We Oughta Go to Ottawa

A distinct disappointment of being in your thirties is that most of your friends have scattered to the winds and settled elsewhere. The upside of this dispersion is that you can travel to more places and find close friends willing to put you up (and put up with you) for the weekend. So it was that last weekend Jeanette and I traveled to Ottawa to spend a weekend with our good friends, Allegra and Chris.

The wonderful house they rent in the city's west end came complete with a back deck, overhung by a vine-draped trellis, that overlooks an impressive little garden focused around a pond. We spent much of the weekend lazing on the deck and watching as Allegra cultivated her green thumb. In fact, both she and Chris boast many green body parts -- chlorophyll figures prominently in their passions at work and play (check out Chris's new blog on environmental issues here).

But when it came to colourful body parts, nobody could compete with their neighbour, an Elvis impersonator prone to hanging out on his balcony in his "tighty-whities". This is a family blog, so I must refrain from posting a picture, but given his resemblance to the King in his later years, you'll agree that this is for the best.

Indeed, their neighbourhood is full of not only colourful characters, but colourful locations. In the case of the nearby farmer's market, quite literally:


We stopped there one evening to stock up on some fresh goodies for dinner.


Other neighbourhood highlights include the great little bookstore Collected Works, which hosted author and funny man David Sedaris on Saturday night (we didn't find out until Sunday afternoon), the 3 Tarts bakery (written up in the Globe & Mail that weekend, but closed as the owner's were on holiday), and the West Park Bowling Centre which we were able to enjoy on Friday night. Lured in by the vintage sign that promised "Fully Automatic" pin-setting, the four of us went in and enjoyed two games of five-pin bowling. Clearly my time spent at the lanes with Alfredo has paid off, as I rode back-to-back strikes to victory in both games. Jeanette had no idea she'd married a jock.

On Saturday, we hopped in the car and drove through Gatineau Park to the village of Wakefield, Quebec. After a tasty patio lunch, we explored the shops, including this one where Jeanette scored a cute dress on sale and Chris and I found hats to our liking:

Keeping with the theme of things covered on top, we decided to head for Wakefield's popular covered bridge, seen here (barely) in the background crossing la rivière Gatineau:

The view from inside the bridge is also fun:

But the best spot to see it is from the river itself, especially on a hot and hazy day:

It was a great way to spend a summer day with good friends.

We were all the more spoiled on Sunday when we were joined for brunch by more good friends: Tara, Derek, and their daughter Vienne who drove up from their place near Perth. So great was it to see them all that we lingered late into the afternoon before gearing up for the four-hour drive back to T.O. A distinct advantage of being far away from your close friends, is that the distance makes you appreciate them all the more.

Doc Proximity

Today I had a checkup with Dr. O'Sullivan. Everything looks A-okay; so much so that he feels another appointment isn't necessary for another three months. I'll be back to see him on October 15, at which time he'll do some more in-depth tests, such as a chest X-ray and checking my thyroid via blood work.

And speaking of blood work, also today I gave up some of the red stuff for my family doctor, Dr. Ian Gallimore, as part of my standard physical. Considering that he's just a few blocks from our apartment, and that my body has been through the wringer the past year, I thought it was high time to check in with good ol' Dr. G. At the risk of being labelled a hypochondriac, it's good to know that I can dash over to see him after any and every sniffle, sneeze, or muscle twitch. A fella can't be too careful.

In other health news, my dad contacted me shortly after my last blog post with an exciting correction: his motor vehicle privileges were reinstated on July 3. Go, Dad, Go! Now his only barrier to hitting every golf course in Ontario is the cost of gas.

And speaking of dads with big hearts, we were shaken to learn last week from our good friend Alanna that her father was also struck by a heart attack last week. He's still in the hospital, but he's doing well and in good spirits. He was playing softball when the attack occured. Luckily some of the other players were paramedics, so help arrived very quickly. Let's hear it for fathers who have the sense to exercise in the vicinity of emergency medical services!

Check, Mate, and Rides by the Dozen

It’s been another busy few weeks! First, some health updates as a number of you have been asking:

My dad is doing fantastically well; in fact, this past week he received the green light from his cardiologist to go golfing. Although he’s still not to operate a car, I expect he’s just as happy driving golf balls.

As for me, last month’s PMH checkup was postponed to this week. Stay tuned for that update, but suffice it to say I’m feeling fine and full of beans, as is evident by all I’ve been up to of late.

Check

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto (BBBST) has done their usual stellar best to keep Alfredo and me active and entertained. Mid-June was the annual Celebration of Friendship picnic. This year’s theme was superheroes. There were opportunities to show off one’s super agility and strength in dodgeball and tugs of war, but Alfredo and I preferred testing our super-brains with a few hands of cards and a super-sized chess match. He checkmated me soundly. I knew I should have brought my kryptonite.


Mate

The weekend after the picnic was Jeanette’s and my fifth wedding anniversary. Thanks to a generous Christmas gift from my parents, she and I returned to the scene of the crime: we spent the weekend at the Millcroft Inn where we were married. The place was as beautiful as we’d remembered, the food as amazing, and the massages as relaxing. Not having a wedding to be in allowed us to spend more time lazing around by the pool and on our patio, and when it poured rain Saturday night we escaped to the movies in town. It was another altogether amazing weekend at the Millcroft and it bodes well for our next five years of marriage.

A week later we were on the go again with a trip back up to Harriston for long-weekend visit with the Williamsons. We enjoyed having the extra day to spend with the family during which we enjoyed patio lounging while her dad barbecued, a birthday party for Jeanette’s Uncle Ken, and extra hugs from MacKenzie.

Rides by the Dozen

This past week was also a big milestone for my man Alfredo: he turned 13. As luck would have it, this week BBBST – courtesy of the Toronto Police Association – once again offered us free passes to Canada’s Wonderland. You may recall we enjoyed a similar visit to Wonderland last year, when Alfredo’s enthusiasm for the rides was unfortunately tempered by my sense of nausea. This year, I was worried that my post-chemo system might be even more inclined to motion sickness. Some wise soul casually suggested taking Gravol. And so I popped the pills all day long and they worked brilliantly! They kept the nausea at bay and inevitable sleepiness that results was utterly offset by the adrenaline rush of no less than 12 rides! Nine of which were roller coasters, including the new and aptly name Behemoth – the tallest and fastest coaster in Canada. Alfredo and I agree: Best. Ride. Ever.

Honorable Mention

And finally, a shout out to “But I’m an Aries” super-fan Monica, whom I had the pleasure of dining with recently along with some other work colleagues at Toronto’s Peter Pan Bistro. It was truly a highlight of that week and Monica insisted that I mention it and her on the blog.