Background: Over on another forum I frequent, one of the members just had a baby. We thought it would be cool to send the little one a little stuffed doll as a gift. Then we came up with a *much* cooler idea--since we have members from all over the world, why don't we mail the little stuffed toy (a sealion) to members all over the world and have them take pictures of Sealion in their hometown? Everybody thinks this is a cool idea and I've been designated as the dude to start this.
So--pull up a chair folks and enjoy the adventures of 'Sealion' as it embarks on its world tour....
Now-last monday Sealion arrived at my place. As one can see--Sealions are rather timid and shy creatures and I was having extreme difficulties coaxing him out of his box.
Fortunately--Sealions have one weakness--Chocolate chip cookies!
Here's a picture of Sealion and myself in my little prison cell -- er --cubicle. P.S. I'm the one with the beard....
It seems that Sealion was having his effect on my co-workers as well--
This is Phil--he's a lawyer!
So I take Sealion home. On the way home I decide to stop in a bar for a drink. It is at that point that I decided to use the phrase 'I would like you to pose for pictures with the small brown furry thing in my pocket' with the waitress.
She agreed....
Later on I took Sealion home. My cats seem to be confused by the strange creature....
Mynx
Sphinx
Sphinx was...intrigued... by Sealion and tried very hard to be friends with him--I needed to hit him with a newspaper at one point...
Now--the tour!
Up first--Parliament Hill
"Grrr! Must...destroy...clock...tower..."
The Centennial Flame at the entrance
Every day from 10 am to 10:30 am, they have the Changing of the Guard. Awesome ceremony.
"Hey--down in front!"
Now--let's wander around the Hill, shall we?....
"Cry Havoc and let loose the Dogs --er -- Sealions of War!"
Queen Victoria voice : "We are most certainly NOT amused!"
Lester B. Pearson (14th Prime Minister of Canada)
Is it just me--or is Sealion checking out Queen Elizabeth's ass?
Of course--nothing says 'Canada' like Mounties.
Soooo.....
Allow me to introduce to you--Constable Carl of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police!
Allow me to introduce to you--the Peace Tower! It's precisely 302 feet, 6 inches tall and was built from 1919 to 1927 and dedicated to the more than 60,000 Canadian soldiers who died in WW1. It houses 53 bells. The largest bell weighs over 22,000 pounds (three adult sized elephants). The smallest bell weighs just 10 pounds.
Let's go see the view from on top, shall we?
Looking towards the north at the City of Hull across the river
Looking down at the Centennial Flame from roughly 200 feet up
"Hey--you can see my house from here!"
West Block of Parliament Hill
Yours truly
Alrighty--enough of the Hill--let's go wandering around the city, shall we?
National War Monument
Korean War Monument
Colonel By --one of the founders of Ottawa (Ottawa was originally called Bytown) and the engineer responsible for creating the Rideau Canal
National Peacekeeping Monument (leave it to us Canucks to build a monument to Peacekeeping!)
Looking out over Ottawa river
View of Parliament
Notre Dame Basilica Church and the Peacekeeping Monument. At the extreme right hand side, you can see a sliver of the American Embassy.
I was 'asked' politely by a certain individual at the entrance to not take any pictures--seems short skinny swarthy guys with scruffy beards taking pictures of their embassy tends to 'perturb' them a bit...
Anyway--after a long day wandering the city, one needs to relax with a nice meal--like this one
And--of course--a nice glass of Brandy...
Alas--it appears that Sealion is quite the party animal when he's drunk....
In fact--I suspect that Sealion may swing both ways....
Indeed--not even the restaurant manager was immune from his seductive abilities....
Alas--all great journeys must come to an end so I bid goodbye to my friend Sealion as I pack him up into his little box onto his next destination....
THE END
So--like my story?
