Tag Archives: damn snow

Damn snow, November 2010 edition

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There are all kinds of dire predictions going around about what Winter 2010/11 is going to be like in these parts, though I haven’t tracked down specifics. Something along the lines of ‘harsher’, so maybe more storms, colder or something. More colder storms, perhaps. This is according to the farmers’ almanac, squirrels gathering nuts and other proven scientific methods. In any case, my own observations have been that the snow on the mountains arrived earlier this year (in October) and we are getting a dusting of snow here even as I type, which is often not the case for November, so the possibility of More Snow (compared to the almost zero we had 2009/10) seems a distinct possibility.

I will endeavor to take some pictures tomorrow for my own cursing pleasure, but in the meantime:

Damn snow.

Snow run

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Today was my first time running in the snow, though it had only been falling lightly for an hour or so before I started, so it was more a good dusting than anything formidable.

With the temperature a little below freezing I opted for my first 45 minute run and ol’ Lance Armstrong was there to congratulate me for my longest run yet: 7.99 km. Damn, so close. At least reaching 8 km next time should be easy. I also wonder if some stealth update on the nano has removed the congratulatory blurbs from Tiger Woods. I haven’t heard him in awhile. If I remember, he comes on when you put in your fastest time, which is apropos for that sly dog, amirite?

Results:

Total distance: 7.99 km
Average time/km: 5:39/km (slightly better than my 40 minute pace)
Best time/km: 5.00/km

There were no other joggers out but a few people were strolling with their dogs and a couple of kids were doing their best to slide down the hill at the west end of the park with the little snow that had fallen. I saw what I consider the first unofficial sign of winter — some dope in an SUV fishtailing around a corner. The run went rather well, with my second wind kicking in full force around the 30 minute mark and propelling me for the last 15. I think I’m going to try ramping up to a full 60 minutes.

A couple of images below. The first is a strangely dark one from my iPod video camera of China Creek Park just after I finished my run. The sky was actually quite bright.

chinacreek-snow

And the next is after I returned home and asked Tim to capture me in my post-run glow. Naturally Barley insisted on taking part.

snow_jog_09

Damn snow (November 2009 edition)

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Yes, it’s the time of year where every other post is a complaint about the weather. We are on track for a wetter than normal November and in truth it doesn’t really bother me much. However, seeing this on the mountains makes my toes scrunch up in horror.

damn_snow_nov09

Damn snow.

Christmas in January

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Snow in Horseshoe Bay
Snowing in Horseshoe Bay. Damn snow.

I made it over to the island for a late Christmas the weekend after New Year’s. The reason for the delay, of course, was the weather. If someone had told me back in the fall I wouldn’t be able to ride my bike to work for nearly a month due to snow I would have chuckled quietly and called them insane. Today I would call them Kreskin.

I get up on the morning of Saturday January 3rd and look out the window. It’s snowing. Again.

Undeterred, I head out and once downtown I catch the #153 bus to Horseshoe Bay. It is snowing harder in West Vancouver, nestled as it is at the base of the North Shore mountains. The bus driver advises the passengers that all West Van buses are on “snow routes”  without explaining precisely what that means. Someone on the dispatch also relays this information. We eventually learn it means all buses are sticking to the lower roads and avoiding the upper levels highway until the plows get through.

We get to the terminal safe and sound thanks to the driver not being a maniac behind the wheel. The ticket booth at Horseshoe Bay is covered but outdoors. It is a bit chilly but the line-up is not too long as I am early. Unfortunately the line-up does not move. At all. A woman up at the wicket is having a problem of some sort. I am too far away to catch any of the conversation so I wait and watch the snow piling up. The line continues to not move. Minutes go by. Then more minutes. The cashier is on the phone now. I gnash my teeth. The woman holding up the line has a dog. It’s a cute dog but if it’s the reason I’m standing here freezing my skinny butt off then screw you, cute dog!

After about ten minutes (which feels like 20 once you add wind chill) I buy my ticket and am astonished that the price is something like five dollars cheaper than it was in October. I take a whiff and sure enough, there is the unmistakable smell of pre-election on the ticket stub. Thanks, Gordon!

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Why is my Tupperware dented?

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Damage is clearly visible on the modern plastic container I use to safely transport my sandwich to work Monday to Friday:

tupperdent

How did this calamity strike?

I fell on it.

I was walking to work this morning down lovely East 19th Avenue and it was cold, dark and as it turns out, more than a tad icy. I stepped off a section of sidewalk that had been left unshoveled and onto a nice, clear section that had been shoveled. This clean section of sidewalk also has lots of hard-to-see ice on it, runoff that had frozen from Bad Neighbor’s uncleared section. As soon as my foot hit the ice, I knew what was happening. I put out my hands. I fell back, as if taking the Nestea plunge. I went splat. I quickly got back up to my feet, the wind knocked out of me but otherwise unhurt. I was more concerned about missing the bus or worse, someone having witnessed my Funniest Home Videos moment.

I didn’t realize I had landed on and smooshed my sandwich container until I took it out of my shoulder bag (man purse) for lunch. The sandwich, oddly enough, was unhurt, thus proving the effectiveness of meal safety equipment.

After work I bought a pair of boots to replace the amazing treadless sneakers I otherwise normally wear. I know there’s no guarantee the same thing won’t happen even with a pair of boots but since personal jetpacks aren’t fully ready yet, they’ll have to do.

On an unrelated note, I also looked for swim trunks while boot-shopping and Sears had a (not surprisingly) small selection to choose from. The sizes ranged from extra large to hill giant, so I’m wondering if they overstocked or maybe fat people just never swim. Or they make their own swim trunks. Or swim nude. Or buy at The Bay. Or something.

To take my mind off the weather…

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I rented this movie through iTunes:

I’d never rented from iTunes before. The $3.99 price probably comes out to half a bar of gold given current exchange rates and the 640×480 image has artifacts o’ plenty when stretched across a 1920×1200 screen so overall I am kind of meh on it. Handy for impulse viewings. I’ll try the Xbox Live movie rentals next and see if I can cause a Red Ring Of Death by watching a bad comedy.

Merry freaking Christmas!

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Here I am in Vancouver for Christmas for the first time ever, thanks to the MegaSnow. I had a nice lunch and pie (mmm, pie) with Tim and family and was accosted as per usual by Barley, the dog who seems to love me as if I were a cut of prime steak or something. Maybe it’s a chocolate lab thing.

It is quiet around here and I’m looking forward to my trip to the island that’s been delayed a week. The weather should be back to its usual cool ‘n rainy by then.

In the meantime, I’ve succumbed and created a spartan Facebook page. If it’s anything like this blog, it’ll be a few years before anything really happens there but all the cool kids have signed up and if I want to have the chance to publicly share my KFC sink as hot tub pics (okay, technically they used MySpace) this may be my best chance.

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