January 18

After yesterday’s grumpy blog I feel it’s important to be more positive. I talk a lot about things I hate, but here is one thing I love - Calgary. I do, not enough to live there, but I really enjoy the city.

• To me there is only 6 streets - Deerfoot, Memorial, Crowchild, McLeod, Glemore and 16th. I always ask Darian, “Where is that from Memorial?” When Darian drives and we use other streets I’m so excited- it’s like finding Narnia. But alas, I can never find them again. 
• Downtown Calgary. Work takes me there regularly and I have stayed in all the hotels. I know the best restaurants, spas and parking lots. 
• I love the Calgary airport. Best place to people watch. When people tell me they fly out of Edmonton I unfriend them. Calgary airport stories are some of my favourite.
• Concerts at the Saddledome. I know, it’s old, but I love Saddledome concerts. 
• Chinook Mall. I only wish it had a larger Roots store. But that is why the Lord Jesus gave us Banff.
• Christmas shopping with Jen or Jen and Trena or Jen, Trena and Merrily. And once Tracy. Frank, the guy that runs the bar at The Carriage House, knows it’s not Christmas until we show up. And Redstone Grill - it is shopping tradition that we close the place. 
• Calgary winter is always the rest of Alberta’s spring. It is forty below in the entire province but Calgary is enjoying a balmy -5 degrees. The Canadian Geese never leave! Perpetual spring. 
• Eating in downtown on weekdays- everyone around you is talking oil and gas industry. And it’s positive! Those are my people. 
• Rush hour. I’ve driven through downtown Denver, Seattle, Vegas and Vancouver. Calgary rush hour is a chance to do some carpool karaoke. 
• Driving to Calgary on highway 22 and enjoying the view. Beautiful. And also knowing where the popo usually sit.....

Now the one thing I don’t like about Calgary.....The Flames. I can’t. I just cannot. I went to a Flames game and I felt so disloyal. I apologized to everyone around me and explained I was an Oiler fan and although I appreciated their little team, they are not the real team in Alberta. I felt terrible. I wanted to call the Oilers and confess my disloyalty. In a perfect world the Oilers would be in Calgary but I guess Calgary gets a small Roots store in Chinook and the Calgary Flames - we all have our crosses to bear.....