Foret Larose

The weather has been pretty erratic lately, which has been causing havoc with the winter sports Glosette Girl, Margot and I like to do. It's been too cold, too warm or too snow storm-y. Even the local ice rink was closed the last two times we visited! Argh.

But this past Sunday we caught a break. The temperature was a respectable minus 4 degrees Celsius or so (minus 11 with wind chill) which is pretty much as good as it gets around these parts. So I packed the fam' into the car and headed east to Foret Larose for some ski du fond.

This is actually the second time this season we've cross-country skied. The first time was at Shirley's Bay, in the west, which was nice but a bit crowded with walkers. Technically it was supposed to be a ski-only trail but I can't get too mad as my family has occasionally bent that rules ourselves (and by bent I mean completely ignore).

But with Margot gaining more and more confidence every time we go out I wanted to try a "real" ski trail for this experience.

I wasn't disappointed. The trails were really well groomed and dead flat, which is great for a beginner like my lil' girl.

Better yet, even though there were a few cars in the parking lot we barely ran into anyone meaning Margot didn't feel any pressure to go faster. This is actually a major reason why I avoid Gatineau Park in the winter even though it's the local cross country ski mecca - there are just too many people.

Foret Larose is about a 45 minute drive straight east from Hintonburg in the middle of farm land. It was definitely a pleasant surprise for my gang so I would check it out if you want some easily accessible nature. Word of warning: you will hear the occasional snowmobile zooming about, but once you are the heart of the woods it'll just be you and the trees creaking under the weight of snow.

Magic Bus Number 14

I used to take the bus all the time when I lived in Quebec and commuted to work. Nowadays? Not so much. Now that I live in Hintonburg, I mostly walk or, infrequently, drive, to get around.

Sunday was a rare exception when I didn't do either of those things. Due to some pretty treacherous roads after the latest snowfall, Margot, Glosette Girl, and I decided to hop on the bus and head to the Canadian Museum of Nature for a quick visit. Fun fact: this is the first time all three of us have taken a bus together...ever!

The Number 14 bus is the bus line that goes through these parts. It runs straight up Gladstone avenue, which is by our house. The stop is just a few metres away, so it's pretty convenient.

Waiting for Godot

This will make me sound like a crotchety old man but things sure ain't how they used to be. Actually, in this case, they are better! Remember waiting at a bus stop and wondering when the bus was coming? No more my friends, no more. The age of smart phones apps means you can see where your bus is on a map! Yes! Thank you 2007 technology :)

Your chariot, good sir.

Anyways, it was a good experience. We got to the museum in 12 minutes - not too shabby. The best part was not having to look for parking, which is always scarce in that area. The bus driver even took pity at our snowy, pitiable, freezing faces and only charged us for one ticket when he realized we could have gotten a cheaper "family day pass" but forgot to ask for one.  Yay bus pity!

The Pho Shack

Glosette Girl and I have a winter tradition: whenever we go see a movie or play, if time permits, we like to go out for cheap Vietnamese eats. Sometimes we go before a show but more often than not we like to go afterwards as it gives us time to chat about what we just saw.

Because Hintonburg is right next to Ottawa's Chinatown (which, despite its name, contains lots of Vietnamese restaurants too) we could hit up a few restaurants there. But because Chinatown is east of us and we tend to see shows in the west, Chinatown isn't as convenient for us as it might seem. That's why we like hitting up the restaurants in Westboro/Wellington West/Hintonburg.

Our latest pit stop: the Pho Shack. The best thing about the Pho Shack? It's only a couple of blocks away from our house. Its a tiny space with only a few tables (very Toronto!).

There is an urban vibe about this place

When we visited, on a blistering cold minus twenty degrees evening,  the service was courteous and prompt and I enjoyed my pho (Glosette Girl was more critical of  her meal) although, to be honest, I find it hard to distinguish between pho soups served at different Vietnamese restaurants.

#16 "Rare Tendon + Beef Ball Noodle Soup"...just rolls off the tongue doesn't it?

The restaurant was mostly empty, which was perfect as it allowed Glosette Girl and I to chat gloriously about  Bohemian Rhapsody, the new biopic on Queen (critic proof alert: it was a really energetic and enjoyable movie despite some of the historical inaccuracies).

Pho-shack: a place for foodies? No. But a place for pop culture philosophers? Just maybe.

Pump up the Jam

Prior to moving to Hintonburg I was a member of a local fitness club. I would drive to my gym and go work out for about an hour about 3 times a week. But I dropped that pretty quickly after Margot was born as I found I just didn't have any time (and a bit narcissistic) to go "pump iron" while I left a squalling baby at home with Glosette Girl.

More recently though, I've found that I have a bit more time on my hands.  Also, the close proximity to various gyms/clubs means I don't have to drive anywhere. It's a short 10-minute jog to the gym or an even shorter 3 minute drive.

Of all the clubs in the area I chose Anytime Fitness, which is technically in the Civic hospital area. I like this one because I can go anytime (what a surprise given the name! You need an electronic key to go after a certain time in the evening), it's never that busy and it doesn't seem that pretentious (be honest - all fitness clubs are a tiny bit pretentious).

Other clubs in the area are Iron North Studio, Free Form Fitness, another Anytime Fitness location (in Wellingon West), Cross Fit Hintonburg, not to mention all the yoga and martial arts studios around here. Jeez, come to think of it, these things are really sprouting like weeds around here!

Anyways, my attendance goals are pretty low (2 times per week!) but so far so good. Which way to the beach?