Cows downtown today? I hope so.

There is a demonstration happening downtown today by the Dairy Farmers of Ontario. I hope that they bring cows. That would be amazing to watch. I’m not sure what their issue is but I try to do my part by eating yogurt. I apologize for not drinking as much milk anymore but I have switched to almond milk.

The last week has been filled with wonders, smells, sounds and, most importantly, new shoes. My feet were very cold last week (but certainly not this week) because they are encased in running shoes that had ventilation in the toe so I went out and got a sweet pair of Converse high tops which keep my feet toasty warm right up to my ankles. The problem I found though is that they are not good in the rain. While it was not raining on my ride home yesterday I did get wet and the shoes are very slippery on the peddles. I was stuck behind two guys for far too long (mostly because I forgot to take my new route so I can avoid the many, many ruts along the Ottawa U side of the Canal. The older guy in front had on full rain gear – yellow rain jacket, yellow rain pants and shoe covers. He was prepared for the onslaught…even though it didn’t happen. The guy behind him just kept the same snail’s pace with him. I was trying to get around them but the guy in full rain gear kept changing sides of the path to avoid puddles. SERIOUSLY DUDE! You are covered head to toe in rain gear and you can’t go through a puddle‼‼‼‼‼ I finally ended up having to pass him on the right and go through a few large puddles to do it so I got wet and I did not have on rain gear. Did I care if I got wet – no. I was grateful that I didn’t have to test out my waterproof mascara on the way home…maybe today.

Last week’s rides were fully of smelly smells. The farm on Fallowfield spread manure and ewwww, I didn’t have any windows that I could put up to get away from the smell. It does make you peddle a little bit faster to get away from it. Then on Prince of Wales near Fisher they are doing some major construction and I don’t know if they hit a sewer line but ewwwwwwwwww, very stinky.

The best was going by Lansdowne where the smells were amazing. Made me want to stop there for breakfast. Thank you Lansdowne J.

I was coming in on my bike yesterday morning and while it is a bit darker when I leave in the morning it brightens by the time I get to Carleton U. This guy was biking towards me and he had his high beams on. Really! Who needs such a bright light on a bike? Are you biking on a dark country road at midnight? Are you worried about deer running across the bike path? Maybe if you took your sunglasses off you might realize that it really is not required to having a blinding light on the front of your bike. Speaking of sunglasses, I am sure that there are some of you out there who wonder why people on bikes wear sunglasses when it isn’t sunny. I know that I have wondered that in the past. I have an answer now. Bugs. Biking this morning I was pelted with little tiny bugs. One got in my eye and it wasn’t fun trying to get the darn thing out. I put on my sunglasses. Maybe if I had these spider ones the bugs would avoid me.

Oh, and then there was the older gentleman this morning who was wearing sweats and running. I guess he didn’t check the weather before leaving the house because it was 19° when I left my house and I was pretty warm by the time I got downtown. He got too warm and turned his sweatshirt into a crop top. While I had a moment (you know what I was thinking), I soon realized that it could be worse – he could have taken his shirt off. Thanks for not doing that older guy.

Yesterday was the first day of tights. Ladies, it is just too soon to be encased like a sausage and I will put it off for as long as possible before doing it again. They were a fun plum colour but that doesn’t make them any more comfortable.

I went to the photocopier yesterday afternoon and there is an assistant who sits nearby and I really wanted to know what she was reading on her computer because the many different expressions that passed over her face made me smile: surprise, concern, humour, more concern….

There was a woman in the change room at the gym this morning who made me gag. She was trying to cough up a hairball and it wasn’t working so she kept trying. So gross to listen to. I’m pretty sure my face looked like this when she walked by because she walked a little faster to get past me.

I was very concerned last week about the 99 Bank St. lady. She went missing. I looked for her every day and she wasn’t at her usual spot in the morning or at lunch. Where could she have gone? Did she finally get tired or being in the same spot every morning and every lunch hour? Did she find a sunnier spot? Did she finally run out of books to read? Did she finally retire? Did she get a job? I guess she was on holidays because she is back in her rightful spot. I wonder if she was on holidays. I wonder what she needs a holiday from. Did she book a cruise and just move her morning croissant and chocolate milk to a chair on deck? Did she go to the beach and bring her sandwich and chocolate milk for lunch. Whatever she did I hope she enjoyed herself. I also hope she looked up from her book and spent time looking at the scenery whatever it was. All is right with the world now that she’s back with book in one hand and chocolate milk in the other.

On a lunch hour wander last week I went to check out the new Winners on Sparks. Such a sad little store. There is a restaurant right near there though that used to have a naked guy peeing on top of their sign. I guess some of the Glebeites must have been down there for dinner because now the guy has pants on. Love how he has his hand down his pants – lol.

I changed my route home one evening last week and saw this ginormous balloon four wheeler by Hunt Club Mountain – at least it felt like going up a mountain. How fun would that be to have in your backyard to play on? Getting on would be a trick but once up there – let the fun begin.