JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: It's so cold. That's it, that's the blog. It's just so. Damn. Cold. In much of the East Coast, it's felt like the mythical Fimbulwinter heralding the start of Ragnarok since the beginning of December. And it's not just here in New England; almost everyone in the states has been hit with at least a period of miserable cold, ice and snow.
Except where Jenn lives: Jenn, I don't hate you for your 80°/27° temperatures. I'm just going to show up at your door, suitcase in hand, next January 15th. Don't tell me you don't have room, I know the Hooligans have moved out.
The thing is, I know how to deal with cold. I've taken all the steps I can to keep the heat in and the frigid breezes out of This Old House. I've put a portiere over the front door, closed off the unused center hall, hung curtains where I usually don't have them and have draft stoppers at the cellar, family room and back doors. I even got baby-proofing outlet plugs to seal up the exterior outlets.
But it all gets so... old after a while. It's been over a month since the nighttime low has been over 10°/-12°. We've had multiple cold weather advisories, thanks these "where are they coming from?" gales delivering wind chill factors of -20°/-29°. I swear, the national weather service has taken to issuing warnings like, "Don't go out! The wind will strip the flesh from your bones!"
I've taken to watching videos of Palm Beach, FL and Palm Springs, CA. I haven't quite managed to close my eyes and convince myself I'm there, but I'm going to keep on trying. I'm working on a proposal/outline for the next Clare and Russ mystery, which will take place in January, and I'm seriously considering having them vacation in (Julia googles 'hottest places in the US in February) Miami or the Kohalo Coast on the Big Island. I can always change it back to the freezing Adirondacks in editing, right?
Dear Readers, how are you dealing with the weather?
