Seeing the new year in

Perhaps I've not noticed them before but this year there are some shows on Canadian TV tonight to see out the old/see in the new. Sort of.

Of course, the time zones don't make it easy for anything live, with midnight being reached six times across the nation.

It seems so odd compared to the UK with its midnight only once.

Impending doom

After a warmish few days of around zero degrees, we're back to -15 to -25. I had a few inches of gentle snow to clear yesterday, much of which blew back later.

We might have a 'biggie' this weekend

Quick kill trap

The mouse trap worked a treat. But there were signs there may be another, so I set it again last night and it worked again.

They seem well designed; the mouse can only go front on and it has to uncover the bait. There seems very little chance of only getting partly caught.

The lost weekend

Today is one of those strange days. Four live footie games on TV as if it's actually a weekend. Why?

Well, Boxing Day fell on a weekend so that means the UK has Monday "off" to make up for it. In Canada it just seems to disappear. I'm sure there are some who don't lose it, but it's not a 'holiday' in the way it is in the UK.

A moose in the hoose

We appear to have a mouse. Hopefully not for long; I bought a couple of traps and some Mouse Treats. That's a bizarre name for a product designed to kill the bugger.

Of course, SD wants to catch it and release it. I remind her of when Lisa Simpson released a fish into the sea only to see it swimming happily before being eaten by a bigger fish.

Apparently it's okay if once released it gets picked up by an owl or something, squeezed by sharp claws, terrified as it's lifted high up in the air shortly before being ripped apart for a meal.

Dull day

From the Moncton newspaper:

Across all of the Prairies, B.C., the far north, the Maritimes, Quebec, eastern Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, it will be a weather-free day.

Sounds like it might be uneventful.

Love Actually

We always watch this on xmas eve. Fantastic movie; so many funny and touching moments in it.

Nearly didn't see it though. The DVD part of the VCR/DVD decided to pack up. We had to use the spare.

I now need to get a replacement spare. Luckily they are cheap.

xmas papers

There was a time when there were no papers for at least xmas day and Boxing day so I used to buy an extra one or two. Xmas papers were always pretty good; very like the big weekend ones but with added quiz/review of the year, short stories, jokey articles etc.

In the UK there was only a xmas day break in recent times but I still bought more than one of the xmas eve papers.

What wouldn't I give for a Christmas Guardian to tide me over the next couple of days.

New TV Show

Here's an idea for a new TV show.

A sequel to Rich Bride Poor Bride where we see what happens with couples arranging their weddings and how much they want to spend on what.

A Bride wanted to spend about $1200 on candy apples; just one of many things that was putting them well over budget. So the groom was redecorating their bathroom to save some money and she wanted to pay someone so she didn't have to help.

She put a hammer through the wall. Twice.

He still married her and it set me thinking. A sequel a year down the road, say, could show clips of the original show with viewers being invited to speculate if they are still together, up on manslaughter charges etc.

That would be fun.

All done

Everything 'needed' for xmas has now been bought (not necessarily paid for yet)...except, maybe, some dry roasted peanuts to go with the whisky/7Up.

Doc has told me to increase my insulin doses for xmas. So now I can eat and drink too much like everyone else;)

The Great Escape

Not the movie so often on TV at Xmas but the snowfall that we didn't get.

Down below, on the east coast of the US, some places apparently had as much as 70 cm. It did catch a bit of Nova Scotia but missed us.

Just got a bottle of my favourite (available) wine for xmas dinner. It was on offer too so that was a nice surprise.

Quite mild now

The minus 30s have gone and we're now having a mild -3 with a feels like -10...except there doesn't seem to be any wind bringing that wind chill.

I'll find out shortly when I nip up the road to one of the local shops.

wrong man sacked

Shocking display from Liverpool to add to the others this season. Unfortunately, one of the guys I wanted to see in charge has been appointed to replace the coach sacked at another club, while Liverpool is not making the necessary change. The other club has been doing well in comparison but they still wanted a replacement coach and they made their move for 'my man' while he was still available.

They'll have compensation to agree for the sacking and that will be it. Whereas when Liverpool's owners finally admit their mistakes, they'll have compensation to pay for the departing coach plus a likely payment to compensate another club for prising their coach away.

As much as I like Manchester United, Liverpool is my first love as far as top football goes. I want that back but it's a long way off and getting further away.

Newspapers and the net

It's great to have newspapers online but I still prefer being able to sit in an easy chair and have a leisurely read of a paper with coffee.

The trouble with Canada is it's too bloody big. This province is about the same size as England but with a population smaller than half a dozen English cities.

Each city here has it's own daily paper but they are like the local evening papers in the UK.; essential for local news and information but extremely unsatisfying as a read.

A National paper doesn't really work. The National Post is rubbish. The Globe and Mail isn't bad but it's hard to relate to much in it. I remember a paper was launched for Europe, called The European, a few years ago. It just didn't work.

If you're in a big city then it's probably different. I always enjoyed The Montreal Gazette when I was there. That was like a 'proper' Daily paper.

Brrrrrrr

No, not the phone but the temperature.

It was minus 31c when I saw SS off to school. Again, I should say I'm quite impressed with the weather forecasting here. They may get it slightly wrong sometimes when we get less or more snow than suggested, for example, but we do (generally) get the weather they say.

Yesterday they said the afternoon would see a temperature drop from around zero to -20, followed by -30 overnight with it getting back to a more normal bloody cold on Friday.

So we did the things we had to do early yesterday morning in plenty of time for the afternoon and I've not been out since, nor do I have to until tomorrow.

The driveway looks like a skating rink.

The financial doo doo

A possible strike by BA staff might play havoc with travel plans. People hoping to travel are understandably angry.

On the Expats forum, someone who is due to fly with a different airline, so doesn't have anger as an excuse, accuses the staff of being greedy (not that the dispute is about more money) and says "we are all in the financial doo doo."

The writer lives in the UK. For up to 6 months of the year they go to live in Florida in their second home. They fly at, possibly, the most expensive time of the year to do this. If they have to work for a living, work committments don't appear to be such that leaving the country for 6 months creates a problem.

This is financial doo doo? Can I have some please?

RCMP

Ever since I've been in Moncton I've been impressed with policing. There are those who think the RCMP too costly with 'ordinary' police forces being cheaper.

It may be that they have easier access to resources (what with it being a national organisation) than other police do, but something certainly works for them.

There's a report out today that places the RCMP here as number one in all of Canada for clear up rates of crimes.

The Radio Times

On the subject of xmas TV, one of the enjoyable parts of xmas was buying the two week issue of The Radio Times and seeing what was on, including whatever 'season' of movies was to be on BBC2; Those movies were generally my highlight.

As far as I know there is no comparable magazine here at any time of the year, let alone xmas. The last time I saw a TV Guide it was totally inadequate.

Mind you, the xmas schedules (aside from CBC) don't appear to be hugely different anyway.

Xmas TV

Took a quick look at the Xmas TV line-up for the UK. Before I came here, I used to stay at my mum's for a few nights over Christmas. There was always something worth watching on xmas eve and xmas night...sitcom specials, couple of good movies etc.

In more recent times the movies were less of a 'must' as I'd probably seen them on the movie channels previously. But there was plenty available.

I can't say the same for what I saw listed this time. BBC seems to have a sequence of comedy shows. It's unlikely that we'd both like them.

what was that?

Well it's already a few degrees colder than yesterday with another biting wind. Some damned funny noises around the house and outside the window. So nice not to have to go out.

Can it get any colder? Yes

Opened the door to reach for the mailbox earlier. The wind chill turned 6 below into -16. Hard to believe it can get colder when you feel that. But it will.

I shall take a walk for a few provisions later. Maybe the wind will have dropped. Either way, it'll save me going out tomorrow and I do like Saturdays 'off'.

less than they said

We were warned to expect a biggish snowfall that was going to involve strong winds so it would drift and become deeper and then it was supposed to rain so it would become heavy and then freeze as well.

Heavy snow is horrible. So I had a guy lined up for a clearance but he never got back to me to confirm.

Shortly after midnight it had stopped snowing, there was a few inches out there and it had just begun to rain. So I went out to clear what had fallen.

It paid off this morning. Only another couple of inches had fallen. It was wet and thick but okay because it wasn't 10 inches of heavy solid stuff.

Of course, the plow had passed twice and left a ridge, but I wouldn't have been able to have done the snow and the ridge.

I'm patting myself on the back for foresight but there was only about half what was predicted.

wondering about wonders

The life of the 7 year old autistic Nova Scotian boy and that of his family will have been made difficult enough with his condition and being unable speak.

He wandered off at the weekend without a hat, jacket and gloves and it was cold.

A snowstorm came and then it became even colder. He was stuck out there for two days.

He was eventually found, alive, huddled up against the sub zero temperatures and taken to hospital with severe hypothermia.

There was no happy ending. He died.

The "Lord" supposedly moves in mysterious ways. I'm struggling to think what wonders were being performed by this series of events.

frozen door

Had to crack open the front door the last two mornings as ice had formed somewhere and it was stuck. Needed a jerk of a pull. I did it last night thinking it would be okay this morning but it still froze.

I remember a couple of years ago sending SS out the back and around the front to push it as I couldn't budge it from inside.

I had to do it in England once or twice too, but then I gave a kick to the foot of the door.

We are not amused

The posts on our deck have a ball on the top rather than other shapes. The snow settles on them, looking like a head covering, a face and something around the neck and shoulders.

Just like many pictures of Queen Victoria. It is amusing actually.

more than they said

Woke this morning to more snow than they predicted and it was still snowing. Damn plow had already been...then returned after we cleared the drive. I was able to get to it before it became to compacted.

* * *

Bloody teenagers. Well...some. Okay, one of them.

SS got up and helped with the snow without a word of complaint and then did a bit more for me while I went shopping.

SD was complaining about not having time to eat anything before leaving for work. Normally she gets up an hour before leaving but when on call, like today, she has to phone half an hour before what would be her leaving time if needed at work.

So today, by the time she found out she had to go and then dressing she had 15 minutes to play with. Now, me, in that time I could have cereal, toast, fruit, yogurt...any number of things but she can't organise herself like that so I suggested a cereal bar. "That's no good, I'll be hungry at work" she says stroppily.

"Okay, don't have anything then and obviously you won't be hungry" says I sarcastically. I said if she doesn't have time to eat she could get up earlier. "I can't do that as I can't phone earlier to see if I'm needed."

So I point out that if that's the way she wants to do it, don't complain; the solution is in her hands. "You could get up earlier, eat something and then make the call. It's not rocket science."

By now she's in a real huff. The thing is it's not like she has to get up early in the morning and then find out she's not needed. Most of her 'on call' days are for a 1.00pm start. Occasionally it will be for 11.00am, hardly the crack of dawn. What's the big deal with getting up at 9.00 instead of 9.30 once in a while???

Then she's complaining about a small tear at the edge of her coat pocket as she puts her hand in, stretching the pocket, putting extra strain on the tear. I suggested she refrained from putting her hand in the pocket to prevent it tearing further. Can't do that, she keeps her gloves there. So don't keep them there, says I. More eye rolling, huffing etc.

five inches

Having our first proper snow of the winter this evening. Five or so inches expected overnight. Haven't even put the shovels away from last winter.

Not rocket science

Usual snobbery on the Guardian football blogs today. A guy writes about the chances of the African teams at the World Cup next year and focuses on the more well known Africans and he's criticised for lack of depth in the article.

Why are the players well known? Because they play for well known teams. Why are the teams well known? Because they are successful and regularly appear in the finals of what is reckoned to be the highest level of club football in the world - The European Champions League.

It's where the money is and it's where the world's top players gravitate to, be they Europeans, South Americans, North Americans, African, Asian etc.

Because the world's top players are involved, many of the club teams are considered to be better than many of the International teams because their player selection is not restricted to players of one nationality.

So what's the big deal in concentrating on players 'proven' at the top level when assessing the chances of national teams?

It goes in the garage or under the bed

I can't believe these 'fitness' things are still being advertised. You know those pieces of equipment that get people into the sort of shape they always had anyway, if the ads are anything to go by.

Doesn't everyone know they end up stored in the garage, basement or under the bed before the third instalment has been paid?

But then I suppose the advertisers have done their job and brought the money in.

The Draw

FIFA has announced its seedings for the world cup draw Friday. In their crazed desire for excessive geographical representation the draw is in great danger of being completely unbalanced.

There could be two or three 'groups of death' while also having one or two groups painfully easy. Somebody will get a very easy 2nd round match. It will probably be Germany again.

The draw is live on CBC. Can't wait.

Infusion Two

Second infusion today, two weeks on. My wife was feeling sick as the stuff was going in last time. I expect the same to happen again but she's going to drink less water this time and see if that helps. Must remember to take the paper this time as well as a book.

* * *

No water, just juice and no nausea; no need for gravol this time.

While there I actually read some more of a book I started pre-summer 2008!!