vancouver is subtropical. now repeat that a thousand times and hope that your breath melts the snow and ice that is surrounding us, at the moment. on new year’s eve, i left my camera with some friends on the mountain near coquitlam, where i solidly got stuck, post-role-playing-game. so i went out to get it. and that was fantastic. reunited with my beautiful nikon, i was beyond pleased. and then i drove home.
that sounds so simple.
not so much.
i had to drop by the campus on the way to pick up some things before tomorrow and i brought some friends along for the ride, since they were destined for that area of town, anyway. and since public transit in vancouver is slightly worse than a middle-ages plumbing system, this was a benefit for everyone concerned. and i love driving.
we left. it was snowing lightly.
we got to vancouver. it was snowing heavily.
by the time we hit the kingsway, it was snowing, icing, raining, and everything else that could be thrown down from the heavens that is either cold or slippery.
that’s not a problem, think i to myself, since i lived in newfoundland, the world capital of snow, and i learned to drive in these conditions.
there is a difference, here. two, in fact. here, they do not sand the roads. ice is ice is ice is ice is ice is *insert crashing noise here*. i don’t know if this is religious aversion or simple stupidity. i’m not asking them to put sand on every road. i was on the main road. all the way. no sand. help. the other one is that people in this city have the driving talent of a deaf-blind orangutan. on speed. and likely some other illicit substance. and that’s in the summer. in the winter, things really fall apart. let me give you a few pieces of advice. when it snows, drive slowly. don’t use your brakes. don’t stop. ever. especially on hills. and, best of all, go home. right now. by public transit, if possible. and leave me alone. just a helpful hint.
but i made it.
and i am completely exhausted, so i shall now attempt to sleep. i shall be unsuccessful. but at least i shall live to fight another day. like tomorrow. when i shall have some real news for you. or at least a good story, in the meantime.
after these messages…
ta.
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