Down in the Doldrums

This weather is killing me! I know I'm not the first to say it and I won't be the last, but it's really starting to get to my head. My brain is on the outs. I almost backed into my garage door yesterday, have been misspelling things left and right, and I actually wrote a letter upside down this morning.

In a somewhat illogical attempt to force Spring upon the world, I have been shopping for Spring workout clothes in earnest. It's gotten pretty bad and I may need to freeze my credit card (irony?) to avoid doing any more damage. I realize that owning a bunch of new shorts and tanks won't make the weather warm enough to wear them, but mentally, it's helping me get through.

I have ordered from a couple of new brands lately, and I'm excited to see how they work out.

Philadelphia Mini Tour

Instead of braving the crowds to go shopping on Black Friday, Nick and I headed into Philadelphia to see some of the historical sites. We had thought it would be deserted, since everyone else was out shopping, but it was just as packed as any mall. While a lot of the attractions are free, you still need to sign up for a tour time slot, like at Independence Hall. It was so busy that the whole day's worth of tickets had been given out by 2pm when we got there. 

Luckily for us, the line for the Liberty Bell was moving quickly and we did get to go through that building and have our picture taken with the bell. I guess the rest of the attractions will have to wait until our next visit. 

On our wanders through the city, we stumbled into a fantastic little shop full of ugly Christmas sweaters! Anything you could imagine finding on a sweater (and some things you'd never imagine finding) was in this shop. I was so tempted to buy the one in this picture for my cousin, who jokes about becoming a crazy cat lady and was just saying at Thanksgiving dinner that she wanted a sweater with cats on it. 

Speaking of Christmas shopping, I'm almost finished! I'm doing about 95% of my shopping online, since I've been running around the country like mad lately and the last thing I want to do with a night off is head to the mall. Sometimes the shopping experience is a thrill for me, but right now the ease of making several larger purchases online is much more thrilling.

Life Lately, According to my Instagram

I went on a business trip to Philadelphia...

and enjoyed some delicious authentic ramen in Chinatown.

When I got home, I said good-bye to my boyfriend. It just wasn't going to work with him, so my roomie brought me cupcakes to make me feel better!

 A little retail therapy was also indulged in... 

and I further indulged in a little vino with a penguin on it. 

How do you see wine with a penguin on it and not buy it?

All in all, I'm doing ok, despite some crazy things that have been going on. I think I'll actually be home the whole month of May - no business trips - which will give me a good chance to catch up on things before the next round of changes rolls around.