Happy Thanksgiving and goodbye to America

That’s it…I’m sick of packing….I don’t care how crap or amazing Jasper is, once I’m unpacked I’m staying there. Least next time I unpack my snowboard it’ll be cos I’m actually gonna use it. It was so knackering, yet again. I thought I got rid of a load of stuff, but apparently I didn’t get rid of enough…think I’ll be leaving some stuff in Canada in April. - Least I wasn't drunk when I was packing this time. I couldn't fit all my stuff in my big backpack STILL, so I'm gonna try my English charm and ignorance with greyhound tomorrow "oh, really, I didn't know that I could only have one luggage in the storage"...yeah we'll see how that one goes!

So this is my last night in the USA. Tomorrow I will be heading North of the boarder to Canada, first stop…Vancouver. I decided to take my job in Jasper working for Fairmont, so accommodation is sorted from Tuesday night onwards. And I’ll be working again, as of Wednesday first time in exactly 3 months. I’ll have a weekend in Vancouver, staying at Samesun. Making the most of Vancouver for a weekend, and getting my Canadian Social Security Number, before travelling overnight (via Greyhound) on Monday arriving at Jasper nice and early on Tuesday morning.

So I experienced my first (and quite likely last) Thanksgiving on Thursday. Twas great, kinda like Crimbo minus the presents (no complaints from me). I probably ate too much, but Jane and Mariah did an awesome job with the food…how can you blame me! Sweet Potato (weggies…na) covered in marshmallows, twas all different (except the turkey…even the brussel sprouts taste different over here (although they still taste mighty fine (and on that note, I’d also like to add that chocolate Nesquick also taste different over here..don’t even know how that’s possible))).

These are also pictures of Duvall in the snow on Tuesday……we all had the day off school….yyyeeeaaaaaaa!!!!

Cos I aint shown it yet, but this is Jane and Steve's "crib"

Thrive let me still use the gym this week, even though my membership expired last week. Apart from that I’ve pretty much been planning Canada stuff, I’ve booked my flight from Vancouver to Hong Kong for Sunday 3rd April 2011, and I actually have my letter of approval to hand over to the Canadian officials tomorrow. Got myself some shirts, ready to start working again (fortunately I brought trousers, shirt and tie over with me for a wedding (which I never attended), unfortunately I gave the shoes to Ryan and Katie to take home with them). I’ve also been trying to clear my netbook, I was worried that I might have (very stupidly) got a key logger on my netbook, but I think that I’m OK.

I also finally convinced Jane to let me take here and Steve out for a meal tonight, nothing too big, but we had a Clam Jumper, awesome food, some of the dessert portions are huge. We also learnt, that whilst Steve may be “Hot Stuff” and I’m “Naughty, but Nice”, Jane can be a bit “Clammy”…”Mild” at best! Dunno if I completely agree!?

More big American stuff!!!

I also think I may have got Jane into Peep Show...now don't tell me that's not worth staying up till 3 in tne morning for!

Overall my time in America has been pretty crazy and not at all as planned, due to situations I’m not even here for the 90 days that you get without a visa (all that effort) in fact Saturday is Day 79…although I did get to see a whole lot more of America than planned. I’d have rather stayed in Rhode Island for the 6 months, but I can’t pass up on the opportunities and as a result I’m getting to go to Canada for four months. It’s just amazing how one person can change so much, I’ve never been let down so much and so quickly by one person. That’s the last time I hype someone and my situation up so much....Thanks for that. I wish I could just say “screw it” and move on, least crossing into Canada tomorrow for a season of snow should help. That first “Thanks” was obviously sarcastic, but these are genuine: Big Thank you to Mum, Dad and Stinks for all your help back home with my application, including G-Man for the awesome reference, there’s no way I could’ve done any of this without you (and it sucks that I won’t be seeing you next week Stinks). Also thanks to James and Gary, I dunno if anyone did phone you from Canada but thanks for letting me put your names down. Thanks to Danny G, David, Ed (The Church boys) for the awesome gifts (they really did crack me up) and Daz for actually “having the balls” and taking the time to ask about me Thanks to Eva for being an awesome roommate in RI (sorry about the unnecessary mess). Thanks to Ryan for finally giving me an awesome friend (physically with me) to vent to after about 6 weeks. Thanks to my big bruv Russ and Anessa for always being there. Thanks to Winston for your random but true words, I aint “there” yet, but I’ll get there. And thanks to Keri and James for wanting to get me out of Duvall (you know I don’t really dislike America or the stars and stripes, you crazy drunk fool). Thanks to Katie for being awesome over the last few weeks and sorting all this out (I don’t really blame you or Ryan for all this, you’ve been more than amazing). And a big thank you to Jane, Steve, Eric, Emma, Mo, Rob, and yes, even you Mariah, for being awesome hosts over the last SIX weeks, I couldn’t have asked to have been with better people. Thanks also to Mark and Dylan for the spontaneous and cheap road trip so I actually got to see California and the sun (all the best with the move back down there Mark). Sorry to Andy, you didn’t catch me at the best of times, I’m glad I met you though, just wish it was under different circumstances - if you’re ever in England (and I’m there) I’ll take you out with the boys for a “proper piss up”. And a big sorry to everyone in Florida and a certain person in Michigan, I would’ve love to have seen you all but money really was the only reason and nothing personal - after speaking with Tyler and Rob on Tuesday evening I miss you ALL even more, and hopefully we can sort something for the next few months in Canada. I also wanna apologise to G-Man, James and Tom, as the first time I speak to you in months is to ask for help, but hope you’re all well. It’s well nice to know that over both sides of the Atlantic I know some amazing people, if I don’t already miss you then I soon will. So long America, I’ll miss you and I dunno when we’ll meet again. But with all that’s gone on (and although this might not make perfect sense) it really makes me feel more unsure of when I’ll go home.

And finally, I hope My Little Stavie Stav, Lee has an awesome birthday weekend (in Southampton, not Portsmouth). Sorry I can’t make it.

(Them two paragraphs above were originally written for facebook, but due to me making this “PG friendly” I’ve toned down on my “French”, it’s like a Eminem radio edit – “Dear Slim, you still aint called or wrote, I hope you have a chance, I aint mad I just think it’s ‘messed’ up you don’t answer fans”). Plus I can't put it all on my status as you can only have 6 tags, not 21, and you can only have 420 characters, not 3000+.

American things I’m gonna miss include:

• Root Beer.
• BASEBALL (I know it’s been over for ages now, San Francisco Giants won the “World” Series at the beginning of the month) – can’t believe I got sucked into the sport.
• Big, if not HUGE everything!
• Clam
• Pumpkin
• I’ve missed Dunkin’ Donuts for weeks now.
• The awesome awesome awesome people, I’ve been over here six times now, and very few Americans have that “plastic friendliness” well least the Americans I know, they’re all beautiful people (well….most of them). I have some great friends all over this mass country. And I'm not sucking up, I'm leaving in about 12 hours, I can say what I want!
• I will always miss comments like “Can you teach me some English”…..I don’t care how drunk you are!
• …..OK, and the Duvall Tavern…….!? Maybe!? Although I did miss out on “Ladies night”...Dam Girl!
• Vanilla Coke, they still have it over here!

American things I don’t think I’ll ever miss:

• The American “British” accent – trust me, you don’t sound like anyone I know…don’t do it!
• The white man who says that I can cross the road! You’ve nearly killed me on numerous occasions, you liar!
• “Do you have …… in England!?”
• Peanut in pretty much all “candy”
• Dragged out American adverts (commercials)…and the health warnings.
• Talking about the queen…..look we only hooked up once, and I don’t wanna talk about her!

And things Americans miss:

• u
• Where the language came from...I aint the one with the accent!
• It's called "mobile" phone for a reason, what does "cell" or "cellular" even mean!

I'm sure all lists could/should be longer. I never did have a peanut butter “jelly” sandwich…good for me!

I also dunno how long it’ll be till I have the internet again …so we’ll speak whenever readers!!!

Jane, also sent me this this week, this is Duvall:

Jane’s Mom’s in this video too!

As I know that The Church boys have got their returned gifts, I can show you what I sent back to them:

They even ate them popcorn Jelly Beans...

I also got them some 'make your own animal balloons', and this is what they do with them!:

...And they did take it out into town with them!

And another “finally” to people in England, I hear that you’re getting an extra bank holiday making it 9 in 2011 cos Harry decided that Kate’s the one for him, and we’re ALL so happy for you. But I can top that, my Bank/public holidays in the last year:

1. Christmas Day – Ringwood, England.
2. Boxing Day – Somewhere in Florida.
3. New Years Day – Florida
4. Good Friday – Gulf of Mexico, just off Florida
5. Easter Monday – Over the Atlantic and back home
6. May Day – Chilling in Hedge End
7. Spring Bank Holiday – Studying in Hedge End
8. Summer Bank Holiday – Recovering from Reading Festival
9. Columbus Day – Getting pretty wasted in the Hot Club, Providence
10. Memorial Day (it’s a “public” holiday here) – BBQing in the California sun
11. Thanksgiving – Awesome grub in Duvall.
12. Black Friday (is to Thanksgiving what Boxing Day is to Christmas) – Enjoying my last full day in the States.

Looks like it’s gonna be Christmas, Boxing Day (cos they have it there) and New Year’s in Oh Canada!

Couldn't agree any more!

I can't really be bothered to check back over this one too much so......Now I’m done!