December

I have a love/hate relationship with December. December is all of those things we commonly think about -- holidays, families, snow, cold weather, dark days and long nights, holiday parties and get-togethers -- but it's also my birthday month, which makes for a whole lot of mixed emotions.

No matter how good people's intentions are, when you're birthday is in December, it tends to get pushed out of the way by other festive (and not so festive) events. We already have 4 invitations to 4 different parties/events. We haven't accepted all of the invitations, but there's a tipping point -- after so many you either decide you must go to all of them (small circle of friends) or go to none of them. Picking and choosing is not an option.

I also have a love/hate relationship with the weather in December. I love snow and I love to cross country ski, but as a walking-commuter, it's damn cold and wet and windy out there (especially of late). I walk to work in the dark and I walk home in the dark only to leash up the dog and walk some more. With all this walking I should be 20 pounds lighter, but cold weather, dark hours, and December also mean I eat more...I WANT to eat more. It's like I'm never full. I just want calories...as many as I can stuff into my mouth and all the walking in the world ain't gonna knock that off!

Last week I heard two young teachers talking in the hallway:

Teacher #1-- There aren't enough scarfs and sweaters in the world to keep me warm these days.

Teacher #2 -- I feel exactly the same way. I can't believe these people who walk around in winter with short-sleeved shirts and scooped necklines!

Each of them was bundled head to toe...and then, one of them raised their hand to reach for something on the bulletin board and her shirt pulled up to expose her bare belly. She couldn't reach the posting, so the other teacher helped her and her bare belly, too, shimmered in the winter light.

I wanted to ask: So, your necks get cold, but not your bellies?

But I kept my mouth shut.

I dress warmly, except when I'm having a hot flash and then I'm in a t-shirt -- short sleeve with a scooped neck. I always carry a sweater and on my walks to and from work, I generally stop to either put the sweater on or take the sweater off. Unless it's raining and then I just wear my raincoat over my t-shirt and by the time I get to work (or home again as the case may be) I'm drenched in that kind of cold sweat that happens when you exercise with Gore-tex close to your skin.

See -- love/hate, love/hate.

I like the idea of hibernation...except...

...I'd miss my birthday...