Toronto, pt. 2

The trip to AIHce in Toronto was nice. I am frustrated that I didn't make a pilgrimage to Tim Horton's. I didn't realize one was close to our area until it was too late ... And then, after getting into the airport, I saw one!! On the other side of the glass. In the domestic departures half of the terminal. What? I can't have a Tim Horton's doughnut just because I'm leaving Canada??

MSA, a safety supply company, hosted the annual 5k run/walk Tuesday morning. MSA, the same safety supply company, hosted the open bar soirre Tuesday evening. The Golden Gopher team represented in both. I was #3 for the walkers (which was actually 2k); Josie was #1 in the real race for her age group (25-35). That evening, we represented in the drinking as well. I consumed more alcohol that night than I have in a very, very long time. Yup, my liver is still up to par. And, unlike the younger students, my brain is up to par: drinking 1 liter of water prior to sleep will prevent hang-overs.

The end of the alcohol consumption was the Loose Moose pub watching the Penguins v. Red Wings. The same MSA employee crowd was there; they're all from Pittsburgh other than the 2 from Windsor, ONT (ie, directly across the river from Detroit). The whole group were wankers - waaaay too interested in the game to actually enjoy themselves. They didn't even go nuts when Detroit lost!?

I managed to blow someone's mind when I stated that I remember the last NASA moon mission
(1972). The fellow - who works for NASA - looked at me in confusion and asked "how old are you?" When I assured him I had been 6 at the time, he still looked stunned. I had to remind him that a little 3 years age difference now (he's 40) was a really big difference 40 years ago.

The guest speaker for the opening lecture was the originator of the X prize. He was a great speaker - very much in the motivational light-a-fire-under-your-ass sense. His motto is 'innovation through competition'. I was inspired by the opportunities such a philosophy would have in my profession. Competition for excellence in workplace health, yes? Who can come up with the best method for controlling the methylethylmeatloaf? It would need to be the creation of something, not just the absence (e.g. reducing accident rates isn't creativity, it's often bookkeeping.) I was quite suprised to hear a few people pissing & moaning about the talk being a total waste of time. "We're all going to wind up working for each other ... why compete on anything?" No wonder business thinks we're all a bunch of dweebs wasting their money. Business is competition.

On the airplane decending into Toronto:
--Which lake is that? Is that Lake Michigan?
I think it's one of the great lakes.
--Lake Suprior? Lake Huron? Lake Erie?
No, I don't think so
--Isn't there another one?
me: It's Lake Ontario
--are you sure there are 5?
me: uhhhhh... yes... ???


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