THOUGHTS ON SNOW

March, here in Calgary, is generally one of the heaviest snowfall months of the year. In a 40 hour stretch, at the beginning of the month, we received more snow in one shot than an average March in total. So, some thoughts.

            A haiku:
Snow, snow, snow, more snow.
Shovel, shovel, clutch at chest.
Heart stops, peace at last.

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A life timeline of  snow shoveling:
1) Watch your dad outside shoveling while you sit inside sipping hot chocolate.
2) Help your dad shovel snow while actually being in the way and doubling his work.
3) Take over shovelling duties with constant whining and complaining and turning a 45 minute job into a 3 hour ordeal.
4) Buy a house with full knowledge that you will not be spared constant shovelling.
5) Watch your young kid watch you shovelling snow as he sips hot chocolate.
6) Let your kid "help" with shovelling while clandestinely cleaning up his job thus doubling your work.
7) Listen to your kid whine and complain about forcing him to shovel snow and then watching him turn a 45 minute job into a 3 hour ordeal.
8) Back to shovelling your own snow but what used to be just a 45 minute job is now a 3 hour ordeal.
9) Move to a condo and watch someone else shovel your snow for money.
10) Die, and with any luck, end up in hell where it is nice and warm.

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Snow shoveling in your 50's is a lot like dressing a toddler for a day of tobogganing. Put on the long undies, heavy socks, snow pants, parka, toque, boots, gloves. Step outside. The cold hits and...I have to pee.

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Back when the lovely Explorer and I first started out together snow shovelling was just a thing I went out to do; no big deal. As I got older the Explorer started showing more concern about my well being, making sure I was properly dressed and minding the cold. Older still and she started telling me to make sure not only to  dress properly, but to protect my back and take breaks so I didn't keel over dead.

Just recently she mentioned how some guy had kind of hit on her and she felt pretty good about herself. During my sojourn outside to shovel the walks yet again, not a single word said about my well being. Made me wonder if she is thinking "Meh, if the old fart bites the big one, I still got options."

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Coming up next a blog about...oh look...it's snowing again.