Frightful

Inspirational song: Let It Snow (Dean Martin)

I had just settled into my favorite spot, with a view out of my front window at the storm blowing in, when my phone rang. An odd little Viking was phoning me from my hot tub, requesting that I turn out the lights in the kitchen because they were blocking his view of the snow. It has been one of those kinds of days. Everyone knew the storm and cold front was coming. We adjusted our plans accordingly, and while it ran through our minds sideways to bundle up and go watch the new Star Wars movie, it was just as quickly dismissed. A month ago I was complaining about how warm it still was, that it felt like Thanksgiving in Oklahoma rather than Colorado. Today I am happily snuggled under a lap blanket, with a fluffy black kitten draped across my shoulders, while temperatures plummet and snow quickly accumulates on my lawn and on the street in front of my house. I don't want to go outside tonight.

I admit it, I nodded off late this afternoon, once the sun went down. When I woke up almost an hour later, I decided that it just "looked cold" outside even before much snow had fallen, and I had no intention of venturing out in it. When Mr X showed up in swim trunks and a robe, intending to soak in the hot tub, I politely declined to brave the cold and join him. It was quite enough to lean out the sliding glass door to tell him what a goofball I thought he was after I shut out the lights for him. I'm still chilled from those few seconds with the door open. As I sit here now, the white stuff has been falling heavily and steadily for about two hours, but it has probably only amounted to a fat inch of accumulation so far. The ground was already thoroughly frozen when it started, so we don't have to worry about a layer of ice underneath. It did, however, start sticking to the road immediately. Naturally, few of the scores of cars that go down my street have slowed down. We're on a secondary artery road, which to locals translates to "speedway." I will be glad that I don't park on the street.

When we bought this house, the front window was a single 55 square foot pane of glass in an aluminum frame. Last winter it froze and sweated repeatedly, and probably cost us a pretty penny in additional heating costs. In February or March we had it replaced with a new insulated vinyl window with sliders on either side for cross ventilation. What a difference that has made, particularly on nights like this. My living room is warmer and quieter. I still feel like I'm on a giant stage, the way the house is laid out, but it's a frightfully snug and comfortable stage. I still like it here. I think I'll stay.