So, if you love winter, this is probably not the post for you. I absolutely believe in everyone’s right to love whatever seasons they want to love, so this is not meant to be a list of reasons why you should hate winter. It simply reflects my own state of mind on this particular winter day (and, frankly, most winter days).
1) In the winter my four dogs (yes, four because of I’m nuts, apparently) can’t just go wander around in our fenced back yard, enjoying the outside, eating worms, digging holes for me to trip in, playing with sticks, or just go running around in happy loops around the fence. No, in winter my dogs are inside, bored, restless, and not happy. The new puppy is not getting enough exercise because two walks a day aren’t cutting it for her, so at this very moment she is working on chewing up her brand-new dog bed and I’m not stopping her because then she’ll whine and bark with boredom. (She already chewed up all of her latest toys. Need to buy stronger toys that will withstand the teeth of her giant maw.)
2) In winter it is cold. I hate being cold. I’d rather be sweaty and overheated any day of the week. Cold is sheer hell. Misery. Completely impossible to think sort of misery that leaves me almost ragey. This is one reason the walks aren’t good enough for the puppy because I can’t really stand being cold long enough to walk far enough to wear her out. Also the cold is bad for my lungs which aren’t awesome after multiple bouts of pneumonia (I sound like an old lady) and it’s awful for my rosacea which ends up getting super-inflamed after a walk in anything lower than, say, 50F.
Aside: the puppy officially ruined part of her bed while I just sat here and watched. I’m an awesome dog owner. *eyeroll* That’s why we’ve got four. Argh.
3) Winter means sickness which, for me, can mean pneumonia. Right now kiddo is home sick with a fever/headache/cough thing that kept me up monitoring her temperature much of the night. It got up to 103.7. I was pretty fretful and had a near panic attack that I’d fall asleep before her fever went down I’d wake up and she’d be dead from spiking to 106 or something. I have a very active imagination. So, yes, winter sucks because winter is germ vector kiddie time.
4) I HATE WINTER CLOTHES. On other people they are mostly fine, but I hate them on me. They are often itchy, uncomfortable, and ugly. I don’t like sweaters since most of the pretty ones are made of wool (I’m allergic) and most of the others are shaped in some hugely unflattering way. I don’t like tights because they are itchy. Even my favorite winter shoes are problematic due to my high (and somehow damaged) arches. My most comfortable (and awesome) new boots are too cool to ruin and I am reluctant to wear them in the rain, and its rained most every day lately.
5) Socks. They are the worst. There are never enough clean ones that match and they are uncomfortable and I hate them. Give me a summer-bare foot any and every day. Florida, can I please be allowed to move to you?
6) Gray sticks and brown mud. That’s what winter looks like where I live. It doesn’t snow much (THANK GOD), so it’s not white and fluffy and frozen. It’s sticks and mud until spring. Not very gorgeous. Though I admit I love the gray fuzziness of the winter mountains. Or I would if I had on comfortable clothes and no one was sick and puppies weren’t bored and I wasn’t cold. But they’re pretty in a grungy, funky sort of fuzzy-brown-winter way.
I have more reasons but I’ve got to entertain this puppy before…well, before something. I’m not sure what. Probably before she starts up the attention barking which is maddening. You’d think the other dogs would entertain her, but they are all curled up in their beds sleeping.
This grumpy post was brought to you by WINTER which can get the eff out asap. 😛 I do like Christmas, though. I like Christmas trees and lights. I like Christmas carols. I like hot coffee on a cold morning. I like cozy blankets. I like…um, well, other Christmassy stuff, but that’s about it.
Spring, please be on your way. I’ll sing for you even. Baby, I need your lovin’, got to have all your lovin’.
Wah-wah-wah over now. Adios. Attention barking has begun. SHOOT ME.
ETA: It’s interesting, though, that I set almost all my books in winter. Maybe I’m trying to work out my winter issues.
