i've been in a short story mode lately, rather than flash or prose poem mode. so when i started writing a new story (forced myself tonight, after a longish 'block') i wasn't surprised that it effortlessly reached 3200 words, and it hasn't ended yet.

but it is almost 2AM, and maybe i am not thinking clearly. i wonder if tomorrow i wouldn't be tempted to cut it down to a nice, rich 500-worder. or a micro. just kidding. not a micro. i think i should keep going, reach 4K, then edit it back to 3K. it does need good editing -- i need to slow down the dialouge, add more details, figure out what they are wearing, and...other stuff.

the story is about hair. and about odd things. or maybe it is only about odd things. maybe hair is simply accidental.

where did an hour go? http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

today on our way to the playgroup our cab drive gave us a little tour of the damage in town -- several houses with the roofs or the siding gone. i heard a piece of plywood flew someone's window. it was the strongest blizzard in the last 30 years.

today was a windless -15C. gorgeous weather. i could live all year with weather like this. seriously.

in writing news: i'm working on my short story collection as a part of the humber college creative writing correspondence course. i'm in a revision mode. i haven't written anything new in weeks. but i have 2 longer stories simmering in my mind, and several flashes, and with them i should be over the 35000 words minimum that is needed for a collection.

prosopagnosia
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i honestly think i have a mild form. yesterday my neighbour knocked on my door to invite us for dinner. i had no idea who she was, though i knew she was terribly familiar. i cautiously agreed. i then looked out, and saw no car in our driveway. aha, i thought, car keys in her hand, but no car. she must be the one who lives in our semidetached. at least i have some modicum of logic.

last night:

The wind is gusting to 120km/h.

our blinds keep moving and rattling:

the houses across the street had their power out for several hours. There was a lull in the wind, and the power came back, but now their windows are black again. This is truly scary, as our heating is electrical, and the houses get chilled very fast. Our own power has been flickering on and off, sometimes for a few minutes, mostly for a few seconds, and there is no internet right now, but so far we have been lucky. I have extra clothing in the bedroom -- winter jackets, hats and mitts, for the kids, in case our power shuts down. The loud howling from the wind is spooky. With the kids asleep, the blizzard isn't 'fun' anymore. The house is shaking and creaking. Snow is finding cracks in the windows and piling up on the window sills.



We collected enough to make a small snowman.



The temperature is very high, -5C, though it feels like -25C with the wind chill, and at one point I wanted to open the door and stick my head out. The instant I turned the lock, the door flew right at me banging me hard on my head. Lesson learned. I convinced the kids that on blizzard nights we go to bed early, so this mean they will wake up early as well. I am wide awake and too anxious to sleep. I know this is irrational, as we are not in any danger, but the constant movement of the house and the overwhelming noise of the wind...

Lost power there. Still no internet. Will post it tomorrow. Going to drink some chamomile tea with honey and try to relax.

* * *
we woke up at 8:30AM and immediately lost power. it came back around 2PM. we stayed in the bedroom the entire time -- i ran out a dozen times for snacks, toys, and what not. since it was only -6C outside, the house didn't get icy, but it did get rather uncomfortably chilly. the wind kept gusting at 100km/h, but the sky was clear blue.

i wasn't able to find the local radio station on our little radio, our reception is poor. we need to get a satellite radio. and a thermos. and a non-electric heater (do they even exist?).

the power customer service line was not being picked up. i called several people but they were out, or their phones were not charged. in any case, i remain blissfully unaware what is happening with the power situation. is it back, or are they rolling it? i'm fully preparing not to have it again tonight.

our second blizzard. wind gusting to 100km/h. the weather hot-line is constantly busy. the noise in the living room is similar to the constant hum in an airplane during a flight, my monitor is shaking, and it is windy inside the room. if i stand by my living room window i get sprinkled with thin dropplets of water (or is it ice? in my house?). wild. we are going to have a blizzard party. would be more fun if my husband wasn't stranded in yellow knife.

teach an old dog a new trick (speedier uploading), and you get daily photo updates. but the weather has to be reasonable. like -29C, no windchill.

we had plans to see the biggest airplane ever (so they say) which is now in the iqaluit airport, undergoing some freezing temperature tests. the taxi driver said that he saw the plane fly north this morning. but it is supposed to return and stay here until monday. pics to come. weather permitting.

so instead we went to the post office. nada. not a single parcel. not even a postcard. then we walked to the visitors' center.

walking towards the bay, near the visitors' center




this street looks so cozy to me. it looks warmer than it is...



down by the bay






looking back from the shore. my shadow and my child, who wasn't so keen on my photographic endeavours. our Road To Nowhere subdivision is just behind that hill, 20 minutes walking, 40 with a 4 year old

around 4PM the sun is setting (photo taken from the visitors' center, where we watched a video on drum dancing)

we get out from the cener -- woah! full moon!



on the way home we check out the remains of the Snack.

the diner burned down last week. they say the fire department declared the grease fire under control and left. then the Snack burned down. don't quote me on this one, just things i heard.

as we were walking by a young inuk shook his head and said, no more Snack. i answered, what a shame. he laughed -- the drunks will have nowhere to go now late at night.

this was the aspect of the Snack not yet familiar to us. we had burgers there twice. small burgers. barely warm burgers. we still loved the Snack. it was open late, when everything else was closed. RIP, Snack.