Polar Vortex in Downtown Harrisburg

Although I'm not exactly sure what a polar vortex consists of, I am excited to see that the weather people of the world are trying to spice life up a bit and make things a little more interesting.  It used to just be called cold.  I was under the vortex just meant cold.  However, I guess with the cold comes the possibility of snow and the like.  Alas, here are a few photos of my experience with the polar vortex in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

(The first storm we got hit on Monday.  Luckily, it was just snow.  Unfortunately, it was heavy, wet snow.)

(This is in the parking lot at K-Mart.  A friend picked me up and we made our way downtown to help out another friend.  A 3rd member of our party needed gloves, hence the stop at K-Mart.  Yes, they still exist, at least here in Central PA.)

(State street which runs run into the State Capitol)

(Harrisburg's Capitol)

(These pictures took place Wednesday morning and after the snow storm, we ended up with an ice storm.  I know the pictures aren't the best but it's the best I could do in freezing rain with an I-pod touch...)

(Capitol at night.  In case you can't tell, the sidewalk is a sheet of ice...)

(My buddy Stocker making his way onto the morning news at 6:30 in the morning.  This storm was definitely news worthy.  About an hour later another buddy made his was on to TV sets across Central PA.)

(Again, hopefully this gives you a sense of the ice that accumulated in a few short hours...)

Downtown Calgary

This past week I was fortunate enough to take the C-Train into the heart of Calgary and explore a little bit of the city.  Getting off at the City Hall terminal put me in a great spot to explore Olympic Plaza, City Hall, the Calgary Tower, Stephen Avenue which had some live music, Chinatown, as well as a few other sights and sounds.  For a Tuesday, Stephen Ave. was happening.  There were two live gigs and quite a few people standing around listening.  I also stopped by the Museum of Contemporary Art and viewed the exhibit.  It was a great first trip into the city and I'm looking forward to doing some more exploring.

(Downtown Calgary from afar)

(A quick view of the C-Train tracks I rode into town on)

 (One of the sculptures in Olympic Plaza with the Calgary Tower in the background)

(Same view in black and white)

 (There were quite a few field trips happening and all these kids were on the lawn for lunch time)

(A statue representing an Olympian)

(A different angle with City Hall in the background)

(A little information about the Famous 5...)

(A memorial to the Famous 5, all of them women who fought for suffrage)

(2 of the women enjoying tea)

(One of the ladies holding up a newspaper from the day)

(Calgary Tower)

(An interesting Horse Sculpture made from all kinds of metal parts)

 (Stephen Ave. before the festivities)

 (This band was promoting a free concert)

(It was a mix of reggae and rock.  I probably listened to them for over 20 minutes.)

(Steel 'Trees' Sculpture on Stephen Ave.)

(A little different angle)

(I have a feeling they are magical in the evening)

(Found this interesting sculpture on my way to Chinatown)

(I wasn't overly impressed with Chinatown so I didn't get any photos)

(I made my way past Chinatown to the river walk)

(Found this interesting sculpture on my way back.  These statues were probably 20 feet high, easily.)

(The Calgary Public Library was my point of reference for the day, mainly because they had public restrooms)

 (I ventured into City Hall hoping for a tour - it was a bit disappointing inside - no tours and you had to remain on the first level...)

(A memorial to fallen police officers and fire fighters in the plaza outside City Hall)

(An interesting sculpture outside the Museum of Contemporary Art.  There was free admission and the works were based on Olympians.   I'm not a huge fan of art, but a free exhibit is always worth it.) 

The Queen's People at a Brewery and an Izakaya with Old Friends and New

Started the day off with one of the few 'Canadian' things I could think of - a stop at Tim Hortons.  It wasn't bad, but then again, I'm not a big coffee guy.  I also tried ketchup chips which tasted like vinegar and on a recommendation from a friend, Coffee Crisp, which were terrible, at least in my opinion.  Also, I had some poutine but there will be a whole post devoted to that.  Anyway, after that I ended up heading downtown to the Steam Whistle Brewery.  If you're in Toronto and have time, go.  I had a fantastic time and met a few of the Queen's people.  Stuart from Australia  Sam from Canada, and Becky from England.  After a few hours of indulging, I met Hiroko and we went to a Japanese Izakaya for Nobuko's birthday!  It was a fantastic day and I made some great memories.  In case I haven't mentioned it lately, I love my life.  

(Tim Horton's)

(Me and my cup of Chai Tea Latte since I'm not a fan of coffee.  However, it was bagged...)

(Steam Whistle Brewing Company.  This is the outside of the building, at night.  It was easy to find and I believe the tours run every half an hour.)

(There motto is to make one thing and do it right so they only make a Pilsner.  I was planning on bringing some home to share but I left mine in Hiroko's fridge.)

(Not sure what it is with these old carts and distilleries...)

 (There are a few options for the tour.  I think you can pay $10 and get a bottle opener, $15 and get a six pack, and then there's one more option.  You get a few free drinks on the tour and can buy a beer afterwards for $5.)

(I believe this is the old turnabout, where the company started)

(Boxing machine)

 (Stuart and I went on the tour together and ended up chatting afterwards.  He was taking a 5 week vacation from his studies and here he is blowing the steam whistle.  The name implies the end of the day, time to relax and wind down with an ice cold beverage.)

(As the name implies, the case maker)

(This machine is used to detect the impurities in the bottles.  They actually use a very specific bottle which can be re-used an average of 35 times I believe.  It's washed and put back into circulation.  They are a 'green' company.)

 (Filling machine)

(The Queen's people - Stuart, Becky, and Sam.  We met the ladies after they finished their tour.)

(Not quite sure what happened with Stuart here...)

 (Becky was a bit of a firecracker)

(We were planning on taking photos in the booth, but it wouldn't accept our money)

(Not sure what Sam was doing here with the American money)

 (This guy was great.  He said, eat, drink lots, be merry, and make the women happy, or something along those lines.  So, I had to get a picture with him.)

 (If you look closely, you can see the train on the turnabout.  It was the only place, besides at the end of the lines, where you could actually turn the trains around and it has now become an historic area.)

(CN tower at night.  The brewery is literally right behind it or in front of it, depending on which direction you are coming from.  I guess it could also be beside it.)

(The city as the sun is going down)

(Another evening shot)

(Not sure why, but I really liked this one)

 (Time for some food, but no drinks for me)

(Hiroko and Eri)

 (So I took a photo of Hiroko eating a chicken wing...)

 (And she had to do the same)

 (The birthday girl, Nobuko, and myself)

(Three beautiful women)

 (Nobuko is holding up some sake for this shot)

 (Having a bite to eat)

(I can't quite remember what was so funny here)

 (Hiroko loved this picture so I figured I better put it on the blog)

(Sashimi, oh yeah!)

 (The birthday girl with her ice cream/cake and a big smile)

(Opening her gift and I think she's excited)

(Yep, she likes it)