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livingdebYesterday a friend of a friend, whose blog I read, came into town from Canada, and spent the day with me and our mutual friend.
First we went skating at the Veloway, which I haven't done for years. The first thing I noticed is that just to stay upright on my skates requires the use of a lot of muscles I'm not used to using, such as every muscle in the backs of my legs. Weirdly, the muscles that I most feel 24 hours later are (you'll never guess) my triceps.
I made a single lap (just over 3 miles). I thought I could do the scary downhill part but changed my mind near the top and made a more controlled (well, slower, anyway) fall into the grass at the edge of the path, redecorating my elbows in a very minor way.
After showers we went thrift shopping, where they forced me to buy a dress just because it was pretty and fit me perfectly. I also got a replacement jacket for one I have in which I have recently noticed little holes.
Our visitor got some clothes she could use on the trip: a couple more pairs of shorts and a couple of sleeveless tops. Let's just say that in Ottawa (admittedly cooler this year than usual), the high temperatures don't quite reach our low temperatures, so she has quite a different wardrobe for home life. My other friend got a nice whooshy top and a gown for her upcoming cruise.
Then lunch, where my recommendation turned out to be very good. We ate at Mother's, which is known for being a vegetarian restaurant. However, it's not just good for vegetarians; it's good for lots of people on restricted diets. It's as if vegetarians opened this place and have a soft spot for other people who have trouble eating out, and so they also included them. They have a chart telling you exactly what is and is not okay to order if you have a wheat allergy. And they have another one for people with nut and peanut allergies (saying exactly which nut is the problem in each bad dish). It's totally awesome.
I know that vegetarians often have only one or two choices as restaurants, and perhaps in response, Mothers made sure that people with these allergies would have far more than one or two choices. I don't know if they cater to other restricted diets or not--we just mentioned a wheat allergy, and the nut allergy information was on the back.
I don't like vegetables much, but I have no trouble eating there. I love how most (all?) of the breads and grains are whole grain. And the salads are made with dark green (nutritious!) lettuces.
Then we went to Amy's Ice Cream where we learned that the sugar-free fat-free Belgian chocolate frozen yogurt could really use some hot fudge sauce. It's not as tasty as their ice cream, but not as bad as it could be.
Then, because I am the size of a typical Cambodian woman, I got a totally cool wrap skirt and two tops which the visitor had not been able to wear and for which she was seeking an owner.
Then the visitor and I walked around our friend's neighborhood while our friend took care of some stuff. We both just walked around willy nilly because we got a GPS device to lead up back home if we needed it. Which we didn't, by which I mean which the visitor didn't.
Then we went out to eat with my friend's husband at a Greek place. Then watched culturally important TV ("Dr. Horrible" and the first two episodes of "Firefly.") In return, we are to watch "Canada's Worst Driver," a show where they teach people how to drive better, but some of them don't learn well. Also, other things were recommended, which I've forgotten. Bad me!
Then it was today already, so I came home.
First we went skating at the Veloway, which I haven't done for years. The first thing I noticed is that just to stay upright on my skates requires the use of a lot of muscles I'm not used to using, such as every muscle in the backs of my legs. Weirdly, the muscles that I most feel 24 hours later are (you'll never guess) my triceps.
I made a single lap (just over 3 miles). I thought I could do the scary downhill part but changed my mind near the top and made a more controlled (well, slower, anyway) fall into the grass at the edge of the path, redecorating my elbows in a very minor way.
After showers we went thrift shopping, where they forced me to buy a dress just because it was pretty and fit me perfectly. I also got a replacement jacket for one I have in which I have recently noticed little holes.
Our visitor got some clothes she could use on the trip: a couple more pairs of shorts and a couple of sleeveless tops. Let's just say that in Ottawa (admittedly cooler this year than usual), the high temperatures don't quite reach our low temperatures, so she has quite a different wardrobe for home life. My other friend got a nice whooshy top and a gown for her upcoming cruise.
Then lunch, where my recommendation turned out to be very good. We ate at Mother's, which is known for being a vegetarian restaurant. However, it's not just good for vegetarians; it's good for lots of people on restricted diets. It's as if vegetarians opened this place and have a soft spot for other people who have trouble eating out, and so they also included them. They have a chart telling you exactly what is and is not okay to order if you have a wheat allergy. And they have another one for people with nut and peanut allergies (saying exactly which nut is the problem in each bad dish). It's totally awesome.
I know that vegetarians often have only one or two choices as restaurants, and perhaps in response, Mothers made sure that people with these allergies would have far more than one or two choices. I don't know if they cater to other restricted diets or not--we just mentioned a wheat allergy, and the nut allergy information was on the back.
I don't like vegetables much, but I have no trouble eating there. I love how most (all?) of the breads and grains are whole grain. And the salads are made with dark green (nutritious!) lettuces.
Then we went to Amy's Ice Cream where we learned that the sugar-free fat-free Belgian chocolate frozen yogurt could really use some hot fudge sauce. It's not as tasty as their ice cream, but not as bad as it could be.
Then, because I am the size of a typical Cambodian woman, I got a totally cool wrap skirt and two tops which the visitor had not been able to wear and for which she was seeking an owner.
Then the visitor and I walked around our friend's neighborhood while our friend took care of some stuff. We both just walked around willy nilly because we got a GPS device to lead up back home if we needed it. Which we didn't, by which I mean which the visitor didn't.
Then we went out to eat with my friend's husband at a Greek place. Then watched culturally important TV ("Dr. Horrible" and the first two episodes of "Firefly.") In return, we are to watch "Canada's Worst Driver," a show where they teach people how to drive better, but some of them don't learn well. Also, other things were recommended, which I've forgotten. Bad me!
Then it was today already, so I came home.