Regina - for Better or for Worse

Moving to a new city is always (in my experience) slightly traumatizing. You need to learn the most basic things all over again – best take-out, closest drug store, fastest route to work etc. Moving in the winter adds some extra excitement. I have now been in Regina 3 ½ months and am starting get a better feel for the city as well as rarely getting lost.

During my time so far there have been things that I love and others that cause rage induced rants.  I would like to share some of each with you now.

Rants

• Snow Plowing of roads seems to be next to non-existent. One of the pictures below is of a street in the downtown core 1 week after our last snow fall.
• Snow Plowing of side-walks also next to non-existent. With the warmer weather we have been experiencing (-5ish) I would normally be outside running. However, due to the state of the sidewalks I am very leery to run outside. I have already taken 3 falls this winter and my left knee is still recovering from the last one.
• Car Insurance must be purchased through Saskatchewan Government Insurance which makes it much more expensive for less coverage.  Nothing I like more than paying more for less.
• Saskatchewan is really hard to spell.

However, you will note that some of these are seasonal so hopefully will be resolved with the advent of spring. Plus, there are also many things I really like.

Love:

• Walking to work in the morning; even in the winter Regina is a beautiful city.
• Wascana park is less than 1 km away and it a lovely spot to run, walk and bike in all seasons. Interestingly enough, the paths here are better maintained than the city sidewalks.
• You can get just about anywhere in about 15 minutes.
• The supportiveness of the business community. Not only to the library but also to each other. Businesses in the downtown core seem to genuinely like and support each other. Restaurants re-tweet and comment on each other’s specials and news, fashion boutiques recommend each other etc . A definite understanding that the success of one equals success for the others.
• My co-workers. I had amazing co-workers at Ottawa Public and am delighted that the trend continued at Regina Public. Although the job itself can be challenging (where in Library School did it cover flooding?) my co-workers have been wonderfully supportive and eager to share their knowledge.

I have no doubt that more things will come up on both sides as I continue to explore and adjust.

This week-end, I visited the Saskatchewan Science Center to check out their new traveling exhibit: da Vinci Inventions. Leonardo da Vinci is probably best known for his Art but he was also one of the greatest inventors, scientists, and thinkers of all time. This exhibit was really interesting as it had some life-size re-creations of da Vinci’s drawings. Very cool stuff. There was even one for his version of a tank. I had no idea he had invented so many weapons, even if many of them never left the page. Beyond the exhibit, I also explored the overall museum and must say that I especially liked the section on light. Some of the science exhibits were desperately in need of repair, like well-loved toys but overall a fun way to spend the afternoon. It had the perfect ending with an Imax showing of Skyfall. I am admittedly a little behind on this one but it was a wonderful movie and I am very happy to have seen it in the theater before picking up the blu-ray.

Overall, I am enjoying my time in Regina and am REALLY looking forward to spring so I can start to explore more.  I had a to brief visit to Saskatoon in December  that I am eager to repeat as well as venture to Moose Jaw to check out their Temple Gardens Mineral Spa. Both maybe on the agenda for my mother’s visit in May, absolutely something to look forward to.

Wascana Park

Injury from my last fall. Still sore after 2 weeks.

Gotta love the sidewalks.

This road was last plowed when?

Light and Heat at Science Center

da Vinci mirrior box to study all angles.

Playing with light at the Science Center