Did I mention it's cold?
Thanks so much to st_crispins and batagur for the tasty snowflake cookies! They came at a very good time since I’ve been just a leeetle bit irritable lately.
We have a pretty old house. It was built in the 1920’s and has no climate control except for a gas stove in the dining room. It usually doesn’t get that cold in the Willamette Valley so we just stay downstairs during the winter and it’s manageable - when the gas stove actually works. Unfortunately, it’s an extremely cranky gas stove and has an unfortunate habit of turning off randomly. Couple that with unusually cold temps and pretty soon I’m the one who’s cranky because it’s so damn cold in the house.
To try and get a sense of perspective about the situation I decided to read Nataliya’s excellent story ”Refuge” and as I was sitting there in front of the computer in my hat, coat and gloves I suddenly realized that I’ve actually been that guy.
When I was in the Peace Corps in Thailand back in the late 80’s I took some leave and went trekking in Nepal (and my oh my doesn’t that seem like several lifetimes ago?). I went with a friend from my PC training group. We had no money, of course, so there was no fancy tour. We rented parkas and backpacks in Katmandu, took an all day bus ride with an assortment of people and livestock to the end of the road and walked for 10 days following our Lonely Planet guidebook up and down and around ridges, passes and valleys so we could see Mount Everest. I wore a pair of tennis shoes I had bought in Bangkok and almost gave myself trench foot from the blisters.
On about Day 5 I was desperate for some relief and decided to wash my feet in a ridiculously cold stream. It dropped my body temp down too far and I spent that entire night shivering in my sleeping bag. It is without a doubt the coldest I’ve been in my entire life - and it hadn't helped my feet at all.
So how 'bout a round of hot chocolate for me and my friends?
Life is good.
^_^
We have a pretty old house. It was built in the 1920’s and has no climate control except for a gas stove in the dining room. It usually doesn’t get that cold in the Willamette Valley so we just stay downstairs during the winter and it’s manageable - when the gas stove actually works. Unfortunately, it’s an extremely cranky gas stove and has an unfortunate habit of turning off randomly. Couple that with unusually cold temps and pretty soon I’m the one who’s cranky because it’s so damn cold in the house.
To try and get a sense of perspective about the situation I decided to read Nataliya’s excellent story ”Refuge” and as I was sitting there in front of the computer in my hat, coat and gloves I suddenly realized that I’ve actually been that guy.
When I was in the Peace Corps in Thailand back in the late 80’s I took some leave and went trekking in Nepal (and my oh my doesn’t that seem like several lifetimes ago?). I went with a friend from my PC training group. We had no money, of course, so there was no fancy tour. We rented parkas and backpacks in Katmandu, took an all day bus ride with an assortment of people and livestock to the end of the road and walked for 10 days following our Lonely Planet guidebook up and down and around ridges, passes and valleys so we could see Mount Everest. I wore a pair of tennis shoes I had bought in Bangkok and almost gave myself trench foot from the blisters.
On about Day 5 I was desperate for some relief and decided to wash my feet in a ridiculously cold stream. It dropped my body temp down too far and I spent that entire night shivering in my sleeping bag. It is without a doubt the coldest I’ve been in my entire life - and it hadn't helped my feet at all.
So how 'bout a round of hot chocolate for me and my friends?
Life is good.
^_^