Here in southern California, it's been in the 50s for the last week, with some mornings nearing the freezing point. Seriously not bad in comparison to the rest of the country. And yet this "arctic blast" is the talk of the town. People around me mention the cold weather at least five times a day. This is very unusual, I'm reminded often. It's never this cold here, they say.
This hilarious Jimmy Kimmel clip sums the hubbub up so much better than I ever could. Wind blowing the leaves, people ordering hot drinks – these are real news stories, folks. Nelson Mandela passed away? Yeah, but it's COLD.
Sadly we will not get to enjoy a cold, snowy Christmas at either of our hometowns this year. Flights are too expensive and I don't have a lot of vacation time saved up yet. But, my parents are talking about visiting in January and there is nothing in this world I look forward to more than a visit with my family!
I've told Pat that moving away from family is hard, but it makes your time with them so much more meaningful. I moved away 11 years ago and I cherish my family time exponentially more every year. My mom and I count down the days, and then the hours, till we see each other. Our goodbye hugs at the end of each visit get longer and longer – I think they're approaching 10 minutes now. A stronger appreciation for family comes not just with age, but distance too, and that is the silver lining in these winter clouds.
Title lyrics – Baby, It's Cold Outside
(Yes, I did just link to the Jessica Simpson/Nick Lachey version of this classic song and no, I will not apologize!)
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