Writing at bars

Welcome to the first post of 2019. We’re three months in, somehow. Time has flown. And here I am, 90 days later, finally finding some time to write this. 2017 saw 25 posts, 2018 saw 2 posts. Let’s see what 2019 brings.

Let’s paint a picture, it’s a grey, rainy day. I’m grateful a friend is in town visiting, and we’re all meeting up to hang on Queen West. I realized on route there that if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t have made the effort to get out on this gloomy day. Better yet, I’m in a neighbourhood I’ve always wanted to explore. I ensure to have packed my laptop, as I’m determined to write …something… anything, today.

We start off at Tokyo Smoke, cute coffee shop but not enough food to keep me there to start writing. So I leave with them and head east. They’ve got plans to go shopping, which reminds me that though I’m on a no-buy March, there are a few things I’ve been thinking about: sunglasses, thin strapped sport bras, dress-friendly sneakers and boots. A little browsing could only help prepare me for next weekend when I’ll be free to indulge in plastic card taps.

Okay, enough stalling, I’ve found perfect sunglasses at Joe Fresh and cute Steve Madden sneakers at Winners. Time to find a place to eat and start writing. A quick Google search of what’s around lands me at Away Kitchen + Bar, a vegan spot, this was unintentional as Google made it seem they had vegetarian options. Either way, I’m seated now and it’s too late to leave so I order a four “cheese” pizza.

Realizing I’m not at a fast-food joint and my hunger won’t be appeased immediately, out comes the notebook. I start writing out my thoughts for a piece and words are flowing. Great, the process has begun.

Pizza gets there and I somehow finish two thirds of it and then all of it. I didn’t allow for multitasking, so the writing is on pause. Post-pizza, post-laptop charge, I now want to type. I realized that once again my website layout isn’t conducive to writing up a quick post.

I take the next hour to change up templates, this makes all my pre-2019 posts visible. I now sort them into categories I think are important and going to guide my writing in 2019. I feel productive, I’ve now chosen and fixed a template that allows me to log on and write daily. Whatever I can do to make this easier.

I need a change of scene. Some coffee shops are too tight and crowded, and I want to avoid a franchise today. I don’t need quiet students working on papers, I need people to watch in a social environment that’ll inspire me to write. I think about Neo. On my walk there I pass by Coffee, Oysters, Champagne. I’m not dressed for A Toi but maybe they’ll let me sit at COC and write at the bar. They do. Thus this piece - the first one of 2019 - is born, as I sip Peaches and Cream Sloane tea at the bar.

Finally, maybe my writing will stick this year.