Oh Christmas, Why Did You Have to Go?

They took down Santa’s house this morning–the gaudy snow-covered castle, the plastic reindeer, the picket fence that corralled hopeful parents and fearful toddlers toward good St. Nick. Christmas is over, alas.

Oh Christmas, why did you have to go?

You may understand why I’m feeling a bit down. It’s not that I have a right to complain after twelve days of holidays—the sort of stretch that I haven’t had since I graduated. And after such a long holiday, I was actually looking forward to the structure of a workweek (the structure, anyway). I’m so much better at structure, after all. It’s just that I looked forward to Christmas for so long. I had all these plans—gatherings, parties, hanging out, writing, watching The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. In my most flustered, most tired times, I would hold out the holidays like a beacon of hope.

And now it’s winter, dead winter. It’s so cold that I wouldn’t put a dog outside. Heck, if there was just an elevator in my building, I’d bring my little car, Strawberry, up and park him between the sofa and the fireplace. I’m positive he’d fit, and this would solve the issue of the windshield frosting up from the inside, and the awful noises the car makes some mornings. Maybe that snow that’s been sitting on the floor mats for weeks would finally melt. Nothing melts in minus thirty, and it’s been minus thirty for a long time, or so it feels.

On the upside, I get more of a workout in this weather because I wear a twenty-pound parka everywhere, and winter boots. The boots are like ankle weights and, when I’m indoors, the coat serves as one of those sauna suits that fitness wackos wear. I need all the help I can get because today I stepped on one of the big floor scales at work, and I seem to have gained back the weight I’d lost before Christmas. Two weeks of doing nothing but watching movies and eating will do that to a body.

Perhaps the passing of Christmas is actually a good thing.

Well, it can’t be helped anyway. I just need to come up with a new ‘carrot’ to dangle in front of my nose. I’ve told you a bit about my goals for the year, and this morning I wrote up my goals for the month. I’m actually kind of pumped about them. After a good holiday, my brain is ready for new challenges.

Perhaps what I’m most excited about (and nervous) is sending my second draft novel to three beta readers for review. In the meantime, I will be doing some beta reading in trade, and cracking out my NaNoWriMo novel. I haven’t read it since November.

I’m also pretty excited about how this blog has been picking up steam since my article “For Trade: One Head” was Freshly Pressed. I sure am looking forward to another year of spilling my guts to you, interacting, and reading what y’all have to say.

So, Happy New Year. Stay warm, and may you find new things to look forward to.

Bicycles, Bad Weather and a New Pair of Pants

I have a girl-job. By that I mean I work at a clothing store, part time.

By nature, girl jobs require you to look like a girl when you arrive and remain thus throughout. That means makeup, hair, stylish clothes, etcetera.

I also have a bicycle. By that I mean I drive it pretty much everywhere.

By nature, bicycles do not have roofs, and that can be a problem. Most of the time I am prepared—I pack the nice clothes and wear ratty ones so I can change and be presentable for work.

Yesterday was the exception.

It was bright and sunny as I left for work. I left a bit early and stopped off at the library to get a little WiFi. Fifteen minutes later I came out and it was drizzling.  No problem, I thought. I have a coat. So on went my coat, and I went down the road. A little water never hurt anyone.

I turned the corner onto the main drag and was instantly buffeted by gale-force winds. Dang.

Be strong, Geralyn. Be strong.

But then the rain began to pelt down, blasting off my makeup, running into my helmet, soaking my nice, purple jeans.

Dang. “What a fiasco!” I laughed, because there was no use crying. There was no way I could work like this, and there were no dry clothes in my backpack. But fortunately, I work at a clothing store. I quickly devised a plan. I would buy a new pair of pants. What girl doesn’t want a new pair of pants?

I parked my soggy bike at the rack and dripped my way into the mall. It was quiet and there weren’t many people to witness my bad fortune.

“Peyton!” I said as I sloshed through the door. “I have a problem.”

Thus and thus, a dry pair of pants were taken from the sale rack and, ten dollars later, I was dressed for work. Actually, the pants are very comfortable and stylish. So my little natural disaster turned out just dandy.

As I quoted in “The Weather Wimp,” Ken Blanchard said “I go out into the world every day with the attitude that my ‘OKness’ is not for grabs”. Don’t let a little rain steal your ‘okness’. Make the best of it—you may get new clothes out of the deal.

Tell me your best ‘bad weather’ stories–a little singing in the rain, maybe?