Here, for you, are a few of the latest and greatest to check out…

Adorn Inc. – Adorn Inc., is a delightful blog done by local freelance writer April Overall. Sharing mostly images and inspiration, April comes across some of the most pleasing pictures and products out there on the Internet.

Thriftkitty – This recent addition to Ottawa’s blogging scene offers readers quirky, crafty insight into the joys and triumphs of thrift shopping right here at home and out there on the Information Superhighway. With passion and zeal, Thriftkitty occasionally reveals her secrets and steals, but given her intermittent posts – this girlaboutOtown suspects she would rather be shopping!

OttawaDiva – This brand new blog – started just in the last week or so – has been brought to life based on the notion that Ottawa needs to embrace bolder attitude. Brace yourself. The Ottawa Diva does not mince words.

Apartment613 – Also new to Ottawa’s burgeoning blog scene, Apartment 613 is a very clever, very cool site covering everything from neighbourhoods and city news to books and brunch. Regularly updated, and featuring a handy weekly wrap up, this one site is definitely worth watching.

Spins and Needles –Ottawa’s creative types have been convening regularly at The Spins & Needles Craft and DJ night since 2005. This convergence of craft and community is always enjoyably enhanced with spun sounds and spirits. Now, the “crafty half” of Spins and Needles – co-founder Melanie Yugo, shares some “spin off stuff” with readers of her recently started blog.

Designing Ottawa – Maria Cook from the Ottawa Citizen is to be commended. Finally, someone is talking about architecture, public space and urban design with insight and intelligence that applies right here in Ottawa.  If you were following the Lansdowne Park/Kanata Soccer Stadium debate, you should not have missed Maria’s contribution.

Modern Ottawa – Launched just since January, interior designer Marie-Judith Jean-Louis’s blog about local modern design is definitely something different for Ottawa. Take a peek inside some of the city’s most contemporary spaces, learn about the fundamentals of urban design, or even consider some of her constructive – but kind – criticism of Ottawa’s most recent Home and Garden Show.

Design Ties – Kelly, of Jax Decor & Design in Ottawa, and her co-conspirator Victoria of EdinDesign Interiors in New Westminister, B.C., are each building business in the design field. Blogging about all things home & garden related with enthusiasm and energy, it is nice to see some more local content in the design and decorating domain.

This girlaboutOtown will be back again soon…

In retrospect, it seems pretty obvious that last week’s fits of blogging ambition were prescription painkiller induced, and that really, I needed to just get over myself, slow down, and get better.  There is nothing like the feeling of being run over by a Mack truck to put life into perspective!

The surgeon himself described my wisdom tooth extraction as a “doozer” of a job, and complained of “sore arms” when the fella came to pick me up and deliver me home.   The entire week following seems vague to me now, although I do recall following one rather dramatic collapse to the floor, I was forbidden to take the stairs without a chaperone.  Imagine that!  This general state of fog and the accompanying wooziness,  I have since surmised, were likely the result of the “for those rare occasion” drugs provided to me out of kindness, post-op.

Needless to say, these powerful pills produced some seriously intense extremes, so I guess its a good thing there were no repeats allowed.  This week I was switched to Tylenol 3’s, a far less potent alternative, and while this has certainly meant fewer ups and downs, man-o-man, am I ever in slow motion!  I get “stuck” staring into space, I have trouble finishing sentences, and it is taking entirely too long for me to do just about anything.  My mom, who has popped by more than once to see me, has noted with humour that my mind wandering ways and slower than usual speech patterns still persist…

Then there is the not-so-small matter of my face.  Now I know that its all “what’s inside that matters” and all that – but come on – a couple of  super-sized chipmunk cheeks and split lip that stretches as far as the blush zone just can’t be compensated for!  Not only did I feel like a clown in hell, I looked like one too.  For a few days there, the little girlaboutOtown actually seemed a tiny bit terrified, and you can’t really blame her.  So was I!  Call me vain if you must, but I have not been looking my best lately, and regardless of my beautiful “insides”,  I haven’t exactly felt compelled to leave home.

                “Sick Day” via hodgepodgeillustration

Anyway, the puffiness has begun to peter away and my lip cracks have filled in and faded.  Oh, and it is safe to say that I have officially stopped drooling.  Having not eaten for a week, I’m happy to finally be able to swallow all variety of cream soups, but my slurping is far from surreptitious.  It’s downright disgusting.

Kudos to my kind-hearted Dr. for sparing me the early days and supplying the Oxycodone, and gratitude goes to my girl for being so great when her clown-faced mom was far less than funny.  Most of all though, it’s my fella who deserves the medal.  Not only did he provide me with outstanding care and attention throughout, he single-handedly kept the wheels from falling off our entire household by taking on more than twice his fair share, all while wearing his wonderfully warm and loving smile.  Even for those of you who don’t know what a hunk he is, his inner beauty should at least be apparent. 

Now that I’m upright again, and I can see over my own cheeks, it won’t be much longer before I’m back with my usual girlaboutOtown insights, anecdotes and reflections.

Thank you as always for reading, and check in again soon!

Tuesday morning bright and early, I had 3 wisdom teeth removed.  Looking back, I’m not sure it was too wise.  Yuck. 

I hope that sometime soon this girlaboutOtown will be back at it, but for now…I’m hibernating.