Below Zero Degrees Weather vs. Babies 'R Us: Which is More Bearable?

As if the recent weather up here isn't bad enough, I decided to suggest going on our first trip to Babies 'R Us on a day when the low temperature was -4 degrees. This juxtaposition (fancy word, huh?) of experiences brings up an interesting question: Which is more bearable, the bitterly cold weather or a long day at Babies 'R Us? Of course, these are completely different, but it's amazing how much they have in common. Let's see how the two compare...


Weather: I can at least lay down under a pile of blankets and take a long nap since the weather eliminates the feasibility of almost all other activities.
Babies: Walking around the store and looking at 20 different versions of the same product really makes me sleepy, but I can't really fit into any of the display cribs (trust me, I tried when no one was looking), so there goes my nap.
WINNER: Weather (I really like naps).

Weather: We discovered this winter that very low temperatures cause a part on our car (might be something in power steering) to squeal very annoyingly when we take bends or when we approach idling.
Babies: Reminds me that in 5 months, a high-pitched squeal will awake me in the middle of the night, every night, for a long time...
WINNER: Weather (I can shut the car off).

Weather: Reminds me that we'll have great times this summer when the weather is beautiful.
Babies: Reminds me of all the fun we'll have after the baby is born...which is also in the summer!
WINNER: Babies (Double the fun this summer).

Weather: Shoveling 1 foot of snow in 10 degrees for 45 minutes is just about the worst way I can think of to spend my time.
Babies: Labouring for 20 minutes trying to figure out how a display model high chair folds up in the convenient, compact way that is shown on the box, while people walk by and laugh at my confusion. (This is 100% true - no exaggeration)
WINNER: Babies (If the people walking by also knew that I am an engineer and I work at Dow, I think that Weather would win...)


Well, it looks like this is a rather close contest! I think that I'll have to declare Babies 'R Us as more bearable, especially since we woke up this morning with the house at 51 degrees because a part on the furnace broke during the middle of the night. Fortunately, a technician came out first thing in the morning after I called for help, and it was a rather simple fix. (He didn't give me an exact price for the part, which makes me a little nervous...)

In all seriousness, we had a nice time yesterday thinking about the excitement of this summer and preparing for our next step in life. We also got a great deal on an Eddie Bauer outdoor swinging bassinette that was on clearance ($25)! It has an overhead solid cover for shade and a front screen cover that can be lifted up to keep bugs away. This will really come in handy when we want to enjoy sunny summer afternoons on the back porch.

Until next time...

- Mike