Day 55: Fall - beautiful or depressing?

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 55: Fall - beautiful or depressing?

It’s September, the month fall starts and with it the most depressing time of the year.

Some see beauty in the fall, I’m not one of them. Sure, the foliage in fall is beautiful but look beyond the colors and you’ll realize that the leaves are dying and soon after that rotting.

Everything is dying ... the trees, the shrubbery, and the flowers. For months the world will be devoid of color. No more green trees offering shade on a hot day. No more bright red geraniums, playfully pink petunias, or yellow and purple smiling pansie faces. No more anything.

Winter at least offers the beauty of snow and ice. 

While it might be cold, falling snow or gazing upon a white landscape can be a source of joy. But what joy is there to be found in the fall?

Even more depressing is the temperature. Warm days are a thing of the past. It’s only September 8th and I’m already sitting with a sweater on. 

Last year was very different. The air conditioning in our condo building was switched off in the second week of September and the residents descended on the management office un mass. They asked, pleaded and begged the building manager to turn the air-conditioning back on because it was stifling hot in their units.

Not this year. The air-conditioning unit hasn’t been on for days, instead of shorts I’m wearing jeans, instead of sandals I’ve reached for socks and slippers, and as mentioned earlier, I’m wearing a sweater.

Halley and Greyson aren’t bothered by the sudden chill in the air. As you can see, they continue to nap in the balcony swing. 

Yesterday I thought it a little too chilly for Halley to be outside, so I covered her with a blanket. She stayed and continued to snooze. That is, until Greyson came along and started trampling all over her.

Fall ... I guess we'll just have to put up with it. In another six months, it will be spring again.

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Day 65: The Weather - According to my Son

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 65: The Weather - According to my Son

A few days ago, I had to go out. Even though it was December and presumably cold, before going out I asked my son “Is it cold out there?”

Heaven knows why I asked because I never get an accurate response. Dieter is one of those people who is completely unaffected by the cold. It must be pretty bad before he wears a coat and he never ever wears a hat or a scarf. So really, I don’t know why I bothered checking with him.

When Dieter says it’s nice, that means that I need a light sweater. When he says it’s a little chilly, a warmer sweater is needed. When he says it’s cold, I better bundle up in a coat, scarf, hat, and gloves. And when he says that it’s very cold, that means it’s freezing the balls off a brass monkey.

In summer, his temperature assessment is equally deceiving. When he says that it’s a little chilly, it’s actually quite nice. The kind of day that I can go out in a short-sleeved shirt. When he says it’s warm, that’s my cue to reach for something sleeveless. When he says it’s very warm, that means it’s hot. I can handle the heat up to 28 degrees C (86 degrees F) comfortably, but anything above that is too hot. So, when Dieter says it’s hot, that means outside the birds are falling out of the trees.

I’ll bet now you’re wondering how he describes wind and rain. So, I’ll tell you. When Dieter says, it’s okay, that means there’s a bit of a breeze. When he says there a bit of a breeze, it’s actually quite windy. And when he says it’s windy, there’s a storm going on. Now when he says that it’s very windy ... well, wherever you’re going you’re in danger of being airborne.

As for rain, he certainly can’t be trusted. It’s misty means it’s drizzling. It’s drizzling means it’s raining. It’s raining means it’s pouring. And when he says it’s raining hard there’s practically a hurricane going on.

My weather app on my phone is equally unreliable.

For instance. For today my phone said that it was 12 deg C (54 deg F). I’m sure it was 12/54 degrees somewhere, but it wasn’t in Toronto.

There have been days that the app says that 75% chance of rain is expected and there’s not a drop of water to be seen. Last winter the app predicted 6 cm of snow (a little more than 2 inches) and we got nothing than a light dusting.

Fortunately, even though my son fails to give me an accurate description of the weather and my phone app is frequently wrong, I can always rely on my cats.

When they groom themselves and they wipe a paw behind their ears ... it’s gonna rain. When the wiping involves a triple action, it’s gonna come down in buckets.

On the other hand, if they claw at the furniture or carpets, wind is expected. And believe me, it never fails.

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Day 1: Outside the Window

They say that writers should write every day to become better at their craft. I suppose they’re right, but it’s not always easy thinking of a topic to write about. Which is why I was pleased to find a site with an exercise “365 Creative Writing Prompts. Inspiration & Ideas for Poetry, Writing, Journaling & More.”

Initially, I planned on starting this exercise on January 1^st, but the new year is four months away and I was eager to get started. Next, I thought about starting on September 1^st since that’s only two days away. But then I figured … what the heck, there’s no time like the present, so I’m starting today.

Prompt 1: Outside the Window. What’s the weather outside your window doing right now?

Ah yes, the weather, always a safe and easy topic to talk or write about. Well, let’s see … it’s sunny here in Toronto, but it’s chilly, 21 degrees C (69.8 degrees F).

It’s been a lousy summer. So much so that this summer could go as the coolest and wettest in the history of Toronto summers. I don’t think we’ve hit 30 degrees (86 degrees) once, which ironically suits me just fine. I’m not a fan of the heat. I’m comfortable up to 25 degrees, but anything more than that is too much.

When it gets hot I prefer to stay indoors with the A/C on and a fan if need be. If I do find myself outside, I frequently run into trouble. For instance, we’ll set off on a Saturday morning to go bowling at a temperature that’s nice and warm, but by the time we leave the bowling alley it’s hot as hell. In that case, we have to take a cab home because there’s no way I can walk the long stretch home. For your information, we don’t have a car and as such have to walk wherever we want to go or make use of public transit. Torontonians will know I refer to the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission).

Not that the TTC is the ideal solution. While the trains are air-conditioned (if the air-conditioning works) the subway stations are not. Stations such as Kennedy, Yonge and St. George are much like saunas where one can hardly breathe. Taking the bus or streetcar is even worse. Passengers stand on street corners for who knows how long until the bus or streetcar shows up.

So why am I moaning about our lousy summer when in fact it’s been the perfect summer for me? No idea. Perhaps because our summer has been more like spring, and soon it will be fall. Ouch, what a horrible thought.

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Small, medium or large?

Over the past few months I have complained about the cold. Here in Toronto, winter started in November and kept us in its icy grip until well into April.

Even when it was officially spring, the temperatures varied from cold, to very cold, to OMG my fingers and toes are frozen.

Now, for the past week or so, it really is spring and would you believe it … I already miss the cool days of winter.

During the day it’s not so bad, with the balcony door open, the temperature inside is, what I would call, comfortable. But the nights, OMG the nights. I can’t even remember the last time I slept good.

With only a small window in the bedroom, the night air is not just warm, it’s oppressive. I rarely fall asleep before 3:00 a.m. and if I do fall asleep, I keep waking up in a sweat.

While I used to enjoy a nap during the day, that’s become impossible too. I can’t fall asleep without some sort of cover, but it’s too warm for any type of covering. So it’s a catch 22.

Air-conditioning you might say … great idea, except I live in a condo building where the management decides when the A/C gets switched on and apparently they don’t think A/C is needed yet.

So, until I get the use of A/C, I have to make do with a fan. Do I have a fan … as a matter of fact, I have three: small, medium and large.

The small one releases nothing more than a gentle breeze. It’s perfect for very local use, such as a nightstand.

The medium sized one is what I use the most. It has three settings and a swivel head, and gives off an acceptable stream of cool air. Except, it’s still very local. If I’m in bed, and I turn over, I feel cool air on my back instead of my face.

The large fan is more suitable for the living room than the bedroom. For one, it makes so much noise, it’s like a helicopter is about to take off. And two, the emitted air is so powerful, I run the risk of being blown out of my bed.

A few people in my building have a ceiling fan installed, but I’m not in favor of that concept. I have visions of such a fan falling from the ceiling and decapitating me or one of the cats that sleep on my bed.

Think about it, those ceiling fans have huge blades, which rotate at an increasable speed. If such a fan were to fall, it could do some real damage. So, if you had to choose between having a hot head or no head at all what would you pick … (I thought so).

So until the management of this building decides that it’s hot enough for the A/C to be switched on, I’ll suffer in silence and melt, inch by inch, pound per pound.

Take a cold shower

A few years ago, the chiller in our condo building packed up, and as a result we had no air-conditioning during a heat wave that had Toronto sweltering in a temperature of 45 degrees C (113 degrees F).

Tempers flared, residents were fainting in their units and a woman with heart problems came close to dying. 

When the temperature dropped to 35 degrees C (95 degrees F) everyone heaved a sigh of relief.  It was still hot, but noticeably cooler than the past three days.

All in all, the building was without air-conditioning for 18 days and when the cool air was finally restored, everyone was so happy they almost organized a party.

For the past four days we’ve had another problem … now the boiler is temperamental.  We have heat in our units, but no hot water.

What comes out of the taps is at best tepid water.  Doing the dishes is not such a problem, we can boil water in a pot and transfer it to the sink to get everything clean and grease free.  

The real problem is showering in the morning.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of cold showers.  Especially not now, in winter.  When that blast of cold water hit me yesterday, I nearly jumped out of my skin and the scream that echoed through the bathroom would have made a soprano jealous.

Later on I looked up if there are any health benefits to a cold shower.  Apparently there are quite a few, but I’ll give you my take on them.

Strengthens Immunity – My immune system is just fine thank you.  And if I get a cold or the flu once a year, that’s beneficial to my body as it gives me antibodies.

Better blood circulation – No problem there.  My blood goes round and round without stopping or even pausing.

Regulates temperature – This makes me feel like I should come with a thermostat.

Promotes Weight Loss / Increases Metabolism – If I lose any more weight, I’m going to resemble an ATM card.

Alleviates Depression – I’m not depressed.  I might feel down from time to time, but not to the point that I would call it a depression.

Deepens Breathing – Just exactly how deep do you want me to breath, down to my toes?

Keeps Skin and Hair Healthy – Washing my hair with cold water gave me a headache, and my skin looked like I was about to sprout feathers. 

Increases Energy and Wellbeing – Please, I have so much energy I resemble a ball in a pinball machine. 

Increases Hormone Production – the writer of the website writes “Cold water showers have the ability to increase hormone production and activity by giving the body’s glands a boost. For example, cold showers can be of great benefit to the reproductive system when trying to conceive a child”.

That’s it, I want my hot water back.  Should I find myself pregnant, this pinball machine is going to go tilt. 

Brrrrr

I wonder about meteorologists.
 

Back when I lived in Belgium we had Herman Pien as a meteorologist.  Where they man got his degree is a mystery to me, as he constantly got it wrong.

When he predicted rain, the sun would shine.  When he predicted sun, clouds would appear and in due time it would rain.

The man got so frustrated that eventually he would bet on all horses.  He would predict some sun, some clouds and some rain.  He was bound to hit one out of three.

When I lived in South Africa the meteorologists’ job was as easy and boring as could be.  Between September and May our region (Johannesburg) got sun, sun and more sun.  Occasionally there would be some surprise clouds and rain, but the folks would be so happy with water from the heavens, any mistake made on the meteorologists’ part was quickly forgiven.

You would assume that the meteorologists’ job in Canada is equally easy.  You would think that in winter they only have to mention how cold it’s going to be, but that’s not enough for our weather specialists.  They like to have a little fun.

Take last night for instance … 

The weather channel predicted a maximum for Toronto of -10 C (14 degrees F).  When I looked this morning it was -25 deg C (-13 deg F) with the wind chill.

Yes, rather chilly, but not worthy of the “extreme cold” they were talking about or the cold weather alert that was issued.

Had I taken their word for it, I would have called a cab to take me to my morning destination, but I preferred to feel the temperature for myself.  As mentioned before, it was cold, but not nearly cold enough to issue an alert.

Perhaps I should take up a career in meteorology.  I would simply say “Folks, it’s going to be a cold one tomorrow.  Then again, it is January, this is Canada so … deal with it.”

A bit of this and a bit of that

Those of you who have been reading this blog from the beginning might remember that some three and a half months ago I was bitching and whining about the heat.
The air-conditioning in our condo building had giving up and in a temperature of between 38 and 45 degrees C (100 - 113 degrees F), we were boiling in our units.

I remember sitting in front of a fan, my feet in a bucket of cold water, with a wet towel draped around my neck. All in an attempt to stay cool. The only time and place where it was sort of bearable was at night on the balcony, which is where I wrote some of these blog entries.

Now it’s a different story. Toronto got its first touch of frost last night and this morning it was bitterly cold. It warmed up a little during the day, but not much, the temperature was maybe 5 degrees C (41 degrees F). In the sun it was kind of nice, but the wind ruined every chance of warmth.

I don’t know which is worse, the heat or the cold. I suppose the heat. At least to protect oneself against the cold one can put on multiple layers of clothing, while with the heat there is only so much one can take off.

Still, I’m not looking forward to winter. From now until the end of March we’re gonna have to bundle up in sweaters and coats, scarves and gloves and shiver until our teeth rattle.

While it’s dry it’s not so bad, but oh dear, soon we might get ice and snow and that’s gonna make everything even worse. I like falling snow as much as the next person, and the white blanket does make everything look beautiful, but unfortunately that kind of beauty is fleeting. Soon the white snow turns into a gray mess, starts melting and creates ice patches. Uuuh, I can’t even think about it without shivering.

On a different subject ... as of October 29th we’re home owners. Yep, we bought the condo we’ve been living in for the past six years. During the whole of September we went condo shopping but didn’t see anything we liked. It was basically a case of, what we liked we couldn’t afford and what we could afford we didn’t like. So we decided to stay where we are.

On a different note still ... last weekend Dieter and I played in a ten-pin bowling tournament. We weren’t going to play at first, seeing the entry fee was $50 per person, but in the end we couldn’t stop ourselves. I noticed how much Dieter wanted to play, wanted to test his skills against other bowlers and truth be told I like a bit of competition too. So we entered.

Two squads were to play, the first squad at 12:00 and the second at 2:00 p.m. We played in the 2:00 p.m. time slot. We played four games qualifying and at the end of that round we were in first place.
Next came the finals which were three games round robin.
And we nailed it. We beat our opponents one after another and with only two teams remaining (we and another team) it was time for the slaughter.
Dieter played an amazing game and scored 246, beating the pants off the competition. I didn’t do too bad either and so together we took first place!
Prize money ... (drum roll) $800.
We floated home on Cloud 9.

Is this the beginning of good times to come?