Return From the Great White North

Ok, so I've been back in the Death Star now for a week but remained rather busy with semester turnover. I find mysef with a rare moment to share some advenure stories from theCanadian wilderness. Five stalwart conpanions joined me this year in traveling to northern Quebec to spend a few days sledding through the frozen forests of the Saguenay district near St. James Bay. Once again the trip helped energize me at the end of a particuarly degenerative period with regard to a number of professional and domestic issues. While WOP once managed to take me from Hogwarts to the airport in ten, yes ten, minutes, this time we ended up spending nearly 45 minutes on the 4 mile drive, detour to retrieve a passport and several scenic routes of the Imperial capital inclusive. Good thing this was one of the rare instances when I was actually ready to leave on time. We literally walked onto the plane a minute before they closed the door. After a brief layover in Montreal, where yours truly procured a precious piece of quiche and SK and OW sought out the most expensive sandwiches they coud find -- oh, and NS discovered the delights of putine -- we boarded the turbo-prop for the final leg northward. For those not inducted into the 'J'aime Quebec' club, I can barely hope to describe the warm, comfy feeling I get when I finally climb into that rental, dubbed the 'Liberty Expresse' for this pleasure cruise. and head of down Rt 440 into the centre ville to one off my favorite hotel in the world, Hotel Le Priori, filled with expectations of all the good things of life that Quebec offers: spacious yet cozy pad with working fireplace, an exceptionally tasty meal with good friends, and a chance to visit the Pope, a bulwark against all that I despise about life on the Death Star.