Daylight Savings Time is a barbecuer’s delight.
It’s a sign spring is surely on the way (we have to be positive after such a crappy February, right?), and allows we grillers the opportunity to have plenty of natural light for evening cooking.
Chatham Mazda from Chatham Voice on Vimeo.
For much of the winter, I’d barbecue largely on weekends, so I could start late afternoon and be done before the sun had set. I’d cook a large amount of food so we could have it several other nights.
Oh, there were some evenings where I’d be out there with my two portable lights on to illuminate the grill, as the snow swirled and the wind howled.
But this past Friday summed up my frustration with winter. I’d pulled out some chicken to grill that night, happy that the days were a little longer and if I got home just after 5 p.m., I’d likely not have to turn on any lights.
As soon as I left the office that day, I lost my desire to barbecue. The wind was blowing and I just didn’t have the drive to battle Mother Nature yet again.
I’ve posted photos to social media showing me outside cooking in all kinds of weather, including when it was -17C with a wind chill to below -30C. But last Friday, I just couldn’t do it.
That’s how this winter has impacted folks. It beat us down slowly and relentlessly. Finally, we shuffled from work or school to home, venturing outside as little as possible.
How un-Canadian!
But spring looms. It’s officially little more than a week away. Now, if the temperatures would just stay at seasonal or slightly above, we’d be happy, right?
I plan on grilling in the early evening sunlight as much as possible. Time to attack the freezer with a vengeance.
It should be fun, and tasty, and it should burn away any lingering Seasonal Affective Disorder I may have.
But one problem that has developed with turning the clocks ahead an hour is getting up in darkness again. I’m sure I wasn’t alone Monday morning hitting the snooze button on the alarm in total darkness. My body clock will take a beating each morning until sunrise precedes my alarm.
I long for the days when the birds wake me up as they chirp outside our open window as the sun rises. I don’t care that it might be 6 a.m. or earlier. Open windows and early sunlight is what I crave. Well, that and barbecued meat and veggies.
I am a young hipster
I had my pre-hab class at the hospital last week in regards to my pending hip surgery. I was certainly the youngest person at the table of patients.
That was cool. What wasn’t cool is the realization I’m too tall for too many things. I don’t think any of the chairs in our house are tall enough for me for the six weeks after surgery.
After a hip replacement, the torso and the legs aren’t supposed to bend past 90 degrees, or you risk dislocating your new joint. It seems the seat of each chair in the house is below the height of the back of my knees, meaning that I’d break that 90 each time I sat down.
Not good.
We have to investigate the option of getting a wedge pillow to push me higher, or renting a chair that will do the trick.
I’ll be spending a lot of time in that seat, so it had best be right.
