It’s snowed.
Again.
The weather network/radio forecast 2 cm and we ended up with nearly a foot all told. Between this snowfall and the one previous the white stuff is almost to my knee in some places. The Malahat is closed, or it was last night. I don’t know if it still is. Mom did call to say that there was a possibility that we may have to postpone ‘Christmas’ until she can get out of her driveway.
When we left the apartment this am we stood under the prettiest birch. Ok, usually that particular tree is quite ugly because of the nasty hack job the municipality did with it’s branches, but today it was really pretty because each and every little branch was covered in snow. It was that heavy, damp kind that sticks to everything. It was really quite pretty when J and I were walking back from his staff Christmas party.
Of course, downtown is a mess. The main roads are clear, but it’s obvious that the less-travelled have been unplowed because of the sheer number of people who have put chains on their tires. Of course, chains are necessary if all you have are all-weather tires, because let’s face it, it never really snows here, so no one has anything but, but once these cars get downtown, the chains are just chewing up the pavement, and lord knows what they do to the underside of a car if there’s no snow. Yes, I can understand putting them on the firetruck. Even the ambulance here – even though their mere existence slows these vehicles down on clear roads. At least this time there were fewer idiots fishtailing all over the hill outside. Those that have no idea how to drive in the snow are learning to take the bus when it’s running, even though it’s not on time. (And who cares if it’s not on time. It’s running, so shut up!)
The Starbucks I go to in the mornings sometimes still has no heat. I don’t get it. The shop is on the outside of the mall, don’t you think that the mall would be responsible for fixing the heating system in one of the spaces they rent out? Responsible landlords and all? But no, they’ve been wearing sweaters and scarves behind the counter for four days now. Lame.
I am behind on the Christmas Spirit. And the shopping. I have the families done, but not everyone else. I suppose that’s ok because I won’t see most of them until after the actual commercial travesty that is Christmas. The radio was talking about cancelled flights and car accidents and heating problems all morning so I turned it off. The Island has no idea what to do with snow, it’s actually kind of funny.
I’d like nothing better than to just sit at home in front of a fire. With a book. Or good company. With hot chocolate. But that would require a fireplace and I don’t know many people who have one of those. It would also be nice if I could stop barking. I mean coughing. I’ve had this cold since the end of November and it’s OLD. I was coughing so hard yesterday I gave myself another bloody nose. I had one last week that made me late for work because it just would not stop.
Funny how I’ve been finding it hard to get into the Christmas spirit.
I’m exhausted. Things have not been peachy. I dropped the ball in more ways than one and I feel like I’m scrambling to catch things up. I’m behind at work, I let things slide so badly. Things just didn’t seem as pressing as they were for a while and I’m paying for it now – through the nose. (This may also be why a lot of you have not heard from me for a while either, and for that my apologies.) Things are also weird with J because I dropped the ball there too. It’s an uphill battle it seems and I feel like I’m thigh-deep in mud the whole way. I’m trying very hard, it just seems that all the wrong things come out of my mouth to the point that I have no idea what to say about anything and I end up second-guessing myself into silence. I have to stop doing that. I just know that I don’t want to be the kind of person I’ve been for the last while.
Anyway. Happy Holidays.
listening to: Portishead – Deep Water