Beyond

I hope I never lose my sense of wonder. If that makes me naive, then so be it.

Thursday 3 January 2008

my own little warm world

Yesterday was cold. Not just cold, but mind-numbingly, finger-hurtingly, inner-nose-freezingly cold. It hurt to breathe out there. I spent an hour snowblowing the driveway and foolishly decided to take some photos of the very cool drifts that the wind had made after the second (third? fourth? I've lost count) major snowfall this year. Within a minute my hands hurt; thirty seconds later they were numb; ten after that I was wondering just what frostbite felt like, and ten more had me unable to push the shutter with my now-stiff finger. Back into the mittens they went, only to sting and chastise me for the next ten minutes. But I did get some good shots. That makes it okay, right?

Then I came inside to have a shower. One thing about our old farmhouse is that the bathroom is on the second floor and the window is not only north-facing, but not well-insulated. The wind, coming from the north and freezing everything in sight, chills that room faster than any of the others. The window is conveniently located right over the toilet, making midnight bathroom trips subject to careful consideration. Is it REALLY worth it? So into this chilly room I went, scolding myself for not applying the ugly but effective window plastic yet this year, and proceeded to turn on the water.

I stood in the shower, revelling in my little warm world. Here I am, it's all hot and cozy and warm and wet; it even smells nice. Just outside the curtain the cold world awaits. I know it's out there because it is trying to get into my world, sneaking around the side of the shower curtain. I can feel it on my toes when they stray to the side of the tub. But I won't let it in, oh no. I'll just turn the hot water up a bit more ... ahhh. Hm, today seems like a good day to use the Hair Masque that your are supposed to leave in for ten minutes. No, cold, you can't come in. Too soon I'll have no excuses left and will turn off the water, open the curtain, and be faced with you again. If I wait too long the hot water will run out. But for now I will happily scald myself in silent rebellion. Take that!

Today is cold again but within a week it's supposed to be warming up later. And oh, yes, it's 2008. How strange it looks. I hadn't really gotten used to 2007 yet.

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