The Winter Blahs

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
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EternalOptimist
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The Winter Blahs

Post by EternalOptimist »

Now that the holidays are over and winter is in full bloom (so to speak), what do you do to cheer yourself up and deal with the blahs.
"When nothing goes right....go left"
user5027
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by user5027 »

Read Bogleheads. :D
jebmke
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by jebmke »

It's tax season. I am about to prepare 500 tax returns for people who can't afford to hire someone to do it for them. They cheer me up.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
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VictoriaF
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by VictoriaF »

This is a good time to do summer planning. The prices are good, but most importantly, contemplation of various trips is psychologically very rewarding.

Victoria
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EternalOptimist
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by EternalOptimist »

I'm getting ready to 'snowbird' it in Florida for the month of February, it should be great!
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BL
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by BL »

jebmke wrote:It's tax season. I am about to prepare 500 tax returns for people who can't afford to hire someone to do it for them. They cheer me up.
Me, too.
investingdad
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by investingdad »

Go out on the deck, fire up the grill and tiki torches, and drink beer...while freezing my butt off. I grill year round...and drink beer year round, too, for that matter.
nordlead
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by nordlead »

normally I ski, but sadly I don't think that is going to happen this year as my mom (who typically is the person I ski with) broke her leg in the fall and the doctor said she can't ski this year.
dgdevil
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by dgdevil »

VictoriaF wrote:This is a good time to do summer planning. The prices are good, but most importantly, contemplation of various trips is psychologically very rewarding.

Victoria
Agreed. In the meantime, I must pack for my trip to Rio on Sunday and work out accommodation options in Jamaica next month.
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bengal22
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by bengal22 »

Go to the beach for the month of January, assist AARP with tax preparation in February, and golf in March. No Blahs here.
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Ged
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Ged »

EternalOptimist wrote:Now that the holidays are over and winter is in full bloom (so to speak), what do you do to cheer yourself up and deal with the blahs.
This is my first January as a retiree. There are no blahs here.
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sperry8
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by sperry8 »

This must be a thread for you Northerners... in Southern California it's beautiful as usual :happy
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by EternalOptimist »

sperry8 wrote:This must be a thread for you Northerners... in Southern California it's beautiful as usual :happy
Yes I've heard :D
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SquawkIdent
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Re: The Winter Blahs

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Andyrunner
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Andyrunner »

Look forward for the next snowfall to snowshoe.
Rich in Michigan
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Rich in Michigan »

I don't get winter blahs. I ski weekly and usually hope that the snow and cold last throughout the winter. I am also an avid nature photographer and always look forward to the special aspects that the snowier months bring to outdoor photography.

Once the snow leaves and we are in that in-between thing before Spring arrives, I do get the blahs to a small degree but not really so much.


I am always thankful for the variety that comes with the four seasons.
lucky3
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by lucky3 »

Don't lose sight of what's really important in life...

... just found out a co-worker of mine has stage 4 liver cancer.

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Bungo
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Bungo »

sperry8 wrote:This must be a thread for you Northerners... in Southern California it's beautiful as usual :happy
It has been very pleasant in the Bay Area as well, although a bit smoggy on some days. I've gone day-hiking five times already in 2014. :D However, if the lack of rain persists, we may have to pay for this when summer arrives (water rationing)...
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EternalOptimist
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by EternalOptimist »

lucky3 wrote:Don't lose sight of what's really important in life...

... just found out a co-worker of mine has stage 4 liver cancer.

Lucky3
Sorry.....amen
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Faith20879
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Faith20879 »

Arrrrgh, talk about blahs, I had a terrible commute this morning. It rained all night and everything is now covered with sheet of ice here in upper DC/MD sub. Biking is out the question so I walked instead. My cleats and trekking pool kept me upright. But, being too focused on my steps I neglected to see an incoming car splashing through a wad of water next to the sidewalk. So I am now drenched and freezing. Arrrgh!

I will practice planning for a vacation today to alleviate my mood.
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by mhc »

The short days are what bother me about winter, so I track the sunrise/sunset times closely. We are now at the point of the year where the sunset is getting later everyday and the sunrise is getting earlier. We are over the hump. That makes me feel better. Even though there is still a lot of cold weather to be had, there is at least longer days.

I also try to get as much sunlight as possible. I am fortunate that I have a corner office with huge windows with a beautiful view.
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livesoft
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by livesoft »

Go to Australia. Self-portrait:
:)
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Fallible
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Fallible »

Rich in Michigan wrote:I don't get winter blahs. I ski weekly and usually hope that the snow and cold last throughout the winter. I am also an avid nature photographer and always look forward to the special aspects that the snowier months bring to outdoor photography.
...
I am always thankful for the variety that comes with the four seasons.
No winter blahs here either, partly I think because I grew up mostly in northern climes and had fun in winter - sledding, skating, later cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and in between all that, walking. Also agree about the variety of seasons: just about the time I start to get bored with one, signs of the next begin to show and there's something new to look forward to.
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GerryL
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by GerryL »

This year I can have fun thinking about my 2 month paid sabbatical coming up in a few months. That will be a break from thinking about retirement, which will be one year later! :D

But really, I don't get the winter blahs. Storm coming in this afternoon and tomorrow, as long as the power stays on, I'm good. (Despite this dang head cold.)
placeholder
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by placeholder »

I like the winter.
barnaclebob
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by barnaclebob »

EternalOptimist wrote:Now that the holidays are over and winter is in full bloom (so to speak), what do you do to cheer yourself up and deal with the blahs.
SKI
upperleftcoast
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by upperleftcoast »

xc ski every week. No winter blahs. I like the cold and snow, and don't mind the dark. Dislike spring.
Puakinekine
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Puakinekine »

Well, it could be worse. Or are you Canadian?
http://www2.macleans.ca/2014/01/10/your ... picks=true

Less facetiously, exercise, with good audiobooks or music, outside preferably, and take advantage of all the daylight hours that you have available. When I lived in the cold, swimming laps in heated pools was wonderful, the only downside having to make sure your hair was completely dry before going outside again. Perhaps it might be a good time to start up that language again that you learned the minimal basics of in high school. Also, two to three episodes of Parks and Rec a night, streamed from Netflix, is also a cure for just about anything.
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ryuns
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by ryuns »

I don't have too much to complain about in our mild winter (except for the drought), but there are a few things that work well this time of year.

As others mention, exercise--either to work off holiday pounds, as a resolution, or to get in shape for summer conquests.

Organization. We have a small house, plus winter means being inside more, so organizing pays dividends. Seems like there's always something to do. I'm one of those people who isn't naturally organized but whose brain finds it very rewarding when I increase efficiency. Weird.

Cooking. We do more cooking in winter, which is a combination of it being less pleasant to go out to eat (harder to bike there, darker earlier, and some places that are outdoor-based) and cozier to cook inside.

Of course, in the world of Netflix, who can get bored? Ken Burns alone would last about a winter and a half!
An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered. -- GK Chesterton
dixdak
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by dixdak »

A week of sub- zero temps and piles of snow, now rain! Can't get in any xcountry skiing even. The gym is warm and has a 1/10 th mile track. The boys high school volleyball season begins in two months. I am planning a backpacking trip in the Bighorns with family in summer. Have to replace all the vintage (heavy) 70's era gear with something lightweight.
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by EternalOptimist »

I see two camps here: winter lovers or planners for warmth, guess that's what makes the world go 'round
"When nothing goes right....go left"
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Electron
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Electron »

This video should cheer anyone up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQmBXEZEYtg

It is a short clip from the 1965 movie Ski Party. You may recognize a number of people.
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Atilla
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Atilla »

The blahs don't set in until pro football is over. Other than that getting outside regardless of the temperature definitely helps.
Calm Man
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Calm Man »

I have continue to run every day in NJ during this very, very cold spell. It was a little hairy on a few occasions with black ice but no injuries. I simply recall in the winter who I detest heat and humidity so cold is preferable. You can always add clothes but can only remove so much. Of course spring and fall are the best.
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JoMoney
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by JoMoney »

...and on the other end of the World, we're day dreaming of how nice Winter would be
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/ ... ralia.html
...Outback resident Gian Tate, 60, spends much of the day soaking in a small wading pool at her home near Emu Creek in the Pilbara region, a remote area off the electric grid. The thermometer outside her home registered 50 C (122 F) ...
...Brazil is also sizzling, with the heat index reaching 49 C (120 F). Zookeepers in Rio de Janeiro were giving animals ice pops to beat the heat...
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baw703916
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by baw703916 »

sperry8 wrote:This must be a thread for you Northerners... in Southern California it's beautiful as usual :happy
Better hope for some rain soon...I was in Tahoe a couple weeks ago, and there's pretty much no snow pack (aka SoCal's water supply). :(
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haban01
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by haban01 »

NASCAR in a month or so but really volunteering and giving back to the community! Get involved in a Jaycees, Lions or another group that is creating positive change!
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tylerdurden
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by tylerdurden »

VictoriaF wrote:This is a good time to do summer planning. The prices are good, but most importantly, contemplation of various trips is psychologically very rewarding.
+2. Lots of our beach vacations were planned during the winter months.

Also, winter provides some extra time to binge watch TV shows on Netflix (often catching up on shows we had not previously watched), watch random documentaries, and spend more time reading books. This winter has been less blah since we were house hunting over the past few months and just recently purchased a house; so we will be kept busy with all the steps of closing on the house and then moving, decorating, etc.

All that said, I do hope to move to a warmer climate in the not-to-distant future.
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Mudpuppy
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Mudpuppy »

sperry8 wrote:This must be a thread for you Northerners... in Southern California it's beautiful as usual :happy
Except that the air quality is California as usual, aka bad... which makes enjoying the outdoor weather a limited time affair if one values one's lungs.

And I can safely say that winter itself is not the source of my "blahs" right now; having an unhealthy work/life balance is. I need to work on that and free up a bit of "me" time.
carolc
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by carolc »

Volunteering for AARP (tax prep) through mid April. And a few hours for the local food shelf.
But the summers are mine alone.

carolc
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EternalOptimist
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by EternalOptimist »

carolc wrote:Volunteering for AARP (tax prep) through mid April. And a few hours for the local food shelf.
But the summers are mine alone.

carolc
Good ideas
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burt
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by burt »

mhc wrote:The short days are what bother me about winter, so I track the sunrise/sunset times closely. We are now at the point of the year where the sunset is getting later everyday and the sunrise is getting earlier. We are over the hump. That makes me feel better. Even though there is still a lot of cold weather to be had, there is at least longer days.

I also try to get as much sunlight as possible. I am fortunate that I have a corner office with huge windows with a beautiful view.
I never appreciated clouds and darkness..... until I moved to Houston.


burt
Cuzz35
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by Cuzz35 »

Getting over the flu and passing my last section of the CPA exam next week. That will hopefully help drive me through tax season where I'll begin preparing returns for folks that make what I earn in a year in two days.
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tetractys
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by tetractys »

Hmm. Well, Winter's spirit landed here in Seattle last Wednesday. I've been making music as usual; that's what keeps me happy. Regardless of a perceived tension felt when winter descends, it's important to realize it's just one aspect of the whole. -- Tet
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pennstater2005
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by pennstater2005 »

I still enjoy winter, especially the first big snow. I am not so fond of bitter cold. I could see myself in southern Florida for a couple months :happy
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nordsteve
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by nordsteve »

Help high school kids build robots.
nhdean
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by nhdean »

Go to iceland of course
mhalley
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by mhalley »

Some people advocate the use of light therapy if you actually get depressed during the winter. They make light boxes that give you more light to help with the blahs.
(I do not use, have no experience with, and am not affiliated in any way with the company that sells these items.)

http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/li ... MgodpTAAYw
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Re: The Winter Blahs

Post by BC_Doc »

Went for a trail run last evening-- fresh snow on the trails. Magical. Took in a hockey game tonight. Life is good...
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