Ice Skating for the first time.

So I don't have any pictures, primarily because I'm pretty sure I would have busted my camera if I tried to take it and ice skate at the same time. I did, however, ice skate. There is an outdoor rink across from campus here in Ottawa. I rented some skates and met with a group of students from the Graduate Student Association. I can report that I made it around the rink at least 4 times with only one fall. The only fall came when I was trying to practice the proper stopping method. I guess falling down is one way to stop. I had a good time and met some really nice people.

Classes have started and I'm swamped with reading already. If I total all the writing assignments in all of my classes, I probably have about 100 pages worth of writing to do. Yikes! The good news is all of my classes are very interesting, so it shouldn't be hard to pay attention.

Don't worry, though. I am planning on taking advantage of all the activities I can while I'm here. There are several meet & greets this week along with a tour of Parliament and later this month there will be a snow shoeing trip. The best advice I've gotten since I've arrived is "embrace the winter!" I find that I spend much more time walking outside now that I'm here than I ever did in Austin. I just walked back from ice skating tonight and it was refreshing, even though it's -6 C (21 F) outside.

On the walk to the skating rink, I witnessed a debate between people from 3 different areas of Canada about what type of cold was the worst, a dry cold or a wet cold. I had to laugh because what I was thinking must be what others think when Texans argue about a dry heat versus a wet heat. I was thinking it's pretty freakin' cold!

Modes of Transportation

Getting around in any new place can be a daunting task. It's only made more complicated by ever falling snow and frigid temperatures here in Ottawa. I also am relying solely on public transportation. Looks like a recipe for fun to me!

My primary mode of transportation here on campus is by foot. I've mentioned the network of tunnels that connect every branch of the campus. It makes it easy to get around campus without having to layer up in all the warm weather gear, but they are often stuffy and uninteresting. I decided it was time to use the other network for getting around campus on foot...outdoor sidewalks! Turns out you can get from point A to point B around here much faster than in the tunnels. It also turns out that it's not that bad walking around outside. In fact, it's quite nice, especially now that I've found the right combination of layers.

I've seen joggers and even cyclists moving around outside. A guy on my floor was coming back from an hour-long bike ride at about 9 am this morning. He said he's a competitive cross country skier and cycling is the best way to stay in shape when he can't ski. These insane individuals have almost inspired me to go for a run outside. Another few days of running on a treadmill may just cause something to snap. We'll see.

My second mode of transportation is public transportation. There is a train station on campus and a bus stop. Today I took the train to go grocery shopping. I learned two things. Grocery shopping without a car sucks, and never go to the gym before you take the train for groceries. The walkways are all mushy with brown slush from people walking on them, so in between the store and the train as well as the train and the residence, there is nowhere to set the groceries down and rest. My shoulders and arms are so tired. Now I have some essentials that I hope I can make last a good long while.

I don't have class tomorrow, so I plan on taking the bus downtown and having a look around. I plan on taking some pictures then. In the near future, I also plan on utilizing other forms of transportation such as via toboggan, ice skates and snowshoes. I'll let you know how that goes.

I made it!

I have arrived in Canada for my Winter adventure. Classes start tomorrow, but there aren't many people around yet. It's been snowing since I arrived yesterday. I've seen at least 4 inches of snow accumulate on my windowsil since this morning.

Today I wondered around campus in their crazy network of tunnels that connect all the buildings trying to find all the the places I need to go tomorrow. I have to say, the tunnels are a nice way to get around. It's been pretty brutal the few times I've been outside. The current outdoor temperature is -8°C (that's about 18°F). I'm getting the hang of those conversions. The tunnels are lined with murals painted by the different floors of each Residence Hall. They are all pretty creative and most of them are pretty funny.

Classes start tomorrow and I've got several errands to do on campus plus a couple of orientations. Maybe Tuesday or Wednesday I will catch the bus and take a look around Ottawa.

Things I will miss about Austin while I'm away.

There are far to many things to mention that I will miss while in Canada this semester. I have tried to narrow it down to just a few. In no particular order, I will miss:

• Leisurely walks through the neighborhood with Jill and the dogs.
• Jill and the dogs.
• Calling ahead to the taco trailer on the corner on a Saturday morning so tacos will be ready by the time Jill walks there.
• Breakfast tacos in general.
• Jogging by the statue of Stevie Ray Vaughn while enjoying the hike & bike trail.
• Temperatures above freezing.
• Doing my part to Keep Austin Weird.
• Going to the University of Texas Women's Basketball games. Hook'em Horns!
• Commuting by bicycle.
  
• Riding the Scooter.
• Sushi at Maru.
  
• Pluckers.
• Elsi's.
• Fingerpistol gigs.
• And last but not least, the two-holer at the Hole in the Wall!

My adventure is just beginning. I'm sure I'll find almost as many things to love about Ottawa.

What was I thinking?

Would somebody tell me why I thought going to Canada for the winter was a good idea?

I'm not there yet. I'm still here in Austin. We had our first freeze of the season the other day and I was all bundled up complaining about highs in the 40s. I think I'm going to be in trouble in the Ottawa January.

Don't get me wrong, I haven't always been a cold-weather wimp. Though I grew up in Texas, it was in the Panhandle were they do actually get snow. Not to mention that the blustering, jet stream fueled winds have nothing to stop them coming down off the Rockies and racing over the Plains. One of my favorite Panhandle weather stories to tell is the time I had to walk across campus when the wind chill was something like -40 degrees. Yes, that's Fahrenheit. The high that day was predicted to be 0 degrees and the wind was gusting 55 or 60 miles per hour. In the short walk to class I though for sure my nose and ears might fall off, even though I was completely wrapped and covered.

My other favorite Panhandle weather story is about the time one April when the weather has started to reach the low 80s. I made plans with friends to go to the lake that weekend and get some sun. That Friday, it snowed 12 inches. SNOWED, and a foot of it. The snow was gone in about 3 days. You see, it doesn't stay cold in the Panhandle. It can get bitterly cold and windy, but a warm up is around the corner.

Plus, I've lived in Austin for almost a decade. It doesn't really get cold here. Several years ago there were 3 consecutive days where temperatures didn't get above freezing and we were iced in. The entire city shut down, so we played dominoes and ate chicken & dumpling soup with our neighbors. I like to refer to that as "The Long Cold Winter." We had ice on the cactus. Don't even ask about the hysteria that a few snow flurries created last week.

That doesn't mean I'm a complete wimp. It gets hot here, and I mean hot like most people don't care to imagine. Not Phoenix hot, but it is more humid here, so give me a break. This summer alone we had 67 days that were 100 degrees or warmer. A few years ago our last 100 degree day for the season was in October and our first 100 degree day the next year occurred in April. That's 6 months between 100 degree days, for those who are counting. So I'm not a wimp.

I just don't know about cold that stays cold all winter long. I'm sure I'll figure it out. Any tips or advice would be appreciated.