winter blues

Winter has arrived.

I really shouldn't complain. Up until the last few days, I would describe this winter as unusually mild and pleasant. Aside from a bit of snow here and there and the odd cold day, it's been very bearable. Up until the last few days.

Friday was the day it decided to announce itself into my life.

Nic Ashley and I left work at 5:00 to catch the bus, thinking it would be a blizzard outside. I put up my hood and she wrapped her scarf around her head as we walked to the door, bracing for the worst. It was only a light snow that greeted us as we stepped outside. "Well this isn't so bad," I remarked. The bus pulled up a minute later, and we even managed to snag two seats beside each other.

Over three and a half hours later, we pulled into the bus terminal and I set to work removing the snow and ice from the car. Oh, and I still didn't buy a snow brush. I actually thought to myself that morning that maybe I could make it through another winter without one... take that, winter! Oops.

The bus ride was okay until we got over the bridge and there was a bus stuck on an offramp. We took the long way around, passed the stuck bus (and took their passengers), and continued on. At this point we were about two hours into the bus ride. Then, someone announced that the highway was closed... because of another stuck vehicle. We stopped for a bathroom break at a gas station thanks to our gracious bus driver (he really was excellent the whole time), and by the time everyone was back on the bus, the highway was reopened. We continued on... slowly.

So, that was my Friday night. The roads are still a mess in spots from the packed down snow, since we haven't had a sunny day to melt it off yet. I was hoping maybe today would be that day, especially since I had made plans to go skating at the oval with some friends. Winter has stepped in yet again, with a bitter temperature of -20 with the windchill. We may still go in the hopes that it warms up... hopefully I'll last for at least one lap.

To be even more of a whiner, I can't even take Trooper out for a walk when the weather is like this. All the salt on the road hurts his poor little paws... I think I need to get him some Muttluks. My only option until then is to take him out in the woods, but -20 isn't so inviting for either of us.

On the bright side... less than two months until spring!

setting targets

Inspired by a close friend and fellow blogger Nic Ashley, I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I want out of life. I've always been fairly driven with my eyes on some type of goal, but I've never really sat down and thought about what I'm working toward in the long term. I think (hope) this will help to keep me on track... helps to know where you're going, right?

My biggest goal at the moment, and I'm sure this is the same for many, is to find "the" job for me. I'm hoping that I'll be able to find a job that combines my skills and my interests, so that going to work isn't just something I do for money, but rather something that I do to feel challenged, productive, capable... and well, getting paid is always good too. I've always had dreams of running a large horse facility, but of course, that requires a lot of money to begin with. I've accepted that unless I win the lotto or have some huge stroke of luck, that's an unattainable goal. So, now I get to decide what the runner up will be... the "real world" equivalent... something that I'll want to do rather than have to be paid to do. It may take me a while to figure this one out, but I'm hoping that it will hit me as I venture through life. If anyone has any insight on determining one's ideal job, please do share!

My other goals are partially dependent on the above, as they require more money than I am currently able to invest, and I'm hoping that my idea job will lead to improved financial status (dream big, right?). I've made a list, which I'm sure will change as time goes on:

•  move out of my apartment and into a house outside of the suburbs
• bring my dog to said house (he currently lives with my folks)
• buy a baby horse and train it for the jumpers (and then compete)
• get a new (to me) car with a standard transmission (right now I would like for it to be a TL)
• learn to play the drums
• Travel somewhere outside of North America

I realize that a lot of these aren't going to happen any time soon, but I don't think any of them are unattainable. I also have some very short term goals that I hope I will reach before I get to the long term ones:

• remember to buy a snow brush/ice scraper for my car before the next snow fall
• replace my headphones so they stop zapping my ears
• go skating on the oval downtown (it's 'free' but we're paying for it really... may as well use it)
• oh, and get my skates sharpened... before skating on the oval

 Those are my lists for now... time to go about crossing things off. I think the ice scraper is a good place to start.