Happy holidays, all.  I hope that your year is coming to a peaceful close.

This quick post shares an observation from my recent trip to Canada. I learn new stuff every time I travel, and this trip was no different. Local etiquette regarding hotel climate controls and windows, for instance, varies widely.  In the tropics you keep windows closed while running your air conditioning to avoid an indoor condensation rainstorm.  In Edmonton, apparently, the most important reason to keep your window closed in subfreezing weather is to prevent bursting the pipes in your room.  And here I was just trying to thaw my ears from the brief walk between buildings.

These signs are usually installed for a reason, so some prior guest actually left the window open and burst the pipes.  What lodger, besides a sturdy Canadian who should know better, would be rugged enough to open the window for more than just one breath of fresh arctic air?  And is there a fee for violating the house rule about keeping the weather out in the dead of winter, like there is for smoking in a nonsmoking hotel room?

I may never have answers to these puzzling questions, though I am looking forward to investigating further while up there working with the Enbridge crew in 2014.

Happy New Year, everyone, and have a prosperous 2014.