Anyone else going to the Annual General Assembly of the York Rite Sovereign College of North America in Vancouver next week?

The night before I left, I made sure everything was straight. I have (had) a flashdrive I got at a firearms instructor conference a couple of years ago that looks like a 30-06 round. I dug through my computer case making sure it wasn't there. I didn't find it.

I got to the airport, checked my bag, jumped to the front with the TSA Pre-check, went through Checkpoint Charlie thinking I'll be all good to go, put my bag on the conveyor, walked past the guy and the conveyor stopped. I joke with him that I had probably broken it. Four people went to the screen.

"Sir, please come with us."

"Shit!, I bet you found what looks like a rifle round in my case."

Now there's a lot of people looking at me.

"It's a flash drive."

One of them dug through the bag and found it.

"It pulls apart."

So, she opens it.  

Back to DEFCON 0.

"Throw it away. There's nothing on it and it was free."

"It's okay Sir. You can have it back."

"No. I don't feel like talking to the RCMP when I change planes in Toronto. Pitch it."

Anywho, the trip was good.  One night the Wisconsin delegation had dinner at a nice restaurant on the water.



I had the best oysters I have ever eaten.  A big honkin' tray of Sinku oysters.  

   

I love oysters, but I'm very hesitant to have them in the central US.  The best I've had are these closely followed by some at The Union Oyster House in Boston.  Buying oysters with a band on them, to keep them from popping open, isn't my idea of smart.  They pop open for a reason, they're dead and rotting!  But when you know they came off one of these boats that morning, you dive in.



Canadian currency is goofy.  It's plastic and has a clear portion with a metal holographic image.  That is my car key you can see THROUGH the bill.



The event was great.  The reason I went was to receive The Order of the Purple Cross.  I am deeply humbled.  We always emphasize that our Degrees and Orders focus on the candidate.  But, when you have 92 candidates from three countries, I was sure that would be kinda lost.  Well for me at least it wasn't.  There were at least 400 Companion Knights present.  Unbeknownst to me there are 5 exemplars selected to receive the Order.  They were current presiding grands, or next in line grand officers that haven't received the Order.  One representing Lodge, Chapter, Council, Commandery and the Great Priory of Canada.  It's beauty and presentation ranked right up there with the Order of the Temple.

We had 2 from Wisconsin.  I'm the fat one on the right.