Wednesday, October 22, 2008

unglued

The Weather Network declared the temperature to be -7 with windchill when I got up this morning to head out to work. Welcome back windchill. These first few days of winterish weather are, to me, always the hardest to take. I was just getting into the crispy chill, not the downright cold. Then the dreaded word SNOW. It is too soon, I say. Go away.

I have been wearing my trusty waterproof boots for most of the past year (remember the dew on the grass?) and they have held up well, though each time I tie them up, I wonder if the frayed shoelaces will stay intact until I finally get around to replacing them. Then the glue on the right boot started to come come off which wasn't too bad. It gave my foot a rather squared-toed look and was noisy and made me realize I should probably replace the whole thing never mind the laces. Then, about 10 minutes into my night, the glue on the left boot gave up. It made for a rather awkward silly walk as I tried not to trip over my flopping sole. But, I don't live far away so I was able to come back home and because I had cleared up my closet a few weeks ago, knew exactly where my heavy duty winter boots were (because I've not gotten around to replacing my running shoes...I obviously will be shopping later today). Problem solved.

A day or so ago the latch on my car door broke and I've not gotten that fixed either. It hasn't been too bad, but I do need to keep the window rolled down and open the door from the outside in order to get out. Okay, it is a bit of a problem. I did mention that it was a cold -7 with windchill overnight? So I wore my winter jacket with a warm sweatshirt, turned up the heat, opened the vents, aiming the warm air at my hands and left ear. Keeping my coffee hot would be a problem, what with the warm air vents aimed up at me, not down at my cup holder. So I timed it so that I could sit in the parking lot and label all the papers that needed labelling and had room to stack them in order. Still sipping my coffee, I started to stockpile some pre-elastisized papers for tossing. I reached into the box in the back and pulled out a new bag of elastics. Somewhere around the arc of pulling the bag over the passenger seat and onto my lap, the bottom of the bag bursts open. Size 16 elastics spewed out ALL OVER THE CAR. They got into every nook and cranny, front and back, but especially in that inaccessible space between the front seats. For those of you not familiar, size 16 are the little elastics. A 454g bag holds thousands.

I sipped my coffee, surveyed the scene around me. I may even have said a few words. Yes, I definitely said a few choice words. Eventually I carried on, window open, vents on full. I was tempted to slam the car door a few times, but instead, I got out my frustration by making the necessary noise from rustling through the crunchy dead leaves. Somehow, I found that quite gratifying. I drove through a few piles and scuffed at a few and didn't care about the ones that got caught on the laces of my warm boots.

On the upside, none of the snow reached my area.

Now, I am finishing off the last of the mulled cider and there is about enough for one more glass which I will take to bed with my toast and the papers. The comics had better be funny. I need a laugh.

22 comments:

  1. A new pair of boots won't break the bank, but I hate to think what repairing the door handle will cost.

    Is winter really here?? We are expecting snow Sunday too. Time for mulled cider.

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  2. Ruth: Yep, I am sitting here watching the weather channel with their visual reports of earlier wet snow falling north and east of Toronto. It has apparently melted already. luckily, I live west of TO.

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  3. Brrrrrr - -7 is cold, new boots do sound like a necessary purchase though and that door latch needs fixing before you end up with pneumonia - just try not to look at the bill when you have to sign.

    We have got a lovely bright crisp day here in the UK and I am basking in the sunlight pouring into my sitting room.

    MA

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  4. New boots and get you car fixed.

    Otherwise it's gonna be a hellish winter.

    Ok, it'll be a hellish winter regardless. It was snowing a tiny bit this morning on my way to work...

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  5. New boots are a must. And treat yourself to a good/great pair 'cause they're your work tool. And they'll make winter so much easier to bear. Not that your winter is anything like ours...

    I fully sympathize with you concerning the elastic incident: whenever I drop something in my car, it will always end up in a place where my hand has never set foot (and never will because of the accessibility constraints). A few chosen words are certainly in order when Murphy's Law strikes like that.

    Hope you've gone back to laughing by now. Have a nice day.

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  6. Sometimes the world just seems to align against you, doesn't it? Hope tomorrow is better!

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  7. I'm a little fixated on the -7. That is wicked cold..and it is only October! Geesh.

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  8. My aunt just gave me a pair of warm boots that are like new. Most of the time I wear work boots in cold weather. Keep warm and do see about the door latch. That seems to be a priority.

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  9. I'm tellin' ya, you've got to start mulling some wine or gin or something for days like this.

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  10. MA: it has turned into a beautiful sunny, but cold day here.

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  11. Jazz: just keep telling yourself: winter doesn't officially begin until December 22, or is it 21 - they keep changing it.

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  12. Mr Jazz: the day got much better.
    I could never live in Mtl in winter. Never. I'd maybe visit, if I didn't have to walk far.

    and I do have those heavy duty winter boots, they are just a bit of overkill for this weather. they are perfect for -30 though.

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  13. Citizen: it sure felt that way this morning.

    Em: yes it is November weather, but at least there was no wind.

    Miwise: my feet must be warm or else everything goes to rot and I am totally miserable. door latch definitely a priority - parts have been ordered.

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  14. XUP: mulled wine is WINTER thing - mulled cider is a FALL thing. I may have to change my way of thinking about that.

    mulled gin??

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  15. It seems like the weather is conspiring against you. Can't you just roll down the window to open the door? Why do you have to keep it down? Did I miss something?

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  16. geewits: I do roll up the window if I am going more than a block - otherwise most of my deliveries are too close together to keep putting the window up and down, I'd be wasting time sitting there waiting...

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  17. I know I shouldn't say it but you made me laugh.

    CJ xx

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  18. CJ: that's GOOD. actually, thinking of blogging this made the night go better as I 'wrote' this in my head.

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  19. Heavy-duty winter boots, huh? Here on the Wet Coast, I prepare for winter with a new umbrella and new leather gloves. Of course, this meant that when I went to Québec for Carnaval last February, I had to spring for a down ski jacket, long underwear, polar gloves -- and heavy-duty winter boots. I guess I'm all set for winter everywhere in Canada now.

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  20. Since you're a nice Canadian, I am trying to imagine your few choice words and wonder if you are ever going to divulge them.I would so like to know what you said. I know what I would have said in Dutch and I am a nice Dutchwoman, still, I would have come up with some real good ones.

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  21. Pinklea: a true Canadian should be ready for any king of weather no matter where they live!!! You'll just have to visit ROC more often in the winter months now.!

    Thanks for visiting.

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  22. Irene: Nope. They are my words alone. Actally, I lived in Holland back in the late 70's and I still use some Dutch phrases for swearing as they have such a satisfyinjg gutteral sound.

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