a peek inside the fishbowl

19 Oct, 2012

Saturday night rambles

Posted by andrea tomkins in: Misc. life| The business of blogging

Ah, Toronto. It’s been too long.

Pecker in the city

I’m writing this in my hotel room, overlooking a jumble of condos stabbing the sky and slashes of train tracks lain on the ground.

Yesterday I left the house with a suitcase full of clothing and a knot of frazzled nerves. My destination: Toronto. I drove away with nothing but the hum of the car and the occasional reminder emanating from my trusty GPS (”Stay on the current road for 234 kilometres.”) to keep me company. And as I drove, the knot loosened.

There is something incredibly restorative about Alone Time, isn’t there? And even though I work from home all day long (technically, I am alone while I’m doing it too), it isn’t quite the same thing as A Very Long Drive.

It started to rain as I got closer to the city, and it got dark quicker than I had expected. The lines that seemingly divide the DVP into a Mario-style race track were blurred and nearly invisible. I was glad to arrive when I did. But sadly, and most pathetically, I got lost in a parking garage. It’s kinda funny now that I think about it, but all kidding aside, parking garages are one of my least favourite places to be AT THE BEST OF TIMES. Ahem. Perhaps I will share this story some day. :)

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I had a good night’s sleep here at the Renaissance last night - first one in weeks - and woke up ready to take on the day which I spent mingling, chatting, learning, drinking too much coffee and just BEING at the She’s Connected Conference. This is a big blogging conference (for those of you who aren’t in the know), one of two going on in the city at the same time. I am sad about this division, because I have friends on both sides and I feel like I am in the middle. Regardless, I had some amazing conversations today and I look forward to more of them tomorrow.

I’m hosting a session in the morning, and, as always, I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge with a keen group of women. But for now, I am happy that I opted for a quiet evening of take-out sushi (consumed smack dab in the middle of my heavenly king-sized bed) instead of conference parties and dinners out. I know I’m missing out, but sometimes you need to create your own personal recharge station, you know?

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3 Responses to "Saturday night rambles"

1 | Jen

October 19th, 2012 at 9:39 pm

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and it is actually Friday night :)

2 | andrea

October 20th, 2012 at 6:05 am

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HA!
My error is a clear indicator of how much I need a good night’s sleep! :)

3 | K

October 20th, 2012 at 9:14 pm

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I think almost everyone reading this will understand! Have a great weekend in the big city.

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Thank you for visiting! My name is Andrea and I live in the Westboro area of Ottawa with my husband Mark and our two daughters Emma (14) and Sarah (12). I've been blogging since 1999, which makes me either a total dinosaur or a veteran of the Canadian blog scene, I'm not sure which! The Fishbowl is my whiteboard, water cooler, and journal, all rolled into one. I am the Managing Editor of Capital Parent Newspaper but also make my living doing a bunch of other fun things. I'm passionate about healthy living, arts and culture, family travel, good food, and sharing the best of Ottawa for parents and kids. I also love vegetables, photography, gadgets, and great design.

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