Well, Saskatchewan… it’s been fun. When I moved here 3½ years ago my first thought was “I’d better bring some books!” You see, according to Winnipeg lore there is nothing to do in Saskatchewan. NOTHING! Except farm.

True, farming is big out here but it turns out there’s a lot more to this province than that. In my brief time here I’ve made some of the best friends of my life and also met the girl I’ll be marrying in the not too distant future. Pretty good haul, if you ask me.

I want to say a quick thanks to everyone at GX94 and Fox FM for making Yorkton such a great place to live and work. Special thanks to Brad Bazin for hiring me in the first place and continuing to help me get to where I want to be. A big thanks to all of you who have let me into your home, office and car for the last few years and an even bigger thank you to everyone who’s been reading my blog and allowing me to vent some of the random stuff I’ve been able to write about.

One more quick list and then, like Keyser Söze (ask someone who’s seen The Usual Suspects), I’m gone…

Things I Have To Do In Yorkton Before I Leave

1. Yell “Go Bombers” in a crowded room
2. Wait in line on Broadway to get into Tim Horton’s drive through
3. Raid the GX94 prize room
4. Double-check to make sure there’s nobody else in town I need to get engaged to
5. Get embarrssingly intoxicated at Tonya and Brennan’s wedding
6. Apologize to Tonya and Brennan for ruining their big day
7. Go for one more wing night at Tapps
8. Go for one more breakfast at Melrose Place, because who else has a restaraunt called Melrose Place??
9. Desecrate a Rider flag
10. Get stuck waiting for a train to pass by
11. Hand in my time sheets from 2007-present
12. Vote for Yorkton at Riderville.com
13. Buy another case of overpriced beer
14. Stare out the window of the 4th floor of 120 Smith Street
15. Say “No… it’s just been raining on my face” when someone asks if I was crying
16. Fill my pockets with canola and potash
17. Give Stevens another dose of his pet-friendly sedatives
18. Laugh at Stevens as he stumbles his way into his pet carrier
19. Buy a GPS and type in “Windsor, ON”
20. Pack, clean, and drive off into the sunrise

And finally, to bookend this blog I want to end it the same way I started… with baby pandas doing stuff!!!

Take care, and thanks for a great time I’ll never forget.

Stay classy, Saskatchewan

This is my last week in Yorkton, and sadly my last week at GX94. It’s been an amazing time despite the constant harassment from Brad Bazin and other Rider fans who shall remain nameless (OK… their names include Chad, Danny, Brennan, Craig, another Craig, Randy, Doug, another Doug, Wayne, Calvin, and countless others). I’ll be off to Ontario with my future wife and present cat along with a U-Haul full of memories, most of which were a huge pain to pack. Our mission? Spread the gospel of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to unsuspecting Argo, Ti-Cat, and Detroit Lions fans. We’re hoping for better results than we got in our four year stint in Saskatchewan. (last count: 0 converts and 1 lost Dinwiddie)

Things I Learned While Living In Saskatchewan:

1. If someone in Saskatchewan says “I’ll pick you up for dinner”, expect them at noon, not 6pm.
2. Paying for a bunnyhug is not something that you can be arrested for
3. The same people who make fun of socials will often attend the much cooler-sounding cabarets
4. People in Saskatchewan really love to watch horses run fast
5. Horses in Saskatchewan run slower when I bet on them
6. Rider fans are superior to Bomber fans in every way
7. Rider fans respond well to flattery and don’t recognize sarcasm
8. Kakawistaha is the most fun gas station to pronounce
9. People in Spy Hill really like cats
10. Wadena is a great place for donuts
12. There’s nothing wrong with deer meat
13. Watermelons make great salads, and great headgear
14. Pilsner isn’t poison. But it’s still not a very good beer.
15. Strippers and alcohol don’t mix
16. “I’m going to Craven” is in fact a proper sentence
17. “I’m going to Climax” is also a proper sentence, and not at all dirty
18. “I’m going to Climax at Craven” is both proper, dirty, and apt
19. Saskatchewan isn’t full of toothless hillbillies. Most people here have teeth.
20. Augers and swathers are status symbols
21. The Painted Hand Casino does not offer refunds
22. People in Whitewood will offer big money for Rib Tickler answers
23. People in Yorkton are very very very serious about curling
24. Jokes about the 13th man are seen as a hate crime
25. GX94 is/was/and will be the best station in the province

Thanks again to everyone for all the great times. I’ve still gotta post a “things to do in Yorkton before I leave” list, so let me know if there’s something I need to do to make my Yorkton experience complete.

In preparation for a long journey, my fiance and I took our cat Stevens to the vet the other day. The two minute drive reinforced why we decided to get him some traveling sedatives… the world came to an end, the sky fell, and all bad things that happened to anyone anywhere throughout feline or human history were voiced (very very vocally) by the ball of hatred and pain on Jess’ lap. He really put on quite the show. Bottom line: Stevens does not enjoy moving vehicles.

The vet told us that some pets have the exact opposite reaction you want when given the sedative and it can actually make them more loud and more unbearable. This seemed impossible (see preceding paragraph), but we decided to give him a test run anyway. Fortunately for us and our impending travels, Stevens seemed to enjoy his six hour trip. He never really passed out, but he did lumber around the apartment like your uncle after last call at the C.I.

This isn’t him, but it’s funny.