Sugar-Free Chocolate Winter

The little quirks in our lives are often what define us. One of my favorite little quirks is to eat ice cream in cold weather. Better said, I like to eat ice cream while I'm WATCHING cold weather from somewhere warm and cozy.

Last week we had one of those severely cold days downtown. The temperature was thirty-something degrees, but the gusty winds made it feel severely colder. People walked around with heavy coats, scarves and earmuffs as they tried to keep their watery eyes open in the strong downtown gusts. It was one of those cold and windy days where your eyes watered, your sinuses burned when you tried to inhale, and you found it hard to swallow from the cold air assaulting your nose and lungs.

While all this happened, I sat in the corner section of the De Espresso coffee shop at the corner of Church Street, next to the downtown Fire Station.

I had ordered a hefty bowl full of sugar-free chocolate ice cream, and fired up the old HP to check emails. I hadn't noticed how people stared at me as I savored every chocolate spoonful, but I know more than a few people must have thought I was insane for having ice cream on such a cold day.

I didn't care. The temperature in the coffee shop must have been close to eighty degrees, and I took off my jacket and sweater so as not to break out in a sweat.

I know I'm not the only one who likes to eat ice cream in cold weather. I've even seen folks out on benches in cold weather as they eat ice cream. I couldn't do that. I wouldn't enjoy the ice cream as much.