Christmas Cookies, Wood Burning Stove Fires, and Snow Storms

I have a love-hate relationship with the Christmas season.

I love the celebrations, the family time, the wood stove fires, the games, and parties. I love celebrating Christ' birth. I love being able to be completely absorbed in the world around me, without any distractions like the internet, my phone, or the television.

I love almost everything about Christmastime, really.

Except for the weather.

Snow storms are the bane of my existence. For several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it is COLD. It brings cold winds with it. It makes roads messy and miserable to drive on. It makes me have to wear 25 layers to the Chicago Bears game on December 28th. It deters me from showering because I don't want to have to freeze between the warm water and loading up the layers again.

I also really dislike that the bottoms of my pants soak up all the water and salt in the earth, and proceed to soak my socks and shoes, the carpet, the tile floor, and anything else they choose along with making me colder than a popsicle.

This might be my biggest pet peeve with winter weather. It creates more laundry (because I cannot re-wear my pants as often between washings), more sweeping and mopping and vacuuming. It raises our heating bills because I cannot warm up with my normal scalding hot shower and 15 layers of clothes. It makes me have to buy new pants more often too!

Well... maybe that's just my obsession.

I'll use any excuse. Really.

But, seriously. I'm not ready to face the fact that I'm a working woman, who doesn't normally get a Christmas break, and will not be getting a Spring Break or a Summer Break. This is new territory for me. I'm used to a serious change of pace in all of those times and seasons. I'm not used to the monotonous drone of the day in and day out boredom.

Ugh.