Welcome to Wisconsin!

Oh my God.

It is cold.

Holy cow - I don't know how you people do it. Seriously. And the fact that I used to spend my fall/winter/early spring months frolicking outside in the snow and cold weather - well...just...wow.

Oh my gosh.

Just wow.

Suffice to say, Nathaniel and I have arrived in Wisconsin. And yes, the snow is beautiful...and I love how warm and cheerful the house feels after spending any amount of time outside in said cold weather. And yes, I fully and freely admit that - compared to what my northern colleagues endure throughout the winter - the weather isn't all that bad.

However.

It is still cold. (insert evil laugh).

And slippery.

In addition to loosing all ability to withstand frigid temperatures for any respectable amount of time, I've also lost the ability to run safely over slick surfaces. Not that I was great at it to begin with.

But.

Today during my run through Waukesha's quaint streets and along the Fox Riverfront, I realized that maintaining one's balance and "uprightedness" while bounding over ice and other snow-covered surfaces is indeed a perishable skill set. As in, I used to be able to safely remain upright while skidding across the icy ground. Let's just say that today I barely saved myself - to the amusement of downtown traffic and several disgruntled ducks that were within my line of fire.

At some point I'm supposed to find a "hilly" course and run up and down said hills. Yeah, um...sure. Seeing as I can barely hold my balance on flat surfaces, somehow I don't think hills are exactly a great fit for my now-adept Southern California footing. Give me another few weeks and maybe...but still. No guarantees. I like my sacrum the way it is - I don't need to break it again.

But really, I couldn't be more excited to be here. It is WONDERFUL to be home in Wisconsin with Nathaniel and his family. And I'm SUPER EXCITED to be in St. Paul in a few short days... Until then, my main set of goals will involve 1) no slipping on ice while running 2) no slipping on ice while walking 3) no eating all the holiday cookies (especially the cornflake wreaths...but that's a different topic of conversation all together).

Now if you'll excuse me, dinner is ready. We're having lasagna and I'm throwing in another glass of wine for good measure. And maybe a holiday wreath or two. We'll see...but regardless, its safe to say that I shall remain housebound tonight. Ice + me aren't a great combination as I already found out. And I don't think adding red wine would help me in any way whatsoever.

So I'll cuddle up near the fire, watch the snow fall, read my new book "U is for Undertow" and avoid the wreaths as much as possible. But whatever happens, I can hardly wait.