We Are Just Sad Soldiers In The War Against February

Winter was cute in December, with all the twinkly little holiday lights. It was a little darker in January, when (at least in Chicago) there was a single day of sunshine, but we were strong and stoic because that is what Midwesterners do. Now it is February and some lucky people have started to flee to the beaches, from which they post annoying social media posts of themselves.

Here at The Takeout, we tried to fight winter by observing Tropical Staycation Week and dining at the Rainforest Cafe. But the glow of tropical drinks and fake thunderstorms has started to wear off. I've been marinating roast chicken in orange juice and squeezing lemons all over everything. I've been eating salads because those are supposed to help you resist the urge to nap. I've been fighting off the urge to eat masses of citrus-flavored pastry, or really anything else with massive quantities of butter and sugar, and I'm about to begin my annual search for real estate in Hawaii.

So how do you fight the midwinter blues? The Takeout has made several suggestions in recent weeks, but we'd like to hear yours.