be a problem i have enough for another day. I find a hotel near the airport that is cheap and I head off to get some sleep - still hungover from the weekend.. yup two day hangover.

After getting up I catch my flight which was delayed a bit, check my CrackBerry upon landing and see that I am to be out at Fairytale land at 5 to head to our meeting in Conneticut. Problem is that it’s 12 already and by the time I get home from the airport I would need to get back on a train to get to Penn station to get to Fairytale land - after a brief chat with Russ we decide that I would work from his place for the afternoon. Being still a bit hungover (3 days now - I ain’t what I used be) I missed connection on one of the trains and ended up at Penn station - shit.. still didn’t make sense to head to the apartment and then back out so I got back on the train paid the $2 to get to the Seacaucus connection and off to Fairytale land. I arrived at about 2 and worked till 5, then off to dinner. I broke the news to russ that I needed a collared shirt at the least - I looked good in Russ’s shirt.

The next day we were off to Princeton, NJ for a golf game with some industry folks, so instead of heading back to the apartment I stayed in Fairytale land as it would say a long commute in the morning - guess what - I don’t have golf clothes or any clothes that might work for the next day..

“Hey Russ, I liked your shirt so much yesterday I want a whole outfit today!”

After getting dressed up like a golfer, we headed out for the day. Had a great meeting before the golf game and then went out for 18 on a golf course that was on Princeton University land. What an awesome place, the university was as grand as I expected as was the course and the scenery around it. I suck at golfing, this day was no different. It was okay that I sucked as there was only 3 of us so I was able to drive my own cart around chasing my ball around the course.

The same day, I had a flight to Toronto for a meeting on the following day. As a re-cap; I left Calgary Monday; got stuck in Toronto Monday night, stayed at Fairytale land on Tuesday night and now its Wednesday and I haven’t been home yet and out of clothes and clean essentials. On the way to the airport from the golf game we did a quick stop at Wal-mart for a new and clean t-shirt, socks and underwear. It’s always fun to buy socks and underwear on the road in strange places. I’m in good shape to head to Toronto.

I land in Toronto on Wednesday night, stay at the hotel and have the meeting in the morning with fresh essentials - although a bit underdressed.

As I type this I am in the Air Canada lounge - heading back to NYC to go home; 3 days later than I expected and 2 countries, 1 province, 3 states and 4 cities later than I expected.

When I land the SWEDISH INVASION will start! Lets hope the weekend is too good to post about.