Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Seasonal Affective Disorder! It's Come Early This Year!

Hey! Sorry about the long time, no post situation. It was soccer tournament time for Jim's team last week, so we were pretty busy and driving back and forth a lot. The girls played really well, from what I could tell, and made it further in the tournament than they did last year. They are out now though, I have to admit to a small amount of relief that it is all over with save the end of year banquet. It was kind of crazy around here sometimes with all the coming and going. I am looking forward to a return to our boring nights watching TV and folding socks. Er, I MEAN, taking walks and playing games.

Is anyone else feeling incredibly sad about the passing of summer? Two months into fall, nearly, and I'm still mourning it. I usually love autumn, and I am enjoying it, but it seems so brief, an all too fleeting last hurrah before winter sets in inexorably. Today it was so chilly out, even with the sun beating down, and I got very depressed for a minute thinking about how soon, none of us will consider leaving the house without a heavy coat and probably gloves. Soon everyone will be tracking in leaves and dirty slush every time they enter the house. Sweatshirts and sweaters will be the bulk of my laundry, meaning lots of wet things hanging to dry and lots of super long dry cycles. Soon it will be even harder than ever to leave my warm cozy bed in the mornings. Soon the chill winds will be freezing my nostril hairs, and ice will make leaving the house with small children seem daunting and dangerous.

Can anyone remind me of the nice things about winter? Besides Christmas, I mean. OBVIOUSLY there's Christmas. But Christmas also entails decorating and shopping (and thinking about how much money you're spending) and post-Christmas letdown, so it's not a WHOLLY magical thing, once you're old enough to partake in the work of it.

Oh and also, HALP! A few days ago my computer got unplugged, and when plugged back in has refused to return to life. The monitor turns on, but the computer sits there like a stone, stubbornly unyielding in response to my pleas and threats. So I finally snuck onto Jim's laptop to catch up on my reading and throw you all a little something. But does anyone know what could have happened to it? And also, what is up with my Fridgidair oven? Suddenly it is on strike, as well, and only the broil will work. The baking element sits stone cold. Are all our appliances like, staging a coup or something? (Just please don't let it be the toilet next.)

14 comments:

Pickles and Dimes said...

We've been so lucky to have an actual drawn-out fall season, complete with warmer days here and there to make it feel like Winter's not advancing upon us, icy hands outstretched zombie-like.

Christmas stresses me out, but I do like hot chocolate, making chili, and snuggling on the couch with a warm blanket to watch movies. Also? No mowing or raking or plant-watering to be done. (I beg Jason to shovel the snow, which he likes to do.)

Winter is my excuse to read more books, eat more food and catch up on knitting or scrapbooking.

P.S. Flannel sheets!

Sarah said...

P and D: Hot chocolate IS good. And I love me some flannel sheets. The lack of lawn care is a plus too, but bare in mind that we are not exactly high maintenance kind of lawn people. Our yard is lucky to get raked once before the first snow, and we're not really ON TOP OF IT with the mowing most of the time, either.

Mary O said...

Whenever something kooky happens with my electrical appliances, I go around flipping breaker switches or the reset button on the outlet. A surprising amount of time it works!

Swistle said...

I felt the same about winter the other day: already it's a hassle putting on the light jackets, and soon it will be boots and slush and sliding around. URRRRRRG. Let's move south.

Anonymous said...

I am right there with you on the weather. I feel like we did not have much of a fall here- it just suddenly got really cold. Today I had to turn on lihts at 4:30. Ugh.

Hope you get your appliances straightened out soon.

Kelsey said...

Sorry the appliances are acting up - how about a blog award to make you feel better? (It's on my blog!)

Jessa said...

Every chilly morning and I'm counting down the days to snowflakes. I dislike winter to a fault and hate feeling cooped up at home because it's too cold to do anything else!

Mommy Daisy said...

I have to say, I love the cooler weather. I love fall. But I know what you mean, it will get worse quickly.

I had heard that Jim's team was doing well. Yay! Sorry to hear that they didn't keep going though.

Also, if Matt was not currently in Africa, I would totally have a possible solution to your computer problem. Or I'd at least send him over to look at it. Alone, I'm not that great with computer problems.

Glad to see you posting again. :D

Anonymous said...

Good things about this winter . . . *Christmas - with the plunging economy, as a family we can choose to spend less, but have more fun *Once lawn work decreases, your parents have more energy for spending time with the grandchildren *Your sister is moving home in December so will be here to hang out with you in the winter months this year *You look beautiful in cuddly sweaters *Children don't get as dirty and sweaty and smell better during the winter *This winter you have a Y membership with free babysitting to use *With no soccer or lawn mowing, your room WILL get done *The sooner it freezes, the fewer days of muddy dog paws which you DO get on rainy days in the summer *No guilt feelings if you don't WANT to take your kids outside to play and prefer to turn on a movie *Other sister home for Thanksgiving weekend and for two weeks at Christmas *If it REALLY becomes bleak, I might break out the Playmobil mansion that is hibernating until your 25th (I mean Addy's 4th) birthday!

Musings of a Mom said...

I am feeling abnormally depressed about winter, even though we've had a nice, beautiful fall. And a really nice summer.

I was sick the last two Christmas breaks because of the stress of the Christmas season. Last week I was in bed for a week - the sickest ever.

Can we start a pledge to not overdo things at Christmas? I think I need a support group.

Musings of a Mom said...

I mean, last year I was in bed for a week. Not last week.

Erin said...

Oh NO! I'm sorry to hear about your computer. I FEAR THE DAY.

Also: good winter things. Hats. Being warm inside when it's cold out. Dark nights and dark mornings. No foliage on the trees means I get to see the river from the bluffs and I see more deer & turkey because they have fewer places to hide.

I like all these things.

Anonymous said...

Mmm winter. Hockey on tv, cuddly pajamas, fireplaces, hot chocolate, chilis and stews and soups and christmas baked goods.
Of course I can say all this since I no longer live in Michigan, which oh my god I can't imagine going back to those winters. Eesh. (sorry, not helpful)

RachelAnn said...

At least you're not in Minnesota where it has already snowed!!!!!! Yes it melted but still......I plan on locking myself in my apartment for the next 5 months and waiting it out.