Journey & Adventure

By March, signs of Spring have usually begun to make their appearance – warming temperatures, melting snow, longer days and more sunshine.  Such is not the case this year – winter is not letting go.  Unless you can count the Canada geese that are honking outside my office window and the smell of skunk in the air – those are the only signs that Spring may be in our future.   We have now officially had almost 5 months of below freezing temperatures. No joke!  I plan on burning all of my winter sweaters when Spring finally arrives.  Yes, I know I’ll need them next year, but I’ll worry about that then.  They are gone!  No joke there either.  I hate them sooo much.   I’ve packed on enough pounds this winter to easily get me through the next 3 winters.  I don’t even care. The last thing I’m thinking about is exercising or salads.  Comfort foods are the only things on my mind.  I’ll worry about weight loss in the Spri...

We are still experiencing cold, cold and more, cold.   I know – I live in Canada, what else can I expect?   Well, I expect temperatures that will not cause me frostbite to my extremities that are not covered up and that exposed longer than 5 minutes to the elements (aka my eyeballs).   We’ve been under some Polar Vortex (WTF) for the last month.   Enough already.   I not only have to deal with the cold, but there is also the blowing snow and wind chill warnings on a daily basis.   It would be nice to have a day of normal driving conditions where my commute only takes an hour instead of the hour and a half of late.     To make matters even sweller (yes, I know it’s not a word), our heat here at work only works occasionally – usually NOT on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.     I’m sure its toasty warm in here on the weekend, but I don’t plan on testing that theory out.   I took a sick day ...

Today, it's a balmy minus 20 celsius  (aka minus 4 Fahrenheit). Mama always said - if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.  Well, that's all I have to say about that. By the way - Happy New Year!

It's March 19th and it is still SNOWING in Canada.  Has been for months, weeks, days... I've suddenly realized that I've seem to have misplaced my hammock and my winnning lottery ticket...

Well, as with most of the Eastern coast, we are in the middle of an "snow event".   All schools in southwestern Ontario have been closed today - a child's dream day! I made the choice to stay home today instead of battling the elements to make my way into work.  Probably a wise decision considering the forecast is calling for it to get worse throughout the day. Here is the view from my house this morning.  View from the front of my house looking toward to road. View from the back of my house looking toward our ravine. View from the back from my house looking to the east of our property. It's days like today when I get to stay in the comfort of my home when I don't actually mind winter so much.

I am all over the place today. I cannot concentrate on the tasks I need to get done. Even when one of those tasks involves a deadline given to me by the President of our company. It’s not that I don’t want to do a good job. I just don’t want to do a good job today. Tomorrow would work better for me. Perhaps then, I’ll be focused. I’m distracted by the fact that it’s a blizzard outside my window. I’m distracted by the fact that it is also freezing outside today and the fact that I still have 2 and a half months to go before I leave on vacation…to a WARM destination. I’m distracted by conversations down the hallway, by the sound of the snow hitting my window and the smell of a freshly brewed pot of coffee coming from the corporate kitchen. I’m distracted by everything and everyone. I know when it’s a lost cause – I’m off to wander aimlessly amongst my daydreams. Tomorrow is another day and I’ll start fresh then.

I’ve managed to go at least 2 years without a cold and since October, I’ve had to contend with three of them – yes three! I’ve been fighting with a cold bug for about a week and a half now. It started with just chest congestion, then a cough. Before I knew what hit me, it blossomed into a full-blown cold – sinus pain, congestion, runny nose with all the unpleasant side effects. Now, the major cold symptoms are gone, and I’m left once again with the chest congestion, cough and overall crappy feeling. I’m hoping it’s not starting all over again. I can’t afford it – between cough drops, cough syrup, Kleenex, Vicks Vapo-Rub, nose spray, Tylenol Cold and Sinus and Vitamin C, I’m going broke. On the upside, I haven’t had an appetite either, so I guess with what I’m saving groceries, will help pay for all the cold meds.  Just another reason to despise these Canadian winters...*ugh*

That's all I have to say about that! 

I can’t begin to tell you how HAPPY I am that January is on its way out. I’ve mentioned before that it gives me great satisfaction when I’m able to turn the calendar to a new month and saying good-bye to this month brings me great satisfaction. There is something to be said for new beginnings and saying “so long” to sucky months like January. I’ve never been a fan of January because it’s endlessly long, cold and dark and there isn’t anything to look forward to, except long, cold, dark days. Here’s to you February…

BUT, thank goodness it’s Friday. The only thing that would make this day better is if it was 5:00 or better yet, if I had stayed home. It is snowing here today. I know I shouldn’t complain because we’ve been fortunate to experience a drier than usual winter, but today my commute took over two hours when usually it only takes me one. To top it off, I also had to stop and get gas for my car (you know how much I love to do that too)…in the blowing, freezing cold snow storm. It’s winter, which is misery to those like me. On the other hand, it’s a veritable winter wonderland for those crazy, freak of nature types that LOVE the snow, who by the way – I have “unfriended” from Facebook. I can’t possibly be friends with THOSE types of people any longer.   Now that I’ve properly ranted…I hope everyone has a great Friday and a fantastic weekend.

So, I had originally prepared this post on January 2nd; however due to unforeseen circumstances, couldn't get around to posting it until today...better late than never.   It’s January 2 nd and I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.   I’m miserable.   I can honestly say, I’m the grumpiest I’ve been all year.   For many, today is still a holiday, but for me, it’s the beginning of the first 5 day work-week I’ve had in awhile.   That’s obviously the root of some of my misery.     A great Christmas and New Year’s was had by everyone in our household.   At least, everyone appeared to have been having a good time, but then again – some days, it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s sugar induced bliss.     I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions for this upcoming year.   I don’t have the greatest of self-control when it comes to things I want to do and things I want to eat, so I refuse to set myself up...

So, in response to the question - what is a toque?  Here is a repost I had done awhile back about Canadian fashion attire...enjoy the beauty of it all....(jealous aren't you?) There is no escaping the crap that is a Canadian winter and there is no denying the fact that – I am a terrible Canadian. I detest winter so much that I daydream that the Canadian government would realize how terrible of a Canadian I actually am, kick me out of the country, ban me for life from watching hockey and revoke my god-given right to wear a toque or a dickey for the rest of my life. For those not familiar with Canadianisms a toque is a hat, which is most likely made of wool, knitted in a hideous pattern and colors and perhaps with a baseball size tassel adorning the top. These wonderful items are worn with pride, pulled down as far as possible, to cover your ears and most of your eyebrows, essentially hiding the identity of the wearer. In honesty, there is no pride in wearing t...

I realize it’s technically not winter yet, but I’m fed up already and I haven’t even seen a snowflake yet.     With only one month remaining until I vacate this country for the sunny south, here’s my top 10 list which might indicate you also need a vacation to a sunny, warm destination…   1.        “Wind chill” is suddenly the new catch phrase. 2.        You go to work in the dark and you come home in the dark. 3.        It’s the first day of November and you have appointment to have your snow tires put on. 4.        It’s the first day of November and Christmas has thrown up all over the mall. 5.        It’s the first day of November and Vegas bookies have started taking bets on when the first Christmas carol will be played on the radio. 6.        You’ve b...

I’ve said it before – I hate friggin Winter and I’m not coping with it at the moment…AT ALL.   For the last two months, in my part of Canada, we have been experiencing “lower than seasonable temperatures”.   Well, what does that mean?   Besides the obvious – I need a holiday. Well it means that not only is it colder than usual, it also means that my hands, legs, arms and face have lost all moisture.   I itch everywhere.   My lips are chapped and my hair is brittle.   I’m a mess and sadly I don’t care what I look like when I go out in public.   Between too many clothes, boots, oversized parkas, mittens, scarves, hats and my lizard-like complexion, no one will recognize me and really if they do – I don’t care.   I’d flip them off if it wasn’t impossible to do while wearing mittens.   Somehow, the intensity of the gesture is lost when I’m standing there waving madly with my pink mittens. Don’t get me w...

It’s January and just when you thought it couldn’t get any more depressing, let me say this - it’s a mere 11 more months until Christmas.   Feel better? We are in the deep freeze at the moment.   Yesterday morning, I woke up to it being minus 27 Celsius or in Fahrenheit that would be….um….somewhere around friggin chilly.   Speaking of chilly… J got frostbite on his cheeks (not his ass ones) when he was snow blowing the driveway on the weekend.   He was out for only an hour, but the wind was nasty and hence the only exposed flesh got it.    He’s not disfigured or anything, so no pictures. It was our nephew’s birthday party on the weekend.   It was at the local bowling alley.   One would think bowling would keep 7 year old boys entertained – apparently not.   Playing hide and seek in plain sight was much more entertaining.   Sometimes, juvenile boys are just dumb… Speaking of dumb, my sist...

I’ve had a headache for over a week now.    I think it’s hanging on thanks to the shitty weather we’ve been having, or it could be my pillow or my sore shoulder or lack of a good night’s sleep.    You get the picture – it’s a friggin headache that won’t go away. I’m trying to plan another vacation, but the necessary funds needed for such an excursion seem to be alluding me.   It would be quite simple to just charge it and worry about paying for it later – after I have a suntan and have escaped this hell-hole called Canadian winter (if only for a little while).   Why must I be so damn responsible?    I hate me at the moment. Today, we were blessed by rain, freezing rain, sleet, then snow and then a flash freeze.     More snow expected tomorrow.   Fantastic.   I know you are jealous.   I accept that… If the money tree in the backyard magically sprouts, I think we’ll be planning a trip...