Home for the Holidays

Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays,
Cause no matter how far away you roam,
If you want to be happy in a million ways,
For the holidays,
You can’t beat home, sweet home.
-Perry Como

Every year since 2002 when I moved to Toronto, I’ve been making an effort to spend at least two weeks in Montreal with my family for Christmas.  It hasn’t always been easy — some of you might remember the trouble I had ducking out of The Company last year and the elaborate scheme I came up with in order to get extra time off.  (It worked brilliantly, by the way.)

It’s always nice to head home for Christmas.  Something fun about packing the car, making the drive and spending time in my hometown.  Not to mention getting to do again all the things I’ve done in years gone by, such as visiting friends, stopping into favorite stores or just going for a drive around town.

Of course, there is the expected holiday stress that has me checking my calendar wondering how soon I can head back to Ottawa, but that’s all par for the course. (I just wonder how soon it will be before it sets in.)

And one year, it would be nice if everyone from my family came here to Ottawa for Christmas.  The house is surely big enough to accommodate everyone, so it’s something to keep in mind.

So for now, that does it for me.  My first year in Ottawa (albeit only four and a half months so far) is done and I’m leaving town for a while.  I’ll be back next year for more adventures and we’ll see how things go.

I’ll try to blog whenever possible, but just in case I slip into a Turkey coma or get caught up in the festivity, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Cans for Comments Update

The time has come to tally up all the comments I received during my first attempt at Cans for Comments.  I’m really surprised and impressed with the response and the number of people who stumbled upon this blog as a result of it.

I want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who did their share by leaving a comment which equals one can or non perishable food item.

The grand total — including my response comments — was 37 comments.  And just today, Bunny decided to do something amazingly generous and supportive.  She agreed to MATCH cans for comments and double the amount.  So 37 comments meant 37 cans, and thanks to her generosity, it became 74 cans. (We bumped it up to 75 to make it a nice round number.

There you see it, folks.  All the cans and non perishiable food items in a shopping cart, waiting to be bought and then packaged up and taken to a local food basket.

And here are the cans and food items in the back of my car, on their way to be donated. The organization I selected had a bin at the Independant Grocer on Strandherd Drive and was quite full by the time I dropped everything off.

Everyone really came through during this last week and a half, posting comments and helping suport a good cause, and again a huge thanks to Bunny who decided to match the cans.  It really helped more than you could imagine.

Deck my halls

Next time you watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and there’s a scene where Chevy Chase gets electrocuted by Christmas lights or falls off a ladder putting up decorations, be sure to laugh.  Because you know what? That stuff is only funny when it happens in the movies.  Trust me, I know.

Inspired by the need to somehow match my Halloween decorations, I had grand plans for my house when Christmas rolled ’round this year.  But traveling, the fear of decorating too early, bad weather and logistics got in the way.

So this is what I was stuck with.

Not nearly as good as I wanted them to be, especially compared to some folks on nearby streets who must sit around waiting for the winter months so they can decorate and really show off. (For a great photo gallery of some houses around Ottawa that have really nice decorations, check out Indiscriminate Thoughts where A has taken some nice photos.)

And falling off the ladder, breaking a giant wreath (not intentionally) and having to re-wire things three times — not to mention leave countless holes in the side of my house — only added to the disappointment when I stood back and took a look at my handy work.

But at least my decorations are up.

Olympic Spirit

What a weekend.  Not only did I take advantage of stores with extended hours and ones like Walmart that are now open 24 hours to get the last of my Christmas shopping done, Bunny also had her second office holiday party.  I dropped by The Standard on Friday night to meet some of her co-workers and partake in a few drinks.  After Bunny and I decided some late-night “crispy” poutine was in order so we headed over to Eddy’s in Vanier.

(Full credit goes to Jobthingy for recommending that if I ever go there, I should be sure to order the “crispy” poutine.  And you should do the same.)

As everyone knows, the Olympic Flame passed through Ottawa this weekend.  It made several stops including City Hall, Parliament Hill and various neighborhoods around town.  Bunny wanted to join the 15,000 people on Saturday night who decided to wait in the cold on the Hill to catch a mere glimpse of the Flame as it passed by and maybe taken in a Tom Cochrane song or two.

I had a better idea.

See, I don’t like crowds or people — and it seems the two always go hand in hand — so I found out where the Flame would be on Sunday morning.  Turns out the flame was making its way towards Kanata via Baseline Road, and at 7:30 I could intercept it.

I was lucky enough to see the Calgary flame go through Montreal back in 1988 so I figured why not see this one?  After all, who knows when the next one will be.

Bunny and I got up early on Sunday and made our way down to Baseline. Thanks to some really on-the-ball organizing by the Torch Relay people, the bus dropping off runners stopped right where we were waiting, so we not only got to see one of the runners before his torch was lit, but…

We also got to hold it.

Yup.  That’s me, all bundled up (I assure you I don’t normally look like John Candy in a winter coat ) with one of the runners, holding THE OFFICIAL OLYMPIC TORCH.  (And that’s Bunny looking all anonymous standing on the left)

I was one of the few people who actually had the stones to ask if I could touch it, and not only did he say “yes” but he let me hold the torch for everyone to see.

While I didn’t get all blubbery the way some people do when they recount how thrilling and emotional it was to hold the torch, I was filled  a sense of pride knowing that I was holding a piece of history that very few folks in the general public will ever get to touch.

No sooner than the photo was taken, the Flame came along and the next torch was lit and then on its way.  (It’s actually the Flame that gets passed on, not the torch, contrary to what some people think.) You can get more information about the Torch, including its unique design on its web site.

And what better way to cap off the morning that with a trip downtown to the Elgin Street Diner for a “breakfast of champions” that included eggs, toast, susages and poutine.

Can you feel the Canadian pride?

Virgin Radio Ottawa: More Bad News

The BBM released the Fall 2009 radio ratings on December 10 and again, it doesn’t look promising for Virgin Radio 106 (formerly known as The Bear.)  Their ratings are down once again, not only compared to the last ratings block, but especially compared with last year at this time. (Click the graph for a full size version of the report. Virgin Radio’s call letters are CKQB-FM))

It’s been a year of steady decline for the once popular rock station and these latest numbers could only result in head scratching and a need for change.

Contrary to what some people might think, I’m not hoping that Virgin Radio 106 goes out of business.  The radio industry is very competitive and someone losing their job is never a good thing. I’m simply pointing out that the format and name change from The Bear to Virgin Radio was a mistake and parent company Astral Media should probably rethink their decision.

In all fairness, some other stations are down as well.  Partly due to the time of year, also due to change in listeners.  Either way, it will be interesting to see what happens in the coming year and if any real changes are coming to the Ottawa radio market.

To see the most recent report, click the PDF document then select Ottawa-Gatineau Anglo from the left hand column.

My first Ottawa snowfall

I wanted to wait a day or so, just to make sure the snow had really stopped falling before I said anything.  And now that I think we’re in the clear, it’s safe to say that I survived my first Ottawa snowfall.

It’s been 12 years since I had to shovel a driveway.  I’ve either lived in apartments, townhouses or flats where (thankfully) someone else did the work for me.  (There’s something to be said for condo fees.)  But now that I’m living it up in Barrhaven, I suddenly found myself in need of a shovel to remove the snow.

Realizing that if I waited, the snow would only continue to accumulate and be heavier when the time came to shovel it, I decided to head out during the snowfall and remove as much as possible. I also discovered that Ottawa snow seems to weigh more than I remember Montreal snow weighing.  So my “get ‘er done” attitude was servilely crippled and I found myself doing my driveway in stages.

Naturally, I needed to do this several times throughout the day and evening, but in the end it was worth it as my driveway was usable again.

It was then that I noticed I live on the side of the street that gets all the snow blown on it.  The folks across the street? Fortune seems to smile on them.  They didn’t even have to look for a shovel as I was nice enough to somehow end up with all of their snow on my driveway.

I was feeling pretty good about a job well done… until this morning when the City of Ottawa plow came by and decided that my driveway should be the one with all the snow shoved back in front of  it. Followed, naturally, by the sidewalk plow that created a second mountain.

After seeing that, I’m now going to call landscaper/snow removal person and have them remove my snow for me.  I don’t care how much it costs, it will be worth it.

What’s that you say? Spoiled Toronto snob can’t deal with a little snow? You’re damm right.  When Life, The Demons of Bad Luck, Powers That Be, Mother Nature and the city conspire to continuously screw with my life, then I’ll gladly pay so I have less work to do.

Hands off!

I don’t know Dr. Oz, but I can tell you quite honestly that I don’t like him.  Why, you ask? Because he is slowly ruining my life.

For those who aren’t familiar with him, Dr. Oz is an Oprah Creation — much like Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, that gay guy who does interior design and countless other people who had careers before, but were launched into super stardom once they were mentioned by The Op and thus joined her network.  (And people think that Vince McMahon is a creative genius for coming up with new WWE characters.)

Anyway, during my recent trip to Toronto, Dr. Oz surfaced again.  (Not literally, because that would have been creepy.) I walked out of the bathroom and noticed something sitting on the bed…

For those wondering, that is the remote for the TV.  No, it hasn’t been seized as evidence by CSI, nor am I packing it up to take it home.  The remote control is in a zipper bag because… Dr. Oz said you should do that.

Many moons ago, some idiot on one of those news magazines exposed a secret that sometimes, rooms aren’t as clean as they should be.  We know this, but we try not to think about it. There was also concern that the housekeepers use the same cloth to clean the toilet as they do to clean the remote.

Well, Dr, Oz had to take things one step further.

According to Bunny — who was the one who placed the remote in the bag — Oz says you should do whatever possible to make sure you don’t come into contact with whatever DNA was left behind, most likely on the remote.  Placing it in a bag was one of his suggestions.

Now while his studio audience probably “ooohed” and “ahhhed” and applauded his idea as if he had just cured Cancer, I thought it was stupid.  Getting those hotel remotes to work on a good day is hard enough.  Wrapping them in a plastic bag only makes things worse.

Sure, I won’t use the remote to clean my teeth, nor will I drink out of the toilet, lick the light switch, scoot naked across the floor or use the comforter as a bath towel, but we have to draw the line somewhere.

I don’t buy into mass hype.  I certainly don’t buy into anything one of Oprah’s lackeys says.

Cans for Comments

I’m back from Toronto and Montreal and what a wonderful surprise.  My first official winter in Ottawa began with the dumping of snow in my driveway and it just went downhill from there.  But I can say that I enjoyed my days in Toronto and my brother’s 30th birthday celebration was nice, albeit quiet. (Really, I was expecting him to make a big deal out of it, but he didn’t feel like doing much by the time I got to town.  He did however say he was glad I came.)

One thing I wanted to mention as I start to get my life in Ottawa back to normal, is Cans for Comments.  I noticed a trend among bloggers, most recently over on Just A Dad in Ottawa. And since it was such a good idea, I thought I would do the same.

Therefor, I will donate one can of food for every comment I get from this day forward, until December 18 (when I leave for my Christmas “vacation” in Montreal).  In the comments, feel free to suggest some organizations where the cans can be dropped off.  I have a few ideas so far, but I’m always open to new ones.

Hope to hear from you!

UPDATE: Off to a great start already.  I should point out that the Cans for Comments applies to all posts from this day on.  So feel free to comment on future updates and know that while you are speaking your mind, you’re also helping a great idea.

Random thoughts…

Just sitting here, watching the dark, cold and foreboding city of Toronto, thinking about many things.  Thoughts of the past and the future.  Many ideas and unanswered questions.  Many questions that I thought I had answers to, but now, am rethinking.

It’s amazing how a little trip to a place you called home for seven years can really make you think about everything you have done in your life.  Maybe it’s just the time of year, or maybe there are some issues I haven’t addressed yet.  Either way, this trip to Toronto has given me a chance to think about many things.

It is nice being back, doing some of the things I used to do.  Funny how it’s only been four months since I moved away, yet some how it feels much longer.

As of tomorrow, I’ll be in Montreal, celebrating my brother’s 30th birthday.  I wasn’t sure I would be able to make it, but luck seems to have intervened and I will be toasting my lil bro as he crosses the line into the “dirty 30″.

Then, before long, I’ll be back in Ottawa.  The city that is now my home.

CTV’s Max Keeping is retiring

Don’t let my being 300+ kilometers away fool you — I keep my ear to the ground when it comes to things happening in Ottawa.  (Okay, truth be told a friend told me this, and I also looked it up on line.)

Seems that Max Keeping, veteran news anchor for CTV Ottawa — known to many for years prior to CTV’s need for universal branding, as CJOH-TV — has announced his retirement.

After 37 years with the station, Keeping will do his last newscast on March 26, 2010.  When he signs off, he will have completed 51 years as a journalist which is probably a record of sorts.

I remember Max Keeping from when I was a kid and Montrealers were able to pick up CJOH with an antenna or as a part of the CF Cable package.  He has been a constant fixture at the station and in many people’s lives and I’m sure things won’t be the same without him.

But also, as someone who works with media, I can understand the want to retire after such a long and fulfilling career.  There are many in the same field who will never make it to 51 years in the industry on account of the way things are changing, so Keeping’s career truly is one that legends are made of.

Steve Anthony is back on TV!

Remember Steve Anthony? Kids of today might not, but my generation has fond memories of the former MuchMusic VJ (in the days when Much played music videos, before they sucked as much as MTV) being “killed” by Weird Al, throwing Christmas trees off the roof of the MuchMusic World Headquarters and lighting his pants on fire.

In recent years, Steve Anthony could be heard on Toronto’s Mix 99.9, and later became a part of CP24’s dreadful morning show Breakfast. (For those who don’t know, CP24 is Toronto’s 24-hour news channel.)

Much to my surprise, this morning I turned on the TV in my hotel room and noticed that Steve Anthony has now assumed the co-host chair. Suddenly the show is watchable and entertaining.  I was completely unaware of this change, but I guess that’s what happens when one moves away from a city.

When CP24 Breakfast debuted earlier this year, it was awful.  I mean downright terrible.  Matte Bable was the original co-host and he just sucked the life out of the show. Even though Steve Anthony was part of the show in a smaller role, I still couldn’t watch because of Matte Bable.

And then there’s Melissa Grelo who prior to becoming a co-host, did a report on the plane crash in Buffalo, and actually said “the plane literally fell on this house.”  Literally, Melissa?  Did you really need to say literally? I wasn’t aware that we normally use the expression “a plane fell on my house” in every day conversation to the point you had to emphasize it by adding ‘literally’.  But that’s bush-league journalism for ya!

But thankfully someone at the station noticed all the negative feedback they must have been getting, and demoted Bable to remote host, allowing Steve Anthony to become the co-host and save the show — a position he totally deserves.

Of course all of this has absolutely nothing to do with Ottawa, unless you happen to subscribe to Bell TV satellite and occasionally watch CP24.   (But it does make for a nice ‘Where Are They Now’ moment.)

Montreal Canadiens are Canada’s team?

I noticed an interesting post over on Dennis-Kane.com where he made mention of a recent survey taken by the Ipso-Reid research company, where one third of people surveyed felt that the Montreal Canadiens — winners of 24 Stanley Cups and ‘local team’ to my hometown, Montreal — are in fact Canada’s hockey team.

Gotta say that was nice to read.

But then the report goes on to say that 25 percent of people surveyed felt that the Toronto Maple Leafs are Canada’s team.

I guess there’s no accounting for taste.  I tried being a Leafs fan for seven years and it didn’t work.  Not that I ever dropped my alliance to Montreal, but I tried to support the local team of where I was living, just in case they did win something.

That never happened.

And now as I make my way back towards “Leafs Nation” for a several days, the feeling of “what was I thinking?” comes over me.

Micro-blogging made easy!

Over the next week, since I’ll be in Toronto and Montreal, I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to blog.  I’ll try my best, but I can’t promise anything.  Although I already have a few post ideas in mind, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be able to make the time, which is a sad comment on how busy things can get sometimes.

But don’t feel bad. Just in case your day gets really slow and you can’t find any new kitten videos on YouTube to watch, you can always follow me on Twitter. It’s a lot easier for me to just whip out the ol’ iPhone and Tweet a thought than it is to find a hot-spot, set up a computer, log on, compose a post and put it on-line.  (Can you tell that we are not only spoiled in the 21st Century, but also incredibly lazy?)

As I said, I’ll do my best to write something, but for all the current, late breaking news — of which I’m sure you can expect such gems as “this sushi is really good” and “I hate this over-crowded city.  Now I remember why I moved!” — jump on board the Twitter train and follow me!

Taste of Winterlude is coming

Now this is great news for someone such as myself who loves going out to eat. Something new is happening at this year’s Winterlude.  Organizers are introducing Taste of Winterlude — a chance to sample some of Ottwa and Gatineau’s best restaurants at affordable prices with prix-fixe menus.  This concept has worked very well in other cities such as Toronto that as Winterlicious and Summerlicious.

It really is an awesome idea as it gives people a chance to try restaurants that they might otherwise never have thought about trying, and keeps the price down so that they can sample more than one place.

If that wasn’t enough, Taste of Winterlude is also offering up some really amazing Fine Dining Experiences that go far beyond the normal restaurant menu sampling.  You can check out their web site for full details and registration information.

I haven’t decided which restaurants I want to try yet, but you can bet there will be a few of them.  And the Fine Dining Experiences sure sound tempting as well.

If you’re interested, American Express card-holders get to go “to the front of the line” and purchase tickets before the general public gets a shot.

Keep Lynx Stadium and bring back baseball

Good news for fans of semi-pro baseball.  The Ottawa Citizen is reporting that City of Ottawa staffers are recommending keeping the former Lynx Stadium — known in a former life as JetForm Park — and using it for baseball.  This of course makes it a lot easier to lure prospective baseball clubs to Capital City, which would be a good thing seeing as the Ottawa Lynx and the Rapidz both went belly-up and The Ottawa Voyageurs never happened.

The challenge of course is finding a minor league that has something to gain by expanding into Canada, if they are American, or finding a Canadian league that wants a team in the Capital.

And while we’re at it, maybe someone could spin straw into gold.

There was some mention late this summer about baseball coming back to Ottawa, but so far nothing has come of it.  But I think it’s a great idea.  I used to play and coach and even though people say it’s boring (compared to the fast-pace of hockey) I think it’s a great game and nothing beats an evening at the ballpark.  After all, the city is large enough now to support one, and as long as the team does well, the seats will be filled.  Right?

Get the suitcase…

This week is going to be “one of those weeks”. Not one of those bad weeks, but rather one of those busy weeks.  While most of you will trudge through a five day work-week, I will only have to deal with a two-day week.  That’s right. My week ends on Tuesday night.

Or should I say, my week in Ottawa ends on Tuesday.  From Wednesday onward, I’ll be on the road.

Right about the time someone working downtown gets a craving for Beaver Tails on Wednesday, I’ll have already had my hair cut (my personal stylist only works on Wednesday and Thursday) and be on my way to Toronto.  (Yes, I have a personal stylist.  Don’t you?)

Then, after spending several days in Megacity (do people even still call it that, or has the novelty worn off and be dwarfed by the high cost of living, taxes and overcrowded city?) I’ll make the worst drive known to mankind: Toronto to Montreal along the Highway 401.

Okay, while I’m sure dodging bombs and rockets in an army jeep, driving through a warn-torn country might actually be the worst drive known to man, the one along the 401 is certainly the most boring.  Especially when you spent the last seven years doing it and swore that you would never need to do it again, seeing as you figured all drives to Montreal would most likely start from Ottawa.

Basically put, I’ll be gone for almost a whole week.  Just another example of how I seem to travel more now that I live in Ottawa, than I did before.

Although I will say I’m looking forward to heading back to Toronto, even if only for a few days.  As much as the city does get on my nerves, I always liked being there around the holidays and I do miss some things about it.

OC Transpo site redesign

OC Transpo decided to finally redesign their web site in an effort to assist customers with using transit in our Nation’s Capital. Gone is the old, eye-sore red background, replaced with a much more user friendly interface.  The redesign includes a Q&A with the answer to such burning questions as “How come I can’t figure out how to use the Travel Planner?” and “How to get to Scotiabank Place?“.

The New Hotness that is the OC Transpo web site

Old and busted (and a strain on the eyes)

The new site also features interesting Transpo-related news, bus delays and construction project updates.  It even has a place where you — yes you – can assist OC Transpo in making service improvements by taking part in a focus group.  This might actually be interesting as Transpo is willing to compensate you for your time by offering you a free monthly pass.

It’s also worth mentionng that recently OC Transpo launched a mobile site for mobile phones. While it lacks the splash and style of some mobile sites, it does make taking the bus and Transitway a little easier.

One way or another, someone’s getting screwed

It took a few days to sink in, and honestly I’m still not sure what to think of it. It seems Big Larry and Ottawa City Council are actually looking at ways to avoid a 10% tax hike set to be lumped on Ottawans in the coming year.  However, it’s not all good news.  Taxes are expected to still go up anyway — somewhere in the area of 3.9% (That just sounds better than 4%, doesn’t it?)

And of course if there’s only a 3.9% tax increase, that means the city has to find a way to make up for the loss of cash.  And how do you think they will do it? By cutting city services and the hiring of paramedics of course! Because, if the recent strike in Toronto and other labour disputes have taught us anything, cutting funding to essential services in a major city is always a good idea.

That was sarcasm, by the way.

And if that wasn’t enough, the city seems to think that OC Transpo buses are nothing more than giant piggy banks because Transpo users could be staring down the barrel of a 7.5 per cent fare hike next summer.  The idea of cutting back service or dropping routes all together has come up too.  (Although no routes have been targeted just yet.)

The silver lining is that we may have dodged the bullet when it comes to having to pay a Green Bin Fee, which is great news seeing as a majority of the people don’t want to pay for something they are being forced to do.

I really thought that things might be a bit different in Ottawa than compared to Toronto, but I guess no matter what city I live in, there will always be people running it, who have no idea how to do their job.

The City’s budget will be tabled on December 9.

Making the most of the weekend

With Bunny sick for the past month, coupled with all the traveling (both work related and pleasure) I’ve done since I moved to Ottawa, I really haven’t had a chance to enjoy this city when the weekend rolls ’round.   Would you believe I STILL haven’t spent any time shopping at the ByWard market?

So this weekend I’m planning to make the most of it.  The 48 hour reprieve from work — which when I worked for The Company wasn’t nearly long enough — will be filled with mirth and merriment and as much as I can cram into two days.

Okay, maybe not “filled”, as in spilling over the edges.  I do like to laze around the house whenever possible, so I’ll settle for a few outings, a walk through either Westboro Village or The Glebe,  maybe take in the Orleans Santa Parade of Lights and dinner somewhere downtown.

Let’s just hope the weather decides to cooperate.

UPDATE: Hannah of Brightest Blue passed this along in the comments, so I thought I would share it for those interested.  Santa Paws is coming this weekend!  You can have your pet’s photo taken with jolly ol’ St. Nick and money raised goes to help shelter the animals who desperately need it. You can get information here.

Easy being Green

Just got back from a weekend in Montreal and look what I found waiting for me when I got home.

The folks down at Green Bin Ottawa were nice enough to drop off my new green bin, leaving it in the middle of my drive way as an advertisement to the world that I wasn’t home.  Still, I was pleased that I didn’t have to go somewhere to pick it up as I had to with my blue and black recycle bins when I first moved it.  Turns out the people who lived in my house before me thought that the blue and black bins would make a nice keepsake so they took them.

As we all know, thanks to the countless dollars that have been spent on the Green Bin program, the bins go into use in January. Table scraps, leftovers, dryer lint and other compost items can now be saved (and placed in biodegradable paper bags — sold separately — if you wish) and then dumped into the Green Bin to await curbside pick-up

The city has already distributed new calendars for 2010 letting everyone know when their bins and bags will be collected.  It seems that green bins will be picked up every two weeks, which is great news for people wondering what they’re getting out of their garbage tax and for those who love the smell of rotting fish-heads in their garage.

Nearly Perfect Cheeseburger & Poutine

It was Friday night in Ottawa and with nothing to do, I decided to try and top my nacho recipe from a few weeks ago.  I’m still getting emails, text messages and comments about it, so I figure it would be quite a challenge.

Tonight’s recipe? Nearly perfect cheeseburgers and poutine.  Why “nearly perfect”? Because it was 9 o’clock at night and I didn’t feel like making the burgers from scratch so I used frozen ones. Deal with it.

And for those not familiar with poutine — because maybe you’ve never been to Canada or live somewhere where only healthy food is served — it’s a French-Canadian creation that took “cheese fries” to a whole new level.  It wasn’t enough just to drown the fries with cheese, they added gravy to the mix.

For the burgers, I chose frozen Thick n’ Juicy patties courtesy of the folks at President’s Choice.  Say what you will about store brands, PC actually makes a surprisingly large and tasty variety of items. While Galen Weston gets on my nerves with his commercials and need to make everyone bring their own bags, the man makes a damn good burger patty.

Now on to the poutine. In keeping with the whole “Loblaws” theme, I decided to go back to the well and grab some noname sauce.  I also thought it appropriate to have the french side of the can facing the camera since we are making poutine.

And for the record, the curd cheese comes from St Albert, Ontario where each year in August, they have — I kid you not — a Curd Festival where they celebrate all things curd.  Mark the date now, kids.

The fries are just your garden variety frozen french fries, found in your local supermarket freezer, or chances are, somewhere in the back of your own freezer, probably holding up the ice cube trays. Cook them as per instructions on the bag — all good food comes with instructions on the bag — and then add the cheese curds and hot gravy.

I know the fries should probably be cooked in a deep fryer, but as luck would have it, that’s the one kitchen gadget I don’t have.  So if anyone has my name in this year’s gift exchange…

Burger toppings shouldn’t be boring — even though the patties and fries are — so here’s what you can do.  Chop some onions and mushrooms and saute them until golden brown.  Add them once the burgers are done.

Now, since last time with the nachos, I caught a fair amount of flack for not including jalapenos, I decided to make up for this time ’round with the cheese.  Monterrey Jack cheeses — with jalapenos.

It’s now time to make the burgers.  Drop your patties on a grill or BBQ and cook for about six minutes on both sides. Once the burgers are browned — and cooked throughout — add the cheese.

To get the cheese to melt evenly, place a bowl over them and let the steam do the rest.

Everyone knows that the bun does half the work when it comes to a burger.  If the bun sucks, then the burger will suck.  It’s simple logic.

I like to use Kaiser rolls from Golden Mill Bakery, which as some might know, is owned by Weston.  They are light and fluffy and add some taste, but most importantly, don’t distract from the burger itself.

By this time, your fries-in-the-oven will be ready and you can take them out.  Make your burger and top it the way you like, add curds and gravy to fries and there you go.  Friday night dinner!

Okay, I did take the cheap way out as most stuff was from a freezer or a can, so next time I’ll be more creative when it comes to making something to eat.

La Porto a Casa

The other day the day I finally decided to try the much-talked about La Porto A Casa Italian restaurant in Barrhaven.  Consistently, La Porto a Casa has been getting great reviews on various web sites around Ottawa, including Urbanspoon where it remains not only in the top listed restaurants for Barrhaven and Italian restaurants, but as well for the entire city.  I thought a restaurant with this much attention paid to it, must be good.

What made La Porto a Casa extra intriguing was the “mystery” around it.  Located in a strip mall plaza that is so easy to overlook, with no bright signage,  it’s very easy to miss this hidden gem if you drive by it. Also, they have no web site and no on line menu.  Right away I figured people in Barrhaven either know about it, or they don’t.

La Porto a Casa is small, but friendly and well staffed.  The menu — with most items available for takeout as well as dine-in — is also quite vast for such a small place.  Don’t expect tacky Italian decor with stucco walls and empty wine bottles, nor ultra modern settings. (Although the checkered table cloths were a nice touch.)  La Porto a Casa saves itself for the food.

I always gauge an Italian restaurant based on its calamari as an appetizer.  With this dish, there are only several ways to go.  Most places opt for the frozen squid rings and either get the ones pre-battered or batter them before cooking.  Very few places actually go to the trouble of cutting squid tubes each day.

La Porto a Casa’s calamari was tender and cooked just right.  Not crispy, but not chewy.  The dipping sauces — one cream, one tomato — were good but didn’t do anything to help the squid.  For me, a squirt of lemon and the calamari was good to go.

For main courses, Bunny had spaghetti and meatballs and I chose a carbonara pasta.

Bunny said her pasta was a little too well done, but I couldn’t complain with my choice.  The portions, for what you pay, are large and generous.  The pasta almost appears to be spilling over the edge of the bowls.  Very basic when it comes to plating, but more than enough to satisfy.

There is also a nice selection of meat dishes as well, at lunch a menu of sandwiches which seem to be very popular for take out.

All in all, it was a good choice and more or less lived up to the hype.  It’s nice to have a variety of Italian restaurants in the area, especially one with affordable prices and good service.

La Porto a Casa keeps odd hours, but it’s always packed. Open for lunch on weekdays, closed on Mondays.  Open for dinner every night except Monday, closing at 8pm most nights, and 9pm on Friday and Saturday.

La Porto a Casa Italian Restaurant
3500 Fallowfield Road
Cost: $: starters, $8 to $9; main dishes, $16 to $20
Hours: 11AM to 8PM, Monday to Thursday; 11AM to 9PM Friday and Saturday
613-843-0825

Live from Lansdowne

Looks like City Council approved the idea of revamping aging Lansdowne Park and bringing it into the 21st century with a much talked about project called Lansdowne Live.

I personally would have rather seen the construction of a new, more modern stadium closer to downtown and easily accessible by public transit, say near Lebreton, but I guess the city councilors did what they thought was best for the city of Ottawa.

Don’t get me wrong; I like the idea of saving Lansdowne and making the grounds into something that the city can use for events, but the thought of trying to access an already congested area after a football game lets out frightens me. There is virtually no parking and limited OC Transpo service.

Still, Ottawans have been doing it for years and nobody seems to mind, so who am I to say anything.  After all, I was born in a city that had subway service to the door of the stadium and still managed to lose their baseball team and watch the football team relocate to a smaller univesity stadium (except for playoff games, of course.)

But the upside to all of this is Ottawa will finally get a new CFL franchise.

Girls Night Out with Girlfriend Social

Turns out that I’m not the only person who moved to Ottawa and found it hard to meet new people. Amanda Blain was in the same boat — except she did something really creative about it. Rather than just blog about her thoughts and experiences, she launched Girlfriend Social — a slick, stylish and fun on-line community for Ottawa ladies, giving them a place to interact with each other.  Best part is, the web community isn’t just for newbies — it’s for everyone.

In Ms. Blain’s own words, “When I first moved to Ottawa, I realized how hard it is to meet new people and to make friends… That’s when I thought about creating a website that could help with this.”

It seems to have worked too. Currently there are over 1,200 members — and not just from Ottawa. Amanda is seeing ladies join from Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and even some in the United States.

Girlfriend Social is a prime example of one entrepreneur’s use of social media. Thanks to her creative use of tools like Twitter (you can follow Girlfriend Social on line if you like) and of course the web site which is chock-full of great links, outing information and more, it won’t be long before Girlfriend Social becomes the hot social media network for women everywhere.

Part of the member growth stems from many events that Girlfriend Social has helped facilitate, including pub nights, Rideau canal dog walks, scrapbooking get-togethers, bowling nights, rock climbing, movie nights, and a lobster dinner.

And the effects of Amanda’s hard work can be felt as Girlfriend Social grows, the business community has taken notice. Ms. Blain notes that numerous establishments have been eager to host Girlfriend Social outings or to partner with Girlfriend Social for promotions and contests.

All in a day’s work for Ms. Blain who admits her work load is large but worth it. “I do everything on the website from web design, graphic design, answering member inquiries, to hosting events. It’s tough doing all this alone.” She is quick to add, “When I see the impact this website has on women’s lives, it’s good motivation to keep me going!”

While I personally don’t quite fit the membership requirements, it sounds as if the ladies of Girlfriend Social have a good time when they go out.  It gives them a chance to meet new people and explore Ottawa — whether they are new in town or have been here for years.

I have a feeling…

The other day Bunny dropped a bombshell on me.

“I could see moving back to Toronto in the future.”

After all the hard work, after all the months of planning and after all the crap I had to deal with during the move itself, the thought of moving back to a city I spent years trying to get away from should have disgusted me.

Now, here’s the reality:  I can’t say it was such a bad idea.

My life in Toronto is like a bad break up.  Once the relationship is over, one has a tendency to remember and pine for only the good times. (And yes, despite all that was and is wrong with Toronto, there were many good times.)  One doesn’t remember the bad times.

And believe me when I say that Toronto has plenty of reasons to move away.  It’s over crowded, it’s over taxed, it’s too expensive, David Miller is the mayor, people are rude… the list goes on for miles. It’s not as if all of that will change should I ever move back.

The first few years in Toronto were really good for me.  Everything was new and shiny to me.  Things seem simpler back then — as they always do when you look back on years gone by. In the years that followed, I grew to despise many things about Toronto.

Yet now that I’m gone I forget all the things that made me angry.  For some reason, I have it in my mind that if I did move back to Toronto, it would be only good times and good memories and none of the bad — but I know it wouldn’t really be like that. If it was that simple to filter out the bad, I wouldn’t have moved in the first place.

There’s also the inner burning question: Will Ottawa ever truly feel like home to me? Even though Toronto never felt the way that Montreal did — Montreal was my hometown and I spent 25 years there — I look back and see Toronto as something that was home for seven years. I should keep in mind that I haven’t even been in Ottawa for seven months yet, so I should give it time.

Toronto was familiar.  Like an old shoe.  But it was a shoe with holes that hurt your back when you wore it.  Still, it was a comfortable fit and you knew your way around it.

UPDATE: Just so people don’t freak out… neither Bunny nor I are actually planning on moving back to Toronto any time soon.  It’s more just a case of missing familiar things and trying to make the new city feel like home.  Ottawa is a great town and slowly things are starting to feel right.  But as it was pointed out, these things take time.

Breakfast of Champions

Yesterday’s Blogger’s Breakfast meet-up was loads of fun.  The meet-up was at the Fox and Feather Pub on Elgin Street and bloggers from all over Ottawa came out to enjoy the morning. It was great to finally meet the people behind the words.  I can certainly say that the next time one of these happens, I’ll be sure to be there.

What was also great about meeting the people behind the blogs is than now when I read those blogs, I’ll be able to picture the people and hear the voices, which only adds to the experience.  I also met some new bloggers that will soon have their works added to my blogroll.

After the breakfast meet-up was over, only then I realized that I didn’t have a chance to snap any pictures of the event itself, which I guess worked out well as some bloggers don’t disclose every detail of their personal lives — including their appearance — which I can totally respect.

I did however get one picture taken as Bunny and I were enjoy lattes at a nearby Starbucks with Jobthingy and Speedy afterward, we saw this driving down Elgin Street…

Turns out that even on weekends, the City of Ottawa was busy delivering the Green Bins that will go into use this coming January.  Folks down in my neck of the woods will have to wait until the last week of November for their bins to show up.

Recipe for Best Damn Nachos… Period

Last night, while Ottawa was experiencing its first snow fall of the season, I decided it would be as good a time as any to make my Best Damn Nachos.  And why are they called that you might ask? Because if you ever tried them, you would know.

But since I’m banking on the fact a vast majority of people haven’t tried them, I will — for the first time ever — share my somewhat secret recipe.  Believe me when I say it took many years of practice to get this right and every time I still find new things I can do.  So feel free to be creative if you dare try it yourself.

First, start out with your basic nacho ingredients, which as you can see, can be purchased at any local supermarket.  The large round corn chips are perfect.  The triangle, or “restaurant style” are good too, but I find most times they have been stacked by some stock clerk who doesn’t care about his job, much less your nachos, so there are many broken chips in those bags.  The round ones seem to break less.

Place the corn chips on an over tray, making sure to create one layer of chips overlapping.

Most people make the mistake of using salsa from a jar as the tomato toppings.  That makes for soggy nachos and nobody likes getting a corn chip that looks like someone blew their nose in it.  Instead, use diced tomatoes.  For an added twist, use ones with flavor.  Sure, you could dice, drain and season the tomatoes yourself, but for $1.45 go for the stuff in the can.  But make sure to drain the juice out using a strainer or else you’re on the road to those soggy nachos.

When it comes to black olives (if you like olives, that is) use the sliced and pitted kind.  Again you can go to the trouble of slicing them yourself, but for just over a dollar, why not let the good people at the canning company do the work for you.

Get fancy if you like.  Chopped green onions (or scallions, depending where you are from) are better than using white onions.  They add color and are easy to work with.  I also decided to chop up grilled chicken.  But you can use beef or ground turkey if that floats your boat.  (Please note the knife to illustrate the fact that I actually did chop something for this recipe.)

Good cheese — and plenty of it — is the key ingredient to nachos.  Don’t get cheap here.  Get loads of cheese.  Personally, I use three kinds.  Mozzarella, Cheddar and Monterey Jack.  Don’t be a dumb ass and get the Tex Mex pre-shredded crap in a bag or whatever you find in your grocery store fridge.  And DON’T use Cheez Whiz.

Shred the cheese.  This part is pretty self-explanatory, but since I seem to have a real thing for taking pictures, I give you a photo of shredded cheese.

Next, take all your ingredients and place them on top of the corn chips.  Note the fact I didn’t say “dump them on” or something like that.  Why? Because you will be making layers.

Take your single layer nachos, place them in your oven that has pre-heated on the high setting of your oven’s Broiler.  Place them on the rack and let them cook for about 90 second to one minute.  Longer if needed.  But what you’re doing here is making sure the cheese has melted.  You do NOT want to burn the chips, so keep an eye on them.

Take them out of the oven and repeat the whole layer thing, starting with the corn chips and then add the olives, onions, tomatoes, and cheese. (And chicken if you like.)  Then repeat the oven thing, again watching to make sure the second and first layers don’t burn.

You want to avoid having un-melted cheese, which is almost as bad as soggy nachos.  These layer-then-melt steps will help make sure each chip is covered with gooey cheese

When you are finished, it will look something like this:

Remember, the trick is layers.  Chips, ingredients, oven, then repeat.  You can make as many layers as you like, depending on the amount of toppings you have.  Don’t go too high though or the bottom half, which after three layers has been in the oven three times already, will start to burn.

I would gladly go on Rogers’ Daytime Ottawa or A Morning and make the nachos live on TV if either show would have me. Think about it; a blogger who makes nachos? The story sells itself!

Enjoy!

Breakfast with Bloggers

This weekend will be my first Bloggers Breakfast meet-up and I’m really looking forward to it.  Honestly, it’s actually my first real social outing with local Ottawa people since I moved here — although to Jobthingy’s credit, she has made sure that I’ve been invited to others.  Sadly, life always seems to get in the way.

But not this time.  This time I have cleared my morning and I’m making sure I’ll be there.

What’s great about this is it’s a chance to meet other Ottawa bloggers face to face.  And a chance to talk to, and get to know them. And that’s something I’ve been looking forward to doing since before I moved here. Some of the blogs listed under my blogroll (on the right hand column) will be there and I’m sure after I meet new people, new blogs will be added to that list.

I’ve always felt that one of the reasons behind this blog was to be able to network and connect with people in a new city — and so far it’s working well.

Then of course, it’s back to normality the following week as once again, I’m on the road.

Virgin Radio Ottawa: Good News and Bad News

Having previously worked in the radio biz, I always enjoy when “the book” comes out.  “The Book” is the technical nickname for the ratings report — issued four times a year by BBM Canada.  For some in the industry, the book can spell certain doom.  Failure to generate solid numbers can result in format changes, or worse, firings for announcers or management.

As luck would have it, the most recent “book” for the Ottawa market was released last month. And after taking a look at the numbers, it seems that 106.9 Virgin Radio (formerly The Bear) continues to slip in the ratings.  This wouldn’t normally be such a hot blog topic, but one can only imagine that the name change was an attempt to raise ratings — and it doesn’t seem to be working.

For your reading pleasure: the recent breakdown of the Anglo Ottawa market. Click to enlarge.

Here’s the good news: CKQB-FM, Virgin Radio Ottawa, is up from last ratings period.  But when you look at 12 months worth of ratings, they are down from where it was this time last year — which interestingly enough, is right before someone had the bright idea to flip The Bear to 106.9 Virgin Radio.

So what does this mean for 106.9 Virgin Radio? Will Ottawans get their Bear back? Well, in my honest opinion, the ratings aren’t horrible enough (yet) to merit a change back their former name, but I’m sure the thought has crossed the minds of the people in charge and their parent company Astral Media.

Personally speaking — because there has to be some sort of personal angle here — I would love to see The Bear come back to Ottawa airwaves.  I thought it was a great name for a station and it did a pretty good job of holding its own against main competitors such as CHEZ 106 — which by the way, is also a good station to listen to.

Normally it takes several ratings periods before a station contemplates a format or name change.  And while the ratings for the Virgin Radio Ottawa are down, they’re not low enough.  It will be interesting to see where they are in a year’s time.

The truth about H1N1

I was going to write a post about how everything is getting out of control concerning this H1N1 scare.  I was going to say that people, the media and city officials are really playing the hype card a little too hard and frightening people.  I was even going to say that while some people have died from this Swine Flu, it’s still just a flu and flu-related fatalities are a sad reality no matter what the outbreak is.

But it seems I don’t have to write one.  Why? Because Jobthingy wrote one that smacks of so much truth, it should be read before the House of Commons.  (But maybe with some colorful language omitted.)

In the time that I have known Jobthingy, I have come to learn one thing: she is honest and upfront.  Also, she speaks her mind.  If she thinks that shirt looks bad on you, she’ll tell you.  And if she thinks things are getting out of control with the H1N1 scare, then she will let you know what the deal is.

So when you’re done lining up outside of a community center in the pouring rain for four hours just to be turned away, or tired of reaching for the hand sanitizer every time the nightly news comes on to tell you how bad things are, just hop on over to her blog and read something that will hopefully open your eyes.

Deck the haunted halls

This past week has been trying.  Bunny has been sick with what she believes is H1N1.  While her illness is not the dreaded Swine Flu, it has kept her home from work and in bed most of the time.

After running medicine and hot soup up and down stairs all week, I decided that with Halloween less than 24 hours away, it was time to finally decorate my house.  Since this is my first Halloween in Ottawa, and my first Halloween with a house that people can walk up to from the street — my townhouse in Toronto was a garden home in a complex so it was hard for kids to get to — I would go all out.  What I did count on was that folks in Barrhaven really take this Halloween thing seriously.

I was thinking a smoke machine, some red lights and some grave stones and I’ll be on the evening news for having the coolest (and creepiest) looking house.  Turns out that other people were thinking the same thing. (You should see some of the homes in my neighborhood.)

Much to the joy of the people on my street, I did a ‘test run’ last night, trying out the lighting, the fog and the cemetery set up.  I also wanted to see how the wiring would look and how I would lay the cables that run the power to the various machines and lights.

All of this while Bunny is battling an on-going cold so I had to wing it without any assistance.  For something I threw together a couple days before the big day, it doesn’t look too bad.

Naturally come Halloween there will be pumpkins and a few added touches to make it look creepy.

Drink it up, Ladies

“It’s an endless parade of horny housewives begging for your meat.”
- Wayne, the Deli manager in The Wrestler

On any given day, I make it a point to never go grocery shopping after 11am. That naturally includes weekends. And my window of shopping isn’t only limited to supermarkets. To that list you can add stores like Walmart, and if possible, large shopping centers too. There are just too many people out there and I hate crowds.  (And I may be wrong about this, but I have noticed that crowds and people seem to go hand in hand.)

This past weekend, I made the near-fatal mistake of going to a local grocery store for a few things in the middle of the morning rush. It normally wouldn’t have happened, but I desperately need a few things that just couldn’t wait. I can assure you that will never happen again.

From things being scanned incorrectly, people paying with pennies, coupons and lose pocket lint and the usual pricks taking people’s parking spots, the only highlight was the cashier who looked just like Kelly Clarkson.

So it’s back to early morning shopping hours for me.  And because of my schedule, I can make it happen.  That just leaves me, the store’s morning start-up crew and… local housewives who are also doing their shopping.

Now, let’s make one thing clear: I will never be confused for Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, that hermaphrodite vampire Edward from the Twilight movies or any of today’s leading heart-throbs.  But for someone like me — a descent enough, average looking guy in his mid 30’s — when I walk through the aisles of the supermarket in morning, past all the wives and mothers, I feel like Tom freakin’ Jones. (minus the stuffed crotch, of course)

It’s quite a boost to one’s ego when women within your age bracket — or even those who could be considered cougars — are taking second and third looks as you pass by. And they’re looking for all the right reasons, opposed to staring because your fly is undone or you forget to wipe something off your face before you left the house.

It’s not as if Barrhaven is filled with desperate, lonely housewives who crave attention. But I guess the old saying still stands: even though you’re on a diet, you can still look at the menu.

This of course means I can no longer just roll out of bed and put on whatever I find lying on the floor and head out to the store. Suddenly I’m self-conscious. There’s a whole production that must go on before I even hit the button to my garage door opener.

So I enjoy my little outing, my ego boost and the feeling that I have arrived. It doesn’t make me a better person, but it sure puts a smile on my face.  And it sure makes running errands better.

Where would Alanis sit?

Remember that immortal line from You Oughta Know? The one where Ottawa-native Alanis Morissette asks angrily of her ex-lover Dave Coulier’s new flame, “Is she perverted like me? Would she go down on you in a theater?” That has been on my mind for the past 14 years and honestly, it has been somewhat bothersome.

Not that there’s anything wrong with the idea of a leather pants-clad Alanis doing that, I would just hate to sit in that actual seat where the incident took place.

I should also point out that there’s no confirmation that the whole “down on you in a theater” act even happened in Ottawa, but you try and sit comfortably in a cinema and enjoy topping on your popcorn thinking of that.

My friend gave me some comfort by saying given the expansion of megaplexes in the late 90’s, there’s a good chance if the act did happen in Ottawa, the theater it happened in is long gone.

…except for World Exchange Plaza 7, Rideau Center 3, Mayfair and ByTowne which are the oldest, still operational cinemas in the Capital that would have been open when the alleged act could have taken place.

I don’t expect the City to mark the theater seat with a historical plaque but when you think how close Ottawa came to having a Shannon Tweed Day, I wouldn’t be surprised if the motion ever came up before City Council.

Any factual information or rumors (whichever is more interesting) that could help shed some light on this is always appreciated. In the meantime, I’ll be careful where I sit.

Best of Ottawa poll on now

It looks like the folks at Ottawa Express have launched their annual Best of Ottawa poll where they ask readers to pick their favorites in categories ranging from Best Diner to Best Visual Arts Exhibit.  Plenty of restaurant are listed, as well as other businesses and even some well kept secrets around town that Express readers happen to know about.

Honestly, it’s newspapers like Express and their readers that find the interesting things in cities like Ottawa.  Toronto and Montreal also have similar free papers that also keep tabs on what’s going on — especially in the independent scene.

Last year, before moving here, I asked about “the best of Ottawa” and many readers of this blog offered their opinions and pointed me in the direction of places I probably wouldn’t have tried otherwise.

And while I’m still “new in town” and don’t know of or recognize some of the nominees in listed on the ballot, I will be interested in seeing the results when they are published and taking note of some places I should try.

Voting ends on November 11.

Ottawa Light Rail? Just build it already!

With the budget of the on-again/off-again proposed light rail transit system growing every time someone mentions it, the answer is becoming clear: just build the damn network already and be done with it. Honestly, between that and the moaning about proposed Lansdowne projects, it’s all I ever hear about.

The cost that jumped from 1.4 billion to 2.1 billion (yes, that’s billion with a B) apparently comes in several phases and includes a downtown tunnel that would replace the Transitway on Slater and Albert allowing for fast, uninterrupted travel through the congested downtown core.

As I’ve said before, the Transitway isn’t a bad idea, but it’s not a real rapid transit network.  It’s a bus. With a bendy piece in the middle.  And this is the National Capital. A city with close to a million people in the area deserves a better rapid transit network.

The way I see it — because you know, the City is just dying to hear what I have to say about this matter — there are a few things that have to be done.

• Light Rail Underground: An LRT line through the downtown would be great, but it’s only going to get backed up because of all the buses that service the downtown area. A tunnel running under the city will allow for smooth travel and less congestion.
• Less Buses Downtown: Have downtown buses connect to the new LRT at various stations outside of the downtown. For example, if you want to catch the Number 3 bus, take the LRT to Lebreton and transfer to the bus there. It may take an extra steps, but it speed things up with less buses crowding downtown.
• Transitway as the Backbone: Let the Transitway (and LRT) be the backbone of the system.  Have local buses connect with the the rapid transit buses (94, 95, 96 etc) and have those buses ONLY stop at Transitway stations and don’t pick up any local passangers, for example along Woodroffe. If you live along that road and you want to take the 95, then take a bus to Baseline and transfer to the 95.  This might mean building new Transitway only lanes, but it will help move the fast buses faster.

I’m not sure how this figures in, but one has to wonder if the O-Train hadn’t be scrapped and the line had been extended to Barrahevn and throughout the downtown as it was supposed to be, wouldn’t the cost have been less?  And even though some maintain that people wouldn’t take the O-Train, I have a feeling that if it actually went somewhere (suburbs to downtown) then people would take it — espcially if some bus routes were redone to connect with the line.

Either way, something needs to be done soon because as time drags on, the price is only going to get higher. And then nobody is going to want to pay for it.  And really, it’s kind of embarassing that a city like Ottawa uses buses as its only means of getting around.

But then again, what do I know? I’m just a guy who has lived in cities where subways and streetcars serve as the main network and buses bring people to those lines.  It seems to work there, why not here?

I should have been an urban planner.

Visiting the CHEO Dream Home

The other day I decided to drop in and visit the CHEO Dream Home — which as luck would have it, is right around the corner from where I live.  The Dream Home is the grand prize in this year’s CHEO Dream of a Lifetime Lottery. Going to see the house was actually Bunny’s idea because normally I don’t do the whole “lottery” thing on account of my on-going streak of bad luck.

This year’s Dream Home is a Minto Warwick model that has been upgraded and fully furnished and is worth approximately 1.4 million dollars.  When you see the home, you’ll understand why.  It features luxurious upgrades such as a wine cellar, full bar, home gym, sauna and outdoor kitchen.

Lady Gaga coming to Ottawa

Even though her double-bill show with Kanye West was canceled, eccentric pop singer Lady Gaga will still be coming to Ottawa on Sunday, November 29 as part of her Monster Ball Tour.  The concert tour that was supposed to only start next year at the London O2 Arena, gets underway in Montreal two nights before she hits Ottawa and is being described by Gaga as the first-ever “pop electro opera.”  Which means if you’ve ever seen Lady Gaga sing live, you know it’s going to be over-the-top

Lady Gaga is one of the few modern pop stars I actually like.  Her songs are catchy, she seems like a genuinely intelligent and nice person and as I said, her live shows are always entertaining. (Just watch her recent performance at the MTV awards or this year’s MuchMusic Video Awards.)

Tickets for the show at Scotiabank Place will go on sale Saturday, October 24 at noon through the usual outlets (The Sens Store at Rideau Centre and Place d’Orleans, any Ottawa Sport Experts location and at the Scotiabank Place box office) as well as on line and via telephone at 613-599-FANS (3267).

Back from Syracuse

Just got back from an extended weekend getaway/business trip to Syracuse.  Since before moving to Ottawa I wondered if New York’s other upstate cities could match up to the good times I had in Buffalo.  Living in Toronto for seven years meant having a border town like Buffalo — and that was a good thing, considering that growing up in Montreal, our border town was Plattsburgh.

Syracuse is not Buffalo.  But after spending four days there, I also know that it’s a nice getaway should I feel so inclined.  The downtown is not as exciting as you’d expect it to be, but there is the historic Armory Square featuring some nice shops and restaurants and being passionate about food and cooking, I finally got to visit the massive Smith Housewares and Restaurant Supply warehouse.

Picture It Downtown launches

Being a photographer myself, I was quite pleased to hear a new web site called Picture It Downtown has launched.  It’s a photo contest and promotional site that asks the citizens of Ottawa grab their cameras, capture some great local moments and submit their best shots of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. The photo galleries are divided into not only areas, but as well into themed activities such as Coffee Talk.  The site also aims to support and help out local businesses.

In addition to having your pictures on line, there are some pretty cool prizes to be won. Naturally, you can get full contest information and details on the web site where you can also log in and submit your photos of Ottawa.

While this site serves as a great gallery of all things Ottawa, there’s also some helpful and interesting information about upcoming events taking place and local businesses in the various BIAs of the nation’s capital.

And wouldn’t you know it? Making it just that much easier to connect and interact, Picture It Downtown is on the social media scene with a Twitter account, a YouTube channel and a Flickr page.

Choosing a local supermarket

Since I’ve been on the road so much in the last two months, I really haven’t had a chance to get settled in. Sure, the boxes are unpacked and everything is set up, but when it comes to doing “local” and “neighborhood” type things, I’m still lagging.

One of those things being finding a local supermarket. At last count, Barrhaven has no less than six major grocery stores to chose from. (There seems to be an abundance of retail in this area) And yes, I have been to each one in hopes of finding the one that’s just right for me.

Water bill

My first water and sewer bill from the City of Ottawa came today. I had been dreading it for weeks now, wondering how bad it could possibly be. I never had to pay a water bill while living in Toronto, so since moving in I’ve been on a saving water kick knowing the bill was coming.  Not for the environment’s sake, but more for the sake of my wallet. Thankfully I can now breath a sigh of relief.

So far, based on two months of usage, my average cost (per month) is just under $60.  There was also a one-time New Account fee of $62.00 and a monthly Fire Supply charge of $5.30.  While “free” would have been nice, I’ll pay the bill and be happy that it wasn’t more.

If this trend keeps up — which I’m hoping it will — my annual water bill will be around $700 a year — a fair bit under the “example of an annual bill” as seen on the City’s web site.  And much to the City’s credit, the bills are clear and easy to understand.

There was some comforting information on the City’s web site regarding the charges for my water, helping me understand my bill.

Customers are charged on a ‘user pay’ basis, meaning you only pay for the water you use – the more you use, the higher your water use charge. Unlike most municipal services, which residents pay for through property taxes, sewer and water services are self-financing. This means residents are directly billed for the water they use, as well their share of the costs for transporting clean water to their homes and carrying wastewater away from their homes for treatment and release back into the environment.

On my end of things, there has been “normal” water use at my house.  I’ve watered the lawn, washed the car a couple times, taken relaxing baths in the large soaker tub, showered, washed hands, brushed teeth, run the washing machine and flushed toilets. (Not opting for whole the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow/if it’s brown, flush it down” thing.)

Short of beating my clothes against a rock down by the Rideau and only using public washrooms, there really isn’t much more I can do help cut down the cost of water, but I will be comparing it to the water bill that will come in two month’s time.

Kanye’s out, but Taylor Swift is coming to Ottawa

As everyone knows, hip-hop star Kanye West canceled his tour that was slated to come to Ottawa.  He was co-headlining the tour with Lady GaGa, who I actually think would have been interesting to see in concert.  The show was supposed to make a stop at Scotiabank Place, but now that won’t happen.

Of course nobody at Kanye’s camp is saying his tour cancellation has anything to do with his outburst at the MTV Video Music Awards, but when you put one and one together, it’s pretty easy to figure out.

In an interesting twist, country star Taylor Swift — the young lady who Kanye interrupted at last month’s award show — will be doing a show here next year as well as a show in Toronto.

Taylor’s show will be on May 20, but no venue has been annoucned yet.

1000 Sushi Islands in Barrhaven now open!

After weeks of waiting since I first saw the sign on the side of the building, 1000 Sushi Islands finally opened its doors in Barrhaven this week and Bunny and I decided to check it out.  Even though to Bunny’s credit, she was feeling a bit under the weather, she still was supportive of my sushi addiction and came along anyway.

Since moving here and trying various all-you-can-eat sushi places, I found 1000 Sushi Islands to be the best of the bunch, even though parking (at the original location at 1696 Carling Avenue) was terrible and the restaurant itself was always crowded.  The food however, was amazing.  But distance was a key factor. For someone who lives in the south end of town, it was a little far to drive — even for really good sushi.

The new restaurant — located at 129 Riocan Ave in Barrhaven — is large and modern, replacing the now defunct Barolo Buffet.  The giant plasma TVs on the walls (not sure why a sushi restaurant would even want plasma TVs) are still wrapped and the restaurant is decorated with plants and flowers that were gifts celebrating the grand opening.

Like the original location, there is a central sushi bar and a back kitchen area where non-sushi items are made.

The service was very fast and friendly and very attentive — something that several people have complained about in the past when it comes to other all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants.

Bunny and I sampled various things including traditional sushi and sushi rolls and kitchen items such as Teriyaki chicken and dumplings which are good for folks who don’t care for “raw fish on rice.”

And when it came to the actual sushi rolls, we were both pleased to see they were made the way we like them — with the seaweed on the outside of the roll.  Believe it or not, I’m picky about the little things like that.

The Sushi Pizza was also perfectly done with just the right amount of sushi and rice bedding (that’s what makes up the ‘pizza’ part.)

Lunch price for two for all-you-can-eat meals was approximately $33.00 and that included green tea.  Dinner, which I haven’t tried yet at either location, is slightly more expensive, but features a more extensive menu.  Needless to say I’ll be sure to check it out one of these evenings.

I always joked that I would know I had arrived in the place I would call “home” when a good all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant moved in nearby — and now that has happened.

I really want this place to succeed and develop a good client base in Barrhaven.  Being a locally owned business going up against big box-stores and national chains in today’s market is not easy. So if you’re a sushi lover (and I know not everyone is) or you know of someone who is, pass along the information.

1000 Sushi Islands – All You Can Eat Sushi
A-129 Riocan Ave
Ottawa, ON  K2J 5G4
613-825-3703

Go local Sports Team!

Last night marked my first time cheering for the Ottawa Senators as an official citizen of O-Town.  And I must admit, it felt really good.  What made it even sweeter was that the game was The Battle of Ontario where the Senators played the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Now, I have cheered for the Sens before.  During their Stanley Cup appearance against the Anaheim Ducks (who should never have won anything based solely on their name in my opinion) but last night’s game against the Leafs was my first time as a local, rooting for the local team.

During my seven years in Toronto I tried my best to cheer for the Leafs.  But they were just so pitiful (much like the Blue Jays, Argos and every so often, the Raptors) it was too painful.  Not to mention being originally from Montreal and being (for the most part) a life-long Canadiens fan, it felt wrong to cheer for the Buds.

The next step in my Senators-watching spree will be to see the game at a sports bar and sit among other Sens fans. I’m thinking Local Heroes would be a good place — and as luck would have it, Thursday (the home opener for the Senators against the Islanders) is Fajita Night.

But now that I’m getting on board the Red Army, one has to wonder how things will play out when the Senators face Montreal in regular season action down the line.  (It happens next Saturday, by the way.)

Star Wars Concert coming to Scotiabank Place

Ottawa area Star Wars fans can rejoice like the Ewoks at the end of Return of the Jedi (or Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi as all the cool kids are calling it these days) the much hyped Star Wars Concert Tour is coming to Ottawa on November 24 for one night only.

The show that features the music of the Star Wars saga will be set to scenes from the movies shown on a large LED screen behind the orchestra.  It will also feature narration by Anthony Daniels, the man who played C-3PO in the films.

You can get your tickets starting this Saturday through Capital Tickets, the Scotiabank Place, and Sports Experts locations. You can also go to the Capital Tickets web site or call 613-599-3267. Ticket prices range from $32.70 to $72.70.

Transitway in Barrhaven

From the looks of things, OC Transpo’s new right-of-way in Barrhaven is nearly finished. Extending south from Fallowfield Station, this new private road looks to be the new projected route for the Transitway network.

Workers have already smoothed out and extended a pathway heading south from Fallowfield

While Route 95 already serves Barrhaven (roughly every second westbound bus continues on to Strandherd and Market Place/Barrhaven Center stations) the path taken is a congested one and adds to the delays on the route.

An Orleans-bound 95 begins its journey north along Greenbank

To access the Strandherd Transitway station, the West/Southbound 95 must exit the Fallowfield station, make its way west along Fallowfield, then south on Greenbank which narrows to one lane in each direction.  Right before Strandherd, the 95 turns left and heads into the station.  Likewise, it makes the same route, but in reserve, heading north.

Signs promise an expansion of the Transitway network.

The new right-of-way — cutting through fields and behind houses — will help speed up the Route 95 removing it from local service along Greenbank and making into a real rapid transit bus.  While I’m no mathematician, I’m guessing the new road will shorten the trip by at least 7-9 minutes.

Looking north from Strandherd station

Also along the new route, but not seen from any major road is what appears to be the construction of a new sub-station that is being built between Fallowfield and Strandherd.  This station is located mid-point between the two existing stops and would serve several schools on Longfields as well as the community around Foxfield Park via a footpath.

Work crews tunnel out and lay foundation on what appears to be a new Transitway station.

There’s no set date for the completion of the right-of-way which is similar to the already existing one that runs along Woodroffe from Fallowfield to just south of West Hunt Club, but it will be welcomed when it finally does open.

Just a Friendly Suggestion: OC Transpo and the City of Ottawa might consider an east-west portion of the Transitway running along Strandherd once the extension is finished and have the 95 turn eastward and end its route at Prince of Wales.  With the recent development of communities along Strandherd and along the Rideau, this would be a smart move.

The heat is on

When people warned me that Ottawa gets cold, I figured they were just exaggerating.  But it seems this recent cold spell that O-Town has been experiencing proved them right.  And it forced me to do something I was hoping I could put off until at least next month.

I turned on my heating.

Being that this is a modern townhouse with proper central air and heat, it didn’t take long before the “room temperature” was where it should be.  Still, I couldn’t help but get the mental image of Hyrdro Ottawa gleefully rubbing their hands together at the notion of more money being dumped into their wallets at my expense.

I was lucky as August only had a few days when it was really necessary to crank the air conditioning so my electricity bill shouldn’t be too bad. But as we sit here, staring down the barrel of the next six months, that no doubt will be cold, I can only imagine what my heating costs will be.

When I first moved to Toronto, the apartment I lived in rigged their heating. Sure it was included and you could crank the heat as high as you wanted, but it wouldn’t get very warm. It was always about five to ten degrees below the standard “room temperature” requirements.  This was because the building owners were cheap.  And they were pricks. And for that I hope they burn in hell.  (Which when you think about it would be rather ironic.)

UPDATE: Milan was nice enough to pass along this link (also seen in the comments) showing a sign of things to come.  I think I’ll invest in some extra sweaters this season.

New cell phone law starts soon

Some drivers are already aware, while it others are blissfully ignorant — or just don’t care.  But the much talked about new cell phone law/ban for drivers in Ontario comes into effect on October 26.

Drivers in our province will no longer be allowed to use cell phones will operating a vehicle.  If they insist on talking while driving, they have to use a headset or hands free device.

For fun, a few questions and answers regarding cell phones and the people who insist on using them while driving.

The Elgin Street Diner Experience

I’ve been told so many times that a right of passage for folks in Ottawa is to have a meal at the “famous” Elgin Street Diner.  Feeling tired and not in the mood to cook, I decided that now was a good a time as any to make a pilgrimage to the establishment that so many have raved about.

Elgin Street itself is quite lively — even on a Sunday morning  — mainly made up of folks who are getting their breakfast fix at one of the many pubs and restaurants.  And as expected, the most famous of them all was crowded with a 10 minute wait.

When we were finally seated, Bunny and I found ourselves in the back corner which is the equivalent of the club seats at the Scotiabank Place.  From there you get to see all of the action and of course listen in to the nearby conversations.

iFinally got an iPhone

It only took three months and over 1,000 kms of round trip travel, but I finally managed to get my hands on an iPhone.

The seemingly unavailable iPhone 3Gs has been in limited quantities since its launch on June 19th of this year. The majority of Rogers Plus stores in Toronto sold out right away and stores in Ottawa were in the same boat. One employee told me that they hadn’t received any since the first day and that my best bet was to head downtown to the new Rideau Center Apple Store — but rumor has it you could only get an iPhone by appointment.

During my recent visit to Toronto I was informed by another Rogers employee that phones are available, but only at select stores. I decided take my changes while in Montreal.  As luck would have it, I got one of the two phones that store had in stock.

While I was thrilled to finally get an iPhone, I was a little bit put off by the fact that I had to leave Ontario to get one. Rogers boasts convenience of the do-everything-under-one-roof plan with Rogers Plus (home to DVD rentals, cable TV, home phone and cellular phones) yet they seem to have forgotten about the fourth largest market in the country.

Within minutes my Ottawa area phone number was imported to Rogers and my nearly 12 year relationship with Bell ended. (Although I still do use their Internet service and home phone service.) I can’t say anything bad about Bell.  They were good to me. But it was Rogers who carries the iPhone so that’s where I ended up and that’s where I’ll stay — for at least the next three years.

The iPhone itself will help me get over any feelings of guilt I might have for leaving Bell.  And I’m sure there’s an App for that.

Ladies’ Day at Jackson Trails

Attention ladies! This Saturday (September 26th) the folks at Jackson Trails are hosting a Ladies’ Day from noon until 4pm, filled with fun activities. The day’s events will be held in the fully decorated model homes in the Jackson Trails development and will feature demonstrations and seminars geared towards ladies with an itch for home decor.

Ottawa at Home food, decorating and beauty experts will also be on site and in case you’re wondering, light refreshments will also be served.

Jackson Trails is a jointly planned and developed venture between Tamarack Homes and Tartan Homes. And with all the interest in home decor and renovation these days, I have to say that this is a brilliant idea. It’s too bad both Bunny and I are out-of-town this weekend. I know she would have loved this. (Decorating is one of her things.) I of course would probably have had to find something else to do as I don’t quite fit the targeted demographic.

You can get more information, including directions to the community and full line-up on their web site.

Toronto Mayor Miller not seeking 3rd term

I can’t say that I’m shocked by the news. Mayor David Miller, responsible for the bag tax, the car city tax, the garbage tax and in my opinion not only allowing the City workers’ strike to happen but letting it continue for as long as it did, will not be seeking a third term as mayor of Toronto.

Word on the street right now is that George Smitherman, John Tory, Karen Stintz and Jane Pitfield are all possible contenders when the election rolls around.

Having lived in Toronto for seven years — most of David Miller’s tenure as Mayor — I can honestly say this is the smartest move he has made in a long time. All of his taxes coupled with his constant need to make Toronto “green” while allowing the infrastructure to crumble, has made the city a rather unpleasant place to live. Given his fading popularity, I would have been very surprised if Mr. Miller decided to run again — and even more surprised if had won.

For folks in Ottawa, Mayor Larry O’Brien did confirm that he will be seeking a second term as mayor of Capital City, stating that there is still much work that needs to be done.

Still Awesome after all these years

One of the upsides to being back in Montreal is getting to visit all the old familiar haunts, including some places I’ve haven’t been in years. One of those places is Homestyle Bakery in Beaconsfield’s Beaurepaire Village.

Opened about 15 years ago in an old house/shop that once housed the Beaurepaire Market, Homestyle recently underwent a massive face lift including the addition of a second floor. On that second floor is Black Lion Pub – one of Beaconsfield’s only fully-licensed establishments .

One of the staples of the Homestyle bakery (and now also Black Lion Pub) is the Awesome sandwich – a make your own deli treat where you can add up to three fillings (meat or other choices) and as many toppings as you like, all set on the bread of your choice.

The famous Awesome Sandwich seen here with a cookie

First time I had one was in 1995. The second time was this morning. I can’t believe I waited as long as I did. I always promised myself next time I was home visiting family I would walk over and try one again. After years of saying it, I finally did. And I’m happy to report that the sandwich is in fact, still awesome all these years later. (And the price is still as reasonable as it ever was.)

Having locally owned businesses is important to a community, especially one like Beaconsfield. That’s why I’ve been trying to support locally owned and run companies in Ottawa. It’s tough being the little guy in a world of big box stores and corporations.

Living in Ottawa means being thismuch closer to Montreal, so there’s no reason to wait another 15 years to have the sandwich again — especially considering Homestyle and the Black Lion is a mere 5 minute walk from my family home.

Love what I’ve done with the place?

In order to make this blog more interesting, I decided (once again) to do a little house cleaning.  More importantly, change the look of the blog.  Not really sure that will do anything to improve the content, but a flashy exterior is always a pleasant distraction to divert from lack of substance.  (It’s worked brilliantly for Megan Fox.)

So if you notice some changes or something doesn’t look right, just work with me and politely ignore it

And I’m on the road again…

Sometimes I think it would have been better for me to have bought an RV and just driven around instead of getting a house in Ottawa.  Over the last month and half (my time in O-Town thus far) I have traveled more away from my new home than I care to remember.

Honestly, it’s starting to feel like the life of a professional wrestler where you’re home three or four days a week, then on the road again every weekend, visiting different cities and living out of a suitcase. (Although I must say I’ve gotten really good at packing a suitcase and bringing only the things I need rather than extra stuff I don’t.)

Thankfully this time my destination is Montreal (again) which is always fun to visit as it’s my real home town.  My recent trip to Toronto was good and it was nice to be back — and I know there will be more trips there in the coming months — but for now a short drive down the Highway 417 is just about all the excitement I can handle.

So once again I will pack my bags and head out for a few days.  One of these weekends it would be nice to just spend some time in Ottawa.

Who says you can’t go home?

Although, technically speaking Toronto isn’t my home. Montreal is. But for the last seven years, Toronto was my make-shift home. And for a while, it did feel like the place where I belonged.

Almost as soon as I got there I remembered all the good things about the city. All the things I missed. All the things I had enjoyed and that had become part of my life. But believe me, it didn’t take too long to remember all the reasons I moved too.

The U2 concert was the primary reason for heading back to Toronto for a few days, but I made the most of my time in Hogtown. Did some shopping, visited some places… even went back and saw my old house. Kind of sad to see it empty although I’m sure in the coming months someone will move in and fill it with new memories.

Viva Italia in Ottawa

Even though I’m away for a few days this week, I’m really hoping to make it back to Ottawa in time to catch some of La Vendemmia on Preston Street.

For those who don’t know (and if you don’t, then shame on you!) La Vendemmia is Ottawa’s annual celebration of Italian food, wine and culture. And yes, even though Preston Street is still undergoing renovations, the festival will take place. It runs from today (Monday) all week until September 20 with various events and tastings going on throughout the day.

One of the signature attractions that always draws a crowd is the Charity Grape Stomp. It takes place on Sunday, September 20 and runs from 11 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon. You can get more information, including how and where to sign up, on their site.

Even before I moved here, I was always intrigued by Preston Street. So far I’ve only been to one place (Pub Italia) and ordered pizza from Preston Pizza, but I’m looking forward to making Little Italy a regular haunt this fall.

And even though I missed my chance to “catch” Luigi this summer (a promotion the Preston Street BIA was running to encourage people to head down to Little Italy) on account of travel, work and the whole adventure in moving, I’m hoping he’ll be there so I can at least get my picture with “him”.

1000 Sushi Islands comes to Barrhaven

There could be no better welcome home present that finding out that 1000 Sushi Islands (one of my favorite all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants in Ottawa) has finally decided to open shop in Barrhaven. This of course only feeds the theory that Strandheard Drive might very well be the center of the universe. And if not the center, it sure could be the main street.

I was driving past the usual row of stores when out of the corner of my eye I saw the sign. Like a beacon in the night — except it was the middle of the day.

Normally only a food fight between two hot girls wearing sexy satin outfits could cause me to lose control while driving, but seeing that sign and the promise that all you can eat sushi is finally coming to Barrhaven had me doing everything I could to maintain control of car.

I first discovered 1000 Sushi Islands (at their current and original location) thanks to Bunny who made it her mission to find a place as good as our favorite sushi restaurant in Toronto. As you can imagine, that wasn’t easy. But Bunny’s luck prevailed and we found ourselves on Carling one day and decided to stop in.

The Barrhaven restaurant will be their second location that I know of. No word yet on when they will open, but I’m guessing it will be soon as the sign is up and store front looks almost finished.

And for those of you who do not care for sushi whatsoever, I give you two girls in sexy satin outfits having a food fight.

New York Groove

Many years since I was here, on the street I was passin’ my time away
To the left and to the right, buildings towering to the sky
Its outta sight in the dead of night
Here I am, and in this city, with a fistful of dollars
And baby, you’d better believe

I’m back, back in the new york groove
Back in the new york groove, in the new york groove

In the back of my Cadillac
A wicked lady, sittin’ by my side, sayin’ where are we?
Stop at third and forty-three, exit to the night
Its gonna be ecstasy, this place was meant for me

Feels so good tonight, who cares about tomorrow
So baby, you’d better believe

Ah, the only good song to come off those four solo KISS albums… Thanks, Ace Frehley…

My trip to New York City is over and done with. And as always, there are some pictures to show. Unless you’ve been living under a rock since the day you were born, you already know what the city looks like, so I’ll spare you the expected shots of the Empire State Building, or Ground Zero.

Back in Capital City

I made it back from New York in one piece.  Now comes the expected period where I have to adjust to being home and of course contemplate another getaway in order to recover from the one I just took.

Thankfully (I think) that will come in the form of a trip to Toronto next week.  But more on that later.

Before I get around to uploading all the pictures from the Big Apple, I wanted to pass along some important information about an upcoming event this weekend.

Ottawa-area pet-lovers will surely already know that this weekend is the IAMS Wiggle Waggle Walkathon in support of the Ottawa Humane Society. A lot of adorable animals are not only looking for a home, but counting on your support to help them out.

So if you’re not doing anything this weekend, why not stop by and help raise some money.  You can get more information, including pledge forms and location information on their web site.  The Wiggle Waggle Walkathon, now in its 21st year, takes place Sunday, September 13.