A few of you may have noticed I haven’t posted for a couple days. I’ve been in Winnipeg on a short trip related to my job and just got in. I should be in bed now but I won’t be able to unwind and sleep for a while. It was a long trip back from Winnipeg due to a lightning storm around the airport. They circled us around and around and around and around, and all the time the plane was tossing around with the turbulence. Finally, the pilot set us down, but then he parked us in the middle of nowhere along with all the other planes. It turns out they shut down the ramps for safety reasons when there is lightning happening around the airport. When the lightning stopped and we remained stopped, one of the flight attendents said they had to wait until the lightning was at least three miles away. Let’s just say I’m glad to be home.

As this was a quick working trip, I didn’t get a chance to see too much of Winnipeg. However, how could I come face to face with the Ringleader of Kulbassa herself and not take a picture.

Naturally, I went in. The place smelled great. I recognized the smell from my childhood when we used to go to Czehoski on Queen at Euclid in Toronto for the best sausage in town. They sold a variety of Polish mustards there too, local ones and I almost bought a jar of the super extra-hot variety. Then I imagined the conversation at security trying to convince them this was really special mustard and not some kind of explosive.

This morning after breakfast, in the elevator at the hotel, I ran into a friend from Toronto. He too was there on business, just a different business. We were both totally surprised to see one another. Small world.

I met a fellow who grew up in the north end of Winnipeg who insisted on taking me and my colleague to a place called Kelekis’ for lunch. This is a family owned 50’s style diner that as near as I can tell is pretty close to an historic site in Winnipeg. They also make a delicious club sandwich with a huge side of tasty fries and a strawberry milkshake that was to die for (my new friend said several times, “you gotta try the strawberry milikshake…”)