When I originally set out to write this column, it was just after the city was blanketed in an obscene amount of snow over two days. Our snow blower started acting up for a brief moment and the cursing at our house (coming from the general direction of the husband who was shoveling the driveway) was a clarion call for moving away from the snow. Bursting into the house covered from head to toe in a fine layer of snow, annoyed because the snow blower broke again, my husband announced, "There is nothing about living here that is worth dealing with things like this!" Then he fixed the snow blower (yay!) and he was happier and we forgot all about it.
I was going to talk about how two weeks ago everyone in Prince George was worried about not having any snow for the Canada Winter Games so we were all hoping and praying for snow (except for my husband). Then we, in Prince George, were the lucky recipients of way too much snow two weeks before the Games and we thought it was enough so we all said "Stop!" And it stopped. And then it got warm. And the snow was melting off our roofs so quickly that it sounded like it was raining. And then it started raining and the snow melted faster.
Any other year we would be ecstatic that it looked like spring in February. There would be a spring parade with children playing outside without coats and middle-aged men and teenaged boys wearing seasonally inappropriate shorts. But this year, all of Canada will be watching our city over the next few weeks and boy, do we wish it would snow again. We need to put our snow hive-mind back in place to wish for "just enough" snow for the Winter Games. Hopefully it snows (just enough, no more) and the Games go off without a hitch. Then the snow can melt away and happily.
Regardless of the weather, I am thrilled that the Games are in town and that Coldsnap is on and it's free! I am particularly excited for a certain local musician (who lives with me and might be my husband) who is playing tonight at the BCLC Centre Stage at 5:30 p.m. and then tomorrow night at 8 p.m. at Artspace. What a wonderful opportunity to showcase the wonderful town that we live in and I hope that the eyes that are upon us look on us in envy. Get out and enjoy the Games because this is a once in a lifetime event for our city and we need to show all of our guests how friendly we are. There is a free music festival in town and a host of other venues that have great lineup of fabulous Canadian talent. How lucky we are Prince George, to have this opportunity to shine!
