Deep Freeze

Damn it's cold outside! I realize I don't live in Wisconsin or Chicago or even Alaska . . . where I would die in cold like that . . . but for me, a high of 17 is bad enough.

In spite of the cold last night, my friends and I braved a night out to catch up and relax a little. We each seem to be experiencing a particularly difficult semester start so it was good to hang out a little.

Our "usual" spot, Tonic, was open but not serving food and no longer giving free manicures. BUMMER. We joked good-naturedly with the bored server (it was DEAD there - seriously, I think we were the ONLY customers) about the decline of the place and made some plans to eat elsewhere, but decided to have one drink there.

Our server, Dick (NO LIE, that's his name), was a cutie. He was a little older than the usual servers, but still young enough for my tastes, and very gregarious. I think he rather liked the attention of 5 women and pretty much hung out with us while we enjoyed our drinks. And once I had a few sips of my Southern Belle - a most amazing concoction of sweet tea infused vodka and lemonade (I know - I was drinking VODKA) introduced to us by the Artist, a South Carolina native - I could feel myself warming up. I think Dick noticed and he started flirting pretty fiercely with me. I sure loved the attention!

I know I have put off a relationship for the time being, but I do miss dating and all the good stuff that comes with it. I suppose I could compare the hold on dating a sort of deep freeze, too - an emotional one. So depending on my schedule and finding a wing man, I may return there sooner than later to thaw out a little.

Anyway, he finally bid us farewell and we finished the evening at Trolley's eating burgers and fries. It was a good night. Still, by the time I got home I was brain dead and pretty much just crashed.

At dinner, the Artist and I determined that it was going to be too cold to run at 5:30 in the morning. So this morning, I managed to get an extra half hour or so of sleep. I know it's cold when even the DOGS don't want to be outside. We took the shortest walk ever this morning. There was no dilly-dallying. The took care of their business and we were back in the house inside 20 minutes. CRAZY!

Tonight is supposed to get even COLDER. I know it won't last long, but frankly, I'm really tired of winter. I am tired of the cold, I am tired of the dark, I am tired of the brown and gray landscape. My mood definately reflects the landscape, or vice versa. I shut down in some ways over the winter. I want to hibernate from the deep freeze. But clearly there is a kind of deep freeze that lives in me each winter.

So I think tonight I'll light a fire, cuddle with the critters, and enjoy a glass of red wine to thaw myself out a little.