A Few Things I Learned in the U.S.

I learned . . .

That no matter how hard you try to keep the public washroom clean, there will always be some jerk to come along and throw paper towels on the floor, pee on the seat, or leave the toilet unflushed.

That the McDonalds in Twin Falls, Idaho could amazingly process a dozen or more vehicles at the drive-thru as well as three lines of customers at the counter in an efficient, swift manner, feeding a hundred people in a matter of minutes. Take note, Timmy.

That buying Canadian might be loyal, but it sure isn't economical. It seems a $20 bill in Nevada would buy a half tank of gas, but by opening the tank and waving the nozzle over the hole, you could spend the equivalent amount at the pump in Taber, Alberta.

That the Americans do virtually NO recycling. There are no places to put your empty bottles -- everything goes into the trash.

That the world is going to end in 2012. This, from a guest (plugging her new book) on the late-night somewhat eccentric talk show Coast to Coast. Yes, folks, she had the facts to back it up. Let's just wait and see though, why encourage her, and give her credibility by buying the book?

An Arizona paper showed a front page picture of two Canada geese hanging out at the local golf course. But the cutline did not acknowledge their genus and species; they were referred to as merely "wild geese".

The antelope, thought by some to be an endangered species in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, is doing well in Nevada, with several herds in the hundreds grazing and dozing in fenced fields along Hwy 93.

The folks at Customs will haul your sorry ass into a shed to inspect your car and your belongings for no particular reason, but just because they can.