Making It Up As I Go Along #297

MONDAY...
— Lots of snow. Probably close to 30 cm by the time it’s all done. Most snow fall in one shot since I’ve moved here 4 ½ years ago.
— At least, being on evening shift, I drive in with less traffic and snow clearing having been done.
— Work is quiet. Trevor, Jon and me... Scott works some OT with us as well.

TUESDAY...
— Work is okay. Nothing out of the ordinary. I get some chilli from Tim Horton’s for supper. Watch some TV before work in the morning and early afternoon. Little else.

WEDNESDAY...
— Sort of a down day at work. My stats are fine but it’s just not a great day anyway.
— Fall asleep on the sofa during a movie after work. Oh well.

THURSDAY...
— Well the last few weeks have been a bit tiresome. So I decide to take a day away today and call in a vacation day. I don’t have many to use but it seems like a day off today would be nice.
— A power outage today. Around 5:00, things shut off. Don’t know what does it but the whole neighbourhood is out. So I’m in the candle light for a little while. It comes back on at 9:00... off again at 9:30... back again just before 10:00... quite a pain!

FRIDAY...
— Work late. I stay an extra hour to add some time. I’m there by myself then... and it’s kind of nice.

SATURDAY...
— Quiet day around the house. Some UFC stuff to watch, along with a movie. Go to the movies with Karl in the evening. I finally see the Simpson’s Movie... I like it too.


The Horror’s of Winter
There are many winter things that one forgets each summer. It’s funny that you never forget about the good and bad of summer. You sit in the cold of winter and remember the bugs, the heat, and the extra hours of light.

But winter, there are things I always forget. No matter how many winters I go through, these facts slip my mind until the season hits again and I’m shocked back into my experiences.

I say shocked because that’s a large part of the pain of winter. Static electricity. It is a frightening thing! I fear it will in fact be the death of me.

Yes, the dry air brings other hassles. The inside of the nose clogs up with dryness. The skin on the forehead becomes leathery. And even a guy feels like he needs to consider a bottle of moisturizer... or moisturizing shampoo.

But it’s the jolts of electricity that brings the most fear and loathing.

I’ve battled some of this problem with night lights. LCD lights in several rooms help for a quick getting from one spot to another. I can at least keep my hand off of light switches in this regard. I’ve probably cut my light switch time back by at least 30%.

I mean forget the environment, I’m saving money on electricity because I’m too afraid of turning things on.

Too often I’ve walked into a dark room in the winter... and reached for the switch... and had a blast of blue spark jump from the wall to my fingers. I’ve danced away cursing Ben Franklin and modern technology.

I now know what it’s like to be on the electric chair... because I’ve turned on a bathroom light in an Ottawa winter.

You get it with people too. I’ve walked up to co-workers and reached to take change from them... or hand them a pencil... or tap them on the shoulder. Great bolts of light flash between us! Smoke rises and the smell of seared flesh wafts through the air. We both curse... then laugh... and go about our day.

It’s a strange thing to take a painful shock from an outlet and you swear a blue streak... but get one from another person, and you find a way to laugh about it. I guess we really do like it when others share our pain.

But whether it be through a light switch or that personal touch, by February, most people have taken so many volts that their heart’s rhythm is out of wack and their hair stands on end. It gets to a point where you’re unsure of everything. Even the simplest items, you fear touching. You’re literally shell shocked. So taking a glass from the cupboard, or a nut from a bowl, or a seat in a leather chair... any of these simple pleasures leaves you trembling with the anticipation of being lit up in Texas execution style.

And with all this electro shock therapy, the memory of the horror will be stricken from existence. And we’ll make it through the summer forgetting all about the pain of turning on a light in January. It’s how we survive. Block out the bad... and move on for a few months of peace and tranquility.