Generosity: Expect the unexpected, but do not rely on it...

It was late in the afternoon when I rode into a Michigan McDonald's. After finding an appropriate spot against the windows to lean my rig, I was approached by a three-generation family inquiring about my trip. After chatting the same chat I had come accustomed to, we made our way inside to make our orders. The kids had to decide, so I went ahead of them. I had left my wallet with the bike and so I fished through my pockets to pull out whatever change I had. Enough, as it were, for a one dollar burger.

I made my order, got my burger -- underwhelmingly sitting alone atop the large tray -- wished the family well and sat down. Within a minute of finding my place, the eldest of the family walked over to me. "We would like to help you on your trip," he said, handing me a five dollar bill. "Go get yourself a real burger. Go order a Big Mac."

What could he possibly do next?

Imagine walking the entire length of the Amazon River. It should last about 7,000 kms. But it's no ordinary walk. Factor in exotic and dangerous plants, bugs that lay their eggs in your head, angry indigenous tribes that try to kill you, piranha infested waters and to cap it all off, major flooding that adds another 3,000 km to your trek. I'm sure the scenery is beautiful, though.

A 34 year-old British Army captain is about to finish the trek after nearly three years. Having managed to Tweet his experiences the whole way, he will soon begin writing a book and then begin a sequel; another crazy trip. I presume the Army isn't all that worried about him if he's doing stuff like this all the time.

But I do wonder, what could he possibly do next?

Losing a TV Show...

This has been a sad weekend. After three months, another good relationship has come to an end. We spent nights together while eating pizza, mornings after an early run and countless hours on a train. Indeed, it was on my last VIA Train journey back to Peterborough that my love affair with the infamous TV show Nip/Tuck began.

Outside of struggling to sleep, my time was divided to the show's first season and the wonderful book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I had purchased the first three seasons without having ever seen a single episode, but it paid off. I quickly grew attracted to the show and within weeks had already ordered more of the seasons. The show was utterly ridiculous and dramatic, but wildly entertaining. It followed the practice of two plastic surgeons and all the things they get into, all in a raunchy, sex, drugs and rock and roll package you expect from some high profile shows.

The legacy of exes...

A familiar nervousness ran through me as the vehicle of an ex-girlfriend drove past me this morning. As happy as I was to see the car speed away quickly, another part of me was tugging at the possibility of her stopping. Our relationship since the breakup had been spotty but civil. When Christmas or a birthday rolled around, a series of emails would be sent back and forth, largely to see what the other one was up to. In these messages it is difficult to decipher what is written out of genuine interest and what is written for the sake of an obligatory politeness. Regardless, it was some contact. A piece of me had wanted to maintain contact since the breakup.

Daytime TV that might actually matter...

My summer job provides me the liberty of working from home when I need to and from time to time I find myself watching daytime TV. Daytime TV is not quite filled with the top notch programming money can buy. I can't stand Oprah, Dr. Phil, the ridiculous soap operas and any of the reality courtroom shows. Even Maury, which once entertained my sister and in the mornings when we stayed home from school with wacky makeovers and fun feel-good stories, has now dedicated 99% of his efforts to determining who will be paying child support or who is and isn't cheating.

The World Cup, Fox News North and Snogging Island...

Anyone suffering from apiphobia (the fear of bees) should try their best to stay away from watching this year's World Cup. The incessant drone of the vuvuzelas creates a playing atmosphere not unlike a beehive, which despite the so-called "authetic touch of South African football", is overwhelmingly annoying. The tournament, otherwise, has not disappointed so far, unless of course you are a supporter of the penultimate powerhouses. If you are a supporter of England, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, your experience of the tournament so far has undoubtedly been a roller coaster ride, if not completely deflating.