November 30, 2000

Winter Staples

Okay, so winter in Arizona is *slightly* different than winter in Maine. But as I think about it, there are some common themes that exist in my life, no matter what climate I happen to live in.

Coffee

That first cup of Starbucks this morning put me in a hyper mood. Not anxious, as would happen if I indulged in a second cup. Just hyper. "I like my coffee like I like my women...", hot, blonde, and sweet. Heh. I wrap my cold hands around the warm cup (ACK! Too warm! Must get cup snuggie!), and tentatively dip my upper lip oh, so gingerly, into the beverage... and draw it back immediately. Now my tongue feels sandy.

Sweaters

My office cubicle being sub-arctic even in the midst of summer, I find that my collection of sweaters (purchased purely for survival in Maine) aren't as useless as I thought they'd be. X(m) exclaimed "What are you bringing *those* for?" as I packed my sweaters into the Boxes That Are Going With Us To Arizona. At the time, we were ignorant of the fact that the whole of Arizona is *not* a desert, and it indeed *does* dip below the 100 degree mark on occasion.

Starting the car 10 minutes before leaving for work

It's still necessary. In Maine, one started the car sometimes up to 1/2 hour before leaving. Turn the defrost on HI, turn the heat on HI, and you just *might* gain enough meltage in order to scrape away the two inches of ice and crusty snow buildup on the windshield. In Arizona, sometimes there's a thin film of frozen mist on the windshield. Occasionally. Rather rarely, where I live. Turn the defrost on MEDIUM, turn the heat on MEDIUM, let it run for five minutes, and let the windshield wipers gently whisk the dew away.

Baked Potato Soup

Nuff said. I may share my killer recipe. Or not. If I did tell you, I may have to kill you.

Slippers

I had these huge-ass, fuzzy, wool lined suede slippers when I lived Back East (that's how it's said... with capital letters). They made my feet sweat. I could wear those babies out in a blizzard and my toes would stay toasty-oasty. I have no idea where they got off to. And now that my floors are entirely covered in tile, I'm discovering just how *cold* they can be on a November morning in Arizona. Stocking stuffers all around, methinks.

Items deemed unnecessary in Arizona

Ear warmers. The purple furry kind.
Leg warmers. You may be thinking "80's retro", here, but they were actually a necessary garment Back East.
Nose warmers. There is such a thing. Think nose plugs, except instead of the plug attached to the elasticy thing around your neck, there's this little cone shaped furry thing that wraps itself around your beaker. Not for the faint of heart.
Cross-country skis. Not unless I plan on driving two and a half hours to snow.
Winter coat. See above item. I can get by with a heavy sweater on the worst Arizona evenings.
Electric blanket. I had two - count them, *two* - on my bed in Maine. With a light blanket, a heavier blanket, a quilt, and a down comforter. I'm not joking. If my grandmother didn't keep the heat turned up to 60 at night, the pipes would freeze. One year, the water in the toilet froze. It was very, very bad. Brrr.

What I miss about "real" winter

Snow. Duh.
*Having* to pile under a bunch of blankets to stay warm. I loved the whole nest feeling.
Watching it snow outside while I'm sitting on the couch under a blanket, with a book, a mug of hot chocolate, and my cat.
Ice skating. My grandmother has a pond on her land, surrounded by trees and very secluded. Every year the State would test it for thickness and clear the ice off, but as far as I know I was the only one that skated on it. I'd take a blanket, my dog, my skates, and a radio, and spend hours out there. Sigh.
Coming back in after being in the cold, with my nose and cheeks red and tingly. My grandmother has some pictures of me with my cheeks so red it looks like I have clown make-up on.
Building forts in the snow.
Sledding, and sleigh rides with the neighbor's horses.
The muffled silence of a calm snowfall in the middle of the woods.

What I don't miss about "real" winter

Snow.
Pushing my car out of snowbanks.
Parking at the bottom of hills and walking up.
Getting stuck behind the sand truck.
Dead car batteries.
Wind chill factors.
Static electricity hair.
Soggy socks.

As you can see, it's a catch-22 (anybody know where that phrase came from?) Some goods, some bads about the differing winter climates. I will say this, though. Christmas lights on Saguaro cactuses (cacti?) is just WRONG. Not having to worry about what the weather is going to be like on Christmas morning ("Will we be able to make it to Grandma's in this mess?") is right. I've noticed, too, that carolers are non-existant where I live now. We used to get them all the time Back East. Is snow a necessary factor, there? Does it seem too surreal to be singing "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" while holding a candle, standing on somebody's snow-free front stoop in 70-degree weather? Christmas lights on houses seem wrong, somehow, without snow. BUT, we're serving our lobster dinner on our back patio at Christmas, and you sure as hell can't do *that* in Maine. Heh.

Your Mission, should you choose to accept it...

Stand in a doorway. With your arms straight at your sides, palms facing your legs, extend your arms out and press the backs of your hands against the doorfame, as hard as you can, for about a minute. The longer you can hold it, the neater it is. Step away, and feel your arms float. Heh. We used to do this for hours when I was a kid. Surefire way to keep us shut up, uh huh.

Results From Yesterday's Mission

Thanks to those of you who sent me suggestions for Michael. Obviously, I won't post 'em here, since he reads (I think - but Marie does, anyway... she can keep a secret, though).

Suggest A Mission, or Tell Me About Yours.

I grabbed the design idea for the box thingy from Anna.

Where do you want to go?
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