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!

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.

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?

 

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.

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!

Beachcombing in Ottawa

I love it - we found another secret of Ottawa this past weekend. I really thought I knew most of them but the pandemic is inspiring us to explore every nook and cranny of this city.

This time, it's a very long and pretty beach. For a landlocked city thousands of miles away from any ocean, Ottawa actually has a number of beaches. There is Britannia beach and Westboro beach, near my house in the west, and the beaches of Petrie Island in the west. All of those beaches are on the Ottawa river. There is also a beach at Mooney's Bay, on the Rideau River. But all of these beaches have an artificial, dredge-like quality to them. They aren't really my cup of tea.

So it was a nice discovery when Glosette Girl, Margot and I found a long beach at Constance Bay, which is just within the Ottawa city limits, about 40-minutes from Hintonburg. The beach goes on and on and a lucky few souls have houses that back onto it.*

Only in Ottawa do the words "tuque" and "beach" go together

Even with cloudy weather, the beach makes a nice place for a stroll with nice views of the Gatineau Hills in the background.

Visiting this area really made me think about how, even within a single city, there are so many ways to live from posh, urban hipster, suburban and then, with Constance Bay, cottage-like. Its also enough to inspire me to move and try another way to live. But that just may be my pandemic cabin fever talking :

*maybe not so lucky as this area is prone to flooding.

Muddy stroll on the Wilsondale

Today our gang ventured to the Wilsondale trails, just east of Cumberland Heritage Village, which is  east of Ottawa. Normally, when I blog about the hikes we do I am fortunate enough to be able to comment on all the great trails around here.

Unfortunately not all trails are all stars and sadly I'd put the Wilsondale trails into this category. 

Two minutes in from Margot, the dreaded: "I'm bored." Luckily we pushed through that!

Key features: 

• A confusing muddy start to the trail where you have to walk across a field without clear signage to get to the trailhead.
• Transmission towers criss-cross here and there over and above the trail (not exactly the most natural feature!)
• The low hum of the highway can be heard in the distance (same comment as above).

In the distance, a rare Canadian tree: power-line-us-coniferous

That's not to say I didn't have a great time walking the trail with Glosette Girl and Margot. Au contraire my friend! We actually had a few good laughs as we stumbled and bumbled our way through the muddy trail for an hour or so.

Honestly, when the weather is mild and the sun is shining it's hard not to have a good time on even the most humble trail. And while I can't say this one will rank among the great Canadian or even great local trails, it did the job!

Margot was chattering about Harry Potter the whole time!

Different Books for Different Moments

I mentioned I went to Books on Beechwood last week The book I bought was Bone #3: Eyes of the Storm. 

What in god's name is "Bone #3: Eyes of the Storm" you ask?

Before I answer, let me explain my split personality when it comes to books: basically most of what I read fall into a few select categories. I actually wrote about this on my old blog, but I find the categories I am drawn to these days have changed a bit over time so it's worth revisiting the topic.

First, there is my "literature" category (what I referred to as "serious investments" in my old blog post). This includes probably my favourite book of all time, Les Miserables, as well as other classics, most of which were written in the 19th or early 20th century. I figure that if a book is still read a hundred or so years after it it was published, it must say something worth reading about (although I've been disappointed a few times). One thing I love about "literature" is reading a line or paragraph that is applicable to the modern world. Currently I am reading Madame Bovary, and so far, so good. Here is a short list of some books that fall into this category that I have read over the years:

• Oliver Twist - ugh. A couple of interesting lines but I generally find Charles Dickens a real slog to read.
• Anna Karenina - not perfect, but definitely some insightful gems about the human condition.
  
• Le Comte de Monte-Cristo - started interesting, but I then found the book repetitive and...cruel. Is it really that interesting to see a prisoner-turned-billionaire crush his opponents?
• Far from the Madding Crowd - never heard of this until I picked it off Glosette Girl's bookshelf. I'm glad I did - a bit sentimental but really enjoyable.
  
• Moby Dick - why oh why is this considered by many to be the perfect book? I don't get this book at all.
• Dubliners - some author's don't live up to the hype...James Joyce is not one of those. A great collection of short stories.
  
• Darkness at Noon - do books written after WW2 count as literature? Hmmm I'll say yes. This one made me think. It's about something we don't hear that much anymore (totalitarianism). Worth reading.
• Catch-22 - same comment as above when it comes to when it was written. p.s. best ending ever.

Plus many more. The literature category is good but dense so I need to compliment it with books from other categories. 

The second category is "science fiction". This was previously under my "guilty pleasure" category along with fantasy stories, but in the 9-years since I wrote my last blog post on this topic I've mostly stopped reading fantasy and have instead focused on science-fiction.  Maybe it's the times we live in but I really enjoy letting my mind wander these days and think about future possibilities. Some books I've read that fall into this category:

• Hyperion - a bit uneven at times but overall it was brilliant. It made me think like few books have. I can't recommend this one enough. Perhaps a top-5 book (any category) for me.
  
• The Left Hand of Darkness - something about this book stays with me. A race of people who can change sex? A perpetually cold planet? I also like how Ursula Le Guin broke the all male author sci-fi glass ceiling.
  
• Dune - OK I guess but I put this into my "over-hyped" pile.
• The Forever War - interesting premise (a war that takes place over thousands of years) but seems dated and slightly homophobic. I appreciate the anti-Vietnam War sentiment though (it was written in the 1970s).
• Stranger in a Strange Land - Another book that is on many "best" lists...which I don't understand. I find this book at times to be misogynistic and more dated than many of the "literature" books I mentioned above even though it was only written in 1961.
• A Canticle for Leibowitz - written almost at the same time as Stranger in a Strange Land (1959) but this one still stands up.  Post-apocalyptic so seems oddly prescient right now (hopefully not).
  

Next up, is my "comic book" category. No, this is not simply another "guilty" pleasure! Graphic novels stand on their own and intrigue (me, at least) in a way that traditional novels do not. Some of the ones I've read include:

• Walking Dead - I stopped watching the TV show long ago but the comic book version really is worth reading
• Bone - what I am currently reading! I received the first two books in this strange series as gifts from my mom 15-years ago. I have now finished 3 books in the series and I don't know where this is going. I am now intrigued enough to buy some more.
• Watchmen -  many consider this comic book to be one of the best ever. It's OK..but I can't quite get past the U.S. vs. Soviet theme... 
• The Sandman - scary. The things nightmares are made of.
  
• Louis Riel - tells an important Canadian story in a way that I found poignant and compelling.
  
• Nausicaä of the valley of the wind - eco-manga from Japan. Beautiful and sad. I think the entire series is collectively another of my top 5-books.

This blog post is already getting really long so I won't go into too much detail about my fourth category: pre-World War 1 non-fiction. This is the focus of my long-running bookclub with my dad and brother! I think that's a blog post for another day.

Finally, I suppose I still occasionally read what I called "basic reads" in my old post: light non-fiction that doesn't really fall into the above categories. The latest book I read that falls into this category was The Midnight Library. It won't win a Pulitzer but it put a smile on my face when I finished it up the other day. Really, what more can you ask for?

Christmas Classic TV Shows and Movies

I grew up before the age of the Internet. In December, I used to scan the TV guides we would get in the mail for my favourite Christmas movies and TV shows. There were definitely a few classics that I could never pass up:

• Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer (1964) - who wouldn't want to see a reindeer, elf-dentist-wannabee, and arctic prospector Yukon Cornelius triumph over the abominable snowman?
• The Little Drummer Boy (1968) - I think when I was a kid I imagined myself as being the little drummer boy.
• Frosty the Snowman (1969) - I'm not a huge Frosty fan now but when I was young it was a regular part of the fixture.
• Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) - who knew that you could blaze through hundreds of pages of Charles Dickens' classic in 22-short minutes?! Does a pretty good job.
• A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) -  this one is even better now then when I was a kid! The second one has some funny moments too.
• Jack Frost (1979) -  one of the more obscure ones but this one has a few holiday songs that are real gems - "It's just what I always wanted, it's perfectly right, it's just what I always wanted - a Christmas delight"!
• Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974) - have you noticed how many Bass/Rankin movies are on this list?! Another one with a catchy song.
• The Year Without A Santa Claus (1974) - Whose side are you on? The Heat Miser or the Snow Miser? It's on!
• And of course I love how my regularly watched TV shows (Transformers, Thundercats, etc.) would have Christmas shows which usually involved the main bad guy doing something nice for a change.
  

I'll save adult Christmas classics (e.g. It's a Wonderful Life, etc.) for another time but here are some more modern faves of mine.

• Home Alone (1990) - this one came out just at the edge of my childhood so it's not something I regularly looked forward to it but I can appreciate some of its charms including the great John Candy.
• Elf (2003) -  one of Will Farrell's greatest hits.
• National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989) - another one that is more for adults than kids but is bound to be played every year.
  
• And here's a guilty secret - those cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies you may have heard about? Glosette Girl and I are hooked! Yes the stories are predictable* and the acting is bad but something draws us in! Maybe because so many of them are filmed around here? Check out Christmas in the Heartland and The Princess Switch for starters.
  

Why is this coming up now? Because one of my absolute favourite movies was on last night: The Dog Who Stopped the War (originally titled La Guerre des Tuques). 

Orange Crush and Christmas movie = heaven

How many snow forts were inspired by this movie? There's a slightly sad tinge to the film but it perfectly captures the absolute ups and downs of childhood. Bonus points: it was filmed it Baie St-Paul, which I visited this past summer. The movie stands up to the test of time and amazingly the fashions are back in style again.

Good ol' Cleo

Super bonus points: I watched the whole movie in French on TeleQuebec. I understood...60%? Not bad.

* Beautiful yet-for-some-reason still single woman meets slightly stuffy prince or other businessman, they have some shenanigans, there is a mild misunderstanding and then they resolve everything to realize they are perfect for each other.

Hintonburg lineups

 Ottawa is known for a lot of things:

• There are more than 14 museums in Ottawa, and apparently the Canadian History Museum is the most visited museum in Canada.
• A skilled and competent civil service (20% of all adults in the Federal civil service alone)
  
• We take great pride in civic responsibility (we are above the national average when it comes to voting woohoo!)
• We have an educated population (four universities plus colleges)
• The Rideau Canal is the largest skating rink in world
• It's the seventh coldest capital in the world...*
  

Hmmm not exactly the most riveting list is it? It probably explains why people often claim it's a boring city even though, as I've said before, I would argue that's unfair.

And true to form, even a worldwide pandemic can't stop Ottawan's from our organized and officious selves! I snapped this photo of people standing in line to buy Suzy Q donuts on Sunday when it was a (crazy) 20 degrees Celsius outside. Now don't get me wrong, Suzy Q isn't half bad but standing around for 20 minutes at 2 pm...for donuts?

Still, it's great to support local. And who am I to judge what people stand outside for? I've seen lineups around the block for ice cream (in October) and grocery stores at 8 am when they open (waiting 30 minutes after opening avoids the lines).  Compared to the passion in that country down south of us... maybe standing around in lines isn't such a bad quirk!

*Ulaan-Baatar (Mongolia), Astana (Kazakhastan), Moscow, Helsinki, Reykjavik and Tallin (Estonia) apparently beat us.

The One that Got Away

I've been trying to squeeze in some extended family time before fall/winter really hits and things possibly go into lockdown again. Luckily, my annual fishing trip with my brother and dad always falls on the shoulder seasons bordering summer: early June or late September.

This year we settled on a fall trip and visited Kirk Cove Cottages, on the shores of Big Gull Lake, which is just under 2-hours from my house.

As always with these fishing trips, it's easy to slip into the routine of enjoying nature, trying to catch fish (mostly without success) and just chillin' with my dad and bro. Hard to believe but this is our 12th year in a row doing these trips and we haven't missed a beat. 

The boys!

 So far we've tried:

• Talon Lake (near north, Ontario) - 2 times
• Christie Lake (eastern Ontario) - 3 times
• Brailey Lake (far north fly-in-fishing) once
• Hungry Lake (eastern Ontario) - 4 times
• Big Gull Lake (eastern Ontario) - twice

Sadly the annual fishing trip is often the only time I get to go on fishing, although this year was an exception. I tried city fishing with Margot on a couple of occasions early in the year, without much success (we still had lots of fun though and Margot really knows how to cast a line now!)

Speaking of lack of success, I would say this was one of the worst years fishing for me in a long time. Luckily "my boys" helped me out and eventually I caught a few smallmouth bass to get on the "board" (p.s fishing brings out lots of air quotes).

This guy was a tough lil' son of a gun to catch

 Regardless of the amount of fish I caught, being in such a pretty place for 48 hours reminded me how much I enjoy nature again. A perfect late summer/early spring gift to myself.

 

Onlne ordering bonanza

It's absolutely crazy to think how much I've started ordering things online. Things that I would never have thought to purchase online before, like shoes, I now don't hesitate to buy off the Internet. Since March, Glosette Girl and I have ordered:

1. Books
2. A cool T-shirt from a local clothing boutique
   
3. A video game
4. Shoes (for me and for Margot)
5. School uniform for Margot
6. A toaster oven
7. A kettle
8. A new bookshelf
   
9. Craft beer
10. Car tire inflator
    
11. Wine
12. Camping supplies (lights, new tent)
    
13. A slack line
    
14. Gravel and a plastic pipe for a mini-construction project (ordered online but I had to pick up in person so maybe that doesn't count)
15. A life jacket for Margot (ditto)
    
16. Gifts (lots of books)

And probably lots more that I've forgotten!

As long as there is a good return policy, buying shoes online isn't so scary...

Glosette Girl has also discovered a social media group where you can obtain things for free locally. You have to pick it up, but hey, it's free!

I'm doing my best to buy from stores other than Amazon but it's not easy. I still do buy thing in "real" stores but when the experience isn't as carefree and enjoyable as it was before, it's a major disincentive. I do think neighbourhood stores will continue to exist, but what will be in them isn't so clear to me right now.

9 things that have got better over the last 6 months

I get annoyed at the news articles that occasionally pop up online, which discuss how great the last 6-months have been as it allowed people to "slow down" or "get to know themselves". Or, which laughably, suggest that virtual concerts and festivals are nearly as good as the real thing. According to a recent poll, 50% of Canadians think 2020 is the worst year of their lives ever.* That's half of everyone.

2020 has been brutal, let's just accept that. But unlike those who pretend that online versions of real experiences are somehow as good, I think I can objectively and honestly say that there have been some good things out of this year's COVID-19 mess:

1. White collared jobs like mine will never be 100% in the office again in my lifetime. I was at the forefront of the stay-at-home revolution as I've been working from home in some capacity for almost 7 years. But I had to negotiate that. Now, some sort of work-from-arrangement is likely here permanently!
2. Glosette Girl learned to bake kick a** bread!
3. I never would have seen Charlevoix without this mess. 
4. I got to teach Margot a bit of piano. Was fun -she's a fast learner!
5. Expectations when it comes to acceptable office attire and hair were blown out the window. I almost had a mullet! Although I have a new hair do now it's more youthful than what I had before. I probably would never have tried this without the forced closures of barbershops and hair salons.
6. People finally realized how crappy old folks in old age homes are treated.
7. For the first couple of months there was almost no traffic on the roads. For those close enough to access some of greenspace, it was a walker's dream to get to these sites and appreciate nature even more.
   
8. Some alternative experiences have been a success. Normally, there is a fireworks display at the Casino Lac-Leamy at this time of year. But this time, in an effort to spread out the crowds, 8  locations were used to launch simultaneous and identical fireworks across the city. Was really innovative and actually more enjoyable than crowding into one location.
   
9. And (this is occasionally a mixed blessing if you ask me on a bad day!) I got to spend more time with the 'fam! Haha in all honesty we haven't fought that much and it's been more good than bad.
   

Soakin' in the lights

*Makes 2018 not look so bad in comparison! Remember this post?

Coronavirus in Hintonburg: Week Two - Support Local Business

One thing that I am grateful for is to have a steady income. I've been at my company for several years and our revenue isn't really dependent on sales. Further, Glosette Girl's job is unionized so that provides us with an extra level of security.

A lot of other people aren't so lucky. The newspapers are full of stories of Canada's economic meltdown. However, that's just telling me what was already obvious from simply walking the streets around here.

So to try and help others, at least in a small way, my family recently made a few donations to charities we felt could use a bit of extra help, including our local food bank and our church.

But charity is only half the battle. The other half is contributing to the local economy by buying stuff online when we can. A lot of good people have poured their life's work into cool local stores who, despite having no revenue, must continue paying expenses like their rent. So here is a short list of some stores who do allow you to make online purchases:

• Flock Boutique - mostly funky women's clothes but they also sell cool men's t-shirts. Fortunately I now my size. And guess what? Delivery is free in the Ottawa and Gatineau area.
• Wabi Sabi - if ever there is a time to take up knitting, it's now!

• Librairie du Soleil - many book prices are identical whether you buy it from Amazon or a local book store. So support your local! Librairie du Soleil is Ottawa's only french book store. Margot has a treat on the way!
• World of Maps - maps, maps and more map! If ever you are in the Wellington West area, check this store out. But in the meantime, this is a store worth supporting. 
• Further afield, sugar shacks like Fortune Farms will allow you to pre-order online and pick up your purchase when you arrive. Margot and I did a special run to Fortune Farms on Sunday and they informed us that contrary to what you might expect, they don't sell in bulk to grocery stores and instead they heavily rely on their walk-in retail customers.
• Where I thrive - Glosette Girl has continued her subscription to her barre studio and they are producing daily videos. She's enjoying the classes a lot! Technically her studio is in the Glebe, another Ottawa neighbourhood, but we like them so we'll let that slide ;)

And that's not to mention restaurants, who are probably suffering more than anyone. They deserve their own post.

It is easy to forget people are struggling to make a living at this crazy time. But if those with steady jobs can help them out, maybe we can give them a bit of hope that they'll survive this crisis with their livelihood as well as their health.

Les Moulins La Fayette

If Hintonburg somehow separated and floated away from the rest of the world we would have lots of:

• Barbershops
• Ice Cream Stores 
• Coffee shops 
• And bakeries/pastry shops (it may be sacrilegious in say, France, but some bakeries over here in Canada dabble in pastries too)

All the stuff you need to live, right here in a few square kilometres!

The most recent pastry addition to our neck of the woods is Les Moulins La Fayette. Actually this place is a triple threat: coffee shop, pastry shop and bakery. Margot stopped by Saturday morning and boy was it rocking! Les Moulins La Fayette is a chain store and while I prefer independent companies it seems to have a nice atmosphere. People were on their computers, chatting with friends*, drinking coffee, doing work or just ordering stuff for take out like us.**

I'm also hoping it lasts a bit longer than some of the other stores I've seen around here. There are too many vacancies on Wellington Street.

* p.s I am always a bit jealous of people who seem to have the time to spend their mornings lounging at coffee shop. Where do they find the time?!

** p.p.s we ended up buying a Caramel cake for a get-together we had on the weekend. Mmmm caramel decadence...

A New Decade

I can't believe it's a new decade already! So much happened in Glosette Girl, Margot and my life in the 2010s that its mind boggling. When I started this re-booted version of my Tough Cookies blog I summarized what had happened in the five years since I had last written a post. But five years doesn't quite capture the grandeur (in my mind!) of a decade of milestones. So here's another look at what's happened in our little corner of the world over the past 10 years, plus some extras:

• 2009 - Just before 2010, Glosette Girl and I bought our first house in Hull, Quebec. Around this time, Jen started her current job.
• May 2010 - Margot was born!
• Dec 2010 - I wrote my first blog post of my original blog, Tough Cookies.
• April 2011 - I started my current career.
• June 2012 - I switched to my current job. Glosette Girl became tenured in her position.
• 2010-now - we have had three wonderful cats: Luna, Marshmallow and now Panda.
• September 2014 - Margot started school in Quebec.
• August 2016 - we moved to our current neighbourhood in Hintonburg, Ottawa (actually, this was a super stressful experience that really started when we put our original home up for sale in January. Glad I don't need to do that again soon!)
• September 2016 - Margot started her first day of grade one at her current school in Ontario. This was the start of Margot and I walking to school together, which is a real treat for me. Previously, in Quebec, she was driven to school by Glosette Girl. Hard to remember what life was like before I did this.
• Spring 2018 - Margot tried horseback riding for the first time. If you ask her, this is likely the most momentous event since she was born.
• June 2019 - I turned 40 and celebrated the milestone with my best buds in Iceland. Wow!
• Tons of travelling with my family over the past ten years: Atlantic Canada, Vancouver Island, New York City, Iceland (with Glosette Girl this time!), Hawaii, Disney World, Costa Rica, getting to know my roots in El Salvador, Newfoundland, visiting our dear friends in France (twice!) and then Switzerland. Super grateful for being able to travel so much.

That's just for starters. There's also been some sad milestones in that time period, which have greatly affected us too.

Looking back I would say that the 2010s were the decade I became an adult. It just seems that all the stuff that society says makes you an adult (getting a house, family, career) happened over this time period.

Hmmm sounds serious! Fortunately, activities like playing piano, going for walks in nature, goofing around with Margot, and even writing this blog keep me young at heart (I hope!). I wonder what the next ten years will bring?

Extra-Curricular Activities

Lately Margot's after-school Brownies activity has been a little "meh". There are a couple reasons for this: first, Margot is one of the older kids in her troupe and she's finding a lot of the other kids aren't very mature (and trust me, when an 8-year old who believes in Santa Claus notices that, there's a problem!); second, the troupe seems a bit more disorganized this year in comparison to previous ones.

So recently, after she asked us if she could try something else, I found it hard to say no. While I'm not normally a fan of quitting something half way through (the Brownie "term" ends in June) since she's been in Brownies/Sparks* for a couple years now and had a few good adventures along the way I didn't mind so much in this case.

We've actually tried a variety of after-school activities over the years with mixed results:

• Dance -  Margot's first activity and still going strong!
• Swimming lessons - an essential life skill in my books. Our go-to activity when we can't think of something else.
• Drama - pretty fun but the time slot conflicted with dance.
• Pottery - really nice/zen atmosphere at a local studio. Artsy but a bit off-beat.
• After-school-art. OK. Margot liked it. I'm not so sure she learned much.
• Singing - also fun but Margot got bored.
• Gymnastics - I was not impressed. If you're not in the competitive stream the instructors don't put too much effort into it.
• Brownies. Pretty sweet because it's hosted down the street at a nearby school but again I'm not sure if Margot actually learned anything. At the end of the day it's all about the troupe leaders

As you can see that list is pretty arts-and-crafts-heavy. So in an effort to try and balance out Margot's life skills, Glosette Girl and I asked her to select a sport for a change of pace. Ah Margot - she's a sly cookie let me tell you! Guess what she selected?

The cowgirl gettin' ready at Wesley Clover Stables

Equestrian!

Geez. What a lucky girl. Who would have thought that even living in downtown Ottawa we'd be only 20 minutes away from a riding school and stable?! Next stop, the Olympics! (Well, once she gets on a horse - that happens in week 4).

Parents have to sit in the waiting room and watch the action from a TV monitor

* Brownies = junior Girl Guides. Sparks = junior Brownies

6 Ottawa Winter Activities

It has been a loonnng winter - if you don't think so it's because you don't live in Ottawa. However, when you live in a city where there is a realistic chance of snow six months of the year you can't mope around all the time. You have to get creative! Here are 6 things our little family likes do to pass the time while while we wait for more humane temperatures to return:

1. Go tobogganing in the woods. The more trees and obstacles, the better. One day soon Margot will be too old for this...but today is not that day.

(p.s that's not me pulling the sled!)

2.  Eat ice cream in the winter. Margot loves this. Amazingly, she's not alone. While we usually go for ice cream at Stella Luna, which has a nice sit down area, the Merry Dairy down the street stays open almost all winter and always has customers even though most people get ice cream to go. Wha?!

3. Skating, of course. Especially on the Rideau Canal. When I was a University student in Ottawa I didn't go skating once. What was I smoking? It's super fun... at dusk or at night. During the day on a weekend the sheer volume of people can take away from the experience. But when it gets dark... it's just you, the ice and some conveniently located snack shacks:

(again, that's not me in the picture with Margot. Who is that mysterious lookalike?)

4. Eat out/in. Is it just me or are restaurants more enjoyable when there is snow falling outside? I love a good patio, but many of the nicest restaurant experiences Glosette Girl and I have had have been during the cold winter months.

5. Plan our summer vacation. Seriously! We always do this in February and have great fun dreaming about where we are going to be in the summer. This year. Well let's just say we're visiting a country that rhymes with Grizterland.

6. Be secretly happy when it snows so much you're forced to stay inside all day in your pjs, reading books and playing video games and staying cozy.*

* except when Glosette Girl asks you to shovel the driveway three times a day. :)

Parent Play Date

When you're a parent it's hard to meet new friends. I don't know why that is?! It just seems that most people have their full allotment of friends by the time they graduate University and after that - no more! And if you have kids? Wow. It's over my friend. Generally speaking, kids are total friend killers (and that's often the case even with old friends, let alone new ones).

It's not that people can't use more friends. Look around, I'm sure a lot of the people you see with their faces glued to their smartphones would love to know a few more people. I really believe people are starving for conversation even if they don't show it.

Well, Glosette Girl and I are here to say that we're trying to buck this lonely trend! Last weekend, after Margot got invited over to a classmate's house for a playdate we decided to use that as a springboard for our own playdate and invited the classmate and her parents over for dinner.

The night hit all the right notes:

• Wine and beer - check.
• Lots of appetizers - check.
• Discussion about travel, our jobs and real estate* - check.
• And finally, appreciate our kids' ability to create a nonsense** play out of absolutely nothing.

All in all, I'd say the night was a success!

So to all parents out there, I have a challenge for you: pick a cool parent or two in your kid's class that you weren't previously friends with and invite them over for dinner/drinks. Don't pick a "responsible" time like 11 am - 1 pm when absolutely nothing interesting happens - pick a time when the wine flows a little freer and the conversation is a little sillier. Vive le adult playdate!

* the holy triumvirate of adult conversation.
** the best type of sense in my book

2018: Annus Horribilis?

I've seen a lot of news articles online debating whether 2018 was one of the worst years ever. Here's a sampling from USA Today, the Guardian, and Time Magazine.

Why are many so glum?

• For those on the traditional "left", there is the ongoing Trump saga, the election of Doug Ford as Premier in Ontario (who some claim is a Trump-lite), Brexit in the UK and the spread of populism everywhere.
• For those on the "right", there is political correctness gone amok, the attacks on free speech, mass migration, and Brexit again (both sides appear have reasons to be glum about this one!).

And that's not to mention all the urban/rural (gilet jaune anyone?), religious/secular, and east/west tension (which has an international dimension [think China vs. the West] and a Canadian one [Alberta/Saskatchewan vs. Ontario/Quebec]).

Everywhere there seems to be anger. At least by "everywhere" one means everywhere reported on by the news.

One of the reasons I like to write this blog is to remind myself that there are still places where life consists of mundane activities like holding the occasional election, and simple pleasures like going for a haircut, enjoying restaurants, and watching your children growing up. I am sure there is anger and despair here too. But there is also a lot of joy, laughter and hope.

2018 was rough. But the world moves on and from what I see around me there are lots of reasons not to give up on it just yet.

Anyways, here is what I am going to try and do in 2019 to keep some perspective:

• Read less opinion and more news. While some opinion pieces are quite well written, I find they often preach to the choir. I am going to make a concerted effort to find out what the "other"side is thinking and reflect upon it. Be willing to change my mind.
• Volunteer for at least one local cause I believe in (food bank, city environmental clean up day, etc.).
• Eat more ethically-produced food.
• Kiss my girls' (Ms. Glosette and Ms. Margot) every night and thank my lucky stars.
• Not take myself too seriously and be silly once in awhile.

...and continue to appreciate nature (this snap taken from "Baird Trail"). Happy New Years!