Cold Snapped

In a city full of people in thin trendy coats and no hats on their gelled hair walking around complaining about the unseasonably bitter cold, I'm having a great time. Today is the first day this week I haven't biked to work through the -12C (-22 with the wind-chill). I think I abandoned my steed today because it's the first day without sunshine, the snow has begun falling again and I'm a little tired and grumpy. Low pressure fronts do that to me.

But the rest of the week has been great. I wear long-johns under my pants, normal socks plus thermal socks under my hiking shoes, a t-shirt, shirt, wool sweater, vest and lined jacket across my manly torso, cozy mittens on my dainty hands, a balaclava under my helmet, and I'm off!

Yes, the singing bicyclist is making a spectacle of himself in all-seasons; get your tickets now. I heard on the radio that you can prevent frostbite in your face by moving the muscles around and generally mugging. Singing expressively has the same effect, especially if you E-NUN-CI-ATE!

Poser

I am wearing a black shirt with the collar open to reveal my black t-shirt. I am wearing black pants and I have black socks in my black shoes.

From the sartorial evidence, you might think I'm an artist, but you would be wrong: under my pants are powder-blue boxers with silhouettes of the moon, a moose and a pine tree.

Accomplishing a Duck

I'm accomplishing surprisingly (well, not really) little at work today. People are promising me things I need to make a website by the time I go home, but they're not delivering them. And I'm NOT staying late tonight. Br'er Rabbit is out for the evening learning to volunteer to help the blind and I have an evening alone with Snake for a change. I intend cuddling and giggling.

Actually, what I have accomplished is figuring out what we're getting as a bar-mitzvah present for my second cousin once removed (and a second cousin once removed is a second cousing always removed, I say). Snake and me and my parents are driving to Montreal tomorrow morning to attend a weekend of mirth and overeating.

Point 1: I don't know this kid.

Point 2: I'm sick of the cycle of consumerism. I don't want to buy him something pointless and furthermore, the whole idea of a coming-of-age ritual being turned into a child's garden of greed makes me a little ill.

So Snake and I are buying him a Duck. A duck? Yes, it will be donated to a family in a developing country in his name through the auspices of Heifer International. Check it out.