Holding a grudge

Someone I follow on twitter commented today that a neighbour who wouldn't help with a boost the other day found themselves needing one today and that it was karma. Stories of neighbours who are un-neighbourly always remind me of my days growing up in the burbs. In particular they remind me of Jeff Stoughton.

See, way back when, when babysitters didn't demand to be paid the same as other minimum wage jobs I, in addition to being the papergirl for my block, would also occasionally babysit. One of the parents I babysat for was Jeff Stoughton. He had the biggest TV I had ever seen.

Now, I only babysat for them a few times, but imagine my surprise when one cold winter day - when I managed to get my car started and backed out of the driveway (avoiding falling in a notorious Charleswood ditch) and onto the snowy street only to have it promptly die - that Mr. Stoughton refused to give me a boost because he "didn't want to ruin his battery". WTF? Is that even a thing? And who would leave a 16/17ish year old girl to fend for herself in the middle of the road (he had to ease around me to NOT help)? I acutely remember being confused and hurt that he valued a battery over me as a person.

I have secretly decided that although he has had many successes as a curler over the years, that the reason that an Olympic medal still escapes him is because of the resulting bad karma from this incident.

On a very random note, I either owe Jeff Stoughton an apology after this blog post because although I have been 100% sure of this story for many years, when wanting to confirm his lack of Olympic wins I went to Wikipedia to research. According to Wikipedia, he only has one daughter, born in 2004 - but that is, oh, about a decade past my babysitting days. So, if somehow I actually babysat for someone else, who also happened to be a curler and wouldn't help me boost my car, I'm really really sorry for always cheering for the other guys whenever Jeff Stoughton's team is playing.

Of course, I'm pretty sure it was him, so someone needs to get on updating that Wikipedia article. And maybe, just maybe, if he gives someone a boost this winter his luck will turn around and he will eventually get to the Olympics.

Reasons to leave the house in winter

Hmmmm... this could be my shortest post yet based on my feelings about winter!

Actually I just thought I'd highlight two upcoming local events, one with a fascinating tie-in (you'll have to trust me and keep reading).

As many of you know, okay, perhaps mostly Christian over at West End Dumplings, I was pretty obsessed with the story of Fraidie Cat, the second of two cats at the St. Paul condo fire (Wyatt, the other cat was a miracle survivor story). Although Winnipeg has seen WAYYYYYYYY too many fires this winter that have left many many people homeless, knowing someone so close to that particular situation made it a lot more "real" for me. Throw in the animal angle and I was hooked.

So the first event I will encourage you to attend, even though it happens after the event that I'm going to mention next (but that story needs to wait - it's how I'm keeping you intrigued) is a "Deductible Party" for the cat owners. Some might argue that since they were "lucky" enough to have insurance that they don't need help. I don't know that everyone who has insurance would have the money at the drop of a hat to pay their deductible, would you? Now I don't know the cat owners Jason and Alix personally but via the Paypal link I made a donation - think of all the socials you've gone to over the years where you barely know the folks but you fork out for the ticket anyway all so that they can indulge in one lavish day. Well worth ten bucks to help these folks out.

Next is an event for someone I actually DO know - Ms. Demetra Penner. Demetra is the cover girl on the current edition of The Uniter. I've heard via Demetra that tickets are close to being sold out, so best to buy in advance rather than hope for tickets at the door. How do I know Demetra? So glad you asked! Demetra is actually central to my best ever "small world" travel story.

I worked with Demetra up in Churchill probably about 5 years ago (clearly since that began her love of the North it was a far more rewarding experience for her than I!). That winter after "bear season" we both went to warmer places; I believed she was going to Thailand and she thought I was going to South America. Enter best ever small world travel story.

I had just gotten off a long bus journey from Pokhara, Nepal to the major city of Kathmandu and followed a fellow traveller to this little hidden gem of a food stall located in what can only be described as a back alley. While waiting for my order of chips (for whatever reason while travelling I eat more fries than I ever do at home, they are the ubiquitous backpacker food) I turned around to see this girl staring at me with a crazy look on her face. Not sure exactly what I had done to anger/amuse/offend/??? this person I grasped for context. Standing next to her was another person that we had worked with in Churchill - and that's when the lightbulb came on! Of course, the girl was Demetra! It's funny the way our brains work - I had been trying to figure out if I had come across this person on my trip somewhere, there was no logical reason to think it was someone I knew from anywhere but that trip. This was especially true as both of us thought the other was travelling in another country.

So, yup, in a back alley in Kathmandu, Nepal, I ran into people that I had met in Churchill, MB. What are the odds of that?? An interesting side note is that after a mini catch-up and plans made for later, we went our separate ways and as I was walking back to the hotel the other traveller I was with, he noticed them across the street, about 5m away, and I didn't (if you've every been to a chaotic developing world city this would make sense to you!). It just shows that I was *that* close to being in a very foreign place at the same time as people that I knew and not even knowing it.

Well, that's it for now, and might be for a while actually; in 5 more sleeps (because I count like a small child does apparently) I will be headed off on my next adventure, Nicaragua and Honduras. So if you don't hear from me for a bit two things: first don't count me out of the blogosphere, second, if I get kidnapped or something I will retract all of my hatred of socials if you hold one to raise the ransom.

Dear National Retailers...

Hi there giant corporation, I live in Winnipeg, you may have heard of us before; Winterpeg, Manisnowba?  While I appreciate you and your glossy weekly circulars (actually, those are bad unless you're using paper from sustainable forests or recycled paper or whatever the current greener trend is) and your spam informative emails that you send me (I'm a points and deal junkie - there are some good things in your emails. SOME. Let's strive for quality not quantity please), I would like to tell you a little about our climate.

We still have snow.

Oh, and... we still have snow.  So, while I may be in need of a grass trimmer and grass seed in the future, I don't really need it now.  Canadian Tire, I'm tempted by your sale on Chest Waders, as we have an impending flood, however I am unlikely to need home car wash supplies until it stops going below zero at night. I think that maybe you may have meant those Chest Waders for fishing, which if I tried to stand in a lake or river now I would freeze to death, or be swept away to it.

Replacing my patio furniture seems like a great idea, however we will have to wait until I can get the old stuff out of the ice in the back yard.  For this I will grant you the advertisement of outdoor heaters - those I could really use.  Maybe if I stand close enough to those heaters I might need the sunscreen that Rexall has a special on. Sunscreen. In April.

While I'm at it, please do not try to sell me Christmas decorations before Halloween and Valentine hearts and chocolates should not be seen starting on boxing day. Of course, if you understood the Winnipeg market at all you would know that we all bought our new patio furniture last fall when it was on clearance and we can buy seasonal chocolates and candies at *Leader's anytime for about half the price.

Sincerely,
Winnipeg Girl

*That link will take you to a good forum that tells you a bit about Leader's, however if you're too lazy busy to check it out, the short version is this: CHEAP. CHOCOLATE. CANDY. CASH (as in bring it, they don't take cards). 279 Sutherland, almost unmarked door, use secret code words "North End Gem" to gain access.

Winter rims look stupid. Discuss.

Yes, I'm back. I've been back for a few days and just haven't had a chance to get back in to the swing of everything (so my fledgling blog was near the bottom of the list). Just before I got home I thought I should again check up on some of the things happening in our great city. Sadly, the topic that topped the list was the genius of a judge who felt the need to add his two cents on how women basically invite rape by how they dress. Never mind the whole "no means no" idea, or the fact that it was a sentencing hearing and that the jackass had unequivocally been convicted of the crime. I think Ms. Martin over at nothinginwinnipeg sums it up better than any one else with her post here. It blows my mind that this guy didn't lose his job. Immediately. I hear they are going to have some sort of review of the incident or some other b.s., but here, in reality, people get fired for making comments that might be mildly insulting to someone, let alone basically telling all women that they deserve to be raped if they dress a certain way.

These are the same rims the car I pass has in summer

Moving on. So, on my twice-weekly commute from my "real job" to my part-time restaurant job I pass this VW GTI with winter rims. Now, the rims that this particular car has in the summer are hideous in my personal opinion, but that is somewhat besides the point. The winter rims are even worse.

Typical winter rims

Now, going out on a bit of limb here, but in a city where winter tires are required for at least 33% of the year (if  not more) why would you not invest in a nicer set of wheels? Or at least hubcaps? Yet there they are, all over the city, vehicles with ugly ugly plain winter rims. It just makes the car look so unfinished. Okay, so perhaps some people might have an older car and don't want to invest in a nice set of wheels for their winter tires - how about looking on kijiji or calling the Hubcap Man to see if you can't dress them up just a bit. For those out there with a nicer car (including that stupid GTI that I pass all the time, or the Audi TT I've seen cruising around town) - spend the cash and buy a set of nice winter rims. It's like if you were to meet a really attractive girl but she had broccoli in her teeth and had a European attitude towards shaving. She's still really pretty, but now she's just a little less desirable.

Well, now that I've covered one of the hot button topics of modern life (clearly the issue of the winter rims) I think I will go back to trying to read and catch up on all of my favourite blogs. Oh, and I have buy winter tires by next winter, so if I put them on ugly rims you have permission to slap me with a rubber chicken.

Geography

I would like to formally ask the media to stop using such broad terms when referring to neighbourhoods. Forgive me, as I am out of town so it was through a friend that I heard that at least one media outlet was referring to the murders on Elgin as having happened in the North End. There was also an incident the other day at Arlignton and Logan that was classed as the North End. The North End starts on the other side of the tracks people.

Now, I know all the suburbanites would like to think that all bad things in this city happen in the "North End", but does this really mean they are afraid of anything north of the Assiniboine? Is that why the media has started this ridiculous mis-naming? From now on I request that the proper City of Winnipeg neighbourhood be attached to all negative news stories. Why just negative you ask? Because positive ones already work that way. Goodness knows if something good were to happen around Leila, Garden City (and I may just be sticking my own foot in my mouth here as I am sure there is a more proper term for the streets bordering Leila but I do not have a good internet connection to research this) would get all the positive press, however, if someone were to get mugged/murdered/carjacked it would have happened in the "North End".

Okay, enough ranting for now. On to another little geography thing - as we know, I'm new to this blogging thing and the stats never cease to amaze me - it's probably old hat to most of you but I am so curious as to who in Moldova was reading my blog? Are they friends with my reader from Paraguay? Maybe they meant to read my "Small world, big travels" blog? *shameless self-promotion plug* That's right kids, I've escaped a Winnipeg winter for a few weeks and am currently in Kenya. I've been meaning to do a travel blog for years and decided that this trip was as good as any to start, so if you get bored and miss my clever musings about Winnipeg, not to worry, even though I'm out of town you can still occasionally read a bit by me. In any case, please don't forget about me, I'll try to read you all as often as I can so I don't miss the 'Peg too much!

ANGRY and Arnold Schwarzenegger

Forgive me folks, this is not exactly a Winnipeg related rant. Well, it is and it isn't - it involves snow, so I suppose it's Winnipeg related in that way...I will also throw in something random regarding Arnie's visit if you stick with me to the end.

I live in a lovely 1 1/2 storey home. I also happen to own an almost-identical-to-my-own-home, rental property.  Last year, I paid a BBB rated ("A" level rating) company to replace the roofs on both homes, due to leaking issues. I was very specific as to where the leaking was and very specific as to the reason that I was replacing the roof(s).

Well, last fall, the roof on the rental started leaking during a rain storm. Ok, not exactly no problem, but sh*t happens, we're all human, maybe it was a very simple error that needed to be corrected. I called the company and they seemingly fixed the problem - not without the head of their roofing team being a complete condescending jerk to me, but seemingly fixed in any case.

Enter yesterday's balmy temperatures and bursts of sunshine (I still don't like you Environment Canada - what good is a nice day on a work day??). I was doing my best to enjoy what I could of the unusually warm day until I got the call. When you have a rental, and your tenant calls, it's almost never a good thing. The call went something like this, "uh, yeah, the living room ceiling is dripping, I have buckets all over the place". Insert several choice curse words from me *here*.

Now, of course this phone call came at pretty much EXACTLY the moment that the office of the company I had hired to do the roofing was shutting down for the day. So, after finishing up at my full-time job, off I went to my part-time job, not exactly in a great mood to say the least. I finally get home, after a nice 13 hour work day, shout a hello to the roommate and think about a nice hot shower to wash the angry off. I'm delayed though, because she needs to show me something.  Oh yes, that would be the two buckets under the drip in MY living room.

After a tossing and turning filled night, I called the company first thing this morning - after all, I have a 5 year warranty on the workmanship.  Lucky me, that same jerk of a head roofer is still with them and he told me it was my fault. Yup, my fault. After all, what did I expect, I have a 1 1/2 storey home and it's because of the ice damming. Well, Mr. Snarky Roofing Man, one of the two houses has no ice damming (it's insulated, see also, insulated) so why is it leaking?

Further to it being my fault, can you believe that I have also allowed there to be SNOW on my roof? In winter? The nerve of me. Now, to make me seem slight less irrational and ranting, let the record show that I am fully aware that over time, ice damming will shorten the longevity of my roof (which is why I was replacing a ~17 year old roof in the first place, I doubt I will ever get the 25-35 years out of a roof, no matter what the shingles are rated).

According to his logic, every single house with snow on the roof (with or without ice damming) would experience leaking on a regular basis. Which would mean, that my roofs have OBVIOUSLY leaked every year for the last 80 years (which clearly they haven't) and I certainly can't expect something like a NEW ROOF to stop a problem like this. Obviously.

Thank you for those who read all the way to the end of my rant. Now for what you've all been waiting for:

"Politicians are afraid to fail, that's why they vote 'no' all the time. It's easier. That's why they're girly-men. If you cry, you're not a girly-man. If you fail, you are not a girly-man. But if you are afraid to fail, you're a girly-man," he said.

Ok, so I clearly just took a quote out of the Winnipeg Free Press, but it's a pretty funny one if you read it aloud in your best Arnold voice. Now I'm going to go and re-read a few favourites from Winnipeg Cat to cheer myself up. Oh, and I think I will rename Mr. Snarky Roofing Man, Mr. GIRLY-Snarky Roofing Man.

Screw you Environment Canada

Yes that's right, YOU, Environment Canada (*somewhere a sad lonely meteorologist sheds a tear). Now, sigh, I suppose in the interest of full disclosure, this tale of woe is at least partially my fault, but that would make the story far less interesting.

Picture it. Friday, January 21st, 2011. I was sick as a dog, awake a total of perhaps 6 hours all day. Now in that six hours I think I must have heard various media outlets tell me about 17 times that Sunday was looking for a high of -4C. In fact, even on Environment Canada's own website -4C was the forecast high! This is where my possible error comes in, I was so dosed up on cold medication that I allowed my search for the magical number to be the end of the weather story. It may or may not have mentioned the horrible horrible wind that would be whipping the bejesus out of me today.

So, -4C conjures up all sorts of warm and fuzzy images (well, for January anyway) I used those thoughts to help carry me through the sickness and drudgery of the rest of Friday and Saturday. Sunday finally arrived and what did we end up with? Well, at 7pm, we finally reached the NEW, but not improved, forecast high of -13C, not to forget the horrific windchill that has kept us closer to -30C all day.

So long rant made shorter, today was supposed to be a nice day outside. It wasn't. I did leave the house, for only a few hours, long enough to remind myself that I want snow tires and that I still hate winter. I still feel like garbage, although I am on the mend and I refuse to get excited about the forecast high of 0C on Thursday. Mostly.

Free!

Well, clearly, as a Winnipegger, resisting something free is not generally within my skill set. Tomorrow is no exception. The Winnipeg Foundation is celebrating their 90th anniversary and as part of that, admission to the Museum of Man and Nature, oh sorry, The Manitoba Museum (*gag) is going to be free all day!

West End Dumplings writes about it far more in depth and eloquently than I do - I mostly like the free aspect ;)

All things Free! being said, I'm also headed to the Kitchen and Bath show later today, I was lucky enough to come across free tickets. Of course, I'm already mid bathroom renovation and unlikely to renovate my kitchen but I'm a little design obsessed so I like to look at all the shiny things. Today it will serve a dual purpose, I will wash my car first and then splurge on the indoor parking at the Convention Centre so that it can hopefully not freeze shut in our balmy -28C temperature.  Ah, 3 weeks until my holiday, I can almost smell the hot sand.

Welcome!

There are quite a few other blogs about Winnipeg and I hope I have something to add to the mix. I love Winnipeg and always have, even during the whole 18-30 year old phase. That's not to say I don't love to travel, if I ever get around to writing in my other blog it will surely detail my love of leaving wonderful Winnipeg during not so wonderful winter.

My hatred of Winnipeg winter is purely a personal preference. I fully recognize that there are many thing to do during winter here, and if tobogganing, ice skating down the river, cross country skiing and snowman building could be done indoors I would consider them all to be winter activities.

Welcome and here's hoping you love me and my Winnipeg.
(I worked that in there but good didn't I?)