TubaOrNotTuba

The final evening of the year. All other things aside, some of the best television entertainment of the year; why not save the good wine for the last (obligatory Biblical allegory)? Who would have guessed that I would someday miss the “chicken cannon” and “the coffee shop”? Tonight marks the end of Air Farce, which has been filling a niche on Fridays for longer than I’ve had children. A special farewell to Mike, from Canmore.

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Part of the Canadian persona is a fascination with looking out the window and observing weather. Not “the weather”, because we live in a country that has dynamic as the best descriptor. We can generalize. I’m trying to do my part by adding some measurement to the game. On the day where Environment Canada unveils the top ten stories for this year, my weather station is about to go live.

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And the journey ended, as it began, in an icy entry. The trip to visit with the rest of the family began just over a week ago, but our own family Christmas was placed on a back burner to be warmed gently through wintery nights. Now we’ll place a (tinier) tree in the main area, decide whether or not to invite a big bird to the table and begin the long march toward the next solistice. Our day was without event, given the excellent weather and bare pavement.

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This post almost didn’t make it to the server. Nothing to do with authoring, or software; I awoke this morning to a widespread power outage. The weather conditions have changed dramatically since yesterday, with the fog driven away by very high winds. Trees in motion, windows opening remotely, even the stress of a gas fireplace “blown out” by backdraft. And the back to an earlier age feeling of no electronic media providing our life soundtrack.

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For anyone that wants to bet on the snow depth (there are some folks that will bet on anything), today has thrown a curveball, weatherwise. At a time when temperatures are usually far below the melting point, the thermometer indicated a balmy 11C today. With the unseasonable high came fog. Lots and lots of fog. Seeing much beyond the end of one’s nose was a challenge, even with glasses.

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Boxing Day has come and gone; the stores were shuttered by 6 p.m. With no pressing need for large appliances or replacement electronics, we avoided the lineups and didn’t even think about going shopping until after noon. Truth be told, we were barely out of bed by that point, since the whole extended household is on vacation hours. No matter, the shopping experience didn’t involve standing in a queue, unless you count the time spent waiting for access to a terminal. I was in a good bookstore.

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Here we are, on the greatest gift exchange holiday of the year. Without any consideration of the religious aspects (and yes, I did worship in a public place with others of my clan), the simple fact is that we’ve just about completed the best shopping season of the year. Without it, many stores would be recycled into…  In fact, I have no idea.

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The last few days have had me wondering (quietly) about where have all the familiar faces gone. You’d expect that after five years in a local high school, there’d be a minimum of people that I’d know. After all, I still remember the names and related features (at least “the way they were”). But, other than family members, I’ve not seen a one.

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My family assures me that it’s an illusion, but I believe we’ve discovered the source of winter in Ontario. How else to explain snow that hasn’t halted for over a month (allegedly), and a city that no longer believes snowplows are necessary. The drivers accept that traction is only for tourists: some don’t bother with “snow tires”, since slipping around corners is easier than steering.

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Even though I’m not much of a shopper, for financial and ethical reason, I do enjoy perusing the retail facilities when I’m out and about. This is in addition to my love of hardware stores. Anyhow, this evening saw the happy wanderers on a tour of the mall down south of here. There are historical reasons for this mall as a target; it was the first one in the whole area, and so when our extended family wants to shop, to Barrie we must go.

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