This weather is getting out of hand now

I don't know who upstairs controls the weather but today we are in the middle of yet ANOTHER snow storm. and once again this one stretches from Toronto all the way to the East coast of the USA - including from Boston and Maine, down to NYC.

We have had more snow this winter than we have ever had in the last 4 or 5 years. 

It actually started snowing around lunch time yesterday and more or less has not stopped since. The snow looks to be around 6 inches deep judging by what is piling up around the trees.

 A lot of private schools have taken a snow day today as have several Universities and tertiary colleges.  But the public and catholic schools boards say that schools are still open - although they have cancelled the buses.

So my son had to be wrapped up in a sweatshirt, a hoodie, a jacket and snow pants and boots, plus hat, gloves and scarf before I would allow him to leave and walk to school.

There is one thing I can say - AL Gore is just so so WRONG!!

This is NOT global warming!!!!

Once again I am not bothering with photos of my balcony - they look just like all the others.

And more snow....

Woke up this morning to yet another snowstorm *huge sigh*.

Schools are open but both my son and my spouse have come down with bad colds. Their sinuses are blocked and they both have sore throats and are feeling generally unwell. Both of them are diabetic as well, so I made the decision that my son will stay home today.

I could put up yet more photos of my snow covered balcony but really, they would just look exactly the same as the others, so just look at those and imagine more snow...

Recent Books I have read and Online Relationships

Not eveything is about the weather - even though it seems like it. Despite being in this city for 12 years, I guess I am still not totally acclimated to living where snowstorms are considered par for the course. Because where I grew up, it did not snow in January!! That was (is) summer time.

In other news - My sister got married 3 days ago for the second time. It was the second time around for both of them, actually. They both have one son each and the boys get along very well.

Judging from the photos I got from my parents, my sister looked gorgeous in her dress, and with her hair done the way it was.

 You know how people say that marriages from online relationships generally don't work? I dont know why people have to be so negative about meeting spouses and partners online - because my sister and I are both living proof that online dating DOES WORK.

Both of us met our spouses online. I met my husband in a chat room in January 2000. We were married in October 2000. We have now been married for over 12 years.

My sister met her spouse in an online chatroom some time in late 2000 - just after my wedding, I believe. They met in person during 2001 and have been together since January 2003 - that's 10 years!!!  They have also been engaged to be married for the last 4 years.

So online relationships - if you find the right person - DO WORK.

Moving on  - I have read and/or reviewed the following books over the last few weeks. These are reviewed at Squidoo.

The Walking Drum

The Out of Time Series

Charlton Heston Books

Girl of the Limberlost

I also babbled on about Reading Challenges and Book Club Quests too

So that's my reading and news for this month.

January snowstorm

While we have had a few light snowfalls during January. today is the first REAL snowstorm of the new year and there is a cold weather alert to go along with it.

Right now as I type, the time is almost 9 AM and I have just sent my son out into this snow storm to attend school. He is all wrapped in jacket, snowpants, boots, scarf and gloves. He does not have a hat but his sweatshirt does have a hood.

Photos taken in the last half an hour, from my balcony.

Review of 2012

I guess I need to do a review of 2012, right?

 Well I am still unemployed. I did not even try to look for a job in 2012. I was too busy with my family - especially after my son was diagnosed with Diabetes. I was also kept busy with Squidoo.

 The End of the World (Mayan prophecy date)  has passed and we are still alive. In fact - on that date - December 21st, 2012 - I went to the hospital to get my blood tests done - which I always have to do before my quarterly specialist appointment.

Surprisingly there was NO Nuclear war in 2012 - but a certain country is still pushing for the USA to start a war with another certain country and the people are resisting.

The economy is getting worse and prices are rising higher.

I know this all seems like doom and gloom, but it is a fact of how we are living.

I mentioned last year that we had purchased a 3rd computer. Well, it is now hooked up to the family network, and we now have 3 computers working, but only 2 of them are actually being used.

I have moved from the old XP computer to the new Windows 7 computer. I LOVE the new Windows 7 computer. It has 6 GB of RAM and 1.33 TERABYTES of HARDRIVE memory!!!

Hubby for some reason does not like the Windows 7. So he and our son are still sharing the Vista computer.

The XP computer is actually getting very slow, so its probably about time it was retired. I just need to finish moving all my files off the XP to the new Win 7 PC, and then we can let the XP die a natural death.

I came across a meme about Microsoft and I thought it was very true.

Windows 98 - Excellent
Windows 2000/ME - Sucked
Windows XP - Excellent
Windows VISTA - Sucked
Windows 7 - Excellent
Windows 8 - Not doing so good.

And that's my review of 2012.

And ANOTHER snowstorm

Most unusually we have yet another snowstorm occurring in Toronto for the second time in one week!!

The above photo was taken at 10 am EST on December 29, 2012!!!

The right hand side of the balcony is shown below - photo taken at the same time.

As you can see - the gap in the fence is the gate which has been left open - but you cannot see the sidewalk beyond the fence.  

The morning after (the snowstorm)

Its now Dec 27th, and its finally stopped snowing. The temperature outside is -6 degrees Celcius. And this is the view out of my balcony door.

As you can see, there is Snow on the balcony - something we haven't seen for quite some time. The TV says that the last heavy snowfall that happened in Toronto, was way back in March 2011 - some 21 months ago.

Below is another photo that someone took last night while the storm was raging. It shows the Flatiron building which is not too far from my home.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and that you will have a Happy New Year.