It was only a few weeks ago that I was marvelling at all the Christmas decorations in the neighbourhood; lights and Santas and candy canes alongside the brown grass and spring bulbs. It turns out my neighbours know what’s what.
Santa’s coming! In only eight months.
Oh, you guys, we got so much snow this week; it really felt relentless. It was the kind of heavy, soft, wet snow that causes chaos on the streets and possibly heart attacks for shovellers. I went to the grocery store and passed a school bus, completely stuck in the snow, with a couple of kids inside as the driver tried to make her way out of her predicament, but only became more and more stuck. Let me tell you, as someone who has had her car stuck in the snow more than once, I felt for this driver. She kept doing the thing that feels instinctive but is the exact thing that you should absolutely not do, gunning the engine. She kept doing this, the wheels spinning and the bus becoming settled deeper into the snow. Who among us, right? Except that most of us are not doing this in a school bus with children inside. I really emphasized; if I were that driver, I would be a sobbing mess.
That wasn’t the only bus with such issues. My kids told me that there were many absences at their school, probably due to transit issues, and when they went to buy lunch, the Subway shop was closed, probably due to no employees making it to work.
Friluftsliv, right? I went for my walk and discovered that the walking paths were – not surprisingly – unplowed, but I stoically decided to soldier on. Do you want a good leg workout? Wade through eight inches of thick, heavy, wet snow.
Me: It’s just snow, it’s so pretty, it will be fun! Nature! Also me, ten minutes later: My god, what am I doing with my life.
The weather, obviously, was not conducive to outdoor running, so as the first few snowflakes fell on Friday morning, for the fourth day that week, I decided to go to the gym. This was my scene when I got home.
Do I live in Winterfell now? Am I the Queen of the North?
Did you ever watch Game of Thrones? What a crazy show that was, and how disappointing was that ending? Given the show’s general theme, I just assumed that it would end, Sopranos-style, with a blackout and everyone dying, perhaps with the world blowing up. I did not expect such a neat little package tied up with ribbons.
Back when I was watching it, I never knew what was happening. Half the time it was too violent for me to watch and so I’d cover my eyes or leave the room, and the other half, well, I just didn’t know what was going on. I mean, it is a fairly complicated show with so many characters and backstories, and so I was constantly texting my friend Hannah (HI HANNAH) with questions every thirty seconds. Who is this guy? What is with all the horses? Where did they come from. OH MY GOD HANNAH WHAT DID THEY JUST DO TO THIS GUY. Oh, he was bad? Wait, he’s the guy that raped all those women? Oh. Wait, who’s THIS guy and why can’t anyone kill him? Oh, he’s immortal. Hannah deserves a medal for patience with me – “No spoilers but, um, don’t get too attached to that character, Nicole.” – and maybe one for valor. (Wait, how did he get killed? They skinned him alive? Oh.)
One thing about a snowy, grey day is that it motivates me to get things done around the house; on Tuesday I had several phone calls to make and appointments to arrange, none of which I wanted to do, but I decided to JUST GET IT ALL DONE. What is it about making appointments that makes a person want to lie in the fetal position and cry? And yet. I was, in my humble opinion, a BOSS. I started with a phone call to the orthodontist to arrange for a new retainer for my younger son; the only time I could get in conflicted with my sons’ previously scheduled doctor appointments. No matter! A broken retainer trumps an annual checkup. I phoned the doctor and rescheduled, then, feeling like I was on a roll, made eye appointments and ordered extra contacts for my son, and then called our insurance company about some changes to our auto insurance. I felt like I was ON FIRE, checking off everything on my list.
Speaking of appointments, last Friday the boys had dental appointments, and two weeks ago I had called to confirm them. Remember my dentist and the plethora of reminders? Well, I had an email reminder AND a text reminder for one son, but not the other, so I called to confirm, to make sure they both had appointments at the same time. Perfect, everything was in order. That was fine until this week: the dentist emailed me, texted me, and – when I did not respond within ten minutes – PHONED ME to confirm Friday’s appointment. I assured them that the boys would be there as scheduled, but also? I had already confirmed two weeks ago? “Oh,” the woman on the phone said, “This wasn’t marked as confirmed.” At this point, I had, in a two week span, two emails, two texts, and a phone call, and apparently so had my husband.
I discovered that little nugget of information on the day of the appointment. I had another text, another email, AND my husband called me to say “Do the boys have a dentist appointment today? I keep getting emails.” OH MY GOD, DENTAL OFFICE. WE WILL BE THERE. Listen, I realize that people forget their appointments, the dental people have a job to do, but no one in this household has ever been late or forgotten a dental appointment. Is there no way to NOT send a dozen reminders to the households who have never been late or forgotten an appointment? No, I know there isn’t. I know there is no way but I WISH THERE WAS A WAY.
I also wish the snow would melt so I could do some work in the yard and garden, and I might just get that wish this week. Do other people constantly refresh their weather app in the hopes that it will yield a favourable forecast, or is it just me?
Pandemic Reading
No Presents Please. I really thought I would like this a lot more than I did. This is a collection of short stories, set in Mumbai, about everyday people with their everyday lives. This is normally one hundred percent my jam, and I did like some of the stories, but mostly I found them dull and unnecessarily convoluted.
What If This Were Enough. This collection of essays – about living in the present, about eschewing consumer culture, about living mindfully and fully – is thoughtful, intelligent, and nuanced. I agree almost totally with the sentiments – ALMOST, not totally, do NOT throw shade at Marie Kondo, not in my hearing – but I can’t help but feel I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it when it was published in 2018. The pandemic and age has changed my perspective, so it didn’t TOTALLY resonate with me. Most of it did, but there was a little part in me that internally rolled me eyes at times. Am I becoming a cynic in my middle age? I hope not.
The Secrets Between Us. This is the sequel to The Spaces Between Us, which I loved loved loved and raved about previously. It is a very satisfying sequel, and I was so happy to read the two so close together. It deals with women and their lot in life, friendship, hardship, choices, and connection. I didn’t love it as much as the first one, but I did love it.
I just refreshed my weather app, again, and it looks like – maybe? – it is not going to snow this week! We shall see. Have a lovely week, my friends! xo
It has been relentlessly gray and dreary (and WINDY) most days. I forgot how dark, cold, and unappealing spring weather can be.
But, regardless, there is much to be thankful for – including NO SNOW – so I can, thank goodness, continue to wear sneakers which is good because I no longer own winter boots and am taking a gamble that I have approximately 6 months to source some new ones.
Are you kidding with that snow?! I would be crushed, so I salute your energy and your determination to stay upbeat. I hope the weather improves. (Yes, mashing the refresh button definitely works in my experience.)
*obsessively refreshes the weather button*
The only time I obsessively check my weather app is when we’re expecting snow or sleet or freezing rain or anything else that might cancel school, basically most weeks from mid-November to mid-March. I hope you get some warm weather soon. It’s quite lovely here, but in a few months it will be miserably hot and you’ll have nice summer weather, Calgary-style.
It’s funny because school is basically never cancelled here; it would take a really weird weather thing for that to happen. I’m not even sure what that weird weather thing would be. I can remember school being cancelled once in my entire lifetime.
I can’t believe your weather- I mean, I know it can snow in April but that’s a little much! I hope you get some warmer weather this week…. sheesh.
I think your dentist needs to go to a different system. For ours, they send a text message and an email, and ask you to confirm. As long as I do that, I don’t hear from them again.
On the subject of books (going back a few weeks) I liked Apples Never Fall! So many people gave that book a negative review and I don’t know why- I thought it was a typically good Liane Moriarty book. So thanks for that recommendation!
I thought it was really good – I did not love Nine Perfect Strangers, and I felt like this was more reminiscent of her other books.
That is SO MUCH SNOW IN April. I am saddened on your behalf. Also, I can’t believe you made all those phone calls in one day. You are a total boss. I hate making phone calls and will do a lot to avoid making any!
This will teach me to put my heavy coat away. I cursed us all!
Boo to the snow. We had a couple of inches early last week and then 80 degrees yesterday which would have been fine except that it was also the day of my half marathon so that was not a good combo.
I am guilty as charged of trying to gun my way out when I get stuck in the snow. Hey I’m already not going anywhere so why not make it worse?
Oh, your half marathon was last week! I hope it went well!
You must be so tired of the snow! This year spring does not want to come to Ontario either. Enough already! There is a way for the dentist to reduce your reminders – mine did. I also have never missed or been late for an appointment. I requested fewer reminders and they adjusted. I’m pretty sure yours can do the same – it’s worth asking!
I have tried, Pat, lord, I have tried, and yet I STILL GET ALL THE REMINDERS! Arrrrghhhhh! Oh well. This happened to me with my son’s orthodontist as well – I requested just one type of reminder, every time I was there, and no – still all the reminders, all the time. Is it me? Do I seem flakey?
When you said you received snow, you meant SNOW, my friend. I’m sorry for my Instagram snow globe remark. I’d be sobbing as well. I heard one of your friends up there say that they obsessively check their weather app. This is something I do during this time of year because I am anxious for warmer weather and SUN. All I need is SUN. I’ll hope for SUN to come your way as well. 🙂
Do NOT be sorry, that snow globe remark cheered me up all day – I kept thinking about it! It was so cute and sweet (and the snow is melting, so even better!)
I think you ARE the Queen of the North.
“My god, what am I doing with my life.”-Thanks for the belly laugh.
Sorry about the &%$#^& snow. When is spring coming? July?
I watched GOT and also was lost for most of it. The violence; my LAWD, THE VIOLENCE. But also, I couldn’t STOP watching it. Yes, the ending sucked donkey nuts.
SAME HERE! It was so violent and yet…I needed to know what happened!
Yep, you got snow there. More than you need by the sound of it. I never watched Game of Thrones. I don’t watch violence. Sorry to say this, but I’m not a fan of Marie Kondo– but if she resonated with you, Queen of the North, then I’m glad.
Well, you know what they say, April (snow) showers bring May flowers (we can hope?)
I cannot believe you got that much snow IN APRIL. What the what?! That’s so crazy to me. Then again, Florida has breezed right past spring itself and it’s firmly summer weather. Ugh. Neither of us can catch a break!
I can’t believe how many messages you received about those appointments! Here in the US, if you don’t show up to an appointment, they charge you at least your copay (sometimes more), so maybe that’s why we only get one or two confirmations? WILD.
I have said it before, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could just take the average between your temps and our temps? It would be DIVINE.
Ugh, that is so much snow! I guess I will not complain about our unseasonably cold spring. We have gotten that kind of snow in April but not this year. Instead it’s been a long slog through cold, windy, dreary weather. Bleh. Puke. That’s how I feel about the weather here in MN.
OMG your dentist office. What in the world! I don’t get that kind of reminder for any provider. That would annoy me so much! I have so many doctor appointments between the boys and me so it would drive me batty to get like 6 reminders for each appointment! They must drive people to change dentists! But like Stephany said above, it’s common to be charged if you don’t go to an appointment, at least a small fee of some sort.
I forgot to comment about Thrity last time you commented on reading your first book by her. She is a GREAT author. Her latest book is great – but very heavy! But her books tend to be more heavy. She’s an auto-read author for me. I don’t need to know what the book is about – when I hear she published something, I request it from the library.
Oh, I have had Honor on my library list FOREVER – I’m slowly making my way to the front of the queue. What a great author she is! I think she’s an auto-read for me too.
Oh my goodess! I thought I was the only one who gets annoyed by the all dental reminders. I mean, I have a calendar and I’m pretty organized. I feel as though I’m being nagged.
Yes, exactly! STOP NAGGING, I WILL BE THERE!
It snowed here last Monday and let me just say that snow in April is NOT a normal part of the climate here. Heck, we can barely handle snow in January – it inevitably closes everything down because we don’t have enough plows and power goes out and all of that, fine for January. But APRIL?! I was offended. Plus it was incredibly heavy so I was out there trying to knock it off my trees and bushes before they all broke off and yet we still lost some really big branches. ANYWAY, I realize I’m a delicate flower and you all get much more snow there but I was just so appalled that it snowed in April here.
Ah GOT. My only consolation to the absolute travesty of the final season is that I never read the books. I started but just could not handle the level of terrible things happening in print, so I stopped. H read all of them and I can’t tell you how pissed he was after reading however many thousands of pages and watching 5 seasons and getting really invested that it ended the way it did. He may never fully recover.
Oops H has informed me that GOT was on for 8 seasons not 5 and he watched them all. Corrected for accuracy 😉
I have a tip for you – when you get snow that heavy, and it’s on trees and bushes that are already leafed out, take your hose to them. That will remove the snow without breaking the branches. Ask me how I know this!
Calgary is used to snow whenever, but I know you aren’t and that it can be devastating!
Thank you for this tip! I absolutely never would have thought to use the hose. I sincerely hope that I never need to use that information, but I doubt that’s how climate change is going to go. Sigh.
The snow!! Oh my, I would have lost my mind by now. I want to bring you down and thaw you out.
I’d have to REALLY love the dentist to deal that level of reminders.
Oooh, I’ll pack a bag! I could use some thawing out.
It’s too warm for me here today (only because I don’t acclimate well, I’m happy for everyone else) but I still prefer this to another fuckton of snow omg burn it all down.
I am currently getting all the emails and texts and phone calls about my dentist appointment next week – however, I actually do need to cancel it, so it’s not a bad thing, because I keep not cancelling it and then getting another reminder five minutes later. I agree it would be annoying if I was normal.
I have sat on hold for a total of over three hours in the past few days, and sometimes it was fruitless but it also got me a refund of a few hundred dollars, and I am inordinately proud of myself. I had two medical appointments last week (one sort-of lasting for 24 hours) and I have been exhausted ever since.
Good for you for the refund – you should be proud of yourself! That’s the kind of thing I might get lazy about and then feel guilty about wasting $.
The.Snow. Hoo Boy – you would not find me out in the snow, trying to walk. Nope. I did laugh at you and your 10 minutes later wondering what you were doing with your life. Gold, sister.
It is still cold in Chicago. I’d like to complain further but I cannot since I cannot unsee that snow in April.
I’ve noticed that we get more reminders for dentist appointments too. Not as many as what you are dealing with. Since there are 8 of us, if they tried to remind me that much I’d lose my mind, and they might lose my business. My dentist added on to the building, teamed up with his son who just became a dentist, and now they send a form they want me to fill out in advance. I fill it out when I get there. Dentist things can wait until it is dentist time. I dislike the hygienist who replaced our former AMAZING hygienist, which makes going to the dentist that much more of a challenge.
I can’t wait to read the Space Between Us books. I’m currently reading THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE. Not my jam, and I’m only a tiny bit into it. It reminds me of the 8 Lives of (that woman?), too ground hog day-like for my taste.
Oh, I think I’ll pass on that book – it does not sound like my kind of thing at all! I hope spring comes to you soon!
Oh, that snow. I am sorry! Here’s to no more snow this season!!
Good job making all the calls. I also hate calling about anything, much less scheduling appointments, and make things much more complicated than they need to be. So go you!
Fingers crossed (although I see some in the forecast that I just refreshed, again).
What if This Were Enough? looked familiar to me, and sure enough, I have read it. But I have absolutely no memory of what it was about. I guess that says something. That is WAY too much snow for April and I think you should ask for a refund.
That is so much snow, Nicole! It is nearly May! This is unacceptable!
Game of Thrones was wild, right? I did the same thing you described with Hannah, but with my husband (who had read the books) and it was astonishing to me how much I missed. It was such a complex story!
Sending you sunshiney thoughts.
So much snow in April. Oh my! How do you guys live out there with all that cold weather. (For the record, I love snow and the cold, but only when I am on skiing vacation LOL)
I’ll never understand the need for MULTIPLE appointment reminders from the dentist, esp. if you have confirmed verbally and my email/text message that you will be there 15 times. *shrugs*
It’s been a really cold spring (or, “spring” really). Well, it’s melted now, hopefully that’s it!