Winter is Here!

This weekend, I well and truly felt winter. It's been cold, but not too cold, but this weekend, winter brought all her cold and fury.

My Friday afternoon ended with quite the adventure. It started with a 40 minute wait for the Gautrain bus, in the cold, and it was drizzling as well. It was completely miserable. When the bus finally arrived, I figured I'd be at the train station in 15 minutes tops. I was wrong. Because of the time, the traffic was completely insane. The bus would get stuck at every intersection for about 15 minutes at a time. At one traffic light, a group of passengers got off the bus and decided to walk. At the next intersection, another group did the same, including me. And so we walked. And walked. And walked. We arrived at the station at the same time as the bus. When we got to the platform, we had to run for the train because it was about to leave. And I was NOT missing that train! I finally got to Pretoria at about 6:30pm, completely exhausted. I went out to dinner with my folks at the Ocean Basket in Woodlands. After dinner I popped into Exclusive Books and bought myself two books: The Hunger Games and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I had planned on going out  to the drumming circle to watch the Black Cat Bones, but I was just so tired after that epic journey home, that I just went home and got into my bed and started reading The Hunger Games.

On Saturday morning, my mom, dad and I went to Brooklyn Mall for a bit of shopping. And I shopped like a madwoman. I stocked up on winter clothes. Two turtlenecks, three pairs of knee-high socks, two thermals vests, and another two sweaters. If that wasn't enough, I also went on a home decor shopping spree. I got some cushions for my bed, some storage baskets and two prints to put up on my bedroom wall. And it felt great. When we got home, I put on my tracksuit and settled in on the couch with blankets, heater and assorted animals cuddling me for warmth. And I decided to watch dvd's. I watched From Paris With Love and Horrible Bosses. I started watching Thor, but fell asleep. I woke up at 2am with the intro music palying over and over again. And so I moved my sleeping to my bed.

I decided that Sunday would be my domestic day. So I cleaned. I changed my sheets and organised my closet. I threw out a lot of clothes. I never thought I could be so ruthless at it. I threw out a lot of clothes that reminded me of the ex. Like the unerwear he bought me and the jacket I was wearing the day we broke up. I got rid of it all. I don't want those things near me any more. They hold too many bad memories, too much bad energy. It felt great.

In the afternoon I dyed my hair and tried to stay warm. I could hear the wind howling every now and then. I desperately hate winter. I don't function well in the cold. I struggle to wake up in the mornings and I struggle to fall asleep at night. My body hates the cold. I finally unpacked and put my heater together on Saturday afternoon and I left it on all evening while I watched movies (and slept on the couch) so my room was warm and toasty when I went up there. The best time of day in my bedroom is mid-afternoon. The sun streams into the room, filling it with light and warmth. It's wonderful. But it's also very short-lived. As soon as the sun dips below my neighbour's hose, my room goes cold. Oh yes, I am also wearing full winter PJ's! The first time I've done so this season!

This morning I struggled to get out of bed again. And it feels as though my brain has not woken up yet. What I would give to be lying in my bed right now, the sun just starting to warm my bedroom, with my three beautiful cats for company. Such bliss.