Montreal.

As you know, I used to travel by train a lot when I was living in Port Hope and regularly travelling to Toronto by VIA Rail.  I travel by train less so now because I have my beautiful car Hubble, but even still I travel once and a while for work.  Thankfully I was collecting VIA Preference points that entire time, and one day I decided to see how many I had.  Turns out I had enough for a free round trip to Montreal!!!  Since my girlfriend K. was still away in Halifax and I’ve been trying desperately to keep occupied while she’s away, I thought, why don’t I go to Montreal?  So I did.

**Sidenote: She's coming home tomorrow.  Woo hoo!!!

I’m lucky to have friends living all over the country/world, so I arranged to stay with my friend Katherine who moved to MTL in March of this year.  She graciously hosted me, so with my free accommodations and free travel I knew I could really have some fun in the city.

I left Toronto Friday morning and did my workday from the train.  I actually found my time on the train extremely productive .  I got a lot done and the time went by really quickly.  I arrived in Montreal at about 2:30 pm.

I went from the train station first to Café Trisip, a nearby cafe.  I killed about two hours there waiting for Katherine to meet me to give me her spare key.  

Cafe Trisip.

I got to her place around 5:00 pm, dropped my bags, freshened up, and then cabbed down to China Town (Rene Levesque & Saint Laurent) where I met my long-time bestie Rachel for some pre-concert pho at My Canh.  Rachel lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland normally, but she’s in Montreal for around five weeks for the Orchestre Francophonie festival (she plays the cello).  So cool!  Unfortunately she wasn’t performing that evening, but we got to watch a very casual concert in a park.  It was excellent!

Orchestre Francophonie in the park.

Some pretty building with significance I can't remember.

After the concert, Rachel and I headed north to meet up with Katherine for some drinks closer to Katherine’s neighbourhood.  We went to two bars, but I can only remember the name of the first: Big in Japan (bar, not restaurant; there's one of each).  Great name, and great spot; very classy, kinda old school speakeasy feel.  However, you can only have so many $10 gin cocktails, so we moved to a more casual spot (can't remember the name) with $5 drinks and hung out there for a while.  Then we parted ways with Rachel, and Katherine and I went back to her place for a late night chat, mostly focused on "Orange is the New Black" (I'll save that for another post).

Katherine & I.

(L to R) Katherine, Me!, Rachel

After a good sleep and a great shower, I was ready to take on Saturday with Katherine.  We started things off at Le Souvenir for brunch.  I had excellent huevos rancheros on their patio and tried not to get burned in the sun, and had more amazing chats with Katherine.  Then we wandered a bit, popping into a great store with trinkets and stuff for home... cooking accessories and the like.  I love those stores.  Then we went to Drawn & Quarterly, an amazing and hipstery bookstore in her neighbourhood.  So great!

Huevos Rancheros

Drawn & Quarterly

Then I believe we stopped at Katherine's place for a bit where I put on lots of sunscreen, changed into running shoes, and we headed off to conquer Mont Royal.  It was a decent walk to get to the mountain, first of all, and then the hike up it was substantial!  It was great though.  The paths were very small inclines, very shaded with a canopy of trees, and the conversation - once again - was fabulous.  I was winded a few times (namely, when we had to climb stairs instead of the slow incline), but it felt great, and man was it worth the view!  We even got all the way to the top where the cross is!!!

View from almost the top of Mont Royal.

The cross at the top.

The cross from the bottom.  Can you see it way up there in the distance?

After that great adventure we went home to shower and chill.  And then we went to dinner at Lola Rosa (a friend's suggestion; thank you, Facebook), a vegetarian restaurant not too far from Katherine's.  Her friend met up with us, too, and we had veggie nachos to share and then each got a hemp burger with a side salad and a few chickpea fries.  It was filling, but delicious, and the service was amazing.

After a long day and a lot of walking, we decided to take it easy on Saturday night, and so I introduced Katherine to "Portlandia".  Of course, she loved it.

Proof that Montreal is Canada's Portland: abandoned cassette tapes found on the way home from dinner.

We had a slightly earlier morning on Sunday and got an early start on exploring Old Montreal.  We started with brunch outside of Old Montreal, at Le Passe Compose.  That place was amazing!  Definitely more Francophone than I'd experienced thus far.  I can read simple French really well; I've still maintained a pretty solid vocabulary, which I'm grateful for.  But I think my verbal French is probably pretty weak, and my comprehension would be even worse.  I could say thank you and order my coffee and eggs Benny, but it doesn't go much further than that.  However, the food was excellent and good service, good conversation... you're getting the picture.

My salmon eggs Benny at Le Passe Compose.

Then we walked again and this time into Old Montreal.  It's so beautiful there; so old Europe, artsy, and it was a gorgeous, sunny day with lots of people out and about so it was a great place to be.  We browsed shops, walked the cobblestone, and that sat down on a park bench for a while just taking it all in.  We also had a quick (planned) encounter with my friend Jennifer; I had something of her's and so we had a quick exchange.  Always nice to see a familiar face.

An artist in Old Montreal.

Old Montreal.

Street performer.

More walking, more browsing, and then we headed back to Katherine's, stopping for a bite along the way at Burger de Ville.  I'm trying to eat healthier these days, but I couldn't fathom being in Montreal/Quebec and not having poutine.  So I did!

Need I say more?

And then it was back to Katherine's to pack up and ship out.  I cabbed to the train station, had a massive delay on the train, and then was home sweet home Sunday evening.

Thanks to friends & Montreal for such a great trip.  A bientot! 

Currently reading... Little Bets by Peter Sims (and the latest Toronto Life)

Posts to come... "Orange is the New Black" (obv)

How I moved from 99.9 to 94.1

My girlfriend and I were in Hubble (my car) driving somewhere recently, listening to 99.9 Virgin radio.  Not since I had a blank tape in my "ghetto blaster", listening to 92.5 KISS FM, waiting for a song to come on that was cool enough to anxiously run over and press "record" have I really listening to the radio.  I got my first iPod in 2004 or thereabouts and suddenly the radio seemed irrelevant.

[SIDENOTE: I saved up for my iPod mini for months!  $400 for a 4gb iPod... hilarious!]

But it's really not irrelevant, or at least it's still entertaining.  Now that I commute around 400 km a week I quite enjoy the radio.  I was inspired by my sister who regularly listens to Top 40 radio and therefore can sing to every song that comes on.  So, I began to tune in to 99.9 mostly, with a side of 103.5 and 93.5.

So my GF and I were in the car and she says something along the lines of: "Do you think we could take a break from this?  It's too much!"  With that she switched over to CBC Radio 2.  Immediately I felt a tension released; the calm voices of the DJs, the generally mild music selections, the absence of advertisements and the two-song stretch before you hear any human voices.

I haven't switched my car radio from CBC Radio 2 in weeks.

Two endorsements

I am ALL. MOVED. IN.  Yes, ma'am.  My girlfriend and I are moved into our new apartment in the Young & Eligible area.  There is still lots of settling in, tidying, etc. to do, but it already feels like home.  I can't wait to post more about how it feels to finally be here, but I'm not ready yet.  So instead, I'd like to endorse two services.  I know, this blog is not usually about that, but when I get such incredible service as I have on two fronts in the past week, I need to advertise.  Here goes.....

Canadian Automobile Association a.k.a. CAA.
When I first got my car (Hubble) last summer, my parents recommended I get a CAA membership.  Like the obedient daughter I am, I did so, and didn't think about it much after that.  When the time came to renew, despite not having once used CAA's services, I renewed.  I'm glad I did.  The other day my GF noticed that my tire was flat.  It's been a crazy week of moving so I didn't really have time to take care of it that day.  Another day passed and I wasn't able to take care of it then either, but I started to have a hard time turning my wheels and my car was making weird noises.  On the morning of our big apartment painting day, I was planning on picking up the GF at 9am.  Around 8am I mentioned casually to my mom that my tire was flat and asked her if she thought I'd be able to pump it that day, since it was Labour Day.  She then asked, "Don't you have a CAA membership?"  She went on to tell me that if I called CAA they would come over and deal with the tire, whether that meant pumping it full of air or replacing it with my spare tire (which I didn't even know I had).  I called them around 8:20 and the gentleman on the phone couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful.  Less than 30 minutes after that, a service vehicle came, the mechanic removed the tire, got the spare, and put it on.  I was on the road before 9:00 just as I'd planned, with the peace of mind that my problem had been taken care of.  Anyway, moral of the story?  CAA is amazing and gives great service, and I'm glad I renewed.

A & D Moving, Toronto.
A & D Moving was recommended to me by my aunt for my move from Port Hope to Toronto (storage unit while I lived at my parents' place for two months).  She's been using them for 15+ years and has always loved their service and said their prices are "as reasonable as they get".  With that recommendation, I booked them right away.  The move from Port Hope to the storage unit was almost seamless, but it was such a crazy day that it didn't sink it quite how good their service was.  It was on my move-in day to the new apartment the other day that really sealed the deal with A & D.  Their minimum is 2 hours and they did the full move in less than 2 hours.  They started before the originally scheduled start time and moved everything so quickly and carefully.  When they arrived with the stuff at the apartment, one of the movers asked me if the paint was fresh, and when I said yes they were extra careful not to hit the walls.  They were friendly but not overly talkative, professional and efficient, and they even put my bed together!  Now that is service.  I highly recommend.

Ode to Waterloo

I drove to Waterloo for the first time this Saturday. It wasn't my first time in Waterloo, and it wasn't my first time being in a car en route to Waterloo, but it was my first time driving to Waterloo.

I felt like muscle memory was leading me there, as if every turn was anticipated ahead of time and there was no thought involved. I've gone from Toronto to Waterloo so many times that I knew the drive like the back of my hand, even though I'd never been the one behind the wheel.

It was surreal. It was like an experience I've never had before. Like coming back as an adult to a place I'd grown up as a kid. But I wasn't a child in Waterloo. I lived there from 18-23, decidedly not a child, but I did grow up there, and the memories flooded back like it had been years since I'd been there, even though I was there in March.

I guess a lot of it had to do with the fact that I was driving. As any even casual readers of this blog probably know by now, driving was a big obstacle for me, and I guess now that I've done it I feel like a totally new person in some ways... more in control of my own life, more independent, more grown-up... and there were many times while living in Waterloo where I felt none of those things... in fact, I felt the opposite. I felt out of control, helpless, hopeless, and totally incapable of real, true independence. That sounds totally dramatic, but I think many people that age (18-23), and maybe especially students, feel that way... like their life isn't theirs, or as if independence will never come... I'm not sure. I only know what I've felt and now feel.

As I drove down University Avenue I just smiled, looking at all the places along the way that had a story/memory attached to them from the 5 glorious years I spent in the city. It was so great to be there. I miss it a lot!!!

Pigs, Men, and Joni

"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."

I finished Animal Farm this weekend... wow, is all I can say. What a fantastic novel! The quotation above - the last line of the novel - was my favourite line of the book, and so poignant, but the whole book was just great! I'm thinking of going on a dystopian kick, but I might have to break it up a bit so as not to get in a rut. I moved from Orwell to Michelle Mercer's Will You Take Me As I Am: Joni Mitchell's Blue Period. I haven't read non-fiction in a while, and I don't think I've read books about any musicians other than John Lennon/The Beatles, so I'm excited to get some insight on Joni, even if it is about a particular album and time in her life. I love it so far, so I'm feeling good about the choice!

With A.F. finished, I'm half-way done rc-3 and half-way done the year 2011. Right on schedule!


In other news, I believe my computer is kaput. My Fujitsu Lifebook. My loyal friend. It's been 5 or so years now since I bought it, so it may be that it's just bitten the dust, for which I will forgive it. However, I'll wait to confirm the diagnosis with a PC doctor. I'm also hoping I can save the contents of my hard drive, but if not - I'll live. Unfortunately if it is dead, it might be a while before I get myself a new one. Between my iPhone and my work laptop, I think I'll manage, but since my latest purchase (a car!!!) set me back a bit, I think it's best that I wait a little while before investing in a new comp. When the time comes, you can be sure I'll reach out for your suggestions. It might be time to convert to a Mac, but we'll see.

Milestones - both arbitrary and totally exciting!!

Life is all about celebrating arbitrary milestones, so...
HAPPY 286th POST, SUGAR & GRAVY!!!

In other news...
I GOT A CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!! Now that I have it, all I want to do is drive. I was so excited to drive to work today that I left my apartment at 7:30am, went to Tim Horton's for a coffee (sweet drive-thru luxury!!!) and timbits for the whole office, and then got to the office before anyone else. It felt SOOOO good!!!

So - that means the Driving Challenge is officially over. Achieved much more quickly than I thought, it shall be deemed a total success, and I couldn't be prouder or happier!


In other other news...

1. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
2. The Girls by Lori Lansens
3. Live from New York by Tom Shales & James Andrew Miller
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
5. The Divinity Gene by Matthew J. Trafford
6. 38 Witnesses: The Kitty Genovese Case by A.M. Rosenthal
7. I Met the Walrus by Jerry Levitan
8. Saturday by Ian McEwan
9. Bossypants by Tina Fey

rc-3: 9 books down, 11 to go... nearly half-way done the year and nearly half-way done the challenge. Things are moving along well.

Bossypants was awesome!! I wasn't sure I loved it at first, but that was mostly due to the fact that I was transitioning from a serious fiction book (Saturday) to a scattered humour memoir. I say "scattered" because it jumped from story to story without necessarily any chronological order, or any other logic, for that matter. However, the further I got into the book, the more its scattered nature became part of its charm. Each chapter was essentially anecdotes about Tina's life, "advice" she has for others, and just neat stories about "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock". It was a great book, and I'd like to re-read it relatively soon to pick up on more subtleties.

I've moved from Bossypants to George Orwell's Animal Farm. I've never read it (or 1984 either... I'm a bad English grad), but it's a short novel, and so I thought it'd be a good transition from humour back to (most likely... though I don't know what I'm reading yet) fiction. I'm about half-way done and I absolutely love it! So satirical, so ahead of its time (in some ways, but obviously not in others... perhaps it's better to say that it's still relevant), and really enjoyable.


Life is good. No complaints.

The Drive to Drive

For some reason challenges really work for me. I did my 90-day challenge back in the day, which was a complete success, and ended up being the impetus for losing 30 lbs. I did the great flossing challenge, which got me flossing on a regular basis... and although I've started to slack on that a bit, I remember to do it often enough, and still more often than before the flossing challenge. The reading challenge has been extremely successful, as since May 2010, I've read 15 books. 15 books in 9 months isn't too shabby.

Anyway, I respond to challenges. They have a mission combined with deadlines, which I guess really works for me. SO... it's time to focus on another challenge. Back in December I admitted my shameful secret (I don't have a driver's license) and committed to the following three goals:

1. Get my G1 by December 31, 2010.
2. Get my G2 by August 31, 2011.
3. Get a car by December 31, 2011.

Now I've got lots of time to complete goal #2, but what do I need to do to achieve it? I need to take driving lessons. I've taken them before, but I need (at the very least) a refresher course. In order to take driving lessons, I need to sign up for them, and I haven't yet done that. SO...

2. a) Register for driving lessons by February 28, 2011.

BAM. GONNA DO IT. LOVE CHALLENGES.

My Shameful Secret

I have an issue with time. I'm very rarely late, so that's not the issue. The issue is that I always over-estimate how long things will take me. Sometimes this results in being extremely early for things. Sometimes it means I have tonnes of time to kill in my own home. My friend is going to be here in the next 1.5-2 hours. I had a whole bunch of stuff to do so I hurried home to get it done. Now I've basically finished the main things I need to do. Therefore, I will blog.

I was thinking about something on the way home from the grocery store, and I need to get it off my chest.

I can't drive.

It's not that I'm a bad driver, or that I don't have a car (I don't, but I could), it's that I don't have my license. I did have a G1 once, but it expired. Why didn't I get my G2? Well, I tried. I tried 3 times in fact, but I failed all 3 times. Sad, I know. I tried 3 times when I was 17 and then I just decided it wasn't worth the heartache and anxiety. Plus, I grew up in Toronto, where having a car is pointless a lot of the time. I lived near the subway, I could get anywhere I needed to go by TTC, and so I forgot about driving.

Then I went to university, where I didn't need a car either. First I lived on campus, then for the next 4 years after that I lived near campus; just a walk or bus ride away. I didn't need a car in university, and I didn't need to drive.

Now I've graduated and moved to a small town for a great job. Guess what? I need a car. Well, I don't need one obviously because I don't have one and I've been managing, but it'd be nice. I'm pretty isolated without one as I don't really go anywhere further than a 20-30 minute walk. In a small town especially, that can get pretty boring. During the summer it was okay, but now it's getting nasty outside and so my shameful secret is becoming all the more hard to bear.

I've decided to confess this so that you, my readers, can hold me accountable for my driving-related goals.

1. Get my G1 by December 31, 2010 (3 weeks to go!).
2. Get my G2 by August 31, 2011.
3. Get a car by December 31, 2011.

I think about how much I wish I could drive pretty much every day. It's time to take action.

To leave this on a positive note, there is something pretty great about depending on your own two feet to take you everywhere!