Oh, Canada!

Hi everyone. I know you are probably my only reader, but I still like to believe there's more than one person reading this thing. Anyway, I have been in Ontario, Canada this week. I got lucky and didn't have to experience the stereotypical weather that comes with the phrase "Canada in winter". The week averaged about 43 F or about 6 C during the day, about 32 F at night or about 0 C over night. I was expecting negative temperatures for either Celsius or Fahrenheit. Talk about lucking out! There must have been a heat wave moving through the area.

My trip was very enjoyable. Flight was on time and smooth, my rental car was a Volkswagen Jetta (Score!), and the people I was working were fantastic. This was my first time flying into Canada and my first trip to Canada since increased border security in both directions. Getting into Canada I think is a little more tricky than getting out. I had to have written verification from my client before hand I was not taking payment of money of any kind since I was going to be there on business and performing training for my client. The last time I traveled internationally was in the mid '90s. There wasn't much to it, then.

Customs Agent: "Welcome to (fill in country here). Passport, please. What are you doing here?"
Me: "I'm here on business. I'm installing a computer system."
Customs Agent: "Did you bring any computers with you?"
Me: "No. They have already been delivered."
Customs Agent: "What's in the bag?"
Me: "Clothes."
Customs Agent: "Have  nice stay with us."

It was a pretty benign encounter. Not so any more. You can be subject to search for any reason. Denied entry without the right paperwork proving you are there for business and not breaking any export or import laws. The security has become much more sophisticated. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not complaining, just pointing out facts. Criminals, terrorists, and smugglers have become much more advanced than they were 15 years ago. Customs security needs to advance faster than the bad guys. And that goes for all countries.

I must say, I felt a little safer going through all the security processes I went through, even domestically, the measures I go through there. They all provide a benefit. I think our biggest problem domestically is the TSA training and procedures. They are not enforced equally across the country. Some of the people the TSA hires are highly questionable. I know the underlying person they look for is a guy that can be a security guard. It doesn't take much to do that. The responsibility and power they hold, however is far greater than that of a typical security guard. The TSA should look at its management teams, processes, training, and hiring standards if there is to be any kind of public acceptance for the TSA and what it does.

Okay, I'm done with that. Back to my Canada trip. I enjoyed the company of my clients, was treated with the greatest hospitality, and learned a few things Canada does pretty well compared to the USA. Specifically with healthcare. We all know the healthcare is nationalized, but while the average family pays about $8,000 or more a year for health insurance premiums and care, Canadians pay about nothing. The tax rate is higher here and that is probably where it evens out, but in the long run, I think private healthcare should be an option. Right now that's all we have. I think there can be a happy medium in there somewhere.


I noticed my food costs were a little higher than normal. The sales tax was 13%, about 60% higher than what I am used to. The gas is certainly higher, about on the lines of California prices, may be higher. Cost of living and housing is about the same as most major metropolitan areas. The one thing did not help me was the US dollar is right about on par with the Canadian dollar. Most of the time I was here it was about a nickel lower, which did not help my exchange rate. Oh, well. It wasn't a killer, but it was disappointing.

So that's my Canada trip. Not terribly exciting, but interesting for me, nonetheless. Thank you for the hospitality, Canada.

My travels for this year

It's almost the end of the year. There are 3 weeks left for the end of this year. I have decided to recount all of the places I have been to this year, and the last few places I will be going before December 31st. As I started to write this post I took a little time to reflect on these trips and recount some of my most memorable. I have been to quite a few places this year, through countless airports, flew 10 different airlines, and rented some good and bad cars. This has been a busy year. We shall see what next year holds.

Of all the airlines I have flown, I would rank Virgin America the highest. I only flew that airline once, but the seats, available food and snacks, entertainment options, and overall experience was by far better than any other carrier I flew. I would rank American Airlines next, followed by United and Delta. The worst airline I flew was Air Tran. I have never liked that airline and I still don't really like it.

The best hotel I stayed at was the Homewood Suites in San Diego, CA. Always clean, good food for breakfast and dinner, and very helpful staff. I had the pleasure to meet one of the owners of this hotel when I was there and he was very excited about his hotel. He certainly helped me to feel like a welcomed customer. The worst hotel was a Hampton Inn in Milwaukee, WI. It just felt like an upscale Motel 6. Old furniture, very little room, standard definition TV, and horrible internet.

The best rental car I had all year was a 2011 Dodge Charger from Budget in Memphis, TN. The Budget office there was great and the staff was friendly and helpful. The car itself was fantastic. Great gas mileage, powerful motor, and sleek interior. I was impressed by the fact Dodge produced a car that gets more than 20mpg. I was able to get about 28mpg while I had the car for the week.

Here is a list of all the places I saw this year by month.

January 2011
Atlanta, GA	Bellingham, WA	Tampa, FL	Garden City, NY
February 2011
Dulles, VA	Dulles, VA	Houston, TX
March 2011
Millville, NJ	Houston, TX	Broomfield, CO	Houston, TX
Houston, TX
April 2011
Plainsboro, NJ	Houston, TX	Irvine, CA
May 2011
Tampa, FL	Plainville, CT	Alexandria, VA	Milwaukee, WI
June 2011
Milwaukee, WI	Mount Laurel, NJ	St. Louis, MO	New York, NY
St. Louis, MO
July 2011
Milwaukee, WI	Denver, CO	Kennesaw, GA	Burbank, CA
Milwaukee, WI
August 20111
Baltimore, MD	Columbia, TN	Jackson, TN	Overland Park, KS
Tucker, GA	Jackson, TN	Columbia, TN
September 2011
Tampa, FL	Charles Town, WV	Topeka, KS	Tucker, GA
October 2011
Topeka, KS	La Jolla, CA	Washington, DC	Atlanta, GA
November 2011
Washington, DC	Tampa, FL	Fort Worth, TX	Washington, DC
Houston, TX	Houston, TX
December 2011
Trenton, NJ	Oakville, ON, Canada	Tumwater, WA