Sententiae Draconis

Yesterday morning when I woke up it was snowing outside. In general this makes me very happy. But then a little later (somewhere in the vicinity of noonish – I work nights!) while I was lying in bed reading my power went out. – My apartment is super dark. Even in the lightest part of the day.

Turns out this is not just my breaker (as happens rather frequently in my apartment) but the whole neighbourhood. Because even though it’s Vancouver the snow is actually staying on the ground and is between five and ten centimetres!

J and C and I had been planning on going to see the Hobbit that afternoon out at the IMAX (which is in Richmond) so that we could see the first nine minutes of Star Trek. We were planning on the 4:20 show. The official word is that it takes circa half an hour to get to the IMAX from where we are. But we were planning on giving ourselves lots of extra time even before we knew about the weather. So around 2ish we start texting back and forth about whether or not it’s safe to drive with the roads being kinda crap. J has had the worst day ever with exam stress and weather stress and a massive headache, so she decides not to come. But C (our driver) is familiar with driving in snow and checked the webcams for the highways (which were clear) and decided that it was worth a shot.

So she picked me up around 3 from 8th and Waterloo. It took us until 3:40 to get to Arbutus and 30th. Which is nowhere near the IMAX. That should’ve been a 15 min drive on the outside.

Considering Vancouver probably has a grand total of 2 snowploughs, the roads weren’t all that bad. But the traffic was ridiculous, although I didn’t see anyone being too terrible at driving either (which is frankly a miracle).

So we decided to cut our losses and head for C’s place. I checked the BC hydro website from my phone and the power was still off at mine. (Boo.)

Since C lives near my work though I called up the theatre to let them know that we’d be coming to the 7 o’clock show. (Perks of working in a movie theatre – I can take myself and a friend to the movies for free.) We spent the remaining time drinking tea eating a whole grocery store chicken (me) and watching Seaquest, which C has on DVD because she’s cool like that. And then we walked through the slushy snow to the theatre.

So we didn’t get the first nine minutes of Star Trek Into Darkness (Hell, we didn’t even get the trailer – lame). But we at least got to see the movie. And lo: it was good.

( ”Hobbit )

I want Dwarf hugs! All the Dwarf hugs!

Then I went home and although my power was up the internet was not. I think the wireless needs to be reset. But naturally it’s my landlords who control the router. The internet is still out now and I had to abscond to a coffee shop to post my Yuletide story and check on my virtual life. I'll see if I can pester them about it tonight. On my list of things for the next place I live is controlling my own internet. I'm getting fed up with the poor signal strength in the basement and people who don't notice immediately when it's not working. Le sigh.

Falling back an hour may make everything lighter in the morning - but it's still very strange and frustrating when it starts to get noticeably darker at 3pm more than month away from the solstice.

Le sigh.

It's SNOWING! And it's staying on the ground!

WTF Vancouver! It's only November. I am delighted and confused. Apparently it's a La Nina winter this year.

Hee!

Today is absolutely gorgeous and I've been feeling weird etc (hence the post earlier today) so I really needed to get out. So I went and braved the maze of construction on Princess St. to get a rare roast beef sandwich and some pastries from Pan Chancho (Om nom nom) got some coffee from the Goat and walked out to the waterfront by the Murney Tower (workplace of hellish coworkers lo these many moons ago) and sat about eating my little picnic and reading Smoke and Mirrors by Tanya Huff.

It was really good to see the Lake. The wind was up and chill but not too cold. The sun was glinting off the water. The Windmills on Wolfe Island were turning prettily. And there weren't too many people around because it is still fairly cold out (the Australians would not be impressed - I have nothing against Aussies, but I can't help but laugh at them when they insist that it gets cold there - 6 or 7 is not cold!). It was lovely.

And Smoke and Mirrors is still awesome. Tony Foster is my favourite. I love this series. I could totally read it all the time and not get bored. Tony/Lee is one of the only canon pairings that I love beyond all reason. I wish that it was a TV show so that I would have pictures of the actors I could draw hearts around. /girlish gushing.

But most importantly there was the water. I don't think I could have gone to Edmonton and UofA for no other reason than because there is no water (that river-like thing does not count). I need something I can sail on properly. Even if I don't get the chance to sail.

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. It was cold and windy - but that was mostly because I was stupid and didn't bother wearing a sweater under my coat. It's January. Parts of my brain still think that it's supposed to be colder.

So I went out for a walk around Calton Hill and took a whole lot of photos. I'd share a bunch but the internet connection here at my amazingly priced flat is rather slow so I think I won't.

Calton Hill was beautiful and the view was stunning and the wind was high! It kept trying to take away my hat (which will not do). I also very much want to climb up to Arthur's Seat now, because it looks amazing. But I feel that will take a bunch more effort (and probably a packed lunch). L has mentioned that we should do that at some point, so I will also figure out when she's available and do it then.

Speaking of L she came over last night and we had a sleep over party with blue jello (brought all the way from Canada because this crazy country doesn't have it - shame), and HAGGIS pizza from Tesco (which was actually really good, who knew?), and probably more Supernatural than was necessary. So now we're both caught up to the hiatus, and neither of us have a good way to download the new episodes. I'm sure we'll figure out other things to do. For example - tomorrow is another Capitals game! Hockey in Scotland may be one of my favourite things! I'm going to buy a t-shirt. It's going to be awesome.

Also why are phones so much more sensible here? I mean I'm probably paying almost as much as I do in Canada, but so many things about them are just easier and better. Also all of the UK is local. I can't even call in-province on local minutes! Granted my province is considerably larger than the UK, but it's the principle of the thing.

In other news, today is also beautiful but I have no idea what I want to do. :)

Dear lord, the weather is so fowl that it sounds like someone's in the shower, but it's actually just the rain/hail/snow/whatever-the-hell-it-is being blown rather forcefully onto the window. I am glad that I don't have to leave the house tonight.

Why is it that the weather in this city is always at its worst when I have to walk home after work at 4am? (Well tonight it was only midnight, but still - I even preferred the blowing snow to the cold almost-rain.)

I might be willing to accept that it's just Halifax in January, but still! I've had freezing rain, bitter cold, snow (and at a time of night when the ploughs haven't gotten everywhere and my choices are walk on the street or through a snowbank), and wind that cuts through your clothes.

Weather, I am not impressed.

Sometime last night the snow that was snowing all day yesterday and melting into puddles once it hit anything that wasn't air, started to actually stay on the ground. We have ground-snow! And my 13(?)-year-old neighbour has written his name in enormous letters in his backyard by shovelling it away.

And K didn't believe me when I said that it was supposed to snow in November and that when I was a kid it used to snow on Hallowe'en. She's only two years younger than me and is from the same geographical region. Kids these days.

In other news I am tired, but I am still going to go down to SMU to hand in my forms so I can take a course there next term, and I am going to start on my paper before 6pm, and I am going to finish reading the Iliad today (only about 30 pages to go). I will be accomplished!

Why is it that every time I go to the fish store it rains? And not just calm rain either, intense wet rain that soaks your pants within the first five minutes and that you can feel pounding into the shoulders and hood of your raincoat.

So I got a new fish. He's a sucker fish and an algae eater so I won't even have to feed him. I've yet to think of a name, but all things in time. The fish store people did have quite a time getting one of them out of the tank. Right now he's sulking under the plant, but I'm sure his spirits will rise as he gets used to the new environment and realizes how much algae I have lying around for him to eat.

ETA: I've decided on a name for my new fish. He's Steve. Steve the Sucker Fish. That is all.

It was raining this morning as I walked to the university (S and I missed the bus by about three seconds). Big, fat drops that filled the air and seemed to fall in slow motion defying the wind (5-10 knots gusting to 15, but I bet it was a clear 15 on the water without the buildings slowing and confusing things). It was cold and S complained that it should be snowing instead of raining at this temperture. And then while was I doing my German Exam (It's done yay!!!!!! *dances around and starts singing "O Tannenbaum" because it's the only song she has the words for in German, except maybe some German Punk lying around in her iTunes*) it turned into snow. Vigourous, large flakes descending with speed as if they were trying to make up for the sloth of their liquid brothers. The wind has also picked up quite a bit.

And the snow is staying on the ground. At first it was just piling up to melt together as slush on the sidewalks and wet ground, but now there's a lumpy damp white carpet covering our backyard. And I'm inside and (mostly) dry watching the snow with pleasure before starting (yet another) knitting project.

The rest of my weekend was as equally enjoyable as the first half and perhaps a post will be made about the good things that happened later, but for now I've got snow and knitting and a new episode of Torchwood calling my name.

And so I bid you a snowy Aufwiedersehen!