Jazz Hands

I don't know what it is about this time of the year but no matter where I've lived ...  North, South, New York, Maryland, Cincinnati, Birmingham, Texas ... January and February positively wreck havoc on my skin. 

I usually have "combination" skin or problems with my T-zone. If I break out anywhere, it's usually my chin.  Yes, at 48 years old I still have the occasional zit.  However, this time of the year my skin goes haywire.  My sometimes oily T-zone area gets very dry and flaky.  Over the years I've learned to exfoliate regularly, keep my face exceptionally clean and drink lots of water.

Unfortunately 8 glasses of water doesn't always do the trick and my hands get horribly dry and cracked.  They get so cracked they actually start bleeding.  My cuticles are the worst and it's not uncommon for me to be sporting band-aids on 5 or more fingertips at a time.  Although I love a good hand lotion (i.e., L'Occitane or Crabtree and Evelyn), they contain a lot of chemicals and make the situation even worse.  In the evenings I slather my arms and legs with Aveeno Overnight Relief lotion but that really doesn't help my hands. So, this winter I invested in a pair of therapeutic cotton gloves and a good old fashioned jar of Vaseline petroleum jelly.  It puts the lotion on and then it puts the gloves on.  Hopefully this remedy will help.  I look like a total clown but wear the gloves throughout the day when I'm at home.  KJ says I look like a crazed health inspector but I like to think I look like Mickey Mouse or like I have really happy jazz hands.

Snowmaggedon 2015?

Woke up this morning to a light snow fall.  And I do mean light.  We are to get some accumulation but nothing compared to our northern friends.  KJ had school as usual, no delay or anything.  Which is good.  They haven't had to use a snow day yet!

This weekend was #LaxCon in Baltimore.  Cosmo attended this year as a "civvie" and not in an official capacity.  Which is just fine with me.  He was able to catch some of Coach Danowski's presentation which is always a highlight and he met up with some college friends.  So funny how once lax gets under your skin, you're a laxer for life.  All of Cosmo's college buddies, high school buddies, still play or coach in some capacity.

KJ had a v-ball tourney on Saturday.  I did not go because I had a hair appointment.  I know that sounds so incredibly lame but I had an appointment last week but had to cancel to drive to NY for the funeral.  So I rescheduled for Saturday not realizing she had a tournament.  I've been in MD since September 2013 and have not had my hair highlighted since leaving B'ham.  I was in desperate need of a cut, too.  I was starting to look Amish or like one of this Morman sister wives.  Ick.

Saturday night we watched the Interview on Netflix.  It was better than I thought . . . typical Franco/Rogen set-up -- lots of F-bombs, completely over the top, but I still chuckled.  After Bagel Boy took care of us on Sunday morning I caught up on Black Sails which premiered season 2 Saturday night.  I like the series a lot and this season looks like they'll be filling in some blanks with flashbacks.  Plus, they had a quick little preview of what to expect when Outlander returns in April. Squee!!!

I'm So Over It

I am SO over it.  No, not the snow.  I love the snow.  I'm so over people bitching about the weather.  C'mon people.  According to the calendar, it's still technically winter.  This is what happens in winter.  The temperature drops.  It snows.  Bitching and complaining about it won't make the snow melt any faster.  If you don't like it, perhaps you should look into relocating to a more mild locale.  Or consider not leaving your house during the months of November to late April/early May.

Seriously?  Does bitching about the weather on EVERY possible social media outlet change anything?  Did your 5 posts on Facebook and Twitter raise the temps in your area?  Do you have a direct line to Mother Nature?  Yeah.  I thought so.

Just enjoy it.  This is nature at it's best.  It's beautiful, it's white, it's fluffy and most of all, it's peaceful. Get out there and enjoy the snow with your kids.  Throw some snowballs.  Build a snowman.  Make a snow fort.  Go for a long, romantic walk holding hands.  Enjoy a steaming cup of hot chocolate with tons and tons of marshmallows.  If you can, go sledding.  Then, come inside and snuggle by a fire.  Wear warm fuzzy socks. 



And, mark my words, the same people who complain about the snow, will be complaining about the heat and humidity come July and August.
http://sassandbalderdash.com/2014/01/07/an-open-letter-to-people-who-hate-winter/