Shaving Kit Not Included, The 2015 Cross Canada Experience (Parts 6 / 9 )

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"Mr. Bush, we've heard that you were coming out with a new book. When will it be available to the public?"
"As soon as I'm done coloring it in."

At some point in your journey, if you haven't joked about a president or prime-minister at all, you may be doing it all wrong. Drop the serious act and have a good time, they say it helps extend lifespans. Multiple hours in, we found ourselves doing just that, passing jokes of the donkey-eared laughing stock of congress and our own Tim Horton's doughnut hunter of Ottawa. Hell, we could have gone way farther back if we were really trying, but with the hot sun beating down on the Jeep and the lack of turns on the highway, let's just say a nap was highly acceptable at some point.

So, today's journey began well. We opted out of our traditional restaurant visit for breakfast and instead had sausage, eggs and toast cooked on the camping grill for breakfast. Frankly, I found it just as satisfying, if not more, then going through the trouble of tracking down a decent food supplier and paying $20 for the very same meal in Saskatoon. After breakfast, we left our campsite and hit the 16 going North-West towards Alberta. But much to our disappointment, the terrain elected to stay in the same flat, farmland style it had for the past god-knows-how-many miles we'd traveled. On the upside, it was a very sunny day and the smoke from the northern fires was nowhere to be seen. Speaking of which, those damned fires are really as bad as they portray them to be on the news. We'd barely left our campsite, and no more then maybe 10km down the road we crossed... I think I stopped counting at 35 LAV III Armored Personnel Carriers and additional supporting water tank carriers, along with troop transports, all from the 38th Canadian Brigade Group, the North Saskatchewan Dragoons. It really was insane; for about two thirds of our trip we crossed them heading in the opposite direction that we were going in. And it wasn't the first time. Just the day prior, as well as near the start of our trip, we saw more of the same kind traveling opposite to us. Hopefully their ordeal wont be too long, but if nothing else, it gives them something to do. And that was pretty much all that happened that day. No real huge spectacles of smoking cars, flooded zones, angry lunch ladies or things of the like. It was just one of those quiet days of reading and napping. By the end of it, we pulled into Edson, Alberta and began hunkering down as routine dictated. Supper was at another Chinese restaurant (almighty power have mercy on my stomach and forgive us of our MSG consumption, so that we may forgive those that ate the last chicken ball before us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from Tim's and grant us everlasting fullness, Amen.) And now we kick back and enjoy the rest of our evening. Salutations, and see y'all soon.

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Photos

Writer's Kit 2015 edition
"The newly revised writers kit now comes with a journal of instant mental paralysis, a dried up and empty pen, a used psychopath's pet rock, and now included is the bottle of dirt!"

Military Convoy
North Saskatchewan Dragoons, 38th Canadian Brigade Group

"Are we there yet?"
See how flat it is? Told you so.