Tuesday, I had the day off work, so I celebrated the arrival of summer by heading up to the rooftop for my first visit of the year.
Before going up, I packed up a bag of tricks. [Sidenote: when I was about three or so, my mom would pack a few quiet distractions to occupy me during church on Sunday mornings. For whatever reason, this was always referred to as my "bag of tricks").
Today we had...
my journal - i journal first thing in the morning, but sometimes a-ha's hit at unusual times; why not be prepared?!
x-word puzzle book - as previously discussed, "easy" is debatable
current read - < 20 pages to go!
knitting! i can hold a private "knit outside" party!
…all of which went into this bag:
lulu!
This stayed behind in the kitchen:
time to detach from humanity for a little...
Let’s go upstairs!
Basically, our entire rooftop is one big patio with cement tiles encircling the building.
We’ll take a walk around.
to the north, we have the perimeter institute (physics) and waterloo park...
to the west, we find a quiet residential neighbourhood composed of well-maintained older homes...
the highlights to the south are the bauer lofts (L) and the sunlife tower (where i worked for 3+ years many moons ago)...
to the east, is uptown waterloo: the mall (including valumart) - and you could even see the store, if you looked close enough!
If you squint, you could convince yourself you were in an outdoor garden setting:
rooftop planters adorn the corners...
Hungry?
in a sheltered spot, there is a gas bbq, ready for use!
I headed to my favourite spot:
just around that wall...
...to a chaise longue in a bright and sunny spot!
Once settled, I was able to
- finish my book [Sidenote: Yes! after a number of false starts, I am happy to finish a book in June. This read, part of the Stephanie Plum series, is truly mindless, light, forgettable. Nancy Drew with humour, for adults. And it was just what I needed].
- attempt a crossword puzzle – I didn’t fare too well, today. Not that it’s really different any other day…
- knit a few rows
So, while it’s not exactly Aruba…
file photo: march 2011
…but for an oasis of tranquility right at my fingertips, I’ll take it!
I predict just *a few* rooftop visits will be in order this summer!
Where can you escape to for a quick quiet moment? In < 10 minutes, I can be at Waterloo Park, too – I feel fortunate to live in this central location!
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The celebration of summer continued Tuesday when VFBF Joanne and I met for coffee. Yes, it’s summer and yes, hot coffee still tastes delicious!
self-portrait at coffee culture - the same spot lisa and i met at on monday! the best coffee!
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Man, where did the time go this month? I’m in deep trouble if I’m going to fit in all three coupon of the month redemptions this month. :O Luckily, ONE outing of the month took place Wednesday eve:
The Brother and SIL Ana got out for their outing. This coupon redemption is the more challenging one to organize due to time and distance complexities. I do plan to fit in shopping with Mom (she has a mission in mind!) and a food outing with Dad…but only seven days remain at my disposal! Good thing my folks are right next door – and retired!
Comments
I’m jealous of your roof! It looks so relaxing!
LOVE LOVE LOVE your rooftop sanctuary and its views. I love looking out over a city from up high. My current outdoor spot is my front porch. I have on old red chair. I usually read and have a cold beverage. Sometimes I just space out. It’s not scenic but at least it’s outside.
Nice oasis you’ve got there! I use my hammock for a quick getaway, or the boat for a less-quick getaway. Both are good!
The bag of tricks is a must! That way you’re not tempted to run down and grab something (and sneak a few peeks at the internet/phone!). How nice to have the rooftop to spend time on.
Hope you had a really relaxing and great time and day off!