Nothing says, "I'm stayin' home in my pajamas until May" like stew.
You're supposed to get a little bit fat in winter. You're supposed to eat rich stews and meats and starches, for warmth. You're supposed to get home from work, jump in your flannels, and spend the rest of the night in bed, with the television on, for friendship! (This only works if the television is in your bedroom; maybe you should move it there.) You should not leave your bed until May.
But what if you do not want to stay in your bed until springtime comes? What if you want to continue being young and fun, with companionship of the 3-D variety, which isn't brought to you by Tivo? What if you're considering going certifiably bananas should you have to look at the walls in your claustrophobial apartment even one more minute?
The time changes at 2 a.m. Sunday morning (Nov. 1). Set your clocks back one hour.
That gets a little trickier, because I don't know if you noticed: It is cold out, and the sun went down at 5. But more night just means more nightlife, right? Oh, don't be like that! Of course it does!
Do not go straight home from work
You have a job? Well bully for you! Dress stylishly every morning so you'll be confident at the end of the day. High-heeled boots! Sparkly jewelry! (Less sparkly jewelry if you are a man, please, and high-heeled boots only for Tom DeLay.) Be the person at work who is constantly nagging everyone else to go out together for happy hour. (But don't come to work hung-over unless you know your boss will too.)
Warning: Don’t come to work hung-over unless you know your boss will too.
People at work don't want to go to happy hour with you? They have "families" to get home to, or cats to feed? People at work are old and sad or don't really like you? Really, that's on them, but if that's the case, then get in the habit of a brisk walk around your work neighborhood before getting in or on your transportation home. If you work in a proper city, there should be quite a bit of bustle on the sidewalks at closing time; with a 15-minute walk elevating your heart rate and amping up your cubicle-dwelling sedentary energy, you should be in the perfect mood to spot a door you hadn't noticed before. Behind that door? A friendly neighborhood sports bar or unfriendly pool hall. If you work in some terrible suburb? Don't walk around; you'll just get arrested. Sadly, you'll have to drive to a TGIFridays instead.
