I heart DINOSAURS

Wow, never before have I so appreciated what my parents did for me as a child. The past two days have been a real ‘eye-opener’ to my own past and just how very boring it was. People have told me ‘you can never go back’ which I always thought would be true because I was banned from a few places, but it turns out that they meant something more along the lines that you CAN go back, but it won’t be the same as you remember it. My super-adventure type trip was just that. I tried to go back, but it wasn’t the same. On the upside I did learn a valuable lesson about boys.

I was able to score two days off in a row. For me, this is a huge accomplishment as between both jobs I have no time off. Provided, both a generous, giving me at least two or up to five days off in a row, but combined… um, some forces of evil stuff happens and I have no time off. I think that it’s best this way as if I’m busy, I don’t have time to think, which is not only good for my own mental health, but the betterment of society as well (no time to plot global domination… scratch that, I want the galaxy). So these two days off, was in fact, a big deal. I packed up the Civic and headed out into the great wide yonder. Did you ever stop to think about what a stupid word – YONDER is?

Deciding that I wanted to find dinosaurs, I headed to Drumheller. After a shorter then it should be journey, I arrived at the Tyrell museum, paid my ten bucks, and strode inside. Wow… it was tiny. I mean it, really small. There were only about a dozen full skeletons, and while holding a tarantula was pretty cool, the rest was boring, and old. I remember going there with family, the place seemed huge, everyone was happy… and now it wasn’t so much. The busiest part was in front of a few computer terminals they had set up with some kind of dinosaur game, I guess it just goes to show what kids are like now. I probably shouldn’t complain too much seeing as how I’m sitting in front of a computer now – but at least I went outside. I did all of the nature hikes around the area and – gasp – found dino poo. Did you ever get that speech that if everyone took a rock, there would be no rocks left? I took a bit. It’s pretty awesome. And I was all sneaky like.

I then went around town and became steadily depressed by the fact that this town had nothing more to offer then a bunch of dilapidated paper mache dinosaurs around town. Everything was disgustingly cliché and filled with dino-crapobilia. It was then that I realized what I had put my parents through. I can’t imagine spending more then a few hours there, let alone a few days. Being the tacky tourist that I am, I decided to hit up all the excitement that the town had to offer, including Canada’s largest Reptile Zoo. This was, actually, pretty cool. They had everything from your common garter snake, to black mambas (one of the most deadly, I never really got the term ‘most deadly’ – how can you be MORE deadly?, snakes in the world), alligators, crocodiles, frogs, turtles, and lots of lizards. The entire place is in an old Saan store, but they have some really exotic animals. It was weird. But I kinda smiled at the guy who worked there, who then asked me if I wanted to see his snake. Somewhat scared, I clutched one of my many knives, but agreed. He took me into the back area. There I got to meet, um, everyone (?) up close. I got to pet a caiman, and hold a few snakes and lizards, and learned the history behind all of the animals. It was the best five bucks I spent on the whole trip. The best twenty dollars I spent was on an old Nintendo and TV. I didn’t think that either would work… but now I have Duck Hunt. It’s at least three and a half levels of awesome.

I also went for ice cream – yes, it was the most boring town ever. My half-scoop cone turned into a double as I chatted with the guy working there. And it was bubblegum.

Oh, and next time you go out, avoid hotels, and stick to bed and breakfasts. You can check out my pad at www.rosebudalberta.blogspot.com. It’s called the ‘Angel Room’. He he. The lady who runs it wasn’t there, um, at all, and I actually had the whole place to myself, although I think that she was sure I had a significant other with me, as there was two of everything laid out for breakfast, and extra towels. It was really nice, though.

The next day I headed to Calgary, only to be rained out and I found out that parking for the ‘Eau Clair’ market was 17.00$ a day. Yup. So I did some shopping elsewhere and headed home.

That’s about it, I mean it’s not as exciting as some other people’s vacations… COUGH kim COUGH… but it was enough adventure for me.

ENTER VELOCERAPTOR… (everything should be ended with a veloceraptor.)