MiKE: sorry for previous false alarms...

...regarding the weather that is.

Seems like the previous pronouncements of coldness were, as the title says, false alarms. Short term cold snaps, that were most likely induced by temporary fluctuations like Hurricane Humberto (i think), and short term weather changes.

This one is for real now - the sun has begun to set progressively earlier, from about 7:45 - 8:00 when I arrived in late august, to about 6:45 - 7:15 this week. And the clouds have become the main feature of the sky, looking generally grey, and making the sun seem to have set earlier than it really has. Trees have also started to turn yellow and red, and there are lots of leaves of the ground.

And the forecast has been, consistently for about a week now. a maximum temperature of not more than 20C, and a minimum temperature of around 10C. People have started to wear at least 2 layers, it is not unusual to see people wearing scarves, there are fewer cyclists outside, and those that do, do wear long tights, the heating has been turned on in OISE, and even in my room (they turned on the radiator in the kitchenette, but NOT the main living room?!), and i hear fewer sounds of thundering Ducatis and Harleys outside my window.

The ABC news webcast did say however, that this year's cold season is long in coming; they even featured a particular beach, where, in September, most would be in triple layer. This month, they could still spot people out in bikinis. And what about the Boston Marathon that had to be canceled half way because of the heat and the organizers' inability to provide sufficient water for the runners? Serene says that she read somewhere a forecast that this winter is likely to be much colder than other years though. Wonder how that will play out.

Myself, I still find the indoor temperature rather comfortable. Either my thermometer is stuck, or somehow, the apartment manages to maintain a steady 20-23C despite the outdoor temperature being close to 15C or less. Once in a while though, I really like to open the windows full wide, to take in the considerably fresher, crisper outside air, and get used to the cold. When that happens, my thermometer drops to about 15C, and I can take it for about 20 minutes before I need to close the window.

Wanna know something possibly disgusting? I have not cleared my trash in about 2-3 days. No, it is not so bad! You see, what happens is that there is no trash chute in the building, not even a floor level communal one. To throw trash, one has to bag it, and bring it outside the building, braving the cold. Try to imagine doing that when you are indoors, warm, and comfortable, in your shorts and t-shirt. I mean, I have done it before, it is not that bad - It's not as if there is any risk of hypothermia, but the thought of putting on clothes just to throw trash is quite off-putting. So, I have been timing my trash disposal with my trips out of the apartment, and in the first place, my trash generation is not that rapid - Even if I cook for every meal (and I do, btw), I hardly generate more than 1 plastic bag per 1-2 days. And I meticulously tie up my bags, so they do not stink. At all. Really. What I'd be interested though, is how I am going to clear trash in -10C winters...

Ah well. At least one thing can be said though - summer is offically over.