Looking Out My Back Door

OK, It's Officially Cold Now

Normally, I prefer winter to summer, because if you're cold, simply put on a sweater or grab a blanket. If you're hot, you need air conditioning, which isn't always available, plus it's expensive (you should see my Con Ed bills; they quadruple in total from May through September). My Scandinavian blood (though thinned by a couple of generations) has allowed me to visit Duluth in winter, ski in long underwear and jeans, and run around without a jacket. Until now.

You see, the Greater New York City/Long Island area has been in a cold snap. No longer do I sleep with both windows wide open to compensate for the dry heat pumped out through the radiator (though one window is slightly ajar). We had a fair amount of snow dumped on the area this past weekend, and I broke out not only a down coat, but attached the hood for a trek through two feet of the fluffy stuff to the bagel store on Sunday. That, for me, is drastic.

That being said, I still prefer cold over hot. Snow days are great. I caught up on my reading and a few DVDs this weekend, snuggled closely with my felines, and had a festive chili dinner with some good friends/neighbors. Although I skipped the gym on Monday, I felt no guilt at all, as the trek for bagels was more of a cardio workout than I normally do (not to mention the digging out of the car!). And the snowstorm looked even more gorgeous through a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Right now, it's the coldest day of the year (thus far) and I have a date with my trainer at the gym tonight. I'm looking forward to getting through that punishment and then curling up with a flannel blanket, kitties, a DVD (probably from Season One of "Las Vegas") and a huge steaming mug of my special Irish Tea: hot tea mixed with blackberry brandy and peppermint schnapps. Yum! Maybe this cold snap isn't so bad after all...

posted by Hopster @ 1:34 PM