Gettin' Out: Fall 2022 Edition

 

Gremlins be gone!

After what seemed like a really screwy kind of week, I decided to book a trip yesterday and get out this afternoon.

Since the address was already plugged into my Para Transpo account (another thing I like about their new online system), I chose to get dropped off outside of where I work. I've only ever been to a couple neighbouring coffee shops or delis, so I thought this would be a nice opportunity to explore the area.

Unfortunately, I came to find out that the surrounding area, the Sparks Street Mall, is virtually dead on weekends. However, the weather was great and it was a short stroll to a slightly livelier part of downtown Ottawa, where I stopped for lunch at a not-too-busy Irish pub. Excellent chicken tenders and Caesar salad!

Afterwards, I made my way back to where I'd gotten dropped off and stopped in at a French bistro I'd seen, but never had the time to try out. Meals themselves were a tad pricey, but their drinks and baked goods were delicious and inexpensive. So, I bought a turnover and an iced coffee, picked a table by the window for some people-watching, and got out a book I was finishing as well as a notebook. 

Very relaxing and I think I may have a new favourite writing spot!

Cheers

  

I Think a Gremlin Got Me

 

I haven't really been feeling Blogtober, or writing period, all that much this month, despite lots of excitement just weeks ago. 

Oh well, must be gremlins or something. Hopefully whatever it is fades soon and I can manage at least one more post before Halloween.

Cheers!

What Was I Thinking?? - Public Relations

 

*Turning to a prompt about looking back on something you're not fond of for this post.*

I've written a lot about most of my college experiences. Taking General Arts & Sciences fresh out of high school, or Scriptwriting several years later. What I've never written about was my attempt at Public Relations in the time between. Probably because PR wasn't my finest moment.

General Arts and Sciences was a great program, but not job material. Learning about Public Relations during a Careers class and being interested in possible public speaking connections, I applied to Algonquin College's PR program and got accepted for September of 2005.

The program started well-enough. Nice teachers, friendly classmates, work seemed okay, and opportunities to get out and socialize around the city. However, things started to get tougher. My first semester went decently, but the second proved more challenging. My grades started to slip and, rather than getting the help I needed, I tried to do too much on my own and started to flounder. 

Socially, people were friendly enough but, looking back, I tried WAY too hard to fit in. Went to a bar one weekend with some classmates and it's still one of the most ridiculously bad experiences I've ever had! 

This coupled with my grades should've been my cue to get out of there but again, I was stubborn. My first year ended with a failed class that I tried to hide and retake the following year. This went on to cause an endless amount of pain, hurt, and guilt on my part. And, for the record, my family knows all about this, it's just that I've never written about it before.

Public Relations: Year Two was fairly similar to Year One. Nice people, decent grades in several classes, but the exact same class continued to get the better of me. A third time wasn't the charm, and I cut my losses and dropped out part way through the course.

What followed was about a year and a half of penance, living out in the middle of the country (often on my own as my parents were working and sister was in college in the city), relying exclusively on my parents for almost everything, and desperately searching for something to do. This went on until I finally applied to Scriptwriting.

It was an awful experience, one I still regret and feel shame for, but if it did one thing, screwing up in Public Relations finally taught me the importance of seeking help and not trying to be so independent, which I applied to Scriptwriting later, taking a reduced course load to make things a little easier on myself.

And despite the many bad bits, and because this post reads as highly depressing, there were at least a few good things about PR:

• Early into the program, I participated in a Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire viewing party, which was advertised via a fun press release. 
• Despite a strike in the Winter, the class was able to pull off the programs' annual Spring fundraiser. I was on the Communications committee and got t-shirts made for everyone.

• I got Para Transpo for the very first time.
• I also took a city bus on my own for the first time. The mother flipped, but in a good way.

Cheers

Thankful for American Food

 

This weekend was Thanksgiving, and the family took advantage of the holiday and easement of some travel restrictions to cross into the States and spend a couple days in Syracuse, first trip back in three years!

A return to Syracuse meant a return to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que for a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal (that still managed to cover all the basic Thanksgiving food groups).

Collard greens just out of frame

 Later that evening, we went shopping at Destiny USA, where I thankfully remembered to make a post-pandemic return to Gertrude Hawkes for a load of delicious chocolate-covered goodies. 

Stop for snacks on the way home, then pig-out, lounging, and TV at the hotel.

The next morning, we went to Cracker Barrel for a great brunch of American must-haves like sweet tea, biscuits and gravy, and grits. Found a cheap copy of George RR Martin's Fire and Blood at Walmart later in the day, and bought several of my favourite American junk food items before coming home.

So, this year I'm thankful to have lots more things to be thankful for.

Cheers! 

The Simple Pleasure of a Simple Sandwich

 

Yesterday was my first day back in the office in nearly a month.

I was up early (really, really not fun), face mask, sunglasses, and mini gloves for Para Transpo so I looked equal parts protected, ridiculous, and suspicious. 

Like this, but more business semi-casual

I had a light lunch/snack with me, but just before noon I thought about my day and how incredibly routine it was/was going to be, with Para Transpo, work, more Para Transpo, home care, dinner, etc., and something started gnawing at my brain and I began to get twitchy. With nothing going on at that moment, I took my quick break and ran across the street to a little hole-in-wall deli for a little second lunch. 

Nothing fancy, just an inexpensive chicken sandwich and a can of Pepsi. Quick process and another quick trip back to my office for a working lunch.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm eternally grateful for every bit of help and assistance, as well as every opportunity I have, but sometimes the shear endlessness of all the extra stuff can drive me crazy!

I'm only working in the office one day a week for the foreseeable future, so I think that while the weather's still decent (which won't be for much longer), a super-quick Tuesday lunch run sounds like a nice, simple way to get up and out, and keep the monotony at bay.

Cheers! 

How I Spent My Summer

 

Yo!

Fall is here, which means inclement weather, some upcoming appointments, and incoming flu season are just around the corner.

But before I have to think about that, I want to reflect on what was a pretty great summer (minus most of my COVID-y September, of course).

My Summer started a little early, about the end of May, which, given the scorching heat and work-related experiences of July and August, was a good idea.

This year, I can actually say I went and did stuff! Starting with dinner at Bite Burger and a movie night during the days surrounding my 37th birthday.

The following week, Ribfest returned to Ottawa for the first time since 2019. It was kind of crazy, but always worth the walk downtown, pulled-pork sandwich, cornbread, and iced coffee. 

Another two weeks, and I was boarding a plane for a Bucket List trip to Drumheller, Alberta. An absolutely terrible flight was followed up by one of my all-time favourite vacations (bumping out Cuba for a Top Five position!) Dinosaurs everywhere, prairie dogs, too! And mind-melting scenery.

What followed was a month-and-a-half of avoiding the heat, transitioning between two jobs, and getting things back in order to go back out into the "real world", with a cabin weekend and a couple movies squeezed in there somewhere. 

Home care and Para Transpo were both reactivated, the latter of which I was able to use a couple times for writing and some socializing before using it to go back to work in August.

A fun few months, but if COVID taught me one thing, it's that now is probably a good time to start dialing things down a bit.

Cheers!

Blogtober 2022

 

It's that time of the year again. The best time!

Weather's cool enough to not fry, yet still warm enough for sandals. Nice long Thanksgiving weekend (with an actual trip planned, too!). Blogtober, with some posts prepped in advance. Joubert syndrome Awareness Month. And plenty of awesome, spooky stuff to watch from AMC Fear Fest.

Cheers!