It's crazily snowing here in downtown Vancouver (though you can't really tell from this photo)and I'm wearing a toque inside.
I love having a "winter" here in Vancouver. Even though this winter is considered freakishly cold (we donated a box of warm clothes yesterday to the Sub Zero Clothing Drive), it's still not the -40 lose-your-eyelashes weather I grew up with and I have a hard time taking it seriously.
I'm loving the brisk cold and snow - plus, snow makes the dog totally fucking lose her MIND with delight, which makes walking her hilarious.
I'd be lying if I said we hadn't felt the chill indoors the last few days. But we staunchly refuse to turn the heat on, choosing instead to swathe ourselves in knits and occasionally slide our hands under the warm, sleeping dog to keep them limber.
So here we are, on a dark, blizzard-y winter morning, keeping toasty through a combination of knitted hats, hot coffee and superiority.
You know what else is warming? Memories.
One of my favourite winter memories is the year of the Great Snow in Toronto when the mayor called in the army and I got snowed in.
I was living in a basement apartment in a house and got up one morning to find the snow outside was almost up to my waist. The main door opened in - but the screen door opened out, making an escape from my apartment seem unlikely.
I was a temp, though, and got paid by the day and I wasn't about to miss a day of work, so I got all bundled up, managed to wrestle the door open and busted a trail through the snow out to the sidewalk. Just like Pa Ingalls! The bus stop was a 3 minute walk away - it took me about 15 minutes of struggling over drifts and yelling "Fuck!" as snow filled my boots before I got to the bus stop. When I turned the corner, I saw:
1. Over 100 people waiting for my bus.
2. My bus swerving to miss an elderly woman and her walker who were stuck in the snow at the crosswalk and then skidding wildly through the intersection, coming to rest with a crunch against a lamp post.
3. All the passengers on the bus exiting the now disabled bus angrily.
4. Snow. Because I lost my footing and faceplanted.
That's when I turned around, struggled home, called my agency and went back to bed.
Later that day, I got up to go to the grocery store for provisions and discovered I ...couldn't. The snow was almost up to my head and the door was stuck fast. I called my landlords for help, then remembered they were away in Hong Kong. There was only one other person I could call.
Me: Padu!
Padu: Roro? What's up?
Me: You need to come over here right now. And bring the cookie sheet.
Padu: Ooo! Are we having cookies?
Me: No! You'll need the cookie sheet to dig me out of my house!
Padu struggled bravely through the snow with the cookie sheet and once I was freed, we struggled bravely through the snow to the Loblaws, where we bought emergency rations - cookie dough and Shake n' Bake. Then we spent a cozy night curled up in my subterranean igloo, watching movies on my tiny tv and periodically taking the cookie sheet outside to keep the entrance clear.
It was like Little House on the Prairie, but gayer and with better food and with an electric heater instead of sticks of hay and with a bathroom instead of crapping in a pot under your bed and everyone pretending not to notice. Mmmmmmmagic.
I need to go warm my hands up now by clapping with glee over the whirling whiteness outside. I wish you all happy snow days, wherever you may be. Keep those cookie sheets handy.
P.S. Typepad's new comment area kinda makes it look like you need to sign in or sign up to comment. You totally don't. Just scroll down a little further for the usual name/email/URL fields. Dear Typepad - why do you do it? Love, Roro
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