Florida wrap-up

Back in Iqaluit again. Or, as Cathy noted, we've come from a place with white beaches and arrived at a place with white beaches, it's just that the white stuff here isn't as much fun as what we left in Florida.

So, a couple of wrap up points.

1. One of the things that surprised me the most was how cheap some stuff was, but especially food and clothing. I'm use to prices for food in Iqaluit being double what they are in Ottawa or St. John's. However, in Florida I was finding Iqaluit prices were four times more expensive than what we were seeing there. And you can't talk about the dollar, because it's essentially on par. It was staggering how cheap the food is.

So was the clothing, for that matter. I was buying work pants that would have cost me $60 in Ottawa for $25 in Florida. I have no idea why there is such a difference in price, but it was kind of mind boggling. The one place where there was no saving was in electronics. I found DVDs, cameras, TV sets and whatnot were all at the same price as in Canada. In some cases, it was even cheaper.

2. Our trip back up was pretty smooth. The only bit of scariness was some pretty rough turbulence over Newark. I'm not normally a white knuckle flyer, but there were a few minutes on that tiny plane leaving Newark when we were turning and bouncing at the same time that made me grab the hand rests extra hard. However, it then settled down and I got to enjoy a beautiful view of Manhattan out my window. God, I really need to get back there some day. I notice this year's New York Comic Con is the same weekend as Canadian Thanksgiving. Hmmm.....

Although I did have a small revelation during the travels. People bitch about air travel a lot and complain about airports, airlines and security. I'm not saying those things aren't issues. Just off the top of my head I can certainly think of ways Continental could set up their check-in at Tampa that wasn't quite so confusing.

However, 95% of the dumb things I saw on this trip were not by security or airlines, it was by people. A guy getting pissed off with the security at a metal detector because the guard kept sending him back to take of metallic items that set off the detector. Like it was the guard's fault the guy couldn't remember to take off his watch or remove his keys. Or stewards on a plane constantly having to tell people to not stand up to get their luggage while the plane was moving.

This isn't Advanced Flying Knowledge here, folks. If you've been on a plane in the last 10 years you ought to know this stuff. It's not that air travel needs to be made easier or simpler, it's that people need to get fucking smarter. If you're showing up less at a major airport less than an hour before your flight is to leave then you're too stupid to fly.

I don't know, maybe an IQ test is needed before you're allowed to get on a plane.

3. Then again, who am I to talk. Most smart people know better than to go to a Costco on a Saturday, yet that's where we went when we hit Ottawa yesterday. We needed to do a resupply on some food, and it was the best choice for price, is not sanity. We survived, but it was touch and go there for a bit.

Then after that bit of stupidity, I willingly gave money to go and see Clash of the Titans. I was expecting spectacularly dumb and I got it in spades. Although, if I have to admit it, I went just so I could hear Liam Neelson turn dramatically to the camera and say "Release the Kraken!" But it was just kind of dumb. Not fun dumb, or eye-rolling dumb. Just plain ol' dumb. A few fun bits, but mostly it was deeply...eh.

And that's it for now. Tomorrow, hopefully some other news, but we shall have to see...

Last Five
1. See the light - Green Day
2. Minimum wage - They Might Be Giants*
3. Please please me - The Beatles
4. Ulysses - Franz Ferdinand
5. English girls approximately - Ryan Adams