a peek inside the fishbowl

So I had a bit of an epiphany this past weekend. Well, two, but please allow me to backtrack for a moment.

[Sidebar: Please note I was not paid to write this post and my thoughts are my own. However, I did attend a weekend long event as a guest of Ford Canada. This post is a bit about that weekend, and then some. Read on!]

As I mentioned earlier, I was invited along on a special excursion hosted by Ford Canada along with a bevy of other Ottawa bloggers. The location: Mont-Tremblant. I hadn’t been in years and was very excited about a return visit. But I am getting ahead of myself. Our weekend began Saturday morning at Campbell Ford with some “back to basics” instruction about winter driving and car ownership. What to keep in the trunk in case of an emergency was something we talked about. FYI: a mini shovel, flashlight, a bag of sand or cat litter (for if you get stuck on the ice), basic survival food (i.e. granola bars and water), are all great things to have on hand. Part of this time was also spent talking about what to do if you start to skid, or if a tire blows, etc. There was also a tire-changing demo, although now that I think about it, as soon as the weather improves I’m going to practice on one of my own tires and have the girls watch me do it.

Another lesson was about refilling the oil and windshield washer fluid. I am embarrassed to even admit this here, but really I needed this kind of instruction. It’s shameful, really. As a driver I should know how to do these very basic things.

By total coincidence, the day after we returned from our weekend adventure I found myself starting the car, and remembering something Mark had told me earlier that day: “Don’t forget the car needs wiper fluid.” Ugh. Ok. Here we go. It was freezing and salty grey outside, and I drove the car to the nearest gas station. First hurdle: how to pop the hood. Second, open the hood. Third, find the proper spout thingy. (Gawd, this is so embarrassing.)

I opened everything up before going into the store and buying a container of the wiper fluid. And here’s my special tip for you: OPEN THE CONTAINER IN THE STORE. It has a childproof cap on it, and doing this outside in sub-zero temperatures might be difficult. Especially while wearing mittens.

The Ford folks showed us the proper way of pouring it into the car. You turn the container sideways to minimize spillage, which was helpful to me as my hands shook while pouring it. And you know what? I did it. It was total refill success.

During our weekend with Ford we also had the opportunity to learn to drive a manual car from a professional driving instructor/race car driver. The vehicle of choice: the new 2015 Mustang. We were apparently the first people to drive it. (!)

So imagine, if you will, little old me, learning to drive a stick shift in this gorgeous NEW car, with a race car driver in the passenger seat, on a snowy back road in Quebec.

I was petrified, to say the least. I was afraid of crashing into something (ICY SNOWBANKS EVERYWHERE – PEDESTRIANS TOO) and generally making a complete fool of myself. I have to hand it to the instructor though. He was so patient when I stalled, and stalled, and stalled again. He must have thought I was awful, but to his credit he never showed it. And I did it! I drove it! Well, sort of. Although I won’t be running out to buy a standard, if I was ever faced with driving one, I could drive it.

So yes. This was my first weekend epiphany: I CAN DO IT. This is no small thing. Living in fear of this kind of stuff is ridiculous, and I refuse to do it anymore.

Look for epiphany number two tomorrow.

Piper helped me realize something this morning: When you start your day with love, it will probably be a good day. I’m happy we thought of it during a particularly good scritching.

Thank you Piper!

I had a rather extraordinary weekend and I have to organize my thoughts a bit before I plunge into it all, so I will have to put that aside for now. Today I wanted to jot a few thoughts down about USING STUFF before my brain explodes.

It’s something I’ve written about before…  the idea of using up those all those pretty candles and soaps and special bubble bath I have kicking around the house instead of admiring them from afar and saving them for, what exactly I don’t know. It’s something I’ve started to do more often, and it’s made me a happier person. Why not light a candle at dinner? Or use the fancy soap? It’s such a small thing, and I’m thinking the general idea can extend other places too.

I found myself rushing to the grocery store after a day at the office yesterday. It’s my least favourite time to go. (I suspect I am not alone in this!) I am tired, hungry, and cranky, as is practically everyone else in the store. The shelves are empty, the cashiers harried, and of course I forgot half of my shopping bags at home.

I was done, and pushing the cart out towards the parking lot, skidding and sliding all the way. This particular grocery store does not let you take the cart all the way out to your car. You either have to leave it on the sidewalk behind the barriers and bring your car around, or haul your bags yourself.

There’s a fellow who works at the store as a cart collector. I often see him around the threshold of the store – just inside or out – bringing the carts in and pushing them into their respective rows in the foyer. In the winter he wears a heavy parka, as most of his job has him exposed to the elements. He is very polite. He calls me ma’am and always asks me if I’d like a hand with my groceries. I always say no. And now that I think about it, I’m not sure why I’ve always refused his help. He is a very nice, special, young man.

Sidebar: one time we interacted was sometime in the summer. I was pushing the cart outside – same cart-pushing/grocery hauling drill – when a bag of chips rolled off the front of the cart. Of course, I immediately ran over the thing. There was a large POP. It was like a chip cannon had fired. He saw the whole thing happen. I watched as his mouth formed a big O in surprise. He rushed over to help and immediately offered to fetch me a new bag. I laughed, and declined. Driver error you know.

Anyway, last night this same fellow offered to help me with my groceries. I had a big bin and two bags (one plastic). SURE, I said. I WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP. I had packed the heaviest items in the bin and was grateful. We walked to my car and I popped open the trunk.

“O, you drive a Prius,” he exclaimed breathlessly. I had to lean in to hear him.
“Yes,” I said. “It gets great mileage! I drove it to my mom’s last week and it got 4.6L!” (Why was I talking about mileage? I suppose I was offering this up because he seemed to be a bit of a car buff.)

He was about to turn and leave when just then, someone further up on the sidewalk must have lost her footing and slipped on the ice. She let out a great big, high-pitched, WHOOP.

He turned back to me and mumbled something.

“Pardon me?” I asked.
“She must have been happy you got 4.6L on your trip!”

I agreed. And went on my way.

This is your brain on exercise. Hint: it’s happier. http://t.co/PwYnDNWbYl pic.twitter.com/enXFIX8qXx The power of a 20 min. walk v/@FastCompany

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) January 30, 2015

• ‘This.’ Has People Clamoring for an Invite, nytimes.com
• How deadly was the poison gas of WW1, bbc.com
• Colleen McCullough: we’ll celebrate a woman for anything, as long as it’s not her talent, theguardian.com
• Kids’ birthday parties keep getting more extravagant. Here’s how we let it happen, slate.com
• The saddest thing in the world is not poverty; it’s loss of dignity, theguardian.com

On the nightstand, some Young Adult brain candy: Stravaganza: City of Masks