Two weeks from today, I’ll be packing up my car and heading to Montreal for a few days. I haven’t been since 2019, and I’ve really missed it. There was a time when I made the trip at least once a year, but that hasn’t been the case since COVID, and it feels long overdue.
I usually stay in the Village—or right on the edge of it—which means that’s where I spend most of my time. I’m sure my evenings (and probably my nights) will be spent there again, but during the day, I’m hoping to explore a bit more—visit a few museums, maybe do some shopping, and just enjoy being back in the city.
I know I have a few readers in Montreal, so if you have any “must do” recommendations, let me know. I’d love to hear them. And who knows—maybe we could even arrange a little Closet Professor coffee meetup while I’m there. It’s always been such a pleasure to meet readers in person. On one of my first trips, I even met JiEL, which was especially nice.
In the meantime, today is all about getting ready for the trip in a more practical way. I was off work yesterday for my Botox injections for migraines—always a fun time—and I’m using up a few of those “take ‘em or lose ‘em” vacation days before they disappear into the bureaucratic abyss. So I’ve had a little extra time to get things lined up.
This morning, I’ll be spending it at the mechanic getting new tires, an oil change, and my annual state inspection. If my car passes inspection without any surprise add-ons, it will be nothing short of a miracle. I’m convinced no one ever passes a Vermont inspection on the first try. I’m pretty sure they found something the very first time I brought my car in—when I’d only had it for a week.
Part of that may be because I bought the car in New Hampshire—it was several thousand dollars cheaper—but that meant having it inspected here in Vermont, even though it was brand new. The two states have different inspection requirements, which seems a bit ridiculous to me. You’d think something as basic as vehicle safety standards would be consistent across states. But then again, Vermont has always liked doing things its own way. There’s a reason you see those bumper stickers that say, “Keep Vermont Weird.”
I hope you all have a wonderful day.
Joe
The Closet Professor 
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