A Snuggie Gift

After my rant about the Snuggie craze you probably think I'll never own one. Guess what? I now own two.

It seems someone took it upon him or herself to send me an anonymous gift of two Snuggies. They are royal blue and exactly as described on the infomercial. I haven't used one yet but it is snowing and cold today so I might curl up with one later.

Since I have no idea who sent these to me I will send this thank you note into cyberspace. Many thanks to my Snuggie elf!

Warm and Toasty

"I like winter because I can stay indoors without feeling guilty." Teressa Skelton

I have no idea who Teressa Skelton is (or was) but I ran across this quote and it summed up my day yesterday. After finishing my elf duties, I headed home in the snow. It was slow going and lots of reckless drivers were sliding around. I was very relieved to walk into the warm house.

Warmth comes in many forms beyond the toasty air from the heater. It's a smile that greets you and a welcoming embrace. It's a look of relief and you realize someone has been concerned about the road conditions. It's snuggling in and knowing you are safe and warm.

I threw beef stew ingredients in the crock pot. Voila! Dinner will be ready in a few hours. Then we put on Christmas music and I watched my mother and sister make candy. I could pretend I participated but truthfully it's their ritual and my joy was watching their teamwork. Then a neighbor and friend came over and we sat in front of the fire and watched two movies.

After dinner, I snuggled with my dog. All in all, it was a day filled with warmth, love and friendship. We should all be so lucky.

Homeless

We've had a cold winter. (Redundant, I know.) Our local newspaper, along with the TV stations, likes to highlight the homeless problem in our city. The weather adds an extra level of cruelty to a harsh situation.

If I had the answer, I'd be running for office or organizing a crusade. Here's what I believe:

The numbers and statistics you read about the homeless are seriously under reported.
Homeless people are not necessarily drug addicts, alcoholics or mentally ill.
The homeless cycle is a whirlwind that continues to spiral downward whether it's no car, no job, no money, no food, no hope.
Most government programs are a band-aid, not a cure.

In my early days of corporate life I parked about 5 blocks from my office. Like a postman, I walked through rain, sleet and snow. There was a homeless man who lived under an overpass that I greeted every single time I saw him. He was a little creepy but I never felt afraid -- although he did have this bizarre need to touch my hair. I wouldn't exactly define it as a friendship but I did get concerned if he wasn't there.

The Belle used to tell me that I am too kind. I don't think it's true and I don't think that's a possibility for anyone. Kindness is a good thing; there's no such thing as too much. On counterpoint, the husband will tell you that I am the meanest woman on the planet. As usual, I'm somewhere in the middle.

We Can Still Date

The husband hates cold weather. Winter in Indiana makes him a little nuts. We're not exactly Seattle but the gray skies and the snow and the cold temperatures can really mess with a golf game. So far, we've had a mild winter. It doesn't matter. It's a mindset.

He's in Florida now. It's an annual trip that sounds dreadful to me but they enjoy it. Who plays 36 holes of golf every day for seven days? Who would find that fun? Here's the answer: The husband and 15 of his friends.

It may be my job as a spouse to support his dreams. And I do. I have to find the compromise. He wants a condo here and a second place somewhere warm. Since neither one of us lacks for invitations to warm places, this perplexes me.

Yesterday he reminded me that he would love to have a place in Florida. Super supportive Sheri said, "Great! Gabby and I will drive down occasionally. We'll have a date."

Hello God, it's Me

My next-door neighbor's daughter just informed us that the oldies' car was in the mailbox ditch when she came home at 1:00am. That means he spent the night outside in the freezing cold. Or, in their car.

The doctor just called and there's some concern. If she's running a temperature, she cannot fly. Shoot me now. So, the husband will fetch them from the VA and I will dutifully take her temperature and report back to the doctor.

I have no idea what kind of test I'm enduring but I'm pretty sure I'm failing miserably. Plus, I'm getting a little antsy about the husband. His stress level has reached gigantic levels.

I only have one bullet.

The old saying is that God never gives you more than you can handle. To that, I say, "Ha!"

It Can Always Get Worse

You know how some days end and as your head hits the pillow you think, tomorrow has to be a better day. Then you find out the joke's on you.

Yesterday was dismal.

The mother-in-law was determined to go for a hair appointment. In addition to the fact that she can barely walk, we are still dealing with icy side streets and somewhat treacherous conditions. I tried everything: pleading, guilt, bitchiness. Nope, she's going to go. At least I convinced her to leave Hangdog at home.

Their car was covered in ice and snow so I attempted to clean it off. All the while my back is rebelling. As I'm scraping and brushing snow, the Ice Man Cometh. The Unabomber came out to clean off the car. (Man with a cane, icy patches -- you get the picture.) Then I resort to ordering: Get back in the house!

She comes out marching. Well, as much marching as you can do on ice. Jaw on edge, the stubborn look in her eye. And I resigned myself to the fact that she's going to do what she wants to do. I saw the car headed out of the driveway so I went back to work. The next thing I know, I walked by a front window and I see their car in my front yard. Two very helpful gentlemen who happened to be working across the street immediately ran to her assistance. I ran out with a shovel and get this ... she was waiting for them to dig her out so she could still go!

I took her by the arm and she did the 5-year old arm wrench. Let go of me! As I pointed out every patch of ice, she said with annoyance, "I see it!" She was very angry with me so the happy family dinner I had planned was a little chilly. We had fun with the baby and a yummy meal but conversation was a little stilted.

Today, it became even more interesting.

We were awakened at 5:00am because our doorbell rang. It was a neighbor, out walking his dog, and he was concerned that somebody's grandpa is walking around in the street at the end of our driveway. The husband got him in the house and there was some confusion about where the mother-in-law was. I found her. She had gone back to bed.

Then I looked out the laundry room window and noticed their car wasn’t where I left it. So, I walked outside and found it in the ditch by our mailbox.

Apparently they were trying to go to an 8:00 VA appt. (unbeknownst to us). When the car went in the ditch, she left him outside to wait for the tow truck, put her nightgown back on and went back to bed. He was so disoriented, he was babbling (although making more sense than her.)

She swears she called her insurance company for a tow (????) but when we called they have no record of it. So, we don’t know if she called anyone at all. The husband got the car out of the ditch.

She orders him around and he follows orders. Maybe she did tell him to wait for the tow truck. I honestly don't know. But I'm pretty sure she wouldn't want him pacing the icy streets for hours. Without my neighbors' interception, he would've followed her orders and stayed. Or fallen. Or had frostbite. Or worse.

What would we do without kind neighbors? My friend and next-door neighbor happened to be outside with her dogs so she can attest that I am not embellishing. The neighbor who notified us came back to make sure we found her.

The oldies are supposed to go to Texas tomorrow. The relatives in Texas have no idea of what is headed their way.