I Can Feel My Toes Again

We're still in the middle of a deep freeze, with no sign of it abating any time this week. It's pretty hard to get motivated when just getting the mail requires 10 layers of clothes to avoid frostbite in these -45 temps. Thankfully, the house is toasty warm, the pups are curled up with us on the bed and iTunes is scrolling through the holiday play list.

Packages are being hidden in the closets daily and are a gentle reminder that I allowed myself to go a little overboard in exchange for not going south for the holidays. I'm trying to explain it away as necessary to doing my part for the economy, but I'm not really buying it. On the other hand, even I remember how exciting this holiday is when still heaped in mystery... a jolly fat man in a red suit, flying reindeer, mountains of presents appearing in the night. I don't know how many more years will be able to keep this day shrouded in magic, but I guess I'd like to give the kids a few experiences to tuck away for future fond reminiscing.

In other news, IKEA is finally making its way to our fair city. As my girlfriend so eloquently put it, 'Now all the houses can look the same on the inside as well as the outside'. Long-live the evil box store...I wonder how much worse our economy has to get before people wake up and see the importance of supporting local business, even if it takes a few extra shekels out of their pockets. My guess is sometime around the emergence of new and funky viruses/diseases as a result of using products made without any regard for health and safety standards (yes China, I'm talkin' bout you).

OK, I'm banishing Whining Wanda to the corner again. In happier news, I had a second interview today for a job that seems quite promising. In terms of responsibility and utilization of my skills, it is a lateral move, but the salary and benefits knocked my socks off. I might actually get a job getting paid appropriately for my experience and expertise. Can't say I'd be breaking through any glass ceilings on this one, but I won't give up hope that sometime, somewhere this might actually happen. If anyone has any concrete advice on this perplexing problem (that doesn't involved selling your soul to the company store), I'd love to hear it.