Cooling off

Since the weather is a popular topic these days I must ask about frostbite, easily preventable but not when you're hanging out with the cool kids.  Back in high school none of the guys wore hats, caps, or any kind of headwear.  If it was really cold we might break out some earmuffs but then your hair would get caught in the metal bands.  Since we were all pretty active and weren't outside for more than a half hour or so at a time frostbite was never an issue but there was one time I got nailed pretty good.  Back in the day, roller skating rinks were popular and I was at a party that included a visit to the Hub on Harlem Avenue,  We got a ride from the party to the Hub but had to walk back, a couple of miles, and it was cold, very cold.  We were laughing at each other because our ears were turning gray and were amused that despite how hard we rubbed them we couldn't feel a thing.  Ah, the follies of youth!  The next day my ears were red, swollen, sensitive beyond belief and very painful.  It looked like I had a slice of tomato slapped on each side of my head and it didn't take much for me to convince Mom to call the school for a sick day,  The redness lasted a couple of days and to this day my ears are more sensitive to the cold than any other body part and that was the first, and last, time my ears were frostbit.  My toes were mildly frostbit a few times but I think it comes with the territory, living in Chicago and waiting for a bus or train.

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I think Trump is scared shitless of Pelosi.  Instead of the type of disparaging nicknames he gives to his adversaries he refers to her simply as "Nancy."  I was expecting something like "Pitiful Pelosi" or "Nancy Nobody" but Donnie is being very careful with this one.  Perhaps he is working on a dignified exit strategy, something she may be more than happy to give him.

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The tobacco-free experiment continues, and it is brutal.  One online resource states that nicotine craving becomes intense, peaking at two to four weeks after quitting smoking, and after three weeks I must agree.  Too much is out of whack at that same time; appetite, sleep patterns, ability to mentally focus, and general mood.  There is one nice thing, though.  A  prolonged and vigorous stroll in the frigid air is very refreshing and something I wouldn't have enjoyed a month ago.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow; it may be a record-breaker but my ears will be well covered.