Me and the Winter Blahs

Saturday, January 19, 2013
If I let winter get the better of me, by mid-January, I can be one big miserable mess. After a particularly weepy winter during my junior year of college, I knew I needed to pay a little closer attention to my mental health this time of year. While I hesitate to call this penchant for the winter gloomys full-blown seasonal affective disorder (I mean, what Minnesotan isn’t a little SAD?) I have enough self-awareness to realize that when the dark, cold winter days start to wear away at me, I need some diversions and distractions to help the season pass.

Some years, I find relief from the winter blahs in the Winter Olympics. Other years writing dates and work outside of the home have kept me from my winter wallowing. This winter? It’s salvation by Broadway Across America. Back in April when I bought season tickets with my friend Sarah to the 2012-13 Broadway on Tour season at the Orpheum in Minneapolis, the decision seemed a little impulsive and a bit fiscally frivolous. But even then, just as spring was about to burst into full bloom, I knew I was already fighting against this winter’s blahs.

Last weekend, Sarah and I went to the third performance of the season: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. (Soooo much better than Catch Me If You Can which we attended last month, but still not quite as good as the season opener: Beauty and the Beast.) I ended up spending an extra night in the Cities because I left on Thursday instead of Friday to avoid a nasty ice storm. It turned out to be the right decision because the roads were so bad that Andy ended up staying home from that Friday because he literally could not make it to work.


Here’s another winter blah beating tip: I lead a stress management seminar one time and I remember one of the tips was “improve your appearance.” After not cutting my hair in more than two years (go ahead, judge me), I hit up a salon in the Cities last weekend and got a good six inches hacked off. (Ahhh!) It’s amazing how something as simple as not having split ends can make you feel so much more together and on top of things.


Because our tickets were for the Saturday matinee, after the performance we battled a bitter north wind for a meal at The Melting Pot, the fondue restaurant on 9th Street. I’d never been before and we had a great time enjoying a four course meal of cheese, salad, meat, and dessert. That said, considering the price tag and the rather homogenous meal, I’d rather give my return business to some place with a little more personality. Or else, I’d probably just go back for appetizers or dessert. I don’t know about you, but I’m perfectly capable of cooking meat in a boiling pot of chicken broth (basically what the main entrĂ©e consists of) at home.




We’d planned to visit the ice castle down at the Mall of America after the meal, but embarrassing as it is to admit, these two native Minnesotans weren’t wearing enough clothes to make an hour or so of standing outdoors in temperatures in the mid-teens with a howling wind a great option. Last Saturday was the first “normal Minnesota January” day after a string of days with temps above freezing and I hadn’t left the house wearing the long underwear and down vests necessary for a pleasant visit to a structure constructed wholly of icicles. Maybe we’ll make it to the ice castle next month when I’m down to attend The Book of Mormon (eeeeee!).

What do you do to shake the winter blahs?
 

4 comments:

  1. Your haircut looks really nice! You are correct in how just a haircut can make you feel so much better - just had mine cut last night. It looks like you had a great time - love the photos! We haven't make it to the ice castle yet either. I've heard it's not quite as impressive as the Winter Carnival ice castles of my youth. (You're too young to remember those.) The kids and I are heading to a Children's Theater performance of Pinocchio at the end of the month and then I've got an opera performance of Doubt to attend in February. It's nice to have things to look forward to during our Minnesota winters.

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  2. Ada! Your hair! It's so adorable!

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  3. Um, I want that tray of foods.

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  4. Totally agree about the hair, it's fabulous! You are lovely anyhow, but it sure looks fresh and modern :-) I love the balance you have in your life!

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