November 28, 2010
Weather centre
I have a report submitted to my weather centre of a most unusual weather event in Kilkenny:
“Thunderstorms, lightning and snow.” What a combination.
This morning I was doing some research to try to comprehend how people live in Edmonton. Today the weather is a balmy -7 there. The same -7 that almost toppled us here last week. Today in one place in Wales it’s the lowest ever for a November at -17 but this isn’t so cold for Edmonton. I really am puzzled as to how you go to the shops or catch a bus or post a letter in places where it drops soo low. Explications pls.
November 28, 2010
Winter gardening
Winter gardening has proved a disaster. Alas. The Greenhouse is currently a mortuary needing some autopsy and investigation. V sad about the lambs ears (bunnies ears?) plant. The only solution is expansion!!!
November 28, 2010
There’s a bail out special on RTE Radio One right now, announcement due around 6.30pm on this bailbollocky.
Conveniently I am immersed in a book about the depression in 1931.
Fantastic turn out at the march yesterday, fair play to the plain people of Ireland on an effin freezing cold day. Powerful stuff. Christy singing to Joe McNamara.
November 26, 2010
Round off, back handspring, arse, fail, chocolate, stout, Nelson in the 1930’s, Prime Time, one line only or they’ll kill me, 40 quid, but what were they to do, we don’t support the minimum wage cut, sleep, wake, up, are you ok?, you’re not, you need, sleep, sleep, wake, you’re wrong, I’m right, you’re wrong, I’m right, you’re very very wrong, it’s snowing, how’s it snowing, oh it’s really heavy now, sweetheart that’s not heavy, but look at it now, oh it’s starting, open the curtain, show me, is it, sorta. You’re wrong, you’re half wrong, you’re all wrong, it’s still snowing, it’s really snowing, ok it is snowing, it’s stopped snowing, shit it’s raining, wha? we’ve to get out there before it’s melted, pull me on the sled, you’re too heavy, I’m not, my back, it’s cold, you’re right, you’re wrong, it’s snowing, but is it really snowing, I made a great pie, you’d be thrown of Iron Chef, my hip, penguins, crisps, hip, pill, penguins, gone.
November 26, 2010
We took to the hill. A girl began a snowball fight with my son. They played a version of snow baseball. Her pitch was great, his catch, her catch, back and forward. She’d yell fail when it fell, He’d yell fail. By the end she was yelling “Listen to yer mum!”
As we had to go she charged down the hill with a mound of snow, cornered him and planted it viciously into his face, including left eye (ouch)… then I remembered, ah yah this gal has an older brother. We escaped, somewhat terrified of a repeat.
It was fun out there with the crappy blue sled that comes out once a year. I only regret getting on it. I think overload is the adjective. But’s it such a hoot out there with the kids — the industrious snow rolling kids who make this dam sized turbine shapes.
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November 25, 2010
And so the bowling ball came down the alley yesterday and swiped, as we thought it might, low wage earners (who’ll lose 40 quid), the unemployed, and yet it did a nice curve around — the bankers. So let me understand this? a euro an hour off minimum wage, the unemployed will have less to eat each week, to repay the debt of irresponsible banks and corruption?
November 25, 2010
I am reading the wonderful Sydney Hutcheson’s The Depression Stories (New Star 1976). V hard to find, but vital, vital stuff. Again a thin book of only 125 or so pages, my copy is barely holding together and bowed in the middle like a concave tummy. Given it is about a worker in BC during the thirties .. the bowing adds to the promise of the book.
So delighted to have my own copy of this treasure.
November 25, 2010
We have had the slowest snow I’ve ever seen today. I haven’t seen a great deal of snow in my lifetime, so perhaps slow snow is a common tumbling pattern. It’s so fine and intermittent — it almost does a shuffle rather than descends, like it cannot quite figure if it wishes to fall or even be snow at all. Lovely, indecisive weather action.
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There’s nothing indecisive about the ongoing cold however, it grabs you round the garter !