L'hiver arrive / Winter is coming
Sometimes I wish I was a member of the House of Stark. They had the big furry jacket-thingos to cope with arctic blasts. Of course, they had a good bit of death and destruction too... so maybe I'll just shiver in my gortex and call it even.
Yes, I know winter is coming. Not because it's my family motto, or because it's the end of November and the thermometer drops a little more each day.
Nope, it's due to every second person telling me, "oh -6'C? That's not cold, wait until winter!" I think they are trying to be supportive. From both coasts interestingly: those that have "escaped" are no less gleeful in telling me how I shall suffer than those still living in it.
Facebook will no doubt torment me with both current and past images of the slowly warming days on the west coast from February to April, while I nurse my chilblains, curse the arctic outflow, and exclaim to Lynda on the way to school: "Mets ta tuque, y fait frette!" (Put your hat on, it's cold out!)
I don't want you all to think I'm an East Coast virgin. I have been here in winter before. Skated the Rideau Canal in February (and tore my M.C.L. in the process, but let's not talk of that). Fell on my ass in the icy streets of Ottawa multiple times. Made snow angels in 10 foot snow drifts in April in Quebec City (now THAT place is cooooooooooold!).
So I know of the cold of which they speak. I also know it's more the DURATION of the cold that I need to adapt to. A week is one thing. You get cold, then you hope your flight isn't delayed too long on the return leg, and boot it back to a place where tulips pop up optimistically in February.
Four months is another whole ball game.
I can already confirm that when the thermometer reads -6'C, you think .."hmm this isn't so bad!", and then you turn up a street where the wind is blowing a minor gale, and the effect freezes the fat in your thighs instantly, and you cease to feel your butt. Which might actually be a good thing. Noone should have to endure the pain of their ass actually falling off.
IF it is a sunny day though, and you can score a window seat at a certain coffee shop near Beaubien Metro, it will suddenly feel like you are are in Hawaii! Soooooooo gloriously warm and toasty, it's almost worth getting cold to get there! Almost.
In an effort to not let the scardey pants part of my brain take over and root my butt to the couch until mid April, I will now create the following conditions for my (partial) internment.
Any day of below minus 10'C (without windchill) is as of now christened as a TOTAL DONUT DAY. I give myself full permission to stay on the couch.
Days from 0 to minus 10 will be GENTLY POKE days, when I have to make myself go outside and hit up a museum or some other warm indoor adventure, lest I start to look like a donut (minus the sprinkles).
If it is above zero, well I really should be in a tank top and shorts having a jog round the park! This I know seems counter-intuitive for a donut poker like me, but you actually have to stay fit to endure all that sitting!
It's interesting that as far as my googling can tell, in French "arrivée" can mean either "is here" or "is coming" .. cos right now Winter sure can't seem to figure out whether it's here to stay or not.
Just yesterday we had our first snow.
Tomorrow we will ditch the thermal underwear for tee shirts, as the mercury cracks a balmy 8'C, and go hiking up and around the Notre Dame de Neiges cemetery to unlock more of the mysteries of Lynda's family who are buried on the mountain.
On Saturday we found the 2 sides of her family buried literally feet apart. Plots bought in late 1800's, great grandchildren marrying in the 1940's! Amazing!
Then of course we found MORE of them. The Catholics might do a lot of things wrong, but burial records they are masters of! We are back to the 1620's now... Yup, she's a REAL "settler" Canadian my girl is!
Yesterday this little guy sure looked envious of my couch position
(or maybe it was the tuna melt on homemade, gluten free, egg free bagels!)
Or maybe he was just thinking..
"Coudon, t’es ben ben magané!" (Jeez, you’re in really really rough shape!)
So early in my East Coast experiment. That would be sad!