I'm a Travelin' Fool, Part 2: Fool in the Big City!

Week 2! During week 2 of my traveling adventures, I went to New York City with Kate, Niki, and Elizabeth. I had never been to New York before, because when you live in Utah, it's really, really far away. But when you live in Baltimore, it only takes 3.5 hours to get to the city on the bus. Craziness! That's like driving to Cedar City! So after getting really cheap bus tickets ($20 round trip, yo), we decided to head to the Big Apple.

The first thing that happened when we got there-Mom called! She sounded very worried that we would die, so I called her several times throughout the day to reassure her. Our adventures started right away. We were staying with Elizabeth's friend in Brooklyn, so we hopped on the subway to get there.

Here we are, riding the subway. It's kinda gross.

We actually rode on the subway 6 or 7 times during the trip. It's super confusing, and I would not trust myself to navigate it without help. On the bright side though, the pricing is really easy and pretty darn cheap, which you can definitely not say for the metro in DC.

Our next adventure was eating lunch at a diner, which was only notable because I still had my big bag with me, and literally as soon as we stepped into the diner, I accidentally knocked over a man's drink with my luggage. It was super embarrassing. Luckily, while I was still apologizing and feeling much shame, the restaurant staff ran over with paper towels and a mop to clean it up, plus a fresh drink for the man. He was really nice, too. The food was delicious too, so that's a bonus.

Then we decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Brooklyn!!! Niki and I may have serenaded the group with some songs, Newsies style.

 

It's a fine life, carrying the banner!

Photographic evidence that I called Mom while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge!

Brooklyn!!!

The real reason we went to New York so soon after our previous weekend trip was  Harry Potter: the Exhibition at Discovery Times Square. It's basically a super cool museum with actual props from the actual Harry Potter movies! And it's only in New York until September, so we had to get on it quick! There's no photography allowed in the exhibition (drat!), so I'll just have to tell you that it was awesome. I really liked seeing things up close. I think my favorite was seeing the clothes from the Yule Ball. Cho Chang's dress is amazing, y'all. I wants it! It was amazingly gorgeous in person. And Ron's dress robes are way more hideous that I had imagined. Yikes. I loved seeing how tiny the kids were (are), especially in their clothes from Year 1. I really loved seeing all of the Death Eater stuff. It seems sick (and it is), but seeing the detail up close makes the Death Eater soooooo scary! It's amazing how much fantastic craftsmanship there is in the props, especially since you can't see most of it onscreen. Since we couldn't take any pictures, here's a link to an article from Entertainment Weekly (journalists could totally take pictures). And yeah, this is basically what it was like. If you have to choose between this and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I'd go Wizarding World, but this was cheaper, and if you're in NYC, it's definitely worth a look.

 

 The only picture we took of HP.

The next thing we did in New York was see Wonderland on Broadway! It actually closed the night after we went (sad). And apparently, in the last show, the guy who played Jack (the main guy) totally proposed to the lady who played Alice! So sweet! Of course, the night we were there, that did not happen. In fact, Alice was played by the understudy that night, so it probably would have been awkward for Jack to propose to her. Still, it's a nice story. Anywho, it was a very funny musical, and we had a great time. It's not as good as Wicked, which Kate and I saw in Florida, but I'd still say it's worth seeing if you ever get the chance. Honestly, the "One Knight" song alone was worth the price of admission. So funny.

The view in Times Square after we left Wonderland.

 

Then we wandered around Times Square, basically trying to avoid having seizures or getting trampled. It's insane. And we bought super expensive but delicious cheesecake.

We're tourists! 

 Niki is not a tourist. Look how cool she is!

The important lesson I learned on our first day in New York: Almost nowhere in the city has drinking fountains, so take a water bottle. Dehydration is not your friend!

Sunday morning we went to church. We attended the ward that meets in the same building as the temple. I'm pretty sure at least half of the people there were visitors. I wonder if it's like that every week. Obviously, we didn't go the actual temple, since it was a Sunday, but the building is very pretty, and it was definitely cool to see the Angel Moroni up there when we got off the subway.

It's not really that tall, but it's hard to get a distance shot because of all the other tall stuff.

 

The reason we went to church at the temple ward is because the temple is right by Central Park! After church, we wandered around the park for a couple of hours. It's ginormous! I got very tired of walking, and we only saw a little portion of the park. It was a gray, foggy day, the kind that makes everything look beautiful and a little surreal. It also made everything look super green. 

 

 It's a city, and it's a park! Amazing!

 Famous fountain.

Apparently, this is a super famous fountain that has starred in many movies. For me, this was a nod and smile while thinking, "Which movies? Why am I so ignorant?!?!?" I guess it looks kind of familiar. I need to watch a bunch of New York City movies now until I figure it out.

 

Me and my lizard purse in Central Park.

 

Then it was time to catch our bus back to Baltimore. We were in New York for about 25 hours, and we did a lot of things! But there was a lot that we talked about doing that we just couldn't fit in, so I guess I'll have to go back sometime. For now, though, I'm staying put. Being a travelin' fool makes me tired.

I'm a travelin' fool! Part 1

Family and friends, for the last two weeks, instead of being totally lame and doing my customary nothing for the weekend, I took trips! That's right, trips. Plural. Week 1, also known as Mother's Day Weekend, I went with my roommate, her sister, and two friends to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, the "Most Beautiful Amusement Park in the World." I'm not sure who awarded Busch Gardens this high honor. Amusement park connoisseurs? Beauty experts? A survey of disgruntled former Six Flags employees? No matter-it really is very pretty, and has some excellent roller coasters. It also has some terrifying roller coasters, including one that I refused to ride all together. Instead, I went to see the Secret Lives of Predators show with the only male person in our group (they had wolves! and a super cute fox. When it came out, everyone said, "Aw!). I'm pretty sure we enjoyed the predators and a funnel cake more than the others could possibly have enjoyed looking death in the face and then having a heart attack on the way down.

Anywhos, as illustrated by the previous comment, the most fun part of Busch Gardens was the shows! We saw a really excellent Irish dance show, which included a sweet dance battle between some Irish dancers and some tap dancers, as well as some fantastic drinking songs. The lady sitting in front of us really took the drinking songs to heart-she was literally falling over drunk during the show. Good times!

Another fun show took place in the Festhaus, where we ate lunch (everyone but me got sausage. I got the turkey sandwich, which was delicious, and had the added benefit of at least seeming healthy). During our lunch, a band came out, as well as some nice boys in lederhosen and girls in whatever the name is for the female equivalent of lederhosen. They danced and sang (some drinking songs). And then the piece de resistance:

Yes, that is in fact moi, dancing the polka with a man wearing lederhosen. Never let it be said that Meredith is a party pooper! Nay, Meredith is awesome! This lovely picture is the only evidence (aside from eye witness reports) that said dance ever occurred. Christian, the photographer, apparently tried to take video, but the fates smiled upon me, and it didn't work. Huzzah. Honestly, compared with this, everything else that happened on this trip seems a little bit anticlimactic. So here is where I will leave you.

Until Part 2!

Edited to Add: Some Doubting Chelseas on Facebook seemed skeptical that this was me. It is most certainly me!  Here's what happened. As I was innocently enjoyed the aforementioned turkey sandwich, the lederhosened came into the crowd to polka with audience members. Mostly very small children. And one or two super foxy grownups. So lederhosen man comes up to me and says, "Do you want to dance with me?" Me: "Um..." My friends: "Do it!!!" Me: "I will destroy your lives!!!" Polka, polka, polka, the rest is history.

Top 10 Literary Ladies I Love

It's time to give some love to the ladies! The rules are the same, except that instead of wanting to marry these characters, and I want to be their best friends for life. Their BFFs if you will. So, without further ado, the female edition of book characters that I love with freakish devotion.

1. Cathy from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Just kidding. She crazy! But it's nice to start out with a joke, yes?

For reals, this time:
1. D.J. Schwenk from the Dairy Queen trilogy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. I love you D.J.! True story, people: While reading these books, I wanted to move to Wisconsin, de-age myself to high school, and become D.J.'s best friend. She rocks so hard, and her life is totally suck, so she really needs me! We have nothing in common (she loves football, lives/works on a dairy farm, is super tough, and doesn't talk much), but I love her anyway. I don't know what else to say about this awesome lady. D.J., I am hugging you with my mind, right now.

2. Jane Eyre from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The older I get, the more I appreciate Jane. She has so much self-respect! And she's so strong. Sister Dibb (President Monson's daughter) talked about Jane in her talk from the recent Young Women's Conference, which I highly recommend. She honestly says what I feel about Jane more eloquently than I ever could, so I will wait here while you read it. http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/i-believe-in-being-honest-and-true?lang=eng

3. Sophie Hatter from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. In the interest of not spoiling anything, something happens to dear Sophie near the beginning of the book that would probably pretty much ruin anyone else's life. But instead of getting down about it, Sophie becomes awesome, hilarious, and totally brave. Plus, it's such fun to read about her relationship with Howl.

4. Vesper Holly from the Vesper Holly books by Lloyd Alexander. Vesper Holly, why are you so much cooler than I am? More than anyone else, Vesper Holly (I always use both of her names. It sounds better) made me wish that I could travel the world and have fantastic, dangerous adventures when I was in elementary school. I haven't read her in years, but I always think of her fondly, and wish that my life were a little more thrilling.

5. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Frizzy hair? Check. Annoying and bossy? Check. Super smart? Um, we'll give it a check for being smarter than Harry and Ron but not as devoted to smartness as Hermione. Let's be honest. I totally identify with Hermione. How awesome is it for a series to have a smart, not that pretty heroine? Way awesome. Plus, she gets famous Quidditch players, Cormac McLaggen, and a redhead to fall in love with her! High five, Hermione.

6. Enola Holmes from The Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer. Like her much older brother Sherlock, Enola loves a good mystery. And she's pretty excellent at solving a good mystery, too. Plus, she's super brave, comes up with ingenious disguises, and is a lot nicer than her backwards brothers. Every time Enola gets the better of one of them, I do a little victory dance, because I know she's too mature to do one herself.

7. Dashti from Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. I love Shannon Hale's books, and I knew I had to pick one of her ladies for this list. But which one? Rapunzel? Miri? It was a close call, but in the end, Dashti was the winner. Probably because I really would have read her diary of seven years locked in a tower, and then seven more out. And it wouldn't have been a chore.

8. Creel from the Dragon Slippers trilogy by Jessica Day George. Creel is brave ( I like that in a girl), crafty (she embroiders like a champ), funny, and is friends with DRAGONS!!! And a cute prince, but that's neither here nor there (yeah right). Friends with DRAGONS, people. And she's totally awesome enough to be friends with DRAGONS. Which is obviously pretty darn awesome.

9. Anastasia Krupnik from the Anastasia Krupnik series by Lois Lowry. Every time I read a book about Anastasia, I'm amazed at how much I can laugh at her and also recognize my 4th grade self in her. She's like every woman! Love her forever.

10. Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. What I like most about Mary: she grows (kind of like the Secret Garden!). She starts off being selfish, whiny, and totally unlikable, but she becomes fun, strong, friendly, and sweet. Plus, she's friends with Dickon, which is pretty much as awesome as being friends with DRAGONS.

Honorable Mentions:
The Penderwick sisters from The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall. This makes me think that maybe I should have included Jeffrey in my boy list. Anywho, I love these girls. If I had to choose a favorite, it would probably be Skye, because I think she's so misunderstood, plus she makes me laugh. But then I'd look over and see poor, dramatic Jane, and Rosalind, who's grown up waaaaay too fast and is still immature anyway, and little Batty with Hound and the fairy wings, and I think my heart just couldn't take it. So I love them all, and we'll leave it at that.

Top 10 Literary Lads I Love

I recently read this on another blog and thought it was such a good idea. These aren't my most favorite book guys of all time. It's probably just the ones I can think of right now. My version of the rules: They're all from books! They can be in movies as well, but only if my loving them is because of the book, not just the movie portrayal. Some are ones that I love, like want to marry love. Some are just ones that I want to hug. You have no idea how hard it was to limit this to 10. I am filled with love apparently. Without further ado, and in no particular order, my list of totally lovable man/boy characters in literature!

1. Dickon from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. He's the first literary crush that I remember having. He can talk to animals!!! He can make things grow! He likes Mary even though she is contrary! He practically lives on the moor! I always suspected that Mary and Dickon would end up getting married, because only a fool would let Dickon get away. And whatever you say about Mary, you cannot truthfully say that she's a fool.

2. Howl from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Not exactly sure why I love him so much. He's definitely stuck up. A narcissist. Throws spectacular temper tantrums. Delights in being troublesome. But he's just so darn charming, and you know that underneath it all he has a heart of gold! And a magical fire. Although Calcifer isn't underneath it all. You know what I mean.

3. The Weasley Twins from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. This is a bit of a cheat, since there are two of them. But I honestly love them so much as a pair, and darn it all, it's my list. It's like what Harry said in Order of the Phoenix, when he finds out a bit more about his dad and Sirius, and how they were actually not very nice boys once upon a time. He had always just assumed they were like the Weasley twins: hilarious, mischievous, brave, ingenious, but never mean spirited. That's a rare thing in a funny character who is always pulling pranks. But it's true of our dear Fred and George. They are not mean. And they have a lot of flair. Remember when they left Hogwarts? One broom trailing a chain? LOVE THEM.

4. Eugenides from The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. What to say about Gen? He's a whiner. He's a drama queen. He's a thief. He's stubborn to a fault. He does his best to drive everyone around him ccrazy, and he almost always succeeds because he's just that talented. But I love him! Could there be a more fascinating person to read about? As one of the other characters points out, he always wins. He suffers setbacks so intense they would probably kill someone else, but in the end, Gen always comes out on top. It's seeing how he gets there (and what he considers the top) that is just so darn wonderful. Hidden depths, that's Eugenides.

5. Percy Jackson from Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. He gives up the chance of immortality because of a girl! Ack! So wonderful. Plus, he's hilarious and a really good swimmer. And he's always risking his life for his friends (and the rest of humanity).

6. Ponyboy Curtis from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I really, really wanted to marry Ponyboy when I was first read this book. Of course, since he wasn't real, I decided I would marry the guy who played Ponyboy in the movie. But then I found out that the movie came out the year I was born, so the guy who played Ponyboy was old. Sigh. After that, I thought I would name my first child Ponyboy! Let's just say, it's a good thing that I didn't marry super young and have a kid right away. Because any child that wasn't also a juvenile deliquent would be destroyed for being named Ponyboy.

7. Marcelo Sandoval from Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. I've mentioned it here before, but it bears repeating: Marcelo is perhaps my favorite literary guy ever! I love him! I want to protect him from all the evil in the world. But the best thing about Marcelo is that he always does the right thing. He doesn't need to be protected. He sees terrible stuff all around, and he becomes stronger and more awesome than ever.

8. Peeta from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I know, I know. Everyone loves Peeta. Personally, I love him because he bakes. Also, he's charming, and super brave, and way gentle and never wanted to hurt anyone!!! He did it all for Katniss!!! He's just so freakin' good.

9. Finn from The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale. In the first book, I really, really wanted Isi and Finn to get together. I knew they wouldn't. That would have been crazy. Crazy like a fox. And then when it became apparent that Finn was really into Enna, I spent a lot of energy trying to convince the fake person in my book that he deserved better. Sigh. But he never listened. Chivalry is not dead, y'all. It lives in Finn.

10. Luka from Dragon Slippers and sequels by Jessica Day George. He's a super dreamy prince who's totally down to earth, brave, funny, etc. Plus, he pretty much immediately crushes on our girl Creel, which shows that he has good taste.

Honorable Mentions: (I couldn't really just pick 10, but I tried really hard. And considering the problems I was having with numbering, it's entirely possible that the above list doesn't have 10 people on it anyway. Technical difficulties!)

Matt Cruse from Airborn and sequels by Kenneth Oppel. Is there a sweeter (fictional) teenage boy in the world than Matt? Not that I've met! He's so loyal! He supports women's rights!  And even though his love interest is totally annoying much of the time, he loves her anyway.  But he's also really manly! He's out there exploring, fighting pirates, jumping out of airships, and doing all manner of heroics. Honestly, I suspect that he's as appealing to boys as he is to girls. Maybe more! But really, he always says and does the sweetest things, and I just can't take it! Must. Hug. Him.

Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This is kind of a given. But what honestly ups the swoon for Mr. Darcy is that it's a collective swoon! Once I was in a class (of all girls, not uncommon in my field), and someone mentioned Mr. Darcy. Literally every person in the room sighed. Collective swoon. It's a powerful thing.

Why You're jealous and I'm Sad

I have been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! And now I'm home (that's the sad part). For a true Harry Potter fan like me, this was beyond thrilling.

To Hogwarts!

My journey starts with a trip to Orlando, FL where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter exists inside Universal Studios. Alas, my journey does not include a portkey, flu powder, apparating, or even the Hogwarts Express. It is a bit more mundane. I fly. In an airplane-probably a bit too far to fly on a broomstick.

How I wish I'd gotten to Florida.

When I get to the park, there's a bit of torture: the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is so far in, I can't see it! But around the time when I'm in Seuss Landing, it happens. I look up, and I see Hogwarts, rising above the park. I won't lie, I have chills. And then I squeal like a little girl and set off with even greater haste towards Hogsmeade. I want to run, but it seems undignified, and my roommate, Kate, whose idea the whole trip was, doesn't seem amenable to it.

Please Respect the Spell Limits while in Hogsmeade.

Entering Hogsmeade is truly like entering another world. The Hogwarts Express is there, newly arrived from Platform 9 3/4. Zonko's and Honeydukes are nearby. Look in the window, and a chocolate frog moves. A few storefronts down, I see and hear (it's pretty horrifying and totally unsafe) an unpotted Mandrake. Good thing it's still a baby! In the window of Madam Malkin's, I'm convinced that I see Hermione's dress from the Yule Ball, as well as some dress robes (not Ron's, as there is neither mold nor lace). In line for the Dragon Challenge, a truly excellent rollercoaster, I spot the Weasley's flying Ford Anglia, no longer flying. Later on, the Goblet of Fire makes an appearance, as does the Triwizard Cup. From a distance, I see students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, and everywhere are the residents of both Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. Among the Hogwarts residents are the Frog Choir, singing Double Trouble, my personal favorite song from Prisoner of Azkaban.

Those are my trunks, I swear!

What this picture doesn't accurately portray is the billions of people in Hogsmeade.

I don't eat things that are still moving!

I could have used this when I saw Aragog!

Is that Dean Thomas? I didn't know he could sing!

Lunch is at the Three Broomsticks (I know, right?). Things I now know: Cornish Pasties are delicious, and Butterbeer (non-alcoholic, no worries) is to die for. Outside, a moving poster warns about escaped prisoner, Sirius Black. As I'm pretty sure no one has ever escaped from Azkaban before, this is troublesome. However, the day passes with no sightings of him. What I do spot, however: Buckbeak, chained outside Hagrid's Hut! Note to Hagrid-next time leave your Norwegian Ridgeback crate inside the house! Literally everywhere I look, there's something amazing to see. And over it all looms Hogwarts.

Mmmm...Butterbeer.

That's Sirius, honest.

Is Buckbeak a boy or a girl? We had a debate.

Note the giant pumpkin.

As awesome as everything else is, the piece de resistance is Hogwarts. Everyone else knows it too, because the line to get in is at least an hour long, starting in Jurassic Park and at one point winding out through a gate into an employees only area. It's not too bad, though, because 1) we can see all the poor saps behind us in line, 2) even though the line is freakishly long, it never stops moving for long, and 3) we can people-watch everyone else in the crowd. A few turns ahead of us are a mother/daughter who both are wearing super cute HP sweatshirts. I end up buying the same one as the daughter. Directly in front of us are a girl (big HP fan) and her boyfriend (non-fan). She keeps telling him how awesome it is, and saying, "Now don't you want to read the books?" He seems at least partially convinced. Do it, boyfriend! You won't be sorry! My personal favorite is a guy about a turn ahead of us in the super twisty line who looks like an adult Harry Potter. He's there with two little twin boys who are extremely unenthusiastic about waiting in the line. But he looks like Harry! That's got to make him feel better. I wish we'd gotten a picture of him, but that seemed a little creepy, so we didn't do it.

Hogwarts as seen from Jurassic Park.

After an hour outside, I finally enter Hogwarts. After about 20 minutes inside, I reach the end of the line and the ride, but even without the ride, the time inside would be worth it. I pass the House hourglasses, showing the current standings for House Cup. Gryffindor is winning. I pass through Dumbledore's office, and he talks to me. In the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Ron accidentally makes it snow before he, Harry, and Hermione disappear beneath Harry's invisibility cloak. In the hall, moving portraits talk to me and move through the frames to visit other pictures. Before I enter the Gryffindor common room, the Fat Lady asks for the password. And the sorting hat gives out sage advice about safety. I don't mind telling you that I'm giddy beyond words the entire time.

Come on, Hufflepuff! This is your year!

Lemondrop!

Luckily, the ride at the end of the tour is just as amazing. I fly through a Quidditch game (Malfoy taunts me. He's so mean!), into the Chamber of Secrets (luckily the basilisk is just a skeleton now), into the forbidden forest to see Aragog and the acromantulas (I'm pretty sure one spits some gross spider stuff at me), escape from a dragon's fire (I felt the heat!), and I'm saved from a whole group of dementors by Harry himself. In the end, the entire school is cheering for me and my successful journey. It's magic. There's no other way to describe it.

Magic!

When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released, I cried. I was so sad that it was over. But through the enthusiasm of fans, Harry Potter lives on. To see all of those fans together, in a place that works so hard to recreate the magic that first drew us all to Harry Potter, was one of the most thrilling things I've ever seen. A true gift to any fan of Harry Potter. And to the non-fans: What are you waiting for? Magic and adventure are at your fingertips, and you don't have to travel to Orlando to find them. All you have to do is open a book.

Today's daily affirmation brought to you by...

The Dentist! You may recall my last post about the dentist (I was bitter about some necessary dental work that was not caused by a lack of good oral hygiene). I visited the dentist again today, and I was a little nervous, especially since I just dropped a wad of cash on a new laptop and a vacation to Florida (Woo! Spring Break! Woo!). I only have so many (2) wads of cash to drop on things. I have no more!

So imagine my delight when my dentist, as he was doing some sort of super painful power wash thing of my gums, kept saying, "This looks so good. You're doing a great job!" At the end of the appointment, he always does a dentist/patient chat, which I find super endearing. It feels like nice, old-timey dentistry, except with sterile instruments, new-fangled tooth technology, and modern pain medication. And he said again that I was doing a great job and looked really good.

Sure, he was talking about my teeth. But all day I've been looking in the mirror, smiling (taking advantage of the nice teeth) and thinking, "I'm doing a great job! I look really good!" The dentist was totally my new age feel-goodery today! Pretty awesome.

Now I'm passing it on to you: You're doing a great job! You look really good!

Make sure you floss.

Your heat is out: a cold person's guide to staying warm

It's true, internet. Sometime on Friday night the heat in my house stopped working. I noticed this on Saturday morning when I woke up cold. The bad news: because of the timing and the part that was broken (the computer something something, I believe), the repair guy couldn't fix the heat until at least Monday! The OK news: it was "warm" this weekend, with highs in the 40s! The (hopefully) good news: when I left my house this morning, the repair man was hard at work. I hope it's warm and toasty when I get back!

Let's say this (heaven forbid) happens to you. What should you do? Luckily, I have compiled this handy guide to survival.*

1. Your space heater is your friend. People may laugh as you cart your space heater from room to room, up and down 3 flights of stairs, but they're just jealous that they don't have that kind of upper body strength.

2. Wear thick-soled slippers. You do not want your bare feet to touch the floor. Especially if you have tile.

3. Do laundry. Don't let your clothes go through the entire cool down phase, and then pile the warm stuff on. Ahhhh.

4. Blankets! It seems obvious, but a blanket cocoon is essential (and stylish).

5. Bake stuff. The oven is warm! You want to be warm! Just don't burn yourself, because it won't make you feel better.

This stuff works, yo. I have survived the lack of heat! Seriously though, it best be working when I get home. My arms hurt from all that space heater toting.

*Note for people as cold as Mom--check into a hotel. It's the only option.