Interesting Tidbits

Alright, enough of the drama. Here's some other interesting things that I've done or seen this week.

On Monday and half of Tuesday, I was in Washington, D.C. for work. The city was getting ready for Obama's inauguration this coming Tuesday, and one of the funniest things was the WALL of port-a-potties along the Mall. There were hundreds of them!

From there, I flew to Chicago, also for work, and of course, where Obama recently departed. They are so proud that "one of their own" is going to be leading the country.

Of course, Chicago is a cold city in the winter, and while I was there, a new storm system blew in bringing with it lots of snow and the coldest air Chicago has seen in more than a decade. I was glad to leave, even though my flight was delayed a few hours. I had to get back to NYC before the storm hit here.

So today, the Weather Channel is telling me that while it's 12*F out there, it feels like -3*F with the wind chill. Brr!!! I'm thankful for my "puffy coat," which is filled with down and keeps me quite warm. Boots, gloves, hat and scarf complete the outfit, and the coldest part of me is my face.

Last night, I had a wonderful dinner with two dear friends -- former coworkers who have become great friends. It doesn't hurt that they are both attractive men who shower me with compliments either! It does the soul good. (And before you get any great ideas, they are both married with beautiful families.) One of them has a potential suitor for me, and I think I'm going to take him up on the offer to meet. Why not? FWB has definitely pulled back. I haven't seen him since last Saturday, before this whole thing, and when I asked about this weekend, he was noncommittal but mentioned plans with friends.

You know how they say things happen in three's? Three of my girlfriends are pregnant, all due between May and July. So far, I've learned two of them are expecting girls, and I'm gearing up to make them all quilts. That should keep me busy!

Warmth & Cold

Forget fall. Winter has come in with a vengeance. Since Sunday, it's been significantly colder with bone-chilling winds. My skin is suffering the consequences, and I can't seem to get enough moisturizer. I've been bundling up with multiple layers -- for instance today I'm wearing a turtleneck under a trench, and to go outside I add my coat, scarf, gloves and hat. Sometimes I consider a ski-mask. The wind chaps my face and makes my eyes water. But one of the things I love is the combination of warmth and cold, like enjoying a cup of hot coffee, wrapping my hands around the cup to enjoy the heat, or snuggling in for the night under piles of blankets. My cat Sabrina comes up to my shoulder and sniffs and digs in the blanket. I lift it up for her to climb in. She goes under, then turns around so her head is out with mine, slamming her body up against me, effectively spooning with me. Then I can put the covers back down and snuggle with her. She doesn't stay that way all night, but I enjoy feeling her purr beside me.

Crazy Yankees

We're having a bit of balmy Dallas-like weather in NY this week, and today's high is supposed to be around 66*. So I was stunned to see so many of my fellow NYers still wrapped up in their puffy coats, Ugg boots, scarves and hats! I eschewed any winter gear today and instead chose to wear a bright orange dress jacket that was a gift from Steph. I would be sweating up a storm if I dressed like most of the people I've seen. I've been surprised ever since it started getting slightly cooler in November how much people have wrapped up. I agree it was needed on those days when we had a bitter wind and high of 15*, but it almost seemed as if people were wearing their winter gear because of the calendar, rather than the weather forecast. Perhaps they don't watch the weather news.

In Dallas, I remember longing for cooler weather and the chance to perhaps wear a cotton sweater without feeling suffocated. And on one trip to England in the spring, when we still felt chilled and needed a light jacket, I remember seeing hopeful Brits striding around in shorts. So it seems odd to me that NYers, who should be accostumed to a proper winter, seem so cold-natured.