A Charitable Introspection of 2021

Creating lists about what you do on in your life can sometimes shed some interesting light on who you are. 

Take charities for instance. If I look back at the charities Glosette Girl, Margot and I donated to this year, it would reveal we donated to:

• The Gladstone Theatre;
• All Saints Westboro Anglican Church;
• UNICEF;
• Cornerstone (an Ottawa women's shelter) via the "Coldest Night of the Year" fundraiser;
• Operation Come Home (which helps homeless youth);
  
• The Ottawa Mission;
• The Ottawa Foodbank; and
• The GCTC Theatre.

So what does that tell you about my family? Well apparently we are an Anglican arts-loving group that cares about local issues such as ensuring the people (the children, the homeless, and women) are taken care of. That seems fair. I've certainly blogged before about how sad it is to see beggars in our affluent area. 

Some small observations are in order though: I'm actually Catholic not Anglican, despite going to an Anglican Church. Perhaps "confused" or  "General Christian" is more accurate these days! And we usually donate to a few environmental charities as that's important to us too.  However, overall, I think the above charity list does match up to our values.

I have a particular soft spot for the arts this year. That sector of society has been devastated by COVID and with every new wave their misery is prolonged. From the comfort of my stay-at-home job with its steady pay cheque, I can't help admire the resilience of people who choose to bring introspection, thoughtfulness and creativity to the world.

They may not have as obvious an impact on our welfare as doctors and nurses, but I hope others will remember, as we continue to move forward in 2022, the work the creative sector does to help our souls. Their continued existence is testament to the fact that merely surviving isn't enough.

A Nu Gift

Way back when I moved to Hintonburg I blogged about some of the local area grocery stores. In hindsight, I think my comments were a bit off (hipsters apparently go to Loblaws, not Metro), and I didn't comment on a couple. In particular, Nu Grocery, is one I didn't comment on at the time (to be fair to myself, my blog post predates their store opening by a few months).

It's an interesting concept: it's a store dedicated to avoiding single-use packaging. So no saran wrap, cardboard boxes or even cans. Instead, you're supposed to bring in your own jars, weigh them empty, fill them up and they charge you by the weight of the full container (minus the weight of the jar).

Think of a fancy bulk barn.  

Pre-pandemic, I used to go to Nu Grocery once per week. Since then I'm a bit ashamed to admit that my visits have really dropped off. I think it's because I just wanted to get all my groceries in one place (like a traditional grocery store) and also their COVID capacity limits were a bit too strict at first (no one was even allowed in the store for awhile, you had to order ahead of time, although they have since relaxed those measures).

This weekend though my visit was less about food and more about... Christmas! Margot needed to get a gift for her gym teacher, Madame. S, and we struck upon a nice idea: a beeswax candle! Gambling they would sell them here, we popped in, and struck gold.

Margot with the coveted candle

During my visit, I was reminded just how much more human the store feels than the massive chain stores I've been visiting. I think perhaps it's time to restart going here more frequently. 

Moments between the Moments

The more I go through life the more I realize that the moments that make life memorable happen when you are out in the world. This past weekend, with my sister and family in town, we played tourist and:

• Saw the new light and sound show on Parliament Hill;
• Went skating at Landsdowne Park, in the Glebe neighbourhood;
• Went for a winter walk; and
• Saw Margot perform another concert with her musical theatre troupe.

All that was fun but some of the most interesting things that happened - the things will stay with me the longest - occurred at unexpected moments.

For example, while skating a bunch of Santas suddenly appeared and started singing. You heard me - a pile of singing Santas!

 

That was pretty funny. A more gentle moment was when we went on our winter walk. The forecast was grey, miserable and rainy. We risked it anyways and were somehow blessed to be in a surreal pocket of good weather.

Finally, for Margot's show, what we thought it was going to be a quick 1-hour event turned out to be an epic almost two-hour show. As we watched performer after performer present, we kept on wondering, "When's Margot's turn?" It turns out...dead last! It was torturous but also funny when I think about it. Anyone else want to see 30+ acts go on before your child's? Yes, please!

Oh well. Just like with last week's post, when Margot was randomly called upon to light a candle, I truly believe that so much of life happens when you least expect it. And to even have a chance of experiencing them, you have to put yourself out there.

Creating Rituals

One of the reasons I like going to All Saints Westboro with Margot every so often is that it creates a sense of routine and ritual. Once a month, we go to church, see the church regulars, receive the host, and then cap it all off with some bagels from Kettleman's Bagels. It's a nice rhythm we've developed and in addition to helping her become a spiritual person,  I hope years from now Margot will have a sense of nostalgia about all the Sundays she spent with daddy.

December is an especially nice time of year for rituals because of advent. Even if you're secular or from a different religious background, there is something exciting about a community counting down to the same day. 

We've definitely hopped on the advent bandwagon this year. First, Glosette Girl couldn't help herself but she bought Margot a Harry-Potter themed advent calendar. Margot is still loving Mr. Potter and we are now two thirds of the way through book six (not too bad considering we only started reading them in March).

We got extra parent points for this one.

Second, we had to, of course, get the annual chocolate advent calendar.

Finally, after going to church for the past 10-years, our congregation is Margot is pretty familiar with Margot now. So she gets singled out a bit more and this past Sunday even had an opportunity to light the latest advent candle.

I was ready to bolt if she dropped the candle!

I believe its so important in this day and age for parents to look for experiences - spiritual, cultural or whatever. No one will ever remember what social media post they were looking at when they were young. But to be called upon to do something important in front of a crowd? That's a memory!

The Last One on the List

So we ended up scoring a last minute COVID vaccine for Margot yesterday. We had planned to get it a week from now but our plans had to change and so, on a whim, I checked to see if there were any spots available and there were! So off we went and by 6 pm it was all done.

The entire experience felt so different in comparison to when I got vaccinated back in the spring. Back then, everyone was scrambling for vaccines and scouring the Internet for pharmacies that had extra shots to give away. I remember waiting by my computer so I could book my timeslot as soon as I was eligible.

This time, the announcement was made with a lot less fanfare and, like I said, it wasn't hard to make a same day booking. I guess getting shots is just another part of life now.

Margot was a real trooper though. She showed no fear (even if was scared on the inside a bit) and responded clearly to the nurse's questions. She was also really patient as we waited for the 15 minutes post-shot period to elapse to ensure she didn't have any side affects. Luckily, Monsieur Cell Phone was on hand to keep us amused!

"That's the Needle?!"

Margot is the last person (along with my nieces and nephew of course!) in my immediate circle to be vaccinated. Once she's fully up to speed the pandemic is going to feel a lot more abstract.  I guess that's a good problem!

OK she's not that keen - I made her pose!

The Price of Everything

What are the words/expression of 2021? "Supply chain"....hmmmm maybe. Lately, at least around here, it's been "inflation".

Everywhere I go I'm reminded how much prices have jumped lately. Definitely when I go to the gas station:

And, of course, the grocery store, where $30+ steak and $7 strawberries seems the norm now. But I'm also reminded about how expensive everything is just from walking down Wellington Street and seeing how much little treats are these days, whether it's a box of donuts from Susie Q ($36 for a dozen donuts) to buying pizza at Tennessey Willems:

$20+ for a meal is almost as cheap as it gets these days

Another thing I've noticed is how businesses are trying to get a bit sneaky by shrinking portions to avoid too drastic price hikes. It's especially noticeable with beer in pubs. Just a couple of years ago buying a 20 oz pint was standard practice. Usually a pint would cost somewhere in the range of $8 to $10.

These days, many pubs are shrinking the size of draught beer. It started by reducing the size of a pint to an "American" pint - 16 oz. But I've recently started seeing places go even smaller than that. Interestingly many pubs are now advertising their pints using the metric system (probably because 330 ml sounds impressive compared to say, 14 oz). I can't fault pubs too much for all these changes though because I am sure many of them are struggling just to survive. But it is another sign of the times. The era of cheap everything is over...at least for awhile.

We're All in this Together

OK this blog isn't supposed to be just about Margot but she is a huge part of my life so it's hard to avoid her - especially when she does all these brave things.

And when I say brave, I mean brave! Margot has been onstage more times in her short little life than I have in my 40 plus years!

What's Margot done?

Well, she's been in horse show competitions, choir shows, cross-country races, and dance shows (at private camps and at school). She's even tried out for the Nutcraker! When I was eleven I remember it being a nerve wracking experience to make a phone order for a pizza. And here she is trying out for a national ballet!

The funny thing is that we don't push her to do all this stuff. Since she was a little girl our only goal has been to expose her to a couple of activities at a time, and if she's not enjoying herself, to move on. Many of these activities have year end shows and Margot always seems to have a great time preparing for them. 

The latest one? Musical Theatre! 

 In addition to horseback riding, her only other activity right now is musical theatre with SOPAC, which offers musical training and education for all skill levels. This past weekend Margot performed We're All in this Together as part of a global event celebrating local theatre. Most of the performers were actually adults so it was really brave of Margot to get onstage and perform with her little troupe.

 

I wonder if part of the reason Margot is so brave is because she's an only child? She just always seems to be open to meeting new people and interacting with them. Regardless of the reason, I feel like a pleasantly bemused witness to her inner spirit. What will she do next?

 

The Moonroom: a hidden world

Sometimes I wonder whether it would be nicer to live in the country. It certainty would be more relaxing, and provide for a more peaceful life. There would be nature, quietude, and wide open spaces to explore.

But there wouldn't be the Moonroom. 

The Moonroom is one of those places that people are hoping to discover when they move into a "hip" neighbourhood like Hintonburg. From the front it looks fairly nondescript, although you can tell from the framed QR-codes hanging on the nearby trees (and which access the Moonroom's menus) that something interesting is afoot

Technically the Moonroom is in Little Italy, and not Hintonburg, but because it's within walking distance to my house, I like to think of it as being local to my neighbourhood.

It's a bar/lounge - and a tiny one at that. However, what makes it really special is that the have turned their backyard into the most magical patio that I have seen in Ottawa. It's a multi-layer maze of light, wooden stools and benches, and eclectic signs. One can't help but feel cool by osmosis by hanging out here.

One sad note about the place though is that although indoor eating has been open for most restaurants for months, the Moonroom decided to be outdoor only - even now, when temperatures are getting close to freezing. 

Glosette Girl kept warm and toasty with Gin and Hot Cider

I chatted with the owner, and they decided to do this for the safety of their staff and patrons (given that the inside is so small). Unfortunately however that means that next weekend will be their last open weekend until April. To keep customers coming as long as possible there are heaters here and there plus they give out free (and fresh) clean blankets. 

Dining Al Fresco In Canada

I had a great night with Glosette Girl at the Moonroom and I hope they can survive the long dark Canadian winter.  They bring an unorthodox charm to a sometimes staid and homogeneous Ottawa scene. We need more places like this!

The Sweet Suq

It's so lovely when something other than a Marijuana store opens up in this area (did I mention already that there are way too many of those around here?). A relatively recent addition to the 'hood is Le Suq, which seems to be a kindof a cross between a World Retail store, coffee shop, and Lebanese bakery. 

We stopped by recently and it had a friendly vibe. I saw my faves: Zaatar and Tabbouleh but on this mission we targeted Baklava, a pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey (Glosette Girl and Margot are big fans).

Unfortunately Glosette Girl wasn't 100% impressed with Baklava (she found it a bit dry) but Margot did...so next time I'm going to have to try it to see what the final verdict is! 

B is for Bakery!

Baklava aside, anyone who is trying to bring character and personality to this neighbourhood has my vote and next time I'll try the Zaatar. A couple of years ago someone tried to open a Witches-themed cafe, but they didn't last a year. Le Suq has a better location (Gladstone and Parkdale) but even then I wonder if Le Suq will survive? We'll see...

Maplewood In-House Horse Show

Margot's love of horses shows no signs of abating. It's hard to believe that she only started horseback riding a couple of years ago after we cast around for a new extra-curricular activity after trying a few others. And now look at her!

Recently, she competed in her first ever equestrian competition at her new stables, Maplewood Equestrian Centre*. She was nervous, but determined, to do well.

I wasn't quite sure how she would fare, but ever since the spring, when she rocket-powered her abilities with a month of intense lessons, I've been reasonably confident that she can hold her own.

And boy did she ever! She was in two different horseback events at the intermediate-one level: dressage (an event where you have to demonstrate the control of the horse in a stylish way) and "Hunter" (a form of jumping) and won the "Reserve Champion" award, which is 2nd place! In getting 2nd place she actually won two individual events, which made her day. 

The next Charlotte Dujardin

I must admit, seeing her happy surprised smile when she won those two individual events put me in a great mood. There's few things better than seeing your child succeed in something they enjoy. What I loved most was that she was gracious and kind to the other competitors. There was one girl who wasn't having the best day and Margot was grateful that in one event that girl beat her as it would cheer the other girl up. 

Take a bow, my girl!

Horseback riding is definitely bringing out some nice qualities in Margot: 

• patience, to work with animals, 
• discipline, to keep working to improve herself; and 
• confidence, to deal with adversity (her horse in the dressage event bucked twice - it was quite scary!)

No matter how far she goes with all this, I know she is making wonderful memories. I'm so happy to be able just to be along for the ride.

* she also goes to Wesley Clover Stables.

Going to the Cinema: Shaken, Not Stirred.

Continuing with the theme of starting-up-again-things-that-I-mostly-forgot-abut-during-the-pandemic, which started with a play I saw a few weeks ago, this past weekend I went to see a movie with Glosette Girl and her brother, J. Woohoo! 

To really justify seeing things on the big screen we decided to see an action movie: James Bond - No Time to Die. We saw it at the Cineplex in the west end of Ottawa, by the Bayshore mall, which is sortof our go-to movie location.

We started the movie with masks...no promises after the lights went off!

Technically, it's not the only movie we have seen during the pandemic. We also saw Tenet, last year. But this time felt much more normal. For starters, there was some random dude sitting next to me. That caused me to do a bit of a double-take. Last year we were really spaced out with nobody near us.

Also, although we had to show our proof of vaccination and wear masks when we entered the cinema and sat down, we were allowed to take them off during the movies. It's funny, if you watch the news it oscillates between despair and joy when it comes to Coronavirus. But thinking back to last year, I think things are waaaaay better now. 

Margot's activities and her school routine hasn't been disrupted yet (knock on wood). Last year at this time she had already been quarantined once. For those who are vaccinated, border restrictions are slowly coming down, and I'm even going back to work again - permanently - two times a week starting tomorrow. I can hardly believe it!

But back to the movie! It was OK with over-the-top dialogue and action sequences. But if you haven't seen the previous Bond movie (Spectre) make sure you so as this one is pretty much a direct sequel. Ah Daniel Craig, you old rascal. Remind me to start drinking more straight hard liquor.

Grade Six: the Next Level of Homework

The last couple of years have been pretty easy for Margot homework-wise. She gets assigned a few Netmath problems; a bit of reading; maybe she gets asked to create a Powerpoint presentation. All in all, nothing too hard. With COVID, I had the impression that teachers were just treading water as they tried to keep kids under control. When you spend a third of the class explaining to the class how Googledocs works, it doesn't exactly suggest you're on the path to advanced learning.

This year, I swear it feels like Margot's teacher is stepping it up a notch to make up for lost time. Almost every day since school has started Margot has been doing homework.

It's gotten so bad that pretty much every waking moment she has that's not occupied with horseback riding she's hitting the books. There's barely anytime for Harry Potter anymore!

It's actually pretty stressful because Margot takes her homework very seriously. While it's great that we don't have to force her to learn, she has a tendency to get discouraged far too easily when she can't figure out a problem right away. It doesn't help that because Margot goes to a French school it sometimes takes me a little bit of time to figure out what a question is asking.

Workin' 9 to 5

Glosette Girl and I are still trying our best to find the right balance between being diligent and being calm but I don't think we've landed on it quite yet. I am not looking forward to high school...or worse, university!

Truth and Reonciliation

Last Thursday was Canada's first ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the lost indigenous children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. 

My work closed for the day. Oddly, even though I live in the nation's capital, there didn't seem to be any big events planned. I would have expected some recognition similar to what I'm used to with Remembrance Day. Eventually though I found out that an event was being held all day on Parliament Hill.

I made it to the site around 10:30 am. I found the area in front of Parliament to be populated by a crowd of orange-shirt wearing attendees. Some were indigenous, but there were also non-indigenous school groups there, families, couples and a smattering of interested individuals like me.

Again, somewhat oddly, there didn't seem to be any representative of the Government there.

As I listened to the speakers I noticed two very different tones. On the one hand, there were speakers who expressed great frustration and anger at what had transpired and indicated that actions would be taken on other indigenous-related issues going forward, like climate change. On the other hand, there were speakers who primarily expressed sadness and hope - sadness at what had been allowed to happen and hope that the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation represented a first step in Canada's myriad people moving forward in a spirit of empathy and understanding. 

I was left to wonder which tone represents the most likely immediate future for my country.... anger or hope? People tend to have short memories and it's easy to forget that just prior to COVID-19, here were indigenous blockades of railways across the country in protest of a natural gas pipeline in British Columbia.

Canada is sometimes thought of as a boring, calm little corner of the world, and compared to many other regions, that may be true. But there is a lot left to be written about my country's relationship with its first peoples.

Bill Mason Centre Trail

It takes effort to keep on looking for new hikes around Ottawa. We have no grand mountains or stormy oceans. No vast desserts, midnight sun, or ancient ruins. Not even a notable amusement park! In sum, nothing epic to visit. 

Still, there is a rough and tumble beauty to the area, with the Ontario side being a bit more pastoral and the Quebec side a bit more rugged. And as long as Margot keeps letting me drag her across the country, while we chatter life's worries away, I'm going to keep exploring the area.

I thought I had discovered most hikes within 60 minutes of my house by now (my maximum radius for a day-trip) but it turns out there are still a few hidden gems out there because this past weekend we discovered the Bill Mason Centre Trail, near Dunrobin, west of Ottawa.

The trail is tucked behind a school so it is inaccessible to the public during the week. Maybe that's why I have never heard of it before. But it's completely open on the weekend and so Margot, Glossette Girl and I took full advantage of a glorious September day to stroll it's boardwalks and woods.

I loved how empty it was.

Whenever we hike a beautiful trail a part of me wonders whether it's time to pack city life in and move to the country. I don't need epic mountains to realize how realize how much I love nature. And Margot is an avid horseback rider after all....

Just kidding, until I retire I think I'm going to be a city guy. I like the conveniences of Hintonburg and the proximity to culture and restaurants and life that the neighbourhood brings. But a man can dream...

I want to Ride My Bicycle, I want to Ride my Bike

I'm kindof ashamed to admit it but I haven't been on a bike in almost 20-years. The last time I biked, it was when I was in University. I would bike across town  - without a helmet - to the co-op job I had at the time. The bike I used was an old-school CCM bike, which weighed a TON, had faulty breaks and was originally given to me at the start of high school. 

Now that I have more disposable income, and especially since the pandemic started, I've been meaning to rectify this 20-year gap and get me a decent set of wheels - two-wheels that is!

Westboro, the gentrified area just west of Ottawa is sortof the local mecca of bikes and other sporting goods stores (along with nearby Wellington West). The area includes:

• MEC
• Bushtakah
• Lululemon
• Fresh Air Experience
• Great Escape Outfitters

What was primarily holding me back from serious bike shopping was all the news stories about just how hard it is to buy a bike these days due to the high demand and disruption in supply chains caused by COVID. Still, a few weeks ago I decided to bite the bullet and start shopping. After checking out a place in Quebec, I started with Bushtakah, which is an Ottawa store.

I had a super positive experience shopping at Bushtakah. The staff person I spoke to was nice, not pushy and knew his stuff. He also didn't make fun of me for my lack of cycling knowledge! Eventually I put down a deposit for a Trek FX 2, which is a mid-range (price wise) hybrid bike. Delivery of the bike was scheduled for November (so four months away) but in these crazy times, that seemed reasonable. 

However, guess what? I must be born under a lucky star because my bike was delivered 3-months early! So, after only one-month of waiting I'm now the proud owner of a pretty fine piece of equipment if I do say so myself.

I've only just tried cycling around my street so far but it's so light - it's like hovering over the air! I feel like a kid again.*

 * a kid with a little pot belly.

Empty Flights

The summer is slowly winding down and the old routines are starting up again. Margot is back in school for her 6th and last year at École élémentaire catholique Saint-François-d'Assise (in person!), my work is starting to develop hybrid in-person work plans, and autumn is just around the corner.

Since I'm still working from home I took the opportunity to visit my family in Newmarket and Toronto, Ontario. The flight from Ottawa to Toronto is actually very short: just 1 hour.  It used to be a commuter flight for business travelers.  However, this time, my experience was very different. For one, it's all masks, all the time. But I'm used to that now from my recent trip to Alberta. The biggest change I noticed this time was that there was no one on the plane!

It was pretty lonely back there in seat 10D

I stand corrected, there were six passengers on my flight (although I think was an airline employee). Toronto Island Airport, where I landed, was even more surreal. There was nobody there! And that includes outside the airport too. Normally the entrance to the airport is wall-to-wall taxi cabs waiting to pick up passengers.  This time? Not a single cab!

 

Just me at Billy Bishop Airport

 

Now it may be that all of this is due to the fact that Porter Airlines, which is the main airline flying out of that airport, has only restarted flying. However, I'm curious if short haul business travel will ever come back again. I used to travel for work a lot but those days seem like a distant memory now. Another sign as to just how much the Coronavirus has changed things?

The Play's the Thing

Well, I didn't see that coming!

I was trying to think of something to do this Labour Day weekend and I stumbled upon a play being held at the Gladstone Theatre, which is just down around the block from our house. The play: Much Ado about Nothing, being produced by Company of Adventurers, a young people's company based in Ottawa.

For someone who used to go to a lot of plays, I must admit I've been slacking lately about seeing any shows this past year for um...well the obvious reason: COVID!  I just assumed this form of entertainment was dormant for the moment (sadly). I guess I was wrong!

Doth mine eyes deceive me?

Being put on by an amateur youth company, the cost of tickets for the production was fair ($0 [plus a voluntary donation to help out the Gladstone Theatre]) and I jumped at the opportunity for Margot, Glosette Girl and I to go see an afternoon matinee.

Hark! now I hear them — Ding-dong, bell

I have to say they did a pretty good job! I wasn't expecting much but the young people (ages 10-19) really impressed me! They knew their lines from top to bottom and they had a pretty decent sense of timing, tone and emotion.

Just going to the theatre was such a fascinating experience.There were 50 people in the audience, all wearing masks, and all spread out and socially distanced. The actors themselves were maskless but put masks on whenever they interacted with the audience (there were a few scenes where they walked up and down the aisles). Is this the future or just an example of the temporary compromises we have to live in in this weird post-vaccine era? I don't know but it was cool to see that COVID hasn't killed theatre after all. Remind me to keep a look out for more shows.

All the world’s a stage...!

The Medal for Holding Medals

You wouldn't believe what's going on in the community sometimes - well I wouldn't at least! Yes, even in COVID times, just down the road there might be a charity food drive or a race or a pop up shop. 

Well this past week the Canoe Kayak Canada National Sprint Championship was held in Ottawa at Mooney's Bay, which is on the Rideau River, about 15 minutes from my house.  It's amazing that this is going on for a few reasons. To start, it's one of the first big post-COVID athletic championships to be held in person in Canada. Second, it's a great opportunity to meet some of  Olympians who participated in the recent Tokyo Summer Games.

I am sure 99% of Ottawans don't realize this event is going on even though it's occuring in the middle of the city! Honestly, the main reason I know is because Margot took summer camp at the Rideau Canoe Club and they sent out a call for volunteers.

Of course Margot, who is always game to try something new, volunteered to be...someone who holds the medals when they are given out! I had an opportunity to see her performing her medal duties and she had the biggest smile on her face. You would have thought she had won one of the events!

First she walks out with the winners...

I wonder if anyone noticed I was taking photos of the girl holding the medals and not the medalists

 ...then after the medals are awarded, she stands around looking happy!

A cool bonus for her was that she met Lisa Bissonnette who is a great Canadian kayaker and went to Tokyo but wasn't allowed to compete.*

The winners, a sponsor, Lisa and a beaming Margot

Anyways, Margot had a great time helping out. I said it before and I'll say it again, it's amazing what's going on in the world if you just take the time to look.

Extra bonus karma: I volunteered too (handing out coffee, so not as glamorous!)

* The story is kindof sad actually - you can read about it here. 

It's Tough to be a Kid

Yesterday, I took Margot to see a local orthodontist. We've known she's needed braces for sometime, and have visited the orthodontist before, but this was the last appointment before actually starting installing the braces on her.

The orthodontist laid out the information in a very matter-of-fact way: metal braces; two years, on average, for them to be installed; etc. etc.  There wasn't too much room for chit chat. Margot just took everything in stride and listened as I asked follow up questions. However, after the appointment, once we were outside and walking home, she stormed ahead and then burst into tears. It was heartbreaking. 

I remember when I had braces installed when I was a kid. Worse - I had to get glasses at the same time. I still remember praying to God asking to have all this just go away. I remember praying for better vision and teeth! It's still a raw memory even after all these years.

So my heart went out to little Margot. I just wanted to be there for her and comfort her.

It's hard to blame Margot for not wanting to put these in her mouth!

Luckily, she is a trooper. By the afternoon she was much better and instead of crying she was resorting to her usual trickery: telling me that she would get braces if I got her something! Honestly, it's a small price to pay and Margot is already ready to get braces installed in return for something special. What that "special" thing is is still a mystery to me! 

We are still shopping around a bit so she's in the clear for a couple more months. But hey, things aren't that bad. According to Margot, if there is one good thing about covid-19 its that she has to wear a mask at school. So no one will see her wearing her "ugly" braces!

What's Faster than Walking but Slower than a Bike?

What is the biggest thing to hit Ottawa in 2021?

No, not COVID-19. It's the hundreds of scooters zipping all over the city! They are everywhere as part of a city pilot project.

I first saw cities mass deploying scooters as a form of public transport in Lyon, France, which we visited on our last trip to Europe in 2019. I marveled at how fun and efficient they seemed to be and I was curious whether they would work in Canada.

Well, now I know they do! Well, at least in Ottawa. People - young people especially - are loving these things and they are all over the neighbourhood. I'm curious to see if people will still use them in the shoulder seasons when it gets really cold, but for now it seems like a big success.

There are at least three companies competing for business: Bird Canada, Neuron and Lime, and it'll be interesting if all three survive this year's pilot project.

Guilty secret: I haven't tried one of these yet. Call me old fashioned by I'm happy relying on my old two legs to get around the city. When I have to go farther, it's usually to go really far so a scooter won't work for that either. But mark my words, I will try one of these days!

Likes, Camera, Action!

After an eventful vacation, I was wondering what I would write about this week when life handed me a great blog topic: apparently a movie is being filmed just down the street at our local ice cream shop, Stella Luna!

There was noting out of the ordinary at Stella Luna yesterday but today there are several film trucks lined down the street, a Christmas tree in front of the store and film crew scrambling left, right and centre putting the production together. (Is it just me or do film crew people always look busy but edgy with a professional, but devil-may-care attitude?)

Film trucks just around the corner...

Except for the fact that it relates to Christmas, I have no idea what the movie is about. However, according to Stella Luna's facebook site, this has happened before! Back in 2019, the store was one of the location's for Hallmark's next made for TV Christmas Movie "Double Holiday".

...and a Christmas tree out front!

Hmmm, can you say, Double Holiday: the Sequel? Remind me to watch the 2019 movie sometime. Maybe I'm bumbling around the background without realizing it!

I wonder if all Christmas movies are recorded in the summer? Hmmm... I'm going to have to start paying closer attention to them because it currently feels like 40 degrees Celsius and if they are normally recorded at this time of year, perhaps I'll start noticing that all actors enjoying "winter" are sweating through their scenes!

Tour of the Rockies: Forest Fire Disaster

In my last blog post I talked about how the skies in Calgary were hazy due to forest fires in British Columbia. But I didn't realize just how bad things could get until we crossed the border. After doing the typical tourist stuff in Banff/Jasper we crossed the Rockies where we visited Mount Robson provincial park. Fun fact: Mount Robson is the tallest mountain in the Rockies at 12,989 feet.

We then meandered south until we arrived at Clearwater, British Columbia, which is a really village in the middle of nowhere. There's not much there but it does have the distinct advantage of being at the base of Well's Gray Provincial Park, which has 39 named waterfalls and is a hidden gem in the middle of the province.

Dawson Falls

It's a beautiful area but it was at Clearwater that we really started to notice the distinct smell of smoke in the air. Also, the sky started to get much more grey. Luckily we were pretty distracted by all the waterfalls and some fun whitewater rafting, but our luck ran out when we headed further south to visit some friends in the tourist town of Revelstoke.

I kid you not, I have seen an eco-disaster and it lives in British Columbia. Imagine day after day of featureless soul-sucking sky where the colour of the sun shifts between a pale white and a sickly orange.  Image smoke rising from the hills where the fires are burning out of control as no one is putting them out (as there are too many forest fires).

Smoke rising from the hills. This photo was taken in mid afternoon but it looks like evening.

But by far, the worse thing was the air. It tasted like ash. In my home province of Ontario, people eat outside as they are afraid of COVID. In Revelstoke, it was the opposite: we went to a pub and they closed the patio as it was too dangerous to breathe the air outside!

We weren't in Revelstoke very long and soon we moved on to Radium Hot Springs and beautiful Kootenay National Park.

The surreal paint pots trail

We've also had a few great adventures since Revelstoke including seeing three bears on a hiking trail just today!  But how the disaster in BC isn't getting more press is beyond me.

Tour of the Rockies: the Alberta Side

I've been to many great places in Canada before, including the BC coast, Quebec, the Maritimes, Newfoundland and, of course, all over my home province of Ontario. However, I've never taken the time to enjoy what is arguably Canada's most iconic corner: the Canadian Rockies. So this year, with all the hassles associated with crossing the border, Glosette Girl, Margot and I decided it was the perfect time to vacation in the area and see if it lives up to all the hype. My conclusion so far? Yes, yes it does!

We've only explored the Alberta side of the mountains so far, mostly around the three towns of Canmore, Banff and Jasper, Alberta. However, we've already had a great taste of what makes each of them so special. 

Top highlights so far: 

• Floating down the Bow River with some locals.

• The awe-inspiring drive of the Icefield parkway between Banff and Jasper. This is the most beautiful road I've ever driven.

• Swimming in an Alpine lake. To answer the question you're probably thinking about: yes, it is cold!

• Touching the remains of a glacier near Mount Edith Cavell (not super wise of us considering the glacier towering overhead but hey life is for living) 

It's been a great trip so far, but also a poignant one. Coming here is like seeing the impact of climate change in action.

For example, Glosette Girl visited the Athabasca glacier back in 2002 and at the time was able to simply walk up to the glacier and touch it. However, in the 19 years since, the glaicer has retreated so much that that's no longer possible unless you take a paid guided tour.

Another sign of climate change? The thousands of dead pine trees covering the slopes around Jasper - victims of the pine beetle, which didn't used to be able to survive Canada's cold winters. Finally there's the smoke from thousands of forest fires in BC, which is wafting into Alberta. It's not so bad where we are now (in Jasper) but the sky was pretty hazy with smoke when we landed in Calgary. 

None of this takes away from the beauty of the place but it has us a little apprehensive for the next leg of our trip in BC when we'll get a bit closer to the ongoing wildfires. But that's next week's adventure.

More Pizza? Yes Please! Joe's Italian Kitchen

If someone were to ask me what was the one good thing that came out of the pandemic in Ottawa I wouldn't hesitate to answer: patio culture!

We're back in the swing of things these days. A couple of weeks ago Glosette Girl, Margot and I tried Absinthe, which has opened up a hidden courtyard patio. More recently we visited Joe's Italian Kitchen.

I have to admit, my expectations weren't that high for good ol' Joe's. Maybe it's because the main thing on the menu is pizza and there's only so much you can do with pizza...or so I thought.

Unlike most pizza places in Ottawa, Joe's actually serves pinsa, not pizza. Pinsa dough is made with a blend of sourdough, rice, soy and wheat flour. And trust me when I tell you, it tastes amazing! It's lighter and fluffier than normal pizza dough, even thin crust pizza.

According to their website, Joe's Italian Kitchen (which operates a few restaurants in this area) is Canada’s first certified Pinsaria. And their desserts weren't too shabby either. In fact, after a small mistaken with Glosette Girl's order, they kindly gave us her dessert for free.

Free dessert? Yes, please!

Something that I also enjoyed about our experience was that we were able to take Margot. In the past we've been pretty limited in terms of what type of restaurants we think Margot will enjoy. Lately, however, we've thrown caution to the wind and are trying all sorts of new places. 

We're not quite ready for a 12-course meal at Atelier but we're making progress!

Happy Stores List vs. Less Happy List

Whenever I see one of these types of businesses or stores open in the neighbourhood I'm super excited:

• Pub
• Cafe 
• Restaurant
  
• Bookstore (not too likely these days, but you never know!)
• Funky clothing store 
• Bakery (even though we have a couple nearby, I just love the smell)
  

Hmmm that list makes me look a bit gentrified...

Anyways, in contrast, I'm more or less disappointed when I see one of the following is joining my neck of the woods:

• Chain fast food restaurant (don't get me wrong, I like fast food... but mostly when I'm road trippin')
  
• Hair dresser (we have too many!)
• Drug store (we have a couple in the area, plus it's kindof dull)
• Marijuana store (again, way too many around here)
  
• Car dealership or repair shop (another boring shop....but essential of course. So as long as one sticks around, I'm happy!) 
• Gym (I like the gym, but again, I just don't feel it adds joy to the neighbourhood)
  

So I was less than thrilled this summer when one of the few new businesses that opened up on our street was an esthetician "lounge". It's not that I don't value estheticians, but for me, personally, I don't find they don't add any life to the streets. 

So while I'm happy that all the empty storefronts around here are starting to fill up, I hope that a couple more businesses on my "happy list" will soon open up and bring some action to the 'hood!

Givin' Away some Greens

The Parkdale Food Centre, our local Hintonburg food bank, recently started a cool new initiative: they have installed a fridge outside their property that anyone can use to drop off fresh food. At the same time, anyone who is hungry can open the fridge and take whatever they want, no questions asked.

It's a really cool idea that I think de-stigmatizes food banks a bit while ensuring that food doesn't go to waste. 

In Canada, about 29.4 million kgs of food is wasted every year. That's crazy! Personally, one of my biggest pet peeves is wasting food. The problem is that I like eating a variety of things. So I'm frequently buying fresh herbs and veggies but only using about 2/3 of what I buy. Recycling the food I don't eat is OK I suppose, but giving it away is so much better.

Today I am happy to say that I took advantage of the outdoor fridge. I dropped off two baby bok choys that I didn't use after I whipped up a stir-fry. I know for a fact that if I had kept them they would go straight into the green in. This way, there is at least a fightin' chance that some asian food lover out there will put them to good use.

Make room for the 'choy!

Thank you Parkdale Food Centre for thinking outside the box!

The Kings town

Glosette Girl and I decided to take advantage of a big blank space on our calendar this weekend to jet off for a one night getaway to Kingston, which is about 2-hours away from Ottawa. What made this trip extra unusual is that we did it sans Margot!

It's pretty crazy but we haven't spent a night away from Margot was just over..3 years -  in March 2018! Before that, it was April 2017, and before that.. perhaps a few years before when we did a trip to New York City without her. 

In sum: we were well overdue for a parent vacation and Kingston fit the bill.

Kingston is a small city near the same thousand island region where we went last year (with Margot). However, unlike the town we visited last year (Gananoque), which is much smaller, sleepier and tourist-focused, Kingston is a mix of university students, retirees, and aging rockers. Actually, if there is one word I would use to describe this town its "Rock" - the place definitely is a bit rough around the edges. It also has plenty of history, including plenty of 19th century manor houses and military fortifications. 

Don't interpret this as a sign I'm jumping for joy for being parentless for 24-hours

This electic mix of history and rock made for a fun short trip. In 24-hours we hit up a couple of patios, stumbled upon (from a distance) an Anti-vaccine protest/concert of some sort, and generally meandered amongst the downtown core wandering into stores and restaurants as we felt like. 

Ahh meandering. If there's one thing I love about not walking around with a kid is the ability to meander. We even found time for a quick jog along the shorefront, which was very healthy of us. But don't worry, we counteracted the healthiness with some beers and wine later.

Taking care of the body...

...and the mind!

I wouldn't move to Kingston (a bit small for my tastes), but for an overnight day-trip from Ottawa, you can't go wrong!

p.s: little trivia for you: Kingston really was called Kings Town (after King George III) until 1788, when the name was shortened.