Well, Ottawa’s been the capital for 150 years now. And nobody knows how to commemorate quite like our dear friends at Canada Post:

Of course, as far as Ottawa’s status as the national capital goes, it was touch and go there for a while. Anyhow, lately I’ve been noticing a few signs suggesting that I’ve been in Ottawa for too long (or is it just long enough?). You know, these sorts of things:

• I now like Schawarma,
• I know where to find a place to eat downtown that’s actually open past 9:00 (or should I say 2100h?),
• I also know where most of the largest potholes are (some of which are so blatantly bad that if they damage your car, the City will cover the mechanic’s bill!),
• the names of myriad neighbourhoods (Glebe, Westboro, Centretown, Market, Sandy Hill, etc.) no longer confuse me,
• I now appreciate treat two-way streets as a rare luxury, and actually dream about light rail (seriously!),
• I enjoy listening to CBC radio (it’s not just for old people anymore), and finally
• I don’t mind giving government contracts to my friends, then overlooking it when they send in exorbitant bills for non-existent work, because I know if I crack jokes in court I’ll get off scot-free!

OK, so the last one is a bit of a stretch, but you get the idea.