Soaking Up Some Sunshine

It's been a roller coaster month here in Southern Ontario, everything from shorts to snow. Any day that has been glorious, I've been stuck indoors having to work, so I haven't truly been able to enjoy any sun that has decided to surface. We've had more than enough rain, and though the wheat in the fields here has loved it, after a while, I just want to be able to get outside.

Well, outside is where I am, thanks to laptop technology, and even though that breeze is cool, I still slipped on a light jacket and am getting some fresh air as I write. I know it's only April, but I did apply sunscreen to my face. Most people, if they were to sit out on the porch like I'm doing, would probably come in with a gentle touch of colour. Not me. I burn. Tanning is something that I've never been able to do, and when I do get a tan, no one believes that I was actually out in the sun. Casper is more tan than I am.

Anyways...

I swear, I almost forgot how glorious it is to just sit on the porch and soak up some sun. Although, when I have reading to do, I'll often come outside to do so. I should really get on my bike too. I've been meaning to do so, but I just haven't got there yet. Besides, I'm an early-morning rider. Come the afternoon, the wind is too strong, as I get hit with it from all sides, and it's generally too hot, though I don't  exactly have to worry about the heat today.

So instead, I thought I'd share how wonderfully Spring-like it is in Southern Ontario. The daffodils are in full bloom, and the wheat in the field has really made its presence known. Also, the trees have erupted with buds. Now if only those willow leaves would hurry up and come out, than we'd know we're well on our way. The breeze is cool but gentle, and I can hear the rumbling of motorcycles (there they are passing by now). Tractors are making their ways back to the fields, and my hair is starting to get its first seasonal kiss from the sun.

Oh, it's a good day to be in my part of Canada. If tomorrow's just as nice, I think we should either all convince our bosses to let us do our work outside, or, just skip on out for a quick sunburn. Happy Spring, everyone. Hopefully now it's here to stay.

Waving to the I.S.S

Unless you've been living under a rock, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has spent many months living aboard the International Space Station. He sends frequent updates to his Twitter and Facebook and last night's featured area, before he tucked himself into bed, was Southern Ontario in all its lake and Canadian Shield glory. He also made mention of when the I.S.S would be passing over my part of the world. So, naturally, at 9:02 last night, my mum and I went out side to wave to the Commander as he and his crew passed overhead.

The I.S.S moved faster than a star, but slower than an aircraft, or so it appeared from my vantage point. Distance-wise, it was a couple of fists above the horizon, and looked like it was gliding by. I had my phone outside with me, and as he was passing above (which took a few minutes to do), I sent him a Tweet while my mum and I waved, sending him greetings from Southern Ontario, his evening's feature. So if you're checking out Chris Hadfield's Twitter feed, and see one from @ChantelleTillyW, that was me!

Yes, I know the dork factor was off the charts, waving to a light passing through space while sending Twitter messages, but you know what? It was kind of awesome. We should all wave to the coolest Canadian who's out of this world once in a while.

Mother's Pizza in Hamilton: Two Tumbs Down

Mother's Pizza has opened in Stoney Creek (Hamilton if you're looking online) on Queenston Road where the Tony Roma's used to be. Apparently, back in the days when it first came out, it had itself some pretty great food. For those wanting to hop on the nostalgia wagon, don't go getting on board just yet, because you'll be taking a quick trip to disappointment.

Here's my review that I posted on my Facebook:

Went to the new Mother's Pizza tonight. Verdict: Two thumbs down. Crappy service, mediocre food, and the hostess managed to skip us on her list more than once (we had one of the beepers, so it's not like someone else was pretending to be us to get served first). You'd think that after screwing up so badly and having us wait much longer than we should have (2 hours) that they would have at least offered to have our drinks on the house, but such was not the case. A medium pizza is the size of a small, the wings were more grease than sauce, and a friend's pasta had metallic-tasting meat. Our server was non-existent, and drinks remained empty for a very long time, as in, hope you're not thirsty because you're not about to get watered. You know it's bad when the server doesn't get tipped. You know it's worse when I can't finish my on-tap cider because the last third tastes like ass. Don't waste your time, and don't waste your money at Mother's Pizza. People say it's worth the wait. It's not. You can get so much better all-around elsewhere.

Mother's claims that they don't take reservations. That is a lie. We discovered last night that they don't take reservations unless you're wanting to have a party there with at least 10 people. There wasn't just one party in the building last night, there were two or three. If a restaurant states that they don't take reservations, then NOBODY should get to reserve tables. Reserve for one group, reserve for all, none of this picking and choosing bullshit. All or nothing.

Unless Mother's can get their act together, and quickly, I don't see them lasting very long. Two of the people I was with last night work, or have worked, in the restaurant industry. If they had pulled the kind of stunts Mother's was pulling last night, they would have been out of jobs. Shame on Mother's.

Yep, I was quite unimpressed and have zero desire to go back.