A Fine First Week (and a bit) of Being Forty

 

Ten days in, and 40 is thus far going pretty swell.

I went into work last Tuesday and received a very nice e-card from the Communications team, and later enjoyed a delicious barbeque for my birthday supper. Cheesecake for dessert and I shocked everyone, including myself, by blowing out my candles in just one try! (last year took eight...) Gifts included an Indigo gift card to get a good stack of new books this past weekend. 

A tube in one of my ears popped out Sunday which, combined with pressure from up-and-down weather, made me feel pretty gross earlier this week, but I got everything checked out and am feeling better.

The past two days have been great. My contract at work got renewed, earning fist-bumps from senior staff members this morning (plus a bonus free donut)! And just this evening I accepted an advocacy opportunity from LiveWorkPlay for some consulting later this month. 

Oh, and I'm just about ready for TCAF and Toronto for the weekend. On my own, indulging in junk food, comics, and a nice hotel bed!

More posts about all of these things later.

Cheers!

Finding Footcare

 

One of the biggest, recurrent pains recently when it's come to looking for services, has been finding some help with foot and nail care, since issues with dexterity and coordination prevent me from doing it myself.

I've mostly relied on my mother for help, with some periodic assistance from homecare workers and a trip to a spa last Summer. But my family won't always be around, and homecare depends on the attendant and their availability, so I've been wanting something more regular.

A recent supports assessment pointed me to a website full of resources, which led me to a local footcare clinic, TiredSole. They offer the services I'm looking for, are cheaper than other businesses I've looked at, will do in-office or at-home appointments (great for Winter months), and are only about five-ten minutes away!

I had my first appointment yesterday, and they were really good. Nice place, friendly staff! I got my nails clipped and callouses from my orthotics buffed (with a power tool!). Next appointment is in about six weeks. In the meantime, homecare can at least keep my nails filed. 

It's not quite perfect, but it's another great support to have, one that I've spent a long while searching for. It's also a load off my mind and, hopefully, my parent's as well.

Cheers!

Disability Representation, it's Super Effective!

 

Whenever any of my geeky interests collide with disability, a blog post is required.

I've been a Pokémon fan since shortly after the first games came to North America. One of my guilty pleasures is watching playthroughs of fan-made games on YouTube. 

I'm currently watching one of a game called Pokémon Flux, and there are two "fakemon" (fan-designed monsters) that are variants of two original Fighting types, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan, based on a wheelchair racer and amputee runner respectively, called Hitmonride and Hitmonbolt. 

I'm not posting photos, but will include a link to the game's wiki so you can see for yourselves. 

Never in a million years did I ever expect to see disabled Pokémon. Hats off to the creators. Very awesome! 

Cheers

(Just Under) Forty 'til Forty

 

I've got slightly under forty days until my fortieth birthday.

Is that weird? Yep.

Am I ready for it? Nope.

Just an observation.

Cheers!

Back to the Big Smoke

For the first time since 2018, I'm going back to Toronto and TCAF! 

Last year I debated it, but a location change made me nervous and I decided not to go. This year I sucked it up, spent the past month or so planning and doing research, and now it's all booked. TCAF is still in a different venue, but this time everything (hotel, TCAF itself, other things) seems to be right next to each other, so that makes me feel more comfortable. 

After seven long long years, I'm finally travelling on my own again!

Digits being crossed for health, safety, and good weather.

Cheers!

OLP30!

 

Starseed!

Last Friday, March 7, I went with my Dad to Our Lady Peace's Ottawa stop on their OLP30 30th anniversary tour, with Collective Soul and Wintersleep opening. An absolutely awesome, Bucket List-worthy concert!

Wintersleep, a band from Halifax, was pretty good, and Collective Soul were great as always (I saw them at Bluesfest about ten years ago). But, Our Lady Peace! One of my all-time favourite groups. I knew almost every song, save for a couple new ones and one or two I'd never heard before. I even sang along to most of them (was a little hoarse coming home afterwards).

About 3/4s of the way through the concert Raine Maida walks around the arena to its centre where there's a piano being set up. Being a really good storyteller and improviser, he leads the crowd in a rendition of Oh Canada. His wife, Chantal Kreviazuk sang a controversial version of the anthem a few weeks before at the Four Nations Canada/US hockey game. You could hear a pin drop! 

The last song was one of my favourites, Starseed, which I had desperately hoped would be played. I wasn't disappointed!

The drive home, I enjoyed American-style sweet tea from Chick-fil-A, leftover from dinner, and sang along to more Our Lady Peace, being played for "the drive home" on Ottawa's alternative rock station. I was seriously wired for most of the rest of the night, posting things on Facebook, looking up music on YouTube, and replaying music in my head until I finally crashed.

Big, big, thanks to my Dad for going with me and to Canadian Tire Centre staff who were helpful when and where things weren't as accessible as they probably should have been.

Cheers!

Gettin' Out 2025

 

Don't worry, it's mine

It's an unusually beautiful Saturday in Ottawa!

After a very busy work-week, and many weeks of lousy Winter weather, I booked it downtown for some reading/writing time, a walk, and a bite. The café I was at was getting surprisingly warm, so it was nicer to sit outside for a few minutes before getting picked up to go home. The area even proved to be a good location for a photo opportunity. 

Hoping this is a sign of good things to come.

Cheers!