Rio de Janeiro is FREEZING!

This is what I am wearing this evening. Seriously! I just took the picture. If I had balls, they'd be freezing off just about now.

People, it's freaking cold. I can not explain how it's this cold here in Rio de Janeiro! It's technically only 19 degrees C (67 F). Logically, that is not cold. That's brisk or pleasant, not cold.

But here that is bone shattering. You know why? Because we go through such a long period of time not even remembering we have bones, we are distracted by the fact that our skin is melting off.

So when the weather creeps down to a normal level, and our bones twitch, we freak the hell out. I am so freaking the hell out.

And you are not going to believe this...

I'm even wearing socks! The flip flops were put away this afternoon and I'm actually going to wear socks and my converse.

Here's the crap part to adapting to a new place, their winter becomes yours! I never would have thought...

Rio de Janeiro Weather: Burrrrrr

I know Rio de Janeiro doesn't get that cold. I really truly get that. I mean, when I see the children wearing ski-caps, scarves, and hooded jackets in this city I wonder what they would ever do if they were shipped off to Norway.

But it has gotten chilly for a Rio de Janeiro winter and that, in an of itself, has turned my apartment into a refrigerator. I am not lying here people, I live in the crisper.

It's just that apartments here are not made for windy and breezy weather. They don't hold in warmth for a second. Obviously architects had to choose between cool for the summer and warm for the winter. Which is the greater of two evils.

So as I scoot around in my US Christmas jammies and sock slippers, I remind myself that my house is nice and cool come January. Well, as cool as an non air-conditioned place can be.

And I make a little promise to myself to have those damn windows changed to good ones. Ones that are not from the 60s and allow in a draft strong enough to be considered a breeze. Then again, once summer rolls around I love that air still gets in when the windows are closed because of the summer rain.

Oh well.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find myself a blanket to curl up with.

Let the De-Wintering Begin

The de-wintering and the re-beautifying have begun. I'm back in Rio de Janeiro and I need to get my stuff up to snuff.

People who live outside this city do not get it.  There are some stated rules for women. Of course, you can choose to follow them or not. There's not a Middle East Police force running around smacking ladies for not getting their nails done.  And thank goodness for that!  I'm constantly guilty of neglecting my basic requirements as a woman living in the City of God.

But I do like the feminine feeling of having my nails clean and pretty, hair done, and at least a little jewelry on.  So after this trip, I've started the process of cleaning the winter of my female body and bringing it back up to the summer standards of Rio de Janeiro.

First step to this process was removing the super duper old chipped nail polish from my nails. I think it was old enough to qualify as a historic landmark but no one complained.  In my defense, they've been hiding in socks for 2 months.

Step two would be shaving the legs. Again, winter, pants, and husband in Brazil. I had little to no motivation to shave the last couple of weeks. Gross you say.  Hey, deal with it!  Men complain about shaving their face, image knees. Shaving knees are a bitch, and I don't care how much practice I`ve had!  Thank goodness for cheap and fast Brazilian waxing.  Hair be gone!

That leaves me to actually managing to wear clothes while looking comfortable. That one can not be helped. It will take some adaptation.  My post winter extreme whiteness does aide in forced clothes wearing. There are some certain extra white bits that certainly wouldn't appreciate a sunburn.

What is your de-winter must? Toes? Tan? Hair removal? Working out? Or is it traveling to winter on the other side of the world and hiding out?

Hell has Frozen Over and There is Nothing to Do

I'm dying in the country. Well, not literally dying. I'm dying of boredom!  And so are my kids.

First off, we are not used to cold. And it is COLD outside. That takes the fun away from the swing sets and makes it all but impossible for this Mom to sit and supervise.  I end up zoning out and almost passing into a freezing-my-ass-off coma.

And there is nothing to do otherwise. I swear, everyone in this town must spend their summers roaming the cornfields and going to Target.  That or underage drinking.

But it's not all small town America's fault.  Rio de Janeiro has turned me into a city girl. I enjoy walking everywhere, besides cornfields. I love that I can run down from my apartment and pick up just about anything in less then 10 minutes.

I adore that I do not have to use my car on a daily basis.  It makes me tingle that I can go to a multitude of parks, museums, nature walks, malls, movies, or restaurants with little to no effort.

I dig that the beach is so close, that I don't even have to bring chairs if I don't want to, and that there's a guy selling cold beer by 930am.

Ok, am I a city girl or a Rio de Janeiro city girl?

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the country. I really love to get out of the city... for a long weekend.  Maybe for 2 weeks.  I could even do a month if it's warm.

But 6 weeks in the middle of nowhere, in the cold, is a lot to ask for.

So I will not be moving to the little town in the middle of small town America where my parents live. I will visit. I love a good visit to the Grandma and Grandpa, as do my kids.

However, I do think it may be wise, do to our accustomed body temperatures, to save these special visits until spring.

Win win for all involved.

So any ideas to help me and two active little boys survive?