For the first time in over a decade, I don't own a car. Although I've always avoided driving as much as possible, it's really inconvenient not to have the option. The other night I decided on my way home from school to buy a bottle of wine. There's one wine store in the ritzy neighbourhood where I live, but their cheapest bottle runs about 14 bucks, and I just refuse. So I went home and searched online for the nearest LDB stores (aw, government-contolled liquor sales -- so retro). There are two liquor stores that would take a good half-hour walk each way, and another wine store that's probably a 40-minute walk. I weighed how much I wanted a glass of wine against how much my self-image would suffer if I walked for over an hour in the dark and cold and rain just for a drink, and I decided to forego the booze. For now. If I had my car, I wouldn't face that dilemma. If I was still in Calgary, the problem wouldn't come up either way. I was trying to think of any place I've lived in Calgary or any place anyone I know has lived in Calgary that's more than a few blocks away from a liquor store. I can't think of any. Even in the suburbs, you never have to go further than the nearest strip mall. I'm not proud of Calgary and what it can represent: deregulation, excess, whiskey and steak dinners, retrogressive attitudes. But I'm not not proud of it, you know? Sometimes it's a tonic against the faux-enlightenment Vancouver prides itself on. Maybe my neck is redder than I'd like to think. Maybe I should stop making vapid political generalizations.