OGA Road Trip II: On The Ground In Toronto

Wednesday, 8 April, 4:29pm (EST) - I landed at Lester B. Pearson Airport at approximately 2:15pm local and zipped through customs slicker than spilled Wesson on linoleum. Once through there, I had already been clued in to the Airport Express shuttle bus, so slid on over to the desk to secure my round trip ticket to and from the airport and my hotel. If you plan on coming to Toronto for a game one day and are not renting a car, take the Airport Express and get the round-trip ticket to save some beer money.

We hoped up on the Queensland Expressway and made our way into town pretty well - more cars were coming out than going in. For an American, it could be any town in our country with a few exceptions:

1. There is Lake Ontario to the SUD;

2. SUD is, of course South in French (and German, I remember form school and deployments), which is indicated on the bilingual English and French signs;

3. And your speed is in kph and distance in meters. I have done this with the U.S. military as a normal course of events. If you think it is going to throw you off, just go with it - your exit is still marked.

I am also reminded as I look at the French commands that there are many words we have adopted from them in English. EXIT from the highway, for instance, is SORTIE. Of course, in my line of work, SORTIE usually means jets or helicopters involved in helping you line somebody out. But a good word nonetheless.

I checked in at the hotel where the guys made the reservation. Very nice room. They live comfortably enough on the road - not a palace (I have only slept in a palace in IRAQ), but comfortable, and who needs more than that?

I promptly turned on TSN to the World Curling Championships. Don't let anyone fool you - there is a fine art to hurling your rocks down the ice and having them come to rest just exactly where you want them to.

I will have to give you more later. It is time to get ready for the game and I need to make myself presentable. More late tonight from the Colonel...