It snows in March. This is how I deal with it.

In the other places where I've lived, snow in March was out of the question. But Dorothy, we're not in North Carolina anymore. This is Wisconsin, where March is fair game for frost and flurries.

Thankfully, I'm equipped for these circumstances. My full-length parka (aka "mega coat") keeps me warm when I'm out and about, but at home, it's all about the fireplace. 

Rocco likes staying nice and warm, too.

No spring weather yet? No problem. 

Snow day: adulthood style.

It's my second winter in Madison, and all the locals say that it's my first real winter. Though last year seemed quite snowy and chilly, it was apparently a light one. But this year, I'm in for a true Wisconsin winter, and Middleton (on the west side of Madison) has already been hit with almost 20 inches of snow.

It started last night, right as I was heading out of Stitch 'n Bitch at Take 5 (our new meeting place). I parked my car safely in my heated garage, where I plan to leave it until Saturday.

This morning, I bundled up, laced up my snow boots, and trudged the 0.8 mile walk to work (it seems much longer in the snow, trust me). Many folks didn't make it into the office, but those of us who live close by braved the storm. After a few hours, we were sent home because the snow was expected to get worse. I bundled up again and made it home, noting that the bike path is a good place to walk because the surrounding trees catch a lot of the snow before it hits the ground. Both of my outdoor trips today were livened up by my neighbor's puppy, Milo, who absolutely loves playing in the snow.

An afternoon view from my balcony, before round 2 of the snow really hit.

I took some writing and editing work home, and I must say it was refreshing to work in a different environment. It's tough to be creative at a desk every day. Also, the cats thoroughly enjoyed having me home early.

Jupiter was hard at work editing, but found that mechanical pencils require opposable thumbs.

Phoebe is too pretty to work, so she opted to lounge instead.

Once I got my work done, I discovered what adult snow days are all about:

Watching way too much Nip/Tuck,

painting my nails (OPI's Can You Tapas This?), and

taking a nice hot bath with some amazing vegan soap (Lush's Sea Vegetable).

A pretty amazing afternoon. Perhaps winter isn't so devilish, after all.

Cat meets cow: a Wisconsin love story.

My cat, Jupiter, is a playful boy who loves to make new friends. I thought that Wisconsin hadn't changed him a bit, but then I caught him getting cozy with a species of a different kind:

What can I say? It's true Wisconsin love.

MadCat Pet Supplies: a cat lover's dream.

Anticipating the arrival of my two cats this Thursday, I decided to go buy them a nice surprise yesterday. I went to MadCat Pet Supplies' largest location on Mineral Point Road (right near the West Towne Mall) in search of the perfect cat tree. There were plenty of reasonably priced choices. The trees at MadCat look nothing like the ugly ones at most pet stores. MadCat trees are functional, yet quite aesthetically pleasing: the perfect addition to my new apartment.

One of the many awesome reasons to buy a cat tree from MadCat: they deliver for free. This is a great perk for a girl like me with a compact car and no upper body strength.

I chose a wooden tree with three carpeted tiers.

My tree was delivered right to my door 24 hours after it had been purchased: very efficient! I plan to sprinkle catnip all over it in order to get the cats interested. I think it looks like a very nice place for them to lounge and scratch.

My cats are not related-- they just happen to look very similar.
Jupiter (left) and Phoebe (right) will relocate to Madison this Thursday!