Back in the saddle

Halifax Public Gardens
Halifax Public Gardens
Mary Jean got a post-doc in Halifax, and I spent a couple weeks there helping her get settled in. My expectations of the east coast were rather limited*, so I'm glad to have filled some of that in. Indeed, the more time I spend there the more I find myself enjoying Halifax, with its coastal charm, walk-able downtown, and many sprouting districts. As a small city (~400k people), it fits that desirable niche of being large enough to have the amenities of a modern city without the daunting issues of a bigger one.

Halifax Central Library
Halifax Central Library
My second week there was during an unseasonal heat wave, and while MJ worked I sought shelter in the beautiful Halifax Central Library, an impressive structure that embodies the coming together of civic will, a common good that all can enjoy, a modern structure that makes the most of efficient technologies.

I also got to get re-acquainted with some old friends, some dear faces whom I'd never forget but have not thought of for some time since they left Ontario. A joy re-remembered.

Halifax Town Clock
Halifax Town Clock
But how am I doing, you may well ask? I suffer in small bouts, a few moments of each day are maddening trips to the bathroom, the panic of being far from a good toilet always just under my awareness. It seems my body has settled, more or less, on 5 or 6 sessions a day. I still enjoy food but the consequences of even seemingly small mistakes can have long lasting effects. Being at work is good because it gives me a routine, which is something I'd like to hammer down. I worry about my weight (which is light) and my energy level (which is low).

Video games and Twitter help to distract, keep my mood neutral. Is this all I can look forward to? I shall continue to contemplate....


* I had driven around the US east coast back in 2010, but somehow those experiences didn't translate into a vision of what Nova Scotia would look like.

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