Last week saw our first significant snow-fall and the enthusiastic words I spouted upon my autumnal arrival at the begining of October - such as, "I can't wait for winter!" and "No, really, I'm looking forward to shovelling snow!" - now required that I put up or eat those words with an enormous helping of Corvidae.
I found myself in a similar situation last week. I'll grumble about having to do it, even though I actually do enjoy it (and even though my cats mock me by lazing in the windows and watching each an every scoop of the shovel).
My neighbours would never be so kind, not even if I were missing both my arms. Last winter, the fellow next door watched me try to flag down passing cars from my driveway so I could give my uncooperative car battery a boost. After a few minutes, he started his own car and I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight: "Good luck with that."
That is very noble of you to shovel even your neighbor's snow.
My first reaction to snow is generally (unless I have to get to the hospital): why bother shoveling it? Why not walk to the bus/train station or stay home + ration food? It is so painful for me to shovel snow. It hurts my back and the cold hurts my knees. And my reasoning is that if you live in a city isn't the entire point so you don't have to drive anywhere? (*lazy*) Those don't look like city houses to me... but then again I'm used to street-long joint slithers of houses in Philly slums. Those look like suburb houses.
That is very noble of you to shovel even your neighbor's snow.
Not really. The walkways in front are pretty minimal and, well, as I said, they did shovel out my father over the past two winters, so "I" owe them.
Which partially answers your question about the need for a car. My father, in his own words, is a "cripple" or "crip". One artificial hip and he's going into the hospital for a second one on the 23rd. Much pain + limited mobility = wants/needs to drive a car.
But you're right about the houses here. I'm a 25-minute (fast) walk from dead-centre downtown Ottawa and, yes, the houses here look like those in old suburbs. Rather than grow denser as it has grown more populated, it has instead spread out, like a cancer, a Los Angeles of the Ottawa Valley.
How cold? Meh. 'Bout minus 10 (C) just at the moment. We'll be seeing -20 or colder tonight or tomorrow, but I'll believe it when I need to actually throw on a parka.
Re: ahh snowjade_noirDecember 16 2009, 22:52:49 UTC
Ah yeah. It would be necessary for a cripple to get a car. I forgot about that for a moment.
Oh that's not tooo much colder than here. Winter weather is usually something averaging 0 C. We use Fahrenheit here but luckily I am one and a half years into training as a Chemist and we use Celsius in the lab.
Also, he was born in '33 and so, came of age just as the era of the motor-car was really getting into high gear. In other words, he's used to it, both practically and symbolically. That I would actually prefer to walk or bicycle when practical is kind of alien to him.
And I figured you'd be familiar with Celcius. Had I been braver (and more competent), I'd have cited the temperature in degrees Kelvin - but didn't want you to mock me if I screwed up the conversion.
At risk of immodesty, so am Ied_rexDecember 19 2009, 16:26:13 UTC
Had some car trouble yesterday, requiring pushing it into the street. And I confess, I was very impressed by the job I'd done. To the point where the cold front that's sent in is annoying me, not because it's cold but because it's preventing snow-bearing weather from entering the Ottawa Valley.
Apropos of Christmas rather than snowbeableDecember 20 2009, 07:47:40 UTC
I keep forgetting when I'm at work (where I'm more likely to have a digital copy from the last time I made a CD mix) to save that Simon and Garfunkel song we were discussing, but someone has posted it to youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZazHqdNeXA
On th eoriginal, one could alter the balance from left to right to hear just 7 0'clock news or silent night, it mostly still works with the uploaded digital version to youtube too.
Re: Apropos of Christmas rather than snowed_rexDecember 23 2009, 01:20:05 UTC
Thanks for that. Not at all coincidental to that conversation, I've now managed to acquire a S&G best-of which includes that track. I'd forgotten just how much I liked them.,
Incidentally, when you're ready for it, I am now in a position to introduce you to Miss Sarah Jane Smith.
Re: Apropos of Christmas rather than snowbeableDecember 23 2009, 02:40:35 UTC
Eggs-cel-lent. (said in my best Cyberman impression, which is is admittedly piss poor).
I don't have much free time until after New Year's, but maybe in January we can reprise the "get together for a pint" thing, skipping the "watch a boring movie first" ?
Re: Apropos of Christmas rather than snowed_rexDecember 23 2009, 14:36:03 UTC
I remember the schedule you posted a while back, which is why I haven't been pushing you to set a date. Just wanted to make it clear that I'd be delighted to repeat - and that I don't blame you for the movie; a new film is always a crap-shoot.
So, let me know when you're up for something; my schedule's pretty open and pretty flexible.
Comments 15
I found myself in a similar situation last week. I'll grumble about having to do it, even though I actually do enjoy it (and even though my cats mock me by lazing in the windows and watching each an every scoop of the shovel).
My neighbours would never be so kind, not even if I were missing both my arms. Last winter, the fellow next door watched me try to flag down passing cars from my driveway so I could give my uncooperative car battery a boost. After a few minutes, he started his own car and I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight: "Good luck with that."
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My first reaction to snow is generally (unless I have to get to the hospital): why bother shoveling it? Why not walk to the bus/train station or stay home + ration food?
It is so painful for me to shovel snow. It hurts my back and the cold hurts my knees. And my reasoning is that if you live in a city isn't the entire point so you don't have to drive anywhere?
(*lazy*)
Those don't look like city houses to me... but then again I'm used to street-long joint slithers of houses in Philly slums. Those look like suburb houses.
How cold is it there?
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Not really. The walkways in front are pretty minimal and, well, as I said, they did shovel out my father over the past two winters, so "I" owe them.
Which partially answers your question about the need for a car. My father, in his own words, is a "cripple" or "crip". One artificial hip and he's going into the hospital for a second one on the 23rd. Much pain + limited mobility = wants/needs to drive a car.
But you're right about the houses here. I'm a 25-minute (fast) walk from dead-centre downtown Ottawa and, yes, the houses here look like those in old suburbs. Rather than grow denser as it has grown more populated, it has instead spread out, like a cancer, a Los Angeles of the Ottawa Valley.
How cold? Meh. 'Bout minus 10 (C) just at the moment. We'll be seeing -20 or colder tonight or tomorrow, but I'll believe it when I need to actually throw on a parka.
Reply
Oh that's not tooo much colder than here. Winter weather is usually something averaging 0 C. We use Fahrenheit here but luckily I am one and a half years into training as a Chemist and we use Celsius in the lab.
Reply
And I figured you'd be familiar with Celcius. Had I been braver (and more competent), I'd have cited the temperature in degrees Kelvin - but didn't want you to mock me if I screwed up the conversion.
Reply
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"Please, Gaia, may I have some more?"
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I keep forgetting when I'm at work (where I'm more likely to have a digital copy from the last time I made a CD mix) to save that Simon and Garfunkel song we were discussing, but someone has posted it to youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZazHqdNeXA
On th eoriginal, one could alter the balance from left to right to hear just 7 0'clock news or silent night, it mostly still works with the uploaded digital version to youtube too.
Reply
Incidentally, when you're ready for it, I am now in a position to introduce you to Miss Sarah Jane Smith.
Reply
Eggs-cel-lent. (said in my best Cyberman impression, which is is admittedly piss poor).
I don't have much free time until after New Year's, but maybe in January we can reprise the "get together for a pint" thing, skipping the "watch a boring movie first" ?
Reply
So, let me know when you're up for something; my schedule's pretty open and pretty flexible.
Reply
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