Now – Sarah Simpkin

In the spirit of /now, here’s what I’ve been up to lately. This was last updated in September 2023.

I bought my house five years ago. Since then, I’ve taken care of most of the issues flagged by the home inspector, including replacing the furnace, hot water heater, and a couple of windows. With all of the essential repairs out of the way, I’m working on a longer-term project to upgrade some of the finishes to better suit my taste. Over the summer, I ripped out all the carpet (and tack strips, so many tack strips) in my ground-level rec room and will be having hardwood installed this fall.

I’d give it a solid 6/10. This summer, I wasn’t as active as previous years, with my exercise consisting mainly of a short bike commute on fair weather days. I drove to work and ate out more than I would’ve liked, though, so I’m making a renewed effort to get to work under my own steam when possible, as well as taking longer walks on the weekends.

In January, I started a new role at a new organization. It was a big leap into a more senior position, and I’ve had to learn a lot very quickly. The job is well aligned with my strengths and interests, and things are going well. Going into the fall, though, ~~I’d like~~ I need to get better at disconnecting at the end of the workday.

I got to travel to Chicago in June for work, which was a nice opportunity to re-visit one of my favourite US cities after a long break. When I wasn’t conferencing, I was taking the L to different neighbourhoods. Particular highlights on this trip were Evanston, Oak Park and Lake View.
After many mechanical issues and associated pricey repairs, I traded in my twelve year old Fiat 500 for a new Subaru Crosstrek at the end of June. I’m quite pleased with the upgrade (safety features! four doors!) and have been enjoying the odd weekend drive to nearby towns, including Almonte, Merrickville, and the Thousand Islands.

A friend switched me on to Only Connect, and I’ve recently gone down a UK quiz show rabbit hole. This has been very welcome entertainment.
I continue to subscribe to the print edition of The Atlantic, and have been reading a steady stream of books from the Ottawa Public Library, both print and electronic.