I shoulda been a cowboy; I shoulda learned to rope and ride Tomorrow is a holiday. Okay, it's not really a holiday. It's only a holiday if you work in downtown Calgary. It's PARADE DAY to kick off the 2005 Calgary Stampede. I'm totally going shopping, since half of the city will be downtown watching the parade (the stores will be open in the suburbs).

With another long weekend ahead of me you'd think I'd have gone out for some drinks after work today, especially after the hellish week I've had. I wanted to, but it didn't happen, and I came home and went for a run instead. 3.5 km loop today. Then I did pilates. I'm telling you, July is fitness month.

So, for those who don't live in Calgary and don't know much about the Stampede experience, I will tell a little bit of the story. It is seriously a city-wide 10-day party - a costume party, froo calls it. Everybody downtown stops working hard and puts on their western wear. There are some truly awful western-style clothes out there; me, I play it safe with a jean skirt and black cowboy hat (pic from last year).

There are pancake breakfasts all over town - some are free! For instance this one that travels around serving hundreds of people a day. That's kinda cool.

Like most companies, my firm has a Stampede function for us. Next Wednesday we are all taking the afternoon off to attend the rodeo. I actually don't enjoy the rodeo all that much (see previous comment thread about scared baby cows), but I'll just avert my eyes during the worst parts (scared baby cows being thrown to the ground and their legs tied). Sometimes the baby cows manage to outrun the cowboys chasing them - poor quality lassoing or something - and they get away. That's the good part of the show; froo and I cheer when that happens (then the tough-looking dudes in the crowd give us dirty looks; it is the West, after all).

One thing I find a little funny about the Stampede is how it actually starts the day before parade day. They open the Stampede grounds and you can go on all the rides and see some of the shows. The grandstand show (featuring the Young Canadians) has its final dress rehearsal in what's called "Sneak-a-peek". The fireworks show will start tonight as part of that (they usually tie in the fireworks to the grand finale of the show).

People are already in the spirit of things too. Today I spotted a multitude of cowboy hats and various cowboy outfits being sported around town. I even tried on a pink cowboy hat today (Boss is getting some for some of the girls in the office). There was a fashion show on Stephen Avenue with models showing off bikinis and cowboy hats (mostly men watching this show). Which reminds me:


This grown-up party starts now. YAHOOOOO.  | ¶ 12:59 a.m.