I've Got Events To Keep Me Warm

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Have I mentioned that I hate winter? Well, I do. And February has got to be the worst month of the year in Nova Scotia. It's long enough after Christmas break that the holiday seems like a distant memory, far enough away from Spring and the next long weekend that the days seem to drag on. AND, as if that was not bad enough, we seem to get most of our snow in February - big storms interspersed with warmer, wet days, resulting in a whole lot of dirty slush all over town. You can see why one would become hateful and depressed at such a time!

That being said, what is getting me through is the great events happening in February and March. Here's a few that I am looking forward to:

1) Stargazing and the Science of Love: My boyfriend and I decided to visit the Discovery Centre this Thursday, for a unique Valentine's Day outing that is romantic without being cheesy. Adults looking to "mix it up" for V-Day can do some stargazing and listen to a talk by Matthew Numer, PhD, on "The Science of Love and Attraction". Can't beat $10 for a night of learning something new together. Plus, we are going for supper at Piatto first, a place I have been looking forward to trying since it opened (I had two separate people tell me they had the best pizza of their life here!). The only thing better than learning is learning with a belly full of delicious pizza!

2) Savouring Some Delicious Cocktails: The Savour Food and Wine festival is taking place for most of the month of February and there are tons of great events happening. Alas, I am not able to make it to the main event - the Savour Food and Wine show - but we are hoping to take in the Imbibe cocktail event on February 21st. This is basically a gathering of the best mixologists in Nova Scotia (along with a couple of special guests, including Jeremy Parsons, who is heralded as "one of the top mixologists in North America") and a chance to sample some of the most delicious and innovative drinks that local restos are pouring. Trying to sample as much as possible without getting totally sloshed on a weeknight will be tough, but I am up to the challenge!

3) North End Tour of Yum: On March 9th, the boy and I will embark on the North End Fantasy Food Tour, and I will finally get the chance to try two more places that have been on my list for a while - Ace Burger (from the guys who brought us the Brooklyn Warehouse, one of my favourite restos in Halifax), and DeeDee's (who apparently makes amazeballs gelato and burritos). We will also stop at an old standard favourite of mine - Java Blend coffee shop. Their coffee is delicious and the owner is like a local business powerhouse (he just opened a new brewery and is always willing to donate an awesome item to the silent auction for my sister's work). Guessing I will be supremely stuffed by the end of this evening, but I KNOW I will be supremely happy.

4) Tedx Nova Scotia: I have never attended a Ted conference before, but I am really hoping to get the chance this year (March 10th). In case you couldn't tell from #1, I am a bit of a "learning nerd" which means I really enjoy any event where my brain can soak up tons of interesting information and my synapses are fired off in quick and constant succession. The full list of speakers isn't posted yet so I'm not quite sure what specific sessions I will be attending but I am sure there will be some great choices. If nothing else, the Ben Caplan concert should be fist-pumping. I really enjoy the event motto "ideas worth spreading" - it could easily be a life motto for me!

The snow may be snowing and the wind may be blowing, but I will weather the storm thanks to all the fun events to keep me warm this February and March!