Like Chandler's gum

One of the most ridiculously coldest days out ever (-42°C) and I was struck with a moment.  Freezing cold as it was outside, the sun was streaming in the windows, warming all of the rooms it touched. I was in the kitchen with the sunshine pouring in through the glass patio doors. A pot of congee was cooking on the stove, steaming up the tops of the windows. Ed Sheeran softly played from the radio and the house was quiet as Malcolm was upstairs putting the baby down for a nap. The dishes were done and all plans for the day had been cancelled due to the extreme cold outside, and yet there I was having a perfectly warm and cozy moment inside. It was good.
...

This was what was playing during my moment:

Why would you TELL me that?

I was just checking the forecast when I noticed something:

Isn't that the most depressing stat?

It's gettin' hot in hurr

I checked the weather for Thailand - 33°C daily, though it's going to feel like 47°C.

I don't even know why I'm packing clothes.

S'no(w) joke

The last few days, as everyone knows, has had the news and weather reports screaming out warnings about the Snowmaggedon looming at the end of the week.  For me, the Frankenstorm (good ol' Hurricane Sandy) saw me out frolicking in the streets with Senorita and the last Snowpocalypse melted away within 12 hours of wreaking its white-out havoc (the fact that we had more than 4 able bodies lying around to shovel it away from my parents' driveway toned down the havoc as well - especially since one of those bodies was from Calgary and kept asking "is this it?" as he danced in a thin coat and running shoes through the drifts).  So you can kind of understand when the warnings went off about this upcoming storm, I was hesitant to call in the army.

However, following the lead of many of my co-workers, I made the preparations to work from home today, thinking that, if anything, it'd save me the GO train fare into the city and back.  When I awoke to the winter-wonderland that had been predicted, I was impressed.  I dutifully logged in and started to make my way through my to-do list that I'd brought home for myself.  As I worked, I couldn't help but watch the snow fall and fall.  I could actually make out a noticeable amount of accumulation of snow from the time I'd gotten up until that time an hour later.  This was is for real.

Two hours into the work day, my connection to the work servers became apoplectically slow.  Turns out it wasn't just me.  I received three emails simultaneously, shortly after that.

Email 1 from co-worker: "System has crashed. VPN won't connect. Will keep trying."

Email 2 from VP: "I've heard the same from the team here in Montreal. Please all take a break and stay safe. For the few of you in the office, please wrap up and go home."

Email 3 from Director: "Was just sending the same note myself. Travel safe everyone...see y'all monday."

Can't argue with that.  Wrapped up and saved what I could, then logged off to make the most (and in this case, that really means the least) of today's snow day.

Corporate culture can be enthusiastic

   "Hey, oh my god it's sunny!  The sun is out!  Oh, sorry guys, I was just so excited that it was sunny out.  Like 'what IS that big orange thing?'  Oh my god, don't mind me, guys."
   --my Director this afternoon as she passed by the windows by our row
...

Have I mentioned I love working here?

A dark and stormy night

Hurricane Sandy was to make her full-force debut and performance on Monday night.  Unfortunately, that was also the night I had made reservations for Señorita, Malcolm and I to join a tour of the Haunted Streets of Downtown Toronto.  Even more unfortunately, that was the night Malcolm forgot to bring his rain shoes to work ("I have a change of warm clothes, my rain coat, my rain pants, an umbrella - everything except my shoes!").  :(  What with Sandy lurking about, we decided it was not a day to take chances with your gear.  And so, it was up to Señorita and I to press on alone, and that's exactly what we did.

Blustery as she was, Sandy had no bite.  Being on a budget as we were, Señorita and I hoofed it from work to dinner and from dinner to tour.  Not even halfway to each destination, we were already shedding gloves and scarves and hoods.

   "Is that all you've got, Sandy?!"

Of course, every once in a while, we'd get caught off guard by a gust of wind or by a random spray of rain, and our taunts would change.

   "What ya gotta be such a bitch for, Sandy?!"

However, despite Sandy's (dismal) efforts, Señorita and I arrived at the tour site, convulsed in giggles as we cursed the weak randomness of the Frankenstorm.  We made it through our tour of the Ghosts of UofT (route changed to accommodate the weather for fear of flying debris) warmly enough, except for during the parts we were chilled to the bone by the tour's stories.  The rain even held off right until the last 10 minutes of the tour.  We had a great time, with the weather only adding to the effect and making our warm drinks at the end even more satisfying.

Despite all the calls and emails and texts from our parents (and there were a lot of them) scolding us for being outside at all and horribly worried about how we'd get home, we had a great time even with Sandy.
...

On the train home, Señorita and I learned that both our parents experienced a power outage for some time that night, so when I arrived home to a lit house, I was a little relieved. However, moments after arriving home, Malcolm scurried down the stairs to greet me while wearing a headlamp. I asked the obvious question.

   "Oh, honey, did the power go out on you?"
   "Nope, but I'm prepared!"

Not much to ask

Today's weather is making me feel exceptionally sucky. Therefore, I am making a list of things that I enjoy that may or may not be related to a date approximately one month in the future.  If I happened to have had these things today, I might not even have noticed the weather outside to have felt sucky in the first place.

I want:

• a new pair of rain boots and a giant puddle to redeem the time a few weeks ago that I jumped in a puddle - only to learn I had cracked a hole in them and then had wet feet inside my boots
• the latest Batman game for my PS3 (I'd say "new" game, but really it was new a year ago) and a weekend free to immerse myself in it
• a week off to cook random things from the collection of recipes I've been amassing
• some sunny, but cool autumn weather so that I can bring out all my scarves and make up for time lost while we were tropically travelling last year

And a winning lottery ticket - can't forget that.

Shoot for the moon

At 10:22 am today, the moon was still out according to the Star website. 

I am a little underwhelmed today at work.

Downpour

Dear Pathetic Fallacy,

Yep, that's about right.

melody

A flash of intelligence

At least my version had the right kind of lightning in it. 

Struck

Due to sporting schedules and an extended sleep-in, Malcolm and I didn’t manage to get to the Whitby Ribfest on Saturday as we had originally planned. However, undeterred and with an appointment-free Sunday, (kept clear in the event that such a mis-schedule should happen) we made our way over to the venue to take in a late lunch just yesterday.

Looking out the front windows at home, the skies shone clear and sunny. It wasn’t until we’d piled into the car and were well on our way that we noticed the dark clouds following us. Our reaction?

“Meh.”

We’d just returned from a state-side shopping trip that had us facing clouds much like the ones chasing us that Sunday and while the American clouds had flashed and boomed, they didn’t let a single drop fall and instead passed us over completely and disappeared. Why wouldn’t this be the same?

When we arrived at the Ribfest, it was pretty clear that the clouds were not just going to pass us by as before. So, we made the decision to divide and conquer the food options before meeting to find seats in the food tent. Mission accomplished. Just as a light rain began to fall, we were sitting ourselves down, dry under the tent, to fest on our rack of ribs and blooming onion with extra ranch sauce.

We took in the sights as we ate. The rain was doggedly persistent, but not the heaviest of downpours. The band didn’t cower away, but instead completed its set before clearing the stage for Mother Nature. Other rib enthusiasts circled the tent, looking for a way in and a dry seat while spending more time shielding their precious fare from the rain rather than themselves.

It didn’t take long before everyone had either found a seat or had piled in to stand under the tent’s sprawling shelter. Lightning and thunder had crept in along with the rain, but, like the rain, weren’t enough to distract anyone from digging in.

And then.

CRACK!

The loudest crack of lightning – lightning, not thunder – I’d ever heard erupted overhead. The surprise and volume of the lightning made everyone duck their heads simultaneously as if it would have helped to escape the boom. Screams sounded all through the tent. A woman trembled, “was that a gun shot?” Malcolm assured her it wasn’t – it was too loud.

The screams we had first attributed to being from frightened children had not subsided. As they wouldn't stop, we looked for the reason: seeing the commotion halfway down the tent from us, we knew it before we saw it – someone had been struck by that lightning.

On-site paramedics flew into the crowd throwing tables and chairs through the air and out into the rain to gain access and make way. Security personnel swarmed those of us still shockingly seated and ordered us out of the tent. As we made our way away through the drizzle, we caught snatches of speculation.

“Did you feel that? I felt the shock in my legs.”

“I felt that through the ground.”

“Someone got hit by the lightning.”

“There were a few ladies lying on the floor over there.”

“Man, that’s exactly where we were sitting before we decided to move.”

As we neared the main intersection, emergency vehicles began pouring onto the scene.  Fire, EMS, police - it felt like all hands were on deck; definitely more than enough to treat just a few people.

When it was all said and done (and Malcolm and I were at Bass Pro Shops after finishing our ribs at home), I was innudated with updates as to what had happened.  Lightning had indeed struck our lightning-rod-equipped-tent.  It had run down to the ground, and then back up through the bodies of those in the immediate vicinity of the struck pole.  17 people were treated for non-life threatening injuries - mostly burns, but some trampling too - and the Ribfest had closed shortly after we'd been evacuated.

A close call, but we were witness to an awesome display of Mother Nature's wrath and lived to tell the tale. 

We also bought a lottery ticket, but didn't win.  :(  I guess they did say that it doesn't strike twice.
...

Weather update for today: Toronto's on tornado watch, extreme thunderstorm watch, and extreme heat alert.  If Mother Nature ate corn flakes, some asshole apparently peed in them.

Feels like burning

You know it's hot outside when you're sitting inside in your air conditioned office and you're complaining about the heat. 

Or it could be my hot flashes - it's hard to tell.