This and that

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So I finally finished my first just-for-me knitting project in a long time! It's so warm and comfy, and it's just like wearing a security blanket all day. The only problem is, it's kind of big and cape-ish, so I think I may have looked like Dharma's mom, Abby, from Dharma and Greg (that's her above). I shared this fear with Andy, who pointed out that I wasn't wearing any crystals or patchouli, so I should have been just fine.

It snowed ten inches in my city today, and my new car doesn't have an auto-starter OR a snow brush. Oops. Today I was the asshole scraping my windshield with my mittens. But I'm still better than the asshole who cut me off because he hadn't bothered to scrape his rear window. Seriously, if you drive in a snowy climate and don't clean your rear window or your mirrors, you're an asshole. That's all there is to it.

In regards to not getting my hopes up about the new dog, I'm searching Craigslist for crates for him. Also, new name suggestions include Chainsaw, Ferdinand, Rumpelstiltskin, and Emily Dickinson (who, for the record, is one of my least favorite poets. I'd sooner name him Sylvia Plath. Or Chaucer.). If we don't get that little guy (I HOPE WE DO!), we're going to check out an adoption event in our town tomorrow afternoon.

Tonight we're going out to celebrate a friend's birthday, which is going to be fun. I've been doing this thing where I don't drink beer during the week. I really like beer, a lot, so it used to be that I'd have one with dinner. But I really like good beer, like Sam Adams and Killians and Dundee, which is absolutely not light beer. So in an effort to really do things right for my body, I cut out booze during the week. It's been going pretty well. And it means that by Friday night, the word "beer" makes me start salivating.

Any thoughts on names for this guy? Any thoughts on beer? What are you up to this fine weekend?

On February being blah

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February is not my favorite month. Really, all it has going for it is that it's short, and that when you're a student (or a teacher!) you get a week off in the state I live in. But even that is a mixed blessing: traditionally, February break is held on what's typically the coldest week of the year, to save the state and districts the costs of heating the school during that time. No joke.

February in upstate New York tends to swing back and forth between the mid-30s and the lower teens. Yesterday it was 36°; today it's 16°. So it thaws, resulting in massive amounts of disgusting slush (my least favorite part of winter), then the slush freezes solid and slippery and makes walking anywhere dangerous. And heaters are still running full blast, so my skin is all tight and itchy and in desperate need of more attention than my three-minute-long, scalding hot shower every morning. 


Usually, Valentine's Day means at least one fancy night hanging out with Andy, but we just bought a car, so our entertainment budget is a lot closer to $0.00 than $FANCY DINNER. And it's so freaking cold here that I don't particularly want to get gussied up to spend my evening at McDonald's and the dollar theater. I know we can cook a nice meal for ourselves and watch a movie at home, but then how is it different from, say, any given Tuesday around here?


So I'm looking for some pick-me-ups. I'm thinking maybe some fancy new homemade bath products or a new accessory or even just some lovely pictures to daydream over, instead of eating leftovers and sitting in my cold house.


What do you do to perk yourself up in February? Suggest anything! (Please, for the love of Pete, suggest something.)

Frigidity

Imagine this sweater but with a plain front, no buttons, no belt.

I'm going to let you in on a secret. The sweater I'm wearing today (see above) is usually worn as a bathrobe-type thing. It's from L.L. Bean, approximately eight years old, it's enormous and kind of shapeless and 100% wool, and I've used it so much around the house that until last night it was covered in pills.

But it's FREAKING COLD here right now, so while we watched a movie yesterday I de-pilled it, and threw it on this morning over some jeggings and two shirts. You do what you have to to stay warm. Plus, it actually looks pretty cute. I'm kind of sad that this is maybe the third time I've worn this thing out of the house.

So tonight we're going to eat leftover corned beef and all the fixings - because I made a freaking amazing dinner yesterday - and watch movies and curl up on the couch. Did you know that a dog makes an even better blanket than a blanket does?

What are you doing to keep warm? If it's not icy where you are, please send me warm thoughts!