100 Days of Wonder – #56

As I sit at home curled up under a ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ themed blanket feeling grumpy that the current snow means I can’t make it to the work Open Day and therefore put extra pressure on colleagues who have been able to make it to cover for Law, I am trying to turn my focus on to happier things. But it’s cold and I have spent as much time worrying about logistics and whether/how I might be able to get into Leeds and then how we can still cover the day for potential applicants who have been able to get there as I would have done actually working the day. And I haven’t had the fun of talking to all the fabulous prospective students. So, Meh!

Meh also applies to cold days in Florida. As I have mentioned a few times, the first time I went, I was just in it for the winter sun and warm. And that’s what I got. The early mornings could be chilly but after that it was always very comfortable shorts and t-shirt temperature and sometimes it was actually too hot. The first time I experienced anything different was in 2009 where, for a couple of days, it was colder in Florida than in Alaska and there was a very fine sprinkling of sleety snow one early morning. Disney brought in big warm air blowers/fans to keep the little reptiles from dying and falling out of trees and I went and bought a hoodie and some thicker socks. Since then, I have been conscious that there is the possibility of a cold day or two but in 2013 and 2016 we had only warm days. In 2019 and in 2023 we did got a cold day or two. I particularly remember at the 2019 marathon weekend, on 10k day being huddled together to try and keep warm and using black bin liners over our running gear to help. Still, it was just a day or two. Today’s photo is from one of the coldest Florida days I remember. It was in 2023. We must have had a few cold days from what I remember because I was seriously considering having to buy another pair of long pants. So here we are, on Main Street USA waiting for the fireworks, feeling the cold even in our proper jackets. But we’re smiling and it was a fun evening and sometimes it really is just about deciding that you are going to enjoy it or make the most of something. So looking at this photo is making me think about what I can be happy about and enjoy right now:

• I had extra cuddles with Storm cat
• Odin and Einstein cats are curled up with us and their snoring is really funny
• The snow looked really pretty earlier
• We are safe and my team is safe
• I have coffee
• I can catch up on some life admin
• There’s a new lego set with my name on that I might start but even the anticipation of doing it is kinda fun
• I have been scrolling through Disney photos and am beginning to settle on the Christmas countdown selection – you have been warned!
• I can make a proper yummy lunch rather than relying on what is available on campus
• …there’s lots more once you start thinking about it – give it a try!