A New Badge for a New Ride

While I expect most of you missed the drama regarding the downfall of my Jaguar play out on my other site, this weekend my mood changed for the better when I finally purchased a new set of wheels. I decided on a 2006 Chrysler 300 (Touring Edition) with the complete luxury package. 

After nearly 3 years in the Jag, I knew there were a lot of amenities that I'd become accustomed to and that frankly I wasn't willing to give up if I could help it.  I did a lot of research and review scanning to find a vehicle that had exactly what I was looking for. In the end, we had to drive 4 hours to pick it up, but my expectations were surpassed when I finally got behind the wheel. 

What's best is that  in the switch I've sacrificed nothing except a badge. My 300 has all of the latest bells and whistles, from heated leather seats, to a sunroof, to bluetooth connectivity, and even a little analog clock in the dash just like the Jag had.  Even better, there's more head room, I can fit more than one suitcase in the trunk, and there's no hood ornament for someone to rip off.  

I'm really happy with how things have panned out, and despite the heartache from the death of my Jaguar, the outcome has been surprisingly brilliant. The 300 looks awesome, drives beautifully, and is considerably more affordable to maintain. This can only mean good things for a new year of road trips and my other travels ahead.  

85th Oscars Poster

Have you seen the poster designed by Olly Moss for this year's 85th Academy Awards? It's probably one of my favorites in recent memory and that's because it references all of the Best Pictures winners since the Oscars began in 1927. Click the poster to enlarge. How many of the films do you recognize?

Marshall-Mitchell Hardware Co. Warehouse

While I'm not certain, it seems very likely that this rail yard warehouse in Medicine Hat, Alberta was constructed sometime between 1910-1912.  It was originally built for the Marshall-Mitchell Hardware Company.  This area was in development in the early 1910s, and pictures taken of the construction of the neighbouring Dominion Fruit Company warehouse in 1913 show this warehouse already standing.

Not long after this (perhaps as early as 1917) the building housed the Codville Company, which was a chain of wholesale grocers in Western Canada. Faded paint from this chapter of the warehouse's history can still be seen on several walls of the building, along with other less distinguishable marks. Today the location seems to be in use by the neighbouring business to store furniture. The warehouse doesn't look like it's in particularly good shape at the moment. Severe cracks all over the building show its age. It is another fascinating location made even more so by the faded clues that give hints to its past.

Marshall-Mitchell Hardware Company ca. 1914