Cold, cold cold

We've had a bit of what feels more like our winter weather lately -- heavy mist in the morning and cloud cover during the day. So when I went out running this morning, late because we'd overslept, it was still cold. Cold enough for me to dig out the enormous floppy fleece hat because if I run in chilly or windy weather, my ears ache.

So I jogged along, looking no doubt like an enormous goofball, but my ears were warm. Or at least not actively cold. By the end of my run, I was a bit sweaty under the hat, so off it came, ears or no ears.

And then after, the weird happened. At home, I attended to what I needed to, ate a bit, and began working. I literally have been dreaming about grading grammar exercises, so that's what I obviously need to do. But I was so cold that I couldn't type well. Even in my shower, I was cold. Even with the bathroom heater on, I was cold.

Later, wearing three layers of clothes, warm socks, that silly hat again, and drinking hot tea, I was still -- cold.

Since March I've lost a bit over 10% of my body weight, and I'm not underweight, just at my regular young adult weight. I'm just cold. Maybe I'll have to add some more weight lifting or something -- anything to stoke the furnace a bit more. I'll try jumping around at home, or doing more pushups and situps -- that ought to warm me up. Oh! I just remembered my yoga teacher telling me that inversions were heating poses. Must. Do. That. I have my mat out, so I could probably do a handstand or something like that when I'm cold. I'm not going to try to grade grammar upside down, but warming up might allow me to concentrate enough to do so. My students will thank me.

Taking the two youngest to swim lessons today almost felt like torturing them. As I sat in the (windy, cold) watching area, they appeared to be fine in the water. Thing 4 says cheerfully every time someone asks her if she's going to put her head under water this time: "Oh no, I'm not!" Fine with me. If they're not actively crying, swim lessons are okay as far as I'm concerned. Some day they'll all be proficient swimmers. And she actually tried the shower today -- apparently she hadn't believed me that it would be warm and feel good after standing all wet in the wind. The fact that my shoes and cuffs got splashed was more than compensated for by her being less chilly. Then she sat snuggled on my lap, which was warming inside as well as out.

She cut more of her hair off yesterday, in the company of the same barbering cousin. We're not going to have to worry about her bangs getting in her eyes any time soon, is all I'm saying.

And I'm finally working through the grammar exercises, drinking tea my sister made for me and lounging on her bed listening to the kids romp around. I'm not cold, much, any more.