That's What I Get for Living in Ontario

A big storm hit us yesterday as expected, with heavy snows and freezing rain.

I had a doctor's appointment in the city, and I decided to take the bus to avoid potentially terrible driving conditions. Even though I left a full hour earlier than normal, I still missed the appointment.

The weather was nice when I got on the bus, but within 20 minutes the snow was starting to fall. The roads were a complete mess within another 15 minutes. In fact, they were such a mess that the bus took over half an hour to climb one block up a rather shallow incline -- and even then, it got stuck in the snow before it reached the top.

I got off the bus and crossed the street to wait for a bus to take me back home. I waited 15 minutes. I waited 30 minutes. I waited 45, 60, and 75 minutes. No buses came. It was not until a full hour-and-a-half later that a bus came by heading up north.

The net result? I was on the buses or standing in snow at bus stops for five-and-a-half hours from the time I left home til the time I returned. I did not even make it into Toronto proper; I turned back at Thornhill. But things could have been worse: at least it was only snow I had to deal with. The freezing rain did not hit us until later in the evening.