“What is drama, after all, but life with the dull bits cut out.”
I’ve been duped again. Looking out my window I see sunlight framed by a blue sky. I’m thinking warm day, but it’s still cold. I swear I saw a fat spawn sitting on the deck eating sunflower seeds and wearing a really ugly winter sweater.
Today I am uninspired. It would have said uninsured, but I caught spell check in time.
By February winter gets loathsome. Snow is still on the ground: crusty, icy and hard. A rare day in the 40’s is cause for city-wide celebrations andΒ dancing in the streets. If the weatherman predicts snow, we just sigh. We used to curse. Many of us stay cozy and warm at home and try to find something to keep us busy or distracted. Even doing laundry fills a bit of the day as does an afternoon nap. A good book works best. I’ve read two in the last three days.
Today I am going to face the elements and go out to do a couple of errands. I need bread. I also want to buy the fixings for dinner. I’m thinking meatloaf and mashed potatoes with peas on the side, a dinner ranking high on my list of comfort foods. I’m also going to buy some Twizzlers just because.
The day brightened for me a bit when I watched Foreign Correspondent made in 1940, a favorite Hitchcock of mine. It’s the reason I’m running late. I can’t be a brilliant writer and watch my movie at the same time. During the credits the background music is the singing of The Star Spangled Banner. I find that a wonderful touch.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: blue sky, cold day, loathsome weather, Snow, sunny
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February 11, 2014 at 12:44 pm
R.I.P Shirley Temple Ride that Lollypop thru the heavens,its a good ship
February 11, 2014 at 12:46 pm
Bubba,
Thank you for this. I had read it in the paper but forgotten. I’ll play her songs today!
February 11, 2014 at 12:54 pm
Another gray but warm day over here, they had predicted rain but it never showed up. They have predicted snow for Saturday and lots of it but above 32 temps so I hope it never stays on the ground. Sunday will be cold and by Monday we’re back to above 32 temps again π
I would have loved to stay at home reading a good or even bad book today, not much worked as I wanted at work and the day was so slow it feklt like a week. Well it must become better after today or I might as well stay at home π
Have a great day!
Christer.
February 11, 2014 at 12:57 pm
Christer,
I’ll trade my sun for your warmth. This morning was in the teens then in the 20’s. I don’t know if it will get warmer or not. I’m going to get dressed then go out.
I love having free time to read. It is a reward for working so long. I still have the King to start.
Enjoy your evening!
February 11, 2014 at 2:15 pm
By the way, one of our most loved artists died today. She was rather well known in the US in the 50’s and 60’s (worked with Duke Ellington) and her name was Alice Babs, she also sang in the group Swedanes. Have You ever heard of her?
February 11, 2014 at 3:35 pm
No, I haven’t, Christer, so I went to YouTube and listened to some of her songs, including a couple with Duke Ellington. She had a great voice.
February 11, 2014 at 12:57 pm
What are Twizzlers? I haven’t heard of them before.
February 11, 2014 at 12:59 pm
Annie,
Twizzlers are sticks of red licorice with a twirl pattern. They are one of my guilty pleasures.
February 11, 2014 at 2:18 pm
They sound wonderful! I must try to seek out something similar here. Enjoy your treats!!
February 11, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Hi Kat,
February is cold but it’s bright. In fact it’s eye-burning out there today. Sunglasses are a must to ward off the snow blindness. π
I doubted that we had broken into the 20’s up here but I see that it is now 23. Practically tropical.
I read Following Atticus and the author writes so lovingly about walking with his dog in the mountains in the depths of winter. It inspires me and I want to go walking in the crisp sun bright winter landscape.
Until I get out into the bitter cold, blindingly white landscape.
Then I just want my coffee and my blankie on the couch with a good book and a warm dog curled up beside me.
Rocky would rather be Atticus, I think. He likes the snow and cold.
It’s cold out but it’s not too bad in the sunny spots. You’ll be okay for a quick run to and from the car. π
Enjoy the day.
February 11, 2014 at 3:29 pm
Hi Caryn,
I went for a ride, took pictures and did some gourmet food shopping. I bought great crackers with rosemary, lemon sugar to rim a glass, rosemary and olive oil asiago cheese, an inexpensive hand mandolin and the meat for my meatloaf. Gracie was my companion. There were few cars on the road so I could stop and take pictures. It was 24Λ.
I am home and back in my cozy wear. I changed my bed and folded laundry. Now I’m ready to read and eat cheese.
Have a great evening!
February 11, 2014 at 6:43 pm
I had to go out to buy packing tape because I couldn’t find the packing tape I know I have. I almost had to buy a new printer, too but mine decided it would live for awhile.
I bought cheese bread and kale and chorizo soup and dark chocolate salted caramels made with Maine sea salt. I don’t know why Maine sea salt is special but that’s what it said.
Rocky and I are curled up on the couch warm and toasty inside and out. π
February 11, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Caryn,
The dark chocolate caramels would have made that trip totally worthwhile.
February 11, 2014 at 2:56 pm
Gray and rainy and quite warm, as usual.
Today I went for a walk to find a subject for a photo contest, a place that shows the future of my hometown in a hopeful way. It’s part of an art project referring to the closure of the local big car factory this year. My hunt wasn’t successful, all I saw was urban decay and disfigurement. It’s depressing.
February 11, 2014 at 3:32 pm
Birgit,
I’ll trade the cold here for your rain! It is 24Λ, about average for the last few weeks.
I took my camera when I did errands, but first I took a ride with Gracie. We went down by the ocean which looked icy cold and deserted with the summer cottages closed. I did some shopping for non-essentials then got my bread and milk and the stuff for my meatloaf. I think it was a productive day!
February 11, 2014 at 5:55 pm
I won’t report on the weather here in Miami and make you feel bad. π Meat loaf and mashed potatoes sounds great for dinner. There is something about the food that our mother’s made that gives us comfort in middle age. For me it’s beef stew instead of meat loaf. With beef stew all the vegetables are in one bowl so it’s easy to eat.
The last couple of nights I ate in seafood restaurants and the food was very good. The sounds and tastes in this part of the city are very Hispanic. Spanish is really the second language in Miami, more so than in Dallas. Even in the hotel the handyman who came to my room received messages on his walki talki in Spanish.
I won’t have time to make it to the beach on this trip but I got a nice view of the ocean and Miami Beach from the airplane on Sunday as we approached Miami International airport. I didn’t pack a swim suit because it seems difficult to pack it in February, even in Dallas. π
February 11, 2014 at 6:05 pm
Thanks, Bob!
I also love beef stew with biscuits along the side for slopping up the thick gravy. MY mother made great meatloaf and sometimes iced it with the mashed potatoes which were then browned in the oven.
Miami has several Hispanics and one part of the city is Little Havana. There are some great Cuban sandwiches you can get there.
Living near the ocean as I do, I love seafood. Riding around today I noticed a sign in one of my favorite restaurants saying it will open on Thursday. I’m thinking scallops and their wonderful onion rings.
I was by the ocean today during my ride. It looked icy cold though the Polar Bear Club did have a dip for charity over the weekend. I figure their appendages must have been numb even with a dip.
February 11, 2014 at 9:30 pm
According to my coworkers Miami no longer has distinct Hispanic neighborhoods, the entire city is one big Hispanic neighborhood. Broward county, Ft. Lauderdale area is more Anglo. Miami has become the banking and shopping center for Latin America. I did have a Cuban sandwich for lunch yesterday and it was very good after I took the sweet pickles off the meat. I am not a fan of sweet pickles. I grew up on kosher dill sour and half sour pickles.
We get fresh seafood in Dallas daily. The good stuff is flown in with a premium price attached.
I am not really a beach person. I hate the sand which gets into everything and who knows who pooped in the ocean. π I’m more of a swimming pool kind of guy. There at least the worse thing you have to worry about is if there is enough chlorine to overcome yellow accidents.
February 11, 2014 at 9:37 pm
Bob,
I’ll thank your coworkers for the corrected information. I love most pickles especially bread and butter and dill pickles. I can do sweet in sandwiches.
I can understand why the premium price tag. We are spoiled here by how much is readily available, right off the boats.
I love the beach in the fall and winter but am not enthused in the summer with too many people though the residents only beaches tend to be better spots. I’m a lake person.
February 11, 2014 at 8:50 pm
[…] “What is drama, after all, but life with the dull bits cut out.”. […]
February 18, 2014 at 2:22 pm
Good choices, those tater’s and loaf. Our favorite was always with canned corn, but that side bit doesn’t really matter as its only the loaf and spuds that counts. Great on a cold evening.
Hope you’ve been enjoying your storms. We’ve had a few here with some pretty cold weather, but of course ours don’t make the news. Even the local news at times. Spring, or rather hopes for it, tend to be the banners now. MT this time of year isn’t a pleasant place to be in or look at. Pretty dismal and, here on the prairie side of the Rockies, it can be treacherously windy. Not much to do but hope for spring to arrive quickly.
Carl
February 18, 2014 at 3:00 pm
Carl,
The dinner was just what I needed, a little bit of my mother and home. I’d have been fine with canned corn too.
I am so sick of snow and even that rainstorm which lasted all day and all night. The thunder and lightning were neat though.
Spring never comes early here. The ocean temperature is so slow to rise that we barely have any spring at all. Once in a while we’ll have nice April days but mostly we have to wait for May.