ghost_towels

Judging from the answers, it seems like no. And really, most people I know that live up north go somewhere warm in January or February, so get the escape then. I’m 45 and two winters ago I had my first white Christmas. And let me tell you, it was freaking MAGIC. We got like a foot to two feet depending where you were on the property. We were exposed to someone with Covid on Christmas Eve so for the next week we were sequestered away, with food and drinks and a beautiful winter wonderland. None of us ended up with covid but my daughters best friends grandfather is immunocompromised so we’re extra careful. We made a slide off the deck, walked in the woods behind the house, lounged around, did puzzles and read books, and just generally had the most peaceful and relaxed time.

I’ve always lived in warm places, and the Pacific Northwest now, so for me, snow is the most magic thing in the world.

Her face in that thumbnail, so happy, and I think a bit at peace too. True complete peace with the horror that she’s faced will be a long time coming, but she’s channeled that immediate rage into justice. And started a larger movement to combat the ingrained misogyny in their (ours?) culture. It’s way too short a sentence for him, but he probably won’t make it out alive.

The muffin looked so good I went and made chocolate muffins. Thanks! (Doggo is super cute too!)

Last year. We all got Covid when we were doing our shopping the week before and basically cancelled Xmas. Luckily we didn’t have lots of family or friends visiting but the three of us spent the whole time on various couches and beds either in a daze of fever or lethargy. I was the last to go down (and thankfully was the least hit) so managed to get the tree decorated and presents wrapped before the couch became my home. We managed to open presents on Boxing Day, for a hour, and then back to bed. The prime rib roast got chucked in the freezer, I honestly don’t remember what we ate during that time. It took the two weeks we had off to recover so the whole holiday was a bust.

This year we will be wearing masks EVERYWHERE we go next week.

If it’s the melt truck they are next to the corner of bay and rock bay, behind the card lock. Only Monday to Friday though! I get the original with banana peppers. And the poutine truck is all over Nanaimo, they have a fb page with their schedule. You will not be disappointed!

I use trunks and like it quite a bit!

Thanks for that article! I never really listened to Devo, going to rectify that.

Hey, I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. I’ve been down this road and it’s terrible. Have you considered a trade? I never graduated high school, or got my GED, but I’ve had 30 years of a super interesting trade, where I got to do all kinds of things. I work on boats, but maybe you’d like woodwork, or welding? With a trade you generally learn while you’re working so you’re not racking up huge debt, which is a plus. The nice thing about working on boats specifically is every day is different, every boat is different, and each job is like a puzzle. Plus there can be a lot of movement in the trades and if you want to move somewhere else you can. One thing that people say is bad about the trades is that it wrecks your body, which they aren’t totally wrong about. Except that things have changed a lot over the years and safety, proper body posture and movement, and conditions have improved dramatically. I teach at a trade school now and that’s a HUGE part of what I teach. You can have a long and rewarding career in the trades if you make safety a priority from the get go.

I can’t say much about dealing with your family, my solution was a whole lot of distance and some very firm boundaries.

Sorry if this wasn’t super helpful, but sometimes you don’t know what other options are out there. Good luck.

Am I too late! Black and white for me!! So majestic.

One of my favourites! My husband and I say this to each other a lot.

There’s a food truck in Victoria BC called The Melt Truck, has the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had. It’s saved my life more than once. The last time I’ve had food from a truck was in Nanaimo BC, The Poutine Truck (I can’t remember the exact name, that’s what we call it), and it was amazing. They have a bunch of different ones, I think I got the cheeseburger one. They have vegan options for just about all the options too. So good!

I’m a Canadian, but grew up around DC. My favourite is creamed chipped beef on biscuits, though good toast is acceptable too. Also known as SOS (shit on a shingle). I find it’s kinda a love it or hate it food, my husband likes it but my daughter doesn’t. It’s like that everywhere. Whenever I go down to the states to visit I always bring back a few jars of the beef, you can’t get it in Canada for love or money.

Basically it’s a dried beef, made like a salami and thinly sliced. You chop that up into little squares, then make a white sauce, and add the beef once that’s thickened. You don’t need any salt as it’s quite salty already. Then a shit ton of black pepper. Serve over fresh biscuits. Mmmm. I honestly don’t want to think about the chemicals and preservatives in that beef! I figure 3 or 4 times a year it’s a nice indulgence.