Oh Warm Weather...How I Miss You

Anyone who knows me very well is probably familiar with my feelings about cold weather. If, however, you have somehow missed my numerous posts, comments, and general complaining, let me just say that I hate it. I can’t think of much that I dislike more than being cold, aside from being wet and cold. 

I think there is an assumption on the part of those that have known me only since I have lived in the New Orleans area that I grew up here or in a similarly warm climate, and that I am not accustomed to the cold. But this is not the case. I spent my childhood in the Texas Panhandle where winters were cold, windy and sometimes very snowy. I remember school being canceled a few times when the wind and snow combined to form drifts as high as rooftops. I learned how to ski when I was a teenager. I even took driver’s ed in the snow. (Coach Sartor, I’m still so very sorry about that 360. It was truly an accident, and I was as terrified as you were.) I lived in the Chicago suburbs for two winters in my early thirties. I’m quite familiar with cold weather. I have all the gear for it. I just simply do not like it. Not even a little. And I avoid it as much as possible. With regard to the photographic evidence showing me apparently enjoying it back in the 70s...I'm thinking those pictures were photoshopped. 

Scott, Kristy and I in the snow in Colorado.
Yes, I'm the one sitting in it, and I bet I'm both wet and cold.

Scott and I in front of our house on Aspen Street. This one was marked 1978. 

One of the benefits of living this far south is that winters are mild and short. I never complain about the heat in the summer. I actually enjoy it, for the most part. But as I sit here lamenting the freezing temperatures with my favorite cozy blanket wrapped tightly around me, a fire burning in the fireplace, and hot chocolate in hand, I can’t help but think that this is not what I signed up for. It was a frigid 18 degrees when I left my toasty house for the gym at 5 a.m. It’s a nippy 21 now, and it’s only supposed to get above the freezing mark for about five hours today. I have not taken off my jacket or scarf since arriving back at home, and if I could type in them, I would be wearing my gloves. (For the record, those “texting gloves” are for suckers, one of whom, apparently, happens to be me.) 

I usually begin complaining about the weather when the temperature dips into the 50s, and I do realize that I’m being a gigantic wuss when I refer to that as cold. But 18 degrees...that's chilly in anyone’s book. Yes, I know it’s a lot colder up north, and I am sympathetic to those dealing with extreme conditions, but this is the difference...those people choose to live in areas where winters are harsh. They are familiar with the annoyances and risks of living in such a region. They expect it. I, however, chose the swamp. It’s not supposed to ice over in the swamp! I thought I traded freezing temps for gators in my yard, and I was ok with that. But 18 degrees? That's just unacceptable. I hope the mosquitos are freezing at least...

*In the time I spent searching for photos, it warmed up to a balmy 25 degrees. Time to break out the flip flops!

The kids with the snowman the built when we had real snow a few years ago,
 and the "snowman" I prefer...made from the sand of a warm beach.

Curing the New Year's Blues

Well, it’s here. That time of year when, as much as I try not to, I find myself in a bit of a post-holiday funk. I know I should feel excited about a new year...blank slate, new adventures, and all of that...but invariably, I find myself a little blue. I have tried to pinpoint what it is that brings on the gloom. Maybe it’s that I know I’m not going to get to see my Texas family for longer than I would like. Or it might be the cold, wet, gray, south Louisiana weather, which my mood occasionally mirrors. It could have something to do with the fact that, every year, I tell myself I'm going to eat healthier, and as a lover of sweets, that’s really no fun. I even get a little sad knowing that football season is almost over. I’m sure a big part of these feelings occurs because I find myself spending more time alone than usual, with it being a busy travel time for Brett and with the kids heading back to school.  All I know for sure is that when I add all these things together, I end up with my annual new year’s funk. 

This year I am doing my best to avoid the January doldrums. I do live a just bridge away from New Orleans, after all. So I’ve made a short list of NOLA-related reasons to stay upbeat. 

~My team is in the playoffs again! With a wildcard win in Philly under their belts, Drew and the rest of the Saints are doing their part to keep the season going. Sure, Seattle is going to be tough, but after the regular season debacle out west, we will be more prepared for a fight. And who cares if Russell Wilson has never lost a home game? He has to at some point, and why shouldn’t it be at the hands of the Saints?

~Mardi Gras is just a few short weeks away. While it is later this year, the parades will gear up in mid-February...and I do seriously love a parade. I don’t think most people from outside the area realize how many parades and events actually lead up to Fat Tuesday, or how family-friendly most of those activities are. It is nothing like I had imagined!

~I can officially start eating king cake now. (So much for that plan to eat healthier.) “King cake season” begins with the Epiphany and ends on Fat Tuesday. I am not ashamed to say that I eat king cake almost daily during the season, and I have been known to consume one of these delectable, sugary rings all on my own. King cake really deserves its own blog entry, so I will save the details for another day. 

~Spring weather comes early in New Orleans, and I know it won't be long until I'm trading my sweaters and boots for flip flops and shorts . 

~The number of fabulous restaurants I have not had the pleasure of enjoying, even after sixteen years here, far exceeds the number that I have. I am currently making a list of places that I want to try this year, and I plan to visit those and many of my old favorites, as well. (Yeah, that eating healthy thing...I’ll just work out a little harder.)

~While it’s still several months away, Jazzfest is always on my radar, and this year’s lineup will be released in two or three weeks. Once I know who is coming, I can begin making plans and twisting the arms of friends in an effort to get them to come down and enjoy my favorite event with me. 

When I put it on “paper,” what’s not to love about a new year in New Orleans? Whenever I start to feel the blues creeping up on me, I’ll just grab my spouse or my kids or a friend (or even just my camera) and make that short trip across Lake Pontchartrain. I have no doubt there will be something there to make me smile.