January Is...

 Before I begin, in the name of transparency, let me just say that it's actually March 2nd today.  I'm backdating this blog post for three reasons: 

1- Because it's less effective to write about a month during a different month, and I'm looking for maximum impact here.

2-  If I post-date, then we can pretend I published this then and that YOU'RE the one catching up, not me. 

3- It could potentially make you feel like a little bit of a time traveler. And when are we not looking for an opportunity for that?

That being said, I am crying on the inside that it's finally March. And to celebrate and perhaps make things even more confusing, here's a Julian quote from the end of February.

I was commenting on his shorty shorts and summer attire and he calmly said this, which I jotted down: 

Which I fully and completely understand. There's a limit to what we can handle until we must do what we must. 

But during this month of January [that we are currently, presently experiencing right now], I've noticed a few things. We all know it's a subdued time of year. We eat a little bit/lot more, we hibernate, we calm our list of expectations waaay down.  This we know. But in addition, I noticed there were a few activities we ourselves engage in this time of year that feel uniquely, distinctly January-esque, if you will. So, like I do with most things in life, I started a list and taped it to the wall, where I could add to it, look at it, collect what might be a collection, and inevitably later blog about. Here are the things I listed that I would say are activities particular to the month of January, that give it its feel, its vibe:

I don't know about you, but along with food being a major highlight of the January day, comes food fatigue. Coming up with new and interesting things to eat. Because I am as lazy as I am hungry. So I started to have breakfast foods delivered to me and Sean. I found a surprisingly decent place that offers healthy egg bowls with chick peas and spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, as well as pretty amazing bananas foster pancakes that thereafter frequented my pancake daydreams. In addition, they offer a BLT with scrambled eggs that totally hits the spot. Basically it tasted like good food you just made yourself but didn't, a beautiful thing. Since we didn't ordinarily order breakfast for delivery, this brightened up our month exponentially.

My geese excitement grows every year. I love them. And I now know I can count on them like clockwork. If I lived in the wild I would keep time by geese. Or at least when I heard them, I'd know it was January. Incidentally, we just finished reading My Side of the Mountain, about the boy who decides to just up and leave NYC for the Catskills and amazingly has all the knowledge and skills required to make it a full YEAR.  But he didn't use the geese, so looks like he doesn't know everything. (it's actually a cute book which was perfect for wintertime) 

TV. Yes, yes.  January should be National TV Month.  Someone write someone about this and make it official.

Since there was nothing to do and nowhere to go except food places, Sean and I started making dessert runs. In the dark, because it was--sorry, is dark at 5:30.  Our favorite was is hot chocolate in Provo. You may think it silly to drive 30 minutes just for hot chocolate but i think YOU are the one.. that is silly. Totally worth it. And like I said, expectations in the negatives here. 

Nerf wars. Self-explanatory. We have a good setup for them and we got the Rivals for christmas that shoot yellow pellet-balls at a billion mph to up the excitement/pain. 

One afternoon I was, as usual, sick of our food, and bored and when that happens? You make egg salad at odd time o'clock.  I always forget about egg salad, but I like it. And i made myself a new sandwich at 2:00 and felt very January doing it. 

Lastly, it's not on the list, but when I went for my post-its I saw I'd written down something that appears to be unfinished but which feels complete in its simple summation of how I've been feeling for the past several months. I don't know what I meant when I wrote it then, but I'll use it now and add it as the final thing on my January Is list. 

 It's not actually writing fatigue, it's just fatigue from other things that makes all the words fall asleep and eventually slip into a coma inside of me.  Also, why yes, I do have a personalized notebook, why do you ask?