all the people I know who have fallen down this winter

1. Do I count? Two times...once on each side.
2. Regis once, in a fit of temper over the fact that I fell down.
3. Young Regis two times...once carrying an armload of rugs and he claimed he was making snow angels when asked why he was covered with snow.
4. Mom once. She said the hardest part was getting back up. I can relate.
5. Vicki, one of our paras at school. She called it a wipe-out.

That's seven pratfalls among five people. Do we need more proof that this is a treacherous winter? At least nobody was injured except in the dignity department. I wonder what people in warm climates talk about when they don't have the weather or weather-related injuries as topics of conversation.

I read in the paper today that spinal injuries from falls are way up this year. Holy crap. If you've fallen down this winter, add your comment at the bottom. Regis tells me he just ordered two pair of Yaktraks for us. The UPS guy who delivered a package today had a pair on and said they are all the rage at his company. He said they hand them out like popcorn because it saves on worker's comp claims.

On a similar note, I've noticed that on the blogs of my mid-western friends that the fashions lately have run to fur-lined slippers, flannel pajama pants, and sweatshirts. We get back to basics in the winter. I saw some young women at the bookstore last week in heels. Seriously. I was walking around like a waddling penguin and they are tripping out in heels.

I made two kinds of soup today: chicken noodle and minestrone. Minestrone doesn't appeal to me so much because I'm not fond of zucchini. It's probably like tofu and it absorbs the flavors of things it's cooked with. Sure. BBQ season is only four months away, friends!