Every day, I’m reminded of why I surround myself with good people.

I admit that some movies, some scenes, some songs, some moments, still rub me the wrong way. In general this is a good thing: the harder it is to let go of something, the better the experience it was. I’m also given hope in understanding that these things will pass, as all things pass, and everything will be put in its right place. Fortunately, this is easy to accept because of the fact that I’ve already gone through a full cycle with others. Perhaps I’ve also become accustomed to some residual emotions, kept alive by the memories of the origins of lessons learned.

But all of this still doesn’t detract from the fact that some things still rub me the wrong way, as if my skin was peeled and every conjured sensation was a salt water burn. I can feel that sound in my ears, feel the prismatic dancing of light in my eyes, feel her say, “prismatic”, explaining the colour of her hair.

It’s not even the person with which I share these experiences that makes it important, it’s the experiences themselves, because they mean something. A change in my life. A change that may have not have happened otherwise.

And I realize that it’s not that I can’t let these memories go, it’s that I choose not to.

When I’m eating from a bag of candy with assorted flavours, I always have a favourite. For example, the red Skittles in the original flavours, or the Creme Eggs in a Cadbury Assorted Bag of mini eggs (which has WAY more of the less favoured Dairy Milk and Caramel Eggs, I suspect on purpose). The weird thing is that I still enjoy the other flavours just as much. Every time I get one, I see it as an investment towards the end of the bag, when a glorious explosion of my favourite flavour awaits to titillate my tastebuds.

A strong Alberta clipper will track southeast over southern Ontario today into upstate New York tonight. Snow heavy at times has spread right across the Ottawa Valley into Québec and will continue throughout the day.

Snowfall rates have often been 2 to 4 cm per hour with this very strong clipper.

Freezing rain and ice pellets have moved into the St Lawrence Valley area east of Brockville late this afternoon. A sharp Arctic cold front will blast through the regions this evening as the clipper sails into northern New York state. Temperatures will plunge up to 10 degrees to well below freezing within the first hour after the front goes through. As a result: rain in the regions east of Lake Huron and southeast of Georgian Bay will change suddenly over to snow or flurries with untreated surfaces quickly becoming icy and very slippery.

Elsewhere the snow and freezing rain will pull out of the regions this evening as the clipper and sharp Arctic cold front moves into northern New England and southern Québec. Snowfall amounts of 15 to 20 cm are likely in the snowsqualls along with whiteout conditions from blowing snow.

Dangerous travelling conditions are expected due to very low to at times nil visibility in heavy snow blowing snow and icy conditions. All travellers should exercise extreme caution and adjust plans accordingly.

My most vivid memories of the spring are from high school. About a month before exams began, every guy would start spending a minimum of thirty minutes looking out the window every day. On the southern side of the main building would be a small football field, and two soccer fields, as well as the tennis courts, hockey rink, and large swimming pool. Three more fields used for various other sports, such as lacrosse, cricket, and field hockey, could be seen on the western side. At the north was the baseball diamond, as well as the small pool, and more tennis courts. The main gates of the school property, what many considered a triumphant walk away from the main building after a day with no spares, was at the east.

What male teenager would be thinking about anything but running through the wooden halls, throwing off their tie, and rolling in the lusciously green, well-manicured grass? In a school with a lack of females, no less. Add to the fact that a significant portion of alumni pride is put into a well-funded sports programme, and the result was classes of boys bottling testosterone, encouraged by teacher and coach alike to be released in the form of physical activity. (I find sports metephors very useful for making veiled sexual references.)

I could see it in every one of them, how difficult it would become to concentrate in class, instead of imagining how the hours after school were to be spent. But it was never like that for me. While everyone else was waiting for the fields to thaw, I’d be waiting for the snow the fall. It’s days like these that make it hard for me to concentrate.

All I want to do is stay at home wrapped in a blanket, watch the snow collect, and write.

Sometimes, a second-hand compliment is better than a first-hand one. It means that there’s something the compliment giver doesn’t want one to know, as if it’s a weakness. Of course, one should always question how someone comes across this information, and their motives for letting one know what others may consider a secret that can be used against a person.