Ottawa Bound.

[DanD]

This goes out to the Ottawa people; I’m heading up there this Saturday for my daughter’s graduation ceremony Sunday morning. Is there anything you might need from London (with-in reason) that I can bring up for you?

I can’t offer a ride to anyone (the vehicle is full); but a package no bigger then an overnight bag, I’d have room for. Just throwing the idea out there?

We’ll be staying at one of the downtown hotels and plan on arriving around 3pm and the whatever could be picked up there.

 

Dan.

[John]

Great offer Dan, good on ya!......

[[email protected]]

Dan, congrats on your daughter's graduation! I'm assuming she's an Ottawa U Grad? I will be heading to Carleton U on Thursday for my graduation as well.. Exciting times.

 

Awesome offer! Wish I could do the same but i don't know how i am getting there just yet.

Don't forget to take a fishing rod and a couple of teeny jigs with you Dan. The walleye and crappie bite on Dows lake/Rideau canal are pretty dang hot this time of the year. Yeah i said Dows lake . Unbelievable and completely overlooked fishery right in the heart of the city. I know things will be busy with the graduation and all but if you get a chance you shouldnt overlook it. IF you do get a chance, focus on fast flowing water during the day (downstream of the locks at Carleton University or of the locks at the bottom of Parliament hill) and under any of the well lit bridges at night.

 

With my severe condition of fishingitis i will actually have my rod with me at my convocation ceremony. Fishing was my alcohol substitute during my undergrad years and so when I received my first degree i thought it would be fun to put in 15 minutes on the water fishing for musky in my graduation robe (avatar picture). Musky season had just opened and so I hit the Rideau River after the ceremony and prayed for a chase to make the day extra special. Din't get any follows but I did get tonnes of awkward stares.

This time around, I'm not going to try for musky. Instead I am going to target some 20+ inch walters at a honey hole that got me through my masters. Hopefully, I'll have a decent pic for you guys in the near future.

 

Have a safe trip and great convocation.

Cheers!

Nigel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bassman87]

generous offer

[DanD]

Thanks for the heads up on the fishing; but if I brought my tackle with me I’d also need a pen. That’s to sign the divorce papers my wife would have ready for me. LOL

And yes she’s an Ottawa U grad; she’s the first lawyer in our family; after she passes the bar exam that is.

 

Dan.

[whiskywizard]

I'll also be in Ottawa Thursday for my son's convocation from Carleton; Engineering. Watch for me. I'll be the guy in the audience who looks a proud father, taking pictures. Can't miss me!

 

Yeah - congrats Dan. My daughter's from U Ottawa too. Human Kinetics. very good school, and they all loved living in Ottawa. I wish your daughter the very best in her new career.

[Dontcryformejanhrdina]

Congrats Dan, you must be insanely proud!

[[email protected]]

I'll also be in Ottawa Thursday for my son's convocation from Carleton; Engineering. Watch for me. I'll be the guy in the audience who looks a proud father, taking pictures. Can't miss me!

 

Yeah - congrats Dan. My daughter's from U Ottawa too. Human Kinetics. very good school, and they all loved living in Ottawa. I wish your daughter the very best in her new career.

 

Congrats to you too WWizard. Which stream of engineering? The ceremony is looooong and kinda boring for most parts so just a heads up, bring a book, tablet or smart phone.

[whiskywizard]

Congrats to you too WWizard. Which stream of engineering? The ceremony is looooong and kinda boring for most parts so just a heads up, bring a book, tablet or smart phone.

 

His discipline is mechanical. And I'd get a smck if I whipped out an iPad while I was there!

 

 

 

.

Edited June 2, 2012 by whiskywizard

[SlowPoke]

Din't get any follows but I did get tonnes of awkward stares.

That's awesome!! I love the avatar picture too!

 

but if I brought my tackle with me I’d also need a pen.

You have more pens than anyone I know!

Nice of you to offer and congratulations.

[[email protected]]

His discipline is mechanical. And I'd get a smck if I whipped out an iPad while I was there!

 

 

 

.

 

Very cool..really good program..i started in Mechanical but switched to Environmental...

 

 

Yikes...smacking and divorce...maybe i should think twice about asking my gf to marry me....

 

hide the i pad...when your wife starts reading the convocation booklet to entertain her self..pull out the i-pad and give it to her...she'll be so thrilled you thought of entertainment she might let you come fish with me for 15 minutes after the convocation...

[DanD]

Well we made it there and back somewhat safe and sound.

The grad itself went off without a hitch, it was great watching my daughter up on stage accepting her law degree. But getting to Ottawa wasn’t quite as boring as usual; you got too love the 401 and all the crazies using it.

Just outside of Port Hope, my wife is driving in the farthest right lane (slow lane?); doing about 115Klm with the cruse control on.

I notice her look up in the mirror and all I hear is OH (she didn’t have time to say crap) and then bang; some idiot just drove into the back us. Yes I said we were doing a 115Klms an hour with the cruise on?

Instinctively she starts to brake but I tell her NO accelerate as hard as you can away from him and then pull over when it’s safe. She did and we get stopped about a 1/4 mile down with this idiot pulling over behind us.

My son and I get out and run back to this idiot, yelling what in the hell were you thinking. His reply was “I sneezed” and the next thing I knew I hit you?????

SNEEZED how frigging close were you that you sneezing caused you to accelerated into the back end of us; I’ve never seen a Hyundai Santa Fa with rocket boosters or nitrous oxide. And it was a good hit as well; pushed us to up over 120 and that was with my wife’s foot on the brake and him pushing us.

This idiot was lying through his teeth; why wife saw him enter our lane form the centre lane, passing a car that was to the left of him. He was trying to get pass that car and then pull around us but ran out of room. So it was hit the car beside him or pull back in and hit us. He was one of the slalom freaks you see all the time on the 401; you know the type, they’ll dive into any lane just to get ahead of the vehicle in front of them; zigzagging their way down the road.

Now the guy gets real smug with us, saying there’s not much damage and there’s no one hurt; so let’s just exchange info and be on our way. I don’t think so buddy the cops have already been called.

The real sad part is I don’t think this guy had any understanding of the danger that he just put all of us in. He kept saying there’s not much damage; it’s my fault I’ll pay for it. My son had to pull me away from him a couple of times. I warned him, if you say “what’s the big deal” one more time; you’ll be sitting at the bottom of the ditch wondering how you got there; it was my turn for a sneeze. Here’s the best of all; he had what looked like a 14 or 15 year old in the passenger’s front seat and a toddler in the back! Gee I wish I had a dad that cared that much for my safety!!!!

All said and done buddy gets a careless driving charge and we were all sent on our way. As far as I’m concerned a careless driving charge should be the same as impaired. This guy should not have been allowed to continue; right until the end he still didn’t understand what the big deal was and he showed no regret other then being caught.

Here’s a picture of my daughter in her gowned and my son, the referee that kept me from being charged with littering the 401 ditch.

 

 

Dan.

[Billy Bob]

HATE driving the 401......worst drivers except NJ drivers....I get in the middle lane and set the cruise.....let all the idiots go by me.....don't like it....too bad...

 

Hope this didn't ruin the special day for you and your family..... CONGRATULATIONS on the first lawyer in the family......may there be many more.....

[DanD]

 

Hope this didn't ruin the special day for you and your family

 

No not at all; after we got to the hotel Saturday afternoon and unpacked for the night; I cracked open the bottles of Scotch and Drambuie. Rusty nails make for a very good sedative; a couple of those, a good meal and all was well with the world. They did make waking up Sunday morning and getting ready for the grad a bit tougher; but those are the sacrifices we make for our kids. LOL

 

Dan.

[SlowPoke]

As far as I’m concerned a careless driving charge should be the same as impaired. This guy should not have been allowed to continue; right until the end he still didn’t understand what the big deal was and he showed no regret other then being caught.

Here’s a picture of my daughter in her gowned and my son, the referee that kept me from being charged with littering the 401 ditch.

 

 

Dan.

Sorry about your luck. In this day and age with carfax reports, even if its not your fault you still are made to suffer on the resale value because of this turd.

I'll challenge your opinion on the careless/impaired but I know it comes from anger and I understand. The careless charge is thrown around a little too easy these days by officers. They'll often charge for careless when following too close or unsafe lane change may suffice. They hit 'em hard and let the crown, defense and judge figure it out.

This guys actions seem worthy of a careless charge but there are so many that get tossed when testimonies prove a much less serious incident. They shouldn't be made to suffer the same immediate consequences as an impaired charge.

The kids look great! We know where they get their good looks from

[SlowPoke]

I get in the middle lane and set the cruise.....let all the idiots go by me.....don't like it....too bad...

 

You're part of the problem! This what causes people to weave in and out of traffic.

Set your cruise in the right lane and you have a big open shoulder to rely on to avoid an incident. You don't even have to do a shoulder check!

[Billy Bob]

You're part of the problem! This what causes people to weave in and out of traffic.

Set your cruise in the right lane and you have a big open shoulder to rely on to avoid an incident. You don't even have to do a shoulder check!

 

How am I doing the speed limit, obeying the law, the problem....maybe it's drivers like you know who that are the problem.....

 

The right lane is for merging traffic entering or exiting the highway....

[johnnyb]

Congrats on your daughter's grad....very proud moment for you I'm sure. And yeah, I would've had a hard time holding back on the driver....absolutely cannot STAND that kind of behaviour.

 

Blly Bob....I have to speak up....I used to drive down the middle lane as well....but then it dawned on me: I now have to watch for crazies coming from the right AND the left. Staying right, I (usually) have a wide, empty shoulder to move into should trouble arise, and only have to worry about erratic behaviour from one side. Seriously, drive right, pass left.

 

There are looonnnggg stretches of road with no exit/entrance ramps....no need to ride the middle then.

Edited June 4, 2012 by johnnyb

[NAW]

HATE driving the 401......worst drivers except NJ drivers....I get in the middle lane and set the cruise.....let all the idiots go by me.....don't like it....too bad...

 

 

 

If your cruise is set at 120, then that's ok. If not, then you are one of my biggest pet peeves..

[Billy Bob]

 

There are looonnnggg stretches of road with no exit/entrance ramps....no need to ride the middle then.

 

Where there are LOOOOOOONNNNGGG stretches of road with no exit/entrance ramps there tend to be only 2 lanes.......

[DanD]

Sorry about your luck. In this day and age with carfax reports, even if its not your fault you still are made to suffer on the resale value because of this turd.

 

I left that part out in the first post; the vehicle we were in is a 2012 Chevy Traverse; one of the demo’s from the dealership where my Cathy works; the frigging thing is/was brand new!

Her boss knew that we were travelling with six passengers and luggage, so he offered this 7 seater for us to use.

I guess when they’re done fixing it; it’ll even be newer, with a rear bumper cover and more then likely a replacement hatch. Not sure how many will notice the slight buckle in the one rear ¼ panel.

The thing was slated to be sold as a used vehicle after it stint as a demo; so they won’t take to big a hit on it.

I wish we were in my Avalanche; the trailer hitch would have gone right through his rad and left the putz waiting for a tow truck.

 

Dan.

Edited June 4, 2012 by DanD

[Billy Bob]

If your cruise is set at 120, then that's ok. If not, then you are one of my biggest pet peeves..

 

I believe the speed limit on the 401 is 100k.....not 120k....do you always break the law....do you also run red lights, stop signs......do you wear a seat belt....do you drink and drive......do you drive on unsafe tires....you may be everyone's pet peeve....

[johnnyb]

Where there are LOOOOOOONNNNGGG stretches of road with no exit/entrance ramps there tend to be only 2 lanes.......

 

Just trying to offer up a view from another lane, neighbour-ino. You just keep on truckin

[SlowPoke]

How am I doing the speed limit, obeying the law, the problem....maybe it's drivers like you know who that are the problem.....

 

The right lane is for merging traffic entering or exiting the highway....

 

When you can provide 5000km/week of documented miles, I'll consider your opinion.

[Billy Bob]

When you can provide 5000km/week of documented miles, I'll consider your opinion.

 

My driving record speaks for itself........NO ACCIDENTS since I started driving 41 years ago......I hold a Class A license in NYS with endorsements for tankers/passengers and piloted a 90 ton Pettibone Crane before I retired from the RR....much HEAVIER then any of those trucks on today's roads.