Welcome To Exhaustion

It's winter. Once again snow is in the forecast and it's still cold (obviously if snow is on the way). All I want to do is hibernate until spring. Unfortunately I am obligated to get my sorry self up and work tomorrow. How I wish I was still in school and could enjoy a snow day.

It's not uncommon for me to suddenly become a complete sloth in winter. It's not "cabin fever" where I'm restless and need to get out of my home (though if I'm stuck in my home long enough I start longing for an excuse to see the world).

I remember coming back from rugby practice one weekend, passing out and sleeping for 12 hours. I vaguely recall one of my roommates asking if they should wake me up to go see a show and another saying to just let me sleep. I woke up the next morning feeling great and ready for another all day practice. I hurt all over Monday morning, but it was worth it.

So my first question is, how do I beat the urge to sleep my weekend away? Perhaps I should try to get enough sleep during the week (haha like that will ever happen). It might work. Perhaps I should drink more coffee (I probably drink way more than I should already).

Then there are the days I'm so tired I can't sleep. I think those days are the worst. I am ready to drop off into dream land and I can't.

Why?

Usually I'm stressed or obsessing about something (never a good thing). It's been a tough couple of months and I think the stress is finally catching up with me. I sometimes just wish that the world would stop and let me catch up with it. Most of the time I feel like I'm being dragged by my ankles behind the unstoppable flow of time.

Other times I don't know why I can't fall asleep, so I drink some tea and curl up under a blanket. It usually works a little faster than staring at my ceiling. I think I'll do that after the Simpsons tonight. If only the fan in my heater wouldn't stop squeaking (supposedly that's getting fixed tomorrow).

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Welcome To The Ice And Snow

It got cold really fast. Of course that meant that we had our first snow fall of the year. Of course my old school district messed that up and had school anyway, (smooth).We also have a high chance for ice tomorrow. Hibernation keeps sounding better and better this winter. Shame that suggestion won't fly at work.

It really wouldn't be so badif I didn't have to dig out my car every morning. It adds 20 minutes to my morning routine. I also have to be extra careful because even though I have experience driving in the snow, not everyone else does.

So how should someone out in the cold cruel world prepare for snowy days and chilly wind? Well if you can, work from home. Use up your weekend supply of hot chocolate and popcorn to keep yourself warm. It also helps to have a nice comfy blanket to huddle under while you work. 

If you have to go into the office and you live anywhere south of Philadelphea, don't go. It's not worth your life. Call in sick of you have to. Trust me, the roads will not be pretty.

If you choose to disregard my warnings (or you live in a state that is less likely to panic over a few flurries), plan to give yourself an extra hour of wiggle room. This is especially true if you live somewhere without a covered garage (though shoveling a driveway can take up to an hour). Digging out a car under a few inches of snow is a pain., anything more than six inches should be made into an Olympic sport.

Don't forget to dress warm and invest in good snow boots. I realized I needed a new pair when I put my foot into a snow pile and my toes took an ice bath. Also have a plastic bag for when the snow accidently falls on to your seat. 

I hope everyone is enjoying the cold. I wish I still lived somewhere with a fireplace, but until I do I'll just huddle under a blanket with a hot beverage and prey for an early spring. Hopefully the subzero temperatures don't stick around (unless you live in the Chicago region, I hear that's a nice balmy temperature for you guys).

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please like, share or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys are staying warm.

Welcome To Winter

It's Not The Wonderland It Used To Be...

Today was the first time it snowed since I moved out and no long am a student. It was not as exciting as it used to be. When I was a little kid snow meant a day off from school and fun in the snow. I might build a snow fort out of the piles of snow made by the snow plows in my court or start a snow ball fight with my friends. In high school I had a day off to do more studying and get a head start on projects. In college, snow meant beautiful pictures, lazy days sleeping in and a higher chance of breaking something on the brick paths.

Snow now means checking to see if the roads are safe enough for me to get to work on. If they are I have to brave the highways with crazy Maryland drivers (I have finally realized the reason they are such bad drivers is because they have zero clue how to merge). If the roads aren’t safe enough to drive on (read been clear of ice), I get to work from home. This wouldn’t be so bad except I might end up with a huge cell phone bill from overages and I only have one screen instead of two to work on. I am not sure which idea is worse.

I actually can drive in the snow. I proved that today coming home from church. The first time I drove on the highway was in a blizzard driving from Michigan to Ohio. I distinctly recall my mother telling me to not be a baby and drive like I normally would. Since I had never driven on a highway I decided to get behind a truck and hope for the best. It was a wise decision because soon after I started out on the highway we hit white out conditions and they only thing keeping me in a straight line were the truck’s tail lights. I was finally able to give the driver’s seat back to my mother in Pennsylvania. It had been a very stressful two hours, but I learned how to drive in a blizzard.

Honestly the way people are acting you would think we had been hit with three feet of the white powder and all power had been knocked out. It thankfully hasn’t, but we live on the East Coast. We are far more likely to have a power outage because of a thunderstorm and that doesn’t seem to be a huge deal. Okay yes it would be really cold if we lost power because of snow, but that’s why you have plenty of blankets and jackets ready. I even made sure to have a few pairs of socks ready just for going outside.

Alright so maybe I’m making a horrible disaster waiting to happen sound trivial, but I have been in Michigan and Ohio in blizzard conditions. Parts of Texas and lower Midwest losing power do worry me a bit, but I checked the weather reports and it didn’t look like it would be that bad here. Heck one Christmas I had to shovel my Aunt’s driveway before opening presents while it was still snowing. I was unhappy, but we did get to go to my grandmother’s house.

So yes I am grateful that nothing too terrible happened during my first snow fall. I’m waiting to see what tomorrow looks like before I try going into work. I might just have to email my boss and say, well there’s ice everywhere I think I’m going to work from home, but that’s tomorrow. Winter might never be what it was when I was a child (let alone student). It won’t be magical and a break from the crazy school work, but I can still enjoy its beauty. Right now I’m going to curl up with some hot chocolate and Skype the Significant Other.

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