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winter closing in
November 18, 2013 - 7:50pm
Shit. We might get some snow showers tonight, but that shouldn't be dire. However, by this weekend, we may well get some accumulation.
I age 40 years then, from 20 years below my actual age to 20 years higher. I can cycle everywhere for hours, skilfully, but when arthritis kicks in, the amount of walking needed to do one's errands, visit clients and friends etc gets painful. And this is essential to stay in shape.
I don't know how to cope with this fucking crap every year. Grrrrrrr.
Unrelated: the "Issues Pages" are hopelessly out of date.
I hope snow will stay away until late December like it has done in the last few years here in Saint John.
We had two extremely mild winters here in a row - almost no snow or frigid weather, and I could cycle most of the time except when it was too icy. But we got quite a bit of snow and even some severe cold (though nothing like we'd get 20 or 30 years ago) last winter and that is why I'm dreading winter so much.
They had announced snow showers last night, but fortunately we didn't get them.
It seems bitterly cold right now. I am travelling to Montreal tonight and weighing the chances that I can get away with nice boots...
You can. No snow here at all. Not any serious snow predicted soon.
I don't mind the cold, much, or snow (except when I have to drive during a snowstorm), but I hate the short, grey days and the ritual bundling up in layers of clothes before stepping outside. It's a novelty at the beginning of the season, the thick socks and comfy sweaters and jeans, scarves and hats, but by March I'm thoroughly fed up with the need to put on or peel off pounds of winter wear every time I cross the threshold of an indoor space. By calendar Spring I'm longing to step outside, go anywhere without having to don layers of clothing.
When I lived in Toronto I could cycle for most of the year and take public transit the rest of the time. Here in southwestern Ontario there is so much more snow, and if you have hours of time on your hands you can take the LTC, which, like most public transit in small cities, has incomprehensibly circuitous routes that will take you anywhere in the city except close to where you actually need to go.
Oh, I mind all of that, more and more with age. But I was happy to get out on my bicycle, although it was all of 1°. Public transport would have been of little use (not that I would have spent two tickets on running daily errands anyway), because it was a matter of covering a territory not a hell of a lot more tan 1.5km in any direction, but go to the bank, the market (Marché Jean-Talon) at least 3 shops where things I needed were on special etc.
Nor would driving, actually, with the difficulty parking in a densely-populated urban area.
Walking takes longer, but that never bothered me; it is just a matter of calming down with the nasty season, but sometimes arthritis makes it very painful and there were a few times during the extremely snowy winter this past year, when it hadn't been ploughed out, that I actually used a cane (my late mum's). Horrible, as people treat you as if you are mentally deficient.
It was a gorgeous day in Mtl today. Didn't feel the cold, and the wind was not bad at all.
Only regret is that my visit was so brief I didn't get a chance to enjoy really good food. Next time.
Oh, that is a pity. I can advise on places even near where you might be working.
I had one of those absurdly brief working trips to Vancouver, but at least I did get a bit of Asian seafood...
There was almost no wind today, and it was very dry, due to the previous gales. I was able to cycle around for errands (we aren't talking long distances here, basically around Villeray - La Petite-Patrie - the Plateau) today although it was around zero, as there were none of the treacherous patches of ice we had last week
-27 going down to -29 tonight. Time for the blockheater and long johns.
Apparently they made Hamilton practice outside today down in Moose Jaw so they could acclimatize, though it's going up to -1 for game day.
Before. I'v ejust come in from walkign the dog, and was going to say the wind is pretty still, but I just checked, and with windchill it is -36.
Thing is though, it's only going to last two days, then it's warm again. THis is not so bad; not like several weeks straight below -25.
Save me your whinging, Prairiefolk. It was -2 in Vancouver today. Imagine! I have two small children! I can only hope they won't be affected by this as they grow older.
I even had to move my Pale Ale homebrew inside from the garage. Fermentation had come to a standstill. Never seen the like.
No, they'll call out the Navy, as it will all melt before the armed forces arrive.
Had the first argument of the year with Thing 2 about what constitutes weather-appropriate clothing. It's gonna be a loooooong winter!
My 2-year old refuses to wear hats and mittens. And putting them on him is a recipe for losing them, since as soon as my back is turned he whips them off and throws them in a puddle.
Everyone talks here about being terrified driving when it snows. I look at them incredulously and wonder if they've ever actually seen the stuff.
My uncle lives in White Rock - after living there about 3 decades, he's still incredulous about the panic freezing temperatures induce in the lower mainland.
My advice for mittens: Idiot strings. Srsly. They can take them off, but not lose them. Hats are harder. Even if my kids weren't rebelling against them, they'd lose them. And then, when it's seriously cold, I'd get a phone call from school: "Muuuuuuuuuummmm.... Can you come get me? I don't want to get frost bite...."
Apparently Thing 2 no longer believes in frost bite.
Aren't there any hats she'd find cool, and want to wear?
So many hipsters around here (for some reason, they all seem to be from the RoC, attracted here by the cool factor, and lower tuition ... once they manage to get resident status) wearing trilbies (the hats with narrow brims, as opposed to wide-brimmed fedoras) in WiFi cafés, wherever - even in summertime.
They may not look cool. but there is nothing more versatile than an Elmer Fudd hat - especially the fur-lined ones. The police and military issue are somewhat more stylish.
And doesn't it snow up Kingsway anymore? I seem to remember it was around Hastings that it got too low for snow to stick.
(edit)
I had to threaten our eldest for the first time this year. Told him that if went out with just a hood and no toque he'd regret it when he came back looking like a barn cat.
Thx lagatta. I have fave places, but always happy to get tips.
Because of timing (talk ending at 1:30), we could NOT get a nice lunch reservation (also, some places closed for renos). I was sort of dependent on my host.
So we went to McGill Faculty Club. Which is actually quite nice, but the food was just ok.
I DID get to do some power shopping so it wasn't entirely wasted. For me, food and fashion are pretty much tied re: what Mtl has to offer.
:)
Yes, the Faculty Club is nicer in terms of setting than food. I'm glad you were able to find some nice items, though. Not always evident.
I spent a lot of years on public transit, ferrying my girls from home to daycare and home again (and also getting to and from work) and it was most difficult during bad weather.
I remember one evening, after a long workday, at Christmas, laden with packages, I was struggling with my asleep toddler and packages. When I got off the bus, this guy offered to carry my bags so that I could get my snoozing daughter home. I was hesitant, because I thought it might be a setup to rob me of my packages, but I was too tired to care. As it turned out, he was just a generous soul who saw me struggling and helped out.
The low-floor, almost universally accessible trams in Amsterdam impressed me in those terms as much as the bicycles: http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/crossrivertram/crossrivertram... (and a (big) London line that will be pretty much the same). They are so much easier for parents, as well as for disabled and frail elderly people.
I'm just hoping it doesn't SNOW significantly tonight. Actually I'm very well placed in terms of public transport - I'm close to two métro lines as well as several buses - but things are just so much faster and easier with the bicycle, especially in terms of local errands. The bus wouldn't have helped me at all today, I'd just have had to take three times as long, and sometimes, much as I enjoy walking too, it can be painful for me.
I'm finally getting my winter boots out of the back of the closet.
I pulled my knee-length downfill coat out of storage today.
Thing 2 went out to meet a friend and bring her back to our house - it's a day off because of teacher conferences. She went out in ankle socks and mary jane shoes and appears to have mild frostbite on her ankles. This, after getting new boots earlier in the week.
New boots often hurt, though...