I really must hit the pavement this morning, but I will wait until the real danger of having to turn back almost immediately has passed.

Bladder rattle is real.

This week, I’ve found myself missing the bergamot-scented line from the Body Shop, even though I literally haven’t used it in more than a decade (and rarely step foot in a mall, let alone a Body Shop, these days) and it wasn’t actually that good for my skin in any way (its lack of beneficial properties was probably why it was discontinued), but I liked smelling a bit Earl Grey-y all day long.

But there’s an easy-enough solution: spilling tea on myself daily. I’m pretty capable.

Or, y’know, pursue the slightly more sensible essential oil + unscented lotion option.

Nah, I’ll just petition Dr. Bronner’s and hope for the best.

—
I’ve also been missing having hardware store options nearish to work. There is one Home Hardware, but it’s not great, and it doesn’t need to be because there’s no competition. There used to semi-inexplicably be a fairly big Canadian Tire right downtown too, but I guess high-rise dwellers don’t need house paint, plumbing equipment, and car batteries as often as the rest of us do. Also, y’know, downtown rents. I’m not even that handy, I just want options.

I also miss the Zellers on Sparks Street like crazy for picking up Random Shit one can’t get at the 87 dollar stores in the area. I don’t want to head into the mall and spend $25 at the Bay or the Gap for replacement tights that might not fit properly if I can get them for $12 elsewhere. (NB Old Navy tights most definitely do not fit my apparently super-weird body.) Also, a convenient source of multipacks of underwear that I know will fit would be nice. Also, what fucking city doesn’t have a buy-anything kind of store in its office-y, condo-y downtown? Sometimes I feel like it’s only this one.

As would a bike shop that isn’t at 20+ minute walk from my workplace. The last bike shop in the Market closed last year and turned into (another) pizza place. Sure, there are four bike shops within 20 minutes of my house, but that ain’t handy if I have a problem at the work end of my commute.

And have I mentioned that we’re the closest thing to a ‘downtown’ theatre that Ottawa has, and we’re not really actually downtown? We’re a city of a million or so people and there is one single screen theatre. One that a recent delivery driver thought didn’t play ‘real’ movies because he hadn’t heard of any of the ones on the posters in the lobby (including Far from the Madding Crowd and Amy). Oy vey.

The lack of downtown services might help explain why the mondo condo construction projects are looking more and more daft and vacant. (Though, the allegedly shoddy workmanship on many of them is most definitely also to blame, as well as not accounting for people who might want to live centrally, but also, y’know, have kids, need schools and parks, etc.)

Of course, a lot of this griping is directly related to probably (at least temporarily) not having a car soon*, a general disregard for having to go out of my way on the route between home and work to run errands, and confounded awe at how the city has changed in my lifetime (I so frequently forget how old I am).

Now get off of my lawn so I can get off this soapbox.

Especially now that I have wasted most of my would-be running time on this really-not-meant-be-as-long-or-ranty-as-this entry.

(Avoidance personified.)

*Yes yes, Vrtucar.

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