Day 2-59 -- friends, freedom and fun

What a great day.  Sun shone and temperature was mild and wind was minimal. I took the car out and did some chores and some grocery shopping. It was rather freeing to be in charge of my own transportation and schedule <smile>.  It took a while to get what I needed at the store. Many shelves were empty -- particularly those that usually hold salt, sand and even kitty litter. There is nothing to put on the ice to make those journeying across it feel safer. I'll have to keep my ear to the ground to hear when the truck with these items arrives at any of the stores in town.  Hopefully it will be soon as there are two storms gearing up for next week -- some snow on Monday and then something not fully clear for Wed/Thurs/Fri. It goes without saying that shovelling will be involved, but so will ice, so grit and salt will be needed by everyone.

While at the grocery store, I ran into a retired friend.We haven't chatted for a long time so it was nice to do a quick catch-up at the store <smile>.  When I got home, I got a call from a friend back home. Again, it was June when we last saw each other, so it has been a while between chats.  Both of these events were unexpected and pleasant. It is so easy for time to get away on us with long stretches in between talks. Its not that we don't think of each other often, but time zones and life responsibilities can take us down divergent paths. So -- when those paths cross again, it is always a wonderful experience.

The song for today came to mind when thinking of being in touch with friends. It seemed to fit well with my ability to be back out in the community <smile>. This version has an interesting duo performing -- all around fun. Enjoy!

You've got a Friend in Me -- Randy Newman & Lyle Lovett

Day 2-58 -- Time for some "me" time

Another sunny day and the end of the work 'to do' list -- well, for now <smile>.  I went for a walk and it was much icier than yesterday. There is so much out there, I'm not sure when it will ever all be gone. The sad news today was the death of Leonard Nimoy. He and that amazing voice were part of my formative years and both will be sorely missed.

So -- before the last half of the term begins on Monday, I plan to do 'me' things -- cook, shop, read and such, along with the regular weekend chores. It is my 'get a life' weekend <smile>. Perhaps grab onto life would fit better. There are jobs -- paid and unpaid -- that can demand much from an individual, leading the person to put the needs of others before their own. While this is not all bad -- the world is not all about 'me' -- each of us needs some time to focus on self. Without this, we may have less to offer others and can damage ourselves with burnout or resentment.The negative mental health issues brought on by giving too much can have short and long term health impacts. So -- we all need to grab onto life when we can to ensure that we remain who we really are.

The song I thought of for today has fun lyrics and video. While I believe a 'break' can help us stay true to who we are, the lyrics present this from a slightly different angle. Also, the video centres around a bit of sci-fi -- a great send off for Mr. N. Enjoy!

I don't have to be me ('til Monday) -- Steve Azar

Day 2-57 -- If the creek don't rise . . .

I spent this partly sunny day prepping lectures indoors and moving snow around outside. Well, I'm not sure snow is the correct term. It was more like ice bits that were glued to the underlying ice. The good thing is that the path is now even -- at least until the next semi-thaw when the footprints in the slush will make it all uneven again. I chipped the last of the ice and snow layers off the car -- lifting large slabs of ice from the windshield. I called my plow guy who has a wicked cold, but he sent a backhoe along to move the piles of ice left by the street and sidewalk plows and I now have an open driveway. I started the car to see if it would move or was mired in ice and frozen to the ground. It moved back and up onto the next layer of ice. I believe this means I can make a trip to the grocery store <grin>. It is amazing how odd it feels to have one's regular schedule disturbed.

A few minutes ago we were sitting here and a loud clicking noise began. I soon realized it was a dripping noise. This time the water is from the exhaust fan in the kitchen -- 2 feet east of the cupboard that had water on the weekend. Almost everyone has some degree of leaking at work or at home or at the mall.  Roof ice is blocking the melted ice from running to the eaves troughs.  So, it backs up under the shingles and finds a way into the building. Water always finds a way <sigh>. A plastic container will catch the drips for now and we'll think positive no-drip thoughts for long term.

The song that came to mind today has lyrics that remind me of potential major difficulties. It does this in an upbeat way. Enjoy!

Up on Cripple Creak -- The Band

Day 2-56 -- Remaining upbeat

At lunch today, I did a community talk for a lunch and learn for adults 55+. It was great fun!  I'd love to do another session some day. The snow began just before we left the library -- like big flakes of horizontal snow. It was warmer than yesterday and even with the wind chill it was bearable. The wind blew me sideways a few times, though, which is disconcerting when walking on the snow covered ice. Coming back down the hill to pick up some milk and a late lunch, the snow had turned to ice pellets with a ferocious sting -- a Nova Scotia winter facial, I guess.  Luckily, this quickly changed to misty rain that made my mittens wet <grin>.

I'm still hoping for spring soon. Not that I'm wishing my life away, but I'm ready for this any time now. I would like to go to bed and wake up tomorrow with no ice or snow. While this isn't likely to occur, it will happen in the coming weeks. After all, March begins on Sunday. My next big project is to get the driveway cleared again and get the car out of the driveway so I can go to the grocery store that is more than a walk away and buy all the heavy stuff I'm running low on -- sidewalk salt and gritty litter stuff, actual cat litter, and several heavier grocery items. So -- once the lectures for next week are completed and the several other smaller work-related tasks, I'll move in that direction. I remain optimistic that there will be time to move these tasks off the to-do list, even if it is a long list. 

A song came to mind over the past few days as I've wondered about my  hope for an early spring. It seems to fit well for today. I heard this first as a child; my mother loved the soundtrack to the movie. It is a little goofy but fun. Enjoy!


Cockeyed Optimist --  Mitzi Gaynor (from South Pacific)

Day 2-55 -- Relaxation of Baking

Another day working away at grading but it was productive.  It was very cold outside and felt coolish even in the house. It seemed like a good day to turn on the oven and bake something. So, I did. I made some regular buns and sweet rolls.  They are 'resting' at present, awaiting sampling. <smile>

I love cooking and baking. Time doesn't always allow me to do this as often as I'd like. I have learned to do binge cooking and baking when time presents itself. The deep freeze can be filled with all types of delights, which makes dinner easier after a long day at work. I'm hoping that I'll be able to make some muffins this week and some larger pots of soup and chili with biscuits. Other ideas may come to mind -- we'll see how things go. Cooking can be very calming while giving the feeling of accomplishment -- something we all can use <smile>.

Since I'm writing about making bread in a blog that is diary-ish, this song seemed to fit perfectly for today. The song is one that I heard often while working in a department store record department (along with sporting goods, china and housewares). It brings happy memories and is relaxing, just like baking. Enjoy!

Diary -- Bread

Day 2-54 -- Future Planning?

Traversed the icy streets today for an appointment and to check on the cat of a friend. No wind made the day feel almost balmy for a change, but it was just around freezing so really not cold. It is to drop to -20C overnight and stay cold during the day tomorrow with major wind chill factors. Luckily <smirk> I have enough grading to keep me occupied indoors all day tomorrow.

My appointment was the annual RRSP banking discussions. Retirement -- some days I'd start in a heartbeat and other days bring more measured plans <smile>. Planning for a new phase of life is daunting to say the least. Scary might be a better descriptor. I never really thought about it years ago when I began saving for retirement. Now when they refer to holding a product for 5-10 years, I wonder if that is too long or not long enough. How would one know if they were ready to retire -- not financially, but psychologically? There must be a planning group somewhere that allows people to think through the process. I firmly believe one must have a plan and not just 'stop' working. Getting a handle on what should be in that plan brings a variety of anxieties. Hence, my thought to find a group to deal with the fear of change.

While walking from the banking appointment to my next task, I was singing this song in my head. It always makes me smile and it seemed to fit the wishing or dreaming aspect of financial planning <smile>. I love this group -- in all iterations and this was one of their wonderful early songs. The lyrics are filled with double meanings and puns. Enjoy!

If I had a Million Dollars -- Barenaked Ladies

Day 2-53 -- A Rainy February Day

The rain poured down most of the day.  Sadly, the temperatures were not very high, so very little melted. Snow and existing ice have just been reinforced. I was prepared for the rain, but I wasn't prepared to have it indoors with me. There was a constant drip through the ceiling fan in the bathroom for most of the afternoon. Then it stopped just as it had begun. Abruptly. When I was making supper, I reached into the cupboard above the stove for the tinfoil, and found a soggy, disintegrating box. So, the rain seemed to get from the roof to the bathroom fan but also across to the wall the two rooms share. That seemed to be the only place with any ugly brown water. Luckily in the bathroom, the fan is directly above the toilet, so no water made it to the floor -- one should be thankful for small mercies <smile>. Temperatures will fall more than 20 degrees in the next 24 hours, so all the roof ice will freeze until the next day with rain and such.

My home is not the only place with such invasive water. A friend's bedroom had water coming in through the light fixture. At work, several offices had water through the ceiling much of last week. The roof ice is everywhere. Icicles are larger than seen in many years and they are in places I've never seen them before. While lovely, they can create quite dangerous situations. I do recall my first winter here when they had chain saws out to cut the icicles off the cathedral. Definitely something I'd never encountered on the prairies.

There was a song line that came to me today that I'll share with you all.  The song is an older tune -- one from those early days of rock 'n' roll . Enjoy!

Baby the Rain must Fall -- Glenn Yarbrough