Okay, so maybe it's more like Kauai Island, Hawaii, nonetheless, it's definitely NOT 17 degrees there right now. In fact, right at this very moment, though it's only 12:52am, it is 73 degrees there. That's a 56 degree difference...for the better. Winter seems to last just a tad too long up here around the 45th parallel. Sure, it's not as bad as Barrow, AK, up in the Arctic Circle, but then again, my body kept me from making that romaticized move years ago. And my body thanks me. The cold endures, my bones get sore, my muscles get stiff, my kids are pent up inside for one too many weekends, when all there is to do is go through a library of books on the wall, watch tv, or play video games. Luckily, they're are getting more and more into board games, but like all games, after you play them so long, and for little kids, twice is once too long, the become just as their names describe..."bored" games.
I've attempted pushing my daily walks with my Princess, my dog, into jogs now and again, however, this just resulted in me running in boots and shoes not made for such and giving me a blister and sore on my toe. For this, I've switched to my old, holey, running shoes, but the soles on these are shot and because they are "holey; id est, full of holes" I have air conditioning in them at a time where it is really not welcome. I know I will need to get a better pair of sneakers, but hazzard to acquire some until I'm sure all the crappy weather, which will beat up nice shoes, has passed. Besides, that's another $70-$100 I really don't want to spend. It's not that I don't like spending money, but I'd prefer to spend other people's money:) And it's not just the shoes; it's so much harder exercising when your muscles start out cold and finish up cold, your feet are bruised, and you're wearing 10 pounds of clothes you'd rather not be wearing. I read somewhere that some of the best running is to run bare foot in sand. Believe me, I'd love to try out that theory. I'd much rather be running barefoot in my swimsuit and nothing else, along a beach in 75 degree weather some where, than on pavement, blowing icy steam out of my moouth as my eyes sting from the frost, and my hands chill inside my thick, but ineffective, winter gloves. That's another thing...they can put a man into space where it is around -270 degrees Celsius, he can float in space, walk on the moon, and return, and is relatively unscathed, but I can't get a pair of winter gloves that actually keep my hands warm without running wires through them. What's up with that?
So, as you can tell, I'm pretty tired of winter right now. I'd rather have sand up my butt, half burried near a palm tree, with a Margarita, Mojito, or Cuba Libre, or just an Icy lemonade, than be having to warm up with a cup of coffee, in two shirts, long pants, socks and slippers, trying to stay warm in my own house. There are few bright spots onMarch in Michigan, and my boy's birthday isn't until the end of it. Stay warm and comfy, and if you're in somewhere warm, but not unbearably hot, right now, enjoy for me, and I'll continue with my coffee and open-toed dreams. Here's to sand between your toes, and an ocean spray caught in the wind hitting your face, as you stare out towards the surf, rocking gently in your hammock with your shade hat on and the sun filtering down between the palms and coconuts high above you. Cheers!!!
