January 7, 2011

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!"

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

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

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.

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? 

Blog Widget by LinkWithin

14 comments:

  1. Im a true Swede but maybe my mother secretely had an affair with some mexican guy or something cause im so fed up with snow & cold:))Im just not happy when its cold! Ironically we ended up living in norhern part of Sweden..like what was I thinking right?! lol!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. haha, this totally made me laugh out loud. I know I complain about the weather here, because in comparison it is quite colder than Texas weather. But holy cow, I cannot imagine it in Northern Sweden. We got some warm(er) weather today, and I will try to send some up your way :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. haha thanks! i need to defrost:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm going to miss snow this year. I normally see them when we drive up to Tahoe, but we're not scheduled to go. I was born and raised in Tropical weather. One might think I should be afraid of the cold, but I guess I haven't really experienced extreme cold. Brr. I don't think I'm too bold to find out. LOL

    http://brownbugz.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Was that really an issue of Newsweek? I'd want to read that one!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Born and raised Canadian (T-dot!), and I consider myself very patriotic, but when it comes to cold my Egyptian heritage shines through. Anything below 18C (not 18 below 0) is freezing to me. Time to pack up and move to Spain. You're welcome to join me. I hear it's 20C in Madrid.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Okay I am a Texan now living in Houston or rather an hour north of Houston. I freeze in 50 degree weather and turn to ice in 40 degree weather (that is Fer. not Cel.). I think it is the Texas blood in us, we can't stand the cold but we handle the heat better.
    I can count on one hand the times I have seen snow, or rather a bunch of white stuff with grass sticking through it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. HW - Real issue, not sure when it is from though. Looks interesting!

    Lady C & Just Life - Thanks for stopping by!

    Lady C - Haha, I think there are a lot of you fair weathered Canadians out there. My husband is one of them for sure, he hasn't had a true Edmonton winter in years, and says he never will again! Ugggg, and you are about as bad as my mom rubbing in the good weather in Madrid, lol, jk :)

    Just life - Hey Texas girl :) I will say though, that just north of Houston, it does get quite a bit colder than we where we are (right on the water). So I know what you are talking about! Even my mom would think moving to North Houston would be packing up and moving 'north', lol. You're right, bring on that muggy heat!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Haha I LOVE winter.Because I'm all the way in a tropical country where the said two months are actually the most pleasant parts of the year :D It's not snowy,nor very windy but moderately chilly.And we don't sweat for a change :D
    Dropping in from 20sb.You have a great blog :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Usually I love Autumn and winter, but this year has cured me. I told JP that if I complained of flies next summer he has my permission to shove me in the freezer.

    ReplyDelete
  11. @ Sweta - I am jealous :( What I wouldn't give for a little sweat now and then, haha, gross.

    @Moannie - you aren't kidding. We don't have flies like this back at home. I couldn't believe how many there were during the warmer months. Not missing those right now :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I HATE winter. It is 17 degrees here in St. Louis and I am counting down the days until Spring!

    ReplyDelete
  13. @April - thanks for stopping by, and I can only hope that ya'll get a bit of relief in St. Louis in the next couple of weeks! Brrrr!

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is what makes me nervous about moving to London -- I own one, yes, one pair of close-toed shoes (that are not inappropriate club boots that is...) I am going to have to figure this out...

    As an aside, my Canadian and I will totally come see a hockey game!!!

    ReplyDelete

Whoomp, there it is!