My old bull terrier, Murphy, loves winter. She really seems to come alive in the cold, and even loves frolicking in the snow.
This Friday, I have three videos of Murphy adapting to some wintry climes:
Tag: snow
Phone it in Friday CXIX: YouTube Roundup CLXXIX: Winter
It is the deep midwinter, and even the Carolinas are getting their share of the white stuff. Murphy and I were up at Dr. Wife’s house in North Carolina this past weekend, and there was a little bit of snow on Sunday afternoon!
This weekend brings Winter Storm Fern, which is supposed to dump lots of snow and/or “wintry mix” and/or ice all over the Southeastern United States. Gulp! We’ll know more by Sunday.
In the spirit of wintry frostiness, here are a couple of recent videos from North Carolina all about the cold.
Virtual Snow Day
Last Wednesday, 22 January 2025, we had a rare snow day in South Carolina. It turned into two (as of the time of writing) days of virtual/distance learning, so yours portly got to enjoy a couple of quiet days working from home (something that the schlubs at the federal government won’t get to do anymore—ha!).
When The Age of The Virus first began, I really welcomed virtual learning, mainly because I was experiencing an extreme level of burnout. For the first time in my career, I felt like I could focus simply on teaching, instead of fulfilling all of the tedious little other requirements of the career. Even if kids were tuning out online, they were doing that anyway during class, and it was a welcome reprieve from what was becoming a very overwhelming profession.
Now, I am far more skeptical about virtual learning. A small minority of students thrive with the self-paced, independent, self-motivating nature of it; most students, however, struggle with that kind of latitude.
Aside from the damage distance learning can to do to young learners, however, there’s another, less tangible side effect: the death of the snow day.
Phone it in Friday LXXIX: YouTube Roundup XXXI: Murphy, Queen of the Arctic
“Murphy, Queen of the Arctic” sounds like an Edgar Rice Burroughs novella, but when we had snow on Wednesday (22 January 2025), my old girl enjoyed the hoary frost.
I got a couple of videos out of the deal, which I present to you now. Grab a cup of coffee or hot cocoa and cuddle up for some frosty videos:
Lazy Sunday CCXCV: The Bitter, Wretched Cold
It has been cold here in South Carolina, which is a rare treat. I like the cold, but even this weather is getting a tad ridiculous.
As readers can imagine, I spend a great deal of time inside my own head, and am constantly in dialogue with myself (it still blows my mind that some people don’t have an internal dialogue or monologue). That dialogue is often out loud. It also consists mostly of me saying silly things that amuse me. One of them is a pet phrase that I’ll utter on particularly cold days: “The bitter, wretched cold.” I’ll tug my collar or coat tighter around me, and I saw it with a slight British accent, like I’m a character in a Dickensian novella. I also roll the “r” in wretched. The whole thing is a quite amusing, at least to me.
To embrace the frostiness of this weekend—and the chance of snow!—I thought I’d take a moment to look back at some cold-related posts of yesteryear:
- “Stone Cold Sunday” – an old post from 2019 in which I write about Roger Stone and his sartorial wisdom.
- “Make Greenland American” – my pro-expansionist (in the Western Hemisphere) post endorsing Trump’s desire to obtain Greenland from Denmark.
- “TBT^2: More Mountain Musings” (and “TBT: More Mountain Musings” and “More Mountain Musings“) – more musings about the mountains; I miss them!
Stay warm out there, my friends, and pull those collars tight against the bitter, wretched cold.
Happy Sunday!
—TPP
Other Lazy Sunday Installments:
- Lazy Sunday – APR Pieces
- Lazy Sunday II – Lincoln Posts
- Lazy Sunday III – Historical Moments
- Lazy Sunday IV – Christianity
- Lazy Sunday V – Progressivism, Part I
- Lazy Sunday VI – Progressivism, Part II
- Lazy Sunday VII – Deep State
- Lazy Sunday VIII – Conservatism
- Lazy Sunday IX – Economics, Part I
- Lazy Sunday X – Economics, Part II
- Lazy Sunday XI – Walls
- Lazy Sunday XII – Space
- Lazy Sunday XIII – Immigration
- Lazy Sunday XIV – Gay Stuff
- Lazy Sunday XV – Work
- Lazy Sunday XVI – #MAGAWeek2018
- Lazy Sunday XVII – #MAGAWeek2019
- Lazy Sunday XVIII – SubscribeStar Posts
- Lazy Sunday XIX – Music
- Lazy Sunday XX – The Laziest Sunday
- Lazy Sunday XXI – Travel
- Lazy Sunday XXII – Reading
- Lazy Sunday XXIII – Richard Weaver
- Lazy Sunday XXIV – Education
- Lazy Sunday XXV – Techno-Weirdos
- Lazy Sunday XXVI – Small Town Living
- Lazy Sunday XXVII – Bric-a-Brac
- Lazy Sunday XXVIII – World History
- Lazy Sunday XXIX – The New Criterion
- Lazy Sunday XXX – Trump, Part I
- Lazy Sunday XXXI – Trump, Part II
- Lazy Sunday XXXII – Festivals
- Lazy Sunday XXXIII – Virtue Signalling
- Lazy Sunday XXXIV – The Desperate Search for Meaning Series
- Lazy Sunday XXXV – Corporate Grind
- Lazy Sunday XXXVI – Best of the Reblogs, Part I
- Lazy Sunday XXXVII – Best of the Reblogs, Part II
- Lazy Sunday XXXVIII – Best of the Reblogs, Part III
- Lazy Sunday XXXIX – A Very Dokken Christmas Series
- Lazy Sunday XL – Christmas Carols
- Lazy Sunday XLI – Food
- Lazy Sunday XLII – 2019’s Top Five Posts
- Lazy Sunday XLIII – Music, Part II: More Music
- Lazy Sunday XLIV – SubscribeStar Saturday Posts, Part II: The Search for More Money
- Lazy Sunday XLV – Techno-Weirdos II
- Lazy Sunday XLVI – Man Time
- Lazy Sunday XLVII – Winning
- Lazy Sunday XLVIII – Culture
- Lazy Sunday XLIX – Family
- Lazy Sunday L – The Best of Lazy Sunday
- Lazy Sunday LI – Just for Fun
- Lazy Sunday LII – Democratic Candidates, Part I
- Lazy Sunday LIII – Democratic Candidates, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LIV – Coronavirus
- Lazy Sunday LV – Animals
- Lazy Sunday LVI – Movies
- Lazy Sunday LVII – Christianity, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LVIII – Spring Break Short Story Recommendations Recap
- Lazy Sunday LIX – The God Pill Series
- Lazy Sunday LX – Music, Part II: Gigging
- Lazy Sunday LXI – The Tuck
- Lazy Sunday LXII – The South
- Lazy Sunday LXIII – Holidays
- Lazy Sunday LXIV – Grab Bag
- Lazy Sunday LXV – Rioting
- Lazy Sunday LXVI – Video Games
- Lazy Sunday LXVII – Phone it in Fridays, Part I
- Lazy Sunday LXVIII – Phone it in Fridays, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LXIX – Phone it in Fridays, Part III
- Lazy Sunday LXX – Phone it in Friday, Part IV
- Lazy Sunday LXXI – Road Trips
- Lazy Sunday LXXII – Forgotten Posts, Volume I
- Lazy Sunday LXXIII – Forgotten Posts, Volume II
- Lazy Sunday LXXIV – Forgotten Posts, Volume III
- Lazy Sunday LXXV – Forgotten Posts, Volume IV
- Lazy Sunday LXXVI – Forgotten Posts, Volume V
- Lazy Sunday LXXVII – Rural America
- Lazy Sunday LXXVIII – Space, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LXXXIX – SCOTUS
- Lazy Sunday LXXX – Big Ideas
- Lazy Sunday LXXXI – Education, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LXXXII – Universal Studios
- Lazy Sunday LXXXIII – The Mountains
- Lazy Sunday LXXXIV – Halloween Hijinks
- Lazy Sunday LXXXV – Elections
- Lazy Sunday LXXXVI – Questions, Part I
- Lazy Sunday LXXXVII – Questions, Part II
- Lazy Sunday LXXXVIII – Questions, Part III
- Lazy Sunday LXXXIX – 100 Week Review
- Lazy Sunday XC – Questions, Part IV
- Lazy Sunday XCI – Questions, Part V
- Lazy Sunday XCII – Christmas
- Lazy Sunday XCIII – 2020’s Top Five Posts
- Lazy Sunday XCIV – My Favorite Things
- Lazy Sunday XCV – The Best of Lazy Sunday
- Lazy Sunday XCVI – More Movies: Movie Reviews, Part I
- Lazy Sunday XCVII – More Movies II: Movie Reviews, Part II
- Lazy Sunday XCVIII – More Movies III: Movie Reviews, Part III
- Lazy Sunday XCIX – Romantic Music
- Lazy Sunday C – Valentine’s Day
- Lazy Sunday CI – Obituaries, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CII – Obituaries, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CIII – Begging
- Lazy Sunday CIV – Time
- Lazy Sunday CV – Grab Bag II
- Lazy Sunday CVI – Adventures
- Lazy Sunday CVII – Easter
- Lazy Sunday CVIII – Spring Break Short Story Recommendations 2021 Recap
- Lazy Sunday CIX – Pillow Talk
- Lazy Sunday CX – Inspector Gerard Reviews
- Lazy Sunday CXI – Bric-a-Brac II
- Lazy Sunday CXII – Responsibility
- Lazy Sunday CXIII – Short Stories
- Lazy Sunday CXIV – More Movies IV: Movie Reviews, Part IV
- Lazy Sunday CXV – Memorable Mondays
- Lazy Sunday CXVI – Delays
- Lazy Sunday CXVII – More Movies V – Movie Reviews, Part V
- Lazy Sunday CXVIII – More Movies VI – Movie Reviews, Part VI
- Lazy Sunday CXIX – Summer Camps
- Lazy Sunday CXX – Animals, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CXXI – MAGAWeek2021 Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXXII – MAGAWeek2020 Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXXIII – Murphy
- Lazy Sunday CXXIV – Bible Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXXV – More Movies VII – Movie Reviews, Part VII
- Lazy Sunday CXXVI – Joy, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CXXVII – Joy, Part II – Music
- Lazy Sunday CXXVIII – Civilization
- Lazy Sunday CXXIX – Friends, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CXXX – Friends, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CXXXI – Friends, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CXXXII – Milestones
- Lazy Sunday CXXXIII – Inspector Gerard
- Lazy Sunday CXXXIV – Friends, Part IV
- Lazy Sunday CXXXV – More Movies VIII – Movie Reviews, Part VIII
- Lazy Sunday CXXXVI – More Movies IX – Movie Reviews, Part IX
- Lazy Sunday CXXXVII – More Halloween Hijinks
- Lazy Sunday CXXXVIII – Friends, Part V
- Lazy Sunday CXXXIX – More Movies, Part X – Movie Reviews, Part X
- Lazy Sunday CXL – More Movies, Part XI – Movie Reviews, Part XI
- Lazy Sunday CXLI – Thanksgiving Stuff(ing)
- Lazy Sunday CXLII – More Movies, Part XII – Movie Reviews, Part XII
- Lazy Sunday CXLIII – More Movies, Part XIII – Movie Reviews, Part XIII
- Lazy Sunday CXLIV – More Christmas Carols
- Lazy Sunday CXLV – Christmas Cheer
- Lazy Sunday CXLVI – 2021’s Top Five Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXLVII – More Movies, Part XIV – Movie Reviews, Part XIV
- Lazy Sunday CXLVIII – The Gemini Sonnets #1 and #2
- Lazy Sunday CXLIX – The Gemini Sonnets #3 and #4
- Lazy Sunday CL – The Gemini Sonnets #5 and #6
- Lazy Sunday CLI – More Movies, Part XV – Movies Reviews, Part XV
- Lazy Sunday CLII – Romance
- Lazy Sunday CLIII – Behind the Songs, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLIV – Behind the Songs, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLV – Péchés d’âge moyen Posts
- Lazy Sunday CLVI – More Son of Sonnet
- Lazy Sunday CLVII – Ponty’s Posts, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLVIII – Ponty’s Posts, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLIX – Scrambie Eggs
- Lazy Sunday CLX: Fine Arts Festival
- Lazy Sunday CLXI: Easter II
- Lazy Sunday CLXII: Spring Break Short Story Recommendations Recap 2022
- Lazy Sunday CLXIII: Friends, Part VI
- Lazy Sunday CLXIV: Friends, Part VII
- Lazy Sunday CLXV: Friends, Part VIII
- Lazy Sunday CLXVI: Friends, Part IX
- Lazy Sunday CLXVII: Friends, Part X
- Lazy Sunday CLXVIII: More Movies, Part XVI: Movie Reviews, Part XVI
- Lazy Sunday CLXIX: More Movies, Part XVII: Movie Reviews, Part XVII
- Lazy Sunday CLXX: More Movies, Part XVIII: Movie Reviews, Part XVIII
- Lazy Sunday CLXXI: Frederick Ingram, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLXXII: Frederick Ingram, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXIII: MAGAWeek2022
- Lazy Sunday CLXXIV: More Movies, Part XIX: Movie Reviews, Part XIX
- Lazy Sunday CLXXV: More Movies, Part XX: Movie Reviews, Part XX
- Lazy Sunday CLXXVI: More Movies, Part XXI: Movie Reviews, Part XXI
- Lazy Sunday CLXXVII: School, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLXXVIII: School, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXIX: More Movies, Part XXII: Ponty’s Worst Films, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLXXX: More Movies, Part XXIII: Portly’s Worst Films, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXI: More Movies, Part XXIV: Ponty’s Worst Films, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXII: More Movies, Part XXV: Portly’s Worst Films, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXIII: More Movies, Part XXVII: Ponty’s Worst Films, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXIV: More Movies, Part XXVIII: Portly’s Worst Films, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXV: More Movies, Part XXIX: Ponty and Portly’s #1 Worst Films
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXVI: More Movies, Part XXX: Midweek Myers Movie Reviews, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXVII: More Movies, Part XXXI: Midweek Myers Movie Reviews, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXVIII: Video Games II: Ponty’s Picks
- Lazy Sunday CLXXXIX: Even More Halloween Hijinks: The Musical
- Lazy Sunday CXC: Cozy Time
- Lazy Sunday CXCI: Veterans Day Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXCII: Myersvision, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CXCIII: Thanksgiving Week Posts
- Lazy Sunday CXCIV: Solo Cover EP, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CXCV: Solo Cover EP, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CLXXVI: 2022’s Top Three
- Lazy Sunday CXCVII: Review[s] of A Christmas Carol (1951)
- Lazy Sunday CXCVIII: The Worst of 2022
- Lazy Sunday CXCIX: More Movies XXXII: Portly’s Best Films, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CC: More Movies XXXIII: Ponty’s Best Films, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCI: More Movies XXXIV: Portly’s Best Films, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCII: More Movies XXXV: Ponty’s Best Films, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCIII: Péchés d’âge moyen Picks
- Lazy Sunday CCIV: Arizonan Sojourn, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCV: Portly’s Best Films, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CCVI: Ponty’s Best Films, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CCVII: The Beach
- Lazy Sunday CCVIII: Walks
- Lazy Sunday CCXIX: Paintings
- Lazy Sunday CCX: Arizonan Sojourn, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCXI: Hono[u]rable Mentions
- Lazy Sunday CCXII: Easter III
- Lazy Sunday CCXIII: Spring Break Short Story Recommendations 2023
- Lazy Sunday CCXIV: Ponty and Portly’s #1 Picks
- Lazy Sunday CCXV: Myersvision, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCXVI: Myersvision, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CCXVII: Myersvision, Part IV
- Lazy Sunday CCXVIII: Myersvision, Part V
- Lazy Sunday CCXIX: Myersvision, Part VI
- Lazy Sunday CCXX: Myersvision, Part VII
- Lazy Sunday CCXXI: Intergalactic Nonsense
- Lazy Sunday CCXXII: Stories
- Lazy Sunday CCXXIII: Original Music, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCXXIV: Original Music, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCXXV: MAGAWeek2023 Posts
- Lazy Sunday CCXXVI: Greatest Hits Recap
- Lazy Sunday CCXXVII: Ponty Week 2023
- Lazy Sunday CCXXVIII: D.C., Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCXXIX: D.C., Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCXXX: TJC Deep Cuts
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXI: Weird Piano Music
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXII: Cinema
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXIII: Monarchy
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXIV: Sandwiches
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXV: Skeletons
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXVI: Myersvision, Part VIII
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXVII: Myersvision, Part IX
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXVIII: Festivals II
- Lazy Sunday CCXXXIX: Two Cryptid Tunes
- Lazy Sunday CCXL: Ghostly Doings
- Lazy Sunday CCXLI: Veterans Day Posts II
- Lazy Sunday CCXLII: Indie Musician Rants
- Lazy Sunday CCXLIII: 2023 Releases
- Lazy Sunday CCXLIV: Civilization Series
- Lazy Sunday CCXLV: Chapel Lessons, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCXLVI: Chapel Lessons, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCXLVII: Christmas Concert Reviews
- Lazy Sunday CCXLVIII: The Best of 2023
- Lazy Sunday CCXLIX: Best Ponty Posts of 2023
- Lazy Sunday CCL: Best Myersvision Posts of 2023
- Lazy Sunday CCLI: YouTube Roundup Roundup I
- Lazy Sunday CCLII: YouTube Roundup Roundup II
- Lazy Sunday CCLIII: Firefly Dance Tracks, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCLIV: Firefly Dance Tracks, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCLV: Firefly Dance Tracks, Part III
- Lazy Sunday CCLVI: Days Off
- Lazy Sunday CCLVII: Murphy Vids, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCLVIII: Food II
- Lazy Sunday CCLIX: Four Mages, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCLX: Murphy Vids, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXI: Ultra Laziness
- Lazy Sunday CCLXII: Mothers
- Lazy Sunday CCLXIII: Four Mages, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXIV: End of School Events
- Lazy Sunday CCLXV: Disco Elysium Reviews
- Lazy Sunday CCLXVI: Political Stuff, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCLXVII: Political Stuff, Part II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXVIII: Milestones II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXIX: Cryptid Epistemology Mini-Series
- Lazy Sunday CCLXX: TJC Deep Cuts II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXI: Trump Stuff
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXII: Harris Stuff
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXIII: Heptadic Structure Tracks, Part I
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXIV: More Movies XXXVI: Movie Reviews, Part XXII: Reviews for Audre
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXV: Singing to Murphy
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXVI: Music Stuff
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXVII: Reviews of Video Games After Only Playing a Tiny Bit of Them
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXVIII: Composing Antiquity
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXIX: Ancient History
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXX: Mel Brooks Films
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXI: Smooth Brass Tunes
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXII: Spooky Season Prep
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXIII: Spooky Season Prep II
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXIV: Spooky Season Prep III
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXV: Post-Spooky Season Blues
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXVI: GEOTUS
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXVII: Vague Updates
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXVIII: Thanksgiving Follies
- Lazy Sunday CCLXXXIX: Christmas Cheer
- Lazy Sunday CCXC: Christmas Cheer II
- Lazy Sunday CCXCI: Christmas Cheer III
- Lazy Sunday CCXCII: The Best of 2024
- Lazy Sunday CCXCIII: Life Stuff
- Lazy Sunday CCXCIV: Stop Motion Animation
Open Mic Adventures LXIV: “Snowfall”
Near the end of 2023, I closed out my latest music journal. That got me flipping through some older journals, and I stumbled upon a couple of pieces I’d never arranged in Noteflight.
One of them was “Snowfall,” which I wrote sometime in 2022. It’s based around an Eb whole tone scale, giving it a mysterious, mystical sound.
SubscribeStar Saturday: Christmas Break Travels, Part VI: Home for Christmas
Today’s post is a SubscribeStar Saturday exclusive. To read the full post, subscribe to my SubscribeStar page for $1 a month or more. For a full rundown of everything your subscription gets, click here.
Trapped in the blizzard in Indianapolis, pipes bursting across the land (including in my older brother’s house), there was little to do besides sleep and let the responsible adults take care of things.
There are few things more reassuringly cozy than sleeping under heavy blankets in sub-zero temperatures. It’s akin to the feeling of being inside with power during a torrential downpour or powerful thunderstorm—the sense of safety and warmth is experienced palpably in those moments. In some ways, it’s even better to get soaked first, then to come into the dryness of the indoors.
But sleep can only forestall reality for so long. Driving to South Carolina on Friday, 23 December 2022 as I’d originally planned was out of the question, given the frozen roads. Tales of major wrecks and traffic snarls echoed across the land, so it seemed best to stay put.
That said, I desperately wanted to get home for Christmas. The weather, it seemed, had other plans, but I soon hatched a plan that, if all went well, would get me South in time for at least some of Christmas.
To read the rest of this post, subscribe to my SubscribeStar page for $1 a month or more.
SubscribeStar Saturday: Christmas Break Travels, Part V: Snowbound
Today’s post is a SubscribeStar Saturday exclusive. To read the full post, subscribe to my SubscribeStar page for $1 a month or more. For a full rundown of everything your subscription gets, click here.
As my older brother and I enjoyed our visit to Arizona, a massive polar vortex was making its way ominously towards the United States. We had some cool weather in Arizona, but reports were coming from back East that temperatures were dangerously low. My brother and his wife live in Indianapolis, so they were facing subzero temperatures, but even back in South Carolina, family and friends were reporting busted pipes and bitterly cold conditions.
There was some discussion between us about whether or not we should extend our trip another day or two, but the lure of Christmas and family was strong. We decided to head to the airport as planned to take our chances.
To read the rest of this post, subscribe to my SubscribeStar page for $1 a month or more.