Thursday, October 21, 2010

We Regret To Inform You

I don't think anyone believed it would really happen.

"Winter?  Again?  So soon?  But, summer was just...Is there nothing to be done about it?"

No.  'Fraid not.  No deferments.  No appeals.  No special pleading.  Only forbearance.  And it would help if you would all put your winter tires on now, please, thank you.  Which no one did.

Last weekend the pepperkake went on sale.  And last night?  Last night it snowed.  Oh, not much.  Only 2 or 3 inches at most.  But still.  Winter -- that bitch -- she's back.

I hear talk, occasionally, when I choose to listen, that there have been predictions of another winter as harsh and cold as the last one.  Personally, I think it's a load of bullshit, and mean-spirited fear mongering.  But still...what if it's true? 

I'm not being the least bit poetic or melodramatic when I say, I don't think I can handle another winter like last winter.  Empty wells, frozen pipes, daily shovelling, minus 29.9 degrees.  That's the record low on our thermometer. I don't care to ever see that one broken. I'll throw the fucker in the lake before I see it dip another tenth of a degree lower. Well -- first I'll hack through a foot of ice, then I'll throw that little fucker in the lake!  So help me God I will!

If I sound a little cheerless and bleak lately, it's because I am.  Things are not going well at school.  My hair is suddenly choker-block full of grey hair.  When did that happen?  It's been two months since I last went out running.  All work and no play, and I'm still not as smart as I think I should be?  Oh, and I'm cold.  All the time cold.  And now there's snow.

Ah well, at least the pepperkake went on sale last weekend.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again, pepperkake is absolutely the best and brightest part of Norwegian Christmas.  Still waiting on the juleøl though.  I'm sure everything will be better when the juleøl (Christmas beer) hits the shelves.

5 comments:

Corinne said...

They rolled out the pepperkake and the funny looking cookie snowmen a few weeks ago around these parts. It depresses me a bit because even though I enjoy Christmas, I don't want to think about winter. We're supposed to get a bit of snow today, and I need to get downstairs and start the kitchen fire before my toes freeze off. God I hate winter. I can't handle another like last year, either. I think my head will explode. I'm already ferrying buckets of water out to the paddocks, which is supposed to be a giant no-no for me. Supposed to be. God, I hate winter. Did I already say that?

Here's hoping thins calm down a bit. Do you get a long winter break, or do you have the normal vinter/julferie times?

JEDA said...

Corinne--my school follows the regular Norwegian school schedule, so I get the breaks everyone else gets. Oral exams are scheduled for Decemeber 20th. Five days before Christmas! Gah!

The funny looking cookie snowmen are vile. Pepperkake are bliss. Horses are a hell of a lot of work. Nuff said.

Alpha Grandpa said...

I FORGOT, WHAT'S PEPPERKAKKE?

tracy said...

Oh no! Snow there already?! It seems just too soon for snow on both our doorsteps! We are set to get our first flakes this low tomorrowish, and the fast, howling wind and sideways rain gave me a facial from nature today as I was taking the new pup out to pee. I am so. not. READY!

Anonymous said...

Tran. Every day in a month with an "r" in it. It helps with the winter blues.
Also, so does scheduling two weeks somewhere southern and sunny in January. Take a bit of advantage of Norwegian high wages and good exchange rates.

Also daily does of Scandinavia and the World:

http://humoncomics.com/the-boogeyman-comes-at-night