Open Thread Mondays: It’s Cold And I’m Not Happy


by on Dec 21st, 2009

I hate the snow. I hate the cold. I hate winter.

This weather, this season – it brings me no joy. I’m a Grinch.

No, I don’t look out the window and say, “Ooh-la-la, it’s so pretty.” The first glittery flakes tumbling from the sky don’t fill me with awe. It doesn’t make me pine for that childhood innocence, running out and making snow angels or any of that crud.

It just makes me shiver. And it makes my feet wet.

I hate having wet feet.

Last year I got to miss winter. Not like, “Oh, I miss it,” but actually miss it as in was not here for it. That’s the best kind of “miss it.”

I spent my December (and the months bracketing it) in Peru. It was summer there. It was in the 80s, sunny, warm. I wore t-shirts and shorts, and sat outside drinking Cusqueña beer and smoked cigarettes and joked with friends.

I can’t sit outside in this. My beer would be absolutely unendurable, and since Peruvian beer is very much like water, it would likely be frozen.

When winter came around in the southern hemisphere, I was there then, too. In Lima it never dropped below 50 degrees, and that was evening weather.

Again I sat outside, I drank beer, I smoked cigarettes.

Maybe I’m a glass-half-empty kind of guy. But when I see snow, I think of those times in Peru or any other time and place where weather is accommodating, beer is cheap, and company is plenty.

I really hate snow. And the cold. And winter.

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  • santa’s hoe

    go eat a cm sandwich

  • santa’s hoe

    go eat a cm sandwich

  • David

    As I recall, you had no childhood innocence, you were guilty the moment you got popped out. Also, I have no memories of you ever playing in the snow, that is, other than me pushing you into the dirty snow bank or trying to hit your ear with an ice ball. Ahh, memories.

  • David

    As I recall, you had no childhood innocence, you were guilty the moment you got popped out. Also, I have no memories of you ever playing in the snow, that is, other than me pushing you into the dirty snow bank or trying to hit your ear with an ice ball. Ahh, memories.

  • Laura

    I also now hate the snow.
    I hate the wet feet and clothes.
    I hate shoveling and cleaning the cars because of the wet clothes and feet.
    I can’t stand people saying Oh, but it looks so pretty.
    I don’t understand how people lives in places where winter means snow all the time.
    But here in NYC it only comes a few times a season, so when peolple say move to a warmer climate my answer would be because how can I appreciate the warm weather better because of the winter. Any BTW I hate it when it is hot and muggy so I have a small window of weather comfort.

  • Laura

    I also now hate the snow.
    I hate the wet feet and clothes.
    I hate shoveling and cleaning the cars because of the wet clothes and feet.
    I can’t stand people saying Oh, but it looks so pretty.
    I don’t understand how people lives in places where winter means snow all the time.
    But here in NYC it only comes a few times a season, so when peolple say move to a warmer climate my answer would be because how can I appreciate the warm weather better because of the winter. Any BTW I hate it when it is hot and muggy so I have a small window of weather comfort.

  • Laura

    Oh I might add…4 wheel drive ROCKS!!!

  • Laura

    Oh I might add…4 wheel drive ROCKS!!!

  • Local Broker

    i go yesterday morning to clean the driveway and car and 2 minutes after i finish a garbage truck with a plow comes along and puts all back into place. do they think about this when they clean the streets that people go to get their cars out and they buried them right back in. im talking about street parked cars as well. i like the snow just not in the city snow is really fun when your skiing. its nice the first day here then it turns to ice and dirty slush. and whats with people cleaning the front of their homes but just enough for them to get out arent they responsible for the sidewalk. i could keep going but im just going to get mad.

  • Local Broker

    i go yesterday morning to clean the driveway and car and 2 minutes after i finish a garbage truck with a plow comes along and puts all back into place. do they think about this when they clean the streets that people go to get their cars out and they buried them right back in. im talking about street parked cars as well. i like the snow just not in the city snow is really fun when your skiing. its nice the first day here then it turns to ice and dirty slush. and whats with people cleaning the front of their homes but just enough for them to get out arent they responsible for the sidewalk. i could keep going but im just going to get mad.

  • http://www.flickr.com/paypaul Paul

    Some people do enjoy the weather. I, can’t remember a time when I really did. Unless one wants to truly let go and throw all caution to the wind.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/paypaul/4203444462/

  • http://www.flickr.com/paypaul Paul

    Some people do enjoy the weather. I, can’t remember a time when I really did. Unless one wants to truly let go and throw all caution to the wind.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/paypaul/4203444462/

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001 Lisanne!

    I don’t like Winter this year. But that’s merely because the arthritis is getting worse. I hate getting old much more.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisanne001/ Lisanne!

    I don’t like Winter this year. But that’s merely because the arthritis is getting worse. I hate getting old much more.

  • http://www.flickr.com/paypaul Paul

    I did have a truly strange thing happen over the weekend. A letter that I sent to Senator Chuck Schumer elicited this response:

    Dear Senator Anderson:

    Thank you for contacting me and expressing your support for increasing access and coverage in health care reform. I wholeheartedly agree, and am committed to health care reform that will enhance access to quality and affordable health care for every American.

    Our country is facing a crisis in health care. The cost of health insurance is skyrocketing, and too many New York families are caught in the middle. Like you, I believe it is absolutely unacceptable that more than forty-six million Americans do not have health care coverage. Both the health of our citizens and the health of our nation are at stake, and we must act soon.

    I also strongly support the establishment of a public health insurance option which would create a not-for-profit insurance plan, started by the government, which would compete on a level playing field with existing private health insurance plans. Because the public health insurance option would be not-for-profit, it would help to lower premiums and, therefore, exert downward pressure on the premiums of existing insurance plans. This change is pro-consumer because it adds competition to insurance markets, allowing New Yorkers and all Americans one more choice of affordable and comprehensive health insurance. In addition, I believe that no American should be denied coverage based on pre-existing conditions. In order to increase access and coverage, we must work to eliminate these kinds of barriers to medical treatment for those in need.

    Too many Americans are either uninsured or underinsured and Congress must act soon to provide the necessary catalyst we need. The Senate is working to develop a strong bill that can help solve our current health crisis.

    Thank you for contacting me about this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if I can ever be of assistance to you on this, or any other matter.

    Sincerely,

    Charles E. Schumer
    United States Senator

    So, Senator Schumer, when do I get sworn in as the third Senator from Brooklyn?

    This sort of thing is done very simply by a mail merge in MS Word. However, incompetency is rewarded and someone still has their job. I could do their job in a heartbeat. But no! No doubt political patronage, glad handing and connections of that sort allowed this individual to obtain a weekly paycheck and support themselves quite nicely. I have all those office skills and more. Whatever happened to paying attention detail and proofreading letters and emails before they go out. Imagine a scenario where a mistake such as this is made and perhaps thousands of constituents received information and government documents meant for Mr. Schumers fellow Senators? Chuckie can’t even control his mouth on an airplane much less his correspondence. Of course, thankfully he is not guilty of more outrageous peccadilloes like being caught in a mens room at a Denver Airport doing unimaginable things with the toilet paper roll or some other such body or device.

  • http://www.flickr.com/paypaul Paul

    I did have a truly strange thing happen over the weekend. A letter that I sent to Senator Chuck Schumer elicited this response:

    Dear Senator Anderson:

    Thank you for contacting me and expressing your support for increasing access and coverage in health care reform. I wholeheartedly agree, and am committed to health care reform that will enhance access to quality and affordable health care for every American.

    Our country is facing a crisis in health care. The cost of health insurance is skyrocketing, and too many New York families are caught in the middle. Like you, I believe it is absolutely unacceptable that more than forty-six million Americans do not have health care coverage. Both the health of our citizens and the health of our nation are at stake, and we must act soon.

    I also strongly support the establishment of a public health insurance option which would create a not-for-profit insurance plan, started by the government, which would compete on a level playing field with existing private health insurance plans. Because the public health insurance option would be not-for-profit, it would help to lower premiums and, therefore, exert downward pressure on the premiums of existing insurance plans. This change is pro-consumer because it adds competition to insurance markets, allowing New Yorkers and all Americans one more choice of affordable and comprehensive health insurance. In addition, I believe that no American should be denied coverage based on pre-existing conditions. In order to increase access and coverage, we must work to eliminate these kinds of barriers to medical treatment for those in need.

    Too many Americans are either uninsured or underinsured and Congress must act soon to provide the necessary catalyst we need. The Senate is working to develop a strong bill that can help solve our current health crisis.

    Thank you for contacting me about this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if I can ever be of assistance to you on this, or any other matter.

    Sincerely,

    Charles E. Schumer
    United States Senator

    So, Senator Schumer, when do I get sworn in as the third Senator from Brooklyn?

    This sort of thing is done very simply by a mail merge in MS Word. However, incompetency is rewarded and someone still has their job. I could do their job in a heartbeat. But no! No doubt political patronage, glad handing and connections of that sort allowed this individual to obtain a weekly paycheck and support themselves quite nicely. I have all those office skills and more. Whatever happened to paying attention detail and proofreading letters and emails before they go out. Imagine a scenario where a mistake such as this is made and perhaps thousands of constituents received information and government documents meant for Mr. Schumers fellow Senators? Chuckie can’t even control his mouth on an airplane much less his correspondence. Of course, thankfully he is not guilty of more outrageous peccadilloes like being caught in a mens room at a Denver Airport doing unimaginable things with the toilet paper roll or some other such body or device.

  • Anonymous

    Put plastic bags in your boots. lol

  • clare

    Put plastic bags in your boots. lol

  • Ray Johnson

    Can’t beat that South American weather!

    Paul: Now that you’re a Senator, can you check into some federal funding to help Sheepshead Bay’s local news media source?

  • Ray Johnson

    Can’t beat that South American weather!

    Paul: Now that you’re a Senator, can you check into some federal funding to help Sheepshead Bay’s local news media source?

  • Anonymous

    Slow down folks. There’s enough snow and ice, plus badly parked cars due to the snow. No need to add aggressive driving and speeding.

  • Al Knowles

    Slow down folks. There’s enough snow and ice, plus badly parked cars due to the snow. No need to add aggressive driving and speeding.

  • http://www.flickr.com/paypaul Paul

    Well Ray, I’ll have to get back to you as soon as I form a committee, hold 3 sessions and decide upon the interior decorator for my office. If my staff deems that my available time allows it I will hold an internet town to decide this and other issues of the day. Look forward to a series of glossy printed newsletters to fill your mailbox.

    Isn’t that what all of us politicians do?

  • http://www.flickr.com/paypaul Paul

    Well Ray, I’ll have to get back to you as soon as I form a committee, hold 3 sessions and decide upon the interior decorator for my office. If my staff deems that my available time allows it I will hold an internet town to decide this and other issues of the day. Look forward to a series of glossy printed newsletters to fill your mailbox.

    Isn’t that what all of us politicians do?

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