My 1st 'DIY Moto' Holiday Party!
If you’re an Ottawa area motorcycle enthusiast, DIY Moto is a wonderful resource filled with the best people that you should have on your radar.
I’ve learned some stuff about my bike and made some new friends through various social meet-ups (and from just bumming around the garage) like the seasonal ‘Moto Social’. This was my first year attending DIY’s Christmas Party and it was a lot of fun!
Here are some pics from the night:
Shout out to Birling for supplying some awesome raffle prizes - I WON THE TOQUE! <3 <3 <3 This glorious raffle victory is made even more sweet as the toque I’ve been wearing for years, which is in dire need of retirement, comes from Birling’s predecessor, Antique (the OG Bank St. days). An additional shoutout to Sasquatch Soaps for their donated goods (which I ALSO won)! I’ll be smellin’ lovely in time for the holidays, so thank you!
Holiday Gift Ideas for That Weird 30something in Your Life
I am a *weird, working parent in my mid-30s living in downtown Ottawa. Currently working on my annual Top 10 Wish List blog for personal gifting this holiday season. 🎄 Here’s what I’ve got so far…
Every year around this time I throw out into the blogiverse items from my personal Wish List.
If you know someone like me (33, mom, weird) & are a little starved for good/great gift ideas, here’s a start:
A gift card to Victoire; high-quality, eye catching, ethical, Canadian made clothing in the heart of Wellington West (bonus points for being close to my house)!
A unique, hand printed piece from Thief & Bandit. They have a new print out (Stardust) and I am obsessed.
Andrew King’s ‘Ottawa Rewind” (see tweet/link below)! Also available at Maker House on Wellington St.
4. The only Lip Balm EVER = Carmex.
5. Google Home accessories; this one is subjective as there are loads of ‘assistants’ out there. I have successfully integrated Geenie and IKEA brand ‘smart bulbs’ on different levels of our home and I just love not having to walk up and down the stairs when a light needs to be turned on or off. We’ve got a smart display (Lenovo), a Hub and several Minis to connect every area and level of the house. This is a super helpful when my arthritis is flaring up!! If the person you’re buying for has mobility challenges, consider ‘smart home’ gifts… they rock!
6. Does the person you’re buying for lose things ALL. THE. TIME? Check out tiles. The device that helps you find your stuff. I love these for personal items (keys) and I also use them to keep tabs on the kids when we visit crowded places in the unlikely event we become separated. Tiles bring me peace of mind and would make an excellent gift.
7. Ozzy Osbourne’s new album ‘Ordinary Man’ should drop sometime in January so a pre-order from any rock music loving fan would probably be appreciated! This album is going to be all over the map, featuring Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, Post Malone and more. Keep an eye out for the official release date.
8. Beer; local suggestions include Whitewater, Ashton Brewing Co., Beau’s and Beyond the Pale. Looking for something a little fancier? Prosecco’s my fave and this one is sure to please, IMO: Blu Giovello, $15-ish.
I’m struggling to top this Wish List off at an even ‘10’, so if you have any suggestions send them my way!
ADDED NOTE:
I’m, for the first time ever, hosting my family’s Christmas feast! Since I don’t know how to cook and the holidays are hectic enough, I decided to let Farm Boy do the work. I’ll let you know how that goes towards the end of the year. I’ve heard good things!
I’ve also decided to start including an Archival Index of my previous blog posts in case you’re bored.
Previous Pots by Amy Volume
- January 2026 3
- December 2025 1
- November 2025 1
- September 2025 1
- July 2025 1
- April 2025 1
- March 2025 2
- February 2025 5
- January 2025 6
- December 2024 1
- July 2024 1
- June 2024 1
- April 2024 1
- March 2024 2
- February 2024 1
- December 2023 1
- October 2023 1
- June 2023 1
- May 2023 4
- April 2023 1
- February 2023 1
- November 2022 2
- October 2022 1
- September 2022 1
- August 2022 2
- July 2022 2
- May 2022 1
- April 2022 2
- March 2022 3
- February 2022 5
- January 2022 4
- December 2021 3
- November 2021 2
- October 2021 2
- September 2021 1
- August 2021 3
- July 2021 3
- June 2021 1
- May 2021 1
- April 2021 2
- March 2021 2
- February 2021 2
- January 2021 9
- October 2020 3
- August 2020 1
- June 2020 1
- May 2020 4
- April 2020 6
- February 2020 2
- January 2020 1
- December 2019 3
- November 2019 5
- October 2019 5
- September 2019 1
- August 2019 1
- July 2019 1
- June 2019 2
- May 2019 2
- March 2019 2
- January 2019 1
- November 2018 1
- October 2018 1
- September 2018 1
- July 2018 2
- June 2018 4
- May 2018 1
- April 2018 1
- March 2018 2
- January 2018 3
- December 2017 3
- November 2017 1
- October 2017 2
- September 2017 5
- July 2017 6
- June 2017 2
- May 2017 2
- April 2017 6
- March 2017 9
- February 2017 23
- January 2017 15
- December 2016 1
- November 2016 3
- October 2016 7
- September 2016 5
- August 2016 2
- July 2016 10
- June 2016 13
- May 2016 11
- April 2016 8
- March 2016 8
- February 2016 1
The Vanishing Miss Volume
My health has been taking a nose dive lately & I finally crashed after overdoing it this weekend.
We recorded a Christmas Special at work which you’ll be able to hear over the holidays. While it was a lot of fun, I was (audibly) under the weather. I woke up Sunday with no voice, unable to get out of bed.
I wasn’t at work Monday. Ryan took me to the urgent care clinic & I was sent for a chest X Ray, bloodwork and given a prescription for some fancy steroidal nasal spray. Oh, and I’m on one week of vocal rest… which is tough with two young kids. Luckily, when you feel rotten it’s easy to keep your mouth shut.
It’s Tuesday night and the doctor’s office called with mostly good news; X Ray is clear (no pneumonia) but… bloodwork shows my RA (rheumatoid arthritis) IS flaring up, which is tricky as I’ve had to put my RA meds (y’know, the medicine that helps me WALK) on hold until this infection I’m suffering from clears up. This means walking & any sort of physical activity involving my more affected joints like my ankles, hips and hands will be significantly limited. I am also anemic (!!!) & it’s been advised I see my rheumatologist ASAP but she’s on holiday til next week. I’m told I’ve been put on her cancelation list, which is good.
Despite my lifelong health issues, I’ve actually never had to take time off of work to rest so I am in unchartered territory here applying for Short Term Disability. One week off work means half of a paycheck. I’ve got my forms filled out & waiting for the doctor’s sign off so hopefully I can tap into those benefits I (think?) I pay for (???). The whole process of filing a claim takes longer than the time I’ll be off work but that’s Insurance Companies for ya! At least I’m not on “texting” rest.
I am doing okay, though I’ve certainly been better. I did see this crash, burn out, flare up, whatever-you-wanna-call-it coming. Living life by the “next-dose” alarm for the next three days.
Speaking of which… it’s time for more meds!
In need of spoons: the spoon theory & me
I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis in every joint (excluding my spine) from my eyes to my toes since I was 18 months old. I’m 33 now with two young kids plus a full time job.
I. Am. Tired.
My son started school this year and I have had one virus or another since September.
In addition to my Enbrel (for RA) I take iron, b12, magnesium and Tylenol daily. Lately, I’ve been wearing my air cast to help put pressure on my aching ankles.
This is typical RA stuff with some new, unappreciated but “normal”, side effects. A few months ago while investigating some abnormal blood work, docs came to the conclusion that I am chronically fatigued due to the arthritis now targetting my blood.
I didn’t even know this was a thing!
Web MD will tell you that is is, in fact, a thing.
If it’s not enough, me saying “I feel like garbage” then feast your eyes on the scientific (hematology reports) proof!
…So for half a year or more, I’ve been more tired than I’ve ever been and it’s just “normal”.
It’s my normal.
The blessing and curse of arthritis is that tomorrow is uncertain; could be an “up” day, a “down” day or… “normal”… where 10 hours plus of sleep at night doesn’t leave you feeling rested. Every tiny thing becomes a major, multi-faceted task. Putting on your winter boots is enough to have you passing out from sheer exhaustion.
I’ve never related to a description about my life and energy levels more than that expressed as the “Spoon Theory”.
This infographic very accurately conveys what my ultra-fatigued body & mind struggle to. I’ve actually seen it and shared it on social media before, however new challenges brought me back to this same image. I even emailed it to my boss AND to my partner this week; two (very different) people who, I feel, need that missing perspective RE: my day to day functioning and limitations.
If you’ve ever seen me in a “down” swing & ask “what can I do to help?”, simply read and try to absorb the above “Spoon Theory”.
Asking how to help is very thoughtful, and appreciated, but since there is not a lot physically you can do to help me (most of the time), reading the super quick infographic posted above would mean the most.
Knowledge is power! Understanding is medicine! Thanks for reading this!