Happy New Year

2009 has started off cold, snowy and windy. But that's nothing new for us, plus it brings us together. And not just in the sense that we have to huddle together to share body heat and keep from freezing...

It gives friends and strangers alike an instant conversation topic. People love to talk about the weather. Anywhere you go, commenting on the weather will instantly ellicit theories, facts and fables from people. If you have nothing else in common with someone, a nice weather talk can unite the most opposite personalities. Weather, and bad reality tv shows... find someone who secretly watches the same junk you do on tv and loves the same bachelorette/ survivor/ idol/ Ben Mulroney... (does anyone love him?) that you do, and it's a lifelong friendship! But that's a whole other topic.

The theories I've heard about Winnipeg weather are that the cold makes us stronger. It makes us hardy to go out in -41 degrees and have your eyelashes freeze together. I've also heard it makes us healthier. I don't know the science behind this, but sucking in that cold winter air does make me feel better. So it seems a good way to start off a new year- getting stronger, healthier, all without a gym membership. I know it makes me stay in a lot more in the evening and possibly watch some of the fine reality programming currently on. So if nothing else, it will give me some good water-cooler fodder.

Here's to a character building 2009! and may the best "True Beauty" win...