before the snowfall

ok, winter. is. here. or not, i can't tell yet, i'm not entirely sure. we had a hell of a cold weekend, i saw snowflakes and everything, but the first serious snowfall is supposed to come...tomorrow, or so. i can't smell it. it's been warmer today, enough so that i was reasonably comfy in my long not-really-winter-coat. around 0C, maybe, or even above 0? no more ice on my windows etc.
but winter would be an ok change at this point, because everything is annoyingly grey in the few hours of daylight. just grey grey grey, no matter how you look.
some preparations for winter that people who don't live in quebec maybe don't know about:
i just realized today that this may look funny: car tents in front of building entrances. they are EVERYWHERE in the non-central neighbourhoods. i see them in villeray, i've seen them upper north and to the east in honore-beaugrand. not so much when i used to live in the plateau, where people are posher/more hipstery and maybe there are less car owners? or maybe i just hadn't noticed it before?

i mean it makes some sense to not let your car disappear under snow overnight if you're going to use it frequently, right?

not only protecting the statue from the cold, but the very presence of this chapel of sorts in a  backyard is endearing. i just cracked up when i saw the cross on top, and knew i had to photograph it.

also, i am told that people tape up their windows with special plastic, against the drafts. after being in apartments with plasticked windows and hearing a friend expand enthusiastically for half an hour about how he's planning to cut a window in the covering plastic and cover it with a clearer plastic so he can get light during winter, i felt very outsidery. clearly, i should get some of this plastic and windowtape and everything, i thought...
so people were like: "why, are your windows drafty?"
me: "i don't know..."
people: "do you feel any draft coming from the window?"
me: "i know there's some draft cause my curtain moves sometimes, but no i don't feel it."
people: "okay, you don't need to cover your windows, it's already been very cold and windy, you would have felt that."
oh-kay, great then.

also, i am told that these are the "in" colors for the christmas tree this year: golden, copper, burnt orange, bronzey tones. just in case someone wants to either be fashionable about it, or to avoid it at all costs. 

it's full of christmas decorations everywhere and, as usual,  I WANT. i want a tree, though i'll probably only get a branch, i want ridiculous ornaments, mostly small felt animals. or feather globes. omg. WHY?
everytime i get like this i tell myself that:
1) anyone can get 30 globes at salvation army for 5$. the fun is in improvising etc. or
2) it will have to be either the plushy animals or a new pair of jeans (this usually works). or
3) i could just eat icecream and pretend there's no christmas this year. this also sounds ok.

fellow romanians, here's a present from me to you on our/your upcoming national day

it's not all doom and gloom. here's the face that always welcomes me on my way to my bus stop:

and a very appropriately awesome wall, coming east from st laurent, on marie-anne:

things i did (or didn't do)for my home last week:
- i got hold of a poster and a bunch of cards, but realized i have no scotchtape so i can't put them up on the walls. i wrote myself a note to buy tape and have been carrying it with me. you think i bought tape? no, i did not buy tape.
- so i guess it doesn't count that i made a new list of bits of furniture that i want, as long as i didn't buy them? damn!
- i bought a low table. (coffee table? people said. i don't know if it's a coffee table, but low it is.) for now, in the absence of any other livingroomy furniture, it just serves as my night table. i mean, why not, it's not like i won't be living on my bed in pajamas from now until april. so it will be my writing desk and diningroom table too. it cost 7$.
(man, i just realized the bottle of wine i took to dinner the other night cost me as much as 2 tables. but we'll let this go for now)
aaaand i carried it from belanger to villeray. (not heavy, but cumbersome.)
salesperson: avez-vous une voiture?
me: non, j'vais porter ça.
salesperson: ah, vous habitez pres d`ici?
me: bon, à 15 minutes.
salesperson: oh-la-la!
me: je vais prendre des pauses.

yes, i`m reading `wild`, by cheryl strayed. anyone want to talk about it? it feels a bit weird cause i've wanted it for a year. while i was away, this was one book that i specifically wanted (which makes little sense, really) although i knew i wouldn't have bought it new. anyway. 

and here's a sunset from my back porch, at the impressive time of 4.10 pm.
just waiting for the snow.
c