General Whining About the Cold

1. Lately, when my hands get really cold my fingers hurt for a long time afterwards. I think there's a name for this (other than That Annoying Thing That's Happening to my Hands). I've started wearing Rick's big insulated gloves when I go out, except that I don't have any finger dexterity in those things.

2. I noticed it yesterday after shoveling the driveway. It lasted most of the rest of the day. And I never got around to helping the neighbors shovel their driveways, which is what I meant to do. But, sheesh, it was cold.

3. I was trying to use the snow blower and a) the wind kept blowing the snow right back in my face no matter which way I pointed it, and b) I couldn't move the electrical cord out of the way because of the heavy gloves that are actually too big meant that I couldn't pick up the cord.

4. Plus the cold seemed to have sapped any will to do anything constructive. I had 2 pairs of pants to sew yesterday, but I mostly sat around looking at knitting patterns online. Until evening, when sewing became an excuse to avoid washing dishes

5. Speaking of online knitting patterns, it really annoys me when someone mistakes a tube with a 360 degree twist in it for a moebius. They're 2 different things. I hope that knitters who claim they're making a moebius when actually they're just making a twisted tube aren't upset when someone compliments their sewing skills ... because mistaking sewing for knitting is about on par with mistaking a moebius for a twisted tube. (Actually, I'm less annoyed when someone calls my knitting "sewing", because I figure they haven't been around it much. But moebius strips are part of grade school math, for pete's sake.)

6. Some of the local schools are out again today because of the cold. This is also annoying because it means school age kids will be at the skating rink, particularly boys who have lots of pent up energy and are looking for someone to slam into (unlike that usual Friday daytime crowd that's mostly around 50-60 years old).

7. Both the cats and the rats are acting like they have serious cases of cabin fever. Which doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense because a) the rats stay indoors in a cage, and b) the cats run outside briefly in the morning and evening, then typically spend the other 99 percent of the day asleep. But all of them are running around for hours and hours like a pack of bored kindergartners looking for a way to let of steam or possibly drive us nuts.