Ordinarily, I'm not a big fan of artistic interpretations of commonly used words. Qualitative and subjective descriptors are fair game - afterall, who I am to question another's view of the definition of spooky or gaudy.
But I draw the line at proper nouns.... that was until the winter of 2007-08.
You see, when the other morning I was helpfully reminded by the perpetually effervescent Weather Network staff that it was the first day of spring, I had to ask... Spring? By what possible definition is this Spring?
The old ground hog's day canard has always been a pet peeve of mine. Under the worst case scenario, we are destined for 6 more weeks of winter. Which would mean, the end of winter is approximately the end of March. Sounds frickin' good to me. Somebody brief the weather gods, cuz they didn't get the memo.
Ottawa's "official" transition into Spring is totally meaningless. Consequently, I will substitute my own definition of winter as it is a better point of demarcation than the "4 equal parts" calendar seasons or the phobias of a rodent. To me, winter begins when my bike is taken off the road - when it is too dark and too much hassle to ride into work or to run errands. Winter ends when the roads are clear enough that it's more convenient to cycle than walk. Winter is a drag, you see, because I'm denied the liberty and speed that my bike brings.
The temperature is totally irrelevant to my definition of winter. It is the snow and the darkness that makes winter, and while the days have become longer, there is an 80 cm base of snow on the unplowed paths in Ottawa. By my definition.... it is still winter.
By the way, this is Beans' first post, and afterall, Gallo Pinto without beans is just rice.
p.s. Flames vs. Oilers tonight. If the Flames win, the Oilers are eliminated!!
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