Saturday, December 10, 2005

Saturday roundup


The snow has returned. Which means all the trees are flocked. Very Christmas-y. But snow also means cold, and it has been cold this week, the kind of cold that makes your nose run uncontrollably.

When I first moved here, I was not accustomed to such temperatures. (It never gets below freezing where I grew up in Southern California.) The first time I had to walk to the metro in 20 below weather, the snot ran from my nose and froze on my upper lip. What's more is that I froze all the little delicate membranes in my nose from breathing through the nose. This caused a lot of pain for the ensuing week.

After much mocking by spouse, I learned that you breathe through your mouth when such temperatures are present. Who knew?

And I think I'm the only one here who wears long underwear all winter. Natives laugh at me when I tell them. I get the feeling that it's namby-pamby to wear such garments. But when it comes to comfort, I don't really care what message I'm sending.

This weekend is the final study weekend before the test Monday for citizenship. I've got all of it pretty much down, but I will review it a few more times and practice answering with Serge.

So there's no earth-shattering news this week in my world. Trying to get all the loose ends tied up before we depart for Mexico on the 24th. Only 2 weeks. It is this that keeps my chin up.

Good weekend everybody!

7 comments:

Snooze said...

I worked with a francophone from Montreal and he started wearing long underwear as soon as it turned September. Don't let anyone tell you that 'real' Quebecois don't dress warmly.

btw - I had sympathy for you adjusting to the cold until I read about Mexico. What part are you going to?

Shauntae AuPair said...

Silly American, we Canadians are mouth breathers for a reason! ;-)

Good luck on the exam. Are they gonna ask you about the prime ministers? I kinda get lost after MacDonald.... Don't get me started on that Mackenzie, Mackensie-King stuff. Soon you will be 'one of us.' Welcome aboard.

Adam said...

I applaud your use of namby-pamby. I haven't heard that word in eons.

Good luck on the exam!

r said...

good luck on the test my friend.

Anonymous said...

I know you will do well on the test. It would be unthinkable not to.

What I want to know, is didn't the pain in your nose as you were breathing through it alert you to the damage the cold was causing? Or maybe it just got numb and then you didn't know? I seem to remember pain being involved in breathing through the nose. Of course I was a mouth breather even before I lived in Minnesota, so it probably wasn't a noticable change for me.

Blabbingly yours.

_Psycho said...

Good luck for Monday !!

jjd said...

mmm. Mehico! That will be a nice switch from your current frostiness and give your nose membranes a break!

your fellow sniffer,
jjd