In the kitchen? I’ve got small shoots coming up outside in the garden.
Stop it.
The crocuses in my yard have already come and gone.
No pumping needed tonight. It’s snowing.
And, a garland of Christmas lights on my front entrance, which stopped working a few months ago and I was going to pitch out this weekend, have suddenly turned themselves on again in the middle of the night.
It is a weird feeling that Christmas is coming back…
All the numbers in the world won’t help you.
The notion among a lot of Canadians that we are internationally reknowned as “peacekeepers” and “honest brokers” is probably the biggest example I can name of a disparity between a country’s self-impression and its actual international reputation. In actual fact, most people in the world either have no impression at all of us as an international player, or think of us as an ally of the USA.
No matter what party is in power, the standard line is that that party is ruining Canada’s mythical international reputation. It was said of Chretien, too - tehe details and narrative were a little different (it was a bit more tilted to use betraying our allies with our military weakness) but the gist was the same. It’ll be said of the next guy in office.
So, Moncton has had 13 snow days so far this school year. Maybe I’m just getting too old and romanticizing the past but I’m pretty sure that is close to the number of snow days that I had in my entire elementary to high school career.
God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay.
Ignore the snow and Christmas lights,
That come on Spring’s first day.
Well, at least I’m not pumping.
I didn’t even get that many. We had no school during the Ice Storm of '98 and its aftermath (I was in high school here in Montreal), and then we never got snow days again.
As for current weather conditions where I live - it still looks like winter, but I did see a sign of spring the other day - a turkey vulture flying over McGill. I’ve given up trusting the robins as a sign of spring, since I saw a whole flock of them in the middle of a freezing winter day this year.
Do turkey vultures normally fly over McGill at end of term? Might make some exam-taking students a bit nervous…
There are many turkey vultures in the area. They’re a common sight in warmer weather. They hang around McGill because there’s a mountain nearby with green space. Apparently some of them even nest on the buildings downtown.
Piper Boys Night Out!
The puck has just dropped in Game 4 of the Regina Pats v. Brandon Wheat Kings, round two of the playoffs.
The Cub is happily watching the action, eating red and blue shaved ice, cotton candy to follow.
Must win for the Pats, who are down 2-1 in the series, which goes back to Brandon for game 5.
Ottawa is absolutely nutsoid about the Senators vs. Montreal. Although I live here I’m not a huge Senators fan, as many may have guessed.
But I love hockey and will be watching the playoffs almost every night for the next 6 weeks or so.
It’s the best game in the world, IMnsHO.
Curses! Wheaties scored with 30 seconds to go in the first period.
Para have come back on fire! Score 2-1 6 minutes into the second. First goal was scored by a player coming off a penalty: picked up a loose puck as he jumped out of the box, got a break-away and scored one on one on the goalie; no Wheatie defence any where near him.
Um… Happy Spring?
:: disappointed Leafs fan, or I would be if I cared about watching sports ::
Story here.
Frankly, I’m surprised most city councils begin their sessions with a prayer. What year is this? Ottawa apparently held a prayer before meetings, and as of yesterday they are replacing it with a moment of personal reflection, or something.
Can you imagine what would happen in a normal workplace if daily meetings began with a prayer?
I’m not offended by prayer and it wouldn’t bother me enough to take it to the Supreme Court, however I find it totally absurd that council meetings in most municipalities begin with a prayer. I had no idea. What in the hell are they thinking? Again, just thinking of the half dozen or so places I’ve worked in my life, religion never came up as a topic in any formal manner. I’m dumbfounded, and I’m even more pissed at the callers into the local radio talk shows here stating that there’s nothing wrong with beginning council meetings with a prayer and that non-believers or people of Godless religions should just shut up and accept that the majority rules and that “this country was founded on Christianity.”
Holy shit.
I’ve started a thread on the Alberta election, in the Elections forum:
Alberta Election 2015: “Mother of mercy, is this the end of Alberta Tories?”
I’m just fascinated by the Alberta Tories’ streak in power, now the longest in Canadian history. But any streak has to end…
And our own Le Ministre de l’au-déla is getting rave reviews for his performance as the Judge in Sweeney Todd in Vancouver:
Excellent news! Doug has a magnificent voice. (And first name too. ;))