Goodbye to Tough Cookies!

So here it is: the last post of Tough Cookies: Hintonburg Style!

After almost six years, writing posts once a week, without fail, it just feels like the right time to put my "pen" down. And maybe part of the reason that I feel that way is that today was Margot's Grade 6 graduation day.

It was certainty a day of high emotions. When Margot first entered the ceremony room wearing high heels (that she chose), her fancy new dress (also her), and full of confidence, I couldn't stop smiling. Later on, seeing her walk on stage to accept her little diploma, definitely pulled on the heartstrings a bit.

As a nice bonus she won the Prix D'Excellence (tied with two other kids but we'll forget about those jokers!), which is super cool as it not only recognizes her marks but her genuine kindness towards other children in her class.

She's come a long way since she started École Saint-François-d'Assise, that Margot.

• Grade One: getting over the shock and worry of a brand new school;
• Grade Two: sharing her laughter on our weekly Daddy-Daughter dates;
• Grade Three: developing big emotions faster than I anticipated;
  
• Grade Four: banding together as a family to keep learning even when stuck at home; 
• Grade Five: taking her horseback riding passion to the next level;
  
• Grade Six: proving nothing will stop her from doing her homework because it matters to her.

Our lives here in Hintonburg has involved many things other than school of course: travelling; fluffy cats; renovations; and a little global pandemic. But looking back on the past six years I think helping Margot along on her journey, with Glosette Girl of course, is something I'll cherish the most. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to be a real father to her, and not one who just checks in when it's convenient.

I hope I've given you a sense as to what it's like to be a dad living in this little corner of the world. I'm not sure what exactly the next years will hold, but I'm excited to see what happens next. If they were anything like the past six, they will be tough yet fun. They will have tears and laughter. But, no matter what, they will always be honest and heartfelt. 

The End.

Parenting... it's just Getting Started

The weather around here has been gorgeous lately; sunny days, blue skies, and cool breezes - what more could you ask for?

So yesterday Glosette Girl, Margot and I headed off to Dow's lake to take full advantage. It's one of our regular walking trails/hang out spots, along with the Arboretum, where we can enjoy a bit of fresh air, without driving more than a few minutes away.

...Well, Glosette Girl and I took advantage. Margot was in a bit of a grumpy mood and didn't really want to go. At the same time, she didn't really want to stay at our house either. She didn't really know what she wanted. That's sortof a regular theme these days, which I suppose is to be expected now that she is 12 years young.

At Dow's lake Glosette Girl and I were hoping to settle by the water, read, and just soak up the atmosphere. In the end though, we ended up sitting behind a bush without any view of anything particularly interesting as I think Margot felt that was the next best thing to sitting at home.

What we were hoping to do...

I was a little perturbed by Margot's attitude and towards the end of the time at Dow's Lake decided I would walk home (about 25 minutes away). But guess who joined me? MARGOT! I think she just wanted to extend an olive branch and spend time with me. We ended up walking up Preston Street hand-in-hand while she lightened up and regaled me with stories about who-likes-who in her class. It was a surreal, but perhaps to be expected, change of mood that I thoroughly enjoyed.

As I prepare to wind this blog down (this will be my second last post) I'm starting to think that the challenges of parenting are just getting started. Long gone are the days of Daddy being a hero simply for showing up. Now comes the hard part of helping someone along who may feel lost in the world even though they don't know why. I think (I hope) I can be the kind of parent who makes things better. One thing is for certain though, it is going to take patience and empathy.

Sweet Cheat Treats

Sometimes I am in awe of how creative children can be. Take Margot for instance. Lately she's been doing a lot of assignments that require her to film a video about a particular topic. I'm pretty sure that the teacher would be satisfied with a basic presentation that explains the subject matter in a clear and concise way. In some cases, the subject matter is actually even irrelevant as what is being graded is the grammar and ability to explain complex ideas clearly. Again, you don't need to come up with anything too fancy to do that.

But little Margot - wow she always wants to go the extra mile for Madame (her teacher). Check out what she did for her latest English project entitled "Sweet Cheat Treats":

Pretty good! Amazingly she put this all together in one evening (Glosette Girl and yours truly helped with the filming).

There is something poetic (beyond the obvious poetry!) about how she did that assignment. I can't quite put my finger on it but I think it's a result of her being completely bilingual. She just explains things in a way that isn't quite how someone who is purely anglophone would do it. 

But I like it! Get me some of those Sweet Cheat Treats!

Look How Far We've Come

How much do you think about Covid-19 these days?

For me it barely registers in my mind anymore. I still follow any mandatory protections, but wow is it amazing how much it doesn't dictate my life. And from what I see on a daily basis, I'm guessing more and more people feel that way.

Need proof? I participated in a 5K run in the Ottawa Race weekend last Saturday along with...oh 4000 or so other participants.

I'm the one in the back wearing the racing shorts.

I haven't been in a crowd that large in forever. And it wasn't just the number of participants. The whole route was lined with spectators. Fortunately I had my cheer squad!

I normally prefer smaller races, but it was still a fun and festive (and hot) atmosphere. And did I mention how hot it was? I was not looking or feeling very pretty by the end of the run but I made it.

Ah there I am. Hey, get outta the photo, red top!

I really do get a sense that despite all the ups and downs, we've put covid-19, in the sense of something that dictates how most of us live, behind us. It probably has a few tricks left under it's sleeve but if thousands of maskless people running at the same time isn't noteworthy anymore, I have a positive feeling about the future.

Road Rage? No, Bike Sundays!

Oi! Guess what?

I did another "first" this past weekend? For the first time ever, I went for a bike ride down the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway for the NCC's Bike Sunday weekly event. Woohoo!

This was actually a pretty big deal for me because for all the 20 or so years I've lived in Ottawa, I've  been annoyed that on Sundays the city closes down key routes in the city so people can cycle around. If you don't own a bike it's really frustrating!

Well last year, as I blogged about, I bought a good bike. And this past weekend, I finally had a good window of opportunity to go exploring on my Trek FX 2. It was pretty sweet actually. Even though I was gone less than an hour I was easily able to bike down the parkway to the Champlain bridge and back (so maybe 8 km). And I must say - wow do these new hybrid bikes go fast, especially when there is no car traffic to share the road with! I'm hoping later this summer to get on the road with Margot so she can experience the fun.

So cross that one off my bucket list. 

I'm still not 100% sold on this closing down key routes idea but now that I can participate I think I can survive these Sunday shutdowns. As for the current pilot project of closing the main road up Gatineau Park to non-motorized vehicles most days during the week...that's another story.

A Park fit for Royalty

This past weekend, with my brother J and his family in tow, I enjoyed the first true in-person Ottawa Tulip Festival since 2019. COVID-19 meant it was cancelled in 2020 and it was a pretty quiet affair in 2021. 

Tiptoe through the tulips...

But this year...wow...! A lot of people got the memo that the festival was back on because it was jammed packed.

Taking a break from the crowds with J's baby K

Still, the crowds didn't prevent us from enjoying the 100,000 or so tulips that are sent annually to Ottawa from the Netherlands as a thank you for Canada’s hospitality towards the dutch royal family during World War 2. 

In fact, one member of the royal family, Princess Margriet, was actually born in Ottawa during the war at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, which is just a few blocks away from my house. Back in 2020 Princess Margriet was supposed to visit Ottawa to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands...but well...COVID.

Well, flash forward two years later and Princess Margriet and her family finally made it to Ottawa and the city honoured her visit by renaming my local Fairmont Park after her. I didn't realize ANY of this was going on by the way until I passed by the park a couple of days ago and noticed the sign had been changed.

Margot honoured the princess by playing really good tennis

While I will miss good ol' Fairmont Park, it's kindof cool that the new name certainty comes with a bit of history. 

Bird Border Wildnerness

Ottawa is a pretty big city (935,000 or so plus another 276,000 on the Quebec side). But it is surprisingly close to nature as I've blogged before. Just how close? Well its not unheard of for wild animals like elk, moose or even bear to occasionally wander in. I've never come across one of these animals in the city myself, but it happens frequently enough that it only makes page 10 of the news (or maybe page 2 on a slow day!).

But this past weekend I was lucky enough to have my own wild sighting. I was driving Margot across the Ottawa river when, just as we were crossing the Champlain Bridge, a few people with crazy sophisticated cameras looking at the trees. I didn't think too much about it but I made a mental note to check it out if they were still there when we returned. 

Sure enough, two hours later, an even bigger crowd was standing around pointing cameras at the trees next to the bridge. This time we were ready! We did a quick u-turn and found some parking and wandered over to check out what the fuss was about.

What you lookin' at?

It didn't take me long to realize that a Great Horned Owl was perched overhead.

Even better, a baby Great Horned Owl was looking down at us from a smaller tree.

I've actually been bird watching for close to 12-years now and I have never seen a Great Horned Owl before so I was super excited. Let me tell you, they are big! And the little guys are just cute angry-looking little bundles of feathers! 

Unfortunately I only had my cell-phone camera, but even from far away I could make out the distinctive tuffs of ears and knew that I had snagged bird number 169 on my life list.

I still find it hard to believe that I would see one of Canada's fiercest birds of prey only 3 km from my house and within the city boundaries!

A Day (Weekend) in the Life of a Daddy of a Horseback Rider

This is the first year that Margot is part of the competition team at her stables, Maplewood Equestrian, which means she commits to competing in a number of competitions with the same horse throughout 2022. 

Some of these shows are "in-house", meaning only girls and boys from her stables compete. They are less formal, meaning kids don''t have to dress up in her formal showing clothes, but they are still judged, so Margot still takes them seriously.

Other shows are part of the Challenge series against a rival school, Riverview Stables, which is a few minutes down the road. For the Challenge series, Margot has to dress up in all her regalia and points are kept to see how well you did throughout the year. Having a rival is also kindof fun as it gives Margot extra joy when she or another member of her team beats her "nemesis". 

In total, Margot will probably do about 7 shows this year, whether "in-house" or part of the Challenge series. It may not sound like much but here is a sample schedule from what we did this past weekend to allow Margot to compete.

Saturday:

• Drop off Margot at Maplewood at 5 pm so she can prep her horse for Sunday's show. Glosette Girl and I went for a pub dinner in the area and then a walk until we could pick her up at 8:30 pm (it's too far to drive home).

Sunday:

• Wake up at 5 am so we can get Margot to Maplewood for 6:30 am for more horse prep. Glosette Girl and I went for a run...

Stretch those calves!

• and then breakfast, until we could pick her up at 9:45 am.

I'm HUNGRY. Lil' Eggs Benni will quench that fire.

• 9:45 am - drive Margot over to Riverview Stables after her horse, Elliot, is loaded unto the Horse truck.
  
• Hang out Riverview until 11:30 am, and then watch Margot compete in several rounds of dressage and hunter, which wrapped up around 1:30 pm.

You can tell who is the parent of which competitor depending on when they whip out the cameras

• Chill out at the show as the rest of the competition wraps up. Read, grab a hotdog at the cheap on-site canteen, occasionally watch some horses do some awesome horse things, and give Margot an occasional high-five as she basks in having received another "Reserve champion" (2nd place) designation in dressage.

Horseback riding and sci-fi reading: such a civilized atmosphere!

• 3:00 pm - after Elliott loaded back onto the truck, drive Margot back to Maplewood.
• 3:30-4:00 pm - hang out in the parking lot while Margot helps bring in supplies, makes sure Elliott is back in his stables, safe, clean and sound.
• At 4:00 pm, drive Margot home while she chatterboxes away about the day. Home by 4:30 pm and time to start cooking a celebratory dinner!

I think we all passed out in exhaustion when we went to bed. But that's OK! Now that Margot is fully committed to one one activity, I feel like I'm entering a different phase of parenthood, one where my primary role is just help stoke that passion for as long as possible. So even though there are some long days, I feel really privileged to be a part of this.

And if you are curious about seeing how she did, check it out:

The Last Holdout

With the recent closing of the local video store and vegetarian buffet a number of the neighbourhood stalwarts are sadly moving on. From what some of our friends tell us, 10-15 years ago Hintonburg was a very different (and rougher) place from the quirky community that welcomed us in 2016.

I suspect we are in the midst of another major transition. I have seen a couple of signs for upcoming condo developments on Wellington Street, the main drag, and these closures will be followed by more.

In the meantime, a few hold-outs are still giving this area character.

Case in point: West Park Bowling.

This place has to be seen to be believed. It's directly connected to two other businesses: Daniel O'Connell's, a "musician's bar" according to the local barflies, and Fil's Diner, a greasy-spoon diner (obviously!). And when I say connected, I mean connected! Fil's Diner makes the food for the bowling alley and you can walk through the bathroom for the bowling alley directly into the pub! Madness I tell you!

Amazingly, West Park Bowling has operated since 1946. That's continuity! And I think it has a few more years left. Margot's friend, A, had a birthday party here last Saturday and when I dropped her off every lane was rocking.

I do hope they keep going. Much as I like ice cream stores and barbershops, I think this is the kindof place that makes a neighbourhood worth going to and once it's gone, it's not easily recreated.

Ukraine Symbolism

We live in an era where people wear their hearts not only on their sleeves, but their lawns, their websites, their social media accounts - everywhere! People seem to feel a need to show their allegiance and opinions publicly in all aspects of their lives.

The recent conflict in Ukraine is a good example of this. After Russia invaded I started noticing a lot of Ukrainian flags around here on their car. But recently I've started noticing Ukrainian-themed colours and emblems appearing in a lot of other places as well.

Murals:

Shop signage:

And, unsurprisingly, on the local map store's window:

It reminds me of how, when COVID-19 first appeared, there were signs of hope and encouragement everywhere. The only thing is...those signs have mostly gone away now even though the pandemic isn't over. I sometimes wonder how long they'll last for Ukraine. The "West" has a short attention span. After this initial hot period, will the conflict in Ukraine just become another frozen conflict, like so many others around the world?

Mercato Zacconi

I should have a "grocery store" section of this blog as there are a surprising number of them in this area. I've blogged about this not once but twice already. Most of the grocery stores are on Wellington Street, which is very convenient for us seeing how it's only a couple of minutes further away. 

This is great for people who live in Hintonburg, like us, but not so great for the people who live in nearby little Italy or Chinatown. I've even heard the latter referred to as a food dessert, due to its lack of a traditional grocery store, although there has been some criticism of that.  

Fortunately, on a stroll of the neighbourhood we noticed a new option has opened up for people in little Italy: Mercato Zacconi.  

Not your typical grocery storefront

It's not a big box grocery store by any means, but in terms of fresh produce and bread, they actually have a pretty decent selection. Of course, if you're looking for wine, cheeses, deli meat, or olive oil they've got you covered. Too often in semi-tourist areas, like Little Italy, grocery stores tend to be very artisan. That's great for tourists, but you need the basics as well. 

Hmmm, which olive oil tastes best on Fridays..?

Mercato Zacconi almost covers the essentials you need. If you're making everything from scratch, it's pretty good. Just don't come here for your Weetabix cereal or can of Ravioli. Hey, at least it's not store on my unhappy list. Man cannot live on wine alone!

How Majestic of You

Sadly, some of the local tried-and-true businesses went under during the course of the pandemic. One was Wellington Cleaners, which was my go-to place for dry cleaning and general laundering. Well...the store is still there but they seem to now be focusing exclusively on their post office business. I'm not surprised, given the reports on a dramatic decrease in people using dry cleaning after they were forced to stay home.

However, unlike some other white collar workers, I still went into the office throughout the pandemic. And that meant I still needed to find a place to to launder my highfalutin shirts and suits because my ironing skills are sadly lacking.

Luckily, I didn't have to go to far. Just a few further blocks down Wellington lies Laundry Majestic, a local laundromat. 

I can't quite figure out the grammar of the sign...

I don't know if laundromat's have a certain "look" but I'm pretty sure this one hits all the right notes (student studying in the corner, rows and rows of machines, slightly rough-and-tumble appearance, etc.). Another quirk is that its one of the few cash-only businesses that are left around here, and that includes the local farmer's market. And overseeing the entire operation is a little old lady at the back who runs the operation with an iron fist.

But guess what? My shirts are looking crisp again! Hopefully, they'll be able to survive and continue to do  brisk business.

Last Day (for now)

Believe it or not but today was my last day at my current job for a very long time. See, last year I scored an interesting opportunity to go on a Government interchange for a year and it starts tomorrow.

I'm super excited...but also nervous!

I rarely talk about work on this post (this blog post was a rare exception) but it's a huge part of my  identity. I've been at my current position since June 2012 and a lot of life has happened in that period. It's hard to remember everything that's happened since that time (although here's another old post that captures most of the key life events). To think I was only in my young thirties back then and now I'm firmly ensconced in middle age!

Because I knew I was leaving a few months ago I've kindof been experiencing a long goodbye. That made the actual leaving today simultaneously anti-climatic, but also poignant. 

When I left the office at noon I was holding a copy of my degree, my work shoes, and a bag of knick-knacks. Haha to a passerby I probably looked like I had been kicked out of the building! The smile on my face would have probably thrown them off though.

Into the unknown...

Because my interchange is only for one-year I'm not saying goodbye to my current position as much as "see you later". Still, I can't help but feeling that one chapter in my life has ended and another is beginning. 

Will it be good, bad or ugly?  Regardless I hope the experience will give me a fresh perspective on where I am, and where I want to go. One thing's for sure, it's going to be an adventure.

Camp Fortune

I used to go to Gatineau Park a lot more. When we lived in Hull it was just so easy to hop in the car and drive to one of the many trails. But I've noticed that we do that a lot less these days.

Part of the reason is that there are just so many decent trails on the Ottawa side of the river. They aren't as epic as the ones on the Quebec side, but often they are much easier to get to.

Still, sometimes, I am reminded just how amazing the area just across the border is and how close we are to some pretty amazing activities. For example, on a last minute whim this past weekend, Margot and her cousin N, decided to go night skiing at Camp Fortune. It was the last weekend for night skiing (and, with the way things are heating up around here, probably any skiing), so we didn't want to miss it.

Even though it can feel like you are really driving into the wilderness when you go into Gatineau Park, with lots of craggy rocks and snow covered trees, it's actually only 25-minutes from our door to the slopes - that's pretty good!

It was still light when we dropped the kids off

Of course, Margot being a responsible kid, stuck to the easy beginner slopes....

Not my best photo. Just had time to snap Margot zipping down (on the right)

 ...NOT! Of course she tried out the Black Diamonds!

Luckily, she's pretty good at ski camp all week so she redeemed herself pretty well. Meanwhile, Glosette Girl and I chilled out at the Biscotti & cie cafe in Old Chelsea, which is a cute nearby village.

Yup, we certainty are sometimes spoiled for choice around here.

No Pineapple Pizza!

As much as I prefer craft industries and local businesses, there's a Domino's franchise down the street, which serves as a handy (and cheap) place for party food. And last weekend, to celebrate the homecoming of Glosette Girl's family coming back to Canada after a Caribbean cruise, we took full advantage by ordering three scrumptious pizzas.

The first pie was plain pepporoni. Nothing special. All good.

The second was a thin-crust, Brooklyn-style pepperoni and green pepper. Margot can only eat thin-crust now that she has braces. Again, all good.

And the third and last was pepperoni and pineapple.

Let's take a look at what Margot and her cousins thought about that one in this four-part docu-drama:

Pretty impressive for an impromptu video right? I mean, I would subscribe to that channel!

Maybe go for "all-dressed" instead next time!

Anti-gen

Is it just me or does it seem like the news cycle has moved on from COVID? First came the freedom convoy and now there's the invasion of Ukraine. 2022 sure seems to be trying hard to prove that time inevitably marches on to the next crisis.

But we're not done with COVID quite yet in our household!

A couple of days ago Glosette Girl wasn't feeling too hot (she had a persistent headache) and so she decided to take an anti-gen test to see if she had coronavirus. It was actually a novel experience for us because besides taking Margot in for a PCR test way back in December 2020 we haven't ever felt the need to get tested. In fact, except for getting sick as a consequence of our second and third COVID shots, I don't think our family ever had such a long run of good health in our lives.

But not perfect. 

And with her headache and all the free anti-gen tests around here, Glosette Girl decided to play it safe and test herself. And the results were....

NEGATIVE!

Yay, negative! Guess our good luck is holding up.

Guest Post: Youth Yoga Jeunesse

One of the cool things about the pandemic is that it has inspired a lot of people to strike out and try something new. Glosette Girl is no exception; a few months ago she started Youth Yoga Jeunesse, which is a super cool business that...well why don't I let her explain.

Question One: "Tell me about Youth Yoga Jeunesse."

Pretty cool huh? Oh and she doesn't mention it, but Yoga Yoga Jeunesse is entirely bilingual - so all you polyglots, get on board!

Question Two: "What have you offered so far?

Hmm sounds varied. Quite the multitasker, that Glosette Girl. And this isn't even her day job!

Question Three: "What has been the biggest challenge and biggest reward?"

And the most important question of all...

p.s props to Glosette Girl for creating a profitable business in a global pandemic.
p.p.s. if you didn't know Glosette Girl's real name before, you do now!

Parc Naturel Lavigne

February is the best month for winter activities !The days are longer, there's still lots of fluffy snow, and it's warmer than January. So with no big plans this Family Day long weekend we decided to enjoy some winter fun and head east to Parc Naturel Lavigne.

This little park is a real cross-country skiing gem.  It's only 40 minutes from our house in Ottawa but it feels a world away: a woodlot surrounded by farm fields as far as they eye can see. In some places the trails meander here and there around the trees. In other places you get to enjoy some surprisingly big hills.

In terms of variety of experience, I would say its the best overall cross country trail that I've tried near Ottawa, and that includes both the Ontario and Quebec side of the border. A lot of skiers in this area are drawn to Gatineau Park, but you have to pay to use those trails - and they are so crowded! In comparison, we passed only one other group skiing the whole time we were at Parc Naturel Lavigne, which made for a very relaxing experience. It's also great for families as beginners can try the flatter trails while those with more experience can try something more challenging.

Bonus points for Margot: we passed a few horse stables along the way!

This is our fifth, and possibly last, cross-country ski of the season and I'm super happy that we are going out with a bang.

Perch

It's been awhile since I've been to a fancy restaurant. And it's been even longer since I've been to a new fancy restaurant. But as a pre-Valentine's day gift to ourselves Glosette Girl and I decided to try Perch, which is a new restaurant on Preston in Little Italy. They opened last November, and I've been meaning to give them a go.

In terms of atmosphere, Perch has a slightly edgy industrial look. The background music was modern and interesting but not overpowering, which I liked, because I hate it when you go to a place and you have to shout to talk. 

Right now, as the pandemic measures wind down, they are only serving set menus so we tried the 5-course option. Here's what we had:

• Brocolli Stem with Seabuckthorn & Camelina Emulsion
• Chawanmushi
• Birch Marinated Walleye Agnolitti
• Koji-aged and Seaweed Wrapped Roasted Duck Breast
• Carmalized Parsnip Ice Cream
  

There was also a free aperitif of boullion soup and bread when we first arrived. That was really appreciated because it was freezing the night we went out.

Some of the courses were better than others. In particular, I loved the duck breast and Glosette Girl really liked the brocolli stem.

Enjoying the broccoli...

But neither of us really liked the parsnip ice cream. So I think they need to tighten up a few of the courses.

...but having second thoughts on the ice cream!

The service was really timely and efficient though and I could tell they were putting a lot of effort into making sure we have a nice experience and overall I had a great time. So I definitely think it's worth a try.

One funny thing though: we were still a tad peckish even after our five-courses! We ended up having a post-meal snack at Tooth and Nail, which is just around from our house. If you're really hungry, maybe best to stick with pub food!

Lovin' the Beer and Pretzels at Tooth and Nail

Guest Post: Day in the Life of Margot

When the world feels heavy with conflict, sometime its nice to remind yourself what it's like to see the world through the eyes of a kid. Here's Margot narrating a tour of our house or as she calls it "A Day in the Life of Margot":

 

 

I didn't plan this video by the way - it just showed up in my cellphone one day and I decided to share it! But I love these candid portrayals into Margot's mind. It's moments like these when I say: thank goodness for ubiquitous cameras! I'm smiling now as I see Margot narrate what she thinks is important about our house and in 25 years when I look back at this I'm sure I'll still be smiling.

Freedom Convoy

Being in the nation's capital can lead to some...interesting adventures.

This past week Ottawa has been the focus of the Freedom Convoy, which originally started out as a protest against cross-border trucking vaccination and has now morphed into a more general protest against all things COVID-related.

Although many would say that my neighbourhood, Hintonburg, is "in the city", it's actually a good 30 minute walk from downtown. That's pretty far from Parliament Hill, where the protest has been focused.

For the most part then, this has meant that I haven't really seen or heard much of the protest.

I did have a couple of surreal moments though. In particular, when I picked up Margot from horseback riding this past Saturday I happened to see a line of trucks driving into the city. It was so odd seeing semi after slow moving semi driving on the highway that I stopped and watched.

Even crazier, to get back home Margot and I tried to take a side road. Unfortunately that just happened to be the road that the police had diverted the trucks onto as they made their way downtown. So for 5 minutes or so I was in the convoy!

I know that some folks have been really affected by all the noise related to this convoy and to them this is no laughing matter. But to me, it feels like everything is happening...on TV. 

The strange thing about the timing of all this is that things are looking up. Restaurants, cinemas and gyms have been allowed to re-open and except for wearing masks and having to be vaccinated to use in-person entertainment, there is very little you can't do.

Hang in there everyone - spring is just around the corner!

Reasons to Move

There is so much that I love about my house, but if there is one thing I hate it is the street that I live on... in the winter. To clarify, I have nothing against the neighbours (who are nice) or the location (which is amazing) or even the general lack of trees (which is tolerable) on my street. I simply hate the snow - the piles and piles of snow.

There is just no place to shovel this stuff as my house, and all the other houses on the street, are older and built close to the sidewalk. That means as you shovel your driveway, or front entrance, you are forced to put the snow in the same places over and over again, meaning the snowbanks get higher and higher.  Just  thinking about the winter every year has me dreading about how many snowstorms could hit Ottawa.

It doesn't look like much but what's crazy is that almost all this snow came down in one 24-hour period!

I've laughed before how much snow I get compared to my family in Toronto and how really, if you live in Canada you have to learn to love snow. Very true. However, mark my words: the day I sell my house is the day I am sick and tired with all the shoveling!

It's not that hard to shovel, but it's definitely my #1 reason to move! Rounding out the rest of major reasons to move would be:

1. Snow in winter (as mentioned).
   
2. Old House Problems.
3. Wanting more space - the call of the Canadian wild is always alluring.
   
4. Wanting to be closer to Margot, wherever she ends up (not a problem for awhile, thankfully!)
5. Just wanting to explore a different corner of the world.

Hmmm that's not that long a list. For now, I think we'll stay put. However, if the snow gods are listening to me, they'll go on holiday!

The Soft Food Club

Introducing...Margot...the latest member of the braces club!

It took a little longer to schedule an appointment to install them then I first anticipated, as we ended up going with an orthodontist who is a bit further away from our neighbourhood but who had a great bedside manner and rapport (which Glosette Girl liked) and a lower fee (which I liked) but we got there in the end.

A challenge that I didn't anticipate was that Margot's teeth have been a bit sore this past week so she can only eat soft foods. I had braces when I was a kid but I had no recollection of this (all I could remember was the "no bubblegum" rule!). That means: no meat (too chewy), chips or nuts (too tough), or even lots of fresh fruit, like apples (too crunchy). So she doesn't feel left out we're all eating the same thing. 

Fortunately (or unfortunately) I had some dental surgery last week and I'm pretty much on the same diet as Margot. 

Panda examining the braces to make they are installed correctly

She's slowly getting to the point where she can start chewing again but mostly we've been eating a lot of coleslaws and finely chopped prepared salads (couscous salads, etc.), scrambled or soft boiled eggs, pudding, milkshakes, smoothies, jello and soups. Yummy stuff but it's going to be a great day when I can tuck into a juicy steak again!

Old House Problems: Part Deux

Awhile back I wrote about how living in an old house came with an interesting set of problems. Flash forward four years and many challenges later, I stand by what I said.

The latest brew-ha-ha? Getting my new washing machine into my house.

Everything in a new house is built to certain predictable sizes: doors, windows, etc. The advantage of this standardization is that when you buy a new appliance or piece of furniture you can be pretty sure that it'll fit where it's supposed to because the geniuses at the appliance companies know that being able to fit something in your house is a nice perk. That means beds fit in bedrooms, dining tables in dining rooms and washing machines in... wherever washing machines go, which in our house means the basement.

No such luck chez my house. After our washing machine broke down over Christmas (fun!), I bought a new model. I was worried that it might not fit so I bought one of the smallest ones I could buy and I also  measured the door to the basement. It looked like it would fit... but I guess I'm not a mathematician because when the delivery guys arrived to install the new washer, not only could they not get the new washing machine in the basement but they couldn't get the old one out!

I was angry that day, let me tell you.

Fortunately, with the help of my brother-in-law, J, I was able to remove the basement door frame and get the old machine out and the new one down the stairs in a jiffy. 

The infamous basement door with door and door frame removed.

 

I took out some anger on the old washer

After this lil' MacGyver maneuver and a bit of touch up around the door, everything was smooth sailing.

Purring like a kitten...

So I guess everything worked out in the end but I hafta admit, sometimes I dream about living in the 'burbs where things just work the way they are supposed to!

A Bucket List Item for the Winter

Winter in Canada is looooong. You either embrace it and have fun, or you try and conquer it and...well, good luck with that!

Over the years I've tried many winter activities. There's skating, on Ottawa's world famous Rideau Canal or on our local rink. There's cross-country skiing, which is less exciting than alpine for some people, but the right amount of excitement for me. And there's tobogganing plus a few activities. 

But one thing I've never tried before is...dog sledding. That's one of those bucket list items that I've never been able to try before - until now!

Getting ready to launch

As a fun start to 2022, Glosette Girl, Margot and I have booked 3 nights in Notre-Dame-de-Pontmain, QC, which is a village in the Upper Laurentian region of Quebec.  It's just under two-hours away from Ottawa but it feels a world away. The snow is deep, the terrain rugged and the people hardy. In short, the perfect spot to enjoy a winter break and try something new.

The first thing you notice when you go dog sledding is just how many dogs there are. I was imagining a couple of dozen at most but there were 100 dogs yapping excitedly when we arrived at Expédition Rêve Blanc, which is the local dog sledding operator. 

It felt a bit overwhelming at first, but once we were on the trails, which meander deep into la réserve faunique de Papineau-Labelle, it was actually very peaceful. My favourite part was when we glided onto a frozen lake. With a smattering of snowflakes in the air and snow covered trees as far as the eye could see, it was magical.

After 10 minutes training we were off into the wilderness. Easy as that!

The guide, Thibault, led the way, followed by Margot and I on one sled, with Glosette Girl leading up the rear.

Thibault only spoke French but I figured out the most important details: brake when you go downhill (to avoid the sled getting ahead of the dogs), pedal off the sled going uphill (to help the dogs out) and then hold on! We also enjoyed a hot chocolate break half way through the two-hour experience, which was a nice touch.

The nearest dog, Buzz, is at the back of the team as he's less social with other dogs.

 

The dogs are bundles of energy but also very friendly

Honestly, it was super fun and I 100% recommend it to anyone needing a break from the worries of the world as it's one of those things that you will just enjoy in the moment.