Isn't it Ironic?

I was in Houston last week and had to laugh out loud when I opened the newspaper and this was the headline.

The article is not talking about policemen either. After my post on guns in Texas I found this a bit ironic. The article goes on to explain that the legislation is trying to allow people to have guns in their personal vehicles as long as the vehicle is locked. Yikes!


I don't know if spring can be ironic but if "poignantly contrary" describes irony then the spring in Texas is just that to the spring in Toronto.
Exhibit A and B

Spring in Toronto, March 29, 2009

hey, there are buds on that tree!

Spring in Houston, March 27, 2009

Aside from the stark contrast between spring up here and spring down there, my visit was a great one. I just loved visiting friends and relatives. At one point while I was driving about 75mph on the freeway I had a thought that I could easily slip right back into my life in Houston. Yup, except for the weather ( and mildew, frizzy hair and profuse sweating it produces) it isn't such a bad place. I think the fact that I have friends and relatives there may have something to do with it.

OH, fashion alert. Boy do I miss summer clothes! Boy do I miss wearing fun colors and sandals! Is this because it is the end of winter and I'm just plain tired of dark clothes or is it a north/south thing? Everyone down there is dressed in bright colors it seems and the clothes are so much more fun. I did do my share of economic stimulating. Now I am going to vow to bring color to Canada. I am going to push the season and wear all that yellow, turquoise and pink that I got "down south".

That's all the news that is fit to print today. Waiting for inspiration....

To Quote U2...."It's A Beautiful Day"!

Georgian Bay

(taken out the open sunroof!)
Ski jumping event at Blue Mountain

The village at Blue Mountain

Yesterday TJ and I decided to take a drive. It really was a beautiful day and since neither of us had been to Collingwood we decided, what the heck. There are a few ski resorts up there and one in particular I wanted to see so we took off in the morning. We brought our ski stuff, just in case. It was funny when we pulled up to the resort we parked and walked around and the only things there were a ski rental place and a lift ticket sales booth. I was somewhat disappointed because this was not what I had expected, where was the "cute village" with shops and restaurants? After chatting with one of the employees we found out we needed to drive to the next base area for the village, whew. I would have hated it if we had driven 2 hours for this!

We were not disappointed and the village was very cute. I also expected it to be very crowded because it was a Saturday, the weather was incredible, and it was the beginning of March break. Must say it was not that crowded either. After looking around and figuring out that it was going to cost us about $200 to ski for the three hours we had before we had to head home, we decided to have lunch in the pub and ski another day, darn. There was a special ski jumping event so we sat outside and watched crazy people fly off the jump and some of them stick the landing and others wipe out at the bottom. Basically, we did the apres ski without skiing but boy did I want to get to the top of that mountain, if for no other reason than to see the view of the water! Another time.

On the drive home we passed Georgian Bay and it was very scenic, blue water with some ice at the edges, and the sky was perfectly clear. We opened the sun roof for most of the drive and it was heavenly! I am thinking that spring really is right around the corner. It was a beautiful day!

Doesn't everyone in Texas have a gun?

If you want to know what the rest of the world thinks of the US then move away. Before you think that my allegiance has changed, it hasn't. I was raised in the US and you can take the girl out of the States but you can't take the States out of the girl. That being said, I have spent a lot of my life in Canada and it has influenced who I am too. Balance and perspective are both good things.

Today I had an experience that is not a unique one, it has happened many times since we moved here. At the risk of alienating a reader or two, I will go on. I was getting a pedicure (ahhhh) this afternoon and chatting with the girl there. She found out I was from the States and her comments were, "oh, life is so fast and busy there, we are so much more relaxed and calm here." "Were you ever afraid living there? Guns are everywhere, can't anyone have a gun?" I can't tell you how many times I have heard about the prevelance of guns in the States. I can honestly say that I have never seen a handgun in my life, and hope to never see one, except in a policeman's holster. But inevitably when people find out I'm from Texas specifically they always want to know if everyone has a gun in Texas.

The perspective part depends on what is "normal" to you. I was raised in a country where people were allowed to have guns. People up here are not used to guns, they still have that respect and a certain amount of fear when it comes to guns. We have been desensitised to them to a certain extent, we are used to hearing about shootings. This does not mean it is less criminal. It is big news up here if someone gets shot. That does not mean there is no crime, I have heard about more stabbings than ever up here. I guess if you don't have a gun, then use a knife.

Stereotypes abound. I guess the thing about stereotypes is that they are just that, not everyone in Texas has a gun and not all of life is calm and peaceful in Canada as I watch the news about a shooting in town. I'm sure they bought that gun in the States.....another thing I hear around here.