Hard to believe...

...but I just typed in the address of the LAST hotel of our road trip into the GPS.

ONWARD!!!

Bonus Features

Look out world. The MLF gang is back in Ontario -

- and we're yours to discover.

Yes, you've seen us in action all across our home and native land. You've read about our thai wraps, you've gotten to know the team a little bit, and you've seen the most respectable business figures prancing around in paper chicken hats.

But yet, you may still be left asking: what really happens behind the scenes of the Special Events team? Being on the road for 30 + days, just how do these traveling chicken experts do what they do?

Well, O faithful reader, the time has come for you to find out.

That's right. For the next two days, as we trek from Thunder Bay, to Sault Ste. Marie, to our final destination of Brampton, Ontario, I'm going to host a little Q&A session about truck procedure, hotel check-ins, and everything in between so you can see EXACTLY what goes on when the BBQs go off.

Q1: How long does it take to set up the truck?

I don't think I mentioned it before: the Showtruck we're taking across Canada is brand new this summer! Back in June when our events were just starting to pick up, no one except Frank Palermo (our boss) knew what in the world to do with this massive transformer of a trailer. As a result, set-up took about 45 minutes to an hour to complete.

There are multiple steps in this truck set-up procedure, which include lowering the trailer,

extending the awning,


and setting up the stage.


What's cool is that the stage is indeed a wall of the trailer! It's only a matter of turning two keys to lower the whole thing. After that, we have to put on support brackets below the stage to make it level, then unfold the walls and set up the stairs and railings to support the mad dash of hungry customers that we're expecting.






Once that's done, we also have to prep the inside of the trailer. This includes (but is by no means limited to) mopping the floor, disinfecting all the counter-tops, setting up the display case and cutting vegetables for wrap-making.






But honestly, after doing countless events since June, that hour of set-up time has been cut in half. The guys can set up the stage in about 15 minutes while the rest of us do our thang inside, equalling up to about half an hour prep time. Basically, we're like that team of sprinting young people who clean the diamond in between baseball innings.

Q2: How big is the truck's gas tank?

Bigger than our bladders, apparently. The truck can take about 300 litres of diesel fuel, meaning that we have to fill up once a day (while making an average of two more for bathroom breaks and food.)

It got a little interesting in the mountainous regions of Northwest NoWhere where fuel stops were more sparce than death metal punk rockers at the Calgary Stampede. But we managed to get from all our Point A's to all our Point B's with plenty of gas. And not just from Josh.

Q3: What was the hottest city you went to?

Kelowna, British Columbia – 35 degrees. Beachy keen weather, but avoid black shirts at all costs.

Q4: What was the coldest city you went to?

Regina, Saskatchewan – 9 degrees. Feeling the change of both the time zone and the ozone.

Q5: Are you sick of each other?

Well I can’t speak for everyone else, but I’ll be happy if I never see Grant, Cassandra, Natalie, Josh and Mike ever again.

HA! No but actually, what that really means is that I’m probably going to wake up on Wednesday morning in my own bed in Georgetown and start bawling because my chicken mates aren’t in the same room! We’ve had some GREAT times together over the last four weeks, a lot of them being simple bonding hours in hotel rooms talking, chilling, prancing, galavanting, and inside-joke-making. We went to sleep laughing more than once!




Don’t get me wrong, when you’re with the same people for over four weeks, there will naturally be a few riffs here and there. We’re a team of different personalities which come out when you spend all waking hours with each other. But I’m happy to report that there were no major conflicts, kerfuffles or fist fights between the six of us.

The only real issue over the whole trip was radio and iPod control while on the road. A war between John Mayer and techno beats ensued in the Flex pretty much on the daily…and funny enough, as I write this chunk of my post, Grant is jamming to “All I want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey.

This trip has been an interesting musical experience to say the least.

*

And thus ends session one! Please hold all further questions until tomorrow evening when we arrive at our next location in Sault Ste. Marie.

Thank you for your participation, and good day to you from a thundery Thunder Bay.

Chillin' at the Holidae Inn

Morning from Winnipeg!

It's almost noon here and I'm still in my pajamas.

Despite my innate sense to DO something, there are no wraps to buy, no hotel to check into, and no event to get dressed for! So instead, I've conquered the alien-coffee-maker-machine and am now enjoying a lovely cup of RedRose tea while watching Johnny Depp dodge bullets in the Carribean.

AHOY!

That's a wRap

Yo home skillets
from Ontario digits,
from room 613,
I ask, how ya been?
Good, you say?
Well hey!
Us too,
the Maple Lodge crew,
miles away from you,
in Winnipeg currently,
promoting stuff fervently -
you know how we do,
but here's a story for you,
events of this tour?
They be fewer!
Cuz guess what -
WE ARE CUT
Today's event (number ten)
for Canadian women and men
marked the last of the trip,
and with a "YIP"
we packed up the trailer
and nailed 'er.

But where were we, you ask?
"KIM - give us the details at last"
Not so fast,
Here's info galore,
We were at a Giant Tiger store,
the rain held off, but a storm we was cookin'
that got people lookin'
and hookin'
on tasty eats,
chicken treats,
made of cajun and cooked,
(healthy by the book)
plus hot dogs and bacon -
that got you shakin'?
Chicken bacon?
Brotha, it's the cheese,
it'll have you beggin' please,
can I buy some?
Sure son,
inside Giant Tiger for $2.97,
AH, heaven.

But busy we were,
so speed-wrapping we should,
(the way eminem would,)
to keep up with the fun,
like head offices we done,
OH, we be pros,
and it shows,
by the way we be servin'
and turnin'
questions to answers,
that encourage some monies
from dads, kids and hunnies,
to be spent on our products,
and just for a few bucks!

Oh yeahhh we have done it,
this Canadian summit,
from east to west coast,
but hang on,
this isn't the end of my posts!
As long as the trailer wheels be rollin'
so be my blow-gin...

And by that I mean bloggin'
but my noggen,
has run out of rhymes,
so tune in next time
to read more adventure
at the Holiday Inn,
starting with tomorrow's day off.
WIN!

Love, Peace and Chicken Grease

It's not in the job description, but a large part of being a member of the Maple Lodge Special Events team means that you have to be able to put up with smelling like a piece of chicken for hours on end.

Today was our ninth event and the menu consisting of Ultimate hot dogs and Salsalitta chicken thighs left us all BBQ-fresh from noon onwards.

Since our grills are mounted inside our truck, we have exhaust fans installed above them to suck up the smoke. But even then, the grease rising from the full-blast BBQs manages to settle on our faces. There is however, a plus side to indoor grilling. This rising grease also makes it way to the floor which creates a prime spot for moonwalk execution.

Indeed, the floor is delightfully disgusting by the end of an event, but at least we can get our Micheal Jackson on as we're cleaning up.

Today we were at a place called Winpak which differs slightly from other events we have done. These guys aren't buyers. They are rather the company that packages all Maple Lodge's chicken! Our event was more of a "thank you" BBQ for Winpak, but an AWESOME opportunity for promotion at the same time.


Everyone LOVED the Salsalittas. We had countless compliments and so many people asked where they could purchase them. One guy even called Sobey's right in front of us to ask them if they carried it! Another guy came out of the plant after lunch was over and said, "You guys did a simply smashing job!"


Plus, the President of Winpak told us that none of their customers have done something like this ever before. He also gave us free Winpak hats and thermoses, AND a tour of the plant. In between the lunch and dinner shifts, we got dressed up in hairnets and ear plugs and toured the 450,000 sq. ft. factory. We saw how they make the plastic for packaging, how they press plates for labels, and we also walked by this massive german machine thing that costs five million dollars. I can't remember exactly what it does, but the price is too news-worthy not to mention it.

We also saw our very own Maple Lodge packaging being processed!


Apparently these ones are heading off to China - Maple Lodge tastes good anywhere in the world, afterall.

Aside from wowing a hungry crowd with our chicken products and getting a free tour of a packaging plant, there was something else that made this event memorable.

One of my responsibilities as the team leader is to fill out some paperwork called a "Request Form." This form is completed electronically and documents event information like product inventory, what the weather was like, demographics, etc. Basically, it's an event summary that becomes a public document on the Maple Lodge Farms server.

Like always, I was standing on the far side of the truck after our event, filling out the form on my laptop. At this particular time however, the setting sun was at the perfect angle, creating shadows on the walls and sparkling up the aluminum table tops inside of the truck.


I stopped for a second and just watched.

Yes, we were going about our normal jobs - I was doing the request form, Grant was outside folding up the stage, Cassandra and Mike were cleaning up inside, and Josh was torturing Natalie.

But as we were doing so, everyone seemed in a really relaxed mood...just very content and laid back. Don't get me wrong, we always have a good time together while we work, but tonight, we were laughing, goofing off, and recalling funny memores in a way that made me want to just freeze time...

I've said it before: I really love my job. I'm love how I'm always out and about meeting new people and seeing new places, raising money for a good cause and getting people excited about chicken! But another big reason why I love it is because of Grant, Mike, Josh, Cassandra and Natalie. I'm happy that my work experience, and memories that I've made while on this team include them! That also includes everyone else back home on the Ontario team. I work with some really cool people and MLF Special Events would NOT be the same without them.




OHHHH let's not get too sappy now.

But it's true. Tonight I just sat back and smiled because not only has this job given me the chance to see all of Canada, it's also given me the chance to make friendships that I think will last a long time.

...despite the fact that I am still wearing a layer of Salsalitta grease.

To the showers!

Home Suite Home

Yes, the first big driving chunk of our journey back east is (finally) over. We are now settling into our home until Saturday: a Holiday Inn in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Cassandra has gone to sleep, the boys are down the street at a Boston Pizza, and Natalie and I are watching how doughnuts are made at "The Donut Plant" in New York City. Considering my dinner for the past two nights has consisted of two hamburger buns with Nutella, watching blue and sprinkly squares of dough moving on a conveyor belt under a fountain of white powder is a rather torturous experience.

THUSLY. I will force myself to look away from the TV and tell you some road stories.

From Victoria, to Kelowna, to Calgary, to Regina, to Winnipeg, we've passed through some time zones and made it halfway across the country in FOUR days. That's nearly 2,500 kilometres in 96 hours people, which makes for eight-hour + days in the car. What do we do to pass the time, you ask? Here is a small collection of activities that have helped make the flat fields of the Prairies fly by.

First, we have the Yellow Car Game.

This game was introduced by a former team member two summers ago, but due to its addicting, entertaining and extremely competitive nature, it's become a signature activity of the Maple Lodge Farms Special Events team. Basically, when you see a yellow car while driving, whether it be on the highway, in a parking lot, or on a billboard, you yell out "YELLOW CAR" before anyone else does. The goal is to rack up as many points as possible before reaching your destination. But hang on now. It's not as easy as you may think. Taxis don't count, nor do Jeeps or vans, and if a yellow car is plateless at a dealership, consider it purple. Motorcycles are fair game however, at three points each, while convertibles and Bugs are worth two. Plus, yellow limos are worth about 34958762356 points due to their rarity. Never seen one? Well I can tell you right now they exist. Grant spotted one here in Winnipeg a few weeks ago and has therefore earned the title of Yellow Car Champion For All Eternity.

Second, we have How I Met Your Mother.

This five-year-old American sitcom features narrated stories by a man in the year 2030 as he recounts experiences to his kids that lead him to meet their mother. Grant is not only the Yellow Car Champion For All Eternity, he is also How I Met Your Mother's Biggest Fan. So naturally, we break out the box set now and then on the laptop in the Showtruck and bask in the comedic adventures of Ted Moseby. Let me tell you, it's LEGEND...wait for it....DARY.

And lastly, we have the Ancient Japanese Art of Knapping (silent K).

A practise characterized by closed eyes and a relaxed physical and mental state, the art of Knapping is known for its beneficial effects on mental alertness, overall stamina, and of course its ability to magically condense the travel time of any road trip. Of everyone on the team, Natalie is the Knapping Sensai since she practises this art pretty much on the daily.

AH! Just look at that technique! We're all picking it up slowly and learning by example, however. Everyone that is, except Grant. He is too much in tune with the Tibetan theology of the Waking Life.

And there you have it. Three activites that have aided our travels not just to Winnipeg, but to all our destinations in the True North.

Anyway, since there's no dessert menu in this hotel room, I decided to order a pillow instead. I just requested a "Firm Down" pillow from the front desk, and the description on the "Pillow Menu" sitting here on the bedside table reads:

For side sleepers who desire both support and the luxurious feel of down filling.

I can't say I know what "down filling" is, but it's not every day you get to order a sleeping utensil simply by dialing "2."

Looks like it's going to be a bon soir.

The Prairies have high flat rates

Breakfast with a waffle stop,

Posing for a photo op,


Wisdom at a bathroom break,


Funny pictures that I take,


Fields with bails of hay like that,


Massive teepee, Medicine Hat,


Butter-flies inside the grill,


Regina out the windowsill,


Washing dishes 'til brand new,


The highschool that my Dad went to,


Sleeping after sun has set,

Please don't let this trip end yet!