So, every subsequent time I need to drive in to Ottawa, I hate it that much more.
I had boned myself out of an opportunity to pick up some free scrap lumber. It would have been used for campfires and/or kindling wood. A not insignificant amount. It was offered by an old friend from the Shoto-kan Karate dojo we all trained at (he, the wife, I, and many others).
This fellow is a very conscientious person. Even though he was tight for space, he kept the scrap lumber and contacted me earlier this week and asked if I still wanted it. Of course. This past morning was the earliest that I could come by to get it. He accommodated my schedule. The catch though, he lives in Ottawa. Not a major hustle and bustle part, but still in the city.
Well, nothing is free, is it? The price was the drive in to Ottawa. Fortunately, or un-, I had to run a couple/few errands anyway. Cigars, a few groceries, some gear from a camping store, and a Christmas present. So, pretty fair trade for me in the end.
Or was it really?
I leave this morning and head to the highway. Normally, I take back roads, but the highway route is a better way to get to his place in this case. Not too much of a big deal. At first. I get on, no worries. Everyone around me is pretty much driving solid and not knob-like at all. However, as I get closer to the city, things change. Not that I am surprised. More like: let down again.
As people enter the highway as I get closer to the city, it is like they are in a dream-like state. They appear to not notice any other vehicles on the road. Fortunately, I get off shortly after that.
Ha. The Ottawa drivers are worse on the city streets. Driving so slowly, that one wonders if they are parked, but forgot to engage their parking brakes. Fortunately, that was a short stint. I grab the wood. It filled the whole back of my truck. Woo-hoo!
I set off for errand number two. I thought I was going to get hit head on in the turning lane. Get that done. Next the grocery store. Oh. My. Goodness. I wanted to curl up in a ball. Cut off by people that slowed down. Well below the speed limit and the flow of the rest of the traffic. Twice by the same guy and cut off a bunch of times by many. I make it in one piece to the grocery store. Maybe I should buy my last supper!
I get out of there and crawl down towards the camping store. Ha. Ha. Many, many vehicles parked. Badly. So many more cars could be parked if people actually had their eyes open. I circle the block twice. Ooh. Wait a spot looks like it is opening up. Is it? Not sure? The guy is in the road standing by the door of his SUV with some mocha-frappo-vente-crapulence talking to someone who appears to be stuck in the door of the coffeeshop. No, wait, he is just a bonehead who does not know how to walk, talk, hold coffee, and function in society. Assclown!
Ooh. A spot. For real! I set myself to park, but know I have to pop the curb to do it in one shot. No worries. The truck can handle it. However, the pedestrian with her chai-latte-grande-horsepee stops to look at my attempt. Well, it not that great a feat. Plus... Get the hell out of the way. I cannot park with you balancing on the edge of the sidewalk, where my truck needs to go. Thankfully, she moved on.
I park and walk up to the camping store. Not open for a couple of minutes, so I reply to an email and as I look about me, I swear that everyone was in Snoozeville. The store opened and I went about my business. Most of the staff was made up of young hipsters. However, they were all very helpful and efficient. Very refreshing! I exchanged some ideas for gear with a young lad and he appeared genuinely interested. Off I go to pick up the Christmas present.
Painful. Very painful. It is an excruciating drive. I get to the parking lot and was going to do a pull-through parking job. Then, this bonehead driver who was starting and stopping, does a big loop and pulls in to where I was aiming for. Fine. Bite me! I park over on the fringe. Go pee (in the store's bathroom, not in the parking lot) and get the gift I prepaid for and head back to the highway and home.
What a mistake. The road was blocked by silly rabbits for a few kilometres, then thankfully I broke free and put in on cruise control. Get home, the boy and I unload and stack the lumber scraps. And then we head off to Kemptville to do a food drive with the Scouts and other groups.
What a difference. Everyone driving was aware of their surroundings. The people on the street were vibrant and awake! We whip off our zone in half the planned time and go to the depot. So many people helping. I helped unload vehicles for about an hour or so. I went in to the building and was stunned by the amount of foodgoods donated. And lots of toilet paper, paper towels, dog food! And who knows what else. A bunch of sorting. I had some mini meetings. Then, there was an announcement. So much was donated that they ran out of bins and were shutting down the sorting for the day. There was nowhere to put it. It was going to be left in-situ and then as bins became available over the next few days, the foodbank people will carry on the sorting. Impressed I was!
What a difference between these two burgs. Ottawa, the capital of Canada, most everyone was in a daze, driving, parking, walking, standing. Very sad. Kemptville, 50-odd kilometres down the road, was vibrant, alive, energetic, awake. I wish more of what I needed to do was in K-ville than in this nation's capital of sleepwalkers/drivers. I would be guaranteed to live longer. blbbl
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