Go Big or Go Bust: Day 136 (workaholic in withdrawal in Calgary)

I was not built for vacations. Naturally, I'm trying to be a good sport about it all and repressing my true self.  But Mr. Green is not so constrained and summed it up nicely (speaking for himself): "I look at my keys fondly and think of my other life." 

If this weren't our only chance to see these flown-away 20-something children, wild horses couldn't have dragged me from my desk for this long. Yes, yes, I know 'time off is important". I'll give you one or two days. Going on two weeks is a little much. 

Anyway, it stopped raining today and we got to take a look at Calgary, the biggest city in Alberta where the sky is huge and with incredibly complicated patterns of clouds.

There are some crazy contrasts in this city.

There are some crazy contrasts in this city.

This dirt road (flanked in gorgeous fragrant lilacs I managed to miss in the photograph) is right in the city, not ten minutes from downtown. (Note: Early June is lilac season and they are all over the place in white, lavender and deep purple and pe…

This dirt road (flanked in gorgeous fragrant lilacs I managed to miss in the photograph) is right in the city, not ten minutes from downtown. (Note: Early June is lilac season and they are all over the place in white, lavender and deep purple and perfuming the city.)

After lunch, in Chinatown.

After lunch, in Chinatown.

Man hole cover - I guess they're trying to make light of what the North wind feels like here in the winter. 

Man hole cover - I guess they're trying to make light of what the North wind feels like here in the winter. 

Smart and very funny friend-of-friends blogger Una Lamarche's book UNABROW (above, blue shirt) was right there on the NEW & HOT table in the bookstore on Stephen Avenue. 

Smart and very funny friend-of-friends blogger Una Lamarche's book UNABROW (above, blue shirt) was right there on the NEW & HOT table in the bookstore on Stephen Avenue. 

We stumbled on this great place, Bite, in a cool neighborhood called Inglewood.  It's like Dean & Deluca but without the attitude and on a much smaller and friendlier, hand-made scale.

We stumbled on this great place, Bite, in a cool neighborhood called Inglewood.  It's like Dean & Deluca but without the attitude and on a much smaller and friendlier, hand-made scale.

Those orange things are on a moving freight train which goes right into the city.  I was told that sometimes these trains can be several miles long.  (italics not ennabled in comments or there'd be plenty of them in this caption)

Those orange things are on a moving freight train which goes right into the city.  I was told that sometimes these trains can be several miles long.  (italics not ennabled in comments or there'd be plenty of them in this caption)