Trying to Winterize

Like any true Texas girl, I just don't deal with the cold well. My body uncontrollably decides to shut it down any time the weather dips below 50 degrees. It starts slowly in my toes, which inevitably become numb at every hockey game. Then it spreads to my fingers, where the blood leaves them so fast that I rarely have time to slip on gloves to avoid the pain that ensues. Then the shivers come, I can start to feel my teeth begin to chatter and my hands shake. I look like a poor little Chihuahua that's been left out in the cold. Bad circulation or Texas blood?? You be the judge. 

 "But I's just so cold, meeeester!"

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My mom is a great example of how us Texans handle 'cold' weather. When a cold front does sweep through South Texas, you would think that all hell broke loose. BTW, we usually don't refer the exact temperature it is outside, we just like to say "Mmmmm, it's good Chili weather!" and you know that a norther blew through. People have to - gasp! - wear jackets and God forbid, wear closed-toe shoes...if they own them. My mom, on the other hand, likes the combo of shorts and sweatshirts. Helloooo, just because it is cold outside, doesn't mean you have to sacrifice showing off your best asset. 

 

Of course she would be a supporter of this nonsense

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And of course, I might be a little jealous because she also likes to rub it in how nice the 'winters' are in Houston. I think she is trying to lure me back to Texas year round. She either calls to say that it was so chilly that day that she had to wear a sweatshirt. Or she'll ring me up to tell me about the gorgeous Texas weather their are having....in December or January. If it was appropriate to phone punch your own mother, I'd totally do it when she does this (jk mom, love ya!)

 Incidentally, does anyone remember the Great South Texas Blizzard of '04! haha

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The only time a South Texan really wears appropriate winter clothes, is when they drive the 10-hour trek to the New Mexican ski resorts (ok, 'resorts' might be a stretch, more like patches of snow dotted with ski lifts). Even then, the 'winter' clothes they bring along are so musty, old and worn out of elasticity, obvs because they'd been sitting in the closet for 11 months, that they end up freezing their butt off on the slopes anyway.

Not a 1980's picture, just typical Texans trying to be fashionable on the slopes. I think they nailed it! 
I've already ordered the red suit for next winter.

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So, in some ways, getting to experience a real winter while we are overseas is kind of fun - heavy on the kind of. Everything is new and exciting, which wears off pretty quickly, but nonetheless there is still some novelty in it all for me.

List of things I get to do now because we live where there is a real winter:

*I get to own REAL jackets! I think I own about 20 coats, no joke. And I am not even a clothes junkie. It's just, when you NEVER got to wear jackets growing up (well, minus the zip-up sports jacket), you get a tad carried away in the coat section now.

*I also get to wear cute boots. Outside of my cowboy boots and my tennis shoes, I legit did not own too many closed-toe shoes. Peep toes, flip flips and strappy sandals were and are more my kind of thing.

*My car doubles as a freezer. This is horrible, but when it is winter here, I have absolutely no qualms about going to the grocery store and leaving the bags of food in the car while I head to the gym or run other errands. I figure, it is probably colder in my car than in my fridge, so it's all good. Logic.

But no matter how much 'fun' I occasionally have in this winter wonderland, I am, and always will be, a snow grinch, 100%. When everyone else is oohing and aahing over the snow, I am in the background evilly rubbing my hands together, praying for a nasty rain to wash it all away. In my mind snow should only be on ski slopes, and ice should only be in my drink.

But, with all that being said, winter is not even close to drawing to an end here (although, the snow did melt last night because of the rain, muuaahahaha!). Ok, but I don't ever wish it to be this bad: Thaw Threatens Floods

Does anyone out there truly, 110% actually enjoy winter time?