I haven't updated this in a long time, but it seems pointless anyhow, since I'm the only one who reads it. Since I already know what's in my head, it's pretty retarded to type it.

So I guess all I have to say today is that I'm ready for Spring. We've had some great skiing recently, but I'm ready for spring to come and melt away all the snow and warm me up. I'm sick of being inside and sick of dry skin.

I'm sick of a lot of other things, too, but I won't bother to list them all.

I doubt I'll be back here for awhile - especially since no one reads this.

Crazy January Weather continues! So after my experiences getting stuck, you'd think I would have learned my lesson. Apparently not. On Thursday last week, I went to see a new client. Her street was a disaster, but there was a spot almost across the street that was shoveled. I would have been able to drive down the street and turn around to get into it, but an on-coming pick-up truck forced me to choose between a head-on collision (he didn't look like he was going to move for me and there was a parked car on his side of the road) or try to get out of the way for him. I chose to get out of the way, and put my car into semi-frozen slush. That turned out to be a complete mistake as I then had all 4 tires completely stuck. No forward, no backward, and I was only *barely* out of the driving lane, and half blocking a driveway, too! I had no choice but to leave the car there and go to my client's house.

After I finished up with her, she volunteered to come help me get my car out. Good thing, too, as it took 45 minutes and required a lot of digging (the car was in the slush right up to the undercarriage - a good 6-8" of semi-frozen slush), half a bag of cat litter, and her pushing to get it out. Given what kind of house this lady had, I totally did not anticipate that she'd be willing to get her hands dirty pushing on my car, but she did! I was the one on my hands and knees in the slush trying to get solid chunks out from under the engine and frame and pulling the loose stuff out with my bare hands, but she was the one pushing on the hood of my incredibly dirty car.
Very thankful for her!

On my way home from there, I stopped at Zellers (no multi-tool) and got a shovel that fits in my car.

Thursday last week, temperature dropped drastically and horrible wind chill. I had another client meeting - really sweet couple! - and the man mentioned that he had seen something called a Tow Truck in a Box (traction plates) at Office Depot of all crazy places. It was too nasty out to stop on my way home, but I checked on line and found them. For $30 you can have 3 plates that slide together to go against your tires in snow, sand or mud (or slush!) and have uni-directional tracks on the top and bottom to get you out. They're guaranteed! For $10 more you get wider plates and a 4th one, too. Adam had to stop on Monday for other stuff at Office Depot, so he picked me up the 4-pack. They're smaller than I thought (about 8" long) so I'm very glad that I got the 4-pack.
When we go skiing or to see my parents (or down to their house in the winter for a trip to Fernie), I will make sure they are in Adam's car. He has never been stuck, but that doesn't mean it can't happen!

What else is new....
Last week I started acupuncture treatments. The ultimate goal is to be healthy & happy, but acupuncture is also supposed to help with fertility as well, so anything that can help with all 3 at this point I'm looking into. I had my 2nd treatment today and another scheduled for next week. Not sure how many I'll do yet, but so far I think it's helping. My mood was much better last week after the acupuncture - I felt happy and motivated to work, not worried about the little things that normally worry me, and less stressed. This week he did more points and also put an infrared heater on my feet. So far I just feel sleepy but last time it was the day after that I felt much different.
I'm curious if it will help with fertility, because my friend Candace, who was at last week's appointment (we went together) 35 days into her cycle without any sign of ovulation, was told that she would be fixed with approximately 4 treatments. My cycle doesn't seem to be as much of a problem, but I know I have other issues, so I don't expect miracles, but I've had so many signs that point to me getting pregnant in February that I'm anxious to see what happens. I'm honestly not sure how I'll feel if February passes and I end up not getting pregnant. I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when the time comes. Until then, I'm going to hold on to that hope that February is my month. :)

That's all I've got for today. I'm going to work for a little while and then go relax in front of the TV. This will be my last post in January.

Sometimes I feel like time is standing still... and then I look at the calendar and realize that the month is almost up. It's totally bizarre.

So I don't have a lot of news today, nothing exciting going on except for the never-ending fun of being sure that when you go out and have to park along a residential street (or any unplowed street) that you are almost for sure going to get stuck.
Last tuesday I got stuck downtown and was all alone, rocking my car back and forth in the slush. Just as a construction worker (parked behind me) was looking like he was going to come help me, my driver's side front tire popped out into the lane and I was free. I was grateful that I didn't need help but also that there was someone there who was willing to help. I should have learned my lesson that day and gone to get a car-sized shovel and something to help with traction (I have cat litter in my trunk but that does nothing in slush, I need those plastic grippy tread things), but because I was worried about getting stuck again, I didn't stop to look for any.
Friday I had an appointment with a client down town and when I was looking for parking spot and decided the only one I saw would swallow my car whole so I chose to park in a store's parking lot. Got out of there ok, but when I came home, I sunk my car nice and deep into the slush. It sat all day on Saturday and on Sunday when I got in it to take Cube to the park she was not going anywhere. Zero traction in forward, zero in reverse. Nada. Not even a slight movement. I didn't have time or patience to push her out so I just took Adam's car.

When I got home, I went outside with a spade and a tool I don't even know what it is - grass edger? - and chipped away enough of the frozen slush out from under the tires that I was able to move the car out of the spot. Then I used the two tools to remove all the slush, ice and guck from my parking spot plus a little extra. If that wasn't enough, then I noticed that my neighbour's parking spot was full of *water* and that was now draining into my spot, but not draining out. I had visions of my car being literally embedded in a sheet of ice, so then I started breaking up the ice along the curb towards the other neighbours (toward the drain). I knew he was outside doing the same thing across the alley and on the side of his corner lot. We met somewhere in front of his house and continued togtether (he had a pick axe!) until the water was flowing all the way down past the alley. Too bad the people on the other side of the alley haven't bothered to shovel their sidewalk in weeks (I've reported it), as the water was choosing to flood onto their sidewalk. I will check on it in the morning and if it's a skating rink (or a swimming pool), I will be calling the city again.
However, the process of chipping/shoveling ice gave me some lovely blisters, so I'm nursing those today. Oh well.

And then this afternoon I had a chiro appointment and had to park on the street. I was facing up hill but had left enough room in front of me (driveway ha ha) and behind me so that I figured I'd be ok to get out even if I was slipping on the icy slush. Unfortunately the truck that was behind me left and a different car pulled in, and he didn't leave me much space. And I was stuck. No shovel, though it wouldn't have helped as I was able to kick the slush out from under one tire to the road. The other tire was in a puddle so deep it was nearly to the bottom of the rim! No idea what was under that, but likely ice. I was having no luck and because I was facing uphill I was afraid to try to push myself. Figured I'd just wait for the guy behind me to leave and then roll back. As I'm resigning myself to this, a complete stranger comes up and asks if I need help. I feel like a complete idiot, but accept. He was pushing behind my car and I was trying to not splatter him with slushy water. 1st attempt didn't work. Saw a house across the street had a shovel out front so I went and got it and cleared a bigger patch of slush and tried to move some of the water from the other tire (not very successful) and then we did attempt #2. That time it worked and I got out. Yay!
So big thanks to the young man who was willing to get dirty to help me today!!!!!

And on my way home I stopped at Canadian Tire. No car-size shovels and no traction aids. Zellers was looking to be the same way until I found one - just one - package that was a 'winter car kit': it had 2 traction aids, an ice chipper and a little shovel all together. Problem was that the package looked like it had been bought and returned, there was no price tag and it wasn't even sitting on a shelf (it was sitting on a pile of snow brushes). So I didn't get it because I had no idea if everything was in there or how much it was. I have to go out tomorrow so I will check a different Zellers for that - I think it is exactly what I need.

So that's all I've got for today. Turns out what I thought wasn't much is pretty long! LOL

Later!

Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday dear me!
Happy Birthday to me!!



29 years ago today my poor mom was being tortured by me. It was nasty cold, snowing, blowing, and down-right blizzarding. And she had a toddler at home, her husband was at work and she laboured most of the day at home alone. Then they went to the hospital and I was born at 9:14pm.

Yay me!

Also, Merry Ukranian Christmas!