Dissin' the Snuggie

This week's Fun Monday is all about comfort. Gattina, our host from over at Writer's Cramp ,wants the scoop on what we like to wear, especially on a lazy Sunday morning. I'm with most of you, I suspect. It's Wal-mart or Land's End flannel lounge pants--at least two sizes too large so they hang loosely from the waist--and tee shirts, long or short sleeves depending on the season. Now since it's against my religion to write a short post, will just take this opportunity to tell you about my change of heart on the infamous Snuggie of TV and print infomercial fame.

You've seen the ads for that unfortunate combination of robe and blanket, variously called a Snuggie or Slanket, that's supposed to keep you cozy in the coldest weather. It has sleeves so you can be hands free to sip coffee, read, work on the laptop, or watch TV while lounging on the sofa. There's even a "double-wide" version if you like someone well enough to want to sit side by side under a common covering to watch a movie or football game. I suppose it might also be handy to have one of those lounger chairs for two. . .even more ridiculous. My response to owning one of these things has always been "Never!" That is, until last January when I woke up to this out the window. During the night an ice storm blanketed all of Kentucky, bringing down trees and knocking out the electricity for more than a week. As the week went on the temperature kept dipping as the utility companies, with help from several other states, struggled to clear downed trees and string new electrical lines. Most of my neighbors stayed with family members who had not lost power or in hotels while they waited for the electricity to come on. Willie the Pit Bull and I decided to stay put in our home. In the fall I always lay in storm supplies--batteries, cans of sterno, flashlights, canned food, a booklight for reading when it gets dark. During that long week when we were without power Willie and I kept to our normal routines. In the morning I made coffee on this rigged up "stove" with heat coming from sterno cans. Kept the "stove" close to the back door so I could kick it outside if it caught on fire. The "stove" also generated enough heat to warm soup, which was fortunate because I couldn't get my car out of the driveway for that week. Thankfully, the Courier Journal arrived every day providing a link to the outside world, along with a couple of rationed cell phone calls to check in with my sister and friends. Every day I tidied the house, took a quick shower while the hot water lasted in the water heater, wrote a daily journal of the storm--for later blog fodder! The remaining time Willie and I spent on the sofa huddled under several blankets trying stay warm and hold my book so I could read. The blankets kept slipping off--Willie never understood the need to lie still and keep covered. Plus, there was the huge bother of having to unwrap for bathroom runs. How I longed for one of those Snuggies before the power finally came on!

Recently there was an article in the newspaper about this year's winter weather. It's going to be a bad one, starting earlier than usual. The woolly worms are black which is a warning for excessive snow and cold weather. It has already frosted around here which is unusual for November. Therefore, I'm laying in emergency supplies for a hard winter so Willie and I can stay in our home regardless of what happens. And, okay, I'll just go ahead and admit that I've ordered a Slanket! Now I just need your opinion. Does Willie need one also? He never expressed the same disdain for them that I did. . .

Now be sure to head over the Gattina's place and check out the at home attire of other Fun Mondayers. I've checked out Gattina's caftans and doubt that any of us can rival their beauty!