This is going to be normal

We now interrupt your Triphasic sleep log with a very normal journal entry. Here I am, at 1:30AM in the morning. Awake automatically.

When asked how one can still bike around Montreal around the winter hills of Mont-Royal with snow the height of your ankle that lays on top of pure solid ice, Jesse promptly replied: “Chains, brakes and anti-freeze lubricants with your chains.” It was my first introduction to the way of frugal living. With a wild eyed disbelief on my face I pondered the implication of such a reponse.

1. Jesse did not have to think before answering

2. This is not considered crazy

Although I’ve biked till way into the winter last year, I was never hard core enough to do the aforementioned modifications and bare the backbone of Montreal winter. Which is why I always salute the bikers that zooms past me when I am holed up in my warm car awaiting the red light to turn.

The business contact that I met today asked me whether or not I like the winter that finally showed up to our door. “Are you kidding me? I love it.” Not only do I have to wake up earlier everyday, to shovel my car out of the snow and ice that accumulated overnight, I also get to freeze to death for 10 minutes while my car warm up. Not to mention all the extra expenses spent in preparation for a tough winter. My car is a virtual bunker filled with extra clothing, emergency kits, shovel, gloves, food, firelog etc. etc. This still doesn’t prepare me for some days when the keyholes are covered with frozen ice, or the door couldn’t be opened because it’s covered in a 3 cm coat of ice, or it’s just too cold for the engine to start. Trucker’s advice is to bring a 50% scotch and pour it into your gas tank to unfreeze your gas. I am contemplating trying this.

“Frozen windshield whilst driving, the anti-freeze wiper fluid isn’t anti-freeze enough to defrost the ice that accumulated on my windshield. I eventually adapted to be able to see even with a deformed view”

In all seriousness, I answered yes and no. No, I don’t like the cold since I am made for a tropical country and has no “extra” fat. Yes I like the cold because I’ve always enjoyed change. It makes life less monotonic and who can miss a chance to give it a good ol’ Quebec swearing: “Crestie de caullise de Tarrrbarrrrnack”. I enjoy the phrase as much as my new found ability to roll my tongue whilst swearing at winter.