Shop Talk,  the sticks

Frozen Greetings from the New North Pole

north pole

I have quite literally moved my North Pole Shipping and Receiving Department to the North Pole. Or at least it feels like it. I am out at my mom’s house in the sticks and it is teeth-chattering cold out here! They don’t call it the high desert for nothing. No snow or anything but my mom’s mobile home feels like it has a thousand drafty cracks and I am fereeeeeeeeeezing my butt off.

Which would be nice actually. I wish I could lose a little bit of extra butter off my butt. They say you can burn calories by shivering. Here’s to hoping that is true. (Waves frozen cup of coffee over head.) I was going to stay up and iron on Baby Bug transfer stickers all night but instead I think I’m going to go cuddle up with Baby Bug under a very thick, warm quilt and hope that tomorrow the sun comes out.

21 Comments

  • margalit

    I think you’d last about 3 hours here in the REAL frozen north. I remember growing up in LA and going to Big Bear and complaining about how COLD it was… what a moronsky I was. It’s chilly. It isn’t cold.

    However, get snow days and you don’t, so it all balances out in the end. :-)

    SAJ says: I probably wouldn’t even last 3 minutes! I was in Chicago once in a winter storm and I was miserable. HOWEVER, you guys have the heating thing figured out and your houses are almost HOT! Here, we don’t even know what a heater is. It’s that thing that smells like burnt toast when you turn it on, right?

  • Nila

    A cuddle with your bug sounds wonderful. The work can wait.
    I’m all about cuddling under a quilt these days since I’m pregnant and it’s so cold and rainy here.

  • bethany actually

    It’s true that even the California high desert doesn’t hold a candle to New England winter weather at its worst, but you know what? I grew up in Nebraska where it snows and ices and they sometimes cancel school because the WIND is making it feel like it’s -30 degrees…but I’ve also lived in CA, and I’ve been in the sticks in wintertime, and it gets COLD at night. And those houses don’t usually have central heat. I hope you found some warm socks, SAJ, and that it warms up with the sun tomorrow!

  • knitterykate

    How come your hands aren’t blue? Just kidding. Gramma told me it was 35 degrees there! Too cold for me. I would join you with a cup of coffee if I could.

    SAJ says: We even have peppermint mocha creamer!

  • lynne

    Freezing my butt off literally in my bathroom as its made out of a converted coal hole/shed. All sparkly and shiny Winter Wonderland here in London. 3 degrees in the sunshine at the moment – 3 this morning before sun up.

    How are all the cats up at your mom’s are they playing havoc with the Christmas tree?

    SAJ says: No tree here (long story) but the cats are definitely playing havoc with everything else. I will have to do a cat update post soon because there are a few new additions (!!) and Forrest has a very good home now that I’d love to talk about.

  • Alissa

    Snuggling is always the best solution :) I’m pleased your sales are going so well. I thought you were off on holiday to a sunny place soon. Are you still going?

    SAJ says: Yes, we are still going but since it is a business trip for Toby (he is shooting a house that is still being built), it depends on the business and it looks like it is getting pushed back into January. Who knows, maybe we’ll celebrate BB’s birthday in Hawaii! Anybody want to come?

  • BeachMama

    As I stood in the subzero temperatures yesterday picking up J from school, I kept telling myself that you burn more calories when you are cold. I have no idea if it is true or not because we crank the heat in our house (no saving cash on that one) in the winter, so it is warm and cozy when you can hear the howling cold wind outside.

    As for a warm snuggly blanket and a baby to snuggle with, that sounds like heaven. I still love it when J climbs into bed in the morning and snuggles up close.

    Have fun in the sticks and I hope the sun is shining for you today!

  • DeeJay

    We’ve had rain, ice and way below average temps here for about4 days now. I’m hoping for at least some 50 degree weather so Rose and I can go for a walk or something soon.

    Starbucks has a peppermint mocha thing now….could help with the shivering!

    SAJ says: Unfortunately peppermint mochas also help with the butter butt. But at this point, who cares!

  • bluejaye

    Did the bags get there on Tuesday? The postman told me the sticks were a 2 day delivery with the overnight envelope.
    It’s just cool and wet here in the NW. We get our worst weather in February.

    SAJ says: They did!!!! I meant to email you. That was one of the things that got dashed when I went to bed at 8:30 instead of staying up. 8:30!!!! I was COLD!

  • lynne

    Sorry SAJ I forgot your family doesn’t have a tree, my cat is sitting poised on the sofa and can’t wait for me to leave for work so she can get to her favourite game of flicking ornaments off the tree. Maye I’m completely lost in cartoon world but her favourite ornament to attack is a little red 50’s flock mouse?

  • Clownfish

    That’s so funny, my cousin calls it “butter”. He’ll ask me, “Have you been on your bike lately”? “How do you expect to melt the butter”? hahaha