Hermiting, for many reasons

We truly have been spoiled most of this winter. My birthday? Was 50 degrees. Mid-January. For the better part of January, in fact, it was warm enough to arguably be late October temperatures. I was loving it, even if I did have a slight (shhhh) wish to see some snow.

This weekend, the arctic blast hit with a vengeance. Snow squalls hit Friday night, never amounting to much on the ground, but giving everything that dull, dreary grey-white look of frigid winter thanks to ice crystals, dirt, and the road salting mixture that gets into everything.

In a way, it is nice to actually have winter be... winter. But two minutes behind the wheel of Erich's car tonight as I went to pick him up at Chris & Sara's house, and I was already tired of it. My teeth were chattering. My hands (in mittens) were shaking. And I was hunkering down over the steering wheel as if I were suffering from severe osteoporosis, cold as hell while I prayed for the car heater to come on.

Other than attending Tau Beta Sigma's 3rd degree ceremony (congrats, Alpha Gammas!) today, I've been a hermit all weekend. I played some World of Warcraft. I did a small amount of chores. But I just didn't feel like being sociable.

I'm definitely in a homebody mode recently, with no desire to do any contacting of anyone. I think I've just reached my occasional "tapped out" phase with being sociable. Prolonged social situations always exhaust me. Despite being able (usually) to put on the appearance of being an extrovert when I'm out and about, I'm definitely not one. It literally takes every bit of emotional energy to put forth that appearance of being outgoing. Most of the time, it works, though. I may feel awkward as hell the entire time, but I try my best to talk with others and not be the silent awkward girl in the corner (where it's most comfortable).

Even though it's probably not accurate, I feel like we've had a huge social calendar since Thanksgiving with something happening every weekend. I just don't have it in me. I need to recharge myself by retreating within from time to time.

I was overdue.