I've been dodging gyms and vegetables....

...but embracing beer and sleep deprivation.

Canada is a stand up place. America is more of a sit down place. Preferably with an over sized sugar laden drink. And a burger.

The last two weeks have flown by in a haze of hazy company policy, haphazard product training and general alcohol derived haze. One thing that can be said for the new company is that they do know how to treat their employees. Every night of last week we were treated to good quality food and all you can drink drink. The 8AM mornings were a bit of a killer and where I a more career driven man I wouldn't have got drunk every night. My Thai-derived steel liver has stood up admirably to the punishment however and I started almost every session bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

Last week culminated in a weekend with MattyP. Or, as KT very correctly states: Big M. After heavy fog delayed my flight out of Montreal our plans for a boozy Friday night were cut short (or long I suppose) by a 3AM NYC arrival. When I finally got to Mats we were both wreaked and promptly passed out.

The next day started with promise when we heading down to Mats work to use the gym. The pace changed up a gear when we discovered they had a boxing gym and proceeded to beat the snot out of each other for the next hour. Even this already high level of excitement was again raised when we wondered down to the BBQ festival which several Manhattan blocks had been roped off to facilitate. The afternoon was then spend kicking back in the sun with a few beers before mat decided to have a kip and I wondered down to a bar where I was promptly set upon by the local wildlife. Mat came and saved me a few hours later thankfully when we then adjourned to a local pool hall and later to a house party. The evening/morning was topped off by a 5AMish appointment with the local Native American street-meat vendor who had a sign on his cart proudly proclaiming "From Atlantis, with love".

The next morning was a bit of a write off and after a quick wonder around NYC it was back on a train/plane and back to Montreal.

The next week was more training in Ottawa then off to Toronto for a trade show. This resulted in a rather random night in an 'after hours bar' which was kinda like some of the armpits in Kings Cross or Brunswick back home. It was a fun night/week though and good to get to know some of the people I work with in a more trashy environment.

So I'm finally back in the UK and after Carly's house party Saturday night where I caught up, very briefly, with KT it's back to reality and my first official day of work begins tomorrow.

Finally, happy birthday to my 1 year old niece Laura. If only she were old enough to read....