Day 21: Cookies & Cream

If walking through the icy slush a few weeks ago was like "walking in brown sugar", then today was like cookies & cream ice cream.  Not nearly so yummy, I'm sure (I didn't try it), but the walkways have become a combination of white snow, dark brown chunks of slush that have frozen into hard pieces, and little bits of grit sprinkled over everything.

My car had a spot of bother yesterday: something strange happened with the exhaust that made Otis suddenly roar like a racing car - and drive at about half the speed!.  My first port of call when 'something weird' happens with my car is to go around back and peer underneath to see if there is anything blatantly obvious.  (One time I panicked about my car breaking down only to find out that there was a huge tree branch that had lodged itself underneath the car's frame.  Kind of funny, later.)  So this time there was...something...definitely hanging at an odd angle, and I couldn't even find my exhaust pipe.  Not a good sign.

At any rate, the point of this story is that I rang up my favourite garage this morning (Brownsburn) and bless their hearts, on their last day before they finish for Christmas, they took it in and had a look at it, and are fixing it for me today.  These guys are legendary.  I can't tell you the number of times they've looked at and fixed my car before a holiday, before I leave on holiday, early in the morning, late at night...they're amazing. And they never complain or snap at me like I've had happen at other garages in the past - stuff like "There's no possible way we can take it, sorry" or "We've had your car for two days and we haven't had a chance to look at it yet".

So, after roaring my way through Airdrie at the early hours of the morning, I chose to walk back home.  The sun was just rising and pale oranges and pinks were tinting the clouds.  Everything is still completely outlined in snow, making every tree, bush, leaf, fencepost, housetop, and post office box a work of art.  I enjoyed my walk very much, even getting so warm that I didn't need my gloves and scarf.  Naturally after all that great exercise I was starving, so I went for a McDonald's breakfast.  Not exactly healthy, but it was sure good.  I think I'll go make some hot chocolate now and start packing for Cyprus!