I haven’t blogged at all this week because I’ve been fighting and losing a battle with a nasty cold all week. And by all week I mean ALL WEEK. It started with a little scratchy throat last Wednesday, was a full-blown cold by the next morning and has migrated from my head to my chest throughout the week. And it’s been nasty. I’ve had to throw all the cold pills at my disposal, a cough syrup with codeine to quench the rib-cracking cough, pots of tea with lemon and three boxes of Kleenex at it.
And the weather has been reflecting my mood. With overcast skies, a drizzly rain here and there and a FULL BLOWN snow warning with 10-20 centimeters expected tonight, spring has been waging its own war with the remnants of winter. And my daffodils just opened, and my tulips just came up, and my peas have just poked their first wee leaves out of the ground. I hope they’re as frost resistant as they say.
So that’s the scoop on the prairie – Calgary weather still sucks.
In other news, I’m really sad about the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill since I work in conventional oil and gas. (No oil sands and no offshore here). The confluence of events has resulted in a spill that seems poised to be the greatest environmental disaster in history. Since the Exxon-Valdez spill is still affecting the northern coast and has not gone anywhere despite the years of clean up efforts, it does not bode well for the Gulfs future.
What I’m curious about is why there isn’t a huge international relief effort being organized as we speak to attempt to clean up the insane mess that’s already there? As far as I know every country in the world has offered assistance, and I see the governor of Louisiana on TV proposing clean up measures that are going unanswered. Small fishermen that are placing their own boats in harm’s way are being turned away by the Coast Guard pretty much at gunpoint? What the hell? As far as I can tell while BP sorts out whatever solution to stop the leak every single willing person should be swarming the Gulf to try and minimize the damage.
So guys I’ll be back soon with something of interest, but until then I’ll be buried with my Kleenex in the nearest snow bank.