I'm packing & doing laundry & getting ready & it seems strange to have told almost no one. Especially since I usually announce my plans to the world, or at least I thought I did. It just doesn't seem appropriate to announce it. It's like putting it out on twitter or on facebook or in a text will somehow tarnish it. I wouldn't know what to say anyway. Not to mention, no one would know what to say back & it would just be a whole awkward mess. This blog seems like a safe enough venue for my thoughts right now though.

I don't even know if I really want to tell anyone right now. At least not myself. I'm fine with them finding out. I just don't necessarily want to be the one to tell them. It's not like no one knows, but at a lot of the people I normally share things with have no clue. & for right now, I'm pretty ok with that. I remember when Laura's grandpa died. She called me & I had no idea what to say & I just felt so helpless. Like I couldn't find the right words & was just a terrible friend.

It seems silly to make a big deal & let everyone know when most of them don't even know him & there's nothing that can be done. I'll be back in Calgary for less than 24 hours anyway. & then I'll be back for real in less than 2 weeks now.

June has sped by & I thought I had so much time to say goodbye to Montreal, but with the road trip & now this weekend away, I will most certainly be scrambling around at the last minute in my usual way, trying to cram in the million things I will undoubtedly miss about this city.

18/52

Cabane à sucre...oh delicious, glorious Quebecois tradition. I got to spend a sugary afternoon with great friends just outside of Montreal this April and I got a few good shots and a LOT  of goofy ones. Here's one of the good shots. It just screams traditional Quebecois cabane to me & is therefor perfect.

17/52

I just realized I missed my post last week! Oops! I'll have to do an extra one mid-week to make up for it.

I've been spending a lot of time down by the canal, either running, biking, or just wandering. It's beautiful down there on a nice day & we had quite a few of those last week. This week is going to be rain, rain, rain...so I know I'll be missing day like the one I took this particular photo.

16/52

My parents love Chuck's Day Off on the food network & he owns a restaurant in Montreal, Garde Manger. We were supposed to go when they were here last year for Grand Prix, but instead went out with Red Bull. When Nathan was here in the fall, we went & it was amazing. Not only is the food incredible, but the place is cool as well. It's loud & bustling & full of energy. There's virtually nothing outside to tell you that you're in the right place as you wander down rue Saint-François-Xavier except the numbers 408, a square, purple light, and the following metal sign. Some people might be frustrated, but I personally find this playful annoyance endearing.

Welcome to Garde Manger

15/52

Don't worry, I'm not hinting at anything with this week's photo. Although I was with the boy & we did go into Birk's, it was purely out of curiosity. I've wandered by the building a million times & always wondered what if looked like inside so we decided to peek in. The inside is as impressive as its exterior, maybe even more so. & not only that, but it's massive. It was definitely worth the little tour (& having to listen to the boy complain the whole time.)

14/52

I'm not the biggest fan of this iphone app, instagram, but at the same time I'm kind of addicting. It's fun & it makes my iPhone photos look really great! Of course, that means it also makes everyone else's photos look great.

I was out for a long run in the rain last week & I captured this photo on my iPhone. It was one of those moments that I didn't have my SLR handy, but wanted the photo. So, I'm posting it because it turns out that I really like it. The Faubourg is the building that houses my Starbucks. At one time, it was beautiful. It had specialty stores - a bagel shop, cheese store, boulangerie, butcher shop. It seemed to be all about food, including an amazing food court with a glass roof. It's still a pretty interesting building, but it's very run down. I've been in the "alley" behind it a few times, but after my run that day, I saw it from a different perspective & couldn't help but think that it truly was beautiful. & it still seems to have some remnants of that long-lost beauty. Like so many places in Montreal, I'd love to see someone give it new life & restore it to its former glory. Until then, here's my photo of the week:

Secret beauty of le Faubourg

13/52

I'm really really terrible at drinking water. It's not like I never drink it, I just don't drink it enough, especially at home. I'll have juice or beer or pretty much anything else. It's terrible. I drink it when I work out, but I needed some help motivating myself to drink it at home so I decided to make my water more exciting. A little cucumber, some lemon & a bit of ginger go a long way. & it's kind of pretty too.