We aren't in Kansas anymore...but it kinda looks like it

I flew up to Edmonton, Canada on Monday morning for a week of business meetings. It's cold - not as cold as it was in February of last year, but a heck of a lot colder than home. It's dry, too.

What's weird about Canada, is that you really don't feel like you are in a foreign country. It looks like the states, the people look the same, many of the stores are the same, the cars are the same, and the food is the same. But there are those subtle differences here or there that are reminders that this isn't home:

• currency (loonies and toonies)
• measurements (it's all metric, baby)
• hockey (the national pastime...if there isn't a "church of hockey" there should be)
• silly hats (touqes)
• Tim Horton's (and infinite number of donut shops)
• the funny dialect (eh, eh?)

It gets light late and dark early and I am two hours off from my 'normal' schedule at home...just enough to muck up the sleeping patterns.

I am going home tomorrow and nothing will make me happier than seeing the place get smaller in my rear view mirror.