a peek inside the fishbowl

To review: every other Tuesday is my day off and I’m trying to use this time to recharge my batteries. No work, no meetings, minimal errands. Last time, I visited the Aquatopia Cafe and caught a movie at the Bytowne Cinema.

Interesting fact about the word doldrums. It’s actually a sailing term which refers to a stretch of sea that is calm and utterly windless, which, as you can imagine, makes for challenging travel circumstances at best. So if you say your ship is stuck in the doldrums, it means you aren’t going anywhere fast. This is where I am right now; where I’ve been all week. I have been finding it very hard to muster up any enthusiasm for most things. I haven’t exercised for ages or done my daily treadmill time. I have stopped caring about making meals. Frankly, it’s too easy to drain the hot water tank when I’m in the shower these days. Oh, and I’ve gained a few pounds too. Blarg.

I knew that I wasn’t going anywhere on my day off on Tuesday. I did what I pledged not to do on my days off: stay at home and do nothing. When this happens I call it a lost day. I try not to be too hard on myself, but what I hate most is knowing that one day I will want all of them back.

Sidebar: Mark bought me a lovely birthday gift, a very pretty Kate Spade smart watch which I thought I wanted. It tracks your steps and will vibrate if there’s a notification, but since there’s no digital screen I’d need to check my phone. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I no longer want to be digitally connected to the world 100% of the time. My iPhone is enough of a distraction, and at least I can leave it in a different room and forget about it for awhile. Do I really need to be “on” all the time? I don’t think it’s good for my brain, my patience, my sense of calm. I often feel so scattered that I hardly feel whole. It’s been causing me some anxiety, actually. Should I really be wearing a gadget that feeds those feelings of anxiety as opposed to making them better?

Thankfully, Mark was understanding about the return. The sad part of this story is that I have yet to tell him what I want for my birthday instead. I can’t even think of anything that I want. Isn’t that weird?

It’s Friday now, and I’m feeling a bit better now, but Tuesday was rough. Perhaps I should blame my low mood on hormones. (That nugget is possibly TMI. If so, I apologize.) Maybe it’s because my eldest is leaving home for the first time and the day is drawing near. Sigh. More on that later. :(

It’s not QUITE September yet, but it’s on the horizon. Surely I am not the only person who feels a surge of excitement and energy this time of year. There’s something about it that signals change and renewal. For me, it’s a stronger feeling than New Year’s in terms of resolutions, and for many of us it’s not just back to school, but back to fitness, back to work, back to favourite routines. So of course, I was pretty excited when I got to talking with Fishbowl patron, terra20, about a giveaway regarding lunches. Because we can all use some help getting back to lunch routines, am I right or am I right?

I was at the Pinecrest location yesterday and spent a LOT of time looking at what is now termed lunch solutions. It’s the whole middle part of the store! Honestly, I don’t know of any other place in Ottawa that has this great of a selection.

We’ve had many years of experience with litterless lunches. Here are a few things that really worked for our family, and let’s be real, saved my sanity:

1) Large lunch containers with multiple compartments that are all covered by ONE easy-to-remove lid. No plastic baggies, or lost containers and lids! We didn’t have Planetbox, which is shown in the video below – we had Goodbyn – but the general idea is the same. (ONE container. ONE lid. Which the kids washed! #bonus)

2) Reusable baggies for dry snacks are perfect for cookies, crisps, and Goldfish crackers.

3) A really good thermos. We’ve gone through a bunch. The cheapies never last and don’t work. Spend a bit extra and it’ll last forever.

Of course, it’s not all for kids at terra20. There were MANY things I was coveting for myself during my visit:

And I wish we had thought to buy the eldest this mug. She’s going away to university and will be living in residence:

In the end, I decided I needed a bit of fun in my life so I bought myself a new insulated lunch bag:

Isn’t it cute? They had lots of plain gray, black, and brown bags but I wanted something a bit more lively. (Why do kids get all the colourful stuff??)

Anyway, I digress. I have a $50 gift card to give away to one winner. He or she can use it for lunch gear or something else. (Hey, it’s YOUR gift card!) Interested? Please read the fine print before you enter:

• This giveaway is for one $50 gift card and will be awarded to one winner.
• In order for your entry to qualify, have a look at the litterless lunch section of the terra20 website. Let me know in the comments below what catches your eye, and why!
• One entry per email address please!
• If you can’t post your comment for whatever reason you can email it to me for posting at andrea at quietfish dot com. Please note, I cannot be responsible if your entry is misdirected or gets stuck in my Spam folder.
• This giveaway is void where prohibited by law.
• I will draw one name using Random.org at noon EST on August 31, 2017. I’ll contact the winner via email, who can pick up the prize at one of the terra20 locations: Pinecrest or Wellington West. The name of the winner will be posted here as well. So please check back!
• Did you know that terra20 is on Twitter and Facebook? Following terra20 on social media is not a requirement of this giveaway but it’s a great way of keeping up with great deals and special events.

Over to you. Good luck!

(Subtitled: A Very Ottawa Birthday in the National Capital Region.)

Little did I know that when we ventured downtown on Saturday we were actually embarking on a tour of Ottawa and Gatineau and taking in some of the best sights of the summer. Other than our first destination, Kontinuum, we had no real plan but somehow it all came together perfectly.

Kontinuum is temporary sound and light installation in an unfinished LRT station in downtown Ottawa. It’s been getting mixed reviews so I wasn’t sure what to expect going in. What I did know is that it’s free and Mark booked our tickets online ahead of time.

It’s true that you can zip through in five minutes if you really wanted, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you rushed.

If you’ve been on the fence about seeing Kontinuum, you should go. The sound/light/laser show aspects of your visit MAY induce sudden deja vu for old skool Pink Floyd fans (especially if you ever experienced a laser Pink Floyd show at your local planetarium), but overall, I think the rest of us will just appreciate it for what it is: a cool way of animating an otherwise dead space.

How to describe it? Beams of light that pool in your hand, moving colour and sound… it is hypnotic.

A futuristic element has you scanning your ticket to reveal your “personal frequency” (a.k.a. a light pattern) and takes a portrait of you that is like something out of Star Trek. (Here’s mine! Don’t ask me why I decided to pose with double peace signs.)

The best part was the animated rail tunnel, where the tracks are down and a looping animation lights up the concrete. “Subway” sounds punctuate a symphony that plays in time with the light, and you, the onlooker, find yourself immersed in another dimension.

Make note! Kontinuum ends September 14. I am definitely going back before it’s gone.

From there we walked to the NAC. I’ve been meaning to see the new addition and the temporary “cloud” art piece is installed there. We were not disappointed. It’s gorgeous! All of it.

The Cloud is only there until October 31, so if you’ve been meaning to go, GO!

After THAT we had lunch at Tavern on the Hill. This was my second time here and it was just as good as the first, albeit with slightly damp cushions:

Mark remembered there was something VERY OTTAWA that I’ve always wanted to do but never had: take the water taxi across the river to Gatineau. (Did you even know there was such a thing?) On the Ottawa side, you board at the bottom of the hill, behind the Ottawa Locks past the Bytown Museum.

It’s a short trip, but entertaining. And the views are pretty too:

You can pay cash on board or buy tickets at the Bytown Museum. It’s six bucks per person if you’re going one way or $10 return. Here’s a bonus: this vehicle is electric so there’s no stink exhaust AND, if you’re so inclined, you can even board with bikes and pets. Isn’t that cool?

It’s a very laissez-faire schedule. There are two shuttles in play between 9:30 and 8 p.m. and if you miss one, no biggie. Another will be along shortly.

We disembarked right at the foot of the Museum of History and went to see MosaiCanada. If you recall, I was there just after it opened earlier this summer but I was SO glad to see it a second time. It’s changed! And by changed, I mean, things have grown/filled in, and flowered, of course. It was so neat to see.

After doing the circuit we walked back to Ottawa via the Alexandria bridge, through the downtown core, and back to our car. That was a LOT of walking, but totally worth it. I also knew what was to come later: sushi at Kiko on Preston Street, followed by treats from the Cupcake Lounge. All in all, I’d say this was a pretty great way to spend a birthday.