Winter Exoskeleton Engage...uhhh...ENGAGE!....ENGAGE?!?!...engage??...

Ok, it's time I get this off my chest.  I am not one of those people that whine and complain about how much I hate winter.  I actually really like cold weather.  I love snow (even with the shovelling).  Most of all I love breaking out the "bundley" clothing that winter allows.  The long-sleeve shirts, the sweaters, and (especially) the hockey jerseys.  In fact I can say with completely truth that winter is only #2 to fall.  So I'm not really one to say I hate it and get as huffy as a bicycle just because it's cold and dark out.  However, I am in a mini-funk of resentment toward it at the moment.

I haven't quite adjusted to the cold yet, and it's not that I feel like I'm freezing, but there is definitely an unevenness to the temperatures I'm feeling across the Brental region.  I can't decide what's too hot or cold and where at any given time.  It's like I'm feeling a bit of both all the time, especially around my face.  My eyes haven't gotten used to cold air blowing directly into them yet, so I have the early winter involuntary waterworks going on with them.  I still haven't been able to make proper decisions regarding the amount of layers I want, either.  It's an adjustment, but right now, as far as winter goes, I'm a hot (or cold) mess.

On the other side of things, it's just so much nicer being inside.  As much as I love some outdoor aspects of winter, some of the inside ones are equally part of my winter love.  The feeling of walking into a warm house, and curling up with a good book, with some light music going on the stereo, some coffee, hot tea, or cocoa is very much part of my love for winter as well (not to mention the candy canes, sugar cookies, and the gingerbread).  We loaded up on Christmas music the last two weeks (Johnny Cash, Trace Bundy, She & Him, etc.), and every year I make a nice Christmas mix for my friends.  This year, I'm planning a two disc set with a disc of very cheerful pro-Christmas songs (Fezziwig), and then a disc of the semi-anti-Christmas songs (Scrooge, which ironically put me in a better Christmas mood than the happy ones).  Either way, as usual, everyone can expect disc 2 to open with "Fairytale of New York" (don't play this at work or with children present...it is mildly offensive), which I expect at least one of them to eventually know by heart, because I don't want to try to do both voices in that song at karaoke.  How about you?  Any personal Christmas favorites, other than "I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas with a Dalek?"

More Plum Pud-ding?

Anyway, like I said my winter toughness just hasn't set in.  After my run, I spent two hours of last night outside for the annual Flint Holiday Walk trying to toughen up a bit.  However, I still think I enjoyed being inside the Buick Gallery and the Flint Institute of Art more than any of the outdoor activities (including the hot cider and Christmas cookie part).  So, I suppose wussy indoor me is still winning.  What measures do you take to adjust to winter and speed along the acclimation process?  I could use a few tips.

Cultural Center

The Tree and Whiting

My Spark Plug Reindeer I made at Buick Gallery

Heart-breaker, love taker, sandwich maker don't you mess around with me...

Listen, married people don't mean to let themselves go.  Sometimes it just happens, and I now have a theory why.  It's the kitchen swag.  Suddenly I have all these new food-related toys that I have to try out.

I have brewed maybe 5 pots of coffee since we moved into our new house.  That is, before the new coffee maker.  I usually drink enough coffee at work to never want any here.  The second I get a good coffee maker, I pray I can talk guests into coffee just to make some.  After the tailgate challenge, Jason and I picked up some doughnuts at Tim Hortons (no I'm not still pretending to be Canadian anymore...much).  The second I got home and Pat showed up, I was asking everyone if they wanted coffee.  My wife had a half a cup, and I drank the rest of that pot.  I've brewed 3 pots in the last 2 days.  It's becoming a problem.

We also got a stone pizza pan cooky thing.  So I went nuts with that twice.

Brenchos Pizza:  Sorry, we don't deliver

Then there's that omelette flippy pan thing, which made us clean out a carton of eggs in a week (which never happens, except when I was taught how to make the "Jeff breakfast," but that's another story all together...).

...I had to beat them to death with their own shoes.

Anyway, I can't even try justify that it was healthy, but at least there were green peppers in there.

The one that really is the problem, though....the sandwich maker

"I wish I knew how to quit you"

 The thing makes a perfect sandwich.  I've tried it several times.  People tell me the novelty of having one will wear off, but I don't believe them.  They underestimate my sandwich love, and the sandwich love of my wife.  I'm surprised we've even bothered to unplug it at this point.  It really has been used that much.  However, the madness needs to stop (right?).  Man does not live on fillings (mostly American cheese) hermetically sealed in bread alone...

Lord help us when I finally get some oil in that deep fryer...

Take us out Detroit Grand Pubahs



P.S. - Don't lecture me about how the love taker part comes last and it's the dream maker part in the middle on that Pat Benatar song.  I know.  It just didn't work for my title without the switcheroo.