What’s a blog for if not to garner sympathy?
I’m going to complain. I promise it will be short.
It’s freezing, abominably windy, snow on the ground, night will fall in what seems like just a few minutes. And I have a cold.
But at least the power isn’t out. Yet. That happens here whenever the wind blows. Something about the number, size, and location of the trees.
Besides being a naked plea for sympathy, this thread is an occasion for you all to either complain about your similar situation (in which case, my condolences), or crow about your wonderful weather.
The weather outside is frightful,,,but this Chianti is so delightful! Just “NEXT BLOG”ing.
At the risk of being accused of hijacking another thread, a personal reminisce about this weather …..
Last night when I got home I showered and went to bed by 9 (way early for me.) I woke up at 4 am, freezing, the wind howling. Turns out I turned down the thermostat when I showered and forgot to turn it back up. So, I turned it back up, and crawled back under the covers, with the pug crawling between us to keep warm. For another hour I was able to enjoy the gradual return of warmth, the darkness, and the steady snore of the dog, and purr of several cats that were curled up nearby.
However, at 5 I got up, made coffee and stared at the weather channel for half an hour. It was still cold (19 F), still windy, still DARK (sunup isn’t until 7:15, which is ridiculous). In my experience this kind of wind chill (8 F) in the NYC environs ALWAYS leads to colds. And unfortunately I have to do some things in Manhattan tomorrow.
My advice to you is my advice to me. #1 Stay in bed. #2 Take the real Nyquil. #3 Cook up a brew of boiled lemons, honey, and bourbon. #4 Sleep on the couch with the TV on, preferably to old B/W shows, just for background noise. Or the Weather Channel. #5 Keep a pet handy to keep you warm and be the friend who doesn’t talk too much. #6 Ignore the news for 24 hours, and 48 hours if you can. #7 When you aren’t sleeping, make and sort lists of things you want/need to do. Good Luck!
And here, in Moscow, we enjoy the most warm December in 127 years. It is the whole 6 degrees Celsius above freezing point, day and night, grass is green(!) and willows blossom out for the second time in this year – after three weeks of frost and snow they are lulled to believe that spring came.
In CT also. Cold air – bracing, stimulating, spirit-awakening cold air that defeats lethargy and sloth and that lets us know, for sure, that we are alive.
When you feel better, go chop some firewood. As Thoreau said, it warms you twice.
Sorry, I’m also in eastern MA, and this is not even getting in the same ballpark as “cold.” I’ve spent a good deal of time in Iowa and upstate New York, so such complaints from ocean-hugging Bostonians often amuse me.
I had a cold just this morning. Stuff sinus, a nagging pain in my throat. It went away after about 5 to 10 hours, after my immune system killed it.
You must smash the enemy with your will, early on Neo, before they get a beachhead!!
Praying for you, Neo.. that you will recover quickly.
We are suffering also here in South Florida.. about 70 degrees today and maybe down to 60 +- tonight..
That is cold!!! I wear my Flannel lined jeans winter and summer.. Thank the Lord for comfortable warm clothes in the dead of winter.
Feel Better!!
ExP(Jack)
Well, I think the DMZ , in Korea, in January and having to go …. well it rates as a bit chilly.
Mike Sierra: but I live well north of Boston, and it’s a lot colder here.
Ymarsakar: my will may not be powerful enough. I’ve added zinc lozenges to my arsenal–they actually seem to help. Plus, they taste pretty good.
You’re dreaming of a white christmas and you’ll be getting it.
As a shrink, what would you call a person who deliberately chooses to live in a part of the world where there are regularly blizzards, and then complains about them?
Me? I hate blizzards, and my goal in life when I left Oregon ten years ago was to never have to drive on snow and ice again. Ever. So far Southern California is living up to its advance billing, snow&ice-wise. I recommend it highly, but then you’re not allowed to complain about the high cost of living and clogged freeways.
Record cold tonight in the Southland. It is colder here than it is in Alaska.
Balmy on our short vacation in Seattle. This almost negates my less than good memories of Basic Training at Fort Lewis, 1970.
We had our almost 0 degree weather in Grand Junction 2 weeks ago. I am afraid our ‘banana belt’ area has frozen fruit this year.
Chin up now. The new week may be better.
Chopping down a Christmas Tree with the granddaughters today. Putting it up, watching the kids decorate it, and drinking REAL eggnog, made with unhealthy real heavy cream, bourbon, eggs, and other unhealthful goodies.
I’ll have another glass, thank you. The arteries can unclog tomorrow.
If you have enough bourbon, the alcohol will dissolve the cholesterol.
Have one on me, Neo (and Steve and Ymarsar and y’all). Bourbon restores perspective. Have enough and you won’t care about ISG and other follies.
At least until the likker wears off…
Merry Christmas…
Same to your Charles. But my body doesn’t like alcohol like it doesn’t like viruses and bacteria. I simply go to sleep when too much alcohol is there, and the taste is rather acerbic.
The one thing I did learn from other sources, was that if you drank enough water, your hangover will be reduced because the blood vessels in your head won’t have contracted due to osmosis.
I eat a slab of bacon, fried in a pan with spices, almost every day. Can’t say it did anything for my weight. Most people worry about over-eating on Christmas or Thanksgiving. I worry that I won’t eat enough for the bang.
Holmes, wasn’t so cold in Atlanta. It was the wind that was the problem. Without the wind, it wouldn’t have done anything to me.
Here in Australia we’re in the midst of a heatwave this week. It’s cool enough right now… not quite 6AM… but it’ll hit 37C (99F) where I am today. Hence the large bushfires in our south-east. We may have to politely ask if you will loan us some extra fire-fighting aircraft again. I don’t mind the heat too much usually, but I’m working nights at present, and it is difficult to sleep on such hot days.
Despite which we have a nasty cold doing the rounds. I heartily endorse Steve’s home remedy – though with with the civilised substitution of scotch for bourbon, of course. *Ahem* Nothing like a hot toddy when you’ve got the ‘flu.
Hiraethin,
The notion that we’d loan you Aussies some water tankers for your fire season seems too much like a good idea for our government to even consider.
There is an annual gathering of alpaca herds in Houston each spring to take advantage of a professional shearer. Yep, he spends our spring here and our fall (your spring) Down Under and hits two shearing seasons per year.
That’s why I think the government will get it wrong. If a bunch of farmers see it as a good idea, it won’t grease enough campaign contributors.
My two youngest children and I were living in Maine the winter of the ice storm. We were going to a church out in the hills and most of our fellow congregants were without power.
For a memorable week we had literally dozens of people in and out of our apartment in town, where the power was on, the showers were hot, tv constantly updating power and road conditions, and the floors covered with sleeping bags.
Many of them were teens who worked in town anyway, or who temporarily were schooling themselves at the public library down the street while their local schools were closed.
The President amazed all of Maine by offering to send the National Guard in to “control looting” during the power outage. A real kneeslapper. Looting in Maine consists of trying to get your Lobstah Roll at a reduced rate after tourist season ends.
There aren’t many states where half the population could be out of power for a week, or more, and the worst problems would be that stores ran out of instant breakfast and Scrabble games.
I miss Maine.