The lost long weekend

Driving to work was a breeze today. Actually, generally that's the case since I head from the core to the east, unlike the rest of the population which seems to head to the core from all directions. Most mornings I usually feel a bit superior as I zip along the highway and see beside me a near parking lot heading in the opposite direction. But today the 174/417 heading from Orleans to downtown was strangely empty. As I'd guessed, most people are taking today off. If it weren't for deadlines, I'd probably count myself among those who opted for a four-day weekend.

While a lot of people are off, there are still quite a few who have to get stuff done today, enjoy tomorrow off, then slog back in on Wednesday and pick up where they left off. Media have taken hold of that situation and are lamenting "the lost long weekend." Productivity, some argue, will be at a low today. (No kidding... the office here is half empty - or is that half full? - and here I am writing in this forum.) Now if you bothered to follow that link, you might have noticed the following:

"While tough to put a dollar figure on the economic impact this day-long loss of productivity might have, York University marketing professor Richard Leblanc suggested it's there and it's inevitable."

Oddly, this sort of ties in with what I wanted to tackle today. But first I must ask: Why do we have to put a dollar figure on everything in this world? Seriously? Why? Have we reduced ourselves to believing economy and money are all that matter? What ever happened to living life for the sake of... well... living life? Is the means a stressed-out populace with the end being a relatively wealthy society too busy to take pleasure in anything?

On that note, I shall start in on my rant about energy drinks and what they symbolize, at least in my mind. Each time I pass the one and only chain convenience store in Old Ottawa South, I find myself commenting on the billboards advertising one energy drink or another. Marketing campaigns would have us believe these drinks give us wings, prevent drowsiness and facilitate mental alertness. Call me old-fashioned, but I think a good night's sleep, exercise, a mostly balanced diet and proper hydration will do the same thing without the inevitable crash that comes from a caffeine jolt. And those drinks aren't just your run-of-the-mill coffee high. We're talking serious caffeine levels mixed with amino acids and other fun things that may not play well together. But that's up for the scientists and lab techies to decide.

The more interesting part to me is what the energy drink craze is all about. It's the answer to some underlying need to drive ourselves to the end of our rope and beyond without a thought to our mental or physical well-being. It fits in perfectly with society's desire to accomplish more in a shorter period of time with fewer resources. (That sounds like an office I know...) It's the pressure to achieve greater feats at an earlier age (Baby Einstein anyone?). It's the belief that success is measured in dollars and titles instead of laughter and love. It's but part of a whole that is like a disease ripping the humanity from our souls.

Okay, that last bit might be a tad over-the-top, but there's some truth to it. And no, this isn't literally about energy drinks. They're just a metaphor. But more and more I see kids who aren't allowed to be kids anymore. The natural curiosity is being narrowly channeled by a society that seems to have lost sight of what it is to live and instead puts too much value on perception instead of reality. Instead of fun, we're creating artificial ideals injected with a skewed vision of what is meaningful.

Does it really matter if we slow down a bit on Monday? Will the economy crumble if we have an off day now and then? We're losing touch with ourselves here. It's not about things, it's about people. Or at least it should be.

Having said all this, I know someone is going to point out, correctly, that I drink coffee and have been known to spend evenings in the office and skip vacation. We are all, to some degree, a prisoner of the absurdity we've created. That or I'm just bitter about being in the office today :P

Let's get physical

There's some serious neglect going on here. It's been hectic here of late and, sadly, the long weekend isn't really all it seems since Monday is a work day and Tuesday is a day off. *sigh* Regardless, I figured it was long past time to break the silence on here and share something... anything.

My original options were to discuss something topical in Ottawa like Bluesfest, Canada Day events, snipers at the court house, storms, whatever. But I can't be bothered. Oh, I'll have something to say about Bluesfest after Thursday, most likely, since I plan to break with tradition and actually attend the event. As for Canada Day, it's better in review.

So that leaves me with pole dancing. Yep. That's right. POLE DANCING. And no, I'm not talking about Barefax. I'm referring to a fitness class I just signed up for. Seriously. In two weeks I'll be shaking and grinding and sliding and... well... you get the picture. It's dance with a prop. Or a workout with a naughty twist. Either way, it's something I've talked about trying and finally found the time and place to do it.

The interesting part is the response I get when I happen to mention my newest hobby. It's one of those "OMG" and "Oh la la" and "wow" combos that makes it seem like I'm actually stripping at a club (and yes, the requests for demonstrations have already come in). It shouldn't be all that surprising. Pole dancing classes are gaining in popularity and, while they may not be entirely mainstream, they're not that uncommon. CBC has a video about it.

The only question that remains to be answered... are the poles gold coloured?

Attack of the killer tomatoes

Uncooked tomatoes have been pulled from Catholic school cafeterias in Ottawa. It's a precaution because of the salmonella scare in the U.S.

A trip to Harvey's last night proved other news to be true - some retailers and restaurants have pulled the red fruit from their shelves and/or menus. I was about to utter "lettuce, tomato, pickle..." to the staff member putting my burger together when I looked down, saw a lack of tomatoes, and then recalled the sign on the door saying they weren't offering it up.

Today I head to Tim Horton's and get a sandwich. I didn't have a chance to indicate what I wanted or didn't want on it because they had it put together before I was done at the cash. Back in the office, I realize I might be eating a killer sandwich. It has *gasp* uncooked tomatoes on it. Apparently Timmy Ho's isn't pulling anything as a "precaution." Perhaps their tomatoes are Canadian... which begs the question: why aren't the local schools and local businesses using locally produced (or at least nationally produced) fruit?

As an aside, with all the scares we had in the past year, I'm contemplating the planting of a garden. Should I embark on such a project, it will undoubtedly be a source of great amusement.

Update: Apparently Tim Horton's DID pull tomatoes. Perhaps the local store didn't read the memo.

The season of cute

Spring is in the air and the wildlife are creating tiny cute versions of themselves. Came across a family of ducks on the Rideau near Billings. Sadly, the camera battery died after three shots and I don't have a spare. But I got this, at least. Perhaps not as cute as Jesse's encounter, but it's tiny and fuzzy and all that good stuff. Plus I actually have a photo to share :P


After a full charge and a few days, I went to Petrie Island for something completely unrelated to wildlife photography. Couldn't get what I needed, so took a stroll down one of the nature trails. The turtles were out doing whatever turtles do. This group appeared to be playing follow the leader. Hmmmm... wonder what they'd have to say about Fecal-gate, if they could say something.

Oh hail, the tornado forgot to come

A fiesty supercell passed through the city yesterday (is there any other kind of supercell?), bringing with it thunder, lightning, a torrential downpour and hail. I was in Barrhaven helping to clean-up after a get-together when the thunder resounded in the distance. It just kept randomly rumbling, never amounting to much, so it seemed to be more noise than anything. It looked like it might be swinging to the south, like so many storms here seem to do.

Once done, I got into the car and started heading home. Just as I pulled out, the rain started. No biggie. Then down the street a little way something bangs into my windshield. Hail. Within a few seconds all hell broke loose and everyone - including myself - pulled over to the side of the road as the gods pelted us with little balls of ice.

I'm not talking about a bit of ice, I'm talking LOTS. The wind picked up, the trees bowed over, sacrificing their leaves and even a few small branches to the storm, and the hail pounded down on us, threatening to break something expensive. At this point the need for a basement crossed my mind, but I was too busy watching for something more intense to happen. It didn't.

Anyway, when I got home I checked out my car. A blog headline I read a few years ago - "Oh hail, my Rio is dimpled" - flashed through my brain. My car is not dimpled. The paint, however, is chipped in a few spots. Like I said, it was some serious hail. Guess it's time to get some touch-ups done. That doesn't annoy me too much. It's the storm. After all that, it didn't even have the decency to whip up a tornado... even just a little one.