Making It Up As I Go Along #602

I Love My House in Winter.  

I like it fine and dandy in summer too.  Summer makes the backyard an extra room where I can lay out in the hammock or sit and read on the patio.  Here, I can listen to the birds as they chirp overhead on their way from here to get to there.

But winter makes the place cozy.  The winter sun hits the house at an angle when the rooms are lit up with a glow that makes you breathe deep and slow.  Winter allows for quiet evenings in front of the TV with the fireplace burning.  And although it isn’t a real fireplace, the gas powered flame is still a relaxing, pleasant source of heat that washes over me as I lay out on the sofa.

Fleece sheets come out in winter.  Making bedtime an event you crave.  

The bugs are gone.  In summer it seems as though any open door will draw in the mosquitos… leaving them to linger for days, annoyingly only a few inches out of reach.  But now, I have a ladybug.  One ladybug quietly strolls along the window.  He minds his business.  I mind mine.  

I love the house in winter so much, that last winter I took a block off work for no other reason than to hang out.  The plan was for twelve days of home time.  To go for walks.  Work on my puzzle, head off to a movie from time to time, or… if the weather was especially bad… just lay low.

By nine days, I got called back in to work to cover for another team… but even shortened, that time off to spend around the house in the middle of February was one of the highlights of my winter.  I listened to a daily baseball talkshow on the radio.  Catching up on the upcoming season.  And all the while sitting quietly with a puzzle.  The first one I’d done in more than twenty years.  The only downside being my inability to take the puzzle apart again when I was done.  So I pushed it from the table to a piece of board, and under the spare room bed it now lies.

I’m tempted to do it again.  Even though I’ve got a trip to Florida already booked for March, I’m tempted to take off time in February once again.  Simply so I can hang around my house… to venture out snowshoeing… to take in the winter light… and to start work on a new winter puzzle.

MONDAY…

--- Dayshift.  Goes about as normal.  

TUESDAY…

--- More of the same on days.  Only difference today is it’s freezing out.  To the point where I decide I’m not running across to the cafeteria for lunch.  

WEDNESDAY…

--- Nights.  Not too busy really.  A steady amount of work there.

THURSDAY…

--- A bit busier than yesterday but still not too bad.

FRIDAY…

--- Warming up some.  Like -5 or so.  Good long walk in the woods for almost an hour.  We actually haven’t had enough snow for snowshoeing this winter.  Paths are hard packed and even if you jump off the path for a minute, you aren’t sinking much past your shin.  So it’s hiking instead of snowshoeing.

SATURDAY…

--- Same as yesterday really.  Out for close to an hour again and it’s hanging close to zero.

SUNDAY…

--- Got cold again all of a sudden.  About -13 without the wind.  Close to -20 with it.  I still decide to try a walk.  Plan on a short one but don’t get too cold so I lengthen it out and am close to an hour once again.