My Calgary trip

Tuesday, July 11/06

I had a great time in Calgary last week. Right after I arrived on Tuesday N and I went to the Deerfoot Outlet Mall which was close to the airport. I had checked online and if you show your out-of-town ID you get a free tote bag and coupons for mall discounts. There was a Payless Shoes 15% off, Dairy Queen/Orange Julius 10% off, a cosmetics one, perfume one and a souvenir one. I got a pair of lilac mule shoes at Payless. It was nice with the 15% off, no PST and only the new 6% GST.

N had S and A over for dinner and made yummy Callebaut chocolate fondue for dessert. We were all so full. Good thing we ate so much as we went dancing at the Whiskey Nightclub my first night there as we were given tickets for a corporate event at the last minute. We danced pretty much non-stop for 3 hours from 11pm to 2am. It was great music. All my favourites from the late 80’s/early 90’s like Strike it Up, Rhythm is a Dancer, Rumours in the Heart, Pump up the Jam, Madonna, Michael Jackson, as well as classic Thunderstruck and other songs. There were also country songs in between where some people were 2-stepping. A lot of people wore their cowboy attire – cowboy hats, jeans and boots. I learned after last time that it’s way too hot dancing with my cowboy hat on so I didn’t bring mine. Guys aren’t afraid to dance in Calgary. A few joined us and it’s no big deal guys dancing together – doesn’t mean anything.

Wednesday, July 12/06

We were supposed to go dancing again Wednesday at the Ranchman’s but decided not to go as we were too bagged from dancing the night before. N’s two other friends still were going as some of the Calgary Flames were supposed to be there as well as Wide Mouth Mason. We found out the next day that no Flames showed up - how disappointing for the fans. We ended up going to the Deerfoot Inn and Casino for dinner. We coincidentally bumped into N's friend C in the washroom and she invited us to the corporate function in another room. So we went and sat with her and her friends for a bit. Then I taught N how to play poker on the slot machines. We had dinner at the Mohave Grill which had really good food. I had my first Atlantic salmon baked on a cedar plank. It was really good. After dinner we went and watched the live country band where some people were dancing.

Thursday, July 13/06

We went to Stampede on Thursday. I did rides for awhile with N, S and A and then N and I went and watched the Superdogs. I went shopping and looked around while they continued on with more rides. N & A did the log jam ride 18 times. This was a record for N but a tied record for A. I pity the people who sat on the chairs after we got off the CTrain as N and A’s seats were soaked. S managed to lure them away from the log ride to go on a different roller coaster and apparently her plan worked as they were only able to do 18 log jam rides before it shut down at 1am!

Friday, July 14/06

I wore my cowboy hat and jeans on Friday. N and I went to Ranchman’s as C (who we had seen at the corporate event at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino on Wednesday) invited us to the Corporate Tent. We got in for free. We didn’t actually go inside the club as we would’ve had to pay but there was a live band playing in the tent. My friend, L met us there and we ate before N and I had leave for the Chuckwagon Race/Grandstand Show/Fireworks at Stampede. I was surprised that veggie burgers were on the small menu.

We saw one guy fall off the mechanical saddle in a matter of seconds before we had to leave.

By the time we left Ranchman’s and headed over towards Stampede it was getting close to 8pm which is when the Chuckwagon Races started. We had to go quite a ways away from the Stampede grounds to find parking as all the lots were full and there wasn’t any street parking to speak of. We finally found a cheap $2 parking lot at a school and started walking. I had been wearing my cowboy hat and jeans and it was quite a warm day. So it was quite cooling to wear my new lilac KoolLizzy Bandana that I bought at Stampede the day before at the Roundup Centre. It’s a scarf filled with water absorbing crystals which cool your body by evaporation.

Anyways, the entrance to Stampede was packed due to the Our Lady Peace concert to be held at the Coca Cola stage. We trekked around to the other side of the Stampede grounds to the Olympic entrance and by the time we got to our seats it was close to 9pm. I figured I could always watch another show another year but there were still 3 heats of Chuckwagon Races that hadn’t happened yet. So I got to see some races after all. 3 were enough. I don’t regret not seeing the other races as I could see it getting boring really quick. N's 2 cousins, her aunt, uncle and 4 of her friends also were there as N had booked all our tickets at once.

The Grandstand show and Transalta Lights up the Night fireworks were really good with a helicopter flying back and forth with a huge Canadian flag when the patriotic part was on. Here’s the blurb about it from the website:

http://cs.calgarystampede.com/chuckwagons/eveingshow.html

“The 2006 Grandstand Show brings over 100 years of Canadian history to the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. The magic of the Calgary Stampede, together with the spirit and passion of this great country, brings together a vivid and powerful entertainment experience in celebration of the unique multicultural spirit of Canada.

The Grandstand Show is packed with excitement that will connect Canadians and international visitors alike. This year's show features a cast of musicians, singers, dancers, comedians and entertainers from the screen and stage in a production that has earned an international reputation for quality and impact. International visitors frequently say that they have never seen anything like it, and Calgarians continually look upon the Stampede Grandstand Show as the place to show their guests what Calgary is all about.

The $6,000,000 TransAlta stage has been completely refitted for 2006 and will provide an incredible setting for our cast of nearly 500 members. This custom designed theatrical environment features sightline vista seating, panoramic video projections and surround sound, to offer visitors a heightened entertainment experience.

Internationally renowned singer Susan Aglukark will pay tribute to the millions of Canadians as guest stars from Cirque du Soleil and singers, dancers and musicians from across Canada join the Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede in a spectacular commemoration of the spirit of Canadian unity.

The Stampede's commitment to youth and community is reinforced through the Young Canadians as they celebrate their 38th year. This scholarship-based training program is a vital part of the Calgary Stampede's initiative to connect with all Calgarians as we grow together into the 21st century.

The finale will feature a special musical tribute to Canada as TransAlta, our presenting sponsor and sponsor of the TransAlta Lights Up The Night Fireworks Finale, will light up the Calgary skyline with a spectacular fireworks presentation. Performers will join in a chorus of "This is our home" and "O Canada" as fireworks burst overhead and we salute Canada and the rest of the world.”

It was neat when the patriotic part was on as a helicopter flew by a few times with a giant Canadian flag hanging from it.

Saturday, July 15/06

Ugh, I had to get up early Saturday morning at 10am after only getting 5 or so hours of sleep. N had to go downtown to pay for her sushi class she and her friends were doing on Monday.

We met up with L at a restaurant she recommended called the Wildwood. The food was really good. We had a good visit and then went to my cousin S's place. We went with S, M and E along with their dog for a walk to get ice cream. After that we walked back to their house and visited for a while. In a span of only a few minutes of standing outside of their house I managed to get 5 damn mosquito bites – 1 on the front of each knee, 2 on the back of my right knee and 1 on the back of my left knee. I put Afterbite on them right away but they all swelled and were sooooooo itchy and inflamed. That night and the next few days I iced the bites as well.