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This is the time of year when sane Canadians are beginning to claw at the windows and gibber. Obviously the stress has gotten to le Ministre, and, in a kind of Stockholm syndrome, he has started to love his captor. By using this laser temperature gadget I picked up at Canadian Tire this weekend, I have checked his forehead temperature (across the Internet!), and he is indeed a little feverish.
Okay, that’s it! You no longer deserve the moniker ‘OfTheNorth’. We’ll have to call you GingerOfSomewhereInTheMiddle.
Oh, now, you people - I remember very well July of 2007, when I was emptying the demolition debris from the 3rd floor of our house. The temperature was in the mid 30s, the humidity was around 95% and I had to be in jeans, a long sleeved shirt, hard hat, dust mask and eye goggles. 40 steps up and down the fire escape at the back to pour a garbage can full of lath and plaster crumbs into the dumpster bin. Rinse, lather, repeat for as many hours of daylight as there was. I was going through 2 - 3 litres of apple juice a day, and when I got home to our un - air conditioned house, there was nothing to do but shower and sit in front of a fan in my skivvies. I remember contemplating removing my skin in case that extra layer was somehow making me hotter…
At least I can put on another sweater and go for a ski at this time of year.
There comes a point when skiing is not an option. Mrs Piper and I took the PiperCub out in his poke last weekend for a cross-country ski, and it really wasn’t enjoyable - only -16, but the windchill took it below the comfort level. I was very glad to get back to the shack with its woodburner and get off my skis - you really shouldn’t feel that way after a ski.
We didn’t even try it this weekend, since the base temperature was already -20, with a wind blowing. Not being a masochist, I didn’t even try to find out what the windchill was… :eek
Orlando’s nice this time of year.
I know, because I did the very Canadian thing of going down last week.
It was worth it. Even though I had to put up with my mother. It was worth it.
And when I came back to Canada, it was raining. Don’t that just beat all?
I’ll be glad to put mine away for the good weather, but I’ll still own it next winter. Oh well. 
On another note, anybody seen the new Tim Hortons commercial for R-r-r-roll up the Rim? Two guys in an amusement park, and they happen upon the Canadaland attraction–containing such carnival games as “Knit a Toque” and “Shovel the Driveway.” It made me laugh–as Homer Simpson says, “It’s funny 'cause it’s true.”
Heh. I saw that one yesterday at my friends’ place.
Isn’t the hundred-metre driveway shovel being considered for the Winter Olympics?
Alas, I won’t be able to participate, having rather badly injured my back last week performing that exact event.
It wasn’t even like there was a lot of snow, or even that heavy. Sigh. April’s gonna suck.
I’m sorry, you’re confusing me - can those words combine in English to form a meaningful sentence? 
One of the things I don’t like about Toronto is it’s too warm in the winter - I grew up skiing every day after school until it was suppertime. Here, it’s hit and miss whether you’ve got snow, slush, ice or pavement.
Did I ever tell you guys about the job I had when I was still in school? In 1975, after the Post Office strike raised the price of a stamp from 5 cents to 8 cents, the gas company figured out that they could pay kids 5 cents a bill to deliver the gas bills. I had a different route every weekend, anywhere from 500 - 700 bills, and I would deliver them Thursday night, Friday night and as much of Saturday as I needed. I did that job from Grade 9 until I graduated - provided just enough money to blow on albums every week. So, yeah, I’m quite accustomed to being out for 6 - 8 hours regardless of the temperature or wind chill.
I almost got in on an experiment where people were supposed to go winter camping in the middle of Lake Winnipeg for 4 months to see what it did to their average body temperature, but it never worked out.
I take it your mother never forced you to ski in -30 weather, cause we were there anyway?
Or put a garbage bag over your snowsuit to try to keep a bit dry in the rain, cause we were there anyway?
Oh yeah - there’s definitely a point at which it’s just not an option. At least, not if you hope to get the least amount of enjoyment out of it…
I once wussed out of some downhill partway through the day because my grandmother pointed out that the white spot on my cheek was frostbite. I thought I’d draw a line in the snow at that point.
I did my cold time. How many of you guys have been travelling in the high Arctic in winter? I was in Yellowknife for a lotta years. I’m keepin’ my name.
(bumface).
See that? See how much I’m becoming like one of them?
Cheer up, Gorsnak. I just checked The Weather Network, and it’s going to be really really nice this weekend…
Take heart! Daylight savings begins on Sunday! An extra hour of light in the evenings will go a long way.
Hey- we do have standards you know.
(Yawning and stretching at 80 degrees as we look forward to autumn (fall) )
You realize I live in Saskatchewan, don’t you? Not that I want DST anyways. It’s only just starting to get light out on the way to work, no need to push that back another hour.
I was wrong. It didn’t wait until April to suck.
We have a LOT of really heavy nasty snow. Yippie.
But … but … the kitties are really okay, right?
I saw that on the morning news–Calgary is getting hit (again) and Calgary cars are hitting each other (again). It did not look pleasant.
On the other hand, just two hours south, we haven’t had anything yet, but we might get some rain later today. Go figure.
And here in Toronto it’s brilliantly sunny and cold, and quiet. Too quiet.