Snow and its repercussions

Yesterday, I woke up, opened the window and saw that the ground was covered with snow. Usually, when I see the first snow of the season, I'm filled with childish glee and delight and have the urge to go and make snowangels. That former delight was thoroughly mixed with despair as the knowledge I couldn't drive to work set in.

I bundled up appropriately for the weather, meaning sweater, fleece, shell, scarf, gloves and toque. Then I ventured outside only to be met with a really heavy snowfall. The 5 minute walk to the station left me nicely coated in the white stuff.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of the train system here. They are infrequent and certain trains have a tendency to interrupt their trip to sit at a station and, well, just sit. For up to what seems like 10 minutes at a time. Why are they sitting? One reason is that there is only one train track. So, occasionally one train must wait until the other coming from the opposite direction has cleared the track. No, messy accidents that way you see. The other reason is solely to tick me off. I've now made it a rule to dehyrdrate myself before getting on the bloody train for fear I'll have to get off to use the bathroom and then wait up to an hour for the next one.

But I digress. The train ride was its usual thing, once at the station I boarded a bus and arrived at my school's central campus. Only problem, I wasn't working at the central office on this particular day. So, I borrowed a bike from a coworker and realized how very out of shape I am. The 15 minute ride left me tired and sweaty (due to overlayering, and carting around my 10 pound backpack). I taught, sweat my way to returning the bike, got on another bus and train. I now have great respect for my coworkers who have to bike, no matter the weather, to the separate branch offices. I was one tired puppy by the time I got home.

It snowed again this morning. When I now see snow I nearly break down sobbing. But being bound and determined to be lazy (and also having suffered through many a Calgarian winter) I maneuvered our tiny car down the icy hill, onto slushy roads and into greener pastures (the city is inexplicably blue skied and sunny). The car is now reposing in the parking lot, blissfully unaware that it will have to make a return trip into snowland.

And I have to teach soon so I'll stop the bitch fest here. Cheers all.