I'm on vacation as of Thursday.
Last week, I was running around like crazy trying to get everything done. However, my brain moved into vacation mode yesterday, so today I was more of the mind that what gets done, gets done, and the rest will wait.
This morning managed to be hot, humid, and overcast. We had thunderstorms last night, but that didn't get rid of the humidity - it was still really hot when I left for work.
The air conditioning in my car isn't working, so it was a hot & sticky drive in. Work was warmer than usual, as well - it takes the heating and cooling system a while to adjust to temperature fluctuations, and no one was in on the weekend.
I took off my sweater for a few minutes until I cooled off, then started my day.
At 9 the power went out.
A few seconds afterwards, I heard the generators start up and the emergency lighting came on. (I'm on the 9th floor. Those generators are loud.)
When the power goes out like that, I always expect it to go on before too long, but that didn't happen. After about 5 minutes, we started opening our docked laptops so we could work. (Our monitors were dead, but the laptops still had batteries.) My plan was to work until my battery had about 30 minutes left, then go home. I didn't really want to do that because I wanted to go to the gym, but I couldn't really justify sticking around just to go to the gym class - especially since the gym didn't have power, either.
The computers worked, but the water cooler didn't. And the guy who stocks the kitchen on Monday didn't show up - my guess is he didn't want to carry three carts of beverages/snacks up 9 flights of stairs.
The power came back on at 10:15.
At 12, I went to the gym, only to discover that the power was back, but the a/c wasn't. It was hot. And humid.
Luckily for me, I am used to exercising in those conditions, since I box above a pool, but it still wasn't much fun.
When I left work, it was dark, but dry.
By the time I got to the Queensway, it was starting to rain. For the next 20 minutes, we went from the first sprinkling of rain to harder rain to a full-out thundershower, and back again.
When I parked in my driveway, it had almost stopped.
What a weird day.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
This past weekend was my first entirely free weekend since April.
I'm an introvert. I need recharging time, and I hadn't realized how wiped I was until it was Saturday night and not only had i not done anything, I had no intentions of starting to do anything.
It was an awesome weekend, even though I didn't even step outside if I didn't need to do so.
And then the week started.
Yesterday, Wanda had a belly dance show. I'm glad I went, but it meant I didn't get home until close to 10.
And today I realized I have book club on Thursday, which would probably go better if I actually had started reading the book.
Or knew what the title was.
Or had any expectation of reading it tomorrow.
What can I say, it's been a busy month.
I'm an introvert. I need recharging time, and I hadn't realized how wiped I was until it was Saturday night and not only had i not done anything, I had no intentions of starting to do anything.
It was an awesome weekend, even though I didn't even step outside if I didn't need to do so.
And then the week started.
Yesterday, Wanda had a belly dance show. I'm glad I went, but it meant I didn't get home until close to 10.
And today I realized I have book club on Thursday, which would probably go better if I actually had started reading the book.
Or knew what the title was.
Or had any expectation of reading it tomorrow.
What can I say, it's been a busy month.
Monday, June 10, 2013
The Windy City
As I mentioned earlier, Wanda and I went to Chicago this weekend. Neither of us had ever been there, and we both wanted to go.
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Dinner, far too late on Thursday. You pick your protein, sauce, and pasta/rice, then fill a big bowl with vegetables. They cook it and bring it to you. |
We didn't do much on Thursday night - just checked into the hotel and went for dinner. We stayed at the Drake Hotel. As I mentioned yesterday, we booked it as part of a package. I was quite excited about it, because years ago, I read a mystery novel. I have no idea what book it was, but at some point they found a bible from the Drake Hotel, which led them to Chicago.
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One of the elevators at the Drake, complete with couch |
We took the subway from the airport to the hotel - there was a little bit of a walk from the subway station, but we found the hotel with no issues.
Because it's an older hotel, the hallways are sometimes narrower than you'd find in a newer building.
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And that firescape? Rickety metal on the outside of the building. Well, maybe not rickety, but definitely outside. |
The room was nice, though, and I was very happy with the hotel.
We'd bought the Go Chicago card, which was awesome. It gave us a tour of the city (one per day - we choose the hop-on, hop-off tour), and one water tour per day, as well as admission to a bunch of attractions.
On Friday morning, we got up and headed for the place where we could catch the tour. It was quite a walk, and we stopped for breakfast on the way.
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Friday breakfast - excellent bagels & juice |
We got on the first tour of the day - which started at 10 - and stayed with the tour until Navy Pier. At Navy Pier, we got off and looked around. We bought a few souvenirs, then went on an Architectural River Tour.
Navy Pier |
There's an interesting phenomenon going on in Chicago - when you go into a tourist attraction (like the river cruise, or to the top of Sears/Willis tower, or whatever), they take your picture in hopes that you will buy it afterwards. It's kind of like being on a cruise ship all the time.
The tour was amazing, and we enjoyed hearing about the history of the city and the buildings. Highly recommended.
After the tour, we went for lunch at Navy Pier.
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We tried places until we found one with reasonable wait times. Food was decent, too. You order and pay and they bring the food to you as it is ready. |
As part of our Go Chicago card, we each got a voucher for 5 ride tickets. We went on the Ferris wheel, which was fun unless I looked down. I'm not great with heights.
We weren't really interested in any of the other rides, so we got back on the bus and went to Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). We went up to the observation deck (also included in the Go Chicago card) and Wanda went out on the glass-floored ledge while I remained on solid ground.
When we finished there, we considered getting back on the bus, but the wait as long enough that we decided to walk. By the time we got back to the hotel, I was pretty miserable. My feet had been bothering me all day, and the amount of walking we had done didn't make things better. We rested for a while, then walked over to Panera, as well as by Holy Name Cathedral, which is the setting for some other books I love. (Also, I just found out that the author died on May 29, and I'm wondering how I missed that earlier.)
That was enough for one day.
Saturday morning, we got going earlier. We took the subway to Shedd Aquarium, where we got to skip the line for ticket since, yes, admission was included with our Go Chicago card.
We wandered through the aquarium, and by the time we were done, the tour was running again, so we got back on the bus. We went back to Navy Pier.
I wanted to do a segway tour, but Wanda was afraid she'd get hurt, so we had a quick hotdog lunch and did a skyline tour on the lake.
When we were done, we took the bus back to the water tower (which was close to our hotel) and quickly looked inside the mall. We didn't stay long, and started walking toward our hotel. We passed John Hancock Center and decided to go up to that observatory as well (also included in our Go Chicago cards). Unlike Sears Tower, this observation deck went all the way around. We took some pictures and then finally went back to our hotel to rest.
Saturday night was the Darren Criss concert, which was the reason we picked this particular weekend to go to Chicago. Wanda was really excited about it, and I was hoping my feet didn't fall off, since it was standing-room only.
We ate at the Cheesecake Factory (which was a poor experience) on our way, then made our way to the concert. The concert started at 7:30, with the doors opening at 6:30. We got there at 5:50, and the line was already across the bridge - which was a block away from the venue.
It was a good concert - even though my feet were so sore I really didn't know if I'd make it back to the hotel - and Wanda really enjoyed it.
When we got back to the hotel, Wanda packed and I moaned about my feet. It* was a good ending to our trip, because Sunday morning we left for home..
* The concert, not the whining.
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Wanda's choice, a favourite from when she lived in Boston. |
Saturday morning, we got going earlier. We took the subway to Shedd Aquarium, where we got to skip the line for ticket since, yes, admission was included with our Go Chicago card.
We wandered through the aquarium, and by the time we were done, the tour was running again, so we got back on the bus. We went back to Navy Pier.
I wanted to do a segway tour, but Wanda was afraid she'd get hurt, so we had a quick hotdog lunch and did a skyline tour on the lake.
When we were done, we took the bus back to the water tower (which was close to our hotel) and quickly looked inside the mall. We didn't stay long, and started walking toward our hotel. We passed John Hancock Center and decided to go up to that observatory as well (also included in our Go Chicago cards). Unlike Sears Tower, this observation deck went all the way around. We took some pictures and then finally went back to our hotel to rest.
Saturday night was the Darren Criss concert, which was the reason we picked this particular weekend to go to Chicago. Wanda was really excited about it, and I was hoping my feet didn't fall off, since it was standing-room only.
We ate at the Cheesecake Factory (which was a poor experience) on our way, then made our way to the concert. The concert started at 7:30, with the doors opening at 6:30. We got there at 5:50, and the line was already across the bridge - which was a block away from the venue.
It was a good concert - even though my feet were so sore I really didn't know if I'd make it back to the hotel - and Wanda really enjoyed it.
When we got back to the hotel, Wanda packed and I moaned about my feet. It* was a good ending to our trip, because Sunday morning we left for home..
* The concert, not the whining.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Fly Porter? Maybe not.
Wanda booked our flight to Chicago on Porter. I was standing behind her, and I verified everything before she submitted it.
When we got our confirmation, our hour-long layover in Toronto had turned into something like 4 hours, because we'd magically been moved to a different flight
She called the next day, and on the second call, they fixed it.
Our
flight left around 10:30 am on Thursday, so I planned to leave for the
airport around 8. At 7:45, I got an email that our flight had been
cancelled. Instead of getting in to Chicago at 1:30, we'd get in after
7. Plus we got to spend 4+ hours in the Toronto City airport. (Porter
flies to the downtown airport, not Pearson. Good if you have a meeting
downtown, bad if you are connecting to another flight.)
I
called and got us rescheduled on an earlier flight, but Wanda wasn't
home yet, she didn't have her cell phone, and, oh yeah, she hadn't
finished packing. I called a second time and got us rescheduled again.
We were back to getting in late, but we only had 2.5 hours in Toronto.
Our
first flight left on time. Porter's seats are farther apart than other
airlines, which is nice, and there are only four seats in a row, so
everyone gets a window seat or an aisle seat - no one is stuck in the dreaded middle seat. They also allow one checked bag for free, which most airlines don't do on flights to the US.
They have small planes, so there's only one bathroom, which is at the front of the plane. There are only 18 rows and the flights are short, so while it's not unreasonable to have only one bathroom, it's hard to use it if you're seated at the back of the plane, because they are serving refreshments for a big portion of the flight.
They have small planes, so there's only one bathroom, which is at the front of the plane. There are only 18 rows and the flights are short, so while it's not unreasonable to have only one bathroom, it's hard to use it if you're seated at the back of the plane, because they are serving refreshments for a big portion of the flight.
Once we were in the air, the flight attendants came around with snacks - cookies, salted almonds, and Terra chips,
which are awesome, but which I am too cheap to buy often.
They ran out of chips in the row in front of me.
The
drinks were served in real glasses - but I got a bottle of water, and
wasn't offered a glass or ice. As best I can tell, ice is a special request on Porter - you only get some if you specifically ask for it.
The flight attendants have 2 carts, but for some reason they move down the plane with both carts pushed together. And while other airlines come around with a garbage bag, they bring trays (probably because of the glass glasses), which means it takes several trips to pick up the trash from the whole plane, and you have to pay a lot of attention to avoid being stuck with stuff you want to get rid of.
The flight attendants have 2 carts, but for some reason they move down the plane with both carts pushed together. And while other airlines come around with a garbage bag, they bring trays (probably because of the glass glasses), which means it takes several trips to pick up the trash from the whole plane, and you have to pay a lot of attention to avoid being stuck with stuff you want to get rid of.
Landing
was rough, but we landed safely at the island airport. We had to go through security again - it seems that that is how that airport is set up. (Remember that bottle of water?
Sigh.) We didn't go through customs, just security - even though we
ended up leaving through the same gate we arrived at.
We
got to the Porter lounge, where I was pleased to spy the first bathroom I'd seen at that airport, and found seats. Porter does supply
non-alcoholic drinks, as well as the nuts and cookies they served on the
plane.
No chips, by the way, although you could buy chips and pre--made salads and sandwiches if you wanted something more than almonds.
Oh,
and there is free Internet - which was all that kept me from crying
when our flight was delayed.
There were no chips on the second flight at all, although they added a snack box, which apparently had a chicken wrap in it. (I don't eat pre-packaged sandwiches unless absolutely necessary, because they often have stealth peppers in them.) Also, for some reason, there were no glass glasses on that flight - everybody got plastic.
There were no chips on the second flight at all, although they added a snack box, which apparently had a chicken wrap in it. (I don't eat pre-packaged sandwiches unless absolutely necessary, because they often have stealth peppers in them.) Also, for some reason, there were no glass glasses on that flight - everybody got plastic.
We were in line for customs in Chicago at 7:40, and got to our hotel at 9, 6 hours later than planned.
We'd
booked a package that included a hotel, and the last straw would have
been a snafu with the hotel, but luckily, that was problem-free.
This morning, I was half-expecting another delay or cancellation, but that didn't happen. There doesn't seem to be a Porter lounge at Chicago Midway Airport, but we did get to go through the priority screening line. That was a plus.
Our flight left Chicago on time. We had a much smoother landing in Toronto than on Thursday, and went through Customs and back through security to a different waiting lounge.
Again, one bathroom, a kitchen area with snacks, and a tiny area where you could buy actual food.
Ten minutes before we were supposed to board, I decided to go to the bathroom. When I got there, the women's bathroom was closed for cleaning.
I stood there for 10 minutes as the crowd got bigger and bigger. Finally, they reopened it. (There didn't seem to be a good reason why it was closed - maybe that's standard practice, even though it's the only bathroom available?)
When I got back to my seat, I packed up my stuff, and then I heard someone say "Ottawa flight". I looked up, and it was someone from Porter directing a woman to a line. I checked the display, and our flight was boarding!
We did make the flight, but if we'd been paying just a little less attention, we wouldn't have, since they didn't actually make an annoucement.
All in all, I won't go out of my way to fly Porter again. Glass glasses, more legroom, and a free checked bag are nice, but when I'm flying, my priority is to get from point A to point B as quickly, safely, and easily as possible, and on that, Porter dropped the ball - not once, but multiple times.
This morning, I was half-expecting another delay or cancellation, but that didn't happen. There doesn't seem to be a Porter lounge at Chicago Midway Airport, but we did get to go through the priority screening line. That was a plus.
Our flight left Chicago on time. We had a much smoother landing in Toronto than on Thursday, and went through Customs and back through security to a different waiting lounge.
Again, one bathroom, a kitchen area with snacks, and a tiny area where you could buy actual food.
Ten minutes before we were supposed to board, I decided to go to the bathroom. When I got there, the women's bathroom was closed for cleaning.
I stood there for 10 minutes as the crowd got bigger and bigger. Finally, they reopened it. (There didn't seem to be a good reason why it was closed - maybe that's standard practice, even though it's the only bathroom available?)
When I got back to my seat, I packed up my stuff, and then I heard someone say "Ottawa flight". I looked up, and it was someone from Porter directing a woman to a line. I checked the display, and our flight was boarding!
We did make the flight, but if we'd been paying just a little less attention, we wouldn't have, since they didn't actually make an annoucement.
All in all, I won't go out of my way to fly Porter again. Glass glasses, more legroom, and a free checked bag are nice, but when I'm flying, my priority is to get from point A to point B as quickly, safely, and easily as possible, and on that, Porter dropped the ball - not once, but multiple times.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
The Open Door
Last Saturday (i.e. 3 days ago), Wanda and I went to Doors Open Ottawa.
I'm pretty sure I've talked about it before - but in case I'm wrong, let me recap. On the first weekend in June, various places in Ottawa open their doors to the public. It's free, and there is a published list so that you can choose where to go in advance. If you've ever wanted to see the sewage treatment plant, various museums or churches, or the old train station, this is your chance. Many of the places have tours, but some you can just wander through at your own pace.
This year we went to three place:
1) Rideau Hall, home of the Governor General, where you can see how often we hit up visiting dignitaries for gardening/tree-planting help;
2) Abbotsford House - a former seniors' home from the late 1800s, now a senior centre, and
3) The Carriageway - a building downtown that used to be 4 hotels, now an office building
As always, it was fun, and the people running the event were very friendly and helpful. It was interesting to see how things have changed (the inhabitants of the seniors' home were called "inmates"), and it was a good chance to go see Rideau Hall (which I could admittedly do any day in the summer, but have somehow managed to avoid for the past 18 years).
Maybe we'll get to the sewage treatment plant next year.
I'm pretty sure I've talked about it before - but in case I'm wrong, let me recap. On the first weekend in June, various places in Ottawa open their doors to the public. It's free, and there is a published list so that you can choose where to go in advance. If you've ever wanted to see the sewage treatment plant, various museums or churches, or the old train station, this is your chance. Many of the places have tours, but some you can just wander through at your own pace.
This year we went to three place:
1) Rideau Hall, home of the Governor General, where you can see how often we hit up visiting dignitaries for gardening/tree-planting help;
2) Abbotsford House - a former seniors' home from the late 1800s, now a senior centre, and
3) The Carriageway - a building downtown that used to be 4 hotels, now an office building
As always, it was fun, and the people running the event were very friendly and helpful. It was interesting to see how things have changed (the inhabitants of the seniors' home were called "inmates"), and it was a good chance to go see Rideau Hall (which I could admittedly do any day in the summer, but have somehow managed to avoid for the past 18 years).
Maybe we'll get to the sewage treatment plant next year.
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