I’m just back from the so-called “fast-trackers’ house” for a last time hanging out with my best buddies from Loyalist.

I gave a big and emotional hug to Natalie Bay, Aaron Lynnet, Ryan Jackson, Ashey (Ryan`s girlfriend), Tara Walton (see Tara? Here is YOUR name on my blog!) and “Boon” (after 7 months, I still don’t even know if it’s his first name, his last name, or just a nickname…). Lisa King and Kevin Hill where there, But I will see them Sunday when they will get me to the train station.

For most of them, I will only see them again at the WCNPA conference in Winnipeg in the middle of May. Nathalie will not be at the WECNPA though so I don’t even know when I’m going to see her next.

Alexandra was not there, but I saw her at the bar yesterday. She`s very emotional and cried for the last 30 minutes there. She is from Belleville and was so sad to see everyone leaving her hometown.

So Sunday I’m taking the train to Montreal. I’m a guest speaker in a conference. I’m back Monday evening and then, Tuesday morning, Cindy and I are leaving to Edmonton for my Internship at The Sun.

I’m so excited about this road trip. I will go through so many city that I have never visited! The further west I went is Kitchener for an interview earlier this semester. But before that, it was Mississauga about 5 years ago. 3 hours after we will have left Belleville, every kilometres that we will make will be my new “further west I ever been to.”

To celebrate the end of the last semester, and therefore the end of the program, a bunch of students went to the only “meat market” style dance-bar of Belleville: Matt and Joes. Here the scene: 31 years old Francis on the dance floor surrounded by 50 half naked 19 years old girls humping each others. Well, I guess thing have changed a lot since my clubbing years. Anyway, I had a lot of fun.

OK, it’s 3 and a half in the morning, so it’s time to go to bed now.

I started my day with a portrait at 9h30am. It’s now 9h09PM, and I’m leaving soon for my last assignment at 10h15pm. I’m tired, but happy.

I had an important job today. There is a by-election in the riding of Nepean-Carleton and there was an editorial interview with the four candidates and I had to photograph it. After, we went into the studio for formal portrait shots. They also wanted a group picture of the candidate. The editors like the picture and it should be played big tomorrow. I’ll let the Citizen print the picture first, and then I’ll post it here.

Why stop the press? Because I killed my Kitchener Record internship. Instead, Cindy and I will do a nice road trip to Edmonton. I will intern there from April 10th to April 30th. I guess we will go through Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Regina (and/or Saskatoon and Moose Jaw) on our way there. And from Edmonton, we will be able to visit the Rocky Mountains, the Montana (USA), Red Deer, Calgary, etc!

EDIT: The picture is on the front of City section this morning

Back in Ottawa at the Citizen. I went back to Belleville for the weekend, and then I left Monday morning at 6am (ouch!) because I needed to be in Cornwall at 8am for a picture (more on that story latter….)

Then I had to go the Courthouse in Ottawa to stakeout a cop accused to have stolen… a bloc cheese! Anyhow, you can’t take picture of people inside Ontario courthouses, so you need to eyeball the guy and wait as long as he is willing to get outside. And then you shoot! It was my first successful attempt at a stakeout. (Well... The two previous times, the person did not show up so... I guess I’m one in one!). I must say that you don’t feel very good when the guy looks at you taking picture of him, but that’s part of the game…

I’m back in Belleville since last Sunday. I did not write since then because Monday morning, when I tried to turn on my laptop…. Guess what? YES! The motherboard is fried again! Did someone say “lemon”?

The next day, a nice surprise was waiting for us at school. Well, it was actually not a big surprise because we where expecting it. But anyway… There is an Ontario-wide college strike. It’s the first since 1989. We have about 1 per year in Quebec. Nice timing!

There is one positive side to this strike: I’m going back to Ottawa. John Major told me that if there was a strike, I would be welcome at the Citizen as long as it would be on. So I’m leaving in a few hours, and will begin Monday morning.

I’m currently “teching” at school. The computer lab is open, and I’m basically babysitting the place. It’s 4h20pm and no one showed up since 10am. That is a long day!

5 pictures published on the same day is fun.

It might not be a good idea to say “Every business out there want to make profits” when your private company is holding a meeting to explain why you need to triple the size of a landfill in front of 2000 angry citizens.

Shooting food assignment is fun. You can have a bit at the tasty food when you are done!