Winter Sloth

Editors Note: As I finished writing this entry, Madison is currently expecting 6-8 inches of snow. Big. Heavy. Sigh.

I had a tarot card reading a number of years ago in New Orleans. For $20 a gal with heavy eye make-up and lots of bangle bracelets at Madame LaVeaus House of Voodoo gave me a peek into my future. In addition to being wildly entertaining, I received a gold Mardi Gras coin (of only the finest gold plastic) and an index card with some notes about my reading. I still have the card tacked up inside my work cubicle.

“Summer is best” is what is says on my card in addition to the “8 of clubs”. I can’t remember what the significant of the 8 of clubs is supposed to mean. But I do recall the bit about summer. According to her, I am most productive in summer. That also means, in winter I am part sloth. True story.

Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder is the true diagnosis but if you read between the lines it’s nothing more than the winter blahs or hibernation like tendencies. Most winter days I can barely haul myself out of bed on time for work. On winter weekends I sleep in too much and then migrate to the couch to perfect the art of couch-potato-dom. An art I can do very well by the way.

Some winters are better than others. Cliché but true. Cold winters with tons of snow are the worst. The winters that have 100+ inches of snow beyond torturous. Cold, snowy and crappy driving. This winter is respectable. It’s been mild and snow free. I have seen pockets of sun. I’m still sloth like but only moderately slothy intead of full on sloth.

Sloth-dom also negatively impacts my ability to plan for the summer art festival season. I should be using the “off season” to plan. But motivation is low and when I finally feel like planning I’m scrambling in the 11th hour. A known fault but difficult to change. In addition to sleeping too much and lolling about, I tend to carbo load with all manner of comfort foods. Mashed potatos work best. So does homemade bread. With butter.

With the help of my neighbor I’ve been forcing myself off the couch and outside to take in some fresh air. So far a reasonable proposition as previously mentioned due to the mild weather. But mother nature has cruel tendencies and its only a matter of time until the temperature drops like a stone and the words “frigid” are used in the daily forecast.

Repeat after me. Summer is best.