2015-07-07: Just Like Fiddy Cent

Actually not like 50 Cent at all because it is my birthday and his song was about partying like it was your birthday even though it wasn't. See? I am not out of touch with the youth of today (the youth of a decade ago anyway).

An appreciation of Architecture would indicate I was grown up and responsible.

Calgary has many bars and also many places that sell chicken wings by the pound. A pound of chicken wings is only about 10 wings but it feels good ordering them in a basic unit of measurement. The major selling point appears to be Just How Damn Cheap Can You Sell A Pound Of Chicken. The answer is usually on the order of 2 or 3 dollars.

Breakfast, a pound of wings each with different sauces. Ewa is going all exotic with ginger and garlics recently. I am still sticking with hot sauces mostly.

They are also happy to sell drinks early in the morning. I assume this could be a Stampede only thing but I would be a fool to not take advantage of serendipity.

Cowboys like shots. Breakfast Birthday shots.

Traveling Advice: Stampede Tents

During Stampede many Calgary companies have "tents" these are basically popup nightclubs to handle the overflow from the normal bars. In the past they have been raucous uncouth places to be.
Apparently they are the den of the Slutty Cowgirl. I believe many of the cowboys spend some time there as well. Cowboys nightclub has one of the largest "tents". It has an upstairs and everything.

In theory Ewa will ensure I have fun but also get home. In practice I will use more pictures of architecture for this post.

They are not particularly fond of nerdy non cowboys that tend to carry a backpack with cameras and computers and such. We went to the casino instead.

Rating: 5/10 (A 6 means I would go back but I didn't make it in so I can't go back)

Bushido Tattoo. We hope not to drunkenly end up here as I am sure to rant about tattoos as related to the samurai code (bushido) and how their name makes no sense. Then we will probably have tattoos which may reflect their feelings on my rants.

We made it through several bars including an interesting interlude where we had been told we could use some tables for a couple of hours until the people that had reserved them showed up. Another group of people were offered the same thing at the adjoining table. When the time was up one of their drunk people hatched a cunning (and complicated plot) which involved us, from memory, switching tables repeatedly in order to confuse the staff and thereby make them think we were the people that had reserved each table.

Canada is fond of the paperclip style sculpture.

I admired his plan and we joined in. Most members of our two groups were too drunk to fully comprehend or implement his plan. Most of the staff were too sober to fall for his plan. Some did giggle at the audacity.
Plus of course the group of people who had reserved the table were standing right there. I like to think they enjoyed the spectacle and the confusion. If we hadn't been kicked out I am sure they would have bought us a round of drinks. Getting kicked out in Canada is a very polite affair.

I did have a bit of a rant with one of the bikies about his exhaust pipe having a ding in it so I achieved my rant without any lasting embarrassing markings.

We ended the evening at the local sports bar where I tried to work out what the status was for the Tour de France. Cycling is not super huge here but I think all their other sports are having a break so there is some coverage. Always with the sound down so I have to piece together the situation.
This detective work has varying rates of success. I shall have to watch next years a bit closer, maybe go there to watch.

Many 44 yr olds find this fascinating because they are mature

In theory today was going to be a review of chicken wings from many places. In practice I lost my notes. To be honest I forgot to make notes after the first place.