Brrrr

I think the Boy misses my blog posting on a regular basis about non-Cancer issues, because this morning he generously gave me excellent blog fodder.  He’s nice like that.

As you may be aware if you live anywhere in Canada or anywhere north of he equator I can only assume, it’s frigging freezing outside.  The high today, -19C… feels like -31C.  That’s -23F for any Americans out there.  And that was the high.

This morning, when it was -39 our 2003 Camry with 309 000 km, decided it was too cold.  It thought better of going to work and general productivity, and made an attempt to barricade us in the house where we belonged.  That is to say, it wouldn’t start. The Boy upon realizing this, tells me we need to pull the Camry out of the single driveway so he can get to the truck that is in the garage.  I say, why don’t we ask the neighbours for a boost?  Actual Boy quote – “I’m not waking up the neighbours to boost us”  It’s 7:45am.  Not 5:30.  Our neighbours do not work shift work, and they have 9 year old, I’m pretty sure they’re up.

I go outside to find the Boy backing the car in neutral down the driveway – to go where, I’m not sure.  I go to the neighbours, ring their bell and low and behold, I am right – they’re awake.  They graciously give us their key and wish us luck. Point Meaghan.

The Boy says, “I don’t think it’s the battery, I think the engine block is frozen.  I don’t think this will work”

Well, the only thing I know about cars is when the car makes the clicky sound and won’t turn over, you try to boost it.  If that doesn’t work, call CAA.

We boost it.  It works.  Second point Meaghan.

The Boy says he doesn’t want to take the car to work for fear that it won’t start in the afternoon.  I said, I don’t want to take it to work since I work so close, the car won’t run long enough and it for sure won’t start in the afternoon.  (That’s the other thing I know about stalled cars, you need to let them run for a bit after you boost them).  I ask for a ride to work.  The Boy says, yes – he’s just going to switch the cars around.

We hit the road, we turned onto the main road, and the Boy says to me “Can I drop you at the corner? I have to go.”

Are you serious?

Yes.

It’s -39 billion outside.

“You have a hat and mittens, you’ll be fine.”

And he kicked me out.  And so I trekked in, on the unploughed sidewalk, uphill, in the freezing freezing cold.

My outrage was two-fold.  First, taking me all the way to work would have been an extra 2 minutes.  Literally. The Boy still got to work 20 minutes before school started.  He had the 2 minutes.  Second, who says “yes I’ll drive you to work and then kicks you out halfway there? Third, completely recognizing the distance is NOT far, it was the cold.  And the sidewalk was unploughed, which does not make for a quick walk and it did I mention it was seriously freezing?  By the time I got to work, I was frozen. My eyes hurt, my lungs hurt. My knit mittens were not definitely not enough to keep my hands warm. 

The Boy received the following text message…

 

Do I need a ride home? Clearly.

After much berating on the drive home the Boy was able to recognize that he was deservedly in the dog house. He went out again and got me a present.

 

Tim Horton’s Hot Chocolate – “to warm you up.”

Well played buddy. Well played.