About six years ago I was hit by a car riding my bike to work. BecauseOntarionow has no-fault insurance, our car insurance provided coverage for things I wouldn’t have expected. Twice I had ergonomic assessments at home, and then another one when I returned to work.

When I had the second home assessment one of my fears was falling on the ice that first winter and re-injuring my shoulder. The insurance company paid for an extra long ice scraper for the car and Spiky Plus attachments for my boots.

I always keep my Spiky Plus in my backpack during the winter just in case the sidewalks are icy. This morning I wouldn’t have made it down the hill without them. The road was like a skating rink. The sidewalk was a bit better but only because the layer of ice was on top of snow that hadn’t been tamped down yet.

I knew we were getting freezing rain overnight and realized it might interfere with my ability to walk instead of bus home. So my original plan was to walk to the transitway this morning. By the time I reachedWellington, I realized that I was going to get awfully wet if I walked along the sidewalk alongWellingtonor Scott, and the Scott MUP may not be salted yet. So I waited, along with a dozen other people, for the 16.

While we waited, some huddled in the alcove of the condo building, one brave woman decided to wait at the bus stop, unsheltered. Three times cars whizzed through the slush and sprayed her. Yup, good decision to wait for the bus and stand back. The only downside was the 16 didn’t end at Tunney’s, so I had to crossHollandand Scott. Again, stand back at the corners and wait for traffic to come to a complete stop on days like today.

So if you were slipping and sliding on sidewalks today and saw me run for the 105 at Lebreton and were wondering how I did it … Spiky Plus.

I bought them at MEC a few years ago. They don’t seem to stock them now. Maybe these ones would work. But whatever you do, do NOT use Yak trax on ice.

The first one is Promenade du Portage and Eddy on the other side of the river. This is the point that Eddy becomes a one way heading north. The lights aren’t synchronized at all with the traffic flow.

OC Transpo buses whip around the corner from Place du Portage and take up the entire space between Laurier andPortage. Articulated buses don’t even fit.

In the morning, pedestrians, including this one, ignore the traffic signals and cross when they see an opportunity. In the afternoon, articulated buses block the box for this pedestrian trying to head south along Eddy. The traffic light only gives the walking bonhomme if you press the button. Although I’ve stood there waiting for many days I still haven’t figured out the order of the traffic flow.

From there, my least favourite intersection is Booth and the Transitway. Buses constantly run red lights, and pedestrians block the sidewalk at the bus stop. It never ceases to amaze me that the commuters can line up at that stop in the morning, sometimes around the corner and down the old stretch ofWellington Streetthat was orphaned by the Transitway.

At the end of the day a different group of commuters stands there spread out waiting for the same buses. Add to that all the people running across the Transitway intersection and it can become quite chaotic.

If I haven’t already crossed to the west side of Booth, the next problem is Booth and Albert. Cars heading west on Albert turning north to la belle province whip around the corner with no regard for pedestrians. Cyclists zip past you, rarely calling out or ringing a bell.

But still, the walk home is soooo much better than getting crammed into a bus like a sardine in a can.

I may see if they have any opening specials, although I’m not sure I like the idea of people walking by looking in at me while I exercise. And I’m not convinced that I could do the indoor gym thing. I’d much rather be outside.

Trees were swaying in the strong winds, shaking off chunks of ice that had formed in the afternoon. The wind was then taking the chunks and throwing them on the windows, more than 20 feet away. This continued for a couple of hours. Sometimes it sounded like the raccoons were back on the roof. Oh, memories of critters scurrying around above your head while you try to sleep.

Needless to say I didn’t catch up on my sleep. After all the hype about 15 to 20 cm of snow, we ended up with maybe 5 cm with a thick coating of ice. It made for an interesting walk to the transitway this morning. Some sections of sidewalk had been plowed, or maybe I should say “broken up”. Side streets had sidewalks that were frozen with last night’s foot steps. The  bumpy, slippery ice did offer some traction until I made it to the Scott Street MUP.

I had thought that I’d missed the 105 so I decided to take the first bus going downtown and transfer at Lebreton Flats. I’ve decided that I don’t mind being a lemming, provided that I get my copy of 24H at the station. The older man who hands them out is likely homeless, or was at some point. But he really enjoys talking to people and provides an interesting commentary on that corner of life inOttawa. He knows many people’s faces and who takes a paper. He definitely makes the wait much more tolerable, especially when the wind is whipping into your face and cars are covering you with a wet, dirty blanket of slush.

After five minutes, I saw the 105 barrelling down the transitway. I guess this morning it was late, not me. Before it had a chance to circle Lebreton  Station, the #8 showed up and the lemmings piled on, one by one through the front door.

Snow crunched under my feet. My toes were cold because I hadn’t chosen the warmest boots. But at least they covered part of my calves. How do you dress for -33 in the morning and -5 in the afternoon?

The grit on the sidewalk allowed me to walk briskly to the transitway. I picked up the pace for the last 50 metres and timed my arrival perfectly with the 105. Today wasn’t the day to stand with the lemmings at Lebreton Station.

Across the river, Place du Portage was hidden in the cold, foggy morning. Pedestrians darted across red lights, trying to keep warm. A construction worker rubbed frost from a frozen moustache and beard.

How cold was it this weekend? Canada is a vast open land, where personal space is prized. But yesterday in Westboro, bus passengers huddled together in the bus shelter, with their groceries waiting outside. No need to worry about the icecream melting yesterday.

Yesterday I decided to walk home in the remnants of the snowstorm. It was the second time this week, but the challenges were different. It wasn’t nearly as cold, but the sidewalks along Booth Street were slushy and slippery. Drivers on the Chaudiere Bridge were speeding along playing a game of how many pedestrians they could cover head to toe in brown muck. Several times I ran off the path and pressed my stomach and face into one of the abandoned buildings so that my back could take the spray instead of my face. I wore my sunglasses like goggles to protect my eyes not just  from snowblindness but also from the chemical we pile on our roads.

On my walk home yesterday I noticed a few new happenings in the hood. So this afternoon we bundled up today to pick up groceries and cat food and take a few pictures.

The brain freeze comes from forgetting to mention that something has appeared in 101 Richmond. We approached from the east side, and I started snapping pics through a dirty glass. Then we reached the entrance and ….. duh, it’s the Qwest showroom, which has moved from across the street. Apparently, construction is starting soon on the south side of Richmond. Cue the excitement!

So the previous pics are mixed in too. We actually went in to the Q showroom and discovered that it’s staffed by a real estate firm, which has its own blog in case you’re interested in buying.

On the way through Hintonburg, she pointed out that the dog café had closed last week. Apparently there were to have an auction to sell off the contents inside. A sign still hung in the window saying that everything must go. Tables and chairs were still arranged, waiting for customers who would never  arrive. I can’t say that I’m surprised, given that they didn’t really seem to have a business plan.

We also noticed that the Hintonburger had re-opened in its new location, the old KFC. All the tables were occupied, and a few people were sitting on the bench in front of the window, waiting for their orders. The “for lease” sign is still up on the bucket pole, and the bucket still says KFC. I guess they’re waiting for spring to make over the outside.

All that walking yesterday made me a bit late this morning. I was hoping for a winter storm warning to be in effect when I woke up so that everyone else would be late. But, like so many other storms that were supposed to wallop us with snow, this one decided to miss us. Maybe I’ll be luck and the freezing rain warning will send us home early!

The first week back NosyNeighbour and I were on a pre-retirement course so we car pooled because there was free parking. Then I lucked out the first real day back in the office because the transfer machine on the first bus wasn’t working. I didn’t even need a transfer, but I’ll take the free ride. Remember, if the bus driver ever asks you if you need a transfer, the answer is always YES!  Then on another day, my transfer didn’t have a time, which meant it was good all day.

Taking the bus was getting better and better. Until yesterday, when my first bus after work was so packed with people. OC Transpo why do you have a small #8 bus arrive at Terrace de la Chaudiere at 4:05? Do you not think half the building empties out then? Then I had to stand on my next bus down the transitway. I wasn’t near a vertical pole and had to hold on to the hanging straps for one stop. I thought my arm was going to come out of its socket. It seems they took the articulated buses from the #8 and moved them to other routes. Sigh : (

Yesterday’s experience made me wish for an early spring so I can ride my bike again. But I’m a skier too.  That’s a nice segue into why I haven’t posted lately. I’ve been busy living life. On the weekend, we decided to check out snowshoeing in the Gatineau Park. We’ve done it in the Greenbelt, where it’s flat, and brought our snowshoes to the training centre which is on the edge of the Gatineau Park. The first trail we snowshoed on was a winter hiking trail. It was shared with hikers, snowshoers, crosscountry skiers and dog walkers. It was relatively flat and about the same as the Greenbelt. So on the weekend we decided to try out the trails from Relais plein air du parc de la Gatineau (P2).

I didn’t really study the map before we set off, thinking it would be like the Greenbelt trails. NOT! It was climbing up and down hills, over fallen trees, and criss-crossing the cross country ski trails. We hadn’t brought water, food or a backpack. Needless to say on such a mild day, we overheated, dried out and I bonked on the way back. There are three loops that you can do. It took us about an hour to do the first one, including stops for pics and trying to figure out how to go downhill on snowshoes. Some of the descents were quite steep and relatively long for a first time out on real trails.

In neighbourhood news:

• the Mostly Danish sign has been removed
• the Hintonburger has opened in its new location (the former KFC)
• Aroma Meze is now only open for supper (closed at lunch)

That’s all I can think of for now. If I’ve missed anything, please let me know.

A picture says a thousand words, so here goes:

9.  I don’t have a big enough carving plate.

8. There’s no room in the fridge with all the beer and Christmas cream.

7. If I gobbled it all up, I’d be stuffed like a turkey.

6. The cooking time interferes with fun winter stuff like tobogganing and skiing.

5. A turkey is just a chicken on steroids.

4. I’d have frozen turkey meat for sandwiches for a month.

3. I’d be eating turkey soup for a month.

2. I’d be eating turkey stew for a month.

1. I ate leftovers from a 30-lb bird by myself and have only had one slice since.