I’m not a big fan of cold. Cold weather, and especially cold, wet, gray weather, makes me sad. People ask how I survived colder winters in Philadelphia and I remember complaining an awful lot. In middle school, we had to take public transportation to school and there were times, on the really cold days, when the bus just didn’t come. And I would stand there, waiting at the bus stop, in my completely useless rubber boots and contemplate how long I could wait there until my toes turned black.
And I won’t ski. When people ask why, if my brother is there he’ll chime in with my stock answer, with not a little bit of derision: “Why would I pay to be cold?” The Golden Child, an avid snowboarder, cannot wrap his head around that. But really….why WOULD I pay to be cold? Not only that, why would I pay to be cold AND put myself at risk of great bodily injury? It just seems like a colossal waste of money to me.
I do remember liking to ice skate as a kid. Every winter, I make a promise to myself to skate in one of the many outdoor rinks in Los Angeles (yes, you read that right), but every year it occurs to me that the ice will make the outside temperature that much colder. And I would risk bodily injury. So it gets stricken as an activity pretty fast during the holiday season.
That being said, though, I do like to go to hockey games. I realize that the arena will be colder than usual, so I bundle up in enough layers to protect myself and two other people from the frigid conditions. Last hockey game I went to, our seats were so high that I was worried that the weight of my layers would cause me to tumble forward and fall to my death in the middle of the first period at the Staples Center. That would have been humiliating.
So, the other day, I was reflecting on the good things about winter. Yes, I hate the cold. Yes, I hate December and the unique chaos that this month brings. Yes, I hate the short days and the early darkness. But there are things I do love about winter. Here they are:
Boots.
I love boots. Whenever I go into a shoe store, I look at the boots first. Ever since I bought my first pair of lace-ups just before I started college, I’ve been addicted to boots: combat boots, cowboy boots, engineer boots, rain boots, slouchy boots, and anything Doc Martens. I’ll wear boots in the summer, but sometimes that’s just silly. But it’s always okay in the winter.
Cranking up the heat.
I love heat. I’m Mrs. Heat Miser, I’m Mrs. Hundred-and-one. My dear departed Coco shared this love of heat and she’d park herself in front of the heating grate, and I’d crowd around her to get some of the warmth as well. On a cold day, I love to get in my car and turn up the heat until I’m cooking inside. It’s cozy and it makes me happy. However, real hot heat in the summertime is just oppressive.
Hershey Kisses Candy Cane flavored candies.
Oh my god I love these! And I love that they’re seasonal because that makes them all the more special.
Twinkle Lights.
Yeah, I love those too. I'm a cheap date: they make me happy. I can see why all of these festivals of light are meant for December. When you have short days and long, dark nights, twinkle lights make everything magical.
The Yule Log video.
I bought one for a dollar a couple of years ago and I love it. This year I bought a “Fireside” home fragrance thingy and I can’t wait to plug both in at the same time. The holidays are already cheesy; why not go all the way?
So, I’ll overlook the cold and look forward to curling up with the Spazz in front of my Yule Log video with a glass of wine and my Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses...and then we’ll watch my favorite holiday movies: Elf and The Hebrew Hammer.
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