Today is cloudy. It is still cold but at 32° warmer than it has been. The lethargy etched by the cold has permanently settled. I’m still in my cozies. I have nowhere I need to go or even want to go. Both dogs are quick to go out and quick to come back inside for nap time. They too are not fans of the cold.

I’ve been spending my days reading, watching movies, old movies, and checking out recipes and such on the internet. I fell asleep yesterday afternoon sitting on the couch with my remote in my hand. When it fell, the sound woke me up. I was surprised.

My front steps are icy, particularly the top step. I have to hold on to the storm door and gingerly step outside on the ice. Yesterday I had two packages delivered, all animal food. The heavier one had cans of dog food and cans of cat food. I couldn’t lift it. I slid it down the walkway and then turn it over and over to get it up the two steps. I managed the door, the boxes and the ice. I didn’t slip. I didn’t fall. That still amazes me.

When I was a kid, I loved to ice skate. I used to skate at the temporary rink built every year by the town at Recreation Park. When the cold came and settled, the town flooded a part of the field and then surrounded the rink with a fence. They placed a small hut on one side of the rink. A wood stove kept the hut warm. A guy always sat inside the hut to keep an eye. A bench was on each side of the hut so we could sit and put our skates on and off. Under the benches were piles of shoes and boots stacked high. When I had finished skating, it took a little time to hunt through the pile to find my shoes. I walked home with my skates tied together slung over my shoulder. It took a little walking before my feet stopped tingling. I was always tired.

I’m watching the Olympic Opening Ceremony. I do love pageantry.

My muse has deserted me, gone to warmer climes. We are mired in the 20’s. I have no inclination to go outside. I’ll just enjoy this lovely sunny day from inside the house. My dance card is empty. I get to stay home dressed in my comfiest clothes, in my flannel pants and hoodie. I’m going to schedule a nap. The dogs are ahead of me. They are both asleep on the couch.

The front steps are icy. I held on to the door to keep from sliding. When I got on the walkway, the sun glinting off the snow was so bright I couldn’t see when I went to get the paper. I stood unmoving on the walkway until my eyes adjusted. I made it safely from in to out and back again.

Adjectives to describe me today include sluggish, lethargic and my personal favorite, torpid. I think I can even out sloth a sloth. I am a champion of inertia.

My mother often gave me soup in my thermos on freezing days like today. Mostly it was either chicken noodle or tomato. She’d add a spoon, Saltines, a half sandwich and dessert, usually cookies, to my lunchbox. On the days after she’d grocery shopped, I’ll sometimes get a Hostess snack. I didn’t have a favorite. I loved the cream centers of the cupcakes. First, I’d pull off the chocolate frosting and put it to aside. It came off in one piece. Next, I’d eat my way to the cream center. The frosting was last (the icing off the cake, sorry I had to). My second favorite treat was Hostess Snoballs. It didn’t matter the color of the Snoballs. The pink and white marshmallow frosting tasted the same. My favorite part was the frosting was covered in specks of coconut. As with the cupcakes, I took the frosting off first and put it aside. It too came off in one piece. I always saved it for last.

I need to make more coffee.