Dangerous, dark day

Today is a triple D:  dangerous, dark, day!

The pounding rain beckons me to slip back under the covers and read a book while listen to the lilt of the water hitting pavement.

If one works at a home office, mere steps from one's bedroom, the siren's call of a position of repose can often be heard on an afternoon as one nods over the key board.

That is dangerous - but not nearly as threatening as this kind of day, when it takes nearly herculean focus to stay at the key board and not give in to the call of the rain drops.

You might think that a day when piles of snow are building up because it's pelting the earth with its errant whiteness would be a danger day.  But you'd be wrong - that's the sort of day on which I thank my lucky stars that I have to cross a hall instead of driving across town to get to work.  I dive in feeling happy that I can add the two hours that would be lost to clearing snow from vehicle and driveway and fighting snow drifts and slippery roads to reach my workplace.

This is definitely the most dangerous type of day for someone who is as inherently lazy as most writers are and as 'into' books as most writers are.

Warm bed + sloshing rain outside window + feeling of lethargy = danger Will Robinson (robot thrashes arms about).

Solution: close office door and keep blind pulled down over window so I can't see rain.  Turn on squawk box in office to drown out lovely sounds of rain.  Turn on faux fireplace to warm it up in here so warm bed not tempting. 

Yeah - back on track and ready to roll into another productive Tuesday!

What about you fellow freelancers - what do you to fight this type of dangerous day?  Or is a rainy day even a threat to your productivity?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on maximizing productivity from a home office.

Make like a dog

Ok, that it's cold out today - at - 18C - is no shocker and if anyone has the temerity to say 'Cold enough for ya' I'll probably apply my hand upside his/her head (to see if the brain is frozen).  But, only in my mind of course - otherwise it's assault with a pissed-off weapon.  However, the real trick to enduring this kind of climatic punishment is dressing for success.

My polar parka ready for exterior protection duties

In this case, dressing for success means making like a dog and putting on extra 'fur'.  Here's my answer to extra fur - my 'Nanook of the North' primal parka.  It's good to around -50F and I'm warm from my neck to my knees. 

Not real fur of course – that’s cruel, especially for Barenaked Ladies (in these temps).

But, oh my gosh, does the face get cold when that bitter wind has the gall to blow right up my nose. 

Not sure if I'm ready to step over the fashion fault line and get a balaclava (robber ski mask type hat) but it is tempting.

Do you think donning one of those would smear my makeup or look at all unprofessional?

A new year of abundance (and bitching)

Well, it's the first working day of 2013 and I've named this as the year of abundance for me and my business! 

So, let's start on a positive note: A prosperous and abundance year to you from all of us at Write.On Communctation Services International.

Abundance calls for a positve outlook and I am usually positive but this is my forum to bitch, whine, moan and generally let off steam about - what else - the weather.  We can't do anything about it so it's fair game for bitching, moaning, etc.  If you can do something about a problem, well   . . . you should do it! 

That's not the case for weather.

So on this the first work day of a lovely, bright and shiny new year, it occurs to me that I HATE, loath and despise being cold!  This thought occured to me when I was downloading pics from our recent sojourn to Florida, where - I belatedly realized - I was never, ever cold.  Oh yes, there were a couple of chilly days but I was never bone rattlingly, feet freezingly, hand shakingly cold.

I could get up to answer nature's call at night and not be cold upon exiting the covers.  I could go from hot tun to pool or vice versa without freezing my tocus off.

I could walk out on the balcony to enjoy a breath of night air and not freeze by bajeebas off.

My hands were never numb and my feel never felt like I was walking on an icy pond.

Being constantly - or as constantly as the age-induced personal tropical heat waves allow - cold isn't fun.  What is your pet peeve about winter?  Is it the cold, snow, lack of snow or other?

May you and your family and business experience a truly abundant new year!

. . . . and so it begins

It's November 25 and a blanket of snow covers London, Ontario.  Not this one, mind you; this picture was taken last year at the beginning of December.

Why post an old pic?  Because it's pretty and that's really the only reason for snow - isn't it?

Oh yeah, there's all that environmental stuff.  As a boater, I want a LOT of snow to fall  . . . just not here.  From my understanding, to fill up Lake Huron, a ton (and I do mean a ton) needs to fall in the far north - by Lake Superior - to run down through the system and refill the depleted lower lakes.

Today's dusting doesn't qualify as pretty, yet.

At this time of year and in this part of Ontario, snow serves to give us a clean slate to cover up that ugly late November mud and dead-leaf crust we have on the ground.

It also gets us in the Yule spirit, so we can go out and shop at local retailers, which is actually mood + safety.  Who wants to venture out on the highway to go to big box stores or across the border when it's snowing out.

Snow at this time of year is the holiday season's wolf whistle saying, "Hey, look at me!"

I'd never be a proponent of greedy commercialism, etc. but everyone has someone who would love a special treat from one of our hard-working local artists, retailers or other small business person.

So delight in the snow  . . . and go  . . . shopping (or to grandmother's house because she could use a visit from you too - or dental work if she has wolf's teeth)!

This is the one and only time you will hear about enjoying snow on this blog - the end!

Hot 'nough for ya'

Don't you just hate it when someone comes up and uses that as an opening line these days?  The true mark of a moron.  I like to say - "No, I'd like it to be about 10 degrees warmer, like 7th ring of hell hot, then I'd be happy" with a straight face.  Some pretty interesting reactions.

Nevertheless, it really is hot enough for just about everyone these days, with record breaking temperatures all week.

Is this a real sign of global warming?  Are biblical end times near?  Is 2012 to be the last year that humankind walks the earth?

Chime in here and let me know what you think: Is it hot enough for you?

Change seasons, change clothes, change name

The ROCASS you know and love is no longer Residents of Canada Against Spring Snow; for now and through the next few months it will be ROCASS: Residents of Canada Against Sweathy Summers.

Whether it's the cold, wet stuff that screws up your plans to drive to work every morning or the hot, humid heat of summer, Canadians love to bitch about the weather.

So be a weather whiner!  Bitch here, bitch often

Go, snow, go: what are you doing to cope?

April showers are supposed to bring May flowers but when those are snow showers, they bring scraping car windows, shoveling side walks and, worst of all, pulling your boots out of storage.  After all it is April 24 and those boots have long been put away.

Pull out your boots, mitts, hats and scarves children, because it's snowing out there.  Time to defend your turf against the white enemy.

Our budding trees and blooming tulips aren't loving this.  Did you protect yours before bed last night?

Definitely not the latest snow we've had - I remember seeing the white stuff on Victoria Day weekend - but definitely the latest in recent history.

So growl and snarl and deal with it, or be like me and head off to somewhere warmer.  Heading to Vegas tomorrow.

So tell me what are you doing to cope with this late blast of Father Winter's breath?   Chime in here and tell all!

(BTW, this meme reminds me of watching my neighbors walk their dogs this winter.)

On being pelted with the white stuff on March 30

From 80 degrees Fahrenheit to snowing in less than a week - yikes!

Good news:  warmest March on record (couldn't get away this spring break and hardly missed it!)

Bad news:  snow after the vernal equinox - first day of spring - isn't allowed in the ROCASS universe.

Just say no to spring snow!

How to celebrate Leap Day

Leap Day!  Should be truly special as it only happens once every four years, but today's sad, spoggy weather doesn't portend well for this being a rippin' fun, leap into life - jump into spring kind of day.

How should we celebrate Leap Day?  Each holiday has its designated decorations, foods and festivities. 

Christmas - turkey and gifts, carols and candles
Valentines Day - flowers, candy, jewelry and hearts
St. Paddy's - green beer and corned beef
Easter - eggs, chocolates and hats

Even the more minor holidays have special ways of celebrating: Robbie Burns Day requires scotch and hagus.

So Leap Day really deserves its own set of celebratory parameters.  Should we be literal and actually have a designated time that everyone leaps?  Perhaps a gathering of observation in Victoria Park - or a central location in your city or town - to have a group leap.

Or should we be more symbolic and everyone think about how he or she will 'leap' into new endeavors and 'leap' out of bad habits or negative relationships.

What kinds of foods symbolize Leap Day?  Frogs legs?  Wiggly, jiggly jello - any kind of kenetic foodstuff would do, I suppose.  Your thoughts?

What are your ideas about observing Leap Day?  I'd love to hear some creative feedback.

I'm ready to leap into spring that's for sure.  This ROCASS has had enough winter!

Oscarizing

Is there any better way to beat those mid-winter blues than watching beautiful, incredibly thin people parade around in clothes worth more than your car?

Oh yeah, I guess anything  . . .

Rodent rage

Well it's three to two - seems Old Man Winter is here to stay for a while longer in Canada or at least your friendly (or not-so-much) neighborhood Groundhog says so.

Here in central Ontario, Wiarton Willie failed to visualize his shadow, as did Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam.

But three others - Alberta’s Balzac Billy, Quebec’s Fred la Marmotte and the lone submission from the other side of the border Punxsutawney Phil - all saw their shadows and ran back inside away from the cold that encompasses us.

Yes, it's been a bit warmer this year than last.  But I don't attribute that to global warming, rather than Mother Nature's admission that we've had several really sucking winters in a row and we deserved a bit of a break this year.

Too bad those damn rodents disagreed.  Here, kitty kitty  . . .

Minus 15 here in the Forest City

And this image says it all

Cold, cold, cold

Yeah, it's January and the temperatures have finally reached Canadian-cold rock bottom levels that we usually associate with this time of year in North America's deep freeze.

And while I'm a proud snow bitcher, the fact that we've had warmer then usual temps and less snow than normal here in southwestern Ontario, it does seem somewhat reassuring that Armageddon isn't on the horizon now that we have cold weather and a coating of the white stuff covering the ground.

However, yesterday at the London Wine and Food Show, I did get some questioning looks and snarky remarks about wearing sandals.  Don't usually wear them after the snow flies but flip flops (my glittery, lovely footwear of choice) are the most comfortable things known to woman-kind's feet and it was going to be an arduous day of walking and wining!

So now it's cold and snowy in our part of the Great White North just as it should be at this time of the year and all's right with the world.  Time for a warm bath  . . . .

Not nice

On the day that we're remembering our fallen soldiers that the heroes still with us have to face cold temps and a frosty blanket of white on their journey down to the cenotaph in Victoria Park.

These older gentlemen and ladies will put on their uniforms over sore joints and achy bones and do what they have to to honor fallen comrades because that's what they do.

It is instructional, though, as the rest of us stand around with numbing toes and running noses while at the park to be forced to endure just the smallest degree of the cold misery many of them encountered

A good reminder, for sure.

Lest we forget  . . .

Snow spotted in London

Yipes - you snow bunnies will be glad to hear that snow has been spotted in downtown London on this morning of November 10, 2011.

Yes, you heard right.  A few flakes were seen dancing downtown and I blame the people in Victoria Park.  No, not those controversial Occupiers but the other ones - those putting up Christmas lights.

It's too early to anticipate the Yule and therefore Mother Nature is protesting. 

This is acting out at its most visible.

So stop it - put away the festive folderol and let's finish fall first!

It's baaaack!

This is a shot from Saskatchewan of a snow storm on Monday, Nov 9. 

In southwestern Ontario, we tend to get hit heavy and hard early in the snow season - harken your mind to last year's beginning of December snowmageddon or the October snowfall in 2009 that ONLY hit London - but this time it's our comrades in Saskatchewan.

So get those booties and parkas out - we can't be far behind boys and girls.

BUT don't forget - wear sandals until snow flies!

Keep warm and carry on!

Autumn has fallen . . . hard

Well, it's September 7 and it's 14 degrees Celsius (that's 57 for us Fahrenheit-ers) here in Southwestern Ontario - YIKES. 

The last few days of August were in the 20s and low 30s (70s & 80s) and that lasted through the first couple of days of September.  It was like the weather hadn't realized it was the beginning of fall - the climate hadn't caught up to the calendar.  But as soon as it did, off went the heat and on came the cold.  Man it was chilly waking up on Labour Day at 16C or 60F degrees!

And so it begins, our journey toward winter.  Though the leaves haven't started turning yet, it won't be long.

Sure sign that summer is over: the sedum is blooming. 

All that beautiful colour that Mother Nature gives us in the Autumn is just a cheat to make us forget the endless white that will soon blanket the landscape.

Some people profess to love fall - the colour, the renewal, the new season, the cooler temps.  Is that you are you a 'faller' or do you dread it because it's the beginning of winter?

Chime in here and let us know what's your fav season.

SNOW-FREE ZONE!

It's safe to come out of the house, finally!!

With Victoria Day weekend safely behind us, gardening season has officially begun in Ontario. 

Some parts of Canada are ahead of us and others behind - but most if not all of the country is now officially snow-free!  That's right - the long, painful winter can now be put behind us and we can look toward an unforunately short summer - followed by another awful, horrible, long, painful winter!

But always the optimist, the short summer months are to be enjoyed!!

ROCASS will be on hiatus during these few short months of nice weather.  But I couldn't end the bitching season without recognizing two fellow ROCASSes who contributed invaluably to our united ROCASS experience.

Charles Vincent, talented artist and graphic artist extraordinaire, created the logo.  Thanks, Chaz - you've truly embodied the very essence of the ROCASS spirit in it!

Erika Faust, my able assistant at Write.On Communications and fab writer/editor - and now web page creator - took my little idea and ran with it, making ROCASS.ca the fun, frivolous waste of time it is!

Thanks to both of them and we'll be back in a few months with plenty of gripes and swipes at that always-hate-it white stuff!

Frozen bunny ears and death to the Ground Hog!

Well folks, it's nearly Easter weekend and even though 'spring' is officially supposed to start with the Vernal Equinox - this year it was on March 20 - the 'spiritual' start to spring is often around Easter.  I don't mean spiritual in a religious way, but rather as a 'we're all caught up in the spirit' kind of way.

This year, however, the Easter bunny - that arbiter of warm weather that makes us frisky and spreads eggs (a fertility symbol) around - has moved in with his/her rodent buddy the two-faced ground hog.

That punctilious pundit of meterological predictions got it REALLY wrong this year.  He foretold of six more weeks of winter the day named for him at the beginning of February and here it is nearly 12 weeks later and it's SNOWING in London, Ontario.

So that's it - spring has officially been cancelled! 

Is there any hope for summer?

141 certifiable people!

That's the number of folks who answered yes to the London Free Press poll yesterday: Are you enjoying April's snow?

That's right - 940 people answered the poll.  85% - the sane ones replied an emphatic NO!

So the crazy minority of 15% - or 141 people - said they enjoyed freezing and slipping, grey skies and chill winds, wilting spring flowers and scared squirrels.

Just goes to show you  . . .