Back to Life

In this part of the world, winters can start as early as mid-October. The days start getting shorter. The sun sets earlier. The cold kicks in. You see less people walking past sunset. It gets really quiet. It feels like the town is in hibernation. If ever the snow starts even earlier, then, a few, like me, we don’t leave the house anymore.

In my case, I have a contract with my employer where as soon as the first snow fall arrives, I am allowed to work from home. Till when? Till winter ends. So easily, I stay home from November 1^st, sometimes as soon as October 10th, till at least till April 1^st, and sometimes latest as April 20^th. Some winters are just way too long here. So over six months working from home.

In my field of work, I can complete my tasks over a laptop. My company offers me all the work equipment required so I can fully perform my duties from home. Where I live, cold and snow, both are the biggest obstacles for me to venture outside my home. I despise winter, its cold weather and its precipitations. I also have a phobia to drive in the snow and in the dark. Yes, I am strange. That is who I am.  

I own a house with a quite large basement. When October starts, I start accumulating lot of food in cans, frozen food, any type of food with a long expiration date. The amount of snow, rain, freezing rain and in rare case, ice storms…I try to stay ready for these situations. From my experience and what I have seen, I reinforce my beliefs that the best solution for me is to stay home as much as possible for the next six months. Why venture in these conditions when I have everything at home?

I have a gym setup in my house. I am more of a cardio person. I have a treadmill, a stationary bike and an elliptical training machine. These keeps me really active and my cardio at a top level. I have a few weights but nothing extreme.

In the town where I live, it is quiet community in a very rural area. We are close to nature. It means also that facilities like hospitals, pharmacies groceries and clothing stores are far from where I live. A good hour drive. That is another reason I want to stay put.

Food will be taken care off. Clothes. And shelter? My house is fully renovated and furnished. I don’t need anything new for my house. 

Every winter, people go missing after driving in the snow or getting stuck somewhere to be found dead a few days later… or when spring starts and snow melts. Cell reception is horrible here. I call this area where I live the Bermuda Triangle. The price to pay to be left alone, not to be bothered, not to be disturbed, and to find a house at a low price.

I don’t have too many friends and I am more of a solitary type of person. For me, to gather everything I need for the full season of winter, and then to try to stay home, is very possible for me. In this age, even more. With Internet, Uber Eats and Amazon, I can get all the food and home supplies I need. Yes, I would have to pay a little more money and I am willing to do that. Little price for little independence.

What helps during this long season that is supposed to be three months, scientifically, but meteorologically, feels like a six-month season, we have the start of the NHL hockey season around October 5th-10^th. And I little baseball to watch with the MLB playoffs in October. All these keeps me busy. 

Yes, I do work full time and from home. I work from 10 AM to 6 PM. When I am working, I am usually busy on cases, projects, training, etc. Time flies. I enjoy my job at home. I keep a routine also for bedtime. I go to bed at 1 AM and wake up at 9 AM. I get my eight hours of sleep. I follow the same sleep routine on the weekend. I don’t go to bed later. Everyday, I feel re-energized, fresh and ready to tackle another day. On longer winter nights in December, I must admit, I will take naps on Saturdays and Sundays. With less sun, we feel we need more time to rest.

After many months, after winter is over, for me, that is when April 1^st arrives and the MLB season starts. About that time, for me, spring starts. Yes, snow can still be seen in the last week of April but if yes, it is snow that will not stay on the ground too long. The only time, during winter, I left the house, was to clear the path of my front door entrance so that I can get my food and supplies delivered to me. Besides that, I stayed inside my fortress.    

Today, April 1^st, I took the day off from work and I will watch the Jays playing at the Yankees Stadium. A beautiful sunny day. I am going to take my car out later for a drive. Roads are cleared but the snow still needs to melt here in the rural areas and on the mountains. I will have a good four-day weekend. I really want to start my spring cleaning, tune up my car, and listen to the ball game. Each year, when I turn the page of my calendar to April, I feel alive…

Life is back. Back to life. Green grass visible, birds chirping, the sun setting later, the sun rising earlier…

Damn it. I am not surprised. I gained twelve pounds. Okay. I must start my spring diet to look good before June arrives. Back to life, back to shape.

Looking forward to the new MLB season, the NHL playoffs, drive my Mustang, and to get in shape. Spring means back to work at the office and meet more people. Spring is a beautiful season. I hope also to meet my future wife. If not, my future special woman who will be my life partner. Spring season is about new beginnings…