Money well spent.

Apparently my home town ranked 151 out of 154 of the best places to live in Canada.

So, there are only three worse places I could live.

Thank god I pay taxes to be told I live in a crap hole. Otherwise I might never know.

A review of Jessy's Pizza

I thought I would try the new pizza place that opened up at the end of my street. Jessy's Pizza.

I should have known I was in trouble when I asked for a small combination and the girl gave me a blank stare, "What do you consider combination? The works?"

"No" I say, "The works would be the works."

"Ok, it's different for everyone."

Ah, no. That is when I realized this outfit was not from around here. If you say 'combination' here it means pepperoni, mushrooms and green peppers.

But I am committed now, I am determined to give them one shot.

Next warning sign was when she told me it would be done in 10 minutes. This tells me that they are using those awful conveyor belt ovens. Yuck.

But how was it?

I open the box, WTF? They didn't put the cheese on top so there was no retention of the juices. The mushrooms, (I am assuming they were mushrooms, only through process of elimination) were dried out and tasted like paper, ditto for the (shredded) green peppers which I identified purely from the color. I was so disappointed that I didn't even notice the pepperoni. All I can say for the sauce is one word...Ketchup.

This is what pizza should look like.

If you are going to come into Pictou County you have to know two things.

1. Cheese goes on last. It holds all that shit together so it all doesn't fall in your lap when you try and eat it. With the possible exception of bacon, it sticks to the cheese.

2. Pizza sauce is rarely ever actually red. And if grease isn't rolling down to my elbow, I feel cheated by the whole experience.

I felt cheated by the whole experience. Jessy's pizza was a disappointment. But so is Greco for me but I do like their donairs, so I will give Jessy a shot at making me a donair next time.

So, where are you from?

SO, WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

So, beginning of a new month (sorry I am a couple days late) and another installment of 'Where are you from?'

Without further ado, I give you ...

Ramsey, Isle of Man

The Isle of Man lies in the Irish Sea, between England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, less than 60 miles west of the Lancashire coastline. It is 33 miles long, 13 miles wide and covers an area of 227 square miles. More than 40% of the Island is uninhabited.

Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the third largest town on the island. Its population is 7309 according to the 2006 census (7,322 2001 census). It has one of the biggest harbors on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier. It was formerly one of the main points of communication with Scotland.

I have to say it looks beautiful. The climate sounds perfect, cool summers and mild winters. I always wanted to live somewhere that was always spring or fall. Considering there were places that were always summer and others that were always winter, how hard could it be, right? This place sounds like it would be almost perfect for me.

So if you are one of the 7309 people living in Ramsey, give us a wave, eh?

SO, WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

Since I started keeping track I have received visitors from every province and territory in Canada and most of the states in the US. I am only missing Louisiana, Oklahoma and Vermont. Which I think is pretty cool. This month we give a shout out to Munster, Indiana and Iqaluit, Nunavut.

Any hoo... in this months installment of 'So, Where are you from?' we will be visiting ...

Reykjavík, Iceland

"Visitors to Reykjavik experience easily the pure energy at the heart of Iceland's capital city - whether from the boiling thermal energy underground, the natural green energy within the city and around it, or the lively culture and fun-filled nightlife.

Think of the qualities of a great city - fun, space, clean air, nature, culture - and Reykjavik has them in spades. It has the features of a modern, forward-looking society which are complemented by a close connection to beautiful nature.

The population of the Reykjavik Capital Area is about 200,000. Reykjavik is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean on almost all sides. In the summer, you can sit by the harbour at midnight and watch the sun dip slightly below the horizon before it makes its way up again.



The world’s northernmost capital is framed by the majestic Mt. Esja, which keeps a watchful eye on the city, and the blue waters of Faxafloi Bay. On a sunny day, the mystical Snaefellsjokull glacier appears crystal-like on the western horizon, while mountainous moonscapes spread to the southeast.

Reykjavik is a great place to visit, whether for some cultural nourishment, a spot of unbridled fun or to recharge your batteries. Think of the ideal city break and you'll think of Reykjavik."
Quote from Reykjavik's official tourist website.

It looks absolutely beautiful, and surprisingly populated for such a small northern country. Well I suppose it looks small next to Greenland, that is actually pretty much all ice....weird. Iceland is green, and Greenland is white.

Looking over some of the pictures, it looks like a really nice place to visit. I might even consider getting on an airplane someday. Uh...I might wait for that tele-porting technology, me and airplanes, not happening. But you really should check it out on Google Earth. Pretty amazing views.

Also surprising was the climate average mid-winter temperatures are no lower than those in Toronto or New York City. However, it is pretty wet, having an average of 213 rainy days every year.

You will find some interesting picures of Reykjavic on BloggingReykjavik.net a photo blog.

Björk is from there and if you are still wondering where is Bobby Fisher? Guess what? Yup, he is in Reykjavik.

So, if you are sitting somewhere in Reykjavik, surfin' the net and you are reading this?

"Komið þið sæl". Welcome. Glad to have ya.

SO, WHERE YA FROM?

Inspired to learn more about the places from which my lurkers hail! I have been gathering names of countries from which I am getting hits on my blog. I intend to educate myself (a little bit) on the specific regions that my lurkers are coming from. And I think I will start off with one I had never heard of before. Ever.

Since I will never get on a plane again (long story) there is little chance I will ever go to any of these places, so I rely on the CIA - World Factbook for my information.

I also wanted to see if I was reaching each of the 50 states as well as each of the provinces and territories of Canada. So far I have a list of 45 US states and 10 of the 13 Canadian provinces and territories.

So without further ado, we start off the soon to be infamous series...
'So, where ya from?' with...[drum roll, please]

Tunis, Tunisia

Officially the Tunisian Republic.

Tunis is located in north-eastern Tunisia on the Lake of Tunis, and is connected to the Mediterranean sea's Gulf of Tunis by a canal which terminates at the port of La Goulette / Halq al Wadi. The ancient city of Carthage is located just north of Tunis along the coastal part.
Tunisia is in northern Africa, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert. It is bordered by Algeria in the west and Libya in the south-east. Much of the land is semi-arid and desert. The north of the country is mountainous, with a climate that is temperate with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The south of the country is dominated by the Sahara desert (40% of the country in fact).

SOME TRIVIA:
* The Monty Python movie Life of Brian was filmed in Tunisia.
* Portions of The English Patient were filmed in Tunisia.
* Four of the Star Wars films (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) were partly filmed in Tataouine, in the Tunisian Sahara. These scenes took place on the planet Tatooine.
* Desert scenes in Raiders of the Lost Ark were filmed in Tunisia.

Call me a geek, but what I found the most interesting was that out of a population of 10,175,014, only 953,800 are internet users. And one of those people found their way here.

So, if you are sitting somewhere in Tunis, surfin' the net and you are reading this?

"MarHaban". Welcome. Glad to have ya.

And another thing...

And as for the US and Canada?....A big "Hello" to the folks in Pocatello, Idaho and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.