By Jamie Rieger

Column
A few weeks ago, I was sitting with my morning coffee when I heard an odd humming noise coming from outside. I took a peek out and saw my neighbour beside her shiny clean car with a blowdryer, angrily trying to unfreeze her driver-side door which she could not open.
The neighbour, it seemed, did not take into account the previous day when she washed her car that the temperatures at the time were still dropping significantly during the overnight hours.
I went out onto my balcony, coffee in hand, and asked if she needed a hand. After a few colourful words, she laughed and said she was going to be late for work and felt silly for having not thought about the chilly nights.
Ok, my car was rather dusty looking at the time and could have really used a good washing itself, but having watched her with her hair dryer, I decided I would wait until the nighttime temperatures did not dip below freezing until I took my car to the car wash.
And, my car was dirty. Somebody teased me one day about my two-tone coloured car, knowing full well my car is red. The car wash can wait, I said back.
There were the days of trying not to brush up against the car to avoid getting my pants dirty, but I was vigilant. I was not going to wash the car until the weather was warmer.
Well, the opportunity finally came and I was only more than eager to get my car in for a good spring cleaning. It felt good to get all the dust and muck off it and seeing it shiny and clean.
Spring does have a way of bringing out the cleaning goddesses in us all. The house gets cleaned from top to bottom and aired out, getting rid of all the stale air that has accumulated over the cold winter months. It is refreshing to have the windows open and a breeze blowing in. Everything smells clean and fresh and makes one want to just be able to enjoy the moment.
Getting into the nice, clean car, the window is down as I drive down the highway. Ah, now this is driving that I enjoy. Fresh air, dry highways, clean car. I am a happy girl.
Getting back home though, I see the dust is already starting to accumulate on the car and it has only been a week since the car got washed.
All the gravel and sand on the streets have yet to been removed, so it does not take long for things to get dusty all over again. Maybe it is time for the city street cleaning crews to turn into cleaning goddesses and get the roads spic and span so my car can stay clean for more than a week.