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justinburnett
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Name: Justin
Country: Canada
Gender: Male
Interests: Internet things, Photoshop, recording, woodworking, hiking, walking, languages....
Expertise: Music (with my folk-comedy duo, Ticklish Brother) and theatre mostly, but I also work with wood, and enjoy many other aspects of "art" (though the only visual art I'm not attrocious at is photography). I've also worked in construction, interior design and renovation, taught English in South Korea to children aged 3 to 16, and trained people in how to operate heavy machinery in Canada's largest food distribution centre.
Occupation: Education/training
Industry: Education/Research
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
12/28/2000
 Lifetime
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| Well, after Montreal we decided to try and make a little more progress than had previously been the case. It was our goal to do the whole 12-hour stretch from Montreal to Halifax in one go, plus pee breaks and such of course. Nobody who knows us would be surprised to hear that for various reasons we ended up leaving the campground rather later than we had intended. It was a lovely day for a drive, and we did get partway into New Brunswick before we ground to a halt. It was 4am and we were facing another 4 hours of driving, so we drove through the foggy and deserted streets of Grand-Sault until we found a pleasant little motel which gave us a discounted rate (and was not a bordello or strip club). We settled into our little cottage at the shores of the little pond with the little island, and settled into blissful sleep.
The next day we again got off to a late start, though we did eventually get going. We stopped in Fredericton for a few hours, doing some laundry, getting the dog extremely dirty at the dog park, then taking her to a wonderful u-wash place to get all shiny again. She probably enjoyed the getting dirty part the best.
Our arrival in Halifax drew very little fanfare, considering it was the middle of the night. A tired brother got out of bed in the hotel and came downstairs to let us in, we schlepped a bit of stuff up, and then conked out in the 16th floor suite. Definitely a step up from most of our previous accommodations on this trip. Halifax was all about family visiting, both with my extended family and with my mother and brothers. We shared some lovely meals, some chatting and laughter, compared notes on where we all were in the scheme of things. It was all too brief, but even though we changed our ferry bookings several times, eventually we did have to go. Hopefully we'll be back there more frequently than has been the case these past few years.
Northeastward next, to the ferry at North Sydney. Our first time ever driving our own vehicle onto the boat, and our first time sailing on the newest addition to the fleet. It made a fairly good first impression -- lots of deck access, improved services and food -- but the lack of rentable bunks (cabins only) meant we slept most of the trip out on deck. I've always loved this ferry trip, especially the mysterious night crossings.
Coming off the ferry in Port Aux Basques, we had originally planned to drive all the way through to St. John's, but for various reasons ended up overnighting in Corner Brook. I can't say I was heartbroken, since that meant I got to spend a little more quality time with my mother and brothers.
So that was the last leg of the trip. I'll save the next chapter for another entry. It was certainly an adventure, filled with fun bits and disappointments, people visited and people missed. I hope to get the chance to do something similar eventually, though hopefully not as part of a move. Did I mention I hate moving? 
Take care
-J-
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| The trek continues, with perhaps more browsing than travel happening for the most part. It's 3am and I'm sitting at a picnic table at a gas station somewhere in New Brunswick. After spending several days making our way from Ottawa through Montreal, we're doing the 12-hour drive from Montreal to Halifax in one long slog. Unfortunately, since we're having to tackle it at night (for scheduling reasons) it means we can't stop in and visit people along the way. There are some friends I haven't seen in ages, and I regret not being able to drop by. But this trip, with all its good points, has also been all about having to choose between things out of necessity.
We stayed at two campgrounds in Ottawa, one rather underwhelming and the other very pleasant (in a highly manicured sort of way). We weren't particularly ambitious in our sightseeing, hitting Parliament and the locks and a little bit of wandering. Though politics don't fascinate me, it was fun to see where all that stuff happens, and the buildings are great. Every night during the summer they run a projected multimedia show, which was neat.
Next it was off to Montreal. We arrived at the campground in the middle of the night and were baffled. This place had looked good on the website, but in reality it was over 50 sites jammed into a space more appropriate for a dozen. Looked like a used trailer sales lot. We laughed a lot and decided to move on. It was so late that we thought we'd just give up and try a motel. We pulled into one, and though it looked dubious we went inside to ask. It turned out to be a low-class strip club and brothel! No pictures, since we left rather quickly and laughed our way down the highway.
Montreal is a great city. We soaked up the energy, did some people-watching, and saw some sights. I've always wanted to visit Habitat 67, and thankfully we didn't see the "Private Property, Residents Only" signs until after we'd spent an hour wandering around taking pictures.
It's a much better city to be a pedestrian or cyclist than a driver. Montreal's reputation as home to vehicular maniacs is well-earned. We did some waking, as well as a little biking on rented bixi bicycles, and generally had a great time.
Anyhow, I've been sitting out here in the cold for too long, and the dog is getting whiny and chilly. Time to get back on the road.
Take care
-J-
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| It's Thursday, and we left Cambridge on Monday, so I guess that makes this day 4. We've covered a lot more ground than straight line distance, but that's okay. I'm currently sitting at a picnic table at a campsite on the outskirts of Ottawa, and using wifi while camping is definitely a first for me. Then again, this campground is a far cry from the Gros Morne ones I'm used to. Oh well. We're camping this trip at least partly because it's far cheaper than staying in motels, especially with the dog and the guinea pigs
Our first stop was at the Warsaw Caves Conservation Area, where we spent an enjoyable few hours exploring the lanscape and crawling around underground. They're certainly pretty amateur caves, but lots of fun, and a great price. Price is important. Here we are outside between caves, with our little headlamps on.
Using the timer, long exposures and some creative headlamp placement, I managed to get a couple of shots of us underground.
After the caves, we headed off to Beachburg to visit some wonderful friends, where we spent a day and a bit lazing around in the country, eating good food, having good conversations, and generally unwinding from the last couple of stressful months. They're always a joy to visit, and well worth the detour.
From Beachburg, we headed eastish into Quebec. In case you're ever there, let me warn you that the area around Val-Des-Monts contains some of the most bizarre road design I've ever encountered. We went from being ahead of schedule to being woefully behind. Thankfully, the friendly folks at Aventure Lafleche managed to fit us into a later time block. We hiked through the treetops, zipped down ziplines, and generally had a fantastic time. Highly recommended.
Anyhow, I've been typing for way too long. Time to get back out there and have some more adventures
Take care
-J-
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| Well, it's finally time. We're running a few days behind our original plan, but that's about par for the course with us. Moving doesn't come naturally to us, and other things happen that can't be helped. Such is life. But now the car is packed, the bulk of our belongings are in a storage locker soon to be picked up by the moving company, and the road beckons.
 Plans for various stops have come and gone, so it remains to be seen what we'll actually see as we go, but there are people to visit and fun things to try. Just my lovely wife and I, the dog, and the two guinea pigs, rolling down the highway in the trusty Saturn wagon.  I'm hoping to find wifi spots along the road, and keep a steady stream of pictures and video flowing for anyone who's interested in our little journey. And awaaaaaaay we go! Take care -J- | | |
| Yes, that's right, I am now officially unemployed. After almost 5 years at my less-than-ideal job, I'm finally freeeeeee! Saturday was my last day at the warehouse, and here's hoping that that particular chapter of my life is now closed. I'm certainly not claiming that nothing good came out of it -- I learned a lot, I kept in shape, I met interesting people and definitely furthered my studies into the wide variety of human nature that exists out there. My creativity tends to come out more during periods of misery, so I got some good songs out of it before I just became too overwhelmed. I'll miss driving cool industrial vehicles, but I won't miss the sore back or the bureaucracy, or the feeling that I was going nowhere fast.
That being said, once we arrive in Newfoundland, I may well be working a shift or two a week at the branch out there. While I'd probably prefer to make a clean break, the reality is that I'll need to be working, and having something lined up beforehand helps to reduce the stress. If I'm lucky, I can then move on to some work more closely related to my interests and skills. A lot of my incredibly talented artistic friends live in St. John's, and I'm hoping to get back into the music/theatre community in some way. The new Ticklish Brother album will hopefully be ready for a fall or winter release, so that'll give me something to hawk
We've got just 2 or 3 more days left in Cambridge before we start off on a two-week road trip. We'll be meandering our way eastward, camping, seeing some sights, and visiting people, then arriving in NL at the beginning of September. I start in at MUN on the 8th! More about the road trip soon!
Take care
-J-
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