Thursday 14 February 2008

westward ho

Two weeks ago today, I arose at six a.m. to perform a ritual early-morning copy-edit. The rosy fingers of the dawn caressed my computer screen as I sipped the first divinity-bestowed cup of tea of the day. The melodious strains of the bellbirds were just making way for the non-native birds to take up the chorus. Red pen in hand, it's a pretty idyllic way for someone like me to begin the day.


Today, the alarm hauled me from 20,00 leagues under the depths of sleep. I stumbled out of bed and flicked on the computer. The bright electrical-white screen clawed at my retinas and I shied away, wondering what had happened.


It was dark.


The bellbirds weren't even up yet, never mind finishing off for the day and handing over singsong duty to their mundane cousins. I was so fazed I didn't even get round to making tea before I started my edit, which gives a pretty good idea of my state of mind.


It wasn't a hint that winter's coming. It was a sledgehammer.


It's lucky, then, that my time here on the other side of the world is drawing to a close. There'll be a stopover in the Mother Country before hoisting the topsail again for the New World, eta early April.

Since knowing I'll be going back, I've been ridiculously over-excited about - of all things - Saskatoon. I should have arranged to visit either during midwinter (oh wait - April IS midwinter) or mosquito season, just so I wouldn't get a false picture. I am quite irrationally loved-up at the thought of the city. It's like when someone you know goes all idiotic over someone, and gets mentionitis - where they can't stop mentioning the object of their desire just to hear themselves talk about him or her. Or in my case, it. You know: "Saskatoon said something really funny today". "Yes, I think that too, and Saskatoon agrees." "hey, remember that time we hung out in Saskatoon? And it was, like, really cool and everything?" If Saskatoon were to take me out, seduce me, and leave in the morning without even making coffee, I wouldn't care.

It's probably a good thing that at this stage I'm not going back to Saskatoon for good. This intensity of relationship can only go one of two ways if you continue to be in each other's company for any length of time: torrid, doomed affair, or utterly stale. It's good that for now I'll only be visiting. Saskatoon and I can flirt and make suggestive remarks without consequence and then I'll be on my way. Saskatoon. You devil, you. C'm'ere.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Saskatoon eagerly awaits you, too. However, ahem, April is not midwinter!

Example...

Okay, so this was late April. But clearly, spring. Buds on the branches. Green grass, etc.

However, this was last Monday. -39 degrees. Felt like -50 with wind. I'd stay there until April.

-Jon

Anonymous said...

Rats - that was supposed to be April 27th, and Feb 4th. But you get the idea...
Jon