Rant... Bad customer service

I'm going to rant for a bit so don't mind me.

So Stacey is shopping for a bike. We have gone to three different stores and the service we received was directly proportional to the size of the store. The problem is that this city is so big that business that have a strong namebrand do very very well, well the problem with the big stores is a) they frankly don't care if you go somewhere else cause they still are going to sell 20 bikes that day and b) they really don't have a choice of staff. The first place we went was a small shop that is doing business but isn't one of the bigger stores in town. We walk in and the people go head over heals to give us a hand. Stacey hasn't bought a bike in a few years and she is a shopper so she asks questions and he does his best. As Stacey took a bike for a ride, I start looking around the store and right away another sales person casually walks by and asks if I have questions. Next stop a bit bigger store, we find the bikes and someone helps us within 2 minutes, again helpful and so on.

Today however we stopped at what I will now refer to the evil empire of bike stores, Bow Cycle. I think the store is just too big and busy. Stacey went snooping around after work. The staff there was incompetent, arrogant and just plain not helpful. For example, she asks about the shocks, and gets 3 answers. SHe asks if they can swap the seat so that she can test ride a bike as she would buy it, they say "no we don't do that". SHe ask them to hold a bike and that she would be back in 15 minutes. Anyways you get the point. over

Mathieu

What the heck is a shoulder season anyway?

Much debate ensues this time of year in this wonderful part of the world that we call home. Is it really shoulder season, and does that term even exist? Stacey, after having lived in Calgary for a few years, started hearing all these spring and fall rumblings about this magical term. Basically, it's when us mountain-folk are grounded into city lifestyle, waiting either for the ice to freeze (fall), or the rock to dry out (spring) so we can go CLIMBING! Among these folk will spring the odd foul-mood, resulting in too much visiting or house-related chores. Then, there are the eternal optimists... enter Mathieu. "Who cares if it is zero degrees, lets go rock climbing" they enthusiastically cheer. While us shoulder-season believers don our "painting clothes"and head down to the bowels of our basements to get lost in home improvements.

Who is right? Who knows? I for one am patiently waiting for those damed crocuses I planted last fall to poke their lovely little heads out of the clay soil in my front yard before I can without a doubt proclaim... it's summer! Better get out there, cause in this part of the world summer lasts only 2 months! Hope you are all are enjoying spring, be it shoulder season or not. Cause it's the best time of the year!!!!

Daily life update

Exam time for Mathieu: I've been hitting the books hard for the past 2 weeks to study for my Alberta Land Surveyors Professional Exam. I am trying to get my commission for an ALS for the last 2 years. It started with a few educational requirements exam which was meant to complement my University degree. Now I am in the process of Articling. This means that I have to write 3 exams, submit 3 projects and pass an oral exam within the next 4 years (it starts with 5 years but i'm already a bit over a year into it). Up to date I have nothing except some work experience. I have attempted one of the exams last October but didn't pass. This time I'm trying for 2 exams: Practical Surveying exam and Statutes exam. I will be relieved on Wednesday when i'm finished writting.

Job change for Stacey: Stacey has finally landed a teaching job. Its a one year contract but this will certainly open doors for her in this field. So long night shifts and 12 hour rotation.

Yesterday for a change of pace we went for a nice "spring" hike. Well apparently Spring hasn't made its way to the mountains yet, we drove to Bragg Creek in a snow squall and the snow didn't let up all day. We initially left the car thinking we would be doing a pleasant 2 hour hike but this quickly changed as we headed up the trail. The trail was covered in 3 to 4 inches of fresh snow, which was no problem until we got about 300m up the trail where the snow hid a thick sheet of ice which covered all of the trail. Lots of walking with arms waving in the air. Finally after an hour we decided for a change and headed straight in the bush. We had met a threesome of hikers that had bushwacked up a mountain and then had connected to the trail. We decided to follow their track following their course in reverse. All went well until the last 500 m when we ended up at a cliff and lost their track. After 30 minute of navigating slippery slopes we were back on level ground. We rewarded ourselves with a nice hot tub at Stacey's Gym afterwards. I guess we will have to wait a few more weeks for Spring to warm up the mountains.

OK back to the books.....