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!