wings of different kind

This week I escaped mentally this country that no longer feels like Canada but a Canadian version of Siberia or whatever insanely cold place there is. My escapes were short but sweet. First up was a very romantic escape to a place I didn't think I would have to visit in a while. The Notre Dame hospital of Montreal. Interesting night. Went in thanks to what I thought was a minor thing that I could just simply get antibiotics for and then happily walk out. I however was shown to a private room, told to dress up in a hospital gown and wait for the nurse and doctor to pay me some visits.  For a while I thought they mixed up my file with somebody else's. The name on my wristband was mine however. 

My night at the hospital was spooky but I would have been way more freaked out unless I didn't have company. Not just any company. The right kind of company. The kind who leaves work early and puts my health in priority, then turns scary hospital moments into sweet romantic love poems. I had to live 35 years before I found myself in this kind of company, then again, I had to live 35 years before spending a night in the hospital. I'm happy it was this hospital. Very nice staff and obviously I was spoiled with a nice private room. It was a different kind of mental escape that actually made me happy to get back outside, even if outside was a Canadian version of Siberia or some other horribly cold place.

My next escape was to the Botanical garden of Montreal to look at beautiful butterflies flying around. http://espacepourlavie.ca/en/botanical-garden

My female friend from Ottawa came for a visit and we both felt we were in need of a mental time-out from the cold. We enjoyed the dreamy world the Botanical garden offered us. I love this place and tell myself to visit more often. They do a splendid job both during winter and summer with their different kind of expos.

After admiring the wings of the butterflies, I escaped into the arms of my beloved. From enjoying each other's real arms and imaginary wings, we decided to visit a place I very much enjoy. Just for a short quiet, visit. It's a place where Christians come and pray, worship and thank their lord and tourists come to admire the building and the view. I have a Christian upbringing but I come to admire the spirit and energy of this beautiful place.

It's the Saint Joseph Oratory and a place with a great mysterious energy in my opinion. http://www.saint-joseph.org/en

So from hospital to butterflies to church. Anything to escape these insane minus degrees we keep on having. Apparently we were down in -42°c. At Niagara falls, the water fall is actually freezing over. I keep on staying both alive and in good health, so the wings of my gardening angel hasn't frozen over...not yet...maybe she is born in Siberia or some other terrifying cold place. 

Cheap and cheerful

This year I decided to go ahead and make Valentine's day a 4 day event. Why be cheap? Why not be cheerful and celebrate it to the max? So on Wednesday night, I drove 90 km southeast and forth to get my handsome date. He is one, big nosed, big eared, charmer and felt so good to have him all to myself. 

"I want you to want me, I need you to need me, I love you to love me ... I come home early from work if you say that you love me"
Kept on singing this song while rushing home early from work just to be greeted by my dude who tried to put all his toys in his mouth at the same time and bring them to me. I'm laughing at him while playfully screaming out; "Sweetie, you silly goose, you don't need to bring me anything, I just want you". 

During our Valentine celebration, like all the other days lately, we had it hopelessly cold but we kept on going out walking, running and playing, no matter what. The challenge here in Montreal is to figure out how to avoid hurting your dog's paws as they put so much salt on the roads. I put a cream that helps a little bit and sometimes just dress him up with socks for new born babies. They do make shoes for dogs but it's hard to find ones that fit properly and basset hounds are known for their crooked legs. 

We kept on freezing our asses to the bone while enjoying our time together.
On Friday, I took my Chuck to a restaurant named the Hot Dog Café http://www.hotdogcafe.ca. It's a restaurant where you can bring your dog and I got really positively surprised. The concept really is a great one and it's nicely and modernly decorated.

You have the option of a table in a more open space or more privately, in a booth. They hand you a blanket, water bowl and treats for your dog, who gets to sit with you at the table.  You can as well bring him to the playground that is in a separate room where only dogs are aloud. 

There is a supervisor however making sure that the dogs play peacefully with each other. There are cameras in the playground and while you are enjoying your meal and glass of wine you can look at the screen showing what the dogs are up to.

I had a lovely evening with my handsome date. I ate salmon and drank a glass of wine. So my alcohol free February ended less than half way through. I felt I needed a red glass to match my red rose they gave me. 

We both liked it so much we went back the next day. So I got handed two roses for Valentine's day.

While Chuck was playing I sat there thinking. I tend to tell my dog how much I adore him, how much I love him and how handsome he is... every 15 minutes or so. What if I would do this to the man I love, the man I planned my future with, the man I see as my soulmate? Maybe instead of sitting there enjoying my wine alone I could be enjoying it with him? What if I would get off that high and ever so sarcastic horse of mine and do what my dear-ass X told me to do?

That was exactly what I decided to do and the result is a reunited Finnish-Dominican two pack. Yesterday while happily reunited, my Dominican laughs out; " You know people might think, I'm the kinda guy who breaks up with my girlfriend just to save money by not having to buy a Valentine's gift". I look at him and laugh. He is a dude who has brought me more flowers than all my x-dudes together, so I say; "well if that's what it is, feel free to do it every year, as long as you get back in my arms no later than the 15th of February. 

doors and indoor parking

On Saturday I took my Mini Cooper out of the indoor parking in my building, drove for 200 km and took it to an indoor parking under the Delta Hotel in Ottawa center. She is a spoiled little car but I do think she deserves it. 

Nice hotel and I felt I got a kinda personalized welcome.

I got a room up on the 16th floor with a view looking over the Marriott hotel, which was my other option when booking the hotel only two hours earlier. I didn't like the voice of the the girl in the reception when I called to ask about the parking, so I went with Delta instead. It was a very spontaneous trip, this time around. Earlier in the day starting at 6 a.m., I had cleaned my apartment from any male bacteria and said goodbye to the other half of what once was our Dominican-Finnish two pack. The door to me is very easy to enter and exit apparently. Kinda like this garage doors that open with a push of a button. The exit must be highly accessible and attractive. I think I need to renovate and redecorate and more importantly... install a different door and keep it locked from now on.  

Delta Ottawa have done a nice job of decorating their rooms. Nice clean hotel and easy access with good location. They even hand you some life philosophies in the bathroom. 

"Celebrate those who fill your cup and love you unconditionally" http://www.philosophy.com

I thought about my parents and my dog, while I filled my cup with coffee and got ready to enjoy a nice quiet evening with my female friend. 

We filled our cups with tea at Spin Dessert café http://spindessert.com and celebrated a nice reunion. Same females, different city. After plenty of talk, laughter and good vibes, we departed for the night to reunite the next day for brunch.

Sunday morning I woke up to a snow stormy view. The weather has really not been spoiling us this winter. How can it be snowstorm and -20°C? Is there not some limit to cruelty? 

My friend made it to the hotel to pick me up after a nightmarish experience on the road. She was really lucky to make it safely. We went to have brunch at Fresco http://www.frescobistro.ca. 

Another nice place in Ottawa. A city known for its friendly humans. I actually asked my friend; "is it me or are people here really friendly?" She informed me of Ottawa's friendly reputation. I was really amazed by this genuine friendliness from complete strangers.  
After yet again plenty of talk and good vibes, we decide to call it a day as she was pretty shaken up by the incident in the car and I knew I had a long journey ahead of me and needed to travel it in day light.
On my drive back, that took me more than 3.5 hours instead of 2 hours, I saw more smashed cars, firetrucks and ambulances than I have seen in my entire time here in Canada. Almost more than I have seen in my entire life. Nasty, cruel weather.
Both females made it home safely in our different cities. My Mini might be a spoiled, moody little thing but when it comes down to heavy snow storms, she puts her little wheels tight to the road and drives us safely to indoor parkings.

Devil's candy

"There comes a time when you swim or sink"
                                         ... so I decided to jump out of my drink. 

I promised not to drink a drop of alcohol in January. Have a traditional "tipaton tammikuu" as we call it in Finland (dropless January). It was way easier than I thought, so now I'm planning on not having a sip in February. Do the "huikaton helmikuu" (sipless February).

More tea for me on Friday and Saturdays in other words. I'm living out the little grandma in me and I enjoy this cosy little lady. She is kinda calm and relaxed company with a funny little sweet tooth. I sometimes let her have her way and serve her some crème brûlée or sugar pie. She helps me loose weight and save money, so I think she deserves a little treat every now and then.

The weather is not getting any warmer and snow just keeps on falling, even in -20 °c, something I used to think was impossible but unfortunately isn't in this country. 

I therefore have decided to treat myself to something else as well, the occasional bus or metro ride. In January I used the STM (société de transport de Montreal), services 5 times, that means I still walked 35 times my 2.3 km to or from work. No heavy abuse in other words. 
When I go to the gym, I get off at Berri-UQAM metro station and I get greeted by this nice little lady. Mother Émilie Gamelin also known as the  "Providence of the poor" or "Prisoners' Angel". 

She was a mother of three children that didn't survive infancy and at the age of 27 she lost her husband. She became a devoted nun and servant of the poor. She was the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence in 1843. She converted a house into a hospice called the "Asile de la Providence", taking care of orphan girls and elderly women. She as well established a school, un employment offices and a hospital to fight against cholera. In 1951 she died of cholera and at this point her "Asile de la Providence" was taking care of nearly a thousand women and children. A remarkable lady in other words and I'm happy to be reminded of her greatness every time I pass by this metro stop. 
February seems to continue in the footprints of January, giving us cold, snowy winter winds, to freeze our bones off. It is thankfully a short month. If it continues in March...well then I might treat myself to the occasional pleasure of the devil's candy, a good shot of brandy.