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Nov. 25th, 2005 04:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urocyonApologies are due, though I don't recall being rude enough to say anything directly. Before I moved here, I got a (not-always-so-) quiet chuckle out of people in the U.K. screaming about the cold, when temperatures were only approaching freezing. It seemed a reasonable demonstration of the WV Temperature Conversion Chart. Little did I know.
Today it's been hovering just above freezing, and I actually bundled up in a wooly scarf and a hat resembling an ex-leopard before dashing 300 yards across the street for groceries. Normally, I resist wearing anything besides a coat and gloves, until it dips below 0°F. The damp and the relentless wind--coming from one direction most of the time, with no hills to break it--make for far harsher and strength-sapping weather conditions than I'm used to, where it actually gets far colder. (I am reminded of one of my mother's friends, from Minneapolis, who was about to freeze to death in Virginia, presumably from the damp. I thought this was a howl at the time.) The cold seeps up into your feet and legs from the ground here, too, no matter the socks and footwear, an effect I'm only really used to seeing when the ground actually freezes for at least a week. (Then again, maybe having some subcutaneous fat on my limbs as insulation would help. *shakes head*) The relative constancy of the weather conditions seems harsh and wearing, as well; a 40°F temperature swing between night and day--not so unusual in SW Virginia in winter--can be aggravating, but it certainly keeps things interesting. *chuckle* It still rather amazes me to see people out walking around with prams in weather that just makes me want to hide under heavy bedclothes, but I suppose they wouldn't get much accomplished otherwise.
All I can say is, the British* must be tough suckers, having dealt with this day to day for untold generations.
We didn't do anything for "Welcome to the Continent and Thank you for not killing ALL of us" Day, as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
robkaiote aptly put it. It wasn't too practical to fix large quantities of food on a weekday where the hoked-up holiday isn't celebrated. Ambivalent feelings or no, I am planning to cook something over the weekend, even if it's just the two of us and kitties. An excuse for a huge meal is always welcome, even if the "best" rationale you can offer, off the top of your head, is "my people have actually been pretty lucky**, and we aten't dead yet": possibly some reason for thanks to the universe-at-large.
One item I haven't been able to find so far is some acorn squash to stuff. Butternuts galore, but no acorns--and the flavor and texture just won't substitute. Then again, I don't suppose this is the place for the best selection of winter squash in the world. Another example, I suppose, of things being all over the place until you actually (and perhaps inexplicably) want them, rather like another American expat friend of Ingvar's with Velveeta.
If I feel up to it, we'll finally have the appley cheesecake with blackberry sauce (from frozen berries I picked) with the belated Turkey Day dinner; I've been meaning to make it for a week now. I even picked up a springform pan, finally, though I'm still a little skeptical of getting a good firm texture using the spreadable cream cheese which seems to be the only stuff available here. That's what the basic recipe calls for, though.
Much as I usually try to turn out something healthier, tonight we're having frozen convenience stuff from Iceland across the street; thus my dash. It's not so bad, though: potato wedges, chicken kievs, and some frozen veg mix since most of what's on hand is 2 kilos of fresh carrots. I'm past ready for this cold/flu/whatever to go away, but have purposely been taking it a bit easy in hopes that it will help. Rest for the generally hyperactive may not be the easiest thing, but spending much time cooking didn't sound like fun tonight, though I usually enjoy it.
* Not to mention people around Stockholm, with all its water--even more than the rest of Sweden. The damp chill doesn't fazevatine, and he didn't know what I was talking about with the ground never warming up. ;)
** I am realising exactly how much so, the more I delve into the subject from the slavery (euphemism: indentured servitude) angle. It certainly ties in with the rest.
Today it's been hovering just above freezing, and I actually bundled up in a wooly scarf and a hat resembling an ex-leopard before dashing 300 yards across the street for groceries. Normally, I resist wearing anything besides a coat and gloves, until it dips below 0°F. The damp and the relentless wind--coming from one direction most of the time, with no hills to break it--make for far harsher and strength-sapping weather conditions than I'm used to, where it actually gets far colder. (I am reminded of one of my mother's friends, from Minneapolis, who was about to freeze to death in Virginia, presumably from the damp. I thought this was a howl at the time.) The cold seeps up into your feet and legs from the ground here, too, no matter the socks and footwear, an effect I'm only really used to seeing when the ground actually freezes for at least a week. (Then again, maybe having some subcutaneous fat on my limbs as insulation would help. *shakes head*) The relative constancy of the weather conditions seems harsh and wearing, as well; a 40°F temperature swing between night and day--not so unusual in SW Virginia in winter--can be aggravating, but it certainly keeps things interesting. *chuckle* It still rather amazes me to see people out walking around with prams in weather that just makes me want to hide under heavy bedclothes, but I suppose they wouldn't get much accomplished otherwise.
All I can say is, the British* must be tough suckers, having dealt with this day to day for untold generations.
We didn't do anything for "Welcome to the Continent and Thank you for not killing ALL of us" Day, as
robkaiote aptly put it. It wasn't too practical to fix large quantities of food on a weekday where the hoked-up holiday isn't celebrated. Ambivalent feelings or no, I am planning to cook something over the weekend, even if it's just the two of us and kitties. An excuse for a huge meal is always welcome, even if the "best" rationale you can offer, off the top of your head, is "my people have actually been pretty lucky**, and we aten't dead yet": possibly some reason for thanks to the universe-at-large.One item I haven't been able to find so far is some acorn squash to stuff. Butternuts galore, but no acorns--and the flavor and texture just won't substitute. Then again, I don't suppose this is the place for the best selection of winter squash in the world. Another example, I suppose, of things being all over the place until you actually (and perhaps inexplicably) want them, rather like another American expat friend of Ingvar's with Velveeta.
If I feel up to it, we'll finally have the appley cheesecake with blackberry sauce (from frozen berries I picked) with the belated Turkey Day dinner; I've been meaning to make it for a week now. I even picked up a springform pan, finally, though I'm still a little skeptical of getting a good firm texture using the spreadable cream cheese which seems to be the only stuff available here. That's what the basic recipe calls for, though.
Much as I usually try to turn out something healthier, tonight we're having frozen convenience stuff from Iceland across the street; thus my dash. It's not so bad, though: potato wedges, chicken kievs, and some frozen veg mix since most of what's on hand is 2 kilos of fresh carrots. I'm past ready for this cold/flu/whatever to go away, but have purposely been taking it a bit easy in hopes that it will help. Rest for the generally hyperactive may not be the easiest thing, but spending much time cooking didn't sound like fun tonight, though I usually enjoy it.
* Not to mention people around Stockholm, with all its water--even more than the rest of Sweden. The damp chill doesn't faze
vatine, and he didn't know what I was talking about with the ground never warming up. ;)** I am realising exactly how much so, the more I delve into the subject from the slavery (euphemism: indentured servitude) angle. It certainly ties in with the rest.
