I haven’t been back in Ottawa in a good while and I must tell you,
I really don’t remember it being THAT cold.
And THAT much snow.

Holy Freeze Balls, Batman!
I don’t think the temp went above -20C° (-4F°) the whole time we were there.
It was snowing and it was windy.
I can handle the snow. It’s the wind that makes me go “Petrificus Totallus.”
Did I spell that right, Potterheads?
I don’t care.
It was cold!

A lot of things have changed too since when I was there.
New buildings. New restaurants.
New shopping places.
New laws and new rules too.

With all these new things popping up everywhere,
it’s easy to get confused when you go driving around.
Luckily, I still know my way.

Another thing that’s new in Ottawa is this.

Poutine at McDonald’s!
Are you kidding me?
McPoutine?
McShutup and take my McMoney!

It’s actually surprisingly good.
Well, I say that because along with the massive Cheese Curds and the fries,
they flood it with gravy.
I like Gravy!
A lot.

I would brave the cold weather outside,
in 7 layers of clothing,
not caring about the car screaming at me when it starts.
Why?
Because .. Poutine.

Speaking of Cars.
I just found out too that it is now a law during Winter,
that you should brush/scrape off the snow/ice on the top of your car.
You see, I’ve always done that when I was there because I loved my car
and it hurts me when she is covered in snow.

It is now a law because most people just scrape off the snow on their windows
just enough for them to see.
But all the snow on the roof just flies off
and obscures everybody else’s view of the road.
It really is dangerous, so I am glad these are now implemented.

Speaking of laws.
Prostitution is now legal in Ottawa.
Now I don’t want to get political here
and I am not really in the mood for any political or moral conversations,
but this doesn’t bother me one bit.

I’ve always thought why not make it legal.
Make it a profession, and tax the whole thing.
It’s a business, right? People spend and profit from this?
There you go.
Balance the freakin’ budget!

Also, I think their argument is valid.
Why hinder a woman’s means of income?
It’s her body.
It’s her right.

I don’t know.
Like I said. I didn’t want any conversations about views on it.
I just wanted to tell a story.

And besides,
My whole point for this post is that I froze going on this trip.
It was a great trip, but cold.

Also, family.
I went up there to be with family.
To be honest with you,
I was scared that this family wouldn’t be complete this Christmas.
Things changed very quickly early last year
and even though there are no guarantees that all will be better,
at least our time together was well spent.

As I come back to the mild weather in Florida,
sitting here, all alone,
I miss the people I was with up there.
The laughter. The stories.
The food.
Oh my Goodness! The FOOD!

Sometimes, I think to myself,
even though I get spoiled with the weather down here.
I would rather go back up there,
brave the freezing temperatures.
Wear layers of clothing just to take out the trash.
Scrape the ice off of my car and shovel the driveway,
until I can’t feel my feet,
and my ears almost falling off.
All because of that one great thing…

Legalized Prostitution.

Family!
I meant Family!