Friday, July 18, 2025

life lately: pop 2000s tour and ottawa getaway

Life has been busy lately. Busy, but fun. Most of the time, my preference is for life to be slow and steady....quiet and calm. However, it has been nice to mix things up a bit in recent weeks. (Though the idea of slow, steady, quiet, and calm sounds appealing again, as there is a need to recharge after so much social activity.) In a short span, I've been able to see a movie with a friend, spend a few hours shopping with my parents, go to a concert, and visit Ottawa for a couple of days. With so much happening in the last little while, it seemed appropriate to share a few of those highlights in this life lately post. 


Pop 2000s Tour. When the Pop 2000s Tour tickets went on sale many months back, it was a no brainer. The lineup included Chris Kirkpatrick from NSYNC, Ryan Cabrera, BBMak, and O-Town. (And the one remaining member of LFO, but he used to stand outside of clinics bothering women, so I took no photos of him and generally tried to pretend he wasn't there at all.) Though there was a lot of stress heading into the evening (health issues with a loved one, me getting over a cold, and a whole lot of traffic that caused us to barely make it to the casino on time)...it ended up being a really wonderful night. Ryan Cabrera's music has meant a lot to me over the years so it was exciting to see him start off the evening. The Moon Underwater is one of my "writing albums" aka CDs that I listen to while I write blog posts, work on my book, or dabble in poetry, so it was especially fun to hear him play live. After his set, it was time for BBMak. This was the moment that I was waiting for. BBMak is one of my all-time favourite bands and their music has been a constant source of comfort for me. I always dreamed about seeing them perform live, but it never happened. Finally it did and their entire set just blew me away. Amazing songs, amazing harmonies, and a total dream come true. Next was O-Town, which was fun until they bought out that hateful man from LFO and they all sang together. That kind of put a damper on the O-Town set for me. Thankfully, I have been fortunate enough to see O-Town a few times before. The final portion of the show involved O-Town dancing and singing NSYNYC songs with Chris Kirkpatrick. All in all, it was a fun concert with a lot of talented people. But the night got even better thanks to the meet and greets for sale.

During the show, it was mentioned that there was a table in the venue where meet and greets could be purchased. After the BBMak set, I went to the table just to see how much it would cost to meet them. Thankfully, the price for a selfie with BBMak was pretty reasonable and I treated myself to that experience post-show. It was so worth it. Honestly, the picture with BBMak is not amazing because the camera on my phone is terrible, but meeting them was incredible. I made a fool of myself because I was literally shaking and had tears in my eyes, but it was just so overwhelming to meet them. Back when the album Into Your Head was released, my family had just moved. I had no friends in the area and I was so anxious about starting at a new school. I desperately missed the way my life had been before. That album was my closest companion back then and it remains special to me today, especially the song Run Away. Despite me being emotional and overwhelmed, the members of BBMak were so kind. They were thoughtful and appreciative. It was an absolute dream come true. I am still pinching myself to make sure it all happened. This year has been hard so far for a whole lot of reasons...so it was extra nice to have something special happen.


Ottawa for Canada Day Celebrations. As mentioned in a previous post, my husband and I took a little trip to Ottaway to celebrate Canada Day. We started the drive fairly early in the day so we could get there with some time to look around. Some time was spent at the mall, at the locks, looking at the market, and then eventually checking into our hotel. There was an evening concert at LeBreton Flats, which we walked to. Unfortunately, there was a rain storm that took place during the set for the DJ that my husband likes, but we were still able to enjoy most of the set. There were some highlights during the concert for me, including artists that I love like Amanda Marshall and Sarah McLachlan. It was incredible to see those iconic Canadian performers live. The next day, we had breakfast down at the locks (it is our favourite place to visit in Ottawa) and then walked along the canal. We then went to the Agriculture and Food Museum for a few hours and then started the long drive back home. On the way home, there was one last stop at The Big Apple for some treats and time at this fun tourist attraction. 

Though it is my hope that the next few weeks are a little more relaxed, there have been some memorable moments recently.

How have you been enjoying the summer season? What are your recent highlights? 

2 comments:

  1. Thank you =) I like my Naturally Pam order too. Can't wait to try the Clean Protein bar, looks and sounds so delicious.
    Oh yes this is all yummy stuff =)
    Thank you, I had a really delicious trip in Great Britain =)
    I love my new Paris Hilton mug so much <3 Pretty cute.

    Sounds like a really great time =) It's nice to have some highlights that lasts forever.
    I love the pictures with the animals <3 Sheeps and donkeys are always cute <3
    Summer season is fully packed with a lot of stuff. Today we go on a little party in the city and next week I have my next festival <3 :D Can't wait for it.

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  2. How great, you had a wonderful time. I love the photos of you.

    ReplyDelete