What a great month of July we had! It was sunny and warm and there was hardly any rain. Working from home allowed me to enjoy it more: it’s easier to get out at lunch and I’m less tired when I finish work. However, my sun allergy is worse than ever with my arms and hands full of “toad skin.” I was less diligent than usual with sunscreen and now I’m paying for it.
As I mentioned in the last photo of the month, I have gained 20 lbs during the confinement. I have started to exercise outdoors. It’s the perfect activity for this pandemic: it’s a cheap and there is little risk for my health. To get serious about it and track my progresses, I bought the Venu from Garmin. It’s a much more advanced smart watch than the fitbit flex I once had. I began running on the track across the street and I love the integrated “Couch to 5k” coach. I can also download yoga and Pilates routines and it will show me how to execute the poses and vibrates when I need to switch. I am in love!
I also take yoga classes in a public park near my home, it’s nice to see other people and I’d rather have a teacher one in a while to correct my positions.
I enjoy going to Bellerive Park (French for beautiful shores) as often as I can. I bike there as there are many paths to choose from, it’s a fun ride. I love watching the St. Lawrence River, the moving water soothes me. When I’m stressed out, I meditate and throw my worries in it, letting the current take them away. The ice cream shop has finally reopened, that’s another reason to go!
I went back to my office for the first time since March 13. I found it quite complicated, even with only four people in our huge open space. Our employer has not yet offered any information on whether we will be returning to our physical office in the fall. I don’t think that it will be possible and it will be even more difficult in the winter with colds, flu and other viruses. The good news is that, just before I went on vacation, my contract was renewed until the end of the year!
My brother, my sister and I went to the Provincial Park des Îles-de-Boucherville in the hope of doing water sports on the St. Lawrence River.
The day was too windy and the rental booth was closed because it was too dangerous. Luckily we came prepared and we went hiking instead. I was surprised to find out that it was much bigger than I expected and that even though it’s close to the city, it feels miles away. The park is located on Highway 25, at the first exit after the tunnel bridge. There’s also a campsite on the islands … it seems like a nice cheap getaway. We will certainly go back !
I can’t do much with my husband this summer because his work schedule is very different from mine. It’s sad, but there will be other summers. We try to make the most of it.
We went for our first date at a restaurant on Ontario Street. We chose Antidote, a vegan restaurant that does laid-back bar food. We ate BBQ cauliflower wings, fake cheese sticks followed by burgers and fries. They also offer nice cocktails which we ordered virgin. I liked it and the service was great (courteous and quick). I’m curious to go back to try the vegan poutine.
- Antidote: 3459, Ontario Est, 514-303-6300
Otherwise, Akira is still doing well. The only thing is that I have be careful when we go for a walk because of the heat. He always wants to go out, but one day I walked a bit too fast and it was hot: he almost fainted. Fortunately, he was OK as soon as I got him back inside. I was so scared!
He developed the bad habit of waking up at 5:45 a.m. to pee (and smell the air). It’s hard to go back to sleep after that, which is why I decided to run in the morning as I’m already up!
Hope all is well with you!
