Motel Adam

View of Motel Adam from my doorstep

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Diane dropped me off at the Motel Adam on boulevard Greber in Gatineau. It is built on the “old model”, with many units surrounded by ample parking, with a space in front of each unit.

The interior is nicer that the outside would suggest, with a natural brick wall  running the length of the hotel room, a newer Queen bed, remodeled bathroom, flatscreen TV – TV reception was poor and definitely not high def. The wifi is billed as “highspeed” but it’s not, especially for one spoiled by very fast connectivity at home. It is a little desolate and quiet for just one person.

Simple but nice "superior" room

I walked about a mile to a strip mall to the north and found a liquor store, where I bought a bottle of scotch. After a fast food chicken sandwich at Burger King, I came home and poured myself a drink. Life almost instantly seemed a little rosier.

The Gentlemen’s Club across the street might be a draw for some, perhaps while their lady friends shop at the “erotic boutique” a few blocks away. The street seems a little shabby, much like avenue Mont-Royal was 40 years ago when I lived in the now chic Plateau Mont-Royal.

2014 - Ottawa on a Clear September Day

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Here I am again, in Ottawa for the annual Temiscaming get-together. I think of this as a “hometown reunion”, with a rather eclectic mix of ages and connections to my birthplace.

I spent much of the day traveling after leaving the house at 7:00 a.m. To my surprise, I was on the new TSA fast-track system, and I went through security without having to remove my laptop or my shoes. Just like pre-9/11, except that systems are more efficient today and I was at the gate well in advance of boarding for the 8:45 flight. We were in Detroit by 11, so I had a 3 hours to make my connection. Time for lunch and a walk around that very pleasant airport.

I chatted all the way to Ottawa with my very interesting seat companion, a software developer who has a Minnesota client, also an acquaintance of mine. My friend Diane Gingras picked me up at the airport and we visited happily through the very congested Friday afternoon traffic.

I had the feeling that I was home ... but not home. Happy to be in Canada but returning as a visitor, with a sense of "limited" belonging.