Mmm, cold shower. That lasted all of ten seconds. Brr. But I got a little wet.

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The loons nice folks over at AndyKaufmanLives.com, subject of several of my stories, are having some fun with me. Strangely, I approve.

Oh dear, if only that could be COMMed. I posted under the name F.o.V's. Too much.

Another thing I don't understand: People who love the winter.

I sort of do. I get tired of the responsibilities as a home owner (not to mention the oil bills), but I would miss having the weather typical of all four seasons. I wish we had a little more actual Spring, but when we do get quintessential Spring weather, it can't be beat, except by our Autumns, which are worth living through most of the ordinary winter weather we get.

And I don't understand people who love the summer. Well, not Seattle summers, which are heaven on earth. But the hot, muggy kind.

I hate the hot muggies. I'm not even fond of the hot, but not so muggies, nor am I fond of the not-too-hot-but-still muggies (e.g. it can be in 60s, and if it's really humid, I feel hot and uncomfortable).

I understand intellectually that other people love hot weather, and that I'm even in the minority to hate it, but it's such an energy drain on me that it's hard for me to imagine that anyone could actually feel more energetic because of it. As soon as it hits 85, 80 if there's humidity, the air just feels thick, heavy, and wrong, like I have to push against it to get anything done.

In the minority perhaps, but not alone. If the mercury rises too far above 80 degrees, I'm likely to be uncomfortable, even if it is fairly dry. The only place that didn't hold true was Aruba, and that's because the trade winds were soft but constant enough to keep me comfortable (at least out of direct sunlight).

On the season front, I like living somewhere that has all four seasons. However, I'm in the "Autumn is the best" group. 55 degrees, a stiff breeze and the trees awash in color, you just can't beat it in my book.

Another right thinker! Tell me Kalshane, how do you feel about butter?

Butter can live on the table very comfortably.

...except in the heat of summer, when it gets too hot and starts melting and getting nasty JUST LIKE PEOPLE DO.

This! I always keep my butter out on the counter, except for the hottest weeks of the year, because I don't like ripped toast. I resent when I use up the nice, soft room temperature stick, and have to take a new, hard stick of butter out of the fridge.

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It's 0 degrees out and I have to clean off my car and drive to the grocery store before the OMGWTF KILLER BLIZZARD kills us all.

And then I get to go to Arisia, which is a lot more fun. I'll probably have to walk through the snow back to my house late tonight but what the hell.

In other news, Timelies!

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Isn't catsup ketchup? Or is Alibelle loyal only to Heinz?

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Catsup is ketchup, but Heinz is the best.

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This kosher restaurant we went to in Swiss Cottage had a lovely spicy ketchup. Probably not Ali's bag, but seriously delicious. The most I ask from other ketchups is to not taste like crap, which Heinz accomplishes. But the ones that don't taste like crap also don't taste like much.

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Ha! Car cleaned, panic shopping buying finished. I only had to get OJ, cat litter, flour, toilet tissue, and I threw in a small bag of Cracker Jack and some grape juice. Currently have plenty of treats in the house!

No ketchup that I know of, though.

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This kosher restaurant we went to in Swiss Cottage had a lovely spicy ketchup. Probably not Ali's bag, but seriously delicious. The most I ask from other ketchups is to not taste like crap, which Heinz accomplishes. But the ones that don't taste like crap also don't taste like much.

I like Heinz and Hunt's, although prefer Heinz. What I mostly want though, is for them to stop making catsup in colors like green. It's a sin against God and nature.

Apropos of nothing, I have something akin to a religious experience, listening to Earth, Wind and Fire's Way of the World.

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Way to go, Theo. Dh just left for the grocery store. Unfortunately, this is our regular shopping day AND, we have only gotten half-arsed orders the last few times we've shopped. I hope to see him before 3:00pm, when we're scheduled to go to my mom's to help her move some furniture out of the way. She's having some floors refinished on Monday. Also, she's going to feed us a pot roast dinner.

Heh. He just called as I was typing. There are *no* parking spaces at local Super Stop & Shop. God bless him. Right now, I'm feeling a little guilty over being, if not grateful for, than at least mindful that the anxiety attacks I've had recently are probably part of the reason he volunteered to go shopping today, in the first place.

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Another right thinker! Tell me Kalshane, how do you feel about butter?

You pretty much summed it up for me right here:

This! I always keep my butter out on the counter, except for the hottest weeks of the year, because I don't like ripped toast. I resent when I use up the nice, soft room temperature stick, and have to take a new, hard stick of butter out of the fridge.

Though lately I've been buying the Brummel and Brown spread and using that because since I generally don't cook (this last week excepted) and don't make toast that often, the butter tends to go bad between uses. (I don't know if it actually goes "bad" but it ends up tasting stale. But I don't think they expect a single stick to last 6 months.) I still keep a couple sticks of real butter in the fridge for when I do cook, though. But I absolutely hate trying to use cold butter.

Speaking of cooking, I've just realized that in order to make chili today as I planned, I will have to wash dishes, and then wash them again when I'm do. I'm suddenly remembering why in 7 years on my own I've only actually cooked about a dozen times. (The general feeling of "It's too much of a PITA is being augmented with specifics.)

I think my first major purchase after I get a house will be a dishwasher.

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