April-May 1998

My contract in Canada was for all intents and purposes finished. Since I was already up north, I decided not to pass up the opportunity to see another big city and practice my French. I took a quick bus ride from Ottawa to Montreal and spent the last three weeks of April in an apartment there. Click on each photo to see a larger, more detailed version.

A great band named Hennessee in Ottawa, Canada.

Montreal sounded exciting, but it did mean leaving a lot of friends I had made in Ottawa. I stopped by Woody's one more time to hear Hennessey play on Sunday night as they always do.

While standing in the lobby waiting to check into my Montreal apartment, I noticed that the guy in front of me was speaking English — and it didn't sound like Canadian English. When I asked him where he came from, I didn't quite expect his answer to be, "Tulsa!"

Two friends, one from Mexico and the other from Tulsa, at my Montreal apartment.

I didn't get to see as much of the city as I would have liked. Here, on one of my walking excursions, I took a look at Mont Royal, the hill in the middle of the island.

The view from my apartment in downtown Montreal was splendid. I was located near the Place des Jardins, right between the English-speaking side and the section where the French-speakers hang out. If you look closely, you can see mountains in the background.

Before I could even really get settled in, it was time to leave Montreal. I had some new projects going on, though, so it really wasn't hard to leave. After all, I plan on going back soon. As I came back through Chicago, I took this picture of a guy (look closely) pretending to be baggage as he gets on the plane. Thinking back, it wasn't that interesting, I suppose.

I present the 1998 Honorary Academic All-State medallion.

Not long after returning, I attended the 1998 Oklahoma Academic All-State Awards Banquet, an event of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, founded by former Oklahoma governor David Boren (left). As President of the Academic All-State Alumni Association, I had the honor of presenting this medallion to CNN anchor Judy Woodruff, naming her Honorary Academic All-Stater for 1998.

My sister graduated from high school (she's been driving for two years!) Here she is right before the ceremony, with a basket of gifts she has made for her friends.

My sister, with her gifts for her graduating classmates.

My sister gives her Saludatorian speech during graduation.

Her Salutatorian speech at graduation was excellent.