February Funk

Winter Lingers

February is my least favorite month. It's gray and dreary. The weather is bi-polar (or maybe tri or quad...not sure). I begin to tire of wearing sweaters, socks and boots. The sun teases with hints of warmth and gold that indicates spring while the wind reminds us of the truth that is late winter. I crave the beach and flowers and my sandals. 

Until the spring really arrives, I tend to slide into a bit of a funk. This February I've manage to stave off the funk till this week. I'm proud of myself because usually this funk takes hold the first week of February instead of the week before sliding into March, which is often the first step toward warmth and light and flowers. In the meanwhile, I have to distract myself. 

Distractions

One thing I do when I find myself in a funk is wrap myself in music. Sometimes I listen to music that I'm familiar with that  will raise me out of my mid-winter night of the soul. This is music I can sing with because when I sing, I have a hard time being sad or dark. Other times, like this month, I discover new music and become addicted. It gets embedded in my brain to the point where I wake up to it in my head and have to play it over and again till I soak all the feeling out of it. My latest discovery (my Facebook friends already know and are probably sick of me posting about this) is Robert Downey Jr.

Yes. THAT Robert Downey Jr. Go ahead. Take a minute and admire. I know I'm doing the same. 

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 I somehow missed the boat about knowing he could sing. Some of you are laughing at my lack of knowledge in this matter, but I just discovered his album The Futurist. 

Why did no one ever tell me about this?! Seriously? Also, why has he never made a second and third and fourth album?

Oh yeah...Iron Man. Yeah. 

 His voice is a warm, fuzzy R&B blanket that I've wrapped myself in for the past week or so. In case you doubt me, here is a sample:

He's got a sort of vulnerability when he sings that doesn't show as much in his other performances. I know...I sound a bit like a moony fourteen year old, but this album has helped me pull out of my funk for just a bit. It's probably good that I'm not a friend of his because I'd bug him to sing to me all the time. 

I've also distracted myself with the new season of House of Cards. 

Amanda will tell you that I have a thing for Kevin Spacey as well. He's delicious in this show, and he sings in one episode, going to prove that evil can have a lovely singing voice when it wants to have one. I haven't finished the season yet (most of my friends binged the first weekend Netflix posted it) because I'm trying to savor it and take my time with it. This is especially important since my other favorite drama, Downton Abbey has closed its season as of last Sunday night. I'm so fascinated with Frank Underwood, Spacey's character, that I forget that I'm in a funk. 

Spring Is Coming

Soon spring will come, and distractions won't matter as much. My dark spirits will lift as warmth returns to Atlanta. In the meanwhile, there are my distractions, and I will enjoy them. While I know this is not a deep response to my funk, and while I know I could be much more serious in this post, this is where I am.

Only a few more weeks till spring, folks. Hold on.