Water Pressure & The Owl of Minerva

In this episode of The Insomnia Project, hosts Marco Timpano and Amanda Barker ease into a gently wandering conversation before a quick trip to Chicago. As with every episode of this calming podcast, the discussion moves at a relaxed pace, offering soft-spoken companionship that can help quiet racing thoughts and make it easier to unwind at the end of the day. Their relaxing conversation begins with a recent visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario, where they reflect on the Leonard Cohen exhibit and a small gift from the gallery shop. From there, the dialogue drifts naturally through everyday observations — Amanda talks about getting her nails done, Marco shares his attempts to understand new AI tools, and the two pause to appreciate simple neighbourhood moments involving their postman and blooming tulips.
The conversation continues through practical topics like water main servicing and water pressure at home, leading to surprisingly soothing talk about garden hoses and daily routines. Along the way they exchange a little neighbourhood gossip, discuss travel details like flying out of Billy Bishop Airport and choosing an aisle or window seat, and end up talking about food — including Toronto’s beloved Korean restaurant The Owl of Minerva. As always, the calm rhythm of the show makes it perfect for background listening while working, relaxing in the evening, or settling in to fall asleep and ease anxiety after a long day.

​Water Pressure & The Owl of Minerva
(Original airdate: April 19, 2023)

Marco:  easy reference to it. Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation about mundane things. Thank you for joining us. I'm your host, Marco Timpano.

Amanda: As always, our Mostlies sometimes. I'm Amanda Barker.

Marco:  Last episode was Michelle Miracle, a dear friend of ours. We talked about her art and Mishmash Art Stash, which is her company.

Amanda: And she's been, uh, she's been doing some fairs and some art shows and lovely places where people can stroll and buy a magnet or two.

Marco:  We had a few listeners comment on her art on our Instagram page, so that's really nice. By the time our listeners hear this, we will be home from a trip. We're heading to Chicago right now, so we're heading. We're getting Ready all those last minute preps before you hop in a cab to the airport.

Amanda: That's actually us right now. So taking a moment, got dressed, and gave ourselves a little bit of extra time this morning to just hop on the mic and check in.

Marco:  Record this episode. Chicago, one of my favorite cities to go to, so. Looking forward to it, are you?

Amanda: Yep.

Marco:  Yeah. You know, I wasn't earlier this week, but now that it's upon us, I'm raring and ready to go.

Amanda: I feel the opposite.

Marco:  Oh, really?

Amanda: I was looking forward and now I'm feeling a little hesitant.

Marco:  Amanda got her nails done today. I did for Chicago.

Amanda: You know, I don't always get my nails done. I've been trying some other approaches with my nails, as in doing them myself, with some varying results. However, I was filming for the last few weeks and I did some stunts, in fact, and. And with that, um, my nails were kind of a wreck. They needed professional help, and I'm very glad that I sought professional help for my nails.

Marco:  And now we're heading to Chicago for work too. I didn't mention that. So, um, Amanda has a few things she has to print out before we

Amanda: leave, and then we're off that little to do list. Right. Make sure we have our passports.

Marco:  Now, the last episode you and I recorded, we talked about not being able to go to the Ontario Art Gallery to see an exhibit.

Amanda: Oh, yeah.

Marco:  Because we went on a Monday when it was closed, and we got to see that exhibit before it left the art gallery.

Amanda: Is it going elsewhere, do you know?

Marco:  I didn't look to see. I know that it is where the next destination was.

Amanda: Well, that said, if you look up Leonard Cohen exhibit, um, do seek it out, if you can, in your city. It's a very comprehensive and somewhat immersive exhibit. Um, it's as you and I discussed, maybe leave some things out of his life, but for the most part, uh, um, it's a beautiful look into his art.

Marco:  Yeah. And, uh, one of the things that struck me that I was thinking about just the other day is there's a letter that's that. That Leonard received from Joan Baez, which is under glass. And she writes her phone number, call me, whatnot. And I saw her on an interview with. On one of the talk shows, and I was like, I wonder if this

Amanda: phone number, should we text her.

Marco:  Maybe we should. How's it going?

Amanda: I think it was back when landlines were a thing. And who knows who whose phone number

Marco:  that is, who owns that now? But I just. That was one of the Things that really struck me.

Amanda: It's interesting now. Pretty much. If we want to get in touch with somebody, we can, right? It's not hard to get in touch with somebody.

Marco:  There is a way to find them. Anyways.

Amanda: Sure.

Marco:  Most, most definitely. I'm trying to, uh, look into this chatgpt and learn that.

Amanda: Oh, really?

Marco:  I just want to be aware of it. I hear so much about it and uh, so I want to just. I just want to go online and play around and see exactly how it works. So at least I'm aware of that element.

Amanda: Up, uh, for a. Why you want to do some. We could do. I wonder if there's a way we could input this podcast and have it do its own version of it.

Marco:  I should chat. Use some AI to get topics. What are some topics to talk about on the podcast and see what, what comes up. You can ask AI stuff. Whatever you want.

Amanda: Yeah.

Marco:  And uh, I'm hoping the postman will come before we head to the airport.

Amanda: We love our postman. His name is Dominic. I think we've talked about him in the past. Lovely, lovely man. When I have time, he and I have some nice conversations. And, uh, he's always nice to see. I hope he never stops being our postman.

Marco:  Honestly, he's so great. Uh, one of the other things that is interesting, this happens to us often, Amanda, that we are away from our home as tulips are about to bloom.

Amanda: It happens often.

Marco:  It happens so often.

Amanda: Lilacs too. It's like all the good flowers bloom when we're away, I think.

Marco:  And I looked in our garden, we have these beautiful paper white tulips.

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco:  Or creamy tulips. I don't know what you'd call them, but they're really pretty in color.

Amanda: I planted them, I think, my first year in this house. Like I planted them before we were even married, I think. And uh, when I planted them, they were pretty short and yellowy color and I really wanted them to be long and white. And what I've learned is that over the years, tulips get longer and wider and whiter.

Marco:  Well, these ones, These ones got whiter.

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco:  Creamier. They're not quite white.

Amanda: They're off white. Yeah, they're beautiful. We may or may not see them.

Marco:  We also had some beautiful tulips that a friend brought us back from Holland.

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco:  And because our front yard, for lack of a better, better term for it, there is a fire hydrant there. And last year they had to replace the fire hydrant. Or two years ago, I believe. It was. And so they dug up all our front yard and no one told me otherwise I would have taken our flowers out. But those tulips didn't make it.

Amanda: Did not make it.

Marco:  And sure enough, folks, as we speak, they're going to be doing some water main pipe work in front of our home. So this time I blockaded some of our flowers with some, uh, metal gates and I spoke to the people and I kind of indicated how they can not trespass on our front yard or trapeze our flowers. And so I have high hopes, Amanda, that we're going to come back to a.

Amanda: What are your hopes for this water main situation?

Marco:  Well, the interesting thing about the water main situation is they're going to be doing work. So they have laid these pipes. Would you call them, I don't know what you'd call them. Tubes, PVC pipes, Tub pipes that are on the curb right now.

Amanda: Yeah, they're fat though.

Marco:  Yeah, they're fat.

Amanda: A pipe to me feels thin. These are big, fat.

Marco:  Sure, sure. Yeah, you're right.

Amanda: Yeah. Along the sidewalk though.

Marco:  So, um, I'm sure there's a term for it and it's not coming.

Amanda: Big pipe.

Marco:  No, it's not big pipe.

Amanda: That pipe.

Marco:  Um,

Amanda: okay, a double wide.

Marco:  A double wide, sure. So the um, the gentleman came to look at our water meter because they had to put a new on and off valve on it. So they said to me, we're going to have to access your garden hose in the front. And I said, okay. And this is when I realized they might be stepping on our garden. And I said, what do you need to do with that? And they're like, we have to take a, a hose from this new PVC pipe that they're putting. It's not a pipe, it's something else. Water main, water tube, water.

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco:  Channel. And we're going to pipe the water into your home from there while we're doing work. So he said, basically, we're pumping water into your home through your front water hose. And I said, oh, that's interesting. So that'll be a couple of days. And he said, no, that'll be a couple of months. And I said, how is our water supply going to be pumped in from our front garden hose or the tap there? Yeah, well, friends, you'll, you'll.

Amanda: I have to wonder, like I said, it's like taking a drink through your bottom.

Marco:  Yeah.

Amanda: I'm just not sure that it's going to work out.

Marco:  I don't know.

Amanda: It may hydrate you though.

Marco:  Sure, sure. Um, but you know, it's funny, our relationship with a garden hose is quite an interesting thing because here in Canada, if you leave your garden hoses outside during the winter, they can crack and break.

Amanda: Yeah, for sure.

Marco:  And, and hoses are a big menacing thing that can get out of hand if you don't coil them up properly. And I'm always fighting with garden hoses, I find. Yeah, I'm always trying to buy hoses that won't crack or break. And I had to cut one last year because I needed a little strip of garden hose for my air compressor. Uh, um, as weird as that sounds. And I couldn't find the one that we usually have, so I was like, uh, I'm gonna have to cut this garden hose here. And so my relationship with garden hoses is quite interesting.

Amanda: Mine is a little more mundane, but I am interested that each of the houses on our street now features a city issued garden hose where they're going to be pumping this water in. And for some reason I keep thinking, what if the Google truck comes by, the Google Earth van comes by and that ends up being the photo of all of our homes for a while.

Marco:  That's what you've been thinking.

Amanda: Yeah. And also there's a house a few doors down from us that's for sale. And, um, this house has been for sale for quite a while and they've. I'm not sure, it seems like they keep getting offers and then they, and then they raise the price.

Marco:  This sounds like neighborhood gossip.

Amanda: You're a bit first. Dominic the mailman.

Marco:  Grab your tea. Amanda's gonna be spilling some.

Amanda: The house down the street. Um, I guess I won't give the address.

Marco:  No, I don't think you should give the address.

Amanda: No, probably not. Unless you want to buy a home and be our neighbor.

Marco:  Private. Message us DM us on Instagram, we'll

Amanda: send it to you. Anyway, um, they started that journey, I think a year ago, something like that, almost a year ago. And it was one price and then they raised the price and then they took it off the market and then they've done the same thing again. One price and then another price raised. So I don't know if they get offers and they think, okay, we can get more. But, uh, in any event, now it's going to be. It hasn't sold and, and now it's going to feature a water hose. And so if you're moving into that home, but maybe that's the best time to do it, doing renovations and stuff.

Marco:  Amanda has a bigger issue with the fact that they're claiming their backyard is a parking garage.

Amanda: So on the listing, dear friends, it has a. It's listed with a garage. None of the houses on the street have a garage, nor are they allowed to have a garage by city bylaw. Also, to be fair, I looked into our back because I was like, what can we do? I wanted to. At one point I had thought maybe I could just not. We could just not have a backyard and have more house. But by city bylaws, you're not allowed to do that. Although in these streets, no one seems to care.

Marco:  It's true.

Amanda: Maybe I shouldn't have paid attention, but

Marco:  I think if you have a garage, it has to be covered. That's what makes it a garage.

Amanda: It is not covered. It is a back deck.

Marco:  Just can't park on your back deck and call it a garage.

Amanda: It's your backyard.

Marco:  It's your backyard.

Amanda: It's basically parking in your backyard with a. And there's a gate that's wide enough to accommodate a car. So they're calling that a garage. They also. If we're just going to get into slagging the house. No, I think.

Marco:  Don't we. I don't want you to slag.

Amanda: Called it a semi, which in Canadian terms. It's a Canadian. British term. More often you hear semi or detached. We say that a lot in these cities.

Marco:  Um, what do you say?

Amanda: In the US you just don't say semi or detached. You'd say duplex. You'd say triplex. You'd say, um, you would say townhouse, I think, or row house is what it is. But in any event, they called it a semi, which means that it's, I don't know, like a duplex, for lack of a better term. But it's connected to, you know, the other 50 houses on the street. It's just at the end. So it does have. But it's not like it has a yard. The. The other side is an alleyway.

Marco:  Right.

Amanda: It's not really the definition of a subby. Neither here nor there, I suppose. Sure, they'll sell it eventually and with a big old hose and people will be getting their water through a hose. Do you think our showers are going to be affected?

Marco:  Well, that was my concern. Where your concern is a Google truck coming by. I don't know why that's not my

Amanda: biggest concern, but it is in my head.

Marco:  Biggest concern. Mine is the water pressure, because you know me, my thing is all about water pressure.

Amanda: Exactly.

Marco:  And one of the reasons I always Said that I would have difficulty living in Italy is because of their lack of water pressure. M. Beautiful, um, country. Yes, agreed. Great food, lovely people, but no water pressure. And that's where I draw the line, Amanda. Ah. And in North America, we're spoiled because our water pressure, generally speaking, is quite strong. And so for me, strong water pressure is, uh, important. Always has been, probably always will be.

Amanda: I don't know what my most important thing is. I like having 24 hour groceries. I think now it's access to Uber Eats.

Marco:  Oh, really?

Amanda: Or like delivery.

Marco:  Yeah, uh, the convenience of that.

Amanda: Kind of just knowing that with a press of a button I can order pretty much whatever I want. I enjoy. I don't need to use it all the time. I just, in fact, I don't use it, uh, too often. But maybe once a week, maybe, maybe depending on the week. But there are, I don't know, there's a lot of places where you just can't have access to. For me, food is the most important thing.

Marco:  Fair enough.

Amanda: Access to variety of food.

Marco:  I see.

Amanda: So in Italy, obviously the food wherever you are is amazing. Um, but you know, the sushi, not so much.

Marco:  Right.

Amanda: The Mexican cuisine, you might have to find.

Marco:  Sure.

Amanda: When I lived in Korea, it was similar. The food was amazing. Uh, and I love Korean food and I really can eat it every day. And I proved that because I did. However, we would go through to great lengths to be able to go get nachos, a burger. Um, at that time you could get burgers, but like a pub with a burger or fish and chips, things like that. Um, we would maybe go on the subway for an hour or two to go to like, um, an American chain restaurant, as silly as that sounds.

Marco:  We actually live near Koreatown here in Toronto and that's where Amanda had her nails done,

Amanda: although they are not Korean at that place.

Marco:  As we were driving by, there was a restaurant that caught my eye that I want to go to called the Owl of Minerva.

Amanda: Very popular restaurant, very popular, Multiple locations.

Marco:  There's multiple locations.

Amanda: It's chained Toronto chain.

Marco:  I actually think it's based in London. London, Ontario. And they've brought chains here. I don't believe it's Toronto specific or that's where it started in. The most fascinating thing about the Owl of Minerva is the, I guess, owner and chef, which I would say is a middle aged Korean woman, has a graduation cap on her head.

Amanda: Yeah. I don't know.

Marco:  As the emblem to the restaurant. So it's very unique, shall we say. So I'm really wanting to dine there. So.

Amanda: Well, the owl of Minerva in Greek mythology traditionally represents or accompanies Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom, or Minerva, her syncretic incarnation in Roman mythology. So, uh, it represents wisdom. So maybe that's why she's wearing a graduation cap.

Marco:  Sure.

Amanda: I don't know how it relates to, like, Bibimbap and other ddeokboki, Korean delicacies.

Marco:  Yeah.

Amanda: Um, but you're right. There's, um. I'm looking if you go to do a plug.

Marco:  Of course.

Amanda: Owlfamily Ca. That's cute. Owl Family.

Marco:  That's the website. Yeah.

Amanda: Owlfamily Cat. Uh, it looks to be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Uh, 6, 7. Seven locations. Seven locations serve you in the Owl of Minerva.

Marco:  So join the owl family.

Amanda: I don't know why it's called that.

Marco:  It's so great. I'll tell you this, you don't forget the name of that restaurant when you drive by it.

Amanda: That's true. It's a very memorable name, most definitely. And now associated somehow, inexplicably, with, uh, Sundubu Chige.

Marco:  We are going to the small airport.

Amanda: Yes.

Marco:  Which is called Billy Bishop, our favorite, which is in the city, versus going to the Toronto International Airport, otherwise known as Lester B. Pearson, which is not in Toronto, it's in Mississauga, so it's in another borough, let's say close to the city. But this particular airport is so great because it's on our side of the city, so it doesn't take us long to get there.

Amanda: And.

Marco:  And they used to have free coffee and free drinks when you got to that airport because it was small and quaint.

Amanda: It's true.

Marco:  And I miss that.

Amanda: Even still, they have, you know, one little coffee shop and a little lounge. Dear friends, it is like going to, um, a living room. It's like. It's a beautiful flying experience.

Marco:  It's like. Remember that television program Wings?

Amanda: Yeah.

Marco:  It's kind of like what they flew out of. I think it's true.

Amanda: That was a very small airport in that show.

Marco:  So that's where we're heading to.

Amanda: It's lovely. You know, there's not a lot of locations, but Chicago is one of their places that they fly to daily, I believe. So it works very well for us. But, yeah, it's sort of one. If you can imagine, one big lounge, one big room, you know, with a little coffee shop on one side and lounge on one side, like, um, you know, bar on one side.

Marco:  Right.

Amanda: Nothing big or terribly fancy. And then a big. It's like a big circle, and there's just doors. And then they just do a little, sweet little announcement. Amanda and Marco, you're going to want to go to door four.

Marco:  That's right.

Amanda: Go hop on that sweet little plane to Chicago.

Marco:  We'll often bump into friends at that airport, too. M which is kind of neat.

Amanda: And all the planes are jets that I don't know the name of the jet, but they. They're two seaters. Or, um, not two. They're four seaters, but two on each side of the aisle. So you're always going to get either an aisle or a window seat, which I love. No one gets stuck in the middle.

Marco:  Which is your preference, Aisle or window?

Amanda: What do you think?

Marco:  The window.

Amanda: I love a window, but I don't mind an aisle.

Marco:  I like an aisle.

Amanda: Well, we're both happy. See, this is why it's a great experience.

Marco:  Although technically, you booked the.

Amanda: It's true. I'm the aisle and you're the window. So, um, if you want to switch it up, you better.

Marco:  I'll just say. I'll call the flight attendant over and say, this woman's in my seat before

Amanda: I get nice and comfortable because I have my process that I think I've documented on this show. But I like to take my headphones out and my other headphones out. So I have headphones for my phone and headphones for my tablet. I like my tablet on the back of the seat in front of me. My book, in case I feel ready to read in the. In the back of the seat in front of me this time around, I'll bring my notes for the work we're going to do because I have not even looked at them.

Marco:  Amanda still has to print them. That's one last thing we have to do before we go.

Amanda: So I'll probably be doing work on the plane or at least studying.

Marco:  I will be editing this episode on the plane. So there we go.

Amanda: So actually will be coming to you or the episode will be coming to you all from Chicago. The windy City.

Marco:  That's right.

Amanda: Do you think it'll be windy?

Marco:  Uh, it's supposed to be nice weather.

Amanda: I don't think it's windier than here.

Marco:  I'm bringing my jacket. My heavier jacket.

Amanda: Yeah, me too, I think, because it was snowing last night. Did you know that?

Marco:  In Chicago here. Oh, no, I didn't know that.

Amanda: I was snowing two nights ago here, and then again today a little bit. It was snowing.

Marco:  No, I didn't know that.

Amanda: Yeah. So we still have to dress. It got. It was summer.

Marco:  Last week, they made us, like, turn on the air conditioner. And I was like, I think it's a bit early.

Amanda: Never too early for air conditioning. And then we did open up, for the record, everybody was like, uh, we did open up every window in the house and try to create a cross breeze. And it was still over 80 degrees in the house. So that's when I put my foot down and said, we need help. We need, like, my nails. We needed to call in the professionals and turn the air conditioner on.

Marco:  And there you. There you go. Well, wherever you are, I hope you are feeling cool and comfortable. Like a cucumber. Um, is that the expression?

Amanda: I. Cool like a cucumber? I suppose like a cucumber with a nice comfy duvet.

Marco:  You know what happened? I was. I was taking out the organic waste before we left, and the bag spills open. Yeah. And so I had to deal with that.

Amanda: That's what we're leaving people on.

Marco:  No, I cleaned it up. Everything's fine.

Amanda: And everything's fine and everything's wonderful.

Marco:  I just thought I'd share that as a last minute. It just took me a moment longer. Well, I'll let you go print your notes, and I will, uh, hail a cab, and hopefully by the time the cab comes, Amanda will be downstairs with their notes and we'll be ready.

Amanda: When he says he'll hail a cab, what he means is I'll check both Lyft and Uber and see who has

Marco:  better rates, which Amanda does. And she's always. But, but, but don't book the one where we have to share it, but the direct one.

Amanda: No, I won't. Yeah, I won't. I'm not that I'm cheap, but I'm not that cheap.

Marco:  Amanda's. Amanda's great for things like that. Like, she knows these apps really well. And one time I had to order free food without Amanda on one of those apps, the Uber app, or whatever it was. And our, uh, friend was over, and she's vegetarian or she doesn't eat meat. And I was ordering pizza, and sure enough, somehow, between selecting the one I wanted and placing the order, a bacon pizza arrived in its place. So. So now I'm always like, I don't know why I can't seem to do that with the apps, but, uh. But it's not my strength, shall we say? It's not my strength. Texting is more my strength, so.

Amanda: And, uh, the winner is Uber over Lyft. They're a little cheaper.

Marco:  All right. So, uh, with. On that note, wherever you are, we hope you have a lovely day, afternoon or evening. And until next time, we hope you were able to listen and sleep.