Weekend Assignment #295: Keep Me Warm!

This week's Weekend Assignment is short and sweet:

Weekend Assignment: #295: Even in Tucson, things can get a bit chilly on December nights. What is your favorite way to keep warm?

Extra Credit: What is the temperature setting on your thermostat?

It's no secret that John and I moved to Tucson in 1986 for the specific purpose of getting away from winter. I grew up outside Syracuse, NY, where the thermometer dips below 0 degrees F most winters, accompanied by blowing snow. Lovely. To make things worse, my elementary school made us stand outside in our skirts and tights in similar weather.  So if I become a little insufferable each year as Tucson barely dips below freezing, and that only about three or four times a year, you know where I'm coming from, literally.

So I enjoy the fact that entire years go by here without our turning the heat on once. On rare occasions we'll let it run for a few hours at night. If John feels the need for heat, he'll probably set it probably for 60 degrees at most. If I'm especially cold and the blankets are in short supply (as they always are), I might sneak it up as high as 65. But most of the time it's at 56 degrees - and turned off!

But that's not the fun way to stay warm. I was thinking about that tonight as I climbed into bed after being up for 35 hours straight. (I'd pulled an all-nighter Friday, compiling a list of Round Robin participants for 2009.) Cayenne jumped up on the bed immediately, right onto the comforter, right where my legs are supposed to go. As usual. But where was Pepper?

A moment of listening provided the answer.  She was outside the bedroom window, barking. I called her name and she was on the bed in seconds, streaking around and through the house to reach me. Then it was just a matter of getting Cayenne a foot or two to the south.

You see, when it comes to Tucson weather, it's never more than a Two Dog Night.


How about you? Do you face cold winter nights with a warm friend or a hot drink, perhaps even a Snugee? Tell us about it in your blog, or in the comments below. Easy instructions to participate are at the end of this entry, right after last week's wrap-up.

For Weekend Assignment #294: A Decade of Thanks, I asked what you're most grateful for of this decade's innovations. Click on the names below to read their full responses:


Florinda said...

E-Readers: I never would have said this until a few months ago, but my Kindle has truly made me a believer. I don't think e-books will replace the traditional kind for me, but the Kindle made carrying books with me a lot more convenient. Since e-books tend to become available at the same time as hardcover editions, and they cost less than most trade paperbacks, I don't have to wait so long for some of the books I really want to read, either!

Julie said...

I'm pretty darned thankful for the technology that allows me to work at home. Now if the economy would just cooperate...


Well, this is amusing. As I was working on this blog post the doorbell rang. UPS delivered us a new router! It's a good thing I wasn't working today, which is precisely one reason Paul took the time to outline to Verizon all of the problems we had been having with the old router. I'll spare you the techy details, but when Paul called yesterday they agreed that we needed a new router and promised to drop ship one immediately, though they told us it would be Friday before it arrived, since tomorrow is a holiday. Imagine our surprise when the equipment arrived at our door this afternoon.

Thanks, folks!

Here are the guidelines if you'd like to participate in the Weekend Assignment:

1. Please post your entry no later than Friday, December 5th at 6 PM. (You can also post your response in the comments thread, but a blog entry is better. )
2. Please mention the Weekend Assignment in your blog post, and include a link back to this entry.
3. Please come back here after you've posted, and leave a link to your entry in the comments below.
4. Visiting other participants' entries is strongly encouraged!
5. I'm always looking for topic ideas. Please email me at mavarin2 on gmail.com if there's a Weekend Assignment theme you'd like to see. If I use your idea, you will be credited as that week's "guest professor."


Stay warm, everyone!

Karen