there’s a reason we’ve stayed here…

Now that you all know what I will NOT miss about this apartment, I think I at least owe it to this place (that has been my home for almost 4 years) to list what I will definitely miss about it:

• The hard wood floors. Ok, so they aren’t the most beautiful floors…they are old, mucked up, and even have some paint on them, but it isn’t carpet…and I’ve never been the biggest fan of carpet.

• Living on the top floor. There’s something about not hearing the people above you, and knowing you don’t have to worry about sewage backup.

• The “street” entertainment. There is really never a dull moment around here. Sure I complain about the sketchiness of it, but at least it provides some entertainment.

• Location. We’re within walking distance of restaurants like Play, Murray Street, Sweetgrass, Domus, and Ahora. And restaurants that I haven’t even tried yet- like Navarra.

• Location. I’ve really gotten used to being within walking distance of the “upscale Rideau Centre” (it was described that way in People magazine when Carrie Underwood was spotted there) and all of the shops in the Byward Market. And Planet Coffee, that scratch bakes all of their cakes and cookies, has delicious sandwiches, and makes a great mochaccino. I’ve taken for granted living so close to the Italian market and the fish store, and not one but TWO separate cheese shoppes (oh yes, that one deserves and “e” in shoppe). There is a French bakery a couple of minutes away that has some of the best bread around…

• LOCATION. I’ve been riding my bike to work (along the canal, not on the street luckily because the streets of Ottawa have proven to be quite treacherous for cyclists as of late) for all of July and this week I’ve realized just how much I’ll miss being so close to this part of the Rideau Canal. I took this picture the other morning after seeing the same reflection the morning before and thinking “man I wish I had my camera.” It was picture perfect at least two days in a row.(and yes, clearly location is why we’ve stayed in this apartment for so long)

• This was our first apartment together…as much as I’ve whined and complained about it, it will always be our first home.

I’m going to go ahead and guess that this will be the last post before moving day and for at least a few days afterward. We won’t have an internet hookup until Tuesday (unless we can steal some wireless from a neighbour) so I’m guessing I won’t be back until Wednesday at the very earliest. Hopefully our new landlord has replaced the carpet, painted, replaced the screen in the screen door, and that the wood burning fireplace is now a gas fireplace. Otherwise, our first couple of weeks in our new place may be a little more chaotic than we were hoping they would be.

So, have a great weekend-it is a long one so stay safe- and we’ll see you on the flip side.