February was the wrong month to try and do daily posts. Perhaps winter was the wrong subject matter as well. I thought the posts would help keep me positive and get me through the longest month. Alas....I lost interest in surviving a Minnesota winter about two weeks ago. Could spring please get here quickly this year?
My problems with winter started last year. I wouldn't go so far to say that I have seasonal affective disorder, but by this point in the season, I find myself more moody and sensitive. It doesn't help that December and January both averaged high temperatures 5 degrees below normal and we went through a stretch of 30+ days in a row of sub-zero temps. Then February arrived and so did the 40s. All the snow melted. Then it froze. Then it melted. Then it snowed 7 inches. And we're back to single digit overnight lows this weekend.
February also brought the sickies to my little family unit. Currently all of us are sick. FiG has it the worst with bronchitis and an ear infection. On drugs is she. I'm working though fever, nausea, and a bad sore throat. On drugs I am not. Stupid theories about over prescription of antibiotics. Bah. A-Mo has powered through congestion, aches, and fatigue this week.
Tomorrow is a new month. I will take on a new attitude. Spring is merely 21 days away. At least I don't have it as bad as the vole/mouse FiG and I found by the back steps yesterday. It allowed me to get close enough to it to actually pet it and pick it up by the tail. I moved it to the wood pile by the garage - away from the house. Poor thing only made it a few feet from the garage. I saw it on top of the snow last night. It's still there....with some tracks in the snow to suggest another critter came sniffing about.
Showing posts with label Must Haves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Must Haves. Show all posts
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Must Haves: For a Minnesota Winter
14. Palm trees. When I see palm trees...truly no matter what time of year...I am instantly relaxed. From inside the pressurized cabin I can feel the stress leaving my body and the scowl leaving my face. Ahhhhh....palm trees mean there's an ocean nearby with it's salty breezes and lulling waves. Palm trees mean warmth and humidity, both of which are hard to come by in Minnesota in winter. Palm trees mean you aren't going to work the next day. Yeah, yeah I know that the descent into Riyadh International Airport brings palm trees into view but they do not indicate the presence of an ocean or humidity. I know. But let me have this one please. I didn't win enough (cough, any) money in Vegas last October to buy myself the diamond studded palm tree pendant I saw there, so I recall my memory of Punta Cana a year ago to bring me palm trees in winter.
15. Citrus. Clementines have kept me alive this winter. I've eaten so many of them I am becoming a clementine snob. Spain grows the finest. California is second. All others are crap. Fortunately just when the Spanish and California clementines are done, naval oranges and grapefruit step up to center stage - which is right now. Limes and lemons are also in my fruit bowl all the time. A little zest adds a new flavor dimension to any food any time of year, but it's really special in winter. I did a little experiment at work earlier in the winter. There were a lot of candy bowls around during the holiday season so I put a fruit bowl on my desk. Clementines and apples. The clementines were gone in a day and a half. The apples took three days. So it's not just me. Others feel the need to stave off winter scurvy with some fruit.
16. Color or Sparkle. I'm putting these together because they often come in the form of a fashion accessory, especially in the office setting. We wear a lot of black, gray, and brown in the winter, so it's fun to have a bright scarf, a big rhinestone broach, or funky socks to brighten the winter wardrobe. I bought a red boiled wool jacket this season. It's really red and the only reason I bought red is because the teal didn't come in my size. But I'm so happy with it. It's a snap of color that makes me happy and it's NOT A SWEATER! I can wear any broach on it too.
17. Winter beer. Some will disagree with me on this, but it's my blog so pbbtwwwsssttt..This one isn't so much a necessity as it is something that makes winter a great season. We've got some very talented brewers in the upper mid-west. And to bring in talent from other parts of the country we have some very fun to visit distributors. A-Mo and I are lucky to have so many friends who know their beer and who have inside connections in the beer world up here. Personally, I like beers from all seasons, but I prefer to drink beer in winter. Hand me a Hendrick's and tonic (with double lime) any summer day, but in February, make it a Surly please.
18. Alka Seltzer Plus Cold. The citrus flavor is my favorite. This stuff works. And it works right away. Confinement indoors + day care + an office full of people with kids in day care or school + anything touched by Joe & Joann Public = 6 months of germ warfare.
19. Immunity boosters. This is for avoiding #18, and because of #18. Store brands are less expensive and as far as I know just as effective as name brands like Airborne. None of them taste great so I find the "down the hatch" approach the best. And having to drink 4-6 ounces of water with each dose of #18 and #19 leads me to #20....
20. Water. Not only is there very little humidity in the air, but heaters in the car, office, home, skyways, etc. suck what little moisture is in your skin and eyeballs right out. We have small humidifiers in our bedrooms and we still battle bloody noses and ashy skin all winter. It's amazing how, during a winter thaw (which in these parts refers to 32F), I have great hair days and I can goa day without slathering lotion all over my body. I first crossed the border into Minnesota on September 30. Two weeks later it snowed. I didn't even own a winter coat yet. Because I moved here by myself in my car and I was trying hard to be safe and responsible I had a survival kit in my trunk - you know, flashlight, water bottles, crackers, blanket, etc. One day during that first winter I remembered that I had water in the trunk and I was thirsty. I had to laugh at myself on that one. Ice anyone?
15. Citrus. Clementines have kept me alive this winter. I've eaten so many of them I am becoming a clementine snob. Spain grows the finest. California is second. All others are crap. Fortunately just when the Spanish and California clementines are done, naval oranges and grapefruit step up to center stage - which is right now. Limes and lemons are also in my fruit bowl all the time. A little zest adds a new flavor dimension to any food any time of year, but it's really special in winter. I did a little experiment at work earlier in the winter. There were a lot of candy bowls around during the holiday season so I put a fruit bowl on my desk. Clementines and apples. The clementines were gone in a day and a half. The apples took three days. So it's not just me. Others feel the need to stave off winter scurvy with some fruit.
16. Color or Sparkle. I'm putting these together because they often come in the form of a fashion accessory, especially in the office setting. We wear a lot of black, gray, and brown in the winter, so it's fun to have a bright scarf, a big rhinestone broach, or funky socks to brighten the winter wardrobe. I bought a red boiled wool jacket this season. It's really red and the only reason I bought red is because the teal didn't come in my size. But I'm so happy with it. It's a snap of color that makes me happy and it's NOT A SWEATER! I can wear any broach on it too.
17. Winter beer. Some will disagree with me on this, but it's my blog so pbbtwwwsssttt..This one isn't so much a necessity as it is something that makes winter a great season. We've got some very talented brewers in the upper mid-west. And to bring in talent from other parts of the country we have some very fun to visit distributors. A-Mo and I are lucky to have so many friends who know their beer and who have inside connections in the beer world up here. Personally, I like beers from all seasons, but I prefer to drink beer in winter. Hand me a Hendrick's and tonic (with double lime) any summer day, but in February, make it a Surly please.
18. Alka Seltzer Plus Cold. The citrus flavor is my favorite. This stuff works. And it works right away. Confinement indoors + day care + an office full of people with kids in day care or school + anything touched by Joe & Joann Public = 6 months of germ warfare.
19. Immunity boosters. This is for avoiding #18, and because of #18. Store brands are less expensive and as far as I know just as effective as name brands like Airborne. None of them taste great so I find the "down the hatch" approach the best. And having to drink 4-6 ounces of water with each dose of #18 and #19 leads me to #20....
20. Water. Not only is there very little humidity in the air, but heaters in the car, office, home, skyways, etc. suck what little moisture is in your skin and eyeballs right out. We have small humidifiers in our bedrooms and we still battle bloody noses and ashy skin all winter. It's amazing how, during a winter thaw (which in these parts refers to 32F), I have great hair days and I can goa day without slathering lotion all over my body. I first crossed the border into Minnesota on September 30. Two weeks later it snowed. I didn't even own a winter coat yet. Because I moved here by myself in my car and I was trying hard to be safe and responsible I had a survival kit in my trunk - you know, flashlight, water bottles, crackers, blanket, etc. One day during that first winter I remembered that I had water in the trunk and I was thirsty. I had to laugh at myself on that one. Ice anyone?
Friday, February 13, 2009
Must Haves: For a Minnesota winter
13. Outside time. This is critical. Cabin fever sneaks up on you and WHAM! you've gone insane. I try to avoid skyways and tunnels on campus as much as possible during the winter. Sure, the outside track is actually quicker, but I really do it for the fresh air. Especially on sunny days. I love me some vitamin D exposure! But one of my absolute favorite times to be outside is during a snow storm. Not one of those crazy, windy, snow blowing sideways storms....one of those calm, serene, bit fat snow flake storms. Every time it snows I think back to when I was a kid visiting my Nana's house in Haddonfield, NJ for Christmas. I spent the night at a friend's house down the street. It snowed that night and we went outside to take it in. She didn't think it was great to be outside in the middle of the night in her pajamas, but I, in my red long johns (the kind with the butt flap), loved it. I stayed out there for over an hour and watched the snow fall from the middle of the street. I remember very clearly how quiet it was. How I couldn't even hear the snow flakes landing. In the true sense of the word, it was awesome.
Being outside in the winter in Minnesota isn't always easy. I give a lot of credit to those who bike to work every day of the year, play broomball through the arctic snaps, and sit out on a frozen lake waiting for the bait to take. It takes a special kind of dedication....crazy....for that. I am headed to the woods for my annual knitting retreat next month and am looking forward to the 4-mile walk, the snowshoe adventures, and the search for the wild turkeys. It's outisde time that is really good timing for me.
Being outside in the winter in Minnesota isn't always easy. I give a lot of credit to those who bike to work every day of the year, play broomball through the arctic snaps, and sit out on a frozen lake waiting for the bait to take. It takes a special kind of dedication....crazy....for that. I am headed to the woods for my annual knitting retreat next month and am looking forward to the 4-mile walk, the snowshoe adventures, and the search for the wild turkeys. It's outisde time that is really good timing for me.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Must Haves: For a Minnesota winter
12. Sense of silly/humor. Everyone is going through the same winter you are - they have dry skin, hat hair, dirty cars, cabin fever, and sweater fatigue. They've had colds, coughs, and the flu too. Everyone looks forward to the days when leaving the house doesn't involve outerwear. Finding a way to laugh about it helps get us through it. We put old man hats on our snowmen. We waddle like penguins on the ice. We joke about frozen snot. Winter in Minnesota isn't a completely horrible thing. It just lasts a long time.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Must Haves: For a Minnesota winter
11. Pothole radar. This is the land of 10,000 lakes and many, many more potholes. This time of year, after a couple of freeze and thaw cycles, the roads get really bad. A lot of the early winter patches have crumbled out and left even bigger craters. No road surface is immune. And just when you think you've memorized all the potholes on your commute, new ones show up and throw you off your game. So it's important to learn how to spot a pothole, judge it's depth and breadth, and even predict where the next one will be. Several years ago A-Mo's car had a tire that kept losing pressure. The mechanic told him he had a bent rim and asked, "What, did you hit a pothole?" Imagine the look on A-Mo's face after being asked such an idiotic question. I brought my car home from the dealer last month with a bent rim. Guess what he asked me? :)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Must Haves: For a Minnesota winter
10. Recipes for soup. And chili. And stews. I'm talking about food that a) makes your house smell great, b) doesn't break the bank to make - uses staples from your pantry and freezer, c) can be a one-pot meal, d) satisfies your need for a hot meal, and e) freezes well. I have my go-to recipes: tomato soup, black bean soup, turkey chili, chicken posole, chicken cacciatore. They're a little different every time I make them - that's part of the fun, imo. But when I want a new idea, I consult one of several soup cookbooks in my library. Those of you who live in the Twin Cities may remember, from the Pre-FiG days, Soup Night at our house. I'm a big fan of soup. Without waxing poetic about it, I will just say that on a cold winter day...and even on a 40F rainy day like today...a hot bowl of soup with a hunk of bread is a great way to wind down for the evening. You can get it all in a bowl of homemade soup, chili, or stew: protein, carbs, veggies, fiber - without the fat and sodium of something from a shelf in the grocery store. And there are more recipes that you can possibly make in a lifetime to choose from.
Must Haves: For a Minnesota winter
9. Good winter gear - Now is not the time to be a pansy about wearing a hat or insulated snow boots. You need a good parka, mittens or gloves with liners, a scarf, a hat, ear warmers, water-proof boots, and long underwear. There are some excellent high-tech, man-made fibers now, but I have found that if you use what protects animals out in nature, you can't go wrong: wool, cashmere, mohair, angora, down, fur. Now don't go getting your silkies in a knot because I used the f-word. The only fur I own is a pair of possum fur nipple warmers, so leave your spray paint in your garage for another day.
Must Haves: For a Minnesota winter
8. Polarized sunglasses. Yeah, but any old sunglasses will do, right? If you've ever worn polarized lenses you would agree with me that no, any old lens will not do. I got my first pair a number of years ago when I had laser vision correction. My eyes were even more sensitive to light after the surgery so I followed A-Mo's lead and got my first pair of polarized sunglasses. I just got my second pair last fall. You don't treat them like a $7.99 pick up at the gas station. They're expensive. They're nice. And they make a huge difference in the winter up here. With the low angle of the sun and the glare off the snow pack, you really need a good pair of sunglasses.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Must Haves: For a Minnesota winter
7. Flannel sheets. I do love crisp cotton sheets and if it wasn't such a waste of resources I would love to have clean crisp sheets on my bed everyday. But in winter flannel rules. About the only downside to flannel sheets is that there isn't a cold side to the pillow. And they make it really hard to get out of bed in the morning....but that's not entirely a bad thing.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Must Haves: For a Minnesota winter
6. SmartWool socks - These aren't just any wool socks. The wool is from Merino sheep raised in New Zealand, a country that will always have a soft spot in my heart. I got three pair of SmartWool socks this winter and they've improved my comfort level threefold. Other than keeping my feet noticably wamer than other socks, what I like most about SmartWool socks is that they don't lose their shape through the day. When I take my shoes off, the socks aren't flopping about and turning around on my feet - I have zero patience for socks that do this. SmartWool is an expensive product line (as high-quality, high-performance products tend to be) but I have found socks on sale or clearance at REI and Sierra Trading Post.
Must Haves: For a Minnesota winter
5. Pho - Vietnamese meat and noodle soup. The steam coming off the bowl, the smell of the broth, the fixings, the chewy noodles....it's one of those food experiences you can get lost in over and over again. There's something medicinal about this soup. I eat it all year-round, but I crave it in winter. It makes me feel better when I'm sick. It makes me feel warm and full and happy every time I eat it. It's so simple and so, so good. There are so many great pho joints out there - find yours and go get some pho.
Must Haves: For a Minnesota winter
4. Seat warmers in your car. This has to be the most brilliant advancements in car design in recent history. OK, that's over-stating it a bit, but seat warmers take the edge off. And when it's February and you've already lived through two months of arctic temperatures, the edge between keeping it together and going batty is razor thin. Every little bit of warmth helps.
Must Haves: For a Minnesota winter
There are a few things that make living through this brutal cold possible. I plan to add something new to this list every day in February. So to catch up on the last three days....
1. Lip balm - you need at least 6 or 7 sticks of it for your office, coat pocket, purse, car, bedside table, bathroom, and where you blog/read/surf/knit/veg out at home, if not next to the aforementioned bedside table. I highly recommend anything by Nivea, Blistex Silk & Shine, Blistex Complete Moisture, and Blistex Deep Renewal.
2. Hand cream - again, multiples of this for your office, purse, bedside table, bathroom, and lounging space. We do a lot of hand washing in the winter around here (yet, we still get sick - weird) so hand creme is definitely a must have. I have recently fallen in love with two hand cremes. One is J.R. Watkins Ultra Rich Hand Creme. It has a light scent, is not greasy, absorbs quickly, and works equally well on feet! The other is Almond Oil Intensive Hand Rescue by The Body Shop. This one has more of a scent but it smells great. It's meant to be worn overnight so it's thick and a little greasy but it feels great so I don't mind it. A past favorite is Satin Hands Hand Creme by Mary Kay. Lovely smell. Excellent results. Great price.
3. Brightly painted toe nails. What can I say? Day after day of long underwear, black wool socks, and closed toe shoes...the pop of color on your toes draws the attention away from the blood vessels laying just below the surface of your cold, white, dried out feet. If you can splurge, spend the $5 and get a design painted on your big toes. It's about the only place you'll see flowers around here for months.
1. Lip balm - you need at least 6 or 7 sticks of it for your office, coat pocket, purse, car, bedside table, bathroom, and where you blog/read/surf/knit/veg out at home, if not next to the aforementioned bedside table. I highly recommend anything by Nivea, Blistex Silk & Shine, Blistex Complete Moisture, and Blistex Deep Renewal.
2. Hand cream - again, multiples of this for your office, purse, bedside table, bathroom, and lounging space. We do a lot of hand washing in the winter around here (yet, we still get sick - weird) so hand creme is definitely a must have. I have recently fallen in love with two hand cremes. One is J.R. Watkins Ultra Rich Hand Creme. It has a light scent, is not greasy, absorbs quickly, and works equally well on feet! The other is Almond Oil Intensive Hand Rescue by The Body Shop. This one has more of a scent but it smells great. It's meant to be worn overnight so it's thick and a little greasy but it feels great so I don't mind it. A past favorite is Satin Hands Hand Creme by Mary Kay. Lovely smell. Excellent results. Great price.
3. Brightly painted toe nails. What can I say? Day after day of long underwear, black wool socks, and closed toe shoes...the pop of color on your toes draws the attention away from the blood vessels laying just below the surface of your cold, white, dried out feet. If you can splurge, spend the $5 and get a design painted on your big toes. It's about the only place you'll see flowers around here for months.
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