A New Year Begins: FTLOSBW Celebrates The Real Winter Solstice
A few years ago when Minnesota was knee deep in a January "cold snap" with a forecast to last into March, I sat in my frozen car in the parking ramp of Compu Global Mega Corp and realized I was turning into the angry "Old Man Winter" himself ("You kids get out of my yard!") I realized that, this being America, I could take the lemons that Minnesota Winter shakes from the weather tree and make lemonade. As a trained business professional, I went to my "tool box" and employed one of my favorite concepts from business school: Judo Strategy whereby I chose to start the tradition of marking the Winter Solstice as my new "New Year"; acutally, not so much that actual day, December 21, but rather December 22 because that's the first day when the days start to get longer, the 21st is technically the longest day of the year and who wants to celebrate that? The 22nd also marks the day when you can soak just a bit more Vitamin D. Not only that but I go about by my Winter-life consciously abiding by "N-B-C: Never Be Cold" and, you guessed it, layering-up like a mofo when I walk my dog. The problem with all of this is that it gets you through those bone chilling days in January and February but you'll eventually be brought to your knees by the 11 inch snow storm that smacks us at tourney time. Oh, and some quacks will have you believe that it's not that bad here anymore, they're idiots, it's all relative, I mean the housing market in Detroit has picked up.
Author's Note: It's 22 degrees today and I didn't feel cold when I got in my car because it has been really, really, really cold here in early December. At the time I thought to myself, "Not too bad out today." Now I find myself thinking, "Hey, that's kinda cold."
5 Comments:
Weather wise I would not trade living in the ATL for the coldness of Minnesota. Just for kicks and giggles I will play devils advocate. Sure it is not as cold down here but it rains a lot. it is cold and damp, the kind that chills me to the bone. So even though it is warmer, I am still inside avoiding the weather. The lack of snow sure does not help it feel like x-mas either. It feels like Seattle. I don't have to shovel, instead I am out there battling the winter weeds. My bermuda lawn is dormant, but the weeds are green. This past weekend I limed it and now I wait for a day in the 60s so I can go nuke the weeds.
Regarding turning the corner on the 22nd,it is one day closer to 2010. 2009 was better than 2008for the RTS household except one area. In 2010 I am cleaning up that area and the outlook for 2010 is good.
December 22, 2009 at 11:07 AM
While this may sound obnoxious coming from someone who lives in a pretty ideal climate, but I honestly miss some of the snow and cold. As RTS pointed out, without snow, Christmas really doesn't feel the same...and without a winter, spring doesn't feel the same. I truly miss that feeling I used to get in Mar/April/May after it was clear that spring had truly arrived.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but I do think there is a sense of missing out (an with that some type of innate misbalance) on natures true seasons when you really only get to experience 2 1/2 of them
Happy solstice to all, and to all a good day
December 22, 2009 at 3:14 PM
RTS - What are you "cleaning up" in 2010? Is it the weeds in your yard? Something bigger than that? I'm still guessing the weeds in your yard.
You're right, my neighborhood is pretty festive. Forecast is for a foot of snow starting tomorrow night going thru Saturday. No problem with the white xmas. I can see how you can wax nostaligic, I was talking to someone today from California who has lived here for 11 years and said she misses her 'brown Christmas.'
December 22, 2009 at 7:47 PM
Since you asked Jan, my goal for 2010 is to get out of my current work environment. 2008 was the best working year I have had in the ATL. 2009 was the worst. At this point I think it is a race between me leaving and them getting rid of my whole department. I no longer really enjoy trading anyway. In the early days I liked the excitement, now that excitement is just stress and frustration. Writing this on here is like telling someone you are on a diet, you have to follow through because you know they are watching you eat. Nothing too ground breaking, everybody does it. I don't wear a tie to work but I might burn one on my grill Ned Flanders' style the day I give my notice.
December 22, 2009 at 8:12 PM
Fellas,
Catching up here, as I have been traveling the last day or so.
My rage over the Carolina game was unreal (as Jan alluded to). Childress proved that he is in over his head. The whole Favre confrontation is ridiculous. We were LEADING the game...yes, he was getting pounded, but that was McKinnie's fault...and Childress and Bevell's fault for not adjusting the f-ing game plan and giving the line help against Peppers! Ugh. I just hope that it was a wake-up call, and not foreshadowing. If we play like that the rest of the year, we will lose in the Wild Card round. Forgot the #2 seed. As MCA said, Matt Moore is no Kurt Warner. That's what disturbed me the most.
Thanks for the well wishes in the fantasy bowl.
I just returned from MN, and have to say that the weather was not bad. Granted, it was in the 20s the entire time, but I kind of enjoyod a blast of cold air and fresh snow on the ground. I also enjoyed 52 and sunny when I landed here at SFO...but I really do think there is something natural about the rhythm of the seasons that we miss out here. If LH has 2.5 seasons in LA, we have only 3.0 here.
December 23, 2009 at 1:47 PM
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