It ain't easy being green....

This morning, Mr.Q. announced that he wanted to drive our huge, old, gas-guzzling, emissions-belching van to work. I gently reminded him that we're trying to cut down on unneccessary driving ("Think of the penguins, dear....") and he agreed. Not too reluctantly either - it IS only a 20-minute commute downtown by bus. If we lived out in the boonies still, I might buy the argument that "I can get to work in half the time." But we're trying to be eco-wienies and all that. So he took the bus. As did I.

It was snowing a bit, early this morning - some students were late with transit misadventures, but it wasn't too bad. But when I left work...well, that was a different story. It was really slushy and gusty and gross. My usual bus didn't come. After waiting 40 minutes, I decided to take another one, as far as my neighbourhood coffee shop, where a hot drink would fortify me for the 20-minute walk home.

By the time I got off the bus, the weather had worsened, and I entertained the idea of calling a cab. "But first, a coffee - maybe that will help," I thought. "After all, I don't want to be one of those wimpy wet-coasters that sees a snowflake and acts like I've seen an invasion of Killer Bees."

My mocha was tasty, and my feet warmed up, and I figured out the stitches I'd dropped knitting on the bus earlier. The weather got worse. Call a cab? Mmmmm....well. The weather was REALLY gross. But it's only a 20-minute walk home...and Mr.Q would be walking home in the same weather, to avoid driving...so how could I justify calling a cab?

I zipped up tight, pulled my hood close, opened my umbrella, and set off for home.

By the time I'd walked two blocks, my feet were soaked and I wanted to turn around and call that cab. There were 2-3 inches of slush on the ground, slush-puddles were ankle-deep, and the precipitation resembled nothing so much as, well, slush. Cold, wet slush falling from the sky, driven by a cold, wet wind. But - I'm stubborn, so onward ho!

Another 2 blocks, and the bottoms of my jeans were wet to my calves, and my thighs were starting to burn with that ever-so-fun jeans-in-cold-winter feeling.

By the time I got to the corner store, 5 blocks from home - there was more water (slush) inside my shoes than out; my jeans were no longer just damp but dripping, and wet all the way up the legs to the hem of my jacket. Not sure how my legs were - were they still there? I thought we were supposed to be worried about global WARMING, not plagues of slush!

I finally got home...to find Mr.Q already here - he'd got a ride home, and had even called the coffee shop to see if he could come pick me up. I'm in my PJs, defrosting slowly. Before those of you subject to "real" winter mock me too mercilessly, I give you this:

Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?!