The one thing that ties the whole Northwest region together is the crappy weather. Truthfully, it could be much worse; we escape tornados, blizzards and other weather extremes, but all the cold and/or wet weather puts such a damper on things. Once the holidays are over, we don’t have houses full of relatives and hot ovens to help us cope, so this is about the time of year when folks get anxious.
I want it to be summer already. I want to be warm. I’m tired of layering my clothes and sleeping in hoodies and leggings. I miss sundresses SO MUCH. I miss my tan and my vitamin D. Staying in the house is no fun either. So what’s a young thug need to keep sane until Mr. Sun comes back into our lives? Well…….
1. Patience
NW natives know to expect 9-11 months of the season I like to call “Fawing.” With no distinct difference in the weather from late September to late June, the 3 seasons kind of blend together in a dark depressing blob of hopelessness. Just be patient. Our 8 weeks of summer is worth the wait. I guess. [Editor’s Note: It is.]
2. MUSIC, Duh!
Nothing helps pass the time or comforts quite like zoning out to music. And with We Out Here posting new music daily, there’s no reason not to let music keep you company. Or, if you prefer, you can spend your time warm in the studio making music that we can all slap by the time summer is here.
3. A WOHM crewneck
Nothing keeps you warm like a sweatshirt that bears the name of your favorite NW magazine. Right? Right. (Limited supply, email Mac if you want one.)
4. A Warm Body… Or Two
Cuffing season coincides with the colder months for a reason. Having a warm body to warm your toes against is quite wonderful. However, it is almost Valentine’s Day. If you’re not trying to ball out on meaningless gifts, make sure you have more than one star on your roster. Even if you’re single, if the person you’re warming up with knows they’re the only one you’re warming up with, they WILL expect a gift.
5. A Seahawk Win
Again, duh! I’m not a fan, but I can’t say it wouldn’t be nice to get a Superbowl win in the NW. Besides, seeing as Seahawks fans are obnoxious as hell, I’m sure a win would have them feeling so high and mighty that they’d be able to coast for a few months and forget about the cold.
6. GTA V
The only thing better than real life is virtual life. It just passes time. You ever start playing and the next thing you know, 5 hours have passed? You can get really caught up with Franklin speeding through the streets in stolen cars and going on completely avoidable rampages with Trevor. Just make sure you don’t translate that to real life.
7. Light Therapy
There is a reason why Seattle has the highest suicide rate in the country. Dark skies are depressing… and no, I’m not teasing. A lot of folks would benefit from a couple trips to a therapist to just air it all out and maybe also learn how to manage their emotional reaction when people say their music is whack.
8. A Trip to SXSW
Austin is nice in March. Why not take a break from the NW and head down to Texas for some pure awesomeness. Several WOHM favorites will be down there mixing, mingling, performing, and more than likely, partying their asses off. Join the fun.
9. Concerts & Parties
If you can’t make the trip to Austin, why not head to a local show? Don’t know where to go? Check out our new event calendar to find out what’s going on in Seattle, Portland, Eugene, Tacoma, Bend and more.
10. Coffee (and/or Brown Liquor)
It’s the NW, of course you need coffee. It’s in our DNA. It keeps us warm and keeps the dark cloudy skies from making us fall asleep at our work desks. At night, just switch to liquor… but keep it brown. When’s the last time you took a shot of Hennessy and didn’t feel your body temperature rise a few degrees? The stuff is magic, I tell you.