One Last Time?

The last time I walked out the doors of Century Public School, I told myself that it would be for the last time. I even told you the same thing in a blog post, more than five years ago.

And then I was back in my kindergarten classroom, checking in for my second booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. I now have a blend of three vaccines: AZ, Pfizer, and now, Moderna. It's a cocktail of protection.

I entered through the same door that would lead me to the kindergarten class. The tiny desks were stacked in the area where we used to hang up our jackets and stow our outdoor shoes. Larger tables were spread out in the classroom, with plexiglass barriers and volunteers waiting to help me.

"This was my kindergarten classroom," I told the person who scanned my health card. Even his neighbouring volunteer heard and took notice. "Although," I added, "it seems that they've lowered the ceiling since I was a young student here."

Once checked in, I was directed to turn right and go to the end of the hall, where I would be directed.

"Am I heading to the gymnasium?" I asked.

"I guess you know your way around," the volunteer said. "Yes. Enjoy your trip down memory lane."

The hallway for the kindergarten classrooms ended at an intersection that either took you straight, to the principal's office; right, to the main entrance; or left, to the gym. Both doors were wide open and I could feel the air circulating. I correctly surmised that the emergency exit doors, inside the gym, were open, too.

There was no waiting, I was directed at the entrance to a vacant table where a nurse was ready to administer her next shot. The chair in which I was seated faced toward the stage—its curtains drawn open and with a few people seated at desks close to the edge. I felt like I was at an assembly, though the stage itself seemed smaller, even though I only saw it five years earlier.

As I felt the jab of the needle, I looked at the stage and remember jumping off it, at the end of rehearsal for a class play, and having sprained my ankle. That accident marked the first time I had ever needed crutches.

I also had to sit out of the performance.

After the jab and rest period, I left the gymnasium and was directed to turn left and go down the hall to a station where I would check out.

The woman who checked me out was in a chatty mood, so I mentioned that we were in my old elementary school. "I bet it's been a while since you were here," she said. "Does it bring back memories?"

"It does," I admitted, "but I was here a few years ago, just before the school shut its doors. I contacted the principal and he allowed me to wander the halls and take some photos. It was nice to head upstairs and see some classrooms and visit the library, where I had spent a lot of time. So many memories."

"There's an upstairs?" she exclaimed. "I didn't know that."

Her station was set up next to a vestibule that led out to the back of the school. In the vestibule was a set of stairs, heading upward. "Those stairs go somewhere," I told her. We laughed.

"Well, then, you just head past those stairs and make your way out," she said, still chuckling. "Have a good evening."

"You too," I replied, adding, "thanks for taking the time to help the community."

I walked out of Century Public School, perhaps for the last time. Five years ago, I thought I would never have a reason to return, but when I registered to have my vaccine booster and my old school came up as a site option, I jumped at the chance to go in one more time.

This was the place where I had received one of my very first vaccine shots. Indeed, as I walked down the hall from the gymnasium to where I was to check out, I passed by the nurse's station, which was a small room to my right. The door was open and the room was mostly vacant, save for a chair. But I could almost envision a small bed for a little person to rest, a desk for the nurse, and a small chair that I would have sat on to get a shot against polio, or chicken pox, or other required vaccines at the time.

In a way, I had come full circle. Here I was, again, getting a vaccine in the place where my education began. Not in the same room but in an institution that gave me so many memories that I carry with me.

Will I step inside again? Who knows? But this recent visit has taught me one thing:

Never say "for the last time."

Beer O'Clock: Tequilima

Mango margarita in Mexico.

"Why wouldn't you just have a margarita?"

DW saw me approach her and the shopping cart as I walked from the aisle that was filled with craft beer, two cans in my hands.

"Those look colourful," she said, eyeing the bright-green, patterned can. In bold, white letters, the name Bongo was the most prominent word. "Is that the beer you tried to order at breakfast last weekend?"

She was referring to the previous Sunday, when she, Kid 1, and I met with my parents for breakfast. We were able to sit on the patio of Big Rig Kitchen and Brewery, on Iris Street, near IKEA. When we were seated and our server asked us if we'd like coffee or something else to drink, I asked him if they were allowed to sell any of their beer at that time of morning.

I had noticed that the breakfast menu had included some morning cocktails: if the brewery could sell those, perhaps I could have a light, fruity radler. It was a bright, sunny, and warm morning, after all.

I learned that Big Rig was not licensed to sell alcohol before 11:30, and we were about an hour or so too early. It was a shame, as I thought that the Bongo Grapefruit Radler would hit the spot. I hadn't had one in a few years, when I wrote another Beer O'Clock review.

Coffee it had to be.

So, when I found myself in a beer aisle in a grocery store and saw the bright-green can with Bongo on the label, I moved in for a closer look. This was a new Bongo, one with tequila and lime. And beer. (It can't be a radler without beer.)

Two cans it had to be.

When I explained to DW that it was not the same Bongo that I was looking for at our Sunday brunch, that these green cans held a radler that was flavoured with tequila and lime, her next question seemed straightforward and honest.

"Why wouldn't you just have a margarita?"

Indeed, why wouldn't I?

DW and I love margaritas. Last February, when we were in Mexico, mango margaritas were our staple beverage. I couldn't tell you how many we had over that fabulous week, but it's fair to say we had a lot. We even made some of them when we returned home, whizzing frozen chunks of mango in our blender with a healthy dose of tequila (brought home from our trip) and a few dashes of concentrated lime juice.

This summer, thanks to the margarita mix that we find at Costco and the ample tequila we still have from Mexico, I drink almost as many standard margaritas at home as I drink beer.

So, would this tequila and lime radler from Big Rig make for as refreshing a Caribbean cocktail? Let's find out.

Bongo Tequilima Cerveza Radler (2.9% ABV)
Big Rig Brewery
Ottawa ON

Appearance: this radler pours almost like a cider, with a clear, effervescent, pale straw-yellow and a foamy, bubbly white head that quickly settles down and dissipates, with only a few bubbles rising to the top of the brew.

Nose: tart lime hits the nostrils immediately, mixed with a bit of green apples. I was also met with a hint of yeast, like unbaked bread. Again, I was reminded of cider, rather than beer. (In a radler, that's not necessarily a bad thing.)

Palate: there's a sweetness that hits the tongue straight away and is chased by a more-pronounced lime. My thought is that this is very much like The Pop Shoppe Lime Ricky Hard Soda, but without the cloying sweetness.

I do find, however, that there's a bit of an artificial sweetness to this radler that gets carried to the finish.

The tequila is there, also toward the finish, but is very subtle, which is no surprise. At only 2.9% ABV, there can't be that much of that liquor in the can. There is also an overlying flavour of biscuit that keeps all other flavours from getting out of hand. The fruit in the finish is short but the sweet tequila lingers.

Overall impression: Bongo Tequilima is a crushable, easy-drinking radler with an interesting flavour profile. It quenches your thirst with its light body and would be perfect on a patio, on a hot summer day. The low alcohol content means you could have a couple without feeling a buzz.

But does it replace a margarita? Absolutely not, nor do I think it's trying to carry itself off as an alternative to a margarita. The biscuity notes tell you there's more ale than tequila, and the tequila, I think, is there to cut the tartness of the lime. It all works very well together but is a very different drink to a margarita.

If you like margaritas and crave one, stick to what you know and love. If you want a light ale and are curious about something different from the traditional lemon, orange, or grapefruit radler, Bongo Tequilima is definitely worth your attention.

Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺

You can find Bongo Tequilima in the LCBO, in various grocery stores, and can be ordered from Big Rig. The brewery offers free shipping within Ottawa with a minimum purchase and throughout Ontario for a modest fee.

Cheers!

Parks and Marinas

It's a Good Kind of Tired

I'm so exhausted from this weekend and, as I wrote this post, last night, I already knew that I was going to be hurting today. So let me say it:

I'm hurting today.

But it's a good kind of pain, and my exhaustion comes from good activities.

As I wrote in a previous post, DW and I are trying to get in shape for our upcoming vacation, in Portugal. Because two of the cities that we plan to visit are full of hills—Porto and Lisbon—we've been going for walks in parts around Ottawa that have hills. We need to prepare our legs for lots of climbing.

We've walked around Hog's Back Park and Vincent Massey Park, which are neighbouring parks that are separated by hills, and they've given us a bit of a workout. But we also need to do some good cardio work, and this weekend saw a lot of it.

Saturday morning started early, when I hopped on my bike and cycled to Metcalfe, about 35 kilometres to the southeast of Ottawa. It was a cool morning and I rode through cool fog as I followed Earl Armstrong Road, between Limebank and Bowesville Roads. I don't think I've ever cycled through fog before and I came out of it a bit damp and chilled.

On my return ride, I weaved through some side streets in my neighbourhood to draw the distance out a bit. By the time I pulled into my driveway, I had covered 71.3 kms, making that ride the longest that I have done this year. I entered the house feeling hungry (no breakfast before the ride and only one nut energy bar in Metcalfe) so I quickly fried myself a ham and cheese omelet and needed to keep moving, lest I flop on the sofa and end my day early.

I changed into some shorts and a t-shirt, and headed outside to mow the lawn. With the heavy rains we've had, and because I was lazy the previous weekend and didn't cut the grass, the lawn was thick and long. It took our mower more than twice as long to cut the front, back, and sides, and by the time I was done, I was thoroughly soaked in sweat (as if I hadn't already worked up a sweat on my ride!).

I stopped long enough to sit on my front porch with a small can of beer—non-alcoholic beer, lest I doze off—and then it was on to more chores; this time, indoors.

DW, Kid 1, and I divvied up the chores, with my ladies giving me a break, since I had already been so active. They worked on different areas of the house while I was tasked with giving our kitchen and family room a thorough cleaning and vacuuming.

I was even able to afford myself a short, 30-minute nap to recharge my batteries. By then, it was time to clean myself up.

I showered, shaved, and put some clean clothes on, but that wasn't the end of the day. I wanted to head downtown to catch the fireworks, on the Ottawa River, as part of the Casino du Lac-Leamy annual festival of light and sound.

DW, who also wanted to see the show but needed to get more exercise in, cycled downtown while I drove the car. We met up at the underground garage, at City Hall, and DW changed from her cycle gear next to the car while I stowed her bike in the back of the vehicle.

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I don't like to photograph fireworks in the same place, twice. This means I always have to come up with a new vantage point. For Saturday's display, I chose the National War Memorial, which is a short walk from City Hall.

I was a bit conflicted in this choice of sight. While it is a picturesque location, I wondered how a site that is dedicated to remembering the horrors of war and to those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom would be pitted against an event that is a celebration.

Would the explosions of fireworks be a painful memory to some veterans?

For me, the fireworks display by Mexico would cap off a perfect day. But the exercise for the weekend was not quite done.

On Sunday morning, DW and I arose early and decided to go for a hike. It had been several years since we've hiked up to the Tawadina Lookout, in Gatineau Park, so we chose to head to Meech Lake and hike this moderate but steep trail.

The climb was much steeper than we remembered, and I now wonder if we took the right trail. But somewhere along our route, we took a wrong turn and ended up at the Champlain Lookout. It had been a while since DW and I had been to this lookout, as well, so we were satisfied to sit and have a small snack and look westward, toward Quyon and beyond, before heading back.

According to my smart watch, we had climbed the equivalent of 50 flights of stairs and covered nearly 12 kms in that hike. I think Portugal will not be an issue for us.

We drove back into town, stopping on the way home to pick up some groceries (we chose a grocery store far from our neighbourhood because we were sweaty and grubby, and didn't want to risk running into people we know) and lunch at a drive-thru. But when we got home, we barely had enough time to put the groceries away, shower, and change before we were onto our next adventure.

We strapped our kayaks onto the car and drove to the Hartwells Lockstation, along the Rideau Canal. We had made plans to meet with some friends on Dow's Lake and paddle along the waterway.

We decided to paddle to Patterson Creek and stop at the NCC Bistro for drinks, before paddling back. We had a great time with our friends, both on the water and at a table, and by the time we had returned to Hartwells Lockstation, we had covered more than nine kilometres.

We returned home, had a late dinner, and called it a day. (Actually, DW headed upstairs while I sat down to write this post. Which can probably account for why I've rambled on—thanks for being patient, if you've read to the end.)

I'm tired.

Saturday, I covered more than 80 kms between cycling and walking. Sunday, more than 23 kms of walking, climbing, and kayaking. Though I covered more ground on Saturday, the distances that I achieved on Sunday took far more energy.

So yeah, I was tired by the time my head hit my pillow, last night. But it's a good kind of tired. It's the kind of fatigue that comes with the satisfaction of having achieved so much, both in chores and in leisure. I'm not complaining at all.

And the pain that I most likely feel today? It's a good kind of pain. I'd do it again, and will likely do something similar next weekend.

How was your weekend?

Happy Monday!

Low-Key Olivia

This post might not be suitable for viewing at work. I'm pretty sure it isn't, especially since I added the final photo, which is full-frontal, to the post. Yup, definitely not for viewing at work.

And so I'm going to post this warning, as I did for a previous post. You've been duly warned.

The last low-key photography meetup that I did was in 2019, with BC model Olivia Preston. It might have been the best model photo shoot that I've done, mainly because Olivia is easy to work with and basically just does her own thing.

As I said on Tuesday, I haven't done anything with these photos since I processed them. I sent them to Olivia but that was about it.

So, for Photo Friday, I thought I'd share a few of them. Some are implied nudity: others are explicit. And I hope that you find them to be tasteful. Let me know how you feel about me sharing these photos on my blog in the Comments section.

As always, thoughts and comments are welcome.

Happy Friday!