Travel Journal

I’d like you to meet Sue. Sue is a good friend of mine. We met about a year and a half ago when she was doing a maternity leave replacement contract in my unit. Since then Sue has quickly become what I would call a “surrogate mom” to me. It’s very rare to meet people as incredibly kind, caring, open-hearted and open-minded as Sue. She is very intuitive and can read people well. She always has a big smile for you, and knows when you need hug or a shoulder to cry on, or just a sympathetic ear for listening. Criticism and judging other people just aren’t a part of her character. Having a lot of life experience allows her to empathize and advise without being overbearing about it. Sue is also the world’s greatest pep talker. She makes me feel special just for being me. After a session with Sue you feel as though you could do anything, because she has such an unconditional belief in your unlimited abilities. She has so much love to give and I’m happy that I get to be one of the people who b...

   Okay, I know it may just look like a bunch of green growing in dirt to some of you, but I really can't explain why I love my crappy little garden plot. Well, actually, let me give it a shot... 1. It's in a community garden called BUGS (Bytown Urban Garden Society, or something along those lines.) I think it's a great way to make an urban dweller feel part of an (albeit small) community, as we often have a tendency to become isolated in these crowded urban wastelands known as cities. 2. It also allows us city-livin' types to feel connected with earth, and the Earth for that matter, a feeling that modern technology and invention has taken away from us. I love the feeling of getting my hands dirty. 3. I feel like I'm nurturing something by making it grow and taking care of it. Last year (my first), I was highly reluctant to eat my beans and peas because I had spent so much time getting them to flourish, it seemed like murder to cruelly pluck them. Gardening of...

  My little plot is not doing too badly. Cherry tomatoes are abundant, carrots, beets and green onions seem to be doing well, the popcorn is taller every day. But the cucumbers and basil and watermelon didn't take, our poor zucchini has a fungus, and a rabbit ate all our lettuce! Considering we grew everything from seed except the tomatoes, that's not too shabby. 

   The best part about visiting Toronto is hanging out with Natalie. It feels like family.

   Oh yes, did I mention that it's her BIRTHDAY today? Happy birthday Nat - love you lots!

  

Last weekend was one of those rare times when I wasn't out of town or had a million things to do. So, on Friday night I caught up on some paperwork (i.e. filing some of the crap I had lying around my apartment for months) and chatted with H for a while. [DO NOT call me a loser. After chatting with a few people about their own Friday night activities, I can safely say that paperwork is on par with watching 3 hours of Buffy and going to bed at 10, or going over to someone's house for dinner and being back by 9.] Saturday was gorgeous and I took full advantage of it...by staying inside and alternately sleeping and reading. I did manage to finally drag my butt out the door when Mark came to pick me up for some sushi in Bells Corners. I'm sad to say that going to Japan has kind of spoiled my palate for sushi in Ottawa, since everything in Tokyo was so fresh (and I imagine the stuff you get at any port would be the same), but it was great to catch up with Mark, who coincidentally...

How happy was I when the first picture I uploaded came back with a match with Prince Charles?!?! He's not a handsome man on his best day. Another picture of me matched well with Eva Longoria, but I thought I was a little more in the same league as these ladies (and at least they're female!) Thanks to Viv for being a finder of cool things and posting it on her blog . While I'm at it, I might as well give a little plug to Blend Creations , the business that she and Eric started up which sells fantabulous stainless steel pendants (I am the proud owner of the purple mother of pearl) and paper products. I covet many of their items. Go check it out - the stuff is way cool.

It's been a while since I last posted something here, so I'll just make this a quick one to say that I have safely returned from the wilds of Algonquin Park after a 4-day interior camping trip that involved canoes, portaging, a lot of sleeping in tents and A LOT of booze. An excellent time was had by all 10 campers (and a moderately good time was had by one lovable black Lab named Farley), in spite of the gruelling 3 hour paddle against gale force winds and mini tidal waves on Smoke Lake. Pictures and recaps hopefully to come soon-ish.